“Take the card, Haley.”
“What?” Haley mumbled.
“Take the card.”
“But what if they find it on me?”
“Just tell her to do it,” Kendra said.
“Do it, Haley.”
Haley picked up the card.
“Tell her to put it in her bag and sit back down where she was.”
Once the dust had settled, Jason re-addressed his boss again.
“What the hell is going on here, Kendra?” he demanded. “Have you no concern for safety at all?”
“Once her questioning is over, Haley will need to be redirected towards the lower basement area.”
“What? Have you gone completely mad?”
“One of our operatives could be down there,” Kendra said. “Haley needs to get her out.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Haley stared down at her handbag. She looked from the bag to the desk. Back to the bag again.
Shit. What had she just done?
What if Madame Nightshade found out?
Would she notice the card was missing?
The door behind her opened. Haley half turned in its direction, aware it wasn’t just the Madame who was entering the room.
A cold presence filled the space between them, and Haley’s skin immediately sprang to life with all the little shudders and bumps. She became aware of where her hands were. The bend in her knees. The arches of her feet. A once relaxed position became difficult to maintain.
“May I introduce our sworn Master, head of the Vampire Dating Agency, Mr. Count Julian Echo.”
The muscular frame of the higher vampire shifted behind the desk.
Haley stared blankly at the light purple skin protruding from the centre of his coat.
“Haley, is it?” the Count rasped.
Haley looked up to his monstrous gaze.
“We met earlier on the floor,” the Count remarked, sitting down.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Madame Nightshade said. “It’s hard to remember these things.”
“Do you know why you’re here, Haley?”
“To … meet someone...?” she replied hopefully.
“I mean here in my office.”
“Oh,” Haley murmured. “I … I won’t say anything about the woman I found. I promise.”
“Yes, of course, you say that now,” the Count mused. “But supposing your feelings change once you’re safe and sound at home tomorrow. Supposing you feel like going into the police station to report it. Whatever you say now, will probably have little effect on what happens tomorrow.”
“That isn’t necessarily true,” Haley said in a quiet voice.
“But you understand our predicament. We don’t know who you are. This is your first night here. You have no loyalty to us. You’re nobody. You’re a stranger.”
Haley shifted nervously. “I promise I won’t tell. You have my word.”
“We’ll need more than that.”
“What can I – what can –?”
“Stand up,” the Count commanded.
Haley took a deep breath and left the chair. She glanced back at Madame Nightshade who was staring at her coldly.
“Put your bag onto the desk and empty its contents.”
Haley looked back to the Count.
There was no mercy in his eyes.
She picked up the bag and placed it on top the desk. Her fingers pulled back clasp.
“Her bag was checked earlier,” Madame Nightshade muttered.
The Count blinked a few times. “You don’t think an examination is necessary? You can vouch for this one?”
The Madame approached and stood beside Haley.
“She’s quite harmless, I’m sure,” Madame Nightshade said. “Brock Ferns is currently waiting on her. He would be upset if something were to happen to her.”
“That would be most unfortunate,” the Count replied. “But then, how are we to deal with this predicament?”
The vampires looked Haley over.
“I swear to you, on my life,” she said. “I won’t tell anyone anything about what happens here tonight. I have nothing to gain from it. I just … I just want to have a good time.”
“I think we can let her go with a warning,” Madame Nightshade said.
The Count hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Give it to her then.”
The Madame proceeded to strike Haley across the face, causing her to collapse to her knees. The Madame brought her up again, so that she could strike her a few more times.
The blood… The tears…
The pain…
It all fell convincingly out of Haley.
“You fuck with us and we’ll destroy you,” Madame Nightshade hissed in her ear.
Haley nodded, but she couldn’t feel a thing.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
A few minutes later, Haley made into the bathroom. Seeing that she was alone she went to the far end and put her bag onto the edge of the sink. Her face was a mess. The Madame had given her a real beating. She pulled out a patch of paper towel and dabbed the cuts and bruises, cringing. Somewhere, far away … Maurice was still giving her instructions…
“Well done. You made it through. Everyone is really proud of you, Haley. I hope you’re ready for the detour. As Ms. Armistice has instructed you are to go to the basement level of the house and –”
Haley ripped her earbuds out and threw them in the bin with the necklace.
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t right, and they were using her.
It wasn’t right, and she just almost died.
“I didn’t sign up for this,” Haley whispered, her lips trembling. “I’m not ready for it.”
She stared at herself in the mirror, her fist curling into a ball.
So much violence inside.
So much violence waiting to come out.
But she had to leave. She had to kiss this all goodbye.
She scrunched her eyes up, looking back at the bin, knowing that this would be it. No turning around. No going back.
She thought about her Mom, and how she’d never gotten a chance to call home. It was only now that she realized how important that would have been.
Because if her Mom had been able to hear her voice that night, then at least then they both would have known…
That she was safe.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Count Echo was standing at the back of his study, peering through an opening in the curtains that overlooked the front of the compound. The moon, in all its lastingness, shed light into the shadows otherwise unlit. In ways, he could see all. Know all. Feel all.
But there was always something, that remained in the dark…
“The dead woman,” he murmured. “Who was she?”
“No one,” Madame Nightshade said from the other side of the room. “Just another girl looking for vampire love.”
“You don’t buy into these rumors of a serial killer lurking here?”
“I’m not sure it would be any of my business.”
“Our business,” Count Echo corrected, turning. “You don’t think that one of our clients going around killing our female guests is our business?”
“What do you want me to do?” Madame Nightshade said flatly. “Launch an investigation?”
“No. But keep an eye out.”
“For the killer?”
“And any paranormal undercovers. I have a feeling if they’re not here already, they soon will be.”
“Well, if I see anything suspicious I won’t hesitate to look into it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I wonder though,” Madame Nightshade said, “should we find any of these undercovers – what shall we do with them?”
“I’ll decide in the moment. Same goes for whoever threw that woman off the terrace.”
“Is that all then?”
Count Echo pulled out the chair from his desk and sat down. “Yes, you may go.”
The Madame
turned to exit.
Something caught the Count’s eye a moment later however, and he called her back. “Arianne … Arianne…”
She stopped and turned around. “Yes, Master?”
“Where’s my keycard…?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
The pulses and vibrations that ran through the house seemed to be running in sync with Haley’s own heartbeat. She leaned back against the wall at the foot the stairs as a group of people passed her. The women, all euphoric and filled with wonder. The vampires, all lustful and filled with hunger. She could feel their eyes on her now. They wanted her. If they could see her, they would have her. She hurried as fast as she could to the front area of the house where she’d come in. Still, people around. Guards as well. She had to slip between them. She had to make it to the door.
In her ear, there was silence. No one to give her advice. She had backed down from her mission, like a coward –
No! Her mind hissed.
You’re not a coward! You are strong!
The pathway opened up and she was in clear sight of the door. She walked towards it as fast as she could, her fingers on the handle, turning, turning…
“Ms. Haley Watkins by the door!” Madame Nightshade shouted behind her.
Everyone looked up, and back at their Mistress.
She continued her descent down the stairs.
Haley let go of the handle.
“I’m … I’m sorry…” Haley stuttered.
The Madame walked towards her slowly, her eyes brimming with the fierce cold. “Follow me, please.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
They were back in the corridor leading to the room where the Madame had first interviewed her. Haley was shaking, terrified she’d been found out. There was no one to call for help. No one to rush in and save her from the situation. She was alone. All she had was herself.
“Am I in trouble?” Haley asked. “Are you angry with me?”
“Oh, I think so,” the Madame said softly.
“Why? Why are you … why are you doing this to me?”
Madame Nightshade opened the door for her to walk through. Haley complied, the room’s atmosphere sending shivers to her brain.
The imps in cages chatted amongst themselves.
“Are we at game over then?” Madame Nightshade said walking past Haley, towards her desk at the back.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You were leaving weren’t you? Through the front door?”
“Oh,” Haley swallowed. “I just … wanted some air.”
“Did the Count scare you?”
“I don’t know.”
“In some ways, to someone simple, like you … his features probably seem not so desirable…”
“I wasn’t saying anything about –”
“What you’ll come to realize though is that when you fall for someone, their appearance becomes an extension of the person they are inside. And that is what you go on to see.”
“It wasn’t him, I swear.”
“We know that, Haley. We know who you are.”
“Who I – what?”
“Can I have your handbag please?”
Haley froze.
“Handbag. Now.”
Haley let it fall into her hand. Then she put it on the desk.
“Thank you,” Madame Nightshade smiled.
She put her hand into the bag and felt around.
“What’s this then?” she said, pulling out a phone.
It was the green one, Cyrus had given her.
“That’s not … anything…”
“Cyrus, right?”
Haley nodded.
Madame Nightshade placed it on the table.
She felt around the bag again.
“Ah-ha.”
She pulled out the blue key Brock had given her.
“Just kidding,” she murmured.
She placed the key next to the phone.
“Well … now … let me see…”
Their eyes locked together.
“Why – what is this?”
She pulled out the red keycard from the Count’s study and placed it on the desk next to the others.
“I think we both know exactly what you’re doing here,” Madame Nightshade said. “Ms. Paranormal Detective…”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The room had gone silent. The music from outside had died down. The imps stopped speaking. Haley’s heartbeat slowed right –
“Do you deny it?” Madame Nightshade cried shrilly smashing her fist on the table.
“I don’t – I don’t know what to –”
“Yes, the Count will want to deal with you himself, I’m sure,” Madame Nightshade said. “Perhaps he’ll put you in the dungeon downstairs. Where you’ll rot and rot and rot… Or maybe, maybe he’ll slash your eyes out, and drink the blood from the sockets… Maybe… Maybe he’ll turn you into his sex slave, ha, ha, ha…”
Haley looked back in the direction of the door.
“Yes, time is running out for you, dear.”
Haley turned back. “Please. I never meant for any of this…”
“Which one did it then?”
“What?”
“There you go. Your three wonderful suspects. Brock, Cyrus and the Count. Three objects. Three colors. Three rivers for you to run down.”
Haley stared back in silence.
“Pick one. Who did it? Who is your killer?”
“I don’t know,” Haley confessed. “I’ve only just started this.”
Madame Nightshade stood up from the table. “You see?” she shrugged. “You just admitted it.”
“Admitted what?”
The Madame approached her.
“Admitted you’re a spy.”
As the Madame drew closer, Haley saw all color in her face evaporate.
Her eyes turned purple.
Her lips became wet.
“No,” Haley whispered.
Madame Nightshade took Haley’s wrist into the palms of her hands.
“Of course, maybe the Count will never know,” she whispered. “Maybe it’s just between us girls.”
Her lips parted.
Her fangs extended.
And finally, the alarm went off in Haley’s head.
“Fuck you,” Haley growled.
The Madame looked up to her. “What?”
Haley grabbed a clump of her hair with her free hand, and ripped her body away. The Madame was sent flying into the desk, knocking it over.
She sat up quickly her eyes still wide with surprise.
Haley saw her clawed fingers were becoming longer and longer…
Her face turning from white to purple…
The becoming of an undead monster…
She lashed out at Haley but Haley was too quick. She kicked the vampiress with brutal force, and then blindly reached out for the fall desk, breaking off one of its legs with insurmountable strength.
Madame Nightshade hissed, and screamed, and roared at her, still caught unawares.
As Haley dove on her, she tried to grab her wrists again so as to bite them…
But before Haley had reached close enough for her to do so…
Haley had used the table leg to pierce her heart.
CHAPTER FORTY
The imps were clapping. They were blowing whistles and cheering. As though they’d just witnessed a good show.
Haley stared down at the vampiress’s lifeless corpse, her black oozing blood still sticking to the table leg, and the back of Haley’s hand.
Haley searched around for her handbag and found some tissues in it that she was able to clean herself up. She was still terrified – terrified she had actually killed someone – and didn’t feel in a good way at all. Despite all her training she had never truly believed she was capable of such … violence…
“Aargh!” Haley squealed, unable to keep it in.
She lowered her eyes back to the rubble, and collected up the objects that had bee
n removed from the bag and stood up. She hurried back through the door of the room, closing it behind her, and retraced their steps through the corridor back to the front of the house.
Before reaching there, she turned back, listening to the sounds around her.
The music was alive, and pulsating once again.
The imps could not be heard.
Haley opened up the door in front of her and walked out into the front area which was now deserted.
She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly headed to the front door.
Once outside she scanned the exterior for people, and fortunately found none. She began walking up the pebbled driveway towards the front gates.
“Psst,” someone whispered. “Haley.”
She jumped with a fright as she saw figure emerging from a nearby statue.
It appeared to be another one of the vampires, as he was dressed in the suited attire. His face was white as if covered in powder, his hands locked tightly in a pair of gloves…
“Haley. It’s me. Jason.”
She thought for a moment.
Wait…
“Yes,” he said, grabbing hold of her. He pulled her back behind the statue with him, both collapsing to their knees.
“What are you doing here?” Haley demanded. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“Since you cut your transmission I’ve been sent in to fix the situation. Here’s another earpiece.”
She slapped his hand away. “I don’t want it.”
“Take it, please,” he said.
“No.”
“You think this is a game? What the hell were you thinking throwing yours away?”
“I don’t want to be a part of this anymore.”
“Why not?”
“It’s – it’s too fucking dangerous. Besides, my cover’s been blown.”
“It has?”
“The … Madame Nightshade – she cornered me in her office. She knew I took the key card from the Count’s study. When she found it, she said all these terrible things. She was going to kill me herself…”
“What happened?”
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