by Amie Gibbons
“Ryder, flashlight,” Grant said.
I pulled my big utility flashlight out of my kit and shined it down.
“You behind me,” Grant said, takin’ the flashlight. “Then Bridges and Kowalski.”
Crowley’s team took the perimeter and he took up a guard position at the top.
We lined up and headed down.
The stairs were deeper than they first appeared. We just kept going down and down.
“Stop,” Grant said after forever and a half.
“Sir?” Jet asked.
“How many stairs have we gone down?”
Jet shook his head.
“A hundred and two, sir,” Dan said.
“That’s my count too.”
They were counting? Was I supposed to be counting?
“Ryder,” Grant said, “you getting anything off the stairway?”
“I’m guessin’ we’re lookin’ for magic here, sir?”
“Unless you know another way stairs could go five times longer than they appear. Look behind us.”
I inched over and looked behind the guys up the stairs.
There was a long staircase behind us, but nothin’ compared to over a hundred steps.
“The stairs are growing or something, sir,” I said.
“Exactly. We’re not going to make it to the bottom. We may not be able to go back up.”
We were trapped! Oh hell no!
I turned and pushed on Jet to run past.
“Ryder.” Grant caught my arms, pullin’ me back against him. “Do. Not. Panic.”
I thrashed against his hold, metal coatin’ my tongue as my breaths came short and fast. “We’re trapped, sir!”
He pulled me into a tight hug, holding my arms to my body like a straightjacket. “Ariana, stay calm. Panicking won’t do anything to get us out of here. Take a breath.”
I did.
“And another one. Go deep. Good girl. We will not be stuck here; I promise you. If I have to blow these stairs up, I will.”
I took another deep breath. “Sir, wouldn’t that kill us, too?”
“Yes, but at least we wouldn’t be stuck.”
I giggled. “But we don’t have explosives on us.”
“Yes, we do.”
I smiled. Of course he did. “I’m okay now, sir.”
He let me go but kept his hands on my shoulders. “Good.”
“I’m sorry I panicked, sir. I just can’t…”
“Never be ashamed of fear, Ryder. Be ashamed if you do something stupid because of fear."
I snorted. “You get that from a fortune cookie?”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Ryder. Close your eyes, try to get a vision.”
I nodded, resting a hand on the wall.
Nothin’.
“Sorry sir. Um, I could call someone?”
“I don’t want anyone else getting stuck down here, Ryder.”
“No, I mean Q… one of the vamps. They might be able to tell us how to get out or something.”
Grant took his own deep breath. “Shit. We try walking up first. If the stairs keep growing, we’ll call him.”
The him instead of them rang against the walls like an accusation.
Or maybe I was just projecting.
We walked up, all of us counting out loud.
The light spillin’ outta the door up top got closer and closer and we hit the door in thirty steps.
I bust out and ran down the hall, gettin’ out in the club before Grant could tell me not to, legs achin’ more than they should’ve for such a short trip up. I whizzed by the person watching the door, couldn’t even tell who it was besides one of the girls.
The guys joined me a moment later. Jet and Dan left to talk to Crowley’s team and Grant sat at the bar.
He pat the stool next to him and I nodded, sitting down.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I said. “I didn’t mean to panic. I just can’t…”
“You’re claustrophobic.”
“No, sir. It’s not tight spaces, it’s being trapped. I get the same reaction when I’m lost or stuck in traffic.”
“Explains your driving.”
I snorted.
“Ryder, do you remember the first thing you said to me when we met?”
Now why was he bringing that up?
“No, sir, I was panickin’ then too.”
“You said you were scared. You said it in about five time as many words, but you said it.”
That made me smile.
“But you said you kept screaming, and singing, for help at the top of your lungs, because you knew someone would come. You had hope.”
“Well yeah, I’d been missin’ for two days, I knew my family would have every officer in the South lookin’ for me.”
“Next time we’re in a situation like that, and you’re trapped, sing. Quietly. To yourself. But sing before you run.”
I remembered now. “You said that. And then added, unless someone’s shooting, then find cover and shoot back.”
He smiled. “Yeah, that sounds like me.”
The guys came back.
“All clear, sir,” Jet said.
“What now?” I asked.
“Office. We have evidence to go over,” Grant said.
###
Once back at the office, I was put in a corner of the forensics lab with the evidence and told to get a vision or analyze every scrap of evidence until my brain fried.
Whichever came first.
“Nothing at the club?” Irish asked as I spread the evidence bags out around my corner.
“Giant staircase that doesn’t let you get to the bottom,” I said.
He shook his head. “Sounds like the stories my grandma used to tell me about our ancestors.”
“Huh?”
“Little people, lass.”
“Ohhhh, right, cuz you’re a leprechaun. I forgot.”
“Only a fourth.”
“I still don’t know if you’re messin’ with me when you say stuff like that.”
“How often do you get visions off me?”
I rolled my eyes up, thinkin’. “I think just the first one.”
He spread his hands as though to say, “See?” and I snorted, sittin’ down as he went back to work.
I went over everything we’d found, from the photos to bullets to every spare scrap of thread to fluid samples.
Nothing, nothing, and yet more nothing.
“Ryder!” Grant yelled across the lab after I’d been there long enough to get a crick in my neck.
“Yes, General?” I popped up from the evidence nest.
“We’re going to your place to have a chat with your friend.”
Uh-oh.
“Okay.” I got my purse and ran after him.
He had me take my own car.
It was still light when we got to my place so I figured Quil would still be asleep.
“Uh-oh,” I said out loud when we hit my bedroom.
The bed was made and there was a note on my pillow, the hand writing large and loopy.
I picked it up and read out loud, “Grazie. See you soon.”
Grant’s face stayed blank as I met his eyes.
“How did he get out? It’s still daylight,” I said.
“Get Mr. Kurt on the phone. I want to know if he picked him up.”
The manager answered after a few rings and he swore he didn’t pick anyone up today.
“They could’ve had one of their humans do it, General,” I said. “Quil had his phone on him. He could’ve called and they could’ve covered him with a blanket or something.”
“That’s a lot of could haves, Ryder. And a lot of questions for us.”
“I know, sir. I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know. About not takin’ his phone, about letting him into my place. I’m just sorry.”
“What weren’t you telling me earlier, Ariana?”
I sighed. “I like him, General. I wasn’t keeping it
professional. I mean, I was tryin’, but I like him. And me takin’ him back to my place was a huge risk. I trusted him.”
“He saved your life. I don’t blame you for that. But yes, taking him to your home, letting him in, that was a mistake. I expect you to learn from it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Grant told me stay home and get some sleep, and that he’d already told the guys to go home.
He said another team was covering the stakeout of the club tonight and that was all we could do until something turned up or until we could get the vamps to open up.
I ran errands, watched some TV, showered, and climbed into bed just after dark.
Pyro curled up in bed with me, strokin’ my hair with a tassel.
“Good night, baby.”
He tapped his good night on my shoulder and went back to petting me.
###
I woke up with the suddenness of falling.
What the quack?
My eyes searched the room with my heart pounding.
Thick blackout curtains cover my windows, leavin’ me with little more than shadows created by light from the hall where Pyro’d left the light on.
One of the shadows shifted towards me.
Someone was in my room!
Chapter eight
“AGHHH!” I screamed my best high pitched horror movie scream.
A cold hand slapped over my mouth before I could get the volume up.
“It’s me,” Quil’s said.
I pushed at the hand and he took it away.
The light turned on and I moaned and closed my eyes against it for a moment.
“What!” I asked.
“I need your help.” He walked into my closet without givin’ me a second glance.
“No! Get out of there! What are you doing?”
“I need to find you something suitable. You need to be presentable, but not edible.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
I pulled my sheet up, trying to slide outta bed and wrap it around me.
It wouldn’t come off the bed.
“They always do this in the movies,” I said.
“You notice your accent gets thicker when you’re stressed?” he asked. “Can’t wear a turtleneck, too much of a tease. Maybe this.”
A dark green silk button-up flew out of the closet, landing on my bed and sliding off. A black suit skirt landed on the bed and he walked back out.
And froze, eyes popping. “You’re naked.”
“Yeah, that’s how I sleep.”
“Put these on, then I’ll explain.”
He rushed outta my room.
“You better,” I said.
I got dressed fast and checked my phone. Four a.m.? Seriously?
A year and a half ago. I was out partyin’ till four. What happened?
“Are you decent?” Quil called.
“No, and neither are you, otherwise you wouldn’t have woken me up.”
“Not a morning person, I see.” Quil walked back in.
“It’s not morning. See outside? Still dark. Not morning. What is this all about?”
He walked to my bookshelf and picked up my jewelry box.
“Stop pokin’ through my things.”
“I need to find you something for your neck.”
“Why?”
“Ah, right.” He turned back to the jewelry box and pulled out a few gold chains. “I don’t see much silver in here.”
“Gold matches my coloring.” I crossed my arms. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes.” He continued pawing through my jewelry. “You should think about investing in some silver, just in case. You couldn’t wear any today, of course. It’s illegal.”
“Quil, you’re really startin’ to annoy me,” I said.
He met my eyes with a smile.
We were alone, in my bedroom, with danger far far away.
My heart rate picked up and he grinned wider.
Well, danger besides him was far far away at least.
“Here.” He handed me the gold chains. “These will keep your neck covered enough not to be teasing.”
“Teasing?”
“You need to pull your hair back, put on some makeup, and for the love of all that is walking, brush your teeth.”
“Quil, I’m not doing anything until you explain.”
“I will. I need to make a call first. While I do that, will you please get ready?”
“I can’t believe you break into my home and have the audacity to comment on how I look or smell.”
I stomped to the bathroom, pulled back my hair and strung the necklaces on.
Who was Quil talkin’ to anyway?
Flash.
“I’m not sure I can do this.” It was Quil’s voice.
“I’ve been saying from the start this was too risky.” Len? Probably.
“She’s corrupt, power mad. That may be how they do things in Europe, but American vampires have been moving so far from that… I think we’ll have support.”
“You think Ariana can help?”
“If she can get in with our nest, maybe earn the trust of the queen, enough to get near her to touch her, we may learn her plans.”
“You sure you’re okay putting that little girl in danger like this?”
“I’m going to explain the danger. She can choose.”
“Not what I meant.”
“Don’t go there, Len.”
“You like her.”
“Yes, I do. I will not let that affect my work.”
“Bullshit.”
“Lenard.”
“Does Ariana know… what’s going on?”
“No.”
“You going to tell her?”
Quil sighed. “I don’t know how much is safe. She’s going to know too much after tonight already.”
I snapped out of the vision. “What the?”
I brushed my teeth, mind whirlin’.
What’s going on? Sounds like I’m meeting the queen? Why?
When I got out of the bathroom, he was back in my bedroom.
“Do you have any perfumes?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Where?” he asked, tone clipped and professional… and annoying.
“In here.” I gestured at my bathroom.
“Bring them out here please.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to find a suitable one and there needs to be a window to air the smell out.” He tapped his nose. “Sensitive noses. We hate perfumes.”
“Then why do you want me to wear one?”
“Because,” he said through clenched teeth, “perfume will hide your scent. Any vampire who comes near you will just be able to smell it and not you. Would you want to eat an apple if it smelled like it’d been dipped in perfume?”
“Good point.”
I grabbed the few tiny perfume samples I had and held them out to him.
“I don’t wear perfume. My nose is pretty sensitive too. All I have are samples and little ones I got as presents over the years.”
He looked over my hands and shifted one to the side, keepin’ his hand carefully over mine.
“What? You don’t want to touch me now?” I asked. “I don’t bite.”
Well, yeah I do, but only in bed.
“I do.” He met my eyes and winked.
“Okay, I stepped into that one.”
“Try this one.” He pointed.
“Sassy Seduction.” I sprayed a bit into the air.
He took a delicate whiff, frowned and stepped away. “That’ll do.”
I sprayed a bit on and put them away, rubbin’ my nose. Too much perfume and I start sneezing.
“Time to explain. I’ve done everything you’ve asked,” I said, clearing my throat, “demanded, and you haven’t told me anything. Spill.”
“Nests have rulers. Ours is a queen. She has abused her power and overthrown our previously democratic process and has become a tyrant. I want to overthro
w her.”
I nodded. So far so good, okay not good cuz that sounded pretty dangerous, but so far so truthful.
“How long has she been queen? Why overthrow her now?”
“She has been queen nearly fifty years. That is nothing for vampires. And she started imposing her will very, very slowly. I didn’t even see what was really happening until recently.”
“Wow, sounds like America.”
“On a much smaller scale, and therefore easier to deal with.”
“And that sounds like all small government arguments.”
“Are you going to keep interrupting?” But he smiled.
I made a zippin’ motion over my lips.
“The abuses didn’t start out that way,” he said. “First it was putting vampires in new positions, giving them power to make rulings outside our usual process for the sake of expediency, including me.”
“You? Ohhhhh, so you’re not just an investigator, you’re like the Attorney General?”
“Something like that. Anyway, after that, one department enacted an anti-silver law, because it could be used to hurt other vampires. Then she enacted a ruling that vampire businesses must pay a percentage of their profits to her to pay for her administration. It went from there. Now, we are under her rule. What she says is law.”
“And no one has noticed? Done anything? Voted her out?”
“Others have tried. Any vampire who has dissented in the past few years, in public or in private, has disappeared or had a sudden change of heart. The one who ran against her in the last race? She had me investigate him for telling humans about us. I found nothing, and then the evidence was suddenly there. He was executed for it last year.”
“Yikes! That’s when you turned on her?”
“I haven’t officially. I would be the next killed. Which is why I have to be very careful. After that though, after I pushed back against her over what I found, she cut me out. I do my job, but I am no longer a confidant, and there are whispers she’s planning something.”
“Um, I just realized you said tellin’ humans about you is a death penalty offense. What about us?”
“No one told you. You found out.”
“So we’re okay?”
“No. I am. Humans that find out about us are killed. At least officially.”
I backed away, stomach lurching.
“No, no no,” he said. “Not you. You’re psychic, not considered human.”
“Hey!”
“You are far too valuable to kill. But that’s why we can’t bring anyone on your team along. They would be killed before I could make my pitch to her to allow us to work with a few select humans.”