No one came out of the place, even as he got to the door. One person, a woman, walked in ahead of him. She was human. He noticed that before seeing that she was in a tight pair of shorts and a shirt that showed enough cleavage that he could tell her bust line was real. That was a bit of an issue then.
Not that he noticed things like that on women first anymore. No, that was kind of an abstract and secondary thing now. It was that he was burning enough energy that, even with ten active links at the moment, he was attracted to humans, because they had more.
Not that he was going to crack. He was trained not to. No matter how intense things got for him. Even if he had to die first. Not that things were anywhere near that dire. He was healing fast, but could just stop, if things got too hard for him.
Looking around, there was a lot of red energy in the area. The place was filled with drunken people. Easy targets, filled with what he wanted.
Life.
More accurately, life energy.
There was a table, off to the side, which he settled at. A waitress came over, not too long after. She instantly went wide eyed at his ruined seeming right hand and arm and gulped.
He nodded at it.
“Hey, do you sell animal blood here? I know, it’s a long shot…” The woman, a human, nodded. Her big brown eyes soulful in her slightly homely face.
“We have some. I’ll be right back.” She scurried, as if she knew that it was important. Not that he didn’t have a bit of time that way.
Interestingly, it wasn’t her who brought it back but a nice looking black lady, who was casually dressed, a bit heavy, without being fat and older. Given she was a vampire, that was probably about a hundred to two hundred years, instead of the fifty or so she looked.
“Now that looks like it hurt.” She meant the hand. Helpfully she popped the top on a cold bottle of blood, and passed it over.
Chapter eleven
It took away from his focus, releasing and capturing new links as they came in. That meant Troy didn’t speak for a few moments. The bottle claimed that there were ten links in each one but his only had eight in it. Instead of whining, he just felt for the two links that were doing best and left those, giving the others a break. Then he started right back into his healing and energy collection process.
It was working but the healing on his hand had gone from being visible to something slower than that. It was still taking a lot of energy, so he had to figure it was working.
“Thanks. Are you Harriet? I was told this was the place to come and pay my taxes for the year.” He moved the tax forms around. He’d left the Vatican papers in his car. There were other copies of those now but taking those to a meeting with vampires didn't make any sense at all. Sure, if someone broke into his car they might get them but it would only really help about a dozen people in the whole world. Even The Children of Baphomet would just be keeping him from reading them again.
So, the biggest danger was random crime. It could happen but he was willing to risk it for the time being.
The woman, who was filled with light pink energy, meaning she, like he was doing, lived on cow’s blood, sat across from him. It was a graceful thing. She stared at his hand for a bit, then sighed.
“So, I suppose you came to take my area? Did you kill whoever you got the information about our set up here from?”
Troy shook his head.
“Nothing like that. I got it from Alan Dunkirk, who is alive and well. I just came to make sure I do my fiscal part for the community. I’m Troy Lopez? I’ve lived in the area for about seven months. I work with the police?”
There was a nod then, even as she kept staring at the burnt hand and arm.
“I can see it healing. I can’t beat that. Not even close.”
Then, almost as if it were the only thing she could think of to do, she settled back a bit. Relaxing. Getting ready to serve him or die, from the look on her face.
Troy just got out the paperwork.
“As you can see, I made a lot more, last year. Bey handled that for me, with Marissa, directly. I just had to wire transfer the funds over. This year everything I made came from the local police department. Nearly, at least. I have some small holdings. I paid my federal taxes already but know that I have to do ten percent of the gross for the Council. That should come to about four thousand dollars for the year.”
The woman, resigned to die or not, looked at what he passed over. After a minute, she started to nod.
“You made close to a hundred million last year, ten million paid in full… This year it’s a tiny fraction of that. Working as a police officer. Why did you leave your last job? LW… It isn’t written down what that means.”
He could have lied but shrugged instead.
“Line walking. Most of what I did was for the Council directly. I made a bit from The Line Walker, working for him a few times in that capacity. We’ve been friends for long enough that no one thinks too much of it. The current project is more of a public outreach thing. Officer Fangs.” He grinned then. “I’m so using that if I ever go into the grade schools here. Right now, I’m part of the Supernatural Division. It’s about two weeks old, which is why you haven’t been told about it yet.”
The vampire across from him looked away, then her face tightened. It wasn’t about him but something that was going on across the room. Molly, the waitress that had noticed him first, was currently having her behind felt up by a drunk. The interesting part was that the person doing it was a woman. That happened but no one really ever knew how to deal with it.
Molly didn’t seem into it.
Instead of getting up, Troy raised his hand. The left one.
“Molly! Over here!” He didn’t say why but it let her move away from the long groping hand. Harriet looked at him closely then.
“You’ve worked with the public before?”
“The drunken and horny masses. Club work. Up in Vancouver? Before I made the change over.” That had been working for vampires but he hadn’t known that at first. Really, it had taken him years to really believe it, even after he’d been told about it.
The waitress hopped right over and didn't whine about being girl-handled by the drunk at the other table. Her friends were laughing about something. It was natural to think that it was about the situation but they were actually talking about some guy named Glen. The handsy one’s boyfriend.
When she got there, Troy smiled, attempting to be pleasant.
“Thanks for the blood earlier, can I get another one? I have a few links that I need to trade out still.” He looked at Harriet but explained to the wait person at the same time. “There was a fire earlier. At my apartment complex. I lost everything inside. There’s a program to help people out. Um… Krista Hall is heading that up?”
Molly nodded then.
“From Red Rain and Blood Storm? I love those shows. They have real vampires in it sometimes. Shifters and succubuses too. I should get a job on one of those programs. I bet I get felt up less.” The woman wasn’t pretty enough for that by half but Troy smiled at her and nodded.
“You should volunteer with Krista then. We also have a community picnic here on the fourteenth, next month. Avery Rome is coming in to do the food for that. Krista is going to be there for it as well. Um, Living Proof is playing?” He didn’t sound that confident but the woman smiled at him as if he were offering her a present. That or trying to get her into bed.
“That’s a… Saturday? I’ll have to work.”
Troy was fine with that but Harriet went very still, as if he were going to have some kind of big problem with the woman making a living in an honest fashion. That made no sense. He had a work schedule too, after all.
“I’m sure we can make room in the schedule for that. Especially if you’re helping the local community here. Is that… All right, Officer Lopez?”
It was hard for him not to be annoyed, since he’d already told her what was going on. The problem was that she was assuming that he was a lot more pow
erful than she was. In vampire culture, that meant he was the one in charge. The difference in power was clear enough that she was just going to do what he said, it seemed. To prevent him beating or killing her to take what he wanted.
“That would be nice of you. If she has to work though, well, we all have bills, right? Still, we’re putting together a booth, I think. Burgers and some things like that? The mages are already doing free soft drinks. They got that one before I even thought of anything, to be honest. If you want in, I can see about paying you a bit? Two hundred for the day. That’s a twelve-hour shift. We have some high school kids working the other booth but having an adult around can’t hurt.”
Molly looked at Harriet, who looked at his healing arm.
“Would you do that for us, Molly? I don’t know who else you’ll be working with…” She seemed concerned about that part.
It was the kind of thing that he could understand. Most vamps were a little bit unhinged, to be fair about it. Especially the young ones.
“I’m going to get Eve Benson in, I think. We have some Ambassadors coming, from our side but I can’t really expect them to work the food booth. Not that they wouldn’t, in a pinch. Good people, all of them. I’ll ask around. Regardless, you’re in charge, if you want the job.”
Harriet looked at him funny then.
“Eve Benson?”
“She used to live in the area, before becoming a vampire. Now she works with the council. Um, the Bey’s protégé and one of our line walkers. Great girl, by the way. Probably one of the nicest vampires out there. And that comes from me, and I’m freaking sweet, don’t you think?” He made his face look very innocent. Molly got it at least.
“I like you, so far. That sounds good, actually, if I can get the time off? I mean, how often do I get to be in charge of anything?”
If she did good work, it would probably end up being a lot.
“Well, if you want in, we have a meeting this Saturday, at noon. None of the local vampires can make it. At the police station? Unpaid but it won’t take long. I’ll feed you lunch, if that will help?” It wouldn’t cost that much to have it catered.
“I can do that one, before work. Great.” She seemed quietly happy about it, which was nearly a first as far as he’d seen.
When she walked away, he grinned at her boss.
“I like her. It’s been like pulling teeth with everyone else. Except Avery. She was actually really nice about it. Ann, too. Which…” He shook his head, since that one could go almost any direction.
“Ann? Your girlfriend?”
He nodded.
“She thinks so. Honestly, she isn’t that bad. Insane of course.” He left off the best bit, about her being a demon. It would just scare the vampire. Deservedly but not in a way that would help her at all.
“Oh. That’s too bad. It happens, when people live long enough.”
“Yeah. Well, she volunteered to help with the food as well. So, we have, like… Twenty people that will be showing up!” He meant over all but the dark-skinned woman laughed.
“At least you aren’t doing it over the Fourth of July. Do you have toilets coming in? That’s always a problem in the area. Which park are you using? Or did you get the stadium? That will still need port-a-potties but the space is there. That’s owned by Cortechs. I don’t know if they just rent it out.”
“I… Have not thought about that one, yet. One second?” It was rude but he got his phone out. Then, cutely, Harriet held it for him, while he dialed. It helped since he was doing it one handed.
“Hello?” The voice was different now, younger but not Alison.
“Darla? Troy Lopez here, with Harriet, the local vampire leader? She was wondering if Cortechs would be willing to host the community party at your stadium? We can use a park, of course. One of her people, Molly, is handling the food booths for us. I’m paying her out of pocket.” Meaning that the woman was working for, not only the vampires but Troy, personally. It might not protect her but The Technician wasn’t a bitch that way.
It should be enough.
“For your thing on the fourteenth of June? I don’t know. I can put a word in for it? You have security lined up for that?”
He didn’t, of course.
“I can do that. One way or the other.”
“Nifty. So… Calling me up to get special favors with my grandma… Is that a sign that you’re finally going to ask me out? I should at least get a booty call out of this, don’t you think?”
That got him to grin. Then he explained out loud, so Harriet would get it.
“I’ve been trying to get her into bed for years. She’s teasing me, being a horrible person. Sure, now that I don’t have a sex drive you make an offer. As if I won’t put out? Or take you up on it?” He would, too, which he was pretty certain she knew.
“Okay. Soon. I’m busy tonight. You’ll be over in a few hours? I heard about your complex burning like that. Grandma called. You know that you can stay here for as long as you need, right?”
“I know. Thanks. See you in a bit.”
Then he stopped and looked at Harriet as the line went dead. She was still holding the cell phone for him.
“Thank you, too. Darla Gibson. She runs the events and things like that for Cortechs, so we’d have to get with her anyway. A little cutie, too. I wasn’t kidding about trying to get her into bed. A local girl. She was a cheerleader at Raintree? She’s already in with us on the community outreach stuff. You need to follow up with her in a few days. In order to make the contact?”
She nodded, as if that didn’t make a lot of sense to her but she was willing to do what he said anyway.
“That was fast. You’re well connected, aren’t you? You mentioned The Bey and The Accountant?”
Troy didn't want to name drop. The names were on his paperwork from the year before, so he’d brought it up, to keep the woman from being shocked. She went on before he could speak.
“Then, a line walker… That’s really important, too. I can see why they’d want to be close to you. Is…” She nearly stuttered then, which was fake but also conveyed what she meant, he didn’t doubt. “Is that a danger to us, here? I try to keep up with the taxes, I swear. We do all right but we aren’t the richest area in the country. We make it but… I can’t afford to have half my people wiped out. How am I supposed to jump, in order to survive this?”
The words came in quietly, through nearly closed lips. Two men, both dead and large enough looking to clearly be the bouncers, faced the table. As if he were doing something threatening.
“You have nothing to worry about here, Harriet. Notice, they didn’t send in The Bey, or The Accountant. Just me. My current job is all about the police in the area, and possibly doing some work with other branches of things, if it comes up. I’m honestly just here to do my taxes, in a law-abiding fashion. Even the picnic is just a side project of mine. Well, several other people now but it isn’t a demand from the Council or anything.”
In short, if she wanted to give it a pass, she could. Most people would be, he didn’t doubt. It was why he was paying Molly, out of his own pocket. To help get a body into place before nine or ten at night.
It was clear that Harriet didn’t totally buy his little speech. She also didn’t signal her people to come for Troy yet, either. Instead, she closed her eyes. It was incredibly trusting. That, or the woman figured that she was totally safe in his presence. She was but there was no way for her to know that yet. Possibly ever. Interestingly, one of the vampires spoke to the room then.
“We have a fight gearing up. Charlie is up to his standard tricks. Johan, move in on the left. I’ll make the approach.”
They were headed to the end of the bar, where Charlie, who was drunk off his stool, started to swing on a man who he’d just dumped half a beer on, stumbling around. Given that the other guy was just mopping himself off and hadn’t done anything wrong, that seemed a bit over the top. The bouncers got to him in time. The man who’d organized the whole thin
g snagging the fist from the air from behind. Then the large vampire smiled.
“Easy there, Charlie. We don’t have violence here, you know that. Now, are you going to calm down, or do we need to kick you out for the night again?” The answer was trying to hit the bouncer. That didn’t work. It wasn’t any kind of fancy kung-fu or vampire trick, either. The drunk was just so far gone he totally missed the chin.
Drunkenly, since it was the only way that Charlie was probably going to be doing anything at the moment, the man staggered back then.
“Fine. I’ll go… Everone hatesme. I getsh it.”
The bouncers walked him out, being reassuring to the drunk that he was actually valued there, most of the time. Then the vamp called him a cab at the door. Troy just sat and listened to the whole thing, not saying anything at all.
“That was done nicely.”
Across from him, Harriet went still.
“It’s… Charlie is a regular here. His wife left him about four months back and he’s having a hard time. Lost the kids in court. We could kick him out permanently but then who does he have?”
It was hard to tell what she thought Troy was going to say. Something mean, probably. Vampires could be pricks. Especially among those in a certain power range. The young were almost always wild, but those who were masters could cause trouble, to show how powerful they were.
Instead of playing that role, he smiled and nodded.
“I like it. It’s important to watch out for our people in the area. Even the ones that aren’t vampires. Now, I need to make out a check. I brought my book. Not my writing hand… Grr.” He looked at his right, then pulled the book out. “How much, exactly?”
Finding that out took math but not a lot of it. There were no exemptions. You paid ten percent of what you made. If you made ten bucks, you gave the council one. Literally. Even the poorest vampire was expected to do their part. The richest as well. It was fair, if hard on those at the very bottom. Some still paid in livestock or hand made goods, he’d heard.
Hell, In a Troy (Lopez Time Book 2) Page 16