Morvicti Blood (A Morvicti Novel Book 1)

by Lee Swift

Belisarius touched her cheek. “Your selflessness and kindness are the only things that compare to your incredible beauty, my lady.”

  Her face reddened as she looked down at her jeans and T-shirt.

  “But the others will have to assume your responsibilities until things are made right.” Belisarius seemed to be smitten with Phoebe. “If you stay, they would have your head. It isn’t safe for you here now.”

  “I must stay.”

  “Phoebe, I am not asking,” Octavian said, fearing for her life. “I command you to come with us.”

  She lowered her eyes. “Your will is my duty, Your Majesty. Always.”

  Octavian sighed. He picked up both of the fallen Bathry men’s weapons, keeping one for himself and handing the other to Belisarius.

  With Phoebe between them, they cautiously headed for the stairs leading out of the sanctuary.

  The iron gates were locked.

  “Damn.” His cousin turned to him. “Shall we shoot the lock?”

  “It won’t work.” Phoebe turned around and walked to one of the iron sconces jutting out of the wall. She twisted it and the wall moved, revealing a small compartment. She reached in and brought out the satchel that Albert had worn when they entered the space. “The key is inside.”

  Belisarius took the black bag from her and pulled out the key. “Our gold coins are gone.”

  “We aren’t the only ones who will pay today, cousin. Bathry will answer for this with his life.”

  They were able to open the gates and pass through the remainder of the sanctuary without incident. As they ran to their limo they could see Atticus slumped back in the driver’s seat with his eyes closed. He had taken three bullets to his chest.

  This is the work of David Bathry. Enraged by what he saw, Octavian pounded his fist on the top of the limo.

  “He needs blood, my lord, or he shall slip into slumber. He’s already in the beginning stages. One heartbeat every couple of minutes.” Phoebe pointed to where they had just come. “I can get some for him.”

  “Too dangerous,” Octavian said. “We’ll take him to my home. I have a full supply of blood in my basement.”

  “We should get him into the back,” Belisarius said.

  The three of them carefully lifted their patient out of the driver’s seat and laid him out in the backseat. Phoebe and Belisarius remained with Atticus.

  As he got behind the wheel, Octavian pulled out his mobile phone, knowing he would have a signal now. He needed to send some men out to find and capture Bathry.

  He looked at the screen. Two missed calls. Both from Gita.

  CHAPTER 45

  7:11 PM

  After seeing Wilson’s lab had been breached, Austin’s first instinct was to whisk Angelique away and find a safer location. But there was no sign of the intruders now. And their only allies at the moment were an elderly man and his housekeeper. He had nowhere else to take Angelique.

  She was on the phone with the embassy, trying to locate Michael.

  In an apparent daze, Doc sighed and pulled out his unlit pipe from his jacket. “They will always be one step ahead of us.”

  “Still no answer.” Angelique’s earlier uncertainty about Michael had grown into a total state of alarm.

  “Try the embassy,” he told her.

  She nodded.

  The masked brutes they’d faced at the safe house had attacked with deadly force, wielding automatic weapons and explosives, unlike this robbery, which had been executed with great finesse. There didn’t seem to be a connection between the two events.

  Wilson leaned against a long metal counter, looking like a man about to wave a white flag of defeat.

  “Who is this?” Angelique asked the person on the other end of the call. She turned to him. “It’s the switchboard operator, Austin.” Into the phone she said, “I’m trying to reach my husband, Michael Remington. Can you help me? Please. I have to talk with him. Yes, I understand that no one answered his office phone and that’s why my call went to you.”

  Austin put his arm around his sister, seeing how upset she was. “Hand me the phone, Sis. What’s your name?” he asked the operator.

  “Amy.”

  “Amy, we have a family emergency and must reach Michael. Switch me to the officer in charge.”

  “Please hold.”

  After two rings, a man answered. “Sergeant Carter.”

  “Sergeant, I’m Michael Remington’s brother-in-law. Can you tell me if he is still at the embassy?”

  “Do you have their security code, sir?”

  He turned to his sister. “He’s asking for your security code.”

  She seemed a little calmer, though only a little. “Seven. Charlie. Echo. Zero. Three.”

  He recited the code back to the sergeant.

  “Mr. Remington signed out this morning before eleven.”

  That was when Angelique called him from her flat. Damn. “Thanks for your help, Sergeant.”

  Angelique shook her head. “He’s not there, is he?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t know what to do. I’ve called the house. I’ve called his mobile. I’ve called the embassy. God, what can I do? Where is he?”

  Austin realized that the only way to find out was to go back to her flat. He thought about leaving Angelique here, with Doc and Gita, but decided against it. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight until things were sorted out.

  He grabbed her by the hand, and turned to Wilson. “Doc, I’m going to take my sister to her flat to see if her husband has been home.” This move was a risk, especially with Commissioner Poole knowing the flat’s location, but one Angelique and he had to take. Of course he would bring insurance—the assault rifle and Glock. Both felt good in his hands.

  Angelique nodded. “Good idea.”

  Wilson sighed. “You’re coming back, I hope.”

  “We’ll try.”

  “Brilliant. I’ll get you a hat, Austin, like I promised.” Doc’s dark mood brightened. “Please be careful. Navigating these waters will be tricky.”

  “And dangerous,” Angelique added.

  “Absolutely. I’ll let Gita know that you had to leave but will return.”

  “Tell her we’re sorry about her dinner but it couldn’t be helped.”

  “I know for a fact it reheats perfectly,” Doc Wilson said, smiling. “She’s served it to me for three days straight after an argument we had a few months ago. She thought I would grow weary of the same dish, but I could eat it seven days a week. She’s quite forgiving. Has to be. She’s been with me for years. Don’t worry about it, my dear. Go to your flat and see if you can locate your husband. But do come back. While you’re both away, I’m going to give some thought to what our next steps might be.”

  “Doc, you’re my kind of man,” Austin said. It was good to see the spark back in his eyes. “A man who never says ‘die.’ ”

  The old guy smiled. “Never Say Die is my favorite Black Sabbath album.”

  He laughed. “I would have never taken you for a heavy metal fan.”

  “Looks can be deceiving. Now about that hat.”

  CHAPTER 46

  7:29 PM

  David Bathry walked out of the Internet café and headed to his car, which was parked two blocks away. It was a little too conspicuous to leave right in front of the café. Getting to Dr. Wilson’s house, where Austin and his sister had last been captured on the government video feeds, would take him no more than a half hour drive.

  His gun was in his trench coat with the silencer attached. He had to move fast if he was going to stay ahead of Octavian Drake. Moments ago, he had learned from a lesser Bathry that Drake and Poole had escaped the sanctuary with the assistance of Phoebe, the woman he had seen on the ladder. Damn traitorous bitch. I cannot trust anyone but myself.

  Less than fifty feet from his car, he spotted two men next to it. One was standing and keeping watch while the other was underneath the vehicle, no doubt placing a tracking device. Bathry nonchal
antly turned around and walked to the mouth of an alley. Then he began to run.

  They had to be Drake’s men. Maybe they didn’t see me.

  Hearing their footfalls on the sidewalk, he realized his hope had been wrong.

  He continued to sprint through grimy puddles and kept his hand on his gun until he burst through the alley to the street. Behind him, he could hear his pursuers gaining.

  His heart pounded.

  A few feet away a young woman dressed in a gray polo shirt and black trousers stood next to a door with a set of keys. She was carrying a bucket with rubber-gloved hands.

  Just as she opened the door, he stepped next to her, shoving her inside and covering her mouth with his left hand.

  The woman’s panicky eyes were wide.

  Pulling the door closed, he showed her his badge. Then placed his right index finger to his lips, motioning her to remain silent.

  She nodded, and he let her go.

  He held his breath, focusing his senses to the street on the other side of the closed door.

  Drake’s foot soldiers ran past.

  Luck had finally turned in his favor.

  “You’re safe now, miss. It’s a good thing I was walking this way because those men were looking for trouble.”

  “Thank you.” Her eyes were fixed on his gun.

  “Normally, I don’t carry a gun,” he lied. “But I’ve been assigned The Ripper case.”

  Her gaze left his weapon and found his eyes. “My flat mate and I are terrified to walk alone in London because of that monster. I hope you catch him soon.”

  I hope so, too. “We will. What’s your name?”

  “Theresa.”

  “Theresa, do you have a car?”

  “No, sir. I rode into work with my boss. She’s cleaning the house three doors down right now.”

  Damn. “Thank you for your assistance. Keep your doors locked.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  Once he was certain the two men weren’t coming back, Bathry left the flat.

  Heading out of the alley, he punched his location into his mobile phone to locate the nearest tube station. He wasn’t going to risk going back to his car. Drake’s men would probably be waiting for him there.

  CHAPTER 47

  7:11 PM

  Angelique never dreamed she’d be gripping a gun. Just this morning the most dangerous things she’d ever held were her students’ essays and those, at their very worst, delivered simple paper cuts. Now after Austin’s return from the dead she was dodging bullets.

  Austin parked the car in front of her building. “You stay here. I’ll go check on your flat.”

  “Not a chance. I’m going inside with you.”

  “Angelique, I’m not asking.”

  “I don’t care if you’re asking, begging, or commanding.” The pit in the center of her gut had grown into a swirling mass of immense worry. “This is my home. Michael is my husband. Nothing you can say or do will stop me.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “You think I can’t stop you?”

  Of course he could, but she wasn’t about to back down. If she stayed in the car she might have a panic attack. “Let’s compromise. We both go into the building. You use your military skills to make sure it’s safe. Once you’re satisfied it is, I’ll join you in the flat.”

  “What if I find it isn’t safe, Sis?”

  “We both run back to the car as fast as we can and drive back to Dr. Wilson’s house. Deal?”

  “Okay.” The brotherly sigh was audible.

  They headed inside.

  With the Glock in hand, she remained at the bottom of the stairs. Austin, carrying the machine gun, ascended cautiously to her flat’s floor. Her heart thudded wildly.

  Once her brother got to the top of the stairs, he turned left, vanishing from her sight.

  A split-second later, he reappeared. “Come on up. Michael left you a note.”

  Taking the steps two at a time, she bolted to her door. Taped to the wood was an envelope with her name printed on it but not in Michael’s handwriting.

  Ripping it open, she said, “This isn’t from Michael.” She unfolded the paper and found a key. The words on the note devastated her. “Oh God, no.” She fell against Austin, engulfed in fear.

  Her brother held her close, steadying her. “What’s wrong, Angelique?”

  “He’s got Michael.”

  “Who has Michael?”

  She handed him the letter. “The Ripper.”

  CHAPTER 48

  7:44 PM

  Octavian moved to the left lane to take the N&E Finchley-Barnet exit off the A1000.

  “Stay with us, Atticus,” Belisarius said from the back. “Don’t close your eyes.”

  “Drink this water,” Phoebe told their patient in a gentle tone. “Little sips.”

  “I will try,” Atticus answered, his voice shaky and weak.

  “That’s it,” she said. “Don’t speak. Nice and slow.”

  With Phoebe’s help Atticus had regained consciousness.

  The entire drive Octavian listened to Belisarius and Phoebe working hard to keep Atticus from slipping away.

  They were five minutes from arriving at the Drake estate on The Bishops Avenue.

  “Damn, he’s out again,” Belisarius said. “We’re losing him, Octavian. He needs blood.”

  “Almost there, cousin.” When he drove through the gates of his London home, he saw two luxury cars and a limousine parked in front of the house.

  This was the worst possible time for visitors, though he was certain this was not a social call.

  The black Bugatti Veyron he knew belonged to Duke Marveaux. His domain was the Far East and Southeast Asia. The Lamborghini Veneno to Duke Turellek, who ruled India and the Middle East. Both held seats on the Imperial Morvicti Council.

  He drove into the garage. Three of his trusted servants—Efrain, Lowell, and Adela—ran to the car with a gurney and two bags of blood on an IV stand ready to go. He had called ahead to prepare them for his arrival.

  His two men lifted Atticus onto the gurney with the assistance of Belisarius and Phoebe. With incredible skill and speed, she started the infusion.

  “I need a cloth and ice water now, please,” Phoebe said.

  “Adela, run to the house and get what she asks for,” he ordered, impressed by Phoebe.

  “But Your Majesty, I have important news.”

  “Now, Adela.”

  “Yes, Majesty.” She ran ahead as the rest of them rushed Atticus into the house.

  By the time they got to the lift, Adela had returned with the ice water and cloth. Phoebe immediately began wiping Atticus’s face, and he groaned.

  “He’s coming out of it,” Belisarius said, placing his hand on Phoebe’s shoulder.

  She smiled. “I think we’ve kept him from his slumber, thank the Ancestors.”

  Octavian entered the code into the keypad that would allow the lift to go to the lower basement.

  The lift’s doors opened, and Adela turned to him. “Shall I escort this lady to her quarters, Majesty?”

  “No.”

  They wheeled the gurney into the lift.

  “But she’s a Bathry.”

  Phoebe was so intent on helping Atticus she did not seem to hear Adela’s comment about her bloodline.

  “And?” He glared at Adela.

  “Forgive me.” She lowered her eyes.

  “She has proven her loyalty.”

  As the lift began descending, Phoebe continued working to help Atticus, whose eyes were open now. Atticus was coming back, thanks to her, a Bathry, from the lowest bloodline of the Morvicti. Things need to change. Many things.

  Having talked with Gita, he knew he had to get to Dr. Thomas Wilson’s home as fast as possible. Austin and Angelique were there, and thankfully, so was Gita.

  Once Atticus was settled and set up with an ample supply of blood, he would take the limo directly to Dr. Wilson’s.

  When the lift doors opened again,
they were at the basement level. He was pleased to see that the space had been perfectly set up as a temporary sanctuary. There may not have been freshly cut flowers or ambient lighting in this room, but it was clean and, more importantly, safe.

  Belisarius and Phoebe made a place for Atticus by the Sleeping Queen’s bed.

  “I am sorry for my behavior. It’s just that I am so upset,” Adela said. “Your Majesty, I have terrible news.”

  “What news?”

  “Duchess Lupei has been murdered by The Ripper.”

  Rage and hate saturated every cell in his body. “Where?”

  “At her daughter’s flat, Majesty. The police are unaware of the event. We have a team there caring for the cleanup now.”

  “What did The Ripper take?”

  Adela lowered her eyes. “Her liver and one kidney.”

  He curled his fingers into fists by his side. “Besides Marveaux and Turellek, who else is here?”

  “Senator Shaw.”

  It was good that his close friend had come to London. Known in the United States as the Senator from New Hampshire, Darius Vale was a trusted ally. He needed him more than ever by his side, especially in these dark times.

  “Where are they?”

  “In the library.”

  “And the other five?”

  “All but Duke Lupei are logged into the videoconference system. The Count’s plane will be arriving in London in three hours. He is intent on collecting his wife’s body.”

  He could not even imagine how Duke Lupei was dealing with so much loss. His daughter and wife. The man was totally alone now.

  Looking at his sleeping grandmother with the strand of pearls around her neck, who physically looked as though she could be his older sister, Octavian knew he could not leave for Dr. Wilson’s house now, despite how much he wanted to get to Austin and Angelique. He took comfort in knowing Gita was with them. Once Atticus was stable, he would send Belisarius to bring both of them to him.

  His solemn duty was to his bloodline and to all the Morvicti, both high and low. It was part of the oath he had taken that he would protect them. But the vow he had made the day Katherine had died burned even hotter inside him; he wanted to act. The children, his and Katherine’s, needed protection, and so did all the young of his kind.