by Lee Swift
Stunned, Collin bent over him. “Da?”
The man with the blade grabbed him. Collin instinctively elbowed him and broke free of the hold, whipping around to face his attacker. The man held the knife almost casually.
The attacker lunged with the blade. Collin tried to deflect it with the torch, but missed. The knife sunk deep into his left arm and he yelled out, dropping his only weapon. Then the man yanked out the blade and buried it in Collin’s chest.
Suddenly unable to breathe, he collapsed next to his father.
The dark-haired man turned off their torches and took Collin’s mobile phone. He bent down next to his father and licked the blood. “I wish I had more time to enjoy slicing on you. But I’m expecting someone.”
Helpless and paralyzed, Collin watched in horror as the man plunged his knife into his father again and again.
CHAPTER 68
12:28 PM
Angelique heard the front door open and close. Her entire body tensed.
“Did you hear that?” Thomas asked, still holding Gita’s hand.
She nodded. “Stay here.” Where’s Austin?
With her gun in hand, she cautiously walked into the foyer. Empty. She glanced out the window and saw Austin speeding away in the car. “What the hell?”
She ran out to the street, trying to wave him to stop. But he kept driving at a dangerous velocity, the tires squealing and smoking.
What had he found in the lab that had him in such a hurry? As fast as she could run, she headed up the stairs to the cold storage room. The gruesome sight made her stomach queasy, but she scanned the area, hoping to see another envelope. But if there had been one here, it wasn’t now. Austin must have taken it with him.
What could The Ripper have told her brother that would have had him leaving her behind? She didn’t have to think long on that. The bastard had made a threat against her no doubt and had likely given a promise to reveal where he was keeping Michael. That was the only explanation for Austin’s strange exit.
Where?
She ran down the stairs and back out the door, looking in every direction for a taxi—but there was none. Even if there had been, with Austin now out of sight, she could only guess at a direction to go, hoping to catch up with his car.
Fearing now for both Michael and Austin, she went back inside, trying to come up with what to do next.
Gita and Thomas were standing in the foyer.
“What’s wrong, Angelique?” Thomas’s hand was wrapped in a bandage now.
“Austin is gone. The Ripper got a message to him somehow. I don’t know what to do.” She felt powerless. “Gita, can your people help me? Do you have any idea where The Ripper might be?”
The doorbell rang.
Relief swept through her. “Austin must have seen me in the street and circled back around.”
She opened the door, but it wasn’t Austin who was standing there. It was the man who had signed the insurance papers back in Texas, the man who had placed her brother in the building on Murphy Street, the man who was their father.
“Angelique, I’m—”
“Octavian Drake. I know. Gita told me.” He was tall and handsome. Octavian appeared to be just a little older than she and Austin. But he’s Morvicti, and they don’t age.
“Your Majesty, I’m sorry,” Gita said, bowing at the waist. “It could not be avoided.”
“No it could not,” Angelique added, looking directly into his eyes, which reminded her so much of her brother’s. “Introductions can come later. Right now, I need your help to find Austin.”
Octavian’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Why isn’t he here?”
She shook her head. “He just left five minutes ago without telling me or anyone where he was going? I’m sure he got a message from The Ripper. Gita told me that your people have tons of resources and sit in powerful positions. What can you do to find him?”
“What kind of car did he leave in?” Octavian asked, bringing out his mobile phone.
“A black BMW. It belongs to the CIA. Very generic. I don’t know what was on the license plate.”
“We’ll find him, Angelique.” Octavian’s tone did help calm her nerves some. He’s my father. My family. “Belisarius, Austin is gone. He left in a black BMW from Dr. Wilson’s home less than ten minutes ago. My daughter believes he received some kind of message from The Ripper and is going to him now.”
“My husband is The Ripper’s hostage,” she told him. Her trembles returned, stronger and more violent than before. I can’t lose Austin and Michael. Please, God.
“We’ll save both of them, Angelique.” Octavian put his arm around her, and she didn’t push him away. “Michael Remington has been taken by Jack. Make sure the police don’t find Austin before we do. Until we capture Bathry and The Ripper, we must use everything at our disposal to save my son and my daughter’s husband.”
“Bathry is dead, Majesty,” Gita said.
“The Ripper cut off his head right in front of me,” Dr. Wilson added, taking several quick puffs on his pipe. It was obvious how shaken he was about the events they were witnessing.
“Belisarius, I just learned that Bathry is dead. Yes, The Ripper’s doing. We’re way past discretion now. You and Darius do whatever you need to find Austin. Darius owes Austin and Remington for saving his nephew. If you hear anything, call me. We’ll do the same on this end.” Octavian put away his mobile phone. “Take me where Bathry is.”
Gita bowed. “Your will is my—”
“No, cousin. Not now. We don’t need formalities.”
They went up the stairs together. The Ripper’s letters remained on the table in the lab where she and Thomas had been studying them. Octavian glanced at the pages as he passed the table on his way to the cold storage.
Seeing the gruesome scene for the second time, her stomach didn’t lurch. Perhaps she was getting desensitized to seeing dead bodies.
“Bathry deserved the final death,” Octavian said. “And so does his accomplice, The Ripper.”
Gita nodded.
“You’re the actual king of the species I’ve been tracking my whole life.” Dr. Wilson held out his hand.
Octavian shook hands with him. “And you’re the one man in the world who has given me many a restless night. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Wilson. I’m sorry we cannot allow any of your work to be published.”
“Gita has told me everything. I wish you had trusted me enough to come to me, sir, instead of letting me struggle for so long in my search for proof of your kind’s existence.”
“I have many regrets,” Octavian said, glancing in Angelique’s direction. She saw a wave of sadness appear on his face. “How unfair you have been treated is just one of them, sir. But now is not the time to dwell on regrets. We must find my son.”
Thomas nodded. “It does help to realize I was right all along.”
“You’ve been right about many things, Doctor. I’d like to look over those letters that The Ripper sent you. Many more than I expected.”
They studied them thoroughly together, telling Octavian about the murder scenes they’d visited and the packages they’d collected.
His face darkened. “I will return the remains to their loved ones, Dr. Wilson.”
“Of course. I completely agree.”
Octavian pointed to one of the letters. “This entire passage about Mary Jane Kelly gives me an idea. This was found at the fifth murder scene, correct?”
“Yes,” she answered. “A car park on White’s Row.”
“The next logical place for Jack to lead Austin would be to the grave of Mary Jane Kelly. He wants you to be his queen.” Octavian brought out his phone. “This whole night was his way of winning your heart.”
“That’s insane.” She felt her stomach tighten just thinking about it.
“It may sound crazy, because he is, but I believe he’s picked that particular place to convince Austin to join him in his quest to destroy all Morvicti. And to try to get your brother’
s blessing for your hand in marriage. It’s Jack’s way of saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future he desires.”
“I think your logic is sound, Octavian,” Dr. Wilson said.
Octavian called the commissioner again. “Belisarius, I believe The Ripper is luring Austin to St. Patrick’s Cemetery. I’ll meet you there.” He clicked off his phone. “I’ll be back.”
“If you think you’re leaving me here, you’re wrong,” Angelique looked him straight in the eyes and patted the Glock. “I can take care of myself just fine.”
“I know. I’ve been watching you do that your whole life. Let’s go get Austin and Michael.”
CHAPTER 69
12:45 AM
Austin kept hold of the assault rifle and got out of the car at the front entrance to the cemetery.
The night’s blackness cloaked everything, but he could make out the eerie shadows of a massive brick building beyond the gate and a sea of elaborate tombstones. There was no chance of him surprising The Ripper, thanks to the timeline the killer had given him, so he left the car’s lights on.
The gate to the cemetery was ajar.
A pair of bolt cutters on the ground was a clue as to how it had been opened. Attached to the black iron bars was one of The Ripper’s envelopes.
Austin tore it open and brought out the note. Unlike the previous messages he’d read from the madman, this one had only a single instruction—how to find Mary Jane Kelly’s marker.
The paper wasn’t even signed, which Austin found odd. Jack’s narcissism came through every word he’d written thus far, with his signature acting as a final self-absorbed exclamation point.
Until this message.
But like the earlier phone call, this note had a specific timeline. Two minutes.
Austin ran to the car and drove through the gates. One hand on the wheel and the other holding the note, he took the turns at a fast speed. Up ahead, off the pavement, he spotted a flicker of light. He jumped out of the car and ran the rest of the way.
When he got to Mary Jane Kelly’s tombstone, he saw The Ripper holding a flashlight and a pistol.
Austin kept his finger on the M4’s trigger. “Where’s Michael?”
“Not here, but in a safe place,” The Ripper said with a twisted grin.
Austin assessed the killer’s grip on his gun. Taking him out would be easy. But how would I find Michael? “I’m here like you asked.”
“You made it right on time, Austin. Excellent. I knew you could follow my orders. You will make a great soldier in my army.”
This guy is nuts but he’s not stupid. “What’s next?”
“Please put down your weapon. We have much to discuss. I’m certain you have many questions.”
“You said it yourself, Jack. I’m a soldier. I like holding this equalizer.”
“As you please. Understand that I want only the best for you. I’ve been searching for you since I saw you get shot in Iraq.”
“You were there?” He recalled the second gunman on the wall he’d seen. That was Jack. I wasn’t hallucinating.
The bastard nodded.
“Why were you in Iraq?”
“To take the head of the senator’s nephew, of course.”
“He was Morvicti?”
“Yes. The Morvicti have manipulated you, Angelique and me, our entire lives. That’s over from now on.”
“I’ve learned that my biological father has been trying to control my sister and me since we were born. Octavian Drake, their king.”
“Ah, so you know his name.”
“Gita told Angelique and me.”
“Dr. Wilson’s housekeeper? I should have guessed the Morvicti would have placed someone to keep watch on him. His research is quite dangerous to them.”
“That’s why you kept gloves on your hands when Doc and Gita came down to the lab. Gita told us about it. You saw hers were violet before she noticed yours.”
“I make it a practice to look at people’s hands, something you should start doing as well, Austin. I know there’s been a lot for you to digest in a single day, but it is necessary.”
“It was you that woke me up, right?”
Jack nodded. “When I saw you in the building on Murphy Street you can’t imagine how thrilled I was. I knew I’d found you again, the one who would join me in destroying the old world to create the new one.”
“And Walt Turner? Why did you cut off his head?”
“You mean Romulus Drake. Though I was sent to Murphy Street to cut off the heads of the slumbering royal Morvicti, I had to deal with him. Collateral damage.”
“Who sent you?”
“David Bathry.” Jack chuckled. “The arrogant bastard only freed me to attack his enemies.”
“And you cut off his head tonight.”
“What a pleasure it was, too. It was easy for me to outplay Bathry. You will learn that the Morvicti are arrogant, Austin. Even the Drakes. That will be something you and I will use to our advantage in the coming war. Just like the other bloodlines, the Drakes believed none would ever dare breach their sanctuary. No guards. Easy access. I entered the Drake’s sanctuary unencumbered. The silent alarms were easily disarmed. Or so I thought.”
Keep him talking. “What happened next?”
“When I saw your coloring, I knew you were close to rising.”
“So you gave me more blood? You added the bigger bag?”
“I did. Unfortunately, there must have been a secondary alarm. I had taken the photo of your mother out of the frame and was about to do the same with the picture of you and Angelique when Romulus surprised me.”
Austin saw Jack’s face darken as he continued recounting what had happened on Murphy Street.
“We fought and knocked over a vase of flowers. As the battle moved into the other room with the stairs I was shot. But I, the superior species, prevailed, and removed Romulus’s head from his body.”
“And you left.”
“I didn’t want to.” Jack sighed. “You must believe me. The wound in my chest left me vulnerable. So I grabbed a small bag of blood that helped stabilize me for a short time. I wasn’t in any shape to face more Drakes.”
“Like Commissioner Poole, whose name I’ve learned is Belisarius Drake.”
“You are very capable,” Jack said, grinning. “You’ve learned quite a bit in the short time you have been back above ground.”
“What happened next?”
“From an alleyway I saw you jump into the delivery van. I would have tried to catch you but with my injury I had to have more blood to heal, and Belisarius was too close. So I remained hidden, watching servants of the Drake family arrive shortly after and empty out the space. Once I knew it was safe, I left.”
“Remington’s men found Murphy Street totally stripped hours later,” he said, hoping to get Jack talking about Michael.
“Foolish superstitions. Once a sanctuary is breached the Morvicti clean it out and never return. To be the most powerful force in the world they have so many weaknesses we can exploit.”
Austin watched Jack become elated as he described his plan to overthrow and destroy the Morvicti. He listened to the killer cackle about his war on the immortals.
He didn’t have any deference to the race of his biological father. In his heart, he was just a red-blooded human, the son of Alice and Carl McCord. Not Octavian Drake.
“We are brothers, you and I. We share a common beginning. My mother hid me away just like your father did you and Angelique. They look on us with shame. We are their mistakes. But they have no idea how strong we are. Austin, the blood that flows through our veins is the same. Not human. Not Morvicti. Something new. Something powerful. You have nothing to fear from me.”
“Really? You want to kill my friend, my sister’s husband.”
“I don’t want to kill Remington or anyone else for that matter. The lives I’ve taken are necessary sacrifices for the new world. All revolutions begin with blood.”
“And you
have made a lot of people bleed.” He prayed Jack would say something that might be a clue to where Michael was. The only thing he could do now was to try to keep the bastard talking. “You may have underestimated Michael’s abilities, Jack. He’s a soldier just like me.”
“But he is only human. His abilities don’t compare to ours. We are a pinnacle species, Austin. From the union of two inferior classes, Morvicti and human, we came into being. The Morvicti are shackled to their superstitions and societal rules. We can make our own rules. Humans have a finite lifespan. We do not. Neither of these two lesser species compare to us. We are free to live and rule as we desire for eternity.”
“Stop trying to convince me, Jack. I know what you’re selling. You’ve made that quite clear in your letters. You want to topple the Morvicti power base by dragging them into the light for the world to see. You think Dr. Wilson will have the proof they exist with the samples you provided him. Once the media publishes it, you believe everything will tip in your favor. That about covers it, right?”
Jack smiled. “Quite an elegant plan, don’t you agree?”
“No. Power doesn’t vanish overnight. We need an army to back us up, Jack.” I need him to believe I’m on his side. “Michael can be one of our first recruits. Let me talk to him. He’ll come around. Trust me. The Morvicti won’t go down so easy. They will counter your attack.”
“How do you believe they will do that?”
“You give people too much credit. For a day or two Wilson’s news might make the headlines. But that’s about it. No one wants the truth, Jack. That’s the flaw in your master plan. When something is too painful to face, we shut down. We act like it never happened. It’s wrong, but for a time it’s easier that way.”
“We?”
Damn. “I mean ‘them,’ Jack. You must realize that this is new to me. My whole life I thought I was just a lowly human. Now I find out I’m a pinnacle being.”
“Glad you’re coming around, brother. But you’re quite cynical. I still believe the humans will rise up against the Morvicti as they did in centuries past once this news gets out.”