by Janice Jones
“Why didn’t you just leave me where I was?” she mumbled as she rolled up her sleeve and pushed her arm out.
“Because someone cared enough about you to pay me to get you out,” Alex replied.
“Who?” she sniffed and wipe her nose on the dishcloth again.
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I was hired to save you and that’s what I did. Just say thanks and try very hard not to run into me again.”
She turned her face away and pushed her arm out further toward Alex, who held the needle in her hand.
“It goes into your stomach muscle,” Alex replied. “Lie down.”
She did as she was told, dragged the shirt tail up and stretched out on the couch.
The injection had been measured perfectly, but Alex checked it anyway. She didn’t want to have to come back here again because something went wrong. Before she gave her the final dose, she pulled the slip of paper from the front pocket of her bag.
“Here, read this and do exactly as it says. When I’m gone you’ll have just enough time to grab a shower and get into bed. This will hit you pretty hard, so I don’t want you to take any chances on falling or anything.”
She turned her face into the cushion with a quick nod. The thin needle slid easily into the weak muscle. The girl flinched, just a little, as the contents entered her body with a slight burning sensation. There was the tiniest bit of blood as the needle came out and Alex rubbed the spot with a cotton swab.
With everything back in the plastic bag, she looked down in time to see the young woman’s eyes roll up and her lids close. She pulled out a hooded sweatshirt and jogging pants. As she changed clothes, she gave Sara clear instructions.
“When the door closes, you will continue with what you were doing. Wipe down every surface, including the doorknobs with a bleach and water solution like we discussed. Read over the slip of paper before you go to bed then burn it. Do you understand what I’ve just told you?”
She nodded slowly and took a deep breath.
“Your name is Sara Benton. You’ve lived here for five years. You work at the bookstore down the street and you sing at a bar downtown on weekends. The names are on the slip of paper. Repeat.”
Sara Benton repeated every word and would keep repeating until she showered and went to bed. In the morning, her memory of the last two months would be altered just a bit. Clear memories of night sweats and vomiting until there was nothing left would have center stage in her dreams. She was clean. And here in Texas she had a new start. Her favorite memories would be of the nurses and doctors whose pictures hung on her walls now. None of it was real though, not even the second mortgage. All made up and planted in her brain by an ex-assassin with skills far beyond simply killing.
In her mind, she kicked a bad coke habit. In reality, she was hooked on something more powerful than cocaine or heroin or any other drug known to man. The vampire bite: the feeling of giving into it is highly addictive. During feeding, a chemical is released similar to a hit of ecstasy, only ten times as potent. Most people never realized what was happening to them until it was too late. As long as you had a steady dose of your vampire lover, you were happy—even carefree. But go a couple of days without and you were scratching at your own skin for your next hit. That’s how they hooked you and kept you coming back for more, which also kept the vampire fed on a regular basis without much trouble. Unfortunately for the human, it’s no picnic and hard as hell to kick the habit.
Luckily or unluckily, depending on whom you ask, Alex was hired to find Sara and help her do just that; kick the habit. With her help, and a synthesized version of the supplement, Sara finally got clear of the thing that hooked her. This last visit was to wean her off that drug for good and for Alex to give her a bit of hypnotic help if she was ever to have a future without the bite of any vampire.
Don’t go back to that life. The only thing you’ll find is death—yours.
She wondered why Ben had insisted on her taking this job. This girl had just gotten hooked on the bite. She was human, completely. Alex could tell the moment she saw her. But the client was some rich fat cat with a secret life. This girl was either the result of that secret or knew way more than she should about it. Besides, Ben had already taken the fee and she wasn’t asked to kill her, so it worked out pretty well for everybody. She stuffed her work clothes inside the pack, swung it over her shoulder and left the apartment for the last time.
Glad for the coolness of the evening, she dropped down in her car and blew out a hard breath. From the notepad on the cheap mobile phone, Alex erased all the information from the screen and the memory card. Then she called him. The line rang four times before he answered with a yawn.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she said. “Did I wake you?”
“Just taking a little nap,” he chuckled. “I gotta put my steak on in a few. Done?”
“Yea,” Alex sighed. “Remind me again why I’m doing this?”
“Because we both know what goes bump in the night,” Ben replied. “And it ain’t all glittery and kind.”
“I started doing this because I wanted to make amends for what I did when I worked for Creed,” she sighed. “But the more I do this the more I realize that they don’t want to be saved, Benny. They never did.”
She heard Ben blow out a hard breath. Pain shot through his skull the moment she mentioned his name. He hated to hear her even say Mason Creed’s name. When she lost it, it was because of the secret Ben and her father had kept from her. After leaving the hospital, she ended up working for Mason Creed as a way to punish them both.
Of all the vampires he’d come across—all the ones he’d killed—Mason Creed was the one he wanted to dust the most! What he’d done to her, what he’d turned her into, made Ben cringe sometimes. He couldn’t understand how she even got mixed up with him in the first place. For one, he was a cheap club owner in those days. Two, his clubs were even cheaper than he was, and three, he was just an arrogant prick. But Alex landed on Creed’s doorstep after she swore to bury Ben and Dr. Carlisle alive if they ever came near her again.
“You working for that prick was as much my fault as it was yours,” Ben stated as he tried not to grind his teeth. “The past can’t be undone Alex. If you want to stop, we can stop. This can be the last one.”
“Not yet, but thanks for saying that,” she replied, and then the line went dead.
_______________
As messed up as it was, Alex Stone had a talent for killing. And Strategic Assets Management made very good use of that talent. The details of her contract stated she was to locate and return to Area 51 six human/vampire hybrids. Then she could end her relationship with Dr. Johnathan Carlisle and Strategic Assets Management once and for all. Sometimes the occasional side job, like Sara, would overlap with her contractual obligation to Strategic.
Of the six she was assigned to find, three had died of natural causes shortly after they were found. What else could they say? As for the others, one was in Vegas, one somewhere near L.A. and the last in Oklahoma City.
It was her job to get them back to 51. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t ask. If bringing them in would get her closer to real freedom, then bringing them in was her top priority. As far back as she could remember, it was all she’d ever been good at; tracking things. As a soldier, she did it for her country. As an assassin, she did it for money. Now, she was doing it to be free of her father, the program, and maybe as penance too—trying to save her own soul, before it was too late.
_______________
Life in Vegas was simple. If you had enough money, you could do anything, and Jason had enough to do whatever he wanted. As soon as he stepped out onto the patio of Coop’s favorite place, Jason wished he’d never agreed to meet them there. He hated the smell of cheap meat and this place reeked of it. Humans can put some of the worst shit in their bodies, he thought as he made
his way over to the group in the corner.
“We have to stop meeting like this, Coop,” Jason sneered. “This place is a dump and the health department is probably on their way.”
When he looked up, Coop’s big smile made Jason want to snap his neck. He had some nerve summoning him here. “Well, I didn’t think you’d actually show.”
“What’s a little E. coli between friends?” Jason replied as he eyed the burgers around the table. “What can I do for you, Coop? I’m in a hurry.”
Coop looked him over. Jason could hear the laughter inside Coop’s head and he found it funny that Jason Stavros, owner of half the Las Vegas Strip, was at a dive burger joint on the outskirts of town. Jason, however, didn’t find it funny at all.
“I could get you one,” Coop grinned with a wave of the bloody meat and bread in Jason’s direction.
“No thanks.”
“Are you sure? I thought you liked it rare.”
“I like my steaks rare,” Jason frowned. “I have no idea what that is.”
They all laughed.
“Comes from the same place,” Coop replied.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Jason chuckled.
Coop wiped his mouth and waved for another beer. “So, last night.”
“What about last night?”
“Guy dumped behind one of your casinos, bled dry? Ringing any bells?” Coop answered.
“They were shooting a movie there, so don’t make that sound like evidence in my murder trial,” Jason replied. “And we’re working on finding out if he was the actual target or just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
When Coop picked up his new beer, he almost emptied the frosty glass in one draw.
“See that’s the real problem,” he stated. “He was on a movie set, Jason. Working. So whoever did this was looking for him, specifically.”
Jason sat back and took Amy’s water with a grin. “Your point?”
“My point is that’s number two. We need information before number three pops up. Any ideas?”
“Working on it, I told you,” Jason smiled. “You just let us handle it. We have jurisdiction on this one.”
“Wrong,” Coop huffed sitting forward. “When there are humans involved, that means we’re in this up to our eyebrows! Two humans, two cities, it just screams our jurisdiction!”
“Coop,” Jason sniffed matching Coop’s posture, “It was my casino, as you so aptly pointed out, so relax, we are on top of this. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Posted? Gee, thanks! The reason we’re involved is someone, correction, one of you is picking off humans,” Coop sighed. “If you break the covenant, we get to break you.”
“You have no real proof,” Jason sneered. “So let us handle this.” He stood and buttoned his jacket, nodded to everyone and turned back to Coop. “Have a good evening.”
Chapter 4
Jason welcomed the end to this day. Something about the way the air felt as the earth turned away from the warmth of the sun helped to ease his aching head. Chills tingled the surface of his skin as he thought about what it would feel like to walk in the darkness again, even if it was just for the short hours between night and day.
As the temperature dropped, late afternoon turned into early evening. Soon, the sun would be gone and the moon would be the center of attention again. Jason loved the night. He loved the way people looked in shadow. Besides, to him, daylight was for work and serious things. The night was for fun.
A little pre-dinner sex, a quick snack and he would take advantage of the night once his video conference was done. His plans for the evening involved a pretty little starlet who chomped at the bit to get into the big budget movie being shot here. She called and emailed him going on six months now. Rather than make her beg one day more, he decided to meet her tonight for drinks and other things.
His current playmate rolled over with a small sigh as he watched from across the room, drink in hand. He could see his mark on her neck from where he sat. As the seconds ticked by, it healed slowly. After another second or two, the purplish bruise turned to smooth olive skin again. “The perks of being a vampire,” he mused, as he took another sip from the glass in his hand.
Absently, Jason swirled his glass and he wondered why Conner Gale, the head of the Council of Pure Blood Vampires, had insisted on this meeting. Jason had kept secrets from the pure blood vampire that made him—his sire, Adam Craig—before but nothing that involved the Council. What could Adam have done to be left out of the loop on this one? He was one of the founding members of the Council, which meant he should be privy to everything that went on under their orders. So, why had Jason been asked to keep this secret and report directly to the head of the Council from here on out?
Doesn’t really matter, he thought as he stood and stretched his naked body on his way to the shower. After all of his efforts, Jason would soon be inside the Council—the first turned vampire to do so. That fact alone kept his confidence high. It had taken him a hundred years, give or take, but now he was on the path to success and fortune beyond anything he’d imagined.
Several reinventions of his name and persona over the years had cost him friends and lovers, but it was worth it in the end. Jason was now right where he should be: the fast track to the vampire inner circle. That was really the point, wasn’t it? Doing whatever had to be done to secure his status in both worlds. He’d killed enough of his enemies to build a reputation for being a man no one should cross. Now, he would have a new reputation for being the turned vampire that clawed his way into Council chambers and lived to tell the tale.
Under the hot spray of the shower, he covered himself in soap and washed her scent away. The mixture of sex and sweat disappeared down the drain. He scrubbed his nails and his face of any blood before he lathered once more and rinsed clean.
In front of the mirror, after a shave and a splash of his best cologne, he brushed his teeth and styled his hair. A quick check and he was perfect once more.
Her shallow breathing echoed all over the bathroom as he prepared for his video conference. He was reminded of the whistle of a kettle each time she exhaled. Their heightened senses came in handy sometimes, but other times it could be a deterrent. When he focused, the sound faded into nothingness.
Suddenly she appeared in the doorway with the glow of satisfaction on her pretty face. Nikki was one of his oldest friends and the only human he had ever turned. He’d been allowed to bring her into this world of excess and power only if he kept her close. Back then, he wanted her with him; couldn’t imagine his life without her or Adam, but as he became more involved in the politics of being a vampire, his romantic feelings for her turned cold. She was his employee now and part time lover. He wasn’t interested in much more and she seemed to be fine with that. But, one day he’d be expected to take a mate. Would they assume Nikki would be his choice?
“Why didn’t you wake me,” she sighed, sheet wrapped tightly around her body.
“You needed the rest,” Jason replied.
She giggled as he passed her.
Inside his room-sized closet, Nikki eased her body on top of a low dresser and watched him pick out his clothes for the evening. Her green eyes followed him around the space and critiqued his wardrobe choices with a crinkle of her long nose or a girlish nod of approval.
“So . . .” she said as she studied her red polished nails.
Jason dropped the towel and pulled on his underwear. “So . . .”
“Big night, huh,” Nikki stated. “Do you remember everything we discussed this afternoon?”
“Of course,” he bragged. “And what are your plans for the rest of the evening?”
“Well,” she cooed, “I thought I’d wait for you and we’d go to dinner or dancing or both.”
“Sorry, I have plans after the call, but maybe Adam’s free.”
Nikki gave him a pout, but he just shook his head and continued to dress.
When he was ready, she tied the silk fabric around his neck and brushed his shoulders when she was done. Jason turned a smooth cheek to her and she gave him a quick peck. He left her in his closet still wrapped in a sheet and satisfied.
Once he was in his private office, he locked the door and poured himself a drink. He was ashamed to admit the idea of meeting with the head of the Council, even electronically, made him nervous. Secrecy aside, Jason felt the weight of his situation when he was invited to Council chambers last year. His star rose fairly quickly in the human world and had begun to shine in the most important vampire circles, both social and political. That idea pleased and scared him.
When the connection was made, Jason projected the image on the screen and waited for his host to appear. The title on the screen looked rather childish. Welcome to the Council of Pure Blood Vampires Home Page, please wait for your party to join the conference. He thought the greeting was humorous and needed a lot of work. It just seemed so ‘old school’. The deep red script on a black background was hilarious. Maybe he’d mention that during the meeting. As he enjoyed his drink, classical music played in the background. He closed his eyes and eased down in the seat just a bit. He figured he’d hear a fanfare of trumpets before the head of the Council actually appeared. How funny would that be? he thought as the drained the glass dry.
“Comfortable?” he heard the voice ask with a slight chuckle.
Jason’s eyes popped open to see the head of the Council smile at him from somewhere on the East Coast. He straightened himself in the leather chair with an apologetic grin.
“Sorry,” Jason said with a slight bow of his head. “I didn’t hear you come on.”