by Spencer Baum
With stunning speed, Winnie lunged at one of the dummies, thrusting at it with a knife Jill didn’t even know she had. She pushed the knife into the chest of the dummy. It made a surprising sound, like there was more than straw in the dummy’s chest.
“I’ve made two kills in my life,” Winnie said, stepping away from the dummy and leaving the knife inserted in its chest. “Both of them to the heart. If you hit it dead-center, the vampire loses its strength immediately. Then it’s just a matter of holding the blade in place so the creature’s heart can’t heal. A six-count is what we recommend. At that point, the creature’s brain is starved for blood and all its miraculous powers of healing begin to fail.”
She yanked the knife from the dummy and turned to Jill.
“Would you care to try?”
“I’m no hunter,” Jill said. “My role in all this is at a keyboard.”
“I know. I’d like you to try it anyway. In the end, this is our purpose in the Network. We are here to kill vampires. Even if we aren’t the ones doing the hunting, every mission has, as its ultimate aim, the death of one of this horrid creatures.”
Jill stood in place, looking at the knife Winnie was holding.
“When you’re done here in Washington I want you to come work with me at Headquarters, Jill. But not unless you truly understand what the Network is about. Take the knife. Imagine that these dummies are members of the clan.”
Jill grabbed the hilt of the blade. It felt heavy in her hand. She had never held a knife like this before, one not meant for cutting, but for killing.
“Go for the heart,” said Winnie. “Kill one of the vampires.”
Jill lunged at the dummy and thrust the knife into the straw. It clanged into something, made a horrible scraping sound, and fell from her hands, clattering to the floor and sending straw everywhere.
“You hit a rib,” said Winnie. “Have a look.”
Winnie brushed at the dummy where Jill had stabbed it, exposing a cast iron grill under the straw.
“Had this been a human, you would have severed a few arteries and this still would be a killing blow,” Winnie said, “but on a vampire, you missed. All the tissues you cut through will heal themselves before the creature dies, and with its heart still beating, it is strong enough to strike back at you.”
“Oh well,” Jill said. “I guess I’m not a killer.”
“Most of us aren’t,” said Winnie. “For every hundred young women and men I see who wants to hunt vampires, I allow one to begin training. And for every ten who begin training, I only allow one into the field with a weapon. People who can kill these creatures are special. It takes an extraordinary combination of strength, speed, accuracy, and self-control. I won’t send someone out to hunt a vampire unless I think they can get the job done, and all told, at any moment, the total number of people the Network has out in the world that we trust to take a killing strike on a vampire is less than twenty. Four of those people have already died on this mission.”
“I know,” said Jill. “I watched three of them die on a surveillance tape, and I was in the room when Renata killed the fourth.”
“Jill, I think you’re giving up on our mission too easily. Never again in our lifetimes will the Network have another chance to get this close to Sergio Alonzo. If this mission fails, he will eventually find out what we’ve been trying to do, and he will become more cautious than ever.”
“I don’t appreciate you using the word ‘fail’ when you’re talking about our mission,” said Jill. “You said it yourself. The past four months have been the most successful in the history of the Network.”
“All your amazing work will mean very little if Sergio survives,” said Winnie.
“Not if we steal the clan’s money. I’m one security code away from doing it.”
“Wealth can be rebuilt. We’re talking about the most powerful people in the world here. The clan’s money is insignificant when compared to the clan’s ability to create a new vampire every year. Killing Sergio is everything.”
“I don’t think we can do it. We couldn’t even kill Melissa.”
“That was a horrible night and we were all unprepared for what happened,” said Winnie. “Things are different now.”
“In a worse way,” said Jill. “We’ve lost four of our best vampire hunters.”
“And gained a new one,” said Winnie. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”
Before Jill could answer, Winnie was headed to the open door in the barn. Jill followed her outside and around to the back, where she found more straw dummies.
Every one of them had a knife stuck in its chest. Every one of them had been beheaded.
“This is what Frankie did this morning,” said Winnie. “I stood right over here and watched him strike. Not a single miss. Every blow was lightening fast and perfectly placed. But I don’t need to tell you what he’s capable of. You were in the room with him when he killed Renata. Tell me what you saw.”
Jill shuddered to think back on that time. Renata’s gallery. Broken glass everywhere. Renata’s fangs out, her face and dress covered in the blood of a Network agent named Patrick Hall.
“Renata was down on the ground, and Frankie grabbed a knife off the floor,” Jill said.
“Back up a bit. Before that. Why was Renata down on the ground?”
“Frankie punched her in the face.”
“Listen to those words, Jill. Do you hear how crazy they sound? A human, never trained in the art of killing, and he took down a vampire with a punch to her face. I have to admit, I didn’t believe it the first time I heard it. I didn’t believe any of the story I was hearing about Renata’s death. The notion of a vampire’s slave breaking his own programming and using his fists as a weapon against a powerful vampire like Renata…frankly, it sounded absurd to me. And my thinking wasn’t that different than yours back then. When Helena told me that the mission was too compromised and everyone had to get out, I didn’t try to stop her. I feel so thankful that you all didn’t skip town right away. Had you been on the road when I got here and met Frankie, you know what I would have done?”
Jill shook her head.
“I would have made you turn around and go back to Washington,” Winnie said. “Within ten minutes of beginning Frankie’s training, I knew we were looking at a once in a generation opportunity. He’s ready now, Jill. If you and Nicky can find a way to get Sergio into the house we’ve built in Bethesda, Frankie will kill him.”
Jill looked out at the open farmland, where Frankie was on lap number three, the log still bouncing on his shoulders. He was hunched over a little as he ran, but still going strong.
“I had a long talk with Frankie before you got here,” Winnie said. “I asked him what he wants to do with his life, now that it’s his choice. You know what he told me?”
Jill shook her head.
“He said he wants to help other slaves escape, just like you helped him.”
“Me? I didn’t have much to do with Frankie’s escape.”
“Not according to Frankie. The way he tells the story, you were the key player.”
“He’s being too kind. When we were in that room with Renata, I was just trying not to get killed. Frankie’s the one who cut her head off.”
“He doesn’t view Renata’s death as the moment of his escape. To Frankie, escape happened before the fight even began. Do you remember what you said when you found the room in the mansion where Nicky and Ryan were being held?”
“What I said? I told Renata this room was it, that it was the answer to the Ransom clue and she needed to let me inside.”
“Your specific words were, ‘Nicky Bloom is behind this door,’” said Winnie. “That sentence was very important to Frankie. Those words set his mind free.”
“Really?”
“Frankie and Nicky have a connection. I’ve worked with other jackals before.”
“Jackals?”
“Children stolen off the street and put into the vampire s
lave system. The vampires take runaways, sex workers, children lost in the ugly world of human trafficking. The children who grow up in that world learn survival skills of the like you and I can’t even imagine. In Frankie’s case, he learned very quickly that his connection to Nicky was keeping them both alive.”
“It’s really sad what happened to them,” said Jill. “I’m glad Frankie is free.”
“He would be dead if not for you. Frankie, Nicky, and Ryan. They’re all alive today because you threw the ultimate Hail Mary pass that night at Renata’s.”
“Really, Frankie is the reason we’re alive. I mean, look at him.”
“Look at him indeed,” said Winnie. Out in the field, Frankie was running faster than ever, as if he had been holding back during the rest of the run. “Look at what we almost lost. Jill, your humility is admirable, but misplaced. You were the one who chose to walk into that mansion without any idea what you were going to find there. You were the one who solved the final Ransom clue, even though it was specifically written so that a human couldn’t know the answer. You stood before Renata and challenged her that night, and you won. It was a long shot, more outrageous than anything I have ever tried in my career, and you won.”
Frankie finished his final lap and threw the log over his shoulders. It flew a good twenty feet in the air before crashing onto the ground.
“Jill, there comes a time in the life of every agent in the Network when she must decide what she is willing to die for.”
“I know the stakes,” Jill said. “And I was glad to risk my life when I thought we really had a chance to get Sergio. I’m not so sure about that anymore.”
Winnie turned to Jill and looked her in the eyes. “If I thought the mission would fail, I’d call it off right now,” she said. “But I’m not just confident it will succeed. I’m one hundred per cent positive. Not only are we training a special vampire hunter to finish the job, but we also have our best agent working on this one, someone who has never let me down, and has a talent for making miracles happen.”
“Who’s that?”
“You, of course.”
Chapter 23
Jill left Richmond in the late afternoon, leaving Annika behind to begin her new life with whatever new identity the Network gave her. For the next two hours, Jill drove north on I-95, alone with her thoughts. She spent a lot of that time ruminating on her conversation with Winnie.
The clan’s money is insignificant when compared to the clan’s ability to create a new vampire every year.
Could it be that the others were seeing things clearly all this time, and it was Jill who was confused? She had been so certain the mission was doomed she had allowed herself to forget what was at stake. Now, on the open road, the sun descending to her left, the woodlands on both sides of the freeway bathing her in shadow, Winnie’s words echoed in her mind.
Killing Sergio is everything.
Killing Sergio. Ending Coronation. Taking away the Samarin clan’s ability to make a new vampire every year. If there was even the slightest chance they could still pull it off, did Jill have any business even thinking about skipping town?
She arrived in Maryland shortly after sunset, and drove to the Bloom mansion in Bethesda, where she was wanted for a debriefing session. For the next two hours, she spoke with Nicky, Phillip, and Helena about all that happened at Daciana’s party, including the successful hack of Daciana’s computer.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were going to do this?” Helena asked her.
“I worked with Eve and Alvin, and we kept it need-to-know only,” Jill said.
“But clearly Nicky needed to know,” said Helena. “Had she not been available to go into the bathroom and pull out that broken plug thing, your whole operation would have sunk.”
“I’m not saying I did everything right,” said Jill. “But the hack is done, and now we’re a six digit code away from stealing all the clan’s money.”
“You understand we can’t go stealing their money before the mission is over, don’t you?” said Phillip.
“I don’t know that she does,” said Helena. “She hasn’t been fully bought into the mission since we decided to stay. This computer hack is the only reason you’re still around, isn’t it?”
It was, Jill thought.
“This is a problem,” Helena continued. “We need to be on the same page if we’re working together.”
“We are on the same page,” said Jill.
“Are we? You just went off and organized your own assignment at Daciana’s party and didn’t tell any of us about it!”
“That won’t happen again.”
“And what about this bank account thing? Are you going to be able to sit on this until the actual mission is over? We can’t have you jeopardizing what we’re trying to do with your own agenda!”
“Relax, Helena. I just got back from Richmond. I had a long talk with one of the strategists. I’m seeing things more clearly now.”
Helena leaned back in her chair. “That’s good,” she said quietly.
“I feel better about our chances of getting Sergio than I did before,” Jill said.
“Of course you do,” said Helena. “This new Coronation game has blown the contest wide open.”
“Yes, I recognize that,” said Jill.
“And you’re committed to helping Nicky win it?” said Helena.
“Yes,” said Jill. “I am.”
They continued their debriefing with conversation about the safe, the numbers, the list Jill would make of every student in school, and every student’s number, and what Jill saw when she was in the back of the mansion.
“He just killed her?” said Helena.
“That’s right,” said Jill. “Sergio killed Lena Trang.”
“I wonder why.”
Jill looked to Nicky, who had been sitting quietly for the whole session. Nicky shrugged her shoulders.
After the debriefing, Jill went to Dillywig’s Coffee and Cakes in North Potomac, where she met up with Karmela, Samantha, Mattie, and Jenny.
“I’ve been thinking about this safe Daciana rolled out last night, and I’m certain it’s more than a guessing game,” Samantha said, acting like this was some brilliant revelation. The others at the table did too. They were already in the habit of treating Samantha like royalty.
“I mean, really, if you think about the odds, there must be a thousand different possible combinations,” Samantha said.
“One hundred to the fourth power,” Jill said.
“What did you say?” Samantha asked.
“The odds of guessing the combination on that safe,” said Jill. “They’re one in a hundred million.”
“See? That’s what I’m talking about!” said Samantha. “We’re not meant to guess the combination.”
“So it’s like the Rose Ransom,” said Mattie. “A game no one is supposed to win.”
“No, I don’t think Daciana would make it impossible,” said Samantha. “Just hard enough for it to be interesting. The combination to the safe is a puzzle for us to figure out. There must be clues for us to find or something.”
Jill sat quietly, even though she knew the rest of the table was already looking to her for input. Should she tell them how the game worked?
She decided to sit quietly for a bit longer and listen.
“It seems to me we’d be better off if no one figured out the combination,” said Mattie. “Then Samantha wins, right?”
The others nodded in agreement.
“You know what I was thinking,” said Jenny. “Isn’t it strange that every time Daciana pulled a number, there was always a single student who knew that number belonged to them?” She turned to Jill. “Can you tell us what are the odds of that?”
“Are you asking if the clan had something to do with the numbers we all have in our heads?” Jill said. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Apparently not. The rest of the table acted like Jill just told them a marvelous secret.
“The clan!”
Samantha squealed. “There were more vampires there last night than just Daciana.”
You think? Jill wanted to say.
“They can hide in a crowd,” said Karmela. “They have a way of masking themselves.”
Reminding herself that the rest of them hadn’t spent their high school years studying vampires with the intent to kill them, Jill tried to put herself in a place of forgiveness. It wasn’t their fault they were so slow to figure out Daciana’s game. Not only did they view the world with different eyes than Jill did, but they also were drunk out of their minds by the time Daciana rolled out the safe at the party.
“I bet you there were lots of immortals at the party last night,” Jenny said.
“Yes, and they put the numbers in our minds,” said Samantha. “It was all part of the game.”
“Oh, it gives me goosebumps to think about it!” said Mattie. “Isn’t it amazing that we get to be so close to them? Are we the luckiest or what? Here I was, thinking thirteen had always been my lucky number, but right now, as we’re speaking, it occurs to me that I’ve never had a lucky number before. I’ve been to Vegas lots of times and I’ve never--”
“—focused on just one number,” said Samantha. “We’re onto something here. Something good.”
“I lost my shirt last night betting on number nine,” said Jenny with a nervous laugh. “They really got me, didn’t they? I was so sure I’d have luck. I maxed out my credit card. I went shopping today and had to pay in cash!”
“I did the same thing,” said Karmela, “only I bet on sixty-one.”
Jill smiled. Without her even asking, the others at the table had told her everything she wanted to hear. She committed the numbers they had just confessed to memory, and imagined herself a few steps closer to figuring out the numbers that would open the safe.
“What about you, Jill?” said Jenny. “What was your number?”
“She was fifty-two, remember?” said Samantha.
“Oh yeah, you got called to the stage last night,” Jenny said. “I suppose that means the game is done for you, doesn’t it?”