“It will cost you nothing.” He feigned being hurt by her words. “I’m offering this in an exchange of sorts. I’ll do this for you, if you can convince Brittain to help me out on a more difficult project.”
“What kind of project?”
“I could use a little help with a few European vampires,” he said casually, then let the subject drop as if it was of little importance. She held her breath. He was into something big. Wait until she told Britt about this.
He edged out of his chair and moved closer to her. It bugged her that he wore vestments similar to her brother’s religious robes. He moved toward her until he stood uncomfortably close. One more inch, and he’d get a taste of her fangs, or rather she’d get a taste of him.
“Let me give you a sample,” he said. “But only with your permission.”
She eyed him suspiciously then acquiesced by nodding. He could wipe her out if he wanted to, and she couldn’t stop him. If she wanted to gain intel, she’d have to play his game, at least for now. “You may try, but use caution, Mr. Fisk. I don’t take kindly to being double-crossed.”
“I promise not to harm you,” he said. Then he held his hands open to release the same blue light that Britt had used to kill dozens of vampires in one flash.
Her instant reaction was one of panic. She shouldn’t have come. She should have listened to Britt… .
Chapter Ten
IT WAS TOO LATE. She felt the vibration in the air, smelled ozone and something like decayed leaves. More light emitted from his chest, a blue ball of light. Well, well … she was still alive, but when it floated in front of her, she instinctively wanted to run. She held her ground.
In a tight voice, she said, “If you harm me with that light, Britt will hunt you down, Fisk. He knows I’m here.”
Malcolm Fisk laughed. “I’m sure he does. No, this won’t hurt you.” The light continued to bob in front of her. He raised his hand again and it shot at her chest. Only it bounced against her then went back into Fisk. It disappeared quicker than it appeared and she felt no different.
“Unusual,” Fisk said, narrowing his gaze while he tried one more time. Beads of sweat erupted on his forehead. He was obviously trying very hard, but the light wouldn’t enter her body. She assumed that was what it was supposed to do.
“Am I supposed to feel something?” she asked finally, after the blue ball of light faded completely away.
“You should, but it didn’t work. Why?” he asked himself more than her. “Why are you different?”
She grinned at that, and uncrossed the two fingers she’d crossed behind her back. “I’m not your run-o’-the-mill lady vampire. Britt could’ve told you that.”
He dropped into his chair and swiped at his forehead with the back of his canonical sleeve. “I’ve always had success,” he said.
There was something about that comment that didn’t quite ring true. What was he holding back?
“So,” she said. “This blue light. You learned it from some mystic yogi?”
As if.
“Something like that,” he said. “But why doesn’t it work on you?”
Jess shrugged and forced herself to appear as if she didn’t care. If only! Britt had tried to save her, too. Right after he’d saved Terry, James, and Sephina.
“Yeah, well, it looks like I’m stuck this way.”
Fisk exhaled and visually sagged. “But you’re not like the others. You’re more sentient.”
“Gee, thanks.” Talk about a backhanded compliment. Yes, she belonged to a race of bloodsucking machines with little else on their minds but feeding. But at least, she could think for herself. She felt remorse. She loved. She was loved.
Her gut twisted. At least she had been loved. She wasn’t sure what Britt thought about her now.
“The deal you want to cut with Britt is something you and he will have to come to terms with, Fisk. I don’t make arrangements for Britt, any more than he makes them for me.”
Fisk ran a hand through his hair. His gaze kept flicking to the oil painting on the wall. It depicted an ancient battle scene. What the heck was so interesting about it?
“I’m sorry it didn’t work,” he said.
That made Jess wonder what it was he had hoped to get from her. He wasn’t the type to do favors without wanting something in return. He must desperately need Britt.
When Jess stepped outside the building a few minutes later, she scanned for Britt. There was no sign of him. He’d hidden well.
She spotted a couple of vampires loitering on the corner of the street. Her instinct was to give them a swift exit to hell, but something niggled at her. What if they weren’t just mindless killers anymore? Was there a chance that whatever Fisk had done to them had changed them enough that they’d be able to function without killing?
It didn’t take long before she’d pegged Britt’s location. Raising her head, she inhaled the scent of his familiar cologne. She smiled and crossed the street, pretending she had no idea he was here.
“How’d it go?” he asked, falling into step with her.
“Strange,” she said.
“What did he want?”
“He wants your help with a few European vampires, although he wasn’t specific about just what that help would entail. He thought he could make it worth your while if he could save me. He tried, but his blue light bounced right off me. It didn’t work.”
Britt’s stride faltered. “Never mind the Europeans! I knew I should have gone in there with you. I don’t like the idea of him going anywhere near you with that damned blue light. It’s dangerous.”
Britt had a point.
“I don’t think he’s quite as powerful as he pretends to be. Maybe that’s why he needs you?”
“As curious as I am to find out what the hell I am, I’m not about to help him just to do that. Especially if he ever points that light at you again.”
Her arm brushed his, and she noted that he instantly put more space between them. She held her tongue rather than pitch a vampire fit. “We need a distraction,” she said. “We should be out there kicking vampire butt right now.”
“I agree,” he said. “Let’s go find some action.”
“Getting back to Fisk, maybe we should arrest his ass first,” Jess said. “I don’t like him riling up the vampire population. He might make them more dangerous in the long run. Most vampires hunt in packs only when they have a master leading them. But if Fisk succeeds, vampires will work together without the need for a master vampire. They could form hunting groups. That’ll make our job much more complicated, and it’ll put the people of the city in serious jeopardy.”
“That’s a possibility. For now, we’ve got Jane on the inside. We should give her a chance to get information for us. If nothing else, it seems to give her purpose,” Britt said in a voice that suddenly sounded weary.
She wanted to smack herself. She’d forgotten that Britt needed Fisk if he wanted to discover information about himself.
She couldn’t just arrest him, because then Britt would be unable to continue his quest. Damn, her vampire temper could screw everything up if she wasn’t careful. Britt needed her to stay calm.
She glanced at him. He’d been so serious since his reanimation. He rarely laughed, and only occasionally smiled. She understood that inability to experience joy, but she hated to see him reacting to life the way she did.
Unfortunately, there were no vampires to fight tonight. And since they couldn’t be alone, they needed a distraction.
“I wonder what Regent is doing.”
“Want to stroll by his place?” he asked.
She picked up her pace. “Sure do. I like the way you think, mister.”
They strode the ten blocks quickly. Once again, she was surprised that Britt wasn’t the least bit winded. It was unusual—before he’d changed, there was no way he could keep up with her super-fast stride.
They stopped on the opposite side of the street from the rectory. Jess hated this.
She wanted to charge in there and ask Regent if he was okay. By this time of night, Regent was usually sound asleep, but tonight, at three o’clock in the morning, the place was lit up. Shadows moved on the roof and around the perimeter of the building. Soldiers? Maybe even snipers? She spotted at least two automatic weapons.
“I so badly want to go up to the door and demand they let me in,” she said. “Look! The men on the roof have guns. What is going on in there, Britt?”
He gently grabbed her arm. “Hang on, Jess. We can’t go inside. Regent made us promise. He knows what’s best.”
Just then, the front door opened and Sampson came out. A stranger walked Sampson to his vehicle and after Sampson pulled away, the man waved at an unmarked car. It quickly pulled onto the street and followed her forensic vampirologist.
“Do you think he knows he’s being tailed?” she asked.
“Knowing Sampson, it’s likely.” Britt rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s worked for you long enough to always be on his guard. And considering the different weapons he created for you, Jess, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few for his own protection.”
“Let’s go ask him,” she said.
“No, we can’t,” Britt said in a low, calming voice. “We promised your brother we’d stay out of it unless he needs us. Pumping Sampson for information would be breaking that promise.”
“But we didn’t promise Sampson,” she said. “He might be in trouble too.”
“You know that’s not true. We both saw the man from the rectory walk him to the car. It’s something Regent knows about, obviously. Those soldiers belong to the church. If we go to Sampson now, the soldiers will see us. They might even try to stop us. I don’t think we have a choice but to wait this thing out.”
“I hate it when you say something I can’t dispute,” she said as they walked away without being spotted.
“It doesn’t give me that much pleasure, either, Jess.”
She touched his arm. “What’ll we do with the rest of the night?” she asked, hoping he’d suggest joining her in the bedroom. Maybe she could work off some of her pent-up frustrations.
He instantly turned introspective and silent.
“Why don’t we just walk, then? It’s been a while since we enjoyed the nightscape of the city by ourselves.”
“We’ve rarely, if ever, enjoyed the evening by ourselves,” she said. They were always too busy kicking vampire ass. But now that the local vampires were gaining some sort of weird consciousness, the battles might be different.
“See. I knew you’d remember. This is going to be a special night for the two of us.”
“I know a way to make it more special,” she said, suggestively.
“Have patience, darling. We’re getting closer to having the answers we need. Until then, abstinence is good for the soul.”
“Who told you that?”
“Your brother.” He grinned.
She laughed out loud. “Well, he would.”
Britt wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close enough to feel his heat, and smell his lovely soft cologne. He never wore much scent because her senses were so enhanced, strong odors overpowered her.
Abstinence, hah! She didn’t even have a complete soul.
IT SEEMED REGENT spent more time in his office than ever before. Not that he had much choice. Regent got onto his knees, bent his head, and prayed as hard as he could.
He’d been praying for what seemed like days. They were the same prayers he recited for Jess. He aimed his prayers at the unknown vampire in the basement, but couldn’t help feeling he needed more of a connection for anything he did to be effective.
Finally, unable to pray a moment longer, Regent got up and poured himself a small glass of water. His throat felt parched.
Vasilli opened the door of the basement then shut it behind him as if it took every ounce of his strength. His hands were pressed together in a way that Regent suddenly recognized. “You’re a priest, aren’t you?” he said.
“A cardinal, actually,” Vasilli said, rubbing his sorely bruised wrist. He sat on the wingback facing Regent’s desk and closed his eyes for a moment.
Regent stood immediately. “Your Eminence.” He moved to kiss the cardinal’s ring. To Regent’s surprise, Vasilli wore no ring.
Vasilli pulled a chain from under his shirt to display the ring. “I’m a civilian here, Father. I want you to treat me as such.”
“Yes, Your Emi … er … Vasilli.” He went back to his desk, but didn’t sit down.
“Please, take a seat. And don’t rise in my presence or you’ll give me away,” Vasilli said. “I’m undercover, so to speak.”
Regent pondered that. Why would a cardinal feel he had to travel incognito? Unless, he was a very important cardinal, one who might be crucial in the grand scheme of the church… .
A shiver slipped down his spine. Who, exactly, was the man in the basement? He daren’t even think about it now.
“Did my prayers help at all?” Regent asked, after the cardinal had a moment to compose himself.
He shook his head. He looked beaten down. “Not even a little bit.”
“The truth is, I need to have more of a connection with the person I’m praying for. Is there any way I could at least talk to him while he’s in human form?”
Vasilli’s mouth pursed. “You could, if he were ever in human form.”
“What? I don’t understand. Vampires aren’t always in their vampire form. They transition when they’re hunting or hungry, but—”
“This one is always hungry, Father. You’d do well to remember that.”
Another cold chill attacked Regent’s spine. “So, the prayers were totally ineffectual?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Then, I must meet the vampire. Talk to him,” Regent said.
“Father, I appreciate the sentiment, but that would be very dangerous for you. I can barely spend time with him, and we know each other well.”
“Is he a cardinal as well, then?” Regent asked.
“It’s best you don’t ask any questions about who he is. There are some things you’d be better off not knowing.”
Regent held up his hands. “I’m not sure what I can do then.”
“Has Dr. Case contacted you with results from the blood? Maybe he can come up with something,” Vasilli said.
Regent grabbed the phone. “I’ll call him right now and ask how things are going.”
“Please do, Father. And, let us pray to God that he has some good news for us.”
The phone rang several times. It was still the wee hours of the night, but Sampson always worked through so he’d be accessible to Jess and her clientele. He picked up just before Regent hung up the phone.
“You’re there. I thought I might have missed you,” Regent said. “Is there any news we can discuss on the phone?”
“I’m not really sure, Father.”
“Is that good?” Regent frowned and wondered why Sampson was being so formal. Maybe he figured the phones had been bugged, too. Regent looked at Vasilli. Maybe he should have considered that before.
“There’s one tiny thing I might have found in the blood. I’m not sure yet, but I can bring the results over tomorrow night. I’ve got samples running. By tomorrow, I’ll have had time to do some more analysis and possibly have a better idea about what I think I’m seeing. Maybe it’s nothing at all.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow night, then,” Regent said, and hung up.
He explained the phone conversation then decided to dare make a suggestion. “Your Em—You look very tired. Why don’t you rest? I’ll be up tonight. You must be fatigued beyond belief by now.”
“I am exhausted. But our lamb in the basement needs constant surveillance.”
“I have closed circuit monitors down there. I’m sure you’ve noticed,” Regent said. “Of course, I’d never use them unless you gave me permission to do that.”
“I noticed and tap
ped into the system,” Vasilli said abruptly, then ran a shaky hand across his face. “I’m not sure. You don’t know how far gone he is.”
“I’ve been fighting vampires for decades. I’ll venture to say that I’ve seen some souls beyond redemption. If things go wrong, I’ll get you out of bed immediately.”
“That is the very reason we are here. Your expertise and your healing powers,” Vasilli said.
Regent shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure I’m going to be much help in the healing arena. The only other person I’ve truly helped has been my sister and I love her beyond life itself. Love is my power, along with God’s guidance.”
Vasilli sighed. “My brain is too foggy to even discuss this with you at the moment, Father. You have my blessing on monitoring our guest downstairs while I rest. I thank you for your help and your kindness.” He rose. “Please wake me if anything happens.”
“I certainly will,” Regent said, suddenly feeling useless at the prospect of merely monitoring the vampire. Besides, what could possibly happen when the vampire was locked in a room in the basement? His hands suddenly felt clammy.
Vasilli shuffled toward the door and gave him one last nod before he headed for bed.
Regent opened his laptop and clicked the button that monitored Jess’s room. This had always been an option for him, but he’d never used it before. Good grief, even from a safe distance, he felt anxious.
The screen flashed a couple of times before becoming clear. Then, there he was, a massive vampire pacing back and forth like an animal. When he heard scraping in the room, he turned the camera to the left. To his surprise, there’d been a hole cut in the door like a mail slot. When two bags of blood were pushed through, the vampire grabbed them and sank his teeth into both of them, sucking them dry in seconds.
Then he roared like a lion and two more bags were shoved into the slot. Again, the blood disappeared in seconds. That continued until Regent lost count of the bags of blood.
He thought about Jess, how two tiny bags of blood were sufficient for her for hours at a time. This vampire must have had gallons of blood at one feeding, and he was still insatiable.
As if reading Regent’s mind, the vampire looked up at the monitor and bared his bloody teeth.
Grave Expectations - Jess Vandermire 4 Page 11