“Madame Haley?” he asked of her.
Haley kept herself composed, tilting her head slowly.
“Our host wishes you to try this humbling concoction.”
The waiter removed a glass from his tray. On the surface it looked like just another glass of champagne, but as it moved closer to her, she could see a faint tinge of silver.
The waiter took her old drink while she accepted the new.
Haley raised it to her lips as the waiter’s eyes widened.
“It’s from him, isn’t it?” she said in a sharp tone of voice.
“The answers to life’s questions, are just another drink away,” the waiter said cryptically.
Haley hesitated. “Well of course, they are.”
She drank the drink and collapsed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Who were you on the phone to, Dino? Who were you giving all that information –”
“Nobody!” Dino exclaimed to his questioning companion. “It was a private matter.”
“We’re just looking out for you,” another one of his security friends said. “We don’t want any leaks coming through that could give away our –”
“It’s a trustworthy source, alright,” Dino snapped. “We need all the help we can get.”
Another two of his comrades walked over. “You guys find anything?”
“Nothing,” another replied. “We’re just standing around. Trying to figure things out.”
“I don’t know what faith you put in that skinhead’s gut feeling. Seems pretty bogus to me, Dino.”
Dino scraped the back of his hand along his rough chin. “You ever think maybe I sensed something out here too? We’re gonna find these fuckers, and if we don’t we’re going to at least be able to say we tried.”
There was some mild agreement.
“Need I remind you that they killed my fucking wife,” Dino cursed. “I swear when I get my hands on them, I’ll –”
“Over here, guys!” one the team said running over. “We found something!”
Everyone immediately took off down the road in pursuit of him.
Just as Dino was about to run with them, he felt something take his arm.
Dino turned and was stunned to see a gross and vile, undead replica of Kendra Armistice.
She put her finger to her lips to silence him.
Not knowing what to make of this Dino allowed himself to be drawn away to the side of one house.
There, Kendra let go of him.
“I don’t believe what I’m seeing,” he muttered. “You’re supposed to be dead.”
“Technically I am dead,” Kendra said. “But my intentions are still very much alive.”
“You betrayed us –” Dino accused. “You’re the traitor –”
“No!” Kendra hissed back. “Will you just listen to me for a moment. Please.”
Dino shook his head. “What the fuck are you going to say?”
“It’s true the Count was at Jason’s tonight –”
“What?” Dino exploded. “You’re with him!”
“Someone told him to meet Jason there. Said they had information about Brock Ferns –”
“Oh, so he was set up,” Dino said sarcastically. “Because throwing the blame on the Count was super important to do.”
“Listen to me,” Kendra said. “Julian is innocent. You have to trust me.”
“He murdered Cresh. Luna was there for that one. Probably Maurice too by the sound of things. Not to mention whatever the hell happened to –”
“Julian didn’t murder Cresh. He would never have done that. And as far as Maurice is concerned we found him together. I was there that night, remember.”
“I don’t believe you. Sorry.”
“Please, listen to me,” Kendra tried again. “I’m here in peace. The real killer is still out there.”
“Julian.”
“No! Wake up! It’s been Brock the whole time! And we also know which of the team is working for him –”
Flashlights suddenly stunned Dino’s face.
Jason and Riley were hurrying over.
“What are you doing hiding away here?” Jason asked. “We thought you were the Count.”
“I was just –” Dino turned back to where Kendra had been.
She’d vanished.
“Have you found anything?” Riley asked.
“No,” Dino said. “Wait – I – the others –”
“Dino, what the fuck?” one of his friends called from the road. “You have to see this!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Flames. Shattered glass. Blood.
Jason, Riley and Dino hurried to where everyone had gathered.
Luna’s van had smashed into tree and caused the engine to explode. Bodies were scattered everywhere. Their throats were ripped to shreds.
Jason pushed past several of Dino’s men to find Nadine crouching in the centre. Luna Evans was on the ground below her. Dead just like the rest of them.
“Oh my God,” Riley exclaimed. “Oh my fucking God!”
Nadine looked up to them. There were tears in her eyes. “I told you that fucker was still out here.”
“I don’t believe this,” one of Dino’s men said. “Are you saying this was just one vampire?”
“He’s a big one, I’ll give him that,” Jason said.
“No,” Dino interrupted. “No … it wasn’t just him…”
“What do you mean?” Nadine asked.
“I just – I was just speaking to…”
“Who?” Jason shouted.
“Kendra Armistice.”
Everyone erupted with shock and anger.
Nadine got to her feet. “Where is she? Where the fuck is she?”
“Right around there,” Dino said pointing.
“Why didn’t you grab us?” one of his men asked. “Did you even try to –”
“I’m sorry,” Dino gasped. “I wasn’t sure she was in on it. Now, obviously…”
“You fucked up,” Jason said.
Dino nodded.
Together the group moved towards the side of the house where Kendra had last been seen. Once they were all there, Nadine asked, “What did she say to you, Dino? What did she want?”
“I don’t know,” Dino mumbled. “She said the Count was innocent.”
Grumbles and curses flew around.
“She said she knew who the traitor was … after I accused her.”
“Was she trying to lure you somewhere?” Jason asked. “Why didn’t she attack you?”
Dino shrugged. “She seemed sincere. I don’t know how else to put it.”
“Well, what are we supposed to do then?” Riley asked. “Start searching round for them again? Wait to be picked off one by one?”
“She said something about that other vampire, Brock something,” Dino said. “As though he might be behind this.”
“Well, I don’t see him here – do you?” Riley fired back. “We know the Count’s here for fuck’s sake. What the hell’s he doing? Why doesn’t he just –?”
“Wait a second, Dino,” Jason said. “Did you actually believe her? What she was saying to you?”
“No,” Dino said stubbornly. He crossed his arms. “I mean, well … I’m not sure why she didn’t attack me. And kept going on about peace –”
“I’ve listened to enough of this shit,” Nadine said. “Kendra! Get the fuck out here! Now!”
The group fell silent.
They listened to the trees blowing above them.
“Kendra!” Nadine tried again.
Jason winced. He looked around, searching for movement.
Then he saw a dark figure standing in the middle of the road.
“Will I do?” the Count asked.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
There was no dream. No imagining. No faraway place her mind had traveled to in between the sip of poison, and her awakening here.
She was on a bed. Just a mattress and a pillow. No covers.
She
sat up and lifted her legs off the edge of it. Her bare feet touched the floor. Someone had taken her shoes off. To the far right she could see there was a curtain. It covered the entire wall.
In the ceiling above she could see there was a camera mounted.
There was a mobile phone in the middle of the floor.
“It’s starting,” Haley whispered. “You’re revealing yourself to me…”
She forced herself up and took a step across the room. She felt light headed. But at the same time she doubted she’d been asleep for very long.
The phone on the ground was vibrating.
Haley looked up the camera, watching it, as if it were about to move.
Keeping her eyes on it she walked over to the phone, crouched down, and took the call.
Static. Rustling.
“Haley.”
Just one word.
One word undisguised.
No synthesizers. No anonymity.
This was real.
“Haley, are you there?”
“Hello,” Haley said softly. She walked over to the bed and sat down. “This is Brock, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” he answered. “This is Brock.”
Haley leaned back against the wall. “I should have realized. I should have seen through you.”
“Haley. Tell me what you’re thinking. What you’re feeling. Everything.”
Haley shook her head. “I don’t know if I care anymore. That’s what I’m thinking.”
“What don’t you care about?”
“You.”
“Even after … even after all I’ve done for you.”
“Is that supposed to be a joke?”
A pause.
“Yes,” Brock said.
“Well. Okay. What happens now?”
More silence. She thought she could hear someone in the background on his end.
“Haley, stand up.”
“So you are watching then?”
“Just stand up.”
Haley stood.
“Do you see the curtain?”
“I’m not blind.”
“Take it down.”
Haley looked at it, irritated. “Or what?”
Silence.
Her eyebrows narrowed. “Or what?”
“You knew you were coming here. You knew you were going to play one last game with me. I promise after this, it will all be over.”
Haley thought of some things she might like to say.
But none of them reflected her malice enough.
She walked slowly towards the curtain.
Brock remained silent.
She reached up.
And pulled it down.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It was around somewhere a year after the night Cresh had been killed, that Riley McCormick had been brought in by the Centre of Paranormal Investigation. Luna Evans had been at the table, but she wasn’t yet in a senior role. Meanwhile Riley hadn’t had contact with them since the fall out and didn’t have one clue why she’d been brought in or what they wanted from her.
“According to our records, your benefits are due to run out next month, Ms. McCormick,” one of the staffers said. “We were wondering if you had lined yourself up with some suitable work, or if perhaps you were still looking?”
“I’ll get by,” Riley said. “One way or another.”
“Yes, we know that you’re resourceful. We were wondering if you would be interested in a casual job here. Some good old fashioned undercover work.”
“That was never really my thing,” Riley said. “Luna should’ve told you that.”
“Actually, Ms. Evans recommended you very highly. Certainly more than … Jason Freelaw … and Dino Hinch…”
“Alright, I’m listening,” Riley said. “What kind of undercover work did you have in mind?”
“We want you to tail a particular vampire that has come to our attention. We believe him to be the true mastermind behind the killings that took place a year ago, and one you have an acquaintance with…”
“Oh really? And which vampire would that be?”
“The Count. Or should we say the New Count, Brock Ferns.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The updates to Brock ran in progress:
Kendra is here. She’s talking to Dino.
Someone’s wiped out Luna and her whole team. The Count???
The Count is here. I can see him.
How do I engage?
Brock wrote back: Attack him.
Riley put the phone away. As she did so, she noticed Jason half peering over her shoulder.
“Hey,” Riley hissed, backing away from him. “Don’t perv.”
“Whose name was that? Was it Brock’s?” he demanded.
“Different Brock.”
Riley hurried away from him and stuck to the crowd as it formed a circle around the Count. Dino and Nadine were both standing in the centre, while Jason moved in by the edge.
“I hope you all are prepared to hear what I have to say,” the Count said. “Otherwise we’ll have to deal with things in a much more unpleasant way.”
“Why should we?!” Dino shouted. “You’re a fucking murderer!”
“Unfortunately that might be true,” the Count said. “But I didn’t kill any of your people. I was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Set up, if you will.”
“Bullshit,” Nadine sneered. “Prepare to die!”
She ran at the Count, Dino just behind her.
But as they reached him another figure dropped from the sky and landed in the space between them. Riley had to move round to get a better view.
It was Kendra.
“If you want him, you have to get through me first.”
Dino and Nadine looked at each other.
“You traitor bitch, Kendra,” Jason called out from the cusp of the circle.
“Don’t you want to know who the real traitor is?” the Count called back. “I always knew who she was, but it wasn’t till tonight that I saw proof of it with my own eyes.”
Riley began to feel sick.
She left the circle and began walking away down the road, hoping no one would notice.
“Come on, Dino,” Nadine said. “You’re done listening to this shit, aren’t you?”
“Hey!” Jason shouted. “Riley? Where are you going?”
Riley glanced back. “I’m really sorry. I have to go.”
“I don’t believe this –”
She looked again to see Jason following her.
“What’s going on with this?” Dino demanded. “Are you saying one of us killed Luna? Are you saying – that it was Riley?”
Kendra looked back to the Count.
“If you know what’s good for you, Riley, you’ll stop running now,” Kendra shouted.
Jason had already gotten hold of her.
“Where are you going?” he asked, flustered.
“Stop it,” Riley resisted. “Let go.”
“Tell me it’s not you,” he said. “Please tell me. After … all we’ve been through…”
Riley winced. “I don’t want to lie to you,” she said.
“You fucking bitch,” Jason sobbed. “How could you? What’s the matter with–?”
“Jason, listen to me now,” the Count called. “I didn’t kill your family. And neither did Riley.”
“But she’s still a traitor, isn’t she?”
“No,” the Count said putting a hand on Kendra’s shoulder. “No, she isn’t a traitor at all.”
He moved Kendra to one side as he moved forward.
“The true traitor is the same as it was from the very beginning. The same as when I told Dermott her true identity before he died. The true traitor, is Nadine Blue.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Blue. It was the color of fire. The color of lies and deception. He had laid it out for her this way – the green and red doors to either side of it, fading away into the background. He was here, centre stage. He was waiting for her to open the
door.
“Describe what you see,” Brock said on the other side of the phone. “Describe what’s behind the curtain.”
“Why? Don’t you already know what’s there?”
“Describe it.”
Haley sighed. “Three doors. Three colors. Green, Blue and Red. The same color of the initial three suspects. Not that I’m sure that has any significance now.”
“Patience, please,” Brock said tonelessly. “I need you to focus.”
“Right.”
“Each of those doors represents a choice for you. Two of the doors will lead you to rooms that are empty. You will be able to find your way back to the social affair. And I won’t bother you again tonight. The mystery will remain unsolved for you.”
“And the other door?”
“Should you select the correct door, you will find me standing on the other side of it. And this thing between us … can end tonight.”
“Yeah. How about I open all three doors and take a peak before going in? What are you going to do then?”
Silence on Brock’s end.
“The other doors will lock as the first one is opened. You can only make one choice.”
“I’m assuming this is a trick question though, right? I know what color you are. Are you telling me you’re behind your color?”
Another pause.
“That’s for you to decide,” Brock said. “Remember our conversation earlier if in doubt. And remember always, that I –”
He cut out.
“Hello?” Haley asked.
She looked down at the phone.
Disconnected.
She pursed her lips together and tossed it behind her, letting it break on the ground.
Blue.
Green. Red.
She was tempted to just not think about it and walk through the Blue door. If anything made sense, he had to be on the other side of it. If seeing him now was that important to her anyway.
Vampire Dating Agency: The Finale Page 3