Melcher cleared his throat. “My informant says there are eight rooms above. You will need to move the woman in the eighth room to another location and close the doors on any unoccupied rooms. That indicates that they are occupied. Aurora will pose as a wine girl. Once a vampire has fed on her, Mason will come out of hiding and finish the infected off. Quietly.” Melcher leaned forward. “We don’t want to scare off the vampires still feeding in the other rooms.”
My nose wrinkled. So he still had me going in as bait? Snap-tastic.
“Any questions?” Jared asked.
Levi and Mason exchanged a look. “Sounds pretty straightforward,” Levi said.
“Good. Then keep to the upstairs, get the job done and stay out of my way.”
I winced. Although Jared addressed Levi and Mason, I couldn’t help thinking his words were meant for me.
Levi and Mason stood up. I remained seated. I leaned forward, addressing Melcher. “Can I speak to you in private?”
Melcher nodded. “Parker, Hicks, you two are dismissed. Shut the door on your way out.”
We sat in silence until they’re footsteps had receded and the door clicked shut.
Melcher straightened his back. “We actually want to speak to you, Agent Sky.”
Jared got up and moved in front of the door, arms crossed, blocking me inside.
My mouth went dry.
“But first, what is it you wished to speak to me about?” Melcher sat as still as a statue, only his eyes moving to focus on me.
I didn’t want to go first. I wanted to know what exactly he and Jared planned on talking to me about. Did they suspect I knew I was a vampire? Had Valerie said something about Fane staying the night with me? Did they know what Fane, Noel, and I were up to? Is that why Jared wasn’t taking the bait?
Melcher hadn’t moved a muscle, but his eyes zeroed in on me.
I cleared my throat. “What about Giselle? Noel said there’s a good chance she’ll be at Stanton’s party this weekend. Shouldn’t we be going after her?”
Melcher’s eyes narrowed. “Agent Harper should not have shared that information with you. Allowing the two of you to live together might have been a mistake.”
I glared at Melcher. As if he’d put us together out of the goodness of his heart. Noel had confided that he did it so she could keep an eye on me. To make sure I wasn’t succumbing to blood cravings. Nice try, Melcher.
Jared snorted behind me. “Giselle would never show up at a party. She’s got the social skills of a wolverine.”
My heart dropped. Jared wasn’t buying it. We’d set up the party for nothing. I turned slightly, catching Jared’s eye. He grinned.
“Though I did hear Henry Fisher will be there. The big guy let him get away.” Jared looked over at Melcher. “I hope he’s not that clumsy at the tasting this Friday.”
Melcher frowned. “There’s been no sign of Henry at his townhouse. He dropped off the radar until now.”
Jared moved to the front of Crist’s desk and sat on the edge.
“Send Ginger after Henry. If he gives her any trouble, she can always shoot him.” Jared’s eyes slid to mine.
Our eyes locked. Mine began to sting, my whole body prickled with frustration and anger. We needed Jared at the palace, not Valerie.
I sat up and looked at Melcher. “If there’s even a chance Giselle might be there we should check it out. You told me we’d get her once Jared got to town.”
Melcher’s chest puffed. His nostrils flared. “I said you could help with the retrieval mission after we put an end to the tastings. Our work doesn’t stop because one agent was kidnapped.”
My lips pressed into a tight frown.
Nice to know Melcher would throw us to the wolves—or in this case, wolverine—without a second thought.
The show must go on. But how were we going to capture Jared if he didn’t go where we wanted him? At least I had the advantage of knowing where he’d be Friday night. On the other hand, I couldn’t bring Fane or even Henry into it without putting their lives at stake.
Melcher must have taken my silence for cooperation.
“Now that that’s settled, let’s move onto the next order of business.” Melcher pressed his hands together, as though in prayer, then folded his fingers into one tight ball. “Jared’s not only here to apprehend Giselle. He’s here to recruit.”
My stomach filled with acid.
If Fane were there, he’d tell me to keep a cool head, but I couldn’t. He’d remind me to keep Melcher in the dark as much as possible. He’d point out my precarious position on base, seated between Jared and Melcher. He’d tell me to keep my mouth shut.
But I couldn’t.
I rose from my chair.
Screw this.
“Recruit? Don’t you mean kill?” I pointed at Jared. “I saw you behind the wheel of that SUV that rammed into me.”
Jared didn’t even flinch. He looked me up and down before saying, “As I said before, I was at the right place at the right time.”
I swung toward Melcher. “Is this how you recruit agents? By forcing them into accidents?”
Melcher’s lips twisted. He stared at me a long time, not speaking.
Say something! I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. I closed my mouth, heart hammering up my throat and pounding in my ears.
“Hunters are a rare breed,” Melcher said slowly. “As you know, AB negative blood is one of the rarest in the world. It’s the only type that can poison a vampire. You are nature’s most powerful weapon against man’s biggest threat. You were created to protect mankind. Nature decided.”
My fingers balled into fists.
“I don’t care about my blood type. You decided. Not nature. You stole my life from me.”
“Not I,” Melcher answered calmly. “We are but humble servants serving the greater good.”
“By ruining peoples’ lives?” I demanded. “And now you plan on going after more innocent victims? Is everyone with AB negative blood on your hit list?”
Melcher stared at me, unblinking. “I admire your compassion. It’s one of the many qualities that make you a good hunter. We can teach recruits to kill, but we can’t teach them to care.” Melcher glanced briefly at Jared then back to me. “Jared, as you know, is infected. Centuries ago, he murdered innocents, no better than the creatures we hunt today. But he is atoning for his sins.”
I glanced at Jared, dubiously. He studied the cuff of his sleeve without comment.
“It occurred to me that if a killer such as Jared could reform his ways, why not others like him?” Melcher asked, voice rising in excitement.
My jaw dropped. “Wait a minute. You’re not suggesting what I think you are… are you?” I took a step toward Melcher’s desk. “Are you saying you’re going to start recruiting vampires?”
Already-turned vampires, that was. At least I’d kept my mouth shut on that little tidbit. Despite my outburst, they probably figured I still thought I was human, albeit one who suffered a near-death experience at the hands of a madman.
Melcher lifted his chin. “It is the perfect solution. No more accidents. No more initiation. No more mandatory infection. We have only to poison their blood and send them into the field.”
“And why would a vampire willingly kill another vampire?” I asked.
Melcher straightened his back. “They would if they want to be on the winning team. Being an informant or a hunter offers certain protection. We look after our own.”
Yeah? Tell that to Dante.
“Some agents recognize their duty to serve from the start. Others require incentives.”
Jared smirked.
I looked from him to Melcher.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
Melcher leaned back. “Miss Ward tells me you got close to Selene Ericson on your first tasting assignment.”
Selene? Melcher had wanted me to kill her… now he wanted to recruit her?
“We played pool together, that’s all,” I sa
id. “I thought you wanted her dead.”
“Yes, she’s been something of a troublemaker, but we’re already spread too thin in this state. If Ericson attends the tasting Friday, she’s dead. If we recruit her now, she can make her life count for something. We are fighting a war, and we need all the soldiers we can get. Once Diederick flees, we’ll need an insider to keep an eye on the vampires who run in other circles—the ones attending Stanton’s party, for instance.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked.
“I want you to come with us when we recruit Selene,” Melcher said. “She’ll likely be more receptive around an agent she’s familiar with.”
Selene had been all friendliness and charm. It had been a huge relief not to run into her when Melcher instructed me to end her life the weekend before. Now here was a way to save her, grab Jared, possibly Melcher, and get Dante back.
I folded my arms. “And if she refuses?”
“She won’t refuse,” Jared said. “I guarantee it.”
Right, because Jared did whatever necessary to get what he wanted. I only wished he’d start putting that kind of tenacity into locating Giselle.
“What about her partner?” I asked.
“Randal Hammond,” Melcher said with a nod. “We need you to go into their home first and put him to rest.”
Kill him. Why couldn’t Melcher come out and say it like it was?
“When?” I asked.
Melcher reached under his desk, pulled out a smart phone and set it on his desk. “I want this done while Miss Ericson is out of the house.” Melcher looked at Jared. “That will give her further incentive to join our ranks if she comes home to find her benefactor is dead.” Melcher turned his attention back to me. “I have an informant on her around the clock. I need you to be ready at a moment’s notice to go in when we receive word of an opening.”
I tilted my head. “We’re all going together?”
Melcher had said “come with us” to recruit her.
“That’s correct. Once you have put Randal down and Jared has convinced Miss Ericson to join the agency, I will bring her back to base for debriefing.”
Just like that. Snap, snap.
I couldn’t do anything about Jared and Melcher while they were on base, but if they were to leave base…
I had to fake cough to cover my smile.
This was better than the setup at the palace. Thanks, boys, for making things easier all of the sudden.
I still had to play along. I straightened my spine. “If I do this, I want you to turn Dante’s dog over to my care.”
Melcher didn’t make an immediate answer. I could practically hear him gathering his thoughts, like papers shuffling through his brain.
“You’ve been under a lot of stress,” Melcher said slowly. “One of your partners was abducted, another stabbed.” A long pause followed before he continued, “I will have Agent Parker bring you the dog.”
I breathed out, overcome by gratitude even though Melcher had been the cause of my turmoil from the beginning.
“However,” Melcher said, voice deepening. “If the animal interferes with your missions in any way, I’ll take him away for good.”
“Understood,” I said between clenched teeth. “When can I expect him?”
“By the end of the day.”
Guess I wouldn’t be going to school that afternoon, either. I wasn’t in the mood anyway, but I certainly wouldn’t go now, not at the risk of missing the drop off.
I stood up. “Can I go now?”
Melcher nodded. “Be ready for my call.”
I nodded and turned quickly, afraid my face would betray my thoughts. I’d be ready, all right. Once Jared and Melcher stepped off base, I’d go Armageddon on their asses. Now I just needed Fane and Noel to help me plan exactly how to pull that off.
7
Dirty Work
The Jeep sputtered and died when I first started it up. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing. I was too excited.
We needed chloroform and rags. Better yet, sleeping gas. Throw a couple of those smoking canisters inside Selene’s house with Melcher and Jared inside and go in after them with gas masks on. Or shoot them with tranquilizing darts.
If we didn’t have access to that sort of weaponry, we could always go old school and taser the suckers.
The Jeep started and kept running on the second try. I drove through the parking lot in first gear then went up to second and third on road to the gate.
I was dying to get home and call Fane. We wouldn’t have to wait for Friday. One of the biggest challenges was not knowing when this operation would go down. As Melcher had said, we needed to be ready at a moment’s notice.
The sight of the gate always filled me with relief, especially once it appeared in my review mirror. I slowed the Jeep as I approached the manned booth and waited for the gate to lift. I waited and waited, anxiety beginning to creep into my fingers. I tapped at the steering wheel.
A young man in camouflage stepped out of the booth, gun holstered at his hip, and approached my window. I rolled it down.
“Agent Sky, Agent Melcher would like you to wait for him here.”
My heart plummeted.
I had an insane urge to press down on the gas pedal and keep going—smash through the gate. I wondered how far I’d get before Jared caught up and headed me off or—more likely—ran me off the road again.
“You can park in one of the spots to the right.”
The guard looked me over with mild curiosity. Why wouldn’t he? I was a teenage agent. Did he realize what kind of agent?
I looked at his expression to see if I could detect anything, but he’d already taken a step back to return to his post.
With one last longing look at the gate, I pulled over into a single row of parking spots. A larger lot across the way flanked a visitor’s center. Getting on base was usually the challenge, not getting off.
Once parked, I snatched my phone and dialed Fane. A black SUV approached the exit then veered over into the lot where I’d parked and pulled in beside me.
I quickly turned off my phone and shoved it inside my pocket.
Jared stepped out of the SUV’s backseat. He slammed the door shut behind him, walked around the front of the Jeep, and sat in the passenger’s seat.
“Selene’s on the move, let’s go,” he said.
“Now?” My heart couldn’t drop any lower than it already had.
First the palace, now this. Why couldn’t I catch a break?
“Yes, now,” Jared said. “Follow the SUV.”
The SUV had already backed up and re-entered the exit lane. I shifted into reverse and eased back.
“Hurry it up,” Jared said. “The point is to get in before she returns.”
I glared daggers at him, biting my tongue to keep from informing him that I’d only just begun driving again after the accident he’d caused.
We’d barely made it through the gate when Jared asked, “Who were you calling?”
“What?”
“When we pulled in you had your phone out. Who were you calling?”
“I was checking messages.”
“Sure you were,” Jared said.
I shoved the Jeep into third gear a little too roughly and the vehicle lurched forward.
“You’re not half as sneaky as you think you are, Raven. Don’t think I doubt for a moment that you’d hand me over to Giselle without a second thought if you had the chance.”
Well, if it was honesty Jared wanted…
“You’re right,” I said. “I would. It’s your fault we’re in this mess. If you hadn’t dragged me into your revenge mission, she wouldn’t have gone after Dante.”
“This one’s on you,” Jared said. “You just had to let Giselle go, didn’t you? That’s what I get for taking women into the field.”
Venom rushed through my blood. “Excuse me?”
“I know,” Jared said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “This is
the twenty-first century. If you ask me, the good old days are behind us, but I adapt to the times.”
My eyes narrowed to slits.
“It was a straightforward mission,” Jared continued. “Leave no vampire alive.”
“You’re a vampire,” I said, through clenched teeth.
“Reformed,” Jared said, puffing up his chest. “Once my benefactor showed me the blasphemy that is my kind, I vowed to help him put an end to this evil plague.” Jared leaned into me, cupping a hand over his mouth as though sharing a secret. “And can’t beat the benefits.”
“How can you joke?” I demanded. “You killed Agent Crist then pinned it on Andre Morrel so you could murder him and his family for revenge.”
Jared’s smile dropped. “I didn’t kill ’ol sourpuss.”
“Andre didn’t,” I countered. How else would Jared have gotten her cross pendant unless he removed it from her cold body? Who else would have a motive? But Jared looked genuinely affronted by my accusation.
Jared swiped a hand down his blazer as though killing Crist was beneath him and just the thought needed brushing off.
“That part is true,” Jared said. “Andre never had the backbone to do what it takes to survive in this world.”
I lifted my chin. “It looked to me like he was doing quite well for himself. The whole family looked better off without you.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. Of course, I had to go and pick a fight with him in a moving vehicle—one that required both hands and both feet to operate. I wasn’t just playing with fire, I’d stepped directly into the inferno.
“Pull over,” he said.
My heart rate picked up. “Why?” I demanded.
“You’re taking too long. Now pull over and let me drive.”
“Like I’d ever trust you behind the wheel of a car,” I said.
“This isn’t about trust,” Jared said. “It’s about following orders.”
“I need to drive home first and get my dagger.” I thought of the sleeping powder Noel had hidden in the tea tin. I couldn’t imagine Jared pausing for a drink. It’s not likely he’d allow me to take any type of detour, but it was worth a shot.
Hunting Season (Aurora Sky Page 8