Black Heart: Wild On

by TW Gallier

  "Or a mortal with a claw hammer," I said.

  "But we know Ben kills like this," Gabe said. "And Sabe and I have seen him in this area."

  "Don't call me 'Sabe,'" I said, and gave him a little shove. "I don't like it." Then I glanced at the victim, and all around at the blood. "Gabe's right. Ben's still the most likely suspect."

  "If he's fed, then Ben's not likely to kill again tonight," Dane said. "Do you think he'll even bother to hang around?"

  "He probably won't be in the back alleys anymore," I said. "But we can't just give up now. We have to keep looking."

  "There are an awful lot of people out there," Dane said.

  "I know," Gabe said.

  Neither sounded happy. I wasn't happy either. But we had to at least try. Ben could be partying now that his dark urges were quenched. Or he could be stalking another victim as we wasted time.

  I patted the victim down. His wallet was about five feet away, cleaned out. I hoped Ben did that, and not Gabe. I wouldn't put it past Gabe. Staking vampires was how he earned his living, and his resources were seriously depleted.

  "We have to be careful," Dane said. "There are a lot of vampires out there. Did either of you see the vamp in the red Cadillac convertible?"

  "Vanessa? Yeah. I spoke to her," I said.

  "You know her?"

  "Council member Vanessa Mancera. Yeah, I know her."

  "That's Vanessa Mancera?" Dane said. "Wow."

  "Where? I didn't see her," Gabe said. "What does she look like?"

  "Pigs," I muttered. "Dane's right. Be very careful. If a vampire realizes you are hunters, they will all jump you and tear you into bite-sized pieces. There could be other council members out there, too."

  It occurred to me I should've asked Vanessa about Benjamin Rothschild. She might have information. The "stable" vampires despised rogues. If nothing else, she might've put the word out among her vamps to keep their eyes open. I wouldn't be surprised if Vanessa killed Ben on site.

  "I'm going to check a few places where vampires hang out," I said. "You boys see if you can find him on the streets. Do not follow him into an alley or even a business. Wait until I arrive to back you up."

  "Vampire hangouts?" Dane said. Both of their interests were piqued. "Like where?"

  "Be specific," Gabe said. "Addresses, times, name of undead patrons."

  "Another time," I said. "We have to move fast. Someone call 911 and report this."

  I extended my wings. Their eyes grew huge. They were still impressed with my wings, though I wasn't sure it was impressed in a good way. Gabe got horny when he saw my wings, but Dane was frightened by them. Wings put me on a whole new level of menace for him.

  The alley was too confined for me to fly out from, so I leapt up atop the building housing my favorite clothing boutique, Kinky Corner, and then took off running across the roof. Taking a big leap, I started flapping hard, and flew up and away.

  There was no need to try for height, since Deep Ellum wasn't that big. Just a few streets and blocks. An old warehouse district off downtown. Though, people were complaining at city hall about Deep Ellum's expansion. The neighboring areas were not happy about it.

  I didn't blame them.

  Flying north, I went straight over to the Deep Ellum Motel where I killed Hector Lopez. It was the motel with the underground vaults for vampires. I landed before the glass door of the office, catching the night clerk's attention. This time a young Hispanic man was manning the desk.

  "Good evening," I said. I glanced at his name badge. "Tell me, Jorge, how many vampires are checked into a vault right now?"

  "I don't think I can — " he started to say.

  Not liking where it was heading, I caught his eyes and mesmerized him. A slight twinge of guilt hit me, but was instantly gone. I felt a bit more regret and concern that I was able to justify mesmerizing people, forcing them to my will, with less and less regret as time passed. I didn't really have time to worry about it at that moment, but did I ever?

  Shaking away those thoughts, I looked the night manager over. Jorge Vega was maybe five foot five, jet black hair, and black eyes, though with a very light complexion. He looked barely legal, with a sprinkling of pimples across his cheeks and nose. He wore black slacks and a white button down shirt, and a red Deep Ellum Motel Jacket.

  "Once again, are there any vampires currently in vaults?"

  "No."

  "Are there any vampires in any of the rooms?"

  "Yes."

  "How many?"

  "Three," Jorge said. "Two vampire hookers took a bunch of college boys up to room 24. And a big African American vamp took a pair of blondes over to room 14."

  "No white males?"

  "No."

  I started to leave, but had another thought. "Are any rooms or vaults rented to white male vamps, but they are not currently in?" I said. Sometimes you had to ask very specific questions. Even mesmerized some people can find ways to defy you. "And, do you know a vampire named Benjamin Rothschild?"

  "None of the vaults are currently rented. I do know a Benjamin Rothschild," he said.

  "A vampire?" He nodded. "Has he rented here before?"

  "Yes," he said. "Mr. Rothschild spent the day in one of our vaults."

  "Today? The day that just passed?"

  "Yes," Jorge said.

  "Dammit," I said. "Is he coming back at the end of the night?"

  "I don't know, but I don’t think so," he said. "He left a dead woman in the vault."

  My blood ran cold for a long moment. Was that my fault for not thinking about checking here before?

  "Did you call the police? Or just dump the body?"

  "Dumped the body," he said. "It's against the law to have vaults."

  "Dammit," I said, and strode out. I forgot to release him, and didn't remember until I was a good thirty feet in the air. "He'll go back to normal after a while."

  I was so disgusted with him I had no desire to do him any favors. Even mesmerized he had free thought, and I was the only one that could command him. So he was safe enough.

  I flew to a couple "blood bars" I knew about, and checked them out. Ben wasn't in any of them. When I exited the last I saw Tara Voorhies walking down the street, heading for the heart of Deep Ellum. She was surrounded by her vampire family, pushing everyone out of the way. They were not making fast progress.

  I leapt up and sprouted wings. The oohs and ahs of the crowd drew her attention. Tara didn't look pleased to see me. Did any of the council members like me? Her undead family all assumed fighting stances. Tara just stopped and looked up at me as I slowly flew twenty feet above her.

  I wasn't real good at hovering in place, so I did a slow circuit around her position. It kinda gave me the superior position, the dominant position. Tara looked like she understood that, and didn't like it one bit. Tara wasn't the most powerful vampire on council, if her aura and radiating power were any indication, but she liked to be in command.

  Tara was stoutly built, with short blonde hair and a no nonsense attitude and gaze. She didn't like games. She dressed conservatively, like some PTA mom in the suburbs. At the moment she wore a black pants suit and sensible shoes. Believe me, it was strange to see any vampire wearing anything sensible.

  Her undead minions weren't so sensibly dressed. In fact, Mickey Minz was dressed very hip hop, while Heather Hanson was sexed up in the skimpiest red latex dress I'd ever seen, and Apollonia Andrews was equally sexed up in a bright pink dominatrix outfit. Yeah, the pink thing made me to do a double take. I didn't know any of the others, but they were dressed as a cowgirl, a man in a suit and tie, and three more hip hop looking men and women.

  "May I ask you a question or two?" I called down.

  "Come on down," Tara said, motioning for me to drop down before her. I saw several of her people smile cruelly. "We'll talk."

  "I'm fine where I am," I said.

  "You don't trust me?"

  "I trust you," I said. "About as much as I trust a dog to
guard a steak."

  She smiled.

  "Do you know who Timothy Saxon is?"

  "Yes, why?"

  "Didn't Jeff Howell call you about him?"

  Tara scowled, and looked around at her people. They shook their heads. I fought the need to grin. I was causing Jeff so much grief.

  "I guess not. I just spoke to Vanessa down the street," I said. "He didn't call her, either. I haven't seen Antoinette."

  "Antoinette's at the Ruby Necklace," Tara said. "What about Mr. Saxon?"

  "Vampires kidnapped him the other day. Thursday night," I said. "Do you know anything about it?"

  "No. Do you know why he was kidnapped?"

  "No. I suspect he was grabbed by some vampire, or vampires, that are trying to rob one or more of his clients," I said. "Since they were heard trying to convince him to join them."

  "Anything else?"

  "No, but I was hoping you might know something. I'm trying to find him, before the vamps get what they want and kill him," I said.

  "I know nothing," Tara said, reversed direction and started back the way she came. I guess I killed her evening of fun. She pulled out a smart phone. Then Tara stopped, gave me a hard look and said, "You did me a favor, so I'll give you some advice."

  "Okay," I said warily.

  "Run. Run far," Tara said. "You're not as tough as you think you are. Antoinette will have you. And if not her, then another. If you're lucky, you will be killed."

  "What if I voluntarily joined a council member's family?" I said. Her interest was piqued. She raised a brow and considered me. "Or joined the Trudeau Family. I have an offer from them, you know?"

  "I didn't know," she said. "You're playing a dangerous game, Sable. Adrenaline junkies don't survive long as vampires."

  It'd been a while since anyone called me an adrenaline junkie. My middle sister, Yvette, used to call me that all the time. Back then it was due to my love of fast cars and motorcycles, and my insatiable need to drive them as fast as possible. Then when I started dating Dane and helping him to stake vampires, she used that as proof positive of my addiction to adrenaline.

  "Another question," I said. Her advice did frighten me a little, but I heard it all before. "Do you know Benjamin Rothschild?"

  "I know of him," she said.

  "Then you don't know where he is right now? Or where he might be hiding out?"

  "If I did, he would be dead and in Hell," she said.

  "Thank you," I said, and flew away.

  I flew straight over to one of the tallest buildings in Deep Ellum. It was owned by Valerie St. Clair, and housed the club called Ruby Necklace. I stood over the entrance, high above, and looked out over the massed humanity. It was right around eleven, so they were working their way up to a midnight frenzy.

  Desiree said that more often than not Deep Ellum turned into a street orgy after midnight on New Year’s. Actually, starting just before midnight, she said. That old belief that what you are doing at the stroke of midnight is what you'll be doing all year held sway, and everyone wanted to be screwing.

  "I bet it was a vampire that came up with the bright idea of a street orgy," I muttered. "Good thing I'll be way over at Victory Park at that time."

  I wasn't sure I could walk away from an active orgy. I'd like to think I could, but the vampire in me would fight me every step of the way. And an orgy with vampires in it, shooting aphrodisiac pheromones into the air, would be beyond hard to turn my back on. Just thinking about it set my heart to racing and libido on fire.

  Did I ever mention that when I'm aroused, I have an insane need to touch myself? Touch myself very intimately. I usually didn't fight it, but had to at that moment. It was strange, in that I never, ever had such desires as a mortal. I'm not sure I would've believed it if someone said they had such desires.

  Let me tell you, dying changes everything.

  Lifting the walkie-talkie, I pressed the A for all, "Boys. It's about that time. I just need to check out one more place, then we can go. What is your status?"

  "Status?" Dane said. I heard the amusement in his voice. "You've been watching too many cop shows or something. What next? Are you going to ask for our 10-20?"

  I laughed.

  "Okay, cool," I responded. "Slap a girl down for trying to bring a little professionalism in. No problem."

  "Shut up," Dane said.

  "You're stupid," I said, grinning fiercely. "Gabe, you still with us, or did you turn off your walkie-talkie in disgust?"

  "Oh, you remembered me?" Gabe said.

  "Just an afterthought," Dane taunted.

  "No fighting, boys," I said. "What are your locations?"

  I so wanted to ask for their 10-20s after Dane's comment.

  "I'm out back of the Ruby Necklace," Dane said. "The door is ajar."

  "Don't go in!" I cried into the walkie-talkie. "That leads straight up into the vampire VIP area. They'll suck you dry."

  "Nope, I'm already in the kitchen," Dane said.

  I took a long moment to curse him, Heaven, Hell, and stupid men in general. Then I reached out with my vampiric senses. Dane and Gabe did not like it when I checked up on them like that. But I felt him, about forty feet below me, feeling all full of himself. Gabe was way over on the edge of Deep Ellum, opposite side from his SUV.

  "Dane, get out of there," I said. No response. He was highly agitated, but not feeling any fear. Then I felt him moving out of the kitchen and into the main room of the club. He wasn't coming out, and he wasn't communicating anymore. "Dammit, Dane, answer me or I'll bite you in a really bad way."

  "I'm not getting a signal from his walkie-talkie," Gabe said. "Did he turn it off? Or lose it?"

  I didn't want to think about it. Dane wouldn't just turn off his walkie-talkie. He wasn't that stupid. Either he was captured, or something happened to the walkie-talkie. Neither was good.

  Looking over the side, I spotted Mercedes Trudeau walking into the club. Four of her werewolves followed her inside. All I could do was look up at the Heavens, take a deep breath, and hold it.

  "Gabe, head for your truck," I said, after pressing the G. "Antoinette is in there, with her vamp family. And I just saw Mercedes Trudeau go inside."

  Mercedes had a very scary interest in Dane. There was no doubt she wanted to make him a werewolf, but Dane only seemed mildly wary. It made me wonder if he harbored some deep desire to be a werewolf. After all, being a werewolf did not damn his soul, like being a vampire would. But he was a dhampir, half vampire and half-human. He could be Changed into a vampire, but not a werewolf.

  "Antoinette? Mercedes? Is it safe?" he said.

  "No. Not safe at all," I said, heart beginning to race. If she got hold of Dane, that wicked vamp could easily manipulate me into doing anything she wanted. There was no way to know if she understood that, but I didn't want to give her a chance to find out. "Under no circumstances go in there, too. If we don't come out, go warn the others and get out of town. Tonight."

  Chapter 9

  There was a steel hatch atop the Ruby Necklace's roof, but it was locked. I probably could've ripped it open, but I saw the security contacts. An alarm would sound and I'd have to fight my way down. Not going to work. So I looked over the back side, down at the back door.

  "Son of a bitch, he left it open," I said. Dane didn't close the door. I didn't hesitate, and vaulted over the side. My wings sprouted and went straight out to the sides, slowing my descent considerably. The impact wouldn't bother my feet and legs, but I preferred a controlled landing. "Maybe Dane isn't as dumb as I thought."

  Desire, need, and lust were flowing out the door in waves. I recognized Antoinette's power. She was using it to fire up the crowd, to make them wild with desire and lust. Did she do it on purpose? Or was that part of her curse, to forever drive everyone around her crazy with lust? I wouldn't put it past Valerie to pay her to incite the crowd like that. Most likely it just amused Antoinette to control everyone like that, to cause chaos.

  Under her power, men a
nd women would all be pairing off. They wouldn't be overly concerned with coupling with their mates, either. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives were of no consequence when under Antoinette's heady spell.

  Antoinette didn't care if she broke up families, tore apart budding relationships. She thought everyone should screw everyone else. Destroying lives was just the icing on the cake.

  I held my breath before I strode into the Ruby Necklace and looked around. The back hallway hadn't changed. The walls were painted black, the ten doors red. There were five privacy rooms to a side, with the stairs straight ahead. Four of the ten rooms were occupied. I could hear the kitchen behind those stairs. But there wasn’t a door into the kitchen.

  "How did he get through to the kitchen?" I said, and went back out into the alley. And there it was. The kitchen door, nice and tightly shut. Locked. I scowled at it. Okay, I was pissed at Dane again. So I went back into the privacy room area. "I guess I don't have a choice."

  Heading up the stairs, I tried to figure out how best to deal with Antoinette. Her power was messing with my body and mind, despite holding my breath. Her power had nothing to do with smell, though her pheromones did seem more potent to me. By holding my breath I was trying to stop the added affect of everyone else's pheromones from taking me down. I could fight off Antoinette's power, if prepared, but I couldn't resist the combination of her power and everyone else's needs and lusts.

  I marched up the stairs to the VIP Lounge. There was more staff on hand than the last time I visited. The male waiters were all different, but I recognized a few of the females. They were all still dressed like strippers, with both men and women topless, wearing those white collars and wrist cuffs like Playboy bunnies or Chippendale dancers. Beside the collars and cuffs, the women wore only black leather thongs and stiletto pumps, and the men wore painted-on black spandex pants. I counted ten men and ten women on the wait staff.

  The VIP area was full. I didn't recognize many of the vampires outside of Antoinette LaRue and her vamp family. She was sprawled on the couch dead center. I was very pleased to see that Boney was not there, but Angelique de Saussay attended her. Also, both Giorgi Sisters were there, the witch Lorelei, and the vampire Lolita.