“You’re in denial, Katie.”
“What?”
“You’re in denial.”
Her face tightened as she stared at Jules. “What do you mean?”
“You’re destined for greatness and you refuse to admit it.”
Katie laughed. “You believe it?” She suspected Jules would, but had hoped her friend would see the false prophecy from Katie’s point of view.
Jules slowed the vehicle as the turned down a less traveled street. She glanced at Katie. “I do.” The words sounded eerily like her acceptance to a wedding proposal.
“Well I don’t.”
“Why?”
“For one thing, my ancestry doesn’t consist of war leaders, heroes, or…” She paused, searching for more words.
“Your grandfather claimed–”
“There was no proof he was the legitimate child of John Dillinger, so that doesn’t count. As for another thing, Hector gave false prophecies. I don’t know when he gave the one about a human leading a war, but from what Riker told me, many years have passed and nothing has ever happened.”
“It could.”
“Maybe, but I’m not the human leader.”
Jules slowed the vehicle, then spun the wheel to turn down another side street. “I remember what you told me after Kyle informed you he was a vampire. You said it took you a while to acknowledge the truth because Kyle loved and treated you as if he were an ordinary human. You said he wasn’t any different from an honest man with firm morals who put in ten hours at work and then came home to his wife. Do you remember?” She glanced at Katie.
“I remember,” she said softly.
The conversation between them took place when Jules demanded answers about the weapons and blood she’d found in the barn. To keep Jules from going to the police, Katie confessed the truth about vampires. Jules refused to believe her. Katie emphasized how human Kyle was and shared how she too had denied believing vampires existed. Her point was to ease Jules’s worries and steer her to believe not all of them were as bad as fiction portrayed them. Although the current situation with Katie denying her war leader status was a bit different, Katie understood where Jules was heading.
“One day you’re a college graduate, in love with Mr. Right and looking for a job. The next day, your Rambo.”
“Your timeline is off. And can we lose the Rambo part?”
Jules turned onto the street leading to her house. “I’m saying you have the ability and you certainly have the skills to fight vampires. We always say everything happens for a reason. Maybe you were destined to meet Kyle so he could train you to be this leader.”
“And I’m saying Hector gave bad predictions. Kyle was misled.” And she’d find a way to prove it so everyone would leave her in peace.
Jules leaned forward and gripped the wheel. “No fucking way!”
Katie shifted her attention to the front window. The neighborhood appeared normal and undisturbed. Down the street, an elderly man walked with his dog on a leash. Jules brought the car closer to her driveway where her Honda sat with two flat tires. Apparently, the condition of her car had changed since their last visit.
“I am so pissed!” Jules parked next to her car.
They hurried out of Katie’s Camaro with their purses in hand.
“Can you believe this crap?” Jules asked in an elevated tone and her hand outstretched toward her vehicle. “I just bought those tires last year.”
Jules stormed around the car, then stopped. “Shit!” She stomped her foot on the concrete.
“I take it you weren’t expecting company.”
Jules strode past her, heading for the front door. “The car was fine when I left.” She stopped on the small porch and dug into her bag.
“You can use the money I gave you for vacation since it appears you won’t be taking one now.”
Jules shook her head as the keys jingled in her hand. “I really wanted to go too.”
She unlocked the door and pushed it open. Both of them stepped inside and came to a quick halt. A foul, rotting odor rushed at them. As if that weren’t enough, a dark red spot on the floor gave rise to an ill feeling in Katie’s stomach.
Jules raised a hand and covered her nose and mouth. She turned and faced Katie with worrisome eyes.
Katie breathed in spurts, trying to ignore the disgusting stench. Standing near the large stain on the carpet, she bent and examined it. Spots of blood led away from the spot. She followed the trail to the kitchen, set her purse on the table as she passed by, then stopped in front of the refrigerator.
“Should we be here?” Jules asked, standing close to Katie.
She glanced at the window. Sun brightened the entire room. “Yeah, it’s safe in here, but let me check the rest of the house.”
Although she doubted a vamp would hide in one of Jules’s bathrooms, she couldn’t completely dismiss the possibility.
Jules made a whining sound and pointed to the sink. “Look.”
Katie stepped closer and peered into the basin. Blood coated the inside. “It’s blood.”
She returned her gaze to the spots on the floor and followed them back to the refrigerator. Her stomach tightened as if it knew of what was to come. She slid her fingers around the handle, then tugged it.
The door opened with a slight clanking of glass. Condiments and plastic containers sat on the shelves, the typical items one would find in a refrigerator.
“What’s that?” Jules pointed to the top shelf.
A square piece of Tupperware with a blue lid had a piece of paper taped to it. Katie lifted the container and let the door close.
Jules lowered her hand from her mouth. “That’s your number I had on the fridge.”
Katie’s pulse quickened. Joe had dialed her cell number right before Riker crushed her phone.
“Oh God.” Jules took a step back. She held her arm across her abdomen. “What’s in it?”
Katie tore the paper off the lid and stuck it on the countertop. She stood over the sink, holding the container. Whatever was inside, they both knew it wouldn’t be good.
Slowly, Katie lifted the lid. Jules gasped and leaped back. Shock and horror flashed within Katie. She dropped the container and it clanked when it hit the sink. The thumb and finger inside the plastic box bounced.
“Fuck!” Katie yelled.
Jules backed up until she hit the wall. Both hands covered her mouth and muffled her squeals.
Three assumptions formed quickly. One, a vampire had been in Jules’s house. Two, the fingers in the container were too big to belong to a female, which meant they probably belonged to Joe since he had called her cell and someone had taped her phone number to the Tupperware. Three, Joe was losing blood and if he weren’t already dead, he would be. He couldn’t bleed out from the loss of his fingers, but the pain would be unbearable and the person who removed them knew this. Message received.
Katie wiped her hands on her jeans, ensuring she removed any trace of blood from her skin. She stepped toward Jules. The reality of the situation was crushing. No wonder the poor girl whimpered and cried. At least she hadn’t puked.
“They’re Joe’s… Aren’t they?” Jules asked between sniffles.
“We don’t know for sure–”
“What do you think? Honestly.”
As she stared into the teary eyes of her best friend, she hesitated to say the words, knowing Jules’s heartache would worsen. “I think they belong to Joe.”
Jules lowered her head onto Katie’s shoulder and cried. Katie rubbed her hands over Jules’s back, hoping to comfort her if only a little.
Sadness filled Katie’s heart for her dear friend. Yet, at the same time, fury strengthened it. She wanted to take Jules’s pain and force it upon the one who had Joe.
“I’m going to check out the rest of the house.” Katie took a small step back.
Jules lifted her head. “What if…What if he’s here?”
The thought hadn’t come across Katie’s mind
, but the foul odor had to belong to something, and it wasn’t food. She dug inside her purse and withdrew one of the ringed knives.
“Stay here,” she said as she slid the ring on her finger.
“Do I have to?” Jules scrubbed her hands over her cheeks.
Within Jules’s teary eyes lay curiosity. The detective craved to know if her boyfriend was dead in the house, but could she handle the truth if she saw it, blood and gore? There was only one way to find out.
“Stay two feet behind me.”
She gave Katie a jerky nod.
Fists clenched and knife ready to slice with one punch, Katie stepped out of the kitchen. The rotting stench grew as she headed down the hall with Jules two feet behind her. Katie’s stomach tightened. Suppressing the urge to gag with her lips sealed and holding her breath, she pressed forward.
She stepped into Jules’s bedroom and found it in disarray. The dresser lay flat on the floor, mattresses strewn about, lamps and clothes scattered about as if a tornado had hit.
“Dear lord,” Jules said, stopping Katie. “I’m going to have to clean up this mess.”
Jules’s unique personality never ceased to amaze Katie. Her temperament changed on a dime, from being scared one moment, to angry and finding a touch of humor to bring light to the situation. Maybe it was one reason they got along so well. They understood they couldn’t hold on to an emotion too long or it would eat them alive and spit them out in pieces. Yet, there was a time and place for everything, even grieving.
Katie spotted the bathroom with the door closed. “Do you always keep your bathroom door shut?”
Jules turned in the direction of the bathroom. “No.” She headed for it.
Katie rushed to stop her from opening the door, but Jules had been too close it. She twisted the knob, stepped inside the room and flipped the light switch. Jules screamed and leaped back. Katie grabbed Jules and pressed her face to her shoulder. The dead object hanging from the showerhead wasn’t Joe, but it reeked and looked horrific. Intestines hung from the bloody carcass, which resembled a dog.
She led Jules out of the bedroom and down the hall. Relief cooled her anxiety. They’d found a dead animal instead of Joe. However, the message was clear, even if Brandon hadn’t written it on the wall. He had Joe and he would kill him.
Katie and Jules sat on the sofa for a few minutes. Jules cried more, then wiped her tears and took a deep breath.
“I’d rather take a shower at the hotel,” Jules said as she reached for a tissue from the coffee table.
“That’s probably a good idea, unless you want to start cleaning.”
Jules blew her nose into the tissue, then shook her head. Katie suspected clean up duty would fall to her. She cringed at the thought of touching the carcass. Maybe she could talk Riker into getting rid of it.
“Before we head back to the hotel, I want to stop at the police station,” Katie said.
“Why’s that?”
“I’d like to see if Ben has any new information. It shouldn’t take long.”
Jules took a deep, shaky breath. “It’s my neighbor’s dog.”
“You’re strong. We’ll make it through this.” She rubbed her hand over Jules’s back.
Jules bit her quivering lip and nodded. “We will.”
Jules tried to hold back her pain and emotions, but they flowed from her in mountain-sized waves. After all, it was human to care and want to save others. Brandon was counting on it. He hoped Jules’s misery would reach Katie, then they’d have to face the vampire. His simple plan worked. He’d get his meeting.
“Let’s check the mini-barn before we leave,” Katie said.
She hoped Brandon hadn’t found her stash of weapons. Better to find out now then to walk into a room with acid bullets flying at her. She could block knives, but not bullets.
They both stood and slowly walked toward the door. Katie had so much work to do and little time to do it. The afternoon sun wouldn’t protect them forever. Following a quick stop at the police station, they’d head back to the hotel. Then Katie could start planning her meeting with Brandon.
15
“Can I help you?” The uniformed officer behind the one-inch thick glass barrier asked. Long, dark eyelashes matched the color of her wavy hair draping over her shoulders.
Katie slid her sunglasses into her purse. “Is Ben Hildebrand in?”
“Not yet, but we expect him soon. He probably stopped at the dry cleaners.” She smiled and showed her discolored teeth. A faint cigarette odor clung to her clothes. “Is everything all right? Do you need to report an incident?”
Katie glanced at Jules. Her best friend tapped her forefinger near the side of her eye. The light bulb flashed for Katie and she recalled the bruise she had.
“No. I’m fine,” Katie replied reassuringly to the female officer. “I fell and hit a chair.”
The officer appraised her suspiciously, then turned to Jules and gave her the same eye scan. “Uh-huh. Well, you are free to talk here.”
Katie grinned as she held back the chuckle bubbling to the surface. Did the woman actually think someone had physically assaulted Katie? Then she realized her line about falling and hitting a chair probably sounded corny and added to her suspicion.
“Mind if we wait for him?” Katie asked, recognizing she should step away before the officer asked any further questions.
“Not at all. And if I see him come in from the back, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
She faced Jules standing next to her. “We wait.”
Jules meandered into the waiting area and took a seat closest to the door leading to the back. Katie sat next to her. The room reminded her of her doctor’s office. Chairs outlined the walls and were back-to-back in the center of the room. A television in the upper corner displayed the news. Magazines lay on some of the chairs and on a rack near the entrance of the station. Along the back wall, two mothers sat next to their teenage sons. Neither boy looked happy, nor did their mothers.
“When do you think he’ll show up?” Jules asked.
“Soon, hopefully. He works odd hours.”
Katie had run into Ben mostly during late night hours, but on occasion, she’d run into him at the store in the evenings. Same for Charles and the others. None of them seemed to have a set schedule, at least none that she’d notice. On second thought, Ben didn’t work late Friday nights. He’d show up at the bar wearing casual clothes and spend hours drinking and chatting. That one routine was one she knew all to well.
“Have you ever thought about telling him?” Jules asked.
“No.” Katie knew exactly what Jules was referencing even though she hadn’t spoken the words.
“Why?”
“Have you ever thought about joining the police force and becoming a detective?”
“Yes, plenty of times.”
“Why didn’t you?”
They both stared at each other. “I asked first,” Jules said.
The old rock, paper, scissors game came to mind, but every time Katie played it, she lost.
“I don’t think he can handle it,” Katie said.
“How do you know?”
“He doesn’t seem like the type.”
Jules gave her sly grin. “And I did?”
Katie clenched her jaw and redirected her gaze to the television, hoping her friend would drop the subject. The roller-skating disco queen was definitely not the type Katie would’ve thought could handle the truth about vampires. But as they worked late nights together, they became more acquainted. When the time arrived to tell Jules so she wouldn’t go to the police, part of her feared Jules would freak out, but instinct guided her belief Jules would take the news with a grain of salt and move forward. Thankfully, the latter occurred.
“If I wouldn’t have pinned you down, you wouldn’t have told me. Admit it.” Jules whispered into her ear.
Instead of responding, Katie scanned the room again and noticed the woman behind the glass watching
her. Katie gave her a slight grin.
“Admit it,” Jules said.
“Okay, I didn’t think so at first, but I did later.”
“You knew Ben in college and dated him. How can you be sure he can’t handle the truth?”
“Because he’s morally bound to serve the public.”
“I have morals. So did Kyle. I serve drinks. Kyle served as a teacher. What else have you got?”
Katie gripped the strap of her purse tighter. “He follows routines, obeys all the rules and everyone respects him. I don’t imagine someone like him running around and saying ‘I think I saw a UFO last night. You know aliens do exist.’“
Jules fidgeted in her seat. “I’m going to analyze what you just said.”
“Dear lord.” Katie mumbled and looked away.
“We all have certain habits we fallow. I like roller-skating on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I listen to seventies music when I’m having sex.”
Katie shook her head. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” But of course she’d always remember it like a bad dream.
“You said Kyle liked to play word games within an hour of the sun setting. I’m sure you know of others too.”
Katie bit her tongue as Kyle’s routines came to mind. Yes, he played word games after sunset, but what Jules didn’t know was that he did it with an IV stuck in his arm and blood flowing into him. He’d told Katie it wasn’t to satisfy a craving, but rather to ensure he wouldn’t hunger for blood later, which he typically didn’t unless they’d trained all night or had sex, or both. As for another common routine, he enjoyed–and so did she–predawn sex outside, even if it rained. If the temperature were too frigid, he’d set up two pits and lug out blankets to help keep her warm. He claimed fornicating before sunrise helped him rest. She never argued with him about it.
“You mentioned rules. The way I see it, everybody follows a set. Maybe it’s laws. Maybe it’s obeying the Ten Commandments or simply paying taxes every year. The point being everyone adheres to some governing rule.”
“Okay, I get it,” Katie said.
“You respected Kyle, and he treated you in kind. I respect you. So do others, including Riker.”
Immortal Revenge Page 15