Spirit Sanguine

by Lou Harper

  Gabe had learned from Harvey that vampires had their extra strength and life detection skills at night only, and during the day they were punier versions of their former human selves. The main reason most of them chose to live at night, not UV radiation. In addition, Harvey proclaimed to get extra horny during the full moon. So Gabe simply said, “What about it?” and looked for his shoes. He found them half under the bed.

  Harvey turned to face him. “Well, when I drink your blood, I feel almost normal for a few hours after. During daylight, I mean. Not my after dark normal, but I don’t feel so weak, and I can even sense other life around me a little. For example, I know there’s a spider hiding behind that headboard.”

  Gabe paused with one shoe in hand. He glimpsed toward the headboard. “Is that supposed to happen?”

  “No, blood’s not supposed to have this effect at all.”

  Unease wrapped around Gabe. No matter how people like Dill considered blood-feeding normal, the guilt quietly gnawing on Gabe’s guts had told him otherwise. He’d kept telling himself it made sex great, but Harvey’s news brought whole new implications.

  “Is it just my blood or anyone’s?” he asked.

  Harvey frowned. “How would I know? I only drink yours, and I don’t even have a craving for anyone else’s.”

  Gabe hadn’t known that. He’d thought Harvey hungered for blood in general, not his blood exclusively. He couldn’t decide how to feel about it. “Not even Dill?”

  Harvey’s frown deepened. “Why would I want Dill?”

  “I dunno, everyone seems to drool over him as if he was a deep-fried candy bar,” Gabe said defensively. He didn’t know why Harvey got so sensitive; these were perfectly reasonable questions.

  Harvey snatched his briefs out of the pile and yanked them on. “I never had the slightest desire to bite Dill.”

  “Okay, okay. Sorry I mentioned it. What do you think this effect means?”

  Harvey stopped, and Gabe saw the naked anxiety in his face. “It feels good, but with my strange history with blood, it worries me.”

  Gabe suddenly felt ashamed for his selfish concerns about being addicted to Harvey when his vampire lover had his own problems. He wished he could help, but he was in foreign territory. They finished dressing in silence. True to form, by the time they were ready to leave, Harvey hid his worries. He even smiled, placing the fedora on Gabe’s head.

  “There’s someone who might be able to figure out what’s going on with me—Syl. I’ll have to talk it over with her. I’d like you to come with me,” he said.

  Syl was one of the vampire friends Harvey had mentioned from time to time. Gabe had never met her, and by now his curiosity had been piqued, so he had no problem agreeing.

  Harvey scheduled the visit for later that week. Meanwhile, Gabe needed to report to Victor Augustine.

  They met in Augustine’s office as usual, Gabe sipping extremely fine brandy while the old vampire watched him. It crossed Gabe’s mind that Augustine got a vicarious enjoyment out of it. He thought it possible that the old vampire could feel through him the burn of the alcohol and its warmth washing through Gabe from the inside out.

  They sat in their customary old leather chairs. Gabe had presented Augustine with a stack of photos, and the vampire flipped through them with a baffled expression. Gabe couldn’t blame him—the photos could’ve been the world’s most boring vacation shots, picture of featureless desert landscape and a hotel room. Only one was of Joe Vadas, standing next to a pile of rocks.

  “What am I looking at?” Augustine asked.

  “Joe’s photos,” Gabe explained.

  “Yes, I’d assumed as much. Be so kind and elaborate.”

  Gabe put his glass down. “Searching Joe’s apartment didn’t take long. It barely contained anything beyond the bare necessities. The place had less personality than a hotel room. However, I found this.” Gabe took a small key out of his pocket and handed it over. The key had the number fifty-six stamped into it.

  At the prompting twitch of the vampire’s brow, Gabe continued. “It was hidden in an ice cube tray, which made me very curious.”

  The mere existence of the tray had immediately roused Gabe’s suspicion, as the only other thing in the freezer—and the entire fridge—was a bottle of Smirnoff. You didn’t need ice to go with already chilled vodka.

  Augustine turned the key over. “I trust you worked out what it is for.”

  “Something with a small lock, obviously. It could’ve been a safety deposit box, but the number made me suspect mailbox. I tried the nearest rental place and hit pay dirt. The only thing inside was a single envelope with a memory card in it—the kind digital cameras use. Those photos were on it.”

  “It’s a rather meager haul,” Augustine said, placing the pictures and the key on the low table between them.

  “True, but there are a few clues there. The envelope is postmarked in Chicago. I’m thinking Joe mailed it to himself for safekeeping. In which case there must be something significant about them. Also, when downloading the photos onto a computer, I was able to get a better look at the details. One of those hotel-room pictures faces the window. If you zoom in, you can see part of a billboard. It’s blurry, but you can still read The Mirage on it. The pictures were taken in Las Vegas. Those desert photos must have been shot somewhere around there too.”

  At the mention of Vegas, Augustine’s interest perked up. The old vampire had quite a poker face, but Gabe had learned to read the subtle signs. His sharpening vampire-sensing skills helped too. From such close proximity, the little jolt of excitement was easy to pick up.

  “Oh, and I found this too,” Gabe added, pulling a black poker chip out of his pocket. “It was inside an old boot, at the back of the closet. I couldn’t tell if it was deliberately hidden or got there by accident.

  Augustine took the chip and flipped it between his fingers. “It’s from the Stardust.”

  “And the Stardust went out of business years ago. Of course, the chips are still around; some people collect them.”

  “But the late Mr. Vadas doesn’t strike you as a collector?”

  “No, not really. A single chip doesn’t make much of a collection.”

  Augustine leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips while deliberating. Gabe kept quiet while Augustine did his thinking.

  In due time, Augustine opened his eyes and studied Gabe for a minute. “I was right about you. You have an aptitude for this line of work. I have another job for you, but you might find it too personal. If that’s the case, you must tell me, because I will need you to keep a cool head.”

  “More personal than investigating my own cousin who tried to kill me?” Gabe asked, intrigued.

  “Young persons like yourself often act irrationally when matters of the heart are involved. Vampires are no different. It takes a century or more to master one’s emotions.”

  Gabe wondered where on earth Augustine was going with this. “Is this about Harvey and me?”

  Augustine nodded. “Human-vampire bonds are not uncommon but have inherent dangers. Many end in the human’s conversion, occasionally with his or her death. Sometimes the human forgets the whole affair ever happened.”

  The information shocked Gabe. He’d known the vampire ability to charm people, but this was a whole other thing. “You can make someone forget years of their lives?”

  “I can, but it’s a skill gained over many centuries. Yet it would be useless for you should your affair with Mr. Feng go sour. So you see my conundrum.”

  “Honestly, I don’t,” Gabe admitted.

  Augustine sighed. “In case an emotional turmoil over one specific vampire turned you against all vampires, I would have to eliminate you, no matter how useful you’ve been to me in the past. I hope you understand.”

  Gabe could only blink and stare for a minute while his brain processed the words. “Oh, you’re worried I might go postal if Harvey and I split up?”


  “In essence, yes.”

  The whole idea seemed ridiculous. He and Harvey were…a couple, he supposed, but so what? People didn’t do the melodramatic stuff Augustine had suggested. Well, unhinged people did, but Gabe considered himself perfectly sane. “I won’t, but if I do, you do what you have to do. Fair?”

  “We’re in agreement, then.” Augustine stood, walked to his desk and picked up a photo of his own. Before taking his seat again, he handed it to Gabe.

  “Those are the men who converted your friend, Mr. Feng,” he explained.

  Pulse quickening, Gabe stared at the photo. The blurry image of the three men had most likely been recorded by a security camera. The man on the left strongly resembled the vampire he’d killed a couple of months ago.

  “I didn’t think you’d taken an interest,” he said, making an effort to sound calm.

  “Some punks come to my town and treat it like their playground? Of course I take interest,” Augustine said with unmistakable indignation.

  “Right. I see.”

  “They weren’t from around here and didn’t stay long. The most my men could come up with was that photo and three names.”

  “You got names?”

  “I do, but they may easily be aliases. My men didn’t get anywhere with them at the time. Regardless, here they are. The man you dispatched went by the name Thomas Jensen. The one in the middle is James Hill, and the last one called himself Terry Webb.”

  “What’s the job?” Gabe asked. He was exceedingly interested to find out where Augustine was going with this.

  “A few days ago, I received information that Mr. Webb is back in Chicago.”

  “And you want me to find him.”

  “I need you to locate, capture and deliver him to me, alive.” Augustine put hefty emphasis on the last word.

  “I will,” Gabe replied in a determined voice.

  Augustine took it in and then nodded. “There isn’t much I can give you to help. He was seen at the airport a few days ago, and he looks more haggard than he did last time around.”

  “That’s not normal, is it?”

  “No, it’s not.”

  In his head, Gabe ran through the logistics of capturing another live vampire. One thing about it cheered him up. “I’ll need the SUV.”

  “Of course. Ellie will give you the keys.”

  When Gabe told him about the assignment, Harvey kept his composure, but Gabe sensed the slow burn of emotions under the surface.

  “We have to bring him alive, or Augustine will hit the roof,” he reminded Harvey.

  “Don’t worry, Angel. Killing the bastard would be an easy out for him. I’m sure Victor Augustine’s men are more likely to give him what he deserves.”

  “He couldn’t tell me anything about Terry’s whereabouts, but I think you know where we should start the search.”

  Harvey nodded. “The hospice where they attacked me. He probably doesn’t know much about Chicago, but he knows that place. When do you want to go?”

  “The sooner the better. Right now would be best. Do you know how a vampire could get inside in the middle of the night?”

  “I have a hunch, but we might be able to get in easier. I need to make a call. If we’re lucky, my old friend Nina’s on duty tonight.”

  While Harvey was on the phone, Gabe got his gear together. He decided against taking any stakes at all. That would have been asking for trouble. Since he’d started working for Augustine, he’d had to reevaluate his arsenal and tactics. Capturing a vampire presented far more challenge than killing it. Following it to its place of residence and waiting for daylight was the safest way, but he couldn’t count on it always being an option.

  Silver, despite its mythos, had limited usefulness—it burned vampires, but it was too soft a metal for sharp weapons. Gabe had a couple of brass knuckles crafted from silver. To find something strong enough to subdue vampires, he carried out an extensive search. Boating articles proved to be especially helpful. In the end, he settled on Vectron ropes. Vectron, a space-age synthetic fiber, was exceptionally strong and durable, with minimal stretch. Hands-on tryouts on first Harvey, and then Gustav, Harvey’s ex, proved the rope strong enough to restrain vampires. Remembering Gustav’s frustration as he struggled without success to break his bonds brought a smile to Gabe’s lips.

  “What are you grinning about?” Harvey asked, spying at him from the door.

  “Nothing, kitten.”

  Harvey gave him an exasperated look. “We’re in luck. Nina’s waiting for us.”

  Chapter Two

  The two-story red brick building of Providence Trinity Hospice sat on a quiet street. Gabe parked across the road, then followed Harvey around the back to a dark-gray steel door. Gabe jiggled the handle, with no success. Harvey gave him a pitying look and pulled out a cell phone.

  “Nina, we’re here,” he said into it.

  Less than a minute later, a chocolate-skinned woman in her thirties let them in. Her teeth shone like a string of pearls as she broke into a wide grin. She opened her arms and embraced Harvey in a bear hug. Being a good head shorter didn’t stop her from squeezing Harvey like a rag doll.

  “Son of a gun! I haven’t heard a peep from you for at least a year!” she exclaimed when she finally let him go.

  “Nice to see you too, Nina,” Harvey replied. “This is my friend, Gabe, the one I told you about on the phone.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Davis,” Gabe said.

  She gave him an approving look. “You’re a polite one, aren’t you? Call me Nina, hun.” Then to Harvey, “A friend, eh? It’s about time you found yourself someone nice. Oh, come on inside.”

  She led them down the hallway to the nurses’ station.

  “Are you alone?” Harvey asked.

  “Of course not. Dan’s resting his eyes in the break room. I was gonna give him another half an hour, since it’s been quiet. What on earth brings you here in the middle of the night?”

  “I missed you, Nina,” Harvey said with that doe-eyed look, the one Gabe had seen him use on Gustav.

  It didn’t work on Nina. “Riiight. Out with it.”

  Chastised, Harvey dropped the act and turned serious. “All right. Have you noticed any of the patients getting strange bruises in the last couple of days?”

  “Honey, they’re all old or very sick—they bruise easily.”

  “I’m talking about fresh bruises, probably on the wrist or neck, that have no business being there.”

  Nina opened her mouth, closed it, then wrinkled her forehead for several seconds. “Come to think of it, Mr. Carter got what looks like a big hickey. I thought it was odd. Why do you ask?”

  Harvey stepped behind Nina to a rack of folders. After a brief search, he picked one up and opened it. Gabe guessed it was Mr. Carter’s chart.

  “Harvey, what’s all this about?” Nina snapped. “You know you can’t look at those—you don’t work here anymore.”

  Harvey put the files back. “Which room is he in?”

  “Two-oh-five, but—”

  “We’ll be just a minute,” Harvey said, heading for the stairs, pulling Gabe with him.

  A single bedside lamp and streetlights filtering through half-closed plastic blinds illuminated Room 205. Silhouettes of sparse furnishing loomed in the shadows. A thin body lay in the bed, his right arm hooked up to an IV. His cheeks were hollow and his breathing shallow. A sour smell of medicine and death permeated the air. Gabe leaned closer and inspected the large bruise on the man’s neck.

  “It looks like a bite or two,” he commented.

  Harvey stood at the foot of the bed. “He’s in the last stages of stomach cancer, like Mrs. Simpson was.”

  “Who?”

  “The patient those assholes were feeding on before they attacked me.”

  They went back downstairs to find Nina in front of the nurses’ station, arms crossed and glaring at them with murder in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Nina, we’ll be out
of your hair now.”

  She wasn’t having it. “Now just hold on for a mighty second. Does this have anything to do with that time you disappeared in the middle of your shift? That lazy-ass Dan was sleeping then too, wasn’t he?”

  “He’s not lazy; he has two jobs,” Harvey said in a conciliatory tone.

  “Or he sleeps on two jobs,” Nina muttered.

  “Does he still smoke?”

  “Of course he does, and he should know better. Now are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Look, Nina, it’s nothing you need to worry about, okay?”

  A ripple ran through Gabe’s special senses, as if a foul breeze blew on them. He grabbed Harvey’s elbow. “He’s close.”

  Harvey tensed and grabbed Nina by the shoulders. “Nina, go to the break room and lock the door. Don’t come out till either Gabe or I say so.”

  She hesitated, visibly on the verge of arguing, but the graveness of Harvey’s expression seemed to have made up her mind. “All right, but after this, I want answers,” she said.

  “I will tell you everything, I promise.”

  They waited till she disappeared behind a door down the hall.

  Harvey turned to Gabe. “Are you sure it’s him?”

  “He feels nasty, like the one who kidnapped Dill.”

  “I know how he gets in. Dan, the other nurse, goes out to the back to smoke, through the same door we came in. Our vamp simply waits for the door to open. When it does, he charms Dan and then Nina. He’s in and out before they snap out of it.”

  “That’ll make it easier to catch him. I’ll open the door, and while he’s focused on me, you grab him from behind. Between the two of us, we should be able to overpower him easy enough. Let him step inside first, so there’s less of a chance of him escaping. Here, you’ll need this.” Gabe reached into one of his cargo pockets and handed Harvey a length of his special rope.

  Harvey took it. “Sounds like a plan. Wait! Take your jacket off.”

  Harvey went into the room behind the nurse’s station and came back with a scrub top. “Put this on.”

  They took their places by the door. When Gabe felt the vamp right outside, he gave Harvey a sign before pushing the door open. The vamp was immediately in his face. Gabe took a step back as if startled, making the vamp follow him. It was a nasty-looking thing, sallow-skinned and gaunt. The moment the door clicked closed, Harvey grabbed the vamp from behind while Gabe tackled it from the front. The two of them wrestled it onto the ground with surprising ease. It fought back, but its fear and panic wasn’t backed by much physical strength. Hissing and baring its fangs, the vamp tried to snap at Gabe, till Gabe pulled his scrubs off and shoved the fabric into the vamp’s mouth. To be on the safe side, they trussed the vamp up nice and tight.