“Some kid, my lord. Says his mom’s mated to one of ours—”
“Dex. His mom’s been with Thad since the kid was a baby. Not mated, though. What’d he say?” Lucas began walking Tromluí toward the open barn doors at the other end. He walked the stallion out and released him into the big paddock which was always empty and reserved for him. The horse would throw a major tantrum if Lucas tried to put him back into his box stall now, and Lucas didn’t have time for it.
“They hit a half hour ago. Thad rallied a defense, but the kid doesn’t know how long they can hold it. He was pretty upset. A lot of screaming in the background.”
“Where is he?”
“He was on his way home from a friend’s. Saw Klemens’s troops arrive and was smart enough not to go running into a situation he couldn’t change.”
Lucas walked back into the barn and caught Judy’s attention. “Judy,” he said in an aside as he listened to Nicholas. “I have to leave. Let him run awhile, then bring him inside. I won’t be back until late, if at all.”
“Yes, my lord,” she said briskly and immediately began putting away the saddle she’d just gotten out for Kathryn.
“What’s our ETA?” Lucas asked, going back to Nicholas.
“Sikorsky’s on its way—” The big helicopter rumbled by overhead, preparatory to swinging around for a landing in the flat field behind the main house.
“Just landed,” Lucas said unnecessarily. “Flight time?”
“Two, two and half hours. Good news is we can land directly on-site. Thad’s got that field he uses for baseball in the summer.”
“Baseball,” Lucas muttered. “Might just save his life tonight. All right. Give me five, and once we’re in the air, I’ll do what I can from there.”
Lucas hung up and caught sight of Kathryn eyeing him like a woman ready to go into battle.
“What’s going on?” she asked, matching his running pace out of the barn.
“Nothing you can help with,” Lucas said, forcing himself to maintain a human’s slow speed.
“A transport helo just came in,” she pointed out, “and I’m guessing this isn’t a search and rescue. I’m trained law enforcement, Lucas. Let me help.”
He stopped and turned to face her. “I’m sorry, Kathryn, but this is vampire business. I’ll call when I can. And now I have to run.” Before she could stop him, he fisted his hand in her long ponytail and pulled her in for a hard, fast kiss, and then he was gone, no longer pretending that he was anything but Vampire. His people were dying. He had no time left for pretense.
Nicholas was waiting for him at the helicopter. The last of his fighters jumped aboard as Lucas raced onto the field. The big helicopter was designed for sound reduction, but the noise of the main rotor was still considerable. Nicholas handed him a pair of headphones as soon as he got close enough, and as Lucas climbed on board he saw that each of his vampires wore the same.
The pilots, both vampires, took off almost as soon as Lucas was aboard. Nicholas pulled a duffle bag from underneath the seat and kicked it over to Lucas, who nodded his thanks. He immediately went to work, changing the clothes he was wearing. What was suitable for a pleasant evening’s ride was not at all what he needed to go into battle against his own kind.
Black leather pants replaced his worn denims, the white T-shirt he’d put on so that Kathryn could see him more easily in the dark was stripped off in favor of solid black, and laced-up combat boots finished the look. A black leather jacket was pulled on over it all, making it easier for him to maneuver in the shadows against his enemies. Because one thing was certain. The vampires Klemens had sent to attack the civilians at the Minnetonka compound were clearly vicious and out for blood. They’d demonstrated that by attacking a peaceful enclave against all the precedents of war. But as cruel as they might be, none of them was a vampire lord, and none of them would be able to stand against Lucas himself.
* * * *
Kathryn watched, frustrated, as the helicopter took off into the night sky. Within minutes, it was airborne and gone, even the sound of its departure no more than a memory. She squinted into the distance, but the helo had been painted a dull black so that it disappeared despite the full moon.
She sighed. A few moments ago, she’d been looking forward to a moonlight ride with a handsome man—okay, not a man, a vampire. But vampire or not, it was the most pleasure she’d gotten from a man’s company in a long time. Lucas was charming and clever. And he loved his horses. Who would have thought? When she’d first heard he lived in South Dakota, she’d imagined some sort of cowboy wannabe, sitting up in his big house with cowhide everywhere, and never stepping foot into a barn, much less riding a horse.
But she’d been wrong. She also would never have believed she could be attracted to a creature who sucked blood to stay alive. But she’d been wrong about that, too. More’s the pity.
And now, she was standing in an empty field, having lost both her vampire expert and her riding date all in the space of a few minutes.
She stared moodily in the direction the helicopter had taken. She’d only been able to hear Lucas’s side of the conversation, but she’d gotten a glimpse into the helicopter just before it took off, and judging by the very speed with which this whole thing had been put together . . . well, if they’d been in a war zone, she’d have guessed the enemy had just attacked. That helicopter had all the marks of a rapid response team. But what were they responding to?
Whatever it was, she doubted it would be in the morning papers.
She started back toward the house where her SUV was parked, frustration and worry gnawing dual holes in her gut. She wasn’t a single step closer to finding Daniel, and so far her investigation had turned up a whole lot of nothing. Lucas supposedly had people looking into it, but now he’d rushed off before telling her if they’d found anything. She couldn’t even check out the club herself, because the damn thing wasn’t open until tomorrow night. She frowned, wondering if Lucas would be back in time to make their club appointment tomorrow, and decided it didn’t matter. If he showed, great. If not, she’d go by herself. Too much time had already been wasted while the local authorities had ignored her insistence that something was wrong, and while she’d waited for her bosses in Virginia to give her a few lousy days off. Kathryn knew too much about this sort of crime to think it didn’t matter. With every day that passed, the trail grew colder, and it became less likely she’d locate Daniel before it was too late.
Too late for what, she couldn’t say, or maybe wasn’t prepared to admit.
She reached the parking area in front of the big house and beeped the SUV’s locks open. A light came on somewhere deep in the house, visible through the dark windows of the man-cave front room. Magda was probably in there somewhere, probably hadn’t gone off to whatever battlefield had pulled Lucas away. The female vamp didn’t strike Kathryn as the fighter type, except maybe in the courtroom. She was probably a real killer in that setting.
Kathryn briefly considered knocking on the door and asking Magda if Lucas’s inquiries had turned up anything, but discarded the idea right away. She wasn’t really up to dealing with the prickly lawyer, and besides, even if Magda knew anything, she’d withhold it just to prove she could. Kathryn knew the type, women who disliked other women as a matter of principle. Magda functioned best in an environment where she was the only female, and as far as Kathryn had seen, that made Lucas’s ranch pretty much ideal. Other than Judy Peterson, she hadn’t seen any other women around the place.
Kathryn reached for the truck door, then paused, wondering if Lucas and Magda ever . . . The stab of jealousy she felt at the idea of the two of them together surprised her with its intensity. All right, so she found Lucas Donlon attractive, sexually attractive. But who wouldn’t? She’d have to be dead not to. The vamp oozed sexuality, and he knew it, too. He used it ruthlessly to get what he wanted.
She opened the door and reached across the seat for the light jacket she’d left there earlier.
Pulling it on, she slid behind the wheel and closed the door, then spun the temperature control knob to its highest setting in hopes of getting the heat to work faster, even though she knew it didn’t work that way.
While she waited for the SUV to warm up, she tried to decide what to do next. She’d pretty much tapped out the local witnesses, with the exception of the club, which was out. So who else was there? Her gaze rested on the house in front of her, with the golden glow of its interior gleaming through windows and skylights. Magda might be a shrew, but she’d done an excellent job of decorating.
Kathryn’s thoughts skidded to a halt. The photographs. Magda had said that Daniel’s photographs on Lucas’s study wall were from a gallery with branches in Minneapolis and Chicago. She glanced at her watch, gauging time zones and distance. Chicago was unrealistic, but she could probably still catch a flight to Minneapolis tonight. She could have all day there tomorrow and be back in time to meet Lucas for their club date. Not that it was a date date or anything.
She cursed silently, remembering Lucas saying that the owner of the galleries, Carmichael, was a vampire. So, maybe she wouldn’t be able to catch him personally, but his gallery was sure to be open at least partly during the day. Most of them were, and he’d have to compete, after all. Which meant someone would be working. Someone with access to sales records, specifically records of who else had bought Daniel’s work, and who might have seemed a little too interested in the photographer himself. And if they were reluctant to talk, Kathryn wasn’t above flashing her badge to persuade them. She waited for the inevitable twinge of guilt at the thought of using her position that way, but it never came.
Chapter Five
Lucas sat with his eyes closed, head leaning against the hard back of his seat. The helicopter was configured for maximum troop transport, not comfort, which meant the seats were sturdy and utilitarian. Nicholas was on the phone next to him, but Lucas tuned him out. He trusted his lieutenant to make the right decisions when it came to deployments of this kind. Lucas had more important things to do. His mind was with his vampires in Minnetonka, seeing the battle through their eyes, feeling their fear and pain.
Every vampire lord had talents that were unique to him alone. Raphael was powerful beyond measure. Duncan was the strongest empath Lucas had ever met, and possibly the strongest vampire empath ever. Lucas’s talent was different than even Raphael’s. He had a unique connection to his vampires, especially those who were his own children. He could see through their eyes, which wasn’t unusual for a vampire lord, but more importantly, he could lend them his strength—both physical and psychological—giving them the ability and confidence to fight against seemingly overwhelming odds. If the vampire wasn’t too critically injured, he could also channel enough energy to keep him alive until help arrived. But with the battle now raging, even Lucas’s considerable power was being taxed. There were too many of the enemy, and too few of his own on the scene.
Of the Minnetonka vampires, only Thad had any battle experience. They were civilians—merchants and skilled laborers. That Klemens had attacked them was so far beyond the pale that Lucas didn’t think any of the other vampire lords would find it acceptable. There were good reasons for vampire rules of combat. Their people were not numerous, but their vampire natures had them fighting with each other all the time. If they started wiping out entire civilian enclaves, their numbers would dwindle even further. Not to mention that bloody battles of that sort would draw the unwanted attention of human authorities. It was one thing to lose even a houseful of warriors at a remote outpost like the one Alfonso Heintz had set up. It was another to wipe out a compound like the one in Minnetonka with human women and children inside. There were at least four human females living in the Minnetonka house, and Dex was only one of several children. Lucas knew Dex was safe, but he was too caught up in the battle itself to know about the others.
He became aware that Nicholas had grown quiet. Lucas opened his eyes.
“My lord,” Nicholas began. “Four warriors are on their way out of Minneapolis. I couldn’t risk more for fear that this was a feint by Klemens, and the real target was the HQ in the city.”
“How long before they arrive?”
“Minutes. It’s only twenty miles or so. It probably took them as long to get geared up and into the truck as it will to drive there. They’ll ping me when they arrive.”
Lucas nodded silently, no longer seeing his surroundings, though his eyes remained open. He was already back in Minnetonka with his vampires. “Tell them to hurry, Nick. Klemens’s troops have broken the first perimeter.” His eyes closed as pain knifed his heart. “They’re sparing no one,” he added in a whisper. Lucas wept bloody tears as he witnessed the carnage, as he felt the agony of his vampires. Klemens would pay for this. If it was the last thing Lucas did on this earth, he would make that bastard pay with his life for this and for Raphael.
The journey became an endless blur of rage and agony. Some part of him heard Nicholas tell him the four Minneapolis vamps had arrived and were engaging. He heard murmured casualty reports, but he didn’t need those. He knew what the situation was on the ground, knew just how desperate it had become. The four helped, but they weren’t enough.
Finally, he felt the helicopter tilt as it began its descent. At the same moment, he heard Nick tell someone they were minutes out. Lucas opened his eyes and scanned the vampires he’d brought with him, wanting to be certain they were ready. He’d lost enough tonight. He didn’t want to lose anyone else.
Clicking the appropriate switch on his headgear, he said, “Gentlemen.” Every head turned his way. “Scorched earth. None of theirs walks away from this.”
His warriors nodded grimly. They hadn’t been privy to his firsthand observations, but every one of them would have heard Nick’s conversations. First with the vampires in Minnetonka, and then with the Minneapolis contingent once the four arrived at the enclave. They knew how brutal Klemens’s attack had been, not only to the Minnetonka vampires, but to the humans, as well.
They were still a hundred yards off the ground when Lucas stood and yanked off his headset. He barely registered the deafening noise as he stood in the helicopter’s open doorway and took in the scene on the ground. The stench of the battle hit him first, familiar in so many ways. Blood, flesh and fire—no matter how far man progressed, the smell of a battlefield was still the same. But there was more than the physical smell to this battlefield. He was a vampire lord, and these were his people. Their terror was an acrid taste on the back of his tongue, their deaths a deafening scream in his mind, an ache in his heart.
He scanned the Minnetonka enclave as the helicopter descended. It wasn’t a single structure but a walled compound, with several buildings gathered around the central hall. Some of the smaller structures were individual homes, while other, larger buildings were shared by several vampires. The wall had been breached, but he knew that. The attackers had blown through the sturdy gate, which had never been intended to withstand an attack of this nature. It was designed to keep the vampires safe from human intrusion and curiosity. And until today, it had never been called on to do anything more.
“My lord,” Nicholas shouted as they hovered well off the ground, preparatory to landing. “Let me go ahead—”
That was all Lucas heard as he leapt to the ground and raced toward the battle, his vampire speed taking him out from under the whirring rotor of the descending craft. In a split second, he identified his own vampires, separating them in his mind’s eye from those sent by Klemens. He ripped into the first enemy with a roar, tearing him bodily off the male vampire he was fighting and ripping his head from his body with a vicious twist. He tossed the two pieces aside and kept going.
“Inside, my lord,” someone shouted, and Lucas’s head turned, following the voice as he kept moving. “The main house, Sire!” Lucas recognized Thad, bleeding and broken, in a fight for his life. He started toward him to help, but Nicholas appeared out of nowhere, stepping between Tha
d and the brute he’d been holding off despite being outclassed by fifty pounds or more.
Lucas raced into the main building, taking the outside stairs at a single leap and bursting through the door. Time seemed to slow as he took in the huge room with a sweeping scan. Blood and bodies were everywhere. A battle raged at the foot of the big staircase, and he recognized twelve-year-old Dex holding a thick-bladed ax, tears rolling down his cheeks as he swung the heavy weapon in a wide arc, trying to hold off the two hulking vampires who were toying with him. What the hell was Dex—
A very human scream sounded from upstairs, and Lucas understood. Dex’s head swung toward the sound, and one of the enemy vamps grabbed the ax, yanking it from Dex’s hand, nearly pulling the boy with it. The brute reached for the human child, but his fingers never made it that far. Lucas rammed his fist into the vampire’s back and tore his spine in two. Before the injured vampire had even begun to collapse, Lucas had taken out his sadistic buddy, as well, lifting him bodily and tossing him in the direction of the door where Lucas’s fresh and bloodthirsty warriors were following in their master’s wake.
“Watch the boy,” Lucas growled and tore up the stairs faster than the human eye could follow.
He didn’t have to look for the attackers; he followed the scent of blood. Human blood. The women had been gathered upstairs. For safety, no doubt. Thad and his troops had made their last stand in this building, and God knew they’d lasted longer than anyone had the right to expect. But it hadn’t been enough.
Lucas rounded a corner and howled furiously at the sight that greeted him. He’d feared a bloodbath awaited him, and there was blood enough. But it was savagery of a different sort that caused it. Klemens’s vampires had attacked the compound’s women and raped at will, while their allies held off the defending males down below. And the rapists were still at it. Lucas’s rage sent waves of power coursing through the entire house, rattling the walls and shattering windows. The two vampires he’d caught in the act jumped up, ready to fight until they saw whom they were facing. They stumbled back then, edging toward the windows in their desperation to escape. But there was no escape. Not for the murderers of innocent civilians. And not for rapists.
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