Paybacks And Plans
A short while later Mark arrived at Julio’s war rooms that were located some distance from the council’s civil administration. Since the outbreak of the war it had been decided to spread out some of the various governmental agencies so, if one agency’s building was destroyed, the business of government could still function. He quickly filled Julio in on the recent events at Jean-Claude and Jaime’s home. The security chief listened as he heard about the agony his boss had gone through in an effort to get clean from the drug he had been fed. “I swear I would kill him in an instant if Jean-Claude asked me too,” he cursed. As Julio thought more about what Tortego had done his eyes went black. His features darkened as his fangs sprung fully out. “I’d slowly kill him and revel in his death wails!” Julio grimy continued saying.
Mark placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’d help you. For now however, Jean-Claude wants us at his offices when he speaks with that bastard. Let’s see how it shakes out first before we flay Tortego alive, okay? Jean-Claude wants to settle this now with him. A meeting has been arranged in a few hours’ time between Jean-Claude, Jaime and Tortego. I called Vinnie on my way here to alert him about it. We should go there now. Jean-Claude wants all of us to come early to be ready for it.”
Julio somberly agreed. The two rapidly left. As they traveled in Julio’s private security car, Mark discussed his search for their spy. “I know Thierry has been interrogated but I think we ought to do it again by ourselves. Who knows maybe we may find something your personnel missed during their questioning.”
“It never hurts to have fresh eyes. We can arrange a meeting with the Paris agent after we finish with this meeting. But first we deal with that bastard Tortego!” Julio said with rising anger in his voice.
“Yes,” Mark growled as he kept his own vampire nature in check. “First we deal with Tortego.” Both men said nothing more in an attempt to retain control their vampire natures. They arrived at the supernatural council’s main building and went directly to Jean-Claude’s offices. Anole immediately buzzed them into the room.
“He will be arriving shortly, just go in,” she told both men as they walked past her to enter Jean-Claude’s private office. “I have spare wooden stakes in my bottom drawer if you need any,” she quietly informed them. Her face was a study in control rage. At times she was pressing her lips together so hard they were barely a discernible line. “Just buzz and I bring in enough so we all can do him,” she growled as her wolf nature rose inside of her.
Mark and Julio went into the office to find an equally grim faced Vinnie was also present. The men waited with Jean-Claude and Jaime for the prelate to join them. No one spoke. The rising tension in the room was palatable. A few minutes later Tortego strode partially through the doorway. When he saw the assembled persons he paused just inside its entryway. He pursed his lips then proceeded to fully enter the room. “Well how nice to see everyone,” he said in a calm voice as he closed the office door behind him. He braced himself for whatever was to come!
As he glanced over to the right side of the room he took note of Mark, Julio and Vinnie. All three men had expressionless faces. His sharp eye also detected that Vinnie had unbuckled the strap over his gun giving him fast access to drawing it. More intriguing for Tortego was the fact that Julio was armed and had also undone the strap holding his weapon in place. Normally the head of security did not bring any weapon with him into the government’s building. The Spaniard gazed at the uniformed security chief trying to detect some signal as the reasons for such attire. Julio’s eyes were pools of black that gave off nothing to indicate what he was thinking. Clearly Julio decision to come with weapons and to let out part of his vampire nature for this session did not bode good news. Tortego had initially wanted to alert his man on the security forces to get ready for trouble. Unfortunately he had been told the vampire he sought had gone out for some type of celebrating.
Julio contemplated the person who had initially given him his job as security chief. He is worried I can sense it, the Latino vampire thought as he gazed at the tall Spaniard in front of him. I wonder if he tried to reach out to Sergei before coming here? Julio pondered while holding off from smirking at the fate of the burly Russian vampire who had recently been appointed second in command of the security forces. Julio had instantly known the powerfully built forty-five year old vampire was Tortego’s man. It was obvious that the gray haired Russian had been assigned to the security forces’ post directly under the chief of security with an eye to taking over from the latter at some point in time. The Latino also knew Sergei had used his new position to have some of his men placed in critical security spots ready to take hostile steps when the Russian called them out for action. Julio had been concerned the Russian might strike before Jean-Claude returned to the office When Julio had met with Vinnie after he left Jean-Claude’s home they had devised a plan to handle the Russian. Julio almost grinned as he recalled what he had done to neutralize that threat.
****
One week earlier:
“Why am I here,” Sergei had surly asked when summoned to Julio’s offices. The Russian vampire stood in front of Julio’s desk at full attention. Ever since he had arrived Sergei had continually been on guard around his commander. Being summoned so unexpectedly was a cause for concern. Still, the powerfully built vampire mused, even if the Latino discovered what Sergei was really up to the Russian doubted Julio had the balls to confront him.
“I’ve decided to retire,” Julio simply replied as he brought out a bottle whose label indicated it was one of Bartels & Bones Ltd’s special vodka-laced blood vintages. “I’m tired of this war. I’m sick of the backbiting. I called you in to tell you first about my decision. So a drink or two with my probable successor seems in order to mark that event wouldn’t you say?” Julio stated as he took two glasses from a drawer. He stood up to face his second in command.
The powerfully built Russian could barely contain his glee at hearing the news. “You will be missed,” he replied with false sympathy in his voice.
“A toast to me going and you getting stuck with this crap job,” Julio laughed as he poured the vampire a hearty dose of the vodka infused blood.
The Russian could scarcely believe the luck. He had planned on creating a casualty of war scenario to dispose of Julio but here the chief was handing over the prize. His master, Tortego, would be overcome with amazement at how easily Jean-Claude’s major military supporter had been toppled.
Sergei grabbed the glass. His mind raced with thoughts of taking over the security forces. As he drank he plotted out the changes he would make in the forces. First that Dexter geek must die in some tragic accident. No need to have Julio’s brat running around, he decided. The Russian vampire stared at Julio and grinned. I’d better take you out too so no loose ends flap around to cause me any future problem, he mused as he gulped more of his drink. His mind returned to what plans that he had in another more personal area as well. That Brian Petronius needs to be killed in battle so I can comfort his fiancé.
He mentally snickered as he finished his drink. He was so involved in his schemes that he never noticed that Julio had not taken a drink from his own glass. The mentally distracted Sergei silently laughed as Julio filled the his glass once more. That vampire bitch Nancy should be taught that werewolf boyfriends cannot sexually compete with a male vampire. Sergei’s body felt a rush of sexual arousal as he contemplated raping Nancy. He eagerly gulped down the contents of his glass. Yeah, a bit of friendly fire should do nicely for disposing of Brian. Like putting down a doggie nuisance. Suddenly he felt a bit queasy.
The sensation quickly grew into a distinct sensation of nausea. The room seemed to spin. He gazed over at a smirking Julio. In a panic he finally noticed Julio’s glass was still full. He stared at his own empty glass in horror. “What did you do,” he began to slur as he felt his legs grow wobbly. He fell into the chair behind him. His body felt like it was made of lead. “What ... is …
happening,” he groaned as everything became even more unfocused.
Julio walked around his desk with the bottle in his hand. “You are about to go on a very long drunken bender my friend, courtesy of a drug I put into this liquor. By the way have more of it.” The Latino brought the lip of the bottle up to Sergei’s mouth, pinched the Russian’s nose closed and tilted it upward. The Russian wanted to swat the object away but he found he could not control his arms. They lay uselessly at his sides as large quantities of the liquid filled his mouth. In an effort to breath he was forced to gulp in the entire bottle’s contents. Soon his mind was reeling. “You ... you,” he sighed after the final remnants of beverage had been fed to him. He tried to fix Julio’s face with his vision. Nothing was in focus and all his efforts to do so exhausted him. He just gave up. He became dimly aware of another bottle being brought to his lips. Part of his mind objected even as he quietly consumed more of the drugged vodka laced blood.
“That’s right drink it up,” Julio thought as he bottle fed his opponent. By the time Julio had emptied its contents into the Russian, the man had a goofy smile on his face. The pupils his eyes were now mere pinpricks.
“I … soth … fucth … upth,” he happily muttered as he continued grinning at Julio. “Youth twickth me,” he chuckled as he waved a drunken finger at the Latino.
“Now why don’t you tell me everyone who is part of your clique,” Julio softly whispered to Sergei.
“Otah,” the drunk Russian agreeably nodded. He quickly spilled his guts to Julio. A few minutes later Julio knew the names of every security force member who was allied with the Russian.
After feeding the vampire two more drugged bottles, Julio buzzed for Brian and Nancy. When they arrived they found their commander sitting at his desk with a riotously gleeful Sergei sitting in a chair across from him softly singing some Old Russian songs. Sergei saw Nancy and gave her an air kiss. “Cometh here bitch,” he cooed as he lumbered onto his feet. He grabbed his crotch and glared through boozy eyes at Brian. “I bet … thith isth … biggerth,” he defiantly hooted at Brian as he swayed before the duo. “Ohth … fucthh,” he suddenly groaned. He went chalk white and fell face first on the floor. He lay at their feet snoozing peacefully.
Julio explained the situation to the amazed couple. “Dexter and I brought up every bottle of vodka-laced blood that Bartels & Bones Ltd had in stock. We drugged them all. “His friends will be asked to join me to celebrate my retirement courtesy of an invitation from Sergei. They will be told he will join them later but that they should enjoy the liquor he got for them until he arrives. We will have quite a few drunken vampires to deal with very soon. For now we must dispose of him. Let’s quickly and discreetly move our sleeping beauty. I’ve made some arrangements on this score. I’ve also made sure everyone is assigned to places that are far away from the rear exit,” Julio stated.
Quietly they slipped the boozed up Sergei out of the building through a back entrance. The happily drunk Russian was dropped off at a private bar whose owner had been well paid to give his customer a private room. For the next ten days the owner would feed his patron a drugged bottle every two hours.
Finding secured sleeping quarters for Sergei’s ‘friends’ had taken all night. They were however happily neutralized. Julio had arranged for a few trusted officers, working under Brian’s command, to also feed the snoozing vampires a continuous stream of drugged blood. When the latter finally awoke they would have the mother of all hangovers.
****
As Julio ‘s mind returned to the present scene, he wondered what Tortego was experiencing being here with them and having no backup help. He could almost pity the former Inquisitor who was about to face a sober and highly angry Jean-Claude all on his very own.
The prelate was also mentally contemplating his next course of action. Having so many of his enemies in the room did not bother him. What did unnerve Tortego was the presence of a grim faced Jaime. She was dressed entirely in a plainly cut charcoal gray dress. Though forties in style, its simplicity of line was a stark contrast to her usual habit of showing off some attention grabbing stylistic flare. She stood just behind Jean-Claude whose equally somber features indicated things were about to become very ugly very fast. The prelate again recalled his encounter with Jaime in a room in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. He suppressed an urge to shudder at the memory of what he had seen in her eyes on that night. Tortego breathed in deeply then spoke directly to the werewolf. “Is there a problem?” he lightly inquired.
****
At the same time as this was happening, Tortego’s aide sat in his cramped quarters staring at a picture that some New York City newspaper’s society columnist had printed of Jean-Claude. The photo had been taken when Jean-Claude and Jaime were staying at their beach home on Martha’s Vineyard. He gazed with lust at the shot of the werewolf. Jean-Claude was walking out of the water wearing a pair of blue Speedos. He was smiling and the dripping water showed off every curve of his defined muscularity.
“I almost had you,” the aide grumbled as he held the photo with one hand while he manually stimulated himself with the other. As he masturbated he closed his eyes. He visualized Jean-Claude’s naked body. “I almost had you for myself,” he moaned as he increased his self-abuse. He fantasized Jean-Claude being defeated in the war and made a prisoner. “That is what I want,” he grunted as he felt his approaching climax. “You groveling in defeat at my feet. Chained up and given to me as payment for my services to Paris during this war. Oh yes!” he cried out as he achieved an orgasm.
He was cleaning up when he received a call on his disposable cell phone. He listened as the familiar female voice at the other end of the connection curtly gave him instructions. “Yes I understand. Yes I can do at once.” He quickly replied. “No I’m happy to help. Well thank you. I may have a small request afterwards if you are satisfied by my services,” he said swiveling to the other person. He soon ended the conversation. Following his usual procedure, he destroyed the phone in case it had been traced. As he prepared some items he would need for his assignment, he glanced at the photo of Jean-Claude that lay on the bed. “Soon that body of yours will be mine no matter the price,” he snarled.
Another wave of desire flooded into his loins. He stopped and picked up the picture. Reaching down with his other free hand he massaged his growing arousal. “Time for her job later,” he snickered as he re-visualized a humbled Jean-Claude stripped and submissive to his every sexual craving. After another climax the aide did a second fast cleanup then left to complete his assignment. In his pocket he carried a small vial.
****
Jean-Claude gazed at the Tortego. Despite his anger at how the prelate had abused religion to drug him, the werewolf had to grudgingly admire the vampire’s audacity. He seems to have an incredible ability to face anything without showing the slightest concern, the werewolf thought. Finally he spoke. “You drugged me,” Jean-Claude simply stated. “You perverted my religious belief for your own ends. You took advantage of my grief to suit your own devious plans.” Jean-Claude paused for a brief second. Surprisingly he found he was totally at ease. The internal devils he had wrestled with for so long had dissipated. On some level this confrontation was a relief. “Need I continue?” he asked. Jean-Claude realized the crafty prelate would spin off some excuse and he waited to see what it would be this time.
“I am truly shocked you would believe that my son,” Tortego said with a hint of offense in his voice. He looked at the assembled group with his hands folded humbly in front of him.
“You’ll have to live with sensation that for now,” Jean-Claude replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm in his own voice. “Oh and drop the son part. I have a father. I have no need for a fill-in father. We both know you could not even begin to fill the imprint that my father’s shoes leave upon the floors that he walks upon. So, with that settled, I’m waiting to hear what you have to say to justify your conduct.”
Tortego’s body
stiffened. He knew his next words were critical. Jean-Claude was no fool. He knew how things stood politically and he was as sharp as they come. In many ways the Spaniard admired and feared Jean-Claude because, like himself, the werewolf looked at things as they were and planned accordingly whenever he acted. The difference was the werewolf was guided by a sense of morality while the vampire’s code was grounded in expediency. True, Tortego had taken advantage of a unique situation with the werewolf but it was clear any retribution would be governed by the reality of what is happening within the council.
He focused on Jean-Claude. He will decide what will be done based upon the realpolitik of the world we inhabit here in New York City. I think I know what it will be. I must give him a fig leaf to justify doing it. The vampire began to speak. “I found you in great distress. You were in a dark place not of your making. I admit my actions did not … well I was stupid not to see what would happen. The truth is I did use a small amount of drugs in that first encounter to lift your spirits and restore you back to your old self. I had intended it would be a short process but your depression was so deep. I found that to mentally keep you from that dark hole I had to continue to use the drug longer than I’d anticipated. Then you grew tolerant so I felt compelled to increase the dosage to keep that depression at bay. I realized too late my conduct had left you addicted.” He paused for only a second. He gazed at Jean-Claude searching for a reaction to what he had just stated. The werewolf’s expression was blank. Well in for a penny in for a pound they sometimes say, the former Inquisitor told himself before he continued his explanation.
The Case of the Parisian Vendetta: A Mark Julian Vampire PI Mystery #10 (Mark Julian Vampire PI Mysteries) Page 12