Black Market Blood (The Lazarus Hunter Series Book 2)

by Cas Martin

  58

  A gentle knock on the door woke her and for a moment Monica struggled to work out where she was. Everything was unfamiliar and her eyes felt gritty and dry. Then it all came back to her in a rush. This was it.

  She looked at her watch. It was after sunset. She checked her phone for missed calls but the screen was as blank as when she’d gone to sleep. The knock on the door came again, more insistent this time. ‘Come in,’ she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

  ‘It’s only me.’ Dennis walked in with a cup of coffee. ‘I thought you might want this.’

  ‘You’re a lifesaver.’

  ‘How are you feeling?’ He sat down on the bed next to her. It felt intimate, in a strange way. She wondered if it would be the last time but pushed the thought away before fear could take hold.

  ‘I’ve felt better. Don’t worry, physically I feel fine. Emotionally? I’m not sure any more.’

  ‘It’s been an intense few days. You’re doing great.’

  ‘Did I miss anything while I was asleep?’

  ‘Quite a lot, but nothing I would let them wake you for. Good news could wait. You needed your rest, more than anyone else. Tonight is going to be intense.’

  ‘So clue me in.’ She took a sip of the coffee. It was strong to the point of unpleasant, but it was what she needed.

  ‘Well, the best news of the day is that there are one hundred people up and walking around who didn’t expect to see many more sunsets.’

  ‘Really? It worked for everyone?’

  ‘I may have exaggerated slightly. We lost two. They were too far gone for anything to work.’

  ‘I know who you mean. They were barely holding on even as I injected them. I didn’t hold much hope at the time, but it was worth a shot. I would have hated myself more for not trying.’

  ‘It was the right thing to do. But they were too weak to drink afterwards. It was a losing battle from the start. At least you know you tried.’

  ‘So what other news is there?’ Monica leaned back against the headboard and nursed her coffee. It was nice to have these few moments alone, even if it was nothing more than the calm before the storm.

  ‘Early indications are that your little plan has worked. Word is that they began to congregate at their headquarters at first dark.’

  ‘So you think they’re going to come?’

  ‘I know they are. You were right, there’s no way they would miss this opportunity. They’re far too egotistical not to.’

  ‘I hope that we’re doing the right thing though Dennis. We might not be the ones attacking, but there’s no doubt that we’re actively courting war.’

  ‘There is no other choice. It’s either tonight on our terms, or we sit around waiting for it to happen. They could be even more successful if they just tried to pick us off one by one. Or create something that Elizabeth’s blood won’t cure. I don’t want to die that way. I’d rather die trying, and protecting our family, than by some dirty underhand tactics.’

  ‘Yes, so would I, but do you think that everyone else feels that way?’

  ‘I think so. They all seem prepared out there. I’ve never seen it so intense, even that time after the professor died. It wouldn’t hurt if you went out and gave them a bit of a pep talk before it all starts. Get even the most reluctant into the fighting spirit.’

  ‘Agreed. What about the council? Are they still on board?’ Monica held out less hope for that. Things would change if they’d thought up an alternative during the day.

  ‘Reluctantly. But they seem to always be reluctant about everything, so I would take that as something of a victory.’

  ‘Shhh, someone might hear you.’

  ‘I could be marching off to my death. I don’t care about offending people anymore.’

  ‘Don’t even say that Dennis. I don’t want to think about you dying.’

  ‘You’ve already thought about it for yourself though, right? So let me. It’s natural. Let me at least be satisfied that if it does happen, it will be because I did the right thing. You finished with the coffee?’

  ‘All done.’

  ‘In that case I’ll go back out and give you a few minutes alone to freshen up and prepare.’

  ‘Thanks. I’ll be out as soon as I can. I’ll meet you in the main room.’

  ‘Not the chambers?’

  ‘No. There isn’t much time. I don’t want to get caught up in some political discussion before I can get away. I’d rather get out there and talk to everyone. You can let the council know that is my intention though, if you’re that intent on pissing them off.’

  ‘I will do.’

  ‘Make sure you’re by my side Dennis. If they’re taking you down, they’re going to have to take me as well.’

  He nodded and got up off the bed. For a moment Monica thought he had something else to say, but instead he gave her a tight smile and left the room, taking the empty coffee cup with him. She did need a few moments to get herself together, he was right about that. Some people out there would be reluctant to accept her plan, despite their natural instinct to protect each other. They would be the weak link in the chain. She needed them to be on her side or they would distract her from the mission.

  Monica looked at herself in the mirror as she combed her hair. She wanted to be sure she could still look herself in the eye and not have any doubts. If she didn’t trust herself, then she couldn’t expect anyone else to trust her either. No, she was doing the right thing. It wasn’t a good thing, but from their limited list of choices, it was the best they had.

  At last she was ready. She checked her phone but there were still no calls. She tried to push down the wave of disappointment. She had hoped to have one last chance to speak to Elizabeth before she went out there. There was no time left now. She switched the phone onto silent and slipped it into her pocket. It was comforting to have it with her, but she didn’t need it to blast out the latest ringtone in the middle of her impassioned speech.

  She shrugged into her jacket and took a deep breath. It was time.

  59

  Dennis left Monica’s room and walked down the corridor that led to the council chambers. He still felt them bristle with resistance whenever they saw him there. For the five hours he had been awake, he had called the shots and they hadn’t liked it one little bit.

  Turned out, they were all talk and no action when confronted by someone with the ear of the boss and a barrel full of righteous indignation burning him up inside. Still, his hands began to sweat as he walked from the corridor to the main chamber room. For the past few days, he had stood when he entered. No one had offered him a place at the table or even a seat. A lesser man would have shied away from the resentment directed at him, but Dennis wasn’t that man. Not anymore.

  They turned to look at him as he shut the door, quiet malice in the eyes of some. Lawrence did not stand for him as he would have stood for Monica. Instead, he looked Dennis up and down. ‘Yes?’

  ‘A message from Monica. She says she’ll meet you outside.’

  ‘Outside where?’

  ‘Outside in the main room. Not here.’

  ‘Surely we need to convene first? We need to discuss what we are to do next. I have some ideas, but we must speak to her before they can be enacted.’

  ‘Monica has her own ideas. She’ll be out soon to tell you about them. Out there,’ Dennis pointed at the door for emphasis.

  ‘Tell Monica was must speak to her first. It is imperative that she listens to our counsel.’

  ‘I’m not your errand boy Lawrence. If Monica says she’ll meet you out there, then she’ll meet you out there. She obviously doesn’t need whatever counsel it is you have to offer.’

  ‘How dare you?’

  ‘Of course, if there is something you think she needs to know, then you can tell me and I’ll be the judge of whether she needs to hear it.’

  ‘You listen to me,’ Lawrence stood and marched towards Dennis. Chest to chest, Dennis had a few inches he
ight advantage. It made him feel better about the smirk on his face. The man in front of him was the leader of the most privileged of their family, but it was Dennis who had got him all riled up. ‘I don’t know who you think you are, but it is clear that Monica has tolerated your impertinence for long enough. You are not a member of the council. Therefore, you are subservient to the council like everyone else. There are no special dispensations, even if Monica likes you.’

  ‘I’m subservient to Monica and no one else. If she tells me something, then no one can override it. If she asks me to do something, then no one can stop me. The council might have authority for day to day decisions, but this isn’t a normal day. Tonight our enemies are going to come knocking on our door Lawrence. I trust Monica to lead us, even if you don’t.

  ‘How dare you accuse me of disloyalty?’

  ‘I said no such thing. You’re the one who used that word, not me. Something to hide?’

  ‘You have no right to talk to me that way.’ Lawrence jabbed his finger into Dennis’s chest. ‘You are nothing, remember that.’

  ‘I am the man Monica trusts to pass along her message. I’m the one she trusts to do the right thing for the entire family, not just for myself. And if you touch me again, I will make you regret it.’

  ‘Is that a threat?’

  ‘No more of a threat than the one you’ve just made to me. When this is all over, when Monica has led us to victory tonight, you can report me to her if you want. You can pull me up in front of the council. Hell, you can pull me up in front of the entire family. I will tell the world how you have undermined her every damn step of the way and how she’s carried on regardless. Do you want me to do that?’

  ‘Heresy.’

  ‘Hardly a denial in the strongest possible terms.’

  ‘I don’t need to answer to you. Get out of here.’

  ‘I’m going anyway.’ Dennis loomed over the man and there was a scuffle of chairs as the others stood. ‘I’ve got more important fights to have tonight than the one to beat your ego. My message stands. Monica will meet you out there. I suggest you get moving if you don’t want to miss it. Wouldn’t look good of the council to be so tardy at such an important time now, would it?’

  With a straight back and rigid shoulders, he left the room and slammed the door behind him for good measure. Damn that felt good. There would be consequences, but it was hard to care about them when there might not even be a tomorrow for him.

  His ears strained for the sounds of anger from the room, but there was none. If they were going to do anything to him, they would bide their time. He wasn’t a fool. He knew that if tomorrow dawned and all of them lived, then they would be on the lookout for anything to hang him for the rest of his life. Monica might be able to save him, but she might not. It didn’t matter. He had remained loyal to her more than anyone else in that room could say they had.

  In the main room, people had begun to roll away sleeping bags and make themselves presentable. He caught the eye of a woman he had vaccinated in the sick bay earlier that morning. She still looked frail, but the colour had returned to her cheeks. Her eyes no longer rolled back in her head. Monica had promised them all she would find a way and she had.

  Dennis knew he should lose himself in the crowd. More than anything he wanted to head over to the bar and grab a coffee. The temptation for something stronger was there too, but that could wait. He didn’t need Dutch courage to get him through the evening. He was burning for it already.

  Instead of choosing his spot with the others, a spot appropriate to his rank, he remembered Monica’s words. She wanted him by her side and he was going to do that, even if it made him even more unpopular with those who believed they should be there instead. He’d already burned a few bridges tonight, what did it matter if he burned a few more?

  When he reached the front of the stage he stopped. For all his bravado, he knew his place was not on it. Monica would not appreciate walking into the room to see him standing there. Nor did he feel the need for so many expectant eyes upon him. Instead, he turned around and placed his hands behind his back; a soldier standing guard for his general.

  In the old days, that would have been his role. The terms of the war had changed, but after so long, Dennis knew his place. It didn’t matter if the others didn’t yet. They soon would.

  He met the eyes of those in the front rows, the ones like him with no status. Did he imagine it, or was there a quiet approval in their eyes?

  Times were changing. Monica might be leading the way, but he was right there at her side for each step.

  60

  Despite psyching herself up, Monica was unprepared for the silence that greeted her when she walked into the main room. She could feel the tension vibrating through the air and for a moment it took her breath away. Evidence of its status as a refuge was gone. People sat on chairs or stood in groups, all of them waiting for her. Every face bore an expression of grim determination. That was a good sign. As she crossed the floor, her eyes scanned the room for Dennis. She expected to see him at the bar. Not to drink, but to look the part of relaxed and unconcerned. Instead, he was at the front of the stage, hands behind his back as he waited for her. If they were victorious that evening, she would be more than happy to let him return to the bar and would even buy him all the drinks he wanted.

  She put one foot on the stage and he gave a slight nod of support. All other eyes were on her back, so intense she could feel them. Monica turned and took a deep breath.

  Show time.

  ‘You know by now that we are expecting an attack tonight. We have the element of surprise in that they do not expect so many of you to be here alive and well. They do not expect me to be here, to lead you. They are coming to fight, but they do not expect real resistance. Instead, we will show them that no one attacks this family and lives to tell the tale.

  We all remember the difficulties we endured after the death of my predecessor. It seemed impossible to live with at the time, the grief and the loss. Yet here we are today, and we stand stronger than ever. Our family is powerful, and we are once again united. We will not tolerate the evils around us. We will be ruthless in our desire to protect each other. It is our belief in a fair and integrated society that will make us victorious today.

  In the past few weeks, we have suffered heavy losses. Their family is small here, but I expect them to bring everyone. With the sick now walking amongst us again, we will outnumber them. We will bring them to their knees. It will send not only a message to them, but a message to all the other families as well. Those who attack our way of life will be brought to justice. Does anyone have any questions?’ Monica paused and looked out into the crowd.

  ‘What exactly is the plan?’ asked a man a few rows back. Monica couldn’t remember his name, but he looked like a biker. She suspected he wasn’t trying to undermine her, he only wanted to know when he could start with the punching.

  ‘That depends on their method of attack. If they challenge me directly, then I will face them first with only the council at my side. Everyone else will remain here to ensure we keep the element of surprise. However, if they attack en masse, then we respond accordingly. Those who received the vaccine this morning should only fight as a last resort.’ She waved for silence as a murmur of protest went through the room. ‘I know you have more reason than most to want retribution, but you may not yet be recovered. It’s not worth the risk of saving your lives simply to send you off to a different death. If we need you, then I will give word for you to join us. Otherwise I don’t want you risking your lives needlessly.’

  ‘What about the children?’ a woman on the front row looked hesitant. ‘Are they going to be safe?’

  Damn it. Monica looked down at Dennis who nodded. She’d never even considered to give the order. A standard contingency measure that needed to be in place before something of this magnitude. This was why she couldn’t do this job on her own. She forgot about these kinds of things. There wasn’t time to feel guilt. She o
nly had to hope that the protocol had been followed and her next words weren’t a lie.

  ‘The children will go now to a safe house. The location will remain undisclosed for everyone’s safety. Each child will be taken good care of in the event of the unthinkable.’ The woman gave her a grateful nod and Monica decided to move things forward. ‘Any other questions?’

  There was silence, but she had given them the opportunity to raise their voices. With what she was asking from them, it was the least she could do. ‘No? Good. Then now, we wait. I will stay here with you all.’ It was a spur of the moment decision, but it felt right. She stepped off the stage and walked with Dennis to a quiet corner of the room.

  ‘How did I do?’ she asked when they were out of earshot.

  ‘Not bad. Are you really ready for this though?’

  ‘I have to be, so why do you even ask?’

  ‘I get a feeling it’s going to get bloody before the night is through.’

  ‘My fear is that ‘bloody’ is the understatement of the century. We could have a massacre on our hands. Them and us. I wish there was some other way, but there isn’t.’

  ‘The Sekhmets are brutal but hot headed. They have no real strategy. They are focused on the kill and it blinds them to other opportunities. If their true leader has arrived, then they will be even more willing to go crazy.’

  ‘We need to be prepared for anything.’

  ‘Like you were prepared for that question about the children?’

  ‘Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.’

  ‘I only know because my friend Bobby had to send his son away.’

  ‘It’s for the best.’

  ‘That’s what he said. This is no place for children right now. Not with the sickness and death hanging over us and now the fighting tonight. I’m certain if the Sekhmets could get their hands on the next generation they wouldn’t even hesitate before ripping them apart.’