Star, Starland Vamp Series, Book 1

by Theresa Oliver

  “No way!” Zac said, laughing at the expression on my face.

  “Let’s put it this way,” I began, trying to explain it so he would understand. “It’s like a gourmet meal compared to McDonalds.”

  “Seriously?” Zac asked, his eyebrows pulling together as I nodded. Then one corner of his lips curled into his half smile. “Do I taste that good, too? To you, at least?”

  I smiled, looking him directly in the eye. “Better.”

  He smiled, incredulous. “This is wild,” Zac began, watching the road as the sun brightened the day. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen.”

  “Neither did I,” I replied in a low voice, watching Zac, knowing it was true. For never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would ever find someone to love as completely as I love him.

  Zac smiled, then took my hand, and held it on his leg, then turned his attention back to the road. A moment later, he released it with a squeeze.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked, knowing he hadn’t had anything to eat yet.

  “I can wait,” Zac replied, but a few moments later his stomach growled as I laughed.

  “Here, take the next exit,” I said, laughing. “Let’s hunt you something to eat.”

  Zac laughed at my word choice, then raised an eyebrow seductively. “Anything in particular in mind?”

  “Let’s not get that started again!” I said, laughing, then added. “Although tempting.”

  Zac laughed, then pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot, and turned off the key. My eyes quickly scanned the parking lot and the store, but we were safe. At least, for the moment. Inside, he pulled a pack of doughnuts off the shelf as I poured us both some coffee and met him at the counter. Within minutes, we were back on the road again, no worse for wear as Zac sank his teeth into a soft doughnut.

  Soon, we crossed the Maryland state line, merging onto I-83, heading toward Washington D.C. And before noon, we were turning onto Constitution Avenue.

  “You’d better let me drive,” I said, turning serious. “There are some places you won’t be able to drive into otherwise.” I pulled my CIA identification from my back pocket, while he reluctantly nodded and pulled over. We were outside the capital building and, somehow, being back in Washington D.C. always sends me into agent mode, but it was strange to be here with Zac. I was completely on alert when I sat behind the wheel, and headed toward our CIA base.

  “How long has it been since you’ve seen your father?” I asked Zac, driving into an underground tunnel.

  “Not that long. I was here over the summer,” Zac said, looking out the window, then laughed without humor, and looked back at me. “I always wondered why he never took me to his office. Now I know why.”

  “He introduced you to some vamps, though?” I asked, getting a feel for their relationship.

  “I didn’t know they were vamps,” Zac replied, smiling, looking at me appreciatively. “But they had cool skin and were beautiful, like you.”

  I laughed, my gaze meeting his eyes appreciatively. “They probably were, I’m sure,” I answered, then grew serious. “Did they meet you at his house or out somewhere?”

  “Sometimes they would come to his pent house,” Zac said, his eyebrows pulling together. “But when they did, they always went into the other room to talk, away from me.”

  Then a thought occurred to me. “Did these … associates … of your father’s get a good look at you?” I asked, looking him straight in the eye.

  Zac could see where I was going with this as he clenched his fist resting on his jeans, looking straight ahead out the front windshield. “Oh, yeah,” he replied. “In fact, half the time when they came over, I greeted them at the door.”

  “There was never any surveillance on you during your visits?” I asked, completely in agent mode now.

  “Are you kidding?” Zac replied, and if the situation wouldn’t have been so dire, he probably would have laughed. “I thought he was an architect, remember?”

  Anger immediately welled up inside me, as my knuckles grew white. I had to remind myself not to snap the steering wheel in half.

  “What’s wrong?” Zac asked, noticing the change in my demeanor.

  “I just can’t believe that Abbot didn’t protect you while you were visiting,” I began, trying to calm myself. “And vamps met him at his home with you there. Very irresponsible of him.”

  Zac shrugged, “I never knew this world existed. He never told me anything about it.”

  We drove through a series of underground tunnels until we finally came to a secluded underground parking garage, dark and lined with gray steel beams, then came to a security guard. I flashed him my ID and he waved me through, getting a good look at Zac, but didn’t recognize him.

  I laughed and shook my head as I found a parking spot near the elevator.

  “What?” Zac asked, not smiling, unable to see the humor.

  “Your father’s really going to be surprised when he sees you here!” I replied, then looked directly into his eyes, as I turned the ignition off and gave Zac back the keys. With the engine off, the silence was deafening, but I broke the silence with one more question, looking deeply into his eyes, concerned. “Zac, are you sure you’re ready to do this?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Zac replied, as a wicked smile erupted upon his lips. “More than ready.” Then he slipped the keys into his pocket, unexpectedly pulled me close, and kissed me meaningfully, then looked deeply into my eyes. “I love you, Abbey. No matter what happens.”

  “I love you, too,” I replied.

  Then he pulled back to look into my eyes and replied, “Then let’s go.”

  We left the car unlocked. After all, who would dare steal it here? As he rounded the corner of the car, Zac took my hand as we walked purposefully to the elevator.

  “Name?” a computer asked from a digital speaker.

  “Abigail Elizabeth Starland,” I replied.

  Then a moment later, the digital scanner scanned my retina and the doors opened. Inside the elevator, I quickly punched a series of protocols and a moment later, we were on our way to the twentieth floor. The doors opened to a long corridor leading to the familiar metallic room with a power desk at the end. The same pretty receptionist quickly rose from behind her desk. She could see from my dress and demeanor, I wasn’t there for a social visit.

  “Uh … Ms. Star … um …” she stammered nervously. “Hum … Mr. Abbott wasn’t expecting you …”

  “I’m well aware of that,” I politely replied, looking her directly in the eyes. “But would you be so kind as to inform him that I’m here.”

  “Yes, Ms. Star,” the pretty receptionist replied nervously. They really should find receptionists that could handle pressure.

  “Oh,” I said, stopping her. “Please don’t tell him that his son is here.” Then I leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s a surprise.”

  She nodded nervously, her eyes wide, then scurried into the office. It was obvious that Zac hadn’t been here before as he walked around the room, taking it in. A series of bellowing shouts erupted from behind the closed door, but within minutes, she reappeared. “He will see you now. You may go in, Ms. Star.”

  I nodded curtly, then walked toward the door as Zac followed. As we walked in, I remembered the confrontation Abbott and I had the last time I’d been here less than a week ago. So much had changed in that short amount of time.

  “Star …” Dr. Abbott greeted me cordially, but his demeanor changed when he saw his son, knowing he knew everything. “Son,” Abbott greeted Zac casually after regaining his composure.

  “Father,” Zac greeted Abbott, squaring his shoulders.

  “Why did you bring him here, Star?” Abbott wheeled on me. “You were supposed to be undercover, remember?”

  “Don’t blame her, Dad,” Zac interrupted, taking control. “She had no choice since every rogue vamp in the tri-state area is now after me!”

  “Son, I can explain …”

  “Explain?�
� Zac bellowed at his father. “So you knew that rogue vamps were after me?”

  “Of course, but I wasn’t sure who, or how many …”

  “I want to know who and why!” Zac demanded, looking his father square in the eye.

  “Son, just calm down,” Abbott replied, suddenly on the defensive. “Let’s talk about this rationally.”

  “Tell that to the rogue vamp who tried to kill me at school!”

  “Two,” I interjected, thinking of the one I killed in the bathroom.

  “Two?” Zac asked, incredulous, then wheeled on his father again. “Or the rogue vamps that chased us down in a truck stop last night, and then the vamp that found us in our hotel room this morning. Star was almost killed!”

  “Hardly,” I replied, listening, letting Zac take the lead. This was between father and son.

  Zac ignored me, turning his venom on his father. “And do you mind explaining to me why there’s a million dollar price tag on my head?”

  “A million dollars?” Abbott gasped, truly surprised. “Son, I had no idea …”

  “And can you explain why I always thought you were an architect? I had no clue you were the head of a covert branch of the CIA. Not just a member, but the head?”

  “Son, lower your voice …”

  “The hell I will!” Zac retorted, directing all his pent up anger at his father.

  “Zac …” I decided it was time to intervene, grabbing his arm, but Zac shook me off.

  Suddenly, Abbott realized his son had become a man in just these few short days. “Son, I always knew this day would come …”

  “Yeah,” Zac interjected. There was no stopping him now. “That’s what Mom said.”

  “Now leave your mother out of this!” Abbott bellowed, and my muscles tensed, on the defensive. “She knew only what I told her! She knew I worked for the government, but she didn’t know everything.”

  “Well, she does now,” Zac interjected, remembering his conversation with his mother.

  “So be it,” Abbott replied. “But, son, you have to understand that I loved your mother. I still do. She left for other reasons.”

  “What other reasons?” Zac bellowed, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

  “I was gone a lot, or at the office, away from you both,” Abbott replied, sitting in his cushy office chair, placing his hands on his head, defeated. “I was gone too much, Zac, and your mother felt alone, so she left with you.”

  “And she still doesn’t have protection?” Zac was still reeling, when I placed a calming hand on his arm.

  “You have different names than I and you live in another city,” Abbott replied, clearly wanting his son to know the truth. “I thought you were safe.”

  “Safe?” Zac retorted, then laughed without humor.

  “You were safe, Zac!” Abbott suddenly regained his strength. “I miss you both terribly, but at least you two are away from danger!”

  “Well, Dad,” Zac replied in a low voice. There was no stopping now. This was about much more than rogue vamps. He was releasing years of pent up anger and hurt upon a man whom he thought he knew. “Well, Dad, we’re in danger now.”

  “That’s why I sent Star and Rick,” Abbott interjected, then asked, “Is your mother safe?”

  “Yes,” Zac said, then added before I could stop him. “Rick and Annie are protecting her.”

  “Annie?” Abbott’s demeanor suddenly changed and his eyes narrowed. “Who’s Annie?”

  “Acantha,” I replied. “You remember, Acantha. She is now called Annie.”

  “Annie?” Sam Abbott’s voice raised several octaves. “Acantha Bree?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, my eyebrows pulling together. I knew Annie left the agency years ago, but I didn’t understand why Abbott was having a heart attack about it now. If not anything else, you would think he would be happy for the extra protection for his son. “What of it?”

  “Ms. Starland,” Abbott retorted, using the tone I hated.

  “Abigail, please,” I said, smiling sweetly, not letting Sam get to me.

  “Star,” Abbott continued, ignoring my request. “Did you know that she left the agency?

  “Yes, of course,” I responded, my eyebrows pulling together. “But there’s no crime in leaving the agency.”

  “Yes, but she went rogue,” Abbott replied, using a patronizing tone.

  “You don’t know that …”

  “Oh no?” Abbott continued. “A few years ago, she was on assignment, then something happened and she left the agency. But after you leave, you’re supposed to let the agency know where you are for the next ten years, and Annie hasn’t checked in since she left.”

  I laughed openly now. “Is that your proof? Just because she hasn’t checked in?” I asked, incredulous. “If it were me, I wouldn’t call you either!”

  “Does a vamp named Michaels ring a bell?” Abbott continued.

  I stopped laughing immediately. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Abbott’s eyes narrowed, then he replied, leaning forward for effect, “She left the agency because she fell in love with him.”

  “She fell in love with Michaels?” I replied, incredulous. “There’s no way. She’s in love with Rick. She has been for a long time.”

  “Did she tell you that?” Abbott grinned without humor, as Zac listened, taking it all in.

  “Yes,” I replied. “She’s been in love with Rick since before she became a vamp. This is ridiculous. I’m not listening to you anymore.”

  “I’m just trying to tell you not to trust her, Star,” Abbott replied. “And if she’s with Rick or my wife …”

  “Ex-wife,” Zac interjected, crossing his arms.

  “Ex-wife,” Abbott amended, looking into Zac’s eyes, then into mine. “If they’re with her, then Zac’s mother’s in danger, Star.”

  “You’re lying!” I replied, clenching my fists.

  “Am I, Star? Think about it! She’s gone rogue before, hasn’t she? Before the agency?” Abbott kept going, unrelenting.

  “What else do you know, because I’m not talking about Annie anymore!” I replied, taking a step toward him. I had to keep reminding myself that Zac was there and he didn’t need to see me kill his father.

  “Annie went rogue, Star!” Abbott continued, unrelenting.

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, as I pulled Zac behind me. “You never scanned me, Sam …”

  Suddenly his eyes flared. “What?”

  I smiled sweetly. “The hand scanner, Sam, laying on your desk. You never scanned my hand when I came in.” Suddenly I reached for it, but he was quicker. “Let’s scan your hand, Sam.”

  “Go to hell!” His eyes flared.

  “What the hell?” Zac asked, trying to walk out from behind me, but I held him there.

  “Then prove it, Sam,” I calmly said, my eyes flaring. “Give me the scanner and your hand.”

  “What are you going to do, Star, kill me?” Abbott asked, holding the hand scanner behind his back. “In front of my son?”

  Suddenly, my emerald eyes flared. “What have you done with Abbott?”

  “Oh, my God …” Zac replied, backing toward the door, pulling me with him.

  “Michaels,” Abbott called over his shoulder. “Would you be so kind as to join us, please?”

  A moment later, a vamp with dark, curly hair and an ear ring, wearing a power suit stepped out from behind a wall behind Abbott’s desk leading to a private office.

  “Michaels,” I calmly said, as Zac pulled my back to his chest.

  “The amazing Abigail Starland!” Michaels replied, knowing he had me, as Abbott smiled.

  “Who the hell are you?” I asked the vamp posing as Abbott, my eyes narrowing, knowing full well it wasn’t him.

  Abbott laughed. “Well I’m Abbott, of course!” Then he turned to Zac. “Son, don’t you recognize me?”

  “You are not my father!” Zac spat through gritted teeth, as angry tears brimmed his eyes, his hand on the s
mall of my back.

  “Nice touch,” I calmly began, “telling me that Annie went rogue, that she was in love with Michaels here,” I said, gesturing grandly to the brunette vamp with the ear ring.

  “Oh, but it’s true,” Michaels retorted in a low voice with a smile on his face. He had a wild look in his eyes as they flared. He was clearly mad. Crazy. The worst kind of rogue vamp. “She’s very much in love with me, and she will do as I ask.”

  “You’re lying!” I yelled at him, my eyes flaring. “Annie would never be with you! She could never be in love with you!”

  “Well,” Michaels said, matter of fact, taking another step closer, stopping directly in front of me. “Whether she’s in love with me or not is irrelevant.” Then he said in a low voice. “So long as I get what I want.”

  Within a second, Zac grabbed the Glock from the back of my pants, and shot Michaels twice in the forehead, as he fell to the ground. The other vamp came from around the desk and I quickly pulled my Ballistics knife from my ankle and shot it into his chest, while Zac unloaded the rest of the clip in his head, sending him flying backwards.

  “Let’s go!” I yelled to Zac, retracting my knife.

  Immediately, Zac grabbed my hand as we bolted through the office door, past the pretty receptionist now cowering behind her desk, back down the hall, and ran toward the elevators when the alarms sounded.

  I quickly completed the retina scan, but the elevator wouldn’t open. I knew that Michaels and the other vamp posing as Abbot would be here in a moment, along with God knows who else. “Follow me, Zac!” I ran with him down the hallway, still clutching his hand, to the stairwell. I pushed it open, and looked down, but agents, human and vamp, were on their way up.

  “Not that way!” Zac yelled, as we quickly shut the door.

  It was too high to jump out the window. I could do it alone. It’d be a piece of cake, but too risky with Zac. Then I had a thought. “Come on!” We ran into a vacant room, then locked and bolted the door. It was an interrogation room with thick steel walls and a thick metal door. The room would buy us at least a minute or two.

  At the ceiling was an air vent. I abruptly jumped into the air, grabbing the grate covering it, then pulled it down, exposing the air ducts.