The Judah Black Novels Box Set

by E. A. Copen

  We had arrived at some underground bunker not too far from the Adventists’ compound by armored car. To prevent us from being able to guess the location, our hosts had made us wear black hoods. The werewolves, whose senses were good enough they might have been able to sniff out our location, wore bags laced with some kind of deodorant spray that had them gagging and sneezing all the way. Well, Sal did. Ed went in a different truck with Angel and Bran.

  Espinoza and I went in the largest of the trucks, which was loaded with medical equipment. The back was a makeshift ambulance and space was tight, but Sal wasn’t leaving me alone, not with them. He convinced them to let him come on the basis that he was a trained field medic and healer. It took a lot of convincing before they let him squeeze in and keep his hand on my forehead.

  It was comforting enough that I eventually drifted off to sleep, only to wake in a sterile white room. I’d been changed out of Sal’s bloody shirt and into a hospital gown. My open wounds were closed, my arm back in a cast. An IV in my left arm delivered fluids, while a series of monitors to my right silently tracked my progress.

  I stared at the pulse monitor racing up and down like cars on a hilly road. I knew where I was, some underground, off-the-grid BSI facility. Any other time, I would have been freaking out, screaming, plotting to fight my way out. But I barely had the energy to stay awake.

  After a long while, the door on the far side of the room slid open with a loud hiss. A nurse in pink scrubs shuffled into the room with a cart. She stood beside me in silence, not even acknowledging me, prepping an injection. Maybe she was there to kill me. Silence me. Get me out of the way. My mind was so numb, I didn’t care. I watched her with disinterest as she gripped the port in the IV and brought the needle to it.

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  Another figure appeared in the doorway of medium height, wide shoulders, and a strong, chiseled jaw. Shoulder-length auburn hair pulled back, green eyes, and a flawless, expensive suit marked him as Eden Memorial Hospital’s CEO and largest donor, Marcus Kelley. The fangs in his smile told everyone he was a vampire and proud of it.

  Marcus strode into the room and placed a hand on the nurse’s shoulder. “She’s been out long enough. Now that she’s back with us, you should inform Deputy Director Richardson.”

  The nurse’s cheeks flushed and she smiled. The slight buzz of the vampire’s power rippled through the air and incensed me enough that I snapped out of my funk to growl, “Leave her alone.”

  Marcus took his hand away, grinning. The nurse’s complexion paled a little. “Nurse, please, don’t let us keep you. I’m sure you have other patients to attend to. I’ll see to Ms. Black personally for the time being.”

  “Yes, sir,” said the nurse. She gave Marcus a warning glare before exiting the room.

  “I didn’t realize you had your M.D., Marcus.” I sat back and crossed my arms, ignoring how the corners of the room blurred. It was the effect of whatever drugs in my system as they wore off.

  “I hold advanced degrees in sociology and business administration, but I haven’t pursued medicine yet. An interesting thought.” His wide smile tightened to a thin, amused smirk. “But you do pick up a few things when you’re the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and a major donor to a research hospital.”

  “Like that your head research scientist is involved in some really sick human experimentation?”

  Marcus’ smile faded. “Doctor Han’s employment at Fitz has always been something of a double-edged sword. Much like my agreements with BSI.” He sat down on the edge of my bed, resting his hands in his lap. For a long beat, he stared down at his fingers, the expression on his face hovering between pain and worry. “My people are being persecuted. For a long time, everyone believed the dust would settle and we’d all hold hands and stand as one. That was always the dream, but people like the Stryx, like Andre LeDuc, share a different belief. They believe supernaturals are superior, and that a war of subjugation must be waged against humankind. On the opposite side, you have the Vanguard of Humanity and the various other human rights groups who have taken up their cause. The middle ground grows emptier with every passing day.”

  “So you make a deal with the devil.” My voice came out scratchy and thin. “You ally yourself with both sides and straddle the middle?”

  “The system is broken. Hatred on both sides is driving us toward a conflict neither can win.” Marcus sighed and rubbed his forehead. “The split is so deep, even BSI is divided. You have stumbled into that divide headfirst and without a flashlight, and yet, beaten and bloodied as you are, you lie in a hospital bed and find the strength to lecture a vampire.”

  His shoulders shook. I didn’t realize he was laughing until he burst into loud, gasping guffaws.

  “I don’t see what’s funny about it, Marcus.”

  “You! No matter how much we’ve all tried to keep you out of this, you keep insisting on thrusting yourself into it. If I don’t laugh, I might be tempted to do as I was told and kill you.” He wiped away a tear.

  “Kill me?”

  Marcus stood and paced to the end of my bed, hands behind his back. “Yes. When you came to Paint Rock, it was with a bounty on your head—a rather sizable one. You’d made quite a name for yourself in Cleveland, arresting that senator’s son. The spotlight on you was still too bright and public opinion was very much on your side, so BSI couldn’t act openly to silence you. They determined your existence was too much of a threat to allow you to continue.” He turned around and tilted his head to the side. “You’d be very dead if Dick hadn’t taken such an interest in you. He and I worked together to remedy that, but that was not without its risks.”

  I winced as I fought to sit up. Whoever this Dick guy was, he had to be pretty high up the BSI chain. I’d never heard of him, but then I didn’t normally concern myself with the higher-ups. I knew none of them liked me. If they did, why would I wind up in one of the most despised posts in the whole country?

  “You’re trying to tell me that this Dick guy saved my life?”

  “No, Judah. Not just once. Have you never questioned why you get away with the things you do? Why your son has never been detected?”

  I stared down at my shaking hands. God, he was right. I’d suspected someone up the chain had been looking out for me, someone sympathetic or maybe just a good Samaritan who thought the same way I did, that BSI needed to be changed from the inside. I’d never suspected someone that high. It made sense, even if I didn’t want it to.

  I slowly raised my head to stare at the wall beside Marcus’ head. “What’s going to happen to me now?”

  “That’s not for me to decide, but I suspect you’ll be released to continue, with some added layers of warning. Or Dick might decide you’re no longer worth the investment and kill you. Personally, I’d much prefer the former. He’d put that Upyri half-blood upstart forward as a replacement, and I can’t trust him. You might be a nosy bitch, Judah, but you’re a known quantity, and I think you’ve more than earned your position. Besides, the werewolves like you, and they don’t like anybody.” He smiled. “For now, I’m going to go see if I can find you some clothes and if the nurses can get you a bath. Two days in recovery has done nothing for your smell.”

  He nodded at me and started for the door.

  “Marcus, what about Espinoza? Mara? Ed?”

  The vampire stopped and turned his head so I could see his face in profile. “You don’t remember?”

  I rubbed my pounding temples. “Everything is a blur. Warren gave me visions, and it’s all mixing in with reality. I don’t know what’s real and what he put in there.”

  “Ed Petersen is alive and well. He suffered only very minor injuries. Espinoza’s injuries were quite severe. He’s currently in the room next to yours on life support. The doctors have placed his chance of survival incredibly low.”

  I leaned forward. “And Mara? What about Mara?”

  I remembered watching Warren force her to stab herself to death, bu
t it didn’t feel real. Part of me held out, hoping it had all been part of his torturous mind control.

  “Tamara Speilman died of multiple self-inflicted stab wounds, Judah. I’m sorry. Genuinely, I am.”

  Tears raced down the side of my face. I shut my eyes against them. I’d failed her again. My fingers closed into fists around the hem of the blanket. Dammit, why couldn’t I do anything right? Everyone I cared about got hurt. Ed, Mara, Sal, Hunter...how long would it be before someone else got killed because of me?

  I was suddenly aware of the gentle weight of Marcus’ hand on my shoulder. “There is one more thing to discuss. If you’re up for it, of course.”

  I tried to still the shaking my shoulders and the tears streaming down my face, pushing them away with a fist. “What?”

  “Espinoza. Given the situation, I’m unable to reach out to next of kin, and we are faced with a difficult choice. He might die, but he doesn’t have to.”

  My head shot up and I glared at the vampire, suddenly understanding his intent. “You mean to turn him?”

  Marcus shrugged, withdrawing his hand. “The option is on the table. Of course, being a turned vampire has its own drawbacks. He might not survive the turning. Even if he does, he will never be the same. It’s a risk to me as well, especially considering the torture he has been through.”

  “You can’t, Marcus.”

  “I can. The question is, will I? You see, I’m approached all the time by loved ones in this line of work. The grieving will do anything if it offers even the faintest glimmer of hope to save their loved ones. I have always turned them down. Death is part of the cycle of human life, and most of the time, my interference would make little to no difference. The dying are too aged, too young, too crippled, maimed, their mind’s broken. There are many reasons why I don’t turn patients, even if the next of kin begs me to. But most of all, I don’t do it because it’s involving.” He relaxed and crossed one leg over the other. “You’re a parent. On some level, surely you understand the importance of such a decision. If I turn Espinoza, I am responsible for his well-being. More than that, I would have to give up a significant amount of my already valuable time, something I have no desire to do.”

  I sighed, partly out of relief. “Sounds like you don’t want to. Then why are you here asking about him?”

  “Because if there is one thing I’ve learned from you, it’s that not wanting to do something is not a good enough reason not to do it.” He steepled his fingers. “Your partner, the Upyri half-blood, seems rather fond of Espinoza. It was he who came to me, which is unusual in itself, given the current state of my relationship with the Upyri.”

  Abe and Espinoza? That was the most unexpected thing he could have told me. The two of them were as different as night and day. They barely even knew each other. Or maybe they did. Hell, I hadn’t had time to keep tabs on my partner’s social life. They could have moved in together and I’d never have known, not with everything else going on.

  Marcus continued. “I won’t bore you with the details, but the political climate puts me in a delicate position.”

  “He’s basically Upyri royalty, and you’re just some clanless American upstart. You turn his boyfriend, it saves Espinoza’s life in a manner of speaking, but it also means he’s yours and not part of the Upyri. Have I got that about right?”

  Marcus smiled. “Your understanding of our world is always impressive. It is unusual for him to petition me for such an action. I thought at first it was a political move, but I can think of no reason why a human officer would be politically important to the Upyri.”

  “It’s my world, too. It’s everyone’s world now.”

  Marcus inclined his head. “Indeed. The matter at hand is less political and more philosophical. I cannot come to a firm decision either way, and Abraham is clearly biased. I thought perhaps you could offer some insight. Were you in my position, what would you do?”

  I looked down at my hands, suddenly even more aware of the oxygen monitor on my middle finger. The little red light lit up dark capillaries under my skin and nail. Marcus was basically asking me to decide for him. If I said no, I wouldn’t do it, he’d leave Espinoza to his fate. A good cop, one of the best, would likely die on an operating table, barely remembered for his service.

  If I said yes, save him, I might be subjecting Espinoza to a life he resented. Maybe he didn’t want to be a vampire, least of all one who belonged to Marcus Kelley. Or maybe he did. I didn’t know how he felt about it because I’d never asked.

  I could go back and forth in my head all day, speculating maybe this or maybe that. It wouldn’t help Espinoza. Marcus said he’d already been going back and forth. He was a smart guy. He already knew the pros and cons, probably better than I did. Marcus didn’t come to me to have that explained all over again. He came to me so I could make a tough call.

  Did I want Espinoza to die or didn’t I?

  I wanted Espinoza to have the choice, and he couldn’t do that if he died.

  “Espinoza’s a good man,” I said, nodding. “I’d do everything in my power to keep him around as long as he felt like staying around.”

  I met Marcus’ eyes and held them. Generally, that’s a bad idea with vampires. They can enthrall people with their gaze and make them do whatever they want. Marcus and I had already established what would happen to him if he tried that with me, though, and I knew him well enough to believe he wouldn’t try in this case.

  “I’d turn him,” I said.

  Marcus stood, smoothed his hands over his suit jacket, and buttoned it. “That’s what I thought you would say. I wish you a speedy recovery, Agent Black.”

  He stepped toward the door. “Get some rest. Deputy Director Richardson will want to speak to you as soon as you’re well enough to walk.”

  It was the better part of the night and a good chunk of morning before the nurse thought I was well enough to try to walk. I made it only a few steps across the cold linoleum floor before the dizziness hit me and I bent over, blind and nauseous.

  “That’s it,” said the nurse, coming to my side. “You can’t be up. It’s too soon.”

  “Haven’t you heard?” I grunted as I hauled myself toward the door. “You can’t keep a good gal down.”

  She pressed the pager she wore around her neck. “Gonna need some help in here. Bring the sedative.”

  “You give me any more drugs, and I swear I’ll be the worst patient you’ve ever had. I want to see Deputy Director Richardson now.”

  The nurse narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together. I was sure she was gearing up for a fight, but she surprised me when she opened negotiations. “How about we get you a wheelchair?”

  Eventually, we came to a compromise. She would bring me my clothes if I could make it to the wall and back without falling over. I made that nurse eat her words, of course, but the stingy nurse still made me go in a wheelchair part of the way, and she made me go under guard. Once I explained to her that I didn’t want the director to see me as unfit for duty, even though I clearly was, she rolled her eyes and stopped the chair down the hall from where I was to meet the director. “Go on. Kill yourself if you want. I’m sure not going to stop you.”

  “If an alpha werewolf and a vampire CEO couldn’t stop me, you shouldn’t feel bad.” I pushed myself out of the chair using my good arm and stood on wobbly feet. I was still weak after everything, but I could draw on my magick to keep me going.

  The armed guards escorted me to a pair of unmarked double doors and held the door open for me. A conference table waited on the other side, surrounded by comfortable-looking leather chairs. Familiar faces occupied the chairs. Sal, Daphne, Shauna, Ed, Angel, Bran, and Creven all turned their heads as I hobbled in.

  Sal jumped up from his seat and moved toward me. “Judah! God, you have no idea how good it is to see you.” He came to put his arms around me. The weight nearly made me fall over. “They wouldn’t tell us anything.”

  I patted his back and then gripp
ed his shirt, choking on whatever words I was trying to say. My eyes were fixed on Ed just beyond as he stared blankly at the tabletop. “Ed?” Sal moved aside to support me as I hobbled over to stand next to Ed. “Ed, I’m sorry.”

  “I’d rather not talk about it.” His voice was strained and raw like he’d been crying recently. His shoulders tightened, and the hands resting on his knees turned into trembling fists. “Because the minute I know where that coward is hiding, I’m going to go and rip his throat out.”

  A chill ran through me. I’d never heard Ed talk like that. Sal and Valentino, sure, but never Ed. He’d always been the one to crack a joke or make light of a tough situation. Even when things looked their worst, I could count on Ed to lift my spirits. There was no hint of that person when he spoke, and when he looked at me, his eyes were completely gold.

  Sal pulled me away from Ed. “It’s best you don’t talk to him right now.”

  “I’d like to know why we’re all here.” Shauna crossed her arms. She, like everyone else in the room, including me, was dressed in gray sweats and a black t-shirt with a pocket on the chest.

  “Mostly, you are here because you have all decided to involve yourselves, despite my warnings not to.”

  I turned my head.

  Sal growled.

  Abe stood in the doorway, decked out in his hat and coat. He strode in and placed his hat on the table in front of an empty seat. “From stupidity, stubbornness, or sheer luck, you seven have stumbled into a mess that many with top-level government clearance do not even know about.”

  Abe shed his coat and tossed it over the back of the chair before gesturing to the empty chairs near him. “Please, sit. Deputy Director Richardson will be with us shortly.”

  I remained standing but leaned on the table with my good arm. “You owe me an explanation.”

  Abe didn’t look up from where he was situating several stacks of paper he’d brought with him into piles. “I owe you nothing.”