Seduced by the Night (37 page)

After what seemed an interminably long trek through the city, Dirk and Bethany were taken to a grated covering that blocked the entrance to the underground sewage system.

"Interesting location you have here," Dirk muttered as they were hauled along the sewer pipelines where the essence of raw sewage assaulted their senses. He was sure the rancid smell might just finish the job the vampires had started on him.

"Are you still alive, Adams?" Patterson joked. "Do you like this? It may not look or smell like much, but it has the advantage of being the last place anyone would think to search."

"What do you plan to do with us?" Dirk asked.

Patterson laughed. "Ms.
Stavinoski
, of course, will be put to work in the lab. I think you'll be impressed with the setup we have. Much of the equipment was collected while Dr. Weber was with us, but we've made a few additions, t
hank
s to the suggestions of Mr. Meyers."

"Stuart's here?" Bethany asked.

Patterson looked at her. "Not any longer. It seems that the venom he synthesized wasn't as perfect as he believed when he volunteered to test it."

"More like he was volunteered," Dirk clarified.

"What's the difference? The venom didn't work and now he's dead—permanently."

"I won't do it," Bethany told Patterson. "I won't analyze the venom."

The Prime seemed unconcerned. "My dear, you will hardly have a choice," he said too calmly, extending a finger so his sharp
talonlike
nail was visible. He moved close to Dirk and pressed the tip against Dirk's throat. Slowly, he drew the nail across the surface, just deep enough that Bethany saw a line of blood well to the surface and trickle down his neck.

"Stop!" she cried in horror. She would have gone to Dirk's side, but two of the vampires held her back.

"Don't agree to anything," Dirk told her, straining futilely against his own guards. "Nothing, do you hear me?"

Patterson leaned forward and, despite Dirk's efforts to get away, licked the blood from Dirk's skin before turning to Bethany. "I want the formula and be assured that I will test each vial you make. If it doesn't work exactly as I expect, then Adams will pay the consequences."

Dirk's stare was fixed on her. "I don't care what he threatens you with, don't do it. You know what he's going to do with that venom—innocent people are going to die."

Bethany was mesmerized by the small ruby-red necklace of blood seeping from Dirk's neck. She knew that he  could endure a lot of pain, but she didn't know how much more she could watch. She gathered her determination around her like a thin shield and, blocking Dirk from her mind, shook her head. "No, I won't do it. I won't help you."

Patterson studied her face and then shrugged. "Fine. Then I see no reason to keep Adams alive."

He lunged, grabbing Dirk by the head as the other vampires held him captive, and jerked him forward bodily, sinking his fangs into Dirk's neck in a violent attack. Dirk bucked and fought, but already weak from the earlier fight, he was easily restrained. Bethany could just make out his face in the dim lighting. The pain and agony she saw chipped at her resolve. Patterson was killing the man she loved and it was within her power to stop it.

Patterson continued to drink and Bethany thought there was no way that Dirk could have that much blood in him. When she saw his eyes roll back in his head, the horror of nameless, faceless individuals dying as a result of her efforts to duplicate the venom paled in the face of the current horror. Dirk was dying now.

"Stop," she screamed. "I'll help you."

Patterson ignored her and she grew desperate. "Stop, stop. I said I'd help, but I swear I won't if you kill him. If he dies, then you might as well kill me, too." Still he continued to drink and she finally screamed. "I'm your only chance."

Bethany barely heard the sound of running feet before a form shot past her. Shocked by the sudden appearance of this new vampire, she watched him pry Patterson off Dirk and shove the Prime back several yards. "That's enough," he growled.

The newcomer placed his fingers against Dirk's throat and held them there.

"Is he… ?" Bethany couldn't get the words out.

The newcomer shook his head. "He'll live—for now. Take him to the lab," he addressed the two vampires holding Dirk up. Then he turned to Bethany.

"I'm Sheldon Harris. And you are Bethany
Stavinoski
, I presume?"

She nodded.

He held out his hand, gesturing for her to walk with him as they followed the vampires carrying Dirk.

"Harris!" Patterson's hoarse shout reverberated against the walls. When Bethany turned around, she saw that his eyes shone brightly and there was a crazed look about him. "Don't ever do that again."

"Don't threaten me, Patterson. You know as well as I do that if you kill Adams, you'll never get the woman's cooperation."

He turned then, much more confident that Patterson would not attack them from behind than Bethany was, and continued walking, leading her to the small door through which the other vampires had carried Dirk.

Stepping into the room, Bethany saw it was an almost fully equipped lab. She had to wonder how the vampires had gotten all this equipment down here, and the electricity to run the lights and equipment, but then she remembered that Patterson and Harris used to be
SEALs
and probably knew how to obtain many things the average person wouldn't be able to.

Off to the side, against the wall, Dirk lay on a cot. Bethany rushed to his side, checking his pulse for herself to make sure that he was all right.

"I can barely feel a pulse," she said worriedly. "We have to get him medical help." She looked up at Harris, standing not far away.

He shook his head. "He'll be fine. Adams is different. I've seen him sustain worse injuries and survive."

"But—"

He held up his hand. "Don't push your luck." He turned to the other vampires. "Leave us."

They nodded obediently and left the room. Suddenly alone with Harris, Bethany wondered what was coming next.

"There's a bathroom over there," he said, pointing to the far corner. "He needs food to help rebuild his blood supply. I'll bring some, as well as a cloth to clean his wounds."

She stared up at him. "What's the point of bringing us food if you're just going to kill us?"

"No one's going to kill you if I can help it," he assured her.

She stood up to face him. "Why are you being so nice?"

A shadow passed over his face. He raised his hand, as if to touch her cheek but then thought better of it and let his hand fall back to his side. "You remind me of someone I used to know."

Something about the way he said it caused Bethany to wonder if he meant a wife or girlfriend. She hadn't considered that a vampire might still have feelings for those he'd left behind. For the first time, she considered this vampire as something other than a hideous monster, briefly glimpsing the man he once was.

He walked to the door, stopping when he reached it. "Don't try to leave. Aside from the fact that the place is crawling with vampires, the pipes are interconnected and confusing. You could easily get lost and spend the rest of your life trying to find your way out." He waited for her to nod that she understood before he continued. "I'll be back shortly."

She waited until the door closed before returning to Dirk's side, whispering his name. "Dirk? Can you hear me?" When he didn't respond, she grew fearful that he might already be dead.

She bent over him, hugging him close as she whispered in his ear. "Please don't die, please don't die. Dirk, can you hear me?"

"Bethany?" His voice was weak and she strained to hear it.

"Yes, love. I'm here."

"Are you… okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." For now, she thought.

"Where… "

"I think we must be in some abandoned underground maintenance section of the sewer system. The door's locked and Harris went to get food."

Dirk struggled to sit up but was too weak. "We've got to get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere." She forced him to lie down. "You lost a lot of blood and we need to give your body a chance to recover."

He was shaking his head before she finished. "No. Don't trust him. Don't trust Harris."

"Right now, Adams, you don't have anyone else," Harris said from the doorway, startling Bethany who hadn't heard the door open. "I suggest you eat something. In a short while, Patterson will send two of his converts for you. He's decided it will be best to separate you during the day as added protection against either of you leaving while we sleep." Harris gave her a reassuring smile. "No one will bother you."

"I don't care what happens to me. What are you going to do to Dirk?"

She again saw the shadow pass across Harris's eyes. "My apologies." Then he turned to look at Dirk. "Adams, you're a lucky man, to have found someone who cares about you as much as she does." He handed her the food and left.

With effort, she was able to get Dirk to eat several bites, but he was too weak to do more than that. She didn't know how much of his fatigue was due to his weakened condition and how much was because they were so close to dawn, which would normally have made him tired.

As predicted, it wasn't long before several of Patterson's vampire flunkies came and carried Dirk off, locking the door behind them, leaving Bethany alone in a lab filled with equipment and no means of escape.

How long she paced, she had no idea, but it felt like an eternity. She was starting to think that maybe the sun had come up and she would have several hours to herself when she heard the lock turn in the door. Seconds later, Patterson walked in.

Immediately she backed away from him, moving to stand behind a lab table, hoping it might provide some protection.

Patterson, noticing what she'd done, lifted his lips in an evil smile and began to walk around the lab, forcing her to keep moving if she wanted to keep the table between them.

"Well, Ms.
Stavinoski
—Bethany. May I call you Bethany? I think you'll find the lab is equipped with everything you need. I suggest you make good use of your time. If you try to refuse, well, I don't think Adams can afford to lose much more of his blood."

Their situation was hopeless. "I can't duplicate that formula."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't," she said emphatically. "There's an element to the venom that is completely unfamiliar to me. I won't go into the scientific explanation, but it's like the
chupacabra
isn't really from our planet. This element is completely foreign and the way it reacts and combines with the enzymes in our body—well, it's unpredictable. I can't duplicate that. I don't know that anyone can," she added softly.

Patterson's polite facade vanished and his tone grew sharp. In a blur of movement, he was beside her, his hand to her throat, clutching it just tight enough to be uncomfortable, his eyes glowing as they stared at her. "You'd better hope that's not true, because when I come back this evening and check on you, there'd better be venom. If there's not, I'll finish what I started with Adams and then come for you."

"Let her go," Harris said from the doorway.

"Go away, Harris. This is a private conversation."

Harris moved into the room, coming to stand on the other side of her. He didn't try to touch Patterson. "Nothing that involves this woman or Adams is private. I'm in this as much as you are and I won't let you fuck it up because you can't control your temper. Now, back off. It's almost dawn."

Trapped between them, Bethany watched the silent  battle of wills, feeling helpless. Finally, Patterson's grip lessened. She held her breath and only started to breathe again when his hand fell to his side. His attention was no longer on her but riveted on Harris. So much so that Bethany was half afraid the two vampires would battle to the death right there.

Then the moment passed and Patterson strode to the door. "I'm getting tired of your interference, Harris. I'm warning you, I won't tolerate much more." At the door he stopped to look back. "I want that adult
chupacabra
. Where is she?"

"As I've told you repeatedly, it's not that easy. You don't call her like a dog. I'll let you know as soon as I've made contact with her. Until then, you'll have to wait."

Patterson gave Harris a hard stare and then simply turned and walked out.

Alone with Harris, Bethany stood there confused, not understanding why this vampire would repeatedly protect her from Patterson. "T
hank
you, again," she said.

"Save your gratitude. If it comes to a fight, I don't know that I can take Patterson. He may still kill you."

"Then you have to help us escape."

Harris gave her an incredulous look. "Why would I do that?"

Bethany wondered if she'd misjudged the man. "I thought…" She fumbled for the words. "You're not like him. You're better than that. I know you don't want to see us get hurt."

Harris shook his head. "Don't give me too much credit. I'm as interested in that venom as Patterson."