Vampires Dead Ahead (12 page)

Monique cried out as the strength of his next burst slammed into her and flung her across the room.

Glass shattered. Wood snapped and splintered.

He did not look. I knew he didn’t feel any remorse. She was a Vampire now. An enemy.

Volod had recovered and was coming at Rodán. He flung his magic at Volod, wrapping thick ropes of it around the Master Vampire.

Hope built up inside me. Centuries of power were within Rodán to command. He was far older, far more experienced than the Vampire, who was a child in comparison.

But the Basilisk potion still reined in some of his power. He should have been able to fling Volod across the room and drive one of the pieces of splintered wood into the Vampire’s heart.

Instead he fought to keep Volod wrapped tight in his ropes of magic. A fight that was weakening him in ways I was certain he’d never experienced before.

Volod’s eyes gleamed red as he fought back.

Rodán gave an Elvin warrior cry like I’ve never heard before.

He dropped Volod and raised his hands. In his grip was pure light—a sword made of light. He swung the magical sword at Volod’s head.

The Master Vampire dodged the blade, barely saving himself.

Rodán’s raised his sword again.

He put all of his focus into going after Volod.

Monique grabbed Rodán’s shoulders from behind, catching him off guard. Something she would never have been able to do if his senses hadn’t been dulled.

Volod drew a handgun with frightening speed.

He aimed it at Rodán. Before Rodán could use his magic to knock it away, Volod shot.

The bullet slammed into Rodán’s chest.

I screamed.

Rodán gasped, shock on his features as he looked down. The hole steamed, but no blood rolled out.

“A bullet capsule filled with Basilisk potion,” Volod said as he rose to his feet. “That’s one you won’t recover from for a long time.”

Shock made my body numb as I reached out, only to have my hand slide through the holographic image.

Rodán turned his head, his eyes suddenly more glazed over, and met Volod’s gaze.

At the same time, Monique sank her fangs into the vein on Rodán’s neck.

I clapped my hand over my mouth, holding back a scream.

In the next instant the Master Vampire was gripping Rodán tight as Monique drank from him.

“No!” I heard myself screaming. But I couldn’t stop watching.

The combination of the Vampire sucking his blood and the Basilisk bullet left Rodán too weak to fight back.

My mind spun as Monique made sounds of pleasure and Volod grasped Rodán too tight for him to move.

The world started to fade … sounds became muffled … his breathing slowed … and somehow I knew his heart all but stopped.

“One more bite tomorrow by Volod, and you will be one of us,” Monique whispered in his ear.

Everything faded away.

THIRTEEN

Terror for Rodán ripped through me like a jagged blade. My mind raced. I had to pull myself together.

“We have to hurry!” I swung my gaze to Colin’s. “There’s still a chance we could get to Rodán before he’s bitten again. Vampires must wait at least twenty-four hours before biting their victim a second time in order to turn them.”

Colin studied me. “That gives us less th ~?” Thaan three hours. We know virtually nothing about effects of Vampires on paranorms, though. Maybe the wait is less, maybe it’s more. We don’t know. We just know now that they can turn paranorms.”

Less than three hours?
What if that wasn’t enough? I raised my hands as I spoke, my words coming out almost frantic. “We need to let the other Trackers know what happened. And I have to interrogate that Vamp we caught tonight myself, unless Max got anything out of him.”

The Werewolf Tracker was a good interrogator, but since we hadn’t heard anything from him I knew he hadn’t gotten the Vampire to talk yet. “We have to do whatever it takes to track down Volod now. That
bastard
.”

“I’ll let the others know.” Joshua came up to stand on one side of me, Ice on the other. “I’ll text everyone an alert that a conference call meeting will start in fifteen minutes.”

“Send out the call-in number and the access code with the alert,” I said. “I want to make certain there is no confusion. Everyone is to be on it.” I looked from Joshua to Ice and Colin. “I’ll make the call from my conference line at my office. Any Trackers who would prefer to join us at the office, that would be fine.”

Joshua gave a nod.

“After our call I’ll interview the Vamp we caught tonight,” I said.

“I’ll go with you to interrogate him.” Desmond came up beside Colin. “I’ll know immediately if there’s anything I can read from him.” The Sorcerer added, “I do know a few interrogation techniques.”

“Can you tell us anything more about what happened or where he is now?” I asked Desmond. I wanted to run as fast as I could, but I didn’t know where.

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

The clock was ticking. We had to find Rodán before it was too late. We
would
find him.

I called Angel and we made quick plans for what we’d be asking of the Trackers. Colin transported Desmond and me to just outside the PI office’s front door. Ice and Joshua should arrive at any time.

Olivia was sitting at her desk when we walked into the office. She frowned as soon as she saw my expression. “What’s wrong?”

My breathing wasn’t coming easy. I felt like I was winded as I said words I didn’t want to say: “Volod has Rodán.”

“No, no,
no
. No way.” Olivia sat back in her chair looking stunned. “That’s not possible.”

“I wish it wasn’t.” I went to my own desk. “We’re going to have a conference call in a few minutes with the other Trackers, and then I have to go interrogate a Vamp.”

Olivia’s frown deepened. “How did this happen? How could this happen?”

I gave her a brief rundown of everything that had occurred. She’d hear more during the call.

She tapped a pen on the sticky notes on her desk as n hgatshe spoke to Desmond. “You’re absolutely positive that you’re right?”

“I hate to say it, but yes.” Desmond folded his arms across his chest. “My visions are never wrong.”

Just talking about it made me sick. My chest felt tight. My whole body tense. My gut ached.

Within a few minutes Ice, Joshua, Angel, Nadia, Lawan, and Tristan arrived at my office. Colin, Olivia, and I made up three more. The other fifteen Trackers called in.

All of it was happening too slow. Much too slow.

I went through everything in more detail than what I’d given Olivia.

“We’re going to work primarily in teams of two,” I concluded. “Olivia and Angel will man the PI office, which will be command central since Rodán’s not here.”

“Man the office?” Olivia said. “You mean woman the office.”

A couple of Trackers laughed, Olivia’s comment adding a bit of levity.

Though I felt it, I didn’t want to let indecisiveness enter my voice as I continued. The Trackers needed a leader now and I was giving them one.

“Desmond and I will interrogate the Vamp who’s in custody,” I said. “Because we believe that those responsible for the disappearances of ten Trackers and now two Proctors are here, no one will work alone.

“That means twenty-two of you will work in teams of two. Since there are fifteen territories and only eleven teams, some of you are going to have to double up on territories.” I glanced at Angel. “As soon as I finish briefing you and give you your instructions, Angel will coordinate territories.”

Those on the other end of the call were mostly quiet, everyone listening intently.

“Tonight you’re going to find every Vamp who was anybody,” I said. “Go to all of the known Vamp hangouts in your respective territories. Olivia will e-mail you a list by the end of this call. Check out every resource we have. Shake them all down and get anything you can. Follow every lead. Someone knows something.” I added, “Call in on this number and speak with Angel right away if you believe you do have a lead.”

I clenched my teeth before I added, “I really don’t care at this point what you do to the Vampires to get the information. As far as I am concerned, tonight, the Vampires have no rights.”

The grim faces of the Trackers in my office echoed how I felt. “Time is running out to find Rodán. We only have two and a half hours left before it’s too late.”

After I turned the phone meeting to Angel, Colin followed me and Desmond out the door into the chill night air.

“Be careful,” Colin said, and he kissed me. When I drew away, he took my hands and brushed his lips over mine again. “You call me the moment you find out where Rodán is. You will not go after him alone. I can be there in a second.”

“I won’t.” I stepped away. “Promise.”

heou and givdiv>

I looked over my shoulder once as Desmond and I rushed across Central Park West to Central Park. Colin was watching me, his burnished gold eyes seeming to almost glow in the darkness.

Desmond and I ran to the huge Alice in Wonderland unbirthday party sculpture north of Conservatory Water.

I walked counterclockwise around the sculpture while reciting the poem—that made absolutely no sense—inscribed around the base.
“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.”
Fortunately I had it memorized or I would never have gotten it out, I was so frantic.

It was a line from “The Jabberwocky,” a poem by Lewis Carroll. I’d heard Lewis was a paranorm—a Doppler in the form of a big yellow cat—still living in New York City. I’d never met him.

The Shadow Shifter and Dryad guards didn’t want to allow Desmond to go into the Paranorm Center with me. I had to pull rank. I was ready to do a lot more than that, but they let us through.

We jogged down to the detention center, which was run by the Paranormal Task Force. A female Doppler PTF agent escorted us and we hurried down the stone steps into dank areas I’d rather not be in.

The only thing that mattered was finding out where Rodán was and saving him before it was too late.

Gary, the Vampire-Doppler we’d arrested, had been put in solitary confinement. When we arrived at his cell, we looked through the small barred window.

The Vampire-Doppler was in the special Vampire cuffs, strung up in a corner in his human form. His head hung so that his chin rested against his chest. His toes barely reached the stone floor, and red welts striped his naked body.

Max turned to face the door, a whip clenched in his fist. In his eyes was the look of the Werewolf he was during the full moon. It made me shiver.

After we handed over our weapons, the PTF agent unlocked the door and let Desmond and I into the cell.

“Didn’t work,” Max said as we walked up to him. “He will be tough. I didn’t know how hard to get with him, but I got nothing.”

The Vampire’s head rose and my breath caught. His fangs had extended, and they flashed in the cell’s dim lighting.

I glanced at Desmond. He looked confident … powerful.

Considering what he’d done in our last major case with the evil Sorcerer Amory, who’d turned Zombies loose on New York City, I wasn’t surprised that Desmond showed such strength in the face of the mess we were in. What was one hybrid Vampire to someone who’d defeated the creator of thousands upon thousands of Zombies, as Desmond had?

Desmond didn’t say anything, just looked at me, waiting for me to take control of the interrogation.

I walked within feet of the Vampire-Doppler. “Where did they take Rodán?”

Gary raised his head and stared at me and Desmond. He was fairly tall with a wiry, powerful build. I frowned for a fro full moment as something hit me.

On the list of missing Trackers had been the name Gary.

“Are you one of the Trackers who disappeared over the last few months?” I asked.

The Vampire-Doppler continued to stare.

“We don’t have time to spend trying to get him to talk.” I glanced at Desmond. “We have to
make
him talk.”

Desmond raised his hand. A glowing green fist of light shot out and wrapped itself around Gary’s throat. He gasped and clawed.

“Tell us where Rodán is.” Desmond spoke with slow, deliberate intensity as he relaxed the magical fist just enough that Gary wasn’t choking anymore. “Do it now or this will seem like nothing in comparison with what I will do to you.”

When Gary didn’t answer, Desmond squeezed his raised hand and the glowing fist clenched tighter around Gary’s throat. He clawed more as he struggled to breathe.

Desmond let up on the pressure then asked again, and again the Vampire-Doppler said nothing.

As Desmond held Gary in his magic fist, I spoke to the PTF agent on the other side of the door. “Can we get a persuasion chair in here?”

Plenty of times I’d “persuaded” paranorms myself, but I’d never actually tortured anyone. I didn’t have the stomach for it generally, but today, with Rodán’s life in the balance, I would do anything. Desmond, I knew, would have no reservations today or any day.

Desmond held on to Gary with the fist as two PTF agents brought the persuasion chair in the room. Then they unhooked the Vampire-Doppler from the chains that had held him up, but kept the special cuffs on his wrists.

The Sorcerer used the fist to drag Gary across the cell and into the persuasion chair. Then the female agents stripped him and strapped him in.

A metal head frame attached to the chair, fit over the top of his head and around the forehead. The band around the forehead was tightened.

The chair had a V opening on the seat. A metal stainless-steel collar about three-quarters of an inch wide was affixed to a rod at the bottom of the chair frame, and attached around the base of his testicles. It had an extension that was a small vise. They called it a “ball crusher.”

The rod had a turnbuckle that was adjusted to pull his balls down taut until the Vampire made a vocal response, like a scream. If he moved at all, they would be pulled off … Or so I hoped. For a male, I am sure it was an understatement to say there was something intimidating about someone literally having him by the balls.

Max moved up beside me. I’d been so intent on watching that I had forgotten he was there. “Man, this guy just won’t talk. I must say he has balls.”

Anger burned through me hot and fierce. “If he doesn’t talk now the only way he’ll have balls is when we pick them up off the floor and hand them to him.”

Gary flinched.

Good.

Max looked from Gary to me. “What would you like me to do now?”

“Call Angel and she’ll give you instructions.” I pushed my hair over my shoulders to get it out of my face. “And find Volod.”

He nodded. “You’ve got it.”

“Thanks, Max,” I said. He gave another nod before he left the cell. The agent locked the door behind him.

I turned my attention back to Gary.

The Vampire-Doppler’s muscles were chiseled, showing power in every fiber of his body. No matter the strength of his paranorm powers, or as strong as he was physically, he was no match for the magic in the restraints or Desmond’s power. Everyone had a breaking point, and we would find Gary’s.

“Where is Rodán?” Desmond released his hold on Gary’s neck, and the Vampire-Doppler slumped in the chair. Desmond got into his face. “Talk or you’re really not going to like what I’m about to do next.” He held his hand out, and green flame danced on his palm.

Gary stared at the Sorcerer, anger in his gaze. His blue eyes were still in the stages of turning dark as they would be for the rest of his unnatural life. Unless of course that unnatural life ended tonight.

“This little flame”—Desmond bounced the magic fire on his palm—“will make you feel like every nerve ending inside you is on fire. You’ll feel like you’re burning alive.

“The good news is you won’t die,” the Sorcerer added. “You’ll just wish you would. You will struggle and move around. You won’t be able to help yourself.” Desmond looked at the place where Gary’s balls were trapped before looking back at the Vampire-Doppler. “When you jump, you might lose a couple of things.”

My fury over Rodán’s abduction, and over what the Vampires had done to me just months ago, kept away any speck of pity that might have been in me. Fear for Rodán burned like the fire in Desmond’s hand, only a thousand times worse. Joining the horrible fear were white-hot flames of anger.

No, I didn’t care what Desmond did to this Vampire. We’d do whatever we had to do.

When Gary didn’t say anything, Desmond blew on the flame in his hand.

The flame leapt from his palm and landed in an explosion of sparks, encompassing Gary.

He shrieked, his body jerking and straining against his restraints, his muscles bulging as the magic fire sizzled on his skin. How his balls stayed attached to his body I didn’t know, but it had to hurt.

“What are you doing to him?” I asked Desmond in a lowered voice. My heart pounded. The green fire unnerved me. “Don’t kill him.”