Jake was beyond frustrated at this point. The blood on the blade was triggering his thirst. He had to leave this house or risk accidentally killing Jess. He needed her alive in case this new Atmoro lead didn’t pan out. He thought about satisfying his craving with Evan in the corner but shook the idea from his head. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop once he got started. Jake couldn’t risk turning his fangs to Jess once he was done with Evan.
“You’ve made your decision,” Jake declared, removing the knife from Jess’s throat. “Maybe two days without food and water will change your mind. That is if the rats don’t take care of you before I get back. Maybe they’ll start with your roommate over there as you watch. You’ll be singing a different song when I return.”
Without looking, Jake hurled the knife in Evan’s direction, and the blade stuck the wall a few inches above his head. Another cloud of dust rained down on Evan from the old dirty wall. He tensed all his muscles to prevent another coughing fit. His ribs were burning with pain.
Jake slammed the door behind him, cursing as he left the room. The pressure in the house changed when the front door was slammed shut. The police cruiser’s tires spun wildly out of control in the gravel driveway, spraying stones at the front porch. Jess and Evan listened closely to the car as it faded away down the abandoned road.
The vampire was gone.
“Now,” Jess said, breaking the silence, “would be a good time to resume your poor excuse of a rescue attempt.”
Evan relaxed his muscles and let out a few heavy coughs. The pain was overwhelming. He couldn’t help but yank on his handcuffs again. His wrists were bruised and bleeding. “This,” Evan replied, interrupted by another cough, “is what’s referred to as an impossible situation.”
This is not the way Jess had envisioned how life would end. Not that she often thought of how her life might end, but this scenario had never crossed her mind, where she’s left bleeding and taped to a chair in an abandoned house with a strange man handcuffed to a pipe in the corner.
Jess turned her head toward Evan and listened carefully. “Did you hear that?” she asked.
“Hear what?” Evan questioned, coughing again, “the sound of me dying or the angry vampire returning to put us out of our misery?”
“No, listen,” Jess said, shushing Evan. “It sounded almost like… there! Do you hear that?”
Evan held his breath for a brief second, straining to hear whatever strange sound Jess thought she had heard. He didn’t believe it at first, but it was the unmistakable buzzing sound of a cell phone vibrating.
“I thought Jake took your phone!” Jess cried. “It’s coming from behind you! It must be in your jacket on the floor!”
Evan twisted his neck as far to the right as he could, struggling to see the jacket out the corner of his eye. The buzzing sound was definitely coming from his jacket pocket. Evan’s mouth dropped open with amazement once he understood what it was.
“That’s not my cell phone vibrating,” he said, looking right at Jess. “It’s yours.”
THIRTY-THREE
The phone rang several times before being forwarded to Jess’s misleading voicemail. I didn’t leave a message.
Kasiah, from the backseat of the SUV, placed her hand on my shoulder. “No answer?” she asked.
“No,” I replied, stuffing the phone back into my pocket. “It’s odd. Jess always answers. I’ll try again after we make contact with Jade. If anyone can help us track Atmoro’s movements through cyberspace, it is Jess.”
I turned around and looked past Kasiah to the third row seat where Aerona had been unusually quiet ever since Rain and I filled in the team on our encounter with Ashes. Aerona’s eyes were lost out the side window into the emptiness beyond the glass, searching for an answer that would never come. I knew my sister better than anyone; and I can count on one hand the times something had left her speechless. Aerona and I were both aware that a Shadow Vampire would not simply stop and go home because she got spooked on the rooftop by a flashy fire show. Neither of us would ever return to the Shadow World without a fight—a fight that Aerona was preparing her heart and mind for. Not only did we have to keep one eye open for Atmoro, now we had to keep the other eye open for Ashes. I could have easily gone cross-eyed.
Time was racing away from us; it was two thirty in the morning, and Jade had been home for little more than fifteen minutes. Her apartment lights were still on. She appeared to be somewhat of a night owl. Ashes’s presence had forced our team to make the decision of contacting Jade before morning. We had no idea what or who the sunrise would bring, and we had no intentions of waiting around to find out. For all we knew, Ashes was out recruiting reinforcements.
A quick flash of blue light shimmered off our windshield; if I wasn’t paying attention, I would have missed it altogether. Ember opened the door and climbed in the backseat of the SUV, softly shutting the door behind her. She leaned between the front seats and checked her hair in the rearview mirror.
“Everything’s clear from the sky,” Ember said, sitting back. “I covered a three block radius and didn’t see a single other person, dead or alive. It’s quiet.”
Kasiah flipped open her FBI credentials, exposing the badge as she tucked it into the front of her belt. “Are you sure we don’t have time to return to the hotel and change?” she asked. “I’d feel more comfortable knocking on her door in something a little more FBI-ish. My gun barely fits in this ridiculously small purse.”
Kasiah struggled to zip the purse around the gun.
“There’s definitely no time,” Ember responded. “There’s no telling what the morning may bring.”
Aerona broke her silence. “The sunrise will bring darkness,” she said. “I can feel it inside. We must move now or never.”
We could all feel the negative energy in the air. It was like the calm before the storm.
I looked into Aerona’s eyes. “We’re going to be OK,” I reassured her. “Mother and Father will be with us every second of the way.”
Aerona’s eyes welled up. She fought hard to keep her tears from rolling down her face. Bringing up our parents was cruel on my part, but I needed Aerona at her best, and my reminding her why we do what we do was a necessary evil. My twin is both physically and mentally stronger than she appeared on the outside. We were lucky to have her on the team.
“Let’s go, Kasiah,” I said, opening the door.
The dome light illuminated the interior of the SUV. Rain’s arm swung past my face like a ninety mile an hour fast ball as he quickly switched it off.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
We all piled out of the SUV. There was no need for additional conversation. We all knew the parts we were to play. Rain and Aerona were going to watch the entrance to Jade’s apartment, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of Ashes. Kasiah and I would make first contact with Jade. My fake FBI credentials may not have fooled Kasiah and Morgan, but I doubt Jade has taken a class in spotting a fake ID.
A flash of light from the corner of my eye signaled Ember was off to be our eye in the sky. I was a little apprehensive of having her be the only one going solo, but the benefit of having an aerial view outweighed the danger.
As soon as Kasiah and I reached the storefront next to the door that led upstairs to the apartments above, we heard something crash loudly down the alley. It sounded a lot like someone had just knocked over a pile of empty cans. I was impressed at how fast Kasiah drew out her gun from the tiny black purse. I pressed her up against the brick wall of the storefront beside us; we didn’t exactly blend in with the brick. The seconds ticked by as we waited, holding our breath, to see what had caused the racket.
We both released our breath when a little shaggy dog walked slowly out from the alley. It stopped and turned its brown shaggy head to look right at us, dropping the empty soda can it had been carrying in its mouth.
“Tell me that’s not a werewolf,” Kasiah whispered.
I released my protective grip around Ka
siah. “That’s definitely not any werewolf I’ve ever seen.”
The dirty dog raised its nose in the air and sniffed several times in our direction, and then, as if we didn’t exist, it lowered its head and picked up the soda can to continue its lonely nighttime stroll down the sidewalk.
“That…” I said as the dog disappeared around the corner.
“…was weird,” Kasiah said, finishing my sentence.
I looked back to see if Aerona and Rain had witnessed our minor scare. They were nowhere to be seen. Kasiah motioned with her hand for me to follow.
“So,” I said as we reached the apartment entranceway, “tell me you know some FBI trick for cracking a numeric keypad lock.”
Kasiah studied the keypad. “We find it easiest to have the correct code.”
“Sounds logical,” I nodded. “And if you aren’t fortunate enough to have been provided with the code?”
“Improvise,” Kasiah stated, reaching her hand out to press the next button down from Jade’s name.
No one answered the intercom’s beep. I wasn’t surprised, considering the time of night. Kasiah pushed the next button on the list, and then the next. She was just about to press the last button on the list when the door buzzed, and we heard a small click. The lock mechanism was deactivated.
“Someone is always expecting someone else,” Kasiah explained. “Maybe that certain someone is known to forget their keys, or maybe it’s just a late night booty call. Either way, people are just too unwary these days. You’d be surprised at the number of break-ins that happen without any sign of forced entry. This is exactly how criminals gain access.”
I opened the door for Kasiah before the lock could reengage. “At this point,” I said, “nothing surprises me. How confident are we that Jade will answer the door when we knock?”
“Slim to none,” Kasiah remarked, entering the stairwell.
The door shut behind us. A set of steep, poorly lit wooden stairs creaked with every step as we inched our way up. Kasiah led the way, her gun drawn. She clicked on a small LED flashlight and held it parallel to the barrel of her gun, illuminating the hallway at the top of the stairs. The hallway was short with only two doors on either side before turning a corner to the left. Assuming we kept our sense of direction as we entered the building, Jade’s apartment was the last door on the right before the corner.
Kasiah clicked the flashlight off and placed the gun back in her tiny purse. “Ready?” she asked without making eye contact.
“Ready,” I whispered.
We stopped in front of the empty door. It was plain except for a peephole. A thin beam of light shined from the crack under the door. There was no turning back now.
Kasiah looked at me for approval.
I nodded my head yes.
Kasiah softly knocked on Jade’s door.
There was no response from the inside, so Kasiah knocked again, more forcefully this time. My heart skipped a beat on the second knock.
“Jade Dunham, this is Special agent Kasiah Johnson of the FBI.”
A shadow appeared and vanished in the light under the door as Jade darted past the door without stopping to check the peephole.
“FBI?” Jade asked hesitantly.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Kasiah responded. “We’re sorry for the inconvenient time, but we would like to ask you a few questions.”
“It’s two-thirty in the morning,” she said, implying we had no idea of the time, “and who’s the second person with you?”
I shot Kasiah a surprised look. I hadn’t moved a muscle since the first knock. Jade could sense my presence.
“Special agent Wesley,” I announced, using my best FBI voice. “It’s imperative that we talk to you concerning your parents.”
“My parents?” Jade asked cautiously. “What do they have to do with the FBI?”
“Jade,” Kasiah continued, “this is not something that should be discussed through a door, neither can it wait till the morning. Your life is in danger. Please, look through your peephole to view our identification.”
We both held up our identification while Kasiah lit them with her flashlight.
Jade’s shadow appeared under the door. The wooden floor planks creaked under her as she lifted herself high enough to peer through the peephole. She was silent for several seconds as she studied our IDs.
“You don’t look like any FBI agent I’ve ever seen,” Jade said. “I’m calling the police!”
Her shadow disappeared.
“Perfect,” I murmured, looking back down the hallway, half expecting to find Ashes.
“I told you we needed to change our clothes,” Kasiah said, smirking.
We listened closely for the sound of Jade dialing a phone. The only sound we could hear was of our own breathing. Jade remained motionless on the other side of the door.
“Jade,” Kasiah started, “you are more than welcome to call the local police. They’ll show up with their lights flashing, sirens blaring and guns drawn. They’ll probably wake up your neighbors, and you’ll spend the rest of the night filling out paperwork, but in the morning, you’ll still need to answer our questions.”
The floor squeaked again as Jade shifted her position. She was still close to the door.
“Jade,” I added, looking at Kasiah. “If we aren’t who we say we are, then this thin wooden door isn’t going to stop us from breaching this apartment before the cops get here. Save your locks and let us in to talk.”
Kasiah’s eyes opened wide. She mouthed the words, “What are you doing?”
Like a child caught with his hands in the cookie jar, I held my hands up. “What?”
The distinct thud of a deadbolt unlocking drew our attention back toward the door. It cracked open just enough to allow a small stream of light into the hallway.
“IDs again,” Jade insisted, studying us through the opening. A heavy security chain hung in front of her face. Her eyes sparkled as if they were made of rare green crystal. A faint line of brown circled each pupil.
We both held our ID’s up for Jade’s inspection. She studied them carefully, then closed the door. I heard the security chain slide across the locking channel. The door opened wide.
“Come in,” Jade said reluctantly, backing away from the doorway.
I closed the door behind us as we entered, relocking the deadbolt and security chain, not that they would keep anything out that was hunting Jade.
Jade leaned against a large windowsill across the room, the same window we could see from the SUV. “What is this about,” she asked.
Kasiah took a step toward Jade. “Please stay away from the window,” she said. “It’s not safe.”
Jade shifted her green eyes from me to Kasiah, then to the window before finally moving away.
Jade’s apartment was like any other college student’s apartment. A small countertop divided the living room from the tiny kitchen. An old brown sofa and a loveseat were set up in an L-shape around a cheap beat-up coffee table. In the corner, there was a fairly new TV set up on an equally beat-up TV console with two small glass doors. The apartment walls were mostly bare—probably a stipulation of the apartment lease to reduce the numerous nail holes that eventually turn apartment walls into Swiss cheese. Several framed pictures of various sizes were neatly arranged next to the TV and along the end table between the couch and the loveseat.
The only other door in the apartment was open, revealing piles of dirty clothes guarding the entrance to her bedroom. Jade noticed us giving her place a once over and quickly kicked the dirty clothes into the room before closing the door.
“So, you better start talking,” Jade said, grabbing a few loose shirts off the back of the loveseat. “I swear I’m calling the cops if you don’t get…” She paused, giving Kasiah a closer look. “Hey, didn’t I see you out tonight? Have you been following me?”
“Yes,” Kasiah confessed. “My team was observing you from a distance to make a positive identification.”
“Hey!” J
ade yelled at me. “Put that down!”
I set the frame back next to the TV where I found it. The photograph was of Jade at her high school graduation. She was dressed in a dark maroon cap and gown. As with all the other photographs, Jade’s eyes practically jumped out of the scene. An older man and woman were on either side of Jade. They must be the neighbors who took in Jade after her biological parents perished in the fire.
“How much do you know about your parents?” Kasiah asked.
Jade brushed a few strands of her bright blonde hair from in front of her eyes. “My parents are good people,” she said. “I don’t think they’ve ever done anything to bring the FBI knocking at my door at two-thirty in the morning.”
Kasiah sat on the opposite end of the couch from where Jade was leaning. “So, do you know where your parents are right now?”
“Yes,” she said harshly. “They’re sleeping in their bed like normal people. You’re crazy if you think I’m giving away their address.”
I sat down in the loveseat, sinking deep into the cushion. The furniture may have been as old as me. Jade spoke of her parents in the present tense, as though they were still alive. I saw no signs of her lying or searching for a story to try and throw us off. She knew nothing of her past or who her parents were.
Kasiah threw the next question into the room like a grenade. “Jade, how much do know about your biological parents, Richard and Tamitha Dunham?”
The question caught Jade off guard. She repeated the question. “My biological parents?”
A door slammed in the hallway. Our eyes shifted immediately toward the apartment door, expecting it to shatter into a pile of splinters as an army of vampires, werewolves, and trolls came crashing through.
“Look, Jade,” Kasiah continued, her eyes still on the doorway. “We don’t have time to explain everything to you right now. I’m going to get right to the point, and I apologize for being so direct.”
Kasiah paused and lightly bit her lip. I’m sure in her line of work she had had to deliver many next-of-kin notifications. Although this was probably the first time she’s had to tell a young girl that the people she believes to be her loving caring parents—the parents who have raised her and given her every memory she’s ever known—were not actually her real parents. Amy’s death had stolen more than just sleep from Kasiah. She forced herself to gain control of her emotions. Closing her eyes and looking down at the floor, she took in a deep breath. Her heart was broken in a way that could never be healed, but if she ever wanted to find the monster that brutally stole her sister’s life, she would desperately need to find the strength to keep going.
The Blood of a Stone Page 24
