The Red Haze (The Webber and Ko Series Book 1)

by D. M. Wicks

  Contents

  Dedication

  Copyright copy

  - Prologue

  - Chapter One

  - Chapter Two

  - Chapter Three

  - Chapter Four

  - Chapter Five

  - Chapter Six

  - Chapter Seven

  - Chapter Eight

  - Chapter Nine

  - Chapter Ten

  - Chapter Eleven

  - Chapter Twelve

  - Chapter Thirteen

  - Chapter Fourteen

  - End Matter

  For Catherine, Jym and Grover

  Thank you for believing in me

  Copyright © <$2014>

  All rights reserved.

  Prologue

  February 10, 2020

  Dear Ms. Faye,

  My name? Well, I like to be called Patient X for various reasons, most of all because I am more than a person; I am an idea. I am a revolutionary idea. I stand for many things, but in order to obtain any of them I must first change the world.

  The Benefactor believes in my idea and me. The Benefactor wants to change the world as well. That is why I was chosen to begin. I am the first domino. When I fall I will shake the world. No one will remember my name, but they will remember what I stand for. They will remember Patient X as the idea that began it all.

  Today, I will donate four bags of blood, four bags that will begin my revolution, four bags that will make me exist, four bags that will make me a martyr. Two months from now there will be blood spilt, there will be panic, and there will be chaos. Some will try to cover it up, but they will fail. One cannot stop change. They were unable to stop the vampires' creation; now they will be unable to stop their demise. The Benefactor was kind enough to give me the means by which I can change the world. The Red Haze was created for me to carry out my idea. I am eternally grateful. Some would call me crazy, but others will rejoice in my coming. I am the beginning and the end of civilization.

  Sincerely,

  Patient X

  ***

  Oda

  Whoever thought civilization would stop men from being idiots, especially when it came to women, must have been a patriarchal virgin priest. My partner Declan Webber and I watched as the man we had been tailing all day walked into a hotel with his secretary. She was a hot number in a skimpy black dress. The man’s wife had been the one to hire us and it seemed like this was a cut and dry cheating husband case.

  I looked over to Declan and sighed as I realized he was only taking pictures of the secretary. There was another idiot to add to the history books. I snatched the camera phone out of his hand and took the necessary pictures before we missed our chance.

  “Hey!”

  “You’ve lost the objective.”

  “What in the bloody hell are you talking about?” he replied in his Irish lilt.

  “We need both of them in the picture if we want to close out this case.”

  “What did you think I was doing?”

  “You were getting sidetracked.”

  “Can you say you blame me, Oda?” Declan grinned without an ounce of shame.

  I shook my head. “It’s a wonder we ever complete anything.”

  “I bet I can get her number.”

  I glanced at him then turned back. The targets had already gone into the hotel. Now we just needed to wait until they came back out to get the rest of the photos. I thought back to the woman and rose to the bait. “Oh yeah? I bet you can’t.”

  “Your next paycheck?”

  I frowned. “I’m not that stupid. Quit being cheap. No, if I lose I’ll do the paperwork for this case, but if I win you buy us lunch for the next week.”

  He mulled it over for a few minutes then grinned. “Deal.”

  We shook on it then waited in silence for the next hour. Declan put his headphones in and closed his eyes. I shook him when the targets came out of the hotel and he pulled the headphones out. “You’re on, Casanova.”

  “Alright. Don’t look away and you might learn something.”

  “Sure, whatever you say.”

  He smirked and climbed out of the car. I snapped the necessary pictures, careful to keep my partner out of them, as he made his way to intercept the mistress. His hands were at his sides and he looked relaxed. I had, on several occasions, seen my partner in action and it was somewhat mind boggling. Declan was an asshole, but women seemed to eat it up like he was the best thing to ever happen to them. Sure, he was good looking, but he was a jerk. I, on the other hand, was a complete mess when talking to women. I couldn’t even hold a normal conversation with the one girl I had liked since I passed the academy. She probably didn’t even know I liked her. I was that awkward.

  The mistress, I’ll refer to her as Blondie, was walking on a collision course with my partner when suddenly a man charged out of an alley and swiped her purse. She stood there shocked for a moment, as if she couldn’t comprehend what had happened, and then she screamed. I scowled, already realizing how this was going to play out. I cringed. I could see the word documents now, black on endless white.

  The man raced pass my car and I thought about opening the door, but I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself. As he passed I saw the inhuman blue glow that only my kind could have. Great, he was a blue eyes. He just had to be a blue eyes vampire.

  I am also a blue eyes vampire. A genetic mishap. Thank you, Rez Corp. I sighed and watched my partner give chase. He was loving this. He was grinning when he ran past me. That lucky bastard.

  Blue eyes were one of two types of vampire. The red eyes and blues eyes were the byproduct of humans attempting to play God. Rez Corp designed a pill to eradicate every blood disorder known to man. It was a response to the sudden increase in genetic blood disorders in the late twentieth century.

  The government decided to step in and funded one of the most powerful drug companies to solve the problem. They succeeded. Genetic blood disorders are nonexistent, but now there are vampires. Blue eyes produce large amounts of extra blood once a month and when I say large amounts I mean several pints above average—so much that if we didn’t donate the blood there would be serious repercussions. Red eyes, on the other hand, drink blood to survive.

  Declan tackled the blue eyes to the concrete and did the unthinkable. He punched the guy in the face. I could see the blood squirt out when my partner’s fist connected. Just peachy. I could see the paperwork piling up. People didn’t hit blue eyes. It was something you didn’t do because they would always win in the end. I should know because I am one. We always win. When I say win I mean we get the pay out.

  The blue eyes vampires’ house, the House of Caeruleus, always won the lawsuits. The House of Caeruleus was powerful and it’s only purpose was to ensure the survival of blue eyes, which included suing any aggressor for everything they were worth. The house didn’t respond well to an endangered species being attacked. The only thing scarier than the House of Caeruleus was the House of Roesus. It was the red eyes vampires’ house. It was a little shadier and a lot more threatening due to its size.

  Declan hand cuffed the blue eyes and took the purse from him. Blondie ran over to them and he handed her the purse before hulling the blue eyes to his feet. I watched as my partner turned to Blondie and said something. I saw the her blush, nod her head, then fish out a piece of paper from her wallet. She wrote what I assumed was her number.

  So long free lunch; hello hours of desk work. Declan hulled the man in my direction. The blue eyes looked resigned as he allowed himself to be escorted to my car. My partner threw him in the back seat then climbed in on the passenger s
ide. A smile was plastered on his face. That bastard.

  “Hey sweetheart, did you take notes?”

  “Did you have to hit him? You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Just had to rub it in my face?”

  “I take it you didn’t like my present then. You’re so hard to please, sweet cheeks.”

  “Cut that out.”

  “What’s the matter, honeybun? Are you feeling inferior? Don’t worry, not everyone can be a great as me.”

  I sighed and held out my hand. “I should be the one doing the punching. Let me confirm it.”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the slip of paper. Scrawled on it was a set of numbers. “How did you get it? Was she mesmerized by your manliness like the last one?”

  “Nah, it was the accent. Woman love foreign accents. Though my manliness, as you put it, didn’t hurt.”

  The blue eyes in the back snorted. “You told her you needed her number so you could contact her to file a report.”

  Declan was unfazed as he replied, “And something like that happened as well.”

  My jaw dropped. “That’s cheating!”

  “We didn’t make any rules, Oda. All’s fair.”

  “You can’t use your badge to…” I trailed off as I suddenly realized something.

  “Have you always done that? And I thought you were some freaky human with irresistible pheromones or something.”

  “Ah Oda, I didn’t know you thought about me so much. Don’t worry, you will always come first. You are my slightly uglier, shorter, and dumber secretary.”

  I frowned. “I’m your partner.”

  “Not officially,” he sang.

  He was right. Officially I was his secretary, since that was the only way the House of Caeruleus would allow me to work. Blue eyes were forbidden from working due to Issue 18, which stated that blue eyes were an endangered species and that if they worked it may cause undue stress and a decrease in their numbers. Few of my kind were able to work around it. It wasn’t that unbelievable that being a private detective was out of the question. Thus, I am the Egor of Webber’s Detective Agency, which Declan Webber never failed to remind me.

  I sighed. “I guess we are stopping at District Six before going back to the office?”

  “No, just pull over at the next block.”

  I turned to my partner. I knew he was unorthodox, but the thief broke the law, blue eyes or not. I pulled off the curb and onto the busy streets of downtown Dayton. It only took a minute or so to reach the next block, but another five or ten looking for a parking space. I finally found one and turned off the engine. Declan and I climbed out of the car, dragging out the blue eyes.

  Declan un-cuffed him, but held on to him. He made sure he had the guy’s attention before speaking. “You are a dumb piece of shit and the only reason you aren’t in a cage is because it’s a waste of my time. So listen up. I don’t care if you break the law, but don’t do it in front of me. It makes me cranky seeing people being stupid, understand?”

  I sighed. The blue eyed man looked confused and wary of my partner, but he nodded. Declan grinned and slapped the man on the back. “Good. Now get out of here. Sorry about the nose. It was nothing personal.”

  The man took off as soon as he was free and we climbed back into the car. “You let another one go? That’s two this week.”

  “I’m a fucking social worker.”

  “I think you’re just a lazy deadbeat.”

  Declan grinned at me. “Your words wound me, Mr. Secretary. Next you’ll be telling me to clean up my act.”

  “How about you just make me a coffee when we get back to the office?”

  “What? Have your arms suddenly failed you?”

  “I hope not or you’ll have to drive and that’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my driving.”

  “Says the guy who hides his speeding tickets in his desk.”

  “That’s the last time I ask you to get my stapler.”

  I smiled and pulled back into the traffic. “Just make the coffee, Declan, and I’ll let it slide that you cheated.”

  “Alright lad, if it keeps you from getting moody.”

  “I don’t get moody.”

  “Uh huh.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  I scowled. “Yeah, well you’re an asshole.”

  My partner laughed as he placed a headphone in each ear and turned to look out the window. I concentrated on the road. I looked up at the sky, it was getting cloudy. It was probably going to rain tonight. I hated the rain.

  Chapter One

  Two months later

  Jeramy Alcott was fucked in every way possible. He turned into the alley off of Fifth Street. He was lucky he even made it to the police station to drop off the USB before the Crew found him. He should have figured they would act the minute he made his move. He just thought he would have more time. What would Kally think of him now. She would probably smirk at him. He could imagine her heart shaped lips tuning up at the corners dimpling her cheeks. He missed her smile right now. He would give anything to see her smile again.

  His paced gait turned into a full out run when he heard footsteps behind him. He glanced back and, despite the darkness, he was able to make out the shadow of a man following him. If he didn’t make it back, who was going to raise his child. The beautiful baby he had yet to meet. He was finally so close to having the family he always dreamed of making. Why had he been so stubborn.

  That’s right, he needed to do one last thing to clear his conscience before he could allow himself to be happy. The things he had done and the lives he had destroyed had weighed heavily on his mind when he found out Kally was pregnant. She had wanted to leave the country immediately, but he wanted to keep feeding information on the crew to the police. It made him feel better about himself. What an idiot he had been. Now he was going to die leaving a broken family behind. What a goddam idiot. He was just about to make it to the other end of the alley when another man appeared in front of him, grabbed him, then dragged him back into the alley. Jeramy looked into the luminous red eyes of the man holding him and immediately felt betrayed.

  "Jack?"

  Jack didn't reply. He simply pushed Jeramy up against the wall and held him there until the other man reached them.

  "Jack, don't do this, man. We were partners once. Just let me go."

  His reply was to pull Jeramy back and slam him against the side of the building again. The other man walked up beside Jack and they switched places. Jack pulled out a needle from his jacket pocket.

  He finally spoke. "You don't betray the Crew and live to tell about it, Jeramy. You know that. It’s just business. Try not to take it personally."

  "Fuck you, Jack." Jeramy began to struggle.

  Jack grabbed his arm and jabbed the needle into a vein, injecting the clear liquid. The effects of the drug were immediate. Jeramy dropped to his knees as the world began to spin. He threw up suddenly and fell face first into it.

  Jack watched as his new partner, Steve Clocken, placed the needle in Jeramy's hand and staged the body. According to the police, Jeramy Alcott was just another junkie with an overdose. Jack turned back to Steve. They nodded to each other and left the alleyway going in separate directions. The police would have their hands full with too many other things soon than to worry about just another drug addict.

  ***

  William Archer was nervous. He stood next to his classmate, Alan Dublouse, on the elevator; neither of them had spoken since leaving the college. He hadn't wanted to work on the class project today, but the deadline was fast approaching. That didn't make following a red eyes to his home a good idea. Alan was all right he guessed. Honestly, he didn't know the guy that well. The only reason he agreed to work at Alan's apartment was because it was in student housing. William sighed; nothing was going to happen though. Red eyes didn't fuck with blue eyes unless they wanted to commit social sucicde—the House of Caeruleus
ensured that. William looked down at his watch; he was meeting his roommate, Garrett Dron, at the café on campus around seven-thirty. It was currently only six-thirty. "So, uh… What should we work on first? When we get to your apartment, that is."

  Alan glanced over, looking thoughtful. "I guess we could start with the homework assigned today then tackle the project. It's not due for another week, there is no point in rushing it."

  William nodded. The elevator stopped at the third floor and the two men climbed off. Alan led the way to apartment 304; he unlocked the door. The hallway was empty, but William could hear a television playing next door. He followed Alan into the living room. Alan had an apartment in student housing from the college, so it left much to be desired—meaning it was standard—though it looked as if Alan had tried to keep it tidy. 'Tried' being the key word. William kicked off his sneakers and walked into the living room. It was sparse, but was furnished with the necessities: a second-hand couch, a big screen TV, a coffee table, and a gaming consul. The undesirables were also littering the room, such as dirty dishes, clothes and trash. William made some room then took a seat on the couch and pulled out his homework. Alan walked into the kitchen and called out, "Do you want anything to drink?"

  "What do you have?"

  "Water, milk, or soda."

  "I'll take some soda."

  "Cool." Alan came back into the room carrying two cans of orange soda. He handed one to William and took a seat next to him. They worked in silence for an hour, the only sound being the bubbling sizzle of their drinks. William coughed to break the tension as he laid his pen down. "Um… I'm done with the homework. Do you want to start the project?"

  Alan looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I can finish this later. Are you hungry? We could order something."

  William shook his head, "No, I should be getting back soon. I have other errands I need to do today. I was hoping we could just divide the work so I could take some home with me. We could meet up a couple of times throughout the week to check in to make sure we are progressing and meeting the deadlines."