A gas station was on the other side of the street. A man in a suit filled his BMW and an SUV containing a family pulled into the lot. A sign showing the services available hung above the station door: bathrooms, hot drinks, and which credit cards the station accepted. Below the sign was a pay phone.
Then Serenity remembered the small rectangular card in the back pocket of her jeans.
At the point of exhaustion, she ran across the road. Someone blasted their horn at her in protest, but she barely heard, focused intently on the phone and the rescue it promised.
Graffiti had been scrawled over the glass backing of the booth, but the phone was in one piece. She picked up the black, old-fashioned handset and her heart caught in her throat as a dial tone hummed down the line.
With her free hand, she fished in her back pocket for the card Officer James Bently had given her. She couldn’t locate the card and her heart raced once again, terrified she’d lost it, but then her fingertips touched its thin edge and her shoulders sagged in relief.
Serenity pulled the card from her pocket and as she did so a thin sliver of silver dropped to the ground. Her ‘Serenity’ necklace. Distracted, she bent and picked the jewelry up. Shoving the chain into her back pocket, she turned her attention to the card.
Officer Bently’s cell number.
Serenity dialed the number with shaking fingers, but in her rush she dialed wrongly, and was rewarded with the recorded operator’s voice telling her to hang up and try again.
“Fuck!” she swore. She slammed the phone back down and then she did as she’d been told.
This time the call went through and after two rings he answered, “Bently”.
“Help me,” she panted.
The police officer’s voice sounded in her ear. “Serenity? Is that you?”
“Yes. Yes, it’s me. Please, I need your help. Someone is trying to kill me. They’re chasing me.”
“Where are you?” he said, his voice immediately alert. “I’ll come and get you.”
“No.” Her mind was working. “I can’t stay here. Meet me at the pier. I’ll be at the pier.”
She hung up.
A plan was forming in her mind, but it was sketchy and dangerous. She hoped Sebastian was all right, and then she remembered what he’d said about one vampire not being able to kill another and prayed it was true. Sebastian said Madeline was stronger and faster than him, but he’d attacked her at the house and bought Serenity time. At least she could take comfort that even though Sebastian couldn’t kill Madeline, Madeline wouldn’t be able to kill him.
In the meantime, she hoped Sebastian had bought her enough time to get to where she needed to go.
She glanced around and saw the owner of the BMW in the gas station shop, picking through the top shelf magazines.
Not thinking of the consequences, she ran to the car, pulled open the door and slid onto the leather seat. As she expected, the keys poked out of the ignition.
She turned the keys and the engine roared to life. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the owner but he was so absorbed in his magazine, he didn’t even notice.
As she sped out of the lot, she imagined his surprise as he approached the cashier and tried to pay for gas for a car that wasn’t there.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Madeline’s head whipped around, lips pulled back from her deadly white teeth in a snarl. Sebastian’s hands locked around her throat, but his strength wouldn’t hold her for long.
Her long, pale fingers wrapped around his wrists, dragging his hands away.
Sebastian threw his body weight against her, at least hoping that would hold her for a minute, but her body felt like a bag full of tightly coiled snakes beneath him—all muscle—and she pushed him away.
She spun around, facing him, fury burning on her face.
“So this is what it’s come to, Sebastian? Us chasing your little bitch through the night because you haven’t got the sense to do as you’re told?”
“I’ll go with you now,” he snapped, trembling with fury. “Just leave her alone.”
She glared at him. “I don’t think so. You’ve been given enough opportunities to make your choice.”
Serenity didn’t stand a chance; she couldn’t hide from Madeline. But Sebastian had to wonder, did she even plan to hide?
Sebastian remembered what she’d said—how she thought she could stand it if they were both alone, still loving each other. She would rather they were apart than see either of them forced to be with someone they hated. Serenity was the one person who understood Sebastian’s position; after all, she’d been forced to live with a man she despised for so many years. She’d wanted to try to defeat Madeline and the thought of what she might be planning terrified him. He had no idea what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it wouldn’t work.
Sebastian felt utterly powerless. He wanted to tear Madeline’s throat out—would do anything to stop her going after Serenity—but one vampire couldn’t kill another. To kill another vampire was impossible; a prime rule written in the dark laws of their kind. An instinct written into their cells prevented them from committing such an act. If he tried to sink his teeth into her throat, his jaw would lock, his strength would melt away, and he would end up helpless until the urge to kill her faded.
He knew this because he’d tried many years ago.
Madeline sprang away from him, heading for the front door.
Serenity’s blood hung thick on the night air; the wound on her wrist fresh enough to make her whereabouts traceable. As soon as Madeline gave him the letter, with Serenity’s blood dribbled across the page, he had become focused on the scent.
“MADELINE!” Sebastian roared after her as she disappeared out of the door. The other vampire was already gone into the night, chasing the scent of blood Serenity left on the air.
Fear pulsed through him. If she found Serenity now, Madeline would tear her throat out. All of their games were over. Now was the time for action.
Sebastian took off after her.
Like a bloodhound on the scent of a fox, Madeline chased Serenity through the night, Sebastian hot on her tail.
In less than a minute, the trail took Madeline to the garage where Serenity had stolen the car. Sebastian followed close behind, but far enough away for her to ignore his presence. The other vampire’s focus lay solely on the hunt.
Madeline stood before the garage, hands on her hips. Sebastian stayed hidden on top of a building across the road, watching Madeline’s actions. He hoped to figure out where Serenity had gone and get ahead of Madeline.
The other vampire must have lost the trail, as he had, the metallic scent of blood merging with that of oil.
On the forecourt, a man stood shouting at a skinny, teenaged attendant.
“Where the fuck is my car?” he yelled, his hands held up. “What sort of fucking scam are you running here?”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out the reason for the lack of scent and the missing vehicle.
Madeline marched up to the attendant, picked him up by his shoulders and flung him across the lot. He hit one of the pumps and slid down, unconscious. She turned her attention to the slack jawed man in the suit, and grabbed him by the lapels.
“Where was it?” she hissed, showing her canines, her face horribly white under the harsh lights of the canopy.
“I...I don’t know what you mean?”
“Your car, you idiot. Where was your car?”
With a shaky hand, he pointed to pump number one.
Madeline dropped him and he stumbled away, his eyes never leaving the stunningly terrifying woman who had threatened him.
She headed to the pump and then, like a dog, got down on all fours, her lips drawn back, pulling the scent over her olfactory glands, sniffing the ground.
Sebastian, still watching, forced himself to hold back.
Where was Serenity headed? Her words rang in his ears, ‘Somewhere special.’
Only one location came to
mind, the same place she had taken him.
The pier.
Suddenly certain of where she was heading, Sebastian hoped he would reach her before Madeline picked up another scent.
Frustration and anger filled him, making him want to punch a hole in a wall.
Though furious at Madeline, he was also angry at Serenity. Did she think she could somehow fight Madeline? She would get herself killed.
Carefully, he backed away, hoping Madeline had forgotten about him. Madeline was so caught up in the hunt she’d failed to recall there might be another way to find Serenity; through Sebastian. With the vampire’s rejection of humanity, she had forgotten—with intimacy comes trust.
Sebastian moved as fast as possible.
He ran with breathtaking speed and grace, leaping across the narrower roads, over fences and through backyards. The vampire hit the San Diego freeway and jumped on top of moving cars, landing on the roofs, making the drivers glance up in surprise. Cars swerved as he moved from one to another.
Sebastian focused on finding Serenity, his brain buzzing with a desperate need to save her. Wind tore past his ears. The headlights of oncoming traffic threatened to blind him, to make him lose his footing, but he quickly gained ground.
Even at night, the lights from the city meant the sky was never totally dark.
As he headed down the Pacific Coast Highway, he saw the pier, delineated by strings of lights. The structure stretched out into the darkness of the ocean, colorful bulbs marking its boundary from the sea. The white moon reflected in ripples on the waves against the horizon.
Serenity was out there, he knew it.
Her vulnerability scared him, alone somewhere on the poorly lit structure, with a creature who wanted her dead hot on her trail.
The pier looked different from the last time they visited. Gone were the tourists, bright lights and music. Instead, silence settled over the structure and a bright yellow ‘Caution’ tape roped off the front entrance, warning people to stay out. Signs informed visitors of the pier now being a construction site, instructing that hard hats must be worn at all times. Huge pieces of machinery—a giant borer drilling machine, a couple of cement mixers and a huge flatbed truck with several steel girders, one hundred feet in length, resting on the back—were positioned at the end of the pier. The wharf was quiet now, the workmen long gone.
Sebastian wanted to call out for Serenity but held his tongue, afraid Madeline might be near. Instead, he used his sense of smell and followed the faint hint of iron on the still night air.
He stepped over the tape and onto the pier. It was strange seeing the place like this, so still and somehow exposed. Removing all the laughter and lights and music uncovered the place for what it really was—smoke and mirrors. Without people, the structure contained no life.
At a normal pace, a human pace, he walked down the length of the pier toward the machinery at the end.
Right at the end, on the right hand side, work had begun.
A huge metal cylinder had been sunk in the water, down into the bedrock. It ran parallel to the struts already supporting the pier. The existing struts couldn’t be removed; doing so would compromise the integrity of the pier and weaken it. Safer to add more support to what already existed. Several days earlier, the cylinder had been sunk and water pumped out of the huge metal tube. Embedded into the bedrock, the cylinder was now water tight. A ladder ran down the sheer internal wall, allowing the workmen access.
Sebastian didn’t care about the construction. His attention focused on the woman sitting on the back of the flatbed truck, her legs dangling over the end.
Serenity managed a shaken smile as he approached. “I knew you would come.”
“What the hell are you doing?” he said. “What if I hadn’t found you and Madeline did instead?”
She didn’t answer his question. Instead, she pushed herself off the flatbed and landed with her feet firmly on the ground. She walked up to him and took hold of his hand, focusing his attention. Her smile disappeared.
“Sebastian, you need to listen to me,” she said with urgency behind her voice. “And you need to trust me. She’ll be here soon and I want you to hide. When Madeline gets here, you need to promise me—promise me—you will wait until I call before you come out.”
Sebastian started to interrupt, but she held up her hand, stopping him.
“As soon as I call out, I want you to come and pull me out of the pipe, but not just me. You need to pull up the ladder, as well. Can you do that? Do you have the strength to rip the whole ladder up?”
“Yes, of course, but what are you planning?” he said, squeezing her hand, fear for her life encompassing him. “What the hell are you doing, Serenity? We need to get out of here.”
“Please, don’t even think about the reason for what you’re doing. You can’t think about it. Just do as I ask. I know this site, Sebastian. It was one of the contracts my old company was working on before I got fired. I know the construction and what materials are being used. It might not be much, but it’s something and I intend to use every advantage we have.”
“But...”
“Shut up, Sebastian,” she said. “I can’t always have someone looking after me. I need to do this for myself.”
“No. No, you...”
He stopped.
“She’s coming,” he hissed. “I can hear her.”
“Then go,” she said. “But please, do as I ask”
So he did.
The sound of the siren blaring above James Bently’s head gave him comfort. With confidence, he skillfully guided the car as traffic pulled to the side, allowing him through.
He headed across Lincoln Boulevard and hit a red light. The car in front didn’t budge. Some young guy had his music on so loud at first he didn’t hear the police siren behind him. Then his gaze flicked up to the rear view mirror to see the police officer staring back. Momentary panic flashed in his eyes before he pulled the car to the right.
After Serenity’s call came through, James told Dawson to go home. His partner did so willingly—Dawson had already been peeved from their trip to the hotel—and happily called it a night.
Heart racing, James sped through the city. Serenity’s terror had been apparent on the phone. She said someone was after her and James believed her.
So many questions raced through his mind. What the hell had happened at the hotel? He no longer questioned the possibility that someone else had disappeared from the room, but what she’d gotten herself involved with remained a mystery. He couldn’t explain much of what had happened—from how the glass in the bedroom had been broken, to how someone managed to shatter dozens of windshields in a matter of seconds and then disappear without a trace. If he didn’t know better, James would have thought he was chasing a ghost.
Something wasn’t right. He was afraid of what he might find when he eventually reached Serenity, as though some part of him had already seen his future and couldn’t quite comprehend it.
He wasn’t on duty anymore. If someone reported him driving through Los Angeles with his lights and siren on, because of a phone call from a woman he barely knew, he would be reprimanded.
Would he be doing this if the woman in question didn’t have big, dark eyes, or skin the color of cream? Everything about her made him want to protect and take care of her. It made him crazy that a woman like Serenity would stay with a husband who hurt her.
You’d do the same for anyone else in trouble, he told himself. He’d do exactly the same thing if Serenity was thirty years older or a man.
So why did his heart beat so hard and his palms leave a slick of sweat on the steering wheel?
James hoped he’d get to the pier before whoever was chasing her reached Serenity first.
The most obvious answer to all of this was her good-for-nothing husband. He’d come out of whatever hole he’d been hiding in and found where she was staying. James couldn’t explain how he’d broken the window in the hotel room, but Serenity must have
finally run from him. James refused to be another man who let her down.
The vehicle ate up the miles, the wail of the siren helping things along. The car sped down the Pacific Coast Highway and into the affluent area of Santa Monica. Within minutes, he headed down Colorado Avenue toward the pier. Before he got too close, James killed the siren.
Immediately, the silence struck him. He had forgotten the pier was closed for reinforcements and had expected the place to be covered in the usual throng of tourists and bright lights. Tonight, darkness settled over the structure. Only the thin strip of colored bulbs hanging along the edges offered any light.
A silver BMW sat abandoned at the entrance with its headlights left on. The bright halogens lit up the front part of the pier, revealing frozen pigs with saddles on their backs, and painted grins on their faces. The effect on the carousel was eerie and a shiver ran down his spine. He wasn’t a man who spooked easily, but after the events earlier, things had changed.
James pulled his patrol car up beside the BMW and got out. Everything remained quiet. He’d known work was taking place on the pier, but he hadn’t thought about it when Serenity gave him the place to meet. That wasn’t like him; he didn’t usually miss details. The sudden appearance of Serenity in his life seemed to be changing him.
He put his hand on his hip, reassured by the solid metal of his gun in its holster. He didn’t know if Serenity’s husband would be carrying, but he wasn’t going to take the risk of going out there unarmed.
With cautious but fast steps, James headed out onto the wharf, using the now dark and silent attractions as cover. The holster of his gun was unclasped, his fingers never far from the weapon. He scanned the area, searching for any place Serenity might hide. He wanted to call her name, but didn’t want to alert her husband to his location.
The silent amusements loomed over him; a clown’s maniacal face, a giant porcelain fortune teller with wide, staring eyes. James wished he’d called for backup.
Maybe Serenity hadn’t reached the pier yet? He did have the advantage of a police car and siren. If not for the abandoned BMW, he might have convinced himself he was alone.
Alone Page 20
