“Eva—you in there, girl? It’s me, Shaniqua—come on, they’re all waiting for you downstairs. Eva…”
“Alright…”Eva said, as she yanked open the door to stare, bleary eyed, at her friend. “…I’m up already.”
“Yeah, well not soon enough. The others have been waiting at least half an hour so I snuck away before the tall dark one came up and ripped your door off. He’s impatient, that one—they all are. They wanna get on the road so…”
“Believe me; no-one wants to go as badly as I do. Tell them I’ll be right there. I just need to freshen up a bit.”
“Okay but don’t take too long.” Shaniqua warned and received an angry glare for her efforts. “I’m just sayin, girl…”she told Eva as she left the room, calling after her, “I’ll go tell them you’re right behind me and…”
“No need.” Eva replied as she came running up behind Shaniqua.
“Wow—that was quick.”
“Yes, well, being a supernatural does have its perks so—let’s not keep the others waiting any longer.”
The two women practically ran down the long staircase, stopping just for a second to knock on the library door before entering the room.
“Sorry I’m late…” Eva stated as she stared around the room. “…someone…” she said looking directly at Shaniqua, “…should have called me sooner.”
“It’s alright, Evangeline…” Julian said as he looked up from a pile of papers scattered across a large antique mahogany desk, “…you obviously needed the rest—as we all did but, now that we’re all here, we need to get moving. Eva, since the last place you saw them was near Bryant Park, that’s where we’re headed. Do you agree?”
“Yes, Shaniqua and I lost them some distance away but the area around the park should be as good a place as any to pick up their scent.”
“Alright then, I have a car waiting outside. I’ve already booked a set of rooms at the Bryant Park Hotel in case our stay is longer than we planned. This affords a sanctuary for the vampires and also allows access to parking since any extra weaponry will be in the cars. Eva—do you have everything you need—guns, bullets, etc.?” Julian asked her.
“I have everything I need in my car,” she told him.
“Okay—Simon go and unload her car—transfer everything to mine.”
“Wait—that’s not necessary. I’ll just drive myself.”
“No—you won’t.” Julian said and saw immediately that he was going to have an argument on his hands as Eva’s hazel eyes glared back at him. “Listen to me, Eva. Shaniqua is staying behind and she may need a vehicle. I have many here at the mansion she’d be welcome to use but she may feel more comfortable with a car she’s used to. Also, we don’t want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves and a caravan of cars pulling up to the hotel will certainly do that. Besides we all need to stick together. We’ve no idea what we’re going to find when we get there and we already know we’re greatly outnumbered. We’ve already decided that the best we can hope for is a quick snatch and grab as soon as we figure out where they’re holding Rick and the others. Surely that makes sense to you, detective,” he said, his blue eyes watching Eva closely.
He saw her stare first at him then travel around the room. He could sense her distrust, especially when she looked at Christoff. We have to work together, he thought, Rick, Kate and Thomas will have no chance otherwise but how do I convince the she-wolf? “Eva…” he said, walking around the desk to stand directly in front of her. “…I realize you barely know any of us and some of us…” he said casting a quick glance in Christoff’s direction, “…make a bad first impression.”
“What?” Christoff asked when he realized Julian was referring to him, “…I like the woman. She’s alright—for a wolf.”
“Thank you for that declaration, Christoff…” Julian replied, but relaxed a little when he saw Eva smile, “…I’m sure Eva appreciates it. My point being we all want the same thing here—the safe return of our friends and, truth be told, I was hoping to form an alliance based on friendship and mutual admiration with Eva and her pack when this is all said and done—if you’re willing, that is,” he said to Eva.
Eva was a little surprised by Julian’s statement. He was right, they barely knew each other. How did he know they could even work together? Her only priority was Rick. Yes, she would help them save their friends if the opportunity presented itself but Rick was the only reason she’d sought any of them out. She’d see how things went before she’d commit herself and her pack to any future alliance—but—she was willing to keep an open mind. “We’ll see how things go, Mr. Reynold’s—anything is possible.”
“Fair enough. Christoff can you step outside and brief the guards? I want this place locked down tight while we’re away.” Christoff nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye. “Sonya…” he said to the beautiful blond who was preparing to follow the Dark Vampire outside, “…a word before you go.” She nodded and the two of them, along with Adrianna, stepped out into the foyer. Julian returned in few minutes. “I guess that covers everything. Eva, since they’re transferring your extra weapons to my car they’ll also supply you with holy water and some blessed wafers. We made a visit to St. Mary’s church this morning and helped ourselves to what we needed.”
“St. Mary’s—wasn’t that …” Eva started to say.
“Rick’s church…” Adrianna finished for her, “…yes, it was. It’s the least the church can do for him.”
“I see. Alright, I’ll use those things if I have to but you do understand that we can’t kill them—at least not the hounds or their mistress? And I don’t need any holy object to kill a werewolf.” Eva said.
“I’m well aware of all of that.” Julian told her. “We may not be able to kill them but the objects from the church can maim and cause extreme pain. Call it a little poetic justice for Rick.” Julian told her.
“Hmm, I’m beginning to like the way you think, Julian Reynold’s.” Eva said, receiving a breathtaking smile in return.
“Alright, then, if there’s nothing else, I’ll meet you at the car in a few minutes.” Julian said.
Eva and Shaniqua walked outside to find Christoff, Simon and Lucian, already inside the sleek black Lincoln. Julian came out a few minutes later obviously saying his goodbyes to his wife in private as Christoff had done with Sonya. He held the car door open for Eva but before she could climb inside she was grabbed by Shaniqua and crushed in a bear hug that nearly knocked the breath out of her.
“Shani—I-can’t—breathe,” she managed to whisper.
Shaniqua released her friend but not before giving Eva some final orders, “You listen to me, baby girl, you take care of yourself and you come back to me in one piece. Stay safe—don’t take any unnecessary chances—and watch your back—you hear me?”
“I hear you, Shani.” Eva replied and kissed her friend lightly on the cheek. “You take care, too.”
“Don’t you worry about me— I got it covered here.” Shaniqua replied as she motioned with her head to Samuel who was standing beside her.
“Take care of her for me, Samuel—and watch her—she can be a handful.”
“I’ll do my best, mam,” the butler replied with a smile.
Eva climbed into the car, followed by Julian. She leaned forward slightly so she could see around Julian to wave to Shaniqua. As she did her eyes were drawn to a large window in the tall tower room on the far corner of the mansion. Adrianna stood there watching them leave, her hand waving slightly when she saw Julian glance upwards. Eva wasn’t sure but she thought she noticed a glistening of moisture in his blue/grey eyes before Julian turned his head away from her.
She leaned back in her seat feeling a little guilty for separating two people who, for a short time at least, had been trying to live a normal life after the nightmare of the past year. If she hadn’t com
e to Winwood Julian would be at home now, with Adrianna, safe and sound. Instead they were all charging forward into the unknown and God only knew if any of them would return. But it’s not just Rick who needs our help. They have friends in trouble, too. That was when Eva realized that Julian and the others would be making this very same trip even if she hadn’t come knocking upon their door. They would have started searching for their friends the minute they’d found out they were missing. At least together, they might have a better chance at succeeding.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, dozing off for most of the ride to New York. She awakened just as they were pulling into the parking deck near the Bryant Park Hotel.
“We’re here—everyone load up.” Julian said, “Take as much as you can comfortably carry, the rest stays in the car. I’ll run inside and check us in. When I return we’ll head over to the park and Eva—you can take us to the spot where you last laid eyes on those hounds. Let’s just hope they’re still in the area.”
“They’re here—I can sense it—and what better place to hide than in New York City. All we need is someone—or something—to point us in the right direction.” Eva said.
Chapter 21
The Forty Second Street entrance to Grand Central Terminal was gorged with pedestrians flowing through the glass doors and into the wide domed expanse of one of New York’s architectural wonders. Mia Williams squeezed her petite body between two Japanese businessmen that were moving much to slow for her liking as she raced across the polished floor of the main concourse, book laden backpack in tow. Mia made the commute from her mother’s Central Park West apartment complex to St. Ann’s School in Brooklyn twice a day, five days a week.
She ran towards the departure board to check the times, her eyes scanning down the listings until she found the one she needed. Usually she took the green line express straight into Brooklyn but not today. Today was different—today she had other plans. Mia had met Tommy, a Justin Bieber look-a-like, late last summer and their budding romance had flourished ever since. But lately school and distance had put a strain on their relationship and she needed to see him to make sure things were still good between them.
Mia had called him two days ago and, after a shouting match over the phone and several shed tears, she’d convinced him to meet her at the Danbury Station so they could spend the day together. She felt the familiar flutter in the pit of her stomach at the thought of seeing him again. She glanced again at the board, noting the gate number and time of the Metro North’s departure to Danbury before scurrying off to meet the train.
Along the way she spotted a Starbuck’s and stopped, checking her watch as she stood near the back of the long line of customers waiting for their daily caffeine fix. Although the line snaked its way out of the store and into the lobby she was sure she had enough time to pick up her favorite drink, a venti Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Two stories below the exact spot where Mia was standing was the sub-basement of the terminal. Here, among a river of pipes and cables, inside a fog of cobwebs and dust, was a poorly lit hallway leading to one of the most mysterious destinations in the city. Room M42, a cavernous room descending down for three more stories, had a long and notorious history shrouded in intrigue and mythology. For the record books, M42 was documented as the place where the AC and DC Converters were kept—but that was the official explanation.
In actuality, M42 was so much more. The mysterious room was the best kept secret in the city. Hitler himself had tried to infiltrate it during the fall of the Nazi empire. He’d sent two emissaries there with special orders to search and capture—but search and capture what, that was the question? In the end it really didn’t matter because their orders were never fulfilled. The emissaries were intercepted and never heard from again—much like their Fuhrer.
The large room was divided in half by a wide concourse—one side held the current convertor grid while the other side of the room held the old convertor system. Near the back of the room and along the far wall was a steel door. When opened, the secrecy and mythology of M42 melted away and the true purpose of the room was revealed to all who entered.
The door was the entryway to a maze of narrow tunnels which were lined with old rusted pipes and shrouded in cobwebs. No matter which path you chose to follow, they all led to the same destination—another door, much larger and far more intimidating than the last one. If you were brave enough to enter here, you’d find yourself descending three marble steps that led you down into a large reception area where a perky little blond was seated behind an oversized desk made of polished oak. She was talking on one of a dozen phones whose lines were continuously blinking red—on and off—on and off—like a strobe light at one of New York City’s multitude of nightclubs. Their constant ringing was enough to push even the most patient person over the edge but the receptionist answered each one in an efficient, professional manner, her speed bordering on super-human.
“No, he’s not in. I’m sorry but I don’t know the answer to that question. Would you like to leave a message? Hold please, I have to take a call on the other line. Hello—can you hold please?”
Behind the desk was a floor to ceiling replica of Michelangelo’s The Fall of Man, or was it the original—no-one really knew. Off to the right there was a wall of televisions broadcasting news from around the world from networks like the BBC, CNN, Telemundo and Aljazeera. To the left was a mosaic of a pentagram, its shape resembling that of a large antique compass. At the tip of each of its five points was written the name of one of the world’s major cities; New York, Moscow, Cairo, Beijing and Mumbai.
The rest of the room was a cluster of oxblood leather chairs, teakwood tables and humidors stocked with Cuban cigars. The latest editions of People, Entertainment and Rolling Stone magazines were scattered haphazardly at different locations throughout the room.
The wall directly across from the desk was actually a large arch where ten more marble steps lead the way down into a cavernous expanse. On the far wall of this cave-like area, carved from living rock, was a ghoulish depiction of dozens of women writhing in torment. Near the ceiling of this same wall was the painting of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse bearing down on the figures below them as the tortured souls sprang to life in a futile attempt to escape their granite prison.
To the right of this perverse example of artwork was a large crater, its rocky sides spiraling down—down—down—in an endless set of jagged steps that led into a black abyss. The crater was guarded by a creature standing over seven feet tall with the body of a man and the head of a bull. The Minotaur had horns at least three feet in width and a nose that was pierced with a large gold ring of fire. In one hand the creature held a giant cattle prod and in the other, a long whip which was used to threaten any that would dare to approach the area the beast was sworn to protect.
A handful of werewolves, pitiful representations of the newborns created by Robert Stephenson’s lust for blood, scrounged around in the darkness for the meager scraps of food tossed to them by their master.
Back in the reception area, the black hellhound, himself, was seated in a leather chair puffing on a freshly lit cigar. His enjoyment of the brutality exhibited by his creations bordered on the obscene as he watched one scraggily beast tear into another while they fought over one tiny scrap of human flesh.
“Robert show a little compassion. If you’re not going to feed the poor creatures then rip their throats out and put an end to their suffering. It’s much more—humane. After all we’re not animals.” Lilith chuckled at her witty remark. She was curled up in a chair opposite the hound filing her perfectly shaped nails with a silver khukuri knife, the handle of which was wrapped in dried human flesh to protect the demon holding it from the pure silver from which it was made. The demon glanced quickly at her designer watch, shifting impatiently in her chair. Come on Roman—I’ve been waiting an eternity to see my prize, she thought to hersel
f as she started to file her other hand.
Suddenly, a low moan was heard coming from a darkened corner of the large room. Kate St. John was on her knees trying hard to revive a still unconscious Thomas. The lovely redhead was showing signs of strain after what they’d just been through. Her once pristine dress was in tatters, her face soiled and streaked from the tracks of escaped tears she’d been trying desperately not to shed in front of these monsters. “Thomas…” she whispered as she caressed his cheek with a broken finger nail after using it to gauge at the arm of the hellhound earlier, “…please wakeup. Come on baby, I need you.”
But Thomas, his breathing shallow and weak, lay unmoving in the darkness on the floor where Robert had dropped him. His handsome face was pale—almost lifeless; a ring of bruises encircled his neck from Lilith’s brutal attack. He was alive but just barely and Kate realized that if it hadn’t been for the stranger that had stopped Lilith’s attack—Thomas would surely be dead. “Please Thomas…” she pleaded as she kissed him lightly on the cheek, “…wake up.”
“Bloody hell, woman—would—you—please—stop that incessant whining!” Lilith screamed at Kate, “Between the phones and your constant babbling I can’t hear myself think.” Irritated by Kate’s pleas, the demon hurled the khukuri across the room, missing the redhead by mere inches as it glanced off the mosaic wall in an explosion of sparks then slid across the polished floor.
“Where the hell is Roman? I want this whole mess over and done with so I can leave this realm with all of its sniveling humans. Please honey this and God help me that—you’re species is so pathetic.” she shouted, her red eyes glaring at Kate. “You think you have something to whine about well, honey, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. I’m just getting started. When I’m through with you and your puny little boyfriend you’ll both be praying for some divine intervention.”
Kate turned on Lilith, grief and anger making her much bolder than she should have been given their present circumstances. “You don’t know anything about us you demon bitch,” she said as she hovered in the darkness. “You can’t get rid of us that easily. Your friend Dragone found that out first hand.”
A Soul in Torment Page 40
