Drawing Down the Mist

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  She shook out her hands as if that would banish any lingering memories and dropped them to the keyboard. Her fingers were flying across the keyboard when Eli burst through her door unannounced. As much as she appreciated his good work, at times she could cheerfully put a stake through his heart. She didn’t only because the unshakable loyalty of those like Eli occurred rarely. Though she wouldn’t tell him, she valued him.

  “Closed doors mean knock before entering.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She wondered when he’d reverted to such sloppy speech. She had taken great pains to turn him into the model of a high-born assistant. Her education plan had taken him all over the world to mix with those of the highest pedigree. For the most part, her training had been highly successful, and the farm-boy beginnings had been shed like the skin of a snake. It struck her now that in recent years he sounded more like the kid from a public high school that he’d actually been. She didn’t like it. They would talk about it once this was behind them. She’d worked too hard on making him over to have him revert to that boy on the tractor.

  “The word is ‘yes,’ not ‘yeah.’” She lifted her hands from the keyboard and leaned back in her chair, gazing at him. “Tell me.”

  He was frowning. “She’s gone. The writer, she’s gone.”

  She couldn’t have heard him correctly. To have lost track of the woman already was unthinkable. “No.”

  “Yes.” At least he paid attention to her rebuke and was once again speaking correctly. “By the time the boys arrived, the house was empty.”

  Fury roiled inside her. This wasn’t good. The woman had stumbled onto information she had no business possessing, and it was imperative that they shut her down before she did damage with it. The “boys,” as they all referred to them, were twin brothers turned about a hundred and fifty years ago. They’d been big, tough, and mean as humans. Dumb as rocks too. As vampires…well, the enhancements had made them two of her most prized possessions. They always acted as directed. They never questioned. They always delivered results. At least they did until tonight. “This is not acceptable.”

  “Before you go into crazy mode…”

  She whirled on him. How dare he say such a thing to her! Her expression would chill even the hardiest, but it didn’t seem to faze him, which made her even angrier. In fact, a smile played at the corners of his lips. His gall was unbelievable. Some day he was going to take it too far. Her fingers curled until they drew blood in her palms.

  He held up a hand, and his smile disappeared as his expression turned serious. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say crazy. Let me explain. We have a plan and it’ll work. Trust me. Not only that…” He hurried on before she could say anything. “I have another surprise for you.”

  “I’m not in the mood for any more of your surprises. So far, I’m less than impressed. This night is turning into a disaster that we can ill afford.”

  This time the wattage of his smile was sunshine bright. “You’re going to love this one.”

  “Impress me, then.”

  “We found her.”

  Chapter Five

  Sasha simply waited next to the massive tree with her hands folded in front of her. Soon enough, as she knew it would, the tree began to move. Well, not exactly the tree. More like the base of the tree began to shift until a door appeared beside it. Expertly set into the ground next to the pine, it opened to reveal a set of dimly lit descending steps. In all her long years, this was the most interesting abode she had ever seen, and every time she came here it made her smile. Who would even think of something like this? Even though she knew it was here, she was still amazed every time at how it blended into the landscape and kept its existence a secret.

  If only they’d had something like this when it all went south in Russia, her family might have survived. And she might have died an old woman decades ago.

  The wind blew, and drops of rain began to kiss her face. June in this area meant anything goes. It could be eighty with clear blue skies or fifty with pouring rain. Unpredictable was a fact of life, and one she didn’t mind. It reminded her of home, where spring could be elusive and winter could be a real bitch, and she suspected it had a lot to do with why she’d stayed here longer than was her style. Today Mother Nature was flexing her muscles. Instead of encouraging the hope of sunny swims in the lake, it was suggesting light jackets and umbrellas.

  For her, the gentle wind and the kiss of the raindrops were refreshing. She could remember frolicking in rainstorms with her sisters until their outerwear was soaked through and the servants herded them back inside. They’d sit in front of the fire drying out while sipping fragrant tea and eating sweet, buttery biscuits. Those had been magical, wonderful times. Tonight she was herding herself inside, but being alone didn’t lessen the smile that the memories brought to her lips.

  The secret door widened enough for her to step in, and as she moved downward, it closed silently behind her. The lights stayed bright enough for her to descend safely, not that she required the assistance. One of the perks of her altered state was that she could move easily in the most complete darkness. For one who’d been afraid of the dark as a child, it was a welcome skill.

  At the bottom of the steps in a space big enough for three or four people stood yet another door—large and made of impenetrable gray steel. More than once she’d wondered how exactly the maker got this massive door down here. Then again, with the magic she’d seen Rodney wield, she shouldn’t be surprised he could get a door this size in a hidden space.

  As she’d done aboveground, she stood in front of the door and waited. The cameras, cleverly concealed both outside and here at the landing, made sure no one passed through uninvited. She had a standing invitation to this place, which was not to be confused with free access. No, each and every person who passed through this door did so only with specific permission every single time. So far it had never been denied. In a moment, she heard a faint click, and the door popped open. She stepped through, permission granted.

  The room beyond the steel door was filled with light and warmth, in direct contrast to the severe outer vestibule. She took off her coat and hung it on the hook to the right of the door. Next she slipped off the shoulder holster the well-tailored coat hid and hung it on a second hook right next to her coat. In the truest sense of the word, this was a safe place where she didn’t need handguns loaded with custom silver bullets.

  “About time you got here, sister.”

  Rodney Cornell rounded a corner chomping on a carrot and looking as he always did—tall, lean, and hairy. The last part never failed to stop her, because with his waist-length brown hair and the shaggy beard that reached his chest, he reminded her of someone from another time and place. His personality, on the other hand, wasn’t even close to that ghost of the past, and that’s what made it easy to forget the uncanny resemblance. For a guy who made it his mission to be a phantom in every sense of the word, he was upbeat and caring. Well, to be more precise, he was upbeat and caring to those he allowed into his world, and to the best of her knowledge, those people, like herself, were quite small in number. Sasha was grateful to be one of them.

  Her inclusion in his circle was entirely accidental. She’d saved his life, and their deep connection had been born from that moment in time. It was a strange partnership: one off-the-grid computer genius and one vampire. Yet, it worked for them, and no one in the world made her feel as safe as Rodney did. Any other human, that is. Most of the vampires in her particular orbit were relatively trustworthy, although she’d be hard-pressed to say they all were. She had her doubts about a few of them.

  “Had some things to take care of. More stuff going on. I’m here now.”

  He chomped on the carrot for a second as he nodded. “Yeah, got that one, Sherlock. Was gonna reach out to you again, tell you to get your ass out here, but as usual, you beat me to it. Someday you’re gonna have to teach me that trick. You know what I’m sayin’?”

  That trick was something she would
never share with him. Just as doctors lived by a “do no harm” rule, she lived by the “turn no human” rule. Not once in all her years had she turned a single soul. Had she killed anyone? Yes. She had no lingering guilt over most, and only a very few had left black marks on her soul.

  “What else have you picked up since we talked?” She left the entryway and followed him back the way he’d come. This place was amazing, and from topside no one would have even the slightest hint of its existence. From the vestibule-type entry where the big steel door dominated, the bat-cave, as Rodney referred to it, opened up into a massive underground kingdom. He’d given her the grand tour on her first visit. She’d been impressed then and wasn’t any less impressed now with its three bedrooms, a huge bathroom, a stainless-steel kitchen any chef would love, and a comfortable great room area. The shining jewel of the great room was the command center that NASA would covet. Rodney could rule the world from that place.

  In many ways he did.

  He plopped into the worn chair that squeaked in protest and whirled toward the wall of monitors. “Besides the powers-that-be mobilizing, there’s unease everywhere, sister.”

  “It’s starting.”

  His hands were flying over the keyboard, and pictures flitted across the multiple screens. His vision was almost vampiric, as she knew he was taking it all in as quickly as she was. She wouldn’t ever need to turn him; he already possessed super powers. “The last week has been bubbling.”

  None of this really surprised her. It had been coming for decades, if not centuries. “They’re getting themselves into position.”

  He leaned back in his chair and turned his face toward hers. “I think they’re doing more than getting into position.”

  His words made the hair stand up on the back of her neck. “What do you mean?”

  One eyebrow came up. “Don’t tell me you missed the biggie? That’s not like you, Sash.”

  Now her stomach dropped. “Missed what? Don’t screw with me, Rodney.”

  “Weldon Kramer went down last week.” Those words rendered her speechless. “You know what that means.” He wasn’t asking her a question.

  She answered him anyway. “They’re coming after me.”

  ***

  “You really think this is a good idea?” Dee was in the passenger’s seat of Prima’s compact all-wheel-drive car, staring out the window at the rain beginning to fall.

  “What’s a little rain?”

  “Not the rain as much as the drinking wine and then driving halfway to Canada.”

  Prima laughed. “I’m pretty sure one small glass of wine two hours ago before we ate dinner won’t send us crashing into a ditch, and we’re not going anywhere close to Canada.”

  Perhaps she’d exaggerated a little, though they were heading north quite a ways. As for the wine? She had a point. Not only were the glasses of wine they’d had pretty small, but they’d both been hungry enough to plow through big plates of pasta, salad, and garlic bread. She didn’t feel even a hint of the alcohol. Still, as she gazed at the rain and the rapidly disappearing lights of the city, unease fluttered in her stomach. Staying at the house would have been a far better idea than their current endeavor.

  “I know. It’s just…”

  Prima patted her hand. “Trust me on this one. You’re going to love this twist.”

  “I still think you’re full of it.”

  “Really? I hear some doubt creeping into your voice.”

  “Vampires don’t exist.” She was holding onto that belief like a drowning woman clutching a life preserver. Imre. Katrina.

  “You’re kind of disappointing me here, Dee. You creative types are supposed to have big open minds. How come yours is suddenly closed like a steel trap?”

  As a humanities torchbearer she had always considered herself very open-minded. When Prima threw out the V-word, she’d be lying if she said her mind hadn’t closed. She liked folktales as much as the next person but kept circling back to the idea they were based on realities that people of the time didn’t understand. Vampires didn’t just rise from the grave. Vampires didn’t rise at all because they simply didn’t exist.

  “I’m as open as they get,” she said. Sounded a little hollow even to her.

  “Not from where I’m sitting.”

  “Just keep your eyes on the road.”

  Prima laughed. “Rodney’s going to love you.”

  “Rodney?”

  “Our host for the night and one of my best friends. I met him the second day I moved here with my family, when I was in the third grade. We’ve been pals ever since.”

  Dee was a little jealous. Her family had moved constantly, as her father was a career diplomat. In many ways it had been exciting and cool to live all over the world and even graduate from the American high school in Venezuela. That early nomadic lifestyle experience had provided her with so much material for her novels, and she was certain it had helped propel her to success. It also played into her desire to write the very different vampire novel. Every culture they lived in had its own version of the vampire myth, and it gave her tons of material to work with.

  At the same time, such a background had caused her to be very insular. She’d made friends and still had them, but she didn’t have the tight connection of someone she’d gone through all stages of life with. Her friends were the ones she’d spend two or three years hanging with before moving to another place, another country, and another life. It would be amazing to have a friendship that spanned decades. It was also why she still lived in Spokane. She’d come here to attend Eastern Washington University and stayed after graduation. It was the longest she’d ever lived in one place, which made it feel like home. With enough money to live anywhere in the world, she’d chosen this eastern Washington city.

  “Your friend Rodney’s going to prove that vampires exist?”

  “Oh, he so is.”

  “We’ll see.”

  She doubted it, despite Prima’s supreme confidence. For half an hour they rode in companionable silence. When Prima turned the car off the highway onto a tree-lined dirt road, her doubts about this adventure surged right back up. If they didn’t get stuck on the rutted road that was turning into mud, she’d be surprised. Actually, what surprised her more was when Prima made another turn that took them to a sort of makeshift parking area where one vehicle already sat dark and empty.

  “What are we doing here?” Her previous opinion of a crazy trip was now fully reinforced.

  Prima was out of the car already and had opened the back door to retrieve her jacket. “We have to walk from here. Might want to pull up your hood, or your fancy do is going to get wet.”

  Dee got out and looked around. Raindrops kissed her face, and a cool breeze made her shiver. She couldn’t see much. It was inky dark, with only a bit of moon to cut through the darkness and the light rain. “Are you nuts? We’ll kill ourselves out here.” The getting-wet part didn’t much bother her. The tripping and falling on her face did.

  “Now you know why I told you to wear your boots.”

  “Seriously, Prima, this is insane.”

  Prima came around the car, handing her the jacket she’d put in the back seat earlier. “Put this on, zip up, and let’s go. Moonlight’s wasting.”

  “We’ll get lost.” She pulled up the hood and was immediately grateful for the warmth and protection from the rain, which was picking up as they stood there talking.

  “No, we won’t.”

  “It’s too dark.”

  “No, it’s not.” Prima held out a headlamp, and only then did she notice that Prima already wore one on her head.

  “This is crazy,” she muttered as she pulled the hood back so she could put the headlamp on.

  “You’re overusing that word, and for a writer…shame on you. Don’t be a big baby. Now, suck it up, buttercup. Let’s go.” Prima took off at a jog.

  Dee blew out a breath and followed her, the light on her head bouncing off the thick trees that swallowed them
as they moved farther and farther away from the car.

  ***

  “What did you just say?” Katrina didn’t have to ask who her was and was certain she’d heard him wrong. She’d been searching for her for almost a century. The fact that she hadn’t been able to track her created an angst that never got better. She had been sensing lately that they were closing in on her and had been optimistic they were going to find her, but to actually hear him say it was like a dream.

  Eli’s smile continued to grow. “We pinpointed her location.”

  “Where?” They already had plans in motion, and while she couldn’t afford distractions, she would make an exception.

  “Well, that’s the interesting part. She’s just across the mountains. Same place the boys are currently working.”

  Spokane. What would she be doing there? That didn’t make sense. She would have sensed if they were that close to each other. After all, she was her maker, and that kind of bond was special. Besides, it was an unlikely place to live, unlike Katrina’s choice of Seattle. That city made sense for many reasons. Its climate was nice, while frequently overcast, giving her more freedom to move about. It was a major city, providing every resource she could possibly need. The plan was to hit all the major cities, Seattle being the first because Katrina would lead the charge. Everyone in the Consortium followed her lead, even the old ones. She’d earned the right to be in charge and didn’t plan to ever give it up.

  If what Eli was telling her was true, it might call for a slight change in strategy. That move would be easy enough to justify for a couple of reasons. First, Spokane was the location for the home office of Imperial Investigations. That was important because Imperial was a front for a counteroffensive of vampires that had to be eliminated. No one had been able to get close to the head of the corporation for years. Every time they did, the company moved, forcing Katrina to start over. If they worked quickly now, Imperial wouldn’t have time to evade them. She would be able to take them all down quick and easy.