“Crystal.” This should be interesting. She tapped the fingers of her free hand against the steering wheel.
“Sasha, I’m sorry, so sorry.”
She would have told her to go to hell, except for what Crystal said next. It shocked her into silence. She listened, and after she ended the call, she shook her head and smiled. All of a sudden she was, as a couple of her best protection detail operatives liked to say, locked and loaded. The decades of preparation were about to pay an unexpected dividend. She hoped so, anyway. She’d also learned along the way that no matter how well prepared a person was, complications could always throw the best-laid plans into turmoil.
“Who was that?”
“One of the traitors.”
“Traitors?”
Sasha realized Dee hadn’t been privy to the information Rodney had shared with her. “Two of my top employees were in bed with the Consortium, and that’s how they found me.”
“That’s fucked up.” Dee was staring at her with a look of determination and perhaps a bit of outrage. She liked the feeling of camaraderie it created.
“It most certainly is, but fortunately one of them has more of a heart than greed. They paid them a lot of money to turn on me, and the one who just called, Crystal, said it felt like blood money that left her feeling dirty. She just gave me the location of the other traitor. I’ll deal with him later.”
“What about Crystal?”
Sasha wasn’t sure. She still believed Crystal was good at her core. She didn’t usually extend second chances, that was an invitation to death. However, these were extraordinary times and called for extraordinary measures. “I’ll figure that out after we deal with the Consortium.”
“If you say so. But what can we do now to stop this?” She pointed out the window.
Sasha turned to look at her. Crystal and Rory had already shaken her trust. Then again, she’d always had a touch of hesitation with those two, particularly Rory, and that was her bad. She should have paid more attention to her misgivings. But maybe the woman sitting in the passenger’s seat actually had her back. She hoped she was right and not just mistaking lust for trust. Then again, sometimes a person had to go with blind faith.
“You have to understand the landscape.”
“So enlighten me. I think you’ll find I’m sharp enough to follow.”
“I have no doubt of that.” In the little bit of time they’d been together, it was easy to pick up on the intelligence that had certainly helped Dee become a successful writer. “It goes something like this. The Consortium is made up of Elders who rule the vampire world together. One for all and all for one. It is the Consortium that has declared war on the humans. They already possess vast wealth and power, only it’s not enough. They want everything.”
“How do we fight them?”
“If all goes well, it won’t be a long battle because they don’t know I’ve been watching them since the day I escaped my maker, and I too have been making plans. For every move they’ve made, I’ve counter moved. My father liked to play chess and taught me well. I’ve used those lessons to gain the greatest advantage and have a couple of surprises up my sleeve. I’ll be the one declaring checkmate.”
***
Dee’s fear faded as excitement set in. Something about the way Sasha talked instilled more confidence than fright in her, despite what she was seeing the farther into the city they got. She caught motion out of the side of her eye that made her turn and look. Two young men, pale and dressed in the typical jeans and hoodies favored by the young, were racing toward them right now. As they’d talked while parked at the curb, the two had come out of Riverpark Square, their heads moving right and left as if searching. It became clear that’s what they were doing because the moment they spied them sitting in the car, they jerked around and began running toward them. The speed with which they moved rivaled any world-class race.
“Go, go, go,” Dee said with an urgency that made her heart beat fast. She didn’t think Sasha had noticed them yet.
Sasha had to have heard her, yet instead of putting the car in gear and driving away, she opened the door and got out. She was wrong about Sasha not noticing. With her feet slightly apart and her back straight, Sasha stared at the two men as they ran directly at her. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch.
“Sasha!” Good God. What was she doing? If she got killed, Dee didn’t even want to consider what would happen next.
“Stay in the car,” Sasha snapped without turning to look at her.
No shit. Dee had felt brave and all when she stood up and said she was coming out here with Sasha. Now that she was here and watching death race toward her, bravery flew right out the window. No way was she getting out of the car, and in fact she hit the door locks. The click made her jump, and it occurred to her that as she’d locked herself in, she’d locked Sasha out. She started to hit the button again and then stopped. She could quickly unlock the door for Sasha, but if this went south, they were going to have to work hard to get to her.
The two reached Sasha in only a few seconds, yet it seemed like the scene was playing out in slow motion. Sasha held out her arms as if inviting them in for an embrace, and it struck Dee as both odd and surreal. The embrace didn’t happen. Instead she grabbed them by their hair and smashed their heads together. Both of the men had at least six inches on her and should have been bigger and stronger than Sasha. They weren’t, and she crushed their heads as easily as if they were overripe tomatoes. Dee choked down the bile that rose in her throat.
She figured Sasha would return immediately to the car once the men dropped like rag dolls to the pavement. Instead, she pulled a wicked-looking knife from some pocket inside her coat, knelt down, and plunged it first into the taller man’s heart and then into the second guy’s. She wiped the blood off on the last guy’s shirt and returned it to the invisible pocket. Only then did she turn around and start walking back to the car.
Dee stared. This had to be some long, dark nightmare. She’d never seen anything like that. No way could any of it be real. At the car, Sasha pulled on the door handle and, when it didn’t open, rapped softly on the window. The sound shook Dee out of her mini trance, and she hit the button to release the locks. The click sounded, and Sasha opened the door. She dropped into the driver’s seat. Without saying anything, she turned the key still in the ignition and brought the car to life.
As they pulled away from the curb and the crumpled bodies grew small, Dee reached over and put a hand on her arm. Yup, it was real. No nightmare. Sasha turned her head to gaze into Dee’s eyes. It was as if she could read her mind. “This is really happening. Everything you thought you knew and understood is gone. You won’t be able to return to the world you lived in before.”
“A girl can hope.” She kept her hand on Sasha’s arm. She really wanted to believe this was a momentary madness.
Sasha turned her eyes back to the road. “Before this is over, we’re going to need that hope, but you have to redirect it. We have to hope my plans work, or we’re all going down.”
Dee didn’t have a clue what she meant, and it didn’t sound great. Sasha kept alluding to some great plan. The problem was she wasn’t coming clean with what it was. Dee didn’t feel very confident.
Still, sitting with her hand on Sasha’s arm and feeling the strength in it kept total despair at bay. Now that they were away from the two bodies, she could think more clearly about what Sasha had actually done, and it was simple. She had saved Dee’s life. Those two were planning to do to her what she’d seen done to some when they were out earlier today. It hadn’t been pretty.
“Thank you.” She took her hand away from Sasha’s arm at last, though she didn’t want to. Instead, she wanted to move closer, hold her hand, anything to simply be near her. Something about Sasha was like a siren’s call, and she didn’t want to resist. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone, and sure as heck not in the middle of a world war. Then again, this wasn’t exactly the kind of worl
d war anyone—well, anyone human—was expecting. A nuclear bomb, perhaps from a hostile country, but certainly not a tsunami of vampires taking out her friends and neighbors.
“For what?”
“For saving me.”
“I need you.”
Sasha’s comment was short and to the point. No emotion, nothing personal. Dee didn’t think she really intended it that way. Buried deep in those three words was something much more, and it warmed her heart. If she survived this ordeal, she was pretty sure there was a book in it somewhere. In the middle of end of days, people being killed, her understanding of the world forever changed, she was excited, all because of this one woman. Nobody would believe it, but all this would make one hell of a novel. It would be even better if it made one hell of a life.
“I’ve got your back.” Dee’s courage was returning, even if what she’d just seen made her shake from head to foot.
“Thank you.” Sasha finally turned and gave her a quick, meaningful look. It made her warm all over. She sat up straighter in her seat.
Dee took a couple deep, steadying breaths. “What’s up with the knife? I thought you had to use a wooden stake to kill vampires. That’s what they do in all the movies and books.” It was a good idea to get back on neutral ground before she said or did something totally inappropriate. Of course, she wasn’t all that sure what constituted inappropriate behavior with a vampire.
“Don’t believe what you see and read in fiction. For the most part it’s a lot of crap. Folktales have a kernel of truth in them, though. Where it goes astray is that what gets written down leaves out most of the facts. A wooden stake does work very efficiently. A silver knife in the heart also does the trick. Easier to carry around a silver knife. Easier to kill with a knife.”
“I thought silver killed werewolves. Oh, wait, are there werewolves too?” She’d been so amazed at finding out the reality of vampires that she hadn’t given thought to any of the other preternatural creatures she liked to read about. It couldn’t be true. The world couldn’t have that much going on around them without anybody knowing about it.
Sasha nodded slightly, dispelling her belief that there wasn’t more to learn. “Beyond the mist that obscures your view you will find another world filled with beings that defy human understanding. More than vampires are waiting for their turn to be seen and heard. There are many, and you can be certain they’re all watching to see how this turns out.”
“No way.” Her mind was being blown, and she couldn’t go there right now. If she had to consider the implications of what Sasha was telling her, she’d shut down. It was better to stay focused on the immediate threat, and that was the vampire invasion. One preternatural entity at a time. “About the silver thing?”
“Silver through the heart of a vampire is like a shot of ricin. Just a tiny exposure is fatal. Very effective with the least amount of effort.”
“Werewolves too?”
“It does, indeed, work on werewolves.”
A sudden thought struck. “How can you touch one and not destroy yourself?” She’d pulled that baby out of her coat and used it like a seasoned pro. She was carrying it on her body, and if what she was telling her about its potency was true, how could it not affect her at all? It didn’t make sense. Like anything made sense at the moment.
“Valid question. My knives were custom-made a very long time ago. The handles protect me from the touch of the silver, and I have a sheath for the blade when not in use. I never actually touch the silver.”
The woman kept getting more interesting. “I need to get a silver knife.” She’d feel a lot safer with one of those inside her jacket, and unlike Sasha, she didn’t have to worry about the touch of the silver poisoning her.
“No.”
“Why not?” She was a little offended by the quick snap of an answer. Why shouldn’t she have one strapped to her body? She was strong and capable and could take care of herself. Who was Sasha to tell her what she could and couldn’t do?
Sasha turned dark eyes on her as she said, “They will kill you before you could get close enough to use it.”
***
“We need to stop back in the room.” Katrina realized that the meeting they were about to convene would be far more interesting if she changed her outfit. She looked fantastic as she was currently dressed, but this particular rendezvous called for something special, and she had brought it with her for just this moment. She’d been waiting quite some time to be able to wear it.
“We don’t have time.” Eli was looking at his watch and frowning. “I don’t know exactly how long it will take us to get up there.”
She agreed that sooner was better than later. It didn’t change the fact that she was going in as she’d always envisioned. “It doesn’t matter. We will make time.” It was irritating to have him contradict her. He knew better, and to have him blurt out something like that now made her want to slap him. She didn’t, because he shut his mouth and followed her like the good boy he was most of the time. Wise move.
Back in her bedroom she quickly changed into black pants and a form-hugging black shirt that showed her perfect curves, then went to the closet and spun the dial on the small safe. She’d set the combination as soon as they’d arrived so that the special items she’d brought would be safe until she needed them. Now was the time.
Five minutes later she stepped out and said, “I’m ready.”
Eli, usually very stoic, looked surprised. “Are you serious? We’re not going to a party.”
“I have my reasons, and they are need-to-know. You don’t need to know.”
He shook his head and walked to the door of the suite. “Whatever you say, Boss. Let’s get the car and drive up to the park. We may be able to make it on time.”
She didn’t really care if they were late. This was about her time and nothing more. When she summoned someone to a meeting, they waited for her regardless of how long it took for her to arrive. The repercussions if they didn’t were well known. “Why are you being so hormonal tonight? It’s not like you, Eli. Just do your job and keep your mouth shut. If I want your opinion on what I choose to wear, or anything, for that matter, I’ll let you know.”
Their car was sitting in the circular drive, one of the few staff still in the hotel having already brought it down. A few humans who hoped for alliance with the vampires and the potential perks that would entail remained. Katrina appreciated that, for she would find a place for the faithful beyond existing as food for their betters. At least until her minions could develop a cure for the effects of sunlight. Once that happened, they’d be cattle and nothing more.
Eli held the passenger’s door open for her and then went around and got in behind the wheel. He was staring forward, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel. “How do you know what I’m really like? You’ve never cared.”
Katrina snapped her gaze to him. “What is wrong with you?” If she didn’t need him to get her to the meeting place, she’d break his neck right here and now. She didn’t tolerate this kind of insolence. “You’re acting stupid tonight and it’s getting tiresome.”
“Absolutely nothing is wrong with me. Quite the opposite in fact. I’ve never felt better than I do right now.”
“You’re behaving like one of those asses we left up in the suite. Their arrogance got them killed. Don’t think for a second it couldn’t happen just as easily to you.”
“Killing me wouldn’t be a good plan tonight.”
Her anger with him began to ratchet up, and it wasn’t just the talking back. It was also his tone. He wasn’t going to go quietly—that seemed clear. “And why not?”
“You need me.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he actually had a point, as much as she hated him for it. The map program on her smartphone could certainly get her to the meeting location, but she had more to do during the next few hours than the fun and games that awaited in the flower garden. She did, in fact, need him to help coordinate the final assault. He was
the detail guy, and before she could dispose of him, she needed everything to fall into place. Afterward, well, that was a different story, and he would be sent on posthaste.
The fact that he was right in this moment angered her even more than his sudden temperamental attitude. “And you need to remember who I am.” She wasn’t going quietly either.
His eyes stayed on the road. His words were cold. “Trust me, I never forget.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sasha appreciated Dee’s vocalized desire to be armed and her willingness to take on the vampires that were around every corner. She was, however, naïve and didn’t truly understand what they were up against. Driving through the heart of the city didn’t fill her with confidence either. Things had progressed far more than she’d believed when they’d first left Rodney’s bunker. The two that came at them on the street weren’t an anomaly, and they were certain to encounter more of them sure to attack in the same frenzied rush. Dee couldn’t understand the drive and quickness of her kind. With the newly turned, the desire to feed was fueled with an intensity that made them difficult to stop. Dee, or any human for that matter, wouldn’t have a chance.
At the same time, she couldn’t remember another instance when someone had offered to fight at her side. That included both humans and vampires. Oh, sure, she had her company, and through the years she’d had loyal, powerful employees who had her back. They were, however, employees who were paid to watch and protect. She had been walking a solitary path for decades.
Dee was different. She could have stayed behind with Rodney and Prima, and no one would have thought less of her. Rodney was a master when it came to the art of camouflage. Even with his incredible technical savvy, he’d managed to mask his tech usage so effectively that, to date, no one had come close to tracking his whereabouts. He’d developed a program that even pinged his cell-phone usage off towers miles away from his bunker. He was one human she had tremendous respect for, and he would have kept Dee safe.
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