Stakeout (Aurora Sky

by Nikki Jefford

  Who knew there was such a thing as one step too far for Dante? I’d say that was a good thing.

  “And biting and sucking my blood isn’t?” I teased.

  Dante grinned in response. He groaned at the next stoplight we came to.

  “This guy drives like he has all the time in the world.”

  Dante turned sideways, goofy grin on his face. Probably thought he was hilarious. I didn’t take the bait. My attention turned to my lower legs, kicking up and down in the foot space between my chair and the dashboard.

  “Nervous?” Dante asked.

  “No,” I said.

  He shrugged. “It’s okay to be nervous. Keeps the blood pumping.”

  I turned my head toward him. “Wait. Are you nervous?”

  Dante’s face lit up with his smile. “Of course I’m nervous! I have no idea what to expect tonight and I love it!”

  It felt good to laugh. Dante had been right. All this waiting around got underneath my skin. Eating pizza and drinking beer inside Buck’s cozy cabin sounded a heck of a lot better than watching him from the window in the freezing cold.

  I’d suspected from the start that we were on a fool’s mission, but Melcher ordered it and he’d want some kind of report. We weren’t learning anything freezing our butts off in the Jeep.

  Soon, we were back on Duck Pond Lane driving directly up to Buck’s cabin.

  Buck jumped out of his rig and waved us forward.

  Dante parked and rubbed his hands together. “Here we go.”

  We exited the vehicle together and followed Buck up to the cabin.

  Buck kicked snow off his boots beside the front door. “Come on in.”

  I stomped twice outside the door before following Buck inside.

  Buck turned an overhead light on then added a couple logs to the fireplace. Only smoldering ash remained of the last one. It began taking life again with the fresh wood.

  “I called my girlfriend from the truck. She’s picking up an extra pizza.”

  “Thanks, man,” Dante said.

  “My pleasure, that’s really cool we ran into each other.” Buck looked at me. “I’ll give you my number, so you can call next time you’re in town.”

  “Cool.” I didn’t know about Dante, but I felt like a bit of an ass lying and spying on the most generous and chill vampire I’d ever come into contact with.

  “I’ll get us some beers,” Buck said.

  While Buck headed into the kitchen, I did a quick perusal of the place. Most of the furniture, like the cabin, was made of wood. The room was relatively sparse, but cozy. There was a well-worn couch in front of the fire, which was more than what we had at our base camp cabin.

  There weren’t any curtains on the windows. Not like they were needed in the pitch-black middle of winter on a cabin in the woods. Still, I wouldn’t like that fish bowl feeling. It gave me the impression that eyes were watching me from outside. It wasn’t the most farfetched idea—Dante and I had done it two nights ago.

  Dante cranked his head around, doing his own once-over.

  “So, this is what it looks like from the inside.”

  “Shhh!” I narrowed my eyes at Dante.

  “Nice place you got here, Buck,” Dante called after our host.

  “Thanks,” Buck called back from the adjacent kitchen. The door of his fridge closed, followed by the sound of bottle caps hitting the counter. Buck walked in, three open bottles of Alaskan Stouts in hand. “Nicole and I have talked about homesteading further north.”

  “Fairbanks not cold enough for you?” Dante asked with a chuckle.

  “Plenty cold, my man,” Buck said, handing Dante a beer.

  “Thanks,” I said when Buck handed me mine.

  “Cheers,” Buck said.

  The three of us tapped bottles and tossed them back. Wow, the taste was rich. I would have preferred something lighter than stout, but in the end beer was beer and better than nothing.

  “Good stuff,” Dante said, smacking his lips.

  Buck grinned and nodded. “Go ahead and have a seat. Nicole will be here soon with the grub.”

  Dante plopped onto the couch without a second thought. He slung his arm over the back.

  I sat right beside my supposed boyfriend, taking another swig of stout, and swishing it around before swallowing it.

  Buck sat on a rocking chair in front of us and leaned back, holding himself in that position with the tips of his toes.

  Dante tapped the threadbare upholstery with his free hand just above my shoulder and looked straight across at Buck. “So what’s the plan with Nicole? Stay together until she’s twenty-five then ditch her for a younger model?”

  Buck’s face dropped. “Nicole and I want to be together as long as we can.”

  “I suppose if you’re really attached to this one you can wait and move on once she’s lived out her life.” Dante broke out into a wide grin. “Hey, it’s not cheating if she’s dead.”

  Buck lowered himself in the rocking chair and looked at the floor.

  I kicked Dante. “You’re such an ass,” I hissed under my breath. Speaking up, I said, “Don’t listen to him, Buck. Dante’s a total liar. He hasn’t even been a vampire for more than a year. He uses humor to deal with his recently acquired afterlife. Although calling it humor is debatable.”

  “Hey!” Dante said.

  Buck looked at Dante closer. “So, you got sick, too?”

  Dante squared his shoulders. “No, I wiped out, big time, man, snowboarding at Hatcher Pass.”

  I cleared my throat. Dante glanced sideways at me before resuming his story.

  Dante circled his wrist in the air. “Then I got taken to the hospital where I got sick. Breeding ground for germs, ya know?”

  Buck nodded. “Nicole’s studying medicinal herbs.”

  Dante shot me a quick look that said, “Can you believe this vamp?”

  Buck smiled suddenly. “Ah, here she comes.”

  I stopped drinking, surprised I hadn’t heard the approaching vehicle until now.

  “I’ll go help her. Sit tight.” Buck got up from his chair, leaving it rocking under the abrupt loss of his weight. He set his beer bottle on the ground and stepped outside.

  The door had barely closed before Dante turned to me, frowning.

  “This whole thing’s a bust. We should take this vamp out for being so boring.”

  I snorted. “Come on, you know you like Buck.”

  Dante rolled his eyes. “Sure, he’s very hospitable. Now can we eat, drink, and go?”

  “Hold your horses. You haven’t even gotten a chance to bite me yet.”

  “I can bite you back at the cabin.”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Fine. Whatever. I’ll stick it out. I’m hungry...” Dante tossed up a hand. “For pizza.”

  I smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

  Buck returned holding two pizza boxes. His girlfriend, Nicole, came in a second later all bundled up. I was sure the combination of pizza and Nicole would settle Dante’s nerves. Nicole was a beautiful woman, and she didn’t need makeup and heels to show it. Her hair wasn’t quite blond, but close, and she had striking blue eyes that sometimes looked grey.

  Plus she was nice.

  “Hi, Noel,” Nicole said, eye’s lighting up when they met mine. “I couldn’t believe it when Buck called and said he ran into you.” Nicole removed her coat, scarf, gloves, and hat as she spoke.

  I returned Nicole’s smile. “I was just as surprised. It’s nice to see you guys in your neck of the woods.”

  Nicole had a nice laugh. She walked over to Dante and said, “Hi, I’m Nicole.”

  Dante stood up. “I’m Dante.”

  Nicole grinned. “Nice to meet you, Dante.”

  While we’d been making introductions, Buck took the pizza to the kitchen and returned with a beer, which he handed to Nicole. She kissed him on the cheek and thanked him. I wasn’t the sentimental sort, but aw, they were so sweet together. Maybe now Dante
wouldn’t be so glib with his remarks.

  “Should we dish up in the kitchen and eat in front of the fire?” Buck asked.

  Nicole smiled at him warmly. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Sounds great,” Dante said.

  We followed the happy couple to the kitchen. Nicole turned her head toward us as she walked. “I wasn’t sure what to get you guys, so I got one with everything on it.”

  “Good call,” Dante said.

  Once we were dished up and back on the couch eating semi-warm pizza off plates in our laps, Nicole said, “So, Dante, you’re like Buck?”

  Dante raised a brow. “Incredibly charming and handsome? Why yes, Nicole, I am.”

  Nicole looked momentarily confused then her lips extended and she quickly laughed. “You’re funny.”

  Oh, Nicole, don’t say the words. Dante was suddenly sitting an inch taller on the couch.

  “No, it’s okay,” Dante said. “I know what you mean and yes, I am immortal.”

  Good thing I hadn’t taken a sip of beer. I would have snorted it out of my nose.

  Buck set his slice of pizza down. “I wonder why we’re like this.”

  “Why wonder?” Dante asked. “Just enjoy the ride.”

  Nicole and Buck glanced at each other. Vampirism didn’t seem to strike them as a thrill ride. That was another thing that struck me as unique about Buck the first time I met him. He acted like this was an affliction rather than a gift.

  When Dante’s words produced no comment, he chewed several times then asked, “So, Nicole, what do you do for a living?”

  Nicole exchanged another quick glance with Buck. She sat in a chair next to Buck’s. Their legs intertwined at the ankles, like hand holding for feet. She unhooked it now and slouched in her seat, hair falling forward.

  “Well, I was working as a receptionist for a dentist, but then I got offered this other job that pays really well.”

  It was my turn to exchange glances with Dante. Why did this sound like it was going somewhere weird?

  “This man, this patient of Dr. Bradly’s, was some kind of scout for a vampire named Diederick.”

  Dante glanced at me. I shook my head. Never heard of the guy.

  “He’s an event planner.”

  Dante gave a little grunt beside me.

  “He puts together these super fancy, expensive tastings.”

  I swear Dante’s ears visibly perked up.

  “Tastings?” he asked.

  Buck placed a hand on Nicole’s arm and nodded for her to continue.

  “It’s for well-to-do vampire winos. They’re looking for young women to drink expensive wine and then vampires pay to feed on them.”

  “Nicole!” I didn’t shock easily, but this one came at me out of left field. Wine tastings through women’s blood? Now I’d heard everything.

  Maybe it shouldn’t have surprised me that Dante looked positively delighted by this discovery. He set his plate aside and began massaging his hands gleefully.

  Nicole looked surprised by my tone. Probably unexpected coming from a Goth wench and regular at Marcus’s parties. It wouldn’t take a trained spy to notice me accompanying different vamps every weekend to the rooms upstairs.

  “Is it safe?” I asked.

  “Perfectly safe, I promise,” Buck said. “I checked it all out before Nicole would even take the interview with Diederick. The entire operation is regulated under the strictest rules. No one crosses Diederick.”

  Why didn’t I find that comforting?

  Nicole nodded. “I would never put my life at risk. No sum of money is worth that. But Buck and I did check it out thoroughly, and Diederick was very forthcoming. He’s not the friendliest undead guy, but he takes his work seriously and leaves no room for error.”

  “And I’m there each time,” Buck said.

  “That’s right,” Nicole said. “Buck drives me to every event. Diederick has no problem with that. It saves him having to arrange a cab.”

  I leaned forward. “What exactly is it you do at these things again?”

  “I put on a nice dress, drink a whole lotta expensive wine, and let vampires have a taste.”

  Dante was literally on the edge of his seat, about ready to fall off the couch.

  “I want to go,” he said.

  Buck jutted his chin forward. “Do you have fifteen hundred dollars?”

  “No, why?”

  Buck gave Dante a pointed look.

  Dante’s eyes expanded. “Are you shitting me?”

  “Nope.”

  Dante reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “I’ve got fifteen dollars. How does that work? Do you think Diederick would take a solid fifteen?”

  Nicole and Buck’s shoulders relaxed when they laughed.

  Dante gave me a slight jab. “Hey, Noel, can you spot me fifteen large ones?”

  I crossed one leg over the other. “No, but I can drink a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck and let you suck it from me.”

  Buck laughed harder. “You two are a riot. You should come up to Fairbanks more often.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Dante said. “From the sounds of it, your social scene is a little out of my league.”

  “Most of the parties actually take place in Anchorage,” Nicole said. “Diederick plans them all around the state, but he has the most regulars in the big city. I’ll be coming down more in the fall.”

  Buck tapped his foot on the floorboard. “We figure a couple seasons of Nicole working these tastings and we’ll have a down payment on some land.”

  “How much do you make?” I asked.

  “Five thousand per night, plus travel expenses, tips, and a bonus at the end of the season.”

  I stared beyond Nicole’s shoulder mulling that over. It had a certain temptation to it. A couple events like that could buy me some real furniture.

  “Do you get a discount or something?” Dante asked Buck.

  “No man, I stay out of the private rooms, but I am allowed to mingle in the main room. A lot of vamps want to check it out before investing the dough. Diederick entertains them in the main chamber. That’s where I hang until the end of the night. Nicole has one this Friday night. You two should check it out if you’re still in town.”

  “Oh, we’ll still be in town,” Dante said.

  “Cool,” Buck said. “We can hang together.”

  “You two might want to borrow some clothes,” Nicole said. “Diederick isn’t as eccentric as Marcus.” She said you two, but she looked directly at me.

  I took it the Goth look wasn’t in style among the wine snobs.

  “You can borrow one of my dresses, Noel. It will be a little long and roomy, but I can pin it in.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Guess our stakeout had just turned into a recon mission.

  Dante and I helped clear up and wash the dishes before leaving. It didn’t take long when there were only three plates and empty beer bottles to pick up.

  The moment we were out of the cabin and back in the Jeep, Dante slapped the steering wheel and let loose a “whoop!”

  Bet he was glad we didn’t eat and run.

  “Melcher is going to shit a brick when he finds out about this. Have you heard of anything like this before?”

  I shook my head. “Never.”

  “Man oh man, we hit the jackpot,” Dante said, drumming the steering wheel with the palms of his hands.

  “Don’t feel so bad about Sitka anymore?”

  “This is better than anything they can find in Sitka.”

  Dante made his way down the wooded drive.

  “It’s like human trafficking, mutilation, alcohol abuse, and prostitution all rolled into one.”

  “Not really,” I said, swinging my foot back and forth. “It’s not prostitution. She’s not having sex with these vampires.”

  “Maybe she is,” Dante said.

  “She isn’t.”

  “Right, ’cause she and Buck are soul mates, and she gets paid the big bucks to sip wi
ne while vamps sip her.”

  “Think what you want,” I said. “But I guarantee she’s not sleeping with any of them.”

  “How about this Diederick guy? He sounds like a piece of work,” Dante said.

  “I’m curious to meet him.”

  “Well, you will. You and me both this Friday.” Dante fist pumped the air. “Score one for Team Moose and Mouse.”

  “I’m surprised I never heard of Diederick, since he operates in Anchorage. Maybe Melcher has someone else on him.”

  Dante paused at the intersection longer than normal. When I looked over he had on a grin the size of our great state.

  “Split his name in two and know what you get? Die Derick. And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.”

  No doubt about it; pretty soon, Nicole and Buck would have to come up with another way to save money for their off-grid oasis.

  The rest of the weekend flew by in a flurry.

  On the night of the tasting, Nicole had gotten all glammed up: dress, makeup, jewelry, hair—the whole nine yards. We hadn’t seen much of her because once we arrived Nicole was escorted to her own private chamber.

  She was right about Diederick. He wasn’t the friendliest vamp on the block, but he’d been hospitable. The guy was all man. He looked about thirty-two and managed to pull off the clean-cut rugged look better than Josh Holloway. His thick brown hair almost touched his shoulders, and he had a trim scruff of facial hair under his nose and chin.

  When he wasn’t mingling, he sat on an armchair, glass of red wine in hand. Even slouching Diederick looked like he meant business, as his cool gaze watched everyone in the room. He wore a fitted suit that probably cost as much as Nicole made in a month.

  Dante behaved himself admirably considering he was in a room filled with vampires. He kept up the ruse of being a visiting vampire from Anchorage and got his name on Diederick’s client list. His foot was officially inside the door.

  10

  Homeless

  With the exception of one lamp in the living room, the apartment was dim when I got back to town Sunday evening. The phish of the shower entered my eardrums as I walked past the bathroom. A crack of light lined the bottom of the door.

  I passed, heading straight for my room. When I switched the light on I had to blink several times before I could process the empty room. All my things were gone: junk furniture, clothes and all. My duffel bag slipped through my fingers and fell to the floor.