“We aren’t talking names—”
“I think we are. In fact, I insist.”
“I don’t mean it that way. I mean that I didn’t hear names. It was an AML campaign with Techtron’s backing, or maybe it was just Wilson backing it considering recent events.”
“You mean William Stirling’s death. You think Wilson was behind that?”
“I think AML was behind it, but Wilson will benefit hugely from it. Stirling was a thorn in his side. You wouldn’t believe how many of his projects and schemes that Stirling vetoed over the years. He told me about some of them. Stirling dead, his daughter inherits but she’s missing... convenient, yes?”
Goddess he sounded bitter. He supposed Hoberman felt hard used by Wilson, and from a political point of view, he certainly had been used. Hoberman had been a pleasant face pasted over AML’s grinning death’s head. He was a bigot and racist, but he had drawn the line at murder. David supposed that was a good thing, but he couldn’t find it within himself to feel sorry for him. He should have known what he was signing up for the first day that AML sent bodyguards to shadow him.
Chris continued her interrogation. “What is AML’s endgame here? I can see how taking out Techtron’s CEO is good for Wilson, but what connects them other than money? Is it only the money?”
“That’s part of it. Wilson gains control of Techtron in exchange for funding AML’s new campaign, and for a time, mine as well. Everyone knows what AML ultimately wants. You don’t need me to tell you that they want a world free of non-humans.”
“So do you,” David said and Hoberman glared. “It’s true. I’ve heard your views, remember?”
“Then I didn’t explain myself very well. I do not want genocide. I want separation. That should be clear enough for anyone to understand. Even you, Doc—Mister Lephmann. Shifters are dangerous, vampires are dangerous, ghouls, zombies, demons... all non-humans creatures are dangerous! They can kill us, infect us, and even eat us! They infect us and steal our humanity or our immortal souls, and you wonder why I want them segregated?”
“We’re veering away from the main point,” Chris said.
“Do you think so? I think AML’s views are at the heart of it. I don’t hold with Newman’s fanatical ideals—they’re tantamount to genocide, but I understand where he derives them from. Fear. I’m not ashamed to admit I fear you, David. I fear you, I fear your kind, and I fear what your kind does to ordinary people like me and to our society. Every human changed is a tragedy; every human turned is a tragedy.”
John Newman was a name well known in the Republic. He led the Anti-Monster League, and his ideals empowered its members to greater and greater atrocities against non-humans every year. He was a fugitive now, but a remarkably successful one in that he still ran his organisation despite having to hide from the federal government. A cynical man might believe the feds weren’t really interested in capturing him, and be right in his opinion.
“And you have the answer, don’t you?” he said.
“In the past we hunted and killed non-humans to protect ourselves, but now our young people seek them out wanting to join them! Some want excitement or the thrill of danger, but more and more are choosing the dubious benefits of immortality offered by vampires, or they’re seduced by the allure of longer healthier lifespans offered by shifters. The young are the future of the human race, and they’re being stolen from us!”
David laughed. “Paranoia.”
“Fact!” Hoberman rebutted. “My answer might not satisfy Newman’s fanatics, but it would work. Non-human enclaves administered and even protected by the federal government and the military.”
“Prisons,” David said flatly. “Worse. Concentration camps. Are you insane? Do you realise what would happen if your idea became reality?”
“We would be safe from things like you!”
“No you wouldn’t. Do you really think the elves would let you pen them up? Do you think the vampires would or my people? Wake up man! Look to Europe if you want to know what will happen. What you propose has been tried. It led to the last War of Races!”
He wasn’t an expert in European history by any means, but he knew the basics. The human-elven pact had ended the last War of Races, but only because the elves agreed to the founding of the Empire as a way of controlling the human population. It was a last ditch effort to prevent the continual persecution of the elves and by extension non-humans in general.
The Empire ruled all of Europe even to this day and had successfully kept the peace between the races. The half-elven emperors and empresses ruled from palaces in London and Berlin, alternating between the two every few years. The monarchies of Europe were so intermarried with each other and the elves that none was pure human any longer, and that more than anything had kept the peace.
Hoberman’s idea of segregation was the polar opposite of what was known to have worked in Europe, not that the elves living on this continent would dream of interbreeding with humans. They were as racist as Hoberman in their own way. They preferred to keep their bloodlines pure and free of human contamination, and looked sort of sideways at their kin in Europe for not doing the same.
“Now who is giving in to paranoia?” Hoberman said.
“You’re an idiot.”
“And you’re a—”
“Shut up both of you!” Chris said, glaring them both into silence. “We have bodies on the ground and people missing. I don’t have time or patience to listen to two little boys argue the toss over history lessons we all learned in eighth grade. I don’t give a crap about what the elves would or wouldn’t do, or what they think! What I care about is finding out where the missing people are. Do you know?”
Hoberman shook his head sullenly.
“Who might?”
“Wilson maybe. It depends on how much AML trusted him, or how much he distrusted them. If I had his resources I would have made it my business to find out as much about them as I could.”
David shook his head in disgust. “To blackmail them with you mean.”
Chris glared David into silence again. “Fine. Wilson is already on my shit list anyway. Now I have another reason to interview him. Let’s go.”
David followed as Chris stalked away
Hoberman hurried to catch up. “He won’t talk. Hells, he won’t even see you!”
“He will,” Chris said confidently, and opened the door to let herself out. “My badge will get us in.”
“And his high powered lawyers will see you right out again!”
“We’ll see.”
David watched her go for the elevator and secretly thought Hoberman might be right this time. “Keep your head down, George. This is likely to blow up in all our faces soon.”
Hoberman nodded. He didn’t exit his apartment, choosing instead to stand in the open doorway. “It’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve taken some vacation time and don’t plan on leaving my apartment for the next few weeks.” He looked down, obviously wanting to say more but hesitating. “I didn’t lie that day in your room. I really did try everything to save you from... from this.”
“This? You can’t even say it, can you? I’m a shifter. Say it.”
Hoberman glared. “I tried to save you,” he said and slammed the door in David’s face.
He heard the locks click.
“Are you coming or what?” Chris said holding the elevator doors.
“Seeing as I’m driving, that should probably be my line,” he said joining her in the elevator. “Where are we going?”
“Where do you think? To see Wilson of course.”
“Okay. Do you know where to find him at this time of night?”
“No, but I know how to find out,” Chris said and raised her link. “We detectives know stuff.”
“Hmph!”
Wilson apparently, was one of those workaholic night owls that David had heard tell of, but had never met. According to Chris’ sources, he was currently in his office at Techtron making billions of dollars or somet
hing for the mega corporation that he oversaw, and probably performing his evil overlord impression for his AML friends. David could easily imagine it. Such powerful men had reputations for being ruthless manipulators, and after talking with Hoberman, he was prepared for that to be the case here.
He drove them to the Techtron Building and into its parking facility beneath the massive chrome and glass needle-like tower. He parked as soon as he could and then rode the elevator up to the penultimate floor where Wilson held sway. Chris was quiet beside him, thinking cop thoughts, and tapping her thigh impatiently as the elevator raced for the 119th floor without stops.
“Do you credit Hoberman’s story?” he asked to break the uncomfortable silence.
“Hmmm.”
“Was that a yes hmmm, or a no hmmm?”
Her lips twitched toward a smile. “Yes.”
“Which?”
“Yes I think he was telling the truth. It doesn’t mean it is the truth, only that he believes it is.”
“You’re no help.”
“Be still my heart! My purpose in life isn’t to make yours easier. I’m only here because there’s a chance Marie Stirling is still alive and in need of my help. I’m here because if Wilson knows where she is, I might be able to get my hands on Michael Fabron. Remember him? The vampire who turned O’Neal and allowed him to run amok killing nine women in my city?”
“No need for snark.”
“You think that was snark? You haven’t heard snark. I don’t give a crap about your vampire. I have my own vamp to find. If Stephen is being held in the same place as Marie Stirling, then fine, I’ll help him too, but make no mistake—I’m looking for justice for nine dead women not to save a vampire from AML.”
“Fair enough.”
The doors opened and let them out on the 119th floor. It was late and the offices were deserted. They followed the signs and found their way to Wilson’s outer office and reception area. A feminine android was in charge of the reception desk at this time of night. David noticed that Chris seemed reluctant to approach it, and wondered why.
“Shall I?” he said waving a hand toward the pleasantly smiling machine.
“I’ll handle it,” she said and marched up to the desk. “Detective Humber, Robbery Homicide Division out of Central to see Christopher Wilson.”
The android smiled. “I’m sorry, Detective; he is not accepting appointments or receiving visitors this evening. May I make an appointment for you to see him tomorrow?”
David grinned as Chris growled something unpleasant that she would like to do to the dumb machine.
The android blinked very realistically and the smile disappeared. “Vandalism of this unit will result in legal action and your removal from the building by security.”
Chris presented her badge. “Scan it and override security.”
The android checked the badge and the smile was back. “Security override confirmed.”
“Take us to Wilson.”
“If you will follow me, Detective?”
David chuckled, and Chris glared at him. “That was entertaining.”
The android led the way to an office door. It knocked and waited, still smiling. There was no answer. It knocked again and waited. David got the impression it would continue all night, stuck in a loop. Chris didn’t have the patience to find out. She ignored the android’s protests and opened the door.
“Well... hell,” Chris muttered.
David peered into the office over the cop’s shoulder at Wilson’s corpse sitting behind his desk with a hole in his head and a matching pair in his chest. “Damn. I guess he felt so guilty that he shot himself.”
“Yessss” Chris drawled. “That’s it. You’ve solved the mystery. He shot himself in the heart twice, but felt so guilty about his part in AML’s campaign that he shot himself in the head for good measure.”
He smirked. “Not.”
“Not, and you better take off. I have to call this in.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“I have to. Building security will have us all nicely recorded arriving in the lot and coming up here. I have to stay to guide things in the right direction. I can keep you out of it.”
“I could stay to give a statement.”
“You already did.”
“I did?”
“You gave it to me.”
“Oh yeah, I remember now.” He smiled at her. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Really. Don’t. Not to anyone.”
“Understood. See you back at the club?”
“Maybe,” she muttered and took another look at Wilson. “I’ll call first.”
He nodded and left her to make her call.
“Baxter I need you,” Chris began. “Get your brain out of the gutter! Goddess damn it all, how does Mary Pat put up with you? Listen, I have a corpse here for you... no I’m not kidding...”
David grinned, shaking his head in disbelief as he made his way back to the elevators.
* * *
34 ~ Fear No Evil
Despite her exhaustion, Marie couldn’t sleep. If she closed her eyes even for a few seconds to ease them and cool their burning, she saw that horrible moment again when Terry came into the office. He had swaggered into the room followed by his new vampire friends, and Andrew had reacted instantly. He was so fast! His weapon was out and aimed almost in time to blow Terry’s head off. Almost, but vampires are fast too. One of them blurred across the room and struck Andrew down even as he fired. His fully automatic pistol emptied itself into the walls and bookcases as he fell. The lethal flechettes ripped at the air as they screamed across the room to destroy the bookcases and priceless first editions that her dad had collected over the years.
Even as Andrew was falling, Terry was murdering Jon. Poor Jon. He didn’t even have time to scream or use his weapon. He was slower to react than Andrew was, and died almost without a sound when Terry latched onto his throat. Marie had screamed then; she couldn’t help it. The horror of seeing someone she knew so well murdered right before her eyes was too much. Her dad though was going for his desk and the gun he kept in its top drawer. He didn’t make it. One of the vampires grabbed him, and another took charge of her. She had the bruises on her arms to prove his careless strength. Terrible as seeing Jon murdered was, what happened next was worse and would haunt her until the end of her days.
Her dad gasped and clutched his chest. He grimaced in pain, and he would have fallen if not for the monster holding him up. She had screamed again, trying to go to him, but her captor wouldn’t allow it. Her dad gasped one last time and his face went grey as a massive heart attack killed him. His eyes had found hers one last time, his love for her shining desperately from them, but then they rolled in his head and he was gone. The vampire holding him cursed and let him fall, and all Marie could do was scream, and scream, and scream...
“Miss Stirling?”
Marie came back to herself and her situation. The cage hadn’t changed, nor the basement where it had been installed along with the other similar cages. Her eyes sought out Stephen, but he was still asleep. Dead to the world. She could almost hear him describing it that way, and her lips twitched a little as if about to smile, but there was nothing funny about it. He was helpless, more even than she and Andrew were right now. A short while ago their captors had carried a vampire away while he slept. The same could happen to poor Stephen at any time, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
“Miss Stirling!” Andrew said again.
She sighed. “What is it, Andrew?”
“Where is your father?”
She closed her eyes in pain at the question and the reminder. “He’s dead... his heart.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. How are you feeling? When you didn’t stir, I thought you might die too. You’ve been unconscious all day.”
Andrew gently touched his head and the wound that had bled so profusely. His fingers came away with fresh blood on them. �
�I’ve had worse than a bump on the head. Don’t worry about me, Miss Stirling.”
“Don’t you think it’s time that you called me Marie? I’ve known you for years and years. I was ten and still in pigtails when you came to work for dad. You used to drive me to school and tend my scraped knees, remember?”
“How could I ever forget that? You’re sure about your father, completely sure?”
Tears leaked from her puffy eyes running freely over her cheeks as she saw her father’s dying face again. “Yes, I’m certain.”
“Then I don’t think they’ll hurt you. They’ll want ransom money or something like that. I expect they planned to force your father to pay by threatening you, but now they can’t do that.”
“They could threaten to hurt you or Stephen.”
“Never mind us. Just promise to pay them whatever they want. Getting you out of here safely is all that matters. Don’t worry about the money; you can afford it. Besides, I’ll track it down and deal with it after we’re safe.”
She didn’t care about the money. If this was just about money, she would happily pay whatever they wanted if it meant freedom for the three of them, but Andrew was assuming a lot. What if she paid them, and they didn’t let them go? What then? What would she do if they threatened to kill Andrew or Stephen, or both of them? Anything! She would pay anything; do anything, to save them. Her father was dead, and Andrew was the closest thing to family she had left. It felt as if he had always been there and always would be, but then, she had felt that way about her dad too. He was gone, and Andrew could leave her just as easily.
And Stephen?
She was confused about her feelings for him. He was her friend, but he felt like more than that. He wasn’t human, not that she cared really, but she shouldn’t allow herself to be attracted to him. Her father had taught her to be tolerant of differences, but not that tolerant! Her friends would be ever so shocked if they knew how she felt about Stephen. In the social circles that she navigated daily, mixing with non-humans wasn’t at all the done thing. Everyone heard stories of course, titillating and shocking stories about girls who did mix with the monsters and let them do... things. The thought of letting Stephen do some of them to her was strangely intriguing and exciting.
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