“Athiests?” Luce frowned. “But why?”
“You mean apart from getting to rape and/or buy any woman they decide is ‘acting impurely’?” Angel said, grunting in anger. “And beating up on homeless people? And being rewarded for acting like a thug? I can’t imagine the appeal.”
Grimacing, I glanced at Luce, watching the younger woman pale at Angel’s words.
“Angel’s not wrong,” I said, watching Luce look at me. “It’ll attract those types at first. But from what I can tell, the Purity ideology is mainly fear-based. It promises to fix all the things that scare people.”
Exhaling, I added,
“So it promises the end of the world, but it says we can all be saved if they purify the world of various ‘corruptions’ now. Most people won’t do that themselves, of course. Even with the construct, I don’t think most would have the stomach for that. But they might let the government and these Purity soldiers do it for them. If Charles can use the construct to convince people it’s necessary to do these things, that it will save them, they’ll go along with it. They won’t fight back. That’s what Charles is banking on, I suspect.”
Angel glanced at me, then added to Luce,
“The doc’s right,” she said. “These foot soldier assholes are just the first wave. Everyone else will just bury their heads in the sand and look the other way. Or yell at the government to end the riots, no matter what the cost.”
Luce shook her head, frowning at both of us.
“There’s no possible way people will go along with this,” she said. “Slavery? Killing anyone who doesn’t follow their fucked up rules? No way. It’s not happening, not in this day and age. This isn’t the middle ages.”
Angel only shrugged, not answering.
I felt her cynicism though, and couldn’t help but agree.
From what Black had told me, Charles was already working to clamp down the internet. I didn’t want to get into all of that with Luce, though.
Not right now. Now definitely wasn’t the time.
Jax didn’t say anything, but I could feel this resonating with him on some level, too.
I could also feel whatever that resonance was, it wasn’t a good one.
“Look,” I said, cutting off where I could feel everyone’s light going. “One problem at a time. Charles hasn’t taken over yet. He might have a lot of seers on his side, and he might be making big moves, but he doesn’t have everyone under his control yet. He won’t get everyone either. My uncle has always underestimated humans. He’s always believed them to be easier to dominate than they are.”
I gritted my teeth, then said it anyway.
“…And it’s too early to count the vampires out,” I added. “There are a lot more of them than many of you probably realize. They haven’t even begun to fight Charles yet. We haven’t, either.”
Glancing over at a band of red and black-wearing Purists running down the other side of Valencia, I scowled.
“Although I’m not going to lie,” I muttered. “This shit is disturbing.”
“And where do vampires fit into all of this?” Dex said, frowning at me and Angel. “In terms of the Purists, I mean. What do they believe they are? Because I’ve seen a lot of conflicting reports on that, too, doc. Do they just see them as super-impure? As demons? Corrupting influences? Some kind of deep state conspiracy? What?”
“Some combination, I suspect,” I said, exhaling steam as I jogged alongside Black.
Glancing up at him, I could tell from his eyes he was talking to someone, maybe in the Barrier. In any case, he wasn’t listening to us.
Sighing again, I looked back at Dex.
“From what I’ve read, some Purists believe humans actually turn into vampires if they allow themselves to become corrupted enough. They seem to believe that’s the fate of all of us, if we don’t ‘purify’ ourselves.”
Angel snorted. “And yeah, Dexter, some also think some shadow movement of dark occultists created them inside the government.” She rolled her eyes. “I was reading all of these Purist conspiracy theories the other day. Some of them are really out there.”
“I’ve read that some Purist believe vampires are actual demons, too,” Luce said, from Jax’s other side. “As in, culled-from-the-netherworld, honest-to-God demons. As in, someone did a bunch of dark rituals and conjured them out of hell. From the article I read, that wing of the movement believes the ‘corrupt’ among us worship vampires, and let them drink our blood. Essentially, they blame corrupt humans for the vampires being here at all.”
“That would include us, right?” Dex said, raising an eyebrow.
“Right now,” Angel snorted. “That includes pretty much anyone not in their cult.”
Sirens blared from closer, maybe only a few streets over, jerking my attention up ahead. Only two blocks past our current position, I saw cops in riot gear backing onto Valencia. Two of them were holding M-32 40 mm launchers, and I watched one aim up at the crowd, shooting what looked like a tear gas canister at a crush of people throwing rocks and bottles.
The crowd throwing weapons all wore red and black masks.
I could hear chanting mixed in with screams as the first canister hit the pavement, expelling a cloud of dark red gas.
Realizing Black was still in the Barrier, I nudged him with my light, flashing an image at him of the rioters moving out into the street and urging him to hang a right at the next corner. We had to hope Mission and Van Ness were still open.
The last anyone had seen, both Brick’s group and Solonik had been traveling north.
Until we got new intel, we had little choice but to do the same.
Black, Jem, and I all tried to use the Barrier at various times to determine which streets had the most Purist soldiers, which streets the cops had cordoned off, which streets had vampire sightings, but it was pretty much impossible with the interference from the construct.
For now, we were flying blind.
Black gave me a bare glance, pinging an acknowledgment, right before he shifted direction, aiming us where I’d nudged him in a diagonal line, using hand motions down the line so everyone behind us would see the change.
I glanced at Angel, who jogged next to me, a grim look on her face, and Cowboy, who loped along on her other side, a rifle and two swords bouncing lightly against his back. I couldn’t help thinking it was a good thing there was a chill in the air that night.
We were all pretty loaded down.
We probably should have sent more of our equipment back with the group that returned to the California Street building.
Manny was in charge of that bunch. He’d taken Frank, Easton and Lex with him, along with Yarli and Mika, in part to reinforce Javier back at the headquarters building, since we’d brought most of the infiltrator seers with us.
I knew Black wanted extra protection on his headquarters building anyway.
The last thing we needed was Solonik or the vampires flanking us, and/or trying to get into that building ahead of us.
“Try the other one,” Black growled, once more speaking to whoever was on the other end of his earpiece, likely Javier or Yarli.
He’d picked up the pace, enough that I found myself straining a little to keep up with his longer legs.
“…And get more drones over there. See if you can get a visual,” he added. “But don’t get too close. Charles definitely has some ability to feel electronics in the air through the construct. That, or he’s pulling some satellite bullshit that’s tagging our drones through GPS. Either way, I don’t intend to lose every damned military drone we have tonight. Until you figure out how he’s doing it, keep your distance.”
In a different headset channel, I listened to seers coordinating under Jem and Yarli.
It was harder to follow their terminology, but I got the gist.
They were trying to hack the construct to find Solonik’s team.
Assuming they were still alive, Brick and his vampires likely wouldn’t be far off from whereve
r Solonik’s seers were hunting.
“Fine,” Black growled. “Patch him through.”
There was a pause, then Black glanced at me, a frown curling his lips.
“Fine,” he said. “Then patch him through to her. Fucker has to know I’ll be listening in, though. You can tell him that, if you want.”
I gave Black a puzzled look, but he only pinged the new frequency at me with his light.
I touched my own earpiece, voicing the channel change and hoping it would switch over. I still hadn’t used the green-metal seer machines much; I didn’t really have the knack of how they worked.
Black’s mind nudged me again, so I spoke to the machine a second time.
“Pick up,” I said. I waited until I heard the channel open. “Yes?” I said. “Who is this?”
“Miriam.” The voice on the other end sounded immediately relieved. “Miri. You need to tell Black to stand down. Let us handle this.”
I scowled, giving Black a dirty look.
He shrugged. What did you want me to do? Hang up on him?
“A head’s up would have been nice,” I muttered under my breath.
See if you can find out where Solonik is, Black sent, undaunted. Not like he’s liable to tell you shit. But get whatever you can. You’re the only one of us he might talk to.
I scowled at him a second time.
“Miri?” Charles said. “Are you still there? Miriam?”
“I’m here, Uncle Charles,” I growled.
We were jogging down 20th by then. I heard sirens in the distance again, and not only in the block of streets we’d just left behind. Closer by and ahead of us, I heard our seers whistling to one another, using hand signals different than the ones Black’s human team normally used.
Focusing back on the open phone line in my ear, I scowled again.
“What do you want, Uncle Charles?”
“I told you what I want. Do not enter this fray, Miriam. Not only is it dangerous, you’re interfering in things you don’t understand––”
“No.” Gritting my teeth, I shook my head, my voice cold. “No, Uncle Charles. You need to call Solonik off. In fact, you need to get him the fuck out of my city. Now. And you can take your damned Purity assholes with him.”
From my other side, Jem grunted.
Ignoring him, along with the other ears and lights I felt focused on me now, I aimed my anger at my father’s brother instead.
“What the hell are you even doing here?” I said. “I know I shouldn’t be surprised by anything you do at this point, but this is a lot to swallow, even from you––”
“You knew this would come to your doorstep, Miriam,” Charles broke in, his voice sharper, and openly frustrated. “There is no possible way you could have not known this. This unrest is spreading all over the country now. Vampires are being driven from the shadows. You knew the humans would not react well to finding out an alien, parasitic race has been feeding on them since the dawn of their history––”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snapped. “As if you aren’t creating ninety-nine percent of these ‘popular uprisings’ yourself. How stupid do you think I am?”
“It started that way, yes,” he said, wholly unapologetic. “I’m not hiding anything, Miriam. I told you I would do this. I told you the vampires would be exposed, and driven from their blood-soaked nests. I told you I would direct that exposure in the beginning, if only to keep our own people from dying. Don’t pretend to be surprised that––”
“I’m not surprised by any of that––”
“Then GO HOME, Miriam,” Charles snapped. “I gave you and your husband every opportunity to be a part of this. You refused. You cannot have it both ways––”
“Newsflash, Lucky… we don’t work for you. You don’t get to decide how and when we involve ourselves in this. That’s one of the little perks of telling you to go fuck yourself with your so-called ‘job offers’––”
I felt Jax and Kiessa cheering me on, laughing.
My voice only hardened.
“––And threatening me isn’t exactly going to make me want to work for you, strangely enough. Nor is it exactly going to sway Black––”
“Threatening you? When have I ever threatened you, Miriam?”
“Solonik?” I snapped, still jogging between Black and Angel, catching a furious look from Angel when she glanced my way. “What the fuck kind of message is that, sending my rapist here, to my city? Explain to me how I’m supposed to take that as anything other than a threat?”
Feeling Charles flinch, along with several of the people and seers jogging alongside me, I bit my lip.
“––What the hell are you playing at, sending that psychopath here? Wasn’t my being kidnapped and raped by him the first time enough for you? You needed to send him after me a second time? Or are you hoping he’ll kill me this time––”
“Miriam. Darling, listen––”
“No. You listen,” I snapped. “Get that fucker out of my city. Now! I’m not going to ask you again, Uncle Charles. The fact that you would let that animal anywhere near me after what he did tells me everything I need to know about your ‘plans’ here.”
My voice dropped to an angry mutter.
“…I honestly can’t believe you’d let him out of his cage at all. Especially now, when there are a few thousand more female seers here for him to kidnap and rape.”
There was a tauter-feeling silence.
When my uncle spoke into it, his voice was significantly colder.
“Sometimes you need an animal to hunt an animal, Miriam,” he said. “You, of all people, should understand that.”
“Should I?” I shot back. “And who’s the animal in this scenario, Uncle Charles? Brick? Nick? Me? Or are you referring to my husband?”
Another plume of fury left my uncle’s light.
“You must admit my options are limited, Miriam. You have refused to join me. Your husband has not only refused to help me, he is actively working against me. As a result, I now have to plan to fight not only Brick and the rest of his animals… now I have to worry about you and what your damned husband might do, as well. I have to worry about the seers he has recruited to his team. That limits my options rather considerably, niece.”
Pausing a beat, he added,
“If I had your husband working with me, rather than against me, then that seer shielding you right now… Dalejem, is it? …would be aiding me, too. I wouldn’t need to resort to using a blunt instrument like Solonik––”
I let out a humorless laugh. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me––”
“––As it is,” Charles said, raising his voice. “You and your husband insist on obstructing me at every turn, making deals with vampires, preventing me from protecting you from Brick’s twisted attempts to gain leverage over you. You leave me little choice, niece. I must match firepower with firepower, if only to protect my mission––”
I snorted.
“Your fucking mission.” Contempt reached my voice. “You expect sympathy from me for that? For your attempt to enslave every human and seer on the planet?”
“If you gave a damn about your race, yes,” Charles snapped. “Gaos, Miriam. You really don’t get it, do you? Neither does your husband, seemingly… even though he has experienced far worse at the hands of these creatures than you have. They can destroy us, Miriam. The vampire race can destroy our race… they will destroy us, if we do not annihilate them first. It is inevitable. It is only a matter of time.”
“Bullshit––” I began angrily.
My uncle talked right over me.
“––I am not only talking about our bodies. I am not only talking about their willingness to take our blood. I’m not even talking solely about their efficiency at killing other beings. I am talking about their venom, Miriam.”
Clicking under his breath, he lowered his voice, even as it grew harsher.
“You really don’t seem to understand what that venom means. You reall
y don’t seem to understand the danger it poses to our kind. With their venom, they have the potential to enslave our entire species. How does a woman as intelligent as you not see this? We cannot fight their venom, Miri. We are more vulnerable to it than even humans are. I know of not a single seer who is stronger than the effects of their venom… including your husband.”
His voice turned into a harsh growl.
“Our only choice is to kill them. Do you not see that? If we do not, it is only a matter of time before they make us all their slaves. That includes you, Miriam. That includes Black… and Dalejem… and every seer standing with you this night. I will not allow my entire species to be made into slaves again Miri… only this time, of their minds as well as their bodies. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT. Do you hear me, niece?”
I frowned, staring at where a group of red-masked Purists were using tire irons on the front door of a European-style deli. One of them threw a bottle at a passing woman, hitting her in the head and making her stumble, then fall to one knee.
All of them burst out in laughter, sounding like hyenas.
My uncle’s voice grew louder.
“You can’t have it both ways, Miriam. Either join the fight or get the hell out of my way. If you don’t want Solonik in your city, stop making it necessary for me to send him there. Stop aiming your seers and your husband at me, and Solonik will no longer be necessary! Join the fight that actually matters to our people, or go the fuck home!”
I gritted my teeth.
For a long moment, I couldn’t even find words.
Like with Brick in the meeting earlier, it felt like my uncle and I were speaking completely different languages.
I understood what he was saying about the venom.
I understood why it frightened him so much.
I remembered Efraim. I remembered how Black got, when he got bit.
I could see the danger there, the endgame scenario my uncle was outlining.
But enslaving the entire human race just to wipe out a species that frightened you was so far off the map of an acceptable, proportionate response, I didn’t know how to even bridge that gap. Not without being insulting, or banging my head against a wall.
TO BLACK WITH LOVE: Quentin Black Mystery #10 Page 34
