I wish he knew so I could talk to him about what happened.
I had no one to talk to. Dad was in the dark, and Mom in a coma.
My life sucks.
TWENTY-SIX
The adult human body contains 206 bones. I think I broke almost every one of them. It hurt like a mother. I guess that’s why usually somebody falling from thirteen stories onto pavement was cleaned up with a spatula. But not me. Nope. I got to be pancaked, then enjoy the aftermath.
And with so many damned bones broken, making sure they were knitting properly was proving to be a pain (figuratively) as well. Luckily, a large portion of those bones are in the hands and feet. My right hand was perfectly fine, my left already mended, and mended properly. I had paid particular attention to my feet and spine over the past few hours. Both feet had been shattered at the heel, but my tight boots had kept everything in place, and they were almost back to normal. I had dealt with my arms in the ambulance, and my legs after Sydney left. My chest had required some time in the mirror with my shirt off, and my spine was solved with a pair of gravity boots and fifteen minutes of hanging like a bat from the inner office door.
So after a few hours, my bones were knitting well, and properly, and nothing would need to be broken and reset. I nursed myself on “smoothies”, and when I felt good enough, cleaned up the office so Sydney wouldn’t need to deal with the mess.
The poor kid.
She reminded me so much of her predecessors that it was easy to forget she was only nineteen, having worked with them for almost one hundred years. This responsibility wasn’t supposed to have been hers for at least another five to ten years.
Perhaps it was time to end this relationship. It would hurt, but it would be best for her. Would she have a child who would then be condemned through some sort of false sense of loyalty, or worse, obligation, to follow in the family’s footsteps?
When does it end?
It should end now. Whatever I had stumbled upon was big. There was an entire swarm of vampires on that floor, that in itself very rare as they usually set upon each other in large groups. But working side by side with humans? Never. The apparent deference shown Graves clearly didn’t last beyond what they had needed him for, but that was the real question. What had they needed him for?
If the SEC was looking for ten billion dollars, and Lazarus was involved, he most likely had the money. But what possible need could he have for ten billion dollars? He’d been alive for two millennia. Surely over that time he had accumulated enough wealth to see him through another two?
And why had Clayton McKinly fled? Had he fled the investigation? Or had he fled Lazarus and his swarm? And since Graves had helped him escape, which had he helped him escape from?
I sighed, burying myself under my barmah, and closed my eyes. Ten billion dollars. Vampires working together, using humans to help steal the money.
I couldn’t see anything good coming out of this. And the more I thought about it, the more terrifying it became. Ten billion dollars was the type of money that could really change things. There wasn’t much you couldn’t buy with that kind of money, there were few people you couldn’t buy with that kind of money.
What are you up to Lazarus?
And what did you mean when you said you were tired of hiding?
My phone vibrated.
I flicked my finger over the display and held it up to my ear. “Go ahead.”
“Hi Zee, it’s me.”
“Hey Syd. Feeling better?”
“I think I’m the one who should be asking you that.”
“I’m fine, just doin’ my knitting.”
She laughed, then hesitated. “And—”
“And my eyes are fine. No red whatsoever.”
“Great.”
She hung up, which I found odd, then I heard a key hit the lock of the outer office and I smiled. Footsteps crossed the outer office, then stopped at the open door of my office. I lifted the barmah and smiled at her, opening my eyes wide.
“See? Just needed a little Visine.”
“Ha ha.” She walked over and knelt down beside the couch. I moved to get up but she put her hand on my bare chest and stopped me. “Don’t move.” She winced as she ran her fingers over my still healing ribs, the bruising still quite disgusting. “You look like you were hit by a train.”
I became distinctly aware her fingers were still tracing my ribs. I looked at her, but she seemed to be focused on my ribcage, almost absentmindedly touching me.
“Does it hurt?”
“Only when you touch it.”
She gasped, her finger darting away from my skin.”
I laughed.
“You bastard!”
I laughed again, then winced. “Okay, laughing still hurts.”
She frowned, then stood up, taking a seat at her usual perch. “So, how long ’til you’re mobile?”
“Oh, I can get around now, but another couple of hours of taking it easy would be wise. I’m not up for any fighting right now.”
“Good. I think going back to the building is idiotic.”
“Which is exactly why we must go.”
“Huh?”
“Let me tell you what happened at my meeting before you make up your mind.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
In Zander’s mind it was quite logical. In mine, it was still idiotic, even more so after he had filled me in on what had happened. An entire swarm of vampires working out of an office tower, and he wanted to go back?
At least I convinced him not to go inside, but to conduct our surveillance from across the street atop a parking garage. From there we’d have a good vantage point, could set up in the Beast, an old beater van we had for just such an occasion, the “Mike’s Telecom” logo allowing us access to pretty much everything since we could have ladders, satellite dishes, parabolics disguised as satellite dishes, everything. It looked like crap on the outside, but my mom had fixed it up on the inside quite nicely.
Which was where we were now.
We were parked at the edge of the parking complex, the open design giving us a perfect, unobstructed view of the building, including the parking lot and main entrance.
And we were almost level with the thirteenth floor.
In the back were swivel chairs, each on a rail so we could quickly slide back and forth as needed. The confines were tight, but not as tight as when Mom had first described it, before they had invented the flat panel monitor. I shuddered to think how horrible it must have been with those huge old style monitors.
“Ready?”
I nodded. “Set. I’ve got the laser aimed at the thirteenth floor. It should pick up the vibrations of anybody talking in whatever office we aim it at. I’ve got infrared set up, but I’m not seeing much, you guys are so cold blooded, you don’t really register.”
“Ouch.”
“I’ve also got surveillance cameras set up on the main entrance and their underground parking exit, so we should see anyone coming and going.”
“Good work.”
“Now what?”
“Now we wait.”
“Just what do you think is going to happen?”
“Well, you saw the news reports?”
I shuddered. It was horrible what they described. The official story was a crazed man with a sword entered the offices of McKinly & Graves Investments, and began hacking up people. He then attempted suicide by jumping out the window, but somehow miraculously survived, only to stage his own escape later, with the help of accomplices.
It was quite the story, and a story I would have bought if I hadn’t known better. It made me wonder how many other stories were mere cover for the unexplainable. How many crazies shooting up offices, hacking up kids, were mere cover stories for vampires tearing out throats?
And if so, who was doing the covering up?
“Does our government know about vampires?”
Zander looked at me, surprised. “What makes you ask that?”
“The news story
. It’s complete and utter BS, any coroner worth his salt is going to take one look at those bodies and say they weren’t killed by a sword. And no one there would believe you could have survived your injuries, let alone fought your way out of an ambulance. This is being covered up.”
“Is it being covered up, or is the truth so fantastic, that it can’t be believed, so the human mind creates its own reality?”
“I can see them explaining away the jump, the escape, even the bastards I killed bursting into dust will just be chalked up to some sort of mob psychosis, but according to you there were dozens of humans working there. Those people were feasted on. Wouldn’t the coroner see that?”
Zander nodded. “Good point. But what if”— he raised a finger—“and I’m not saying it’s so, but what if the coroner is one of us?”
Whoa! Hadn’t thought of that. What better job for a vampire? Dealing with dead people? If they were freshly dead, he might be able to get some blood out of them. Hide any evidence of his own kind coming across his table.
Now that was an interesting question. “Can you guys drink a dead person’s blood?”
Zander’s eyebrows shot up, then he smiled. “So you think my coroner idea isn’t that farfetched?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Well, I don’t know how long after, I’ve never done it myself beyond a few minutes, but I would suspect several hours at most.” He tapped his chin, staring at the monitors, then looked at me. “That’s a very good question. I’m gonna have to Google that later.”
“What, how long after death can a vampire drink blood?”
He grinned at me. “I would have phrased it, ‘How long after the death of a human can a vampire drink its blood’.”
I punched him in the shoulder. Then looked back at the monitors.
“Look!” I pointed at the monitor focused on the parking garage. At least a dozen white vans were rapidly entering, somebody standing at the scanner overriding the gate.
And a moment later it was done.
If we hadn’t been paying attention, we would have missed it.
“What do you think that’s about?”
“I think it’s exactly what I thought was going to happen tonight. They’re pulling out. They’ve been compromised. There’s an SEC investigation that goes public tomorrow, and now a police investigation into a dozen murders. There’s no way these guys were going to stick around.”
“So what are we going to do about it?”
“We’re going to see where they go.”
“You’re going to follow an entire swarm of vampires?”
“No, we’re going to follow an entire swarm of vampires.”
I felt something clutching at the pit of my stomach. “Are you crazy?”
“I think we established that long ago. But seriously, this is actually easier now that we know how they’re moving their stuff.”
“How’s that?”
“We just need to place a tracker on one of those vans, then pow, Bob’s your uncle, it’s done.”
“Yeah, well maybe you can get Bob down here to plant the tracker.”
He smiled. “No, I think I’ll take care of this one.”
He opened a drawer and pulled out the tiny device. It’s magnetic bottom would stick to the undercarriage of pretty much any vehicle, it didn’t have a little red flashing light like the movies, and it would transmit a signal via the cellular network, the satellite trackers about four times the size of this little puppy. With cellular coverage so widespread now, the only areas without it were uninhabited, and if there was one thing you could be certain of, vampires don’t hang out in unpopulated areas.
“Be careful.”
He nodded, gave me a kiss on the forehead, then opened the rear door. The lights automatically cut out and the monitors, all connected to the same switch, cut out as well, bathing the entire rear of the van in darkness except for the flashing lights of the equipment, all taped over to make them dimmer. He quickly but quietly closed the door, and the lights came back on, along with the circuit for the monitors. It was an ingenious setup, designed by my mother.
I put a headset on and watched the monitor showing the front of the building. I zoomed out so I could pick him up sooner.
“Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Zee.”
“Okay, I’m crossing the street now. I don’t see anybody. Anything on infrared?”
I flicked a switch. “Nope. But then again, I wouldn’t really pick up much of you either.”
“Just keep your eyes open, they might have thralls with them.”
“Ten-four.”
I saw him come into the frame. “I see you. All clear as far as I can tell.” He walked along a row of trees, casually but with purpose, as if cutting across from one block to the next. His head was down, his hands jammed in his pockets as if cold. But most likely gripping a stake in each.
Wow! I hadn’t noticed it at first, but he didn’t have his barmah. I glanced at the door and saw it hanging there. I decided not to ask him, assuming it was deliberate. If it weren’t, it was liable to distract him.
He walked past the garage entrance. I zoomed in as tight as I could, but could see nothing. I switched between infrared, motion and normal, but came up empty. “It looks clear from here, Zee.”
“Going in. Radio silence from my end until I’m out.”
“Ten-four.”
He made a beeline for the garage entrance and disappeared down the ramp.
My heart hammered in my chest.
I could hear him breathing, the mike still open.
This was stupid.
He was entering the home of a swarm of vampires, at night. We had no way of knowing if it was just the thirteenth floor that was occupied by them, or the entire building. Either way this was just stupid.
The proximity alarm went off.
I looked at the flashing buzzer, hit the button to silence it, and flicked the feeds over to the external cameras.
There were at least five of them only feet away.
I slammed my fist on the lockdown control. I heard the satisfying thuds of deadbolts locking all the doors solidly, the reinforced design even Zander couldn’t tear open. Metal sheeting rolled down over the front and side windows in the driver’s cabin, made of some sort of carbon composite that they weren’t getting through.
I was secure.
And terrified.
It was everything I could do not to pee my pants. My heart thudded against my ribcage, the rush of blood filled my ears. I couldn’t focus. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
“Zee, don’t say anything, but I’m surrounded by at least five of them. I’ve locked down the van, so I’m okay, but they know we’re here. Get out of there.”
There was no reply. Either he had to remain quiet, or he didn’t get the signal. Or worse, they already had him. I looked at the monitors. They were circling the van, occasionally pulling at a door, but unable to get in.
Okay, now what do I do?
One of them kicked the side of the van. Hard. It rocked.
And unfortunately it gave them an idea. He waved his companions over, and they all pushed at the van. It began to tip. I flipped a button on my console, and watched the countermeasure charge, the arrow climbing at a rate far too slow to my liking.
Why the hell hadn’t I done this earlier?
At last it was charged, but the van was nearly at its tipping point.
I pressed the button.
All of them shook for an instant, and then jumped back, the van falling back into place as fifty thousand volts did its job.
Unfortunately that was a one jolt deal. I couldn’t stay here.
I climbed from the back into the driver’s seat, turned the key in the ignition, and breathed a sigh of relief as the engine roared to life, the first time we had tested the countermeasure it having fried the electrical system. I flipped a switch and a monitor flickered on, giving me a widescreen view across the top showing wha
t I would normally see through the windshield, two side-by-side images under that of my left and right sides, and a wide rearview shot at the bottom.
All five rushed the van. I slammed it in Drive, cranked the wheel to the left, and floored it. The wheels spun, and the beast lumbered forward. One of the bastards jumped in front, and I just ran over him, the driver’s side tires bumping over him, indicating he wasn’t a pile of dust.
Which pissed me off. I was panicking, and not remembering all the countermeasures. I pushed a lever forward, extending a set of reinforced wooden spikes from the front bumper, capable of delivering repeated hits. I pulled another one back, extending a similar set from the rear bumper.
I heard one on the roof, hammering away with their fists. They weren’t getting in, at least not any time soon, but they could damage something. If I lost my cameras, I’d be driving blind.
I hit my brakes and the one on the roof tumbled forward, the front camera momentarily blocked. I glanced at the rearview. Two of them were rushing toward me. I slammed it in reverse, hit the gas and raced toward them. One jumped out of the way, but the other didn’t react in time. His thighs were impaled on the stakes, and he burst into a cloud of dust.
One down, four to go. I slammed the van in drive and hammered on the gas, sending the van hurtling toward the one who had been on the roof. Dust. The other three backed off, and I took the opportunity to get my bearings. The ramp going down was to my left. I cranked the steering wheel and made my way toward it. It was tight, especially in a van, and without being able to really see properly, I kept hitting the edges, but the paintjob was the least of my concerns. In the couple of minutes I had been dealing with this crew, I hadn’t heard from Zander.
“I’m coming down now, should be exiting the parking structure in sixty seconds.”
Still no reply.
I kept circling down the ramp, faster than I had ever done before, and then came out on the main floor, following along until I came to the exit. And it’s large door blocking my way.
I had to pay before it would rise.
Turned (Zander Vargar Vampire Detective, Book #1) Page 15
