Seduced by the Night

by Robin T. Popp

  He reached out and took it from her. “I was hoping that when you found it, you might have second thoughts.”

  “I’m sorry, Miles. I won’t change my mind.”

  He nodded, and watching him place the ring into his pocket, she hoped she wouldn’t see it again.

  “I need to get back to work,” she told him. They both stood up and he walked her to the door. They had almost reached it when she thought of something else. “The wedding announcement.”

  “What about it? Oh, yes. Sorry. I’ll take care of it.”

  She smiled. “Thanks, Miles.”

  She left, feeling better about one part of her life. She might be fighting with Dirk and vampires might still be after her, but at least now she didn’t have to worry about Miles going to jail because he was doing something illegal.

  Returning to her lab, Bethany set to work. She was determined to finish before darkness fell and resigned herself to spending at least one more night in the safety of the mansion. Tomorrow, when the sun came up, she would leave.

  Julia tried to keep her eyes on the road as she drove. Charles would be so disappointed with her if he knew what she’d done. Not if, she amended the thought. When. She had every intention of confessing, but first wanted to see if she could make things right.

  Thirty minutes later, Julia stood at the foot of almost an acre of garbage, thinking that she’d seriously underestimated the task at hand. Searching the dumpsite was not only going to take a long time, it promised to be extremely unpleasant. If the rancid odor was anything to judge by, there could very well be a dozen rotting bodies in there, along with other things she didn’t want to consider.

  Resigning herself to the inevitable, she heaved a sigh and then immediately regretted it as she gasped for clean, odor-free air.

  “Well, Julia, putting it off won’t make it easier,” she told herself. “Best get to it.”

  After dropping off Bethany earlier, she’d stopped at the first hardware store she came to and purchased a set of coveralls, rubber boots, and a box of gloves. Then she’d driven to the address she’d been given by the city clerk. Now, decked out in her new purchases, she set to work.

  Initially, she found sifting through the trash educational—both in terms of what people threw out and in discovering her gag threshold. As with so many things, success was dependent on how disciplined one’s mind was. It also helped that Julia was looking for something big, allowing her to skip over the many small, less pleasant items.

  The first section she searched proved to be disappointing, so she moved to another section where her efforts were no more fruitful. Still, she persevered, moving to another part of the massive dumpsite. By the end of the day, Julia was tired, depressed, and had nothing to show for her efforts except a stench she hoped wasn’t permanent. A small part of her worried that somewhere along the route, either the garbage collectors or someone else had spotted the statue among the rest of the trash, liked it, and now had it in their possession. If that was the case, then she would never see it again.

  Now, with the hour getting late, Julia worked her way systematically around a relatively fresh mountain of trash, concerned that the sun might not stay up long enough for her to finish. She also worried about what was happening at the mansion. By now, they had to be wondering where she was.

  As the smell of the garbage grew stronger, she pulled her small perfume atomizer from her pocket and sprayed herself, hoping it was strong enough to mask some of the more offensive odors clinging to her.

  The sun’s dying rays cast an orange glow across the landscape, throwing one side of the large pile into shadow. She walked to the far side and stood with her back to the sun, so she could see, and began to pick through the debris.

  Soon lost in thought, a flicker of movement off to the side startled her. She froze in place and waited. She had just decided that it had been a figment of her imagination when it came again.

  Apprehension shot through her. Though she had yet to see any, it wasn’t inconceivable for there to be dogs or even rats digging through the pile, she told herself. The problem was that, in all likelihood, the animal was a stray and potentially dangerous.

  Hoping to avoid it, she inched her way around the pile. Unfortunately, the animal moved with her, almost as if it were tracking her. She froze once more and it moved into view, sniffing through the pile. In the dim light, it was hard to see exactly what type of animal it was.

  The hair was cut so short that the creature appeared furless, although there seemed to be tufts of hair running down its back. As she strained to get a better look at it, the animal raised its head and saw her.

  Its eyes glowed red and Julia was positive that she saw long, sharp teeth protruding from its mouth. Suddenly she was very afraid. No one knew she was out here and she’d left her cell phone in the car.

  Moving slowly, she backed down the heap of garbage and had just reached the bottom when she heard the growl. In a desperate attempt to save herself, she raced toward her car. She’d taken only a couple of steps when her luck ran out.

  Chapter 15

  Dirk woke up in a foul mood. He’d been played with and he didn’t like it. The old Dirk wouldn’t have minded so much. He might even have taken advantage of the situation by enjoying the woman until he got tired of her and then sending her back to her fiancé when he was done. For some reason, he found that hard to do with Bethany. From the first moment he’d seen her, she’d affected him strangely.

  He now realized that what had been between them was purely physical, nothing more. And now, even that was gone. He steeled himself against an overwhelming sense of loss, refusing to let it affect him. He still had a job to do and he’d be damned if he’d let this get in the way. He would guard Bethany with his life. Still, as long as she was at the mansion, she was safe. In the six months they’d been hunting Harris and Patterson, the two Primes had never dared attack the mansion. To do so would be suicidal and the former SEALs knew better.

  Dirk sighed. Despite his reluctance to get out of bed, a sense of urgency plagued him until he could no longer ignore it. Getting out of bed, he dressed quickly and headed downstairs.

  Mac was in the living room, his arms wrapped around Lanie who was clearly upset. Admiral Winslow was also there, pacing back and forth, looking grim. One look at Mac’s face and Dirk knew the sense of urgency he’d felt had come through the psychic link the two men shared.

  “We have to find Gem,” Lanie pleaded with Mac.

  “I know, baby, we will. I promise.” He looked around and saw Dirk and, for a moment, his expression relaxed. “Dirk and I will go out and find her, but you have to promise me you’ll stay here.”

  Dirk looked from Mac to the admiral, and then back again. “What’s going on?”

  “Gem’s disappeared,” the admiral said.

  Dirk couldn’t help glancing around the room and noticed for the first time that the small chupacabra wasn’t lurking nearby as it usually was. “Well, she can’t have gone far. The sun only set about an hour ago,” he reasoned. “Maybe she’s outside.”

  Lanie was shaking her head before he finished. “I spent the entire day looking for her—I’ve combed every inch of this place, inside and out. She’s not here.”

  “Why didn’t you come wake me,” Mac quietly chided his wife.

  “You needed your sleep. Besides, I thought I’d find her. I mean, she’s so small, where could she go?” Her voice broke over this last part and she fell silent.

  “Maybe Julia found her and put her someplace,” Dirk suggested.

  “That’s the other problem,” Mac said, his tone accusing. “Julia left earlier today and never came back. She hasn’t called either.”

  The admiral stopped pacing in order to face Mac. Dirk saw the lines of worry etched in his face and the rigid way in which he held himself. “Young man, I hope you’re not suggesting that Julia had something to do with Gem’s disappearance.”

  “That is exactly what I’m suggesting,” Mac
countered, moving Lanie behind him so he could square off with the admiral.

  Dirk thought it was an indication of just how upset the two men were that they were so close to blows. He was about to step between them when the sound of the front door opening caught his attention.

  Dirk spun around as the newcomer appeared, catching a whiff of something foul. Julia stood there, wearing a one-piece jumpsuit that was so filthy, Dirk had no idea what color it had once been. Her hair was a wild mass on top of her head and her face was streaked with mud.

  Admiral Winslow took a step toward her, but then stopped, no doubt driven back by the odor. “Julia, what in God’s name . . .”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I made a mistake today. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I didn’t want you to fire me before I had a chance to make things right.”

  The admiral looked as confused as Dirk felt. “What are you talking about?”

  “The statue.”

  The mere mention of the word caused the tension in the room to escalate.

  “What do you know about the statue?” Mac’s tone was deadly serious.

  Julia looked as if she wanted to run away, but Dirk gave her credit for having the courage to remain where she was. “I know what happened to it.” She turned to look at Lanie. “I’m so sorry. When you asked me earlier where it was, I lied.”

  Lanie gasped but Julia hurried on before anyone could interrupt. “You see, I came in this morning and found the statue in the wastebasket.” She turned to the admiral. “After our talk yesterday, you said you’d take care of it. I thought that had been your solution—to throw it away. Especially after I read your note.”

  “My note?”

  All eyes turned to the admiral and for a second he looked confused, then he sighed and nodded his head. “I was late for my breakfast meeting downtown. I was going through my mail to make sure there was nothing there I needed when I noticed a package from an old friend. I opened it and found several small bottles of syrup, one of which had broken. I threw it in the trash and left Julia a note to dispose of it.”

  Lanie turned then to Mac, her expression hopeful. “She’s probably out in the trash canister. Would you go check?”

  “Of course.” He squeezed her hand and started for the door when the admiral cleared his throat.

  “She won’t be there,” the admiral said tightly. “Today is collection day.”

  Julia peered at Lanie with a resigned expression on her face. “When you asked about the statue, I realized I had made a mistake, but by then, it was too late to correct it. The trash had already been collected.”

  “We need to find out where they dumped the trash,” Lanie said, clearly distressed. “Maybe she’ll still be there.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Mac looked at Dirk, who nodded that he was ready to help search for the small creature.

  “I wanted to help—” Julia began, but Mac cut her off, his tone cold, bordering on cruel.

  “I think you’ve done enough already.”

  He turned to go, but with almost changeling speed, the admiral crossed the room and gripped Mac’s arm in a viselike grip, spinning him around.

  Mac’s eyes flared a bright red and Dirk saw him fight to control his reaction, out of respect for the older man. For several seconds, they glared at each other. Dirk edged closer, wondering if he was going to have to break up a fight, then Mac heaved a sigh, releasing his anger. He turned to face Julia, who still hadn’t moved from where she stood half inside the living room. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

  “No,” she replied. “You have every right to be upset. All I wanted to say is that you don’t have to go anywhere.” She ducked out of view for a moment and when she came back, she was holding the baby chupacabra in her arms.

  Lanie squealed with delight and ran to the creature. Gem emitted a noise somewhere between a bark and a growl, which Dirk assumed meant she was excited. She leaped into Lanie’s arms and almost knocked her over.

  Dirk watched the happy reunion, wondering when everyone would realize that there was now one more person who knew their secret—or at least part of their secret.

  It didn’t take long. With Gem cradled against her side like a baby, Lanie stared at Julia in amazement. “How?” It seemed all she was capable of asking.

  Julia smiled. “It wasn’t that hard. I called the city to find out where the trash is dumped. That’s where I’ve been all afternoon.”

  “But you were looking for a statue,” Lanie pointed out. “When did you realize that Gem really isn’t a statue?”

  “Right after the sun went down and I thought she was going to rip out my throat.”

  The admiral went to her. “Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?”

  “No, I’m fine,” she replied, looking at the admiral with a mixture of hope and longing that made Dirk wonder if the admiral realized just how much she cared for him. “I admit, I thought I was dead when she knocked me over and went for my throat.”

  Everyone in the room gasped in alarm, but Julia remained calm. She reached into the upper pocket of her coveralls and pulled out a mint, like the ones she kept on her desk, and held it out to the baby chupacabra, who snatched it from her hand and began licking it. “It turned out that she wasn’t going for my throat after all. Once I realized I wasn’t about to die, I had a chance to study her. That’s when I noticed the similarity to the statue.”

  “I’m impressed,” Dirk admitted, speaking for the first time. “There aren’t many people who would have remained calm under those circumstances.”

  Julia gave a small laugh. “Then I won’t tell you about the small breakdown I had.”

  The admiral’s smile was warm and gentle. “I suspect you have a few questions.”

  “Actually,” she admitted, “I only have one.”

  They all turned to her expectantly and waited.

  “Are you going to kill me?”

  Everyone stared at her and Dirk wondered if they, like he, were trying to figure out if she was joking or serious. He suspected the latter and it bothered him.

  The admiral, however, looked to be the most upset. “Julia, why would you even ask that?”

  Her gaze was level when she answered him. “You say you’re running a security agency, but you only have one client, as far as I can tell, and she’s not paying you to watch her. All the money you get for the philanthropic activities is coming from somewhere, but I have no clue where. You’re former military and you work with the local police. Dirk and Mac work mostly at night and except for an occasional meal, you go to great lengths to see that I’m not here after dark. I know you were trying to keep whatever it is you do confidential and this creature, whatever it is, is part of that. So, I just wondered if you were going to kill me in order to keep your secret.”

  “Of course we’re not going to kill you.” The admiral sounded outraged. “I’m highly offended that you would even suggest such a thing. I’ll admit that we have kept certain things from you, but only for your own protection.”

  Julia laid her hand on his arm. “You don’t owe me any explanations. I’m not going to tell anyone what I’ve seen. I’ll just clean out my desk and be out of your way as soon as I can.”

  “You’re quitting?” Lanie asked, her face showing concern as she set the baby chupacabra on the floor to play so she could approach Julia.

  It was Julia’s turn to look surprised as she looked at Lanie and then the admiral. “No, I’m not quitting. I mean, I don’t want to quit, but I thought, after what happened, that you wouldn’t . . . that is to say, I thought I was fired.”

  The admiral smiled. “No, you’re not fired. I can’t stop you if you want to leave, but I hope you’ll stay.”

  Julia smiled up at him, the dirt on her face giving her a particularly waiflike appearance. “Well, I do like it here.”

  “Good,” the admiral said, as if things had been decided. “But this does change things a little.” He exchanged meaningful looks with
Dirk and the others and they all silently nodded. Turning back to Julia, the admiral continued. “I’m afraid that there is much more to what we do than what little you’ve figured out. I think it’s time we told you all of it, but first, perhaps you’d like to freshen up a bit?”

  Julia’s eyes widened in horror as she raised a hand to her hair. “Oh, my, I must look, and smell, a mess.”

  “I think you look stunning,” the admiral replied gallantly. “Lanie, would you show Julia to a guest room so she can shower and perhaps either you or Bethany has a change of clothes she can borrow.”

  “Bethany’s about your size,” Lanie said, leading Julia upstairs. They were gone for a few minutes before Lanie called down. “Has anyone seen Bethany? She’s not in her room.”

  Dirk tensed. “What do you mean, she’s not there?” he growled, racing up to Bethany’s room. He immediately spotted the suitcases sitting on the bed, lids opened to reveal the packed clothes inside. She was leaving?

  The discovery came as a shock, followed closely by anger, frustration, and the trickling of fear. “Where the hell is she?”

  “Maybe she’s still at the lab,” Julia offered, drawing everyone’s attention. “I dropped her off earlier today.” She looked around. “Oh, dear,” she sighed. “Was that wrong?”

  Dirk didn’t say a word. He simply raced outside, jumped into his SUV, and headed into town.

  Harris approached the farm, his senses alert to every sound and movement. He knew the adult chupacabra was near because he’d felt her presence through the psychic link.

  He’d driven himself out into the country, but had left the car down the road, not wanting to frighten her off. He wasn’t expecting miracles tonight. He knew that her trust would be hard to win, thanks to Burton’s cruelty. Once again, Harris felt the familiar hate and anger well up inside until it almost choked him. It took great discipline to tamp it down, but Harris still had that discipline, which was a miracle in itself.

  Every day, it got a little harder to control the monster within, but every day, Harris found the strength to do it.