"Of course, sir." Laszlo plucked at the strings that had once held a button in place. "I won't say a word."
Roman hurried to his own lab to work on his daytime formula. He turned on his CD player.
Gregorian chants filled the room, helping him to concentrate. He was so close.
Before he knew it, the chants stopped and Roman glanced at the time. Five-thirty. Time always flew by when he was involved in a new project. He called Connor and teleported to the kitchen. "How's everything?"
"Fine," Connor answered. "No sign of Petrovsky's men."
"And Shanna?"
"She's in her room. I left some diet cola and brownies by her door. They disappeared, so she must be all right."
"I see. Thank you." Roman headed for the staircase and stood in the center of the spiral. With a glance at the top landing, he teleported there in a second. He went in his office and stopped short when he saw the blood-red velvet chaise. What a fool he'd been to bite her. And a bigger fool to blurt out that he loved her.
He trudged toward the wet bar for his bedtime snack. Should he go to her room to check on her?
Would she even speak to him? He unscrewed a bottle and popped it into the microwave. Maybe he should leave her alone. Her reaction to his confession of love had not been good. He'd give her time. And he wouldn't give up.
"Damn it to hell!" Ivan paced back and forth in his small office. He'd watched the news on DVN, and even though the explosion at Romatech was the top story, it hadn't accomplished much more than blowing up one lousy storeroom. Not a single Highlander had been blown to tiny bits or burned to a crisp. And as far as Ivan could tell, the city was not experiencing a sudden increase in hungry vampires on the prowl. After blowing up Draganesti's supply of fake blood, he had hoped to see a difference.
"Maybe the Vamps keep a supply of synthetic blood in their homes," Alek suggested. "They just haven't run out yet."
Galina curled up in one of the wingback chairs. "I agree. It's too soon to see a shortage. Besides, Draganesti probably has supplies we don't know about."
Ivan stopped pacing. "What do you mean?"
"He's supplying synthetic blood around the world. He could have plants we don't know about."
Alek nodded at her. "That would make sense."
Galina raised an eyebrow. "I'm not as stupid as you think."
"Enough." Ivan resumed his pacing. "I need a plan. I haven't hurt Draganesti enough."
"Why do you hate him so much?" Galina asked.
Ivan ignored the harem girl. He needed to get back into Romatech. But how? Tension grew in his neck, pinching the nerves.
"Draganesti is the one who built an army to defeat Casimir," Alek whispered to Galina.
"Oh. Thanks for telling me." She gave Alek a sly smile.
Alek, damn him, smiled back. With a growl, Ivan popped his neck. That got their attention. "Any sign of Highlanders?"
"No, sir," Alek answered, keeping his eyes off Galina. "If they're out there, they're staying hidden."
"I don't think they're attacking tonight." Ivan resumed his pacing. The door to his office opened and Katya entered. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Hunting." Katya licked her lips. "A girl has to eat. Besides, I heard some good news at one of the Vamp clubs."
"What? Our bomb killed one of those stupid Highlanders?"
"No." Katya smoothed back her long hair. "Actually, I heard the damage was minimal."
"Crap!" Ivan grabbed a glass paperweight off his desk and smashed it against the wall.
"Now, now. Throwing a tantrum won't help, will it?"
Ivan zoomed over to Katya and grasped her by the neck. "Neither will a show of disrespect, bitch."
Her eyes flashed. "I have good news if you care to hear it."
"Fine." Ivan released her. "Out with it."
She rubbed her neck while she gave Ivan an irritated look. "You want back into Romatech, don't you?"
"Of course. I said I would kill that little chemist, and I mean to keep my word. But the place is crawling with those stinking Highlanders now. We can't get in."
"I believe we can," Katya countered. "At least one of us can. Romatech's vice president of marketing has invited poor Vamps to the facility tomorrow night for a market survey."
"A what?" Ivan asked.
Katya shrugged. "Does it matter? One of us could go, disguised as one of the poor."
"Ah, excellent." Ivan patted her on the cheek. "Very good."
"I will go, sir," Alek announced.
Ivan shook his head. "They saw you at the ball. And they would recognize me, too. Maybe Vladimir?"
"I'll go," Galina offered.
Ivan snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not. They wouldn't be expecting a woman."
"True." Katya sat in the chair next to Galina. "I know a makeup artist at DVN. And we could use their wardrobe room."
"Great!" Galina smiled. "I could be a fat old Vamp tramp."
"A bag lady," Katya agreed. "No one would ever suspect you."
"Since when do either of you make decisions around here?" Ivan glared at them both. They lowered their heads, looking properly submissive. "How could Galina capture Laszlo Veszto? And if a Highlander is guarding him, how would she subdue him?"
"Nightshade," Katya whispered. "You have some, don't you?"
"Yes." Ivan rubbed at a knot of tension in his neck. "In my safe. How did you know about it?"
"I used some once. Not yours, of course. But you could let Galina use it."
"What is nightshade?" Galina asked.
"A poison for vampires," Katya explained. "You prick the vampire with a dart, and the poison goes into his bloodstream and paralyzes him. He's still conscious, but unable to move."
"Cool." Galina's eyes lit up. "I want to do it."
"All right. You can go." Ivan perched on the edge of his desk. "Once you locate Laszlo Veszto, call and teleport back here with the little bastard."
"Is that all you want me to do?" Galina asked quietly.
Ivan considered. "I want another explosion. A bigger one. One that will really hurt Draganesti."
"In that case," Katya suggested, "I think you should kill some of the people he most cares about."
Ivan nodded. "Those bloody Highlanders."
"Oh, he cares about them, I'm sure." Katya ran a finger over her red-painted lips. "But his real weakness is the mortals."
"Exactly," Galina agreed. "He has plenty of mortal employees. We could put a timer on the bomb so it will go off at sunrise."
"That's it!" Ivan jumped to his feet. "Draganesti's precious mortals will be dying, while he and his Highlanders are forced to return to their coffins. There won't be a bloody thing they can do about it.
It's perfect! Tomorrow night, Galina will plant the C-4 in an area where the mortals gather."
"Their cafeteria, perhaps?" Galina exchanged a wry look with Katya.
"I know where," Ivan announced. "Their cafeteria."
CHAPTER 23
"Can they see me?" Shanna watched the scroungy assortment of vampires through the window.
"No." Gregori stood next to her in the viewing room. "Not as long as you keep the lights off. It's one-way glass."
Shanna didn't know anything about market research, but she figured it had to be more interesting than watching television all night. "I'm surprised there's such a thing as poor vampires. Can't they use mind control to wheedle money out of people?"
"I suppose," Gregori answered, "but most of these people were already broken before they became vampires. They only think about their next meal, like a junkie and his next fix."
"That's so sad." Shanna observed the ten vampires who had come to Romatech for a free meal and the fifty-dollar incentive. "Vampirism doesn't change a person very much, does it?"
"Nay." Connor stood at the door. He had insisted on coming along as her personal bodyguard. "A man will stay true to his heart even after death."
So Roman was still trying to save p
eople, and the Scottish warriors were still righting for a just cause. Shanna wondered what Roman was doing now. He hadn't even tried to see her since his declaration of love. Maybe he'd realized their situation was hopeless. "So how does this work?"
"We've divided them into two groups." Gregori motioned to the group on the left. "That group will be watching a power-point presentation and filling out a questionnaire about the new restaurant.
The second group will be testing different formulas and rating them according to taste. When they're done, the two groups switch places and start over."
"What do you want me to do?"
"They'll be testing the drinks here in front of the window. They'll rate each drink themselves, but I'd like you to watch their expressions and jot down their reactions."
Shanna noted five legal pads. "Are there five drinks?"
"Yes. Three new formulas that Laszlo put together, and then, Blood Lite and Chocolood. Just put a mark under the headings Like, Neutral, or Dislike. Okay?"
"Sure." Shanna picked up a pencil. "Bring on the Vamps."
Gregori grinned. "Thanks for your help, Shanna." He opened the connecting door and entered the participant room.
Shanna heard him go into a lengthy dissertation regarding the new restaurant. Then the first vampire came to taste the drinks. He was an old man in a stained raincoat. A scar ran down his face, zigzagging through the gray whiskers. He finished the first drink, then burped.
"Was that a dislike?" Shanna asked.
"Neutral," Connor replied.
"Ah." She marked the notepad and followed the old vampire to the next drink. He took a big gulp, then spewed the contents all over the window.
"Yeech!" Shanna jumped back. Blood everywhere.
"I would say that was a dislike," Connor said.
Shanna snorted. "Brilliant observation, Connor."
He smiled. "'Tis a gift."
At least all that blood wasn't making her nauseous. She really was improving. Gregori wiped the window clean before the next vampire's turn. This one was a plump, elderly woman with gray, tangled hair. She worked her way down the line of drinks, clutching her big bag to her chest. At the end of the line, she put her bag on the table. She looked around, then grabbed a bottle off the table and stuffed it into her purse.
"Oh, my gosh." Shanna looked at Connor. "She just stole a bottle of Chocolood."
He shrugged. "The puir woman is hungry. She can have it."
"I guess so." Shanna had finished with the first group when the bag lady doubled over and moaned.
Gregori rushed over to her. "Are you all right, ma'am?"
"I… Do you have any restrooms here, young man?" she asked in a gruff voice.
"Yes, of course." Gregori escorted her to the door. "This man will take you." He motioned to one of the Highlander guards who stood by the door.
The bag lady left in the company of a Highlander. It was the second group's turn to test the new formulas. Two hours later, Shanna was relieved when the whole process had finally finished. The back door to their room opened and Radinka peeked inside.
"Are you done yet?" she asked.
"Yes, finally." Shanna stretched. "I had no idea these things were so tiring."
"Well, come with me for a bite to eat. That'll perk you up."
"Thanks." Shanna picked up her purse. "I have a feeling Connor will want to come, too."
"Aye, I have sworn to keep you safe, lass."
"You're a sweetie." Shanna smiled at him. "Is there a little lady vampire waiting for you somewhere?"
He blushed and followed the women into the hall.
"Where are we going?" Shanna asked.
"The employee cafeteria." Radinka walked briskly down the hall. "They have fabulous cheesecake."
"Sounds wonderful."
"Yes." Radinka sighed. "It's to die for."
As soon as the phone rang, Ivan Petrovsky grabbed it. "Yes?"
"I'm in Veszto's lab," Galina spoke quietly. "I need help."
"I knew I shouldn't have sent a female." Ivan motioned to Alek. "Keep this line open till we get back."
"Yes, sir." Alek reached for the receiver.
"Okay, Galina. Talk." Ivan focused on her voice and teleported to Veszto's lab at Romatech. The small chemist lay on the floor, watching them. He was still conscious, terror making his eyes large and glassy like a deer caught in headlights.
Ivan inspected Galina. She looked like a frumpy old hag. "Excellent. I would have never known that was you."
She smiled, displaying a blackened tooth. "It's been fun. I acted like I needed to go the restroom. A Highlander escorted me, and when he opened the door, I pricked him with a dart."
"Where is he?"
"He fell into the restroom. I wasn't so lucky with this one." She opened the door to reveal a Highlander on the floor.
"Shit! You can't leave him out there in the hallway."
"He's huge. I couldn't budge him."
Ivan took hold of the Scotsman under the arms and dragged him into Veszto's lab. "How long was he out there?"
"Not long. I pricked him, then ran in here and pricked Veszto. When I couldn't move the guard, I called you."
Ivan dropped the Highlander on the floor, then shut and locked the door. "Did you set the explosives?"
"Yes. The guards at the door checked my bag, so it was a good thing we hid the C-4 in my clothes. I stuck it under a table in the cafeteria. It'll go off in about forty minutes."
"Excellent." Ivan noticed the Highlander watching them, listening to their plans. "I've always wanted to do this." He knelt and withdrew a wooden stake from his jacket.
The Scotsman's eyes widened. A strangled sound vibrated in his throat as he struggled in vain to move.
"He can't defend himself," Galina whispered.
"You think I give a shit?" Ivan leaned over the Highlander. "Look into the face of your murderer.
It's the last thing you'll ever see." He plunged the stake into the Highlander's heart.
The Scotsman arched. Pain registered on his face, then his body crumbled into dust.
Ivan brushed the stake against his thigh to clean off the dust. "This will make a good keepsake." He slipped it into a jacket pocket. "Now for the little chemist."
He walked over to Laszlo Veszto. "Your weakling of a coven master couldn't protect you, could he?"
Veszto's face had paled to a deathly white.
"You shouldn't have helped that Whelan bitch escape. Do you know what I do to people who get in my way?"
"Come on." Galina rushed to the phone. "We need to go."
Ivan hefted the chemist up in his arms. "Hold the phone for me." He listened to Alek's voice, then teleported back to his house in Brooklyn. Galina followed.
Ivan dropped Veszto on the floor and kicked him in the ribs. "Welcome to my humble home."
Shanna enjoyed another bite of cheesecake as she looked around the dimly lit cafeteria. She and Radinka had taken a table by the window. Connor roamed about for a few minutes, then found a newspaper to read. They were the only customers there.
"I like working at night. It's so peaceful." Radinka emptied a packet of artificial sweetener into her tea. "In another thirty minutes, this place will be crammed full of people."
Shanna nodded and looked out the window. Across the garden, she could see the lights of another wing of Romatech. Roman's lab was over there.
"Did you see Roman tonight?" Radinka asked.
"No." Shanna took another bite of cheesecake. She wasn't sure she wanted to. Or that he wanted to see her. It had to hurt when a guy confessed to loving a girl, and she ran away, crying.
Radinka sipped her tea. "For the last two nights I've been doing some research for Roman. I left the information in his lab, but he says the final decision will be yours."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know that, dear. So, you should discuss the matter with him. Connor can take you to his lab."
Jeez. As a matchmaker, Radink
a was relentless. Shanna glanced at the large clock on the cafeteria wall. It was already five-ten. "I don't have time. I came here with Gregori and Connor, and they said we were leaving by five-fifteen, right?" She looked at Connor for support.
"Aye, but we came in a car." Connor folded the newspaper. "Ye can teleport back later with Roman, if ye like."
Shanna made a face at him. Some help he was. "We'd better find Gregori. I hope he's done with all those poor Vamps."
"Did the research study go well?" Radinka drizzled some dressing over her grilled chicken salad.
"I guess. It was sad, seeing people that downtrodden.There was this one bag lady who—" Shanna stopped. She searched her memory. "Oh my gosh. She never came back."
"What?" Connor leaned forward. "Who was this?"
"The old lady who stole a bottle of Chocolood. She left with a guard to go the restroom and never came back."
"Och, this is bad." Connor stood and removed a cell phone from his sporran.
"Perhaps she was ill and went home," Radinka suggested.
Shanna doubted that. "Can vampires even get sick?"
"Yes, if they drink infected blood." Radinka stabbed at her salad with a fork. "And the new Fusion Cuisine doesn't set well with all of them."
Connor punched in a number. "Angus? There may be a member of Gregori's focus group loose in the facility. An elderly woman."
"Maybe she's lost." Radinka took a bite of salad.
Shanna watched Connor pacing about. He seemed worried.
He dropped the phone into his sporran and strode toward them. "Angus has ordered a complete sweep of the building and a lockdown. They'll be starting at the storerooms where the last explosion occurred. Each room will be searched, then sealed, until the whole facility has been checked."
"You expect foul play?" Radinka asked.
"We're not taking any chances." Connor glanced at the clock and winced. "We havena much time before the sun rises."
He was anxious to help with the search, Shanna could tell, but the poor man was stuck babysitting her. "Go on, Connor. I'll be all right with Radinka."
"Nay. I canna leave you, lass."
Radinka stabbed a tomato wedge with her fork. "Connor, take her to Roman's lab. He can watch her while you join the search." Shanna winced. Radinka just never gave up. Unfortunately, Connor was giving her such a hopeful look, she hated to disappoint him. "I guess my ride back home has been canceled?"
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire las-1 Page 27
