Into the Flames

by Multi-Author

  “Hey.” Reese laid a hand on Josh’s forearm, unfazed when the man growled at him. It seemed everyone was a little short tempered when it came to this investigation. “What douche bag meant to say was …” he swept his hand over the map, “… cut to the chase. We’d like to know what the hell you’re getting at.”

  Tension eased from Josh’s shoulders. He inhaled, reining in his temper. “The thing is, we’ve done this a number of times over the last year, but I’ve never noticed a pattern. The fires in the beginning were all vampires.” Josh pointed to a dozen sites, varying distances from South Kenton. “But in the last six to nine months, they’ve been a two-to-one mix of vamp and human.”

  “What made the rogue change his MO?” Reese wondered aloud.

  “Well, it’s the last piece of information that may give us that clue,” Josh said. “This is where Hope …” he looked at Ronan as he emphasized her name, “took it in a direction we haven’t. See these circles?” Josh traced several of the colored rings at the fire sites. “She used different colors to indicate the victim’s connection to different people. What do you see?” He gave them a moment to process the information.

  “A whole lot of red mixed in with the other colors,” Ronan said.

  Reese couldn’t believe it had been that easy. “Yes, we got ‘em.” He punched Josh in the shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to finish this case and bring the SOB vampire to justice. Killing vamps was bad enough, but when it spilled over into the human population, well, that just pissed Reese off.

  “Not so fast, Reese,” said Josh.

  “What, he’s right. Unless the red circle isn’t a vampire,” Ronan said hesitantly. “Then we’ve gotten nowhere”

  “Oh, no, she’s definitely a vampire,” Josh responded.

  “She?” In the half century Reese had been with RISEN, there’d been only one other female rogue. “Doesn’t matter her gender. What’s been done breaks all codes. We bring her in and let the tribunal decide her fate.”

  “With that number vamp kills, the woman should be beheaded and burned.”

  Both he and Josh looked at Ronan. What he said was true, but no one, least of all another vampire, wanted to see one of their own punished that way.

  Josh held his palm out, pumping the air in an attempt to slow Ronan’s judgment. “Let’s not be so hasty until you know all the facts.”

  Just the tone of his roommate’s voice put Reese on edge. He had no doubt the man was holding back a crucial piece of information that was going to upset one of them.

  “Are you kidding me?” Ronan stomped away and began pacing the small kitchen. “‘Tis our job to bring this rogue vampire down. Humans? Vamps? This … this … thing has no conscience. She’s left a wake of murder and destruction through two counties.” He waved at the map. “How many more have to die before we stop her? Are you two seriously going soft because it’s a female?”

  “Enough.” Reese knew instinctively he didn’t want to hear the last bombshell Josh was going to drop, but he had no desire to listen to Ronan’s criticism of the vampire tribunal. Nothing was worse than taking down one of your own—even if they had been doing the same. “What don’t we know, Josh.?”

  “Those red circles?” He paused, his gaze locking on Reese’s. “Are all associated with Alex.”

  Silence fell over the room like a thick blanket smothering him.

  No one moved. No one breathed.

  Time hung suspended.

  It was Ronan’s condescending laugh that finally broke the spell of disbelief. “Oh, now that’s rich. The irony of the savior being the slayer …” He stopped to catch his breath. “Seriously, who would’ve predicted our villain was sweet innocent—”

  “Shut up, Ronan. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” Josh’s words came out through clenched teeth.

  Reese fought through the fog of confusion. “Alexandra Flanagan? My Alex Flanagan?” He’d known his undercover work would eventually tear them apart, he just never could have imagined it would take her life. His timing definitely sucked.

  “Yes, Alexandra Flanagan, you idiot.” Ronan stormed back to the table. “Stop thinking with your dick and look at the facts.” He pounded a finger on one of the highlighted circles. “How’s this person related to Alex?”

  Josh slapped his hand away. “Back off, Nason.”

  “No, he’s right.” Reese knew there had to be another explanation, but without understanding everything, he wouldn’t be able to get to the bottom of it. “Tell us, who they are.”

  “The university fire was a student of hers.” Josh moved his finger around the map. “This fire killed her hairdresser. This one was a cashier at Ricker’s Market in town.”

  “That’s a stretch. All three of us could be suspect there,” Reese said.

  “That’s true. But the cashier was a vampire and a regular at the tavern.”

  “Go on.” A cold knot of dread coiled tight in Reese’s gut as he listened to Josh explain Alex’s connection to all but a handful of the fires.

  “So that’s it? Case closed.” Ronan straightened the cuffs of his shirt. “Once it’s reported and the tribunal takes Alex in, do they transfer us right away to the next case or—”

  Josh’s left hook took Ronan down before the arrogant asshole had seen the flash of movement. If the impact hadn’t kept him on the floor, Josh’s knee in his chest and the grip on his throat was certainly doing the trick. “This is a fellow vampire and a friend. Our job is to gather solid evidence before taking it to the tribunal. You aren’t going to breathe a fucking word of this to anyone. Got it?” His grip tightened imperceptibly. “Nod if you understand.”

  Ronan’s features contorted into rage as he reluctantly dipped his chin.

  “Good.” Josh ground his knee into Ronan’s gut as he pushed himself up. “Your only job right now is to keep your head down and stay the fuck out of our way.”

  “Whatever, asshole.” Ronan got up from the floor and straightened his coat. “I didn’t join RISEN to take shit from you two.”

  Reese stepped in front of Ronan, bumping his chest hard against the presumptuous prick. “Why did you join RISEN?”

  “To protect the vampire population.” His lips pursed in a tight line. “Isn’t that why we’re all undercover?” He elbowed his way past Reese. “I won’t report her to RISEN … yet. But trust me, when I find the proverbial smoking gun, Alex is going to wish like hell she hadn’t crossed paths with Ronan Nason.”

  Reese stared at Ronan’s back as he stormed out of the cabin. “Think he’ll steer clear of her?” he asked, turning back to Josh’s tired expression.

  “Yeah. He’s too green to go forward on his own.”

  “And this?” Reese swept his hand over the map, wondering what the hell they were going to do. “Is Nason right? Is my personal involvement blinding me to the facts?”

  “Depends on how bad you have it for her.”

  “Let’s just say after today, you can rip up that IOU.” Reese’s whole world had been dropped in a blender and put on pulverize to shit.

  “You certainly picked a lousy time to get over your fear of commitment.”

  “Ya think?”

  “Dude, the whole situation just sucks.” Josh raked his fingers through his hair. “I’d like to think someone is setting her up for some reason.”

  “Is that what you honestly believe?”

  “What I know is that Alex has been working to perfect a nutritional supplement so vamps don’t have to drink human blood. She’s got the protection of Glenn and the blessing of the tribunal. What I believe doesn’t matter.”

  “But …” Reese dragged the word slowly over his tongue.

  “Since I’m a betting man, I’d wager my left nut she’s mired in this whole thing up to that nice rack of hers.”

  * * *

  A hiss escaped through lips thinned with malice. The vampire slipped out of sight just as Glenn Karr bound up the stairs of the university’s s
cience building. Looking like an angel of mercy awash in the golden light of the afternoon sun, the ancient vampire’s arrival had been expected. But Glenn was in for nothing but disappointment. The good professor’s office had already been picked clean.

  Unfortunately, a search of the neatly ordered space on the third floor had turned up nothing. And though chaos had been left in the wake of the investigation, there was no doubt Glenn knew nothing of the professor’s compulsion for order. For anyone who didn’t know Paul Morgan, the office would have looked like a preoccupied professor’s cluttered cave of research.

  The hard drive in the good professor’s office had been swept as clean as the one at his mansion. It had taken willpower beyond measure not to dispose of everything in flames. But a second university fire would certainly raise suspicions the first one hadn’t.

  Glenn didn’t even bother to look around to see if anyone was watching him. Stupid, trusting bastard. Things wouldn’t have progressed in finely tuned precision if the plans laid down hadn’t been exacting in every detail. Knowing and understanding all of the players was what made this whole sordid situation quite a thrilling game of cat and mouse. The fools from RISEN had no idea who was pulling the strings and having all the fun. Of course, the vampires and humans who had died in the course of all the scheming hadn’t been laughing, now had they? Too bad. So sad.

  There was little remorse where traitorous vampires were concerned. And the humans caught in the cross-fire? Well, they were just a casualty of the war being waged—and perhaps a little distraction in some cases.

  Months of long work and snooping had finally culminated last night at the professor’s mansion. Once all the facts had been uncovered, Paul Morgan’s death had been a foregone conclusion. The look on the old man’s face as recognition and understanding had blossomed had been priceless. It would replay over and over bringing much satisfaction and enjoyment.

  But all of this wasn’t just for personal revenge—though that played a significant role in what had transpired—it was about restoring the natural order and preserving the purity of the vampire population. If accolades were thrown at the vampire responsible for the course correction, then so be it. History was filled with people who’d forged the tough path alone.

  Leaving the university grounds, the vampire wondered about Glenn’s next move. Though it didn’t really matter since nothing of consequence could alter the final outcome. Whatever Glenn chose to do after leaving the university was of little concern. Guilt squeezed and a sigh escaped. Killing Glenn Karr, savior of many lost vampires, had not been part of the original plan. But watching the man sort through the charred remains of the professor’s mansion right after the fire marshal had left the scene had left little doubt difficult sacrifices had to made in order to keep identities hidden.

  And now that everything was set in motion, turning back was no longer an option.

  * * *

  Glenn took the stone steps into the chemistry building two at a time, looking every bit like someone who belonged there. The only way to hide your activities was to do them out in the open. Though he’d been able to bear the late afternoon sun for centuries, Glenn despised the vulnerability of being out during the day. But fatherly concern had pushed him to this recklessness. Whatever the hell Alex had begun—he needed to finish. And he had no doubt whatever it was, involved the professor.

  Instinct told him the woman was in trouble and once again, she had no one to save her. He’d be damned if whatever was keeping her out at night and making her ill would cause her harm. He’d seen how she’d lost weight over the last few months. He was neither blind nor stupid, though Alex seemed to think he was both. Glenn worried her behavior was somehow tangled with the rash of fires killing vampires.

  Even with the addition of Ronan, RISEN didn’t seem to be making progress in stopping the murderer. If anything, the number of fires was escalating. With the death of the professor, Glenn worried Alex could be next. He refused to stand back and let that happen.

  He hated leaving Alex alone and vulnerable in the cellars this morning. Despite her tough exterior, the woman needed protection and Reese seemed all too happy to be the one offering it. Glenn only hoped that stubborn streak of hers hadn’t sent him away.

  Maybe Reese would also manage to get answers Alex was unwilling to give Glenn.

  He didn’t need to hear the young woman’s thoughts to know she was keeping secrets about the fire at the professor’s mansion. He’d seen the guilt on her face last night as plain as her short red hair and lying smile.

  Like the dark chill in the foyer Glenn entered, cold fear weighed heavy in his gut. Alex was as close to his heart as a biological daughter. He’d found her battered, drained and left for dead in the woods behind the tavern thirty years ago. A faceless vampire had raped and nearly sucked her dry. He hadn’t been sure he could save her when he’d brought her back to his farm. Only weeks of constant attention and blood he’d taken from well-paid prostitutes in the valley, who’d willingly given him a pint instead of sex, had brought Alex back to the world of the living dead.

  He’d taught her how to survive on animals and she, in turn, had found the missing chemical combination for the synthetic blood wine to keep a small portion of the local vampire population—a population that was declining with each passing month—healthy and thriving. He prayed Alex wasn’t responsible for the horrific deaths. Glenn suspected, at the very least, she had information that would blow RISEN’s case wide open.

  That was the other reason he was here. He wanted to find something, anything to keep Alex from standing trial. Over the past few decades there hadn’t been a vampire who’d left the hallowed halls of the tribunal without a target on their back, mysteriously disappearing or worse, found beheaded weeks or months after their trial. True guilt or innocence didn’t seem to matter. If someone was accused of slaying vamps and survived the tribunal’s verdict, there obviously were plenty of immortals out there who chose to dole out their own form of justice.

  And Alex had certainly been acting odd the last couple of months. Not that her every waking moment was any of his business, but she’d been spending more and more hours away from the tavern without explanation. He’d also seen how queasy she’d become when they’d bottled the last batch of blood. Adding it all up was bringing him to only one conclusion—she was up to her pretty blue eyeballs in something that smelled an awful lot like trouble.

  Glenn removed neither his sunglasses nor ball cap as he scanned the building’s directory in the marble foyer. Quickly, he found what he was looking for: Dr. Paul Morgan, Head of Chemistry Department … Room 308. Glenn headed down the nearly empty hall. He found the stairs and leaped gracefully up the three flights without fear of discovery. Locating the office door, Glenn scanned the hall before shoving two paperclips into the lock mechanism. A push, a twist and a little luck and the lock disengaged. Glenn couldn’t hold back his self-satisfied grin. Sometimes even vampires learned a thing or two from crime shows.

  Slipping inside, he quickly shut and locked the door. Educators, Glenn suspected, ran in two flavors; neat to the point of obsessive order or systematic clutter. It appeared Professor Morgan fit the latter category. Files, periodicals and books were strewn about on the floor, chairs, and shelves. The desk in front of him was cluttered as well with a mess of notebooks and papers surrounding a computer monitor. The only organization seemed to be on the bookcases standing on either side of the window on the opposite wall. Textbooks and, he assumed, research materials, marched neatly across the shelves.

  His cheeks puffed as he exhaled in frustration. With the proverbial needle hidden somewhere among the stacks, he had no doubt the answer was here. Glenn only wished he knew the question.

  What he did know, aside from the fact the professor was one of a handful of humans who knew of the existence of vampires, was that he’d found no evidence of wrongdoing by Alex in the charred remains of the professor’s mansion. Glenn had snuck in after ever
yone had left, sifting through the debris throughout the morning.

  Passionate people like the professor didn’t go through life without a mission. And though Glenn didn’t know the man well enough to know what pushed him out of bed every morning, he had no doubt proof of the professor’s life work existed. He also suspected the man wouldn’t chance leaving the only copy of that passion to be destroyed. Somewhere, there was more evidence and he had every intention of finding it and obliterating anything that might incriminate Alex. Then Glenn would help her fix whatever damage she’d done and restart her life.

  He’d done it once before—he’d do it again.

  Glenn stared at the computer. Over the years he’d become a master hacker. It was a time-consuming venture at best and not something he wanted to deal with at the moment. He’d taken the burnt hard drive from the professor’s computer at the mansion. Even though he didn’t have the expertise to deal with that, Glenn had simply not wanted to make it available to anyone else. If he couldn’t find anything in this mess, he’d take this computer with him and hope the answers revealed themselves in Morgan’s computer files.

  Removing his sunglasses, Glenn stared at the office, trying to think like a professor. Of all the professions he’d had over his five centuries, teaching had not been one of them. But scientists were linear thinking creatures, surely he could manage logic. Surveying the cramped quarters, Glenn tried to see consistency in the randomness. The books on the shelves were the only ordered part of the room. He’d start there.

  Leaping over four stacks of magazines and the desk, Glenn wondered how the professor had navigated the crowded space. With a careful eye he read the bindings of the books. An hour later, as the afternoon shadows lengthened into early evening, Glenn found what he’d been searching for. Three quarters of the way through the fourth set of shelves, a couple of feet above the floor, it glared at him like a neon beer sign in the forest. It was so cleverly hidden in the open, if he hadn’t been searching with an eye to inconsistencies, he wouldn’t have tripped upon it.