The phone rang again and she jumped. She picked up the receiver.
“Listen very carefully,” a familiar distorted electronic voice droned. “We will say this only once.”
“Who is this?”
“We know you are in danger of losing your daughter.”
Tasha glanced at the cordless phone base and then to the narrow window overlooking a small backyard. “How do you know that?”
“That is unimportant. We can assist you.”
“Help me? How? Why?”
“Again, that is unimportant. If you want to see your daughter, you will follow our instructions.”
She hesitated and then sighed, slumping against the kitchen wall. “What do you want from me?”
“You are assisting the vampires in their search for Mindy Johnson.”
“I’m assigned to the task force, yes.”
“You will gather information on the one called Sabian.”
“Alex? But she’s on suspension.”
“Vampire Sabian was reinstated to full active duty status as of oh-six-twenty-seven this morning.”
Tasha’s head spun. “You want me to spy on a federal agent?”
“You will gather information on Sabian. Observe her behavior. Make a record of what she says and does.”
“I don’t understand why—”
“Understanding is not required. You will also retrieve Mindy Johnson’s journal and keep it safe until further notice.”
“Why do you want Mindy’s journal?”
“We will be in touch.”
“Wait!”
The line clicked three times and then switched to the monotone hum of a dial tone.
“Damn it!” Tasha jammed the handset into the cradle and it beeped in annoyance. She knew better than to check the caller ID logs. It would only show an unnamed caller and no number.
The same was true of trying to trace the call. She’d had similar calls during the Darryl Black investigation, including one instructing her to compromise the chain of evidence. Her conscience had eventually gotten the better of her, and she’d confessed her transgression to Varik. She could still hear his threat in her mind as clear as if he stood in the room with her.
If anything happens to Alex as a result of your actions, there will be nowhere on this earth you can hide from me.
Tasha believed if anyone could make good on a threat, it was Varik Baudelaire. She’d been checking into his past, and the little information she was able to unearth frightened her. Born in 1833, the only son of an aristocratic Parisian family, Varik had turned his back on his family’s wealth at the age of twenty-three. She found no mention of him after he walked away from the Baudelaire fortune until he surfaced in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1968, immediately following Bernard Sabian’s murder. She could only imagine what he may have been doing in that missing century.
Her gaze fell to Caleb’s letter and then shifted to the half-empty bourbon bottle. Hate and anger, fear and self-loathing warred for control of her emotions. She picked up the bottle and tossed it in the trash.
“I will not be intimidated,” she said to the last vestiges of night outside her window. “I will not succumb to my fears.”
Spinning on her heel, Tasha grabbed her cell phone and headed for her bedroom to dress for the long day of work ahead of her.
A nagging little voice in her mind laughed at her and made her pause in the threshold between the kitchen and hallway. Caleb’s right. They own you, the voice whispered. You fucked up. The vamps covered it up.
After confessing to Varik that she’d broken the chain of evidence, he and Alex had omitted Tasha’s violation from their official reports. If she was discovered tampering with evidence again, she felt certain neither vampire would be so forgiving.
Now they own you, her inner tormentor teased. They’re never going to let you go.
Fear overwhelmed Tasha and rooted her to the floor.
If Caleb finds out what you’re doing, you’ll never see Maya again.
She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t lose her daughter. Not again.
You’re weak. You know you can’t fight the vamps and Caleb. Not without me.
Tasha groaned and crossed the room. Her hands shook as she extracted the bourbon from the trash while her inner voice cackled in triumph.
Emily Sabian had always been an early riser, greeting the sun with a cup of coffee and usually one or two hours of work already behind her. Today was no different. She’d already cleaned the living and dining rooms, scrubbed the guest’s bathroom, and straightened her bedroom. The clothes dryer quietly spun in the laundry room off the kitchen.
Sitting at the island breakfast bar, she waited for the other two occupants of the house to rise while she looked around at the purple walls, white cabinets, and tan-colored granite countertops. It wasn’t her style, but then again, she was simply a guest.
Emily sipped her black coffee and pretended she didn’t hear the whispers filtering from beneath the closed door down the hallway. She pretended she didn’t hear the steady rhythmic creaking of a headboard or the low moans of pleasure. What her son and his human girlfriend did in their own home was none of her business.
She checked the clock display on the microwave and set her coffee aside. Emily moved to the refrigerator and took out a small test tube filled with thick crimson liquid. Unlike her children, Stephen and Alex, she no longer had her fangs and therefore couldn’t bite a donor. Like many vampires over the age of two hundred, Emily’s fangs had been filed down and capped in order to achieve a more human appearance. Blood was obtained through needles and stored in test tubes. At least she no longer had to hide the tubes.
In the time before vampires revealed themselves to humanity, blood was hidden in a variety of ways, wine bottles being the most popular. When Stephen and Alex were children, one of the more clever methods Emily had devised was mixing the blood with cherry Jell-O. The kids had loved it.
She placed the cold tube in a shallow bowl and reached for the teakettle warming on the stove. The water would gently warm the blood to the perfect temperature for consumption. She poured a stream of steaming water into the bowl, being careful not to spill.
A joyful shout from the master bedroom startled her. Hot water splashed on her hand. Crying out in pain, Emily dropped the kettle. It hit the stone counter and clanged to the tile floor.
“Mom!” Stephen called from down the hall. Rapid footsteps announced his approach a moment before he entered the kitchen, naked with blood dripping from his chin. “What is it? What happened?”
Emily quickly averted her eyes, grabbing for a dish towel. She wrapped it around her hand to hide the spreading blister. “I’m all right, Stephen.”
“You burned yourself,” he said. He reached for her hand. “Let me see.”
She pulled away. “I’m fine. I was warming some blood, and I dropped the kettle. That’s all.”
“You could’ve put it in the microwave for a few seconds.” He bent over, picked up the now-empty kettle, and set it back on the stovetop.
Emily kept her eyes locked on the sink in front of her. “I don’t like the way it makes the blood taste, and I’m not entirely comfortable discussing this with you while you’re naked.”
Stephen laughed and shook his bare butt at her. “Why? It’s not like you haven’t seen my ass before.”
Movement from the doorway captured her attention. Janet Klein, Stephen’s girlfriend, entered the kitchen wearing one of his T-shirts and holding a tissue to her neck. She passed a pair of faded jeans and a cell phone to him.
Emily’s gaze met her son’s. “You were much younger then and not so—”
“Impressive?” He smiled as he stepped behind the island so she only saw him from the waist up as he dressed.
Heat rose in her face. “I was going to say ‘healthy.’ ”
Janet tapped his chin as she yawned and then staggered to the nearby bathroom. Stephen wiped away the thin trickle of blood with a finger a
nd promptly stuck it in his mouth. A shudder passed over him and his sky blue eyes began to bleed over to dark amber.
Emily checked the burn on her hand. It wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. The skin around her thumb and index finger was bright red and throbbed with every beat of her heart. She’d suffered much worse though, and knew from experience that the burn would heal completely within a day or two.
“Got a text message from Alex,” Stephen said, drawing her focus to him. He leaned against the island, elbows supporting his upper body as he read from the small screen. “Varik pulled some strings and convinced Damian to reinstate Alex. They’re on their way to a crime scene.”
“What kind of case is it?”
“You heard about that missing girl?”
“Yes.”
“That’s it.”
“Oh, good. The sooner Alex can focus on something besides this inquiry, the better.” Emily realized how callous her statement sounded and rushed to correct herself. “I don’t mean it’s good a girl is missing, but that she’ll have something else to think about for a while.”
“I know what you meant, Mom.” He laid his cell phone to the side and ran a hand through his disheveled golden curls. “I just wish she wasn’t determined to shack up with Varik at the same time.”
“Don’t start, Stephen.”
“I can’t help it. I don’t trust the guy. Besides, Alex wouldn’t have to worry about an inquiry if Varik hadn’t shown his ass up here in the first place.”
The loathing Stephen had for Varik wasn’t news to Emily. He delighted in complaining about his sister’s relationship at every turn.
Sighing, she used her unburned hand to check the temp of the test tube still soaking in water. “I really wish you would give Varik a chance.”
“Why should I? The bastard nearly killed Alex—twice—and bound her to him against her will.”
“It wasn’t like that and you know it.”
“You didn’t see what he did to her, Mom. He practically tore her throat out and left her lying on the floor to die. She would’ve if I hadn’t shown up when I did.”
“It wasn’t his fault. He was injured and the blood-hunger was too much.”
“He’s a killer!”
“That was a long time ago and he was just doing his job.”
“I don’t understand why you keep defending him,” Stephen growled.
Janet returned and stopped short when the vampires ceased their conversation. She nervously covered the bite on her neck with her hand. “I, uh, I’ll come back for coffee.”
Emily removed the test tube from the water and watched Stephen’s eyes track his girlfriend down the hall to the master bedroom they shared. Once the door closed, she said, “I defend Varik because Alex is in love with him and needs him, especially now. I would do the same for you if Janet’s family ever turned on you.”
“Janet doesn’t have a family. Her parents are dead and she’s an only child.”
Sympathy for the girl stabbed Emily’s chest. “I didn’t know.” She ripped the stopper from the test tube and upended it, draining the blood.
Memories from the unknown donor’s life darted through her mind like phantoms. Fragments presented themselves for her review but were not retained. A rush of psychic energy surged through Emily’s body, revitalizing her.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, Mom,” Stephen said quietly once she’d thrown away the tube. He pushed himself up from the counter. “Especially about Varik.”
Emily watched him follow Janet’s path to the bedroom. She pulled on the silver chain at her neck and cradled the small silver four-leaf clover charm in the palm of her hand.
Thoughts of her husband, Bernard, crowded her mind. The charm had been his, a symbol of a secret she would do anything to protect. “I know enough, Stephen,” she whispered. “I know enough.”
She returned the chain to its place beneath her blouse and leaned against the sink. Staring out the window at the brightening eastern sky, she hoped the sun would burn away the darkness that continued to prey on her family.
three
RAIN ALWAYS MADE EVIDENCE COLLECTION AT OUTDOOR crime scenes difficult. Water either washed it away or destroyed it altogether. Although the thunderstorm had moved on, water continued to flow through the center of the parking lot in front of Nassau County Community College’s women’s dormitory. Varik studied the makeshift stream and wondered how much had already been lost.
By the time he and Alex arrived, a protective canopy had been erected over Mindy Johnson’s abandoned car to minimize the amount of evidence lost. Freddy Haver and Reyes Cott, the two forensic analysts on loan from the FBPI’s headquarters in Louisville, were already processing the vehicle. Other Enforcers and uniformed humans from the Jefferson police and Nassau County Sheriff’s Department canvassed the area, interviewing anyone who may have seen something. Their efforts would most likely prove fruitless due to the early morning hour, but they had to be thorough, especially if his own suspicions were correct.
He shifted his attention from the storm runoff to Alex, who stood with Chief Enforcer Damian Alberez near Varik’s Corvette. Damian had greeted them and pulled Alex aside as soon as her feet hit the pavement. Even though Varik couldn’t hear their conversation, he sensed Alex’s rising impatience and anger through the blood-bond.
Varik sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He loved Alex and her fiery spirit, but a pissed-off Alex could complicate an already challenging investigation.
Alex broke away from Damian and headed toward the yellow tape marking the boundary between public area and crime scene.
“What did he say?” Varik asked, moving to intercept her.
“Not much, just that I’m completely fucked.”
He blocked her path. “What do you mean?”
She crossed her arms in front of her, eyes downcast. “Chief Magistrate Woody Phelps has taken a personal interest in my inquiry.”
“Phelps? Why would he—”
She shrugged. “Damian doesn’t know. All he knows is a special investigator for the Tribunal will be here in a few hours to grill my ass, and the SI is to report directly to Phelps.”
“Oh, baby,” he murmured and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
She brushed his hand away and sidestepped around him. “I don’t want your sympathy, Varik. I just want to get through this shit. Alive.”
He watched as she ducked under the tape barrier and signed in with the officer tracking who came and went from the scene. He understood her frustration. He’d faced his own inquiry long ago.
In the years before the Bureau’s formation and the inception of Enforcers, he’d been a Hunter, one of a select group who ensured the vampire community remained hidden from humans. Vampires had few laws, but punishment for breaking them was swift, with the only penalty being death. Generations of vampires lived in fear of the Hunters, but even the Hunters weren’t above the law they maintained.
For over a century, Varik specialized in tracking down and disposing of other Hunters who broke vampiric law. His assignments took him across the globe, and he prided himself in his efficiency. However, one assignment turned into a nightmare when faulty information resulted in the death of an innocent teenaged vampire.
The incident led to an official inquiry by the Tribunal, the Hunters’ governing body. His name was cleared but he hadn’t been the same and swore never to kill again, a vow he’d kept for over fifty years.
Movement behind him drew his attention and he turned to find his oldest and best friend glowering in Alex’s direction.
“I don’t like this one bit,” Damian grumbled. “I don’t like her being on this case.”
Varik glanced over his shoulder at Alex, who’d joined Reyes and Freddy beside Mindy Johnson’s car. “We need her. You know we won’t catch this guy without a Talent, and Alex is the closest thing we’ve got to one.”
Damian frowned and shifted his weight from one foo
t to the other. Standing nearly seven feet tall with muscles to rival a young Arnold Schwarzenegger and polished ebony skin, he was an impressive figure before he ever flashed his fangs. “She hasn’t been properly tested. You have no real proof she’s a Talent.”
Talents—vampires who displayed any form of psychic ability—were rare and highly prized in many fields, especially law enforcement.
“The fact she’s been an Enforcer for over twenty years and hasn’t been tested is odd,” Damian continued. “Don’t you think? Especially given that she’s Bernard’s daughter.”
Alex’s father had been the undisputed leader of the Talents in the pre-FBPI era. As the top-performing Hunter, Varik had been partnered with Bernard for many years, long before Alex was born. A secret he worked daily to keep hidden from Alex.
Varik shrugged and faced the crime scene, watching his former trainee as she worked with the forensic analysts. “It’s a little strange, I suppose, but I’m not the one who decides which recruits are tested and which aren’t.”
“Yeah, but you do have a knack for pulling strings.”
“I learned from the best.”
Damian grunted.
“I’ve been inside Alex’s head. Yes, she lacks the training and discipline, but I’ve seen the things Alex can do. Trust me. She’s one of the best Talents I’ve seen in a long time.”
“For your sake, you’d better be right about her abilities. I had to do some serious maneuvering to get her reinstated. If she can’t deliver, I’m going to make your life hell.”
Varik scoffed. “You’ve been doing that ever since you pulled my ass out of retirement.”
“A decision I’ll be regretting for a long time, I can assure you.”
Varik gestured for Damian to move toward the tape barrier and fell into step beside him. “Did you have a chance to examine the doll?” he asked, changing the subject to one of a more immediate concern.
Damian nodded. “Yeah. It definitely looks like the Dollmaker’s handiwork.”
“Shit. I was really hoping you wouldn’t say that.”
“I’m not happy about it either. Hell, you tried to catch this son of a bitch for years with no luck. He drops out of sight and now suddenly he shows up in Jefferson, of all places. Why?”
Alexandra Sabian 2 - Blood Secrets Page 3
