“Oh my God. Yellow. Priceless.” Karma coughed out between bouts of laughter.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Harrison said dryly.
“Yes, it was,” Dylan said as he fought off laughter too. “Canary, yellow, get it?”
“Oh, I get it. I just don’t find it that funny,” Harrison told them and shook his head when Karma only laughed harder.
“Anyway.” President Isaac said and looked at the elders. “What have they been hiding?”
“Matthews and Henley have been running a human blood trafficking organization. They have been kidnapping men, women, and children and selling them to vampire. Kind of like people do with sex trafficking, but without the sex.”
“Where are they kidnapping the people from? If there was a mass amount of people being kidnapped from the D.C. area, we would have heard about it.”
“From what Henley told us they are shipping people in from other countries in cargo ships. They get their shipments in once a month, but never on the same day of the month or week, or at the same harbor.”
“That’s pretty well organized. Was Matthews the ring leader?” Isaac asked.
“From what I gather, no. Henley seems to think there is more than one vampire heading up the organization,” Dristen said, and turned to Karma. “That’s where you come in. We need as much information from Matthews as we can get. We need to know when and where the next shipment is coming in. Matthews is the only one with that information.”
“Then I guess I get to go play some more,” Karma said and grinned. “This should be fun.”
Once Karma and Dylan were gone, Eduardo turned to President Isaac. “I think we should go ahead and do the press conference as scheduled. If we back down, it will send a message to whomever is behind this and it’ll be the wrong message. It’ll be a message of cowardliness, and weakness. We have to show them we aren’t afraid and that we are strong, and not going to back down because we hit a snag.”
“Then I will push for Congress to pass the laws within the next two weeks. Following today’s events, they should all agree that it’s for the best to pass these laws,” Isaac said, and the elders nodded their agreement.
Just then Karma burst through the door quickly followed by Dylan and Harrison. “We have a problem. Matthews is gone.”
“Gone? How?” Ramsey asked. “You had him bound with silver, right?”
“Of course. Do you think I’m that careless?” Karma snapped at him. “Harrison’s men had their heads ripped off and the silver bindings had been cut. There’s no way he did that himself. He had someone on the inside.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Two weeks later
“Karma, are you ready?” Dylan asked as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
She locked eyes with him through the mirror and nodded, too nervous to speak.
“You will do great, and I’ll be there beside you the whole time.”
“I know. I just hope this works. I hope this brings him out in the open.”
“It will,” Dylan assured her then kissed the back of her head. “You look like my badass warrior in the get-up.”
“I am your badass warrior.” Karma told him as she turned in his arms. “I love you, Dylan, and when this is over, I want us to find a small farm in Virginia and settle down. Jackson can move there with us, and hopefully he’ll meet a nice young woman and settle down too.”
“Now that’s something to live for,” Dylan said and kissed her nose. “We have to be downstairs in about five minutes. Are you ready?”
“I am. I have more weapons on than clothes. I just hope he shows up and we can end at least this part of it tonight.”
“Harrison and Nevaeh will have Demetri there, and between him and you, Vincent shouldn’t be able to resist showing up.”
“For some reason I don’t think this is going to be easy,” Karma said. “I just wish I knew where Matthews was.”
“Have things been easy up to this point? Plus, where’s the fun in easy? As for Matthews, we will find him. He can’t hide forever.”
“Absolutely nothing,” Karma said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “That’s one of the many, many reasons I love you, Dylan Collins. You totally get what makes me tick.”
“I love you, too,” he said and kissed the tip of her nose again. “Time to go.”
Karma took a deep breath and nodded. “Yep, let’s go.”
“We got this, babe,” Dylan told her one more time before he walked over and opened the door. They had been here four weeks and this city life was starting to really grate his nerves.
As they headed down in the elevator, they went over what they were going to say during the press conference. When they stepped into the lobby they were met by the Senate and loaded into the waiting limo.
“You’ve got this,” Ramsey told them after they were seated and heading to the White House. “Don’t let the fact that Matthews is still out there distract you from what’s important today. You are going to tell the world vampire really do exist.”
Karma took a deep breath and nodded.
“We got this,” she said and took Dylan’s hand. “We can do anything together.”
The rest of the short ride was made in silence and when they pulled up to the back entrance of the White House they were greeted by a throng of paparazzi.
“Yeah, this is going to be fun,” Dristen said dryly as they pulled through the gate. “At least they aren’t allowed inside.”
The limo pulled to a stop and was immediately surrounded by Secret Service agents. One of them opened the door and Karma stepped out.
“Miss Black, the President would like a word with you before the press conference begins. If you would follow me, please.”
Karma took a deep breath and followed the agent down a long, windowless hall.
“Mr. President, Miss Black and Mr. Collins are here,” the agent said into his head set. He paused for a moment and listened before he opened the door and stepped back. “The President will see you now.”
When he stepped aside Karma and Dylan walked into the Oval Office.
“Mr. President, it’s good to see you again,” Karma said and held out her hand.
“Nice to see you again, too, Miss Black. I wanted to meet with you before we went public today to let you know we have voted all the rules and regulations you wanted into law. They will be added to the new Constitution just as soon as the press conference is over today. Matthews is still evading us, but we will find him, and Henley has court next week. The treason charges have been dropped, but human trafficking charges have been added. He may have acted under duress, but he could have sought help at any time. Especially after his first meeting with you.”
“That’s awesome about the laws being passed,” Karma said with a grin. She was hoping everything would be in place by today, but she wasn’t sure it would be after everything that had happened with Matthews. “We will find Matthews. I know the elders are working on a way to draw him out. Just put your trust in them and everything will work out. They are not going to give up.”
“It’s time,” the same agent from a few minutes ago said from the open door.
“You two ready?” the President asked.
“As we’ll ever be,” Dylan answered with a glance at Karma.
“We got this,” Karma said and followed the agent from the room.
****
“Good afternoon everyone. We have called this press conference because we have an important announcement to make that will affect life as we know it. To make that announcement we are introducing you to two very important people. They are faces you will get to know very well over the next few weeks,” the White House spokesperson talked to the press for another few minutes before he took a deep breath. “Now, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Karma Black and Dylan Collins. Please listen to what they have to say and hold all questions until the end. I promise they will get answered to the best of everyone’s ability.”
He
stepped back and motioned Karma and Dylan forward. They clasped hands and walked to the podium as a unit.
“Good afternoon everyone and thank you for coming here today. My name is Karma Black, and this is Dylan Collins,” Karma took a deep breath and looked at all the people looking at her. “And we are human, vampire Halflings.”
The crowd burst out in loud gasps of disbelief and laughter. The spokesperson stepped up to the mic again, but Karma waved him away. With a grin and a loud hiss into the microphone she got everyone’s attention focused back on her.
“I understand this is hard to believe, but this is what we are here to talk about today,” Karma waited for a moment before she continued. “My Mother, Barbara, met my Father, Vincent, in a bar in October of 1996, and I was born in August of 1997. She didn’t know what he was at the time. He came back when I was five years old, but did not want to have anything to do with me because I was not showing any signs of being a vampire, so he left. Shortly after his visit I started showing a couple vampire traits, the main one was craving blood. Since then I have always eaten my meat rare, but I have never drunk, or craved, human blood.”
Karma paused to take a breath and Dylan started talking. “My Mother was human and my Father a vampire, also. I am twenty-three years old and learned I was a half vampire when I was eleven. I fell out of a tree and broke my arm. My Mom rushed me to the Emergency Room, but by the time we got there my bones had fused back together and I was fine. Like Karma, I like my meat rare, but I have never wanted to drink human blood. The thought of drinking blood is actually revolting to me.”
“I know some of you are still skeptical, so we are going to give you a little demonstration. Dylan, do you see the man in the back row wearing the blue blazer and red golf hat?” Karma asked, and all the reporters turned and looked for the man she was talking about. “Sir, could you take off your hat and wave it, so people can see you?”
When he did Karma smiled.
“Thank you, sir. Now, you sir,” she pointed at a man in the front row. “How long do you think it would take me to run back there, get his hat, and run back to the stage?”
“I don’t know, five minutes maybe?” He answered.
“Time me,” Karma told him and winked.
“Go!” He said loudly, and Karma darted off the stage. Within thirty seconds she was back on the stage, waving the red golf cap above her head.
“Time,” she yelled and smiled at the man who had been timing her.
“Impossible,” he said softly.
“It’s not impossible, it’s vampire speed. I can do a lot more than that, but I think you all get the picture. Now that you have met Dylan and I, it is time for everyone to know something. Vampire are real, and they are amongst you everywhere you go.”
Karma continued talking for the next half hour, reading through the new laws that were being set up for the vampire community. When she was finished the White House spokesperson opened the floor for questions.
“What do you do when someone kills your entire family and takes away everything you love?” A voice Karma knew all too well, asked.
When she followed the source of the voice her amber eyes locked on Vincent’s identical eyes and she smiled.
“Welcome to the party, Father,” she said with a wicked grin on her face.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“My darling Karma, how have you been? I know you’ve been looking for me,” he said with a wide smile as he walked closer to the stage.
“I am not your darling and I haven’t been looking for you. I knew you’d come to me,” Karma never took her eyes off him as she walked to the edge of the stage and stopped. “I need everyone to remain calm and move away from the stage.”
“There are vampire in the crowd now,” Dylan said softly in her ear and she nodded. She’d smelled them too.
“To all the vampire here, new laws have been put into effect that you need to know about. I just announced everything a couple of minutes ago, but you may have missed them so I’m going to give you all the opportunity to leave, and live. If you stay and fight alongside Vincent, you will either die or be imprisoned. It’s your choice, but this is the only opportunity you’re going to get to make that choice,” she was greeted by silence from the vampire and she sighed heavily.
“Here are the new laws,” she said and read the list of approved vampire laws again, that got a reaction out of some of the vampire there.
“You cannot be serious. We have to change who we are so we can fit into society with humans? The Vampire Senate will never approve this,” one vampire shouted loudly.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Ramsey said as he and the rest of the Senate stepped forward. “We helped write these laws. Karma is the one who was meant to unite humans and vampire. She’s the one who has been talked about for many Millennium. She is the one who will speak for us.”
Vincent looked at Ramsey for a moment before he turned to Karma.
“So, you’re going to choose them over your Father? You had the chance to join me. You had the chance to be great. You threw that away for a human family who was easily destroyed, and now you’re throwing it away again for a group of vampire who will not be around for much longer.”
“They’ll be around a lot longer than you will,” Karma told him through clenched teeth.
“Nevaeh, it’s time,” Dylan said through a small headset he’d been wearing.
Without warning the area was flooded with Huntresses. Nevaeh was standing in the middle of them holding a struggling Demetri. The silver cords tied around his hands and feet made him weak, so it wasn’t much of a struggle.
“Vincent, we know you were just a pawn in Demetri’s sadistic game of chess when this all began, but the day you murdered my family that match ended and a new one began. One you will not walk away from.”
“Do you really think you can best me, Halfling?” Vincent said, and Karma eyes sparked with an intense hatred that even Dylan was afraid of.
“I know I can,” she hissed and flipped off the stage. When she landed about six feet behind him, he turned and moved into a fighting stance.
“Bring it, Halfling,” he challenged and motioned for her to come and get him.
Karma knew if she attacked first, she’d be dead, so she held back and started a slow circle around him. He watched her every move, poised for an attack she never mounted.
“Everyone stay back. This fight is between me and Vincent,” she shouted when she noticed Dylan and the elders moving toward her.
“What are you waiting for, Halfling?” Vincent asked maliciously.
“What are you waiting for, Vincent? Afraid of your own daughter?” She was baiting him, and she knew it, but she also knew baiting him was the only way to get under his skin enough to get him to strike first. “Too scared to attack someone who can fight back? Have to save your energy for helpless humans? For women and children who won’t put up a fight? You’re pathetic and weak, Vincent. Just like I always knew you were.”
Vincent snarled at her, but didn’t attack so she knew she needed to try a different tactic. “Oh, wait, you’re even having a hard time with that aren’t you? Isn’t that why you wanted to perfect that serum? Then you wouldn’t have to do anything physical. You could just order them to their knees and sink your fangs in. Does that make you feel like a big, bad vampire? Being able to control humans so you don’t even have to work for your food is a little lazy isn’t it? Or maybe it’s a sign of how truly weak you are.”
With that last comment he leaped and landed right beside her.
“I’ll show you who the weak one is,” he went to punch her, but she ducked and swept his legs out from under him. He leaped to his feet as she pulled a long, silver knife from her boot.
“Last time we met you caught me off guard and unarmed. That isn’t the case this time. I knew you would be here. I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away. I knew the temptation to try to kill me would be too much of a lure for you to stay away.”
> “Are you so stupid that you think silver will kill me?” Vincent asked with a pointed look at the knife she held.
“I know it won’t kill you, but you’d be surprised what one can live through,” she struck out with the knife, and nicked his arm, barely scratching the surface. He yelled at the instant fire that stole across his skin.
“You bitch,” he yelled and bared his fangs at her.
“Those don’t scare me,” she told him and flashed her own. “I have a nice set of them myself. I’m not the immature Halfling you encountered the last time we met, Vincent. I reached maturity on my birthday and I know how to use my newfound abilities,” she told him as she leaped, flipped over his head, and landed behind him.
When he turned to face her, she stabbed him through the stomach with the knife and he screeched in agony. When she pulled the knife out his blood oozed from the already healing wound and she smiled. “Burns like hell-fire doesn’t it?”
Vincent just snarled and leaped at her, his fangs connecting with her shoulder before she could block him. He bit deep and jerked his head before he released, ripping a chunk of muscle from her collar bone. As he released her, she stabbed him through the back with her silver knife.
They both stepped back and started circling again as they assessed their injuries. Karma’s collar bone was shattered, and blood was oozing from the gaping wound, but she could feel it already healing.
“Is that the best you got?” She asked in a taunting tone.
When Vincent lunged this time, she was ready. She dropped to her knee and pulled a Sai from where it rested against her leg. As he flew over her, she drove the Sai up and stabbed him straight through the heart. His momentum drove it deep and when he landed on his back behind her, he was already dead.
“I got tired of playing,” Karma told everyone around her as she walked up to Vincent’s lifeless form and picked him up by his hair. “Nevaeh, bring Demetri over here please.”
When Nevaeh stopped in front of her with Demetri, Karma took her long knife and severed Vincent’s head. “Let this be a reminder of what happens if you break the new vampire laws. Execution will be swift and painless unless you put up a fight. I am excellent at torture, just ask Demetri if you don’t believe that.”
Karma's Vengeance (Vampire Huntress Saga Book 1) Page 15
