by John Corwin
My strange ability was still so new to me, I hadn't even thought of the possibility.
I swallowed a lump of fear. "I don't have to face him alone, do I?"
George shook his head. "Mr. Sticks will meet us there. He and I will accompany you."
"Can Sticks read minds with his brain?"
"I don't believe so, though he's never told me otherwise."
I felt a blush warm my face. Goodness, I hope not! I didn't like the idea of anyone peering into my thoughts, especially where Tyler was concerned.
George landed the car on the driveway of a large ranch. I didn't recognize the area since I was still new to Atlanta. "Where are we?"
"The Templar compound near Decatur." He drove into a large barn and down a ramp into a vast underground garage and parked. Other vehicles and objects sat nearby. Some appeared mundane while others were as exotic as George's car. Large metal boxes sat in neat rows. I thought they might be storage containers, but they had no doors.
We rode a lift down several levels and stepped into a corridor hewn into the bedrock and lined steel doors and large blacked-out windows.
"This is amazing." I ran a hand along the wall. "How large is this place?"
"Fairly extensive. The Templars use this complex to temporarily house criminals until they're transported to a prison to await trial." He motioned ahead where Sticks stood next to a window. "That's the interrogation room. I'd like you to stand behind us until I tell you otherwise."
My heart beat a little faster. "Of course."
Sticks opened the door without so much as greeting me and followed us inside. A tall man stood on the other side of the table. It was the man—no, the vampire—from the dossier. Franco.
"Who's that?" he said in a precise British accent.
"Someone who's here to ensure you cooperate," George replied in an even tone.
The vampire slashed his hand through the air. "I've nothing more to say to you, Templar."
"Technically, we're Custodians." George activated a tablet computer on the table. "We have a series of documents tying you to blood banks all across the country you've used to smuggle weapons for Maximus." He flicked the screen and it projected an image of the building we'd been in today.
I held back a gasp. I'd never seen a tablet do that before.
A cruel smiled spread across the vampire's face. "She looks like a frightened little lamb."
I stiffened and narrowed my eyes. A retort died on my lips as I remembered George's instructions.
George ignored the comment. "Tell me what you know about the employees at this facility."
Franco dropped into a chair and spoke in clipped tones. "As I said, I have nothing more to say."
George nodded at Sticks. The two of them walked around opposite sides of the table and stood behind Franco. "Last chance to cooperate."
The vampire laughed. "Or what, you'll unleash that little girl on me?"
"Precisely."
Franco crossed his arms and shook his head. "I want an advocate."
"One will be appointed to you eventually." George bound the vampire's hands to the table with a strap and placed a hand on the vampire's shoulder. "For now, you'll answer our questions."
It suddenly occurred to me that Sticks probably couldn't read minds. If he could, he would have ferreted out this vampire's secrets already.
Sticks put his hands on the opposite shoulder.
The vampire glared at them, but didn't resist. He didn't look the least bit frightened. I planned to scare the daylights out of him when my turn came.
George looked at me. "If you please."
I walked forward, keeping my eyes on Franco's threatening glare and pretending not to be scared. If he breaks free, he'll snap my neck like a chicken's. The cold sensation emanating from him grew stronger. To do what needed to be done, I'd have to touch him. Trying not to appear hesitant, I leaned across the table and pressed a hand to his chest.
He gave me a lascivious grin, red irises glowing. "Ah, you're here to pleasure me, is that it?" He glanced at his crotch. "I'm sure you'll find I'm more than up to the task, little girl."
Already, I felt the squirming parasitic vampirism inside him. I let the sensation grow stronger and stronger until I felt as though I could grasp it. "I'll show you pleasure," I said in a low hiss. With that, I squeezed his aura.
Franco's eyes widened into an almost comedic expression. He shouted and tried to rise, but his restraints along with Sticks and George held him fast. He wriggled and cried out. "What is that bitch doing to me?"
"She can take away your vampirism if I let her," George said, voice calm as ever. "How would you like to be mortal again, Franco?"
"She can't!" Neck muscles straining with exertion, legs flailing against the floor, he tried everything to get away.
"I can, and I will." I gave him an innocent smile. "Who's the little lamb now?" I tugged gently on the parasitic aura.
Franco's face went white as a sheet, even for a vampire. "No, please don't. I'll tell you everything." His voice cracked and it almost sounded as if he might cry.
I did my best not to gloat.
Sticks almost cracked a smile.
George nodded at me. "That will be enough, Custodian."
It occurred to me he hadn't once used my name, perhaps to protect me. I released the vampire's aura and backed away.
"The blood bank, Franco." George pointed to the hovering image of the building. "Tell me about the employees."
Shaking, Franco looked closely at the image. "I met with and hired four vampires for each of these operations. They oversaw the hiring of noms to assist in day-to-day operations, though none of them were supposed to know the true nature of our business."
George flicked away the image and replaced it with that of one of the dead vampires from the scene. "Like him?"
Franco's forehead pinched. "Did you kill him?"
"No, he and two other vampires were already dead when we arrived."
"Dead?" The vampire seemed genuinely confused. "How?"
"Do you remember anything in particular about this facility?"
"I don't even know where this one is," Franco said.
George projected a map and jabbed a finger near the intersection of Interstate Seventy-Five and Interstate Two Eighty-Five. "It's here."
Recognition lit Franco's gaze. "I do remember this one. We chose the location because it sat directly over a major ley line."
A what?
"Why would that matter for a gun smuggling operation?"
Franco looked at George. "The Arcanes we used to enchant the weapons and ammunition claimed it made their work much easier."
George pursed his lips. "Are there many such places?"
The vampire shrugged. "I'm no magic expert. The particular Arcanes we hired here seemed eager to secure the building, so I followed their advice."
"Do you have names for me?"
"Yes." Franco looked once again at the dead vampire. "What happened there?"
"We found several dead bodies—well, not technically dead. The bodies, in fact, were quite alive."
"But you said—"
"Their souls were devoured by demons." George watched Franco closely at this announcement.
"Demons?" Franco's eyes widened. "How could this be?"
"Who were the Arcanes?" George asked.
The vampire bit his lip. "Zad Kassus and Martin Drang."
George and Sticks looked at each other. They obviously recognized the names.
"Thank you, Franco. You've been most helpful." George and Sticks released the vampire's shoulders. "We'll be back if we have further questions." He paused. "Do you have their addresses?"
Franco seemed lost in thought. He looked up suddenly as if realizing the question hung in the air. "No. There might be records at the facility."
George motioned me toward the door, and the three of us left the room where the stunned vampire still stared into the distance.
Once George closed the door, I turned to him.
"Who are those people he mentioned?"
"They're Arcanes, though not of the usual variety." His lips flattened. "They're battle mages and members of a society that calls themselves the Black Robe Brotherhood."
"Sounds insidious."
"Oh, they have quite a reputation. Unfortunately, they're good at covering their tracks." His affable smiled returned. "Think of them as the mafia except their thugs are highly skilled Arcanes."
I grimaced. "Definitely trouble."
"You did an excellent job, by the way." He started walking back toward the lift. "I don't believe I've ever seen a vampire so frightened."
Mr. Sticks gave me a smug look.
"Well, at least someone enjoyed the show." I stopped outside an empty cell. "What's the next move?"
"We track down Kassus and Drang." George leaned against the wall. "Are you interested in helping us?"
I had to admit it was rather exciting, much like being part of a detective show. "I'd be delighted to help."
"I'm glad to hear it, Miss Glass." He motioned toward the lift. "Let's take the levitator up a floor to the data room."
"Levitator?"
"Magical elevators." He and Sticks stepped inside. "They levitate without cables."
"How intriguing."
We traveled up two levels and entered a hallway leading to a small white room with a large desk against the far wall. The woman behind the desk stopped in the middle of a yawn and jerked upright.
"Mr. Walker, how may I help you?" she asked.
George tipped his head. "Ms. Archer, would you cull data for Zad Kassus and Martin Drang?"
"At once." She swiped her fingers across the desk and the entire surface lit up like a large tablet. She entered the names. Seconds later, icons resembling scrolls appeared on the screen.
"How quaint," I muttered.
"There's nothing quaint about this system." Ms. Archer regarded me with a raised eyebrow that reminded me uncomfortably of Sandra, the receptionist at OnTech.
"I meant the scroll icons instead of folders."
"You're obviously used to dealing with nom systems." Using her finger, she dragged the scrolls to a sphere icon and touched it. A portal opened in the corner of the desk and a marble popped out.
George took the marble. "Thank you, Ms. Archer."
She brushed a lock of hair over her ear and smiled at him. "Always a pleasure."
Judging from the look on her face, I could tell she wanted to pleasure him in more ways than one. We went back into the hallway and took it to an adjacent room. George took the marble and spun it into the air using his thumb and forefinger. Rather than falling to the ground, it hovered in place, spinning like a top. A holographic image burst from it, displaying scroll icons and pictures of people.
My mouth dropped open.
George smiled. "Miss Glass, you might have known about ASEs if you'd been to orientation."
I clamped my mouth shut. There was apparently no end to the wonders in the Overworld. I decided to schedule an orientation as soon as possible so I wouldn't look like such a fool every time they pulled a new trick from their hats.
"This is an all-seeing eye, or ASE," George explained. "We use them for surveillance and long term data storage."
"It's certainly decades ahead of what the nom world has." I reached a hand to the three-dimensional image and brushed a hand across it. It rotated to display more icons. "How do I make sense of all this information?"
"It's just like anything—you have to look." George grabbed a picture and pulled it toward him, making it larger in the process. Four men in tight-fitting black robes with tapered waists and flared hems stood outside a run-down building covered in graffiti. He traced around the first person with his finger, leaving a red circle. "This is Maulin Kassus, the leader of the brotherhood."
"What a dreadful name." I peered closer at the bald stocky man. "Are goatees a fashion statement for criminals?"
"It would seem that way." George pointed to another man next to the first. "This is his younger brother, Breth, and next to him is their cousin, Zad."
"What sort of mother would allow her children to be named Breth or Zad?" Breth and Maulin looked virtually identical with their stocky builds, bald heads, and thick goatees. Zad was thin with red hair. His facial hair was sparse and patchy. Nevertheless, he'd tried to emulate his cousins' beards and failed miserably. A tall black man stood next to him. "Is the fourth person Martin Drang?"
"Yes." George slashed a hand up and down the holographic image. It morphed into a cube. "I've given you control over a portion of the display. Use it to search for known locations and other pertinent information."
Mr. Sticks stepped to George's right.
"I certainly could've used something like this in university." I followed Sticks's example and used the section of the cube to George's left. For a long moment I stood there staring at the floating image, unsure how to do even a simple search. I found a small question mark and tapped it to display instructions.
Double-tap the display to enter a keyword search.
"Bob's your uncle."
"What was that, Miss Glass?" George glanced around the side.
"Nothing." I typed in, Zad Kassus address. It returned Darkwater Consulting, The Grotto. I tried the same for Martin and got the same result. I assumed the others probably found the same answer and wasn't sure what more I could do.
Cross-reference them with something.
I queried for their names along with the name of the blood bank, but found nothing. I did a similar search using Atlanta. Still nothing. On a hunch, I tried Kassus and demon.
Overnet results: Arcane University Demonology graduates: Zad Kassus, Rufus Cumberbatch, Ted Bandy…click here to see more.
I clicked there to see more. In the middle of a list of thirty or so names, I found Martin Drang. The roster listed everyone who'd graduated with a specialty in demonology. Not many people claimed the dubious distinction.
Resisting the desire to clap my hands with excitement, I spoke up. "It appears our mafiosos graduated from Arcane University with degrees in demonology."
George stepped to my side and read the results. "Excellent work, Miss Glass. I believe you've found evidence marking these two as prime suspects."
"The only address I found for the pair is in some place called the Grotto. They apparently work for Darkwater Consulting."
"I'm not familiar with that company." He examined the search results. "It's probably a front for the brotherhood."
We continued searching for more information, but couldn't find anything else pinning a location to either of the suspects.
George flew me in his car back to Tyler's place. Rather than drop me out front, he parked with the passenger door just above the balcony railing.
"Would you like to join us again tomorrow?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, I have my day job to attend."
"After your performance with Franco, I'm convinced you could join the Custodians full time."
"Full time?" I wasn't sure I wanted to hunt supernatural criminals all the time. "I might have a useful talent, but I can't fight, and I'm not nearly as strong as you or Mr. Sticks."
"We are not born preternaturally strong. It is a blessing given to us by the Templar Divinity."
My interest piqued. "There's a divine being who rules the Templars?"
"Perhaps." He looked toward the setting sun. "The Synod—the leading council—are the only Templars who are allowed to personally meet her. She may be myth, but the enhanced abilities are very real."
"No wonder the Templars are so efficient. A goddess looks over them." I smiled. "Perhaps that's why I sense a brilliant white ember burning at the center of most Templars. Only the wizards are different. They possess the brilliance, but it's different somehow."
"Can you touch this ember as you do with the vampires?"
I shrugged. "Perhaps. I haven't tried."
George pursed his lips. "I think we should test the extent of your abilities.
I've never encountered anything like them."
"I suppose I could be a lab rat, just don't poke me with needles."
He flashed a smile. "Think about my offer to join the Custodians. The hours are long, but the pay and benefits are quite decent."
"Would I get supernatural strength?"
"Perhaps. I'd want to be sure it wouldn't interfere with your innate ability." He pressed a button. My door opened and a ramp extended over the railing to the balcony. "Have a pleasant evening, Miss Glass."
Once I was safely deposited, the door closed, leaving only a faint blur in my vision due to the car's camouflage. I entered the unlocked balcony door and froze in shock.
A strange man sitting on the couch in the den smirked back at me.
Chapter 5
"Tyler?" I called out his name, praying he was here.
The man stood. "He's not in. Do you know where he is?"
I reached into my purse for the phone. "Who are you and what are you doing in Tyler's condo?"
"I'm an old friend of…Tyler's." He ran a hand through thinning brown hair with a lanky arm. I wondered if he might be someone Hugo knew before he died and Tyler possessed his body. Even so, that didn't explain one thing. "How did you get in here?"
"You ask a lot of questions." He stepped forward. "Who are you and how did you get in here?" He looked toward the balcony. "I looked out there earlier and nobody was there."
Keeping my phone out of sight behind the counter, I sent Tyler a text. Help! Stranger danger in your condo!
His response came almost immediately. Joe is dropping me off now. Be right up.
I only had to delay this man for a moment longer.
"I know why Tyler keeps you around." He stared at me and licked his lips. "You look delicious."
"Sadly, I can't say the same about you." I eased open a drawer in the kitchen island and removed a gun Tyler kept there, careful to keep it hidden behind the backsplash. I flicked off the safety and took a deep breath to steady my nerves. "Once again, who are you and what do you want?"
A feral smile curled his lips and he walked toward me. "Perhaps Tyler wouldn't mind me snacking on you while I wait."
"He most definitely would." I raised the gun and aimed it at his chest. "And so would I."
