26
Katie sat with her back against the wall, legs pulled up in front of her and arms crossed over her stomach. Steel bars on her right separated her from the outside world. The cold floor numbed her rear while the powerful scent of lemon cleaning supplies tickled her nose and made her want to sneeze. Across from her, Jules sat on a cot in a position similar to Katie’s, knees up and arms wrapped around them. The five by five jail cell lacked the nice amenities of the Marriott, but it sure as hell beat a visit to the Jennings orchard.
A roar of hunger erupted from her belly. Her body wanted substance, but every time she thought of food nausea stepped in and overpowered her appetite. The withdraw symptoms were increasing in occurrence. Fortunately, they were manageable, even the cramps. Yet, each twinge reminded her she didn’t have much time left. The strength she gained from Kyle’s blood dwindled quickly with the increased stress. To face Brandon and his partner, she’d have to consume the last vial.
She sighed heavily from the depressing thought of taking the last bit of Kyle’s blood. All she had left was the memory of him, his ring, which the police now had in their possession, her Camaro, which he gave as a gift, and the vial. Sure, she had all the weapons, but the cold metals lacked sentimental value. The man had devoted centuries to educating others. He’d spent years teaching and loving her. He deserved honor and remembrance. After she destroyed Brandon and his partner, she’d find a way to pay tribute to him.
The woman on the other side of the hall groaned. She pushed herself up on the cot. Her long, brown hair hung close to her face. She turned and faced Katie. Smeared eyeliner revealed she’d cried not long ago. “What time is it?”
Katie shrugged. “I think it’s after one.”
The young woman rose. She wore boots up to her calves, a short skirt and red sleeveless blouse. Her medium build gave her a healthy glow, although her red eyes said differently. She pressed her head between two bars. “What are you in for?”
“Questioning.”
She wrapped her fingers around the bars. “Questioning? For what?”
“Stupid shit.” She hoped the answer would suffice since she really couldn’t say two vampires programmed the cops to detain her. She could, but no one would believe her.
“Ah, I know what you mean. Public intoxication and resisting arrest.”
“That is stupid.”
Katie reflected on her college days. She’d attended a few parties on campus and joined in festivities, but not once did she overindulge alcohol. Then, after she’d met Kyle, she’d drank it less. The taste and effects of liquor never appealed to her the way it did most.
The young female kicked at the bar with the tip of her boot. “My parents are going to have a fucking cow.”
“We all make mistakes.” Katie tried to sound supportive for the woman across the hall and herself. Her own ignorant blunder came in the form of not putting a damn “do not disturb” sign on the door. The self-chiding continued.
The young female made a spitting sound. “Yeah, tell that to my dad. He’s the preacher at St. John’s.”
“Ask for forgiveness. He has to forgive if you ask.” Katie wasn’t sure what other words of advice to give. The girl had her work cut out for her.
She lightly chuckled and lowered her head. “Yeah, that worked when I was ten. It doesn’t work so well now that I’m twenty-one.”
Katie refrained from laughter, but let a small grin slip. The young woman seemed spunky and full of life. Shapely calves and toned arms indicated she worked out. If she cared for her body, then all her decisions couldn’t be bad.
“What’s your name?” Katie asked.
“Mary Jacobs. Yours?”
“Katie Dillinger and Julie Mannis.” Katie tilted her head toward Jules.
“I’d shake your hand, but…” Mary grinned.
“Another time.” Katie returned a similar expression.
Not even a second later, the muscle in her thigh tightened. Gritting her teeth from the pain, she stretched out her leg and massaged the cramp until it eased.
“Are you all right?” Mary asked.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Jules asked, blinking her eyes furiously.
“I’m fine. It’s just a cramp.”
Jules wiped her eyes. “Another one?”
It was only the second in an hour, if she estimated right. “I’m okay, really.”
“Do you need medical help?” Mary asked, her tone reflecting concern. “They’ll take you to the hospital if you need medical care.”
Caring. Spunky. Strong. All qualities Katie admired in a friend. She wondered if Mary would like to learn how to defend herself and use weapons. Her instinct thought Mary would take an interest.
Inhaling a deep breath, Katie rose slowly. “I was sitting too long. That’s all.”
“Are you sure?” Jules scooted to the edge of the cot.
Katie paced in the small space. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Andy will show up soon. If not, Riker will bail us out after sundown.”
“Why did you call Andy instead of Ben?” Jules asked. “He’s the cop. He could’ve helped us out.”
Katie stopped in the middle of the jail cell. At the time, Andy was the one person she trusted and who understood her situation. Ben didn’t have all the details, so she didn’t consider asking for his help. For another matter, he was loyal to his job. She doubted he would’ve helped her escape the APB put out on them. However, now that they were in jail, he could help them.
“Jules, I could kiss you.”
She held up her hand. “I like dick, remember?”
The patter of feet from the stairs at the end of the hall took Katie’s attention away from Jules. She took two steps and stood in front of the bars. Andy strode in front of a short cop. The frown on Andy’s face didn’t make Katie feel warm and fuzzy.
Andy stopped a foot from the bars. “Now this is a sight.”
“Five minutes,” the cop said as he passed behind Andy.
Katie watched the officer continue to the third cell, then he stopped and faced them. Naturally, he had to stay in ear shot range.
“Are you getting us out?” Jules came to stand next to Katie.
“They won’t let me bail you out.”
“Why?” Katie asked.
“Strict orders.”
Katie gripped the bars. “By whom?”
He grinned. “Nobody can answer that.”
“What?” Jules said softly.
“I asked repeatedly for a name. They can’t give me one. All they know is they can’t let you go.”
“Fucking great.” Katie scoffed.
He held his hands on his hips. “And that’s not all.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What else?” Jules asked.
“I spoke to Charles. He said he has orders to escort you to the Jennings orchard at eight o’clock.”
“What?” Katie blurted out.
Andy peeked over his shoulder. The cop had his arms crossed as he watched them.
“That’s before sundown,” Katie said, bringing Andy’s attention back to her.
She’d suspected the vampires were hiding in the basement. It was the perfect place for them and since they controlled the police, they had zero worries about anyone bothering them, especially if everyone was looking for her and Jules. And as Riker pointed out earlier, all creatures needed rest. They’d effectively guaranteed they’d acquire their R-and-R. Bastards. Then if the police found her and Jules, the officers would hand deliver them. What a smart plan. Vampires didn’t need to wait until sunset to fight, but they did need their beauty sleep to recoup strength and clarity of mind.
“What reason did Charles give?” Jules asked.
“Some bullshit that you knew where the bodies were located and would lead them to find them.”
“Oh, God.” Jules knocked her head on the bars.
Katie gripped the steel beams tightly, showing her frustration rather tha
n vocalizing it. Arriving at the orchard before sundown meant Riker couldn’t help her. He had to wait for the sun to dip below the horizon before he could venture out. Somehow, she’d have to find a way to delay arriving at the orchard or battling the two vampires. She opted for the former to reduce the risk of injury to Jules.
Jules lifted her head and faced Katie. “Now what?”
She looked to Andy, then back to Jules. Both waited for her to give them an answer. Katie lowered her gaze. Sadly, she had none.
“You said you could kiss me a minute ago,” Jules said.
“What?” Katie asked.
“Kiss me. Remember?” She raised her finger and pointed at her. “But don’t you dare.”
Katie thought back to why she said the words. She’d thought about Ben coming to help them out. A revelation came to mind.
“I need a favor,” Katie said.
Andy lowered his arms. “I’m keeping a tab.”
“Ben is staying at the Fairfield.”
“Officer Hildebrand?” Andy asked.
“Yes. I’ve known him a long time. We’re good friends. I’m sure he’s wondering what’s going on. Ask him to stop by with you. We need to talk.”
“Oh,” Jules breathed out. “Good thinking, Katie.”
Andy scratched the back of his head. “Does he know the full story?”
“Not enough, I’m afraid.”
Jules elbowed her in the ribs. “I told you to tell him.”
Telling him would’ve better helped them in their current situation, but Katie had no way of knowing if he would’ve accepted the truth. She stood by her decision.
“Don’t say too much to him,” Katie said.
Andy gave a sly grin. “I won’t.”
“Hey, Andy.” Jules reached out to him.
“Hands back in the cell,” the officer said loudly and stepped forward.
“Sorry.” She pulled her arm back from between the bars, then returned her attention to Andy. “Can you pick us up something to eat?”
Andy glanced over his shoulder toward the cop. “Is it allowed?”
The officer nodded.
“What do you want?” Andy asked.
“Two cheeseburgers and a large French fry.” Jules turned to Katie. “What do you want?”
“I’m not hungry.” Her stomach growled.
“You need to eat something.”
At that particular second, Jules reminded her of Kyle. He’d repeated the same words to her time and time again. She’d eat, only to vomit the food later. If she didn’t eat, the pain was far worse since she had nothing to expel and her body took longer to recuperate. The former had better appeal than the latter, but the problem was she lacked the desire to eat.
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t care. Anything’s fine.” She tilted to the side and found Mary watching them curiously. “Do you want something?”
“Who me?” Mary pointed a thumb at herself.
“Cheeseburger and fries okay with you?” Katie asked. One way to win a friend was to feed them.
“Yeah. Sure.” She eyed Andy. “Anything is good.”
Andy shot his gaze to Katie. “Are we done?”
“I’ll take an iced-tea to drink too.” Jules added.
His shoulders rose as he took in a deep breath.
“We’re done,” Katie said.
“All right. I’ll stop for food after I talk to Ben.” He gave a nonchalant wave as he turned. “Don’t go anywhere ladies.”
“Ha, ha.” Jules said as she watched him and the officer stride down the hall. When they were gone from sight, she turned to Katie. “He thinks he’s funny.”
“He’s our boss. He can be.”
“Do you two work at the Tasmanian Devil?” Mary asked.
“Yeah, that was our boss, Andy,” Jules said.
“Very cool. Do you know if he’s hiring?”
Jules lowered her hands from the bars. “He might, but he prefers to employ people who don’t drink much.”
Mary nodded. “That’s cool. I can respect that.”
“I’ll talk to him later about it,” Katie said. “He’s a bit occupied at the moment.”
“No problem.” She stepped back from her bars. “I appreciate the food. I’m starving.” She sat on her cot.
“Hey.” Jules grabbed Katie’s arm and tugged her to the cot. “What’s the plan?”
They sat side by side. Although Jules’s puffy eyes reflected she needed more rest, they revealed new life. Hope. Katie was glad to see her friend on the road recovery, but she knew there were plenty of bumps still to face.
“We have to delay arriving at the orchard so Riker has time to meet us. I’ll talk to Ben and ask him to escort us. He will have to convince Charles.” She kept her voice at a low volume.
“Do you think he’ll do it?” Jules asked softly.
“I hope so.”
“And if he doesn’t, or Charles doesn’t let him…?”
“Then I’ll ask him to follow us and figure it out along the way.”
“That doesn’t sound promising.”
“Our best option is to delay our arrival. If that doesn’t work, then I have to figure out how to avoid fighting them before sundown. I’m not sure how to do this yet, but there’s something else I need Ben for.”
“What?”
“The vial. Andy will have to give it to him, then Ben can slip it to me. If I don’t take it, I won’t last long in any fight.”
“Oh, Katie.” Jules gripped her hand. “Is there some way I can help?”
“If we had the gun with the acid bullets, it would help. Any of my weapons would help. We need to tell Andy. Since my car is in Kyle’s barn, Riker will have to rely on Andy for transportation.”
“When you’re talking to Ben, I’ll inform Andy of the plan.”
Katie gave an agreeing nod. “Sounds good.”
A sharp pain in Katie’s stomach forced her into a bent position. “Fuck me.” She clamped her jaw tight and held her breath as the cramp twisted tightly within her.
“What can I do? What can I do?” Jules asked faster than a Mexican on speed. She rubbed Katie’s back. “Tell me how to help.”
Katie released the breath she’d held and the stiff pain worsened. “Ugh.” It was the only sound she could get out.
Bent over, she waited for the wrenching cramp to pass. The pain didn’t cripple her if she stayed stationary. But one breath, one tiny little movement and the horrendous pain hit her. She wished someone could knock her unconscious.
“Is she all right? Do I need to call for help?” Mary asked.
“No,” Katie squealed.
“She’ll be fine. It’s just a cramp,” Jules said. “Right, honey?”
Katie gave a small nod as the tightness lessened. She took a small amount of air in, then more until she filled her lungs. The knot untwisted, freeing her from the horrible ache. Slowly, she inched her body upright.
“Better now?” Jules asked.
“For now, but they’ll get worse and come more frequently. The stress is taking a toll and eating up my energy. I may need to take Kyle’s blood sooner than I planned.”
“I can’t believe you do this to yourself, or that you have for years.”
Katie scooted over the cot until her back reached the wall. “It took a while to get used to it. I said to myself many times I wouldn’t do it again. Then Kyle teased me and I wanted to fight with him, to prove I could beat him.”
“Do you ever wonder if he did it on purpose? If he provoked you into taking it so he could train you?”
The questions took Katie by surprise. She stared blindly at Jules. Although she’d never considered his tactics as motivational, they essentially were. But he did love. She didn’t question his affection for her because it was real and from the heart. Maybe he just knew the right tricks to get her into action. Didn’t all men?
“I don’t know, Jules. Kyle and I had a special bond and we were good together. He loved me, heart and so
ul. I know he would’ve never hurt me. The memories I have…no one can ever take them away.”
Her lips curled slightly into a smile while her eyes slowly filled with tears. “Honey, I know exactly what you mean.”
Katie stretched her arm around Jules. As the disco queen moved closer to the wall, Katie pulled her into a hug. Jules cried softly. For a while, neither of them spoke. The silence helped Katie relax. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Jules. Darkness invaded in her mind and she drifted asleep.
A loud clanking sound jolted her from sleepy land. She took in a quick breath and jerked her head back, only to hit it on the wall. “Ouch.”
Jules stood nearby. “Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Having any fun yet?” Andy said as he stepped into the small cell, carrying a bag from McDonald’s in one hand and a cup in the other. He handed both to Jules.
“Bless you,” she said.
“It comes out of your check.”
“That’s not funny.”
He chuckled anyway.
Katie moved to the edge of the cot as she rubbed the back of her head where she’d hit it. Even though she lacked an appetite, the smell of the food enticed her.
Ben walked into the cell dressed in casual clothes. He pushed his way toward Katie. “I brought this for you.”
Glad to see him, she gave him a wide smile. “Thank you.” She took the bag from his hand.
Ben sat down next to her, but his gaze pointed at Andy. He gave Andy a slight nod, then Andy stepped outside of the cell. With his hands wedged into his front pockets, Andy glanced around in the same manner as a patrol guard.
Jules stepped closer to Andy, but stayed on the inside of the cell. She gave Katie a quick smile, then turned her back so she could talk to Andy.
“We don’t have much time,” Ben said softly. “They let me come down here alone, but if they notice how long I’m here, they will suspect something.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“What’s going on, Katie? I asked why they’re holding you and they said for suspicion of murder. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings are missing.”
“Of course I didn’t do it. Did they tell you who is wanting me detained?”
“No, they couldn’t give me a name, nor could they produce any kind of report. It’s odd. There should at least be a report with charges, but I checked before I came down and couldn’t find one. I mentioned it to Charles and he claimed he couldn’t release you. He said he had to escort you to the Jennings orchard at eight.”
Immortal Revenge Page 28
