Katie shoved a couple of fries into her mouth and chewed.
“Every question I ask, he stares at me as if I’m crazy. I’ve never seen him act so unusual.” He lowered his eyes and shook his head.
“I said I’d explain everything, and I will. But first I need your help.”
He grinned. “I can’t help you escape. I can’t do that.”
“I know, and I’m not asking you to do that. I want you to convince Charles you will escort me to the orchard.”
He stared silently. “That’s…it?”
“Part of it.”
“Ah, of course.”
Katie peered around Ben at Jules and Andy. Between bites of food, she whispered to him. As they’d discussed earlier, Katie suspected Jules was informing Andy of the plan.
“What else do you need?” Ben asked, bringing her attention back to him.
“When you leave here, I want you to go with Andy. He’s going to get some special weapons that I need.”
“Special weapons?”
“Yes, and there’s something very valuable he’s going to give you. A vial. I need you to give me the vial as soon as possible.”
“You want me to give you weapons and a vial? You’re under police protection and wanted for suspicion of murder.”
“The charges don’t exist. You said it yourself.”
“Yes, but–”
“They don’t exist,” she said strongly.
Following a lengthy silent stare, he rose. He turned to face her and crossed his arms. “What’s in the vial?”
“Something for me. Something I need to live. Without it…I’ll be dead before sunrise.”
Worry masked his face and he squatted in front of her. “Do you need medical care? I can–”
“No, no.” She shook her head. “Human medicine can’t help me.”
“Human?”
“Do this for me and I promise to explain everything to you. I don’t know that you will believe me, but I will tell you the truth.”
Andy cleared his throat and tapped his nose. Ben straightened quickly and gave her the one finger signal. He stepped toward Andy and peered around the wall.
Jules leaned against the wall holding the cup and bag in one hand, a cheeseburger in the other. She shoved the burger into her mouth.
Katie’s stomach roared to let her know it wanted food. She grabbed more fries and chomped on them. The salt tasted good on her tongue.
Ben stepped closer. Tight brows and features revealed deep thought.
“Problem?” She mumbled with food in her mouth.
He rubbed his chin, then scratched his neck. “Answer me this. Are the weapons for you to fight someone at the orchard?”
She swallowed. “Yes.” It was one answer she couldn’t afford not to give. She needed the vial and sharp blades. Guns wouldn’t severe a head.
“Then I’m going in with you to fight…whoever it is you have to face.”
Katie jumped to her feet and the bag fell on the floor. “No. Absolutely not.”
“That’s the deal. You want my help, I’ll give it, but I’m not sending you to your death.”
“Give me the vial and the weapons and let me handle this. If you go with me, you won’t come out alive. I guarantee it.” She put enough force behind her words that he had to understand he couldn’t face her enemy.
“Who–”
“Not who, what.”
Shaking his head, he turned away from her. As he headed out of the cell, Katie’s heart began to race. She couldn’t risk letting him walk out, but she didn’t want his life in jeopardy either.
“Wait!”
He stopped, then twisted to face her.
She stepped close to him. “I’m doing this to save lives. You, of all people, should understand that. If I agree to your bargain, I can’t protect you. And if you don’t help me, Jules and I will not survive the night. More people could die too.”
His chest expanded as he inhaled. Eyes fixed on her, he said, “I want answers, Katie.”
“I will answer them, all of them. I promise.”
He glanced at Andy, then Jules, then back to Katie. “All right. I’ll talk to him. If he refuses, I’ll come back and we’ll have to figure out another plan. If he agrees, I’ll be back at seven forty-five. I’ll have your weapons and vial for you.”
Katie threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Ben. Thank you so much.” She hugged him tight for a brief minute, then slid her arms away and stepped back.
“And tomorrow, you promise to give me answers?” He eyed her suspiciously.
She inhaled deeply. How could she say no? She promised. “Yes, tomorrow.” And if he didn’t like her answers, she had a vampire to fall back on to clear all the confusion. But she hoped and prayed she wouldn’t have to go to such an extreme.
Ben walked from the jail cell without another word. He stopped next to Andy and slid the bars across until they locked into place. “If there’s any problem, I’ll be back.”
“Thank you, Ben.”
He walked away with Andy at his side.
Katie sat on the cot, relief flowing through her as she sighed.
Jules came to her side with a small bit of cheeseburger left in her hand. “It will be fine.” She mumbled.
Katie nodded in agreement with her positive thinking friend. Past Jules, Katie saw Mary in her cell. The young woman faced them as she ate her food. Her wide eyes reflected curiosity. In a few days, Katie would pay a visit to her and work on convincing Andy to hire her.
Jules bent and lifted the McDonald’s bag from the floor. “Eat up.”
Katie took the sack from her fingers. McDonald’s was her least favorite food, but since she had no other options. She took a couple fries and shoved them in her mouth. As she chomped on the food, she wondered if Ben would return with bad news or if she would see him later this evening. Her anxiety increased and she chewed faster. Time was her enemy now.
27
Katie fidgeted with her fingers as she paced within the small confines of the jail cell. Nausea flowed through her like waves of the ocean. Some caused her to sweat as she held back from vomiting. Other waves were merely discomforting. Aside from an ongoing upset stomach, more cramps came and went along with needle like pain shooting up her toes. Moving around took her mind off the nausea, but it also consumed more energy, energy she shouldn’t spend. She was stuck in the most uncomfortable situation imaginable, having to deal with the withdraw symptoms in such a small space without a bathroom. Forward thinking lightened her mood and helped her get through all the unease.
Jules lay sideways on the cot, twirling a strand of her hair. She’d been quiet since Mary had left. While the young woman waited in the cell across the hall, she and Jules hit it off. Apparently, Mary enjoyed roller derby too, had been to a couple games and had seen Jules play. She’d lived in Mishawaka her entire life, attended a few years of college without finishing, then returned home. Jules could relate, having no other home and made the same decisions in her youth. The more they shared stories and experiences, the clearer it became the two were destined to become friends.
“You’re making me dizzy,” Jules said, then tossed the strand of hair over her shoulder.
Katie paused. “Close your eyes. Problem solved.” She continued pacing.
Jules groaned and rolled onto her back. “God, this sucks. How much longer do you think we have?”
Katie glanced at the small cubed window at the top of their cell. The tinted glass prevented seeing anything clearly, but since they weren’t dark, she figured the sun hadn’t set yet.
“I don’t know, but they need to put some damn clocks where we can see them.”
She stopped in front of the bars, gripped them and peered down the hall, hoping to see Ben. He hadn’t returned from their earlier conversation and since then, each passing minute seemed like an eternity. Yet his failure to revisit meant good news–he’d convinced Charles to escort them to the orchard.
Revenge and salvation were coming. She just had to have patience, a quality she lacked.
An ill feeling churned in her stomach. She backed up to the cot and sat on the end near Jules’s feet.
“Are you okay?”
Katie held her arms over her stomach and bent over her knees. Heat rushed to her head while bile rose in her throat. She pressed her lips, trying to hold back the urge to spew.
“I wish there was something I could do to help,” Jules said, coming to stand in front of her.
Unless Jules had a vial of vampire blood hidden, she couldn’t do anything to ease Katie’s unease. Still, she didn’t let the discomfort spoil her mood. Ben knew about the vial and would get it from Andy to give to her. As soon as she had Kyle’s blood in her possession, she’d suck the fluid down. The cramps and nausea would fade within minutes.
She wiped the sweat from above her brow and slowly sat upright.
“Wow, you look almost as bad as a few nights ago, after you had all the liquor at my house and puked it up.”
“You really know how to make a girl feel good.” Katie smirked.
Jules placed her hands on her hips and took a Peter Pan pose. “If I could haul a vamp to you and slice his wrist to make your pain go away, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Katie grinned at her friend’s thoughtfulness. “I appreciate your concern. If you ever did drag a vamp to me, I’d buy you a new car.”
“Really?”
She hesitated to respond, wondering how she’d ever afford to purchase a vehicle for Jules. Yet, she’d made the offer and always stood by her word. Fortunately, the odds of Jules fulfilling her end of the bargain were one in a million. That new automobile would remain a dream for Jules.
“Sure, but it can’t be anything too fancy. I’m a single working girl now. Remember?”
The sound of footsteps and jingle of metal captured their attention. Jules rushed toward the bars. Gripping them, she aimed her gaze down the hall. “It’s Charles and Ben.”
Katie stood and took a peek past Jules. Ben followed a step behind Charles. Both men wore their typical police uniforms. Katie wondered why Ben had dressed for the occasion since he was supposed to be on vacation.
She grabbed Jules by the arm and tugged her back. “Come on.”
They stepped from the steel gate and waited. Seconds later, Charles and Ben appeared on the other side. She met Ben’s gaze and he winked at her. The little signal strengthened her heartbeat.
“Katie, Jules, please turn around and place your hands behind you,” Charles said.
They both turned and followed his polite instructions. Katie couldn’t help but grin. The old man had a fatherly tone and attitude. How could hard criminals take him seriously when he used words such as please? Luckily, Mishawaka didn’t harbor rough criminals. Just vicious bloodthirsty vampires.
The steel door rolled open, then stopped with a loud clank. Katie glanced over shoulder to find Charles heading toward them.
“Hold still,” Ben said.
Katie couldn’t see him, but from the close sound of his voice, she guessed he stood behind her.
Warm fingers touched her hands and cold metal pressed against her wrist. Clicking sounds came from behind Jules, then Katie. She gently tugged her arms, only to find handcuffs on her wrists.
“Come on.” Ben gripped her arm and led her out of the cell. The blank expression on his face troubled her.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
When he didn’t respond, her thoughts turned grim. She’d thought the wink signaled he’d planned to help her. Now, she wondered if she misunderstood the meaning. Had Ben succumbed to pressure from his fellow officers and decided not to assist her? God, she hoped not. But what if she was wrong about him?
Her anxiety grew along with a knot in her abdomen. She ground her teeth together to keep from doubling over in pain.
Ben led her around the corner to a set of elevators, then brought her to a stop. Charles halted Jules a few feet away. As the old man stepped forward to press the button, Ben slid his fingers down Katie’s arm. Upon reaching her hands, he gripped them. The reassuring touch brought chills to her aching body. She sensed he had a plan and intended to help Katie as he’d promised. She just didn’t know how or what he was doing. He let go of her hand as Charles twisted to face them.
Charles stared at her, but the ghostly look in his eyes indicated he wasn’t completely at home. The blank expression and distant gaze was one Katie had seen on occasion when Kyle took control of a human’s mind. She’d witnessed the same recently when Riker took control of the doctor’s mind. Vampires had a way of turning humans into robots to get their way.
“Charles?” she asked, hoping it might snap him back to reality. It didn’t.
The ding of the elevator called his attention. After the doors opened, he grasped Jules’s arm and led her inside. Ben treated Katie in like manner, then stopped her near the front. The four of them rode silently together.
From the elevator, Ben escorted Katie down a hall and to an exit at the back of the building. Jules and Charles followed close behind, evident from the soft clatter of their feet. Reaching the door, Ben pushed it open.
“This way,” Ben said, leading her along the sidewalk.
The air smelled of rain and a gentle breeze brushed the hair away from her face. Swirling dark clouds rolling above indicated a storm on the way. She always enjoyed watching Mother Nature show her strength.
“Katie!” Jules called out.
She twisted around and found Charles and Jules standing near a police cruiser. He held Jules’s arm while he opened a back door.
“Come on,” Ben said, nudging her to continue walking with him.
“What about Jules?”
“Charles insisted on taking one of you to the orchard. I told him I’d drive you and he could escort Julie.”
Her anxiety quickly rocketed. Katie had planned on them sticking together until she had to face the vampires. Judging from the panic on Jules’s face, she’d thought something similar.
“It’s okay.” Katie yelled. “Don’t worry.”
Charles placed his hand on the back of her head and gently forced her into the back seat.
“We won’t be far behind them,” Ben said, tightening his grip on Katie’s arm.
Pain shot down her arm from his grasp on her muscle. She gritted her teeth. If only he knew about her discomfort.
They stopped at the back door to his police vehicle and opened it. Katie glanced inside and saw a duffle bag lying on the seat. A pair of keys sat on top of the bag.
“It’s for you, and if you don’t hurry, someone might suspect we’re up to something,” Ben said, his tone indicating his impatience.
Katie adhered to his warning and carefully slid onto the empty seat. A crisscross screen separated the front and the back, making her feel and look like a criminal. The image was one she loathed, especially since she’d done nothing legally wrong.
She peered closer at the bag and noticed two handles sticking out of the far end. They had gold trim and upon closer inspection, a snake coiled around them with the small head facing the blade. From her recollection of the plethora of swords and sabers Kyle owned, none of them had such a design.
The gunning of the engine lifted her head. Ben shifted the gear, then glanced at her. “Charles is a slow driver. You should have time to strap several of those daggers underneath your clothes. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
She moved closer to the front seat and twisted to grasp the keys lying on top of the duffle bag. “Look at it this way, you’re not breaking any laws.”
He turned to face the front. “I’m helping someone suspected of murder.”
“But there are no charges filed. You said so yourself.” She argued while she held one of the keys between two fingers and tried to find the lock on the handcuffs. Needless-to-say, the inability to move her hands much made the job cumbersome.
Ben steered the car away from t
he station and headed for the main road. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
Katie understood his frustration all too well. She went through the same dilemma when she first learned vampires existed. The process involved denial first, then a plethora of questions before realization finally hit. Unlike Ben, she had time to cope with the facts. She would’ve liked to offer the same to him, but time was not a luxury they had.
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. I promised I would, and I will.”
He glanced into the rearview mirror. “I’m starting to think Charles and everyone I spoke with at the station has completely lost their minds. None of them could answer my questions. The only person willing to provide an explanation is you and you’re in police custody with enough weapons back there to go on a murdering spree. This isn’t normal.”
“I hate to break this to you, Ben, but life is far from normal.” Nothing in Katie’s life had been normal. She learned to take care of herself after the deaths of her parents. Then, nine years ago, her world changed when she met Kyle. It turned upside down when she accepted his true nature. All things considered, she had no regrets and enjoyed every second she had with her immortal lover. She wouldn’t change anything.
The small key slid into a hole. She turned it and tugged on the cuffs. The metal clicked and gave way, freeing her hands. A relieving sigh escaped her and all seemed well until the muscles in her arms cramped. Pain shot down to her fingers, stiffening them. She clenched her jaw and felt the onset of another hot flash.
“Are you okay, Katie? Do I need to pull over?”
Teeth clamped tight, she forced her taut fingers onto her lap and then pressed them together. “I’ll be fine.” As she tried to work out the stiffness of her joints, she realized she couldn’t fight in her current condition. She’d lose in a heartbeat.
He stared at her from his mirror. “I can pull over.”
“Keep driving,” she said from behind her teeth.
Immortal Revenge Page 29
