Damned and Cursed (Book 7): Four Centuries

by Glenn Bullion

  Victoria took no chances.

  Her eyes turned crimson as she let out a feral hiss, her fangs exposed. Her claw was at the ready on her side, ready to bleed anyone that approached. The party-goers that were still upright backed up, and Victoria could see in their eyes there would be no more fighting.

  She leaned over Thomas and lightly tapped him on the cheek with a finger. Everything from her elbow down ached. So many changes from claw to hand had taken its toll. Without blood, it would be a day or so before she gripped a pencil.

  "Thomas. A word, please," she said again.

  "Fuck you."

  She pulled out a photo she printed of the Vermilion lobby. She made sure to get a shot that included both Thomas and the mysterious visitor.

  "I need to know who this is. You met him three days ago."

  He said nothing, only grimaced in pain. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him forward.

  "For the love of fuck," Thomas complained. "I haven't hurt any humans. I swear. I've been behaving, like you said."

  Before she could press the photo to his face again, there were frightened yelps in the gathered crowd. They parted and backed away in all directions, leaving only a single male vampire lying on the ground. He writhed and convulsed as he begged for help.

  Victoria knew what was coming, and could do nothing. She'd never felt so helpless.

  Seeing the utter pain on a silent camera was not the same as witnessing it in person. His screams filled the parking garage. He actually lost control over his body, as his eyes changed from red to normal, and his hands to claws, and back again.

  She grabbed Thomas' hair and lifted his head for him to see.

  "This," she said. "Is why I'm here."

  "Billy?" he said, recognizing the vampire. Finally, something else was in his voice besides disdain. Concern for someone he called a friend. "Billy, man? What's wrong?"

  Thomas flipped over and crawled toward Billy. He only made it halfway when the inevitable happened.

  His skin started to flare, as if the sun had reached him. With one final outburst, he turned to dust, falling in place exactly as he laid, like some bizarre crime scene police outline.

  The crowd broke out in panic. Vampires and mortals alike ran for the exit. Some didn't even bother with their clothes and drugs, leaving them behind.

  Thomas remained on his hands and knees, still in shock.

  Victoria knelt beside him and again brandished the photo.

  "Do you see?" she said, her voice compassionate. "We're dying. Something is killing us. Look at this picture. I think this man has something to do with all of this."

  He said nothing. His eyes fell on the picture, but he couldn't form words. Victoria could see he was somewhere else, far away.

  She hoisted him to his feet and nearly dragged him behind her. They went with the crowd, which still moved almost as a single being. Thomas nearly fell as he walked, but Victoria kept him up. She opened the passenger's door to her car and shoved him inside.

  It took five minutes just to leave the garage. She had to drive slowly, carefully, to avoid hitting vampires and mortal alike. Finally, she found a quiet, empty spot in an industrial park not far away. She parked in the shadows to make Thomas more comfortable.

  The arrogant, obnoxious toddler was gone. Thomas looked about like a caged animal, his eyes wide. Victoria leaned over and opened the glove compartment to reveal several bottles of blood.

  "Drink," she said.

  He reacted like a thirsty man in the desert, downing the bottle in seconds. His wounds slowly started to heal. He gestured to a second bottle, asking permission with his eyes. She nodded, and he drank much slower.

  "Three nights ago, at the Vermilion," she said. "What happened?"

  "At that place under the club? Shit, I don't know. A lot of sucking. A lot of fucking. What do you want me to tell you?"

  She showed him the photo again.

  "Who is this?"

  Thomas barely paid attention.

  "What the fuck happened back there? Billy, he just…shit. Am I going to die? What's going on?"

  Victoria couldn't answer him. It bothered her how much she didn't know. Her only lead was the mystery man in the photo, and there was always the possibility he had nothing to do with whatever was happening.

  "I don't know," she said honestly. "All I know is three days ago, this man—" She gave him the picture. "Gave something to every human in the Vermilion. Last night, two of the women went back, and the vampires that fed from them died, like you just saw."

  "Are you shitting me? Who?"

  "Their names were Olivia and Trish."

  "What?! I fucked both of them! I drank from them, too!"

  She rolled her eyes, feeling like they were going in circles. "I know, Thomas. Now, think. This man, what did he give them? Did they take whatever it was while you were together?"

  "I don't know. We kind of did a lot of stuff at once, if you know what I mean." His eyes went wide at the memory. "Shit! I know Olivia took something, right before I tore her clothes off. I thought it was just oxy, or E. Man, I miss that shit. I am going to die, ain't I?" She thought he was going to cry. "I haven't even been a vampire a year."

  "You're still alive, so that means something. I think Olivia and Trish, and maybe the other mortals there that night, are infected. With what, I'm not sure. Maybe it didn't affect them yet, maybe it was just dumb luck you're still here." She left out her last thought, that perhaps his time hadn't yet arrived. With a nod, she gestured to the photo in his hand. "Do you know him? He spoke with you more than anyone."

  "Yeah," he said, nodding. "This clown was there. I thought he was there to screw and suck. Or get sucked. He was friendly with everybody."

  "Tell me everything. What did he smell like? Was he mortal? A vampire? Did he give his name?"

  Thomas grimaced. "I didn't smell the fucker. Human or vampire? How should I know?"

  She closed her eyes in frustration. Besides the fact that he had fangs, she would barely call him a vampire.

  "He did give me a phone number, though."

  Victoria's eyes lit up. "What?"

  "Yeah. It's in my phone, back at the parking garage. We talked about how I used to deal, too. He said if I ever wanted to make a little extra money, to give him a call."

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she allowed herself a moment to relax and lean back in the seat. A simple plan formed.

  "You know, Thomas," she said. "I honestly thought I would have killed you by now. But it looks like we're actually going to be partners."

  He leered at her while nodding approvingly.

  "I think I like the sound of that. And I said before, call me Tom."

  *****

  Victoria held the door open for Thomas, whose jaw dropped as he stepped foot inside one of the many safe-houses she had scattered throughout the city. It had been several months since she'd last inspected her properties. Ever since she could step into the day without harm she had little use for her safe-houses. Still, it was good to see the scheduled cleaning hadn't subsided. The place was spotless.

  "Holy shit," Thomas said. "This place is fucking crazy. No windows? How did you manage that?"

  She smiled at where the windows should have been. It was a typical condo, but the windows had been dry-walled over long ago. There was no television, only a couch and chair. The bedroom was sparse, the kitchen bare. The only connection to the outside world was a laptop on a desk in the corner. Thomas spun around like a child, then opened the refrigerator door to see a stash of cold blood.

  "Oh, man," he said. "I don't believe this. I'd love to have a place like this."

  "You should see my other one."

  She checked her phone to see if Jack had called. Nothing. She was trying to be patient, but if he didn't reach out to her soon, he'd get an earful. Despite everything on her mind, she was worried about Zoey.

  "Is it okay if I take a shower?" Thomas said, looking down at his blood-covered clothes and skin. "I'm just a
little messy, thanks to you."

  "Go ahead. There's clothes, not much, in the bedroom. Tee shirts, sweatpants."

  Thomas started to remove his shirt, but stopped when Victoria called his name.

  "Thomas, I have no desire to see you without clothes. Undress in the bathroom."

  "You got it. I'll save you some hot water." He looked her up and down. "When it's your turn, I'll wash your back."

  She nearly snarled. He laughed as he headed for the bathroom, narrating his own personal tour of her condo along the way.

  "Damn, you don't have windows in any room. And look at that bed. I could do a lot of good in a bed like that."

  After her own shower Victoria dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. Thomas was lying on the couch, his hands laced behind his head. He didn't bother putting on a shirt. He whistled cheerfully, his feet moving back and forth.

  "Shit," he said as she leaned in the kitchen doorway. She thought he was going to drool. "You really know how to fill out a shirt. And that wet hair is hot."

  "Shut up. You'll be okay here. No sunlight can get in, and there's plenty of blood."

  "How is it that the sun doesn't bother you? I'd love to know."

  "I bet you would."

  "Ah, c'mon. It can be our little secret. If you don't tell me, I might have to tell all my friends. And I have a lot of friends."

  Victoria laughed. If nothing else, Thomas was amusing.

  "Blackmail. Funny."

  "Don't call it that. Just call it forceful curiosity."

  She leaned on the arm of the couch, over his feet.

  "Do you think you're safe?"

  "You won't hurt me. We're past all that now. You need me."

  She smiled and raised a finger. "You're right there. I do need you. So, let's get to business. You're going to call that number and arrange a meeting, the sooner the better. I don't care what you do or talk about. You want to work for him, buy him dinner, it's your call. That's all. The rest, I'll worry about."

  "Oh, is that all?" he said, sitting up. "I'm not just doing this for those nice tits of yours. I want a little satisfaction, too."

  "Of course. For your efforts, you'll be paid fifty thousand…no, I'm feeling generous. One-hundred thousand dollars. Is that satisfying?"

  The shock flashed through his eyes, but he tried to hide it. He looked at the carpet and laughed, wagging his finger.

  "It's a nice start, let's put it that way. But I'm thinking…more like…two-hundred thousand."

  He rose to his feet and stepped close to Victoria, invading her personal space. They were inches apart. She didn't back away. Whether he was trying to intimidate or seduce her, she wasn't sure. Neither was successful.

  "Okay, I get it," she said, toying with him. "We're negotiating now."

  "Yeah. We're negotiating."

  "Alright, well, let's see. I'm in a negotiating mood. How about…actually, no. Let's stick with one-hundred thousand. And that number will down go in one second if you don't back the fuck up."

  Thomas' tough-guy act vanished as he stepped back. He threw his hands up and nodded.

  "Okay, okay. A hundred is more than fair."

  She gestured to his phone, which he set on the coffee table. Without another word, he picked it up and dialed a number, pacing in the living room. Victoria heard the conversation clearly.

  "Hello?"

  "Hey, man. I'm not sure if you remember me. It's Thomas. We met at the Vermilion the other night."

  "I remember. Have you thought about what I said?"

  "I have. The truth is…I'm in a bit of a bind. Owe some money to some different people, that kind of shit. And like you said. There's nothing wrong with a little extra money."

  "There never is."

  "You know it. So, yeah, if you need a little help, I'm your guy. I know people, and I can really move some shit around town. I was hoping we'd could meet up tonight. Not during the day, obviously."

  "Obviously."

  Silence, as Thomas waited for more. Victoria gave him an encouraging nod. For all his faults, Thomas was definitely a convincing liar.

  "Midnight," the mystery man finally said. "The corner of Taylor and Fifth. We'll talk."

  "Ah, great. You're saving my life, man."

  "Don't be late."

  The phone went dead. Thomas took a deep breath as he tossed it on the couch.

  "He said tonight at—"

  "I heard what he said," Victoria said. "I'm impressed."

  He leered at her. "How impressed? Impressed enough to take your clothes off?"

  "No. The sun is coming up, and we both need to rest. You take the couch. Do I need to warn you about what will happen if I wake up and you're hovering over me?"

  "You've made it very clear."

  Victoria turned toward the bedroom. Her body ached, despite the hot shower, and she could feel sleep pulling at her. The hot shower helped, but she needed to lay down and close her eyes, after she enjoyed some blood.

  "Oh, one more thing," she said, giving Thomas her attention. "If I thought you could hurt me, I wouldn't have even bothered showing up at your hotel room during the day. You can tell everyone you know my secret. No one will believe you. That's the funny thing about people. But, think about it." Her eyes turned dark. "If our positions were reversed, and if someone threatened to make trouble for you, would you kill to protect that secret?"

  Thomas said nothing, but the fear was visible in his eyes. After all the times Victoria threatened to kill him, he was finally understanding, taking her seriously.

  "I'd like to think I'm a nice, reasonable woman," she continued. "Murder is never my first response to anything. But, really, when it all comes down to it, you mean nothing to me. I doubt anyone would miss you if you were gone." She smiled, but there wasn't a hint of joy in it. Jack would have been proud. "Pleasant dreams."

  His expression told her he wouldn't be getting much sleep.

  CHAPTER 16

  It was fifteen minutes shy of midnight when Victoria turned into one of the many parking garages throughout Baltimore. She called and had a car dropped off earlier for her, so she didn't have to drive through the city in a bloody Porsche. After grabbing a ticket from the automated machine, she made her way to the empty top level. Thomas was quiet in the passenger's seat, a minor miracle. She sensed him admiring her every so often, but as long as he was silent about it, she could manage. She'd changed clothes before they left, something more appropriate for what the night called for. Her body was covered in all black, with the exception of her hair. She'd never cover her hair.

  "Why are we parking here? We're four blocks away from Taylor Street."

  "Then you'd better get moving."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "I already told you. You don't need to worry about that."

  She slid out of the car, Thomas a step behind. She circled around to the passenger's side and grabbed her purse from the glove compartment, along with the smallest backpack she owned. She transferred several items she always tried to keep with her. Her phone, and a magical trinket or two.

  "What the fuck?" Thomas said as he watched. "You don't have a gun or anything?"

  "Don't need one."

  "Okay, seriously, what do you want me to do?" he asked. "Am I supposed to keep him still? Out in the open? Are you going to pick his pocket?"

  Silly questions, but she was glad he was asking them. Thomas was thinking about the task at hand, and not how much damage he could cause with so much money coming to him.

  "I just need to see the guy."

  "Where will you be?"

  "Not important. Just forget all about me. Have your meeting with him like you would if I wasn't involved."

  "Do you really think this guy has something to do with us dropping into dust?"

  "I have no idea. But I'm not a big believer in coincidences."

  "Shit, Victoria, what if he wants to kill me? I was there when he was handing out his little drug or whatever. Maybe he wants me
dead."

  "I doubt that. I don't think he knows you're a vampire. I'm thinking he's a pawn, but a pawn with answers."

  "And who are you? Some kind of detective?"

  "He tried to give everyone a bag, mortals and vampires. I don't think he could tell the difference."

  "I can't tell the difference. And I'm a vampire."

  "Yeah, but not a very good one. Anyway, it's just a hunch. I think he's mortal."

  "A hunch. Great. I feel so much better."

  "You will feel better when I hand you a briefcase full of money."

  That caught his attention, helped bring him back to the moment. Victoria tried not to laugh in disgust as she slung her backpack over her shoulders. Thomas wasn't helping her for the benefit of his own kind, or for the mortals caught in the middle. He was in it to get paid.

  "Get moving," she said again. "You've only got ten minutes."

  "Let me guess. You couldn't park any closer."

  She said nothing, only watched him leave through the stairwell. After he was gone she prepared herself for a jump she'd performed countless times. The top level of the parking garage was open, exposed to the night. The neighboring building was an advertising company, only one floor higher than the garage. With a running start, she leapt from the garage toward the building. She didn't land directly on the roof, but on a windowsill one level below. Her toes caught the edge while she braced herself in the window with her arms. A vampire's strength went a long way. One thing she forgot to do was check inside the place. A man was working late in his office, his head resting on a desk. Victoria's arrival outside his window startled him awake. He looked up, but she'd already leapt once again, grabbing the ledge above her. By the time the man managed to open his window Victoria was already jogging across the roof.

  The rooftops of Baltimore were another home for her. She'd watched the city evolve from above for decades. There were even safe-zones scattered about, complete with shade and shelter, for times when she was out working and needed to hide from the sun.

  The meeting location was a short distance away, with only one jump over an alley that provided not even the tiniest problem. She took a short break once, to check on Thomas, and wasn't surprised to see that despite his head start she was ahead of him.