by Helen Harper
‘Bo?’
I take a deep breath. ‘Rogu3, do you still have that video of the hybrid witch attack?’
He blinks. ‘Yeah.’
‘Can you bring it up?’
Everyone else watches me. ‘Bo,’ Michael asks, ‘what is it?’
I hand him the piece of paper. He glances down and frowns. Rogu3 taps a few keys and the video flashes up. I watch the silent flickering images and then point. ‘Pause it there.’ I look at Michael.
‘They’re the same person,’ he breathes. ‘The owner of this company and that man speaking to you. The human. They’re the same.’
I bite my lip. ‘Yeah.’
Beth peers down. ‘Renascentia. Weird name.’
‘It means rebirth in Latin,’ my grandfather says. We exchange pointed looks.
‘What do they do, Bo?’
I scan the details, aware that we’re all holding our breath. Even Kimchi and the cat seem to be frozen as they wait for the answer. ‘Consultancy,’ I answer. ‘It doesn’t say what exactly they consult in.’
‘It’s vague,’ O’Shea says. ‘It fits.’
I clutch the paper tightly and stride out, straight into Mildred’s room. She’s asleep on the bed and none too impressed when I shake her awake. ‘What the hell is your problem?’ she yells at me.
I grab her arm and haul her up, half dragging her to the main room. She protests but when she sees all the taut faces – most of which belong to vampires – she subsides.
I point to Rogu3’s chair. ‘Sit down. When I knocked on your door,’ I say, circling round her, ‘one of the things I told you was that I don’t hurt children.’
She crosses her arms. ‘Yeah? So?’
‘Can you remember what you said?’
‘That I knew that was a lie.’ She scowls. ‘What exactly is this about?’
‘How did you know?’
She blows air out in exasperation. ‘There was a bloody video! It was all over the internet!’
‘Did you see the video?’
‘I heard about it on the wireless. I already told you that. What difference does it make whether I saw it or not?’
I spin the chair round until she’s facing the screen. ‘Play it again, Rogu3,’ I say. He starts it from the beginning.
Mildred glares. ‘Why are you doing this? To prove that you’re big and bad and scary? I’ve already got that memorandum, thank you very much.’
‘Just watch it,’ I snap. When the human steps out from the crowd, I jerk my head at Rogu3 to freeze it once more. ‘There.’ I point. ‘Do you know him?’
There’s a slight pause. ‘The man? I’ve never seen him before in my life.’
I watch her face. Is this another dead end? Mere coincidence? ‘Are you sure about that?’ I prod.
She throws her hands up into the air. ‘Yes! Now leave me in peace! The Geneva Convention is supposed to prevent this sort of abuse, you know.’
I roll my eyes. ‘You’re not a prisoner of war.’
‘Certainly seems like it,’ she grumbles.
‘Mildred,’ Michael interjects smoothly, ‘do you know anyone else in the video?’
She looks away. ‘No.’
Michael and I share a look. ‘Mildred,’ I say, ‘who do you recognise?’
She presses her lips together.
‘It’ll go easier on you if you tell us.’
My grandfather strolls over. ‘My dear Mildred, you and I both know that this is it for you. I can plead leniency in your case if you help us. You still have the chance to do the right thing.’
She still doesn’t say anything.
He continues. ‘That annoying vampire is my granddaughter. Before she was recruited into the Montserrat Family, she worked a series of dead-end jobs and had some badly chosen lovers.’
‘Hey!’ I protest.
My grandfather ignores me. His attention is fixed on Mildred. ‘After she was recruited, she became a dark creature. She has done bad things and she will probably continue to do bad things. In fact, it appears the only person capable of affecting her conscience is her new lover. He used to be a vampire but is now human and he will grow old and die before her very eyes, causing them both unnecessary heartache and pain.’
Now he’s really starting to piss me off. I straighten up and open my mouth but Michael shakes his head imperceptibly. I grit my teeth. My grandfather might be my own flesh and blood but he’s straying perilously close to the line ‒ and, for him, that’s saying something.
‘However,’ he says, ‘she is still my granddaughter. She is the light and love of my life. Her existence brings me joy and I will do my best to destroy anyone who hurts her.’ He leans down. ‘Mildred Beatty has no grandchildren but she could have had. That body she’s wearing belongs to someone’s grandchild, someone who deserves their own shot at life.’ He smiles. ‘Tell us who you recognise in the video.’
Mildred blinks. Her head drops. The silence draws out while we wait. I curl my hands into tight fists. Come on, Millie.
‘The boy,’ she whispers finally. ‘I recognise the boy. The one you grabbed and knocked out. I saw him just before I transitioned. I wasn’t supposed to. I was nervous and going to back out so they took me to meet him. He told me it was perfectly safe. He reassured me that it wouldn’t hurt.’
Beth spins round and holds up a laptop. ‘Look,’ she says grimly. ‘That kid is in virtually every photo. His name is Stephen MacIntyre. What’s the betting that he’s the mastermind of this entire operation and he’s availing himself of its benefits along with his clients? That adult guy is probably just his minder.’
I stare at the screen, taking in MacIntyre’s smiling face across an array of images, while my blood runs ice cold. I had him. I had him in my arms and unconscious, and I didn’t know who or what I was holding. I can’t believe it.
‘We’ve found them,’ I whisper. I look at the address for Renascentia. It’s on the outskirts of the city. We can be there within the hour. ‘Saddle up, people.’
‘You’ll tell the police, right?’ Mildred shouts. ‘You’ll tell them I helped you? They’ll be nicer to me. I’ll return this body and get a suspended sentence or probation or something, right?’
My grandfather smiles and pats her arm. ‘My dear, they’re going to throw away the key and you will rot in prison for the rest of your short, miserable life.’
I have to force myself not to cheer.
Chapter Twenty-One: A Silver Platter
The address we have on file for Renascentia is doubtless a front intended for people like Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The real business of stealing bodies will take place elsewhere. If we storm the place straight away, without putting a decent plan into place first, those in charge will have time to make their escape – and will possibly take all the remaining children with them. Let’s face it, Renascentia is already going to be on red alert and we still need to find a way to reverse the bodysnatching process. But neither do we have time to pussyfoot around. Maybe the smart thing to do would be to wait for Foxworthy or to contact MI7 and let them deal with things from here. But Renascentia is already going to ground and I want to act now.
We fan out. Their building is in an industrial estate, surrounded by warehouses and nondescript offices. ‘It’s not exactly where you’d expect a well-heeled consultancy firm to be located,’ O’Shea mutters.
I nod grimly. Hope waves at me, gesturing that she’s annulled any protection spells or wards that were in place. Much as I hate to admit it, it’s rather handy having her around.
I take a deep breath. It’s not midday yet so we can expect that everyone who works there is already inside.
Chester ambles across the car park, a cheesy grin on his face. ‘All the cars are taken care of,’ he beams.
I glance at the Beth. ‘The exits?’
‘Covered.’ Her expression is taut. I’ve seen the looks she was giving Maria back at base. She might not have exchanged more than three words with the teenager but she wa
nts to destroy these people as much as I do.
I pull out my walkie-talkie. ‘Rogu3?’
‘I’m ready.’
I take a deep breath. William, the ex-Medici vampire, meets my gaze. I give him the signal and he jerks his head briskly in response. I might have worried about him before but he’s proving a real asset. All that working against the well-oiled machinery of four vampire Families has come in useful.
The signal travels down the line. I stand up, flex my arms and crack my knuckles. And then we’re off.
Beth and I stroll ahead. I push open the front door and find myself in front of an abandoned reception desk. I tense. Are we already too late? Beth nudges me and points to a closed door. She’s right; I can hear the murmur of voices from the other side.
Without wasting any more time, I reach forward and turn the handle. The door opens without a sound and we’re confronted by fourteen people, all sitting in a circle and all with worried expressions. Yeah, they’d better be damn well worried.
One man is on his feet. I don’t recognise him from any of Renascentia’s photos, so he’s probably just middle management. Right now, however, everyone’s attention is firmly focused on him.
‘People,’ he soothes, ‘there’s no need to worry. Everything is under control.’
‘Three-quarters of our clients are in custody! One of them is going to start talking sooner or later and then we’re finished!’
‘No one is going to talk.’ His voice is calm but there’s a line of tension down his spine.
‘Of course they bloody are!’ someone else interrupts.
‘No one is going to talk because we’re pulling the plug. We’re cutting our losses and getting out of here.’
‘What does that mean, Phil? You’re going to kill them?’
I cock my head. ‘Yeah, Phil,’ I say aloud. ‘What does that mean?’
Fourteen heads snap in my direction. A few brave souls get to their feet but most simply look terrified. A middle-aged woman at the far side of the circle makes a run for it, dashing towards the emergency exit, but she’s only human. We’re vampires. Beth brings her down before her fingers can even scrape against the door.
‘Nice try,’ Beth hisses, yanking the woman up.
Phil, the manager, lunges to the side, going for a desk rather than an exit. Before he gets there, the cheap strip lights overhead flicker out and the computer screens dotted around the room go dark; Rogu3 has done what I asked and cut the power to the building. There are a few gasps from the others but most remain silent and frozen.
‘Is that a panic button, Phil?’ I enquire jauntily.
His fingers are still fumbling underneath the desk top. I tut and shake my head. ‘It’s not going to work.’ I wave my hand around. ‘We’ve cut the electricity.’
His chin jerks up and he scans the room. His jaw falls slack as he finally realises the futility of his situation. I wander over and clap him on the shoulder. ‘Stand up, old boy. You look like an idiot.’
‘How … how…’
I tap my mouth. ‘How did we find you?’ I bend down until my face is in his and he’s getting an eyeful of my fangs. ‘Because you lot aren’t as smart as you think you are. Where are the bodies? Where are the people in charge of this shithole?’
Phil takes a weak stab at making a brave stand. ‘You’ll never find them.’
I smile. ‘I wouldn’t count on that.’
‘I’m telling the truth!’ he babbles. ‘They’re going to pull the plug. The ancients will die and so will the kids. And it will all be your fault.’
I keep my face mask-like, unwilling to let him see how worried his words make me. ‘Ancients? That’s what you call them? It’s not very inspired.’ I lick my lips. ‘Don’t worry though, Philly boy.’ I run my tongue across my fangs. ‘Ve have vays of making you talk.’
‘I can’t say what I don’t know!’ he yells back. ‘None of us know where they’re kept.’ A self-satisfied smirk crosses his face. ‘Renascentia isn’t quite so dumb after all, is it?’
I step back and glance at Beth. ‘They’re shutting down operations.’
‘Got that right!’ Phil bursts out.
I wince. His voice is becoming painfully high and whiny. ‘Shut up, Phil.’ I pause and look around. ‘And they’ve sent someone who’s low down the food chain to tell everyone, calm their nerves and soothe the savage beasts. Why wouldn’t they send a more well-known face?’ I look Phil up and down. ‘He’s a nobody.’
‘Screw you!’ he spits.
‘I told you to be quiet,’ I say mildly. ‘Beth, try that emergency exit, will you?’
Her brow furrows. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘Just give it a shot.’
She walks over and presses down on the bar. It doesn’t budge. She tries again.
‘Try and escape,’ a vampire yells from the other side, ‘and I’ll rip out your throat! We’ve got you surrounded.’
I lift up the walkie-talkie. ‘Rogu3, tell everyone to get away from the building now. You too. Get out of there. We need to run.’
‘Eh?’
‘Do it now.’ I look at the terrified group. ‘If you want to live to the end of day, you’ll get out of here now too.’ I nod to Beth and we both sprint for the door. I’d help the humans out if I could be arsed but they obviously know what sort of company they’ve been working for. None of them are innocent.
We burst out into the car park and keep running. I gesture wildly to the other confused vampires. ‘Get away from the building!’
They do as they’re told. I exhale with relief when I spot Rogu3’s familiar head bobbing alongside two of the others. There are shouts as some of the more sensible Renascentia employees come out after us.
We’re halfway across the carpark and nearly safe when the building blows.
I go flying. I might be strong and I might be able to face down most foes but, as the Kakos daemons have already proved, there’s not much I ‒ or any other vampire for that matter ‒ can do against a bloody bomb. Glass flies everywhere and car alarms start to shriek. Acrid smoke fills the air.
Several metres away, Beth rolls onto her back and chokes. ‘I smegging hate explosives,’ she hisses.
I push myself up. ‘Yeah, you and me both.’ I look around. The others are getting to their feet, staring in horror at what’s behind them. More than one of the vampires seems unable to move. Given the horror of a few weeks ago, I’m hardly surprised. ‘Trigger warning,’ I mutter.
The walkie-talkie buzzes ineffectually in my hand, its wiring fried. I toss it to one side. ‘If you can move and you’re alright,’ I shout, ‘round the Renascentia staff up. We still have a job to do.’ I stalk over to the nearest human. ‘How do you like your boss now?’ I ask. ‘Rather than leave any loose ends, they tried to kill you all.’
Dull, shocked eyes stare at me and I hiss in exasperation. ‘Renascentia tried to execute the lot of you!’ I shout. ‘Someone must know where Stephen MacIntyre is. Someone must know where the original bodies are being kept.’
There’s a wheeze. It’s Phil. Guess he managed to escape. That’s a shame. ‘I told you, we don’t know a damn thing,’ he says.
‘You know enough,’ I tell him. ‘You’re fully aware of what they were doing and you still chose to work here. They’ve been stealing children.’
‘Homeless kids! Kids without futures! They lose their bodies for a while but when they get them back they get a nice fat wad of money to compensate for their loss. It’s win-win.’
I shake my head. ‘If you believe that, you’re a fool.’
‘We’re a charitable institution! We…’
I draw back my fist and smash it into his solar plexus. He collapses without another word and I gaze at him impassively. ‘You talk far too much.’
O’Shea, a few abrasions marring his normally perfect skin, walks up and looks down at him. ‘Bo, you shouldn’t have done that. If anyone knew where to look, it was him. If they’re killing their own employees then t
hey’re on the way out. We’ve probably only got minutes to locate the kids before it’s too late.’
‘The half-breed has a point.’
I freeze at this new voice and slowly turn round. Standing right in front of me, and looking as if she just stepped out of the pages of a sodding fashion magazine, is the female Kakos daemon. ‘I don’t have time for you right now,’ I spit.
She smiles in such a way that my very intestines quake in terror. ‘Oh, but Ms Blackman,’ she purrs, ‘I can help you.’
‘I doubt that very much.’ I force down my fear and step towards her. ‘Either kill me now or get out of my face. I’ve got more important things than you to deal with.’
‘But we want to deal. That’s why I’m here. Your earlier threat was most irritating and we’d like to ensure that you don’t do anything silly.’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘Silly? That’s an interesting choice of words considering what your lot have been doing. Are you going to manipulate my mind? Plant thoughts into my head? Kill everyone I know? Would those things be considered silly?’
She inspects her fingernails. ‘We are prepared to let you live.’
‘Really?’ I scoff. ‘Is that because my death will ensure that Magix gets every drop of Maria’s blood and you will be finished? Or because you’re such a good and kind person?’
She drops her hands and looks at me with detached interest. ‘Your aggression is most unbecoming.’
‘Just as well I’m not trying to flirt with you then.’ I turn to go. ‘Now piss off.’
Her hand shoots and grabs my arm. ‘Wait.’
I look back. I don’t feel like I have much choice.
‘We want you gone,’ she says.
‘Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.’
She continues as if I’ve not spoken. ‘But given your negotiations with Magix, we are prepared to compromise. Remain quiet about the Romany blood and we will give you a choice.’ She smiles. ‘Leave the country with all of your bloodguzzling friends in tow and never come back.’
‘Not happening.’
‘Do that and I’ll give you what you really want.’ She drops her voice. ‘Your humanity.’
