Bianca and Zach were half carrying, half dragging Tyler toward the door by the waterfall now. Jason needed to get out of the Garden and formulate a plan, fast.
"The rest of you leave a few at a time," Bianca ordered over her shoulder as Jason started back up the tree.
The leaves trembled as he moved from branch to branch. He could only pray that his luck held. And it seemed to. No one shouted out as he grabbed the edge of the skylight and scrambled back onto the roof. Gently, he slid the glass pane closed.
Now he just had to get himself to the ground - easy, except that a chunk of his vine ladder was now missing. Jason stretched out on his belly and surveyed the side of the house. To his horror he saw that more than a chunk had gone - the honeysuckle and ivy had crumpled to the ground from the spot where they tore. There was no getting down that way.
Luckily, Jason had another idea. He inched down the section of vines that remained, then grabbed the railing of the balcony he'd used before. Now came the tricky part. There was another balcony below this one, but it was off to the right.
Jason swung out and back, building up momentum. One. Two. Three. He released the railing, letting himself fly backward through the air. He landed on the floor of the lower balcony, hard enough to knock the breath out of him for a moment.
"Are you insane?" Adam called up to him when Jason got back on his feet.
Jason signaled frantically for him to shut up, then climbed over the balcony rail and used the railing to lower himself as far as he could. He checked the bushes below him. They should help. A little, he thought. Then he let go.
"I don't need an answer," Adam said as he rushed over and helped Jason out of the thick, prickly brush. "I can already see you are certifiable."
"I feel like I am," Jason told him. "I just found out my aunt Bianca is a vampire. And not just any vampire. She's on something they call the 'High Council'"
"Why do I think that's not the group in charge of Vampire Twister?" Adam asked.
"She was meeting with the DeVere Heights Vampire Council to decide what to do with Tyler. Short version: At Zach's party, he stole a priceless artifact the vampires use in their ceremonies. And the Council just voted to kill him for it. Aunt Bianca's going to do it. She's going to take him ... wherever, and just off him."
"Wait. Your aunt is a vampire?" Adam repeated. Jason wasn't sure whether he'd actually taken in anything else. "What does that mean about your mom? And, not to get too personal, you? The whole thing is supposed to be inherited, right?"
"I thought of that." Reflexively, Jason ran his tongue over his teeth. Pretty blunt. "I'm not. I can't be. I'd have to know, wouldn't I?"
"You haven't been drinking any blood lately, have you?”
"No," Jason answered quickly. "Well, if I cut my finger or something, I lick it. Is that weird?" Suddenly, the taste flooded his mouth: salty, metallic, warm. He felt his gag reflex react. Surely that was a good sign.
"Everybody does that," Adam told him. "Do you think your mom knows about your aunt?"
"I'm not sure," Jason admitted. "It shocked the hell out of me. And there's no way Dani would know if I don't. If my mom does know what Bianca is, she's keeping it a big secret. I guess it's possible, but I seriously doubt - "
Jason stopped. He could feel the outline of a plan forming. "I'm not supposed to know about Aunt Bianca," he muttered.
"Yeah. That's kind of the definition of a secret," Adam said. "Did you hit that soft spot on your head when you fell?"
"But, listen, we can use the secret thing. Bianca isn't going to want to say or do anything in front of me that would make me realize she isn't just my regular, human aunt," Jason explained. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them to Adam. "So, go get my car and bring it right up to the front door of the house, okay? I parked down the block."
"I saw. I'm gone." Adam sprinted away.
Jason positioned himself at the side of the house, in sight of Bianca's rented red Mustang convertible and the front door. Then waited. He mentally rehearsed what he was going to say, hoping that he'd be able to sound convincing. It's not like he was much of an actor. His last performance had been when he played a potato in the third-grade play.
He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling out a leaf, and smoothed down his shirt. He needed to look normal when he talked to his aunt. Otherwise, he'd blow the plan. "You're not going to blow it," he told himself firmly. "Tyler's life depends on that!"
Where were Bianca and Zach? How long could it take them to get Tyler downstairs? Jason wondered. They hadn't decided to kill Tyler in the house, had they? No, that didn't make sense. The mess, for one thing. They wouldn't want to get blood all over the Lafrenière showplace. Unless they killed him in a bloodless way. Would they just drain him? Would they figure why not use the blood for -
The front door swung open, snapping Jason out of his thoughts. Bianca and Zach emerged, supporting Tyler between them. His eyes were open now, and he was walking. He'd clearly fall if they let him go, but he was at least able to move his legs.
"Zach! Tyler! Hey!" Jason called, strolling toward them all. His voice came out a little too loud. A little nervous sounding, maybe. But passable. "Aunt Bianca! What are you doing here?" Jason decided he would be the one asking the questions. Let her play defense.
Her eyes widened, but she answered smoothly enough. "I was dropping off a book for Zach's father," she said quickly. "Something I knew Stefan would want him to have."
So you're a vampire and a stellar liar, Jason thought. Way to go, Aunt Bianca!
His aunt smiled. "And, as you can see, I found our Tyler having a bit too much fun with Zach."
"Tyler, man, you couldn't wait for me?" Jason asked.
"What?" Tyler mumbled.
"You know I'm always up for a good time." He tapped his friend's chest, wanting Tyler to know that he was there.
"Let's get him into my car, Zach," Bianca said. "He's getting heavy." She and Zach took a step toward the red Mustang.
Jason stepped in front of them, blocking their way. "You'll be sorry if you put him in your car," Jason warned. "I know Tyler. I know his pre-puke face. And this is it. He'll ruin your upholstery. I'll drive him home.”
"In what?" Bianca asked. "I don't see your car."
Zach didn't speak, but his eyes moved back and forth between Jason and Bianca like he was watching a tennis match.
"Adam's on his way over with it. I asked him to drive. I wanted to take a run on the beach," Jason explained, the trickle of sweat beginning to run down his back again. He could feel it starting to glue his shirt to his skin. "He'll be here in a sec."
"I'm not sure Tyler can stand up another sec," Bianca said, taking a step forward and forcing Tyler - and Zach - with her. Jason had to back up a little.
"Don't worry about my car. It's a rental," she added cheerfully.
Tyler's knees buckled. Zach and Bianca had to tighten their grip on him to keep him on his feet. Jason took advantage of the situation. "I got him," he said, grabbing Tyler's arm.
Bianca rushed over to the Mustang and opened the passenger door. "You can trust me to take Tyler home and tuck him into bed,'' she said sweetly. "Let's get him sitting down."
Phenomenal liar, Jason thought. Pure ice.
"That would humiliate him," Jason said. "He, uh, he has a crush on you." He turned to Zach, desperately playing for time. "You can see why he'd have a crush on my aunt, right?"
Zach ran his eyes from Bianca's dark hair to her black spike heels. "Absolutely," he announced calmly.
"Absolutely," Jason repeated. Now sweat was popping out on his forehead. Would Bianca notice? Would it make her suspicious? Don't think about it. Keep talking, he ordered himself. "Absolutely," he said again. "And Tyler wouldn't want the woman he's hot for - sorry, Aunt Bianca, I mean attracted to - tucking him into bed."
"Unless she was with him," Zach added.
"Right. So you should let me take care of Tyler;'' Jason urged. And then he heard a wonder
ful, miraculous sound. He glanced over his shoulder. Yeah. It was the bug. "And Adam's here with the car now, so, no problema. We'll cart Tyler home."
Adam pulled up right next to Bianca's car. He jumped out and opened the passenger door. Jason hustled Tyler into the passenger seat, then slid behind the wheel. Adam jumped into the tiny backseat.
This is it, Jason thought. He knew his aunt had very few choices left. Either she had to give up the kindly aunt pretence and out herself as a vampire. Or she had to let them leave.
What was it going to be?
EIGHTEEN
“See you back at the house," Bianca said, her blue eyes ice-cold.
Jason realized with a huge rush of relief that his gamble had paid off. Bianca wasn't willing to reveal the truth about herself. At least, not yet.
He smiled at her, nodded, and put his foot on the gas.
"Where are we?" Tyler mumbled.
"We are now leaving hell," Jason told him as they sped through the massive iron gates that guarded the Lafrenière property.
"Okay," Tyler said, head lolling.
Jason pulled up next to Adam's Vespa and stopped. "Thanks. I didn't have anyone else to call."
Adam nodded. "Are you going to be okay from here?" he asked. "I'm available for more sidekick duty - as long as I don't have to start wearing yellow tights or anything."
"I'm good. And no one with the middle name 'Tecumseh' can be a sidekick," Jason replied. He needed to find a place to stash Tyler. And he knew it could put Adam in danger - more danger than he was already in - if he knew where that place was.
"Call me later and tell me how it goes, Batman," Adam joked. But his eyes were serious.
Jason nodded, then started to drive out of DeVere Heights as the twilight deepened to night. His cell rang. A number he didn't recognize. He answered it. "Yeah."
"Take Tyler straight to the airport," a low, cool voice said. It took Jason half a second to recognize it: Zach. "Sienna will meet you there with cash. Terminal 3."
"Got it." Jason glanced over at Tyler. The cool breeze seemed to be reviving him a little. "And thanks."
"We're even now, Freeman," Zach replied. "Don't expect any more favors." And then there was nothing but silence.
Jason didn't care. The favor Zach had already done him was probably going to save Tyler's life. And Jason very much hoped he'd never need another favor from Zach.
He pulled out onto the Pacific Coast Highway for what felt like the hundredth time that day. PCH had a completely different vibe at night. Eerie. The ocean stretched away down below the road, a dark, endless abyss.
Jason saw headlights appear in his rearview mirror. Someone was coming up fast behind him. But who?
The car flashed its brights, blinding him for a moment. Was it Bianca? One of the other vampires from the Council? The hit squad that had picked up Tyler in the SUV?
This was a bad place to be followed. The empty beach ran for miles on one side. And now that they were outside of Malibu, there were very few exits on the other. Jason figured he could veer off into one of the little beach towns and try to lose whoever was behind him in the warren of little streets. But he didn't know the area. He could end up turning down a dead end - and somebody could end up dead.
Jason checked the rearview again. The car moved into the left lane and drew up alongside. He could see it now: a Mustang; - red, like Bianca's.
"Tyler, stay low," Jason ordered.
"What's going on?" Tyler asked, frowning at him. His eyes were clearer now.
"Later," Jason told him.
The driver honked and flashed the brights again. Were they trying to get him to pull over? And then what? Just hand Tyler over to them? Jason's fingers tightened on the wheel as he tried to decide how to play it.
He could floor it - but he wasn't sure the bug could outrun the Mustang. He could slam into the other car and maybe it would knock the driver - Bianca? - out. Those seemed like his only options.
The Mustang picked up speed until it was next to Jason. He didn't recognize the driver.
He didn't recognize the driver!
It wasn't one of the vampires from the Council. It definitely wasn't his aunt. It was some middle-aged guy with gray hair, wearing a leather jacket and a goofy Red Baron - type silk scarf. That plus the red Mustang convertible equaled midlife crisis. Jason let out a sigh of relief.
"One of your taillights is out," the Red Baron yelled. "You're going to get pulled over." Jason waved his thanks, and the Baron accelerated around him with a cheerful toot - toot.
Jason immediately checked behind him. Only blackness. Unless someone was back there driving with the headlights off, he and Tyler were safe. For now.
"Can you answer my question now?" Tyler's voice had lost the muzzy quality.
"What do you remember?" Jason asked, stalling.
"I remember us going to the pawn shop and that the guy had already sold the chalice," Tyler answered. "I remember... smelling flowers. And was I in Zach's house?"
"You've lost a little memory," Jason told him, relieved that he had. It would make things easier.
"When we came out of the pawn shop, two guys jumped you. Knocked you out. You took a pretty good smack to the head," he explained. "That's why you're out of it. From what they said when they were beating the hell out of you, they were from that dealer in Michigan."
Tyler touched the back of his head and winced, then he turned and studied Jason. "You look pretty good. You take a seat, have some popcorn, and watch the show?" he joked, sounding more like his old self with every word.
"Nah. I'm just not as big a wimp as you are. I know how to handle myself in a fight," Jason answered, grinning. He glanced at Tyler, then checked the rearview. Still no one there. "Right now, we need to get you out of town. Those guys seemed pretty Terminator. I think they'll be back. Any ideas on where you want to go?"
"With my fifty bucks?" Tyler asked, staring out at the dark waves crashing against the darker rocks.
"Fifty-four," Jason corrected. "But no worries. Sienna's meeting us at the airport with traveling money. You just have to pick your final destination."
"Back to Michigan, I guess," Tyler said, still looking out at the ocean. "At least I have a place to crash there." He gave a snort of laughter. "My dad probably hasn't even realized I'm gone. Or if he has, he just figures I'll be back when I get hungry."
Bleak. But Tyler couldn't stay out here even if Jason's parents would agree. "Is Michigan going to be safe? With the dealer and everything?"
"He'll have got the money I wired by the time I get home. It'll be cool." Tyler turned to face Jason. "It'll be cool," he repeated. Like if he said it enough times it would be true.
"Maybe I'll come out there and visit," Jason said. "Experience a few days without sunshine and maybe some - " He stopped, his attention caught by a pair of headlights behind him. Get a grip, he told himself. A lot of people use PCH.
"Some what?" Tyler asked.
"Uh - "Jason kept his eyes on the headlights, trying to remember what he'd been about to say. He settled for, "Some of that gray, slushy snow that gets down in your boots."
"I can pretty much guarantee it." Tyler looked over his shoulder. "You don't think those are the guys back there, do you? Wanting to go another round?"
"Crossed my mind," Jason admitted. "But it's doubtful." The car behind them hung back, keeping pace from a distance.
It was doubtful. But by now, Bianca would have had time to get home. And she'd have realized that Jason hadn't returned with Tyler. What was she thinking? Was she coming to find them?
"Uh, I could use some caffeine," Jason said. "Maybe some barbecue potato chips. We can't be driving all the way to the airport without provisions." He glanced at the car again. It was still back there. Taking a little detour would show whether he and Tyler were just being paranoid, or if they had something real to worry about.
"My treat," Tyler answered, his eyes also on the rearview mirror.
Jason turned off o
n Tuna Canyon Road. So did the car behind them.
"Maybe they're after caffeine too," Tyler suggested, but he didn't sound like he believed it.
This is what Jason had wanted to avoid. Ending up in some kind of chase in an area he didn't know. He spotted the neon sign of a mini-mart up ahead. He'd only said he wanted to do a junk-food stop so they'd have an excuse to pull off the highway. But a mini-mart meant witnesses. And that felt like a good thing right now.
He sped up and pulled into the parking lot. The car - a station wagon with wooden panels that had got the Pimp My Ride treatment - pulled in behind them. "Let's get inside," Jason urged.
He and Tyler scrambled out of the bug and rushed into the store. An electronic bell announced their arrival. A moment later, it rang again. Jason looked toward the door. Two strangers had come in and were heading for the beer. Another false alarm. Man, he was going to be one of the few seventeen-year-olds to experience heart failure if he didn't get his paranoia in check.
Except, Jason reminded himself, what was that T-shirt slogan? "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you."
He loaded up on Mountain Dew - he felt like he'd been awake for about three days - then grabbed the biggest bag of BBQ Ruffles available. Dani would say he was stress eating. But who cared?
Tyler paid up. The Dani thought reminded Jason to reprogram the ringtone on his phone. Then they headed back to the bug. And back to the highway.
The closer they got to L.A., the more traffic filled the road. Jason couldn't keep tabs on all the drivers. He knew they could be being followed right now and not even know it. The number of cars would give cover to anyone tailing them.
"What's that up there?" Tyler asked.
"It's the Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier," Jason answered.
It was hard to believe that crowds of people were out on the pier, having fun under the colorful lights. Playing Skee-Ball. Eating junk food. Giving fake screams in the stupid haunted house. How could all that be going on when his friend had almost been murdered tonight?
Alex Duval - [Vampire Beach 02] Page 11
