by Cas Martin
‘It’s ticking over nicely.’ Monica tried to be modest.
‘I saw you on Bloomberg. In the 'top 50 most powerful businesswomen in America' feature.’
‘Oh, you saw that?’ Monica felt herself blush. She had given up trying to keep a low profile, but that had been a bit much, even for her.
‘I was very impressed.’
‘Thank you. I was flattered, but I’m sure it’s a gross exaggeration.’
‘Somehow I doubt it. How’s Dennis?’
‘He’s fine. Everywhere I go, he still comes with me. This is the first real time we’ve spent apart. He looks after everything. So if anyone should have made it into the top 50 most powerful businesswomen it should have been him. Well, you know what I mean.’
‘I’m sure he’d love to hear you say that.’
‘I’m sure he would. But seriously, I couldn’t do any of this without him.’ She took a large sip of wine. ‘So what about you? Other than the study. Do you still keep in touch with anyone?’
‘It’s funny you should say that. I had an email from Garth at the weekend. For the first time ever. What a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?’ Elizabeth took a sip of her wine, and looked Monica directly in the eye. The accusation hung in the air.
The waiter saved her by coming over to take their orders. The reprieve turned out to be short.
‘So do you want to tell me what’s really going on here?’ She looked up to see Elizabeth staring at her. Monica couldn’t help but smile. The only other person who stood up to her was Dennis. She’d missed the challenge.
‘Do you really want to know?’
‘I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.’
‘It’s a serious question. I wanted to see you in person. I had to know whether you had walked away for good. If you were happy leaving it — leaving us — behind.’
‘I can honestly say that until I had that email from Garth, I’d left it in the past.’
‘What did he say, exactly?’
‘There was no real detail. He asked me to go through my father’s records to see if there was anything in there that could help you. Tell me Monica, how serious is it? Are you sick?’
‘No, I’m not. I feel fine. So does Dennis. But we have lost our first family member through whatever this is. There will be many more. I know it.’
‘I don’t know what you think I can do to help.’
‘Neither do I really,’ admitted Monica. ‘I have to be the strong leader in front of everyone else. Even Dennis. With you, I can be honest. I can say I’m scared and not worry someone is going to hear me. You know how we are about showing weakness. I thought you could give me an objective opinion.’
‘I will. Look, how about we just enjoy dinner and talk about this later?’
‘Deal. So how do you fill your nights now? Or do you sleep like normal people?’
‘I’m still a night owl. Study fills most of my time. It’s pretty intense.’
‘Single?’ Monica took a glug of wine.
‘Nothing serious.’
‘I know what you mean.’
‘Not even a regular acquaintance?’ Elizabeth looked her in the eye, even though they both knew what she meant. A human always available and willing to offer their blood. Monica shook her head, but her eyes flicked down to Elizabeth’s neck of their own volition.
‘No. I still don’t have anyone for that either. I’ve thought about it, but the right person hasn’t come along. I just do what I have to do when I need to.’ She shrugged.
‘Still practicing self-control then?’
‘That and yoga. It’s not as easy as it used to be. But I’m managing. It seems you are too.’
‘I am. It’s nice.’
‘I see.’ Monica hid her surprise. Nice seemed like such a banal word to describe your existence. ‘I don’t want to upset the life you have here Elizabeth. I didn’t realise when I came over that you would be so happy with the way things had turned out.’
‘I am happy,’ Elizabeth smiled in agreement. ‘But that doesn’t mean I’d turn my back on a friend.’
‘I’m glad you still consider me a friend.’
‘Of course I do. Why do you think I wouldn’t?’
‘You know why.’
‘Why Monica?’ Again, that direct challenge.
‘Because if you are trying to leave behind everything we went through in New York then I’m a very big part of that. I dragged you deeper into things than you ever thought you would go.’ Monica stared at the scar on Elizabeth’s neck openly this time. It would be invisible to most human eyes, but to her it stood out like a beacon.
‘Everything that happened that night was because I wanted us to be friends. We can’t pretend we never met. Yes, I wanted to be free of the worst part of what I know. You can’t blame me for that. But when I left I told you — and Garth for that matter — that if you needed me then I would always be there. You must have believed me, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.’
‘That doesn’t mean I want to make things difficult for you again. Especially if you’re settled.’
‘Monica. I’m glad you came.’
The waiter appeared at the table again and Elizabeth gave her a look that warned her the conversation was over. For now.
Monica had a very strong suspicion they would be revisiting it again before the night was through.
13
Garth broke into a light run. He was quick on his feet, blended with shadows. No one knew he was there. His heart pounded in his chest. He had been waiting for this moment. No more slow hunting. It was time to do some damage.
The guy he followed was a real sleaze. If he had been part of the human world, someone’s husband or boyfriend or brother would have beaten the crap out of him by now. It was his ability to slip back into the night undetected that had kept him out of trouble. Well, all that was going to change. Garth was going to do something he’d been looking forward to for weeks.
He’d come prepared. The vampire was around the same height and build as him, but he had to account for his additional strength. The element of surprise would be enough to knock him off balance and then Garth would build on things from there.
He’d barely had time to check on the girl. She’d sat on the street corner by the back entrance to the club where the vamp had picked her up, confused and rambling. To anyone who came by it would look like she’d knocked back a few too many drinks. Other than that, she seemed fine.
There was nothing that indicated a catastrophic loss of blood that had almost killed her. Just a thin trickle of blood smeared on her wrist gave the game away. The wound itself was almost healed.
Garth had stood her up, pointed in the general direction of the front of the club and told her to get to safety. Then he had headed off, hot on the chase.
He knew where the guy lived. It was close to a few more of his kind. A tall apartment block and Garth knew at least three other vamps lived there, all on different floors. Close enough, but not too close. They were all the same family. Anything else would definitely have been uncomfortable for them. Unfortunately, four in one building was uncomfortable for Garth. He had to make sure he got to the man before he made it home.
There wasn’t much time. A mile or so from here the streets would be more crowded. A confrontation would attract attention. He had to catch up, but he didn’t want his legs to be tired or his heart beating too fast by the time he got there. The first would affect his stamina and ability to fight. The second would bring out the fighting instincts in his opponent even stronger. When he was close enough he would slow himself down, force his breathing back to normal. He was a master of this by now.
It wasn’t long before Garth saw his chance. It was almost as if the vamp was playing directly into his hands. That alone sent a warning flag up in Garth’s mind, but he dismissed it. There were no other options.
The man had paused between blocks to light up a cigarette. This wasn’t a nice part of town to stop in, but Garth knew that a vampire wouldn’
t be scared by that. There was no one here stronger than him.
Garth was about to prove that theory all wrong.
He broke into a sprint and threw himself at the vamp. He kept his hands clear to break his fall, roll and leap back to his feet again. He had managed to move them a few feet further into the darkness of the street. There were plenty of dumpsters to give them cover. Perfect.
The man shook his head, as if trying to clear some confusion. He was slow to get back on his feet. Garth tensed, his body seeking the trap. The man hadn’t reacted violently. There was no speed in his movements. He moved without fear of the man who had forced him to the ground.
Garth sensed no others around. It was too late to change his mind. He moved forwards on deft feet and lunged his fist at the vampire's face. The blow glanced off, unable to do damage. That it connected at all concerned him.
The vampire returned fire with a punch to Garth’s gut. He’d got in too close. Instead of hitting the deck, he felt the thud of a meaty fist against his abs. It pushed him back, not knocked him down.
More punches followed and Garth landed some of his own. The vampire’s hits were mostly on target, but they had no power behind them. It degenerated into a good old fashioned fist-fight, something that Garth hadn’t done for a long time. Certainly not with a vampire and still come out the easy winner.
Garth put all his strength into an upper cut to the jaw. The man stumbled backwards, hit the wall, then slid down it. He held his hands up in surrender. ‘Don’t hurt me, please.’
‘Hurt you? I’m about to kill you, asshole.’ Didn't he know how it worked?
‘In that case, go ahead. I’m already dying. I don’t need any more pain until I get there.’
‘What’s wrong with you?’
‘I don’t know, man. The doctor says I’m dying and there’s nothing he can do about it. There’s nothing I can do about it. Or anyone else now.’
‘Did he say what you’re dying of?’
‘Screw you.’
‘I’m going to give you two choices here.’ Garth grabbed his collar and slammed him back against the wall once again for good measure. ‘You can tell me what I want to know, and I’ll kill you. Quick and clean and painless. Or you can hold out on me, and I’ll kill you. Slow and the most painful way ever. I’ll beat you until you can’t move and then watch you slowly fry in the sun. How does that sound?’
‘You’re quite a power tripper for a kid. How come you know so much?’
‘I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know what you are. We don’t have to do that dance. You don’t have to pretend. But I do need to know what’s going on.’
‘Why, so you can take advantage of the situation?’
‘Believe it or not, so I can help a friend.’
‘Whatever.’
‘A friend who is the same as you. Only less of a douchebag towards young women. Probably.’
‘Hey, a dude’s got to feed.’ So much for remorse. Garth slammed him against the wall again. This time, for the hell of it.
‘I get that. But you can do it the nice way, or the asshole way. You my friend, are an asshole.’
‘I don’t need you to judge me.’
‘I’ll be judging you with my fists if you don’t cough up. Tell me what’s going on.’
‘I don’t know man.’
‘How long have you had it?’
‘Four days. The doctor said if it’s what the others have then I’ve got another week. No more than that. The older you are, the quicker you go. I’m still young.’
‘What did you do to get it?’
‘Nothing!’
‘You must have done something.’
‘I swear to you, nothing. I’ve been doing my regular thing. You know, that thing you don’t approve of.’
‘So you have no idea how you caught this?’
‘Only a rumour.’
‘What kind of rumour?’
‘Word on the street is that the blood is infected.’
‘Blood? You mean human blood?’
‘Of course human blood. You think I drink something else? What do you think I am, some kind of animal?’
‘Close enough. But humans aren’t sick. So it can’t be.’
‘Dude, that’s all I have. Seriously. Look at me. I can’t even stand up to a scrawny kid like you. Do you know how much effort it took to get a girl to come outside with me tonight? Normally they roll over like puppies, but I had to put in some serious work. And it hasn’t done any good. I’m just as weak as I was before. There’s no point in pretending this isn’t the end for me.’
Garth leaned forward and punched the man in the face. ‘That’s for being a douche bag all the other times. Now get up and go. You’ll just about make it home before sunrise.’
‘I thought you were going to kill me.’
‘I can if you want me to?’
‘Maybe,’ the man shrugged.
‘Go home. Put your affairs in order. Don’t even think about wasting your last days trying to hunt me down and kill me. You’ll fail. Get your shit together and then stay up late. Enjoy the sunrise. It can be beautiful this time of year.’
14
She’d expected the call from Monica. Elizabeth saw the email from Garth now for what it was. A warning that, no matter what her best intentions had been, there might be no choice. When the chips were down, Monica would turn to her for help. Help that no vampire could give.
Only a handful of people remained who knew enough about vampire history. Politics. Lore and myth. Law and legend. Elizabeth was one of those people. It was inevitable.
Now the two of them sat opposite each other again. Dinner complete, Elizabeth knew it was time. They couldn’t put off the real reason why Monica was here any longer.
‘So,’ said Elizabeth. ‘Tell me what you know.’ She sipped on her coffee, unbothered by the caffeine. She wouldn’t be sleeping easy tonight regardless.
‘Honestly? Not much. I’ve got someone working on it now, but it’s a complicated science. It’s not even his area of specialty.’
‘One of your guys?’
‘Yes. He works for MaxiData too, but he’s at my disposal for family things. It made sense to put him on it. He has a vested interest after all.’
‘When will he have something for you to work with?’
‘He said by the end of today. Around midnight over here.’
‘What time do you have to go back to London?’
‘I don’t. I’ve done everything I needed to there. This is my top priority now.’ Monica looked away and Elizabeth saw the London trip for the flimsy excuse it was. ‘I knew it wasn’t guaranteed that you’d meet me. Tonight or any other. But I had to try.’
It wasn’t the request for help that bothered Elizabeth. It was that Monica felt the need to do it in person. A pragmatic leader of her people, Monica did what was necessary to get results. If a phone call would be sufficient then she would have made it. So either the disease was too serious to discuss over the distance or there was another, slightly less palatable option.
Monica wanted the opportunity to manipulate her in person.
Elizabeth pushed the thought away. She took another sip of coffee and hoped Monica couldn’t sense the change in her body. It was her own fear talking, nothing more. Ever since Monica had fed from her, Jack LeTraub’s words had echoed in her head. How they could never be on level footing after such an experience. Her father’s original protégé had many more years of experience than she had. It was hard to dismiss his comments, no matter how many reassurances to the contrary Monica gave. Elizabeth’s cheeks burned with the memory and subtle shame he had instilled in her about that night. It had been an offhand comment, but it had cut deep.
‘Are you okay?’
‘Yes,’ she lied. Monica had promised never to even test the bond that existed between them. It took trust to take her at her word, although she’d never let Elizabeth down yet.
‘Then why are you looking at me like that? You d
on’t want to help, do you?’
‘I do. Once I’d had the email from Garth, I started to look. I decided I was going to help if you asked for it. I wasn’t sure that you would. You have far more resources at your disposal than anything I can provide.’
‘You have plenty of things to offer, not only your father’s notes. We both know that you understand us better than we understand ourselves sometimes, just as he did. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve taken a year away. It’s in your blood.’ The waiter came over and presented Monica with the bill. She handed over her credit card and Elizabeth watched in silence as she paid. She smiled and chatted to him as the payment went through, no indication that she was responsible for the lives of hundreds, if not thousands.
Did she know Monica any better than him, really?
A year and a half separated them and in that amount of time, many things could change. Unlike the first time they had ever met, David wasn’t sitting nearby to look out for her. Not unless he was watching over her from above.
A reminder of just what a vampire could do without hesitation or remorse.
The fear, the caution, was a necessary undercurrent to temper the excitement she felt at the prospect of touching a forbidden world. This could be something bigger than her father had ever seen. A new fork in the road for vampire evolution and progress. It was a study that had been his passion and with each passing moment, its claws sunk one by one back into his daughter.
There could be more loss along the way. The moment they stood up to leave the table, she had to be prepared for that.
Since Garth’s email, she had run every day, sometimes twice. She pushed herself to the limit of what she could do. Every part of her body ached. It was a stark reminder that if she had to defend herself now, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
Monica drained the last of her coffee. ‘Is there somewhere else in town we can go to finish off this conversation?’
‘Unfortunately not. This is a bit different to the city that never sleeps. It’s more like the town that’s in bed by ten-thirty.’
‘Oh. Okay.’
‘Would your driver wait if we went back to my house? I can put on another pot of coffee and show the results of my findings so far.’
