Black Market Blood (The Lazarus Hunter Series Book 2)

by Cas Martin

  Lance had stepped back and let the fight, the physical throwing of punches, fall to his brother. He had no desire to get caught up in the more pedestrian stages of the hunt. His brother, on the other hand, was all too happy to use his fists and his feet to get the adrenalin going.

  It had been evenly matched for a while. Lance had actually begun to get a bit bored. So he stepped up behind his brother and tore the men apart, throwing his victim hard against the wall. There had been a resounding thunk of bone against brick.

  And now they were here. The good part. The fear.

  The man began to back away, even though it was a blind alley with nowhere to go. His instinct had changed from fighting to fleeing.

  Lance let him walk backwards, following him with languid footsteps. He let the man start to run, letting him think that he had put some distance between them, only to move quickly and grab him. Lance toyed with the man in the same way that a cat would play with a mouse. Letting him think there was a chance he could escape, a chance he could survive, and then crushing any hope he had at the final moment.

  ‘What do you want with me?’ the man panted, exhausted from trying to get away but not ready to give up yet.

  ‘Believe me, all I want is exactly what you’re giving me.’ Lance’s voice was smooth as he moved closer to the man. The time was getting close. He could sense it. The man’s heart was pounding so hard that Lance could feel it filling his ears, echoing around his head. He could feel his own heart beating faster to keep in time with it.

  He sensed the impatience of his comrades behind him. They had watched, they had all taken part in making sure this prey was primed for the kill. They didn’t have quite the same sense of anticipation that Lance did. They got to boiling point that bit quicker, and now they were ready to spill over.

  Lance took another step forwards towards the man. He pushed himself harder into the wall, as if by some miracle he would be able to push his way right through it and escape out unscathed onto the other side.

  From the upstairs floor of the restaurant, the bathroom window gave out enough dappled light for the man to see Lance step towards him. Lance did not mind that his face was semi-lit. It added a final theatrical touch to what he was about to do. He no longer needed to hide any part of what he was doing. Lance opened his mouth and felt his teeth slide forward. It was like an ache that had been released.

  He watched as the man’s face turned from fear and confusion to absolute terror. He opened his mouth to scream but before he could, Lance finally gave in to the hunger and ripped out his throat.

  Everything went dark. There was just the kill and the feed. Everything at the periphery of Lance’s vision faded away until there was nothing left. He could feel bodies next to his, and he realised his brother was going for the wrist. He had to remind himself not to fight off the competition; this was a kill to be shared.

  He could feel the man attempting to scream, his neck moving frantically against Lance’s lips. Lance’s joy and satisfaction increased with every heartbeat, the taste of fear flowing over his tongue.

  Yes, this was how it was supposed to be. Soon it would be this beautiful all the time.

  32

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Monica threw her legs over the edge of the bed as the doorbell continued to buzz. She squinted at the clock. She’d only been in bed for an hour.

  She grabbed her robe and threw it on as she headed from the bedroom. As she walked through the lounge she saw Elizabeth had somehow managed to completely entangle herself in the blanket Monica had thrown over her on the way to bed.

  Elizabeth had held Monica to her promise for one night at least. They had covered off every topic as Elizabeth kept her talking until the sun came up. The daylight itself wasn't a complete physical barrier for Monica, but it was enough of a psychological one. As four o'clock came and went, Elizabeth had drifted off mid-sentence, alcohol and exhaustion claiming her.

  Monica had put her own glass of wine down and tried not to remember the last time Elizabeth had passed out on her sofa. She had worried then that Elizabeth might be a liability. A vulnerable human at a time when Monica needed to feed. Last night, she had left her lying there surer of her sense of self.

  ‘Morning,’ said Monica as she walked past.

  ‘Is it?’ replied Elizabeth, as she pulled a stray strand of hair out of her mouth and tucked it behind her ear. ‘Who the hell calls in on you at this time of the morning?’

  ‘No one usually, but this morning, apparently…’ she opened the door to see who was there, ‘Dennis does. Come in.’

  ‘Monica, are you avoiding me?’ he marched into the room and stopped short when he saw Elizabeth lying there. ‘Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I was, um, interrupting anything?’ His eyes went from Monica’s face to Elizabeth’s neck.

  ‘Don’t be stupid,’ said Monica, too embarrassed to look at Elizabeth. ‘Nothing like that. We were talking, that’s all. It got late. It was safer for her to stay here on the couch.’

  ‘Oh, I see,’ Dennis didn’t seem convinced. Monica looked over to Elizabeth and saw she was checking her phone like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

  Just because Dennis knew what happened last time didn’t give him license to put them both on the spot. She would make sure to remind him of that fact later when they were alone. For now though, there were more important things to deal with. ‘Why are you here?’

  ‘Have you seen the news?’ He walked into the centre of the room and picked up the TV remote from the table. ‘It’s all over it. There’s been a murder. At least, that’s what the police are saying.’

  ‘There’s always a murder.’

  ‘Not like this one. They’re saying it looks like he was attacked by wild animals.’

  ‘Always ominous in a city.’

  ‘There are pictures on the internet. Some guy walked by and got a load of clips on his phone. They’ve spread like wildfire on social media.’

  ‘Hardly the best gift I’ve ever been given before breakfast.’ Monica took the phone from his hands. A sinking feeling had grown in the pit of her stomach. There was only one reason why Dennis would come to her apartment without calling first, especially so close to dawn.

  She looked down at the screen. He was right. The actual wounds were blurred, a combination of distance and shaking hands. It didn’t matter. She knew what this was. A vampire. Either crazy or off his face on PCP. Or, more worryingly, there was more than one.

  A pack hunt.

  Monica’s stomach lurched. Too much wine for something so gory first thing in the morning.

  ‘Damn.’ Monica felt her knees go weak as she looked at the photo again. ‘There was no way this was consensual. On any level. You can still see the fear on his face.’

  ‘Whoever did this had no intention of making it a pleasant experience. It looks like animals have been all over him. You can see why the media think so.’

  ‘What does this mean?’ There could be no good answer to that question. In light of everything she and Elizabeth had discussed the previous evening, it felt like the unravelling had begun. This murder was a taunt. In Giordano territory, this was personal.

  ‘Can I have a look?’ Elizabeth asked from behind Monica.’

  I don’t think you want to.’

  ‘I’ll be the judge of that.’

  ‘I’m not going to stop you. If you want to see it, then that’s fine with me. But be prepared to lose whatever is left of last night’s dinner.’ Monica walked to the sofa and handed over the phone. She kept her eyes on Elizabeth’s face as she scrolled through the pictures. The horror was there before she could steel herself against it.

  ‘That’s horrible.’

  ‘I tried to warn you it wasn’t pretty.’

  ‘Not only that, it’s familiar. It looks like what they did to my father.’ Elizabeth handed the phone back to Monica and walked out of the room.

  ‘Ah, I didn’t think of that,’ said Monica quietly. She should have prepared Eliz
abeth for the possibility.

  ‘Not your finest moment,’ said Dennis, taking back his phone.

  ‘What else could I have done?’

  ‘You tell me,’ he walked closer and lowered his voice. ‘You want to tell me what she’s really doing here?’

  ‘I did tell you.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Of course, what do you think?’

  ‘I think you’re feeling vulnerable and lonely at the moment. You do stupid things when that happens. Things that you say you’re not going to do, but then in the cold light of day…’

  ‘Remember who you’re talking to Dennis.’ He leaned back as she pulled rank, but not before she saw the flash of anger in his eyes. ‘She thinks she knows who is behind all this.’

  ‘The murder?’

  ‘That and the virus. She made me promise I won’t act on it. I’m not stupid enough to think that promise doesn’t extend to you too. She’s presented a completely plausible case for it being vampire-made.’

  ‘That’s insane.’

  ‘I didn’t buy it at first either. But it makes sense. Especially in light of this.’ She pointed at the phone in his hand and shuddered again at the memory of its contents.

  ‘The killing?’

  ‘Whoever has done this is going to make a play for the city. This is a warning shot designed to draw us out. We risk exposure. All families will be in damage control. I expect a phone call at sundown from at least one of them. This puts us all in danger. It’s the most brazen display of flouting the rules I’ve seen for a long time.’

  ‘I don’t ever recall something this bad.’

  ‘Like Elizabeth said, the last time a murder was this staged and deliberate, it was her father. I didn’t see any of the pictures of it but she’s told me about it before.’

  ‘Did she see him like that then?’

  ‘There was a rumour that she was the one who found him. In which case, then she’s seen this brutality in the flesh. No wonder she didn’t throw up. In comparison to seeing and smelling someone you love killed like that, those pictures would be a walk in the park.’

  ‘Where has she gone?’

  ‘Probably to the bathroom. Give her a few moments to collect herself Dennis. She’s been through a lot.’

  ‘Don’t get too used to having her around again Monica.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’m not going to pretend I understand the bond between you, but last time it got intense. I don’t want to see you get hurt because of it.’

  ‘She’s more likely to get hurt than me.’

  ‘In that case you give yourself too much credit and her too little. I know you don’t like it, but you have to face up to the reality that she is a chink in your armour. Someone who is prepared to do this will exploit any weakness you have. It would be obvious to use Elizabeth to make you do something stupid.’

  ‘I won’t let that happen. It’s not that simple. You make it sound so very black and white.’ Monica trailed off as Elizabeth emerged from the bathroom. She stood straight, no hint of the horror she had seen.

  ‘So,’ Elizabeth said with false brightness, ‘What are we going to do about this?’

  ‘I’m not sure there’s anything I can do. I’ll have more of an idea later this evening.’

  ‘Are you going to speak to any of the other families?’

  ‘No, I’ll let them come to me. As I said to Dennis, whoever did this wants to see outrage. It is a test to see how much I’ll tolerate.’

  ‘But if you do nothing, will that send the message that no one can stop them?’

  ‘Perhaps. This is a very thin line we’re all walking. But as you said last night, there is more to be gained from holding my ground. Being controlled and timely in my response.’

  ‘So what are you going to do?’

  ‘Right now, I’m open to suggestions.’

  ‘I say we go and burn them out.’ Dennis made no attempt to hide his disgust. ‘This has to stop at some point Monica, and you’re the best person to do it. We have to stop it before it gets out of hand.’

  ‘I don’t want to make the situation worse.’

  ‘I’m struggling to see how we could.’

  ‘Think about it Dennis. What if we go to the club tonight and everyone is sick? Then we’re screwed.’

  ‘We need to do something about that as well. We have to stop this disease spreading.’

  ‘I can’t make things go any faster than they already are.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Elizabeth from the sofa, ‘Harlan will come up with a test that will get you some leverage.’

  ‘We both know that’s unlikely.’

  ‘Hey, don’t give up hope just yet. Call him later.’ Elizabeth stood up. ‘I’m going to head back to my hotel and catch a few hours sleep. Then I’ll have a word with Garth and see if he has anything. We’ve got plenty of resources if we pool them together.’

  ‘I wish I had your optimism.’ Monica felt the weight of family responsibility. Elizabeth would never have that pressure.

  ‘Don’t forget what they’re trying to do. This isn’t only a physical battle they’re waging. They want to get inside your head. They want you to feel weak and helpless. It’s all part of the plan. You have to make sure no one outside this room sees your fear. In here, with me and Dennis, you can be whatever you want to be. But out there, where everyone is looking at you, you have to be the leader you are. Okay?’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Good. Thank you for dinner.’

  ‘Thank you for the pep talk.’

  ‘You don’t have to thank me. You just have to keep yourself alive.’

  33

  Garth felt his heart pound enough to shatter. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead every time he raised his hand to wipe it away. Was it from the drugs or knowing what he’d done? He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t like it one little bit.

  With a trembling hand he scribbled the date. If he ever needed to refer back to this page in the future it would be hard to read what he had written. The drugs had taken away his sense of self-control. This was the only way he could think of to get it back.

  He took another sip of coffee. It wouldn’t help slow his heart, but the routine felt better. A bit more like his usual self. There were still a few rays of daylight left and he wanted to get the words down before he went out.

  The tip had paid off, but at what cost? He’d heard talk on the streets for a few years about vampires moving into crack houses and taking over there. Insinuating themselves into the structure. Garth didn’t know if they were more resistant to the drugs or the addiction, or whether they just continued to function as they always had once the high wore off. The vampire he had met was actively partaking; he had never seen one with such dulled senses before. It didn’t reassure him.

  The more he thought about it, the more he could see the benefits of this from a vampire’s point of view. The women sprawled around the room had been entirely vulnerable. Too spaced out to feel what happened to them, then too desperate for their next fix to refuse anything. He’d discussed the power of thrall with Elizabeth. He’d not believed it to be that powerful, but she did. It wasn't guaranteed to work on everyone. If that was the case, then this removed some of the risk and uncertainty. The women and men in that house had already been under the thrall, no vampire required.

  With faint hand he described his trip to the bathroom, an excuse to escape after that first hit. He’d tried so hard to inhale nothing, but even a small quantity was enough to make his feet light on the stairs. The house covered three floors, each one with a room similar to the one he had just left. The lights were low. There was a tinge of vampire all over the place, heightened to his senses just as they were dulled to everyone else’s. Each room, it seemed, had one, sometimes two. In the room next to the bathroom, he could hear people having sex. Loudly. He’d had a rush of anger for all that he was missing out on by living this life he’d chosen. He’d banged o
n the wall with the side of his fist but no one cared.

  The thought filled him with shame now. He chose not to write that part down.

  The drug den wasn’t new and it wouldn’t be the only one. The fear of disease was spreading through the community and people were looking for answers. As always, they’d pointed first at those whose behaviour was less than pleasant to them. The poor, the criminal, the weak. Such talk had brought the dens out into the open and the information into the ears of Garth. How many more could there be out there behind closed doors? He shuddered to think.

  If only he’d had more confidence in himself for being there. He could have found out so much more from those who were conscious and willing to talk. It was a place of dark careless whispers and he could take advantage of that better than anyone. He wasn’t yet convinced it was where the outbreak had begun, but that didn’t matter. It was the place where the worst of the vampire population gathered and that would be useful information in the future.

  If this didn’t wipe them all out anyway, he thought, as he put down his pen and looked down at his pale and trembling hands.

  34

  Jet didn’t think she’d been followed. She wasn’t foolish enough to be certain, but she’d taken all the necessary precautions. She’d caught the PATH train down to Hoboken and caught another bus from there. When she agreed to the meeting it hadn’t crossed her mind that she’d never ventured that far out of New York before. A late night of researching the route in panic had followed, but she couldn’t reschedule.

  As she followed the instructions on her phone to a small family restaurant on the corner, she tried to look more like a local and less like a stranger bussed in for the day. It wasn’t easy. The ‘anything goes’ of the city that made her pink hair and dark skin blend as another face in the crowd didn’t work so well here. She felt self-conscious and exposed on the open street.

  Plus she had a courier bag full of blood pressed against her side and the feel of the ice blocks wasn’t exactly soothing.