by Cas Martin
‘Stay alive. Don’t do anything crazy out there.’
‘I’ll do what I have to do to get the job done. Please, don’t do anything that could get either of you hurt. Give yourself a chance Monica. We’ll find a cure for this.’ He stood up as if to back away but then leant forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. It was the first sign of affection he had ever shown her.
She wished, for once, that he could put his arms around her and make it all okay. But this was not going to be that day. He was looking after her the best way he knew how. Once again that meant putting his own life on the line to do so.
He stood up straight and looked at Elverez. ‘Go. Get her back safely.’
‘You have my word.’
Monica watched Dennis slam the door shut and walk back into the club. She swallowed down the knowledge she might never see him again. She had always wondered if they would go down side by side in a blaze of glory. A dramatic ending was fitting. He might get that tonight, but she wouldn’t be by his side. She would wither away with a fizzle while he went out with a bang.
38
Dennis closed the door behind him and listened to the sound of Elverez driving away. He should have known. Monica had excused herself from the meeting and he had watched her leave. It was clear to everyone that there was uncertainty in her step. He should have followed, made sure she was okay. Instead, he had sat there, silent, unable to move until she came back. He hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself. It was more than William who did not think he had a place in that room. The other members of the council would find it just as wrong, even if they hadn’t William’s strength of character to challenge him outright on the matter.
He hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself, so he had let Monica go out alone.
When she came back, the scent of fresh blood on her skin, still he had remained silent. He took a deep breath. At least he had found the courage to speak up and stop her from embarking on a suicide mission. The others had let him speak, but if he made it through that night, he knew his lack of deference would come back to haunt him. Monica too, if she survived.
He couldn’t think about that now. She had always said they could trust Elverez, more than anyone else. Dennis hoped that was true. If not, he had sent her on her way to a different alternative that could be no better. It was too late to question, too late to turn back. Now he had a job to do, just as he had promised her he would.
The family might not hold him in high esteem, but he would still do his duty for them.
The only way back to the main entrance was through the council chambers. He was reluctant to go through them, but it was either that or hide out here. He tugged his suit jacket and straightened his tie. It was time to do this.
Only two people remained in the main council chamber. One, a small man with thinning white hair, had scribed the meeting notes. Dennis had watched him several times, the pen moving over paper with neat precision. The other man had been silent and unmoving. Dennis had no time for men like that, no matter what their status in the family. He was weak and ineffectual. Now he hadn’t even made it to the main room with the rest of the family to put on a show of strength. Not for the first time, Dennis remembered the conversations he and Monica used to have before her sudden and unpredicted rise to leadership. They’d questioned then how ridiculous it was that the family ran on such archaic lines, with those in the highest positions there simply because of their personal bloodlines. So little fluidity, despite their progressiveness in comparison to the other families they looked down upon. Monica had been the big change to it all. If she was gone, then what chance did the rest of them have?
Without acknowledgement, he continued on to the main room. There at the front, William at least had fulfilled his duty. In lieu of Monica herself, he stood before the group who had issued the challenge. In normal circumstances, they would show fear and deference being in the house of the Giordanos. Instead, their faces gave nothing away other than an excitement. They assumed victory was theirs even though they were outnumbered. As Dennis elbowed his way to the front of the crowd, he could see why.
His assembled family had more weak than strong. Even those in the early stages, the ones who felt strong enough to fight, had the stench of the decline on their skin. If he could smell it, then the challengers could too. Whatever promise their leader had made them, they would believe it when they could witness the change for themselves.
Dennis reached the front of the crowd. He had promised Monica he would do his best and that meant taking first blood if he had to. Instead, he caught the eye of the lead Sekhmet sent to challenge them. He was not the head of their family, but from his clothing and accessories, Dennis guessed he was the head of the council. William DuMont’s equal. ‘Do you really expect me to believe she is not here,’ he said and pointed to Dennis, ‘when her servant is?’
‘I’m not her servant,’ Dennis bristled.
‘Would you prefer puppy?’ Behind him, the rest of the Sekhmets chuckled.
‘I don’t care what you call me.’
‘It is good that you know your place. Really William, I’m surprised you allow such low blood to stand beside you at a time like this. If you allow him to stand ahead of your council, then the Giordano family must no longer be as powerful as we thought.’
‘It is not for me to permit who stands where.’ William ground the words out, but Dennis knew he agreed. The anger began to burn inside. He ran his tongue over his teeth. He wanted to get them out and use them on the man in front of him, even if to do so was suicide.
‘No, it is not for you to permit. It is for your leader. Despite what you have told me, I do not believe she left the building before we arrived. Nor do I believe where you say she has gone.’
‘If you don’t believe him,’ smiled Dennis, ‘then you should believe me. Everyone knows Monica Carletto is a busy lady. If you wanted to see her, then you should have booked an appointment.’ He reached into his jacket and pulled out a card. ‘As her PA, I’d be more than happy to arrange one for you. My number’s on there. Email if you prefer.’
‘Do you insult me?’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it. I just like to keep an orderly calendar. So you can give that to your leader and tell him the next time he wishes to issue a challenge, he should make sure he’s not doing it to an empty building. If Monica was here, she would accept. I have no doubt about that. But she isn’t. So you can either stand there and wait for someone who isn’t going to come, or we can get on with this.’
‘William?’ The lead Sekhmet turned and stared his counterpart in the eye. ‘Your family has grown complacent in its order. Do you let him speak to me this way? Or are we to find an agreement as to what should be done with him?’
‘There is nothing I can do. For whilst I agree his tone leaves a lot to be desired,’ William shot Dennis a stern glance, ‘what he says is correct. He is indeed Monica’s personal assistant and manages her diary. If he says she is not here, then he is the one who would know better than all of us her exact location.’
‘This will not end well for you.’
‘I can only suggest you leave our territory now. If you wish to reissue the challenge, then we shall inform Miss Carletto and she will be here tomorrow night to accept. Dennis, I trust you can add that appointment to her schedule.’
‘Of course.’ Dennis gave his best smile, despite the hollow words. If Monica was ill, then she would be unable to make tomorrow night either. They had no other options if they were to maintain the cover story in place. Twenty-four hours would be the only reprieve, but it was better than nothing.
The man nodded and turned to go.
Dennis didn’t miss the look of disgust he received in the process.
Nor the corresponding one from William DuMont as he turned on his heel and marched back to the comfort of the council chambers. Dennis would not be allowed entry again tonight.
If ever.
39
Elverez squeezed the accelerator
lever and the car pulled away. Fast enough to get them the hell out of there, slow enough not to draw the attention of any enemies on the lookout for them. Monica stared ahead as each thought ground through her head. She had left them. She had done the very thing a leader was never meant to do. It was not for Dennis to take her place or shoulder her burdens.
‘He’ll be fine,’ Elverez said as he pulled across lanes. He continued to check the mirrors for any sign they were being followed.
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘He’s got a sensible head on his shoulders. I can’t think of anyone better to be your right hand man.’
‘I’m not sure he thanks me for that. Here or at the day job.’
‘Oh, he does, no matter what he actually says out loud. His loyalty makes a refreshing change these days.’
‘Well, he won’t have to worry about the responsibility for much longer,’ Monica felt her throat close up. ‘I don’t know how I’ve got it, but I know that I have. Dennis said it was probably nothing, but we both know he didn’t mean it.’
‘Is your friend no closer to developing a cure?’
‘Unfortunately not. And honestly, unless he can get one to me by morning, it’s going to be too late.’
‘Maybe not.’
‘I admire your optimism Elverez, I really do. But I know the signs of the decline.’
‘It’s not optimism. The answer has been in front of you all along. You simply refuse to see it.’
‘If it’s that obvious then please enlighten me. I don’t have time for games.’
‘I thought that you had figured it out for yourself when you came back from London.’
‘When I came back? I told you and the council I had no information. Did you think I was lying?’
‘Cast your mind back. Back to before all this started. To the last time you thought you were going to die. Did you?’
‘No, but that was because…’
‘Because?’
‘Because of Elizabeth.’
‘Perhaps you are starting to see now?’
‘Are you saying she can cure me? Can cure this?’
‘I don’t have all the answers. The only thing I can do is point you in the right direction. I thought you would reach the logical conclusion yourself. But as you have noted, you are running out of time.’
‘Last time I needed blood. She allowed me to feed from her to save my life. But it was more than that wasn’t it?’
‘You noticed at the time the remarkable speed with which you healed.’
‘I don’t understand. Why did that happen?’
‘Now that is something I don’t have the answer to. Why it is was something that your predecessor and I never found out.’
‘What interest did you have in Elizabeth?’ What had they done to Elizabeth before the two of them had met? None of it made sense.
‘Goodness, this disease has impacted your cognitive abilities. Not Elizabeth. Her father.’
‘Her father?’
‘That, I believe, is a story for another day.’ He pulled up in front of her apartment building. Monica dug around in her bag and found the electric key fob that granted them access to the underground garage. The smooth plastic felt like a rock in her hand. As he pulled in the guard was already waiting at the elevator shaft, as Dennis had promised he would be.
‘Thank you Elverez.’
‘It was an honour to be at your service, as always. Think about what I said. I won’t be around for a few days. I intend to keep driving.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘I have a smaller house. Further upstate. Near the border. I can hide there and enjoy a few days of relative safety. And if I get sick, well, I have lived a good life.’
‘I pray to god you don’t.’
‘Praying won’t do either of us any good my dear. Find the cure. Now, go inside, before you get any worse. I believe you have a phone call to make.’
Monica climbed from the car on wobbly legs. The heat of the night hit her like a soft fist, and she held on to the door for a second to regain her balance.
She tried to walk in a straight line, but the edges of her vision wavered again. As she reached the elevator, the guard reached out and took her arm.
‘Miss Carletto?’
‘I’m fine.’ She knew what he was asking, and she would neither confirm nor deny. ‘I need to get to my apartment.’
‘Right this way.’ He held open the elevator doors and she stepped inside. She leaned back and felt the relief of cold steel on her hot skin. Within seconds, she began to shiver.
Monica braced herself for the sudden jolt when the elevator hit the top. It didn’t knock her to her knees, but a wave of nausea washed over her. When it opened and she saw the door to her apartment, she almost wept with relief.
‘Do you need me to come inside with you?’ the guard asked.
‘No. Thank you.’ She didn’t want to be alone but she didn’t want him to see her like this either. ‘I may get a visitor in the next hour or so though. If she does come, please let her straight in.’
‘Yes ma’am.’
‘Thank you.’ Monica walked in and closed the door behind her. The distance to the couch seemed impossible, but she put one foot in front of the other until she could collapse into it.
Elverez had been right, the disease was scrambling her brain. Her thoughts were wrapped in a thick woolly cloud. Yet there was another reason why she hadn’t wanted to process what he was saying. The implications meant broken promises and destroyed trust. Elverez had believed Monica had brought Elizabeth back to be the cure. Monica knew it was the exact opposite that had convinced her to come back at all. Monica had given her word never to do again the very thing that Elverez believed would save her life.
She was stuck, and she knew it.
She pulled out her phone and stared at the blank screen. It would be easy to dial. Elizabeth might even come over. Fear of dying didn’t remove the guilt she felt. Besides, they had so little information about how the virus worked. Even if Elizabeth agreed to her insane request, what if she too became infected in the process? Elverez had been quite convinced that it would work, but he hadn’t provided any hard evidence why. It was a lot to take at face value, but he had never let her down before. He had seen more than anyone in her family over his many years. He looked out for her. That had to be worth something.
The kitchen seemed so far away, but she still had an emergency bag in the freezer. She should try that before she called Elizabeth. It wouldn’t heal her, but it would give her more time to make a decision. That was all she needed. Another couple of hours to decide if what Elverez suggested was right. It wasn’t just herself she had to think about. It was the entire family.
She stood up and tried to walk to the kitchen. She held tight to her phone, scared her hands would lose their grip. Other than Elizabeth, it was Dennis she wanted to call. To hear his voice and know that he was still alive. The thought sent another wave of sickness through her and this time her legs didn’t stand up to the challenge. They buckled and she hit the floor, some sense of self preservation curling her body to protect her phone.
As she lay on the floor panting, she saw there was no other choice. If she couldn’t ask Elizabeth to help then she still didn’t want to die alone. If she couldn’t have Dennis with her, then Elizabeth was the next best thing.
She hit the call button and used her remaining strength to put the phone to her ear.
‘Hello?’ Elizabeth’s voice was groggy and confused.
‘It’s me.’
‘Monica, are you okay?’ The sleepiness evaporated, replaced with alert tension. It hurt Monica to think of it.
‘No. Not really. I’ve caught it. I don’t know how, but…’
‘Where are you?’
‘My apartment. We were attacked tonight. I don’t have Dennis…’
‘I’ll be there as soon as I can.’
‘Thank you. I…’ The wavy lines at the edge of Monica’s vision m
oved in and everything faded to black.
Her last thought was what a relief it was to feel oblivion.
40
‘Monica? Monica? Don’t just stand there, give me a hand getting her onto the couch.’ Elizabeth knew she shouldn’t be so demanding with six foot plus of solid vampire muscle, but he sprang to attention and followed her into the room. He lifted Monica up and placed her on the couch with the tenderness and reverence of someone carrying their leader in his arms. Monica’s eyes fluttered and Elizabeth’s heart leapt in her chest.
For a moment she had believed she was too late.
She had thrown on the clothes that were hanging over the back of her chair, grabbed her bag and headed out into the night. She hadn’t taken the time to see if the clothes were clean. She suspected that they weren’t. None of that mattered. What mattered was getting Monica conscious again.
‘Monica, I need you to try and stay with us okay? I’m going to get you something to drink.’
She ran through to the kitchen, conscious of the guard watching her. It was the first time that she had met him and he would be shocked to see some human so at home in his leader’s apartment.
She pulled open the freezer door and stood on her tiptoes to dig around at the back of the top shelf. Tucked behind several pizza boxes she found what she was looking for. She grabbed the bag and turned to see a brand new microwave. Great. Another one to figure out.
At the gentle hum of it kicking to life, she allowed herself a moment to calm down. More haste, less speed.
She found a mug and waited patiently for the timer to count down. As she opened the door, she turned away and suppressed her gag reflex. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. She swore after the last time she would never play around with blood like this again. She reached in and felt the bag. Still not warm enough. Not even by her standards. She shut the door again, happy to get the sight of it gone and set the timer for another minute.
It was the longest sixty seconds of her life. On the other side of the room Monica’s eyes kept fluttering shut. She still didn’t speak and that was okay with Elizabeth. If Monica had something to say, she wanted her to wait until the two of them were alone. The hired goon didn’t need to hear.
