by C. L. Quinn
“Good. Stay here. You will obey everything any member of my team tells you to do and answer any questions they ask.”
Nodding repeatedly, Raoul watched Jack walk around the corner, confused, and somewhere deep inside, scared and angry. He looked up at the two beautiful hunters who had arrived with Jack as a third beautiful darker-skinned woman entered the room.
“Who are you?” he found he was able to ask.
“Hi. Dani. I work with Jack. I scoped the landscape around this facility. It’s a nice area. You must be Raoul.”
Her soft gaze stayed on his eyes as she squatted to place her hands on his. “Don’t be afraid.”
“Okay.”
“Ugh. Compulsion. No, I mean, really, don’t be afraid. We are not here to hurt you, Raoul. In fact, we’re here to give you back the life you should always have had. You won’t remember this soon, but I want to tell you anyway. Vampires are not bad. They aren’t evil. This whole vampire hunting subculture is confused and just wrong. We’re here to fix it.”
“I don’t understand what is happening. Is…fuck, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…is Jack a vampire? He couldn’t have made me just sit here and do what you guys want if he wasn’t. Right?”
“I’m afraid so. And he hasn’t changed at all from the silly guy you used to hunt with. Not at his core. In his heart.”
Dani stood. “Relax. I’m going to check in with my girls and get this process rolling.”
As she walked away, Raoul realized he could turn his head, but he couldn’t get up, he couldn’t say anything, he couldn’t warn his team. The vampires had gotten him.
“San? Eva? Where are you?”
“In here, Dani. We’re setting up Eva’s equipment.”
“Hey, San. Are we starting with Raoul?”
“Since Jack’s already compelled him, yes, I think we will. I have all the details here. He has a casual girlfriend, so we’ll bring her in and weave her story in with his. Other than that, anyone he’s close with is in his crew.”
“Good. That’s one thing we can be thankful for. Hunters tend to hang with hunters, so it lessens the numbers of people we have to manipulate. It’s fine, I get it, but I still feel guilty. Raoul just looked at me like I was a monster.”
“Right now, to him, you are. Okay, Dani, you want to take him? Here’s the script.”
“Sure.”
Dani read the script through three times from beginning to end so that when she began the compulsion, she would deliver it correctly in a smooth fashion that would take at once. On the rare occasions when one of their targets fought them, some of the implanted changes wouldn’t imbed and she would have to build a workaround. Her eyes on Raoul’s big frame, she felt certain that he would be one of those exceptions.
Sitting on a chair opposite him, she caught his eyes to deepen their connection. While it was Jack’s vampire ability to use compulsion to change Raoul’s memories and experiences, Dani’s earth magics created a powerful one-on-one bond between herself and Raoul.
“Raoul, close your eyes and listen to everything I tell you.”
Once he did exactly as commanded, Raoul’s breathing slowed and his body dropped against the chair, relaxed, receiving Dani’s words.
“You own a business…”
As usual, Dani weaved Raoul’s new life, building memories and details that would fit closely with his lifelong experiences and skills. She would carefully mesh his relationships with those he had been close to within the hunting groups, as they would do with the other members soon. They would build an intricate web so that his new life wouldn’t present too many flags or oddities that didn’t make sense to him.
At the end, as first blood, with power to seal those new memories in permanence, Saul would complete the compulsion by addressing anything that they might have missed to allow Raoul to adjust to those unrealized changes.
Forty minutes into Dani’s compulsion, Jack came back into the room, sliding up on a desktop to wait patiently for her to complete the job. While she carefully continued, he watched Raoul.
This was one of the hardest things he would ever do in his life. He and Raoul had a rich history, a lot of incredible moments of adventure and friendship. Tonight, they would have to destroy most of those memories to rebuild his experiences to fit the new life design. There was a potent tragedy here, in stealing his past, in altering his worldview, in remaking his reality. Even though he would be fine, he would be happy, and it was necessary, Jack found the process distasteful. Less so when he didn’t know the person, he didn’t know what they were taking away from them, but still an ugly, indefensible thing to do to someone.
Finally, Dani pushed out of her chair. “I’m finished with my part. It’s up to Saul, and then we’ll put him in the lift-car and take him home.”
“Okay. I’ve secured the others. Hopefully we can try to get at least three more finished tonight.”
“That’s a lot, Jack.” Sanquinetta had entered the room behind him, her arms folded, her stance aggressive.
Jack turned to her. “With Saul, you, and Dani, the four of us should be able to pull this off if we focus.”
“It rarely goes this smoothly. We know a great deal more about Raoul than we do about his crew. I’m sending Saul to the home of one of the men I don’t have enough details on. That could take half the remaining night.”
“Okay, I hear you. Well, let’s do what we can. I’ll have Saul wrap up Raoul, then take him home while you and Dani begin the next two.”
Shaking her head, Sanquinetta walked toward the rear of the building. “We’ll try, Jack. Get started.”
He looked at Dani, who lounged in her seat, watching him, her eyes amused. He could see she agreed with Sanquinetta. “Hush. San is so protective of her missions.”
“Someone has to be fully engaged in these people’s lives. It’s how we do right by them. Right?”
“Completely. Okay, lady, I’ll let Saul know he’s up.”
They finished two of Raoul’s crew in addition to sending Raoul home with his newly reorganized life. When he first began the compulsion a few hours ago, Jack had known Raoul was pissed. Once Dani had changed Raoul’s long held core beliefs, he’d noticed how she lingered. Her earth-born abilities and natural inclination of emotional attachment showed in everything she did. God, Jack prayed that this team hadn’t brought anything dangerous into their lives.
“That’s it for tonight. We’re all hungry and tired, so it’s time to hit the bar Stetson Saturdays on our way home. I guess the locals just call it Saturdays. We’ll all get some grub and alcohol, then drop into what I can only call glorified cots until we get up to do this all over again tomorrow.”
“Whew. Please. I feel like the words creature comforts don’t apply to anything around me at the moment,” Eva commented before she closed down her computer tablets.
“Has anyone heard from Kwano?”
“Not yet. He’ll check in when he has something to say. All done here for tonight?” Sanquinetta answered Dani’s concern as she looked around the rooms along with Jack, Evaleigh, and Dani. “Beat ya’ll out the door.”
It didn’t happen, and she knew it wouldn’t with two vampires in their group.
As they approached the lift-car, Saul barked, “Fuck!”
He had everyone’s attention immediately.
“I need to go back to Tish’s house. He has a neighbor I meant to check in on who may know his secrets. I was so focused on his extended family, I didn’t follow up on that.”
“Go do it. Jack, go with him since this is his first time doing redirects on his own. Not being disrespectful Saul, but Jack will make sure you don’t miss anything else. When you two are finished, join us at Saturdays. We’ll be half-baked by the time you get there if we’re lucky.”
As if she pulled them behind her on a chain, Sanquinetta led Dani and Evaleigh from the odd building and mounted the shiny new lift-car that she’d come to love. It was sporty, high-end, and sexy, thank you Xavier
, and she loved every second behind the wheel. Even if the state-of-the-art vehicle pretty much drove and flew itself, taking the wheel to guide it after switching to manual made her smile more than a lot of things these days.
The trip took only twenty minutes, landing silently outside the busy nightclub she’d scoped out when they arrived here last night. It had been highlighted on her tablet, and looked like it would live up to her expectation of a happening local club.
“Ladies, start your engines.” Sanquinetta passed through the door of Stetson Saturdays to thumping music, a wonderful variety of people, and heavenly aromas of cooking meat.
“Over here.”
Dani spied a table just vacated and swooped in to claim it. They’d have to round up two more chairs when the guys arrived, but that wouldn’t be a problem with vampires.
“Gods, Dani, grab a menu. Saliva is going to start dripping off my chin if someone doesn’t feed me soon.”
“Oh, hell, San, what an image! This place actually has digitals. I see one on that table.”
“Hallelujah.” Pulling her chair closer, Sanquinetta pushed one button after another as Evaleigh laughed.
“Well that might take a while.”
Digital menus placed the orders directly to the kitchen, so with their desired food already on its way, the three women relaxed and let themselves enjoy the company of other patrons. The room was filled to capacity, a small dance floor tight with dancers rocking out to a tune that would be defined, appropriately, as rockabilly. Dani loved the ambience which reminded her of home.
“Ummm. This takes me back to the old days when my brother and I grew up outside of New Orleans. I can’t believe that’s been over a century now.”
Evaleigh’s head spun back to face her. “A century? What? How? Dani, you’re human, aren’t you?”
“I am, but my earth magics protect me. Keep me from aging normally. I don’t think I’m immortal like vampires, but apparently, I am very long lived.”
“Wow. You know, when San hired me to do the hunter’s IT, I had no clue how fascinating this entire supernatural world would be. At the time, I found it suspicious and frightening. Thank God I met you, San, or I would have never agreed to the job, and would have missed meeting you guys, and discovering this incredible secret.”
“You fit at once, love. From the moment you walked in, all attitude and defiance, I knew we were going to blend into a perfect team. Then Dani, when you came along, I felt like between the three of us, we were complete.”
Dani nodded and reached for her drink. “Let’s raise a glass to the universe for bringing us together.”
“To the universe,” they called out, their voices lost in the swelling music as the frenetic beat slowed, and although it still had a country feel, the melody was romantic and inspired several couples to dance pressed tight together.
“Aw. I’ve never done that.”
“Wait. What? Eva, you’ve never slow danced?”
“Uh-uh. Never found a guy I wanted to make faux sex with on a dance floor.”
“You’ve missed out, my dear. It’s a wonderful beginning to the mating dance. The moment you first discover if you might have a spark with a stranger. I recommend it. You should find some sexy cowboy and wrap yourself against his warm bod.”
“Ugh. Maybe. Let me get another few drinks in me first.” After downing half her glass, Evaleigh smiled. “I’ve considered Saul, on more than one occasion, but it isn’t a good idea to fuck someone you work with, right? Besides, he’s a vampire and I don’t know if I want to go there. They still spook me a little.”
Saul? Evaleigh? Dani was surprised. Glancing back to the dance floor, she cleared her throat. “Saul, huh?”
“Yeah. I know. Brooding, muscles knotted up the ass. I suspect. There’s something broken in him that makes a gal want to plunder his depths.”
Evaleigh snorted as she started to laugh. “Oh, hell! Plunder his depths? Someone better take this bottle away from me.”
Plunder his depths. Dani felt a tug between her legs as the memory of her dream…Saul there, ready to plunder hers. Just when she had forgotten he was with them, Eva brought his image back, and there she was, aroused again.
She ordered another two glasses of Scotch.
Fifteen minutes from Saturdays in a roadside hotel
“Why do we have to stay here?” Monsta had a tendency to whine, which bothered the hell out of Quattro.
“Because I believe she can read a vampire’s life signal. Felix and I can block ours, but she would read you two as vampire and I don’t want her on alert. Get something to eat and take it easy. I just need to get a closer look at her. All of them.”
Quattro’s eyes glowed the way they did when he was angry or excited. Monsta thought it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen, and wished like fuck he could do it.
Pacing now, Quattro sighed. “I can barely contain myself. From the distance we’ve always maintained, she fascinates me, ignites me. Her magic calls to me. With proximity, I hope I can keep my composure.”
“You want to fuck her,” Peele barked, as pissed as Monsta that they had been ordered to stay behind.
Quattro was on him instantly, hard fingers biting into his neck. “It isn’t nearly so simple as a fuck, my friend. This is a dance of magic, born in the bowels of the earth. I will learn more when I am close to her.”
Eyelids tight, Quattro lifted his hand as if his unseeing eyes beheld the human woman who obsessed him.
“When I touch her.”
Even Monsta and Peele felt the waves of erotic energy flowing off Quattro. They knew that Felix and Quattro had been born vampire; had never been human like Monsta and Peele. First blood’s power was beyond anything they’d ever known.
“You think she’s that special? She’s just human, Quattro.”
“Peele, buddy. We are all human. We all possess powers within us, even those who do not have vampire blood flowing through our veins. This girl, though, has been reaching for me since I first saw her. She doesn’t know it, but I believe it is our destiny to fight. And to love.”
Reaching for a leather vest, Quattro pulled it over pumped arms and buttoned it, taking his time.
“So now I go to meet my fate. Felix, attend.”
Watching his friends discussion quietly from the corner of this dirty shithole they currently occupied, Felix stood and stretched. Off to begin a true battle. This would ultimately be a war between first bloods, perhaps the first time it had ever happened. He was stoked, thrilled, worried, ready to kill.
At Saturdays
“Yep, it’s official, I’ll eat anything.”
“You’ve been eating meat replacements since I’ve known you, Dani. I generally like to as well, but here, it’s real beef, and it’s staggeringly good.”
“Obviously I agree. Eva, these burgers are addicting. I’m going to have to eat another one.”
“Go for it, girl. You can return to your clean food when we get home. Damn, I love these small American towns. The locals are friendly, it’s not crowded like the tower cities, and we do meet some interesting folks.”
“I’ll say.” San laughed and buried her amusement by putting a bottle of beer to her lips as she watched a group of two men and three women gyrating out of control to the pulsating beat of an instrumental gone wild.
Dani nudged her hand with her own bottle.
“I love it! Reminds me of the wonderful people in a little bar we used to haunt back home.”
She paused, her eyes glossy. “I miss those simple days sometimes.”
“But you and your brother knew you were different even then, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. We both could read people. And Dylan is much bigger than me, yet I could pin him in seconds. I’ve always been unnaturally strong. Just not strong enough to beat that nest of vamps the other night when I believed you guys had been taken too.”
“I’m so thankful Saul came back when he did.”
“So am I.” Dani’s memory r
eturned to Saul that day, standing in front of her, his fingers against her bare chest, and, un-permissioned, her mind drove her to imagine how she could repay him. Ugh. She needed to stop this; get her mind off Saul.
“So, Eva, look around. Which guy appeals to you? We are going to get you on that dance floor.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I do.”
“You first.”
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“Really. Let’s see.” Dani scanned the men wandering around, but no one caught her interest. She was going to choose someone, though, and get out on that floor so she could get Eva out. And it was the perfect distraction for her.
She continued to peruse the occupants of the room when her eyes stopped at a table across the dance floor from theirs. Two men sat at the table, one side filled with bottles, the other clear. Both men were large, vampire large, but they weren’t vampires. She would know.
Her gaze locked on the biggest man, drawn to him at once, and stayed on him. It startled her to realize he was locked in on her too, but neither dropped their eyes.
Evaleigh watched the strange connection, her eyes wandering to where Dani stared across the floor.
“Oh, wow. If that isn’t the very definition of male hotness. He looks like he could chew glass and enjoy it. Dani, is he vampire?”
“No.”
Eva was right. The man exuded raw sexuality and textbook masculinity. Tuned in to him now, Dani let her talent travel across the floor, reaching for him, and received back overt sexual interest. In her? His eyes hadn’t left hers since she noticed him. She sensed he was assessing her as she was him. Okay then…
Every aspect of him looked to be torn from the pages of ancient history. Long dark hair pulled back into a single braid surrounded the classic definition of handsome, square jaw, deeply tanned skin, rugged, sexy. His tan leather vest showed heavily muscled arms he was obviously proud of; he wore no shirt. Intricately patterned tattoos wrapped both forearms and continued over hard biceps to disappear beneath the vest at the top of his shoulders. The artwork was accomplished, beautiful, and begged for explanation.
