“It was a self-fulfilling prophecy,” I said, finding it hard to believe what Frederick was saying about Matthew and his role in everything.
“It was my prophecy,” Frederick said, a confident grin growing across his face. “But now I’ve come to realize the next step in the journey. Matthew was the catalyst, but he was never meant to show me the portal.” When he paused, his eyes locked with mine. “It was always meant to be you.”
11
Fiona
“Me?” I asked, incredulously. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m very serious,” Frederick said, his gaze still fixated and penetrating through me. “It’s so very clear now. Not that this is as new an idea as you probably believe. It’s been nearly a decade in the making.”
“I was just a kid. I knew nothing about the True North Society. How could you have—”
“I knew, dear,” Mom said, finally breaking her silence. “I didn’t have a lot of details back then and didn’t know what the True North Society was, but I knew your father was somehow involved. Frederick knew what they were and provided the context.”
My head was spinning from all this new information that so many gears had been turning without my knowledge—and for years. “Wait a second… Is that why you had an affair with Mallory’s dad?”
“Who?” Frederick asked, confused, but seemingly amused.
“Douglas Fiennes,” she said. “The other local member we located.”
“Oh, yes. Him,” Frederick laughed. “That didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. You got a little too close.”
“I suppose Mallory said something to you,” Mom said, placing a gentle hand on my leg.
“Who knew her hatred toward me actually had a reasonable explanation,” I said, bitterly.
“I’m sorry,” Mom said. “I should have told you about it earlier. It wasn’t like it had to have any connection to all of this. It could have been a simple work-related affair.”
“It’s turning out that nothing about you is simple,” I said, shaking her hand away.
“It’s fate, Fiona,” Frederick said, bringing my attention back to him. “All the pieces have fallen right where they’re supposed to land, and it’s you who has been sent to show me the portal.”
“I—I can’t do that,” I cried. “I can’t betray everyone I’ve recently committed my life and loyalty to. I can’t betray Matthew like that.”
“Ever since Matthew described the space station and its sublime view of Earth, I knew I had to see it for myself. That alone would prove everything he’s said is true. And you’re going to take me there. And if it’s done right, then no one has to get hurt. No one even has to know. In and out, that’s all; then I’ll never ask you for another thing for as long as you live. You’ll still have my protection, but you’ll never have to see me again if you so wish.”
It was all too much. I did like the idea of never having to see him again—never having to step foot inside this place again—but what he was asking me to do was treasonous.
“I wouldn’t even know how to get you into the compound,” I said. “It’s a fortress. I’m sure they have more security measures than even I know about. Then I don’t even know how to get inside the room with the portal. It can only be accessed by some executive code. I know the Assembly has the code, but I don’t know who else does. And they’ll sense you coming. Vampires are a rarity on the compound. I’m new there… there’s so much I don’t know.”
“I’m not concerned with the details yet,” Frederick said. “We have time to gather intel and put together a plan of action. As much as I want to see the station, I’d prefer it if this were not the last thing I did. And if this is something that was always meant to be, then we’ll obviously find a way.” He paused, judging my expression. “Do I have your commitment? Can your mother and I count on you?”
I glanced at Mom, whose face was unreadable. “I know you’ll do the right thing,” she finally said, and all I could think was the right thing would be to say no. But I was positive that wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“I—I don’t know…” was all I could manage. As much as I didn’t want to do what he was asking, I also realized he wouldn’t just take no for an answer. He’d put Matthew in Sisters of Mercy when he was still human to torture him. I feared he was capable of doing equally terrible things to me, and I didn’t know what Mom would be able to do to stop him—or if she’d even try. He wasn’t really asking. I wasn’t really being given a choice. He hadn’t offered an ultimatum, but an unspoken one lingered in the air.
“I don’t want to do this,” I said. “But what choice do I have? Do I actually have a choice?”
“You always have a choice,” Frederick said, his smile as bright as ever. He rocked back, extended his legs, and placed his feet on the floor to either side of mine. “You just have to live with the choices you make.”
“I don’t know how I can live with myself if I do this. I love Matthew. He loves me. I’d be betraying that love—that trust.”
“That’s beautiful,” Frederick said, then turned his attention to Mom. “Did you know they’re in love?”
“I didn’t,” she said but didn’t sound disappointed.
Frederick turned back to me. “Sometimes, you have to do things you don’t want to do for the ones you love. Compromise is not always a bad thing. It can often save relationships—and lives.”
I gazed into Mom’s eyes, pleading with the woman who’d raised me—if she was still in there somewhere. “Please don’t make me do this.”
“It’s an important step for moving forward,” she said without an ounce of compassion. “If we had another option, then we wouldn’t be asking this of you. Unfortunately, you’re the key. I know it’s not fair to say that I’ve already guaranteed your cooperation, but that’s the reality of where we are today.”
“You can’t do that—you don’t have the power to do that,” I said, feeling my world crumbling around me. I felt tears pricking the corners of my eyes.
“It’s guaranteed your safety up until this point,” she said.
“I don’t need your protection,” I said, making sure to address them both.
“You’re still under the misconception that Matthew can protect you,” Frederick said. “I’ve allowed him to live because of my search for the portal. Do you think he hasn’t tried to kill me? He has, on numerous occasions—at which time I showed him how futile his attempts were. I punish him, but still allow him to live. Once I see the view for myself, I won’t need him anymore. He becomes disposable at that point. You both can have your happily ever after once I’ve seen the future—I can remove myself from your lives for good. But for that, I require your cooperation now.”
“An offer I can’t refuse…” I said.
“Precisely,” he said, his devious grin growing wider.
“And you promise not to hurt anyone,” I clarified.
“I promise not to hurt anyone I don’t have to.”
“But you can’t hurt Matthew, no matter what.”
“We’ll plan for it when he’s not around—take him completely out of the equation,” Frederick said.
“Can I go now?” I asked, not wanting to hear any more about it that night. I wanted to think how I could make it work without getting myself into a heap of trouble and ruining my relationship with Matthew. But then again, maybe he’d understand if he knew the position I was being forced into—that I had no choice.
“So, is that a yes?” Frederick reached forward and placed both hands on my knees, giving them a slight squeeze.
I couldn’t voice an answer, so nodded instead.
“That’s my girl,” he exclaimed, slapping my thighs as he got to his feet.
Mom gave me an endearing look as if I’d just made her proud. It only made me feel sicker, my stomach now twisting into tight knots. I couldn’t stand the sight of her any longer and headed straight for the door.
“We’ll be talking soon,” Frederick called fro
m behind me, but I couldn’t look at him either. More than anything, I needed to get out of here, needed fresh air to be able to breathe again. As I rushed down the basement hallway, I soon realized I had no idea where I was going, having gotten myself completely turned around.
“This way,” Mom said, catching up to walk alongside me. “The stairs are this way.”
I let her take the lead so she wouldn’t be tempted to talk to me, her long black skirt swishing out behind her. She took the hint. She walked with purpose through the various rooms that were filling up with more people by the second. Mom greeted a few people as she passed but didn’t stop.
Now, I stayed close, not wanting to get separated or left behind. Once I recognized the room we were in and could see the way to the exit, I pulled ahead of her, making a beeline for salvation.
But as focused as I was on the exit, something—or someone—caught my eye. Standing by the bar—several people back and fighting for a position to get the bartender’s attention—were two guys who had absolutely no business being there. They were Harrison and Sean.
Sean glanced nervously around the room and our eyes met.
12
Sean
“So, where’s Amaya?” I asked Harrison as we stood in the long line to get into the club.
I couldn’t believe where we were. The neighborhood looked like a good place to get shot and have your body thrown into the L.A. River—not that there was much water in it lately. Then there were the two women standing on the sidewalk amidst a full street of homeless people—women who looked way too vulnerable to be standing out there in their short dresses and high heels without bodyguards. They didn’t look like trashy hookers either, but classy and exotic. The one who’d leaned into Harrison’s open window to check our keycard and IDs flashed us an impressive amount of cleavage. When she eyed me with a confident grin, I had to look away.
After she allowed us past the fence, Harrison punched me in the arm. “See? What did I tell you?”
“What is this place?” I asked, which didn’t become any clearer as we stood in line waiting to be frisked.
“She’ll be here,” Harrison said; he was on his phone, probably trying to text her. From his frustrated facial expression, it was obvious she wasn’t answering. “Whatever,” he said, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. “Judging by the girls out front and the ones I’ve already seen in line, we’re in good company. Plenty of fish in the sea.”
“Whatever happens, happens,” I said.
“Totally!”
However, our carefree attitudes had waned slightly after the hour it had taken to even make it as far as the bouncers. And the bouncers seemed to somehow grow in number with each step closer. By the time they were looming before us, demanding our IDs at the secondary checkpoint, they looked absolutely monstrous.
Harrison went first, handing over his license and the entrance keycard. A behemoth of a man with long black hair roughly patted him down. When his hands found the outline of Harrison’s phone, the bouncer instructed him to remove the device from his pocket.
“Those aren’t allowed inside,” the bouncer said. “It will have to be checked.”
“Oh… I didn’t know,” Harrison said, innocently. “No problem.”
The bouncer tapped his earpiece. “Laurel, I’m sending Harrison Womack to you to check a cellphone.” Then he turned his attention back to Harrison. “Go inside and see Laurel at coat check.”
“He’s with me as well,” Harrison said, gesturing back to me.
“Good. I’ll hold him here until I get word from Laurel that your phone’s been turned in,” the bouncer said, then marked the backs of each of Harrison’s hands with a black X. “Go fast.”
“Yes, sir,” Harrison said, not sounding at all sarcastic. He raced inside, leaving me alone with the scary looking bouncers.
“I have a phone too,” I said right off the bat, fishing it out of my pocket and holding it up.
“Then you know the drill. Don’t make me go in and check on you,” the bouncer said, giving me a hard stare.
“I’ll go straight to Laurel,” I said. “That was her name, right?”
“ID,” he barked instead of confirming the girl’s name.
He scrutinized my license, then gave Laurel another call with my information before patting me down and branding my hands. I was sent inside with the confirmation that Harrison had followed directions.
Laurel the coat check girl was as exotic-looking as the ones we’d encountered on the street. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes that sparkled in the overhead lights. The outfit she wore was a tuxedo top with black tights and an old-fashioned top hat. She took my phone with a sweet smile and gave me a ticket in return.
Then we were directed back to the cashier, apparently to pay the cover charge; I’d have thought a guest pass meant free admission, but when I heard the price per head, I reeled.
“One hundred dollars,” the cute, but mousy cashier said to Harrison after he’d given her the keycard.
“Seriously? Fifty bucks per person?” he complained. “That’s the craziest cover charge I ever heard.”
“No. One hundred dollars per person,” she clarified.
“Holy shit. I don’t have that kind of money,” Harrison said, then turned to me. “I think they’re scamming us.”
“That’s the price if you wish to enter,” the cashier said.
“Not exactly what I was expecting to pay tonight,” I said.
“I refuse to pay that,” he said, then turned back to the cashier. “I’d like the card back.”
But the cashier shook her head. “You’ve already handed it over. It’s good for one visit.”
“But we haven’t even gotten inside yet,” Harrison said.
“The guest card is good for one visit.”
“And you treat all your guests this way?”
“We treat our guests very well,” she said, seductively. “But you have to pay the cover charge to find out.”
“Is there a problem here?” a man as large as the bouncers asked. He was dressed in all black and seemed to appear out of nowhere. He’d emerged from the shadows of an alcove in the tunnel-like hallway.
“These gentlemen are deciding whether or not they want to pay the toll,” the cashier said. “They don’t seem to understand the experience that awaits them in the room beyond.”
Harrison was looking from the security guard to where the pounding music was coming from, torn by his unwillingness to spend more than he thought was fair, opposed by a growing curiosity to learn what this place had to offer.
“I… umm… Your cover charge is outrageous,” Harrison finally said.
“Then leave,” the security guard said. “The door is right there.”
A well-dressed couple stepped up behind us, patiently waiting for the cashier. She flagged the couple over while Harrison and I were deciding what to do next. Interestingly enough, the man in a dark suit gladly paid the hundred-dollar charge, though it seemed the woman in the long wool coat went in free.
Moments later, the couple left the cashier, their arms linked, heading for coat check. The woman unbuttoned her coat, then her significant other slid it off her shoulders, revealing her lack of clothes underneath. All she wore was a loose mesh dress, completely see through. Her black panties and bare breasts were clearly on display, yet she seemed to think nothing of it. The man took a ticket from Laurel, then wrapped an arm around his date in the barely-there dress as he guided her into the club.
“Did you see that?” Harrison asked, his mouth still agape.
“You get what you pay for,” the cashier said, grabbing our attention back.
“You know what?” I said to Harrison. “This is our last hurrah and we’re going out with a bang. It’s crazy, but I don’t want to wonder what if.” I marched up to the cashier and handed her my credit card. “Charge it for two.”
“What? No, man. You don’t have to do that,” Harrison protested. “It’s crazy expensi
ve, but I can pay for myself. I don’t want to put you out like that.”
“I insist,” I said. “I only got in because of your card. You’ve paid for plenty of stuff over the years. I want to do this.”
He looked like he was going to argue more but then decided against it. “Thanks, man. I’ll owe you one.”
“You can buy me a drink,” I said, taking my credit card back and thanking the cute cashier. When I turned to Harrison, I noticed the security guard had disappeared back into his shadowy hole, ready to strike on the next unsuspecting patron.
“As many as you want,” he said, clapping me on the back as we made our way to the true entrance of the club he’d called Fangloria—a name I’d never seen posted anywhere.
When we entered the room beyond the entrance tunnel, it was clear we’d accessed some gothic Garden of Eden. I’d never seen so many beautiful people in one place—girls and guys—making me instantly self-conscious. Harrison and I were dressed rather casually compared to the majority of people in the room, as we simply wore designer jeans and collared short-sleeved shirts. The women’s attire ranged from form-fitting dresses to sheer lingerie, while the men’s went from tuxedos to leather pants and bare chests.
Mock torchlights hung on the rocky walls, blacklights stretching overhead to give the room a strange, unearthly glow. The music we’d heard earlier was coming from another room. More tunnels seemed to lead to more and more rooms like a system of interconnected caves.
As we wandered through the room, it became increasingly apparent we’d entered into something more than a regular club. Not only were couples and groups of sensual partners engaging in overtly sexual displays of affection, but some of them were involved in aggressive to questionably violent activities. It was hard to get a clear picture in the dim light, but if I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn I saw blood on some of the scantily-clothed participants.
Angeles Betrayal Page 7
