Red Sunset Drive, page 29
She hurried to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Refreshed, she ran a brush through her long curls and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. She quickly threw off her dirty clothes and tossed them into the corner. She wiggled into a pair of black jeans and yanked a black turtleneck shirt over her head.
When she entered the kitchen, Anders and Candy were staring quietly into their cups of steamy coffee. Anders attempted a smile. Candy refused to meet her gaze.
Her eyes widened as she looked around the kitchen. It looked like an ammo store. She dropped the papers on the table. “Let me grab some coffee, and we can start. Anyone want any lunch?”
Candy cast a surly look her way.
“How can you think of eating?” Anders grunted.
Embarrassed, she set the food on the table. “Sorry, but I need to eat. Eat or don’t eat.”
No one touched the food. They silently sat, barely looking at one another.
Unable to delay the inevitable any longer, she asked, “Well, I was able to put together some information on how to kill vampires. I think we should be as knowledgeable as possible.”
Anders nodded and picked up the paper. Candy shoved the paper before her on the floor. “We should be doing something instead of reviewing information,” Candy snapped.
Taking a deep breath, Lisa clutched the papers in her hands. “We are doing something—trying to keep them from getting killed.”
Anders folded his hands together on the table and leaned forward. “Knock it off. We’re all stressed.”
Lisa bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. She had to keep it together.
Anders cleared his throat before speaking. “I spoke to Foster and asked him to bring in a couple of sharpshooters. We will need to surprise them before dusk and take them out one by one.”
Lisa was surprised when Candy shook her head.
“I don’t think that will work. Vampires move very quickly. I’m afraid that they will kill Dragos and Brett before the sharpshooters can kill them.”
Anders’s eyes narrowed. “What’s your plan?”
With eyes downcast, Candy shook her head. “I don’t have one.”
A whiff of a breeze stirred the air in the room. Suddenly Michael joined them at the table.
“Am I in time?” he asked.
Lisa’s hand flew to her chest. “Crap, Michael.”
“What?”
She noticed him looking at the papers on the table.
He suddenly burst out laughing. “You didn’t?”
Lisa glared at him. “I happen to find information useful.”
Michael’s eyes glittered with what appeared to be amusement.
“Oh, I’m sure you do. Is the report titled ‘101 Ways to Kill Vampires’ or something goofy like that?”
“Okay! That’s enough,” Anders barked as he slammed his fist on the table.
Michael’s smile faded as he tossed his fedora onto the nearby counter.
Lisa cleared her throat before beginning. The steely gaze in Anders’s eyes could unnerve a statue.
“As you know, there is a lot of stuff on the Internet about vampires. Most of it is pure fiction.”
“Like what?” Candy asked.
“Wearing garlic around your neck. It’s an old wives’ tale. I’ve listed things that aren’t true based on what we know about Dragos—things like wearing or flashing crucifixes. According to Dragos, he is able to stay awake longer during the daytime with each passing month. Although he needs blood to exist, he doesn’t need to kill to get it—not like Victor and his goons.”
“So now that we know what doesn’t work, what does kill them?” Anders demanded.
“A wooden stake through the heart seems to be the best solution. Holy water is supposed to slow them down.”
Michael grinned, causing her anger to spiral once again.
“Focus, Michael,” Lisa ordered.
“Is he always so distracting?” Candy asked.
Michael glared at all of them. “Quit talking about me as if I’m not here.”
Lisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Now, as I was saying …”
“Hey!” Michael shouted. “I have something else to say.”
Anders’s gruff voice filled the room. “And we’re all dying to know what it is.”
Michael puffed out his chest and grabbed his hat. “I can move as fast as a vampire. After all, a ghost does have some special abilities.”
“What about using some of the heavenly powers that ghosts are supposed to have?” Anders’s gaze looked hopeful.
Michael looked downward. He seemed unsure of himself. There was a first time for everything, it seemed.
“We haven’t heard you talk about the ‘big guy’ much lately. Is there a problem?” Anders asked.
“No, it’s just that things are different since the case on York Street. I’m kind of on my own.”
Anders shook his head. “Well that sucks. This presents a whole new ball game, doesn’t it?”
Michael stood. “I’ll go get the stakes. How about I dip them in holy water?”
“Can’t hurt. Be back within the hour. We have to be at Victor’s before sundown.” Anders rose to his feet.
“With their acute vision, we’re dead if we get there late,” Candy added.
Lisa glanced at her friends. She fought back the despair that clawed its way from her soul. She rushed to the kitchen sink and leaned over, her stomach heaving.
Candy wrapped an arm about her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Finally, Lisa nodded. In a quiet voice, she uttered, “I just hope we’re not too late.”
Anders patted her shoulder before pulling out his cell. “We’re leaving just as soon as my men are here. Right now I’m going to try to get a little shut-eye.”
Candy stared at the ammo supply scattered about the kitchen. “I’ll start loading up. With all this, we can slow them up until we can stake them.”
Once the kitchen was emptied, Lisa sat alone with her thoughts. It was three hours until the biggest challenge of her life. She prayed that they got there in time. She refused to think about what Brett and Dragos might be going through. It was paralyzing, and she wasn’t going there.
She had decided that once Brett was safe, she was going to win him back. She had hope now—something that hadn’t existed a few weeks ago. She had so many regrets. Why had she left Des Moines? More importantly, why had she left Brett? She had almost ruined her chance for happiness. Well, it was time to put her life in order once and for all.
54
Victor stared at the papers on his desk. Everything was ready. He was opening a house in Chicago. He even had a new driver’s license. He would start over and build a stronger army. With Allen telling the world that vampires existed here, there would too many questions and suspicions if they stayed in Des Moines.
A knock sounded at the door. Without raising his glance, he called, “Enter.”
Alto stood before his desk, his eyes downcast.
“Master, we have done as you have asked. The men are ready.”
Tossing the pen aside, he clasped his hands together. “Very good. You all have your orders. Do not fail me as you did yesterday.”
With a slight bow, Alto backed out of the room. Alone again, Victor rubbed his temple. He was furious that the old policeman had escaped from beneath their noses. How had it happened? Nothing like this had ever occurred before.
He had been intrigued to see the shadow of a man watching the house yesterday. The man didn’t appear to be human, but what was he? Was he helping the humans? Had this shadow man helped the old man escape? Whatever he was, the figure was not another master vampire.
Perplexed, yet filled with anticipation, he laughed out loud. How he looked forward to killing those that dared to breach his sanctuary. There would be no mercy—none!
He didn’t want to deal with vampire hunters again. In the nineteenth century, he was lucky to escape with only his life. The constant moving was a way to keep his identity a secret.
He poured a drink from a crystal decanter. Victor tipped the glass, thick red liquid coated his narrow lips. His tongue darted out, licking the savory substance. Not a drop was wasted. His thoughts turned to Dragos. He welcomed the battle with his onetime friend. Dragos would soon agree with his way of thinking. He had to. No one ever denied him. It wasn’t possible to resist the call of a master vampire—a vampire of his stature and experience.
However, he had been surprised when Dragos’s power filtered in and read his mind. That had shaken Victor to the core. No other vampire had the power to do that. How could Dragos break down his mental blocks? Victor found this intriguing. He was determined to soon discover Dragos’s secret.
Victor entered the hallway. The guard near the lower level doorway nodded as he passed. It was time to visit the young detective and find out what was so special about the man that Dragos would give up his life for.
Brett rose from the bed as the door opened. He looked at the figure filling the doorway. Instinctively, his hand reached for his gun before dropping to his side.
Harsh laughter filled the room.
“Reaching for a weapon, Detective?”
He clenched his teeth. The desire to wipe that smug look off the vampire’s face grew. “Yeah. You wouldn’t be smiling if I did have my weapon.”
“Tsk, tsk. Detective, that is not a proper way to greet your host. I believe introductions are in order.” With a slight bow, the vampire edged closer to him. “I am Baron Sinclair. Perhaps Dragos mentioned that he and I are acquainted.”
Brett shrugged. The man was several inches taller than him. Whoever he was, it was obvious by the fitted Italian suit that he enjoyed modern fashion trends. “Afraid not. He’s never mentioned anyone with that name.”
The vampire’s hair was pulled back and tied neatly in the back. His amber eyes commanded Brett’s attention. Brett felt as if the creature were looking into his soul.
The vampire’s gaze changed from pleasant to pissed off in a second.
The vampire surged forward, inches from Brett’s face. Brett stiffened, his muscles tightening and his gut quivered in anticipation of what was coming.
“Perhaps Dragos mentioned the name of Victor?”
His breath caught in his chest. Victor—the vampire responsible for all the deaths! He wanted to kill the man—this monster before him.
Victor stepped back. He snarled to reveal pointed teeth. Wagging a finger in front of Brett’s face, Victor taunted, “Ah, I see that you have heard of me. Maybe you even want to try to hurt me or kill me. Let me give you a warning, Detective. You are still alive because I allow it. You will remain alive only if you decide to assist me.”
Rage filled him. He forced himself to take a deep breath and try to think clearly.
“Assist you?” he growled.
Victor walked behind him. His finger trailed down Brett’s back. Involuntary tremors rippled through Brett’s body.
“Yes, I need you to talk to Dragos. He must submit to me.”
Is Victor crazy? Why would I help ruin Dragos’s life? Or, worse yet, why would I want to encourage Dragos to be like Victor? Not that Dragos could ever be like Victor.
A voice in his head told him to go ahead and agree. Doing so would buy him time and might even save his ass. Yet there were certain things that he couldn’t compromise on.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Victor whipped toward him and wrapped a hand around his neck. Victor pressed forward, forcing him back against the wall. Instinctively, he clawed at the hand that squeezed his throat. Even using both of his hands, he was unable to tear Victor’s hand away from his body. He grew lightheaded and swayed sideways. He couldn’t breathe.
Only when his body started to slide to the floor did Victor’s grasp loosen.
“Argh,” he coughed as his knee hit the floor. Head bowed and eyes closed, he rubbed his neck. Damn! He knew Victor was staring down at him. He could feel the vampire’s piercing gaze.
He used the wall as support as he struggled to stand. He glared back at the vampire. “That is not the way to get people to help you,” he croaked.
Victor’s eyebrow rose. “Really? Would you have helped anyway?”
He shook his head. “Afraid not.”
Victor threw back his head and laughed. “Now I understand why Dragos likes you. You’re bold but reckless.”
Brett stepped forward with fists clenched at his sides. How he wanted to wipe that smile off Victor’s face.
Victor held up a hand, his good humor fading. “I suggest you stop there. One more step and I will kill you now.”
Indecision tore through Brett. Did it make any difference if he died now or later? Maybe not, but he didn’t want to prove Victor right. Where the hell was Michael? He shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts. Patience and strategy had to prevail.
He grinned at the smirking vampire. “You don’t know anything about my friendship with Dragos. And you sure as hell don’t know anything about me. Just remember: there are people looking for us. It’s only a matter of time before they get here.”
“Please, Detective,” Victor sighed. “You believe in fairy tales. No one is coming to save you. No one at all. I will leave you to contemplate your sad, short life.”
Victor took a step forward. His mouth twisted in a grimace. Instinct told Brett to run, but he held his ground, glaring back at the vampire. Suddenly Victor swung around and exited the room. The door lock clicked in place. Releasing a deep breath, Brett collapsed on the bed, resting his forearm over his eyes. His heart continued to pound in his chest. I’m going to have a fucking heart attack before this is over. His frustration grew. He’d never been in a situation where he needed saving. It sucked. He was used to doing the saving.
“Michael! Where the hell are you?”
55
Michael frowned as he glanced at the clock. Four o’clock and not a soul in the kitchen. Where is everyone?
He walked down the hall toward Brett’s bedroom. The sound of sobbing echoed behind the closed door. Edging open the door, he peered inside. Lisa sat on the bed, her face buried in one of Brett’s T-shirts.
“Hey there. What’s the trouble?” Unease rippled through him. It had been so long since he’d consoled his wife that he wasn’t sure what to do.
Eyes wide, Lisa stared up at him. “What if something happens to Brett?”
“Here now! Don’t think that way.” He reached down and pulled her to her feet. “C’mon; dry those tears. We need you to focus on tonight. Are you able to fire a gun?”
She nodded, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “Brett and I used to go to the target range. It’s been a while, but I can do it.”
He patted her on the back and smiled. “Good. Where’s everyone else?”
“Candy is loading her guns—a bunch of guns. I think she is preparing for Armageddon. I don’t know where the chief is.”
The doorbell rang.
“You’d better go see who it is. If I open the door and it’s Anders’s men, they will be weirded out.” Seeing the perplexed look on Lisa’s face, he waved his arms in the air. “You know—door opens by itself. Most people can’t see a ghost. Scary shit.”
Lisa flashed a smile. “Got it. I’ll get the door.”
He stood off to the side in spirit form, just in case vampires were at the door. Something was going to happen soon, and he was edgy. Lisa opened the door. Captain Foster and two other men all dressed in military gear nodded as Lisa let them in.
“Hi, I’m Lisa Winslow. Please have a seat while we wait for Chief Anders. He’ll be up shortly. Would anyone like something to drink?”
The men shook their heads. Foster nodded to his men. “This is Ted Nichols and Sean Johnson. They work with me.”
Lisa smiled and shook their hands. “We’re glad you’re all here.”
Their bearing and determined looks bolstered Michael’s optimism. The men looked to be in their early forties. He’d heard Anders say earlier that both men had served overseas in Afghanistan. They were familiar with tactical operations and knew how to follow orders. Yep, these men are a good addition to the team. But although they look as tough as nails, will they be able to handle vampires? He sure hoped so. Otherwise, people were going to die. He skirted the men as they remained standing talking among themselves. Eavesdropping is so worthwhile. You never know what you might learn.
A few minutes later, Anders hollered as he entered the kitchen. He plopped another large duffel bag on the kitchen table. As Foster and his men joined the chief in the kitchen, Anders glanced over at him. Michael shook his head, hoping the chief would pick up on the silent message. The men could not see him.
When Anders unzipped the bag, canisters of tear gas, rounds of ammo, and grenades spilled out onto the table.
He reached toward a grenade, but Anders moved it out of his reach. Crap. He had forgotten that the other guys were in the room and couldn’t see or hear him.
“Oops! My bad,” he muttered, earning him an annoyed glance from Anders.
Lisa leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Hell no. Get your hands off those. Remember last time.”
When were people going to let that one go? So he had a little trouble using some weapons. He started to explain, but Anders shook his head.
Candy reached in and grabbed a vest, which she quickly strapped on. She tossed one to Lisa.
“Here. Put this on. We might need it.”
Lisa fastened the Velcro straps. “I’d feel better if I had a neck vest,” she murmured to Candy.
Foster and his two men flashed puzzled looks at one another. Their hooded eyes studied the rest of them in the room. Tension was thick. It was as if they sensed Michael’s presence.
