The Immortal Plague, page 10
“Are you sure you’re okay, Sam? Does this have to do with your reporter friend? The one the Council has been parading about?”
“How did you know?” Not once had she mentioned her friendship with Evie to anyone.
“I might have been drunk all those nights, but I still remember.”
Of course the thing she needed to hide from the world would be the thing Lexie remembered. “Everything’s fine. Like I said, I’m just tired.”
“And like I said earlier, that’s going to be a problem.”
Samantha took a long drink from her glass. “What’s the big plan for tonight?”
“Blood Lust.”
“Are you serious?” Tom, also a child of a Council member— though he was not in line to take his mother’s place—took the role seriously. As wild as he got, Samantha had never seen him break any of their laws. “He despises humans.”
During the war, he had a nasty run-in with a vile group of men who held him captive for days. He never spoke of what happened, what horrors he had witnessed or endured, but it had changed him in ways she couldn’t quite describe. Subtle differences one wouldn’t see unless they’d spent years watching as Samantha had.
“I don’t know what changed his mind. Does it matter?”
For someone who loved Tom as much as she said she did, Lexie sure was dense when it came to his emotional stability. “Considering his history…”
“That was a long time ago, Sam. He’s over it.”
Samantha didn’t want to argue, nor did she want to hang out at Blood Lust tonight. “Sounds like fun, but I think I’m going to pass.”
“What! Sam, no. You have to come. Tom will be devastated if you don’t.”
“He’ll have you and whoever else you conned into going.”
“Ugh! Why do you have to be so difficult? Do you want me to put Tom on the phone? Make him beg?”
“Actually,” Samantha said, “that’s not a bad idea. Let me hear for myself why he decided this would be the best place for him to spend his birthday.”
“Are you kidding me right now? You’re going. End of story. Do we need to pick you up or can we trust you’ll make it there on your own?”
The discussion was over. There was nothing Samantha could say that would get her out of it. If she didn’t show within fifteen minutes on the agreed upon time, it wouldn’t be long before she found one angry Sanguine on her doorstep, ready to drag her out of the house. “Fine. What time?”
“Midnight. I’ve already reserved a table. Don’t be late.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Samantha laid on her couch for the next hour, waiting until the last possible moment to get dressed.
One hour.
That was all she would stay. She would have a couple drinks, talk to Tom a bit, and find out why the crazy change of heart before she got the hell out of there. That would give her enough time to hit the store and then sleep for a good fifteen hours or more if she skipped the typical bedtime necessities.
It was the only plan that didn’t bring her to the brink of tears. The two bottles of blood hadn’t been enough to yank her out of her funk. The bar would have plenty, but it was a thirty-minute drive—more if there was traffic. If she was staying in for the evening, she would have called for a delivery.
The grandfather clock in the living room chimed in at eleven-thirty; her cue to leave. With a small black purse in hand—one that matched her dress and heels—Samantha locked the apartment and took the stairs to the back parking lot.
She paused on the sidewalk and scanned the mostly empty spaces. “What the hell?”
Her car was gone and it wasn’t like she could have forgotten where she parked. Not only did they have assigned spots, but there were only five tenants in the entire building—one on each floor. The other spots were reserved for visitors, which were empty.
Lexie was never going to believe this; would probably send a car to pick her up along with someone to deal with the situation. She had connections and had made a lot of friends in her life. Chances were good her contact would find Samantha’s car before the police.
“What are you doing back here?”
Samantha nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped around to find Darrien coming towards her, dressed casual in jeans and a white t-shirt. “You scared the shit out of me sneaking up like that.”
He cocked his left eyebrow. “Scared you? Weren’t you expecting me?”
“Expecting you!” she bellowed, trying to calm her racing heart. “Why the hell would you think that? It’s Saturday, for God’s sake. I’m quite capable of driving myself around. Except now that my car is missing…”
“A call was put in earlier this evening for me to pick you up in front of your apartment building at eleven-thirty.” Darrien made a dramatic show of his watch. “It’s now eleven-forty. You didn’t show so I came around back.”
“Again, I did not request your services.” She plopped her butt on the sidewalk. “Where the hell is my car?”
Darrien scrunched his face. “In the shop.”
“What?” Samantha wasn’t sure she heard him right.
“I was told…your car is in the shop. I asked, since I never get called in on Saturday.”
“Well it’s not!” Her eyes bore into his. Samantha didn’t think he was lying but it made no sense why he was called in the first place. “Who put in the call?”
“I’m just a lowly Council lackey. They call, order me around, and I do what I’m told.”
Samantha jumped to her feet, unable to sit still any longer. “Why would someone call you and say my car is in the shop? That I needed a ride? Who would even know…?” She gaped up at her window, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. “How did they know?”
Darrien’s eyes widened. “How did who know what?”
“The Council? How did someone know I was on my way out and needed a ride? I’ve only spoken to one Sanguine today and she wouldn’t have known to call you. Wouldn’t have a reason to.”
“What are you thinking: stalker? Deep-rooted conspiracy theory?” He didn’t bother hiding the amusement splashed across his face.
“This is serious.” Samantha teetered on hysterical. “Don’t you find it odd you were dispatched here on the same night my car was stolen?”
“Not stolen, in the shop.”
“Have you not heard a word I’ve said? I didn’t take my car to the shop!” Her phone vibrated; a notification of an email from her dealership. “What the hell?”
“You’ve said that a lot tonight.” Darrien peeked over her shoulder. “What’s up?”
“It’s from my dealership. They said I had a scheduled maintenance and picked up my car this evening. Plus ordered a car for my convenience.”
“You don’t say?” He sputtered and coughed in a poor attempt to suppress a laugh.
Samantha shoved him away. “Not once have I ever scheduled a home pickup for my car. Do you know how much that costs?”
Darrien cleared his throat, a hint of laughter still present. “Maybe you did by mistake. Or the dealership put it in their system wrong. At this point, does it matter? All your questions have been answered. The car is safe. There is no crazy conspiracy at play.”
She wanted to drop it, chalk it up to what Darrien said—a miscommunication—but there was something about the situation that nagged at her from the pit of her stomach.
“So…” Darrien dragged out the word until Samantha looked his way. “Weren’t you on your way out?”
As far as she could tell Darrien worked for her father or the Council. If either found out about the illegal club…
“I’m not going to tattle on you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Samantha scrunched her nose. “What?”
“I’ll take you wherever you want. I’m not going to tell anyone where we go. We’ll call it client-driver confidentiality.”
“That’s not a real thing.”
Darrien shrugged. “Your only other option is to stay home.”
Her phone vibrated once again; this time a message from Lexie popped up: The search party heads your way in five.
In the car, on my way, Samantha replied before turning her attention back to Darrien. “Full disclosure: where we’re going is not exactly on the up and up. If my father—if the Council—ever found out, we’d both be in some serious shit.”
His lips curved into a devilish smile. “Sounds like my kind of place.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Damn.” Tony swung open the door of the diner and it bounced off the rubber stopper. “What the hell are these people smoking?”
Ethan checked to make sure no one was in earshot. Last thing they needed was to draw any more attention to themselves. They were already the talk of the town thanks to his conversation this morning with who he now deemed the town gossips.
“I mean,” he climbed into the truck and waited for Ethan to do the same before continuing, “do they actually believe the vamps want anything to do with them—to do with this hole-in-the-wall town?”
“The waitress I talked to this morning said vampires come in there often.”
“Ha. What a load of bullshit.” The engine roared to life. “There ain’t no way any blood-suckers have been in these parts since the war.”
Ethan stared out the window and watched the town fade, replaced by the simplicity of the countryside where houses were few and far between and billions of stars glistened in the sky. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost block out the vast wall to their right. Stone and mortar were all that stood between them and the monsters.
Tony veered onto an old dirt road, kicking up a trail of dust behind them. If the plan was to be inconspicuous, they were failing miserably.
“It’s not too far; a couple miles give or take.”
Ethan continued to stare out the window, the reality of the situation weighing heavily on his mind.
“What’s the plan…if we make it inside?” Tony’s sudden uncertainty was alarming.
“What do you mean if?”
“Nothing to worry about.” Tony kept his eyes focused on the road. “If we don’t get in tonight, we’ll try again and again until we do.”
“I’ve been to quite a few of these joints. Never had a problem before.”
Tony ran a hand over his bald scalp. “The thing is, with this place, it’s known for its high society clientele.”
Tito had mentioned a more refined clientele, but nothing about high society. “How do you know that?”
“I had a couple of friends do some digging on the place.”
Ethan wasn’t sure when he’d found the time to contact someone or how they’d come across the information so quickly. Wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “What does that have to do with us?”
“Probably nothing. We just need to be careful about what we say when we approach, mind our body language. Act like we’re there for the party, not like we want to kill every blood-sucking motherfu—”
“I get your point.” Ethan stopped him before the rant took hold. “Are your feelings going to be a problem?”
“For me? Nah. I can bullshit my way through a situation with the best of them. You’re the one who’s emotionally involved.”
“I can handle it.”
Tony clenched his fist ever so slightly. “Just checking. Now, back to the plan.”
They’d gone over it a dozen times already. It was simple and didn’t need much of an explanation; Ethan didn’t understand why he kept bringing it up. “Ask for the employee named Sam. Talk to Sam. If Sam isn’t working, find out when he works next.”
“I’m still not sold on the going in and getting right to it. Might be better if we stake the place out for a few days.”
The dirt road opened to a homestead complete with an old red barn and white-washed picket fence. There wasn’t a car in sight. “You sure we’re in the right place?”
Not a second later, the barn door opened and a couple of burly men waved them over.
“Yep. This is the place.” Tony rolled down the window.
“You gentleman lost?” The smaller, but thicker of the two shined a flashlight into the cab, hitting them both in the face. “You,” he directed to Ethan, “you look familiar. You been here before?”
“No,” Ethan answered slowly, thinking of the best way to handle the situation. The man didn’t seem turned off, but one could never be too careful. “My sister—twin sister—is a regular. Perhaps you know her: Evie Calaway.”
The man’s face softened. “Parking is out back past the trees. There’s a clearing just behind the barn. Alfonzo will show you the way.”
Tony shot him a two-finger salute and headed around back. The tree line was at least a couple hundred yards out. Ethan’s scalp prickled. It would be a nice hike back, in the dark, not half a mile from the vampire realm.
“I have to say, kid, wasn’t sure throwing your sister’s name out like that was going to work. She doesn’t have the best reputation amongst humans, being an advocate for the vamps and all, but it worked.”
Ethan snorted at the partial compliment. “Like the town, these sorts of places have a soft spot for vampires. Here she didn’t have to worry about taking shit about her beliefs.”
Tony parked at the end of the row of twenty-something cars. “Seems that way, don’t it?”
“You’re not buying it? You think it’s a front for something…sinister?”
Tony hesitated for a moment before slamming the truck door. “I have my suspicions about these sorts of joints and the vamps in general.”
They left the cover of the trees and made their way back to the barn. “Care to elaborate?”
“Maybe one day, kid.”
“You know Evie and I are the same age, right?”
Tony rolled his shoulders as if bored with the conversation. “Twins. What’s your point?”
“You keep calling me kid, but you’re sleeping with a woman the same age as me.”
Tony’s face flushed. “Caught on to that, did ya?”
Ethan thought he’d at least try to feign denial. “I figured no sane man would enter the lion’s den without something pretty damn special in return.”
A wicked grin spread across his face. “Or maybe I just like picking fights with lions.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Samantha waited until they were on the highway before she divulged their exact destination. Darrien took the news well, swerving into on-coming traffic and nearly causing a head-on collision. But he didn’t argue or try to talk her out of it, just kept the course, eyes on the road, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.
Samantha was the first to break the silence. “It’s the next exit then hang a left.”
“I know,” Darrien mumbled as he pulled off the highway onto the unlit dirt road.
Samantha shot him a sideways glance. “You do?”
Darrien jerked the car off the road and slammed on the breaks. “This isn’t a set-up, right? I mean, you can’t pull that kind of shit without…without…”
“What are you talking about?”
He buried his hands in his hair. “You’re a Council member—”
“Daughter of a Council member,” she corrected.
“Whatever. You attend the forums. That makes you one of them.”
“Darrien,” Samantha pointed to the road, “just drive. We’re almost there and if I’m any later my friend Lexie is going to have a fit and I am in no mood to deal with one of her outbursts.” She was still dragging from the lack of blood.
He threw the car into drive and skidded back onto the unpaved road. “Fine, but I’m waiting outside.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be. It could be hours.”
“I’m cool with that.”
Samantha clicked her tongue. “So…you’ve been here before?”
“Here? Only once.” He turned off the road into what appeared to be a corn field. “To similar establishments? A couple of times in my formative years.”
“What’s the problem then?”
Darrien parked a few feet from what looked like, to an unknowing eye, a storm shelter door. “Do you know what happens to humans—to Sanguines—when these places are raided?”
An unrestrained smirk pulled at her lips. He was one of those. There were so many rumors about the fate of those caught at one of the clubs that Samantha couldn’t keep up any more. The truth, however, was far less sinister. “They’re taken to a holding facility for a few days and then released.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Her gaze flickered upward. “I’ve heard as much.”
“I have three friends…” He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. “Three friends who have disappeared from three separate clubs on three separate nights. All were raided. None of them were ever heard from again.”
Another tall-tale Samantha had heard too many times to count. Mainly from the drunk, heartsick, and attention seekers, but she didn’t feel like arguing the ridiculousness. “I’m going to head in. Are you going to be here when I get back?”
“There’s some secure parking beyond the tree line; I’ll keep a lookout from there and text you if something is about to go down.”
“Thanks.” Samantha hurried out of the car before he had a chance to change his mind. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave.” She slammed the door and tip-toed to the entrance, her heels having a hell of a time with the soft ground.
After a quick knock, a mammoth of a Sanguine with amber skin and muscles upon muscles opened the door and glowered. “Where the hell have you been?”
Samantha beamed. “Bear, it’s so good to see you.”
His dark eyes remained hard, uncaring. “I heard you got a new position.”
An audible groan escaped her lips. “Forced into is more like it.”
“This ain’t the place for Council members.”
“It’s also not the place for a Council member’s daughter, but…”
Bear rolled his thick neck. “That loud-mouth friend of yours is here with about a dozen others.”
