Vampires Dead Ahead

THIRTEEN



Terror for Rodán ripped through me like a jagged blade. My mind raced. I had to pull myself together.

“We have to hurry!” I swung my gaze to Colin’s. “There’s still a chance we could get to Rodán before he’s bitten again. Vampires must wait at least twenty-four hours before biting their victim a second time in order to turn them.”

Colin studied me. “That gives us less than three hours. We know virtually nothing about effects of Vampires on paranorms, though. Maybe the wait is less, maybe it’s more. We don’t know. We just know now that they can turn paranorms.”

Less than three hours? What if that wasn’t enough? I raised my hands as I spoke, my words coming out almost frantic. “We need to let the other Trackers know what happened. And I have to interrogate that Vamp we caught tonight myself, unless Max got anything out of him.”

The Werewolf Tracker was a good interrogator, but since we hadn’t heard anything from him I knew he hadn’t gotten the Vampire to talk yet. “We have to do whatever it takes to track down Volod now. That bastard.”

“I’ll let the others know.” Joshua came up to stand on one side of me, Ice on the other. “I’ll text everyone an alert that a conference call meeting will start in fifteen minutes.”

“Send out the call-in number and the access code with the alert,” I said. “I want to make certain there is no confusion. Everyone is to be on it.” I looked from Joshua to Ice and Colin. “I’ll make the call from my conference line at my office. Any Trackers who would prefer to join us at the office, that would be fine.”

Joshua gave a nod.

“After our call I’ll interview the Vamp we caught tonight,” I said.

“I’ll go with you to interrogate him.” Desmond came up beside Colin. “I’ll know immediately if there’s anything I can read from him.” The Sorcerer added, “I do know a few interrogation techniques.”

“Can you tell us anything more about what happened or where he is now?” I asked Desmond. I wanted to run as fast as I could, but I didn’t know where.

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

The clock was ticking. We had to find Rodán before it was too late. We would find him.

I called Angel and we made quick plans for what we’d be asking of the Trackers. Colin transported Desmond and me to just outside the PI office’s front door. Ice and Joshua should arrive at any time.

Olivia was sitting at her desk when we walked into the office. She frowned as soon as she saw my expression. “What’s wrong?”

My breathing wasn’t coming easy. I felt like I was winded as I said words I didn’t want to say: “Volod has Rodán.”

“No, no, no. No way.” Olivia sat back in her chair looking stunned. “That’s not possible.”

“I wish it wasn’t.” I went to my own desk. “We’re going to have a conference call in a few minutes with the other Trackers, and then I have to go interrogate a Vamp.”

Olivia’s frown deepened. “How did this happen? How could this happen?”

I gave her a brief rundown of everything that had occurred. She’d hear more during the call.

She tapped a pen on the sticky notes on her desk as she spoke to Desmond. “You’re absolutely positive that you’re right?”

“I hate to say it, but yes.” Desmond folded his arms across his chest. “My visions are never wrong.”

Just talking about it made me sick. My chest felt tight. My whole body tense. My gut ached.

Within a few minutes Ice, Joshua, Angel, Nadia, Lawan, and Tristan arrived at my office. Colin, Olivia, and I made up three more. The other fifteen Trackers called in.

All of it was happening too slow. Much too slow.

I went through everything in more detail than what I’d given Olivia.

“We’re going to work primarily in teams of two,” I concluded. “Olivia and Angel will man the PI office, which will be command central since Rodán’s not here.”

“Man the office?” Olivia said. “You mean woman the office.”

A couple of Trackers laughed, Olivia’s comment adding a bit of levity.

Though I felt it, I didn’t want to let indecisiveness enter my voice as I continued. The Trackers needed a leader now and I was giving them one.

“Desmond and I will interrogate the Vamp who’s in custody,” I said. “Because we believe that those responsible for the disappearances of ten Trackers and now two Proctors are here, no one will work alone.

“That means twenty-two of you will work in teams of two. Since there are fifteen territories and only eleven teams, some of you are going to have to double up on territories.” I glanced at Angel. “As soon as I finish briefing you and give you your instructions, Angel will coordinate territories.”

Those on the other end of the call were mostly quiet, everyone listening intently.

“Tonight you’re going to find every Vamp who was anybody,” I said. “Go to all of the known Vamp hangouts in your respective territories. Olivia will e-mail you a list by the end of this call. Check out every resource we have. Shake them all down and get anything you can. Follow every lead. Someone knows something.” I added, “Call in on this number and speak with Angel right away if you believe you do have a lead.”

I clenched my teeth before I added, “I really don’t care at this point what you do to the Vampires to get the information. As far as I am concerned, tonight, the Vampires have no rights.”

The grim faces of the Trackers in my office echoed how I felt. “Time is running out to find Rodán. We only have two and a half hours left before it’s too late.”

After I turned the phone meeting to Angel, Colin followed me and Desmond out the door into the chill night air.

“Be careful,” Colin said, and he kissed me. When I drew away, he took my hands and brushed his lips over mine again. “You call me the moment you find out where Rodán is. You will not go after him alone. I can be there in a second.”

“I won’t.” I stepped away. “Promise.”

I looked over my shoulder once as Desmond and I rushed across Central Park West to Central Park. Colin was watching me, his burnished gold eyes seeming to almost glow in the darkness.

Desmond and I ran to the huge Alice in Wonderland unbirthday party sculpture north of Conservatory Water.

I walked counterclockwise around the sculpture while reciting the poem—that made absolutely no sense—inscribed around the base. “’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe.” Fortunately I had it memorized or I would never have gotten it out, I was so frantic.

It was a line from “The Jabberwocky,” a poem by Lewis Carroll. I’d heard Lewis was a paranorm—a Doppler in the form of a big yellow cat—still living in New York City. I’d never met him.

The Shadow Shifter and Dryad guards didn’t want to allow Desmond to go into the Paranorm Center with me. I had to pull rank. I was ready to do a lot more than that, but they let us through.

We jogged down to the detention center, which was run by the Paranormal Task Force. A female Doppler PTF agent escorted us and we hurried down the stone steps into dank areas I’d rather not be in.

The only thing that mattered was finding out where Rodán was and saving him before it was too late.

Gary, the Vampire-Doppler we’d arrested, had been put in solitary confinement. When we arrived at his cell, we looked through the small barred window.

The Vampire-Doppler was in the special Vampire cuffs, strung up in a corner in his human form. His head hung so that his chin rested against his chest. His toes barely reached the stone floor, and red welts striped his naked body.

Max turned to face the door, a whip clenched in his fist. In his eyes was the look of the Werewolf he was during the full moon. It made me shiver.

After we handed over our weapons, the PTF agent unlocked the door and let Desmond and I into the cell.

“Didn’t work,” Max said as we walked up to him. “He will be tough. I didn’t know how hard to get with him, but I got nothing.”

The Vampire’s head rose and my breath caught. His fangs had extended, and they flashed in the cell’s dim lighting.

I glanced at Desmond. He looked confident … powerful.

Considering what he’d done in our last major case with the evil Sorcerer Amory, who’d turned Zombies loose on New York City, I wasn’t surprised that Desmond showed such strength in the face of the mess we were in. What was one hybrid Vampire to someone who’d defeated the creator of thousands upon thousands of Zombies, as Desmond had?

Desmond didn’t say anything, just looked at me, waiting for me to take control of the interrogation.

I walked within feet of the Vampire-Doppler. “Where did they take Rodán?”

Gary raised his head and stared at me and Desmond. He was fairly tall with a wiry, powerful build. I frowned for a moment as something hit me.

On the list of missing Trackers had been the name Gary.

“Are you one of the Trackers who disappeared over the last few months?” I asked.

The Vampire-Doppler continued to stare.

“We don’t have time to spend trying to get him to talk.” I glanced at Desmond. “We have to make him talk.”

Desmond raised his hand. A glowing green fist of light shot out and wrapped itself around Gary’s throat. He gasped and clawed.

“Tell us where Rodán is.” Desmond spoke with slow, deliberate intensity as he relaxed the magical fist just enough that Gary wasn’t choking anymore. “Do it now or this will seem like nothing in comparison with what I will do to you.”

When Gary didn’t answer, Desmond squeezed his raised hand and the glowing fist clenched tighter around Gary’s throat. He clawed more as he struggled to breathe.

Desmond let up on the pressure then asked again, and again the Vampire-Doppler said nothing.

As Desmond held Gary in his magic fist, I spoke to the PTF agent on the other side of the door. “Can we get a persuasion chair in here?”

Plenty of times I’d “persuaded” paranorms myself, but I’d never actually tortured anyone. I didn’t have the stomach for it generally, but today, with Rodán’s life in the balance, I would do anything. Desmond, I knew, would have no reservations today or any day.

Desmond held on to Gary with the fist as two PTF agents brought the persuasion chair in the room. Then they unhooked the Vampire-Doppler from the chains that had held him up, but kept the special cuffs on his wrists.

The Sorcerer used the fist to drag Gary across the cell and into the persuasion chair. Then the female agents stripped him and strapped him in.

A metal head frame attached to the chair, fit over the top of his head and around the forehead. The band around the forehead was tightened.

The chair had a V opening on the seat. A metal stainless-steel collar about three-quarters of an inch wide was affixed to a rod at the bottom of the chair frame, and attached around the base of his testicles. It had an extension that was a small vise. They called it a “ball crusher.”

The rod had a turnbuckle that was adjusted to pull his balls down taut until the Vampire made a vocal response, like a scream. If he moved at all, they would be pulled off … Or so I hoped. For a male, I am sure it was an understatement to say there was something intimidating about someone literally having him by the balls.

Max moved up beside me. I’d been so intent on watching that I had forgotten he was there. “Man, this guy just won’t talk. I must say he has balls.”

Anger burned through me hot and fierce. “If he doesn’t talk now the only way he’ll have balls is when we pick them up off the floor and hand them to him.”

Gary flinched.

Good.

Max looked from Gary to me. “What would you like me to do now?”

“Call Angel and she’ll give you instructions.” I pushed my hair over my shoulders to get it out of my face. “And find Volod.”

He nodded. “You’ve got it.”

“Thanks, Max,” I said. He gave another nod before he left the cell. The agent locked the door behind him.

I turned my attention back to Gary.

The Vampire-Doppler’s muscles were chiseled, showing power in every fiber of his body. No matter the strength of his paranorm powers, or as strong as he was physically, he was no match for the magic in the restraints or Desmond’s power. Everyone had a breaking point, and we would find Gary’s.

“Where is Rodán?” Desmond released his hold on Gary’s neck, and the Vampire-Doppler slumped in the chair. Desmond got into his face. “Talk or you’re really not going to like what I’m about to do next.” He held his hand out, and green flame danced on his palm.

Gary stared at the Sorcerer, anger in his gaze. His blue eyes were still in the stages of turning dark as they would be for the rest of his unnatural life. Unless of course that unnatural life ended tonight.

“This little flame”—Desmond bounced the magic fire on his palm—“will make you feel like every nerve ending inside you is on fire. You’ll feel like you’re burning alive.

“The good news is you won’t die,” the Sorcerer added. “You’ll just wish you would. You will struggle and move around. You won’t be able to help yourself.” Desmond looked at the place where Gary’s balls were trapped before looking back at the Vampire-Doppler. “When you jump, you might lose a couple of things.”

My fury over Rodán’s abduction, and over what the Vampires had done to me just months ago, kept away any speck of pity that might have been in me. Fear for Rodán burned like the fire in Desmond’s hand, only a thousand times worse. Joining the horrible fear were white-hot flames of anger.

No, I didn’t care what Desmond did to this Vampire. We’d do whatever we had to do.

When Gary didn’t say anything, Desmond blew on the flame in his hand.

The flame leapt from his palm and landed in an explosion of sparks, encompassing Gary.

He shrieked, his body jerking and straining against his restraints, his muscles bulging as the magic fire sizzled on his skin. How his balls stayed attached to his body I didn’t know, but it had to hurt.

“What are you doing to him?” I asked Desmond in a lowered voice. My heart pounded. The green fire unnerved me. “Don’t kill him.”

“Like I told him, he’s not going to die.” Desmond’s gaze grew more intense, and the green fire popped and crackled while Gary screamed. “It’s like burning in the flames of the human version of hell. Only worse.” Desmond closed his hand, and the flames vanished.

Amazingly, the Vampire-Doppler’s skin wasn’t even blistered. The only sign he’d just been through an ordeal was the sweat rolling down the side of his face and coating his skin wherever it was visible. His breathing was erratic, as if he’d just been running.

“Are you ready to talk?” Desmond asked Gary yet again.

The Vampire-Doppler still said nothing, just glared. The Sorcerer held out his hand and once again green flame erupted on his palm. “Last chance.”

I was pretty sure Gary was a former Tracker, which meant he would be hard, if not impossible, to break.

No, everyone had a breaking point.

Everyone.

Some took longer than others.

After two more times with the flames, Desmond asked for a tub of water for Gary’s feet. By the look in his eyes, he knew what was coming next.

Ice-cold water sloshed out of the tub and onto the stone floor when two agents brought it in. The agents unstrapped his legs just enough to put his feet in the tub.

When the agents finished and left the cell, Desmond steepled his fingers together. Currents sizzled, bouncing from one fingertip to the next. The air filled with static. My own magic felt the pull.

“Gary, we’re not giving up,” I said. “We won’t stop until you give us the information we need.”

“So be it,” Gary said, his voice deep, guttural.

Desmond looked at me. I gave a short nod.

He directed his magic at Gary’s temples. It reminded me of an old black-and-white horror movie.

Streaks of white lightning shot from Desmond’s fingertips to Gary’s temples.

Gary shouted so loud I flinched. His entire body jerked like he was being electrocuted—which he was. Only magically.

Desmond drew his magic back and asked Gary again if he was ready to talk.

Again Gary refused.

And again Desmond blasted him with his magical electrical charges.

And again.

And again.

I paced the cell as Desmond continued. I wasn’t giving up. No way was I giving up. We’d make this bastard of a Vampire talk.

My phone rang and I drew it from its holster on my weapons belt. I looked to see that it was Angel. “Robert just called in,” she said when I answered. “Vamp told him that something big is going on. That the future will be different. Vampires aren’t going to be subservient to paranorms any longer.”

Gary screamed in the background. I rubbed my temples. “That’s it?”

“A couple of other Vampires have said similar things. That there’s been ‘hush hush’ talk, something quiet going on. No one knows details though,” Angel said. “I didn’t want to bother you with that because it means nothing.”

The desire to scream with fury rose up in me in a swift rush. Nothing. We were getting nowhere.

“Thanks, Angel,” I said. “I need to get back to work.”

She clicked off and I reholstered my phone. I ground my teeth as I went up to Desmond. “This isn’t doing any good.” I took him aside and kept my voice low. “It’s time to use water. I should have thought of this before. Not only does he have any sentient being’s failings when it comes to water, but his animal form is a Doberman. His fear is going to be even more intense.”

Desmond stood in front of Gary, held his hands up, and let a ball form in both palms. It was different from the energy he’d been using. This was malachite green, smooth, fluid—it was like looking at water rippling inside an enclosed lake.

The orb started out the size of a baseball, but gradually grew as big as a basketball and continued to float above his hands, turning, spinning.

We looked at Gary. His jaw tightened. Desmond released the ball.

It bounced in the air like something on top of the surface of a body of water. Buoyant. When it reached Gary it hovered in the air.

Gary stared at Desmond. The Vampire-Doppler looked haggard, worn down … but obviously not worn down enough.

With a flick of Desmond’s fingers, the bubble bounced forward and encased Gary’s head.

It looked as if his head were in a fishbowl with murky green water. I could see his eyes bulge with a wild look as Desmond kept the water bubble over his head. Gary thrashed in his seat, straining against his bonds.

I was torn between what seemed so horrible—torturing another being—and the desire to make Vampires hurt. Any Vampires. For what they were doing to Rodán. For what they did to me just months ago.

Vampires were nothing but parasites. Leeches. They had no purpose in this Otherworld than to feed on beings or to drain them of their blood and turn them into Vampires. They had no other purpose in life.

Just when I thought Gary was going to drown in Desmond’s magic water bubble, Desmond flicked his fingers and the bubble drew away.

Gary was soaked and gasping for air. Harsh, deep breaths. He looked exhausted, as if he might snap. But he didn’t say a word.

Desmond used his fingers to direct the bubble back to envelop Gary’s head. Again the Vampire-Doppler’s eyes bulged as he fought against his bonds. This time Desmond added flame and electricity. I thought the Vampire was going to pull loose from the leather restraints.

“We only have fifteen minutes!” I shouted when the bubble was removed. “Tell us now!”

I don’t know if it was the dangerous white flash in my eyes or the water torture, but Gary finally let it all spill out.

Gary screamed. “No more. Please, no more.”

“Then tell us where Volod is.” I felt the first twinge of excitement tonight.

“At the Hotel Charone.” He looked beyond Vampire-pale, his lips nearly white. He looked almost … dead. Not just undead, but dead.

“In the Financial District.” My heart raced. “Where in the hotel?”

“The … Suite de Paris.” Gary looked like each word was painful to push out. “ … big ceremony. Volod invited important Vampires from around the country. It had to do with his most successful accomplishment.”

I whirled and grabbed my phone from my weapons belt. “See what else you can get out of him, Desmond,” I said as a PTF agent let me out of the cell.

First thing I did was call Colin as I ran up the stairs and out of the detention center into the Paranorm Center. “Meet me at the unbirthday party. I’ll be there in less than a minute.”

After Colin agreed, I dialed Angel and gave her the information.

When I burst out into the night above the Paranorm Center, Colin was waiting for me. “Hotel Charone,” I told him.

He grabbed my hand and in the next second we were standing a short distance from the hotel. No other Trackers could possibly be here yet.

“We don’t have time to wait for the others.” I looked at my phone. “Seven minutes.” Fear shot through me as I looked at Colin. “Can you transport us straight to the Suite de Paris?”

Colin shook his head, surprising me. “I can’t transport someplace inside a location that I’m not familiar with.”

“We would need you to find out which floor the suite is on and where the stairwell is,” I said. “Better to just get us to the front door. Now.”