CHAPTER 22
Olivia took a deep breath and removed her automatic from its holster at her waist.
"Two against two," J.L. whispered. "Let's find out who these guys are." He led the way quietly down the stairs.
The stairwell was dark, but they didn't dare turn on their flashlights. They crept toward the living room at the front of the house and peered out the window.
J.L. pointed, then lifted his finger to his lips.
She didn't need the warning to stay quiet. The two kilted men were now in the front yard. She could see them well in the outdoor lighting, and neither one was Robby. The man in the red and green plaid kilt had a brighter shade of red hair. The guy in the blue and green kilt looked similar to Robby, with the same dark auburn hair.
J.L. touched his back, then his right calf, signaling to her that the two men had swords on their backs and knives in their right knee socks. A bad sign when the two bodies in the next room had slashed throats.
She wished Barker would come back. She'd feel better if it was three against two.
The kilted men removed cell phones from their sporrans and made calls. A man suddenly materialized in the front yard. Olivia covered her mouth to stifle her gasp. She blinked, not believing her eyes. Then another man appeared. And another.
She struggled to breathe. More people were appearing, and they were all armed with swords and pistols. She thought she detected a woman and a few more men in kilts.
J.L. grabbed her arm and motioned with his head to the back door. She moved quietly with him through the family room and into the kitchen. Her heart pounded in her ears. They slipped out the back door just as they heard the front door creaking open.
They ran for the cornfield. Immediately, she was enveloped in a sea of green. It grew so dark, she could barely make out J.L.'s form. She bumped into him when he suddenly stopped. He grabbed her by the forearms and lowered her into a crouch beside him. She could hear his quick breaths and sense his alarm.
"Those guys materialized like it was a sci-fi movie," he whispered. "What are they - aliens?"
"I don't think aliens wear kilts."
"You're right. And they'd be armed with lasers instead of swords."
She shook her head. "I can't believe we're having this discussion."
"Whatever they are, they've got us seriously outnumbered."
"And they have swords, knives, and guns," she mumbled.
"Could be worse. They could have machine guns and bazookas."
"Thanks. I feel so much better."
"Sorry." He grew quiet.
She glanced back at the farmhouse. She could only see the upstairs, but lights were flickering in the windows. What were they doing? Were they searching for something?
She opened her senses to get a feel for their emotions. Nothing. They were completely blank. Like Robby.
"My first name is Jin," J.L. whispered.
She winced. Did this mean he was afraid they wouldn't get out of this? "That's a nice name."
"Not if the guys in school keep calling you Jennifer."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"The L stands for Long."
"Jin Long...Wang." She smiled. "Sounds very masculine."
He snorted. "Now you know why I go by J.L. But it could be worse. They named my brother L.H. - Lo Hung Wang."
She covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
His teeth flashed white in the dark as he grinned. "I just made that part up. I don't have a brother. But you probably already detected that."
She had. And she'd also realized he was trying to cheer her up.
"So here's the plan," J.L. said. "We move through the corn and get as close to the car as possible. We make a dash for it, drive into town, and get the sheriff and Harrison. And we call for backup."
She nodded. "What about Barker?"
"We'll find him. Let's go."
They moved as quietly as possible through the corn. They were behind the first house when J.L. abruptly halted and reached out to stop her. He pressed a finger to his mouth to warn her to stay quiet, and she remained perfectly still. Then she heard it. A rustling in the corn.
They were not alone.
She pivoted, searching for the source of the noise. She spotted the swaying plants. Whoever it was, he was moving straight toward them.
J.L. raised his pistol.
The corn in front of them rustled, then out trotted a dog.
Olivia's knees nearly buckled with relief.
J.L. holstered his weapon. "Good boy," he whispered.
It was a huge dog. An Irish wolfhound with long lanky legs and a long thin face. He sat on his haunches and regarded them curiously.
She raised her hand slowly to let him sniff her, then patted him on the head. "Aren't you a big boy."
The dog seemed to grin.
She smiled. She felt safer with him there.
"Let's go." J.L. led the way through the corn, with Olivia and the wolfhound following. They skirted the farmhouse and ventured into the field that extended up to the dirt road. They stopped when they spotted the car in the driveway about thirty yards away.
"You wait here." J.L. handed Olivia the car keys. "I'll find Barker. If we're not back in fifteen minutes, leave."
"I'm not leaving without you."
"Liv, we're outnumbered. You can bring the sheriff and Harrison back and alert the state patrolmen. Okay?"
She nodded reluctantly. "Okay."
J.L. dashed off with the Irish wolfhound trotting along beside him. She was grateful he wasn't alone.
She sat between two rows of corn and pushed the button on her watch to make the digital time light up. This was going to be a long and lonely fifteen minutes.
She took long breaths to calm her racing heart. She considered calling Harrison on her cell phone, but it wouldn't do any good if he'd turned his phone off. Why had he left after speaking to the kilted men? Had they told him to turn off his phone? She considered calling Robby, but he was far away in New York. It would take him hours to get here.
After a few minutes she crept close to the edge of the cornfield. She spotted the guys who had materialized earlier. They'd divided into smaller groups and appeared to be searching for something. Most of them were way off by the barns. When one of them located a storm cellar in the distance, they gathered around it and went inside.
With most of them in the cellar, it seemed like a good time to dash to the car. She glanced at her watch. Fourteen minutes had passed. Still, she was reluctant to leave without J.L. and Barker. On the other hand, she would be more helpful to them if she brought back reinforcements.
She groaned inwardly. She was overanalyzing again.
A car engine roared in the distance. Someone was approaching fast. Maybe Harrison or the sheriff was coming back? She hurried down a corn row till she was close to the road. A black sedan pulled over and parked. It looked like a government car. Three people emerged - a middle-aged man, a younger man, and a young woman. The men were tense and high on adrenaline. The woman seemed reluctant and afraid.
The middle-aged man barked out some orders. "Garrett, check the houses on the left. I'll check the ones on the right. Alyssa, look over the grounds."
Garrett clicked on his flashlight and shone it around. "I don't see Connor anywhere."
"He's here," the older man growled. "And he won't be alone."
Alyssa shuddered. "I don't understand why we had to involve them."
"They're better at killing Malcontents than we are," the older man grumbled. "If you see any of them, keep your distance. And keep your psychic guards up. Especially you, Alyssa. They prefer to target young women."
"I know," she said quietly.
Olivia felt sorry for the young woman. She was clearly terrified. The young man, Garrett, was excited, and he sprinted to the houses on the left. The older man strode toward the houses on the right. He'd mentioned Malcontents. Was that a gang? Were they the ones who'd committed the murders? And what was the deal with psychic guards?
Alyssa remained close to the car, swinging her flashlight back and forth. "Great," she muttered. "You just stay here, all alone, with a bunch of murdering Malcontents close by."
Olivia wanted to know who these people were, so she stepped out of the cornfield and moved slowly toward the woman. "Alyssa?"
The woman squealed and dropped her flashlight.
"I'm sorry." Olivia held her hands out so the woman could see they were empty. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Alyssa drew her gun. "How did you know my name? Are you one of them? Did you read my mind?"
Olivia raised her hands higher. "I heard your conversation with the other two men, and they used your name. I'm with the FBI. Would you like to see my badge?"
"You're FBI? You're not one of them?"
"Who are they?" Olivia assumed she was referring to the men who had teleported in. "Are they the Malcontents?"
"Alyssa?" The middle-aged man came running back. "I heard you yell." He spotted Olivia and drew his weapon. "Who the hell are you?"
She cursed silently. She should have remained hidden in the corn. "I'm Olivia Sotiris, FBI. Who are you?"
"CIA." He moved closer. "Show me your badge."
She did, and squinted when he beamed his flashlight in her face.
"Ms. Sotiris, what you are doing here?"
What did he think? She was on a picnic? "I'm investigating a multiple homicide. May I see your badge, please?"
"I don't have time to fool with this." He holstered his weapon. "We're taking over this investigation, Ms. Sotiris. You may leave."
His attitude was seriously annoying her. "This is an FBI matter. The local sheriff requested our help."
"I don't care," the CIA man snarled. "Get the hell out of here."
"I don't take orders from you, Mister...?"
"Whelan." He stepped closer to her. "And you will do as I say. We're a special presidential task force assigned to this mission, so you have no jurisdiction here."
She lifted her chin. "I suggest you rethink the situation. You could use our help. There are only three of you, and there are about a dozen of...I don't know who exactly they are."
Alyssa inhaled sharply. "Did you see them?"
"If you're referring to the guys who magically materialized in the front yard over there, yes. They're heavily armed with guns and swords."
"Did they see you?" the CIA man asked.
Whelan, he'd said his name was. Somehow that sounded familiar. "No," Olivia answered. "Who are they? Did they commit the murders?"
Whelan snorted. "No. They're hunting the murderers. But don't make the mistake of thinking they're innocent. Do yourself a favor and get out of here before they see you."
"I can help - "
"Forget it, Ms. Sotiris. You'll have no defense against them. They can take over your mind and make you do whatever they want."
She gulped. Was that what had happened to Harrison and the sheriff?
"They're dangerous," Alyssa whispered. "We've lost two members of our team because of them."
Olivia winced. No wonder this woman was so afraid. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Oh, they weren't killed," Alyssa said. "They're just...gone."
A shiver skittered down Olivia's back.
"Get a grip, Alyssa," Whelan growled. "And you, Ms. Sotiris, you've wasted enough of my time."
Olivia stumbled back a step when a spurt of heat shot across her brow. Her mind went fuzzy, then sharpened with a sudden compulsion to leave. "I must leave." She wandered down the road to the driveway.
What was she doing? She glanced back and saw Whelan and Alyssa following her.
Keep going. Leave.
She shook her head. This wasn't her decision.
Go to your car and leave. Now.
She turned onto the driveway. Dammit, what was wrong with her? She kept walking toward J.L.'s car. She glanced toward the cornfield, wishing he and Barker would emerge. She looked in the other direction and spotted the mysterious men who had materialized earlier. They were leaving the barns and the storm cellar. They were headed in her direction.
She veered toward the cornfield so they wouldn't see her.
No. Go to the car. Leave now.
Her steps slanted back toward the car. Damn! What was she doing? She felt exposed.
She pulled J.L.'s keys from her pocket and hit the unlock button. The car's headlights flashed. She winced. Those guys would see her for sure now.
Hurry up. Leave.
She walked up to the driver's side door.
"Olivia?" someone shouted.
She froze. Robby? She turned and saw a man break apart from the group that had materialized. He sprinted toward her, passing through the light of the second house.
"Robby," she whispered. It was him. He was wearing a kilt that swished about his knees as he ran toward her.
"Ms. Sotiris, leave now!" Whelan yelled.
She saw the CIA man and Alyssa walking up the driveway. It was Whelan who was making her leave. Somehow, he was projecting commands into her head.
A hot blast seared her brow, and she flinched.
Get in the car and leave.
She reached for the door handle.
"Olivia!" Robby called.
She paused, and suddenly he was there.
"Olivia." He touched her arm. "What are ye doing here?"
"I must leave."
He peered closely at her. "Are ye all right?"
She shook her head. "I must leave."
"Back away from her, MacKay!" Whelan yelled.
Robby glared at the CIA man. "Release her. Ye have no right to control her."
Whelan snorted. "Better me than you. You know this woman?"
"Aye. Release her now, or I'll do it."
"Fine," Whelan growled. "But you leave her alone."
"I willna harm her," Robby said between gritted teeth.
"Right," Whelan snarled. "Just like no one's harmed Shanna or Emma."
A hot wind swooshed through Olivia's mind, and she swayed. Her keys tumbled to the ground.
Robby grabbed her forearms to steady her. "Are ye all right now?"
"Robby." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank God you're here." She shot an angry look at the CIA man. "He was trying to control me."
"You idiot!" Whelan shouted. "I was trying to protect you."
Robby hugged her tight. "'Tis all right, sweetheart."
"Shit," Whelan muttered. "Another woman compromised."
"He seems to actually care for her," Alyssa said.
Whelan slanted a suspicious look at her. "Go back to the car and wait for us."
As Alyssa walked away, Whelan crossed his arms and scowled at Robby. "Why can't you bastards pick on your own kind?"
Robby rubbed a hand up and down Olivia's back. "Go on about yer business, Whelan, and leave us alone."
Whelan. Now Olivia recalled where she'd heard the name. Robby had mentioned it on Patmos. As her mind continued to clear from Whelan's control, she realized that Robby was one of the guys who had magically appeared.
She stepped back, pulling out of his arms. "What's going on, Robby? What are you doing here?"
"Great," Whelan grumbled. "Now she starts thinking. A little too late."
Robby gave the CIA man an annoyed look, then turned back to Olivia. "Ye know I work for an agency that specializes in investigation. We're working with the CIA on this case."
Whelan snorted. "That's a cleaned up version."
Robby scowled at him. "Ye called Connor an hour ago about this place. Ye wanted us to come here first."
"I thought the Malcontents might still be here," Whelan said. "Are they?"
Robby shook his head. "They've already left."
"Who are the Malcontents?" Olivia asked. "And how did you magically appear in the front yard?"
Robby stiffened.
Whelan chuckled. "Yeah, try explaining that to your girlfriend."
Robby's jaw shifted. "The Malcontents are the terrorists I told you about."
"The ones who tortured you?" she asked.
"Aye. We believe they murdered these people."
"Stop sanitizing the truth," Whelan snarled. "They drained every drop of blood from these people, then slashed their throats to hide the bite marks."
Olivia stepped back and bumped into the car. "Bite marks?"
"Did you find any blood around the victims?" Whelan asked.
She shook her head no.
"Whelan, enough." Robby glowered at him. "I need to talk to her in private."
"You haven't told her yet?" Whelan scoffed. "Typical. You bastards are never honest about yourselves."
Olivia swallowed hard. As much as she disliked Whelan, she was afraid he had a point. Robby had materialized out of thin air. And then, there were the other things, like red glowing eyes and leaving her apartment without unlocking the door. She realized with a jolt that he might have simply vanished. "What - what are you?"
Robby regarded her sadly. "I was going to tell you. Tomorrow night."
"Vampires!" Whelan blurted out.
Robby winced.
Olivia blinked. "What?"
"Vampires," Whelan repeated.
Robby's green eyes glittered as he glared at Whelan. "For God's sake, man, go away and let me handle this."
A cold chill teased the back of Olivia's neck. "There's no such thing as vampires."
"Think about it, Ms. Sotiris," Whelan said. "The victims were drained of all blood before their throats were slashed. They were manipulated with vampire mind control. That's why they have no defensive wounds. They never fought back 'cause they were completely controlled."
Vampire mind control? She didn't want to believe vampires existed, but Whelan's description of the crime scene was too accurate. Why would anyone steal a person's blood? Unless they needed it to survive. "How do you know what the crime scene looks like? You never went inside the house."
Whelan shrugged. "I've seen it before. They always use the same M.O."
She looked at Robby. He wasn't denying any of it. He was simply watching her with a worried expression. "Is it true? Do vampires really exist?"
He nodded. "Some are evil, but some are good."
She rubbed her forehead. This was crazy. She might as well believe in leprechauns and fairies. Vampires. Bloodsuckers. They'd slashed the victims' throats to hide bite marks. That meant fangs. A shudder skittered through her. Vampire mind control.
She flinched and looked at Whelan. "You controlled my mind." She moved closer to Robby, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Whelan rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. I'm not the vampire. I'm the one who told you about them."
"Leave us," Robby whispered. "Let me tell her."
Whelan snorted. "You'll just control her and make her stay with you, the same way Roman does to my daughter."
A chill settled on Olivia as memories flashed through her mind. Red glowing eyes, puncture marks in her pillow. Robby never answered the phone or e-mail during the day. She never saw him during the day. Never saw him eat or drink. And could never read his emotions.
She jumped back and stared at him. "No," she whispered. "No."
"Olivia, I can explain."
"Can you deny it? Can you tell me you're not a - " She couldn't even say it.
He stepped toward her. "Ye know I love you."
She stepped back farther and shook her head. He wasn't denying it. She couldn't believe it. He wasn't denying it.
"There's no need to be afraid," he said quietly. "We can talk about it."
A strange sound escaped her mouth, a cross between disbelief and despair. This was the important thing he'd wanted to tell her.
She glanced to the side. The people who had materialized earlier were gathered together by the road. They were keeping a distance and pretending not to watch, but they were casting worried glances at her and Robby and scowling at Whelan.
Vampires. They were all vampires. The murderers were vampires. And Robby.
"No!" She turned and ran into the cornfield. Green leaves swished at her. She batted them away and kept running. Vampires? No. It was ridiculous. It was crazy.
It made sense. It explained everything.
She charged through the field behind the houses. She needed J.L. and Barker. She needed real people.
"Olivia?" J.L. emerged onto the corn row she was running down. "What's wrong?"
"J.L.!" She sprinted toward him.
Barker joined him.
"Oh thank God. You're both okay." She ran into J.L.'s arms and hugged him.
"We were headed back to you," J.L. said. "Are you okay?"
"No." She stepped back, still breathing heavily from her run. And the shock. "You're not going to believe it. It - it's unbelievable."
"You figured it out?" J.L. asked.
"Yes." She pressed a hand to her chest.
"Wow," J.L. muttered. "I had no idea till Barker led me back to his clothes."
"What?"
"Then you don't know?" J.L. looked at their supervisor. "Maybe you should tell her."
"What?" Olivia repeated.
Barker sighed. "I'm a shape-shifter."
"What?"
"I was the Irish wolfhound. I shifted to try to track down the children, but I couldn't trace their scent."
She stared at him. "No."
"Yes," Barker replied.
She stepped back. "No." Her boyfriend had fangs, and her boss was a dog? Her world was tipping upside down. Where had all the normal people gone? She shivered. The normal people were the dead ones in the farmhouses.
She glanced suspiciously at J.L. "And what are you? Do you turn into an animal, too?"
"I wish. I think I'd be a dragon. That would be cool."
"No." She retreated another step. "Not cool." She heard swishing sounds behind her.
"Olivia?" Robby called.
She spun around. Dear God, no. He was coming after her.
"Is that Robby?" J.L. asked. "What's he doing here?"
"Vampire," she whispered. "They're all vampires."
"Holy cow," Barker muttered.
The dog speaks, she thought faintly. Green corn plants swirled around her, and she saw dancing stars.
"Olivia." Robby pushed through some plants into their row.
She stumbled back, and Barker caught her. She lurched away from him, and Robby made a grab for her. God, no. She was stuck between a vampire and a man-dog. The cornfield swayed, and everything went black.