Always the Vampire (37 page)

“We’d get towed,” Saber said flatly.

“Not if we staged your SUV and Triton’s F-250 to look like one of them had a dead battery.”

“Let’s see the layout up there first,” Saber said.

We pulled open the fourth-level door and my spirits sank. The space was enormous, much bigger than it looked in my dream. Pole lights bathed what seemed like acres of parking lot, and except for the small elevator hallways on the west side, there was nowhere to take cover. No shadows to blend into. Bottom line, we’d be exposed as soon as we hit the roof.

Then again, so would Starrack and his oily blob sidekick.

“Lots of room to maneuver up here,” Saber observed as we neared the traffic ramp, “and the perimeter walls are high enough to conceal us, but containment could be a problem.”

“Way to understate,” Triton joked. “It doesn’t look like blocking this ramp will work, either. There are parking spaces on both sides, and spare room for two cars to pass.”

“But if we block the middle of the ramp,” I countered, “only a mini-car or a motorcycle would fit through the space that’s left.”

Triton gave me a doubtful look. “I don’t know, Cesca.”

Hands on his hips, Saber surveyed the vast expanse of concrete and pole lights. “On thing is sure. Whatever battle plan we come up with, it better be killer.”

 

 

Monday I was awake by eleven in the morning again. Yes, I had gone to sleep long before dawn had broken, but still. It seemed that the alarm incident of Friday had altered my sleep patterns, and I had no idea how long the trend would last.

Of course, being up, showered, and functional so early in the day did afford me the opportunity to see Saber before he left.

I sat in the kitchen watching him take the last bites of a bologna sandwich. I didn’t get the attraction of bologna, but then I wasn’t a food aficionado. Except when it came to fig bars, or the texture and taste of gelato.

Snowball, however, loved the lunch meat, yet she wasn’t camped at Saber’s feet.

“Where’s the cat?”

“Hoarding her bologna under the couch. I fed her the kibble, emptied and refilled her litter box, and I’ll take out the trash when I leave.”

“I’ll say it again, you are the man.”

He grinned and chewed.

“So what else has my super guy done this morning?”

“Talked with Triton,” he said around a swallow. “He got two more liquor store hits, so I’m on my way to see the managers. I’ll get an update from Triton while I’m out. If more stores report missing bottles of ouzo, I’ll track down the details.”

“And if Starrack has hit other stores, we’ll have a better idea of how long he’s been in the area, too, although I still wonder why he hasn’t come at us with everything he’s got.”

“A full-frontal assault?”

I raised a brow. “Did the war movie we watched last night get into your dreams, too?”

“Yeah. Maybe Starrack is waiting for the Void to do the transition thing Cosmil mentioned.”

“Wait, that would make perfect sense,” I said excitedly. “And if that’s what he’s waiting for, and the transition is supposed to happen after the weekend, it buys us more time.”

“Unless we’re wrong and Starrack is biding his time for another reason.” My honey laid his hand over mine. “I know you’re worried about putting Maggie and Neil in the line of fire, but if we can flush Starrack out of hiding before their big day, at least we won’t worry that he’ll crash the wedding.”

“Oh, geez, I don’t want to think about that scene. You know,” I added as he rose to rinse his plate, “there really needs to be Bad Guy Stress Syndrome.”

“Yeah? How would that work?” Saber asked, putting his plate and a knife in the dishwasher.

“You know. The bad guy would get an adrenaline rush, then
ack, argh
—” I clutched my chest. “He’d fall over dead. Save the good guys the muss and fuss.”

Saber shook his head. “And here Triton doesn’t appreciate the tyrant side of you.”

He pulled me to my feet for a long kiss. “I may be gone most of the afternoon, but I’ll be back before we’re due at Cosmil’s.”

Snowball peeped from under the sofa and meowed as Saber closed the front door. I sighed. I really could get used to this cohabitation thing. Here or at Saber’s place. Let’s face it, the way my afterlife had gone for the last seven months, Maggie and Neil would certainly be safer if I moved. They’d have no trouble renting the cottage to a nice, quiet Flagler college student.

As long as I had daylight to burn, I was determined to knock one task after another off my maid of honor list. And since both DennyK and John lived out of town, I pulled double duty seeing to the best man and groomsmen chores.

Maggie’s wedding dress had hung in her closet since August, so I ticked that item off my list. The tuxes were ready for pick up on Friday, along with the extra-fancy cuff links. The bridesmaid dresses, sans bustles, were also ready and waiting. I phoned the caterer, the florist, and Daphne, diva of wedding cakes, and all was a go. The rental company would deliver and set up the tents, tables, and chairs Saturday morning by noon, and the florist would work her magic inside and out at two. Since my fridge was nearly always more empty than full, the caterer and Daphne would use my kitchen as well as Maggie’s.

After putting calls in to the pastor to remind him of the rehearsal plans and the wedding party to be sure everyone knew when to be where, I left messages for Maggie and Neil confirming the week’s wedding details had been checked. In Neil’s message, I also asked about the parking arrangements and the musicians. I’d sent the business that was letting us use its parking lot a letter a month ago, following up for Neil. We should be good to go on that front, but I needed to know if Neil was paying the valets in advance, or if that was something I’d need to do the day of the wedding. Neil might not want my help with the details he was supposed to take care of, but it didn’t hurt to drop a reminder.

Of course, I’d double- and triple-check the details before Friday, but that was my job. I also needed to get both the essential and emergency wedding-kit supplies gathered, boxed in little plastic bins, and labeled. Since Maggie would dress for the wedding upstairs in her bedroom, Neil downstairs in the den, most of the supplies were already in the house. But I’d make up the boxes anyway to save us from searching for needed items at the last minute.

My maid of honor duties for the day completed, I sat at the kitchen table to make a new, completely different plan of attack.

Yep, much as I didn’t want to do battle on Friday night, I had to face the strong possibility I’d be doing exactly that. In which case, I needed to move from basic training to war games. I needed to be as prepared as possible to do more for the team than suck Void energy.

Really, it was too bad we couldn’t just shoot Starrack.

Or could we?

“A magical bomb?”

Dumbfounded, Cosmil looked from me to Lia, then at Saber and Triton. He even cast a glance at Pandora lounging in panther form at the front door.

Yes, I’d managed to bring Saber and Triton on board with my mini battle plan. I’d also made a stop at the special events field and parking garage en route to Cosmil’s to snap photos from every angle I thought we might need. I’d even flown to get aerial shots.

That’s why at eight o’clock Triton, Saber, and I had rolled into the parking area by Cosmil’s shack, ready to present a united front.

Though I hadn’t expected the question to strike Cosmil mute.

“Yeah, a magical bomb,” I repeated. “Like the kind that hit the COA compound. Would that kill Starrack?”

Saber turned to Lia. “You implied that Starrack is cocky. Believes he’s unbeatable in a fight with us. With his ego, would he think to ward himself from that kind of attack?”

Her brow furrowed in thought. “I honestly don’t know.”

“It doesn’t have to be a big bomb with a lot of flash,” Triton put in. “Just enough bang to do the job.”

“We’d try shooting him with a regular pistol, but that will make too much noise and draw attention.”

Lia snorted at me. “I should think so.”

“Any chance Starrack would use a mundane weapon on us?”

“Like an Uzi?” Her eyes twinkled. “No. He would consider that primitive and beneath him.”

“Then we’re going to need that bomb.”

Cosmil shook his head. “Lia and I do not use our magick to attack others, Francesca. We use it only for defense.”

“Technically, Cosmil, you wouldn’t be the ones attacking. We would. The best defense is a good offense, and we’re gonna need every weapon at our disposal.”

“Francesca, you have feared that embracing your powers would corrupt your soul. I believe you are beginning to understand that will not come to pass, but if we use our magick to kill, it may well kill our magick.”

“Killing hasn’t put a crimp in Starrack’s,” I groused.

“It still may,” Lia said. “Besides, if you kill Starrack before you have some control over the Void, it’s likely to run amok without its maker. The ownerless thought form we have locked in the Council compound hasn’t yet died, and it’s been there three years.”

“No problem. I’ll be draining the Void’s energy as soon as I find enough of it to suck.”

“Still, using our power to kill is out of the question,” Cosmil declared.

“Then how about making a couple of bombs that will distract Starrack long enough to give us an advantage?”

“A diversionary tactic?”

“With a punch of shock value.”

“That we could do. What else is on your mind, Francesca?”

“Did you get Legrand’s tissue sample from France?”

“This morning,” Cosmil confirmed. “The sample does carry the Void smell, but has not added sufficient potency to our spell to overcome whatever cloaking Starrack is doing. Not yet. Be assured we will not give up.”

“Then it’s even more critical that I train with Saber and Triton. I know my primary role is to suck bad guy energy, but I have to be ready for the spells Starrack might throw at us in case I need to take up the slack. Fireballs, laser fingers, freeze zaps. Whatever he has up his sleeve.”

Lia raised a brow. “You’re resigned that the confrontation may take place on Friday?”

“I know when not to fight the tide.”

“Very well,” Cosmil said. “You will train together.”

“We also,” Triton put in, “need to know if you and Lia will be with us. Will you physically help out with counter spells?”

Cosmil nodded slowly. “We had planned to be present for the confrontation but out of sight.”

I snorted. “Then you better count on a be-invisible spell because there isn’t much cover on the roof of the parking garage. I have photos you need to see, and Saber got security video of Starrack.”

“You did?” Triton asked.

“Thanks to your phone calls. Two of the four stores that had missing ouzo also had video. The clips are fairly clear, so they’ll help ID Starrack when the time comes.”

Saber set up his laptop and inserted a DVD. Though I’d already seen the footage, I crowded behind Triton and Lia for another look at what the sketch hadn’t shown us. Starrack appeared to be shorter and huskier than Cosmil, but the shape of the chin, cheekbones, and eyes bore out the family resemblance. At one point in the first clip, he looked straight into a low-mounted camera he didn’t seem to know was there. In the footage, his eye color showed up as more of a flat, rainy-day gray than Cosmil’s brighter blue gray eyes. Starrack’s gunmetal gray hair was also different, cut in a shorter style than Lia had depicted.

In each piece of video, Starrack moved with supreme arrogance, whether he wore casual jeans and a polo shirt, or dressier slacks and a button up shirt. His clothing was the only detail of his appearance that changed from store to store, so perhaps he wasn’t into disguises.

“Tracking his thefts, Starrack has hit liquor stores from Daytona Beach and Palm Coast to Palatka and St. Augustine. The incidents have been happening for about two weeks are usually on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.” He paused to look at Cosmil and Lia. “Does this pattern mean anything to you, other than he’s run out of booze?”

Cosmil shook his head. “It means nothing that I can think of, but it does set him up to strike again on Friday.”

“It also proves Starrack was in town when I shifted,” Triton said.

“He had to work fast to hire those thugs who beat up Triton.”

Lia shook her head. “Starrack could’ve easily attracted shady characters merely by offering a large sum of money to the criminals.”

“Cesca, show them your photos now,” Saber said as he ejected the DVD.

I fished my camera with its combo charger and download cord from my workout shorts pocket, and plugged in. When the photos flashed up on the computer screen, I saw they had turned out better than I’d feared they might. My dinky digital rocked.