Dire Straits (10 page)

‘How in the hell do I know? Maybe they were pissed off that it didn’t work so they came after him instead.’

‘What do you mean “it didn’t work”? All I know is you had a summons for the Agathos court against some half-breed called O’Shee.’

‘O’Shea,’ I correct, suspicious of his pleas of ignorance.

‘I don’t know what happened to you yesterday, Bo. Talk me through it.’

I circle his bed like a caged cat. ‘Put your hands where I can see them first.’

He looks at me, exasperated, but does as I ask, placing them on top of the sheet. ‘I’m in ICU, Bo. I’m hardly in a position to attack you.’

‘You look pretty damn healthy to me.’

‘Check my chart,’ he says quietly.

I retrieve his chart and scan it. My face pales.

‘That vampire severed my spinal cord.’

I stare at him.

‘I’m never going to walk again.’

I swallow hard. ‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘But that doesn’t mean you didn’t betray me.’

‘There was no betrayal, Bo. Not from me and not from Tam.’

I sit on a chair by the bed. ‘So talk to me, Arzo. Tell me what happened and how it went down.’

A muscle jerks in his cheek. ‘All I know is that we received a request from a barrister over at the Agathos court. It was nothing out of the ordinary. They just needed someone to deliver a summons to a daemon dealing in under-the-counter magic. We’ve had hundreds of cases like it. You know that.’

‘What’s the lawyer’s name?’

‘Something French. D’Argneau, perhaps.’

‘Has he used us before?’

‘Once or twice.’

I’m not going to give him an inch. ‘Was it once or was it twice?’

He gives an odd, humourless laugh. ‘You know, when Tam hired you I had a lot of misgivings. Now I’m starting to understand what he saw in you.’

I don’t blink. Arzo sighs. ‘It was twice. Both were summons. I think Boris took them.’

‘Why didn’t Boris take this one?’

He shrugs. ‘He was on another case.’

My body tenses in anticipation of my next question. ‘I need to know this, Arzo. Did this lawyer ask specifically for me?’

‘No.’ His gaze is frank and honest.

‘Why did Tam assign me?’

‘Because your name was at the top of the fucking list, that’s all. You were the next person due out.’

I absorb this information. As far as I can tell, he’s speaking the truth.

‘So why was Dire Straits attacked?’

‘I don’t know,’ he says helplessly. ‘I have no goddamn idea.’

‘It has to be connected to O’Shea. It’s too much of a coincidence not to be. Which Family was the vampire from? From where I was hiding, I could only see his head.’

‘There was nothing. No colours or badges that I saw.’

I give him a hard look. ‘Are you sure?’

He nods.

‘It’s possible that all the Families are involved.’ I tell him about the different cards that have been left with Rebecca. Oddly, he doesn’t seem too surprised. In fact, he shifts somewhat uncomfortably.

‘Ah,’ he says, ‘yes, they’re all taking an interest.’

I’m immediately on my guard. After all, he’s been in hospital for the better part of the last day. ‘How do you know?’

A shadow falls across the bed and a deep voice interrupts us. ‘Because I told him.’

I look up and immediately recognise the Montserrat Family Head.

Chapter Ten: The Offer

It takes me less than three seconds to leap to my feet, pick up the chair and lift it in the air. I fling it with all my might at the vampire but he neatly sidesteps, moving faster than I’d have thought possible, and the chair splinters against the opposite wall.

‘You work with some interesting people, Arzo,’ the vampire comments in oddly accented English.

I growl and back away. There’s a window to my left but we’re on the third floor. Even if I could open it and jump out, it’s unlikely that I’d escape without breaking several limbs. The vampire is blocking the only other exit. Flight is out; I’m going to have to fight.

I fumble inside my jacket to pull out the pepper spray which I returned to its usual pocket before leaving The Steam Team. Due to the stupid doctor’s coat I’m still wearing, it’s hard to extricate although I finally manage it.

‘Bo,’ Arzo begins.

‘Shut up,’ I hiss. I can’t believe I fell for his freaking lies.

‘It’s not what you think, Bo,’ he continues.

I ignore him and keep my eyes trained on the vampire. He’s larger in person than he looks in the photos. His frame fits the entire doorway although it’s clear there’s not an ounce of fat on his body – if vampires can get fat, that is. No, this guy’s all muscle. He’s wearing a well-tailored suit in the Montserrat colour of midnight blue, but it defines the strength in his body rather than disguising it. Trust me to get on the wrong side of the one Family Head who’s capable of doing his own dirty work. It’ll be a miracle if I get out of this alive.

He inclines his head. His hair is dark and close-cropped. He’s not the bloodguzzler who attacked Dire Straits but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t one of his minions. In fact, it’s looking increasingly likely. No wonder Arzo survived when everyone else was slaughtered – he must be working for them. I bet he’s pissed off about having to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair as a result. I wonder for a moment if that was part of the plan to make his own story more believable. It’s a hell of a sacrifice if it’s true.

‘I’ve met your grandfather a few times, Ms Blackman. He’s an’ – the vampire licks his lips for a moment, displaying white, even teeth – ‘interesting person.’ At least he’s keeping his fangs hidden.

‘He’ll be an even more interesting person to know when he discovers you’ve murdered me,’ I snarl.

He looks surprised then smiles. ‘Oh, I’m not here to hurt you.’

‘Bo,’ interrupts Arzo, ‘listen to him. He’s telling the truth.’

‘I thought I told you to shut up.’

The vampire raises his eyebrows at Arzo. ‘She’s feisty.’

I grip the pepper spray. Maybe if I can get a small dose in his eyes, then leap over the bed and kick him in the side to get out of the door…

‘Ms Blackman,’ he holds his palms up towards me, ‘please put that silly spray down.’

I raise it an inch higher. If I’m going down, it’s not without a fight.

‘It’s not going to help you.’ The tone is his voice is slightly patronising. It’s amazing how often people speak to me like that because of my height. Normally it doesn’t bother me; right now I feel intensely annoyed.

‘Just tell me one thing, Arzo,’ I say, deciding to piss off the vampire by ignoring him. ‘How long have you been working for the fucking bloodguzzlers?’

‘I don’t work for them, Bo,’ Arzo begins.

Before he can finish, I take advantage of the fact that the looming vampire flicks his eyes towards Arzo and press down on the canister, letting loose a jet of stinging spray. Then I bounce up, using one toe on the edge of the hospital bed to launch up and over. I’m not even back on the ground when I realise my attempt is futile. The spray hasn’t affected Montserrat and, even though I attempt to kick out and connect with his ribs to knock him to the side, he grabs me by the waist. Pulling me down, he twists my body round until he’s holding me against him but facing Arzo.

‘Dumb move,’ he whispers in my ear. He smells of dark masculine spice.

I draw my elbow back to ram it into his stomach but his arm tightens until I can’t move. In fact, I can barely breathe.

Arzo looks exasperated. ‘You’re good, Bo, but you’re not that good.’

‘It was worth a try,’ I mutter.

‘As I was saying,’ he says, ‘I don’t work for the vampires.’

‘That’s not what it looks like from here.’

‘I work
with
the vampires,’ he continues.

I sneer. ‘Nobody works with the vampires, Arzo. They stick to their own. You’re fooling yourself if you think otherwise.’

Montserrat chuckles. ‘Oh, but he is our own, Ms Blackman.’

I stop trying to resist his hold. ‘He’s no bloodguzzler.’

‘No,’ says Arzo. ‘I’m Sanguine.’

I frown at him. That was Rogu3’s word of the week a couple of years ago so I know exactly what it means. ‘Optimistic and buoyant in the face of adversity?’ I ask sarcastically.

‘He was recruited,’ says Montserrat. ‘But it didn’t take.’

‘What in hell do you mean?’

Arzo sighs. ‘What do you know about the Families’ recruitment?’

I try to shrug but my movement is limited thanks to my captor. ‘Every ten years or so they recruit enough new members to keep their numbers steady at around five hundred. The process is kept secret but not everyone makes it. That’s it, that’s all I know.’

‘In order to turn you,’ Montserrat says silkily into my ear, ‘I would inject you with blood from of one of our higher-order vampires. It takes a full moon cycle to change completely.’

‘So? So what?’

‘Your body only accepts the change when you drink.’

‘When I guzzle blood, you mean.’

His grip tightens until it’s painful. ‘We don’t like the term bloodguzzler, Ms Blackman. And as I was saying, you need to drink blood to fully turn. It’s a show of strength to last the full term. Most only hold out a couple of days but some make it right up to the end.’

‘And some,’ Arzo adds, ‘never drink.’

I look at him. ‘You were turned? But you didn’t drink blood?’

He nods.

‘So are you a vampire or not?’

‘I’m not. I’m Sanguine. I have traces of vampire blood in my system so I heal quickly and I’m stronger than most.’ He glances up at Montserrat. ‘I’m also loyal to my Family. But I’m still human.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘The Families aren’t evil, Bo.’

‘Try telling Tam that.’

‘He wasn’t a sanctioned hit,’ Montserrat says.

‘Bullshit. No vampire makes a move unless the Head says so. Even I know that.’

‘That used to be the case. But there have been several unexplained deaths and disappearances across all five Families. And in each case, we’ve tracked their movements. They’ve all met with the daemon.’

‘O’Shea?’

‘Yes.’

‘So you ordered someone to take him down and sent me to take the fall?’

‘We don’t want him dead, Ms Blackman. We want to talk to him. We had nothing to do with what happened to him.’

‘It was a vampire. There and at Dire Straits.’

‘We know. That’s why we need to find the culprits and deal with them before this becomes a bloodbath.’

‘It’s already a bloodbath,’ I retort. ‘Besides, I don’t know where O’Shea is. I’ve not seen him since yesterday.’

Montserrat finally releases me. I spin round and take several steps backwards. He watches me with cool, dark eyes.

‘You’re not a very good liar.’

I’m a damn good liar. I scowl at him.

‘We have O’Shea.’ He folds his arms across his chest. ‘I’m not sure your employer would be pleased to know that your target is also your lover.’

I stare at him blankly.

‘Water bed?’ His eyes dance.

I feel sick to my stomach. ‘My employer’s dead.’ I look into his eyes. ‘Is O’Shea?’

‘I told you. We only want to talk to him.’

If O’Shea refuses to answer their questions, I can only imagine what the consequences will be. Montserrat must sense what I’m thinking because he adds quickly, ‘We’re not going to hurt him. We’re not monsters.’

I snort.

‘You’ve proven yourself resourceful, Ms Blackman. You got this far and you’re still alive. You’re also out of options.’

‘No, I’m not,’ I’m betting he doesn’t know about Rogu3.

‘The police are after you because of the daemon. And you don’t even have him any more. It’s just a matter of time before one of the other Families catches up with you and drains you of every drop of blood in your system.’

I sense there’s something else he wants to say so I wait.

‘I’ll recruit you.’

Whatever I’m expecting, it isn’t that. ‘It’s not even recruiting season. And I don’t want to be a damn vampire.’

He takes a step towards me. I hold my ground. ‘The recent deaths allow me to set a precedent and open up the ranks early. I can include you on the list.’

‘Why?’

‘I need someone with investigative skills who can find out what is going on with my vampires.’ There’s a note of frustration in his voice that
his
vampires might be turning traitor but I can’t shake the feeling that none of this fits.

I jerk my head at Arzo. ‘Use him.’

‘He’s already known. You’re not.’

‘I don’t want to be a vampire,’ I repeat.

‘Just don’t drink,’ Arzo interjects. ‘Hold out for next full moon and you’ll remain human.’

I throw him a look. From what he’s already intimated, that might be easier said than done.

‘It’s hard, Bo,’ he says softly. ‘It’s not impossible.’

‘No.’ My response is flat.

‘You’ll be protected from the police.’

‘I can protect myself.’

‘The other Families want to talk to you. They know you’re involved. I doubt they’ll be as reasonable as I’m being,’ Montserrat says

‘Except I’m not involved,’ I point out. ‘I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

‘Involved by default.’ He looks at me seriously. ‘Do this and you’ll find out who set you up. Who killed your boss and your friends.’

‘I don’t need to be a fucking vampire to do that.’

‘Yes, Ms Blackman, you do. You’ll gain access to everyone who might have something to do with this. You already know it was a vampire. Sign up and you’ll find out which one.’

‘I won’t do it. Every Family wants to talk to me. That means the mastermind behind all this knows I was at Wiltshore and that I worked for Dire Straits. Let’s face it,’ I scoff, ‘my picture’s been all over the news. As I soon as I show up as a newly-minted vampire recruit, I’ll be mincemeat.’

His eyes gleam. ‘But that’s where the genius of this lies. You can be so angry that your life has been taken away from you that you’ll do anything to screw up the Families.’

‘I
am
angry that my life has been taken away.’

‘So do something about it,’ he challenges.

‘No.’

‘Bo, take a day or two to think about it,’ Arzo says. ‘It’s not the new moon until Saturday. You’ve got time.’

I stare at them both defiantly. ‘I’m not going to change my mind.’

Montserrat remains impassive although Arzo visibly sags.

‘Are you going to let me leave?’ I ask. ‘Or are you going to kill me because I won’t accept your desirable offer?’

A muscle throbs in the vampire’s cheek. For a moment, I’m genuinely not sure what he’s going to do then he steps aside and gestures to the door. ‘You’re free to go.’

‘Bo, don’t do this. Don’t walk away,’ pleads Arzo.

I straighten the lapels of my doctor’s coat and start to walk out. I’m almost at the door when Montserrat catches my arm. I stop and look at him. His face is inches from mine. He reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a card. It’s midnight blue, like his suit.

‘I’ve already got one of those,’ I say, thinking about the ones Rebecca gave me earlier.

‘This is a direct line.’ He holds it up. ‘In case you change your mind.’

I look at the card then at him. ‘I’m not going to change my mind.’

‘Take it anyway.’

I sigh and, for the sake of getting out alive, I take it.

‘I’ll see you around, Ms Blackman.’

I give him an evil look. ‘Not if I see you first.’ And without a backward glance at Arzo, I stalk out.