JAVIER (20 page)

Javier gripped his own arms and ribs briefly as if to
reassure himself that he was actually alive and standing on firm ground not
broken into a hundred pieces on the Docklands tarmac. Then he raced down the
fire-escape; he had to find Walt.

He found him in Harry Marshal’s office bent over the
desk peering intently at the computer screen. As Javier tapped on the door and
entered Walt spun round and Javier found himself at the wrong end of a Beretta.
He raised his hands slightly and relaxed his body;

“I’m looking for Cassia…Miss Mathrafal. Has she been
here?”

Walt shook his head; the gun steady in his hand;

“No. Lost her have you? Well that doesn’t surprise me.
I’ve worked for Mr Marshal for five years and keeping tabs on that daughter of
his must be a minder’s nightmare.”

Javier digested this new kernel of information. So
that was how Harry presented Cassia to the world. He could overpower Walt in
seconds but he preferred to gain his trust; the Human was clearly worried sick.

“Mr Marshal is being held against his will. Miss
Mathrafal has gone after him and I intend to find them both. Were you examining
the CCTV footage?” Javier nodded at the computer screen. Walt slowly lowered
his gun;

“I bloody knew it. It all looks innocent enough but my
gut told me something was up. Here, have a look.”

Javier joined Walt at the desk and watched the
footage. The Human was correct; nothing looked suspicious except that the
person walking behind Harry was Dion Erebus and the expression in Harry’s eyes
as he looked pointedly at the camera spoke volumes. He had not gone willingly.
Javier felt Walt’s close scrutiny; he knew he was checking out the outline of
his gun tucked into the back of his jeans.

“You ex Special Forces or something?” Walt asked
abruptly.

Javier smiled bleakly;

“Something like that. Did you find a message? Anything
Mr Marshal could have left? A note, a number…anything?”

“No, I’ve searched the desk thoroughly.  His mobile
doesn’t answer…nothing, nothing from the moment he got into that Mercedes. I
should have guessed something was up when he sent me for fags…the guy didn’t
smell of smoke and Mr Marshal doesn’t allow smoking in his office.”

“He probably did it to save your life.” Javier
murmured; “This man would have killed you on his way out; he doesn’t like
leaving witnesses.”

Javier phoned the Island;

“Try to get a fix on this mobile would you and check
out the last numbers contacted.” he’d obtained Harry’s number from Walt but
didn’t hold out much hope. Only a complete fool would leave a mobile phone
switched on these days if they were trying to hide. Still, at least he could
trace Cassia’s number from the call log.

Javier shut his eyes for a moment and took himself
back to the picture on Cassia’s phone. Harry Marshal had been sitting on a
chair. Javier had focused only on his image but Cassia had obviously spotted
something else and that something had put her one step ahead of him.

“Where to next? If you’re off searching for Mr.
Marshal I’m coming with you.” Walt was clearly gearing himself up for action.
Javier couldn’t risk it and anyway, the Human would slow him down. Reaching out
quickly he touched his hand to Walt’s temple and, as he slowly subsided into a chair
Javier erased all memories of the last half hour and implanted a different
scenario. Walt would be out cold for at least twenty minutes. Finally Javier
turned to the computer and deleted the CCTV file for the last week. Who knew
how this was going to pan out; it was safer to leave nothing worth looking
into.

He shifted straight from the office onto the roof of
the building to avoid the cameras in the corridor and to give himself a moment
to think. As he looked down at the London streets below Javier fought to keep
his emotions under control. If Cassia materialized in front of him right now he
wasn’t sure if he’d yell at her for her recklessness or grab her and hug her so
tightly her ribs would protest. Probably both, he thought ruefully. He knew why
she had done it; she was fiercely protective of those she loved and she loved
him. She loved him. He remembered the way her eyes had shone when she’d said
the words. He hadn’t told her. How could he not have told her when he’d felt it
in his heart with every kiss, every caress, every breath?  She hadn’t asked
either. With a sharp stab to his heart he realized why; she wasn’t sure he
loved her. Javier rubbed his eyes wearily and groaned.

He needed to keep a clear head if he was going to find
her. Where was she? What had she seen that he had missed? She had examined the
picture fixedly, turning the screen this way and that. She had seen something
in the background and recognized it. Well she had been in both the Erebus
properties; the one where Flavia had been held and the one in Surrey. It was
unlikely Dion would go back to the first place but he didn’t know they had
broken into the Surrey house.

What had Chronus’s agent reported? Dion’s black
Mercedes had been to the Surrey house and had left. Javier suddenly laughed
humourlessly. The car had blacked out windows; it was perfectly possible that
Dion had stayed at the house and sent the car away with his driver. The time
frame would fit.

He sent a quick text to Gabriel. His theory was
certainly worth checking out. Time to find out what that bastard had really
been after from the beginning.

CHAPTER 18

Cassia shifted into exactly the same spot she had
arrived at previously with Javier and Chronus and peered over the wall. There
were lights shining through the windows of Dion’s Surrey house casting their
glow onto the manicured lawn in front. She looked up quickly; it was a dark
night, the moon completely obscured by clouds. Good, that was to her advantage.
She watched the house pensively; she could either march up to the front door
and announce herself or she could take the stealthier approach. What would
Javier do? Cassia gasped and hugged herself. He would be so angry with her but
she could cope with that as long as he was safe; safe from whatever awaited her
in that house. When she got back after this was over she would try to
explain…if she got back.

Dogs…where were the damned dogs? Springing nimbly onto
the wall Cassia walked along it and sniffed the air. Wherever they were it was
not close by; another lucky break. She loosened the belt of her multi-pocketed
jacket so it didn’t fit snugly against her body. All the heavier and bulkier
items had been distributed into the front pockets and she hoped they would
prove a distraction if she needed one. Her mind was made up; she would use the
stealthy approach and give herself an advantage. Concentrating her mind she
shifted straight up onto the roof. As she moved carefully over the tiles
towards a flatter terraced area she wished she was in her work shoes; the biker
boots were heavier, less flexible and much noisier.

Her gamble paid off as she spotted a round roof
window. She peered inside, it was covered with cobwebs and obviously never
used; it led to the attics. Fishing out her cutting tool Cassia traced a neat
circle on the window pane then eased out the glass. Reaching through the hole
she undid the catch, opened the window then slid sinuously inside, her feet
touching the floor almost silently. She was in.

The attic room was pokey and led to another one; these
had obviously been maids’ rooms in earlier times. Eventually Cassia came to a
small dusty wooden staircase and crept down it. She tried the narrow door at
the bottom; it wasn’t locked. Pushing it open just a crack, she listened
intently. She could hear voices but they came from downstairs; she was certain
this floor was empty.

She stepped into the corridor, wincing as the door
squeaked slightly. How many of them were in the house? She sniffed; yes, human
blood; Harry was here all right. Taking a deep breath Cassia deliberately
stilled her thoughts and her emotions. Those were Empaths down there and they
were known to be able to sense danger; she needed to keep her emotions locked
down. Best to pretend she was on a job; her mind was like ice when she was
working.

Reaching the edge of the galleried staircase Cassia
stood in the shadows and looked down into the hall. Unless they had moved Harry
she knew exactly which room they had him in. A door opened and she melted back
against the wall as two men came out of the study she had searched with Javier.
Her heart thudded; one of them was Dion Erebus, she recognized him from Harry’s
photo. The other man was an Elder. As the two men stood in the hall the Elder
turned and the light caught his face. Cassia fought for control as her mouth
went dry and her heart crashed against her ribs. The Elder was a mature version
of Dion; this had to be Draco Erebus.

The conversation between the two men stopped as Draco
suddenly looked puzzled then glanced around him;

“Papa? Che cos’e?” Dion’s eyes followed his father’s;

The Elder looked all around the hall then shrugged and
continued towards the front door;

“Niente. Deve essere umano. Fino a domani.”

The two men shook hands and clasped shoulders then
Draco left.

Cassia opened her eyes. It had taken an epic effort to
control her emotions after the shock of seeing the man she now knew had
destroyed her father. Thank goodness she had managed it because it had saved
her from discovery. Draco Erebus had sensed danger but he had blamed his
feelings of foreboding on the human…on Harry. The only consolation was that
Dion Erebus had not sensed her. Hadn’t Chronus said he was a Beta Empath? He
obviously did not possess the same finely tuned empathic powers as his father.
Good, her luck was holding.

As Dion returned to the study Cassia assessed her
situation. What exactly was her plan? She was playing this completely by ear;
best case scenario she’d grab Harry and shift out with him. However that was
risky; she had no way of telling if the security net was armed. She should
assume it was. Next best scenario…she and Harry would make a nimble escape through
a window. They had plenty of practice at that manoeuvre. First she had to get
to Harry; she was sure he was tied up or he would have already escaped. Locks
were no obstacle to him either.

Descending the stairs silently Cassia crossed to the
room with the lasers and carefully opened the door. Both Harry’s hands were
handcuffed to a chair and behind him on the wall was the Rembrandt. She had
recognized the bottom left quadrant of the painting in the picture Dion had
sent to her phone.

Harry appeared to be unconscious and Cassia pushed the
door shut then rushed across the room, dropping to her knees in front of him.

“Oh god Harry, what have they done?” she hissed as she
shook him.

“Harry! Wake up!” Cassia took out her picks and
hurriedly unlocked the cuffs. She could manage, she was strong enough to carry
him. She was a Vampire after all.

As she gripped Harry under the arms and lifted him
from the chair he suddenly jerked into consciousness;

“Cassia! You shouldn’t have come here my darling. Put
me down for heaven’s sake.”

Cassia eased him back into the chair;

“What did he do? Did he whack you? Come on Harry, get
up, we have to leave…”

Cassia moved swiftly to the window and checked the
frame for sensors; knowing what was kept in this room she expected the worst
and she was right.

“Cassia.” Harry said;

“I’m just going to disable these Harry then we’ll
vamoose.” Cassia muttered as she concentrated.

“Looks like we’re staying a little longer my girl.”
Harry’s tone was grim and Cassia suddenly felt her skin crawl. Gripping the
screwdriver tightly in her hand she turned around slowly.

Dion Erebus leaned casually against the doorframe with
his arms crossed. Another man stood with his gun pressed against Harry’s
temple.

“The beautiful and intrepid Cassia Mathrafal. A
pleasure to meet you at last. Do come and join us, carefully… Cyrus there has a
really itchy trigger finger.”

Cassia moved calmly into the centre of the room;

“How did you detect me?” she asked, genuinely
interested.

“My father’s instincts are never wrong. After he left
I realized there could not have been a threat from the Human because he was
unconscious so I decided to check and I’m so glad I did. Can I claim a first
Miss Mathrafal? I believe I can…never been caught before have you?  Well,
you’ve never broken into an Empath house.”

Cassia gave her most dazzling smile; she couldn’t
understand it, she should be afraid but she felt nothing except curiosity. Her
mind was crystal clear.

“Who do you think stole your father’s Goya? Oh, and by
the way, this is my second visit to this house.”

“Cassia.” Harry’s tone sent her a warning.

“Cyrus, search her.” Dion ordered abruptly.

The Empath Cyrus had the coldest eyes Cassia had ever
seen. They were the colour of ice as they stood eye to eye.

“Empty your pockets.” his voice was dead calm.

This was a stroke of luck. With much scowling Cassia
removed items from the bulky pockets of her jacket and banged them down on the
table one after the other saving the ones at the back.

“And the back pockets.” said Cyrus.

Cassia hesitated a moment then huffed reluctantly,
fished out the three items from her back pockets and slammed those down beside
the other stuff.

“Arms out to the sides.” Cyrus rapped out.

He started patting her down starting at the bottom of
her legs and moving up. With a little smirk he pulled her mobile phone out of
the back pocket of her jeans and threw it onto the table.

“Enjoying a feel are you?” Cassia barked, ready for
the next step.

Cyrus actually grinned as he moved up her waist
towards her breasts. Cassia threw her body into full hunting mode feeling her
canines punch out into her mouth.

“Touch me there and I’ll rip your throat out.” she
said smiling coldly, giving him the full benefit of her sharp teeth.

Cyrus hesitated then moved to continue; Cassia zeroed
her vision in on his throat knowing her eyes had turned almost black then
hissed and struck forward as though to carry out her threat.

Cyrus leapt away from her and Cassia saw genuine
horror in his cold eyes. Fear of Vampires was deeply rooted in the psyche of
Empaths; especially fear and disgust at her kind’s need for blood. She had
counted on that. She growled deep in her throat for added drama then stopped;
no need to overdo it.

“She’s clean.” Cyrus backed away across the room and
Cassia saw that Dion was staring at her with complete fascination. She glanced
at Harry and her heart ached; he was horrified. Well, why wouldn’t he be? She
had just lived up to every Human stereotype of Vampires he had ever seen.

Taking a deep breath she sat calmly in one of the
chairs as she felt her body return to normal. It was uncomfortable but the neat
gun Javier had given her stayed firmly in its place. She’d just have to find
the right moment to use it and that meant getting those two Empaths to relax a
bit. The way things were at the moment, one false move on her part and Cyrus
would blow Harry’s brains out. Dion looked like a man who was full of his own
importance; she would get him to talk about himself.

“Where is Javier of Seville?” asked Dion

“Locked up. I escaped from him.” answered Cassia
truthfully. She pushed Javier out of her mind; she couldn’t risk the Empaths
reading her feelings about him. She continued, trying to change the subject;

“You referred to my father in your text, what has any
of this got to do with him?”

“Ah yes, Hugo of the Mathrafal bloodline. A dreamer,
an idealist, a pacifist for god’s sake. So noble, so brave. It took months and
months but he never broke. My father tried everything and he is a powerful
Empath. I was a very young man, barely six decades old when I watched. It was
part of my training you see; training to join the most successful Intelligence
corps on the planet. You would not know anything about that, Human; your
species lives your trivial little lives blissfully unaware of us as we walk
through time watching you repeat history again and again. It’s tiresome.”

Cassia’s heart thudded. Dion Erebus had watched the
torture of her father. She glanced at Harry and noted the warning in his eyes.

“I am surprised they would consider a Beta Empath for
the intelligence corps. Nepotism was obviously alive and well at Empath HQ well
into the nineteenth century.” she spat out.

Dion’s eyes widened and Cassia gasped as she felt a
sharp painful stab into her mind; so even Beta Empaths could do that then.
Well, she would resist him. She stared at Dion as he continued trying to read
her, sweat breaking out on her upper lip as her hands gripped the arms of the
chair. He released her abruptly and she leaned over panting.

“Stop that! Leave her alone.” Harry shouted.

“Do you want to know how your father resisted for so
long?” Dion asked casually as he stretched out his arms then flicked at a speck
of dust on his trousers.

Cassia didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of
asking but she had always wondered. When she had asked her father tentatively
in his lucid moments he had kissed her and told her it was because of her. No
doubt he had said that to humour his child.

“How?” she found herself asking; she remembered
Chronus talking about the need to know. Yes, she understood that completely.

Dion smiled knowingly;

“The Vampires who joined Aries Achilles’s underground
resistance group were taught Empath shielding techniques as part of their
training. Oh, I know you Vamps have mental shielding techniques of your own as
you just demonstrated but these can be enhanced. Do you know what your father
thought about? The thing that stopped him from betraying his group?  The thing
that stopped even my father from being able to tell whether he was telling the
truth or spinning a story after months of interrogation?”

“You my little princess, I always thought
of you.”
Cassia heard her father’s voice echo down the decades.

“What was it?” she asked through stiff lips; here was
her comeuppance at last, her punishment for the life she had led.

“He thought of you. He kept a picture of you at the
front of his mind and his love for you deep in his heart. Love is a powerful
shield Miss Mathrafal. His Cassia, his little princess.”

Cassia stared blindly at Dion Erebus as tears streamed
silently down her cheeks.