Last Call For Caviar (31 page)

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EPILOGUE

P
AYBACK
I
S A
B
ITCH

The priest and the nun said they didn’t know the arrogant bitch, but Vlad knew when someone was lying to him. He was an expert at reading facial tells and body language, though he hadn’t developed his sixth-sense playing liar’s poker. He’d honed this special talent conducting hundreds of savage interrogations back in the hell-hole that had spawned him, Sarajevo. He knew how to strip a man of all his dignity, lay him bare to his essence of blood and bone. They might start out lying, but in the end they always begged to tell the truth. Most recently, he’d found a demand for his skills here on the Cote d’Azur.

He relished the unease he’d seen flickering in the depths of the nun’s clear gray eyes. She wasn’t bad looking for a nun. The repressed, holier-than-thou-types were invariably the hottest in bed. He would enjoy teaching her how to pray to a different kind of god. In the end she would beg for it. Underneath, they were all the same—whores.

He could feel himself getting hard just imagining her naked body—the blood like slashes of scarlet against her milk-white flesh—tied spread-eagled to his bed. He ran his tongue over his sharpened incisors. He could almost taste the fear that would drench her in a cold sweat.

He remembered how her hand had sought out the comfort of the wooden cross that nestled between her breasts. He laughed. A flimsy talisman that had no power to ward off his kind of evil. He didn’t have the time right now, but he made a promise to himself, he would pay the nun a late-night visit, very soon.

He started the powerful engine on the Mercedes, and drove through a maelstrom of debris and branches down the oak-lined driveway of the Farm. The sun burned like a cauldron of fire. Streaks of lightning snaked across the blood-stained sky. Under the light, the surrounding countryside seemed to smolder and steam as though the world were about to burst into flame.

No, he hadn’t believed the nun or the priest. Although, the priest had been a better liar. He’d shown no fear, believing himself to be armored by holy righteousness. It was the dawn of a new age and his god couldn’t protect him anymore. The earth had been ripped off its foundation, the gate between worlds shattered, and new gods had come out to play.

He thought of the other one. The crazy cunt who’d shot out his tires. No whore had ever gotten the better of him. He was planning on taking his sweet time with her.

Vlad had been looking for the blue-eyed bitch ever since she’d escaped his trap on the mountain road by the Italian border. He was a hunter. Eventually, he knew he would find her.

He’d stumbled across the seemingly-abandoned observatory six weeks ago. When he picked the lock on the garage door, and seen the battered green Land Rover inside, he knew it was just a matter of time before he made her acquaintance again. Properly this time.

Vlad had thoroughly searched the living quarters in the observatory. He could smell she’d been there. A trace of her perfume lingered in the air. Vlad was a professional. She would never know he’d touched her things. Lain with his head on her pillow—marking his territory—as he brought himself to climax imagining all the depraved games they would play.

The isolated observatory would have been the perfect place for their long-awaited reunion. But he’d been too busy this last month at the Farm, while the defenses of the Security Zone crumbled, and his new master’s plans in Monaco came to fruition.

It had been easy to place the GPS tracker under the Land Rover’s rear bumper on his second visit to the observatory. He glanced at the screen on the hand-held tracking device. The car-shaped blip showed the direction and coordinates of the Land Rover. She was heading north into the Alps towards the French-Swiss border.

She had a forty minutes head start on him, but in the end it wouldn’t matter. The powerful Mercedes surged forward, eating up the miles on the winding backcountry road that led towards the looming peaks. He needed to plot a route to intercept her. Once he pinpointed her direction, he would need to scout out the perfect spot for an ambush. The cunt was armed, and not afraid to shoot first.

He reached the turnoff for the mountain road that led to the Alps. The wind shrieked and clawed at the Mercedes, but Vlad handled the sinuous mountain road with ease. The blood storm was building in fury. Sheets of lightning crackled on all sides. As he roared past, a pine burst into a fireball from a direct strike. The flames leapt from treetop to treetop.

Vlad laughed, reveling in the power of nature unleashed in all her wrath. The fury sang to a corresponding savagery in his own blood. He had her scent now. She couldn’t be that far ahead. He glanced at the screen of the tracking device again. Twenty-five—thirty minutes—at the most.

As Vlad accelerated through the tunnel of fire he imagined her face, the terror dawning in her eyes as she realized that this time there would be no escape. In the reflected light from the flames, his fangs looked as though they were covered by a sheen of blood.

“I’m right behind you, bitch. This story’s not over by a long shot.” He threw his head back and let out a bone-chilling howl.

“Run, you fucking whore. There’s nowhere left to hide…”

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G
LOSSARY OF
F
RENCH AND
I
TALIAN

FRENCH EXPRESSIONS AND DIALOGUE:

Le petit mort: The little death

France sans culottes: France without panties.

Si vous chercher le femme: Look for a woman (to be involved).

Ca va ma petite?: Are you alright little one?

Tu est la toute seule?: Are you here all alone?

Bonjour, vous allez ou?: Good day, where are you going?

Le Seigneur: Jesus Christ

Bonjour ma petite beaute…je suis K.O.: Hello, beautiful….I’m out for the count (dead tired).

Quoi? : What?

Je m’en fous: I don’t give a damn.

Putain! : All purpose swear word, may variously mean, Hell! Damn! Fuck!

Putain! Tu es folle ou quoi? : Fuck! What are you crazy?

C’est impossible de discuiter avec toi.: It’s impossible to discuss this with you.

Cherie (f) Cheri (m): Darling

Tu es trop marrante, ma belle: You are too funny, my beauty.

Tu es trop beau: You are so handsome.

Le petit apero: Cocktail before a meal.

Salut les gars: Hi guys.

Merde: Shit

Palais: Palace

Roche or Roc: Rock

Bon Chic Bon Genre (BCBG): Very Chic, Very Upper Class

Maghreb: North Africa, region of Morocco and Algeria. Former colonies of France.

Banlieu: Suburb/ outskirts of a town or city. Low income area populated by immigrants, or their descendants.

Gendarme: Police

Surete Publique: Police Intelligence

Bourgeoisie: Well-educated, upper or middle class

Chapelet: Rosary

De riguer: Prescribed or dictated by fashion, etiquette or custom.

Pas de soucie: Don’t worry. It’s okay.

PLACES IN FRANCE

Rade de Villefranche: Bay of Villefranche. Deep water bay bordered by the towns of Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat.

St Jean Cap Ferrat: Cape or peninsula, located between Nice and Monaco. An enclave of the super-rich in France.

Les Faculte de Lettres: University in Nice

La Mala (plage): Mala Beach, located in the community of Cap d’Ail

Cap d’Ail: French town on the border with Monaco

Basse Corniche: Lower corniche or highway (follows the coastline)

Moyen Corniche: Middle corniche or highway

Grande Corniche: Highest corniche or highway

Villa Chant de la Mer: Villa Song of the Sea

Cote d’Azur: (blue coast), French Riviera

Alpes Maritimes: Department of Maritime Alps

Val de Marne: Troubled area outside of Paris.

Cap Negre: Wealthy cape near the costal town of Le Lavandou.

Cap d’Antibe: town near Cannes

Mont Agel: Mountain located on the border between France and Monaco

Tête de Chien: Dog’s Head. Imposing rock formation in the hills above Monaco

Trophee des Alpes: Trophy of the Alps. Monument built by the ancient Romans

Notre Dame de Laghet: Our Lady of Laghet

Sanctuaire de Laghet: Convent, chapel, and grounds of the Sanctuary of Laghet

Astrarama: Observatory and astronomy club

Ecole de Chiens Guides: School for Seeing Eye Dogs

Lac Saint Cassien: Lake Saint Cassien, refugee camp

Palais D’Elysee: French Presidential Palace

Paris Levallois: French basketball club

Frejus: French town between St Tropez and Cannes

Agay: French coastal town between Frejus and Cannes

Theoule sur Mer: French coastal town near Cannes

Mandelieu: French town coastal near Cannes

La Napoule: French coastal town near Cannes

Cannes: French resort town famous for Cannes Film Festival

Le Croisette: Famous palm-lined drive in Cannes

Nice: Sixth largest city in France. International airport

Lingostiere: Commercial zone and warehouses north of Nice

ITALIAN EXPRESSIONS AND DIALOGUE:

Ciao amore: Hello, love

Si arrivo: Yes, I’ll be there.

Anche te: You too.

Perche no? : Why not?

Si cara: Yes, darling

Cosa pensi cara? : What do you think, darling?

Va bene: It’s okay. That’s fine.

Maloccio: Evil eye

PLACES IN ITALY

Olivetti San Michel: Border crossing in the mountains between France and Italy

Via Roma: Roman Road

Galleria Cima di Rovere: Road of the Hills of Rovere

Imperia: Italian town

Genova: Italian port and city

Alassio: Italian town

La Spezia: Italian port and city