Replica (The Blood Borne Series Book 2) (4 page)

“You got sunglasses?” I held a hand out to Ivan. He gave me his. They were large and round, far too big for my face, but they would have to work. I let my hair down, fluffing it.

“This isn’t a beauty contest.”

I lowered the glasses to glare at him. “I need as much skin coverage as possible, wolf.”

“Shit. I forgot about that.”

“Kind of an integral part of my life,” I muttered. “We’re going to do this fast. I can handle the sun for only a few minutes before I start to blister.” Just my luck the setting sun was positioned just right between the buildings to shine on the entrance.

“Ready?” He had his hand on the door. I nodded and did the same.

Ready as I was going to get.

CHAPTER 4

RACHEL

“Who is this?” I stepped closer to the building to get out of the flow of people.

“Someone you want to know.”

I sighed and rubbed my hand against my aching temple. “If you don’t cut the bullshit and get to the chase, I’m hanging up.”

He released a smug laugh. “I have information that can help you.”

“Like what?”

“I know about the suicide pills.”

Now he had my attention. My investigation of a series of serial killer crime scenes was what had landed me in this rabbit hole. All the victims had met with death by vampire. I hadn’t mentioned it in my report, but I’d found a vampire suicide pill outside one of the scenes. My on-air time had been limited, and other information had taken priority. What was the point of mentioning something like that when there were far bigger issues to discuss, like the bioterrorism weapon that turned humans into crazed monsters? Or the vampire blood that cured diseases but created others? Why would someone give a shit about vampire suicide pills if they didn’t even believe in vampires? “How do you know about them?”

“Rachel, you’re a reporter,” he said in a mocking tone. “Why are you asking the wrong questions?”

His voice set me on edge. He sounded like a patient serial killer, toying with his victim before he got to work. Yet I couldn’t hang up. “Okay,” I said, stalling to come up with a plan. I needed to play his game. Based on his egotistical tone, he wanted to make this about him. Time to suck it up. “You must be someone of importance if you know about the pills. From what I’ve gathered, only a few strategic people know about their existence.”

“Very good, Rachel.” Pride infused his voice. “You’re catching on.”

“Did you work in the Rikers Island facility? Before it was destroyed?”

“I was assigned there at one time, but I’ve since moved on. I’m part of the Aglaea division. Do you know what that is?”

“Sounds Greek to me,” slipped out of my mouth before I could help myself. It was probably a wrong move. It sounded like this guy got off on an obedient subject. Being flippant would either leave me out in the cold or possibly hunted and killed.

To my surprise, he laughed. “Clever girl, aren’t you?”

“I like to think so.”

“Aglaea was the goddess of beauty and magnificence. Can you guess what I worked on?”

“The vampires.” Which explained how he knew about the pills.

I heard a grin in his voice. “You
are
a clever girl.” I also heard a hint of a British accent. He sounded like he was in his thirties, maybe early forties.

“Do you still work in the Aglaea division?”

“I want to help you, Rachel. Will you let me?”

The sudden change of subject made me shudder. This guy was giving me a serious case of the creeps. “I can use all the help I can get…” My voice trailed off. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours. What should I call you?”

He chuckled. “Call me Hades.”

“Death?” When he didn’t respond, I added, “Now
you’re
the clever one. Hades controlled the underworld. Why do I think you’re someone of importance in the Aglaea division?”

“Oh, Rachel, I knew you were the one…” His words trailed off, almost like he was getting off on the connection I’d made.

Jesus. How badly did I need this guy? Unfortunately, I already knew the answer. “Why did you call
me
, Hades?” I felt ridiculous calling him that, but I’d call him the messiah if he helped me stop these people.

“I want to share something with you.”

“Does it pertain to the Aglaea division?”

He laughed. “Yes. Meet me at midnight.”

I looked around. “I’m free now. I’m at Rockefeller Center. How about I meet you for cheesecake at Junior’s? My treat.”

“No. Not until later. Midnight, the Financial District. It’s quiet then.”

Quiet in New York City was a relative term. But the Financial District would be a ghost town at midnight. The fact that he wanted as few people around as possible worried me. He knew I wasn’t working with any authorities, so he couldn’t be concerned about entrapment. And if someone followed me, a legitimate possibility, it would be easier to ditch the tail in a crowd.

Of course, there was the possibility he was a vampire himself.

“They call it the witching hour. The perfect time to discuss Aglaea.”

Way to ease my concerns, ass wipe. Witching hour was three in the morning, not midnight like everyone assumed, but for all I cared, he could repeat that mistake on his next cryptic phone call.

“I’m not sure I want to meet Hades at the witching hour.”

“Don’t make me sorry I called you, Rachel. I’ve already told you more than I should.”

I read his implied threat loud and clear.

“As a sign of my good faith,” he continued, “I will give you information that will prove I have knowledge of the inner workings of Aglaea.”

“I’m listening.”

“I know you found a suicide pill, and I know you had it analyzed.” He paused. “I’m sure the technician looked for toxins. He found VX, but you need to ask him if he looked for specific inert elements.”

“And what should he have looked for?”

“Blood cells. Ask him the unusual aspect he found and then tell me tonight at midnight. I’ll explain the significance.”

“How do I know you’re not working for the military?”

“No, my precious ewe. I’m the one trying to save you from your slaughter.”

A chill ran down my spine. “
Am
I about to be slaughtered?”

“One could say you’ve already been slaughtered metaphorically. But perhaps you’re being offered up as a sacrifice by someone else.”

“Who?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you at the address I’ll text to you.” Then he hung up.

Shit.
I needed to get back to the hotel to see if I could dig up any information on anything he’d told me. And I needed to call Tom, my contact in the coroner’s department, on the way. He’d arranged for the pill to be tested.

I pulled up Tom’s number in a hurry, and to my relief, he answered right away. “Rachel? I’m surprised you’re calling me.
Now
.”

“You saw my report.”

“I can’t believe you did it.”

“You don’t believe me, either?”

“I didn’t say that. I just can’t believe you put yourself out there like that. It was a brave thing to do.” He laughed. “Stupid, but brave.”

I shook my head. “Thanks. I think. But there’s a reason for my call.”

“I figured as much.”

Ouch
. But Tom had a point. I only called him when I needed something. Every time I swore to myself that the next time I called him it would be just to chat. But it still hadn’t happened. I knew I needed to treat Tom with more care, if only because I did need him.

As a forensic scientist in New York City, he had access to the kinds of information that could help me with my own investigations. I couldn’t officially use it in my reports, but it often either pointed me in the right direction or confirmed facts I’d already uncovered. I’d been in New York for a year and I’d known Tom for ten months. Truth be told, he was probably my best friend in town.

Other than Lea. But who knew when I’d ever see
her
again.

I definitely needed to treat him better. “I’m sorry. I’m a shitty friend. I’ll make it up to you.”

“You already owe me, remember? The wedding?”

“Of course.” I’d agreed to go to his co-worker’s wedding with him in exchange for his help with the pill.

“Are you gonna have time to go with everything else going on?”

“Of course.” I hoped.

“So what do you need?”

Now I really felt like shit. “I guess it pertains to the favor that got me the wedding invitation in the first place.”

“The fingerprint?”

“No, the pill.”

“Crap. That’s what I was afraid of. What about it?”

“I need to know about the inert compounds in the pill, specifically whether your friend found any blood cells. And anything specific regarding them.”

“Rachel, they test for specific things they’re interested in finding. But he found organic compounds, so he checked further.”

“Wait, you’re telling me the tech knew to look for VX when he ran the tests?” I asked in disbelief. “A nerve toxin that was supposedly completely destroyed in the 1950s?”

“Okay, so I told him to look for the unusual.” He paused. “Do you have any idea what else you’re looking for?”

“I don’t know. Something unusual about the blood cells. If I can tell him what it is, he’ll explain the significance.”

“Him, who?”

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “I don’t know who he is. But he knows things, Tom. I think he can help.”

“Help you do
what
?”

“Stop the evil people who are behind this whole scheme. If everyone refuses to listen to me, I’ll have to bring these guys down myself.”

“Rachel. That’s crazy.”

“When did
that
ever stop me? They pissed off the wrong person, Tom.”

“I’m going to regret this, but how soon do you need it?”

“Not to worry, you have a few hours. Midnight.”

He cursed under his breath. “Then I’ve got work to do.”

And so did I, if I was going to be ready to meet the guardian of the underworld.