The Burning City (29 page)

Suddenly, Occam appeared in front of the two men. Before they could so much as gasp, Occam whipped his arms out in opposite directions. Something metallic glinted in both hands. The men reeled back, clutching their throats. Blood sprayed the concrete.

Occam wheeled around as the blond man turned from Anthony. The man only shouted, “Hey!” before Occam flung whatever was in his hand at him. The object embedded in the hollow of the man’s throat and he stumbled back. Anthony scurried away.

June fought the urge to scrunch down and cover her eyes. She had seen worse than this.

The two men with their throats slashed tried to stumble toward the walkway, but Occam tripped them and they collapsed. One writhed and scrabbled at his throat, making wet choking sounds. The other lay shuddering and twitching, a pool of blood expanding around his head.

Occam turned and marched toward the blond man, who was reeling and clutching at the object buried in his throat.

Occam yanked it out and slashed his throat with one stroke. He crumpled.

Sam ducked down, breathing hard. “Jesus Christ.”

June was frozen, clinging to the wall and staring.

Occam turned toward them. June could make out the blades now—a pair of straight razors. Anthony stood away from Occam, his hands fisted in his hair, shoulders up around his ears.

“When you’ve been alive as long as I have,” Occam said casually, “you learn a few tricks. Come on.” He swung one of the blades and blood flew from it.

Numb, June walked up the ramp. Sam followed her.

She tried to stay as far as possible from the bodies. The blond man was still twitching. The scent of blood hung on the humid air.

Occam pushed the blades into the front pockets of his jeans. “Pick one, Sam. In fact, pick two. One for you and one for June. I’ll be the other guy.” He looked at Anthony. “You just be yourself, young man.”

Anthony lowered his hands, shoulders still hunched. His eyes flashed erratically.

Sam walked over to the two men. He bent hesitantly, peering at their faces.

“It doesn’t have to be exact,” Occam said. “I doubt anyone is left watching the cameras. But just in case. We’ll move quick.”

“I don’t want to learn how to do this,” June said. “I’ll never be this vicious.”

“Of course you feel that way right now, Little Red.” He cupped her cheek. His hand was warm and sweaty. “But once the world doesn’t have its foot on your neck, you may be surprised how much you like to strike back.”

“Occam,” Sam said. “We need to do this. Let’s go.”

Occam dropped his hand from her face. Sam was now one of the dead men. He held a hand out to her.

Occam turned into the blond man. “Yes, let’s get this party started. I’m sure Robbie can’t wait to cut the cake.”

June walked over to Sam. She gripped his hand and tingles washed over her skin. She changed into the remaining man.

“Come,” Occam said to Anthony. “Let’s have a play date with your brother.”

They moved quickly into the walkway. Occam went in front, Anthony behind him, June and Sam following.

An arched glass roof looked out on the Institute and the street below. People still crowded the area in front of the building. Occam ducked down, and they followed suit, crouching below the waist-high wall beneath the windows.

“Is there a camera at the other end?” June whispered.

“I don’t see us walking through one,” Anthony murmured. “Maybe they disabled it.”

The walkway was about fifty yards long, and being crouched down wasn’t easy on the back, even for someone as short as she. When they reached the other end and stood upright, June drew a sigh of relief.

The walkway opened on a small foyer and a set of glass doors. Occam pulled one open. He gestured inside.

“Step into the funhouse.”

June reluctantly passed through the door, into a darkened hallway. A security light shone at one end. Her skin crawled being back in the place, though she had never seen this part of it.

Sam let go of her hand.

“This way.” Occam jerked his head toward the light. “Be on your guard until I know what’s up.”

They started down the hallway. June placed her hand on her hip, over the gun.

The place was eerily quiet. They walked through a series of hallways, past windows looking down on the courtyard. Eventually, they came out into a wide-open space with a huge bank of windows reaching up to a high ceiling. As they crossed the area, June started in recognition.

This was the atrium she had stood in and watched Micha talking to his supporters, after their first meeting; however, she’d been on the other side, which wasn’t enclosed and where people congregated to smoke. She looked down into the atrium, the space dark and silent. In her mind she envisioned Micha walking across, a line of young people following him.

They entered a doorway on the other side. After a short distance, June slowed, her heart crawling into her throat. Footsteps, not their own. A figure appeared at the other end of the hallway and June froze, her hand on her gun.

Occam looked over his shoulder. “Steady. Don’t shoot your sister, now.”

Belle stood in the glow of a security light. June didn’t relax much. They walked toward her.

“What’s the situation?” Occam asked.

She handed him something: a walkie-talkie.

“Robbie is upstairs.” Belle’s voice was light and soft. June had never heard her speak before. “In the executive offices. We’ve taken all but two of his men; they’re on the floor with him. Too close.”

“Excellent.” Occam played with the radio. “We should move before the two left start trying to communicate with their fallen comrades.”

“Why didn’t you just take them all out?” June asked. “It’s not like Robbie can hear you coming.”

Occam jammed the radio into his back pocket. He leaned toward her and whispered, “Do you know what sort of thoughts go through a man’s mind as he’s dying? Robbie would hear that.”

June shuddered.

Occam leaned back. “Is everyone on the vampire floor?” he asked Belle.

She nodded. “They’re having fun.”

Occam turned to June. “I’m going to stash you and Sam there for the time being, so you have someone to watch over you.” He pointed at Anthony. “You and I are going up to pay big brother a visit.”

June frowned. “Why are you going up with him?”

Occam sighed. “It’s a good thing I’m here to think one step ahead, isn’t it? Of course Anthony could go up and see his brother alone, but isn’t that going to seem a bit odd?” In a blink, he turned back into the blond man he’d murdered.

“And Robbie won’t realize it’s you?” June asked.

“He didn’t realize it was me the last time I saved your ass, did he?”

She flashed back to the night Muse died, when Occam disguised himself as a henchman.

Occam tapped the side of his head. “Shapeshifting isn’t just physical, if you’re good enough.” He winked at Sam. “But you won’t live long enough to perfect it.”

Sam glared at him. “Find out exactly where Robbie is, and then come back for us. He’s going to pay, and he’s going to pay at my hands.”

Occam shrugged. “Whatever you like. I’m just doing what I was bribed to do.” He nodded at Belle. “Take them to the vampire floor. I’ll contact you when I’m coming back down.”

He motioned to Anthony and started down the hallway. Anthony—his face blanched even in the dim light—quickly followed. June prayed that somewhere, deep inside, Robbie actually felt some brotherly love.

Did Robbie feel anything besides spite and malice?

Belle led June and Sam to an elevator. The lights were off, but the electricity was still on. As they climbed, June stood tense, hands clenched at her sides. She had no good memories of elevators inside the Institute.

When they stepped out on the vampire floor, they were greeted by the sound of breaking glass and laughter.

June stopped short. “What the hell is going on?”

“We’re having a party,” Belle said. “Come on.”

Reluctantly, June followed her. The vampire research floor was alive with—vampires. Vampires who were gleefully trashing everything. They were tearing things out of filing cabinets and desks. Furniture was toppled over, pictures ripped down, anything that was breakable broken. A woman was spray-painting one of the hallway walls. She had oh-so-creatively written “Death to Normals.” Slightly more foul, one man was taking a piss on a pile of papers. He sneered at Sam and June as they passed.

“Guess they don’t like science,” June said.

They stopped outside what appeared to be a lab. The lights were on in the room, the place in massive disarray. Carts and shelves were toppled over, broken glass everywhere. Two vampires were busy smashing samples on the white tile floor, turning it red.

A third tall, wiry man with short brown hair and a long goatee strolled over to them. He held a tube full of blood. He popped the stopper and sucked it down like a shot, focused on June.

“Is this her?” He tossed the tube over his shoulder, and it smashed on the floor. “Our new sister?” He moved closer to her.

June cringed, but held his appraising, curious gaze.

“Yes,” Belle said. “No touching, Logan. Occam wants to do the honors himself.”

Logan looked her over. He was even creepier than Occam, gangly and hunched, and he had a weird fluid way of moving as he eased toward her. She tilted her chin up, refusing to be intimidated.

“Not bad,” he murmured. He narrowed his eyes at Sam. He smiled a broad, not entirely charmless smile. “Sam Haain. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Is it?” Sam said coldly.

“Why, of course. After all, I was one of the vampires who bled your brother’s killers dry. That was so much fun.”

Sam stared at Logan.

Logan waved a hand. “Apart from Ethan Roberts, of course. He escaped. That’s the problem with those pyros. They’re so good at creating a smokescreen.”

Sam gasped. He took a step back.

Logan lifted his eyebrows. “You didn’t know Ethan Roberts was the fourth man?”

June gripped Sam’s arm. This wasn’t the place for emotional revelations. They needed to concentrate on the imminent danger ahead of them.

Logan chuckled. “I don’t know how the knowledge escaped you. Your brother was badly burned. You knew it was a pyro that killed him. How did you not suspect Ethan?”

“He’s not the only pyro in the city.” Sam spoke tersely. “And he’d been a friend of the Paranormal Alliance for a long time.”

“He was a friend of Robbie’s, always.” Logan pointed upward. “Don’t worry. If you live through Robbie, you can make Ethan pay too. He’s not here, which means he’s out there, somewhere. The hunt is still on.”

Sam clenched his jaw. His eyes glittered. His muscles were tense under June’s fingers.

“Why don’t you two sit tight?” Belle said. “Occam will call soon.”

Logan smiled widely. “Yes, enjoy our hospitality.” He motioned around the room. “If you want to help us get rid of the trash, you can.”

They declined and instead sat in chairs in the hallway, two that were still upright. Sam sat across from her, staring at the wall above her head. June flinched every time something broke, her nerves at their snapping point.

“You didn’t ask Muse?” she said. “When I gave you the Oracle?”

“I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She didn’t deserve her peace disturbed like that.”

“We have bigger things to worry about right now. Try to put it out of your head.” She couldn’t coddle him at the moment.

“After I found out Ethan betrayed me, I should have realized it.”

“You can find him and make him pay after you take out his boss.” She could barely catch her breath, her chest tight with fear and tension. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry he did this to you, to your brother, but he’s not our concern right now.”

“You’re right. I have to take Robbie out first. His sins are even greater.”

She slid to the edge of her seat. “You can’t face him, Sam. He’ll kill you. What are you planning?”

“Why should I tell you? You didn’t tell me your plans.”

She bristled. “You cannot walk up to Robbie and take him out.”

“Probably not.” He sat forward too. “But there’s no other way. I have to stop him.”

“Don’t be an idiot!” She slammed her hands on the arms of her chair. “We came here to stop him from blowing the place up. That’s what we have to do.”

“Do you think if we stop him from blowing this place up, he’s just going to fade into the woodwork?” Sam got to his feet. “He has to die tonight. He can’t be allowed to plan anything else. And I’m going to end him. Me.” He pointed forcefully at his chest. “It’s me he’s ripped the most from, and I’m going to shred him to pieces.”

He walked away. Her heart was in her throat. This was a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She couldn’t talk him out of it. She couldn’t stop his impending doom. But she also couldn’t end the night looking at his corpse. She had to find a way, or save him.

Would Occam be willing to make him a vampire? Would Sam allow it? Maybe if she convinced him, they could remain together….

She looked around, trying to breathe. Then, she stopped breathing entirely.

Someone stood down the hallway, motionless and staring into one of the rooms. Not a vampire.

Rose.

June got to her feet. Curiosity overrode fear. A ghost sure as hell wasn’t as scary as the living right now.

June walked toward her. A few feet from the ghost’s stone-still figure, she stopped. Rose stared through the open door of a darkened office. Her gaze was blank, but something seemed different about her expression. It was forlorn, despairing.

June edged past her and into the room. The vampires had already trashed it, papers everywhere, furniture overturned.

“Was this your office?” June asked.

Rose didn’t respond. The nameplate on the door didn’t bear Rose’s name, but then, Rose had been dead since January.

“I was a means to their end,” Rose whispered.

June flipped on the light.

The windows were covered with the same light-blocking blinds as the rest of the floor. No one would see them up here, no matter how long the vampires partied.

June picked her way across the room. Rose remained outside the doorway. The ghost wasn’t merely staring into the room, but at something.