The Burning City (31 page)

“You’re arrogant,” Robbie said. “Getting in my way once again, for no reason.”

“Yes, Robbie, I’m the arrogant one. I’m not the one who commandeered an entire building and plan on blowing it up.”

“What do you want?” Robbie strode over to him. “Why did you bring them?” He pointed at Sam and June.

“To sweeten the pot. To make you consider my proposal more seriously.”

June narrowed her eyes.

“What proposal?” Robbie sneered. “There’s only one thing I want from you, Occam. And you and your kind certainly went out of your way recently to make sure I didn’t get it.”

“Yes, you want to be king of the world. I can make you king of the world, forever. And I will, for half.”

June stared at the back of Occam’s head, her breath stilling.

Robbie reared back, crinkling his brow. His white eyes shone. “Half?”

“Half of this city. I want to be king too.”

June’s bewilderment turned to horror.

Occam thumbed over his shoulder. “I know you don’t like to share your toys, that’s why I tricked them into coming here. I figured if I handed them over, you’d be more inclined to say yes.”

Robbie focused on them.

“You son of a bitch!” Sam lurched forward.

“Occam,” June said. “How could you do this? You don’t care about this fight! You don’t want power.”

He looked at her, affecting a pout. “I lied I’m afraid. It’s something I do.”

June tensed, clutching the gun tighter. She backed up to the door, but there was nowhere to go.

“I would like to rule this city,” Occam said. “Think about it, the vampires in charge? No more lies, no more science done on our behalf. No more Rose Bellevues. That would please me greatly.” He stepped up to Robbie and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “And you’d be one of us.”

Robbie’s sightless eyes were still focused on Sam and June.

“I’ll turn you.” Occam spoke close to Robbie’s ear. “I’ll heal you. And then we can have some fun with these two. I know I’d certainly like to have some fun with her.” He looked June up and down.

June backed up farther against the door.

“And I’d love to have some fun with him.” Robbie focused on Sam.

“So what do you say?” Occam asked. “You, me, forever?”

Robbie pulled away from Occam and glided toward them. Sam backed up too. June considered putting the gun to her head.

“It’s true I don’t like to share,” Robbie said. “But I think this city is big enough for both of us.”

Robbie herded them away from the door and into the room, between the desk and couch. June’s gun flew from her hand and bounced across the carpet.

Occam stood back, watching with a smug smile. She should have run from him long ago. She never should have listened to anything he said, much less solicited his help.

She sought an escape. Another door across the room, between two bookcases. Getting there would take a few seconds—if it was even unlocked—but Robbie would need only a few seconds.

“Robbie”—Sam stepped in front of June—“This is between us. Let her go, and you and I can do this one-on-one. You already said you don’t care about her.”

“I care about her,” Occam said.

June moved from behind Sam. “Sam, no…”

“One-on-one?” Robbie tittered. “How long do you think you could last?”

Sam winced, gripping his side. He doubled over.

“Stop!” June pleaded.

Robbie stared him down. “All I need to do is apply pressure in the right place, and our one-on-one will end. Do you still want to fight me, Sam?”

Occam chuckled. “Robbie. You should leave the torture for after I turn you. I guarantee it will be much more fun.”

Sam sagged and then stood upright, breathing hard. June clutched his arm.

“You’re right,” Robbie said. “I’m tired of his over-confidence. Every time he thinks he has some sort of upper hand, I show him otherwise. I don’t know why he’s still flinging himself at me.”

“Because you can’t do this.” Sam was still wheezing. “I can’t let you do this. Even if I die trying, I have to stop you.”

“Do you love the Institute so much?” Robbie opened his arms. “This place that would have destroyed all of us, given enough time? That would have taken our powers from us and given them to others who don’t deserve them? What attachment do you have to this place that makes you want to stop me from putting an end to it once and for all?”

Sam took his hand off his side, standing up straighter. “I have no attachment. I would love to watch it burn. But I know what that burning means. What it means to your followers. If I allow you to go through with this, they will be unstoppable.”

“That’s what you fear? That we’ll burn down the city? That all your followers will do the right thing and finally turn to me? Maybe you should have thought of that long ago, Sam. Maybe if you were stronger and smarter, you’d be in my place right now.”

“What do you think is going to happen?” Sam gestured toward the windows. “If you take this city, there’s still a whole world out there. Your crazy ideology isn’t going to reach beyond the city limits. They’ll take you and all your followers down with you.”

“You think so? A bit hard if I’m invincible.”

“You won’t be invincible. You will still have weaknesses. They’ll drop a fucking bomb on your head if they have to.”

Robbie laughed, high and tittering.

“You’re a monster,” June snarled. “Nothing but a soulless, heartless monster! You’re not representative of our people. The only thing you’re going to do is set our kind back centuries.”

Robbie strolled toward her. She stood her ground. He started circling her. An electric tingle danced across her skin, his power palpable.

“What makes you think”—he passed by her shoulder—“our kind were ever meant to mingle with the normals? That we’re supposed to put on some sort of good face so they accept us?”

She clenched her jaw, staring at Occam.

“They only want to kill us.”

Her hair shifted and she flinched. He hadn’t physically touched her.

“They want to steal from us, hurt us, terrorize us. Why shouldn’t we do the same to them?”

“Because we all have to live on this planet,” she said. “And we can’t make any progress if we spend all our time terrorizing each other.”

He stopped in front of her. Up close, through the milky white of his eyes, she could barely make out his irises.

“Do you know how I’ve spent my life?” he said. “Mistreated, feared, tortured, taunted. Always someone pushing me around for being different—for being paranormal, for being deaf, for being too weird, for being too bookish, too smart, too anything. I didn’t fit their mold, so they wanted to beat me down and get rid of me. Do you understand why that creates a ‘monster?’”

“Yes.” Tears slipped from her eyes. “I know what it’s like.” She held out her arms. “Do you think I look like this because I want to fit in, or because I finally gave up trying to be one of them?”

He gazed at her, silent.

“I know what it’s like.” She lowered her arms. “I never fit in anywhere. I watched people I cared about suffer because of me.
I
suffered because of me. I was always the weirdo. I will always be the weirdo. I just embraced it, finally. If I was going to be strange, I was going to be as strange as I could possibly be. But I sure as shit didn’t go on a killing spree.”

He still gazed at her. He was like an alien being, studying her, trying to figure her out.

“I know what it’s like to be dying from it too.” She pressed on. “I know how it makes you afraid and desperate. I know how it feels to know this thing that sets you apart is also going to eat you alive. It’s not fair, and it hurts, and it feels like if there is a God, He hates you and wants you to suffer.”

The room was intensely silent. She couldn’t even hear her own breath or feel her heartbeat. She was caught in the white of Robbie’s eyes, in the strange, intense otherness of his face. Yet he wasn’t so strange at all. Behind that grotesque mask was something frail and vulnerable and human.

Maybe she could reach that human.

Robbie shifted closer to her. He spoke lowly. “I see much of myself in you. I know you understand me.”

More tears fell from her eyes.

“But unlike you, I have the will to fight the thing inside me that’s trying to destroy me. I have the will to fight the ones outside who destroy me. I’m not hampered by a conscience that would only stay my hand when it needs to move.”

She closed her eyes. If a human being was in there, he was buried much too deep.

“What about your brother?” She opened her eyes. “I can’t imagine hurting my own brother.”

Robbie sneered. “We may come from the same mother, but our similarities end there. He’s always been far too complacent. Never trying to use that amazing, rare power he has. And I was always willing to tutor him.” He turned and walked over to him.

Anthony cowered.

“Look at him. Look at what he is. This is not my brother.” Robbie spat on him.

Anthony yelped.

Sam looked down at the desk. He glanced at June.

Robbie turned. “Yes, Sam. Those are the locations of the explosives. Even if you could get to each of them, do you think you could disarm them? My men have been in here for years, putting down the foundations for this. It’s extremely complex, and several of my men are—were—” He glared at Occam. “Very intelligent engineers and explosives experts. Tell me, Sam, do you think you know more than them?”

Sam didn’t reply.

“I’ve spent years putting the right people in the right places. Gleaning information, deploying spies, worming through their infrastructure. This has been in motion for longer than you can imagine. A few snips on your part are not going to put an end to all my careful construction and planning. If you want to try.” He motioned to the doors. “Go right ahead. We can pretend it’s a game. See how many bombs you can defuse before Occam turns me and I come after you.”

Sam looked across the room, toward the doors. He didn’t move, though.

“Did you think teaming up with my brother would give you some advantage? Ah, but you have a soft spot for brothers, don’t you? I thought when I had yours killed, it would stop you from making that treaty with Aaron. I have to give you credit, you were tougher than I thought.”

Sam glowered at him. “You’ve taken enough from me, Robbie. You might take my life, too, but I’m going to make sure you suffer before I leave this world.”

Robbie laughed. “Of course you are. I do admire you, Sam, your reckless tenacity. I would have found you a useful partner if you’d had any real sense and joined me. Even now, in your last minutes, you can’t quit pontificating. I wouldn’t expect any less. I’m sure Chicago would have found you a fine mayor.”

“With my last breath”—Sam pointed at him—“I will fight you. I will leave scars on you. If I can’t take you with me, I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

Occam spoke up. “How long are we going to posture? While this is all spectacularly emotional and gripping, I’m a busy vampire. I’m eager to get on with ruling the world.”

“You’re an asshole.” June seethed at him. “You lied to me. I was actually starting to trust you. Hell, I was even willing to become a vampire!”

Occam tilted his head. “You’re a naïve little girl. How was anything I ever said believable? That I didn’t want power? That I didn’t want to own this city?”

“You said you wanted to own it on your own terms.” She clenched her fists. “You said vampires would own this city one day, but you’d do it your way.”

He opened his hands. “This is my way.”

“You protected me!” Her rage spilled out. “You were so focused on having me. That was all a lie? Why did you interfere with Robbie’s plans once already, if you wanted to rule this city with him? Why didn’t you let him kill us last time?”

Occam was suddenly in front of her. He grabbed the back of her neck, bruisingly tight. “You talk too much, siren. You should swallow that voice for once.”

“Let her go,” Sam growled.

Occam instead turned her to face Sam, his hand still on her neck. His fingers bit into her flesh. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

“I’m going to make him watch,” he murmured next to her ear. “What I do to you.”

Sam stared at Occam, his eyes blazing. “You’ll never get the chance, Occam. If I can’t take Robbie with me, I will certainly take you.”

“So impotent in his rage.” Occam let go of her and stroked his fingers across her jaw.

She was shaking.

“Is he always so limp and ineffectual?”

June waited for those fingers to grip her throat, or worse. Instead, Occam stepped away. She stumbled toward Sam. He wrapped a protective arm around her.

“Come on, Occam,” Robbie said. “Let’s do this. I was planning on setting off the charges tomorrow night, but since they’re not all wired yet and you killed my men…” He ground his teeth. “After we dispose of them, I’ll have to finish the job myself and get rid of the rest of the trash.” He gestured disdainfully around the room and waved at Anthony. “Including that.”

Could Anthony see his own death coming?

Occam focused intently on June, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smirk. He winked and turned to Robbie. “A fine plan.”

June blinked.

Robbie tilted his chin up. “I’ve read about vampires, about the process and the changes, the healing that takes place. I’m ready for it. I’m looking forward to seeing how it enhances my power as well.”

“Trust me when I say there’s much you can’t learn in books.” Occam stood in front of him, only a few inches taller, yet seeming to loom over Robbie’s frail frame. “Science will never be our friend.”

“Science has never been my friend.”

June gripped Sam’s hand on her shoulder. Sam looked down at the desk again.

Robbie turned away from Occam. “Perhaps first, we should discuss our arrangement after the change. After all, I’ve done all the work here, and you’ve—” He stopped short.

Robbie stared toward the double doors. June widened her eyes.

Muse stood there.

Occam’s words flashed into June’s head. With increasing powers, other powers could be activated. Robbie was a necromancer as well.

“You,” Robbie snarled. “You think you’re going to come from beyond death to stop me again? Where’s your blade now, lap dog?”