Black Market Blood (The Lazarus Hunter Series Book 2) Page 19

  ‘You have to do what is right for you. Only you know what is in your heart. But if it comes down to the Sekhmets taking hold of this city, then we could all be in danger. I’m sorry I can’t help you any more than that. But this is a personal decision. Only you can make it.’

  ‘You’ve helped. Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome. Feel free to call me at any time.’

  Elizabeth hung up and contemplated another coffee. It was delaying the inevitable. She had to make a decision. She hoped Monica wouldn’t do anything to force her hand.

  Jack’s confirmation that the Sekhmet family were as dangerous as she believed had reduced her options further. One day she would be strong again, but in the immediate term she needed Monica’s protection. She remembered the photograph on Dennis’s phone. Murder would become an everyday occurrence if there was no one left to keep them in check. Even with the help of Garth and Jack, the three of them would be no match for an entire family hell-bent on destruction.

  She fingered the pendant at her neck. Even with that dark alternative, to hand over her blood to a vampire set off every alarm bell she had. Every fibre of her being baulked at the idea.

  In a single act of kindness, her relationship with Monica was put to the test. There had been talk of equality and trust. Now she was expected to put her faith not only in Monica, but also her family. She had no reason to believe Harlan could be trusted other than Monica’s opinion. If she was wrong, then it would be Elizabeth who would spend the rest of her life paying the price.

  She looked down at the bandage on her arm. She hated not knowing. There was more to this than either of them knew. Too many things didn’t add up. That she was different to most humans and yet was so intrinsically involved in the vampire world was too much of a coincidence. Likewise with the fact she didn’t stop bleeding when normal humans would. There was something about that deficiency that chilled her to the bone.

  For each moment she hesitated, someone else died. It ate at her conscience.

  But if Monica put her family before Elizabeth’s life, then a conscience would be no good to her dead.

  43

  Monica paced the room like a caged animal. She had spent the day unable to sleep as her body healed. Instead, her mind ran wild with plans and schemes. She needed to make her next move and without confirmation from Elizabeth, she had no idea what that would be. Dennis had left as soon as dusk allowed. He needed to feed but promised to go straight to the club after. His eyes had not met hers and the feeling there was something he hadn’t told her grew again. There was more to his torn suit and sliced abdomen than a simple beating.

  She could do nothing but trust him, for if not, then what hope was there?

  Instead, she had watched him go with the instruction to tell everyone she was still alive. Until final death, no matter how weak, she remained in charge. The council needed to know that.

  No one would come to collect her body tonight. Or the damn ring.

  The greatest damage limitation would be to go herself and be there from the start. Whilst it would reassure her family, it would also play her hand too soon. She needed more time.

  She needed to talk to Elizabeth.

  The two of them had ended on such a sour note she hadn’t even thanked her properly for the previous evening. A night when she had been too weak and when it came to difficult decisions, Elizabeth had made them. Desperation for a cure had made her push too hard. Elizabeth was her only chance to stop the Sekhmets from taking over her family. It was more than humiliation at the loss.

  They would not spare their enemy’s leader. Her death would be a showpiece. Her failure would become the thing of legend. It was a misery and legacy she could not bear to leave.

  A knock on the door surprised her. Elizabeth stood outside, distorted by the peephole, but at least she had returned. Monica opened the door and gestured for her to come in.

  ‘Are you alone?’ Elizabeth asked from the threshold.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Good.’ Elizabeth walked into the room and Monica stood back. She didn’t trust herself to speak. She wanted to ask a hundred questions, but kept her patience in check. If Elizabeth would only speak if they were alone, then it meant she had something serious to say.

  ‘Can I get you something to drink?’

  ‘No thank you, I’m fine.’

  ‘Please, take a seat.’ Monica slipped into formal work mode. She forced her body to relax. This might be a negotiation, but that didn’t mean she had to be quite so businesslike.

  ‘I’m sorry I left like that this morning. Can you understand why I did?’ Elizabeth clasped her hands in front of her. Monica had to tread carefully. If Elizabeth felt she had to walk out again, there would be no second chance.

  ‘I do. I should apologise. I was so caught up in the possibility of a cure that I didn’t stop to think about what it would cost you.’

  ‘I realise that.’

  ‘So I’ll say now that I’m sorry. I was thoughtless.’

  ‘Apology accepted. I don’t like what you did, but I do understand why.’

  ‘I’ve had all day to think about it. I understand what it is I am asking of you. If you decide not to offer, then I’ll have to find another way. If you do offer, then you get to call the shots. You control what happens next.’

  ‘Full control?’

  ‘Within reason. If you wanted me to fly you to the moon and back as a thank you, then no. If it’s protection and security then that I can do.’

  ‘So what would happen, theoretically, if I said yes now?’

  ‘Right now? I would call the company and get a flight plan filled. We would leave as soon as they gave us clearance. Harlan is a few hours away but he would tell us what he needs. Hopefully a single blood sample from you would be enough. You could stay out there for the day or fly back with me. Or I can request the jet take you on to another destination of your choice, if you’d prefer?’

  ‘Sounds like you’ve already put a lot of thought into it.’

  ‘I have allowed myself to hope for the best outcome. I am the leader of my people. If there was another way, I would take it. Last night we may have won a reprieve, but it will have made them bolder. They might attack tonight or they will wait for news of my death, but they will be back. Each hour that passes, my family gets closer to becoming their servants.’

  ‘That’s why I’m here. I don’t want to hand over my blood. Even to save your family Monica, as hard as that is for me to say. But if the Sekhmets aren’t brought back under control, I’m a dead woman walking. Not just me, but other humans too. They’ve already shown us what they are capable of. Their new world doesn’t benefit either of us.’

  ‘Agreed. There will be nothing you can do to stop it. Not without significant sacrifices.’

  ‘I know. That’s why I’m going to make the sacrifice first, up front.’

  ‘You are?’ Monica hardly dared to allow the hope to run through her.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What are your conditions?’ Monica held her breath. If Elizabeth asked for something she couldn’t give, then the deal would be off. She’d given her word on that and she intended to keep it this time.

  ‘Do you trust Harlan? Completely and with my life? Being someone’s ex can distort your judgment, we both know that.’

  ‘I do. He is completely loyal to me, but he is also completely loyal to the science. He will do whatever I ask him to do.’

  ‘In that case, I want you to make sure that my blood is used for this, and only this. Then I want it to be destroyed. I don’t want the sample to lie in the back of a freezer somewhere, waiting. I won’t have that sword hang over me for the rest of my life. Not even for you.’

  ‘That is easy enough to arrange.’

  ‘Do I have your word?’

  ‘Yes, you do.’

  ‘In that case, I agree.’

  ‘Thank you. You won’t regret it. I promise.’ Monica let out a huge sigh of relief.

  ‘I
hope you’re right.’ Elizabeth still looked dubious but Monica didn’t care. She pulled out her phone and began to make a plan at last.

  44

  Dennis sat at the bar and nursed his beer. Tonight, he didn’t want company. Vampire or human. He didn’t know who he could trust anymore and that didn’t sit well with him. Years of chastising Monica for controlling her hunger were now coming back to haunt him. While the rest of them were starving, he was sure she could continue into the next year in some kind of Zen-like state. Especially with Elizabeth’s magic blood inside her.

  He knew it was unfair. He told himself his thoughts were nothing more than his own frustration. He wouldn’t trade places with Monica right now for anything. The responsibility for all those lives was too much. More than any normal person could handle. He guessed that was why she’d been chosen for the job by whatever strange divine intervention ruled over them all. After all, he’d come here rather than go straight to face the council. Dutch courage.

  And a chance for payback.

  He took another pull on his beer and relaxed into the world around him. He had removed his tie, but still wore his suit and shirt. It made him stand out in a place like this, where everyone else came to relax. He looked like the guy who didn’t know how to cut loose, but that didn’t bother him. He was the right hand man of the most powerful woman in town. He didn’t need to prove himself to anyone.

  He caught snippets of conversation in the room around him.

  ‘…fixed rent, does he even know what that means…’

  ‘…then he was out cold and I couldn’t lift him…’

  ‘…I don’t know why she keeps a dog in that tiny apartment anyway…’

  ‘…guaranteed disease-free blood…’

  As the last comment drifted past his ears, Dennis perked up. Where had the conversation come from? He honed in on them, two tables away.

  ‘So she says it’s disease free, but how does anyone prove that?’

  ‘I don’t know. Some of the collections are dated from a few months ago. Perhaps she stockpiled it all before people started getting sick?’

  ‘That makes it sound like this woman knows more than just where to get blood from.’

  ‘Well if she does, she’s not saying.’

  ‘Somebody should ask her. I know too many people now getting sick. It’s not natural.’

  ‘Tell me about it. I’ve got three friends already in the decline and they’re only in their seventies.’

  ‘Too young man, too young. But that doesn’t mean this woman is giving away good blood. You can’t trust anyone right now.’

  ‘Well no one who’s had anything from her is sick. They swear by it.’

  ‘We’re not sick. That means nothing.’

  ‘I guess…’

  Dennis finished his beer and walked over to the table where the two men sat. He helped himself to the spare seat without waiting for an invite. ‘Hello gentlemen.’

  ‘Hello. Can I help you?’ the man asked warily. No one came here for trouble from strangers. They all had enough to worry about right now.

  ‘I heard you talking. About a woman who can guarantee disease-free blood.’

  ‘What of it? Sorry, do I know you?’

  ‘No, you don’t know me, but that doesn’t matter. I need you to tell me who this woman is.’

  ‘What, so you can get in on the action? I don’t think so.’

  ‘I don’t want any of her blood. Sounds to me like you’re not even sure you should either. But I need you to tell me who she is.’

  ‘And why should we do that?’

  The man didn’t even see Dennis move his arm. Instead his first awareness was his cheek pressed against the wood of the table with crushing pressure. ‘Because I asked nicely the first time.’

  ‘Hey,’ yelled the barman. ‘No trouble in here. If anyone calls the cops you’ll have to sort yourself out.’ It was a between-the-lines warning any vampire in the room could understand.

  ‘There won’t be any trouble, will there?’ Dennis ground down at the man. ‘This gentleman is just going to tell me what I need to know and then I’ll be on my way.’

  ‘I don’t know who she is. I can’t give you a name.’

  ‘Then what can you tell me? If you wanted to get in touch with her who would you call?’

  ‘She comes in here sometimes. You’d spot her.’

  ‘Is she in tonight? I need to know how to find her.’

  ‘She’s young. Pretty. Pink hair.’

  ‘Did you say pink hair?’

  ‘Yes. Bright pink. Like some kind of Arab pixie.’

  ‘You’re fucking unbelievable. What else can you tell me?’ Dennis guessed that by the less than flattering description she was a member of the Sekhmet family. That fit.

  ‘Nothing. She comes in here sometimes. Thursdays mainly. I don’t know anything about her other than how she looks. Other people might be able to help.’

  Dennis doubted it. People in the room had backed off, moving to another table rather than running the risk of being caught up in the middle of a disagreement. Those who knew Dennis in there would already know not to take their chances with him. He let go of the man who sat back up and rubbed his neck cautiously. He opened his mouth to speak but Dennis cut him off with a glare.

  He had all the information he was going to get for now and he would leave the bar with more information than he’d arrived with. Dennis stood up and tugged his jacket straight. No bloodshed. He counted that as restrained, but he was still aware of eyes on him as he walked to the door.

  As the cold night air hit him, he knew he should report this new information to Monica. He kicked an empty can on the sidewalk. Monica would call him off. But Garth wouldn’t. If there was a new vampire in town, especially one with a fashion sense similar to his own, then he might know about her. Whoever this woman was, between them they would find her quicker. If Dennis found out she was somehow responsible for spreading the disease, then there would be hell to pay.

  He would make sure she paid it in full.

  45

  ‘Harlan, this is Elizabeth,’ Monica introduced the two of them as they walked through the doors into his lab. ‘Elizabeth Hastings, daughter of Professor Hastings.’

  ‘It is an honour to meet you,’ Harlan stepped forwards and took her hand, but Monica saw his confused look. When she’d said she’d be bringing a guest, she hadn’t said who.

  ‘Nice to meet you too,’ said Elizabeth with a nervous smile.

  ‘What can I do for you both?’

  ‘How is the progress coming with the vaccine? Don’t worry, she knows everything. Maybe even more than we do.’

  ‘I see. Not as quickly as I would like, I’m afraid. The human test for contamination is almost ready, but the vaccine is proving trickier. The pathogen is remarkably resilient.’

  ‘So I’ve gathered. The good news is, we may have a cure with us right now.’

  ‘Really?’ Harlan bounced up like an excited puppy.

  ‘First, I need your word that any conversations today, any work that comes from them, will not go beyond these four walls. And no written notes. You’ll have to keep it all in your head.’

  ‘That could be difficult.’

  ‘You can jot down complex equations, but no formal written notes that would make sense to anyone else.’

  ‘Okay, I can do that.’

  ‘Good. And when we’re done, you will never mention anything of this again.’

  ‘Monica, you know I can agree to that, but what’s going on?’

  ‘When I tell you, you’ll understand the need for secrecy. At least, I hope you will. If I find out you don’t then you’ll be executed for treason. There will be nowhere you can go where I won’t find you.’ Monica found it hard to switch between friend and leader, but there was no choice. Elizabeth needed to be confident and Harlan needed to understand the promises she’d made.

  ‘Of course.’ Sensing the change, Harlan bowed his head.

  ‘
Great. In that case, I’ll give you a little back story,’ Monica shrugged out of her coat and sat down, back in friend mode again. ‘Last night, I was in the final stages of the decline. Now, I’m here.’

  ‘Impossible.’

  ‘Apparently not.’

  ‘But how? That makes no sense.’

  ‘Elizabeth cured me.’

  ‘Forgive me,’ he said as he turned to Elizabeth. ‘I’ve heard many things about you, but I wasn’t aware you practiced medicine.’

  ‘I don’t. It’s more complicated than that,’ she pulled up her sleeve to show him the bandage by way of explanation.

  ‘That’s insane. I’ve mixed the two blood types at least a hundred times in the past week alone. There has been no sign of any unexpected interaction between the two.’

  ‘I have reason to believe that Elizabeth is different. In twenty-four hours I have gone from unconscious to healthy. Strong, even.’

  ‘And did this happen only once?’ Harlan shifted in his seat. It was one thing to feed from them, but it was another to discuss the process with a human.

  ‘It’s fine to give Elizabeth the credit she deserves. She offered. She understands what is going on. On every level. But yes, I only fed once. That was all it took.’

  ‘That is remarkable.’

  ‘Now you can see why there are so many terms and conditions around this next stage. She’s agreed to help, but she must not be exploited in any way. She gives us a gift and we must treat it as such.’

  ‘You have my word.’

  ‘So what do you need?’

  ‘A blood sample. Enough to work with. I need one vial for control and,’ he paused, mentally walking through his intentions, ‘another four to experiment with. Is that acceptable? It would be less than a standard blood donation, but if you’ve been fed from in the last twenty-four hours…’

  ‘That should be fine,’ nodded Elizabeth, cutting him off.

  ‘Good. I’ll have coffee and some sandwiches sent up for when we’re done. There is a bed in the other room. I use it sometimes to catch a few hours when I’m working long shifts. You’re more than welcome to make use of it afterwards.’