Black Market Blood (The Lazarus Hunter Series Book 2) Read online

  Monica suppressed a shudder. It was a terrible thing to say, but it was true. It was the easiest way to destroy a family. Nature compensated for their extra years by making reproduction more infrequent. A fact that made her own sordid ancestry even more unusual.

  A ripple of excitement and fear made its way through the room, reaching Monica before the messenger. She stood tall and prepared herself. Her hands trembled so she shoved them roughly into the pocket of her jeans. Her hand cupped her phone as she did so. She snuck a quick look at the screen. Still no calls.

  ‘They’re here,’ the man said, voice tight with anticipation. ‘Their leader and first estimates of around thirty to forty people.’

  ‘That’s a significant number,’ Monica turned to Dennis, ‘but not enough for a full scale attack. It’s time to see what they really want.’

  Monica walked to the doorway, back straight and feet steady. Inside, she allowed herself to shake. There was fear in not knowing what lay the other side. The council had gathered around her and she gestured for a handful of other senior and respected people to join them. She needed the Sekhmets to believe this was an even fight. She couldn’t show her hand too early, not even to make herself feel safer.

  ‘Everyone ready?’ she asked and they all nodded. That was good. She didn’t want anyone out there who was unwilling. Dennis stood solid at her side, ready for this as well. It was time to get it over with.

  She was about to make that final decision when she had a thought that made her smile. It was playing dirty for sure. But it was something that would give them an advantage. She sprinted to the back of the room where a group of the old but willing sat. They knew they were the last resort along with the sick. ‘Can I borrow this?’ she asked one of them.

  ‘Of course,’ he smiled, a hint of approval in his eyes.

  ‘Thanks.’ She ran back to the door carrying his walking cane. She tested it out for a few seconds, doing her best to appear convincing. ‘Right. Got it. Let’s go.’

  She limped through the doorway and the others followed her out into the darkness.

  *

  As she walked out into the cool of the alley, Monica remained tense, poised to respond to an attack. Instead, her enemy flanked the opposite wall, waiting for an audience with her. They had followed protocol so far, but she doubted it would last long. She did a quick assessment. They had been right, around forty people gathered. Not enough to correspond with a full scale attack.

  It was the first time she had seen the true leader of the Sekhmets. He dripped wealth, with a tailored suit that wasn’t made for fighting. The heavy gold ring on his finger was as old as her smaller one, but unlike hers, it was not his family’s ancient symbol of power. The gold band holding the keffiyeh in place had an ornate engraving of a snake in a circle that stood proudly above his forehead. Back then it would have been worn alone, a mark of authority that stood alongside those of the pharaohs. This was no US representative. They meant business.

  She leant on the cane and remained silent until the door was closed again behind them. There would be no easy entrance into her home tonight.

  ‘Monica Carletto,’ the man in front dipped his head, ‘I have heard many things about you.’

  ‘Clearly not all of them, or you wouldn’t be here.’

  ‘You misunderstand my intentions. This doesn’t have to become unpleasant. I merely desire to extend my family over here. Unfortunately, I am unable to do this because of you.’

  ‘We were here first. Our territory is clear and well known. I have no intention of leaving.’

  ‘I understand. I would expect nothing less. However, it has come to my attention that you have suffered a good deal of misfortune of late. Perhaps you no longer have the strength that you once had? You do not look like the powerful Monica Carletto I have heard so much about,’ he gestured at the cane. Monica suppressed a smile. It had been a good call.

  ‘This is not about me.’

  ‘Oh, but it is. You see, in your weakened state, it is only a matter of time before another family takes advantage of you. I simply have the audacity to do it first. I am not afraid of how they perceive my boldness. In my homeland, we do not bow to such niceties. We accept that it is the way of the world for us to be strong.’

  ‘Here on my land we demand those niceties. So I expect you to behave accordingly.’

  ‘Impossible I’m afraid. I am only here for a few more days. I fully intend for you to be ours by then.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘That is a shame. I had heard you were quite the businesswoman yourself. Clearly you have less of a head for negotiating than I had given you credit for. Perhaps there is someone else I could speak to.’ The implication was subtle but it was there.

  ‘No one in my family is going to do business with you.’

  ‘Then we shall have no choice but to do it the old fashioned way. We will needlessly fight for the leadership of your family and then I shall own them. Of course, I will be less lenient than if you had come willingly, but that is the law.’

  ‘You make the assumption you will win.’

  ‘Miss Carletto. Forgive my rudeness, but look at yourself. Even if you were fit and well you would be no match for me. I have no problem with getting your blood on my hands.’

  ‘That we agree on. I would be foolish to accept your offer of a one on one fight for the control of my family. I would surely lose.’

  ‘Perhaps you will simply surrender then?’ he asked hopefully.

  ‘No. I will not fight you directly. That would be suicide.’

  ‘Then you leave me no choice but to issue a request for your whole family. We will leave the sick and elderly until last of course, they will be easy pickings. Perhaps more suited to a life of servitude. If you are happy to have their blood on your hands…’ He trailed off and Monica saw the chance to change her mind. Over her dead body.

  ‘My conscience is clear.’

  ‘We do have a reputation for being warriors. We haven’t lost touch with who we used to be, not like you have. I heard you even had a human pet.’ The crowd behind him chuckled and she held herself in check. They could mock her, but that didn’t mean they could hurt her with those words.

  ‘Very well. It seems we are in agreement. If you think you can win so easily, then let’s get it over with. You can break down the door for the elderly and the children if you really do find yourself victorious,’ she added, with a touch of shaky bravado to her voice. She looked them up and down and looked back at her own people, as if she was doing a count for the first time. ‘As it is, it appears we are evenly matched. It would be a fair fight, even if you underestimate my people.’

  ‘You are accepting the challenge? An outright declaration of war from one family to another?’

  ‘If you wish to put it that way.’

  ‘Of course I do. You know there are rules about the declaration. Traditions. I want to make sure we are doing things properly.’

  ‘Of course you do,’ sighed Monica. ‘Yes, I accept your declaration and choose to fight it. Whoever subdues the other family will be victorious and all rights and spoils shall be delivered unto them.’ She recited it by rote and resisted the urge to add ‘blah, blah, blah’ on the end. The council had insisted she learn it in the first week.

  ‘Very well,’ he gave a small smile. Monica resisted the urge to slap the smug look off his face. She shuffled back to take away the temptation. ‘We accept the terms.’

  He stepped back and clapped his hands twice, sharply. Monica darted a glance at Dennis. Was this some other bit of tradition, one she had overlooked? Then she realised it was much more basic than that. It was a signal. Men and women poured into the long alleyway until they had doubled in number.

  She wasn’t surprised. She had expected them to bluff. They’d overplayed their hand with initial numbers so small. Now they were a hundred strong, which gave them a two to one advantage. No wonder he was looking smug.

  ‘I wish you hadn’t
been so rash,’ he smiled, showing all his teeth. ‘We could have made this so much easier on your family. I did try.’

  ‘So what if you played dirty? Did you expect more respect for this?’

  ‘Not at all. Although I suppose if I were truly a gentleman then I would give you the opportunity to change your mind.’

  ‘And are you?’

  ‘Am I what?’

  ‘A gentleman.’

  ‘Of course I am. But that doesn’t mean I will allow you to choose your own life now instead of theirs. I gave you that option before and you were willing to throw them to the flames. Why should I care now that their death is all the more certain?’

  ‘Because it is clear that you have an advantage now.’ Monica needed to keep him talking. Word would spread inside they were now outnumbered. She wanted to make sure that the second wave had time to prepare. And the third. They were going to take these bastards down.

  ‘I will use my advantage. That doesn’t mean I am not a gentleman. It means I am a strong leader. I gave you too much credit to begin with. Perhaps your family will be grateful to have a true leader in charge.’

  ‘They will never accept your leadership.’

  ‘Then they will die or be slaves. Either is fine by me. You are expendable. I hoped to salvage something good from your family, but if they are completely destroyed, then so be it.’

  ‘Who is your second?’ Monica asked, bored of his posturing.

  ‘This fine man here,’ he gestured to his left. ‘He has been vital in establishing our small family over here. I will leave my spoils to him to manage when I return home.’

  ‘This is mine,’ she pointed at Dennis. She hadn’t wanted to single him out. It would make him a target like the man opposite her now was, but he would be hurt if she didn’t. After everything, she owed him his pride.

  ‘Excellent, then I suppose the time for talking is –’ he broke off as the end of the alley thundered.

  Monica looked in the direction of the sound. Did this man have no limit to the number of tricks he would pull? A truck had mounted the pavement and wedged itself firmly over the mouth of the entrance. No one was getting out until they moved it. He had trapped her there.

  She began to speak but saw the suspicion and hatred in his eyes. He thought she was playing him. She shook her head. If there had been an accident, then they would have to call the whole thing off. She wouldn’t risk humans wandering blind into the slaughter.

  She looked back at the truck, frozen with indecision. There was movement on the roof as the driver climbed from his cab to get himself free. Two others followed. Monica felt her phone vibrate and pulled it from her pocket. It was a message from Elizabeth.

  They’re all in there now. We’ve got you covered.

  She looked across at the familiar figure standing atop the lorry with arms crossed. If anyone tried to flee, they would be dealt with. She smiled as Elizabeth raised her thumb in the air. It was a sign. No more talking. The Sekhmets were now on the back foot. With strong backup gathered in the building behind her, it was the first of many surprises up her sleeve.

  Monica wouldn’t waste time before the second.

  She let the cane drop to the ground and stood tall. ‘Well then gentlemen. Let’s get this thing started.’

  61

  Jet stood half-hidden amongst the rank and file. In the gathering of bodies, all sombre and determined, she was beginning to regret her choice of hair colour. She had joined this branch of her family for the freedom she thought it would bring. Now her life hung in the balance and she wasn’t sure, deep in her heart, which side she wanted to win.

  The man who had been her leader now stood in charge once again. She had no choice but to listen to his instruction.

  Monica Carletto had never been spoken of with anything other than disdain by the members of her family. They all attributed her power to nothing more than a twist of fate. A roll of the dice that gave her a position that she did not deserve. A position that was not hers to inherit or take.

  Monica had just been lucky.

  Jet believed you made your own luck.

  As she’d listened to Monica speak, she found herself listening with awe and respect. A faint touch of admiration for the leader of the opposition. She was strong and determined, even as she leant upon her cane for support. Even if their own leader had failed to underestimate her, then Jet did not. This was a woman she would prefer to fight alongside, not against. Family allegiance dictated that it was impossible. There was no other way than this.

  Jet didn’t understand how she had managed to strike up an alliance with humans, but she longed to know. Such concepts were unheard of. A shame that hung over the heads of those who forgot the boundaries. Those who forgot humans were separate and dispensable. In her heart she held a glimmer of hope that if she made it through the now inevitable battle, then she would be willing to learn this new way. Willing to take whatever lessons Monica would be able to teach.

  For four thousand years, Jet’s personal bloodline had been oppressed and abused by others. Her own family still kept her at the bottom rung with no chance of moving upwards. It had never mattered what she did or how she proved herself. For them, her low blood would always show through.

  Tonight, she resolved, all that would change. She would die or she would do what she came to America to do. Make something of herself and be free. No longer subservient to a master she didn’t trust or like. Only a traitor would consider the alternative. Only a fool would believe there was a life outside the protection of the bigger family as a whole. Perhaps she was both of those things, perhaps she was neither. The people she faced, the ones she had been ordered to kill, she had no grudge against.

  Except for one.

  The man who had beaten her and stolen her money stood close to Monica Carletto. He was her second. Seeing him in such a prominent position made Jet understand his anger more, but that did not mean she forgave him for taking away what she had made hers.

  If their paths crossed in the next hour, then she would exact her revenge. Teeth bared, she would hold back nothing. If they were to meet, then her face would be the last thing he saw. She was ready for him this time and she would not give in to him so easily.

  The others could live or die, she had no quarrel with them. She would simply seek to stay alive rather than to kill.

  But him? He would be hers.

  62

  ‘You little…’

  Elizabeth didn’t hear the rest of his insult. From this distance he cut an imposing figure. Monica looked positively frail in comparison, a fact that gave Elizabeth very little reassurance. Right up until the moment she saw the cane fall away as Monica drew herself up straight.

  He’d been played. They all knew it. Whilst it gave Elizabeth more confidence, she knew it would make Monica’s opponent angry and humiliated. Not emotions vampires were known for being able to keep in check.

  The simple act was like the firing shot at the starting line of a race. He surged towards her and she did the same. They met in the middle with a clash of fists as a moment later their families did the same. Elizabeth had to trust that Monica would be able to handle herself. It was time to do what she had come here to do.

  To her left, Garth braced himself. With one foot on the cab roof and the other on the truck, he yelled a warning to a curious bystander to get the hell out of there. Did the Sekhmets know how reckless they had been in coming here like this? Even in the midnight hours, it was a stupid risk to assemble that many. As he pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked the blade, the remainder of the Giordanos began to spill from the main entrance. Too many bodies in one place made strategy a pointless endeavour. It was kill or be killed, as quickly as possible.

  A young man, having assessed the odds and deciding to take his chance to escape, grabbed the tight straps at the side of the truck and heaved himself upwards. With a single fluid movement Garth dropped to his knees, his blade glinting as it sliced through the air. Elizabeth watch
ed as the man grabbed his neck, blood spurting as he fell backwards towards the ground. It was a neat slice and Elizabeth saw the snarl of satisfaction from Garth. This was going to get messy before the fight was through.

  The bodyguard stood forward but she held him back. There were plenty of bodies down there fighting for his family. He was of more use to them up here. ‘Take the defensible position,’ she ordered. ‘You’ll kill them easier and faster from up here than you will one on one down there.’ He shook her off, unwilling to take orders from a human. As a woman grabbed onto the leather strap and pulled herself up the side of the truck, he reached down and grabbed her. He snapped her neck back and looked up at Elizabeth with a nod. Good. She needed to focus on herself, not keep him in check.

  She braced herself, feet apart, for the next Sekhmet deserter to climb the truck. Between them, they had the whole side covered and that was enough. Those at the back, the ones closest to them and more able to see the spread of the fight in front of them were the ones most likely to run. They knew they were outnumbered. The promise of a Giordano family too weak to resist them had turned out to be a lie.

  The more of them who ran, the more of them she would need to kill. Garth and the muscle-bound guard had made it look easy next to her, but she couldn’t leave the middle of the truck undefended.

  Her first blood for a long time.

  Too late to turn back and certainly too late to have second thoughts. From the moment she had come to Monica’s aid, the act of killing had been inevitable. She could not let her weak body let her down, but in a fight, it was a weak mind that really got you killed. The blade in her hand held steady.

  This was what she was born to do.

  Sensing safety in numbers, four men at the back made a run for the truck. Garth dropped to his knees again and landed a punch squarely on the face of the one nearest too him. Elizabeth didn’t know why he hadn’t chosen the blade again, but there was no time to question his actions. Instead, she saw two of the men equidistant from her. A moment of indecision froze her to the spot.