Part 13 (1/2)
”The humans haven't taken the bait,” Cerridwen said coolly as she swept past Elder Vlad's long, onyx table.
She touched the surface of it, watching glimpses of the human news report as it iced over. He sat back and lifted his golden goblet of warm blood before it froze.
”That is of no matter .. . right now they are frightened and do what humans always doa”put their heads in the sand for a period.”
Cerridwen placed an icy finger against her blue lips. ”Odd that after two maulings they are not calling for a wolf hunt.”
”They made one in their very own laboratory,” Elder Vlad said through his fangs. ”Sasha Trudeau. This was nothing more than a cover-up! But rest a.s.sured they are looking for their rabid dog and we shall help them find her with blood on her hands.”
”While that may be so,” Cerridwen said coolly, her gaze becoming distant as her mind engaged the problem, ”I think it could not hurt to send out additional spies to be sure that our plot is not discovered. Lady Jung Suk worries me . . . she is, for lack of a better description, primitive.”
”And her sorcery skills are amazing,” Elder Vlad said, taking a slow sip of blood.
”But why do you need her when you could avail yourself of Unseelie magic?”
Elder Vlad smiled into his goblet and considered Cerridwen over the rim of it while taking a sip. ”Because, my dear, she has a soul at present, and you and I don't. That allows her to perform some of the most exquisite spells.”
”And you have the dark covens at your behest,” Cerridwen snapped.
”As do you,” Elder Vlad said with a toothy grin. ”That would make us evenly matched in power bases... except that I have one additional ent.i.ty under my sole control. Is that what disturbs you? This slight advantage?”
”Certainly not. It has nothing to do with that.”
”Then come, come, my darling ... let us enjoy each other's company tonight. You seem so unsettled.”
”You should come out with our investigation team. We'll get on tape what the mainstream media is afraid to show, dude.”
Russell nodded. ”Thanks, Bob. Maybe you're right. I'm sick of sitting around here; wanna get in on some of the action.”
The small ghost-hunting team raised their beers toward Russell.
”Hey, we need an embedded journalist.”
Excitement ripped through Russell as he reached into his wallet and produced the Blood Oasis card. Murmurs of awe tore around the table as the three men and one woman who made up Ghost Finders, Inc., leaned in to finger the coveted access card.
”You ever kill an ent.i.ty?” Russell asked the group leader.
”Uh, no, not really,” Bob said. ”We just sorta monitor activity and tell people if their home or inst.i.tution is haunted. Like, dude, it ain't that serious.”
”It is that serious,” Russell said, and then moved to stand. John placed a hand on his forearm, staying his leave.
”Hey, hey, wait a minute. Just because we haven't done that before doesn't mean we can'ta”if something attacked us, I'm sure we'd all fight.”
Russell sat back down and leaned in. ”That's all I'm saying. I'm not about to go into the Blood Oasis with a bunch of amateurs and get sucked dry by Vampires. But I've been researching supernaturals for years, and the one thing I know is that Vampires and Werewolves are mortal enemies. From the little bit of truth that's leaking out in the regular media, I'm pretty sure that the killings were done by Werewolves. The Vampires in the area are not gonna take kindly to having a rogue feeding on humans in their backyard. If we stir the pot a little, maybe go to a Vampire arbiter and offer ourselves as bait for a chance to get a real Werewolf attempted attack on tape so the Vampires can bag it and tag it... we might make some history.”
”That is so f.u.c.king outrageous, dude,” Bob said, shaking his head as he dragged his fingers through his hair. He looked around at his team. ”John ... Ralph, Sally, you in?”
”That's crazy, but yeah,” John said, gaining nods.
”No time like the present,” Russell said with a half smile. ”First off, we hit the club and make the offer. If they accept, we go to the location where all the military scoured. I know something happened out there, and it's still a full moon.”
”Your proposal is bold, innovative . . . and completely insane, Mister, ahem ...”
”Conway, Russell Conway,” he repeated to the club manager. ”But surely you don't believe in Vampires, do you?” Duval Hempstead rubbed his jaw and sat back, his large gold pinkie ring catching the pulsing red club lights.
”I believe that some humans are in denial, others ignorantly oblivious,” Russell said flatly. ”I want wolves seen for the monsters that they are, and I'd love to get an attack on tape. Once something that frightening is shown and the authorities can prove that it hasn't been digitally altered, maybe they'll send tanks down city streets to do a wolf hunt in earnest.”
”And you are willing to be bait. . . you and your team of ghost finders, oui?”
Russell memorized every facet of the Vampire's cafe-au-lait face and watched his piercing green irises begin to be eclipsed by the expanding black pupils. ”Yes,” he said, feeling the magnetic pull of an attempted mind seduction.
Duval Hempstead smiled slyly, allowing a slight crest of fang to show. ”Brave man. But I will have to take it up with my management.”
”Of course. And while you mire yourself in bureaucracy, we'll be out at the Bayou House trapping a rogue Were. If you care to join us, please know that you're welcome. Under normal circ.u.mstances we would wait, but it's a full moon.”
Duval nodded as Russell stood. ”We'll be in touch.”
”I've never been at a site this hot with paranormal activity in my life,” Sally whispered, scanning the area and holding out a boom microphone.
”Where'd you get all these guns, man?” John said, holding a pump shotgun in one hand and a heat-sensitive digital camera in the other as they trudged along.
Russell kept his camera held high and a tight grip on his handheld automatic. ”If you're going to do something like this, you can't be stupid. I collected this stuff over the years as I was doing my research.”
”So the Vampires said they'd come?” Bob said eagerly, stopping every few steps to film the group in motion and to do a bit of narration.
”They were noncommittal,” Russell said, not bothering to hide his disappointment. ”But it doesn't matter. The main goal is to get an attempted attack on film.” He looked back at Bob. ”Keep up with the group, man.”
”This place is so hot,” Sally said quietly. ”Look at the readingsa”they just spiked off the far end of the scanner. I don't feel good about this. The hair is standing up on the back of my neck.”
”Mine, too,” Russell said quietly.
That was the last thing said before they heard Bob scream.
”Did you hear that?” Sasha turned to the group. The four wolves remained still for a second.
”Humans under attack,” Hunter said quickly, and instantly their group started running toward the sound.
Moving in and out of the shadows at breakneck velocity, Hunter, Sasha, and Crow Shadow arrived on the scene with Shogun skidding to a halt behind them. A burst of semi-automatic fire ripped through the trees in their direction. Hunter s.n.a.t.c.hed Shogun out of a fatal path of gunfire, but not before Shogun's arm was grazed by a blistering silver bullet.
”Hold your fire,” Sasha shouted. ”We're here to help.”