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Business was back to normal. The numbers on the new status reports said so. Jerome tossed the folders aside and went to the bar to fix himself a long, tall, bloody drink.
The sun had set nearly two hours ago and he was feeling like a nice long flight over the city. His city. Everyone had the point now, even Velvet Washington and her associates were quiet. He laughed and took a long drink from the glass. Samantha turning crazy was better than anything he hoped for.
“So you’re satisfied?”
He’d forgotten the human was even there. He walked briskly back to his desk, opened the lid on an ornate metal box, took out two envelopes. “I am quite satisfied. Deliver this to you partner for me.”
“He pulled out, sir. Wants no part in tricky dealings.”
“You tell him the money he can make?”
“Yes.”
“You still trust him?”
“Omar? Sure, he’s no fink!”
“Frank, I’d feel better if he were on board.”
“Sir, he’s fine. He ain’t got any reason to go blabbing. Besides, he doesn’t know anything. He keeps his head down.”
“He sent her flowers.”
“Who?”
“Velvet.”
“Oh well. You know they knew each other back in the day. It’s no big deal. She tried to return the flowers.”
“You think she’s not interested, or simply doesn’t trust him?”
“Well, let’s see.” Frank scratched the back of his head, making a face. “I figure maybe a bit of both.”
“He’s really into her though?”
“I know he likes big women.” Frank smiled a little. “Tall or wide, he doesn’t care. But she’s got that superior thing going, Omar is just a little intimidated.”
“Encourage him, maybe she’ll come around.”
“I don’t care for her attitude much.”
“Well, Frank, she isn’t for you.”
“Just hate to see a good man get with a bona fide bitch.” A loud thud from below vibrated the floor and walls. “What the hell was that?”
“I’ve no idea, but this house is safe. I assure you.”
“There it goes again!” Frank exclaimed wide eyed. “We ain’t on any fault line!”
“Calm down. It’s nothing. Would you like a drink?”
“Uh no. I think-” A loud howl reverberated through the house to the second floor, and then more thudding. “Jesus Almighty!” Frank went for his pistol heading for the door.
“Stay in this room, Frank,” Jerome said in a loud voice. “It is nothing.”
“You got a crazy wolf in the house?”
“He can’t get in here. Sit and relax.” Jerome poured a tall glass of whiskey and handed it off to Frank. “Why don’t you try a real cigar for once?’ He offered him a cigar from a box on his desk.
“Cubans?” Frank’s eyes lit up.
Another howl erupted and then a scream. Jerome dropped his eyes, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. He knew Frank recognized the scream as that of a woman. He walked back around his desk. Frank alternated puffing on the cigar and swilling down his whiskey. He stiffened at every sound. “Excuse me,” he said and fast walked out of his study. He locked the door behind him.
“Jerome!” Rex followed by Mary came running up the stairs. “She’s really losing it!”
“Tell me what I don’t already know!”
“Please, kill her!” Mary yelled covering her ears. “That howling is maddening!”
“She’s suffering,” Jerome commented, bounding down the stairs. “I want her to lose the feeble mind she had into complete madness!” He ran down the corridor to a hidden passageway behind the stairs that led to a lower level of the mansion. He kept running flat out and burst into the secret room that contained his prisoner.
“Be careful, boss!” Rex pulled him back out of reach of Samantha’s wings. They appeared broken from flapping against the blood smeared walls. She stopped howling and screeching at the sight of him. Her head began to change from wolf bat to human.
“Hello Samantha,” he greeted her gleefully. “My how you have changed.”
“Help me... Jerome.” She formed the words slowly and carefully. “Need serum.”
“I think all you need is rest. Try to relax, my dear.”
“Need help. Please. You still... need me.”
“Like a wooden stake through my eyeball.”
“The wolf.”
“Looks good on you.”
“Troy.”
“What?”
“He hears me... will save me.”
“Boss?” Rex looked worried. “Troy is pack leader. They say they get tuned in to their people.”
“She is not their people. She’s a monstrosity!”
“The battle witch. I will call her. Show her mind... what you are... doing to me.”
“Boss,” Rex swallowed hard. “Don’t let her do it!”
“God, Rex.” Mary let her disgust show.
“You would call Velvet Washington to save you?” Jerome came within her wing reach. “And Troy? You killed his wife!”
“She did?” Mary asked. Her voice rose like she didn’t believe it. “She killed Jazz? Everyone thought-”
“That I did it?”
“Well, not me. I know you and Troy was tight.”
“That’s what she wanted Troy to think, so he’d come after me.”
“Wow,” Mary said. “A real bitch. You want us to keep feeding her?”
“Skip today and tomorrow.”
“Damn,” Rex muttered.”
“Excuse me,” Jerome said.
“Boss, what if her mind is that strong still?”
“I don’t know, Rex. What if it is?”
“Troy can bring in a whole army of werewolves. And Velvet, she might team up with them.”
“Rex, you want off this duty?” Jerome asked, cutting to the chase. Rex was getting on his nerves acting scared of witches and some wolves.
“I- no!” He cleared his throat, then coughed.
Jerome slugged him in the jaw, knocking him on his butt. “Mary?”
“Yes, Jerome.” She eagerly went to him.
“You aren’t to associate with this piece of shit anymore.”
“But she’s mine!” Rex scrambled to his feet. “I made her.”
“Nothing is yours, Rex, except what I allow you. You get your ass down to the Grove and shake your ass like the bitch you are!”
“Please Jerome, not on my corners.”
“My corners. You sell for money like the humans.”
Mary gasped, and Rex began to cry. He was sniveling by the time he climbed the stairs.
“Move your things into the mansion, Mary. Choose any rooms on the third floor.” He pressed a button on the wall near the bottom step. A silver dome covered Samantha. “That should do something about the noise.”
“Jerome, am I off the street for good?” She went to his waiting arm, going up the stairs with him.
“I hate to make promises, Mary. Let’s just say as long as you don’t disappoint me.”
~*~
As usual Suzanne waited for her in the foyer, always acting so glad to see her. Surprisingly, it gave Velvet a boost too, walking out to see a happy face. Suzanne was about the only happy one now that Samantha was no longer after her or Carmen, and her life of hiding and pretending was over. Taking her little hand, they strolled out down to the sidewalk. Suzanne flew on her own now and sometimes she went up with Wilder. Velvet never questioned where they went or what they did all night. She wasn’t anybody’s mother after all.
“Miss Washington.”
“Detective Henderson.” She held Suzanne’s hand waiting for Omar to approach. He kept his hands in his pockets, frowning against the cold wind in his face. He looked down at Suzanne. Velvet made the introductions.
“How do you do?”
“Just fine,” she said, then slipped her hand free and walked off a bit down the sidewalk.
“Is she a relative?”
“She’s a sprite that thinks she’s mine.”
“Wow. Well, she’s a real cutie pie.”
“I’ll tell her you said so.”
“You still flying?”
“Yep. Leroy’s wife freaks out when he drives me around.” She considered his demeanor. He wasn’t there to flirt. “Omar, what’s up?”
“I need to tell you something, and it’s really bad, Vee.”
“Okay.”
He pulled her closer and kept his voice down. “That wolf bat lady that attacked Rankin is being kept and tortured at the mansion. She can’t change back, though she thinks she can. Her mind is weak and her body battered up pretty badly.”
“Who told you?”
“I can’t tell you that. But it’s a source I trust.”
“And?”
“What you mean?”
“I take it you must want me to get involved. Why should I when she came to kill us?”
“Because she’s been trying to call you and Troy for help. She thinks she has a mental link. Have you been getting anything?”
“No. Omar, it’s been weeks, she’s probably died by now.”
“Nope this was just yesterday. Look, I know what she tried to do, but that vampire is going too far. She’s an old helpless woman. A crime is being committed and I can’t do anything without some help. Your kind of help.”
“You want to rescue her. And then what, Omar? Arrest Jerome? It won’t stick because we can’t legally go in there. You can’t get a warrant, otherwise you wouldn’t be here talking to me.”
“Okay, forget Jerome. Please, help me get that woman out of there.”
“You think you can handle going inside a vampire’s lair?”
“Yeah, I do. For the record, I am a man, Velvet. I don’t need super powers to be a warrior.”
“All right,” she agreed. Since he had went and impressed her. “Give me about two hours to get things in order. Call me at home when you are ready to do this.”
“All right then. I have a few things to do myself.” He backed away giving her a brilliant smile. “Thanks, Vee.”
“He’s gorgeous,” Suzanne commented after Omar pulled away in his car. “Are we going?”
“You heard what we were talking about?”
“I was just over there.”
“I know where you were.” Velvet gave her the side eye. “Or were you listening in mentally?”
“Don’t think so.”
“Right.”
“You mad? It’s natural, I don’t do it on purpose.”
Maybe not, Velvet thought. But she could on purpose not do it. “Look here, you know better than what you be doing around here. I’m not gonna scold you, but I will forbid you to touch me if you don’t start being responsible with your powers.”
“But if we don’t touch- all right, then.” Suzanne put her hand inside Velvet’s again. “I can hear Samantha,” she shared. “I knew she was trying to reach you, so I blocked her.”
“You better have a good reason for that one, sprite. You know what Jerome is doing to her is wrong.”
“If you saw the terrible things she did to people, I bet you wouldn’t care what happened to her.”
“No one has the right to torture another living being. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves righteous? We’d all be monsters.”
“Well, I still think she’s getting what she deserves.”
“You are entitled to your own opinion, but I’m going to get her out of there. And I need you to do some things for me.” She went down to Suzanne’s eye level. “Contact everyone, have them come back to the office and wait. I don’t know how long it’ll take me to do what I need to do, but tell them to just wait, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Then you go home. Under my bed is a mojo bag. You can touch it, can’t you?” Suzanne nodded her head. “Get it and keep it on you. I’ve cast a barrier spell, but if someone tries to force it off you – an enemy- surrender it.”
“Who are our enemies?”
“Jerome, Samantha, Mayor Zennith, Frank Mosby, any stranger really. You keep my bag and wear it until I come back. If I die-”
“No!”
“Listen to me. I mean at any time. I can almost guarantee you I’ll be back from the mansion. In the event of my death, I want you to take my mojo to my great grandmother. Her name is Mahalia Capehart.” Velvet placed Suzanne’s hand over her psychic eye. “See her, and know her.”
“I see her! Oh my goodness! I can feel her power!”
“That’s good. She’ll know you and take care of you if that’s what you want.”
“Okay.”
“While I’m gone make sure Leroy, Milly and Carmen stay in the house with you. Use magic if you have to make Milly and Leroy obey.”
“Okay.”
“Go on, now.” She raised her body from the sprite’s face. Her sprite now, she supposed. Suzanne ran down the sidewalk for momentum, then jumped into the air. Just like Wilder, she observed, and ran to do the same in the opposite direction.
~*~
Terrell leaned against the darkroom door, not at all pleased with her
sudden appearance at his high school.
“What do you want, lady?”
“Just a talk with a friendly neighborhood demi demon.”
“I’m not a-” He stepped back a couple of spaces as if being so close to her was uncomfortable.
“You felt me coming, didn’t you?”
“So?”
“Nothing. I don’t have time to argue with you. And I’m sure your folks are expecting you home for supper any minute now.”
“They expect me to hang out here after hours. So what you want?” he asked again.
“I saw you in action. You know how to take care of yourself, and I’m almost certain you are one smart kid. I can use someone like you tonight. You still documenting monster activity?”
“What else is there that guarantees the public interest?”
“Sex, drugs, power?”
“Okay, I’m listening.” Terrell came back, got closer. “But you know I’m still in high school?”
~*~
“I don’t like it, Velvet. This isn’t at all what I had in mind. We should sneak in. You know he won’t just hand that lady over to us.”
“I know,” she said, climbing from the passenger side of Omar’s Buick. “But how long do you think it will take to find a torture room by sneaking about? We do it my way or you stay out here.” She waited at the hood for him to decide if he was coming or not. By now, Jerome knew they were on his property. She was going inside even if they had to jump the gate. Being the cop he was, Omar pressed the call button. No response. Velvet took over speaking into the intercom. A nervous sounding Mary squeaked back.
“What do you want, Velvet?”
“What do you think? Open this freakin’ gate!”
“Uh...” The intercom went dead, then the gate buzzed while it opened wide enough for a car to pass through.
“Leave the car outside the gate,” Velvet advised.
“That’s a mighty long walk,” Omar objected, going back to his vehicle. Velvet reluctantly joined him for the ride. “I guess the others are already inside or something.”
“I didn’t tell them,” she shared mildly.
“So we don’t have backup?” Omar stopped the car abruptly, made her jerk forward and back again. He reached for the extra magazine clips of silver bullets in the glove box.
“I doubt you need all that,” she remarked dryly.
“I’ll be the judge of that.” He filled his coat pockets. “And thanks for telling me the situation I was walking into.”
~*~
Jerome studied his unwelcome visitors in his front parlor. They stood when he entered, watched him back with expressionless eyes. Just Velvet and her cop. No slayer even on the grounds. Pointedly, he closed the door heavily. He walked over, stood between them, sizing them up. The human’s heartbeat pounded in his chest. Probably his first time locked up with a vampire. On the outside he appeared calm enough. Good show, Jerome thought with a snicker.
“Mister Firestrom, I am Detective-”
“We all know who we are so don’t be wasting my time with formalities.”
“We came to collect Samantha,” Velvet said and stepped right up to him. She wore jeans and sweater with high heel boots. Her short leather jacket lay on the sofa. Jerome smiled at her obvious display of no arms. A power statement, witch against vampire.
“You know Velvet, I never noticed how cute you are. I bet it really turns the detective on seeing you out of uniform.” He sniffed at her mouth and nose. “Still the sweet one. I told Wilder your blood tasted like a virgin’s. You still not giving it up? Is poor Omar risking his life for nothing?”
“I’m here to see that you release that woman,” Omar answered for himself.
“Really?”Jerome backed off Velvet. “You think you are ready for this kind of work?”
“Pretty sure,” Omar said, pulling his glock. He fired six slugs into Jerome’s chest, going for the heart. Then two in the head. “Go, Vee!”
She ran disappearing through the walls.
“Son of a bitch.” Jerome groaned, rolling to his side. He fingered the holes in his chest, ignoring the ones in his head.
“Hold still, Firestrom.” Omar aimed the gun at his chest.
Jerome rolled from his side to a sitting position. His whole shirt was soaked in his own blood. He rose to his feet and staggered toward Omar. He might get more bullets in him, but he’d also get the detectives blood. He leapt and took Omar to the floor with him. He wrestled the gun from his shaking hands. With a loud slobbering snarl, he pressed the side of Omar’s face into the carpet, exposing enough of his throat for a bite.
“Get off!” Omar struggled, pushed at Jerome with his hands and forced the fangs away from his throat.
Jerome soon realized he just didn’t have the strength to over overcome a healthy full grown man, while he steadily lost blood. He caught a fist in the jaw that rocked him right off Omar’s body.
“Stay back!” Omar didn’t go for his gun. Instead he turned his coat pockets inside out, a silver crucifix and stake spilled into his hand. “Just lay there, man.”
“I’ll just sit in my chair, if you don’t mind.” Jerome stumbled and crawled to the chair by the fire. He was spent with nothing left. Damn, he thought, the human had something after all.
~*~
Omar retrieved his gun. He sat on the table with it trained on Jerome’s head. The sound of snarling and running feet alerted him someone was coming through the door.
It was Mary, fangs dripping wet and eyes blazing. She propelled herself into the room, taking a shot in the belly for her hasty entrance. She got up running, screeching at him, holding her hands like claws. He stuck the wooden stake into her throat, she fell grabbing at the wood. Omar dragged her across the floor, parked her at Jerome’s feet.
“Try taking it out,” Omar warned, “I’m pumping you full of silver like your boss. Got me?” Mary blinked her eyes rapidly, as she was unable to speak. “Now, just keep still.” She looked at Jerome. His eyes were blind. He was out of it. She lay back, gurgling the blood caught in her throat.
~*~
“What’s wrong with her?” Velvet demanded of the male vampire standing his ground before her. He hadn’t furrowed his brow yet, or let his nails out either. Maybe he would be reasonable. “Darnell, I asked you a question!”
“So you do remember me,” he grinned. “Gotta say I’m impressed that there are more than two vampires got your attention.”
“Still Jerome’s main man, I see.”
“Whatever that is supposed to mean,” he said, dropping the grin. “How did you get in here? You couldn’t have known about this place. You and that old fool are strangers, so how you locate her?”
“I know how to search out a building. Now, tell me what is wrong with her.”
“She’s crazy. Was crazy before the change, if you ask me.” Darnell backed off and allowed Velvet a good view of Samantha’s pitiful condition. “She drank blood from real bats.”
“What?! How do you know that?” Sure werebats weren’t that plentiful, but to resort to bats?
“She’s part bat and she has the rabies.”
“So why torture her when she’s already tormented?”
“She broke her own wings trying to fight and get free. She kept throwing herself against solid silver.” He looked up to the ceiling, indicating the dented dome that hang above them. “She’s nuts. She came back here on her own looking for some serum. In this form, she can’t use her magic. If you ask me, I say she ain’t got any left.” Darnell backed up and picked up the remnants of an old and tattered book. “Look at this.”
She caught the book he tossed at her. She scanned it, not trying to read it in case Darnell thought he could make a move while her head was down. “What is this?” It made little sense, mostly images that had to be translated mentally.
“Can you read it?”
“No, not yet. With closer examination, I believe I can make it out.”
“It’s all mumble jumbo to me, but I know what it is.”
“Okay, what is it?”
“A book of recipes,” he stated.
“A spell book?” But not like any spell book she ever saw. A witch’s signature was not on it. That book had not belonged to anyone. She let it drop to the floor. Darnell crossed his arms and laughed at her. She glared at him, and asked, “Did Jerome use that book?”
“No.”
“You can read that.” All at once she knew he could, and probably studied it some. “Darnell, that book isn’t complete, I hope you aren’t planning to use or apply that stuff in anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s taboo!”
“So what isn’t?”
“Listen to me, you idiot. That is dark day alchemy! If anyone shouldn’t mess around with that, it’s a vampire!” He looked insulted and the arms he crossed tightened around him. He’d listen or he wouldn’t. Wasn’t like it was her business anyway. “Move against the wall, Darnell.”
“What you gonna do?” He moved aside slowly.
Indeed what? Samantha was a big, furry, bloody, broken mess. And crazy. “Samantha?” Hearing her name, she moved trying to sit her bulk up. She couldn’t and fell back down in a heap. She was dying, Velvet could sense it. When alchemy took a life it took it slowly. Her madness wasn’t from the tainted blood, it was from the fusion of wolf and bat and human. The completion of the physical weakened her mind.
“What you gonna do?” Darnell asked again.
“Release her,” Velvet decided.
“Didn’t you hear me tell you this old broad is crazy?”
“Do like I tell you and you might not get hurt this evening.”
“Jerome will cut my heart out and eat it, if I did anything you commanded.”
“You think I won’t?”
“Please,” Darnell snickered. “Over this crazy old fool that tried to kill you and your crew?”
“This crazy old fool is a woman, one of my sisters. She’s a crone, and she will not die like this among vampires!”
“I’m not letting her loose in here.” Darnell moved directly in front of her, meeting her determined gaze. “And neither are you, Velvet.”
“Oh, Darnell,” she said with a little sigh. “And here I was thinking you were one of the smart ones.” She reached over her head for the short handled axe that materialized in her hand. “You want me to hack through you first? Or should I just commence with her bonds?”
“Jerome is going to rampage, you know that.”
“Jerome is not going to do anything. He’s on his knees and he’s going to stay that way until I decide otherwise.”
“What? You can’t! It’s not possible!”
“How you think I got down here?”
“What did you do to him?”
“Worry about yourself! Release her and I won’t kill you!”
“Girl, you do what you’re gonna do.” He turned and ran for the door. “But you won’t do it with my help!” He tore the door open and ran.
“Damn it!” She gave chase after him. Darnell and Jerome were tight. He might risk his own life to save Jerome’s, which meant he’d surely kill Omar in the process. “Damn.”
She materialized gripping the axe. Omar was holding Darnell off for the moment with both glocks raised. He stood behind the chair Jerome was bleeding out from with Mary at his feet. One gun was pressed into the top of Jerome’s head, the other at Darnell’s face. Good move, she thought, and Darnell wasn’t so stupid after all. But things were getting dicey. “Darnell?” He turned. His countenance was all demon. She threw the axe into the middle of his chest. He went down without a sound, clutching at the short handle. “Attempt to pull it out and Omar will blow Jerome’s brains all over the back wall.” Darnell’s hands dropped to his sides.
“How many vampires are in this place?” Omar watched the door rather than look at her.
“A few, but they can’t get in here. I sealed the door. Look, Samantha is in awful shape. She won’t survive transporting so I have to treat her here.”
“You sure you can keep them out?”
“For a while. As soon as the others arrive we can control things and do what I need to do and get the hell out.”
“I thought you didn’t want your team involved.”
“Well, better safer than sorry, I always say.”
“That’s a mighty good saying,” He chuckled nervously, but eased up from the door. “How long before back up?”
“I already mentally gave Suzanne the instructions, and she will teleport them here. Should just be a few minutes.”
“Suzanne? That little girl?”
“She’s a sprite. I told you that.”
“Cool, just get them here.”
“Omar, relax. Darnell is too weak to do anything. He’s going to pass out any second now.”
“I’ll relax when I’m not seeing vampires.” Nonetheless, he lowered his guns and sat heavily on the sofa. “Wow, this is some wild stuff.”
“I know,” she said, taking a seat next to him on the sofa. “You did good, Omar. Real good work.”
“Proud of me?”
“Yeah.”
“Then get in here and hug me, baby.” He opened his arms wide and closed them around her.
She put her hand on his chest to feel the wild excitement he felt. So human, she thought. When was the last time she felt a normal heart beating away like there was no tomorrow? “You don’t have to wait with me,” she said. “I can send you back to your car.”
“You want me to go?” His arms held her tighter. “I know you don’t need me, but I really want to stay, Vee.”
“Good.” She let out a small sigh and moved closer inside his arms. “Because I want you to stay.”
“Hey,” he said, pushing her back into the sofa. His eyes moved down to her mouth and he touched her lips in a soft kiss. He hugged her and went for it.
After a few seconds, she held him closer. He smelled of aftershave, fear and excitement. His chest pressed hard into her breast, one hand moved down her side stopping short of what it seemed to want to do. It was nice, she thought, and getting nicer. But she had to pull away.
“Velvet.” He hesitated, then released his embrace.
“Suzanne and the others just arrived,” she said, rising from the sofa. “I have to let them inside.”
“Velvet?” He rose with her and took her hand. “If that was out of line, I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“So you liked it?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I liked it.” She also liked his smile and the brightness in his eyes when he looked at her. She liked the way he made her feel. She’d almost forgotten they were shut up in a room with three bleeding vampires.