Chapter Three

 

 

Surrounded by twelve miles of natural vegetation, orchards, and vineyards, sat Noland’s sprawling estate. Only an hour’s drive north of San Diego, De Luz Canyon was tucked away in seclusion. Only one winding, narrow road led up a mountain to his multi-million dollar estate. The same road led you down.

Camille looked the part of a hot, Hollywood actress- Dressed in a gray and white pinned striped skirt that hit just above the knee, a white, button-up blouse, and black pumps. She could not have looked more professional than she did as she rang the doorbell and waited outside of Noland’s front door. While she stood there, she quickly pulled her hair back into a neat bun, hoping that a more professional appearance would take away from the fact that she was clueless when it came to the P.I. business.

She had a master’s in business administration and considered herself above average in the brains department. Camille would be the first to admit that she was no Allen Pinkerton when it came to matters of investigating.

She was going to rely on her natural tendencies of being nosey along with her street smarts to get her through this. How hard could it be to ask a few questions? Dig around a little and take a few notes?   

The beautiful Mediterranean Spanish style home was beyond anything she had ever seen with row after row of orange trees, avocado groves, and a dense forest that went on for miles. She had lived in Southern California all of her life and never, not even once had she heard of De Luz Canyon. It was a well-hidden gem, an escape into a fairy tale where she half expected elves and hobbits to appear. She wanted to stroll the grounds. To explore the enchanted forest that was shrouded in a uniform gray mist at this early hour.

 Camille rang the bell again, anxious because she was already twenty minutes late. She had a thing about being on time. She was one who prided herself on being punctual for any occasion whether it was business or social. The slow drive up the curvy road was a long, foggy, gradual, uphill stretch that was also a little scary. Yet, she found each turn to be bewitching as the road led her deeper into a world that could have easily been the perfect place for any Tolkien adventure.

Once she reached, his gates gaining entrance into Noland’s estate took an act of God. What was so secretive up here that she had to fill out practically an entire application just to enter? You would think she was trying to gain access to the Pentagon or something.

Finally, the front door opened. A woman who introduced herself as Ramona, the estate manager, led her into the home. She left her alone in the foyer, well, not completely alone. Four large dogs guarded her. Two were as white as snow and the other two were jet black. She was too afraid to breathe, so she stood there stiff as a board as they circled around her, sniffing her out.

“I hope my children didn’t frighten you,” Noland said as he neared her.

Children? That was an interesting way of referring to a pack of mutts. “Actually, they scare the hell out of me.”

Noland stood directly in front of her, a little too close for Camille’s comfort but she didn’t back away.

“You never need to feel afraid while in their presence. They are here to protect me and anyone I invite into my home.”

Okay, that was comforting, but still they were scary. “Do they have teeth?”

“Yes, of course.” He chuckled.

“Then I should be afraid.”

Noland conceded to her reasoning with an understanding smile and nod. He held out his hand inviting her to go ahead of him.

Walking behind her, he could smell her natural body scent. It secreted erotic pheromones that went straight to his brain and woke up the animal in him that had remained dormant for years. She made that part of him stir with excitement and need for blood and human flesh.

Noland liked this one far better than the other one. There was something different about her. Something that hit him the moment he walked through the door last night. Something or someone was watching her, not your typical peeping tom, but something of a much higher nature or source.  

Noland may have looked the part of a bum a few hours ago, but he certainly did clean up well, Camille thought. He wore a Kiton 5 dark blue suit, white shirt, and light blue tie that fit him perfectly. He was a handsome man in his mid-fifties, clean-shaven with salt and pepper hair that hung right at the neck of his shirt. It was obvious that he used product on his hair because it was slicked back giving him a cool, semi-rugged look that put a smile on her face. 

Camille got the feeling that Noland was a man with a great deal of power; a man who got what he wanted when and exactly how he wanted it. She thought it strange how she could feel the energy of his presence as he walked behind her. She tried to ignore it, but it was all-consuming and literally caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up. She had to turn around to see what was going on. As she did, she caught a glance at their reflection in a mirror that hung off the wall. It was quick. Camille was already out of sorts from the Lord of the Rings vibes she felt since she entered De Luz Canyon. Still, she could have sworn she saw what appeared to be a wolf-like creature walking behind.

She quickly turned around to make sure. Indeed, her eyes had played a trick on her. It was only Noland standing behind her.

How ridiculous she felt as he guided her into his study gesturing for her to have a seat on the sofa. The man was as normal as she was, she convinced herself as she sat down.

“I just realized that I haven’t properly introduced myself,” he said as he took a seat next to her. “I’m Noland Bauer.” He waited as if expecting a reaction from her. When there was not one, he went on. “I own Bauer Wineries.”

Okay. And? Camille wanted to say, but held her tongue. To be honest she was not a big wine drinker and as was not impressed people like Noland. They sat on their mountaintops overshadowing all the little people. She didn’t hate them; she just didn’t have much love for them.

“I have several wineries in Temecula and few others in Sonoma Valley.”

Whatever, she wanted to scream. And why the hell was he even telling her all of this. She thought she was here to help find his daughter, not listen to him brag about all the shit he had.

“I also own a few small art galleries; one in La Jolla and one just a few blocks from Richard’s office. I spend a great deal of time with him. Having a business close by seemed fitting made it easy for me to drop in.”

Everything he told her, she already knew. She Googled him and found out everything she needed to know. He left out a few of his greatest accomplishment, like all of the companies he owned overseas that were run by his sons.

Just like Richard Dames, he too was loaded, featured in Fortune 500 as being one of the wealthiest men in the world. Four million dollars was like throwing away monopoly money to him. So why in the world would a man of his caliber hire two cleaners to find his only daughter?

As she listened to him, her eyes fell upon a ring that he wore on his pinky finger. The entire ring was the shape of an animal- a bear or perhaps a wolf.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bauer.” She said extending her hand. “I’m Camille Kantari”

As they shook hands, Noland felt the connection. It was subtle and quick, but it was there. This woman was much more than just a housekeeper was- she was a goddess.

“Interesting ring you have there.” Camille said.

Noland turned his hand over for her to get a better look. “It’s been in my family for centuries.”

Holding onto his hand, Camille examined the ring that was permanently affixed to his finger. Amazed, she turned his hand over from front to back trying to grasp what she was seeing. There was no way the ring was coming off. It was a part of his finger, literally embedded into his skin.

“How’d you do that?” She asked with a furrowed brow. “How do you get it off?”

“It doesn’t come off.” He answered watching her as she moved her thumb over the head of the ring. He could tell that she was intrigued, but Noland was far more intrigued by her. This woman had the blood of royals in her. He could smell it as if she had bathed in it.

“I noticed the same design on your front gates. Is it your family’s crest?”

“Very astute- And yes, it is. You will find this design on everything I own. It protects us.”

“From what,”  She asked, looking up at him with the fascination of a child.

“From those who want to harm us; whoever wears the ring holds the power.”

Camille had no idea what that meant. Rich folks and all of their money annoyed the hell out of her. He could not wear a ring like a normal person. No! He had to have the damn thing embedded into his skin. What a dumb thing to do.

“Interesting,” She murmured.

Releasing his hand, she reached into the purse and pulled out a pen and pad to take notes. “How long has Grace Ann been missing?” She asked, delving into the list of questions she prepared only a few hours ago. She was new to this line of work, but she was not about to flaunt her ignorance.

He gave her a long stare. No one ever used her middle name. No one knew it. As far as he knew it was not documented anywhere. Not even on her birth certificate.

Camille answered his question before he had a chance to ask. “I took the liberty of looking into your background. You’d be amazed at what one can find on Google. I hope you don‘t mind?”

She didn’t care if he did. She had a job to do and liked it or not, investigating everyone and everything was necessary. Surely, he didn’t think that she wouldn’t do a little background research before stepping into his home. He could be the modern day Jack, the Ripper for all she knew. 

 “No. Not at all,” He answered with a tone that was less than convincing. “Can I offer you anything to drink, Miss Kantari- Coffee, tea, perhaps a glass of water?”

“No thank you, sir. I’m fine.”

And that she was. Not only was she fine. She was precious. A word Richard used often when he spoke of a beautiful, black goddess who would one day come and save them all.

“Please. Call me, Noland.” He said as he stood and headed across the room to a bar.

“Of course, but only if you will call me, Camille.”

“Where are you from, Camille? Were you born here in California?” He asked before thinking.

“I'm not quite sure where I'm from. I was left at the doorsteps of an orphanage.”

“That’s unfortunate. May I ask at what age?”

“Sorry. I don’t know that ether. I’m assuming under the age of twelve months.” Camille didn’t mind answering his questions though she failed to see how it would help me in finding his daughter. She was just about to ask when one of his so-called pets entered the room. The freakish mutt was excessively large to be an ordinary canine. It was more like something out of a Resident Evil movie that was given growth steroids. The big ball of white fur made its way into the room moving like a panther with its head hung low, and its eyes fixated directly on Camille.

She thought of running, but seriously, how far would she get? She thought of screaming, but for some reason she couldn’t open her mouth, so she sat there, paralyzed with her breath caught in her throat as the animal stopped in front of her. As if knowing what he was doing he began to run his snout up her leg until her skirt was practically up to her crotch.

Camille was not a great lover of dogs. All her life she had a fear of the four-legged creatures. She never knew why and never gave it much thought until now. Their teeth were sharp, and their eyes were creepy, but mainly they were unpredictable. If that wasn’t enough, this one seemed to have the same characteristics of a man as it began sniffing and licking her.

Mortified, Camille managed to stand and stood taking several steps closer to Noland.   

“He likes you, Camille,” Noland said in a menacing tone of voice. 

“You think?”

“I promise you, they are well trained. Completely friendly unless provoked.”

Okay, friendly she got. But who knew where that the line was drawn between provoked and contentment?

“I’m sure they are,” She said stepping completely behind him. “But would it offend you if I asked you to remove it from the room?”

Noland did not have to say a word. The mangy mutt nodded its head as if he understood every word she said. She almost felt sorry for the oversized dog as he turned and left the room. Probably too large and rough to go outside and play with the neighborhood dogs.   

“Are they dogs or wolves?” She asked finally feeling safe.

“A little of both, but let me assure you once again that you need not fear any of them. They are trained to protect. Yes, they are vicious animals capable of ripping the head off a man. But you’ll never have to worry about that.”

All Camille heard was vicious animals. “O….kay, thank you for the visual.”

They both laughed as she took a seat on the sofa again. “Looks like you could use that glass of water now.”

“Or something stronger…”

Ready to jump back into questioning him, Camille cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and began.

 “Was UCSD your daughter’s first choice? Surely she could have gone anywhere in the world? Why stay here?”

“It was her choosing. I begged her to leave and did everything short of bribing her to study abroad. She had many offers from all over. I would have been happy with any one of them. I just wanted her away from here.”

“Was there any particular reason?”

“For what?”

Oh, come on Noland. Do not play stupid with me. You obviously wanted her away from home for a good reason. Now out with it. Spill your guts and let us call it a day Camille wanted to say, but instead she said, “Why did you want her away from home?”

He paused seemingly to debate his options- should he lie or the truth? Camille knew that the truth was sitting on the tip of his tongue dying to come out. He needed to confide in someone; that was easy to tell. She could feel his aching desire to rid himself of a burden he carried, a burden that was clearly eating away at him. She could almost hear the words roll off his tongue, but he held back unable or unwilling to make her privy to his secret.

She would have to work hard to pry the truth from his tightly sealed lips. They would have to play the game of lies first. Poor fool! He truly did not know her. If he tried to bullshit her with a bunch of concocted answers that he just pulled out of his ass, Camille would know, and then she would dig for the truth until she created a festering sore. Noland would gladly give in just to get her off his back. So go ahead, Noland, please lie to me she thought to herself.

Camille watched him as he crossed over to a wet bar in the corner of the room. “No. There was no particular reason I wanted her away from home.” He continued as he poured her a glass of water from a pitcher, his hand shaking the whole time. “She insisted on staying close to her high school friends. It was against my better judgement.”

He crossed back over to her. “But I agreed.” He said as he handed her the glass of water.

Camille took a sip then placed the glass down on the table in front of her. “Why?

Because she was a human female living with a pack of werewolves, she never felt like she fit in, and frankly; she did not, but Noland did everything he could to make her feel loved and wanted. She was his world. The only thing left that was normal. That is why he gave in. He wanted to please her. “Because she reminded me that she was an adult,” He lied.

There was something more. Camille could see it in his eyes, but she did not want to push him- Not yet!

“Earlier you seemed to know who may have taken her. Do you know?”

Yes, he wanted to admit. Kourosh Taghavii would be my best guess, but he was not one hundred percent sure. It was a toss-up between Kourosh and Roman DePaul. Both men were creatures of the night who could not be trusted to take out the trash without the threat of a homicide. He knew that hatred ran deep between the two, and it had become quite amusing to watch them go after each other like high-school rivals after the same girl. Of course, Kourosh had all the power and Roman was really no match.

“No. I have no idea.” He lied again.

Okay, that was his second lie. She was ready to get up and walk the hell out of there, but something held her ass firmly on the plush sofa, and it was not the money. It was curiosity, or maybe she was just nosey. “Why won’t you seek the help of proper authorities? Did someone warn you against it?”

“No!” He answered looking around and over his shoulders as if he was expecting company. 

Camille was like a human lie detector, fully equipped with an instinctive ability to detect a lying man before he opened his mouth. Noland was a dead giveaway as his demeanor changed radically along with his voice. His power and position made him no different from all the rest; in fact, it gave him more reasons to be a bigger liar.

 “Are you expecting someone?”

“You don’t understand, Miss Kantari. I’m always expecting someone.”

Okay, before she labeled him as a nut job, as well as a liar, she needed to know more.

“You’re right, Noland. I don’t understand. Why don’t you explain?”

Explain- How could he possibly explain the destruction of what would happen if a war between good and evil took place? Humanity would no longer exist. The bright and happy world she once knew would become dark and cold. Around every corner, would await evil. Every human would become the prey to the beastly creatures who would dominate everything and everyone.

Noland knew that Kourosh was in search of a woman, not just any woman. This particular woman had connate powers. She was born to hold and protect the seven virtues. If Kourosh ever got ahold of her and combined his forces with hers, the unimaginable would take place. Knowing Kourosh the way he did, Noland knew that it was only a matter of time before Kourosh found this woman. 

“The time isn’t right, Camille. Knowing too much too soon makes you vulnerable. It places you at a grave disadvantage. I’m afraid that’s how Grace was taken so easily.”

What a fucking weirdo she thought. Yeah, she was intrigued but she still could not wait to finish up and get the hell away from the funny farm. She hated all of this Da Vinci Code secrecy crap. She hoped Desiree was having better luck over at the college campus. She was starting to hate herself for agreeing to handle Noland personally. Desiree would never let her forget it if she tried to back out of it.

She didn’t know any more now than she did before she stepped into his house. Other than, he was a bad liar and a little crazy. She had one last question before she was ready to call it a day.

“Would it be fair to say that you have many enemies?

He took a moment to think. She could answer that one for him. A man of his stature did not acquire such wealth by being a nice person. She was sure he had stepped on many heads and had even broken a few bones on his climb to the top. Of course, he had enemies- And plenty of them!

“It’s sad, but yes, it would be fair to say that I have many enemies.”

There was nothing sad about having enemies. It came hand in hand with being a fucking gazillionaire! He probably never had to work a hard day in his life. He wanted sad? She could give him sad, pathetic, sorry, and worthless. Try having to screw some stinky, sweaty, fat bastard in order to pay for tuition and books. Now that is sad!

Camille could not understand why she was so pissed, but she was. She ripped off a sheet of paper from her pad and handed it to him.

“Would you mind making a list of your enemies? I’d like to Google them before I pay them a visit.”

He took the sheet of paper from her hand and balled it up in his fist. His face was tight with indignation.

“You don’t understand, Camille. These are not the type of people you will find on Google.”

He took a seat next to her again. Something about him changed at that moment. She could tell that play time was over as he took on a different look.

“You've lived here your entire life. You must know the stories of the vampires who live among us?”

Again with the vampires, seriously? Camille did not know whether she should run fast or back away from him slowly. She struggled for a moment to come up with an appropriate response to his ridiculous question. She didn't have one, so he continued.

“Our city alone is saturated with vampires along with other supernatural beings just waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” She asked. Not that she believed any of his foolishness, she just had to know what his answer would be.

 “Waiting for Kourosh to find his betrothed; once this happens, he will raise up from the darkness and take over the world.”

Camille listened, but she was stuck on the word, vampire. She thought that the man should be committed, but also thought it best to play along. She would keep him talking and happy until she was closer to the front door. Then she would drive out of De Luz like an escaped fugitive, and she would never look back. If she made it out of there, safely she would gladly face Desiree and tell her she was right. The man was off his rocker.

“What does any of this have to do with you or your daughter?”

“It’s called leverage, Miss Kantari, something of value.”

“So, Grace is like the sacrificial lamb?”

“Yes.” He said with a look on his face that showed how pleased he was that Camille believed him. “Richard tried to warn me of this, but I didn’t listen.”

“Are you telling me that Richard Dames was also a vampire?” She felt silly asking such an outrageous question and feeding into his sickness.

“Yes, he was, but he was also a valued friend. You would have liked him. You remind me of him in many ways. He was not like the others. He knew the dangers that were ahead. He went to the gods for help.”

“And did he get it?”

“That I don’t know. He sent me away for a year in search of something that didn’t exist.”

Noland paused looking off into the distance as if deep in thought. “He wanted me safe and out of the way.”

His story was riveting even though she didn’t quite understand it all. She did not believe a single word, still, she found herself completely taken in by his passion and unshakable conviction. It was apparent that he believed it. She had plenty of dealings with men just like him. Mythomane, believing strongly in one's own lies and fantasies. He could have easily added author to his long list of accomplishment because the story he was telling was brilliant. It had a number of holes in it, but it kept her on the edge of her seat. 

“Richard vowed to put an end to whatever was brewing, to stop it in its tracks before the carnage began. That is why he made his office a safe zone. You will be safe there. It’s cloaked in magic.”

Camille’s quizzical expression excited him. He knew she was listening, but he needed her not only to hear him, but also to believe. He wondered just how much he would have to tell her before she did. Did he dare be bold enough to tell her about himself and the rest of the pack? Would too much information scare her away? She had to be made aware of the danger she was facing, the evil that roamed the streets not only at night but also in broad daylight.

“Safe zone?” She asked trying to keep from sounding too patronizing and condescending. Normally she would have raised an eyebrow and curled her lips up at such a statement, but she forced herself to remain perfectly poised.

“Your office is a safe haven. No harm can come to you or anyone who enters. He cloaked it with magic given to him by Horus, the Egyptian God of protection.”

Camille sat there unable to move as she listened to him go on about Egyptian Gods and spells and vampires. Holy crap, the man was truly off his ever-loving rocker; so far gone she was surprised she found him on Google.

“I know that this is a lot for you to take in all at once, but I felt obligated to make you aware of the type of people you’re dealing with. You must be extremely careful from now on. Remember that you have a safe place to run to if you ever find yourself in danger.”

Alrighty then, Camille wanted to say, as she stood not knowing what to say. One thing was for sure; she felt sorry for Noland; he seemed like a regular guy, sweet and normal until he started talking. Now, what, she thought as he walked her to the front door.

“Thank you for coming, Camille. Maybe next time you could stay a little longer. I will prepare a nice lunch for us and give you a tour of the property. You’d be surprised at the amount of land that surrounds the estate.”

Whatever, Camille thought. She just wanted to leave, and never come back to De Luz Canyon again. In fact, she was seriously considering returning his money and backing out of the deal altogether.

“Thank you, Noland. I’d like that very much.” She lied.

He did something so unexpected it stunned her. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. The heat from his body and the comfort of his embraces did something to her. It caused an emotional connection, a bond of trust and belonging. She was hit with the feeling of family, love, and support. A feeling of having parents who cared and wanted nothing but the best for their children. It lightened her heart, yet made her sad and discontent with the life. A life where she was forced to work her ass off for everything when the world had handed Grace everything on a gold platter? She deserved more. She wanted more. She wanted this.

Noland pulled back giving her a look that told her everything would be all right.