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Now she went quiet. He waited her out.
“For the same reason as before?” she finally asked. “Because you want me to help you find out what’s behind the door?”
“Yes.”
She sighed. “Are you absolutely certain you truly want to continue to pursue this? Because I can tell you this—it’s dangerous. As in, you could lose your life, dangerous.”
Deep down, he’d suspected as much, but hearing her confirm it made his gut twist. “Are you involved in whatever it is?” he asked.
“I can promise you, whatever you think you know is wrong,” she said, without answering his question.
“Then enlighten me,” he urged. “I’ve been watching that place for nearly a month. I’ve seen all the people coming and going. I’ve see you there numerous times, Maddie Kinslow. And you went inside. Why play games? Just tell me what you can and I’ll find out the rest.”
Again she sighed. “I wish I could, but then I’d have to kill you.” She laughed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling she wasn’t kidding. “While I can’t reveal the truth to you, even though it is such a minor thing, I can help you get a fabulous story.”
“Are you offering me a bribe? Because it sure sounds like it.” Now it was his turn to laugh, though without humor. “I have to say, the fact that you’re actually doing that makes me even more eager to uncover the secret.”
Silence.
“This is a bad idea,” she finally replied. “Forget I ever offered my services. I wish you luck, Jake Cassel. Believe me, you’ll need it.”
She ended the call.
He cursed. He’d gone too far and lost his chance. The beautiful Maddie Kinslow would be avoiding him now. What a shame, because he truly would have enjoyed getting to know her. Maybe it was all for the best. With such strong attraction sizzling between them, she’d probably have been too much of a distraction. Now he could focus solely on the story.
His phone rang again. “It’s me,” Maddie said, the sexy sound of her voice sending a shiver down his spine. “Look, I like you, Jake. I really do. But there is too much at stake here. People’s lives, homes, families. Are you sure you don’t want to at least consider my offer?”
“How can I when I don’t even know what I’d be giving up?” He used the most reasonable argument he had. “Tell me what’s behind the door and let me decide.”
She hesitated. “Fine. There’s a bar behind that door. Access is granted only to certain individuals. See? No story. Not even interesting.”
“A bar?” He didn’t bother to hide his skepticism. “What would possibly be so secretive about a bar?”
“The clientele. It’s imperative that no one but certain...people are allowed in.”
He had to give it to her. Her story had enough intrigue in it to interest him. And he knew it had to be—whatever, if any, part of it was true—the tip of the iceberg.
“Well?” she prodded after he didn’t respond. “What do you think?”
Now he knew he had to play it cool. While he didn’t entirely buy her story, in the end she was the best and only lead he had. If he “hired” her, eventually she might slip up.
“If your rates are reasonable, I’ll definitely consider it,” he finally said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.
This time, he hung up first.
Pretending not to notice the man who’d been parked in the expensive car across the street and watching his house, Jake limped down his sidewalk to get the mail. The sun had begun to set and the breeze carried the smell of the sea. Bruised and battered didn’t begin to describe how he felt today—more like he’d been run over by a large truck loaded with cement.
Late-model Mercedes, navy blue. Dark tinted windows, no plate on the front.
While he had no idea who his shadow might be, he figured it had something to do with that dead-end alleyway and the door that wouldn’t open for him.
Back inside the house, he glanced at the clock. If he planned to continue his surveillance, he’d need to head downtown soon. He’d taken great pains to ensure his point of entry into the abandoned warehouse would be hidden from any inquisitive eyes. And now he had no doubt they’d be looking.
He opened his laptop and checked his email. Finally, he really examined the message from Maddie detailing her company’s rates. While he had no idea if these prices were competitive or not, it wasn’t like he had another option. Maddie knew what went on behind that door. He just had to figure out a way to get her to tell him.
As dusk began to arrive, he knew if he wanted to leave his house, he’d need to shake his tail. If he got into his car and drove, the guy would certainly follow him. Normally he’d simply go out the back door, climb the fence that separated his yard from the guy behind him, and walk out onto the next street over. From there, it wasn’t too long a walk to reach a bus stop, or if necessary, he could call for a taxi. But his bruised and battered body simply wasn’t up to it yet.
Instead, he needed to get rid of the stalker. First, he called Maddie. But the call went straight to voice mail. Okay, he could understand that. It was after hours and he hadn’t yet become her client.
Next up, he dialed the Galveston Police Department’s nonemergency number. “I’d like to report a suspicious vehicle parked outside my house,” he said. “I was jumped and beaten up the other day and I think the same individual has come back to try to finish the job. Could you please send someone?”
The dispatcher rerouted him to 911. After he repeated his situation, he was told to stay inside the house and wait for the police to arrive. She asked him to stay on the line, so he did.
A moment later, a police cruiser turned onto his street and pulled up behind the parked Mercedes. The officer got out and walked up to the driver’s-side window. He stood there a few moments, clearly talking to the driver. Jake hoped he’d asked for a driver’s license and registration. If he at least had a name, he could do more research.
Finally, the policeman stepped back, lifted his hand in a friendly wave and watched as the luxury car drove off. One it had turned the corner, the officer walked up Jake’s sidewalk and rang the bell.
Ending the call with the dispatcher, Jake hurried to answer the door. “Thank you so much, Officer,” he began.
“You’re welcome. But I wanted to let you know, there was no reason for you to be concerned. That was the mayor’s son. He works for the City Planning and Zoning Department. He was parked on your street for business.”
Though his insides froze, Jack managed to nod. “Good to know. Thanks again for coming out, Officer.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could put your mind at ease.” The policeman peered at him. “They did a hell of a job on you, didn’t they? I hope you saw a doctor.”
“I did.”
“Good.”
Finally the patrolman left. Jake closed the door behind him and made sure he locked the dead bolt. The mayor’s son? Just how high up did this story go? If anything, this made him even more determined to get to the truth.
Moving as fast as he could, Jake hurried to his car. But before he even reached it, the navy Mercedes turned back onto his street and parked in the exact same spot.
Chapter 4 (#uf121e7d8-ee7e-560d-86bd-eedd862cbe31)
Carmen hid her surprise when Rick took her to the pier. Once the shrimp boats came in, sometimes the men would get together and drink and play cards or dice. An occasional prostitute worked one corner. Mostly, both tourists and locals avoided this place. It was nothing like Pier 21 with its popular restaurants and fish markets, close to The Strand. It wasn’t even like Pier 19 or 20, with Sampson and Sons and Katie’s selling seafood right off the boat.
No, this was further down, past a few abandoned, dilapidated buildings with cracked sidewalks and weeds. An overall sense of decay permeated the place. Once, smugglers had hung out here, with illegal gambling and gin joints and a whorehouse or two. Now, most of that was only a memory, though Carmen had been here once or twice during its heyday.
These days, this was where men went when they wanted to do things in secret, where the dim lighting and sense of anonymity made them feel at ease. It was an area she sometimes frequented when the craving for fresh, warm blood grew too strong. She’d become quite a pro at extracting just enough to make her target pass out, but without serious harm.
“Here.” Rick’s gravelly voice brought her back to the present. “In a moment, there’s going to be an explosion. It will bring the rats scurrying from their holes.”
She swung around and stared. “Why?”
“It’s something I promised to do, as a sign of good faith. There’s an illegal shipment of guns in one of these buildings. The Sons of Darkness needed a distraction so they could get them out. This will be a big one.” He got out his phone and prepared to punch in a number. “Are you ready?”
“Sure.” This got more interesting by the minute.
“Here we go.” He dialed a number. A second later, a loud boom sounded and the ground shook. Someone screamed and someone else swore. Several people staggered toward them, some of them drunk, others in shock.
“I’m calling 911,” Rick told them, holding up his phone. She watched, wondering if he really would since he didn’t appear to be in any hurry to punch in the numbers. Maximizing time for the distraction, she guessed.
Someone else must have called, though, because sirens sounded in the distance, getting closer. The occasional straggler came down the sidewalk, one or two of them appearing shell shocked. Thick black smoke billowed from somewhere behind them, appearing to almost follow them as they fled.
“Do you think there were any injuries?” she asked.
“No one was seriously hurt,” Rick assured her, sounding positive even though she didn’t see how he could be certain. “The bomb was in a locked warehouse where we stacked some dry hay and bundled newspaper. Just enough to start a good fire with possible building collapse. It’s far enough from the warehouse with the guns that no one will spot the crew moving the cargo. A perfect plan, if I do say so myself.”
Since he sounded so pleased with himself, she felt the need to point out what seemed to her an obvious flaw. “But you destroyed a building. Most likely a historical one.”
His jaw tightened. “That kind of collateral damage is better than people. Millions are at risk unless we do our job and get inside this group. I hope you understand that.”
“I do.” Before she could say anything else, the sirens grew closer. Lights flashing, two patrol cars pulled up the next street over. A moment later, a fire engine and ambulance arrived. Along with a growing crowd of people, they watched as Galveston PD cordoned off the street and sidewalk.
Soon a KHOU 11 news van arrived, which seemed awfully quick since they were out of Houston. They set up a reporter with her back to the mayhem, handed her a microphone and began filming.
“You do know in a few minutes that reporter is going to start asking people what they saw?” she said drily.
“That’s good. We want to be seen. How else can I make sure Sons of Darkness know I was there?”
“You seem to have thought of everything.” She shook her head.
“That’s my job,” he countered. “And I’m damn good at it.”
Before long a couple of the other news stations sent their own crews. The crowd of onlookers continued to swell. News cameras panned the area. Rick grabbed Carmen’s arm and made sure they were front and center, virtually guaranteeing them a spot on one, if not all, of the stations’ evening news programs.
Since she’d spent most of her long, long life avoiding the spotlight, Carmen struggled with this. While she managed to keep her outward appearance cool, calm and collected, inside she battled the urge to step back and disappear into the large group.
But Rick’s plan, she concluded reluctantly, actually made sense. If this was what was needed for them to gain entrance into that group, so be it. The idea that she—Carmen Vargas, Vampire—could make a difference in this world intrigued her. Plus, if she were totally honest, as she always was, she ached to get her hands on a microscope and take a close look at this new virus. Because of her expertise, the CDC had even contacted her several times, wanting her to come to Atlanta and work with them. She’d been tempted, but she’d come to value her friends and life here in Galveston, so she’d declined. Since they were no doubt involved closely in this case, she had a feeling that was how her name had been mentioned. For that, she considered herself lucky.
“Okay,” Rick said, tightening his grip on her arm. “Time to go.”
This time, she let him pull her away without questioning. He led her through the thick throng of people, up the sidewalk and to the still-crowded Pier 21 area. A couple had just gotten up from a bench along the walkway, and he hurried them to it.
“No matter what happens,” he told her sotto voce, “show no expression. Just go along with it.”
“No worries. I’m a master at that.”
They sat. He put his arm around her shoulder, drawing her close. She let herself relax into the curve of his arm, liking the solidness of his muscular body. They pretended to be people watching. Despite the commotion going on a few blocks over, most of the ones strolling by her were fixated on having a good time.
“Mind if I join you?” The tall man wore a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Carmen eyed him coolly but didn’t speak.
“Sure,” Rick said, pulling Carmen closer to him so there was additional room on the bench. “Have a seat.”
The stranger sat, staring straight ahead and ignoring him. Every sense alert, Carmen pretended not to be hyperconscious of him.
“Are you the biologist?” he finally asked, low-voiced.
Widening her eyes, Carmen nodded. “I am. Actually, I’m an infectious disease specialist. And this is my husband, Rick.” The instant she spoke, she realized she hadn’t asked if they were using assumed names or not. Most likely not, at least for her, since these people no doubt had wanted to verify her credentials.
“Rick.” The man nodded, his gaze skittering from her to Rick and back again. “I’m Landers. The shipment was moved without a hitch. Thank you for your help.”
“No problem.” Rich shrugged, both his demeanor and his voice casual. “I did what you requested, and here we are. Are we in?”
“You’re in.” Landers stood, glancing left and then right. Finally, he focused on Rick and grinned. “Just so you know, we have several other guys who can do what you can do, but only one other biologist in our employ. Your wife is infinitely more valuable to us than you could ever be.”
Carmen exhaled, recognizing the tactic. Divide and conquer. Except she knew this wouldn’t work, not this time. “It’s okay,” she said, her tone lofty. “He likes that I make so much more money than he does. He jokes about being a kept man.”
“Really?” Landers shook his head. “Well, there’s none of that around here. Every single one of us has to earn our keep.”
“And I will, I swear.” Shooting Carmen a cross look, Rick shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You won’t regret hiring me, I promise you.”
“We’d better not.” Was that a flash of pleasure across Landers’s face? Carmen thought so, which meant she’d been correct. For whatever reason, Landers wanted to put a wedge in between her and Rick.
If that’s what he wanted, she’d speak to Rick privately and make sure that’s what he got.
“He follows orders well,” she drawled, just for the hell of it. “Ask me how I know.”
Rick flushed but didn’t respond. This prompted another snorting laugh from Landers. “I’ll bet he does,” he sneered, leering at her.
“Now, can we possibly get out of here?” she asked, pretending to be uneasy with their location. “There are too many people around. If someone hears, they might have questions. Questions for which we will not have answers. I prefer to avoid collateral damage whenever possible.”
Landers stared. “As if you’ve done this sort of thing before,” he scoffed.
For an answer, she only lifted one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
Instantly, the other man’s demeanor changed. “If you’ll come with me,” Landers said, “I’ll take you both to meet the others.”
“Lead the way,” Carmen pronounced. “I’m looking forward to getting started.”
* * *
Keeping his arm around Carmen, Rick followed Landers to a black Escalade with dark tinted windows. With shiny chrome accents everywhere, it was not the most inconspicuous vehicle. Who knew? Maybe they wanted it that way.
As they approached, the driver stepped out and opened the back door, motioning for Carmen to get in first. Moving with her usual fluid grace, she climbed inside. Rick followed her, trying unsuccessfully to avoid staring at the gleaming length of shapely leg her short skirt displayed.
Once the door closed, Landers got up front, riding shotgun. “It’s about a thirty-minute ride, depending on traffic,” he said.
“Off-island?” Carmen asked, frowning.
“Not too far, but yes. La Marque.”
This surprised her, Rick knew. Surprised him, too. La Marque was a small town. Building a quality lab and running an operation of that size without attracting unwanted attention would be more difficult in a place like that.
As they drove, Landers turned around several times, making innocuous comments about the passing landscape. His frank stare assessed Carmen, as if weighing what options he had as far as trusting her.
Feeling the need to reassert the fact that he and Carmen were a team, Rick took her hand and clasped it firmly. Though he felt her briefly tense, her expression remained smooth and unruffled. And beautiful. He couldn’t blame Landers for repeatedly checking her out. Hell, even Rick fought a constant battle to keep from staring at her.
