Understood, Tony answers.
Tony and his crony go to work, following orders like good little soldiers. Within seconds they are heading out, one with Dexter wrapped in a sheet and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, the other carrying a box.
Kallistos approaches, the paper towels he used to dry his hands now wadded into a tight little ball. Without breaking his stride he lobs it across the room and into a trash can. Well clean the rest of this up. Youve done enough. He offers Zack his hand. Any animosity he felt toward Zack seems forgotten.
Zacks animosity obviously isnt.
His intentions are honorable, I tell Zack. Id tasted the truth of Kallistos statement. And his power. The effect lingers like a shot of adrenaline. I try to push it out of my head. I look around. We could use the help, Zack.
Zack peers at me, but he knows how limited our options are. Hes frowning reluctantly, but he nods. The two men shake.
Then Kallistos kisses my hand.
The sensation of his mouth on my hand lingers, warm and wet.
Revulsion tightens the lines around Zacks mouth. He takes a step forward.
I stay him with a look that conveys Kallistos isnt worth it. We have our own loose ends to wrap up. Alan Pierce and Davis Mager. Mager can wait a bit, but Alan is still handcuffed to the radiator in his office. We need to get back and release him.
We should get out of here, I say.
Go. I will deal with this, Kallistos assures us.
Zack isnt ready to let go of his anger. How are you
But Kallistos has Zack locked in his gaze. Go.
Zack backs away. A rush of anger sends blood to my face. Kallistos is compelling Zack and he is powerless against it. At the same time, I know its useless to object. We have to get back to Alan.
We leave Kallistos kneeling by Dr. Pierces body.
Once outside, I breathe in the fresh air. It clears my head and stops the pounding of a heart still racing from the encounter with Kallistos. I may be the stronger one when it comes to mind games, but he left an imprint of his power etched deep in my psyche.
Are you sure about him? Zack asks me as we slide into the car.
Yes, I say. Theres no hesitation. Still . . .
Zack fires up the engine.
Before he can pull away, I put out a hand to stop him. Wait a second. Someone is emerging from the building, coughing and sputtering. A man Ive never seen before. Hes heavyset, in his forties, maybe fifties, and dressed in a uniform. The logo on his collar is the same as the one on the sign out front. Hes on his cell phone Look. I point him out to Zack. Must be the security guard. Can you hear what hes saying?
Zack lowers his window and listens.
Just then, Kallistos strolls out. His car is waiting for him across the street. He ignores the man on the sidewalk, walks right past him, just as the man ignores him. But then he nods toward the guard and winks before crossing to his car.
Son of a bitch, Zack growls.
He reaches for the door handle.
I reach for him. What is it?
Zack points to the man on the phone. Hes saying theres a gas leak. Kallistos is going to blow up the goddamned lab.
The man takes off at a slow run and starts jogging down the street, away from the building.
Kallistos car pulls away. If the speed in which he is making his departure is any indication, we dont have much time.
I tighten my grip on Zacks arm. Kallistos wink as he passed the guard suddenly makes sense. You cant go in there!
People could get hurt. Humans, Emma.
He said there were only four heartbeats. Yours, mine, Dexters, and that guy must be the fourth. The buildings clear.
Zack points to the adjacent ones on either side. Those may not be. This is far from foolproof. Theres going to be collateral damage.
Hes right, of course. I look around. The entire area is a blend of new and old construction. An explosion and fire down here could quickly get out of control. But theres no way we can stop it now.
We need to put some distance between us and the building fast, I say.
Zack is shaking with fury. Letting him handle the cleanup was a bad call. What the hell were we thinking? Call 911. Tell them to get an emergency crew here. Jesus, Emma. Were going to need a good story.
Zack throws the car into gear and steps on the gas. The car lurches forward.
I grab my cell and dial.
It rings once.
We drive past the security guard, huffing and puffing.
It rings again. The emergency operator answers. I give her my name and badge number. Were in front of a medical building on the corner of Fourth and Hawthorn. Send emergency vehicles right away. The buildings about to
An explosion drowns out the rest. The force of it pushes us forward. I feel the rear tires of the Suburban lift off the ground. The cell phone flies out of my hand and onto the floor. We spin. Somehow Zack prevents us from flipping. When the car comes to a stop, were facing the building. Car alarms are going off all around us, and rooftops are covered with the glass that rained down upon them from the nearby buildings. A fire hydrant in front of the building is spewing water into the street. The man who called in the gas leak is lying facedown on the blacktop. Zack takes off at a full run in his direction. I search frantically for the cell phone, find it. Im still connected to the emergency operator.
There are people injured. Send help right away, I shout. Then I disconnect and race to follow Zack.
The man is unconscious, and theres a small pool of blood under his head. Zacks crouched alongside him.
Is he alive?
Zack nods, but his expression is murderous. No thanks to Kallistos. Fucking vampire.
I turn in a circle, take in the devastation around us. There are sirens in the background. Theyre getting closer.
Zack reaches for my hand. He pulls me forward. Plucks a piece of glass out of my forehead that I didnt even notice was there. You okay? Your head hit the side window pretty hard.
My knees buckle. The adrenaline surge is wearing off. He steadies me.
Im okay, I say.
He lifts my chin until my eyes connect with his. Listen to me. This may be the only opportunity we have to get our story straight. We were introduced to Barbara Pierce at the fund-raiser. She seemed off. Toward the end of the night she approached, told us she had something important for the FBI, begged us to come to her office. There was a paranoid flavor about her, a sense of desperation. Then she disappeared into the crowd. We tried to follow her, but couldnt. Are you with me?
I nod. Yes.
We got her address this morning, went to her office. She was completely unraveled. Said she couldnt live with what she was doing any longer. She confessed to killing Charlotte, gave up Davis Mager and his scheme, admitted to harvesting organs from dozens of homeless. She said she wanted to show us. She opened the panel leading to her lab. She went ahead of us, slipping through a door and locking us out. You can describe the lab just as it was.
We would have tried to go after her, I say.
We did. She knew exactly what she was doing. Along one wall were rows of tanks. Some were clearly labeled oxygen. Others were marked with unfamiliar letters and symbols. Pierce opened the valves on all of them. Then she held up a lighter.
The sirens are getting closer. Zacks voice is sounding farther and farther away.
He continues. Im desperately trying to follow. She yelled for us to go. To get Mager. To tell people that in the end she did the right thing. I started to break the glass, to try to get to her. But she was determined. It was save ourselves or die in the blast. We ran and called for help.
I can barely hear him now. Darkness is closing in from all sides.
Zack is shaking me. Emma? Emma?
Its the last thing I remember.
CHAPTER 23
My head spins. I feel Zacks arms around me as he lowers me to the ground and calls for help. By the time the paramedic is at my side, the darkness has receded and Ive shaken myself back to full consciousness. I sit up, waving the guy away. Im fine. Tend to the guard.
Zack is protesting that I get checked out. But the paramedic shines a light in first one eye and then the other and stands up. Someones with the guard. Hes speaking to Zack about me. Her pupils are equal in size and reacting to light. Still, she lost consciousness. We should get her to a hospital.
Im not going to a hospital. The guard, hes going to make it?
Looks like it. Were lucky he was the only one seriously hurt. He looks down at me, then up at Zack again. If she gets nauseated, dizzy, get her to an ER, okay?
But his words barely register as I try to get my head around all thats happened.
I cant believe the mess this case has turned into. Ive worked missing persons in the San Diego FBI office for six years now. This isnt the first time Ive come across a supernatural element in need of containment. In those other rare instances, justice was served and the fantastical easily buried. Yes, the link to the vampires needed to be covered up. But for Kallistos to blow up the place? I think of the guard, lying injured in the street. What the hell was he thinking?
We should take you to a hospital, Zack is still insisting.
My head is pounding; my shoulders and neck muscles are clenched so tight that it hurts to turn toward him. Still, I do, even managing to shake my headcarefully. No hospital. Ill be fine. And I will be. Whatever injuries I might have, I wont die from them. Thousands of years and more than a few bumps and bruises testify that I know my body. Besides, theres something more urgent we need to do than take what would be a wasted trip to a hospital. Weve got to get back to Alan. Its been close to two and a half hours.
Could be two and a half years. Im telling you, hell be right where we left him.
Unless someone showed up at Green Leaf and freed him. Alans recollection wont corroborate our story. We need a vampire to wipe his memory, and Id much rather ask Evan to do it than try to reach Kallistos.
We are not asking Kallistos, Zack says, his tone and expression thunderous. Hes helped us enough for one day. If we cant get Evan, Ill make a call or two.
He helps me to my feet. A couple of Bureau representatives are already on the scene and taking charge of the joint investigation with SDPD, freeing us to take our leave and return to headquarters. One of the Suburbans they arrived in is at our disposal, and we head for it now.
Only were going to make a quick stop before reporting in.
A fifteen-minute drive never seemed so long.
When we finally arrive at Green Leaf, I have to climb carefully out of the SUV. I stretch to loosen the knots, slowly, and take a deep breath.
Emma?
Zacks pointing to the front gate. Its open. His gun is already out.
Youre still feeling the effects of the explosion, he says. You should stay here.
Like hell. Yeah, yeah. I pull my gun, look around. There are no cars parked in front except ours. Nerves tingling, I walk through the gate, then quickly move up the steps to approach the front entrance. My back is flat against the front of the house. Zacks is, too. We form mirror images on each side of the door, which is ajar. Its cracked just enough to give me a glimpse of inside.
Zack points to his ear, shakes his head, then tilts it toward the door. Hes not hearing anything inside.
I give the door a push, calling out, Hello? Agent Monroe here.
No answer.
I slip inside the entryway, leading with my gun to sweep the area.
Its so quiet I hear the beat of my heart.
Alan?
No answer. No noise at all.
Zack comes in, gun at the ready. He moves past me, through the waiting room. I see his shoulders relax. He lowers his weapon.
Damn it!
What?
I take a step closer, then see what he does. Across the way the door to Alans office is standing wide open.
Zacks cuffs are still attached to the radiator.
But Alan is gone.
Shit. I holster my gun. He couldnt have left of his own accord.
A kernel of suspicion takes root in my stomach. But someone could have taken him. I dont like what Im thinking.
I release a breath, holster the Glock. Fucker.
Sums it up nicely. I watch as he walks to the radiator, unhooks his cuffs, and pockets them. He turns and frowns. This has Kallistos written all over it.
He begins rummaging around on Alans desk. The spreadsheets have been disturbed, and a file that wasnt here earlier is thrown haphazardly on top of them. He picks up the folder, opens it. Without a word, he pulls out a sheet of paper and after perusing it, hands it to me. Its a computer printout, a list of surgeries Dr. Pierce performed in her hidden clinic.
Why would Alan have this? I ask.
He shouldnt have it, is Zacks curt reply. Its Pierces personal log, a record of the illegal organ transplants. She names Mager as her accomplice. The names of their human victims are listed, too, as well as the names of the organ recipients. She even notes dates, how much they paid for the surgery, and how much she earned from each. He looks up at me. Its all here. Up to a point.
I release a breath. Up to the point where she started using vampires. Either those surgeries werent logged
Or Kallistos omitted those pages in order to protect his own.
Still, hes given us evidence, I say. Evidence we can use against Mager.
Zacks expression doesnt soften. Frankly, Id rather hed left Alan. He holds another scrap of paper out to me. Besides, he has an ulterior motiveyou. This was clipped to the spreadsheet.
Its a note addressed to me. Precise, old-world cursive. Emma. You owe me. If you dont get Mager, I will. Until next time. Kallistos.
I scrunch the paper up into a tiny little ball. Is this a game to him? I feel as if my heads about to explode. I pull my phone out and start to dial once more. Im calling Liz. Shell know how to reach Kallistos. Ask him if he took Alan.
If? Zack stays my hand. Wait. How did Kallistos know about Alan?
Maybe he was following us earlier? Or had someone else following us? He knew about the investigation. About the missing vampires.
Zack thinks about the possibility for a moment, then rejects it. I dont think anyones been following us. Checking for tails? Its a hard habit to break.
I have another idea. This one chills my blood.
How did he know about Alan? Maybe he divined it from my head when I was so cleverly testing him. Or when he was kissing me.
You think maybe he just wiped Alans memory and sent him home?
Zack gives me a look that tells me I dont want to know what hes thinking.
Spit it out, I say.
I dont think Kallistos is that forgiving. He didnt bat cleanup to help us. He did it to make sure we didnt get our hands on evidence involving his vamps. He points to the spreadsheet in my hand. He left what he wanted us to have. If we dont move quickly to see that Mager is brought in, that note says hell exact his own brand of justice. He jabs at the spreadsheet. He played us.
He played me, you mean. I stuff the note he left for me in my pocket. When I do, my fingers brush against the object Zack placed in my hand earlier. I pull it out. Its a smooth, polished stone the size of a quarter. What is this?
Zack plucks it from my outstretched palm. No, I mean he played us. He palms the stone. Its an old talisman. Its supposed to offer protection. It didnt. Kallistos used thrall. Either hes exceptionally strong or the powers faded. He slips it into his pocket.
Well, my power is perfectly intact. In thousands of years Ive never been wrong when reading someone. Whatever hes done with Alan, he decided to do it after we left him. Im sure of it. Unless . . .
Unless?
Unless I didnt probe deep enough, push hard enough. Unless I was as caught up in Kallistos spell as he was in mine. I find myself thinking of his kiss, the heat that infused my body, the same heat sending color to my cheeks now. I give myself a mental shake. Concentrate on what is real. Tally up what we were able to accomplish. We saved Isabella, Amy, Evan, and Owen. We lost two other vampires, possibly more, depending on how long Pierce has been running her clinic from hell. Possibly one humanAlan. Shit. I look hard at Zack. Well, at least we have something to give Johnson. With the spreadsheet we can link Mager to Pierce.
We can tell him Pierce gave it to us. Zack looks around the office once more. I dont see anything else here thats out of place. Do you?
Before I have a chance to reply, my cell phone rings. I turn to answer it. Hello?
Agent Monroe?
Its Michael Dexter. He sounds almost euphoric.
Yes, Michael. How are you?
Never been better. You arent going to believe this. Isabella is home!
Wait a minute, Michael. Zack is here. Im putting you on speaker.
We listen as Michael explains how Isabella had fallen off the wagon and fed from a human. The shame drove her into isolation. She just needed to get her head on straight. Do some soul searching.
Thats wonderful. I pause. How are you feeling?
I can hear his breathing through the phone. Better, now. But we had a bit of a scare last night. You know Id been working really hard on that piece so it would be ready for the auction? I guess it all finally caught up with me. Alan says I literally passed out on him once we got home. I scared you to death, didnt I?
Theres a murmur of response in the background.
I look up at Zack. Alans with Dexter?
Zack moves closer, listening.
I remember him pouring us both a nightcap, he continues. I must have gone out like a light. But damned if I dont feel better than I have in weeks. I slept for an unbelievably long time. I feel like a new man.
Thanks to Kallistos.
I feel a hitch in my chest. Alan is alive. I take a breath. Im so glad Isabella is home safe and sound. Take care of each other.
We will. Thank you. For everything.
We say good-bye and disconnect. I look up at Zack. His mouth is pressed in a thin, hard line. Whats wrong? Alan is home and evidently none the worse for wear. Michael doesnt even remember how sick he was. Id say thats some good news at least.
Kallistos surprised me. His tone is grudging. Im not easily surprised.
Or often wrong?
I didnt say that, Zack says. Amy will be home shortly. In fact, she could already be there. Are you sure Dexters all right?
Better than all right. Hell get a surprise at his next checkup. Kallistos cured him. Im certain of it.
Be careful. Zacks expression hardens. Dont make Kallistos out to be a hero. He still blew up a building, almost killed that security guard, and endangered God knows how many others. He passes a hand over his face, a gesture of resignation and weariness. Enough about him. Weve got a shitload of paperwork and Johnson waiting for us at headquarters.
He reaches into his pocket for his car keys. When he pulls them out, the talisman falls to the floor.
Still want to get it checked out?
He sticks it back into his pocket. With you as my partner, Id better.
I smile. Ill give you Lizs number.
Johnson is waiting for us when we get back to headquarters. He motions us into his office. He has a grin on his face and a note in his hand. Message from the DA. Bernadette Haskell called him to say Amy Patterson is home. Shell hold a press conference tomorrow in New York explaining her absence and apologizing for causing so much worry. Looks like case closed.
Zack and I exchange looks. Johnson thinks the case is over.
He closes the door, then crosses his arms in front of his chest. Now, what the hell were you doing in that building downtown?
Or maybe not.
We uncovered something unexpected there, Zack begins. Its big.
Johnson motions for us to take seats. He walks around his desk and does the same. Im listening.
A direct link between Dr. Barbara Pierce and the murder of several homeless people used as donors in a black market cash-for-organs scheme, Zack explains, taking the lead. She confessed it all to us before setting off the blast and committing suicide.
Johnson holds up a hand. Stop. Youre telling me this Dr. Pierce died in the lab that blew up today?
I nod. Yes. Thats where shed been doing the transplants.
Why confess and then destroy all of the evidence? he asks.
Zack blows out a breath. She wasnt doing the transplants voluntarily. She was being blackmailed. And she wasnt the only one. These operations were far too complicated for her to do alone. There were other medical personnel, not to mention organ recipients who had no idea they were involved in anything illegalsome of them children. She was trying, in her own way, to minimize the damage.
Christ. Johnson leans back in his chair and waves encouragement. Lets hear all of it.
Zack relays the storythe concocted story. How, while we were following up on a lead for the Patterson case last night, Dr. Pierce approached us. She was nervous, seemed off. She knew we were from the FBI and insisted we come to her office today, that she had something important to tell us, to give to us. How when we tracked her down this morning she was waiting for us. Said she was tired of the deception. Ashamed of what shed done. Couldnt live with the guilt. How she took her own life and very nearly took ours.
Finally he pauses.
Johnson shakes his head. Youre lucky you werent killed.
That wasnt her intention, I say. She wanted to give us this. I hand him the spreadsheet. She slipped it under the door to the lab after locking herself inside.
He takes the sheet of paper in hand. A list of the recipients and donors?
Zack leans forward. More than that, sir. She also gave us a name, Davis Mager. The man supplying the organs. My guess is that Mager is just the beginning, a small cog in a very large illegal transplant scheme.
A donated organ always reflects the DNA of the donor, I add. Pierce said most of Magers donors were homeless. Forensics should be able to match up the transplanted organs to that string of missing homeless cases Garners been working on.
Right, Zack agrees, then connects the last dot. Garner builds a case against Mager for the string of murders and exposes them as being part of a large operation that stretches who knows how far.
Johnson jumps up and makes a beeline for the door. Garner? he shouts.
Yes, sir?
Get your ass in here. Armstrong and Monroe are about to make your day.
Its three hours before the paperwork is complete and weve finished briefing Johnson and Garner, who was more than happy to take over the investigation. A BOLO is issued for Davis Mager. Turns out he has a vast and colorful criminal record. The only thing Zack and I fear is that the weasel might try to cut himself a deal to get out of doing significant time. On the other hand, if he manages to elude the law, he certainly wont elude Kallistos.
Are you ready to get out of here? Zack asks once Johnsons dismissed us.
I nod, gathering my bag and jacket. Hell of a first case, huh?
Zack smiles but doesnt say anything until were outside and approaching his car. Then he reaches out. The back of his hand barely brushes mine, a feather touch. Your place or mine?
Yours. I could use a walk on the beach. I climb inside and rest my head back on the seat. But lets swing by Evans first, so I can get my car.
He pulls out of the office parking lot and heads for the freeway. I close my eyes. I know Barbara Pierces death was justified. Thanks to her notes, Davis Mager will be made to answer for his crimes, too. And a dozen cold cases solved. But all the same, I dont have the feeling of satisfaction I usually have at the end of a case. Weve saved four kidnap victims whose stories will never be told. We lost two vampires whose names we never knew. Someone may be searching for them, too. And then there are the patients whose lives were saved by Pierce. Others, like Magers daughter and Michael Dexter, were likely unsuspecting and as much victims of Mager and Pierce as the homeless who lost their lives.
I glance over at Zack. His expression is once again calm, composed. Hes a good partner. This was a bad case.
Sorry you transferred? I ask.
A smile tips the corners of his mouth. Are you kidding? How could I be sorry? What kind of man would pass up the opportunity to work with a real honest-to-God Siren?
I turn away from him and stare out the side window. His attempt to bring some levity to the situation just makes my heart heavier. When he reaches over to take my hand, my stomach knots, my heart wrenches.
What the hell am I doing? Why did I suggest going to his house?
Zack and I both know we arent going there just to walk on the beach.
Lizs face is stark and rigid in my head. Disapproving. Her words of warning and wisdom ring in my ear. I know she means well. I know shes right. I know that if I really, truly care for Zack, I need to protect him.
I need to end things with him.
Soon.
CHAPTER 24
Id hoped the walk on the beach would clear my head, and for a while it does. Zack and I stroll in silence, watching the water, listening to the pounding of the surf. Our pace is leisurely. Clouds are beginning to roll in from the horizon. A stiff breeze batters the waves.
Explains why we have the beach to ourselves.
Still, I dont complain. The chill in the air is a balm to my troubled spirit.
My head is spinning. Theres what to do about Zack, of course. But Sarah and Kallistos are also weighing on my mind.
Kallistos. I led him to Alan. He read me during that kiss, when I thought I was reading him. Im sure of it now. Its the only explanation I can think of. The memory of his kiss lingers in my head. I keep replaying it over and over, trying to pinpoint the moment of my monumental failure. Ive grown too out of touch with the supernatural community. Im out of practice. It would be wise to reacquaint myself with those in control as well as their politics. There is a certain amount of safety in anonymity, but knowledge is power, and the lack of it I possessed today about Kallistos Kouros has cost others and me. I cant let him take me by surprise again. I need to find out all I can about Kallistos, and I know where Im going to start.
Liz.
Then theres Sarah. Did she and Zack really sleep together the other night? Does it matter? Either way, I know I should tell him she confronted me. Why am I so hesitant? Because part of me is afraid. Not for myself, for Zack. I know about werewolves and pack dynamics. Politics and power in their community, unlike that of the vampires, is constantly shifting. Some pack leaders rule with an iron fist and they can be brutal in their dealings with those over whom they have authority. I dont know if Zacks told me everything about why he left South Carolina. I dont know if his going back would place him in danger. I do know the way he feels about me would. It could be Sarah isnt all that bad. Perhaps shed even be good for Zack, make him happy. Maybe if she was to stick around, and I was out of the picture, whatever they had could be rekindled.