Chapter 41 #2
Somehow, I found myself in the water, chest-deep, fighting the buoyancy of my stomach and the resistance of my dress, as I waded to Todd and wrapped my arms around his convulsing form.
Keeping Todd’s head above the water, I did what I could, tugging him with me to the edge, and into Jack’s waiting arms. Once Jack secured his grip beneath Todd’s shoulders, he hoisted Todd out of the pool like he weighed nothing, water splattering over the cobbled stones.
“Lie him on his side!” I shouted, trying to find my own way out of the pool. Without seeing any steps or ladders, I settled on the beached whale technique, pushing myself up and over onto my side to avoid letting the base of my dress drag me back down.
Hands and offers of help rang out from there, but they were too little too late. I slapped them all away, trudging towards Jack and a sopping wet Todd.
Amongst the convulsions, Jack unbuttoned Todd’s shirt to keep the soaked collar from restricting his airway while I sprawled out behind Todd, timing his seizure.
Todd seized for another thirty-seconds before his muscles started to relax. Another ten before his breathing came in deep and full breaths.
Once I was certain Todd was about to rouse to consciousness and was no longer a risk to himself, I curled myself protectively over his water-logged form, rubbing my hand over his back in wide, slow, circles.
Jack ordered the people around us to clear out. To give us some space.
But we were the most entertainment they’d seen all night. We were something new. So, while the onlookers backed up, a pace or two, they kept their open-mouthed attentions pinned on the three of us.
“Hmph.”
Muscles jolted, contracting beneath my palm. Todd was coming back into himself. But the jolt, wasn’t an immediate snap to awareness. Instead, it was followed by a slow push, as semi-conscious Todd shifted closer, putting more of his body in contact with mine.
“It’s okay.” I kept on rubbing his back. “You’re alright. Everything is okay.”
“Where?” Todd’s eyes fluttered open, his brows slowly knit together. “Why are you wet?” One of his hands went to his chest. “Why am I wet?”
“We fancied a swim.” I smiled to let him know everything was okay. There was nothing to worry about.
Todd closed his eyes, his face relaxed, a glimmer of a smile tracing his lips for a half-second before Jack provided the rest of the facts. “We’re at the fang ceremony in Tarrytown. The strobe lights set off a seizure.”
Reality weighed on Todd. “I fell in?”
“Looks that way.”
“Fuck.” Todd’s movements were slow. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the seizure had taken a lot out of him.
“Enough! Everyone inside.” Lenore parted the crowd, forcing them to disperse.
Her authority over her membership was indisputable.
“The fang ceremony will begin shortly. Get inside, or leave, those are your two options.” I gave Lenore a tight-lipped nod in thanks, which she waved off, in favor of ushering her flock.
Very few onlookers remained, one of which was Fawzy who stood at the edge of the departing crowd, an eyebrow raised. Jack and I dipped our heads in acknowledgement, letting her know everything was okay, and she disappeared alongside the throng of people inside.
“I’ve got to go inside…” Jack looked torn. “…Fawzy…”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got him.” I squeezed Todd’s shoulder.
“I’m fine.” Todd’s arm came up and pushed Jack half-heartedly away. “Go.”
Jack hesitated, I could see the temptation to call off the operation, but I had my own motivations for seeing this evening through. People were locked away upstairs and down, and I had plans, which required us to close the vamp case tonight.
“You’re the only one of us who is still mostly dry, so you’re the only one who can go inside and be useful.” I could still sense Jack’s apprehension so I added, “If you’re worried, bring in one of the other agents.”
Jack inhaled deeply, running his fingers through his hair, before pushing himself to his feet. “You stay by his side. You don’t leave him.”
“I’ll stay so close Todd will think he’s grown an extra set of limbs.”
Jack hesitated.
“Are you waiting for a demonstration?”
“What? No, I just…” He exhaled “Just…take care of him.”
“I won’t let anything else happen to him. Promise.”
“Just go, Jack.”
Jack gave tight-lipped nod, typed a quick message on his phone, then left with one last weary look over his shoulder.
Guess, I knew which one of us held more sway.
Once Todd and I were alone, I asked, “You okay?”
He looked tired. So very very tired as he signed, “Fucking. Strobe lights.”
?
Todd was eager to get out of sight and away from the fang ceremony, I could feel the itch to move beneath his skin like it was my own. Fortunately, he also knew his body well enough to understand it would take some time before being steady enough to get to his feet.
When he was ready, we eased him upright.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said before I wrapped one of his arms over my shoulder and started walking us around the mansion towards his car.
“I’m not made of sugar, Todd. You didn’t treat me as fragile before, don’t start now.”
“You never had to lift me before.” There was a pause as he collected the strength to say, “I’m heavy.”
“Yeah, well…” More of his weight settled on my shoulders. Holy hell, he was heavy and it didn’t help that we were still soaking wet. “What do you eat? Rocks?”
He snorted.
“Oh my god,” I tried to hold in a giggle, “was that a snort?”
“No.” He snorted again.
“Come on you, big lug,” my chuckling wasn’t making the task any easier, “let’s get you out of here.”
Todd’s energy was fading fast, and I realized just how much he’d been supporting his own weight as he relied on me more and more to keep us going. I wasn’t going to let us down. But I was going to allow us to rest before we face-planted on the ground.
We made it as far as the front lawn, before I sat him down on a stone retaining wall. Sure, the grass was safer, since it was kind of hard to fall off the ground, but if I lowered Todd to the grass there was a good chance I wouldn’t be able to get him back up again.
Hands on my hips, I caught my breath, taking the time to observe the mansion. Music still thudded from inside, interspersed every now and then with applause. The ceremony was underway, and all eyes would be on Lenore, Fawzy, and Carmen.
While Todd and I were otherwise occupied, I felt confident my meddling had evened the odds enough, that Fawzy wasn’t in insurmountable danger.
Even if, for whatever reason, the remaining suspect didn’t attempt to take Fawzy, I had a feeling Jezebel’s ongoing snooping, coupled with the odd behavior and text message history from the apothecary staff, were going to yield results.
I just needed to get Todd somewhere safe, comfortable, and into warm clothes first.
I rolled my shoulders, bracing myself to take Todd’s weight again. “Okay, I’m ready, let’s—”
“Oof!”
Out of nowhere, Todd pitched forward, collapsing onto his hands and knees, a dark blur flying over the retaining wall, crashing on top of him.
“Todd!”
His already exhausted limbs giving out, I reached for him as a hand gripped my throat pulling me flush against a thick mass of man.
“Shut up. Come quietly, and this doesn’t go into your neck.” Something smooth and flat like plastic pressed against my jugular.
A woman dressed entirely in black straddled Todd’s back, pinning him in place—a woman I notably did not see in the surveillance footage. I’d missed one. There were five apothecary staff today.
Writhing and bucking, I pulled at the man’s arms, while Todd fought against the fatigue riddling his mind and body to dislodge the woman on top of him.
“Is he bitten too?” the man growled from over my shoulder.
“Can’t tell, it’s too dark, and his neck is covered in tattoos,” the woman replied, working to fold Todd’s uncooperative arms behind his back.
“He’s not bitten,” I interjected. “He was helping me investigate the vamps.” Whatever was being held at my neck was lowered a fraction of an inch. I released my hold on the man’s arm to sign, “I’m fine. Trust me.”
Todd’s chin dragged across the ground, but still he bobbed his head.
“What do you mean?” The man tightened his grip.
Turning my head, I caught a glimpse of the yellow, orange, and blue capsule fisted against my neck. This was a first, I’d never been threatened with an autoinjector before. Good news was it was relatively harmless, unless he decided to pull off the blue cap.
“The vampires are trouble. They need to be dealt with.” I offered a piece of my past life to try and sell the authenticity. “We were trying to figure out how they worked so we could tear them apart from the inside.”
Our assailants exchanged dumbfounded looks, the woman eventually shouting, “She’s manipulating you, Hank! She kicked Terry and Mark in the balls then locked them in a closet!”
Oops. Apparently, I had a witness.
Even exhausted and restrained, Todd caught my eye, his question clear: Did I do what the woman claimed?
I offered a brief smile. Yep. “They weren’t vamps?”
The woman shook her head.
“Then what the hell were they doing cornering me upstairs?” I switched to offense.
“We are trying to save your life! Don’t you get that?
” The woman was escalating, the man’s hold around my torso tightened.
If we didn’t stop the spiraling soon, there would be no reasoning with either of them.
“You were bit by a vampire at a fang ceremony. You’re going to turn into one of them if we don’t keep your heart beating! ”
“My heart will keep beating just fine.”
“No, it won’t, the only way to stop the transformation is a steady stream of adrenaline. I’ve had success,” the man—Hank—explained. “Maeve here survived. She saw the light. It spoke to her, gave her a calling. You need the adrenaline. It will be the only way to save you and your little one.”
Panic flashed white hot across my vision and down my spine. “I wasn’t bitten.”
“You’re lying!”