Johnson
Iwait for the garage door to close before I get out of my car.
Inside the house, I drop my overnight bag on the floor, then flip the dead bolt leading back into the garage.
This is so fucked.
Scared in my own home like some sort of civilian.
I take a breath.
This is my summer house. Bought through one of my corporate accounts. Vampire won’t be able to figure that out.
A blinking red light reminds me to reset my security system.
I get the code wrong on the first try but manage on the second.
Cursing with each step, I cross the living room to the always-stocked bar cart.
And if I leave the lights off, that’s because there’s enough moonlight coming in through the windows. No other reason.
And if my hand shakes as I pull the stopper out of my favorite vodka, it’s because I’m hungry.
Skipping the glass, I lift the bottle to my mouth.
It burns as it goes down, but with my second swallow, the heat in my chest starts to calm my nerves.
Setting the bottle back on the cart, I pull my phone from my pocket.
I turned it off when I left Virginia.
“They’re fucking vampires.” I turn it back on.
I have one voicemail from a number I recognize as one of the poor bastards who was sent to King Tosa’s campsite.
I hit Play.
“Johnson, I don’t know where the hells you are, but I need an extraction. I haven’t seen Jones since we got here, and I just met a dude with glowing eyes.”
My brows furrow. Glowing eyes?
“Him and the Tosa prick just walked through the wall into my room. Whatever the fuck is about to go down, I want out. Call me back.”
I don’t want to talk to him, but I do need to find out what is happening over there.
But when I try to call him back, it doesn’t go through. Doesn’t even ring.
I find the contact for another one of our volunteers.
Nothing. No ringing. No nothing.
I try another. Then another.
Same result.
Hands starting to shake, I go back to my voicemail and delete the message.
I reach for the uncapped vodka.
No other messages.
No working phones.
Something had to have happened to the comms. Someone would’ve called when shit went loud. And even if every man I sent died, their phones would still ring in their pockets.
For half a second, I debate trying to call King Tosa.
I doubt my dream of Vameer and Tosa miraculously killing each other happened, so calling him would be an easy answer to my question of which one survived.
Except…
I take another drink.
My stomach starts to protest at the alcohol, but my nerves don’t care.
If Tosa is the one who lived, he’ll expect me to uphold my end of the bargain. Which, of course, I cannot.
If it’s Vameer…
I take another large swallow.
King Tosa felt like an ace up my sleeve. But I should’ve known he’d turn out to be just another crazy Alt.
With hindsight, I can admit that going after Vameer was the wrong call. But had I gotten him…
I think about all those bodies sliced in half and set the vodka down.
Vameer doesn’t know my involvement. He’s been gone, somewhere, for a century. His mate is a nobody, and his only friend is his brother.
Except he’s already acting chummy with that fucking reporter.
And I don’t care how many times she claims she’s not connected to the Vadas vampires. She’s a wild card that has to go.
One more call. Then I’ll turn my phone back off.
I put my phone to my ear as it starts ringing.
My chest tightens as it keeps ringing, and I welcome the anger.
While my phone continues to ring, I grit my teeth and move to the windows along the back of the house. The moon reflects off the ocean, flickering across the waves as they roll toward shore.
Maybe it’s time to retire. I’ll wrap up this current cluster, then I can move here full-time. Get my hands on some hot piece and move her in with me.
The ringing stops, and the voicemail clicks on.
“Nault, answer your fucking phone, you son of a bitch. I need intel. The site went dark, and I have no contact. Haystack was your operation. No amount of ignoring me will change that.” Something shimmers over the water, and I lean closer to the window.
“I’m not gonna die for this.” I hang up and turn my phone off as I try to make out what I’m seeing.
Is that a boat light?
The golden glow remains still.
Then the air in my lungs turns to lead. Because I realize the glow isn’t on the water.
It’s a reflection.
From inside my house.
Slowly, I turn around.
A wormhole, like the one from Versailles, is in the middle of my living room.
And standing in front of it are two men. One with glowing eyes. And the other…
“Sorry to correct you, Johnstone.” Vameer grins at me. “You are gonna die for this.”
Terror consumes me, and my instincts take over.
I run.
My shoes slap against the floor as I race toward the back door.
A breeze moves past me, and a scream tangles in my throat when Vameer appears in front of me.
I grip the counter as I skid to a stop.
Vameer clicks his tongue. “Where you goin’, tough guy?”
I turn around, aiming for the garage door.
The wormhole is gone. But the other man is still there.
He’s near the path between me and the door, but his eyes are no longer glowing. And I’ll take my chances with him over the beast behind me.
My heart feels like it’s bursting inside my chest, but I keep my eyes on the door.
I think I hear the man scoff as I run past him, but maybe I’m hallucinating all this.
My fingers fumble with the dead bolt.
A footstep shakes my house.
I get the door unlocked and start to yank it open.
The handle is ripped out of my grip as the door slams shut.
I lunge for the handle again, pulling. But the door doesn’t open.
Vampire power.
Another trembling footstep.
I give up on the door and run for the stairs.
But Vameer beats me.
My legs feel like they’re going to give out as I back away from the vampire.
Vameer follows me, step for step.
He’s… massive.
My teeth start to chatter as I try to get away.
“You think getting closer to the druid is the safer option, Johnstone?”
Druid?
I glance over my shoulder.
The other man is close. Too close.
My mouth opens and closes.
What the fuck is a druid?
He lifts his hand, palm up, near his face.
“Boo.” He blows, and sparks of glowing gold fly toward my face.
I stumble away from him, my feet shuffling backward, until I bump into the back of the couch.
Trapped.
“Wh-what do y-you want?” I hate how my voice cracks.
Vameer stops in front of me, an arm’s length away.
He sighs. “I want people to take me seriously, Johnstone.” Black smoke rises up around him. “I want people to understand that my threats are real.”
I nod frantically. “I g-get it. I can help you. They’ll b-believe me.”
“Yes. I believe you will help people to understand,” Vameer says casually.
My next breath is a little more even.
Then a low growl fills the house as Vameer leans closer. “Your death will help them to understand.”
I reach out to push him away.
I need him to get away.
But smoke wraps around my wrists. And my legs. And I can’t move.
“Did you know, Druid, that a vampire’s bite is usually painless?”
I struggle, but the binds around me just get tighter.
“I did not know that.” The druid steps closer.
Vameer nods. “For our mates, our bites are… pleasurable. But I think I figured out what our venom is for.” Vameer leans so close to me I can feel his exhale on my skin.
“Oh? What’s that?”
Vameer smiles. “Making it hurt.”
Something drips from his mouth. Pain explodes against my hand.
Then the vampire lunges.