Cast in Blood (Morgan Blackstone Vampires Book 1) (39 page)

“I have an ocean of paperwork to wade through. I trust that you and the others have everything in order.”

“Yeah well, one of those changes is that you’re not allowed to be here alone for a while. Nicholas was rather insistent on that one.” James chuckled though he made no move to come further into the room.

“I expected that. So, you’re going to hover all night?” Morgan asked.
 

 
“I’ve got some paperwork that I need to take care of myself. I just needed to check in with you.”

“Now that you’ve checked in?” Morgan leaned forward, putting her forearms on her desk, and threading her fingers together.

“I’ll be in my office,” James answered, all business. That was one of the things Morgan loved about working with him, though he looked like your typical California skater type; he was as serious as they came when it was time to do the job.

“So you weren’t ordered to stick with me like glue?” Morgan asked, with a soft laugh.

“I was,” James shrugged, “but I think one wall and a couple of open doors isn’t too much. Are you armed?”

“Yes. I have my daggers and a gun,” Morgan assured him, with a smile.

“You know how to use both?” he asked, though he already knew the answer

“I do. Wouldn’t carry, if I didn’t.”
 

“Good. If you need me, just holler.” James turned and walked out of the office, leaving the door open. Behind her desk, Morgan chuckled, and pulled the first of the many pieces of paperwork that needed her attention.

N
ICHOLAS
PULLED
THE
Mercedes into the parking area near the empty lot, where the doctor had brought his rig. He stepped out of the car, and crossed to where Marcus had parked his rented SUV, big and menacing, like the vampire who drove it. The back of the vehicle was open to the cool night air.
 

“Even though we don’t know what to expect, I don’t want to wait, Assassin,” Marcus said, as he heard Nicholas approach. Beside him, Christophe and Charles both nodded in agreement.

“You want to go in guns blazing, as it were?” Nicholas asked, with a bemused air. He glanced around the empty warehouse parking lot, taking in the surroundings. The street lights were out, and an air of abandonment permeated the area.
There’s a whole lotta nothing around here. Why am I not surprised? That works in our favor, and possibly against us, if the cops come around and think we’re up to something. Which, we are, so that would be bad.
 

“What are our other options?” Marcus asked, turning to face the Lead Enforcer. “We watch and wait. Then what? This asshole gets a bee in his fucking bonnet and gets the hell outta Dodge. Then where are we? No fucking where,” The general growled.
 

Nicholas had to fight to keep his expression neutral, as he listened to his friend rage. In fact, Nicholas had the exact same plan in mind.
 

“That sounds about right. Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page, Old Man.” Nicholas chuckled, punching Marcus in the arm a little harder than necessary.
 

“So, we’re going in guns blazing?” Marcus asked, as though he wasn’t sure he’d heard Nicholas right. He glanced at his old friend, and saw that his eyes had turned dark grey, like the heralds of one hell of a hurricane.
 

“That’s the plan,” Nicholas answered, with steel in his voice. “But the Doctor is mine.” His voice took on a feral growl as he spoke, and the storm raging in his eyes turned even darker.
 
Marcus felt a thrill of anticipation and sheer terror skitter along his spine.
 

“As you wish, Assassin.” Marcus nodded, feeling his beast rise to the surface of his consciousness.
Gods! This is going to be fun. It’s been centuries since I’ve had the chance to dance with the Assassin at my back.

“Charles, Christophe, I want you two to stay out here. Make sure that no one gets past,” Nicholas ordered, in a tone that left no room for argument.

“Whatever you say” the younger vampires said, at the same time. Without another word, they slipped into the shadows and took up positions nearby, where they had clear views of the rig, and all possible escape routes.

Once they were in position, Nicholas nodded, and slid his new forty–five caliber pistol from its holster, as he stalked toward the door on the side of the trailer. He heard the whisper of Marcus’s footfalls, matching his own, and sensed his friend a few feet behind.
 
Leave it to the Old Man to have my back
, Nicholas thought, as he paused beside the door and opened his senses further. The night was silent, except for the sounds of the city in the distance.
 
Something’s not right here. I should be able to hear at least one heartbeat. What the hell is going on?
Nicholas thought, as he caught Marcus’s eye. The former Roman general shook his head from side to side with slow deliberation
. He doesn’t like this either. Maybe going in without a plan wasn’t the best idea. There’s no way around it now. If there’s someone inside, they know we’re out here.
With a frown creasing his brow, Nicholas pushed the door open and waited, senses alert for any sign of danger. When nothing happened for several tense moments, he pulled himself into the trailer and crouched just inside. He took a moment to survey his surroundings, and slid his weapon back into its holster.
This just went from bad to worse
. He turned and extended a hand down to Marcus.
 

The Roman General looked at him, confused for a moment, before accepting the Assassin’s hand. Nicholas helped Marcus into the trailer and waited while his friend took in the scene. As his hazel eyes scanned the room, he whistled low and long. His gaze came to rest on the metal autopsy table and its gruesome centerpiece. The doctor had been flayed; there was no other way to put it. His torso had been laid bare, exposing internal organs. Lower extremities had been opened; bones exposed, glistening white stained with crimson. The eyes had been removed with surgical precision that made Marcus’s skin crawl.
 

Something’s not right, okay, well that’s the understatement of the fucking millennia, but I don’t smell human blood. What, in Dante’s seven Hells, is going on here?
He turned to face Nicholas, and noticed that the Lead Enforcer was focused on the table. His stormy eyes were unfocused, as if he were seeing something far off in the distance. While Marcus watched, Nicholas approached the table. His head was cocked to the right, as though he heard something Marcus couldn’t.

“How long do you think they kept him alive, Assassin?”
I gotta get him talking. That look can’t be good.

“He’s still alive, Old Man,” Nicholas answered, in a low whisper. He closed his eyes, and slowed his breaths to the point where a human would have passed out.
This is madness
, he thought, as screams ripped through his psyche. Only centuries of practice kept Nicholas from collapsing, as Marcus had.
Who did this to you?
He projected the thought from his mind, focusing it at what remained of the doctor. The only response he got was an increase in the pitch, and desperation of the screams ricocheting through his mind.
 

“You mean there’s some awareness in that mess?” Marcus mumbled low, the hard to surprise Roman General shocked, by what he was seeing.

“Yes,” Nicholas answered, in a menacing whisper.
I’ve got to hold it together. I can’t lose control, no matter how much I want to let my dark side come out and play. I still have a bloody job to do here. This is about Morgan. This son of a bitch hurt her
he thought, as his base instincts threatened to take control.

“Assassin?” Marcus asked, the single word, conveying all the concern he had for his friend.

“You almost have to admire this,” the younger vampire replied, as he started wandering toward the display.

“You’ve lost me there, Assassin,” Marcus whispered.
No way in Hades is he thinking what I hope he’s not thinking. Shit, that was a roundabout thought. Oh great. Now I’m babbling in my own mind. Come on, Nicholai. I know you better than this, snap out of it! You’re giving me a world–class case of the creeps
.

“Think about it, Marcus,” Nicholas said, as he drifted around the table, taking in the carnage from every angle. In his mind, the doctor’s screams intensified. “Think about the planning that this took. Whoever did this, gave this man what he wanted. They gave this
doctor,
” the last word was spoken with more scorn than Marcus had ever heard from his friend, “immortality.” Nicholas paused near the foot of the table. He closed his eyes, and thought about when he’d first become a vampire, the rush of sensation and emotion that had filled him, after his body had finished shedding its human frailties. “Do you remember what that was like? How you felt like eternity was in front of you? This man was reveling in that first rush of power. He was seeing this place,” he waved his right hand, in an absent minded gesture, “his private domain, with vampire senses for the first time. Do you remember what that was like?” Nicholas turned vacant eyes on Marcus, which sent a thrill of fear down the elder vampire’s spine.

“I remember,” Marcus answered, his voice low and soft.
And shit just went from bad to worse.
 
I do not want to antagonize Nicholai in any shape or form, when he’s like this.

“Can you imagine what it must have been like? He had to believe he was going to be able to continue his
work
. That he was going to be able to experiment as he saw fit, for an unlimited amount of time,” Nicholas spat. “And just when he thought that eternity was in front of him, whoever did this started their work. They must have convinced him that it was necessary for him to be restrained during the change.” Nicholas resumed his slow circle around the table. “After a few minutes, when he wasn’t released, he started to think that something wasn’t right. He must have realized that something was very wrong when whoever it was picked up a scalpel and began.”
Simple, there’s a certain poetry in getting the victim to lay himself down willingly for your blade.
 

“You admire the work?” Marcus asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

“On some level, I do. Imagine the patience it required. They started with his lower extremities,” Nicholas answered, sounding distracted, as his hand hovered a few inches above the flayed torso.

“How in the name of Hades do you know that?”

“It’s what I would do.” Nicholas paused. He closed his eyes, as the screams in his mind got even louder. He fought the feeling of desperation that threatened to overwhelm him.
I know that’s not me. It’s him
. “That’s what I’d do if I were trying to cause the most physical, and psychological pain.”

“What would you do next?”
I do not want to hear the answer, but shit, I have no idea how to get him back from this without following it through to the end
.

“I’d make a Y incision, like a coroner, or mortician. I’d be careful to make sure not to damage the heart or spine, because you know as well as I do, even our kind can’t survive that. Somewhere in there, depending on where I was, I might cut the vocal chords, like they did. Of course, I might want to hear him scream the whole time. Once I’d finished working over his torso, I’d end it.” As he spoke, Nicholas’s gaze turned back to the Doctor, taking in the destruction, as though it was fine art.

“But he hasn’t been finished,” Marcus pointed out.

“No, he hasn’t. There’s still life in there. The heart and the spine are perfect,” Nicholas answered, moving to stand beside Marcus.

“Why? Why leave him like this?” Marcus asked, trying to wrap his mind around the concept that the doctor was able to hear their every word.
He’d be screaming for help, if his vocal chords hadn’t been severed.

“That’s a good question,” Nicholas muttered, sounding distracted.

“So, it’s time to do that voodoo that you do, and get what we need to know from him, so we can get the fuck outta here,” Marcus insisted.
Damn, I want nothing more than to get the hell away from that thing. I’ve done some seriously wicked shit in my life but, this is beyond.

“I can’t,” Nicholas answered, turning vacant grey eyes on Marcus.

“Why not?” The other vampire asked, fighting the chill that slithered through him.

“These,” Nicholas answered, indicating a cluster of small wounds on the doctor’s forehead.

“Looks like someone tried a lobotomy,” Marcus whispered, drifting closer to the table.
 

“They managed to do more than a standard lobotomy. Whatever they did it scrambled all conscious thought.”
That explains why there’s been nothing but endless, wordless, screams in my mind.

“But, you said there’s awareness?”

“Nothing more than base instinct, what I’ve heard described as the primitive brain.”

“It’s clear that either Lucian or one of his minions decided that the doctor was a liability,” Marcus said, shaking his head.

“I understand killing him.” Nicholas scoffed. “Hell, I wanted to do it myself, but this is beyond silencing him. No, this was meant to send a message.”

“Other than ‘I’m a sick son of a bitch’?” Marcus scoffed. Nicholas looked at his old friend, as the other vampire began pacing; he knew Marcus was feeling unsettled.