All the King's Men: The Beginning (14 page)

So all they could do was handle mutants case-by-case as they had done tonight.

"Tell…Mazie…I…love her." Every hoarse, whispered word was a labor for Luca to speak.

"I will." Stryker clamped both hands around Luca's. "I'll make sure they're taken care of."

Luca blinked and shuddered. "Thank…you."

Tristan turned away out of respect as Luca drew his final breaths, and then it was over. Luca was gone, and so was the mutant.

Stryker sighed in frustrated sorrow, and then slowly stood before radioing the rest of his team. "Status?"

Bauer's voice came back through the radio. "Two mutants down here. Bagging them now."

"Casualties?" Stryker asked.

"None as far as I can tell."

Stryker glanced down at Luca's body, and then exchanged looks with Tristan before hitting his mic and saying, "One down here. We'll need to inform Luca's family."

Silence. Then, "Roger that." A curse broke through the static before Bauer turned off his mic.

Stryker hung his head briefly then turned toward Tristan. "Help me carry him out?"

Tristan stepped forward. "Of course." He turned to Malek then nodded toward the dead mutant on the floor. "Let's bag it up."

Twenty minutes later, they loaded the dead mutants in the back of Stryker's black AKM Suburban. Luca's body was carefully wrapped in white linen and placed in the back of Bauer's vehicle.

"I'll see you at the party later," Tristan said to Malek.

"You're not coming back with us?"

Tristan shook his head. "No. I'm going to ride in with Stryker." He didn't want to leave Stryker alone right now. As a fellow team leader, Tristan understood what it was like to lose a member of the team. Tristan had lost a couple over the years, but this was Stryker's first. Besides, he wanted to see if he could get more information about what had happened tonight. Three mutants in one night? At the same time, no less? That was a bit too coincidental. Could there be a connection to the cobalt? It was a stretch, but all three had been using the dreck-made drug.

Malek, Ari, and Io vapored back home, and Tristan hopped in the passenger seat of Stryker's SUV. "All set," he said quietly.

Stryker lifted his head and nodded. He didn't look so good. Angry. Pissed off. Upset. Sad. His expression was a stew of emotions.

"You want me to drive?" Tristan motioned toward the steering wheel.

Stryker shook his head tightly. "I'm good." He put the Suburban in gear, turned the vehicle around, and headed toward AKM.

"So, tell me about tonight," Tristan said. "What happened?"

Stryker cleared his throat and kept his heavy gaze aimed out the windshield. "Bauer took a call about cobalt activity in the area, so he and Luca came to check it out."

"Did they find anything?"

Stryker shook his head. "By the time they arrived, the dealers were gone."

"Then what?"

Stryker stopped at a red light and glanced at Tristan. "As they were looking around the area, they found shredded clothes. First it was just one set, then they found another, and then a third."

Shredded clothes were always the first sign of the birth of a mutant, whose body swelled as chemical reactions broke at an accelerated rate within its cells, which enlarged by at least fifty percent, sometimes even bigger. From the look of tonight's mutants, they were facing the "even bigger" side of the scale.

After taking a deep breath, Stryker continued. "The entire team was called in at that point, and we quickly corralled the mutants inside that warehouse and called for backup. Had to wipe a few humans who got stuck in the crosshairs."

"And you went in without armor?"

Stryker frowned. "We couldn't risk them getting out into the human population."

Tristan raised his hands. "Hey, I'm not judging. I'm just trying to put the pieces together."

Stryker's expression eased and he rolled his eyes. "Who am I kidding? Going in without armor was stupid." He hit the steering wheel with his right hand. "Fuck! I never should have let Luca go in like that. I shouldn't have risked it."

Tristan glanced out the passenger window then looked back across the seat. "You can't go back and change it, Stryke. It's done. Don't beat yourself up over this. We all make these life-and-death decisions. Most of the time, they're the right ones, and sometimes, even when they're right, bad things happen. Luca knew the risks. We all do. They're part of the job."

"Tell that to his mate," Stryker said quietly.

Tristan didn't envy Stryker's responsibility to tell Luca's mate that he was dead. It was a responsibility they each took on as team leaders. For all Stryker's military bravado and hard, ice-cold exterior, the guy had a warm heart. For the first time, Tristan was getting a look at a Stryker he had never known. A Stryker full of doubt, who might even be questioning his role as an enforcement team leader. A Stryker whose guard was briefly down. Tristan wasn't used to seeing his comrade in such a state. Then again, the death of a team member could bring out the worst in a person.

"Do you think cobalt did this?" A change of subject might be good, and Tristan was curious to see if Stryker felt the same way he did about the cobalt connection.

Stryker shrugged as he made a left turn. "I don't know. It's damn ironic that all three had recently been using, though, if you ask me. Or maybe it's just coincidence. They were all mixed-bloods, according to their IDs."

Mixed-bloods were more prone to going mutant than full-bloods, but Tristan didn't believe in coincidences. "I'm not buying it." He glowered out the window.

"Neither am I, but there's nothing solid to connect the cobalt to them going mutant, Tris. Lots of vampires use cobalt, and this is the first time we've seen users go beast like that."

What Stryker said was true, but still, Tristan couldn't shake the feeling that somehow there was a connection. For now, he would have to set his concerns aside. Until he had hard evidence, there wasn't much he or anyone else could do to accuse the drecks of using cobalt as a weapon to kill vampires. Besides, he had a pretty lady in red at home who was eager to get to the social event of the season. For the rest of the night, Josie had to be his primary concern. He had promised her the king's party, and he would make good on his promise.

The drecks and their potential cobalt-mutant connection would have to wait.

* * *

Deacon pulled out his mobile and hit Bishop's speed dial.

"Yes?" Bishop's voice oozed through the connection.

"It worked."

"Oh?" Bishop perked up. "Tell me more, brother."

Deacon peered into the darkness as if making sure no one else was around. "Within seconds of shooting up, the three mongrels began to turn. It was quite marvelous to watch. From a distance, of course." He chuckled. "And Bain's enforcers had quite a fight on their hands. You'll be pleased to hear that one was killed."

"Aaawwe, how unfortunate for Bain's men. Remind me to send my condolences." Bishop's voice held the sinister sarcasm he usually reverted to when talking about Bain and his legion of vampires.

Deacon smiled. "So, all in all, it was a good night, wouldn't you say? Four down, thousands to go."

"Agreed, but…hmmm." Bishop sounded reticent. "The reaction was too fast. I don't want them turning so soon after doping. I don't want to risk Bain's prattling dolts making the connection between cobalt and their savage, miscreant mutants."

"I agree." Deacon turned on the roof he'd remained stationed on during the battle below and began heading off. "But at least we know we're on the right course."

"Yes, that's true. In that regard, it
was
a successful field test." Bishop sounded thoughtful. "And Apostle is unaware of your presence?"

Deacon nodded as he opened the door that led from the roof to a utility room and down a flight of rickety, metal stairs. "Yes." Deacon's twin ran the show in Chicago, as well as elsewhere, but not even Apostle knew just how deep Deacon and Bishop's experiments ran. Not yet. In time, they would loop him in. Once the formula was mastered. All Apostle needed to know right now was that they needed him to find as many drug-using vamps as he could.

"Good. Return at once, brother. I want to begin tweaking the formula immediately. Pick up from Lorena, first, though. She has two subjects in her possession."

"Of course." Deacon disconnected, descended the long metal staircase in the abandoned building, slid out the back, trekked in the shadows several blocks to his rented SUV, and then disappeared into the night.

Chapter 9

King Bain worked his way through the scores of dignitaries, liaisons, counselors, and VIPs gathered in the ballroom. This wasn't his home—because only a select few were allowed inside his residence—but he kept an elegantly appointed off-residence judicial building, which doubled as a gathering place for social events like his annual Christmas party.

Red and green damask screens hung in lustrous waves from the ceiling to the floor between large picture windows, which were adorned with white, gauzy sheers that resembled snow. In the corner stood a giant Christmas tree, decorated in red, gold, green, and silver. Twinkle lights blinked from within the garland, and a handmade crystal star sat atop the tree like a delicate beacon. A variety of candlelit cocktail tables dotted the space around the bar. Generous, round banquet tables with impeccable, gold and crystal place settings commanded half the room, and a twelve-piece orchestra played festive holiday music near the area set aside for dancing.

The décor was certainly fit for a king, as well as for a party.

Cara settled into the circle of his arm as he guided her from one guest to another, exchanging pleasantries and seasonal wishes, but concern worried his mind. His enforcers had been dispatched on a multi-mutant call tonight, which had detained some of his guests.

Three mutants together, all at once, alarmed him. Chicago hadn't seen a mutant in months, and now, just like that on Christmas Eve, three. It didn't make sense.

From across the room, Bain saw Gregos's son Arion enter, dressed exquisitely in a black, three-piece suit and red tie.

"Arion, what a pleasure to see you again," Bain said after separating from Cara and working his way through the crowd.

"The pleasure is mine." Arion bowed, always the picture of propriety. Arion's father was one of Bain's most trusted liaisons, with ancient bloodlines and an immaculate pedigree. He expected nothing less than precision and perfection from the son of Gregos.

Bain could only be so lucky to have Arion mate his daughter, as Cara had suggested. Perhaps he would arrange a meeting after all, to see if the proverbial sparks flew between Arion and Miriam. Enforcers weren't the typical match Bain tried to present to Miriam, but for Arion, he could make an exception.

Io, Tristan, and Josie entered the Great Hall and joined them.

"Josie, you look radiant." Bain smiled but forced back the subtle ache in his heart. "I heard the good news that you're expecting. Congratulations." He forced his façade not to crack under the weight of his personal feelings. The fact that he wanted another child of his own during his next
calling
was not cause to be jealous of Josie and Tristan's good fortune. They deserved his generous felicitations, as would anyone in their position.

"Thank you." She curtsied and snuggled into Tristan's embrace almost shyly, which was a characteristic he wasn't used to seeing in Josie. She was usually such a strong personality, but then, pregnancy had a way of making females behave in ways out of character from their normal proclivities.

Bain extended his hand to Tristan. "Congratulations, my friend."

Tristan nodded proudly. "Thank you. It was a surprise to be sure." He glanced down at Josie with love in his eyes.

"Ah, yes." Bain grinned magnanimously. "I can imagine."

Bain knew the mated status of everyone within his inner circle, as well as most within his middle circle, and he knew Tristan had never actually mated Josie. As the king, he presided over the legal proceedings and handled the decrees regarding such matters. Vampire mates didn't necessarily hold marriage ceremonies, but a male did have to file an order with the royal counsel to ensure legal recognition of his mated status once he took a mate. Really, though, even that was merely a technicality. If a mated male could prove a female was his mate, which wasn't hard to do, Bain's laws recognized him accordingly even if no mating order had been filed. Vampire law was very lenient toward the rights of mated males, given that the repercussions of denying a mated male were so severe.

Tristan had never filed such an order, and he didn't display mated tendencies, which included extreme aggression and severe possessiveness of his female. The fact that Josie was with his child was a few prayers short of a miracle. Not many males could get a female pregnant without experiencing a
calling
.

Io and Arion slipped away into the crowd as Malek arrived and joined them, which left Bain with Tristan and Josie.

"I heard about what happened tonight," Bain said.

Tristan's expression grew grim. "Yes. It was…"

"Concerning." Bain paused and bowed his head. "And tragic."

Josie huddled a little closer to Tristan and wrapped her arm around his waist.

Losing an enforcer always sucked the air out of life for all involved. Each of Bain's men took the loss personally, as did he. And what of Luca's family? Of course, Bain would see to it that they were provided for, but he couldn't replace the loss of a loved one. He couldn't bring Luca back from the dead, and that was what his mate really needed more than anything.

After a moment's silence, Bain cleared his throat, glanced up, and looked around. "So, where's Micah?"

Tristan shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't show for the call tonight, either."

This was not good news. Bain had heard about Micah's relationship woes and that things weren't going well. He had held high hopes that the relationship would succeed and that Micah would return to his old self…the shrewd, skilled warrior he had been almost a millennium ago.