High Stakes (31 page)

The man blinks at me. ‘You okay?’

I smile tightly. ‘Yes.’ Then I call O’Shea and tell him what I need.

*

It takes the daemon an achingly long time to arrive. When he finally opens the cellar door and gazes at me with wide eyes, the pallor of his skin worries me. I think he must still be recovering from the events at the Agathos court when suddenly he rushes in my direction, almost bowling me over. His arms wrap tightly round my body and he squeezes hard.

‘I thought you were dead,’ he whispers.

I blink back tears at the emotion in his voice. ‘Nope. You’re not that lucky.’

‘I should have known you’d make it,’ he sniffs. ‘Was it Montserrat? Did he do this?’

I pull away and stare at him. My drunk friend in the corner nods to himself. ‘Told you it was the Families.’

I keep my attention on O’Shea. ‘Why would you think that?’

‘It’s what everyone’s saying. He got pissed off with you leaving his Family and becoming a hero, so he bumped you off.’

‘And you believed that?’ I’m incredulous.

O’Shea shrugs awkwardly and looks away. ‘Hey, I like the guy but…’

I shake my head. ‘That’s idiotic. If he supposedly killed me, then who took Corinne?’

‘The hooker?’ I scowl at him. ‘She was just collateral damage,’ he continues. ‘You’re the Red Angel. You’re the one the media is focusing on.’

‘For fuck’s sake,’ I mutter. But I have far more important things to worry about than my stupid celebrity status. Hopefully my fifteen minutes will be over soon. ‘Did you bring a rope?’

He nods, reaching in his bag then tossing a heavy coil of hemp in my direction.

‘And Foxworthy?’

‘Seemed remarkably relieved that you were in one piece.’ O’Shea arches an eyebrow. ‘Is there something you should be telling me?’ I gaze at him, exasperated. He grins back. ‘Yes, your pet policeman is checking the nearby buildings.’ I open my mouth to speak but he forestalls me. ‘And he’s doing it discreetly. Don’t worry.’

‘Good.’

‘I’ve also arranged for a runner to deliver a message about your welfare to New Order. They’ve all but shut down business, you know. I’m not sure whether it’s down to your disappearance or the media glare. Still, granddaddy will be happy.’

‘Thank you.’

His expression sobers. ‘An alert has gone out to all female daemons. I can’t guarantee they’ll take it seriously, though.’

‘We need to make it hard for Troy, that’s all,’ I say absently. ‘And give him enough reason to come back here before he starts looking for a daemon victim.’

‘Troy? If you know who he is, why don’t you just go after him?’

‘I don’t know who he is,’ I say grimly, ‘not yet. Troy is the name I’ve given him.’

O’Shea is confused and I don’t bother explaining. I hook the rope round my shoulder and start descending again.

‘What about him?’ he calls down. ‘The drunk guy?’

‘Keep him there!’ I shout back. ‘I need him!’

I clamber down to the bottom of the tunnel and check on Corinne. Her breathing is steady but I’m concerned about her newly opened wounds. The blood flow has stopped but infection is still a worry. I crouch down beside her and lift up her one good eyelid. ‘Corinne?’

She moans slightly; at least she’s semi-conscious now.

‘I’m going to tie a rope round you and pull you up to the surface,’ I tell her. ‘It’s going to be painful but it’s necessary.’ I have no idea whether my words are sinking in or not, but it makes me feel better saying them aloud. When I’m sure the rope is secure around her waist, I take the other end, climb back up and pass it O’Shea. ‘Don’t pull it until I say so,’ I warn.

‘Okay.’

I rejoin Corinne, moving behind her so I can balance her body and stop it from bumping against the tunnel walls. When she’s in position, I call up. With a slight grunt, O’Shea starts to heave her upwards. I straddle my legs round Corinne’s body, one arm holding onto the ladder and the other supporting her head. It’s slow going and I’m dripping with sweat after only a few rungs but, inch by inch, we make it to the top.

O’Shea bends down, reaching under her armpits to hoist her up the last part. Panting, he checks her pulse. ‘Strong.’

I nod. ‘She’s a tough lady.’ I give him a hard look. ‘She’s had to be.’

He spots the puncture wounds on her neck but doesn’t mention them. ‘How are we going to get her out of here?’

I point at the guy in the corner. He’s smoking a cigarette, his eyes unfocused. ‘The two of you are going to sing your way out with Corinne in between you.’

‘Ah. The old pretend-to-be-legless trick.’ O’Shea looks doubtful. ‘Are you sure he’ll manage it?’

‘He’s a big bloke, he’ll be fine. Just don’t let him fall on her. Which hospital are you using?’

‘Not a hospital. Foxworthy’s found a small clinic near here. It’s out of the public eye so it’ll be easier to hide her. I’ll stay with her myself.’

I relax slightly. ‘Thank you. I mean it. As soon as she’s safe, you need to get out a story about flooding. Make sure it’s broadcast all over the city and this area is mentioned as a potential danger zone. It’s the only way we can be sure Troy will come back.’

‘It’s not rained for a couple of weeks, Bo.’

‘Which is why you need to be convincing.’

‘What are you going to do?’

I smile grimly. ‘I’m going back to wait for him. Even if it takes him days to return, it’ll seem like no time at all for me.’

O’Shea knows better than to argue. He scoops Corinne up and beckons to the big man, who grins and lurches towards them.

‘Make sure he keeps his mouth shut,’ I instruct firmly, as the pair of them manoeuvre Corinne between them. ‘And O’Shea?’

He turns his head. ‘‘Yeah?’

‘Are you okay? You know, after the stuff at the courthouse?’

He reaches over with his one free hand and tousles my hair. ‘I’m fabulous, darling.’

I peck him on the cheek then watch the three of them depart. The song O’Shea chooses to bawl out is particularly bawdy. I cross my fingers tightly; this had better bloody work.

*

I’m not happy about scuffling back through the tunnel to wait in the time bubble next to Oliver’s Island. I carefully close all the doors after me and bolt the door to the little dungeon again so it looks undisturbed. I squeeze back through the gap in the wall, replace the disturbed earth and stones and adjust the hanging handcuffs until I’m satisfied they’re ready. Then I hunker down ready for Troy’s return.

The eerie silence, bereft this time even of rats, is broken sooner than I expected. The footsteps halt outside the door while I move as quickly and quietly as possible, stretching my arms up into the cuffs and making it appear as if they’re still locked. I’ll only have a fraction of a second to catch him off-guard. My body tenses as I prepare for attack. The bolt grates open, clanging in its catch, and the door swings open.

I don’t even look, I simply yank my hands free and leap at the shadowy figure in the doorway, knocking him off his feet. I land on top of him, circling my hands round his throat and holding his torso tightly with my knees.

Then I glance at his face and pull back as if burned. ‘What in sodding hell are you doing here?’

Michael grins at me. ‘It’s good to see you too.’

‘You could compromise everything!’ I hiss. I’m starting to believe that every time I think I’m about to be attacked it’s going to be Michael Montserrat instead, grinning at me so my stomach flip-flops.

‘Don’t worry. I was very careful.’ He shifts his body slightly, making me aware of the tight muscle bunched under my groin and thighs.

I jump up to my feet and glare. ‘How do you know? If just one person…’

He gives me a droll look. ‘Please, Bo. Do you really think that after all my years as a vampire, I don’t know how to stay hidden?’

I don’t yield. ‘If you’ve ruined this, there’ll be blood on your hands.’

‘I haven’t.’ He stands up and brushes himself off. Then his expression softens. ‘I’m glad you’re alright.’ His expression is earnest. ‘I was worried.’

‘I’m not a helpless little girl,’ I tell him, although I can’t keep the smile out of my eyes.

‘No, you’re not.’

Putting my hands on my hips, I gaze at the sharp contours of his face. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Helping you catch this bastard.’

I shake my head. ‘It’s too dangerous. If he spots you before…’

‘Bo.’ He tucks an unruly curl behind my ear. ‘He won’t. Besides, two of us have a better chance of taking him down.’

‘You could have sent someone else. It didn’t have to be you.’

His eyes gleam. ‘But I’m your friend. And this is what friends do for other friends. You’re not a lone wolf.’

‘I think the only wolfish one around here is you,’ I mutter under my breath. Michael grins. Wolfishly. I sigh. ‘Go on then. Get in.’ I gesture him inside. ‘I’ll have to bolt you in.’ He’s too large; he’ll never squeeze through the little gap in the wall like I did.

Wary of the time, I quickly lock him in then push back through the enlarged rat hole. Even though I’d covered most of it up, it’s easier this time with Michael’s help. He understands the process without me needing to explain, scraping away enough dirt and stone and then yanking on my ankles to pull me through.

‘You see?’ he says, ‘teamwork.’ Before I can respond snarkily, he looks around the small space. ‘A time bubble.’ He shakes his head. ‘Who’d have thought it?’

‘Yeah,’ I admit. ‘I’d like to know how Troy knew about it.’

‘Troy?’

I wave a hand in the air. ‘That’s not his real name.’

‘But we’re the Trojan horse. I like it.’ He smiles for a second before his expression turns serious. ‘Foxworthy told me to tell you that Corinne is safe.’

‘How long has it been since she left here?’

‘Two days.’

I take a deep breath. ‘It’s been just over an hour here.’

‘Then I guess it won’t be long before Troy joins us.’

I bite my lip. ‘No.’

‘This is a good plan, Bo.’

‘Only if he shows up.’ I find it hard to take the praise. ‘Did Foxworthy say anything else?’

‘The preliminary coroner’s report is back on the women. They all suffered an incredible amount.’

I sense there’s a ‘but’ coming. ‘There’s something else, isn’t there?’

Michael nods, his mouth set in a tight line. ‘Corinne Matheson’s attack was more sustained and brutal than the others.’

I absorb this information. ‘It’s always seemed personal where Corinne was concerned,’ I say slowly. ‘She just didn’t fit the profile of the others. Or the pattern.’

‘What are you thinking?’

‘This time bubble thing. You’d not heard of it before, right?’

‘I know there are companies playing around with this kind of thing. I don’t think they’ve had much success though, despite what they advertise. Nothing they have is powerful enough to create this.’ He waves his arm around the room.

‘I don’t suppose any of the older vampires have heard of something this powerful? Did you ask around?’

He sighs. ‘There was one I spoke to who’d heard a rumour about it but she didn’t know for sure if it was true.’

‘And how old is she?’ I prod.

‘Two hundred and thirty-three.’

I balk slightly at the age; I don’t want to live that long. I focus on the topic in hand. ‘A historian,’ I say, thinking aloud. ‘A historian might know about it.’ My stomach churns. ‘He distorted his voice. I thought it was because Corinne might recognise him but it wasn’t Corinne he was disguising himself from.’ I look up at him, wide-eyed. ‘It was me. I know who he is.’

Just then there’s a noise from outside. I set my jaw and Michael nods. As he moves catlike to the far side of the door, I take up my position back at the cuffs. My pulse is fast and angry. I inhale deeply, holding the breath in my lungs, then I drop my head down and let the open cuffs take most of my weight. The bolt on the other side of the door jiggles before sliding back. It’s time to rock and roll.

*

He stands in the threshold, breathing heavily. I keep my head bowed and limbs limp but I know he’s looking for Corinne.

He laughs sharply, his voice still garbled and metallicised. ‘You may think you can hide from me, whore, but you know it won’t work. There are four walls and this is the only way out.’ He takes a step inside. Michael is flat against the wall behind the door. Troy only needs to take one more step and we’ll have him.

‘I was going to do this properly,’ he grunts. ‘I was going to give you a fitting end. Unfortunately circumstances are moving beyond my control and we need to end things here instead.’ He shrugs. ‘It’s not what I wanted but it’ll have to do. For you and the little bloodguzzler. I’ll take care of her first while you watch. Then it’ll be your turn.’

I sense rather than see Michael tense, ready to pounce. This is going to happen quickly. He punches the door, slamming it into Troy’s balaclava-covered face. Troy howls and I leap away from the handcuffs – just in time to see the syringe in his hand. My eyes widen in alarm. Michael deals a swift uppercut to his stomach but he hasn’t seen the syringe yet. I launch myself forward, shoving him out of the way just in the nick of time, then I roll to the side to avoid it myself.

‘Where is she?’ he snarls. ‘Where is the whore?’

I spring lightly to my feet. ‘You mean Corinne. Say it,’ I taunt. ‘Say, “where’s Corinne?”’

I see spiteful anger reflected in his dark eyes. ‘Fuck you,’ he hisses. ‘She might get away for now but I’m not an idiot. There’s always a back-up plan.’ He pulls a glowing orb from his pocket. Ghostly blue swirls are visible within its depths. For a moment, I’m confused then I realise what it is.

‘Have fun, boys and girls.’ He raises his hand and, before I can stop him, he smashes the orb on the floor. There’s a loud popping sound. He’s burst the time bubble and water is already pouring into the small room. It’s coming from everywhere and there’s no chance of stopping it. This isn’t a physical leak, it’s time returning to the present. The entire area is going to be submerged within minutes.

I tilt my chin up and stare at Troy. I don’t care.

‘Bo!’ Michael yells, scrambling to his feet.

I ignore him, kicking up at the syringe as hard as I can. It falls with a splash: the water is already five inches deep. I rush the man, colliding hard with his stomach and pushing him backwards. His arms flail and he hits me several times but I’m a vampire. I’m always going to be stronger and faster. I grab his wrists and pin them to the ground. His legs thrash but I pay them no attention. ‘You’re a rapist,’ I hiss. ‘A rapist and a murderer.’