Miss Me When the Sun Goes Down (15 page)

Mason collected Frost from the bar, and I slipped out after them, not really sure what I had in mind to begin with.  I had no car, no bodyguards, and I didn’t have time to call anyone for a ride.  I hoped they’d go somewhere on foot, but in a stroke of rotten luck they headed straight for Mason’s car.

Head swiveling around frantically, I saw my chance and I took it, hopping into the back of a black and white taxicab and shouting, “Follow that car!”

The driver seemed less than amused, and instead of giving chase, he twisted in the seat to stare back at me.  “Are you for real?”

“Of course I am, now get going before they get away!” I demanded, prepared to compel him if he didn’t get his butt in gear.  Luckily, he didn’t fight me any more than that, turning on the meter and making an illegal u-turn in hot pursuit. 

Even as I followed them, I wasn’t sure what it was I could do if I did catch them doing something terrible.  Preaching for reform was one thing, sticking my neck in the middle of Order business was quite another. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was needed out there somewhere, so I kept the taxi on their tail. 

For all I knew
, they were headed back to HQ for a company picnic, but instead, they turned south in the opposite direction.  After assuring the driver that I was a) yes, very serious about following the other car, and b) did have the cash on hand to pay him, he drove like a champ, keeping up with Mason’s kamikaze lane changes. 

I half expected him to pull up in front of a deserted tenement building or an abandoned warehouse.  Instead, he parked in front of the Bayshore
Care Center.  A cancer hospice.  What the heck were they doing there? 

“Do you want me to stop here?” the driver asked, and I waved him on before they noticed us. 

“No, circle around the block and let me out over there, thanks.”  I almost considered asking him to stick around, but decided it was better to have fewer witnesses around, since I had no idea what might go down in there. 

From across the street, I saw Mason and Frost approach the building, splitting up when they reached the stairs to the front
. Frost jogged around towards the side entrance while Mason fooled around with the double doors until he jimmied it open.  I stuck with Mason, cautiously following him into the building, which was deserted and dark, but for a tiny lounge area where the television sucked up all the attention of the night nurse. 

Mason barely gave the guy a second glance, and I followed suit, trusting my light step to get me past him.  He went without error to a room in the west wing, pushing the door open without knocking.  A surreptitious check back into the hallway showed no signs of Frost whatsoever, so I tiptoed closer, pressing my
eye to the crack of the swinging door to get a better look. 

It was a typical inpatient room, clinical, but decorated with brightly colored fabrics and prints on the walls.  Someone had tried to make the room cheerful for the patient’s extended stay.  In addition to the long term décor, there were balloons and streamers taped to the walls and a large posterboard tacked up with the words
‘Congratulations Abel’ in rainbow colors drawn on it, with individual signatures and well-wishes below.

A
n attractive Hispanic man in his late twenties stood at the foot of the empty bed, an open suitcase laid out on top of it.  He wore black chinos and tasseled loafers, his smooth chest visible beneath a v-necked sweater.  “How did you even find out,” he was saying.  “It’s been less than a day.”

“The Order keeps tabs on everyone who petitions to make a vamp,” Mason replied.  “We had someone here on staff compelled to report in if there were any changes to Abel’s condition.  Whether he died or suddenly got better.”  He didn’t have any weapons drawn, but it didn’t sound too good for Abel to me. 

“
Hijo de mil cojeros
…” he muttered, hands on hips.  “I should have known.  We put that petition in years ago, when we first found out about the cancer.  You’ve been watching us the entire time?”

Mason ignored the question. 
“Come on, Javier, you know the drill.  License and registration.  Have you got ‘em or not?”

Javier took a step backwards, hands coming up.  “I wanted to do things by the book, but there wasn’t time.”

“I get it, but that doesn’t change the law,” Mason sighed, drawing out the tranquilizer gun from his shoulder holster.  “Where is he?”

“Mason, you know me.  You know I’d never willingly
break the law.”  Javier took another step back, but his face was still hopeful.  “We tried giving him my blood, and he went into remission for a while, but it didn’t last.  He was dying, they said he might go at any time.” 

“Humans do that.”  Mason shrugged coldly and I couldn’t stand back any longer.  I pushed into the room, right into the thick of it. 

“Seriously, that’s all you have to say?  What if it was Hanna in that bed?  Would you let the Order kill her too?”

“Anja, you have no business being here
.” Mason scowled openly, his gun never wavering.  “Get out now before Frost spots you.”

Too late
. Frost pushed through the swinging door, dragging along an older man by the arm.  Well, older
looking
.  Now that I was closer, I could tell everyone in the room was a vampire, so looks were relative.  “Look who I found out wandering the halls.  Oh, hello, what do we have here?”  Frost’s brows drew together in confusion as he looked back and forth between us.  Mason closed his eyes, and I could hear the blistering swear words muttered under his breath. 

“I decided I should have a chat with Javier and Abel before you conduct your business with them
.  You don’t mind, do you?”  I smiled sweetly.  Frost reacted with perfect aplomb, releasing his hold on Abel, but his body did block the only exit. 

“Sure, I think we can spare a few minutes.”

“Great.”  There were a few seconds of confusion as they switched sides, Mason standing by Frost and Abel hurrying to Javier’s side, fear etching the worry lines on his face that much deeper.  They made an odd pair, Javier young and bursting with vigor and Abel, thin and drawn from the wasting disease.  Visually, Abel’s body was at least thirty years older than his Sire.  But there was a deep connection between them, that much was plain to see from the way Javier drew him into the shelter of his arms with murmured endearments in Spanish.     

“Hey guys,” I smiled at them, pitching my vo
ice low for their ears only.  “Sit tight, I’ll see what I can do to help you both.”

“Thank the Lor
d you came, I thought we were the goners,” Javier gushed, picking up my hand and kissing Jakob’s ring fervently. 

“You know who I am?” I asked, with some surprise.

“Of course.  All know the
angel de la calle
.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’ll do my best.”  I
only hoped their faith in me wasn’t misplaced.  I turned to face the Order, putting myself between them and the vamps behind me.  “Now then, I think there’s been a huge misunderstanding here.  These are not the vamps you’re looking for.”  I wasn’t sure if I could compel them both at once, so I focused on Frost, the unknown in the equation. 

“They’re not?”

“Nope, their papers are completely in order, you saw them yourself.  All you have to do is report that in and go about your business.  Understand?”

“I understand,” Frost replied equably, even as Mason grew visibly distraught.

“Ah, I hate to break the Jedi mind shit you have going on here, but we haven’t seen any papers, let alone vetted them.”

“Hold on a sec,” I scowled at Mason, afraid if I let go of Frost too soon it wouldn’t take.  “Frost, why don’t you go wait in the car while Mason finishe
s up the paperwork here?  There’s nothing to worry about though, everything’s in order.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Frost smiled sunnily, giving that same half wave before he disappeared out the door.   

“What the fuck?” Mason demanded before the door had even swished shut. 

“Mason…” I began, taking a step closer to him.  I could tell the pair behind me were stunned into silence over the display of power, but I could only deal with one thing at a time. 

“What the fuck?” he repeated, backing away from me.  “How the hell did you do that?”

“It’s okay, Mason, relax.”  I didn’t use my compulsion on him yet
because I wanted to see if I could talk him down first.  “I compelled him to see things my way, that’s all.”

“That’s all?” His eyes bugged out.  “How long have you been able to do that?”

“Apparently since I was turned, but I only found out about it when I was in London.”

“Does Bishop know?”  Comprehension dawned behind his eyes right after he asked the question.  “So that’s why he broke things off with you,” he murmured.  “You fucked with his head too.”

“No, I didn’t.  At least, not on purpose anyway.”  Except for the time I compelled him not to kill Ellie, my conscience reminded me, but I wasn’t about to cop to that.  “It’s okay though, this doesn’t have to change anything.”

“How can you say that?  This is a big fucking thing,”
Mason ran his fingers through his hair, pacing in agitation.  “Not just this… this…” he stammered, gesturing wildly to the pair by the bed. “But holy shit, Anja…”

“Calm down, Mason.  I need you to keep my secret, just like you’ve kept my others.” 

“This is kind of a big one.”

“And Jak
e isn’t?” I pointed out.  “Mason, we’re practically family, and family protects each other.  I need to know if I can count on you.”

I could tell from the way he wouldn’t meet my eyes – the Order came first for him.  It was one thing to hide my true identity.  Legally
, I wasn’t in violation of anything but the forged documents Bishop prepared for me, but for him to have guilty knowledge that I’d compelled a fellow officer into ignoring the law… it was too much for him to bear. 

I waved him off. 
“You know what?  It’s okay.  You do what you have to do, I understand.”

“You do?”  His shoulders relaxed, the pinched look melting from his brow.  “Anja, it’s not that I don’t want to, but this is a pretty serious infraction.”

“It’s fine.  You do what you have to do, and so will I.”

“Huh?”

I reached out for him with my will, easily capturing a vampire of thirty years or more.  “You won’t remember anything about my ability to compel other vampires.  You won’t remember anything that happened in here tonight except for this.  You found Javier and Abel getting ready to start their new lives together.  You personally checked their license and registration, and all their paperwork was in order.  You sent Frost back to the car while you wrapped things up, and there’s nothing out of the ordinary to report.  I was never here.  Do you understand?”

“Understand,” he nodded vaguely, his eyes blank.   

“Good, now go out to Frost and continue with the rest of your evening.”  Mason turned without a word and left, his boots ringing on the linoleum as he scooted down the hall with a spring in his step.  I allowed myself a deep breath before I turned to face the couple, seeing a mixture of awe and fear on their faces.  “So, you guys are in the clear for now.”

“Thank you so much for helping us
.” Abel reached for my hand and gripped it warmly.

“I really wish I could help you out more than this, but I’m afraid the safest thing for you to do is to leave town.”

“That’s alright,” Javier replied, his hand on Abel’s shoulder, his waist, his wrist – it was as if he was afraid he’d lose him if he let go.  “We were prepared to do that, they just got here quicker than I thought they would.” 

I had no idea how sophisticated the Order was when it came to tracking vampires.  Would they need new identities?  Or would my compulsion be enough to keep them safe?  Worried my ignorance might get them killed, I consoled myself with the fact that they’d already been on this path before I joined the drama. 

“Do you need any money?”  That, at least, I could do.

“No, we’ll be fine,” Javier insisted, regretfully letting go of Abel long enough to finish tossing his cloth
es into the suitcase.  “We won’t forget this.  If it takes an eternity, I’ll find a way to pay you back, I swear.” 

“That’s not necessary,” I shook my head.  “But you should know, you’re not necessarily out in the clear.  I don’t know what their process is from here on.  If for some reason the Order checks with the magistrate
, they’ll find out you don’t have the actual papers.  They’ll think you showed forged documents.”  It seemed important to warn them, but Javier didn’t so much as shrug.

“They can only kill us once, right?  What difference does it make if they kill us for forgery or unlicensed procreation?”

Abel sat on the edge of the bed, his careworn face lighting up with a glorious smile, revealing even, white teeth.  “Besides, they can only kill us if they catch up with us.  I was about to die anyway.  Every day we spend together is like a gift.”

“
Es verdad
,” Javier beamed back, touching his cheek lovingly.