Six Times Deadly: A Lawson Vampire Story Collection (The Lawson Vampire Series) (12 page)

"I'm guessing this doesn't fall under consensual."

"Not even remotely," said Niles.
 
"We've got a rogue vampire bleeding patients against their will.
 
I don't need to tell you how very illegal that is."

"You don't."
 
I leaned back on the gurney I was strapped to.
 
"Was it really necessary to bring me in like this, though?"

"We've narrowed the list of suspects.
 
And we figured the best way to get someone inside was to bring you in like this: human, infected.
 
Not too serious, but bad enough to get you a stay for a few nights.
 
And since you're not all that bad off, it might help attract the offender."

"I'm going to have a hard time concealing a piece with a Johnny on."

"You'll find a small pistol under your bed once you get to your room.
 
I'd leave it where it is unless your life is in immediate danger.
 
But there shouldn't be anything to trip you up.
 
As far as anyone knows, you're only human."

"I feel so...disadvantaged."

Niles nodded.
 
He looked somewhat silly in his EMT uniform.
 
"Now you know how I feel."

"This your first undercover assignment?"

Niles sniffed.
 
"The less you know of my background, the better.
 
And this doesn't really count.
 
I'm only wheeling you in."

That was two hours back.
 
It was Sunday and the Celtics were playing tonight.
 
That was about the only thing I had to look forward to.
 
I'd already tried to order a cheeseburger and fries and was told by room service that I was on a dietary restriction.

A small Asian woman wandered in.
 
She looked Chinese judging by her cheekbones.
 
But her small frame did little to help her radiate authority or confidence.
 
I hoped she knew what she was doing.

"I'm Doctor Yuen.
 
How are you feeling?"

"Crummy."
 

She nodded and then took a slim flashlight and came around to my left side.
 
"Let's take a look."

Before he'd left, Niles had zapped something into my left ear canal.
 
I had no idea what it was.
 
"Part of your cover," was all he'd say.
 
But I was feeling body aches and like I had a fever.
 
And my left ear felt like it was being deep-fried in a sizzling hot wok.
 
All of this was somewhat weird for me, since vampires don't get sick all that often.
 
When I was done with this assignment, I not only wanted a pat on the back for bagging the bad guy, but an Oscar for the acting job.

I figured my chances of getting either were about zero.

But I'm an eternal optimist.

The doc peered into my ear canal for a moment and then clicked the light off.
 
"You have any idea how you got this?"

"Nope."

She nodded.
 
"We'll have the cultures back on you in a few hours.
 
They'll tell us what we're dealing with.
 
For now, we've got you on something to manage the infection.
 
That will change in a few hours."
 
She smiled and it reminded me of a thirteen year-old kid playing doctor.
 
"Any questions?"

"Yeah, am I under any dietary restrictions?"

"Shouldn't be.
 
But you did come in by ambulance so they usually restrict you until my orders go through.
 
Why, did room service give you grief?"

"They didn't want to give me French fries."

She winked at me.
 
"The horror.
 
I'll see your orders get straightened out."

"Thanks."

"I'll be back later."

I watched her leave and leaned back.
 
The Celtics weren't on yet.
 
And I doubted that anything was going to happen until after visiting hours ended around eight o'clock.
 
Until then, I was on my own.

And bored out of my mind.

Niles had told me the attacks had happened late at night, most likely when the nurses were playing solitaire trying to stay awake.
 
I'd worked enough late nights to know what it felt like to be up at three o'clock in the morning.
 
It sucked.

I played around with my iPhone.
 
Niles had told me to call him as soon as I had the culprit taken care of.
 
I doubted Niles wanted much in the way of a scene, so this was going to be a case of tragic accidental death instead of me simply putting two into his heart.

So be it.

I booted up some old Duran Duran and listened to the synthesizer create some interesting visuals in my head.
 
This wasn't normally how I liked to operate.
 
The thought of simply waiting around like so much bait didn't fill me with a lot of excitement.
 
I was always used a lot more proactively than this - actually taking the fight to the enemy.

But this...I sighed.
 
This sucked.

Duran Duran got interrupted as my phone rang.
 
I picked up.
 
"Hello?"

"So that hedonistic lifestyle finally caught up with you, huh?"

I smirked.
 
"Hi Wirek."

"I just heard the good news.
 
Does it burn when you take a piss?"

"Not currently."

"Listen to me, you get that thing fixed up toot sweet otherwise it's really going to bring you down.
 
Trust me, I know."

"Who told you I was here?"

"Niles, of course."

"He tell you the entire story?"

Wirek paused.
 
"Aw shit, you're not really sick are you?"

"Something like that."

Wirek sighed.
 
"And here I thought I'd finally have some decent dirt on you."

"Sorry to disappoint you."
 
I looked out of the window.
 
Rain clouds were drawing in and turning the sky dark.
 
"It sucks being here.
 
I can't even get decent French fries."

"My heart bleeds for you, pal.
 
When they springing you?"

"As soon as I'm...better."

"Day or so?"

"Most likely."

"I'll be there.
 
Lunch is on me.
 
Later."
 
The phone went dead in my ear.
 
I looked at it as Duran Duran kicked back on.
 
Wirek wasn't much for talking on the phone, but I appreciated the quick call - even if it had been to rib me about my make-believe condition.

I leaned back on the bed and passed another forty minutes playing Scrabble.
 
I topped my best score of 612 but even that failed to make me all that excited.
 
Outside, rain pelted the windows.

And then a new nurse came into my room.
 
She was blonde and instantly made my day a lot brighter.
 
I pulled the ear buds out of my ear.
 
She frowned when she saw it.

"I don't think you're supposed to have that in your infected ear."

"I'm dying of boredom.
 
Don't rat me out, okay?"

She smiled.
 
"What were you listening to?"

"Duran Duran."

She nodded.
 
"Good choice."
 
She busied herself with my chart.
 
"My names Debbie."

"Lawson."

She nodded.
 
"So it says.
 
They've got you in for how long?"

I shrugged.
 
"Few days, I guess.
 
At least until they figure out what the heck is in my ear."

Debbie leaned over me and I couldn't help but appreciate the styling of her blue scrub top.
 
"That doesn't look so good."

"Oh, I don't know.
 
Looks pretty good from this vantage point."

Debbie glanced down and then shook her head.
 
"Uh oh, I can see I'm going to have to be on my guard around you."

I put a hand on my chest.
 
"Me?
 
A threat to your chaste nature?
 
Perish the thought."

"I'll bet."
 
But she smiled.
 
"Anyway, the reason I'm here is someone told me that room service gave you a hard time earlier about the fries."

"They did."

Debbie shook her head.
 
"I can't have my patients being denied good food."
 
She went out of the room and came back with a plate covered by a metal top.
 
Removing it, I saw a whole plate of French fries.

"Wow."

She grinned.
 
"Enjoy the feast."

"There are too many here for me to finish.
 
Want to join in?"

Debbie lifted her left hand.
 
"Engaged, Lawson.
 
I'm afraid not."
 

"Your fiancé would frown on you eating French fries?
 
That doesn't sound much like Prince Charming to me."

Debbie smiled.
 
"He'd frown on what would happen if I did eat the fries and let that charm of yours work its magic.
 
Have fun!"
 
She turned and left.

Somehow the fries didn't look nearly as appetizing anymore.

*
*
*

I watched the Celtics demolish the Lakers and then hung out in the doorway of my room, watching the night shift do its work.
 
I was bored senseless.
 
Debbie wandered by and smiled.
 
"Bored?"

"I'm contemplating suicide by watching Rachel Ray."

"You could take a walk."

I glanced down the hall.
 
"How far does it go?"

Debbie winked at me.
 
"Go find out."

I wandered out, dragging my IV transporter with me.
 
It was pretty quiet.
 
Earlier, one of the techs had informed me that this floor was routinely used for patients recovering from stomach and bowel surgery.
 
Why the hell they'd stuck a simple infection case like me up here, I had no idea.
 
But judging from how much the guy down the way had puked after dinner, I was guessing stomach surgery was a bitch.

My slipper socks did little to ward off the cold from the tiles as I walked the corridor.
 
I got fifty yards and hit a wall.
 
Turned.

That was it?
 
I'd been in other hospitals where the floors formed a square.
 
I'd done laps in one of them before.

But this was a straight corridor.
 
I could take a few hundred steps, turn around and go back the other way.

Wow.

Fun.

I wandered back to my room and passed Debbie along the way.
 
"That was heartless."

She laughed.
 
"What-you don't like our little slice of heaven?"

"I can't even get a sweat going."

She pointed at my ear.
 
"Not that you should be doing that just yet anyway.
 
We need to get that infection under control before you get back to working out."

"Easier said than done."

Her eyebrows waggled.
 
"You're in good shape when most men your age are starting to soften.
 
What's your excuse?"

"I'm addicted to endorphins.
 
Sad, I know, but I can't help myself."

"Do you ever give a straight answer?"

I leaned closer to her.
 
"I think you're beautiful.
 
Straight enough for you?"

Debbie pushed me away.
 
"All right, I walked into that one.
 
Fair enough."

"If you like walking into things-"

She held up her hand.
 
"Forget it, Casanova.
 
Get your butt back to your room and stay there.
 
I don't think I can have you walking the hallways and making nurses lose their focus."

"Who's losing their focus?"

Debbie sighed.
 
"Me.
 
For one."

I gave her my best evil laugh and then wandered back into the room.
 
And stopped.

The air felt wrong.

I let my eyes go to soft focus and took in the whole scene.
 
The bed was pretty much the way I'd left it.
 
But the second drawer on my particle board bureau had been opened and closed quickly.
 
It was perhaps an eighth of an inch open.
 
I'd nearly missed it.

But not quite.

Someone had been through my stuff.

 
I slid the door shut behind me and then checked under my bed.
 
The pistol was still there.
 
Either the person going through my stuff was an amateur or they hadn't had enough time to do the job right.
 
In any event, I was pleased to know that I still had a weapon to rely on.
 

I peeked back into the corridor.
 
There were nurses and techs wandering around, each of them doing their rounds.
 
It could have been any one of them and I wouldn't know it.
 

I sighed.
 
Niles was right: in order to flush the perp, I was going to have to be the bait.

I shut the lights off in the room and looked out of the window.
 
Rain spattered the glass and ran down in jagged rivulets toward the ground about ten stories below me.
 
I sat down on the HVAC unit and peered out into the night.
 
The building I was in nuzzled up against another and in between them, there was a gravel lined courtyard of sorts.
 
It was a long way down, I decided.