The Fabled (6 page)

I sat and tried to look innocently at
Augustus as he debated what to tell me.

“It is rare that Vampere disappear. I would
have to look into…”

“It’s rare that they disappear? Yet at least
six were captured and killed over a year ago and the council has no
record of the disappearances or that they were even investigated at
all.”

“The Vampere handle our own affairs. We do
not need others in our matters.”

“Really? Let’s ask Mr. Ortega if he would
have preferred to have our assistance when his boy was killed. Or,
for that matter, let’s ask any of the sires whose children were
stolen if they would have preferred to exhaust all possible venues
in an attempt to save their children. I thought this was a unified
front.”

“And who would we be at battle with,
Thief.”

Oh, we resorted to name calling did we.
“Anyone who would do harm to innocents. Those Vampere did not
deserve to die like that. I have been working this case for two
weeks and have continually dug into the lives of these victims
without finding any wrongdoing on their parts at all. Hell, they
were typical blue-collared workers. Ordinary people who were stolen
and frozen to death. If more Vampere are being stolen, we need to
stop this before they suffer the same fate.”

He sighed. “I will give you what information
I have. Only if you are the agent to work this case. I will not
have just anyone meddling in our business.”

I nodded. “I’m already on the case anyway.
So, missing Vamps?”

“Yes, there have been three Vampere stolen
from the Fort Worth area over the last two weeks.”

I sat back in my chair. So they have been
replenishing their stock. “I’ll need all the information you have
on these Vampere. Did you find anything useful in your
investigation so far?”

He looked lost. “I didn’t think there was any
correlation to your investigation until now. We had assumed they
ran away from their sires. It happens unfortunately.”

“So three Vamps go missing in a matter of two
weeks and you don’t investigate? I thought you said Vampere don’t
often disappear.”

“They do not. In the event they are temporary
lost, they are later found.”

“Usually, you mean. Usually they are found
but sometimes they are stolen and killed. I guess you could say the
six Vamps who were temporarily lost a year ago are now found
too.”

“Yes, I believe that could be said.”

Vamps. Mind games and the convolution of
words are their forte. I stood up.

“Well, thank you for your time Augustus. If
you will get me the information I need, we’ll get out of your
hair.”

His eyes narrowed again. I tried not to
snicker.

“
Bat-shit crazy”

“You’ve got to let go of this irrational
hatred of Vamps. It’s not healthy.”

I looked at Tristan like he had lost his
mind. “Since when do you give me advice on what’s healthy for me?
Should we go into detail all of the things you do that aren’t
healthy for you?”

“This isn’t about me, mother.”

“No. I thought it was about telling you what
I learned at Vamp headquarters and somehow it got turned around to
me and my irrational hatred of Vamps.”

“I’m just saying that it isn’t right to hate
an entire race because of the actions of a few bad ones. What will
you do if I become one?”

I tried counting to ten before answering but
it really didn’t seem to help. “I’m not really planning on you
becoming a Vamp.”

“Then why did I sign that waiver. You told me
it was giving my consent to be turned in the event I’m too far gone
to give it at the time.”

“It is. But that is a last resort. Only if
you’re injured on the job and there is no way to heal you. There
are traditional medicines not to mention healing potions that would
be able to save you in most cases.”

“And then what? I die an old man in my bed
while you live on to find another kid to raise.”

My mouth was hanging open. I couldn’t believe
he thought so little of me. The worst thing was how close to home
he had hit. When he was a child I often felt like I was betraying
my children from my Human life by finding a new child to love. The
only thing is my other children are old with grandchildren of their
own now. It’s hard to outlive your children and Tristan knew
this.

“I’m sorry, mother. I shouldn’t have said
that. It wasn’t fair. I just want you to understand where I’m
coming from.”

“So you want to become a Vampere?”

“Not now. But maybe in the future before I’m
too old. Unless Lucian can make some more of that super powerful,
super rare potion that was used on you.”

I shook my head. “It took all the magic
stored in the council’s reservoir just to make one small vial.”

“That’s something I never got. Why was magic
stored in there in the first place?”

“Back in the old days instead of killing a
Fabled for his misdoings they would strip him of his magic and make
him live out the rest of his days as a Human. They needed somewhere
to store the magic that was taken so Lucian created the reservoir.
The magic had sat in there dormant until he used it.”

“To make a serum that would turn a Human
immortal all because he had a dream someone who would one day be
important to him would need it. That was kind crazy if you ask me.
Why don’t they take the Fabled’s magic anymore? You would think
they would prefer that over death.”

I just looked at him. “It wasn’t a dream but
a premonition and yes it was crazy. All that work just to turn a
Human inHuman. And, they don’t take the magic anymore because every
one of the Fabled who were turned Human went crazy. I’m talking
bat-shit and not the
I’m-just-going-to-rock-and-talk-to-myself-in-the-corner type. There
was a lot of bloodshed because of it so they stopped doing it.”

“Whoa. Okay, I guess that makes sense. I
still don’t understand why Lucian went through all of that
trouble.”

“Especially since converting the power in the
reservoir into his spell about killed him.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll just stick with becoming
a Vamp.”

“I guess that’ll be alright. You’re right.
Not all Vamps are bad. It’s just the old, power hungry ones that
play the mind games. You’ll be a pion for at least a few centuries
and when you start in with the manipulations I’ll be there to slap
you upside your head to knock some sense into you.”

“Uh, thanks. I think.”

“No problem. Now let’s see what we can find
out about the missing Vamps so we can catch these killers.”

He nodded and we got to work looking into
their lives.

We had a starting point in that they all
lived in Fort Worth. The previous Vamps were found in nearby Dallas
and had been taken from the surrounding area. The distance between
both cities is only about fifty minutes so it’s feasible the
killers are still in Dallas and gathering their new vics from Fort
Worth. Or perhaps the killers were from Fort Worth to begin with.
Whatever the situation it was apparent they were collecting new
Vamps so we need to find a connection between them in order to
prevent more Vamps being captured.

Tristan took on the task of finding out the
vics last moments before their disappearances while I tried to find
a connection with their families and everyday routines. A victim
can be picked up almost anywhere under any conditions. We don’t
know if the killers were physically abducting them off the streets
or luring them in either by coercion or sympathy. And, just because
they were last seen at the office or a friend’s house doesn’t mean
they didn’t stop by their favorite coffee shop on the way home.
Once we know where they frequented and who they were usually with
it made it easier to assume where they may have gone when they were
taken.

After several hours of digging I found that
Mr. Ortega was friends with one of the new victim’s sire. I called
the older Vamps and arranged a meeting with them. It could be a
total coincidence or they could be the key to cracking the entire
case.

“I found a similarity with two of the missing
Vamps. They both frequented a club called Eternal Darkness. Then
again, it is the most popular Fabled destination in the greater
Fort Worth area but I think it’s worth checking out.”

“Do you know if they were there the night
they were taken?”

“One vic, Elena Carter, her friend said she
was supposed to meet her there that night. The other, Richard
Dunlap, was known to go there on Friday nights and that was the
night of the week he was supposed to have vanished.”

I nodded. “When do you want to check this
club out?”

“I’m ready now. The club opens in an hour or
so. It’s likely the owner will be there by now.”

“I’m assuming the owner is a Vamp?”

“Yep.”

“Great. I can’t right now. I’m supposed to
meet up with Mr. Ortega and his friend. We could go afterward.”

“I’ll go check out the club while you meet
with the sires. It shouldn’t be too much trouble. We can reconvene
in the morning to discuss what we found out.”

“Are you sure? My meeting shouldn’t take more
than an hour or two. We could go after.”

“By then the club will be in full swing and
we’ll be less likely to get to talk to the bouncers and owner. You
don’t think I can do this?”

“Of course you can do it. I just thought it
would be better if we split up. You could talk to the owner while I
question security but if you want to do it all by yourself, go for
it.”

“We are splitting up. You’re exhausting one
lead while I another.”

I waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. Text me after
you leave the club so I know I don’t have to go pound any
heads.”

“Yes mother.”

“That reminds me. You know the drill. No one
knows about your relationship to me.”

I didn’t want someone trying to hurt him
because of me. I have a reputation as being a hard ass and there
are quite a few Fabled who fear me. There are also quite a few with
a score to settle.

“I know. You act like this is my first
case.”

“It is your first case. Those lame ass
misdemeanors don’t count. You’re in the big leagues now. Better
pull up your big-boy pants.”

“Ha ha.”

He turned around and left before I could say
anything else.

I met the sires at Mr. Ortega’s house in
Dallas. Like you would expect of a six hundred year old Vamp his
house was huge and screamed of understated wealth. He led me into a
sitting room where a younger looking dark haired woman sat on the
couch waiting for me.

“You must be Ms. Rivero. I’m so sorry for
what has happened to your family and the council is doing
everything it can to find and return your child to you.”

“I do thank you for that, Thief. Already you
have done more than our own leader in just meeting with me and
hearing my plea for Elena’s return.”

I nodded to her while ignoring the name and
took a seat in the chair facing the couch as Mr. Ortega sat next to
Ms. Rivero. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into
him for support.

“I understand Elena frequented a club in Fort
Worth named,” I looked at my notes. “Eternal Darkness. Are you
familiar with it?”

“I have never been there myself but many
other Fabled have been. Elena was supposed to meet her friend
Amanda there that night.”

“And that was two weeks ago, correct?”

She nodded. “Do you know anything else about
this club? Do you think someone there might have hurt her?”

“I don’t know for sure. It is known to have
some pretty unsavory people there but the upper-class is also known
to frequent the club. I have heard the owner doesn’t allow
mistreatment of the customers but that doesn’t mean one didn’t
follow her on her way home.”

“Yes, but you said she was supposed to meet
someone but didn’t show. Perhaps someone found her outside the
club. Is there anyone you know of that would possibly want to hurt
her?”

Again she shook her head. “She was loved by
everyone.”

“Did she have a boyfriend?”

“No. She didn’t like men.”

“Alright. A girlfriend then?”

She shrugged. “There was someone she had met
and was interested in but we didn’t really have time to talk about
her before she was taken.”

Tears started down her face and there was a
slight pink tint to them.

“I’m sorry to have upset you Mrs. Rivero but
is there anything else you can tell me? Anything out of the
ordinary at all. The slightest thing might have the biggest
impact.”

She took the time to dry her tears before
answering. “Other than this new love interest nothing had changed
recently.”

“You don’t know where she met this
woman?”

“No. I wish I would have found out more but I
didn’t expect…”

She broke off on a sob so I looked at Mr.
Ortega.

“Does anything regarding Elena’s
disappearance seem similar to Howard’s?”

He shook his head. “Not really. Other than
the lack of anything that’s it. Howard was taken after work while
Elena was stolen at night in another town. Howard and Elena didn’t
even know each other. I didn’t meet Gina until six months ago.”

“I see. I know this will sound personal but
are you two involved? I only ask because I wonder if it might have
something to do with why Elena was chosen.”

“No. We are only friends.”

“Alright. I think that will be all for now.”
I gave Ms. Rivero my card. “If you think of anything else, even
something small, give me a call. Again, I am sorry you, and
especially Elena, are being put through this.”

She took my card then stood and through her
arms around me. I tried not to make skin to skin contact. The last
thing she needed right now was to have some of her magic stolen.
She looked barely able to stand up as it was. “Thank you. Knowing
you are on the case means so much. I know you will help us.” She
pulled back to look at me. “And, I know you will make those
bastards pay.”