The Vampiric Housewife (37 page)

    
Both vampires wore grim expressions. “We have fifteen vampires—including Ethan—that patrol the town or keep watch on Venjamin’s vampires when he lets them out to hunt gleaming any information they can. Given Ethan’s taste in blood, he has an eye for spotting their slaughter parties—when vampires gather humans for the town’s food supply. With a tip to the police, we have been able to stop some of the slaughter parties without alerting Venjamin to our cause. We have dozens of consultants all over the world when it comes to decoding the science and technology that we have accumulated—well, the little we’ve gotten our hands on. Inside the hospital we have a half dozen humans that pass on information. But to get Charlie out,” Jonathan said, “we only have the people in this room.”

    
“We can’t risk the lives of the humans helping us. And the vampires who do surveillance for us are too familiar with Tobar to cross him. They have seen what he is capable of,” Alessandro said. “So our numbers will be few. After Charlie escaped with you, the guards at each station doubled and now there are vampires who patrol the perimeter. We do not know what floor Charlie is being held on. There are only humans at the hospital during the day which would make it easier to penetrate except—“

    
“Daylight would kill us,” Jonathan finished. “We have special weapons—guns loaded with silver bullets, silver daggers, wooden arrows, torch guns, but we’ll be vastly out numbered.”

    
“Unless we can create some kind of diversion that would clear the building out. MaryAnne has told us about different codes the hospital has—intruders, police, vampire riot. In case one of these events should arise, the facility locks down meaning that we won’t have to worry about vampires coming to Venjamin’s aid, but we’ll still have to contend with the humans and vampires within the hospital.”

    
“We could always use a fire,” Ethan said. “That’ll clear the building. Vampires don’t like fire anymore than humans.”

    
“That doesn’t give us much time to search for Charlie,” Jonathan said.

    
“And could destroy massive amounts of evidence of what exactly Tobar is doing,” Alessandro said. “We’d have to get the computer information out that night.”

    
“Well, that’s the least important thing,” Valerie said. She had no idea how they were going to do this, get into the hospital, find Charlie, get out of the hospital alive. “Fire may be our best option.”

    
“We spent most of tonight trying to come up with scheme to get Charlie out. It’s going to be a long shot,” Jonathan said.

    
Valerie took a step away from the table and ran her hand through her hair. She thought of every time she ever walked into the hospital. It was always so busy, so many people running around. She had never been on any other floors other than the first two. She had never even thought to surprise Charlie at work with lunch so she could see him in his office. Just four of them going in. There was a good chance that her kids would not only lose their father but their mother too. Could she risk that? Yes. She had to save Charlie. He would do it for her.

    
“Okay, what if—“ she started but was interrupted by cries from the living room. Suddenly a computer started beeping and flashing a red screen. Jonathan immediately went investigate.

    
“What is it?” Ethan asked.

    
“There’s been a security breech. A phone call has been made from the house and someone’s trying to trace it—“

    
“Mom! Mom! Come here quick! Mom!” Harry called.

     
Her heart dropped into her stomach then kick-started again as she bolted into the living room. Harry was jumping up and down on the couch, Amelia was staring wide-eyed at the television.

    
“Mom, you’re on TV!” Harry said.

    
“The manhunt for Valerie Murray continues nationwide today. Murray is the prime suspect in the brutal murder and dismemberment of her husband. She was seen fleeing from the body of her estranged husband Charles Murray with her three children, John Murray—sixteen, Amelia Murray—fifteen, and Harry Murray—eleven.” They flashed the smiling school picture of each child. “Murray is wanted for questioning in the carjacking and murder of James Peterson. Murray is considered to be unstable, violent, and armed. The children are believed to be in danger. If anyone sees Murray or her children, please alert local authorities immediately. In other news . . .”

    
“We were on TV,” Harry said. “That’s so cool. Bobby would be so jealous.”

    
“Mom?” Amelia said. “Do you think that means Dad is dead?” The poor child looked as if she was going to vomit.

    
“No,” Ethan said. “It means that Venjamin is now using humans to look for you. He’s desperate.”

    
“What now?” Gabriella asked.

    
Jonathan walked into the living room. “We need to get John down here. Now.”

Chapter Forty

The Vampire Queen

    
John sat on the couch with his arms crossed refusing to meet any of the stares fixed on him. His sister and brother sat across from him with the human while the adults stood around him, their arms crossed. Guilt festered inside of him, but he refused to let it show. At least he had been doing something. Not out shopping or playing on the computer, or having a big family dinner and pretending everything was okay. Because of him, they knew Charlie was still alive.

    
“Why in the world would you call Lisa and put us all at risk?” his mother asked. He could hear the strained anger in her voice.

    
He shrugged still refusing to look up at any of them.

    
“John, look at me,” his mother demanded. “Look at me!”

    
He raised his rage filled eyes to her but refused to lift his head.

    
“If Venjamin had been able to trace that call, we would have all been in danger. He would have known where we were, and he would have come for us.”

    
“But he couldn’t trace it, right? So what’s the big deal? At least we know that Dad’s still alive.”

    
“The big deal is that you could have killed us! Your family and the only people who can save your dad!”

    
“Screw them! You care more about them than Dad! All of you want is to pretend everything’s okay, that everything will go back to normal if we play house in the Caribbean. Replace Dad with him—“ He pointed an angry finger at Ethan. “—and we can be a family again. Nothing is ever going to be the same again! Nothing’s ever going to be okay again! You know what, all I want is to go home! I don’t care if Venjamin was experimenting on us or if Dad was lying to us! I was happy there! Let Venjamin experiment on us if we can just go home!”

    
“Do you want to know what Venjamin planned to do to you, John?” Valerie asked; her rage had broken free. “Do you know what he wanted to do to your sister? He was going to breed you like animals. First with born-vampires then with crossbreeds then he wanted to impregnate your sister with your sperm. Is that what you want to go home to? Do you want to lead Venjamin here so he can do that to your sister?”

    
Angry tears streamed down John’s face. Amelia looked stunned, her face even paler than before, her eyes huge like full moons, wet and glistening. The room went dead silent except for Valerie’s heavy breathing. She should never have told any of her children their fate. It had been cruel to do so. Consciously calming herself down, she kneeled in front of her son and placed her hands on his knees. He turned his head away, his eyes red, tears still sliding down.

    
“That’s why your dad chose that moment to run. He loves you. No one is pretending that everything’s okay. We’re all just adjusting. No, it’s never going to be the same again. But given time, it will be okay. We are working on a plan to save your father. I haven’t forgotten about him. I never will.”

    
“John,” Jonathan said calmly, “I need you to tell us what you and Lisa talked about in that conversation.”

    
“I told Lisa that I loved her and missed her. She said that Venjamin told her that Mom and Dad had a fight and that she took us. Dad’s still alive. But she promised not to tell Venjamin that I called. She’d never betray me.”

    
“I don’t doubt that. But Venjamin would have taken precautions,” Jonathan said. “You didn’t say anything about your location or who you were with?”

    
He wiped his nose with back of his hand and shook his head. “I told her that I’d call her tomorrow night.”

    
“You know that can’t happen,” Valerie said delicately.

    
“I know,” he said with hostility, but then his voice softened. “I . . . just needed to hear her voice.”

    
“This might put us at an advantage,” Alessandro said. “He’s feeling secure. He thinks we’re in hiding, that he’s almost got us. We can be in Sangre Valley by tomorrow night. I know a guy with a plane. Tobar will be waiting by the phone for John’s call. It would add to our element of surprise.”

    
“But that still doesn’t get us into the hospital or tell us where to find Charlie or how to get him out,” Ethan said.

    
“I need to take a walk,” Valerie said abruptly.

 
   
Barefoot and hopeless she walked out onto the beach to clear her head and gain perspective. The sand was cool beneath her feet and the breeze had a slight sting to it. This whole night had a sting to it. Her son hated her. He hadn’t said the words, but his emotions were clear. He thought she was replacing his father, pretending that their previous life didn’t matter. That was so far from the truth. She loved him and wanted to protect him, that was all. The whole world thought she was a murderer and kidnapper. She couldn’t go into public—even if this nightmare with Venjamin ever ended—without accusations. She had vowed to save Charlie and destroy Venjamin, but the obstacles kept getting bigger and bigger. How could she leave her children when they were in so much pain? How could she travel when the police were looking for her? Then there was the whole problem of the hospital. How could the made-vampires travel during the day without burning? Who would take care of the children if she perished?

    
“Are you okay?” a voice next to her asked.

    
She jumped with a yelp. Ethan had materialized next to her. “You scared the living daylight out of me!” she said angrily.

    
“Ironic turn of a phase for a vampire,” he said dryly. “We will find a way to free your husband.”

    
“Don’t call him that.” She knew that he chose the word ‘husband’ purposely. “And I know we will. I just can’t possibly see how.”

    
“I want to tell you something.”

    
She glanced up at him. “Okay.”

    
“Just as humans have myths about us, we have our own. I want to tell you of our legends.”

    
“You never struck me as the type who believes in legends.”

    
“I don’t. But I think they’ll help you understand everything that you’ve had explained to you in the last couple days. They may put into perspective the significance of your existence and Venjamin’s work.”

    
She stopped walking and turned to face him.

    
“All vampires—living and made—are children of the Vampire Queen—Aleekela. She was a living vampire, queen, and divine goddess. Her skin was black as the darkest night, her hair cascaded to the ground like a waterfall. She possessed a beauty so radiant that it could blind the eyes if one gazed upon her for too long. She had a husband, Memket, and four beautiful daughters. The human tribes of the African jungles worshipped her. To satisfy her hunger, the people sacrificed their slaves and enemies to her. In return she would protect them against all the evils of night and rival tribes. In order to protect herself against her own enemies, she requested loyal human soldiers as sacrifices, but instead of feeding on them she bit them and turned them into an army of the walking undead.