Chapter 27
“Someone want to tell me what the hell just happened back there?” Robbie growled.
His thumb pointed behind him, indicating the long hallway where a set of bars leaned against the cement block wall. The blocks were crumbled where the door had been bolted, littering the floor with dust and debris.
Sheriff Ducat didn’t like the captain one bit. Smug bastard and self-important is what he was. Walking into the office this morning, he felt like he was stepping into a gigantic pile of shit. He just wished he could rid himself of the dung that was Robbie Melchor as easily as scraping the bottom of his boot. Instead, because Major Thomas of the Police Services Bureau of the Oregon State Police said they had to follow orders from this ass wipe, he had to play nice.
He had no idea how Kane managed to break out of that cell block without being seen or heard, but he was pretty sure how he managed to yank the bars from the walls holding them. These jerk-offs were foolish to think they could lock up one of the Sons. They had no clue what those boys were capable of. But Sheriff Ducat did. It was better to work with them, than against them. Oh, he had known they were vampires for some time, but their secret was safe enough with him.
Truth of it, he liked having them as part of his community. Anytime the law failed the county and some criminal went free on a technicality, he’d pass along that information to Viper and his boys to be sure justice always prevailed. The Sons of Sangue and the S.O. had a nice little understanding going. He wasn’t about to let this fuck come here and mess that up.
“I swear heads will roll.”
Melchor fisted his hands and leaned on his knuckles, coming nose to nose with the crying dispatch.
“If she says she doesn’t know anything, Captain Melchor, then she doesn’t. Bullying her isn’t going to change that fact,” Sheriff Ducat said, using his thumbs to hook the belt loops and hike up his pants. “I don’t suppose making her piss herself will work either.”
The captain turned on him, his cheeks mottled red in his agitation. “All I know is there were two people working last night’s shift when this all went down. Deputy Miller was in the restroom taking a shit. His words, not mine. And this one”—his forefinger jabbed in the dispatch’s direction, narrowly missing her face—“had her head down on the desk, asleep. You always let your employees sleep on the job, Sheriff?”
“My employees are not your concern, Captain, nor is their insubordination. You’re overstepping your bounds here.”
“The state has jurisdiction. That gives me the right.”
“Maybe on this case, but not over my office.”
“Your lackadaisical employee cost me my prisoner!”
Sheriff Ducat squared his shoulders. “Then maybe you should have transported him last night to the regional jail instead of leaving him in my county lockup. Don’t blame my office for your lack of attention to detail. The entire reason we have a regional jail is because most of the county lockups are in disrepair. Case in point.”
Melchor hardened his jaw. “You’re damn right I shouldn’t have trusted you with such a high profile prisoner. But it’s too late for that now, isn’t it? Where’s Hernandez?”
“Due in within the half hour.”
“Good. I want an APB put out on Tepes and his band of misfits.” He looked at the dispatch. “Call Deputy Superintendent Wiles of the State Police, make sure he’s apprised of the situation and they have every available car out there looking for the escaped prisoner. Tell them Tepes should be approached with extreme caution. He is thought to be armed and dangerous. If they come across any of the Sons, they are to be apprehended as well.”
“What’s the Sons got to do with this?”
“Come on, Sheriff, you and I both know Kane did not walk out of that cell by himself. I’m still not sure how the hell they waltzed right in here sight unseen but we’ll surely discover that when I get a look at the surveillance tapes. In the meantime, I think you should get every one of your deputies on the road looking for them.”
Melchor dismissed the sheriff and looked at the dispatch. “Can you pull up the last few hours of feed?”
She sniffled, then swiped away a few stray tears. Turning to her bank of computers, she typed on the keyboard, then sat back and glanced queerly at the monitor.
“That’s odd.”
“What is it?”
“The cameras weren’t running. As of six-o-five this morning, the feed just ended. Those cameras are never turned off. They run twenty-four-seven.”
“What the hell do you mean?” Robbie’s brow furrowed as he slapped the desktop. “What kind of rinky dink operation is this?”
The sheriff approached the monitor and stared at an image of Kane sitting in his cell on the mattress, hands running down his face, then the screen went static. Sheriff Ducat hid the smile itching at his lips. He didn’t know how the hell Kane had managed to stop the live feed without his dispatch’s knowledge, but everything beyond that point was useless.
He cleared his throat, fist covering his mouth to hide his amusement. The captain whirled on his heel and glared at him. If a man’s gaze could strike you dead, he’d be lying on the wrong side of the dirt for sure.
“What kind of equipment do you have, Sheriff? This is useless!”
“It’s always worked.”
“You want to tell me how it conveniently quit last night, right about the time Kane Tepes walked out of here?”
The sheriff shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.”
“I do! It’s obvious,” he pointed a finger again at the poor girl. “She’s working for them.”
The dispatch’s mouth dropped and she sputtered. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
Melchor let out a curse not fit for anyone’s ears as he raised his hands in the air and stormed from the room. The sheriff could no longer hide his smile as he patted the poor dear on her shoulder.
“Why don’t you head out, get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on it until day shift gets here.”
* * *
Cara awoke, a migraine stealing her breath, making her wish she stayed unconscious instead. Sitting up slowly, she rubbed her forehead, trying to alleviate some of the pain shooting through her head. On a pain scale of one-to-ten, she’d give it a solid eight. The damn ache packed one hell of a wallop.
Deputy Higgins’ sightless gaze filtered through her fog-filled brain. Jesus! Her body quaked. A hand had covered her mouth, a forearm across her throat kept her from drawing breath. She’d struggled to stay conscious, but had lost the fight, her world going black. Evidently her attacker had only cut off the oxygen until she passed out. The headache came from a sizable knot on the back of the head, which she now rubbed. The son of a bitch must have dropped her to the floor and bounced her head off the wood decking.
Cara groaned, nausea gripping her gut and making her head swim. Standing on shaken limbs, she stumbled to the corner of the room and dry heaved, one hand bracing herself on the rough-hewn wooden walls. She had eaten little in the last twenty-four hours, and her stomach had nothing to give but bile. A likely concussion caused her nausea. Leaning against the empty shelving behind her, Cara took a look around. The fuzziness holding her brain captive slowly started to lift, leaving only the massive headache.
Tiny, dust-filled rays of light filtered through the slats of the boarded windows. Where the hell was she? Swiping her sleeve across the back of her mouth, she approached one of the windows and peered through the cracks. Large evergreens stretched as far as she could see, giving her no clue as to her whereabouts. She could have been in any one of the numerous woods around Lane County. Somehow Cara doubted they’d gone far, not if this psycho hoped to lure Kane.
Taking a look around the dirt-littered shed, Cara hoped to find something, anything, to use as a weapon. But everything had been removed. Not as much as a stray nail remained. The son of a bitch had the foresight to make sure nothing could be used against him, that or the shed had been empty to begin with. Cara couldn’t tell how much time had passed or what time she had awaken. For as much as she knew, an entire day could have passed. She needed to break free, to find Kane, before the primordial returned. Maybe her sketchy description would aide him in finding the ancient vampire murdering Pleasant’s residents. With any luck, her captor had left her alone.
Approaching the rickety door, Cara gripped the metal handle and pushed. Something held the latch fast on the opposite side. Not that she expected to just waltz out the door, but it would have been nice. Cara stepped back, then slammed her shoulder into the door. The old wood held fast, surely giving her a bruise for her efforts. Her energy waned. Her limbs hung like limp noodles.
Not one to give up, she lifted her leg and thrust-kicked the door, even if it was a half-assed attempt. The dry wood creaked and the door shook. She didn’t think she had the energy to give it a second try. But running on pure adrenalin, she gave it another. To no avail. Cara leaned back against the built-in bench, on the verge of collapsing, her head ready to split it two.
Just as she took a deep breath and was about to give it another try, the lock on the outside scraped against the wood and slid free. Her heart damn near stopped beating as fear immobilized her.
The door swung outward.
The obsidian-eyed blond vampire stood before her, fangs pressing against his upper lip, his prominent brow and sunken cheeks much more pronounced than Kane’s. Cara had no doubt this was the primordial they had been seeking and that he would kill her without conscience. Unless Kane found her soon, he’d slice her throat, drain her, and bury her in a shallow grave like the others.
“Going somewhere?” he asked with a smile so evil he could give Hannibal Lector a run for his money.
“I hoped. I don’t suppose you’d point me in the direction of home.”
“You have a sense of humor. I like that.” He held out a white sack. “I brought you food.”
Cara harrumphed. “What did you lace it with? Arsenic?”
“I have no need of poisons, Detective. If I wanted you dead, you would be.”
“You threatened me if, I recall right. That lipstick was hell to get off my mirror.”
This time, the primordial did chuckle. “Sorry to inconvenience you. But I needed to get Viper’s attention.”
“You could have done so by using his mirror.”
He shoved the sack into her hands. Cara didn’t think she’d be able to stomach whatever he had brought.
“The dear boy is a bit hard headed. I fear merely threatening his life wouldn’t have produced the same results. Go ahead.” He pointed at her lunch. “Eat.”
“If you meant to give me my last supper, it would have been polite to ask what I wanted.” Cara opened the bag and peered in, the smell of rye bread greeting her. “Death row inmates get treated better.”
He shrugged. “You were still out cold when I left. I took the liberty of ordering you a turkey on rye.”
Cara did have a weak spot for turkey, but she couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her tone. “How did you guess I have a soft spot for turkey? Next, you’ll be picking the movie, too.”
“No wonder Viper fancies you. I have to admit, your sense of humor appeals to me. Too bad beyond getting revenge on him, you serve no purpose. Pity.”
She held out the sack and shook it in his face. “If you plan to kill me, then why the hell bother feeding me?”
He didn’t take it. Drawing his brows together over the bridge of his nose, he said, “Because I’m not cruel. I wouldn’t want you to suffer. It could be a while before your boy finds you.”
“You don’t want me to suffer, and yet you plan to kill me. What the hell do you call that?”
His smile turned wicked. “Trust me, dear, you won’t feel a thing. There will be no suffering involved.”
Before she could form a response, the door shut and the lock slid in place. Cara kicked at the door again, the wood rattling on its old hinges.
“Tsk, tsk, my dear,” he called with a chuckle. “You might as well save your energy. Should you break through the door, I’m right on the other side. You won’t make it a foot, forcing my hand to expedite your end. After all, I really don't need you alive to flesh out Viper. He’ll come either way.”
And Cara knew the truth of it. If Kane didn’t come to rescue her, he’d come to avenge her death. She slid to the floor in a cross-legged sitting position, the white bag of turkey and rye still in her hand.
* * *
Kane balanced his Fat Bob with his thighs, the heavy machinery rumbling beneath him, as Kaleb and he sat at a crossroads. The woods surrounding Cara’s house had been his obvious first choice. But an hour later, they had come out empty handed. His chances of finding Cara alive diminished by the hour. Hopelessness washed over him at the thought of her life depending wholly on him. He had been too late to help Ion. God help him, he couldn’t survive it a second time.
He adjusted his sun glasses, the mid-morning sun too bright to his UV-sensitive eyes, one of the disadvantages of his kind. Where his night vision enhanced as a vampire, the sun diminished it. Relying on his other senses, Kaleb sniffed the air, hoping to detect the primordial or the scent unique to Cara. He had a feeling that this shit hadn’t gone too far, that his ultimate goal was to flush out Kane.
So why not hang a big red flag?
Kane would be more than happy to answer that call.
His thoughts drifted to Cara and the night she had spent in his arms at Bookings. She had taken everything he had to give, matched his appetite, and given back in spades. Not only that, but she had touched a part of him he thought long dead. For the first time in years, something akin to love squeezed that life-pumping muscle in his chest. That same muscle now ached at the thought of losing her.
Jesus! He hung his head, and shook it. He had fallen … hard. And now, because of it, he’d gladly lay down his life. Finding her dead was not an option.
He looked at his brother. “Anything?”
Kaleb pulled out his cell and checked for messages. “Nothing. Sorry, Viper. Without direction, no one knows where to begin. We don’t have the manpower to cover the entire state. I’m afraid we won’t find her unless this primordial wants her to be.”
Kane knew the truth to Kaleb’s words. Just as when Ion had been staked, they had been clueless until the cartel gave up the location of Rosalee and his son. By the time the Sons had arrived, it had been too late. Although Rosalee and Ion had both suffered at the hands of drug lords, Ion had been the one to pay with his life. Kane couldn’t allow that to happen again. Cara’s only crime had been her weakness where he was concerned, and he had selfishly taken advantage of that. She didn’t deserve to be in the middle of a pissing match with this ancient vampire, one who meant to teach him a lesson.
Kaleb was right, they needed manpower if he hoped to have even a half-ass chance at finding her. Pulling out his cell, Kane slid the lock screen free and tapped Red’s name. The president answered on the third ring.
“Red,” Kane greeted.
“What can I do for you, Viper?” His smoke-roughened voice came through the phone’s speaker.
“Detective Cara Brahnam … you know her?”
“I’ve had a run-in with her in the past. What do you need?”
“She’s missing and I need her found. Like yesterday.”
“Any idea where?”
“Somewhere near Lane County. How soon can you and the Knights be here?”
“Couple of hours.”
“Good. Be looking for anything on the way, a cabin in the woods that seems uninhabited, an abandoned shed or building. Someplace that wouldn’t normally draw attention. Leave no stone unturned.”
“You want her alive?”
“Yes, no one touches her. If you run across the detective—she won’t be alone. Don’t play the hero. The man who took her is extremely dangerous. Call me. Hawk and I will deal with him.”
“Any idea what he looks like?”
“Not much of a description. Tall, blond hair.”
Red chuckled. “Well, if this isn’t going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Not finding her isn’t an option, Red.”
Kane hit End and pocketed his phone, waiting for Kaleb’s disapproval, which was sure to come. “Have at it, Hawk. You know you want to say it. I can see it in your face.”
“What the hell has gotten into you, Viper? What’s so special about this piece of ass that you would forsake your commitment to this club? You know they’ll never vote to allow you to turn her.”
Kane’s gaze snapped to his brother’s. Anger coursed through him and he snarled, “I’d never subject her to our lifestyle.”
“Then what the hell are you doing? If she doesn’t become one of us, you can’t mate with her. There’s no future.”
“You think I don’t know that, Hawk? All I know is I’d gladly die for her.”
“Man, you got it bad, bro.” He shook his head in disgust. “Ain’t no woman worth dying for. We find her … we get you out of this fucking mess, then you need to cut her loose.”
One of Kane’s brows rose. “Is that an order? You realize I’m still pres.”
“Not an order from me acting as pres. Call it a stern nudge from your concerned brother. Now let’s get the fuck back out there and find her so you can get on with your life.”
Kane should have responded, let his twin know he had no say in his life. Instead, he kicked off with his feet as he gave the bike gas and sped down the winding back road, Kaleb following on his heels. He couldn’t argue with his brother, not when he knew Kaleb was correct. He needed to cut Cara loose, for her own good.