Kiss of Darkness

Bobby Munro entered Sean's office. "We've tracked down the ownership of the plantation up the river," he told Sean.



"Yeah?"



Bobby shook his head. "No help. It's owned by the parish."



"Then someone knew it would be empty."



Bobby shrugged. "Sean,anyone could have known it would be empty. It's public record."



"Start with local bars, see who could have supplied the place."



"This is New Orleans, for God's sake. That's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Bobby cleared his throat. "And we're under a hell of a lot of pressure. Missing corpse. Two cops brutally killed. The press is breathing down our necks."



"And you know what to tell the press."



"No comment," Bobby said with a sigh.



"That's it."



"But, Lieutenant, we..."



"Yes?"



"Never mind," Bobby said.



"I know there's a lot going on, but when we find out who made the arrangements to host that party, we'll be ten times closer to the truth," Sean said. "I'm in charge here, huh?"



Bobby swallowed, looking at him. "Yes, sir. Of course." As Bobby replied, Sean was thinking he wouldn't be in charge much longer, not if the mayor didn't get a few answers.



He knew what he was doing, he reminded himself.



"Get help on it, Bobby. Assign a couple of teams. I'll be hitting the streets myself." And he would be. But first he had to visit the lockup.



When Jessica came downstairs, Bryan was already there, in the kitchen, pouring coffee for himself. So were the others, except for Stacey and Mary.



"Still sound asleep," Gareth said quietly, speaking to only her as she entered. "Stacey's watching her."



"Thanks," she murmured.



Jeremy looked at her happily. "Bryan says Mary should be safe for a while, anyway."



"Oh?" She looked over at Bryan. He was showered, handsome in jeans and a tailored shirt. His hair was still damp. Such a contemporary cut. But other than that...not so different at all. But then, neither was she. Yet time had come between them. Worse than that, belief had come between them.



And still hovered like an ax, ready to drive them apart.



"She can't be left alone for a minute," Bryan warned.



Jessica frowned. What made him think that Mary was "safe"?



"Pancakes?" Nancy said. "You need to eat."



No, she didn't actually need to eat. She did because it was part of her pathetic attempt to live a normal life.



"Pancakes sound wonderful. How much time do we have?"



"An hour," Bryan said.



"Before?" Jeremy asked.



"We have to go and see some friends," Jessica said.



"I'm going with you," Jeremy said staunchly.



"No," Jessica said.



"But I was there. In Transylvania. I can help you remember things. I-"



"Stacey and I know what we're doing," Gareth said. "Jeremy and Nancy might be helpful. You don't know."



"Actually," Bryan said, to Jessica's surprise, "if we're having a meeting to plan, to look for answers, I don't see why they shouldn't be involved."



Jeremy looked pleased, then frowned. "You're not trying to get me out of here so you can double back and kill Mary, are you?"



Bryan inhaled, exhaled and shook his head. "Do I think she should be destroyed?" he asked softly. "Yes. But I have no intention of doubling back here to do it. I have a bigger concern, and the Master is nowhere near this house right now.



"How do you know that?" Jessica demanded.



"I feel it."



He cocked his head slightly as he met her eyes. "Anything is possible, but I believe he's accomplished what he wanted here, for the moment. Maybe he hasn't gone far. Maybe he'll go back to the hospital for David Hayes. And no doubt at some point he'll come back for Mary. But right now, he isn't near this house."



"What do you think he's accomplished?" Jessica asked.



"If we're having a meeting with Sean and Maggie, let's save it, all right?" he suggested.



Jessica nodded. "You trust Stacey and Gareth, then-with Mary."



Bryan looked around the room. "Yes, because if they fail...Mary will turn them. And I will kill them. And they know it."



Whether it was true or not, Gareth turned ashen. He certainly believed it.



Jessica was proud of him when he stood up to Bryan. "With or without you around, professor, I live to protect Jessica."



Bryan acknowledged Gareth with a nod. "I believe you. Now let's get going, shall we?"



Cal Hodges and Niles Goolighan had been arraigned, and the assistant district attorney had seen to it that they weren't let out on bail.



To Sean's surprise, Cal Hodges agreed to see him without his attorney present. They sat in a dank green room, staring at each other across a scarred wooden table.



"You agreed to see me," Sean said.



Cal gave him a laconic smile. "Yeah."



"Why?"



"Because you should be squirming by now. I wanted to watch you. I heard about your dead cops, and you haven't got a clue. You haven't got dick."



"You should have seen how they died. Might be a lesson for you," Sean said evenly, and wondered if just a flicker of unease passed through the young man's eyes.



Cal lifted a hand. "I won't be here much longer, you know."



"Someone's going to get you out?"



"You bet."



"What makes you think so?"



"The time is coming. That's all I know. But-"



Sean leaned forward. "He's speaking to you when you're asleep?" he asked politely.



The frown Cal displayed for an instant assured Sean of the truth. He smiled. "When he's done with you, he'll chew you up into little pieces and spit you out." He paused briefly, then asked, "Did you attack Dr. Jessica Fraser on purpose?"



The change of tactic seemed to work. Cal frowned. "No. Yes. You're just a stupid dumb-fuck cop, you know? We were led to her. That bitch took my sister, you know." He started to laugh. "Thing was, I couldn't keep her and I couldn't shoot her, you know?"



"But now everything in your life is going to be just fine. Becausehe's going to get you out of here, becausehe cares about you." He saw small beads of sweat begin to appear on Cal's upper lip.



"What the fuck do you want from me? I wasn't in the hospital. I didn't kill your pals. And I sure as hell wasn't at that party."



"You knew about it."



Cal shrugged.



Sean moved in again. "How?" he demanded.



Jeremy sat tensely as they followed the elegant drive, lined by trees dripping with Spanish moss, that led to the Canadys' house. There were a number of cars there already. "Your friends?" he asked Jessica.



"Looks like it."



"Great. A whole pack of bloodsuckers," the professor said as the car pulled to a stop.



Jeremy was sure Jessica refrained from saying everything that was on her mind because he and Nancy were in the backseat.



"You want to defeat the Master," she reminded Bryan. "These people have gone up against some of the greatest evil out there and survived. Don't you see?" There was a plea in her tone. "We need the help."



Bryan MacAllistair didn't deny that. "Come on, kids," he said, getting out of the car.



Nancy looked almost as scared as she had the night she had sat with him at the hospital in Transylvania. He took her hand and helped her from the car. When he would have released her, she held tight. He smiled, maintaining a finger lock with her. He wasn't afraid himself. Not now.



A beautiful red-haired woman answered the door when they knocked. "Right on time," she said.



"Maggie, Jeremy and Nancy. This is our hostess, Maggie."



"Hello," Jeremy said, letting go of Nancy long enough to shake hands.



"Hi," Nancy said, staring. "Are you...?"



"I'm not a vampire," Maggie said.



"Of course not," Nancy murmured.



"But Iwas ," their hostess said with a grin. "Come on in."



She led them to a huge parlor off the entry hall. Jeremy almost laughed in nervous relief when he saw that no one there looked undead or otherworldly. In fact, it looked as if they were at a photo shoot for the absolutely beautiful.



Bryan MacAllistair strode into the room, stopping dead center and staring at a tall dark-haired man. "Lucien? Known as the king of the vampires?"



"I'm Lucien, yes," the man said evenly.



King of the vampires? Jeremy thought. He felt Nancy cower behind him. Jessica wouldn't have brought them here if it weren't safe, he told himself.



Jessica slipped past the two of them then, positioning herself between Bryan and the other men. "Lucien, Bryan MacAllistair, Bryan, Lucien DeVeau. Oh, and Jeremy and Nancy." She introduced a very tall man as Ragnor and another man as Brent Malone. The women present were introduced as Jade, Lucien's wife, Tara, who was married to Brent, and Jordan, married to Raynor and taking notes on a notebook computer.



"A warrior," Brent Malone said, staring at MacAllistair with curiosity and respect.



"You're not a vampire," Professor MacAllistair said flatly.



"Werewolf, I'm afraid," Malone said with a grimace. "And fully dedicated to the destruction of evil in whatever form."



"This is entirely against everything I was ever taught," MacAllistair said.



Jessica touched his arm. "Times change," she said. "We're all part of what we call the Alliance, and we...oh, hell, I don't know any other way of explaining it. We're part of a continuing war against evil. A lot of us are vampires, and then there's Brent. Jade has some of our abilities, but not all. She was bitten, but she didn't die. Tara and Jordan are completely human."



Jade DeVeau said smoothly, "Time is of the essence here. We should start. Maggie, when is Sean due back?"



"I don't know what's keeping him," Maggie said.



Bryan strode across to the fireplace, facing Lucien DeVeau. The men studied each other. "I'd heard you were off demon hunting," Bryan said.



"We were. We're back," Lucien said flatly.



"And the demon?"



"Will wait. I've heard of the Master, of course," Lucien said, grimacing. "We had hoped he would never appear again. Now that he has shown his hand, he must be stopped."



"You're not afraid of me, are you?" he asked.



"Should we be?" Lucien asked.



"You know what I am," MacAllistair said.



"And youdon't really know what we are," Lucien said evenly. "If you did, there would be no reason for any of us to fear you-ever. We are all determined that the Master must be stopped. Shall we go with that for now?"



MacAllistair kept his eyes on the man for a long moment. Then he said, "Let's start with the kids, then. They can describe that night in Transylvania, start to finish. I can throw in my part, Jessica can explain hers. God knows, maybe someone will see something we're missing." He took a seat on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I'm convinced someone out there is a traitor, someone Jessica knows. She won't even think about it. Maybe one of you can make her take a real look at the people she knows."



Jessica groaned softly, but Lucien looked at her assessingly. "Jessica, we have to take a long look at everything and everyone."



"Coffee's ready, so the kids can start," Maggie said.



Jeremy realized all eyes were on him. His mouth was dry. He licked his lips. "It all started when Mary asked me to go to a party with her...."



Niles Goolighan lay in his cell, staring at the ceiling, regretting the fact he'd ever started believing in promises of a greater existence, power-and women.



Frankly, it had been the promise that women would find him irresistible that had sewed it up for him. Cal had always been bigger, braver and more assertive. He'd just followed along. But now he was rotting in a jail cell. The attorney they'd been assigned had suggested they might want to strike a deal; if they could give the cops information about who had killed two cops, they could get lighter sentences than they would receive if they were convicted.



He toyed with the idea. The information they wanted was really so simple.



A chill suddenly ran through him. He looked beyond the bars. A man stood there. He was tall, built like a brick shithouse. Strong features-he belonged in a movie about ancient Rome. Oddly he was dressed in a suit, the nondescript kind lots of attorneys wore.



"Niles."



"Yeah?" he said curiously.



"I'm here to help you. Ask me in."



"The guards have to let you in. They don't exactly give me a key," Niles said, tired and wondering what the hell the guy wanted. He laughed suddenly. "What the hell. If you can do it, come on in."



To his amazement, the iron door sprang open and the huge man walked in. He grinned, and Niles felt an icy terror curl around his heart. He sprang up, backed against the wall.



"You weren't thinking of betraying me, were you, Niles?" the man asked.



"Betraying you?" Niles felt his mouth fall open. "Are you...real."



The man smiled coldly. "Of course I'm real. Here and in the flesh. And as for you..." He laughed softly. "I need you, Niles. So even if you are a pathetic coward, I'm about to fulfill your fondest dreams."



"No...I have no dreams," Niles protested wildly.



He opened his mouth. He couldn't believe it; he was about to scream for the guards. Scream? Cry like a baby, more like it.



No sound ever left his lips.



The man was suddenly right there, right in front of him. He had eyes like fire, eyes that burned as they stared into his.



And he had fangs.



Real ones.



Niles heard the terrible crunching sound as the man bit deeply into his neck.



Then...



Nothing.



"So that's it?" Lucien DeVeau said as Jeremy and Nancy finished.



"We didn't understand how we had survived, until...until we got home and Mary...Mary died, and we found out who and...what Jessica and Bryan are," Jeremy said.



"So," Bryan said, rising and pacing, "this is what I believe. The Master recently discovered who Jessica is and where she lives, and he planned carefully. When he found out she would be at the conference, he organized the party. He knew she'd come to find him." He flashed a glance at Jessica. "He didn't, of course, know she'd arrive as a dominatrix. And," he added thoughtfully, "I'm not sure he was aware I was trailing him, getting closer and closer, more and more aware of the way he worked. But when he came here, to her home turf, he had to have help. It's my guess that he's been creating havoc here for two reasons, to torture her, making her suffer, and to create a trap, so he can finally kill her. He never intended to be at the party here, but he knew we'd be there, and he'd have free rein to kill those cops and get to the morgue attendant. The thing is, he somehow knows what she's doing, and that means he managed to get to someone close to her."



"How can you be so sure?" Jessica demanded. It was the first time she had spoken since Jeremy had described the night in Transylvania.



"I think he's right," Lucien said.



Ragnor walked over to Jessica, bending down, taking her hands. "Jessica, perhaps whoever it is never intended to betray you. The Master's very powerful."



Sean suddenly came striding into the room, and everyone fell silent. "You're not going to believe this," he said.



"What?" Jessica demanded.



"If you'll let me at the computer..."



Everyone moved away. Sean sat down and quickly pulled up a web site that promoted vampirism as a solution for those looking for something better in life: money, power, sex, even a place to belong. As they all stared over Sean's shoulder, reading, he suddenly stood. "It's coming," he said. "And since I've seen it once and I'm only human, I'm getting out of the line of fire."



Frowning, Bryan peered more closely at the screen.



Then, in an instant, a blinding light flashed across the screen, followed by a red darkness, and then a face.



The Master's face. The words he spoke seemed to ring directly in the viewer's head.



Serve me. Welcome me. Bow down before me. Obey my every command.



Bobby Munro was exhausted. He'd worked back-to-back shifts, and he didn't know how many bar suppliers he had seen. He didn't know if they'd been straight with him, or if they had lied. But now, new teams were taking over and he had to call it a night.



Walking home, he passed the bar where Big Jim played. He could use a drink. He walked in, ordered a beer and took a seat at a table in front of the band. Big Jim saw him and waved. Barry Larson grinned. Bobby smiled back, then closed his eyes. Damn, but he loved good jazz.



His head was pounding. The music helped, but all too soon the band went on break. Big Jim joined him at the table; Barry Larson followed. "Tough day, huh?" Big Jim said.



"Yeah, must have been," Barry added sympathetically. "Two of your own guys. I was really sorry to hear what happened. There's a real psycho on the loose, huh? I mean, they don't think those guys really killed each other, do they?"



Bobby stared at him. He didn't like him much. He followed Big Jim like a puppy and tried too hard to be a part of the group. "No, they didn't kill each other," he said.



"How are you holding up?" Big Jim asked.



"I'm okay. I could use a few long hours just lying in the sun somewhere with Stacey," he said. "But she's been busy lately." He brightened suddenly. "Hell, I'm only a few blocks from Montresse House. Why am I sitting here staring at you? I'm going to walk over and see her for at least a few minutes." He rose, putting his money on the table. "Get yourselves a couple of beers, huh?"



"Sure thing. Thanks, Bobby," Big Jim said, grinning.



Feeling a lot more cheerful, Bobby started down Bourbon Street. There was a big crowd out that night. He loved to see his beloved home busy again.



His good mood faded a bit as he heard snatches of conversation. People were talking about the maniac on the loose. About the dead cops. About the missing corpse.



About the force's in ability to stop what was going on. Inwardly, he groaned. He was caught up in his thoughts, barely aware that the crowd was thinning as he moved alone.



Suddenly he paused. He could have sworn he was being followed. Followed? On Bourbon Street? Hell, he was more tired than he had imagined.



He reached Montresse House and walked up on the porch. He knocked, then saw Gareth looking suspiciously out past one of the drapes. A second later, the door opened. As it did, Bobby sensed once again he was being followed. He spun around, ready to reach for his firearm.



"It's you," he said, letting out a sigh. "Shit, you shouldn't follow an armed man like that."



"Bobby Munro, what are you doing here?" Gareth asked.



"Just wanted to see Stacey for a minute, Gareth, that's all. Didn't know my friend was joining me."



"Stacey's busy," Gareth said.



"Come on, Gareth, I'm beat to shit. Let me see her for just a minute. Let me in."



"Hell, Bobby. Come in and wait. I'll see if I can get her."



Bobby stepped across the threshold, then turned to the man behind him. "Hey, what's up? Why were you following me?"



"Don't know. Felt nervous," Big Jim said. "Just thought I'd say a quick hello to Stacey, too, then I'll be on my way."



Bobby groaned. "Great. Just great. Your shadow is behind you."



Big Jim swung around to see Barry Larson coming up the walkway. "Hey, Jim. You went running out. We're not done with the gig tonight."



"We're on break," Big Jim said, shaking his head. "Damn it all, Barry, you don't have to go following me around all the time like we're in a flippin' nursery rhyme."



"Sorry, thought something was wrong," Barry said, hurt.



"Ah, come on in. We'll head back together in just a minute," Big Jim said.



"Yeah, come on in," Bobby echoed, forcing a smile.



Barry stepped inside, looking around. "Lordy, this is a great place, huh?" he asked cheerfully.



"Yeah, but close the door," Bobby said irritably. "We don't want to let any bugs in."



Stacey sat in a chair, watching over Mary. She had discovered that the girl was quite happy in her little prison as long as she could watch TV and as long as she was supplied with the sustenance she needed.



Gareth was prowling the house, she knew. He came by at least every half hour to check on them, then, nervously, went off to assure himself that the rest of the house was safe and well protected.



"Stacey?" Mary asked suddenly.



"Yes?"



"What's going to happen to me?" Mary asked softly, pathetically.



"Well..."



"Eitherhe'll come and get me, or...someone will drive a stake through my heart."



"Mary, maybe not. It's...it's a matter of finding the right path," Stacey started to explain. Then Mary jumped up in alarm.



"What is it?" Stacey asked.



Mary pressed her hands hard against her ears. "He's out there," she whispered.



The way she said it gave Stacey the creeps.



"But I won't let him in. I won't, I won't, I swear it," she cried.



Stacey stared in alarm as Mary cried out in agony, fell to the floor and curled into a fetal position. "No!" she cried.



Stacey raced toward the door to the hallway. "Gareth!"



She was relieved to hear the pounding of footsteps on the stairway. Then she started. Gareth was there, but he'd been followed up the stairs by Bobby Munro, Big Jim and Barry Larson.



Gareth spun around on the other two men. "Get back downstairs. You were not asked up here."



"I'm a cop, and I heard screaming," Bobby announced, then charged into the room. Big Jim and Barry Larson were behind him.



Just great, she thought. All those people...This was a mess. They would see, they would all know....



Suddenly the French doors seemed to explode.



Stacey spun around. Shattered glass flew, momentarily filling the air with shards of brilliance.



There was a red-black mist, a miasma....



Then there was a man. Tall, with blazing eyes, massive shoulders, and cruel features.



"Thank you ever so much for the invitation," he said, his tone pleasantly conversational. Gaping, stunned,terrified , Stacey wondered what he was talking about, who the hell had asked him in.



"Now, clear away that rubbish. I have come for the girl."



Mary cried out again. Stacey wanted to turn, to see who there was about to do his bidding, but she was too afraid to turn her back on what could only be the Master.



Jessica stared at the image as it faded. Bryan stepped back from the computer, turning to Sean.



"I think he gains control with that image. Like subliminal advertising-he has entered the modern age of communication," Sean said.



Bryan stiffened suddenly. "Damn it," he swore.



"I know, it's amazing, isn't it?" Sean said.



"Yes, but that's not it. We've got to get back to Jessica's," Bryan said.



"What's happened?" Jessica demanded, jumping up, eyes wide.



"He's on the move," Lucien said. "I sense it, too. Ragnor, you and I will go with them. Brent, watch over this house with the girls."



Bryan was already following Jessica out of the house. On the porch, she paused and looked uncertainly at him.



He understood.



"Screw the car," he said. "You go your way, I'll go mine. I'll meet you there.Be careful ."



She willed herself to change, and suddenly she was a shadow that tore across the sky. She knew that Lucien and Ragnor were right behind her.



She saw the shattered French doors before she reached the balcony and warned herself to be prepared.



She burst through into the room, regained her form, and then froze.



Hewas there.



Her house had been invaded by the Master, and he hadn't come alone. The scene was chaos.



She recognized the two creatures with him from the ruined castle in Transylvania, the hip-hop female from whom she had rescued Nancy and a tall redheaded man who had also stayed downstairs, attacking those watching the video. The hip-hopper had Stacey in her grip this time, but unlike Nancy, Stacey was fighting back.



Big Jim was kneeling on the floor, hands raised, chanting in an age-old tongue. The redhead was standing over him, hands stretched out, long nails ready to swipe at his throat. Bobby was there, too, his gun leveled. But he couldn't shoot, and Jessica knew they had stopped him, leaving him frozen, shaking, desperate to pull the trigger, but unable to do so, unable to stop what he saw happening to the woman he loved.



The Master himself was headed toward Mary. Tall, black-suited, dressed like any executive, he let the sound of his laughter echo through the room. He seemed enormous, like a shadow that filled time and space, controlling everything that was happening. Two bodies lay on the floor, Gareth and Barry Larson.



At that moment, Bryan arrived. Even as she stepped onto the broken glass that lay at her feet, he reached the woman holding Stacey, and Jessica was relieved at the way he had assessed the situation instantly and, despite his desire to destroy the Master, had known that if he didn't help Stacey, her life would be forfeit.



Jessica flew at the man standing above Big Jim, but she had acted too quickly. He turned on her, wrenching a stake from a belt around his hips. She backed away, ducking the first blow, vaguely aware of a body flying past, turning to dust in midair.



Bryan had dealt with the woman trying to kill Stacey.



The circle of protection that had kept Mary prisoner had been broken. And over the shoulder of the redheaded man, Jessica could see that the Master had Mary.



"Let her go!" Jessica screamed.



He let out a burst of laughter throwing Mary across the room with a strength that would snap her spine if she struck the wall. It wouldn't be a fatal injury for a vampire, but itwould leave her paralyzed. There was no choice. Jessica leapt desperately to catch Mary before her fragile body was destroyed.



As she moved, the Master strode across the room, slamming a hand against Big Jim's head. He crumpled. Jessica cried out as the redhead's fingers threaded through her hair, whipping her around. She threw up an arm, breaking his hold. She was dimly aware that Lucien had arrived in time to grab Big Jim before the Master could finish him. Then he threw himself in front of Bobby before the Master could break the cop's neck. Ragnor was right behind Lucien, engaging the redhead, leaving Jessica free to act again. The Master went straight for Stacey.



He swept to the window, Stacey in his arms. Bryan was on him, landing a vicious blow against his throat. The Master was rocked by the force of it, then turned and let out a snarl of rage. He threw Stacey straight at Bryan, who was forced to catch her, then made good his escape in a swirl of smoke and mist.



Jessica heard a sound like a sigh.



Ragnor had killed the redhead. His dust was mingling with the broken glass on the floor.



She turned to Bobby. He was shaking, eyes wide. "Bobby, what the hell happened? How did he get in?"



She saw Barry Larson on the floor, struggling to rise. She didn't wait for a reply from Bobby. She was certain she knew. Fury rose in her like a geyser. "You bastard. You whiny bastard!" she cried, striding to Barry, ready to strike him back down.



"No...no!" Bobby managed to get out. "He tried to stop it."



"What are you talking about?" Jessica demanded. "If it wasn't Barry, then who?"



Bryan had laid Stacey down next to Mary's unconscious form. Then he walked up to Jessica, his eyes actually sorrowful. "For the love of God, Jessica, who's left?"



"Gareth?" she said, feeling ill. She shook her head in denial. Lucien had walked to the man and was turning him over. "It was that image, the computer image. He was controlled against his will. He..."



Bryan walked over by Lucien and stooped down beside Gareth. "He's coming to," he said.



Jessica shoved past the two men and knelt down. Gareth opened his eyes and looked straight at her. A crooked smile curved his lips. "You were beautiful," he gasped. "But he is the Master."



His eyes began to close.



"He's dying," she said. "How? Why?"



"Could be the fact that his head is caved in," Lucien murmured.



Bryan gently touched the dying man's face. Gareth's eyes opened again. "What does your Master want?" he demanded.



Gareth's mouth formed words. Barely discernible. Jessica leaned closer. "You...and Igrainia. As it was."



His eyes closed. This time, Bryan eased away. There would be no more questioning. The man was dead.