Page 66 of Dozer (Rolling Thunder MC #14)

Etta

I walked through Marco’s Long Island home, into his largest gathering room, and breathed in the fear of the vampires as I passed them, each with their own flavor of fear. The little blond vampire who managed the illegal betting arm of Marco’s empire. The suave vampire in the custom-made suit who was usually in Jersey, since he managed one of Marco’s casinos. The twins, Gabriella and Isabella, known to their friends as Ella and Bella. Together, they ran an art gallery and auction house — one twin focused on legal sales, the other on illegal sales. They were also experienced art thieves if the price was right. I had no idea what those two would do in Chattanooga. My guess was he’d put them in Atlanta or Nashville. Maybe Charlotte.

I couldn’t help but feed from everyone’s fear, and I knew most could feel the depletion of their magic. Their life force. I walked to the front of the room, and Marco motioned for me to take the podium. Marco’s people had removed the sofas and chairs usually in this room and replaced them with rows of folded chairs, so it was like looking out at an audience. Not my preference, but I needed to get used to it if I was going to successfully pull off being Marco’s Secundo .

I’d only been in town a handful of days. Enough time to meet the most powerful vampires in Marco’s organization, but not enough time to get to know them. I’d looked through everyone’s dossier, and I figured everyone in the room had heard the gossip about me.

I took three seconds to breathe in the energy of the room again before I spoke. “We fear that which we don’t understand, so perhaps I should explain a few things. If I’m walking through the room and you’ve done nothing to challenge or anger our Master, then you have nothing to fear. However, if you find something to fear, I will breathe it in. It’s like a human breathing oxygen, or a fish taking in water through its gills.” I looked around the room at the three dozen vampires who ran Marco’s various nearby establishments. Not all of them would be coming with us. He wanted me to meet them all and give him input on who I thought should go with the advance team, who should follow later, who we should trade off to another territory, and who we should leave in place for new Master Vampires who’d take over the states Marco now ruled.

“Marco and I were made by the same creator,” I told the room, “and we know each other of old. We are siblings, of a sort. I know the rumors you’ve likely heard about me, and most of them are probably...” I hated this part. “If not true, then close. I’m an expert at torture, pain, and creative ways to bring about death. Trying to pretty it up is pointless. However, Marco isn’t a cruel Master, and he’s assured me life can be different for me in his territory. As the Abbott has Kendra, he will have me. She’s allowed to be fair and just when it’s called for, and to only pull her cruelty out when necessary.”

Marco stepped to my side and wrapped his arm around me. “Chattanooga has an unusual supernatural society. The metro area is home to three large, powerful werewolf Packs, to one of the largest RTMC chapters, to the Dragon King and Swan Queen, and to the Amakhosi. I’m friends with Kirsten and Nathan, and — of course — with Cora, Alpha of the Homewood Pack. Etta will function as liaison between my vampires and the other supernaturals. It's imperative we do not go in acting as if we’re the top dogs. We are, of course, but we have to act with politics in mind This isn’t going to be about walking in and throwing power around.”

Marco looked around the room twice before explaining, “Abbott draws wolves to him, and he has ties to the community we do not yet have. I draw lions to me, but I’m choosing not to bring my lions to Chattanooga, in deference to it being the Amakhosi’s home city. I’m negotiating to acquire hawks and eagles for our main security forces.”

“We control New York, Master,” a vampire six rows away from us said. “There’s no reason we should have to handle a small city like Chattanooga with kid gloves.”

I looked in the vampire’s head and knew immediately that unless Marco needed him for something specific, this one wouldn’t be coming with us.

Shall you excuse him from the meeting, or shall I , I asked Marco.

Neither .

At first, I thought this meant the vampire was staying, but then someone I didn’t recognize walked in a side door. I easily identified the power, however.

The individual pointed seven vampires out and told them their presence in this meeting wasn’t necessary. None of them argued. All left, including the one I’d been about to dismiss.

When they’d gone, Marco told the room, “This is Josef. He was Abbott’s head of security, and he will retain his position once I’m installed. He’s married to a tiger who happens to be a local detective. His tiger is a favorite of the Amakhosi. It’s one of many ways the groups are intertwined.”

Every eye in the room focused on me. I’d been my former Master’s head of security as well as his boogeyman, and they’d clearly assumed I’d do the same for Marco.

However, I was pleased with my new title, and I was thankful Josef had the headache of security.

The screen behind us had shown a picture of the Tennessee River with the four downtown bridges over it, and it changed to a list I’d seen before — the businesses Abbott had sold us as part of the transfer deal.

Until I’d understood the power structure in Chattanooga, I’d advocated for Marco to take up residence in Atlanta or Nashville. Financially, Marco was taking a huge hit with this move. However, he wished for power, and this was his attempt to grab for more, so he wasn’t worried about the expense. He’s a billionaire many times over, but he isn’t perceived as one of the strongest vampires in the overall hierarchy, despite the fact he’d controlled so many densely populated states. He’s certainly not seen as anywhere close to Abbott’s strength, Kendra’s, or even Gavin’s. He’s stronger than most know, but he doesn’t want to broadcast how he accesses the power. If he can hold the same territory, he’ll perhaps prove himself without giving away the source of his strength.

The monitor showed a four-by-four grid, but one of the squares was black, so only fifteen images showed. Josef made the first square larger and told the room, “Abbott kept a personal office and sleeping quarters at The Billiard Club, also known as TBC — specifically, the location near the mall. He was only part-owner, his business partner an imperator crocodile. Isaac handles the daytime, we handle the night.” He looked to me and then back to the room. “As liaison, Etta will need an impressive office. She’ll begin here, though she’ll be making her rounds to all of Marco’s new businesses, so it’s possible she’ll land at another establishment. The choice will be hers, once she knows the lay of the land, but placing her in Abbott’s old office right off the bat will send a signal as to the importance Marco places on her.”

Josef looked around the room, and I sensed worry edging on disapproval coming from him. “There are a few of you I’m not certain will live if you follow us. If you do not believe you can stand up to the scrutiny of the slayer known as Ryan, you shouldn’t make this move.”

I felt something akin to terror coming from one of Marco’s vampires, and I walked down the aisle. I couldn’t help myself. I stood in front of a woman who’d likely been sixteen when her creator gave her the precious kiss of death centuries earlier. Her terror grew, and I drank it in. I drank, and drank, and then drank some more. Fear, dread, horror . These are an elixir to me, and I drank and drank and drank . She tried to shrink away from me without standing, and I knew the instant she was going to run. I put a hand on her shoulder and froze the mortified vampire in place.

Other vampires in the room also called to me, and I looked around at them before I met Marco’s gaze.

“Did you know this one is an incubus?”

“Most of those I’ve turned are, my dear Etta. You know this.”

Our creator’s talents were unusual, and he often passed one or more down to his progeny. To me, he’d given the ability to eat fear. To Marco, he’d given the ability to eat lust. More than half of those Marco had brought over also fed on lust. His coterie was sometimes just one big orgy. I had no idea how he’d kept this a secret, but he had.

But this vampire was different. Her fear fed me, but her memories made me sick to my stomach.

I shook my head at Marco. “ Non . This one drains humans, and she likes young boys. She doesn’t kill them; she drains them just to the point of...” I sighed. She was using modern technology and modern medicine to stay hidden. I sent Marco an image of what his vampire had been up to. Images of her at a middle school soccer game, at night under the lights, watching to see which boy was struck in the head, following him home, waiting until everyone in the house was asleep, and then feeding upon the boy until he only had a tiny spark of life left. She didn’t take his blood, she took his life force, dragging it out through sexual energy. The doctors would find nothing wrong with him except for whatever had been damaged during the game, and they would assume the concussion was a brain injury. I showed her watching basketball games, football games, rugby, and hockey, and then following the child or young teenager home who’d taken a hit to the head, going into the heads of the parents to keep them from locking the door, and then, later, entering the child’s bedroom as he dreamed — and then giving him sexual pleasure while she drank his bliss and then his release. She locked the door on her way in, and she usually left through a window, so there was no forced entry, and no curiosity of an unlocked door. Doctors don’t fully understand brain injuries, so in every case, the coma was blamed on the head injury sustained the day before.

Marco hadn’t known, and I sensed his disappointment along with his resolve.

“Etta has shown me Leesa’s thoughts and activities. She’s drank down dozens of young boys in the past year without alarming the human authorities, and I’m going to choose not to share how she managed this, but can all of you scent her fear? Do any of you doubt that she’s done something worth punishment?”

The room was thick with fear now, most every vampire present afraid for Leesa or themselves, and I soaked it in. I knew my eyes had gone completely black, but they’d glow with an eerie red light, soon enough. Glow with sheer power. Their fear caressed my skin, but I focused on the female vampire I was touching — and I drank her life force in, feeding my power, my soul, my magic, my very essence.

I drank her until she was so weak, it was safe to remove my hand from her because no way could she sit up, much less stand or run, and I looked to Marco. What happened next was his decision. Leesa was a dried-up husk, and every vampire in the room was now terrified of me, but it couldn’t be helped.

“I gift her to you, dear Etta.”

“Thank you for the lovely gift, my Master.”

I’d been created first — an anomaly in our old Master’s household, as few have my talents or abilities. I’d helped Marco survive during his first decades as a vampire, once he’d come out of the insanity. Later, I’d taught him how to hide his powers until he was strong enough to show them and properly use them. I’d taught him the art of survival.

And now he was trusting me to be his Secundo , when he knows exactly what and who I am. Behind closed doors, we’re friends — as close to siblings as two vampires can be. Around his vampires, I would call him Master. There were secrets I’d be forced to keep from him, but I hoped they weren’t going to come into play with us. So far, they weren’t secrets because the issue wasn’t on our radar.

I put my hand back on the vampire in front of me and decided she didn’t deserve a fast death. I drank her down until the spark that animated her flickered and sputtered, until her connection to Marco was broken, and then I put my life force back into her. Not too much, just enough to reanimate her. Enough she no longer looked like a mummy, but not enough she looked even close to healthy.

“Who is your master now, Leesa?”

Leesa’s eyes went to Marco, and I gave her a second to realize she was no longer bound to him. Leesa looked to me in terror and whispered, “No. It is not possible.”

I looked back to Marco and repeated, “Thank you for the lovely gift, Master.”

“You’re ever so welcome.” He looked around the room and touched the laptop before him. The screen behind him changed to a black background with bold white words. BETRAY ME AT YOUR PERIL. I WILL HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BE DISLOYAL.

“Before Josef talks to you about the available positions in Chattanooga,” he said, changing the conversation and the screen behind him back to the original topic, “I’d like to talk about a few more changes you’ll see when we move. We’re going to focus on Chattanooga when we arrive. Most of the largest cities in our new territory have Masters who’ll be staying, and I don’t intend to make sweeping changes. If a city needs a new Master, I may allow one of you to take over, or I may promote the Secundo in that city.” He shrugged. “Or we could petition for a strong Master Vampire with experience who wishes to join my territory. The point is, I will need my people to hold Chattanooga so I can keep up with the other cities in our vast territory.” He looked to me, and then back to the room. “Those who’ve been with me more than a few centuries will remember Polly, who was nearly killed while fighting at my side during the American Civil War. She’s known as Moira now, and she’ll be working with Etta as liaison. She’ll focus more on the humans — the flock, as well as the girlfriends and boyfriends of my vampires. Etta will focus on shapeshifters and other supernaturals.”

I felt someone telepathically knock so all could hear it, and Marco turned and nodded to a dashing vampire in the third row, who said, “Rumor has it that Bran lives in Chattanooga.”

“He does. He had no desire to move to Alaska. He’ll stay as long as he can, and then I believe he’s moving to Scotland or Austria. He’s keeping his options open.”

It took five hours for everyone to be given a job. Josef described the establishments and the managers needed for each. One of the bars hosted a drag show every weekend and pulled talent in from all over the country, so a manager was needed for the bar, and another manager was needed for the show. Norris would not be performing in this new city with few professional entertainer options, so he’d manage the talent. He owned an off-Broadway theater in New York, which allowed him to dance and perform without worry of a boss requiring an early morning rehearsal. This would not be an option for him in Chattanooga.

There also would not be a market for high-end escorts who could pull in ten grand a night. New York’s bounties had spoiled Marco and his people, but it was time for them to move back into the shadows a little. Since the bikers owned what was locally called the whore hotel , Josef suggested we establish trust with them and eventually work towards going into business with them to expand this operation, rather than open our own in competition, should we wish to go this route.

Abbott owned bars and restaurants. His businesses were completely legal. Well, mostly legal. Did we want to keep to that, or add our own not-at-all legal specialties? Marco was going to wait to make those decisions.

Marco had turned an uber-hacker years earlier, but the new vampire didn’t have enough control for the meeting. We all knew his job title, though. Head Geek. Marco was also in talks to bring a hacker baby-vampire in from Australia, but she’d be working for a security company, and housed by them as well, though we’d still have access to her skills, should we need them. Every criminal enterprise needs good hackers, so we’d be set, if we chose to go those routes in our new territory.

I wouldn’t be night manager at The Billiard Club, thank goodness. Also, despite the fact I was getting Abbott’s old office and bedroom suite, Marco wanted me to find my repose in the coterie house more often than not.

I gave a small telepathic knock, asking to speak, and Marco nodded to me.

“Leesa wasn’t the only vampire who broadcast fear when you mentioned the slayer named Ryan. I’ve heard of him, but I wasn’t aware he was given a territory. Can we discuss why he might be a problem, Master?”

There are two classes of slayer. One lives in a territory, learns the major players, and keeps track of who comes and goes. The idea is that they can spot a problem before humans die. It wasn’t necessary for the vampires and wolves who were managed by responsible Masters and Alphas to be monitored, but for the loner species like tigers and snakes, this approach probably saved human lives. Also, in the territories with irresponsible Masters and Alphas, the slayers absolutely saved lives by heavily monitoring activities and taking out any vampire or shapeshifter who went after humans.

These slayers were frightening to be around, but not even close to the ones known as executioners. The top assassin-slayers, those brought in only to kill and not to monitor, were rumored to be able to go anywhere, at any time. I’d been with my old Master once, in his outer chamber, for a meeting, and turned to see a slayer in there with us. He’d killed my Master’s fourth strongest, and the slayer had managed to send an unsaid message while he did so — if I needed to kill any of you, I could easily do so . He’d beheaded the vampire, broken a window, and left in under two seconds. We still had no idea how he got in, though we clearly knew how he exited. We also didn’t know his name.

Ryan, on the other hand, was well known amongst vampirekind. In fact, we’d named him Death. His face was shared telepathically when vampires spoke of him, so others would recognize him on sight. The lore around him said if he was sent to kill someone, they nearly always died. It was why Griffin, Rinaldo, and Nero had maintained residences in other realms and only come to this one when they needed to be seen, and why there was never a schedule. Even Death can’t kill you if you aren’t on the planet.

“Ryan isn’t officially the slayer for the territory,” Josef told me. “Our understanding is that he took it upon himself to police the area a few years after Abbott moved his people in, around the time Drake Security, headed by Aaron Drake and Nathan Pierce, became a military powerhouse — and Ryan’s overseers didn’t argue. It’s believed he moved to Chattanooga because it became a hotbed of leaders, but no one knows for sure where he lives. He keeps close tabs on the city, and the official slayer over the portion of Tennessee east of the Cumberland Plateau does not seem to. It’s as if he’s been relieved of his duties for our city, though I’ve seen the paperwork saying he’s still the responsible Slayer. Unofficially, Ryan seems to be the de facto sub-territory slayer, and yet, he still takes on jobs around the planet.”

“Josef is correct,” Marco said, “that if you aren’t certain you can pass Ryan’s scrutiny, it’s probably best you don’t make the move to Chattanooga. Please speak with me in private in the coming days if you have concerns. I can either send you to another of the cities in my territory, or I can help you find another Master to oath to.”