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CHAPTER THREE

MADS

“He was a delight,” I announce as I look at the cat I’ve been tasked with.

“Do not trust that man,” Marcus says. “That was Ender.”

“I picked up on that. But for a man who is supposedly the very person who slaughtered the council, the rest of you seemed to have gotten along with him alright. At the very least, none of you tried to arrest him, which I thought was peculiar.”

The cat acts like he’s just along for the ride, so I tuck him against me.

“Now where might this Ender be going?” I ask curiously.

“Why?” Finn responds, oddly wary. Although after hearing what happened between him and that Watson who turned out to be quite the monster, I’m not surprised. I would be wary of most people I came across if I were him.

I smile at the human who I’ve heard so much about. “I thought I would return the sweet kitty once he was all cleaned up. Nothing more than that.”

“Nothing more than that, my ass,” the one I know is Alexei grumbles. “If you’re going to kill him, give me a call.” I heard about him and have been told to keep an eye on him as well. Honestly, I’m pretty sure the entire UK council wants me to keep an eye on everyone from the VRC.

“Ohhh noooo, speaking of calls, I forgot to get my phone back from him,” Marcus’s brother Claude says. “I have so many pictures of shoes saved on there, too. Do you think he’d look through my private shoe collection?”

“I don’t think anyone would ever choose to look through your private shoe collection,” Alexei tells him. “The only time I permitted it, it was because it was your birthday.”

“None of you understand the art of beautiful shoes,” Claude says before looking down at my feet then seeming to decide that I also don’t understand it. It makes me stare at my shoes a bit too long and question just how bad they are. I mean… can you go wrong with black trainers?

Clearly.

“Does… anyone know of a vet clinic nearby?” I ask.

“I can tell you, but before you go, what were you doing here?” Finn asks.

“Oh! I was walking by and heard some noise.”

“What kind of noise?” he asks.

“Like an… ‘Urgh blah…’ dying noise.”

“Would you repeat that so I can document it?” Claude asks as he pulls out a notebook and licks the tip of his pen.

“Of course!”

“Ignore him,” Marcus says. “He’s not even a detective.”

Claude looks quite taken aback by this exclamation. “Excuse moi ? I am too a detective! I detectived my way right into your life!”

“So you were walking by and heard someone dying, so you ran in here and…?” Finn prods.

“Everyone was already dead besides the little girl. Ender entered not long after I came in. I, admittedly, was holding up a body when he walked in. Not for fun but because I was so confused. I couldn’t find how he’d died when his heart wasn’t punctured and his head was still attached.

He was just… dead. Very dead. Do you mind explaining what happened here? ”

“This is the same way the bodies at the council ended up,” Finn says.

I stare at the bodies on the ground as I think about this information. “I was told that Ender was the person who killed them.”

“Well, you were told wrong,” Finn says, and I can’t tell whether he’s willing to tell me what happened to defend Ender or because I’m a council member and by all rights should be fully informed.

“What happened was that the council was trying to look into how to create true vampires. In order to do so, they were attempting to extract information out of Ender, who they captured. They also arrested Marcus so they could force me to go into the council building alone. When I went in there, I realized something was very wrong and out of fear for my life, I let Ender loose. He only killed people who were trying to attack us. Everyone else was already dead before I ever even let him go. A big part of me believes that the council members who took me, led by Addison, had killed the others and planned on placing the blame on Ender… but obviously I can’t prove that now that she’s dead, Harris doesn’t seem to know anything, and Kaden has been arrested and is no longer in our control. ”

“I see,” I respond. While it’s not the story the US council fed me, it does line up with the information I currently know.

Those left of the US council are very much anti-Ender.

They gave me a detailed list of all of his wrongdoings, but I feel like there has to be a reason why .

“So you have no idea what this thing is that’s killing vampires? ”

“We… question if what is being used to kill the vampires is related to the ammunition we found during the incident with Patrick Grady… the same ammunition that was used to kill Watson,” Finn says.

I quirk a brow. “Watson… now that was an interesting man.”

“Don’t get me started on Watson,” Finn grumbles. “Let me help you find a clinic for the cat.”

“Thank you,” I say as I watch the vampires scrutinize the bodies. It’s been weeks since the council members died, yet examining their bodies turned up very little… but who exactly killed them?

When I arrived, I didn’t even realize that they had the girl with them. Why did they take her? Was it to draw Ender or the VRC here? Possibly…

Finn takes my phone from me and sets it so the maps will lead me to the vet clinic. “When you’re finished, please come back here. I have more questions for you.”

“Of course,” I say. “Thank you so much!”

I hurry the cat over to the vet and quickly explain what happened.

I ask if I can pick him up in the morning, and when they give me permission, I pay and head out the door while being reassured that the cat is in good hands.

When my phone rings, I see that it’s Vivian and am aware she’s going to be annoyed that I lost sight of Ender.

“Hello, my sweet sugar pie!” I say.

“If you ever answer the phone like that again, you’re fired.”

“Hello, my sassy sour pie. Is that better?”

“Immensely,” she says. “SO?”

“So I have made contact with the VRC members as well as Ender and the little girl. All in one day! Talk about efficient! Am I right? I’m right, just admit it. I’m positive I deserve a raise. Possibly even Richard’s position.”

“For doing your job?” she asks.

“With finesse!”

“What did Ender say to you?”

“We didn’t exactly have a chance to speak. But when we do, we will have many words!” I assure her. “I would like to ask what kind of shampoo he uses because his hair is lustrous.”

“I really regret sending you.”

“I really regret answering this phone call. All I’ve done is be the best I can be and still you’re not happy.

Let me take that back. We did speak. He asked me to take a cat, which I thought was awfully kind of him.

Like… anyone who goes around handing out cats can’t actually be a monster, can they? ”

Vivian’s sigh tells me that she’s jealous that no one has ever offered her a cat. “You were literally the worst choice.”

“He also pinned me against a wall and said a few things like ‘I am mighty!’ but his hair was really silky, so I tucked it behind his ear. I got mixed signals about whether or not he enjoyed that.”

“You came highly praised and ever since I met you, I’ve been convinced they just wanted to get rid of you and pawn you off on me.”

“You crack me up, Vivian. Absolutely crack me up,” I decide.

“Joy. Please do your job.”

“Of course,” I say before ending the call and heading back to the building. I’m quiet when I walk up so I can hear what they’re discussing without disrupting them.

“I just don’t understand. If this isn’t connected to the council in any way, why would another group want Rylee? Has it gotten out what she is?” Finn asks.

“If it has, we need to be careful what else has gotten out,” Marcus says.

“And then… what is it that’s killing them? If it’s some kind of chemical or something they’re inhaling, how was it gone so quickly that neither Mads nor Ender were affected by it? Or Rylee who was just one room over?” Alexei asks.

Finn sighs. “It does make you question what’s at play here and who wants who dead. We have those in the council who abducted Rylee, but also others who chose to kill council members? Did they both want Rylee?”

“How much do you trust this Mads guy?” Claude asks. “Do you know much about him, Marcus?”

“I don’t, but he’s right outside listening to us, so why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Well… that’s a bit embarrassing.

I walk inside and smile at them, positive that will make them forget I was eavesdropping. “The cat is in wonderful hands!”

“Did you hear anything you’d like to know more of?” Marcus asks, and with his attitude I can’t quite tell whether he genuinely wants to know or is irritated by me.

“Don’t mind me. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”

Marcus looks skeptical. “What does the council want with you here?”

I lift both hands and smile. “The US council was hit extremely hard and sent out a request for other councils to reach out and help, which you know about. There truly aren’t many members left of the US council after…

the incident, so a few members from multiple councils all over the world have shown up to assist where they can.

We truly and honestly mean nothing by it.

Not to be rude, but what we’ve seen so far of the council is…

a bit concerning, to say the least. It’s apparent the former leader, Addison, was corrupt in many ways of which you are all now aware.

It’s a shame it came to this before anyone was able to stop her.

This idea of creating a world of true vampires to do what?

Take over humans? Some vampires might desire such a thing, but so many wouldn’t that I can’t even fathom how she thought she could pursue this idea once it got out. ”

“I get that, but why were you specifically sent here?” Marcus asks.

I hesitate as I question why that was the most important part of what I’d just talked about. “I… just told you.”

“What else?”

“What else? Not much else, honestly. I was told to keep an eye on the VRC, and of course this Ender person, but that’s the extent of it.”

“Why keep an eye on us?” Finn asks. “We’re the police; we have absolutely nothing to do with the council.

We have no control, no pull. Hell, Marcus and my father, Orin, have been trying to get the council to approve of me becoming a vampire for years and we’ve continually been turned down.

Even when they thought I was going to die as a teenager, they turned Orin down.

We… aren’t on the best of terms with the council.

I’m sure you heard all about them harassing me and trying to end my life. ”

“The things I heard from the US council were quite different from the things I heard from the UK council. I believe you were wrongly treated either way, and I hope I can help them get started in the right direction.” I throw out another smile as the prickly crew stare at me.

I know Marcus and Alexei will be hard to gain the trust of, but this Finn fellow is already caving slightly.

I just need to keep working on him and I’m convinced the rest will fall in behind him.

Even though he’s a human, his opinion and thoughts obviously weigh a lot with this group.

“I’m sorry,” Finn says with a sigh. “I’m over here judging you and taking it out on you when you had nothing to do with any of it.

I’ve just been frustrated over the shit the council put me through, so hearing that you’re a council member had me on edge.

I really apologize for my prejudice. It’s honestly not you. ”

“It’s totally fine. If a dog mauled me, I can’t imagine I’d be overly fond of any dogs,” I assure him. “But I promise you that I’m on your side. Mind if I get a closer look at the bodies?”

“Sure, just don’t touch them or move them until we have everything documented.”

“Of course not.”

I head over to the one farthest from the group, the body that I’d been holding when Ender walked in. I kneel down next to the vampire and examine his lifeless stare.

“If it got out that there was something that could kill vampires this easily, there would be mass chaos… I can’t imagine what would happen,” I comment.

“This is why it cannot get out, and why I’m not thrilled you’ve found out.

It doesn’t seem like any of the other council members know and I’d like to keep it that way,” Marcus says.

“Please be aware that we know that aside from us and the council members who made it out that day, you are the only outsider who knows about it. If it gets out, I know exactly who spoke.”

I smile at him. “I won’t say a word. Not even a peep.”

Marcus is clearly suspicious of me, but that’s fine. I’ll win over his trust.

Looking down, I see something sticking out of the dead man’s pocket. Something that sticks out just enough to catch my eyes but is still tucked in the folds of his trousers.

“I feel awful for Rylee. Like imagine being a child and having no idea when you’re really ever safe?” Finn says.

I glance over and see that they’re all fixated on something Finn is doing.

Marcus and Alexei, the two who I feel are the most observant, are facing away from me.

It gives me the time I need to slip the cylinder right out of his pocket.

I quickly slide it into my own before standing and moving away from the body.

“This is just wild,” I comment. “I just… how could this have happened? I know you’re concerned about me spreading this around, but there’s absolutely no reason I’d want anyone aware that there’s a way to kill vampires with this much ease.

There are no signs of a struggle or anything, right?

It doesn’t look like someone was brawling them one at a time or anything…

I’m not exactly a forensics expert, so I could be totally wrong.

This is definitely more your expertise.”

“No, you’re right,” Finn says. “Something like this must have been almost instantaneous, and that’s terrifying… especially when it’s in the wrong hands.”