Chapter 3
We didn't find any treasure buried in the sand that covered Savanna's wreck, but we did find some two hundred year old china, hundreds of pieces. Savanna wanted to sell it to Wormby, but I told her that she's get a better price if she sold it to an antique store, or better yet, have an auction house auction it off.
We used an inflatable raft to transport the china to shore, then put it in a storage unit that Savanna had leased. Mermaids are always expanding their treasure, so it's important to have some place to keep it.
After that, we grabbed a quick dinner. Four extra large pizzas, two for Savanna and two for me. I should mention that mermaids eat a lot. One of the side effects of having such dense muscle tissue and needing to maintain it.
By the time we finished eating, the sun was setting, which meant Titus's club, O Positive, was opening. I drove us there in my Honda Del Sol. No one tried to stop us from going in, or up to the mezzanine where Titus held court.
“You're late,” he said when he saw me.
“You just opened five minutes ago.”
“Maybe, but I've been up for over an hour.” He nodded at Savanna. “What's she doing here?”
“Thought you might appreciate some extra muscle.”
“That's not a bad idea,” Titus said. He seemed to relax a little, even so, he was as nervous as I could remember.
“I expect to be paid for my time,” Savanna said.
“Whatever you want,” Titus said. “But I want the two of you to put on uniforms. I don't want the Count to think you're anything more than eye candy.”
“The Count isn't coming tonight,” I said.
Titus nodded. “He's already here.”
Savanna looked around, searching for the Count. “Where?”
“Not here at the club,” I said. “He means here in the city.”
“Vampires can feel other vampires, feel their presence. We can tell when an older more powerful vampire is nearby. And the Count is in town, probably at the airport.” Titus nodded at a door in the middle of the back wall. “Uniforms are in my office. You guys can change in there.”
Savanna and I headed into Titus's office, where we found a stack of uniforms of various sizes. The uniforms consisted of black calf high boots, black leather short shorts, and black tee shirts that left our waists bare. Written across the front of the tee shirts in red letters that dripped blood were the words, O Positive.
“This is exciting,” Savanna said as we donned our uniforms. “Meeting the oldest vampire in the world. What do you suppose he's like?”
“Self-centered. Dangerous.”
“How dangerous?”
“Wormby said he likes to amuse himself by compelling younger vampires to walk out into the sun and stay there until they burn to death.”
“Assuming Wormby knows what he's talking about.”
“One thing I've learned is to not dismiss what Wormby says. Especially when it comes to other supernaturals. He usually knows what he's talking about.”
“What exactly is our job here?”
“Protect Titus from the Count.”
“By?”
“Not letting the Count exert control over him.”
“How do we do that?”
“I'll handle the Count, you keep an eye on his entourage.”
“If he has an entourage.”
“He'll have an entourage. Guys like him always have entourages.”
Savanna wrinkled her brow. “Guys like him?”
“Guys that think the universe revolves around them.”
“How do you want me to handle his entourage?”
“Anyway you want.”
Savanna grinned and rubbed her hands together. “Sounds like this could be fun. I hear vampires are quick.”
“Quicker than humans, but no where near as fast as that speed demon we killed.”
“They're supposed to be strong.”
“Not really. I'm pretty sure if you dragged a vampire to the bottom the Mariana Trench, the water pressure would crush him.” Now it was my turn to grin. “Maybe before this is all over, we'll have a chance to find out.”
We finished dressing and headed out of Titus's office. Titus was still alone, looking extremely nervous.
“You ever met the Count?” I asked him.
“Once,” Titus said. “Long ago.”
“How long ago?”
Titus looked at me and grinned, although it wasn't his usual smug grin, it was more of a nervous grin. “I'm not going to tell you how old I am.”
“How did your first meeting with the Count go?” Savanna asked.
“I was a young vampire at the time, just another face in the crowd. The Count didn't know who I was, didn't even notice me.”
“He knows who you are now,” I said.
Titus nodded.
“Does he actually amuse himself by compelling other vampires to walk out into the sun and stay there until they burn to death?” Savanna asked.
“Yes,” was all Titus said.
“How big is his entourage?” I asked.
“What makes you think he has an entourage?”
I snorted. “Guys like him always have an entourage.”
Titus wrinkled his brow. “Guys like him?”
“Self-centered ego manics.”
“You know what your job is?” Titus asked me.
“Keep the Count from killing you. Stop you from doing anything you don't want to do if the Count tries to compel you.”
“You know how you'll stop me?”
“Probably just freeze the water inside your body. You can't do anything if you can't move.”
“What does the Count want from you?” Savanna asked.
“He likes to exert his authority over other vampires, let them know that there's someone out there that's bigger and badder than them.”
“There's always someone bigger and badder around,” I said.
“That's one of the reasons you're here,” Titus said. “I want you to remind the Count of that fact.”
We were interrupted by the arrival of two men. No they weren't part of the Count's entourage. I knew that because they weren't vampires. They were human. They were also cops. I spent ten years as a cop, six in uniform, four as a detective, so I knew a lot of cops.
I became a cop because my father was one and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I left the force because I'm not very good at following orders. Like most mermaids, I tend to do what I want.
I knew one of the cops, but I didn't know what they were doing here. The taller one, and when I say tall, I mean tall, like six feet six, was Eric Dudrow. His nickname was Stringbean. He was in his mid thirties and became a detective the same time that I did. Unlike me, he was very good at following orders. Possibly because he spent time in the army and had a father that was career military. He wore a gray suit with a white shirt and a red tie.
I didn't know his partner. He was young, fresh out of college young. He was short and slim and had red hair and freckles. He wore a brown suit that was too big for him. The sleeves were so long, you couldn't even see his hands.
“What are you doing here?” Stringbean asked me.
“I was about to ask you the same thing. Last thing I heard you were working vice.”
“Got transferred,” Stringbean said. “New department. Supernatural Affairs.”
He pulled out his badge, flashed it to Titus, then slipped it back in his suit pocket.
“What exactly does the Department of Supernatural Affairs do?”
“Keep track of what's going on in the supernatural community. Remind them that when they're in this city, we expect them to follow the law.”
“So you heard about the Count.”
Stringbean nodded. “Department sent us down here to remind him who's in charge.”
I nodded in the direction of his partner. “Who's the Frat Boy?”
“My partner. Suppose to be an expert in supernaturals.”
“I have a degree in sup
ernatural studies,” Frat Boy said.
Savanna looked at me and grinned. Then she sauntered up to Frat Boy, purposely stepping into that three foot ring of personal space that humans like to maintain.
“So what kind of a supernatural am I?” Savanna said.
Frat Boy looked her up and down, not an easy thing to do considering she was practically pressed up against him. He gulped, then said, “Blond hair, blue eyes, tall, you're clearly a mermaid.”
“How do you know I'm not a mermaid turned vampire?”
Stringbean laughed. “Cut the kid some slack. It's his first week on the job.”
“Promoted to detective right out of college,” I said. “Is his dad the chief of police?”
“Naw,” Stringbean said. “Someone upstairs decided to pair each cop with an expert. Department has half a dozen more just like him.”
“You still haven't answered my question?” Savanna said, still crowding Frat Boy's personal space. “How do you know I'm not a mermaid turned vampire?”
Frat Boy gulped. “There's, ah, no record of a mermaid ever being turned into a vampire.”
“Maybe I'm the first.”
Frat Boy backed up but Savanna just moved with him. “You're not pale enough to be a vampire. Plus, you, ah, give off considerably more body heat than a vampire.”
Stringbean looked at me. “Would you tell her to leave the kid alone.”
“When have you known a mermaid to do what she's told?”
Stringbean laughed. “If she's anything like you, never.”
“So how many supernaturals have you met?” Savanna said, pressing up against Frat Boy.
“Well, there was the vampire downstairs, and now, ah, you.”
Savanna laughed and ran her hand through Frat Boy's short red hair. “Wow. You really are a supernatural expert.”
Perhaps I should point out that there's no such thing as an ugly mermaid. In point of fact, there's no such thing as an average looking mermaid. We're all pretty spectacular. You add that fact to what Savanna was wearing, and well, it was easy to see why Frat Boy was flustered.
“Savanna,” I said, figuring she had teased Frat Boy enough. Savanna looked at me, I motioned with my head, indicating that she should back off.
“Come on,” Savanna said. “I've never met an expert on supernaturals. Especially one this cute.”
She ran her hand through his hair one more time, and then sniffed his face, a move which was entirely for show, since our sense of smell is only slightly better than that of a human. When she finished, she returned to her spot next to me, allowing Frat Boy a chance to catch his breath.
“This is quite a night,” Savanna said. “Not only do I get to meet the oldest vampire in the world, I got to meet a genuine honest-to-god expert on supernaturals.”
“Yeah, we're all thrilled about that.” I started to turn to Titus, but got distracted by a laughing Stringbean. “What's so funny?”
“Nothing,” Stringbean said. “I just forgot how much I love mermaids. Most of the supernaturals we meet are all dour and serious. They either try to intimidate you or ignore you. You guys are a welcome change.”
I turned back to Titus. “Shouldn't you send Elvis vamp home?”
Titus wrinkled his brow. “Elvis vamp?”
“Your vamp bouncer.”
“His name's Tony, and you're right, he probably shouldn't be here when the Count arrives.”
As soon as Titus finished talking, Elvis vamp appeared at the top of the stairs, as if he had received a mental summons, which I suspect he had. “Go home and don't come back until I tell you.”
Elvis vamp didn't question Titus's command, he just nodded and left.
“Why are you sending him away?” Stringbean asked Titus.
“Ask your expert,” Titus said.
Stringbean looked at Frat Boy, who took a moment to collect himself, then said, “The Count has a history of making younger vampires, weaker vampires, do things they don't want to do. Most of the time those younger vampires end up dying.”
“How does he feel about humans?” Stringbean asked.
“He doesn't like them,” Titus said. “But he's learned not to cross them. He knows hurting a human could get him killed. But since supernaturals aren't protected by human laws . . . . “
Stringbean nodded and finished the sentence for him. “He considers them to be fair game.”
“Sure you want to stick around?” I asked Savanna.
“If I left now I wouldn't get to meet the world's oldest vampire, and while it isn't nearly as impressive as meeting a genuine expert on supernaturals, it should still be fun.”
“Only a mermaid would call meeting the Count fun,” a laughing Titus said. His attention turned to the floor below us. “He's here.”
Savanna, Stringbean, Frat Boy, and myself, moved to the rail at the end of the mezzanine. Savanna and I were on one side of Titus's table, Stringbean and Frat Boy were on the other side.
The people down below, dancing on the chrome dance floor froze. They didn't step aside or make way, they just froze, as if time had stopped.
Then a line of people entered, walking through the middle of the frozen dancers single file. Perhaps people isn't the right word. They were vampires. I could tell because of how pale they were compared to the frozen humans on the dance floor, and because of how dry they felt, each of their bodies containing less than half the water of a living being. There were twelve of them, six men and six women, with the women walking ahead of the men.
“Which one's the Count?” Savanna asked.
“The one you can't see,” Titus said.
“He can turn invisible?” Stringbean asked.
“No, but he can compel you to not see him.”
“What does that mean?”
“He doesn't want you to see him, so your mind refuses to acknowledge that he's there.”
It looked like I had underestimated the Count. Not only could he compel an entire room full of humans to stop moving, he had the power to compel everyone within eyesight to refuse to see him. That meant he was influencing my mind, all of our minds, right now. Not that it mattered. As a mermaid, I could always feel people, feel the water that made up their body. And that's what I did.
I closed my eyes and focused on the line of vampires walking across the first floor of the club. Then I counted them, two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, thirteen. “He's there all right. Almost sixty percent water.”
“Sixty percent,” Savanna said. “You mean he feels like a living being?”
“Almost.”
The vampires headed up the stairway directly beneath us, disappearing out of sight. We straightened up and spun around, facing the chrome stairway the led to the mezzanine. Ready or not, it was time to meet the Count.