Page 26
Free Dick Dot Com: Jane finds Callan, the vamp, over at Katie’s Ladies, and learns from him that de Allyon had one woman that he had people fed from, but he never let her out of his sight. Realizing that she won’t get much more out of the guy, Jane leaves. At home, Jane looks up the Vampira Carta, and thanks to a translation program Eli tells her about, she can read the codicils that are in Latin. The Blood Challenge was developed in response to a terrible blood-feud that resulted in the deaths of two thousand humans and vampires in the tenth century. Alex tells Jane he has found records of some property recently purchased by de Allyon. Jane and Eli have a discussion about Alex, in which Jane tells him that he needs to show his appreciation for his younger brother rather than just always bossing him around.
Later that evening, Alex tells Jane and Eli that he has figured out how de Allyon is indeed using Blood-Call to infect the other vamps. After hearing his explanation, Jane calls a meeting at Katie’s with a group of vamps and humans. Alex explains that a virologist at Greyson Labs contracted a rare strain of Ebola, and two weeks later de Allyon bought the lab, the woman also vanishing. A few years earlier, one of de Allyon’s other labs had found a chemo drug that worked with a deactivated virus, and Alex believes that one of the scientists discovered that the drug gave vampires a high, and then soon after realized that it could be combined with the Ebola strain. The vampires end up craving the drug but also get sick. When humans are infected, they eventually develop antibodies, so they get better, as do the vamps who continue to feed from them. In answer to a question from Grégoire, Alex says that most of the humans at Blood-Call are healthy, and that the cities are specifically targeted. Jane asks who in Asheville used Blood-Call, and Leo says there will be an investigation.
Vampires Are Like Boars. And Kits: Jane gets a call from Derek, telling her that Sabina is sick, but none of his men want to drive Bethany (who is unbalanced) over to heal the vamp priestess. Bruiser says he will handle the situation, and also tells Jane not to feel guilt over the Enforcer she killed and the resulting chaos. If Grégoire’s men, the blood twins Brandon and Brian, had known the man’s status or had known how badly he was injured, they would have healed him. Jane, vacillating between wanting to kiss Bruiser and wanting to punch him, notices physical changes in him, as he looks ten years younger.
When Jane leaves, she heads out to the woods to shift, needing the simplicity and clarity time as Beast typically brings. Beast is excited at the prospect of killing and eating the wild boar she spots, though Jane is less than enthusiastic. Beast prevails and afterward tells Jane that vampires are like boars and kits—the bad ones need to be killed, and the good ones need Jane’s help. Beast also says that the leash on Jane from Leo is not on her, and she can break it for Jane, taking a swipe at it. When she reemerges, Jane can tell that the binding has lessened considerably.
A call from Reach wakes Jane, and he tells her that the Kid (nickname for Alex) has discovered the identity of the mole and in about two hours will tell her. Jane falls back asleep, and pretty much right on cue Alex knocks on her door and gives her a name—Joran Stevens, or as they call him in the unit, Angel Tit. He was approached in a Special Forces chat room to get some information about Leo’s blood-servants in exchange for some cash to provide a lawyer for one of his sisters. At first, the information he was asked for was not secret, but then became increasingly sensitive, and the former marine was in so deep he couldn’t get out. Surprised and disappointed that the traitor in their midst isn’t a vamp, Jane nonetheless contacts Derek that they need to talk. When Derek arrives at her house, Jane gives him the news, providing the e-mail paper trail that Alex provided. Jane wants to use Angel Tit as a way to get to de Allyon, but agrees to allow Derek to get his shot at the man first. Derek brings the slightly beaten up Angel Tit over to Jane’s and with Alex works up a plan to draw out the go-between, and a meet is set up.
Landed on a Limo Floor: Before they leave to meet the handler, Jane calls Jodi Richoux at NOPD to tell her that she will have a “package” for her shortly, filling the cop in on the potential vamp war. Jane stays in the van during the meet, and the person who shows is not what anyone expects—a small five-foot woman. Derek and Angel have no trouble securing her, and when she is brought to the van, a search of her purse turns up a gun built into the structure of the bag, identifying her as a hit woman. Upon interrogating her, the group learns that two days ago she was contacted about three targets: Jane, Bruiser, and a floater. Since the woman had Katie’s address, Jane and Eli silently agree that they need to move the vamps from that location, and drop the woman—literally—in front of NOPD.
When she and Eli get back to the house, Alex informs them he thinks he has found de Allyon—in Natchez, about an hour from New Orleans, in the territory of the latest vamp-master to get sick, Hieronymus. Jane, Eli, Alex, Wrassler, and Bruiser borrow Grégoire’s new heavily armored (according to Jane’s recommendation) limo to go and check out the property. Wrassler thinks it odd that Reach didn’t know, or report, that de Allyon is there, but Jane doesn’t think he is the other leak that they may have, given that he could have taken down the organization long ago if he were. After scouting the building owned by de Allyon, the group arrives at the bed-and-breakfast they have rented out, owned by Esmee, an older woman who expresses delight at meeting Bruiser, seeing as how he knew Reagan. Despite Eli’s concerns about how difficult the place will be to secure, Jane picks a room and takes a nap, waking to gunfire.
And Then He Changed His Pants: Jane finds Eli and Wrassler set up in the back entrance, and Esmee (with a shotgun pointed out the window and three pistols nearby) in the mudroom. Eli asks Jane to check on Alex, who is supposed to be in the garage, and when she calls, he tells her he locked himself in the armored vehicle. Jane goes to the front of the house, where she sees Bruiser hiding behind the couch, shortly thereafter displaying some very difficult and definitely not-completely-human moves, taking out the two attackers. Before she can leave to go check on the others, Jane ends up in a very passionate clinch with Bruiser, broken up only by the sounds of continued fighting at the back. When the fighting is over, only one of the attackers is still alive, Wrassler is injured, though not seriously, and Jane realizes that she never even fired a shot. When the police arrive, they question everyone but Alex and Jane, the only ones with no gunshot residue on their hands. When Sylvia Turpin, the Adams County sheriff, arrives, things move more quickly (the woman knows Leo), and Esmee’s guests are left to themselves to make plans. While debating when to attack the building de Allyon is holed up in with several other vamps and their servants (information provided by one of Leo’s blood-servants who is related to one of de Allyon’s), Alex asks if anyone has a helicopter. It seems the building has a great landing spot for one, and the air-conditioning system is a weak point.
I Disliked Her on Sight: While waiting for the helicopter to arrive, Jane gets a phone call from Rick, who is coming in with the team. Bruiser has called in PsyLED, which Jane hadn’t known, but is pleased about. Jane, Eli, and the team all put on gas masks, to keep out the sleeping gas that was about to be dispersed. They were also going to be using the colloidal silver canisters that Jane ordered, hoping that they would cause problems for vamps. From the roof, Eli tells the others to go. Derek and his team, along with Rick, descend from the helicopter, while Jane and Bruiser break in the front window. At one point the two discover a room with a salt circle, typically signifying a witch working, with a dead vamp hanging upside down. After battling several vamps and taking down humans, Jane has an incident with Bruiser where he appears lost in a battle fog and does not recognize her. The various team members report in, and the bad news is that no one has spotted de Allyon. Unfortunately a second wave of vamps attack, and at one point Rick comes to her aid. Once again, Jane and the others realize that de Allyon was not there.
Jane asks Leo via text if they can send the humans they have captured to heal the sick vamps in Asheville
, and he agrees. Eli tells Jane that he caught one of Derek’s guys, Cheek Sneak, taking pictures and texting with his phone, which Eli then confiscated. Jane confirms that Eli should give it to Alex, and if he discovers proof of consorting with the enemy, she wants to know first. Rick packs Jane’s wound, which she plans to shift and heal later on. Soon Leo arrives, with Sabina, Grégoire, and Rick’s team—the grindy, the werewolf stuck in wolf form, and Rick’s supervisor, Soul, an exotic woman whom Jane pretty quickly pegs as not human. Leo asks Jane for a report, and he and Grégoire both detect that the binding between Jane and Leo has undergone a change of some sort.
One Punch With a Set of Brass Knuckles: Human law enforcement is now involved in the situation, also Rick’s first big case. The werewolf comes across the room to where Jane is sitting, bristling and growling at her. Jane relates part of the story about how she took the guy down when he was in human form. Rick insists that Jane needs to shift to heal, so he whisks her away in Grégoire’s limo, stopping at the store for ham. The two sit down on a blanket next to the river, and both finally admit they love each other, agreeing that there is more to love than just sex, and that they will eventually figure out a way to be together. Not only does the were-taint stand between them, but also their respective jobs will not always dovetail. And then there is the additional problem that skinwalkers often go insane. Jane strips and shifts, and Beast makes her feelings toward Rick known, even scent-marking him. After Jane reemerges, her phone rings with Bruiser telling her that Katie was attacked while the others were all occupied in Natchez.
Leaving all of their stuff behind at the rental house, they all head to New Orleans, with Jane, Alex, Bruiser, Derek, and Eli all in Grégoire’s limo. While riding, Jane thinks over the events, wondering how de Allyon knew they were in Natchez. She texts Alex to ask about Sneak Cheek, and shortly thereafter he texts back to say the man is at the top of a list of six suspects. Alex also reports that he managed to download some information from the computers at the building before law enforcement arrived. Just as the car gets to the outskirts of New Orleans, Bruiser gets a call, apparently from de Allyon or someone with him, who says he has Katie. After answering that yes, Jane is with them, Bruiser says, “We accept,” something Jane has a really bad feeling about. Bruiser calls Sabina.