We made our way out of the mountains and back towards civilisation without incident. As we neared the freeway, I stopped the car at the side of the road and got out to check Dave for injuries.
I opened the door and found him still unconscious on the back seat. I checked his pulse again then ran my hand round his neck. I was confident he hadn’t been bitten at the hotel but I needed to check. No blood on my hands confirmed my suspicions. I searched in his pockets and found his mobile phone.
Full signal, full battery.
Thank God.
I called Doctor Owen’s number. ‘Yes?’ was his curt answer.
‘Hey Doc, it’s me, Tom. Are you okay?’
‘Oh my God, Tom, I wasn’t expecting you. Where are you?’
‘I’ve been all over. I’m just coming back to the city now. Are you watching the news?’
‘Yes. The plane crash is all they’ve been talking about.’
‘It was them. I was on the plane. Have they recovered any bodies?’
‘No, they haven’t mentioned anything about any survivors.’
‘Shit. I don’t think they’ll find any. Where are you? I’ll come and pick you up.’
‘No, there’s no point. We’re about to leave to get Emily and Doctor Forrest. Meet us at the Morningside Mall, in the car park by the north entrance in an hour’s time.’
‘Will do. I tried to find your wife but searching the mountains is like looking for a needle in a haystack.’
‘Don’t worry. They have her but we should have her back soon.’
‘Is Jane okay?’
‘Yes, she’s fine. Is Skinner there with you?’
‘No, but Dave is. Skinner can’t get away from the vampires. I’m not sure when we’ll see him again, they’re keeping him on a short leash. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.’
We exchanged farewells and I pocketed the mobile as I sat back down in the driver’s seat. I hit the accelerator and took us onto the freeway but had to slam on the brakes as soon as we reached the top of the ramp. Ahead of me a queue of bright red brake lights stretched out into the orange glow bathing down from the streetlights hanging overhead.
A few spots of rain hit the windscreen. It was only a brief warning before the heavens opened and the downpour started again. I turned on the radio and heard the travel reporter saying that all flights had been cancelled. Everyone who had been waiting on a flight was now trying to get out of the airport and go home.
‘Stay off the freeway,’ was his advice. I could have done with that just minutes earlier.
I sat with my hands on the steering wheel and allowed myself to calm down a little. I felt like I had been running all day.
Syringes, little girls, a plane crash and a hotel full of vampires had made this the craziest day of my life. And I could fly. I expected to wake up at any moment. Ever since I had woken up on the bed at Hartley House I had wished the whole thing was a terrible nightmare that would soon be over, but now I felt different. I hoped it wasn’t a dream. I hoped I wouldn’t wake up in my own bed and have to go back to being a detective.
I’m on the inside of the biggest conspiracy the world has ever known.
I’ve seen things almost no one else in the world has ever seen.
I can fly.
I’m a vampire.
And it feels amazing.
A loud whirring noise invaded my moment of peace. I turned round and saw a helicopter in the background edging its way along the growing queue of traffic, not twenty metres above the vehicles.
I recognised the helicopter. It belonged to The Brotherhood.
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