"Me too," I said. "But he's not. And the longer we wait for him, the more time the vampaneze have to plan an attack. If Steve's right, and they panic and switch base. it'll take them a while to settle. They'll be vulnerable. This could be our best chance to strike."
Harkat sighed unhappily. "It could also be our best chance to walk … straight into a trap. But," he added, laying a large grey hand on top of ours, "the rewards justify the risks. If we can find and kill them, we'll save … many lives. I'm with you."
Smiling at Harkat, I proposed a vow. "To the death?" I suggested.
"To the death," Steve agreed.
"To the death," Harkat nodded, then added pointedly, "but not, I hope, ours!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
WE SPENT Saturday and Sunday exploring the tunnels. Harkat and Steve carried arrow guns. They were simple to use — load an arrow, point and fire. Deadly up to a range of twenty metres. As a vampire, I'd sworn not to use such weapons, so I had to make do with my usual short sword and knives.
We started with the area where Steve had first spotted 'Hooky', in the hope of finding some trace of him or his companions. We took the tunnels one at a time, examining the walls for marks of vampaneze nails or hooks, listening carefully for sounds of life, keeping within sight of each other. We moved swiftly at first — Steve knew these tunnels — but when our search extended to new, unfamiliar sections, we advanced more cautiously.
We found nothing.
That night, after a long wash and simple meal together, we talked some more. Steve hadn't changed much. He was as lively and funny as ever, although he'd sometimes get a faraway look in his eyes and fall silent, perhaps thinking about the vampaneze he'd killed or the path in life he'd chosen. He got nervous whenever talk swung round to Mr Crepsley. Steve had never forgotten the vampire's reason for rejecting him — Mr Crepsley said Steve had bad blood and was evil — and didn't think the vampire would be glad to see him.
"I don't know why he thought I was evil," Steve grumbled. "I was wild as a kid, sure, but never evil — was I, Darren?"
"Of course not," I said.
"Maybe he mistook determination for evil," Steve mused. "When I believe in a cause, I'll commit to it wholeheartedly. Like my quest to kill vampaneze. Most humans couldn't kill another living being, even a killer. They'd rather turn them over to the law. But I'll go on killing vampaneze until I die. Maybe Mr Crepsley saw my ability to kill and confused it with a desire to kill."
We had lots of dark conversations like that, talking about the human soul and the nature of good and evil. Steve had devoted many long hours to Mr Crepsley's cruel judgement. He was almost obsessed with it. "I can't wait to prove him wrong," he smiled. "When he learns I'm on his side, helping the vampires in spite of his rejecting me … That's something I'm looking forward to."
When the weekend drew to a close, I had a decision to make regarding school. I didn't want to bother with Mahler's — it seemed a waste of time — but there was Debbie and Mr Blaws to consider. If I dropped out suddenly, without a reason, the inspector would come looking for me. Steve said this wasn't a problem, that we could switch to another hotel, but I didn't want to leave until Mr Crepsley returned. The Debbie situation was even more complicated. The vampaneze now knew she was connected to me, and where she lived. Somehow I had to convince her to move to a new apartment — but how? What sort of a story could I concoct to persuade her to leave home?
I decided to go to school that Monday morning, mostly to sort things out with Debbie. With my other teachers, I'd pretend I was coming down with a virus, so they wouldn't suspect anything was amiss when I didn't turn up the next day. I didn't think Mr Blaws would be sent to investigate before the weekend — missing three or four days was hardly unusual — and by the time he did, Mr Crepsley would have hopefully returned. When he was back, we could sit down and establish a definite plan. .
Steve and Harkat were going to continue hunting for the vampaneze when I was at school, but agreed to be careful, and promised not to engage them by themselves if they found any.
At Mahler's, I looked for Debbie before classes began. I was going to tell her that an enemy from my past had found out I was seeing her, and I feared he planned to hurt her, to get at me. I'd say he didn't know where she worked, just where she lived, so if she found somewhere new for a few weeks and didn't go back to her old apartment, she'd be fine.
It was a weak story, but I could think of nothing better. I'd plead with her if I had to, and do all in my power to persuade her to heed my warning. If that failed, I'd have to consider kidnapping her and locking her up to protect her.
But there was no sign of Debbie at school. I went to the staffroom during the break, but she hadn't turned up for work and nobody knew where she was. Mr Chivers was with the teachers and he was furious. He couldn't stand it when people — teachers or students — didn't call in before going absent.
I returned to class with a sinking feeling in my gut. I wished I'd asked Debbie to contact me with her new address, but hadn't thought of that when I'd told her to move. Now there was no way for me to check on her.
The two hours of classes and first forty minutes of lunch were some of the most miserable moments of my life. I wanted to flee the school and dash round to Debbie's old apartment, to see if there was any sign of her there. But I realized that it would be better not to act at all than to act in panic. It was tearing me apart, but it would be for the best if I waited for my head to clear before I went investigating.
Then, at ten to two, something wonderful happened — Debbie arrived! I was moping about in the computer room — Richard had sensed my dark mood and left me alone — when I saw her pulling up outside the back of the school in a car accompanied by two men and a woman — all three dressed in police uniforms! Getting out, she entered the building with the woman and one of the men.
Hurrying, I caught up with her on her way to Mr Chivers' office. "Miss Hemlock!" I shouted, alarming the policeman, who turned quickly, hand going for a weapon on his belt. He stopped when he saw my school uniform and relaxed. I raised a shaking hand. "Could I talk to you for a minute, Miss?"
Debbie asked the officers if she could have a few words with me. They nodded, but kept a close watch on us. "What's going on?" I whispered.
"You don't know?" She'd been crying and her face was a mess. I shook my head. "Why did you tell me to leave?" she asked, and there was surprising bitterness in her voice.
"It's complicated."
"Did you know what was going to happen? If you did, I'll hate you forever!"
"Debbie, I don't know what you're talking about. Honestly."
She studied my face for a hint of a lie. Finding none, her expression softened. "You'll hear about it on the news soon," she muttered, "so I guess it doesn't matter if I break it to you now, but don't tell anyone else." She took a deep breath. "I left on Friday when you told me. Booked into a hotel, even though I thought you were crazy."
She paused. "And?" I prompted her.
"Somebody attacked the people in the apartments next to mine," she said. "Mr and Mrs Andrews, and Mr Hugon. You never met them, did you?"
"I saw Mrs Andrews once." I licked my lips nervously. "Were they killed?" Debbie nodded. Fresh tears sprung to her eyes. "And drained of blood?" I croaked, dreading the answer.
"Yes."
I looked away, ashamed. I never thought the vampaneze would go after Debbie's neighbours. I'd had only her welfare in mind, not anybody else's. I should have staked out her building, anticipating the worst. Three people were dead because I hadn't.
"When did it happen?" I asked sickly.
"Late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The bodies were discovered yesterday afternoon, but the police didn't track me down until today. They've kept it quiet, but I think the news is breaking. There were news teams swarming around the building when I passed on my way over here."
"Why did the police want to track you down?" I asked.
She glared at me. "If
the people either side of the apartment where you lived were killed, and you were nowhere to be found, don't you think the police would look for you too?" she snapped.
"Sorry. Dumb question. I wasn't thinking straight."
Lowering her head, she asked very quietly, "Do you know who did it?"
I hesitated before replying. "Yes and no. I don't know their names, but I know what they are and why they did it."
"You must tell the police," she said.
"It wouldn't help. This is beyond them."
Looking at me through her tears, she said, "I'll be released later this evening. They've taken my statement, but they want to run me through it a few more times. When they release me, I'm coming to put some hard questions to you. If I'm not happy with your answers, I'll turn you over to them."
"Thank—" She swivelled sharply and stormed off, joining the police officers and proceeding on to Mr Chivers' office "—you," I finished to myself, then slowly headed back for class. The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch — but to me it sounded like a death knell.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE TIME had come to fill Debbie in on the truth, but Steve and Harkat weren't keen on the idea. "What if she informs the police?" Steve screeched.
"It's dangerous," Harkat warned. "Humans are unpredictable at … the best of times. You can't know how she'll act or what … she'll do."
"I don't care," I said stubbornly. "The vampaneze aren't toying with us any longer. They know we know about them. They went to kill Debbie. When they couldn't find her, they slaughtered the people living next door. The stakes have risen. We're in deep now. Debbie has to be told how serious this is."
"And if she betrays us to the police?" Steve asked quietly.
"It's a risk we have to take," I sniffed.
"A risk you have to take," Steve said pointedly.
"I thought we were in this together," I sighed. "If I was wrong, leave. I won't stop you."
Steve fidgeted in his chair and traced the cross on his bare left palm with the gloved fingers of his right hand. He did that often, like Mr Crepsley stroking his scar when he was thinking. "There's no need to snap," Steve said sullenly. "I'm with you to the end, like I vowed. But you're making a decision that affects all of us. That isn't right. We should vote on this."
I shook my head. "No votes. I can't sacrifice Debbie, any more than you could let Hooky kill me in the alley. I know I'm putting Debbie before our mission, but I can't help that."
"You feel that strongly about her?" Steve asked.
"Yes."
"Then I won't argue any more. Tell her the truth."
"Thanks." I looked to Harkat for his approval.
The Little Person dropped his gaze. "This is wrong. I can't stop you, so I won't try, but … I don't approve. The group should always come before the … individual." Pulling his mask — the one he needed to filter out the air, which was poisonous to him — up around his mouth, he turned his back on us and brooded in sullen silence.
Debbie turned up shortly before seven. She'd showered and changed clothes — the police had fetched some of her personal items from her apartment — but still looked terrible. "There's a police officer in the lobby," she said as she entered. "They asked if I wanted a personal guard and I said I did. He thinks I came up here to tutor you. I gave him your name. If you object to that — tough!"
"Nice to see you too," I smiled, holding out my hands to take her coat. She ignored me and walked into the apartment, stopping short when she caught sight of Steve and Harkat (who was facing away from her).
"You didn't say we'd have company," she said stiffly.
"They have to be here," I replied. "They're part of what I have to tell you."
"Who are they?" she asked.
"This is Steve Leopard." Steve took a quick bow. "And that's Harkat Mulds."
For a moment I didn't think Harkat was going to face her. Then he slowly turned around. "Oh, my lord!" Debbie gasped, shocked by his grey, scarred, unnatural features.
"Guess you don't get many like … me in school," Harkat smiled nervously.
"Is …" Debbie licked her lips. "Is he from that institute you told me about? Where you and Evra Von lived?"
"There is no institute. That was a lie."
She eyed me coldly. "What else have you lied about?"
"Everything, more or less," I grinned guiltily. "But the lies stop here. Tonight I'll tell you the truth. By the end you'll either think I'm crazy or wish I'd never told you, but you have to hear me out — your life depends on it."
"Is it a long story?" she asked.
"One of the longest you'll ever hear," Steve answered with a laugh.
"Then I'd better take a pew," she said. She chose a chair, shrugged off her coat, laid it across her lap, and nodded curtly to let me know I could begin.
I started with the Cirque Du Freak and Madam Octa, and took it from there. I quickly covered my years as Mr Crepsley's assistant and my time in Vampire Mountain. I told her about Harkat and the Lord of the Vampaneze. Then I explained why we'd come here, how fake forms had been submitted to Mahler's, how I'd run into Steve and what role he played in this. I finished with the events of the weekend.
There was a long pause at the end.
"It's insane," Debbie finally said. "You can't be serious."
"He is," Steve chuckled.
"Vampires … ghosts … vampaneze … It's ludicrous."
"It's true," I said softly. "I can prove it." I raised my fingers to show her the scars on my fingertips.
"Scars don't prove anything," she sneered.
I walked to the window. "Go to the door and face me," I said. Debbie didn't respond. I could see the doubt in her eyes. "Go on," I said. "I won't hurt you." Holding her coat in front of her, she went to the door and stood opposite me. "Keep your eyes open," I said. "Don't even blink if you can help it."
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"You'll see — or, rather, you won't."
When she was watching carefully, I tensed the muscles in my legs, then dashed forward, drawing up just in front of her. I moved as quickly as I could, quicker than a human eye could follow. To Debbie it must have seemed that I simply disappeared and reappeared before her. Her eyes shot wide and she leant against the door. Turning, I darted back, again faster than she could follow, stopping by the window.
"Ta-da!" Steve said, clapping dryly.
"How did you do that?" Debbie asked, voice trembling. "You just … you were there … then you were here … then …" "I can move at tremendously fast speeds. I'm strong, too — I could put a fist through any of these walls and not tear the skin on my knuckles. I can leap higher and further than any human. Hold my breath for longer. Live for centuries." I shrugged. "I'm a half-vampire."
"But it isn't possible! Vampires don't …" Debbie took a few steps towards me, then stopped. She was torn between wanting to disbelieve me and knowing in her heart that I was telling the truth.
"I can spend all night proving it to you," I said. "And you can spend all night pretending there's some other logical explanation. The truth's the truth, Debbie. Accept it or don't — it's your call."
"I don't … I can't …" She studied my eyes for a long, searching moment. Then she nodded and sank back into her chair. "I believe you," she moaned. "Yesterday I wouldn't have, but I saw photos of the Andrews and Mr Hugon after they'd been killed. I don't think anyone human could have done that."
"You see now why I had to tell you?" I asked. "We don't know why the vampaneze lured us here or why they're playing with us, but their plan is surely to kill us. The attack on your neighbours was only the start of the bloodshed. They won't stop with that. You'll be next if they find you."
"But why?" she asked weakly. "If it's you and this Mr Crepsley they want, why come after me?"
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense. That's what's so frightening."
"What are you doing to stop them?" she asked.
"Tracking them by day. Hopefully we'
ll find them. If we do, we'll fight. With luck, we'll win."
"You've got to tell the police," she insisted. "And the army. They can—"
"No," I said firmly. "The vampaneze are our concern. We'll deal with them."
"How can you say that when it's humans they're killing?" She was angry now. "The police have struggled to find the killers because they don't know anything about them. If you'd told them what they should be looking for they might have put an end to these creatures months ago.
"It doesn't work that way," I said. "It can't."
"It can!" she snapped. "And it will! I'm going to tell the officer in the lobby about this. We'll see what—"
"How will you convince him?" Steve interrupted.
"I'll …" She drew up short.
"He wouldn't believe you," Steve pressed. "He'd think you were mad. He'd call a doctor and they'd take you away to—" he grinned "—cure you."
"I could take Darren with me," she said unconvincingly. He—"
"—would smile sweetly and ask the kind policeman why his teacher was acting so strangely," Steve chortled.
"You're wrong," Debbie said shakily. "I could convince people."
"Then go ahead," Steve smirked. "You know where the door is. Best of luck. Send us a postcard to let us know how you got on."
"I don't like you," Debbie snarled. "You're cocky and arrogant."
"You don't have to like me," Steve retorted. "This isn't a popularity contest. It's a matter of life and death. I've studied the vampaneze and killed six of them. Darren and Harkat have fought and killed them too. We know what we have to do to put a stop to them. Do you honestly think you have the right to stand there and tell us our business? You hadn't even heard of the vampaneze until a few hours ago!"
Debbie opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. "You're right," she admitted sullenly. "You've risked your lives for the sake of others, and you know more about this than me. I shouldn't be lecturing you. I guess it's the teacher in me." She managed a very feeble smile.
"Then you trust us to deal with it?" I asked. "You'll find a new apartment, maybe move out of the city for a few weeks, until it's over?"