Chapter 5: Alea Jacta Est

She was sitting next to him in the car. She'd been in this position so many times, but now it was Talbot who drove. They just left the office and they were on their way to the Royal Pagoda Motel. Beth could feel Talbot's heart beat fast; he was excited and nervous at the same time. A head was waiting for them in a room and it meant a new criminal case. Beth was excited too, it was her first interesting case beside the list and she could finally enjoy her powers like Mick used to do.

He drove the car fast to the location and Beth could see that the sun was high in the sky. As a human she liked so much the sunny days; the warmness brushing her face was a delightful feeling. Now it meant pain and she preferred the coolness of the shadows. She tried to focus on the new case as she saw the motel sign approach. There was one police car parked in front of the motel. Talbot parked his behind it and stopped the motor. Beth opened the door and caught the first senses of the place. As she inhaled, she could distinguish smells of dirt and garbage. Nothing pleasant for her.

A police agent was waiting for them in front of the entrance of the motel. He looked scared. Beth followed Talbot and she was reached by the strong smell of fear coming from the agent. There was something exciting about it; Beth could feel her fangs in her mouth. The heartbeat of the man went fast and it caught her attention. As she heard Talbot's voice, she came back to normal. His voice was firm but she could capture something that showed his excitement.

"Is there someone in the room?"

"No sir. We closed the room and nothing has been touched. The place is uncontaminated."

"Perfect!" Talbot said with a smile. "I'll take a look."

Beth went with Talbot to the door number 6. The motel was a simple one, a cheap one. She could smell all the people who'd been there before: whores, dealers or even unfaithful couples. She suddenly felt it, blood. They now stood in front of the door and Beth was grabbed by the powerful scent. She was completely surrounded and lost by the delightful sweet and sour smell. Her muscles tensed and she felt her body change as she smelt the air. She closed her eyes as she let her body be taken by bloodlust. Her fangs were extended in her mouth and she began to hear the heart beat next to her. The female vampire wanted blood.

She realized suddenly that she was next to Talbot and tried to take control of her body. As her mind became clear, Beth understood that she could have made a huge mistake. Talbot was concentrated on the door and Beth felt his anxiousness mixed with excitement. She saw his hand on the doorknob and she took a deep breath. The door slowly opened and the air escaping from the room was charged with the metallic scent of blood. Beth realized that it would be more complicated than she'd thought.

Talbot was the first to walk in and Beth tried to focus on something else before she entered the place. She remembered what Mick and Josef had told her, concentrate on something else, a sound, a voice, and then your body will follow your mind. If your mind is clear, you'll discover all the dimensions around you and you'll be able to see what is around the body. She concentrated on Talbot's voice who discovered the room and opened her eyes. She stepped inside and looked around. The room was poorly furnished; a table with a chair, a mirror on a wall, an old TV and a large bed. The colors were sad; green, orange and brown. Then she saw it, the blood on the bed and a stake. Talbot was looking at it as she approached. She focused on the sounds outside and she felt her mind clear. The smell of blood wasn't disturbing her any longer. She stood next to Talbot and stared at the red sheets. Someone had just thrown a big amount of blood on the bed.

Talbot held a hand in front of his nose and Beth understood why. The smell of the blood had turned into something very strong that digusted both the human and the vampire. Beth tried to focus on the bed. Then she realized that Talbot was talking to her. "Beth?"

"Sorry."

"I'm going outside. I have to make a call and wait for the medical examiner. Stay here and look after things I may have missed."

"Okay."

Beth saw him leave the room and turned back to the bed. She inhaled something strange between all the scents. The blood was from a vampire. She began to feel nervous. Police officers were coming to the motel and they were going to discover soon enough the truth. She moved towards the bed and took a look at the stake. Someone was trying to show a vampire murder scene and it wasn't a good thing. She looked closer and saw that there was a piece of paper on the stake. She took it out and unfolded it. There was a name, Luke Mineo. Beth looked at the name in front of her eyes. It can't be possible. Luke Mineo was one of the names on the list. She remembered she'd typed his name on google and found only one article from 1913 involving the mafia.

She heard Talbot's steps come closer with someone else. She hid the piece of paper in her pocket and looked at the door. Lieutenant Davis was there. She'd not seen him since Josh's death. Beth walked outside and tried to smile.

"Beth! Hi."

"Hi Carl. A crime scene, you and me, just like old times."

"Yes. I heard that you work for Talbot. That's great, better than Buzzwire."

"Yes, I guess." She turned to see Talbot looking at them, bored. He opened the mouth and finally said "We've got a strange case here. So I want you to work with the list, I'll ask for your help if I need to, okay?"

Beth was surprised. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not. She had to call Mick and tell him what she'd just found. She was going to answer him, but he added "You can take my car and drive back to the office. I'll stay here with Lieutenant Davis. See you tomorrow Beth."

"I have something important to do, so I'll take a cab. Bye." She turned to Carl: "It was nice to see you Carl. Bye."

Carl Davis smiled as an answer. He looked at her retreating form. He could tell something was different with her.

Beth found a taxi, sat inside and gave the location to the driver. She took her phone and dialed Mick's number. Please, Mick, pick up… There was only the beeping but no answer, just his velvet voice telling to leave a message; "Mick, it's me. It's urgent, call me back. I'm driving to Josef's." What is he doing?

***
Mick walked down the corridor of the morgue. Outside, it was midday, but there were no windows inside; time had stopped its running. The lights on the ceiling were the only source of light. Death and cold were the kings of the morgue. No living sources coming from the outside. Only the white ghost's figures moving down the corridor with their blasé faces. There was nothing to disturb the peace of the dead bodies; the perfect place to hide a vampire.

"Hi Guillermo." said Mick as he entered a room. "Are you redecorating the place?"

"I just heard that woman on TV speaking of feng-shui and the table here isn't in the right corner. It gives bad vibrations."

"Are you kidding me?" but Mick saw on Guillermo's face that he wasn't.

"I saw your girlfriend yesterday."

"I know. I was there too."

"Mmh. Well she seems to deal the vampire thing better than you."

Mick just smiled and Guillermo continued: "The Cleaner's guys brought me a body. They told me you wanted me to take a look."

"Yes, that's right. A vampire killed by another one."

Guillermo opened a drawer and a cold fog escaped from it. The body was hidden in a black bag that Guillermo opened. "Okay, so he'd been decapitated. That's nice. I can smell silver too."

"Someone used silver to crucify him. The fingerprints were burned, so there's no way to find who the guy is. But, I want you to take a look at his chest. Do you know what this means?"

Guillermo opened the bag so he could see the symbol on the chest. He smelled the blood and looked at the mark left on the body. "Interesting", he said. "I don't know what it means. It could be a mark from a gang or something."

Mick didn't seem convinced by his friend's explanation. "I don't think so." Mick saw Guillermo's face change as he smelled the body. "What?"

"Don't you smell it?"

Mick leant over the body and inhaled it. Scents of blood, decomposition and silver reached him first, then emotions that the vampire had felt before he died; anger and fear. Mick smelled nothing else than the scents he'd found on the crime scene. "What do you want me to smell?"

"You told me that a vampire killed the guy. How do you know that?"

Mick realized that he couldn't smell the vampire who killed the man but something told him it was a vampire who did that. "I don't know. It can't be from a human. But I feel it's a vampire."

"Exactly, you feel it. There is a vampire's scent."

"Really? I can't smell it."

"Well, the guy is very old and something happened to his scent."

Mick was shocked. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but that's very strange."

Both vampires inhaled the body and Mick began to reach something he hadn't caught the first time. There was indeed a very old scent and it held the special metallic scent from the blood. Mick looked back at Guillermo: "Okay, so the vampire used something to hide his scent and his identity?"

"No, Mick that's impossible. But something happened to him and disturbed the scent so we can't recognize him. And you want to find the guy really soon, because I can tell you that he's really dangerous."

Mick stared at the body and understood that it was a serious case. The vampire who did that had something to say and he would continue his work.

"I'll make some call and try to find out what can disturb a scent. That can help you to find his identity."

"Thanks, call me."

Mick left Guillermo with the crucified vampire and walked down the corridor. He was reaching the outside door when he heard a voice behind him. It was someone he knew, but didn't really like.

"Mick St John! Are you working on a case?"

Mick turned his back and faced him. "Talbot. Yes, sort of. You are obviously. Is Beth with you?"

"No, she isn't. She left me after the crime scene. She told me she had something important to do. I guess she just forgot to tell you that." Talbot held a smile that Mick caught. He was playing with him. He knew that Talbot liked Beth and this little game began to bother him. Talbot stared at Mick and added: "Look I have some questions and I need some answers from you. So could you come to my office one evening after Beth's hours?"

Mick lifted one eyebrow; Talbot wanted to hide something from Beth. Interesting, he thought. It was surely something with the list. Talbot was curious. It didn't surprise him, the guy was smart and definitely a troublemaker. "Okay, no problem. I'll call you."

"No, I'll call you."

The guy likes to have the last word… "If you want." His phone beeped one time. Mick looked at the screen and smiled. "Sorry, I've got to go. I just received a message from Beth." As he left, Mick could feel Talbot's anger. Mick won this little battle, but not the war. He walked to his car; he had to drive to Josef to show him the symbol and something told him that Beth would be there.

He went down the newly designed corridor and followed the smell Beth had left behind her. He could tell that she was nervous. It worried him. As he reached the room, Mick saw Beth sitting at the desk in front of Josef. When Beth turned her face, Mick saw the worry in her eyes. Before he could say something, Josef began to speak: "Beth told me that the Cleaner called you?"

"Uh, yes. They found a body, a crucified vampire."

"Really? Nice." answered Josef with a sarcastic tone.

"Well, it isn't. The killer left something strange on his chest and I thought that you could help me. Here." Mick handed him his phone with the pictures of the symbol. "Have you seen it before?"

Josef looked carefully at the picture. "No, I haven't. Is it a message from the killer?"

"Yes maybe. The whole thing was strange, like revenge. The place looked like a scene from the Bible."

"Very dramatic, the man has taste!" said Josef.

Mick didn't answer to that but he added: "The head was missing." Beth and Josef looked at Mick surprised. "The head was gone, taken by the killer."

"Well, Ben and I just found vampire's blood and a stake in a motelroom." Her voice confirmed that she was nervous.

"What?" asked Mick, shocked. That explains why I met him at the morgue.

"It was all made so it looked like a vampire murderscene. And I found something strange on the stake." Beth gave Mick the piece of paper. He took it and read the name. He finally had the vampire's identity, but it meant nothing special to him. He looked at Beth with a questioning face and before she opened her mouth, Josef informed him "His name was on the list, Mick."

Silence filled the room. The three vampires were thinking at the same thing. The little piece of paper was the sign of an open war. A vampire's hunting had begun and they had to find who the killer was. Josef broke the silence with a dark voice: "Alea Jacta Est." Mick looked at him, an eyebrow up. Josef left his eyes, shocked and taught him: "The die is cast. Caesar will be SO disappointed!"

Beth took Mick's phone and looked at the pictures. She discovered the crime scene and saw that something was strange. "Do you have a trail on the one who did this?"

"No. That's the weirdest thing. I can tell it's a vampire, but the guy is very old and it seemed that something happened to him and changed his scent. Guillermo is working on it."

"Yes, I felt the same thing on the crime scene. I could feel a vampire had been there, but I couldn't smell it. So do you think that we should tell the other vampires?"

Josef stood up and went to the large window. It was lunchtime for humans and the creature was looking at them walk in the streets, without knowing that they were his food. He finally turned and said "No. You and Mick will work on the crime. The list has the name of all the vampires in L.A. That's why he's on the list. Things are going to an unexpected way, so I'm taking care of the list."

Mick moved on his chair, he felt uncomfortable. "Josef, I don't think the guy will stop. He left a message, there will be more dead vampires."

Josef smiled to his friend. "Yes, I know, and that's why you'll stop him. Find the killer and we may find who sent the list. Beth, be sure Talbot doesn't find the thruth about the blood and stay close to him."

Beth nodded but still felt nervous. She looked at Mick and she saw that he was lost in his thoughts. At this moment, a man in a grey suit came in the office. He looked at Josef who just nodded. Mick understood what this meant and stood up. Beth did the same thing and began to walk. She turned and saw that Mick looked at Josef. "I'll wait for you at your car, Mick." He nodded in response and watched her leave the office.

"How goes the song… yes I remember! 'Love is the air' and all over your body!"

Mick smiled, he knew that this moment would come sooner or later. His head was down and he just lifted his eyes. His look held a memory of Beth in his arms that Josef caught.

"Well, that was about time. I'm happy for you. Beth is a wonderful vampiress and I'm proud to have her in our community."

Now Mick lifted his head completely, surprised by Josef's word. "Thanks Josef."

"You're welcome. Any details to share?" He grinned and knew that Mick wouldn't answer his curiosity. "You should go to her, she's waiting for you."

"See you Josef."

Mick went down the corridor and when he was outside, he saw Beth standing next to his car, in the shadow of the building. Her milky skin seemed softer than ever and he smiled because she was his. He approached the car and opened the door for her. He sat inside and looked at her. He'd missed her scent, her skin, her touch on his body. He was going to kiss her when a scent of worry reached him.

"Are you okay, Beth?"

She looked at him. She'd missed him and smelling him next to her made her calm down. Even after her turning, Mick still was her guardian angel. She smiled and answered "Yes, I'm okay now. I had a rough day. Seeing all that blood on the bed, the smell everywhere... I didn't expect it to be so difficult to handle, but-"

"But you did it."

Beth smiled. "Yes."

Mick started the Mercedes and drove. "So, how did Talbot know about it?"

"They told us that someone'd just called. But we found no witnesses there. I guess the killer called. What about you?"

"It was an anonymous call. Logan tries to find the number."

"That's weird. The killer made two different crime scenes and contacted two different people."

"Yes, exactly. He wants to involve the police and the vampire community. Like the list."

"You think it's the same guy who sent the list to Talbot?"

"I don't know. I'm not quite sure. That's why we have to find the killer before the police. Guillermo has the body and since I met Talbot at the morgue, I guess Guillermo'll have the blood too. He'll know what to do."

"You met Talbot? Alone?"

Mick turned his face to Beth, he'd caught irony in her tone. "Yes, why?"

"Oh, nothing." Beth was now laughing; her worries were all gone now.

They drove on the roads of L.A. People were slowly leaving their work and going home. Beth looked at them and realized how meaningless their life was. She understood that hers had been the same, only concentrating on her career. But now that she was immortal, she discovered a new face on her vampire life. She had to think otherwise especially with the recent events which threatened the community in L.A. Beth was a newly turned vampire and her life was already in danger.

Mick's car stopped in front of her building. Beth looked at Mick who smiled at her. They stepped out and went in the house. They came in front of her door and Beth opened it. She let it open so Mick could enter but he stayed in front of door. Beth turned and she asked surprised "Aren't you coming in?"

"No, not tonight." He began to feel worry coming from her again. "Yesterday was wonderful and I want to be with you. But you still need space, so I prefer to stay home tonight. After all, now you have eternity… with me."

Beth walked to him and placed slowly her arms around his neck. She was close to him and looked at him, straight in the eyes. Mick felt that her worries were gone and was caught by an intoxicating scent of love. As he inhaled her, he felt her lips on his. Her taste was stronger than her scent. He was grabbed by her love and he needed it. He pulled her closer to him and held her tight.

Beth felt Mick release her and she saw him walk down the corridor. She knew that he wanted to stay, but he was right, she still needed space. She slowly closed the door and found herself alone in the middle of her apartment. She put her purse on the couch and went to her fridge. The coolness made her moan. It had been a long and difficult day for her, and she realized only now, that she wasn't as strong as she'd thought.

She took a bottle of fresh blood and filled a glass. She let the liquid enter her body. The metallic and sweet taste reminded her of the strong scent in the room. As she emptied the glass, her eyes were silver. The memory was fresh and she could still smell the decomposed scent of the head.

Beth was disturbed by the crime scene and she needed to clean her mind. She went to her room and took off her clothes. Her body cried for the coolness. She opened the freezer and let the cold fog touch her naked skin. She lay inside and closed her eyes. The name on the paper was clear in the darkness of her mind and she wondered who would be the next victim.

The cold air in the freezer deepened and coated her naked body. Beth was lost in the void of her sleep and slowly covered with ice crystals. The blond ice queen lay in her ice bed.

A dark sky illuminated by thousands of stars and the fullmoon over me… I feel sadness…

Darkness...

I lay on the grass, which caresses my face… Josef looks at me… his face is sad…

Darkness…

My voice, "I'm so sorry. I just loved him so deeply"… this is the end… I feel it, but I'm not afraid…

Darkness…

A strange sensation fills my body… I can't feel my legs… my arms… the sound of my heart…

Darkness…

Thump… thump… thump… THUMP…

Darkness…

It hurts…the stars shine over me … I'll miss them… I'll miss him…

Darkness…

I can't see them anymore… my heart!

Darkness.

Beth jumped in her freezer and gasped for air. Then she understood that it was only a dream. She stepped outside and put on a gown. She sat in a chair and looked down at the floor. Suddenly she was touched by a deep sadness which wasn't hers and burst into tears. She'd felt death enveloping her through her veins, filling every part of her body. She remembered staring at the sky, feeling peaceful and ready to die and she remembered Josef watching her with a look she'd never seen before.

Beth cried alone in her apartment and she felt that the sadness left her body through her tears. She realized that she'd dreamt of Coraline's death. But it wasn't only a dream, it was stronger. She stood up and went to her purse. She took it with her and sat in her couch. She hesitated a second before she opened the little bag and took the card. She read the name on it, Armand Jean du Plessis, and remembered his last words: "if you want to learn more about your bloodline, about your sire, I mean… your real sire, just call me."

Beth looked at the card and took her phone.

***

The red Ferrari drove fast in L.A. The sound of the motor broke the peaceful silence of the night. One hand on the wheel, the other one on the gear shift, one foot next to the clutch, the other one deeply pushing the accelerator, the vampire let himself drive as fast as the wind. The night was clear and the wind gave a little fresh touch in the warm air. The car approached a building and stopped.

Josef stood next to his bright red car, lifted his head and looked at the building. It was one of his of course. He went to the back door and walked downstairs. He easily found the door and knocked on it. Inside, he could hear a loud sound of something called music, but nothing compared to Mozart or Jimmy Hendrix. Suddenly everything went silent inside and the door opened. Josef went downstairs and saw something moving fast in the room then suddenly stop in front of him.

"Mister Kostan, it's an honor. Come in."

The vampire held dirty clothes in his arms and tried to clean the mess as fast as possible. Josef looked around and discovered the universe of that strange vampire. It reminded him of Ryder and his love for computers. Finally Josef opened his mouth: "Mick told me you were good."

"Did he say good?" asked the vampire disappointed.

"Actually, he said you were a genius, Logan."

His face lightened as he heard the sweet sound of the magical word and murmured so he could taste it. Josef looked at him amused. It was a weird funny guy. "Listen" he said, "I need your genius work to help me."

Logan looked at Josef and then asked: "Don't you already have someone working for you? You can have anyone you want."

Josef smiled. The weird vampire was smart. "Yes I do have someone but I need someone outside my office. I don't want my people to hear anything of this. It has to be top secret. Understand?"

Logan went to his chair and sat on it, waiting for the directions. Josef stood next to him and explained: "I want you to find everything possible on a family. They live in France, but I need every bit of information on them; everything!" Josef handed him a piece of paper with names. Logan was surprised to recognize some of them, but said nothing about it.

He put the paper next to the computer and looked at Josef: "I'll find all the things you need, but I'm working on the vampire killer for Mick and it's a priority."

"Yes, I know. I'm the one who gave him the case. Both are priorities, Logan. You'll be paid of course."

Josef turned his back and left Logan alone in front of his computer. As he reached his Ferrari, he hoped that he was on the right trail with the Richelieu's family. Logan's research was the only way to check his suspicions.

***

John Wu was a happy vampire. He had money, popularity in the vampire community and many sexy freshies. That night he was in his room, watching one of his favorite movies on his brand new TV, extra large size with one freshie under each arm. Two other freshies came in the room with some refreshment for their friends.

John Wu smiled. Life was just so perfect and easy. The film ended and he stood up. The girls lay on the bed, disappointed to be left alone. The red light coming from the spot on the roof gave a warm atmosphere. John Wu was in the mood and went to his expensive Hi-fi stereo to look at his music. He finally found what he was searching for. He increased the volume and the first sounds of the song began. Oh yes, John Wu knew what kind of evening he wanted. Barry White's voice broke the silence and all the freshies stood up and danced. Their almost naked bodies made voluptuous shadows around them. He joined his wonderful women and danced with them, lost in the loud music.

John Wu was a lucky guy. Four freshies only for him and the best one on the market. Which one tonight? Maybe the blue eyed one? The red head one? The blond one? These were his most important questions in his life. Unfortunately John Wu was suddenly disturbed. Someone knocked on his door.

John Wu left with a sad look his beloved freshies. They were still dancing for him and waited for their big moment. John Wu walked like a John Travolta to his door and opened it. "Hello you" he said as he saw who stood in front of him. "Come in, join my little party." He closed the door behind his guest and walked back to his gorgeous freshies. The girls smiled at each other as they saw the guest. Their smile disappeared as the guest told them to leave, because of some private business.

John Wu was a busy man. He smiled and told his girls, "Yes, come back later my sweet little birds, Daddy's going to have some fun first." His sad birds left the room and John Wu went to his bed. The guest approached and sat between John Wu's legs. The music was still loud and Barry's warm voice increased John Wu's mood. John Wu was close to losing his head. It was just a matter of time…

John Wu was a dead vampire.