Vamps and the City

CHAPTER 2

Austin arrived early for the Stake-Out meeting, so he would have time to download the photos he'd taken the night before at DVN. He opened the unmarked door on the sixth floor of a federal office building. Most of the floor was occupied with Homeland Security, so no one realized he was actually CIA. Or that he was combating terrorists of the undead variety.

The Stake-Out team met every evening at seven before the sun went down and they moved on to their individual assignments. As he passed Sean Whelan's office, loud curses filtered through the walls. Great. Sean must be watching the DVN stuff Austin had emailed to his office. Definitely a good time to avoid the boss.

Austin hurried to the open area where he and the other teammates had their work stations. He wasn't surprised to find the place empty. They were all exhausted. He hadn't had a day or night off in weeks. He downloaded the pictures, then studied them on his monitor while the photo printer kicked into action. Lots of license plates. And lots of her in the blue suit, whoever she was. He'd waited 'til dawn, but had missed seeing her again. Dammit. She must have left while he'd gone to relieve himself. The price of too much coffee.

He yawned as he splayed his hands into his shaggy hair. Working nights made it hard to take care of mundane things like haircuts. And he still wasn't sleeping well during the day. The monitor blurred before his weary eyes. He needed coffee. He wandered to the break room.

"Good evening, Austin." Emma sat at the small round table, eating low-fat yogurt and looking bright-eyed and perky.

There should be a law against blatant cheerfulness in the workplace. Her neatly pressed yellow shirt reminded him that he looked like he'd slept in his wrinkled clothes. Except he hadn't slept much at all. He mumbled something and filled a coffee cup.

"You poor fellow, you look like shit," Emma continued with her crisp British accent.

He grunted, too tired to engage in verbal sparring. Besides, she always won. "Why are you here so early?"

She licked the last of her yogurt off her plastic spoon. "I wanted to get an early start on last night's police reports. I think I'm on to something."

"What?"

"In the last few months, there have been several calls to the police from Central Park. The caller reports seeing someone being attacked, but when the police arrive, they can't find anyone who knows anything."

Austin frowned. "That's not much. Could be pranksters."

"Or it could be real." Emma pointed her spoon at him to make her point. "And the people who called don't remember anything, because their memories were erased by vampires."

"I… suppose." Mind control was a vampire specialty. That was exactly why the Stake-Out team was so small. Everyone on the team needed a certain amount of psychic power in order to resist vampire control. There was no way to fight a creature if he could simply take over your mind. As far as Austin knew, he and Sean possessed the most power on the team.

"Think about it." Emma tossed her empty yogurt cup into the trash. Perfect aim, of course. She'd been working for MI6 when Sean had arranged for her transfer a week ago. "If you were a hungry vampire, wouldn't you troll for victims in a place like Central Park?"

"I suppose." Austin sipped his coffee.

"So I went there last night to look around."

He gulped. "You went by yourself?"

"Yes. You go on your stake-outs alone. Why shouldn't I?"

"Because hunting for vampires in Central Park is not a stake-out. You could have come across one of them."

She rolled her eyes. "That was the idea. Don't worry. I had a few stakes with me."

Austin snorted. "Haven't you been reading the reports? These vampires are super fast and strong."

She sauntered toward the fridge and removed a bottle of water. "I can take care of myself."

"I know." The one time he'd taken her on in a practice session, he'd found himself flat on his back with stars swirling around his head. "But I don't think you should go alone."

"Why not?" She unscrewed the bottle top. "They're probably looking for lone females."

"Wait a minute. You're setting yourself up as bait?"

She shrugged one shoulder and took a sip of water. "If I can draw one in, I'll kill him. That is our mission, isn't it?"

"What if several of them gang up on you? It's way too dangerous."

She sighed. "I shouldn't have told you." She cast him an injured look. "I thought you would understand."

Dammit. He should tell her she was irresponsible and crazy, but he hated being that blunt to a woman. Besides, her vampire hunting sounded like something he would do.

"Are you going to tell Sean?" she asked.

With their boss already livid over his daughter's upcoming marriage, Austin wasn't that big a glutton for punishment. "I'll have to think about it. Did you see any vampires last night?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Good. There are only five of us, Emma. We can't afford to lose you, so think before you play the hero." He trudged back to his desk. Crazy woman, hunting vampires all alone.

He sipped his coffee while he studied the pictures on the screen. Speaking of vampires, who was the demon guy who had driven the gorgeous blonde to DVN? Austin scanned the photos until he located the black Lexus. He ran the license plate through the system. The vehicle was registered to Gregori Holstein, address on the Upper West Side. Date of birth was 1964, which made him a very young vampire. Of course, vampires were probably adept at falsifying documents.

Austin wrote down Gregori's address, then did a credit search. The guy worked at Romatech Industries, not a big surprise. A lot of vampires worked there at night. The place manufactured artificial blood, which meant Gregori might not be a biter. That was good news. She wouldn't have to worry about him nibbling on her sweet little neck. If she was human.

The click of heels on linoleum warned him that Emma was approaching. She stopped in front of the photo printer and began looking at his pictures.

Maybe he'd been too hard on her. "Look, I know you have something personal against the vampires."

She shrugged one shoulder. "Where did you take these?"

"Parking lot at DVN. Last night."

"Lots of license plates." She set a stack of photos to the side. "I suppose all these cars belong to vampires."

"Most of them. Want to help me run the plates?"

"Love to." She picked up another bunch of photos.

"Emma, I won't tell Sean about Central Park, if you'll let me know whenever you go hunting again. I'll give you backup."

"That's super. Thank you." She gave him a brief smile, then resumed her study of his pictures.

"These are very interesting."

"You recognize any of the cars?"

"No. But I recognize a woman's bum when I see one."

"What?"

"You must have twenty pictures of her legs and even more of her derriere. Who is she?"

Austin's nerves tensed, but he kept his face blank. He reached out his hand. "Those are personal. Give them to me."

"Doing personal business on company time? Shame on you." She set the pictures down and retrieved some more from the printer. "Oh, look. Boob shots. And the back of her head. Lovely hair."

"I said give them to me." Austin gritted his teeth and stared at the stack of pictures Emma had set down. They zipped across the table and stopped next to his keyboard.

Emma gasped. The photos in her hand tumbled to the table. She stepped back. "Oh, my God."

He wheeled his chair over to the printer and collected the photos she'd dropped.

"You're telekinetic," she whispered.

"Yeah. Big deal." He gathered the rest of the pictures from the printer, then pushed himself back to his computer.

"But it's brilliant! I didn't know you had such wicked powers. Oh no! Austin's powers." She chortled with laughter.

He groaned. "Very funny." He separated the pictures into two stacks—license plates and the girl in blue. "It's not like I earned the ability. I was born this way." Even his dad hadn't been able to squelch his abilities, though you had to give the guy credit for trying.

"How exciting." Emma grinned. "An international man of mystery, using his special powers to fight evil."

"Yeah, right." What could possibly be evil about her? After one last, lingering look at her stack of pictures, he stashed them in his desk drawer.

Emma crossed her arms and propped a hip against the worktable. "You're quite smitten with her, aren't you?"

"No." Was he? "I don't know who she is."

"The international man of mystery has a mystery woman? Super! Let's figure it out. Where did you take her pictures?"

"Outside DVN."

"Good heavens, Austin. She probably works there. That means she's a vampire."

"I don't think so. Romatech has lots of human employees. And DVN has some, too."

"Did you try the 35-millimeter on her?"

"No, I… didn't get a chance."

"Because you were too busy taking a hundred photos of her."

"I didn't take a hundred. Only about… sixty." Sheesh. He was smitten.

Emma lifted a dark brow and refrained from saying the obvious. "Was she alone?"

"No. She arrived with a male I have identified as Gregori Holstein, and an unknown female. They're both undead."

"So, she's traveling with two vampires to a vampire-owned television station? Austin, this is what we in the business refer to as a clue. The woman is a vampire."

"It's not proof." She had to be alive. She had to be.

Emma regarded him sadly. "You are smitten. And with the enemy, no less."

"We don't have proof that she's a vampire."

"Is she or isn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure." Emma gave him a wry smile. "She wouldn't show up in the mirror."

"Forget it. I doubt I'll ever see her again." He divided the license plate photos in half. "Let's get to work on these."

"There you are!" Sean Whelan strode toward them. "I need you in the conference room now. Garrett and Alyssa are already there."

"Yes, sir." Emma picked up a legal pad and pencil from her desk, then headed toward the conference room.

Austin checked quickly that there were no more pictures of her lying about. He followed his boss, wondering if he should convey condolences over Shanna's engagement to a fanged fiance. Probably not. Sean's face was grim as he held open the door to the conference room. Austin entered quietly and sat in one of the chairs at the long oak table. He gave Garrett and Alyssa a brief nod. Emma greeted them personally. And cheerfully, of course. Austin yawned and wished he'd brought his coffee.

"Any news about your daughter?" Garrett asked as Sean closed the door.

Austin winced. He was beginning to think Garrett wasn't the sharpest guy around.

Sean stiffened and gave Garrett a cold stare. "Do you have anything positive to report?"

Garrett shifted in his chair, his clean-shaven cheeks reddening. "No, sir."

"I thought not." Sean stalked toward the head of the table. He grasped the leather back of the chair there, his grip so tight his knuckles showed white. "My daughter is still missing. What's more, that bastard Draganesti has twisted her mind to the point she has agreed to many him."

Alyssa and Emma gasped.

Garrett's mouth fell open. "But—but how do you know?"

"It was announced on DVN last night," Austin spoke quietly.

A strangled sound vibrated in Sean's throat as if he were suppressing another long litany of curses. He released the chair and began to pace about the room. "Obviously, time is running out. We have to find Shanna immediately, and the stake-outs are not getting us the information we need."

"We should check Draganesti's financial records," Emma suggested. "He may have rented or purchased another residence."

"Do it," Sean growled as he continued to pace.

Emma made a note on her legal pad.

"We need someone on the inside," Austin muttered.

"An informant?" Alyssa asked.

"No, an agent working undercover." Sean stopped at the head of the table and narrowed his eyes on Austin. "I was thinking the same thing. And I know how we can do it."

Silence pervaded the room as they all waited for Sean to elaborate. He began to pace again. "A month ago, I had Homeland Security contact businesses in the five boroughs and give them a list of names and businesses to look out for. One of those businesses was the Digital Video Network, the bogus name the vampires use for their network when dealing with humans."

Sean strode toward the door and paused. "Shortly before dawn, a female at DVN called the Stars of Tomorrow Casting Agency and left a message. Another call was made this afternoon to finalize the arrangements. Someone at DVN plans to use the agency's office tomorrow night to audition people for a reality show. The owner of the agency called Homeland Security to report the incident."

"The vampires are doing a reality show?" Alyssa asked.

Sean nodded. "Yes. And since they want to audition humans, it gives us the perfect chance to go in undercover."

"And infiltrate DVN," Austin whispered. His heartbeat quickened. He ought to volunteer. He might get to see her again.

"What kind of reality show? Is it like The Bachelor?" Emma exchanged a look with Alyssa. "With female contestants?"

Alyssa shuddered. "They could call it Bride of Dracula"

"I bet it's more like a vampire Survivor," Austin suggested. "They strand a group of humans on a deserted island with some hungry vampires, and see which one survives."

Alyssa grimaced. "That's terrible."

Sean rested a hand on the doorknob. "You're all wrong. They want men. Live men." He gave Austin and Garrett each a pointed look. "I need you two on that show."

Garrett turned pale. "Oh, God."

Oh, yes. "How do we get on?" Austin asked.

"It's all arranged. Just a minute. I have someone waiting outside in the hall." Sean left the room.

Silence descended. Alyssa gave the guys sympathetic looks.

"Well, here's your chance to be on the telly." Emma attempted a cheerful smile. "You might be famous."

"They might be dinner," Alyssa muttered.

Garrett sighed. "Why don't we just bomb them all and get it over with?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Because we're not sure an explosion would actually kill them. Besides, there are innocent humans working at Romatech and DVN. And Shanna is with them, too."

Alyssa nodded. "This could be the best way to find her."

Austin remained quiet to disguise the fact that his heart was racing and his breathing more shallow.

His first priority should be finding Shanna, but all he could think about was the possibility of seeing her again. Shit. What was wrong with him? Working undercover could be dangerous, and all he could think about was the mystery woman? There was a name for agents who allowed themselves to get distracted. Deceased.

Sean appeared at the door again, this time with a middle-aged woman in an expensive suit. "This is Ms. Elizabeth Stein."

The woman greeted them with a slight nod and an even slighter smile. Her dark hair was swept up into a bun, her slender frame held stiffly erect.

"Ms. Stein is the owner of the Stars of Tomorrow Casting Agency," Sean explained. "It's one of the most prestigious agencies in the city."

She lifted her chin and looked down her long nose at them. "The most prestigious agency."

"Of course." Sean motioned toward the men. "Will they do?"

She stepped forward and studied Garrett with narrowed eyes. "Striking. I'd love to sign him up."

Garrett smiled, baring his perfect white teeth. "Thank you, ma'am."

Ms. Stein withdrew some papers from her expensive valise. "You understand that I represent only the most promising actors and actresses in the city. I am highly selective."

"So are we," Austin muttered.

She turned and inspected him slowly. With the lift of an eyebrow, she sniffed. "He's not my type, but he'll do."

"What? I'm not striking?" Austin tried to look appalled. "My sensitive side is crushed." Or it would be, if he had one.

"Austin." Sean shot him a warning look. "Fill out the paperwork. And since you two will be working undercover, invent new names for yourselves."

Ms. Stein passed out the papers. "I suggest you select a name that would be appropriate for the stage or television."

Austin skimmed over the contract, then filled it out and signed it. "What kind of reality show is it?"

"I don't know a great deal about it, but it appears to be a competition." Ms. Stein slanted a doubtful look at Austin. "It's called The Sexiest Man on Earth"

Emma let out a surprised laugh, then covered her mouth.

Austin gave her a lopsided smile. "You don't think I can win?"

"Not unless you introduce yourself to a razor and a comb, first." Ms. Stein picked up his contract with a disgusted look on her face. Then she smiled at Garrett as she gathered up his papers. "The auditions will begin at nine o'clock tomorrow evening at the Stars of Tomorrow Agency on Fortyfourth Street, two blocks from the Shubert Theatre. You should arrive early" — her gaze flickered back to Austin—"appropriately groomed and dressed."

"Thank you, Ms. Stein." Sean walked back to the door. "It is imperative that both these men get on the show."

Her eyes widened. "But there could be hundreds of suitable young men auditioning."

Sean glowered at her. "You don't understand, Ms. Stein. These men must get on the show. The security of our nation is at stake. The innocent people of our country are in grave danger."

She blinked. "From a reality show?"

"This is no ordinary reality show. These men will be in constant danger."

"Oh, my." She gave Garrett a worried look. "You— you'll be dealing with terrorists?"

Sean lowered his voice. "I'm sure you'll understand, Ms. Stein, that we're unable to divulge any more information."

Her face turned deathly pale. "I–I understand. I'll make sure your men are chosen."

"Fine, do that." Sean opened the door.

Ms. Stein glanced nervously at the two men and then at her papers. "Which one of you is going to be Garth Manly?"

"That's me." Garrett lifted a hand.

"Excellent. A very macho name. It suits you." She looked at Austin and frowned. "You need a decent haircut, Mr." — she glanced down at her papers— "Little Joe Cartwright?"

Alyssa and Emma snickered.

"Austin." Sean glowered at him.

He shrugged. "She said a name suitable for television."

Ms. Stein's frown deepened. "You must select another name."

"Hoss?"

She chewed on her red power lipstick.

"Adam?"

"Adam will do. And you, young man, should have a better attitude toward the performing arts."

With a sniff, she left the room.

Sean went with her, leaving the teammates alone.

Garrett shook his head. "I can't believe this. A reality show?"

Austin shrugged. "Why should humans be the only ones with bad taste?"

"It sounds dumb to me," Garrett grumbled.

Alyssa smiled. "At least you have a good name."

"Garth Manly." Emma pursed her lips. "Ooh, it's so sexy."

Alyssa giggled, then abruptly stopped when Sean strode back into the room.

"All right." He pinpointed Austin with a stern look. "Ms. Stein is concerned about your… rumpled appearance. So, she's expecting you and Garrett at her agency in an hour. She's calling in an emergency hair stylist and wardrobe consultant."

Austin grimaced. "What about my stake-out?" He had hoped to see her again tonight. And have his 35-mm ready so he could discover the truth about her once and for all.

"Forget it," Sean answered. "Emma can record DVN from here."

Emma made another note on her legal pad. "I'll run those plates for you, too, Austin."

"Is this show really necessary?" Garrett lounged back in his chair. "Why don't we just break inside DVN during the day and gather information while the vampires are sleeping?"

Sean planted his palms on the table and leaned forward. "I want to know where my daughter is. I doubt it's written down on an invoice. You'll have to talk to the damned vampires and gain their trust. Working on this show will give you that opportunity. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." Austin's reply was echoed by Garrett.

"Good." Sean gave Austin a wry look. "You do need a haircut."

He ran a hand through his shaggy, thick hair. "Sheesh. I thought the poodle place was doing so well."

Emma snorted. "Apparently not."

"Take this seriously," Sean warned him. "My daughter's life is at stake. And you could get killed."

His mouth twisted with a wry smile. "Or worse, you could become a star."