will. But time passes, and a strange thing happens. Ye begin tae see the advantages. Then, when some more time passes, ye begin tae like it.’
Joel had no answer to that. Another question was pressing on his mind. ‘This woman who turned me,’ he said. ‘She told me she worked for the Vampire Federation,’ he said. ‘Some kind of agent.’
Tommy’s bushy eyebrows raised an inch. ‘An agent? She was taking one hell of a risk turning a human. Goes against Federation rules.’
‘We’re talking about a federation … of vampires?’ Joel said. ‘I want to know more about it. Tell me everything.’
Tommy sighed. ‘It’s no’ the same world any more, laddie. The humes are a damn sight more organised and technologic ally advanced than they were back in my day. So, modern times, new ways. Back in ‘84, it was — that’s
‘And they’ll do the same to the victims they’ve turned?’ Joel said, thinking of what Tommy had said earlier about illegals.
‘Unless the Feds decide tae enlist them, then aye, ‘fraid so. The way they see it, they’ve got tae keep the whole thing locked doon tight. Too many humes out there would love tae become like us, see. There’s a lot of money in it. There had tae be a disincentive.’
‘I can’t believe humans
‘Come on, laddie. Think of it. Eternal life, unlimited power.’
‘And all you have to do is drink people’s blood every night,’ Joel said bitterly.
‘Well, maybe there’s a lot of humes that wouldnae find that too high a price to pay, morally speaking. Not when ye weigh up the advantages. And thanks tae the Federation, even after they’re turned they can go on pretty much like before, making their money and swanking aboot in their fast cars. Except they never die.’
‘But the sunlight,’ Joel said, puzzled. ‘How can they go on like before, if—’
‘Like I said, laddie, times change. The Supremos declared that the more we integrated intae their society, the safer we’d be. Vambloc isnae the only wee pill they forced us tae use.’ He stood up and clumped over to a sideboard, yanked open a drawer and took out a little tube about the size of a packet of mints. He tossed it to Joel.
‘Solazal?’ Joel said, reading the label.
‘Dinnae ask me how the fuckin’ stuff works. Some fancy chemistry bollocks. But it enables vampires tae walk aboot in daylight.’
So that was how Alex had been able to fool him, Joel thought. ‘It really works?’ he asked in amazement.
Tommy nodded. ‘Imagine the first poor fucker they tested it on, though, eh? Must’ve been shitting himself. Aye, it works, all right. Try one and see for yerself. Take the whole tube, if ye want. Take half a dozen — keep ye going for a while. I’ve got plenty. Hardly touch the stuff, except tae go shopping once in a while or visit the bank. Gives me heartburn, tell the truth.’
Joel examined the tube carefully, studying the fine print on the label. It looked for all the world like a normal pharmaceutical product. ‘This is amazing. I can’t believe how organised these people are … I mean, vampires,’ he corrected himself.
‘It’s global, laddie. Offices in just aboot every major city. But Europe’s where it all started, back in ‘84. The main headquarters is in Brussels. The Supremos run the whole kit and caboodle from there. They make the rules, and VIA enforce them. That’s V–I - A; stands for Vampire Intelligence Agency. Investigative division and police force, all rolled intae one. Now, as far as I ken, VIA’s based up in London. Where exactly, I couldnae tell ye. Top drawer stuff. They wouldnae trust the rank and file vampires wi’ information like that.’
‘You don’t sound very fond of them,’ Joel said.
‘I willnae say too much,’ Tommy said. ‘Let’s just say there’s a lot of us who’d scrap the whole fucking bureaucratic shower o’ them if ye gave us half a chance. They force us tae register and use their bloody drugs, then they keep hiking the price on us.’ Tommy paused. ‘And there’s those that do more than just grumble about the Feds. There’re rebels. Rumour has it that some vampires started an uprising.’
‘Gabriel Stone,’ Joel said. ‘I think he’s one of them.’
‘You seem to ken more aboot it than me. Anyway, the Federation Gestapo have been around asking questions. Trying to find oot if I’ve been involved in any of it. Hassling me over why I hadn’t been getting more o’ their drugs. I’m not the only one who’s been questioned. But VIA’s job is tae keep these things quiet. They never tell us the truth.’
‘So are you one of the rebels?’ Joel asked.
Tommy roared with laughter. ‘Me? Forget it, pal — I keep well out of all that shite. I just want tae get on with things, nice and quiet in my own wee corner, like I’ve always done.’
‘I want to find the London headquarters,’ Joel said.
‘Why? Tae surrender yerself?’
‘I have some business with somebody there.’
Tommy smiled, understanding. ‘Right, aye. The agent lassie who turned ye.’
‘Her name’s Alex Bishop. The last time I saw her was a few days ago in Romania. But I’m certain she’s come back to Britain, that she’s back in London. I don’t know how I know that, but I do.’
Tommy nodded. ‘Vampires and the victims they turn have a kind o’ bond between them. Telepathic, or something, I suppose it is. Some have it stronger than others. Depends on the vampire that did the turning. See, we get more powerful as we get older.’
Joel remembered how Kate Hawthorne, cornered in a flat in Wallingford before he’d destroyed her, had been able to guide him to Gabriel Stone’s castle in Romania. It had seemed bizarre at the time. Now he understood. ‘You think maybe I could use that bond to find her in London? How does it work? If I concentrate really hard, I might —’
Tommy smiled and shook his head. ‘It’s no’ quite that simple, laddie. Besides, even if ye did find yer lassie and get tae the VIA Headquarters, from the rumours I’ve heard, ye wouldnae get past the front door before ye got zapped with Nosferol. Ye don’t want to find oot what it can do. Trust me on that.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
Just after 4 a.m., and the black Rolls Royce Phantom was streaking through the lanes of rural Kent at over a hundred and twenty miles an hour. A relaxed Gabriel Stone was at the wheel, idly listening to a Mendelssohn string quartet as he hurtled the big car through the night. Beside him in the luxurious passenger seat, Lillith was pouring more of the 1993 Dom Perignon champagne into a crystal flute.
Zachary lounged stretched out in the back, a bottle in one giant fist and a full glass in the other. ‘One thing you gotta say about Lonsdale — that human-ass motherfucker certainly liked to do things in style.’
Gabriel’s hands tightened a little on the wheel in disapproval of Zachary’s language, but he said nothing.
‘What a fun evening this has turned out to be,’ Lillith said, glancing over her shoulder at the bundle of antique sabres, rapiers and broadswords propped up against the back seat next to Zachary. She could still taste the blood from the social call they’d just made to the secluded house a few miles from Rochester. It had been easy enough to find the antiquities collector via an auction catalogue.
‘All in the line of duty,’ Gabriel said.
‘This mission is becoming more and more fun,’ Lillith laughed. ‘I feel quite refreshed, and it’s so nice to be properly armed again. Come on, brother,’ she said, passing the brimming champagne glass to Gabriel, ‘step on it. We barely seem to be moving. What’s wrong with you? I miss my Lotus,’ she added with a sigh.
