Lara reluctantly agreed that she needed to behave. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. "I'm terribly sorry. I really do want to serve the gods." She pointed at the bronze doorway at the end of the hall. "Whose room is that?"
"It is the Most Holy Sanctum," Miss Forbidden whispered. "When Zeus comes, he stays there."
"Zeus comes here?" Lara figured he was another vampire. And he stopped by to mooch a free meal off of Apollo. "That is so exciting."
"I know!" Miss Forbidden's eyes lit up. "He comes by every few weeks to visit his children, Apollo and Athena. But of course, he usually lives on Mount Olympus."
"Of course. What does he look like?"
"No one knows," Miss Forbidden whispered. "He never leaves the Most Holy Sanctum. Apollo selects a Chosen One for him. And the next morning, the Chosen One doesn't remember him. He works in mysterious ways."
"Right. So how many gods drop by?"
"A few." Miss Forbidden smiled. "One time Hermes came to visit, and he chose me."
"How... wonderful for you." Lara couldn't see Miss Forbidden's neck since her long reddish blonde hair was in the way.
Lara spent the rest of the guard duty trying to glean more information from Miss Forbidden. Then she returned to the kitchen to help Cook prepare supper for five guards, eight maidens, and the new Chosen One, Aquila. It couldn't be a coincidence that Aquila was chosen just as Brittney Beckford disappeared. Apollo must have known she was about to die. That bastard. He actually had these girls eager to become his next victim.
She and Cook were cleaning up after supper when the sun set.
Kristy ran into the kitchen. "Hurry! Zeus has arrived. There's going to be another Selecting Ceremony."
"Oh my gods." The cook dried her hands on a dish towel. "We need to get cleaned up, fast." She ran to the dormitory.
Lara followed, and Kristy gave them new white robes to wear. They rushed into the temple just as the first gong sounded.
Lara took her position in the last row of red cushions in the center of the temple. Vanessa and Kristy were next to her. Three maidens stood in front of her. On the first row, only two maidens stood-Cook and Miss Forbidden. The third pillow was unclaimed. It had been Aquila's.
The gong sounded again, and the guard announced the Chosen One. Aquila strode in, dressed in her red robe. Lara was relieved to see her still looking strong, though the red scarf around her neck was creepy.
Athena was announced, and then Apollo. Lara kneeled and bowed with the other maidens.
"We have been honored by a visit from my father, All Mighty Zeus." Apollo circled the maidens. "First row, stand."
Cook and Miss Forbidden rose to their feet.
"You will be his Chosen One for tonight." Apollo motioned to Miss Forbidden. "See that you please him well."
"Yes, My Lord Apollo," Miss Forbidden breathed. "Oh, thank you, my lord."
With a sad face, Cook helped Miss Forbidden put on the red robe.
Lara's stomach churned. She didn't want to think about what was going to happen to Miss Forbidden.
Apollo led Miss Forbidden to the hallway behind the thrones. She was going to the Most Holy Sanctum, Lara thought. She hoped the poor girl would come out alive.
As the ceremony ended, Lara noted there were only seven maidens now. Fear surged inside her, threatening to explode into sheer panic.
They walked to the dormitory. The air was cool and crisp, but she was finding it hard to breathe. Her heart raced. She glanced up at the clear night sky. Jack would be up now. Was he looking for her? Jack, please hurry. I'm starting to freak out.
She couldn't wait for a rescue. She had to get out of here. Aquila and Miss Forbidden could die. The other maidens were in danger. Hell, she was in danger.
"I think I'll go to the kitchen and check supplies," she told the other maidens. "I'll be along later."
She dashed to the kitchen and gathered up supplies for her escape. A knife, a small box of matches, an empty bottle filled with water, some crackers. She emptied potatoes out of a burlap sack and put her supplies inside.
With the sack in hand, she crept out of the kitchen. These damned white sandals were not good for a long trek through the woods, but what choice did she have? And this white gown made her way too visible.
She spotted two guards walking along the stone wall. They were headed away from her. She rounded the kitchen and spotted an overgrown dirt road in the back, leading to an iron gate. Great! This was probably the road the delivery truck used to bring in food supplies. It might lead to a nearby town.
She looked around. The coast was clear. She pulled her long white gown up to her knees and dashed to the gate. She slipped underneath. She was free!
A long howl echoed eerily around her. She scanned the woods and gasped when a pair of golden eyes looked back at her. What had Miss Forbidden told her? There were ferocious beasts in the woods with gnashing teeth? They would drag her to Hades?
She shook her head. No, that was brainwashing. She couldn't believe that.
The golden eyes moved closer. Lara pressed against the gate. Her heart thundered in her chest. Another howl came from the forest. Undergrowth swished and crackled.
She fumbled in the burlap bag for the knife. Just in time, too, for a huge, gray wolf appeared from the forest. She gulped. She'd never seen such a huge wolf. Actually, she'd never seen a wolf before at all. She tightened her grip on the knife.
The wolf's gold eyes gleamed in the dark. He snarled, and two more wolves emerged from the forest.
Oh God, there could be a whole pack of them. Lara eased back underneath the gate. She retreated slowly, keeping her eyes on the three wolves. They stood still, watching her.
She circled the kitchen, then ran inside and slammed the door shut. Dammit! Vampires and wolves. Either way, she was a goner.
Oh, Jack, please find me.
Jack strode into the security office at Romatech. "Give me another place to check out. Hurry."
Phil looked up from where he sat behind the desk. "No luck with the place in West Texas?"
"No." It was just past midnight, and already Jack had investigated four isolated compounds across the country. "Wasn't there one in Colorado?"
"Robby's at that one." Phil referred to the yellow legal pad on the desk in front of him. "And Phineas is in Virginia."
Jack paced across the office. The three Vamps had split up so more locations could be checked. Phil was manning the phone as more reports were called in from wolf packs across North America. Unfortunately, they were getting a lot of reports from the western states, and Jack still believed Apollo was somewhere in the east, close to his hunting grounds.
Phil tapped his pen on the yellow paper. "I've got one in Minnesota."
"Call the pack master, and I'll teleport there." Jack had to stay busy, or he'd go crazy. If he even stopped to think about how Lara could be suffering, he would rip a tree out by its roots.
As Phil reached for the phone, it rang. "MacKay Security and Investigation. Phil speaking." He paused. "Yes, I'm that Phil."Jack's superior hearing could pick up the deep, gruff voice on the line. A pack master from northern Maine. This sounded promising.
Jack leaned over the desk, so he could hear better. A female body had been discovered in the woods.
His heart lurched. No, not Lara.
Phil gave him a worried look. "Can you describe her? You have a photo? I'll give you our fax number." He recited the number.
A chill stole over Jack. The voice on the phone described the girl as tall, slim, with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. The fax machine was so damned slow. Jack's stomach roiled, and for the first time in his long vampire life, he thought he might lose his dinner.
Finally, the photo arrived. Jack ripped it from the machine. It wasn't Lara.
He drew in a shaky breath. "It's not her. But this girl looks familiar." He grabbed the case file and rummaged through the photos he'd collected. He pulled out a photo that closely matched the fax. Brittney Beckford. Apollo had dumped the poor girl's body in the woods.
"Greek-style architecture?" Phil sat up. "Are you sure?"
"Put him on speakerphone," Jack said. "We'll go there now."
Phil punched the button and warned the pack master that they were on their way. Jack grabbed Phil's arm and teleported to the sound of the werewolf's voice.
"Welcome to Wolf Ridge." A tall man with thick gray hair and amber eyes stood behind a desk, wearing a police uniform and a grim expression. "Everyone around here calls me Chief."
Jack glanced at the empty jail cell behind him. "You're the chief of police here?"
"Yes, and pack master." The werewolf extended a hand toward Phil. "It's good to meet you. I know your father."
"I'm sure you do," Phil muttered and shook Chief's hand. "This is Jack from Venice."
Chief eyed Jack warily as he shook his hand. "My sons and I found the dead girl in the woods. I think one of your kind killed her. She has tooth marks on her neck, and she's completely drained of blood."
Jack ground his teeth. "The vampire who killed her is not one of my kind. I only drink synthetic blood, and I protect mortals from those who would kill them for a meal."
Chief nodded. "Good. I don't allow my pack to attack mortals, either."
"We need to see the compound you discovered." Jack called Robby and Phineas, and the two Vamps teleported there.
Chief looked them over. "So we have a vampire from Venice, one from Scotland in a kilt, and one from...?"
"The Bronx," Phineas finished the werewolf's sentence. "You got a problem with that?"
"No." Chief smiled. "I'll take you to the compound. If there's a vampire there who's killing women, I want him stopped, too."
Chief led them out the door, and they all piled into his SUV. Thirty minutes later, they arrived at Chief's hunting cabin, deep in the forest.
"I'll take you the rest of the way on foot." Chief stepped behind the big hood of the SUV and removed his uniform. "It'll be faster for us wolves if we shift." He glanced at Phil. "Ready?"
Phil's jaw shifted. "I'll stay as I am."
Chief winced. "Sorry. I got the impression that-"
"Don't mention it," Phil grumbled. "I'll be right behind you all. And I'll bring your clothes."
"Thanks." Chief left his clothes stacked on the hood. As he walked toward the woods, his body began to waver. Within a few seconds, he had shifted into a large, gray wolf.
"Holy shit," Phineas said. "That was fast."
"He's an Alpha." Phil grabbed the police chief's clothes. "They can shift easily at any time. He doesn't need a full moon."
"Oh." Phineas glanced up at the crescent moon. "So I guess you're not-"
"Enough," Robby interrupted. He pointed at Chief, who was already loping into the forest. "Let's go."
The three Vamps dashed after the running wolf. Phil sprinted along behind.
After a few miles, they arrived at the compound. Jack grinned when he saw the Greek temple. I've got you now, Apollo.
"Bingo," Phineas breathed. "This has got to be it."
Chief sat on his haunches, panting, with his tongue hanging out.
"As soon as Phil catches up, there'll be five of us," Robby said. "We could attack right away."
It was tempting, so tempting to rush in and rescue Lara. But was it wise? "We can't be sure how many vampires are in there," Jack said. "We know Apollo has at least one accomplice. There could be more."
He walked slowly around the compound, keeping to the woods. The others followed. He wished he could send a psychic message to Lara that he had arrived, but he didn't dare. Vampire telepathy was like broadcasting on a radio. Every vampire in the vicinity would hear it.
Phil arrived. He set Chief's clothes behind a tree, and the wolf shifted back to human form.
Phil eyed the compound. "This looks like the right place. It's got to be, since one of the missing girls was found close by."
"Yes, but I want more information before we attack." Jack spotted two guards. "Mortals. Armed with swords."
"I bet they're heavily under vampire control," Robby said. "They may be programmed to kill the women and themselves if the compound is breached."
"Shit," Phineas muttered. "That's cold."
"You could be right." Chief rounded the tree, buttoning his shirt. "I doubt this guy will want to leave any witnesses. Come, I want to show you something."
Chief led them through the woods till they came upon a dirt road and a gate. "This leads to another town, a mortal one, about thirty miles from here. I think the town is delivering food supplies here."
"Really?" Jack turned to Phil. "How would you like a new job?" With vampire control, it would be easy enough to convince a store manager that Phil was their new delivery man.
Phil nodded. "Sounds good. But I would be here during the day when the vampires are in their death-sleep. I may not be able to find out much."
"I'll come here at night to find out more," Jack said.
"Ye're thinking of going under cover?" Robby frowned at him. "I doona like it, Jack. Ye've killed enough Malcontents that they know yer name. And Apollo saw you for just a second before he teleported away."
"That's all right." Jack smiled. "I can change my name and my looks. I know a really good hairdresser in Massachusetts."