With the gun held between his thighs, and the homemade bullets it held, Lee should have been safe. But he had never felt in such danger his whole life, not even ten years before, when he and Phil had faced the vampire in Yugoslavia. Back then he’d been certain that his time had come, but he had fought because he had no real concept of what he was fighting. Phil’s sacrifice had given him time to flee and hide, and had also given him ten years in which to reflect upon what might have been cowardice. At least he couldn’t think that now.
He parked close to the museum and holstered the gun. They left the car together, Francesco and Rose walking on either side of him. He did not feel escorted, and that was good. They could never trust one another—they all knew that—but their aims here really were the same.
And he’d revealed his secret, told them he knew exactly where the Bane was hidden away. They had to protect him now, because if one of the vampires killed him—or, worse, turned him to their cause—the Humains would be lost.
“It’s huge,” Rose said. The museum stood before them, an architectural wonder in itself. Stone columns and a pitched roof gave it something of an ancient Greek look, the steps wide and slightly worn by time, and banners hung down to advertise current special displays. Alive, Rose had not been a particular fan of architecture, but, undead, she could at least appreciate its calm permanence. Its exterior was lit by floodlights, and people still bustled around its base. The front doors were closed, however, and the only people she could make out behind the huge closed main doors wore uniforms.
“How many security guards?” Francesco asked.
“No idea,” Lee said. “A few, at least.”
Rose sighed, and he knew what that meant. Any fighting between the vampires and Humains would attract the guards, and they would become innocent victims. I’m responsible, he thought, and the weight was heavy.
So were the guns. He liked the weight of them, resting in the holsters beneath his arms and the one in the small of his back. They felt significant.
“Tell us where it is,” Francesco asked again.
“No,” Lee said. “I’ll find it first.”
“Lee—” Rose began.
“You going to torture it from me?” Lee asked, too loud. Heads turned their way, people wandering across the square before the museum on their way home from work. They quickly turned away again, but he knew that too much shouting would bring the wrong attention.
“Lee, I know,” Rose said softly.
She knows what? Lee felt panicked, even though he wasn’t sure what she was talking about.
“What?” Francesco asked.
“Olemaun’s heard of the Bane,” she said. “But conflicting stories. It’s not only a source of power for a vampire wielding it, it could be a weapon as well.”
“Which is why the vampires want it,” Francesco said.
“No,” Lee said. He sighed and half smiled at Rose. She did not return the expression, and he hated that she made him feel like a traitor. She was a fucking vampire, and she was making him out to be…
“A weapon for humans against vampires,” Rose said. “An ultimate weapon.”
“That sounds…” Francesco said, trailing off.
“Fanciful?” Rose asked.
“It’s what I know,” Lee said. “What I’ve read and heard. You need to understand something, Francesco. And I can tell you this here, because we’re surrounded by people and I know you’ll not harm me. Not just yet. You terrify me.” He stepped closer to the tall man, edging into his own fear, pressing against it, challenging. “You all terrify me, and always have. You might laugh at my garlic and crosses, but when it comes down to it, I know more about vampires than you. You’ve been one for a long time, but you’ve been a Humain for a long time too. Shut off from the world, and all the things going on. You visit me, pretending to be human, and we talk about the vampires and what they’ve been doing beyond your bubble in London. But I never told you everything. Because… I never trusted you. Not completely.”
“But you never believed I was a vampire,” Francesco said, and it was almost a question.
“No,” Lee said. “You fooled me on that one.”
“Stella Olemaun hinted at a lot of activity lately,” Rose said. “I tried to draw her on it, but she seemed more concerned with what’s going on here.”
“So, what do you propose?” Francesco asked. He’s almost treating me as an equal, Lee thought. The idea made him feel nauseous. He was way above the rat-feasting world of these Humains. But he had to swallow his revulsion. Even Rose, who he had used to harbor desires for and sometimes fantasized about… even she was nothing but a monster.
“I propose we work together to make sure these bastards don’t get the Bane,” he said. “And whatever comes next… that’ll be open for discussion.”
Francesco seemed about to say something, but Lee turned away and walked toward the museum. It took every ounce of courage he could muster not to turn back, and by the time he reached the bottom step, he was feeling pleased with himself.
“Wait,” Rose said softly. Lee paused, looking up at the façade and wondering how the hell they were going to get in. The two Humains joined him, silent, and they all turned at the sound of running.
Connie scampered across the steps, skipping like a little girl. She glanced briefly at Lee as she arrived, and he shrank beneath her derision.
“They’re here,” the girl said. “They’ve gone inside, back through a loading bay.” She looked at Rose. “Your brother’s with them.”
Lee saw Rose shift slightly, but she said nothing. She’s relieved, he thought. That’s almost human.
“So we need to find a way in,” Lee said. “They could search for weeks and never find it, but…”
“But they might know as well,” Francesco said.
“If the woman told Marty, yes,” Rose said.
“Patrick and Jane?”
“I haven’t seen them yet,” the girl said. Rose produced her phone and started dialing, and for a moment Lee thought she was calling Stella for help. I’m not sure you’d be her friend anymore, Rose had said of the American, and Lee had known from the beginning what this meant. Right then he didn’t really mind. Only later would he allow himself to question his own perception, and ask how the fuck he had been fooled by not only these vampires but one far distant as well. In a way, it was no surprise that someone so obviously immersed in the vampire world had been found and turned by them.
I survived, he thought. For now. He crossed his arms and held the pistol handles. They were Raging Bull 454s, imported via a contact in the States. Big guns, whose .454 cartridges were used to hunt big game. Lee’s modifications had made the ammunition even more effective at stopping something dead, or undead. And against all logic, in a world where there were vampires, they made him feel safe.
“Lee, you go with Connie,” Francesco said. “Rose, tell Patrick to meet them by the loading bay.” Rose nodded, muttering into her phone.
Francesco caught Lee’s eye and smiled, and for the first time Lee saw how the night suited this man. Shadows seemed drawn to him. Standing there motionless, he was almost invisible.
“What about you?” Lee asked.
“Distractions,” Francesco said. “Rose, Jane, and myself will enter the building wherever we can. We’ll make a noise, try and draw the vampires. Take them on. It’s up to you to lead Patrick and Connie to the Bane and bring it out together.”
Lee patted one of his guns. “Don’t you think with these I’d be better fighting them?”