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Chapter Five

By the time Jeremy returned, I was considerably calmer. I'd spent a good hour pacing the flat, sorting through everything in my head, and I was beyond nervous about what the next day at Supernatural Squad would bring, but I felt more in control. I knew I'd been right to tell Tony that I'd do the same thing again. I hadn't gone into this job to stand back and let disaster happen, regardless of the bizarre culture and set of rules that had evolved around the supes and the police.

Several times I considered picking up the phone and speaking to Lucinda Barnes – and several times I stopped myself. I'd wait to see what Tony said tomorrow before I did anything else that might be considered rash.

At least Jeremy could be counted on for support. He poured me a large glass of wine, listened to my tale of woe and made all the right noises. Then he bundled me off towards the bathroom. ‘Light a few candles and take a long soak,' he instructed. ‘You'll feel better for it. I'll make dinner.'

‘You're the best boyfriend in the world,' I told him. ‘I don't know what I'd do without you.'

‘Wither and die, I expect,' he said cheerfully. ‘Go on. Off you go. Don't forget we're meeting Becky and Tom later for drinks.'

Damn it. I'd forgotten about that. They were Jeremy's friends, not mine, and the last thing I wanted was to put on my polite front and make tepid conversation with them. Crawling into bed and pulling the duvet over my head seemed a much better option.

‘I don't think I'll be good company,' I said. ‘And I've got a headache coming on. Why don't you go without me?'

He frowned. ‘We planned this ages ago. They're looking forward to seeing you.'

I doubted that very much. ‘Jeremy, I—'

‘It's fine. I'll send our apologies.'

‘No!' I shook my head. ‘Just because I'm staying home doesn't mean you have to. Go out. Have fun.'

‘I don't want to leave you alone when you're like this.'

I smiled at him. ‘I'm a big girl. I'll be fine.'

He sighed. ‘Alright.'

I reached up and kissed him. ‘Thank you for being so understanding. I'll come next time. Promise.'

He gave me a grudging nod. ‘Okay.'

I pushed away my flicker of guilt and kissed him again. The truth was that deep down we both knew he'd enjoy himself more without me. Conversation with his friends usually excluded me – not deliberately, but simply because they shared a history that I'd never be part of. This would be better for all of us.

***

When I finally emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a large fluffy robe, I knew I'd made the right decision. Jeremy had been right – the hot scented water had indeed made me feel a whole lot better – but also exhaustion was setting in. After an early night, I'd feel more prepared for whatever I was going to face at work the next day.

Unfortunately, the best-laid plans often come to naught. As soon as I sat down in front of the cumin-dusted cauliflower steak and chips that he'd cooked, Jeremy pointed to my phone. ‘You got a message while you were soaking,' he said.

I forked some food into my mouth, reached across to pick it up and glanced at the screen. ‘I don't recognise the number.' I thumbed it open and scanned it. ‘It's from Tony,' I said slowly. ‘He must have got my phone number from the Academy.' I stared at the message, then put down the phone. I wasn't sure what to think.

‘What is it?'

‘He said that he's sorry for coming down me on so hard today and that I should meet him tonight in the vampires' quarter.'

Jeremy stilled. ‘And will you?'

I avoided meeting his gaze. ‘I'll have to.'

‘No, you don't have to. You're not on night shift, Emma, and you already said you weren't feeling well.'

I sighed. ‘From what little I know of him, Tony's not the kind of guy who apologises easily. I messed up with the werewolves. If I can make amends by presenting myself appropriately to the vampires, maybe I can turn this rotation around. The vamps don't tend to come out during the day, so I'll have to go there at night if I'm to meet any of them.'

‘If the vampires don't care what Supernatural Squad does, why does it matter if you meet them or not?'

I put down my knife and fork, reached across and squeezed his hand. ‘I didn't choose this rotation and I don't want to do it, but I need to do well. Not just for the report that I'll get from Tony, but for my own professional pride.'

For a long moment, Jeremy didn't say anything. ‘I don't suppose I can stop you going.'

‘No.'

His jaw tightened. ‘You'll take care? You won't go rushing after any vampires who run past you covered in blood? After all, that probably happens to them all the time.'

I laughed. ‘I promise I won't. And I won't be out for long. I bet I'm home and tucked up in bed long before you return from the pub.'

‘Hmm.' He rubbed his chin. ‘What exactly will you bet on that?'

My eyes danced. ‘Whatever you want.'

***

I dressed in jeans and a sweater, hoping they'd prove more suitable than my smart suit. I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb in the centre of Soho. I also swigged down a strong coffee in the hope that the caffeine would keep me going; I didn't think that Tony would appreciate me spending the evening yawning in his face, not after he'd gone out of his way to reach out and say sorry.

Despite my earlier misgivings after visiting the werewolves, I was curious to compare them to the vampires. Before today, I'd barely given the supes any thought at all. I still didn't know if I'd learn anything useful on this rotation but, if nothing else, it was an opportunity to improve my diplomatic skills. And although I could tell that Jeremy was still irritated that I was putting work before him, he gave me a lingering kiss before I left. Things weren't so bad after all.

Tony's message had asked me to meet him at St Erbin's Church on the edge of the vampires' quarter. I guessed there was a reason for choosing that particular spot. It was consecrated ground, so it was all but guaranteed to be vampire free. Even with my woefully limited knowledge of the vamps, I knew that the Church – like the werewolves – despised their kind. I couldn't have told Jeremy, but I felt a ripple of excitement despite my fatigue.

I took the Tube to Piccadilly Circus and walked the rest of the way. The bright lights dimmed, and the crowds of tourists reduced in number as I drew closer to the quarter. Plenty of humans were drawn to this area, and lots of them relished getting close to the vampires at any time of night, but they were discouraged from staying for long. Sensible people stayed away; the more stupid ones occasionally became bloody snacks. Or so I'd heard.

Although I was aware that it was probably a daft thing to do, I'd wound a scarf round my neck before leaving home. There was no point in tempting fate and leaving myself unnecessarily exposed.

St Erbin's Church had been standing in this spot long before the vampires moved in and claimed Soho as their own. Although the tower was a more recent replacement, the rest of the structure had been there since the seventeenth century. Considering the seediness beyond, it seemed out of place even with its gothic overtones.

As I walked up to the gate into the small churchyard, I noted various posters pinned to the wall: Samaritans offering support to anyone seeking to join the ranks of the vamps; the NHS offering blood to those who'd lost several pints of their own; a few church groups offering salvation to anyone who'd been turned and now regretted it. It surprised and amused me that the vampires allowed these notices on the edge of their territory. Maybe they had a sense of humour; if they did, it would be more than I'd witnessed in the werewolves.

The iron gate creaked on its hinges when I pushed it open. As far as I could tell, there was no one waiting in the churchyard and no sign of Tony. I checked my watch. It wasn't quite ten o'clock, so I was a few minutes early.

I wandered over to a bench overlooking the graveyard. It had rained a lot recently and this area clearly didn't have good drainage. I didn't need to be able to see in the dark to know that my shoes were already caked in mud. I made a half-hearted effort at wiping the worst off on the grass verge and sat down.

Gazing out across the shadowy gravestones, I wondered what wisdom the dead would impart to me if they could. Probably that hanging around a graveyard in the dead of night wasn't a sensible thing to do. As the damp on the bench started to seep through my jeans, I reckoned they'd be right.

I waited five minutes. Then ten. Growing bored, I stood up and looked around on the off chance that Tony was waiting around the corner. A group of giggly women, dressed up to the nines and heading deeper into Soho, passed by. One of them sent me a curious look, but her friends were too absorbed in the excitement of their journey into vampire territory to notice me.

I shoved my hands into my pockets in a bid to keep warm and walked round to the front of the church. Perhaps Tony was waiting inside, where it was both dry and warm. I tugged at the heavy door handle and slid inside.

It wasn't much warmer inside the church. The empty pews seemed to mock me, and the candles dotted around the place cast long, flickering shadows that only added to the eeriness.

‘Hello?' I called.

There was a loud thud from somewhere beyond the vestry, followed by an even louder, ‘Fuck!' A moment later, a youngish man in his thirties wearing a dog collar appeared, rubbing his knee. He straightened up when he saw me, surprise flashing across his face. ‘Good evening. Are you in need of sustenance, my child?'

‘Uh…'

The vicar grimaced. ‘Sorry. That sounded better in my head than when it came out. I'm new to all this, and I'm trying to appear professional. It doesn't always work. But it doesn't mean that I can't help you.' He looked at me kindly. ‘Are you heading into Soho? You know that the vampires won't provide answers for you any more than God will. Quite the contrary, in fact.'

I smiled at him. I had the feeling that he didn't often get random people wandering in. ‘I'm not looking for God or for vampires. I was supposed to be meeting someone here. A bloke in his late fifties?'

‘No-one else has been here since the morning. Not to my knowledge, anyway.' He gestured to a pew. ‘But why don't you sit down while you're waiting for him and we can have a chat? It's far safer in here than out there. This is a sanctuary, you know, and monsters abound outside at this time of night. I can put the kettle on, if you like. I'm William, by the way. William Knight.'

Reverend Knight was very earnest, and he obviously believed all the Church's hype about the monstrous nature of vampires. It wasn't as if I knew anything different, though I was prepared to keep an open mind until I was proved wrong.

‘That's very kind of you,' I said. ‘But no, thank you.' I twisted round, my ears twitching. I couldn't be sure, but I thought I'd heard something outside. ‘That's probably him now. Nice to meet you.'

‘Wait! What's your name?' he called out.

I opened my mouth to tell him, then thought about what Tony had said about names. I grinned. ‘D'Artagnan.'

Reverend Knight seemed taken aback. I waved at him and walked out.

The wind was picking up, rattling through the bare trees and making the dry leaves that had collected at the corners of some of the gravestones skitter and swirl along the ground. I frowned and scanned the churchyard. I still couldn't see any sign of Tony. Even the streets were empty, with no more vampire-seeking groups wandering past in search of a good time.

I checked my watch again. It was twenty past ten. The thought that this was Tony's way of getting back at me for my misdemeanours with the werewolves itched at me. He hadn't struck me as the petty type, but I barely knew the man. Anything was possible. I'd give it until half past then I was going back home to my warm bed.

I wrapped my arms around myself and gazed up at the sky. It was cloudy, but it was possible to make out a few twinkling stars. I was squinting, wondering whether I was looking at the Milky Way or simply a passing aeroplane, when there was the sudden sound of a twig cracking to my left. I stiffened and glanced over. Nothing.

Frowning, I ambled over to the source of the sound. I didn't think I'd imagined it. Then I heard heavy breathing.

Freaked out now, I spun around. Where was that coming from? I clenched my jaw. I was being ridiculously jumpy – it was probably a cat. Maybe even a fox. I couldn't see anything or anyone. If I was really that worried, I could hop inside the church again. In fact…

Pain exploded in the back of my skull. I cried out, falling forward to my knees while white lights flashed in my eyes from the blow. My fingers clawed at the ground, scrabbling in the dirt. I coughed, spitting blood, barely registering the shadow that grew from over my shoulder.

I tried to twist my head to see what – or rather who – it was. Before I could, whoever had hit me the first time did it again, smacking something heavy across the other side of my skull. This time I went face first into the ground, receiving a mouthful of dirt. I didn't even get a chance to scream.

Screeching agony was overtaking everything, and it was difficult to think clearly. Something grabbed hold of a hank of my hair and pulled my head up. My vision was blurred; no matter how hard I tried to focus, I could make out little more than the dim shape of a figure looming over me. He spoke – I was sure it was a man – but the ringing in my ears made it impossible to hear either the words or to recognise the voice.

I croaked and licked my lips, my fingers reaching desperately for my pocket. If I could just get to my phone, maybe I could get some help.

‘Please,' I whispered.

The figure moved and gave a strange grating sound. It took a moment for me to realise that it was laughter. It sounded like it was coming from a long way off. Something flashed in front of my eyes. I barely had the chance to work out that it was a knife before the scarf round my neck was yanked away and the tip of the blade pressed into my soft flesh.

I felt it sliding in, but there was nothing I could do about it. My carotid artery, I thought dimly. I half gasped, feeling the hot blood – my hot blood – soak my skin. And then everything went dark.

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