Chapter Nineteen

"Here." Buck pointed at a map spread on the scarred coffee table. "One of Jennie's people spotted one of Paulson's unregistered vessels here." He placed a yellow pin in the middle of a cluster of islands near the mouth of a river north of Ketchikan.

Spread on the table before Carwyn was a large map of the Inside Passage, the patchwork of islands, sea, peninsulas, and river deltas that made up the stretch of coast that started at the Puget Sound and stretched north into the lower reach of Alaska.

Carwyn leaned closer and peered at the area where Buck was pointing. "Do we know why one of his ships is in this location?"

"No more than we know why any of his ships are anywhere. It's probably one of those… need-to-know kind of things."

Ben asked, "Do you know who's on it?"

"Nah. It's a bigger ship." Buck shook his head. "Converted cargo barge, probably used to move timber. It'll be looking to avoid the weather in that area." He put two more pins in other locations. "And these are the last known of two of his other vessels, a fishing boat and a yacht. Trying to track down exact locations right now with Jeb's help. He's docked in Sitka at the moment, but he's been on the radio all night, asking around."

The straits and islands that made up the Inside Passage were a common route for sea vessels of all kinds. Because the channels were deep, they allowed shipping vessels and cruise ships to avoid winter storms, but even in a heavily traveled region, it was still… a very big ocean.

Ben had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was staring at the map next to Carwyn. "Any other vessels we can confirm belong to Paulson?"

"Katya's sending a list," Buck said, "but it won't be complete. I know of at least two vessels he staffed with Russians and Asians. They're ghost ships. Don't dock anywhere. They stay at sea pretty much constantly. Use other ships to refuel, don't ever come into port."

Ben looked at Carwyn. "Those would be the caravan ships?"

"Possibly." Carwyn nodded. "But it's important to remember we don't know that Zasha is working with Paulson or if Paulson is a victim. Remember, the crew on board his ships that we know of haven't been seen by their loved ones in months. If Paulson was cooperating willingly, I suspect he wouldn't want to raise suspicions like that."

"Very true," Buck said. "Katya pointed that out too. As of right now, we're treating Paulson like a victim."

"Victim or ally, we need to find him," Ben said. "If for no other reason than we know he talked to Zasha."

Carwyn sat back and tried to put the puzzle together in his mind.

One vampire antagonist with no conscience, an ultra-private immortal billionaire, and a fleet of ghost ships in a vast, cold ocean. Couple that with seemingly random attacks on vampire compounds in isolated locations, two territorial leaders with deep suspicion toward each other, and Carwyn could see a larger situation with the potential to explode.

"Are we not thinking big enough?" Carwyn looked at the two men with him, both of whom were far younger than he was. "Fleets of ships that aren't used for business are historically used for two things—conquest or exploration preceding conquest."

Ben frowned. "But Katya said that Paulson uses them for safe houses, like the sea-steading thing."

"Sea-steading is limited. Maybe it's not enough for him anymore." Carwyn unfolded the map on the table and spread it out to include the entirety of the Alaskan Peninsula and the Arctic Sea beyond it. "The planet is getting warmer—every vampire who's lived over a century can feel the difference."

"Hell," Buck said. "I'm in my fifties and I can see a difference in the ice."

"Paulson likes money." Carwyn tapped the sea ice around the North Pole. "So maybe he's looking for his next investment."

"In… ice?" Buck frowned. "Melting ice for that matter?"

Carwyn stared at the map. "Melting ice is exactly the point."

Buck leaned one arm on the table and narrowed his eyes. "You're talking about the Northwest Passage, aren't you?"

"The Northwest Passage?" Ben asked.

Carwyn ignored the young one and looked at the older man. "I'm talking about a very lightly controlled area of the vampire world" —he spread his hand over the map, concentrating on the blue water— "that could become a major shipping region over the next century. Paulson didn't make a fortune without thinking ahead. He might be betting that this area will be a gold mine in the very near future."

"I don't know about that." Buck shrugged. "But I know Katya is watching the Russian for that exact reason."

"Oleg?" Ben asked.

Carwyn closed his eyes. "Oleg and Zasha are not working together."

"Same sire," Buck said.

"Oleg's not a sociopath. This was his territory for centuries; it's not exactly unexpected that he would?—"

"You on his side or something?" Buck asked.

"I don't take sides in?—"

"Can someone explain this to me?" Ben interrupted them. "What's the Northwest Passage?"

"A shipping lane." Carwyn dragged his finger across the edge of the Arctic Sea north of Asia. "And potentially a gold mine. Europe to Asia through the warming Arctic Ocean instead of going through the Panama or the Suez Canals. It would cut the shipping time of goods and the fuel used by a huge margin."

"People have been speculating about it for years," Buck said. "Hell, explorers died tryin' to find it back in the day. Katya knows that Oleg has his eye on it."

"I'm sure he does, but that doesn't mean he's working with Zasha," Carwyn said.

Buck leaned on the table. "There'll be a conflict eventually, or some kind of settled agreement. I imagine Katya's gonna depend on the Athabaskan Confederation preferring stability over Oleg."

"Why?" Carwyn asked. "They're interior. We're talking about water."

Buck looked stumped. "I don't know. I guess I always assumed?—"

"You're thinking like a human." Carwyn stared at the map. "Because you are one, so of course you are. But we're vampires. What happens on the water and what happens on land are very different things. The Athabaskans won't be consulted if water vampires go to war."

"That's what Zasha wants then?" Ben frowned. "War? I don't see them as a general for anyone to command."

"And we don't know that Paulson is involved in any of this." Buck pointed back at the yellow pins. "For all we know, he's another victim like these vampire compounds along the coast."

"One way to find out." Ben looked at the map. "I think it's a good idea to pay this barge a visit."

"You're right." Carwyn glanced at Ben. "I don't think it's smart for you to go without backup."

"Five hours by boat," Buck said. "And that's making good time if the weather holds steady."

Ben crossed his arms and looked at Buck. "Can you get Carwyn in a boat during the day? That'll put him up there right about nightfall, right?"

"Not a bad idea." Buck nodded. "Carwyn?"

"More boats," he muttered. "I'll do it." He glared at Ben. "Only time in my life I've wished I could fly."

Carwyn climbed out from the ship's hold and into the small enclosed bridge just in time to see faint lights in the distance through the rain-dotted windows beyond the control panel of the fishing boat. An old man in a dark blue sweater and a ragged baseball cap sat in a bouncing chair behind a cracked helm in the center of the sealed compartment.

"Evening." The old man pointed over his shoulder. "There's some blood in that fridge if you're hungry. I am not on the menu."

Carwyn smiled. "I hunted before we left this morning, but thank you." He looked around the compartment. "Are we close?"

"Almost there. Name's Clovis, and I don't need to know yours."

"Understood."

"Your friend meeting us?"

Carwyn peered out into the dark, overcast night. "He's flying. Said it would only take an hour or so after dusk."

The captain nodded. "I'll put the lights on then. Give him a place to land if he's coming from above." The wiry human captain glanced over his shoulder. "Ain't really a place for earth types. Kinda surprised to see one of you this far out."

"I'm not with the Athabaskans." Carwyn reached out to balance himself as the boat hit a rough spot. "I'm from Wales."

"Eh-yup." The man nodded. "You'll see them out here too."

Carwyn blinked. "Athabaskan vampires?"

"Nah, whales."

Right. Carwyn nodded and gave the man a smile. "Well, I thank you for the lift. Buck said you know these waters much better than he does."

"I been around a while, but Jennie calls the shots in my world. She tells me to take one of you boys where you need to go, I don't ask questions."

Carwyn looked at the darkness all around him. He could barely make out the dim outline of islands rising up out of the water, covered in dense trees, but there was no moon and no stars reflected on the water. The sun had only been down for half an hour, but it was already pitch-black.

"We're not sure what we're looking for," he warned the old man. "It might be a while."

"No worries. I got a book with me. Take all the time you need. You got about sixteen hours before the sun comes up, so plenty of time to go exploring." He nodded at the glowing panels in front of him. "I pick up anything on the radar, I'll let you know."

"Hopefully once my friend gets here, he can give you directions."

"I gotta say, I don't envy the blood-drinking thing, but that vampire night vision would sure come in handy."

"You're not wrong, Clovis." Carwyn settled into a bench seat to wait for Ben.

No more than half an hour later, he heard a thump on the back of the boat. When he looked out the back window, he saw Ben's tall figure dressed in black, crouched on the deck and clearly trying to find his balance.

Clovis smiled. "Wind vampires hate small boats."

"Lucky they don't have to take them often." Carwyn threw a yellow slicker over his shoulders and walked out of the enclosed compartment. "You're here."

The young vampire straightened. "I saw the barge coming in. If he takes the boat toward the shore and around this island here" —Ben pointed to the right— "it's in a cove."

"I'll tell him."

Carwyn poked his head into the bridge and said, "Around the island and to the right. There's a cove?"

Clovis nodded. "Eh-yup. I know the place." The old man walked out on the deck and flashed a lantern toward the shore. "Just callin' Gus."

"Gus?"

The human frowned at Carwyn. "You didn't think I was gonna take this big thing close into that barge, did you? You want eyes on that boat, you need a water vampire. Jennie said to call Gus."

Carwyn had to assume that Gus was one of Katya's people too if Jennie said to call him.

A few moments later, a flash from the shore came back, and Clovis headed back to the bridge. "He'll bring 'er around."

"Good." Carwyn didn't know what was happening, but he was going to follow the old human's lead.

They rounded the cove as the rain poured down, and Clovis shut off the lights as he approached the turn where the land met the water.

"I'll fly over," Ben said. "Go lower and scope things out."

"Good."

Clovis nodded. "And we'll wait for Gus."

Carwyn walked out to the bow of the ship and waited in the darkness as Ben took off into the night. He saw the vampire circle the barge, which was lit with dim blue lights along the deck. There were three lights glowing from portholes, and the faint sound of music drifted across the surface of the water.

He squinted through the rain and watched Ben fly lower. "What are you seeing, boy?"

Ben was freezing cold, but he didn't let it distract him from surveying the converted barge. The deck was flat and broad and had to be at least a hundred and fifty feet long. It had been altered from its original job as an industrial vessel to a pleasure craft with attractively lit walkways, raised container gardens bursting with evergreen plants, line-fishing stations, and freshly painted storage containers that must have been the cabins.

Near the bow, a cedar-sided sauna pumped steam through a round chimney; in the center, what looked like an outdoor kitchen sat cold and lifeless under a large cover. On the other end, opposite the sauna, five steel containers sat on the deck, not a window visible from the outside but each bearing outdoor stairs that led to a wood deck atop the industrial-chic cabins.

Ben didn't want to get too close in case someone was watching, so he flew at a distance, waiting to see any sign of life. But though there were lights on and Ben could hear music, there was no movement atop the barge.

He flew to the shelter of a nearby cedar that hugged the edge of the cove and sat to wait in silence. The faint sounds that emerged from the vessel gave no indication of anything other than general habitation. He could smell food cooking, but that could mean either human or vampire inhabitants.

Henri Paulson had bought this barge from a salvage ten years ago, renamed it the Sea King Alpha, and then it had disappeared from all commercial enterprise, at least officially. Unofficially, Katya suspected that this boat was one of Paulson's shadow fleet of sea havens for vampires who wanted to disappear from modern life.

Disappear in luxury, of course.

Ben heard movement in the forest behind him, but when he turned, all he could see was the head of a bright red fox popping out from behind a fallen, moss-covered log.

The fox ducked down, spooked by something to Ben's left.

When he followed the animal's gaze, he saw her.

Perched in a pine tree and cloaked in black with her hair covered in what looked like a balaclava, her storm-grey eyes watched him across the lush green expanse.

Tenzin.

Ben blinked, and in the space of a heartbeat, she disappeared.

Without a word, he pushed off from the cedar, ignoring the crack of the branch beneath his feet, and took to the air in pursuit.