Vamps and the City

He stepped back and turned his flashlight off. She couldn't see his expression in the dark, but she knew he was staring at her. She could feel the heat of his gaze.

Slowly, the heat in her body dissipated, leaving her cold and empty once again. "Come." She peeked out the door. No one was in sight, but she could hear screaming from the direction of Sly's office. Corky was giving him an earful.

"This way." She motioned for Adam to follow her.

They moved quickly down the back hallway to the rear exit. Darcy pushed open the heavy door.

Adam paused halfway through. "When can I see you again?"

"In two weeks. Please, promise me you won't come here again."

"Fine." Frowning, he removed a small notepad and pen from an inside pocket of his jacket. He jotted something down. "I want you to call me if you need anything. Or feel free to stop by."

She accepted the piece of paper. He'd given her his address and phone number.

He reached toward her and slid a fingertip down the side of her face. He traced her lips lightly. "Thank you for the tour." He slipped out the door into the darkness.

A cool night breeze swept into the hall, erasing the warmth that had lingered where he'd touched her.

With a sigh, Darcy let the door swing shut. It was going to be a long two weeks.

It took a cold shower to get Austin's mind focused once again on business. He padded into his kitchen, dressed in the SpongeBob briefs his youngest sister had given him for Christmas. Thoughts about his family made him wonder again why Darcy was living among the undead. He knew from his research that she had parents and two younger sisters living in San Diego. Was she completely cut off from her family? Were the vampires holding her prisoner in their world because she knew too much? Had they threatened her family to keep her in line?

That must be it, because otherwise he felt sure she would attempt an escape. He knew from watching her news reports that she was brave and resourceful. Clearly, the vampires had some kind of leverage on her to make her stay with them.

What the hell had happened to her four years ago? Austin had a copy of the police report, but it was inconclusive. She'd gone to a vampire club in Greenwich Village to do a Halloween report on kids who pretended to be vampires. Somehow, she'd ended up in the alley behind the club. The pool of blood and the bloody knife had been traced back to her. The police suspected she was dead, but no one really knew what had transpired in that alley.

The day before, Austin had located her old cameraman, Jack Cooper. Jack was barely scraping by, living in a one-room apartment in a grimy basement with aluminum foil taped to the tiny windows. It was easy to see that Jack had never recovered from that evening. Maybe the aluminum foil cap on his head was a clue. Or his conclusion that vampires were bloodthirsty, mind-controlling aliens who were hunting for him, intending to abduct him like they had Darcy. It was sad that everyone thought Jack was crazy, because he was right about the blood sucking, the mind control, and Darcy's abduction. The vampires had taken her. And they weren't letting her go.

Austin grabbed a can of beer from the fridge. What would it take to get her to trust him? He'd urged her tonight to confide in him, and when she hadn't, he'd invaded her mind, hoping the secrets were there for the taking.

What he saw there had stunned him. No dark secrets. Darcy's innermost thoughts were about how much she wanted him. It had taken every ounce of his resistance not to pull her down on the floor and make love to her right then.

Love on the floor of the wardrobe room? That would have made him as sleazy as Don Orlando. With a snort, Austin set his beer on the coffee table and picked up the legal pad where he'd started a list of vampires. He added Don Orlando's name.

He slid one of Darcy's tapes into the VCR. He'd seen them all now. Some of them more than twice. Sheesh. He was watching her every night instead of sports. He thought about her all the time. And if it was only lust, he'd only think about her gorgeous body, right? But no, he was worried about her. Was he falling in love?

He collapsed on the couch. No, it couldn't be love. It was an intellectual thing. The mystery of her strange lifestyle intrigued him, and he wanted answers. And he was worried about her safety. That was normal.

He'd grown up always protecting his younger sisters. It was natural for him. No big deal.

He grabbed his jacket off the arm of the couch and dug into the inside pocket. He removed the small notepad and flipped through the notes he'd taken in Darcy's office. She'd hired a business called The Shuttered Life to install aluminum shutters in the penthouse. So this meant he and Garrett would be living there with vampires. He'd better pack some wooden stakes in his luggage.

He'd jotted down the name of the caterer Darcy had hired. He'd get Alyssa or Emma an undercover position there. That way, they could come to the penthouse during the day, retrieve information from Garrett or himself, and pass it on to Sean.

He also had the address for Raleigh Place. He'd go there during the day and install hidden cameras and bugs. He removed a computer disk from his jacket pocket. He'd managed to download the DVN employee records from Darcy's old dinosaur computer before he'd heard her approaching the office. He set the disk on the table next to his list of vampires.

He stretched and glanced at the television. Darcy was beginning a report. Oh, this was one of his favorites. He grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

"I'm here in the South Bronx at the dedication of a new park." Darcy smiled at the camera as she walked down a path. "It's not a park for children. It's not for basketball players, roller skaters, or even chess players. This park is for the dogs."

The cameramen zoomed in on a woman in the distance who was walking her fluffy white poodle. Then, he panned back to Darcy.

"As you can see, the park is divided into sections, depending on the size of your - aagh!" She skidded forward about five feet, her arms windmilling in the air. After a valiant struggle, she regained her balance. She glanced down at her shoes, wrinkled her nose, and gave the camera a wry grin. "Obviously, this section is for the extremely large dogs."

Austin chuckled. No matter what happened in her reports, Darcy always made it work. She was brave, funny, clever, and beautiful. Nothing could get her down.

But something had. He tightened his grip on the remote. Something had happened to wrench her out of this sunny, happy life and imprison her in a world of dark demonic creatures. And it was hurting her. He could see it. The sorrow in her eyes. The tense way she clenched her hands together. The fear that caused her right eye to twitch. That nervous twitch never occurred in any of these tapes. It was something new. And most likely, it had started on Halloween four years ago.

Chapter 10

The penthouse at Raleigh Place boasted two floors of opulent decor, including Italian marble floors and columns and Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Darcy figured you could fit a small chamber orchestra into the master bathtub. Or you could feed the entire population of Liechtenstein from the huge pantry in the kitchen.

Even so, she preferred the roof. Maybe it was a result of her forced confinement, but she loved being under the open sky. She loved the evening breeze on her face and the scent of roses that wafted from the glass greenhouse in the corner. She loved how the swimming pool glimmered in the moonlight and cast dancing reflections along the white-painted walls surrounding the roof. A mist hovered over the hot tub, inviting her to indulge in its glorious heat. Huge clay pots sat every five feet along the chest-high walls, each pot containing a green leafy plant that soared high over her head. Some plants were trimmed into huge cones, while others were shaped into fanciful animals. Each topiary was covered with white twinkle lights that glittered like the stars overhead.

In the opposite corner from the greenhouse, there was a tiny pool house. The two rooms contained the bare essentials, in sharp contrast to the grandeur of the penthouse. But Darcy was so enthralled with the roof, she'd decided to make the pool house her office and special retreat.

She paced around the swimming pool, tense with excitement. She was wearing the sparkly maroon dress she'd bought for Shanna's wedding, because tonight, she'd spend some time in front of the camera. Tonight, they would begin filming The Sexiest Man on Earth. And after a separation of two long weeks, she would see Adam again.

"Here they come," Gregori announced from the north edge of the roof. Next to him, Bernie aimed his camera at the street twelve floors below.

Darcy rushed to the wall and peered over. A black limousine was slowly coming down the street. Maggie and the ex-harem judges were arriving. The second cameraman, Bart, was in the limo, so he could record their reactions to their new home. Darcy would combine the footage from both cameramen during the editing stage. The limo rolled to a stop at the red-carpeted entrance to Raleigh Place.

Gregori touched the earphones he was wearing. "Audio's coming in. I can hear them talking."

Darcy slipped her earphones on. At once, she could hear the excited voices of the ladies inside the limo.

"Land sakes!" Cora Lee exclaimed. "This place is grand!"

"Look," Lady Pamela said. "A footman is coming to open the door for us."

"That's a doorman," Vanda muttered.

"He's still a servant," Lady Pamela huffed. "Though I must say, it is appalling how servants these days neglect to wear their powdered wigs."

"Or proper livery," Princess Joanna declared. "It is impossible to tell which lord he is serving."

Darcy sighed as she watched from the roof. The ex-harem was so stuck in the past. She'd insisted that they update their wardrobe for the show, but now, she had a dreadful feeling they had completely ignored her. Bart climbed out first with his camera so he could record the ladies exiting the car. Vanda climbed out and strode down the red carpet. She was striking with her purple hair and dress. So far, so good.

Lady Pamela exited next. She adjusted the bodice on her Regency-style gown of pale blue silk. Her matching reticule hung from a ribbon around her wrist. Darcy groaned.

Maria Consuela and Princess Joanna moved onto the red carpet, both wearing long medieval gowns with veils covering their hair.

"I thought you bought them new clothes," Gregori muttered.

Darcy sighed. "You know what they say about old dogs."

Cora Lee struggled to get out of the car, but her hoop skirt jammed in the narrow door opening. Maggie shoved her from behind, and she popped out onto the sidewalk. Then Maggie jumped out and closed the door.

They filed into the building, murmuring their appreciation of the marble floor and gilded ceiling.

"I do declare," Cora Lee exclaimed. "That elevator is so shiny!"

"Yes," Maggie agreed. "That's the elevator for the penthouse. The doors are solid brass."

"How lovely," Lady Pamela's snooty voice could be heard over the others. "Be a dear and push the button for us."

"Ah, actually, I need you to follow me," Maggie said. "This way, please."

"Where are you taking us?" Princess Joanna demanded.

"To another elevator," Maggie explained.

"But this hallway is so plain and dreary," Cora Lee whined.

"Why are we not going to the penthouse?" the princess asked sharply. "Where does this other elevator go?"

"Oh, it goes to the penthouse," Maggie assured them. "It just goes to the... kitchen and servants' floor. It's very nice and private."

"Servants' floor?" the princess shrieked.

Darcy and Gregori both winced as her strident voice grated over the headphones.

"Yes," Maggie responded. "We'll have very nice bedrooms all to ourselves on... the servants' floor."

"The servants' floor?" Lady Pamela's voice shook. "I'm the daughter of a baron, the widow of a viscount. I cannot live amongst servants!"

"There will only be the six of us," Maggie assured her. "And we'll each have our own bedroom. Here we are. This is the service elevator."

"This is horrid, simply horrid," Lady Pamela sounded shrill. "I - I'm coming down with the vapors!"

"Silly child," Princess Joanna growled. "Where are your smelling salts?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. Lady Pamela's so-called smelling salts consisted of a vial filled with Chocolood.

"I'd better help Maggie." Darcy headed for the stairwell located close to the greenhouse. She glanced back at Gregori and Bernie. "I'll see you in the foyer at ten o'clock."

Gregori nodded. "We'll be there."

Darcy paused at the stairwell door. "Bernie, can you make arrangements for a helicopter? I'd like to get an aerial shot of this roof. It's so lovely."

"No problem." Bernie set down his camera and pulled out a cell phone.

Darcy opened the door to the stairwell. The reception on her earphones was faint now, but she could still hear the sound of screeching voices. Poor Maggie. Darcy rushed down three flights of stairs, then exited on the servants' floor. She could hear the ex-harem in the service elevator.

"Please calm down," Maggie pleaded. "There are six bedrooms on the servants' floor. They're small, but very nice. You'll each have your own room with a lovely view of Central Park."

"The view is of no consequence," Princess Joanna snapped. "It is a floor for peasants. I will not sleep in that hovel."

"It's not a hovel," Maggie insisted.

"This is quite beyond the pale," Lady Pamela declared. "We should be living in the penthouse."

"There are only five bedrooms in the penthouse," Maggie explained. "We need those for all the male contestants. As it is, they're going to have to share rooms."