The Calling - Desire Calls Part 20

Diego remembered Ryder's comments some time ago about Diana being on desk duty. He suspected that meant she shouldn't be involved in any kind of investigation. "Diana?" he pressed, anxious to hear her answer.

"I'll talk to the a.s.sistant director. I'll explain the urgency of the situation. With a little more information we may be able to convince a judge to issue a search warrant."

"And what if we can't get more info?" Diego challenged.

"If we get the video segments shortly, we may have a shot of the abduction, and if Sebastian can triangulate her location-"

"That's a lot of ifs." His common sense told him Diana had to build a case that would hold up before a judge. His vampire sense, however, only understood action. It didn't want to wait for pieces of paper when there were more effective ways to secure what he wanted.

Diana seemed to sense his mood, and as he started past her, she pressed her hand against his chest. Despite her small size, she was strong. Maybe a little too strong for a mortal. As he met her gaze, she quickly pulled back, as if realizing she had given away something. Despite that, she urged, "Don't do anything crazy. If we don't have enough by morning-"

Melissa jumped into the discussion. "You can't let it go too long. We've stabilized her with the latest medications, but if she's off them for even a short while, there could be complications."

"Like what?" Diego asked curtly, wanting to understand in the event that- Banishing that image, he listened patiently as Melissa explained about Ramona's anemia, how they had determined it was an autoimmune reaction, and what her body might do to itself if she wasn't properly medicated.

After she had finished, he looked around the room at all of them. Friends one and all, who had always been by his side. He hoped they would be this time, as well.

"I'm not going to let her die while some judge decides if there's enough paperwork on his desk. If you don't know by tomorrow, I'll deal with van Winter myself."

Her eyes were heavy-lidded as she tried to wake. Her limbs were leaden and sore. With a shake of her head, Ramona tried to drive away the cobwebs that had spun themselves around her brain. It only succeeded in creating whirling images in her vision, which, when combined with the thick smell of gasoline in the small s.p.a.ce, made her retch. As the dry heaves racked her body, her sides ached, prompting memories of being tackled by van Winter's bodyguard. She realized she was strapped to a hard metal chair, her wrists bound behind her back, the bindings painfully tight. Thick rope wrapped around her upper body, loose enough to let her move a bit, but not work her way free.

Exhaustion had settled in, but she managed to lift her head. Her eyes slowly focused and she started to make out her surroundings.

The barest of light spilled in from behind her, but she couldn't turn enough to see where it came from. Before her and to the side were what looked like the doors of a truck. When she banged with her sneakered feet, the dull thud sounded metallic.

Gasoline vapors continued to permeate the stuffy s.p.a.ce, and the heat seemed to increase the longer she sat there.

Ramona realized she was probably still in the van she had been thrown into earlier. She wondered why her kidnappers hadn't moved her somewhere else, but then again, killing her here would make it easier to dispose of her body and not dirty any of van Winter's precious belongings.

She had no doubt that's what they intended to do, much like they had killed poor Luis Rodriguez. She wondered why they hadn't done it already.

The minutes ticked by slowly and she sat there, her body a combination of numbness from the inactivity and pain from the physical attack earlier that day. She hadn't thought herself claustrophobic, but as time pa.s.sed, it seemed harder to breathe in the stale, hot, petroleum-scented air.

Sweat oozed from her body, soaking her clothes and adding to her discomfort as, little by little, a chill began in her center and spread outward.

She recognized the signs. She knew her body was getting weaker from the absence of the medicines that kept her going. As the coldness spread, a pain racked her head, its angry tendrils reaching outward, taking hold in her skull.

Someone finally opened the side door of the van, illuminating the s.p.a.ce. She flinched from the light, but forced herself to keep her eyes on the arrivals-van Winter and his bodyguard.

"Good evening, Ramona. I trust we haven't inconvenienced you too much," the older man said as he stepped into the vehicle.

His bodyguard followed, hunching his tall body despite the relative s.p.a.ciousness of the interior. He opened a folding chair for the multimillionaire and then another for himself. Once they were both seated, the bodyguard shut the door and snapped on a dome light.

"What do you want?" she asked, gritting her teeth as her voice echoed through her skull.

"Alicia Tipton called to thank me for allowing such a marvelous work to leave my collection. She mentioned that Diego Rivera had come by," van Winter said.

"That's not surprising, since Mrs. Tipton paid a nice sum for one of my latest works." Truthful, but Ramona suspected Diego's visit had had nothing to do with the canvas Alicia had purchased.

Van Winter inclined his head in the direction of the bodyguard, who rose and hunched beside her. She refused to flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and shot the thug a look that she hoped seemed more annoyed than scared.

"We can do this in one of two ways, Ramona. One is, you tell me who you've spoken to and what you've told them. Two, I let Big John convince you to tell me." Van Winter crossed his legs and straightened the pleat on his pants, as fastidious as always.

"So you can do to them what you did to Luis?" she retorted straining forward against the rope.

Big John jerked toward her, fist raised. She did what she didn't want to do-she flinched. But then she immediately glared at him to make up for it. "You don't scare me." The bodyguard menaced her again, but van Winter called him off. "Not yet, John. You can have your fun with her later, after we've talked."

"I'm not talking." She relaxed in her chair and took a breath as the headache that had been taking root blossomed in her skull until it felt as if her head would explode.

"Not feeling well, my dear?" van Winter asked.

But she couldn't respond. She couldn't do anything but hold her breath and hope the pain would pa.s.s. The pressure built until, like water bursting through a dam, blood rushed from her nose and ran over her lips and chin.

She tipped her head back, hoping to stem the flow. Instead, the blood leaked down the back of her throat. The sharp copper taste filled her mouth. She wondered for a moment if this was what Diego hungered for. If this was what he dreamed of at night.

"Boss, what should I do?" Big John asked, but van Winter only chuckled.

"This is rather beneficial, actually. She'll die all on her own. We won't have to go through the bother of doing anything other than dumping her body somewhere."

The blood dripping down her throat made her choke. She leaned forward and coughed, sending blood and saliva flying from her mouth and onto van Winter's shoes and pant legs.

"We can help you feel better," he said as he withdrew a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed it away.

Her head lolled forward, feeling heavier than it had before. The nosebleed was draining her, as was the headache. Her midday dose of pills might help stop both, but she knew the price would be high.

"I need my medicine. It's in my apartment." Her voice sounded weak and she sagged against the restraints.

Big John looked to van Winter, but the old man waved him off. "We can't afford to be seen around her place."

Big John placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin, picking up her head until she stared at his brutish face. "Be nice. Talk to us."

Talk to them and have them go after her friends? After Diego? She shook her head, or at least thought she did.

"The medicines for some names," the bodyguard teased.

"Let it go. Maybe if she's suffering enough, she'll reconsider and tell us what she knows." Van Winter rose then and Big John leaped into action, opening the door for him and then closing it once again, sealing himself alone with her inside the back of the van.

Roughly he grasped her chin and jerked her head up once more. "Don't be stupid. The boss man means business."

"Water," she said, her voice a tiny croak as she tried to swallow.

"Don't have any. Blood will have to do." Before she could ask again, he left the van, securely shutting the panel door behind him and plunging her into darkness once again.

She knew her body well enough to know she was in a bad way. She wondered how much longer she could last if she didn't get her medicines.

Closing her eyes, she willed herself to rest, praying as she did so that her friends would find her in time.

That she'd be able to say goodbye to Diego. Chapter 20 D iego sat beside Sebastian as he played the video feeds from the security cameras trained on the streets around the hospital.

The first two tapes yielded little, as they were of the west and north and Ramona had exited out the east, according to the hospital security guard.

The third feed provided a glimpse of her leaving through the revolving doors, a broad smile on her face. Diego's heart sped up at the radiance of that smile, but a second later, they lost sight of her as she walked southward. The time on the video indicated that it had been twelve thirty-five.

He sneaked a quick peek at his watch. It was nearly seven now. Melissa didn't know whether Ramona had her medications with her and even if she did, he knew van Winter wouldn't care about making sure she got them. It would be way too convenient for him if Ramona died from her illness instead of a suspicious. .h.i.t-and-run like the one that had killed his former employee.

The last video captured the southern side of the building, and Sebastian immediately advanced to the proper time frame. As expected, Ramona came into view and the wide camera lens tracked her pa.s.sage into the crosswalk. At that point the real action began.

An unmarked white delivery truck jerked to a halt before Ramona. From behind her, a large, muscular man grabbed her and tossed her into it, then jumped in himself before the van sped away.

Sebastian returned to the start of the segment. He pushed a number of b.u.t.tons on the computer. "I'm making a copy you can take to Diana."

His sister had returned to her office in the hopes that her experts would have more information for her. She had agreed that if Sebastian was able to get anything on the cell phone or from the videos, either Diego or Ryder would run it down to her.

Sebastian again rewound the video and went about enlarging and enhancing key images. By the time he finished, Diego had a clear picture of the man who had grabbed Ramona-none other than Big John Henry-and the plate number from the van.

Fingers flying over the keys, Sebastian said, "I'm loading these images onto the thumb drive for Diana and e-mailing them. I'm also printing them out. I'll call her in a second with the plate number."

The laser printer by his side flashed to life and a moment later, Sebastian placed the photos and USB drive in an envelope for his sister. "Tell her I'm sorry I couldn't triangulate the cell phone signal," he said as he handed Diego the envelope. "It was just too weak."

With a nod, Diego went into the living room, where Ryder sat with Melissa. "I'm heading out," he said, holding up the envelope and drawing their attention.

"I can go with you," Ryder offered.

"Not without me," Melissa stated. "If Ramona needs medical attention, I'm the one she'll need."

Although Melissa was correct, having her along would only slow things down, and Diego didn't want to waste a minute in getting the information to Diana. "Why don't you wait here with Ryder? As soon as we can move on van Winter, we'll call you."

She didn't argue, but as Diego walked toward the French doors leading out to the balcony, Ryder rose and followed him. Once outside, they walked to the low wall enclosing the garden.

Ryder clapped him on the back. "Do you know what you will do once you find her?"

Diego faced his friend. The moonlight played across Ryder's features, glistening in his dark hair and eyes. His mouth was a harsh slash across his face. "We'll get her to a hospital." "And then? What if that's not enough?"

Diego considered the many centuries he had been undead. The countless humans who had come and gone-and the many vampires. Those vamps who had "gone" had possibly made a bigger impression on him than the humans. There had been those chased down by self-styled slayers and hunters. Those driven mad by their eternal lives, who had chosen to end their existence with a walk into the sun or fire, or a carefully planned beheading-sometimes self-inflicted. Then there was the worst he had seen-a vampire who had downed a bottle of holy water and suffered for days as the water ate at his insides like acid in a human.

Maybe reaching the status of elder ranked even higher on the list of why Diego hesitated to consider turning Ramona. The elders were the worst of everything vampire. Lacking any trace of humanity, they satisfied their hungers and expressed their angers without a qualm. Only a few, like his friend Stacia, somehow managed to hold on to any kindness, but even then, it came with a price.

In a few short centuries Diego would be an elder. He already ranked highly within the local vamp hierarchy. Would he lose his humanity like the others?

And if he did, what about Ramona? Could she deal with eternal life or would it change her? Would it sluggishly strangle the emotions that had come to life between them and bring them eternal regret?

"Diego?" Ryder pressed at his prolonged silence.

He spread his arms wide to the city stretching out before them. "See all this, amigo? I remember when the el used to clank up Third Avenue and horse carriages brought the Fifth Avenue elite to their town homes."

"Things change."

"People change as well. Esperanza did. Even I've changed, and maybe not for the better." He dropped his hands to his sides.

"I'm not sure I could handle eternal life if Ramona changed for the worse. If I killed the pa.s.sion that beats in her heart."

"It's a heart that will be forever stilled if you do nothing. If you cannot take a chance that all the goodness in that heart will survive."

"Is that what you tell yourself, Ryder, as you lie beside Diana? You deceive yourself." He shot a look at him from the corner of his eye and realized he had ripped deep into his friend's heart. But he couldn't apologize. Not when Ryder wasn't being truthful with either of them.

"I must go," Diego said. He surged up onto the ledge and transformed. When the vampire emerged, he sped off, a blur in the dark of the night.

The glare of the light as the van door opened roused Ramona. Barely. The pain in her head had spread to other parts of her body.

Her joints and abdomen. Something warm wet her lips again. Another trickle of blood from her nose.

She stared at Big John when he stepped in, but his image wavered as dizziness a.s.sailed her.

"Boss man will be here in a few minutes. He suggested I go ahead and convince you to talk," he said as he positioned himself in front of her.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Little girl, I can make your last moments very unpleasant." To prove his point, he stepped behind her and grabbed hold of her bound wrists, pulling them upward.Her arms screamed in agony, but she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

He jerked again and leaned over her shoulder, bringing his mouth close to her ear. Softly he said, "Maybe it's not pain that'll make you talk. Maybe you need something else."

Dropping her hands, Big John reached from behind and groped her breast, his big hand squeezing painfully.

"That's enough," van Winter commanded as he came to the door.

Big John immediately left her to help van Winter up into the vehicle. The old man had changed into evening wear, clearly ready for a night out. As he had before, he settled himself on the chair and crossed his legs.

"I don't have time for games, Ramona. My presence is demanded at a dinner honoring my various charitable donations."

"Sucks for you," she said, and Big John slapped her across the face.

Her head snapped back and she tasted fresh blood from where she had bitten the inside of her cheek. She struggled for breath, her chest suddenly tight. After a few quick, shallow inhalations, she managed to say, "Thought you were going to let Mother Nature take care of me."

"Oh, she will, but a few bruises here and there are easily explained by a fall. Tell me who you told about poor Luis. And why was Rivera so eager to visit Alicia Tipton's collection?"

Her chest rose and fell with difficulty, each breath harder to take. "You had someone sign the copies. Who? Luis?"

Van Winter chuckled harshly. "Luis could barely sign his own name."

"Then who?" she asked, focusing on the thin, angular lines on his face, and as she did so, it came to her. "You did it."

The smugness that had been on his visage faded immediately. "This is your last chance."

"I'm a dead woman regardless of what I say, but understand this-Diego knows nothing. I've told no one."