"It is the only way I've found to keep the red plague from mutating into a run-of-the-mill virus." He spoke eagerly, as if I was the science reporter for the New York Times. "When I began this experiment I planned for a sexual transmission. You people were so steeped in free love and multiple partners, I supposed sixty-five percent of you would have been dead in six weeks. But the virus mutated into a non-lethal form when humans spread it to one another. I found out quite by accident that, when it is transmitted to vampires via human blood, it becomes nearly ninety percent lethal. However it also loses its contagion characteristics."
I interrupted him. "You mean, it can't be spread?"
"Not by the vampire carrier. I cannot tell you how frustrating the entire process has been."
Wow. Did anybody else see a Divine Hand dipping down to smack Aidyn every time he took a forward step on this one? First his abominable disease turns into a bunny rabbit when he tries to get humans to pass it around. Then he gets the bright idea for vamps to take the lead role, but they're like a bunch of two-year-olds. NO, WE WON'T SHARE!
Aidyn continued, "However, One among us knew the story of a visionary leader named Tequet Dirani and how he nearly ruled this world and those beyond, with the help of the Tor-al-Degan. She will be our delivery system. She will take the plague from the infected vampire and spread it to the world."
"So, what are you telling me, that I should send my damn-you're-an-evil-genius-Hallmark card to the Raptor?"
Bang. If we'd been standing in front of an impartial jury I'd have gotten my guilty verdict simply from the expressions on their faces. They recovered quickly, however, and without revealing anything incriminating, damn them.
But maybe they didn't need to. Vampirella had said something before I smoked her that didn't make a lot of sense at the time. She'd said Aidyn would kill her for a guy named Edward, because she and Boris had rejected his proposals. So, just for laughs, let's say Boris and Vampirella are the Vultures of a Russian nest that the Raptor wants as an ally because maybe it's big and bad and centrally located. The Raptor approaches them with a proposal and they say hell no. He's pissed, so he works it out with Aidyn to bring them to Miami, get them killed by plague (or by assassin) and both he and Aidyn get what they want. Huh. I'd have to do a little research to back up my theories, but I was willing to bet I'd just discovered the Raptor's real name.
All this time Aidyn had been considering me silently. Now he said, "You look familiar. Do I know you?"
His question staggered me. Did he know me? I experienced an endless moment of total nothingness, like the shock you get right before the boom of a nuclear blast. In that white stillness I instinctively wanted to grab onto something solid. My emotions were suddenly so mangled I couldn't believe I was capable of coherent thought. Oh. My. God! Then I became the explosive, a sleek silver canister containing a mushroom cloud full of infinite death. He'd killed Matt. He'd killed me! And I was supposed to keep chatting him up as if we'd met at a conference years ago and were getting reacquainted?
"Jasmine!" It was Vayl's voice in my ear, concerned, maybe even a little panicky. "I can sense your feelings from out here. Something is tearing you up inside. Do I need to come in?" Hell yeah! Get in here and trash this room! Impale Aidyn's image on that coat rack over there! Save Cole! Save me!
I took a deep breath. And another. I had to get control. Right. Now. I started to shake. Full body tremors that made me tighten my shoulder blades and clench my hands. My teeth didn't quite chatter but it was a close thing, as if I'd been walking in 40 degree weather with no coat for hours.
I closed my eyes. The killing time will come, Jaz. You can wait for it. The Voice told you so.
"Jasmine, I am coming in," said Vayl.
"No."
"No?" Aidyn echoed.
"No, you don't know me," I replied, wishing my voice wouldn't shake like that. I tried to get back to the facts. Things we at the C.I.A. would want to know when we prosecuted the ones Vayl and I didn't immediately terminate. "What I don't get is—why kill us off in the first place? The way you look at things, that's the majority of your blood supply moved so far down the food chain even the worms wouldn't benefit."
Aidyn began shaking his head before I'd finished. "No, not at all. We are simply culling the herd, weeding out the weak in order to purify our stock. When they are gone, we will introduce the antidote." I wanted to wipe the smug expression off his face—with a flamethrower. "This will, of course, make the survivors extremely grateful to us. In fact, they will decide they owe us something in return for saving them from the very plague we have begun."
"I suppose that's where you step in, Senator?"
He gave me his classic, CNN smile. So caring, so sincere. Ass. "A country under siege needs a strong leader. A popular leader. Someone who can explain the new order to them in such a way that they'll wonder why they didn't think of it themselves." His delivery was so smooth I'd have bet he was speaking from a script. One written by Edward the Raptor.
"And that is?"
"Willing servitude, Jasmine dear. Blood for safety, blood for health. It's not such a high price to pay. I'll show them that."
"And your terrorist friends get to see America brought to her knees."
Assan flashed his teeth. "We'll be dancing in the streets."
It wasn't hard to envision. They'd done the same after the Towers fell, and I'd wanted to kill every one of the sons of bitches then. Soon I'd get the chance. But first…
I sighed. "All right. Flip the switch. I'm trading places with Cole."
"Like hell!" said Cole, while at the same time Vayl snapped, "You will not do this!"
I took Cole by the hands, but I spoke to Vayl too when I said, "You have to trust me now. Believe me. I know what I'm doing."
Vayl's voice blared in my ear as Cole tried to shake his head without passing out. "Jasmine! I forbid this!"
"Now!" yelled Assan. "Switch!"
I squeezed Cole's hands as hard as I could, yanked him out of his chair and took his place. He staggered backward until he collided with a pile of boxes. I thought he'd hit the floor next, but he found his balance.
"Time to go," I told both of my men, before either could argue. "I'll see you again. Soon."
"I'll be back for you," Cole vowed, his battered face combining with his ferocious expression to make him resemble a biblical prophet. Wild.
"I'm counting on it," I said. I checked Grief to make sure the safety was on, tossed it to him. "Shoot anyone who tries to stop you. Now get going."
With a final nod, Cole stumbled out of the room. I didn't have time to worry about whether or not he'd make it down the ladder, much less the stairs. The three amigos were still tuned in and I really needed to get rid of them.
"Would you like me to prepare you for tomorrow's activities?" Assan inquired. "We have such a fantastic evening planned."
Oh goody, I've given myself over to the Cruise Director of the Beast Boat. "Why don't you surprise me?" I suggested. "You give me too many details and I may just decide to walk away from this whole deal."
"But—you would be blown up!"
"Exactly."
He and Aidyn exchanged a quiet word with the senator. "Very well then, we will leave you in peace." The picture flickered and faded to gray. They'd gone, though I was sure somebody over at Psycho Central still kept tabs on me.
I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Hopefully my watcher would assume I was praying. And in a way, I was. As when I made my out-of-body visit to David, I focused my entire mind on what I wanted. Except this time I had the right words to go with it, words the Voice gave me now in tremendous, booming thumps, as if they resounded from the world's largest drum.