Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

flat eyes of a killer. He wore casual clothes and he made her shiver for no reason at all. His hair was longer and drawn back in the usual Carpathian style. His jaw was pronounced and he idly swung a chain. He stood a distance from the others, and his gaze was watchful.

    Akos. He used to travel with a falcon. I would not be surprised if he uses a harpy eagle to watch the skies, Dominic warned. Wherever he goes, there is a bloodbath.

    Great. He and Brodrick are probably friends.

    Men like Brodrick and Akos have no friends, only those they use as pawns. Do not underestimate him. If you have the shot, take it when the frenzy starts.

    Solange was a little uneasy with the word frenzy . What are you going to do?

    Turn them on one another. As soon as Josef gives me the word that the virus has had a chance to work through the computers and destroy the data and spread into the network, I will destroy the laboratory as well.

    “He’s going to turn them on one another,” she muttered aloud. She had a picture of vampires devouring one another in her head.

    She climbed back up the tree and found her favorite resting place. Two boughs made a nice little cradle for her to stretch out in, her weapons close. Her favorite sniper rifle lay waiting, and she checked it out of habit. No one had disturbed her blind, but she cast around for tracks, always careful of the jaguar-men.

    I’m in position. She used the scope to take a better look at her targets.

    The third image he sent her was of a short, stocky man who could easily have passed for a jaguar male. He had thick, ropy muscles on the frame of a serious body builder.

    His name is Milan. He will try to outdo all of them for viciousness just to prove a point. If you cannot get him, get clear. If you only have three shots, Solange, make him one of them.

    Will do. I know what I’m doing.

    They can take to the air, he reminded.

    She flooded his mind with warmth. It was strange to have someone concerned about her well-being. I’m not the one in the lion’s den. Show me the last one.

    This is Kiral. The man had chosen the form of a young, virile man. He wore skintight jeans, and she doubted seriously if the bulge in the front was really his. She was fairly certain he’d stuffed his pants.

    He can choose his form, Dominic reminded.

    She could hear the humor in his voice. That is just obscene. He scares me with that package. I think I’m shooting him first.

    Dominic’s soft laughter soothed her nerves.

    She took her time studying each potential target. The vampires were all talking at once, but she could feel the tension in the air, in spite of the distance. The rain fell steadily, making her cradle a little slippery, and she tied off a couple of vines for added safety. Thunder rumbled, and twice, in the distance, lightning forked.

    The air felt charged, as if violence would erupt at any moment. She realized she wasn’t the only one feeling it. There was movement on the roof of the laboratory. Guards crawled across the flat rooftop, staying low, getting in position. They were heavily armed and Felipe led them. Solange was fairly certain Dominic had prompted him somehow to gather his men to defend themselves from a potential threat—but she knew they were the bait.

    Giles continued to stir up the vampires, pitching the plans to them and emphasizing technology and how Mikhail Dubrinsky, the prince of the Carpathian people, lived in the dark ages and refused to change with the times. Solange could see the crowd had grown restless and many of them were having trouble keeping up the illusion of their appearance. Hunger beat at them and the scent of blood was heavy in the air. She didn’t know how Dominic was amplifying the smell with the rain falling, but he managed.

    With businesslike precision she fit her scope to her weapon and the rifle to her shoulder. She was certain the frenzy was about to start.

    19

    I’ll wait for you to see it, forever if it takes . . .
    Solange, my very own, amazing gift beyond worth.

    DOMINIC TO SOLANGE

    W hen Dubrinsky leaves his lair to rush to the aid of the village, it will be far too late, we will have turned his people into the dead. Blood will run in rivers down the streets. Ours will be a feast beyond all imagining, celebrating our new world order,” Giles, the master vampire continued.

    The vampires roared again, but this time the sound wasn’t quite as loud. More moved from the inner circle to look hungrily toward the