Sharkbait Down Under

Luna Adrienne’s POV

“It’s my fault,” Master Emily said. “Vicki helped me, and that is what kicked this all off.”

I looked at her in shock. “How is this your fault, Emily? You didn’t take the girls.”

“It’s all about the blood,” Emily replied. “Vicki agreed to donate a pint of her blood for my use. I drank it just before arriving in New Orleans to meet with the other Masters. It went as I expected; two of the stronger males from other covens challenged me for my spot as ruler of Boston.”

“Did the blood help?”

“It did; with it, I dispatched both men quickly enough that no others took the chance. However, some of the other Masters scented the werewolf blood in my system and objected. Master Vampire Caroline Grey was vocal about it; she formally accused me of violating the Werewolf Treaty and demanded my immediate execution.”

I could see how they might be upset, given what I knew about the power that came with Vicki’s blood. “I know of Master Grey; she did not like having Vicki and the girls in Coronado.”

“Part of that may be because she resented what Vicki did for me. I played the surveillance video from my office to prove Vicki gave her blood voluntarily. Master Cyprian ruled that I was not in violation of the agreement.”

“But werewolf blood was now on the table.” A simple gift with such far-reaching effects.

“Yes, and it appears Master Vespucci decided to make a power play for it,” Master Cyprian said. “He’s been quietly gathering allies since that meeting.”

“I was one of the Masters he approached,” Master Dauntless of Toronto said. “For over a century, I’ve been openly dismissive of Master Pontalba’s leadership.”

“We are allies, but by distancing himself, he has given me several warnings over that time,” Master Pontalba said. I gained a new respect for Cyprian; you had to be thinking long-term to even think of such a strategy.

Master Dauntless continued. “Master Vespucci called me two days ago. He wanted my support in the election of a new Supreme Vampire after he takes out Master Cyprian. Vespucci implied that the change would happen in the next few weeks. I asked him how he knew he’d be able to beat Cyprian in a challenge. He laughed and told me not to worry, as the senile old fool would be gone soon.”

“Because he has Vicki’s blood.”

“Yes,” he said. “He also has Beta blood available for the Masters supporting him.”

I thought about it for a while. “I can understand wanting Cyprian out of the way, but why start a war with werewolves?”

“Not everyone is happy with the peace treaty or our Council, Adrienne,” Master Milan said. “Masters chafe at the restrictions the Vampire Council places on the size of covens and restrictions on turning new vampires. You wolves were not alive when the last war ended; Vespucci is vocal about wanting to destroy the werewolves as a force in our world. He would be more than happy to maintain only a captive breeding stock for his use.”

The capture of my former Pack mates was one thing; that idea was monstrous. If your goal was to subjugate an entire supernatural species, then spurring a war among them would make your job easier. “When do we kill this fucker?”

“Soon,” Master Cyprian said. “I’ve sent a couple of my familiars down to Mexico City, and they’ve set up surveillance around Master Vespucci’s home. That’s all I can do under our rules; if I was to send vampires into Mexico City, it’s me who would face sanctions.”

“So, you do nothing?” I hoped for more than waiting.

“We’re going to get ready,” Master Cyprian said. “The people in this room are heading to Mexico, along with thirty or so experienced fighters. We will station ourselves just outside Master Vespucci’s territory and wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Waiting for you to rescue the girls, of course. We can’t risk moving against Vespucci without knowing where the girls are.”

“You’re going in with us?”

Master Cyprian shook his head, no. “We can’t enter Vespucci’s territory without permission except during a war with other supernaturals. You start the war, and we’ll finish Vespucci.”

I liked it. “I have people in Cancun, but Vespucci is in Mexico City. I need to get people and equipment down there fast.”

“I can help with that,” Master Milan said. “My plane is coming down tomorrow with vampires from New York, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, and Washington, DC. Master Cyprian is bringing fighters from New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City, and Chicago. Your people are welcome to join us; we have plenty of room on my Boeing 797.”

The man had an airplane? By Luna, these vampire masters were rich! I did some quick calculations; we had some East Coast allies and more in the Midwest and Pacific Coast. “I can bring forty or so if you have room.”

Master Milan just smiled. “Bring weapons, too. I’ve heard rumors that Vespucci is ignoring the rules on turns; there’s no telling how many vampires and familiars you’ll have to fight through.”

“What about Customs? And the TSA?” We were afraid to carry weapons in Mexico for fear of arrest.

“You’re traveling with vampires, Luna Adrienne. We can glamour the agents and walk right through Customs without a search. As long as it’s inside a bag or suitcase, we can get it through.”

Damn. That was one handy talent to have. “I’ll have my warriors bring their fighting gear.” I got the information on the flight times and gates; as a charter, we weren’t using the commercial airline terminals. Instead, we’d be flying out of a cargo hub.

“Give the hangar info at the gate, and you can drive directly to the plane. One of my people will be at the security post,” Master Milan assured me.

“I’ll have my people there,” I promised. The meeting ended shortly after that, as I needed to make a bunch of phone calls. I was taken aback at the number of Alphas who agreed to send warriors, Betas, or even come themselves. Taking on vampires was a dangerous business, and losses were likely.

I went to bed that night, praying to Luna that Leo would survive. I had been confident I could go to the vampires and verify my information. Leo went to confront the Chairman of the Alpha Council by himself.

When Leo called late the next morning, all my pent-up emotions came out. He spent a few minutes calming me down before he could fill me in on what happened with him. I gave him the flight information, and he promised me he would be on the plane.

That night, we met the plane during its refueling stop. We were joined by two dozen werewolves who had flown in from Packs the from Michigan to the Pacific Northwest. Since they flew commercial, they couldn’t bring weapons along. Hammer had his contact and picked up a few more bags of goodies to distribute.

We landed the next morning at Puebla International Airport. It didn’t look to be much; we parked on the tarmac of the mostly-cargo facility two hours southeast of Mexico City. A Customs agent and two Federal Police boarded the aircraft, stamped our passports, and left without checking any of the bags. Two caravans of vehicles waited for us, one driven by Vampire familiars, the other by our Mermaid allies. Master Emily was the only Vampire to stay with us. She would coordinate our attacks with the other Masters and entrance any people at checkpoints we might hit. We wished each other luck and parted ways.

We found a hotel, and I checked in with Alpha Steven at the command post. He and his warriors needed to move against the Cancun vampires when we attempted the rescue to keep the element of surprise.

All we needed now was an address.