The Yellow Sun Part 3

Chapter Seven.

Amara yawned as she swiped the card key and opened her hotel room door. She took her holster off from around her hips and swung it over the back of a nearby chair. She looked forward to the soft plush bed and warm covers when she looked up to find Stephanie and Christopher sitting on her bed together. She took a deep breath to keep from shouting.

"There are two beds here. Why do you have to be on mine?" Amara asked, sounding as exhausted as she felt. Then it hit her that Christopher was in the room as well. "What are you doing here?"

"I come bearing tidings," Christopher beamed as he said the words proudly. A little too proudly for Amara's current sleep-deprived state of mind.

"Chris got us all an audience with Alexander," Stephanie announced just as gleefully as Christopher had.

Amara gave them both a look. She didn't believe it. In that amount of time? Only a few hours? There was no way in the time she spent maiming Jason to get him to request a meeting that Christopher really just called.

"You two are really bad at practical jokes," Amara mumbled as she lay down on Stephanie's bed.

"No, we're totally serious," Stephanie said quickly, looking more genuine. When Amara glanced up at them to check she went on. "We're meeting him tomorrow. He's talking to us between meetings. Right after he meets with some vampires from out of town. He wants us in his waiting room at The Black Swan tomorrow at eight."

"What'd you do? Blow him, Chris?" Amara asked lightly. The comment was enough to drown the happiness from Christopher's expression. There was a slight bitterness to the question. How did he manage it? What exactly was his history with this vampire?

"You don't have to be so sharp," Christopher snapped in return and lay back on Amara's bed. Clearly, he didn't intend to leave any time soon.

"Are you jealous?" he went on. "You had to go out, find Jason, beat him up, and still got no progress. All I did was lift a phone and dial."

"No." Amara shook her head. "I wonder how you managed it. Does he know who he's meeting with?"

"Yeah." Stephanie sounded excited. Of course, Amara knew it would take a lot more than a silly euphemism to get Stephanie's goat.

"What's the catch?" Amara was still skeptical. She knew Alexander better than this.

"Don't worry about it. I'll owe him a favor. Or rather, he already owes me one. Consider it a guilt trip," Chris said lightly.

"I don't believe he has a conscious to make him feel guilty," Amara murmured.

"Not everyone cares what you believe," Chris said angrily. He suddenly became very defensive, but before Amara could point that out Stephanie chimed in.

"Come on, you guys, we're all on the same team," she pleaded. "Can you just stop arguing until we get this finished? Then the two of you can have a battle to the death, okay?"

"Looks like I'll win." Amara smirked and Christopher shook his head.

"Stephanie, you're right," he said and locked eyes with her for a half a moment, and she blushed. "We need to work together if we're going to figure this out before it's too late, and someone else gets killed."

"Thanks, Chris," Stephanie whispered quietly. She had a light flush to her cheeks, embarra.s.sed suddenly. She brushed her hand over his gently, and after a few moments, he pulled away.

"I need to get back to my hotel room." Chris got up off the bed and left Stephanie sitting there alone.

"You can spend the night here," she suggested quietly.

"If he's spending the night here, he's sleeping in this bed, and we're both sleeping over there," Amara shouted.

Chris chuckled a little and shook head.

"That's okay, Stephanie," he smiled to her. "Keep your focus where it needs to be. I'd hate to miss any details."

Stephanie nodded and watched him walk to the door with a sort of sadness in her.

"Good night, Steph," Chris called back to her as he opened the door.

"Good night, Chris," she said and watched him shut the door. Then she turned to Amara. "Just because you're old doesn't mean I can't have a boyfriend."

"There's something off about him," Amara said as she pushed up on her elbows. "I don't like it. I sensed it back in the head quarters. Something isn't right. How could he have managed to get such a quick response out of Alexander?"

"Are you saying he's one of Alexander's servants?" Stephanie sounded oh-so-very skeptical.

"No," Amara corrected her quickly. "I'm saying that something about him isn't right. There's something important he isn't telling us, and I intend to find out what it is."

Chapter Eight.

The sun was just beginning to set, casting a variety of beautiful colors through the sky. Pinks, oranges, and purples spread over the horizon as the black carpet of night swept in with the s.h.i.+mmering spots of stars.

Amara stood outside the hotel, watching a few children playing in the lush yard that surrounding the hotel, savoring the last few moments of daylight before they were called inside. The fresh evening air was cooler than it had been all day, making things just a little bit more fun and relaxing. For the most part everyone seemed at ease.

Their parents watched them carefully from the front porches or windows of their hotel rooms. Amara wondered if they were more afraid of someone running out and scooping up their children or of their children running out into the highway that trailed just out front of the hotel. She guessed the highway. If the police had reported the murders, the children would likely be inside. Amara would keep her children inside at least.

Stephanie and Christopher were still back inside the hotel room so that they could *finish packing,', but Amara suspected otherwise. Putting on guns and knives should not take as much time as it was taking those two.

Amara sighed as she waited and smoothed a few wrinkles out of her "work clothes"-if that's what you wanted to call it. She was wearing the clothes she kept away from her general hunting attire. Her red s.h.i.+rt dipped in a v-neck cut just low enough to cut to show off a little cleavage. The fabric was soft and smooth, tempting to touch. Her black velvet skirt fell just above her knees and showed off her long, slender legs. Her black heels made them look even longer. Overall, the outfit was not one for vampire hunting. That is, if you didn't include the various knives hidden under the fabric and the singular gun tucked into the front of her skirt.

Amara was absolutely sure she would be uncomfortable most of the night. The lack of material in the outfit made it difficult to hide her weaponry, but she would never go into the belly of the beast without a small armory. If anyone patted her down, she would likely be kicked out of the club or worse. She hoped Alexander would know her enough to understand that she would be bringing at least a few toys in case he decided to play.

Amara glanced back toward the hotel room and wondered just how much time she had before Stephanie and Christopher would be finished with, well, whatever they were doing. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Jeremy. She had a few things she wanted him to look into. After a few rings, he finally picked up his phone.

"Jeremy?" Amara said, keeping her eyes on the door for movement. "I need you to do me a big favor."

"Amara? Is that you?" he asked. "How big a favor exactly?"

"I need you to get me a few files from Crimson. I want to know what this guy they have me working with is hiding. If he was in The Clinic, then he must have done something warranting it."

Normally, Amara wouldn't have been so suspicious of a new team mate, but The Clinic was a sort of asylum designed by The Administration and shared with Crimson. The Administration used it for hunters who were having emotional break downs. Crimson used it for brainwas.h.i.+ng and torture. Amara hoped it was only Crimson using it for those reasons at least. If Christopher had been in there, it either meant he had a past of betraying Crimson, or he was p.r.o.ne to anxiety. Either way, it wasn't a good sign.

"Amara..." Her name came out a deep sigh. "Why do you always have to make everything so difficult? Can't you just finish the mission with him and let it go? Just track down the killer and be done with it. Odds are you'll never have to work with him again."

"He's. .h.i.tting on Stephanie. She's falling for him, and I need to know he won't kill her in her sleep if she gets too close."

Now there was a long, silent pause on the other end of the phone. She knew that would grab Jeremy's attention. He always stared at Stephanie just enough to give himself away. Always smiled at her just a little too widely.

"I'll look into it for you," Jeremy said, his tone a little more muted.

"Thanks, Jeremy," Amara said and hung up the phone just in time.

Stephanie and Chris walked out the large gla.s.s doors and over toward the car.

"Sorry," Stephanie apologized immediately. "We started to talk and lost track of the time. I had a hard time getting into the dress," she confessed.

Stephanie, unlike Amara, looked completely natural in what she wore. The sleeveless dress was a brilliant green and complemented her eyes perfectly. It cut off much like Amara's, at the knee. Teal heels and a brightly beaded necklace completed the outfit.

"Talking, huh?" Amara asked doubtfully. "Just get in the back of the car."

Chris shrugged, and got in, then buckled up his seat belt. He looked much more casual than the girls, but just as refined. They were all dressed for a night on the town. For Chris, that meant a new pair of jeans and a nice s.h.i.+rt. Stephanie followed quickly and sat beside Chris. Amara shook her head and rolled her eyes. How could Stephanie just leap into the arms of this stranger? He wasn't just a stranger;, he was a mysterious stranger. He had some sort of dark secret that could possibly be the end of the two of them-; or three if he played his cards wrong.

Of course, that could have been what drove Stephanie to Chris. It also could have been that Chris and Amara didn't get along. Stephanie was still young. Nineteen is an age of wonder and naivete. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome over there was just what she was looking for. A man of anonymity. Amara knew better. Mysterious men were usually best kept a mystery.

Amara flipped the radio on to drown out their conversation. She didn't want to catch any warm words or affectionate glances between the two. It wasn't because she was against them being together. Well, actually she was but not because she didn't believe in love or because she didn't want Stephanie to be in love.

She was worried that if something went wrong in the meeting, and at some point she had to get Chris out of the way, Stephanie might interfere. That was one of the biggest problems of working on a team. If emotional attachment blossomed into love, it could make a person hesitate. In any sort of battle, every second counts. It was worse if someone took a bullet for the wrong person. If Chris were going to hand them over to Alexander in a nice little gift- wrapped package, Amara would take his head off. The thought that Stephanie might get in the way and take the bullet was enough to make Amara want to park the car and kick him out.

Amara took the back road to the city. The hotel was located just outside to give them some peace and quiet when they weren't chasing down suspects. The road stretched long and dark through the twists and turns of the wood. Trees poked from the ground on either side like a large, thick fence. The moon was high in the sky and lit up the trees with a beautiful silver tint. The windows were cracked just an inch to let the cool air into the car and that at least helped Amara clear her mind a little.

"Almost a full moon," Stephanie pointed out over the music, and Amara turned it down just a notch.

"Yeah. If it's a werewolf we're looking for, tonight would be the night to find it, huh?"

"The meeting with Alexander will probably be really helpful, right?"

"I think if anyone has helpful information it would be him," Chris finally spoke up. "He keeps an eye on what is going on through the city. If a vampire steps out of line, it's his job to put it back in its place. I don't think he has power over the lycanthropes, but the vampires are his to control."

"Unless we get a rogue," Amara said.

"Like the one committing the murders?" Stephanie asked, and the two other hunters nodded in unison.

"Being the Master Vampire of a city isn't just a nice t.i.tle," Chris explained to her, resting his arms behind his head. "It means more than just being the strongest for a few miles around. He's in charge of things here. He needs to protect the vampires in this area and keep them in control too. He needs to oversee things and make sure his people don't expose themselves."

"I never knew all that," Stephanie looked a little amazed. "How did you learn all of this?"

"Years of experience," Amara cut in, and Stephanie glared at her.

"She's right, Steph. Crimson makes sure it's hunters are educated. We're raised for things like this. Before we go on our first hunt, we know the entire structure of vampire society."

"I'm sure you've picked up more afterward," Amara said, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"Well, yeah," he said, sitting up a little. "There's always things you can't learn from a book or a cla.s.s or even in contained, controlled situations."

"Amara. Watch out." Stephanie leaned forward in her seat and grabbed the wheel before Amara knew what was happening. The car swerved, fishtailed, and finally hit a tree. Stephanie flew forward, hitting her head off the dashboard, and suddenly her world spun.

At first she thought it was her vision. That she just hit her head too hard. It felt like the world twisted around her. When she felt the roof of the car hit into her back and the sound of metal screeching against the blacktop of the street, she knew the car had tumbled. Somehow things hadn't quite sunk in entirely. As the car finally stopped spinning, she lay there and tried to piece together what just happened. The smell of gasoline and smoke were a thick mask over the smell of the forest. Stephanie choked on the fumes. She had almost forgotten about the man who stood in the middle of the road. Somewhere off in the distance she heard her name being called.

"Stephanie. Stephanie," Amara shouted as she struggled with her seat belt.

"STEPH," Chris was half-screaming her name as he ripped his safety belt off. He fell the last few inches and crashed down into the roof of the car with a thud, forcing the air from his lungs.

The sound of gunshots rang through the air. Within a few seconds, the winds.h.i.+eld of the car became a ma.s.s of spider web cracks. A quick, startled shout escaped Amara as she finally struggled out of her belt and crawled onto the roof.

"Stay here," Christopher said quickly as he maneuvered his way out of the ruined Prius. He winced as two more shots were fired off, this time in his direction. When the gunner took a moment to reload, Chris slipped out of the car and fired back. He flipped the pa.s.senger door open to s.h.i.+eld himself as he fired back. The sound of the bullets. .h.i.tting against the door were loud, like hail beating down from the sky.

Amara grabbed Stephanie's bag and rummaged through it. The witch always carried various magical items with her. She pulled out one of the gooey creams Stephanie carried around and smeared it over the particularly bad looking wounds. The smell was awful, and the slimy texture didn't help at all, but Stephanie taught her a long time ago that this particular ointment was amazing for healing.

Amara winced in surprise as a cry of pain cut through the sound of gunshots. She looked up quickly and found saw the man laying flat on his back.

Christopher looked over to her. "Is Stephanie okay?" The words came out so quickly, that it took Amara a moment to process them.

"She should be. Maybe a few broken bones, but she heals almost as well as I do."

Christopher sighed, obviously relieved. He crawled back into the car and knelt down beside Stephanie. He pushed her hair away from her face gently to look at the bruise.

"Do you think she's got any internal bleeding?"

Amara shook her head. "No. I think she'll be okay. She's breathing normally. She's a witch, Chris. A powerful witch. She'll be fine."

Stephanie didn't always seem it because of her teenage-girl att.i.tude, but she was likely the most powerful witch Amara had ever met. Of course, having that power didn't mean she knew how to use it. At least her body would use it naturally and instinctively to protect and heal itself.

Amara crawled out of the car and Chris followed after a few moments later. The two hunters walked the few yards over to the body lying in the road and looked over the man.

"Any I.D.?" Chris asked as he bent down beside the body and search through his pockets.

"No. I've got his wallet. A couple of dollars, a punch card for the grocery store, and a condom," she laughed a little. "Big night planned, huh?"

Christopher shook his head and laughed. "I guess he had plans after this. Too bad." He lifted the right sleeve of the man's jean jacket and jumped a little. "Amara, take a look at this."

Amara crawled a little closer and paused. The marks running up the man's arm were an old language carved into his skin, and from the pearly white look of the scars, they were not fresh. The markings were raised in white, scarred letters. Amara knew what they were: ancient Egyptian, and she recognized them despite not knowing the language.

"Kafele," she said, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Kafele," he said the name in worried agreement.

So Alexander's cousin was really back in town. Why would he send a hit man after the group while they were on their way to visit Alexander? The only reason Amara could fathom would be that he was covering up. He didn't want the group of hunters to get to Alexander. If the head vampire of the city found out what Kafele was doing, he would be in trouble. Of course, that wouldn't stop Amara. She pulled out her phone and dialed for the headquarters. The group would need a new ride, an ambulance, a cover up for the body, and to still meet Alexander on time.

After all, it's impolite to cancel on such short notice.