Vampire Zero (Laura Caxton, #3)(76)

“Caxton,” Glauer finally said. He was standing right behind her. “Caxton, this is insane.”

“Is it? There’s a girl in there who could very well wake up at four-?thirty as a vampire, thirsty for blood. You’ve seen what they can do, and you know as well as I do that they’re never stronger than the moment they rise.”

“You’re assuming—”

“I’m assuming nothing,” she demanded. “I’m preparing for an eventuality. Given the risks involved, it would be colossally stupid not to do this. When you’re faced with two choices, one that makes everybody happy, and one that isn’t dangerously stupid, you pick the second one. That’s something Jameson taught me.”

“Look, there’s a chance that she’ll rise. There’s also a chance that you’re about to traumatize Simon for life. Why don’t—”

“You admit, then, that there’s a chance. I don’t gamble, Glauer. Now, either help them bring the body out here or get out of my face.”


He reached to take her arm. She swung around, very fast, and punched him in the wrist. He backed away quickly, shaking his arm in pain. It was his fault Raleigh was dead. He had let her commit suicide. If he spoke to her again she planned on hitting him someplace else, like the face or the stomach. The body was brought out. The troopers had wrapped it in a white sheet, then strung duct tape around the feet and neck to keep the sheet in place. Two troopers lowered it carefully on top of her pile of wood, and a third doused body and wood in gasoline at her instruction. She thought maybe someone should say some words, but the HQ’s chaplain refused to get involved when she called him. She had no idea what to say, herself.

In a trash can she found a crumpled newspaper and she bunched it in her hands. She turned to look at the troopers who had helped her. “Which one of you smokes? I need a lighter.”

They just stared at her.

“Now you’re growing balls? You soaked her with gasoline! What did you think I was going to do?”

A hand descended on her shoulder. She spun around, intending to push Glauer off, but it wasn’t him. Deputy Marshal Fetlock stood there with a look of absolute horror on his face.

“Stop,” he said.

She considered hitting him.

She did not. But it took some effort.

“Who the f*ck called him?” she demanded, turning to look at the troopers who stood around her. They were all staring at her, some of them looking more uncomfortable than others. “Glauer? Was it you? So help me—”

“Stop,” Fetlock said again.

“Deputy Marshal,” she said, trying to cool her voice down, make it sound reasonable, “this girl may be infected with the vampire curse. If we don’t destroy her body before sundown, she might come back. I’ve never actually seen it happen. I can only rely on what Jameson taught me. But they come back fast, and they come back very strong. They come back ready to hunt.”

“Stop,” Fetlock said. “Back up.”

He meant physically. She took a step away from the pyre. Then another one. He held up his hand, palm forward, and she took a third step. She dropped her newspaper fire starter on the ground. He turned to look at Simon, but kept glancing back at her as if he expected her to rush at the pyre and set it alight. The thought had occurred to her. “Simon Arkeley,” he said. “That’s your sister there? We’re not going to burn her today.”

“You’re Caxton’s boss, right?” he asked.

“That’s right, son.” Fetlock turned to face her again, though he continued to address Simon. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Yeah. Well. I haven’t really had time to process—”

“But maybe,” Fetlock interrupted, “you could go inside and let the police handle police business, alright?

Glauer, you keep an eye on him.”

Glauer took the boy inside.

“Now,” Fetlock said, walking toward Caxton. “That’s better.” He came up to her until he was close enough to box her ears. He didn’t. Instead he said: “Give me your star.”





Vampire Zero





Chapter 46.


“You can’t do this,” Caxton said. “Not now.”

Fetlock held out his hand.

“Look. She has to be destroyed. If I don’t do it—”

“I’m not a fool, Caxton. I’ll take care of it. But I won’t burn her in the parking lot like this. It’s illegal, for one thing. And it’s the wrong thing to do.”

“You trusted me!” she said. “You said this was going to be my investigation and I could run it as I saw fit. You said you would keep your hands off it.”

“That was back when I thought you were a competent officer. I don’t doubt you know what you’re doing, or that this is important. But your behavior is increasingly erratic and your methods are not acceptable. I’ll take it from here.”

You’ll never find Jameson, she thought. And if you do, he’ll tear you apart. She pressed her lips together until they burned so she wouldn’t say anything. Then she raised her hands to her lapel and unpinned her star. She put it in his hand and watched him shove it into the pocket of his coat. He moved quickly then. He pointed at the troopers, who were just standing around watching her disgrace. “You and you—get that body off of there. Move it inside, get it in a room with only one door. You—go tell your Commissioner that Laura Caxton is no longer an employee of the federal government. If he wants to take her back as a state trooper that’s his business. Trooper Glauer.”