All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire

CHAPTER 25

That evening, just after sundown, Toni was sitting in the parlor with Ian, Carlos, Howard, and all the Vamp guys, watching the Digital Vampire Network. Stone Cauffyn of the Nightly News droned on and on. Phineas and Jack made everyone laugh with their impersonations of the boring newscaster.

Stone turned his head. "What is the meaning of this?"

The camera swerved, and Toni gasped. Jedrek Janow was approaching the newscaster's desk with a pistol in his hand. "Take him," he ordered, and a Russian Malcontent rushed past him to loop silver rope around Stone Cauffyn.

"What are you doing?" Stone asked. "This is highly irregular."

"On me!" Jedrek demanded, and the camera shifted to him. "You, cameraman, will do as I say if you want to live."

The camera didn't budge.

Jedrek nodded. "Good, now show our audience what we have behind door number one." He motioned to his right.

The camera panned to the door. Yuri and Stanislav entered the recording studio, each dragging a hostage.

Toni gasped. "They have Corky Courrant."

"And another woman," Ian muttered.

"I say we let him kill Corky," Phineas said.

"Shh." Ian turned up the volume as Jedrek spoke.

"As you can see, we have taken over DVN. Your regularly scheduled programming has been canceled for a far more interesting show. Ian MacPhie, you have twenty minutes to bring me the Stay-Awake drug, or I start executing people on live television."

Toni remained stunned and speechless, while the men all started to talk at the same time. How many men did Jedrek have? Who knew the layout at DVN?

The Vamp men suddenly leaped to their feet.

"Sorry!" a voice called from the foyer. Gregori entered the parlor. "Didn't mean to trigger the alarm."

Dougal rushed into the foyer to turn off the alarm.

Gregori glanced at the TV. "I saw what was happening. I thought I should warn you in case you didn't know."

"Do ye know the layout at DVN?" Ian asked.

"Sure. I've done a bunch of commercials there. Got some paper?" Gregori asked.

Toni ran to the desk. She collected some paper and pens, then dropped them on the large, square coffee table.

Gregori sat on one of the couches and began drawing.

"Phineas, Dougal, go below," Ian ordered. "Bring up some weapons. Howard, do ye know where DVN is?"

"It's in Brooklyn." Howard stood. "You want me to drive there?"

Ian ran a hand through his hair while he considered. "We doona want to teleport into a trap, so I think we should attack from the outside."

"Agreed," Zoltan said.

Their attention was snagged by a scream emanating from the television.

"You're burning my skin, you bastard!" Corky Courrant screeched as Yuri looped silver rope around her wrists.

The other woman whimpered as she was tied up.

Stone Cauffyn looked curiously at his ropes. "I say, what do you expect to gain from this?"

Jedrek sneered. "The world. With the Stay-Awake drug, I can rule the vampire world."

Stone gave him a bland look. "No such drug exists."

"Of course it does. Ian MacPhie took it. That's how he aged." Jedrek moved behind Corky and slid his hand around her neck. "I have you to thank, Ms. Courrant. You're the one who brought him to my attention."

Corky's eyes widened as his hand tightened. "If I helped you, then why don't you let me go?"

Jedrek tilted her head back to force her to look at him. "I enjoy watching blondes die. Isn't that so, Nadia?"

The camera swerved to a small brunette standing next to Stone. "It pleases the master when I kill a blonde," she whispered.

"You can't kill me!" Corky screamed. "I have fans." She glanced at the captured woman beside her. "Kill Tiffany. She's blonde. And she slept with my boyfriend."

"No!" Tiffany squealed. "I'm too young to die. And too pretty."

"Pretty?" Corky snorted. "Men just tell you that so you'll sleep with them."

"That's not true. I've been told I'm pretty by hundreds of men."

"And how many of those men did you sleep with?" Corky snarled.

Tiffany's eyes widened.

"Enough!" Jedrek rolled his eyes. "Gag them, Yuri, before I kill them now."

Yuri plastered a strip of duct tape over Tiffany's mouth.

Corky struggled with her ropes. "You can't kill me! I'm entertaining. Kill Stone! He's as boring as hell."

"Why, I say—" Stone stammered. "That seems uncalled for. I happen to find myself somewhat interesting."

Jedrek held Corky's head still while Yuri stuck duct tape across her mouth. Then he turned to inspect Stone, who stared blankly back at him. "What do you do?"

Stone blinked. "I read the news."

Jedrek strolled toward him. "And?"

"I have…nice hair."

Jedrek rolled his eyes. "This man is boring. I can't even sense any fear from him. Let him go."

Stone looked mildly surprised. "I must say, that is rather good news."

Nadia untied the silver ropes binding him and led him to the door. Corky tried to trip him as he passed by.

Jedrek paced in front of the two blonde hostages. "Now the question is which one of you shall I kill first? Or perhaps Ian MacPhie will come to save you."

Corky and Tiffany strained against their ropes.

Jedrek smiled. "That's it. Show me your fear. Let it ooze from your pores so I can revel in the smell." His gaze lowered to Corky's overly abundant breasts. "We'll need an extra long stake for this one."

Yuri chuckled. "Yes, Master."

Corky's scream was muffled and desperate.

Jedrek inhaled deeply. "Ah, the smell of fear." He turned to the camera. "Are you afraid, MacPhie? Are you going to let these women die so the entire Vamp world will remember you as a coward?"

"Go to hell," Ian muttered.

"I'm done," Gregori announced. He'd drawn a detailed schematic of DVN at vampire speed.

Phineas and Dougal whooshed into the room, their arms piled high with weapons. They set them down on the floor.

"Howard and Carlos, arm yourselves and get going," Ian ordered.

As the two mortal men grabbed swords, stakes, and daggers, Toni looked at Ian. Did he have other plans for her, or was he trying to completely leave her out? "Ian?"

His eyes met hers. "Can ye stay here?"

She shook her head. "For better or for worse. I'm with you."

A pained look crossed his face. "All right. Go with Howard."

She quickly gathered some weapons.

"Find a dark, secluded place nearby," Ian said. "Then call us, and we'll teleport. We'll have a plan by then."

"Okay." Howard motioned to Carlos and Toni. "Let's go."

On the way to DVN, Howard drove like a madman. "Don't get into a battle with a vampire, Toni. They're too fast and strong. They'll use mind control to freeze you."

"I understand." She couldn't compete with them. The vampires would always be superior. Even Howard and Carlos had abilities that she would never possess.

Howard drove onto the Brooklyn Bridge. "Carlos, if they try to take over your mind, shift. They can't control us when we're in animal form."

"I'll be ready for them," Carlos said.

Toni turned to look at Carlos in the backseat. "Be careful," she whispered.

"You, too, menina." Carlos winked.

Toni nervously fingered the wooden stakes in her lap. "I wonder how many men Jedrek has."

"Well, he had two men and a woman in the studio with him," Howard said. "And at last count, the Russian coven was down to about a dozen."

"So there could be ten more scattered about the building," Carlos concluded.

Toni mentally counted their number. Three mortals and six Vamps. Ian, Phineas, Dougal, Zoltan, Jack, and Gregori.

Howard parked in a dark alley next to the DVN parking lot. They immediately called the townhouse, and within seconds, the six Vamps were there, fully armed. Moonlight gleamed off their swords and daggers. Ian explained the plan. All the men nodded, but Toni shook her head.

"No, Ian. It's too dangerous for you."

"I'm the one he wants. This is the best way."

"Shhh." Phineas held up a hand. "Someone's coming."

The men spread out in the alley, and soon Toni heard a yelp.

"I say, there's no need for violence."

Toni blinked. It was Stone Cauffyn.

"What are ye doing here?" Ian demanded as Phineas dragged the newscaster forward.

"Are you the good guys?" Stone asked. "I was hoping you'd come. I want to help." He patted his perfect hair. "I want a piece of the action because I'm not boring!"

"Shhh." Ian hushed him. "Can ye wield a sword?"

"No, but I'm real good with a hairbrush. Oh, and I know where there's a secret entrance. Will that help?"

"Yes. Ye'll take the mortals in through the secret entrance," Ian ordered. "Gregori, go with them. The rest of you, ye know what to do. Let's go." He strode toward the end of the alley.

Toni ran to join him. "Ian, please don't do this. There has to be a better way."

"I've weighed the options, Toni. If we attack, Jedrek will kill the hostages. This way, he'll think he's won, and he'll be easier to defeat." He gave her a worried look. "If I begged you to stay here in the alley, would ye do it?"

"You know I can't. I have to be there for you."

Ian sighed. "Doona try to take on a Malcontent."

"Yeah, yeah, the vampires are superior. I've heard it before. I'm not good enough."

Ian stopped and took her hand. "No one is more valuable to me than you. Doona blame me for being terrified for yer safety."

"I feel the same way about you."

"I'll be fine. Trust me." He kissed her brow, then skirted the alley wall to enter the DVN parking lot.

Toni said a silent prayer for him. Hot tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them away. No time for that now.

Phineas, Dougal, Zoltan, and Jack moved stealthily into the parking lot, keeping themselves hidden, while Ian strode straight to the entrance door.

"Let's go." Howard motioned for her, Carlos, Gregori, and Stone to follow him. They crept along the back of the DVN parking lot, staying in the shadow. They stopped behind two large cars to watch.

Ian approached the entrance, where two Malcontent guards pointed their rifles at him. He raised his hands. "I'm Ian MacPhie. I've brought the drug for Jedrek."

One guard held his rifle on Ian while the other patted him down. "No weapons."

"What about his purse?" The Malcontent pointed his rifle at the leather pouch in front of Ian's kilt.

"It's a sporran." Ian opened it and showed them the vial of greenish liquid. "I'm to deliver this personally."

Toni's breath caught. Did he really have some of the drug with him?

The guard checked Ian's sporran. "There's nothing else inside. Let's go." He opened the door and motioned for Ian to enter.

The guards scanned the parking lot, and not seeing anything, they both went into the building to escort Ian to Jedrek.

About five minutes later, Toni saw a blur of movement as Phineas and Dougal zipped at vampire speed toward the now unguarded entrance. They slipped inside. Two more figures crept from the shadows. Zoltan and Jack stood on each side of the door, pressed against the wall.

Gregori cursed under his breath. "Their alarm just went off. There must be a Malcontent in the security office, and he spotted our guys."

"We knew that could happen," Howard whispered.

"At least the recording studios are soundproof," Gregori said. "Jedrek can't hear it."

Toni recalled the plan that Ian had explained in the alley. Phineas and Dougal were supposed to take over the security office as quickly as possible.

The two guards who had escorted Ian returned. They ran out the front door with swords drawn, but they didn't get far. Zoltan and Jack jumped them, and in a flash, both guards were nothing but piles of dust on the pavement.

Zoltan and Jack sheathed their daggers and drew their swords. Then they rushed inside. Their mission was to zoom through the building, killing any Malcontents they came across. From what Toni could tell, they looked quite capable of the job.

"All right, Stone, let's go." Howard gave the newscaster a push.

They ran to the side of the building. Stone moved a heavy potted plant to reveal a trapdoor in the pavement next to the building. He pulled on a metal ring to lift the door and revealed a staircase leading into the basement.

Howard pulled a small LED flashlight from his utility belt and flipped it on. "Let's go."

"This is all storage," Stone whispered, once they were downstairs. "No one comes down here except Tiffany and the boss when they want to—"

"We gotcha," Gregori muttered. "Take us to the stairwell that's closest to the control room."

"This way." Stone led them across the vast storeroom and up a narrow flight of stairs.

"Me first." Gregori drew his sword.

"Of course." Stone let him pass.

Gregori cracked open the door and peeked outside. "It's clear." He led them down an empty corridor. The sound of clashing blades could be heard in the distance. As Toni passed beneath a security camera, she could only hope they were being watched by Phineas or Dougal and not the Malcontents.

"This is it." Gregori stopped by a door with a sign that read Control Room. Clashing blades could be heard inside. Gregori flung open the door. Toni followed him just in time to see Zoltan slash his sword across a Malcontent's neck, then skewer him through the heart. The dead vampire turned to dust.

Zoltan swiveled to face them and bowed. "The room is yours." He zoomed out the door.

"Wow." Toni watched Zoltan disappear around a corner.

"I'm glad that guy's on our side," Carlos muttered.

Gregori cursed. "Look at this." He motioned to the wall that was covered with twelve monitors.

Toni gasped. All twelve monitors showed the same scene, the studio where the Nightly News was aired. Ian had been stripped to his kilt, and Nadia was casually looping silver rope around his bare chest. Red welts appeared on Ian's skin, and the sizzling sound made Toni's stomach lurch.

"We have to get him out of there." Toni pulled her dagger from her belt.

"We will, soon," Gregori assured her. "Ian wanted to make sure we had the rest of the building completely under our control and as many Malcontents as possible killed before we make our final move on Jedrek."

Howard stood guard at the door, while they all watched the monitors, unable to help Ian.

"Ye have the drug," Ian spoke through gritted teeth. "Let the hostages go."

Jedrek lifted the vial of greenish liquid. "How can I be sure this is really the Stay-Awake drug? You might have filled it with poison. Is it poison, MacPhie?"

Ian glared at him.

"Is it poison?" Jedrek shouted.

Nadia looped some silver rope around Ian's neck and pulled it tight. His neck sizzled.

Toni swallowed hard at the bile rising in her throat.

Ian glowered at Jedrek. "It's no' poison. Try it and see."

Jedrek nodded slowly. "You want me to drink it." He strode to Corky and ripped the duct tape off her mouth.

She screeched. "That hurts, you bastard."

"This might hurt worse. Hold her!" Jedrek ordered, and Yuri held Corky's head still.

Corky glued her lips together, but Jedrek pinched her nose till she opened her mouth to gasp for air. Jedrek poured some of the greenish liquid down her throat.

Back in the control room, the door opened slowly and Phineas peered inside. "Don't shoot," he told Howard.

"Do you have the security office?" Howard asked.

"Yeah. I left Dougal there. Zoltan and Jack are doing one final sweep. We're almost ready to move on Jedrek."

"Thank God." Toni motioned to the monitors. "Have you seen what they're doing to Ian?"

"Yeah." Phineas grimaced. "There's a monitor in the security office that shows us what's on air. More importantly, the whole vampire world is seeing what they're doing to Ian. And he has a bunch of admirers out there."

"So?" Toni didn't want to hear about all the Vamp women who still wanted to date Ian.

"So, they're all showing up outside," Phineas said. "We can see the parking lot on a monitor, and there's got to be fifty angry Vamp women out there. They're all screaming that Ian MacPhie must be released."

"Good grief," Toni breathed.

"It's getting wild out there," Phineas continued. "Those women have whips and baseball bats."

"I have an idea." Gregori went to the wall of shelves and grabbed a camera. He turned it on and looked at the monitors. "How do I get this to show up there?"

"Here." Stone went to the control panel and flipped some switches. A bottom monitor showed them in the control room as seen through Gregori's camera.

"And how do we get this on air?" Gregori asked.

Stone showed them which switches to use. He handed Carlos the earphones and took a small one for himself.

"I'll let you know when we're ready." Gregori headed out the door. "Let's go, Stone."

Phineas and Howard stood guard while Carlos studied the control panel. Toni watched the monitors, wondering how Ian was faring. She couldn't see him at the moment because the cameraman was still focused on Corky. The Vamp world was waiting to see if Corky was going to die from poison.

"How do you feel?" Jedrek asked her.

"I–I'm fine."

"You don't feel anything at all?"

Corky glared at him. "I feel great, actually. Full of energy like I could kick your ass all the way to China."

"Gag her." Jedrek said, and Yuri stuck the tape across Corky's mouth.

Jedrek paced across the room and stopped in front of Ian. "Full of energy? That sounds about right." He lifted the vial to his mouth and drank the entire contents.

He sneered in Ian's face. "You realize what will happen, MacPhie? The sun will rise, and you'll fall into your death-sleep while I remain awake. You'll be the first one I'll kill."

Ian remained silent.

"Master?" Yuri asked hesitantly. "What if he's taken the drug, too?"

Jedrek turned sharply to look at Ian, who simply stared back. "It won't matter. We'll just keep him tied up. He won't be able to defend himself."

"Master!" another male voice called, and the camera swerved to the door where Stanislav was entering. "Master, the Vamps have invaded the building."

Jedrek gritted his teeth. "Do I have to tell you what to do? Just kill them."

Stanislav paled. "They were too fast. I–I can't find any of our men."

"What?" Jedrek shouted.

"Look!" Toni pointed at the bottom monitor. Gregori and Stone were in the parking lot. "They're ready."

Carlos flipped the switches and spoke into the headphone. "You're on."

Stone's face filled almost all the monitors now, while Jedrek was relegated to one monitor on the bottom row.

"This is Stone Cauffyn, reporting live from the parking lot of DVN," the newscaster shouted. "As you can see, this is definitely not boring! Over fifty Vamp women and a few men have gathered here in support of Ian MacPhie, who is being held prisoner inside. In fact, more Vamps are teleporting here as I speak."

Gregori panned the camera along the angry mob. They shook their fists and baseball bats in the air. "Set Ian free! Set Ian free!"

"I have their ringleader here," Stone continued, and Gregori aimed the camera back on him. "Vanda Barkowski, do you have anything to say?"

Vanda lifted a fist, holding her whip. "You're going down, Jedrek! Nobody hurts our Ian MacPhie. We love Ian!"

The crowd took up her shout. "We love Ian! We love Ian!"

"Oh please," Toni muttered inside the control room.

"Look at this." Carlos turned up the volume on the monitor showing the studio where Jedrek was waving his hands in the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Jedrek glared at the monitor in the studio. "What is Vanda Barkowski doing on national television? How did she steal my place?"

"The Vamps must have taken over the control room," Stanislav said.

Jedrek whirled around to glower at the Malcontent. "They cut me off? This is my show!" He pulled his pistol from his belt, zoomed to Ian, and pressed the barrel of the gun against Ian's forehead. "Put me back on now!"

Toni gasped. "Carlos, quickly."

"I got it." He put Jedrek back on air.

Jedrek glanced at the monitor and saw himself. "That's more like it. Stanislav, Yuri, go take back the control room now!"

"Yes, Master!" They ran from the recording studio.

Toni gulped and tightened her grip on her dagger. "They're coming."

Carlos jumped to his feet and drew his dagger. Howard took up a position by the door with his dagger in hand.

Phineas raised his sword. "I'll take one. The three of you take the other."

The door burst open. Stanislav zoomed toward Phineas, and their swords clashed.

Yuri halted when he spotted Carlos and Toni. "Mortals," he sneered. He pointed his sword at them. "This will be too easy."

With a bearlike growl, Howard leaped on Yuri's back and plunged a dagger into his side. Yuri screamed and threw Howard off his back with so much force that Howard flew across the room and crashed into the wall of shelves. Contents from the shelves spilled down on Howard. He didn't move.

Yuri sucked in a hissing breath as he looked at his bleeding wound. "You'll pay for this." He lifted his sword and charged.

Carlos dunked, and Toni leaped to the side. She heard Phineas cry out and glanced his way. Oh no! Stanislav had managed to stab Phineas in the shoulder.

A blur shot past her, and she whirled, lifting her dagger.

"No!" Carlos shouted.

Yuri caught her from behind. He pressed the edge of his sword against her neck. "Drop your weapon." The sword pinched her skin. "Drop it!"

She let her dagger tumble to the floor.

"Stand back!" Yuri shouted.

With a stricken look, Carlos stepped back. The clash of swords echoed in her ears as Phineas continued to fight Stanislav. A low growl emanated from Carlos as he ripped his shirt off. She realized he was going to shift.

Yuri cursed, then Toni gasped as everything went black.