Uprising

Chapter Fifty-Four

Darkness was beginning to fall by the time Alex skidded the Jag into the Schuessler & Schuessler parking lot and made her way up to the top floor. Rumble was in his office talking to Xavier Garrett when she barged in without knocking. Both vampires turned as she marched up to Rumble’s desk.

She jerked her thumb at the door. ‘Take a hike, Garrett. I have some news to tell Harry.’

Garrett looked at Rumble. Rumble nodded quietly. Garrett scowled ferociously at Alex as he left the room.

‘I’m listening,’ Rumble said, and Alex spent the next five minutes telling him about her meeting with Joel Solomon.

‘The Federation rules expressly forbid fraternisation with a human,’ Rumble warned her. ‘You know the penalty.’

‘Then it’s time to start making exceptions to the rules. Without him, we wouldn’t know that Stone is hiding out at a stately home near Henley-on-Thames. It’s called Crowmoor Hall.’

Rumble stared. ‘How does this Solomon know that?’

‘Remember the Hallowe’en party? The kid who thought he saw vampires? He didn’t imagine it.’ She perched herself on the edge of Rumble’s desk. ‘This is our chance, Harry. We can take them.’

‘And how do you propose to do that? Storm the place? Maybe you’ve forgotten that these are the same guys who just relieved us of enough Nosferol to destroy every vampire on the planet. They have it all, and we have just about none. I’d say the balance of power has shifted a little in their favour. And you want to go in there like Rambo.’

‘I didn’t mean now,’ she said impatiently. ‘I meant when I get back from Venice.’

‘Now you’ve totally lost me. Why would you go to Venice?’

‘Because that’s where Joel Solomon believes he’s going to find the cross of Ardaich.’

There was a long silence. Rumble pushed his glasses up his nose and stared at her hard.

‘I don’t have time to explain it all right now, Harry. When I get back, you’ll know everything. What I need you to do now is authorise an expense account for me. No limits.’

‘What about the FRC conference in Brussels? I’d have liked you there with me.’

‘What about it? Don’t you think this is more important?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Listen to me, Harry. This is the only chance we have. Just as you said, the balance of power has tipped away from us. Stone has all the guns. But what if we could find the cross? And what if the legends are true?’

‘Yeah, what if?’

‘But suppose they are. We can take Stone and all his followers out, just like that.’

She snapped her fingers. ‘It would stop this insurrection in its tracks.’

‘There’s a problem with your logic. You’re a vampire, Alex. And vampires can’t even go near the cross of Ardaich. That thing even gets pointed at you, you’ll wish Stone had shot you with one of your own Nosferol bullets.’

‘I can’t be the cross bearer,’ Alex said. ‘But Joel Solomon can. And he wants this more than anything. He hates vampires. He told me so.’

‘Where is the human now?’

‘He’s at my place.’

‘Alex, if anyone at FRC got wind that you were harbouring a human in your own home—’

‘But they won’t. Will they, Harry?’

‘You’re making me an accomplice, for crying out loud.’

‘It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve covered for me.’

‘This is different.’

‘Well, apparently this is war,’ she said.

Rumble paused, thinking hard, then let out a long sigh. ‘Say this cross really is in Venice. Which is improbable. And say you and he are able to find it. Which is highly unlikely. You’d be putting yourself at enormous risk.’

Alex shrugged. ‘You know me, Harry. I’ve taken risks before.’

‘And by allowing you to recover it, I’d be endangering all of us. What if this Solomon finds out who you really are, and about VIA?’

‘He won’t.’

‘You’re sure about that? Have you thought about how you’re going to explain to him that you can’t go near the damn thing? Won’t he find that just a teeny bit odd?’

‘I’ll think of something, Harry. I always do, don’t I?’

Rumble mulled it over for a while, then pulled a face. ‘I don’t like it. Not one little bit.’

‘But you don’t have any better ideas. Do you?’