The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo (Love at Stake) Read Free

he made.”
    Dougal frowned. They’d defeated villainous vampires before, but never one who had teamed up with a demon.
    “The problem with hunting for Russell is that he’s hoping to kill Master Han,” Angus continued. “So in order to find him, we also have to search for Master Han.”
    “What’s wrong with that?” Dougal asked. “Should we no’ be trying to kill the bastard?”
    “We need to, aye, but ’tis verra hard to actually find him. He’s taken over a large portion of southern China, Tibet, and the northern portions of Thailand and Myanmar. ’Tis a huge area to canvas. J.L. and Rajiv have spent months there, and they’ve discovered thirty outposts, each one heavily guarded. As far as they can tell, Master Han teleports from one fort to another, and they never know where he’ll pop up next.”
    Dougal winced. “Like playing whack the mole.”
    “Aye. Master Han has nearly a thousand soldiers now, spread over the thirty outposts. J.L. and Rajiv are so outnumbered that they try their best to avoid any confrontations.” Angus sighed. “I was discussing this with Roman and Jean-Luc. We find ourselves in a moral dilemma.”
    “How so?”
    “They may be the enemy, but they’re mortal.” Angus extended his cup toward Dougal so he could refill it with Bubbly Blood. “We never felt guilty about killing Malcontents. They’re a bunch of rotten bastards who’ve spent centuries killing mortals and enjoying it.”
    “Aye,” Dougal muttered. “And they’re already Undead. They simply turn to dust after ye skewer them.” Just like his hand, once it had been sliced off in battle.
    Angus nodded. “But when we kill Master Han’s soldiers, they doona disappear. Their bodies remain. And so does our guilt. As far as we know, their souls go straight to hell.”
    Dougal winced. “I dinna know that.”
    “Our guys learned about it on their first mission to China. The mortals enjoy their superpowers as a gift from Darafer, but when they die, their souls belong to him forever.” Angus dragged a hand through his hair. “We doona know if the mortals agree to the bargain, or if they are coerced through vampire mind control. Roman and I have discussed it at length, and we’re reluctant to engage in battle with these mortals. We doona want to kill them.”
    And dispatch their souls to hell. Dougal finished his Bubbly Blood and refilled his cup. “While we wait, Master Han is making more of them. Dooming more souls.”
    “I know.” Angus drank. “That’s why J.L. and Rajiv brought back one of the soldiers. We have some good scientists here: Roman, Laszlo, and Abby. We hoped they could figure out how the mortal was changed and how to change him back.”
    “Then we could save them instead of killing them,” Dougal concluded.
    “Aye.” Angus finished his cup and set it on the table. “Abby has been studying blood and tissue samples from our guest, and she claims he’s been altered genetically. ’Tis beyond her area of expertise, so she suggested we find an expert to help us out.”
    Dougal nodded. “Did ye find someone?”
    “Dr. Lee did.” Angus referred to the vampire doctor from Houston. “He’s been looking for an assistant, since he has an increasing number of Vamps and shifters and wee bairns to take care of. He found a physician who also has a Ph.D. in genetics. A young mortal. And a genius, according to Dr. Lee. He’s bringing her here tonight.”
    “ Her ?”
    “Aye.” Angus stood and paced across the room. “He hired her a week ago, but he had some trouble breaking the news to her about vampires and shifters.”
    Dougal finished his cup of Bubbly Blood. Was it right to drag an innocent, mortal woman into this mess? “She dinna take it well?”
    “Nay. She became so upset that she wanted to quit, and he ended up erasing her memory in order to keep her employed. We doona want to lose her.”
    Dougal winced. “And he’s bringing her here? The place is swarming with supernatural