Elizabeth Hunter - A Hidden Fire

She watched the three arguing for a few moments and tried to remember what Giovanni had told her months ago about the loose organization of the immortal world.

“The strongest, smartest, and wealthiest have the most power. And power is the only law.”

Vampires didn’t have laws or governments. From what she could tell, their world ran on physical strength, wealth, and a tangled web of long term alliances. Beatrice began to think about how all this applied to Lorenzo.

Giovanni seemed to think he had neutralized Lorenzo’s alliances. Tenzin and Giovanni had taken his strength by turning him into a crispy critter who would take years to recover. She couldn’t attack his brains; that was impossible.

But, she could attack his money.

Suddenly smirking, Beatrice walked silently over to her desk and turned to the one place she knew she had the upper hand on any vampire in the world. She may have been helpless to defend herself in the face of supernatural strength, and she sure didn’t have much money…

At least not yet.

She closed her eyes, delving into her memories of captivity, and running through the list of accounts she memorized in the hours she sat in Lorenzo’s library. The pitiful assistant had been sloppy, never noticing her careful study of the numerous account codes, passwords, and security questions she’d observed as she sat in the corner, pretending to read.

“Gio?” she called quietly as she turned on the equipment.

He glanced at her as he argued with Carwyn about the merits of meeting with the leader of a clan of water vampires that controlled London.

“Yes?”

“All these computers have security, don’t they? Lots of firewalls?”

“Of course, tesoro,” he said before he was distracted by Tenzin and something she was saying about a council of eight immortals that sounded like they controlled most of China.

“Good,” she muttered as she dove online to access Lorenzo’s accounts scattered over the globe.

The debate swirled around her for hours as she hunted, systematically eliminating Lorenzo’s ability to access the money she had observed his lackey moving around. Beatrice searched, isolating each account that poor, addled Tom had set up for his master. She shifted and diverted, putting some of it in her own name and transferring other parts into overseas accounts she would have access to. For some banks, it was as simple as changing a password and electronically transferring funds into other, newly created accounts at the same institution. It was all completely illegal.

And she didn’t care one bit.

As her fingers raced over the keys, she thought more about the clues Lorenzo had lain at her feet, no doubt thinking that she would never be out from under his thumb.

Her father had taken something from him.

“…not before taking some books he knew I valued.”

And Lorenzo needed them for something.

“Soon, I will fool them all. All the silly, trusting fools with their delusions of grandeur.”

Lorenzo had plans…big plans.

“I have dreams, too. But they’re not small in the least. They’re positively…world changing.”

Beatrice had the feeling that those kind of plans wouldn’t be derailed forever, but without the financial resources she was stealing from him, it would take Lorenzo a lot longer to get them back on track. She knew it wouldn’t stop him, but she was buying herself time; and she hoped, giving her father the chance to find her. As for Giovanni…

“Beatrice?” Carwyn called over to her. “What are you doing over there? You’re looking like the cat that just ate the canary.”

She smirked and hit ‘return,’ typing the final, electronic nail in Lorenzo’s coffin, and netting herself a hefty payday, though she had a feeling much of it would remain out of reach until she’d found a way to explain it to the IRS.

“Carwyn, the creepy blond canary is dead. Mangled by all of you, and finished by me.”

Giovanni rose and walked toward her. “What did you do? If you’ve put yourself in more danger-”

“He’s done, Gio, at least for a while.” She sat back and kicked her feet up, resting her combat boots on the edge of the desk.

“What did you do?”

She stared into his worried eyes. “He’s wiped out. Any easy money he had is mine now. He won’t be able to access any electronic funds unless he had a whole lot his pitiful little accountant didn’t know about, and I’m doubting that. They’re mine. Safely tucked away where he can’t get them.”

Carwyn’s face split into a giant grin. “Nicely done, darling girl. Very nicely done.”

Tenzin walked over and peeked around Carwyn. “I like her.”

Beatrice glanced at Tenzin and smiled, but quickly looked back to Giovanni, who had not taken his eyes off her. His face had shut down, and his expression was impossible for her to read.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Carwyn tug on Tenzin’s arm, and they both left the library. Giovanni walked to the table, leaning against it as he stared into the fire that crackled in the grate.

“I have to agree with Carwyn,” he said, “that was very well done. Very smart. You’ll have to talk to Caspar. He can help you clean the money…if you need any help, that is.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a rueful smile.

Beatrice walked over to him, standing before him and lifting a hand to stroke his cheek. His smile fell, and he closed his eyes, leaning into her palm. She felt the ever-present crackling heat that ran along his skin as she held her hand to his face. Finally, he looked at her, and the stoic soldier met her gaze.

She took a deep breath. “I’m going to L.A.”

“Yes,” he murmured, “I know.” He closed his eyes, and rubbed his face into the palm of her hand.

“Gio-”

“You have a wonderful life in front of you, Beatrice De Novo.”

She felt the tears come to her eyes. Ask me to stay , she thought. Ask to come with me! Tell me you love me as much as I love you. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Are you staying in Houston?”

He shrugged and took her hand from his face, threading their fingers together and holding them to his chest. “For now. Caspar seems to be very attached to this house,” he smirked, “and this city.”

“And you?”

He dropped her hand, and pulled her toward him. His fingers traced her cheek, his arms encircled her, and his warm lips met her own. They kissed slowly in the flickering light that filled the room. She could feel his energy hum along her skin, and she pressed closer, drawn to the hidden fire that burned between them.

After a few lingering minutes, his lips slowed and he trailed kisses across her cheek. She closed her eyes, and held him close as he whispered in her ear.

“Ubi amo, ibi patria.”

Los Angeles, California

February 2005

The man walked under the shadow of the arch and into the flickering lights of the courtyard. He examined the bungalow-style apartments that surrounded him, and smiled at the calico cat perched near a bubbling fountain. It was an old complex, and brilliant red bougainvillea climbed the stucco walls. He could smell the scent of the ocean as the evening fog rolled up the Southern California hills.

The cheerful lamps near each door lit up the numbers of the apartments, and he scanned them until he found the one he was looking for. As he approached, he examined the windows, smiling when he noted the heavy bolts which secured her home.

“Excuse me? Can I help you?”

He smiled and turned to face the old woman who held the cat in her arms. Listening carefully to the surrounding apartments, he noted the lack of activity, and the faint sounds of sleep that issued from most. He held out his hand with a smile and the woman took it, opening her mind to him.