This time I didn’t offer any clever quips. ‘I will.’ I started to climb down.
Lukas and I moved quickly, mirroring the actions of the mysterious vamp, descending step for step, albeit on opposite sides of the wheel. The structure of the Eye heaved and groaned. I knew it would more than hold our weight, but my near fall had knocked the wind out of my sails and I felt less confident now.
It was harder going down than it was climbing up, and it wasn’t long before the vampire started to pull away. Below us, various police officers and London Eye officials were positioning themselves. Someone would catch him when he reached the ground then we’d find out what the hell all this was about.
Lukas and I were about twenty-five metres from the ground and the vampire was about fifteen metres away. I tried to move faster to catch him up, but he suddenly stopped. He looked down, swinging his head first one way then the other. What on earth was he up to? Was he stuck? Attacked by a bout of vertigo?
I was totally wrong.
Lukas yelled down at the small crowd of police and Eye security officials. ‘Left!’ he roared. ‘Go left!’
It was already too late. As we watched and clung helplessly to the Eye, the vampire on the other side jumped and sailed outwards from the steelwork. Instead of slamming into the ground and collapsing into a heap, he hit the tarmac and rolled. Then he sprang to his feet in one fluid movement and started to sprint. Security and police officers streamed towards him. but he paid them no attention as he pelted directly for the barrier to the far side. It was designed to keep out trespassers but the vamp scrambled up it easily, threw himself off the other side and disappeared. Well, fuckity fuck fuck.
We climbed down the rest of the way, first Lukas and then me.
‘He’s gone,’ stated a panting policeman who rushed up to us. ‘We tried to catch him but he was like a damned ninja. I’ve never seen anything like it.’ He shot Lukas an accusing look as if it were entirely his fault that vampires had such acrobatic skills. If Lukas noticed, he didn’t react; his expression was set like granite but his black eyes were flaring with rage.
‘You’ve never had to deal with a suicidal vampire before, have you?’ I asked quietly.
‘No,’ Lukas bit out. ‘And I don’t think we’re dealing with one now, either.’
Chapter Three
I’d only been back on solid ground for a few moments when my phone rang. I checked the caller display and my heart sank.
Lukas leaned across and glanced down. ‘Ignore it,’ he said.
I shook my head. I couldn’t do that. I pressed the button to answer. ‘This is DC Bellamy,’ I said.
‘Emma,’ Detective Superintendent Lucinda Barnes barked. ‘What in bejesus’ name is going on? Why am I watching the lunchtime news and seeing reports of a damned vampire climbing the London Eye?’
I winced. ‘He’s not climbing it any more,’ I offered helpfully.
‘Did he fall?’
‘Er, he climbed down and ran away.’
Her voice rose to a screech. ‘Ran away? What is going on? Where is Lord Horvath?’
I held the phone towards Lukas, suggesting that he take it and speak to my boss himself, but he backed away looking grimly amused. He didn’t have to answer to DSI Barnes. Unfortunately I didn’t have the same luxury. ‘He’s busy,’ I said. ‘But he’s here and he was trying to help bring the man down.’
‘Well, he didn’t do a very good job, did he?’ She hissed under her breath. ‘He probably planned this. He probably wanted to remind the world of just how powerful the vampires are. I’m surprised he didn’t arrange for a group to abseil down Big Ben at the same time.’
‘Actually,’ I began, ‘I don’t think that—’
There was the sound of muffled voices from DSI Barnes’ end. ‘What?’ she said to someone. ‘What?’
I frowned, prickles of tension on the nape of my neck.
My boss came back on the line. ‘Get to Tower Bridge,’ she ordered. ‘As fast as you can.’
My blood chilled. ‘Why?’
Lukas was watching me, his eyes narrowed.
‘Three werewolves have hijacked an open-top bus.’
My mouth dropped open. ‘You’re kidding me.’
‘You have no idea how much I wish I were. Go. Now.’
I didn’t waste any further time. I was already running for Tallulah.
‘Emma!’ Lukas called after me.
I waved a hand. ‘Find that fucking vampire!’ I yelled over my shoulder. And then I ran faster.
***
I’d started keeping a loaded crossbow in Tallulah at all times. When I reached the edge of Tower Bridge and saw the commotion ahead, I grabbed it from the back seat before hauling arse. This time I didn’t need to show my identification to gain access to the scene; Tallulah and the crossbow heralded my arrival. The relief on the faces of the police at my end of the bridge was unmistakable.
‘What’s happened?’ I asked, wasting neither time nor breath on any unnecessary preamble.
‘Tour bus up ahead,’ stated a lanky male police officer. His voice was calm and his expression was studiously bland, but I didn’t miss the faint tremble in his hands. It was understandable; very few police officers ever had to deal with supernaturals in person. Apart from yours truly, of course. ‘It’s one of those buses that you can catch on any street corner around here. It takes in the sights. Has its own tour guide. You know the sort of thing.’
The bus had come to a halt in the middle of the road and was sitting at an angle across two lanes. Both in front and behind it were scattered cars that had been abandoned by their drivers. There were also, by my count, at least eight armed officers with guns trained on it. The open top deck appeared to be empty. Whatever was going on was happening inside on the lower floor.
‘We have reports that three men with large backpacks got on board outside the Tower of London. A few minutes later, they transformed into werewolves, grabbed the tour guide and several other tourists and threatened the rest. They seemed to want the bus driver to drive out of the city, but he crashed the bus instead and got away. Some of the other tourists managed to jump off the top of the bus when it stopped. We think there are seven people still inside, not including the werewolves.’
Okay. This was crazy. But okay. ‘Any word on what clan the wolves are from?’
The police officer goggled at me. ‘How would we know that?’
They wouldn’t necessarily, but werewolves were loyal creatures. There was no chance that any of them had made a move like this unless it had already been sanctioned by their clan alpha. And, nutty as the four alphas were, I couldn’t for the life of me imagine why any of them would have thought that bringing central London to a halt was a good idea.
‘Has anyone contacted the clan alphas?’ I asked.
‘We thought you might do that.’
‘Uh huh.’ I nodded. ‘Any word on the wolves’ rankings? Did anyone spot any coloured tags on their arms before they transformed?’
He shook his head slowly. He was about as much use as a one-legged man in an arse-kicking contest.
There was a sudden commotion behind us from the police line. I turned and spotted Fred, who was waving his arms frantically in my direction. Finally, someone who could provide me with real back-up. I nodded at him. ‘Let him through,’ I instructed.