130Title: Blood Feud (2 of ?) Author: Lindyrb Rating: PG-13 Pairing: Mick/Beth Spoilers: NoneDisclaimer: CBS owns Moonlight. They've got all the neat stuff (like Alex's phone number...)
From last chapter:
Beth nodded and moved around next to Mick. "And look at the first verse – it's so specific. Detectives and financial chiefs? Tell me that doesn't refer specifically to the two of you."
"We have community members in each of those professions," nodded Josef.
Mick looked from Beth to Josef and back to the screen in front of him. "Whoever this guy is, he knows us. And I'm not talking just about vampires in general." Mick looked at the others with a grim smile. "He knows us."
Part 2
Josef turned to Mick. "This guy's more than just a menace. What he obviously knows makes him a dangerous combination of hunter and fanatic. You're too young to know what it was like being hunted down like some damn rabid animal." Josef ran his hand nervously through his hair and paced in front of the terrace windows. "We've managed to convince most of the world that we're nothing more than fictional characters. I have no intention of allowing centuries of carefully orchestrated misdirection to be endangered in my area on my watch."
Mick was already reviewing the photos Beth had shown them. "I need to go take a look at each of these locations. There's something about these photos that bugs me, but I can't put my finger on it." He stood up and grabbed his coat, looking at Beth. "While we head for the first clinic, you can see what more your source can tell you. And I need to get my hands on one of those notes."
"I'll make some calls," said Josef, swinging into planning mode. "I'll have Ryder access any data, electronic or telephonic records and I'll contact other areas to see if they've had any similar situations."
Mick and Beth were soon headed south on the 405 freeway towards the site of the first break in, an outpatient surgical suite south of the airport. Over the next three hours, the two of them visited each location. While the first place had supported three doctors, the second location, also a surgical suite, had been much larger, with four operating rooms used by nearly a dozen doctors.
The third hit, though, was on the Red Cross blood donor center that collected and processed blood for several hospitals in central Los Angeles. The initial police investigation noted that the damage in the blood storage area had been done with some type of bladed weapon – a machete or dagger most likely.
"He's choosing bigger targets with each attack," noted Mick. "I only sense one person – the same person - in each case. Whoever this guy is has planned these hits carefully. And I'm willing to bet that he's not done."
Beth nodded in agreement, looking over her notes. "Yeah. He'll probably hit another place sometime still this evening." She looked at her watch. "It's almost nine. Geez, no wonder I'm hungry," she said glancing over at Mick. "Can we stop at a deli someplace?"
"Of course," Mick said, "You just have to remind me. It's one of those things I tend to forget." He steered the Benz off the next ramp and swung into a strip mall. Fifteen minutes later, they were climbing back into the car when Mick's phone rang, showing Josef's number.
"Hey Josef," answered Mick.
"He's hit another location," responded Josef without preamble. "We just picked up the call on the police band. Century City Blood Bank down on Sepulveda."
Mick backed out of the parking space and quickly pulled out of the lot. "We're about ten minutes from there. Call you when we know more." He hung up and accelerated towards their destination. "He's definitely escalating. That's the largest blood bank in Los Angeles. It supplies the blood for nearly a third of the hospitals and clinics in the county."
From several blocks away, they saw the lights and heard the noise. Fire engines and rescue vehicles crowded the area where flames were nearly doused but the stench of smoke blanketed the site. Mick parked the Benz as close as possible outside the roped off police perimeter. Mick headed to the right, staying in the shadows and went to look at the back of the facility. Flashing her press credentials, Beth ducked under the tape and strode to where Detective Carl Davis stood directing the investigation.
The police detective sighed when he saw the blonde approaching. "Do I even want to know how you already heard about this?"
"Is this one like the other three?" Beth leaned forward earnestly. "I mean, this is obviously a fire, but was the blood supply destroyed? Was there another note?"
"You're not even supposed to be on this side of the tape, Beth," replied Davis. "And I'm not supposed to give out any details. But how do you know about the notes?"
"Confidential source," answered Beth with a smile. "Was there a note?"
Davis looked around and saw that they were alone. "Yeah, same as before. Same note, same type of crime. Just bigger. At this point, the California Surgeon General has placed all medical facilities on alert. Hospitals in the area have been ordered to delay all elective surgery and arrangements are being made to transfer blood from other regions."
Suddenly, the policeman's radio squawked and he flicked his earpiece on. After a hurried conversation, he turned away from Beth and started towards his vehicle.
"What?" Beth said, running to keep up. "What's happened?"
"I just got a call from dispatch. There's been some type of disturbance at LA County Morgue. I don't have the details, but we've got injuries this time. The facility there is manned 24 hours a day. Maybe he didn't realize anybody would be there."
Beth hurried back towards the Benz. As she reached for her phone to call Mick, he suddenly appeared beside her. "I take it you've heard?" he asked.
"Yeah. LA County Morgue. Isn't that were you..."
"Yeah. It's where Guillermo works…he's the night shift supervisor at the morgue which maintains a refrigeration unit with blood storage. Hopefully he heard or saw something. After Josef contacted me, I just tried to call him but he's not picking up."
Quickly turning the car towards the Wilshire district, Mick raced along the darkened city streets. "If this is the same guy, he's broken his pattern of one a night."
"Any reason to think it isn't the same guy?" asked Beth.
Mick shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I confirmed the same guy at the point of break in, but there were a couple other trace scents as well. I just don't know if they were with him."
"It would make sense," Beth agreed. "You said they seemed awfully well planned. Maybe he's just the muscle, but somebody else is actually the brains behind this."
Mick grimaced. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. The more people involved in this the greater the danger to us."
As soon as they arrived, Mick led Beth downstairs to where the police were just beginning to string yellow tape. To their right, Guillermo was giving a statement to the investigative team. As soon as he was done, he excused himself and motioned for Mick and Beth to follow him down the hall. He quickly led them into a small office where they could talk in private.
"What happened," Mick led.
"I was working like usual when these two guys walk in. I asked them what they wanted and this one tells me he's here to 'cleanse the world'. I turned to call security, and the next thing I know, the first guy hits me with a taser, then while I'm down, the other one stakes me."
"Stakes you?" asked Mick in amazement.
"Yeah," said Guillermo, opening his shirt to show an area with a faint bruise. "They definitely knew I was a vampire. As soon as they staked me, the first guy dragged me over to a maintenance closet. As he was stuffing me in, he kept talking about how 'the Old One will be so pleased'. He kept referring to himself as 'an apostle' and how they had to show the world that evil walks the streets."
"Did he say anything else," urged Mick. "Anything about motive or where they planned to hit next?"
Guillermo thought for a moment then nodded. "He was babbling a lot, but he did say something pretty disturbing. I remember exactly what he said, because it freaked me out. He said "when their food stores are destroyed, those who falsely claim life will be forced out of hiding and the righteous of the world shall smite them."
"Those who falsely claim life," murmured Beth.
"That's one way you could describe a vampire," quipped Mick. "And it explains why the attacks on the blood banks."
"So how did you get free?" Beth said, turning back to Guillermo.
Guillermo shrugged. "In all the moving me around, the stake dislodged enough that I was able to pull it out. I told the cops that I just got knocked out and that I was able to get out because the lock on the closet door was rusty."
Mick smiled, appreciating Guillermo's quick thinking. "So what did they get?"
"About 350 pints of blood," he said grimly. "They loaded it up on gurneys and took it down to the incinerator. It was still warm when the cops found the plastic melted on the door."
Mick looked shocked. "What the hell was that much fresh blood doing at the morgue?"
"We're used as an overflow storage facility when needed. LA Memorial is installing new refrigeration units this week, so we've been holding the bulk of their blood. They transfer it as needed for each day's use," explained the technician.
Mick and Beth thanked Guillermo and hurried back towards Mick's place, asking Josef to meet them there. Upon arrival, the trio settled into Mick's living room and started to compare notes.
Josef tossed copies of the police reports to Mick. "That makes what – five attacks in four days?"
"Yeah," Mick nodded. "And whoever these guys are, they're destroying a lot of blood."
Beth looked up from where she'd been compiling her notes. "Over 800 pints now."
Mick and Josef looked at each other in shock. They hadn't realized just how much of the blood supply had been affected.
"That's more than a third of LA's available blood," noted Mick.
Beth continued. "The Police Chief has also ordered extra security placed at all hospitals and blood banks in the area."
"That's great," remarked Josef sarcastically. "We've got some wackos running around LA yelling about vamps who evidently know enough that they could show up at our front doors. Plus the more subtle sources of nutrition are quickly becoming difficult to access." He looked at Mick. "In addition to a couple available freshies, I've got enough emergency stores in the freezer to last about a week."
Mick nodded. "I have enough on hand for a few more days. Hopefully by then we'll catch these guys."
"If not, we'll have to take other measures," said Josef. "We have nearly 200 of us in the area, all of whom rely on…'purchased nutrition' for at least some of their sustenance. If everyone suddenly had to turn to live food, they'd have to go outside the standard group of freshies. It would become too obvious very quickly."
Beth looked at Mick. "You mean you'd have to…"
"Hunt," confirmed Mick. "Yeah. Every vamp needs about a pint a day. If they go hungry too long, they'll get it however they can. They won't be able to help themselves."
Moving forward, Beth slipped her arms around Mick and kissed his cheek. "You won't have to worry about that."
Mick quickly pushed her away and looked down into her face. "Don't even think about that."
"Mick, a healthy adult can donate a pint every couple days without any side effects."
He shook his head adamantly. "No way. You're not some little freshie to be used like that. You're my fiancée, for God's sake," he rasped. "I'm not going to use you like some damn snack machine."
"Then we better catch these guys," replied Beth calmly. "Because I won't let you get sick and I sure as hell won't let some other woman 'service' you."
Their face off was disturbed by the chirping of Josef's Blackberry. Quickly reading the message, Josef looked at the couple in front of him.
"We may have a lead."