The Sixth Day (A Brit in the FBI 5)

Still, there was something about this man that made him uneasy, ran little skitters of alarm up his arms. Stoker stood. “I imagine it is quite a story. Sadly, it’s getting late, and I must be off.”

Stow looked away from him, out to the sea. He whistled once, sharp and low, held out his arm. “Good day to you, Mr. Stoker. Do not forget to visit the library. It is really critical to you and your career.”

The bird landed hard on the man’s fist. He gave her a treat and bowed his head toward Stoker, then stood and turned away.

Stoker shook his head, rubbed his eyes. Impossible. Impossible. It seemed from one moment to the next, the man and falcon were simply gone, disappeared.

He was tired from the journey, exhausted from managing Irving. He was hungry and thirsty, and now he was seeing things.

Yes, he needed a rest.

He took a last look around the abbey and started toward the stairs. Supper and sleep, and he’d explore the rest of the town in the morning.

He felt eyes on him, and he whirled back to look at the bench, at the grounds of the abbey, at the cliff, but no one was there. He saw a mist move through the boneyard, obscuring the gravestones. It moved toward him, closer and closer. He was frozen until the mist began to curl around his feet. As if released from a trance, he ran down the stairs, not looking back.

Later that evening, as he made plans to visit the town’s library, he was compelled to record a name in his notebook—why, he didn’t know.

Mina. And I will name my heroine Mina.

THE FIFTH DAY

SATURDAY

Dracula, a 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, introduced Count Dracula and established many conventions of subsequent vampire fantasy. The novel tells the story of Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and a woman [Wilhelmina “Mina” Murray Harker—Jonathan Harker’s wife] led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. . . .

After Dracula learns of the group’s plot against him, he attacks Mina on three occasions, and feeds Mina his own blood to control her. This curses Mina with vampirism and changes her but does not completely turn her into a vampire.

—WIKIPEDIA

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Sky News

London

6:00 a.m.

We’re coming to you live with breaking news. There was a bombing last evening outside the Prince Edward Theatre, resulting in the death of Corinthian Jones, Lord Barstow, prominent consultant to MI6.

“Also, a military helicopter was downed on the grounds of the home in Twickenham of the genius scientist and founder of Radulov Industries, Roman Ardelean. Mr. Ardelean is being sought by police to answer questions for a variety of charges, including the assassination of Lord Barstow last night. We start the news now.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

A feather-perfect hawk, sitting on a clean perch, with well-greased jesses and a clean leash, in proper accommodation, is a pleasure to behold. Hawks wearing poor and ill-kept furniture, sitting on filthy blocks and perches and in no proper accommodation are a disgrace to the falconer and, indeed, to the sport.

—Emma Ford, Falconry: Art and Practice

The Savoy Hotel

Strand, London

Roman Ardelean called Radu’s personal line. There was no answer. He called Iago’s phone. No answer. What had happened? Had he taken all of Marin’s blood in his greed to be cured immediately? He called one

of the house lines, but it appeared to be dead. He felt fear begin to thrum deep. And then he turned on the television to see his face plastered at the bottom on the newscaster’s desk. And he heard about the helicopter crash at the Old Garden.

They’d found him. They’d found Radu. Where was his brother? Had they taken him into custody? How to find out?

Roman had killed Barstow, the sodding bastard, so that was something, but now he didn’t care. Where was Radu?