Replica(8)
“Very good, Rachel.” Pride infused his voice. “You’re catching on.”
“Did you work in the Rikers Island facility? Before it was destroyed?”
“I was assigned there at one time, but I’ve since moved on. I’m part of the Aglaea division. Do you know what that is?”
“Sounds Greek to me,” slipped out of my mouth before I could help myself. It was probably a wrong move. It sounded like this guy got off on an obedient subject. Being flippant would either leave me out in the cold or possibly hunted and killed.
To my surprise, he laughed. “Clever girl, aren’t you?”
“I like to think so.”
“Aglaea was the goddess of beauty and magnificence. Can you guess what I worked on?”
“The vampires.” Which explained how he knew about the pills.
I heard a grin in his voice. “You are a clever girl.” I also heard a hint of a British accent. He sounded like he was in his thirties, maybe early forties.
“Do you still work in the Aglaea division?”
“I want to help you, Rachel. Will you let me?”
The sudden change of subject made me shudder. This guy was giving me a serious case of the creeps. “I can use all the help I can get…” My voice trailed off. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours. What should I call you?”
He chuckled. “Call me Hades.”
“Death?” When he didn’t respond, I added, “Now you’re the clever one. Hades controlled the underworld. Why do I think you’re someone of importance in the Aglaea division?”
“Oh, Rachel, I knew you were the one…” His words trailed off, almost like he was getting off on the connection I’d made.
Jesus. How badly did I need this guy? Unfortunately, I already knew the answer. “Why did you call me, Hades?” I felt ridiculous calling him that, but I’d call him the messiah if he helped me stop these people.
“I want to share something with you.”
“Does it pertain to the Aglaea division?”
He laughed. “Yes. Meet me at midnight.”
I looked around. “I’m free now. I’m at Rockefeller Center. How about I meet you for cheesecake at Junior’s? My treat.”
“No. Not until later. Midnight, the Financial District. It’s quiet then.”
Quiet in New York City was a relative term. But the Financial District would be a ghost town at midnight. The fact that he wanted as few people around as possible worried me. He knew I wasn’t working with any authorities, so he couldn’t be concerned about entrapment. And if someone followed me, a legitimate possibility, it would be easier to ditch the tail in a crowd.
Of course, there was the possibility he was a vampire himself.
“They call it the witching hour. The perfect time to discuss Aglaea.”
Way to ease my concerns, ass wipe. Witching hour was three in the morning, not midnight like everyone assumed, but for all I cared, he could repeat that mistake on his next cryptic phone call.
“I’m not sure I want to meet Hades at the witching hour.”
“Don’t make me sorry I called you, Rachel. I’ve already told you more than I should.”
I read his implied threat loud and clear.
“As a sign of my good faith,” he continued, “I will give you information that will prove I have knowledge of the inner workings of Aglaea.”
“I’m listening.”
“I know you found a suicide pill, and I know you had it analyzed.” He paused. “I’m sure the technician looked for toxins. He found VX, but you need to ask him if he looked for specific inert elements.”
“And what should he have looked for?”
“Blood cells. Ask him the unusual aspect he found and then tell me tonight at midnight. I’ll explain the significance.”
“How do I know you’re not working for the military?”
“No, my precious ewe. I’m the one trying to save you from your slaughter.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Am I about to be slaughtered?”
“One could say you’ve already been slaughtered metaphorically. But perhaps you’re being offered up as a sacrifice by someone else.”
“Who?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you at the address I’ll text to you.” Then he hung up.
Shit. I needed to get back to the hotel to see if I could dig up any information on anything he’d told me. And I needed to call Tom, my contact in the coroner’s department, on the way. He’d arranged for the pill to be tested.
I pulled up Tom’s number in a hurry, and to my relief, he answered right away. “Rachel? I’m surprised you’re calling me. Now.”