The Deadly King

Chapter 14

It was Christmas Eve, and Hawthorn's patience for the situation had grown so thin that it was about to break. He wanted it over and done with so that he could relax with Seraphina tomorrow when they woke in the early afternoon. There were only a few hours left in the day, and the updates had lessened, which he found thoroughly frustrating.

The decoy cars had arrived at the sanctum without issue. As much as Hawthorn wanted to rejoice, he couldn't. All he could see was that Jack had seen through the ruse and not bothered to follow or attack. His paranoia was growing, and to make it worse, Seraphina pointed it out to him. If she could see it, then it meant that he was obvious. No amount of calming thoughts would help. The only thing that Hawthorn wanted was everyone who harmed Seraphina or was related to them to be completely dead. Then there would be no risk of snipers or ambushes.

Hawthorn was about to change the channel when Seraphina sat up in her seat and looked at the new report. She flicked her hand at Hawthorn.

"That's Lewis Harvey. Turn the sound up."

It was a report about General Harvey, the contact that Seraphina had liaised with when she was trying to kill Hawthorn. She was determined to kill him, and the only way Seraphina thought she could get close enough to take the shot was to use the human army. They had a plan to infiltrate the annual ball the vampire king held. It didn't work, and as a result, the guards caught Seraphina. Forced to return to this part of her former life, Seraphina struggled initially. The days were getting better. Of course, not having Bram's conspiracy theories and damaging words whispered in her ear constantly helped as well.

Sometimes Seraphina missed Bram. He protected her like a guard should. He helped her escape the house that she'd once loved because it had become a dangerous place to be. When she missed Bram, she remembered what he did. How he tied her up so that he could kill Hawthorn. The plans that he tried to coax her into, the lies he tried to tell her. When she remembered them, Seraphina knew she was better off without him.

Seraphina's thoughts returned to the news report about Lewis Harvey. He'd been found dead in his townhouse, and the police had already reported that it was from unknown natural causes.

Orin appeared at the door, and Hawthorn frowned at him, gesturing to the television.

"Was that us?"

"Sadly, no. I had sent a team in, but when they arrived, there were cops everywhere. I ordered them to hold back until they left. After half an hour, they called back to say that the paramedics hauled out a body bag. I ordered them to move on to the next target. As for General Harvey, sources say that the paramedics suspected a heart attack. He had a lot of issues with his heart and had suffered minor episodes in the past."

Hawthorn nodded silently, offering nothing but the gesture. If he were to say something, it might be like he felt robbed of causing the death.

"What about the rest?" Seraphina asked.

"We have devised a plan for the guards. You did not mention them, and I didn't see any reason to add them to the list unless they intercepted our teams."

"Yes, that is fine. What's the plan?"

Orin hesitated, wondering if the king was bored with his little game of death because it sounded as if he was.

"Well, it's Christmas Eve, and they're working, so we had a delivery of pizza, soda and enough for a can of beer each sent to them. We couldn't interfere with the cans of soda or beer, but the pizzas were laced with a sleeping drug."

"And they willingly ate these pizzas from an unknown source?"

"No, one of our guards was dressed as the delivery person and told them it was from their boss. They reported that they willingly accepted the delivery. On a frosty night, who wouldn't want a steaming hot pizza?"

Hawthorn smiled appreciatively.

"And your reasoning for only one can of beer each?"

"They assumed they wouldn't drink them as they are working. An employer, in most circumstances, would not provide alcohol during working hours. Of course, it is Christmas Eve, and this is supposed to be a gift. That is why we sent one can each. It is something but doesn't overdo it. Our guards are waiting until they are asleep. At that time, they will set out the scene. Empty beer cans by the dozen will be laid out in the room and the cameras will be offline. It will look like a party erupted, and they turned the cameras off to avoid any evidence of it."

Hawthorn smiled as he looked at Seraphina.

"Isn't he just magic?"

She rolled her eyes. Sure, it was a good plan, but Seraphina wasn't about to agree with Hawthorn. Turning back, Hawthorn glanced at the clock before shifting his attention to Orin.

"How long do you think it will take before the team sends confirmation that everything is done?"

"I hope for something within the hour, but I have not placed a time limit on them. The teams know I want to ensure that nothing is traced back to us. The pizzas were purchased individually, not in one large order. Someone different purchased the soda from a convenience store, and another bought the beer. They know I want cameras offline, store cameras temporarily scrambled, and even street cameras where they bought the items. They used cash for everything. I demanded layers of gloves, nets, and hair wraps. Also, generic clothing. Shoes cleaned, areas checked. No footprints, no shoe marks. Every team has a cleaner, and it is their job to ensure that whatever area they enter, they leave behind nothing."

"Excellent."

"They also have orders to check for any electronic devices, hard drives and flash drives. They will check the house for any printouts or evidence of Jack's interactions with our race. We will leave nothing to chance. If they are unsure, they will bring it anyway. Each member of a team knows that if something gets out and connects us to these deaths, it could mean the downfall of our race. They know I expect perfection, and like always, they will give it."