Free Morvicti Blood (A Morvicti Novel Book 1) by Lee Swift Page A

American staple—McDonalds. He walked in and ordered a chocolate shake and glass of water, believing that might settle his queasiness that hadn’t quite gone away.
    He downed the water and tossed the empty cup into the trash. Holding the milkshake, he strode out of the restaurant, assuming the look of a normal pedestrian.
    Did Angelique know he was alive? Had she ever come to visit him? Doubtful. He could not imagine her mixed up with people who got their heads cut off. But he hadn’t seen her in years. People changed over time. He certainly had. He would give anything just to go back to the last day he’d been with his sister.
    As Austin continued walking, painful memories rushed to the forefront of his mind.
    He and Angelique were both heartbroken after burying their parents. Being adopted was never an issue with either of them. Alice and Carl McCord were their parents in every way but biological.
    The accident devastated Angelique and him. He’d just finished his basic training, expecting a warm welcome home from his mom, dad and sister. But the house had burned to the ground with their parents inside. When he walked in their neighbor’s door, he found Angelique sobbing. The sheriff delivered the news just an hour before his arrival. She was alone. The next several days were a whirlwind of activity, setting up the service, notifying friends and family—the latter of which were distant and few. His dad had a cousin in Maine. His mother was an only child. There was really no one to cling to but each other.
    And I left her all alone.
    She’d begged him to stay. “I talked with several neighbors who told me you can get out of the military on a hardship discharge.”
    “I’m not getting out, Angelique.”
    “Please, Austin. I need you.”
    He didn’t budge, though it crushed him to see her suffering. “You have your scholarship to King’s College, Sis. I have my Navy career. We both need to get on with our lives.”
    Eighteen years old. I thought I knew it all. But of course, I didn’t.
    The pain of losing their parents had ripped him apart. He hadn’t known what to do, how to help her or himself. So, he’d pushed Angelique away with his line of BS about starting their lives. It was the best he could think to do for her.
    He’d kept pushing her away, causing them to drift further and further apart. Every time they talked on the phone, the pain of losing their parents returned full-force. She was a constant reminder of the grief he didn’t want to deal with. For several years, she didn’t stop trying to reconnect with him. But who could blame her for finally giving up. He was always so cold with her.
    The phone calls were the first to go; then the letters became more and more infrequent, until they stopped, too. The only communications that remained intact were birthday cards to each other. Being born on Halloween, their mom had always called them her special little monsters. The continued exchange of cards on that day was their last vestige of happier times.
    That’s in the past. I need to focus on the present situation.
    When he got to Bedford Street, he scanned every direction to make sure he hadn’t been followed. He turned right and then right again when he came to King Street a block away. He crossed the road and walked up to her building. Angelique’s home.
    Her flat was on the second floor. He went up the stairs. Knocking on 2B, Austin hoped that someone other than his sister would answer and say she was no longer a Londoner.

CHAPTER 14
     
    10:13 AM
     
    David Bathry glanced in the rearview mirror of his Audi and saw the first bits of dark smoke begin to seep out the top windows of the ancient house. Its total destruction would take less than ten minutes. Millions of pounds were going up in smoke. With his mind fixed on the prize ahead, he buried his anger deep down inside for the loss of his precious collections.
    Despite his earlier misgivings, he and Albert had followed the plan to the letter.