side, her cheek burning. When she looked at him again, all she saw was his dimples. Alessandro’s dimples.
“What murders?” she asked again.
This time it was the bouncer who moved to hit her. Michele held his arm back. “That’ll do.”
She laughed at the bald-headed man. “Go fuck yourself.” She could taste blood in her mouth, but she held his angry gaze until Michele sent him back to the jeep. Only then did he turn to her again.
“The serum will keep you from shifting shape for the next quarter of an hour. You know how it works, I assume. It’s very effective. Tano got the stuff—you knew him as well, right? One hears this and that. For instance, that you’re to blame for his death.”
Did he expect a reply to that? She said nothing.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” he went on. “Or any other Alcantara. This was to be just a party, a bit of fun in the snow for members of the family.”
The lights beyond the trees. The shadowy movements. She began to guess what was going on here. She felt sick to her stomach, and everything about her hurt—her face, her bruised legs; even her butt felt as if the needle were still in her flesh.
“You’re going to hunt human beings? Here in Central Park ?” By now she had recognized the nocturnal skyline above the trees; in the distance to the left, she thought she saw the roof of the Dakota building. West Drive couldn’t be far away. They were probably somewhere near Seventy-Fifth or Seventy-Sixth Street, maybe a little farther south.
“The murders,” he repeated. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard about them. Are you trying to say that you just happen to be here in New York by chance? Now, of all times? Does Alessandro know you’re here?”
“Who’s been murdered?” she asked. “Some of the Carnevares?”
Once again he took a menacing step toward her, and this time she saw that he could barely restrain himself. He hadenviable powers of self-control, but below the surface he was seething.
“My brother Carmine is dead. Two of my cousins, Tony and Lucio, were gunned down in the street when they were taking their kids to school. A third cousin has a bullet in the back of his neck, and no one can say how much longer he’ll live. His name is Gino.” His eyes were focused intently on hers now, as if he were trying to read the truth there.
“I don’t know anything about that,” she said.
He took a deep breath, and only when he retreated again did she realize that he had picked up the scent of her sweating terror. He didn’t believe a word of what she said, but obviously he was in no mood to interrogate her. She could sense the excitement that had hold of him now. Sheer bloodlust.
“Take her over to the others,” he ordered. “And give her another injection before we begin.”
ONE OF THEM
T HEY CUT THE CABLES tying Rosa’s ankles and pushed her forward through the trees. Blood streamed down the backs of her legs to her numb feet. It was a miracle that she could walk at all.
Soon they reached a snow-covered clearing surrounded by oak and beech trees. Two trucks with the inscription MOBILE LIGHTNING, INC . were parked along the edge, their headlights switched on.
Between them, where the two beams of light intersected, four teenagers lay in the snow, bound hand and foot and gagged with rubber balls. Each of them wore several layers of ragged, dirty clothing. The white light made their emaciated faces look even sicklier. Rosa would have assumed they were junkies if she hadn’t felt sure that Michele was anxious to have healthy prey, and wouldn’t want to infect himself by hunting anyone who might have HIV or hepatitis.
“You can’t be serious about this,” she managed to say. “Not right here in the middle of Manhattan.”
Michele was staring pitilessly at the four captives on the ground. “No one’s going to miss them. And no one will disturb us.”
“But the park is under surveillance! There are park rangers,police, helicopters…”
“What murders?” she asked again.
This time it was the bouncer who moved to hit her. Michele held his arm back. “That’ll do.”
She laughed at the bald-headed man. “Go fuck yourself.” She could taste blood in her mouth, but she held his angry gaze until Michele sent him back to the jeep. Only then did he turn to her again.
“The serum will keep you from shifting shape for the next quarter of an hour. You know how it works, I assume. It’s very effective. Tano got the stuff—you knew him as well, right? One hears this and that. For instance, that you’re to blame for his death.”
Did he expect a reply to that? She said nothing.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” he went on. “Or any other Alcantara. This was to be just a party, a bit of fun in the snow for members of the family.”
The lights beyond the trees. The shadowy movements. She began to guess what was going on here. She felt sick to her stomach, and everything about her hurt—her face, her bruised legs; even her butt felt as if the needle were still in her flesh.
“You’re going to hunt human beings? Here in Central Park ?” By now she had recognized the nocturnal skyline above the trees; in the distance to the left, she thought she saw the roof of the Dakota building. West Drive couldn’t be far away. They were probably somewhere near Seventy-Fifth or Seventy-Sixth Street, maybe a little farther south.
“The murders,” he repeated. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard about them. Are you trying to say that you just happen to be here in New York by chance? Now, of all times? Does Alessandro know you’re here?”
“Who’s been murdered?” she asked. “Some of the Carnevares?”
Once again he took a menacing step toward her, and this time she saw that he could barely restrain himself. He hadenviable powers of self-control, but below the surface he was seething.
“My brother Carmine is dead. Two of my cousins, Tony and Lucio, were gunned down in the street when they were taking their kids to school. A third cousin has a bullet in the back of his neck, and no one can say how much longer he’ll live. His name is Gino.” His eyes were focused intently on hers now, as if he were trying to read the truth there.
“I don’t know anything about that,” she said.
He took a deep breath, and only when he retreated again did she realize that he had picked up the scent of her sweating terror. He didn’t believe a word of what she said, but obviously he was in no mood to interrogate her. She could sense the excitement that had hold of him now. Sheer bloodlust.
“Take her over to the others,” he ordered. “And give her another injection before we begin.”
ONE OF THEM
T HEY CUT THE CABLES tying Rosa’s ankles and pushed her forward through the trees. Blood streamed down the backs of her legs to her numb feet. It was a miracle that she could walk at all.
Soon they reached a snow-covered clearing surrounded by oak and beech trees. Two trucks with the inscription MOBILE LIGHTNING, INC . were parked along the edge, their headlights switched on.
Between them, where the two beams of light intersected, four teenagers lay in the snow, bound hand and foot and gagged with rubber balls. Each of them wore several layers of ragged, dirty clothing. The white light made their emaciated faces look even sicklier. Rosa would have assumed they were junkies if she hadn’t felt sure that Michele was anxious to have healthy prey, and wouldn’t want to infect himself by hunting anyone who might have HIV or hepatitis.
“You can’t be serious about this,” she managed to say. “Not right here in the middle of Manhattan.”
Michele was staring pitilessly at the four captives on the ground. “No one’s going to miss them. And no one will disturb us.”
“But the park is under surveillance! There are park rangers,police, helicopters…”
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