Blood Price - By Tanya Huff Page 0,98

the steering wheel. "Doing what?" she asked, more to stall for time than because she didn't know what Coreen meant.

"Calling up demons, just like he said. I was thinking about it after I talked to you. There's no reason that it couldn't have been a demon instead of a vampire that killed Ian and Janet. That's why you're out here, isn't it?"

Considering her options, Vicki decided that the truth would have to serve. Coreen was obviously not going to think she'd flipped, and all things considered, that was of dubious comfort. "Yes," she said quietly, "he's really doing it."

Coreen turned the car north onto Hullmar Drive, tires squealing faintly against the pavement. "And you're here to stop him."

It wasn't a question, but Vicki answered it anyway. "No, I'm just here to find him."

"But I know where he-four, five, six-is." She pulled into the parking lot of a four building apartment complex. "That's his building right there." She stopped the car about three lengths from the door and Vicki jotted the number down.

"Do you remember his apartment number?" she asked, peering toward the smoked glass of the entrance.

"Nine something." Coreen shrugged. "Nine's a powerful number. It probably helped him in his incantations."

"Right." Vicki got out of the car and Coreen followed.

'I say we should take him out right now."

Stopped in mid-stride, Vicki stared down at her companion. "I beg your pardon?"

Coreen stared defiantly back. "You and me. We should take him out right now."

"Don't be ridiculous, Coreen. This man is very dangerous."

"Norman? Dangerous?" She snorted derisively. "His demon might be dangerous, but Norman is a geek. I can take him out myself if you're not interested." When she started walking again, Vicki stepped in front of her.

"Hold it right there, this is no time for amateur heroics."

"Amateur heroics?" Coreen's voice rose an octave. "You're fired, Ms. Nelson!" Turning on one heel, she circumvented Vicki's block and stomped toward the building.

Sighing, Vicki followed. She'd save actual physical restraint as a last resort. After all, she can't even get into the building.

The inner door to the lobby was ajar and Coreen barged through it like Elliot Ness going after Capone. On her heels, Vicki reached out to stop her.

"Coreen, I... "

"Freeze, both of you."

The young man who emerged from behind the potted palm was unprepossessing in the extreme. Tall and thin, he carried himself as though parts of his body were on loan from someone else. A plastic pocket protector bulged with pens and his polyester pants stopped roughly two inches above his ankles.

Coreen rolled her eyes and headed directly for him. "Norman, don't be such a... "

"Coreen," Vicki's hand on her shoulder rocked her to a halt. "Perhaps we'd better consider doing as Mr. Birdwell suggests."

Grinning broadly, Norman raised the stolen AK-47.

Vicki had no intention of betting anyone's life on the very visible magazine being empty, not when the police report had included missing ammunition.

One of the building's four elevators was in the lobby, doors open. Norman motioned the two women into it.

"I was looking out my window and I saw you in the parking lot," he told them. "I knew you were here to stop me."

"Well, you're right ..." Coreen began but fell silent as Vicki's grip on her arm tightened.

Vicki had very little doubt that she could get the gun away from Norman without anyone-except possibly Norman-getting hurt, but she sure as hell wasn't going to do it in an elevator with what appeared to be stainless steel walls. Forget the initial burst-the ricochets would rip all three of them to shreds. She kept her grip on Coreen's arm as they walked down the hallway to Norman's apartment, the barrel of the Russian assault rifle waving between them like some sort of crazed indicator switch.

Don't let anyone open their door, she prayed. I can handle this if everyone just stays calm. As she couldn't count on neighbors not diving suddenly into the line of fire, she'd have to wait until they were actually in the apartment before making her move.

Norman's place was unlocked. Vicki pushed Coreen in ahead of her. The moment he closes the door.... She heard the click, dropped Coreen's arm, spun around, and was pushed to one side as Coreen charged past her and threw herself at their captor.

"Damnit!"

She ducked a wildly swinging elbow and tried to shove Coreen down out of the line of fire. The dark, almost blue metal of the barrel scraped across her glasses. She caught one quick glimpse of Norman's fingers white