I could feel out guns and swords, a perk of having tempered my katana with my own blood. That there was enough of it outside the building to sense inside made me that much more nervous.
Mallory's gaze - narrowed, but not afraid - found mine. "What do you think that was?"
"I don't know," I said, dropping my fork, my appetite suddenly, and unusually, gone. "But I think we'd better find out."
Chapter Three
BEAT THE DRUM
Mallory dropped cash on the table and followed me through the crowd of patrons to the front of the restaurant. As we walked, I pulled on my coat and stuffed my gloves into my pocket.
Saul stood at the front window with the aproned members of his kitchen staff, peering into the darkness. He didn't take his eyes from the glass until I stood beside him.
"What in God's name was that?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. But I'm going to check it out. Stay in here and lock the door behind me until I'm sure what it is."
"I'm not going to stay in here while you go traipsing into trouble."
"I've traipsed into worse," I told him. "I'll be fine. I'm immortal, but you're not." I put a hand on his arm and raised my pleading gaze to his. "Let me take this one, okay?"
Saul looked at me, judging for a moment, before stepping aside and letting me through.
But I wasn't the only one who aimed for the door. Mallory was right behind me.
I put out a hand. "Where are you going?"
"With you," she said, petulantly as any teenager. "I have certain skills, as we've seen."
I glanced around, realizing we weren't exactly in the right place to have a discussion about her skills - or whether she should be showing them off.
"You're not supposed to be using your particular skills," I murmured, "and I don't want to initiate a war with the Pack because I let you do it." We had enough intraspecies animosity in Chicago.
Mallory leaned in. "And I'm not going to stand around while you walk out into trouble."
"We don't know it's trouble yet."
"You know," she countered. "Your magic's all over the place. You know something about what's out there. Something you haven't said yet."
I hadn't mentioned the weapons, because I couldn't confirm anything in here. Not for sure. I looked at her for a moment, weighing my options: using her as backup and risking Gabriel's ire versus leaving her inside and risking her ire.
"If nothing else," she said, "I'll need a ride back to the bar. I've got an hour until Catcher is supposed to pick me up. He and Gabe aren't going to want me waiting here without you if there's trouble out there."
Unfortunately, she was right. They'd both have my ass in a sling if she got hurt on my watch. "Fine. You can come. But you don't move an inch unless I tell you to."
She gave me a salute, and we slipped out the door. When we were free of it, Saul pulled it shut and clicked the lock again.
I scanned the street, looking for the source of the noise. But other than the worried faces of humans peeking through doorways and windows, looking for the source of the percussions, I couldn't see anything. There was smoke in the air, so the trouble was nearby, but not in my line of sight. Whatever it was, it grew closer; the rhythmic sound grew louder, and the sensation of steel grew stronger.
Sirens began to whine as two CPD cruisers sped past the restaurant, lights flashing.
"What is it?" Mallory asked.
"I'm not sure. But I think they have weapons." Weapons and a total lack of visibility meant I needed backup. I could be brave when necessary, but I tried very hard not to be stupid.
I took out my phone and dialed up the Cadogan House Operations Room, where Cadogan's guards (and I) investigated and strategized.
Luc answered on the first ring. "Sentinel? What's the good word?"