enmeshed in a crisis."
I sighed, knowing I'd been beaten.
As it turned out, she didn't have two hours in her. She needed only twenty more minutes before she was ready to return to her life - to Keys and magic and Catcher. She decided to make an early night of practicum, and instead put in a call to Catcher that was sickly sweet enough that my blood sugar rose.
But however sickening, she was smiling by the end of the call, so I had to give props to Catcher.
We exchanged hugs in the parking lot, and I sent her home to Wicker Park and the waiting arms of a green-eyed sorcerer.
Whatever worked.
Ironic, I guess, that I was heading back to the House of a green-eyed vampire, although definitely not - to his chagrin - his waiting arms.
I was nearly back in that vampire's territory when my phone rang again.
"Merit," I answered.
"Something's going on tonight," Jonah said.
"A rave?"
"Might start out that way. But if these things really are as violent as you're hearing . . ."
He didn't need to finish the sentence, unfortunately. The implication was obvious - and bad.
"How did you find out?"
"Text message. A flashmob, just like the others."
"And this time we got in early enough?" I wondered aloud.
"This time we got lucky and found the phone," Jonah said. "Someone left it at Benson's."
"Benson's, as in across-the-streetfrom-Wrigley-Field Benson's?"
"Yeah. That's the Grey House bar."
One of the many bars around the stadium that had installed bleachers on its roof, Benson's was, in my opinion, the best spot in town to get a view of Wrigley Field without a ticket.
"Kudos on that one," I said. "I've spent many a fine evening in Benson's."
"And so you were in the company of vampires before you were even aware of them," he said.
"How ironic."
I couldn't help but chuckle. He might be pretentious, but Jonah apparently had a sense of humor, as well.
"Anyway, I had the phone in my office, and we didn't think much of it until we got the text. Same format, same message as the others."
"Is the phone useful? Can we trace the number or something?"
"The phone was a disposable, and it hadn't been in use long. The outgoing calls were all to businesses that don't keep track of customer calls. The only incoming was the text. We called that number back, and it's already been disconnected. We haven't been able to find any other information."
Ah, but they didn't have a Jeff Christopher.
"Can you give me the number? I've got a friend with some computer skills. Wouldn't hurt to have him look at it."
Jonah read me the digits; I grabbed an envelope and a pen from the glove box and wrote it down, making a mental note to send it to Jeff later.
"So where's the rave?"
"A penthouse in Streeterville."
Streeterville was the part of downtown Chicago that stretched from Michigan Avenue to the lake. Lots of skyscrapers, lots of money, and lots of tourists.
"I am not crazy about the idea of raving vampires in Streeterville."
"Although that would make a good horror-flick title. 'Vampires in Streeterville,' I mean."
A second joke in a matter of minutes. "I'm glad to know you have a sense of humor."
"I'm a vampire, not a zombie."
"Good to know."
"If you're in, meet me at the water tower. Two o'clock."
I checked the dashboard clock - it was barely past midnight, which gave me just enough time to get back to the House, change clothes, and head out again. "I'll be there," I assured him.
"Weapon-wise, what should I bring? Sword or hidden dagger?"
"I'm surprised at you, Sentinel. Vampires generally don't use hidden blades."
He was right. Hidden blades were considered a dishonorable way to fight. I heard the question in his voice: Are you an honorable soldier?
Admittedly, carrying a hidden blade didn't pass the smell test I'd just told Mallory to use, but what could I do?
"The hidden-blade taboo was made before Celina got a wild hair and decided to out us to the world. I can fight without steel if necessary, but I'd prefer to have backup." I think I'd proven that point pretty well last night. And to think - only a few months ago, I'd been a graduate student in English lit. Go figure.
"Well put."
A thought occurred to me. "I can't tell Ethan I'm visiting a rave alone, and I certainly can't tell him I'm going with you if you want to keep your RG membership a secret."
"Maybe you should substitute Noah in the version you tell Ethan."
Since Noah was the de facto leader