face Alcuin, pulled out his weapon and raised it, his hand shaking. “What are you doing here?
“I’d like to visit one of your patients,” Alcuin said, as if similar requests happened every night in this fashion.
I almost laughed at the guard’s bewildered expression. He glanced at his watch.
In that second Alcuin gripped him around the neck. I couldn’t hear what he whispered, but it got the guy’s attention. He bobbed his head as Alcuin relaxed his hold and moved to face him. They stood eye to eye.
I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the kid; after all, that’s all he was. I guessed him to be about twenty-one, twenty two. This was probably his first job out of college. I’m sure he never expected to see a fanged-man on the psych ward. Though he’d more than likely met a few patients who believed they could sprout fangs.
Alcuin spoke loud enough for me to hear from my position in the shadows. “What’s your name, young man?
“Randy Miller, Sir.”
“Mr. Randy Miller, I need you to unlock Joshua Smart’s door. I understand he is on this ward. Is that correct?”
“Yes Sir, but he doesn’t talk.” Randy stared blankly at Alcuin. Vamp mind magic at its best. I decided hiding was no longer necessary and stepped into the corridor.
“Chloe, no!” he ordered, losing control of Randy, who jumped sideways. Alcuin snatched him back by the collar and once again stared into his widened eyes. “Randy, you will not do that again, will you?”
“No, Sir.”
“Good boy. You are unable to move or speak without my permission. No matter what happens you will remain at your post. You will do nothing.” Randy straightened his shoulders and walked like a robot to his desk.
Alcuin flashed to stand in front of me. “The cameras, I can keep myself from being videotaped, but you don’t have that luxury. Everything’s being operated by the laptop. I’ll need a minute to delete you from the tape and get the room information.”
I waited, trying to stay patient under the circumstances. With his vampire speed and abilities, he solved the problems and was rewarded by a door’s lock disengaging with a loud clank. “Are you ready?” His eyes met mine.
“How much time do we have?” Not knowing what Alcuin had arranged left me at a disadvantage. This would be my only opportunity to talk with a human eyewitness who’d actually seen the killers. I hoped I had enough time.
I couldn’t screw it up.
Chapter 3421
I swallowed the urge to cry as my eyes adjusted to the near nonexistent lighting in Joshua Smart’s room. The fact that his living space was well-furnished and immaculate couldn’t conceal its cell-like atmosphere.
But it wasn’t the surroundings that prompted my tears, it was the boy.
Imagining him as a laughing, energetic, baseball player was no longer possible. He resembled a ghost, trapped in a human shell, unable to escape his anguish. His eyes were glazed and unseeing, yet, at the same time, seemed glued to an empty chair below the room’s sole window, a window protected by bars.
Uneasy, I found myself staring at the chair wondering if he was envisioning someone or something seated there. My fear level amplified, pushing me closer to my own personal fright limit.
Alcuin had advised that I leave the door open. I struggled with his suggestion, but decided to compromise. I pushed the heavy door into the halfway position, allowing us privacy while leaving a quick escape route.
The boy was lost in a trance, or another dimension that I was unlikely to access in the short time we had together. If the last news reports were accurate, not even the best specialists had been able to communicate with the Smart boy.
Maybe I should have stayed in Plum Beach with Zane. At least there I’d felt semi-safe.
No. No. No. I would not allow Zane to invade my thoughts. Just thinking about him made my heart tighten. I never knew a broken heart could hurt so much.
Get a grip, Chloe! Pay attention to that boy. He needs you. Zane can take care of himself. My mental motivation did the trick, and I refocused my attention on the task at hand.
I took a seat in the chair.
During my quick appraisal of Joshua’s room, he’d not once looked away from his beloved chair. It was if he’d been waiting centuries for a very specific guest to arrive.
He’d have to settle for me.
“Hi. I’m Chloe.” I searched his face for a visual response — a twitch, blink, or movement of any