"Tell you what," the cop said. "Open the door, let us take the wounded girl out, and then we'll call Gray."
Like I was born yesterday. "The moment I open the door, you'll rush me. I'll wait until the paramedics get here."
"Fine. I'll make the call, but you're playing with her life. She dies--it's on you, and I'll personally book you."
I slid the metal guard shut and went back to the women. The dark-haired woman stared at me with haunted eyes. "You're going to let them have us?"
"If it's a choice between your friend's life and your freedom, yes. For now, we'll wait. My best friend is on the other side, and she won't let them do anything stupid." I looked at the dark-haired woman. "When Ghastek fainted, why didn't either of you grab the vampire's mind?"
"I tried. It wasn't there."
"What do you mean, not there?" Vampire minds didn't just blink out of existence.
The dark-haired woman shook her head. "It wasn't there."
"She's right," Emily said. "I tried, too. It's like I couldn't navigate anymore." She shivered on the floor. "I'm cold."
I went into the storage room, pulled a spare cloak from the hook, and covered her with it.
Emily's lips had turned blue. "Am I going to die?"
"Not if I can help it."
Chapter 3
MINUTES DRIPPED BY, COLD AND SLOW. FIVE. SIX. Eight.
A loud knock echoed through the door. "Kate?" Andrea's voice called.
"Yeah?"
"I have paramedics with me. Let me in."
I unbarred the door and swung it open. Four paramedics sprinted into the room. Andrea followed them. She was short and blue-eyed, and for some reason the tips of her short blond hair were frosted with neon blue. The barrel of a rifle protruded over the shoulder of her jacket. Knowing her, she probably had two SIG-Sauers under that jacket, a combat knife, and enough bullets to take on the Golden Horde.
Normally Andrea's face wore a nice easygoing expression that made random strangers want to pour their hearts out to her. One look at her now, and they would cross to the other side of the street. Tension locked her face into a rigid, strained mask, and she moved like a soldier in enemy territory, expecting a bullet between the shoulder blades at any moment and ready to fire back in a split second.
Behind her two cops in PAD uniforms waited at the door, giving me their best versions of a cop scowl. Strangely, I felt no urge to quiver in terror.
Andrea stepped closer and kept her voice low. "I leave you alone for eight weeks and you get into a pissing match with the PAD."
"That's just how I roll," I told her.
Emily screamed.
"Excuse me." I went over to where the paramedics had lifted her onto the stretcher. She reached out and gripped my hand.
"It will be okay," I told her. "You're going to the hospital. They'll take care of you."
Emily didn't say anything. She just clutched my hand and didn't let go until they loaded her into the ambulance. A stretcher with Ghastek followed into the second vehicle, and then the dark-haired woman came out, wrapped in a blanket, led by two paramedics. The ambulance doors closed and the two emergency vehicles took off wailing like banshees.
When I came back into the office, it was empty, except for Andrea and a puddle of blood on the floor. "Where are the cops?" She shrugged. "They cleared out."
We looked at each other. She'd saved my bacon. That didn't change the fact that she'd disappeared for two months. And now something was wrong.
"What the hell?" Andrea glared at me. "How in the world did you end up with three navigators in your office with the PAD outside? They were ready to storm your office. Are you nuts?"
"What the hell back at you. Where have you been? Did you forget how to use the phone?"