"I left her seated at the table," Lucian said. "Maybe Bricker already took her out to the van."
"Maybe," Mortimer agreed wearily.
Lucian turned back to continue splashing the gasoline on the tile floor, but he, too, was tired. It had been a lot of work.
There had been more vampires in the nest than expected. Morgan had managed to turn upward of thirty-odd followers... and they hadn't all laid around accommodatingly for Lucian and his men to put out of their misery. It had taken quite a while to take care of them all.
It was only after they'd gone through the rooms in the basement that they realized Morgan had gotten away in those first moments of chaos after they charged downstairs. So had the man he'd called Donald. The pair had slid out through a pair of cellar doors that opened into the backyard. The daughter of the previous owner had apparently forgotten this detail.
Moods grim at what they considered a failure, they'd started to lay the gasoline down. Lucian now trailed it into the hallway, following Mortimer toward the front door. They met up with Bricker coming out of the living room, splashing his own can around.
"Did you take Leigh to the van?" Mortimer asked.
Bricker's eyebrows flew up. "No. I thought Lucian did before following us downstairs."
"No." Mortimer shook his head. "He left her at the table in the kitchen."
Lucian shrugged and returned to splashing the gasoline along the hall toward the front door. "Morgan must have taken her. We catch up to him, we'll find her."
Neither man looked pleased, but moved quickly toward the door to stay out of his way. Bricker emptied the last of his can as he went, then tossed it aside and stepped out of the house. Mortimer followed and Lucian continued with his own gasoline until it ran out two feet short of the door.
Tossing his can to the side, Lucian pulled a Zippo from his pocket. He flicked it open, struck the wheel with his thumb to light it, then tossed it over his shoulder as he stepped onto the porch. He pulled the door closed just as the fire whooshed to life behind him.
It wasn't until he'd started down the steps that Lucian saw the woman. She was on her knees on the gravel where Morgan's van had been parked. Her arms were wrapped tight around her waist as she swayed weakly where she knelt. Her pain was obvious, as was the fact that a combination of determination and the desire to survive were all that had helped her make her way out of the house.
Mortimer and Bricker were on their haunches, one in front of her, one beside her, both of them peering at her worriedly.
"She's turning," Mortimer announced as Lucian paused beside them.
Of course she was, he thought wearily. He had hoped she hadn't yet been given blood. Then they could have erased her memory and sent her on her way. However, that wasn't possible anymore. She was now an immortal and would have to be taken care of and trained.
The only good news was that unlike those in the house, Morgan hadn't had her long enough to turn her into a heartless, killing machine.
"We'll have to take her back to the hotel and take care of her," Mortimer announced, the words bringing a grimace to Lucian's face.
"We don't have time to nurse a baby vamp," he said dryly. "We have to catch up to Morgan before he starts another nest."
"Well, we can't just leave her here," Mortimer pointed out. "Bricker and I will take care of her."
"What about Morgan?" Lucian asked.
The two men exchanged a glance, then Bricker said, "The plan was to go back to the hotel, get some sleep, and then start out fresh tonight, right?"
"Right," Lucian allowed, his gaze flickering to the sky and the bright white orb of the sun. It was nearly mid-morning, and the sunlight was getting stronger by the minute. He bent to unstrap the quiver from his leg as Bricker made his case.
"Well, the turn doesn't usually take more than twenty-four hours. Eight hours while we sleep, then one of us can stay and watch over her while the other two go after Morgan and the Donald guy. There are only the two of them; all three of us aren't really needed."
"And who's going to stay awake today to give her blood?" Lucian asked as he straightened with the empty quiver in hand.
"Bricker and I will take turns."
Lucian wasn't pleased, but he supposed there weren't a lot of choices. Besides, he was growing uncomfortable under the direct sunlight and wanted an end to the discussion.
"Fine, but she's your responsibility," he said abruptly, and headed for the vehicles they'd parked on a small, unused dirt lane beyond the trees surrounding the house.
Lucian released a small breath of relief as he slid into the safety of the rental car. There was still sunlight coming through the windshield, but it was better than being out in full light. He placed the crossbow and quiver back into the large duffel bag on the passenger seat, then straightened and glanced out the window again. Bricker was carrying the brunette toward the van a car's length up the lane, while Mortimer rushed ahead holding both weapons.
Lucian shook his head as he watched Mortimer open the van's back doors and Bricker jump inside with the woman. The men, he knew, hadn't thought it through. The woman was going to be a problem. She was moaning and writhing in obvious pain as the turn began, her white blouse bearing a large rust-colored stain that could be mistaken for nothing other than blood. And it was after 10:00 A.M., so the hotel lobby would be busy. Yet, somehow, they had to get her into the hotel.