Oliver's Hunger - By Tina Folsom Page 0,39

everything was running smoothly, Zane was downright unbearable.

“Understood.”

A black Porsche careened around the corner, barreling toward them. Neither he nor Zane flinched. When the car came to a stop only inches from them, Oliver shook his head.

“He loves to make an entrance,” Oliver said and watched as the car door opened and Amaury emerged.

A wide grin spread over his colleague’s face, and the light evening breeze blew through his long dark hair. His piercing blue eyes were even more brilliant at night than during daytime.

“Right on time,” Zane acknowledged and raised his hand in greeting.

Oliver took a step toward him. “Hey Amaury, thanks for coming.”

“Didn’t want to miss the action.” Amaury’s gravelly voice echoed in the quiet side street.

“We’ll see if there’s any action to be had,” Zane cautioned. “Amaury, you’ll ride with me. Oliver, you’re taking Cain and the girl.”

“She has a name.”

Zane cocked an eyebrow. “Ursula then. We’ll follow you, Oliver. And she’d better not be leading us on a wild goose chase. Call me when you’re in the car, and keep the line open. I want to hear everything that’s going on.”

With a tight nod, Oliver turned and walked back up the stairs leading to the entrance door. After Cain had given him all the information pertaining to Ursula’s background, he’d contacted Zane to ask him for help, knowing that if he did anything without Scanguards’ support, he would put not only himself, but most likely others in danger. That by others he was primarily thinking of Ursula was something he kept to himself.

When he entered the living room, Ursula shot up from the couch, and both Cain and Blake looked at him expectantly.

“Zane’s agreed to it.”

Blake grinned. “Excellent! Some action!”

“You’re not coming, Blake.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Nobody is in the mood to save your ass tonight.”

It wasn’t exactly how Zane had put it, but since they didn’t know what they would be facing, they had agreed to leave the human behind. It was bad enough that they had to take one human—Ursula. Two could distract them when they ran into trouble.

“That’s totally unfair!” Blake complained.

“Life isn’t fair. Get used to it.” Then Oliver motioned to Cain and Ursula. “Let’s go. We’re taking the minivan. Zane and Amaury will follow in the Hummer.”

As Ursula walked past him, their gazes collided. A silent thank you shimmered in her eyes. He hoped that he wasn’t wrong about her, and that she wasn’t leading them into a trap.

Moments later, they were in the van, Cain sitting on the back bench, Ursula in the passenger seat. Oliver gunned the engine and shot out into the street. As he passed the parked Hummer, he speed dialed Zane’s cell phone. It was answered before it could ring even once.

“Lead.”

In the back mirror Oliver saw Zane’s Hummer follow him. “I’m heading down to the Bayview to where I ran into Ursula.” He glanced at her from the side. “After that, she’ll have to guide us.”

Ursula nodded nervously. “I’ll do my best.”

“You’d better,” Zane’s voice came over the loudspeakers.

“She will,” Oliver said with determination before concentrating on the heavy evening traffic downtown.

They rode in silence until he crossed the 3rd Street bridge behind the Baseball park, passed a few swanky new housing developments, and then entered the less savory neighborhood of Bayview.

The area didn’t have much going for itself. It was crime-ridden, and even the recent extension of the rail line—the MUNI as it was called—down 3rd Street did little to improve the area. If anything, it made it easier for the thugs to get around.

Oliver would know: he’d grown up here. And he didn’t relish being back. It reminded him of the sins of his youth, the gang of thugs he’d consorted with, the crimes he’d committed. With every block that brought them farther into the heart of the neighborhood, he felt his shoulders and chest tighten.

Only a night earlier he’d been down here, feeding on a down-and-out youngster. He felt disgusted at the thought now. Why had he even come down here? He’d avoided the neighborhood ever since he’d started working for Scanguards, but ever since his turning two months earlier something had drawn him to it again. Had he sensed that somebody here needed his help?

He shook off the stupid thought. He wasn’t psychic, nor had he any special gifts like Samson or Gabriel, or even Yvette. Perhaps he had simply considered the Bayview an easy hunting ground where he could still his lust for blood. Nothing more. Only tonight, he wasn’t here