Hard Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires 4)

The doors were open when we got there; I helped Sarah inside while Jonah mashed buttons until the doors closed, muting the sounds of fighting behind us. I slipped the dagger back into my boot.

It wasn't until we were halfway down the building again that I let out the breath I'd been holding. I glanced over at Sarah. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm okay. But all those other people in there. We need to get them out, too."

Jonah and I exchanged a glance.

"Maybe you could call the police?" she asked.

"Tell them about the party, and when they come, they can get the rest of the humans out?"

Jonah looked back at me. "If the cops come . . ."

I nodded, understanding his concern. If it took cops to shut this thing down, we'd be swimming in bad press and right back in the mayor's office  - assuming Tate hadn't already issued Ethan's warrant.

But maybe we didn't need the cops. Maybe we just needed the fear of the cops. . . .

"We can beat them to it," I said as the elevator doors opened again. "Help her outside. I'll meet you there in a minute."

We shifted positions at Sarah's side, and while they shuffled to the front door, I hustled to the security desk. The guard's gaze followed Jonah and Sarah out the front door, his hand on the walkie-talkie on his desk.

"Hey," I said when I reached it, drawing his attention to me. "We just got a call - the cops are on their way to the top floor. You better head upstairs and make sure they clear out, or there's sure to be arrests and a gigantic mess. I know you don't want that in the papers tomorrow. Your, um, fanged clientele won't be happy about it."

The guard nodded with understanding, then picked up his walkie, turned a knob, and asked for backup. I hoped he had enough of it - and maybe some vampire repellent while he was at it.

I left him to his preparations, gulping in fresh, untainted air when I made it outside again. I watched Jonah and Sarah hobble across the street to a small square of green. He helped Sarah to a wrought iron bench; I stayed where I was until I was sure my mind was clear and my hunger was under control.

A minute or two later, I crossed the street.

"Evacuation in progress," I told Jonah, then crouched down in front of Sarah. "How are you feeling?"

She nodded. "I'm okay. Just really, really embarrassed." She pressed a hand to her stomach. Whatever haze had silenced her passed, and she began to sob in earnest.

Jonah and I exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"Sarah," I softly said. "Can you tell us what happened? How did you end up there?"

"I heard vamps were having this party." She rubbed a hand beneath her nose. "I thought, oh, vampires, that could be fun, you know? At first it was okay. But then - I don't know. The tension in the room got kind of high, and then I started to feel really weird, and I sat down on the floor. I could see them out of the corners of my eyes.

They'd move around and take a look at me, like they were trying to see if I was ready."

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready to give blood?" She shuddered and sighed. "And then you came along." She shook her head. "I'm just really embarrassed. I shouldn't have been there. I shouldn't have gone." She looked up at me. "I really want to go home. Do you think you could find me a cab?"

"On it," Jonah said, stepping back to the road to scan for passing cabs. It was late, but we were still within a couple of blocks of Michigan, so it wasn't completely unlikely that we'd find one.

As he moved away, I looked down at Sarah again. "Sarah, how did you find out about the party?"

She blushed and looked away.

"It would really help us if you could tell me. It might help us put a stop to these parties."

She sighed, then nodded. "My girlfriend and I were out at a bar - one of those vampire bars?

We met a guy there."

"Do you know which vampire bar?"

"Temple?"

My stomach sank. That was the Cadogan bar.

"Go on."

"So, I went outside to get some fresh air - there were a lot of people in there - and there was a guy outside. He said a party was happening and we'd have a good time. My friend, Brit, didn't want to go, but I wanted to, you know, see what it was about."

So Sarah had gotten info about the rave at Temple Bar, and Jonah had found the phone at Benson's. That meant the folks who frequented the bars also knew about the raves. Ethan was going to be pissed about that one.

"The guy you talked to - what did he look like?"

"Oh, um, he was kinda short. Older. Dark hair. Kind of grizzled-looking? And there was a girl with him. I remember because she had on this, like, gigantic hat, so I couldn't see her face. Oh, but when I was walking back inside, he called her name. It was kind of old-fashioned, like Mary or Martha. . . ." Sarah squeezed her eyes closed as she tried to remember.

My heart thudded in anticipation. "Was it Marie?"

Her eyes popped open again. "Yeah! It was Marie. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," I said. I may not have known a particularly short man, but I knew a vamp with a predilection for causing trouble. And once upon a time, she had been known as Marie.

Before I could ask a follow-up question, Sarah grimaced.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a headache. There was something weird in their air, I think."

Excellent segue to my next question. "Did you take anything while you were there? Maybe a drink someone handed you?"

She shook her head. "You're asking about drugs, but I don't do drugs. And I know not to drink anything I didn't pour myself. But I did see this. Another girl - a human - handed it to me."

She pulled a small paper envelope, the kind that might hold a gift tag, from her pocket. It was white, and there was a V inscribed on the front. I stuffed it into my pocket for later. And then I asked a question that made me hate myself a little bit, but it had to be asked. The stakes were too high.

I had to know if she posed a risk to Cadogan.

"Sarah, are you thinking about going to the police?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, God, no. I shouldn't have gone to the party, and if my parents found out, if my boyfriend found out, they would freak.

Besides," she shyly added, "if I called the cops, you'd get in trouble, too, right? You're a vampire, too, but you helped me."

I nodded, relief in my chest. "I am a vampire," I confirmed. "My name's Merit."

She smiled a little. "Merit. I like that. It kind of describes you. Like you were always meant to be good, you know?"