Page 28 of Tooth and Nail

“If I were that marshal, I’d expect no less, Chief.”

Chapter Seven

“So, you want me to trust that you suddenly have my best interests at heart?” Townsend asked, looking at the handcuffs he was holding out. Eoghan and his partner were standing just outside their fugitive’s cell down in the tombs. John stood on the other side of the bars with his arms crossed. The expression on his face was skeptical to say the very least.

Eoghan looked over his shoulder at Charlie who was watching from several feet away, fiddling with his key card. When he looked back at King John, he sighed in frustration. He and Ari had been given strict orders that no one other than the four who’d been at Night’s desk as she shuffled through pages of information, know that they intended on releasing the vampire.

“You need to come with us,” Eoghan said. “That means either doing it willingly or being drugged for the ride. We’d much prefer the former.”

“You’re giving me back to them? After everything I told you, you’re giving me back to them?” The hurt in the king’s eyes was hard to take.

Eoghan swallowed past the lump in his throat. “We’re following orders, Townsend.”

“Please…do as my partner said,” Ari said. “We don’t want to hurt you and we don’t want to drug you.” He paused and Eoghan noticed the pleading look in his partner’s eyes. Something about it must have moved the king because when Eoghan glanced back at him, he was watching Ari with a question in his expression.

“You want me to trust that turning me over to Bradshaw’s Pretorians isn’t going to hurt me?” John Townsend raised an eyebrow as he looked between them both, finally sighing as he uncrossed his arms and stuck his hands through the bars. “You’re killing my people. My entire clan will die off but maybe that’s what it’s going to take for you to see that I’m telling you the truth. As for me, I’ll be dead, taking the story to my grave right where the Agency wants it, I guess.”

Eoghan indicated for John to show him his arms and grimly fastened the handcuffs around his wrists before stepping back and letting Charlie open the cage. As soon as he was out, Eoghan stepped close and lowered his voice, just out of the jailer’s earshot. “Trust me and we’ll all get out of this alive.”

John shot him a startled look, but he nodded as Ari took hold of his other elbow and they began leading him out of the jail.

“Thanks, Charlie. Let the chief know we’re headed out to meet Townsend’s escorts back to Flagstaff.”

“You’ve got it, Sapphire,” Charlie replied.

Rick Tooley was waiting with the keys to one of their vehicles as soon as they stepped out of the jail. His brother, Dick, stood nearby, watching them silently, most likely ready to echo everything his brother said with half sentences the way he usually did.

“Thanks, Rick.”

“No problem, Sapphire.” He handed him the keys and then stepped back to stand beside his twin, giving the vampire a wide berth. As soon as they were all inside the car, Eoghan pressed the button on the car’s dashboard, making the huge tunnel entrance doors begin to slide open. As they disappeared into the wall on either side, Ari looked back at Townsend who sat resignedly in the backseat.

“We’re not turning you over to them, but we couldn’t tell you back there in the jail. If the Agency found out about it, we could be charged with treason, Your Highness.”

“What?” The man looked positively shocked.

Ari nodded to the cuffs. “Those aren’t vampire restraints but don’t test them. Just trust that what I’m telling you is the truth.”

“But you put me in restraints anyway? You’re on my side?”

“We believe what you told us,” Eoghan said. “We don’t think you’d travel five hundred miles starving the way you are just to tell us some fairy story. We also had some time to check into what you’ve told us.”

“What did you find out?” Townsend asked, lifting his hands to examine the cuffs he wore.

“The Flagstaff clan’s website has been sanitized,” Eoghan said. “It’s been made to resemble a tribal trading post website and any mention of the clan has been removed. There are no photos of anyone from the rez. We also found out that your sire was Isabella Townsend and we found pictures of Rudy and your two progeny, Carolyn and Nicholas.”

Eoghan looked into the rearview mirror, immediately noting the distress that clouded the king’s features. He wore it like a horribly sad mask. He shook his head as if trying to clear it as he turned to stare out one of the windows.

“They’re all dead. That bastard killed them right in front of me. Bradshaw is a monster.”

Eoghan frowned as he drove them out of the tunnel, heading for downtown and Union Station. It was already approaching their appointed meeting time.

“I’m sorry for your family,” Ari said. “It’s a terrible thing to lose someone like that. I can’t imagine.”

“Do you have a mate…er…spouse, Marshal Brown?” John asked.

Eoghan waited, interested in the answer. When Ari shook his head, he blew out a long, slow breath.

“No, I’ve never…ah, I just moved here to California recently. I never dated much back home.”

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