Page 24 of Crimson Storm

“Well, Glenn’s nickname at the Safety Center was ‘Clubber.’ People said he used to walk around swinging this baton, and he’d swing it for the least infraction.”

“Wow.” Shane blew out a breath. “That’s awful. I wish more people knew what was really going on in those places.”

“Do you think it would change things? Do you really think the humans would care?”

“I care,” he said.

“Well, from what I’m seeing lately, you’re the exception.”

Shane looked around and shifted from one foot to the next. His voice held a note of nervousness.

“So, I guess I should go. Probably shouldn’t leave the truck parked outside the building in case Uncle Terry did wake up and call the police.”

Ugh.He was right about the truck. But I couldn’t let him leave yet. I looked around as well.

Was there a room I could lock him in until we were safely away from the city? I’d have to wake one of my friends and have her move the truck as soon as night fell and it was safe to go out. When we left the apartment, we’d leave the keys here for Shane as well as a note telling him where to find it.

Before I could make up my mind, he drew his phone from his pocket—I hadn’t realized he had one on him—which was dumb.

He checked the screen, and his eyelids widened. Then his jaw dropped. “Crap. It’s too late.”

“What do you mean? There’s an alert out on the truck already?” A vivid image of police cruisers surrounding the building filled my mind’s eye.

“Worse.”

He turned the screen around toward me. And I sawmyface.

Heather and Kelly’s pictures were there too—along with all three of our names and a terrifying headline.

13

Calling a Friend

The caption beneath the photos read:Vampires escape Safety Center in bloody rampage that leaves six guards dead.

It was hard to breathe as I skimmed the article that followed. Apparently, the official story was that the three of us hadorchestratedthe breakout.

It mentioned Glenn was a guard at the Center and speculated that we’d overpowered him, forcing him to deactivate the western fence, then taken him along as a hostage, killing him and stealing his truck when we’d made it to freedom.

The report cautioned that we were to be considered highly dangerous repeat offenders and gave a hotline number, asking for any information regarding our whereabouts.

The only good news was that very few of the vampires who’d fled the Center had been recaptured. If there really had been an order to exterminate them, they’d escaped just in time.

“None of it’s true,” Shane said, dismay coloring his tone.

“It doesn’t matter. They’ll shoot us on sight.”

Any hope I’d ever entertained of clearing my name and returning to my old life, my old job, and my friends—vanished in that instant.

“I’ll tell them the truth,” Shane vowed.

I shook my head. “They’ll just assume you’ve been mesmerized, that you’re saying what we told you to say. Who would believe you’d actually assist a group of ‘highly dangerous’ vampires willingly? Especially now that your uncle is dead and covered in fang marks?”

“Iamwilling to help you. I got you out of that basement. I got you here, right?”

“Yes, but you believed I’d hurt you if you didn’t.”

He grinned. “I’m not afraid of you. You’re a pacifist, remember?”

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