Page 28 of Crimson Storm

Since I’d been out of touch for the past few weeks while under incarceration, I wasn’t sure if she was even in Los Angeles. She did travel a lot. Maybe she’d been too caught up in the aftermath of the bombing to answer her phone.

Or maybe she’s dead.

No.No, she couldn’t be. Not her. She was too good, too important to the welfare and safety of vampires and humans alike. If she was gone—especially at the hands of terrorists—there was going to be alotmore bloodshed.

Most of it human.

One thing was for sure, she was in no position at the moment to help us. Which meant we weren’t going to Los Angeles.

“Well, we should call her. Larkin’s apartment has a landline,” Kelly said, gesturing toward the phone sitting on a side table.

“I already did. A few minutes ago.” I hated to even say the next words. “There was no answer.”

“What do we do now?” Kelly sobbed.

Heather sounded equally as scared. “Where are we gonnago?”

I gave her the only viable answer left.

“Home.”

15

Long Haul

The Bastion was the last place I wanted to go—but I didn’t see any other choice. We needed help.

Vampire help.

“We can’t go to our place in Los Angeles. The police will be watching it,” Kelly said.

“I agree. I’m talking about Virginia. Now we need to find a vehicle to get us there. The Bastion’s at least a three-day drive from here. There’s no way we can ride on a bus with humans that long without being identified as vampires. We can’t take Glenn’s truck. The highway patrol will be looking for it soon if they’re not already. We can’t use a car service because the police will be notified if the driver’s out of touch with their dispatcher for a long time.”

“I thought Imogen said you could never come back if you left,” Heather said.

A shudder went through me as I remembered my final farewell with my “mother.” Imogen had been so angry at me for leaving, especially because I was leaving to go work for her sister.

“She did. But I don’t see any other choice for us. She won’t turn you two away, at least. And itisa sanctuary. If we’ve ever needed one of those, it’s now.”

“Well, we’re going to need a vehicle outfitted for daytime driving,” Heather said.

“That’ll be too suspicious. They’ll know we’re vampires. We’ll be stopped and searched at every state line checkpoint.”

“What will we do during the day then?” she asked. “We won’t be able to stop and stay in hotels along the way without identification and money.”

“Not to mention that would be a long haul without sleeping,” Kelly said.

Long haul.My heart leapt with excitement. “I have an idea.”

Going to the phone, I searched its speed dial directory.Yes. It was there—Curtis—the name of a vampire Larkin used to date.

The last time we’d spoken, she’d told me they had broken up but had agreed to be friends. I really hoped that was the case. I was about to ask Curtis for a very big favor.

I’d only spoken to him a handful of times, but he’d seemed like a super nice guy, respectful and generous and so clean-cut he looked like a choir boy. In fact, she’d met him at church.

Yes—vampires went to church. Not all of them of course, but of those who’d practiced a religion before turning, most I knew continued to observe their respective faiths.

Contrary to the opinions of some, vampirism had nothing to do with the occult or demons or even moral shortcomings. It was simply a biological condition, and in many cases, like mine, the vampire hadn’t had a choice in the matter.

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