Page 8 of Crimson Storm

There were two human men in the front seat and another man in the back row with Margaret. I couldn’t see him well, but his heat signature told me he was human.

The driver twisted back to look at me. He was a middle-aged man with sparse gray hair and piercing dark eyes. He was very underweight for his height with a gaunt face.

“Where’s Shane?” he demanded.

I spun back to look for the younger guy who’d spoken to us. “He was right behind us.”

And then there he was, charging toward the SUV and leaping onto the bench seat beside me. He slammed the door behind him and made a chopping motion with his hand and forearm, breathing hard.

“Go. Go. Drive. We’re outta time.”

The older man threw the SUV into gear and punched the gas pedal, causing the vehicle to leap forward. Metallic pings and thumps sounded throughout the cabin, no doubt from the guards firing at us.

As we sped down the narrow access road away from the Safety Center, I shifted in my seat to peer through the vehicle’s rear window, searching for headlights or any other signs of pursuit. There were none.

“Why aren’t they coming after us?” I asked no one in particular.

The man in the back seat grinned and held up a box cutter. “Maybe they would if all the tires on their trucks weren’t flat.”

“Who are you people?” I asked.

The front seat passenger turned around to face me, giving me a little shock.

I know him.

5

A Favor

He was a guard at the Safety Center. Glenn, I thought his name was. I’d seen him only a few times—I assumed he usually worked the day shift while we were all sleeping.

Shane was the one who answered. “We’re friends. Don’t worry. We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Did Sadie send you?”

“Who’s Sadie?” he asked.

“Sadie Aldritch, the leader of the Vampire-Human Coalition.”

“Oh no.” The driver groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those.”

“One of what?” Heather asked.

“Those hippie peacenik vamps. Fantastic. Dammit Glenn—how could you let this happen?” He swore again and shot a glare at the man beside him.

“Sorry. It got real crazy real fast,” the front seat passenger explained. “I thought I’d never figure out how to turn off the current to that western fence. By the time I got it shut off and made it out to the yard, most of them were gone already. I’m impressed we pulled it off at all with only a few hours’ planning. At least we gotsome.”

I shook my head, thoroughly confused. Why would one of the guards help us escape?

And the driver should have beenthankfulwe were pacifists who believed in Sadie’s peaceful philosophy and leadership.

If we weren’t, he and his companions might not be in possession of their full blood supply at the moment.

The prison rations had been barely adequate, keeping us alive but only at a subsistence level. I was weak, edgy, and ravenous, and I knew my fellow vampires were too.

“Wait—whatis going on here?” Kelly asked. “Did you mean to rescue someone else?”

My mind flashed back to the large, warrior-looking types who’d stolen Margaret’s rations and killed Gatlin. Maybe theyhadbeen a couple of Imogen’s soldiers, andshe’dorchestrated the jailbreak to get them out.

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