Page 40 of Dead

“Sure,” Noah said. He turned to the rest of the team. “You four pair off and see if you can get any more information. If they’ve got portals, we need them closed ASAP.”

After he made a stop in his office where he added a holster and a UV gun and grabbed a light jacket to cover them, Noah began to walk toward the door where Chris waited. “You carrying?”

“One of those ray guns?” Chris asked with chuckle. “No.”

“If they kill vamps, I’m willing to give them a try.” Eilam had had a case of the new weapons sent over just before he’d been hurt and the team hadn’t had a chance to test them out that he was aware of. Eilam had wanted Noah’s team to test them out and see how effective they were.

“I don’t do guns,” Chris said. “I fight with my hands.”

“And who else gets hurt along the way?” Noah asked.

“I don’t do guns,” Chris reiterated. “I don’t need them.”

Noah didn’t argue. Chris’ animal was twice as strong as a bear with a bite force that could easily snap a vampire neck or two. “Well, I’ve got one, just in case.”

“Have at it,” Chris said as he opened the creaky, rusted door to the outside. “Now, about this feeder. He’s paranoid as all get out when he talks to me, so you’ll have to take a seat close by and listen in,” Chris said as they headed out. “If he even gets a whiff that you’re there with me, he might bolt, so be careful.”

“I can do that,” Noah said before he climbed into the passenger side of Chris’s unmarked cruiser.

Once the gorilla shifter was behind the wheel, he turned to Noah. “I’ve barely seen hide nor hair of Valen these past few days. Have you?”

“He was at the hospital when the second assassin showed up,” Noah said. “He helped bring the vampire down.”

Chris frowned. “And no one thought to tell me? Did he get hurt?”

“He was fine when we left the hospital,” Noah answered. “And I left Midnight with the king… so I was incommunicado.”

Chris turned over the engine. “I got a text from him that said he was working a case and not to expect him home. Not one word about an attack or what he’s working on.”

“The guardsmen are stretched thin.”

“Yeah… I know,” Chris answered as he pulled out into traffic. “But I got a call from Theis about you being gone and the bastard didn’t say a word about anything else. He could’ve at least let me know.”

“And say what? That Valen had been involved in an attack but was fine? Get you all riled up for no reason? It was done, over.”

Chris pressed harder on the accelerator. “I guess… I suppose I would’ve liked to hear that from Valen.”

The silence in the car was deafening. Noah could sense Chris’ concern and it was almost humorous given the tough guy show he’d just made about carrying a weapon. Noah had already sensed the macho act was just that—an act. But Noah liked Chris… act or no, the guy brought results and was a natural leader. “He’s okay. You’d know if he wasn’t.”

Chris nodded. “True.”

Noah sensed there was more to Chris’ ire, but now wasn’t the time. And he didn’t know Chris well enough to dive into personal shit. He turned and watched the city from the passenger window. They were approaching the downtown area. Hundreds of citizens walked the streets, going about their day, unaware of all the turmoil going on behind the scenes.

And hopefully it would stay that way.

A few minutes later, Chris pulled off the main avenue and onto a side street. A few more turns had them coming closer to a small run-down diner. After the car was parked a block or so away, Chris turned to him. “I’ll go in first and see if he’s in there. You wait a few minutes and take a seat nearby.”

Noah nodded.

Chris climbed out of his cruiser and ambled on down the dirty sidewalk. Once Chris disappeared from the rear view, Noah peeked at his phone for the time. He scanned the streets, searching for anyone who might be watching, but saw no one.

Yet he couldn’t get rid of a feeling of unease.

After a few minutes, he climbed from the car and scanned the area. He moved beside the door to an apartment building and lifted his phone to his ear, mimicking a phone call so he could stand there and observe without calling attention to himself.

Down the block, he saw a large, black car come to a stop. The windows were blackened so dark, he couldn’t see who was inside it.

But his gut told him it wasn’t anyone good.

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