Jennifer Rardin - [Jaz Parks 1] - Once Bitten, Twice Shy

I told him about the bad blood and Vayl's need for a clean supply. 'So is there any way you can process the tainted blood? See what exactly Vayl's smelling?'

'No problem.' Bergman jerked his thumb over his shoulder, bringing my attention to at least 20 bags and boxes that filled the body of the van. 'I pretty much brought the office with me since I wasn't sure what you'd need.'

My next request didn't want to roll right off my tongue like the first, but I forced it out. 'How about a willing donor for Vayl?'

Bergman's eyebrows shot up. 'Skirting Agency supplies?'

'For now.'

He nodded thoughtfully. 'I think I can arrange that by tomorrow. But there's no way I can get him a supply any sooner.'

'Tonight's not a problem,' I said. I had shed my bandage when I'd donned my costume, but Bergman's eyes still tracked to my neck. If he could see the puncture marks between the gathering gloom and my mane of hair he didn't comment.

'The blood's at the hotel,' I told him. 'Follow me back?'

'No problem.'

I jumped out of the van and into the Mercedes. To soothe Bergman's concern that we might be followed and, I admit, to give myself a few extra minutes behind that smooth leather-clad wheel, I took the long way back to Diamond Suites. Bergman approved of the digs right up to the point when our exclusive elevator opened into our exclusive entryway and we discovered neither was as exclusive as advertised.

'Son of a bitch!' I whispered, pulling Bergman into the corner. The scene reminded me of Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Parks'. The smell of cheap aftershave. The trashed living room. The sound of voices coming from the bedroom, two of them, hissing at each other like a couple of pissed off geese.

I motioned for Bergman to stay put as I pulled Grief from its holster. He nodded at my watch band and held up his fingers, telling me I might have twenty seconds of stealth built up by now. I snapped the band and moved through the open door toward Vayl's bedroom.

'Look in the closet,' said one of the intruders, a woman whose accent made me think of those overcrowded trailer parks that attract cops and tornadoes in equal doses.

'Vampires do not sleep in closets,' said her male partner in an equally thick drawl. 'Besides, I already checked.'

No movement or sound came from any other part of the suite, so I decided these two had arrived without reinforcements.

I edged along the wall until I stood next to the open doorway.

'We never shoulda taken this job, Rudy,' the woman whined. 'Killing the undead is no way to make a living.'

'You're the one who wanted to go straight, Amy Jo, not me. I'd be just as happy popping cheating husbands and rich old uncles.'

'Now what kind of folks would we be if we kept going around murdering other people's folks? Did you look under the bed?'

'Yes, I looked under the bed!' Rudy's voice held that defeated note of exasperation sung by henpecked husbands the world over.

'Sounds like it's just not your day, Rudy,' I said as I stepped into the doorway and took careful aim. I picked the target closest to me, knowing in a moment the shock would wear off, they'd react and I'd better be ready to shoot. Unfortunately my target was heavily pregnant, so my own initial shock offset theirs and we all recovered at pretty much the same time.

'Don't shoot!' Rudy yelled, jumping in front of Amy Jo and, no doubt, scoring lifetime brownie points in the process.

'Behave yourselves and I won't have to,' I said in the most professional voice I could muster considering Amy Jo reminded me strongly of Evie, and she and Rudy both wore black clothing covered with bright yellow, fabric- painted crosses. 'You guys look like you should be representing the letter 't' on Sesame Street.'

They traded a look that said they'd had the same discussion.

'Who are you?' Rudy demanded, rather haughtily, I thought. After all, he was not only dressed like a letter of the alphabet, he looked like a young Mr. Magoo.

'C.I.A.' I replied, sounding as crisp as a new 50 dollar bill. 'And you two are flirting with a long list of felonies that will put you behind bars until that kid of yours needs knee replacements.'

'We're just doing our job,' said Amy Jo, flipping her strawberry blonde hair away from her face with one hand while the other guarded her distended belly.

'Who are you working for?'

Rudy squinted his eyes tightly, until all you could see of them behind his coke bottle lenses were glittery black pinpoints. 'Who wants to know?'

I sighed. 'The C. I. A.' I said it slow so they wouldn't misunderstand. Our acronym can be so confusing.

Amy Jo jabbed her right elbow into Rudy's left love handle. 'She's the one with the gun. Tell her what she wants to know!'

It was Rudy's turn to sigh. 'We don't know. They hired us over the Internet, mailed us half the cash and promised the other half after we nailed the vampire.'

I lowered Grief until it pointed straight at Rudy's crotch. 'You two wouldn't recognize the Internet if a server