Campbell just smiled. It was good to see his team members showing signs of normalcy. After Billy’s funeral and the burning of his body, they’d all walked around in a daze until Colin pointed out that Billy was probably rolling his eyes at them. That had led to stories about Billy and even a bit of unexpected laughter.
“Tonight,” he said in answer to Kaja’s question.
Kaja laced her fingers together and bent them backward to crack her knuckles. She was ready to kick some Soulless vampire ass.
In contrast, Sophia was sitting on a dark brown leather couch reading one of her science journals. She might not work in a hospital or treat humans anymore, but she liked to keep up with medical science. As he looked closer, he noticed a tight look on her face.
“What’s wrong, Sophia?” Campbell asked.
She glanced up at him, but part of her was still far away for a few seconds until she fully reengaged with the world around her. “Maybe nothing.”
“That doesn’t sound too convincing.”
“It’s just a story about a couple of scientists who’ve gone missing.”
“Please tell me they’re not from here,” Colin said.
“No. One, a geneticist, is from Duke University. The other works for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.” Sophia looked up with an expression of concern. “She’s a phlebotomist.”
“A fla-what?” Len asked.
“Phlebotomist. A doctor of the blood.”
“Could be a coincidence,” Campbell said. “Can’t imagine that scientists’ blood tastes any better than anyone else’s.”
“I know. It’s just...something feels off,” Sophia said.
Campbell didn’t much like it either, but the truth was those two scientists could have slipped up and been killed by vampires. They also could have been taken by abductors of their own kind for a purpose that had nothing to do with vampires. Heck, they could have just flown the coop.
Whatever had happened, it wasn’t his responsibility. He and his team had enough to worry about in their own backyard. As he finalized the details of the raid on the club, he tried to focus on the fact that he was just doing his job. But the reality was that this was personal. He needed to put an end to these kidnappings so Olivia would be safe, so he could stop worrying about her.
At least stop worrying about this particular threat. The damage he’d caused in her life was another worry altogether. When he took care of Salmeri’s operation, he was going to do what he could to ensure her customers came back or she at least got some new ones.
His cell rang. After glancing at the caller ID, he answered. “Hey, Chloe.”
“They’ve got Olivia and Mindy,” she said, frantic and out of breath.
White-hot fear shot through him as he sat up straighter and nearly crushed the phone in his grip. “What?”
“Witnesses in the neighborhood said the kidnappers were in the process of taking Mindy when Olivia showed up at her place. She managed to shoot one of them, but they took her.”
Campbell’s world spun off its axis. “The guy she shot, is he alive?”
“Yeah. At least he was when they hauled him away in the ambulance.”
“Travis, find out where they took a gunshot victim today. Get me his name and everything about him, now,” Campbell said, punctuating his words with jabbing gestures.
“What’s going on?” Colin asked.
“Kidnappers took Olivia and Mindy.” He couldn’t believe he was saying those words.
“Campbell, what can I do?” Chloe asked.
“Stay with your brother until we take care of this.” He hung up and stared at the door he couldn’t yet exit. He’d burned for her once, but that had been only moments and had nearly done him in. As much as it killed him, he had no choice but to wait.
“The NYPD?” Sophia asked.
“They won’t be able to go wherever the humans are stashed,” Len said.
Campbell roared and cursed the sun.
“We’ll get them,” Colin said. “We stick to the plan, and we’ll save them all.”
Somewhere beneath the fear and rage, Campbell knew Colin was right. It didn’t make the wait any less agonizing.
“Gunshot victim is a Troy Giani. Has a rap sheet of petty stuff,” Travis said. “Looks as if he’s picking up his game.”
“And got a slug for his trouble,” Len said.
“Yeah, right in the chest,” Travis said as he pointed to the report on his computer screen.
That Olivia had not gone without one hell of a fight made him proud of her but also afraid she’d be punished more than the other abductees, and before he could get to her. He paced the library. He had to save her. He had to.
* * *
When Olivia woke, the first thing she noticed was how parched her throat felt. Next came the throbbing pain in her wrists. She blinked her eyes several times to try to push away the fogginess in her brain. Gradually, memories slipped into place from wherever they’d been floating. Going to Mindy’s. The spilled groceries. The movers who weren’t movers at all. Shooting the guy who had Mindy. Then something being pressed over her mouth.
That last thought made her jerk more awake. Her movement sent pain shooting down her arms.
“Olivia?”
She turned her head and saw Mindy in the dim light. She was shackled to a stone wall, her arms stretched out above her and her ankles spread. That was when Olivia realized why her wrists hurt. She was shackled the same as Mindy, the same as the rest of the people beyond Mindy.
Oh, God, they were in a blood den. Cold, ripe fear shot through her. She saw it reflected in Mindy’s eyes. Tears streaked down her friend’s face.
“How long have we been here?” Olivia asked.
“I don’t know. I just woke up a few minutes ago.” Mindy looked the other way, toward the other captives. “We’re going to die here.”
“No, we’re not. We will figure out a way. Campbell will find us.”
“Campbell? He’s the reason we’re here in the first place.”
Olivia flinched at the ferocity of Mindy’s words. She told herself that Mindy was scared, and if anger kept her going, that was okay. Olivia did her best not to give in to panic and fear herself. She pulled as hard as she could at the restraints, but they didn’t budge.
The door at the top of the stairs opened, and loud music filtered through. Bile rose in Olivia’s throat as three well-dressed vampires descended, a woman and two men.
“You have impeccable timing tonight,” said the guy in the front to the others. “We just acquired two new sources today. One is already spoken for, but the other is the blood type you require. She’s young and healthy, so you can both tap her together.”
The vampire couple looked at each other and smiled. Olivia got the feeling that simultaneous feeding was somehow erotic to them, that it would be a sexual act as well as the gaining of sustenance.
The guy in the front met Olivia’s eyes, and she hated him on sight. She would have hated him if he’d been human. He had that slick “I can get away with anything” look about him.
“This one proved a challenge,” he said as he gestured to Olivia. “But I have a distinct feeling she’ll pay for it later tonight.” He gave her a knowing smile that sent cold rushing through her veins. Then he led the couple to Mindy, who struggled in vain against the restraints holding her.
“You’re wasting your energy,” the guy said. “You might as well stop struggling and enjoy it.”
Mindy spat in his face. He slapped her with such a ferocity that Olivia gasped and worried that he’d killed her. But then Mindy moved.
“Leave her alone,” Olivia said.
The guy moved slowly toward Olivia. “Can’t stand to watch what you caused?”
