“I can’t let you go in there alone, Scout. That’s our number one rule. We never abandon our partner to certain death.”
I made a face. “Certain death? What have you been watching?”
“The SyFy Channel,” he said sheepishly.
I snorted. Well, that explained that. “It’s going to be fine.” I clapped his shoulder and started moving before he could muster another argument. All I wanted was to get this job over with and call it a night. Odds were minuscule that we would be called out again if something popped up. That meant we were free and clear to do whatever we wanted once clearing the building, and what I wanted was a drink, and maybe a game of pool.
Evan grumbled the entire way across the street, but he appeared to be resigned. By tacit agreement, we didn’t attempt to enter through the front door. The space was too open, and we would garner too much attention. That meant we had to walk to the back of the building to slip inside.
The neighborhood was rough, dealers and thugs on multiple corners conducting business. I could feel several sets of eyes on me but paid them little heed. That’s not to say humans weren’t dangerous. They were often irrational beasts who preferred shooting first and asking questions later. The amount of death and destruction attributed to humans was immense. I didn’t consider the individuals on the street to be a threat to me, though. I was only interested in the building.
There was no hesitation as we reached the door. I used my magic to throw the lock and immediately shoved open the heavy metal panel, striding inside as if I owned the place. It was eerily quiet.
I cocked my head, listening for the telltale sounds of scurrying vermin (both big and small) and came up empty. “See? I told you it was empty.” My smile was bold as I turned to Evan. “There’s nothing to be frightened of.”
He made an exaggerated face. “I’m not afraid.”
“Of course you’re not.”
“I’m not.”
“That’s what I said.”
After a moment of silence he said, “Don’t tell the others I was afraid to come in here. That will make me look like a weenie and that’s all anybody will talk about for weeks.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. It was so Evan to be worried about something like that. He had a tendency to fixate on small details that absolutely didn’t matter to anybody but himself. That was what he was doing now.
“I can see you smirking,” Evan groused. “You’re not even good at hiding it.”
“I’m not smirking. I’ve got something in the corner of my mouth.”
Evan was incredulous. “Something that makes you smile?”
“Oddly enough, yes.” I held it together even though it took monumental effort. “Let’s search the house. I’ll take the main floor and any basement. You take the second floor.”
The building was square, the sort that looked to have been home to a real estate or insurance agency at one time. That had to have been years ago, though, because the floors were rotting and all the tiles from the drop ceiling had disappeared.
“Are you sure you want to separate?” Even didn’t look thrilled with the prospect.
“There’s nobody here.”
“We don’t think anybody is here,” Evan countered. “We don’t know if that’s true.”
“Don’t you want to get this over with?”
“More than anything.”
“If we separate, we can get through this in three minutes flat.”
Rather than argue, he heaved out a sigh. “Fine. Just for the record, though, I don’t like this.”
“Duly noted.”
I opted for the basement first. In my head, if any of the missing prostitutes were being held in the building, it made sense that they would be locked up on the bottom floor.
The building lacked working electricity. That wasn’t a surprise. Most abandoned buildings in Detroit had their electrical service cut off sooner or later. I used my magic to cast a sprinkling nest of lights once I made it to the bottom of the stairs. There were no windows to offer even a hint of illumination, so it was my only option.
The basement looked to be the same size as the building, so not overly large or small, but there was absolutely nothing in it. There wasn’t even an errant homeless congregation huddling in the corners to avoid the weather. It was eerily silent … and that’s what made me nervous.
I made my rounds twice, wanting to make absolutely sure I wasn’t missing a hidden door or evil entity, then returned to the main floor. It was only then I realized something had gone wrong.
It was too quiet, too still. Also, everything had gone unbelievably cold.
“Evan?” My voice was raspy as I called for him, dry, as if I knew what was to come and couldn’t find the proper strength to deal.
He didn’t respond, of course. Then I heard what sounded like feet scraping against wood. It was coming from upstairs.
For a moment I stood rooted to my spot, unsure what to do. The fear only lasted for a moment, then I was barreling up the stairs. I lashed out without prodding when I hit the second-floor landing, knocking the incoming creature flying at me through a thin wall. I had no idea what lay beyond the plaster and drywall, and I honestly didn’t care. All I could think about was Evan, and it didn’t take me long to find him.
He was on his knees, two vampires holding him prone and still. An ugly wound colored his cheek and I could read the panic wafting off him in waves as I slid to a stop. Standing directly in front of me was a statuesque vampire, an icy blonde who looked Norwegian in origin. She wore a silver dress that would have fit in more at a party than an abandoned building, and she looked gleeful when she caught sight of me.
“Welcome,” she trilled in a girly voice,
