“Interesting.They’re armed.”
“Andwho is that? Another lawyer?” Ivers hissed at me.
“That’s the muscle,”I said, leering.
“Whatare they going to do?” Martin asked. She seemed the steadier of thetwo, gazing into the hallway outside with a look of determination.
“Ifyou put your toys away and walk out—nothing.” I called past them, “Hey,Ben, you see Matt on the way up?”
“Yeah,he and your security guy seemed to be having a tense conversationwith a government suit.”
“He’sokay?”
“Worried,but yeah. Are you okay?”
Istudied Martin and Ivers, waiting for them to answer the question.Was I okay? Martin pocketed her knife and stake first, and Iversfollowed. “Come on in. Meet the rest of the government suits.”
Ichecked the clock. We’d run a couple minutes over the end of theshow. I was going to have to do a lot of explaining next week. Out of asense of closure, though, I needed to unplug the music, get back on themike, and wrap up. Maybe the affiliates would give me that extra minute.
“Allright, sorry about that, folks. This is Kitty Norville and you’relistening to The Midnight Hour. This musicalinterlude has been brought to you by two agents of the ParanaturalSecurity Administration, which they tell me is a division of theDepartment of Homeland Security, and if you think that sounds ominous,well, you’re not alone. They tell me this new agency hasn’t beencompletely finalized yet and definitely hasn’t been announced to thepublic. So just remember, you heard it here first. Agent Martin, AgentIvers, either of you have anything to say to the fans out there?” No,they did not. “I for one will be calling my congresspeople in themorning to see if I can learn any more about how our tax dollars aresupporting this exciting new enterprise.”
Totheir credit, both agents looked chagrined.
“Seeyou all next week,” I said. “This is Kitty Norville, and I am stillyour voice of the night.”
“Iwish you hadn’t said that,” Martin said.
“If wishes were horses.”
Benand Cormac came into the studio then, side by side, scruffy and heroic,like they were starring in their own TV show or something. The twopairs looked each other up and down, scowling, appraising.
AgentMartin looked at me. “We’ll be in touch, Ms. Norville.”
“I’m sure youwill,” I said.
Theygave one last look around the studio, like they were memorizing it,and strolled out, as if this had all gone exactly the way they’dplanned. Yes, I expected I would be hearing from them again. I wonderedhow many watch lists I’d just been put on. I’d always trusted that myfame would protect me, but now I wondered if that would last. And if itwould protect my family.
Matt,along with the late-shift DJ, pounded into the studio next, andanother flustered round of questions and reassurances followed, untilBen and Cormac finally walked me out. I wanted to go home.
Firstthing first, though. “Where’s the baby?” I asked Ben.
“Rachel’s lookingafter him. What’s the point of being part of a wolfpack if you can’t call in babysitting favors?”
Rachelwas the oldest member of our werewolf pack and something of an auntieto us all. The baby loved her. I was relieved. “How did you knowsomething was wrong?” I asked.
“Youput Wham! on loop. I figured it was an S.O.S.”
“Honey. I love you.”
“What’rethe Feds doing here?” Cormac said, hitching a thumb back to the hallway.
“Theywanted phone records. Names,” I said tiredly.
“Did they have awarrant?” Cormac asked.
“Nevermind a warrant, it’s unconstitutional,” Ben said. “Violation ofprivacy, unreasonable search.”
Igot out my phone and made a call, right there in the KNOB parking lot,because I did know people and I did have numbers, and the fun thingabout vampires is knowing if you call them in the middle of the nightthey’ll be awake.
Acalm female voice answered, “Who is this, please?” I didn’t recognizeher, so there must have been new staff at the house.
“Thisis Kitty Norville, can I speak to Alette please?”
“If you could justwait a moment, Ms. Norville.”
Somevampires had secretaries. Alette was the Mistress of Washington, D.C.She was old, powerful, and had her fangs in everything. If anyone knewwhat was really going on with this Paranatural SecurityAdministration bullshit, she would. Ben and Cormac drew close,listening, and I put the phone on speaker.
“Katherine,how lovely to hear from you, how are you?” Alette’s crisp English voicecame on the line, sounding as warm and welcoming as she ever did, butleaving no doubt who had the power here.
“I’ve just had a strangeencounter, a couple of federal agents saying they’re from theParanatural Security Administration, which as faras I know hasn’t existed until very recently. I wondered if you’d heardanything about this?”
Sheremained silent for a long moment, which wasn’t like her. She was incontrol, she knew everything, that was why I called her. I met Ben’sgaze. His lips were pursed, concerned.
“Sothey’ve been to see you already, have they?” she said finally, andwasn’t that interesting? “What did you tell them?”
“Nothing.I told them to come back with a warrant and talk to the lawyers. Whatwas I supposed to do? It felt like some kind of HUAC bullshit.”
“Howwould you know what HUAC felt like?” she said, amused.
Maybejust a little condescending.
“Butyou would, you were Mistress of D.C. during the McCarthy Era. So tellme, what did that feel like? Did it feel like this? With actualpoliticians talking about actual registration and camps—vampires wouldnever put up with that, they’d never let it get so far, would they? Youall have survived wars, inquisitions—”
“Katherine.Who do you think runs the inquisitions, when it suits them?”
Icould feel my heartbeat. Wolf wanted to growl. “You would tell me,wouldn’t you? If you knew something.”
“You’vehad a trying evening. Why don’t you get some rest? There’s nothing toworry about.”
“Idon’t believe you,” I said starkly. “I mean, I appreciate the gesture.But I don’t believe you. The Long Game isn’t over, is it?”
“Katherine.It’s so good to hear from you, as always. But I must be going, I haveother matters to attend to.”
“Likesecret government agencies keeping tabs on supernatural beings?”
“Goodnight,Katherine.” She clicked off.
TheLong Game, the battle for power between vampires that had lasted forthousands of years. Why had I ever thought there would be an end to it?
“Well,”Ben
