Cat was having a very weird day.
He sat there in the bishop's office between Father Adam and Jack and decided their new client, who was a Mrs. Tammy Hughes and who was also the mayor of Cleburne, Texas, was just a little too cheerful for this tale she had to tell.
And that was pretty weird.
Then there was the tale itself, all about half-formed goons (they couldn't be full vampires yet from her peeling-cheek description) stomping around the downtown Cleburne square chewing on people. The local police had tried to help, emptying magnum after magnum into those decomposing husks, and the goons had noticed it - roaring and spinning in pain - but had not stopped feeding. The only injuries were to the victims, who were dragged brutally away into an abandoned department store warehouse across from the county courthouse. The cops had cordoned the area off.
And that was pretty weird, too. Cat had never heard of 'em being that obvious before. And besides, where was the master vampire during all of this? It was almost as if they were trying to advertise.
Naw. That was too weird.
And then of course there was Jack, who looked like hell and acted worse. Cat thought he hadn't slept the night before, and knew damn well something was bothering him, but when he tried to get to it, Jack told him to leave him alone.
And that was weirdest of all.
Cat glanced casually to his side and eyed Jack once more. He really looks awful sitting there with his neck crammed down in his shoulders and his throat pulsing hard. He looks like... I dunno. Like he's...
Scared.
Holy shit! What's going down here?
All Adam felt was admiration at Jack's full and complete concentration. He didn't read Jack's fear, couldn't have through the haze of his own.
Here I go at last, he thought.
Jack listened to the rest and then got them out of there and back to the suite at the Adolphus. He didn't speak during the drive and didn't answer questions. He glanced occasionally at the rest of the team while Cat relayed what had happened in the bishop's office but he looked away when they looked back.
It was a trap. And he didn't know how to tell them. He didn't know what to do. He didn't...
He didn't know.
He excused himself about the time they got down to making plans for the job in Cleburne the next morning. He couldn't think, couldn't focus, couldn't face them. He went to the bathroom and closed the door and lit a cigarette and just sat there and feared.
Three years at this. Three years and eighteen straight pits wiped clean. All of it dangerous. All of it bloody. All of it awful. And certain death hanging around all along.
But now it's not a matter of blowing up buildings in broad daylight. Now it's a matter of staying alive through the next night anywhere in the world.
Because if they know me, they can find me.
Shit.
And if they know me and find me they can set me up tn Cleburne, Texas, and that's exactly what they've done and there's not one thing in the world I can do about it.
Because we still have to go. It's what we do. It's where the vampires are.
I wonder if -
There was a tap-tap-tap on the bathroom door and be heard Cat's voice saying it was the mayor on the phone and did Jack want to take the call? Jack frowned. Hell, he didn't even know the mayor. What was his name? Goldblatt, or something? And then he realized the mayor Cat meant. Her, that Cleburne mayor. Calling him. Knowing where to call.
He got up and dropped his cigarette in the bowl and flushed it because he didn't want the rest of them to know he was only in there to be a chickenshit and then he strolled into the main living room of the suite with all eyes on him and picked up the receiver.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Crow?" asked that same too-country voice.
"Yes."
"Mr. Crow, I hate to disturb you at home. Or at your hotel, I mean. Or do you live there?"
So. You wanna know where I live do you?
"I live here."
"Oh. Well, I should think you'd want to live with the rest of your employees. Your team, is it?"
"We all live here."
"I see."
"Miz Hughes, did you call for a reason?"
"Oh, yes. It's about your check for $50,000..."
"What about it? I told you we don't work without half up front."
"Oh, I know, I know. I understand. I wasn't complaining. You'll get your check tonight as we agreed."
"Then what's the point?"
"Well, I just thought that I could bring it over instead of using a messenger."
"Okay. Come on over."
"Oh. Well, I couldn't do it right now. I've got some... well, some shopping to do in town first. I so rarely get to come to Dallas. But being a man I don't think you'd understand. Anyway, I just wondered if you were going to be there when I finished so I could give you the check personally."
"When would that be?"
"Oh, I don't know. About nine o'clock?"
"Would that be all right?"
What Jack wanted to say was:
Let's get this straight, bitch. First you wanna know where we're gonna be after sundown because, while there are ghouls slaughtering your citizens in your courthouse square every night, you're gonna take the time to pick up some pantyhose?
Right.
But what he said was: "We'll be here," and the both of them hung up with the mayor adding how anxious she was to meet the rest of the team.
There was a mirror on the wall over the table holding the phone and Jack Crow stared at his reflection in it, stared at it good and hard until some things fell away and some others came clear to him again.
"Asshole," he whispered angrily at the face.
It was time to be a leader. So do some leader-type shit for a change, you whining bastard!
Rock and roll!
He spun around and there they all were, his team, watching and waiting and wondering what was going on.
He didn't tell them - this was his burden, godammit!
He gave them orders instead.
Get out. Get all the stuff you can carry easily and walk out of the hotel. Don't check out or in any way hint that you're not coming back soon. Women, take the limo.