I slid the metal guard shut and went back to the women. The dark-haired woman stared at me with haunted eyes. “You’re going to let them have us?”
“If it’s a choice between your friend’s life and your freedom, yes. For now, we’ll wait. My best friend is on the other side, and she won’t let them do anything stupid.” I looked at the dark-haired woman. “When Ghastek fainted, why didn’t either of you grab the vampire’s mind?”
“I tried. It wasn’t there.”
“What do you mean, not there?” Vampire minds didn’t just blink out of existence.
The dark-haired woman shook her head. “It wasn’t there.”
“She’s right,” Emily said. “I tried, too. It’s like I couldn’t navigate anymore.” She shivered on the floor. “I’m cold.”
I went into the storage room, pulled a spare cloak from the hook, and covered her with it.
Emily’s lips had turned blue. “Am I going to die?”
“Not if I can help it.”
CHAPTER 3
MINUTES DRIPPED BY, COLD AND SLOW. FIVE. SIX. Eight.
A loud knock echoed through the door. “Kate?” Andrea’s voice called.
“Yeah?”
“I have paramedics with me. Let me in.”
I unbarred the door and swung it open. Four paramedics sprinted into the room. Andrea followed them. She was short and blue-eyed, and for some reason the tips of her short blond hair were frosted with neon blue. The barrel of a rifle protruded over the shoulder of her jacket. Knowing her, she probably had two SIG-Sauers under that jacket, a combat knife, and enough bullets to take on the Golden Horde.
Normally Andrea’s face wore a nice easygoing expression that made random strangers want to pour their hearts out to her. One look at her now, and they would cross to the other side of the street. Tension locked her face into a rigid, strained mask, and she moved like a soldier in enemy territory, expecting a bullet between the shoulder blades at any moment and ready to fire back in a split second.