Grimshaw looked at Osgood. “Call Julian. Tell him to come over.”
While Osgood made the call to Lettuce Reed, Grimshaw made his own call. “Ilya? We may have a situation. I need you as fast as you can get here.” He ended the call and looked at the Xaviers. “You need to stay here. Call Ineke and tell her you’ll be delayed getting back to the boardinghouse.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if—,” Paige began.
“No.” He turned to Viktor, who had remained at the computer desk, watching and listening. “When Osgood and I leave, you lock the door and don’t let anyone in until we get back. Anyone. And if anything comes in that can’t be stopped by a locked door, all three of you get out and holler for help. You understand?”
“What about Professor Roash?” Viktor asked. “Should I open the cell door if we have to escape?”
If something was coming for Roash, Viktor couldn’t do anything to stop it. “If there is trouble and you three need to leave, sounding the alarm is the best way to protect Roash.”
“If Ilya is with you, who’s going to answer?” Viktor asked, sounding like a scared young cop who had been left to guard the station and the civilians inside. Which, essentially, was what he was.
“Someone will answer,” Grimshaw replied. He just wasn’t sure who it would be.
CHAPTER 71
Earthday, Novembros 4
Did she track by scent or some special sense? He didn’t know, but he followed her down the lane that ran between the backs of business buildings with their parking lots on one side and resident garages on the other. He followed her, except . . .
It was daylight, and daylight meant he was easily seen. He didn’t like being seen. He didn’t like seeing how others reacted to what he was now. So much easier to hide in the dark.
But she had followed the tracks of an enemy to this place, so he was here too.
She studied the back of a building. A wide strip of grass separated the parking lot of that building from its neighboring lot. The next lot was behind a chest-high wooden fence.
<Foulness inside,> she said. <Wrongness.> Her hand brushed against his arm, the merest touch. <Stay here.>
She moved away, not toward the building with the foulness but toward the lot that had the wooden fence.
He lost sight of her. His brain . . . blinked . . . and for a moment he panicked, not sure where he was—or why.
Then he heard quiet footsteps, saw men coming up the lane. Saw them step into the parking lot behind the building with the wrongness.
And he recognized one of them. Remembered one of them.
It was daylight. He would be seen, maybe captured. And yet . . .
Had to give a warning. Because he remembered one of them, he had to give a warning.
CHAPTER 72
Ilya
Earthday, Novembros 4
Ilya got out of the black luxury sedan and looked across the street. A Closed sign on Lettuce Reed’s door.
“Looks like you’re not the only one Grimshaw called,” Boris said.
Ilya resisted looking at the windows of the bookstore’s second story. The drapes were closed, as they always were, but even a look at a place that was supposed to be empty might give Boris a reason to ask questions.
“Go into the bookstore,” Ilya said. “You’ll be able to see this part of Main Street from the windows without being in the open.”
“That leaves the car vulnerable to sabotage,” Boris protested.
Ilya looked at his friend. “The car can be replaced. Besides,” he continued after a moment, “you would see anyone who got near the vehicle and did something that looked sneaky.”
Humans glanced at the two Sanguinati and hurried past. A few women offered a smile aimed more at Boris than at him.
“Be careful,” Boris said quietly.
Ilya smiled. “Worried about me?”
“I don’t want to be the one who has to explain to Natasha that you acted like a human and did something stupid.”
Picturing Natasha’s reaction all too easily, Ilya nodded and went inside the police station.
“Possible situation,” Grimshaw said as soon as Ilya walked into the station. “I don’t like having you and Julian come with me and Osgood, but considering the viciousness of the kills that have occurred around here, I need your experience and skills.”
The last part of that speech seemed aimed more at Julian Farrow than at him—although he was the most dangerous predator among them and his skills might be needed.
“There is a lane that runs behind all the buildings on this side of Main Street,” Grimshaw continued. “We’ll go that way and approach the flea market building from the back. Paige and Dominique confirmed that there wasn’t much out front beyond a couple of long folding tables piled with a dubious selection of goods—some of which were probably stolen. So anything of value would be in the back, and I don’t want to give one of them time to destroy it if we walk in the front door.”
Grimshaw looked at Viktor, then walked over to the front door and locked it. “Remember what I said. You lock the back door behind us and keep it locked. No heroics. That goes for all three of you. Your job is to stay safe and stay alive. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” Viktor replied.
Paige and Dominique nodded.
“Where is Karol?” Ilya asked.
“I flipped the Closed sign on the door and told Karol to stay there and lock up behind me,” Julian replied.
<Boris?> Ilya said. <Is Karol in the bookstore with you?>
<No.>
Not the answer he wanted, but it was the answer he’d half expected.
<Karol?> he called. <Karol!>
No answer, which wasn’t surprising since the youth wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Viktor would follow orders, but Karol had some driving need that made him act rashly sometimes. Unfortunately, Ilya didn’t have time to round up a foolish youth—which was fortunate for Karol.
Grimshaw led, striding down the parking area that was used by employees in the government building, until he reached the lane. Young trees grew on either side of the lane. The side opposite the businesses was mostly garages with short driveways that belonged to houses that must have faced the next street. That meant there were very few people who would have a view of whatever went on behind Sproing’s primary business area.
They fanned out, Grimshaw and Osgood taking the lead until Julian Farrow let out a low, quick whistle. Grimshaw signaled Osgood to fall back, and Julian took the lead alongside Grimshaw as they reached the paved area behind the flea market.