Authors: Megan Morgan
“It was enlightening, though.”
“Was it?”
Sam didn’t reply. He picked up the remote and started flipping through channels.
“How’s Muse’s head?” she asked.
Muse had gone off to one of the bedrooms for a nap, Trina to the other. June had reinforced her commands so Trina wouldn’t try to escape from the apartment, either. At least they had privacy there, so Trina could get away from June and brood in peace.
“She’ll be all right, I think. Though I’m still going to cut Occam’s balls off and feed them to him.”
“Would they grow back?”
Sam knitted his brow. “I don’t really know. I mean, they can survive and recover from grievous injuries, quickly even, but I don’t know if a severed body part would completely grow back. Vampires have never been part of the Paranormal Alliance. There’s very little literature and texts on them. They like their mystery, after all.”
“Maybe we can do some experiments on Occam and find out. You know, in Rose’s memory.”
“I’m sure she’d be pleased.”
Sam finally found a news station where the reporters were talking about their adventure the day before. The “medical record heist at Westside clinic,” as they were calling it. They showed captured footage and pointed out Sam and Micha. Trina’s kidnapping did seem put on, especially since everyone else seemed to go along with the event in peaceful fashion.
June’s identity remained unconfirmed, as they only got the back of her head.
“They still don’t care about me.” She flung her hands in the air. “I’m still a ghost.”
“It’s for the best. Being anonymous is good. I wish I had that luxury sometimes.”
“Maybe stop kidnapping people, then?”
Sam, of course, was the one the reporters were excited about. A host of Paranormal Alliance members got in front of the camera to proclaim whatever Sam had “heisted” from the clinic would certainly, ultimately prove his innocence.
“My darlings.” Sam nearly swooned. “They’re still on my side.”
They flashed back to the news studio, where a woman concluded, “Researcher Trina Watson may have assisted in the theft, and at this time is still missing. Police are on the lookout for all individuals involved in this incident.”
“They don’t seem to know who Occam is,” June said.
“Old vampires tend to keep their identities secret.” Sam got up. “My followers are still out there. And they’re right. This will clear my name, provided we can get the evidence in the right hands.”
“And clear Micha, too. Show them once and for all he wasn’t involved in his wife’s death. Or kidnapped by the CIA.”
“I hope Occam is watching this.” Sam walked off to the kitchen.
She looked back at the TV. “I hope Occam doesn’t feel negotiation is beneath him…”
* * * *
Later in the afternoon, a visitor arrived. June had seen Ethan only once since they’d gone into hiding at the penthouse Aaron initially kept them in. He was still slick and obnoxious and eager to do Sam’s bidding.
“Aaron told me to bring you these?” Ethan held up a folder and handed it to Sam. “I made sure to get everything you sent me.”
Muse had joined them in the living room. She and June stood back while Sam rifled through the papers in the folder.
“Good, good,” Sam murmured. “Do you think you can deliver this to the people investigating what happened at the clinic yesterday? The ones who now have Micha’s medical records?”
Ethan raised his eyebrows over his glasses. “You mean the FBI?”
“I know it’s a risk. You might have to implicate yourself. They might ask if you know where I am. Are you willing to stand up against questioning? For me?”
June expected Ethan to leap around like an eager puppy, maybe hump Sam’s leg, but he hesitated instead.
“I don’t have the pull I used to.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “I’m not sure I have that kind of access these days.”
“He writes for a tabloid now,” Muse muttered from the corner of her mouth to June.
“All you have to do is take this to them.” Sam held out the folder. “You can get it to them anonymously, of course, though I’d hate for someone to intercept it. I’d prefer it be put right in their hands by someone I trust. Otherwise, I would have mailed it to them long ago. It’s sensitive information, and we have a lot of people breathing down our necks.”
Ethan took the folder and drew a deep breath. “All right, Sam. This is the most important thing you’ve ever needed someone to do. I understand that. If you think I’m the man for the job, clearly I am.”
“I’ll make you a full member of the Paranormal Alliance. Hell, I might even make you an officer or something.”
Ethan’s demeanor shifted to the tail-wagging June expected. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Sam. Even now, with you in exile, it’s the greatest gift you could give me.”
June wrinkled her nose.
Ethan tucked the folder under his arm. “I’ve spoken to people at the FBI before, when I was following stories. I’ll make a few phone calls.”
“You’re absolutely sure you’re willing to put yourself on the line like this?” Sam asked.
Ethan beamed. “Of course.”
“Make sure they know this is connected to Micha’s medical records.”
“I certainly will.” Ethan left.
Sam started pacing. He raked his fingers through his hair and clutched it.
“So, what?” June said. “Is there some sort of gauntlet you have to go through to get into the Paranormal Alliance? Do you have to put yourself in danger?”
“There’s only one test.” Sam stopped and jerked his head at Muse. “Her.”
“Some people can’t be read by telepaths,” Muse said. “Ethan is one of them.”
June nodded. “Ah, I get it. So he has to prove his loyalty instead. Is it like how you can’t read Robbie?”
“Robbie is too powerful to be read.” The corner of her mouth jerked. “He’s different. He can put up walls I can’t climb over. Ethan is simply wired so I can’t read him. It happens.”
“And when you can’t be read by Muse,” Sam said, “I don’t trust you until you can prove I should.”
June recalled the day they met on the pier, the way Muse read her mind to make sure she wasn’t dangerous.
Did Sam trust me then, or did it take a while?
“So what is Ethan?” June asked. “His power?”
“Pyrokinetic,” Sam said.
June blinked a few times. “Like Micha’s sister. Like…Micha.”
“They’re rare.” Sam started pacing again. “But being special isn’t good enough reason to trust a person. Muse, I trust. She’s the only person in the world I trust completely.”
June had once scoffed at the idea of Muse being Sam’s “bodyguard.” Now she couldn’t imagine a better person to have in charge of their safety.
Muse could certainly hear that thought, and June’s cheeks warmed.
Muse scratched delicately at her head. “Surface thoughts are sometimes loud and hard to miss. So thank you for the compliment. I’m going to take these bandages off and wash my hair. They’re driving me mad.”
June went to check on Trina. She was curled up on the bed in the second bedroom.
“Sam sent someone with the information to the FBI,” June said from the doorway. “This should all be over soon.”
Trina lifted her head. June couldn’t tell for certain, but she looked like she might have been crying.
“And then we’ll all be arrested.” Trina spoke thickly.
“You won’t be in any trouble.” June stepped into the room. “You were kidnapped. We’ll make sure they know you weren’t helping us.”
Trina propped herself up on one elbow. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and she’d taken her glasses off. Without them, she appeared younger and more vulnerable.
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you.” Her voice turned icy. “I don’t know what’s really going on here. You could be planning to dump me and let me face the music on my own.”
June walked over to the bed. “Can I sit?”
“Could I stop you?”
“Retract your claws.” June sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m trying to be on your side.”
“Except when you’re playing with my mind.”
“You asked me to, just the other day.”
Trina huffed and rolled onto her back.
“Come on,” June said. “You think I enjoy this?”
“I don’t get it.” Trina folded her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you go to the police a long time ago and explain what happened? Why didn’t you—an innocent bystander, by your account—get the hell out of here and away from all this while you still could?”
“I told you. It’s complicated.”
She snorted. “I don’t think it’s complicated at all.”
“Isn’t it? Enlighten me.”
“You’re in love with Sam.”
June widened her eyes, so big she must have looked like a startled lunatic. “I am not in love with Sam.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No.”
“That’s why you’re not committed to Micha.”
June rolled her eyes. “I’m not committed to anyone because we’re all in mortal danger. This isn’t exactly a romantic cruise we’re on.”
“Feelings are feelings; they don’t follow rules. They happen when they happen. You can’t control them.”
“Who are you, Dr. Ruth?”
Trina sat up. “No. I’m a woman. Women understand each other.”
“Yet strangely, I’m not getting you at all.”
“I’m also good at reading people. I don’t need to be a telepath to figure things out. It’s important in my job to understand motivations. You might think it’s all clinical, but understanding other human beings makes my work easier. Emotions and paranormal powers are strongly linked.”
“Awesome. But I’m not in love with Sam. How are you even getting that?”
Trina eyed her closely, in a way that made June want to bolt from the room. “You admire him. You feel indebted to him for helping you. And at the same time, you really like him as a person.”
“Have you met Sam Haain? Do you like him as a person?”
“I’ve only known him for a day, and he held a gun on me and kidnapped me.”
“He does shit like that all the time.”
“Yet you find it attractive.”
June stood up. “I’m not here to have a whirlwind romance with anyone. I’m fighting for my life. That takes a lot of my focus.”
“So why are you involved with Micha?”
“I don’t know.” She waved a hand. “That’s complicated too. It’s comforting. We’ve been through a lot together. Feelings are feelings and stuff. Didn’t you just say that?”
“And if this all ended tomorrow, and you were completely safe, what would you do? Would you still be with Micha? Would you walk away from Sam?”
“We’re not gonna be safe tomorrow.” June walked to the door. “Why do you give a crap? I thought you hated me.”
“Just passing the time. I’m bored.”
“I’ll get you a crossword puzzle book or something. Just—shut up!”
Their groceries and supplies arrived. June also got some new clothes and was finally able to change out of her hospital slippers. They continued watching the news as night fell. Sam’s name was on everyone’s lips. Eventually the words “extensive manhunt” flashed across the screen.
“We’re in trouble.” June was curled up on one end of the couch. “They’re actively looking for us now. They know we’re in Chicago.”
“I’m not worried.” Sam sat next to her. He had a cup of microwave noodles and held a steaming forkful over the container. “Ethan will have the information to the FBI by morning. They’ll have proof of what’s going on.”
“If they do catch us,” Muse said on the other side of him, “do we do the cyanide capsules, as discussed?”
June gasped.
Sam glanced at her. “It was a joke.” He crammed the noodles in his mouth.
She picked up a pillow from the couch and flung it at him. “Neither of you are fucking funny!”
Paranormal Alliance members were still adamant Sam was innocent. SNC members threw their opinion in as well, which was the same. At least someone believed in them.
As the night wore on, June’s nerves grew thinner and more stretched.
“There’s no word from Occam yet.” She fidgeted. “We have to make sure Micha gets pulled out of the flames before this fire gets out of control. I wish he’d get in touch with us.”
“He will,” Sam said.
“When, exactly?”
As if June had said a cue, her question was answered. Sam was right: vampires were good trackers. Occam proved this by showing up at their living room window—their second story living room window—and letting himself in with a hammer applied directly to the glass.
“You moved today and put me off your scent,” Occam said as he climbed in the window. “Otherwise…” He leaped over the pane and landed with both feet on the floor. “I would have had this in your skull by now.” He spun the hammer in his hand.
Sam stood glaring, broken glass strewn on the carpet in front of him. June did the sensible thing and backed away.
“I knew you’d find me,” Sam said.
“Did you?” Occam continued spinning the hammer, eyebrows raised. “You pissed me off, Sam.”
“You pissed me off too, Occam.”
“Everything could have gone smoothly.” Occam pushed a hand in his pants pocket.
June stiffened.
He pulled out something small and shiny gold. “Everything could have gone according to plan, but you had to go and complicate things.”
Without looking at her, Occam tossed the object at June. She flinched, jerking a hand up to catch it.
Then she saw what it was. “Oh my God.”
Micha’s wedding ring.
She lunged at Occam, blind rage clouding her reason. Muse grabbed her arm.
“Don’t play into it.” Muse’s grip was surprisingly strong. “If he’d really done something to him, he would have brought a body part.”
June still panicked. Her side ached, as it always did when she got stressed out.
“This could have been simple, yes,” Sam said. “But you and your harpies decided to take Micha hostage. You made this difficult, Occam.”
“I’m only assuring his part of the deal is upheld.” He kicked a shard of glass toward Sam. The piece bounced off the tip of Sam’s shoe and skittered away. “You’ve messed things up worse than you know.”
“By kidnapping a researcher and bringing attention to Micha’s tests results?” Sam snorted. “No, Occam, I call that cutting out the middle man. Or, the middle vampire.”