“Where is he?”
“Keeping an eye on your sister’s place. Your dad’s at the hospital, and I figure their security can look after your folks during daylight hours.”
That made sense, not to mention the place would be busy during the day. I hoped Arturo and Carl were still sane enough not to want to draw too much public attention to this.
I ought to go. I told Mom I’d go see her. But I couldn’t, not in the middle of this. I didn’t want to bring more trouble down on them.
“Cheryl’s going to start wondering why strange cars keep parking outside her house.”
“I bet she doesn’t even notice.” He handed my phone back to me.
Moving at half speed, I climbed out of the car. “Ben? Why are you doing this? You keep saying you didn’t sign up for this like you don’t want to be here, but then . . . ” I trailed off, not sure what I meant. He’d turned out to be good at this, leaping to the fore, keeping me going. What would I have done if it had just been me?
I’d have run away.
“We’re pack,” he said. “Isn’t that what you’re always saying? We have to stick together.”
That would always be an acceptable answer. That would always be there to fall back on. I wasn’t satisfied with that answer anymore.
“Will that be enough to keep you and me together?”
“I hope so.” He walked away.
Slowly, I followed, letting my brain run down so I wouldn’t have to think anymore.
Arturo and his vampires couldn’t move until nightfall. Carl probably wouldn’t make a move until he did, which might have been why he hadn’t come looking for me. Maybe they wouldn’t strike at all. As the silence drew on, as the calls from my lookouts didn’t come, I didn’t start to hope. I’d become too cynical for that. Too many blows had undermined my safe little life.
I was trying to nap on the sofa when the call came. I lunged for my phone on the coffee table.
“Yes? What is it?”
“It’s Becky.” She sounded breathless, panicked. “I just got off the phone with Mick.”
“Mick, the short guy with the brown hair?” One of the tougher wolves in Carl’s pack.
“Yeah, yeah. He says Carl’s on the hunt. He’s called in everybody, he’s going after you.”
I sat on the edge of the sofa. “Here? He’s coming here?” That would be best. If he was going to go after anyone, I wanted it to be me. I was ready for him.
“No,” Becky said, and I could imagine her shaking her head vehemently. “He—Mick I mean—said Carl wants to hit you where it’ll hurt the most. It’s like he’s not even pissed off at you, he’s pissed off at what started this whole thing.”
“Where?” I asked anyway.
“The radio station. He’s going after KNOB.”
“When?”
“Now, he’s headed over there right now!”
chapter 12
What does he think he’s going to do? Kill everyone there? Does he really think he’d get away with that? Or maybe he just wants to pee on the rugs,” I grumbled at Ben as we got in the car. He didn’t answer, just wore his smirk and gave me his hawk’s stare. His courtroom lawyer, moving in for the kill hawk stare. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself.
He drove, and I let him because I had things to do. I’d signed off with Becky, after asking her to call Shaun and whoever else she could get to meet us there. We could have ourselves a regular rumble. I ought to decide whether I wanted to be the Sharks or the Jets.
I had an advantage over Carl: an in with the Denver police. I called Hardin.
“Hardin here.”