– that there might be hints somewhere that she could use. I'm not up on the science side of things but I do know they were looking at gene therapy to alter vampire DNA. Also human. There's also lots of good info at the SCU, if you do become a Blood Witness and of course, your mother's files."
I finish my omelet and check my watch.
"Speaking of which, I have to go. I have to meet Michel at the SCU." I motion to the waitress for the check.
"Let me get this," Julien says. "I think I'll stay and listen to some early Motown."
"Thanks," I say and place a ten dollar bill on the table. "But I'm able to pay for myself."
"Eve," he says and pushes the money away. "Really. I may not look it but I'm a viscount with a huge inheritance. Let me get this."
I relent and take the money back. "Very well."
He stands and watches while I get my things together then extends his hand once more. I take it and he leans down once more and kisses it.
"It was really nice to meet you, and see that you're doing well. Good luck tonight," he says. "I hope you won't need it."
I force a smile. I don't really know if I'm doing well. I seem to have found myself right in the middle of a very dangerous turn of events. Finally, he lets go of my hand.
"Good night," I say.
When I close the door to the diner, he's still standing there, looking beautiful, watching me through the window.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence."
Eric Fromm
I open my umbrella against a sudden spring deluge. Darkness does nothing to improve the neighborhood's ambience and despite the security detail, I glance nervously behind me, still spooked by the darkness. Shadows fall long across the sidewalks and spill out from alleyways when I arrive at the Foster Building. I feel like prey aware of my vulnerability, but not really knowing where the predator hides, in wait for a chance to pounce but I know it's there – somewhere.
I climb the steps to the old brownstone huddled between an empty lot and an abandoned brewery. There's no intercom. The door is unlocked and I enter and walk to the elevator to take it to the second floor. As the old doors close and the elevator jerks into service, I shake out my umbrella and wipe a few stray drops of rain from my cheeks. Whatever's waiting for me on the other side of the elevator doors, I hope I can handle it.
The elevator opens and admits me to a small hallway. There's a door across from me and I knock.
"Come," a voice says from the other side.
I enter and find myself in a dojo – a small room with mats on the floor used for marital arts training. At the front of the room, a man and woman sit and so I go to them, my backpack in one hand, my umbrella in the other. The man looks like some kind of cop with a shirt and tie and half-eye glasses and the woman is very hard looking, with short grey hair and tortoise shell glasses perched on the end of her nose.
"Hello. I'm Eve Hayden. I'm here for the interview."
Then motion out of the corner of my eye distracts me and I turn to see Michel, dressed in some kind of black SWAT-like uniform, short Wakizashi swords at the ready .
Holy hell. I wasn't expecting this.
I glance at the two people and see they're waiting, watching expectantly to see what I do. I glance around the dojo, and on a table at the side of the room are several wooden weapons.
"I hope you can fight," Michel says quietly. "If you can't, you're of no use to us."
He lunges at me, challenging me. What the hell ? Does he expect me to fight him? With what? Wooden practice swords?
I hesitate for a second then drop my bag and umbrella, running away from Michel as he comes at me. I reach the table on which the wooden swords rest and grab them. I face him, and something strange happens to me. I can't understand it, but everything seems to slow down, like everyone but me is stuck in molasses. It's like I'm in a different time dimension from them and I can see
I finish my omelet and check my watch.
"Speaking of which, I have to go. I have to meet Michel at the SCU." I motion to the waitress for the check.
"Let me get this," Julien says. "I think I'll stay and listen to some early Motown."
"Thanks," I say and place a ten dollar bill on the table. "But I'm able to pay for myself."
"Eve," he says and pushes the money away. "Really. I may not look it but I'm a viscount with a huge inheritance. Let me get this."
I relent and take the money back. "Very well."
He stands and watches while I get my things together then extends his hand once more. I take it and he leans down once more and kisses it.
"It was really nice to meet you, and see that you're doing well. Good luck tonight," he says. "I hope you won't need it."
I force a smile. I don't really know if I'm doing well. I seem to have found myself right in the middle of a very dangerous turn of events. Finally, he lets go of my hand.
"Good night," I say.
When I close the door to the diner, he's still standing there, looking beautiful, watching me through the window.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence."
Eric Fromm
I open my umbrella against a sudden spring deluge. Darkness does nothing to improve the neighborhood's ambience and despite the security detail, I glance nervously behind me, still spooked by the darkness. Shadows fall long across the sidewalks and spill out from alleyways when I arrive at the Foster Building. I feel like prey aware of my vulnerability, but not really knowing where the predator hides, in wait for a chance to pounce but I know it's there – somewhere.
I climb the steps to the old brownstone huddled between an empty lot and an abandoned brewery. There's no intercom. The door is unlocked and I enter and walk to the elevator to take it to the second floor. As the old doors close and the elevator jerks into service, I shake out my umbrella and wipe a few stray drops of rain from my cheeks. Whatever's waiting for me on the other side of the elevator doors, I hope I can handle it.
The elevator opens and admits me to a small hallway. There's a door across from me and I knock.
"Come," a voice says from the other side.
I enter and find myself in a dojo – a small room with mats on the floor used for marital arts training. At the front of the room, a man and woman sit and so I go to them, my backpack in one hand, my umbrella in the other. The man looks like some kind of cop with a shirt and tie and half-eye glasses and the woman is very hard looking, with short grey hair and tortoise shell glasses perched on the end of her nose.
"Hello. I'm Eve Hayden. I'm here for the interview."
Then motion out of the corner of my eye distracts me and I turn to see Michel, dressed in some kind of black SWAT-like uniform, short Wakizashi swords at the ready .
Holy hell. I wasn't expecting this.
I glance at the two people and see they're waiting, watching expectantly to see what I do. I glance around the dojo, and on a table at the side of the room are several wooden weapons.
"I hope you can fight," Michel says quietly. "If you can't, you're of no use to us."
He lunges at me, challenging me. What the hell ? Does he expect me to fight him? With what? Wooden practice swords?
I hesitate for a second then drop my bag and umbrella, running away from Michel as he comes at me. I reach the table on which the wooden swords rest and grab them. I face him, and something strange happens to me. I can't understand it, but everything seems to slow down, like everyone but me is stuck in molasses. It's like I'm in a different time dimension from them and I can see
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