looking at each man in turn. "I've been hunting vampires longer than any of you and yet not only will you not let me go, but you'll take him?" She pointed a finger at John. "He's never hunted a vampire before in his life."
"I never said he was going," Mac pointed out.
John started to argue, but Mac and Dirk rose as one, cutting him off. "This is nonnegotiable," Mac said. "I think you've seen enough to realize just how dangerous vampires can be. We'll handle this."
John left the mansion, frustrated and angry. He might not have been a SEAL, but being a homicide detective wasn't exactly a " cush " job; he understood the dangers involved with tracking a killer—especially this killer. Mac and Dirk might not want him to go along, but there was no reason he couldn't conduct his own investigation.
That evening, John arrived at the university a few minutes before
nine o'clock
, pulling into a parking space across the street from an off-campus bar. He was lucky to find a spot, considering it was Friday night.
He felt tired, having finally fallen into bed just after dawn. Waking up six hours later, he'd briefly considered going into the office, but the thought of facing "Dick" was more than he wanted to deal with, so instead he'd called in sick. He was pretty sure word of his suspension had already spread throughout the station, so his absence wouldn't be totally unexpected.
Opening his car door, John got out and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mac or Dirk. He'd called the admiral's house and talked to Lanie . She'd told him that the men were patrolling the campus, and though he hadn't asked, she'd told him that Jessica had retired early after Mac and Dirk refused, again, to let her go with them.
John slowly headed for the quadrangle around which the majority of the dorms were located. If he were trying to find a woman out alone at night, the quad would be the perfect place.
He received a few curious looks from the students he passed along the way and had to accept that he no longer looked like one of them. At thirty-eight, the passage of time and stress had taken its toll on him.
He reached the quad and found it alive with student activity. Unsure where or how to conduct his search for Brody, he had just started a slow walk around the perimeter when he was suddenly grabbed and pulled behind a stand of trees.
John's hand shot out, trying to land one good punch at his attacker—instead, it struck a man's open palm, which closed around his fist and didn't let go.
Then he saw his attacker's face. "Jesus—don't you guys ever do anything normal? A simple 'Hey, we're here behind the bush' would have worked. Or better yet, you could have called me and told me where to meet you."
Mac frowned. "Sorry, John. What were we thinking? Oh, yeah. I remember now. We were thinking that
we didn't want you here
."
John ignored him. "Any sign of Brody?"
Dirk shook his head. "Nothing so far. Now that you're here, you might as well help us look."
Together, the three waited, scanning every face that passed.
A couple of hours later, just as John was wondering if he'd been mistaken about Brody, Dirk suddenly grew very still. Concerned, John turned to Mac only to notice that he, too, appeared to be listening.
Before John could ask what was up, Dirk raced off across the quad. Not wanting to be left behind, John took off after him with Mac by his side. It was impossible to keep up, and shortly after losing sight of Dirk around a corner, John had to stop and catch his breath.
"Where'd he go?" he gasped.
"The park, up ahead," Mac said, not sounding winded at all. "You know where it is?"
John nodded.
"Meet us there." Then Mac raced off, leaving John to follow at a slower pace. He reached the park a few minutes later.
Several of the overhead halogen lights had been broken, leaving the park in shadowy darkness. At first, it was hard to see anything, but then John spotted a shape moving just beyond a small cropping of bushes. He
"I never said he was going," Mac pointed out.
John started to argue, but Mac and Dirk rose as one, cutting him off. "This is nonnegotiable," Mac said. "I think you've seen enough to realize just how dangerous vampires can be. We'll handle this."
John left the mansion, frustrated and angry. He might not have been a SEAL, but being a homicide detective wasn't exactly a " cush " job; he understood the dangers involved with tracking a killer—especially this killer. Mac and Dirk might not want him to go along, but there was no reason he couldn't conduct his own investigation.
That evening, John arrived at the university a few minutes before
nine o'clock
, pulling into a parking space across the street from an off-campus bar. He was lucky to find a spot, considering it was Friday night.
He felt tired, having finally fallen into bed just after dawn. Waking up six hours later, he'd briefly considered going into the office, but the thought of facing "Dick" was more than he wanted to deal with, so instead he'd called in sick. He was pretty sure word of his suspension had already spread throughout the station, so his absence wouldn't be totally unexpected.
Opening his car door, John got out and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mac or Dirk. He'd called the admiral's house and talked to Lanie . She'd told him that the men were patrolling the campus, and though he hadn't asked, she'd told him that Jessica had retired early after Mac and Dirk refused, again, to let her go with them.
John slowly headed for the quadrangle around which the majority of the dorms were located. If he were trying to find a woman out alone at night, the quad would be the perfect place.
He received a few curious looks from the students he passed along the way and had to accept that he no longer looked like one of them. At thirty-eight, the passage of time and stress had taken its toll on him.
He reached the quad and found it alive with student activity. Unsure where or how to conduct his search for Brody, he had just started a slow walk around the perimeter when he was suddenly grabbed and pulled behind a stand of trees.
John's hand shot out, trying to land one good punch at his attacker—instead, it struck a man's open palm, which closed around his fist and didn't let go.
Then he saw his attacker's face. "Jesus—don't you guys ever do anything normal? A simple 'Hey, we're here behind the bush' would have worked. Or better yet, you could have called me and told me where to meet you."
Mac frowned. "Sorry, John. What were we thinking? Oh, yeah. I remember now. We were thinking that
we didn't want you here
."
John ignored him. "Any sign of Brody?"
Dirk shook his head. "Nothing so far. Now that you're here, you might as well help us look."
Together, the three waited, scanning every face that passed.
A couple of hours later, just as John was wondering if he'd been mistaken about Brody, Dirk suddenly grew very still. Concerned, John turned to Mac only to notice that he, too, appeared to be listening.
Before John could ask what was up, Dirk raced off across the quad. Not wanting to be left behind, John took off after him with Mac by his side. It was impossible to keep up, and shortly after losing sight of Dirk around a corner, John had to stop and catch his breath.
"Where'd he go?" he gasped.
"The park, up ahead," Mac said, not sounding winded at all. "You know where it is?"
John nodded.
"Meet us there." Then Mac raced off, leaving John to follow at a slower pace. He reached the park a few minutes later.
Several of the overhead halogen lights had been broken, leaving the park in shadowy darkness. At first, it was hard to see anything, but then John spotted a shape moving just beyond a small cropping of bushes. He
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