Blood

14. Very Bad News

I don't think anyone's waited more tensely than we did as Amira hurried outside, and then we heard her coming back in and...

"I'm sorry," she said, looking like she was trying not to cry.

The man's eyes changed and he rushed at Uncle Murderous Asshole and that's when another of my hunches proved true because my uncle pulled himself free, I guess the tape had been cut under the chair arms all along, and in a second he was leaping for the door.

He was fast, I'll give him that.

But not as fast as an empty shotgun somersaulting through the air. I'd picked it up and thrown it. Not that I couldn't have caught up with him, but then what? I didn't want to have to bite him in the neck.

He went down hard in the middle of the police station lobby and we all went out there and stood staring down at him.

I backed away, feeling really bad—I mean it had been my uncle who gave them all away and killed one of them! I was almost to the exit when Amira appeared beside me and took me by the hand, pulling me back to face them.

"Falcon and her mother had no part in this," she announced. "And Falcon is responsible for freeing us. Judge the traitor, not his whole family."

"Uh, thanks," I muttered, "but I really should be going. With Hedges." It occurred to me that some of them might also have ideas about a human who knew too much.

"Not so fast," Amira's grandfather said. "This is a matter for the Council. Tape him thoroughly," he said, frowning down at my unconscious uncle. "Then hurry to the marina. You know the drill."

"Do we ditch our SIM cards now?" Someone asked. "Yes," Amira's grandfather said.

"Your GPS location can be tracked by your phone company even if you take the SIM card out," Hedges said. "If you want to disappear, you better leave your phones here."

"Young man," Amira's grandfather said, "you've been very helpful. Would you be willing to come as far as the Hide with us? Your technical skills may continue to be of use."

Hedges looked at me.

"Only if I go with him," I said. I still felt responsible for his safety.

"Of course," Amira's grandfather said. And then we were hurrying out of the police station. Some of the men had Uncle Bloodsucker wrapped up in tape so he couldn't use his arms and they had a tight grip on him from both sides. And I kept close, just a little behind, where he could feel my eyes on him.

Amira grabbed the bag of sandwiches.

Nobody helped poor Chief Bert. He watched us leave with raised eyebrows. But I figured someone would report in for the evening shift soon and untape him. They'd find a lot of dead and injured agents too, which would serve them right for trusting some agency nobody's even heard of that goes around kidnapping and killing people—or whatever we are.

A few people stared as we went down the sidewalk, but town was pretty quiet. We didn't go back into the Pine Cone to pay our bill, and there certainly was no tip to give the waitress. Oh well.

It was getting cold and dark by the time we got to the marina and nobody was there but Val.

We stopped in the parking lot above the docks and discussed who was going with who. Whom. Most of them had their own boats. Some of them had called family members before they dumped their phones and more Val were pulling up to join us (and tossing their keys and phones into the water as they reached the dock). Amira's Grandfather sent Uncle Val on the biggest motorboat with a half dozen people to keep an eye on him. My mom and Amira's grandfather came with Hedges and Amira and me in the mahogany speedboat.

Motors roared to life all over the marina and boats sped away, lights off. But I noticed I could see pretty well in the twilight as long as I kept my fangs out. Guess that's another Val thing. Night vision. Good for hunting.

About half way there we heard shouting from the biggest motorboat. "What's going on?" Hedges asked.

Someone was climbing onto the cabin roof. Damn. It was my uncle.

"Move!" I shouted, pushing my mom aside as I grabbed the 22 from under her seat. I hurried to load it and took aim just as he dove into the dark water. Pop went the rifle and splash went Uncle Murderer. I thought I'd been a bit late but I couldn't be sure. Maybe I hit him. I was aiming for his legs as he dove. Anyway he didn't come up. We circled around looking for ten minutes but by then we could hear distant sirens and figured they'd be after us, so Amira threw the throttle all the way forward and my mom nearly fell overboard but I grabbed her as we leapt into the darkness.