Page 73 of How to Stake a Vampire

Nigel’s voice was full of dread when he spoke again. “The cameras just went dark.”

My blood ran cold. “All of them?”

“Every single one,” Nigel confirmed grimly.

“Nigel, tell Mindy to get out of there,” Samuel ordered sharply. “Didi, Gavin, evacuate the staff and the customers. I don’t care what excuse you give them, just get them out!”

I grabbed the back door of Hemoglobin Haven. It was locked. I let my wolf slip effortlessly under my skin and yanked sharply on the handle.

The door ripped out of the wall like it was made of paper.

Samuel and Barney stared at the crumbling bricks surrounding the gaping opening.

I grimaced. “Sorry.”

I dropped the door and ran inside with them.

22

FAMILY REUNION

The backof the blood bank was a maze of sterile corridors and fluorescent lighting. Alarms started blaring as we raced down them, the red lights casting an ominous glow across the wet floor and walls.

“Mindy managed to regain control of the security system!” Nigel yelled in our earpieces.

The sprinklers stopped just as we reached a junction.

“This way,” Barney said tensely. He turned left.

Samuel and I followed him.

The vampire slowed as we approached a set of double doors.

“The main cold storage is through here. If Ludvik’s after premium blood, this is where he’ll be headed.”

I frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve been here before,” the vampire said grimly. “And even you should be able to smell the blood bags from here.”

I made a face as my wolf picked up a veritable buffet of scents coming from the cold storage. A brouhaha rose from the front of the building. Didi’s sharp tone cut through the raised voices.

“And I’m telling you people you need to leave. Now!”

“This is most irregular,” Count de Vile protested shrilly.

Several other voices joined in, each sounding as pompous as the others.

“You can complain to management afterward,” the witch snapped. “Now, I suggest you vamoose before you get accidentally fried by an excited dragon newt.”

“Yeah,” Gavin groused. “I have sparks and I’m not afraid to use them!”

Detective Johnson suddenly cursed in our earpieces.

Samuel’s shoulders knotted. “What is it?”

“Something just flew past the van. I couldn’t catch a good look!”

I heard Bo barking in the earpiece and met Samuel’s amber gaze, my heart racing. “It’s him!”