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."That's not the kind of image we want for ourtown.Not at all."It was all over but the vote.As the first hour of executive session slid by, Gist decided it was time for a bathroom break.He was coming back from the men's room when he saw the coroner standing outside the opendoor on the steps of City Hall, smoking a cigarette.Looked like a perfect opportunity to give the bastard a piece of his mind.He sauntered outside."Found out anything new on your aliens, yet, George?"Miller turned, the cigarette halfway to his mouth.An expression of profound discomfort crossedhis pudgy face."Never said they were aliens."Gist shrugged."Well, you said they weren't human.That doesn't leave a hell of a lot of otheroptions.""You saw 'em.Did they look human to you?""You mean the ears? Ever heard of plastic surgery, George?"A ruddy flush began to spread up Miller's face."Hey, all I know is what the pathologist said." Hegestured with his cigarette, smoke trailing his hand in snaking patterns."Garrison swears theirblood wasn't human.""So what? You think you've found a fuckin' X-Files?"The coroner threw his cigarette aside, his gaze cold with suspicion."What I think is that you andyour city manager know something, and you're covering it up.I don't know why, but I can just smellit." "All you smell is your own bull ""Now is that any way for two public servants to talk?"They turned in surprise.A woman climbed the steps of City Hall toward them, hips swaying.Despite his anger at Miller, Gist felt a distracting buzz of masculine admiration.The short skirt shewore showed a whole lot of long leg, and her red hair tumbled around her shoulders in artfuldisarray.Then Gist frowned, taking in the fishnet stockings and handcuffs at her belt.She might be pretty,but she dressed like a hooker."Excuse us, ma'am," Miller said with the automatic chagrin of a Southern gentleman caughtsaying something he shouldn't in front of a lady."We're just having a little professionaldisagreement."The woman stopped on the step just below him."See, the funny thing is, they are hidingsomething from you." To Gist's astonishment, her hand began to shoot light like a sparkler on theFourth of July.In the fifteen seconds he spent staring, the sparks coalesced into a Bowie knife.Thewoman grinned viciously."Me." She rammed the knife upward into Miller's ribs.He gasped and doubled over.For a split second, his agonized gaze flew pleadingly to Gist.Thewoman pulled the knife away and let him fall."Jesus!" Gist grabbed for his gun, but she seized his wrist, stopping it before it got to his holster."Give us a bellow, baby," she purred.Those delicate fingers squeezed, and he felt bones breakwith a crunch and an explosion of white-hot agony.He screamed in shock and pain.She grinned.She had fangs."There you go."Llyr reacted to Gist's bellow of pain on sheer instinct, springing out of his seat and running fromthe council chamber before even the police officers had time to react.He met Diana charging for the exit, her eyes wild with Burning Moon rage."That was the chief!"she snarled, flinging the exit door open.They both stopped dead at the sight of the crumpled body lying on the stairs."It's the coroner!"Diana's head came up sharply as she inhaled."The vampire.She did this and she's got the chief!""Diana!"But it was too late.She leaped from the top of the stairs, transforming to wolf form in midair.Llyr cursed ripely as he cleared the steps in one jump.Too late.She was already off and running, a long dark shape streaking through the moonlight.He shot afterher as, behind him, mortal voices lifted in shock and outrage. Llyr ignored them, concentrating on keeping Diana in view, knowing even as he ran that theywere probably headed into a trap.He also knew Diana was past caution.Or even reason.Betweenthe Burning Moon, her fury at her lost job, and her fear for her friend, she'd completely lostcontrol.It didn't help that she was much faster on four feet than he was on two, even running full out.He'dnever catch her in time.As they fled through the night, male voices rang behind them.At least Diana's men were on theway.Unfortunately, they were human and even slower than Llyr was.He had the ugly feeling itwould all be over by the time they caught up.He only hoped he could catch Diana himself beforeshe ran headlong into whatever trap the bitch had set.He saw the wolf streak into a stand of thick trees and plunged after her.Brambles and branchestore at his clothes and long hair, but Llyr kept going.He could scent her on the wind.Along with the smell of blood.He caught a flash of pale flesh and skidded to a stop barely in time to keep from tripping overher.Diana had turned human again to crouch beside a crumpled, blue-clad form."She stabbed him," she snapped, her silver gaze flashing up to his.She'd stripped off her jacketand wadded it up to press it against the chief's side."He's still alive.Apply pressure to this thevampire left a scent trail going east.I'm going to get that bitch!""No!" the chief groaned."Di, don't!""He's right." Llyr dropped to one knee and reached to press the jacket against the wound."Diana,stop and think.She's setting a trap."His lover's pretty face twisted with frustration.Lowering her voice to a whisper, she hissed,"Llyr, I can smell her! She's right there waiting, maybe a hundred yards away.I've lost everything,but I am damn well going to stick a stake in that bitch before I'm done.""Diana! Chief? Where are you?" It was Jerry Morgan's voice, rising over the sound of bodiescrashing through the woods.She lifted her head and shouted, "Man down! Somebody call an ambulance!" To Llyr, she added,"They'll be here in a second.Don't let up on the pressure!"Before he could object again, she transformed and leaped off into the brush in a series of greatbounds."Dragon's Breath, Diana!" But he could feel her jacket going wet with blood even as heheld it.He didn't dare let go, or the chief would be dead in minutes."She's nuts," Gist panted, his voice dangerously faint.He caught at Llyr's hand with icy fingers."Go after her, boy.Don't let her& get herself killed." "Not yet," Llyr told him grimly, refusing to let up the pressure.The crackle of brush and hoarsemale voices grew closer, and he lifted his voice."Over here!"He just hoped he'd be able to catch up with Diana before she ran into the vampire's trap.Deep in her blazing Burning Moon fury, Diana knew she was taking a huge risk, but she didn'tcare.The vampire had destroyed her life, killed fourteen men, and stripped Llyr of his powers.One way or another, she was going to pay.Now.Diana skidded to a halt to make sure she hadn't lost the trail.The scent was so strong, everybreath carried it The bitch had to be standing just around the&Wait, what was that& ?Something closed in the thick fur of her scruff and jerked her off her feet as if she weighed nomore than a puppy.Diana yelped [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]