They left the bushes and headed for the community center.

As they came to the double doors leading into the front of the community center, Erin looked at her watch. "Things should be in full swing for another hour before curfew. I wonder why the ancient one hasn't hit this place before now."

A scream rent the air from inside the complex and they looked at each other.

"Maybe he already has," Clarissa said.

Chapter Nineteen

Ronan met up with the others in the basement of theGunn Inn after traversing the long tunnels that lead to the Victorian structure. He could see the growing concern on their faces.

Gilda stood close to her husband Tom, her eyes filled with worry. "Where else could they be if not in the tunnels?"

Ronan's mind raced with ideas. Before he could say anything a loud popping noise announced the presence of another vampire.

Jim Leggett appeared in the room, standing near the bottom of the stairs leading out of the basement. Instantly Ronan's anger surged forth and he saw Lachlan stiffen into a ready to fight stance.

"What the hell?" Jared asked. "When were you turned into a vampire?"

Leggett put up one hand. "No time to explain. I'm here to help you find Clarissa and Erin."

Ronan's vampire dominant traits took over and he felt his fangs growing once again.

"Unless you were the asshole that took them." He stepped forward and seized Leggett by the sweater, bunching it up as he hissed in the new vampire's face, "Where are they and what did you do to them?"

Leggett didn't struggle. In fact, he seemed contrite. "I kidnapped them from the house."

Ronan removed his weapon from his leather jacket, took off the safety and jammed the piece under Leggett's chin. "Maybe I should let Jared cram a silver stake through your heart. Or Lachlan can take his silver dagger and do the job for me. Perhaps I'll put a bullet in you right now. You aren't the ancient one. It wouldkill you."

Lachlan took up position on the other side of Leggett, his expression fierce. "You piece of filth! If you've hurt them-"

"I did, but-"

Ronan lifted Leggett clean off his feet and launched him with force back against the wall. Jim grunted as he hit and landed with a thud on his ass, his breath gasping out of him.

Ronan started toward Leggett again, but Jared grabbed his arm. "Wait. We can't find out where the women are if you beat the shit out of him. Save revenge for later."

Leggett rubbed his throat. "They sent me to tell you where they're going."

Fearing a trap, Ronan said, "Bullshit. You're a feckin' liar."

Leggett laughed, no true mirth in his tone. "Go ahead. Kill me. I've been turned into a vampire. Do you think I wanted that? My life was taken away from me."

Ronan felt a pang of sympathy for Jim and put the gun back into his leather jacket. The man hadn't sought out vampirism like he had. Still, anger burned in Ronan's gut like a hot coal. "Just tell us where they are."

"Sorley and I were imprisoned in the tunnels together and ordered by the old vampire to take Clarissa and Erin to a big crypt on the east side of the forest cut into a rocky outcropping on Cold View Ridge."

"Let's go then," Tom said out-of-the-blue. "What are we waiting for?"

Leggett pulled himself into standing position but stayed against the wall. "They won't be there now. They just wanted me to tell you they're free and heading to the community center."

Fear raced through Ronan. "No."

"Oh, no. No," Micky said.

"If they're all right, why couldn't we contact them via telepathy?" Lachlan asked.

Leggett hesitated, then said in a halting voice, "Because the ancient one put a restraining force field on them when we got to the crypt. They managed to break it before I came back to the crypt."

"Then shouldn't we be able to contact them now?" Micky asked.

"They're weak," Leggett said. "I doubt they could hear you or send telepathic messages."

This time Lachlan advanced on the man, severe consequences boiling in his eyes. He came practically nose to nose with Leggett. "Why are they weak?"

Leggett again hedged, real fear in his glowing eyes. "They were bitten."

Ronan felt new anger making its way to the surface, one that included kicking this vampire's ass as soon as the confrontation with the ancient one finished. "The ancient one?"

Leggett shook his head, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "I did. To keep the ancient one from killing them."

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Ronan stalked toward Leggett and this time no one tried to stop him.

He pointed a finger in the man's face. "When this is over you'd better hope you run far because I'll find you."

Leggett's eyes widened, then rage replaced fear in his face. "I saved their lives! What do you want from me? I could have let the ancient one bite them and they'd be dead. Not half-vampire, not vampire. Dead!"

Ronan took a heaving breath. He couldn't see his way clear to thank the man for biting the women. "Leggett and I will go to the community center via teleportation."

"We need a coordinated plan," Tom said. "We can't go barging in there and yell at everyone to get out of the community center. That won't work."

Gilda walked toward Ronan. "Tom's right. What can we do to make sure everyone gets out of the buildingand keep the ancient one from launching an attack?"

"I'm not sure it's just the ancient one launching an attack anymore." Jim looked almost ill, his skin deathly pale. "When the ancient one attacked me I was outside my hotel room near the alley. He dragged me back into the alley and I was helpless." A visible shudder ran through his body. "When he bit me I felt a new evil inside him, and later he told me that he is now a part of that evil and it directs him."

"That makes sense,"Gilda said. "He's talking about the power that took Micky captive when we went into the tunnels. It has to be the same thing."

"Great," Lachlan said with a grunt. He crossed his arms and glared. "So we have the ancient one, Sorley, and this other evil to contend with." He threw a sickened glance at Leggett. "And you."

Wearehereweareherewearehere.

The whispering made everyone glance about the room.

Micky smiled. "The shadow people."

Gilda snuggled up to Tom and he put his arm around her. "How do you know it's the so- called good shadows and not the bad?"

Micky's smile broadened. "I can feel them. They're always with me and they're here to help."

Ronan wouldn't turn away any assistance at this point. He knew that whatever happened next could be the last time he would see his friends, and he looked at each of them in turn.