Geri sounded promising herself. "Maybe you'll show me what you mean?"

Bones handed her his glass. "Drink."

She took a sip. I tensed everywhere when Bones set it aside and then took Geri in his arms. Through Geri's microphone, I heard his body rubbing against her, her muted moan of enjoyment, and his masculine rumble as he pressed her closer.

A full two minutes later, he lifted his head. By then I almost wanted him dead.

Vlad watched me without pity. "Someone else could be doing this."

He was right. I'd insisted on being the relay. I didn't trust anyone else for something so important, no matter that it was brutal for me.

"That's what I mean," Bones told Geri softly.

"You, ah..." She sounded breathless and a little flustered. "You certainly get your point across."

"You're doing great," I said to Geri, very low. She couldn't be distracted by worrying about how I was taking this. "Get him moving."

"What was that?" Bones asked sharply.

We'd been worried about this. Vampires had great hearing, hence the receiver being under her skin. It was also why I'd insisted on being the relay. If Bones overheard us, I'd be the one talking him down. No one knew him better than me.

"What?" Geri tried playing innocent.

Bones began running his hands down the front of her, all business now. Cannelle's confusion showed even on the satellite image. Something had to be done. Now.

"Sorry about this," I said to Geri. Then louder, "Bones! Lean in and listen up, and for God's sake, can you be less conspicuous?"

That startled him. Apparently a hidden voice snapping at him wasn't what he expected.

"Cheri?" Cannelle inquired.

She shouldn't be able to hear me. She was still human, even after all these years.

"Calm the bitch," I barked. "She'll get you killed."

"Don't fret, sweet, it was nothing," he told her. Then rustling sounds preceded the image of Bones moving closer to Geri, holding her shoulders. "What a lovely neck you have. Let's see how it tastes."

If I were Geri, I'd be gulping at the blatant warning that translated into Anything goes wrong, and your jugular is mine. Fortunately, it allowed him to be right by the receiver.

"What's your name, darling?"

Although Geri answered him with a fake one, I knew Bones was really talking to me.

"Don't you recognize my voice?"

"No." To Geri, "You don't look an Alexander."

A sob almost choked me as my worst fears were realized. I was completely gone from his memory. After everything we'd been through, now I was just an unknown voice.

"That's the name of the ship that took you to Australia in 1789," I replied, controlling myself. "You can trust me. I'm a... friend of Spade's."

"You'll have to do better than that," he said as his hand wound in Geri's hair.

She began kissing his neck, making it look like he was giving her instructions. Cannelle seemed to be getting fidgety. I had to make him a believer.

"Your mother's name was Penelope. She died of syphilis when you were seventeen. Madame Lucille poured a bottle of her favorite perfume on Penelope before her body was burned. Every time you smell violets, it reminds you of your mother."

A highly personal thing to recount with someone else listening, but I had no choice. Loaded silence followed my words.

"Do I meet your standards?" Geri asked.

Bones still had her neck angled. I sucked in my breath.

"You'll do," he said at last.

I let out that breath in a sigh of relief. Bones might not know me anymore, but for now, he'd listen to me.

"First things first. Cannelle's a traitor, and the city is surrounded. You need to get to the top of St. Anthony's as quick as you can, but be subtle. You're being watched."

"You're so gorgeous, baby," Geri said, catching his shirt in her hands. "Do we have to get to know each other? I just want to fuck like you can't imagine."

Bones disentangled himself from Geri to take Cannelle's hand. "Hate to keep a lovely girl waiting. Come on, Cinnamon. This is who I want tonight."

"Don't I get to choose?"

I heard the pout in Cannelle's voice and it was all I could do not to scream.

"Not this time, luv."

"Cheri-"

"Everyone else has been your choice." He led them through the crowds. "Keep whinging, and I'll make you wait until I'm done before you have her."

"Little French whore," I spat, unable to help it. Everyone else? Wasn't that just great!

Bones stopped at a curb. "Careful, Alexander," he said pleasantly. "Or you'll trip over your narrow perspective."

I knew that was directed at me, so I answered it. "Don't go there, buddy, I married a whore."

Vlad gave me a look. I waved a hand at him as if to say, I know, I know. I'm trying!

"Keep heading toward the church," I said, back to business. Then I removed my headset and spoke into my cell phone. "Okay, Don. Deploy. They're on their way. Tell Cooper not to drop the ladder until he's fifty yards away."

"Got it, Cat."

I readjusted the headset. Geri had just been telling Bones that she wanted to have sex on the church's roof, but Cannelle was protesting.

"Non, there could be rats! Why can we not leave here for an evening? I told you I have very beautiful friends in Metairie I want you to meet."

"Tell you what, sweet. We'll go tomorrow. You've wanted me to meet these lasses for days; they must be terribly special."

"Oui. Tres magnifique."

"Bitchsticks has been trying to get you out of the city, huh?" I said with rising anger. Maybe Vlad's impalement thing wasn't such a bad idea. "Now you know why."

"Tomorrow we'll do what you fancy, and tonight shall be my evening," Bones went on. "I promise you'll see a new side of me."

And me too. I was really looking forward to seeing Cannelle in person again.

I couldn't see the three of them anymore. They'd been off my satellite since they started walking. "Look around, Bones. Are you being followed?"

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, ladies?" Pause. "I love this city. It's so deliciously haunted."

"Don't worry about the ghost, if he's the same one who's been bugging you for days. He's a friend."

"I like haunted places," Geri replied, keeping the conversation going. "You don't think anyone will catch us climbing up on the roof, do you?"

Bones kissed her again. I couldn't see it, but I could hear it. "Not at all."

Okay. It was clear. God, I wanted this to be over soon. Safely, and soon.

"Here's the score, Bones. A chopper's going to do a pass over the church about two hundred yards up. He'll have a chain ladder dangling. When you see him coming, you blast up with both chicks and grab it. As soon as you're clear of the city, you'll leapfrog onto the back of another plane. Spade will be on it."

"Ah, here's the church," he said in reply. "Alexander, my lovely, look at me for a moment. You don't need to fret about my eyes or my teeth, right? You don't notice anything unusual about them. You're not afraid, because you know I won't hurt you. Say it."

"You won't hurt me," Geri repeated. "I'm not afraid."

So, that's how he got around the glowy gaze and pointy teeth when he fucked humans. I'd thought as much but had never wanted to ask. I knew more about his past than I already cared to. This scene was for Cannelle's benefit, I guessed, since Bones knew Geri was in on his secret. Just going through the usual motions.

I thought I'd puke.

"Cinnamon, shall we?"

"If we must, cheri."

"We must."

After a few moments of noisy rustling sounds, Bones spoke again. "The roof at last. No rats, petite, quit cringing."

Vlad, get the chopper's ETA, I thought.

He complied with the mental directive and took my cell, hitting redial.

"They're on the roof," he informed Don briefly. "How long? ... Yes." He set my cell back down. "Six minutes."

"You've got six minutes, Bones. Remember, you have to have both of them with you when you jump, and Cinnamon won't want to go."

"Come here, lovelies. That's better."

Bones's voice changed. Became that luxurious purr that used to melt me. Listening to it now only made me pissed. Worse, next there was the breathiness and the soft chafing noises of kissing.

Then Geri said, "Hey now, sugar. Ease up a bit."

"Why?" Cannelle's voice was belligerent. "I am ready for you to please me."

I glanced at the time. "Two more minutes. Stall but be cool, Geri."

"Cinnamon, don't be so greedy. I'll sweeten her up for you. You'll like it better for the wait. Why don't you find a better use for your mouth than complaining, petite? Ah, yes. Like that."

"Sonofabitch," I spat. It didn't require a satellite to know where he'd directed her mouth.

"You, um, might not want to do that." Geri sounded rattled.

Cannelle made a reply that was garbled. Vlad got up and started rubbing my shoulders. I was crying now. Silent, furious, useless tears.

"Accomplish your objective," Vlad said, soft yet stern.

I beat my fists against my legs but didn't scream like I wanted to. Instead, I watched the seconds tick past and tried to listen with clinical detachment for signs of danger. Unfortunately, most of what I heard wasn't sounds of danger.

Ninety seconds... sixty... thirty... twenty...

"Ten seconds," I rasped. "Nine, eight, seven..."

"Know something, Cinnamon?" Bones lost the seductive timbre to his voice and it turned into cold steel. "You're not any bloody good at that."

"...one!" I yelled with all the bitterness in me.

Then there were only the sounds of the helicopter before I heard a clanging of metal, a thump, and the words I'd been waiting for from Geri.

"We're in!"

The chopper had special silent blades that reduced its normal noise. It made Cooper and the two copilots inaudible, however.

Geri wasn't, of course. "Zip up, Bones, and I hope you're rich."

He laughed. "Why?"

"Marriage counseling," she replied. "You're going to need the best that money can buy."

"Drop it," I told her very softly.

"I don't know who misinformed you, luv, but I'm not married."

"Is she still breathing?" Geri asked, wisely changing the subject. "You hit her pretty hard."

"She's alive."

There was a thumping noise, and then Geri said harshly, "Try to shove my head between your legs, huh? Who's happy now, bitch?"