"Don't you have a backup location?" All vampires maintained at least one-ideally several-backup lairs where they could get their daytime sleep if something happened to their primary residence. Not to have taken this lifesaving precaution for herself and her coven would be gross negligence on Olivia's part.

"Our old one was compromised just before Alger left. He a.s.signed me the task of finding a new one, but I just never found the time. I'm sorry."

"You've no need to apologize to me," I said. "It's your own coven you've let down."

"What are you going to do?" she asked miserably.

"I'll have to go in for Renee alone. I will go back underground until the sun rises. Then, when the others are taking their sleep, I'll make off with Renee. I'll free Eleanor as well and go directly to the airport with them, where my jet is waiting."

"You...you're not going to come back and check on us? To make sure we've made it to safety and have found blood to heal and sustain us?" Olivia asked this as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What if we need you? What if Hugo comes back? Worse, what if Ulrich and Diana come here looking for you and Renee? They know we're here, William. As you just said, we need time to heal. You've got to help us!"

"Do I?" I asked coldly. "After all you've done for me recently? You hid Diana's existence from me for your own purposes.

And now you've committed the ultimate in unforgivable negligence by not making sure your own coven was secure, thereby rendering yourself and them useless to me."

Olivia's gray eyes widened. "What about what you've done to me and my vampires? Do you think I don't know how Hugo found us? Think about it. You must have been careless with Eleanor. How dare you speak to me of negligence! She sought your whereabouts through your shared bond, and she found you. You can feel her even now, can't you?"

"Surely, Eleanor could not have been so foolish as to betray me to Hugo a second time." But even as I said it, I realized that I had been the foolish one for believing I could control her with the promise of rescue at my convenience. Even though Hugo had abused her, she'd thrown her lot in with him again and betrayed my whereabouts.

I had left the psychic portal to Eleanor's thoughts open so I could enjoy the eroticism of her calls to me. That in turn left her with an opening to sense my presence. My l.u.s.t, my Achilles' heel, had given her the opportunity to betray me once again.

Olivia turned away from me and rushed over to persuade the authorities to leave her people on their own. She would have her hands full finding a place to stay and transporting the vampires and the little mountain of papers and other research material to wherever they decided to hide. And then there was the matter of procuring fresh blood, never easy even under the best of circ.u.mstances.

Will staggered over to where I stood, clutching his wounded side. The pain of his injuries was setting in, and I feared that the burns to his neck and shoulders might only be the beginning.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. His question astonished me since only a few hours before he had expressed reluctance to come to Savannah for fear that he might have to, as he put it, play by my rules.

"Stay with Olivia. Help her any way you can. Start with finding a place for her vampires to stay after the sun comes up."

"But what about Renee?" he asked. "None of them will be able to help you now. You only have me." Even as he spoke, he wavered on his feet as if a stiff wind would blow him to the ground.

"You can't help me. You'll do well to remain conscious until sunrise. You have to help Olivia get these vampires to safety.

Especially Donovan."

Will looked back at Olivia and the other vampires, who were arguing with the emergency workers. After a moment he looked back at me. "I can't let you go alone."

"I must. This is my fight after all."

"But the old lords know you're here now. That must be why Hugo came here." "And they're also convinced that I either died in the fire or am busy dealing with its aftermath. They don't know that I'm aware of their plans." There was no need to burden Will with the additional knowledge I'd gained.

Will swayed violently and I caught him before he hit the ground. I carried him gently to a stone bench and set him down. "In the course of your existence, you have lived in this city longer than Olivia. I 'll wager you have forgotten more of its underground nooks than she ever knew. Help her to get the others to safety and I'll talk to you when night falls again."

Will nodded, and I could tell he was having a difficult time keeping me in focus. I wanted to bite into my wrist and let him feed from me, but there were too many humans present. They had important work to do, and I could not put them under my glamour.

Will would be unable to follow me, and that was probably for the best.

I made my way into the misty darkness. I would secret myself underground, as close to Renee as I could. Then, when my senses told me the time was right I would make my move. Woe to any vampire who came between me and the daughter of the greatest mambo in the New World.

But first I must accomplish another most necessary task. I needed to cure my case of denial once and for all.

Jack I went back into the club. People were still not worrying and being happy. I, on the other hand, felt as low as a snake's belly.

Rennie, sporting a big, silly grin because of my spell, came up and patted me on the shoulder. "What's wrong with you, man? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"Maybe I have," I muttered.

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Connie was dancing with Werm and Huey, and the warring werewolves were nowhere to be seen. While I was able to calm down all the human patrons with my spell, the trance didn't seem to have worked too well on the werewolves.

"Hey, Ren, where did Jerry and Wanda go? And what happened to Nate Thrasher, the guy who started the fight?"

Rennie shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't paying any attention."

"Why don't you go back to the shop and see if Jerry took Wanda back there? Nate is out to get Jerry for messing with his woman and I just want to make sure they got away from him without any more trouble."

"No problem," Rennie said, draining his beer. "I need to go back and open up for business anyway. Besides, Huey needs his beauty sleep."

"Like that's going to do him any good." Huey could sleep as long as Rip van Winkle and not be any more pleasant to look at, but you still didn't want a cranky, sleep-deprived zombie on your hands. Now that I thought of it, most people didn't want any kind of zombie on their hands, or anywhere else for that matter. But I had made my undead bed, and I had to sleep in it, so to speak.

Rennie waved for Huey to follow him, and the little zombie shambled out the door at his heels. I tapped Werm on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" I said.

"She's all yours." Werm smiled and made his way back toward the bar.

If that were only true. It was a good thing they were playing an up-tempo tune, so I wouldn't be tempted to slow dance again.

"I've had a great time," Connie said as we danced.

"'Had'? You sound like you're ready to go." "Don't you have to get your rest so you'll be strong for the fight tomorrow night?"

"Uh-yeah. I guess so." I thought about that. I knew I had to help Seth, despite the fight we'd just had. The way I saw it, I had to be there now more than ever.

"So why don't we call it a night?"

"Yeah, let's do."

We said our good-byes and gave our congratulations to Werm. It had been a memorable opening night-despite the fisticuffs.

Or maybe because of them.

"I've got to hand it to you, little buddy," I told him. "I was skeptical at first."

"No!" Werm feigned shock, then laughed.

"Wise guy," I said. "Anyway, now that I've seen the place, I'm impressed. You've done a great job, and I think this is going to be a nice little enterprise for you."

Werm looked truly touched. "Thanks, Jack. That means a lot coming from you. Who knows, maybe you'll even get your investment back."

"I'd better. I know where you live."

"Where does he live?" Connie asked.

"As of tonight, the bas.e.m.e.nt of this place," Werm said.

"Listen," I told him. "I'll pick you up here at sundown tomorrow night. We've got a fight to go to."

Werm's face fell a little, but he recovered quickly. "Will do."

Connie and I left and walked to the Corvette. I cleared my throat when she started to open the door for herself. Instead, she stood back and rolled her eyes. "My, but aren't you the old-fashioned gentleman."

"You can take the boy out of the nineteenth century, but you can't take the nineteenth century out of the boy," I said. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

When we reached her apartment building Connie said, "Given what happened to us on the dance floor tonight, I think it's best that you don't come up with me. Okay?"

"I guess you're right," I admitted, disappointed.

She leaned her head against the seat and closed her eyes. "What are we going to do, Jack? How are we going to solve this...

this problem of ours?"

I shook my head, unable to speak. I wanted to tell her that I would be happy to flame out forever in exchange for one night with her. But I couldn't seem to say anything. Connie seemed to understand. She reached out to cover my hand with her own, but stopped herself and sighed.

"Thanks for tonight," she said finally. "It was a really...memorable date." I started to get out and come around the car to open her door, but she was too fast for me.

"I don't need you to get the door," she said. "I'm an able-bodied woman." "You can say that again," I said, almost managing a laugh.

"We'll talk soon. Don't get hurt tomorrow night, and keep an eye on Seth and Werm."

"I will," I promised.

She pressed the fingers of one hand to her lips and then waved good-bye with them. I watched her all the way into the building before I pulled away from the curb.

When I got back to the shop, Rennie and Huey were the only ones there. Otis and Rufus were probably too embarra.s.sed to show their faces. I was more troubled by the fact that Jerry and Wanda were not in attendance.

"Have you heard from Jerry?" I asked Rennie.

"Not at all. Wanda neither," Rennie said. He was tuning-up a vintage Plymouth Fury.

Huey, seated on a nearby stool, paused in his gnawing on a raw pork chop. "I'm sorry, Jack," he said earnestly.

"What for, H-bomb?"

"I didn't protect Wanda like you said. Her and Jerry got away."

"You did the best you could, man. Don't worry about it. I must say, you were looking bodacious on the dance floor tonight."

If the little guy had had any blood circulating, I would have sworn that he blushed. "Miss Connie was awfully nice to dance with me. I sure do like your girlfriend a lot, Jack."

"How do you know she's my girlfriend?" Although we were at the dance together, I'd never tried to get affectionate with Connie in front of the guys here at the shop.

"Why, shoot. I can tell by your face how good she makes you feel when she's around."

I must be pretty transparent if even a zombie could tell how far gone I was.

"What are you thinking where Jerry and Wanda are concerned?" Rennie asked. "Do you think that Nate did something to hurt them?"

"I don't know," I said. "There's nothing much we can do until and unless Jerry or Wanda contacts us for help. There 's too much other stuff going on. I've got to go over to the house and check on Melaphia and them. Let me know if you hear anything from Jerry or Wanda."

Rennie agreed, and Huey waved good-bye. As I left, I saw Huey bite the bone in two and suck out the marrow. I was glad that his choppers were still in good working order after he took a plug out of Nate the werewolf.

I hopped back into the 'Vette and started over to William's. On the way my conscience started to bother me again where Seth was concerned. If for some reason an anvil fell on my head and I wasn 't able to help him out tomorrow night as I planned, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. The twins were taking good care of Mel like they always did. If I went to check on them now I would only wake them up. Besides, they knew I always had my cell turned on and they could call me if they ever needed help.

I decided to go to my place, apologize to Seth, stay the night there, and drop by William's on the way to pick up Werm to go to the swamp. What could go wrong with that plan?

Fourteen.

William As I stood outside Hugo's house, I wondered at the nature of time. Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that the balance of my existence was laid out before me? I would spend an eternity of erotic nights with my beloved Eleanor, she who both adored and challenged me. She who thrilled me.

Jack had come into his own and could carry on my business interests and my efforts to aid other peaceful blood drinkers. I could at last enjoy the fruits of my long labors. My wish for eternal death had eased somewhat, as had my anger at the world for the loss of my human wife and son. How long had that ease lasted? A day? Two? It was supposed to last forever.

Then Reedrek blew back into my life like the foul breath of Satan on the wind, and everything turned to ashes in the s.p.a.ce of a mortal heartbeat. How many human lifetimes had I spent trying to hold evil at bay? What had it earned me? Nothing.

I entered Hugo's house through the back door. I a.s.sumed that Diana was still underground with her current lover and mentor.

As for Hugo's whereabouts I cared nothing. The next time I saw him, I would kill him. Diana would not be his savior again. She was poised to rise above his level, and he could only hold her back in her ambitions.

"Diana, is that you?" Hugo called from the cellar. "Come here right now. I have news."

I didn't need the element of surprise. By the time I entered the squalid room he knew by my scent it was me and not his lady.

He was stunned to see me. As accustomed as he was to other vampires fearing him, he would never have expected another blood drinker to enter his home uninvited. He recovered his calm quickly. "You," he sneered. "I suppose you're here about the fire.

Come to try to take your revenge, have you?"

Eleanor stood naked behind Hugo, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rosy and red from his tender attentions. She looked even more shocked to see me, but unlike Hugo she had the good sense to look terrified as well. The room reeked of s.e.x, and her condition looked much improved. He had provided her his seed and let her feed from him. No doubt as payment for her betrayal of me. I noticed that the room was like some sort of dungeon, full of weapons from ancient times. It seemed somehow appropriate.

I ignored him and addressed myself to Eleanor. "I see that Hugo has kept his bargain with you. He has strengthened you in exchange for information on my whereabouts. I congratulate you on the success of your transaction."