On the Edge of Humanity (22 page)

“Jo, you look fine,” Kate said.

Compared to her, I didn’t think so. She looked as if she just walked out of a hair and make-up appointment.

The elevator door opened and we both stepped out at the same time. The lobby was as cold as it had been yesterday. The same petite receptionist sat behind the circular desk. Ben was sitting on a bench alongside the left wall. Webb and Tripp were talking near the desk and two military men were standing sentinel at the exit door. A shiver ran through me when I thought about how my world had shifted when I’d walked through that large steel contraption yesterday. Would my world shift again today? Would we find Sam before I had to make my decision? I shook my head. I didn’t want to think about me. Today, I was going to focus on trying to find Sam.

“Jo, over here,” Ben called out.

Webb and Tripp stared at me. I dropped my head. While everyone around me seemed rested and beautiful, I looked like something out of a horror show. The mirror in the ladies room this morning showed me just how gruesome I appeared. I kept my head down while I walked over to Ben.

“Hey,” Ben said. “You—”

“Don’t even say it,” I snapped.

“Say what? I was just going to ask you if you slept okay. No sense to get all huffy this morning.” Ben scooted down to the other end of the bench away from me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t really sleep.” I plopped down on the leather bench, searching for the clock and found Webb walking toward me. His shoulder-length hair was wet and he had both sides tucked behind his ears.

He stopped and planted himself two feet in front of me, blocking my view of the clock. “Good morning,” he said. He had his cell phone in one hand and a red folder in the other. His woodsy scent triggered the dormant stomach butterflies. Heat rose in my cheeks. Was he wearing a particular type of pheromone to drive me insane? I silently repeated to myself,
Focus, focus, focus
.

“Have you thought about what we discussed yesterday, Jo?” he asked.

The flutters in my stomach stopped. Was he kidding? A life-changing decision and this arrogant vampire thought that,
poof
, overnight I would make a choice? I wanted to attack him, to beat him and shake him into reality. I was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, to die as a human had to be paradise compared to becoming an insensitive vampire.

I lifted my head. “When are we leaving?” I asked.

“Don’t avoid the question. I need to know where you are in making a decision. We need to plan.” His voice had a slight growl to it as he placed his phone in its holster. It sounded as if he were about to combust.

I know where I am in my head and it’s definitely not anywhere near vampires.
“Are you serious? You can’t think—”

“Sir, the car is out front,” Tripp called out.

I was thankful for the interruption. Maybe Webb would leave me alone, but his glare promised otherwise.

“She’s not joining your ranks,” Ben blurted out as he inched closer to me on the bench.

Webb froze, his pupils slowly changing to a sea of black as he glowered at Ben. I held my breath. What was Ben doing? Was he trying to get himself killed?

“My patience is wearing thin with you, son. I told you yesterday—my compound, my rules. If you interfere again, you will not return here and not see Jo again.” He stepped toward Ben, pointing his finger. “We’re dealing with people’s lives and right now yours doesn’t mean anything to me,” Webb said in a brusque tone.

Whoa! Wait one second. Who does he think he is using me as a threat?

I slowly let out the air in my lungs and was about to speak, when Tripp walked up and stood beside Webb.

“Sir? Sir?” Then Tripp stepped in-between Ben and Webb. “Lt. London?” He pushed Webb back trying to create some distance.

Webb raked his hands through his hair. The blue hue in eyes had completely disappeared. I had seen his eyes black before, but not as dark as they were now. He must be majorly pissed off.

Ben glared at Webb. “You’re right. We’re dealing with people’s lives and Jo’s is one of them. So
you
need to lay off!”

I looked at Ben, my eyebrows drew together and my mouth fell open. He was so screwed. He must want to die today. I wanted to slap him back to reality. We were in vampire territory and he was being a total freak trying to stand-up to Webb, the leader of the pack.

Ben rose.

Tripp whirled around. “You need to stay where you are,” he commanded.

He took a step toward Tripp. My heart pounded. Did the vampires operate on his brain last night? He was delirious.

Tripp didn’t take any steps. He flew at Ben, pushing Ben down on the bench. He landed so hard his head hit the back of the wall with a thud.

I gasped, covering my mouth with both hands. If Ben didn’t have a concussion after that hit, he would be a lucky boy.

Kate touched my arm. “Come with me, Jo.”

I couldn’t move. My eyes widened as Webb and Tripp surrounded Ben.

“Jo?” Kate’s voice was stern but soft.

I followed her to the exit door, glancing over my shoulder the whole time. I appreciated her pulling me away, but I was extremely worried about Ben. Two strong vampires were hovering over him. What were they doing to him? Then in an instant, the two guards at the door ran past me, with their swords in their hands.

“Listen, Jo. Look at me.” She touched my face.

“No. I’m worried about Ben. Can’t this wait?” I kept my gaze glued to the scene playing out—four vampires to one human—not a good match for Ben. It was evident in my mind that he didn’t stand a chance, but would they hurt him?

As if Kate read my mind, she said, “Webb isn’t going to harm him.”

“How do you know?”

“Let me give you some advice. I know you don’t know my brother that well, but everything he’s doing is for you, your brother and your father.”

I broke my gaze from the commotion in the distance. “What about Ben? Can’t Webb help him?” I asked.

“Ben has been extremely rude, lashing out at my brother. From what I understand, that wasn’t the first time. Webb has a lot of patience, but right now he’s under a lot of pressure to find Sam and your father.”

She was right. Ben had started it. His moodiness was going to get him in more trouble or killed yet.

“Jo, listen to me. Webb has a heart and this whole thing hits too close to home for him. So, please, do as he says. He knows what he’s doing.”

I choked back a laugh. I thought vampires couldn’t feel things like emotions. Weren’t they supposed to be cold, emotionless creatures, not caring about anything or anyone? Kate just made it sound like Webb was…human. I knew little of vampires, and Webb did say I shouldn’t believe everything I read in books. I guess the books I have in my possession were useless. I could ask, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to find my brother. I wanted him back alive, and as a human.

“But he wants me to make a life-changing decision like right now. I can’t do that.” I tried to look over at Ben just to be sure Webb wasn’t killing him, but I couldn’t see anything with the four vampires in my way.

“Believe me when I say I know how hard this is for you. But time is of the essence. Webb may not have told you that. He was probably trying to give you some space, but we really don’t have much time.
You
don’t have much time. It’s better if you make the decision and come to terms with it. If you don’t make it soon, like today, then we can’t plan accordingly.”

I pinched my eyebrows together. I had no idea what she was talking about. I heard what she said, but my brain didn’t process any of it. “Why do I have to make a decision right now? What if we find Sam?”

Kate closed her eyes and dropped her head when the guards dragged Ben to the exit. She lifted her head and we both watched as the guards escorted him outside. I turned on my heel and she grabbed my arm.

“Not so fast. Ben is fine. They’re taking him out to the car.”

“But—”

“No. I haven’t finished speaking with you.” She blinked and her navy blue eyes had changed to a light grey. “If we find Sam, then all that’s lost is your time in deciding. But it’s better if Dr. Vieira prepares—” A tear filled the bottom edge of her left eye. “—for you to shed your human existence. Trust me, it’s better if you can come to grips with whatever decision you make. But either way, you need to decide today.” She brushed my bangs away from my eyes and the tear trickled down her cheek.

No pressure! She’s just as crazy as her brother.

I stood still, staring in the distance at some picture on the wall. My stomach had been doing a queasy tap dance since the guards removed Ben from the building. But at Kate’s words, my head started spinning. S
hed your human existence.
The queasiness turned into a slow and steady rise of nausea creeping up the back of my throat. There was no way I was going to shed anything, not today.

Chapter 14

O
nce I was in the
car, fear crept in as I thought about what Kate had said. The inside air was suffocating me, so I pushed the button on the door panel and the window opened. A brisk breeze played with my hair as I leaned out, trying to wash away the claustrophobia and, hopefully, the events of the past week.

The side streets were quiet this morning with few cars on the road. Ben lived a couple of miles from the Jupiter Sentinels’ compound so we didn’t have far to go. The scenery changed suddenly when we crossed over South Main Street. We were no longer in the mill district. Three story tenements dotted the streets, with chain-link fences wrapped around each property, securing the tenants inside. The sidewalks were deserted except for a couple walking their dog.

I pulled in my head. Ben was resting his elbow on the portable console that separated us in the backseat. His chin was propped up in his hand as he stared out the other window. Tripp’s left hand was at twelve o’clock on the steering wheel and his right arm rested on the console. He seemed relaxed now after trying to keep Lieutenant London from killing Ben. I couldn’t see Sloan’s face as he sat in front of me, but it sounded as if he were texting or something on his cell phone. Webb had stayed behind to do whatever it was he did as the leader of the Sentinels, which was probably a smart thing for all of us, especially Ben.

After several stop signs and a few traffic lights, Tripp made a right turn and we were now traveling on Rock Street slowly passing the former Durfee High School building. I had always admired the Renaissance architecture of the old school, which looked more like an old-world church than a high school. It was a historic landmark, erected high on the hilltop in the middle of the city. Anyone traveling into Fall River from the west could see the clock tower from the other side of the Braga Bridge.

Tripp made a few more turns, then we were traveling east on President Avenue. Olivia’s Jeep was a few blocks behind us. The radio crackled when Tripp came to a stop at a red light.

“Alpha One, come in,” Olivia called out.

Sloan pushed the button on the radio. “Go, Echo Three.”

“Thirty minutes then you’re out,” she commanded.

“Ten-four.”

What did she mean thirty minutes? Was that all we had? I had planned on a long shower and staying awhile. I had no desire to return to the cement and steel prison.

“Jo? We need to get in and out. Get what you need, then back to the car. Same for you, Ben,” Tripp instructed.

I tapped Ben on the arm. “Do you think your dad will be home?”

Ben dropped his arm and looked at his watch. “Probably not.” His voice was sullen.

He had been quiet ever since we got in the car. He seemed a bit uneasy since Webb almost ripped off his head then had him escorted out. I imagined he was regretting ever getting involved in the first place, and I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t want to be here or know anything about vampires either. I thought that surely Mr. Jackson was worried about us.

“Webb spoke to Mr. Jackson this morning. I believe he’s at school,” Sloan piped in.

I wanted to tell Sloan it was impolite to eavesdrop. But one pissed off vampire was enough for now.

The car turned onto Ash Street. The trees were rustling from the light breeze that blew this morning. We passed Ben’s neighbor, Buster Greene, who was out picking up his newspaper in the driveway. He stared at us as we drove by. I wondered why he was even home. Baseball season had already started and usually he was on the road a lot, according to Ben. Maybe he had a few home games this week.

Buster’s house faded behind the trees that separated Ben’s house from Buster’s. Tripp pulled into the driveway alongside Ben’s Ford Explorer. How did his car get back here? It was parked at Crest and Skylark yesterday where the fight broke out. Ben and I looked at each other. As if he knew what I was thinking, he shrugged. He opened the back door and stuck his foot on the ground.

“Not yet,” Sloan snapped.

Tripp’s head jerked up. He adjusted the rearview mirror.

Oh no! Not again. The last time Tripp’s head jerked up like that was yesterday at school when he sensed danger. I held my breath.

A car pulled alongside the curb in front of the house. Tripp turned to look over his left shoulder.

“Okay, we’re clear,” he announced.

Olivia stepped out of her Jeep, then her partner, whose name I’d found out was Fehherty, backed the car up, disappearing from our view. Olivia scanned the area with a mechanical precision, as if she were programmed with a computer chip in her, then walked toward the left side of the house. As if on cue, Sloan climbed out and walked around to the right side of it.

Ben jumped out when Tripp gave the all-clear.

“Jo, thirty minutes,” Tripp reminded me.

“I got it.” I slid out.

I ran up the steps and caught up to Ben as he was unlocking the door. Lucy came barreling down the hall, wagging her tail when Ben stepped in.

“Hey, girl. How’re you?” Ben said in a high-pitched voice.

“We only have a few minutes, Ben,” I said.

“I don’t care how long we have. I’m taking my time. I don’t want to go back to that dungeon and deal with more shit from the vamps. I’m going to school.” He was holding Lucy in his arms.

“How’re you going to get by our bodyguards?”

“Shh.” He put his index finger to his lips and looked around as if he were going to tell me a big secret. “Dad? You home?” Ben called out.