Vamp-Hire by Gerald Dean Rice Page B

“Why?”
    “You’re a disposable asset,” Dolph said. “We
used vampires, actual vampires, during the Conflict. People who had
been infected against their will who still had loyalty to humanity.
These new guard types would pump them for information and stake
them.”
    The idea chilled Nick on top of the cool air.
He wanted to say that kind of thing wouldn’t happen, that he was
human even if his genus and phylum were still indeterminate. Dolph
wasn’t the one who had slept through the Conflict, though. Nick had
a pretty good education of the things that had happened during and
after, however had no firsthand knowledge.
    “Take out your cell, I’m going to give you my
number.” Nick took it out of his pocket and turned it on. He’d made
a habit of turning it off when he went to bed so his sleep wasn’t
disturbed, but usually forgot to turn it back on. Dolph recited his
number and Nick saved it. “You see Leonard or even suspect somebody
in army fatigues is following you, you call.”
    They shook and Nick shut the door. Dolph’s
Hummer roared off, heading in the direction of home. Nick’s
home.
    He realized he was as frustrated as he was
afraid. He couldn’t go home because… why? Because Phoebe’s Pop-Pop
might throw a fit? If that had been all it was, he might go home
anyway and tell him to deal with it. However, Dolph was ex-military
and this morning had been enough to show Nick that, however
tenuous, he still had connections inside. Could he pick up a phone
and have Nick taken back to the Pens? Would he do that?
    Nick couldn’t kid himself on that last one.
The man had been pretty solid on being protective of his
granddaughter. Even if for no other reason, he could be sure Dolph
would get rid of him to minimize the risk he exposed to her and
Randy. It wouldn’t matter that they’d been cohabiting for the last
three months or that Dolph liked him. Well, that part was just a
guess.
    His cell phone chimed as he made his way into
the Big Pig. Nick checked it and saw he had a message from Lucky.
It was just in that moment, even though he was here to see him,
that he realized Lucky must have been waiting to hear from him.
    Now that he had his phone in his hand, Nick
realized he had the perfect opportunity to get in touch with Phoebe
without having Dolph looking over his shoulder.
    He called her and the line rang four times
before she picked up.
    “Hello?”
    “Hey, it’s me.”
    “Oh, my God. Are you still with my
grandfather?”
    “No, he just dropped me off at the Pig.”
    “The Big Pig? Why are you…?” And then, as if
she had answered her own question internally, she said, “Oh.”
    That’s right, ‘Oh’. Because I can’t tell him
to take me to my own house.
    “When is he leaving, Phoebe? Funds are a
little tight right now, you know.”
    Nick knew he was coming off as short,
however, it couldn’t be helped. He was being inconvenienced for her
sake, which had turned into his sake if he wanted to maintain his
freedom. He had to push to get Dolph out of his house so he could
move back in and stop risking himself on a nightly basis.
    “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Where have you been? I
keep pushing, but my Pop-Po—grandfather—is stubborn. He’s convinced
I’m all alone and in danger out here. He just wants to see me
safe.”
    “Where are you from, anyway?” He’d been
wanting to ask that for a while and risked the segue.
    “Kansas.”
    Nick had no idea why southeastern Michigan
had called to her, maybe it had something to do with her
grandfather being from this area. He didn’t press.
    “You need to get him to go back to Kansas,
Phoebe. I can’t keep hanging around out here. And your
grandfather’s ex-military. With connections. That’s only trouble
for me.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll see what I can
do. Maybe I can give you some money. I’ll talk to him tonight.
    “Okay, good.” The thought of taking money
from Phoebe agitated him. “I don’t need any money, I’m