caught him, saved the girl, and laid him out in the parking lot.
“You did a phenomenal job, Ms. Gallagher, especially given your age and experience.”
That doesn’t make it better; it makes it worse, she thought.
It must have showed. The director sighed. “Look, you’re a probationary enforcer and this is my jurisdiction. Normally, we would have thanked you for your analysis, found him if we had time, and put a bullet in him. Mrs. Black asked me to make an exception, so I did.”
Eve straightened, hand tightening on her clutch.
“And you did great,” Ravi added.
“Yes, you did,” the director said. “If you hadn’t been there, my men would have shot him and we wouldn’t have had the chance to interrogate him.”
“And the girl might have died,” Eve added.
Ravi grinned.
The director shrugged. “I suppose she might have.”
“So what are you going to do with her?” Eve pressed.
Ravi stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled openly. “Yes, Hugh. What are you going to do with her?”
The director scowled. “We’ll drop her off at her parents’.”
Eve shook her head. “Her stepfather is abusive. That’s why she left in the first place.”
“She’ll have to figure that part out on her own. We’re not social services.”
Eve tightened her grip on the clutch. If he thought going the assertive route with her was going to work, he had another thing coming.
“I, on the other hand,” Ravi said, locking eyes with her, “could be persuaded to take her in. Mick could use a protégée, or at least someone to make sure he makes it home after a night of drinking and storytelling.”
Both Eve and the director looked at him in surprise.
“I thought someone would have offered to turn him by now,” the director said.
Ravi grimaced. “They did. I did. He says he’s never backed down from anything in his life, and he’s not about to start. He’s turning into a fall risk.” He wiped his face. “How about it, Ms. Gallagher? A favor for a favor?”
Eve looked at him, at his relaxed stance and open expression. “You would have done it anyway,” she said. She was almost certain of it.
“I might have,” he admitted. “But I’m prepared to assuage my guilt with another street urchin, while you’re keen to save this one.”
“And the favor?”
“When you leave the Agency-”
Eve winced. “I’m not-”
He raised a finger. “Humor me, Ms. Gallagher. We live a very long time.” Eve nodded, and he continued. “When you leave the Agency, come find me first. If I can’t find something that will challenge you and benefit me, you’re free to go, but you must come to me first.” He stuck out his hand.
The director watched her, arms crossed, but didn’t say anything. She felt like she was making a deal with the devil - a handsome, well-intentioned devil but a professional tempter nonetheless. She shook his hand. I’ll deal with it when the time comes, she thought.
“Thank you, Ms. Gallagher. You won’t regret it.”
♘
Eve had to jump a little to climb onto the tailgate and pull herself into the tactical van’s interior. Unlike a SWAT van, the windows were slits covered by lockable shutters, and the driver’s section was sealed off by a steel partition. She guessed it could deliver a team of vampires during daylight, as long as their destination was underground or away from any windows. There was just enough light in the sky to make her skin itch, and she was glad to put the heavy door between her and the dawn.
She sat next to the director. Edward sat across from them, hands cuffed to the bench between his knees, forcing him to hunch over. He tried to give her a friendly smile, but he couldn’t keep the fear from his face.
“Has he said anything?” Eve asked.
“Mr. Green has been very cooperative,” the director said, picking up a clipboard, and Edward nodded. “He’s about 115 years old, and became a vampire 78 years ago which was duly registered by the Chicago
“You did a phenomenal job, Ms. Gallagher, especially given your age and experience.”
That doesn’t make it better; it makes it worse, she thought.
It must have showed. The director sighed. “Look, you’re a probationary enforcer and this is my jurisdiction. Normally, we would have thanked you for your analysis, found him if we had time, and put a bullet in him. Mrs. Black asked me to make an exception, so I did.”
Eve straightened, hand tightening on her clutch.
“And you did great,” Ravi added.
“Yes, you did,” the director said. “If you hadn’t been there, my men would have shot him and we wouldn’t have had the chance to interrogate him.”
“And the girl might have died,” Eve added.
Ravi grinned.
The director shrugged. “I suppose she might have.”
“So what are you going to do with her?” Eve pressed.
Ravi stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled openly. “Yes, Hugh. What are you going to do with her?”
The director scowled. “We’ll drop her off at her parents’.”
Eve shook her head. “Her stepfather is abusive. That’s why she left in the first place.”
“She’ll have to figure that part out on her own. We’re not social services.”
Eve tightened her grip on the clutch. If he thought going the assertive route with her was going to work, he had another thing coming.
“I, on the other hand,” Ravi said, locking eyes with her, “could be persuaded to take her in. Mick could use a protégée, or at least someone to make sure he makes it home after a night of drinking and storytelling.”
Both Eve and the director looked at him in surprise.
“I thought someone would have offered to turn him by now,” the director said.
Ravi grimaced. “They did. I did. He says he’s never backed down from anything in his life, and he’s not about to start. He’s turning into a fall risk.” He wiped his face. “How about it, Ms. Gallagher? A favor for a favor?”
Eve looked at him, at his relaxed stance and open expression. “You would have done it anyway,” she said. She was almost certain of it.
“I might have,” he admitted. “But I’m prepared to assuage my guilt with another street urchin, while you’re keen to save this one.”
“And the favor?”
“When you leave the Agency-”
Eve winced. “I’m not-”
He raised a finger. “Humor me, Ms. Gallagher. We live a very long time.” Eve nodded, and he continued. “When you leave the Agency, come find me first. If I can’t find something that will challenge you and benefit me, you’re free to go, but you must come to me first.” He stuck out his hand.
The director watched her, arms crossed, but didn’t say anything. She felt like she was making a deal with the devil - a handsome, well-intentioned devil but a professional tempter nonetheless. She shook his hand. I’ll deal with it when the time comes, she thought.
“Thank you, Ms. Gallagher. You won’t regret it.”
♘
Eve had to jump a little to climb onto the tailgate and pull herself into the tactical van’s interior. Unlike a SWAT van, the windows were slits covered by lockable shutters, and the driver’s section was sealed off by a steel partition. She guessed it could deliver a team of vampires during daylight, as long as their destination was underground or away from any windows. There was just enough light in the sky to make her skin itch, and she was glad to put the heavy door between her and the dawn.
She sat next to the director. Edward sat across from them, hands cuffed to the bench between his knees, forcing him to hunch over. He tried to give her a friendly smile, but he couldn’t keep the fear from his face.
“Has he said anything?” Eve asked.
“Mr. Green has been very cooperative,” the director said, picking up a clipboard, and Edward nodded. “He’s about 115 years old, and became a vampire 78 years ago which was duly registered by the Chicago
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