He almost sounded amused. "No problem. What's next, then?"

"Waiting. See who jumps first. Keep your phone on, be ready to move when something happens. Maybe you should get some sleep for now."

"Plenty of time for that later," he said.

He started to get back in the car, but I stopped him. "Dack?"

"Yeah?"

I collected stories. That was how I kept doing the show week after week. There were always new stories to tell, each one stranger than the one before it.

"African wild dog?" I said. "You want to tell me where that came from?"

His smile went crooked. "Don't know. I've only met one other. The one who turned me."

"Where is he?"

"I killed him."

Ah. Right. That wasn't really a surprise. "So you're the only one?"

"Only one that I know of. Haven't really gone looking for others."

"And you met Rick how?"

He grinned. "Rick said you were a nosy one."

"I talk too much. That's my superpower. I still want to know why the world's only were-African wild dog is here working for Rick."

Dack had hired muscle written all over him: the well-built frame, the wary stance, the attitude of bullheaded confidence. I recognized it from Cormac. This was a guy you'd want watching your back. If you could trust him.

"Vampires are strong," he said. "It's a good thing, having a vampire owe you a favor. You want to be with the strongest."

"And that's Rick?"

He just smiled.

"Well then," I said. "On to the rest of the plan, then."

With that, we zoomed off in our respective cars and charged up our cell phones. I began to think this might turn out all right.

On the drive home, I dozed and kept jerking awake, waiting for a phone call to tell me something had happened, Carl or Arturo or someone under their orders had struck. When the phone finally did ring, I slept through it. I only woke up because Ben stopped the car.

"I wonder what they're waiting for," he said, speaking into my phone. I couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the line. It wouldn't be Rick, not during full daylight. After listening a moment, he said, "We're going to get some sleep. Call if anything changes."

He looked at me. Bleary-eyed, I stared back at him. "That was Shaun. No sign of anything."

"Where is he?"

"Keeping an eye on your sister's place. Your dad's at the hospital, and I figure their security can look after your folks during daylight hours."

That made sense, not to mention the place would be busy during the day. I hoped Arturo and Carl were still sane enough not to want to draw too much public attention to this.

I ought to go. I told Mom I'd go see her. But I couldn't, not in the middle of this. I didn't want to bring more trouble down on them.

"Cheryl's going to start wondering why strange cars keep parking outside her house."

"I bet she doesn't even notice." He handed my phone back to me.

Moving at half speed, I climbed out of the car. "Ben? Why are you doing this? You keep saying you didn't sign up for this like you don't want to be here, but then…" I trailed off, not sure what I meant. He'd turned out to be good at this, leaping to the fore, keeping me going. What would I have done if it had just been me?

I'd have run away.

"We're pack," he said. "Isn't that what you're always saying? We have to stick together."

That would always be an acceptable answer. That would always be there to fall back on. I wasn't satisfied with that answer anymore.

"Will that be enough to keep you and me together?"

"I hope so." He walked away.

Slowly, I followed, letting my brain run down so I wouldn't have to think anymore.

Arturo and his vampires couldn't move until nightfall. Carl probably wouldn't make a move until he did, which might have been why he hadn't come looking for me. Maybe they wouldn't strike at all. As the silence drew on, as the calls from my lookouts didn't come, I didn't start to hope. I'd become too cynical for that. Too many blows had undermined my safe little life.

I was trying to nap on the sofa when the call came. I lunged for my phone on the coffee table.

"Yes? What is it?"

"It's Becky." She sounded breathless, panicked. "I just got off the phone with Mick."

"Mick, the short guy with the brown hair?" One of the tougher wolves in Carl's pack.

"Yeah, yeah. He says Carl's on the hunt. He's called in everybody, he's going after you."

I sat on the edge of the sofa. "Here? He's coming here?" That would be best. If he was going to go after anyone, I wanted it to be me. I was ready for him.

"No," Becky said, and I could imagine her shaking her head vehemently. "He—Mick I mean—said Carl wants to hit you where it'll hurt the most. It's like he's not even pissed off at you, he's pissed off at what started this whole thing."

"Where?" I asked anyway.

"The radio station. He's going after KNOB."

"When?"

"Now, he's headed over there right now!"

Chapter 12

"What does he think he's going to do? Kill everyone there? Does he really think he'd get away with that? Or maybe he just wants to pee on the rugs," I grumbled at Ben as we got in the car. He didn't answer, just wore his smirk and gave me his hawk's stare. His courtroom lawyer, moving in for the kill hawk stare. He almost seemed to be enjoying himself.

He drove, and I let him because I had things to do. I'd signed off with Becky, after asking her to call Shaun and whoever else she could get to meet us there. We could have ourselves a regular rumble. I ought to decide whether I wanted to be the Sharks or the Jets.

I had an advantage over Carl: an in with the Denver police. I called Hardin.

"Hardin here."

"It's Kitty, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" She sounded serious and businesslike, which heartened me.

"I think I'm in trouble. It's the werewolves, they're after me."

“This has something to do with your little gang war, doesn't it? I'm not going to pick sides."