“Lucas needs Clay and me in Dallas. He’s had a tip that the target’s whole family was infected. They’re not showing any symptoms, though, so he doesn’t want to act yet but he wants us there for when he does.”

THIRTY-SIX

When we got to the airport, the jet was waiting, cleared for takeoff. I could tell Elena was debating whether to follow through on Lucas’s request for them to continue on to Dallas. Having been a victim of Roni’s last cry for help, she didn’t like sending us into the breach with only vampires and a skeleton tactical team for backup. But before we could land in Houston, the situation in Dallas changed. At least one family member—a grown daughter—was definitely infected. They’d managed to capture her and were quarantining the others, but a second daughter and her fiancé had been out clubbing and had lost their Cabal tail. Jeremy was on it, but he needed Elena and Clay.

So Adam and I got off the plane in Houston alone. We’d just left the private hanger when we saw Cassandra hurrying toward us. Her boots clicked across the pavement as her long jacket snapped behind her. Sunglasses were perched on her sleek red hair, as if she’d pushed them up there and forgotten them after darkness fell. Cass forgets a lot of things these days. As far as anyone can figure, she’s passed the end of her semi-immortal lifespan and is hanging on by her fangs … and sheer stubbornness.

“Shit, Cass, you’re practically running to see me,” I called.

“Missed your detecting partner, didn’t you?”

“Actually, I was hoping to send you on your way again before it’s too late.” She peered toward the runway. “Has the jet left?”

“It has.”

“Damn it. Aaron tried calling. He texted, too. Both of you.”

I took my cell phone out. “We had them off for landing. What’s up?”

“Nothing, which is why I was trying to stop you from getting off the jet.” She waved us to a rental car illegally parked along the sidewalk. “After the outbreaks in Austin and Dallas, Benicio decided we should take secondary targets into custody, to be safe. Cabal operatives did that twenty minutes ago.”

“Are we sure that solves it?” I said. “The Dallas guy’s family was infected, too.”

Her arched brows shot up another half inch. “Did you read this man’s file? I know Lucas e-mailed it to all of you earlier.”

“Details,” I said. “I left that to Research Guy here.”

When Cassandra handed Adam the keys, he grinned and waggled them at me. “Gotta love the old-fashioned ladies. They know who belongs in the driver’s seat.”

“No,” Cass said. “We know who belongs in the chauffeur’s seat.”

I laughed and we climbed in, Cass and me in back.

“This guy doesn’t have family,” Adam said as he started the car. “His ex-wife lives back east. No kids. That’s why I think the group put him on the backup list. He’s influential and powerful, but there aren’t any family ties to exploit.”

“Oil?” I asked.

Cassandra fluttered her fingers. “Some kind of politician.”

“Lobbyist, actually,” Adam said.

“Yes, yes,” she said, as if it was the same thing.

Adam shook his head. “Lucas actually put the two of you on a case?”

“We worked quite well together,” Cass said. “Or we did, after you two started speaking to each other again. Please don’t ever send her to me when you’re angry with her, Adam. It’s dreadful. All that moping and angst. It’s like being partnered with one of those fictional vampires.”

I sighed.

Cassandra looked at me. “You aren’t even going to glare at me for embarrassing you in front of Adam?”

“Only if you say something embarrassing.”

“And that isn’t?” She studied my face. “Interesting …”

“Moving right along,” I said. “I’d better call Lucas and see what he wants us to do.”

I didn’t need to. The moment I turned my cell back on, Lucas rang. He sounded exhausted—Dallas was not going well. He refused to elaborate, except to say that he really wished Benicio could have gotten in touch with our pilot to take us straight on to Dallas.

“We can be there in three hours,” Adam called from the front seat. “We’ll swing by and grab Aaron, then hit the highway.”

Lucas agreed that was wise. With the jet gone, driving would be fastest.

I just started mapping the new coordinates when Cassandra’s cell rang.

It was Aaron. I could tell by her tone when she answered. The two of them had met back in the nineteenth century. Lots of time together, followed by lots of time apart. Cass’s fault, naturally. They’d been friends for about six years again now, and I was sure they’d been lovers for a while. You could tell by the way she talked to him.

That softer tone didn’t last long this time. She quickly said, “I’m going to put you on speaker.”

“—rather you didn’t,” he was saying as she clicked it on.

“Too late,” I said.

He sighed. “Yeah. Probably need to, however much I hate the damned thing. Sounds like everyone’s talking in a submarine. You guys are still in town, then? Good. We have a problem.”

“Of course we do,” Cassandra murmured. “God forbid we might have wanted to relax for the night, have a glass of wine.”

“I’ll grab you some wine later, Cass,” Aaron said. “I saw a carton at a corner store. I’m sure it’s a great vintage. Now, the problem. Ten minutes ago, the Cabal tech guys intercepted a 911 call from Jordan’s office.”

It took me a second to remember that Jordan—Ron Jordan—was the target’s name.

Aaron continued. “It was one of his assistants. She said she’s working late and she’s sick, really sick. So is the guy working with her.”

“Damn it,” I said. “No family, so infect the staff. How many of them have gone home already?”

“I’m really trying not to think about that,” Aaron said. “I’m five minutes from the building, hoping no cops are around to pull me over.”