Chapter 28
TWENTY SEVEN
Jen
“He went out hours ago.” Adam’s roommate, Miles, shrugs. “Sorry I can’t be more help.”
“He didn’t say where he was going?”
“He said something about some night club.”
I deliberately don’t turn to look at Meredith. I don’t want to see her expression right now. “Are you sure?”
“Sorry.”
Really? I just can’t believe Adam would go out clubbing after the week we just shared. Then it hits me. I snap my fingers. “Night Shift? Did he say Night Shift?”
“That’s the one,” Miles agrees, oblivious. “Said he was going back to meet someone he met the other night.”
We thank him and walk back down the steps to the ground floor.
Meredith mutters under her breath, “Jen, we can just go home if you’d rather not see this. Or if you want me to go and check if he’s there, I can.”
I give her the most confident smile I can muster right now.
“No, it’s not like that. Adam and I went out to Night Shift the other night.
Together.” I flush. “This shifter got me out back near the bathrooms and gave me a scare. I think Adam went to see if the guy was there again tonight and pick a fight.”
Meredith’s eyes go wide. “A shifter? Like a supe? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Uh, yeah. Which is why I asked him not to, but I know he was really hung up about it.”
We get back into the car, and I start the engine.
“What did this guy do?”
“It was as creepy as it sounds,” I say.
Meredith frowns. “I kinda don’t hate that Adam wanted to follow up on it, then. But I hope he’s OK.”
“Me too.” I pull away from the curb, my stomach swooping as I think about what might have happened.
The drive to Night Shift takes way too long, and every moment brings with it another vivid image of Adam with all his limbs slashed off or hacked apart in a dumpster somewhere.
Meredith is quiet, but she reaches across and squeezes my hand on the steering wheel.
The place is dead when we walk in the door. Only one lone figure sits at a booth in the dark, looking down into his drink. I catch a glimpse of a pale, unfamiliar face and look away.
As confidently as I can, I walk over to the bar where a young woman with a long red ponytail is stacking away glasses. “Hi.”
She looks up with a tired smile. “Hi. Just in time. I just called last drinks.”
“Oh, no. I’m not drinking. Actually I was hoping you could help me. I’m looking for my boyfriend. I think he might have come here, and I hope he didn’t get into any trouble.”
The bartender’s eyes go wide, and she seems to look more carefully at me. “The zombie?” The expression on her face suggests that trouble most definitely found him.
“Oh god. What happened?”
“The SEO were here. Snatched him and threw him in their van. That was about two hours ago.”
“Shit.” I turn to go.
She stops me. “They were looking for him when they came in. I think someone tipped them off. If you’re going to go look for him, I’d make sure you get some legal advice first. You don’t mess with the SEO.”
I gape at her. “What even is the SEO?”
“Supernatural Enforcement Office. They’re hard core. Look, I wouldn’t normally get involved, but your boyfriend didn’t do anything wrong. The SEO just have it out for the undead. Always have.”
Meredith scowls down at her phone. “I’ve got the number for the local branch right here. I’m going to call and ask if they’re holding him.”
“You won’t get anywhere like that.” The cool voice behind us makes me jump and turn to face the pale gentleman from the back of the bar.
“What do you mean?”
Meredith hits call and lifts the phone to her ear anyway, giving him the side-eye.
“Wait and see,” he simply says.
There’s a pause, and we all wait, watching to see what happens on the other end of the call. Meredith puts it on speaker.
A moment later a gruff female voice answers. “London SEO. Officer Granth speaking.”
“Yes, hello,” Meredith goes instantly into business mode. Her voice is polite yet clipped and professional. “I believe you might be holding my client without cause, and I’d like to arrange to have him released.”
Officer Granth scoffs. “I’m afraid we can’t help you with that. We’re not holding anyone without cause here.”
“Then you don’t have a zombie in your cells? Goes by the name of Adam Garrett?”
“Lady, if we do have a zombie here, you might as well give up now. He’s got no name now. Maybe he used to be Adam Garrett, but he’s dead now, innit? Nothing but a meatbag now.”
There’s a click, and the line goes dead.
My mouth drops open in horror.
“They have no respect for the undead,” says the guy from the booth. And then I catch another look at his glass full of a rich red liquid—blood.
I blink. “You’re—?”
“A vampire? Correct. I’ve been dealing with this bullshit for the last ten years, ever since the rest of these lunatics decided it would be a good idea to ‘come out’” He lifts one hand to make quotation marks above his head to punctuate the words with a scoff.
“We were not in favor, but the shifters always howl the loudest.”
“What do you mean us?”
“My coven. We’ve been in London since the Romans were here, and we’ve never experienced persecution on levels like this. The SEO are just a trumped up bunch of humans who need to be taken down a peg.”
I shift awkwardly. “Ah, yeah. But what can we do?”
“What law allows them to hold undead without the right to counsel or a trial?” Meredith cuts in, straight to the point. I knew there were benefits to having a lawyer as a sister.
“The undead have no rights apparently,” says the vampire.
“We’ll see about that.” Meredith begins scrolling through her phone again frantically.
A moment later, she turns the screen toward us with a cheer.
“Ah-ha! All citizens are entitled to the right to legal representation. A citizen may be held for up to twelve hours without reasonable cause, after which time, if no evidence can be presented, they must be released.”
The vampire lifts a brow. “What makes you think the undead are regarded as citizens?”
Meredith smiles. “Ah, but if you’re not citizens, why do any laws apply to you?”
A cruel smile creeps over the vampire’s face and he strokes his chin. “Mmmm. I like the way you think. And so will my sire. Let us see if we can’t make some movement here.”
Four hours later, I’m blinking to keep my heavy eyelids open, standing at the front desk of the SEO office waiting for the officer on duty to get off the phone to his manager.
The officer—a young guy with neat black hair and nervous eyes, glances back over his shoulder at us. “No, I don’t know how they found out he is here, but they know, sir. And they have a lawyer. Two lawyers.”
I shoot a grin at Meredith and tall thin lady who came as a representative of the local vampire coven. I feel pretty bloody good about the level of backup I’ve got right now.
There’s a pause.
“Yes, sir.”
Another pause.
“No, I tried to tell them that, but they made a very good point about some of London’s other ah… undead citizens, and I really think someone more senior than me should be handling this, with all due respect, sir.” He shoots us another nervous smile.
Eventually the young officer puts down the phone and returns to the desk. “Thank you for waiting. Superintendent Heidegger says he’ll be along as soon as he can. In the meantime, can I show you to a waiting room?”
“Look, we have footage from the bar that proves he didn’t do anything wrong. We have witnesses prepared to testify that he is not a danger to society. I just want to see my boyfriend and make sure he’s alright.”
The vampire lawyer clears her throat. “We’ve been very cooperative… so far. I’m sure everyone would prefer to keep it that way, but…”
The officer tugs at his collar. “OK, fine. I’ll take you around to see him—just you, though, ma’am. And I can’t release him. Not until the superintendent gets here.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
He unlocks a little gate barring us from entering the corridor to one side of the desk and ushers me through.
Then he leads me down a narrow walkway until we get to three heavy metal doors.
There are small sliding plates covering a rectangular hole in each door, and when we stop in front of the first one, he slides the plate open and stands aside.
I rush forward, peering through the hole to see Adam sitting on a hard bench with his head in his hands. “Adam!”
He looks up when I call out, and I spot the leather muzzle they’ve tied over his nose and mouth. He tries to speak, but it comes out so muffled I can’t make out the words.
“What is that thing?”
The officer shifts uncomfortably. “It’s for the protection of our officers.”
“Really?” I glare at him. “Really? At what point did my boyfriend offer any resistance or make any threats to you?”
“Ma’am, I wasn’t present at the arrest—”
I cut him off with an angry scoff. “Of course you weren't. This is bollocks. This whole thing. This doesn’t feel like something that should be allowed to happen in this country!” I turn back to the small window. “Don’t worry, Adam. We’re getting you out.”
He jumps up and hurries toward the door, shaking his head, gesturing at me to go.
“Absolutely not. I’m not leaving without you.”
At that moment the sound of footsteps echoes through the corridor, and the broad, stern face of an older man in a suit appears in the dim light. He holds up a badge to me as he says, “Superintendent Heidegger. Step away from the window, ma’am.”
“Not until you tell me what’s happening here. Why is he muzzled?”
“Protection.”
I let out a growl of frustration. “He’s not hurt anyone.”
Superintendent Heidegger’s stern features soften a little.
“Look, I can see you’re upset, but it’s going to be a few hours until I can get anything like a resolution on this case for you.
Not even I am senior enough to release a zombie out onto the streets.
So if you’ll stay calm and come this way—”
“No.” I fold my arms across my chest and sit on the floor, crossing my legs. “I’m not going anywhere without him.”
Superintendent Heidegger sighs. “Ma’am, if you’re willfully ignoring instructions from an officer inside the station, I’ll have to arrest you. The foyer, however, would be a different matter…”
I search his face, but I can’t tell if he just wants me out of his way or if he’s being genuine.
When he gets the handcuffs out, I make a snap decision. I jump to my feet. “Fine, but I’m not leaving the station without him.”
He gives me a relieved nod. “Understood, ma’am. We’re working on it as fast as we can.”