"These people aren't connected to Xenides," I informed Bill and the others, who now stood by, watching as the truck was loaded up.
"Did you say Xenides?" The woman came over to us.
"Yes. What do you know?" Tony exercised compulsion. I swatted his arm; compulsion wasn't needed.
"Someone came to the door today and told me that an old friend of Winston's was coming to visit us tomorrow evening. When I asked who the old friend was, the girl called him Xenides. Winston says he doesn't know of anyone by that name."
Winston walked over to join the conversation. "I've never heard of Xenides," he said.
"She said that if we knew what was good for us, we'd wait until he arrived," the woman went on. "I didn't like her attitude, and Winston said since she was human, he wasn't really worried. Until you showed up tonight, that is." She raked a hand through dark brown curls, her blue eyes concerned. "We thought the Council was here to kill us," she muttered softly.
"What about Catulus?" Gavin asked. "Have you heard that name?" Wlodek had mentioned that name; Xenides had used it before.
"Fuck," Winston cursed. "You don't want to get anywhere near that one. He'll kill you and steal your women."
"How do you know this?" Gavin demanded.
"My sire knew him. Catulus killed him, along with my older brother. I was out; that's the only reason he didn't kill me as well. Catulus wanted my older brother's female and he wouldn't give her up. My sire and my brother tried to fight Catulus off but he was older and stronger."
"Then maybe you should keep on hiding until we can get rid of him," I said. "We'll let the Head of the Council know. Go on, get as far away from here as you can," I said.
"Here," Bill handed the keys to his car to Winston. "Let's transfer their things," he said. "Just let me know where you left the car," he added, "and we'll pick it up." He handed over a card, much like the one I'd gotten from Tony the first time I'd met him. Winston's eyebrows rose considerably. "We'll let Xenides think you're still here," Bill jerked his head toward the old truck beneath the carport.
"Will do," Winston nodded. "Sweetheart, have you ever lived in Texas?" he asked the woman, placing an arm around her shoulders.
"No, hon," she said. "Is that where we're going?" She looked up at him with a trembling smile.
"Maybe," Winston smiled at her.
"Here," Gavin pulled out his money clip and emptied it; there had to be at least a thousand dollars in it. He handed that to the woman. "For moving expenses," he said. The woman smiled at him and took the additional money. Bill got them inside the car; Tony and René moved their things. We watched as they drove away, turning east onto Highway 51.
"We'll all have to squeeze into the van," Bill sighed.
"We'll make it work," Winkler grinned. Roff, who'd been standing by watching everything, was completely fascinated.
"I will ride in the back, like luggage," he offered.
"Are you sure?" I asked. He grinned.
"Of course," he replied. "I have been in smaller spaces."
Gavin held me on his lap while Winkler drove. René, Tony and Lorenzo were in the seat behind us; Radomir, Thaddeus and Bill were in the seat behind them and Roff was folded up in the back. I was glad we didn't have anyone else; they wouldn't have fit. We were packed so tightly inside the van, I felt as if we were riding in a vampire clown car.
"Are we going to stake out that place tomorrow?" René asked.
"Oh, yes," Gavin replied.
"Xenides is really old. We'll have to surprise him," I said.
"If he comes himself, he'll get a surprise," Gavin muttered.
Gav is worried about you, Tony sent. He wants to strangle the bastard while he removes his head.
Tony, I want to strangle the bastard while Gavin removes his head, I returned.
You may both have to wait; René wants Xenides' death so bad he can taste it, Tony replied.
"I was hoping to find evidence of my brother," Lorenzo offered timidly, breaking up the mindspeech with Tony.
"It was a long shot, but if he's with Xenides, we still may be able to get him back tomorrow. Providing Xenides sends him, or comes himself," Tony said.
"Why is Xenides interested in Winston Byrnett?" I asked. Nobody had an answer.
We ended up staying the night at a motel in Stillwater. Gavin plunked down an impressive credit card and paid for several rooms. He and Radomir wanted to be as close to Winston's home as possible, in order to get there as quickly after sundown as we could. Bill was on his cell, calling for other agents to watch the place during the day.
"Wait," I said to Bill before he hung up. "I have an idea."
* * *
Angelo muttered softly and angrily—he didn't want to go. Dominic (under Xenides' heavy compulsion) was going with him to pick up the vampire and kill his female companion. Winston Byrnett had been missing for years and Xenides had need of vampire reinforcements. Only a few days earlier, many of Saxom and Xenides' turns had been killed in Great Britain on a single night. Xenides had rolled the dice and lost that round. Now, Xenides was actively searching for replacements to rebuild his army, and those vampires living below the Council's radar were ideal targets. Byrnett would do nicely. Angelo and Dominic could bring in the vampire; Xenides was going to stay with his newest female.
* * *
Dominic didn't want to be there. Never wanted to leave Europe. During more coherent moments, he cursed Xenides for forcing him to do unspeakable things. Dominic had been to the states before, but that had been with his sire and his brothers. Now, following his abduction at the hands of Angelo and Xenides, he was trapped in compulsion and forced to stay in mental contact with Xenides when needed. Xenides felt oily and evil to him; he shuddered whenever the ancient vampire came close. Xenides laughed as Dominic recoiled at his nearness.
"Can't abide your Dark cousin, now can you?" he'd say. Dominic hadn't a clue what Xenides meant.
"Stop daydreaming and get in the car," Angelo ordered. Dominic was older than Angelo and wasn't susceptible to the younger vampire's compulsion. Xenides, however, would punish him if he didn't do as Angelo said, so Dominic slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. Angelo started the car and drove toward I-35.
* * *
Gavin, Radomir and I were huddled inside one covered trench; Tony, Bill and René were inside another nearby. A handful of carefully selected agents were with Winkler, Dalroy and Rhett in a stand of trees behind us, far enough from the house that they wouldn't be seen, heard or scented. Gavin had ordered Roff, Lorenzo and Thaddeus to stay at the hotel; they didn't have what he called "combat experience." Thaddeus and Lorenzo grumbled that I was getting to go, but René shut them up quickly. Tony lectured them as well, but I got him calmed down after a while. Now, here we were, waiting for Xenides or his minions to show up.