Millisecond by millisecond, Chris was able to piece together and track the shrewd vampire’s progress as he sped through the fourth sublevel to the room the techies used to store the expensive toys they designed for immortals, Seconds, and network guards.
The kid was smart.
By all appearances, Cliff had only taken two tracking devices (one of which he had returned to Chris earlier), then had gone right back to Melanie’s office on the fifth sublevel. But Chris couldn’t afford to take chances. He needed to be certain. So he grasped the hot, steaming mug of coffee he hadn’t noticed his assistant place at his elbow, downed a few scalding gulps, reached for the sandwich she had also thoughtfully provided, then continued to watch the video.
Hours ticked by as he scoured footage from all five sublevels, then moved on to the ground floor.
The texts from Sheldon stopped around sunrise. Still no change in Ami.
Chris couldn’t bring himself to ask about the baby. Was the little one infected with the virus? Was she vampire?
Something caught his eye in the footage provided by the camera aimed at the large granite desk. The guards seated behind it cleared every employee who entered and exited the building, ensuring no one who didn’t belong got past the foyer.
The big bite of sandwich Chris had taken nearly flew out of his mouth.
“What the hell?” He rewound the video. Played it forward in painfully slow increments. Gaped at what it revealed.
Shoving the sandwich plate aside so forcefully it skidded across his desk and tumbled to the floor, Chris wrote furiously in his ever-present notebook.
Two hours later, he sat back and stared at the computer screen.
He needed to talk to Seth, but—last he had heard—Seth was still pouring energy into Ami, trying to heal her or revive her or whatever it took to get her to open her eyes. David probably was, too.
Picking up the phone, he dialed Darnell’s number.
“Yeah?”
“Hey. How’s Ami?” Chris asked.
“Still unresponsive,” Darnell said, voice grave. “Seth said she didn’t even rouse when Melanie put the baby to Ami’s breast to see if she would nurse.”#p#分页标题#e#
“The baby’s . . . okay?” Chris forced himself to ask.
Darnell lowered his voice to a whisper. “No fangs or glowing eyes, if that’s what you’re asking. And Roland said he couldn’t smell the virus on her.”
“What about Seth or David?”
“They can’t either, but”—his voice quieted even more—“they’re both exhausted. I don’t know how they’re even still conscious. They haven’t stopped pouring energy into Ami since her labor began.”
Shit.
“What’s wrong?” Darnell asked when Chris went silent.
“I need to talk to them.”
“Can you do it here?”
“Can I use your laptop?”
“Of course.”
“Then, yes. Hey, did the baby nurse?”
“Tried to. Ami’s milk hasn’t come in. But Melanie said that’s normal, that—for human women—it can take three or four days.”
Which didn’t necessarily mean Ami’s milk would follow the same timetable or come in at all. It sounded as though they weren’t even sure Ami would live. “Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”
Zach.
Zach’s eyes flew open.
Curled up beside him in bed in the quiet room they had claimed for the day, Lisette slept deeply.
They hadn’t made love before retiring. Both had felt too drained: Zach drained of energy and Lisette drained emotionally from the hours of worry and anxiety that had gripped her as Ami had labored. Instead they had clung to each other, absorbing the peace and comfort it brought them.
Zach, Seth repeated in his head.
What?
Meet me in David’s study.
Zach glanced at the clock beside the bed. Only an hour had passed since he and Lisette had drifted off to sleep. Sighing, he gently lifted the arm Lisette had thrown across his chest and rested it on her side, then tried to ease out from under the thigh she had draped over him. He swore as he grew hard from the sweet contact.
Lisette slid her arm back across his chest and scooted closer. “What are you doing? Don’t go.”
“I have to. Seth needs me.”
She lifted her head.
Zach smiled.
Her long raven hair, loose and tangled, obscured most of her face. Her adorable features contorted in a frown as she batted it out of the way and peered up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. “Is it Ami?”
“I don’t think so. He told me to meet him in the study.”
“Oh. Okay.”
With great reluctance, Zach slid out from under her and stood beside the bed. “Go back to sleep.” He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.