Chapter 2

The handsome picture of Eric looked back at me from the Fangtasia website. If I was going to be employed by Mr. Northman I would at least do this right and do my research. Mom always lectured me to never do anything half-assed. I wanted to find out anything I could about Northman, but all I found on the site was an ad to buy the Fangtasia calendar. Northman posed as Mr. January, which sure didn't help my feelings about the worker/employer relationship. God, he looks hot. I guess I wouldn't mind spending some time working for Mr. January. That's something I could brag to my friends about.

For some reason I just couldn't stop looking at the picture. Even through photography his pale blue eyes held mine. I closed the screen on the computer, picked up a romance novel and flopped down on the four poster bed. That's when Natalie called to chat.

I laid on my bed, twirling the telephone cord earnestly around my index finger, starting to lose interest with the conversation when she asked, "Hey, have you seen Randy around? He said that he went to the vamp bar in Shreveport with you last night, but nobody's seen hide nor hair of him." This was startling news. We went to Fangtasia a week ago. Why would Randy go back to Shreveport? Unless he had taken my comment about vampire sex seriously. Oh jeez, the most terrible images filled my mind at that second of Randy drained, dead in a ditch somewhere off the parish road.

I forced myself to respond with a false curiosity that repeated her earlier statement. "Really? Nobody's seen Randy? Well that's just terrible. I bet the guys on the football team are worried. They have that big game against Marthaville next week and Randy's the quarterback!"

"Honestly Caroline, can you stop thinking about school functions for one second and tell me what's going on? I've been your friend for years and I know when you're trying to change the subject." She was right. It was no use trying to cover up. I told her about the night that Randy and I went to the bar trying to leave out the part about my owing Eric Northman. "So you're saying that Randy never stood up for you or talked back to the vamps and you did? Girl, you must have a death wish. It ain't right when a guy like Randy's got more sense than you to stay away from the vampers. He's not the brightest crayon in the box."

I wondered what could have happened to Randy. The only second I left him alone in the bar was to talk with Northman. Or maybe before he entered the bar he had done something to piss off a random vampire. That didn't seem like him, to just go looking for trouble. I felt guilt deep in the pit of my stomach until it made my eyes water. This was my fault. Randy didn't want to go to Shreveport, but I coerced him into taking me. The idea came into my head to go back to Fangtasia to ask Eric Northman whether he had seen anything or knew something that could help me find my friend. It was just past sunset so I could call the number I had from Pam to find out. I curtly finished my conversation with Natalie and picked the receiver back up to dial.

The same cool sensual voice of Pam muttered in my ear, "Thanks for calling Fangtasia, The Bar With a Bite. This is Pam". She sounded bored.

"Hello Pam? This is Caroline Fields. I know I'm supposed to wait for a call from you before coming back to Fangtasia to talk to Mr. Northman, but it's urgent and I need to speak with him."

"Eric is busy and does not wish to be disturbed now. Do you want to leave him a message?"

"No" I said bitterly sarcastic, "Just wanted to tell Mr. January that somebody went missing from his bar that---"

She cut me off before I had a chance to get mad. "You mean you know about Charles' disappearance? How would you know anything about that? We just found out an hour ago. Eric is furious". She said it with such severity that you would think Eric were some sort of volcano just about to explode.

"I wasn't talking about Charlie. My friend Randy went missing when he was supposedly at the bar."

"Why should I be concerned about what happens to a Were?" Emphasizing the last word with a distinct distaste.

"Because it's probably linked to Charlie missing too. That just can't be a coincidence. And what the hell is a Were supposed to be?"

The line went silent though I could tell Pam was still there pondering what to do. "I'll tell Eric about your friend's disappearance however I don't think it has any link to Charles. Then again the two-natured don't get along very well with vampires."

Before I could ask what she meant by two-natured, I was put on hold. This was getting frustrating. I could already picture the sequence of events. Charles probably had killed or seriously maimed Randy and left him to die cold and alone. Or maybe he was torturing him? A new wave of sorrow washed over me. I hung up the phone. Maybe Pam was lying to me. I couldn't trust anyone in this situation. I had to find out for myself.