Maria heard the roar of the engines, as the last of the Lost Boys rolled into the parking spaces outside the video store. Beth entered first, well ahead of the Boys, barely making eye contact as she passed through to the back of the store. Maria's brow rose in curiosity. Something was definitely up.
The jingle of David's spurs and Marko's easy laughter came next as they entered the store. There was no Thorn to growl at them, no Max to give them public warnings to 'never come in here'. Maria finished ringing up her customer before she came over to the Boys, who were hanging around the opposite side of the counter.
"You can borrow whatever you want, there's no late fees for family." She smiled, laughing with Marko. David didn't join in, he seemed to be in a sullen mood. But then it was David; when wasn't he?
"I saw Beth breeze through."
David nodded. "Indigestion."
"Oh?" Maria was decidedly curious now. "Ate something that disagreed?"
"Something like that…ow!" Marko glared at David, who had elbowed him in the ribs.
"You all left without a word tonight. Jake told me when he called." Maria looked between the two vampires. "He didn't know you were up and about until he heard the bikes."
"What, you're tracking our whereabouts?" David frowned. "Since when did we start checking in and giving an itinerary?"
"Since you became our only assets." Maria countered. "Beth should have told you, and you knew that too, Marko."
The curly-haired blond only shrugged. "Like David would be cool with it?"
Maria could see that indeed David was not. "I'm sorry no one told you but that's how things are now, David. We keep tabs on each other."
"Whatever." David flicked a piece of lint from the glass countertop, clearly unhappy at the idea of being tracked.
"Do you think you can be at the house by eleven?" Maria asked carefully, not wanting to upset the vampire further." I'd like to have a meeting so we can get on the same page."
"I suppose." David drawled, his attention elsewhere, watching Beth reappear from the back of the store. Her gaze met his before her eyes widened and she abruptly turned around, dashing back towards the bathroom.
Maria nodded, leaving them to wander the store while she helped check out another customer. Marko disappeared into the comedy section, perusing the titles. David hung out in the section nearest to the door that led to the office and employee bathroom. Beth did not reappear.
Ten minutes passed. David waited until Maria was free before he stalked over to her. "Go get Beth."
"What? Why? If she's sick, David, I don't want to go in there." Maria grimaced.
David glared. If he explained, Maria would know what he'd done to Beth. And he wasn't ready to reveal that. "Fine."
Stalking through the rental shelves, David pushed open the door that read 'Employees Only'. To his immediate left was the bathroom. The door was ajar, the lights off. The vampire frowned, walking the few paces towards the open door down the hall: Max's office.
The lights were on, the large desk covered in paperwork and open ledgers, soft rock music playing from a small stereo set in the window. No Beth. David glowered, leaning back from the doorway and looking at the large metal fire door set at the end of the hallway. He could smell the faint scent of strawberry.
"Damn it!" He snarled under his breath, eyes flashing red.