Sincerity's eyes moved about the abandoned apartment. Most of the place was dingy and broken. The only people hanging around were vampires feeding and human junkies.
Sincerity had woken on a couch, acing the same woman from the car who had been following her earlier that evening. The woman was sat in a green, moth-eaten chair, long legs crossed at the knees. Sincerity's new extra enhanced shapeshifter senses were in overload in the rundown apartment.
"If you had someone kidnap me, why aren't I tied up?" she asked, swinging her legs around and getting into a sitting position.
Shadow shrugged, smiling angelically. "If you want to go - then feel free to go at any time. You're not under arrest."
"And the vampires lying in wait are just going to let me /walk/ out of here," Sincerity said, smiling back.
Shadow's eyebrows arched. "Your senses have increased pretty well."
Sincerity scowled. "I wasn't exactly given a choice in that matter. I adapt quickly. You really think Ginger and the other Daybreakers won't have noticed I'm missing by now and won't be on their way with a rescue mission?"
Shadow chuckled. Sincerity had to force herself not to wince. Shadow's so-called laughter grated against her ears like nails on a blackboard, or glass breaking. "That's kind of the whole point."
"So this is a trap and I'm the bait," Sincerity sneered, her eyes rolling. "Gee, what an /original/ idea. I'm, like, /so/ scared." She shook her head in disgust.
Shadow shrugged. "When plans work, who cares if they're original or not?"
Sincerity almost smiled. Part of her was actually starting to like the way Shadow thought. And it was absolutely the last thing anyone would ever expect of Sincerity. "So what happened to Meegan? How come she's not here getting in on this little plan of yours?" she asked casually, curious. She couldn't sense her sister's presence anywhere in the building at all. She doubted Meegan would do something as low key and demeaning as say - driving the getaway car. Wouldn't that be a huge let down for the assassin queen?
Shadow smiled strangely. "On the subject of Meegan, I have a proposal for you."
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Don't look at me like that!" Meegan snapped, glaring at Sam.
Sam held up a hand in mock defence. "I'm not doing anything."
"Keep your eyes on the road," Meegan snarled. She turned away and glared out the window.
Sam was driving them to the abandoned building where Shadow was holding Sincerity. Meegan would never have thought this possible a week ago, when she and Shadow had been sitting in her car outside her house, joking about how to get rid of Sincerity, and now - she was sat in a car with two Daybreakers, one her soulmate and one Sincerity's - going off to rescue her sister from the vampire who had taught Meegan everything she needed to know about the Night World.
The streets of their small town flew pastthe window as they raced for the outskirts of town. The irony was amusing in a weird way. Sam of course, seemed to be thinking this was the break he had been waiting for. The change to remind her that people were worth saving. Then she could go back to Circle Daybreak headquarters with him and Sincerity and they could all live happily ever after.
The thought made Meegan cringe - even after everything they had been through, everything that had happened it was still strange, and the last thing she wanted to do. But she might not have a choice. Even sat in the car, Meegan felt trapped like the metal container was closing in on her, her breathing was ragged, her throat was dry as sandpaper.
"Meegan, are you okay?"
Meegan snapped out of her musings as she felt Ginger's hand gently touch her shoulder. She hadn't even realised she'd pressed her face against the window of the car as if she was trying to climb through the glass to get out and as far away as possible. Meegan shoved Ginger's hand away brutally. She caught a glimpse of the unhappy reaction on Ginger's face in the rear-view mirror as she straightened and looked over at Sam, who was shaking his head.
The streets of comfortable, picturesque houses had thinned out. Street lights were now sparse. Any buildings around were covered in graffiti and boarded up, or had broken windows and kicked in doors.
"Which one is she in?" Sam stopped the car under the only working street light.
"The last one on the left." Susanna got out the car, along with Ginger.