Chapter Two

A Pretty Picture

Josef circled the conference table, eyeing each one of its occupants carefully as he announced, "The estate has placed the winery, its vineyard, and another thousand acres into receivership as of ten this morning. My sources tell me there is no other interested parties, so let's make sure this is sealed up. I expect to be taking ownership tonight when I meet with the board at the Los Angeles Convention Center."

He turned away from them without a second glance, walking over to the bar on the far side of his office as everyone rose and departed. He poured himself a glass of plasma from the carafe, pausing to enjoy the aroma briefly before replacing the top on the container. "Not like a healthy, free flowing vein, but it will have to do," he mused to himself as he raised the glass.

Before Josef could take a sip, his office door opened behind him, causing a familiar scent of a very expensive perfume to wash across him. His nostrils flared at the aroma. Quickly masking his surprise with a forced smile, he slowly turned around, lowering the glass.

"I was wondering what it would it take for you to get out from under your client's thumb. How long has it been? A week? Two?"

Simone stood at the door with her arms crossed. "Ten days. And I came by to see if my firm was still representing you. After all, it was your idea to help Sarah."

"Wait a minute." Josef held up a hand. "Do you mean to tell me … that all this is …"

Simon walked up and patted him on his face, smiling sweetly as she said, "Billable hours, yes."

Josef turned around and set his glass down on the bar. He reached for an empty one and the pitcher of water beside it. "How is she, by the way?"

"She has yet to say your name, though Rodeo Drive is loving her. But Sarah isn't the person I'm here about."

Josef handed her the glass and turned to reclaim his own. "You want to know what I'm doing about Mick."

"Yes, but I need to ask you a question. Is your vampire ego so inflated to where you won't go outside Los Angeles to ask for help, or is it the threat of death that's preventing you from doing so?"

For the second time in as many tries, the glass failed to meet Josef's lips. He sighed and turned to lock a steely gaze on the attorney. "Where did you hear that?"

"Beth believes you're playing this close to the vest because if enough vampires here caught wind of what you did, they'll execute you. Is that true?"

The expression on Josef's face betrayed no surprise saved one slightly arched eyebrow. He swallowed the glass' contents in a single gulp and placed it on the bar before walking over to his desk. Simone followed behind him, grabbing him by his elbow to spin him around. "Josef, answer me! Is everything true?!"

Josef stared down first at Simone and then at his arm in her grasp. She quickly released him, stammering, "I - I'm sorry."

Josef nodded and gestured to a seat in front of his desk. Simone lowered herself into it. "Please, Josef," she said pleadingly. "Is it true?"

"Yes," he said. "It's true. When I turned Mick over to Malcolm Rehnquist, I broke an unwritten, yet cardinal law we all have here in Los Angeles. That no vampire here would betray another to an outside entity. By turning Mick over to Rehnquist, I … sentenced myself to death."

Simone leaned back into her seat, struggling to absorb the news. Josef sighed and walked around the desk to pick up a piece of paper. "I've had Rehnquist's known retreats scouted. Nothing. Coraline hasn't seen them. A few of my friends outside of our circle have heard rumors, but nothing has panned out."

Simone rose to her feet. "Josef, if you want to find Mick, let Beth help you. The only way to get that death sentence wiped off the table is if we bring him back here safe and sound."

"And how is that, Simone?!" He gestured wildly around him. "What could she do that I couldn't?"

Simone steeled herself. "Let her go to Detroit. If anyone can find Rehnquist, it may be Magnus McClane."

Josef scoffed at the request, giving Simone an incredulous look. "Are you mad? I'm doing everything I can to keep the vampires here in L.A. off of my ass. Do you want every vampire in the world hunting me down?!"

He turned around and leaned heavily on the credenza behind his desk. Simone slowly walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Josef, if you want to make things right, do you honestly see another way?"

Josef sighed and straightened, chuckling softly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess we all can't live forever."

#

"So, her grandmother, who according to my sources in New York, was actually a socialite who became a missing person in 1955, when in reality, she runs off with some bigwig there to France, has a daughter who in turn gets pregnant and has a daughter of her own, her, and all three are living carefree overseas until a few years ago when the grandmother reveals herself to her father as being alive and well." Faith leaned back in her chair and massaged her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "I think I have a headache. My head is spinning."

Beth laughed as she pecked away on her laptop. "I'm concentrating on Sarah Whitley's business acumen, Faith. Though the whole story did confuse me when we talked this morning."

"No, that's fine. We're trying to get out of peeking through fences and spying, remember?" Faith sat down and handed Beth a sheet of paper. "Meantime, I have someone I need you to interview."

Beth took the paper and scanned it with a hurried eye before setting it to the side, shaking her head. "Faith, it's way too early in the day to start drinking."

Faith waved the comment away. "You said we need to think outside the box. She has everything we've been looking for. Experience, integrity -"

"And a classic dislike for us." Beth tapped the paper with a finger. "Harper Ryan has been gunning for BuzzWire ever since Maureen scooped that key witness right from under her nose last year."

"And since then, she has had a dedicated following." Faith began counting off her fingers. "Her online hit rate percentage was close to yours when you were out in the field doing news pieces, she snagged two exclusive interviews with city council members who got caught up in that sex scandal, and she broke a Beverly Hills scandal. She polled high as, and I quote, 'The one the City of Angels trusts,' end quote."

Beth shook her head again, but reached for the reśumé as she rose from her seat. "Okay, what happened with her and … L.A. Story? Last I heard, she was in line for managing editor."

"That's what I heard as well. Something you can ask her in twenty minutes," said Faith as she opened the office door and began to exit.

Beth looked up, blinking several times in surprise as she called out after her. "Twenty minutes? Wait, what did you do?!"

When she received no reply, she sighed and sat back down and pulled her laptop close again, but her cell phone began ringing on her desk before she made one keystroke. Her forehead wrinkled when she glanced at the name on the screen. She sighed once again and picked it up. "Yes, Simone?"

"Beth, can you meet me tonight?"

Beth noted the excitement in Simone's voice but chose to ignore it. "I need to make up for last night with Logan. What's this all about?"

"I'll meet you at your apartment later then."

The call disconnected before Beth could answer. She frowned at the phone before powering it down and replacing it on her desk before returning her attention to her laptop. She was three pages into her story before a knock on her door disrupted her flow. Grimacing as she noted the time on her watch, she rose from her chair and walked from behind her desk to open her office door.

Two women stood outside; Kat, the purple-haired intern, and a brunette equal in height to Beth. She carried a organizer in the crook of her left arm while the right extended out in front of her, a faint smile on her face.

"Beth Turner. When I heard that you took over as managing editor for BuzzWire, I honestly couldn't believe it. I had to come see for myself."

Beth shook the proffered hand. "Just like I couldn't believe you were coming here for an interview. So let's just say we're both surprised."

She released Harper's hand and nodded to the intern. "Thanks, Kat. Let Faith know we're about to get started in here, please."

"Actually, Kat, hold off on that," said Harper, grabbing Kat's wrist. "Let Faith know Beth will call her in ten minutes to come down. We need to speak privately."

Kat slowly gave Beth a puzzled look, which Beth repeated in the look she herself gave Harper. "It's fine, Kat. Tell Faith I'll call her down when we're ready."

Beth stepped back into her office, gesturing for Harper to sit down in the chairs at the small table by her desk. "I guess we're going off the record about why you decided to interview with me today?"

Harper scoffed in response, standing in front of the desk with one hand on her hip as she locked eyes with Beth.

"Have you found him yet?"

For the second time since Harper's arrival, puzzlement fell on Beth's face. "Found him? Found who?"

Harper leaned in close and whispered, "Mick St. John."

Beth froze as she heard Mick's name. She attempted to recover. "Uh, Harper, I have no idea what you are talking about."

This time, Harper laughed out loud as she extracted a tablet from her organizer and powered it on. "Turner, Turner, Turner. There's no need to be shy with me. Hit the video icon marked "Pilot." I think you'll know what I'm talking about when you see this."

She held the tablet out across the desk to Beth who gave it a cursory glance before taking it. The icon Harper described was the only item in the center of the small screen. She pressed it.

The screen filled with the background of a dark room, but it was hardly noticeable as Beth saw Mick sitting at a table talking to someone, a woman, off-camera. He wore a confident expression on his face as he readily answered question after question about …

She gasped at the realization. "Vampires," she whispered. She looked up at Harper. "You know about vampires. You know Mick is a vampire."

Harper nodded, finally taking the seat behind her. "More than a year ago, I was tasked with updating our database, so I came into town from Detroit to speak with several vampires. Mick was one of them."

"The database? Detroit?" Beth sat back in her chair. "You worked for Magnus McClane. The Archivist."

Harper clapped her hands. "And score one for the managing editor. I knew you were more than a pretty face. A few years back, I found out about a group of vampires there and wrote everything up. Pictures, names, addresses, the whole nine. I made copies of everything before they caught up with me. I thought I was a goner!"

Beth smirked. "Let me guess. McClane came at you with a sword?"

Harper gasped. "You met the man in "Highlander Mode," as I like to call it. Yeah, he wanted to chop me up. But then he read what I wrote. And for some reason, he was impressed. Hired me on the spot."

Ryan sat back in her chair. "McClane noticed there's been no activity from St. John in quite some time. No credit card activity, no internet usage from his loft. Even a layer of dust on his Mercedes."

"You know there's dust on his car?"

"When a vampire comes up missing for no apparent reason, the Archivist needs to know what happened. If it's human related, it could spill out to other corners of the world where vampires reside."

Beth started to speak but noticed Faith and Kat conversing outside her door. "We'll have to pick this up later when we can speak freely," she said softly, rising to her feet. "Until then, pretend like you want a job here, okay?"

Harper shrugged.

"I can make no promises."

#

Josef strolled into the banquet hall and took in the scene before him. Men and women milled around in small groups engrossed in conversation, while wait staff hustled effortlessly through the crowd with trays of hors d'oeuvres and champagne flutes. One waiter noted his entrance and immediately approached. He started to wave the tray away but decided to take a glass. Champagne was one of the few things he found tolerable that was not plasma.

He smiled and made his way through the crowd, nodding at several people he was acquainted with through his day-to-day business dealings and whispered into the ear of a beautiful model he had once escorted to a movie premiere. He left her giggling as he saw Adrian standing near a side entrance by the dais with a thick folder in hand, speaking rather adamantly with a portly, bald gentleman Josef recognized as the vice-president of one of the most prestigious and financially progressive banks in California. Adrian caught his boss' eye and hurriedly waved him over. Josef downed his drink in one quick gulp and set the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter before calmly making his way over to the two men.

Josef smiled at the vice-president, who saw him and immediately paled in the face as he approached. "Richard. You look like you're about to lose your lunch," he said. "The pigs in a blanket can't be all that bad."

Adrian held the folder out to him. "We have a situation, sir."

Josef gave his associate a frown as he took the folder and opened it, thumbing through the documents kept inside. His eyes quickly scanned over each sheet, widening ever more slightly at the turn of each page.

"We received your proposal on time, Mr. Kostan," said the bank president. He wrung his hands nervously while Adrian stood closely beside him, his eyes locked onto him like a snake spying its prey. "The board reviewed it and were about to call for a vote. You were the only one who had submitted a bid! But the new proposal was personally walked in by Carl Slattery himself."

Josef's head jerked up from the folder. "Carl Slattery? I spoke to him yesterday. He assured me my proposal was sufficient in purchasing the property! What changed?"

In answer, the side exit behind Josef opened. He started to speak but caught a whiff of a familiar scent caught in the air. The words caught in his throat as he slowly turned around, forcing a smile on his face. "And here I thought I was going to dance by myself tonight."

Standing at the head of of two men, both three inches taller than Josef, Sarah Whitley smiled back at Josef. "That may still be a possibility, but I only came to introduce myself to Richard King and drop off my bid proposal for the winery and the surrounding properties."

Richard casted a wary, sidelong glance at Josef before stepping forward. "I tried calling you, Miss Whitley. It turns out that your bid was accepted by the board this afternoon. All that's required now is for our attorneys to begin the transfer paperwork."

Sarah clapped her hands together. "That is excellent news!" She offered Josef a smile as she leaned in close. "I always wanted a winery."

Josef pursed his lips as he slowly turned his head to lock eyes with Adrian. He gave a small nod and stepped to King's side and began speaking while pulling him away from the group.

Josef returned his gaze to Sarah. "Security?" He nodded to the men standing behind her.

"More like tour guides." She shot a smile over her shoulder at one of the men. "Los Angeles isn't New York, but it just as well be."

"Well, I'm not big on dancing anyway, but might we take a drink together? I'm sure you have time for that."

She smiled and turned to hand her large handbag to one of the men accompanying her, fishing out a silver cigarette case and lighter. "Can we smoke in here?"

Josef did not answer, staring at the items in her hand. Sarah noticed the silence and what caught his eye. "The first time we met at the train station, I asked you for a light. Remember that?"

He smiled at the memory.

"That was a pretty picture."

#

After securing a tumbler of bourbon and another glass of champagne, Josef and Sarah made their way outside to a outdoor bar. Aside from a bartender and one other patron, they were alone in the area cordoned off by a brass railing. Across the street, hundreds of people filed into the Staples Center.

Sarah lit her cigarette and slipped her lighter in the cigarette case. She took a drag and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor. "One century, I'm smoking in the library while I study for my final exams. The next, I catch awful eyes staring at me if I so much attempt to light a cigarette while walking down the street. This is such a different time."

Josef set his glass onto the railing. "Humans are more health conscious in this century. One third of Los Angeles is gluten-free. Another third swears off carbs. The last third? Vegans. Yoga is big these days. Pilates. Pole dancing."

Sarah flicked the ashes off of her cigarette into an ashtray she had procured from a table beside her. "Simone offered to take me to a yoga class the other night after showing it to me on … YouTube? I told her I'd have to think about it."

"I hope you check it out. Just please keep any discussions concerning business during normal business hours." Josef held her drink out to her. "I have a feeling my bill to her firm will match what you spent on the winery."

Sarah set her cigarette in the ashtray and accepted the glass. "I didn't know you had sent in a bid on the property until after mine was accepted. It turns out that my father - excuse me - great-grandfather - he had a relationship with the bank in its early years. Mr. Slattery was very accommodating when he had found out."

Sarah took a sip as Josef sighed. "So you didn't buy the winery to spite me?"

"Of course not. I have nothing against you … Josef. I'm still trying to come to terms with your name."

Josef nodded. "I understand seeing someone you knew by a different name from years past may take some getting used to. Just as I know you may have so many questions to ask me."

"Then let's throw all our cards on the table." Sarah finished her bourbon and set the glass by the ashtray, stopping to pick back up her cigarette. A long ashtray fell from the tip. "Let's have dinner tonight. Just you and me. What do you say?"

Josef considered the request. He was about to respond when the doors they had exited moments before parted open. Adrian peered outside until he saw Josef and Sarah standing on the far side and waved a cell phone in the air.

"It appears that I'm needed," he said. "But … I have your number. If I finish my business in time, we might be able to arrange something for this evening."

A shadow of disappointment crossed over Sarah's features. She smiled and reached up to give Josef a kiss on his cheek, pausing to whisper in his ear as her lips brushed lightly across his skin.

"Don't keep me waiting all night."

#

Harper paced around Mick's loft, absorbing Beth's accounts of Mick's abduction. "Malcolm Rehnquist. Hmmm. Never heard of him. And the Archivist's records pretty much started in cities like Paris. What is he to Coraline Duvall?"

Beth poured two glasses of water from a pitcher in the refrigerator. "From what I gathered, he sired Coraline's entire blood line."

"That is huge." Harper walked over to the kitchen island and accepted the glass Beth held out to her. "McClane has been trying to find that little bit of info for at least two centuries. And you get it in less than two days."

She took a swallow of her water and set the glass to the side, pulling her laptop close to her. "I'll send McClane an email of what you've given me and to get a log-in. Maybe there's a record of a Malcolm Rehnquist in the database."

As her computer powered up, Harper looked up at Beth who stood on the other side facing her. "When I met St. John, he seemed like he could handle himself. Self assured. Cocky, if you want a general description. How was it that he was taken by this Rehnquist guy?"

Beth started to answer but thought better of it, not really wanting to divulge Josef's part in the incident to Harper. As if on cue, her cell phone beeped for attention. She pulled it from her jacket and smiled when she saw the name on the caller ID. "I have to take this," she said.

Stepping away from Harper, she connected the call. "Well well. Are you back?"

"Back and better than ever." Allison Lindsey responded on the other end. "Japan is nicer when you're there as a tourist and not in the military. Even though the ultimate reason I was there was for work. Alex Sanders should do well over there. I wish you would have come."

"Maybe next time. When did you get in?"

"Two hours ago. Wanna grab something to eat later, say around 9? I picked up a nice robe for you. And you will never believe what a pair of Jordans go for over there!"

Beth glanced over her shoulder to where Harper was working earnestly on her computer. "I'm in the middle of something right now. Can I call you in a few hours?"

"Okay. Don't keep me waiting."

Beth ended the call and went back over to where Harper sat with her laptop. "When your guys looked Magnus in with that mess about the list, he upgraded his security protocols. Aside from the London and Detroit sites, there are only a dozen men and women who have outside access to the database. I'm technically a part-timer, but I was able to convince him to let me keep my log-in, though I'll probably be getting a phone call to verify it's me in about five minutes."

She tapped the laptop screen as she turned to Beth. "There is only one reference to a Malcolm Rehnquist in the entire database. Turns out someone logged in the fact that he owned a few ships down there. Some yachts. A few container ships. Port of Los Angeles is one of their regular stops."

Beth's heartbeat quickened at the news. "Do you have a name of any of his ships.?"

"Just one. The "Cerise."" Harper raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Okay, if that doesn't sound gangster for a centuries-old vampire, I don't know what does."

Beth ignored her as she picked up her cell phone. "We need someone to check it out," she said, scrolling down her contact list until she found the name she was looking for.

"Who?"

Beth smiled.

"Someone who isn't human."

#

Guillermo Gasol nodded his thanks as he accepted a cup of blood from Beth. "The portmaster wasn't really willing to give up any kind of information concerning incoming or outgoing vessels. Luckily, I didn't have to get all into his personal business, thanks to Calrissian over here."

Beth gave Logan Griffin a quizzical look, which he pretended not to notice as he worked the mousepad on his laptop at Mick's desk. "I hacked into their database and surveillance system with no problem, but there's several terabytes of information I'll have to sift through. And the only system powerful enough to do that is at my house."

He did not say anything else, causing Beth to worry. "I meant to ask Guillermo if he has another batch of A positive, Logan. I've been busy."

Logan glanced up at Beth. "What? Oh! You're thinking about every time Mick had me doing something, some sort of monetary transaction always takes place, and you feel obligated?"

Guillermo chuckled. "No, fool. She's thinking I might have the last cup of A positive."

Beth laughed, in spite of herself. She started to say something but a knock at the office door startled her. Guillermo turned his head to the exit and closed his eyes briefly before reopening them, focusing onto her.

"Human. From the Victoria's Secret perfume I smell, it's a female."

Logan frowned at Guillermo as Beth walked past to the door. "How do you know?"

"Dude, I work with dead bodies. If I get a twenty-year-old blonde on the table, she has on expensive underwear and reeks of perfume. Do it for a few decades. Trust me."

Beth pressed the button on the monitor for the door camera. She relaxed at the image displayed. "It's fine. This is the woman I was telling you about," she said, opening the door to admit Harper Ryan.

Harper stepped past Beth into the office. "The Archivist lit into me when he found out what I was doing, Turner," she said hurriedly. "Said he wants to talk to you about it. Personally."

"Me? Why?"

Harper noted Logan and Guillermo sitting around the desk. "Because he thinks there's more to St. John's disappearance than just Malcolm Rehnquist taking him. And he wants whatever information you have concerning him."

She then gestured to the men. "Wow. You are in good with the vampires here in L.A. Guillermo Gasol and Logan Griffin? Big fan right here."

Beth hastened over to Guillermo before he could rise from his chair. "Guys, Harper Ryan here is a database analyst for Magnus McClane, a.k.a. The Archivist."

Guillermo glanced over at Harper before settling back into his chair. "Hi."

Harper smiled as she looked over to Beth. "You have one vampire who's a detective, another who's one of the best computer geeks out there, and a third who's in with the medical examiner's office. A nice little team."

Beth held her hands out. "Wait a minute. I'm still trying to figure out why McClane wants to see me."

"Well, from the conversation I had with him, I think you made some sort of impression when you met him last month. But he thinks there's more to this whole thing than what he can see."

Behind Harper, Logan surreptitiously shot a glance at Guillermo as Beth shook her head. "Harper, I'm busy with this, with work, I still have to meet with my friend … " Beth glanced at her watch and cursed under her breath. "I'm late! I can't just pick up and jump on a plane to go to Detroit at a moment's notice."

"Ah, but that's the joy of it all." Harper waved a finger in the air as she moved over to the door. "Why bring you to Detroit when I can bring Detroit to you?"

With a flourish, she swung open the door. Beth gasped at the sight of Magnus McClane standing outside. His long, black hair was pulled up into a bun tied to the top of his head.

Guillermo and Logan jumped to their feet simultaneously at the sight of the vampire who towered over all of the occupants in the room. McClane merely smiled. "Harper. You know how I hate to be kept waiting, lass."

Harper waved McClane inside. "But you love dramatic entrances," she said. "Don't pretend you don't."

McClane growled as he looked around the office briefly before settling his eyes on Beth. "Aye. We meet again, Miss Turner."

Beth said nothing as McClane glanced at Guillermo and Logan. Both vampires were still standing, but shared uncertain glances with each other. "I can take both of your heads off and throw them outside to the pavement below before your bodies even begin to fall to the floor. Sit."

Guillermo and Logan traded one more glance before reclaiming their chairs as McClane turned back to Beth, but spoke to Harper. "Keep the boys company, Ryan. I want to talk to this one in private."

Beth led McClane into the apartment. He nodded with approval as he took in the decor. "I never cared for him. Your Mick. But he has some taste."

He sat down on the couch and gestured for Beth to sit beside him. "Harper told me what happened with St. John. How he was taken by Malcolm Rehnquist. But what she didn't tell me was why. She said you would possibly know."

Beth sighed in defeat. "Mick was taken by Malcolm Rehnquist because … Josef gave him up."

McClane's eyebrows rose sharply in surprise. He leaned closer as if to hear Beth more clearly. "Kostan? Josef Kostan gave him up? Why?"

"It was because Rehnquist took a woman from Josef's past," Beth said quickly. "Josef made the wrong choice, but he did it to protect her."

McClane sat back into the couch, rolling his eyes. "Oh, the whole damsel in distress bit. So clichè." He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

Beth slid a little closer to McClane. "The woman Josef was protecting was a human he tried to turn back in 1955. The love of his life. Maybe the only love of his life. Something ... happened and she fell into a coma. Josef had her resting at a house in New York for decades until Rehnquist found her somehow. He was able to bring her out of her coma and brought her here to Los Angeles to hold over Josef's head."

McClane stared at Beth in shocked silence as she wrung her hands. "I hated Josef for what he did. Believe me. I hated him. But … I think about Mick. I think about Mick and what he would do. He would have turned himself over to Rehnquist even if Josef begged him not to."

She grasped McClane's forearm tightly. "Give me at least two days. We finally have a lead, our first since all this started. I think we're close, but I'm going to need Josef and his resources and if every vampire in Los Angeles is hunting him down, it will take away from what I'm doing in finding Mick."

McClane scoffed and pulled his arm away, rising to his feet. He gave Beth a sad look. "Los Angeles? Lass, it's not the vampires here Kostan will have to worry about. They will be the least of his problems."

Before Beth would form an inquiry, McClane pulled a cell phone from an inside jacket pocket and dialed a number as he moved to the door. He opened it and began to step out into the hallway, but pause to turn back to Beth, still sitting on the couch but turned around to watch his departure with uncertainty.

"You have your forty-eight hours, Miss Turner."

With that, he closed the door behind him, leaving Beth to ponder what exactly he had meant. She stood and walked back into the office. Harper had replaced Logan behind Mick's desk, staring down the two vampires sitting in front of it like two students facing the principal.

Harper jabbed her finger into the desk surface. "I'm telling you two right now, the best lead isn't the port. It's Paris. Rehnquist lives above some high end restaurant there. We fly there, find some answers."

Guillermo shook his head. "You fly there, and then what? Paris has the highest concentration of vampires in the world. Over twice the amount L.A. has. You might make it there, but you won't make it back."

Harper started to reply, but noted Beth's reappearance. "There you are! Where's Magnus?"

"He left." Beth walked over and fell into the couch against the wall. "And thanks for the warning, by the way. You could have told me he was in town."

"Hey, I didn't know myself until a hour ago. He loves the Lions. They have a preseason game against San Francisco tomorrow, so he and some of his staff flew in. Alistair, his assistant, called him, and he called me."

Beth sighed and leaned back, covering her eyes with her forearm. "Well, we have two days to find Mick before … something happens. He said the vampires here will be the least of Josef's problems."

Harper covered her mouth in surprise. She stared at Logan and Guillermo who gave her a bewildered look in return. "What's wrong?" asked Logan.

She turned her head in Beth's direction. "What else did Magnus say?"

Beth did not stir on the couch. "That's it. Why?"

Harper sighed and sat down behind the desk. "Josef won't have to contend with the Logan Griffins and Guillermo Gasols of Los Angeles. No. This dictates a far more brutal touch. A notice served to all vampires who even think of committing the same crime."

Beth slowly raised her head as the full gravity of Harper's words hit her. She looked over to her and saw the confirmation she dreaded on her face. Shooting up to her feet, she hurried over to the desk and snatched up her purse before rushing out of the office.

#

Beth paced in her living room, glancing at her watch every five seconds. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began dialing, but a knock at her door interrupted the process.

She rushed over and opened the door. Simone stood on the other side waiting. "What took you so long? We don't have a lot of time."

"I know. Which is why I brought him along." Simone gestured to her side as Josef stepped into view from beside the door.

He smiled as he rubbed his hands together. "Beth. It's been a while."

Clearly exasperated, Beth grabbed Simone by the elbow and snatched her into the apartment, slamming the door in Josef's face. "Why did you bring him here?!"

"Because he understands the seriousness of the situation." Simone shrugged out of Beth's grasp. "He wants to help in any way possible. Even if it means going outside for … other resources."

Beth looked into Simone's eyes for a long minute before she sighed and reached to open the door. Josef stood exactly as he was before, rubbing his hands.

"Beth," he repeated. "It's been a while."

He started to enter but Beth remained steadfast in the doorway blocking his entry. "Is it true? Are you going to help?"

Josef nodded. "I'll do all I can."

She stood to the side and gestured for him to enter. "I hope you will, because after what I just found out, we don't have much time."

"What are you talking about?" Josef moved to Simone's side in the living room as Beth closed the door. "I've spoken to a few vampires here and they're willing to give me the time to find Mick."

"You don't have to worry about them, Josef," said Beth. "Magnus McClane knows. He knows everything, and now we have two days to find Mick."

The smile on Josef's face disappeared at the news. He sat down on the arm of one of the chairs and whistled. "You really did it now," he whispered. "You couldn't just sit on your hands for a few more weeks until we run Malcolm out into the open, and I would have gotten out of him where Mick was kept."

"This wasn't my fault, Josef!" Beth moved to stand in front of Josef. "One of McClane's people came to me. She knew Mick was gone. She tried to help, and we actually have a few leads because of it. Because of the list getting out into the open, McClane initiated new protocols for his database, and that's how he found out."

Josef stood up and patted Beth on the shoulder. "It's fine, Beth. I'll make a call to McClane in Detroit and explain everything. It's fine."

Before he could move for the door, Beth announced, "He's already here in the city."

Josef stopped in his tracks at the news. Simone held up a hand. "What's going to happen in two days?"

Beth remained silent, but Josef turned to the attorney, a grim expression gracing his face."

"War."

#