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"I'll pass," Lindsey said. "She still gives me the heebie-jeebies." She looked at me askance. "But there's more. You and Ethan had some kind of something?"
"You're fishing. And we didn't have something or anything. We're just bummed it's Valentine's Day and I'm spending it with you guys."
"Yeah, well, tone down the magic. You're giving me split ends."
"I doubt that's even biologically possible, since you're a vampire, and regardless, no. What's got your undies in a twist this evening?"
Was it the entire House? Perhaps the angst of so many vampires packed into a small space, or worry about the riots or the GP, but everybody - me included - was in a mood tonight.
"The psychic sewer," Luc called out from the Ops Room. I considered that my invitation, and slipped around Lindsey and into the room.
"Psychic sewer?" I asked, taking a seat at the table.
Tonight, only Cadogan House vampires were in attendance. Luc was at the table, Lindsey now beside him. Juliet was still recuperating, and Kelley was probably on patrol outside, which left the temps at the computer stations.
"Because she's empathic," Luc said, "she gets the dregs of all the various emotions floating around this House. And trust me - with this many vamps stuck together, there are many, many dregs."
"That sucks," I said.
She shrugged. "I'll get over it."
"Since I'm down here, and dressed for excitement, maybe we could work on this rioting situation?"
Without prompting, Luc leaned over the conference phone and hit one of the speed-dial buttons.
"Jeff's House of Fun," Jeff answered.
"Jeffrey," Luc said, sitting back in his chair with a squeak and linking his hands behind his head. "What's the good word?"
"Indefatigable is a pretty good word. Lots of syllables."
"Not exactly what I had in mind, but I see where you're going. I'd give you a point for that."
"Hey, Jeff," I said.
"Hey, Mer. Sounds like you've had some excitement over there."
"True fact. But they haven't shut us down yet, so let's talk riots."
"There wasn't one last night," Jeff pointed out. "Maybe they're at an end."
"We can only hope," Luc said, "but I don't think we can bank on it."
"Although that does raise an interesting question," I said. "I've been thinking about the riots. What if they aren't about hating vampires, but about accomplishing something else? They had a House full of Cadogan and Grey House vampires. If they wanted to make a strike, a big strike, now would be the time to do it. But they didn't. Not a hint or a peep of violence. Two riots in a row, and then nothing."
"I think you are right, Sentinel," Luc said. "It's not just about vampires, or else we're looking at the most incompetent group of rioters to set foot in the Windy City. And God knows Chicago has seen its share of riots."
I nodded. "I think that's why we need to focus on Bryant Industries. It was the first place hit, and I think there's a reason for it. If Robin Pope wasn't that reason, then someone else must be. Charla Bryant's brother was supposed to get you some videos of the building. Have you seen those yet?"
"Not that I'm aware of. But Catcher's not back yet. Maybe they've talked."
"Yeah," I said, "he just left here a few minutes ago."
"Have you uncovered anything else that might indicate why the facility was hit?"
"Not a thing," Jeff said. "Charla's parents owned Bryant Industries initially. They had a nasty divorce, and Alan and Charla took over the business. That situation seems to have worked itself out. I also found a really old record for a CPD citation for a loud holiday party at the facility - someone spiked the punch. And about twelve years ago, a former employee got pretty livid when he didn't get a promotion he thought he deserved. He was paid a settlement and released his claim."
I frowned. "Charla didn't mention anything about that."
"It was twelve years ago. Maybe she didn't think it was relevant."
Especially not when Robin Pope's grievance was so fresh.
"What about the health department inspection?" I asked.
"From what we can tell, it's a coincidence. Chuck's got a friend at the health department. He said the woman who scheduled it was heading for maternity leave, and she wanted to get it done before she left."
"Okay," I said. "So let's say inspection's unrelated. The riot had to serve its own purpose. But what?"
"Let's brainstorm that," Luc said. He pushed back his chair, then headed to the whiteboard. "Possible motives."
"Maybe they needed access to the building?" I suggested. "Something they want from the facility?"
"Like what?" Luc asked.
"Could be anything," I said. "Their mailing lists, financial information, scientific equipment."
"Scientific equipment?" Luc asked.
"I'm sure they have some in the lab," I said. "Maybe somebody wanted it."
"Did Charla say anything was missing?" Jeff asked.
I frowned. "I don't think so."
"And I'm not sure about the access theory," Luc said. "A riot's a bad distraction for the place you actually want to get into - people would be everywhere, cops swarming, not to mention rioters. If you're going to use a riot as a distraction, it's because you want people's attention on the riot, not the place where you actually are."
"Then maybe to disrupt Chicago's vampires?" Lindsey asked. "To interrupt the blood flow?"
"But it didn't," I said. "Charla told us it didn't affect their capacity."
"Okay," Lindsey said, "but just because it wasn't successful doesn't mean that wasn't the goal."
"True enough," Luc said, writing "blood supply" on the whiteboard. "What else?"
"I don't know," I said. "If not access to the building, maybe access to the blood supply?"
"You're thinking poison?" Jeff asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "Or maybe somebody was especially bloodthirsty?"
"We have the same distraction problem there," Luc said. "Bryant Industries is big, but not so big that starting a fire at one end of the building is going to pull everybody away from the production floor. I don't think it would work as a distraction."
"And besides," Jeff said, "you're all still here."
