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"I'll explain later. I--" A wheeze, then a cough. "You offered to help me. You've probably changed your mind by now, but I . . . I don't know who else to call."
As he spoke, the initial jolt over hearing from him faded. Bryce calls me in the middle of the night? Asks for help? From a pay phone? With his voice too distorted to recognize?
"You don't sound like yourself," I said.
"Yeah, I've"--another sniff--"I've got something. A bug."
"You were fine when I saw you yesterday. And where'd you get this number?"
"I have my cell phone here, but I can't get a signal. They've done something to it--" He paused. "You don't think it's me. Can't blame you." He swallowed, loudly, as if it hurt. "Okay, umm, last year for your birthday, Sean got you a new saddle. Imported it from Germany. At Christmas you guys went riding in Colorado. You, Adam, Sean, and the guy he was seeing."
"Why aren't you calling Sean?"
"Because this isn't . . . I don't want . . ." Another swallow. "I can't bring him into this. You're in L.A., right?"
"No, Miami."
"Shit. Shit, shit, shit . . ."
"Where are you, Bryce?"
"New Orleans. I guess it's about the same distance. I'm just--" He gave a long, wheezing cough. "I'm confused."
"You're sick."
"Yeah. No way can I get on a plane or a bus like this, even if I had money, which I don't. And I shouldn't anyway. You need to come here. See this."
"See what?"
"Need see it." He started clipping his sentences, as if full ones took more energy than he had. "Shouldn't come alone. That vampire still with you?"
"Cassandra?" He wanted me to bring Cassandra. A trap. It had to be a trap. "No. But I could get her."
"Someone else then. Someone--"
"Savannah?" Adam called.
I turned as he walked over. I mouthed, "Bryce."
"Who's that?" Bryce asked.
"Adam. Wondering where I disappeared to."
"Oh. Sean said you two weren't . . ." He trailed off. I didn't correct his assumption, just pulled the phone from my ear so Adam could listen in as Bryce continued. "Okay. Adam. The Exustio. That'll work. Okay. Bring Adam or anyone who can watch your back and--"
A soft shout from Bryce's end, a woman's voice, tight with alarm, words indistinguishable. The phone clattered, as if Bryce was hanging up.
The woman's voice came closer. "You're supposed to be in bed, sir."
"I just wanted to let them know I'm okay. I didn't--"
"You can't be outside. Boys, please take Mr. N back to his room."
More noises, protests from Bryce, but faint, as if he couldn't summon the energy to fight back. The click of heels on pavement. Then they stopped. The steps came back and the receiver rattled, as if she'd realized it hadn't properly disconnected.
Adam motioned for me to hang up fast. I shook my head and waited.
"Who is this?" the woman said.
