Page 63 of Lost

Dallas backed down fast. “Hell, no, sir. Just double checking that I heard it right.”

“You heard it right. Oh, and apparently Aphrodite will be joining us too. So, be sure you get that Hummer that has the heating problem for our lead vehicle.” Stark winked at Dallas.

“Oooh, I get it now!” Dallas chuckled. “You want to piss off Aphrodite. I think I know who she’s gonna be sitting by too, right?”

“Lieutenant Dallas, did I ask you to think?” Stark said.

“No, sir, you did not.”

“Then follow my orders. Now.”

“No problemo. Whatever you say, General.” Dallas gave Kevin a contemptuous look. “You might as well come with me. Just stay downwind.”

“Um, excuse me, General Stark, sir,” Kevin began.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Sir, I apologize, but I need to feed before we leave,” he blurted.

“Of course he does. Such a pain in the ass,” Dallas muttered.

Stark sent Dallas a hard look, but told Kevin, “You have time. Do what you need to do, and then join the head of the convoy at 2200 hours.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kevin hurried away—heading in the general direction of the small, dingy room the House of Night called the Red Cafeteria. It was really just a crappy old storage room that had been converted into a place where drugged humans waited to be used as meals. But as soon as he was out of eyesight of Stark and Dallas, he changed direction, pulled the hoodie up over his head, and slipped quickly out the nearest door.

He didn’t pause. He walked fast—like he knew exactly where he was going. And he did. He knew what he had to do. Under the hoodie he kept glancing up at the sky.

“Come on! Come on! Bird, where are you? Give me a break, will ya, and don’t make me do this.”

Kevin kept moving, heading east out on the school grounds. He avoided the better-lit parts of the big, grassy area and tried to stay visible from above as he moved from tree to tree, keeping his gaze upward.

When he reached the east wall and the hidden trapdoor, he huddled in the shadows beside it while his gaze swept the schoolyard. There were vampyres and fledglings visible, but they were all off in the distance, and all hurrying around—no doubt getting ready to gleefully slaughter some innocent people. He looked up at the sky again. Nothing. No damn bird.

“Shit!”

Feeling heavy with foreboding, Kevin pressed the hidden latch in the wall and then slipped outside.