Page 83 of Fire Dancer
At first, we smiled, but then my thoughts turned to Stacy, and my heart went all heavy.
Ingo kissed me again, then swung his legs resolutely over the side of the bed. “All right, then. Time to bring down the bad guys. Or make a plan anyway.”
* * *
We brainstormed while going about my morning chores. Ingo was a star, helping me feed the horses and check the cattle without so much as a grumble. He helped with breakfast and cleaned up afterward too.
The kind of morning I could get used to, if it hadn’t been for the dark cloud hanging over it. A cloud that got darker the longer we threw out ideas. And the longer we did that, the more I was convinced I had a solution.
Yet Ingo shot it down every time, with the same reason.
“Too risky.”
“It’s theleastrisky.”
“It’s not like Jananovich will leave evidence lying around for the catering crew to find,” Ingo pointed out. “At least, nothing compelling enough for the agency to use as an excuse to charge in.”
“If the timing is right, there will be evidence. Believe me.”
My mind played out gratifying images of law enforcement agents busting in at the height of a blood orgy, just in time to save innocent people and put away the bad guys, without risking their own lives. That’s what happened in the movies, right?
I made a mental note to pitch the idea to a Hollywood agent someday. It was brilliant.
On the downside, I had the sneaking suspicion real life and Hollywood mirrored each other about as well as horses and pigs.
“If the timing is wrong, I lose my job and Jananovich goes free,” Ingo growled. “Or worse, another person ends up dead.” He pinned me with a significant look that said,Someone like you.
For some reason, that didn’t worry me. But my heart bled when I thought of Stacy, Janet Sullivan, and their families.
My hands formed fists. It was time to put Jananovich away for good. Hell, I wouldplantevidence if I had to and call the agency with an anonymous tip.
The latter was actually an echo of our first backup plan — to ask Kyle Williams, Arizona law enforcement officer, to call the ADMSA with an urgent request for immediate agency intervention. But the wolves of Twin Moon pack were loath toget involved — with the agencyorwith vampires — for fear of opening a Pandora’s box that would plague their peaceful little corner of paradise.
I would really have to visit one day, if they let me. I made that my second mental note of the morning. Plus, it was positive thinking. Visiting Twin Moon Ranch one day meant I would survive my plunge into a pool of sharks. (Ingo’s inspiring analogy, not my own.)
“I’ve already been to La Puebla once,” I pointed out. “I survived that.”
Ingo scowled. Well, that was better than him flipping out the way he had earlier, when I’d admitted to dropping in on Victor Jananovich.
“Once is already too many times,” he grumbled.
“I doubt I taste good anyway,” I joked, but it went flat.
“It’s not just the taste the vampires are after,” Ingo said. “It’s the power infusing the blood. Especially magical power. The stronger the victim, the bigger the boost their blood gives the vampire.”
I felt strangely comforted, because I hardly had any magic powers.
Then I remembered the bonfire.
I gulped. I’d never wittingly conjured any real power, but sometimes it happened unintentionally. Not a very useful kind of power — not to me anyway. But to a vampire…
I stuck my hands on my hips. “Do you have a better idea?”
I knew he didn’t, because his best idea had beenhimsneaking in. Jananovich’s security would be all over him in a New York minute, whereas I’d already been let in once. Plus, Ingo hadlaw enforcementwritten all over him. I was just innocent ol’ me.
I fluttered my eyelashes at Ingo to reinforce the point.
Five minutes later, I was on the phone while Ingo listened in, not at all pleased.