Page 30 of Bound

He growled. I shut off my screen.

“It gets worse,” Brody said. “According to River, while he was listening in, he overheard a meeting between the Lindley County Health Department and some government types up from Austin doing facility inspections. They’re going to start doing sweeps. Random employee testing.”

West cursed. “The Nationwide Database Act?”

“Have to hand it to the government and their slick anti-paranormal media campaign,” I said dryly. “You couldn’t go on the internet the last three months without seeing that ad where the first grader is the last one packing up her crayons and you see the shadow of her teacher on the wall hunch over and grow fangs and a tail to that creepy horror soundtrack. Every parent across the state of Texas was probably picturing their kid being eaten by their teacher before lunch.”

“We’ve known this was coming since the legislation passed two months ago,” Brody said. “They can’t stop random citizens on the street. Hospitals aren’t allowed to screen the blood samples they collect either.”

“Yeah, but all state and federal employees can be required to submit to blood testing,” West said in a low voice. “That’s you, me, Cal—”

“They show up at our worksites, it’s a problem either way. We let them draw blood and they get a positive ID, that’s game over. Refuse, and they’ll assume it’s because we have something to hide.”

River leaned forward. “You should know that our research and development teams are testing an emergency dose of Eclipse, a dissolvable tablet intended for mass distribution. They’re trying to fast track it. Best guess at this point is another six to eight months.”

For a beat, the table fell silent. And then—

“Are you insane?” West hissed. “The vamps are using that shit to kidnap us off the streets and the Council wants us all to take it voluntarily to pass a blood screening?”

“You got a better idea, let’s hear it.”

“This… sucks.”

River continued, “It’s already being tried on a preliminary basis in the feral encampments.”

He flicked a sideways glance at Brody.

West froze. “You knew about this?”

“Keep your voice down.”

“I can’t believe you’d okay something like this, using them as lab rats.”

Brody shot us all a warning look. “You know as well as I do there are no easy answers when it comes to the feral question. We don’t have any treatments that work right now for the people who can’t manage their lycanthropy through traditional means. We drug them with silver until they’re addicted, half-mad and barely able to function, shun them into encampments away from the rest of society, where they often escape at the full moon and wind up biting and infecting humans anyway. I get how it sounds. I do. But I’m the one who had to go out with Dad every month to destroy the Ferals who were too far gone and couldn’t be saved. It was the only way to protect the human populations who lived nearby. If there’s a pharmaceutical alternative available, even one that comes with the risk of serious side effects, we owe it to them to give them the choice. Most of them aren’t looking at any good options by the time their condition progresses to that point anyway.”

“The Tracers don’t like it either,” River said. “Too many risks it could be turned on one of us by rogue pack members. But we’re fielding calls like you wouldn’t believe, from former Ferals in recovery and family members who are desperate to get their loved ones into the trials. Not to mention our medical community has a list of patients they want to add, mostly those with autoimmune reactions to the lycan virus they’ve never been able to successfully treat, including—”

He hesitated.

West swore. “You’re kidding me. August, really? I mean… I get why, but…”

Brody shoved his plate away. “You’ve seen how sick he’s been the last six months. Every phase of the moon, it gets a little worse. The seizures have gotten so unpredictable he’s had to give up driving for the time being until they stabilize. He’s trying to put on a brave face, but having to give up that piece of independence is killing him. There’s no way to know how this drug would affect him, if it would even help his disease. Nothing else has so far. But I can’t fault him for wanting to try something that could prove therapeutic, consequences be damned.”

He leveled each of us with a look. “The meet is set for midnight. Everyone needs to bring their A-game. I have a feeling we’re in for some surprises.”

* * *

End of the World was one of the hottest clubs in Austin’s downtown warehouse district. A multi-level interior included a roped-off VIP section and a bar with an impressive selection of specialty mixed drinks. We’d been given no specific location within the club, which meant with my luck, I could probably look forward to a vampire ghosting in right on top of me and sticking a knife between my ribs to kick things off.

And that was if we were lucky. There was poor access to the narrow alley in back where Brody and Naomi were set up outside monitoring the exits, and even worse visibility inside the club itself, the packed floor and special lighting effects as the band performed ensuring that even if River did manage to mark our contact over all the noise coming from the stage, he would have a hell of a time picking his or her face out in the crowd. But at this point, we were out of options.

“Relax,” West shouted over the music. Hayden’s band, Daisy Addiction, was up on stage tearing through their second set. The crowd surged, gyrating bodies pressing in on us from every side. “Everyone’s in place.”

“It’s nearly midnight. What if they don’t show?”

“There’s ten ways this can go all to hell. Your job is to stay focused and keep them talking. Leave the rest to me and River.”

“You know you’re going to have to back off,” I said into his ear, fighting not to think about how good he smelled, like cinnamon gum and aftershave, how amazing it felt to be pressed up against him, the music vibrating through my bones like an electric current. “They get any hint we’re all here—"