If she slammed her foot on the gas, she’d hit a cone and maybe the side of the guard’s car, but she could get them past the stop. She took a deep breath and got ready. The Crown Vic was a heavy car—not the best acceleration, but once it got going, it stayed that way. And they’d have a head start. Maybe they’d even make it to the gate before they were arrested.
But before she did anything, Winter leaned forward in his seat. “Hey!” he shouted at the guard. “We’ve got rights. According to the law, we have the right to the bounty on him, so if you think you can scare us into giving it up, try again.”
Tana looked at Winter in surprise.
“Damn,” Aidan said under his breath. “You think he’s going to shoot us now? I’d really rather he didn’t shoot us.”
“Your friends, huh?” the guard said with a sneer, leaning his head through the window and narrowing his eyes at Gavriel. “You know what those friends of yours are planning? They’re gonna sell you. We don’t get a lot of corpses going in willingly.”
Tana saw Gavriel’s fingers moving, subtly shifting chain. He wasn’t tied particularly carefully. In a moment, he’d work his arm free. In a moment, he’d grab the guard, drag him across Tana’s lap and sink his fangs into the man’s throat. She saw the way it would play out, the shock, the screaming, the geysering red running down the inside of the windshield.
Maybe she was closer to going Cold than she’d thought, because picturing it didn’t horrify her. Instead, she wondered what it would feel like if it were her fingers closing on the guard’s neck, her teeth tearing his skin. She imagined she could smell him, his stale cigarette breath, the brine of his sweat, and underneath all of that, welling up through his pores, the unique scent of his blood.
Then the guard leaned back from the window, out of danger, and clicked a button on the radio. He spoke into the static. “Yeah, I’ve got a car of kids here with a corpse. Say they’re going to claim a bounty on it. Yeah, it seems in on the joke. I know, world’s full of crazy.”
Tana blinked herself out of her dazed imaginings to find that they were being waved through the checkpoint.
CHAPTER 14
POST BY: MIDNIGHT
SUBJECT: THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT THINGS
TO BRING TO COLDTOWN
1. Cash and lots of it. You can barter for lots of things inside, but cash is still the most important tool for bribing guards and getting what you want. You’ve been saving up, right? Bring every last penny. It’s not like you’re coming back.
2. Batteries, chargers, and extension cords, small solar generator, phone, video recorder—plus your laptop, of course. You might have to bootleg your energy source to get your feed up and running, but then you’ll be able to share your adventures with the rest of us and hear us pining away to join you. Having an effective way to communicate with the outside world might turn out to be profitable, too. Lots of Coldtown stars were just like you when they started.
3. Clean cannulas (hollow needle and length of tubing) and means of sterilization for venipuncture (rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, matches, or lighter). Think about putting this in a pretty case that you can bring to clubs or parties and show off. Sure, it would be great if you didn’t have to use any of that, but most Coldtown vampires aren’t going to bite you straight off. They only turn people they really care about.
4. Your stuff. Clothes, shoes, shampoo, perfume, jewelry, makeup—only bring the things you really love, because once you’re through the gates, you’re going to be on foot and traveling light, but also remember that everything’s harder to come by in Coldtown. Dragging a bigger suitcase might be worth it when you’re trying to find that perfect outfit. Think about the person you want to be—and the person you want to impress—and dress for them.
5. Stuff for trade—good booze, good weed, cans of luxury food, fresh produce, clothes, and medicine (antibiotics, aspirin, and other painkillers are especially valuable). All this stuff will help you hold on to your cash reserves a lot longer—and maybe even increase them significantly.
6. Mace and other means of defense. We know how special Coldtown is and we’re such a supportive community online that it’s hard to imagine there are people beyond the gate who aren’t like us, but with no police or anything, we have to be careful. Newcomers are considered prey by bands of unworthy wannabes, so don’t be taken in by the kids near the gate telling you about great squats or secret clubs. Don’t let anyone touch your bags, either, and be ready to defend yourself if necessary.