“I’ll come up on the main road and pretend I have business. Whatever you do, don’t let that ship leave the dock with the girl aboard.”
My gaze swung down to the large boats. Two were small and looked like trawlers, while the other was a cargo ship docked near a long pier. Rectangular boxes were stacked up, but it wasn’t one of those massive ships I’d seen in photographs.
Christian brushed the ice from his beard and hair, and I did the same with my own hair. “Everything that happens tonight goes in a report, you hear? Don’t take any civilian lives unless your own life is in danger.”
I was shivering all over but managed to nod.
He shook his head. “I wish there was something I could do to make you warm.” Without another word, Christian sprinted to the left and out of sight.
He left me with mixed emotions about his comment. It seemed genuine and left me wondering about the things that he’d said about us.
“Focus, Raven,” I whispered, descending the snowy hill toward the shore.
Instead of flashing, I walked at a casual pace. If Temple heard any frantic running, he was likely to get spooked and do something crazy. Four men were quietly walking down the wide concrete pier. I wondered if they were the operators of the large cranes used to load the ships. Up a ways to the left was a well-lit building, probably where workers sat down to warm up with a cup of coffee.
I did my best to fix my hair and brush the ice off my coat and pants. When I stepped onto the pier, two men drove by me in a small vehicle. I waved at them and then put my hands back in my pockets. Neither looked like Chitahs. The last thing I needed was someone smelling my emotions.
A heavyset man in a brown coat headed toward me, a clipboard in his left hand. When he didn’t look away, I waved.
“My boss wants me to make sure we have everything loaded.”
He stopped in front of me. “Name?”
I swallowed hard. “Temple.”
While he ran his finger down the list of names on his clipboard, I casually moved my hand out of my pocket and inside my coat where my weapons were.
“Yeah, here it is. Everything’s loaded.”
“Can I take a peek?”
He gave me an impatient look, so I gave him an indignant one in return.
“Look, I almost got fired last time when I took the guy’s word and someone made a mistake on the paperwork. They left the crate behind. I’m not saying you guys aren’t doing your job, but accidents happen, and I really can’t afford to screw up again. I swear it’ll just take a second.” Quickly realizing he was assessing my hair and wet shoes, I shivered. “I’m freezing my ass off out here. On our way over, I made the mistake of questioning him on something, and he tossed my ass out of the car and made me walk the rest of the way. Some people treat you like shit when all you’re trying to do is earn a living. Help a girl out? I’ll be out of your hair as quick as I can.”
The man’s shoulders sagged, and he recited off a series of numbers that belonged to the crate. “They leave in thirty minutes, so be sure you’re off that boat, or it’s my ass.”
“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver.”
He gave a tight smile and headed back.
I’d taken a chance using Temple’s name when he could’ve been within earshot, but Vampires often muted out sounds to keep their sanity. I glanced over my shoulder as I approached the ship, making sure no one was following. It looked clear, so I jogged up the ramp and made my way aboard.
Two men were roping something off, so I circled around them and walked along the outer edge since all the cargo took up the middle. When I found a walkway that cut through the center, I looked at each crate in search of the numbers. There were so many stacked on top of each other. How the hell was I supposed to get it open? Whatever blood I’d taken from Christian had been hours ago, so most of that Vampire strength had probably worn off by now.
I studied the first three numbers on every crate I passed until I reached the other side of the boat. The outer edge was clear, with narrow passageways through the center, allowing workers to navigate easily around the ship. When I reached the end of the next aisle, I approached a group of smaller crates on the other side. A wooden one stood out, about the same size as the one Kira had arrived in.
I squatted down and read the numbers at the bottom, which were a perfect match. “Hello, darling.”
I searched around me but didn’t see anything useful to open the crate. With time ticking, I flashed back to where the two men were working and hid around the corner. Just within reach were a crowbar and mallet. While one guy was busy telling a sex joke, I crawled around a crate and waited for my chance. As soon as he hit the punch line and they busted a gut laughing, I reached for the crowbar and scampered away.
The last thing I wanted was to get the workers involved and have to knock them out. They were just blue-collar guys who probably busted their ass for that job, and chances were it was the boss accepting money under the table for any illegal shipments.
As I neared the crate, a man in a fur-lined collar stepped into view. Definitely not one of the crew. He pressed his gloved finger against his remarkably small lips, and I knew by his smug grin that it had to be Temple. The lights on the ship revealed his pale skin, a flawless complexion despite his sagging cheeks and droopy eyes.
His black eyes were hollow, lifeless orbs that made me shudder. I dropped the crowbar and reached for an impalement stick in my coat. When his fangs punched out, I flashed to the left, but before I could reach the other side, he appeared around the corner as if he’d always been there.
The walkways were too dark—easy for him to shadow walk—so I stood a better chance in the light. I jumped on top of a shipping crate, then another until I reached the top. Niko had taught me to always keep moving and make sure I never let anyone corner me. The crates weren’t stacked level, so I jumped over a few and ran to the highest level where I could see. Eyes wide, I searched the shadowy passageways.
It wouldn’t take long for him to find me. All he had to do was listen for my heart pounding and heavy breathing. Temple suddenly slithered up the shadows and appeared in front of me. Startled, I swung my arm and missed when he backed up a step. Much too close to Temple, I leapt across the walkway to the other side and turned around. If my aim wasn’t true, he could snap my neck and tear my head away. I’d heard enough stories about rogue Vampires and had witnessed their strength to believe it.
Temple charged after me, and I sprinted away and dropped down to a lower crate. Boxed in, I had no choice but to jump to the ground.