Out of the Night (41 page)

There were moments when he liked being a Death Rider—this was not one of them.

Elsewhere in the city, Kent Patterson wiped the blood from his mouth as his meal slumped to the ground, already forgotten. Patterson had fed until he could consume no more, yet the hunger would not abate. It clawed at him until anger and irritation rode him relentlessly. He considered tasting one of the other humans chained to the wall, their fear a cloying scent in the otherwise rancid atmosphere of his lair, but a sound from the outer chamber distracted him.

His converts had returned and Patterson was eager for the prize they'd brought him. Patterson, ever resourceful, had a plan—one that included personal wealth and power. The success of his plan, however, depended on the biochemist they'd kidnapped for him, and with whose help—given willingly or coerced—Patterson would become a major player in the lucrative underground world of drug trafficking.

Immortality did not come cheap, but it
could
be bought.

Now that he had all the time in the world, Patterson intended to enjoy every minute of it.

He stepped through the door and gazed upon the frightened young man in a white lab coat, held suspended by his arms between the two underlings. Patterson suspected they retained their grip on the young man more to support him than to keep him from bolting. The irony here was that it was not the young man who should be the most frightened.

"What the hell is this?" Patterson bellowed, causing the two lesser vampires to stumble back.

"It… it's the biochemist you wanted," the braver of the two responded.

"No," Patterson said, his voice sounding deceptively calm. "This is not the biochemist
I
wanted. This biochemist is a
man
." He raised an eyebrow as he looked first at one underling and then the other, as if daring them to refute the obvious truth. "Where is the woman?" If it were possible for the two vampires to grow paler, they did.

"We went to the lab as instructed, but he was the only one there."

"Then. You. Failed." Patterson spit out the words, making sure the disciples fully appreciated the extent of his displeasure. Their hold on the prisoner grew tentative, as if they would leave him there and return immediately to the lab.
Imbeciles
. "You can't go back now. Your incompetence has put me in a difficult situation. I'll have to find another way to get what I want." He turned to go back into his chamber.

"What do we do with this one?"

Without turning, Patterson waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I don't care. Drain him if you like."

"Wait!"

Patterson stopped and looked back at the young man who was either braver, or more foolish, than Patterson had expected. "You wish to say something?"

The young man swallowed visibly and took a deep breath. "You want Bethany Stavinoski, right? I can help you get her."

Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Carrie Vaughn

(0-446-61641-9)

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station—and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew…

Everyone Loves
Kitty

"I relished this one. Carrie Vaughn's KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR has enough
excitement, astonishment, pathos, and victory to satisfy any reader."—
New York Times
bestselling author Charlaine Harris, author of Dead
as a Doornail

"Fresh, hip, fantastic—Don't miss this one, you're in for a real treat!"

—L.A. Banks, author of

The Vampire Huntress Legends series

"You'll love this! This is vintage Anita Blake meets
The Howling
. Worth reading twice!"

—Barb and J.C. Hendee, coauthors of
Dhampir

AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 2005 WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD.

About three things I was positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was in love with him.

ANNOUNCING
TWILIGHT

the stunning debut of

STEPHENIE MEYER

that will have you up all night,

riveted until dawn.

OCTOBER

Megan Tingley Books Little, Brown and Company

www.twilightnovel.com