The Recruiters (8 page)

I walked up behind Carlos and hissed into his ear, “I know.” His head snapped up, his eyes flew open and he spun around to hold me back.

“
Dude, you TOLD her? That is so not cool,” he said to Matt.

“
Well, it would have helped if you told me that you didn’t tell her,” Matt replied, smiling.

“
Oh, I guess I forgot that part,” he said then he turned his attention back to me. “Sarah, I only did it because I knew you’d freak out, okay? I’m really sorry,” he said as the panic started filling his face.

I peeled his hands from my shoulders, hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. “I know,” I said, “And you were probably right,” then I stood back and stared into his eyes. “But don’t you EVER let it happen again, got it?”

“
Got it. I promise,” he said.

He sat down at the table and Matt looked at us. “So, which one of you is going to tell me why Stacy is here?”

Carlos grinned his infectious grin and pumped out his chest as he proudly said, “She’s for me.”

Matt stared at me. “She’s for him?” he said as he shook his head. “Unbelievable. Sarah, you are WAY too good to him.”

I smiled, “I know.”

Just then Stacy emerged from the bedroom, looking breathtaking of course in her tank top and bikini’s. “Morning everyone. What’s for breakfast?” she said.

The three of us looked at each other, “Oh crap,” I said. “Carlos, can you take my car and go get her something? Stacy, what do you want?”

“
Why?” she said as she opened the fridge. “You don’t have anything here that I can… oh,” she stopped as she saw nothing but pints of blood. “Coffee and a bagel would be good,” she said over her shoulder to Carlos, whose mouth was again hanging open as he admired her back side, as she was bending over and fruitlessly searching in the fridge.

I reached over, closed it and turned his gaze to me. “Coffee and a bagel,” I said as I handed him my keys.

“
With cream cheese,” she added.

I forced Carlos’ eyes back to mine. “With cream cheese,” I said and he nodded. I went around the table and blocked his view as I helped him stand and headed him out the door, shaking my head and grinning the whole way.

“
Wow, Stacy,” Matt said, “I’ve never met anyone who could make Carlos speechless before. Believe me, that’s very impressive.”

She shrugged her shoulders as she headed to the couch. “It happens a lot,” she said nonchalantly.

I sat back at the table with Matt, who moved his chair around so he could be right next to me. He told me more about Peru and the chief’s cousin. “Really?” I said. “And he’s sure he’ll help us?”

“
Positive,” he said then worry crossed his face as he saw me stiffen. “What is it?”

“
They want a report,” I said as I could feel them trying to come in. “I haven’t given them one in a while,” I said as I felt the panic rising. “What if they see something I don’t want them to see?”

He came to stand behind me and wrapped his arms around my neck, bending down to kiss my cheek. “You’ll be fine honey, relax,” he said as he opened my laptop and brought up my case files. “Tell them exactly what they need to know. And don’t forget to tell them we’re heading to Alaska,” he said as he started a new case file and continued when he saw the confused look on my face, “to spend time with Michael to determine what he’s looking for in a mate. We’ll be deep in the wilderness for a few weeks.” He smiled then bent down to kiss me.

I pulled away first this time, “You can’t be doing that while they’re in my head cause I’ll only be reporting on what I want you to do to me…” I smiled as I grabbed my laptop, “I’ll be on the porch.”

I sat on the porch swing and stared at the computer screen, filling my head with nothing but the case files (I hoped). Finally, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and let Victor in: ‘
Ah, Sarah, my child. We haven’t spoken in a while. How are things going in the match-making business?’
he thought.

I could hear the phoniness in his thoughts. It made me mad. I wanted to call him on it but knew that I couldn’t so instead I thought, ‘
Hello Victor. Things are going very well, thank you. I believe we’ve made a successful match for Billy. We will stay here a few more days to verify its success and then we are heading to the cold wilderness of Alaska to meet with Michael.’

‘
Ah yes, Michael, my old friend. I do hope you have success there. And I understand that my dear friend Carlos is in town. How is he doing? Is he there to ask for your help finding a mate?’

I laughed, I couldn’t help it. But I was also scared. How did he know that Carlos was here? What else did he know?
‘Carlos? A mate? Hardly. No, he’s just here for a visit with us. He’ll be heading on in a few days.’

‘
Good, good. Maybe he will come and visit me. He’s been avoiding us lately, always busy with some lady friend or something like that. Tell him I’d like to hear from him soon. I’d hate to have to send my friends to track him down.’

Suddenly Carlos joined the conversation as he sat next to me on the swing. He had just returned from getting Stacy’s breakfast, ‘
Relax, Victor. I’m here. Everything’s fine. Nothing new to report. I just didn’t want to bore you with the same old boring shit, unless you enjoy hearing about my abundant love life.’

‘
Hardly. Unlike you I prefer quality over quantity. But you’re still obligated to giving us regular reports.’

‘
Fine. Met a hot stripper last night that I hope to bang tonight. We good?’

‘
Yes we’re good. But are you losing your touch? Usually you bed them the same night you meet them.’

‘
Not losing my touch. She’s a friend of Sarah’s. Wanted to make sure I wasn’t crossing any boundaries that would affect our friendship, that’s all.’

I affectionately bumped Carlos’ shoulder as Victor finished his conversation with us, ‘
Friendship, uh huh. If you say so. Well I have another report scheduled now. Victor out.’

We walked inside a few minutes later. I was shaking my head. “Ewwww, it just feels sort of creepy when one of the Elders links with me,” I said.

“
You don’t seem to find it creepy when I do it,” Matt smiled.

“
Well, duh,” I said as I went to his open arms.

Carlos walked in then, holding the coffee and bag of food way out in front of him. “Ugh, this stinks,” he said as he set it on the table then he totally forgot what he was thinking as Stacy stood up from the couch, walked toward him, sat down at the table and began eating.

“
So what’s the plan?” she said

“
We leave tomorrow morning,” Matt said as he looked down at me.

“
Tomorrow morning?” I said, my heart racing, my mind thinking ‘are we really going to do this?’

He nodded. “Yep,” he smiled. I nodded, then closed my eyes and tried to find my courage.

“
That soon, huh?” Stacy said with a mouthful of food. “I need to go to my apartment to pack first, okay? I need my own clothes because, no offense, Sarah, but you have a totally un-sexy wardrobe.”

I smiled at her. “No offense taken, Stacy. Besides,” I said as I winked at Matt, “Matt might appreciate it if you helped educate me a bit.”

She and I left after she finished her food, leaving the guys behind to make flight and boat arrangements. Of course, Carlos had tried to come. “Are you sure you don’t need my help?” he had pleaded.

I placed my hand on his chest, “Down boy, relax, we’ll be back in thirty minutes,” I smiled at him, then turned and went out the door with Stacy. We spent twenty minutes at her place, packing the tiniest undergarments and bikinis that I had ever seen. I held one up, “This wouldn’t even cover Barbie’s butt,” I said.

“
Really, Sarah. You have got to relax, there’s nothing wrong with feeling sexy,” she said.

“
Sexy, yes,” I said. “Feeling naked in public, I’m not so sure about.”

She rolled her eyes at me and continued packing. We stopped by the grocery store on the way home to get a few things for her lunch and dinner. She went to put the food away as I headed down the hall to pack my own things. “That was thirty-FIVE minutes,” Carlos said as I passed him. I was chuckling when I got to my room, but that laughter vanished instantly when I looked through the door.

Matt was sitting on the end of the bed, staring straight ahead, completely motionless. I froze. My mind reached out to Carlos,
‘Quick, I need you,’
and he was by my side in an instant. I whispered to him, “Can you tell if it’s them?”

He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them again, “No, it’s not.”

I took a deep breath and relaxed slightly. “Okay,” I said then I turned and pushed him backwards down the hall so we wouldn’t disturb Matt. “Who is he talking to?” I said.

“
Gee Sarah, maybe I shouldn’t tell you,” he grinned. “Maybe he has a little sumpin-sumpin on the side.”

I didn’t say a word. I just stared at him with my arms across my chest, and waited.

“
Yeah, yeah, I know. That comment is pretty ridiculous in light of the fact that you two are completely addicted to each other. He’s just asking the others to make excuses and then meet us at Aaron’s. He’s telling them that we have something to talk to them about.”

“
How many others Carlos?” I said.

“
A lot Sarah,” he said. “I felt Bahiti in there, and Omoruyi, Michael, Billy, Anne, Stephen, Maggie, Trent, Miguel, Gabriel, Lizzie and they will pass the word to their trusted friends.”

“
Wow,” I said as both relief and worry filled my heart at the same time. I turned and headed back down the hall

“
You’re welcome,” Carlos called after me.

“
Thanks,” I whispered, I didn’t want to startle Matt if he was still concentrating, but he was packing when I walked into the room.

“
Any luck?” I said.

He raised his eyebrow at me. He knew I was too new at this to try to sneak into his mind while he was communicating with others. If I had, he would have noticed. He smiled then as he realized what must have happened, “Carlos?”

“
Carlos,” I nodded.

“
Yes, they’ll be there and they’ll bring others. They’re curious and intrigued.”

“
Okay,” I said as I tried to keep the pain off my face.

He saw it though and wrapped me in his arms, “Nobody is going to be forced into this, Sarah. They can walk away if they want to. It’ll be their choice, honey. And it won’t be your fault if they get hurt, please try to remember that.”

I nodded and clung to him, unable to feel the same way but unwilling to tell him that. We joined the others in the living room and planned our journey, laughed and then watched TV, until Stacy stood up and said, “I didn’t get nearly enough sleep last night, I’m going to bed.”

As she turned and headed down the hall, Carlos grumbled, “Guess I’m sleeping on the couch.”

Suddenly Stacy called over her shoulder, “You coming Carlos?”

I smiled and chuckled as Carlos leapt over the back of the couch and raced down the hall. “She has no idea what she’s getting into,” I said to Matt. “She thinks she’s totally in control here, like she always is, but this isn’t human-human sex, this is human-vampire sex.” I shook my head.

“
That good, huh?” Matt said.

I nodded emphatically. “Oh, hell yeah, that good.”

“
And how about vampire-vampire sex?” he said.

“
I was afraid you’d ask that. There aren’t human words big enough to adequately describe how completely, totally, perfectly amazing it is, every time, all the time,” I said.

“
Speaking of which…” he said as he scooped me off the couch. I opened my mouth to protest, they’d hear us for sure, but he said, “Your hair smells like pine needles from this morning,” he smiled. “I think you need a shower Mrs. Pearl.”

I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder. Hopefully the bathroom walls and water would be enough to keep our sounds to ourselves.

Chapter Ten

We emerged from the bathroom, naked, much later, smiling and joking. “They might have heard us sweetheart. You were pretty noisy this time,” I said as towel dried my hair and admired my newly healing bite marks in the bedroom mirror. “I was noisy…” Matt chuckled as he came and stood behind me. He pressed his perfect body into mine and his arms wrapped around my waist. I leaned my head back onto his chest and sighed. We were out of hot water, so returning to the shower wasn’t an option. My mind was working on an alternative when, suddenly, our door flew open. Stacy stood there, her hair wild, gasping for breath, sweat glistening off her amazingly beautiful and completely naked body. We both froze, too stunned to cover ourselves up.

“
Is it better than that?” she gasped. “After I change, it’s really better than THAT? How could it possibly be better than that?”

We could hear Carlos laughing hysterically from his bedroom down the hall.

I smiled at her. I knew exactly what she was feeling. “Yes, hun. You probably don’t believe me right now, but it IS better than that,” I smiled up at Matt. “Much better. Better than you could possibly imagine.”