Page 3 (1/2)

Caitlyn’s breath caught Froht red coat

Shanna passed her a cup of punch "Later on, I saw you in Washington, DC, then you were back in the snow A few years ago the dreaed I sahite sandy beaches and palulped down soetown University before joining the State Departkok and Jakarta"

Shanna’s eyes glies from your real life I missed you so much"

Then why did you leave rabbed a paper plate featuring a red cartoon car "I don’t know anything about your life I didn’t even know you had a husband and children"

"Dad didn’t tell you?"

"No" Caitlyn put some crackers and sliced cheese on her plate "He just warned lad you did Thank you"

Caitlyn took another sip of punch "Why didn’t our parents come?"

"Mom does whatever Dad tells her to do And Dadwell, he doesn’t approve of me" Shanna ifts "Did you know Dad works for the CIA?"

"Yes" Caitlyn set her cup and plate on the table, then took a seat "I used to think he worked for the State Departet a job there, he confessed it was only a cover, and that he’d alorked for the CIA"

Shanna nodded "For the last six years or so he’s been in charge of a secret group called the Stake-Out tealanced over at E the baby Jillian eat

"And another employee at MacKay S and I, Austin Erickson, worked for Dad"

"Can I ask why they left?" Caitlyn figured it had so personality The thought of having hi her think twice about accepting his job offer She topped a cracker with a slice of cheese and bit into it

"They couldn’t agree with the mission of the Stake-Out tearoup ofpeople with the ulti them"

Caitlyn sed hard as the cracker stuck in her throat "Terrorists?"

"Some of them are I know all about it ’cause Dad tried to hire me, too Our psychic power is inherited froet any"

"I know, but what does that - "

"Everyone on the Stake-Out teah psychic power to resist mind control," Shanna continued "Dad’s enemy has the ability to control erous threat to hed "Some of them are, but not all of them The ones I know are perfectly nice"

Nice mind controllers? Caitlyn had to wonder if Shanna’s ht some of them were nice This had to be the source of the friction between her dad and her sister "Who exactly are we talking about?"

Shanna hesitated, then whispered, "Va va this right "You one off his rocker?"

"No, he’s perfectly sane That’s why he calls it the Stake-Out tea vampires"

Goose bumps prickled Caitlyn’s arms Her dad and sister were crazy She rose to her feet "Is this soa"

"It’s not a joke" Shanna regarded her seriously "Vampires are real"

"They’re make-believe"

"They’re real" Shanna lifted a hand to stop further objections "I know it comes as a shock If you don’t want to believe me, you can ask anyone else here Or ask Dad He wants to hire you, so heto tell you"

A chill skittered down Caitlyn’s spine It couldn’t be true How could her sister lie to her? Then again, what could Shanna possibly gain bythis up? But wouldn’t it be foolish for her to trust Shanna? She hadn’t seen her sister in years

She would have to talk to Dad about this But what if he claihts swung back and forth, truth or lie, the pendulu in speed, faster and faster till she felt dizzy She slu me vampires are real?"

"Yes, I am" Shanna nodded "And I should know"

A frisson of alar to her feet This hy Dad had warned her never to coer be trusted Stay away from her at all cost "You’re a vampire?"

Shanna’s eyes widened "No I’m the same as I ever was"

"Oh, thank God" Caitlyn pressed a hand to her chest and collapsed onto the chair "You scared me to death"

Shanna smiled "Relax, sweetie I’m not a vampire" She patted her arm "My husband is"

"Ack!" Caitlyn jumped back to her feet "You - You’re married to a deadbasketball"

"But - " Caitlyn frowned, trying to make sense of this "Isn’t hesorta dead?"

"He’s Undead"

The dizziness returned and Caitlyn sat down once more "I don’t really see the difference"

"Dead is dead all of the time, but Roman’s only dead when the sun is up"

Caitlyn rubbed her brow She was still tu down the rabbit hole and couldn’t tell which end was up "So he’s fifty percent dead?"

Shanna chuckled "I guess you could say that But boy, when he’s alive - " She sighed with a drea"

With treulped down the rest of her punch Apparently, vauessed? Her thoughts returned to the gorgeous mystery man on the basketball court Was he one of the Undead? Was he available? Could he give her the same sort of dreamy, well-satisfied look that Shanna had?