Fireflies at Midnight

Chapter 9: Vampires at Midnight

Peter scanned the packed classroom of the observatory. They'd finished a careful headcount of all the kids and adults. Ethan and Amita were the only children missing. And then there was the biggest kid of them all—Neal. Peter suspected he'd seen them take off and had gone after them, but the thought provided little comfort. He couldn't get a signal on his cell phone. Neal was probably having the same problem.

For once, Mozzie was all business. Peter was surprised at what a reassuring, solid presence he was. If this was what Mozzie was like during a heist, it was clear why Neal valued his help so highly. Mozzie had delegated some of the older kids to be his assistants and they were devising activities to keep the children entertained.

El and Janet had helped question the campers. Roberto Cordera, a trustworthy boy Peter knew well from the spring telescope workshops, had seen Neal near the observatory building with Ethan but hadn't spotted Amita. Had she already been dragged off by vampires? Dean and Sam said they targeted the stragglers, the weakest ones. Peter shoved that dire possibility aside. He needed to stay sharp. Imagining the worst didn't help anyone.

Travis, still in his Vulcan uniform, had gone upstairs to fetch machetes. As soon as he returned, he and Peter would head off to search for them. The buses to take the kids back to camp weren't due to arrive for another forty-five minutes. Peter was leaving El, Janet, and Mozzie in charge. As long as everyone stayed inside, they should be safe. He hated that El was caught up in this. She was doing a good job of keeping her emotions in check.

When Travis returned, he had the machetes wrapped in towels so the kids wouldn't know what they were. He handed Peter a GPS tracking unit as they stepped outside. "I brought two in case we get separated. Neal has his watch on but so far the signal's not coming through. The tree canopy is probably causing too much interference. Once we're closer, we may be able to draw a bead on him."

"Based on what Roberto said, Amita most likely headed for the fireflies in the same area where Mozzie saw them. If Neal had spotted vampires, he would have taken them into the woods." While they were talking, the sound of a fast-approaching car was heard accelerating around the bend. An instant later the Impala pulled into view. Peter breathed easier at the sight of it.

"Why are you outside?" Dean demanded as he and Sam jumped out of the car. "Get back in the building."

Peter explained what had happened while Travis paced the lot, trying to get a signal from Neal's watch. "We feel confident we know where the kids went and hope Neal's with them. It's only about a fifteen-minute walk from here. Have you seen any vampires?"

Sam nodded. "Fast-moving shadows in the woods. We passed two groups on our way here."

Peter's heart plummeted at the news.

"Bobby's been on the phone with other hunters," Dean added. "They're spreading out in the park, but the forest covers over four thousand acres."

His words trailed off, but the conclusion was obvious. The vampires were needles in a haystack.

"We heard about a sighting near Ghost Lake," Sam added, "but they took off before the hunters could get to them. Whatever they're up to, they're not treating this as an all-you-can-eat buffet."

Dean jerked his head in Travis's direction. He was now standing at the edge of the parking lot. "What's Spock doing?"

"Trying to get a signal from Neal's watch." Peter strode over to Travis. "Any luck?"

"Still nothing."

"I bet you can show me how this toy works," Dean said. "There's no need for the two of you to be exposed."