“Wait at the back door for me to give you the go-ahead,” Teddy instructed. “I want to make sure they’re still on Main Street. I don’t want you rushing out the back just as they cut down the side street to turn around or something.”

Tricia nodded, and gestured for Tybo to lead the way. She then followed closely, pulling Allie along.

The kitchen was hot and bright white, a sharp contrast to the restaurant’s colorful dining area. It was also occupied by the cooking staff, who all turned startled gazes their way when they entered, and then stepped back out of the way as they moved through the cramped space.

“Wait at the door for my okay,” Tricia reminded them, releasing Allie and stopping at the beaded curtain that hid the kitchen from the diners.

Tybo glanced back and immediately took Allie’s arm, keeping her close behind him as he continued to the back door. Pausing there, he put his free hand on the handle and then turned to look back toward the beaded curtain.

Heart beating rapidly, Allie turned to look back too, but there were so many people crowded up behind them that she couldn’t see anything but the stressed smile Elvi offered her.

“It will be fine,” the other woman said reassuringly.

“Fine, my ass,” Mabel said, not bothering to hide her worry. “Teddy’s in a panic and he never panics.”

“There must be a lot of the buggers,” DJ said grimly.

“Two or three per pickup, four to six per car, and two to twelve or more in each van if there are people in the back,” Victor calculated. “There could be anywhere from sixteen to forty or more people in the six vehicles.”

“Stella said Abaddon had thirty or forty people that he’d turned when she was with them,” Allie told them anxiously, and then added, “But that was four years ago. There could be more now.”

“And we have what?” DJ glanced around. “Five hunters?”

“Hello,” Drina said with annoyance. “I think you’re forgetting that Katricia and I are hunters too.”

“And Stephanie’s a hunter in training,” Elvi said proudly.

“And I used to be a mercenary,” Harper said with dignity. “I can handle myself.”

“I was a soldier and can handle myself too,” Teddy said firmly as he and Katricia hurried to join them. “Time to go, people. Tybo, check to be sure the coast is clear and then we move quickly.”