Rated: PG-13
A/N: BJ is my OC, the adopted daughter of Mick and Beth. She was first introduced in Milestones, Part 1. It is not absolutely necessary to read that first, but it might help. BJ also has her own Halloween and Christmas stories.
Huge thanks to Moonlighter for being my idea bouncer this time as well as my beta. You would not be reading this if it hadn't been for her.
I update every other night.
Previously in BJ’s Freshman Adventure ...
“No sign of him at the house,” Mick said.
“Where do we go now?” Beth asked.
“Let’s try his office here on campus,” Mick replied.
Chapter 8
The administrative assistant for the Work Study program was gathering her belongings from her desk when Dana walked in followed by BJ. “What do you need, honey? I’m getting ready to leave.”
“I was just wondering if Mr. Gerrard was in his office. I have something for him,” said Dana.
“Sorry, but he’s already left for the day. You can leave it with me and I’ll make sure he gets it tomorrow.”
“Oh that’s alright,” Dana replied. “I was just supposed to drop this information off for him. I’ll just slip it under his door,” and she and BJ walked right past the secretary’s desk and down the hall towards Gerrard’s office.
“You really should just leave it with me…” the assistant started to say. Then she shrugged as she picked up her purse. It didn’t really matter to her, and besides she had a hot date she needed to get ready for. “Be a darling and lock the outer door when you leave, okay?” she shouted after them.
“Sure thing!” Dana answered from down the hall as the assistant turned and left.
Dana and BJ listened as her footsteps retreated. Then BJ ran to an emergency exit door and opened it carefully letting in Mick, Beth and Curtis. Curtis immediately scented the air, and shook his head. Mick nodded and gave the girls a wink. “Good job! Now where is Gerrard’s office?”
“This door here,” Dana pointed out. Mick pulled his lock picking kit out of his coat pocket and had the door open in a few seconds.
“That’s handy to have,” Curtis commented.
Mick smiled as he replaced the kit in his pocket. “I never go anywhere without it!” They all piled into Gerrard’s office and Mick closed the door behind them.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Dana asked.
“Anything that looks like it might be connected to his vampire clubs. Financial statements, freshie addresses, hidden documents or flash drives, stuff like that.” They all spread out and searched the office while Beth looked for protected files on his computer. They didn’t turn up anything.
“I don’t think this is where he kept his information on his clubs. It must be somewhere else,” Mick sighed.
“A home office maybe?” Beth offered.
“Possibly,” Mick replied.
“Maybe he has an office at his First Timer’s Club,” Dana suggested. They all looked at her.
“That’s a terrific idea,” Mick said. “Do you remember how to get there?”
Dana hung her head. “I’m sorry, but no. I was always picked up in a limo with dark windows and driven there.” Her lip quivered.
“Don’t worry about it Dana,” Beth said as she put her arm around her. “We have ways to find out,” and she looked at Mick who was already pulling out his phone.
“Logan,” Mick spoke into his phone. “I need the location of the UC-Berkeley First Timer’s Club. It’s a high-brow club for well-heeled vamps who like virgin bites. All the UC campuses have them. Yeah, that’s right. Call Ryder England if you need help; Josef knew all about them. Okay, thanks.” Mick pocketed his phone. “He’ll text me the info as soon as he has it,” he told the rest of them.
Mick, Beth and Curtis left the building through the back entrance they had entered by, while BJ and Dana left through the regular office door, locking it behind them as promised. By the time they met back at the car, Mick had already received the club location from Logan.
MLMLMLML
Douglas Thompson didn’t know what to do. He had always considered himself the vampire’s version of a 90-pound weakling, and he knew this Kostan fellow was right – if it came to a fight, there was no way he would come out of it alive. His best bet was to bargain.
“Look, I’m just a number cruncher,” he pleaded as he looked back and forth between Josef and Henry. Damn, why can’t they stand where I can see both of them at the same time? “It was all Gerrard’s idea! He’s the one you want!”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming to him,” Josef said with a trace of a smirk. “I have a friend looking him up right now and he is most anxious to talk to him.”
Stallsworth continued to approach Thompson. “You made a fool out of me. You stole my money and you almost ruined my reputation,” he growled. Thompson was backed up against the wall and was face to face with Stallsworth. “Kostan,” he continued, eying the accountant up and down, fangs bared. “What do you do with weasels like this in LA?”
“I find the LaBrea Tar Pits to be quite efficient in these instances,” Josef answered with a leer.
“How convenient. Too bad we don’t have any around here.”
“How…how about if I pay you back?” Thompson tried again. “I’ll give you my share and we can forget the whole thing. Deal?”
Stallsworth exploded in laughter. “You’re pathetic. And a disgrace to the vampire nation.”
That was it; Thompson had had it. If I’m going down, I’m going down fighting and with any luck I can take this asshole down with me. All the times he had spent kowtowing to this blowhard and playing to his ego exploded within him. He dropped the briefcase and vamped out in the same second, lunging for Stallsworth’s throat and taking him by surprise. The two rolled on the floor as growls and roars filled the air. Josef stood by ready to help if needed, but he knew this was Stallsworth’s personal fight. Several pieces of furniture broke and splintered as they brawled. It ended with the loud crack of Thompson’s neck. Stallsworth sat back on his heels, catching his breath as he wiped at his bleeding wounds and stared at Thompson’s motionless body.
“Here,” Josef said, picking up a makeshift stake from the pile of wood that used to be an end table and tossing it to Henry. “That broken neck won’t keep him down for long.” With a glint in his eye, Stallsworth caught the stake and plunged it into the accountant’s body with a satisfying sound.
Stallsworth stood up and dusted off his clothes while Josef bent down and retrieved the flash drive from Thompson’s pocket. Handing it over to Stallsworth he said, “I think you might want to look this over. It’s possible he was working with other clubs besides Berkeley.”
Henry took it and then shook Josef’s hand. “I owe you Kostan. I guess I need to start checking up on my clubs more often. Either that or turn them over to someone else.” He looked at Josef thoughtfully. “Interested?”
“Not a chance,” Josef replied, shaking his head.
“Just thought I’d ask,” Stallsworth said. “Come. Let’s have some refreshments downstairs while I get the Cleaners up here.”
“Thanks, I could use a fresh drink!” Josef agreed. “Just let me call my friend Mick and see if he’s caught up with Gerrard, yet.”
MLMLMLML
“Okay, thanks Josef.” Mick closed his phone and addressed the others in the car. “Josef wanted to let us know that Gerrard may know we’re on to him. He and the head honcho, Henry Stallsworth, just took down the accountant who was working with Gerrard. He was getting ready to flee, and it’s possible he had time to call Gerrard and warn him before they reached him.”
“Did they find proof of embezzlement?” Beth asked.
Mick nodded. “Yep. The guy downloaded the true financial records onto a flash drive, which this Stallsworth guy now has in his possession.” Mick slowed down the car. “This should be the place,” he said as he looked to Dana for confirmation.
Dana shivered. “Yes, this is it. I recognize it.” All the vamps in the car could tell how uncomfortable she was.
Mick spoke up. “Beth, I want you to take the girls to that coffee shop across the street. And stay there. A First Timer’s Club is no place for them.” Beth nodded as she and the girls piled out of the car.
“You be careful Mick,” she whispered as she leaned back in the window for a kiss. “You too,” she said to Curtis who nodded back.
“We will honey, don’t worry.” Mick gave them a reassuring grin before they turned away and crossed the street. On the other side, Beth turned around and blew a kiss as BJ and Dana waved. Mick watched until they had entered the coffee shop. “Ready to take down this scumbag, Curtis?” he asked.
Curtis grinned wide. “Yes sir!” he replied.
To be continued...
(On the other hand, I bet that Beth is thinking, "Why does the girl always have to wait in the car -- or the coffee shop?") 
I'm looking forward to when Mick and Curtis catch up with Gerrard...