"Did you have fun?" "Fun?" "Wherever you've been for the last 36 hours." "I didn't know you were counting." "Your absence is always apparent." "Really?" "When you're gone I hardly even notice." "All I'm saying, Krista, is that you were missed." "So you and I spend a night together and now I'm on your leash?" "Of course not." "I was just concerned." "Don't be." "About Charlotte." " What about her?" " She intercepted Chase." " Tried to co-opt her." " And?" "Chase's loyalties are with us." "As they will always be." "Why would Charlotte make a play now?" "Do you think she knows?" "About my plans against them?" "It doesn't matter." "Since when?" "Since right about... this very moment." "Ripped By mstoll" "Do you think this will be our world forever?" "Or will we one day walk in daylight as Marcus promises?" "For once, I'm at a loss to know." "So many changes occurring." "This Marcus business." "The conclave approaching." "Yes, and Glynnis." "Still, part of me has hope." "Odd, isn't it?" "Perhaps it's knowing that Chase is now on our side." "Or perhaps it's the prize she's promised us." "Didn't I say it'd be awesome up here?" "You didn't say it'd be this cold." "A small price to pay, hearing all this." "I don't hear anything." "Exactly." "No cars, no cell phones, no corporate sheep babbling their corporate bullshit." "Just you and and me." "What the...?" "Holy shit!" "Call 911!" "We don't have a cell phone." "Maybe someone made it." "Come on." "Any luck?" "Another dead end." "Another dead vampire, I'm guessing." "Only thing that made it worthwhile." "You get that list done yet?" "Lt'll be easier finding places Marcus didn't own property." "Dude's got buildings worldwide." "I mean, I found 90 so far." "22 in North America alone." "We only need to find one... where he's gonna massacre the Chthon Purebloods." "So you can go watch?" "So I can join the party." "We're really getting close, huh?" "The big brass ring." "We'll be getting big brass dick if we don't find out where it's going down." "Any word on Krista?" "Not a peep since she went back to Chthon." "Think she's getting hell for being AWOL too long?" "At Chthon, all you get is hell." "What's that?" "Company." "It's probably just a homeless guy looking for a place to crash." "That's a gun, not a pillow." "Let's go wish him good night." "You, get up." "Okay." "Easy." "Put your hands above your head." "Turn around slowly." "Are you Eric Brooks?" "Wait a minute." "You're not Blade." "And you're not that smart." "Oh... my God." "What was that?" "Scott, no one could've survived this." "I don't think I wanna be here anymore." "Ella, stay put." "I'll be right back." "No." "Jesus!" "Honey, are you... are you..." "are you okay?" "I will be in a moment." "Scott!" "Scott!" "Ahh!" "Enjoy your nap?" "You won't wake up from the next one." "Hey, easy guys, I'm, uh..." "I'm just someone looking for a few answers." "Just someone?" "All right, I'm a fed." "Okay, that hurt." " I hate feds." " He does." " They anger him." " Now start talking." "It's kind of a long story." "You ain't going nowhere." "So Charlotte is dead?" "As Caesar." "And only 100 years too late." " And the Purebloods believe it?" " Unanimously." "I've been fielding calls all day." "It's a "horrible loss,"" "a "painful day for the Vampire Nation."" "And just what I told them it was:" ""A tragic accident."" "Though I may have planted the tiniest seed." "It could've been an act of retaliation from the House of Armaya." "Marcus, be careful." "If the board suspects" " even the slightest that you..." " Please." "Compared to convincing Charlotte that I've been her loyal servant all these years, making those idiots think that I'm consumed with grief will be a walk in the park." "So the conclave is proceeding?" "They're insisting upon it." "Said delivery of Aurora would have been Charlotte's wish." "A tribute to her enduring legacy in the House of Chthon." "My only regret... is that I didn't get to watch the little bitch die in the same excruciating manner they all will." "So, Toronto..." "what job do I get?" "The best one..." "unleashing it." "Probably more condolences now." "Van Sciver." "No." "No." "Don't put him on the phone." "I want to hear his explanation in person in my office first thing tomorrow." "Problem?" "Renovation on the conclave site has fallen behind." "I'm bringing the architect in for a little "Come to Jesus."" "Shall I join the party?" "You know how much I enjoy helping people meet our Lord." "No, you stay here." "Keep us on schedule." "Krista will help me." " Marcus, not her." " You have your job, Chase." "So do it." "Your people at the FBI know you found me?" "Actually, I..." "I haven't, uh..." "kept them up to speed on my investigation." "I didn't think they'd understand." "Good." "Now do everybody a favor and leave." "Leave?" "This ain't nothing you want to get involved in." "You got a ring on your finger." "Go back to your family, wherever they are." " Just get the hell out of here." " I'm staying." " Not if you plan on living." " Hey, listen to me." "I'm not some asshole off the street." "I'm a federal agent." "We can work together." "Take down Van Sciver." "Nobody's bringing him down." "He's a goddamned killer." "I'm not saying he doesn't deserve it." "But right now his goals are my goals." "Enemy of my enemy, and all that." "Fine." "So when you're done with that, then we take him down." ""We."" "There's no "we."" "There's me and there's vampires." "I kill them and they die." "Only way it works." "You want me stopped, stop me." "Not a problem." "Another incoming." "Payphone." " 22nd and Adams." " Gotta be her." "And..." "I'll kill him in a second." "Just answer it." " Krista?" " Yeah, it's me." "Tell me you found out where the conclave is at." "Sorry, but Marcus has already started the bloodbath." "Do you know a Pureblood named Charlotte?" " One of Chthon's heavy hitters." " Well, not anymore." "Marcus snuck a bomb onto her Learjet." "Blew it out of the sky about an hour ago." "Hey, one honcho down, five to go." "Where was Charlotte's plane when he took it down?" "Somewhere over northern Michigan." "Hey, listen, I gotta get back." "I just thought you guys should know." "We gotta find that plane." "Blade, those vamps ashed long before they hit the ground." "I'm not looking for them." "Just what they had." "Purebloods live like ghosts... secret lives, always on the move." "Which means all the information travels with them." "Maybe even an address to the conclave." "If it didn't burn up." "We find the wreckage and we find out." "So get on it." "Okay, but finding a downed plane in the middle of nowhere could take a couple of hours or maybe a couple of days." " I'm not exactly the FAA." " You don't need the FAA." "Just the FBI." "The Bureau has access to Navstar-3 overflights." "Domestic surveillance imaging." "So do it." "We need that information." "We?" "I-I thought there was no we." "Let me guess." "Unless you're involved." "Where you go, I go." "Forget it." "Good luck finding that plane." "Collins, he barely lets me go anywhere with him, and this time I'm going." "Dude." "You're staying here." "Check the conclave from this end." " You said we'd find it out there." " I said maybe." "Could turn out to be just another dead end." "Great, so it's back to printouts and pushpins." "And, hey, even before I can do that," "I gotta pull a missing jet out of my ass." "You're wasting time doing that, too." "Answer might just be a few clicks away." "Okay, Collins, find the goddamned plane." "All right." "Sir?" "You wanted to see me?" " Don't I always?" " Yeah." "Sometimes so much, you come to my room unasked." "Not to be confused with those times I'm invited in." "But let me say again..." "I invaded your privacy, and I apologize." "Accepted." "Now about me invading your privacy..." "Well, that was simply something that happened." " Exactly." " Not to say that it was meaningless." " I didn't." " Good." "Because I would hate to exclude it from the number of things recently" " that have given me great pleasure." " Like?" "Like you coming to a better understanding of who I am... and me getting to collect on a debt long owed me by Damek." "Hallucinations and murder." "Hmm." "I'm almost touched that being with me ranks so highly." "You know what I mean." "So what's on the menu for today?" "Well, despite Charlotte's tragic demise, the leaders of our House have agreed that Aurora should be delivered as planned." "Right now, they're preparing to journey to the conclave from points around the world." "Unfortunately, though, the building's restoration has fallen behind schedule." "I've summoned my architect." "I was hoping that you and I could impress upon him the importance" " of meeting our deadline." " I'm sure we can." "And it shouldn't take long for me to get up to speed, either." "That... would be a terrible mistake." " You don't trust me?" " I think... that you and I could spend the next half an hour more productively." "You didn't answer my question." "I only trust those I know." "So this would be you getting to know me better?" "Like I said, you've gotten under my skin." "Allow me the same pleasure." "Holy shit." "Come on." "So what exactly are we looking for?" "Paperwork, laptops, any kind of information." "Hey, Blade, you found any bodies?" "Not expecting to." "Charlotte's people would have all been vampires." "And vampires ash." "Well, we got a pretty good haul here." "Take it back and comb through it." "Not just yet." "What is it?" "Blood." "Jesus Ch..." "What, are you a vampire?" "Half." "Still happy you came along?" " Okay." " Collins, over here!" "Jesus, I guess there was a human aboard." "Look at their necks." "They were fed on." "Somebody on that plane survived." "How is that possible?" "Doesn't matter." "Only thing that matters is finding them and killing them." "Faster." "It'll be light soon." "Put me down." "Finally, refuge." "Another meal, as well." "So, what, uh... what language is this?" "Sarynnik." "Vampire mother tongue." " And you can read it?" " Shen can." " Oh, the guy who's working for you." " Not working... an arrangement." "He's been looking" " for a couple of vampires for years." " And then you kill them?" "Just find them." "Shen gets the honors." "What about the girl who called..." "Krista?" "What about you see how long you can walk without asking me a question?" "Sorry." "Investigating's the job." "Was." "You got fired from the FBI." "On the computer, you typed in a name..." "Jessica Ellis." "So unless you had some kind of an operation..." "No." "No, I got fired." "I found out my boss was working for Van Sciver as well as the Bureau." "He had some kind of a, I don't know, tattoo" " on his wrist like a..." " Glyph." "Your boss is a Familiar." "That's what you call them, Familiars?" "I call them targets." "Blade, you and I are more alike than you think." "We both kill monsters." "What do you know about monsters?" "More than I'd like." "A year and a half ago," "I arrested a spree killer." "Guy didn't have any enemies, he just liked murdering people." "Tracked him down, made the case, locked him up." "His lawyer found a problem with the warrant, got him sprung, and while he was awaiting his trial, he took the opportunity to, uh, break into my house." "He murdered my wife and child," "Sarah and Joanne." "I made sure he didn't make it to the second trial." " Frank, putting you on pancakes." " Sure, why not?" "Okay, when those doors open," "I want big smiles, people, big smiles." "Boys, knock it off before I start cracking heads, huh?" "I'm going in the back to get more powdered sugar." "Let's go!" "Come on!" "Looks good." " Hey!" " Hi." "Good Lord." "Are you all right?" "Sir, can I help you?" "Sir, can you hear me?" " Nice place." " Hmm." "A little quiet, though." "Like a crypt." "Where you do wanna start?" "Where they did." "Jesus!" "I've seen some things, but..." "The closer you get to Charlotte, the worse you're gonna see." "You think she's still here?" "It's light out." "Nowhere else for her to go." " Now let's get busy." " Hey, wait!" "No." "They'll rise again." " Exactly why she turned them." " They're people." "Not anymore." "That's why we send them to their graves now." "Hey, maybe somebody's still alive." "Come on." "No!" "Collins!" "Dumb ass!" "Okay, I got this." "Collins." "Ready?" " It's a trap." " It's a school." "It could be a kid." "Come on." "This is outrageous." "Marcus is pissed because we're behind so he makes me drop everything and come all the way here" " just to keep me waiting?" " Is there a problem, Tucker?" "Yes, there is..." "your boss." "Who's he in with, Sabine?" "Sorry for the delay." "Please come in." "I thought I told you that I..." "No one shuts me out." "How bad is it?" "Bad." "Femoral artery." "All right, I'm not leaving." "You will when I boot your ass out into the street." "Blade, half the town's in here, ready to rise." "You told me yourself." "Do you ever leave when someone tells you to?" "Look, you just go find Charlotte and I'll take care of the rest of them." " How?" " By being the bait." "I understand why you want the retina scanners on the entrances." "I just don't get why the entire" " ventilation system needs refitting." " Because I requested it." "But the one in there is fine." "The compressor's a 7850." "The ACH for the ducts is already pushing.45, which is way more than enough." "My guests are highly reclusive." "I know who your guests are." "I'm busting my ass to accommodate their long lists of security needs..." " as well as yours." " The location for the conclave site is a very highly guarded secret." "I get that." "You just need to understand that this is a very old building." "Beautiful, but old." "Which means the preparations take..." "Mr. Moffat, this is not a negotiation." " Who is she?" " My associate." "Well, tell your "associate" I do not respond to threats." " What do you respond to, Tucker?" " Excuse me?" "Is it more money?" "Because I'm suddenly getting the distinct impression I'm being wheedled." "You know what, Marcus?" "You don't like how I'm doing this job, do it yourself." "You said what?" " You heard me." " I'm hoping I didn't." "What?" "You gonna fire me?" "Kill me?" "This close to your big party?" "And even if you did... you'd never find someone half as good as me." "There are buildings all over the world that attest to the fact that we are a hell of a team." "But you must remember that you're not the only one under a hell of a lot of pressure on this job." "And even though I may be just a Familiar," "I believe I've earned the right to not be treated like a goddamned shoeshine boy." "You know, Tucker, you're right." "I'm not gonna fire you." "And I'm certainly not going to waste your considerable talent by killing you." "In fact, I'll make you a promise." "Money is of no object where this project is concerned." "We'll supply you with every additional resource... tools, manpower, anything you require." "Thank you." "And if, even then, after you've gotten everything you've asked for, the location is not completely ready for the conclave..." "I promise I will render everyone you have ever loved just like this." "You may not be replaceable, but everyone around you is." "Sabine." "See?" "You already have a new assistant." "Don't worry, Mr. Moffat." "I'll be right behind you every step of the way." "Now, Tucker, do us all a favor:" "Go back and finish your job." "Thank you." "Dispose of that." " Krista?" "!" " I'll do it." "As I always have." "Yes, Chase." "As you always have." "You sure about this?" "It's better than leaving, huh?" "And if it doesn't work?" "Then you do me a favor" " and you make sure..." " Trust me." "You won't." "No." "I'm safe where I am for the moment." "Send no one until dusk." "Make no overt moves." "I want Marcus to enjoy his little illusion of victory till it's time for him not to enjoy it." "I'll sleep until dark." "Then we're gone." "Come on, you bastards." "That's right..." "fresh human blood." "Everybody gets a taste." "Come on!" "God, I hope this works." "What was that?" "Time's up, Pureblood!" "Charlotte!" "Hey, Lurch!" " Freeze!" " Please don't hurt me." "Those things out there." "We were helping out with pancakes." "They got my daddy." "I ran in here to hide." "No." "You're the, uh..." "No, you're the..." "the Pureblood." "I just want to find my daddy." "He'll make everything okay." "All right, honey." "We'll help you find your daddy." "I want to hear you scream." "Scream." "Can you hear me now?" "Collins." "Blade." "Blade, so good to finally meet you." "Wish I could say the same." "Come now." "No respect for a long-time foe?" "Not even a little." "Well, I have respect for you." "That's why I hope you'll entertain my offer." "You in a position to offer anything?" "I'll admit recent events haven't quite gone as I would have liked, but now it's clear." "You and I share a common enemy." "Marcus." "I might even be able to broker a deal between you and the twelve Houses." "Allow me to get to the conclave, and I'll secure you a place in the family." "You're half of what we are, Blade." "I wouldn't even claim that much kinship with a traitor like Marcus." "Think about it." "A chance to have a home." "To lay down your arms." "We could put your skills to their best use." "Help your many talents flower like never before." "You know, Charlotte, that does sound pretty good." "But this is my only talent." "Nice." "Collins, don't worry." "I'm going to get you out of here." "No, it's too late." "But... thanks for letting me do it." "Do what?" "Kill a few monsters." "Now it's your turn." "Collins, listen..." "No no." "You promised." "Marcus, no." "Yes." "But it was hers." "Long ago." "Too long." "Doesn't anyone knock in this place?" "I knocked." "You didn't answer." "I was in the shower." "For a very long time." "What do you want, Chase?" "Only to let you know that I understand." "Understand?" "What he sees in you." "Your beauty." "Your youth." "Even a man truly dead cannot help but notice." "I only wish he could see what I see." "Which is?" "Nothing." "I look at you, Krista, and I see absolutely nothing." "Well, maybe not nothing." "I suppose I do see a hollow little girl playing hollow little games." "The only thing about you of any substance, any real value is this." "And it isn't even yours." "It is now." "At least you've finally found the grace to accept one of the many gifts you've been offered." "Such as?" "The gift of this House." "The gift of friendship" "I've continually extended to you." "The gift... of healing." "Is that what this visit's about, Chase, healing?" "Or do you just want your man back?" "That's entirely up to you." "But I'd hate to think that in the next few days when so much change is happening to the House, you didn't have me as your friend, because I know you don't want me as your enemy." "Can I get back to you on that?" "Of course." "Well, let's hope time doesn't run out before you do." "Tick-tock." "Ripped By mstoll"