The car was going to take a nerve wracking thirty minutes to reach us. A rental company was driving out here. Thomas didn't come out of the back of his truck. Ann kept one hand on the gun, the other in our bag, probably on an even bigger gun. Rest did help a little.

Our pursuers hung around for awhile. Some nosed near my apartment. The man I saw on the phone earlier looked practically livid for at least five minutes before driving off. He said more than once that this slave of theirs was 'clearly too weak'. Candy must have been running interference again to keep us safe, hopefully we would be okay until the car got here.

I wanted to ask about the charm but Shaggy needed rest too. We were both existing well beyond exhausted. Our struggles were so close to being done that the idea of giving more made it worse.

I tried tracking Kahina. She was in a bed, hooked up to another IV, where blood dripped slowly. Her skin no longer burned. The faint white energy that had flowed upwards out of her body was gone. Only her body being whole gave me any hope.

The car was a rental. Maybe it was easier to get it out here. Or the household couldn't spare anybody to drive out to us. Money solved the problem by making someone else do it. Shaggy signed away on paperwork, ignored anything the delivery might might say, and threw her guns into the passenger seat. My ass went in the back as always.

We drove.

"I'll need the cross." I finally said.

Ann didn't say anything and handed her necklace back to me. Her eyes stayed on the road towards where Anthony was hiding. It turned out he had gone to the safe house we'd skipped. Number five. Between the care he showed her, and the use of her actual safe house, I might not have to kill him. Paralyzing him would be good for safety reasons.

There would be a very thorough explanation encouragement session instead. One that involved burning his face for a third time if needed.

I stared at the cross. Compared to most of my pieces it was extremely plain. Even the gold was barely painted on. This was the kind of cross you wore because of its weight. Each moment would be a reminder to have faith. To believe that something higher was looking down, trying to make it all work out.

"How long have you had this?" I asked.

There was a brief pause in Shaggy's response. "A long time."

"Daniel buy it for you?" It had to be at least slightly cherished for me to use it in tracking. Or physically tied to the other person. Or I had to feel strongly about the person, like I did for Kahina and Evan.

"No. My mother."

"She nice?" I knew nothing of mothers. Other people had them, not me.

"She was great." Ann said. Only she wasn’t really Ann at all. The idea that Shaggy was more accurate than Ann felt disconcerting. As if my entire effort of using a nickname had actually been an indicator that Ann never fit in the first place.

"Oh." I heard the words ‘was great’. "I understand."

"What about Ann's parents?"

"Good people. One's a part time librarian, other's a software engineer." Shaggy commented easily but without emotion. Like they were facts memorized from a sheet of paper. Or she was distracted from driving through the rain that had started this afternoon.

"Ann is a real person?"

"Yes. I am." She turned the windshield wipers to a higher setting.

"Alright. As a hypothetical, what happens to the agent when this assignment’s done, and what happens Kahina's employee?"

"Hypothetically, sir? Ann wakes up remembering all the work she's done and feels proud for her role. The months she's spent elsewhere are all a dream. The agent goes back to her life secure that the world's safe for another day, and waits for her fiancé to set a date."

"That slacker." I played at badmouthing Daniel.

"It's a hectic lifestyle." She wasn't defensive in her tone though.

"Everything to keep the peace." I referred to Western Sector's logo. Daniel had a version of the creed in his office. Depicted was an eagle fighting a bear, with those words in Latin.

"That's the motto." Shaggy responded quietly. "And it means everything. Which is way easier to say than do."

My brain was fuzzy and randomly keeping tabs on Kahina. Her fading presence worried me, but there wasn't a lot to be done. Something else was bothering me too.

"Ann," I carefully avoided the nickname. "do you know why the Order would be after someone besides Kahina?"

"I haven't a clue. Weird shit is Daniel's division, not mine. I'd assume it's part of the Sins though." The female responded.

"Sins of the People?"

"Yeah. Like I said, have your helper give you the theatrical version. Mind blowing stuff, sir." Shaggy shrugged.

Candy, Daniel, Muni, all of them had serious explaining to do. Not right away. If I survived this, if Kahina survived this, afterwards.

We parked on a street that was new to me. A tiny shopping mart was on the corner with a gas station opposite. From there it was rows of middle class homes that looked occupied. Shaggy seemed unsure what to do next. For this entire ordeal she had been giving order after order but this was confusing.

"You sure Anthony's in here?" She said.

"Yes." My head bobbed briefly.

"That's it then, the fifth safe house. We skipped it earlier because Anthony was compromised. But if he's is in there..."

"Should I kill him?" I hated the smarmy bastard but if he was on our side then killing him would be counterproductive. A nearly full changed vampire would be a huge asset and extremely hard to kill. Especially considering how worn down Shaggy and I were.

"If you can sneak up on him, maybe. But he might have a plan that Lady Rhodes didn't tell us about. Vampires aren't above feigned double crosses to misdirect people."

I got out and walked to the driver's side window. Both my gloves were on, just in case they might do a damned bit of good. Too bad they were better suited against elves and wolves. That's why I wanted a cross.

"Expect betrayal?" I asked her.

"You'd better, John. If we're lucky he's no longer day walking and passed back out."

I shook my head slowly then said "He's up and moving."

"Damn. Still not sure how you can tell. Explains why you're such good friends with Daniel, you and the weird shit." Ann paused as thoughts raced through her head.

It was probably similar to what I was thinking. Would it be better to go in together? A snatch and grab? Or talk to Anthony? Which choice gave us our best odds of survival?

"I'll keep the engine idled." Ann said. "There should be two sets of keys and a security panel right inside the door. The charm won't work against technology. It's memory only."

"There a code?" I asked.

"It'll beep anyway. Anthony will hear it go off."

"Hell." I shook myself a bit to try and wake up. Then slammed the top of our rental car. "I'll be back, or I won't."

Shaggy rolled up the window and took out her phone. Her lips were already talking to someone as I turned to walk away. My eyes rolled but both feet kept going towards the house.

A day walking vampire. It was an odd concept. With their shade creatures it was like a puppet being manipulated rather than any sort of consciousness. Anthony was the only creature in the house. Would the Shade notice the alarm? Would he ignore me and forget?

The key was exactly where Shaggy said. I slid it quietly into the lock and took a moment to gather myself. My senses would pick up everything between here and Kahina. No link had been needed in months to find the woman.

Feel rubbery bag holding blood. Electricity runs through walls like veins. Motionless body hangs in middle of the room. No air stirs.

Anthony wasn't moving. Vampires mostly operated by sense of taste. He might not notice until the door opened. I closed my eyes and muttered a prayer. The door slowly pushed inward and an alarm started beeping.

I pulled the door closed and waited, senses extended out. Anthony, or whatever it was, had noticed the noise and walked over to the front room. His body never took in an ounce of fresh air until stopping at the security panel. Then he sucked in a lungful and searched the room with a head that jerked mechanically as it turned.

Seemingly he noticed nothing then shut off the alarm. Once the alarm settled the vampire turned around. Anthony went back into the room where Kahina was with the same puppet movements he used to come out to the front room.

I opened the door while the alarm was still resetting. It didn't go off again while in an arming phase. My entrance into next part of the house was hesitant. Part of me tried to hold my breath just like the vampire had. The other part focused on extended my senses to feel if Anthony was moving.

A deer in headlights must feel the same way.

Anthony didn't move. Weight on his side from the sword caused uneven pressure. The mans clothes didn't even twitch. Kahina's body wasn't moving either, her breath still.

Slowly, very slowly, I peeked around the corner. Sure enough the day walking vampire had another one of those faces. The red eyes and mouth were twisted slightly, almost thoughtful. The positioning of Anthony's body triggered a faint memory. Only really old vampires ever managed that passively aloof stance.

Every time my feet moved forward the house let out a creek. Anthony and the shade camping in his dark outline would blink then go motionless. Like the memory of sound was leaving their minds.

This trinket was amazing. If it was real, and this wasn't a trap. Ann had said to expect betrayal. I took a generic picture frame from the counter very carefully and threw it into another room. Anthony moved towards the frame like a robot. His shade's red face looked deep in thought.

I readied the cross and stepped back a room. This was the real test of Muni's device. If the vampire could taste me in the air, escape wasn't an option. If it didn't notice, maybe a fight could be avoided. Especially as weak as I was.

Both hands were open to try and deflect the sword, in case. The metal on my palms might help. I might be sliced in two. Nothing came to get me. Anthony's footsteps went to the front room and I heard a shuffle of a curtain. It was difficult to sense everything now that he was opposite Kahina.

I cautiously backed into Kahina's resting place. Eyes locked on the hallway just in case Anthony came back. Maybe he hadn't noticed or the Shade creature might not be in tune with the vampire's senses. Personally I hoped for both.

Nothing. No motion of footsteps. No hiss of air passing over a tongue. Anthony wasn't moving. Kahina wasn't either. The needle in her arm was done with the same precision that Shaggy had shown. None of them really bothered with more than a token piece of tape to hold the tubing straight.

She wore the same dress that was showing clear signs of wear from all the movement. Creases lined the fabric. The same silver hoop earrings laid intertwined with strands of hair. Both eyes were closed and her face was completely relaxed. Her look was far from the slack jawed half vacant stare truly dead people had.

Curtains rustled heavily and footsteps started again. Calmly, mechanically, Anthony was returning to the bedroom. Had he noticed me? My body froze so thoroughly I might have finally passed for a vampire myself. Anthony came around the corner, his eyes nearly drooped closed. His head didn't even swing in my direction.

I stared, one hand over the cross, ready to unleash it before Anthony sprung. Inside my palm a weak red glow came off of the cherished metal. Kahina flinched.

Anthony sucked in a breath of air. The shade creature riding the vampire looked happy and both seemed to watch Kahina for further signs of life. I did too, without hesitation. It took me time to realize that she moved because the cross' glow was touching her skin.

Kahina didn't stir again. After a few minutes the shade looked sad, its face turning into a slightly tucked frown. The back of my brain fervently chanted 'I am John' while standing in a room with this creature that could paralyze me in fear. Not to mention the body it possessed might slice me in two. Yet both ignored me.

A car horn honked, loudly. Anthony moved towards the front room again. For a third time the curtains shuffled.

I worked quickly to take down the bag of blood and set it on Kahina's chest. Her face looked incurably pale with sunken cheeks. Like she was starving. Worst case scenario I would crack open the pouch and pour it down her throat. The car horn honked violently again. It sounded like it was coming from across the street where Ann was. I held her cross and let my senses unfurl across the road.

Not Quite Weasel's clammy fingers stand out against rough curtain fabric. Tires and cars weigh upon indifferent concrete. Water presses against a hydrant cap. Little Hunter's calloused hands slam repeatedly onto the steering wheel. Her eyes feel wide and head aims in my direction.

Little Hunter digs through cold metal. Searches the pile of guns. Uncovered feet press into grass and sidewalk. Bodies attached don't breathe. Land around them grows cold. A dent of fangs from Not Quite Weasel.

Hell. Day walkers had shown up. The fear hit hard. Tactile sensory perceptions didn't rewind back to my body as normal. No, senses shattered as the extra possessed vampires started getting closer to the safe house. I tried to count how many had been out there by the feeling of feet pressed against the ground. More than five, less than ten. Too many. Two had ignored Ann and tried to kill me. Only Thomas had held his ground last time and that was before being gutted.

I pushed past the fear and tried to gather up Kahina. Limbs shook, vision blurred, hearing drowned out the background noise of the car horn honking repeatedly. Anthony's return to the room was sudden and unnoticed. Until he put a hand on my arm.

That I hadn't expected. Violence would have been more fitting. Anthony clearly wasn't in control though, his eyes were vacant under those heavy lids. The creature in his shadow was staring at me though.

I didn't look at the vampire, instead looking at the shade, trying to figure out if it was one of the ones on our side or not. It's bloody red slits etched into the shadow being cast. Never mind that the outline didn’t match any of the lights, it moved independently. The shade looked puzzled at the eye contact. Briefly the silhouette swiveled back and forth as I tracked the face embedded in it.

"I see you." My voice was weak. I felt better with Kahina this close. Like her being near gave me the strength to try and protect her.

The shade paused in its swaying. Not once had Anthony moved since placing his hand on my arm. It wasn't a solid grip.

"I'm taking her home." I said.

The reddened face shrugged, a motion that was easier to discern in this world. Clear outlines had formed where it hung against the wall like an evil cartoon character.

"You're on our side?"

This time Anthony shook his head back and forth, then nodded shortly after. It was a familiar motion.

"Keeper?" I asked.

It smiled, then shook Anthony's head in the yes no fashion again.

"Not quite." I stated. A single nod came back.

"Run." Anthony's voice drug the words out. "Keep, Her, safe." Like a child's toy where the batteries were dying.

The alarm went off again. This time it wasn't me, it wasn't Anthony. His body turned and whipped out a sword, that same fluid motion etched in every line of the vampire’s body. It was just in time to see another man, this one in boxers only, come around the corner. Anthony didn't hesitate to decapitate him in the small space allowed. Superior strength let him pull the blade out from a very difficult angle. Anthony rushed into the hallway, then his footsteps and passionless snarls tore throughout the house.

I took Kahina and ran for the back door. I had seen the edges of an exit earlier while creeping through the house. Anthony was keeping the strange possessed vampires busy at the front.

My foot kicked at the back door. Not at the handle, but at the bolts holding the door hinges together. Wood splintered as they tore off. I carefully carried my comatose girlfriend through the doorway. Behind me Anthony was slashing at enemies. They didn't die quick enough. I could hear the house shudder as people were thrown around.

She had never really been safe here. The penthouse hotel was clearly superior. There were no security cameras, no collapsing elevator. Our only defense had been a double layer of fencing around the back yard. Two layers of chain link, each taller than I was. It was higher than any sane wolf could have jumped.

One of them was electrified. A yellow sign with a bolt through it outlined the danger. If that wasn't enough of a hint then the weak hum coming off the metal was. What the hell kind of paperwork do you have to file for an electrified fence in a residential area?

My brain shoved the legality questions to the side and looked for an exit. There had to be a switch to turn it off. The chain link had a locked gate too, one that would be impossible to break.

A presence rushed through the doorway behind me. Fast, and with it that sweeping sense of terror grew. Enemy vampire. I held Kahina in both hands and tried to keep away from the electricity coursing nearby. Just being knocked into it might be fatal.

The attacker paused in the middle of the backyard. It was obvious the creature had zipped down a pre-programmed path, it realigned in a new direction and charged at us.

I dropped to the ground trying to protect Kahina's head. Maybe I fell because my knees gave out from the fear that poured forth from those shade creatures. Dealing with this shade generated fear was proving difficult.

He, our attacking vampire, stopped a foot away. A creature stared at me with a livid face etched in red against an unnaturally thick shadow. Another blur of motion and a second vampire slammed into him. They both went flying into the fence. The first one didn't survive the volts that raced through its body. The second, Anthony, seemed unruffled.

He stood with his sword and bolted back into the doorway. More snarls echoed out of the house. Windows cracked and the foundation shook. It felt like a wall had given out.

"Sir!" Ann yelled at me from the other side of double fences.

"I can't get out."

"Power's there!" She pointed across the yard. "Hit it, I'll bust the locks." Her gun was out in one hand.

I left Kahina on the ground for a second. A second where I needed all the willpower left to me to make it across the yard to the switch. Humming electricity faded instantly, followed by gunshots.

It had taken me maybe ten seconds to travel the yard and pull a switch. During my brief absence yet another vampire stood over Kahina. This time it was female. She had zipped in with a blur of speed then paused and prepared to lunge. Ann hit her with two bullets to the shoulder. I stumbled past and grabbed Kahina and made it to the freshly opened gate.

Ann stepped in behind me and leveled a shotgun that was strapped over her shoulder. There was no hesitation as she took a bracing stance then pulled the trigger. A spray of lead embedded itself into the vampire. I looked over my shoulder briefly and saw the unnatural shadow clawing along the ground, trying to escape where it was bound to the nearly decimated vampire.

"Go, GO!" She yelled. I heard a crash of noise as the cracking windows shattered completely. Metal raked against metal. There was no time to turn around and see exactly what was happening.

The undercover agent fired that shotgun one more time and then cursed. She swung it back over her shoulder and pulled out another rifle. I didn't want to think about the collateral damage from all this gunfire.

I opened the car door with one hand and tried not to hurt Kahina as we got in. The engine's purr sounded almost pleased. Ann skidded up to the driver's side, dove in, and had her foot on the gas before even shifting out of park.

Day walking vampires had caught up with us again. One clawed at the side of the door with fingers that shouldn't have been able to hold on. At least two others ran alongside the car in bursts of speed. One moment they were with us, then they blurred into motion to try and get ahead of us. Ann put our vehicle through its paces, swerving to avoid some, scraping off others. Finally they stopped trying to get ahead and hung alongside of us, content to wear us down.

Ann veered straight for the main thoroughfare. It was a single road from here to Kahina's mansion. We would come in hot.

"Warn them!" I yelled. We couldn't bring this madness straight to unsuspecting people, no matter how well trained they were.

"Busy!" She shouted back at me.

I looked out the window. It felt like every partial vampire in the city was chasing after us. Maybe they were. Ten, twenty, maybe thirty of them. Were there really this many partial vampires in the city? Some bounced off cars going the other way, their feet slamming into metal roofs and causing wrecks behind us. Ann honked the horn repeatedly, warning who she could.

A number of them were darting across rooftops of houses and commercial buildings. They leapt and dug into the concrete like fleas pausing before hopping off at incredible speeds. Others tried to get in front of the car, some Ann hit, trusting the grill of the car to resolve the problem. Those ones rolled off the front then either hit the windshield or roof and kept on flying. These ones weren't even fully transformed yet. If there had been any complete vampires in the bunch it was more likely they'd just stand in front of us and rip the car apart.

Throughout it all Kahina remained motionless. There was no shimmering. The blood in her bag had gone from nearly full to empty in a short time. Her cheeks looked fuller than before.

"The phone!" I had to do something. Driving, shooting, any of that would nearly impossible. Ann had put away the guns. Maybe there was some hope that we wouldn't tear down the city this week.

"Here!" Her adrenaline must be through the roof. She was trying to be heard over the sound of screeching tires.

People honked their horns, and sirens were closing in somewhere out there. There was no way the police would let us get away this time. Not unless we made it to the mansion, once we were on Kahina's property it would be a Sector issue.

I flipped open the phone and hit redial and pressed speaker phone. Kurt answered almost immediately. Ann was reloading the shotgun while driving.

"Ma'am?" Respect lined his words. Kahina's people were well trained. Martial arts, guns, ass kissing.

"We're coming in. Expect company." I said.

"Sir?" I could nearly hear Kurt's brain grinding its gears in confusion. "Hostiles?"

"Oh yeah."

"ETA?" Kurt asked.

"Not fast enough!" Ann's voice cracked in desperation and the car swerved to the side. It wasn't quick enough and we picked up a new hitch hiker.

I turned around and saw the latest vampire cling to the torn sides of our car. Entire chunks were missing on the outer frame. This day walking monster had the audacity to tap on the glass politely. Worse, this female looked like a shriveled grandma that was daring transformation late in life. The length of her fangs and how she vibrated with energy, those things spoke of how close the elder woman was to a change.

Worse, dread that had been muted as we sped down the road had returned. Grandma's unnaturally moving shadow crawled up the side of the window with a gleeful expression similar to the grandma's. My heart pounded and brain scrambled for any semblance of a plan. Ann was shouting but all I could see were those twisted smiles.

A futile effort was made trying to imagine the giant pillars. If I could crash down on another one, maybe it would remove our attacker. To fall from the great height and let my body demolish the Shade's protection against the burning skyline.

Our car swerved back and forth, trying to shake her off. The elderly lady was dug in tighter than a tick. Then she started tapping on the glass even harder. Strong hits that cracked the window in a spiderweb pattern.

Ann cursed loudly and tried to reach for a gun to shoot with.

I panicked. Looked anywhere for an exit. Somewhere to run, a path to take Kahina that would be safe for us. There was no escape. Nothing within arm's reach. The cross I had ready to use on Anthony was buried in a pocket and using it was barely an active thought on my consciousness. I fumbled for it anyway.

The elderly woman stopped knocking on the window and shoved her feet downward, digging into the concrete which slowed our mad dash considerably. We spun in the middle of an intersection. Other cars completely frozen by the scene. Some were popping into reverse and fleeing, like any sensible person should.

I shoved the cross up to our fractured window. Red fog, barely visible in the daylight, reached across to the woman. She flinched, cowered away. One hand covered her face, and for a moment she looked like a harmless female. The Shade creature raged in her shadow but the body didn't move forward. Ann cursed and and cracked open her door to fire.

Another vampire leapt in from behind and connected two feet squarely with my back. The cross went flying and the glow stopped. Ann managed to fire a few rounds into the elderly woman but the bullets were ignored. That stupid grin was back on both her face and the shadow's. I heard a snarl and turned to the second vampire. It ignored me and sniffed around, wild and on all fours.

I had to get the cross. It was the best tool there was against this many vampires. Even partials would be terrified, the Shade creatures couldn't suppress those instincts.

"The Lady!" Ann yelled. She didn't even have time for a curse. Her face scrunched in a glare and the reloaded shotgun swung to the second vampire.

Two shots fired in rapid succession. It wasn't a decapitation, maybe the partial vampire would heal, but that one was certainly down for this fight.

The old lady still fought. She leapt over to Ann and tore the shotgun out of her hands. I dove for the cross but couldn't swing it around and close the gap fast enough. There was a rush of motion as the older woman pinned Ann then got ready to sink teeth in for a final blow.

Honking, louder than anything else so far rang out across the nearly emptied intersection. Music too. Heavy metal nonsense that only the drug addled could actually understand. Along with those noises rang a chorus of howling. I looked over, and saw a sports car swerving through traffic with a grace that Ann couldn't manage.

It cleared the last set of cars in a blink. Going at least sixty in a thirty zone. A giant hulk hung out the side with a baseball bat.

The car threaded the space between me and Ann. I barely heard the crack of bat hitting flesh and a crunch over music. Whoever was driving spun the car around in the intersection with a screech of brakes and burning rubber.

I spared the car a moment's look, then turned to Ann. She was coughing on the ground, eyes wild. Her hand still grasping for a gun. Finally she pulled it out and emptied four bullets into the now headless body pinning her down.

"Come on!" One of the figures in the car yelled. "We ain't outta this shit yet!"

"Lets go, Princess!" A female yelled from the driver's seat. "Get your corpse and hop in!"

The third figure was howling in excitement with a silly grin on his face. It had to be Thomas in his halfway form. He was huge, intimidating, and slobbering like a puppy with a tongue lolled out to the side.

"Ann, we've got to go!" I tried to move quickly.

There were other partial vampires all around us. They circled and hissed. They weren't throwing themselves at us, though. Self preservation perhaps? No, Stacy’s car had a huge ass cross painted on the hood. It was a clever idea that also amounted to a hate crime.

My leg hurt, head throbbed, and back clenched with pain. Somehow I made it to Kahina and transferred her to Stacy’s car. Ann was hysterical over the elder vampire's corpse, hitting it, screaming, almost flailing.

"Move it, dude!" Corey, the one who had wielded a baseball bat, yelled.

I stumbled for Ann and lifted her up. She was an understandable mess. The woman tried to level her gun towards the corpse again but I pried the weapon out of her hands. Tiny feet clad in work boots kicked at me, fists pounded into my back compounding pain. Holding her was difficult but Daniel wouldn't appreciate leaving his fiancée behind.

We got into the back of the car and Stacy tore out of the intersection. Some day walking vampires followed. Their sense of terror niggled the edge of my consciousness.

The third wolf stood up in the back of the car. An excited grin plastered across his face. He howled with an volume that could be heard for blocks. It choked off with sudden thunk as the wolf hit all fours to avoid a hanging intersection light. I couldn't figure out if Thomas challenging the world on top of Stacy's car was a good thing.

Ann shuddered next to me, she and Kahina were pressed into one seat. Corey in the front with Stacy driving.

"You okay?" I whispered to the agent. She shook her head and tried to get it together. I gave her the gun back and she cradled it.

"Thanks." I said to Stacy. We were moving quickly. Stacy wove through traffic like it was a video game. Her wolf gifted reactions would keep us safer than Ann's mad dash had.

Thomas plopped down next to me. The man was covered in fur that poked through the remains of my clothing. It was disturbing and comforting at the same time. This was the closest anyone had been to me besides Kahina, or the poor SOBs I used to throw out of Julianne's.

I could feel the ripple of muscles as he took deep breaths and got ready to howl again.

"Shut up, Tom!" Stacy yelled at him. Corey just smiled.

"He's right, though." The dopey pack member said.

"Yeah." Stacy said. "Very cathartic."

"Big word." I muttered.

"Smashing a vampire's head? We didn't get to off that other bastard that took down Julianne, so next best thing." Stacy had the same sort of grin that Thomas would have if he wore a human face instead of a half monstrous muzzle.

"Malcolm doesn't-" I started. Corey stuck an arm out and close lined a partial vampire that tried to get in front of us.

"Fuck ‘em." Stacy's trademark attitude came out. "We'll deal with him, and I doubt pops would begrudge us a little revenge."

I groaned but couldn't help the weak smile creeping up on me.

"You should register as Lady Rhodes’ employees, or at least sign paperwork saying you were in her employ for the transition." Ann managed to get a few words out.

"What for?" Corey said.

"It'll grant you coverage under Tribunal law. It's the only thing keeping us out of Sector jail for murder." Ann didn't comment on how dicey things would get if Kahina didn't make it. A house without their leader isn't really a house.

"Fine!" Stacy said. Thomas nodded as well.

"I guess." Corey seemed unsure about it but so far he always backed Stacy's requests. He turned around and surveyed the approaching hovering vampires. "They're not attacking?"

Ann sniffed for a moment. "They probably won't until we stop moving and get out of the car."

"Maybe we just stay here?" He suggested and sounded confused in the same breath.

"They'll start throwing stuff." I said.

Corey grunted and looked around. "So many, during the day." His face had grown worried.

"Yeah. Day walking vampires. Weird shit." Ann muttered, glaring at me. I shrugged and tried to keep my stomach below my lungs. Every time one of those vampires flitted by a grimacing face rested in its shadow. All of them had the same faint facial shapes. Like an army of clones had hopped into vampires to ride them around while their spirits were away.

"We're headed to Kahina's." I said.

"Yeah we figured. Thomas wouldn't shut up til we came to help out." Stacy said.

Thomas was unruffled by our commentary and had that dumb grin on his face. He looked at the world like an overly excited dog enjoying the ride. I wanted to move over and get away but there was no room.

At least our situation was looking up. Even if the trio left us at Kahina's we would still be better off. Not stranded not away from her home. We should never have left in the first place.

Ann on the other hand was deeply shaken. She huddled in tiny ball, trying to make herself smaller. I understood that feeling. None of the others had voiced feelings of terror like I did. Ann didn't look at the shadows of those vampires sprinting by us. Even without looking I knew their faces were there, one to a shadow.

Were they visible to me because I'd seen into each realm? None of the others did or they'd say something. The fact that each wolf barely batted an eyelash at the day walking vampires was a stretch on it's own.

"Almost there!" Stacy yelled over the wind.

"Thank god they replaced the manholes." Corey muttered. Thomas slid into me. Between the two of us, Ann and Kahina were nearly crushed.

"Yeah." Was my dry response.

Ann had a communication device that she spoke into quietly as Kahina's home came into view. The gate slid open for our arrival. Men with guns and crosses stood at the entryway to the house and garage. Dusk was rapidly approaching.