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She rubbed her eyes "I have to go I promised Yu Jie that I would save her people They can’t survive er at that level ofthe to help theht Vaers here in just a few trips"

Leah shook her head "They’re awake at night andthe day when they’re unconscious Besides, Master Han’s soldiers would be there at night to stop you This way is really the best"

With a sigh, Dougal ran a hand through his hair He knew the daytiht of not being there to protect Leah

She leaned forward to touch his shoulder "Howard, Phil, and Rajiv will be with er Who’s going tothis Angus had given the go-ahead, and already he and JL had teleported close to the village to find a good spot for hiding the supplies "All right I’ll go along with it"

"You’re the one ill be in er Town by the ti Master Han’s soldiers when they show up at the village"

"I’ll be fine" Dougal took her hand in his "We’ll take you and the shifters there shortly before dawn Ye’ll only have to wait about thirty e"

"Won’t the sun be up here? Hoill you get back?"

"We willna come back here There’s a camp nearby JL has stayed there several tie" He would be close to Leah, but unable to help her during the day

She squeezed his hand "You still look worried"

"Am I still at ninety-five percent?"

She smiled "You’re up to ninety-nine"

"Och, that’s excellent" He pulled her into his arain that last point?"

She wrapped her ar"

"Likelove?"

She snorted "You wish"

"I do wish" He kissed her forehead, then her nose With his lips a fraction away froal? Are you in there? We’re o save the world"

For the next few hours, Dougal teleported supplies with JL There wereten IV poles, that Leah had packed, and an ice chest and several boxes of food that Rajiv had packed Angus had found a shallow cave on the rocky ridge overlooking the village, and he reuard, as they stashed away the supplies

With that job coal to the nearby cave where the Vaood defensive location, Dougal noted, for it was on a small island in thesupplies to the cave

Then they returned to Angus and ventured close to the village to see as happening there Torches were set up around the field, and soldiers ers cut off stems of deuards," Dougal whispered, "and twenty-nine villagers"

"That’s a few less than last tiht be soe, too sick to work, or they "

JL sighed "We should have done this o The last time ere here, there were chickens and a co, there’s nothing And their hous, who had covered the entrance to the shallow cave with leafy branches

He glanced at his watch "Ti the others I’ll call in five al and JL teleported back to the school Leah was ready, dressed warmly in a sweater and coat, and she had Yu Jie scrubbed clean and dressed in borrowed clothing Kyo and his friends and all the shifters were ready and well arori and Gu Mina as their guards

Angus called, and Dougal put his voice on the speaker phone so the Japanese Varabbed the shifters and Yu Jie and teleported

"Ready?" Dougal took Leah in his arms

"Yes" She slipped her hands around his neck

He kissed her, then teleported her to the ridge where the others had already us showed the shifters where the supplies were hidden "Good luck We’ll see you toal touched Leah’s cheek "Be careful"

She nodded "You, too"

He teleported with the other Vamps to the island The urea burlap sack and filling it with their supplies

"Who goes there?" Angus clicked on a flashlight

The figure glanced toward the to the sword on his hip

Angus lifted his hands to show they were bare "Russell, we’re no’ here to capture you"

So this was the Marine al noted he was a large h he had a sword and rifle half hidden beneath his shabby coat His hair had grown long enough that he now tied it back in a ponytail He clutched the burlap sack with one hand, while his other hand rested on the hilt of his sword

"I’ back until I’ve killed Master Han," he said in a voice that sounded stilted and rusty, as if he hadn’t talked to another person in us inched forward "But we could use yer help to the people in the zoht, we take on the guards There could be ten of them, so we’re a little outnu your death-sleep here?"

"Aye," Angus replied "Ye can stay here with us, if ye like We’d like to hear what ye’ve been up to"

Russell looked theht return Or not" He vanished

Chapter Twenty-six

As the following day progressed, Leah felt an odd ust Satisfaction that the plan orking so well, but disgust at how the villagers had been forced to live In their drugged state, they had done nothing but sleep all day and work in the field all night, so the village itself had becoetables and fruit lay in rotten heaps The lack of sanitation had rendered the place uninhabitable and dangerous Poor Yu Jie had burst into tears when she’d seen the sha on the dirty floor, unconscious Leah had hugged her and re to an end that day

Instilled with new hope, Yu Jie proved to be an excellent assistant As soon as the shifters brought down the o froe was hooked up with an IV and had been injected with Abby’s