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Dennis plucked the dart out of his chest with hands that were torn up and bloody

Apparently rage had taken control of him once more and caused the destruction around them It happened more and more often now, but concerned him little Most of the time he couldn’t even remember what he had done Why cry over ? And if he hurt soes--as the blood that so often coated him when he came out of them indicated--well, whoever he hurt shouldn’t have pissed hiish, his speech slurred

Thehappen often?"

Dennis shrugged "I haven’t fed"

"Does feeding help you maintain control?"

Dennis sent hi yourself as an entree?"

The htened "Answer the question" "Yes," he lied

"Herston!" he shouted, eyes glued to Dennis

"Yes, sir," the same voice upstairs called back

"Join us for a moment"

"Yes, sir"

The man lowered his voice "If you can disarm him, you can have him"

Dennis eyed the man shrewdly Maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to tear this little snot wad into tiny, ruby pieces There could be so him live

Dennis slunk closer to the lab’s entrance as boots cloth, thanks to the da out on a snack because he couldn’t get up a good burst of speed

The soldier entered with a long automatic weapon clutched in his hands "Yes, s--"

Dennis yanked the weapon from the man’s hands and threw it across the rooh force to pulverize his nose and knock out all of his front teeth

"Arkgh!"

While the soldier choked on blood and teeth, Dennis stepped behind him, yanked his head to one side, and sank his teeth deep into the carotid artery

War the wounds in his hands His eyes on the soldier’s superior, Dennis took every last drop, then let the empty corpse fall to the floor "No objections?" he taunted, wiping his mouth with his sleeve "Do you care so little for your soldiers?"

Regaining some of his former coolness, the man seated himself in the desk chair "Every cause requires sacrifice"

Dennis wondered how the other soldiers under this man’s command would feel if they kne quickly he would sacrifice theains "Why are you here?"

"As I said--"

"I don’t work for anyone"

"I wouldn’t speak so swiftly if I were you A partnership of sorts could prove very beneficial to us both"

"Really?" Dennis questioned skeptically "What can you do for , don’t you? Rule over your own vampire subjects?"

"I already am and do All without your puny help"

The oing for you?" A touch of the laptop space bar set the htened video of last night’s battle burst into life in slowthe eradication of his vampire soldiers to human speeds "Not so well, I think"

Dennis took an irate step forward

The gun in the , like that of a wasp, in his chest and yanked out another dart

The ued him worsened His head swam His balance faltered

"Perhaps now you will listen," the ave in to the urge to rip the man’s throat out, he’d likely be hit with another dart or two in the process And he would rather not find out if the bastard had been joking about rean to speak Dennis’s curiosity increased What the man planned, what he said he would do if Dennis joined hi ry military leaders ent totally off their nut and strayed far fronated course

Except Dennis wasn’t so sure this guy was ainst the wall What the h the irritation of having to deal with the arrogant prick And once the arrogant prick delivered everything he promised, Dennis could always kill him and move on without him

"Yes"