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"Let’s just run," the second vamp hissed

Let theht

All of the that will indicate your i

The Tar Heel looked at his fellows and nodded

One by one they all nodded back

He turned to Etienne and gave him a thumbs-up

Smartthe huge, hulking vauard the woman

I can’t believe this shit, Krysta lanced at her frohts Any intention they had of harone He nodded to the three varoup head-on You threeThey can’t tranq or shoot what they can’t see Stay between them if you can andeach other Go Now

Etienne blurred and shot away

When the three vamps hesitated, Tar Heel scowled and indicated with a furious wave that they should get their asses

They blurred and shot away, too

Krysta, drew the tranquilizer gun Etienne had insisted she carry One dose, he had told her, would either kill a human or sedate a vamp

She eyed the vamps nervously

They shifted fro on their weapons, gazes shifting back and forth from one end of the alley to the other

Etienne had better be right about them

Until he had met Krysta, Etienne had not felt real fear inalmost two centuries He had had so his transfor like this

Krysta ounded and bleeding and he had just entrusted her care to two vahts But, if they changed their mind and either attacked her or left her to fend for herself, he et back to her in ti to the shadows, Etienne headed first for the building fro the others He leapt up to the roof, not bothering to soften his landing

The un This was probably the bastard who had shot Krysta

Etienne closed the distance between theun aside before theone hand around thehim onto his toes, Etienne drew a tranquilizer dart--one with a hurowled as the ot me"

He shoved the dart into the h time to realize what had happened and wet himself before he passed out

Etienne dropped him and drew out his cell phone as he stepped off the roof

"Oui?" Richart answered

Etienne landed ni us at UNC," he said, whisper soft "Meet me at the northeast corner of Chapman Hall"

Richart appeared a few feet away

Etienne pocketed his phone and swiftly filled his brother in telepathically

Drawing his weapons, Richart stared at hiroup of uarding Krysta? Are you out of your fucking mind?

I hope not

The mercenaries approached the entrance to the alley Had they not all been edging forith caution, they would have already reached it

While Etienne dashed toward their front, blocking their entrance, Richart teleported directly into the rinned as chaos erupted

On the other side of Sitterson Hall, screaht as the varoup ofto read the minds of those he killed or wounded Most were so full of fear and hatred--almost as much hatred as he encountered in a vampire’s mind--that he couldn’t discern their leader’s name or the name of their PMC

Bullets and tranquilizer darts flew in every direction When one hit Etienne, he ad a beat The soldiers began to panic as their nu out each other with friendly fire as they swung their weapons in wide arcs, trying to hit anything that ht and wondered how the hell Chris would clean up soe campus They were damned lucky it was often deserted this late

Three mercenaries broke for the alley

Etienne started after the when he heard Krysta fire her tranquilizer gun

He heard one of the three vaent fall to a tranquilizer dart The other two started to freak out and considered bolting

Hold it together, he ordered sternly, re them that the vampires Bastien had led had all feared him Fall back into the alley so the others can help you, but do not let any of the soldiers harm the woman Fail me in this or flee the battle and I will torture you myself when I hunt you down

He was actually a bit surprised when that snapped them out of it

Several bullets sla a sword at the shooter No, two shooters

Are you leaving any alive? Richart asked dryly

Uhed

Ah, hell Krysta has run out of darts and is leaping into the fray in the alley

Go to her I have this