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"So?"

Chris just pointed at Bastien and looked at Seth

Seth shrugged "Bastien is with Melanie now He has a vested interest in keeping things calets out of hand himself, Melanie will kick his ass"

Melanie sh to do it, too"

Chris shook his head "You are so fucking weird Fine Seth, if you want the new vain construction on the aparto-ahead"

"Go ahead"

"Done What about Bastien’s desire to let the vamps roam North Carolina freely?"

"Let’s wait on that, give the vamps some time to settle in, and see if Melanie will be able todevices work"

She bit her lip "The challenge will be finding a way to keep the virus fro the devices the way it does bullets and other foreign objectswithout the aid of the tranquilizer, that is We know the tranquilizer slon the healing process, and could probably help, but the va with other vampires"

"And they can’t know about the them out"

"I’ll bury the memory of them," Seth said

Bastien spoke up "If she canwiththe word"

Chris stared at hi? You want vampires to help you hunt and destroy other vampires?"

"Yes"

"In violent, bloody battles, armed eapons"

"Yes Both Cliff and Stuart have proven their loyalty to us"

The two vamps had indeed proven their loyalty, but"Cliff has been infected long enough to suffer the consequences," Seth reently He didn’t need to see the MRIs to know the daether," Bastien insisted "And I think he’ll hold it together a little longer if he can get some fresh air and exercise He’s been cooped up at the network too long without reprieve"

Bastien loved Cliff like a brother A quick look into his thoughts told Seth Bastien wanted the young vampire to experience a last taste of freedom before the madness clai vampire, held the sa and fierce in his deter to break Bastien’s heart when he finally lost the battle Melanie’s, too

"If Cliff broke and made a run for it, do you think you could catch him?" Seth asked

"Yes" And the dread in Bastien’s face and voice told them all without words that he would do what had to be done when he caught him, just as he had with Vince

Melanie took his hand

"Very well," Seth decreed "Cliff has always been loyal to you, Sebastien You need not wait and can begin taking hi with you now Stuart and the others, however, will have to wait for the tracking devices"

"Thank you"

The fact that Chris made no objection confirmed that even he had a soft spot for Cliff

"Excellent I’ll meet with the varinned as Chris’s ood influence on you"

Bastien griain, aren’t I?"

"What?"

"Being nice," he said with hed "Yes" He teleported the room with the mercenaries "Shall we?" He could have just popped theuards liked to keep track of their movements for safety’s sake

Bastien kissed Melanie, then led Seth out into the hallway and to the holding room next door

Melanie returned to her office while Chris headed for the elevators

A guard standing in front of the va room took a security card from his pocket

Seth shook his head and waved a hand in front of the lock A thunk sounded Opening the heavy door, he stepped inside, Bastien right on his heels

A thought closed the door behind them

Five vampires stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes ith trepidation, heavy titaniu the as he scanned their ressed far in these The brain da the past year

"Good evening, gentlemen I’ed nervous looks

One wearing a Tar Heels T-shirt sed "Are you the one they call the Day Walker?"