"d.a.m.n it. What's wrong?" David peered over his shoulder then looked around behind him. "We have to hurry or we'll never catch up with Bart."

"Not sure catching up to him matters," Goran muttered. Something else was wrong.

But what? He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then turned back to face Serus. His friend looked old and traumatized. d.a.m.n Rhia for doing this to him. Unfortunately, it didn't look like he'd have time to recover. Not with this odd feeling rolling around inside him. "Serus, do you sense anything wrong with Tessa?"

Serus glanced up at him in surprise. "No." He spun around. "Where are they?"

"I don't know. I just got this weird feeling. I figured it was maybe Cody. Then I realized they weren't coming after us."

"Oh, what the h.e.l.l," David groaned. "Why is it so hard to stick together?"

"Maybe they are just slow," Serus said his voice slow, uneasy. "But you're right, something...feels off."

"Have the drugs been put into the system after all?" David asked, pulling out his cell phone. He sent Cody a text. Where are you?

The response came back within minutes. Watching over Tessa. She's working on the energy stuff in her own system, trying to corral Deanna's energy so it doesn't impact her as badly.

"Now? Couldn't she have waited?" he said out loud, repeating the message to the elders. He texted the same response back to Cody.

No. She couldn't, came the message back.

"d.a.m.n. So now what do you want to do? Go back to them and watch over her as well or keep chasing Bart?"

"I want to keep an eye on Bart. I don't trust him with this canister stuff and now that I know he hated Deanna and blames her for his daughter's death, I'm not sure what he'll do if he finds out that Tessa was the second choice for Deanna and that she survived the process." Goran snorted. "Or that parts of Deanna may have survived as well. More than survived if what Cody is saying now is true. Apparently Deanna's energy has more will to live than I'd thought possible."

"No one thought any of this was possible," Serus said. "That means there is much that could still happen that we couldn't imagine as well."

"She was only supposed to download the information Deanna had. How the h.e.l.l did that turn into energy?" Goran growled. "And how does 'energy' become parts of her personality her will?"

"Information is energy. Energy is in everything," David said, trying to hold onto his patience. "It seems like Deanna's energy is almost as big a force with her being dead as she was when she was alive."

"And that's not good. Deanna was a b.i.t.c.h," Goran snapped. "If she figured out a way to exist beyond the life span of her body, then that's bad news for Tessa."

"Did Deanna pick her or was Tessa just convenient?" David asked. "She'd need to have someone who she was capable of doing this to does that mean weak? Open to suggestion? I don't know."

"Or compa.s.sionate, caring? Tessa hated to think of Deanna's suffering. She'd have done anything she could to help." Serus ran his hand over his face. "She didn't get the option here. And now she's paying the consequences."

"And what about Bart?"

Goran frowned and looked at the floor, then back up at the others. "Given what he's lost, his potential need for revenge, we'd better make sure he never finds out."

Too d.a.m.n late. He'd just found out. Bart glared at the open double doors and the men who were just around the corner and out of sight. The sound of their voices whistled straight toward him through the hallway. They didn't know he was there. He'd stayed ahead of them and stopped to take a break when he'd heard them talking.

What the h.e.l.l had Tessa done? He didn't hold anything against her; she was just a young naive kid who'd been taken advantage of by Deanna. Of course he'd seen himself that she had a death wish. He could put that down to her age and compa.s.sion. She'd just wanted to save the world. Like that would happen given the fine state of affairs. His anger trembled with painful memories.

She was just like Lacy. His beautiful precious daughter. She'd been gone for a long time and it didn't matter. It seemed like it was just yesterday. Moisture stung his eyes. s.h.i.t. He scrubbed his face.

He'd been lost ever since. Living a life in the shadows and avoiding everyone on both sides of the d.a.m.n system. He did his work, had a few drinking buddies, and that was good enough. After all, he'd lost the most precious thing in his life. What else mattered except hating Deanna? He'd hoped to be able to do something about her, but he wasn't a skilled killer. Nor was he as powerful or as cruel as Deanna was. His options were limited. Hating his inability to fight her and not knowing what to do to avenge his daughter, he'd done nothing but sink deeper into apathy.

Until Tessa came along and blew up the status quo.

He'd had no idea a few weeks ago that he'd suddenly have a way to avenge his daughter. Be pitted against someone more his level of power. Tessa was just a kid and hadn't grown into her full abilities. Some would say she'd be more powerful than Deanna if she lived that long.

But that didn't change the element of truth to her current life. She housed energy from that b.i.t.c.h. He didn't know exactly what that meant. But he'd find out.

Then he'd rip it out of her and make sure it was destroyed. One way or another.

Deanna wasn't allowed to live in any form.

If that meant Tessa had to die then so be it.

"I'm going back." Abrupt and hard, Serus surprised himself with his decision.

"Going back?" David asked, a blank look on his face. "Where?"

But Goran knew. "Good idea. I was just thinking to do the same."

"No, you two carry on. I'll go check up on her."

David stood in front of Serus. "Go where?" he cried out in frustration. "What am I missing?"

"Something isn't quite right about your sister. I have to go make sure she's safe," Serus said.

"Do you want all of us to come?" Goran stood at his side, like always. Ready to fight in any war as long as the cause was just and belonged to a friend.

Serus smiled at his best friend. "No. I got this. You go chase after that d.a.m.n Bart and collect both canisters. We need to take them back to the Council Hall for testing. Make sure we come up with an antidote and fast. Just in case they decide to try this on a large scale somewhere else."

"Not a happy thought," David said. He turned to carry on down the hallway. "I think Tessa can probably handle anything life throws at her these days, but if you're worried about her, go. We'll find Bart."

Serus nodded, his gaze going to Goran.

"Go," Goran urged. "There's something wrong there. I can feel it."

So could Serus.

"Regular updates though so we know for sure you're okay."

Already heading back toward his daughter, Serus nodded. "Will do."

Jared clung to the pa.s.senger door handle as Taz careened around the corner in his sports car. Fantastic car. Crazy driver. Taz treated the night roads like they were a raceway. Jared moved from delight to dismay in seconds and rolled back just as fast.

As they got to the hospital and parked in a reserved spot, he gave a happy sigh of relief. "Nice car." He unlocked the door and hopped out. Taz's laughter rolled freely around him. He turned to face the other man, who was already striding toward the entrance. "You were never in any danger, Jared."

"Hey, I never thought I was," he protested, racing to catch up with Taz. The older man was moving so fast he struggled to keep up.

"Sure you didn't," Taz called back as he entered the quiet of the building.

Jared stopped to marvel at the difference when one entered the hospital. The low hum in the background, the silence...the smell.

"Come on, Jared. Don't be so slow."

He picked up the pace and caught up to Taz as he turned the corner toward his office. "Do you ever worry about the hospital itself being attacked?"

Taz turned and shot him a narrow look. "Is that an idle question? Or do you know something specific?"

"No. It's just the smell is so distinctive here it made me wonder."

Only Taz wasn't happy with that explanation. "Wonder what?"

He shouldn't have started this conversation. "I didn't mean anything, but I've seen some of the nasty stuff these guys do and wondered if they'd ever attacked the hospital before."

"No. They haven't," Taz said shortly. "But thanks for giving me something new to worry about."

Goran found it hard to keep up with Bart. How that vamp could scuttle through the lower hallways and tunnels blew him away. He'd heard David panting behind him. Stupid scary.

"How can he be doing this?" David groaned. "I'd like to stop the little idiot myself."

"If he's got something to show us, then he needs to run right to it."

"Do you think he knows what we're up to?"

Goran shrugged. "I'd like to think not, but who knows? He's running awfully fast if not."

Goran pulled the double doors in front of him open and stopped. David slammed into the back of him and bounced off. Silly kid.

"What the h.e.l.l, Goran?" David groaned as he scrambled to his feet.

"Oh sorry. He's not here. The hallway is d.a.m.n long and there are no doorways anywhere. Where did he go?"

"If there's no choice, then the only choice is the one that must be," David said with a silly grin on his face.

"What the h.e.l.l does that even mean?" Goran snapped. These young punks made no sense at the best of times. Now that he was goofing around, he really made no sense. What the h.e.l.l was he supposed to do with this?

"It means there's only one place he could have gone, and that's straight ahead of us," David said patiently. "So that's the only place we can go after him."

Goran glared down at the long white hallway then back at David's grinning face. "So why didn't you say so?"

David snuck by him, grinned, and bolted ahead. "Take a rest if you need it, old man."

Jewel waited until the door closed after the nurse's latest check-in. Crossing the room, she listened for the receding footsteps. Jewel had to consider if that was standard for everyone or if Jewel was getting special attention. It seemed about right, but her suspicious mind wouldn't let go of the possibility that she was getting a little extra care than needed.

There was another blood slushie for her. She'd drunk the last one after taking a sip then waiting a half hour. When she'd experienced no side effects, she'd downed it quickly.

She needed energy to get out of here.

The door was closed but she hadn't heard a click to say it had been locked. She was anxious to open it and sneak out but knew it could be an irrevocable step. She was warm and cared for here. Out there...who knew what she'd find? She really wanted a cell phone to call David. That she hadn't seen him in all her time there scared her.

Would they try to stop him from seeing her? Every time she'd asked, the nurse said she hadn't seen anyone by that name.

If that was true and that was a big if then David was busy doing something important. He wouldn't have left her to fend for herself alone like this. He'd have checked in.

There's no way he wouldn't.

He would also have his cell phone on him. All she needed to do was borrow a phone. Or find one. How hard could that be?

Not knowing when she'd get more, she tossed back the slushie and walked across the room to the door.

Placing an ear against the wood, she listened again. Hearing only silence on the other side, she opened the door and quietly slipped out.

Ian followed Wendy down to where the other computer equipment was stored. They'd spent hours searching for the material taken from the blood farm offices. They'd found lots of information but as Wendy had pointed out, much of it the most critical was missing. And she wanted to know why. She'd sent a text to Sian asking her but hadn't heard back yet. She knew Sian had needed to leave, to go home to see her husband. Wendy was lucky enough to have Ian right there but they had families too...only they couldn't...make that shouldn't leave.

It was too dangerous. They were targets, and contacting their families could put them in danger.

But Sian had left with Wendy's blessing; after all, Jared was there and someone needed to find out what was going on with him. And his missing friend. She hated the blood farms. It was inherently wrong.

"Wendy, what's behind this door?" Ian turned the k.n.o.b on one door that was the fourth in the long line of similar doors. She shrugged. "Who knows? There could be any number of things inside." She paused, thinking of the room Rhia had been recuperating in. "And people. I think the ancients or at least the Council members all have their own quarters here."

Ian looked at her. "Really? Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe for when there are problems and they aren't allowed to leave. A society is only as good as the government who can keep everything running." She laughed. "Wasn't that one of the lessons we were taught in school?"

He snorted. "Was it? I never paid attention to politics."

"Maybe you should have," she teased. "There's lots of intrigue going on in that department right now."

"Too much. With all the foreign diplomats a.s.sembled here in the Council Hall now after being rescued from the hospital? It's big time and big time bad news."

"We have to find out what's going on there, too." Sighing heavily, Wendy added, "One thing at a time."

She moved to the next door and went to knock. The door opened as she was about to touch the wood.

"Yes?" A ma.s.sive male opened the door. Not super huge, but wide. Not fat muscle.

She swallowed hard, trying to remember why she'd knocked. She wasn't looking for living quarters. She was looking for the IT people or the IT equipment.

And realized chances were good it was with men like this. Men who worked the equipment in private, coaxing it to give up its secrets.