"How much territory do they control? Camazotz and the vampires?" she asked.

August seemed deeply troubled. She stared at the steel door, then turned back to look at Buffy, sizing her up.

"Well?" Buffy prodded.

"Sunnydale. A few other towns. Maybe a thirty mile radius around."

"And n.o.body knows?"

"n.o.body believes," August told her. "n.o.body wants to believe. That's how they win. Spin control.

Marketing the illusion that everything's normal. Plenty of humans willing to help for a piece of the power."

"G.o.d," Buffy rasped.

"So there's no way out of here?" August asked, her voice taking on a kind of quiet desperation, as if she had surrendered a part of herself. "You've tried everything?"

"Five years is a long time," Buffy told her. "Maybe with two of us now it'd be different, but I figure they'll just send more guards now to bring the meals."

"Then I guess we don't have any choice," August said softly. Her eyes filled with moisture and she wiped at them bitterly. Then she took a breath and steadied herself, a grim expression on her face.

"Again, not tracking," Buffy told her.

August stared at her as though she were stupid. "They captured you because they finally got smart. If you don't kill the Slayer, there won't be another one. Keep you in here . . ." She whirled around, threw her arms up in near hysteria. "Keep us in here, and there'll never be another Slayer."

Buffy stared at her. "You have a gift for stating the obvious."

"You're just going to let them? There's nothing to stop them from spreading even further now." August bit her lip, shook her head and hugged herself as though attempting to deny the thoughts that were filling her head.

"It sucks. It truly does," Buffy said, hearing the pain in her own voice. The despair. "But until they get stupid, or let down their guard, there's nothing we can do."

August pushed a lock of her short, black hair behind her ears. She would not turn her iron-gray eyes up to look at Buffy.

"There's something I can do," she said softly.

One eyebrow raised, Buffy studied her. "What's that? What can you do?"

Finally, August met her gaze. Her soft eyes had hardened again. Crazy, defiant eyes. Eyes cold and decisive.

"I can kill you."

To Be Continued . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the award-winning,L.A. Times best-selling author of such novels as Straight on 'Til Morning, Strangewood, Prowlers, and theBody of Evidence series of teen thrillers.

Golden has also written a great many books and comic books related to the TV seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer andAngel. His other comic book work includes stories featuring such characters as Batman, Wolverine, Spider-Man, The Crow, and h.e.l.lboy, among many others.

As a pop culture journalist, he was the editor of the Bram Stoker Awardwinning book of criticism, CUT!: Horror Writers on Horror Film, and co-author of bothBuffy the Vampire Slayer: The Monster Book andThe Stephen King Universe.

Golden was born and raised in Ma.s.sachusetts, where he still lives with his family. He graduated from Tufts University. He is currently at work on the third book in theProwlers series,Predator and Prey, and a new novel for Signet calledThe Ferryman. There are more than four million copies of his books in print. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com.