I shook Ange's arm, looking at her one last time, trying to see if I could see the signs of a traitor in her eyes then whispered: "All right, let's go."

We both disappeared in different directions, but I could hear her yelling," Bite bite bite bite!" I turned to another vamp, a short girl with heavy eyeliner and black lips, and yelled, "Bite bite bite bite!" Stunned she turned and walked away. I was amazed at how many vamps were running around the Civic Center. It was hilarious to see the suits trying desperately to avoid us, scowling at us in their three-piece suits. We were taking over their territory and they clearly did not like it. As amused as I was, I couldn't shake the image of Ange, I had seen on that e-mail. Could she really be playing for the other team? A spy for the DHS? A friend of my nemesis, severe haircut lady? I wondered if they had tortured her like they had me, humiliated her like they had me, and scared her like they had me. Maybe she had no choice. Poor Ange, maybe she couldn't handle the terror of the prison camp, maybe she had no choice. But who was Masha, and why would she feel the need to risk her own life to inform me? I know that X-netters were a tight-knight group of people, and that M1k3y was a leader to them, but the thought of doing anything that would land me back in that prison was terrifying. Masha, whoever she was, must really be dedicated to the X-netters and there cause and me.

It was 8:16, time for me to bag another vamp. I lifted the collar of my cape and surfed the crowd low, searching for my next victim. I saw my target: a bulbous vamp, his face painted white, one fishnet glove was searching for his cell phone. Bad mistake, he left himself wide open for M1k3y. "Bite bite bite bite!" He spun around, swore and sulked off, knowing he'd just been had. I looked around me; the game was now taking over the Civic Center. The vamps where out numbering the suits, and the suits looked increasingly nervous. I was in my glory, and to think, I had organized the whole thing! This was much more fun than the concert in Dolores Park. All us X-netters were having the time of our lives and were loving every minute of it but as the helicopter started to sound, I knew it was time for the endgame.

"Endgame: when the cops order us to disperse, pretend you've been gassed. Pass it on. What did I just say?"

The girl was very short, but with a bright-pink, spiky mohawk she was impossible to miss. "Genius," she said.

"Ok, thanks, that's wonderful," I said, "but what's the plan?" She repeated what I said and ran off into the crowd. I grabbed another couple of vamps and repeated my plan, waiting for the cops to shout out their order to desist. My thoughts went back to Ange as I thought about her passing on the same directions in the crowd somewhere. I thought about the other fake X-netters, were they all waiting to pounce on us when we fell? Ready to turn us all in, to save their own butts? I felt sick.

"THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. YOU ARE ORDERED TO DISPERSE IMEDIATELY."

I looked around in anticipation, all around me hundreds of vamps fell to the ground, clasping at their throats and wheezing. I think we all remembered Dolores Park as we acted out the gassing. I fell to the ground grabbing my red hat tentatively placing it on my head, wondering if I would see Ange with severe haircut lady ready to arrest me and drag me back to the prison. As total panic ensued, I got up to run, not thinking of anything but saving my own butt before I got caught in the stampede. Just then, I saw her. At first I didn't recognize her, she had on a blonde wig and high platform shoes, making her a good four inches taller than she normally was, but it was her, it was Van. "Hi M1k3y," she said.

"Van?" "What are you doing here? I thought you wanted nothing to do with the me or the X-netters?"

"I came for you, Marcus. I couldn't let her deceive you anymore."

My face went pail and I felt like someone was standing on my chest. I managed to spit out one name: "Masha?"

"Yes, Marcus, I am Masha. They tried to turn me in the prison when I was there. And for a while I went along with it. Long enough to know who they had turned and what they wanted. I told you I didn't like Ange, but I was afraid to tell you why. They groomed her to get close to you so that they could catch you. She is one of them; she's not your girlfriend, Marcus, she's a spy."

I felt my stomach drop, and I leaned over, clutching my gut. I didn't need to pretend like I had been gassed, I really felt poisoned. Van, reached over and helped me up.

"One more thing," she said. And then she did something I never expected. She tilted my chin up and kissed me. And for a while neither of us moved, and I heard nothing, the sirens went silent, and the screams became distant. The whole world stood still. When I came to, I looked at Van.

"We need to get out of here, and fast."