A sharp, piercing noise roused Nicole from a deep sleep. Checking her phone, she saw that it was seven thirty- and she was receiving a phone call from Detective Frank Kim, an old friend in the police department. Groaning, she answered the phone with a sleepy

'Yeah, Kim?"

"We have a situation – dead body found. Some weird eye witness report… it may be your sort of thing."

"Can you get me access to the scene?"

"If you hurry."

Kristen sat on Nicole's bed, glancing around the room. Having been awoken minutes before, she simply threw on a clean top and ran a brush through her hair, sweeping it into a no muss ponytail. Nicole was dressing and calling her close friend, Seryna Ward. Kristen suddenly remembered to call her friend, Nancy, awakening her at this early hour. Nancy was groggy, but immediately amenable to meeting them at the scene. Kristen explained that Nicole had kept her contacts on the police force and that they were not going to jeopardize her position by trying to gain access. They would go to the next door neighbors, Mao Channing's home. Her husband had been the first witness, she the second. They were good people. Before hanging up, Nancy said blearily.

"You haven't told your sister, have you?"

Kristen hung up without answering. She rose and began to pace her sister's room as Nicole sat on the bed to lace her running shoes. Her sister, Nicole, had brought her into the world of hunting one year ago. The two sisters had hunted together for several weeks in San Diego with her sister's old cell. Kristen then chose to move to Ohio when she heard of a dangerous predator that was hunting there. That online friend who had tipped her off was Nancy. Nancy, Matt, Sarah and Phex had rounded out their hunter cell that Kristen had been a part in Ohio. Unknown to her Nicole, this new cell had brought Kristen into a pharmaceutical company that had trained her in subduing and abducting monsters. Kristen told herself that they were protecting people, but she was hesitant to explain it to Nicole. Several months ago, Kristen had received a surgery from the company because Nancy and Matt had encouraged her to do so. They were right- the surgery did make her job easier as it helped her to pick out monsters. After the first surgery, she asked for something to help her subdue the monsters more easily. Now as they were preparing to go into a hunt together, Kristen was nervous about how to tell her sister and her new cell about these surgeries.

Kristen looked over to the photograph of the cell that Nicole had been hunting with while Kristen had been away. Darren, Seryna and Jenny Ward were siblings. Nicole had briefly explained that they had been raised by a family of hunters and that they had a unique ability that was helpful for hunting. It had confused Kristen and she wasn't sure what these people could do. Yet each Ward sibling had been warm and welcoming to Kristen. Bringing Nancy and Matt along on the hunt felt like a 'many hands make light work' to Kristen, but they had not had much time to talk about Kristen's desire to tell Nicole and the Ward family about her surgical implants. She didn't feel like it was her right to disclose about Matt and Nancy's surgeries, yet it would likely come up. Kristen rubbed her hands over her eyes, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.

Opening her eyes as Nicole searched for the car keys on her dresser, Kristen's attention was attracted to a cork board right over Nicole's writing desk. On it was a picture of Nicole and Kristen, smiling – it was taken a year ago. Kristen recognized the short haircut that she had chosen impulsively. Slipped in right next to it was a picture of Nicole, Jenny and Seryna in a boat, wearing life vests and smiling into the camera. There was another photo of Darren and Jenny mugging up a pose for the photographer, likely Nicole. There were half a dozen candid shots of the Ward family and Nicole on the cork board.

Frowning, Kristen exited the room. She walked down the hall and entered her own room. Her desk had the powerful personal computer- her most valuable possession. Kristen slid into the comfortable office chair and started up the computer, trying to pinpoint why she felt so uneasy. She was lucky that Nicole had no idea how expensive this computer was and had never thought of how Kristen had been able to afford it as a secretary. Her own desk had a single photograph- one taken four years ago of Kristen, Nicole, their mother, Carol and their older brother, Jon. It wasn't odd for Nicole to have pictures of her life here, Kristen reminded herself. I don't have any recent pictures of the two of us, after all. When had they drifted so far apart? It had to have been when Kristen had moved away to pursue her own hunting career. These feeling of loneliness and jealously had been of her own doing. She and Nicole had only hunted together for barely two months before Kristen had moved across the country. Nicole hadn't taken it well. She'd kept the two-bedroom apartment, Kristen noted. Maybe she had hoped that I would come back home.

Kristen had returned barely a full day earlier, flying in with Nancy and Matt. She had spent nearly every day with Nancy and Matt in the last year. She got along well with Nancy, but could clash with Matt. She was naturally a problem solver and a take charge sort of person. Matt had been in the Army and considered his tactical experience superior to her civilian and they had initially clashed. They had sorted it out with a newfound respect for one another only after Kristen had initiated a physical fight. Matt was respectful of a woman who could hold her own, especially in their dangerous world. She was embarrassed to realize that he'd assumed she'd come up as the Affirmative action girl, riding on a pretty face and a good body.

Nicole, Kristen, Matt and Nancy reported to the address with trepidation. It was only two blocks away from Dr. Hollandale's home and three blocks from their own apartment. Nicole pauses as she notes a young girl at the window of the Channing home where Kristen, Nancy and Matt are being admitted inside. The Channings have lived in Santee for fifteen years. The solemn look in young Sydney's eyes bothered Nicole. She hoped that this wouldn't upset the girl too much. The blonde hurried up the walk to the front porch, recognizing the uniform guarding the crime tape as a local. Nicole smiles with the young officer, pausing to catch up for just a moment. She wanted to hurry to talk with Detective Kim, but remembering Officer Corele took just a moment of her time.

Nicole carefully took in the chalk outline of the body- snapping a photograph with her digital camera. She turned her head and noticed the thick shrubs that framed the doorway of the house. There was a spray of blood on the doorway – and a small pool on the tile porch. The former police officer carefully avoided the sectioned area of porch and entered the house. She moved briskly past white clad forensics workers as they moved over the living room. Nicole turned and studied the entryway from the hall, noting that the door didn't look tampered with at all. Kim was speaking with a man in a suit. When he saw her, he motioned for her to join him the hall where they could speak without being overheard.

"The victim was killed one the front porch in a violent struggle, cause of death was blood loss. " He stated, pausing to watch her. "There's not enough blood at the porch to account for that," Nicole objected. "- do you think that the body was moved?"

"You really ought to have stayed on the job." Kim remarked. "There were two small marks on the neck of the victim, like the prongs of a barbeque fork. From the evidence on the body and the eye witness accounts, the death happened on the porch. We entered to investigate the welfare of the homeowner and found the homeowner out. The car is gone, so it's possible she was out that night."

"What were the eye witness reports?"

"A sharp yell, the sounds of a fight – Mr. Channing opened the door to see a man bleeding on the porch. He advised his wife to call 911 while he applied pressure. In addition to the two prick marks, there was a ragged laceration on the victim's neck. Channing never noticed the prick marks. No one answered the door to this home when he knocked, but the door was unlocked."

A vampire- was Nicole's first thought. The laceration on the neck threw her- as was the public site of the murder. She turned her head as she scanned the home, noting the tasteful kitchen decorated in green and brown, the granite counter island that was set with a tea tray holding a spray of fake flowers.

"No suspects. The victim's name is Brandon Sanders."

Nicole's heart thudded in her chest as she turned to face him.

"Brandon Sanders- about twenty-five, dark hair?"

Kim's face became somber. "You knew him?"

"Yes." Nicole exhaled slowly, feeling saddened and confused. "He grew up with us. He's a good guy."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Kim sighed. "I'm pushing for a quick close on this, no way will I be able to find the real killer to arrest, right?"

"No." Nicole said sadly. "I think it's my sort of case."

"Thanks for coming so quick."

"When was the body found?"

"Around six twenty a.m."

Nicole said her goodbyes and exited the house, walking over to the Channing home. Natsuki opened the door immediately, admitting Nicole with a solemn look. "Your sister and everyone's in the living room." The teenage girl shared. She departed quickly, ascending the stair case. Nicole walked into the living room to find Mao and her friends drinking coffee.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Mao." She hugged her neighbor. "Will you be helping the police?" Mao inquired. She looked pale and drawn.

"No, I don't think so." It wouldn't do for the neighbors to know about the activities of the cell. She glanced over at Kristen's cell mates, Nancy and Matt. Nancy was in her thirties with chocolate brown eyes, dark brown almost black hair and was wearing a fitted T-shirt with a blue phone box on it. The sort in use in London, Nicole guessed. Matt set his coffee mug on a stone coaster, setting it just so. He wore a blue plaid button up and dark gray tactical pants. Matt was fighting a burgeoning beer belly and was good looking, with black hair that he wore close cropped and blue eyes.

"Mao's told us all about last night," Kristen told her sister. "- it wasn't a good time. " She rose and placed a comforting arm on Mao's shoulder. "We won't make you go through it all over again. Thank you for talking with us."

"Of course." Mao gave Kristen a tight smile. "It's good that you're home, Kristen."

"Thank you." Kristen smiled. "We'll see you around."

"Yes," Mao nodded, sounding distracted. "- that would be nice. "

The four hunters piled into Nicole's car and turned it towards the home of Seryna and Jenny Ward. As Nicole drove, Kristen explained what Mao had recounted about the events of the morning. "She stated that she found her husband crouched over the body of the victim, pressing his hands against the man's throat. Blood was on his hands and shirt. She stated that she saw someone in the hedges behind her husband – someone running away from her house. He was so close to her husband that she was afraid that he was going to be attacked, too. She called 911 and joined her husband on her neighbor's porch. By the time she reached him, that person was gone."

"The vampire." Nicole interjected. She summarized what the Detective had explained and what she had seen at the crime scene. "Unusual for a vampire to be seen like this." Matt offered up from the back seat.

"That and the murder right on somebody's front porch." Matt frowned. "I've never been on a hunt that started like this."

At the Wards, Jenny booted up the computer for Nicole to upload the photo from her camera to her online backup. The group discussed the investigation so far to get Jenny and Seryna up to speed. Jenny suggested that the attack could have been about the victim, Brandon Sanders.

"I'll swing by and talk to his brother," Nicole stated sadly. "- I can't believe that this could be a target on Brandon. He was a nice guy."

"There could be a reason a vampire would target him," Matt pointed out. "- could he be a hunter?"

"I highly doubt it… but no, I don't know for sure." Nicole realized. "I'll ask his brother, see if we have any clues."

"So you track Brandon's whereabouts on the day that he died," Kristen muses. "- I think that we should be on the lookout for the vampire. We don't know why Brandon was targeted. It could be that he was simply heading home and a vampire attacked him and Brandon fled." She glanced to Matt and Nancy. "How about we drive around the neighborhood, see if there's any sign of a vampire."

"We'll head to the local club tonight," Seryna stated. "- see if we see any vampire activity."

"See any activity? How will you tell?" Nancy inquired.

"We've had experience." Seryna stated cryptically. Nicole noted that the Wards didn't seem willing to open up to Kristen's friends. The cell had always worked well together before. Nicole worried if three new hunters was going to be too many for this close-knit group. The Wards were familiar with hunting with family, not friends of her sister. They were acquainted with Kristen but Nicole wouldn't call them close.

The cell went their separate ways and Nicole and Kristen returned to their apartment.

"It's terrible about Brandon." Kristen sighed as she sank into the love seat in the living room. "How long has it been since we saw him?"

"I ran into him in the store a couple of weeks back." Nicole said. "We exchanged numbers, said we'd do something... but then I never called him." She sank into a straight backed chair around the small four person kitchen table off of the kitchen.

"I should have called him."

Kristen rose and walked behind her sister, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known."

Nicole shrugged off the hand, turning away. "No, of course I couldn't know that he was about to be murdered. But right on somebody's front porch? Matt lives a block over. What was he doing on the Channing's neighbors' porch?"

"Good point." Kristen sat across from Nicole. "We should try and place his day before he was murdered. I'm starting to hope that this was just wrong place, wrong time."

"It's a terrible case," Nicole sighed, shaking her head. "- a friend from school is murdered right in our backyard. Why? Why a body now? Three men go missing and no sign of them, but-"

"Three men are missing?" Kristen leaned forward. "You never told us, Matt, Nancy, me - about missing people."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nicole shook her head. "I meant to ask for your help, but I was distracted by Brandon's death. Over the last week, three men of gone missing. Mid twenties to thirties, all Caucasian. They didn't seem to know each other, or at least we can't figure out how they did. Two attended Helix high, one attended Santana."

"When did the first one go missing?"

"Last Friday."

"So six days ago. What's his name?"

"David McGrueger. 26 year old data entry clerk."

"About the same age as Brandon," Kristen pointed out. "- so it might be connected. Lets get a nap in before we go see Brandon's brother."

Later that evening, the cell calls Matt, Nancy and the Wards to meet them at the site where the last three missing men had been seen. The last car, Jenny and Seryna, pulls into the parking lot at seven. The group gathers around their sedan, speaking quietly but not attracting any notice.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Nicole frowned, checking her watch. "- and its only 7. Let's just do a scout and get to know each other better. We can hunt this weekend."

"Really?" Matt frowned, glancing around the parking lot. The three cars had parked behind the taco shop which shared a parking lot with the taco shop, Les Girls and a newly opened dance club. At this hour, the most traffic was to the taco shop and only a handful of people were in sight.

"We have a serious problem." Matt continued, growing more agitated as he spoke. "Three men went missing from this parking lot in the last week. If we wait much longer, we could be knee deep in dead people. What if the missing people are being turned into vampires? That could be four fangs for us to try and put down!"

"If we rush in, we could be the missing people." Seryna chastised, irritation clouding her voice. Matt threw her an irritated glance, but Kristen shook her head at Matt.

"Don't," She said quietly. "- I know what you're feeling, but don't. We need to be careful."

"You don't know what I'm feeling," Matt snapped angrily. "- and we can't sit on our butts."

"That's enough. You want to hunt with us, you do the time to get it right." Nicole stated firmly. Her face was flushing but she worked on keeping her voice calm.

"Matt," Nancy stated quietly, gesturing for Matt to walk off with her. Matt tossed his head but wordlessly agreed, walking off with Nancy down the alleyway, out of earshot.

"Kristen, what the hell?" Darren asked, irritated. "Can your friend handle this, or not?"

"He's good at his job," Kristen assured quietly. "- but he has some anger issues with vampires. They've taken a lot from him. "

"We all have issues, Kristen," Jenny stated quietly, watching Matt and Nancy. "We can't be impulsive. Seryna was right – if we rush in, we could lose each other."

"I know," Kristen assured. "- and he'll be okay. I know that everyone isn't comfortable with the situation."

She looked around the faces staring at her as she tried to think of how to guide the group towards being accepting of Matt.

The conflict between them and Matt was concerning. Kristen had enjoyed hunting with Nancy and Matt. At the same time, she wanted to get to know the Wards better. Could they get along?

"It's dangerous and we can't lose our heads out there." Darren stated quietly.

"Matt has a problem keeping his temper," Kristen admitted. "It is something that he's working on. Matt and Nancy are very good at their jobs. We hunted together for months and I trust them."

"Does he lose his temper during the hunt?" Jenny questioned.

"Sometimes." Kristen responded honestly. "There are times that I get emotional, too. This isn't easy."

"No, it's not. Nothing about this job is easy." Nicole agreed. "I'm glad that you're hunting with us, Kristen. If your friends want to help, that's good for us."

"Hey," Matt stated as he and Nancy walked forward. "- I'm sorry. I don't know why I acted like I'm the only one that cares about this. "

"This is your neighborhood," Nancy stated quietly, looking apologetic. "- and we're happy to help."

"You sure?" Nicole asked, studying Matt.

Matt looked abashed, staring down at the floor. He scuffed his shoes for a moment. The others watched him quietly. Finally, he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. You were right."

"It's okay," Darren stated quietly, " - we all have bad days."

Matt glanced up at Darren, briefly meeting his eyes. "Thanks."

Kristen nodded, glancing around the parking lot. The shadows were beginning to lengthen and she was impatient to hunt before full darkness fell.

"I say we break into two teams to scout the outside and decide if this is where people are disappearing. "

"Okay." Nicole nodded. "I think that's a good idea. But I'd like to talk this over for a sec, if that's all right." Nicole looked to Matt and Nancy.

"Yeah." Matt stated. "What's on your mind?"

"We haven't hunted together before." Seryna stated, matter of fact. "And we don't know you very well. I'd like to talk about ourselves for a minute."

Kristen glanced towards Nicole. Seryna and Nicole had already discussed this without her, it seemed. What else had they been discussing without her?

"You want to know about us, too." Nancy suggested, smiling agreeably.

"Yeah," Seryna nodded, returning the smile. "- I hope that we don't come off as a clique. I hate snobs. I just want us to be safe tonight. This is Jenny's first hunt without our uncle and cousins."

"Your whole family hunts?" Matt stated incredibly. "That's pretty special. And hey, congrats, Jenny."

"I've hunted before." Jenny stated, giving her sister an irritated look. "I don't like it when you single me out like this. I don't want a babysitter."

"I'm sorry," Seryna apologized. "- I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"So Seryna," Nancy stepped closer to Seryna.

"What was your first monster?"

"Ah, first that I met or first that I hunted?"

"Hunted."

"A ghoul," Seryna grimaced. "- it looked very human. It was nasty, though. It was hunting for its' master." She glanced over to Matt.

"What about you?"

Matt gave Kristen a quick glance before meeting Seryna's eyes. Kristen wondered how Matt would feel about revealing their Cherion company connection to Nicole and the Wards. His body language seemed apprehensive as he crossed his arms.

"A vampire." He stated boldly. "He gave up a friend, so we hit that one too. Then we just kept rolling."

"Good, you've hunted vampires' before." Darren smiled. "That's a relief. We can skip the whole mind altering crap. Isn't it the worst explaining it to people?"

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "- it sucks hard."

"So what are you packing?" Nicole questioned. "I have a license to carry and I brought my gun. I plan on using this, though." She lifted her light jacket to reveal a large knife strapped to her hip.

"I have a .44," Matt informs. "- but no license in this state, so I left it at the hotel. I have this," He moves the heavier jacket that he's wearing aside to show a machete in a custom sleeve in his jacket.

The group went around and shared what they had brought to the hunting party. Nancy had brought a knife strapped to her ankle and a wooden stake concealed as something else in her flashlight holster on her belt. The necessity of concealing their weapons meant that Darren, Seryna and Jenny were wearing heavier hoodies than the weather made comfortable. Darren had a wooden stake, a fixed blade knife and a multipurpose lighter. Seryna had brought a custom weapon that she had crafted herself- a lighter affixed to a can of hairspray. Her favored weapon was concealed as a cane- the rubber stopper on the end concealed a pointed wooden stake. She demonstrated how she could use it as a spear. Jenny brought only her three staples. She had a small knife concealed in her bra, a mace canister attached to her key ring and a stake. Kristen had brought only her own custom weapon- a wooden stake with a punch dagger handle.

In past hunts, she had been able to use her other abilities. Matt and Nancy were going to be in the same position of hunting without the full range of their skills. Kristen was suddenly feeling unprepared. What if Matt and Nancy were overwhelmed out here and reacted to save someone's life, revealing their implants? It would be a hard sell to talk those off as anything natural. Kristen began to feel acid bubbling in her stomach. She breathed shallowly through her mouth. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe slowly.

"I'd like to check out the alleys." Matt offered.

"Okay, Matt, Nancy, Kristen and Jenny - check out the alleys. The rest of us check out the buildings together. Meet back at the cars in twenty. We're looking for signs of a vampire. A hidden place or a predator trying to lure someone private." Nicole clarified. "Call for help if you see anyone suspicious."

The group quickly separated. Kristen and Matt began to walk quickly towards the alley behind the taco shop with Jenny and Nancy following a few feet behind.

"Matt, you got to keep your cool," Kristen stated quietly. "- Nicole really likes these people. Not to mention we need all the help that we can get."

"I said that I was sorry," Matt reminded, glancing back at Jenny worriedly. "Can talk about this later?"

"We need to tell them eventually," Kristen reminded.

"- especially my sister."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Matt shook his head. "They don't seem like the type to understand what we've been through." He glanced at the debris on the floor, stepping around it as he continued quietly.

"I get that you want to be honest with your sister. Ordinarily, I agree. Yet its' not just yourself that you're exposing."

"This isn't primetime news, Matt." Kristen insisted, offended at his choice of words. "Expose? They won't do anything to hurt us. They're my family. They would care enough for us to let us explain."

"You sound like you're doing a lot of justifying to yourself." Matt noted. "Why are you so defensive? If you think that this is the right thing, shouldn't your conscience be clear?"

"Let's just get through tonight," Kristen stated quietly, frowning. They walked in silence for a moment before Kristen couldn't hold in her concerns.

"I don't want to lie to them."

"You want to be completely honest?" Matt asked, pausing to check a door leading into one of the buildings.

"I don't think we should tell them. At least not yet." Matt continued. "Not tonight. Let's just worry about this another time."

"How do you think the hunt is going to work?" Kristen asked. "They won't wonder where the monster disappears to?"

"Hey," Jenny whispered as she and Nancy close the distance. "- wait up."

"What?" Matt follows Jenny's gaze towards a dark corner of the alley. "Huh," He frowns. "- I thought that headed towards the residential area of downtown."

"What's that?" Jenny wonders, walking closer. "Yeah. Look, at this." She reached out and slid a dumpster away from the wall, revealing a black void in the brick building.

"Wait-!" Nancy cries in alarm as something barrels past Jenny. A glint of light flashes as Matt makes a pained cry. A figure hurtles out of the shadows wielding a large serrated knife. Matt presses his hand to a bleeding gash on his right shoulder. Matt attempts to grab onto the man as he hurtles past, but the man is supernaturally quick.

"What are you doing?" Kristen exclaims as she blocks the route out to the alley. The careening figure slows as it attempts to maneuver past Kristen's outstretched hands. He stands an inch taller than Kristen at 5'10'', has wide set shoulders and looks to be a brawler. Kristen lunges forward, trying to grasp his right arm. The man fights her off and Kristen is swung against the alley wall, hanging onto the man's wrist.

"You don't want to do this!" He succeeds in ripping free of Kristen's grasp.

"What is that?" Jenny asked, gesturing to the wall. She moved closer, turning on her flashlight to look within. The light pierced a large, open space. Dust motes fell through the air.

"Get away." The man barked, roughly shoving Jenny away from the opening. "Get away from there. You need to get out."

"No." Jenny retorted, trying to move around the man. "Get out of the way. Are you abducting people? Are you the one who killed Brandon?"

"Whose Brandon?" The man turned as Kristen began to move slowly up behind him.

"I wouldn't." He stated, his tone menacing. He lifted the knife, lowering himself into a firm footing. The knife was serrated, dangerous looking. His wrist moved easily as he lowered his center of gravity. He was an experienced knife fighter, Kristen recognized. She glanced behind her. The alleyway was empty. She doubted anyone would come to screams. She turned her attention back to the man, squaring up for a fight.

As he is distracted by Kristen, Nancy jumps on him from behind. She loops both arms around his neck, attempting to close a choke hold.

"Stop!" Kristen shouts at the man, hurrying to Nancy's aid.

"Who sent you?" The man wonders as he wrestles with Nancy.

"Help!" Nancy yelps as the man gains a firm hold on Nancy's wrist. The man grips her arms firmly and bends forward, preparing to hurl Nancy off of him.

"Stop fighting us!" Jenny shouts as she hurries to grapple for the right arm that he is holding Nancy with. Jenny has more luck than Kristen had and secures the man's arm in her armpit, her hands clasped firmly on his arm.

"Hang on!" Matt encourages from behind the man, choosing to lunge to get his arms around the man's waist. Matt cinches his arms around the man's waist, ducking his head in close to the man's back. Kristen pulls out her cell phone, punching the auto dial for her sister's number. That is all she can do as the man begins to wrench this way and that, tearing Kristen's eyes from her cell phone.

The man swears creatively and profusely, throwing back his head as he tests the grips that hold him.

"You're going to regret this!"

He grunts as he shrugs his massive shoulders, hurling his right shoulder towards the alley wall and Nancy along with it. Nancy strikes the cold grungy wall, but closes her eyes and grips the man tightly, jostling painfully as he attempts to throw her.

"Let's get him down," Jenny shouted. "On his back, now!"

"Get off!" The man snarls, letting loose with another string of curses. "You can't be here! This is our territory!"

"Hang on," Kristen encourages. "- I'm getting the others!" Into the phone she barked. "First alley from Les Girls. Hurry!"

From behind the man, Matt uses his legs and body weight to push the man to the ground. Nancy releases her hold and falls down onto the ground beside the two men. Matt keeps a strong grip onto his opposite wrist to keep a tight grip on the man's waist. Jenny is pulled off balance by the movement and her own attempt to bring down the man's arm is thwarted, causing her to jerk off balance.

The man crows in triumph as he throws his head back, catching Matt full in the face. As Matt loses his grip, the man heaves himself onto his left side. Jenny calmly applies an overpowering move, bending the man's arm and guiding him in a controlled descent to the ground. Matt attempts to gain another hold on the man but cannot. His position lying on the ground is blocked by the others. Nancy attempts to help Jenny immobilize the man, but he is able to resist her. Kristen drops the phone in its' hip case and moves in to kneel on the man's outstretched legs.

"Don't move," Jenny orders. "- stop moving."

The man struggles, grunting from the effort yet Jenny has cinched in her hold perfectly.

"Stop." Jenny commands again.

Matt kneels beside Jenny, pushing the man's shoulders down to the ground. Nancy kneels on the man's left wrist to help subdue him.

"Why did you attack us?" Jenny demands.

"You're not..." The man peers up into Jenny's eyes. "I'll be damned. How did you all learn to fight like that?" He struggles briefly. "Let me go. Trust me, you've stepped in it."

"We're not letting you go. Are you the one abducting people?" Kristen demands.

The man stops struggling and laughs, relaxing in Jenny's grip. This complete lack of concern was discomforting. Nancy moved off of the man and gestured for Matt to show her his arm. Matt shook his head vehemently, keeping both hands firmly on pinning the man's shoulders. Kristen reached down and plucked up the knife, inspecting it. It was fine quality - single fixed blade. "You stabbed him for no reason," Kristen gestured with the knife. "- so you're the one in a lot of trouble."

"You'll be giving that back to me," The man stated calmly. There was a clatter of feet as Darren, Nicole and Seryna ran to join their group.

Seryna noticed the blood seeping through Matt's shirt sleeve. "Darren," Seryna gestures for Darren to take Matt's place. Darren, Jenny, Nancy and Kristen each take a moment to get a firm grip on the man. The four slowly ease the man into a standing position. The four prodded the man into holding his hands behind his back to be tied. Once he was secured, Jenny and Darren kept a firm grip on him and frog walked him back to the car.

Nancy and Seryna tended to Matt's cut, each realizing that the other was no stranger to medicine. Nancy was an experienced nurse while Seryna had been raised to treat illness and injury with holistic medicine. The two glued the shallow wound with Nancy's first aid kit right there in the alley. The group hurried into their cars and pulled away from the alley, hurtling towards Seryna and Jenny's house with the assailant in the trunk. If there was a vampire in that opening, they didn't want to encounter it at its home where all of the monster's defenses were set. Yet this posed the problem- was the man a ghoul, a slave of the vampire? Or was he mentally ill? The two weren't exclusive to the other.