Sam spluttered on his mouthful. "I'm sorry, did I hear that right?! The plan we're going with is...suicide? Suicide is the plan?! Edgar, you're throwing Star to the lions, no WORSE, to the vampires!"

"It's not a perfect plan, I agree-"

"Not perfect??! It's so far from perfect I can't even start to explain... there are holes in this plan. Holes inside holes. There is no plan – it's just one big void!" Sam said with exasperation, his voice getting higher and higher.

"Sam, we can't take out four vampires. But we might be able to kill David, save Alan, and then take out the other three," Star said as she squeezed her way out from behind the table.

Mapped out in black and white, Edgar believed this would save his brother. It all rested on Star, and she was terrified not only of facing David, but of betraying him again. Her failure could end all hope of saving Alan... and it would no doubt end her life.

This plan made her skin crawl. She rubbed her bare arms, trying to fight off a nonexistent chill.

"You're both crazy!" Sam declared, throwing his arms out for emphasis and sending his soda flying. He sheepishly scrambled after the can, banging into the clutter around him. "You can't be serious??"

Star walked to the other end of the trailer and perched on the end of Edgar's make-shift bed. She glanced at him, her brown eyes swirling with the unspoken. "I wouldn't joke about something like this."

"Anyway, Star said it wrong. I had a chart and everything," Edgar moaned. He flicked through some large posters on the table. "See? There is more to this than Star getting back with her honey. I'm not some evil relationship councillor."

Sam looked up at Edgar's scrawl and frowned. "Is that a drawing of a... what is that? Is that a duck with a...?"

"Give it here!" Edgar snatched the chart from Sam and slowly rotated it 360 degrees, before discarding it on the floor. "Umm... I'll just tell you the plan. David has been dropping in on Star right before sunrise. Tonight when he pays her another unwelcome visit, she's going to make him feel welcome. She's going to be sociable," Edgar outlined seriously.

"Sociable?! With David?! This is the guy that sucked you in then just plain sucked you!" Sam shouted at Star with disbelief.

Star sighed and smoothed a nervous hand down her jeans. "There was a huge condition to me being taken off the Boys' menu - I have to deal with the fact that David is waiting for me to love him again. One night his patience is going to run out. It's like waiting for a rattlesnake to strike. Will you please let Edgar explain for a minute?"

Sam finally nodded, his lips pursed together in disapproval.

Edgar continued. "Her objective is to find out where their new lair is. When she knows that, we move into Phase Two."

Unable to keep his lips sealed for more than a second, Sam butted in again. "In Phase One you have Star schmoozing vampires; I can't wait to hear Phase Two."

"Phase Two is us moving in to kill David. Three against one is good odds," Edgar stated matter-of-factly. "Phase Three is finding Alan, who will now be cured. Phase Four is the four of us taking out the remaining three vampires by day, at their no-longer-secret lair."

"How about Star gets the location of the lair, then gets the hell out of danger. The next morning the three of us, still healthy and alive, can take out all the bloodsuckers at once."

"Give me some credit, it's called a plan for a reason – I planned it very carefully-" Edgar said defensively.

"Oh, you can have ALL the credit for this plan. I don't want any credit. Take me off the end credits."

Edgar slapped a hand on the table, in frustration. "Sam, shut up. The reason we take out David first, is there is a strong possibility that in order to learn the location of the vampire nest, Star may be slightly... undead. Half-undead to be precise."

After that bombshell and a moment of silence, Sam's laughter bounced around the trailer. "You guys are nuts. There is no way this is happening."

Edgar reacted by shouting angrily at him, while Star could only smile sadly. She'd already been through the hysterical laughter stage.

When Sam had gained some control, quiet fell on the trailer again, and the reality dawned on him. "You are really going through with this?" he asked, all the humour gone from his voice.

Star nodded. "If it works, it will save Alan. It might be our only chance. Plus, I am going to do everything I can to pull this off without getting... hurt. I'm going to try to charm the snake."

"Edgar, do you really know what you are asking her to do?" Sam pleaded.

Edgar sniffed and adjusted a strap on his army vest. "I know. She'd rather die than be a half-vampire again."

"Well let's hope it doesn't come to that, right?!" Sam said, completely incredulous. "Star will have to betray them for the second time! He doesn't trust her... he doesn't-"

"Sammy," Star rose from the bed and walked over to him. "Tell me to say no to Edgar. Tell me to take away this opportunity to save Alan. It's been one nightmare after another. We've tried to save Alan already. We've looked for their daytime resting place. It will never end unless we end it."

Her words weren't just to soothe Sam, but to quell the rising fear inside herself too. Sam's big blue eyes shone up at her with uncertainty. But he didn't tell her to say "no".

She took his silence to be acquiescence. "If you could read Edgar's handwriting it would say that instead of patrolling all night with you guys, I'm to go back to my place. If I'm home earlier, David might come sooner."

Sam swallowed thickly. "More time for socialising."

"Something like that."

"But... but, couldn't we capture David and torture the location out of him, then kill him?" Sam suggested without much confidence.

Star chuckled while she picked up her jacket and purse. "That idea is less likely to work than ours. Don't worry about me. I'll be OK."

Edgar folded his arms across his chest and tried to keep his face emotionless. "Be careful. It'll take time – just remember we don't have much. We'll meet you in the morning for a debriefing."

"Yeah, I won't forget," Star replied. "You guys be careful too."

She pushed the trailer door open then backtracked. "Sam, if you find Alan, remember he is different... dangerous. And watch your back – when the Boys see you, the Game will change; they'll want you to play... Only, it isn't a game for us, it's our lives."

The young blonde nodded solemnly.

"And Edgar? Look after Sammy," she ordered, an edge to her voice.

Edgar looked affronted, but had the good grace to swallow his comeback and offer a single nod.

The trailer door banged shut after her.

"Where is her place?" Sam wondered.

"She moves about to try to lose David. At the moment it's a flea bag motel near the Boardwalk."

"So, what exactly are we doing tonight while Star sticks her neck out... literally," Sam said grimly. A tremor of nervousness had started to spread through his body.

Edgar threw some spare camouflage gear at Sam. "Change out of that civilian wardrobe and let's go find out."