AN: Oy, breaks mess me up sometimes. I knew I was spelling Allen's name wrong in the last two chapters, but I wasn't able to check back for reference because of the net being down. I'd like to thank ColREHogan for pointing out my mistake. If we don't help each other out who will?

Chapter Seven: Unexpected Turns

Dennis leaned against the van with his hands thrust in his pockets. He had fed enough and was now waiting while Silvia filled the tank with gas. Gunn left him with last minute orders, and warned him to watch out for the Gangrel. Overall he was to keep a close eye on the Tremere and to be ready to act when the time came.

"And don't worry about your Sarah," Gunn said, before leaving Dennis alone. "I'll keep my eye on her. She will not come to any harm from Kindred or human."

Though Dennis hadn't known Gunn more than a night, he felt he could trust him somehow. It made it easier to agree to do this job. He knew that if the Tremere found out the truth he would be killed. But it didn't matter anyway because he knew how to elude them. And those other clans would probably leave him alone if he wasn't causing any trouble.

Dennis rode shotgun while Gale drove. Several times she pushed the speed limit, until Benjamin warned her to watch for police.

"How long have you been a vampire?" Dennis asked, trying to pass the time.

"The term is Kindred." Gale corrected. "And I have been a member of the Tremere house for fifty years."

"I hear we're supposed to be sorcerers or something."

"All Tremere are capable of great feats of magic and power. For thousands of years, since the day the wizard Tremere experimented with the blood of his Tzimicse captives. The Tzimisce are typically our enemies as a result of these events, but they do not pose any threat."

"Just drive childe," Benjamin snapped from in back. "The prince and the council will determine what he needs to know about our clan."

"Yes Master Benjamin."

Dennis spent the hours in silence. Accept for the hum of the engine and the drops of rain hitting the windows it was quiet. Even the sound of breathing was absent, not that it disturbed him. His own missing heartbeat bothered him at first. But Dennis lived a life where his basic needs were often denied, and losing the need to breath seemed to come naturally.

Sarah. He wished he could tell her everything, and at the same time he hoped Gunn wouldn't Embrace her. This world was too dangerous; there were too many unanswered questions. Dennis pondered his current situation, being surrounded by members of a clan who had once cursed his own. Though he was unsure what Cainite vitae was, he was certain it was a big deal to many Kindred, big enough to piss people off if it was denied them.

Maybe this was part of some vengeance, Dennis figured. In New Hampshire gangs tried to set each other up all the time. Wearing the enemy colors on robberies and shootings, then watching while their rivals were arrested and sent away. But who was this between? Was it just the Assamites and the Tremere, or were the Gangrel involved too? Someone was going to have to explain everything to him later, if he survived this.


"Fifteen Gangrel killed in three nights?" Sean was fighting the urge to fly into a blind rage. He tore the "police" report in half and tossed it in the recycling bin. He sat was in the State Trooper's office where two Gangrel were lieutenants. Carl sat behind his desk while Joe stood by the coffee maker

"We've been making stops all week," Carl said. "But nothing's coming up. We found Anarch bodies in White River Junction, but again, no killer."

Joe filled two cups of coffee and handed them to Trent and Sean. Sean sipped the coffee and winced at the bitterness. Trent guzzled it like it was the greatest stuff on earth. He was wearing a black sweater with the Vermont State Troopers logo in big blue letters and a pair of sweat pants from the locker room. His own clothes were in the back seat of the car, and he was determined to torch them when he got back home.

"I lost my cell phone back at the mansion," he complained. "I could have called Mary."

"You can use my phone." Carl offered. While Trent called Mary, Carl spoke to Sean. "Sir, we need to act soon. Gangrel are spread thin over Vermont right now and most of them are busy watching the border."

"I know." Sean said, speaking softly so Trent could hear Mary. He paced in a circle, glancing casually at wanted posters on a bulletin board as he made his decision. "I'll call Montreal and tell our people up there to double their watch of the border patrol. We need every Gangrel in Northern Vermont to be alert and we can't do that worrying about the damn Sabbat."

Carl nodded in agreement.

"Joe, call Rodriguez, Cotter, and Marx. Call the other precincts as well and get our people out on the roads."

"All ready on it." Joe replied, resting the receiver between his chin and shoulder while dialing.

Trent hung up.

"I told Mary the basics. She's going to tell Zarius and then she'll send word to all the Ventrue. She's given you guy's permission to do whatever you want with the house. As far as she's concerned Amanda and Tanith gave up their rights to it when they let squatters onto the property."

Sean could tell from the tone of Trent's voice that he would like nothing more than to go out there with a gallon of gasoline and a flame thrower.

"We'll hold onto it for a while," Sean said, mildly amused. "Carl, have some people stake out the area. See if anyone comes back."

"That should be easy enough. I could use a few random sting operations as cover. At the very least if the Tremere don't come back we'll get a few drug dealers off the streets."

"Good. We'll head on up to St. Johnsburry in the morning and continue our search there. I authorize you to arrest any stray Tremere you come across for questioning. Get names and blood samples for later identification, and if they're form out of state, personally escort them back."

"We don't have a proper holding cell for Kindred," Carl pointed out.

"The Brujah owe me a few favors. They have well guarded warehouses up here. I'll give Bastian a call."

Carl balked.

"I'm not asking you to get along with the Brujah," Sean said, draining his coffee and tossing the cup in a wastebasket. "But I am giving you an order to work with them."

Sean called Bastian and told him the situation. I need your warehouses to use as temporary prisons. Yes, we're gonna have to put aside clan rivalry for now. Cause I know about your Internet prostitution scam that's why. Thought you'd see things my way. Thanks for the help. See you soon. Happy Kwanza.


"Damn it!" Amanda closed the blinds of her house and locked the doors. She picked up the nearest object, a round gray river stone, and threw it across the living room at preternatural speeds. It hit lodged itself into the brick wall. She picked up her crystal ball and smashed that into the floor, turning the larger pieces of glass into sand. Tanith was utterly amused at all of this and began smashing things too. Amanda grew tired from her rage and collapsed onto the sofa. "We lost the house now. We can't go back there or Sean will implicate us for sure."

Tanith leapt over the sofa and landed in a crouch. She turned around on the ball of her foot and stared into Amanda's eyes.

"Kill Sean," She said. It was the first time in three months that she spoke. Amanda welcomed this rare moment for semi-coherent conversation.

Amanda shook her head. "Benjamin would be the only one I could send. But even with the suspicion on him if Sean dies it'll be traced back to me. Zarius will have all ready heard about Allen."

"Anonymous tip," Tanith suggested.

"And if human police learn of the Masquerade?"

"Small risk."

"With huge consequences."

"Patsy."

"Benjamin's too risky to trust with something like this. He's killed two of his initiates all ready. Any chance to betray me to Lazarus would be too tempting for him."

"Another Initiate?"

"Hmm…perhaps. There is one particular student who has shown promise."

"Use her."

"But there is the additional charge of misguiding an initiate. I could have my tongue removed if the brat is so inclined."

"Offer incentive."

Amanda thought for another second. Being the right hand of a primogen had its upsides. And the young girl would no doubt excel under her tutelage.

"Excellent idea Tanith," She said. She lifted her arm as Tanith crawled up onto the sofa.

For the first time in a week the sky was clear. Trent and Sean stayed at a Motel 6 in White River Junction after questioning the "locals". It was confirmed that not only had the Tremere been through there, but that they were in fact responsible for killing the Gangrel and the Anarchs. Sean left orders with his clan to keep the peace as much as possible. Work with the Brujah and try to keep clan differences aside as much as possible. Do not kill any Tremere that you apprehend, unless in defense of yourself or someone else. I mean it. It is for the Prince and the council to decide their fates, and I promise you there will be justice for our people.

Trent drove while Sean read Tanith's diary. It was seventy pages of incoherant ranting, lines of poetry, and doodles and scribble marks in between. Four pages contained nothing but the word "Ball", written with excellent penmanship as if it were meant to be a Yale student's graduate thesis.

"What was this woman before she was Embraced?" Sean wondered out loud.

"No one knows much about Tanith," Trent observed. "I only know whatever Mary told me. You don't think Tanith really supports Amanda do you?"

"You and I are in the same boat buddy," Sean said. "I don't know anything about Tanith, or any of the Malkavians that live in this state. Gangrel are survivors, and hanging out with their kind doesn't fall under that category sadly."

"But Tanith is the Malkavian Primogen. How did she get that position being so unstable?"

Sean shrugged. "Back when James and Vincent were around they told me a little of the agreement between Zarius and Amanda. Tanith was with her then. The other Malkavians chose her for representation and Zarius accepted. She's done her job fairly well in spite her quirks."

Trent thought about that for a moment. Then another question occurred to him.

"What about Christopher? Why allow a member of the Sabbat to even join the council?"

"Christopher and most of the Lasombra who have come here have acted within the rules." Sean answered. "Most of them are considered traders to the Sabbat, since they refused to clear out of here when the Camarilla was established."

"But they're still Sabbat though. How can the New England Council let that happen?"

"There was some treaty between the Camarilla and the Sabbat. I don't fully understand it yet, but Zarius wants me to know about it for some reason. All I know is Sabatt used to have a stronghold on most of the United States. This harkens back to Gangrel history, since it was a Gangrel who supposedly Embraced the first Native American. Many Sabbat sects began moving here with the early settlers, and by that time more than four hundred Gangrel lived on the East Coast or in the still undiscovered parts of the countinent. Their services went out to the highest bidders among the Sabbat leaders and for the longest time the greater majority ofGangrel in America were Sabatt. Enter the other clans of the Camarilla and you have a century and a half battle which wages well into the fledgling years of the United States."

"Mary once told me that many Ventrue were involved in the Revolutionary War." Trent added.

"James was around during those times. He said 'the Ventrue were the pen pushers but involvement is a flattering term for what actually went on then'." Sean snickered. "Hard to believe he and Vincent were such good friends."

"So what led to the treaty between Sabbat and Camarilla?"

"Witch trials and the Revolutionary War both played huge parts in the treaty. You know the history of the Masquerade right?"

"Everyone does."

"Then you know it was the Inquisition that called for it."

"So you're saying the years and years of witch trails here in the States were a cover up for trying to find vampires?" Trent couldn't help but chuckle sardonically. It shouldn't have surprised him.

"History repeats itself," Sean said, his tone equally sardonic. "Many of the outside consultants at the Salem Witch Trials were Hunters. Kindred were fitted with the unflattering term "succubi", and as a result innocent humans dangled from a rope while suspected Kindred were secretly bled to starvation and left in the sun to burn."

Trent shuttered. The sun was high and bright and suddenly he was very hungry. Sean seemed to read his mind.

"We'll stop at a farm along this route. I know a guy who can sell us some pig's blood without asking questions."

"Does he know we're…?"

"Yeah, but its okay. He's a ghoul."

"I haven't seen too many of those." Trent said, thankful for the change of subject.


Zarius called for an emergency conclave to be held at the conference room of the Bennington State College, across town from his . He was more than a little unnerved to find four of his primogen not present, but he chose not to let his annoyance show.

"Primogen Amanda extends her apologies to the Prince and our council," said Gallant, sitting in as interim for the Tremere. "Everyone in the chantry has been hard pressed to save the legitimate name of the Tremere from the wrong doings of Benjamin and his group."

"Considering the Tremere penchant for conspiracy," Christopher retorted. "I would do a little more than apologize on Amanda's behalf."

"Our primogen is dead because of the Tremere," Ivan pointed out. "Though the unlife of an Assamite is nothing less than a constant danger, we do not appreciate being unwilling pawns-not without proper compensation."

"And you shall have such compensation," Zarius assured him. "If it is discovered that Allen was not also trying to deceive us as well. For now, be happy that I have not placed the Assamites under the same suspicions that I have placed clan Tremere."

"Which brings me to the next item on our agenda," Gallant spoke up. "The treatment of Tremere in the last three weeks. Brujah and Gangrel have been imprisoning and interrogating our people for the last three days."

There was a slight murmur and several remarks of amusement at the idea of the Brujah and the Gangrel working together on anything.

"I support Sean's actions," Zarius said, calmly. "As my enforcer I trust him to carry out his investigation and take whatever actions he needs to." Zarius glanced at Kyle, the young Gangrel who sat in Sean's place. "Have you heard from your sire yet?"

"As a matter of fact I have, my Prince. He is on his way to St. Johnsburry right now, and I believe we may have the best results there. St Johnsburry is primarily Gangrel territory, and unless Benjamin can turn his van into a slug and hide under a rock you can bet we'll find him."

Zarius held back a sigh as Gallant hurled an accusation of disrespect against the Gangrel. Sean would have to have a discussion with his progeny on tact.

"Enough!" He shouted, before the others started in. "Send word to your clans that I want everyone searching for Benjamin and the initiates. This is a Blood Hunt. And all Tremere who willingly turn themselves in will be released once they have submitted to questioning. Any resistance will be punishable by banishment. Mary, call in detectives from the New England Council so that we may have an impartial supplement to Sean's activities. And have your childe call me directly with any new information you discover."

"Yes my Prince."

"Christopher, since Sean and Bastian are setting a wonderful example in pushing their clans to work with one another, I want you to do the same. Aide the Gangrel in watching the border for Sabbat activity."

Christopher was indignant. "My Prince, surely it would only endanger my clan further to go against our own former masters. There is a price on many of our heads to-"

"You will take the same risks we are all taking to protect our territory." Zarius said insistently. "The fate of your clan will be no different than that of ours if the Masquerade or the Camarilla is endangered. Dismissed."