Blade had a spare tire, and once it was changed he took the Nightstalkers with him back into the city. Caitlyn sat in the front seat and directed him to the alley they'd been attacked at as the sun descended from the sky. She then got out of the car and started investigating, getting a feel for the creatures.

Blade still had his doubts about Caitlyn's abilities. "Is this shit for real?" he asked the others.

"She'll come through," Kevin assured him.

Blade started believing that Caitlyn was what they said she was when she jumped to the top of the building that King had first sighted the creatures on. Blade stuck his head out of the window to see her clearly. It was now dark, but neither he nor Caitlyn had any problems seeing in the dark.

"Follow me," Caitlyn said, "I'll stay in sight." She walked along the edge of the roof and led them back out to the street. She stayed to the edges as she hopped from roof to roof, occasionally leaping across some of the narrower roads.

"Cross the freeway," she instructed, as she started picking up speed.

"Caitlyn, what are you doing?" King asked.

"Following my instincts," she replied.

Kevin, the only other person with an open window, stuck his head out to watch her approach the north freeway.

"Oh shit," King said, "she's not gonna jump is she?" He had not seen her chase of Frost, and hadn't had much experience fighting alongside her.

"She'll make it," Kevin said calmly.

Caitlyn did, and this time, just made it to the roof. She teetered on the edge for half a second then kept going, glancing back only to check that Blade was still following.

"I thought we weren't going after Frost until after destroying the creatures," Abby said, "you're back where you fought him."

"I think they are connected," Caitlyn said through the earpieces, "the trail is leading me this way." She slowed. "We're close."

"Vampire?" King asked.

"Yes and no," Caitlyn replied, "there are multiple targets." She continued moving forward. "They're lower than, me, I think they're in the streets. Ah, there they are," she said, "across the next intersection, in the Park. I think there's at least one beast there too, the signature's hard to follow."

"Lets go then," Kevin said. Blade took on the lights and drove over the path onto the grass. They could see movement amongst the trees. The hunters exited the car and made chase.

They crested a hill on foot and were brought up short by the scene before them.

There was a hell-dog, two in fact, but one was busy tearing into the guts of a yelling vampire while other vampires were trying to restrain the second with a huge, heavy chain and wire net.

Caitlyn quickly caught up to them as they watched.

"I thought the vampires made them," Abby said quietly.

"Maybe they bit off more than they could chew, and the dogs turned on them," King suggested.

"What's the plan?" Kevin asked.

"Let 'em kill each other," Blade said, "and we'll mop up the leftovers."

"Good enough for me," Caitlyn agreed.

They watched as the feeding hell-dog swiped out with its tail at a vampire that was trying to sneak up on it with another net. The vampire went flying as the one on the ground finally lost his heart to the jaws of the beast and disintegrated into ash.

The other vampires were having more luck, as they secured collars around the second beast's neck and massive paws. They dragged it off to a nearby grey van as one of them stayed behind to guard their retreat, jabbing at the remaining beast with a long steel pole.

"He looks hungry," Kevin commented of the hell-dog, as the vamp turned and ran.

"Let's give puppy a treat then," Caitlyn said, and raised an arm. The vampire tripped as a vine circled his left ankle. The beast pounced, tearing at the arm holding the pole.

The van started pulling away, leaving behind the fallen vampire.

"You guys can get the dog," Caitlyn said, starting to run, "I'm going to see where those guys are going with the other one." She ran for the van, whose back and side windows were blackened against sunlight. Her vines weakened as her focus switched to running for the now accelerating van. She jumped and landed as softly as she could on the roof, crouching down for the ride. Luckily, the creature inside was thrashing around and making enough noise to mask the sound of her landing.

In a matter of moments, Blade was at the hell-dog's side, decapitating it with a downward swing of his sword while it was preoccupied. King and Kevin pulled the one-armed vampire to his feet as the creature became smouldering ash.

Blade placed the tip of his sword beneath the vampire's chin. He was wearing a grey business suit, spattered with blood from the missing limb. He was bald, with a white goatee.

"Who are you working for?" Blade asked.

The vampire didn't say anything, he just hissed with pain.

Blade raised the sword to the level of the vampire's right eye. "Where did those things come from?"

"We, we don't know," the vampire wheezed. "They appeared after the Vessel was remade,"

"Keep talking," Blade said. "What is 'the vessel' doing back here?"

"Vampire War," the vampire said. "The purebloods want him dead. He wants them dead, and he's turning humans to join his ranks. They're all trying to kill each other. He's here looking for a weapon."

"What kind of weapon?"

The vampire swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Abruptly he shoved his head forward so that the silver met his brain. He crumbled into ashes. The boys jumped back, brushing the embers off their clothes.

"Now what?" Abby asked.

"Find out where your friend is," Blade instructed.

"Yeah," Abby said. "Caitlyn, you there?" She stared vacantly for a few seconds before she started frowning. "Caitlyn?" she asked again, putting a finger to her earpiece. She looked up at the rest of them. "One of you guys try it."

"Caitlyn?" Kevin said, "Where are you?"

"Can you hear us?" King asked.

Abby shook her head. "It's probably her earpiece playing up. It was broken, you know."

"Maybe she can hear us, though, even if we can't hear her." Kevin said.

"Caitlyn, we don't know where you are, and we can't hear you." Abby said. "If you're okay, find one of us, you know how. If you don't sign in by dawn, we're coming after you."

"She can get herself out of trouble." Kevin said with a shrug. "She's probably just having a great time dusting the suckers."