After that incident between David and Dwayne, things seemed to calm down for a few weeks. I guess the two were still trying to get used to each other's presence. It was obvious that Dwayne wasn't going to pack up and leave, and so I told David that he was just going to have to learn to live with it and quit being such a brat. He wasn't too happy about that, but in the end, he agreed. He argued that at least with two of them now in residence in Santa Carla, he didn't have to constantly look over his shoulder. Two sets of eyes were better than one, if you know what I mean.

But what I think that was really bothering David, even though he gave no indication, was that he was at a severe disadvantage. How so? Let me explain. Even with just the two of them, on somewhat good terms with one another, he and Dwayne were still the only vampires in Santa Carla. What I think David was afraid of…yes, David wasn't immune to fear or worry. Hey, he may be a vampire, but he wasn't a god. Anyways, what I think he was worried about is that if any other vampires came a calling, looking for a place to set up new territory, there was only so much he could do to stop them. Two against twenty was still a bad odd, no matter how you look at it.

Little did I know at the time that he was already formulating a solution to this problem, one that he kept only between himself and Dwayne. I think it was Dwayne who had suggested it, but I cannot say for sure because those two made sure that I was kept in the dark. If I had known, I think that Paul and Marko would have gone on to live full and interesting lives and not have ended up on the pointy end of a fence post.

"Any prospects?" David quietly murmured as he sat perched on the mist-drenched rooftop of the old lighthouse. The bright beam of light that was emitted from the massive electric bulb below him pierced the fog at regular intervals, but it didn't seem to bother him in the least bit. He was out of the line of fire and with all the mist the lights effect was dampened considerably. After all, vampires can't stand bright lights, plays havoc with the eyes.

"Can't say for sure. There are a few, but pickings aren't the greatest. That's the problem with down-and-out places like this. You get your trash, and then you get more trash. Trying for find a decent candidate is like trying to find a needle in a fucking haystack." Dwayne muttered when he landed in a crouch beside David, tossing his hair over a shoulder.

"Tell me about it." David said with a snort as he took a drag on the joint that he had unearthed from an inside coat pocket. As he exhaled he handed it over to Dwayne, who took it without so much as a second glance. They may have their differences, but when it came to survival, they knew better than to bitch like a pair of sorority chicks.

"Well, there were two that really pissed me off." Dwayne said when he handed the joint over.

"And that's a good thing, right?" David chuckled as he looked over at Dwayne with a small smirk on his lips.

"One had a lot of nerve. Would have killed him if it wasn't for Prima Gatta." He muttered under his breath as he adjusted his position, now sitting cross-legged on the edge. David's smirk grew as he watched Dwayne, reading between the lines.

"I think someone's personal territory has been crossed." He said, meeting the other vampire's eyes with a knowing look. Dwayne didn't deny this nor confirm it.

"Fuck off." He growled, giving David a look that clearly told him where to shove it.

"Right." David mused as he took another drag and then handed the joint back to Dwayne. "So, who were they? Just humor my curiosity." He said when Dwayne shot him a skeptical look.

"Hollywood boys. Just arrived in town." Dwayne said, taking a final puff before flicking the butt away.

"Straight?" David asked, adjusting his gloves.

"Yeah. Just a pair of punks. Street smart by the look of them." Dwayne said, bringing up a vision of Paul and Marko in his mind. The two were quiet for a moment as David glimpsed the memory, seeing the two for himself.

"Age wise? What do you figure? Couldn't be more than twenty, twenty-one." David said as he rubbed his chin with the back of his hand, thinking.

"The smaller one is probably still in his teens. The loud mouth, I'd say twenty. Don't think he'll live much longer the way he's going." Dwayne said, a slight tone of bitterness in his voice when he said the last words.

"You like them?" David asked, ignoring Dwayne's growing personal grudge.

"Hell no." The other vampire stated at once.

"Good. I want to meet them." David said as he rose to his feet, completely unconcerned about the high winds that were trying to dislodge him from his perch.

"What? For fucks sake why?" Dwayne growled rising to his feet as well.

"Well, for one thing, if they've managed to piss you off, then they are worth a look at. They have something to them that struck some sort of emotional chord with you, good or bad. They could be trash, as you say, or they could be just what we're looking for. Secondly, it'll have to wait, seeing that dawn is about twenty minutes away." David said casually, looking off towards the horizon.

"You're a bastard David, do you know that?" Dwayne said quietly, shaking his head.

"You're not the first to tell me that." David said, slapping Dwayne on the back before vanishing with a flap of his coat. Dwayne muttered something under his breath and sighed. Well, it wasn't as if it were engraved in stone yet. But he wouldn't put it past David. Without another word, Dwayne launched himself off of the lighthouse and vanished into the mist, soaring downward towards the cave's entrance. Tomorrow was always another day. Maybe he'd get lucky and the two would end up dead before dusk.

As you can see, things were still a bit rocky and frankly I couldn't see if this would all work out. There was going to be rivalry, if not between Dwayne and David, who had already come to grips with the situation, but with Paul and Marko. Dwayne obviously disliked Paul and I think that the feeling was mutual. David didn't really care. He was thinking ahead, understanding the bigger picture and petty squabbles weren't going to dissuade him. He knew that something big was on the horizon, but it wasn't until a year later that any of us knew what it was. And Marko, I didn't know where he stood.

As for Paul and Marko, they ended up holing up in a roadside motel for a while, sleeping off their hangovers and planning what their next adventure would be. It was a week later that Paul and I ran into each other, completely by accident mind you, but it was enough to sign, stamp and seal the deal. Little did I know that we were playing right into David's hands…the idiot that I am. For all my psychic ability, I'm as blind as a bat sometimes when it comes to foretelling the future. I knew I should have paid attention to those tealeaves.