Another short one but we're getting close to the climax now! Are you excited? I'm excited! And super excited because I wrote the climax for the sequel the other day! WEEEEEEE! Almost makes up for the fact I start work at 5am tomorrow... Review and make me feel better when I get home? :D (I'm shameless, aren't I?)

xx

The drive was quicker than the previous day but no less tense. It was barely even midday when they pulled into Leskovac, Rose insisting that they all take a quick break. Her words in the van had been terse and set the others on edge. The few questions she deigned to answer had been met with sharp replies and scathing sarcasm should further clarification be required. Helen had tried to take over the questioning duties but, after being snapped at one too many times, she too gave up, choosing instead to sit back, arms folded and eyes dark.

The twenty minutes out in the sun of the bustling city did them all good though and, when they all met up in a coffee shop near where the van was, Rose was actually smiling and laughing. They all heard her mentally apologise but what was most appreciated was the fact that her quips were once more delivered with a smile.

"As much fun as this is," she said with a fond smile for Kate and the rather tasteful dirty joke she'd just made, "we do actually have something we need to discuss."

Instantly the others were in business mode, leaning in around the small table.

"Whatever happens today, I need you all to listen to me," Rose continued quietly with a meaningful glance at John. "I'd like to think I've a fair idea of what we're walking into but, as ever, I can't be certain and things will most likely be less bloody if we work smoothly."

"Less bloody?" Kate echoed quietly and Rose smiled tightly at her.

"I know, it's not much but it's all I can offer you," she said quietly, looking down into the cup of tea she'd been drinking. "This mission is dangerous in the extreme," she continued, "and I promise that I only came to you all because I felt I had no other option. I'll never be able to apologise enough for that."

"Don't be silly," Helen chastised firmly. "If you hadn't come forward it's unlikely we'd even have gotten this far."

"True," she allowed. "But if I hadn't come forward there'd be a better chance of you living to see your next birthday."

"Stop being so morose," Helen ordered, sending her a sharp look. "We've got a job to do and I'd much prefer it if we could at least try to do it before reducing ourselves to the pit of despair you're already wallowing in."

Rosie chuckled and shook her head but said nothing, simply taking another sip of tea.

"How far are we from wherever it is we're going?" Will asked with a yawn.

"I'd say about twenty minutes by car but then we're in for a bit of a hike I'm afraid," Rose said genially. "I vote that we finish our drinks and head off again. I've got plenty of food packed into the car and, if we walk quickly, we might be able to set up a campsite before nightfall should we need to."

Will rolled his eyes but, seeing the slight glare from Helen, wisely kept his complaint to himself as they all gathered up their belongings and once more headed to the van

The next leg of the drive was almost as uncomfortable as the first despite the free flowing conversations. Everyone, it seemed, was nervous in their own way and it wasn't until they came to a rather abrupt stop that the nervous and occasionally vitriolic chatter died down.

It took them only a few minutes to unpack their gear, remaining silent as they did so. They'd parked just off an old dirt track, partially obscured by rather dense foliage. The sun was fighting a losing battle with the thick canopy over head and while they could see the small town they'd just driven through, it most certainly was the middle of nowhere. The ground was dry, crunching under their boots and the air was thick with the smell of the lunch time special from the tiny town. Despite the cool air the second they were out of the car, Rose stripped off the thick jacket she'd been wearing, opting instead for the form fitting tank top she'd sported earlier in the day.

"Manoeuvrability," she said with a shrug when Henry raised his eyebrows. "There's no point in the cumbersome layers if you can't feel the cold. Now, who has the map?"

"That'd be me," Will piped up, grabbing the maps in question from the back of the van, moving around to lay them out on the bonnet so that everyone could get a closer look.

"Well, now we're here I can narrow the perimeters of our search," Rose said, grabbing a pen and drawing a smaller circle on the map. "We're here," she said, placing a small cross on the map and tapping it once. "John, you can teleport Helen and Kate over here," she continued, indicating the far side of the circle. "Then you, Will and Nikola can start the search from over here and Henry and I will head west for a few kilometres and then join from here."

"Wait, we're splitting up?" Helen asked. "Considering the abilities of our foe are you really sure that's wise?"

"We are simply looking for an indication of where they're hiding out," Rose explained. "Under no circumstances is anyone to actually engage them."

"But what are we looking for?" Kate threw out. "I mean, vampires are hardly likely to have a sign saying secret lair this way?"

"They're underground, I know that much," Rose said with a chuckle. "Nikola, Helen and I have a fair understanding of both Praxian and Vampiric technologies so spotting something shouldn't be a problem but these are vampires and, as such, are a little too intelligent for my liking. The likelihood that they've left behind anything obvious are slim but there has to be a way in, I'm certain of it."

"Praxian?" Will echoed. "What does Praxis have to do with anything?"

"Vampires are scavengers," Helen cut in. "They've used the technology of others before and considering how little time they've had out and about on the surface, it's unlikely they'll have had enough time to create all they'll need to tear us to shreds once more."

"Must you all be so hard on them," Nikola muttered under his breath as he lugged a pack onto his back. "Despite some of their less than admirable traits, vampires aren't all that bad."

"Yeah, if you look past the world domination and undeniable blood lust," Helen scoffed.

"And exceptionally bad taste in clothing apparently," Kate muttered under her breath to a sniggering Will.

"You are the exception to the rule," Rose said with a condescending smile for Nikola "But I would like to suggest that we focus on destroying the rules with the aid of everyone's favourite exception." With a goofy little smile she turned away, grabbing up her pack and the maps as she did so.

"Well, shall we?" she continued, tossing a jaunty smile over her shoulder before heading off, a far too enthusiastic spring in her step.