Natalie woke slowly, just as the sun was sinking. She
looked around her, disoriented at her surroundings.
Then it all came back to her in a rush. She groaned
slowly, remembering Nikki's kidnapping, as well as
LaCroix's visit. She rolled over on her back. She
hadn't felt this helpless in over seven years. Why was
this happening to her? Why did she always lose
everyone that mattered to her? Self pity overwhelmed
her for a short time, but anger soon replaced it. She
got up, showered, and changed.

LaCroix had told her he would come to the hotel around
8 PM, and it was 6:30. She called room service,
ordered a light dinner, and sat down to check
her email. She hooked her laptop into the data port,
and spent the next 30 minutes reviewing both her
personal email and her work mail. Both were light, and
she didn't reply to anything other than an email from
her sister-in-law, letting her know that her niece Amy
was graduating from high school in June, and would she
be interested in coming to Vancouver for the
celebration? Natalie sat, stunned. Amy was 18? She
shook her head and hit the reply button, telling Sarah
that yes, she would plan on coming up to Vancouver.
She asked for the date and details. She didn't mention
Nikki's
kidnapping.

Her dinner arrived just as she was shutting down her
laptop. She turned on the television, not even tasting
the food as she watched reruns of "Friends" and
"Dharma and Greg". Finally, at 8, she turned off the
TV and got up. She started pacing restlessly. At 8:10
there was a knock on the door. She opened
and saw LaCroix standing in the hall...with Janette.

Natalie's jaw dropped. She had believed Janette dead
for the last seven years. "Janette?
How...where...when?"

Janette pushed LaCroix into Natalie's room, following
him. She turned and looked at Natalie as LaCroix
walked over to look out the window.

"Hello Natalie. Before you ask, yes, I'm a vampire
again. As to the specifics, it was Nicholas who
brought me back across, in Toronto. I did not
know he had not told you. I am sorry to shock you."

Natalie sat down on the bed, her head reeling with the
implications. She looked at LaCroix, but he was still
peering out the window into the rain-drenched
darkness. Turning back to Janette, she composed
herself.

"Well. How did you get here so quickly? LaCroix only
showed up last night."

Janette and LaCroix had already discussed how much
information to share with Natalie. Given the
situation, and the fact that she already knew about
them and the existence of their kind, they had decided
to be honest with her.

"I did not have to 'get here'. I live here. I'm the
local Elder. I've lived here for over five years. And
to answer your questions, yes, I have known
the entire time you have been here. I came here to
keep watch over you, for Nicholas. He does not know
where we are, nor does he know about your
daughter. But I have kept watch over the two of you
since you moved here. You are under my personal
protection with the local Community, and you have
whatever resources we can muster to resolve
this...situation."

Natalie stared at her, stunned. As Janette's words
sank in, LaCroix turned around.

"It appears that you have been followed, and I'm not
referring to the ineffectual mortals in law
enforcement. The van across the street has been
there since I arrived last night. Luckily, I checked
this establishment for electronic infiltration devices
last night, and I had one of my people come
in last night while we were gone. There were a few
listening devices planted in this room, but I had them
moved to another occupied room. Natalie, I suggest
that we adjourn to your home, if you are willing?”

Natalie nodded, still stunned. She mechanically got
up, packed her belongings and got ready to check out.
The two vampires followed her to the lobby. She went
to the desk to check out. The stunned night clerk
tried to argue with her that she would have to pay for
another night, regardless of whether she stayed or
not. Finally, LaCroix stepped up to the desk.

“She understands that she will incur charges. She does
not CARE. Just check her out.” He handed the boy a
platinum American Express. Natalie started to protest,
but one look from him quelled her. The clerk rang up
the bill, LaCroix signed it, and the three proceeded
to the garage.

“LaCroix, why don’t you drive with Natalie. I’ll
follow. Natalie, what is your address?

“2320 SW Timmons. My cell is 555-1322.” She started to
offer to write it down, then remembered that vampires
had perfect, photographic memories. She smiled
sheepishly to herself. As she and LaCroix proceeded
to her car, she tried not to think of Nikki, alone
with strangers. Hopefully she was safe and cared for.
As they approached the car, Natalie’s cell phone rang.
She reached inside her outer purse pocket to grab it,
juggling her car keys and laptop.

“Hello, this is Natalie.”

“Natalie? Joe Reese. I have some bad news for you. Do
you remember Sergei Andropov? Well, he’s out. He
actually escaped when his escort on the way to an
appeals hearing was attacked two months ago. Rumor has
it that he’s in the States. It’s a good bet that he’s
the one responsible for this. And if he’s after you,
he’ll probably be going after Nick, too. I’ve already
called the Portland PD and given all the information
we have on the guy to them, and also the FBI. We got
the RCMP to cooperate on this since it looks to have
gone international.”

Natalie dropped her keys, stunned. “Thanks Joe. I
really appreciate your help.”

“Natalie, this guy is dangerous, you know that. You
and Nick put him away for 55 years, and he is known to
exact revenge on his enemies. Be very careful of this
scumbag.”

Natalie glanced at LaCroix, knowing he could hear
every word. “Don’t worry Joe. I’ve called in some
heavy duty back up. If it IS Andropov, you can feel a
bit sorry for him. Thanks again. I’ll be in touch.
Bye.” She hit the disconnect switch and went to grab
her keys, but LaCroix had already picked them up with
vampiric speed. He handed them to her. She smiled her
thanks.

“So, I assume you are going to tell me about this Mr.
Andropov?”

“Let’s get in the car. Did your people check it for
bugs?”

He smiled ferally at her. “Of course. They found
three, which are now attached to the bottom of a pizza
delivery driver’s car.” She chuckled in appreciation.

She hit the electric lock and the door opened. LaCroix
crossed over to her side, opened the door for her, and
handed her in. She slung her laptop and briefcase into
the back as he opened the passenger door and got in.

They pulled out of the hotel’s garage, and sat in
silence until they were on SW Salmon. Finally, Natalie
started speaking. “In 1994 we had a series of murdered
prostitutes, most of them under the age of sixteen.
They were all illegal immigrants, all of them from
Russia. It took us almost six months to determine that
the prostitution ring was being run by Sergei
Andropov, the head of the Russian mob in Eastern
Canada. We were never able to pin the murders on him,
but we WERE able to prove that all the hookers that
had been killed had been brought to Toronto by him,
and that he was their employer, as it were. It took
the Vice department almost another four months to nail
him. They were able to arrest him on charges of
prostitution, harboring illegal aliens, racketeering,
tax evasion, and a number of other crimes. But it was
when Nick discovered that his first three wives had
all died under similar circumstances, and confronted
wife number four, that we got a break. I was able to
present forensic evidence that he had been at the
various prostitutes’ homes, and his wife finally
realized that her life was in danger. She testified
against him, then promptly disappeared, in one of the
witness protection programs. At the trial, both Nick
and I testified against him, and he swore he would
come after us. Neither of us thought he would ever get
out of prison. Nick figured he would have already
moved on by then, and I figured, well, I don’t know
what. Obviously both of us were wrong.” She stopped
speaking.

LaCroix finally spoke up. “Do you think he will use
your daughter to try and get to Nicholas?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. LaCroix, if he has Nikki,
there’s no telling what he would do to her. Those
teenage hookers weren’t just killed. They were raped,
beaten, and then they were…flayed alive. It was
horrible.” She flinched at the memory of the
autopsies. There had been eleven young girls and women
in all, possibly even more.

“Don’t worry, Natalie, we WILL find your daughter. And
then I promise you, this animal will pay for
everything that he has done. I have a feeling that
Janette will be particularly interested in your story.
I don’t know if you know anything about her past, but
she has a weakness for young women and girls forced
into sexual slavery. It has to do with her own
experiences as a mortal. She doesn’t like to talk
about it, but trust me when I tell you that she is a
force to be reckoned with when she hears about
situations like this.”

They were pulling off the main streets into the
Raleigh Hills district where Natalie had her house.
They pulled up, and Janette was waiting for them in
the driveway. There was an unmarked car down the
street from them, and Natalie recognized the officers
from the station. As she pulled in to the garage, she
felt a sense of nervousness descend on her. Nikki had
been taken from her home. She hadn’t even been able to
protect her daughter.

Janette came into the garage before Natalie closed the
garage door. She looked around at the signs of
domesticity. Nikki’s bicycle, the lawnmower and
gardening implements on the wall. All the trappings of
a normal, suburban household. With two very old, very
powerful vampires standing in the garage. Natalie
shook her head.

“Is something wrong, Natalie?” Janette had seen the
shake of Natalie’s head.

“I was just reflecting on the fact that my life has
just re-entered the Twilight Zone again in the last
24-hours.” Both Janette and LaCroix chuckled as
Natalie led them into the house.

They went into the living room, and both vampires
looked around, taking in the simple yet tasteful
décor. Janette wandered over to the fireplace and
noted the pictures, mostly of Nikki, but she saw one
in the back that caught her eye. She pulled it toward
her. It was a picture of Nicholas and Natalie at some
police function or other. Nicholas had his arms around
Natalie, and she was leaning against him. Both of them
were smiling, and their obvious affection for one
another brought a stab of sympathy to her. She had
only one picture of Robert, and she cherished it. She
carefully placed the picture back in its place and
went to sit down.

“I’m sorry I don’t have anything to offer either of
you. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting company,
especially not with your dietary needs.”

LaCroix spoke up. “We’re fine. We both fed before we
came to your hotel, but thank you for the thought. I
think you should repeat your story of Mr. Andropov for
Janette’s benefit.”

So Natalie relayed her story again. When she described
the murdered prostitutes, Janette’s eyes began to glow
golden and she hissed in rage. LaCroix watched
sardonically, having predicted her reaction. After
their intimacy of the previous day, they had
re-established a strong blood link, and her fury was
vibrating along it.

“This animal DARES to treat young women like this? Not
only will he pay for what he has done to you and
yours, he will answer to ME for his depravities. He is
MINE. I stake my claim. Do you both hear me?” Janette
turned her feral eyes first to Natalie, then LaCroix,
daring either one of them to contradict her.

Natalie stared at her, while LaCroix just stood
watching her, a bemused look on his face. “Janette my
dear, I think you will be…amused…at what Natalie told
her former police captain. She told him that he should
probably feel sorry for Mr. Andropov.”

Janette’s eyes were returning to their normal blue.
She looked at Natalie, and the evil smile that crossed
her beautiful features sent a shiver down Natalie’s
back. She silently thanked the universe and any
watching deities that these powerful creatures were on
HER side.

LaCroix cleared his throat. “Natalie, Janette and I
have discussed some of the options open to us. I would
like to offer to stay here with you if you can
accommodate my requirements during the daylight hours.
Janette can supply my dietary needs. The decision is
yours, but you know that until this fiend is taken
care of, you are in danger. And, quite honestly, I
doubt the abilities of those ‘officers’ outside.” He
watched her face.

Relief swept through her. If her choice was between a
friendly vampire and being alone, waiting for the
phone to ring, there was no choice. “Thank you
LaCroix. That goes a long way to easing my mind. I
happen to have a finished basement with no windows.
There’s a spare bed down there. It isn’t the Hilton,
but it should work.”

LaCroix inclined his head. Janette stood up.
“LaCroix’s belongings are in my car, along with
several bottles of bloodwine. I’ll be right back.” She
went out the front door to her car. Natalie looked
over at LaCroix, and her she marveled at how different
her life had become in the space of 24 short hours.

“LaCroix, I need to ask you a question. Do you think
there is any chance of the Enforcers getting wind of
this? If we nail Andropov, I don’t want to spend the
rest of my life, and Nikki’s, looking over my
shoulder. It was one thing in Toronto when I only had
myself to worry about. But now…” her voice trailed
off.

He crossed over to her, and took her hand in both of
his own. “No. There will be no reprisals. One of the
things that happened in the community after we left
was that a Tribunal of Ancients was called. Nicholas
and I both attended. We were required to testify about
the plague. When your name was brought up, both
Nicholas and I told the Tribunal about your part in
it, and the fact that when we left Toronto you made no
move to seek out others in the Toronto community. When
you left Toronto and in essence disappeared and
returned to a normal mortal existence, the Tribunal
issued a decree that you were under a protected
status. In essence, it grants any vampire the right to
interact with you without censure. In addition,
Nicholas claimed you as a family member. He stated
that he had marked you by your blood link. The
Tribunal agreed, although they did not understand why
you were set free. It is an unusual situation, but
hardly unique in the history of our culture.”

“That’s a relief. What does it mean that I’m ‘marked’
by my blood link with Nick?” Natalie’s expression was
one of confusion.

LaCroix sighed. “When a vampire takes blood from a
mortal, but doesn’t kill them or bring them across, it
leaves a…psychic resonance, if you will. To any
vampire that meets you, you have a distinct aura. That
aura would immediately be discernible as belonging to
Nicholas if the vampire had ever met him. Considering
Nicholas’ power and age, it is a formidable asset to
you when dealing with anyone in the community.”