Emily: "So The Order is like the anti-UVSN."
James: "How do you know about UVSN?"
Emily: "Mary found them."
James: "Ah. Why am I not surprised? And yes, that's my assumption."

Emily: "What do you think we'll find?"
James: "Hopefully Tristan not completely surrounded by a pack of very mean-spirited vamps."
Emily: "I hope he's OK."
James: "I do, too."

James slowed his car as they reached the tiny club. There were only a handful of cars left in the parking lot, one of which he instantly recognized.

James: "Damn it. I should have known he was going to do this."
Emily: "You're not a mind reader, James."
James: "I know Tristan well enough to know when he's about to go off and do something stupid and dangerous. He was always a terrible liar."
Emily: "Let's go get him and we can both yell at him for being an idiot."

James: "I want you to stay here. It's safer."
Emily: "You're a very funny man."

Emily was already out of the car before James even had a chance to argue with her. He quickly joined her.

James: "Have you lost your mind? You can't go in there!"
Emily: "I can and I will. If Tristan's in trouble it's better if we do this together."
James: "These vampires probably aren't exactly big on the warm and fuzzy with humans."
Emily: "And what exactly should I do if, while I'm standing out here alone waiting around being useless, a bunch of them come out here and try to eat me? Should I just tell them I'm stringy and taste bad? Besides, I stole one of Mary's stakes so it's not like I'm going in unarmed."

James looked between Emily standing defiantly in front of him, the club, and the cars in the parking lot. It was clear that she'd made up her mind and nothing was going to stop her, the most he could do at this point was make sure nothing happened to her. He feared very little as a vampire, but Mary's wrath was not something he wanted turned on him.

James: "Fine. But be careful and stay close to me."
Emily: "That won't be a problem."
James: "Right, then. Into the belly of the beast."
Emily: "After you."

James cautiously pushed open the door to the club while making sure to keep Emily hidden behind him. While he hadn't been entirely sure what to expect, what he saw was nothing at all like he'd imagined.

Most of the vampires were slumped together in small groups of two to four in various states of undress. The air was heavy with the smell of blood and sweat under a thick haze of cigarette smoke. Irritating music with too many beats per minute and no real discernable lyrics was playing from unseen speakers, lending an overall disjointed feel to the scene.

Emily: "What the hell…"
James: "I have no idea."
Emily: "Are any of these bodies Tristan's?"
James: "I don't think so."

James froze, turning his head slightly and listening carefully to something beyond the pulsing music. There was a second set of sounds coming from further inside the club. He nodded silently at Emily and together the two of them made their way unnoticed to the rear of the club.

Emily: "This is downright creepy."
James: "Verily."
Emily: "What's wrong with them?"
James: "I think we'll find the answer through this door. Stay close, Punkin."

James turned the handle of the door and was surprised when it turned easily. He felt somewhat disappointed that it hadn't been locked- he'd always wanted to kick a door down. His disappointment was quickly replaced by recognition followed by minute shock that finally settled into extreme rage.

Chris: "Selwyn! I've been waiting for you. Didn't think I'd see your better half without you following close behind. And you brought the ever-delightful Miss Emily Laine with you! To be honest I'd rather you'd brought Mary. No offense, Love, you're just not my type."
Emily: "I'm heart-broken."
James: "You have less than fifteen seconds to give me one good reason not to break your goddamned neck."
Chris: "You'll never find your friend before sunrise if you do that."
Emily: "What did you do to him, you worthless sack of shit?"

Chris: "Hey, easy there, Firecracker. There's no need for name-calling."
James: "I don't think I need to remind you what happened the last time we met in a secluded area, Peterson. This time I won't hold anything back."
Chris: "I didn't do anything to him that he won't end up thanking me for."
James: "That isn't going to keep me from beating the ever-living shit out of you."

Chris: "Your friend needed to loosen up a bit. He takes his immortality so seriously, always brooding and sulking about. I thought he could use a little reminder of some of the lighter aspects of our state of being so I gave him a free sample of what we here at the Order like to call 'Bliss'."
James: "That had better not be the same thing you gave everyone out in the club."
Chris: "The very same. I think it's done him a world of good to be honest."
Emily: "Where is he?"
Chris: "How the hell would I know? I'm not his keeper."

James: "Well then, it seems you've worn out your usefulness. Em, hand me your stake."
Emily: "James…"
James: "I'm sick to death of this clown. He doesn't play by any rules, why should I?"
Emily: "You make a valid point."

Chris looked up sharply, concern just beginning to show at the corners of his eyes as Emily handed James the precisely carved stake she'd kept hidden in her back pocket under her shirt.

Chris: "Is this supposed to make me become suddenly endowed with information I didn't previously have? I don't know what happened to your little boyfriend and idle threats aren't going to change that."
James: "It's not an idle threat, I'm honestly sick of you."
Chris: "Hey, wait just a minute. You're supposed to be good guys, you don't just off people!"
Emily: "You're not a people."

There was a tense moment of silence as James poised ready above Peterson. He was secretly delighting in his obvious unease and did everything he could to prolong his discomfort. Finally, he began to laugh and lowered the stake.

James: "Maybe some other time, Peterson. I think I enjoy you having a bit of fear for a change."

Chris let out a nervous laugh as James began to carefully lead Emily out of the office.

Chris: "I knew you didn't have it in you, Selwyn. You goodies are so damn disappointing."

In an instant James had whirled around and without hesitation drove the stake firmly through Chris's hand into the desk.

James: "Aren't we just?"