He thought back over the evening, reliving the rush of it all over again. He was downright impressed with the girl's performances- he thought for sure she'd have lost it at some point, yet she stayed strong throughout the evening. Still, he could tell it wouldn't be long before she started to crack. As for her friend, even though he wasn't personally in to the whole spooky-chick thing, he could see now why Stone wanted to keep her for himself. She'd actually managed to surprise him when she threw him out, though he wasn't worried in the least by her threats.

He slowed as he reached the front of his house. The sight of a car parked in front of it put him on guard- it wasn't one he recognized. As far as he could see, there was no one sitting in the vehicle. As he drew closer yet he realized it was so new it didn't even have plates.

A smile blossomed on his face as he came level with it and saw the thick envelope lying on the driver's side seat. Tucked in with the keys, registration, and insurance information was a one-word note in Andrew Stone's impeccable handwriting- 'Nice'. He was now almost positive that Stone had no idea he was the one who'd sent those vampires after him.

James turned his attention to Mary and wondered at the pile of rocks that lay between them. He was sure he'd put those out in the back garden already. She continued staring out at the billowing clouds on the horizon, occasional flashes of lightning flickering between their towering masses.

Andy: "Be careful of wounded animals- they're unpredictable when they get desperate."

Mary: "We should go inside."
Andy: "Won't make any difference, you can't run from this one. You should just sit back and enjoy the show."

Serge: "Not answering. I'll try calling him tomorrow night."
Markus: "That's strange- he knew you were going to be back tonight."
Serge: "He probably forgot."
Markus: "Yeah, probably. He's spacey like that sometimes."
Serge: "How about I just cook up something for the three of us, then?"