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I can, so if there is anything you need, you know where
I am.
Chase, Dante said as the male turned to leave the room. Apology accepted,
man. And for what it s worth, I m sorry too. I haven t been fair to you
either. Despite our differences, know that I respect you.
The Agency lost a good one the day they cut you loose.
Chase s smile was crooked as he acknowledged the praise with a short nod.
Dante cleared his throat. And about that offer of help...
Name it.
Tess was walking a dog when the Rogues attacked her tonight. Ugly little
mutt, not good for much
more than a foot-warmer, but it s special to her. Actually, it was a gift from
me, more or less. Anyway, the dog was running loose on its leash when I saw it
a block or so away from Ben Sullivan s place.
You want me to go retrieve a wayward canine, is that where this is heading?
Well, you did say anything, didn t you?
So I did. Chase chuckled. All right. I will.
Dante dug the keys to his Porsche out of his pocket and tossed them to the
other vampire. As Chase turned to be on his way again, Dante added, The
little beast answers to the name Harvard, by the way.
Harvard, Chase drawled, shaking his head and throwing a smirk in Dante s
direction. I don t suppose that s a coincidence.
Dante shrugged. Good to see that Ivy League pedigree of yours comes in handy
for something.
Jesus Christ, warrior. You really were busting my ass since the minute I came
on board, weren t you?
Hey, by all comparisons, I was kind. Do yourself a favor and don t look too
closely at Niko s shooting targets, unless you re very secure about your
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manhood.
Assholes, Chase muttered, but there was only humor in his tone. Sit tight,
and I ll be back in a few with your mutt. Anything else you re gonna hit me up
for now that I opened my big yap about wanting to get square with you?
Actually, there might be something else, Dante replied, his thoughts going
sober when he considered
Tess and any kind of future that might be deserving of her. But we can talk
about that when you get back, yeah?
Chase nodded, catching on to the turn in mood. Yeah. Sure we can.
CHAPTER Thirty
W
hen Chase strode out of Dante s living quarters into the hallway, Gideon was
waiting there.
How s it going in there? the warrior asked.
She s still unconscious, but I think she s in good hands. Dante is determined
that she ll be all right, and once that warrior gets an idea in his head,
there isn t much that s going to stand in his way.
True enough, Gideon chuckled. He was holding a portable video device, which
he now turned on.
Listen, I tapped into some Rogue activity on satellite surveillance earlier
tonight. More than one of the subjects appear to be Darkhaven civilians. You
got a minute to take a look, maybe provide some ID for us?
Of course.
Chase glanced down at the small screen of the hand-held as Gideon called
up the images and fast-forwarded to a specific frame. The night-vision
footage, zoomed in on a decrepit building in one of the city s industrial
slums, showed four individuals exiting from a back door. By the gait and size
of them, Chase could tell they were vampires. But the human they were stalking
had no idea.
The recorded feed played on, and Chase watched, repulsed, as the four
Darkhaven youths closed in on their prey. They attacked swiftly and savagely,
like the Bloodlusting predators they were. Gang-style attacks on humans were
unheard of among the Breed; only vampires turned Rogue hunted and killed like
this.
Can you tighten up this frame? he asked Gideon, not really wanting to see
more of the carnage but unable to look away.
Think you recognize any of them?
Yes, Chase said, his gut convulsing as the focus closed in on
Camden s disheveled, feral appearance. The second sighting of the youth in
the past few hours, and irrefutable evidence that he was beyond retrieving.
They re all from the Boston Darkhaven. I can give you their names, if you
like. That one there is called Camden. He is my brother s son.
Fuck, Gideon whispered. One of these Rogues is your nephew?
He started using Crimson and went missing nearly two weeks ago. He is the
real reason I came to the
Order for help. I wanted to locate him and bring him back before this
happened.
The other warrior s face was grave. You know that all of the individuals on
this satellite feed are
Rogues. They re addicts now, Chase. Lost causes
I know. I saw Camden earlier tonight, when Dante, Tegan, and I were at Ben
Sullivan s place. As soon as I looked into his eyes, I understood what he was.
This only confirms it.
Gideon was quiet for a long moment as he clicked off the device. Our policy
on Rogues is pretty plain. It has to be. I m sorry, Chase, but if we run
across any of these individuals in our patrols, there is only one course of
action.
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Chase nodded. He knew that the Order s stance when it came to
dealing with Rogues was unwavering, and after riding shotgun with Dante for
the past few nights, he knew it had to be that way.
Camden was gone, and now it was only a matter of time before the Bloodlusting
shell that was left of his nephew met a violent end, either in combat with the
warriors or through his own reckless actions.
I have to go topside and do something for Dante, Chase said. But I ll be
back within the hour, and
I can give you whatever info you need to help get these Rogues off the
streets.
Thanks. Gideon clapped him on the shoulder. Look, I m sorry, man. I
wish things could be different. We ve all lost loved ones to this goddamn
war. It never gets any easier.
Right. I ll catch you later, Chase said, then he strode away, heading for
the elevator that would take him to the Order s fleet garage on ground level.
As he rode up, he thought about Elise. He d come clean to Dante and the others
about Camden, but he was still keeping the truth from Elise. She needed to
know. She needed to be prepared for what had happened to her son and to
understand what it meant. Chase wouldn t be bringing Cam home now. No one
could. The truth was going to kill Elise, but she deserved to have it.
Chase stepped off the elevator and reached into his coat pocket to withdraw
his cell phone. As he walked toward Dante s coupe, he hit the speed dial for
his home. Elise picked up on the second ring, her voice anxious, hopeful.
Hello? Sterling, are you all right? Have you found him?
Chase stopped walking, cursing inwardly. For a long second he could not speak.
He didn t know how to phrase what he had to say. I, uh... Yes, Elise, Camden
has been sighted tonight.
Oh, my God. She let out a sob, then hesitated. Sterling, is he... Please,
tell me he s alive.
Shit.
He hadn t expected to do this over the phone. He thought he d call her and let
her know that he
d be there to explain everything later on, but Elise s maternal worry
knew no patience. She was desperate for answers, and Chase could not keep
them from her any longer.
Ah, hell, Elise. It s not good news. In the heavy, utter silence that held
on the other end of the line, Chase launched into the facts. Cam was spotted
tonight, running with a group of Rogues. I saw him myself, at the apartment of
the human who s been dealing Crimson. He s in bad shape, Elise. He s...
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