Acharya smiled, "But with vampires, and especially these vampires, it's more about poker. And right now, Kenneth is probably trying to figure out if this first feint was simply a bluff on our part, or if we have more tricks up our sleeve. I sincerely hope he thinks it's the former."

"So, who wants to see what's behind door number one?" Malikah asked, as she gestured towards the elevator with a grin.

* * * *

Javier heard gun shots ring out from somewhere in the garage, it was close and off to his left. And as much as he wanted to run off at a full sprint to see what was going on, it had been made very clear to him what he and his pack was supposed to do. It was only the four of them and they were to hold the garage in case a retreat was necessary.

It was bullshit! And at that moment he hated Keva for everything she had done. She just left them there in India and she had told Soter and Hysminai some vague shit about horses?! She could have come to him and let him know. He knew what she was going through. Hell, he had been there! They all had been and then for her just to leave… it was enough to make him want to punch a wall.

"Javier, its ok. I'm sure they're ok, Acharya has the Bultungin watching his back. They'll be alright." Michelle said.

Javier looked down at the short blonde woman at his side. He noticed that his fingers had clenched themselves into fists without him knowing it. With a conscious effort he calmed himself and nodded, letting his fingers relax.

Soter and Hysminai had shifted into werewolf form long ago and were keeping watch, Soter on the street side, and Hysminai inwards towards the heart of the garage and the tower sitting in the center of it.

"How could she do this to me… us. How could she just abandon us like this now? Was this always her plan to just leave us one day?" Javier voice was raised and in the garage it echoed.

Michelle shook her head, "You know that she would never do that. I have to believe that whatever she's doing, it's for a damn good reason. No, she wouldn't just abandon us, not like this."

Javier was about to protest again when he heard the happy squeal of the child they had brought with them. He had almost forgot that they had been assigned rear guard along with Derceto's three grey wolves and their 'adopted' little girl. She was laughing at the wolf who had brought her with him as he tumbled and rolled, playing with her.

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Javier lost his complaints as he saw the broken smile and heard the cracked sound coming from her. It was the uncomfortable laughter of someone who had never laughed before. It was broken and forced in a way that laughter should never have to be. It was pure in its origin, but the body, throat, and lips that produced it was so unused to it that it sounded almost painful. Keva wouldn't really leave this girl behind. He nodded to himself. Keva was planning something; he just didn't know what. But he knew that by the day's end he would have his chance to fight these vampires. He trusted that Keva wouldn't rob him of that. He just wished he had some idea of what she was planning. He wished he had any idea what any of them were planning or thinking for that matter. He had protested the decision to bring the child with them, of course. While they had still been in India, Huan Li and Ansuya had come to them with their crazy idea. He thought it had been a joke at first and he had laughed in the two elder's faces.

"This is a joke, right? I mean you can't be serious," Javier looked back and forth between the two elders and saw only calm seriousness in their faces. "You can not seriously be thinking about taking a child, especially this one, of all people into a battle field and expect us to be able to keep watch over her?! No, No I refuse. I won't take her with us into that place and put both her and what's left of our pack into that kind of danger, I won't!"

Ansuya gazed at the young man with empathy, but there was steel in her look and iron in her posture. "It's not for you to decide, Javier. Don't you think we know what this means and what position we're putting you and the rest of your pack into? Let me ask you, where would you prefer that we put her? A feral girl who doesn't speak and who refuses to go more than a few feet away from her adopted wolf father is not a burden we can place on anyone. And what would it look like to our allies? Do you really think the Bultungin, or those from the City under the sand would understand or be accepting of us when we refuse to put our own in harm's way, and our excuse is 'a child might get hurt'? Surely even you must hear how that sounds."

He had and, in the end, he had accepted the decision. Not that he had any choice in the matter. So now here they were, a broken pack without their alpha, sitting in the bottom level of an underground parking garage with three wolves who didn't have names, and a girl who didn't speak. Could this situation get any more absurd?

* * * * *

Amanda pushed open a non-descript door, with no label or sign. It was unlocked which was odd as well. She pushed it open and found a narrow stairway leading up for about fifteen or sixteen steps before it doubled back on itself, winding its way up the building.

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