Ransomed Knight II
by J L Kerr
August 1998
jlkerr7864@aol.com -or- eaglesmoon@aol.com


[Author's note: This story is a sequel to 'Ransomed Knight', written in July 
  1997 and picks up where the first ended. I want to thank everyone that 
  sent their wonderful comments and I hope you enjoy my latest story. As 
  always, all comments are welcome. Thank you, JL]

[Timeline: third season. Nothing explicit. The pursuit of revenge goes
  both ways. Flashbacks to 20th c. Vietnam and 13th c. China.]

[Main characters: Nick, LaCroix, Natalie, Tracy, Reese, Vachon, Urs]

===
Chapter One


	LaCroix reached out and took the envelop. It looked identical to 
the first, even down to the handwriting on the outside. LaCroix slowly 
opened the envelop and pulled out the single sheet of paper.  It read:

	'You should be happy, General. You behaved well and 
	you have your son back, alive. But lest you think this was 
	the end, it is merely the beginning.'

	LaCroix seethed with rage as his fist closed tight, crumpling the 
offending paper. He quickly turned his back on the two mortals, who were 
watching him with rapt attention. Breathing deeply, he quickly regained 
his tensely held control. Whoever sent this was playing a very dangerous 
game. He would not be toyed with, he thought furiously.
	"Well, what does it say?" asked Captain Reese apprehensively, 
frustrated by the situation and intimidated by the tightly leashed fury he 
saw standing before him.
	"LaCroix?" asked Dr. Lambert hesitantly, as she stood by 
nervously. "Can we see the note?"
	Without turning towards them, LaCroix held his arm out behind 
him, allowing Reese to remove the note from his hand. Once the Captain 
had taken possession, he quickly read it and then, with an audible sigh, 
passed it to Natalie.
	"So, what do you think this means?" asked Reese.
	"I'd say that was rather obvious, Captain," replied LaCroix 
sarcastically.
	"Nothing about this is <obvious>," retorted Reese. "And I think 
there's a lot more going on here then what very little you've told us."
	LaCroix slowly turned around, until he was facing Reese. He 
appeared calm, and completely in control. "It's late. I would like you to 
leave," he said.
	"And I think it's time you gave us some straight answers," said 
Reese, insistently.
	Narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the Captain, he turned 
to Natalie and ordered, "show the Captain to the door. I wish to check on 
Nicholas." With one final look at Reese, he turned and headed down the 
hall.
	Turning to Natalie, Reese said, "I don't believe this. You'd think 
he would want to find out who was behind this."
	"Believe me, Captain, he does," said Natalie, knowingly.
	"Yeah. Then why isn't he more helpful?" asked Reese, 
increasingly more frustrated.
	"He's right, Captain. It's late and we could all use some rest. 
Nobody's had any sleep in the past 24 hours. Nick's safe, and you've got 
people working the case. I think we should all go home, get some sleep, 
and start fresh tonight," she said reasonably.
	"Yeah, you're right, Doctor. But you tell him, I'll be back tonight 
and I expect to get some answers," stated Reese purposefully.
	"I'll tell him," she said, as she ushered Reese out the door and 
closed it behind him. Sighing, she pressed her forehead against the door 
and rubbed her eyes. She should take her own advice and go home and 
get some sleep, she thought. She headed back to Nick's room, for one 
final check on him before leaving.
	Upon entering his room, she saw LaCroix sitting in a chair next to 
the bed. Nick was sleeping peacefully. He didn't look like he had moved 
since she had last seen him. She stood at the foot of the bed and gazed 
down at him.
	"The Captain has left, I take it," said LaCroix quietly.
	"Yes. I suggested it would be a good idea if we all got some 
sleep," she replied, glancing at LaCroix.
	"I suppose that would be wise," he replied, feeling a little tired 
himself.
	"Unless you need me for something, I'm going to head home," 
said Natalie. "I think he'll be all right. Sleep is the best thing for him right 
now," she continued, indicating Nick.
	Not turning his eyes from his son, LaCroix replied, "you may go, 
Doctor."
	Natalie suppressed the annoyance she felt at LaCroix' 'granting 
her request to leave'. They were all tired and she knew he was worried 
about Nick. "I'll be home. Call me if he needs me," she said, turning to 
leave.
	LaCroix merely nodded as she departed. At the sound of the 
front door closing, he shut his eyes and leaned his head against the back 
of the chair. He did not want to admit to how tired he was. The past 24 
hours had indeed been draining.
	Whoever was responsible for Nicholas' kidnapping, was still out 
there. And from the last note, it was obvious they weren't through yet. 
LaCroix was wracking his brain, trying to determine who this unseen 
enemy might be, and what they wanted. They obviously knew him well 
enough to attack him through his only vulnerability... Nicholas.
	But what now, he wondered. And why was Nicholas allowed to 
survive? Whoever this adversary was, he must know that his son's 
kidnapping would not go unchallenged. There would be retribution. What 
purpose did this abduction, and subsequent release serve? What was the 
lesson to be taught? What had the enemy gained through all this? Could 
it really have just been about money?
	It didn't make any sense. If anything, now he was forewarned 
and would be prepared. He was determined to find out who was behind 
this and to make them pay for what they did. And he had no doubt that he 
would discover who this opponent was, and his revenge would be 
exquisite.
	LaCroix looked up from his reverie as Nicholas stirred slightly. He 
was still sleeping soundly and gave no sign of waking soon. LaCroix 
thought it best if he himself took this opportunity to sleep. There was 
much yet to be done and he would think better once he got some much 
needed rest. With one last look at his son, he rose and exited. He left the 
doors between their rooms open to the hallway. He wanted to make sure 
he was alerted should Nicholas wake during the day.

	Meanwhile, across town in his rented estate, Lei Kung paced 
back and forth in front of his large fireplace. The tension in the room was 
thick with menace. His associates waited nearby, nervously anticipating 
the worse. Lei Kung did not tolerate failure.
	"Master, what should we do now?" asked Chang, dreading the 
response. He had been with Lei Kung the longest of any, and he was well 
aware of his master's fearsome temper. The unpleasant task of relating 
the night's events had fallen to him. He shuddered even now, recalling 
the last meeting.

-- Flashback to an alley, a few hours ago --

	"So, Mr. Black, you have done well, yes?" asked Lei Kung, 
congenially.
	"I have done everything you asked, and here is your ransom," 
replied Mr. Black, as he handed the small bag of diamonds to his 
employer.
	"Very good," replied Lei Kung, taking the bag and removing a 
small quantity of the diamonds for his inspection. "Yes, these are very 
good. I must commend you, Mr. Black."
	"Thank you. Now, if you'll just pay me my fee, I'll be on my way," 
answered the mercenary leader.
	"Of course," said Lei Kung. Then turning to his associate, whom 
he noticed was standing nervously nearby. "Yes, Chang. Is there a 
concern?"
	"Yes, master. All did not go as planned," answered Chang, 
bowing and turning his eyes towards the ground, after having stolen a 
quick glance at Mr. Black.
	Lei Kung's stance tensed as the words were spoken. "Speak!" he 
ordered.
	"The son lives, master," said Chang, bowing even lower.
	"That's not possible," said Mr. Black, mildly annoyed. "There is 
no way they got him out of that trunk before it exploded."
	"Chang, what say you to this?" asked Lei Kung quietly, his eyes 
not leaving Mr. Black.
	"I witnessed the father pulling his son from the burning car. He 
took him to safety before the explosion. The son lives," related Chang, 
meekly.
	"That's not possible," said a now angry Mr. Black. "That key I 
gave him didn't fit the lock on the trunk. And even if they could have 
gotten it open, the detective was tied securely inside. They could not 
have released him in time. I repeat, there is no way he could have gotten 
him out. You're mistaken," he said to Chang. "And besides, before putting 
him in the trunk, I even injected him with enough of that drug to kill an 
elephant."
	"I told you not to underestimate his abilities," said Lei Kung, 
seething quietly, "or those of his son. I told you they were powerful and 
dangerous. You should not have disregarded my warnings."
	"I didn't. I did everything you asked," said Mr. Black, "and more."
	"Why did you not destroy the son directly, instead of giving his 
father a chance to rescue him?" asked an angry Lei Kung.
	"You said that LaCroix would know if the son died, so I had to 
leave him alive until the end," explained Mr. Black, heatedly. "I only 
needed a couple of minutes to make my escape, otherwise he might 
have killed me and you wouldn't have your diamonds."
	"The son's death was more important than the diamonds," raged 
Lei Kung, letting his anger loose. His eyes began to glow red and his 
fangs glistened in the light cast by the street lamp, as he advanced on 
Mr. Black. The shocked mercenary leader's death came swiftly, as Lei 
Kung sank his teeth into his victim's throat. Once the body was drained, 
he tossed it aside. "Fool!" he hissed.
	Chang pulled out a long knife, and bending over the discarded 
body, sliced open the throat, obscuring the puncture marks leftover from 
his master's anger.

 -- End flashback --

	'What should we do now?' the question lingered in the air as Lei 
Kung continued his pacing. He needed to think this through carefully. He 
was not going to allow all his planning to fall apart. After all, he was barely 
past the first stage of the plan. And the son was the key to the plan's 
success. He would not fail now.
	The death of the mercenary had only somewhat appeased Lei 
Kung. The folly was truly his own for trusting so important and integral a 
task to a mere mortal. But that had been part of the plan also. Now he 
would need to change those plans. His advantage was gone. His 
opponent would be more dangerous now, then ever before. The note he 
had written in haste, and pinned to the mercenary, would not fool LaCroix 
for long. He needed a new plan. He was not prepared to go up against a 
2,000 year old, angry, cold-hearted warrior general out for revenge. He 
needed the advantage that the devastation of his son's death would have 
given him. The son must die!

===
Chapter Two


	LaCroix rose early, well before dusk. He immediately went to 
Nicholas' room where he saw that his son will still sleeping. The condition 
of the blankets, and the position of Nicholas' body implied that his sleep 
had been restless. As was his wont, he had drifted near the edge of the 
bed and was laying on his stomach. His left arm dangled partially over 
the side of the mattress, and his head was no longer on the pillow. He 
had dark circles under his eyes and a slight frown creased his brow, 
indicating a tenseness within, however, his breathing was slow and 
steady. LaCroix decided to leave him be. He did not want to take a 
chance on waking him.
	Crossing the hallway, back into his own room, he quickly 
showered and dressed. After another quick look in on Nicholas, he 
headed for his den where he started on the search that should inevitably 
lead to the identity of his opponent. He placed his first call.
	The phone was answered on the second ring with the urgent 
greeting, "hello."
	"I'm searching for someone, and I expect you can assist me," 
said LaCroix, with no need to identify himself to the called party. His voice 
was recognized instantly.
	"LaCroix, of course. Who are you looking for?" replied Feliks 
Twist, curious and eager to find out what was going on and why LaCroix 
had needed two million dollars in diamonds so quickly.
	"I am no longer in possession of the diamonds you acquired for 
me. I wish to know who is," answered LaCroix. He knew from previous 
encounters that Feliks was completely trustworthy and would not dare 
deliberately deceive him, however, it was in his own nature to be 
cautious.
	"I suppose it's not as easy as asking who you gave them to?" 
replied Feliks, wistfully.
	"He is dead," stated LaCroix.
	"It may be helpful if you could tell me what you needed them for 
in the first place. I'm assuming it has something to do with Nicholas,"  
commented Feliks, curiously. There was a long pause, followed by an 
audible sigh. Then Feliks listened intently as LaCroix related the events 
of the kidnapping. At the conclusion, all Feliks could say was, "oh, my. 
Oh, my. Nicholas, he is well?"
	"He will be fine. I want to locate whoever is responsible," 
responded LaCroix determinedly.
	"Yes, yes, of course," said a nervous Feliks. "I will do whatever I 
can to help. Now, about the diamonds. I will alert my sources and should 
any attempt be made to market them, I can assure you, I will be 
informed."
	"And you will contact me immediately," demanded LaCroix, 
quietly.
	"Absolutely," replied Feliks.
	With that promise received, LaCroix hung up the phone and 
made his second call.
	Again, the telephone was answered on the second ring, "yes, 
hello," said a cautious voice.
	"Aristotle, I need to know if anyone has come to town recently," 
inquired LaCroix, casually.
	There was a slight chuckle, followed by, "LaCroix, you know I 
can't tell you that."
	"If you know something, and you do not tell me, I can assure that 
you will regret the omission," said LaCroix, mildly threatening.
	"Do not threaten me. I won't tolerate it," said Aristotle, annoyed at 
the presumption. He didn't care how old and powerful LaCroix was, he 
would not be bullied into divulging confidential information.
	"I'm not asking you to break any of your <solemn vows> of 
anonymity, I am simply inquiring about new arrivals to the city," snapped 
LaCroix. This one's irreverence had always annoyed him, but he forced 
himself to retain a semblance of civility that he did not feel.
	"Most new arrivals find their way to the Raven, sooner or later. I 
would think you would have better luck looking around the dance floor, 
than calling me," quipped Aristotle.
	"You will call me if anyone comes to mind," ordered LaCroix, then 
abruptly hung up. Well, he hadn't expected much cooperation from him. 
He supposed he should have told Aristotle why he was asking, as he and 
Nicholas were friends, but he was irked by Aristotle's attitude towards 
him. Oh well, perhaps something may yet be learned from that quarter.
	Continuing on, LaCroix made a number of other calls. These 
were mainly to some of the more loyal members of the community that 
frequented the Raven. At dusk, a search of the city would begin. Although 
it was not confirmed that his opponent was another vampire, LaCroix felt 
certain that it was so. No mere mortal, not even a zealous hunter, would 
dare to play games with him. This must be someone who felt they could 
defeat him, therefore, it must be another vampire. One who felt as old 
and powerful as the one he sought to defeat. He would be found. LaCroix 
felt no doubt. It would be impossible to hide his presence for long.
	As LaCroix sat at his desk, contemplating on his opponent and 
his options, he heard a noise that sounded like the front door of the 
apartment opening and then closing. No one would dare enter uninvited. 
As he rose to confront this intruder, he sensed a mortal heartbeat. He 
stood in the hallway and watched dumbfounded as Dr. Lambert crossed 
the living room, heading in his direction. Perturbed, he stepped out to 
greet her.
	"Dr. Lambert," he said quietly. Natalie jumped at the sound of his 
voice, even though she had been expecting to see him. "Did I startle 
you?" he asked, insincerely.
	"Uh, yes. I don't know why though. I was expecting you would be 
up already," she said, nervously.
	"Really? Tell me, Doctor, how did you get in here?" he asked 
sternly.
	Holding up a keychain, she replied, "I used Nick's keys. I thought, 
under the circumstances, you wouldn't mind."
	"I see you feel quite confident in your conclusions, Doctor," he 
said, sounding surly. He wasn't at all happy that she had let herself in. He 
just wasn't sure that he wished to do anything about it, at least not at the 
moment. "I suppose you are here to see Nicholas," he stated, a bit more 
congenially.
	"Yes. I'm on my way into work and wanted to check on him. How 
is he?" she asked. She was still feeling quite nervous. LaCroix was 
obviously not pleased to see her, and she really had no idea how he 
would react. Now that the immediacy of this morning had worn off, he 
may not be willing to accept her help any longer.
	Stepping aside and indicating that she should proceed down the 
hall, he replied, "he is still sleeping. He has been a bit restless and I am 
reluctant to disturb him."
	"I'll try not to wake him," she said, as she stepped into Nick's 
room. She sat on the edge of his bed, setting her medical bag down 
beside her. The main intention was to gather another blood sample. She 
wanted to see how the drug was progressing through his system. She 
reached out and ran the back of her fingers across his temple, then 
across his forehead. He stirred slightly at her touch, but did not awaken. 
"I expected the injection I gave him this morning to have worn off by now. 
I'm surprised it hasn't."
	"And what makes you think it has not?" inquired LaCroix.
	"Nothing, really," she said, extracting a syringe from her bag. 
After looking at him curiously for a moment, she turned to LaCroix and 
said, "I need to get a blood sample. I can't really do that, the way he is 
laying here."
	LaCroix looked at her for a long moment before responding. His 
desire to make sure Nicholas was truly all right overrode any concerns he 
had regarding the doctor. "Move aside," he ordered.
	Natalie stepped away from the bed. LaCroix took her place at 
Nick's side. He quickly pulled the covers back, and gently took Nick by 
the arm and rolled him onto his back, taking care not to wake him. Once 
Nick was settled comfortably, they exchanged places once again. 
	Before taking the blood sample, Natalie decided to check his 
bandaged wrists and ankles. She was very surprised to see that the 
wounds, while much improved over this morning, were far from being 
healed. LaCroix seemed equally as surprised. "Has he fed?" she asked.
	"No."
	Having already assumed that, she wasn't surprised by his 
answer. "I don't think he's had anything since before all this started. That 
may be why he's healing slowly," she said. As she finished changing his 
bandages, Nick began to stir and pull away from her. She paused in her 
ministrations, and he settled back down and appear to once again be 
sleeping.
	She gently took Nick's arm and pulled it towards her. She pushed 
his sleeve up, and tied the rubber strap around his arm, in preparation of 
taking a blood sample. Nick began to stir again, and pull away from her. 
She captured his arm and held it down. Nick opened his eyes slightly, 
and called out quietly, "LaCroix."
	"Sshh, Nick. It's okay," she said, attempting to soothe him. 
"Everything's going to be okay."
	"Where's LaCroix?" he said in a whisper, still pulling his arm 
away from her.
	LaCroix moved to stand at the head of the bed, hovering over 
them both. Leaning down, he placed his hand on Nick's forehead, and 
brushed his hair back. "I am here," he said soothingly. Nick immediately 
calmed. "You will allow the doctor to do as she wishes, tres bien?" he 
said.
	In reply, Nick relaxed and closed his eyes. His arm mildly tensed 
when she inserted the syringe, but for the most part, he remained 
relaxed. When she was done, she looked up and saw that Nick was 
looking at her. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
	Looking briefly up at LaCroix, then back to Natalie, he barely 
whispered, "I'm fine." 
	"Nicholas," said LaCroix, a mild reproach in his tone. "Tell the 
doctor how you are feeling."
	He looked up at LaCroix and held his gaze for a long moment. 
Then, with a sigh, he turned back to Natalie and said, "I'm tired."
	"And?" Natalie prompted. Judging by the fact that his wounds 
had not completely healed, she couldn't believe he wasn't still feeling 
some of the symptoms from this morning.
	"Nicholas," warned LaCroix, sternly.
	"My stomach feels funny, and everything hurts," he finally said, 
speaking so softly she had to strain to hear him.
	"Where does it hurt most?" she asked.
	"Here," he said, indicating his chest. Natalie checked his chest 
for injuries, and found none.
	"Are you hungry?" she asked, curiously. In reply, Nick placed his 
hands over his stomach and, after a moment's thought, shook his head 
no, grimacing slightly from the pain this caused.
	"Well, when I get to work I'll run some tests on your blood and I 
should know more then. My guess is that it is taking awhile for that drug 
to dissipate from your system. You're still feeling the effects from it." 
Pulling a vial, and another syringe from her medical bag, she continued, 
"let me give you some more of what I gave you earlier this morning. It'll 
make you feel better and you should be able to sleep easier."
	"No more drugs," whispered Nick, pulling his arm close to his 
chest.
	"This is a good drug," said Natalie lightly, trying to cajole him into 
acquiescing.
	Nick just held his arm tighter against his body. When it was 
obvious he wasn't going to willingly comply, LaCroix leaned down and 
ordered, "you will allow this."
	Nick left out a deep breath and turned pleading eyes upon 
LaCroix. "LaCroix," he said beseechingly. 
	"Nicholas," he said firmly.
	Nick turned his head away from them both, and at the same time 
stretched out his arm and let it fall upon the bed, easily within Natalie's 
reach. She took the prepared syringe and quickly injected it into his arm. 
Extracting the needle, she rubbed his arm and said, "come on. You're 
going to feel better. I promise."
	He turned tired eyes upon her, and then closed them as he felt 
the effects of the drug start to affect him. All the aches he was feeling 
faded away and he started to drift off. He felt like he was floating, and 
then he fell into a sound sleep.
	"That should keep him asleep for a few hours at least," she said 
to LaCroix, as she closed her bag and stood to leave.
	"Yes. He does seem more relaxed," replied LaCroix, gently 
brushing his fingers across Nick's brow. "You will call me with your 
findings," he stated.
	"Yes. Of course," she replied. "I'll plan on stopping by again when 
I get off work. Is that okay?" she asked, remembering his annoyance 
when she first arrived tonight.
	"Yes. I will be expecting you, Doctor," he replied, begrudgingly. 
She has been very attentive and helpful where Nicholas is concern, he 
thought, justifying her continued involvement to himself.
	After seeing the good doctor out, he went to check on Nicholas. 
Sure that he was resting comfortably, he returned to his den to continue 
with his plans for locating this adversary.

	When Natalie reached her office, she immediately started the 
tests on Nick's blood. When she checked her desk, she found the 
autopsy results for the mercenary leader waiting for her to sign off on. 
The day shift had concluded the autopsy and determined that Mr. Black 
died from having his throat cut with a knife. They further concluded based 
upon findings and forensic evidence, or in this case, the lack thereof, 
since most of the blood seemed to be missing from the scene, that the 
murder must have occurred elsewhere from where the body was found.
	Natalie knew that she needed to double check this for herself. 
The body was waiting for her examination. It didn't take her long to find 
what she had been expecting. Hidden within the slashed throat was 
evidence of two puncture holes to the neck. Just the kind of evidence that 
would be left behind from a vampire attack. From the size and spacing of 
the punctures, she was pretty sure the vampire was male. This is the 
proof that she had been looking for.
	She called LaCroix to let him know what she had found. He had 
not seemed surprised. She was pretty sure that was what he was 
expecting her to find. Well, if nothing else, this does confirm what they 
previously believed. A vampire was behind Nick's kidnapping, and 
LaCroix was determined to find him. 

===
Chapter Three


	There was a steady throbbing in his temples that reverberated 
throughout his body. He felt like he was waking from a long sleep, and 
yet he still felt so tired. He placed his hands on the mattress and tried to 
push himself up. He felt shooting pains in his wrists, so he let himself 
collapse back onto the bed, too weary to try again. He closed his eyes 
and pressed his cheek against the cool sheets, trying to make sense of 
what was happening to him, within him. He didn't remember ever feeling 
like this before.
	He remembered... what did he remember? His memories were 
fuzzy. He remembered LaCroix, and also Natalie. His memory saw them 
together, but he knew that couldn't be right. He was so confused. On top 
of all that, he felt like every muscle in his body had been pushed past 
their limits. He was so tired. He remembered strange voices, faces he 
couldn't see. He thought he heard voices now. LaCroix was here, he 
could sense him nearby and coming closer.
	LaCroix entered Nicholas' room and saw that indeed, he was 
awake. He had left Urs in the apartment to watch him, with instructions to 
call him the moment he woke. He had decided to spend the evening 
hours in the club. Aristotle may be correct in his suggestion that he find 
who he was looking for amongst the patrons of the Raven. Marcus and 
the others were alerted and would inform him the moment anything was 
learned. He had also ordered the security tightened around his 
apartments to further ensure that there would be no unexpected visitors.
	Bending over the bed, he placed his hand across his son's 
temple and gently rubbed his thumb against the silky skin. Nick's eyes 
fluttered open and LaCroix could see the pain and confusion reflected 
back at him. "Nicholas, how are you feeling?" he asked softly.
	There was a long pause before a quiet reply was heard, "I don't 
feel good."
	"Yes. I think I know what you need. Be patient, I will return 
directly," said LaCroix, rising to leave. He returned moments later 
carrying two bottles and a large cup, which he placed on the bedside 
table. He opened one of the bottles and filled the cup. The smell of the 
blood caused Nick to frown. There was no indication that he was drawn 
to the scent. 
	Leaving the cup on the bedside table, LaCroix placed an arm 
under Nick and lifted him to a sitting position. He offered no resistance. 
Nick put his hands behind him, trying to steady himself, but was unable. 
LaCroix sat on the bed slightly behind him and placed one arm around 
him to hold him upright. Nick leaned back against LaCroix' chest and let 
his head rest against his shoulder.
	LaCroix picked up the cup and held it to Nick's mouth. Nick made 
as if to drink, and then turned his head to the side, away from the cup. 
"Come, you must be hungry," stated LaCroix firmly, believing Nicholas to 
be reluctant because the blood was human.
	"The smell is making me queasy," said Nick, taking a couple 
deep breaths.
	"That will pass. Drink," said LaCroix firmly, moving the cup to 
Nick's mouth once again. 
	Nick turned his head away once again. The nausea was too 
overpowering. With his one free hand, LaCroix grasped Nick by the chin 
and held him still as he pressed the cup to his lips. Nick tried to turn 
away, but LaCroix held him firmly as he poured the blood into his mouth. 
"Drink," he commanded.
	Having no choice, Nick swallowed. LaCroix continued to force 
him to drink while Nick weakly tried to resist. After about his fourth 
swallow, Nick stopped resisting and began to eagerly drink. LaCroix was 
pleased, and released his grip, allowing Nick to raise his hands and hold 
the cup to his own mouth. Nick handed the empty cup back. "Would you 
like more?" asked LaCroix, curious and relieved over Nick's sudden 
change and desire to feed. Nick simply nodded, so LaCroix refilled the 
cup. Nick drank a total of four cups before he indicated he wished to stop.
	"So, how are you feeling now?" asked LaCroix.
	"Better. I feel better," said Nick weakly, sounding a little 
surprised.
	"And your stomach?"
	"It's okay," he answered. He closed his eyes, leaned back and let 
the full weight of his body fall against his father. Even though he did feel 
better, he was very tired. The throbbing in his head had not diminished, 
but it seemed a bit easier to bear. LaCroix slipped out from behind him 
and eased Nick down onto the pillows.
	"You will sleep now," said LaCroix, pulling up the blankets and 
tucking them around Nick.
	Nick rolled onto his side and settled himself more comfortably. 
He was very tired. He closed his eyes and with a final deep breath, 
allowed himself to start to drift off to sleep. He felt LaCroix adjust his 
blankets, and then opened his eyes suddenly as LaCroix was leaving the 
room. "Where are you going?" he asked, a confused panic sounding in 
his voice.
	"I'm not going anywhere. I will be here," answered LaCroix, 
returning to Nick's bedside. "Would you like me to stay until you fall 
asleep?" 
	Nick didn't answer. He just watched as LaCroix sat in the chair 
next to the bed. When it was obvious that he wasn't leaving, Nick closed 
his eyes and once again settled down to sleep.
	LaCroix watched by his bedside until he was sure Nicholas was 
sleeping. Returning to the living room, he called downstairs to the bar. 
When Marcus answered, he told him to send Urs back up to the 
apartment.

	"Marcus, has there been any news," asked LaCroix, as he 
stepped up to the bar after having just come back downstairs.
	"Nothing, since last you were here," answered the Raven's head 
bartender. He had only known LaCroix for a short time, having come to 
work for him shortly after ownership of the Raven had transferred to him, 
but he and many of the others were having a difficult time believing that 
someone would knowingly go up against this ancient member of their 
community. Although he had never seen LaCroix 'in action', he had no 
doubts what he was capable of, or what the likely outcome would be. And 
to say LaCroix was on the warpath, would be the understatement of the 
century.
	"Pour me a glass," order LaCroix, as he turned to run his intense 
gaze over the crowd, paying special attention to the immortal patrons. 
There were no faces that he had not seen many times. His opponent 
would be a fool to show a presence here, he thought, and I don't think he 
is that. He turned as he heard the sound of a glass set down on the bar.
	As LaCroix raised the glass to his lips and took a long sip, 
Marcus asked, "so, how's Nick doing?"
	"He will be fine," answered LaCroix. "Why do you ask?"
	"While you were upstairs, that Captain Reese called. Said he 
wants to stop by later, and bring a couple of detectives with him," relayed 
Marcus. "He wants you to call him."
	Sighing, LaCroix replied, "I'll call him later."
	"Sure thing," said Marcus, and then moved down the bar to mix 
drinks for the cocktail waitresses.

	Sometime later, LaCroix was still sitting at the end of the bar, 
nursing another glass of the house special. This waiting was driving him 
crazy. He wanted to be out doing something, not waiting around. At the 
moment, he had no choice. He didn't want to leave Nicholas. He had 
been up to check on him twice already, and he was still sleeping. Urs had 
assured him that she would call should Nicholas awaken. He had spoken 
to a number of those he had out searching, and nothing. Well, he could 
be patient. He had time. There was no immediate threat.
	He looked up as he saw Dr. Lambert make her way towards him 
through the crowd. As she reach him, he greeted her by saying, "back so 
soon."
	"Hello, LaCroix," she said, returning the unheartfelt greeting. She 
had never spent so much time around him before. Heck, she'd never 
spent any time around him before, and seeing him so much was making 
her nervous. For the most part, he had been fairly civil and had accepted 
her assistance. She wasn't sure if this should worry her or not. After 
everything Nick had told her about him, he hadn't behaved at all how she 
would have expected him to. But on the other hand, neither had Nick. 
She remembered earlier tonight when he had first woken, she was there, 
yet he had still asked for LaCroix. It was his father he wanted, and 
LaCroix was there for him.
	"I take it you're here to see Nicholas," he stated.
	"Yes. I'm on my dinner break and thought I would drop by and 
see how he was doing," she said.
	Motioning to Marcus that he was going upstairs, he said to 
Natalie, "very well."
	She followed him through the backrooms and up the stairs to his 
apartment. When she entered the living room, she was surprised to see 
Urs rising from the couch. "He's still sleeping," said Urs, to LaCroix. "You 
must be Dr. Lambert. I've heard about you," said Urs, inquisitively.
	Natalie looked at LaCroix, curiously. "Dr. Lambert, this is Urs. 
She's been keeping an eye on Nicholas for me."
	"Do you want me to leave?" asked Urs.
	"You may go back downstairs. I will call when I want you to 
return," he answered.
	Urs walked past them and out the door, casting a lingering look 
at Natalie as she went.
	LaCroix started to head down the hall when Natalie stopped him. 
"Before we go see Nick, I've got the results from his blood test," she said. 
LaCroix just looked at her, expecting her to continue. "It's what I thought 
earlier. The drug is dissipating from his system, just very slowly. I believe 
the drug is responsible for his headache, tiredness, nausea and slow 
healing. The body aches, I believe, are due to the injuries he received. 
They're just slow to heal because of the drug."
	"And you still believe this drug was engineered specifically to use 
on vampires?" he asked.
	"Yes I do. My tests show that the doses he was given, and the 
frequency, would have killed any mortal. That, along with the fact that it's 
so effective, is what makes me think it was targeted for vampires," she 
explained. "I mean, there's not too many things that work on you guys."
	"And can you tell where this drug came from?" he inquired.
	"That's going to take some doing, but I think I may be able to 
trace its' origins. I probably won't know for sure until sometime tomorrow, 
maybe later," she answered.
	"You will tell me immediately what you find," he stated.
	"Of course," she replied. "So, how's Nick doing? Has he woken 
yet?"
	"He woke a couple of hours ago. I was able to get him to feed, 
then he returned to sleep," he said.
	"What did you feed him? How much, and was it hard to get him to 
drink?" she asked, pulling a pad from her bag to make notes. Not hearing 
a reply, she looked up and saw LaCroix, standing with his hands clasped 
behind his back, simply staring at her. "I'm his doctor. You need to tell 
me."
	There was a long wait, while LaCroix pondered how much he 
really needed her involvement, before he finally decided and answered 
her questions. "He drank one bottle of human blood, and no, it wasn't 
hard to get him to drink," he said with a slight smirk.
	Natalie didn't let his answer bother her. Nick had told her what 
LaCroix thought of the cow blood that he normally subsisted on, so she 
really hadn't expected otherwise. However, "he wasn't nauseous?"
	Frowning, LaCroix answered, "perhaps at first. But he got over it 
quickly."
	"Did he complain of any new symptoms?"
	"No."
	"Okay," she said, closing her notepad and tossing it in her bag. 
"Let's go see him."
	He was laying on his back, head turned away from them. His far 
arm was laying across the pillow while the other rested on his chest. The 
blankets were rumpled and pushed down to his waist. He seemed to be 
sound asleep.
	"Must you wake him?" asked LaCroix.
	"If I do, I'll make sure he gets back to sleep," she answered 
distractedly.
	LaCroix leaned against the wall facing the foot of the bed, arms 
across his chest.
	Natalie sat on the bed and placed her bag beside her. Extracting 
a syringe, she pulled Nick's arm towards her, pushed his sleeve up, and 
quickly took a blood sample. He stirred slightly as the needle pierced his 
skin, but didn't wake.
	"How much blood do you need, Doctor?" asked LaCroix, 
sounding annoyed.
	Without turning around, she answered, "I want to see if feeding 
has affected the dissipation rate of the drug." She reached up and placing 
her hand alongside his cheek, turned his head to face her. Taking her 
pocket flashlight, she lifted first one eyelid, than the other, rapidly 
scanning the beam of light across his pupils. This did get a reaction and 
caused him to wake.
	He brought a hand to his eyes and slowly rubbed them. 
"Natalie?" he asked, seeing her perched next to him.
	"Hi. How're you doing?" she asked, placing her hand on his chest 
and gently rubbing. She saw him look over and make eye contact with 
LaCroix. She started unbuttoning his pajama shirt.
	"What're you doing?" he asked, starting to wiggle away from her.
	"Lie still," she ordered. She lifted her stethoscope for him to see 
and said, "I'm just going to listen to your chest for a minute, okay?"
	"What for?" he asked, sounding confused.
	"Last time I was here you complained of chest pains. I just want 
to hear you breathe," she answered, placing the stethoscope against his 
chest. "Just humor me, okay, and breathe normally." She moved the 
instrument back and forth across his chest as he continued breathing. 
"Can you sit up?" she asked. He stared at her for a moment, then put his 
hands on the mattress, and with her help, struggled to a sitting position.
	She put her hand up the back of his shirt, "when I tell you, I want 
you to take a deep breath and hold it, okay?" Nick nodded. Making sure 
she had the instrument where she wanted it, she said, "okay, now." He 
exhaled as she moved her hand to a different spot. "Okay, again. Take a 
deep breath." Moving her hand again, she said, "one more time, deep 
breath." Without warning he pushed her away. It so surprised her, she 
lost her balance and fell to the floor.
	LaCroix moved quickly to the side of the bed, stepping over 
Natalie as he did so. Nick was trying to lean over the bed to check on her 
when LaCroix pushed him onto his back. "Are you all right?" asked 
LaCroix, a bit confused by Nick's actions.
	"How's Natalie?" he asked in reply.
	"I'm just fine," she replied, as she picked herself off the floor. "Do 
you mind telling me what that was about?" she asked, trying not to sound 
annoyed.
	"I don't know. I couldn't help it. I just, all of a sudden, heard 
another voice and I needed to get away," he hurriedly explained. "I'm 
sorry Nat. I didn't mean to hurt you."
	"You didn't hurt me. I'm fine," she said, as she sat back on the 
edge of the bed.
	"Who's voice did you hear?" asked LaCroix, who was now 
standing at the head of the bed, looking down over them both.
	Looking up at LaCroix, he replied, "that man, Mr. Black, he put a 
cloth over my mouth and told me to breathe."
	"He is dead," stated LaCroix, a touch of venom in his voice.
	"You killed him?" asked Nick.
	"No. I'm afraid I wasn't given the opportunity," answered LaCroix.
	"Another vampire killed him," said Natalie.
	Nick just looked at her with a confused expression on his face. 
"Who? I don't remember what happened," said Nick tiredly, as he closed 
his eyes and rubbed at the pain in his chest.
	"You should return to sleep. We can talk about it more later," said 
LaCroix, looking meaningfully at Dr. Lambert.
	"Yes, that's a really good idea," said Natalie, reaching into her 
bag. She pulled out a vial and quickly filled a syringe. "Give me your 
arm," she gently said.
	"I feel better," said Nick. "I don't need that."
	"Your chest hurts because you have some congestion in your 
lungs. This will relieve that, as well as make everything else feel better," 
she said, as she smiled and reached for his wrist. 
	"Okay," he said, sighing and turning his head away and closing 
his eyes.
	"There, that's not so bad," she said, as she finished extracting 
the needle. 
	As soon as he fell asleep, she gathered her bag and headed for 
the living room. LaCroix followed her just moments later.
	"Have you talked to him about what happened?" she asked. 
"What does he remember?"
	"We have not discussed it. He has been sleeping," replied 
LaCroix.
	"Okay, I'm going back to work. I'll stop by again on my way 
home," she said, heading for the front door.
	"Very well," replied LaCroix, reaching the door first and opening it 
for her. "Doctor, please tell Marcus to have Urs return."
	"Sure," she said, as the door closed behind her.

===
Chapter Four


	Chang walked down the hallway, closely followed by another. 
They paused outside the doors to the library before Chang carefully 
pushed them open and proceeded into the room. He brought them to a 
stop in front of a large ornate desk. Bowing low, he announced, "master. 
Wen has returned with the news you seek."
	After a short pause, Lei Kung looked up from the papers he was 
reading and stared at the two who bowed before him. "You may speak," 
he stated imperiously.
	Chang stood and moved to the side. Wen also stood, then 
stepping forward, bowed again. With his head down and eyes on the 
floor, he reported, "it is as you believed, master. The son has been taken 
to his father's home, in the nightclub they call the Raven."
	Even though this was as had been expected, the news did not 
please him. "Do you have a plan to reach him?" asked Lei Kung, 
expectantly.
	"We must wait," stated Wen, calmly. He knew his master would 
not welcome these words.
	"And why is this?" demanded Lei Kung.
	"The father has surrounded the son with guards. Security around 
the club has been increased. I was very lucky not to have been noticed," 
answered Wen.
	Lei Kung rose from his desk and stormed across the room to 
stand in front of the fireplace. After a few moments meditation, he turned 
and said, "I do not depend on luck. You will come up with a plan," he 
ordered.
	"What would you have me do, master?" asked Wen, standing 
very still, head nervously bowed.
	"We need more information. Do you have anyone in the club?"
	"No, master. I was afraid to send anyone in. Any new face would 
be suspicious," explained Wen hurriedly.
	"If I may speak, master," said Chang, who up until now had been 
standing quietly off to the side.
	"You may speak," ordered Lei Kung, looking to his long time 
servant.
	"There must be one we can bribe for the information. Not all will 
be loyal to the General," said Chang. "Then we need not send our own 
and risk discovery."
	"And how will we find this one?" asked Lei Kung.
	"We will watch this Raven, and follow those who leave. If 
someone is unhappy with the General, they will surely wait to leave 
before expressing themselves. We will watch and listen and then we will 
find," explained Chang, humbly, bowing again. He was pleased at his 
thought and expected to be praised for his subtle thinking.
	"That is very good, Chang, very good," said Lei Kung. Turning to 
the other, he continued, "what say you Wen? Can you do this?"
	"Yes, master. This will be done," said Wen, grateful that an 
acceptable plan had been provided.
	"See to it then," ordered Lei Kung, dismissing them as he 
returned to his desk.
	Chang and Wen, bowing low, slowly backed out of the room, 
leaving their master to continue forming his new plan.

	Shortly before dawn, LaCroix returned to his apartments. Urs 
turned off the television and rose from the couch. "How is he?" he asked.
	"He never woke," she replied. "Is there anything more you want 
me to do?" she asked helpfully.
	"No. You may go," he replied, as he crossed the room heading 
towards the hallway.
	Nodding at his retreating back, Urs sighed and headed for the 
door. She assumed he would have her stay with Nick again tonight. With 
all the extra security, everyone was tense, and it made it very hard to 
relax around here. She had already decided to go spend the day with 
Vachon.
	She left the club through the alley door, and after a quick look 
around, took to the air. After a short flight, she landed behind the church, 
never noticing that she had been followed. She walked around and 
entered through the front door, calling out to Vachon as she did.
	"Hey, Urs, what's up?" asked Vachon, as he came up behind her.
	"I thought I'd spend the day here, if you don't mind," she replied, 
fully expecting to be welcomed.
	"Sure, of course," said Vachon. "Come on in." After they got 
settled in, Vachon asked, "so what's going on over at the Raven?"
	"You heard about what happened to Nick?" she asked.
	"Yeah. I heard all about it. I understand LaCroix is on the 
warpath," he said.
	"That's putting it mildly," said Urs, with a 'you're not kidding' tone.
	"So, how's Knight?"
	"He's okay, I think. LaCroix had me stay in the apartment tonight 
so I could call him if he woke up. That Dr. Lambert came by a couple of 
times. I left while she was there, though," explained Urs.
	"Does LaCroix know who tried to off Knight?" asked Vachon, 
curiously.
	"I don't think so," she answered, thoughtfully. "And I sure don't 
want to be anywhere around when he does, I can tell you that much."
	"Yeah, I hear you there. I think I'll keep my distance, and maybe 
you should too," he suggested.
	"He needs me there," she said quietly.
	"Who, Knight?" asked Vachon, surprised.
	"Well, yeah, but I meant LaCroix," explained Urs. "I don't think he 
wants to leave Nick alone and he doesn't trust hardly anyone."
	"He seems to trust you," said Vachon grinning, "leaving you to 
baby-sit his favorite son, and all."
	"Vachon," she said warningly, knowing he was teasing her.
	"So, how does Knight feel about having you for a baby-sitter?" he 
continued, kidding her.
	"I don't think Nick knows I'm there. He's been asleep the whole 
time," she replied.
	"Wow," replied Vachon, turning a bit more serious. "Sounds like 
he's really out of it."
	"They gave him some kind of drug, and I guess it's not wearing 
off very fast," she explained.
	Vachon turned to stare at the wall, thinking this sounded a little 
more serious than he had originally thought. He hadn't talked to Tracy in 
awhile. He decided he would look her up tomorrow night. Turning back to 
Urs, he said, "let's get some sleep. I have a feeling we're all going to 
need it before this thing is over."
	The sun was going to be up shortly, so with Urs' ready 
agreement, they settled down for the day.

	It was about an hour after sunrise. LaCroix was in his den 
finishing up with a few follow up telephone calls. He had checked 
Nicholas earlier and left him still sleeping soundly. He looked up as he 
heard a knock, followed by the front door opening. He could sense 
multiple mortal heartbeats entering. Listening carefully, he discerned one 
of the heartbeats as belonging to Dr. Lambert. He stepped out into the 
living room to see who else she had brought with her.
	He immediately recognized Captain Reese, but did not know the 
other two men accompanying them. "Hello, Doctor, Captain. What can I 
do for you?" he asked, letting his annoyance show.
	"Hello, LaCroix. I was just stopping by to check on Nick and ran 
into them on the street," explained Natalie, indicating Reese and the 
other two men.
	"So you decided to escort them to my door," replied LaCroix 
sarcastically.
	"Excuse me, Mr. LaCroix, but I did call earlier and you never 
returned my message," retorted Reese.
	"I have a lot on my mind right now, Captain," said LaCroix.
	Turning to the men accompanying him, Reese said, "these are 
Detectives Bissett and Clarke. They're handling Knight's case and we 
came by to talk with him."
	"He's sleeping," snapped LaCroix, glaring at the small party.
	"We won't take long and he can go back to sleep when we're 
through," explained Reese.
	"You cannot see him. I would like you to leave," ordered LaCroix.
	Natalie was beginning to get nervous. She could see that LaCroix 
was getting upset, and Captain Reese was pushing him. Trying to 
mediate the situation, she said, "Captain, maybe later would be better."
	"Excuse me, Doctor, but it has been over 24 hours and we really 
need to talk to Knight. Supposedly, he was well enough that he didn't 
need to go to the hospital, and that being the case, I'm sure he is well 
enough to talk to us now." Turning back to LaCroix, he continued, "we 
would like to see him."
	"I said NO," said LaCroix, quickly losing his patience. "I will not 
allow you to disturb him. Now I suggest you go before I really get upset."
	Reese was just getting ready to reply, when they all heard a 
voice from the hallway, "what's going on?" They all turned and saw Nick 
standing in the hall, dressed only in his pajama's, one arm leaning 
against the wall for support. His hair was disheveled and it was obvious 
he was exhausted.
	"Nicholas, return to bed," ordered LaCroix, gently.
	Nick, looking past LaCroix, could see Reese and Natalie. 
Standing behind them, he also recognized Detectives Bissett and Clarke.
	"Hello, Captain. What are you doing here?" asked Nick.
	LaCroix glared at Reese, and before the Captain had a chance to 
answer, he ordered more insistently, "Nicholas, return to your bed."
	Nick wasn't feeling well. He had only gotten out of bed because 
he had heard the arguing in the living room, and recognizing familiar 
voices, thought to see what was happening. He wasn't sure it was a good 
idea to leave now. LaCroix seemed to be getting upset. "I'm okay ...," he 
started to say, but was quickly cut off.
	"Do as you are told," demanded LaCroix gently, but firmly.
	Sensing that he would not be able to reason with LaCroix, and 
being too tired to even attempt it, he turned to go. He had only gone 
about three steps when he was overcome with a wave of dizziness. He 
turned and pressed his back against the wall, looking for some support to 
keep from falling. "LaCroix," he whispered, as he closed his eyes. His 
knees gave out and he began to sink to the ground.
	Meanwhile, LaCroix had turned his attentions back to the 
Captain, and was in the process of once again demanding that they 
leave, when he heard Nicholas call to him. Turning, he then quickly 
rushed to his side. LaCroix put out his arm to catch him and to stop his 
slide to the floor.
	Nick seized the arm supporting him and briefly opened his eyes. 
LaCroix grabbed him by the chin and pulled his head up so their eyes 
met. "I'm sorry," whispered Nick, as he again closed his eyes. He really 
wasn't feeling well.
	"Sshh, it's okay," he heard whispered in his ear. Then the hands 
around him shifted. An arm circled around his back, grasping him firmly. 
Then another arm came up under his knees and lifted him into the air. He 
felt himself being carried and then placed onto his bed. The dizzy feeling 
was staying with him. He gasped for breath a couple of times, and then 
felt himself rolled onto his stomach. He pressed his face against the 
sheets and began to take some deep breaths. His world gradually 
stopped spinning and he began to relax. It was then that he noticed a 
strong hand, rubbing his back, while words meant to soothe were 
whispered into his ear. He slowly opened his eyes and saw LaCroix' 
concerned face looking at him. "Better?" he was asked. He just carefully 
nodded, then taking another deep breath, closed his eyes.
	"LaCroix," said Natalie from the doorway. LaCroix turned to look 
at her. Reese was behind her. Standing, he approached them. "May I?" 
asked Natalie, indicating she wished to go to Nick.
	Taking another glance at his son, LaCroix stepped aside and 
allowed the doctor to pass. Turning to Reese, he said, "come with me." 
He then proceeded to return to the living room. Reese had taken a quick 
look at Nick and seeing him laying quietly, Natalie beside him, followed 
LaCroix into the living room.
	"I will not have you entering my home, and upsetting my son. Do 
I make myself clear, Captain?" demanded LaCroix, leaving no room for 
argument.
	"It was not my intention to upset him, surely you know that," 
explained Reese.
	"I know nothing of the sort," stated LaCroix.
	"Look, he's my detective and I want him to get well just as badly 
as you do," retorted Reese.
	"Somehow, I doubt that very much," responded LaCroix.
	Trying to calm down, Reese took a deep breath. "Okay, you were 
right. He obviously isn't up to answering any questions. But as soon as 
he is, we want to speak to him," stated Reese firmly. "We need any 
information he has so we can figure out who was behind his kidnapping."
	"Your assistance isn't required," replied LaCroix firmly.
	"Oh, really. And why is that, General?" asked Reese 
sarcastically. Seeing the look on LaCroix' face, he continued, "thought I 
forgot? Well, I have a list of questions for you too. Since Nick's not up to 
any questioning right now, maybe you could spare some time, Mr. 
LaCroix."
	Realizing that antagonizing the Captain further would solve 
nothing, LaCroix forced himself to be calm. "Captain, it is late and I would 
like to attend to my son. I suggest that we do this at a later time," 
reasoned LaCroix. Seeing the look start to come about on the Captain's 
face, he continued, "I assure you, I will answer your questions tonight. 
But not this morning."
	After a brief moment of them staring at each other, the Captain 
finally said, "okay. We'll talk later. And believe me, there will be a later." 
LaCroix simply nodded and then with a gesture, indicated the door. 
Reese headed in that direction, taking Detectives Bissett and Clarke with 
him.
	Returning to Nicholas' room, he saw Dr. Lambert closing her bag 
and standing away from the bed. She looked up as he entered the room. 
"I gave him something and he should sleep most of the day."
	"Doctor, is it really a good idea to be continually giving him more 
drugs?" asked LaCroix, concerned. It was not known that his kind could 
be affected like this and he didn't like it. In fact, he only had her word for it 
that this was even the case. For all he knew, it was this drug she was 
giving him that was making him sick.
	Unaware of his thoughts, she explained, "to tell you the truth, I 
don't know. I've never treated vampires with drugs before, but the blood 
tests I've been doing are showing an improvement. That last test I took, 
after he had fed, show an accelerated dissipation rate. I think that's 
encouraging."
	"And how do you explain his nearly fainting in the hallway," asked 
LaCroix, sounding a bit accusatory.
	"There's nothing strange about that," she replied, beginning to 
sense an undercurrent to LaCroix' questions. "He's weak and shouldn't 
have been out of bed. He needs to get his strength back. He's going to 
be fine. I just checked his wrists and ankles, and they're almost 
completely healed."
	Somewhat mollified with her answers, he decided to let it go. 
"Very well, Doctor. Until tonight then," he said, ushering her towards the 
door. After she left, he looked in on Nicholas, who was sleeping soundly. 
He then went to get some sleep himself.

===
Chapter Five


	"Detective Vetter, I told you to stay out of this," demanded 
Reese, yet again. He felt like he was talking to a wall. "This is not your 
case, and you're just going to have to deal with that."
	"But, Captain, he's my partner. And I was there when he was 
kidnapped. I can help," insisted Tracy. "You can't keep me off this."
	"And that is exactly why you're not part of this investigation. In 
case you've forgotten, Detective, you're a victim, as well as a witness. 
You can't be objective. This case belongs to Bissett and Clarke, and 
that's final," proclaimed Captain Reese. "I am not going to change my 
mind."
	Tracy continued to stare helplessly at the Captain. She had tried 
every argument she could think of, all to no avail. He wouldn't budge. "So 
what am I suppose to do?" she asked in exasperation.
	"Your job, detective. I presume you do have other cases that you 
should actually be working on, am I right?" he asked.
	Frowning with disappointment, she replied, "yeah, I do."
	"Then I suggest you get to it," he responded, dismissing her.
	With one last look at the Captain, she turned and noisily exited 
his office, letting her obvious displeasure and frustration show. She 
walked across the office to her desk, and plopped heavily into her chair. 
She looked across the aisle as she heard Bissett address her.
	"So, Vetter, get anywhere with the Captain?" he asked, a bit 
rudely. Seeing her just glare at him in response, he continued, "maybe 
you could call your father. See if he can pull some more strings for you."
	"Stow it, Bissett. You're not funny," she snapped at him. It 
annoyed her whenever her co-workers alluded to her father, Police 
Commissioner Richard Vetter, as having pulled strings for her to get this 
job. Nick was really the only one who ever gave her a break on that 
score. These guys never let a chance slip by to remind her that they 
didn't think she belonged here. Watching their faces, she could tell they 
also thought she was responsible for Nick's kidnapping. It had been her 
tip, her meeting, and she had led him there. How was she suppose to 
know it was a trap?
	"Tracy. Maybe you can give us a hand in interrogating those 
mercenaries we arrested," said Detective Clarke, sincerely. He knew why 
she wanted to help, and he didn't blame her. He would feel the same way 
in her position, and besides, they could really use the help. There were 
seven of these guys, and none of them were talking.
	"I don't know that that is such a good idea," said Bissett. "You 
heard the Captain. She's not suppose to be involved."
	"I'll talk to the Captain, and I'm sure he'll go along with this," 
replied Clarke, to his partner.
	"Thanks, Clarke. I appreciate it, and I would like to help," said 
Tracy, glaring at Bissett, daring him to tell her again that she couldn't.
	Bissett, looking down at his desk, tossed his pencil aside and 
said, "fine. Whatever. But let's get this over with. I'm tired of going round 
and round with those guys and not getting anywhere." 
	"Okay, let's do it," said Clarke, motioning for Tracy to follow them 
back to interrogation.

	Nick opened his eyes. He felt like he had been sleeping for days. 
He pushed himself up to a sitting position, and raised his hands to his 
head. It was still throbbing, not as bad as before, but it still hurt. He slowly 
lowered his arms and took stock of his surroundings. He vaguely had an 
idea where he was, and why, but his memory was really fuzzy. It had a 
dream-like quality to it, and he couldn't be sure what was real and what 
wasn't.
	As he checked out the room, he recognized it as the bedroom 
LaCroix kept for him at the Raven. He knew LaCroix was nearby, he 
could sense him. The door to the hallway was open, and everything was 
very quiet. He was hungry. He rubbed his stomach, and was surprised he 
didn't feel nauseous.
	He kicked the blankets off himself, and swung his legs over the 
side of the bed. As he stood, he felt a wave of dizziness pass over him. 
He leaned against the wall and steadied himself until the feeling passed. 
He made his way to the hall, with the intention of heading for the kitchen. 
He noticed the door to LaCroix' bedroom was open and he looked in as 
he paused in passing. LaCroix was in bed sleeping. Nick tried to get a 
sense of what time it was, but couldn't focus that clearly. He just 
assumed it must be day.
	He continued on to the kitchen and straight for the refrigerator. 
Looking inside, there was only one choice to be made, so he grabbed the 
nearest bottle. He thought of getting a glass, but he needed one hand 
free to use as support when he walked. He was still feeling a little 
disoriented, and the dizziness seemed to come and go. He made his way 
to the living room and sank onto the couch. He pulled his feet up until he 
was sitting almost cross-legged, tucked into the corner against the 
headrest.
	Grasping the cork between his teeth, he pulled it out and let it fall 
to the floor. The smell of the blood caused a slight nausea in his stomach, 
but it passed quickly, leaving only the hunger. He put the bottle to his lips, 
and slowly swallowed a few mouthfuls. He paused long enough to make 
sure the nausea didn't return, then quickly downed about half the 
contents of the bottle. That seemed to be enough to take the edge off his 
hunger. He lowered the bottle to his lap and gasped for air in order to 
catch his breath.
	He ran a hand across his mouth, and closed his eyes. He could 
feel the energy returning to his body, but not enough to take away the 
feeling of exhaustion. The throbbing in his head hadn't diminished and his 
muscles still ached all over. Even with all that, he thought he was feeling 
better. He took a deep breath, and tried to remember the details of what 
had happened. When he tried to force the memories, it made his temples 
pound. He didn't want to think about it right now.
	Spying the remote on the table by the couch, he picked it up and 
turned on the television. He flipped through the channels, not really 
paying attention, just knowing that he didn't want to go back to bed. 
Judging by the shows that were playing, he figured it must be late 
afternoon. He finally settled on a talk show where everyone seemed to be 
calmly talking about something, he didn't care what, and the camera 
wasn't jumping around a lot making him dizzy.
	He took another long drink from the bottle in his hand, then 
closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. He let the 
background noise wash over him, blocking out all other thoughts. It 
seemed like only a couple of minutes had passed, as he dozed off for a 
moment. He was startled awake when he felt the bottle pulled from his 
grasp. He opened his eyes to see LaCroix standing above him, pouring 
the contents of the bottle into a cup.
	Handing the cup down to him, LaCroix merely said, "drink." Nick 
took the cup and raised it to his mouth and drank. When he finished, he 
handed the cup back to LaCroix. "More?" asked LaCroix. Nick shook his 
head no. Now that his hunger was fairly sated, the tired feeling was 
taking precedence once again.
	"Come, I will take you back to bed," said LaCroix, holding his 
hand out to Nick.
	"I don't want to go to bed," said Nick, staring back at LaCroix.
	"You're tired. You should be sleeping," explained LaCroix gently.
	"I want to stay here," replied Nick wearily.
	Nick could barely keep his eyes open, he was so tired. The 
energy he felt from feeding wasn't enough to rid him of his exhaustion. 
He closed his eyes and rubbed them with his hands. He was so tired, 
they hurt. He felt LaCroix reach up and cup his chin firmly. Nick opened 
his eyes to see LaCroix intently scrutinizing him. "Let me take you to 
bed," suggested LaCroix again.
	"No," said Nick, as forcefully as he could, as he raised his arm 
and knocked LaCroix' hand away. "Leave me alone."
	"Very well," said LaCroix. Picking up the bottle and cup, he 
walked away.
	Nick could hear LaCroix moving around in the kitchen. When he 
felt sure LaCroix was not coming back to force him to bed, he relaxed. It 
didn't take very long before his eyes closed, and he dozed off again. He 
half woke when he felt an arm reach around his back, and another push 
under his legs. He made a feeble protest when he felt himself lifted into 
the air, but was too tired to struggle. Moments later he felt his body 
lowered to his bed. 
	"Sleep," he heard LaCroix whisper in his ear, as he rolled over 
and hugged his pillow to his body. His blankets were pulled up and 
tucked around him. He took a deep breath, and was sound asleep before 
fully exhaling.

	A few hours later, the frustrated Detectives were back at their 
desks. The seven mercenaries they had arrested were back in lock up, 
and they had no new information. None of them were talking. Bissett and 
Clarke were comparing notes, trying to decide what avenue to follow 
next. Tracy was at her desk, trying to figure out how to stay involved, 
when Natalie entered the office and approached her.
	"Hello, Tracy. How's it going?"
	"Hi, Natalie. Going? It's not going. We're getting nowhere fast," 
she said, indicating the other two detectives as well.
	"You haven't made any progress?" asked Natalie curiously.
	"None," was the answered barked out by Detective Bissett. 
"Those mercenaries are real cool customers."
	"So, what brings you here, Doctor?" asked Detective Clarke.
	"I have the autopsy reports, and all the test results on our Mr. 
Black," she said, holding out the file folder in her hand towards the 
detectives. Clarke reached out and took it, and started glancing through 
the file.
	"Anything in there?" asked Tracy, not expecting any answers.
	"Nothing that will help, I'm afraid," she replied.
	"So, how's Nick doing? Have you seen him tonight?" asked 
Tracy, hoping for some good news. Bissett and Clarke also looked up 
attentively, to hear her answer.
	"Not yet. I was just on my way over there next. But when I saw 
him this morning, he seemed to be doing better," she said, seeing the 
concerned looks.
	"Yeah? He didn't look too good to me," said Clarke, remembering 
how Nick had practically fainted.
	"You saw him," asked a surprised Tracy.
	"We were there with the Captain, early this morning," said 
Bissett. "But Mr. LaCroix wouldn't let us talk to him. He and the Captain 
got into it, and then Nick came out while they were arguing. That LaCroix 
guy ordered him back to bed, and then he fainted in the hall."
	"That LaCroix guy is his father," said Tracy snappishly.
	"Well I tell you, his father is one scary guy. I guarantee you, I 
don't think I want to be on his bad side," said Clarke, thinking back on this 
morning.
	"Trust me, you don't," said Natalie, knowingly. Turning the 
conversation back to Nick, she said "I checked him out after you guys 
left, and I expect him to be doing better tonight. I'll let the Captain know 
after I see Nick," she said, turning to leave.
	"It would be helpful if we could talk to him," said Bissett. 
"Preferably without his father hovering over us." 
	"Don't count on that," said Natalie, referring to the likelihood of 
LaCroix' presence during their talk with Nick, "but like I said, I'll let you 
know."
	"Dr. Lambert, may I have a word with you before you leave?" 
asked Captain Reese, stepping out of his office for a moment.
	"Sure, Captain," replied Natalie, following him back into his office.
	"Were you on you're way over to the Raven?" he asked.
	"Yes. I was going to stop there on my way back to the lab and 
check on Nick," she replied.
	"Good. You'll let me know how he's doing?"
	"Of course, Captain," she replied. After a brief pause she asked, 
"was there something else?"
	"Oh, sorry, Doctor. Yes. Will you remind Mr. LaCroix that I plan 
on speaking with him tonight. He can either come here, or we'll go there. 
Whichever he chooses, but I do want to talk to him... tonight," said 
Reese, firmly.
	"All I can do is pass the message along," replied Natalie.
	"I understand, Doctor," answered Reese. "That would be all I 
would expect. Thank you."
	"Sure thing," said Natalie. She turned and left his office. She 
gave a short wave to Tracy as she headed out of the bullpen and down 
the stairs. She hoped LaCroix was in a better mood tonight, but that was 
probably too much to hope for.

	A few minutes after Natalie left, the phone rang. "Vetter," 
answered Tracy.
	"Hey, Trace. I was wondering if you could meet me," said 
Vachon.
	"Uh, sure. Where and when?"
	"How about now, down by your car," he replied.
	Hanging up the phone, Tracy grabbed her coat and headed out 
the door. "I'll be right back," she said, answering the questioning looks 
from her fellow detectives.
	Reaching her car, she looked around and didn't see anyone. The 
driver's door opened, and when she looked inside, she saw Vachon 
sitting in the passenger seat waving at her. She climbed in and shut the 
door.
	"So, what's up?" she asked.
	"I thought you could tell me," he replied. At her confused look, he 
continued, "with your partner, Knight. What happened?"
	"What have you heard?" she asked, curious why Vachon seemed 
so interested.
	"Not much," he began carefully. He had been going over this in 
his mind before calling her. He needed to make sure he didn't slip up. 
She didn't know that Nick was a vampire, and she certainly didn't know 
about LaCroix. That would be a certain death sentence. "I hear things, 
you know. And since he's your partner, I just wanted to make sure you're 
all right."
	"As you can see, I'm fine," she replied. At his subtle urging, she 
told him the entire story, beginning with the actual kidnapping at Ling Po's 
and ending with the failed interrogations of this evening. "I feel really bad 
about what happened. I know it wasn't my fault, but I sure feel guilty 
anyway," she said.
	"There's nothing for you to feel guilty about, Trace," said Vachon, 
still mulling over much of what she told him. "So, everyone knows 
LaCroix is Knight's father, and he's staying at the Raven?"
	"Yeah, can you believe it? Nick had never told anyone that 
LaCroix was his father, except I'm pretty sure Natalie knew. And the 
funniest thing is, all those times I complained to Nick about my 
overbearing father always trying to run my life. Well, compared to Nick's 
father, I think mine qualifies for sainthood."
	"I guess you have to give him credit. It can't be easy having 
someone like LaCroix for a father," said Vachon, sympathetically.
	"That's right, you know the guy, don't you?" asked Tracy, 
curiously excited.
	"What do you mean?" said Vachon cautiously.
	"I mean, LaCroix owns the Raven and you hang out there all the 
time. You must know him, right?"
	"I know who he is, but we're not friends or anything," explained 
Vachon.
	"Well, everyone thinks Nick was kidnapped to get to LaCroix. Do 
you know any reason that might be?" she asked hopefully.
	After a brief pause, looking her straight in the eye, he replied, 
"no. No idea at all."
	"We're running a check on him now, hopefully something will turn 
up. We figure he has some kind of military background. The kidnapper 
called him General, and we think that means something," she said, 
thinking out loud.
	"What do you think it means?" he asked. "Has anyone asked him 
about it?"
	"Captain Reese tried to talk to him about it a couple of times, but 
so far, he always has a reason why it's not a good time to talk. He said he 
would talk to Reese tonight, so, I don't know," she answered.
	"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
	"If you see or hear anything, let me know," she suggested. 
"Would you do that?"
	"Sure. I'd be glad to," he answered.
	"Look, I've got to get back," she said, as she opened the car 
door. "Keep in touch, okay?"
	"Trace," he said, climbing out of the car on the other side. When 
she turned back to look at him, he said, "be careful. Whoever this is, they 
sound pretty serious. I don't want to see anything happen to you."
	"Don't worry. I'll be fine, but thanks for worrying," she said with a 
smile, then turning her back to him, hurried back into the station.
	As Vachon headed down the street, he didn't notice the silent 
eyes watching him. He would have been more worried had he known that 
another pair were watching Tracy.

===
Chapter Six


	Natalie got out of her car and walked the half block to the 
Raven's entrance. She was surprised at the number of customers lined 
up waiting to get in. She made her way past them, and was quickly 
ushered inside by the doorman. She had not noticed the eyes that had 
been tracking her movements; from the morgue, to the precinct and now 
to the Raven.
	As she made her way towards the bar, she spotted Urs on the 
stage, dancing. She stopped to watch her a moment, noting the admiring 
throng of an audience. If Urs were down here, then LaCroix must be 
upstairs she reasoned as she headed for the private apartment.
	LaCroix had two security guards at the entrance to the back 
rooms, as well as at the foot of the staircase leading upstairs. They all 
stepped aside to let her pass. She took that as a good sign as she 
climbed the staircase. The door at the top was locked. Using Nick's keys, 
she entered into the living room. LaCroix was no where to be seen.
	She found him sitting in a chair next to Nick's bed. He looked 
tired. "How is he?" she whispered.
	"He's been restless," he answered softly.
	"So I can tell," she said, moving to the side of his bed. Looking at 
Nick's disheveled appearance, it was obvious he had been tossing and 
turning. He was currently laying on his side, facing her, one arm 
outstretched and the other held close to his chest. He was frowning and 
his body was tense. She sat, reached down and gently brushed the hair 
off his forehead with her fingers. "If you have something you need to do, I 
can sit with him for a short while," she offered, her eyes not leaving Nick's 
face.
	"Your offer is very tempting, Doctor, but under the circumstances 
is most likely not a wise suggestion," he replied dryly.
	"Why is that?" she asked, turning to look at LaCroix.
	With a slight smile, he answered, "because, he has been quite 
hungry."
	Natalie raised her eyebrows in surprise. It was then she noticed 
the bottles on the night stand, most of which were empty. "I see," she 
said. "Actually, that's a good sign," she continued. "It means he's getting 
better."
	Opening her bag, she pulled out the necessary items needed to 
take another blood sample. LaCroix watched in silence as she completed 
this task. Nick stirred slightly, but didn't wake. She noticed that his 
breathing was deep and steady. She pulled out her stethoscope, and 
after unbuttoning his shirt, listened for any lingering sounds of 
congestion. There were none. Next, she removed the bandages around 
his wrists and found the wounds to be completely healed. The skin was 
smooth and unmarked. Turning to the foot of the bed, she uncovered his 
feet and removed the bandages from his ankles as well. They were also 
completely healed.
	"This is very good," she said to LaCroix, happily. "Definitely a 
good sign."
	"Yes. It is amazing what a decent diet will do for one's health," he 
replied sarcastically.
	Choosing to ignore his jibe, she asked him, "have you spoken to 
him at all? I mean about what happened."
	"No, and I would appreciate it if you didn't either," he replied 
decidedly.
	"Why not?" she asked curiously.
	Sitting up in his chair, he leaned forward, placing his elbows on 
his knees and looked at her intently. "Regardless of what you may 
believe, Doctor, we are not impervious to trauma. He has been through a 
severe ordeal and I do not want him subjected to any further agitation. I 
will not tolerate anyone who causes him further upset. Does that answer 
your question, Doctor?"
	"Yes, of course. I totally agree with you," she said, a little 
surprised. She thought it somewhat amazing that LaCroix had admitted 
that vampires might have a vulnerability, and she was also surprised that 
she hadn't considered this herself. She had seen Nick deal with some 
pretty bad situations, and he always seemed okay. It hadn't occurred to 
her that it could affect him on a deeper level. Sure, she'd seen him 
emotionally distraught, but he always seemed to get over it. The fact that 
his physical wounds healed so quickly, caused her to assume that any 
emotional wounds would heal as fast. This was certainly food for thought.
	"Now, if you're through, perhaps you should leave," suggested 
LaCroix.
	Natalie had been absently rubbing his back. She looked down at 
Nick and studied him carefully. He still had dark circles under his eyes, 
but he was sleeping better. His breathing had eased up and he seemed 
more restful. She was debating about whether she should suggest he be 
given more medication to help him sleep, or to let him be and see how he 
does. Watching how soundly he was now sleeping, although his body 
seemed tense, she decided to let him be.
	Picking up her bag, she stood to leave. Turning to LaCroix she 
said, "call me if he gets too restless. Otherwise, I'll stop back on my way 
home in the morning."
	"Very well, Doctor. Is there anything else?" he asked, curious 
over her hesitation in leaving.
	"Yes, one other thing. Captain Reese asked me to remind you 
that he wanted to talk to you tonight. He said if you didn't want to come 
down to the precinct, he would come here. I think he wants you to call 
him," she said from the hallway. Seeing the dark look that came over his 
face, she turned and quickly headed for the exit.
	As she walked the half block back to her car, once again, she did 
not notice the one who followed her. As she later pulled into the parking 
lot at the morgue, and walked to her office, she still did not sense that she 
was being observed.

	Having assured himself that Nicholas was well fed, and once 
again sleeping soundly, LaCroix summoned Urs to his apartment. He 
figured now would be a good time to get this interview with Captain 
Reese out of the way. He impatiently paced the living room, waiting for 
her arrival. 
	As soon as she entered, he wasted no time with pleasantries. "I 
want you to sit with him and call me immediately should he awaken," he 
said. "You can reach me on my cell phone."
	"Sure, no problem. Where are you going?" she asked. She was 
surprised to think he was leaving the club, so it must be very important.
	After a short pause, he replied, "I will be at the police station, 
speaking with Nicholas' Captain. While I am gone, do not let anyone in. I 
do not want him disturbed under any circumstances." 
	"Why are you going there, rather than him coming here?" she 
wondered.
	"His last visit here was too distressing. I wish to avoid a repeat of 
that situation," he explained. "I will also leave instructions with Marcus to 
contact me should other news arrive." 
	"Okay. I'll call you if he wakes up," she promised, as she headed 
for Nick's bedroom.
	LaCroix watched her go, mildly contemplating his willingness to 
entrust Nicholas into her care. It would only be for a short time, but there 
had always been something about Urs that drew LaCroix. She would not 
deceive him, or go against his wishes. He knew he could trust her. True, 
she would be no match for any vampire intruder, but that's what his 
guards were for. Pushing these stray thoughts aside, he turned his focus 
to tonight's objective and left for the precinct.

	"LaCroix has left his club," said Wen, bowing low before his 
master, who had the ever faithful Chang at his side.
	"Where has he gone?" asked Lei Kung.
	"We did not attempt to follow him, as he would detect us for 
certain," replied Wen. He hurriedly continued as a look of displeasure 
crossed the face of his master, "but our man at the police station saw him 
enter there a short time later. We believe he is speaking with the police 
captain."
	"LaCroix must be quite irritated with having to continually deal 
with the local authorities. This does not leave him free to do as he 
wishes. He must be careful, as I am sure they will be scrutinizing his 
every move," said Lei Kung, pleased at the notion.
	"Yes, master," agreed Chang. "It was most brilliant of you to force 
the General into having to work with them. The fact that his son is a 
detective made it so much easier, and most assuredly ensures their 
continued involvement. This most surely gives us an advantage."
	"Should we go after the son now?" asked Wen.
	A thoughtful look crossed Lei Kung's face as he absorbed this 
latest information. If LaCroix was at the police station, the son must still 
be in the club. Of course, he would not have been left unprotected, but 
would those guardians truly be able to fend off an attack by his forces. 
They may not get another chance. But on the other hand, it was too much 
to believe that LaCroix would be this careless with his son's safety. No, 
he would not have left his son vulnerable. He would not make such a 
mistake. Lei Kung forced down his eagerness.
	"I think it is time we sent the General another message," said Lei 
Kung. "I do not want to risk going after the son at this time. I believe we 
have some loose ends of our own to clean up at the police station, do we 
not?"
	"Yes, master," agreed Chang. "This would be an excellent time to 
tidy up."
	"Wen, you will take care of this?" ordered Lei Kung.
	Bowing low, with a smile on his face, Wen replied, "yes, master. 
It shall be taken care of. There is a plan in place. We shall execute it 
immediately."
	"Good. You may go," he said, waving his hand in dismissal. Wen, 
keeping his head low, slowly backed out of the room. Once the door was 
closed, Lei Kung turn to Chang and said, "we must find a way to reach 
the son. Have our watchers found anyone they think may be helpful?"
	"There may be one, master, but it is too soon to tell," replied 
Chang. "We wish to watch a bit longer to be sure, before we approach 
this one."
	"Who is this one?"
	"We do not know his name, but he has been seen with one from 
the Raven, as well as one from the police. All those loyal to the General 
are searching for us, however, this one has avoided any involvement," 
explained Chang. "We are not sure what this means."
	"Very well. Keep me informed," said Lei Kung. "You may go."
	"Yes, master," said Chang. As he departed the room, he saw his 
master move to the window and stare out into the night. Shivers ran up 
his back as he sensed the rage boiling from within. He did not know how 
long his master would maintain his patience, or what would happen if this 
LaCroix continued to thwart their plans.

-- Start flashback, Vietnam 1971 --

	It had taken a couple of months to travel from their haven in 
southern China, to Bin Loc. The American forces were still very much in 
control of this area, even though it was rife with Viet Cong. Lei Kung had 
been deathly silent throughout the entire trip. They had been living 
comfortably at the plantation near Kunming, China, when Lei Kung had 
felt the overwhelming pain caused by the death of his son.
	Chang did not know why they were bothering to travel to Bin Loc, 
as Lei Kung already knew without doubt that his son had met the true 
death. Le Loi had been Lei Kung's favorite, these past 300 years. Le Loi 
had shown a remarkable talent for survival, this was in spite of his near 
fanatical obsession with local politics and the near godlike power he 
chose to exert over his subjects. It was no wonder that he had attracted 
the attention of those who wished him dead. It had only been a matter of 
time.
	It was early in the evening when they arrived at the estate of Le 
Loi. The main house had been burned to the ground, along with the 
surrounding buildings. There was virtually nothing left. Once they set up 
camp, Lei Kung sent Chang in search of anyone who could tell them what 
happened. It took a couple of days before they found a farmer, cowering 
in the remnants of an old barn.
	Bringing the mortal to Lei Kung, they were able to get the name 
and location of a surviving house servant. Chang found and brought this 
man before Lei Kung, who was forced to control the man's mind in order 
to calm him enough to tell the story of what had happened to Le Loi. The 
man related the events of the nights leading to Le Loi's death. 
	There had been a visitor early one evening. A tall elegant 
gentleman, with short blond close-cropped hair. He and Le Loi had 
argued about some plantations further north. Le Loi's army had been 
burning and pillaging plantations all over the area. The servant was under 
the impression that the tall gentleman was the owner of some of those 
plantations, who had come demanding Le Loi's protection of his property. 
Le Loi had been rude and disrespectful to the visitor. The gentleman left 
in anger, the situation unresolved.
	Later that night, Le Loi sent his men to the northern plantations 
and had them purposely burned to the ground. Everything was 
destroyed. Le Loi bragged to his men and followers, that he, and only he, 
had the power to decide the fate of men and property. He derided his 
visitor for even suggesting that he could dictate what Le Loi could or 
could not do.
	For many weeks, following that night, Le Loi's forces were 
constantly under siege. They were slowly being decimated, and all the 
territory and power Le Loi had accumulated was slowly eroding away. 
After one extremely fierce night of fighting, Le Loi, and his now small 
party of men, straggled into their main house shortly before dawn. Le Loi 
ranted most of the day, never resting.
	Then, that night, just as the sun set, they were besieged by a 
small army. They destroyed most everything and most everyone. This 
servant was in the main house, and saw the gentleman from the weeks 
before, enter Le Loi's den. The house was already aflame and everyone 
was trying to escape. Le Loi was raging at his men, demanding they stop 
the onslaught, when he spied the visitor from before.
	"You, you did this!" he exclaimed in his rage.
	"Yes, I did," said the visitor, an evil smile forming on his lips. "I 
gave you an opportunity to avoid this, and you chose to ignore my 
warnings and challenge me. I will not be disregarded."
	"Then you will die!" raged Le Loi, as he attacked his visitor, eyes 
glowing red and fangs extended.
	The visitor caught Le Loi easily, and tossed him up against the 
wall. Before Le Loi could regain his feet, the visitor had him by the throat, 
ripping and tearing it with his teeth. When Le Loi lost consciousness, the 
visitor threw him aside with a look of disgust. He then proceeded to set 
the room ablaze, and when the fire was burning uncontrollably, flew 
straight up through the roof.
	During this recital, Lei Kung had become stiff and silent. When 
the servant had been dispatched, Chang asked his master, "do you know 
this visitor?"
	Lei Kung turned deadly eyes upon his faithful servant and 
replied, "oh, yes. I know this visitor. We have met before, long, long ago. 
And we will meet again, soon. Yes, I will destroy him," said Lei Kung with 
more vehemence than Chang had seen him display before.

-- End flashback --

===
Chapter Seven


	LaCroix was seated at the table in the interrogation room. Seated 
across from him was Captain Reese and Detective Bissett. Behind the 
mirrored glass, LaCroix could sense two other mortals; one he 
recognized as his son's partner, Detective Vetter, the other he assumed 
to be Detective Clarke. The two men in front of him were awkwardly 
shuffling through some papers they held.
	"May we proceed, Captain? I would like this to take no longer 
than necessary," said an impatient LaCroix.
	"Of course, Mr. LaCroix. We certainly wouldn't want to 
inconvenience you, now would we?" replied Reese sarcastically.
	LaCroix stared coldly at the two men, his brow furrowing in 
displeasure. He took a deep breath and willed himself to remain calm. 
"Ask your questions," he ordered.
	Bissett reached over and activated the tape recorder. "For the 
record, what is your name?" asked Detective Bissett, leading off the 
questioning.
	"Lucien LaCroix," he replied tersely, staring at the mechanical 
device.
	"You are the owner of the nightclub, the Raven?"
	"Yes."
	"You are also the late night radio talk show person known as the 
Nightcrawler?"
	"Yes."
	"And what is your relationship to Detective Knight?"
	"I am his father."
	"Do you know who kidnapped Detective Knight?"
	"No."
	"Do you know why Detective Knight was kidnapped?"
	"Two million dollars in diamonds."
	"So, you think they were after money?"
	LaCroix took a deep breath and steadied himself. Each question 
annoyed him more than the previous and he made no effort to hide his 
annoyance in his tone of voice. How could Nicholas continue to work with 
such ineffectual fools? Standing abruptly, he turned to Reese and said, "if 
this is the extent of the type of information you are seeking, you are 
wasting my time."
	"Now wait a minute... "said Detective Bissett, angrily, before he 
was interrupted by his Captain.
	Reese jumped to his feet. "Please sit down, Mr. LaCroix, we're 
just getting started."
	"And why should I bother? It's obvious you don't know what 
you're doing," he sneered.
	"Fine, then let's cut to the chase. Please, sit down," said Reese 
firmly. He probably should be feeling intimidated by LaCroix' formidable 
presence, but after spending a full day trapped in the briefing room with 
him while they dealt with the kidnappers, and then the meeting with Mr. 
Black, this was nothing.
	LaCroix sat back down. He continued to stare intimidatingly at 
Reese, who to his credit, didn't blink.
	Taking over the questioning from the obviously angry Detective 
Bissett, Reese asked, "so how come Nick never told us you were his 
father?"
	"That one's not hard to figure out," replied Bissett, under his 
breath.
	"You will have to ask Nicholas," replied LaCroix, ignoring Bissett, 
but letting his annoyance show.
	"You said you didn't know who was responsible for kidnapping 
Nick, so I don't suppose you could come up with a list of people who may 
have it in for you, could you?" asked Reese sarcastically.
	"I find your attitude unwarranted, Captain. You seem to forget, it 
was <my son> who was kidnapped. While he was working for you, I 
might add. I would think you would be less hostile and more 
accommodating, seeing as I am the injured party," answered LaCroix, a 
bit sanctimoniously.
	Reese rolled his eyes as LaCroix ended his little speech. "Injured 
party, my ass," he quipped. LaCroix frowned, not sure whether he was 
annoyed or amused by the Captain's obvious disdain towards him. "Tell 
me, Mr. LaCroix, why did the kidnapper refer to you as General?"
	After a fairly long pause, where they just stared at each other, 
LaCroix finally replied, "I believe that may be a reference to a military 
career."
	Reese looked at him as if he expected him to continue. When no 
further reply was obviously forthcoming, Reese picked up a piece of 
paper and held it out to LaCroix. "Here are the scant results of a 
background check we ran on you. There is no reference to the military 
anywhere in this document."
	Glancing briefly at the paper, and then dismissing it with a look, 
he replied, "I wouldn't expect that there would be."
	"And why is that?" asked an annoyed Reese.
	"My activities were... highly classified, on a need to know basis 
only, you might say," he replied with a smirk. "I doubt very much if you'll 
find a reference to them anywhere."
	"And how am I suppose to confirm your story if there is no record 
of service?" asked Reese, sounding frustrated.
	"I suppose you'll have to take my word for it, now won't you?" he 
asked, patronizingly. "After all, I'm not the one on trial here, am I?"
	"Okay, fine. So how many people know about this supposed 
career of yours, and dislike you so much that they would kidnap your 
son?" asked Reese, smirking a little himself.
	"Obviously, more than I would like," he replied.
	"Let's go at this another way. Whoever is behind this made sure 
to refer to you as General. Therefore, this must have something to do 
with this <career>. Where were you assigned?" asked Reese, raising his 
pencil to take notes.
	Smiling with an air of superiority about him, he replied, "my 
travels have taken me to all reaches of this planet, Captain."
	Taking a deep breath, and releasing it in a sigh, Reese said, 
"okay. How about telling me about the last place you were assigned."
	LaCroix took a long thoughtful pause, then answered, "southeast 
Asia."
	"Could you be a bit more specific," said Reese, gritting his teeth 
tightly. If this was LaCroix being cooperative, he pitied the poor fool who 
had to deal with him otherwise.
	Elbows resting on the table, fingers steepled in front of him, and 
chin resting on those fingers, LaCroix was deep in thought. He was 
remembering the last time he ran into a vampire opponent, on opposite 
sides of a war. This opponent was dead, he was sure of it. He had killed 
him personally.

 -- Start flashback, Vietnam 1971 --

	LaCroix and Nicholas had traveled to Vietnam early in 1971. The 
war had attracted a number of their kind, and there was known to be a 
small community near Bin Loc, headed up by a rather young vampire 
named Le Loi. LaCroix had plantations just north of there and thought to 
see what he could do to protect his property. Nicholas, a bit shocked at 
the wholesale slaughter that was going on around him, and not the least 
bit interested in the plantations, chose not to accompany him north. 
Although he did finally show up much later, working under the guise of 
the Red Cross, of all things.
	Early one evening, LaCroix arrived at the plantation house to 
meet this Le Loi, to see what kind of arrangement could be struck. The 
young ingrate was rude and disrespectful. LaCroix had tried to be 
reasonable at first, and then finally resorted to intimidation and threats. All 
to no avail. Le Loi become irrationally enraged, and the more LaCroix 
tried to reason with him, the more irrational the upstart became. By the 
time threats were being hurled, LaCroix decided he would get nowhere 
with this one, and took his leave.
	Later, word had reached LaCroix that Le Loi had purposely sent 
his army north to his plantations and had them burned to the ground. 
LaCroix was furious. Well, there was a war going on, and this Le Loi 
obviously wanted to play. He apparently had no idea who he was going 
up against, but LaCroix was determined that he would learn.
	LaCroix and Nicholas had met up with a number of their kind 
when they first arrived. With the exception of Nicholas, they had chosen 
to travel north with LaCroix. This small group became LaCroix' personal 
army. He took great delight in laying siege to Le Loi's forces, slowly 
decimating them a little more each night.
	After a few weeks of this, LaCroix had become bored. This was 
just too easy. He decided to put an end to it. After one especially vicious 
night, he planned a final raid on Le Loi's home at sunset the following 
night. His antagonists attempts to defeat him were pathetic, at best. 
When LaCroix finally confronted Le Loi in his den, the fool became 
enraged and attacked him. LaCroix had grabbed him and thrown him 
against a wall, knocking him into near unconsciousness. As the defeated 
vampire unsteadily rose to his feet, LaCroix grabbed him by the throat 
and then shoving his head to the side, sank his fangs into his neck and 
drained him dry.
	He then threw the lifeless body to the floor and proceeded to set 
the room aflame. He watched as the fire consumed the walls, furniture 
and the body of Le Loi. When he was sure the body was in flames, he 
flew straight up, through the roof.

-- End flashback --

	"Mr. LaCroix, I asked where in southeast Asia, specifically," said 
Reese, repeating himself.
	"Vietnam, and southern China," he finally replied.
	"And is it possible there could be someone seeking revenge for 
something that happened then?" asked Reese, curiously.
	"Possibly," replied LaCroix, distractedly, obviously still thinking 
back on those times.
	"When were you there?" he asked.
	Snapping back to the present, LaCroix replied, "I'm afraid that 
would be... classified."
	"You don't look old enough to have been a General during the 
War," commented Reese.
	"Perhaps I am older than I appear," suggested LaCroix, amused.
	Reese reclined back in his chair, a sigh of exasperation on his 
lips. He looked over at the glowering Detective Bissett, who to his credit, 
had sat mostly silent throughout this questioning. Reese was just 
beginning to challenge LaCroix' last statement, when an officer entered 
the interrogation room.
	"Captain, you're wanted in lock up, right away," said the officer, in 
a rush.
	"What is it Miller?" asked Reese, annoyed at the interruption.
	"There's been an incident. Those mercenaries that were 
arrested... they're all dead, sir," said the panicked Officer.
	"What!?!" exclaimed Reese, unbelievingly.
	As Reese and Bissett jumped to their feet and left the room, 
following Officer Miller, a startled LaCroix followed. As they reached the 
lower level of the building, and entered the lock up area, LaCroix' senses 
were assailed by the overwhelming smell of blood. Following the Captain 
and detectives, they crowded into the short hallway adjoining the cells. 
The seven mercenaries had originally been divided and placed into three 
separate cells. Now, each cell door was wide open, and bloodied bodies 
were strewn randomly in their cells. The bodies of the two officers 
assigned to guard the lock up were amongst them, apparently rendered 
unconscious somehow.
	LaCroix could sense all, but the two officers, were dead. He also 
detected the scent of vampires, at least four of them. They had known he 
was here and this was a message to him. It was an unmistakable 
challenge. LaCroix still had no idea who was behind this, but his desire 
for retribution grew. He struggled to maintain his control. Watching the 
bedlam around him, he took this opportunity to leave. He knew his 
security at the Raven was nearly impenetrable, but he needed to be 
there.  

===
Chapter Eight


	LaCroix entered the club from the alley door. Taking a moment to 
assess the current situation, he detected no disturbances. Whoever was 
responsible for the killings at the precinct had not been here. He took a 
minute to inform Dillon, his head of security, about the incident at the 
precinct and then tore up the stairs to his apartment.
	As he entered Nicholas' room, Urs looked up from a book she 
was reading. "What's wrong?" she asked, jumping to her feet.
	Crossing to the bed and looking down at Nicholas' sleeping form, 
he replied, "there was an incident at the police station. I wanted to make 
sure everything was well here."
	"He's been sleeping since you left," replied Urs, trying to offer 
some assurance.
	"Stay with him. I'll be downstairs," he said, sparing one last look 
at Nicholas before leaving.
	LaCroix had barely sat down behind his desk when there was a 
knock at the door. After giving permission to enter, Dillon entered the 
office and closed the door quietly behind him.
	"There were at least four of them at the police station," seethed 
LaCroix. "They knew I was there, so this must be their little idea of 
sending me some sort of message."
	Dillon shuffled his feet slightly and looked off towards the wall. He 
didn't remember ever seeing LaCroix this angry before. He really wasn't 
sure how he should respond. He had heard about LaCroix killing people 
just for saying the wrong thing, and he didn't want to find out if the stories 
were true.
	"What do you want me to do, boss?" he asked, tentatively.
	Standing suddenly, LaCroix replied vehemently, "I want you to 
make sure that no one gets upstairs, and I mean no one."
	"Right. Just you, Urs and that Dr. Lambert. No one else," agreed 
Dillon.
	"And make sure that Dr. Lambert doesn't 'escort' anyone with 
her," he added, remembering her bringing those Detectives in yesterday.
	"Absolutely, no problem," said Dillon. "Anything else?"
	"That is all," said LaCroix, dismissing him.
	After satisfying himself that Dillon would do as he requested, 
LaCroix paced back and forth in his office, trying to figure out how to find 
his opponent. There was obviously a number of them, and he didn't 
believe that any of the club regulars would be part of this. LaCroix had 
been in Toronto long enough that the local residents knew to fear him. If 
any of them had the slightest complicity in this, their lives were forfeit. He 
knew it, they knew it.
	So, that means they must be from out of town, which he had 
already surmised. He chuckled a little to himself thinking back over the 
question Captain Reese had asked him. It would most likely take him 
weeks to make up a list of all his enemies, assuming of course, that he 
could remember them all. But there was something that triggered the 
memory of Vietnam. Perhaps there was something there that he was 
overlooking. He needed to think on that more.
	There was a knock at the door. At his query, the door opened 
and one of his guards stuck his head in, "Dr. Lambert is here to see you, 
sir."
	"Show her in," he replied, returning to his desk and seating 
himself.
	After the door was closed behind her, LaCroix waved her to a 
seat in front of his desk. As she sat down she said, "wow. You've really 
increased security around here." LaCroix didn't reply. He just stared at 
her with that penetrating gaze that made her very uncomfortable. "I heard 
what happened at the station. Is that why? Are you worried that they'll try 
to do the same thing here?"
	Releasing a heavy sigh and looking away, he finally said, "what is 
it that you want, Doctor?"
	Annoyed at his attitude, she quipped, "Am I bothering you? If so, 
I can just leave. I'm sure I won't have any trouble finding something better 
to do with my time."
	"Everything you do <bothers me>, Doctor, but for Nicholas, I 
tolerate it. Now, why are you here?"
	He was glaring at her again, and now she was glaring back. 
"Fine. If you don't want my help, just say so and I'm out of here."
	Steeling himself to be calm, he replied, "you obviously came 
down here to tell me something, so why don't you just tell me."
	"Fine," she snapped. She lifted her briefcase up and set it on his 
desk. Flipping open the top, she rummaged quickly through some papers, 
then pulling out a small stack, plopped them down in front of him. "Here."
	"What's all this?" he asked, as he picked up the papers and 
started to sort through them.
	"That," she said with emphasis, "is the origins of the drug that 
Nick was given."
	LaCroix looked at her, slightly surprised. "Tell me what it says," 
he requested, almost eagerly.
	Feeling some satisfaction, she recited, "it's an opiate base, with a 
lot of other chemicals mixed in. I'm pretty sure it's the chemical mixture 
that is causing the reaction in Nick. I couldn't really identify all the 
chemicals, or trace them, but the opiate base was traced to a region of 
southern China. It's grown in an area around the southeastern Yunnan 
province. There's a listing of all the pharmaceutical companies that use it 
in their manufacturing. The only one that trades outside China is in Hong 
Kong, a Thunder Laboratories. It's a small research company that 
specializes in opiate based drugs."
	LaCroix had been reading through the papers as Natalie spoke. 
"Is there information here on who, or what, owns this company?"
	"Yes. That last page. It says it's a privately owned company, 
owned by a Mr. Chao Lee of Hong Kong. Couldn't really find any 
information on him, except that he is originally from Kunming, China. 
Immigrated to Hong Kong about 20 years ago," she finished.
	"Kunming," he said thoughtfully. It seemed that he should 
remember something, but nothing came immediately to mind. Turning to 
Natalie, he said, "this could be helpful."
	She just stared at him for a moment, watching him read through 
the papers. "Your welcome," she finally said, sarcastically.
	Looking up at her in annoyance, he replied, "is there anything 
else?"
	Standing, she grabbed her briefcase and said, "as long as I'm 
here, I thought I would look in on Nick. Is that okay with you?"
	"Of course, Doctor," he said pleasantly.
	For some reason, that really set her off. But, she bit her tongue 
and didn't say anything. She reminded herself that she was probably 
lucky that he was letting her see Nick at all. In fact, she was surprised 
that he hadn't whisked Nick away where nobody could get near him. That 
sounded like something he would do, or at least according to some of the 
things Nick had told her, it was something he would do. But then again, 
from her viewpoint he had been behaving out of character this whole 
time. Either that, or Nick wasn't as accurate with his description of him as 
she had thought.
	"Was there something else?" she heard him ask, breaking her 
out of her reverie.
	"No," she said, turning to leave. "I'll just go see Nick now."
	"Fine," he said, watching her leave, then turning back to study 
the sheath of papers.
	Natalie shut the door behind her and headed for the staircase. 
The guards moved aside as soon as she neared. She figured that 
LaCroix must have already told them it was okay for her to go up. 
	Urs was sitting in the chair next to Nick's bed, reading. She put 
her book down when Natalie entered the room. "Dr. Lambert," she said, 
in greeting.
	"Hello. Urs, isn't it?" asked Natalie.
	"Yes," she answered. "Do you want me to leave?"
	"No. I'm only going to stay a minute," said Natalie. "I was here 
seeing LaCroix so thought I would check in and see how Nick was 
doing." She looked down at Nick, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. 
He still had the dark circles under his eyes, but they looked better than 
before. "Has he been restless?"
	"No, not since LaCroix put him to sleep a few hours ago," replied 
Urs.
	Natalie just nodded her head, then looked curiously at Urs. "So, 
have you known them for long?"
	Urs looked at her in surprise, not sure how to answer, or even 
whether to answer. She finally decided that Natalie must be okay, or 
LaCroix would never let her up here. "No, not really. Just a couple of 
years, maybe."
	"LaCroix must trust you a great deal," said Natalie, leaving the 
statement hanging.
	"I suppose," replied Urs, non-committally.
	"You don't seem very frightened of him," said Natalie, 
questioningly.
	Smiling shyly, Urs replied, "no. He doesn't frighten me, not much 
anyway."
	"Why is that?" asked Natalie.
	Urs just shrugged.
	Seeing that their conversation was coming to an awkward end, 
Natalie quickly checked Nick out, and seeing that he was sleeping 
peacefully, left to return to her office.
	She left the Raven and walked the one and a half blocks to her 
car. Just as she unlocked the door, a hand reached around her and 
pulled the door open. At the same time a voice said, "allow me."
	Stifling a scream, she jumped back and quickly turned around to 
face whoever this was. "Vachon!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "What the 
hell do you think you're doing?"
	"Sorry Doc, didn't mean to scare you," he said, not really very 
apologetic.
	"What do you want?" she asked, obviously quite irritated.
	"Get in the car," he said, still holding the door for her.
	After glaring mightily at him, she complied and sat down behind 
the wheel. Vachon walked around and got in on the other side. "Can I 
drop you somewhere?" she asked, wondering what in the world this was 
all about.
	"Just wherever you're going is fine," he replied, settling into the 
passenger seat.
	"I'm going to the morgue," she said, matter-of-factly.
	"Fine, let's go," he said, indicating that she should drive.
	Once she had pulled out onto the street and was driving, she 
asked, "is there something specific you want?"
	After a long hesitation, he answered, "did you know you're being 
followed?"
	Surprised, she exclaimed, "what!"
	"Yeah. I was just going to see you at the morgue. I got there just 
as you were leaving, so I followed you. That's when I noticed that 
someone else was following you," he explained.
	"Who?" she asked.
	"I couldn't tell," he replied. "You think LaCroix is having you 
followed?"
	"Why would he do that?" she asked.
	"Oh, I don't know. To make sure nothing happened to you, 
maybe?" he suggested.
	"Trust me. LaCroix would love for something to happen to me," 
she replied, humorously.
	"So, who do you think it is?" he asked.
	"I take it, it's one of you?" she asked. She looked over at Vachon 
and the expression on his face said 'well, duh'. "Then how should I know. 
You saw them, you find out," she said, annoyed now.
	They rode in silence for a short while, then Natalie asked, "you 
said you were coming to see me. What did you want to see me about?"
	"Oh, yeah. I spoke with Tracy earlier, and she told me what 
happened. I wanted to see how Knight was," he replied.
	"Are you two buddies now, or something?" she asked, grinning.
	"Well, he is Tracy's partner. She's worried, so I thought I would 
check things out," he answered.
	"You can tell Tracy there's nothing to worry about. He's going to 
be fine. He just needs a few days rest is all," she answered.
	"You're sure?" he asked.
	"As sure as I can be," she said.
	"Okay, great. Why don't you let me out here," he said, just as 
they were passing Eaton Centre.
	As soon as she pulled over to the curb, he hopped out of the 
passenger seat. Leaning back into the car, he said, "you should probably 
tell LaCroix you know you're being followed."
	"Why's that?" she asked.
	Smiling, Vachon replied, "in case it's not him."
	She nodded in agreement as Vachon closed the passenger door. 
Then, pulling back onto the street, she continued to the morgue.
	Vachon, not really having anything to do, and having at least 
temporarily satisfied his curiosity, decided to hang out on the other side of 
town tonight, away from any goings-on at the Raven. He knew he didn't 
want to get drawn into the middle of whatever was happening with 
LaCroix and whoever was after Knight. That was most assuredly going to 
be detrimental to someone's health.
	He headed for an alternate rock club he hung out at sometimes, 
up on Bloor. Even though he had spotted someone following Dr. Lambert, 
he was unaware of his own follower. In the back of his mind, he had 
assumed LaCroix was having her followed, if just to make sure no one 
tried to use her to get to Knight.
	He entered the packed club and settled at the end of the bar 
nearest the band. Looking around, he decided this was as good a place 
as any to spend the next few hours. There was a lot of activity in the club, 
with lots of people coming and going. He was totally unaware of the 
young Asian who had followed him into the club, sitting in the far corner 
watching him. He remained unaware, as about a half hour later, this 
young Asian was joined by two others. After about another hour had 
passed, one of the trio quietly departed. The other two remained, 
unobtrusively keeping watch over the young Spaniard.

===
Chapter Nine


	Natalie waited until early morning, after the sun had risen, before 
leaving the morgue. It had disturbed her to find out that she was being 
followed by an unknown vampire. While Vachon may have been amused 
to think it was LaCroix, for some reason, she doubted that he would 
bother. Well, she was about to find out.
	She entered the Raven. All the customers were gone and there 
were just a few employees left cleaning up. LaCroix' guards were still 
very much in evidence. They watched her cross the empty dance floor 
and head up the back staircase, stepping aside when she needed to 
pass. She supposed it should bother her to be around so many vampires, 
but for some reason it didn't frighten her like it should. She had become 
desensitized to the danger they represented. She guessed this was due 
to being around Nick so much, although she knew better, she had a hard 
time believing that any of them would seriously hurt her, let alone kill her.
	When she entered the apartment, she was amazed to see Nick 
up and sitting on the couch. He looked comfortably ensconced in a large 
quilt, and was watching television. He looked up in surprise as she shut 
the door and walked over to him. He pulled his feet closer to his body to 
make room for her to sit next to him.
	"I'm surprised to see you up," she said brightly, smiling as she 
sat down.
	"What are you doing here?" he asked, somewhat alarmed.
	"I came to see how you're doing?" she replied. "So, how do you 
feel?"
	"Natalie, you should go before LaCroix comes out," he said 
hurriedly, worried for her safety.
	"Nick, it's okay. He knows I'm here," she answered, 
understanding his concern.
	"He does?" asked Nick, confused.
	"Do you think I could get through all this security if he didn't?" she 
asked lightly, trying to put him at ease.
	It was beginning to dawn on him that he was really missing out 
on what was going on around here. "What security?" he asked warily.
	"What exactly, if anything, has LaCroix told you?" she asked, not 
exactly sure how to proceed. LaCroix had cautioned her earlier about not 
talking to Nick about the kidnapping. She agreed then, and still did, that 
LaCroix should be the one to talk to him about it.
	"Other than I should stay in bed, nothing," said Nick irritably.
	"Well, he's obviously relented on that score, seeing as you're not 
in bed," she replied.
	"That's because he didn't have any choice," answered Nick 
determinedly.
	"I see," she said, casually looking him over. "Tell me how you're 
feeling."
	After a long pause, where he had turned to stare at the television, 
he finally responded, "I'm fine."
	"You look tired," she replied, raising her hand to lightly brush her 
fingers across his temple. He pulled his head away before she could 
touch him and glowered at her. "What's wrong?"
	"I said I was fine," he answered stubbornly. He had just been 
through this argument with LaCroix and didn't want to get into with Natalie 
as well. It had taken most of his energy to make LaCroix let him up. It 
was bad enough that LaCroix thought he should be confined to his bed, 
he didn't need Natalie encouraging him. "Maybe you should go."
	"Not just yet," she replied, accurately guessing what was behind 
his current attitude. Taking note of the bottle and glass on the table 
beside him, she asked, "are you feeling nauseous at all?"
	Glancing to where she was looking, he quickly turned his head 
away. With a guilty look on his face, he shook his head no. "Natalie," he 
started to say, feeling he needed to explain.
	"Nick," she said, interrupting him. "It's all right. You don't need to 
explain. I'm just glad you're feeling better." At his questioning look, she 
continued, "really, I mean it."
	Nick relaxed and leaned back against the couch. He hated to 
admit it, but he was tired, and his head still hurt. He closed his eyes 
momentarily and raised his hand to rub at his temple. He opened his 
eyes as he felt Natalie's fingers brush across his brow. She dropped her 
hand back to her lap when he opened his eyes.
	"Your head still hurt?" she asked, looking concerned.
	"Maybe a little," he admitted begrudgingly.
	"How about the rest? Body aches, muscle aches?" she 
continued, trying to draw him out. In reply, he just shrugged. "I could give 
you something that would make you feel better," she offered.
	"No," he said, quick to reply. "I'm fine, I don't need anything. I'll 
be okay."
	"You're sure," she stated, questioningly.
	"I'm sure," he replied quietly. He was staring at his lap, not 
meeting her eyes.
	She could tell he was feeling uncomfortable with her here, but 
she wasn't exactly sure why. When she saw him glance at his glass, she 
figured it out. "Maybe I better go," she suggested.
	He looked up, and after a moment said, "thanks for coming by."
	Standing, she replied, "your welcome." After a slight pause, she 
asked, "where is LaCroix?"
	"Why?" he asked curiously.
	"I need to speak with him before I leave," she answered casually.
	"About what?" he asked, a touch of concern sounding in his 
voice.
	She was saved from having to come up with an answer, as 
LaCroix chose that moment to emerge from the hallway. "Good morning, 
Doctor."
	"LaCroix," she answered, in greeting.
	Nick looked rapidly from one to the other, trying to determine 
what was going on. He knew LaCroix did not approve of Natalie and he 
didn't understand why Natalie would want to see him.
	"I understand you were just leaving. I'll walk you out," said 
LaCroix to Natalie as he moved towards her, gesturing she should 
proceed him to the door.
	"Wait," said Nick, slightly alarmed. He pushed the blanket aside 
and started to rise from the couch.
	"Nicholas, unless it is your intention to return to bed, I suggest 
you stay put," said LaCroix firmly, leaving no room for argument. "I will 
see the Doctor <safely> out, and will return straight away."
	Nick sank back onto the couch, feeling at least assured that 
LaCroix didn't plan on harming her.
	"I'll stop by and see you again on my way in to work tonight. Try 
to get some rest," said Natalie, giving him a quick smile and a wave as 
she left.
	LaCroix gave him a look that said 'stay put', and then followed 
her out the door, closing it behind him. Nick just stared at the closed door 
for a long moment, not really sure what was going on. He knew LaCroix 
would be right back, and he planned on getting some answers then. 
While he was waiting, he tried to remember the events of these past few 
nights.
	He remembered he and Tracy going to Ling Po's. He 
remembered the mercenaries; being handcuffed, blindfolded, gagged and 
drugged. His memory from that point forward seemed disjointed. He 
wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't.
	He recalled Mr. Black, and LaCroix telling him he was now dead. 
He remembered being in a lot of pain, especially his head. Thinking this 
caused him to focus on his current condition, but it was nothing like it 
was. He rubbed his temples, trying to still the throbbing in his head. He 
remembered the phone calls between Mr. Black, Reese and LaCroix. 
Confusion reigned in his mind. Reese and LaCroix? What would they be 
doing together. Nick was sure he was really confused. And what is with 
Natalie and LaCroix? He remembered them being together, helping him, 
but he thought that must be a dream. None of this could be true, could it? 
And then there was this explosion, but the details were vague.

	Meanwhile, LaCroix guided Natalie into his office, downstairs 
behind the bar. "You wish to speak to me, Doctor?" he asked.
	"Are you having me followed?" she asked, plunging right in.
	Staring at her for a moment, he replied, "no. Why do you ask?"
	"Because, according to Vachon, someone, a vampire someone 
that is, is following me. He thought it might be you," she answered, 
expecting a reply.
	"And why would I do that?" asked LaCroix.
	"To make sure nothing happened to me," she answered.
	Amused, he replied, "I can assure you, that is not the case."
	"Well, that's what I thought. So, if you're not having me followed, 
who is?" she asked, not finding this amusing in the least.
	"That is a very good question, and I can only think of one 
answer," he said, lapsing into deep concentration.
	"And that is?" she stated, pulling him back into their conversation. 
He had begun pacing the room, deep in thought, considering all the 
possibilities. After a few minutes of this, Natalie lost patience and said, 
"well! What is going on?"
	"If you are being followed, then others are probably being 
followed as well. This would indicate a lack of information on behalf of my 
adversary. A vulnerability, if you will. They are looking for a way in," he 
said, expressing his thoughts out loud. "I will have to give this some more 
thought and determine how best to turn this to my advantage."
	"What do you want me to do?" she asked, not sure how knowing 
this was going to help.
	"Do as you have been doing. Change nothing. We don't want our 
observers to know, that we know, they are watching," he instructed. "I will 
tell you if I wish something different."
	"How about Captain Reese?" she asked.
	"What about him?" asked LaCroix dismissively.
	"Should I tell him?" she asked tentatively, already guessing at the 
answer.
	LaCroix just looked at her with an expression that said 'you're 
certainly not serious'.
	"Right," she responded. "I'll wait until I hear from you. And in the 
meantime, like I told Nick, I'll be by tonight, before sundown." She started 
to move towards the door, LaCroix close behind her. As they headed 
across the dance floor, she said, "by the way, he should stay in bed. He's 
still not feeling well, even though he says he's better."
	"I have said as much to him as well, and as you saw, he is 
watching television," replied LaCroix, a bit exasperated.
	"You mean he's a little stubborn," she said, amused at LaCroix' 
frustration.
	"You have absolutely no idea, Doctor. None whatsoever," he 
commented.
	"Maybe it's your approach," she suggested tentatively, not 
wanting to say anything to anger him.
	"And what approach would you suggest?" he asked, amused to 
have her think she could give him advice on handling Nicholas.
	"I'm sure you're aware of 'the carrot or the stick' theory. Maybe 
you should try more carrots," she said.
	"My dear Doctor," he began, "Nicholas doesn't perform for 
'carrots'. He merely accepts them as his due, then continues as he 
pleases."
	"There must be some way to get through to him, without hitting 
him over the head with a stick," she reasoned, figuratively speaking.
	"Do tell, Doctor. In your vast experience with Nicholas, what 
method have you found that bends him to your will?" asked LaCroix, 
clearly enjoying this discussion.
	Natalie just looked at him, completely annoyed. He was silently 
laughing at her. "Fine. You're his father, you deal with him," she quipped, 
then headed out the door to her car.
	"Touché, Doctor," said LaCroix, laughing openly now. "Touché."
	He turned and headed back for the apartment. He had been 
gone a little longer than expected, and he was sure Nicholas was worried 
that he had gone back on his word. When he entered the living area, 
Nicholas was still on the couch, anxiously awaiting his return.
	"Natalie leave okay?" he asked, as soon as LaCroix had shut the 
door.
	"Dr. Lambert is fine. She is on her way home and will stop by this 
evening."
	"So, what took you so long?" asked Nick.
	"She wished to speak with me," he replied, vaguely.
	"About what?" demanded Nick.
	"You, of course," he said, still amused over his last conversation 
with her.
	Nick picked up on his amusement, and curiously asked, "what 
about me?"
	"She thinks you should be in bed, and that I'm being irresponsible 
as a parent by allowing you to be up and about," answered LaCroix, 
grinning slightly.
	Nick just looked at him warily. "She never said that. You're joking, 
right? That's why you're laughing."
	"Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, she even went so far as to instruct me 
on how best to get you to behave," he replied.
	"You're lying," said Nick, disgusted. "She would never say any of 
that, especially not to you."
	"Maybe not in those exact words, but I assure you, that is what 
she said," he responded. "If you don't believe me, call her. She should be 
home soon."
	Nick slumped back against the couch. This didn't make any 
sense at all. He closed his eyes and rubbed them. He was tired, but he 
didn't want to go back to bed. He felt like he'd already spent days there. 
He was feeling a lot better than he had, but still didn't feel well. He 
opened his eyes when he felt LaCroix sit very close next to him. His 
father reached out and put an arm around him, and with his other hand, 
caressed the side of his face. Nick wriggled uncomfortably at the close 
contact, but didn't pull away.
	"Come. Let me take you to bed," whispered LaCroix.
	"I don't want to," Nick whispered back.
	"What do you want?" he asked solicitously, running his fingers 
through Nick's hair, gently caressing him.
	"Tell me what's going on. What's really going on," said Nick, 
looking LaCroix directly in the eyes.
	Sighing, LaCroix replied, "I'll make you a deal." Seeing Nick 
warily begin to pull away, he quickly finished, "I'll tell you what's really 
going on, and then you agree to go to bed. Okay?" Nick studied him for a 
long moment, then nodded his head reluctantly in agreement. "First, you 
tell me what you remember, then I'll fill in the blanks. How's that?"

	A few hours later, LaCroix stood over Nicholas' bed after making 
sure he was securely tucked in. His son was exhausted, but had refused 
to return to bed until satisfied that he had been told all that was 
happening, or had happened. After listening to what Nicholas 
remembered, LaCroix was able to help him sort out the real from the 
unreal, and then as promised, told him the rest, omitting almost nothing. 
Nicholas had nearly fallen asleep a couple of times while they were 
talking, but as stubborn as usual, would not allow himself sleep until they 
had concluded their talk.
	He had been pleasantly surprised with one new piece of 
information Nicholas was able to supply. Apparently, while he had been 
held captive, the vampire responsible for his kidnapping had called Mr. 
Black. Nicholas had overheard the conversation and would be able to 
recognize the voice when heard again. Nicholas had described the voice 
as male, and as having a strange timbre. While this meant nothing to him 
now, it may be useful in the future.
	Gazing down at his sleeping son, LaCroix let some of the stress 
of the last few days wash over him. He had come so close to losing him, 
that he still couldn't bring himself to contemplate it. Just the mere thought 
of someone taking him away from him, drove him into a blinding rage. But 
he would not give in to it, at least not until his adversary was before him. 
Then, and only then, would he unleash his fury.
	Quietly, LaCroix left Nicholas and headed for his own room. He 
was tired as well, and he was sure tonight was going to be a long night. 
He had better get what sleep he could, while he could.

===
Chapter Ten


	Early the next evening, well before sunset, LaCroix was already 
up and dressed. Nicholas had been up twice during the day, and after 
getting him back into bed this last time, LaCroix decided there was no 
point in returning to bed himself. He had come up with an idea that he 
planned on pursuing this evening and wanted an early start. As soon as 
Urs arrived, he would leave. Ever since Nicholas' came to stay, she had 
been staying with Vachon, the young Spaniard. He couldn't blame her. 
He certainly had not been in the best of moods, and since Vachon was 
her sire, she probably felt safer and more comfortable with him.
	He was taking the time to glance at the evening newspaper, 
where the front page article focused on the killings at the police precinct. 
He was nearly finished reading the article when he heard the phone. He 
rushed over to answer it before the ringing woke Nicholas. "Yes."
	"LaCroix, I have news," said Feliks excitedly.
	"What is it?" demanded LaCroix.
	"Some of the diamonds were traded at a jeweler's in New York 
City, last night. The money from the sale was transferred to the Bank of 
Canada, here in Toronto, early this afternoon. The corporate name is 
listed as Thunder Laboratories," he finished reciting.
	"Is there a name on the account?" he asked.
	"The President is Chao Lee. Along with him, there are two other 
signers on the account. Ho Chan, Vice President and Liu Tong, 
Treasurer. We don't know who, if anyone, is in Toronto. All the fund 
transfers are being handled electronically, through their Hong Kong 
offices."
	"How much was traded?"
	"Half a million," replied Feliks. "I'll keep an ear to the ground for 
the rest and I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."
	"Do that," said LaCroix. As he hung up the phone, he turned to 
the voice standing in the doorway behind him.
	"Who was that?" asked Nick sleepily.
	"That was Feliks. It seems our adversary must be running short 
on funds. He traded some of the diamonds yesterday, in New York. He 
had to have known the transaction would be traced. He's taken quite a 
risk," said LaCroix, thinking ahead on how he could take advantage of 
this information.
	"What are you going to do?" asked Nick through half open eyes, 
as he watched LaCroix walk over to him.
	"Take you back to bed, for starters," he replied, taking Nick by 
the shoulders and turning him around and then with a gentle push on his 
back, propelled him down the hallway towards his room.
	"I meant, about the money," said Nick, slightly annoyed, as his 
legs collided with his mattress. He crawled onto the bed and laid his head 
down on the pillow.
	"Yes, I know what you meant," said LaCroix, pulling the blankets 
up and tucking them around him. "I'm going to think about it for awhile, 
and you go back to sleep."
	"Fine," said Nick, as he closed his eyes, the exhaustion settling 
back over him. He had been restless all day, and his sleep had been 
anything but sound. He fell into a light sleep almost immediately.

	A short time later, Dr. Lambert arrived. She was carrying her 
medical bag, and was projecting as professional an attitude as she could 
summon. She wasn't about to give LaCroix any more reason to laugh at 
her.
	For his part, LaCroix was actually in a pretty good mood. Things 
with Nicholas seemed to be improving, and the news from Feliks was 
encouraging. Then, if his planned meeting tonight went well, he should be 
able to close in on his adversary quite soon.
	"Nicholas just returned to bed a short time ago," he said, 
gesturing that she should proceed to his room.
	Natalie was not sharing in his good mood this evening. Turning 
on him, she accusingly said, "he's just now getting to bed? You let him 
stay up all day?"
	Slightly offended at her reproachful tone, he replied, "of course 
not. I was referring to the fact that he has already been up this evening, 
for a few minutes this last time, and just recently returned to bed. He was 
not up <all day>."
	"He needs his sleep," she said defensively.
	"I am aware of that, Doctor," he replied.
	They entered Nick's room to find him awake and sitting up in bed. 
He glared at both of them, obviously having overheard their argument. 
"I'm not a child. I don't need to be told when to go to bed," he said angrily.
	Natalie looked at LaCroix with an expression that said, 'do 
something'. He returned her look with an expression that said, 'this is 
your fault. You handle it'. Turning to Nick, she sat on the edge of his bed 
and said, "of course not. That's not what I meant to imply."
	"What did you mean?" he demanded, remembering what LaCroix 
told him of their conversation this morning. "I can take care of myself."
	"Of course you can. I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't. It's 
just that I know you haven't been feeling well, and I was concerned your 
needs may have been neglected," she tried to explain. She couldn't tell if 
he was buying this or not.
	"Are you now accusing me of neglecting him?" asked LaCroix, a 
touch of disbelief in his voice.
	"I think she was," said Nick, a bit smugly.
	Looking at the two of them in frustration, Natalie said loudly, 
"look, I am not accusing either of you of anything." Turning to Nick, she 
said, "I know you can take care of yourself." And to LaCroix, she said, 
"and I know you wouldn't neglect him." Taking a deep calming breath, 
she said to them both, "now, can we just drop this?"
	"Of course, Doctor. Whatever you say," replied LaCroix.
	Natalie could swear he was laughing at her again. She just 
wanted to hit him. Looking at Nick, she could tell he wasn't as amused as 
LaCroix. "I was just worried about you, that's all," she said.
	"That's okay," he replied. "As you can see, I'm all better now, so 
there's no more reason to be worried." As he said this last, he glanced 
pointedly at LaCroix, indicating this statement was meant for him too.
	"Why don't I be the judge of that," she said, opening her bag and 
pulling out her kit.
	"You don't need to judge anything. I said I was okay," he said 
adamantly.
	"I've been tracking the dissipation rate of the drug as it has 
progressed through your system. All I need is a little blood, and once I get 
back to the lab, I'll be able to confirm that you're clean," she explained, as 
she prepared the syringe.
	"I told you I was fine. I don't need any more tests," he said 
stubbornly. He was still a little miffed over their earlier conversation, and 
he didn't feel like cooperating.
	"Nick, come on. It's just one more little blood test. It won't hurt, I 
promise," she said cajolingly.
	Nick just glared at her, his body language indicating that he had 
no intention of cooperating. Natalie turned and looked at LaCroix, who 
was standing there being quite amused at the both of them. Seeing that 
she would get no help from that quarter, she decided to try reasoning with 
him again. 
	"Come on, Nick. Give me your arm and it'll be over in a minute," 
she said, trying to keep her voice lighthearted. He made no move, but 
continued to glare at her. She knew she had hurt his feelings, but this 
was ridiculous. Turning to LaCroix, her expression read, 'do something'.
	He replied, "sorry Doctor, I'm fresh out of carrots."
	Turning back to Nick, she said, "look, I said I was sorry. I didn't 
mean to upset you, I was just worried, that's all."
	"No you didn't," he replied, still glaring.
	"I didn't what?" she asked.
	"You didn't say you were sorry," he answered.
	"I didn't?" she asked.
	"No."
	After a short pause, she said, "Nick. I am sorry. I didn't mean to 
offend you and I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't take care of 
yourself. I know that you can. I'm upset about this whole situation and I 
overreacted. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"
	Nodding in satisfaction, Nick leaned forward and offered her his 
arm. She tied the rubber strap around his arm, then inserted the needle 
and withdrew the blood needed for her tests. Nick stared at the small hole 
left in his arm and watched as it closed up. He felt a sudden urge of 
hunger, and closing his eyes, fought it down. This didn't go unnoticed by 
either Natalie or LaCroix.
	As she packed her bag up, LaCroix said, "if that is all Doctor, I 
will see you out."
	Rising, she said to Nick, "I'll stop by later tonight, okay?"
	"Yeah, later," he said, lying back down and closing his eyes. 
Although he hated to admit it, he was tired. He rolled over and settled 
down to go back to sleep.
	As LaCroix ushered her to the door, she said to him, "you were a 
lot of help."
	"I did find it rather amusing to watch," he admitted, still 
maintaining his good humor from earlier.
	"And just why are you in such a good mood," she inquired 
curiously.
	"I may have a line on my adversary, but it is a bit soon to know 
for certain. But in any case, I am closer than I was last night," he replied, 
not sure why he felt like sharing this with her.
	"Good for you. You will keep me posted, won't you?" she asked, 
not really sure how he felt about her involvement in any of this.
	"We shall see," he said, opening the door for her to leave.
	After the doctor left, he went to the kitchen and poured a glass of 
blood. He took it in to Nicholas, who was lightly dozing. As soon as he sat 
on the edge of the bed, Nicholas opened his eyes and pushed himself 
into a sitting position.
	"Here, I thought you may want this," said LaCroix, handing the 
glass to Nicholas, who took it without hesitation. LaCroix watched as his 
son consumed the contents, then handed the empty glass back to him. 
"Would you like more?" Nick shook his head no, and lay down. Closing 
his eyes, he rolled onto his side and settled back down to sleep.
	LaCroix leaned over him, and placing a hand on the side of his 
face, gently stroked his fingers across the soft skin of his temples and 
into his silky hair. Nicholas stirred slightly at his touch. LaCroix whispered 
quietly in his ear, "I will be going out for a short time, not long. Urs will be 
here, should you need anything, ca va?"
	Nick nodded his head slightly, as "uh huh" barely issued from his 
throat. He was definitely more asleep than awake. LaCroix felt an almost 
irresistible urge to kiss him goodnight, but refrained himself. He knew the 
gesture would not be appreciated and he would have a hard time 
explaining it away. Rising from the bed, he returned to the living room to 
wait for sunset and Urs.

===
Chapter Eleven


	Barely an hour later, LaCroix landed in a dark alley at the edge of 
the industrial area. Walking out to the main street, he headed for the 
large warehouse in the next block. Most of the businesses in this area 
were already closed for the day. However, he could see the lights pouring 
from the building of his destination. He could sense the worker's within 
and could see the numerous trucks backing up to the loading docks, or 
heading off down the street with their cargoes to deliver.
	He entered through the main entrance and walked up to the front 
desk. "Yes, sir. May I help you?" asked the receptionist.
	"I'd like to see Francois Gillette," he replied.
	"Is he expecting you?" she asked, glancing through her 
appointment book.
	"No. But I'm sure he'll want to see me," he answered.
	"Your name?" she asked, picking up the phone to announce him. 
	"Lucien LaCroix."
	"And what is this in regards to?" she continued to politely ask.
	Just as politely, he responded, "he'll know."
	"One moment please," she said, placing a quick phone call. 
Immediately following, she replied to him, "Mr. LaCroix, Monsieur Gillette 
will be right with you."
	Barely a moment passed before a man rushed into the reception 
area. He was of medium height, dark hair, with a touch of gray at the 
temples. He looked to be in his mid-fifties, however, LaCroix could easily 
tell he was more likely closer to 300 years of age.
	"Monsieur LaCroix, what a surprise. Welcome to Maison du 
Rouge. It is a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, what brings you to my 
humble establishment?" greeted the man effusively.
	"Monsieur Gillette, I'd like to have a word with you, if I may?" 
stated LaCroix congenially.
	"Oui, oui. Of course," replied Monsieur Gillette. "Come, we will go 
to my office. And please, do call me Francois."
	LaCroix followed Francois down a long corridor that ended in a 
large office area. There were many desks, partitioned off into smaller 
cubicles. There were a number of people moving from desk to desk, and 
a multitude of phones were ringing.
	"As you can see, we are quite busy. The next few hours are 
usually the most hectic of the night. The wine shops call in their 
restocking orders at the end of their day, while the dining establishments 
call in theirs just before the start of their night. Then once the phones and 
the offices slowdown, our warehouse will be busy the rest of the night, 
making deliveries and such," explained Francois, as he led LaCroix 
through the offices towards a stairwell in the back.
	"Maison du Rouge prides itself on being one of the finest wine 
distributors in the world. We carry only the best the nations have to offer. 
And of course, our private collection of specialty vintages is quite in 
demand within our community," he continued to explain as they headed 
up the staircase.
	At the top of the stairwell, there was a circular walkway 
overlooking the office area. Off the walkway, were a number of doors 
leading to private offices. Francois led him to the large corner office. 
Upon entering, Francois said, "Mademoiselle DuCharme used to stop by 
upon occasion, but you have not visited here before. Would you like a 
tour of the facilities?"
	"Perhaps at another time," said LaCroix pleasantly.
	Francois led him to a small meeting area set up in the corner of 
the office. There were a number of large comfortable chairs, all facing in 
a circle. Next to each chair was a small table, with a number of phones 
scattered throughout. LaCroix chose a seat and watched as Francois 
moved over by the private bar.
	"May I pour you something? I have a number of interesting 
vintages that should meet with your approval," he suggested. At LaCroix' 
nod of acceptance, he chose a bottle and poured two glasses. Carrying 
them over, he set one down on the table next to LaCroix, and the other at 
the table next to the chair he chose for himself.
	Once Francois was seated, LaCroix raised the glass. He inhaled 
the bouquet, enjoying the sensations from the aroma, before partaking of 
a small draught. Seeing that Francois was awaiting his comments, he 
said, "excellent vintage, Francois. Most enjoyable, indeed."
	Pleased at LaCroix' praise, he responded, "yes. I thought you 
may enjoy it. I save it only for my most honored of visitors."
	LaCroix drank more from the glass, before setting it aside. After 
exchanging a few more pleasantries, he finally said, "there is something 
for which I was hoping you would assist me."
	"Of course, Monsieur LaCroix. I would be pleased to assist in 
whatever way I can. You need only ask. How can I help?" replied 
Francois, eager to be of service. He was no fool. Although he had his 
own powerful ties that established his position in the community, he knew 
that LaCroix could be a formidable adversary. When LaCroix had first 
established himself in Toronto, Francois' people had warned him to stay 
on this one's good side, whatever it took. This was not a warning he was 
about to take lightly.
	"I believe that some members of our community have recently 
relocated to Toronto, most likely within the last few months. I am trying to 
locate them and thought you could help," explained LaCroix. He was 
being cautious in not revealing too much. Not knowing who his adversary 
was left Francois' loyalties in question.
	"And do you know their names?"
	"No, I do not. I was hoping you could show me a list of any new 
customers you may have," he suggested, the tone in his voice indicating 
he did not expect to be denied.
	Slightly shocked, Francois responded, "this is really an unusual 
request. I've never been asked for a customer list before." Francois was 
trying to buy time, to consider how he should respond. The nature of his 
business dictated that he never reveal his customer list. Should he call 
his superiors for instructions, or just give LaCroix what he asked for. 
There was no doubt in his mind that LaCroix could take what he wanted 
anyway. There would be nothing Francois could do to stop him. His 
superiors must fear LaCroix, otherwise they would not have issued the 
warning in the first place.
	Patiently, LaCroix sat back and watched the indecision flicker 
across the other vampire's features. He continued to enjoy his drink while 
waiting for Francois to reach his decision, the outcome of which was not 
in doubt as far as LaCroix was concerned.
	Finally, Francois replied, "if you will wait but a moment, I will get 
you a copy." He walked over to his desk. Sitting down, his fingers began 
to play over the keyboard of his computer. A few moments later, the 
humming of the laser printer started. Francois pulled the paper from the 
printer and walked back to LaCroix, handing him the list. "Here are all the 
new customers I have had in the past six months, and the amount and 
dates of their purchases. I hope that is sufficient."
	LaCroix took the paper and glanced through the list of names. 
There were not many, and he recognized most of them. "Who is this?" he 
asked, pointing to the name Huo Chang. "There is no address listed."
	"Yes, a Mr. Chang. He came by a couple of weeks ago and place 
a rather sizable order, as you can see," said Francois. "He did not give an 
address. He picked up his order directly from our dock. We had no need 
to make a delivery, and he paid in cash."
	"And you have had no contact with him since?" asked LaCroix, 
sounding irritated.
	"No," answered Francois. "Is this who you are looking for?"
	"Perhaps," replied LaCroix. "If he should contact you again, or if 
you acquire any other new customers, I expect you to contact me 
immediately. Will you do that?" asked LaCroix, staring directly into 
Francois' eyes, daring him to say no.
	"Of course. I will contact you immediately," he quickly assured 
him. Francois could tell by the murderous glint in LaCroix' eyes, that he 
had made the right decision in cooperating. His business generally 
dictated neutrality, but there were obviously certain instances where that 
was not wise, and this was one of those instances. He would need to 
inform his superiors as soon as LaCroix departed. He was sure they 
would want to be aware of what was happening here in Toronto.
	"Here is my direct number," said LaCroix, handing Francois a 
card with his cell phone number. "Call me, and <only me>, understand?"
	"Oui, bien entendu," replied Francois, making sure LaCroix knew 
he would cooperate fully.
	"I'll see myself out," said LaCroix, smiling pleasantly as he left. 
He had expected, and knew he would receive full cooperation from the 
Maison du Rouge. 

===
Chapter Twelve


	Shortly after LaCroix left for Maison du Rouge, Nick once again 
woke up. He could hear the television playing in the living room. Sitting 
up, he tried to sense LaCroix' presence and found it absent from the 
apartment. He vaguely remembered LaCroix saying something about 
going out for awhile, but didn't remember any more than that. But he 
could sense someone in the apartment.
	Walking out into the living room, he saw Urs sitting in a chair, 
reading a book and watching television. Urs was a little surprised to see 
him. This was the first time he had woken up that she had been here. 
"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused at her presence.
	Hesitatingly, she answered, "LaCroix asked me to stay until he 
got back."
	"Why?" asked Nick, frowning. He already knew he wasn't going 
to like the answer.
	"Just in case you needed anything," she suggested, haltingly.
	"Well, I don't need anything, so you can go," he stated.
	"Sorry, I can't leave," she replied.
	"I don't need a nursemaid," he retorted.
	"Don't worry. I'm not a nursemaid. I'm only here because LaCroix 
told me to be here. As soon as he's back, I'll leave," she explained 
sympathetically. She knew he wouldn't be too happy if he ever woke and 
found her here, but LaCroix didn't care about that.
	"Fine," he said, giving in. He knew it was pointless to argue with 
her. It wasn't her fault anyway. But he definitely planned on having words 
with LaCroix about this when he returned.
	He started back down the hallway, until he was stopped by Urs' 
question, "where are you going?" He turned and gave her a 'what's it to 
you' look. "I was just asking," she said quietly.
	Sighing, he replied, "I was just going to go take a shower. Do I 
need your permission for that?"
	"No. Of course not," she answered, miffed at his tone. Turning 
back to her book, she proceeded to ignore him.
	Nick headed into the master bath off of LaCroix' bedroom. He 
hadn't had an actual bath or shower in a couple of days and he was 
feeling pretty scrungy. The throbbing in his head was hardly noticeable 
and he figured a hot shower would ease the aches from his muscles.
	After a long hot shower, he did feel better. He walked out of the 
bath, with a towel wrapped around his waist. He rummaged through 
LaCroix' dresser, looking for a pair of clean pajamas. He found another 
pair similar to the ones he had been wearing and put them on. They were 
thick white silk and a bit large for him, but they were comfortable.
	He walked back into the living room, carrying a towel that he was 
still using to dry his hair. "So, what are you watching?" he asked Urs, 
when she looked over at him.
	"Just a movie," she replied cautiously.
	He went and sat at his favorite spot on the couch. Urs was 
looking at him out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't been around him 
much, and she wasn't sure what to expect. She had heard about the 
fights he and LaCroix always got into, but Vachon had said he was a 
pretty nice guy, that he could be trusted.
	"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier," he said, apologizing. "I was 
really upset with LaCroix. I didn't mean to take it out on you," he further 
explained.
	"That's okay. I understand," she said, accepting his apology.
	Nick just looked at her curiously. "So, what did I miss?" he asked. 
Urs brought him up to speed on the plot, and then they both settled in to 
watch the movie.
	A short time later, the phone rang. Urs jumped up to answer it, 
just to have the receiver snatched away by Nick. 'I've got it,' he mouthed 
as he placed the receiver to his ear. "Yes?"
	"Captain Reese and some of his detectives are down here, and 
they want to talk to you about seeing Nick," said the voice over the 
phone.
	Nick held the receiver away from his ear for a moment, looking at 
it questioningly. Smiling, he replied into the phone, "send them up."
	"Who is this?" asked the caller.
	"This is Nick," he said. Looking over at Urs, he could see she 
was shaking her head no.
	"Can I speak to LaCroix?" the caller now asked.
	Into the phone, Nick said firmly, "LaCroix isn't here, and I said to 
send them up."
	"Nick, LaCroix said no visitors while he's gone," Urs urgently 
whispered to him.
	"I can't do that," said the caller. "I'll tell them to come back."
	"Dillon, do I need to come down there and escort them up 
personally?" asked Nick forcefully. He had recognized the caller as 
LaCroix' head of security. "I will if I have to."
	Downstairs, if at all possible, Dillon's pallor had turned whiter 
than normal. LaCroix was going to be pissed, either way. The question 
was, did he also want Nick mad at him at the same time. Resigning 
himself, Dillon replied, "I'll send them up." Smiling, Nick hung up the 
phone. 
	"<He> isn't going to like this," said Urs, admonishing him.
	"Well, <he> isn't here, is he?" replied Nick stubbornly. He walked 
over to the front door and opened it just as Captain Reese, Detective 
Bissett and Detective Clarke reached the threshold. "Come on in," he 
invited, leading them into the living room.
	He sat back down on the couch, and indicated they should take a 
seat anywhere. Urs was standing next to her chair, with her arms 
crossed, frowning at Nick. Reese looked over at her and then back at 
Nick, his expression asking who this was.
	Making introductions, Nick said, "this is Urs. She's a friend of my 
father's and was just leaving, weren't you?" he asked, turning to her.
	Sitting in her chair, she replied, "no. I'm not going anywhere." 
She and Nick just stared at each other for a long moment, before Nick 
finally broke eye contact, acquiescing to her staying.
	"So, Nick. You look like you're feeling better than the last time we 
were here," said Reese.
	"Yeah. I feel a lot better. I should be back to work in a few days," 
he replied.
	"Well, there's no need to rush things. Take as much time as you 
need," said Reese, concern evident in his voice.
	"Thanks, Cap, but I'm sure you didn't come over here just to 
inquire about my health," said Nick.
	"Actually, no. Bissett and Clarke have been assigned to your 
case, and they need to ask you some questions. And then we do have 
some new information on our Mr. Black to fill you in on. Are you up to it?" 
he asked.
	"What new information?" he asked, eagerly.
	"Let's let Bissett and Clarke go first, then we'll fill you in. That way 
we make sure your statement isn't influence by our information, okay?" 
said Reese.
	"Sure, fire away," he said, looking over at Bissett and Clarke.
	Reese leaned back in the chair, and indicated that the two 
detectives should take it from here.
	Bissett was the first one to speak, "so Knight. Is your old man 
lurking around here somewhere?"
	"No. Why, did you want to talk to him?" he asked smiling 
innocently, LaCroix having told him about the interview at the precinct. 
Nick wasn't too fond of Bissett, so he didn't mind 'yanking his chain' a 
little.
	"I don't think that's necessary," replied Clarke. "We don't want to 
keep you any longer than we have to, so let's get started, shall we?"
	"We already have Vetter's statement, so just start at the 
beginning and tell us what you remember," said Bissett, as Clarke 
reached over and turned on the tape recorder.
	Nick started with the call Tracy had received that originally sent 
them to Ling Po's, and finished with their visit today. Of course, he 
excluded all mention of vampires, or anything vampire related. He had 
glossed over certain parts, not wanting to delve too deeply in his 
memories of them. He was surprised at the anxiousness he was feeling 
by just talking about it. He hadn't expected the conversation to upset him 
as it had. By the time he was done talking, he was feeling exhausted 
again, but he felt he needed to get through this.
	"So, do you have any idea what these guys wanted, other than 
the money?" asked Bissett.
	Nick just shook his head. "No. I told you all I heard."
	"Based on that note we found on Mr. Black, it sounds like 
someone's after your father. You have any idea what that may be about?" 
asked Clarke.
	Honestly, Nick answered, "not a clue."
	"So, your father hasn't confided anything to you. Something that 
could help us solve this case, maybe," asked Bissett, insistently.
	"I already told you, he hasn't," replied Nick.
	"What did your father do in the military?" continued Bissett, 
doggedly after something that would tie LaCroix directly into this case.
	"I wouldn't know," answered Nick, not liking the attitude Bissett 
was displaying.
	"You don't know, or you won't say?" accused Bissett. Nick glared 
at the detective, obviously not happy with the way Bissett was pushing 
him. "Did your father have anything to do with the murder of those 
mercenaries while they were in our lock up?"
	"What?!" asked Nick, clearly stunned. "They were killed? While in 
custody?"
	"That's right. And I suppose you don't know anything about that 
either," sneered Bissett. He and Knight had never been on friendly terms, 
and Bissett had always been a bit jealous with the ease in which Knight 
and his partners seemed to solve their cases. He was enjoying this, just a 
little.
	"That's enough, Bissett," ordered Reese, sensing that the 
questions were disturbing Nick. It was bad enough they were here 
without LaCroix' knowledge, the last thing they needed to do was upset 
Nick as well. "He says he doesn't know, now move on."
	"Well I find it hard to believe he doesn't know anything," retorted 
Bissett. "But of course, we wouldn't want to upset golden-boy here, would 
we?"
	"Bissett, I'm warning you, knock it off," insisted Reese.
	"Sorry, Nick, but I've got a couple of questions," interjected 
Clarke, drawing the attention away from Reese and Bissett.
	"Sure, Stan. What is it?" asked Nick, grateful to not have to deal 
with Bissett. He was still stunned about the revelation about the murders. 
LaCroix seemed to have neglected to tell him that part of the story.
	"You said that Mr. Black's employer called, so you knew they 
were hired by someone to kidnap you," repeated Clarke. "How did you 
know the caller was the one that hired them?"
	Nick had to think hard on that one. He couldn't admit that he had 
heard the caller's side of the conversation, and he had been kind of out of 
it at the time. "It was just something Mr. Black said into the phone, about 
having followed all of his instructions and that he knew how to do his job."
	"And the kidnappers, they never talked to you at all. Never told 
you any of their plans, didn't even talk amongst themselves," Clarke 
asked.
	After a long pause, Nick just shook his head and said, "not that I 
remember."
	"Do you have any idea where they held you? Did you see 
anything?"
	Nick just shook his head and said, "no. Nothing. I was blindfolded 
the entire time."
	Clarke was just getting ready to ask another question when the 
front door of the apartment opened, and LaCroix entered the room. By his 
countenance, it was obvious that he was not pleased to see them. Urs 
jumped up from her chair, and quickly headed for the door as LaCroix 
gestured to her to leave. She pulled the door closed as she left, sighing in 
relief.
	"What exactly is going on here?" asked LaCroix, glaring angrily at 
Reese.
	"We were just having a little chat with Nick," answered Reese 
calmly.
	LaCroix zeroed in on Reese, "Captain, I thought we had an 
understanding. I do not appreciate you ignoring my wishes."
	"Look, Mr. LaCroix, I came here with every intention of speaking 
with you first, but you weren't here and we do have our jobs to do," 
explained Reese.
	"I don't care about your jobs. When you found I was not here, 
you should have left. You did not have my permission to enter my 
apartment or to interrogate my son," stated LaCroix angrily.
	"I invited them up," offered Nick, not happy with LaCroix talking 
about him like he wasn't there.
	"We're almost finished. Just a couple more questions and we'll 
be out of your hair," said Clarke, hoping to diffuse some of the anger 
brewing between LaCroix and Reese.
	LaCroix just looked at Clarke, and then turned back to Reese, 
who said, "like my detective said, just a couple more questions and we'll 
leave."
	"Apparently, I haven't made myself clear. This interview is over. 
There will be no more questions. Not now. Not later. Am I making myself 
understood," said LaCroix loudly, clearly seething.
	Reese wasn't as taken aback by LaCroix' fury as Bissett and 
Clarke. They were both ready to hightail it out of there. Reese had been 
exposed to this side of LaCroix before. Granted, it had been directed at 
Mr. Black then, not himself, but he continued to stand his ground. "If you'll 
just let us finish, there won't be any need to bother you further."
	"LaCroix, it's okay. I don't mind," said Nick.
	Surprising all present, LaCroix turned to Nicholas with no hint of 
anger or rage evident in his tone or manner. "May I suggest you return to 
your room. I'll be in to see you shortly." Nick looked at him kind of 
stunned. He knew LaCroix was furious, and it worried him what LaCroix 
may do in a fit of rage. LaCroix, sensing Nicholas' uncertainty, continued, 
"it's all right. Everything will be fine. I promise I won't do anything to 
cause you concern. Now, go on." He gestured for Nick to leave.
	Nick was confused by LaCroix' manner. Not sure what it meant, 
he decided it would be best if he went along with LaCroix' wishes, for 
now. Turning to his Captain, Nick said, "I guess I'll talk to you later." 
Reese just nodded his head in understanding. Looking one last time at 
LaCroix, trying to read what was going through his mind, he finally turned 
and headed down the hall to his room.
	As soon as Nick was gone, LaCroix turned his full fury back onto 
Captain Reese. "You and your men will leave my house now, and you will 
not return," he ordered. "My son is not answering any more of your 
questions and I do not want you speaking to him on this subject any 
further. Am I being understood?"
	"Your son also happens to be my detective. I can understand you 
being a little overprotective, but I would think that you would want to work 
together on this, and find out who was responsible for his kidnapping. 
That's kind of hard to do if you won't even let us talk to him," replied 
Reese.
	"I have cooperated with your department, and this is how you 
repay me? Sneaking around behind my back, upsetting my son 
unnecessarily, and for what? What have you learned? From here on out 
you will deal with me, and only with me. My son is completely off limits," 
stated LaCroix, infuriated.
	"Don't you think you're going a little overboard? I think it would be 
in Nick's best interests for you to work with us," responded Reese, trying 
to be reasonable.
	"Do not presume to tell me what is in Nicholas' best interest. I 
know what my son needs, or in this case, does not need. And I fully 
expect you to respect my wishes in this matter," he said, leaving no 
further room for discussion. "Now, I think you should leave."
	Believing that no amount of arguing or discussion was going to 
change his mind, Reese gave up and said, "fine. I'll respect your wishes. 
We won't attempt to question Nick any more, at least not until he returns 
to work. Okay?"
	LaCroix nodded his head in acknowledgment of the Captain's 
words, then pointedly opened the door for them to leave. Once they 
departed, he shut the door firmly behind them. The last thing he needed 
was for Nicholas' mortal co-workers getting further involved. The time he 
spent trying to deal with them could be better spent tracking his 
adversary. But that was probably part of the plan, after all, it was his 
adversary who forced Metro's involvement. Their interference was 
planned to slow him down. Well, he just didn't have time to deal with 
them. And besides, it was bad enough that Dr. Lambert was as involved 
as she was. This could get very dangerous before it was over, and if any 
of his son's mortal friends were to get injured or killed, Nicholas would 
surely find some way to blame him.
	Taking a moment to ensure that he was calm, he went to speak 
to Nicholas. He was well aware that sending him to his room had done 
nothing to keep him from hearing the conversation between him and his 
Captain. If he knew his son, he was sure to be quite annoyed.
	Nicholas was sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard, 
frowning at him as he entered the room. Not letting that deter him, he 
walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, forcing Nicholas to move his 
legs to make room for him. "Well?" he asked.
	"Well what?" asked Nick in reply.
	"Say what we both know you're going to say," replied LaCroix.
	"Which is?" he quipped tersely, frowning all the more.
	"Oh, you know. The usual. How dare I step in where I'm not 
wanted, or not needed. This is your life and I have no business telling you 
what to do, or not do, as the case may be. Or how about, how dare I 
embarrass you in front of your Captain and your co-workers. And of 
course, let's not forget the part where you exclaim how you can take care 
of yourself and you don't need me constantly interfering in your life, or 
your job, or your whatever. Let's see, did I forget anything?" he asked 
casually, looking to see how Nicholas was taking his humorous little 
outburst. "Well?"
	"Why didn't you tell me about the murders at the precinct?" 
demanded Nick.
	"I knew it would upset you, and since there wasn't anything to be 
done I decided not to tell you, just yet," answered LaCroix sincerely.
	"But you were going to tell me?" asked Nick, somewhat mollified.
	"Yes, I was going to tell you," assured LaCroix.
	The frown was gone from Nick's brow, and he lowered his eyes 
and looked away. Sighing, he raised his hand and rubbed at his eyes. 
LaCroix caught his hand and pulled it away from his face. Nick jerked his 
arm free, then looking at LaCroix said, "so, where were you?"
	LaCroix, taking that as an 'all is forgiven', proceeded to fill him in 
on his visit with Francois Gillette. After which, Nick told LaCroix that 
Reese had some further information on Mr. Black, but never got a chance 
to tell him what is was before he left.
	"Well, it's probably not that important anyway," suggested 
LaCroix. "It doesn't appear that this Mr. Black knew his employer or knew 
about the vampire community."
	"Maybe not, but I'll call Tracy later and have her tell me what they 
found out anyway," said Nick.
	"Much later, after you've slept some," said LaCroix, pulling the 
covers back and indicating that Nick should lay down.
	"I don't want to go to sleep now," he replied, moving as though he 
were going to get up instead.
	"Nicholas, I hope you're not going to try and tell me that the 
interview with your co-workers did not distress you, or that you're not 
tired enough to sleep. You know I know better,"  explained LaCroix 
gently, not wanting to upset him further.
	Nick stopped himself from automatically arguing with him. The 
truth was that reliving the kidnapping had upset him and he was tired. 
And he really hadn't been angry about LaCroix calling a halt to the 
interview, he had actually been a little relieved, not that he would admit it, 
of course. 
	Sliding down in the bed, he slipped under the covers. He laid 
down, rolled over and closed his eyes. He felt LaCroix run the back of his 
hand down the side of his face. "Don't," he said, moving away from his 
touch. The hand left, only to pull the blankets up around his chest. Nick 
pulled them from LaCroix' grasp and settle down comfortably, his eyes 
tightly closed. After a few minutes, his body relaxed and he slipped into a 
sound sleep.
	Once LaCroix saw that he was sleeping, he gently squeezed 
Nick's shoulder, then rose from the bed and left him to his slumber. Going 
out to the living room, he called down to the club to see if Urs had 
remained. It wouldn't have surprised him if she had run off for the night, 
but he also wasn't surprised to hear she was downstairs. Regardless of 
Nicholas' protestations to the contrary, LaCroix was not prepared to leave 
him unattended.

===
Chapter Thirteen


	Natalie walked from the parking lot towards the Coroner's 
Building. She had just returned from picking up some take-out food, and 
was planning on eating her dinner while finishing up some overdue 
reports. Just as she approached the side entrance, she was startled as a 
shadow detached itself from the wall and moved towards her.
	Her heart gradually slowed its' rapid beating as she recognized 
the figure that stepped towards her. "Vachon! What are you doing here?" 
she demanded.
	"I just thought I'd stop by and see how things were going," he 
answered. After taking a quick glance around, he asked grinning, "so, 
what's up, Doc?"
	She had been in a foul mood ever since her discussion with 
LaCroix this morning. And her following conversation earlier this evening 
had not improved her disposition in the least. And now here was Vachon, 
not only using a joke she had heard at least a thousand times, but one 
that reminded her of carrots, and therefore LaCroix. If it wasn't for the fact 
that she was hungry, she thought she would have thrown her dinner at 
him. "Just what do you want?" she demanded, letting her annoyance 
show.
	"Was it something I said?" he asked innocently, totally at a loss 
as to how he had angered her.
	"I suppose he thinks this is funny," she snapped.
	"Who?" asked Vachon curiously.
	"Don't give me that <who> business. Don't think that I don't know 
you guys stick together. Did he send you over here just to annoy me? He 
doesn't have enough to do? Am I being a bad influence on his precious 
son? Does he hope I'll get so upset that I'll just stay away?" she ranted, 
leaving herself breathless.
	"Whoa, Doc. I have no idea what you're talking about, honest," 
he swore sincerely.
	"<He> didn't send you?"
	"Who's <he>?" asked Vachon, truly stumped.
	"That overprotective, egomaniacal, domineering, control freak of 
a Roman..." she managed to spew out before she was interrupted.
	"Are you talking about LaCroix?" he asked, humorously 
astonished.
	"Of course I'm talking about LaCroix," she stated.
	"Hey, Doc. I have no idea what's going on between the two of 
you, but I can assure you, he didn't send me," explained Vachon.
	"He didn't?" she asked warily, calming down a bit.
	"No. I haven't seen him in ages. In fact, I go out of my way to 
make sure I don't see him. What in the world makes you think he sent 
me?" asked Vachon, stunned at her outburst.
	Taking a deep breath and calming down, she answered, "I'm 
sorry. It's just that he makes me so mad. I just wish someone would put 
him out of our misery."
	"You wouldn't be alone there. I think there's a lot of people who 
share that fantasy," he replied, grinning at the thought. "So, tell me, Doc. 
He didn't cut you off from Knight, did he?"
	"No. He's still letting me see Nick, but who knows how long that 
will last," she sighed.
	"Is Knight still doing okay?" asked Vachon, a little concerned.
	"Yeah, he's doing a lot better. He's probably going to be as good 
as new in another day or so," she answered.
	"That's good. You must be relieved about that," he inquired.
	"Yeah, I am. I can tell you, I was really worried at first. That drug 
he was on, it was pretty powerful. I'm really glad he's feeling better," she 
replied, the relief obvious in her voice.
	"So, if you can refrain from biting my head off, did you ask <him> 
about that other matter we had discussed?" asked Vachon, indicating that 
she should know what he was talking about.
	After thinking back for a moment, she replied, "yeah. And it was 
as I thought. He wouldn't lift a finger to stop anything from happening to 
me, he as much as said so."
	"You're sure?" he asked, slightly puzzled. He had been sure it 
was LaCroix that was having her followed.
	"Yeah, I'm positive," she stated.
	"So, are you going to be in your lab the rest of the night?" he 
asked, his inflection indicating that he thought it would be a good idea if 
that's exactly what she did.
	Picking up on his meaning, she responded, "I have a lot of work 
to do, so yeah, I'll probably be here until well past dawn."
	"I guess I'll catch you later then," he said, stepping away as if to 
leave.
	"Yeah, later," she replied, turning to head into the building.
	Vachon watched her until she was inside. Then, taking another 
quick glance around the area, he stepped back into the shadows and 
disappeared into the night.

	Nick woke up suddenly, wide awake. Looking at the clock, he 
saw it was a little after midnight. He had slept soundly for about the last 
three hours. Reaching out with his senses, he could tell LaCroix wasn't in 
the apartment. He could feel him close by, but distant at the same time. 
Nick figured he must be downstairs in the club.
	Hungry, he headed for the kitchen. He saw Urs in the living room, 
still reading her same book. She must have heard him, but she didn't look 
over. Pouring himself a glass of blood from one of the bottles in the 
refrigerator, he headed for the living room.
	"What are you reading?" he asked, just trying to make 
conversation.
	"Just a book," she replied, not sounding interested in talking.
	Pacing across the room a couple of times, and obviously not 
drawing her attention, he finally asked, "mind if I turn on the radio?"
	"Go ahead," she replied, head still buried in her book.
	Nick walked over to the audio system and switched on the 
power. When the radio came to life, he was surprised, just for a moment, 
to hear a Nightcrawler monologue issuing from the speakers. His surprise 
immediately turned to annoyance. Great, he thought peevishly. I'm stuck 
up here with nothing to do, but let's not deprive the disturbed masses of 
their nightly fix of Nightcrawler ramblings.
	He plopped on the couch, and listened to his father's voice 
reciting a lyrical ode. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it exactly. It 
went on about assault's on the spirit and yearnings for retribution. At the 
end of the recital, the phones were opened to callers with the words, "so 
what dastardly deed is etched upon your memory? What would it take to 
lift the blight from your soul? What lengths would you go to obtain your 
rightful retribution? The Nightcrawler is waiting to hear from you."
	Nick listened to a number of callers recount the wrongs wrought 
upon them by their fellow man, real and imagined. The Nightcrawler 
wasn't exactly expressing a lot of tolerance to many of the callers, most 
of whom he cut off before they were able to fully describe their sufferings. 
Oh yeah, he was being real compassionate tonight, Nick thought 
derisively. The next caller came over the airwaves and immediately 
grabbed Nick's full attention. 
	"This is the Nightcrawler. What must you tell me?"
	"I must commend you on your subject matter. Very topical, 
indeed," said the sing-song voice, as it flowed smoothly out of the radio.
	"Really. And why is that?" asked the Nightcrawler, in his 
emotionless voice.
	"Why talk when it would be so much more gratifying to actively 
pursue one's satisfaction?" suggested the caller.
	Sounding a little more interested, the Nightcrawler replied, "and 
what would you suggest this pursuit to entail?"
	"The pleasure and joy of man lies in treading down the rebel and 
conquering the enemy, in tearing him up by the root, in taking from him all 
that he has," quoted the caller.
	The reference was not lost on the Nightcrawler. There was a long 
pause before he finally responded, "an age old axiom to live by, albeit a 
bit outdated perhaps."
	"The days of Genghis Khan are not that far gone, are they, 
General?" asked the caller.
	"We have met before?" queried the Nightcrawler.
	"So, you know who I am," the caller stated.
	"I know what you are, or should I say, what you will soon be," 
replied the Nightcrawler, ominously. "So tell me, what is it that you want?"
	"That which you yourself will soon desire," was the enigmatic 
reply.
	"Which is?" he asked, sounding unconcerned with the implied 
threat.
	"Satisfaction for a lost son," answered the caller, making the 
words sound like a threat.
	"I would not find myself so negligent as to lose a son," the 
Nightcrawler stated matter-of-factly.
	"You cannot keep him at your side forever," the sing-song voice 
forewarned.
	"That will hardly be necessary, I assure you," came the confident 
reply.
	"The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase 
them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them 
bathed in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters," again 
quoted the caller. "I seek such happiness."
	The Nightcrawler cryptically replied in quiet hushed tones, "I 
taught him that, you know."
	"You will not win," insisted the sing-song voice.

 -- Start flashback, Hsi Hsia 1212 --

	LaCroix stared across the field of battle, his senses heightened 
by the acrid smell of blood and death. It was everywhere. The fields 
before him were filled with burning tents and hovels. The screams of the 
dying pierced through the crackingly of the fires. He pulled sharply on the 
reins of his horse, holding the skittish animal in place. As he continued to 
look around, it was obvious the battle had been won.
	A few men were still attempting to fight, but the Mongol warriors 
were very efficient as they wielded their way to savage victory. By 
morning, there would be no survivors. Turning sharply to his left, he felt, 
rather than saw, the quick movement. Someone was trying to escape into 
the low brush along the hill to the north of him.
	Seeing no warriors in the immediate vicinity, he spurred his horse 
forward. He smiled in anticipation of the treat to come. He couldn't sense 
their numbers, but knew them to be few. When he reached the brush, he 
dismounted and, with a solid smack to its' haunches, sent the steed back 
the way they had come.
	After a moment's perusal, he found the broken trail of branches, 
marking the path of those who sought refuge. The air reeked of sweat 
and fear. His smile broadened as he deftly ducked beneath the short 
limbs and quickly closed the gap. He could sense their progress had 
stopped just up ahead.
	Taking a moment to make himself fully aware of the 
encompassing area, he began to sense another presence. That's odd, he 
thought, recognizing the minor prickling that usually indicated another of 
their kind. He had not expected to run into another here, but where better 
to live than upon the paths of carnage.
	Not bothering to mask his presence, he boldly walked into the 
clearing just ahead. On his right were two men, and from their age and 
resemblance, he guessed them to be father and son. The one he sensed 
was not seen. Ignoring the two mortals for now, he called out, "I know 
you're here. Show yourself."
	A much smaller Asian male stepped forward, the red glow of his 
eyes leaving no doubt of his nature. "You do not belong here. Go," he 
imperiously ordered.
	Smiling obligingly and turning his golden-eyed stare upon the 
other, LaCroix said, "I will be happy to depart, as soon as I have secured 
my quarry."  He quickly glanced at the two mortals who were now 
quaking in terror at the sight of the two vampires.
	"They are under my protection. You have no claim," stated the 
other arrogantly.
	Sizing up the other vampire, LaCroix determined he was no real 
threat. Feeling magnanimous from tonight's victory, he offered, "since I 
am in such a good mood this evening, I will be willing to share."
	The other became infuriated. "Go now, and I will let you live," he 
declared.
	LaCroix stared at this one in amazement, then burst out in 
hysterical laughter. "<You> will let <me> live?" As the other's anger grew, 
LaCroix decided this was just too ridiculous to be taken seriously. When 
he was able to control his amusement, he asked, "and just who are you, 
that you will bestow such a wondrous honor upon me?"
	His body radiating with anger, he pulled himself regally erect and 
proclaimed, "I am Lei Kung."
	When it was apparent there was no further explanation, LaCroix 
remarked, "and that is all I would expect from the Duke of Thunder. 
Shouting and posturing, but not very effective against me, I'm afraid." 
LaCroix recognized the name as that belonging to a fearsome Taoist 
deity. A few temples had been erected in his honor, and people who 
prayed there, did so seeking retribution upon their enemies.
	"You, a mere savage, cannot possibly prevail against me," further 
avowed Lei Kung.
	"But you see, prevailing is a specialty of mine," replied LaCroix, 
quite serious now, as he began to advance on this self-proclaimed deity.
	Raising himself to his full height, Lei Kung vehemently 
announced, "you will not win."

 -- End flashback --

	There was a long pause, the void filling with the silence of dead 
air. "And once again, history shall repeat itself," replied the Nightcrawler, 
amusement clear in his tone. A slight click is heard, followed by, "it seems 
that our caller has departed. And now, for something a bit more uplifting..."
	Music now flowed out of the speakers, and into the room. As 
Nick heard the voice of the last caller come over the radio, he had risen 
to his feet and stared at the radio. He recognized the caller's voice, there 
was absolutely no doubt in his mind.
	"Nick," called Urs, for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
	"What?" he asked, finally hearing her.
	"Are you all right? Do you want me to call LaCroix?" she asked. 
She had put her book down and was staring at him, obvious concern 
showing on her face.
	"No. I'm fine," he said firmly, trying to assure her there was no 
problem.
	"He'll come if I call him," she suggested.
	"And even if you don't," sighed Nick. Then responding to her 
confused and questioning look, he continued, "he's on his way up now."
	Looking at the radio with a frown, she asked, "how do you know 
that?"
	Nick just sat back on the couch, not saying anything. About this 
same time, LaCroix walked into the apartment. At Urs' startled glance in 
Nick's direction, he just shrugged, as if to say, 'see, here he is'.
	LaCroix gestured for Urs to leave. She quickly rose from the 
couch and left. He listened for a moment to the music wafting from the 
radio, then turned to Nick and stated, "you were listening." Nick just 
nodded in confirmation. When it was obvious there was no verbal 
response coming, he tersely asked, "and?"
	"That was him," answered Nick. He watched as LaCroix 
accepted this as expected news. "You know him?" asked Nick.
	"Yes, from a very long time ago," replied LaCroix, thoughts 
drifting back.

-- Start flashback, Hsi Hsia 1212 --

	Hearing the words, 'you will not win' shouted conceitedly to him, 
he stopped his advance to further regard the vampire before him. Could 
one of their kind truly be so ignorant as to honestly believe to defeat him? 
Unless there was something he didn't know, which seemed doubtful, but 
worth exploring just to be on the safe side.
	"You are not very old, are you?" asked LaCroix conversationally.
	Believing himself to have the advantage, he bragged, "I have 
lived the lifetimes of 2,000 men, and never have I suffered defeat."
	LaCroix had surmised that this Lei Kung was less than half his 
own age. He was beginning to think this one truly believed he was some 
sort of god-like deity. "Tell me, have you encounter others of our nature?" 
he asked curiously.
	"We do not share a nature," he denied, insulted. At LaCroix' 
disbelieving look, he said, "you are a barbarian. I am a civilized being."
	"For a civilized being, you are not very astute," replied LaCroix 
sarcastically. This one was rapidly becoming tiresome.
	"And just who are you that you would judge me?" he asked, 
astounded.
	"I am called LaCroix. And let's just say that if you have seen 
2,000 lifetimes, than I have surely seen 5,000," said LaCroix calmly, 
letting Lei Kung know the depth of his folly. "I assure you, the only defeat 
this evening will be yours, if you persist."
	"If you are able to defeat me, then why have you not done so," he 
challenged. "It is because I cannot be defeated. No one is stronger than 
I."
	Deciding this one needed an abject lesson in humility, LaCroix' 
determined that would be more fun than killing him outright. Smiling his 
most evil and fearsome smile, he confidently advanced on Lei Kung. Oh, 
yes. This would be amusing.

-- End flashback --

	"How long ago?" asked Nick, curious.
	Smiling, LaCroix answered, "from just before I had you."
	Quite surprised, Nick replied, "that was a long time ago. Who is 
he that he would carry a grudge that long before doing anything about it?"
	"His name is Lei Kung, and I suspect there is a more recent 
event which has drawn his enmity," responded LaCroix.
	"What recent event?" inquired Nick.
	"I'm not sure, but I suspect it may have to do with that little 
encounter I had in Vietnam," said LaCroix thoughtfully.
	"You mean at Bin Loc? I thought that was already resolved," said 
Nick, guessing there may have been something more that he had not 
been told about.
	"I was involved in a conflict, just prior to you joining me in Bin 
Loc," he admitted.
	"What kind of a conflict?" asked Nick, in a tone that said 'what 
now'.
	LaCroix looked at Nick with an expression that said, 'don't take 
that tone with me', then seeing Nick look sheepishly away, he replied, "it 
was over my plantations. I had a disagreement with another of our kind, 
and in the course of this <disagreement>, I killed him."
	"So what does that have to do with this?" asked Nick, disgusted.
	"As I said, I'm not certain, but I suspect this Le Loi is the <lost 
son> that is being referred to by our opponent," hypothesized LaCroix.
	"What was with the Genghis Khan quotes?" asked Nick, 
intrigued.
	"As I just told you, I had a run in with this person just before I had 
you," replied LaCroix, in a tone of voice that said 'weren't you paying 
attention'. At Nick's annoyed look, he continued, "from when  I spent time 
with Genghis Khan and his hordes."
	Over the years, Nick had become well aware of most of LaCroix' 
travels. He knew that his father had spent a few years traveling with the 
Mongol army. He had even proclaimed to have 'taught the art of war to 
Genghis Khan'. But LaCroix had told him virtually nothing regarding other 
vampires he had encountered over the years, good or bad. The only 
ones Nick was aware of, were the ones that he had met. This was one 
area LaCroix had always been quite tight-lipped about.
	Nervously, Nick finally asked, "how strong is he? Are you 
worried?"
	LaCroix studied his son for a long moment, before replying, "this 
one cannot hurt <me>, so, no, I am not worried." Nick tried to hide the 
small amount of relief he felt, but LaCroix saw it anyway. "However, he 
does seem to have devised some new methods that could give him the 
element of surprise. We must be cautious," he explained, thinking of the 
drug he had used on Nicholas. That was disturbing.
	"Now that you know who he is, will you be able to find him 
easier?" asked Nick.
	"We'll see," he said, then abruptly changing the subject as he 
sensed Nicholas was becoming slightly distressed, "how are you 
feeling?"
	Startled, Nick looked up, "fine. I'm fine."
	LaCroix crossed the room and sat on the couch, right next to 
Nick. "I sense that you are not exactly fine," he finally replied, reaching 
out to touch the side of Nicholas' face.
	Nick pulled his head away, and barely felt the fingers brush 
across his cheek. "I told you I was fine," he said adamantly.
	"Nicholas," he began cautiously, not wanting to cause further 
upset, "you've been through quite an ordeal. Your body is not used to the 
long term effects this trauma has caused, and I suspect that your 
recovery is not quite as complete as you would like it to be." Just as Nick 
opened his mouth to argue, LaCroix inserted, "you know you can't hide it 
from me, mon fils."
	Whatever Nick had been about to say, turned into a defeated 
sigh. Turning to look at LaCroix, he replied, "I do feel much better."
	"I'm sure that you do, but... you are not yet completely well," he 
said sympathetically.
	"So, what are you saying?" replied Nick irritated, wondering what 
LaCroix had planned for him.
	Sighing, he said, "I'm going to go back and finish my show. I will 
send Urs back up here to keep you company...," LaCroix raised his hand 
and gestured Nicholas', as yet unspoken objections, to silence. "I would 
like it if you would take your fill of nourishment, amuse yourself for the 
next couple of hours, then return to bed."
	"I've been in bed for the last three or four days. I don't want to 
spend any more time there," he argued. "I'm tired of being in bed."
	"And it is obvious that all that sleep has done wonders for your 
disposition," teased LaCroix lightly, as he stood to leave.
	"Very funny," grumbled Nick.
	"Nevertheless, I would like you to do as I have requested," he 
stated. Looking at his son's glaring face, he further suggested somewhat 
lightheartedly, "when you're ready for bed, I'll come back up and tuck you 
in if you like."
	"That won't be necessary," snarled Nick, annoyed at the 
suggestion.
	"As you wish," he said, opening the door to leave. "But I will be 
checking," he warned as he exited.
	Nick just grabbed the remote, turned on the television, and began 
flipping through the channels, looking for anything that would occupy him 
for a time.

===
Chapter Fourteen


	Lei Kung paced the full length of his study. He was furious. He 
had thought his telephone call into the Nightcrawler's radio show would 
intimidate LaCroix. He had intended to let it be known that he had the 
upper hand. He wanted LaCroix to know that his son's life was still at risk. 
He expected this to distract the General, to eventually lead to his defeat.
	But his plan had backfired, yet again. It had not been his intention 
to let the General know who he was. He had not expected to be 
recognized, and so quickly. His audacity had done anything but intimidate 
him. LaCroix had even had the boldness to threaten him. Unbelievable. 
Was there no end to this arrogance?
	He must do something, and soon. His resources were running 
low and his people could feel the pressure being exerted to locate them, 
as they moved about the city. They would not be able to avoid LaCroix' 
searchers indefinitely. He had thought the killing of those mercenaries, 
right under the General's nose, so to speak, would serve as a warning 
and cause him to back off. But it seemed to have had the opposite affect. 
The General was much as Lei Kung remembered him to be.

-- Start flashback, Hsi Hsia 1212 --

	He could not believe the humiliation suffered at the hand's of this 
brute. After having proclaimed himself undefeatable, he watched in horror 
as LaCroix' visage turned terrifying. As he was advanced upon, Lei Kung 
prepared himself for a fight. Even though this man was a good head 
taller, or more, he believed himself to be the stronger. It had always been 
so.
	The first contact established immediately who the victor would 
be. Lei Kung was seized by an iron grip that he could not break. He 
wrapped both his hands around the arm grasping him, but was unable to 
release himself from the stranglehold on his throat. As the fingers 
squeezed tighter, he began to panic. He hit and clawed at the being 
before him, all to no affect.
	Just as he was about to blackout, he was suddenly released. He 
found himself laying on the ground, gasping for air, unable to rise. He 
knew his strength would return quickly. But before he had a chance to 
recover, he felt the pain as a thick branch, torn from a nearby tree, was 
pushed through his chest, pinning him to the ground. He had been 
pierced in his upper shoulder, immobilizing his one arm. He was in 
agony, but would not give his opponent the satisfaction of seeing his 
pain.
	He watched in mounting anger, as LaCroix, having effectively 
restrained his movements, turned his attentions on the two mortals 
cowering near the edge of the clearing. They were his servants, under his 
protection. One of their line had been in attendance of him for many 
mortal generations. He cried out in anger, as LaCroix took first one, and 
then the other. He watched as their bodies were drained, and then tossed 
aside as if they were rubbish.
	Watching in horror, Lei Kung saw LaCroix turn his attentions 
back to him. For the first time in his long life, Lei Kung thought he may 
die. The aura radiating from LaCroix was so powerful, and intimidating, 
that Lei Kung truly believed he was a devil sent to strike him dead. As 
LaCroix approached his prone body, he began to writhe upon the ground, 
attempting to free himself from the stake lodged in his body.
	He felt the increased pain as LaCroix took hold of the stake, and 
gave it a good shake, confirming that he was securely pinned to the 
earth. The eyes that bored into him were filled with a mixture of 
malevolence and amusement. He could not believe it when LaCroix 
simply departed the clearing, laughing aloud to himself as he went.
	Lei Kung truly thought he would die that night, but somehow, 
before the sunrise, he was able to free himself. Weak with the loss of 
blood, and anguished at the death of his trusted servants, he barely 
found shelter to wait out the day. Huddled in pain and discomfort, he 
swore revenge.

-- End flashback --

	His contemplation was interrupted by a knocking at the door, 
followed by the entrance of Chang, and close on his heels, Wen. They 
both came to stand before him, bowing low, waiting to be recognized.
	"What is it?" he asked, addressing Chang.
	"Master, Wen has returned with interesting information. I knew 
you would want to hear it immediately," replied Chang, stepping aside 
and presenting the other.
	"Very well, Wen. Speak," commanded Lei Kung.
	"Master, our watchers have reported success. They have located 
one not in favor. While this one does his utmost to avoid the General's 
attentions, he mingles freely with some of his closest associates," 
reported Wen.
	"This interests me. Tell me more," Lei Kung demanded eagerly.
	"They call him Vachon. We followed one of the General's 
servants to his residence, where she spent the day before returning to 
the Raven. It was a dilapidated old church. It is obvious this one is in 
hiding," suggested Wen.
	"There is more?" asked Lei Kung, with the full expectation that 
this was not all the information gathered.
	"Next, we followed him to a meeting in the parking lot of the 
police precinct. He made a phone call and then was joined by a mortal 
woman. This was the detective partner of LaCroix' son," replied Wen.
	"And from these two meetings, what did you hear that makes you 
think he would be of assistance to us?" asked Lei Kung skeptically.
	"Nothing, master," said Wen, then continued quickly, "but he later 
met another mortal woman. Dr. Natalie Lambert, who the General has 
allowed free access to his son. We heard the conversation between 
them. They both stated that they wished LaCroix harm."
	"They met to discuss this?" asked Lei Kung, slightly confused.
	"No, master. Apparently, they are both friends to the son."
	"I see," said Lei Kung, not really sure exactly what this meant. 
But it certainly sounded worth exploring. "Arrange a meeting with this 
Vachon. I would speak to him myself."
	"Yes, master," said Wen, bowing.
	"Chang, you will inform me as soon as it is arranged." 
	"Yes, master," replied Chang, also bowing.
	"You may go," ordered Lei Kung, addressing them both. They 
quickly exited the room, leaving their master alone, to resume his 
contemplation's.

	Tracy had been sitting at her desk, handling the paperwork from 
her and Nick's earlier cases. She was having a hard time keeping her 
mind on her work. This is not what she wanted to be doing. She had 
heard all about Bissett and Clarke's meeting with Nick, and how LaCroix 
came in and sent them all packing. She tried not to smile as Clarke was 
relating this to her, but anything that got Bissett to fuming was a pleasure 
in her book. He could be such a jerk. Reese seemed to take the whole 
thing in stride. When she had spoken to him later, to see how Nick was, 
he hadn't seemed all that upset about the whole thing.
	"Vetter," said Tracy, as she reached over to answer her ringing 
phone.
	"Hi, Trace. How's it going?" replied Nick, glad to have caught her 
at her desk.
	"The Captain told me you were doing better. How are you 
feeling?" she asked, concerned.
	"I'm fine. So you heard that the Captain dropped by with Bissett 
and Clarke?" he asked.
	"Oh, yeah. I heard," she said, chuckling. "Bissett is still ranting."
	Yeah, well, what can I say?" he said, amused at her laughter.
	"When are you coming back to work?" she asked, not really 
expecting an answer.
	"Couple of days, maybe," he replied, seriously.
	"Really," she said surprised. "That soon?"
	"I've almost got a clean bill of health. Nat's coming by later this 
morning and I expect she'll give me the okay then," he answered. "So, 
Trace. The Captain said something about having some information on 
Mr. Black, but he left before he could tell me. Do you know what that's 
about?"
	"Actually, it turns out that this Mr. Black is really an American. His 
name was Timothy Parry. He lived and worked out of Bangkok, as some 
kind of security consultant. We tied him to a consortium in Hong Kong, 
that was then tied to a Thunder Laboratories, also based in Hong Kong. 
They have an office here in Toronto. It seems Mr. Parry listed a Vice 
President of Thunder Labs on his Visa application, a Mr. Ho Chan. And 
that's about it," she finished up. "Does any of that mean anything to you?"
	"Actually, no," he replied, thoughtfully. "I've never heard of any of 
them."
	"It may not have anything to do with what happen, but we don't 
have any other information," said Tracy.
	"Is this Mr. Chan in Toronto?" asked Nick.
	"No. We spoke to him at his office in Hong Kong. He wouldn't 
really say what business his company had with Mr. Parry, and he said 
that he was unaware of his extracurricular activities here in Canada," she 
answered.
	"What does Thunder Laboratories do?" he inquired.
	"You may find this interesting," she replied. "They manufacture 
opiate based synthetic drugs, whatever that means."
	"Why would I find that particularly interesting?" he asked.
	"According to Natalie, that's what they gave you," she answered. 
"You're lucky you're okay."
	"Did she say I was lucky?"
	"Yeah, she did," answered Tracy, a bit more cautiously. "Didn't 
she tell you any of this?"
	"I haven't really had the chance to talk to her. Until just this 
evening, I've been pretty much just sleeping," he admitted.
	"No wonder your father came unhinged when he found Bissett 
and Clarke grilling you," she responded, chuckling again.
	"My father didn't come unhinged, and they weren't grilling me," 
corrected Nick.
	"That's not what I heard," she said lightly.
	"Well, I can't help that, but tell me what you've heard about the 
murders in lock up," he requested.
	"That's easy," she said. "We've got a big fat zero. Nobody saw 
anything, nobody heard anything, and all the video was removed from the 
security recorders."
	"Look, Trace. I've got to go, but will you keep me posted on 
what's happening?" he asked.
	"Sure, you want me to call you?" she asked.
	"No. I'll call you," he answered.
	"No problem. I'll talk to you later," she said, then hung up. Picking 
up the receiver, she placed another call. When the phone was answered, 
she replied, "Hi, Nat. It's Tracy."
	"Hello, Tracy. I'm kind of busy, what's up?" said Natalie 
pleasantly.
	"Nick just called me," she said tentatively.
	"What about?" asked Natalie, immediately becoming more 
interested.
	"Oh, he just wanted to know what was going on at the office," she 
said casually. "He said he was going to be back to work in a couple of 
days."
	There was a long pause before Natalie answered, "oh, really?"
	Hearing Natalie's response made Tracy think Nick wasn't doing 
as well as he said he was. "Did you hear that Reese, Bissett and Clarke 
stopped by the Raven earlier tonight, and took Nick's statement?" she 
asked.
	"No, I hadn't heard that," she replied, rather tight-lipped.
	"Apparently Mr. LaCroix was out, but he came back while they 
were still there and made them leave before they were finished," 
continued Tracy.
	"I see. And you just now spoke to Nick?" she asked.
	"Yeah. He said you were going to drop by later this morning. I 
was just wondering if you'd tell me how he's really doing?" she inquired 
hesitatingly.
	Sensing Tracy's concern, Natalie set aside her own irritation at 
not having been apprised of these events, and replied, "he is doing much 
better. I don't know about being back to work in a couple of days, but he's 
going to be fine. Look, Tracy, I've got to get back to work."
	"Okay, thanks Natalie," said Tracy, replacing the receiver.

	Natalie was disturbed by Tracy's phone call. She had been 
listening to the radio earlier, tuned to the Nightcrawler's show. She had 
heard the one caller, and it sounded like he had been threatening Nick. It 
made her nervous to think that another vampire, a possibly stronger 
vampire, was after him. He barely escaped being killed this last time. 
Well, based on his last blood test, he wasn't ready to be up and about yet 
anyway. Hopefully, that would buy enough time that LaCroix would have 
this situation handled by then. And just what was taking Mr. Omnipotent 
so long anyway, she fumed.
	Forcing her thoughts aside, she returned to work. She was still 
working on the autopsies of the seven mercenaries that had been killed 
at the precinct. Although she was certain they had been killed by 
vampires, she didn't have any evidence to support that conclusion. Not 
that she could share it with anyone, but she wanted to know.

===
Chapter Fifteen


	"Who were you just speaking with?" asked LaCroix, as he 
entered the living room, passing Urs on her way out. It had been a few 
hours since he had left Nicholas and was just returning to check on him.
	"That was Tracy," answered Nick. "I just called her to find out 
what information Metro had that the Captain hadn't had a chance to tell 
me earlier." At LaCroix' questioning gaze, Nick related all that Tracy had 
told him about Mr. Black. "Do you know anything about this Thunder 
Laboratories?"
	"I've heard the name," admitted LaCroix. "It seems to keep 
surfacing."
	"Do you know what it means?" asked Nick, expecting that 
LaCroix had been holding more information back from him.
	"No," he replied, staring down Nick's doubtful gaze.
	"Don't you think we should find out?" suggested Nick.
	"How do you propose we do that?" asked LaCroix.
	"Well," started Nick tentatively, "the Metro computers should be 
able to track down any corporate activity here in Toronto, and that would 
include anyone flying in from Hong Kong, or elsewhere, that is connected 
to the business. I could run all the names we have through the computer, 
and see what turns up. If we're lucky, maybe there will be an address." 
As he was speaking, he had turned away from LaCroix, and was now 
standing with his back towards him.
	"And just how do you propose accomplishing this?" asked 
LaCroix unemotionally, his eyes boring into Nick's back, knowing full well 
what Nicholas was intending.
	Turning around, Nick was taken aback by LaCroix' intense gaze, 
but he spoke nonetheless, "I thought I would go into work tomorrow night. 
That would give me the perfect opportunity to check the computers and 
see what else may have turned up."
	"No," said LaCroix simply.
	"I feel much better. I'm practically fully recovered and this is the 
only way to get the information we need," replied Nick, trying to be 
persuasive.
	"I said no," answered LaCroix, forcing himself to remain calm. 
"You will remain here until I am certain you have recovered."
	"It's not like I'm incapacitated, or anything. I'm just a little tired, 
that's all," explained Nick. "And I'll only go in for a few hours, just long 
enough to search the computers."
	"Nicholas, there is not an argument that is going to persuade me 
otherwise. The answer is no," said LaCroix gently, but firmly.
	"When Natalie gets here this morning, she'll tell you that I'm fine," 
he insisted.
	"We are not going to argue about this. You are staying here, until 
I say otherwise. End of discussion," stated LaCroix.
	"You can't force me to stay here against my will," said Nick, 
starting to get angry.
	"Let us hope it does not come to that. For right now, I am merely 
<asking> you to stay. And as I keep reminding you, I am very well aware 
of your physical well-being. You are not <fine>, and you are far from 
being simply <a little tired>. Do not try and tell me differently," retorted 
LaCroix.
	Knowing he wasn't going to win this argument, he let out a sigh 
as he sank onto the couch. "So what am I suppose to do while I wait for 
you to decide that I'm okay?" he asked sarcastically.
	LaCroix, pleased that he seemed to have easily won this round, 
suggested, "I think now would be a good time for you to return to bed. I 
sense that some sleep would do you some good about now."
	"I'm not sleepy," he snapped.
	"Really?" questioned LaCroix, lightheartedly. "Let us see now. It 
is late. You are irritable. You are argumentative. Ergo, you will sleep."
	Nick just stared at him, astonished. Everything that came 
immediately to mind to say, would just play into his warped logic. 
Frustrated, Nick just rose to his feet and stormed from the room. When 
he reached his bed, he threw himself across it, and rolled onto his back.
	He hadn't been sick in nearly 800 years and he resented the fact 
that he wasn't feeling well. He hated being told he had to stay here, and 
he didn't understand how LaCroix could know so exactly how he was 
physically feeling. He knew how their bond worked, at least up to now he 
thought he did. Thinking back on their long past, he didn't recall LaCroix 
always being this in tune with him. Sometimes perhaps, but not always. 
This must be just one of those times when he was, for whatever reason.
	LaCroix came to check on him about twenty minutes later, and 
found him sound asleep. Nicholas had crawled under the covers and was 
laying on his side. Smiling in satisfaction, LaCroix straightened his 
blankets and left him to sleep.

	Vachon was leaning against the bar, listening to the music. After 
talking with Natalie, he had headed back to the nightclub on Bloor. He 
was doing some serious thinking, and at the same time, trying to stay out 
of the line of fire. He figured that if LaCroix wasn't following her, then it 
had to be whoever was after LaCroix. And if they were following Natalie, 
who else were they following. He began to look around the club, 
suspicious of everyone. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped 
himself. He hadn't even been anywhere near the Raven. There's no 
reason anyone would be following him. 
	About an hour later, Vachon decided to head out and maybe 
catch up with Tracy at her place. She should be getting home soon. 
Since Urs had been staying with him lately, he needed to be back to the 
church before dawn, but there was plenty of time for a quick visit with his 
favorite detective.
	He left through the front door of the club and stood for a moment 
looking up and down Bloor Street. Not seeing anything unusual, he 
casually walked to the end of the building and into the alley that ran along 
the side of the club. Just as he turned the corner at the back of the 
building, he sensed a number of vampiric presences. Before he could do 
anything, two of them stood before him, while one silently landed at his 
back.
	Their features were Asian, and he thought he recognized them 
from one of his earlier visits to this same club. Only then, he hadn't 
sensed they were vampires. Whatever this was about, he sensed it 
wasn't good.
	"Can I help you gentlemen with something?" he inquired, 
casually.
	"Our employer wishes a word with you," said the one man.
	"Oh, and who might that be?" he asked, raising his eyebrows 
inquiringly.
	"Come. You will see," answered the same man.
	"You know, guys, I'd really like to accommodate you, but I have 
to be somewhere else right about now. Maybe we can do this another 
time," said Vachon, as he tried to saunter past them.
	One of them reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, 
stopping him in place. "Now would be better," stated the one man, firmly.
	Seeing he was outnumbered, and not likely to be able to make a 
break for it, Vachon decided to go along with them. "Okay, sure. Now's 
fine."
	The one man that had been doing all the speaking, looked up 
and around. Seeing that they were unobserved, he said, "follow us." With 
that, they all rose into the air and flew to the roof of a building a couple of 
blocks away.
	As they landed on the rooftop, Vachon was aware of others that 
were waiting. The three that had brought him, headed for a small group 
gathered in the center of the roof. As they neared this group, Vachon 
could see that there was one man that carried himself with a certain air of 
authority. It was to this man that the three who brought him bowed, and 
waited to be recognized. Vachon stopped his advance and stood his 
ground, arms cross over his chest, slightly amused expression on his 
face, and waited to see what was going to develop.
	"Master, I have brought the one you seek," said Wen, still bowing 
deeply.
	Vachon looked on with one eyebrow raised in curiosity. He was 
not used to observing such obsequious behavior, and he found it 
somewhat amusing. Knowing the conversation would get to him 
eventually, he waited.
	"Yes, Wen. You have done well," said the master. Nodding in 
gratitude at the praise, Wen half stood and moved to the side to join the 
others. This left the master facing Vachon. "I understand you are called 
Vachon," said the master, politely.
	"Yeah, that's right. And you are?" asked Vachon, acting casual 
and completely at ease.
	"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lei Kung," said the 
master, stopping as if he expected some sort of a response.
	Not knowing how he was expected to reply, Vachon simply said, 
"it's nice to meet you, Lei Kung. So what is it you want with me?"
	Scowling at the lack of respect being shown to his presence, Lei 
Kung decided to get this over with and go straight to the point. "I 
understand you know LaCroix."
	"Yeah. I know him. So?" inquired Vachon, getting a feeling for 
where this might be leading.
	"I also know him," replied Lei Kung, with meaning.
	When nothing else seemed to be forthcoming, Vachon replied, 
"good. So we both know him. What's your point?"
	Annoyed with this brash youngster, Lei Kung continued on. If this 
one helped him attain his goal, he would tolerate the apparent insolence. 
"It has been reported to me that you are not exactly enamored of the 
General's company. Is this so?"
	"Well, let's just say I can think of more enjoyable ways of 
spending my time," answered Vachon, amused.
	"Would it be safe to assume that you would find your life more 
pleasant if the General were no longer a factor?" asked Lei Kung.
	"He can be a bit of a downer, if that's what you mean," replied 
Vachon, non-commitally. "Just what are you looking for?"
	Taking a deep breath, Lei Kung stated, "I am looking for an ally. 
Would you be him?"
	"Look, I don't know what's going on between you and LaCroix, 
but I'd rather not get in the middle of it. Anyone who crosses him, has a 
tendency to wind up dead," said Vachon, starting to back away.
	Sternly, Lei Kung replied, "those who cross me, also 'wind up 
dead'."
	"What do you want from me?" asked Vachon, tiring of this.
	"You are a friend to LaCroix' son, yes?" asked Lei Kung.
	"Yeah. He and I are friends, sort of," replied Vachon warily. 
"Why?"
	"I would like you to bring him to me," stated Lei Kung, his tone of 
voice leaving no room for debate.
	"What do you want with Nick?" asked Vachon carefully.
	"That is not your concern," responded Lei Kung, as if the answer 
was of no consequence.
	"And if I don't bring him to you?" asked Vachon defiantly, not 
happy with Lei Kung's earlier answer.
	"Ah, but you must do as I request. Your continued existence, as 
you know it, is dependent upon it," answered Lei Kung, smiling 
malevolently.
	Jeez, this guy is almost as bad as LaCroix, thought Vachon. Not 
as intimidating, but most likely just as lethal. So, what's better, the devil 
you know, or the devil you don't know. "Nick is my friend. I don't want to 
see anything happen to him," he replied, trying to be a bit evasive.
	"The son is merely a path to the father. It is LaCroix that I want. 
The son's fate is unimportant," said Lei Kung dismissively.
	"Well, his fate is important to me," replied Vachon resolutely.
	"More important than your own?" inquired Lei Kung ominously.
	"I don't know about that," said Vachon, backing off a bit. He 
began to think he better play along with this guy, but he couldn't do a full 
reversal. That would be too suspicious. "Tell you what, just promise me 
you won't kill him."
	Lei Kung studied Vachon carefully. Then after a long pause, Lei 
Kung stated, "I will not be the cause of his death."
	"I have your word on that?" asked Vachon.
	"I have said as much," answered Lei Kung.
	"Okay, then. I guess we understand each other," replied Vachon.
	Lei Kung gestured to his associate Chang, who was standing 
with head bowed, slightly off to his right. Chang moved towards Vachon 
and handed him a small card. "Call this number when arrangements have 
been made," said Chang.
	"Sure, no problem," said Vachon, examining the card then 
placing it in his pocket.
	"I will expect to hear from you tomorrow night," stated Lei Kung. 
"Do not disappoint me."
	Vachon merely nodded, then watched as Lei Kung and his 
people departed. Vachon watched them fly off to the north, all the while 
wondering how he was going to get himself out of this mess. He had 
absolutely no intention of going against LaCroix, let alone leading Nick 
into some kind of trap. He was beginning to sense a little bit of what 
Tracy felt when Nick was kidnapped. He decided against seeing Tracy 
and instead, headed directly for the church. He needed to do some 
serious thinking.

===
Chapter Sixteen


	It was shortly after sunrise when Natalie set out from the 
Coroner's office for the Raven. She was in a foul mood. Ever since Nick 
had been kidnapped, she hadn't had a good night's sleep. She had been 
too worried about him. Being around LaCroix was stressing her out, and it 
didn't help when he amused himself at her expense. Then, as Nick's 
doctor, he doesn't even tell her what's going on. She didn't doubt for a 
second, that the moment he felt her usefulness to Nick was at an end, 
she wouldn't be able to get anywhere near him.
	Then on top of it all, she's being followed by some mysterious 
vampire, that is probably responsible for Nick's condition in the first place. 
And none of this takes into account how busy her job has been since all 
this started. Nine bodies in her morgue were directly related to this 
situation. Plus, she's been conducting extra research on the drug that 
was administered to Nick.
	As she pulled up in front of the Raven, she realized she had been 
fuming throughout the entire drive. I better get some kind of appreciation, 
and he better hope he never needs my help for anything, she continued 
to rage to herself. As she stepped out of the car and walked towards the 
front door, she forced herself to calm down. It wouldn't do to go in there 
raving like a lunatic, even if she was the only one who knew she was 
ranting.
	Her progress through the club and upstairs to the apartment was 
unimpeded. As she entered the living room, she saw LaCroix sitting in a 
chair. It looked like he was sorting through his mail. Looking around, Nick 
was nowhere to be seen.
	"Good morning, Doctor," said LaCroix pleasantly. "I trust you've 
had a fruitful night."
	She walked over and sat on the end of the couch where Nick 
usually sat. "And just what do you mean by that?" she asked 
suspiciously.
	Looking at her curiously, he replied, "why nothing at all, I assure 
you."
	"Humph," was her only reply.
	As she continued to stare at him, he finally asked, "is there a 
problem?"
	"How is Nick?" she asked, ignoring his question.
	"Sleeping," he answered. He continued to sort through his mail, 
looking for anything of interest. It was mostly bills and junk 
advertisements.
	"Is that all you have to say?" she asked, slightly incredulous.
	"And just what would you have me say?" he responded 
inquiringly, still paying more attention to his mail than to her.
	"I understand Reese was here earlier, to take his statement. At 
least until you threw them out," she said, almost accusatory.
	LaCroix stopped what he was doing and centered his complete 
attention on her. "They were here without my permission," he tersely 
replied.
	"How did he handle it?" she asked. At LaCroix' glare, she 
continued, "did it upset him?"
	"Doctor, if you wish to check on Nicholas, then do so," he said, 
gesturing towards the hallway.
	"Was Reese here before or after your little radio interview?"
	"Before," he replied, dropping his mail on the table and leaning 
back in his chair. "I was not aware that you were in the habit of listening, 
Doctor."
	"Normally, I'm not," she replied. "But when I was told you were on 
the air, I just had to tune in. I have to tell you I was surprised." At his 
questioning gaze, she continued, "I would have thought you would have 
had other things on your mind."
	"Oh? And did I disappoint you?" he asked arrogantly.
	"Tell me, that one caller. He's the one who's after you, isn't he?" 
LaCroix just looked at her without answering. "Did you plan that show, 
expecting he would call in? Is that what that was all about?"
	Smiling with pure satisfaction, he replied, "Doctor, some things 
are best kept to one's self."
	"Was Nick listening?" she asked.
	His smile was immediately replaced by a concerned frown. "It is 
difficult to completely mask one's intentions. I had hoped he would sleep 
through the broadcast, but he felt compelled to tune in, I'm afraid."
	"Was he upset?"
	"He's fine."
	"Is that fine, as in, he'll be okay? Or fine, as in, ready to go back 
to work?" she inquired.
	"You tell me, Doctor," he said seriously.
	"I have his blood tests from early this evening. The drug has 
almost completely dissipated. I'm going to do another test this morning, 
but I don't expect to find it completely gone. At least not yet. Maybe in a 
couple of days. However, it's already down to such trace amounts that 
any affects on his body should be nearly gone," she explained.
	"That is gratifying," he commented.
	"But I wouldn't release him back to work just yet," she further 
explained. "He should rest a few more days and make sure his strength 
has fully returned."
	"Easier said than done," he replied with a sigh.
	"Well, for someone as old and powerful as you, I'm sure you can 
handle it," she remarked with a smirk. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she 
said, rising and heading down the hall.
	She was actually feeling a little better than when she first arrived. 
Entering Nick's room, he was lying with his back to her. She sat on the 
edge of the bed, put her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. 
"Nick," she called softly to him. "Nick, wake up."
	He woke up almost immediately. Opening his eyes, he rolled 
onto his back. "Natalie, what time is it?" he asked, turning his head to 
look at the clock on the stand by the bed.
	"It's very early, and you should be asleep," she said, as she took 
hold of his wrist and pushed his sleeve up.
	"Then why did you wake me?" he asked, fighting to keep his 
eyes open.
	Leaning down close to his ear, she whispered, "I need some 
blood." As she straightened up, she tied the rubber strap around his arm.
	Watching, as she inserted the needle into his arm, he replied, "I 
think we have this a little backwards, don't you?"
	Laughing, she labeled the vial and placed it in her bag. "Maybe, 
but I think I like it better this way."
	Turning serious, he asked, "why do you still need blood 
samples? I thought I was okay now."
	"You are," she was quick to assure him. "But your system's not 
entirely clean of the drug yet." At his worried look, she continued, "almost, 
but not quite."
	"How long before it's gone?" he asked.
	"Completely gone, maybe a few more days. But it's practically 
down to traces. The last vestiges affecting your system should be gone, if 
not by now, in the next four to eight hours. That's my best guess," she 
said, smiling encouragingly at him.
	That wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear. It wasn't really bad 
news, he just wanted it to be over. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "when 
will I stop feeling so tired all the time?"
	"Sorry, Nick. That's the few days part. You just need to get plenty 
of sleep. Your body's been through quite an ordeal. It takes time to heal," 
she explained.
	"Nat, I'm a vampire. We're suppose to heal fast," he replied.
	"And your injuries have. Some things run a little deeper," she 
replied. Seeing the skeptical look on his face, she said, "if it makes you 
feel any better, if you were a regular mortal, you'd be dead."
	"That doesn't make me feel better," he responded. Rubbing his 
eyes some more, he closed them a long moment. He opened them when 
he felt Natalie press her palm to his forehead. "Do I have a fever or 
something?"
	Smiling, she answered, "no. You're fine, really. You just need to 
go back to sleep. I'm going back to the lab to run these tests, and then 
I'm headed home myself." He just looked at her through half open eyes. 
Standing up, she leaned down and gently kissed his forehead. "Sweet 
dreams," she said, then rose and left the room.
	Sighing, he rolled onto his side. Closing his eyes, he swiftly 
returned to sleep.

	LaCroix had barely finished seeing the doctor out when the 
phone rang. Answering it quickly, he spoke into the receiver, "yes."
	"You should have told me about Nicholas," came the accusatory 
reply.
	"Perhaps. And now that you obviously know, do you have any 
information for me?" he questioned in response.
	"I have a name and an address for you. The name is Lei Kung, 
and the house is just north of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, between Merton 
and Balliol," said Aristotle brusquely. "I suggest you check it out first thing 
this evening."
	"I will do just that," replied LaCroix. He committed the address to 
memory, then placed a few calls to alert the others that there would be a 
raid at sunset. He told them to meet him at the cemetery, and he would 
give them the address then. He wasn't about to run the risk that his 
opponent might be forewarned.
	Having accomplished that, LaCroix checked on Nicholas, saw 
that he was sleeping soundly, and headed for bed himself. He wanted to 
be well rested for tonight, for his long overdue meeting with Lei Kung. He 
was sure he had recognized him when he called into his radio show, and 
Aristotle confirmed it, not that it really needed confirming.

	The neck before him was long and slender. The chin was tilted to 
the side, stretching the milky white skin taut. He could see the slight 
throbbing, and smell the blood as it coursed through the vein just beneath 
his lips. His mouth watered at the imaginings of the exquisite taste that 
was to be his. Taking a deep breath, he plunged his fangs into the 
smooth, sweet contours. The aroma enflamed his nostrils as the hot 
blood gushed into his mouth, intensifying his taste buds into near 
ecstasy. He bit deeper, sucking the life giving essence into his very 
being. He felt his soul expand, and become enveloped in an all 
encompassing rapture. He had never experienced anything as profound 
as this, and he didn't want it to stop. The more he drank, the deeper his 
hunger. It gnawed at him with a rapaciousness that wouldn't let go. Again 
he bit deeper, increasing the flow of blood into his mouth, seeking to quell 
the growing hunger pangs as they warred with the rapturous elixir 
coursing down his throat. Biting deeper yet, he felt the stabbing sensation 
begin in his stomach and rapidly intensify until his entire abdomen was 
caught in the throes of an unsatiable appetite.
	As the pain finally became unbearable, with a final growl of 
frustration, Nick woke. He sat up in bed, his eyes tightly closed. He could 
still taste the blood from his dreams, coursing down his throat. His mouth 
still watered at the imagined delight. He opened his eyes as his stomach 
experienced an all too real contraction. He felt like he was starving. It 
must be the dream, he thought. Another spasm briefly hit him, causing 
him to almost double over in pain.
	He kicked the blankets off, and single-mindedly of purpose, 
headed straight for the kitchen. He practically ripped the door of the 
refrigerator open, and grabbed the first bottle he laid his hands on. 
Removing the cork with his teeth, he upended the bottle and proceeded 
to chug the contents as quickly as he could. The taste of the cold blood 
was nowhere near the intensity of his dream, but it immediately quelled 
his stomach into submission.
	He finished the first bottle, and much less desperately, opened a 
second. As he drank from this bottle, he felt the hunger melt away. He 
leaned his back against the wall, and allowed himself to slide to the floor. 
He was sitting there, about halfway through the second bottle when 
LaCroix found him.
	"Nicholas, what are you doing down there?" asked LaCroix, 
expressing concern.
	"I woke up, and I was hungry," he answered, taking another 
swallow from the bottle.
	LaCroix eyed the other empty bottle sitting on the counter, and 
noted the concentration with which Nicholas was according the bottle in 
his hand. "Is there something I should know?" he asked cautiously.
	In response, Nick just shook his head negatively and continue to 
drink a few more mouthfuls.
	Crouching down to his son's level, LaCroix looked him in the eye 
and said, "tell me what this is about."
	Looking at LaCroix, Nick lowered the bottle. Gripping it in both 
hands, he answered, "I woke up and was hungry." LaCroix looked at him 
as if he expected him to continue, so he said, "I felt like I was starving."
	"And how do you feel now?" asked LaCroix, still expressing 
concern.
	Hesitating as if he were unsure, Nick finally responded, "better, I 
think." LaCroix raised his eyebrow as if to say 'you think'? At LaCroix' 
look, Nick self-consciously replied, "I'm much better, really. I don't feel 
like I'm starving any more."
	"Are you going to finish?" asked LaCroix, indicating the bottle 
Nick still gripped tightly in his hands.
	In reply, Nick drank some more from the bottle. Then he closed 
his eyes and raised one hand to his forehead. Now that the crushing 
sensation of hunger was gone, it was being replaced by an equally 
intense fatigue. This did not go unnoticed by his father.
	"Come, let us return to bed," said LaCroix, holding out his hand to 
help Nick to his feet. Nick just gripped the bottle tightly and looked back 
at LaCroix as if he weren't sure what he should do. "You may bring that 
with you," replied LaCroix, indicating the bottle of blood.
	Nick allowed LaCroix to assist him to his feet and lead him back 
to bed. He had been unwilling to relinquish his hold on the bottle and 
LaCroix practically had to pry it from his fingers. He then prominently set 
it on the bedside table, easily within reach. Once Nick was settled, 
LaCroix turned to leave. He was stopped at the door by Nick calling to 
him, "LaCroix."
	Turning back towards his son, he replied, "yes." Nicholas didn't 
answer. LaCroix walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. "Is there 
something more you want to tell me?" He could tell that there was, just by 
looking into his son's eyes.
	Nick, on his part, was unwilling to confide his dream to his father. 
He wasn't sure what he found more disturbing. The fact that he had even 
had the dream in the first place, or the fact that he enjoyed it as much as 
he did. To answer LaCroix, he finally said, "no. I'm fine."
	"Would you like me to stay with you until you return to sleep?" 
asked LaCroix solicitously.
	Nick thought about it for a moment, then replied, "no, that's all 
right. I can go back to sleep by myself."
	"Very well," said LaCroix, rising to leave the room. "You will call 
me if you need me?" Nick nodded, and rolled onto his stomach. With a 
final look, LaCroix returned to his own rooms. He knew there was more 
that Nicholas was not telling him. Well, he would just keep a closer eye 
on him to ensure there was no serious problem that needed his attention. 
With that thought firmly in mind, he returned to his own bed. He was very 
much looking forward to this evening.

===
Chapter Seventeen


	LaCroix had left Nicholas alone in the apartment when he 
headed out for the cemetery. He had instructed Marcus to send Urs up 
as soon as she arrived. He had checked on him before leaving, and it 
looked as if he hadn't stirred a muscle since returning to sleep. He was a 
little concerned about Nicholas' seeming ravenous hunger in the middle 
of the day. Just to be on the safe side, he had also left orders that Dr. 
Lambert not be allowed upstairs until his return, regardless of any 
additional instructions from Nicholas.
	Looking around, LaCroix noticed that most everyone had arrived. 
There were a few yet to come. In total, there should be about ten in all. 
Probably a bit of an overkill, he thought humorously, but he had left his 
best security people at the Raven to guard Nicholas, just in case this 
turned out to be a diversion. He did not believe that Aristotle would 
purposefully mislead him, but he was all too aware of how easy it was to 
deceive.
	Turning to the man standing closest to him, LaCroix ordered, 
"Garth, you will come with me. The rest of you will remain here until we 
check out this address." The others all nodded their agreement, as 
LaCroix said to Garth, "let us go."
	LaCroix and Garth rose into the night sky, flying north out of the 
cemetery. As they neared the neighborhood of the address given, they 
could hear sirens in the distance. Flying closer, they could see the 
houses and the sky awash with flashing lights. They landed some 
distance away and walked towards the disturbance, which just happen to 
coincide with their destination.
	They got close enough to confirm that the emergency vehicles 
and all the surrounding activity was centered at the same address to 
which they were planning their own little raid. The structure was aflame. 
They could smell the smoke and see the flames roaring out one side of 
the house. In addition to all the fire trucks, there were numerous police 
vehicles surrounding the immediate area. Standing behind the fire lines, 
LaCroix could see what looked like swat teams. Further off to the side, he 
saw Captain Reese issuing orders and directing men.
	"Go to the others and have everyone return to the Raven," he 
ordered the man accompanying him.
	"Yes, sir. But what about all this?" asked Garth.
	"I will handle this, now go," he snapped. Surveying the scene, he 
reined in his anger and frustration. His original plan was obviously no 
longer in effect. He needed to find out what happened, and where Lei 
Kung was, or had gone.
	Having not wasted any time, Garth had already disappeared 
down the street. LaCroix turned his attentions to Captain Reese. 
Focusing in on his location, he carefully made his way through the 
gathered crowds towards what looked like a hastily erected command 
post. By the time he reached this area, he heard a loud noise as a portion 
of the structure collapsed from the fire. More fire trucks seemed to be 
arriving and the firemen were spreading out more around the area.
	The house was fairly well isolated from any neighboring 
dwellings. It sat on a large lot, well back from the street. It was 
surrounded by trees and hedges. Some of the trees closest to the house 
had caught fire, and some of the firemen were focusing their efforts there, 
in an attempt to keep the fire from spreading further outward.
	As he stood, watching the activity around him, he heard himself 
being addressed, "and just what are you doing here, Mr. LaCroix?"
	"Good evening, Captain. I was just about to ask you the same," 
he replied.
	"I don't suppose you know anything about this, do you?" asked 
Reese sarcastically.
	"No, I don't," he replied acerbically. "Would you mind telling me 
what happened here?"
	"Before I do, why don't you tell me what brings you to this 
neighborhood, at this particular time," said Reese, suggesting that 
LaCroix knew more than he was admitting.
	"I was just out for an evening stroll when I noticed all the activity," 
replied LaCroix, innocently.
	"Yeah, right. And I'm the tooth fairy," remarked Reese.
	Annoyed, LaCroix responded, "surely, Captain, you're not 
suggesting I am responsible for this, are you?"
	"I don't know what I'm suggesting," replied Reese. They were 
momentarily interrupted while Reese conferred with some of his men and 
issued more instructions. Turning back to LaCroix, he continued, "but I 
certainly don't believe it's a coincidence that you just happen to be here 
right now."
	"Why don't you fill me in, and then perhaps I may be able to offer 
some assistance," suggested LaCroix.
	"Fine," snapped Reese. "Hold on a minute, don't leave," ordered 
Reese to LaCroix, as he walked towards one of his lieutenants. After a 
brief conference, Reese returned to where LaCroix was impatiently 
waiting. "Let's go over here, out of the way," he said, indicating an area 
across the street.
	A few moments later, once they were out of the main area of 
activity, Reese asked, "do you want to tell me why you're here first?"
	"No," answered LaCroix tersely.
	Reese gave him a measuring stare, then finally said, "okay. 
Here's what went down. Bissett and Clarke traced this Mr. Black. His real 
name was Timothy Parry. We then connected him to a company called 
Thunder Laboratories, out of Hong Kong. The president of the company 
is a Mr. Chao Lee. A little more digging turned up this address. It was 
rented about two months ago, by a Mr. Huo Chang, also from Hong 
Kong. Mr. Chang, on the rental application, said he worked at Thunder 
Labs and listed their Toronto address as a reference. He said the house 
would be occupied by the company president, this Mr. Chao Lee. This is 
apparently Mr. Lee's first time out of Asia. Does any of this ring a bell for 
you?" asked Reese, pausing in his explanation.
	"I'm finding it all very interesting, Captain. Do continue," he said 
insistently.
	"Yeah, okay. Anyway, we decided to pay a little visit on this Mr. 
Lee or Mr. Chang. Our officers arrived early this afternoon and no one 
appeared to be home, or at least they weren't answering the door. We 
got a search warrant and returned. Again, no one answered, so we let 
ourselves in. That's when all this happened. Fortunately, none of our 
officers were injured in the explosions," commented Reese, gratefully.
	"Explosions?" prompted LaCroix.
	"Apparently, assuming these are the people we're looking for, 
that little car bomb they left with Nick wasn't the extent of their abilities. 
Somehow, they had the doors and windows rigged with small explosive 
devices. Not enough to really do any major damage, but enough to keep 
you from walking through them. There's no telling what else may be 
rigged in there," he said, indicating the still burning building. And as if to 
emphasize his statement, a small explosion was heard in the back of the 
house. "See what I mean? We don't dare send anyone in there, and 
whatever evidence may be in the house, is probably going to be lost."
	"What about any occupants?" asked LaCroix, not really expecting 
that Reese would know anything, but curious nonetheless.
	"When the explosions first started, some of the men thought they 
had seen movement, but couldn't definitively say they saw anyone. No 
one has left the house, so if there was anyone in there, well, I'm not 
holding my breath on finding them alive," sighed an obviously frustrated 
police captain.
	LaCroix had his own theories on that. It was already well past 
sunset. The small rigged explosions obviously delayed any entries into 
the house, leaving the occupants undetected. As soon as it became dark, 
he was sure they found a way to flee, unseen, into the night. But where 
did they go? While Lei Kung may be moving around the city undetected, 
apparently Chao Lee was not. This shouldn't be too difficult, he thought.
	"Now it's your turn," said Reese, a questioning look on his face.
	"It would seem that I know no more than you," replied LaCroix, 
casually.
	"You want to tell me how you got this address?" asked Reese, 
really wanting an answer.
	"Like you, my sources ran across the name Thunder 
Laboratories and traced it to this address," explained LaCroix.
	"I don't suppose you want to tell me who these sources are?" 
suggested Reese, not expecting to be told much of anything.
	"Obviously, Captain, your sources seemed to have served you 
well," replied LaCroix. At Reese's semi-confused expression, he further 
said, "after all, you were here first."
	Reese looked at LaCroix skeptically, then finally said, "well, I'm 
really sorry we didn't catch these guys. How's Nick doing?"
	Adjusting smoothly to the change in topics, LaCroix replied, 
"much better, I assure you. However, he is not ready to be subjected to 
further interrogations by you or your men."
	"I wasn't going to suggest that he was," replied Reese, annoyed 
at the implication. "I'm just concerned about him, that's all."
	LaCroix stared long and hard at the man in front of him. To his 
surprise, he believed the Captain was being genuine. "He truly is much 
better," said LaCroix, sincerely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return 
home."
	"Of course," replied Reese, "but perhaps you'll come down to the 
precinct later and we can continue this discussion."
	Smiling ironically, LaCroix merely replied, "perhaps." He then 
departed down the street, leaving Reese shaking his head behind him.
	On his way back to the Raven, he set down on Queen street, 
near a large video outlet. Entering the store, he asked the clerk to 
package a large order of popular videos. Knowing Nicholas' penchant for 
television and movies, he thought this might help keep him entertained 
and distracted during his waking hours.
	While the clerk was preparing his order, he pulled out his cell 
phone and placed a call. At Feliks' greeting, he replied, "I need you to 
trace a Mr. Chao Lee, here in Toronto."
	"Of course. What is the connection?" asked Feliks.
	"I believe this man is also Lei Kung," replied LaCroix. "He has 
apparently just fled his residence and relocated elsewhere. I need to 
know where."
	"I'll get back to you as soon as I have something," said Feliks.
	LaCroix disconnected the call and was just returning the cell 
phone to his pocket when the clerk arrived with his order. "I hope these 
selections are what you're looking for?" said the clerk.
	"I'm sure they will be fine," answered LaCroix absently, as he 
handed the clerk his credit card. The clerk ran the card through the 
machine, and having obtained the approval, presented the receipt to 
LaCroix for his signature. As LaCroix signed the ticket, the clerk returned 
his card to him and handed him the large bag of movies.
	"Thank you, sir. Come again," said the clerk, to LaCroix' 
retreating back.,
	Standing outside the store, LaCroix looked up and down the 
street. It seemed unusually busy. A steady stream of cars were passing 
in both directions, and there were numerous pedestrians out and about. 
Not wanting to have to bother to find a private space to take to the air, 
LaCroix flagged down a passing taxi for the short ride to the Raven.
	The doorman at the club, having already been apprised of the 
evenings happenings, did seem a bit surprised as LaCroix exited the cab 
in front of the club, but he certainly knew better than to say anything.
	LaCroix made his way through the club. Marcus moved to the 
end of the bar to meet him. "How is everything?" asked the bartender.
	"You tell me?" inquired LaCroix. "I take it all is well here."
	"All quiet. The others got back awhile ago," he added.
	"Is Urs upstairs?" he asked.
	"Yes. She arrived just after you left," he assured LaCroix. "What's 
with the package?" inquired Marcus curiously.
	"Nothing," indicated LaCroix. "Just a little something for 
Nicholas."
	"So, what happened back there?" asked Marcus, referring to Lei 
Kung's house.
	Briefly, LaCroix filled him in on the pertinent details. After 
finishing, he said, "I want the others to stick around and stay ready. As 
soon as I hear back from Feliks, I may want to move on it immediately. 
You will inform them."
	"I'll take care of it. They'll be ready," assured Marcus.
	"Good," said LaCroix. "I'll be upstairs."
	"Oh, by the way," said Marcus, causing LaCroix to pause and 
turn back to him. "That Dr. Lambert was by, and she was pretty upset 
that she couldn't see Nick. I told her you would call her when you got 
back. That seemed to calm her down a bit."
	"I will be sure to do so then," replied LaCroix, smiling to himself. 
As he headed upstairs, he could just imagine the Doctor's little tirade. But 
it wouldn't due to leave her in that state for long. No telling the lengths 
she would go to in order to get around him. And if Nicholas should think 
he was purposely trying to keep them separated, well, that could get out 
of hand quickly.
	Entering the apartment, he saw Nicholas on the couch, watching 
television and drinking from a large cup clutched tightly in his hands. Urs 
rose from her chair as he entered, and he left the door open for her to 
leave. Nicholas didn't look at him, but kept his eyes focused on the 
television. Addressing Urs, he asked, "is everything all right here?"
	Glancing at Nick from the corner of her eye, she turned to 
LaCroix and said, "oh, yeah. Everything's just fine. I'll be downstairs if you 
need me." From her manner, he assumed Nicholas must have given her 
some difficulty, but whatever it was, there was no evidence of a problem 
lingering.
	With Urs gone, he walked over to the couch and sat next to 
Nicholas, who still hadn't acknowledged him. He said, "and how are you 
feeling?" Nick finally turned to him, glaring, but didn't speak. "Nicholas," 
said LaCroix warningly, with a look on his face that said he was expecting 
an answer.
	Finally, Nick said sulkily, "I don't like waking up to find you gone 
and her here."
	"You don't like Urs?" asked LaCroix, ignoring his son's sullen 
tone.
	"That's not it," replied Nick. At LaCroix' questioning look, he 
continued, "I resent you thinking I need a nursemaid, because I don't. I'm 
fine, and I've been telling you I'm fine. I don't know why you won't believe 
me."
	"Just to clarify the situation, Urs is not here because I think you 
need a nursemaid. If it makes you feel any better, she is here more for 
my benefit than for yours," he explained. At Nick's confused look, he 
continued, "I am quite aware that you don't need a nursemaid. It makes 
me feel better to know you are not here alone, just in case something 
should come up."
	"Like what?" he challenged.
	"If I could predict that, I suppose I wouldn't need her here," 
replied LaCroix, a bit lightheartedly. "If it will make you feel better, I won't 
ask her to sit with you any longer." At Nick's continued annoyed 
expression, LaCroix handed him the package he still carried. "Here, I 
brought you something."
	"What's this?" asked Nick, setting down his cup to take the 
package, then opening it. LaCroix rose from the couch, taking off his 
coat. He walked to the closet and deposited it within. He turned back to 
face Nick as he was asked, "you think I'm going to be here long enough 
to watch all these?"
	"Not necessarily. I thought you may prefer a selection to choose 
from," replied LaCroix, deftly sidestepping the real question. Then to 
change the subject, he said, "if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to 
go call your doctor friend."
	"Natalie? What for?" asked Nick, a little concerned.
	"She dropped by earlier tonight and was a little upset that I had 
left instructions to not allow her to see you," said LaCroix calmly. Before 
Nick had a chance to voice his objections, he continued, "after this 
afternoon, I didn't want to chance her dropping by if you were having a 
problem controlling your hunger."
	Whatever Nick had been about to say, he changed his mind. He 
looked down at the cup on the table in front of him. Confused thoughts 
rushed through his mind, easily read upon his face. "So, what are you 
going to tell her?" he asked.
	"The truth, unless there was something else you would prefer I 
say to her," he inquired curiously.
	Nick just shook his head negatively, and said, "that's fine."
	"And how is your appetite?" he cautiously asked.
	Nick just shrugged, and said, "it's fine. I don't know what came 
over me earlier, but I'm fine now."
	"How much have you drank since you arose?"
	"This is my second cup," he replied.
	"Unless you have any objections, I am going to ask her to restrict 
her visits to come only when I am here. If there should be a problem 
while I am gone, I do not think Urs capable of preventing a regrettable 
situation from developing," he said. At Nick's quiet assent, he retired to 
his den to call Dr. Lambert.

===
Chapter Eighteen


	"Imbeciles! Idiots! How was this allowed to happen?!" shouted Lei 
Kung, his anger evident in his uncharacteristically loud voice. He had 
been raging at them for the past half hour. He was only now showing 
signs of calming, at least enough for excuses to be made.
	None of them knew how the Metro police department came to be 
knocking on their door. And they were all blissfully unaware that had the 
police not shown up when they did, they would have been subjected to 
an even more unwelcome intrusion by the man their master most 
desperately sought.
	"Master, we do not know how this came about," said Chang, the 
only one daring to speak.
	"And how do I know it will not happen again? The authorities may 
come knocking at this door any minute. How are we to safeguard against 
this?" he demanded.
	They were all silent, standing before Lei Kung with bowed heads, 
expecting him to reach out with his anger at any time. He lost his temper 
often, and when he did, it was fierce.
	Lei Kung was struggling to control himself. He must maintain his 
equilibrium. He must not allow his emotion to control his actions. That 
was a certain path to destruction. How often had he taught that lesson, 
he reminded himself. LaCroix was responsible for this. He must be. Mere 
mortals were certainly not intelligent enough to have tracked him 
unaided. This he truly believed.
	And he had thought himself so smart, to force LaCroix to work 
with the mortals' police. He thought their involvement would hinder his 
efforts against him. Once again, the General has turned this adversity to 
his own advantage and used this weakness against him. Lei Kung was 
shaken, more than he was willing to admit.
	He knew how dangerous his plan was when he first thought to 
leave the security of China to seek revenge on the General. He had been 
planning this for years, ever since finding out LaCroix was responsible for 
the death of Le Loi. He knew, going into this, if he missed on his first 
strike, he may not get another chance. And miss he did. Mr. Black had 
not failed him before, but never had he been hired to perform such an 
exacting task of such importance. In retrospect, Lei Kung knew he should 
have handled the son himself. Now, his only chance of succeeding lay in 
once again getting the son within his grasp.
	If he thought fleeing back to China would secure his own safety, 
he would even consider that as an option. But he knew that the General 
would follow him. He had come too close to killing the son to be allowed 
any mercy. He knew that, so refused to even consider flight as an option. 
His thoughts turned to his meeting last night with that Vachon. If he can 
be made to deliver the son, there was still a chance.
	"Wen," he shouted suddenly, startling all present.
	"Yes, master," replied Wen quickly, not sure what to expect.
	"You will need to make contact with this Vachon. Make sure he 
follows through with our understanding," ordered Lei Kung.
	"Yes, master. With your permission, I will leave to take care of 
this at once," replied Wen.
	"You may go," said Lei Kung, dismissing him. After Wen had left, 
Lei Kung turned to the others and said, "make sure this house is secure. 
We don't want any more unwelcome visitors."
	There was a murmuring of "yes, master" as his men quickly 
vacated the room to do his bidding, grateful to be out of his presence. Lei 
Kung watch them go, and when alone, wearily walked to his desk and 
sat. Placing his elbows on the desktop, and holding his head in his 
hands, he despaired as to how he was to recover from his current 
situation. He was just realizing that he was in over his head, and he was 
no match for the General. But his back was against the wall. He had no 
choice but to continue forward, and hope for the best.

-- Start flashback, Hsi Hsia 1226 --

	The final campaign to conquer this kingdom, north of the Sung 
Empire, had begun in earnest by the Mongol hordes. Genghis Khan 
himself, was once again leading his armies into battle. Lei Kung had 
come north, as an emissary, to Hsi Hsia many years ago, when the 
Mongols first began their raids. He was to help this kingdom defeat them, 
and keep them from descending into the land of the Sung's.
	He was successful for only a short time, before he had crossed 
paths with LaCroix. Since that night, many years ago, he had sought out 
as much information as could be found. He discovered that LaCroix was 
a general in the Khan's army, and a trusted advisor. It was never known 
when or where he would be about, not even by the Khan himself. His 
spies told him that LaCroix was a great Roman general and had taught 
Genghis much about the art of war. All who met him, feared him. It was 
said that he feasted on the blood of his enemies.
	Lei Kung believed all this to be true. His meeting with LaCroix, 
those many years ago, was the first he had encountered another like 
himself. He did not know that others existed. One night, many lifetimes 
past when he was still a mere mortal, he had been savagely attacked and 
left for dead. When he awoke later that night, he was changed. He never 
knew what had attacked him, or how the change had come about. He 
believed it a gift bestowed upon him by the gods and that he was now a 
god himself.
	He feasted upon the mortals, as was his right. Sometimes, the 
mortal woke changed. He did not know how this occurred, but again 
believed it to be the work of the gods. These creations of his were so 
rare, and it was so satisfying to have one like himself for companionship, 
that he allowed himself to become overly possessive of his children. 
Whenever he lost them he was left in a state of crushing despair. He 
would strike out at anything and everything that he blamed for their loss.
	To a much lesser extent, he also reserved these feelings for his 
devoted mortal servants. They were his. He, and only he, could decide 
their fate. LaCroix had taken the two he had sought to save. He did not 
forgive, nor forget. Tonight, he intended to meet this Roman general once 
again. His spies told him that he had been seen in the Mongol camps, 
and he was expected to participate in tonight's battle.
	The battle was raging all around him, spread in all directions. Lei 
Kung rose into the air and flew over the midst of it, searching. It did not 
take long before he found the one he sought. The General was with the 
armies on the western flank. From midpoint of a tall hill, he sat astride his 
horse, directing the fray below him. He was surrounded by Mongols, 
eager to do his bidding. Lei Kung waited, as the battle was almost over. 
The Mongols were savagely killing all in sight. Once again, there would 
be no survivors.
	Shortly, he watched the General signal to his men, then turn his 
horse and head further up the hill, towards his location. 'Did LaCroix 
know he was here?' he thought confused. 'How would that be possible?' 
His confusion left him as LaCroix rode past his position and continued 
further up the hill. Warily, Lei Kung followed him.
	They continued over the ridge and down into a small copse of 
trees, shielded on most sides by large boulders. Reaching a small 
clearing, LaCroix alit from his horse and purposefully strode past the 
trees and into a cave-like opening in the boulders. Lei Kung landed in the 
clearing, looking towards the aperture that he assumed led into the 
General's lair. Thinking the other trapped inside, he prepared to ambush 
him upon his exit.
	As Lei Kung eagerly lay in wait, he was suddenly surprised by a 
displacement of air directly behind him, accompanied by a hostile 
presence. Leaping up from his hiding place, he turned to see LaCroix 
standing behind him, grinning at him malevolently. Astonished, he 
blurted, "how is this possible?"
	"Surely, you did not truly believe that I was not aware of your 
presence?" asked LaCroix, with amusement.
	"You knew I followed you?" he asked hesitantly.
	"Of course," replied LaCroix arrogantly. Looking around, he 
continued, "in any event, your little trap would not have contained me. 
You really are quite naive."
	Enraged at the insult, Lei Kung flew at him, eyes glowing red and 
fangs extended, hoping to take him by surprise. LaCroix merely stepped 
aside and swatted him to the ground as one would an annoying insect.
	Chuckling, the General asked, "is that the best you can do?"
	Picking himself off the ground, Lei Kung once again stood to face 
LaCroix. Rushing at him, he was once again knocked to the ground. By 
this time, the General was laughing. Rising more slowly to his feet, Lei 
Kung angrily declared, "you won't get away with this. I will destroy you."
	"Oh, really," replied LaCroix sarcastically. "And just how to you 
plan on accomplishing this impossible feat?"
	Lei Kung stood glaring at him in impotent fury. He had always 
been stronger, and had always relied on this strength to defeat his 
enemies. It had become painfully obvious to him that LaCroix was much 
stronger and more practiced in the ways of using his powers. He had no 
idea how to go about defeating this General.
	After long minutes of them standing there staring at each other, 
LaCroix sighed and said, "it is nearing dawn and I tire of this little game. I 
suggest you take yourself wherever it is you go, and be done with this, or 
I will surely end it for you." This last was said deliberately.
	Frustrated, Lei Kung stated, "you have not won. You have not 
defeated me."
	Raising his eyebrows in amusement, LaCroix strode past Lei 
Kung. Taking the reins of his horse in his hand, he quickly remounted. He 
smiled disdainfully down at Lei Kung and replied, "I find you quite 
amusing, and therefore, I am allowing you to live. Do not make me regret 
this decision, for if you do, I assure you, I will kill you. Do not doubt me in 
this."
	Lei Kung watched as the General turned his horse and galloped 
back up towards the ridge. Shouting in frustrated rage, he yelled, "you 
have not defeated me." LaCroix paused at the top of the ridge, and 
looked back down towards where Lei Kung still stood. Their eyes met one 
last time, then LaCroix dug his heels into the side of his horse and 
disappeared from view.

-- End flashback --

	Natalie was nervous about driving over after dark. Ever since 
Vachon told her she was being followed, she went to work before sunset 
and went home after sunrise. She didn't feel safe by herself. But after 
receiving a call from LaCroix, she wanted to check Nick out and make 
sure he was okay. At first she was really angry. She thought LaCroix had 
just arbitrarily decided she wasn't of use any more and wasn't going to let 
her near Nick. But after hearing his explanation, she became concerned 
thinking there may be another problem that Nick hadn't told them about.
	The club was really busy, she noticed as she made her way 
towards the staircase in the back. LaCroix had obviously told the guards 
she was coming, as they did nothing to stop her as they had earlier.
	Walking into the living room, the first thing she noticed was how 
loud the television was. Nick was laying on the couch and had a large 
array of movies spread out over the coffee table. LaCroix was no where 
to be seen. "Could you turn that down?" she shouted at him, as she 
closed the door.
	Nick pointed the remote at the television, and turned it and the 
VCR off. "Hi, Nat," he said, pushing himself into a sitting position.
	"What's all this?" she asked, indicating the cluttered coffee table.
	"LaCroix picked them up for me," he answered pleasantly.
	"I see. And why so loud? Is there something wrong with your 
hearing?" she asked, sitting next to him on the couch, as he pulled his 
feet up to make room for her.
	"No," he said smiling. Then whispering conspiratorially, he said, 
"it keeps LaCroix out of here."
	"Oh, I see," she whispered back. "I take it he's here."
	"Yes, I am here," said LaCroix, as he strode into the room, 
casting an annoyed look at Nicholas, who just smiled innocently back at 
him.
	Getting down to business, Natalie said to Nick, "LaCroix told me 
about your control problem earlier. Are you all right now?"
	"I didn't have a control problem," he said, frowning at LaCroix.
	"So, you didn't wake up in the middle of the afternoon starving, 
and rush to devour almost two bottles of blood?" she asked, 
conversationally.
	"I wouldn't put it exactly like that," he replied.
	"Then how would you put it?" she asked.
	"I wasn't out of control, I was just hungry," he proclaimed. At her 
questioning look, he asked her, "haven't you ever woken up in the middle 
of the day, hungry?"
	"Yes, I have," she answered. "But it was usually because I didn't 
bother to eat before going to bed. That's not the case here, is it?"
	Nick frowned at her, and looked at her with an expression that 
said, 'why are you doing this?'
	"Look, I just want to make sure there's nothing wrong, that's all," 
she explained.
	"Well, there isn't," he said adamantly.
	"So, how do you feel now?" she inquired.
	Still a little miffed, he replied, "are you asking if want I really want 
is to sink my teeth into your neck and rip your throat out? Well I don't."
	"Nick, come on. This could be serious," she said, chiding him.
	"I am being serious. I'm fine. It was just an aberration, that's all," 
he said.
	"You're sure?" she asked.
	"Yes, I'm sure," he insisted.
	Natalie looked at LaCroix, who nodded and said, "so it would 
seem."
	Relieved, she looked back at Nick who seemed even more 
upset. "You won't take my word for it, but you'll take his," he accused her.
	"That is not true," she was quick to answer. "I believe you. We 
both believe you, isn't that right?" she asked, turning to LaCroix.
	"Of course," confirmed LaCroix, looking sincerely at Nicholas.
	Sighing, Nick gave in and accepted what they were saying. 
Turning back to Natalie he asked, "do you still need to do more tests?"
	"The test I ran this morning barely showed any traces of the drug. 
I expect the sample I'm going to take now will be virtually clean. In fact, 
your reaction earlier today could have been a result of the drug releasing 
the last of its' influence on your system. That may account for the sudden 
hunger," she said, thinking out loud. "I should be able to tell you more 
after this next test." As she had been talking, she had prepared the 
syringe. She now held out her hand, waiting for Nick to extend his arm to 
her.
	"How much longer are you going to do this?" said Nick, as he 
gave her his arm.
	"Assuming this tests fairly clean, instead of every 12 hours, we'll 
go to once every 24 hours for a few days. And if it stays clean, then we'll 
stop," she explained.
	"Why wouldn't it stay clean?" asked Nick curiously.
	"I'm sure it will, don't worry," she replied, pulling the needle from 
his arm. She quickly labeled the vial and placed it in her bag. Nick rubbed 
his arm where she had stuck him, and watched as the small hole 
dissolved away.
	As Natalie started to get up to leave, Nick asked her, "when can I 
go back to work?"
	Not really sure how to answer that, she carefully avoided looking 
at LaCroix before replying, "I'm not sure yet. I'll know more after I get the 
test results on this," she said, patting her bag to indicate the blood 
sample within.
	"Assuming it's clear of the drug, as you expect, when can I go 
back?" he asked, more insistently.
	"Look, Nick, I don't want to rush things. Even with the drug 
apparently gone, I think you should take a few of days and rest up. You 
need to regain your strength more," she answered, knowing full well this 
was not what he wanted to hear.
	"I've done nothing but sleep and rest for the last four or five days. 
I don't need any more rest. I need to go back to work," he stated 
adamantly.
	"Nicholas, you heard the doctor. I'm sure she only wants what's 
best," said LaCroix, sensing the argument beginning to brew.
	"I know what's best," he insisted.
	"Nicholas, we will discuss this after the doctor has left," stated 
LaCroix firmly. "Doctor?" he continued, gesturing towards the front door.
	"She should be here when we <discuss> this," said Nick 
resolutely.
	"The doctor has other concerns right now. You are not going to 
bully her into an early release," explained LaCroix.
	Just as Nick was about to reply, Natalie spoke up and said, 
"excuse me. I can speak for myself."
	"By all means," replied LaCroix.
	Turning to Nick, she said, "assuming this test turns out as I 
expect, I can give you a clean bill of health. What you do with that is up to 
you, but I <strongly> suggest that you take a few more days and get 
some rest before you decide to return to work."
	"So, you're not telling me I can't work," he asked.
	"No. I not saying you can't, I'm saying I don't think you should," 
she repeated. "Are you listening to what I am saying?" she asked, as it 
appeared he stopped listening when he heard what he wanted to hear.
	"I heard you," he said, calmer and smiling. "Thanks."
	"You're welcome," she said warily, "I think."
	Holding the door open for her, LaCroix sarcastically said, "yes. 
Let me thank you, Doctor. You've been a tremendous help."
	Natalie just glared at LaCroix as she left. She wasn't going to lie 
to Nick just to get him to do what LaCroix wanted him to, even if it was 
want she wanted as well. She told Nick what she thought he should do, 
and now it was up to him. She could tell by the look on their faces, that 
this wasn't over, and she was glad she was leaving.
	As soon as Natalie was gone, Nick announced, "I'm going back 
to work tomorrow night."
	"I think you should wait and decide after we have the results from 
tonight's blood test," said LaCroix reasonably.
	"Why? You heard Natalie. She expects it to be fine, and she 
practically said I was okay to return to work," replied Nick.
	"I also heard her say she didn't think you should go back just yet. 
She thought you should take a few more days and continue to rest, as do 
I," emphasized LaCroix.
	"I don't want to <rest> any more. I want to go back to work," 
argued Nick.
	"And why the rush to return to work?" demanded LaCroix, 
although he was sure he knew.
	"I want to help find this Lei Kung," answered Nick, a bit 
vehemently.
	"Absolutely not," snapped LaCroix. He understood why Nicholas 
would want to do this, and he was adamantly opposed to the risk 
involved.
	"Why not?" demanded Nick hotly.
	"You are not recovered enough to go in pursuit of anyone, let 
alone Lei Kung," stated LaCroix.
	"I'm fine, and I'm going to do this," insisted Nick.
	"And I forbid it," declared LaCroix. "You will stay here until I say 
otherwise."
	Nick was momentarily flabbergasted. Did he hear LaCroix right? 
He was forbidden to leave the apartment? Well, he would just see about 
that. "You can't forbid me," shouted Nick.
	Knowing his last statement would enrage his son, he had said it 
anyway. He didn't want any ambiguities existing that would allow 
Nicholas to believe he was going to be allowed to confront this adversary 
in any way. Making sure his voice was calm and measured, he replied, "I 
believe I just did, and you <will> obey me, Nicholas."
	"You told me earlier that you weren't going to force me to stay 
against my will. You said you were just asking me to stay. You said it was 
my choice," accused Nick.
	"I also recall saying that I hoped it did not come to my having to 
force you to stay, but by insisting you wish to leave, you give me no 
choice," explained LaCroix rationally.
	This explanation caused Nick to become even more angry. "Let 
me get this straight. As long as I agree to stay, then it's my choice. But 
the minute I decide I want to leave, then it's your choice. Is that how this 
works?"
	"Exactly, mon cher," said LaCroix, trying to soften the blow. This 
was not an argument he could afford Nicholas to win.
	Nick frowned at the spoken endearment. "Why must I stay?"
	"You truly need more rest. I can feel your tiredness even now," 
said LaCroix. "You can't possibly believe you are well enough to return to 
work."
	Nick thought about this. He was tired, and he really wasn't sure 
he was up to putting in a full shift, so he said, "okay. I'm willing to 
compromise. I'll only work half a shift, then I'll return here when I get off."
	"No," stated LaCroix adamantly.
	"You can't just keep saying no without giving me a good reason," 
insisted Nick.
	"But I can, and I will," said LaCroix. "You are not leaving the 
apartment, not for half a shift, not for an hour, not for a minute. Are we 
clear on this?"
	"No, we're not clear. You can't make me stay if I don't want to, 
and I don't want to," persisted Nick.
	"Nicholas, I assure you, I can make certain you do not leave 
here. To what extreme you force me is entirely up to you," warned 
LaCroix, mildly threatening.
	"I want to know why you're so insistent that I stay. And quit telling 
me it's because I need my rest. You don't care if I get enough sleep. I am 
not going to allow you to control me and tell me what I can or can not do. 
There's something more you're not telling me and I want to know what it 
is," raged Nick.
	Taking a deep breath, and straining to rein in his temper, LaCroix 
replied seethingly, "you ungrateful child. You have no idea the effort I 
have put forth to protect you."
	"Protect me from what? I don't need your protection. I can take 
care of myself," snarled Nick in response. It hurt to be called ungrateful, 
and it hurt that LaCroix didn't think he could take care of himself. Nick 
was the one that had been kidnapped, and given that debilitating drug. 
Now that the effects had worn off, he wanted to go after the person 
responsible. It was his right.
	"Oh, really. So tell me, if you can take such good care of yourself, 
then why did I have to spend an entire day, sitting in a small room with 
your Captain and co-workers, while some petty criminal dictated that I 
procure him two million dollars in diamonds? Which I did. Just how were 
you taking care of yourself while I was doing this?" demanded LaCroix. 
Watching Nicholas closely, he saw some of the anger leave his face, but 
continuing on, he further demanded, "and how were you taking care of 
yourself when I pulled you from that burning car, moments before it 
exploded. An explosion, I might add, that would have certainly ended 
your existence."
	Sounding not as sure of himself, Nick replied, "I was drugged. 
That was different."
	"I see," said LaCroix, nodding his head in understanding. "And 
tell me, how were you taking care of yourself as this drug was 
administered. Answer me that," he also demanded.
	"I could have gotten away," said Nick.
	"Then why didn't you?" asked LaCroix.
	Quietly, he replied, "they were going to kill Tracy. I couldn't let 
that happen."
	"Allowing yourself to be killed instead was better?" asked LaCroix 
incredulously.
	"I didn't know they were going to drug me," shouted Nick in 
frustration. "They were mortal. How was I suppose to know they had 
titanium chains, or a drug that would incapacitate me?"
	"Indeed, how were you to know? That rather proves my point, 
don't you think?" asked LaCroix, satisfied that he was getting his 
message across.
	"No. It proves nothing. Now that I know what to expect, I can 
protect myself," concluded Nick. "I want to find Lei Kung."
	Frustrated and angry, LaCroix shouted at him, "absolutely not. 
He is too dangerous and I will not allow you to place yourself in jeopardy."
	"I am not afraid of him," Nick shouted back at him.
	"I know you're not," replied LaCroix hotly. "And that is precisely 
the problem."
	LaCroix' statement took him by surprise. He didn't know how to 
respond. His anger was replaced by confusion. "I don't understand. You 
think I should fear him?"
	"A little caution now and then, would not hurt," replied LaCroix, 
sighing in exasperation. Looking at Nicholas' dumbfounded expression, 
he said, "why is it that you think you're always getting into these 
situations where I am forced to extricate you?" Nicholas continued to 
stare at him, not answering. "You simply do not fear those situations 
which you should."
	"Whatever happened to 'you need never fear again'," quipped 
Nick.
	"I obviously never expected you to take me quite so literally," 
replied LaCroix. "And since when did you start listening to me anyway?"
	"I don't ignore everything you say," said Nick defensively.
	"Well, if you would listen to me more, you wouldn't be in this 
situation in the first place. You most certainly would not have allowed 
yourself to be taken captive," he lectured. LaCroix raised his hand to stop 
Nick's rebuttal, and exasperatedly he said, "yes, yes, I know. They were 
going to kill your partner and you couldn't let that happen."
	"So just what are you saying?" asked Nick.
	"I don't expect you to start going around being afraid of 
everything that challenges you, but I do wish you would learn a little 
caution and take the time to think situations through a little better, before 
you leap head first into them," he explained calmly.
	Sighing in acknowledgment of having lost this argument, Nick 
said, "so you think I should be afraid of Lei Kung, and I should hide out 
here until you've taken care of him."
	"I wouldn't phrase it exactly that way, but basically, yes," he 
confirmed.
	"Well, I am not afraid of him, and I don't want to hide out here 
while everyone else is out looking for him. I am not helpless and I don't 
need to be protected," he raged a little more, knowing that LaCroix was 
not going to change his mind.
	"Nicholas, this is my fight, not yours. Lei Kung seeks to use you 
as a weapon against me. I believe he will use all his resources to try to 
get to you again, and I will not allow that," stated LaCroix forcefully." I am 
asking you to comply with my wishes, and stay here."
	"It's not like you're really giving me a choice," he lamented.
	"You have a choice, mon fils," replied LaCroix gently. "How easy 
or hard you make this is entirely up to you."
	After a long moment, sounding defeated Nick replied, "fine, I'll 
stay."
	"Good," smiled LaCroix benevolently, pleased that Nicholas had 
given in. He really did not want to have to force him against his will, 
although he was prepared to do so. "Why don't you go to your room and 
get some rest," he suggested. "I know you're tired."
	Nick just frowned at him. He knew LaCroix thought he had won, 
and he actually had. He said, "I don't want to go to bed. I'm going to finish 
watching this movie." Turning away from his father, he sank back onto 
the couch. Reaching for the remote, he turned his movie back on, 
blasting the volume on high.
	LaCroix looked at Nicholas and rolled his eyes. Stubborn to the 
end, he thought. He returned to his den, more to get away from the racket 
generated by the television, then anything else. 
	Nick turned around and looked at the empty hallway when he 
sensed LaCroix had left. Sighing, he turned his unseeing eyes back to 
the television. Their argument had left him with a lot to think about, aside 
from how tired he was. But if he went to bed now, that would just give 
LaCroix more ammunition to use against him. He decided he would force 
himself to finish watching this movie, and then he would go back to bed.
	Over an hour later, LaCroix noticed the deafening sound from the 
television had ceased. He walked into the living room and saw that 
Nicholas' movie had ended, and his son was sound asleep on the couch. 
How could he possibly fall asleep with the volume so loud was beyond 
him, yet there he was.
	LaCroix turned off the television, and grasping Nicholas by the 
shoulder, shook him awake. Nick groggily opened his eyes, and fought 
for balance as LaCroix pulled him to his feet. "Go to bed," said LaCroix 
quietly into his ear, as he gave him a push towards his bedroom. He 
watched as Nicholas stumbled across the room and disappeared down 
the hallway. After spending a moment to straighten out the living room, 
he followed Nicholas to his room, where he found him sprawled face 
down in bed, sound asleep. Pulling the blankets over him, LaCroix just 
shook his head in bewilderment, then left him to sleep in peace.

===
Chapter Nineteen


	LaCroix was leaning against the bar, sipping on a glass of blood. 
Nicholas had only slept a few hours before waking, and insisting on 
watching his videos at full volume. Assuring himself that Nicholas was 
going to stay put, he had come downstairs to get away from the noise. 
The club was busy, and also noisy, but a clamor of a different type. This 
waiting was driving him crazy.
	"Hey, boss," said Marcus, capturing LaCroix' attention. "You have 
a phone call."
	Moving farther to the end of the bar, LaCroix snatched up the 
receiver impatiently, "yes."
	"I have another address for you," said Feliks, not sounding very 
confident.
	"Is there a problem?" asked LaCroix, suspiciously.
	"I just don't know how good this is, but it's all I was able to come 
up with," replied Feliks.
	"It will have to do. What is the address?" Feliks related the 
information, and as LaCroix hung up the phone, he motioned to Marcus. 
"Gather the others together. We're going to make a visit," ordered 
LaCroix.
	"Right away," said Marcus, hurrying off.
	LaCroix headed upstairs to inform Nicholas that he was leaving, 
and to ensure that his son stayed put. Then he would join the others and 
they would head out to this new address.

	As LaCroix and his crew were headed towards Lei Kung's 
current location, a young Asian vampire arrived ahead of them, bursting 
with information. Wen had taken a great risk in sending this young one 
into the club. If he had been found out, all their lives would have been in 
jeopardy. As it turned out, the infiltration could not have gone better.
	Chang, followed closely by Wen, uninvited, charged into Lei 
Kung's den. "What is the meaning of this?" roared Lei Kung.
	"Master, forgive us," said Chang, and indicating Wen. "There is 
news."
	"Speak," he demanded.
	"LaCroix is on his way here," reported Wen, in a rush.
	"You are certain?" asked a disbelieving Lei Kung. "How is this 
possible?"
	"I do not know, master, but a young one was in the club and 
overheard their plans. They are enroute, even as we speak," said Wen, 
almost panicked.
	"We cannot defeat them, there are too many," added Chang. "We 
must flee."
	Lei Kung roared in anger. "Very well, we will go. But he has not 
defeated us."
	"Come, master, we must hurry," said Chang, turning to leave.
	With one final gesture of defiance, Lei Kung and his minions 
hurriedly left the dwelling, before the General and his forces could arrive. 

	"It all looks quiet. I don't detect anyone within," said Garth.
	"Then let's go," said LaCroix, purposefully heading towards the 
house.
	They burst in from all sides, already not expecting to find anyone 
within. A careful search of the residence confirmed that Lei Kung had 
been here, and obviously left in a hurry. Many belongings and personal 
effects were left behind, but there was no obvious indication where they 
may have gone.
	"Sir, there is a large supply of blood in the basement. Looks like it 
is from the Maison du Rouge," reported one of his men.
	"At least that is encouraging," snarled LaCroix. "They didn't have 
time to take all their supplies with them. That may mean they will need to 
restock. They couldn't have gone far." Turning to his gathered crew, he 
ordered, "spread out around the neighborhood and surrounding areas. 
See if you can detect anything, then report back to me."
	"Yes, sir. Do you think they are close by?" asked one man 
curiously.
	"Probably not," replied LaCroix, "but it pays to be certain."
	"Garth, you and one other, gather up these items and take them 
to the Raven. No point in leaving anything around for them to return to, or 
for the police to find for that matter," commanded LaCroix.
	While his men canvassed the area, LaCroix took his time and 
sifted through Lei Kung's office and desk. There were a few interesting 
items, but nothing to give away their current whereabouts. By the time his 
men returned, reporting their failure, LaCroix was thoroughly frustrated. 
This was twice he almost had him, and twice he had gotten away. But at 
least he knew he had him on the run. And an enemy on the run, is an 
enemy that makes mistakes.
	"Let us return to the Raven," quietly ordered LaCroix. He knew it 
was only a matter of time before he had Lei Kung within his grasp.

	LaCroix had only been gone about an hour when the phone rang. 
Turning off the volume, which was now down to a more normal range, 
Nick answered the phone, "hello."
	There was a slight stammering on the other end, before a voice 
said, "hi, Nick. Is LaCroix there?"
	"Vachon?" asked Nick in surprise. "What do you want with 
LaCroix?"
	"Yeah, it's me. I just have something to run by him. Is he there?" 
asked Vachon hesitantly.
	"Is this about Lei Kung?" asked Nick.
	There was a long pause, before Vachon finally answered, 
"maybe."
	"What does maybe mean? Either it is, or it isn't. Which is it?" 
demanded Nick.
	"Hey look, Nick. I should be talking to LaCroix," he explained.
	"Did LaCroix tell you not to talk to me about this?" asked Nick, 
sounding miffed.
	"No, that's not it. I just know you're not feeling well and I didn't 
want to bother you with it, that's all," explained Vachon.
	"Well, for your information, I'm fine now. I have a clean bill of 
health and there's nothing wrong with me, so you can go ahead and tell 
me whatever it is you were going to tell LaCroix," explained Nick 
persuasively.
	He certainly sounded okay, thought Vachon. And since LaCroix 
apparently wasn't there, he needed to know what he should do. "I met 
with this guy, Lei Kung, last night," said Vachon.
	Interrupting him, Nick yelled, "you what?!"
	"Hang on a minute, let me explain," said Vachon hurriedly. "It 
wasn't my choice. Some of his men jumped me in an alley and forced me 
to meet with him."
	"What did he want?" asked Nick suspiciously.
	"He wanted me to side with him against LaCroix," replied 
Vachon.
	"Why would he ask you?"
	Guiltily, Vachon explained, "apparently, some of his men 
overheard me say some 'not so nice' things about LaCroix, so he thought 
I would be agreeable to helping him."
	Laughing, Nick asked, "dare I ask what these 'not so nice' things 
were?"
	"It's not important," replied Vachon.
	"So, what did he want you to do, Lei Kung that is?" inquired Nick.
	"Actually," said Vachon, pausing for emphasis, "he wanted me to 
bring you to him."
	Nick felt a momentarily cold dread settle in the pit of his stomach. 
This is what LaCroix had warned him of. He quickly pushed the feeling 
aside, and asked, "and how were you suppose to do this, and what did he 
want me for?"
	"He didn't say how, and as to why, all he said was that you were 
'merely a path to the father'," quoted Vachon.
	"I see," said Nick, getting angrier the more he thought about it. 
"When was this suppose to happen?"
	"Tonight, that's why I'm calling. They threatened to kill me if I 
didn't deliver, and I obviously have no intention of delivering, so I wanted 
to know what LaCroix wanted me to do," explained Vachon.
	"Maybe you should deliver," suggested Nick.
	"What are you talking about?" asked a wary and surprised 
Vachon.
	"We could use this to trap them," said Nick, getting a little excited 
about the plan that was forming in his mind. "They'll think you're on their 
side and bringing me in, and they'll think I don't know what's going on. It's 
perfect."
	"I don't know about this. Somehow, I don't think LaCroix would 
approve," said Vachon doubtfully. "If you had any idea how freaked out 
he was when he heard you were snatched, not to mention when he found 
out they really wanted to kill you, I don't think you'd be suggesting this."
	"I would hardly describe his reaction as 'freaked out'," replied 
Nick.
	"Well, you weren't here," retorted Vachon.
	"And neither were you," answered Nick. Then before Vachon 
could rebut him again, he said insistently, "look, I don't want to argue 
about this. Let's just come up with a plan, and do it."
	"Fine, it's your funeral," quipped Vachon. "And mine too, if this 
doesn't work."
	"What's not to work?" asked Nick lightly. Then more seriously, 
"when are you suppose to meet them?"
	"I'm suppose to call them when I've made arrangements," 
answered Vachon. He wasn't sounding very enthusiastic. He just knew, 
between Lei Kung, LaCroix, or Nick, one of them was going to get him 
killed. He figured it was better to take his chances with Nick, where at 
least he wouldn't be thrown to the wolves the second the tide changed. 
And who knows, maybe this plan would work.
	"Go ahead and call them. Set up a meeting for about an hour 
from now. Where should I meet you?" he asked.
	"Meet me in front of the Old City Hall in an hour," said Vachon, 
committing himself to who knows what.
	"I'll be there," said Nick.
	Hanging up the phone, he practically leaped off the couch and 
headed for LaCroix' bath. He took a shower and then scrounged up some 
clothes to wear. He didn't keep much of a wardrobe over here, and 
LaCroix hadn't seen fit to bring any of his clothes over from his loft. He 
did find an old pair of jeans and a CERK T-shirt that fit pretty well. Then 
grabbing one of LaCroix' leather jackets, he was ready to head out to 
meet Vachon. Just before leaving, he decided to drink a couple glasses 
of blood. He wanted to make sure he kept his strength up.
	He was sure LaCroix had given orders that he wasn't to leave, so 
Nick knew he had to find a way to sneak out without anyone seeing him. 
LaCroix was gone, so he wouldn't be able to sense him leaving. In the 
back of the apartment was a window that opened onto the back alley with 
a fire escape running alongside. Nick deactivated the security alarm and 
opened the window. Seeing no one around, he grabbed hold of the ladder 
and pulled himself out the window. Ascending quickly to the roof, he 
sensed a couple of guards. Changing his plan, he descended into the 
alley. He decided he would walk a distance away from the club before 
taking flight to meet Vachon.
	A short time later, Nick landed behind the Old City Hall and 
walked around to the front. He spotted Vachon sitting against the wall 
next to the front doors. He stood as Nick approached. After exchanging 
greetings, Nick asked, "did you set up the meeting?"
	"Yeah, it's all set," answered Vachon. "We're suppose to meet 
him at the sewage treatment plant up by Millwood Road, near the river."
	"Why there?" asked Nick, turning up his nose at the intended 
location.
	"I don't know. That's what the man said," replied Vachon, 
nonchalantly. "You still want to go through with this?"
	"Who all is suppose to meet us?"
	"Just this guy named Wen," said Vachon smiling. "I'm suppose to 
help him detain you and then we take you to Lei Kung."
	"We should be able to handle that. Let's go," said Nick, indicating 
that Vachon should lead the way.

	Unbeknownst to them both, they were being observed. A watcher 
had been following Vachon ever since Urs had been followed to his 
church. And the watcher outside the Raven had spotted Nick sneaking 
out the back and followed him to this meeting with Vachon. They knew 
what was suppose to be happening, and it sure didn't look like Vachon 
was on their side. Lei Kung had never trusted this one anyway, and it 
would appear with good cause. Hearing that the two were on their way to 
the meeting at the designated spot, one of them followed them, and the 
other returned to Lei Kung to warn him of the planned treachery.

	"So, where is this guy," said Nick impatiently, eyes scanning the 
surrounding area. They were in a clearing in the back of the plant. On two 
sides were walls, and the third was a fence-like structure of pipes, rising 
from the ground and curving away from them.
	"I don't know. He's late," answered Vachon.
	"I am here," said Wen, as he stepped into the clearing from the 
corner of the building.
	As Vachon and Nick walked towards him, seven more men 
walked into the open. They stopped in their tracks. There was now two 
on eight. Nick recognized the trap immediately. He and Vachon started 
backing away from the other vampires. The others more slowly began 
advancing on them. Turning to Vachon, he commanded, "go," looking 
straight up to indicate the direction to take.
	They both leapt to the air, and were immediately set upon by 
those waiting above. Apparently, Lei Kung had spared no expense to 
ensure Nick's capture. The struggle was brief and decisive. They were 
both overcome and knocked to the ground.
	Nick and Vachon sat on the ground, their backs against each 
other, watching as their captors walked around them. There were now 
twelve of them, plus their leader. Lei Kung came to a stop in front of 
Vachon and said, "did you believe me fool enough to think that I trusted 
you?"
	Seeing that Lei Kung actually expected an answer, Vachon said, 
"yeah, I did."
	Enraged that Vachon admitted to thinking him a fool, he further 
demanded, "and just why is it that you think I am this foolish?"
	Laughing nervously, Vachon answered, "you're the one going 
after LaCroix. I think that speaks for itself."
	"We shall see who the real fool is," said Lei Kung ominously.
	"What's that suppose to mean?" snarled Nick angrily. Lei Kung 
did nothing to acknowledge that Nick had spoken, in fact, he was 
pointedly ignoring that Nick even existed.
	Stepping away from the two, and rejoining his men, Lei Kung 
turned to them and ordered, "kill the son, now."
	"Wait a minute," yelled Vachon, jumping to his feet, Nick standing 
beside him also. "You said you weren't going to kill him."
	"And I'm not going to. They are," he answered, gesturing towards 
his men and smiling malevolently.
	As Lei Kung's men moved towards them, Chang's voice 
suddenly rang out, "wait." They all stopped and turned to Chang. "Master, 
if I may, a thought just occurred to me that may be to our better 
advantage."
	"What is it Chang?" demanded Lei Kung, obviously irritated at the 
intrusion.
	"Rather than killing the son immediately, we could use him for 
bait to lure the father into our trap," he suggested.
	"I want him dead, now," emphasized Lei Kung. "How would your 
plan accomplish this?"
	"It is too near dawn for my plan to work tonight, so instead of 
killing the son now, we kill him tomorrow night," explained Chang. "He will 
be of no use against the father once he is dead."
	"My father would never be lured into your trap," stated Nick 
defiantly. As he spoke, he felt Vachon jab him in the ribs with his elbow. 
Nearly at the same time, one of Lei Kung's men backhanded him across 
the face hard enough to cause bleeding from his nose and mouth.
	"And what of the other one?" asked Lei Kung, again ignoring the 
son. "I would see him dead for his treachery."
	"And so we shall, but first we will let him go," explained Chang. 
"He can explain to the General how his son was delivered into our hands 
and that he will most assuredly die tomorrow night."
	"But he will also tell the General that it is a trap to catch him," 
replied Lei Kung.
	"Of course. And that is how we catch him. He must know it is a 
trap to guarantee he will come," said Chang.
	"The son must die before the father, that is imperative," 
demanded Lei Kung.
	"It will be so," assured Chang. He was more concerned with 
stopping the General from killing them all, then he was about making sure 
the son died. However, he knew that his master would not agree to any 
plan that did not warrant the son's death before the fathers'.
	"You have not yet said how the other will meet his death," 
remarked Lei Kung.
	"Once he tells LaCroix the fate of his son, and how he was the 
one who delivered him to us, I doubt that he will live long past that," 
reasoned Chang.
	"I like this plan of yours," said Lei Kung, smiling in satisfaction. 
"Very well. Proceed."
	Chang ordered the men to release Vachon. "Tell the General that 
we will call him after midnight tomorrow, with the location of his son."
	"And if I refuse to cooperate with your little plan?" asked Vachon.
	"Then you will die now, and we will simply contact the General 
ourselves," answered Chang.
	Vachon turned to Nick for some indication of what he should do. 
As Nick started to speak, he was again backhanded, and this time 
knocked to the ground. Nick glared defiantly up at his attacker.
	Deciding for himself, Vachon said, "fine. I'll do as you say. But 
unless you're all looking to die, you'd better not hurt him. You'll find that 
LaCroix doesn't die so easy, and if you hurt Nick, he'll never let any of 
you live."
	Infuriated, Lei Kung yelled, "quiet! You will go now, or I will 
change my mind and kill you both now."
	Backing away, Vachon held out his hands in a calming gesture, 
saying, "okay, okay. I'm going." Then with one last apologetic look at 
Nick, he took to the skies.

===
Chapter Twenty


	LaCroix arrived back at the Raven with the others. He was in 
extremely bad temper, having been thwarted yet again. He figured Lei 
Kung had fled less than an hour before he arrived. He had been so close. 
Marching to the bar, he asked Marcus, "has there been any news?"
	"No, boss. Nothing," he reported. "Can I get you something?" At 
LaCroix' scowl, he backed away, deciding he had better things to be 
doing.
	LaCroix looked around the club. Someone here had tipped off Lei 
Kung. There was no other explanation for Lei Kung's fortuitous departure. 
He marched off in search of Dillon. Finding him near the backrooms, he 
asked meaningfully, "were there any Asian members here tonight?"
	"I don't know," replied Dillon. "I'll check with the doorman and be 
right back."
	As LaCroix waited impatiently for Dillon to return, he saw Urs out 
on the dance floor. He frowned momentarily, until he remember that he 
had told Nicholas he wouldn't have her sit with him any longer. Thinking 
of Nicholas, he calmed himself and reached out with his senses. Nothing. 
Startled, he reached out harder. Still nothing. Furious, he barreled past 
the returning Dillon and headed upstairs to the apartment.
	Rushing through the front door, there was no sign of Nicholas. 
He went to his son's room, and he was not there either. Quickly 
searching the apartment, he saw the recent use of the shower and the 
discarded pajamas on the floor. His drawers and closet had been rifled 
through, and Nicholas was gone. LaCroix found the open window at the 
back of the apartment and easily determined that he had snuck out. 'I am 
going to kill him', he thought furiously, and figuratively.
	Returning to the club, Dillon was waiting for him. Before the 
security man had a chance to speak, LaCroix, jaw tightly clenched, asked 
him, "have you seen Nicholas?"
	Assuming the worse, Dillon replied, "no. He hasn't been down 
here."
	"And that other matter we were just discussing?"
	"The doorman says he remembers a young Asian in here earlier. 
He hadn't seen him around before. He didn't stay very long before he 
left," answered Dillon, knowing that something was horribly wrong.
	Very quietly, LaCroix fixed him with a steely stare and said, "I am 
going out for a short time. When I return, if I see you, I will kill you."
	Dillon had no doubt whatsoever that LaCroix spoke the truth. The 
moment LaCroix left, Dillon ran. He didn't waste time to explain to 
anyone, he just decided the sooner he left town, the better off he would 
be. Mexico sounded really good right now.

	Natalie was up to her eyeballs with paperwork when she heard 
the doors to her lab crash open. Rising to see what the emergency was, 
she was confronted by a very angry LaCroix. "Where is Nicholas?" he 
demanded.
	Startled, she replied, "what do you mean, where is he? Don't you 
know?"
	"Would I be here if I knew?" he practically shouted at her.
	"I haven't seen him, or heard from him, since I left your place 
earlier tonight," she said.
	"If you are lying to me, you will regret it," he stated.
	"Why would I lie?" she retorted hotly.
	"Oh, I don't know, Doctor. Because my son asked you to," he 
replied.
	Fuming over the accusation, she asked, "have you checked his 
loft?"
	"Yes. He hasn't been there," said LaCroix resignedly.
	"So, what did he do? Sneak out the back," she asked 
sarcastically. At LaCroix' glare, she replied, "I don't know where he is, 
honest."
	"Do you have any idea where he may have gone?" asked 
LaCroix.
	"Have you checked the precinct? Maybe he went into work," she 
suggested.
	"I can hardly walk into the precinct and ask Captain Reese if he 
has seen my son," he replied.
	Smiling, she said, "I guess that would be kind of embarrassing."
	"You are not helping, Doctor," he responded.
	Sighing, she picked up the phone and pressed a speed dial 
number.
	"Who are you calling?" he asked curiously.
	She put up her hand to quiet him. On the other end, the phone 
was answered, and Natalie said, "hello, Vera. Has Nick dropped by 
tonight?"
	"No? You sure."
	"He's fine. He had said something about maybe dropping in for a 
minute, but he's probably still at his father's. I'll track him down there. 
Thanks."
	"Yeah, you too," she said, hanging up.
	Turning to LaCroix, she said, "they haven't seen or heard from 
him."
	"How about that partner of his?" asked LaCroix.
	"According to Vera, who knows everything that goes on over 
there, Tracy has been at her desk all night, and Nick hasn't called her," 
she related. "So, where do you think he went? Did you two have a fight 
after I left?"
	"We reached an agreeable understanding," he replied.
	"Are you sure about that?" she asked skeptically.
	"I am certain, Doctor," he snapped.
	"If I hear from him, I'll tell him to call you," she offered.
	Furiously, LaCroix spun on his heels and stormed out of the lab. 
Natalie figured he and Nick must have gotten into it, and Nick got mad 
and took off the first chance he got. There was still some time before 
dawn. She wasn't going to worry just yet. She would wait and see if he 
turned up before sunrise. If he didn't, then she would worry.

	LaCroix arrived back at the Raven, more frustrated than when he 
left. He looked everywhere he could think of, and no Nicholas. Dawn was 
approaching and LaCroix was getting really worried. He did not believe 
Nicholas had just taken off because of their argument. Something else 
happened, and he needed to know what.
	Striding across the dance floor, he noticed Vachon in a corner 
with Urs, talking a mile a minute. He hadn't seen the Spaniard since this 
situation with Lei Kung started. That in itself was unusual, as he was 
always hanging around the club. Being suspicious, he approached them. 
They quieted as he neared, and he asked Vachon, "is there something 
going on that I should know about?"
	Vachon almost came unglued on the spot. Did he have guilt 
plastered all over his face? How could LaCroix possibly know what was 
happening? "Look, I can explain. It wasn't really my fault. I was against it 
from the beginning. I knew you wouldn't approve, but he talked me into 
it," said Vachon desperately.
	LaCroix narrowed his eyes. He knew this rambling concerned 
Nicholas, and he knew he wasn't going to like it. Grabbing Vachon by the 
front of his shirt, he shoved his back against the wall and demanded, "tell 
me what you know."
	"LaCroix, don't, please," said Urs, taking hold of his arm, trying to 
get him to release Vachon.
	Pressing Vachon harder against the wall, he hissed quietly, 
"where is my son?"
	Vachon grabbed LaCroix' forearms and tried to push them away. 
This only caused LaCroix to press him harder. Vachon was gasping for 
breath.
	"LaCroix, he can't breathe. Let him go," said Urs desperately, 
pleading with him to release her sire.
	LaCroix released his grip on Vachon, letting him go. The young 
Spaniard nearly collapsed against the wall, clutching his throat. Giving 
him a moment to catch his breath, LaCroix leaned in close to him and 
demanded, "where is Nicholas?"
	"Lei Kung has him," Vachon barely managed to rasp out.
	Shocked, LaCroix just stared at Vachon. He couldn't believe what 
he just heard. "What did you say?" he asked quietly.
	"I said," answered Vachon, feeling stronger and getting his voice 
back, "that Lei Kung has him."
	Looking around the club in a daze, LaCroix noticed that he had 
drawn some attention to their corner. Turning to Vachon, he said, "come 
with me." Not checking to see if he was followed, he headed for his office 
in the back. Dutifully, Vachon and Urs followed him.
	Reaching the office, he opened the door allowing Vachon to 
enter, and put his arm out to stop Urs. "Go back out to the club. I will 
handle this," he ordered.
	Fearfully, she looked in at Vachon. "LaCroix, please don't hurt 
him. He didn't mean for anything to happen to Nick, I know he didn't," she 
pleaded, hanging onto his arm.
	Stonily, he looked at her and said, "return to the club."
	Releasing his arm, she gave one last look at Vachon and turned 
to do as she was bade.
	Closing the door, and effectively sealing themselves together, 
LaCroix turned to Vachon and said, "I think you better explain, and this 
better be good."
	Taking a deep breath, Vachon told LaCroix everything, holding 
nothing back. By the time he was done talking, LaCroix was standing with 
his back to Vachon, hand to his forehead as if he was nursing a massive 
headache.
	Wearily, LaCroix said, "I told him to stay put. For once, why 
couldn't he just do as he was told?"
	Vachon knew better than to proffer an answer to that question. 
He was more concerned right now about his own immediate future. He 
had already heard about the unsuccessful raid, and that upon his return, 
LaCroix had a short talk with Dillon, who had then fled the city in terror. 
He wondered if he would be given the same opportunity.
	Turning vehemently to Vachon, LaCroix demanded, "give me one 
good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
	After a moment's pause, Vachon replied, "actually, I can give you 
two." At LaCroix' skeptical glare, he continued, "one, that's what they 
want you to do. Two, you'd have one less person to help you rescue 
Nick."
	LaCroix paced the room a few times before replying to Vachon, 
"if my son dies, you have no future."
	Vachon took that as a reprieve. LaCroix was at least going to 
give him an opportunity to rectify his part in all this. He just nodded his 
acceptance of LaCroix' terms.
	"Now go," said LaCroix, angrily. "But I will expect to see you back 
here at sunset. Do not disappoint me."
	"I won't. I'll be here," he was quick to agree. Then before LaCroix 
had a chance to change his mind, he left.
	Urs was anxiously waiting for him in the club. He motioned for 
her to join him and they left for his church together. He would fill her in 
when they got home.
	As for LaCroix, dawn was fast approaching, and he knew he 
would get no sleep this day. If anything happened to Nicholas, he didn't 
know what he was going to do. He could only kill so many people, and 
they did only die once. And none of it would return his son to him. He 
desperately placed calls to all his contacts, imparting upon them 
forcefully, his need for information. He was assured by all, that they 
would contact him as soon as they knew anything. There was nothing 
more he could do but wait.
	Shortly after dawn, he was still sitting at his desk when the phone 
rang. Eagerly, he answered it on the first ring. "Yes."
	"LaCroix, it's Natalie."
	Hearing nothing but silence, she said, "you know. Dr. Lambert."
	"I know who you are, Doctor," he replied wearily. "What is it that 
you want?"
	Annoyed at his attitude, she said, "look. You're the one that got 
me worried about Nick. Did you find out where he was?"
	"Yes," was the terse reply.
	"And? Is he all right?" she demanded.
	"No. He is not all right, Doctor. Nor do I know if he will be. Does 
that answer your questions?" he snapped in frustration.
	Figuring this must be serious to have LaCroix lose his cool like 
that, Natalie said, "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"
	"Well, Doctor. I don't know. What can you do?" he answered 
sarcastically
	"I'm just trying to help," she insisted.
	"There is nothing you can do," he replied tiredly
	"What happened," she asked, solicitously.
	Having nothing better to do at the moment, and thinking why 
should he be the only one to lose sleep this day, he told her.
	At the end of the story, she asked, "so what are you going to 
do?"
	"Whatever I have to," he answered resolutely, then repeated, 
"whatever I have to."
	"If you need me for anything, call me please. I want to help," she 
insisted sincerely.
	"I'm sure you do, Doctor. I will inform you of the outcome at my 
earliest convenience, I assure you," he replied generously.
	"I would appreciate that," she said, acknowledging that this was 
more than she had a right to expect from him.
	"Good day, Doctor," he said, ending their conversation.
	He was right, she would get no sleep this day.

===
Chapter Twenty One


	He didn't recognize it at first, but they had taken him to the same 
warehouse Mr. Black had used earlier. He wasn't blindfolded this time, as 
he had been then, but it felt familiar. And when they forced him into the 
same restraints, he recognized it for certain.
	Once again, he had his arms shackled in arm bracelets anchored 
in the wall above his head. His ankles were also shackled. The main 
difference this time is there were no sharp wires cutting into his skin, and 
they hadn't drugged him. They also hadn't seen fit to blindfold or gag him 
as had been done before. He supposed he should be grateful for small 
favors, he thought morosely.
	Looking about, it seemed as if Lei Kung and his entire entourage 
were here, in this old warehouse. Since it was daytime, they weren't 
going anywhere else. Nick wondered if LaCroix had them on the run, and 
if that was why they were holed up here. Lei Kung certainly didn't seem 
too pleased with the accommodations.
	Nick had attempted to engage Lei Kung, or Chang, in 
conversation a couple of different times. Every time he made the attempt, 
one of the others hit him, and he was ordered to be silent. Lei Kung acted 
like he didn't even exist, other than to gleefully rave about how upset 
LaCroix would be when he was dead. The others looked like they were 
settling down to sleep for the day. Unwillingly, he eventually succumbed 
to sleep, as he was exhausted himself.
	He felt like he had barely slept, when he was awakened by a 
stinging slap to his cheek. Pulling his head back in shock, he opened his 
eyes to see Lei Kung staring down at him. Surprised at the 
acknowledgment, he frowned questioningly at him. Then Lei Kung smiled 
and said, "surely this is not how you desire to spend your last hours upon 
this earth. You will soon have an eternity to spend in sleep."
	"What do you want with me?" asked Nick, pulling his head back 
and blinking the sleep from his eyes.
	"What I want," said Lei Kung, grasping Nick by the chin and 
forcing their eyes to meet, "is for you to die a slow and agonizing death. 
That would cause the most suffering upon your father, and nothing would 
please me more."
	"If these are my last hours, then they are also yours. My father is 
not known for his mercy. He will kill you," said Nick fervently.
	Releasing his hold on Nick, Lei Kung backhanded him, causing 
blood to gush from his nose and mouth. Gasping for breath, Nick tried to 
pull his head back, only to be struck again, harder. Tasting his own blood 
in his mouth, he felt the hand run through his hair, grasping his head and 
slamming it back against the wall. Dizzy from the impact, he heard the 
shouted words, "insolent whelp. If you expect any generosity from me, 
you had best show me the respect I am due."
	Raging to control his anger unsuccessfully, Nick spat a mouthful 
of his blood at Lei Kung, soiling the other's jacket. "There is your respect," 
he snarled. His eyes had taken on a golden hue and he could feel his 
fangs itching to tear into something solid.
	"How does that saying go? Like father, like son. Obviously, blood 
will tell," accused Lei Kung. "You are just as much an uncouth savage as 
is your father."
	"My father said you were a coward, and that is why you use me 
to attack him," charged Nick, voice roughened by the emergence of the 
vampire.
	Anger momentarily clouded Lei Kung's face, before he smiled in 
malevolent glee. "Well, well, look at this," he said, in mocking 
amusement. Grabbing Nick once again by the chin, he held him tightly, 
and with his other hand, placed his thumb on Nick's lip, raising it to 
expose his fangs. "The cub has teeth," he said, laughing at his private 
joke. Nick twisted his head, trying to break the grip Lei Kung had on him, 
all to no avail. The more he tried to free himself, the more amusement Lei 
Kung seemed to derive.
	Still gripping him firmly, Lei Kung slid his thumb along Nick's 
teeth, stopping on his fang. Moving his thumb down, he rubbed it across 
the sharpened edges, pricking his own skin. Pulling his bleeding thumb 
away from Nick's mouth, he said, "and he bites as well." Turning to his 
favorite servant, he asked, "Chang, what do you think of this?"
	"It appears he bit you, master," replied Chang, not sure what 
game Lei Kung was playing with the son. He had been hovering in the 
background, being especially alert to his master's attentions. He did not 
want his master to prematurely kill the son. That would be certain death 
for them all.
	"Yes, so it would appear. And what should one do when one is 
bitten?" he asked in a monotone, not taking his eyes from the son.
	Unsure of how to respond, Chang replied, "I do not know, 
master."
	Turning his head to look at Chang in annoyance, Lei Kung 
replied, "it is really quite simple. When bitten, you bite back."
	Anxiously, Chang said, "master, I do not think that is a good 
idea."
	"Quiet," shouted Lei Kung. "I did not ask for your opinion." 
Turning his attentions back to the son, he forced his head to the side, 
exposing his neck.
	Sensing what was to come, Nick struggled to break free. 
Suddenly, he was released. He pulled his head back in relief, just to be 
knocked almost senseless by a blow to his face. Not being able to 
escape, he took a deep breath and suffered the onslaught silently. When 
Lei Kung had finished, Nick could feel rivulets of blood running down his 
face. His nostrils were filled with blood so he couldn't breathe. As he 
gasped air through his mouth, he tasted his own blood as it poured over 
his lips and ran down his chin.
	Dazed, it barely registered when the hand again grasped him by 
his hair and shoved his head to the side. He felt cool lips against his 
temple, moving down across his cheek, and finally to his neck. He tensed 
as he felt the fangs scratch his skin, barely drawing blood. The cool lips 
moved to his ear, and gently lapped at his blood as it ran down his face. 
He heard the soft sing-song voice whisper in his ear, "I can taste why 
your father cherishes you so."
	Focusing his attention on what was happening, Nick replied as 
forcefully as he could, "go to hell."
	Laughing, Lei Kung replied, "I think I'll try a taste of heaven first." 
Then, shoving Nick's head further to the side, he sank his fangs into the 
soft flesh of the son's neck, savoring the hot blood as it initially spurted 
into his mouth. Tearing at the opening with his fangs, Lei Kung sucked 
fiercely, drawing the sweet essence of the son's being.
	Nick shouted in anger, as the fangs pierced into his throat. He 
then gasped in pain as the teeth tore into his throat, sucking the strength 
from his body. As the teeth continued to tear at his skin, he screamed in 
outrage and agony. He felt a searing pain as the fangs were ripped from 
his neck, leaving a jagged wound that momentarily gushed blood. He 
closed his eyes, willing himself to maintain his presence of mind, as his 
body quivered with the aftermath of the assault. Opening his eyes, he 
saw Lei Kung as he struggled against the restraining arms of Chang.
	"Master, enough," shouted Chang, adamantly trying to 
breakthrough to Lei Kung's rational mind. "You will kill him. You must 
stop."
	"Release me," shouted Lei Kung in frustration. He desired to 
finish what he had started. His eyes locked onto the son's, who stared 
back in dazed confusion. "I order you to release me."
	"You must not do this," implored Chang, desperately trying to 
impart sense into his master. "We need him alive. You <must> stop."
	Noticeably controlling himself, Lei Kung drew a deep breath. His 
fangs retracted and his eyes returned to their fathomless black. Chang 
released him, bowing and scurrying out of reach. Turning to his favorite 
servant, he said, "you take great liberties."
	"My apologies, master. But I feared you were about to kill the 
son. It is not yet time for him to die. We still need him alive," explained 
Chang.
	"Yes, you are most correct. It is not yet time," stated Lei Kung. 
"However, when the time is come, I fully intend to finish what I have 
started." This last was said as Lei Kung stared directly into the eyes of 
the son. The meaning was clear.
	"Of course, master," said Chang. Silently to himself he raged, the 
fool. He will have us all killed.
	Nick stared back at Lei Kung. He thought perhaps he should feel 
some gratitude to Chang, for pulling Lei Kung off of him, but he didn't. He 
hated them both. He hoped he lived long enough, if for no other reason 
then to see them both dead. This was one time he truly hoped his father 
lived up to his reputation.

	It was shortly before dusk, and LaCroix had been up all day. He 
kept imagining the worse, which did nothing for his temperament. He was 
sure Nicholas was still alive as he would certainly know if they had killed 
him. Each moment that passed, made him breathe a little easier. If they 
would just keep him alive until this evening, he was certain he would be 
able to rescue him. LaCroix could not allow himself to think otherwise.
	He had tried to reach out to his son on numerous occasions, but 
always nothing. Either Nicholas was too far away, unconsciously blocking 
him, or he himself was too upset to properly concentrate. He couldn't tell 
which. He just knew the longer he went without sensing him, the more 
unsettled he became.
	He called everyone he could think of, and no one had any leads. 
He did not want to sit here and wait for their call. He could not afford to 
play this on their time table. He needed to have an advantage.
	Sunset came, and the loyal members of the Toronto community 
were gathered downstairs. The Spaniard among them, he was sure. 
LaCroix did not feel sufficiently in control of himself to make an 
appearance. He remained upstairs under the guise of waiting for his 
sources to check in. At least he would not be hampered by the police 
department, this time around. The bodies in their jail, and the explosion 
ridden house was enough to keep them sufficiently occupied.

	Nick opened his eyes as he felt the impact on his stinging cheek. 
It was Chang. He had hit him just hard enough to wake him. "You need to 
pay attention," said Chang, forcing him to look in the direction of another. 
"This is Wen. Listen to what he will tell you," he ordered.
	Forcing himself to concentrate, he tried to focus his attention on 
what Wen was doing.
	"Look here, see this?" asked Wen, tapping a device a few feet 
from him, set against the wall. At Nick's nod, Wen continued, "this 
container is packed with C 4 plastic. You know what that is?"
	Feeling the dread welling up in his stomach, Nick nodded. He 
knew what it was.
	"Good, then you know what it will do," said Wen. Turning back to 
the device, he adjusted some wires, then turned on a display unit. The 
display read '15:00' in steady unblinking lights. "This is the clock. When it 
starts flashing, it will begin counting down. Once that starts, nothing will 
stop it. In fifteen minutes, the device will explode. You understand this?"
	Again, Nick nodded. He understood all too well.
	"You will know when your father has arrived, as the clock will 
start the countdown," explained Wen. Pulling a remote device from his 
pocket, he showed it to Nick. "With this, the timer will be activated. There 
is no way to stop it once it has started."
	Nick looked at the device Wen held out to him. He understood 
what they were doing, he just didn't understand why they were explaining 
it all to him. Looking past them, he saw Lei Kung watching, and smiling in 
anticipation. If they killed him with that bomb, Lei Kung would be unable 
to 'finish what he started' earlier. Obviously, there had been another 
change in plans.
	Feeling another slap against his cheek, he turned his attention 
back to Chang, who was saying, "pay attention. There is more."
	"See this device here?" asked Wen, standing a few feet from the 
bomb, and indicating an embedded panel in the wall. As Nick nodded, 
Chang pressed himself closer to the wall next to Nick. "Now watch," said 
Wen, as he pushed a button. Nothing happened, except for a light on the 
switch came on. At Nick's confused expression, Wen explained, "an 
infrared beam has been activated. It runs from six inches above the floor, 
to six feet above the floor. If anything passes through this beam, anything 
at all, it will activate the device immediately. Do you understand what that 
means?"
	At Nick's hesitant nod, Chang said watch, "and he stepped 
forward into the beam. The device immediately sounded a beep and the 
display reading '15:00' instantly changed to '00:00'. "If this were hooked 
up, you would be dead now."
	Nick understood. He still wasn't sure why they were telling him 
this. He silently watched as Wen reset the device and made sure all the 
wires were hooked up. Turning to Nick, he informed him that everything 
was now in working order.
	As they prepared to leave him, Chang returned and knelt down 
by his side. "There is one more thing," he said, reaching into his pocket. 
He pulled out a gag, similar to the one that Mr. Black had made him wear. 
"Open your mouth," he ordered. Nick stared into his dark eyes, hating 
him all the more. Knowing he couldn't win this, he acquiesced and 
opened his mouth. Chang stuffed a large cloth ball almost to his throat. 
Chang did nothing at Nick's near gagging, but securely bound the gag 
into place. This left Nick totally incapable of issuing anything intelligible. 
The only noise he could make was a guttural growl, which was incapable 
of communicating anything other than his abject frustration.
	He watched as Chang and Wen left, activating the infrared panel. 
He could see the kill switch for the panel, setting on a carton just on the 
other side of the panel, green light glowing, and completely out of his 
reach. And he would be completely incapable of warning anyone who 
tried to come to his rescue. Apparently, that was the point. They wanted 
him to know, being completely aware that he could do nothing to stop it. 
He glanced at the explosive device setting just a few feet away. The 
device prominently displayed a steady reading of '15:00'. He had no idea 
when, or if, anyone was coming. He needed to get out of these shackles.
	Looking around the warehouse, Nick noticed that none of Lei 
Kung's men were anywhere. Apparently, they considered him sufficiently 
restrained and imprisoned, and left no one to watch him. Looking up to 
examine the shackles more closely, he started working on trying to break 
free.

===
Chapter Twenty Two


	LaCroix thought he was about ready to lose his mind. He couldn't 
take just sitting here, waiting for the phone to ring, a moment longer. He 
needed to be doing something, anything. Lei Kung told Vachon he would 
call after midnight. That was hours away yet. There was no point in 
calling his sources again. If they knew anything, they would call him. He 
had no doubt.
	Then the phone rang, startling him. Had he willed it to ring? Or 
was there really someone trying to reach him? It rang again. Quickly 
snatching up the receiver, he answered, "yes."
	"Monsieur LaCroix, it is I, Francois Gillette, of the Maison du 
Rouge," said the caller.
	"Yes, Monsieur Gillette. You have information for me?" he asked, 
hiding the desperation from his voice.
	"Oui, Monsieur LaCroix. That customer you inquired after, Mr. 
Chang. He is here now, placing an order," said Francois.
	"How long can you keep him there?" asked LaCroix.
	"It is a not an overly large order. It could take upwards of half an 
hour to fill, without raising suspicion," answered Francois.
	"That is more than sufficient. You have my gratitude, Monsieur 
Gillette," replied LaCroix sincerely.
	"I am honored, monsieur. That is no small thing," said Francois, 
slightly overcome. He was not aware of the circumstances surrounding 
LaCroix' desire for this information, but it must be important indeed. 
Francois felt very fortunate that he was able to be of assistance. His 
superiors would be pleased as well.
	"Bonsoir, Monsieur Gillette," said LaCroix, as he ended the call.
	Finally, the break he was looking for. He went down to the club 
and told Marcus to have everyone stand ready. Turning to Vachon, he 
said, "you will come with me."
	"Yeah, sure," said Vachon, as he hurried to catch up to LaCroix' 
retreating back. "Where are we going?" he asked, and immediately 
regretted the question, and contented himself to following quietly behind.
	A short time after departing from the Raven, they silently landed 
atop a building near the edge of the industrial area. Walking to the edge 
of the roof, they were looking across and down at a warehouse. There 
was a dark van parked in one of the bays, and men from the warehouse 
were loading crates into the back. There was no other activity present.
	"See that man standing next to the van?" asked LaCroix.
	"Yes," said Vachon hesitantly, trying to get a good look at him.
	"Do you recognize him?" he was asked.
	Just then the man turned, exposing his face to their view. "Yes. 
That's one of Lei Kung's men. Chang, I think his name is. It was his idea 
to use Nick as bait to trap you," declared Vachon.
	"Very good," said LaCroix, pleased.
	"Are we going to go down there and grab him?" asked Vachon, 
eager to do just that.
	"Calm yourself," replied LaCroix unperturbed. "We are going to 
follow him. He is going to take us to Nicholas."
	"Oh," said Vachon, thinking he should have thought of that 
himself.
	They patiently waited while Chang completed his purchase. As 
he drove off in the van, they followed him. After about a twenty minute 
drive, he turned off the main road, heading for an abandoned warehouse. 
Vachon remarked that this was not far from the sewage treatment plant 
that he and Nick were at earlier, when they were captured. This reminder 
did nothing to improve LaCroix' disposition.
	After watching Chang pull into the warehouse, LaCroix and 
Vachon carefully spied the layout of the property. Once LaCroix was 
satisfied, using his cell phone, he placed a call to the Raven. Within half 
an hour, all his supporters would be at the warehouse. There was no 
need to leave anyone behind this time, as Nicholas was now here.
	While they were waiting for everyone to arrive, LaCroix tried to 
contact Nicholas through their bond. He was unable. Frustrated, he 
focused harder. There. Something was there. It was faint. Tenuous. He 
almost had it, when he was distracted by Vachon asking, "are you all 
right? Is something wrong?"
	"Quiet," he seethed. "I'm trying to concentrate." Returning to his 
prior focus, he once again centered his attention on reaching Nicholas. 
He was feeling something, he could barely grasp it. Then without 
warning, his senses were flooded. Nicholas had felt him searching for 
him, and had opened himself to the contact. The situation must be dire 
indeed, thought LaCroix, for Nicholas to be so willingly contacted. He 
sensed a mixture of emotion from his son. Exhaustion, agitation, anger, 
hatred. He hoped that last was directed toward his captors. Severing the 
connection, LaCroix consoled himself with the fact that Nicholas now 
knew he was here, and help would be on the way.
	Vachon, seeing that LaCroix no longer seemed to be 
concentrating, on he knew not what, asked, "what were you doing?"
	Annoyed, LaCroix looked at the Spaniard and answered, 
"contacting Nicholas. I wanted him to know we were here."
	Dumbfounded, Vachon looked at LaCroix and asked, "how is that 
possible?"
	Amused, LaCroix returned Vachon's dumbfounded look and 
asked, "how is it that you don't know?"
	"I don't understand. How can you contact him?" asked Vachon, 
extremely curious.
	Feeling somewhat magnanimous, now that success was almost 
within his grasp, LaCroix explained, "it is a bond we have. It is something 
I have developed with certain of my children."
	"What? Like telepathy or something?"
	"Or something," he replied enigmatically.
	"How does this bond work?" inquired Vachon, and wondering if 
LaCroix could do this with whomever he chose, or only with his 'certain 
children'.
	"It is a connection a parent can develop with his, or her, children. 
It is also then possible for said children, to develop it betwixt themselves," 
he explain perfunctorily.
	"I've never heard of it before," said Vachon.
	"You are Urs' sire, are you not?" he asked.
	"Yes," he answered cautiously.
	"Do you not feel, or sense, some connection between the two of 
you? Something that is not shared by others?" he asked.
	Thinking hard on it, he finally replied, "maybe. I've always been 
good at knowing what she's feeling, without her having to tell me."
	"Well, there you have it," replied LaCroix.
	"But it's not like its anything I can talk to her through," he said 
confused. "And she certainly couldn't communicate back."
	LaCroix just raised his eyebrow, as if to say, 'that's what you 
think, but I know better'.
	Before Vachon could say any more on the subject, the others 
started arriving. Any conversation apparent between he and LaCroix was 
at an end. There was only one thing on LaCroix' mind now. When this 
was over, and assuming they were all still alive, Vachon decided he was 
going to pursue this bond thing more with LaCroix. And if LaCroix 
wouldn't tell him, maybe Nick would.

	Having sensed LaCroix nearby, Nick knew he didn't have much 
time. If he couldn't get free of these shackles, there was no way LaCroix 
could rescue him. They would both end up dead, and no matter how 
much Nick may have wished for that in the past, that wasn't what he 
really wanted. It was bad enough that he might die because of his own 
overconfidence, but he didn't want LaCroix to die with him.
	Realizing he wasn't making any headway trying to break the 
shackles, Nick decided to go for a different strategy. Grabbing hold of the 
chain attaching the shackles to the wall, he began to pull on it. Maybe he 
could pull it loose from the wall. He was tired, and still feeling weak from 
Lei Kung's attack on him. But he didn't have any choice. If he couldn't do 
it now, he was going to die.

	Chang had pulled the van into the warehouse. The men were 
helping him unload it. They had been forced into leaving their entire blood 
supply at their last location when they had to abandon it in their haste to 
escape before LaCroix arrived. This was the first chance they had to 
replenish the supply. Aside from Lei Kung having drank from the son 
earlier, none of them had fed since early last night.
	They were just unloading the last of the crates, when they 
sensed numerous other presences descending on their location. They 
had no time to flee, or to prepare. Within moments, their location had 
been invaded. Chang ran to join Lei Kung. Wen was already there, 
having already handed the remote activation device to Lei Kung.
	Upon seeing Chang enter the area, Lei Kung demanded of him, 
"how is this possible? How was the General able to locate us?"
	"I do not know master, but he is here," replied Chang. They all 
assumed the invader was LaCroix. In their minds, who else could it be.
	As LaCroix' people forced their way into the warehouse, they 
were confronted by Lei Kung's forces. There were just under twenty in all, 
and LaCroix had them outnumbered. Spotting Lei Kung near the back, 
LaCroix loudly demanded, "I will have my son returned to me. Where is 
he?"
	Shouting in reply, Lei Kung proclaimed, "you are too late. You 
can not save him." Having said that, Lei Kung made the grand gesture of 
holding up the remote device and pressing the button. Other than Chang 
and Wen, no others knew what that signified, but by Chang and Wen's 
panicked reactions, it was assumed it was not good.
	"Take them," shouted LaCroix, moving towards his adversary.
	In glee, Lei Kung threw the device to the floor and stomped on it, 
smashing it into little pieces.
	Chang looked on in horror. His master had truly gone mad. His 
obsession with revenge had obliterated his common sense. He was 
condemning them all to die. Chang for one, was not ready for death. 
Grabbing Wen by the arm, he said, "come, let us flee."
	"But what of our master," cried Wen.
	"Look around you," demanded Chang. "There's nothing left." As 
both men's gazes swept the room, they saw vampires at each others 
throats. LaCroix' men, aside from being greater in number, were also 
greater in strength. Lei Kung's forces were no match for them. They were 
being overwhelmed.
	LaCroix stood on the opposite side of the room, waiting for the 
fighting to abate. He kept his eyes focused on Lei Kung. For his part, the 
Chinese master vampire stood his ground. He did not join in the fray, nor 
did he back away. He appeared supremely confident that his forces 
would prevail.
	And then it started. LaCroix noticed Chang, the man they had 
followed, rapidly talking with another. Then the both of them began to 
back out of the room, abandoning their master to his fate. It was not long 
before other of Lei Kung's men noticed the retreat, and rushed to join 
them. Within minutes, most all of Lei Kung's forces were in full retreat, 
and quite literally, running for their lives.
	The others looked to LaCroix to see if they should give chase. He 
instructed them to go. He wanted to make sure none of Lei Kung's men 
returned to cause further problems. That left LaCroix remaining, with only 
Vachon at his side. Lei Kung stood alone.
	LaCroix advanced on Lei Kung, projecting his most intimidating 
aura. Lei Kung appeared unaffected. "Take me to my son," demanded 
LaCroix authoritatively.
	Smiling arrogantly, Lei Kung proclaimed, "you're too late. He's 
already dead."
	Frowning in dismay, LaCroix said, "you are lying. He is not dead. 
Now, where is he?"
	"I've told you. You're too late. You cannot save him. He is about 
to die, and there is nothing you can do about it. I've made sure of that," 
he declared, indicating the broken remote laying on the floor. Vachon 
bent down to examine the device, curious at its' seeming importance. It 
looked like a remote control.
	Ignoring the meaningless broken shards at his feet, LaCroix 
walked to stand face to face with Lei Kung. LaCroix was a good head 
taller, and his mere presence was usually enough to dissuade even the 
staunchest from denying him what he wanted. Grabbing the front of Lei 
Kung's jacket, with both his fists, he lifted the master vampire in the air 
and slammed him against the wall. "Tell me where he is," he shouted in 
his face.
	Finally, actually appearing to fear for his own life, Lei Kung 
replied, "yes. I will tell you." Returning him to his feet, LaCroix waited for 
his answer. "He is in a back room, over there," said Lei Kung, pointing 
towards where the son was restrained.
	"Then, let's go," said LaCroix, pushing Lei Kung in front of him.
	"No, it is too late," shouted Lei Kung, pulling away from LaCroix.
	LaCroix grabbed him, and forced him forward, towards the back 
room indicated.

	Meanwhile, Nick had been continuing to attempt to pull the 
chains from the wall. He thought he felt it give a little, and he just needed 
to apply more strength to the task. He was just resting for a moment, 
before giving it another try, when he heard a beeping from the device. 
Looking over, he saw the display start to blink, and then it started to 
countdown.
	Immediately declaring break time over, he leaped to his feet and 
frantically began exerting all his strength towards ripping the chain from 
the wall. The countdown had just dropped below ten minutes, when using 
close to the last of his strength, the chain came crashing out of the wall. 
He ducked as the debris flew at him, and bounced along the floor. 
Belatedly, he remembered the infrared panel, but fortunately, none of the 
pieces pierced the beam.
	Having freed the chain securing his arms, he was able to get a 
much better grip and position on the chain at his feet, and in only a 
couple of minutes, he had pulled it free as well. There was just over 
seven minutes left on the timer, and he still had to get past the beam.
	Taking a moment to remove the gag, he bent over and gathered 
a few chunks from the broken wall. His strategy was to lob them over the 
beam, and have them land on the kill switch, deactivating it. He started 
with a small rock, tossing it over the top of the beam. He watched it fall, a 
good foot away from the kill switch, then looked in horror as it ricocheted 
back towards him. It rolled back under the beam, luckily staying beneath 
the six inch clearance.
	Not really having much of a choice, he crossed his fingers, 
figuratively, and lobbed another rock. This one landed closer to his target, 
and didn't stray back towards the beam. That helped dissolve some of his 
nervousness, and he continued his target practice. On his sixth try, he 
was successful. The rock landed on the button and the light on the kill 
switch turned off. He figured he either broke the light, or turned off the 
beam. Looking at the countdown device, he figured he was going to know 
momentarily. There was just under three minutes left.
	Taking a deep breath, he picked up the chains dragging at his 
feet, and stepped through the beam. Nothing happened. Sighing with 
relief, he headed towards the main area of the warehouse, where he 
sensed LaCroix' presence. Because of the chains, he was only allowed 
about a three foot stride. He was able to keep a steady pace, but couldn't 
run, and he was way too exhausted to fly.
	Nick pulled open the door and stumbled into the main room. This 
was just as LaCroix threw Lei Kung forward yet again. Nick jumped to the 
side, to avoid tripping over the man at his feet, causing himself to stumble 
and fall. LaCroix was at his side in a moment. Quickly checking Nicholas 
over, he noticed the swelling and bruises on his face, along with the dried 
blood. Running his hands down his son's body, he noticed the jagged 
gash still evident in his neck. He became so enraged, he could barely 
hear what Nicholas was yelling at him.
	"There's a bomb," he shouted, finally getting his father's 
attention. "There's no time left. We have to leave now."
	Grabbing Nicholas by his arm, LaCroix lifted him to his feet and 
pushed him towards Vachon, who had been following closely behind the 
entire time. "Get him out of here, now," commanded LaCroix.
	Wasting no time, Vachon grabbed Nick and started dragging him 
towards the nearest exit. "LaCroix, you have to come now," shouted Nick, 
panicked.
	Vachon relentlessly dragged Nick closer to the exit. Looking 
back, LaCroix had returned to face Lei Kung, who in turn was standing 
defiantly before LaCroix. The last thing Nick saw before Vachon pulled 
him outside was LaCroix reaching and grabbing hold of Lei Kung. Then 
they were outside and Vachon was dragging him towards the river, 
further away from the building.
	"Vachon, we've got to go back for him. The whole building is 
probably rigged. He's got to get out of there now," said Nick, struggling to 
break free from Vachon.
	"He'll get out in time, you'll see. It'll be fine. Come on," said 
Vachon, dragging him further away yet.
	"Let me go," demanded Nick, trying to get loose.
	"Nick, if I don't get you away from here, the only one that's going 
to end up dead is me," said Vachon. "Now, come on."
	Reluctantly, realizing there was really nothing he could do, he 
allowed himself to be guided farther away.
	All of a sudden there was a loud blast, followed by a shock wave 
that knocked them both to the ground. Immediately following the first 
blast, came two others, close together. Nick and Vachon stayed face 
down on the ground, hands over their heads, as small pieces of debris 
started to rain down around them.
	After the worse of it was over, they crawled to their knees. Nick 
looked in horror at the burning structure, while Vachon climbed to his feet 
trying to survey the surrounding area. "I don't think anything could have 
survived that," he said, instantly regretting the words as he looked down 
at Nick. "Except for LaCroix of course, something like that wouldn't kill 
him," he added hastily.
	"He's okay," said Nick knowingly, feeling somewhat relieved.
	"How do you know?" asked Vachon skeptically.
	"I just do," answered Nick, closing his eyes, exhausted now that it 
seemed to be over.
	"I definitely need to find out more about that bond thing," said 
Vachon to himself.
	"What?" asked Nick confused.
	"Nothing," said Vachon. "So where do you think your old man is?"
	"I expect you to accord me a bit more respect, especially seeing 
as you are still alive," stated LaCroix, from behind them.
	"Sorry," said Vachon, hastily making his excuses.
	"LaCroix, I was worried when you didn't leave with us," said Nick, 
genuinely upset. "Why did you stay? You could have been killed."
	Dropping to his knees to bring himself to an eye level with his 
son, he said, "so now you know how it feels?"
	Sensing that this was suppose to be some kind of object lesson, 
Nick closed his eyes and tuned him out. He was too tired to get into this. 
"I just want to go home," he said wistfully, wanting nothing more right now 
than to crawl into bed.
	Turning to Vachon, and indicating Nicholas' chains, LaCroix said, 
"see if you can find something to remove these."
	Smiling, he replied, "sure. How about a key?" He pulled it out of 
his pocket and handed it to LaCroix. At their questioning look, he said, 
"that Lei Kung guy threw it on the floor with that remote, when he 
smashed it. I picked it up when I was poking around at the pieces, 
thinking it might come in handy."
	Not saying a word, LaCroix used the key to remove the shackles 
from Nick's wrists and ankles. Once removed, Nick let out a sigh of relief, 
and asked, "can we go now?"
	Hearing sirens in the distance, LaCroix replied, "I think that's an 
excellent suggestion." Bending low, he wrapped his arms around 
Nicholas and said, "put your arms around my neck, and hold on tight." 
When Nick didn't move to comply, LaCroix looked at his uncooperative 
face and asked, "do you think you can fly on your own?"
	He knew he couldn't, but he really didn't like the idea of having to 
be carried home in the arms of his father, yet it seemed as he had no 
choice. Doing as LaCroix instructed, he felt his father's arms tighten 
around him, then they lifted off the ground into the air. Nicholas tightened 
his grip and buried his face against LaCroix' shoulder. A short while later 
they were back at the Raven.

===
Chapter Twenty Three


	Immediately upon their arrival at the Raven, LaCroix whisked 
Nicholas upstairs. He left instructions with Marcus and Vachon to handle 
cleaning up the mess left over from the encounter with Lei Kung's men, 
and to make sure any and all incriminating evidence was removed from 
where the authorities may discover it.
	Settling Nicholas on the couch, he brought him a bottle and a 
cup. Filling the cup full, he handed it to his son, who took it without 
question and drank. As he handed him his second refill, he asked, 
"feeling better now?"
	Nicholas merely nodded and kept drinking. He was hungry and 
tired. He wasn't up to handling any conversation just yet. 
	LaCroix sensed his mood, so kept his remarks light. He reached 
over and ran his fingers through Nicholas' hair, brushing it aside to get a 
better look at his cuts and bruises. Surprisingly, he wasn't rebuffed. He 
then let his hand descend, running down the side of Nicholas' face, neck, 
and finally under his collar, gently pushing the material away from the 
skin so he could better examine the wound on his neck.
	Nicholas merely shifted the cup to his other hand, and continued 
to drink, ignoring his father's inspection. He knew it would be pointless to 
resist, as LaCroix would undoubtedly want to examine every square inch 
of his body, probing every injury to make sure there was no permanent 
damage. Forget that he was a vampire, and by morning everything would 
be healed without a trace.
	Nick emptied the cup and held it back out to LaCroix for another 
refill. Stopping his scrutiny long enough to perform this task, LaCroix 
handed the filled cup back. "So, do I pass inspection?" ask Nick tiredly.
	"It would seem," said LaCroix calmly, "that you have ruined my 
jacket."
	"Your jacket?" asked Nick, with disbelief.
	Purposefully misreading Nicholas' reaction, LaCroix further 
replied, "don't be concerned. I do have others."
	Stunned, Nick quipped, "who cares about your stupid jacket? I 
was almost killed."
	"Oh, really?" asked LaCroix, expressing mild surprise. "You 
noticed that?"
	Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he saw where LaCroix was 
leading this conversation, and he was too tired to want to deal with it now. 
"Can we talk about this later? I don't need this right now," he sighed, 
knowing that sooner or later, the discussion was inevitable.
	Reaching out and rubbing a spot of dirt off of Nicholas' face with 
his thumb, LaCroix replied, "it would appear that what you need right now 
is to wash. You're filthy." Standing up and walking behind the couch, 
LaCroix asked him, "would you prefer a bath or a shower?" Not getting a 
reply, he prompted him by saying, "Nicholas."
	Putting a hand to his forehead, Nick replied, "I'm thinking."
	Leaning over the couch, lips close to his ear, LaCroix said, "it's 
decided then. A bath. Finish your drink, and I will run the water for you."
	Actually, all he wanted to do was sleep right now, but LaCroix 
was right. He was filthy, and his clothes were sticking to him. He finished 
his drink, then got off the couch and headed for the bathroom where 
LaCroix was drawing him a bath.
	Entering the bathroom, he could see the tub was almost full. 
LaCroix had poured some of the bath soaps that he liked into the running 
water, and the tub was covered with frothy white soap bubbles. He 
slipped out of the jacket, letting it fall to the floor. LaCroix turned off the 
water, then stood up and started to help him out of his clothes. Nick let 
LaCroix pull his T-shirt off over his head, and then stood quietly while he 
was scrutinized, front and back, for more injuries. Apparently satisfied, 
LaCroix reached down to unfasten his jeans. Nick was quick to push his 
hands away, saying, "I don't need any more help."
	"You're sure?" asked LaCroix. "I'll be happy to assist you."
	"No," insisted Nick. "Go. I'll be fine."
	"As you wish," said LaCroix, leaving and pulling the door shut 
behind him.
	Once LaCroix was gone, Nick stripped out of his clothes and got 
in the tub. He leaned his head back against the rim of the tub, and slid his 
body down until he was almost completely submerged. Closing his eyes, 
he breathed in the aroma from the bath soaps and sighed in blissful 
contentment.

	While Nick was relaxing in the bath, LaCroix went back down to 
the club to see how Marcus and Vachon were progressing. He was 
informed that all was being done as he requested. Lei Kung's men that 
remained alive, had already left the city. The rest of the bodies had been 
disposed of.
	It was reported that the abandoned warehouse was surrounded 
by firemen and police. The fires were almost extinguished and they would 
be entering the building soon. LaCroix ordered them to take the 
belongings they had confiscated at Lei Kung's prior location, and to seed 
them in a fairly conspicuous place in the currently burning warehouse. 
This way, the authorities will feel confident that they have located the 
criminals hideout, and it would appear that through their own error, they 
accidentally blew themselves up, leaving no one alive to arrest. The 
people in the vicinity of the initial blast, will have been assumed burned to 
ash. LaCroix felt confident the Coroner would confirm this scenario. The 
police could unsuccessfully continue to look for any survivors. Case 
closed.
	Speaking of the Coroner, LaCroix went to his office to call Dr. 
Lambert. He had told her he would call to inform her of the outcome when 
he found Nicholas. It probably wouldn't hurt to have her come by and 
examine him later this morning. It didn't appear that Nicholas was under 
the influence of this drug again, but he would feel better knowing for 
certain.
	After having made arrangements with Dr. Lambert, he touched 
base again with Marcus and Vachon. Everything was going according to 
plan. He returned upstairs to check on Nicholas, who should be done with 
his bath by now.
	Entering the living room, he was not surprised to find it empty. He 
looked in Nicholas' room and finding it also empty, he returned to his. The 
bathroom door was still closed. LaCroix put his ear to the door and heard 
no sounds within. Knocking lightly, he called out, "Nicholas."
	Getting no answer, he opened the door and walked in. Nicholas 
had apparently fallen asleep, his head laid against the small ledge where 
the tub met the wall. His arms were resting on top of the porcelain sides. 
His hair was dry, and his face was still coated with dirt and blood.
	Smiling, LaCroix knelt by the side of the tub, and rolled up his 
sleeves. Taking a washcloth, and wetting it down, he began to lightly 
brush it across Nicholas' forehead and down the side of his face. After a 
moment, Nicholas moved his head to escape the annoying touch. 
LaCroix kept it up until groggily, Nicholas started to open his eyes. At that 
moment, LaCroix reached under the water, and grabbing hold of his son's 
thigh, pulled him down and under the water, then quickly released him.
	Arms flailing, Nick gripped the sides of the tub and pulled himself 
upright. Spitting the soap out of his mouth, he wiped the water and suds 
from his eyes. Opening his eyes, he saw LaCroix sitting next to the tub, 
laughing at him. "What did you do that for?" he asked, completely 
annoyed.
	"It's rather difficult to wash that grime off without getting wet, 
don't you think?" he asked lightheartedly, chuckling under his breath.
	"It's not funny," declared Nick, not really all that upset.
	"And will you allow me to assist you now?" asked LaCroix, 
holding up the wet washcloth.
	"I don't need help," said Nick, reaching for the cloth.
	Pulling the cloth out of reach, LaCroix replied, "of course you 
don't <need> it, but I would appreciate it if you would allow me to do this."
	Telling himself that he was too tired to argue, he said," fine, I 
suppose."
	For the next twenty minutes, Nick sat there, only sometimes 
squirming, while LaCroix washed all the remnants of the blood, dirt and 
grime off of him and out of his hair. And, as Nick had earlier expected, his 
father took this opportunity to closely examine each and every injury.
	Having reviewed each hurt on his son's body, and appraising 
himself of how they had each come to be, he finally proclaimed him clean 
and presentable. With no preamble, he pulled the plug that started the 
water draining from the tub, and at the same time stood, offering his hand 
in assistance.
	Nick reached up and grabbed LaCroix' arm, allowing himself to 
be pulled to his feet. He stepped out of the tub and onto the bath mat, 
dripping water and soap suds all around him. LaCroix threw a towel over 
his head and began to briskly rub him down, towel drying his hair. 
LaCroix moved from his head to his back, and upon reaching his chest, 
Nick grabbed the towel and said, "stop. I can finish."
	Seeing the look on Nicholas' face, LaCroix didn't argue with him. 
He just handed him the towel and said, "I'll get you some pajamas while 
you finish up here."
	Moments later, Nick walked into his bedroom, the towel wrapped 
around his waist. LaCroix had pulled the blankets down on his bed, and 
left a clean pair of pajamas on his pillow. Nick picked up the silk shirt top 
and began to pull it over his arms, when LaCroix appeared in the 
doorway.
	"Should I assume further assistance is unnecessary?" he asked.
	"I'm fine," said Nick, pulling the shirt the rest of the way on, and 
starting to secure the buttons.
	"Very well," replied LaCroix. "I'll be in my den if you need 
anything." Then, just before leaving he added, "and by the way, Dr. 
Lambert will be by in the morning to see you."
	Nick just nodded, and watched LaCroix leave. He finished 
dressing, then gratefully crawled into bed. Pulling the covers up to his 
chest, he let himself fall back onto the bed, closing his eyes the moment 
his head landed on the pillow. Nestling down and making himself 
comfortable, he was asleep almost instantly.

	By morning, the Raven and the Toronto community had returned 
to normal. Lei Kung was history, and word had gotten around that 
LaCroix had killed him, just before the warehouse exploded. Since no 
one had expected anything less to occur, this was not questioned. 
LaCroix had adequately recognized those members who had aided him 
against Lei Kung, and everyone was ready and willing to put this behind 
them.
	The club was cleared out and the cleaning crew had left some 
time ago. Just to be on the safe side, LaCroix had left a couple guards in 
place, just in case some of Lei Kung's men were lingering in the area.
	Having just come from checking on Nicholas, who was still sound 
asleep, he was sitting in the living room reading the morning paper. He 
looked up as he heard her ascending the staircase. He then continued 
his perusal of the news, until she had let herself into the apartment. He 
rose to greet her, "good morning, Doctor."
	"Good morning, LaCroix," she greeted him in return. He certainly 
seemed calmer than the last time she saw him, which had been in her 
morgue when Nick disappeared. "Is Nick in his room?" she asked, 
assuming that was the case.
	Nodding his head, he gestured for her to proceed him down the 
hallway. Entering Nick's room, she sat on the edge of the bed and 
withdrew her kit from her bag. He was laying partially on his side facing 
them, one arm flung out, with the other tucked close to his chest.
	"I would appreciate it if you could do this without waking him," 
said LaCroix quietly.
	"I'll try," she whispered back. She carefully inserted the needle 
into his arm and withdrew the blood sample. He didn't stir a muscle. 
Amazing, she thought. She didn't recall him sleeping quite this soundly 
before. "How long has he been sleeping?"
	LaCroix shrugged, and answered, "eight, maybe nine hours. He 
was quite exhausted."
	"Obviously," she replied, giving him one last long look before she 
rose and headed back to the living room, LaCroix following after her. 
"Give me about an hour and a half, and I should be able to call you with 
the results."
	"Very well, Doctor," he replied, opening the front door. "Allow me 
to see you out."
	"Sure," she said, heading down the stairs, with him following 
behind her. What's with the personal door service, she wondered. He 
must really be in a good mood, or something. She didn't want to consider 
the 'or something'.
	They were almost to the main door of the club, when there was a 
knocking at the door. Natalie stopped and looked back at LaCroix. He 
stared at the door a moment, then said, "if you would be so kind as to 
answer that."
	Pulling the door open, she was surprised to see Captain Reese. 
Behind him were Detectives Bissett and Clarke, with Tracy bringing up 
the rear. "Dr. Lambert. A pleasant surprise. Were you here checking on 
Nick?" asked Reese politely.
	"Yes, sir, I was," she replied, a little caught off guard.
	"And how is he doing?" asked the Captain.
	"He's fine. He's sleeping. I was just about to run this last blood 
test that should give him a clean bill of health. Then with a few days more 
rest, he should be ready to return to work," she explained.
	From the shadows of the hallway behind her, came a voice, 
"thank you, Doctor. That will be all."
	Glancing at LaCroix in irritation, she said to Reese, "if you will 
excuse me. It seems as if I've been dismissed."
	"Yes, well, we actually dropped by to see Mr. LaCroix," explained 
Reese, moving aside to let her pass.
	"He's all yours," she said, walking past them, "and good 
riddance," she whispered under her breath as she passed Tracy.
	Tracy caught her arm as she passed. "So, Nick's really okay?" 
she asked Natalie.
	"Yeah, he's really okay. In a few more days, you'll be dreaming of 
all this peace and quiet," she replied humorously.
	"Hey, that's great Nat," said Tracy. "And by the way, I'm sure he 
didn't mean that the way it sounded," she added, referencing LaCroix' 
curt dismissal.
	Laughing, Natalie replied, "of course he did. Look, I've got to go. 
I'll see you around."
	While Tracy and Natalie were talking on the sidewalk, LaCroix 
had asked the Captain and his detectives into the club. He led them to a 
large table at the edge of the dance floor. "Since the club is closed, we 
should be undisturbed. Please sit," he invited.
	They were just getting settled when Tracy rushed in to catch up 
with them. "Glad you could join us, Detective," said Reese, chidingly.
	"Sorry. I was just talking to Natalie about Nick," she replied, then 
quieted and sat down when she saw LaCroix glared at her.
	"My son is not this morning's topic of discussion," stated LaCroix 
emphatically, daring anyone to dispute him.
	"No, not directly anyway," agreed Reese. "It looks as if we're 
going to be able to close this case, and we just want to go over some 
details with you before we wrap things up," he explained.
	"Very well. You may proceed," he ordered.
	"Now look here, Mr. LaCroix, ..." said an angry Bissett, before he 
was firmly cut off by Reese.
	"That's enough, Bissett. This isn't why we're here," he said, 
knowing full well that LaCroix' attitude could bristle Mother Theresa 
herself. And it didn't help when he sat there with a smug smile on his 
face, egging his detectives on.
	"We found the man that was responsible for Detective Knight's 
kidnapping," said Clarke, putting the conversation on track. At Reese's 
grateful look, he continued, "or at least what's left of him."
	"Do tell," quipped LaCroix. "I am most interested in what you 
have discovered."
	"The guy's name was Chao Lee. He was the President of 
Thunder Laboratories. They're based in Hong Kong," related Clarke.
	"Does any of this mean anything to you?" asked Reese.
	"No," he replied succinctly. "Do continue."
	Reese motioned for Clarke to go on. Picking up his notes, Clarke 
said, "it appears Mr. Lee, along with his assistants, a Mr. Chang and a 
Mr. Wen, arrived in Toronto about two weeks ago. A few days later, 
Timothy Parry arrived. His alias was Mr. Black. As we all know, he was 
responsible for kidnapping Detective Knight and holding him for ransom. 
You paid the ransom, then later Mr. Black was found dead in an alley. 
The night you were at the precinct speaking with us, his seven associates 
were killed in our lock up."
	Picking up where Clarke left off, Reese said, "we're guessing 
from Nick's statement, that Mr. Black had an employer, and that Mr. Lee 
was that employer. It also fits because his lab in Hong Kong 
manufacturers the type of drug Natalie found in Nick's blood. We think 
Mr. Lee is responsible for these deaths. Some falling out among thieves, 
or what have you."
	It was Bissett's turn to speak. "It further ties together when we 
found a warehouse early tonight, that had been rocked by an explosion. It 
seems that our Mr. Lee and associates were careless, and they 
accidentally triggered their own bomb. Evidence found at the scene, 
clearly indicate that the warehouse was being occupied by Mr. Lee and 
his people. The fire marshall says they found what appear to be human 
remains, just ashes really, and they believe those to belong to Mr. Lee. 
Apparently, somehow during the explosion, he impaled himself on a large 
beam extending down from the ceiling."
	"And other preliminary reports show that fragments from the 
bomb in tonight's explosion, will match up with those found in the 
junkyard car bombing when Knight was rescued. So, that seems to be it 
in a nutshell," finished Clarke.
	"So, Mr. LaCroix, the question still remains. What was Mr. Lee's 
motive? What did he want from you?" asked Reese, his tone indicating 
that he really wasn't expecting a straight answer.
	"Well, Captain, the only thing he actually asked for, he received," 
answered LaCroix.
	"And just what might that have been?" asked Reese suspiciously.
	"Why the diamonds, of course," replied LaCroix. "I don't suppose 
you were able to recover them," he added, more as a statement than a 
question.
	"Sorry, but no. At least not yet. There's still a chance they may 
turn up," said Reese hopefully. But somehow, he got the impression that 
Mr. LaCroix wasn't really concerned about recovering the missing 
diamonds.
	Shrugging nonchalantly, LaCroix said, "is there anything else, 
Captain."
	"Yes. I just want to make sure we understand this. You have no 
idea why Mr. Chao Lee, or anyone from Thunder Laboratories, would 
target <you>, kidnap <your> son, and risk involving the entire Metro 
police department in a ransom negotiation, let alone murdering those 
they hired while in police custody. And following that, less than a week 
later, blow themselves up in an abandoned warehouse near the river, 
leaving no survivors," recited Reese, tone of voice indicating he believed 
there was quite a bit more Mr. LaCroix wasn't telling them.
	"Do you have any information to suggest otherwise?" asked 
LaCroix, knowing full well they didn't.
	Sighing in exasperation, Reese replied, "no. But there is one 
thing I did find rather interesting, that I'm surprised didn't seem to concern 
you over much."
	"And what is that, Captain?" inquired LaCroix.
	"This Mr. Black, through Mr. Lee we're assuming, sure knew a lot 
about you. Much more than we were able to find out after having run a 
full background check. Now why is that do you suppose?" asked Reese 
curiously.
	After a long thoughtful moment, LaCroix replied, "I can't honestly 
answer that."
	Reese stood up from the table, causing his detectives to rise 
also. He stated, "for the record, barring any new unsolicited information, 
we're closing this case. I'm assuming that meets with your approval, Mr. 
LaCroix."
	Standing, LaCroix responded saying, "yes, thank you, Captain. I 
couldn't have done a better job myself."
	Indicating to his detectives they should head out, he stayed 
behind long enough to privately say to LaCroix, "you know. If you weren't 
Knight's father, I'd be tempted to dig a little deeper. I'd bet my pension 
that there's a lot more buried under this playing field than you've let on."
	"Captain, if my son were not your detective, I doubt if you would 
have even found the 'playing field'," replied LaCroix stonily.
	Straightening up and taking a step back, Reese said publicly, 
"thank you for your cooperation, Mr. LaCroix. We will be sure to keep you 
informed if there are any new developments." He then held out his hand 
towards him.
	Extending his own to grasp Reese's, the two men shook hands, 
with LaCroix saying, "any time I can be of assistance, please do not 
hesitate to call, Captain."
	After staring warily into each others eyes, Reese broke contact 
first. Stepping away, he joined his detectives and they took their leave. 
After making sure the door was secured, LaCroix retired to his apartment.
	He went into Nicholas' room, sat in the chair by his bed, and 
watched him sleep. Pondering, he thought, how could such an angelic 
looking child be the source of so much anguish. He sometimes wondered 
if his son had any idea the worry he caused him. But on the other hand, 
speaking as a father, he wouldn't have it any other way. He just wasn't 
about to tell Nicholas that.
	His peaceful reverie was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. 
LaCroix hurried to his den to answer it before it woke Nicholas. After 
exchanging greetings, he asked, "and what do the tests show?"
	"The tests show that there is no trace of any drugs in his system," 
said Natalie, sounding relieved herself.
	"That is indeed good news, Doctor," he replied.
	"If he'll stay in bed and rest up for the next few days, he should 
be as good as new," she reported happily.
	"Was that Natalie?" asked Nick sleepily.
	Turning towards his just awakened son, he replied, "yes. She 
says with a few days rest, you'll be fine. It would appear that your little 
adventure did not impact negatively on your overall health."
	Sensing that his last statement was a lead in to a lecture he 
didn't want to hear, Nick replied, "I've been telling you I was fine all 
along."
	"Without another near rescue, you might very well not have been 
fine," admonished LaCroix.
	"You didn't rescue me," asserted Nick. "I escaped on my own."
	LaCroix looked at his son incredulously. "You seem to continually 
be missing the point."
	"What point?"
	"If you had done as I told you, no rescue would have been 
necessary. But as usual, you allowed your impetuosity to override your 
caution and very nearly got yourself killed,"  he further scolded.
	Sighing in acknowledgement, Nick said, "you're right. I should 
have listened to you and not gone after Lei Kung. I should have thought 
through it and been more careful."
	Faking a look of shock on his face, LaCroix said in mock 
astonishment, "did you just say I was right? I better call the Doctor back 
right away. I think you must be delirious."
	"Very funny, ha, ha," replied Nick, turning away and heading 
back down the hall. "I'm going back to bed."
	LaCroix followed him down the hall. Nick crawled into bed and 
settled comfortably on his side. LaCroix sat on the bed next to him, 
pulling the covers up around him. Nick closed his eyes as he felt LaCroix 
run his fingers through his hair, and caress the side of his face. Opening 
his eyes, he looked up at LaCroix, who said to him, "do you have any 
idea how I would feel if something were to happen to you?"
	"Yeah, I know," replied Nick, truly realizing the depths of his 
father's feelings for him.
	"Go to sleep," said LaCroix, watching as his son closed his eyes. 
He sat there by his side until he was sure Nicholas was asleep. Finally 
rising, he headed for his own bed. For the first time, in a long time, he 
knew he would sleep soundly. Lei Kung was dead and no longer a threat, 
and Nicholas was safely asleep under the same roof. He was determined 
that the relationship between he and his son would remain amicable.

The End

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