"You are correct," the voice on the other end said. "According to our translation, time is running out."

"That is kind of obvious," Silas replied. "Is there anything new?"

"You must find the heir and get into the Dark City soon."

"Again, I knew that."

"Otherwise, you will have to wait two hundred years."

" . . . "

"Mr. Androvich, are you still there?"

"Yes. Is that all, sir?"

"That is all, Mr. Androvich." Click.

Silas ended the call and threw the phone down to the ground. "Shit." He stood up and started getting dressed.

"Freelance MS21. I have a drop off for collections," she told the guard.

A few moments later the guard waved her through and she sighed in relief. "I could get in so much trouble for this."

In the back of the van the Midnight Sons gathered around a crate. Sedona lifted the lid with a crowbar and began handing everyone M-16A1's.

"Don't ask," she said.

Everyone was silent as Ariana backed the van into the collections bay. The back doors opened and four security guards found themselves staring at five M-16A1 barrels.

"If you gentlemen would be so kind as to step back and drop your hardware," Sedona said. "We'd really appreciate it."

The guards dropped their weapons and stepped back.

"Duane, tie them up," Sedona ordered. "Ariana keep the engine running. We won't be long."

Sedona, Leslie, Daniel and Blade stepped quietly into the next room. Torrance lay on the table bound. A doctor in lab coat stood over him with a scalpel. Sedona signaled the others to move silently. The closer they got the better chance they had to save Torrance. As they moved closer the Oni in the first cage began to panic. Then it began to scream backing into the cage as far as it could get.

Torrance twisted his neck to a painful angle to see what was happening. Then he saw his friends. Then he saw the frightened Oni. Guess that was him after all.

Dr. Thorpe turned around. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "You are not authorized to be here." Then a look of recognition came across his face. "You're this creature's friends. You've actually come to save him. Well I can't allow that."

Thorpe rushed them with his scalpel. "I can't allow that at all."

As Thorpe approached them, Blade took a fighter's stance and punched him. The Doctor was dropped with a single blow.

"I gave up a night of fighting vampires for this," he said.

Leslie rushed to Torrance. She grabbed another scalpel from the table and began cutting the straps to free him. A few moments later Torrance was standing and the balcony above the room was full of armed guards.

"We have to go," Sedona called out.

"I'm not leaving without McConnell," Torrance replied.

"Torrance, those men have guns," Sedona whispered.

"So do you."

"Yeah but theirs are probably loaded," Sedona said.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"I didn't have time to get the ammo," Sedona said apologetically.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave without him," Torrance said and ran for the keys on the far wall.

"Now things are getting interesting," Blade said as he ran toward McConnell's cage. "Toss me those keys," he said to Torrance.

"Great," Sedona said and she ran out of the room.

"Stop," one of the guards called out. "We've been given permission to open fire."

Blade opened the cage and McConnell stepped out.

"Get back in the cage now," one of the guards warned, taking aim.

McConnell made an obscene gesture and continued walking. The guard fired. Torrance saw the flare of the rifle and began to run with all his might. He just barely managed to step in front of the bullet.

"That was silly," McConnell said. "I could have dodged it you know." He shook his head and lifted Torrance in a fireman's carry.

"Can you dodge all of those?" Blade asked as all of the guards took aim.

Then Sedona burst through the door wielding one of the outer guards rifles. She began firing into the balcony. "Let's move it, guys! We don't have all day."

The others ran for the door and headed for the van.

"At least I have a license," Duane shot back.

"Could you at least keep it straight?" Ariana pleaded. "Torrance is bleeding."

"Don't worry about him," McConnell said. "That wasn't a silver bullet. It won't kill him. It will hurt for awhile but it won't kill him."

"I hope you guys realize that out job just got a lot harder," Ariana said to everyone. "From now on we have to terminate all opponents. Otherwise we'll be forced to use a Cleaner." Ariana shuddered as she spoke the word. Before any one could respond Duane dropped one of the wheels off the shoulder and everyone shifted to the right.

"Keep it in the road, Geekboy," Sedona growled.

"Silas, have you learned anything from the page?" Leslie asked as she walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn.

Silas shook his head. "No. But there is a higher priority at this time. We must find Tygra and the Shadow's Wing."

Leslie shot him a confused look as she sat down.

"First priority," Silas affirmed. Silently, he muttered a few words -- a protection spell.

Energy radiated from his body and flew across the room. When it reached Sedona, it flew back and hit Silas. He fell to the ground hard.

The original spell is intact, Silas thought with an evil grin forming on his lips. He quickly changed his expression so the rest of the group would not see it. But he kept his gaze on Sedona.

Sedona sank back into her chair. "Um . . . I'm not feeling too well . . . "

"Do you need something?" Ariana asked.

"No," Sedona replied, standing up. "I think I'll be fine if I just go home . . . "

Not terribly sick at least. But she needed to get out of that apartment.

Sedona kept watch from her vantage point. After what seemed like an eternity, Slias finally left the apartment. He seemed to pause for a moment by the curb.

Oh shit, I hope he's walking, Sedona suddenly realized. She breathed a sigh of relief when Silas turned and started walking.

Sedona stayed at least half a block length behind Silas as she followed him down the sidewalks of Transverse. It was not long before she saw him disappear into his church.

She squinted her eyes, not sure what to think. Whatever Silas was up to, it most likely was no god. She ran to a nearby payphone. Throwing coins into the slot, she dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Hey, Geekboy, it's me."

"Sedona," Duane said calmly on the other side. "You feeling any better."

"Forget about that. Just find out what you can about the Order of 'N'."

"Order of 'N' . . . " Duane repeated, slowly as if he were writing it down.

"Yeah. And Geekboy?"

Sedona could hear Duane's sigh from the other end.

"Don't tell anyone that you're looking this up," she continued.

"Secret mission. Check."

"What did she have to say?" Wilburne asked.

"That she was sent to kill me but instead she fell in love with me."

"That's why they sent me here," Wilburne said.

"She also said that there was no reason for her to stay. If you killed me it was over and if I killed you it was over. She could never love a man who killed her brother."

"That is my sister," Wilburne said softly. "Though she should have stuck around to see it out. You acted honorably. You risked your life to save mine. As far as I'm concerned your blood debt is paid. From this day forth we are brothers."

"Where is she?" Torrance asked. "I have to talk to her."

"I don't know," Wilburne said. "When she refused to kill you she was disowned. She is no longer a member of the clan. She can never go home."

Tears filled Torrance's eyes and he collasped on the lawn. By the time he looked up again he could barely see Wilburne's hand sticking out the window of his pick-up waving goodbye.

"Bastard," she muttered. "Fucking asshole. What the hell did he do to me?" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.

Sedona had not been feeling right since Silas's spell, but it got worse the closer she got to home. She had felt a dull throbbing in the back of her head. Now, back in her own room, the throbbing had increased to a full pounding. She grabbed her head to try to ease the pain.

Sedona cried out in pain as the mark on her chest started burning. She clutched her chest as she hit the edge of her bed and fell into it.

She could feel the tingling start on the top of her head as she started falling. By the time she hit the mattress, she had passed out.

She would not know it until the next morning, but her hair started fading to white.

But he couldn't remember anything after that.

Regaining his senses, he could tell he was sitting on his motorcycle, and it was now the middle of the day. He could also tell that the motorcycle was moving. The blaring of horns also alerted him. He swerved to miss an oncoming SUV. Once he was safely back in his lane, he looked over at the nearest roadsign.

"WELCOME TO KNOXVILLE!" it proclaimed.

"Shit!" Johnny exclaimed. "Damn you, Ghost Rider. I don't need you taking me places!"

Johnny got into the far right lane, and sped up until he reached the next exit, which he took.

"You're going to have to work harder than that to get me to go somewhere!"