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possible to apprehend and neutralize the threat that Tristan Meriwether has proven to be. Please don't hesitate to ask for anything you need during this time. Our vast resources are at your disposal.” Priest bumbled his way through the remainder of his dialog and finally announced that he would be leading the hunt for Tristan himself.
     
    Marcus laughed and looked to the mayor, "Sir, while I'm sure the VC has faith in Priest and his abilities, I won't have them dictate how I handle my cases. You know as well as I do that Meriwether will rip a Deadborn apart, even one with Priest's service record."
     
    Mayor Aldridge looked like a deer in headlights caught between the rock and the proverbial hard place. "Of course, you're right, commander, but I'm sure if we put our heads together we'll come up with a solution favorable to all parties."
     
    Marcus bobbed his head in my direction. "With all due respect, sir, I already have. As Priest stated before, Ms. Trumaine is a Sentinel in my division. You’re well aware of the fact that she's a Pureblood Vampire. Both of her parents are Vampires, giving her an additional advantage."
     
    Marcus dropped copies of my service file in front of everyone present. "If you doubt her capabilities in handling this case due to any past acquaintance or her standing in Vampire hierarchy, please let her record speak for itself."
     
    Priest shoved the file to the side and snarled in my direction, "The VC elders were clear about their wishes. I'm in charge of this case."
     
    Marcus scoffed and rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, "Your elders can kiss my furry ass. As a matter of fact, I don't believe the Vampire Council wants this mark taken down at all. Why else would they want a Deadborn appointed to lead this case when they know good and damn well he hasn’t a chance in hell of taking Tristan down on his own?"
     
    Priest was so angry he looked like his eyes were about to bug right out of his head and Mayor Aldridge looked positively green around the gills.
     
    Everyone in the room knew that Marcus had hit the nail on the head but was afraid to admit it for fear of pissing off the VC. Chief Watkins jumped up and headed for the door, "Why don't the both of you go after him. Hell, with any luck all three of yah will end up ash."
     
    With those parting words, the chief had consigned my time on this case to hell. Of course, the mayor loved the idea, and in a show of good faith, Marcus agreed to it.
     
    After getting on the phone and discussing it with his contact within the VC, Priest agreed to a partnership. With the matter settled, all unnecessary parties went about their separate ways leaving only Marcus, Priest, and me.
     
    Marcus immediately laid out the contents of another file. "Alright gals and guys, something told me that it was gonna go this way, so I took the liberty of booking a room with double beds. Low Country in South Carolina is your destination. There have been reports from the CMS in Charleston that some root doctors in the Gullah community there have been displaying rather large increases in power. There's also been a decrease in the Lifeborn Vampire population."
     
    Priest took a quick glance at the papers spread out before us, "Shouldn't that be the opposite, Marcus? I mean if Tristan is near Charleston, wouldn't we see an increase in Vampires? And what does the Gullah community have to do with this?"
     
    I saw where he was heading, and it was a reasonable guess, just wrong. "I see where you're going, but that's not possible, Priest.” I ignored the spiteful look he shot me. "It takes time to make a Lifeborn - time and commitment. He's moving from location to location too fast for that. If Tristan has taken up shop in Charleston and pushes the issue then it‘s his territory now. Any Lifeborn vamps are going to clear out to avoid a confrontation with someone that’s clearly stronger than they are."
     
    Marcus shrugged his shoulders and tossed me a picture. "That's