“There you go being the reporter again,” Eric said as he shook his head disapprovingly.

Tanner shrugged her shoulders. “Can’t help it. It’s who I am.” She stared at Eric who stared at the monitor, suddenly lost in thought. “Are you okay?”

For a few seconds, Eric did not respond. When he spoke again, he did so quietly as if he was thinking out loud. “There is one thing I’m dying to find out.”

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A vampire that Nevindoss turns with his own blood is much more powerful than a vampire turned on blood three or four generations down.”

“Why?”

“Because his blood is pure. It hasn’t been diluted.” Eric spoke with a stronger voice. “I wonder how strong a person with Retro-V in their system would become if they ingested Nevindoss’s blood.”

“Let’s hope you never find out.”

Tanner’s cell phone rang. She activated the speakerphone option and put the phone down on the counter. “This is Tanner.”

“Where are you?” barked the rough voice on the other end of the connection.

“Hello to you, too, Davis,” she replied.

“Where are you?” Davis repeated.

“Down at VAMP. You know that. I sent in the story on those spike balls that crippled the extermination unit vehicle tonight...”

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