****
"It's a long story," LaCroix replied in a resigned tone, draining the
remainder of the bottle's contents.

"I've got time," Vachon commented with a nod toward the sky. "So do you. It's
at least an hour before sunset. That is, unless you want to simply stare at
the scenery and let me come to my own conclusions who would be capable of
beating the crap out of someone as old as you. I'm sure I could make up
something really interesting to share around the bar." He was clearly
enjoying the situation. While he was curious how the ancient could end up
unconscious in a warehouse, he wasn't sure that he'd ever really be told the
whole story.

"I am grateful for the nourishment and shelter, but I'm not sure that you
really want to involve yourself in this," he said setting the bottle on the
floor and slowly standing. Groaning with movement of stiff, rebellious limbs,
he quickly eased himself back down onto the bed. Anonda's men must have hit
him in the back numerous times. He must have broken bones to be that weak.

"I enjoy a good fight," Vachon grinned, handing a full bottle to LaCroix.
"But I think you took *this* fight a little too far."

"I don't need your sarcasm," LaCroix retorted, opening the bottle and
drinking its contents slowly. He felt the healing process with every sip of
blood he drank.  He wasn't sure of the wisdom of it, but he knew that the
young Spaniard was his best option. Assuming he could find her, Anonda was
unlikely to be in a forgiving mood. Obviously she still carried a grudge for
his role in Divia's death. "Your assistance in a small matter would be
appreciated."

"I'm listening," he replied, leaning back in his chair. Having the older
vampire owe *him* would be worth the risk of whatever the 'small matter' was.

"To answer your previous question, my condition was the result of an
unfortunate encounter with enforcers. Five or six of them, I believe," he
sighed, stretching his reluctant muscles. It would take far more energy that
he currently could muster to do what he needed to do. He was certain that
Natalie was no longer in Toronto. Anonda was not so foolish as to stay within
the range that he could easily track her.

"What'd you do to them?" Vachon asked with a shudder. Enforcers were spoken
of with a hush and shiver of fear. With the unquestioned ability to execute
for the slightest of infraction, most vampires spent their existence avoiding
them.

"They were merely following orders," LaCroix shrugged. "You were a soldier,
you should understand."

"Yeah, but this kind of beating seems personal," he observed, carefully
watching the elder's reaction. From the way he flinched, he'd obviously
struck a nerve. Figures that LaCroix would annoy enforcers. "Who ordered it?"

"It was personal. It is personal," he agreed. "It was ordered by a former
lover of mine. She is now a master Enforcer."

"Ouch," Vachon groaned. "Figures you'd annoy only the rich and powerful."

"She wasn't rich or powerful when we were together. She was a simply
fledgling as was I." His voice trailed off as he recalled nights of pleasure.
She, too, had been brought across by Divia and they had traveled together for
a time. It was Divia's envy of seeing the physical pleasures that her two
fledglings found in each other that had sparked the desire to seek the same
pleasure with him. He had not seen her since that fateful night when he'd
left Divia's broken body in the tomb. While they'd not seen each other, he'd
heard of her activities. He had no doubt that she knew *what* had happened
that night, but not *why*. Not that it would matter. Enforcers never asked
why.

"Oh, ho... now I see," Vachon nodded.

"I don't think you do, not that it matters now.  Anonda has a desire for
revenge that could prove fatal to Natalie. I cannot permit that."

"Wait a minute," Vachon interrupted. "How does the doc fit into this?"

"She and I are lovers," LaCroix explained, enjoying the look of surprise that
he saw in the younger man. That he'd initially been 'told' to romance the
mortal woman no longer mattered. He was willing to publicly declare his
relationship to her.  The past two days had been filled with unexpected
pleasures that he had hoped would have led to a fuller, more complete bond.
"I was going to bring her across."

"Let me guess. This Anonda woman heard you had someone new. She's jealous."

"It's more than that. Much more than that. Unfortunately, she is now powerful
enough to have others do her bidding. She has waited many years, and called
in many favors to get where she is now. Our  disagreement goes to things that
happened over a millennia ago. She has merely been waiting to find an area in
which I would be vulnerable for her version of revenge," he sighed. He wasn't
sure exactly what he would do. Leaving Natalie to Anonda's mercy was simply
not an option.

"So you're going to charge in to rescue Natalie?" Vachon observed. He had
thought the mortal woman was tied to Nick. That LaCroix was declaring himself
to be her lover was an unexpected event. This would be worth trying to subtly
extract information from Tracy. She might not know about Nick's identity, but
she would know if Natalie really had a new 'friend'.

"Crudely, yes, that is the goal."

"Count me in then," he announced. "The doc has always been a friend. If she's
in danger, I'm willing to help and I bet I could persuade some of my friends
to come along." He paused for a moment, studying LaCroix's expression. "You
aren't planning to go in alone, are you?"

"I'd thought about it."

"What army did *you* serve in?" Vachon asked sarcastically, ignoring the
angry glare that LaCroix shot at him. "A frontal assault works only if you're
a stronger force." He grinned at the elder's reaction to having military
advice coming from someone so much younger. "I suppose you never were the
weaker combatant though."

"No, I wasn't," he stood stiffly and paced to the other side of the room.
Having served in Rome's military forces, he truly was at a loss how to
proceed when faced with an enemy of superior strength. Even in his many years
of following mortal conflict, he never allied himself with the 'losing' side.
Enforcers were well trained and would sense his approach, as would Anonda.
This would not be easy. "Do you honestly think you'll be able to find anyone
willing to oppose enforcers?"

Vachon nodded. "Some of my friends, the young ones, fear no one. They are
still in the 'I'm invincible' phase. Others are simply fed up with the
arrogance of the enforcers. We all know of executions without warning."

"We all know the Code," LaCroix sniffed. "The enforcers simply ensure our
safety."

"It's not what they do, it's how they do it," he explained. "They don't even
verify the facts and obviously don't allow for appeals. We all know that if
you want someone killed, all you need to do is leak information to the
enforcers."

"Oh, come now," LaCroix scoffed. "You're exaggerating."

"Am I?  Did you know you were walking into a trap?"

"No," he acknowledged. Draining his bottle, he turned to face the younger
man. "This won't be easy. I'm not even sure where she is."

"I'll talk to some people and meet you back at your club," Vachon agreed.

"Agreed," LaCroix nodded.

"Oh, and I won't tell how I found you," Vachon commented, pulling on his
leather jacket. "Wouldn't want to tarnish your image."

LaCroix nodded, keeping his expression neutral. If he did not need the
younger man's help, he would have made sure that he regretted that tone of
voice.  It would be good practice. Control of his emotions would be necessary
when he found Anonda... and Natalie....

End part 9