"Here There Be Vampires" A Promise City, Arizona Story Hour

After the dynamite goes off, Jake runs around to the front of the house where the others have gathered. He grabs his bag and rifle and throws them farther away from the burning house. "Everyone whole?" he asks and most nod.

Minerva stands and watches the fire, carefully observing to make certain the monsters do not escape. She is tempted to console Ruby, but decides that is Jake's job right now.

Jake watches the house burn for a moment before he wanders over to where Ruby hiding her face from all of them. He sits nearby with his back to the barn. "You wanted to know how much I loved you? I love you enough to be too afraid to leave you alone. Even though I knew those monsters might use you. I just could not bear the risk to leave you where I could not see you and worry that they could get to you. So if you must blame someone, blame me. I put you here even though I knew that one of them controlled you at Greely's saloon. I did not know what else to do. I was not strong enough to leave you somewhere else. I had to trust my luck because..." he finally looks over at her, "because that is all I know how to do."

Ruby stops her sobbing and looks up at Jake, setting her red puffy eyes on his. She looks beaten and broken in just about every way possible. She has a new cut on her cheek, to match her bruise and the old cut on her head. Her breathing is heavy and her tone is sad. "You brought me here so you could WATCH me try to kill all my friends? And most especially my best friend," she chokes, "My lover and my life? What if I had succeeded? I would have to live with that for the rest of my pathetic life," she spits out.

She sits quietly for a moment, "I used to be able to only trust one person, myself, and now I can't even do that." She hangs her head very low. She says softly, "I just want this over with. I can't do it anymore. And after that.. I don't know."

"Pretty selfish of me to risk the others." Jake continues to watch her. "I have no other excuse to make. I thought this was our best odds." He stands slowly, a bit bruised himself from diving around. "I hope you will forgive me. I am doing what I can to finish this." He reaches his hand out to her. "I am sorry I pushed you down the stairs."

Ruby pushes up off the ground without help and stands, wrapping her arms around herself, ignoring Jake's hand to her. She keeps her face to the ground. "I can't say I wouldn't have done the same or worse. I know you didn't do it to be mean. And I know you're trying your best. I feel sorry for you, to be stuck with all this."

"Stuck?" He steps closer and grabs both her shoulders in an attempt to have her look him in the eye. "You would abandon me if I was the one being threatened? I do not believe it. You have a right to feel violated and unsure, I will not deny you that," he says releasing her. He steps back from her, "I do not want your sympathy or your pity." He tries to keep his tone calm and without reproach. "Just your heart, Ruby, I just want your heart. Rest easy for a little while, I need to make sure that everything burns in that house. I will not have anyone threatening my woman."

"There is no rest for the wicked," Ruby says softly under her breath as she watches Jake walk away.

Jake looks at her silently for a minute before he walks away to watch the house burn. "Hey Chet, you OK? Maybe you and Nanuet can check out the barn."

Chester walks over. "Yep. We just breathed in a little smoke. We were about to stab a vampire with a stake when the house caught fire. How are you doing? What was going on here?"

Jake tells Chet what happened upstairs. "Sorry, pardner, I started the fire. Between Ruby being in their control and Edwards not doing too well against that Gloves character I could not mess around any more with a pointy stick."

"We'll check out the barn. The sheriff did it, but maybe there's something he missed."

Nanuet also counts heads to make sure everyone is there that should be. When he looks at Minerva he sees a blood stain on her blouse near her shoulder. "Minerva, you're hurt! What happened?" he quickly moves over to her and gently pulls the shirt to the side, attempting to shield anyone else’s view with his body. "You've been shot! Please sit down, let me take a look at that."

Nanuet gets Minerva to sit and he begins tending to the wound. "The bullet is still in there, you are crazy to be running around like this! I will use a prayer to heal you."

Nanuet casts cure moderate on her, expelling the bullet and closing the wound. He grins when he sees that only a small white scar remains. "I must help the others search the barn, please rest here for a moment."

Nanuet, Chester, Al Weeks and Katherine all head to the barn to search it and check over the contents.

Inside the barn there are half a dozen horse stalls and tack and supplies for all of them. There is hay, feed, equipment for shoeing and for doing minor leatherwork as well. Several farm tools such as pitchforks and shovels can also be found in the fairly tidy barn. To the side is a small pig pen with trough but it is currently devoid of any occupants.

4 of the stalls are occupied and after a quick examination it is determined that 3 of the horses had been ridden recently, and appear to be in need of some care. The 4th is an older mare and appears to have stayed behind when the trio made their recent visit to town.

The back of the barn has the necessary equipment for milking and slaughtering the cattle as well as their feed and other supplies.

In the end it appears to be nothing but a normal working barn.

Ruby couldn't even begin to comprehend what she did and what she was going to have to do. Her friends all set about making themselves useful and Ruby is glad for their distraction, she couldn't bear to be around any of them just now. They would try to comfort her for sure, but there was certainly no comfort to be had for Ruby West. Jake was right, she had been violated, worse than any other time in her short life.

Her hand finds it way to her waist, and the little silver flask that had gone untouched since much earlier in the day. Breaking a promise to herself she flicks the cap off with her thumb and doesn't bother taking a sip. She gulps down most of the remaining contents, it was going to take a lot of drugs to get her through the rest of this day.

She wipes the still falling tears from her face as she stands numbly, like in a trance. It doesn't take long for her legs to start to wobble and she stumbles over to the side of the barn, where she crumples down into a ball. Her cries grow weaker and finally the little flask falls from her hand as she head sags to the side and she passes out.

Jake watches Ruby out of the corner of his eye. He decides to examine the chest and its contents that is now lying on the ground outside the burning house. It was a long shot but he hoped it might contain some useful knowledge or tool in combating the menace that faced them. He sees her stumble and then curl up against the barn. He almost ran to her. No, he thinks painfully, she has to figure this out herself. I can protect her from vampires, but someday she is going to have to face herself.

When Ruby slumps over, Jake cannot stand aloof any longer. He runs over and lifts her head off the ground and places it on his lap. He notices the flask that has fallen out of her hand. He shakes his head and sighs while quickly putting it in his pocket. He just sits and strokes her hair, letting her have the time in oblivion while he maintains a watch on her to make certain she did not take a life threatening amount.

When he can get Edwards attention he asks him about the Bull. "You said, 'The creature is undead! I will try and turn it back!'. What does that mean? It was not a vampire like the others, it was in the sun." Jake asks him questions about it and the implications.

After the others gather round him, concerned about Ruby, Jake uses the time to discuss what they know so they can figure out what to do next. "Turner either faked his death, or was killed so we would think trouble was due to him and is now gone, or if neither then why and buy who? If these vampires were three of the four foot prints... who was the fourth? Something tells me the cuff links and the missing rope are clues that we do not yet understand. Why kill Turner to give us the confidence to leave and then kill the sheriff? Why are Greely and Whittaker buying up property? Seems clear they are taking advantage of folks dying or having them killed. Who is to say that O'Neil is NOT really part of it, even though he appears not to be a vampire himself. And what about that bull? That does not bode well, nor answer anything." Jake also is concerned that they group make certain coffins are gone and it is not possible that the vampires are hiding in the foundation or have found some other escape.

Edwards says, "Yes, as we all could see the creature was not normal. I cast a small spell that allowed me to determine if it was living or undead. It was the second of the two. I was about to try and turn it away when you... um flame broiled it. As to how it got in that state, I am not sure. Perhaps they found a way to taint it, perhaps they feed it one of their victims blood. I am not sure."

"Maybe killing Turner had nothing to do with us at all," Kate said. "It's a small town, and too many deaths too quickly will drive people off. The people run, the vampires run out of victims. Also, another vampire who isn't part of their group could be seen as a threat to their power. Of course, Turner may not have been killed by these monsters. I admit, they are probably the only ones strong enough to do it though."

Jake nods, "Smart thinking Mrs. Kale. If he's dead it might not have anything to do with us at all. I wish we knew for certain if he is going to be a problem for us anymore."

"There is no certain to be had. But I'd lay down money that these three aren't all of them. Someone pulls their strings. Mr. Edwards, what would you recommend we do next?"

"Well, there are a few people in town I'd like to investigate. Mr. Bobby Whitaker for one. From what I understand he never comes out in the day, he moved in to town just before the trouble started, and he keeps his house boarded up and locked down. It sounds almost too much like he fits the profile too well, but worth looking into."

"Thom and Greely need some looking into as well, even if for the simple reason that they only seem to work at night. We can do some simple things, try and catch their reflection in a mirror, splash some water on them as if it were an accident. It works out that we are all visitors here and I don't think any of us are too concerned about making friends so if we offend someone who happens to not be a vampire then it shouldn't be the end of the world."

"As for the immediate future I'd like to take a look around the ranch property a bit more and wait for this fire to burn itself out so that I can take a look at what's left."

"Greely has certainly benefited from the trouble in town. His is the only saloon left, and he bought up Thom's properties after his accident." Kate paused a moment. "That bull, it wasn't a vampire but it was some kind of undead creature. Left for a guard, I would assume. If Greely is a vampire, could Thom be a creature like that?"

Jake cuts in, "Ruby said she saw that Thom fellow yesterday morning in the crowd. That would make it doubtful he's one of them."

"The bull was out in the daylight too. Obviously there is some form of undead those Vampires were using as servants. I'm suggesting Thom could be whatever those are. Of course, that assumes Greely is a Vampire. As Mr. Edwards suggested, a spill or two at the saloon might be in order."

"Alright, we set that up," Jake says, "Splashing the water, checking mirrors. Anything we can do." He looks down at Ruby, still lying sleeping in his lap. "I'm not sure what folks want to do tonight. Maybe Mr. Edwards wants to check out the place without us? Or maybe he'd prefer company."

Chester, Nanuet and Weeks return. Weeks says, "Well folks, we checked everywhere in the barn. If there's a secret space in there, it must be well hidden."

Chester pipes up, "Yep. No caskets in there. How're things out here?"

Jake fills them in, leaving out where Edwards would be. He still doesn't trust the sheriff completely.

Nolan listens to the others make their plans as he watches the building continue to burn. He makes his way over to Jake who is working on getting the chest open which survived the fall from the upper story intact. "If you all don't mind I think I am going to hang out here for the rest of the day. I want to keep an eye on things, make sure the coffins are fully destroyed and see if perhaps they had any friends who would come and visit. Anyone is more than welcome to stay with me, but it is not necessary. Now, let's see what's in that trunk."

Jake nods, "I understand. I have need of getting back to town," he glances at Ruby, "AFTER we make sure there is no sign of those coffins left. Maybe one of the others might want to stay with you. But in truth, we have all had a full day and they may just want to get some well needed rest."

The contents of the trunk are curious. There are several sentimental items as well as woman's clothing. Several photos showcase a wedding in which it appears Eugene Smith was the groom. The bride is a fairly unremarkable woman but both bride and groom appear to be very happy in all the pictures. The actual wedding gown from the picture is found carefully folded in the trunk. There are several letters from family members addressed to "Martha" or "Martha and Gene" dealing with personal issues such as wedding plans, moving into the ranch together and a pregnancy which was lost before making it to full term. There is also a keepsake box tied closed with ribbons that contains dried flowers, a few pieces of jewelry, a broken men's watch, and several letters written by Eugene Smith also addressed to Martha which seem to have been written during a courtship.

Jake ponders the contents of the trunk. "Let's take some of the items in case we need them later. That way I can look them over more carefully when I don't have as much on my mind." The friends gather the contents of the trunk and load them onto the carriage. Jake also gathers Ruby's pistol and dagger; & his rifle, derringer with blanks, and bag all lying strewn on the ground.

Finally he checks Ruby again, still passed out. He lifts her off the ground and cradles her in his arms, carrying her to the carriage and places her inside. She responds with barely a moan.

"Everyone ready?" Jake asks wearily.

Sheriff Weeks adds, "I will stay with Mr. Edwards. We should be fine together. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get this problem taken care of and revenge Sheriff Wilson."

They wait a little while longer, then check out the basement area. The fire and dynamite have completely obliterated the area and there are no signs of the coffin remaining. Satisfied with what he finds Jake tells the others it's time to head back. The carriage ride is uneventful and soon they find themselves back at the hotel.

Chester helps everyone unload their baggage from the carriage. He says, "Let's go to this Whitaker house while it's still light out. We'll start by asking if we can ask him about what's going on and move on from there. How's that?"

Jake replies, "Deputy, I have to take care of my wife tonight. But I think Mrs. Jacobs had a reason to visit Mr. Whittaker and it would look less suspicious. But if you want to got today and get it done, you are a deputy, I certainly won't stop you."

Chester looks quizzically at Jake. "You... can take care of Mrs. Jacobs. This Whitaker thing doesn't have to be done today. If she would look less suspicious, then she needs to be up and walking. What happened to her?"

"She, uh, had a little too much headache medicine." Jake lets that hang in the air. "Chet, if you decide it is better to go up to Whittaker's place now, bring some reliable help. Oh," Jake steps in close and speaks lower, "tell Edwards about how the then Deputy Weeks answered the question on where he was during the day yesterday. Make sure that Edwards knows that Weeks might have been controlled by someone. Last thing we need is for our new sheriff to turn on Edwards and kill him." Jake then pats him on the shoulder, "Luck, pardner."

As Nanuet and Chester are helping gently lift a still mostly unconscious Ruby out of the carriage Jake approaches Katherine. He pushes his hat back on his head and says wearily, "Quite a day, huh?"

Kate reached up and touched her cheek where it was red and swollen. "I'd call a day when three of those monsters are wiped out a good one." She looked over toward Ruby. "Not all good, though."

Jake nods. "We're closer to our goal, that is a good thing." He sticks his hand deep into his pockets as he watches Nanuet lift Ruby off the ground and carry her inside their hotel. "I'm going to spend the night with her, get her cleaned up and watch over her." He sighs, "I admit Katherine Kale, I am getting tired."

"We leave too much of the burden on you, Jake. I wish I knew how to take more of it myself... But I do know how to get someone cleaned up and keep my eyes open in the night. If you trust me enough."

Though tired Jake still manages his infamous smirk. "Heh. Sometimes I take it on myself. But I'd sure appreciate the help. I've learned it's not as easy as it looks getting a sleeping person out of the tub. How about you meet us upstairs in a few minutes?"

"Alright, Jake," she said, patting his arm. She went to her room and changed into a simple skirt and blouse, rolling up the sleeves. She packed up the few medical things she carried, bandages, witch hazel, needle and thread, alcohol for cleaning and a book or two for her own entertainment, then went upstairs and knocked on Jake and Ruby's door.

When Katherine arrives at the room the bath is being drawn. Ruby is lying mostly unmoving on the bed. Jake has pulled out Ruby's white nightgown, the one she rarely wears but always brings with her and laid it carefully on the bed next to Ruby. Jake ushers her in, "Thank you for coming Katherine. Do you want something to drink?" as he pours himself a large whiskey.

"It's best if I don't, Jake. For more than one reason." Kate set her bag down on the floor. "What we're going to want to do is put a chair in the tub. Even just the front legs if the whole thing won't fit. We can sit her in the chair. One of us will have the job of making sure she stays in it, and the other can do the washing up. We can use the wash basin to help when it comes to her hair."

Jake nods. "Whatever you think will be easiest." He takes a drink from his glass then sets about putting the bath together as Kate asked.

They soon find that the chair won’t really be needed as Ruby is suddenly awake. “Oh goooddie,” she slurs, “A bath!” Then she breaks out in a fit of giggles. Jake just shakes his head as he helps her sit up and get her clothes off.

"She looks like I did after Ringo shot that horse out from under me," Kate said quietly. "I have some witch hazel in my bag. After her bath I'll put some on those bruises, it will help soothe them a bit."

Jake widens his eyes slightly and nods towards Ruby. He mouths, "Don't bring that up, she's sensitive."

"Something surprise you?" Kate asked quietly.

"I suppose not. I just thought she would trust me more... but I am not offended." He replies equally as quietly.

"I don't understand. What would offend you?"

Jake looks startled and then uncomfortable, "Ah, that I might be so petty, you know that she would have to hide something to, um keep me.... umm, nevermind."

"Or maybe she's just embarrassed," Kate said sensibly. "Ruby's not used to imperfection." Jake shrugs in response.

As Jake got Ruby undressed, Kate opened up her bag and pulled out a few short bandages. Two she used as ties to make sure her sleeves wouldn't roll down. Then she pulled up her skirt on one side and tied it up as well so she could move more easily. She almost expected to turn around and see Tom there waiting for her.

10 minutes later they finally get Ruby into the bath. She willingly sinks in with a loud “Ahhhhh.” Some splashing commences before Ruby sits back and relaxes.

"I'm sorry Jake," Kate said quietly. "I figured out what she was doing yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to tell you. Being Maddie has... It's kept me away." She chuckled. "I got a little taste of what it's like to be Ruby, and I have to say I prefer Katherine. I didn't like all those men looking at me."

Ruby starts singing a song to herself, giggling at the lyrics as she does.

My wife and I lived all alone,
In a little log hut we called our own;
She loved gin and I loved rum,
I tell you we had lots of fun.

While Ruby is singing they continue to speak in whispers.

Jake chuckles, "I think you did at first. I imagine it can be scary after a while. There is something to be said for being unnoticed." He lets a moment pass before he says, "I did figure out what she was doing finally. I have seen it before, I just did not recognize it with her. There are times I can be so stupid when it comes to her." He sighs and looks Katherine directly in the eyes. "You do not need to apologize. I was the one that took her there today knowing what she was doing and knowing that one of those three had, um influenced her and would likely do so again. I should have consulted you all, but... well, I did not."

"Jake, you have noticed our tendency to discuss things to death, haven't you? Miss Florencia got a taste of what Ruby has been doing, we all knew the dangers and could have objected. But I'm not sure leaving her behind would have been a better option. One of us would have had to stay with her to keep her out of trouble and the group would have been two down. Don't worry over it." She smiled a bit. "Just don't make a habit of it either." Jake smirks in response.

"As for going unnoticed, no girl likes that. I just didn't like everyone noticing."

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

'Tis you who makes my friends and foes,
'Tis you who makes me wear old clothes,
Here you are so near my nose,
So tip her up and down she goes.

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

When I go toiling to my farm
I take little brown jug under my arm,
Place him under a shady tree,
Little brown jug, 'tis you and me.

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

Ruby stops abruptly for a moment, forgetting the words. It seems she has had enough of singing as she closes her eyes and starts leaning her head back. Suddenly she starts up, louder than before.

If I'd a cow that gave such milk,
I'd clothe her in the finest silk
I'd feed her on the choicest hay,
And milk her forty times a day.

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

The rose is red, my nose is too
The violet's blue and so are you;
And yet I guess, before I stop
I'd better take another drop.

Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
You and Me,
Little Brown Jug
Don't I love thee.

"Do you like my song Kate?" Ruby giggles.

"We always like to hear you sing, sweetheart," Kate said, looking up at Jake with worried eyes.

Jake just smiles and mouths, "Do not worry."

Ruby doesn’t notice the worry in Kate’s eyes. She sits up suddenly and puts her face close to Jake’s face. “You are so handsome Jake,” Ruby says, putting a wet bubbly hand on his face. “And you’re the best kisser ever!!"

Ruby turns to Kate, “He is the BEST KISSER EVER Kate.” She is quiet for a moment then giggles. “I guess you already know that, don't you?” More giggles. She again turns back to Jake, “Kiss me now,” she commands with a smile the adds with big wide eyes, “Pllleeeaaasseee.”

Jake gives her the requested kiss and wipes some soap off her nose and then his.

Ruby scrunches her nose at Jake then steals another kiss. Finally she sits back in the tub again and enjoys Kate gently washing her hair, “That is soooo nice,” she says quietly. Her body is loose and limber as Kate massages her head, her eyes begin to sleepily shut.

"Jake, may I ask you a silly question? Why do always call me Mrs. Kale or Katherine Kale?"

"Always? Heh, not always. Mostly in public I think. You were brought up in formal social circles I just figured you preferred the more formal way of address when others were around to hear. It may not seem it, but I was raised in a rather stiff and formal family. My father's social aspirations far exceeded his assets and personal competence," he adds without any trace of remorse. Jake looks down at Ruby and smiles at her being quiet and relaxed. "You remind me of my sister. Virginia always preferred her full name, she did not like it when folks tried calling her by any nicknames. I think that is why I always call you by your full given name, even in private company." He suddenly looks up, "You did not think I was distancing myself from you, did you?"

Kate blushed hard and was suddenly very busy washing Ruby's hair. "Perhaps. It's what I do," she admitted. "With the exception of Mr. Gonzales. It's just not right to call a teacher by his first name. I, ah... I don't care for nicknames, but it's more that Tom and my father are the only ones who ever called me Katie. It's just his.... you understand."

Jake glances down at Ruby and then back to Katherine. "I believe that I do."

She met his eyes for a minute, then got back to work. "I'm sorry, I should know better than to think you meant anything by it. I just... I've felt distanced from everyone. I'm very different than the rest of you, and so much has changed. Miss Florencia arrived, and.... " She looked up again. "I know you know even though you haven't said anything. It seems silly when I say it, but I haven't been sure I'm needed. Or perhaps now I'm a burden to you."

"You are very different from the rest of us?" Jake chuckles. "I know that folks confuse Chet and me all the time, being so alike and all. There is that stiff competition between Nanuet and myself to see who can get into the most trouble, that is another one who folks think we were separated at birth." Jake laughs a little more, "Do not mind my making light Katherine, but we are all very different from the rest of us. If there was another Jake Cook among us I would have, uh, well let us just say it would not be pleasant." He grins at her before softening his look. "None of us can be strong every day, for every thing." He pointedly looks down at Ruby. "Contribute what you can, when you can, that is all friends ever really ask. You can do things the rest of us cannot. I am not just talking about things in those special books you and Gonzalez covet so much."

"My skills at bathing the ill, for example? I do have other skills, but they don't usually seem to be of much use." She finished rinsing Ruby's hair, then spread two towels on the bed. "We need to get her out of the water now. You get her under her arms, and I'll lift her feet. Just lay her on those towels, then we can rub her down with the others. Then I'll put some witch hazel on her."

Jake does as instructed and they get Ruby to the bed. "Have it your way. In my opinion, you are a smart woman with many talents. Excuse my bluntness but it is up to you to choose to see the trees or the path through the forest."

"Don't be like that, Jake," Kate said simply. "I've just had quite a few blows to my confidence lately. I always used to know the right thing to do, but it's all different here and I get turned around. I'm not used to being uncertain. Beside the many opinions I get on the choices I make." She shook her head and finished drying Ruby off, then got the witch hazel and applied it. She smiled and looked up. "Now and then we girls like to be praised a bit."

Kate picked up the nightgown and gently got Ruby into it. "Do you want me to stay so you can sleep?"

"If you can manage a little while, I would take some rest. Wake me in a few hours so you can get yours too," he yawns. "I cannot help but think if we rented a house then we could take turns keeping a watch over each other. Perhaps not as much as Ruby, but everyone here is at some risk at night. Why tempt the foul fates?" Pointing to the items taken from the trunk at the farm house he says, "You might take a look through that and ask around tomorrow about what happened to Martha Smith. It could be a clue, or maybe she was gone before this all happened."

"Alright Jake," Kate replies, "I can do that. And we can discuss a house further tomorrow too," She pulls her two little books out of her bag and places them on the table next to the chair near the window. "Now get some rest. I will wake you soon enough." She kisses Jake's cheek softly, then does the same for Ruby before settling into the chair.

Despite the questions, concerns and plans swirling round in his head, Jake lays down and quickly falls asleep. After a few hours Katherine wakes him, they agree to meet for breakfast and she leaves him with a still slumbering Ruby.

After sleeping half of the previous day and most of the night, singer Ruby West finally awakens. Her head pounds with headache and her throat feels parched. Her whole body aches, even more so when she instinctively stretches, and a unhappy moan escapes her lips. She reaches out to the night table for a drink, an old glass of something still left over. She takes a small sip, guessing it's cheap left over whiskey. She scrunches her nose and for once wishes for some water. With an "Ugh" she shakily puts the glass back and tries to sit up in bed, using her arms for support. The room spins and when it stops and becomes clearer she finds Jake in his usual chair, awake.

"Hi," she says softly, putting her hand to her throbbing head. "What happened?"

"I am not sure what you remember. After the house was fairly well along burning to the ground.... let me see... You took enough poppies to send yourself to oblivion, we brought you home and cleaned you up, you sang a lovely song, and other than that it was very quiet. I am rather pleased to see the sun is up and you are looking better." Jake scratches his chin once or twice, forcing himself not to rub his tired eyes. "I am betting that you do not feel particularly well though."

Ruby looks to the floor, her hair covering her face. She is silent for a long moment, unsure of what to say. Finally she raises her head and meets Jake's gaze, her eyes wide and guilty looking. "I remember, at least I think I do," she says quietly, "And I'm sorry." She looks away as she rubs the back of her neck with her uninjured hand, "I'm just... what happened...I can't..." She struggles to find the words but they won't come. "You're right, I don't feel too well."

Ruby's eyes get moist but she doesn't cry. "I just can't do this much longer. It's getting so hard... I need to get this done and get out of here."

"What, you think that I have never hidden in the bottom of a bottle before?" Jake smiles at her. "I am not angry with you." His smile slowly disappears, "Actually, once I finally woke up and realized you were hitting the laudanum I thought it could be the answer to my little problem. I could let you stay doped up, useless if the vampires controlled you, and yet I could still keep you where I could see you and protect you."

Jake sighs heavily. "It has been a bad plan. Drunk or doped, your will is easier to break when they try to take you. Like myself, you are also remarkably able to function even when most others would have fallen down and gone to sleep. I cannot keep up this pace without sleep," the words draw out the yawn he had been suppressing. "If you really cannot do this, perhaps I should put you on a stage with Katherine back to Promise City. Fill yourself full of enough laudanum so you would be of no use to them and let Katherine guide you back. I could then concentrate on making certain that any monster that had any designs on you is destroyed and follow you back quickly." Jake rises, wincing slightly as his muscles complain. "I do not want you to go, I would rather do this together. However I am rather fond of living, and looking forward to our little celebration after this is over... among other things." He comes and sits next to her on the bed. "You can let me do this for us. You can be the strong one another time. I know that you can be strong when I need you the most."

"I don't want to be your problem, baby," Ruby whispers, "I want to be strong. I want to be strong for you. I used to be strong..." Her head aches and she eyes the new, full bottle that the doctor gave her, longing to take a sip.

Instead Ruby moves closer to Jake, swinging her legs off the bed, then letting one of them lean up against Jake's. She sighs deeply, "I don't want to leave you." She shakes her head back and forth and she chokes as her words come, "Please don't send me away."

"Send you away! Hermes as my witness, I do not want to." He runs a gentle hand through her hair, "You will have to decide. If you cannot get along without that bottle, then I have to keep you hidden either here or someplace else. I have yet to figure out how to hide you here. Maybe there is a way...."

"I'm not leaving then," Ruby says stubbornly. "And I will try not to use the bottle." She pauses, "But the nightmares are truly bad and my imagination worse. I need you next to me at night, your arms around me to protect me."

She lets Jake caress her hair and enjoys being close to him for a bit before she speaks again.

"I will talk to Whittaker today. I will see what I can find out. But I don't understand what we are still doing here. We think Colin is dead and now those others are dead. What else is there to do?"

"I need to be more certain that no one is coming back to Promise City after you, or me for that matter." In response to the comment he expects he continues quickly, "I know, I know, I am too suspicious. That quality has kept me alive so far. Even when we know that, do you think that Nanuet and Minerva will be satisfied and leave? They will want to make sure there are NO more vampires. Can you really leave them behind to face them alone? I do not think I could do so. I can however let them take the lead and give whatever aid they need."

Jake sits, looking like he is thinking. "I just wish I knew what was behind all this, without that it is hard to know if we are still in danger beyond just being in this pit of a town."

She sighs, "No, I couldn't leave them, you know that." She again hangs her head, "I've just been so... scared. You know, I've finally got something good and I don't want it to end." She rubs her head gently, her headache still there. Her stomach also joins the protest of yesterday's actions and she starts to feel sick

"How can we even find out what is behind all this? I thought Colin was the only one. And even in death he was still just a man." A small smile comes to Ruby's lips, "Just like all the rest, he found me irresistible too. But these others were different."

Jake just shakes his head with a lop sided grin. "Yes, there is no one else quite like you my dear Ruby West. I am certain the three others were just foul men to begin with, made worse by the curse on them. I cannot say what really motivates them." Jake stifles another yawn. "Perhaps one of our friends has a clear head after a good nights rest. We can ask them over breakfast to determine if any clever ideas have emerged. Otherwise it is Whittaker, Greely and that mysterious well. That and maybe a bit of rest for me." He yawns again.

"Are you going to breakfast?" Just the thought of eating churns Ruby's stomach, even though she knows that she will need to get something to eat. She places her palm flat against her belly. "I thought you would be going to sleep."

"I told you I am going to see Whittaker myself, after breakfast. And I don't want to stay here anymore, don't you agree?"

"I need to eat something, even if I am going to sleep afterwards. Yes, I think we can assume Edwards knows his business and a private residence is the best idea. I got a little sleep in the early evening, I could wait a little while and back you and the others up with Whittaker." He yawns again. "I think I would rather have that rest in a house anyway, and the sooner the better."

"Well, they can't get into a house if it was our own, and then you could sleep next to me, where you belong. And that is most important. Let's try to do that tod-," Ruby's voice stops suddenly. She wobbly slides off the bed before hurrying to the window and kneeling, arriving at the chamber pot just before she vomits.

Jake ties her hair back and says, "I will be right back." He locates some fresh wash cloths, towels, and water from the hotel staff. He gives Ruby whatever time she needs to be ready.

When Ruby finally stops throwing up she kneels back on her heels and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "I suppose I deserve that," she says wearily, with a pale face and dark circles under her eyes. Jake hands her a glass of water and then wipes her forehead with a cool cloth.

She reaches up and grabs his wrist. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I mean about...the gun and..." Jake doesn't let her finish, "Forget it Ruby. It wasn't you. I know that and so do the others. Let's get you cleaned up."

Ruby weakly tries to get off the floor, so Jake helps her up. She takes her time slowly cleaning herself up and getting dressed and as she does she starts to feel better.

"You should get some food in you," Jake comments, "It will help."

"I know, I know," A small sad smile comes to her lips, "But what I really want is in that bottle." She points to the bottle the doctor had given her. "I'm going to really try Jake but I might need to take some anyway." She refills her silver flask and slips it in her skirt. "I will try. Now let's go to breakfast so you can get some rest."

They head downstairs and find a table large enough to accommodate everyone, in case they decide to show up. Ruby sees Maddie and nods but doesn't speak to her, hoping she return as Kate.

"I'm going to see Whittaker after breakfast. If he'll see me there shouldn't be any danger in the light. If not, I'll need you tonight." Ruby smiles, "Well, I always need you. But you know what I mean. So after you eat you get some rest."

Jake nods his agreement, looking tired but still forcing himself to eat. When Nanuet and Minerva come down he puts $500 in the Indian's pocket, "For you two, from what was found in Turner's trunk. It will help defray expenses."

Nanuet looks at the money and his eyes widen. "Well we can do a lot with this, if they ever get to move out of that boarding house Minerva we can get you some real furniture and for now it pays for room and board. Thanks." He grabs the waitress and orders breakfast for himself and Minerva, his stomach grumbling. "Jake my friend, you look tired hopefully we can get this over with soon and get back to something that resembles a normal life. And Ruby, how do you feel today? You looked pretty out of it yesterday, glad to see you up and around." The food arrives and he begins digging in with fervor.

Chester comes down to breakfast. He looks around for Nolan Edwards. Hopefully that note as enough for Edwards to be careful around the sheriff. "Morning folks. Did you sleep OK? Did Mr. Edwards or the sheriff tell anyone what they found at the house?"

"Good morning." Ruby smiles as Chester joins them. "Well, yes I guess I am feeling better. Not totally better though." She picks at her toast as Katherine also joins them. "Morning Kate." She takes a small bite of the dry toast and follows it with some strong coffee.

"I guess I should start by apologizing to everyone I tried to kill yesterday. I'm really sorry. Especially you, Minerva, I am especially sorry I shot you." Ruby does let anyone interrupt.

"No, we haven't seen Edwards. Chet, did you find out any information yesterday yourself? How about you guys?" Ruby looks to Minerva and Nanuet.

"There were three caskets in the basement. We were about to open them, when the house caught fire."

"I know that I have been acting strange lately, I've just been really scared. I don't want to stay here in the hotel anymore, since the...," she quickly glances around the room to make sure no one is listening, "Monsters can get in here. It would really help me to not be here. And poor Jake doesn't get to sleep anymore either. So unless we're leaving real soon a more private place might be in order."

"I'm going to speak with Whittaker after breakfast." A smile crosses her face, "We're friends already. And I think Kate mentioned visiting Greely?" Katherine nods in agreement. "Chester, maybe you want to go with her? He seems very suspicious."

"I can do that. It'll even be all official like. By the way, where's Maddie been?"

Ruby finally stops blabbering and looks up at her friends staring at her. "What?" she says quietly, "I just desperately want to get out of here."

"We all do, Mrs. Jacobs," Chester says. "Being away from Clarisse is killing me. But the only way to make sure is to do this right."

"Ah, Chester that is very sweet, missing your lass and all. I guess you really like her, huh?" Ruby smiles genuine then turning mischievous. "And I don't know about that Maddie. You like her too?"

"As for your other question... Those three, with the aforementioned caskets, Jake thinks they can do the same as Colin and one of them... you know... made me do...well..." Ruby pokes around in her toast some more. "I don't know. Doesn't mean Colin I guess."

After a moment Ruby goes on. "Today Jake will sleep and we can meet up for dinner and the saloon tonight to go over what we found out. Nanuet and Minerva, maybe you two might want to check with Edwards and see if he found out anything or if he needs any help. Plus, get him to go to the Saloon tonight too."

Nanuet answers, "I can check in with him and see if he has any info or needs any help. We'll make sure he gets over to Greely's tonight, that should not be a problem."

"Good," Ruby nods. She eyes Jake's plate of breakfast food, then takes a bite of her toast and has a sip of coffee. Suddenly she felt like she hadn't had anything to eat in days and was starving. She looks back at her friends, "Alright, it seems we have a plan then. We should also be ready to go down that well at some point. I guess daytime is better, maybe tomorrow? Someone has to figure out a way to get under that statue. Maybe we have to dig a hole next to it to get down there."

She picks a small piece of bacon off Jake's plate to see how it will go down. "Does anyone have anything else then?"

After breakfast is finished the friends all head off in their own directions, Chester and Kate to find Greely, Nanuet and Minerva to find Edwards, Jake to sleep and Ruby to Whittaker’s.

Ruby walks Jake upstairs. While up there she takes his flask of holy water and hides a stake in the back of her skirt, "Just in case."

"You need anything?" she asks. "I'm going to come right here after I am done with Whittaker."

"Just you," he says and lays down to rest.

Ruby smiles and kisses Jake on the cheek. "Have a good rest love." She quietly leaves their room and the hotel, ending her journey at the strange house.

Ruby smoothes her dress and her hair, takes a deep breath, then walks towards the dark lonely house.

Chester and Kate stop by Greely's bar first. They enter and Chester calls out, "Mr. Greely? Thom? Anyone here? It's Mr. Martin and Miss Anders. I want to ask you a few questions."

Thom is there and he answers, "No, Mr. Greely at home. He sleep during the daytime, he not here."

Chester turns as if to leave, but then pauses and turns back to face Thom. "Thom, has Mr. Greely always slept during the day? Even before your accident? Try to remember, please."

"Yes, he sleep during the day. He stays up all night running saloon. Thom," he says, pointing to himself, "Used to too, when Thom ran saloon."

"OK, thank you Thom. We'll let you get back to work. You wouldn't want to disappoint, Mr. Greely."

Chester and Kate walk to Greely's home. People walk around sullenly as through abandoned by the Fates. Kate notes, "The townspeople are so sad, as though they have no hope, no future as long as they live here. The vampires have terrorized these people."

"Yep. These folks didn't really have a chance against the vampires. Not many would. Vampires are things of legend and magic. Far beyond most folks' experience."

The pair reaches Greely's home. Chester knocks on the door, like before there is no answer. He pounds on the door, but still there is no answer. Chester tries the doorknob, but it's locked. He says to Kate, "I'll go this way, you go that way. Take a look in the windows, see if anyone's here." They check in all the windows, but the curtains are drawn in all of them. "We're not getting any answers today. "I'll try at the saloon tonight. Let's go back."

Nanuet and Minerva check around the hotel to see if they can find Edwards. They will not give out his room number but will take a message to give to him. Nanuet and Minerva leave a simple message just saying that they would like to touch base with him and to see if he is OK. They then head to the sheriff’s office where Al Weeks is hard at work. He says they didn't hear or see anything to crazy last night but that they came back to work pretty late. He says that he would not be surprised if Edwards is still sleeping as he told him that he is usually a night owl.

Nanuet faces Minerva. "It seems our work is done for now my love and we have the afternoon to be together, some time to recharge ourselves before tonight. Any ideas on how you would like to spend our time?" he asks, taking her hand.

Perhaps we should return to the hotel and have lunch. Do you think it would be unseemly to spend the remainder of the afternoon in our room?" she says with a mischievous grin. "After all we are going to be up all night hunting monsters it would be wise to rest awhile."

"Well we can certainly spend the time in our room, but I don't know about resting!" he says with equal mischief in his voice.

Nanuet and Minerva pass the afternoon in their bedroom engaging in extracurricular activities before they collapsed and got some rest. When called upon by Ruby and Jake they headed downstairs to meet with them.

As Ruby approaches the house she harkens back to stories she read as a child about haunted houses and ghosts. The house is new, but the windows are shuttered tight or boarded up. Even the front door has curtains over the small windows near the top. Someone certainly does not want the light in their home.

She shudders as she approaches the front door slowly, searching for anything out of the ordinary. She stands outside and knocks firmly on the door.

Several moments pass and Ruby contemplates leaving but she takes a quick deep breath and knocks again. Shortly after the second knock the door swings inward and a thin, ratty looking Mexican man opens the door. "Si Senorita, what do you want?"

She smiles, "Good afternoon Sir. I'd like to speak to Mr. Whittaker please."

"Sorry, Mr. Whittaker not talk to nobody today. He might be at Greely's tonight, you talk to him there."

"Oh, but it's important," Ruby says, straining to look over him and see into the house. "I'd really like to see him outside of Greely's. Is Mr. Whittaker alright?"

"Yes, he is very much alright. He is tired, he sleep all day and come out to Greely's late tonight. You have message you want me to give Senior Whittaker?"

"Alright, please do. Tell him Mrs. Jacobs would like to speak to him when he has a moment. I would very much appreciate it. I'm staying at the hotel. If he could stop by ask for me at the desk. Otherwise I will be the saloon tonight."

"I will tell him Senorita. Sorry he could not help you right now. If I were not busy then I wish I could help you," he says narrowing his eyes.

"I'm quite certain you would be so kind, Senor. Good day." Ruby turns on her heel and walks back down the path, only glancing back over her shoulder once.

As Ruby begins to turn and walk away she hears a voice call out from somewhere in the house.

"Mrs. Jacobs, please come in. Romo, show Mrs. Jacobs to the parlor, I will be right down. Please excuse the conditions, I will explain shortly."

Ruby blinks as she is called back into the house. She turns and walks in slowly, letting Romo show her to the parlor. She really hadn’t been expecting to speak with Mr. Whittaker this morning. As she nervously waits she takes in the surroundings of the dark room.

About 3 minutes pass as Ruby waits in silence. Romo passes by the entrance to the room a few times each time stopping to leer at Ruby for a moment before moving on. A tall man with a receding hairline enters the room carrying a lantern. Ruby recognizes the scowl on his face from the card table at Greely's. Bobby Whittaker sits down across from Ruby and says "I apologize for the unusual situation with the light, I have a condition that makes me intolerant to sunlight, so I must avoid it at all costs. I hope that is a sufficient explanation. Beyond that, what brings you by my home today ma'am?"

"No sunlight? That must be awful," Ruby comments, "I'm sorry to hear that." She pauses and pays close attention to his reaction before continuing. "Well, first I wanted to apologize for the other night. I'm sorry if you didn't like my behavior at the card table. I'm used to the way we do it at home. I didn't mean to be the newcomer and upset you."

His reaction is placid, if he is feeling any emotion his face or body language does not show it. "My condition has not affected my life Mrs. Jacobs, so there is no need to be sorry, as you can see I have done OK for myself. As for the cards, don't worry, I just haven't gotten used to losing yet, but it seems that if it wasn't you then someone else would take my money, no hard feelings. I doubt you came up here to discuss the card game from the other night though."

"Well, I did want to apologize. I don't like making people feel so uncomfortable that they get up and leave around me. Quite the opposite actually." She looks around the room again, "Could I have some water please? I had a rough night last night and my throat is very dry."

"Mrs. Jacobs, I do not run a restaurant or a saloon, I thought you might have something important to say, if you do please say it otherwise I believe it is time for you to go. I am a busy man and have many things to do."

Ruby puts a surprised look on her face. "Well, I am sorry to offend you Mr. Whittaker. Actually I came for some business too. I heard you've been in the real estate business lately. I am looking for a house or apartment."

"Buying or renting? I suppose I would be able to deal with either one. I am looking to sell or rent the former mayor's home. I just closed on it myself this week. If you would like to take a look around I can have Romo meet you there with the key later today."

"Renting probably, unless you insisted on us buying it. Yes, we'd like to look around. How much are you asking?" Ruby plays dumb. "I heard some rumors about the mayor. Do you know what happened to him?"

"All I know is that he and his wife are deceased and had no kin to claim the property so it went up for public auction. How does $20 a week sound for rent?"

"Sounds reasonable. But my husband may prefer to buy, would you mind meeting with us yourself later? Perhaps after dinner? He's sort of a night person anyway, so the two of you should get along. If he wants to buy then you could settle with him then."

"If I were to meet you for dinner tonight it would have to be very late. I have some business already scheduled for early this evening. I plan on heading over to Greely's afterwards as long as things go as planned with my other business. Perhaps we should just meet then?"

"We can meet then, at the saloon if you'd like. But my husband will want to see the house first. So whatever you think will work." Ruby stands and looks around the room for any type of mirror. "Do you have something I could freshen up myself up with?" She pats at her hair. "Need to keep my little incident under cover the best I can. I'm sure you heard what happened."

Whittaker stands when Ruby does. He listens to what she is saying then nods and says "Romo, please show Mrs. Jacobs to the washroom on the first floor, then escort her out. I would like you to make arrangements with her as to when you can meet her at the mayor's residence with a key so that she and her husband can have a look around the place."

Damn, she thinks, that didn't work. "Alright Mr. Whittaker, thank you for seeing me. We will see you later tonight to finish our business." She lets Romo show her to the washroom, getting a good look around as she does.

The house is sparsely furnished and what little furniture is there appears to be more functional than decorative. There is literally no sunlight anywhere in the house but Romo knows his way around very well and uses a lantern to help him see the way. He brings Ruby to the washroom and patiently waits for her to finish before seeing her out.

"What time you want to see the house?" he says as he guides her to the door.

"Right before dinner? Say 5:00? Then we'll meet with Mr. Whittaker at the Saloon."

"5:00 should be OK, but I can not stay long. If you recall Mr. Whittaker said he had some business to take care of in the early evening, and I will be going with him. He will meet you at the saloon afterwards, but not immediately."

"Sounds like important business. We wouldn't want to keep you from it. 5:00 it is then." Ruby nods towards him, "Thank you sir." She gets directions to the Mayor's old residence then heads back to the Hotel.

Ruby returns to their room, satisfied with the outcome of her visit with Mr. Whittaker. When she returned with Jake later that day together they would find out if he was one of the monsters or not.

Ruby's head still pounded, her heart was racing and a light sweat started to break out on her forehead. She reaches for the flask in her skirt but instead decides to try the only other thing that ever relaxed and comforted her.

Ruby quickly drops her clothes to the floor and climbs into bed with Jake. She snuggles up to him, pressing her nose against his neck. She breathes in deeply and sighs.

He opens his eyes briefly as she climbs in, wraps an arm around her and falls back to sleep.

She fights the urge to get out of bed and have a drink, instead using Jake's warmth and scent to distract her. Eventually she falls restlessly asleep.

A few hours later Ruby wakes with a start. She sits straight up in bed, sweat covering her. She is tightly grasping Jake's hand in hers and she tries to slow her breathing down as she figures out where she is. Her eyes adjust to the light slowly and she recognizes her surroundings. She takes a deep breath in, then covers her face and sobs lightly as she tries to calm down.

Her movement wakes Jake who first reaches for his derringer under the pillow, but when he sees that she has only woken from some dream leaves the gun there. He waits quietly, watching her for a time before he finally sits up slowly and embraces her.

Ruby throws her arm around Jake, but doesn’t let go of his hand. “I...I had a dream. A nightmare, well, mostly. I know you believe we can get messages in our dreams. Do you also believe that things you dream about can come true?”

Jake looks uncomfortable for a moment. "Well, I believe they could come true." He clears his throat. "I have had both experiences, going along with the message dreams and, um denying them."

“Well I do, believe that things I dream can come true or will come true. Like little messages to me from somewhere, maybe even from myself, I don’t know.”

She again takes a deep breath in. “I’ve had this dream many, many times. I used to have it all the time. But this time was different, the dream changed. You were there.” Ruby’s eyes meet Jake and she smiles softly at him before looking back down to his hand, still gripped tightly in hers.

“We were on a ship in the ocean, taking a trip somewhere. We were down below, relaxing and enjoying each other. And then suddenly something happened and the ship turned over. We were trapped inside, and the cold water was rushing in.” Ruby’s voice starts to crack as she speaks. “And everyone was panicking and I panicked too. There was no way to get out.” She wipes a tear from her eye. “And I knew I would die, that we would die, if I didn’t do something but I couldn’t, I wasn’t strong enough or brave enough. I couldn’t escape.” She hangs her head, as if embarrassed. “Through all this I was holding a doll in my hands and all I kept thinking was that I felt so sorry for my little doll, because she was so beautiful and was soon going to be hopelessly stuck at the bottom of the ocean.” This seems to really hurt Ruby to say, her face is pained. “And when I used to have this dream that is what happened. The water came in and we went under. And I died.” A few more tears fall to the bed.

“But this time was different, this time, when the water came in, you grabbed me by the shoulders and you said, ‘Ruby, I will get us out of this. I can save us, if you believe I can. But I need your help. I will do everything, all you have to do it hold on.’ And you extended your hand to me and gripped my hand tightly in yours. And you said, ‘You hold onto me and I’ll never let you go.’ And I believed that you could. So I held onto my doll so tightly with one hand and you with the other. And you said, ‘Close your eyes so you don’t see the monsters and everything will be alright.’ And you kissed me and then I held my breath and closed my eyes.”

“Then I felt the water rush over us, and it was cold and it was trying to tear us apart. But I held tight and kept my eyes closed. And I felt you pulling me, through the ship and out the top and into the cold ocean. It was so hard to hold on and I felt like I was slipping, but every time I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer you gripped my hand tighter, holding me to you.”

“Once we were outside the ship, I cracked my eyes open. It was so dark but I could see there were monsters, so huge and scary, trying to get us, but somehow you maneuvered us and kept us safe. And you never let me go.”

Ruby drops her arm from around Jake and again looks at their clasped hand. “You never will, will you Jake? I just have this feeling you really won’t, ever let me go.”

Jake grins, "No, I will not ever let you go. Are you just figuring that out now?" He shakes her a little, and then just squeezes her tight.

Staying within Jake’s arms Ruby places her hand gently on his bearded face and tilts it towards her. She smiles then brushes her lips softly against his. Looking up at him with big eyes she continues, “You saved us Jake, you really are my knight in shining armor. You even save me from myself.” She lets her lips brush his again.

Ruby is quiet for a moment, resting in Jake’s arm. “Can you guess when I started having that dream?”

Jake hesitates, a little unsure of himself suddenly. "I probably should know, but just tell me."

"When I was with Jimmy." Ruby says simply.

"Ah." Jake says and nods to himself. I am glad Jimmy is already dead, or I would have to kill him, Jake thinks, slowly at that. He gives her a reassuring squeeze and asks, "Did your little doll have beautiful red hair?"

Ruby looks up at Jake with large sad eyes and nods. “I was so sure it would have been a girl. I wanted to name her Molly. Do you like the name Molly, Jake?” Ruby looks down at their hands, her own deep red hair falling over her shoulders as she looks down. She runs her finger back and forth over Jake’s tiny thorn shaped scar.

"Molly is a pretty name," he says in a low voice.

“After that was all over, the doctor said he wasn’t sure I could still have babies. Not that I want one of those little monsters anyway…” her voice trails off, her face melancholy.

But suddenly she smiles and the sadness begins melting away, replaced with something mostly foreign to Jake…hope. “But I told you my dream was different, it ended differently and by the time we got to the top of water it was still you and me, like it always will be. And the pretty little doll was there too. I know you think I give you too much credit. But you are so strong. And brave. You don’t think you are but you are. You are willing to stand face to face with a true monster, for me. What more could a girl ask for?” she says, squeezing Jake in return, her eyes shining with adoration.

“We are similar in many ways but we are different in some. I believe the things I dream can come true or will come true, like a vision of what is to be. And you… you even save me in my dreams. You turned something horrible into something good.”

Jake is instantly speechless, his acerbic wit and clever retorts are no help to him at this moment. Embarrassed, all he can think about is how scared he really is and how many times he has miscalculated or mishandled their problems. A flash of Johnny Ringo's thoughts as the outlaw turned the cylinder in his gun to the next bullet try to creep their way in to Jake's current thoughts but he forces them away and suppresses a shiver. "We are going to get out of this one just fine too. Together. Working together."

"I know," Ruby says, "That is what I am trying to say." She moves on the bed so she is kneeling in front of him. "My dream told me so. I haven't had enough faith I guess. I used to and somehow I lost it along the way." She takes his hands in hers and squeezes. "I've been foolish. And I don't know when I let everything fall on you. Even in my dream you said, 'I can save us, but you have to hold on.'" Ruby looks down, a crimson blush on her cheeks, "But I was letting go." She looks back up, looking deep into his chocolate eyes, "But I'm not going to do that anymore. What I am saying is I won't let go either Jake. I promise. Even things that seem impossible aren't... with you. I don't want to lose that." Picking up on Jake's embarrassment she cocks her head to the side, "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Not wrong, just... well," he grins, "You give me too much credit. Perhaps I am inspired to greatness."

Ruby returns Jake's grin, "No lover, you don't give yourself enough credit. Inspired to greatness? It wouldn't be the first time I've been called inspiring. Speaking of inspiring...," she moves a little closer, "We have some time before we have to go see our new house. How ever will we pass the time?" she giggles, placing her hands on Jake's beard. "You know, I kinda like it."

"The beard? Heh. I was just thinking I was ready to shave it off and finish this little trip looking l normally do. Maybe even get some more of the locals money playing poker looking like me." He pushes her over onto the bed. "There is still plenty of time to enjoy it..."

Ruby laughs as she falls back onto the bed, her hair fanning out around her. "Well, I like the old way better," she giggles. "I'm ready for the old way. There are a lot of things we have been not doing the old way." She pulls Jake down on top of her and gives him a long kiss as he starts unbuttoning his shirt that she is wearing.

Then she pushes him off her. "Wait a minute." She pauses and looks into Jake's eyes, then takes a deep breath in before unbuttoning the shirt herself. Then she takes Jake's hands and places them on her waist. "It isn't as bad as it looks," she says softly with a blush.

"As long as it does not hurt to touch," he says, leaning back over her. "This will just speed up the healing process."

Ruby giggles again, letting out her tension. "It's doesn't really hurt. Only a tiny bit. I just need to be distracted from it." She lifts her long legs and wraps them around Jake. "Ahem," she says, clearing her throat, "That's your job."

Whereby Jake went about doing his best to distract the faux Jacobs from the problems in Thomaswell for a while.

Ruby lies in Jake's sweaty arms, happier and more content than she has been in while. She explains to him what happened at Whittakers and that they need to meet Romo at 5:00 to see the house.

"Ready to buy our first home Mr. Jacobs?" Ruby teases.

"Best to rent while the property values are still dropping," he says with a smirk. "The real opportunity might be to follow that Romo guy and see where Whittaker is going. You or I could follow them quietly, not to mention Chet or Nanuet could too, as well as track them. What do you think?"

"Yes, I agree with you darling. But don't you leave me alone. I will admit I'm in a precarious enough state. Nanuet is a seasoned tracker, and so is Chester. Let one of them go please." Ruby sits up in bed. "As much as I hate to say it, we should get ready soon. We don’t' want to miss our opportunity. I have a strong suspicion that Whittaker is a vampire, and the cause of all this trouble."

"Let us go and find the others then, and see if they are game for a little tracking and spying. Somebody needs to be ready before we check out the house." They go about getting ready, then go looking for the others.

Ruby notices, for the first time, how loose her gown really is as she gets ready. "Why didn't you tell me I was getting so scrawny? That might have helped me see things a little clearer."

"You were not ready to see clearly," Jake replies plainly, "so why just make you feel bad?"

"Well, because if I thought you didn't want me I might have figured things out a little sooner."

"And all I had to do is lie and say I did not want you? I wonder why I did not think of that sooner," he says shaking his head. "Get moving skinny."

Ruby's mouth drops opens as she begins to protest but Jake is already pushing her out the door by her behind.

Jake and Ruby go door to door to find all their friends, gathering them together and explaining the situation.

"So we have to go and look at the house, but maybe someone else wants to track this Romo guy after he leaves. He was very seedy and he looked at me funny too, so I'd be careful around him."

"I was thinking that Nanuet with Minerva backing him up could watch Whittaker's house while we are doing this. Minerva could send her owl after us if needed. Chet, are you up to following Romo? You would need to hide out while he shows us the Mayor's old house and then follow him after that. We'll follow you."

"That is a good idea." Minerva replies to Jake's suggestion

"Yep. Just describe him to me and I'll see where he goes. How long do you want me to trail him?" Chester asks.

Ruby gives Chester a good description of Romo, then Jake says, "That's a good question. I assume until he leads us to Whittaker, but use your judgement. I was guessing we will not be going that far, but could be wrong."

Minerva turns to Ruby. "You look like you are feeling more yourself Senorita Ruby. No more headache?"

"Well, I am not fully feeling myself, I do actually have a headache. But I realize I may have been a bit... dramatic with my cure. I've been really scared. I not used to that and I don't deal with it well."

"We are all fearful of the consequences and after trying your 'cure' myself I can certainly understand why you chose that path." Minerva says sympathetically.

Ruby sighs, "Without it I have terrible dreams, nightmares. But today I had one that wasn't so bad," she looks at Jake and blushes slightly. "Maybe I even got a vision of the future. Anyway, I will try harder. I just really need to get this over with now. I can't take much more."

Chester lights a cigarette and nods. "Alright. Luna should be able to find me if you lose sight of me. Are we ready?"

Jake says, "Nanuet and Minerva can take Katherine with them and let her see where they are going to be hiding, then she can come back. If we need them, she can go back and find them."

Minerva smiles encouragingly at Ruby. "It will be over soon." Minerva grabs her parasol takes Nanuet's arm and strides toward the door with Luna following.

"Yes, we'd better go before we're late." Using the directions Ruby was given Ruby and Jake head over to the old Mayor's house.

Romo is waiting on the porch to the older house, he leans against the porch smoking a cigarette. It is a narrow, two story house. There are the remains of some flowers that were probably laid on the porch in tribute to the mayor and his wife. The house is fairly old, probably one of the town's original buildings. It is however in very good repair, having been kept up very well.

Chester finds a hiding place across the street from the old mayor's house. He drops his cigarette and crushes under his boot while he waits. He pulls down the brim of his hat to hide his face and puts his badge in his jacket pocket. So, Romo. Who do work for? Are you a slave to the vampires? And what do you know about what's going on around here?

Romo stands up and discards his cigarette and begins unlocking the front door when he sees the couple approaching.

"Very prompt, I like that. I show you inside. You like you can leave me $40 for one week rent, one week deposit and I leave you with the key. Mr. Whittaker likes you for some reason Mrs. Jacobs."

"Oh?" Ruby acts surprised, "Why do you say that?" she asks while looking around.

"Well, since I work with him he never call anyone into his house before. And, he never lets anyone else do his business for him. He always handles all that stuff, but he let me do this with you, collect the money so you could have the key now if you wanted it."

Ruby glances at Jake quickly. "Really? I wonder why? I feel so special. Let's take a look around inside shall we?"

Ruby gulps and tries to hide her rising panic as they start their tour.

"Do YOU know what happened to the Mayor and his wife?"

"No senorita, I no know what happened to them. I only know that they are dead," he says lowering his head for a moment mumbling softly "may they rest in peace," before continuing to unlock the door and open the house to them.

The house is still furnished although all personal belongings have been removed. A light layer of dust lays over everything and it appears that no one has been in the house for several days.

Ruby tries to act like an excited wife looking at a new home, guessing which things a housewife might like, "Oh darling look at the wonderful kitchen, I could make you such wonderful dinners and your favorite pies in this kitchen!"

Jake examines the house, looking for unusual features or places that may have a hidden doorway, secret section or panel. He is otherwise quiet, watching Romo carefully. "Hmmm, it was been a while since I had a good home cooked meal," Jake replies with some amusement.

Romo is quiet, standing out of the way twiddling his thumbs.

Jake does notice that there is what may look like the outline of a concealed door under the table in the living room/parlor. The dust there lies a little differently and a faint outline can be seen.

"We'll take it." Jake says suddenly and takes out his wallet.

Romo smiles widely and hurries over towards Jake. "Senor Whittaker will be so happy."

Romo counts out the money that Jake offers him and hands the key over to him. "You can just stop by at the house once a week and I can take the money. Thank you and enjoy the house. Anything else I can do for you?"

Jake says, "I think that is all for now. We will stop by if we have any other questions."

Romo folds the bills in half and tucks them in his shirt pocket, patting it once for good measure before leaving the couple in their newly rented piece of Thomaswell, NM.

"I just can't wait to move in and get cooking for you. It has been too long you're right. Prudence would dictate that we eat in more, we've been eating out way too much." Ruby continues to look around, guessing that Jake found something. "Oh but what about looking at the bedroom? Isn't that the most important room of all? I mean, where will we make all those chubby little babies if the bedroom isn't perfect for it?"

Ruby waits until Romo leaves then drops the smile. "What did you find? I was guessing we should look upstairs for clues."

"Chubby little babies?" He then shakes his head and says, "You will not fit in that gingham dress that way. Come one, lets follow Chet."

"I'm sure they make those hideous dresses in extra chubby for unfortunate woman with the extra chubby baby in her belly," Ruby laughs. "Besides, I thought that was what all housewives want. And I thought we were going to look around here. What did you find to make you decide so quickly?"

As they sneak out Jake says, "I think I saw the outline of a trap door under the table on the first floor. That and they seem anxious for us to have it."

"Why don't you follow Chester and I'll stay here and investigate? We'll get more done that way. Plus I am dying to know if it IS a good chubby baby making bed," she teases. "I should be safe here, right?"

"Errr, maybe. But your suspected vampire wants you to rent this house, right? I'll follow Chet, but do not go too far."

"Yes," Ruby replies slowly. "But I did ask him to rent the place. Don't worry, I won't be inviting him in, that's for sure. I know I didn't want us separated but now I feel like we need to check this place out fast. I'll come looking for you when I'm done."

Romo heads west through town, stopping at the bank as he goes. He emerges from the bank and continues west.

Chester follows behind. Luckily, Thomaswell isn't too big, so staying back far enough is relatively easy.

Nanuet, Kate and Minerva make their way over to Whittaker's house which is the other end of town from where the former mayor's residence is. Once they get close Nanuet pulls them off the street.

"I will hide someplace over there" Nanuet says pointing to the west side of the house. "From there I can see three sides. Minerva, you will have to keep an eye on the east side of the house so that we have the whole thing covered. OK?"

"Si, I will find a place to stay out of sight. Luna will fly above and tell me what she can see from above. Stay safe mi amor." She says and reaches up to kiss him before making her way to the east side of the house with Katherine.

Nanuet positions himself in the best spot that affords him both a good view of the house and a decent hiding spot. He gets comfortable and keeps both eyes on the Whittaker house, scanning back and forth along the house and surrounding property. For the time being there is nothing unusual that he notices.

Minerva also notices nothing out of place except how the house is closed up completely to shield the inside from the sun.

Minerva walks around the east side of the house noting the 4 windows; two on the ground floor and two on the upper floor. All of them are shuttered closed.

Minerva places her eye against the window and tries to see through the shutters, then feels her skin tingle and gets a little shock. She quickly jumps back gripping her amulet. "By the goddess" she gasps. Minerva sneaks back to Nanuet. "I touched the shutters. I think the house is protected with magic."

"OK, well hopefully they will come to us and we won't have to worry about getting in. This guy seems to have a lot of money, I am sure he wants to protect it. Look, there comes someone now." Nanuet says pointing to Romo as he makes his way to the house.

Romo enters the house by the front door. Luna also communicates to Minerva that Chester is following him while hiding. Once Romo enters Whitaker's house, Chester circles around back quickly to see if he leaves that way.

Jake catches up with Chester, sneaking and hiding until he is close by but makes a sound so he does not startle him. "Hey, Deputy. Anything happening?"

Chester answers without taking his eyes off the house. "Hey there, Jake. Romo went to the bank after he left the house, probably to deposit the money you gave him. Then he went straight here. I circled around, but he didn't go through the house. Minerva's owl is flying around, so she and Nanuet are somewhere near." He realizes he doesn't hear Ruby. "Where's Ruby? Back at the house?"

"Yes, Ruby is back at the house. Send someone for us when something happens, I am going back. Keep your head down."

Chester glances at Jake. "Sure thing. I know all about keeping my head down. Don't worry. Just make sure the house is safe."

Chester and the others wait patiently for what seems like an eternity. As the sun sets and dusk falls over the small town a light can be seen from inside the grand house. It looks as though the light is heading to the back of the house and sure enough, the back door can be heard opening an shutting, then the sound of a key jingling on a ring can be heard.

Chester slowly and quietly creeps to the back of the house. He bumps into Nanuet and Minerva, who were doing the same thing. "Hey there. I just saw Jake. He said if anything happens, someone needs to go back to the house to tell him and Ruby. I wonder who's leaving."

Chester can see both Romo Sanchez and Bobby Whittaker exiting out the back door. They make their way to the stables and emerge riding horses only moments later.

Nanuet offers to go tell Jake what is going on, but he figures he should wait and watch which way they go while Chester fetches a mount. "You'll never keep up with them on foot my friend, but it will be easy to track them in the sand. Hurry, go now, I will see which way they head from here."

After Jake leaves Ruby begins searching around the house, starting with the false door Jake pointed out to her directly under the table in the parlor. As she looks it over, she discovers it is a well hidden trap door and searches it for any latches or traps.

In a few moments she sees that if she were to lift the door a trap would be triggered. Ruby sighs and takes her lock picks, attempting to disarm the trap.

Ruby fiddles with the trap triggering mechanism for some time and is getting frustrated and just about to give up when she hears a friendly click. She gently removes her lock picks believing the trap to be disarmed.

"I wish I had Jake's duster," she mutters to herself. She brings the lantern that Romo had left closer before opening the trap door slowly.

There is almost no sound as Ruby lifts the well oiled hinges. The door swings smoothly open to reveal steps that head down about 8 feet to a basement room. The lantern flickers reveal what appears to be cots and blankets as well as preserved foodstuffs.

Ruby coughs and waves her hand in front of her face as she descends into the basement. She looks around for anything hidden, our of place or any signs of recent use.

It looks as though it has been a while since the room had been used. Everything was coated with a thick layer of dust but it was all in neat order, folded blankets on the half dozen cots and the food all neatly shelved. There is a narrow door on the north wall about 10 feet from the stairs.

There are torches and oil lamps as well as a supply of oil piled up next to the door.

Ruby makes her way to the narrow door and discovers it is not trapped nor is it locked. There is a bar on it that would swing over the door keeping anyone from beyond the room that Ruby is in from getting in. The bar appears as if it could be easily raised from it's resting place and the door opened.

Ruby furrows her brows. "Why would you need to keep people out... in a basement?" she says, again noting she is talking out loud to herself. She raises the bar and opens the door.

There is a narrow cobweb filled tunnel behind the door. It leads on into the darkness beyond the meager light of the lamp that Ruby holds.

"What the..?" She looks back up the stairs, wondering what Jake will think of her adventuring alone.

She takes the lantern and slowly heads down the narrow passage, using her hand to wipe cobwebs as she goes.

Jake makes it back to his new rental, and quickly finds the trap door open. "Ruby?" He calls out. Getting no answer he climbs down.

Ruby stops and takes a moment to listen. She has the burning desire to go forward and investigate but thinks of Jake, and how she would feel if he did this without her. She stays facing that direction but slowly backs up through the tunnel, back towards the house. She prepares to cast a spell if necessary.

Ruby traces her steps about halfway back through the tunnel when a huge segmented insect with slender legs, each ending ina sharp claw emerges from the ground in a burst of rock and dirt only a few feet away from her. A tough chitinous brown shell covers it's entire body, and glistening black eyes stare out from above powerful mandibles.

Jake sees the open door via the dim light coming in through the trap door above, but no Ruby. He unsheathes his dagger, "Incendie."

Ruby's heart stops for a moment. "What the hell is that? What the hell are you?" Ruby calls out while starting a much brisker pace back to the door, drawing her gun. "Why me, huh?" followed by a stream of curses flows from her mouth. She continues backwards as fast as she can with her gun pointed at the thing.

The creature clacks it's mandibles together and some liquid drips from the mouth of the creature as it eyes Ruby for a moment. The insect creature sways back and forth for a moment as Ruby backs away and then awkwardly rushes forward taking a swipe at Ruby with it's clawed leg and narrowly misses opening a slash on her shirt.

Chester arrives back at the house to tell Jake and Ruby about the latest. He doesn't see them, but notices the open trap door. He climbs down and sees Jake holding the flaming dagger. He gasps, "Romo and... Whitaker... are riding... away. Nanuet is... following them on foot." Chester catches his breath. "I'm going to grab a couple of the horses and follow."

Ruby's eyes widen and she lets out a high pitched scream as the insect claws her. "I like this dress dammit!" She aims her gun and shoots at the creature, continuing to make her way out as fast as she can.

Jake looks up as Chet speaks while climbing down when he hears the gun shot from the tunnel. "Ruby!"

Ruby shot goes off but she doesn't stick around to see the results. She bounds several more steps back towards where she started before she finds herself back in the original room face to face with Jake who is holding his magical flaming dagger. Jake wears a look of surprise after just hearing the gunshot.

"Damn." Chester draws one of his guns. "What was that?"

"Apparently we need an exterminator," she quips, hiding behind Jake, looking down the tunnel.

Jake's eyes go wide while he drops the dagger and draws his Colt. He clicks the cylinder back two places and looks to the doorway.

In response to Chester's question the large insect creature rambles forward on it's rear legs and as it enters the larger chamber it raises it's head and spits a stream of liquid towards Jake.

Jake manages to duck out of the way of the liquid stream, even though he should have probably at least gotten some of the foul ichor on him he manages to avoid it completely.

"I think I shot it," Ruby says. "It's a small tunnel. But I'm not sure. It's a big... crunchy... with claws...drooley...I don't know what." She shudders. "Thank goodness my knight showed up. I'd much rather check out the chubby baby making bed."

"Mierda!" is all Jake says and fans off two shots at the huge insect.

Ruby gives another shrill scream as the creature tries to blast them with some foul substance. Ruby scrunches her nose and shoots at the creature again.

The first shot goes wide of the monster hitting the wall of the room and splintering the wood. The monster screams a high pitched squeal as the second shot from Jake's attack hits the creature in the torso. Black goo wells up and out of the wound.

"That's a big bug. What are they feeding it?" Chester aims carefully and fires his Remington.

The creature lunges forward towards Ruby who is now unobstructed after Jake's maneuver to avoid the stream of acid that was recently spewed. She shoots just as the scrawny arms reach back to swipe at her and then collapses in a heap as Ruby's bullet finds the same area already injured from Jake's attack.

Chester's Remington goes off and hits the helpless creature finishing it off as it lay helpless on the cellar floor.

As he lowers his smoking gun, Chester says, "Was that thing trying to vomit on us? Are you both OK? I've never seen anything like that before."

The thought of what the thing might eat makes Jake feel a bit queasy. "Should we ask for a discount on our rent now?"

"Heh," Ruby laughs, "Funny." She looks down and examines the slash on her dress. "Dammit," she swears again. "Can you see anything?"

Chester gives Jake a dirty look. "Was it a guard animal or something that was supposed to eat us while we slept? Where's this tunnel go anyway?"

"No, the door locks from the inside, so it shouldn't have gotten in with the door shut. Then again, it did come up from the ground... I don't know where the tunnel leads, I didn't get that far."

"Hey, what happened with Romo? What's the business they had going on?"

Chester slaps his forehead. "Damn. I was supposed to get horses, so we could follow them. Romo and Whitaker rode out from the house at dusk. Nanuet and Minerva are following them. I was coming back here to tell you when that thing attacked us. I got to go."

After the bug incident Ruby comments, "We have to take a look where that leads. But first I want to check the rest of the house. Damn," she shakes her head as she climbs the ladder. "You know, we could use some of these supplies..."

The porch leads to a large parlor in the front of the house, behind which is a kitchen on the left and a room on the right. Stairs on the right side of the house going up to the second floor where there are three smaller bedrooms in the back and a larger master bedroom in the front over the parlor.

Ruby checks each room out, not finding anything out of the ordinary. Finally Ruby checks out the master bedroom and the chubby baby making bed by bouncing on it a few times. "This'll do while we have to stay here," she smiles. She stays on the bed for a few moments, fighting off the urge to have a drink while she composes herself.

After a few minutes she goes back downstairs to find Jake. "We still have time before dinner, let's check the tunnel again."

She starts back down the tunnel, listening cautiously as she slowly makes her way back in.

As Ruby starts down the tunnel Jake says, "Hey, want this?" He unties his small travel bag and pulls out the sawed off shotgun. "If you see another one of those bugs it may be more effective." He closes up the bag, grabs a lantern and follows her.

"Thanks," she says grabbing the shotgun. "Let's hope we don't find out."

They go about 100 feet in and comes across the whole where the creature dug out of the ground. Continuing past that the tunnel continues on it's straight path. She walks cautiously for about 10 minutes without coming across anything other than cobwebs and shadows.

...She looks down and examines the slash on her dress. "Dammit," she swears again. "Can you see anything?"

"If you hold it at the proper angle, yes, thanks." Jakes says playfully as he drops the empty shells from his Colt on the floor.

"Ugh it smells down here." He moves the remaining enchanted shells from his fast draw pistol to the long barrel pistol so that there is a mix pyrotechnic and enchanted shells in that. He reloads the fast draw with ordinary rounds. While doing so he remembers the map that O'Neil had drawn and tried to recollect if there was a particular symbol on this house and if it related to any other location.

After the 10 minutes go by she turns to Jake and asks quietly, "Should we keep going?"

"Which way are we headed? Does this go towards the well or Whittaker’s place or where?" They stop and try to figure out their orientation.

Jake scratches his chin and looks up and down the tunnel. "We have come this far," he says, shrugs and points ahead down the tunnel.

"I have no idea which way we are headed," Ruby smiles, "But it seems like an adventure to me. Let's find out, I'll never get sleep tonight not knowing where this goes." She looks down the tunnel, "Of course, we don't have any supplies with us..." She shrugs, "Ah, who cares, let's go."

Ruby continues down the tunnel, keeping Jake close behind her.

As Romo Sanchez and Bobby Whittaker ride out of town, Minerva tells Luna to follow the men on the horses.

Nanuet smiles at Minerva. "Good thinking my love, now lets move to a spot where they can't see us. It looks to me like they are heading south."

After a long wait, Chester returns with three horses. He leads them to where Nanuet and Minerva are waiting. Nanuet says, "Where were you? They've got a big lead on us. Luna is following them so all isn't lost."

"Sorry Nanuet. Ruby and Jake were attacked by a giant bug in the cellar of the house. We killed it, but they're exploring the rest of the place now. I got horses for both of you."

"Umm... giant bugs in the basement of the house they are renting? Sounds like the perfect place for us to live. I never thought I would say this, but I can't wait to get back to Promise City" Nanuet says with a sigh.

"You're telling me," Chester says. "They found a trap door that leads to a tunnel. Then the bug popped out of the ground in front of us. Ruby and Jake went on ahead."

Minerva looks incredulous. "You had to stay and help them kill a bug? Senor Jake can incinerate an evil, will weakening, mind controlling, blood sucking monster with barely a flick of his trigger finger but he requires assistance to exterminate a bug? May the gods help us all," she says looking toward the sky and shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well I wasn't going to leave them when that thing popped out of the ground. I was telling them where we were going, then, bang, here comes a giant bug spitting at us. Not something you see every day. We finished it off pretty quick. Any ideas where we're headed?"

"I would like to hear about this incredible bug later Senor Chester but, We must hurry now. If Luna gets to far ahead I may not be able to communicate with her. Come. hurry." she says, anxiously mounting her horse.

"Minerva, what does Luna say? Are they still heading south?" Nanuet asks.

Minerva concentrates for a moment and nods "Yes, due south. Let's go before we lose them."

With that the companions mount up their steeds and gallop off to the south following the tracks in the sand before them.

Luna is about a half-mile away and heading almost exactly due south from the Whittaker house. She does not express being in any danger or being in a rush. She still only sees two men on horseback.

Chester, Nanuet and Minerva have little trouble catching up with Whittaker and Sanchez as the two appear to be in no hurry. They are able to keep enough distance that they would avoid being noticed and the desert sand makes it easy for the trio to track their prey.

After traveling for about 10 miles the pair dismount their horses. Whittaker ties the horses up while Romo gathers wood and lights a small fire. The two sit down by the fire and appear to just be waiting.

Chester, Nanuet, and Minerva dismount out of sight of the campfire. They creep closer behind some rocks. Chester whispers, "What are they doing? Are they waiting for someone?" He slides one of his pistols out of the holster and holds it lightly. Nanuet scowls a little. "Don't worry Nanuet. I'm not going to shoot them, yet."

Minerva crouches down beside Chester and Nanuet She has her pistol in her hand. Tense and alert, she spends her time looking closely at the surroundings and listening for any movement. She also searches the sky and communicates to Luna to let her know if she sees anything from the air.

Luna excitedly replies to Minerva, making her aware that someone is approaching, yet still may be a little ways off. The two men sit quietly by the fire, apparently waiting for whomever is approaching like Chester suggested. Nanuet offers to scout closer alone, but decides it's best just to sit tight and see what they are doing.

Several tense minutes pass, the only sounds are the sounds of the night and the crackle of the small fire. Eventually the creak and moan of a wagon can be heard approaching from the south. This seems to be what the men have been waiting for because they do not act surprised but get to their feet in expectation of the wagons imminent arrival.

The wagon comes into view, 4 men are squeezed onto the top and are armed with shotguns and rifles. Both groups exchange greetings and 2 of the men dismount and head to the back of the wagon apparently to deal with it's contents. Whittaker follows the men to the back of the wagon while Romo stays and talks with the men who did not dismount.

They seem to be too far away to comprehend what exactly is being said, especially because the voices are purposefully being kept low. Whittaker emerges from the back of the wagon and seems to be pleased as he now wears a wide grin on his face. He then walks back to his mount where he retrieves a leather satchel and a bottle. He passes the leather satchel to the wagon drivers and offers everyone a drink from the bottle.

"We need to find out what is in that satchel." Minerva whispers. "She looks around for possible cover to get a better listen at what they are saying. She watches the man with the satchel to see what he will do with it.

The mexican with the satchel opens it and thumbs through it, possibly counting something. Apparently satisfied, he dismounts the wagon with everybody else and takes a celebratory drink from the bottle that is being passed around. He gives some verbal commands and some of the horses are unhitched from the wagon team while Romo heads back to the fire and begins to extinguish it.

"OK. Now what. Looks like the Mexicans just got paid. The wagon holds the key to this. I bet Whitaker and Romo take the wagon back to town. But what's inside? Let's get ready to get the horses. The wagon will slow them down, so we'll have time."

Chester is half correct as the scene continues to unfold. The Mexicans who originally came with the wagon leave with the leather satchel and double up on the horses they unhitched. Romo hitches his mount to the wagon while Whittaker hops up onto his horse. They soon begin heading back in the directions they came from although Romo and Whittaker seem to have different paths this time. Romo steers the wagon north, but a little west of town while Whittaker appears to be heading directly back home.

Minerva instructs Luna to follow the wagon and tell them where it is headed. They wait for a safe enough distance to follow.

Chester chuckles. "Good thing no one took me up on that bet. We don't need to worry about Whitaker for the time being and the Mexicans were just making a delivery. Hopefully the others aren't in Whitaker's house. Anyone know what's north of town? I don't remember hearing anything. Let's keep a safe distance from the wagon and hope Romo doesn't spot Luna."

"Luna is very good at not being spotted. She has really excellent eyesight and can stay at a safe distance. She is a really clever bird!" Minerva says proudly.

"I don't doubt it, Minerva. Do you have any idea what that wagon holds? It must be something to warrant a secret meeting."

Luna follows the wagon for about a mile (the distance where she would begin to lose communication with Minerva) and is able to tell her that it seems the wagon is headed in the direction that would bring it slightly west of town.

Minerva turns to Chester. "I have no Idea what is in that wagon, but if we don't get moving we may not find out. Luna is about a mile out and communicating with her is becoming difficult. I suggest that we ride west so that I can keep in contact with her." She says mounting her horse.

Chester replies, "Let's get the horses, then. We'll see where Romo is heading. Once we find out, we should tell the others." Minerva, Chester and Nanuet mount their horses and head in a westerly direction in pursuit of Luna and the wagon.

The single riders easily catch up to the lumbering wagon. They follow it for some time soon realizing that they are now northwest of town. The wagon continues in this direction.

Minerva, Nanuet and Chester continue to follow the wagon. They are close enough that they can see the wagon in the dim moonlight but are unable to get much closer without being spotted. "Minerva tells Luna. "Try and fly into the back of the wagon and tell me what is in there. But be very careful not to be heard. If there is someone in the wagon do not risk yourself."

"Looks like we're heading away from town. How far should we follow the wagon? I want to see where he's going. There's little chance of us picking up the trail if we stop now."

"Si, I agree we cannot turn back now. We must find out what these men are up to and the only way to do that is to see what they are carrying. If they do not stop soon, we may have to find a way to stop the wagon and peak inside."

Nanuet says "If we want to take a risk, I think I can dismount and run behind the wagon quiet enough to not be noticed. I should be able to at least get close enough to get a peek inside. It is risky, but otherwise we follow until he stops. What do you think?"

Minerva says, "I think that is a fine idea. But let us wait for Luna to tell me that there is no one waiting inside the wagon first."

Chester says, "I agree. Surprises are rarely good."

As if right on key Minerva picks up the thoughts of her avian friend. There was not another living thing in the back of the wagon, that she was sure of. Luna did not seem overly excited by the contents at all.

"Nanuet, it is time. Luna has told me that there are no people in the wagon. We will guard you from here. May the gods guide you and keep you safe Mi Amor." Minerva says and kisses him before he dismounts...

Nanuet nimbly hops off the horse and quietly but quickly advances towards the wagon. As he closes the distance though he takes an unfortunate step and stumbles over a rock. The noise is loud enough for Romo to notice and the wagon slows to a stop. Before Romo can dismount to come look Nanuet scrambles and hides.

Chester spots Nanuet stumble. He whispers, "Let's get out of sight." Minerva and Chseter try to hide behind a bush. "Was he seen?"

Romo appears to be a bit skittish and does not look around for long. As he is heading back to the wagon Nanuet again begins approaching, this time moving more slowly and cautiously since the wagon is not moving. He is able to get much closer to the wagon before it begins moving again.

Chester releases the breath he'd been holding. "Whew. Back on the trail, but further back, Romo is nervous now."

Minerva follows Chester. Her gun is drawn and she is watching the wagon very closely.

Nanuet manages to get close enough and reaches for the back of the wagon, he grabs ahold and hoists himself up into the back. There is no immediate trouble, so Luna must have been right. In only a matter of a few seconds Nanuet re-emerges from the wagon back and drops to the ground carefully as to remain quiet. He continues to hide as the wagon continues it's northwestern trek.

Chester and Minerva lead Nanuet's horse to him. "What'd you find out? Do we follow the wagon still, or head back?"

"Guns. Loads of guns and ammunition. Mostly looked like standard stuff as far as I could tell though I am far from an expert. No idea where he is heading but there is camping gear and food in there so my guess is he is heading out for a long haul. I say we go back."

"Hmph. Wonder what he plans on doing with that? It doesn't seem to be related to our vampire problem, but I'll tell the Sheriff anyway. He'll know what to do. Let's get back to town. I'm dying to know what Jake and Ruby found in the cellar under the house."

Katherine, meanwhile, had been trying to stay between the two groups in order to either help out if needed or go get the others. Suddenly she sees Chet, Minerva and Nanuet ride away and they are looking the wrong way for her to get their attention. Ruby and Jake have been gone for a while, she also does not know where they went off to. Katherine sighs, forgotten again. She straightens herself up, wipes some imaginary dust from her clothes and decides to go in search of Nolan Edwards.

Nolan is just walking out of the hotel when Kate arrives. "Well, nothing much happened at the farmhouse last night. Quite peaceful actually, maybe a bit too peaceful for my taste. The area was tainted enough that even most of the animals had been scared away. Stayed up pretty late just pondering over some things. Seems like you and your friends have been busy. I was just heading over to the Sheriff's office to see if he was alright and to figure out what he had in mind for the next step. I have my own ideas, but since I was employed by then I like to get their input."

"Yes, my friends are busy. I'm not sure where Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs are, but the others are following Mr. Whittaker out of town to see what he's up to. Mr. Martin is a peace officer, and our friend Nanuet an excellent tracker. With the Priestess with them, they should be able to stay out of sight and get themselves out of trouble if they get in it.

I'll come with you to see the sheriff if you don't mind. I can at least update the others when I see them again."

"Don't mind in the slightest, in fact I prefer to have company. I guess that is something different now in my old age. For so long I have worked alone, now I just feel, well, lonely."

Kate and Edwards take the short stroll to the sheriff’s office. Weeks is busy cleaning his weapons when the two arrive. Sheriff Weeks has nothing unusual to report. Edwards asks him what his plan is and he says that he would like to investigate Bobby Whittaker first since the trouble seems to coincide with his arrival in town.

"It just seems too convenient, but right now that is the most likely lead. I must admit I didn't quite feel up to it today. The last few days have been very emotional for me, I needed a bit of time to clear my head, try and put the personal stuff aside and focus on the job. I am ready now though," he says as he clicks the barrels of the shotgun back into place.

"We understand, Sheriff," Kate replied. "You're doing just fine. If you don't mind my asking, we found some old letters at the farmhouse written to and from a Martha Smith and one of those vampires. Do you know who she was?"

"Sure, the Smith's owned the ranch together; the other two were hired hands. She passed about 2 years ago, trouble with child birth I believe it was. Shame, they were good folks at one time."

Kate caught her breath and tried not to think of the vague fear in her own mind that she could suffer the same fate.

"That is a shame," she said softly. "It must be terrible to lose a wife and a child. One day dreaming of the life you were going to have, and the next.... He might have been desperate enough to welcome becoming what he is now.

Deputy Martin is looking into Mr. Whittaker at the moment. He and two others followed him out of town tonight, so he should have some information for you when he comes back."

Edwards listens to the Sheriff share his information about the ranchers and then the discussion of what to do next. "Well then, you're friends are quite resourceful. Glad to hear that they are on top of things, without your help this whole situation would have taken me a month to straighten out. Well, I'm famished; I think I'll get a bite to eat and then head to the saloon. Care to join me for dinner young lady? My treat. Sheriff, if you can take a break you are more than welcome to join us as well."

"Dinner would be lovely, thank you Mr. Edwards. Like you, I find I prefer having company these days. Perhaps you could give the Sheriff and I some more education about your work. It's my guess there are more than just Vampires out in the world that you hunt down." Kate took the man’s arm and looked to the Sheriff.

"The saloon seems to be the place to be tonight. I will have to bring a little mirror with me, I believe. Sheriff Weeks, are you coming?"

"Uhh, actually I think I'll pass. There are a few more things around here that I would like to get cleaned up and in order. I'll be around if you need me for anything, just that I'd like to get things in order now that Sheriff Wilson is really gone. I heard they are doing the burial tomorrow."

"I understand. You'll let us know when the burial is? Sheriff Wilson was a good man and I'd like to pay my respects. Have a good night, you know where to find us if you need us."

Kate turned back to Mr. Edwards and let him lead her back toward the hotel. "I have a bit of holy water and a small mirror I can carry with me. Perhaps after dinner we can find out if there are any Vampires at Greely's saloon."

"A splendid idea, but for now let's worry about dinner. I think I'm in the mood for a nice rare steak."

Nolan Edwards treated Kate to pleasant conversation and a decent meal. He answered several questions about his line of work and things such as ghouls, ghasts, vampires, werewolves, mummies and the sort. Some he had encountered first hand, others he had only heard about. The time went quickly as Edwards had many stories to tell and was quite willing to share. He actually seemed pleased that someone took an interest as he mentioned many times that his was a lonely line of work.

"Well, unless you protest I believe it is time we got back to work and headed to the saloon."

"I do not protest," she said lightly. "Just give me a moment to run up to my room and I'll be right with you."

Kate went upstairs and quickly slipped the holy water into her pocket along with a small primping mirror. She was back in the dining room in only a couple minutes and they went over to Greely's saloon.

Back at their newly rented house Ruby leads Jake down the narrow tunnel. An indeterminate amount of time goes by and the tunnel seems to just keep going. The cobwebs are heavy indicating that no one has come this far in quite some time and there are no signs of any monstrous bugs like the one from the beginning of the tunnel. The tunnel continues it's straight unwavering path.

Jake spends a moment pondering the directions things were facing and attempts to line everything up in his mind. "West!" he declares, "I believe we are heading west, that would be underneath several houses and eventually the Whittaker house, but we would have gone beyond that by now," he says.

Ruby stops walking. "We've been going for a really long time and it doesn't seem like anyone has come this way in a long time. Let's go back. We can't miss meeting with Whittaker at the Saloon tonight." Jake agrees and they head back to the house. "We should get our stuff and move in here. I would much rather spend the night here with you next to me than in the hotel where we know those monsters can get in."

"Yes, we will move our stuff in. There is enough room for everyone, that is if Katherine will let Maddie share a room with her." Jake cannot help himself and grins after saying that.

On the way back to the house Jake says, "I have been trying to remember if Mayor's house had any markings on O'Neil’s map. I do not think it did. It is an older house, and could be this tunnel has nothing to do with current troubles. If they had Indian squabbles when it was first built it might have been just an escape route. Strange that it is so long, would have been a tremendous amount of work to dig this out." He shakes is head and adds, "Bizarre town this Thomaswell."

"Yes, very bizarre. I can't wait to get out of here." Ruby shudders. "But I think you're right, this doesn't have to do with our current predicament. Especially since this problem just happens and this tunnel looks old."

They enter the house and climb out of the basement. "I think we could use some of these supplies too," she points to the walls. "So... get out stuff now or later? And oh," Ruby teases, "We get the big chubby baby making bed!" She giggles at her own joke.

"Get our stuff now," he says and then playfully slaps at her behind, "and of course we get the GOOD bed, I just paid the rent. It needs a different name I think," he rolls his eyes, "I do not think I could deal with any other monsters right now."

Ruby laughs, "You know I'm only kidding Jake, I don't want any more monsters either. Not now and most likely not later either." They walk out to the porch and Ruby leans against the house as Jake locks up. "I'm glad I'm with the guy with the money. I like getting the best stuff. As for the bed, think of a better name then. I need to be amused." She takes his hand and they start towards the hotel.

Ruby and Jake find themselves back at the hotel. They head to their room and haphazardly throw their belongings into their bags. They stop at the front desk to check out and thank the owner for his help.

They drag their stuff over to the new house and unceremoniously dump it. "Let's head over to the Saloon and wait for the others, and check up on Greely."

Jake nods and they head over to the Saloon.

The saloon is still fairly quiet. Thom and Greely are busy restocking the bar and arranging the tables. Ruby and Jake notice there are a couple tables missing after their destruction a couple of nights ago. Apparently their has not been time to find suitable replacements. There are a few extra chairs set out in their place.

There are a half dozen other patrons in the saloon. They are seated near the back, 4 men and two women. The men are playing darts while the women are plying their trade and providing company for the men. A solitary waitress does her duty and ensures the men have what they want.

Kate arrived at the saloon at the same time as Jacky O'Neil. O'Neil seemed to be a little disheveled compared to his usual neat self. When he enters the saloon he heads straight to the bar and orders a bottle of whiskey from Greely as soon as Ruby's vodkas are poured. He grabs the bottle and heads to the back of the room and heads to where they are playing darts and attempts to convince them to switch to poker instead.

Katherine might have to retire early tonight, she thought, looking over at O'Neill. "Mr. Edwards, why don't we sit over here?" Kate said, leading him over to a table near Jake and Ruby. She deliberately took a seat with her back to the bar and said. "I believe I'd enjoy a glass of wine. I'll just primp a bit while you fetch that for me."

Nolan Edwards smiled and walked over to the bar. Kate fished out her little mirror and pretended to pick at her hair as she angled the mirror toward Mr. Greely, then Thom.

Edwards responds quickly to Kate's request and heads to the bar to get two glasses of wine.

Kate uses the mirror to try catch a reflection of Greely. She lines up the small mirror and sees her escort clearly but does not see the reflection of Mr. Greely as he pours the wine out for him. She switches her angle a bit to try and catch Thom in her view. She can clearly see him as he goes about his duties around the saloon.

Katherine forced herself to keep her breathing even. She turned and smiled toward her escort, putting a bit of Maddie into her own behavior. Her gaze swept over the rest of the room to where O'Neill was trying to break up the game of darts. She turned back to her primping, this time angling toward the men in the corner.

Nolan returned with the glasses of wine, now aware of Kate's trick. He lets her concentrate and puts the glasses of wine on the table without saying anything.

Kate tries to get a good look at the group in the back corner of the saloon. The people back there are constantly in motion and the mirror offers a small field of view, so it is very hard for her to get a completely accurate view of everyone back there but she is able to pick out the two women and O'Neill specifically as well as a few others and she is fairly certain if not positive that everyone back there has a reflection.

Kate clicked the little mirror closed and took a sip of her wine. "Greely has no reflection," she said quietly. "Thom does. I tried to look at the others back by the dart board, but they are moving a great deal. Mr. O'Neill does reflect, as do the women. I don't think there are any monsters back there. I'd suggest searching Greely's house tonight while no one is there. There's no use in attacking him if he can retreat to his coffin."

Nolan keeps a calm face and sips from his wine. He then replies, keeping his voice low. "Excellent work Katherine, keep this up and you will put me out of a job. We should discuss a few things, but I am not sure this is the best place, the walls may have ears."

"Thank you, but I doubt I'd put you out of a job. I'm not very strong, as you can see. And I already have three jobs, I don't think I could handle a fourth. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs are here. Would you like me to get them and we could go back to the hotel?"

At the bar Thom greets Ruby with a smile. "Hello pretty lady, how are you today?"

Ruby offers him her hand, "Good evening Mr. Thom. I'm feeling mostly better, how are you?" She glances around the saloon, "Think it will be busy tonight?"

Thom scratches his head, then rubs the scar that mars it. "I don't know, maybe. Not so many people come to have fun any more. Most people who come are sad." He takes Ruby's hand in both of his huge paws and vigorously shakes it up and down.

Ruby giggles. "Thanks Thom. You know, I like you too. You're a good man." Ruby smiles at him as a thought comes to her mind. "Have you ever thought of leaving Thomaswell? There isn't much here in this little town."

"Oh, I don't think I could leave here. I'm not too smart anymore. Mr. Greely takes care of me, and he wouldn't leave."

"Yes, Mr. Greely seems to take care of you," Ruby squeezes his hand, "I was only wondering if you ever thought about it. I bet there are other places you could go with friends who would be glad to have you. But I'm happy you're happy here. You do a good job." Ruby smiles at him again. "I think we'll go speak to Mr. Greely now."

Thom smiles at Ruby's words, a little rivulet of drool forming on his chin as he does so. "I don't really have no other friends Mrs. Constance. Mr. Greely just takes care of me and I work hard for him. You can go talk to him now if you like."

As they walk across the room Ruby says to Jake, "We never had anything for dinner. We might have to get something."

Ruby looks around the room, checking to see is there are any mirrors anywhere. She walks up the the bar, "Evening Mr. Greely. How are you tonight?"

Ruby finds no mirrors in the common room of the saloon with her initial scan. When she speaks to Greely he seems a bit out of sorts.

"Eh? Oh, I guess I'm fine. Haven't been sleeping well lately, too many things on my mind I suppose. I never have gotten used to sleeping during the day. Surprised to see you around here still, with all the strange goings on and whatnot. Rumor has it the stage is coming tomorrow. I sure hope it does, I need to restock." Greely continues to work as he talks to Ruby.

Ruby's heart skipped a beat and as her lips turn into a smile. "Oh, isn't that wonderful news! Hear that Jake... the stage is coming tomorrow! We can go home!"

Ruby pauses, "You're right Mr. Greely, strange things have been going on," Ruby says while unconsciously touching her bruised face. "And I do want to get out of here. But my friends are good samaritans so to speak. Could we have some vodkas please?"

While Greely is looking away getting their drinks Ruby nods to Jake and his pocket.

Greely stops his tidying work and goes to fetch two shot glasses and a bottle of vodka for Ruby. He pours the two and offers them to her. "Let's start the night off on a good night, first round is on me."

Jake moves towards her and deftly removes the flask from his pocket and opens the stopper, hiding it all behind his duster. He lounges at the bar near Ruby.

"Thank you Mr Greely," Ruby says, accepting the vodkas. When O'Neil asks for his wine Ruby turns her back and faces Jake. She downs her entire vodka with an "ugh" that she keeps in and quickly and quietly offers the glass to Jake down low.

He uses his deft hands and refills the glass with holy water. Ruby then places the glass on the bar next to the other. Looking at Jake she says, "We should have a toast, darling husband, to celebrate the purchase of our new home."

Jake lifts his glass, as does Ruby. As Greely walks past them Ruby says, "To our new home!" She begins lifting her glass and 'accidentally' spills it, splashing it onto the bar and Greely the best she can.

"Ooppps," she says with a fake blush and her fingers to her lips, and Jake and Ruby watch with interest to the results of their experiment.

Ruby spills the water on the bar but doesn't manage to get anything on Greely. However he comes back with a towel to clean up the spill. As soon as he begins wiping it up he appears uncomfortable and quickly abandons the towel on the bar, wiping his hand on his apron. "Thom, get some towels for me please and wipe down the bar over here." he says pointing to the area where the water was spilled. "I'll be back in just a moment."

Greely walks out from behind the bar and heads to the back door of the saloon.

Ruby raises her eyebrows and glances at Jake. "Did you see that?" she whispers, while continuing to watch to see if Thom also has the same reaction. "What are we going to do?"

Kate got up and walked over to the bar after Greely walked away and whispered. "Mr. Greely had no reflection in my mirror. Mr. Edwards wants to talk. Confronting him here probably isn't a good idea. We don't want to tip him off that we know, plus it would be better to destroy his refuge first." She made sure to finish talking before Thom arrived.

Thom does as he is told and grabs a bundle of towels from the stock room. He breaks the twine on the stack of cloth towels and uses one to wipe off the bar and then stows the rest away underneath. "Did you spill your drink Pretty Constance? Can Thom get you another one?"

"I did Thom. And you are very sweet to offer to replace it. But I think my husband and I are going to join our new friend for dinner right now. We'll be back later. I hope you'll be here," she says, knowing full well he will. "Thank you," she smiles, then rises from her chair.

"Al?" Jake slams back his vodka and follows wordlessly.

The quartet head back over to the hotel, where Jake and Ruby order dinner.

"That answers that question," Ruby finally states. "Greely is one of them. I knew Thom wasn't. The question now is what do we do?"

Nolan Edwards orders a glass of wine, having already had dinner with Kate earlier. "Kate mentioned it to me earlier, which shows you folks have a knack for this stuff, we need to find his lair first and make sure he can't get back to his coffin. Either that or we need to find a way to get him out to the sun."

"Well... he has a key around his neck and a magical door in his saloon. I tried and tried to get into it but I couldn't. Maybe the coffin is in there. Otherwise I guess we'll have to get into his house. Every time we've tried to visit him there it's been locked up tight. My husband is a deputy, he could get in."

"You folks think of everything don't you! Well then perhaps we should check his house first while he is tied up at the saloon like Katherine suggested. We must still be on our guard in case he has some guardians there, but I am sure I am just stating the obvious. You folks always seem to have some experience."

"Unfortunately," Ruby says, rolling her eyes. "But can we eat first? I'm hungry." Jake and Ruby dig into their food and eat as quickly as they can so they at least have something in their bellies.

As they walk over to Greely's Ruby comments to Jake, "I'll need something later, I bet you will too."

Arriving at the door Ruby says, "So, are we doing this my way?"

"Depends what your way is. If it is quiet and will not draw attention to us then I am all for it" Edwards replies with a wink.

Kate checked her weapons and mentally went through the list of spells she had ready, then waited for Ruby to get them in the door.

"Normally it is," Ruby smiles back. "You all keep guard."

Ruby carefully listens at the door. When she hears no noise she reaches her hands down her bodice with a smug smile. "Seems my friends are getting a good look at some of my hidden talents lately," she smiles and comes out with her lock picks.

First she checks the door for traps. If there are none she proceeds to unlock the lock.

Since there appears to be no imminent threat Ruby takes her time with the lock and smiles when she hears the friendly click. The door swings inward to reveal a dark foyer.

"Did anyone bring a light source?" Kate asked quietly, trying to peer into the dark room.

Ruby smiles, "I believe this one," she points with her thumb to Jake, "Has something. He brings everything and the kitchen sink when we go out."

Jake rolls his eyes. "We'll use this for now." He pulls out his dagger and recites the activation word, "Incendie." A small light comes out the tip of the dagger, casting a soft glow in the dark eerie house.

The companions begin walking in, letting Jake lead the way with the light. Ruby walks near Kate and whispers, "I'm really sorry about yesterday."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Kate said, puzzled. "Jake and I got you cleaned up and off to bed, and I can tell your head is much clearer today. That's all I wanted."

"Kate, I tried to kill you. I think that deserves an apology. I suppose it was a good thing I was half out of my mind, or I might have succeeded. Even worse was that I had a gun pointed right at Jake. Luckily he saw me in time."

She sighs, "Yes I feel better today." She looks around, trying to see in the darkness, "I just want to get out of here. I don't think I can keep myself together much longer."

"You didn't try to kill me, they did. And as you see I came out of it just fine.

I want to go home too. Yesterday got us a lot closer to that. Not much longer, dear. I think Greely is the key."

Ruby nods. "And I'm sorry I got us all into this too. I always seem to be the cause of trouble anywhere I go. It always was that way. Anyway, getting out of here will suit all of us just fine. A stage is coming tomorrow. I only hope this is done or we can convince Minerva and Nanuet to leave."

"Maybe we can finish it tonight and we won't have to argue with them over it.

After a few days of being Maddie, I can see how that kind of trouble finds you. I've caused enough trouble for us myself, if you recall. I'm sure we all have the capacity for causing our own special kind."

"Yes, I suppose Maddie would understand, in a way. But even when I try to be really good, it still happens. It's very frustrating. That's one of the reasons I wanted." she glances at Jake. "Forget it, I'm a lost cause."

"You're not the lost cause," she chuckled. "It's those foolish men who don't think with their heads."

She gives Kate a small smile. "Hopefully his resting place is here and not that special room. Because I've tried to get into that a couple of times with no luck. Would you have any ideas, short of stealing the key, on how we can get in there?" Ruby stops for a moment and ponders. "Wait a minute... what if we steal the key?"

"You're suggesting stealing they key off his person? When you know what he is? His pocket is probably a little harder to pick than your average drunk. Do you really think it can be done? We could certainly use it."

"What else can we do? What if the coffin isn't here? Do you know a way to get into a magical room like that? I know Ja--Mr. Jacobs won't agree, but I can try."

"The only other way I know is your scroll. It might be worth it to use it at this point. Otherwise the only thought I have is to go in through a window if there is one. We might have to try to get it from him, but I hope it won't come to that. Let's see what's here before we get too far ahead of ourselves."

"A window? How do you get in a window in a...," Ruby glances around to make sure no one else is close enough to hear, "Magical room? I've been in the room behind the door. I think there is another room, a room that is only opened by that key."

"I didn't know you had been inside. I've been finding out a lot of things no one told me lately," she said quietly as they followed Jake's light. "If his coffin is here, it's probably underground in the cellar."

"All it was was a room in a saloon where whores do their job Kate. There was nothing to tell. But you're right about the coffin, it would probably be in the basement. Although not definitely." Ruby gives Kate a small smile then moves towards Jake. "Maybe we should split up? We could search this place faster..."

This house is a stark contrast to the saloon which is very neat and organized. The furniture is old and in poor repair, broken bits lying about. Clothing is strewn about the rooms as well as various bits of refuse. The first floor has a kitchen and dining area, a living room and stairs that lead up to the second floor.

"Let's check upstairs," Kate said. "I don't think anything will be up there, but then we can concentrate on the downstairs. Does it seem to anyone else that people become these monsters and forget how to clean up a mess?"

Ruby laughs, "That seems pretty true Kate. I guess once you're dead you don't care about what's lying on the floor. Wait a minute, I'm alive and I don't care what's lying on the floor..." Ruby giggles again.

Jake comments, "Let's get this over with. Upstairs first. Mrs. Jacobs?" he says while offering Ruby his arm, "Let's go exploring."

Ruby stays close behind Jake as he ascends the stairs.

Edwards offers to watch the stairs as the others head up. "Just don't want anything sneaking up on us."

The other three head upstairs and find things in a similar state of disarray. There are two bedrooms, and a bathroom on the upper floor as well as a storage closet.

One of the bedrooms appears unused as there is just an unmade bed and an empty wardrobe. An unlocked chest holds folded linens.

The other bedroom looks a bit different with a bed that has had the linens tossed aside, a broken mirror and an overturned dresser littering the floor. A bookcase is mostly intact, but only about 1/4 full with books.

The bathroom area is a mess with toiletries and refuse strewn about.

Ruby chooses the lived in bedroom to take a better look around. She searches thoroughly and Jake joins her. Kate keeps an eye out in the hallway.

The room yields little in the way of clues or more information. It appears as Greely has lost a significant amount of weight as there are several items of used men's clothing of a much larger size strewn about the room. The books on the shelf are a mix. Some historical books, probably older textbooks, some fiction, some books on gardening and several on bartending and brewing.

"Alright, doesn't seem like there is much up here. Let's go check the cellar."

Ruby waits for Jake and Kate, and they meet up with Edwards. They all look around for stairs that would lead to a basement but find only an old, long disused root cellar.

The companions exhaustedly search the entire house. They find no doors to a cellar and no coffin anywhere.

Ruby sighs, "That leaves the saloon, and probably that magic door."

"Mr. Edwards, what do you think? Do YOU have ways to possibly get in that door without the key?"

Nolan Edwards scratches his head. "I know a trick or two when it comes to magic. Let's head over there and take a look. Can you lock up tight so that it is not so obvious that we were here?"

Ruby begins relocking any locks she had picked.

"You seem to know a lot about a great many things," Kate said to Edwards, testing the waters. "How did you learn about magic?"

"You hang around unnatural things as long as I have and you learn a lot. I'm sure if you are cursed with living as long as I have you will learn your share too," he says with a wink and a smirk.

Feeling it was safe to let her secret out Kate continued, "I have some knowledge of magic myself; it's why I'm here. I'm sure you can understand why I wouldn't want to advertise that, but if we're going to face Greely you should know that I may use spells."

"Anybody else have any secrets they want to clue me in on before we confront this devil? I am still of the idea that we should find his coffin first. Perhaps if we can't find it by searching perhaps one or more of us should stay late while he closes up and see where he goes?"

"That's a good idea," Kate replies. "Since he owns other properties in town he could be staying in those as well. It's possible he just stays in the saloon. There would be little chance of accidentally meeting the sun if he doesn't leave at all."

After Ruby is done locking up they all head over to the Saloon.

Kate sat with Nolan Edwards in the saloon, unsure of what to do next. She didn't like the feeling of uncertainty. At this point she'd rather be doing in the hopes of catching that stage home tomorrow. She missed Ginnie, and her El Parador family, and she missed Conrad. A sigh escaped her lips as she said, "I hate waiting until morning."

Edwards says, "When dealing with things like this though, patience is the key. If you do not set it up right you have no chance of success. But, if you want to leave there is no reason not to. I am here and have been hired to deal with the situation, one which I have dealt with before. So, you could leave knowing you turned the situation over to the professional, the expert, someone who was supposed to handle it."

"Do you resent our being here?" Kate asked. "I know when you are used to working a certain way, even welcome help can throw you off."

"Oh no, not at all. I have done enough things alone in my life, and I appreciate the help greatly, but I also know that this is not your chosen way of life and you have something else to return to me. To me, this is my life, it is what I do. I have a job here, I am committed."

Kate nodded. "I understand, but I also intend to see this through. One of these things came after my friend. I want to be sure none of them have any reason to come to our town again. That said, I think I will return to the hotel for a while. If you need me, ask Mr. or Mrs. Jacobs."

Nolan Edwards wishes Kate goodnight and returns to his wine, observing Greely as closely as he can from the distance.

Ruby whispers in Jake's ear, "Should we do some checking now or wait for daylight? I know you don't want me to steal that key..."

"Take a chain from around the neck of a vampire? One that very likely knows that we know what he is. That probably knows we destroyed the other three. I am hesitant about that. If I am right and he now knows, he is also more likely to add protections to his coffin. Let us keep searching before he can do that. If we cannot find it then we should follow him as suggested." Jake slowly rubs his beard, "But where? Whittaker’s house? Does the well lead somewhere?"

"Maybe his coffin is INSIDE the saloon. There are plenty of places we didn't check in there, besides that magical room. And I mean, come on, out of all places, where would he keep it? Where would you keep it? In plain sight or somewhere that no one but you could get to?"

"As for the other stuff... hopefully our friends can shed some more light on Mr. Whittaker. We should check out the well. And soon too. Don't forget, the stage is coming... tomorrow," Ruby smiles up widely at Jake with her big green eyes.

"Not sure how we search the saloon with him watching. We can try, and if we do not find anything then we can try again in daylight even if we have to kick the doors in. Check the saloon as best we can now, then to the well, and back to the saloon in the daylight?"

"Alright darling, sounds like a plan." Ruby squeezes Jake's hand as they walk into the saloon. "You tell the others, I'll get started."

Ruby finds the big bouncer. "Hello Thom, we're back. Anything exciting happen while we were gone?"

Thom gives Ruby his usual dumbfounded look. "Uh... no, nothing exciting. It has been quiet tonight."

"Thom I have a question. What else is upstairs? Anything special? I'm sooo curious." As Ruby talks she looks around the saloon for any sign of Greely. "And where is Mr. Greely?"

"I already told you, I don't know about anything special upstairs. The other pretty ladies bring the men upstairs. I only go upstairs if there is a problem. Mr. Greely is right there, he is working," Thom says dully as he points to the bar where Greely is busy cleaning glasses.

"Thanks for your help Thom," Ruby smiles at him, "You're always helpful."

About fifteen minutes after Katherine left, Madeline Anders entered Greely's saloon. She walked to the bar and ordered a glass of wine, then scanned the room for Jacky O'Neill.

Jacky is near the back of the saloon. He is watching the others play darts as he paces back and forth. He has a flask from his own hip that he is drinking from now as he wears a groove into the floor.

Maddie walked over with a swing in her hips and said, "If I'd known my absence would drive you to drink, I'd have stopped by sooner."

O'Neill stops in his tracks and spins around. Maddie notices a sparkle in his eye and he smiles as he talks. "Oh hey Maddie, good to see you again! You look like might have driven a few men to drink, well your absence anyways. I'm celebrating if you want to share a drink with me. I should probably put this flask away, don't want to deprive the bartender of his business."

"You're celebrating? You found what you were searching for then? I have to say I'm surprised, considering the pacing you're doing."

"Oh, nervous habit I guess. I am just excited, can't sit still. Figured I would come out and celebrate one last time before I split. Glad I got to see your pretty face again too" he says with a wink. "Yes, I found it, what I've searched high and low for, it's finally mine!" He realizes that he has raised his voice and a few people are looking at him so he takes a breath and calms himself down.

"Didn't I hear you offer me a drink? Why don't you make a stab at sitting for a few minutes. I can't compete with your prize, but perhaps I can distract you for a few moments." Maddie slipped her arm through his and led him away from the dartboard, walking a little closer to him than was strictly necessary. "So, where did you find it?"

"Yes, drinks are in order. Well I have the book, I just barely got to know you the other night and we hardly even got to dance. Where did I find it? You'll never believe it but it was hidden under that old spent well at the west end of town. Took a little quick construction and some digging, but I did it and it's about time."

O'Neill buys drinks from Greely, whatever Maddie asks for and takes a seat across from the bar, the area where Ruby had landed only a couple nights ago.

"You must have done it at night, I can't imagine you being allowed to rip up a statue in the middle of town in broad daylight," she whispered conspiratorially. "And it can't have been tonight, it hasn't been dark long enough. I can't believe you're still so excited."

Maddie smiled from beneath her eyelashes. "I hear the stage is coming back tomorrow, so we'll have to get to know each other tonight."

"Well well young lady! Let's just say nobody saw what I did and I plan on being long gone before they figure it out. So I 'spose that means you are leaving town tomorrow. Did you do whatever it is you came here to do?"

She let a little bit of her own apprehension through her facade. "I came to visit family. I had a letter and it came from here, but they aren't here. There's no reason for me to stay. I'd have been gone days ago only there wasn't a way to leave. And then I've been unwell for the last day or so.

You think someone would want to stop you from taking a book?" she asked quietly. "One they didn't even know was there?"

"Well like you said, the dismantling of the well might not win me any votes. I didn't exactly stop to put it all back together when I came back up if you get my drift. Well, bottoms up! To Thomaswell, may I never see her again."

"I'll drink to that," Maddie said and took a sip of her drink. It was too soon to ask for a look at his prize, but she was sure he was carrying it on his person. She watched O'Neill drink, trying to gauge how drunk he was.

Ruby heads back over to the bar. "Mr. Greely, sorry about the mess earlier, spilling the drink and all. Sometimes I am such a klutz! Maybe I should stick to my whiskey," she laughs. While she speaks with Greely, she tries to check out his necklace with the key.

The necklace is a simple, thick gold chain. From it hangs what appears to be a very simple key. The necklace is much newer than the key, which appears to be ancient.

"You think you are the first person to spill a drink in a saloon. You might however, be the first to apologize to me for it though, so thanks. Here, try this whiskey, from my personal collection. Last bottle I have."

Greely pours two fairly generous glasses of whiskey, slides one to Ruby and takes one himself. "To Sheriff Wilson, may he rest in peace," he says solemnly as he lifts his glass high.

Ruby takes the glass and clinks it with Greely's. "To Sheriff Wilson." She drinks her whiskey down. She watches Greely with interest, not understanding how he was being nice and yet still a monster...

"So, is there a Mrs. Greely?"

Greely drinks his shot down as well, clanking the glass down hard on the bar. "Oh no, there is no Mrs. Greely. I courted a few women in my day, but the saloon has always been my true love. I have owned a few, in different towns, but I have always found this to be my calling."

"At least you know what you want. So many a man marries and doesn't devote himself to his wife like he should. I would imagine it would be hard to find a lady who would like all the night hours you keep with the saloon."

"How long you been here?"

"Been here for oh, about 12 years now I think. This town suits me quite well, nice and quiet, out of the way, and still a regular crowd that likes to come and drink."

"Even after everything bad that has happened here? I am surprised people stay in this town. Why do you think they do Mr. Greely? There are whispers of monsters. Those men from the other day, the ones who..." Ruby touches her face, "You know... they weren't human."

"Well, all that trouble is fairly recent. Troubled people tend to drink more, so it wasn't too bad for business at first. At this point I am just trying to weather the storm, hoping things will settle down soon. Will you excuse me please, I have some drinks to pour."

"Alright Mr. Greely. Sorry to keep you." Ruby watches him walk away, then pushes the remainder of the whiskey aside. She stands and makes her way over to Jake. She whispers in his ear, "That necklace will be really hard to grab."

Jake nods in response. "I do NOT have a good idea on how to get it. Just yanking it off is probably a last resort kind of plan."

Ruby giggles, "What if I lean forward really far? Think that would work on a vampire?'

Jake leans his elbow on the table and covers his eyes with his hand that cradles his head. "Hermes...."

"What?" Ruby smiles. "It works on you. Every time."

"Sure, I may use my teeth but I rarely draw blood..." Jake looks around the saloon, "Is there a basement to this place?"

Ruby widens her eyes, "Very funny, Mr. Jacobs, very funny." She looks around the saloon for any kind of door down. "I don't know, let's go find out. About the basement that is, not about your ability to draw blood."

Not seeing anything obvious in the room full of people Ruby sits on Jake's lap. She puts her lips to his ear. "If there is something hidden in here we won't find it. So we either have to look around outside or do something else." Ruby pulls on one of Jake's shirt buttons, "While I'd love to do something fun I have a feeling you aren't going to go for that. SO we need to find something else to do."

"I do not know what to do next. We probably ought to follow Greely in the morning, and if he loses us break in here in daylight. So, maybe we should entertain ourselves until then?"

A wide smile comes to Ruby's face, "Oh yes, let's do that instead." She moves from sitting sideways on Jake's lap to straddling him. "Give me a kiss then we go play cards. How does that sound? Or dance... we could do that too. Or...," she puts her hands on Jake's face making him look into her eyes, "We could go rename that bed..."

Minerva notices Ruby straddling Jake and walks over with Chester and Nanuet in her wake. "Ahem, are we interupting here?" she chuckles.

"And if you are?" Ruby blurts out. After Jake's dirty look she says, "Ok, ok..." Pissed she didn't get her kiss she slides off of Jake's lap and into the next chair.

"So what did you find out?" Ruby continues to whisper, "And oh... Mr. Greely is one of them."

"Greely is one of them?" Minerva narrows her eyes and glances at Greely "Meirde!" she hisses.

"Yes but shush," Ruby puts her fingers to her lips, "We don't want him to know we know. Although he might already. Thom isn't, we checked."

Jake nods to them, "Have a seat. Ruby and I were just discussing playing some poker and retiring early. We are out of ideas... at least ones about Greely here. I figure we can try and watch him when the saloon closes before daylight. And if that does not work, we just break in here at daybreak. You all have any news?"

Chester lowers his voice, "Romo and Whitaker met some Mexicans with a wagon outside of town. Whitaker gave them a satchel and then rode back to town. The Mexicans rode back where they came from. And Romo drove the wagon to the northwest. Nanuet found guns and ammunition inside. It didn't seem related to what's going on in Thomaswell, so we came back."

Jake says, "Any other ideas? If not then we watch the saloon an hour before closing. If we do not see him leave or where he goes, we break in at dawn. We take turns keeping an eye on things over the night, so everyone can get some rest."

"Once again Ja... er Mr. Jacobs your plan sounds like the best one. I can take an extra shift or two, since I don't need to sleep." Nanuet says out of nowhere.

"By the way," Ruby starts, specifically looking at Minerva, "I'm real sorry about yesterday. You know trying to kill you all."

Katherine knew she couldn't keep this up much longer without raising Jacky's expectations about just how well they were going to get to know each other. He could probably hold his liquor, and she didn't have the time to get him good and drunk. "You know," she said finally, "My curiosity has always got me in more trouble than is good for me. I don't suppose I could peek at your first edition? I don't know the first thing about cards, so I can't steal it's secrets."

"Well,” Jacky says, “I put it away in a very safe place. Not that easy to retrieve at the moment. I don't think you would find it all that exciting anyways, it is just a collector's item. What about some darts or some cards. I really am too excited to sit still. I'd say dancing but that didn't work out that well last time."

"Maybe, but I don't know how to play darts or cards.

And you're wrong about being interested. I'm always interested in everything, it's my curse!" she laughed and noticed the others had returned and were at the table with Jake and Ruby. "I should get to bed early tonight, but a dance or two before I go wouldn't go amiss."

"OK then, I'll get old Greely there to fire up the phonograph again and we can get to dancing a bit. I actually wanted to turn in early myself so I could skin out early in the morning, first light."

Jacky went to work convincing Greely to take out the phonograph and getting Thom to help him move the tables. The prostitutes were eager to see the dancing start as well so they assisted in clearing the space.

Maddie waited while the dance floor was set up, then spent a bit of time dancing with the exuberant Jacky. She continued to flirt and smile for the next half-hour. "I'm afraid I'm not quite as recovered as I thought I was," she said breathing heavily. "I think I'd best get back to the hotel now."

"Oh of course. If you would like I could walk you back and then say goodbye, as I am afraid we won't see each other again."

Maddie nodded and learned tiredly on his arm as they walked back. "I'm glad I met you. You've been the only bit of fun in my time here. I hope your early escape works out as you want."

"Well it won't be the first time. Thanks for being so kind to me. I hope you find out what is going on with your family. Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other again some day."

"Maybe. If you're ever in Virginia. Good night, Jacky," she said and went up to Maddie's room.

"OK, then." Jake turns to Ruby, "How about a little poker and then we head back for a naming ceremony?"

Ruby looks a little disappointed. "Ok." Then she smiles, "Well, I like the second part."

Jake shrugs and stands, "Are you going to play? Just a few hands and then back to the new place?" He offers her his hand, "I suppose you would rather dance." He has a smug smile on his face.

Bobby Whittaker shows up as Jake and Ruby are discussing playing cards. He no longer wears the bandage on his arm but the scar of what looks like a burn remains. He heads to the back of the saloon immediately and sits down to play cards.

Ruby immediately perks up. "One dance. Then a few hands of cards. THEN back to the new place. Come on, let's go." Ruby takes Jake's hand and drags him to the dance floor. "Of course, you realize I am mad at you, you denied me my requested kiss," she teases with her nose in the air.

Ruby notices Thom staring at her and she and Jake dance. He sits down in a chair near the dance floor and stares blankly at her with a smile on his face.

As they dance Jake says, "Angry at me again, hmmm, just another chance to make up."

"Not THAT mad darling. You know I don't like to be denied what I want." Ruby lets Jake swirl her around. "Especially a kiss. Now if you want one you're going to have to ask nice. Hey did you notice Thom? Maybe I should ask him to dance before we play cards."

"I have to ask my wife for a kiss?" he says in a moderately loud voice. "Ah, well, such is my life. Would you make my evening and grant me a kiss my love?"

Ruby shivers when Jake calls her his wife. She is about to comment but instead stops dancing, puts her hand behind his head and gently but insistently pulls him in for a long slow kiss.

Kate pocketed the magical clip and left Maddie behind in the hotel. As she reappeared in the saloon as herself Jake and Ruby were dancing.

Minerva eyes Jake and Ruby on the dance floor. She turns to Nanuet. "That looks like fun. Come and dance with me mi amor." she says as she tugs him toward the middle of the room.

Nanuet obliges with a smile. He eagerly joins Minerva on the makeshift dance floor and holds her closely knowing that they are near the end of their trial and with any luck would be returning home soon.

The couples finish their dancing, with Thom standing in for Jake on one. Jake and Ruby give up dancing to play cards for a little while, while Nanuet and Minerva continue to enjoy the music.

Soon they are retiring to the house for the evening. First they stop at the hotel to get everyone else's belongings before retiring for the evening. Nanuet volunteers to keep watch on the saloon until the sun is about to come up at which time he thinks at least one other person should come to keep an eye on things and observe what happens.

"Are we agreed on that plan?" he asks before heading back to the saloon.

"I will stay with you for a while." Minerva tells Nanuet.

"I am in," Jake says. "I will get up for that."

"I'll be ready whenever you need me, just come get me." She quickly filled the others in on what she had found out from Jacky O'Neill. "It probably doesn't have to do with any of our business, but I thought I'd let you know." Kate said quietly as those who were leaving left the saloon for the rented house.

The night grows very late and the saloon crowd begins to thin. Minerva is having trouble staying awake. "I am sorry to leave you mi amore but I cannot keep you company much longer." She yawns and kisses him deeply. "It will be lonely without you." With Chester in tow she finds her way to the hotel to get her things and then makes her way to the house.

Jake wakes before dawn and wakes Ruby. "I am going to meet with Nanuet. You want to come and watch for Greely?"

Ruby slowly opens her eyes, squinting when the light hits. Finally she rolls over and stretches. "I want to ask you a question first."

"Go ahead."

"Well..." Ruby sits up in the bed, holding the sheet around her, "Did you get what you needed? From me?"

Jake looks at her uncomprehendingly. "I beg your pardon, it is early and I am not following you."

Ruby smiles softly but doesn't make eye contact with Jake. She actually has a shy look on her face, a look Jake is unfamiliar with on Ruby. "Yesterday you said you needed strength from me. And fire. Did you get it?"

"Ah!" Jake replies and a smile grows on his face. "The strength, yes. The fire, well I just did not make myself clear. The fire is for you." He gently taps her nose. "I need the fire back in my Ruby West, the fire for life, for you and me to make it out of here in one piece." Jake has his familiar confident smile. "Our friends too," he adds with a smirk. "I can see it burning again. Instead of being afraid and running away I can see you turning all that fear into something else, what ever you like to call it, maybe it is anger at them who would mess with what is precious to us. To me it looks like fire, because it is more complicated than anger." Jake shrugs. "Anyway, you just need to use it. I know you will."

"Me?" Ruby look surprised but then smiles softly. "Well I guess I get the fire from you. One of the many things you give me." Her smile fades slightly. "I just wasn't sure I gave you what you needed to go on. I was hoping...you've already done so much..."
"I am rejuvenated," Jake says without a hint of sarcasm. "No more delays not, let us get this thing done."

Ruby nods and reaches a hand out for Jake who pulls her out of bed. She kisses him softly before preparing herself for the day.

They stop quickly in the kitchen to make themselves coffee to take with them to the Saloon.

When they show up Nanuet greets them tiredly. "The Saloon is closed but neither Greely or Thom ever left."

"All right, we will keep watching."

Nanuet bids them good watching and he heads back to the house.

Minerva awakens at dawn thankful that they have survived another night in this evil place. She rolls over and finds that Nanuet is lying beside her and has once again been guarding her sleep. She smiles up happily and rolling onto him lies on his chest and snuggles back down under the covers. "It is too early to meet the others. Let us give thanks to Venus for our love." She purrs.

Nanuet answers Minerva with a soft kiss. "And how could anyone resist that? he says brushing the hair from her face. He then runs his hands up and down the length of her body, enjoying the soft warm sensation of her skin.

Minerva responds in turn by deepening the kiss and the two celebrate love and life forgetting, for a while, the dire circumstances which has brought them to this gods forsaken town.

As she often did in an unfamiliar bed, Kate woke early. The hotel was right next to the saloon. The house seemed to be deserted, so she got dressed and went back to the hotel. She went through the hassle of checking out twice, but waited to see if she was early enough to catch O'Neill leaving.

Kate checks his room by knocking, but no answer, she also checks at the front desk but is told that he left in the middle of the night last night.

"He seemed to be quiet anxious to get on the road. He has been a great customer so I was sad to see him go, but he did leave quite late last night," Victor Bishop says politely.

Kate nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Bishop. Might Mr. Edwards be about? I know he keeps different hours but I thought he might not have gone to sleep yet."

"Yes, he keeps some odd hours, but I was told that before he arrived. The last time I saw him he was in the dining area reading a book and having some coffee, but that was quite some time ago. Perhaps he is still there."

"I will look. Would you tell him Katherine was looking for him if you see him, please? Thank you."

Kate stepped back into the dining room and looked to see if Nolan Edwards was there. Even if he wasn't she still needed some breakfast.

Ruby turns to Jake, "What are we watching for? The Saloon is closed. Let's break in and find out what's up in there."

Ruby heads over to the door and making sure no one is watching she pulls out her picks and starts on the door.

The lock proves to be a difficult one and takes Ruby a few tries. At this hour of the morning there appears to be no one to protest her activity so she is able to work on it without interruption until she gets the lock open. The saloon is empty but has not been cleaned up yet, it almost looks as though it was abandoned in a rush. Tables and chairs are out of place, a few empty glasses litter the tables, a pile of dirty rags is piled on the bar.

Ruby slips her thieves tools back into her bodice while taking a long look around the room. "Is it me or does something just seem off here?" Ruby asks Jake quietly.

"Alright Deputy, let's get started with our now legal activities. Did you bring your shiny little star?" Ruby smirks then quietly snickers.

The two of them take their time searching the Saloon thoroughly together. They search the stock room, then behind the bar, the area in front of the stairs, the dancing area and where Ruby landed after she got thrown and the back area where the card games are played.

Ruby and Jake search leaving no stone unturned. Eventually they make their way to the area behind the bar. On the floor is an old piece of carpet that has been rolled aside to reveal a trap door in the floor. The door is locked on the underside. There are no other clues found during the searching.

"Well, think this is Greely's lair? Go wake the others and I will watch the door. Once we have everyone together we can put an end to this once and for all." Jake taps his star, "With Chet and myself I do not think there is any need to wake the sheriff, but Edwards might be a good idea."

"I don't know," Ruby says hesitantly, keeping her eyes on the trap door, "It could just be a basement...you really think this is it?"

"It's locked from the other side...." Jake pushes his hat back on his head. "Mighty hard to get down there to fetch a few 'taters."

"Right," Ruby shivers. Keeping a wary eye on the door she begins, "But I don't want to leave you alone while I..." her voice trails off. "Ok, you'd probably be better off without me anyway." She takes a few steps towards the door then looks back over her shoulder, the worry obvious in her eyes and on her face. In that moment Jake realizes just how pale and thin Ruby has gotten. Dark circles surround her normally twinkling eyes, her face is drawn, even the rosy color from her lips and cheeks is diminished. Her dress hangs off her in spots it would normally be tight. She looks much more like a scared little girl then the confident woman he knows.

"You aren't going to try to go down there without the rest of us, are you?" she asks softly.

"No." Jake says with a serious tone. "No, I will not. I need all of you. ALL of you," he repeats with emphasis. "Oh, bring the shotgun back with you and some lanterns." He then smiles and says, "Do not worry, I will shoot anything that tries to come out that door and then run into the sunlight."

Ruby gulps and nods, then turns and walks out without another word.

She heads back to their new house. She quietly climbs up the stairs and knocks lightly on the only closed door. "Ahem, Minerva, Nanuet? We found something. We need you now."

Minerva and Nanuet climb out of the bed and quickly toss on their clothes. "Uno momento por favor, Ruby. I will be right there." She looks back over her shoulder to be sure that Nanuet is clothed and then opens the door while buttoning her shirt. "Come in, come in," she says pulling Ruby into the room and glancing out into the hall before shutting the door. "Are you alright? You sound upset, mi amiga."

Ruby sighs, "I will be better when this is all over. Which Jake thinks is going to happen soon." Her eyes wander around the room and she tries to ignore Nanuet pulling his hair back into it's normal braid.

"Uh, we found something. A door. A hidden door actually. Jake thinks it is Greely's lair. He wanted he to get everyone and bring you all back to the Saloon."

"Is he there alone?" Minerva asks with evident panic. "We had better hurry. You wake the others I will grab my gun we will meet you downstairs in 1/2 a minute," she says pushing Ruby out the door. Minerva turns to Nanuet. "Let us pray that we can end this today." She slips on her holy amulet and pulls on her boots, while Nanuet gathers up his weapons and hands her her shot gun and pistol. She grabs several vials of holy water, hooks her whip onto her belt and slips her dagger into her boot. "Wait a second, she says as Nanuet nears the door. "She turns to her icons of Minerva and Jupiter and says a quick prayer for guidance and wisdom. "O.K. let's go." They rush out the door to meet Ruby and the others downstairs.

"Yes, he is there alone. He sent me back but he promised not to do anything without us." Next thing Ruby knows she is being pushed out the door. She checks in the next room, where she finds Kate bag but not Kate. She sighs, not knowing where to check.

Finally she sticks her head in the last door, finding Chester snoring away. She knocks on the doorframe. Chester startles out of his sleep. "Time to go," Ruby says, and explains what they found. "Ok Ruby, I'll be ready in a minute," he says sleepily.

After that Ruby goes back to their room and gets the shotgun. She heads downstairs to the cellar and gathers some lanterns and some rope.

She waits by the front door for everyone to come downstairs. "I don't want to leave Jake alone but we have to find Kate. Anyone have an idea where we should look first?"

"Perhaps she is at the hotel." Minerva suggests. "Do you think that we should find Senor Edwards also?"

"Yes," Ruby says distractedly, "The hotel. And Edwards, Jake mentioned him too. Let's go." They start for the door when Ruby stops. "You go ahead, I'll be right there. I forgot something," she says while running up the stairs.

She rummages quickly through her bag, throwing things left and right. Finally she finds what she was looking for. She breathes a sigh of relief and tucks the item into her bodice. She hurries down the stairs and catches up with the others.

Soon they find themselves back at the hotel. "I'll check the restaurant and then if she isn't there we'll check her old room. Oh," Ruby whispers, "Keep on the lookout for Maddie too. And maybe you should ask about Edwards?"

Ruby heads into the dining room and searches around for Kate. She finds her finishing up breakfast. She walks over to her and looks at her seriously. "It's time to go Kate. We found something."

"I'm ready," she said and dropped a bit on money on the table to cover her meal. She got up and followed Ruby out of the dining room. "I have everything I'll need with me already. What did you find?"

"We found a," she glances around and whispers, "Secret door. Jake thinks it's Greely's spot. He also mentioned Nolan. Have you seen him? I think he usually sleeps in the daytime."

"I didn't see him this morning, and I was hoping to. Mr. Bishop said he was here earlier. He's probably sleeping. I'll just leave a message about where we've gone."

Kate stopped at the desk and wrote out a short note, then handed it to Mr. Bishop with instructions it be gotten to Mr. Edwards as soon as possible.

"All right Constance. Let's go," she said and they left the hotel to head over to Greely's saloon.

They meet up with Nanuet, Minerva and Chester and they all walk over to the Saloon in silence. Ruby puts a finger to her lips indicating quiet as they all enter the Saloon.

Before entering the saloon Minerva communicates to Luna to stay outside and let them know if anyone is coming. She follows Ruby into the saloon making as little noise as possible. She grips her gun with the magical rounds in one hand while clutching the amulet that rests upon her bosom with the other.

* * *

The young chambermaid who was watching the desk during the early morning hours had received specific instructions from Nolan Edwards before he retired.

"If anyone leaves a message for me, you must wake me immediately. It is very important, more important than you know."

The young lady returned from making up a room and saw the note in the cubby for Nolan Edwards. Without speaking to Victor Bishop the young girl grabbed the note and ran up the stairs. She rapped loudly on the door and waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming. She waited only moments before using her key to unlock the door.

"Mr. Edwards, there is a message for you. I brought it up right away" the young woman says as she crossed the room towards the bed where Nolan Edwards was laying. She spoke again "Mr. Edwards, sir, a message" and then she reached out to shake him awake.

Victor Bishop heard a loud scream from upstairs in his hotel, and with the recent events he feared the worst. He grabbed the derringer he kept hidden behind the desk and moved rapidly up the stairs.

* * *

They moved quietly to where Jake waited behind the bar. The trap door was clear in the floor. Kate looked around behind the bar and noticed a few bottles with less than half the liquor left. She quietly pulled out the corks on three of them and stuffed a bandage inside. The cork was then replaced as far as it could be with the fabric hanging out and she picked them up and waited for the door to be open.

Ruby approaches Jake and smiles at him. "I guess everything was ok while I was gone. I just want to talk to you for a moment before we go down."

Ruby pulls Jake slightly away from the others. She reaches down her bodice and pulls an item out, her hand clenched tightly around it. She looks up at Jake with big, frightened eyes.

"Jake, you know I've been scared, I mean, I am scared. I know you are too," she says softly. "But you have been so brave..." She gulps, "I'm trying really hard to help, I have. And I'm ready to get this over with."

"But please," she pleads with him, "Please use this." She extends her clenched fist to Jake, a thin black leather cord hanging between her fingers.

"Let my love for you protect you and wear this."

"But... what about you? What..." Jake sees the look in her face, in her eyes and then just nods. He takes the cord and places it over his head after which he gives her a gentle kiss. "I have a feeling we will be going home soon," he adds with a confident smile.

Moving back to the door in the floor he whispers, "We should do ALL the checking of this door that we know how before we try to open it. Oh, and there is the little matter of how to open it without waking all the inhabitants of Hades." Jake takes a step back from the door to let the others see. As they begin to examine it he asks, "What about Edwards, did anyone find him?"

Kate shook her head. "I waited at the hotel this morning for quite a while. Mr. Bishop said he'd seen him earlier. I left him a note."

Ruby sighs then pulls herself up tall. She makes her way over to the trap door in the floor and begins working on it. "Getting the door open shouldn't be hard. We just remove the hinges."

She pulls out her masterly made tools as she looks the door over. Before touching it, she concentrates on it very hard, using her special skill to determine if there was magic on it.

Ruby concentrates for several moments as everyone stands silently nearby. The tension mounts as Ruby continues to focus but she eventually stands up and says "It's not magically warded or trapped as far as I can tell, just locked."

Next Ruby searches for traps and then she searches the lock. She tries to determine how easy it will be to remove the hinges if necessary. She believes that she can try and disengage the lock by slipping the tools between the seam of the floor and the door. The hinges would require either the proper tools or something to pry them off.

Ruby looks up at her friends. "Be prepared," she warns, and sets to disengaging the lock.

Kate managed to get one of the bottled to set in her pocket to free up one hand, and watched to see what would happen when the door opened.

Ruby works on the lock for what seems like an eternity, switching lock picks, trying various angles and techniques. After a minute she sighs "I can't get it, from this position there is no way for me to open the lock."

She adds, "Brute strength is our only option now. That means no surprise. But hopefully that monster is sleeping and won't know the difference."

"Nanuet and Chester, why don't the two of you pry the door open somehow?"

"I can try, but I am not the strongest one here" Nanuet says sheepishly.

"I know, that is why I said you AND Chester," Ruby says, laying a hand on his arm. "And it's ok, we can't all be perfect."

Nanuet chuckles a bit, glad for the light remark in spite of the prevailing mood. "OK then Ms. Perfect, why don't you go and bust the door down, or are you afraid you might get a sliver or break a nail?"

"Because everyone knows that lock picking is women's work and door busting is men's," Kate said with a nervous laugh.

"I didn't want to embarrass you," Ruby teases back.

Nanuet looks at the trap door with a puzzled look. "Well, I am not sure how I can break it in, I mean other than jumping up and down on it or kicking at it and I don't think that will do too much. There is nothing to pull on. Perhaps we can use something to pry it open?"

"Well I would have to disagree with you Senora Katherine as I believe that I may be the strongest one here," she chuckles. "But Nanuet is right there is nothing to grip it with. Perhaps there is something behind the bar here that will suffice as a lever," she says and searches behind the bar.

Ruby leans up against the bar as Minerva searches behind it. She considers taking a drink but knows she needs to be alert to get this over and behind her.

She looks around the empty room, wondering what happened in the Saloon for it to be left in such disarray. She shudders as her eyes wander over the spot she landed after being thrown by the monster.

Finally her musings rest on the trap door problem. Suddenly a new thought comes to her mind and she hurries into the room where she and Jake started their search, the stock room.

When she comes out she has a bunch of various tools in hand. "I think I might be able to get the hinges off with this stuff."

Ruby kneels next to the trap door and begins her next project, trying to remove the hinges.

Chester sets his rifle on the bar and rolls up his sleeves when Ruby comes back with the tools. "Aww. I was looking forward to smashing something. These vampires have got me all riled up. But you're the expert." He instead checks his rifle to make sure it's loaded with seven pyrotechnic cartridges.

Minerva searches behind the bar but is unable to find anything suitable to use as a lever. Ruby returns with the tools she has spotted in her earlier searching and sets to work removing the hinges. It takes her about 2 minutes before she is ready for the last step that will disable the hinges and allow them access to the basement. She realizes though that the lock is still engaged on the underside of the door opposite from where the hinges are and some noise will still be made when prying the door open.

"I don't think there is any way we can do this completely quietly" she says as she stands poised over the door ready to do the last bit.

"It's alright, Ruby. We're ready."

Ruby gives one final glance to her friends. "Ready?" she asks.

She finds solemn faces nodding in agreement, so she begins prying the door open.

With the hinges removed it is only a matter of pulling the door open. Ruby does so revealing a damp dark basement. There is little light, only what filters from the room above but the heroes can see that there is a low ceiling and what looks like what was once shelves that were used for storage. The basement is a fairly narrow long room that extends beyond the site of those posed above it.

A familiar voice is heard from beyond the area clearly in view.

"Pretty Constance, you shouldn't have come down here. Mr. Greely will be very, very angry." The sound of a shotgun being loaded can clearly be heard.

Ruby waves a hand back to the others. "Oh Thom," she whispers to him, trying to get a better view of where he is as she moves slowly forward, "I don't have a choice. You see, he is trying to kill me. And how can you and I be friends if I am dead?"

"If he will not listen to you, maybe he needs a nap?" Jake whispers to the group, "Or it could be a fine time for someone to be invisible."

"Maybe you should have said that before?" Ruby whispers back. "You want me to do that now?"

"Thom," she calls out, "Please come out where I can see you."

"No pretty Constance! If I see you any more then I will have to shoot you, Mr. Greely will make me shoot you. I don't want to shoot pretty Constance or her friends!" Thom says in an anguished voice.

Ruby stops short and stays where she is. "Alright Thom, we won't come any further." She raises a hand behind her motioning for her friends to stay put. "But before I leave, I want to say goodbye. I'd like to sing you a song as a thank you for being my friend."

Ruby begins singing in a soft voice, trying to lull Thom to magical sleep.

I know where I'm goin'
and I know who's goin' with me
I know who I love
and my dear knows who I'll marry.

I have stockings of silk
and shoes of bright green leather
Combs to buckle my hair
and a ring for every finger

O' feather beds are soft
and painted rooms are bonnie
But I would give them all
for my handsome winsome Thommy

Some say that he's poor,
but I say that he's bonnie
Fairest of them all
is my handsome winsome Thommy.

At the sound of the shotgun, Chester hesitates. His hand creeps toward his side where Shotgun Sally hit him with a blast months before. He shakes his head and picks up his Spencer. Ruby begins to sing and he waits for whatever she has planned to take effect.

Kate waited through Ruby's song, hoping it would work. She had not learned any spells that affected the mind herself. They had not worked on Ruby, and she suspected those whose mind's were already affected by one might be immune to an attempt from another.

Instead she had learned the magic missile spell, and one other. Enlarging Chester had made him able to use a weapon too large for him. She thought perhaps making someone small would make them less able. Kate strained her eyes, hoping Ruby's song worked but trying to see Thom just in case.

The wondrous sound of Ruby's voice fills the void of silence. Soon a loud thudding crash is heard from the darkness beyond as Thom falls to the ground, asleep. His weak will was easily overcome by Ruby's spell and he snores loudly from the floor of the basement.

Once the group posesses a light source the basement can be viewed. There is a low-ceilinged narrow room lined with shelves that were once used for storage but now lie bare as mildew and dampness have made them unable to bear a load of any significance. There are two doors at the back of this musty cellar, the one to the left the door lies open and there is a cot and table within but it is otherwise bare. The door to the right is closed.

Before going down stairs, Jake takes the hammer from the pile of tools and places it in his bag next to the stake.

Using the light from the lantern that Ruby had brought, Jake quickly removes any weapons from within reach of big Tom. He then removes a rope from his travel bag and cuts two pieces. Carefully, so he does not wake the large man, Jake binds his hands and feet. Jake looks over to Ruby and waves her over pointing to the rope. She quickly adjusts the knots while shaking her head, Jake only grins and shrugs.

Minerva climbs down through the trap door and is behind Ruby when Thom falls. "Wait! before we go on I want to pray for the gods protection from the evil that awaits us. My powers are limited so I will pray for Ruby, Chester and myself to be protected." Minerva raises her arms and prays for the gods to strengthen their will and protect them from the powers that lurk in darkness.

Kate cautiously followed the others down the basement stairs. "It's sure to get noisy once we open the other door," she said quietly. "It may wake him. I'll keep my eyes open and take care of it if he manages to break the ropes.

Just so you all know, I can do two of the damaging spells. After that I'm down to these bottles and my pistol. Well, I also have a spell to make someone smaller." She looked down at Thom. "But it seems that one won't be necessary. Are we ready?"

"Just about," Jake responds while changing the ammo in his fast draw Colt to Pierre’s enchanted rounds.

When he sees the sleeping Thom, Chester gives a low whistle. "That sorcery sure does come in handy, Ruby. I didn't fancy being shot with one of those again. How long is he going to be out?"

Ruby says, "Not long, only a few minutes."

Chester accepts the blessing from his goddess joyfully. "Thank you, Minerva. May Athena bless us all." He puts away the long rifle and draws his Remington because the space is cramped. In response to Kate's question Chester nods. "Ready as I'll ever be." He hefts his sixgun in his right hand and a wooden stake in the left. He asks Jake, "Do you think the door's rigged?"

"How in Hades do I know, Chet. Worth checking though. Ruby can you check it quick? Are you leading us in Deputy?" Jake asks as he starts changing the ammo in his long barrel to the pyrotechnic rounds.

Ruby focuses on the door. Ruby begins to check the door over for traps, but as soon as she gets close to the wooden door she is startled by a thumping sound which you all realize is coming from the other side. You hear unholy growls and barks as something tries to break through the wooden door and into the basement, whatever it is it sounds mad and hungry and the wooden door is beginning to splinter from its frenzied barrage.

Kate set down the bottle in her hand and got out her pistol. The first two bullets were the magical sleep rounds, followed by the magic weapon rounds. She took a deep breath and backed up a few steps, then waited for whatever was back there to come through the door.

At the angry sounds coming from the other side of the door, Chester drops the stake and draws his other sixgun. "Sounds like something ornery's back there."

Jake pulls out his sawed-off shot gun from under his duster and buttons it back up. He then drops the normal rounds on the ground, replacing them with two of the special acid shells. "Ruby darling, this would be a good time to get the heck out of the way. Chet, back me up!"

Once Ruby moves, Jake looks for an open spot in the door or crack large enough to point the barrels of his gun at whatever foul canine that was clawing and bursting its way through.

Minerva attempts to aim her gun around Ruby but there just isn't enough space to maneuver so she tries to stand out of the way and give Jake room to aim.

Ruby moves back, standing behind Jake, who had pushed his way in front of Minerva to give himself a clear shot.

Ruby takes a moment to pull out her own gun, then goes in Jake's bag and pulls a stake. She sticks it halfway down the back of her skirt but makes sure it is hidden by her shirt.

It took a few moments for Jake to get his duster buttoned and then to reload his weapon and get into place. Jake sees a crack that he thinks might be large enough to get a shot through. As he lifts the gun to aim the door bursts open and two huge dogs come bounding through. Jake manages to keep his feet but one of them knocks the shotgun out of his hand and onto the floor.

At such close range, Kate hoped it would be impossible to miss as she fired the first sleep round at the closest dog.

The dogs prove to be a tougher target than Kate expected with their agility and her shot, although it goes where it was aimed does not find a target on the other end.

Chester reacts and fires both Remingtons at the first dog. He hopes regular bullets will do the job.

"What a time to be a klutz," Jake mumbles and drops to the floor to grab the shotgun and to avoid being shot by his friends. Once he has the gun, he rolls on his back and shoots both rounds, one at each creature. "Bad dogs."

Ruby also fires, aiming at the dog closest to Jake.

Minerva aims her rifle which is loaded with the magic bullets and fires at the hairy beast.

Jake's shots both hit their intended marks and the dogs yelp in pain as the acid goes to work and their flesh begins to bubble and smoke. Ruby's aim could not be truer and she hits the one closest to her lover right in the head, which explodes from the impact showering Jake with the fragments. Minerva's gun apparently misfires as there is the sound of the shot being fired but the gun jerks violently from her hand and drops to the floor in a mangled mess.

"Meirda, I should have stuck with my Papa's rifle instead of this new fangled contraption. she curses and pulls out her pistol.

After shooting, Jake releases the shotgun, stays low and draws his dagger from his boot.

The magic missile indeed works well and hits the one beast that is still standing squarely, knocking him back. The creature is dazed by the acid that still eats away at it and the scorch mark from the magical bolt. It shakes its head and charges at Jake who remains on the ground. Jake stifles a scream as the canine sinks its namesake teeth deep into his leg and begins violently shaking its head back and forth rending the flesh.

Chester adjusts his aim and fires at the still-active dog, taking care not to hit Jake.

Kate quickly cast again, hoping her last missile spell would be enough to knock it down.

"EEwww," Ruby comments on her now blood and gore covered boyfriend. "Gross."

The next thing she knows the remaining creature is gnawing on her lover. She raises her gun and shouts "Go back to hell!" as she takes careful aim and shoots at it. Minerva also aims the barrel of her pistol at the dog and shoots.

Chester fires but he was taking too careful a shot and his aim is high. Kate's missile again flies true and strikes the enraged dog. At this point though the dog appears to be in a frenzy and does not loosen it's grip on Jake.

Ruby manages to easily get through the busted down door. She quickly puts her hand to her face and begins to gag at the terrible smell of dog feces in the area behind the door. That area turns to be a 5 foot wide hallway with brick walls. There is no light so she can see very little beyond the doorway without a light source.

Minerva's poor luck continues as her shot goes awry and fails to hit the dog that continues to work over Jake.

Out of offensive spells, Kate bent down and picked her pistol back up. She advanced the chamber and shot one of the magic weapon bullets at the dog.

Jake stabs skillfully at the dog with a well placed thrust. The dagger sinks deeply into the flesh of the dog and Jake can feel warm blood flowing out onto his hand and arm. The dog's grip finally weakens and it falls to the side a last whimper escaping its lips.

Chester recocks his sixguns and fires both at the dying animal. "Take that." He calls out, "Jake's hurt."

Quite angry at her miserable luck, Minerva unfurls her whip and slashes at the dog

"Do NOT worry about me, get Greely. Chet, there is a hammer in my bag there next to you."

"Jake!" Ruby rushes over to her fallen lover. "How bad is it baby?" She looks at him, concern on his face. "Someone watch the door!" she calls out.

Chester holsters his smoking weapons and grabs the hammer. Next he picks up the stake from where he dropped it. "Where is Edwards? We're going to need his expertise."

"I couldn't find him," Kate said. "I'll watch the door, someone heal Jake, we need him. My bandages aren't going to do enough."

Between Kate and Chester's shots and Minerva's lash with the whip the dog begins to look like a mangled mess. The sounds of battle are replaced by an eerie silence.

"I will probably never play the violin, but other than that I will heal." He gives her a smirk.

"Well he is not here so we will have to rely on our own wits and the mercy of the gods. Let's go." she says and strides toward the door with her pistol in one hand and her whip in the other.

Nanuet who had been watching the room above for any trouble now heads down the ladder to the room below. "I heard Jake was hurt. I can heal him, if he needs it."

"You aren't going to help Jake?" Ruby says, a bit annoyed. "How about you Nanuet, can you help him? Or should I do it?"

Chester says, "OK. We'll have to do the best we can, then. Nanuet, can you take care of Jake? I'm going in." Chester tucks the hammer into his belt and draws his sixgun. "I'm right behind you, Minerva."

Jake says, "It is OK, Ruby. Somebody will help me, keep them moving. We have to hurry and not let Greely have any chance to get away or get more prepared."

Minerva turns to Ruby, "He's not that badly hurt and time is of the essence." She continues to stride through the door.

Chester picks up the lantern and follows Minerva.

"He does need it, Nanuet, thank you." Kate hurried back and grabbed the bottle she'd left on the floor. "We go together. We'll need all of us. Jake, when you're ready you can come down and back us up. Ruby?"

Jake stands, "It is not that bad, just looks ugly. Keep moving, I will be with you all."

"No, I won't leave Jake," Ruby says. "Go without us if you must go right this second without him being healed."

As the others move forward into the hallway Nanuet makes his way forward and kneels down next to Jake. He begins examining the wound carefully. "Well, normally I would like to clean this out first, especially since those dogs seemed a little more crazed than normal, but we don't have the time." He begins a familiar chant and the blue light washes over Jakes wounds with healthy flesh. Soon Jake is on his feet and ready to go again.

Nanuet lifts his head towards the doors where the dogs came and looks into the crowded 5' wide hallway. "Wow that smells terrible in there. Maybe I'll hang back a bit," he says with half a smile.

Now that Chester has shed some light in the hallway behind the door, he and Minerva are a bit surprised to see there is no other way in or out of this room. The walls appear to be made of very old brick, the floor of dirt and the ceiling is the floor from above. Cobwebs hang very thickly from the ceiling. The smell from the feces and urine of the dogs is nauseating and it is all the two can do to keep from vomiting.

Chester wrinkles his nose and coughs. "Ugh. That's horrible. Is there any sorcery that can clear the room?" Check for hidden passages. He starts tapping on the walls with the hammer.

Minerva, gagging, backs out of the room. "I think we need Ruby to check for hidden doors. This is her expertise."

Kate stays in the doorway as long as she can still see Chester. "I'll have to follow them soon, they can't do this alone," she said. "Jake, all healed up?"

"Yes, good as new." Hearing that they are not finding anything, Jake says, "He is here somewhere, I cannot believe he is not. Nanuet, can you do some kind of search or detection for that foul spawn?"

"Well, not through walls for sure, but I haven't prayed for that ability today, perhaps Minerva has?"

Ruby sighs. She looks at Jake then down the stinky hallway. "Fine." She covers her nose with her hand, then enters the hallway. She checks the walls and floors for any kind of secret door.

"I don't know any magic to find hidden doors. I wish I knew one to fix that smell," Kate said.

Chester taps on the walls, but the old bricks do not reveal any secrets. Soon he is overcome by the stench and begins coughing and vomiting.

He drops the hammer and lantern and rushes out of the hall. Once he's in fresher air, he gulps down breaths and spits out the foul taste. He says to Nanuet, "I'll be OK. Those dogs have been in there a while."

"Mierda," Jake spits and picks up the shotgun and shells from the ground. He begins checking the walls in the room with the cot while he reloads the shotgun.

Ruby is in the hallway for about half a minute before she finds a brick that does not match the others, she checks it over quickly but does not find it trapped so she presses hard on it. A grinding sound is soon heard and the end of the hallway slides open to reveal a stairwell.

The only items Jake finds in the room are a cigar box with about $3 in coins in it and a change of clothes that appear to be Thom's size and style.

"Everyone ready?" Ruby calls out as she heads quickly to the stairs, not wanting to stay in the stench. She begins heading down the stairs.

Kate took a deep breath before heading down the stairs after Ruby, casting a light spell on her bracelet as the same time.

"Kate," she whispers as they walk, "Please don't let me do anything... bad."

"I won't, honey," she said softly. "We'll all be alright."

Hearing that they found something and are moving, Jake goes back to the outer room, retrieves his bag and follows behind the others.

As Ruby heads towards the stairs she feels a pinch on her neck. She feels a abnormal sting and her left arm tingles for a moment.

"Ouch!" she says loudly, putting her hand to her neck. She notices her other arm feels funny but as she rubs it stops. "That was odd..." she mutters. "Did anyone else get bitten by something?" Ruby feels a second pinch, this time the tingling seems to last a little longer.

"No," Kate said. "But I wouldn't be surprised at all by bugs down here. Do you feel alright?"

"OW!" Ruby gives a little scream. Then she smacks at her neck, doing a little bug dance, trying to smush whatever pesky bug is biting at her.

Ruby feels a satisfying crunch under her palm as she smacks at her shoulder. A spider the size of a half dollar is revealed along with two welts that appear to be swollen and red.

Jake stops and turns back, grabs the shotgun on the floor that he had taken away from Tom and takes it with him hurrying after the others.

"Actually..." Ruby starts feeling a bit light headed and weak, "I don't feel so well." Her legs give out slightly underneath her and she grabs at the wall to keep herself upright.

"Ruby!" Kate got down by her friend and looked at the spider and the welts.

Kate is able to tell that the bites are poisonous. It does not seem like a serious poison but it could still be working in Ruby's system, the full effects possibly not showing up yet.

"Ugh," Ruby spits out, while pushing the spider to the floor. She squishes it under her the heel of her boot. "Dammit. How does it look Kate? I'm tingly."

"Honey, listen to me. You're going to feel strange for a while, and it might get worse before it gets better. The spider's bite is poisonous, but it's not serious, it'll fade. Still, we'd best go to the back. Let the others get ahead of us."

"But I have to stay up here to find other doors," Ruby protests. "What do you mean it might get worse before it gets better?"

"Alright, but you stay with me, and you tell me if it feels worse. You said it's tingly. That sensation might become stronger, you might feel some numbness. I'm not sure what else. When we get out of here I mix up a poultice to draw out whatever's still in you. Let's find the doors and get this over with."

There is only one door to be found, and even with the light spell the steps beyond go down further than either Kate or Ruby can see.

"You know Kate, I don't feel well, you're right. Let's go to the back and let Minerva and Chester go before us. We can go back up if we have to."

Ruby and Kate let the others pass them by. "Jake, I got bit by a really hugely gross spider."

That makes Jake start looking around more, and making sure there are no more on Ruby. "Are you going to be fine?" he asks with a tone of concern.

Jake finds no more spiders or anything else of concern on Ruby. The original bites do still look swollen and red. Also when looking around the hallway he does not spot any more bugs that appear to be able to do any harm.

"It's going to be uncomfortable, but not deadly. She'll be fine, but we're staying to the back. Let's get moving. Once we're out of here I might be able to do something about it."

"How should I know? I'm not the healer around here." Ruby realizes her tone was harsh. "I'm sorry Jake, I just want to get this over with. I don't know, I'm tingly. Kate said it could get worse. How do I know if I will be fine?"

"There might be more of them. Jake, could you burn the webs with that flaming knife of yours?"

"I do not see any more Chet, but if we see webs I will burn them. Keep moving, we are wasting time. You and Minerva keep walking." Jake turns to Nanuet, "Can you check Ruby? Can you do anything?"

"I'll be fine, let's just go." She makes a move motion towards Chester and Minerva. "Greely will escape if we don't hurry."

Nanuet says, "I think Kate already did the same thing I would do. If it is poison then my healing magic will not work, she will need time and treatment to help with the poison. But I do believe that the affects would have hit her fully by now if there were more to come."

"I'll keep an eye on her. Time to go gentlemen." She waved her hand forward to shoo them and hefted her bottle again. "We're bringing up the rear."

Minerva and Chester lengthen their stride, they listen momentarily before going down the stairs, watching around them for doors or anything unusual.

Minvera takes one step beyond the door way and screams as there is no actual step where she places her foot. She tumbles 10 feet landing on a bed of spikes, getting pierced by 3 of them.

Chester swipes at Minerva as she falls but can't grab her in time and just manages to keep himself from falling in as well.

"Hermes!" Jake cries out as she screams. When the word passes back that she fell, he pulls out the remaining rope from his bag and passes it forward.

Chester waves his arms as he regains his balance. "Minerva! Nanuet, she fell down a hole." He gets on his stomach at the edge of the hole. "Minerva, are you OK?"

Minerva pulls herself up and looks around in the dim light. "I'll be alright. I need some light down here."

She is in a pit that appears to have been dug out by hand. It is quite narrow, really only wide enough for one person to fall down. The spikes are sharpened wooden stakes and each is about 2 feet long. She can see Chester's face as he kneels over the edge so she knows that she is not that far down. It would be tough but not impossible for her to climb out on her own.

Minerva attempts to break off a couple of spikes to help her climb out of the hole. They break off easily enough but aren't much help in climbing.

"Minerva!" Nanuet cries out frantically, "Are you alright?" He rushes to the edge of the stairs and lies down next to Chester. He takes the rope from Jake, "You hold the end," he commands to Jake while offering the other end to Minerva. "Can you climb up?"

"What kind of a place is this?" Kate grated. A mage hand spell wasn't strong enough to help bring her up, but she could perhaps make her lighter if it became necessary. She took a roll of bandage from her pocket and cast a light spell on it. Just as it was ready she was already trying to climb out. She held it forward to give the others a better view.

Minerva tucks the stakes into the back of her belt and placing hands around the rope and her foot on the wall to brace herself, she pulls herself up the rope.

Once the rope is in use it is easy to get Minerva out of the hole. Now that she is back on solid ground, everyone can see that the first few steps must have been an illusion of some sort and that the real steps appear to start after the gap. You all figure you can step over the gap and onto the stairs and continue.

Minerva eyes the step gingerly and brushes at her skirt. "Let's keep moving." she says with grim determination. she tosses one of the stakes over to the step to be sure that it is real and then leaps over to it and picks up the stake.

After Minerva is up, Jake stuffs the rope back in his bag and picks up the lantern. With the bag over his shoulder, the latern in his left hand and his duster open at the waist for access to his pistols he leans Tom's shotgun on the wall. "Katherine can you take that with you? I do not want Tom to find it if he breaks free." He scans the stair way and carefully crosses it. "Follow me," he says as he carefully makes his way down the stairs, checking carefully for more problems as he goes.

"Considering I'm almost out of tricks, I'm thrilled to carry it," Kate answered and hefted the weapon. On her turn she lightly leapt over the missing stairs and followed the others.

She tossed the lit bandage to Miss Florencia. "Here," she said. "The light will be stronger spread out."

With Jake scouting ahead the party makes their way down the long stairway. Just as they are about to get discouraged the stairs comes to an end. Before the group now is a huge chamber supported by many pillars. Even with multiple light sources it is impossible to see the sides or far end of this large chamber. The light does however pick up the glint of metal from one of the nearby pillars. Nolan Edwards' holy symbol hangs from a nail about 4 feet off the ground.

"We're going to have to be more careful from here on in. I guess Greeley doesn't like guests," Chester says.

Kate pointed to the symbol and said quietly, "That explains why I couldn't find him this morning. We should have insisted he stay in the house." She kept her back carefully against a wall, with the gun hefted and ready as her eyes scanned for any sign of the monstrous Greely or his coffin.

"Damnation," Chester says. "Greely has a lot to answer for. He must have been behind this the whole time. All this doesn't appear in a few months. Watch the shadows everybody."

"Lead on deputy, let us be rid of this impolite host then." Jake falls back next to Ruby, blocking her view of the room and it from her. He whispers, "Why not make yourself invisible? You have a stake right?"

She nods, "Yes, I have one." She gives one quick glance around the room before speaking a few words, then disappearing before Jake's eyes. "If something happens to me, I hope you can find me." With those words Jake feels Ruby brush past him.

She enters into the room freely, guessing the vampire can sense her anyway. She walks straight up the center of the room towards the opposite side. As she walks she pulls out the stake. She tries to keep her steps as light as she can.

Ruby finds herself quickly enveloped by darkness. She knows she is headed in the correct direction by using the light of the lantern as her guide. She counts out her steps and figures she is about 100 feet away from the group and she has still not come across another wall or any other landmark besides the pillars.

Jake turns back and hefts the lantern high, following after Chester on the left side of the room. He is looking and listening carefully.

Kate followed the others into the room, continuing to keep her back to the wall and slowly inching along. She felt the comforting weight of the bottles in her pocket and kept a sharp eye for the coffin.

Minerva follows behind Jake, her senses alert for any trouble.

A voice calls out from the darkness, beyond any of the light sources. "So, you've finally found me! I was sure once that Edwards fella showed up things might get ugly, but he proved an easy foe. I hope you put up more of a challenge than he did. If I have to abandon the home I've made here I want there to be a good reason."

Suddenly the air around the party is alive. The sound of chittering and the flapping of wings is all around them as bats swarm in from every direction.

Kate took the gun and swung it like a baseball bat, trying to keep the creatures away from her. From her talks with Edwards she knew this was Greely, but she didn't know if she could damage him in this form.

While they cannot see her, the little tribe suddenly hears Ruby's sweet singing voice, singing a song about being brave and striking true to defeat foes in the face of great evil.

Chester tries to stand amidst the swarm. "Is that all you got? A flock of bats?"

"Oh no," Greely's voice says. "I had nothing to do with that, they are just my neighbors. I haven't even started yet."

Jake ducks slightly and pulls his sawed-off shot gun out. He glances around to see where his friends are before he fires one and then another shot above head height into the chamber at the bats fluttering about.

Kate manages to keep the bats away from her and Jake has success clearing most of them out with his shotgun blasts, the room goes quiet again, only Ruby's singing can be heard from ahead in the darkness.

Minerva hears the evil voice and shudders, momentarily doubting her ability to defeat such a powerful monstrosity. Ruby's sweet voice floats on the air causing Minerva's courage to return. If she can stand and sing in the face of such evil than I too can be strong.

Ruby suddenly changes the song she is singing. Jake recognizes the song as the one Ruby sings when she wants to get inside information from people.

Ruby feels another mind in the room, one that is not one of her friends. She begins to focus on it when she suddenly feels a mental wall thrown up, blocking her mental probes. She continues to try and get around it but it's will is too strong and it keeps her at bay.

"Dammit," she swears, "Come out and play you bastard, you can't hide forever..." As she continues to try to look into the shadows, she reaches back and pulls a long rod out of her pack. She tucks her gun into her skirt band while keeping the stake in her other hand.

Kate makes her way along the wall, watching the pillars cast eerie shadows on the floor. She moves about 80 feet from the door.

Jake tucks the empty shotgun back under his duster, hanging from its lanyard. He removes and unstops the vial of holy water, holding it in his right hand and keeping the lantern high in his left. He continues moving down the room, watching the walls, ceilings and pillars; not knowing what Greely is capable of doing.

Chester hustles over to duck behind a column on his left. No sense in staying out in the open. Chester holsters his gun and unslings his rifle. He scans the shadows, looking for the source of the voice. "So how long have you been pulling the strings around here?"

Nanuet calls out, "We are not afraid of you and your evil ways, you shall be defeated by us." Nanuet makes a quick move into the room, his keen eyes searching in the darkness for his foe, a stake in one hand, his gun in the other.

Kate stopped and started back, not having yet seen the coffin and not wanting to leave herself alone and vulnerable.

As Kate makes her way back towards the door where she came into the room she sees something moving quickly on the ceiling. Soon she can see that it is man and he is crawling along the ceiling like a spider. He jumps down and stares at her with his powerful gaze. At first Kate can feel him bending her will but she is able to fight it off and look away.

Kate kept her gaze down but could still see below his waist. Quickly she cast a cantrip and threw the ray at Greely's lower half. A ray of white light comes from Kate's hand and beams directly into Greely's legs. A low whimper comes from him indicating it did hurt him but he recovers and chuckles moving closer to Kate in a slow and deliberate manner.

"He's here!" Kate yelled, casting the cantrip again and using the last of her real damaging spells. Her waving hands moved the winking light of the bracelet as she cast again.

Minerva turns when she hears Greely and Katherine. She pulls out her holy water and moves in their direction.

Chester advance toward Kate's voice, rifle at the ready. He quickly searches for Greely. Where are you? You're not leaving here alive.

This time Greely manages to dodge the ray and he continues to make his way towards Kate trying to stay out of the moving light coming from her wrist.

At Kate's call, Ruby turned quickly on her heel and moved towards them, gripping the stake tighter in her hand. Her heart pounding she repeated to herself, Don't look in his eyes, don't look in his eyes...

With most of his group between him and Katherine, Jake instead bolts down the rest of the room running quickly looking for Greely's coffin. He runs for about 10 seconds before he reaches the other side of the room. There he can see a small opening in the wall. Once he peers inside he can see what he was looking for, a large black coffin lays on a bier in the otherwise empty side chamber.

Kate, Chester, Minerva, and Ruby can all see Greely now as he is illuminated by the light from Kate's spell. He appears different than he did above ground in the saloon, his skin now very pale, almost white, his body more taunt and muscular, his frame taller and more intimidating. He lunges forward at Kate grasping at her. As he closes she reflexively points Thom's gun at him and fires but her unfamiliarity with the weapon makes it ineffective. Greely grabs Kate with iron strong hands pulling her hair back to reveal her neck and then he bites into her flesh.

Ruby sees Greely clearly, as he goes for Kate's neck. Ruby runs full speed towards them, stake in hand and with the full force of her body she comes up behind Greely, attempting to stab him through the heart with the stake.

Suddenly Ruby becomes visible as she slams into Greely with the stake in hand. She hits him solidly, but for some reason her attack is turned aside, doing little or no damage to the monster.

Minerva rushes over. She throws her bottle holy water on him and it splashes over the vampire and Kate. Greely howls in anguish as the water burns his skin but he maintains his hold on Kate.

"Kate!" Chester drops his rifle and draws the stake and hammer. He tries to come up behind Greely.

Kate screamed as the sharp pain of the bite pierced her neck. She took her free hand and grabbed the bottle of holy water she had, then smashed it against Greely's face.

Greely again howls in pain as the holy liquid burns his face, this time causing him to release Kate. Kate also cries out in pain as the glass slices deeply into her hand causing blood to flow freely. Once she was free Kate dove away from Greely, ignoring the pain in her hand until she was well away from the creature.

Nanuet runs towards the evil creature attacking Katherine. When he gets there he casts cure moderate wounds, using his hands to deliver the spell and try to pry the creature off. Nanuet is able to put his hands on the creature and the positive healing energy that comes forth causes Greely to stagger as it sears his flesh.

In the mayhem Chester is able to move up close to the creature and prepare for his strike. He watches as Ruby tries to drive the stake into Greely. I'm stronger than she is, plus I have a hammer. If this doesn't go in, then the Bowie knife is next.

Minerva pulls out a second vial of Holy water, unstops it and throws it on Greeley.

Ruby sees Chester preparing his attack so she decides to move. She steps between Kate and Greely to keep him distracted and give Chet the time he needs.

"So, it was you who killed Colin Turner. Why?" She stays on guard with the rod in her hand.

Greely swats blindly at Nanuet and slams him hard, forcing him backward. Nanuet staggers and then falls to one knee as a portion of his life force is drained from him bolstering the vampire. "He wanted it, he begged for it! He wished for eternal glory, the ability to live forever!"

"You're a liar. Then again, you're a foul evil creature from hell. No need for morals." Ruby keeps talking to him, hoping Chester will make his move soon.

As he stands over the coffin, Jake holds the vial in his teeth and puts the lantern down. He opens his bag and pulls out two sticks of dynamite, tossing the bag far away from the opening.

Jake lights the two sticks of dynamite with his dagger and tosses them in the coffin. He takes a few steps away from it and calls out in a loud voice while sheathing his dagger and holding the vial in his left hand. "Mr. Greely, you are after the wrong one. I am the one you should be worried about, because you know what I am standing next to. Do you not?"

Greely's head turns in the direction of Jake. He bellows in anguish as he apparently does realize what is going on as he sees the light at the far end of the chamber. "You fool, you can never destroy me!" he lies.

Chester lines up the stake with Greely's heart. He draws back his hammer and strikes. "Athena, guide my hand."

"Heh, that is what all the vampires say." Jake draws his long barrelled Colt and clicks the hammer back. "Come and get me, Greely. Oh, and bring me a whiskey on the way."

"There will be others, more will come and take my place even if you do succeed, we are eternal!"

Minerva prays softly "Goddess Minerva, Father Jupiter, let your power be felt here."

Kate pulled the last of her bandages out of her pocket and quickly wrapped her hand. Still keeping her back to the wall, she got a hold on the shotgun and waited for a clear shot at Greely should he move toward Jake.

Chester slams the hammer into Greely driving the stake into his flesh. The stake bites in and Greely wails in pain. At the same time a tremendous explosion shakes the room and dust and rubble falls from the ceiling. Greely staggers and stumbles, slowly fading into his gaseous form, but with nowhere to go the gas slowly dissipates into nothing.

Minerva stands stunned. She falls to her knees and thanks the gods before going to examine Katherine's wound.

"I think the hand is worse than my neck," she said, pulling the rapidly soaking bandage away. "Admittedly, I can't see my neck."

Minerva prays over Kate's hand, the blue light eminates from her palm as the wound closes up.

"Thank you," Kate said simply and sincerely. She looked at the bloodied bandage in her hand as was about to clean it with a spell when she remembered she hadn't any of those simple spells left. With a sigh, she lifted her skirt, tore a piece off her petticoat and held it against her neck.

"You don't need to do that Miss Kate, I can help you," Nnauet says, leaning over Katherine. He casts his healing spell and Kate immediately feels the wound heal over. "There you go."

"Thank you, too. If you all don't mind I'm just going to sit here and rest for a few minutes," she said to whoever might be listening and sat against the wall with her eyes closed.

Jake is knocked to the floor, the dynamite going off a little sooner than he expected. "I guess I need some more lessons from Flint," he muses as he pulls himself off the floor. He looks around to make sure the chamber is holding together.

Ruby immediately grabs the lantern and runs towards where Jake was, "Baby?" she calls out frantically, not seeing him in the dust and rubble.

"I am right here Ruby," he says standing the rest of the way and brushing dust of himself.

"Is the casket destroyed?" Chester asks. "I don't want to find him coming after us again. Is everyone safe? Kate, how bad are you hurt?"

Kate answered "I don't really know, Chester. I feel alright, just tired."

"Yes, Chester, I took care of that. Apparently they do not make them like they used to." Jake steps towards Ruby, "Are you hurt?"

Ruby throws herself into Jake's arms, "You did it baby, you really did it." She hugs him as tight as she can, "You said you would and you did." She buries her face into his shoulder, letting a good portion of her tensions from the last week disolve away.

He glances over her shoulder to see that the others are taking care of each other, he was concerned but knew he could little knowing nothing of the healing arts. Instead he stood quietly holding Ruby and stroking her hair.

She pulls her face back and looks Jake in the eyes. "You are so smart, running in here," she says, looking up at him adoringly, "You are my knight in shining armor."

"Thank you princess." He pulls her close and releases a sigh, while his body shudders involuntarily for a brief moment. "That was a bit closer that I liked, but we did it."

"Yes, we did." Ruby places her hands on Jake's face and kisses him with much emotion. "Now we should go check on the others." After verifying the coffin is burnt up they head back into the main room.

Chester says to Jake, "Nice going with the casket. What did you do? And how's Ruby?"

"I used the patented Flint method," Jake says. "I must say that he is correct, two sticks of dynamite do wonders for most problems."

"I'll say they do. It's a wonder the whole place hasn't collapsed. We better check over this place to make sure we haven't missed anything. Who knows what other secrets Greely had."

"Now you are talking, Chet."

"Great," Chester says. "So where would you hide your things? And do you believe Whitaker is involved in this, or does he have some other secret?"

Ruby walks over to Kate. "How are you feeling? You better get on your feet, you have some spider bites to tend to," Ruby teases.

Kate lifted up her hand and took Ruby's. "I'm alright, and I'd wager you are too. If those bites haven't knocked you down yet they're not going to. But I can put something on them when we get back to the house anyway to make the redness and swelling go down," she said lightly. With a more serious look she said, "I'm very tired. I need to eat a big meal and take a long nap. Are you feeling better now, dear?"

"Kate, I'm covered in bruises, I don't care about the bites. And I'll save your lecture for another day." She reaches down a hand, "Come on, let's at least get you somewhere safer than this, in case the place comes down around us."

"I think you can skip the lecture, I learned my lesson." She took Ruby's hand and used her other to push herself up. "And I didn't mean if you were feeling better physically.

Is there anywhere safer to go beside the tunnel? Thom should be free of Greely now, I wonder if he'll be alright."

"Me alright?" Ruby pauses. "I will feel better when I get home. Oh! We should go check on Thom, the poor guy. Now that Greely is dead that spell should be broken. Then I want to come back and help search around."

Ruby starts heading out the door way to check on Thom.

"I'll come with you, if you don't mind. I'd like to get out of here," Kate said.

"Nanuet, could you go with Ruby and Kate, please? Just in case Thom is still dangerous. Thanks."

"Oh, I'm coming back to search." Ruby pauses, "Nanuet why don't you take Kate back to the house so she can rest? She needs it. Then you can come back if you wish."

Ruby walks back up the hallway to get back to where Thom is and will only let Kate follow if Nanuet is accompanying her. As she walks she puts the rod back into her bag, grateful she didn't have to use it.

Nanuet listens to everyone talking, but hears very little. When the others request him to go and check on Thom, he nods yes and stands up. He takes a few steps forwards towards the door before collapsing fully.

Panic rushes through Minerva causing her to forget her own unhealed wounds, and she is instantly at her lover's side. She examines him quickly, but does not see any obvious wounds, when she suddenly remembers that Greeley had pushed him. She grabs hold of his necklace and begins to pray once more. Pleading with the gods to bring him back to her.

Chester runs to Nanuet's side, but realizes that Minerva is best suited to take care of him. "What's wrong with him? He was fine just a minute ago. Did Greely cast a spell on him?"

Kate heard Nanuet thump down behind her and rushed back. She got down on her knees and began checking him over, trying to find a wound or an explanation.

Ruby turns her head towards Nanuet, now surrounded by Minerva, Kate and Chester, and realizes she is still feeling much weaker than usual. "Is he going to be ok?" she asks. Getting no answer she realizes it's probably better to check on Thom now than get surprised by him in a moment of weakness.

Ruby carefully starts back down the tunnel to find Thom.

Minerva does not hear the commotion around her as she focuses her entire being on Nanuet, offering her own life force in return for his survival. She continues to pray, willing him to accept her strength and wake up.

Kate kneels over Nanuet next to Minerva. She looks him over and notices an ice cold spot where he was struck by Greely. Other than that she notices no other obvious wounds.

Nanuet stirs and sees Minerva deep in prayer. A weak smile comes to his face and he reaches up and touches her face. "I'll be OK" he says in a weak voice. "I think when he slammed me he stole some of my life force. I feel pretty tired, and quite weak, but I'll live."

Minerva wraps him in her arms and holds him tight while she brushes the loose strands of hair away from his face. "Thank the gods. Are you sure that you will be alright? I love you, Nanuet. I could not bear to lose you." she confesses. "Tell me, What can I do to help you?"

"Feel that, right there," Kate said and moved the Priestess' hand over the spot. "That's where he hit him. It's not something conventional medicine can heal. It's not natural or physical damage, so I don't think the usual healing spells will work. I'm not familiar with clerical magic, but I know there are spells that cure diseases or restore energy." Kate stopped and swallowed, remembering when she learned about those spells. "I think we'd need something like that."

Chester's jaw drops. "Stole some of your life force? Won't you get it back now that he's dead? Kate, Greely grabbed you. Do you feel weak, too? Maybe Mr. Valdez can help you, Nanuet. No, wait, we're not in Promise City. How about the priest here?"

"I feel a little weak, but not like this," Kate answered. "Mine is just from him taking my blood."

Nanuet is glad to feel Minerva's embrace and also for Kate's skilled healing touch. "I... I don't know how you can help me. I think Chester is right, we need a priest, a powerful priest. Maybe the necklace can help, but I don't know for sure. Just give me a few moments to gather myself so we can get out of here."

Minerva suggests to the others that they continue searching for whatever Greeley might have been hiding. "I will take care of Nanuet. There is nothing more that you can do for him now." She sits quietly, holding Nanuet and stroking his hair until he feels ready to rise. When he is ready she helps him up, bearing the bulk of his weight and guides him out of the cellar and back up into the house.

The usually proud elf readily accepts Minerva's help. He rests in her arms for several minutes before he feels ready again, letting his strong woman bear most of his weight. The two head back to the house, both ready to leave this town behind.

Minerva removes Nanuet's clothing and tucks him into bed. He is weak and unnaturally cold to the touch, especially where Greeley laid his evil hand on him. She removes her own clothes and is surprised by the large ugly bruises and the blood oozing from the puncture wounds that she acquired from her fall into the pit. She ignores the pain and climbs into the bed with Nanuet, tenderly tucking the blankets around them both. She cradles him in her arms, and runs her hands up and down his sides, warming him with her body heat, while she speaks softly to him, comforting him as she would a child.

"I know how repulsive the touch of evil is. I felt it briefly when Turner slapped me. It puts a chill in your heart that reaches down to the depth of your soul. But do not worry, I will take care of you and warm your heart again with my love. We will get you the help that you need and you will be your old self again soon. Now, Por favor, rest, Mi Amore.” She says pulling him closer and tucking the blankets around them more securely.

She lies with Nanuet long after he falls asleep, praying to her gods and keeping the unnatural cold at bay.

"Well, have to stop by the Priest's on the way back to the house," Kate said to Jake and Chester after Miss Florencia took Nanuet down the tunnel. "We may have to make sure we get on that stage this morning and get him to Albuquerque for help. I'm well enough to help you search. Let's finish up and get out of here."

"OK, Kate. It shouldn't be hard for us to pack once we're done here. Greely said something about other taking his place. Was he bluffing or are there more like him out there? We haven't figured out what Whitaker is up to. He might be of them too. Let's get to searching the place, so we can get out of here." Chester shivers. "I still feel his presence here."

It takes quite a while to search the huge chamber with any degree of detail. To their disappointment those searching find nothing and looking at the debris from the side chamber that once contained the coffin anything of value would have been in that chamber and is now destroyed.

Chester looks at the pile of rubble and shrugs. "Well, looks like there's nothing left down here. Let's go home." He plucks Edwards' holy symbol from it's resting place. "Did Edwards say anything about having a family? They would want to have this."

"You're assuming he's...." Kate stopped and realized just who had taken that holy symbol from the man and sighed. "I don't believe he had any family. We had a good talk yesterday and he mentioned being a solitary man, and lonely lately." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Let's go gentlemen. There's no reason to say in this glorified grave any longer." With that Katherine led the way back up the tunnel toward Ruby and Thom.

"That's a shame," Chester says. "I bet he gave Greely a good fight, though. He looked like he knew what he was doing."

Jake takes one last careful look where Greely was before he dissipated into air, searching the ground for anything that may have been left behind on the ground.