The desert isn't silent at night. Clumps of dry grasses rustle as the day's small creatures find refuge, safe from the hunters in the darkness. In the shadows, outside a heavy, chain-link fence, another hunter, more accurately, a Tracker, is hiding. The man called Wahote has followed his prey back to a hidden installation.

This is not the first time he's come here. He has spent time searching, but no records that he has found speak of it's purpose. There are people here, people like the men who killed his grandson. He waits until sunrise, but no one leaves and no one else comes to the locked gates to enter.

Perhaps it is time to speak to the other Tracker, the one from elsewhere who knows about these men. Perhaps travel to the city, in spite of the noise and smells, is needed. These people are buying up land. No good will come of that, and perhaps the man, Cole, who hunted with him before, can return with him.

End Teaser

Cole sipped at the coffee, resting for a moment before going upstairs to shower and change his clothes. The human body he'd created was dusty and ached with the plain hard work of filling in the great hole Zin's machine had made in the basement of the Watchfire. Another few days and he'd be able to build a door to hide the narrow access to the vault level he was leaving in place.

Once that was done, he could be relatively certain that the only other person who could reach the vault level would be Mel. He smiled, remembering her delight at finally getting all of the locks open... and the glare he got when he told her to relock them.

There was still alien activity in the warehouse area near the docks, but there had been nothing overt that he'd noticed. No changes had been made in the various properties owned by Zin's companies. He hoped that meant that Zin was still captive but certainly had no real proof, either way.

There was a soft knock at the service entrance. Nestov? The Dessarian stayed in touch, but was very uneasy about being seen. It didn't feel like the Dessarian... Quietly he opened the door. "Wahote? Come in... Is there a problem?"

The Apache moved silently, nodding to his friend. "There are more of them. I don't know how many, but they have the same look and feel to them, the same scent, like spent lightnings, old stone..."

"Like the ones who killed your grandson?"

"Yes, Cole. They have a place there, in the desert, I examined the fences and tracked several of the men. One is like the black man we tracked, faster, stronger and not hurt by arrow or bullet."

"Where did you find him?"

"Near the site of the Roswell flying saucer hoax."

Cole looked thoughtful. He looked around the kitchen of the bar. Mel hadn't come down yet so no coffee had been made. He started the routine Mel had taught him, and soon the fragrance filled the room.

He filled one of the mugs and handed it to the other man. "I need to bathe. Mel is quite insistent about such things."

Wahote nodded and settled at the worktable to sip at the coffee.

Moments later a slightly disheveled Mel, came down the stairs, yawning. "Cole? Oh... Wahote? What's wrong?"

"There are others like those Daggon and I hunted before. We must stop them."

Mel shook her head, she and Cole had their hands full trying to keep things looking normal all the while translating the documents Adelaide had preserved. He was working on the disappearing heat signatures and, somewhat reluctantly, helping her with the skills inherited from her father (and, it appeared, her grandfather).

"They're here, too, Wahote," she said pouring her own coffee. "Do you know how long it will take?"

"No one can say how long it will take to track any killer. We will take no longer than we must."

Cole came back into the kitchen, still toweling his hair. "Mel, I have to go back to Roswell with Wahote. I think I might have missed something. Raahm found something, but when I collected him, all he had with him was that empty cylinder. He had very little time to hide it. Whatever was in it is somewhere near that restaurant.

"Are you sure?" She looked very uneasy and Cole would really have preferred to stay with her, but this was important to all three of them.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Mel. We have to find answers. If there is another group, not Zin's, we need to know what they are trying to do, too."

Cole's newly acquired credit cards made the trip faster and easier than the earlier one. A rental car got them to the Diner just after the lunch rush and the talkative waitress he'd met before was just refilling the napkin holders as they came in.

"Well, fancy meeting you here. Did you find the other young man, the one with the fancy collar?"

"Yes… He went home. Laura, did he leave anything here? It might have looked a little odd…"

"Well," She looked around the diner "There was something, if I can just remember where I put it."

Then a really old "ray gun" caught her attention. "There it is!" She handed to Cole who really wasn't sure what to do with it. It felt like the box Zarath stole from the museum.

"Thank you."

"Did you want a sandwich?"

Wahote raised an eyebrow, "We should eat something..."

Laura brought them the day's special and went back to the family of four coming in, chattering about the site as they moved to an empty table.

Cole and Wahote ate quietly, leaving payment on the table. The rented Jeep was noisy and they decided to leave it at some distance to the manzanita grove where Wahote had watched the strangers.

The buildings looked old and deserted but here and there were indications that some of them had been used recently. Hinges on doors glittered in the afternoon sun as though they'd been recently oiled.

No signs indicating who or what the buildings housed could be seen. A couple of faded ones said "Keep Out" in streaked red, but even those had the look of a long abandoned facility.

They settled in to wait. Cole was comfortable with the Apache Tracker. There was a calm in him that most humans didn't have. It was as though he was willing for observations to give him answers rather than make snap decisions. The two men stayed there, so still that a kangaroo rat came out of her burrow and scrambled over Cole's leg to collect the pinion nuts that were her food.

Darkness gathered around them and suddenly they could see dim lights approaching. A few flood lights at the corners of the facility came on. Moments later they could hear a motor, far quieter then the Jeep they'd driven. Three men got out of it at the gate. Cole examined them with the small portable instrument set to feed data back to his computer system.

Mel typed a response on the screen. "One is a Vardian, one Enixian but the other one registers as human.

Cole signaled his thanks and turned off the modified palm pilot. They couldn't risk the Enixian's keen hearing picking up the faint sounds. He and Wahote stayed still as the three men worked the combination lock on the gate and drove through. The Vardian came back to relock it and they drove on to an old storage building. A wide, hanger style door opened in the side and they drove on through.

For a moment as inside lights came on, they could see s steep downward incline. Then the doors closed behind them and everything was still again.

"There are vibrations in the earth, Cole. Much of this is deeply hidden, perhaps in the old caves or mineshafts."

Cole nodded. There was something else, too... Suddenly, the ground beneath the trees shook and churned. Cole dove at it before the Orsian could free herself from the tunnel she'd made.

He grabbed her by the collar, quickly identifying her. "You should stayed hidden, Saedra."

His answer was a sharp elbow in the gut as she tried to get away.

Wahote threw a loop of rope around her and yanked it tight. Immediately, Cole took the Orsian's neckpiece off and crushed it against the rocks.

"My sister will come after me, you know that, Tracker."

"Is Vaedra in there as well?"

"Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because the collection process can be very prolonged and painful."

She looked over at the other man as though she hoped he might change Cole's mind but there was no compassion there. Whoever he was, he was certainly not going to help. The night noises were the only thing to be heard for a long moment. Then, "There are half a dozen of us and some humans hired to help dig. Haag sent instructions. He wants the ship. There are supposed to be maps and weapons on board that will help him with his goal."

"And his goal?"

"Your death, for one," she spat at him.

"Does he know where Zin is?"

"I don't know."

"Then, good-bye."

Cole swiftly collected Caedra and Wahote helped him dig a grave in the sand and gravel. "The climate is very dry here, Cole. The bodies of the others I found withered away. There was nothing left of them in a few days."

"You've killed some of them."

"When snakes hunt you, you kill them before they can kill you."

Slowly, Cole nodded. "Yes."

The Apache looked at him. "You do not like killing."

"No."

"I can not take their essence as you do, Cole. They would take my body if they could?"

"Yes."

"Then there is no other choice for me. I must stop them from taking more of the lands of the people.

"I was trained to track them and hold them for deposition. To kill... It isn't an easy thing for me."

"You said that they have killed humans with no remorse."

Cole turned away, looking at the few standing lights of the buildings below them. He remembered the callous way Zin had killed Mel and the murders Rhee committed simply because he could.

"If these people find the weapon you spoke of, they will kill all of the living things on this planet. If the choice is to kill them, or let the planet die, you would not choose to let Mel die?"

The look on Cole's face said, more clearly than speech, that he would choose to save her, no matter what the price in alien lives.

"Have you told her you love her, Cole?"

Cole shrugged. "I can't, Wahote. She knows I care, but desire distracts me from the hunt and I must find them before we can be together."

"She is your mate. It shows in the way she looks at you."

"She is NOT my mate!"

Wahote studied the man in front of him. Even with so little light his face was flushed and angry. It was not the idea that Cole loved her that upset him so much. "You were mated on that other world of yours..."

Cole might have been made of stone for all the movement in him. Even his breathing seemed to stop. He turned away from the older tracker. "They are gone. I can not forget them and I can not risk losing that again."

Wahote nodded. The pain in the other man was something he understood. He too had lost people he cared for. His wife and son and now his grandson, all were gone and finding the people responsible was what he had left.

"We need to keep them from getting the ship out of here." Cole was looking around the area. You said there were mines all around here?"

"Mostly old worked out silver mines. There was some zinc and even a little gold found 60-70 years ago."

"Would it surprise anyone if there were cave-ins?"

Wahote thought for a moment. "No, between the caves south of us and the number of unmapped mines, they happen often enough that no one would think about it."

"We'll need a geophysical map. I'd like to set off the natural fault lines if we can. Let's get back to the car. I need to call Mel."

Mel was nervously waiting when the phone rang. "I can transmit the maps you want, but Cole, explosives... You nearly got killed blowing up the Club..."

"I'll be more careful, this time, Mel. I have my own hormones back." There was a smile in his voice.

He could hear her sigh. "Really, Mel. I'll be fine."

"Cole, I don't want to hurry you, but I think one of them has been coming here again. I don't know who he is, only that he creeps Gail out and Maggie doesn't like him either."

"Is he the one I chased, Mel?"

She hesitated, "I don't think so... he doesn't look the same, but he... the feel's the same not really all there."

"Has Nestov been in?"

"No. I think he's afraid I'll get mad and collect him. He's right, I would."

Cole smiled and his voice grew softer, "Mel, make sure you keep the collector with you. I don't think you can harm a normal human with it, I set it to ignore them."

"I'll stay close to Gail and Maggie in the evenings. Vic's been over again, too. I don't think the guy will try anything with people around."

"I'll be home as soon as I can, Mel. I promise."

He broke the connection as the maps he'd asked for started coming in on the e-mail line. There were a few old claims marked on the county maps but none of them seemed to be working. The Topographical ones were interesting. Wahote showed him the dry ravine that was marked as a shallow fault.

"The mine collapse will have to do. No really big faults near."

Act 2

The next morning Cole changed his appearance to look more like an old miner and went into the nearest town to see about materials telling the men at the general store that he was reopening his uncle's old claim. He picked up some freeze dried food and blasting caps and was carefully vague about the location of the claim. He took his time getting back to Wahote.

"I wasn't followed. I think they'll wait to see if I bring any assayable ore in before someone tries to jump me."

Wahote smiled, "Some things never change."

"I checked the records but you're right. Nothing past the late 30's shows. We should be able to destroy the site without arousing suspicions."

They spent the rest of the day working with the maps. At dusk, they went back to the grove. There were more lights on and several trucks pulled away as they settled into their hiding places.

Cole scanned the trucks, but they appeared to be empty. Wahote's sharp eye caught the movement inside the last one and Cole got just a glimpse of a figure in some sort of grey, shimmery suit crouching in against the roll-up door.

"That's why I haven't been able to pick them up on the computer. That material shields them."

Wahote nodded and they watched while the few remaining figures went back to lock up the buildings and then left in four wheel drive vehicles.

"They mean to come back, Cole. The trucks were not headily loaded. Something the size of a ship or plane would not be so light. We can make it hard for them to get to it."

"Then we need to get back to the Watchfire. Vaedra knows I captured her sister. She also knows where the bar is and that Mel has been working with me."

"I understand. We can place everything at first light. If they have not left anyone behind, you can return to your place and I will bring you the rest of the information on the people who are buying the land."

Cole thought about it for a moment. "All right. I need to get inside and be sure no one is left to tell them exactly what happened. We can make it look enough like an ordinary cave in to satisfy the local people but if Haag should get Zin out and they come here, they would know."

Quietly the two men, carrying the explosives, covered the distance to the gate. Cole opened the lock with no trouble and they carefully approached the building they'd seen the others enter. It only took a moment for Cole to get the old hanger door up and they slipped inside, still unsure about the emptiness of the building.

The lights came on as the door closed and they could see the ramp down to the next level. What they didn't see was a small red light flicker on and the slow pan of a tiny camera across the interior of the hanger.

They followed the curve of the ramp down much farther than they'd expected. The lights were softer here. Panels of a pale green gave enough light to see the configuration of shimmering metal ahead of them. Unlike Terran aircraft, the stellar craft had no visible landing gear. It's arrowhead shape seemed to hang, suspended in the huge space under the facility.

Cole looked carefully at the configuration. "This ship isn't as old as the one I saw in Ohio. It looks more like the interplanetary ships my people use."

Wahote reached out to touch the ship. "Not cold?"

"No. It feels as though someone has been using it, but I didn't think anyone here would know how."

There was a gentle vibration in the ground below their feet. "Someone's coming, Cole. Truck, something heavier than a car."

Cole touched a small depression in the side of the ship and an opening appeared. "Hurry, Wahote. Inside."

Quietly, the older Tracker ducked into the dark interior. Cole closed the entry and hid behind a pillar at the far side of the ramp.

Cole listened intently in the sudden stillness. The slight purring sound of the camera motor alerted him and he dropped into hyperspeed knocking the camera to the concrete floor.

The outer door of the hanger opened and two figures slipped inside.

"I think you're crazy Vaedra. There's no one here. Maybe it picked up some animal-there are bats all over the area. They roost in those damn caves."

"Saedra vanished. I can't pick her up anywhere. She would never just take off."

"She was pretty pissed off this evening."

"You don't understand. Orsians! You have no sensitivity!"

The other figure looked at his watch and swore, "You're the one that doesn't understand. We're supposed to be in Chicago. Haag will be waiting for us to make contact on that fancy, secured line of his and if we don't get there, I'll make sure he knows who to blame!"

She glared back at him. "Something has happened to my sister."

"And something a lot worse is going to happen to both of us if we miss this call." Saurov turned, "We have to locate the Tracker before we check in with Haag, too."

"I told you where he is. He's living with that stupid Terran female in that damn bar."

"Sudor hasn't seen him for a couple of days. Come on or I leave without you!" Without a look back, Saurov headed back up the ramp. Fuming, the Orsian followed, muttering words that Cole identified as cursing.

Cole watched through one of the dusty windows as they got into the car and drove off. He waited until even the sounds of the engine died away, then returned to let Wahote out of the ship.

Wahote ran a hand along the sleek side of the vehicle. "Can you get it out of here?"

Cole shook his head. "No, no time now. We must finish here and get back to the Watchfire. Mel is learning, but she doesn't know Haag and I..."

"You need to protect her." He put an arm around Cole's shoulder. "I'll set the explosives. It won't take long."

Thanks to Wahote's knowledge of the old mines and caves, they were able to pick vulnerable points. Only small charges were needed huge sections of the facility sank, leaving sandy dimples in the dry earth. One last check of the area to be sure they'd left no real clues and Cole and Wahote left for Chicago.

As they drove, Wahote turned to the younger man. "You will need help, Cole. Even as skilled as you are, there are many of them and only one of you."

"Wahote, there is too much risk in this for you. They have no concern about killing. I... There are so few here I can talk with... "

"I can keep out of their way. You will need information about shipments to their addresses and where they are now located. Computers are good, but can not do it all. Leave me at the restaurant. I will call you when I have the information."

Reluctantly, Cole agreed. Without the company of the Apache tracker, the trip seemed to take forever.

Act Three

Mel sat on a high stool at the far end of the bar, checking tomorrow's liquor order. Cole had helped her set it up on the computer and it was certainly easier, but there was always some last minute thing that had to be taken care of by hand. Maggie had one of Adelaide's old, handwritten bar tender's guides and was having a great time with it.

"You know, there's some fine drinking stuff in here. Adelaide had a knack for finding the unusual and some of these are still around. Maybe we should have a special "Roaring Twenties" party.

Mel looked up from the order, "I don't know, Maggie. Jess tried a couple of special nights but they didn't work too well" Then as a particular memory hit her, she blushed. "Well, there was one that was... interesting, but I don't think Cole..."

Maggie laughed, "Oh, I know the one you mean. Had to pour some of the girls into their cabs, but Cole surely has some moves."

"I told Jess to forget it though. I didn't want to embarrass him."

"Speaking of little Jess, how is she?"

"She took on a second job. Ewen left again and she wants to try to make enough to come back home."

Maggie sighed. "You know, Mel, she's so much like you... Always hard to say no to the charming ones. Speaking of which, where the hell has Cole been these last few days?"

Mel got up and went over to the coffee put. "He's off with Wahote..."

"They go fishing? Cole doesn't strike me as the type."

Mel took a sip of her coffee, "Uh... I don't know."

Maggie shook her head. "You know, your grandmother told me a lot of things. I don't think I ever made her sorry she trusted me. I wish you did."

"Oh, Maggie, if I could talk to anyone... I just can't right now."

The sound of the door opening ended the discussion and Maggie tucked the battered notebook under the bar as she went to greet the off duty cops who were regular visitors to the Watchffire.

"Hey sweetie, when are you going out with me?" called George.

"When you're old enough and rich enough to afford me," zinged Maggie. "Just get on over to your game and I'll get the beer."

The good-natured chaffing went on as the four men set up a game and paused only long enough to pay for the round of drinks.

Mel headed for the kitchen. This bunch were all single and burgers for dinner were the usual. Gail got in and the after work crowd started in for a little decompression after their respective workdays.

Things were busy enough that none of them noticed when the weird guy, as Maggie had dubbed him, came in. Mel saw him sitting over in the corner booth, smiling slightly as he sipped at his double bourbon.

Gail was getting more nervous as the night went on. "What does the creep want? Mel, I'm sorry, but I really don't want to serve him again. Can you do without me for the rest of the evening?"

Most of the regular clientele had wandered on home and Maggie signaled that she'd be fine with the rest of the shift. Mel smiled and said, "Sure, Gail. Do you want me to walk you out to your car?"

Gail shook her head and went to get her coat. Neither of the others realized that the nervous making customer had left as well. The door closed behind Gail and seconds later a scream shattered the quiet night.

Without thinking, Mel grabbed her collector and was out the door. Her eyes adjusted fast. Seeing movement, she hurled herself at the struggling figures. The impact knocked the knife from the hand of the assailant and Gail jerked away, running for the Watchfire door. For a moment, the alien lay there stunned.

Maggie opened the door, holding Gran's old revolver and shouted, "The police are on their way, Mel. Get away from him. I have him covered!"

Mel turned her back to Maggie and Gail and collected the alien before he could recover from the fall. She looked up at the sound of the sirens. Quickly, she tucked the collector into her pocket and straightened her sweater.

The first car to pull up was Vic's and he barely got it stopped before he was out of it and grabbing Mel. "Are you OK?"

Mel nodded, still too shaky to talk. Vic put an arm around her and walked her back inside the Watchfire. Maggie was right there with a brandy, "Mel you need your head examined! That bastard could have killed you!"

Vic finally remembered he was on official business and got out his notebook. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Mel explained that the man had come in several times.. "There was nothing I could pin down, he was just... odd. He made all of us uncomfortable, but since he wasn't doing anything but sitting there, I couldn't exactly throw him out."

Gail, nursing her own brandy, came over to stand beside Mel. "You saved my life." She turned to the detective, "Mel tackled him. I think he hit his head. He had a knife to my throat!"

"Do you know why he attacked?"

Mel glared at him. "There was no reason. I didn't even see him leave."

Vic tried to pat her hand, but only got another glare for his troubles. "You know there are questions the investigating officer has to ask, Mel."

"Well, get on with it!"

It was more than an hour before he finished and Gail was still shaking. She refused to go to the hospital and Maggie offered to take her home. Gratefully, she accepted and they left as well as the assortment of police and coroner types with their questions and the body.

Mel sat for a while, a slapped together martini growing warm as she tried to make some sense out of the evening's happenings. "Should cleanup... Oh, hell. Let it go till morning." She gulped the rest of the drink, making a face at the warm gin, and made sure all the doors were locked and all but the night lighting was off.

The stairs seemed so high and she was so tired, all the adrenaline gone, that just getting to her room was almost more than she could manage. She stretched out, just for a minute, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Act Four

Cole entered the back door of the bar quietly, he didn't want to wake Mel. Wahote had given him a lot to think about. There were some of the aliens he had captured before. There were others who had never been tried for their crimes but there was no doubt in his mind that they would be convicted, either in a Terran Court or Migarian. They had every intention of killing anyone who got in their way, human, Cirronian or any of their own number who opposed them.

Tracker was his calling. He'd always been proud of his skills and the number of criminals he'd captured and imprisoned. These people had escaped from Sartop and again from his custody. Was Wahote right? He needed to think long and hard about this. If Wahote was right, he could not afford to take the chance that they would escape again. They were all guilty of capitol crimes on earth, at least two murders...

There was a sound from the upstairs. He hoped he hadn't awakened Mel. Noiselessly, he climbed the stairs, avoiding the one that always creaked. Mel was standing in the hallway tying the sash on her bathrobe.

"I thought I heard you come in. I'm glad you're home."

She hesitated for a moment, then almost ran to him. "I was so worried."

Tentatively, he opened his arms and let her hug him. "I'm fine. You are shivering, Mel. Did something happen?"

Mel looked as though she was going to cry, then she yanked herself out of his arms. "Something happened? Yes, something happened. Gail was nearly killed. The guy I told you about followed her out and attacked her. Yes. Something happened."

Fear made his gut twist. "I should never have left you here."

"I'm not a child, Cole. And I did collect him."

She turned away from him. She hadn't been aware of how truly frightened she'd been. It was one thing to handle the collector with Cole there, backing her up, but having to judge the situation and then move fast enough... "I had to save Gail."

The troubled look on her face reached something deep inside of Cole. "I'm sorry..."

"You had something you had to do. I know how important your work is." Her voice was a whisper. "I wish..."

He went to her, trying to comfort her. "No, Cole. You said you couldn't afford to be distracted. I'm trying hard to accept that but just now, I can't."

She left the kitchen and he heard her door slam.

Cole winced at the sound. He could understand why she was angry. His reading had made it clear that women like Mel loved deeply and he'd found himself responding at a level he'd never expected. Sharing energy, even the little he'd been able to share had created a bond, even before he'd known about her Cirronian heritage. There was a gentleness in her, but there was also a fierceness, a warrior as strong as any he'd ever known.

For once, he was so tired that lying down on the couch was just too tempting. In a few hours it would be daylight. Perhaps, like the books said, things would look better in the morning.

The smell of coffee woke him.

"I've never seen you sleep before."

He stood up, "I'm sorry. It seems that this human form has needs I don't completely understand."

Mel blushed. "Is that good or bad?"

Cole shrugged. "I wish I knew. I need to take time... once all of the fugitives..."

"Cole, you know as well as I do that the likelihood is that we'll never catch all of them."

The startled look he gave Mel scared her. "You know they can conceal themselves. You told me about them vanishing from your screens."

"But... Mel, I have to..." Abruptly, he sat down.

"You never figured that as a possibility?"

He shook his head. "No. I guess things have just happened too fast for me to look at what all of it might mean." His voice was shaky, too. "We will have to make sure the full humans, Gail, and Wahote, are protected. Wahote is trying to find out what properties they have in the area around Roswell. He has no one..."

Now it was Mel's turn to try and reassure him. "We can invite him to come and stay here. That electronics shop, there's no reason we can't buy it and remodel it. It's mostly empty space now."

"Where does Gail live?"

"She has an apartment in the same building as Maggie. I think Maggie got it for her."

Mel brought him a fresh cup of coffee. "Maggie knows things. I don't know how much, but she was Adelaide's friend and I know she's read some of her diaries."

"I thought she might know more than she said."

"She was out there backing me up with a gun seconds after Gail screamed. I think we can count on her to help."

Cole nodded. "I'll feel better knowing that you do have someone to help. We have so much to do. I need to find out how they're concealing themselves. Mel, Wahote thinks we may need to kill some of them. Not just collect them."

Mel's eyes widened. "Kill...?"

"They have killed. Not only in the crimes that caused their incarceration, but here. In taking over the bodies, they killed the humans. If I can't make the collector safer, there are some of them who will have to die."

Tag

The evening had been quiet. A few friendly games of pool and darts were the only raucous noises and by 11:00 PM most of the patrons had gone. Cole was on as the bartender with Maggie to assist. Vic had come in to talk to Mel and the newscast on the bar TV was the loudest thing in the whole place.

Maggie was showing Cole how to mix some of the drinks in Adelaide's notebook. "God, boy... You have greater capacity then any body since Mel's Grandfather. Must be Irish. Alan always claimed that was his secret."

"Alan?"

"Mel's Grandpa. Lovely man. Drank like a fish but it never showed."

Cole looked over at Mel. Vic was trying to convince her of something. He needed to look at the box of materials they'd hidden upstairs, under Mel's bed. Maybe her grandfather was the link.

Maggie poured a shot of creme de cocoa and floated cream on top of it. "Black Angel, Cole. Try this."

The flavor was lovely. It smelled like the cocoa Mel made on cold mornings. He sipped at it. It was very warming. He felt wonderful and alive and knew there wasn't anything he couldn't do. He needed to explain that to Mel. Vic really needed to go home. So did Maggie. Then he could talk to Mel. He really did love her, after all. He knew what the humans meant by that now. This lovely warm, wanting..."

He stood up. Suddenly, he was face down on the floor. His head was spinning... Mel ran over to him. "Maggie, what in the world were you feeding him?"

"He sampled some of the possibilities for the "Roaring Twenties" party we were talking about. Seemed OK, until a minute ago."

With that, all sound and site faded out and Cole, the reluctant human version, passed out.

Cole is probably is trouble. I wonder what a Cirronian hangover is like?

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