“To assholes,” said Daphne, holding up her beer.

“To a finished case,” said Andrew, rising his soda bottle.

“To three days of doing nothing,” Erin took a swing of his blood bottle and the other took sips of their drinks as well. They sat in silence, just staring at the waves. They were on Anna’s yacht. She was captaining and Edward was there, too, but none of the other vampires.

“Mark told me he used to be an agent,” said Erin, looking thoughtful. “That, when he outgrew his usefulness, they strapped him to an operational table.”

“Well, you have something to look forward to, eh, fangs?” Teased Daphne.

“That won’t happen to you, Erin,” promised Andrew, but Erin was not convinced. Andrew was just a man, and there was an entire secret agency who wanted to see Erin’s insides.

“I am sure Mark killed someone to be put in the lab,” said Daphne, looking grim. Erin was surprised at her expression. He was fairly sure that she wouldn’t mind if he died. But, apparently, even she didn’t wish to see him experimented upon.

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” promised Erin and Daphne, who was sitting in the middle, placed her empty bottle down and placed two arms around both men.

“You know what you two can do for me?” She asked, face going into a more relaxed expression.

“Daphne, you are beautiful and elegant, but I feel it would be better not to catch something from you,” joked Erin and Daphne huffed.

“I was thinking more about you two making out in front of a camera. I did earn you seven thousand dollars each, after all,” Andrew blushed a deep red color. He coughed in his hand and looked out at the waves.

“You wouldn’t have kept Mark for much longer,” he stated. “He already got you to unlock the door. He could have killed you, too.”

At the prospect, Daphne’s expression become hard.

“True. Were you too worried about me? Even a little?” She asked. Andrew had been, but Erin hadn’t cared. Andrew opened his mouth to speak as Erin shrugged.

“You are our partner, Daphne, if something happens to you, I won’t forgive myself,” said Andrew. Daphne gave Erin a glare and sighed.

“Well, one person out of the two of you who cares is good enough, I suppose. Come on, Andy, let us go below deck. There is a TV there, and I need a buddy to watch my soap opera with,” Daphne stood and extended her hand to Andrew.

“You didn’t call me jail bait,” said Andrew, astonished.

“You treat me like a human being. So, I don’t think you deserve such a bad nickname,” Andrew took her hand, and he grinned. Erin watched them go inside and then turned back to the waves.

It had been stressful, knowing that Daphne could be dead somewhere in a ditch. Still, he had thought she deserved it, for all the people she had led to Frederik. Mark’s words played in his mind.

Could he really be taken to a lab, even after cooperating? Maybe, if he proved to be invaluable, he could be spared that fate? He went to Edward, who was sitting on one of the loungers.

“I think I am ready for another lesson. Something that could make me into a super vampire,” Edward regarded him, his lips turning up slightly.

“What could I teach you for a day?” He asked and Erin shrugged.

“We can start, and you can send me instructions every once in a while. I can give you my phone,” Edward shook his head.

“I do believe that your phone is monitored. And so is your laptop. I am afraid that, after you leave Fort Piers, we won’t see each other,” Erin nodded. It was just his luck that the only vampire from whom he could learn was going to cut ties with him.

“But,” said Edward, and he wavered. “Yes, I do suppose it could help.”

Edward stood and went below deck. He hadn’t invited Erin to come with him, so Erin stood by the lounger. Edward came back with a heavy black book. It had Kalstein written on it with big, gold, letters.

“This is my diary,” said Edward, handing it over. “One of my earliest, at least. From the time I understood, I had powers. It is a bit of a boring read, I am afraid, but all the techniques are written with an explanation mark at the beginning. So, you can skip the boring parts.”

“Thank you,” Erin took a hold of the book and held it reverently. Now, he only needed to smuggle it in the apartment without Hawk noticing. Did the agent have their apartment searched? Erin wouldn’t put it pass him.

“Don’t mention it. You didn’t tell your superiors about me, and I got to help in catching a murderer. That is all well and good, do you not agree?” Erin smiled. He knew he could never repay Edward. But, that didn’t mean he couldn’t try.

“If you ever need help with something,” said Erin, pulling out his business card from his pocket and handing it over.

“Very generous of you, Erin,” said Edward, turning the card around. “I think I will take you up on the offer. One can never know when one of his friends needed to get out of a lab.”

Erin nodded. He didn’t know if he could get one of Edward’s friends out of such a place, but he hoped that, when the time came, he could help. Maybe get the vampire a deal similar to his own. Tell Hawk that they had helped on a case. If the vampire was not a killer, he was sure that he could help him. If he was, then Edward surely won’t ask.

“I must invite you to a final dinner, my friend,” said Edward as he laid back on the lounger. “Just the two of us, this time.”

Erin agreed, thinking nothing of it. Possibly, he could bring some pig blood for Edward to try? Sure, it might be plebeian for the older vampire, but Erin thought that it was good.