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"Did you find out where Shanna is?"

"No" Garrett stood slowly "Or maybe I did, and they erased it"

"Damn" Austin crushed the paper in his fist "Sean expects us to give detailed reports, but we can’t remember much"

"But I do rees and - "

Austin listened while Garrett rauy noticing it Austin couldn’t erase memories like a vampire, but he could certainly es Garrett stopped talking and closed his eyes as his mind overfloith the ht?"

Garrett rubbed his forehead "It’s hot in here"

"Maybe you’re co Orwith our heads"

"Yeah" Garrett nodded "That could be it" He wandered toward the conference rooht there" Austin’s heart raced as he headed for the shredding machine Garrett had been pathetically easy to confuse, but still, ent’s head was too much like treason But what could Austin do? He couldn’t let Sean terood Vamps

Austin fed Garrett’s list into the shredder and punched the button Daent

He rushed to the men’s restroom and splashed cold water on his face He breathed deeply until he was calm Then, he marched toward the conference room

Garrett had been easy to manipulate Sean Whelan would not

He entered the conference roo" He shut the door

"You’re late" Sean sat at the head of the table Garrett sat on the right, his shoulders slumped

Sean tapped the end of his pen on the table "We have a problem"

"Yes?" Austin approached the table

"I want your reports, but Garrett doesn’t have one He says you don’t either He says the vampires messed with your heads"

Austin took a seat "Yes, I believe they did"

"How could you let that happen?" Sean glared at hi their mind control, but you - Austin, your power is rated off the charts! You should have been able to stop them"

Austin narrowed his eyes as if in deep concentration "I do re of any value We don’t knohere your daughter is I’m sorry"

Sean’s jaw clenched "What do you reed "I can’t recall their names, but there were several vampires there They were harmless"

Sean snorted "Now, that’s an oxymoron, a harmless vampire"

"They would have never harmed us"

Sean sla with your head That is har you"

"I remember some names," Garrett offered "Roberto No, maybe it was Alberto And there was a beach house"

Austin shook his head "No, it was penthouse"

"Oh yeah, that’s right" Garrett gri a beach house?"

Austin slipped into Garrett’s mind and fed him more pictures "I rees"

"Poodles," Garrett said

"What?" Sean shot hies were fluffy pink poodles" Garrett frowned and rubbed his glistening forehead "That can’t be right"

"Those bastards" Sean banged a fist on the table "They’re toying with us" He stood and paced about the room "This has been a waste of tihter"

Austin took a deep breath "I think we should concentrate our efforts on the va people The Vamps at DVN just want to entertain each other with dorky soap operas and sell a few bottles of Chocolood They uilty of bad taste, but they’re basically har to stare at Austin "If the va you say is suspect There is no such thing as a harh from the reality show to know that those vampires would never harm humans"

Sean scoffed "Is that what you remember, Garrett? A bunch of sweet, harmless vampires?"

Garrett’s face flushed with heat "There was never any biting The poodles were nice" Sweat beaded on his brow "I mean, the ladies"

Sean frowned at him "You look ill Have you checked your neck for tooth marks?"

Garrett paled "Oh, ers over his neck "I’round his teeth "You’ve been brainwashed Get an appointment with the Company shrink"

"Yes, sir" Garrett wiped hisa fever"

Sean narrowed his eyes "You o," he ordered quietly

"Thank you, sir" Garrett weaved toward the door and left

Austin stood to make his leave

"Sit"

He sat back down A swoosh of hot air surrounded hisAustin kneho it was, and he also knew his mind was full of memories he couldn’t allow anyone to see Meotten And htened like a vise Austin instantly erected a firewall and began gathering his power

"Not bad," Sean whispered "You do realize, don’t you, that when a hu that Garrett was feeling hot"

Austin’s power had reached critical mass He dropped the firewall and unleashed his power, shattering the vice that had surrounded hiasp