"He passes information, turns a blind eye to shipments, and sometimes even helps eliminate witnesses."
Flash slowly turned away from the window.
"Are you sure?"
Gideon nodded and rotated the laptop so everyone could see the screen.
"Look…"
"Transfers to offshore accounts. Meetings with Gerard's people. There are even photos from one of Loran's parties."
"He's not just an informant, he's one of the vampires' assets."
Bruno cursed quietly.
"So Hale is using him to keep everything under control."
Ethan stepped closer and looked at the screen. His face remained tense.
"If we want to replace the police chief… we need someone who can take his place."
"Someone we can trust. Or at least someone we can control."
Flash nodded. He moved away from the window and approached the table.
"Exactly. We can't just kill Hale. That would raise too many suspicions. We need to put our own person in his position."
"Or at least someone who will work against Gerard."
"Mendes is our secret key. If we can flip him or use him against Hale, we'll have a chance."
Susie lifted her head. Her voice was quiet.
"But how do we do that? He's a corrupt cop. He won't just switch sides for nothing."
Flash looked at her, then at the others.
"We have vampire ash, Loran's documents, the key, and evidence. We can offer him a deal."
"Either he helps us overthrow Hale, or we expose him completely. He has a family and weak spots, we can use them easily."
Ethan nodded.
"I'll go with you," he said.
"If it comes down to it… I can use the stake. But only if necessary."
Gideon closed the laptop and stood up.
"I'm coming too. I've gathered enough data. We can pressure him."
Bruno rose heavily from his chair.
"I'm with you. Even if I'm not in the best shape… I'm not staying behind."
Flash looked at everyone. His gaze lingered on each of them, Ethan, Susie, Gideon, and Bruno.
"Alright," he said finally.
"Then let's get ready. We won't wait. We're going to Mendes now."
"We'll make him help us replace the police chief. Or… we'll find a bloodier way."
Susie quietly stood up and walked over to Ethan. She looked up at him.
"I'm coming too," she said softly.
"I can help with protection. If something goes wrong… I'll try to use a spell."
Ethan looked at her. A warm flicker of gratitude appeared in his eyes.
"Thank you, Susie. But you need to be careful. We don't know what's waiting for us."
Flash grabbed his jacket from the table and threw it over his shoulders.
"Then let's go. We need to replace Hale before Gerard realizes we've already started moving."
They began to prepare. Weapons, documents, Loran's key, a jar of wisteria, the guys even swallowed a few pieces. Everything was packed quickly and silently.
Susie also received some wisteria from Ethan. She looked at him silently, then greedily took it from his hands and tossed it into her mouth.
Ethan was the last one at the door. He looked at the black stake in his hand, then at his left arm.
Flash opened the door.
"Let's go."
After the "Binding Knot" ritual, Ethan's mind had become a little quieter. Something inside him had changed. The darkness that had previously screamed, demanded, and tried to break out had now fallen silent.
It hadn't disappeared completely, but it felt as though it had retreated behind an invisible wall. The voices were still audible, but they no longer deafened him.
He slowly ran his fingers along his left side. The wound on his side, received from the vampire's dagger, still hadn't healed. The edges were inflamed, the skin around them grayish. Sometimes thin black veins ran across the wound, as if something living and hungry flowed beneath the skin instead of blood.
In those moments, Ethan felt a slight burning and coldness at the same time.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, his thoughts were almost clear. Not perfect, but at least his own.
The door creaked quietly. The others stepped out, and Susie entered behind Ethan.
She moved almost silently, as always. In her bag she carried a small wooden box with herbs and a tiny silver amulet her grandmother had given her before she left. Susie now rarely left Ethan's side.
"How are you?" she asked quietly.
Her voice was soft and caring. Ethan looked at her. His smile was tired.
"Better," he replied.
"This plague… it's not screaming as loudly. I can think. This time it's not driving me insane."
She carefully touched his arm, as if afraid he might pull away.
"Grandma said the Binding Knot won't last forever. Next time I'll have to do everything myself."
Ethan nodded. He unbuttoned his shirt and looked at the wound on his side. The black veins had appeared again.
"The wound isn't healing completely either," he said quietly.
"Sometimes these… veins appear across it."
Susie frowned. She took a small vial of oil from her bag and carefully applied it to the wound. They had fallen slightly behind the others.
"Grandma gave me a spell," she said.
"It's simple. It protects against corruption. It stops the darkness from spreading further. I'll use it every time it's needed."
Ethan looked at her. There was gratitude in his eyes.
"You don't have to do this, Susie. You've already done so much."
Susie shook her head. She didn't take her eyes off the wound as she gently rubbed in the oil.
"I do have to," she answered softly.