Doctor Vincent headed his buggy back to town. As he rode he though about the conversation he had with this man called Carpenter. He was sure that he was one of those that he had sought and destroyed all across the Western states. Be they called Nosferatu, vampire or the undead they must be eliminated.

But this time he could not be sure this time as there were questions that he had to find answers to. How could he not be repelled by the cross? All of the others were.

He returned his buggy to the livery stable and went up to his room where he was safe because the one constant rule was that they must be invited in or they cannot enter. The table in his room was piled high with books and maps along with his journal. He reviewed the notes he made while examining the bodies that he had exhumed and examined.

There was significant blood loss but none of the tell tale marks left behind by the enemy. Then again the throat being torn out by the assailant might have obliterated any and all evidence. Fingerprinting had just become accepted in New York and it was slowly making its way West. Even if he was able to obtain Carpenters prints he had nothing to compare them against. He decided that this Carpenter needed watching.

He went to the saloon and ordered a drink and took a seat away from the others. He had just raised his glass and took a long drink and when he set it down he almost chocked on the liquid. For there sitting opposite him was the man called Carpenter. This time the Doctor removed his crucifix from his coat pocket and thrust it into Carpenter's face and was shocked when he plucked it from his grasp and examined it.

"Lovely craftsmanship," Carpenter commented.

"How is this possible?" he responded his voice filled with wonderment.

"Let's just say you don't know everything. Now I will give you a piece of advice and I pray you heed it. Leave me alone and seek out those others that are more of a danger that I am."

"And if I choose to ignore you warning?"

"Then I cannot be responsible for your safety as this can be a dangerous place."

Just then a tall dark stranger walked up to table and took a seat next to the Doctor. He was well groomed and dressed so Carpenter surmised he was not some ranch hand.

"Is there a problem her Doc?" he asked never taking his eyes off Carpenter.

"No dear boy, Mr Carpenter was telling me to be careful as this can be a dangerous place. Mr Carpenter meet Mr Faraday."

Faraday opened his jacket slightly to expose a badge of the US Marshall service.

"Well now if anything happens to the Doc I go to the sheriff and the mayor and my word will carry a lot of weight," he informed Carpenter.

Carpenter stood and bid the men good evening and departed and made one stop at the Cactus Flower before he headed home.

"I thought you said these critters couldn't look or touch a cross?" Faraday questioned.

"Normally they cannot."

"So whats this mean?"

"This Mr Carpenter will bear watching and cautioned must be taken when doing so."

When Carpenter arrived at the ranch he found Holly reading. He then told her to pack for a long extended stay in the territorial capital. He told her to take a room at the same hotel as last time and to stay there until he called for her. She was to also look at houses and if she spotted one that would suite their particulate needs to buy it.

Holly was sad at the thought of being forced to leave this town as she had been living here since her sixteenth birthday. She knew the people and they knew her. She quickly vanished the sad thoughts and began to pack her trunks. Carpenter had told her many horror stories of others of their kind that had been hunted and destroyed by men whose job it is to seek them out.

"They live for the day when they can capture one of us and keep us in captivity to study and that is why we must forever be on guard," he told her.

The last thing she readied was the custom built portmanteau. Once inside she could lock it and no one would be able to open it. The next evening Carpenter went to the bunkhouse shortly after dinner and addressed the Marcus and the ranch hands. He instructed then to be extra vigilant as there were two men soon to be poking around.

He instructed that the barn remain locked and guarded as they had done with the ranch house. He then tossed two bags of gold on the table and instructed that they be equally divided among themselves. He then gave an bag of gold to the old cook to ensure that the men be properly fed at all times.

He then returned to the house and fortified himself with the bottled steer's blood. He needed his full intellect at his disposal as he sat and pondered the next moves.