Careful with this one, baby. As soon as he'd thought it, Max saw her eye the wound. She took a step back, her retreat so subtle Patrick would never notice. She motioned Max in with a tilt of her head.

He pulled a leather glove from his back pocket and slipped a small vial of holy water from one of the fingers. He set the vial on the table in plain view while he pulled on the glove, then retrieved it and unscrewed the top. "We're waiting, Patrick."

"I w-work for the Soul Eater," he stammered, eyeing the liquid.

"The Soul Eater?" Bella gave Max an arch look "What are you doing here then?"

"Yeah, the Soul Eater is in San Francisco." It was a lie, but to Max's relief, Bella played along.

So did Patrick. "San Francisco?"

The vampire's outrage spurred Max's story along. "Yeah, didn't you know? Man, they keep you way out of the loop."

"Bullshit!" Patrick tried to raise his hand. "If they're in San Francisco, why would they send me up here?"

Max snorted. "That's what we want to know. What is the Soul Eater up to with the Oracle?"

Suddenly brave again, Patrick spat once more at Bella. "I'm not telling you shit!"

She nodded to Max. He let a drop of holy water fall onto the freshly healed skin of Patrick's hand. A cloud of foul steam rose from the wound as the skin scalded away under the droplet.

"Plenty more where that came from, sport." Max tilted the vial theatrically.

Patrick stopped his howling long enough to dissuade him. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you."

When he didn't answer fast enough, Bella nodded to Max.

"No! No!" Patrick begged. "I'm here to pick something up."

Now they were getting somewhere. Max pulled the vial back a few inches. "Pick what up?"

Patrick calmed a little once he saw he was out of immediate danger of scorching. "A weapon. I don't know what it is."

"This weapon… You will take it to the Soul Eater?" Bella's voice sounded strange and tight.

Max didn't register that until it was too late. Patrick lunged in his chair, not quite breaking his bonds, but twisting enough to flip the table and tear his hand free. Max fell back just as the other vampire lurched awkwardly to his feet. He swung the chair still taped to his back against the wall, shattering it. With a cry of fury, he ripped a piece of the splintered chair from the tape that still dangled from his elbow. He advanced on Bella, brandishing his makeshift stake.

"Hey, no!" Max climbed to his feet, pulling a stake from his pocket.