Pushing away the sudden guilt, Nicole clicked off the light and started for the bedroom, realizing how totally wrung out she was. As she opened the bedroom door, the soft chime of the doorbell stopped her. She glanced at the clock on her dresser. 12:47. Who would be calling at this hour of the night? Without turning on the lights, she slipped to the door and moved back the curtain a crack.

“Oh!” she said in surprise, then flipped on the lights and opened the door. “Travis, what are you doing here?”

“Hello, Nicole.” He came inside as she stepped back. He was in street clothes now, a pair of jeans and a soft pullover shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and lean waist. “They said you’d left just a few minutes before I came back to Central Control, so I thought I’d take a chance on catching you. I saw your light go off just as I was getting out of the car.”

“Did you find him?”

“No, not yet. But we will. Every Guardian has been called out, and we’re combing the city. I’m going to grab a few hours of sleep and be back at seven.”

“How’s Clayne?”

“Fine. His pride is hurt more than anything.”

“It shouldn’t be. Eric must have seen him drive up and been waiting for him inside the main entrance.”

“That’s what I told him, but it still hurts him a little to think Eric could get his stun gun away from him that easily. And then to use it on him after he carried Dr. Cameron’s body out to the car, that—”

“Carried Dr. Cameron’s body?” Nicole blurted. “That wasn’t in your reports coming in.”

“Yes. Eric was in a rage. Said he wouldn’t leave Cliff as a trophy for us to parade. He made Clayne carry him out to the car, then used the stun gun on him. Clayne was just coming to when the Major and I pulled up.”

“I heard the report that you found Clayne’s squad car about nine.”

“Yes, in the Cherry Heights section. We spent a fruitless hour searching the area from house to house before a lady came running out to tell us her car was missing. We found it just a few minutes ago over on Spruce Street. But he could go on stealing cars all night. Half the people in Shalev leave their keys in their cars.”

“He’ll head out of the city, probably hole up in the mountains for a day or two, and then head for Serenity and his family.”