Doran sighed as he pushed through the glass doors at the bottgm of Vacerie's building. His conscience, which hadn't much troubled him in thirteen years or more, was giving him twinges. He didn't want to have to deal with anyone face to face, much less an innocent and definitely not someone of Valerie's status. That wasn't part of his job description; he was strictly a behind-the-scenes man, running ahead of the camera to secure the territory. Or something like that. He had no training for this, nothing to go on.

And, damn it all, he found himself liking this intense, troubled girl. And while it wasn't exactly cross purposes with her own desires, to try to spur her out of the hospital, he still felt those twinges of guilt. Maybe the definition of betrayal was simply that which the betrayee would be angered and violated by.

Another sigh. A radio had come while he was in her apartment, summoning him to the local Court building (not the official local Council house, but a warehouse where offices were set up in the basement.) He was on his way now, and he knew that the experience would be nothing good.