United States vs Antoine Jones Supreme Court Essay

United States vs Antoine Jones Supreme Court Essay On November 18, 2011, charges was bought against Antoine Jones for possession of drug trafficking. The case was the Supreme Court of the United States, No. 10-1259, Citation 565 U.S 132 s. Ct. 945, 181 L. Ed 2d 911; United States, petitioner v. Antoine Jones. All 9 parties of the Supreme Court were present for the trail as well as the plaintiffs which were the law enforcements along with Deputy Michael R. Dreeben and the defendant Antoine Jones. Each party hand a chance to deliberate their opinions and stating their case against Antoine Jones. This case was not only bought into court just for Mr. Joness cocaine distribution but for authorities violating Antoine Jones Fourth Amendment rights by planting a GPS device on Joness vehicle without his consent. The law requires that a warrant must be obtained before law enforcements can attach anything to an individuals private property with consent. Authorities did not have a warrant to affix a GPS device to Antoine Joness vehicle nor did t hey obtain Joness permission. Antoine Jones was a proprietor of a club when authorities put him under surveillance because they suspect that Jones was distributing cocaine. Through various investigations, law enforcement was given a warrant to implant a tracking device on Joness vehicle. The vehicle belongs to Joness wife; however he was listed as a driver. Authorities were given 10 days from the date the warrant was received to plant the device on the vehicle in the District of Columbia. However, law enforcement decided to attach the device on the 11th day in Maryland which was out of the warrant grace period as well as in another district. Experts fixated the device on the base of the vehicle while it was parked in Joness opened garage to track its movement.[1] The vehicle was followed up to 100ft allowing authorities to generate multiple data for a period of 28 days. Law enforcement were able to gain enough evidence to obtain an arraignment against Antoine Jones for possession of drug trafficking. The controversy in this case is that Joness Fourth Amendment right was violated because a GPS tracking device was installed on his wife vehicle without their permission or consent. It was also the fact that weather or not the evidence that was retrieved when law enforcement illegally attached a tracking device to the vehicle could be used to convict Jones on drug charges who was sentence to life in prison. According to the Fourth Amendment citizens have the right to be secure in their houses, papers and effects against an reasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated an no warrants shall be issue, but upon probable cause supported by oath or affirmation and particularly describing the place to be searched and person or thing to be seized.[2] The United States district court for the District of Columbia is where the case first started. From there it went to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. After being trialed in the District of Columbia court of Appeals, in August of 2010 it went to the United States Supreme Court. The District of Columbia had original jurisdiction in the case and first trailed Jones in 2006 where the jury returned with a guilty verdict on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 5 or more kg of cocaine and 50 more grams of cocaine base. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled out Joness conviction because the data that was transmitted from the device that was implanted on Joness vehicle was not submersible in court due to the protection of the Fourth Amendment rights. The Supreme Court of the United States proceeded with the case in 2011 where a verdict was received in January 2012. The Supreme Court voted unanimously and the judge expelled the case and ruled the case as a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Authorities broke the law by trespassing on private property and planting a tracking device without a valet warrant or consent. On January 23, 2012 the Supreme Court held that the Governments installation of a GPS device on a person vehicle and its use of that device to monitor the vehicles movement constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment.[3] The majority argued that putting a GPS device on private property would be considered trespassing on private property and that it constitutes Joness Fourth Amendment rights. The minority argued that the Fourth amendment was not violated in that particular situation because Jones was under suspicion of drug trafficking and they had the right to install a GPS device on Joness vehicle. They argue the fourth Amendment can be breached under certain circumstances and situations. The minority concurred in the judgment bu t criticized the framing of the question in terms of trespass to property and believed that such a construction of the problem strained the language of the Fourth Amendment and that it would be better to analyze the case by determining whether the Government violated Jones reasonable expectations of privacy.[4] The Supreme Court decision was reach by analyzing and researching the Fourth Amendment and basing their findings on the fact that authorities should not rely on technology and should not neglect the citizens of the United States rights of the Fourth Amendment when its concerning the use of a warrant and trespassing. These findings was also based on the property base analysis and the cases of Katz v. U.S and that the Government key tracking cases, U.S. v. Knotts as well as U.S. v. Karo. Those analysis states that it does not foreclose the more expansive reasonable expectation for privacy and the Governments key tracking cases were inapplicable and thus not controlling.[5] The rulings of the court may have effect on some Americans because some may agree that even without a tracking device law enforcements can still follow you and put you under surveillance without you knowing. The recognition the Supreme Court display for this case has secured each citizen by protecting the Fourth Amendment. It has allowed authorities to understand and recognize that they cannot get around the Constitutions Fourth Amendment by using technology to search an individuals property without a proper warrant. The Courts resolution emphasized the importance of the verifiable purpose and objective of the Fourth Amendment rights. It has prompted society that the privacy law was fused into the Constitution of the United States to secure the citizens against government trespasses against law enforcement or others and their private property. I believe that the rulings did not affect the interpretation and enforcement of any particular law. References Brittany Boatman, United States v. Jones: The Foolish revival of the Trespass Doctrine in Addressing GPS Technology and the Fourth Amendment, http://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2292context=vulr (last visited May 20, 2017). https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/United_States_of_America_1992 (last visited Mar 20, 2017). United States v. Jones (2012) https://en.wikipedia.org/w/indes.php?title=Uniteds_States_Jones(2012)oldid=770405758 (last visited mar. 20, 2017) United States v. Jones, Oyez, https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/10-1259 (last visited Mar 20, 2017). United States v. Jones Concerning Warrantless GPS installation and Tracking Under the Fourth Amendment, United States v. Jones Concerning Warrantless GPS installation and Tracking Under the Fourth Amendment, http://epic.org/amicus/jones/ (last visited Mar 20, 2017). [1] Brittany Boatman, United States v. Jones: The Foolish revival of the Trespass Doctrine in Addressing GPS Technology and the Fourth Amendment, http://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2292context=vulr (last visited May 20, 2017). [2] https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/United_States_of_America_1992 (last visited Mar 20, 2017). [3] United States v. Jones (2012) https://en.wikipedia.org/w/indes.php?title=Uniteds_States_Jones(2012)oldid=770405758 (last visited mar. 20, 2017) [4] United States v. Jones, Oyez, https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/10-1259 (last visited Mar 20, 2017). [5] United States v. Jones Concerning Warrantless GPS installation and Tracking Under the Fourth Amendment, United States v. Jones Concerning Warrantless GPS installation and Tracking Under the Fourth Amendment, http://epic.org/amicus/jones/ (last visited Mar 20, 2017).

The Importance of Learning Self-respect :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

On a recent visit to Europe, I had the good fortune to participate in a study tour, focusing on teenage sexuality, sex-education in the schools, the impact of the media, and parent-child communication. While teen sexual activity, pregnancy rates, HIV and STI statistics are exceedingly high in the United States; the Netherlands, Germany and France all maintain a much healthier standard. While these European teens are not only beginning sexual activity a year later than our teens, on an average, the reason for their better health seems to me fairly obvious better mental health. These teens are being groomed with self-respect from a very young age. Â   In the Netherlands, I am struck by the honesty and integrity of parents and educators who believe that if a child is old enough to ask a question, he is old enough to get an answer. While these answers are age appropriate, children tend to develop healthier body images, better communication skills and the feeling that no topic is taboo when they are encouraged to ask questions. As this exchange boosts a child's confidence and trust, it also builds his self-esteem. And while life skills classes are an integral part of the school curriculum, one of the many lessons children learn in these classes is how to build and nurture a relationship and how to be a responsible friend. How's that for an education... Â   Germany's media campaigns in the area of safe sex are brilliant. Prominent athletes and politicians often endorse commercials promoting condom use. The commercials are witty, sexy, bold, edgey, and speak directly to a young audience of hormonal hipsters. By addressing, and not repressing their sexuality, these advertisers are successfully attracting their demographic while simultaneously educating youth about disease prevention. Teaching a young mind to respect his or her young body is teaching self-esteem. And, as we all know, self esteem is fostered by education and communication. Â   France, much like the Netherlands and Germany has normalized sex in a way that allows teenagers a healthy dialogue between parents and teens, educators and students and the media and its audience. The European attitude recognizes that emotional maturity goes hand in hand with sexuality. Casual or recreational sex often comes with a hefty price tag and while teenagers will always be curious, they should also be prepared with both the physical and spiritual tools to handle their growing libidos. The Importance of Learning Self-respect :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay On a recent visit to Europe, I had the good fortune to participate in a study tour, focusing on teenage sexuality, sex-education in the schools, the impact of the media, and parent-child communication. While teen sexual activity, pregnancy rates, HIV and STI statistics are exceedingly high in the United States; the Netherlands, Germany and France all maintain a much healthier standard. While these European teens are not only beginning sexual activity a year later than our teens, on an average, the reason for their better health seems to me fairly obvious better mental health. These teens are being groomed with self-respect from a very young age. Â   In the Netherlands, I am struck by the honesty and integrity of parents and educators who believe that if a child is old enough to ask a question, he is old enough to get an answer. While these answers are age appropriate, children tend to develop healthier body images, better communication skills and the feeling that no topic is taboo when they are encouraged to ask questions. As this exchange boosts a child's confidence and trust, it also builds his self-esteem. And while life skills classes are an integral part of the school curriculum, one of the many lessons children learn in these classes is how to build and nurture a relationship and how to be a responsible friend. How's that for an education... Â   Germany's media campaigns in the area of safe sex are brilliant. Prominent athletes and politicians often endorse commercials promoting condom use. The commercials are witty, sexy, bold, edgey, and speak directly to a young audience of hormonal hipsters. By addressing, and not repressing their sexuality, these advertisers are successfully attracting their demographic while simultaneously educating youth about disease prevention. Teaching a young mind to respect his or her young body is teaching self-esteem. And, as we all know, self esteem is fostered by education and communication. Â   France, much like the Netherlands and Germany has normalized sex in a way that allows teenagers a healthy dialogue between parents and teens, educators and students and the media and its audience. The European attitude recognizes that emotional maturity goes hand in hand with sexuality. Casual or recreational sex often comes with a hefty price tag and while teenagers will always be curious, they should also be prepared with both the physical and spiritual tools to handle their growing libidos.

Flaws of The British Criminal Justice System Essay examples -- Criminal

The Criminal Justice System, a system the British government set up to deal with the treatment of law-breakers, has three main goals to achieve social order, these are, (1) enforcing criminal law, (2) maintaining law and order in the society, and (3) helping victims. This may seem to be a well thought of system, but like any other organisation, there are flaws, and one of the major flaws is discrimination, and the bias that stems from discrimination. Discrimination on the basis of class, gender, sexuality and ethnicity operates at the level of attitude, on the street, in the home, at the workplace or at social venues. In regards to the Criminal Justice System, race and gender are always accounted for in court proceedings. As Smith in 1997 said, â€Å"the apparent ‘fairness’ of the criminal justice system does not mean that the outcomes will necessarily be unbiased†. Tonry in 1997 found that even though certain ethnic groups are far more often caught in the net of criminal justice than others, they have elevated rates of official offending which differ from one country to another. The major ethnic group in Britain and Wales being black people whose families originated from the Caribbean in the 1940’s. (cited in the Oxford Handbook). Black people find themselves subject to rules made for them by white people, it is also the same for other groups living in the same culture, e.g. it seems to be men th at make the rules for the women in society, even though this seems to be changing in the United States. Foreign-born people often have their rules made for them by the Protestant Anglo-Saxon minority. The middle-class seem to make all the rules which must be obeyed by the vast majority - in the schools, the courts, etc. Th... ... discrimination from the judges and magistrates who remembered the time of segregation and other similar matters, this would build up and provide a racial outlook therefore showing discrimination. Being a part of an ethnic group is seen as being a member and an important source of personal identity, it is seen to be an attack on the group as a whole when one member has been targeted. This is why there are many practical problems when trying to improve decision making procedures. The criminal justice system should take into account there are not enough minority groups in the workforce, especially the police, or the courts, so therefore try to improve the standards when dealing with offenders. Even though racism and discrimination is part and parcel of living in a society, a person’s identity as a human should be more important than the colour of the skin.

Arachne EC

Earache From Ovoid's Metamorphoses, Earache remains a relevant myth in all its forms. The Myth of Earache provides both a spiritual almost religious moral baseline as well as an origin for a common household creature. In the myth, Earache- a talented weaver, challenges the weaving skills of Palls (also known as Athena). Intrigued, Athena weaves her tapestry and â€Å"Earache weaves hers in reply'. (Book VI: 103-128, http:// Ovid. Lib. Virginia. Due/trans/Metamorphose. HTML). Even Athena has to admit that Earache is the greatest weaver and in anger ruins her tapestry.Earache in shame kills resell, and is resurrected by Athena to live her life as a spider so that she can continue to weave. (Book VI: 129-145) This myth serves several purposes specifically to Greek culture. Firstly, it reminds those who revere the Greek Gods; that they are not only all powerful but that they have the same nature as humans do. Athena is human in the sense that she is jealous of the work of Earache. She t hen returns from Jealousy to show Earache compassion and love by resurrecting her to weave forever. In a religious way is an example of the condemnation of suicide within organized religion.All religions address suicide differently, but nevertheless it is addressed. The other common theme being that those within religious stories that choose to challenge a God/ Goddess in any way, never come out triumphant. It reminds those reading that the Gods are all powerful and always will be. This myth also creates an origin story for the word â€Å"arachnid† for spiders, a household creature. This helps the myth survive and makes it relevant to cultures across the world including my own, linking something that everyone knows, and everyone has seen to an origin and a person.Suddenly, those scary eight-legged little monsters are a piece of a woman's soul. They weave for the woman that bore them. When a small child is about to squash the spider and their loved one stops them and tells the m the story of Earache. The creature that Earache is turned into, directly reflects her as a woman. Firstly, the talented weaver is resurrected as a creature that weaves to survive. Secondly, after she has hung herself to end her life, she is turned into a creature that hangs onto the material that extends her life. She must now live from the art that caused her to take her own life.Besides teaching readers an example of hubris, the story teaches the importance of not boasting. When Athena is warned of the young woman's challenge, she gives her a last chance to learn some humility. The woman continues to boast and ignores the ominous warning. The practical piece of this myth is that it would be, could be told to children because it teaches so many warnings. It is fairly easy to imagine the matriarch or patriarch of the family sitting down the small proud child and telling them the story of Earache, and letting their eyes brighten as they relate and understand the story in all its po wer and meaning.The reason most myths and stories remain in a culture is usually centric to religion. Nearly every culture on the planet has some form of organized religion. The reason that stories linked to religion carry on, opposed to others is that they draw people together. These ideologies are passed among family members, on through generations and create links between families. This is part of the reason that other stories, not religiously based do not survive. They remain in families, changing over time, never chronicled and decomposing slowly over time.Build a big enough religious following and your stories will live forever. I find many of these stories including Earache's fascinating but slightly dramatic. Killing yourself over a ripped tapestry is a bit over the top. The phrase â€Å"crying over spilt milk† comes to mind. I understand the stories purpose as a lesson but wonder whether there wasn't a less severe way to get the point across. This specific story will live on because its namesake creatures are a household critter. I wonder if people see spiders and think â€Å"if only Earache wouldn't have challenged Athena.

Clinical Supervision in Counseling Essay

Professional competence is shown in many counselors throughout the world. One way that competence is displayed by counselors is their ability to utilize clinical supervision and consultation. Even long standing professionals in the field of counseling continually seek supervision. When confronted with difficult ethical decision making and unique situations in its best to gain an outside objective viewpoints. In reference to the case study, there are plenty of ethical dilemmas and unethical decisions made by Joe and his supervisor. It is clear their personal values differ from those who choose to follow ethical codes in counseling. The APA and ACA’s ethical standards and codes have certain relations in comparison to the violations which Joe and his supervisor have perpetrated. To avoid breaches of ethical codes, there are ACA ethics committee members to inform appropriate relationship standards with all individuals involved in the counseling process. Clinical supervision is important to utilize for each counselor’s self-awareness. The case study implies that Joe ended counseling sessions with Jill because they had mutual feelings of attraction towards each other. He made an ethical decision in doing so by recognizing the counseling relationship would be ineffective. Joe and Jill began a sexual relationship which ended abruptly after a month, with no physical or verbal contact afterwards. Joe had a guilty conscious of their unethical relationship. The imperative action he failed to do was follow through with the proper referral process by choosing to obtain clinical supervision from his supervisor for Jill’s well-being. However, Joe and his supervisor recently started a sexually relationship. He did not seek referral assistance for Jill to avoid hurt feelings from his supervisor. Inquiring the behaviors of both counselor and supervisor, there were evident breaches of ethics. The counselor and supervisor should have the knowledge that any non-professional relationship between the two is unethical and a breach of ethics. In other words, they should have known better. Teaching and modeling ethical and professional behavior is an important responsibility of a supervisor (Argosy, 2013). All psychologist, counselors and members of the ACES (The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision) must abide by the ACA and APA Code of Ethics. The ACES has developed ethical codes for counseling supervisors and is in accordance with the purpose of the ACA as well as a founding division of the ACA. According to ACES, the best practice guidelines are intended to support supervisors in their work. The ACES’s guidelines are offered to augment the judgment of supervisors as they make it their requirement to offer ethical and legal protection of rights of supervisors, supervisees and clients, and meet professional needs of supervisees while protecting client welfare (ACES, Best Practices in Supervision, 2010). With regards to ACES practice guidelines there are other exceptional tools or standards available to ensure supervisors know crucial standards for their practice. The American Counseling Association created a â€Å"Journal of Counseling Development†: Standards of Counseling Supervisors (ACA/ACES, 1990, JCD v69 n 1, Pg. 30, Vol. 69). † The standards implemented is this journal are important to counseling supervisors toS develop core areas of knowledge, competencies, and personal traits that characterize effective counselors. What happened between the counselor and the supervisor was extremely unacceptable. My values clash with their values. I am sure when I am counseling clients for mental health I will be attracted to a few men here and there. I may even be attracted to my supervisor or a colleague of mine. Physical or emotional attraction is a normal function as a human being, and is not a dangerous or awful thing. Making verbal or physical actions to distinctive attractions will not be the case for me. I would not want to jeopardize my career involving an unethical mistake concerning my attraction to one of my clients. I value the direction in which I am being educated, and I will value even more when I am certified and access a seemingly well respective job. Ethical standards and codes are needed to be taken very seriously. The APA and ACA have very similar codes of ethics and ethical standards. As I have stated before, Joe and his supervisor breached certain codes of ethics specifically pertaining to having a sexual relationship. According to the APA ethical standards it states, â€Å"Psychologists do not engage in sexual relationships with students or supervisees who are in their department, agency, or training center or over whom psychologists have or are likely to have evaluative authority (APA, 2010). One of the ACA Codes of Ethics involving relationships has boundaries regarding supervisory relationships. Logically, between current supervisees and their supervisor sexual and romantic interactions or relationships are prohibited (ACA, 2005). Within the APA and ACA ethical standards, they seem to have overall similar conclusion regarding sexual relationships between counselors and supervisors. One difference I recognized is that the APA states ethical ways of going about multiple relationships with clients, although it is best to refrain in case of impairment to the psychologist’s competency (APA, 2010). Also, The ACA has ethical standards involving potential ethical beneficial relationships with supervisees in a non–professional setting, such as attending a funeral for the supervisee. This has to be discussed between the supervisor and supervisee and documentation of the rationale for the relationship is a necessity (ACA, 2005). Members of the ACA and APA ethics committee have a huge responsibility to manage enforcement of the ethical codes concerning the APA or ACA and to enhance professional development through professions. Committee members have important obligations such as processing cases of alleged violations. However, a committee member cannot warrant the job review of any member affiliated or that is under the Code of Ethics. If I was an ACA Ethics Committee member, I would inform appropriate behavioral codes for counselors, especially new counselors to the field. I would certainly inform them of the no tolerance policies of sexual or intimate relations with co-workers or clients, as well as all ethical codes. I would make them aware of the role and function of what I do as a part of the committee. For example, we as a committee process complaints of ethical violations or alleged violations. Most importantly I would want to educate health professionals of the membership according to the ACA codes, and what the roles and functions of ethical committees. I would like to continue to adopt many values of ethical codes, ethical decision making, standards and principals for supervision that I highly appreciate.

Board of Directors

Describe at least six recommendations that you would make to improve the effectiveness of today's boards of directors. 1 I would require the board of directors degree of Involvement In strategic management be active participation (approves, questions and makes final decisions on mission, strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role In establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and polices).This would ensure that the board of directors takes a hands on approach (Wheeled, p. 47). 2 I would require the board of directors to set corporate strategy, overall direction, Nilsson or vision for the company. This needs to come from the board of directors. They need to set the standard. 3 I would make the board of directors responsible for the hiring and firing of the CEO and top management. This is an important role and must be mandated from the board of directors. Keeping the right CEO in position and keeping top management in place is extremely important (Wheeled, p. 45). 4I would make the board of directors responsible for controlling, monitoring, or supervising top management (Wheeled, p. 45). The guidance that the board of directors provides is much needed and top management will follow the boards lead. 5 Corporations inside the united States usually have 2 insiders and 8 outsiders that make up the board of directors (Wheeled, p. 48). I would have at least 5 insiders and 5 outsiders make up the board of directors. This would make the makeup of the board of directors more even. 6 Of the 5 insiders, I would allow 2 of them to be company employees that sit on the road of directors.These employees can bring an inside look at what is happening from the employees point of view to the board. Of these six suggestions, I would select number 1 as the most important. I would require the board of directors degree of Involvement In strategic management be active participation (approves, questions and makes final decisions on mission, strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role In establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and policies). This loud ensure that the board of directors takes a hands on approach.Board of Directors By bias]Nanette I would require the board of directors degree of involvement in strategic role in establishing and modifying the mission, objectives, strategies and policies). Mission or vision for the company. This needs to come from the board of directors. Corporations inside the United States usually have 2 insiders and 8 outsiders that require the board of directors degree of involvement in strategic management be strategy, policies and objectives) or be that of a catalyst (takes the leading role in

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 6

What she felt was a shivering jolt that began in her palm and ran up her arm like electricity. It left tingling in its wake. But the real shock was in her head. Her mind exploded. That was the only way she could describe it. A noiseless, heatless explosion that shattered her completely. All at once, Rashel couldn't support her own weight anymore. She could feel Quinn's arms supporting her. She had no sense of the room around her. She was floating in a white light and the only solid thing to hang on to was Quinn. It was something like the terror she'd felt before†¦ but it wasn't just terror. Impossibly, what she felt was more like wild elation. She realized that Quinn was holding her so tightly that it hurt. But even stronger than the sensation of his arms was the sense she had of his mind. A direct conduit seemed to have opened between them. She could feel his astonishment, his shock, his wonder. And she knew he could feel hers. It's telepathy, some distant part of herself said, trying desperately to get control again. It's some new vampire trick. But she knew it wasn't a trick. Quinn was as astounded as she was-she could feel that. Maybe he was even worse off. He was breathing rapidly and shallowly and a fine trembling seemed to have taken over his body. Rashel held on to him, thinking crazy things. She wanted to comfort him. She could sense, probably better than he could himself, how frighteningly vulnerable he was under that frozen exterior. Like me, I suppose, Rashel thought giddily. And then she suddenly realized that he was feeling her vulnerability just as she had felt his. Fear welled up in her so sharply that she panicked. She tried to find a way to shut him out, to resist the way she resisted mind control-but she knew it was useless. He had gotten past her guard already. He was inside. â€Å"It's all right,† Quinn said, and she realized that he had stopped trembling. His voice was almost dispassionate, and at the same time madly gentle. Rashel had the feeling that he'd decided that since he couldn't fight this thing, he might as well be as insane as possible. Strangest of all, she found his words reassuring. And there was fire under the ice that seemed to encase him. She could feel that now, and she had the dizzy sense that she was the first one to discover it. They had fallen to the floor somehow, and they were sitting just at the edge of the light. Quinn was holding her by the shoulders, precisely, and Rashel was astonished at her own response to the clinical grip. It stopped her breath, held her absolutely motionless. Then, just as precisely, every movement deliberate, Quinn found the end of her scarf and began to unwind it. He was still filled with that mad gentleness, that lunatic calm. And she wasn't stopping him. He was going to expose her face, and she wasn't doing a thing about it. She wanted him to. In spite of her terror, she wanted him to see her, to know who she was. She wanted to be face to face with him in that strange light that had enveloped both their minds. It didn't seem to matter what happened afterward. She said, â€Å"John.† He unwound another length of the scarf, preoccupied and intent as if he were making some archaeological discovery. â€Å"You didn't tell me your name.† It was a statement. He wasn't pushing her. She might as well write it out on a death warrant and hand it to him. Quinn could reveal himself to humans-but then Quinn could disappear completely if he wanted, hole up in some hidden vampire enclave where no human could search him out. Rashel couldn't. He knew she was a vampire hunter. If he knew her name and her face, he'd have every power to destroy her. And the scariest thing of all was that some part of her didn't care. He was down to the last turn of the scarf. In a moment her face would be exposed to the air†¦ and to vampire eyes that could see in this darkness. I'm Rashel, Rashel thought. She couldn't quite get the words to her lips. She took a deep breath. And at the same instant a light blazed into her eyes. Not the ghostly light that had been in her mind. Real light, the beams from several high-power flashlights, harsh and horribly bright. They cut through the dark cellar and threw Rashel and Quinn into stark illumination. Rashel gasped. One hand instinctively flew to her scarf to keep it over her face. She felt as if she had been caught naked. And she was horrified to realize that she hadn't heard anyone come into the cellar. She had been completely absorbed, oblivious to her surroundings. What had happened to all her training? What was wrong with her? She couldn't see anything beyond the light. Her first thought was that it was Quinn's vampire Mends come to save him. He seemed to think it might be, too; at least he was standing shoulder to shoulder with her, even trying to push her back a little. With an odd pang, Rashel realized she could only guess what he was thinking now. The connection between them had been cleanly severed. Then a voice came from beyond the terrible brightness, a sharp voice filled with outrage. â€Å"How did he get loose? What are you two doing?† Vicky. I'm going insane, Rashel thought. I completely forgot about her and the others coming back. No, I forgot about their existence. But there were more than three flashlights on the stairs. â€Å"The Big E sent us some backup,† Vicky was saying, and Rashel felt a surge of fear. She counted five flashlights, and in the edges of beams she caught the figures of a couple of sturdy-looking guys. Lancers. Rashel tried desperately to gather her wits. She knew what had to be done, at least. She nudged Quinn with her shoulder and whispered, â€Å"Get out of here. There should be another stairway on the other side of the room. When you run for it, I'll get in their way.† She pitched her voice so low that only vampire ears could hear it. The good thing about having her face veiled was that nobody could read her lips. But Quinn wasn't going. He looked as if he'd just been awakened with a bucketful of ice water. Shocked, angry, and still a little dazed. He stood where he was, staring into all the flashlights like an animal at bay. The lights were advancing. Rashel could make out Vicky's figure now at the front. There was going to be a fight, and people were going to get killed. Steve's voice said, â€Å"What did he do to you?† â€Å"What's she been doing with him, that's the question,† Vicky snapped back. Then she said clearly, â€Å"Remember, everybody, we want him alive.† Rashel gave Quinn a harder shove. â€Å"Go.† When he just glared, she hissed, â€Å"Don't you realize what they want to do to you?† Quinn turned so that the advancing party couldn't see his face. He snarled, â€Å"They're not exactly overjoyed with you either.† â€Å"I can take care of myself.† Rashel was shaking with frustration. â€Å"Just leave. Go!† Quinn looked as angry with her as he was with the hunters. He didn't want her help, she realized. He wasn't used to taking anything from anyone, and to be forced to do it made him furious. But there wasn't any other choice. And Quinn finally seemed to recognize that. With one last glare at her, he broke and headed for the darkness at the other side of the cellar. The flashlights swung in confusion. Rashel, glad to be able to move, sprang between the vampire hunters and the stairway. And then there was a lot of fumbling and crashing, with people running into each other and swearing and yelling. Rashel enjoyed the chance to work off her frustration. She got in everyone's way long enough for a very fast vampire to disappear. After which it was just her and the vampire hunters. Five flashlights turned on her and seven amazed and angry people staring. Rashel got up and brushed herself off. Time to face the consequences. She stood, head high, looking at all of them. â€Å"What happened?† Steve said. â€Å"Did he hypnotize you?† Good old Steve. Rashel felt a rush of warmth toward him. But she couldn't use the out he was offering her. She said, â€Å"I don't know what happened.† And that was true. She couldn't even begin to explain to herself what had gone on between her and the vampire. She'd never heard of anything like it. â€Å"I think you let him get away on purpose,† Vicky said. Rashel couldn't see Vicky's pale blue eyes, but she sensed that they were as hard as marbles. â€Å"I think you planned it from the beginning-that's why you told us to go up to the street.† â€Å"Is that true?† One of the flashlights swung down and suddenly Nyala was in front of Rashel, her body tense, her voice almost pleading. Her eyes were fixed on Rashel's, begging Rashel to say it wasn't so. â€Å"Did you do it on purpose?† All at once Rashel felt very tired. Nyala was fragile and unstable, and in her own mind she'd made Rashel into a hero. Now that image was being shattered. For Nyala's sake, Rashel almost wished she could lie. But that would be worse in the end. She said expressionlessly, â€Å"Yes. I did it on purpose.† Nyala recoiled as if Rashel had slapped her. I don't blame you, Rashel thought. I think it's crazy, too. The truth was that the farther away she got from Quinn's presence, the less she could understand what she'd done. It was beginning to seem like a dream, and not a very clear dream at that. â€Å"But why?† one of the Lancer boys at the back asked. The Lancers knew Rashel, knew her reputation. They didn't want to think the worst of her. Like Nyala, they desperately wanted an excuse. â€Å"I don't know why,† Rashel said, looking away. â€Å"But he wasn't controlling my mind.† Nyala exploded. â€Å"I hate you,† she burst out. She was trembling with fury, spitting out sentences at Rashel like poison darts. â€Å"That vampire could have been the one who killed my sister. Or he could have known who did it. I was going to ask him that, but now I'll never get the chance. Because of you. You let him go. We had him and you let him go!† â€Å"It's more than that,† Vicky put in, her voice cold and contemptuous. â€Å"We were going to ask him about those teenage girls getting kidnapped. Now we can't. So it's going to keep happening, and it's all going to be your fault.† And they were right. Even Nyala was right. How did Rashel know that Quinn hadn't killed Nyala's sister? â€Å"You're a vampire lover,† Vicky was saying. â€Å"I could tell from the beginning. I don't know, maybe you're one of those damned Daybreakers who wants us all to get along, but you're not on our side.† A couple of the Lancers started to protest at this, but Nyala's voice cut through them. â€Å"She's on their side?† She stared from Vicky to Rashel, her body rigid. â€Å"You just wait. Just wait until I tell people that Rashel is the Cat and that she's really on the Night World side. You just wait.† She's hysterical, Rashel realized. Even Vicky was looking surprised at this, as if she were uneasy at what she'd started. â€Å"Nyala, listen-† Rashel began. But Nyala seemed to have reached some peak of fury at which nothing from outside could touch her. â€Å"I'll tell everybody in Boston! You'll see!† She whirled around and plunged toward the stairway as if she were going to start doing it right now. Rashel stared after her. Then she said to Vicky, â€Å"You'd better send a couple of the guys to catch up to her. She's not safe alone in this neighborhood.† Vicky gave her a look that was half angry and half shaken. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. Everybody but Steve go after her. You guys take her home.† They left, not without a few backward glances at Rashel. â€Å"We'll drive you back,† Vicky said. Her voice wasn't warm, but it wasn't as hostile as it had been. â€Å"I'll walk to my own car,† Rashel said flatly. â€Å"Fine.† Vicky hesitated, then blurted, â€Å"She probably won't do what she said. She's just upset.† Rashel said nothing. Nyala had sounded-and looked-as if she meant to do exactly what she said. And if she did†¦ Well, it would be an interesting question as to who would kill Rashel first, the vampires or the vampire hunters. Wednesday morning dawned with gray skies and icy rain. Rashel trudged from class to class at Wassa-guscus High, lost in thought. At home, her latest foster family left her alone-they were used to her going her own way. She sat in her small bedroom in the townhouse with the lights dimmed, thinking. She still couldn't understand what had happened to her, but with every hour the memory of it was fading steadily. It was too strange to fit into the reality of life, and it became more and more like a dream. One of those dreams in which you do things you would never ordinarily do, and are ashamed of when you wake up in the morning. All that warmth and closeness-she'd felt that for a vampire? She'd been excited by a parasite's touch? She'd wanted to comfort a leech? And not just any leech, either. The infamous Quinn. The legendary human hater. How could she have let him go? How many people would suffer because of her lapse in sanity? Who knows, she decided finally, maybe it had been some kind of mind control. She certainly couldn't make any sense of it otherwise. By Thursday, one thing at least was clear in her mind. Vicky had been right about the consequences of what she'd done. Rashel hadn't thought about that at the time, but now she had to face it. She had to make it right. She had to find the kidnapped girls on her own- if girls were getting kidnapped. There was nothing about missing teenagers in the Globe. But if it was happening, Rashel had to find out about it and stop it†¦ if she could. Okay. So she'd go back to Mission Hill tonight and start investigating. Check the warehouse area again-this time, her way. There was one other thing that was clear to her, that became obvious as she got her priorities straight. Something she had to do, not for Nyala, or for Vicky, or for the Lancers, but just for herself. For her own honor, and for everybody who lived in the world of sunlight. The next time she saw Quinn, she had to kill him. Rashel moved along the deserted street, keeping to the shadows, moving silently. Not easy when the ground was wet and strewn with broken glass. There were no sidewalks, no grass, no plant life of any kind except the dead weeds in the abandoned lots. Just soggy trash and shattered bottles. A grim place. It fit Rashel's mood as she made her way stealthily toward the abandoned project building where Vicky had brought them Tuesday night. From its front door, she surveyed the rest of the street. Lots of warehouses. Several of them were protected with high chain-link fences topped with barbed wire. All of them had barred windows-or no windows-and metal freight doors. The security precautions didn't bother Rashel. She knew how to cut chain-link and pick locks. What bothered her was that she didn't know where to start. The Night People could be using any of the warehouses. Even knowing where Steve and Vicky had fought Quinn didn't help, because he had jumped them. He'd obviously seen them lying in ambush and deliberately gone after them. Which meant his real destination could have been any of the buildings on this street-or none of them. All right. Patience was indicated here. She'd just have to start at one end . . Rashel lost her thought and leaped back into the shadows before she consciously realized why she was doing it. Her ears had picked up a sound-a low rumbling coming from somewhere across the street. She flattened herself against the brick wall behind her, then kept her body absolutely immobile. Her eyes darted from building to building and she held her breath to hear better. There. It was coming from inside that warehouse, the one down at the far end of the street. And she could identify it now-the sound of an engine. As she watched, the freight door in the front of the warehouse went sliding up. Headlights pierced the night from behind it. A truck was pulling out onto the street. Not a very big truck. A U-Haul. It cleared the doors and stopped. A figure was pulling the sliding metal door down. Now it was making its way to the cab of the U-Haul, climbing in. Rashel strained her eyes, trying to make out any signs of vampirism in the figure's movements. She thought she could detect a certain telltale fluidity to the walk, but it was too far away to be sure. And there was nothing else to give her a clue about what was going on. It could be a human, she thought. Some warehouse owner going home after a night of balancing books. But her instinct told her differently. The hair at the back of her neck was standing on end. And then, as the truck began to cruise off, something happened that settled her doubts and sent her flying down the street. The back doors of the U-Haul opened just a bit, and a girl fell out. She was slender, and a streetlight caught her blond hair. She landed on the rubble-strewn road and lay there for an instant as if dazed. Then she jumped up, looked around wildly, and started running in Rashel's direction.