7. For Services Rendered

Complete story — includes the ending

Joan Luss' husband, Roger, arrives home from a business trip unaware of the horrors awaiting him. He escapes strigoi on the street, only to be ambushed and fed upon by his newly turned wife inside their house. In flashbacks back to the concentration camp, Eichhorst observes Setrakian's woodcarving skills and orders him to build a giant box and carve an intricate design on it. Back to the present, Eph and Nora, hiding out at Setrakian's pawnshop, gather weapons and supplies. At their colleague Jim Kent's apartment, they find him attempting to explain to his cancer-stricken wife that his actions (accepting bribes from Eldritch Palmer) were only intended to help her. She is unforgiving and leaves for the airport to take part in an experimental cancer treatment in another state. Jim is steadfast in his desire to make amends for his past misdeeds and vows to help Eph and Nora. They formulate a plan to use Jim as bait to lure Eichhorst into leading them to the Master, but the plan fails, and Eichhorst escapes. Elsewhere, Neeva, frightened by Joan's strange behavior, has kept the Luss children at her home, only to be countermanded by her own daughter, who insists on returning the children to their parents. At the Luss' house, Joan and a deliveryman strigoi attempt to attack the group who barricade themselves in a wine cellar. A rebel band of strigoi led by Vaun arrive, and kill Joan and the deliveryman vampire. They also kill Neeva's daughter, who was infected, but release the others unharmed.