exchange for their help becoming president, to keep tabs on the investigation. Unable to proceed against Konrad with evidence on Curtis' order, Cade leaves Zach to tail Konrad while he finds an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to attend. At the A.A. meetings, Cade is able to draw strength from the humans, as they all struggle with desire for the drink, even if they have different thirsts. As Cade leaves, he is stopped by Tania, a female vampire he failed to help in the past. While neither will admit it, their shared history gives them both the closest thing to feelings for each other that vampires can feel. Ultimately Cade and Zach unravel the plot - Konrad has the four finished Unmenschsoldat delivered near the White House, where Khaled and his conspirators sacrifice their lives to bring them to life and carry out their programmed attack; Dylan, already having misgivings about his involvement, flees for his life. While Cade locates and is prepared to kill Konrad, he learns the attack on the White House has begun, and his oath compels him to leave Konrad alive and return to Washington immediately. Despite Griff (who was discredited by evidence planted by Holt to make it look like he was a mole in exchange for enough of Konrad's Elixir to cure his cancer) raising the alarm, the attack kills dozens of Secret Service personnel and Curtis, Wyman and Griff are stranded in the Oval Office. Despite impressive fighting skills and inhuman tolerance, Cade very nearly dies while destroying three of the zombies - Zach saves his life and earns some measure of his respect. Nearing sunrise, when Cade cannot operate, Cade speeds back to the Reliquary and retrieves the object from Kosovo; inside the box is the preserved Hand of John the Baptist, which contains holy power over life and death. While Zach slows down the final zombie and ensures the safety of Candace and Curtis' family, the final zombie comes within inches of killing the president, and fatally wounds Griff when he throws himself in front a strike aimed at a defenceless Cade. However, the zombie's original human consciousness, a deceased U.S. marine corporal, becomes aware enough of what's happening and recognises the president, and is able to stop himself from killing him. Cade then uses the Hand to remove the zombie's life force and kill it. In the epilogue, Curtis tells Wyman they