They discussed what they could see and determined that there were likely only two vampires inside. The women would stay near the window entrance to shoot and behead any who tried to escape that way. Henri looked at the two and said “Remember now, try to shoot them in the brain if possible. They’ll be disabled long enough to be decapitated that way.”
Marie produced a copper flask and handed it to Li. “Drink, mon ami.” Li took it and drank half and then handed it to Ian to drain. They all had fed on the rabbit’s blood that Ian had brought, while hiding outside of the orphanage. Ian stepped over to take Cosette in his arms as did Henri with Marie. They hugged each other wordlessly. Then Ian looked at Henri and Li, saying “Let’s get to it then.”
Chapter 28
Down in the cellar Celeste said “Ian is here. Now we must scream as loud as we can. Scream, girls, scream! We leave this place tonight!” She began to scream and the others joined in.
***
The three flitted to the house and just before they leapt to its roof, they heard faint sounds of screaming from inside. They flashed like lightning to the roof and through the window, Ian in the lead. He located the stairs and leapt to the bottom, landing in a crouch and moving out away from the landing. The other two landed behind him as he streaked through a room toward the sound of the screaming.
Meeting a vampire head on he shot him in the face with his pistol. Dropping the pistol in the same instant he kicked the vampire so hard that he crashed against a wall and dropped to the floor roaring in pain. As he advanced Ian drew his saber and severed his arm, bringing another cry of agony from him. “There’s the cellar! he shouted. “I’m going down there.” Henri and Li drew their sabers and advanced on the vampire who had already regained his feet and they began to hack him viciously.
Ian leapt through the door, colliding with LeClerc head-on. His eyes blazing, LeClerc yelled “Sailor boy?” as they tumbled down the stairs together. LeClerc had plunged his knife into Ian’s side as they fell. He felt a searing pain and ignored it as he dropped his sabre and whipped his dagger from his sash and ripped upward into LeClerc’s stomach.
LeClerc howled in pain as Ian twisted the knife ripping it upwards. Like lightning he twisted and grabbed LeClerc’s knife hand in a vise-like grip. They rolled together away from the landing to crash into the house foundation wall.
LeClerc said “You’re weak sailor boy!” even as he kicked mightily and drove Ian back to crash against the iron bars of the cell, following like lightning, his knife held ready to stab again. Ian deftly flung an overturned stool, striking him in the face with it hard enough to distract him for a split second as he drove forward with a front kick to the stomach, driving LeClerc back to crash again into the foundation wall. In vain he cast about for his sabre as LeClerc shook his head. LeClerc backed away briefly and said “A lucky kick sailor boy!” He was already streaking back toward Ian and lashed out with a lightning kick, causing Ian to lose his knife. Laughing now LeClerc said “I’ll eat your heart tonight.” as he sprang in a flash toward Ian.
Ian dropped and whirled to one side in a blur as LeClerc crashed into the iron bars, missing him but turning in a flash to drive toward him again. Ian flashed toward him, and faked a kick, then gave way as he grabbed LeClerc’s knife arm in both hands. Whirling like lightning he dropped and drove his hip into LeClerc’s hip as he threw him overhead. Holding on like a vise he drove LeClerc head first into the hard packed earth of the cellar as continuing his momentum in the same motion he rolled to his feet in a flash, coming to a stop standing with one foot on LeClerc’s shoulder.
Still holding his knife hand he rapidly turned it with all of the strength he could muster. LeClerc’s wrist shattered and he roared with pain as Ian repeatedly drove his left foot down like a trip-hammer on LeClerc’s face, smashing his nose and breaking his jaw. Through clenched teeth he said “Eat …this …LeClerc!” Twisting the knife from his weakened grip, he dropped and plunged the knife into the chest of the vampire repeatedly. His motions were so fast that his arm was only a blur. LeClerc screamed in rage and pain and thrashed about violently, but Ian bore him down and continued to stab him repeatedly in the torso, his arm a blur of violent motion.
Li came then and pinned LeClerc to the floor with his sabre as Ian snatched up his saber and cut off his hand. The two dragged him upstairs as he continued to thrash and roar in pain.
Ignoring the pain in his stomach wound Ian leaped back down to the cellar and looked about. As he saw the iron bars, a sweet voice came from behind them saying “Ian’ we’re all in here.” Stepping up to the bars he looked them over as he approached, and went to the door itself, grabbing it and yanking it with all of his strength repeatedly. It gave way on the fourth try. Turning, he stepped over to get the oil lamp and when he had turned back, the five girls were standing in the doorway. Four were crying but one was smiling at him. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist saying “I am Celeste, Ian. I’m so happy that you came.”
He stepped back from her in amazement and regarded her silently. Then his mouth curved up into a bow-like smile as he said “I’m pleased to meet you Celeste. Let’s gather everyone to leave. I have help waiting outside.”
“Yes; I can’t wait to meet Cosette and Marie.”
He turned back to her in astonishment, pausing, his head tipped to one side slightly as he regarded her anew. She was a pretty and petite thing under all of the grime, with wavy auburn hair and large brown doe’s eyes.
Flashing a smile he scooped her up in one arm and walked to the others, gently herding them up the stairs. They emerged to see Li and Henri standing guard over LeClerc who writhed in agony holding the stump where his hand had been as he was held in place by two sabers which were buried in his torso. The girls filed past silently. All whimpered and looked away except Celeste, who stared into his eyes as they passed. As she passed she nodded to Li and Henri and said “I’m so happy you came here Henri. You too Li.”
Ian led them toward the back of the house and coming to a window boarded over, he approached it, setting Celeste down. Kicking several timbers out, he went through it and ran to where Cosette and Marie were waiting. Cosette noticed that he had been cut and handed him a flask as they walked around to the back of the house.
As the three of them came up the steps of the back porch, Celeste stepped forward saying “You must be Marie and Cosette. I’m Celeste.” Cosette and Marie both stepped forward and hugged her, then Marie hugged each of the other girls, saying “Girls, you smell horrible. Come quickly so we can get you washed and clean.” Celeste turned and ran to Ian again and threw her arms around him. Ian took hold of her shoulders and said “We’ll be coming before too long. You go with them now, Celeste. We should talk when I come, shouldn’t we?
Looking up at him with a bright smile she nodded.
Henri spoke then “Cosette, Marie, we’ll rejoin you before too long. We have business here now though.” They nodded and led the girls to the carriage.
Ian walked to where Li and Henri were guarding LeClerc. Both still had their sabers buried in LeClerc’s stomach, pinning him there. Ian’s eyes now glowed brilliantly like two sapphires.
“Monsieur LeClerc, we’re going to have a talk now.”
LeClerc hissed up at him saying “That bitch vampire with the gray eyes brought you over! We’ll talk in hell, McCloud.”
“Be sensible, LeClerc.”
“Be damned, McCloud!”
Ian turned wordlessly and stepping to the cellar door, he vanished through it and nearly instantly reappeared, with LeClerc’s severed hand skewered on the end of his saber. He flipped it to him wordlessly. LeClerc fumbled it briefly, then pressed it to the stump of his forearm and held it there, glaring up at Ian and the other two.
Ian met Henri’s and Li’s eyes wordlessly, and then fastening his icy glare on LeClerc he continued to allow his eyes to glow and betray his emotion. He said ??
?It looks as if that hand is already growing back. Why don’t you tell us who you were going to sell those girls to and keep your hand?”
LeClerc glared up at him, saying nothing.
Ian shrugged, tilting his head to one side. He made a lightning grab and ripped off LeClerc’s hand. In the same instant he tossed it into the air and whipping out his saber, he neatly cut two fingers from it as it fell. LeClerc howled in pain. Ian neatly speared the remainder of the hand and offered it to LeClerc who shrank back at first, then took it and again held it to the stump of his forearm.
Ian vanished down the stairs to the cellar and reappeared three seconds later holding an old block of wood. Wordlessly he grabbed one of LeClerc’s feet and placed it on the block. Stepping back, he tipped his head to one side regarding LeClerc. “Now how will you fare trying to hold this foot against your ankle with that hand as it is?” Henri and Li each put a foot on his leg to immobilize it as Ian stepped back and drew out his saber again.
“No! No! I’ll tell you what you want to know. Promise me that I can keep my hands and feet.”
Ian nodded “I promise, LeClerc.”
“I want my two fingers as well.”
Ian retrieved them from the other side of the room and tossed them into his lap. He stepped back, still holding his saber loosely.
“They were to be taken to the house of Marcel Francoise in Lyon.”
“Francoise? How is it you know them?” said Henri.
“LeBlanc has a brother who does… things for them sometimes.”
“The one in Lacoste’, who calls himself the Marquis de Sade?”
“Sometimes for him, Donatien, yes; but mostly for his brother Marcel in Lyon.”
Henri turned away to pick up a bag that he had taken from Marie on the back porch. Ian, putting away his saber said “Do you know LeBlancs’ brothers’ name?”
“No.”
“Well, I have no further questions, do you Henri?”
“Yes. How were you getting the girls to Francoise?”
“LeBlanc hired two drivers to take them. I don’t know who they are.”
At this, Henri ripped a large double-blade axe from the bag and whirling like lightning he struck LeClerc’s head from his body, burying the axe partially in the wall. As Ian’s eyes followed the rolling head, he saw LeClerc’s mouth moving as if he was trying to speak as his eyes rolled wildly. It was a bizarre and grisly sight. Turning to Ian and Li, Henri said “He never asked if he could keep his head.”
***
The girls had all been bathed and given clean clothing. They were now waiting for soup in the kitchen of Angels’ Care orphanage. Marie had awakened the entire staff who had been amazed to see her and Cosette escort not four but five girls into the bathing area. After a detailed instruction given to the headmistress about what she would put in their files about the conclusion of the incident of the four missing girls, she had since dismissed the entire staff. She would see to it that the girls got to their dormitories and beds.
As they sat at a large table surrounded by the wonderful smells of bread warming and soup heating in a pot, Marie looked at Celeste and said “Celeste, tell me everything that happened.”
“I was the first one taken. I was there for five days before Juliet and the others began to be brought in. Babette and Cilia came together tonight.”
“And you say you knew that we were outside before the men came in to get you?”
Celeste nodded.
“And your… angel told you each time another girl was coming and what her name is?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you scream?”
“I knew Ian was coming and I got everyone to scream so that the Bad Men wouldn’t hear him come in.”
Marie and Cosette exchanged looks of wide-eyed wonder.
The soup was ready so Cosette and Marie served the five girls, adding a glass of milk for each of them.
Then she admonished them to never speak of the incident for fear that the Gendarmes would make her close Angels’ Care and take them away to another place to live. She then asked them if they would want that to happen.
A chorus of “No.” was the response.
“Good. Then it’s our secret forever. The Bad Men will never return, ever again. Now that you’ve all eaten, let’s get you into bed.”
“Marie, may I stay up please?” said Celeste.
“Why, dear?”
“I want to see Ian again before I go to sleep.”
“Very well. You stay here with Cosette and I’ll take these four to their beds now.” She ushered the four girls out of the big kitchen and up the stairs to their dormitory.
Cosette turned to Celeste saying “Celeste is such a pretty name. What is your last name?”
“Rochelle.”
“How old are you, Celeste?”
“I’m twelve.”
Cosette regarded her closely. She looked to be more like nine than twelve.
“You’re a remarkable girl. Have you any family?”
“Yes. My Aunt lives in Paris. Mama died of typhus and Papa was drunk and was killed in a fight. I was living on the streets when the Bad Man found me.”
Moved nearly to tears Cosette took Celeste in her arms and said “You won’t live on the streets again, Celeste. We’ll find your family.” About then Ian and Henri came into the kitchen. Celeste ran to him and wrapped her arms about his waist. Ian hugged her and kissed the top of her head. Then stepping back he looked at her tenderly. “Well hello again, Celeste. You smell a lot better now.” She giggled as she stretched up to pull him down to kiss his cheek.
Cosette kissed Ian and said “Marie is putting the other girls to bed, Henri. Where is Li?”
“He went to tell Angus that it’s over so they can all get some sleep.”
Marie entered the kitchen and Henri went to her and hugged her, kissing her. Celeste was just finishing answering all of Ian’s questions.
“Well, Celeste, are you ready to go to bed now?”
“Yes Madame.” she said, as she gave Ian a hug and then. went to Cosette, and Henri, hugging each one. And then taking Cosette’s two hands in hers she said “I hope your wedding is as wonderful as you two are. Good night.”
Ian and Cosette stared at each other stupefied.
Chapter 29
The next day found them all aboard Elsie’s Cloud again. After talking with Cosette, Marie had dispatched a courier to Paris to inquire if Celeste was related to Caryn Rochelle, the fashion designer. She had notified her that she would keep Celeste safe until she could locate her family in the event that Miss Rochelle was not related to Celeste.
Henri had taken the carriage that the vampires had used and had left it and the horses at the King’s Gendarmerie with a plausible story.
Ian, Henri and Li were talking with Angus about what he saw while hiding near the Red Dolphin. Marie and Cosette were looking at all of the progress made in readying Elsie for the wedding. Ian excused himself and beckoned for Cosette and Marie to join them. He had a package in his hand and a mysterious smile on his face.
“I have something for each of you” he said opening the package. He handed each a small package enclosed in heavy felt with a button and matching buttonhole to keep the flap closed. They opened them and saw glasses with dark green glass where the lenses would be. They looked up just as Ian donned his.
“What are these for, Ian?”
“They’re for each of you when you’re in bright sunlight like right now. Try them on. You can bend the ear pieces to make them fit better. Let me show you.” Taking Cosette’s glasses he put them on her, then took them off and adjusted them.
“Here, try them now.”
Cosette put hers on and looked about, exclaiming “Oh Ian, these are wonderful!” Shortly Marie and Henri also had theirs on after adjusting them as they had seen Ian do.
“Ian, these are marvelous!” exclaimed Henri. “I can get better glass fr
om Italy. I want to make these things and sell them.”
“You’ll be interested to know that I left a small piece of ivory at the jeweler. He is to make two more. They’re for Cosette and Marie. It will take time to cut and carve the ivory. I left him a drawing. They’ll be too ornate for a man to wear, but should look almost fashionable for a lady. Certainly far better looking on a woman than these wire frames.”
Marie said “The glass distorts things, but I do like the way my eyes feel right now. Oh, Ian, they really are so very useful and I love them. Thank you so much.” She stepped to him and put an arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Ian then handed a pair in their felt container to Angus saying “You might like these to prevent banging your head when you come in from the light to go below decks.”
Angus put his on and shook his head in amazement. “Thank you Ian, I will treasure these. Now about what we saw last night.” He reported that they had seen a spacious carriage drawn by four horses pull up and wait in the alleyway behind the inn not long after midnight. They had seen LeBlanc come out once. Then he went back inside with the two men. Li had told them that the girls had been recovered and had taken over the watch and sent Angus and the crew back to Elsie. The second time was only an hour before sunrise and he had sent them away.
Li then spoke, saying “I have something else to report. LeBlanc had an…accident…last night. It looks like he fell down the steps of the Red Dolphin and broke his neck.”
The words hung there for a moment. Then Henri nodded, saying “Good riddance. I trust that the King’s Gendarmes will conclude that it was an…..accidental death then? Li nodded grimly. “There is more. I searched the place and found no record of any dealings related to this. I also found this.” Here he stopped speaking and lifted up a small strong box. Angus fetched a pistol and shot off the lock. Inside were a few jewels and fine pieces of jewelry. There was no small number of doubloons as well. Ian whistled and said “Li, that’s a handsome sum, I’ll wager!”
Henri told them to divide it among themselves.
Li said “I followed the carriage to a warehouse in the wharf district.” He then described to Henri where it was. Henri said “I’ll inquire about who owns or is renting it. Good work Li.”