* * *
I ignored Jason's questions until we were back on the river bank. "You were more right than we thought," I said.
"Then there is a vampire?"
"And a zombie army."
"What?"
"The girl, Debbi, she's been bitten—not changed, but controlled. When I got close, this face came blasting out of her subconscious to challenge me—chase me away. I've never seen anything like it."
"So you think the bikers—"
"At least some of them—I have no idea how many, but obviously enough."
"Did Debbi know who they were after?"
"No, but I still have that blurry image of a face." I stepped toward the water.
"Seriously?" Jason looked back across the field.
"You're right, it's probably safe by now."
Jason took my hand and led me toward the cotton field. He had that vibe again, the one when he felt inferior. This was beginning to become a common reaction and I had no idea how to deal with it—I was what I was—it wasn't like I could do anything about it.
"It was a great plan, Jason," I offered.
"Yeah, I had a great view hiding in the bushes."
"You were really brave to go into the biker bar, though."
He turned back and smiled. "You noticed."
"Of course." I stared into his chocolate brown, puppy dog eyes. "Your whole impromptu plan was perfect." Just then we cleared the woods.
Across the cotton field, the smoldering remains of what used to be the Faulkner Plantation—and my car—marred the otherwise tranquil landscape. Benjamin and Elizabeth were standing in the ashes near the charred stone chimney like statues, but I didn't see Tink.
"I feel sorry for them," Jason said.
"You can see them—this far away?"
"Sure, 20/20 vision. Not bad for a human, right?"
I slid my hand up the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair. "Yeah, your eyes are perfect in every way."
"Do you think we should bother them?" Jason asked.
Just then, the bushes to our left moved. "Tink!" I darted the short distance and leapt into his arms. "You're alright." I kissed him on the cheek.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" he said, prying me off of him. If he could have blushed he would have. "Where were you two?" We walked over to Jason.
"A little mission," Jason said.
"What kind of mission?" Tink asked, suspiciously.
"Well," I said, "Jason thought of a way we could find out if another vampire had anything to do with what happened last night."
"One of us? What gave you that crazy idea?"
"Benjamin and Elizabeth told me about what happened before."
"Oh. And?"
"Well, what if what happened last night was related?"
"You think one of our kind is keeping the chain going?" Tink surmised.
"How else could they know?" Jason shrugged with a grimace.
"We don't think," I added. "We know. Jason's little plan led us to where the bikers are staying and I was able to get into the head of one of the biker chicks. It really wasn't necessary—I saw the bite mark on her neck."
Tink leaned back against a tree to consider. "Do you know who?" he finally asked.
"No, but I saw a blurry face." I looked out across the field. "I need to tell them."
Tink shook his head. "I don't know, this time it took a lot out of them. Not like them to give up, but—"
"Maybe we can put a stop to it," Jason said. "You have laws, right?"
Tink looked surprised. Certainly his quick glance in my direction was disapproving.
"You mind waiting with Tink?" I asked Jason.
"No problem. Too bad we can't finish that checker game."
I couldn't read his tone. "Are you sure? You can come if you think—"
"No, it's fine. Besides, Tink and I need to figure out our next move."
"Thanks for understanding." I pushed up on my toes and kissed Jason's cheek. A quick glance toward Tink and I raced across the field, slowing as I approached Benjamin and Elizabeth. Neither moved. "I have news."
Benjamin looked up from the ashes. I knew it wasn't possible, but I swear his cheeks were tear streaked. "And what news would that be?"
Elizabeth stirred at the sound of his voice.
"Do you remember my little gift?"
Benjamin nodded.
"Well, Jason came up with this plan and it worked. The more we talked about it, the more it seemed impossible that what happened last night and the story you told me weren't somehow related—there had to be a connection, but what?"
"Ah," Elizabeth huffed dismissing my assumption, "that's impossible, too many years have passed—"
"No," I interrupted. "Jason and I went to the bar, with the idea I could look into one of the bikers thoughts and find out why they burned your house? Well, Jason went in, but no bikers. Turned out the guy I played pool with was a local boy, but the others—well that's a different story. We found out where they were staying and decided to check it out. Anyway, as we approached one of the girls with the bikers came stumbling out of the woods. She was still half intoxicated so I tricked her into thinking I was a fortuneteller. She bought the whole 'my hands are cold because I'm in touch with the future' charade so I gave it a shot. Oh, before that, I saw the bite mark on her neck."
That got their attention.
"So, I knew she was at least with a vampire, but I had no idea what to expect. I thought maybe if I looked inside her mind I could see who it was."
"Did you?" Benjamin asked as Elizabeth stepped in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her in an unusual, outward display of affection.
"I did like you taught me—you know go slow, but all I was getting was weird patterns of light and loud music. I think she was a drug addict. So, I tried to push deeper. Nothing—nothing—and then suddenly the sharp teeth and bite, but before I could even comprehend what I was seeing, this face came roaring though the fog screaming, 'Who are you? What do you want?' it totally freaked me out."
"Freaked you out?" Elizabeth puzzled.
"Scared me. We broke contact and as I gathered my thoughts, Debbi twitched with some sort of spasm. Her face got hard—her eyes glazed over—and—"
"Did she see you in that state?" Benjamin asked.
"No. I grabbed Jason and we took off."
Benjamin looked down and hugged Elizabeth tighter. "This is a larger problem than we thought."
"If there are humans involved, it could bring the rulers," Elizabeth speculated.
Benjamin looked back to me. "Did you recognize the face?"
"No, it was blurred, lacked definition."
"A likely precaution." He glanced upwards. "The sky is lightening, we should move back to the tunnels."
I waved at Tink, and before Jason knew what happened, Tink had him on his back and was headed across the field. Once we were together, we moved though the ashes, past the charred, skeletal remains of the once, grand chandelier, and down the steps into the tunnels. Jason fell behind even though we were moving slowly.
"What is it?" I asked, turning back to him. The others also paused.
"Sir, are these your paintings?" Jason asked, not looking away from the one he was examining.
Benjamin frowned at me before answering. "They are, indeed."
"Izzy told me how good you were, but I had no idea."
Benjamin's frown faded. "That's very gracious of you."
Jason placed his finger carefully on the painting he was looking at, then moved away from us to another and did the same. "There's something you should see—"
The four of us were with him instantaneously.
Jason flinched. "It's going to take me a while to get used to that." He stepped closer to the painting and we all leaned forward as he extended his finger to a small patch of gold slightly visible through the blue cannon smoke. "There," he said, "see that?"
"Yes," I said for all of us.
"Look familiar?" He c
ocked his head to the side and stepped back.
"It is just two small brush strokes," Benjamin said.
"Sure," Jason replied, "gold in an otherwise area of blue-gray. Out of place wouldn't you say?"
"Errant bush strokes then," Benjamin surmised.
"Okay, then." Jason moved to another painting and pointed to the same place. "Then this one too?" He moved to the next painting and pointed again. "And this one?"
We each examined them. "What is it?" I asked.
"I have no idea." Benjamin replied.
"Consciously," Jason added. "When I draw, I sometimes find lines I don't understand, but if I go back and examine the subject of the drawing I can usually find them. You see it, just not on a conscious level."
"Like my drawings of the Olympic Mountains," I added.
"Exactly. Izzy had no idea what she was drawing consciously, but her mind knew exactly what she was drawing."
"What could a button possibly have to do with our current demise?" Elizabeth interjected.
"Button?" we all replied in unison.
"Of course," Elizabeth defended, "a brass button. The kind the men wore on their uniforms."
Jason broke the silence. "Do you still have that photograph I gave you?"
"I'll retrieve it," Tink said before vanishing down the tunnel. He returned moments later with the envelope and handed it to Benjamin.
Benjamin pulled the photo out of the envelope.
"There," Jason said, pointing to the area under the fallen tree, "that button."
"How did you—"
"I have an artist's eye," Jason replied. He looked at me intensely and continued. "I think maybe you need to do your memory link thing with your father."
"Absolutely not," Benjamin stated. "I would never expose her to such brutality."
Elizabeth slipped her arm in his. "Look around you, darling. All that we were has been destroyed yet again. Maybe Izzy can help sort it out."
He looked down at her, shaking his head. "It's not worth it."
"It is," I said. "I can do this, like you taught me. Together we can find the answer."
Benjamin reached out and drew me into an embrace with Elizabeth. Wrapped in his arms, he kissed the top of my head and then Elizabeth's. "Ah," Benjamin sighed, "I'm powerless against such beauty. I never really had a choice, did I?"
"Tolliver," Benjamin said, "you do not approve?"
Tink shook his head. "Izzy's too young—too innocent." He turned to me. "You sure about this?"
"I'm a big girl, I can handle it." I looked to Benjamin. "Do you want to sit?"
Elizabeth stepped back leaving only me in Benjamin's arms. "This will do fine. I will see if I can get you quickly back to the point that interests us, thus avoiding those years as a new born."
"Okay." I forced a smile.
Benjamin drew in a breath and let it slowly escape. "It will be interesting to see if you can pull something out that I no longer remember." He held up his hand as if we were going to waltz. I put my hand in his. "Relax."