Chapter 18
As we all agreed to the move, Michael hires a moving company the very next day. With everything going on, I suppose we all need something to occupy ourselves with. The move seems like a nice change to our recent lives, something positive. Admittedly, I don’t have much to move in the first place, and since I’m almost never home to begin with—until recently—I’m not really attached to anything in particular. I have photos and notes, things like that, of my mom and dad. Those are important. But all of them fit in a shoebox. Not exactly the sort of thing you need a moving company for.
Still, Vincent insists that we remove all of the old furniture from my home and place it into what Michael dubbed “Angel’s Retreat.” Vincent’s plan is to buy new furniture and leave it in my old home to make it seem as if people still live there. No one will be the wiser, he says. Michael agrees with his line of thinking.
Now the real tough part: buying all the furniture for such a huge place. Everyone has their own wing to themselves, so the décor of their corner and tower is up to them. But we all have to agree on the other areas we would share. I opt myself out of the discussion as I really don’t mind. It‘s mostly Vincent and Mary arguing over what to get, anyway. Michael has mostly seemed disappointed to have our night end the way it did.
Although if I’m completely honest, my bed does look tiny in my new bedroom. I have to get a new frame and mattress, at least.
“Getting adjusted to your new surroundings?” Michael asks as he knocks on the open door to my room and walks in. “About last night…I’m sorry. It seems we can’t help but have our evening plans ruined.”
“Not interested in home decorating?” I ask. I’m curious as to how he’ll sleep now that he has his own choice. “You’re not letting Vincent pick out your room, are you? I feel uncomfortable about it just saying it out loud. If you do let him furnish your room, you know he’ll prank you.”
“I learned not to make that mistake a long time ago,” Michael answers with a soft chuckle. “I don’t really mind what he does to the rest of the house; he tends to have good taste. But I already have my wing of the house furnished. It didn’t take long to build the manor and when it was finished, I had my room stocked with things I had collected from over the years. As well as some new trappings. I don’t need much; I’d sleep on the ground if I had to. I just like to keep certain memories close at hand. I think memories define us, in a way.”
“I feel the same,” I reply with a smile. “It’s refreshing to see someone in this mansion who isn’t anchored to their material possessions. So did you have a talk with Vincent? You seemed really different last night when you spoke with him.”
“We exchanged words,” Michael explains. “He says he’s trying to find himself, and I believe him. But in the meantime, he’s acting like someone completely different. His arrogance has grown to such great heights that it dwarfs his former pride. As for the trespass he committed on our minds yesterday…I’m not wholly convinced he couldn’t control it. I think he might have been able to stop it if he’d chosen to.”
“Is this another jealousy thing?”
“No, not at all,” Michael answers immediately after my voice trails off. “I think he considers himself omnipotent now. I think he believes we can’t defend ourselves. That we need his protection. It was just him watching out for us. At least, that’s what I want to believe.”
“Is that what you felt?”
“Yes, that’s what I felt, but I can’t trust my instincts like I used to,” Michael explains. “If he absorbed even half of Cain’s power, he would be at a level so advanced…I don’t think I could detect any deceit on his behalf. But for now, we have to trust our friend. Besides, if he felt like it, he could probably listen in on this conversation we’re having now. But I doubt that; he’s still arguing with Mary about the kitchen.”
“We’ll get through this. But we’ll have to get through it together.”
“I know,” he says with a deep exhale. “With you by my side, I’m sure I can do anything.”
I blush before turning away to look out the window.
“Sure is something,” I say, trying to change the subject. “Thank goodness for the elevators. If it weren’t for them, I think it’d be murder on my knees. Every day walking all those steps…yeah, no thanks.”
We both share a laugh before Michael comes up next to me to look out the window.
“So you put up magical barriers around this whole place?” I ask inquisitively. “How did the moving people find this place, then?”
“Oh, Vincenzo handled that part,” Michael explains in greater detail. “I placed every single sigil, rune, power word, and etchings I know. No super will be able to see the manor, and humans will not see a thing at all…all Vincenzo had to do was compel some of the people that worked for him, out of his network, that is.”
Something’s been on my mind, and I decide to bring it up now. “What are our plans, Michael?” I ask without hesitation. “What are we going to do? How much more time can we afford to lose?”
“We were going to talk about that after setting this place up properly,” Michael answers as he continues to look outside the window. “The idea was to have a meeting tonight, discuss our options. But we’re afraid we might not even have that type of time left. We’re talking about leaving tonight. It’s only a possibility; we’ll see how everything ends up after we meet with Robert. Things are getting more extreme with every passing moment however. I would prepare for a departure tonight though, as that is the most likely.”
Michael shakes his head slowly before continuing, his attention still fixed on the outside.
“With the amount of money Vincenzo is throwing around, I wouldn’t be surprised if this manor is fully furnished before sundown. There are very few things a person can’t achieve with massive wealth and a vast intelligence network.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I say jokingly. “And what about my mother? Will Mary be going with us for sure?”
“Right now, I’d have to answer yes,” Michael responds with some reluctance etched on his face. “I don’t want to put anyone in that position, but it’s not like we have a choice. We only moved a dozen miles away from your original home. And while I do have magic guarding us from all manner of threats, we don’t want our new location to ever be revealed. Besides, Vincenzo has stated that she is more than powerful enough to combat any vampire we might encounter. And it’s not like we can just leave the two of you here, is it? Would that make you feel more comfortable?”
“No, I need to see everything for myself,” I affirm firmly. “It’s something I have to see through to the end. I just wish I knew what I was going to see. So we’re really heading to the Coronam, huh? And then? From there?”
Michael turns away and lowers his head. He shakes it slowly as he exhales deeply. He seems very unsure.
“I wish I knew,” he answers candidly. “Unfortunately, I don’t. I know for a fact that we will go there with one objective intact, destroying the Hela poison. This is a must for the entirety of the vampire species. Though they are a predatory species, their part in the ecosystem of the world is undeniable…they’re one of the more feared supers, and as such, they keep other, lesser supers in check. These lesser supers would run rampant if it wasn’t for the vampires. Humanity would be destroyed in the chaos…but that’s neither here nor there, really. I’d rather focus on telling you what I’m sure of at the moment. Remember the other two complexes that manufacture the Hela poison we spoke about not too long ago? We’re hitting those two facilities first, and then heading straight to the Coronam compound. We want to try to convince the other elders that Klein only works towards his own ends, but if that proves unsuccessful, combat will surely erupt.”
“But how can we go straight from the facilities to the Coronam chambers?” I ask, recalling what I was previously told. “Vincent can’t fly me there, right? If you all destroy the first two facilities, they’ll get word of it before we make it to t
hem. Then we’ll definitely lose our advantage. The Hela poison will leak out and spread.”
“Vincenzo has a plan for that as well,” Michael explains. He walks to the nearby wall and examines it as if reassuring himself of its structure. “It would seem he was busy himself. That’s why I’m bringing Robert in on this one, just in case. He’ll join us tonight, along with his most trusted; then we can discuss our plan in full detail at that point. We need this meeting to discuss how we will separate the teams and who will hit which facility. We also have to talk about backup plans, should anything go wrong. As far as getting you to the Coronam facility, we won’t be able to take the private jet anymore either. Due to the escalating dangers involved, we needed to be ready at a moment’s notice…Vincenzo stole an experimental jet from the government. It’s meant to handle the pressures one would encounter during long distance space travel. I’ve looked over it myself; it seems more than up to accomplishing the job. It was meant to be used to send astronauts over to Mars at speeds that haven’t been recorded yet. Not by humans.”
“We’re thieves now? Vincent just took the thing?”
“No, it was only borrowed,” Michael replies carefully. “We gave the government a nice rental deposit, and the jet is only meant to protect you from the speed at which Vincent flies. He’ll be carrying the jet with you inside it. Luckily, the two facilities are not that far away from the Coronam’s main chambers. We’ll have Vincenzo carry you, Mary, and Robert and his slayers inside the jet nearby the main Coronam complex. Vincenzo and I have to be on separate teams for taking the facilities. Mary volunteered to protect the jet while we accomplish our mission. We’ll have to see what Robert feels most comfortable doing when he arrives. You may be best waiting alongside Mary, however…”
“I know I can’t do much, but I want to help as best as I can,” I plead my case. “Even if I’m just an extra set of eyes. I can’t just sit around in a stolen jet while you and Vincent fight an entire facility’s worth of bad guys.”
“It’s just as I said before, you are very useful to this team,” Michael reassures me. “Your powers as a keeper might just be what we need. Now that Cain has proven that it is indeed a keeper ability to hide one’s presence from the supernatural community, we believe it might be used to protect the presence of those around them as well.”
“You really think so?”
“Yes, indeed,” he says immediately. “It would certainly explain why we’ve only run into such a small amount of supers. It makes perfect sense. If you didn’t conceal my identity, then the Coronam hit squads that usually chase me would have found me right away, and you as a bonus. I suppose it’s a natural, evolutionary survival method that keepers have learned to protect their loved ones, which makes placing you on a team an extremely important decision. If we keep you by the jet, no one will detect Mary’s presence. We will also be able to communicate telepathically, as we did before through Vincenzo. You’d be a lookout for us; you’d be able to spy on the Coronam complex without being in direct danger. Vincenzo has gone over the area with a fine-toothed comb…you’ll be safe.”
“Why not just have Vincent bring my mother, I mean Mary, in on our little telepathic thing?”
“Vincenzo is concerned that Klein might still have some sort of power over her,” Michael says with a slight wince. “He’s tried as best as he can, but he won’t know for certain until Mary confronts Klein in person. Anyway, these are just some key elements to our plan. We’ll know everything for sure when we all meet up later on tonight. Rest well though; time is really our greatest enemy here.”
I shake my head sadly. I feel Michael’s hand place itself gently on my shoulder. His warm hands run their way through the back of my neck and up my hair. He winds a lock around his finger for a moment, then lets it go. He pauses a moment, then excuses himself and leaves.
At least now I know I have a purpose, a function on this team. I don’t feel like such a weak link anymore. But how would I go about acting with this new information? And whose team should I go with? Could my mother truly be a traitor?
I shake my head violently, trying to shake off my thoughts. I have a lot to prepare for. I just have no idea what to do. I decide it’s far too much to take in. I close my bedroom door and plop myself on the bed. Maybe a nap would help still my thoughts…at least for now.
But things must be dangerous if Bobby is willing to endanger his most trusted slayer brethren. My head begins swirling with all these thoughts and worries, and as usual, before I know it, I’m asleep.
I awake to the knocking on my bedroom door. The huge room gives almost all sound a thunderous echo. And to think, I haven’t even explored any of the other parts of my “wing.”
“I’m coming,” I say, mildly frustrated, in the direction of the door. “Just please, stop knocking. I have a bad headache.”
“Wakey, wakey,” I hear Vincent’s voice come from the other side of the door. “Get yourself dressed and meet us in the main hall. Bobby is here and we’ve got a lot of things to talk about.”
“Yeah, all right.”
I rush to the bathroom and splash water on my face. I slept much longer than I’d wanted to, but I suppose I needed it. I quickly change clothing and almost sprint to the lodge, where I see everyone waiting. Although Michael had told me of Bobby’s role in this, it’s still something to see. A vampire hunter working with not one, but two vampires. On top of all of that, Michael must have instilled a lot of trust in these slayers. Bobby is here with seven others, really an unexpected turnout.
“Ah, now that we’re all here,” Vincent says smugly as he looks at my direction. “I think I don’t need to go over the finer details. I will be the first to say that I don’t really like new school vamps, I’m much more old school. These new vampires have no respect for the way things are done, and I’d like to just take them all out. But we can’t really do that; they’ll just instill a younger, much dumber Coronam in place. So we’re best off dealing with the evil we know and all that. Thoughts?”
Vincent takes his time as he looks around the room. Michael clears his throat before standing up.
“I’d like to thank the slayers for their attendance here,” Michael says politely. “Not even members of my species would answer my call. I’m happy to see we can all respect how extremely dangerous this situation is. In thanks to that, I’d like to keep Robert and your kinsmen as far away from danger as possible.”
Bobby nods his head before turning to look at the expression of his family members.
“Mike, I gotta tell ya, I ain’t liking this one bit,” Bobby announces as he eyes my mother. “This thing here could blow up in all of our faces, make us all look foolish. But we ain’t fast on forgetting favors. My family owes ya’ll a big heap, and we pay our dues. Even though, I still think you’re damned crazy walking into that place without an army.”
“We’ll just have to use our notoriety to our advantage,” Michael replies calmly. He truly is the archetypal battlefield general: brave, powerful and impressive. “From what Vincenzo learned, there’s nothing but fledglings up there, minus the council itself. It seems the Coronam is too afraid to gather up older vampires in numbers. They fear revolt. We’ll give them what they want: peace. It might not even come to blows.”
“After I rip out Klein’s heart,” Vincent quickly adds. “I do that, the entire group is going to be shaking in their little fashionable boots. We could even control the Coronam if we wished, but I’d recommend against that. That would lead only to a nice and bloody vampire revolt in the future. Nah, I say we take out Klein and then the council will be much more agreeable. And just think, Bobby, when the word gets out that slayers had a hand in this? Are you kidding? No vampire is going to want to mess with you and your family.”
Bobby nods his head slowly. Behind him, his kin mutter in agreement.
“So what’s the plan then?” Bobby asks after he assures himself that all of his slayer family is in.
“That’s what we’re her
e to talk about,” Michael says casually. “Vincenzo and I have to take out a facility each before we get to the Coronam. You’ve been briefed on the entire plan, really. You all just have to make a choice as to who stays, and who goes where and with whom. I can respect your decisions any which way.”
“I’m afraid I ain’t too fond of letting Ms. Mary here stay with the jet all by her lonesome,” Bobby admits. “Apologies and all. But if it’s like Vincent said, we ain’t gotta reason to be trusting her. She was Klein’s, she might still be his to control. My kin and I stay with Mary ‘til the business with you two is over.”
“I can understand that,” Mary answers with a bow of her head. “I thank you for your honesty.”
Vincent looks around the room before pouring himself a drink.
“When we’re done, we’ll need you to stay with the jet anyway. So perhaps we’re better off Bobby,” Vincent replies as he scratches his forehead. “This way, we know our getaway vehicle is safe and sound and your slayers get to ash any runners from the facility. The vampires won’t be able to detect you; I’m not putting the jet too close to the main chambers. And if all goes well and we finish the first two real fast-like, no one will know we’re coming for them until it’s too late. That is, unless we completely screw the pooch at the first two facilities.”
“Yes, unfortunately we can’t leave anything to chance,” Michael says sorrowfully. “We’ll have to kill every super in the first two facilities. If we don’t, we risk them finding out we neutralized the poison and they’ll just call up their masters. The Hela poison will be distributed by the time we make it to the Coronam compound.”
“Wait, you’re just going to kill everyone in there?” I ask, as if I didn’t just hear what I did. I never thought Michael would speak in such a way. “I thought this meeting was to discuss whether we should act or not. Now it’s turned into a full out assassination mission? Not everyone in there can be working because they want to. There have to be some supers that were bullied into doing this.”
“My, my, she does have the open and golden heart, don’t she?” Bobby asks as he shakes his head.
“I didn’t come to this decision lightly,” Michael defends his position. “I thought about that and much more, Liz. Things have been changing literally by the hour…and Robert brought us a lot of information we didn’t have. We looked at other options. We even considered sneaking in, but that’s impossible. To neutralize the poison, we have to literally kill it by exposing it to Vincenzo’s blood. Then it will explode in a loud, violent burst. In Klein’s arrogance he failed to notice that the Hela crystals are actually alive. They were taught to only destroy vampires, but eventually, they’ll be fatal to everything and anything they touch. This is not a creature born naturally. This is an abomination created by Klein’s lust for power. It’s very existence endangers the balance”
“I was never told about this,” I answer weakly. “Why am I just hearing this now?”
“We didn’t know until Bobby saw the crystals,” Vincent answers. “He was able to see something we couldn’t. The slayers evolved to kill supers, remember? Well, these things were just as foreign to Michael and me as they were to you or any other vampire who saw them. But the slayers knew this was a new kind of super, they could feel it and the danger it posed. Their discovery only made our burden much heavier. We have to go tonight.”
That answers one of my questions…we have to go right now. This is much more serious than we’d thought before. I look back at last night with Michael fondly. This could be my last day as me. This even could be my last day alive. But this whole genocidal approach seems wrong. At the very least, it was hypocritical.
“So you’re just going to snuff out a life form because it’s dangerous?” I ask Michael in near outrage. “That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think? How many dangerous life forms do you allow to live because of the balance?”
“This is completely different,” Michael explains softly. “In our world, there is always one species to keep another in check. Even my kind, meant to police over all supers, can be killed by other supers. But there is literally nothing that can kill or endanger these crystalline parasites. These things could be the start of a lethal pandemic, and with the way it evolves so rapidly, nothing would survive. The Hela poison was never meant to exist.”
I hear what he’s explaining to me. It makes sense in my head. But my heart can’t help but feel hypocrisy. Why do the vampires deserve to live but not these crystal creatures? I don’t know what to think anymore.
Until I remember Vincent on my kitchen counter. I guess Michael is right. After all, the next person that could be victimized by the poison might be my mother. Mom, unlike Vincent, wasn’t sixteen hundred years old; the initial dosage would probably kill her. Everything in the world behind the curtain is born to live and serve a purpose. But the Hela poison was created by a lunatic bent on world domination. It was a misguided act by a person trying to harness the power of a god…
“So, Liz, have you made a choice as to where you’re going?” Michael asks me, pulling me away from my thoughts.
“I’ve been racking my brain, trying to decide,” I explain candidly. “How far away do you plan to park that jet, Vincent? Will they be able to detect Mary at the distance you’re planning? And where the hell are they, anyway?”
“They’re in Romania,” Vincent explains with a chuckle. “Pretty good joke actually, don’t you think? They have facilities all over the world and move around every few decades, but they find the irony of Romania hysterical. Think about it. Everyone thinks about Dracula or Vlad the Impaler and they immediately think Transylvania. It’s a little inside joke they amuse themselves with, the cocky bastards. They think it’s real funny too. We’ll see how funny it is.”
I look to my right as I see Bobby’s eyes examine Vincent carefully. No one in this room, other than me of course, knows the personal vendetta that Vincent has for the Coronam. I hope no one suspects Vincent of anything sinister because of his demeanor, because honestly, he’s intimidating even to me right now. But I know his secret; no one else does. I look at Michael, hoping to find a brighter expression, but he’s deep in thought as well.
“So… Romania,” I say awkwardly to break the silence. “That’s pretty…clever, I guess? All right, so I got the plan so far. My mother and I, Bobby and his slayers, we all ride in the jet. The jet gets carried somehow by Vincent as he flies through the air at his crazy speeds. I can’t believe I’m ingesting all of this as normal, but I really want to know. How is Michael getting overseas?”
Vincent laughs knowingly as he turns to Michael and motions for him to explain.
“I’m just going to run across the ocean,” Michael says calmly as if this were a simple run-of-the-mill type of thing. “My werewolf form is pretty fast…”
“You’re running across the ocean? Of course you are. Why’d I ask? Silly question,” I say to myself as I furrow my brow.
The rest of the room bursts into a flurry of questions.
“Wait a second though you guys,” I say hoping to ease my confusion. “If you have Vincent flying at supersonic speeds and Michael running fast enough that he can run on the water, won’t that cause a colossal tidal wave?”
“Although we are classified by humans as supernatural, there is nothing supernatural about our abilities,” Michael explains softly as the rest of the room continues in their uproar. “We were just born this way, all of us are a part of nature. We all serve a purpose to the balance. I suppose you could say human science doesn’t apply to us as we work outside conventional human rules. Keep in mind, magic or something supernatural in this case, is just a science that can’t be explained yet. I’m sure there’s a scientific reason why our speeds don’t hurt the world around us, I just don’t know it yet.”
Michael smiles at me in an effort to comfort me before turning back to the rest of the group. My head is spinning trying to soak in all this information, but I understand some of what he’s
saying. Everyone in the room though, is still very unsure about the whole thing and the questions haven’t slowed down at all.
I pull a pen out of my pocket and try to find some scratch paper in the confusion. I find a nice looking antique lamp sitting on a small round table with a drawer. On the tabletop there’s a phone and a notepad next to it. I write my intended message to Michael, explaining my choice. I have faith in Michael and Vincent, I know they have the ability to handle their own. But Vincent’s demeanor, his recent encounter with Cain, and the fact that we’re dealing with some “Izzy” issues here mean I have to keep an eye on him. I cough as I ball up the paper, trying to be sneaky. I hope Vincent didn’t notice. I give it a while before I even think of giving it to Michael.
“I’m going with Vincent,” I say as a matter of fact. The room gets eerily quiet as if to let me speak. “So far, all we know is that the Hela poison works against vampires. If, by any chance, Vincent gets stuck again, I’m going to have to be there to pull the pieces out as quickly as I can. If the Hela poison is as bad as you say it is, it could already be hurting werewolves, and maybe even slayers.”
“Oh, Izzy, I didn’t know you cared,” Vincent says with a smug look on his face and a huge helping of sarcasm in his tone. “It’s all settled then. Any bitches, moans or other concerns?”
Vincent turns his head and waits for anyone to speak up. Michael is still deep in thought and Bobby has already started talking to his boys about what he wants his “formation” to look like. Mary, Mom, whatever I call her, she’s twiddling with her hair nervously.
“It’s going to be okay,” I say as I approach her. “Trust me; these guys are pretty awesome when they feel like it.”
“I know,” she answers as her eyes open wide. “It’s just; I really don’t know how I feel about going back there. A part of me really wants to. Another part never wants to see that place again. And there’s more there than just a place…”
Uh-oh. I’ve been thinking about this for a while but never brought it up. I’m not even sure if I should ask her to continue, but she obviously wants to talk about it.
“You had a child there, right?” I ask openly. I hear Michael’s neck crack as he turns to face me. I’m sure he’s thinking now is not the time to ask.
“Yes, yes I did,” she answers with shame on her face. “A son. I want to be clear with you on something, Lizzy, I never wanted this. I refused Klein for years. But eventually, I gave in. I still don’t know why. I suppose I just gave up on being happy. But your half-brother, his name is Simon…he’s nothing like you. It all happened so very fast…and Simon grew to adulthood in weeks. The birth was painless; it just wasn’t natural, if I think about it. I was only pregnant about a week. The whole ordeal was very strange. I don’t want that for you, Lizzy. I’ve always wanted you to grow up normally, and you did, without me. I wanted you to find a man, have a good life. Give me some grandkids…I know how you feel about these two, and I don’t know if I can support you if you decide to actually be with one of them.”
“Woah, Mom, we’re getting really ahead of ourselves here,” I say, trying to slow her down. “I care about them. They’ve done a lot for me, both of them. And the thing is, Mom, we never really had the choice to be normal. We’re part of the hidden world most people consider supernatural or paranormal. And think about it like this—it’s how I’ve come to look at it. There are so many things that would have killed us just for being a keeper and we would have never known why we were being hurt. Bobby seems like a really great man, but I’m sure his kind would have a problem with keepers…we can’t run from who we are.”
“No, I suppose we can’t,” she says reluctantly. “We can only hope to be better. You’ve grown up good, girl. I’m very proud of you. Just be careful, okay? And about Simon…there’s something evil about that boy. I hate to say it as he’s my child. But I knew it from the moment he took his first steps and started talking…there’s very little good in that boy.”
“I’m sure the guys can handle it,” I answer in a carefree manner. “You’ll see, really. It’s going to be fine.”
“Sweetie, I just want you to be safe,” she explains. “I don’t know why you insist on going, but since you do, that means I have to go too. And I’m not worried about Simon hurting the boys; I’m worried about him coming after you. He has an unnatural jealousy of you. His mean streak is just cruel and sadistic; he wants to hurt you, honey.”
“Well, we won’t let that happen,” Vincent says as he comes up from behind me. “Do I have your permission to kill the boy?”
“Vincent!” I exclaim in surprise. “What kind of cold-hearted question is that?!”
“If he tries to hurt Lizzy, you do whatever is necessary to prevent it,” Mary says without hesitation.
I’m starting to see it now. My mother is technically standing in front of me. But she’s not plain old Mom anymore. I think I was just turning a blind eye to it on a subconscious level…I didn’t want to see how the pain and torture of life at Klein’s hands had changed her.
“I’ll do whatever it takes, I will protect her with my life, you have my word,” Vincent says with a short bow of his head. “And if need be, I’ll make it as quick and painless as I can for the boy.”
My jaw drops at the cold nature of this conversation. He’s a stranger, but he’s still my half-brother. Kinda.
I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. Its gentle touch is familiar, and I recognize it immediately. I turn to face Michael and bury my face into his chest. I subtly place the paper ball with the note I wrote earlier in his hand.
“It’s okay,” Michael assures me. “Remember, you’re the anchor. You’ve got to keep it together, all right? You’ll do fine. This will all be over before you know it and we can go back to living like a sitcom family.”
“I was thinking we were more like a trashy reality TV show,” Vincent adds. “Think about it. We have two vampires, a werewolf, and a prissy little princess keeper. That’s ratings, baby.”
It’s nice to hear Vincent’s sarcasm. It means he’s back on track to becoming himself again. It feels better than usual when I slap him.
He just smiles and gives me a mock roar. Mary looks at me in shock. I suppose to her, she can’t imagine anyone getting away with slapping Vincent. Well, I guess it’s just one of the perks of being me…one of the very few.
“Come on, folks,” Vincent says as he looks at his fancy watch before taking it off. “I suggest you make your final arrangements; we’ve got to get going. They’ve had more than enough time already.”
I nod to myself as I notice Michael reading my note out of the corner of my eye.
“How long is the trip going to be?” I ask out of curiosity. “What’s this going to be, five thousand miles or something like that?”
“Don’t really know how far away it is,” Vincent admits with a puzzled look. “I never really cared to record distances before. You’ll be there before you know it, though, no exaggeration. Just make sure you’re buckled inside the jet after I tap the roof. It’s going to be a real big jump and then an abrupt stop. I’ll try to make it as smooth as I can, but I can’t promise anything.”
I look at Michael in concern. What kind of speeds are we talking about, here? Even if the jet can take the speed, won’t Bobby and I get jostled badly in the cockpit?
“He’s teasing, you’ll be fine,” Michael assures me with a rub to my shoulder. “We’ve gone through the flight twice already. Just ease up and rest in the chair, don’t tense up. You’ll be fine.”
I nod my head and follow Vincent, who is already leading Bobby and the rest of the slayers outside. When I come out of the manor, I see the “borrowed” jet. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie. It’s black and shaped like an arrowhead. It also looks very thin for a jet. Could it really fit all of us? Vincent opens up the cockpit after jumping up on the jet’s top. The slayers and Mary all jump up to climb in to the cockpit.
I’m now starting to feel rea
lly self-conscious. Did they forget I can’t do that?
“Need a lift?” Michael asks me. He’s been behind me this entire time and I didn’t even notice. He really startled me.
“Yeah, it seems like everyone forgot that I don’t have any powers,” I whine a little in frustration.
Michael smiles at me and carries me in his large, powerful arms. He leaps effortlessly next to Vincent and places me down gently before helping me in to the cockpit. Michael then looks over to Vincent and nods.
“All right then,” Vincent begins. “This is your captain speaking, I just got the go ahead from the field crew and we’ll be taking off shortly. Your flight today is going to be approximately less than a minute, so do not, I repeat do not, try to look out the windows at all the pretty sights. You will throw up. I’m not kidding. Everyone ready?”
Jeez…just what have I gotten myself involved in now? Maybe I should’ve stayed behind. But I couldn’t, not really. I shake my head as I try to relax in the chair they left free for me. There weren’t many chairs here, not nearly enough for all of us. The poor slayers and Mary had to pretty much just hold on. They let Bobby sit down next to me, though, which is nice and respectful of them.
“I ever tell ya I hate flying?” Bobby asks with a smile as he straps himself in. “Can’t stand it. It’s just not natural. Then again, what the hell is natural anymore these days? I hope your vampire dreamboat over there knows what the hell he’s doin’ or this is gonna be one real short trip.”
Vincent shuts the cockpit and checks it to make sure it’s safely secured. From one of the windows I can see Michael transform into his large wolf form. It’s always amazing to see him do that, like something out of a movie. With my vision fixed on Michael, I don’t even notice the jet lift up and off the ground. But before I know it, we’re above the mansion. And then it’s gone.
Vincent wasn’t kidding either. I’m thinking about how I could possibly defend myself if I get attacked in the facility, and before I even manage to run through one scenario, the jet is being placed softly on the ground. Vincent pops open the cockpit and smiles as he looks down. He reaches in and pulls me up. He nods towards Michael, who is still in his werewolf form.
The slayers and Mary all jump out of the jet and land next to Michael like a big group of gigantic cats. This whole trip has been more than a little humbling. They’re all so powerful.
Michael looks up at me and nods, his jade green eyes just as bright as ever.
“We’ll try to be quick,” Vincent says as he looks around at the group and then finally at Michael. “This is going to be the rally point. If something happens, meet back here no matter what. Since Izzy is going with me, I have to take the jet again. Bobby, I know I don’t have to tell you this, but keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel. We’re deep in their territory now. I’d recommend a “shoot first; ask questions later” type of approach here.”
“Yeah, you’re right, ya didn’t have to tell me,” Bobby answers gruffly as his boys set up a perimeter. “Ya do your end as quick as possible. We’re gonna be fanning out, make sure no bloodsucker gets the drop on us. Hey Mikey boy, ya going to run through town like that?”
“No, I wasn’t planning to,” Michael answers in a much deeper voice than normal. I notice he has a slight gravelly sound to his voice in his wolf form too, it’s almost raspy. “We don’t need any sightings; there are a few towns along the way to my target. I’m phasing into my hybrid form soon as I get close to the facility though.”
“So what, you’re just going to run around naked? Looking like a human?” Bobby asks in surprise. “That’s pretty noticeable too, there, slick. You’re not exactly a small guy either.”
“No, I’m going as a regular sized wolf,” Michael answers, almost as if he’s asking Bobby.
“There’s a problem with that too,” Bobby says knowingly. “They have a real wolf problem here. If they see ya, they is shooting ya. Understand me?”
“I guess I can’t let them see me then,” Michael answers as he effortlessly transforms into a much smaller version of a wolf. “If we get a sighting or a story about a wolf going faster than a plane, we’ll have to hope it’s dismissed as a drunken urban legend”
Bobby nods as he cocks his rifle and then straps it to his back. He pulls out a wicked-looking knife.
“Ready?” Vincent asks me patiently as he notices Michael leaving. “We don’t have all day here, Goldilocks.”
“Yeah, of course, sure,” I reply back as I grab onto Vincent’s arm. “Help me down please.”
“But of course,” he answers me as he lowers me into the cockpit without any effort. “Hang tight, we’ll be there in a jiffy. I’ll take it slower though. I haven’t planned this trip out yet. I wouldn’t know where to start slowing down so your guts don’t explode all over the place.”
“Really reassuring,” I say nervously.
“Hey relax, it’s me,” Vincent assures me with a smile as he closes the cockpit. He smiles at me before picking up the jet.
And once again, before I know it, we‘re somewhere else. But this place has wrong written all over it.
In front of me stands what seems like an old factory. But it is literally in the middle of nowhere. No roads to be seen. This must be the place.
“Ready?” Vincent asks me as he helps me to the ground.
“Not really,” I confess with a slight stammer. “But that doesn’t make much difference, does it?”
“Nope,” Vincent says with a shake of his head. “Just try to stay behind me. And let me know if you see anything out of the ordinary. Oh, and I got this from Bobby.”
He hands me what looks like a modified pistol. I recognize the etchings on it as the slayer emblem.
“It’s kind of like a computer mouse,” Vincent says with a soft laugh. “You just point and click. I don’t know how much kick it has, but Bobby recommended it. Hopefully you won’t need it.”
“I’ve never used a gun before, I’ve never even held one,” I announce nervously. Just holding the thing makes me very uneasy.
“That makes two of us,” Vincent says as he walks his way to the gate of the factory. “Seriously though, I’ve got you, okay? You won’t get in any situation where you’ll need that. It’s just an ‘in case’ kind of thing.”
I nod quickly and swallow hard to try to flush my fears away. I know Vincent is serious and I know he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I just don’t know if I am ready for what’s inside that factory.
I wasn’t…