Tears of No Return

by David Bernstein

  Morgan had the whole blackboard thing going on, but she’d managed to sneak into his mind a few times before he got it up. She saw how he genuinely worried about her. Even without the mind reading it was obvious how much he cared. He didn’t want to lose her. Karen felt a little guilty for prying, but was relieved to have seen his intentions.

  Another hour passed. As Karen began to stretch, a black town car pulled into the lot. It was followed by two identical looking sedans and a large black Dodge Sprinter van. The agents had returned. Morgan’s theory was correct. Karen felt her pulse quicken as fresh sweat pooled at her hairline. She began her breathing exercises again, quickly getting herself under control.

  A pair of agents exited from each sedan. They were dressed in identical black suits and had short, cropped hair, as if they had all come off the same assembly line. Two men guarded the back entrance while two more circled to the front of the bar and out of Karen’s view. The remaining pair stood at the back of the black van.

  The Sprinter’s rear doors opened and Agent McKlintock jumped out. He wore a black suit like the other agents and a pair of dark sunglasses. Karen’s stomach churned when she saw him, remembering how easily he had killed Melanie.

  Taking in the whole picture, Karen saw dark splotches, like old oil-stains, on the pavement. Realizing what they were, she stiffened. They were the only evidence of the previous night’s crime.

  Three men exited the van, each dressed in white Hazmat suits, only their faces visible.

  “I want every inch of this place covered,” McKlintock barked. “Start here.” He pointed to a stain. “Take samples. Hair, blood, skin, whatever. If it looks like it’s from a living creature, I want it.” He began walking back to the truck, then paused. “You’ve got two hours and then I want this place scrubbed clean. Make it look like nothing ever happened here.”

  Karen dove into his head and began reading his thoughts as the man continued toward the truck. McKlintock was angry, hoping a blood sample could be found from Karen. If not, he would have to switch his priority to finding the spaceship, which was something he didn’t want to do. Icy climates were not his thing. Karen lost the connection when the agent disappeared into the van. Damn. Forgetting about McKlintock, she connected with one of the men combing the lot for forensic evidence.

  The agent held a scanning device, something resembling a handheld vacuum. She heard the man thinking about hair, that he had found one. He took out a pair of tweezers from a pouch slung over his shoulder, picked up the hair and placed it into a tube.

  As Karen continued to watch, she heard numerous words come across the agent’s mind: blood, bile, glass, chicken, semen, bird shit, and flesh. Each time the man thought a word he stopped and carefully collected a sample.

  Connecting to another agent, Karen noticed he was performing a different task. Producing a small bottle filled with some kind of liquid substance, he placed a drop onto what looked like a giant Q-tip and then proceeded to dab at the blood stains. Like the man collecting samples, the agent placed the Q-tip into a small vial. He continued with his task, thinking very little to himself. Before long, the man had collected blood and small pieces of flesh and bone. Morgan had said he’d cleaned up the place, but guessed that the things left behind were something only a forensic specialist would find.

  The men were clearly looking for traces of Karen. She hadn’t been injured, nor cried in the parking lot. The agents would find nothing from her, leaving McKlintock frustrated. Karen smiled, feeling a small but important flicker of satisfaction in the victory.

  She linked with the different forensic people as they all performed the same task, collecting anything human in origin. As time went by, she grew more and more confident that she’d be fine. No one had even glanced in her direction, and she was beginning to feel truly invisible. Occasionally, McKlintock would show, ask for status reports, and then return to the vehicle. Karen received nothing of importance from him.

  Her back tightened. Needing to stretch, she sat, taking her eyes from the scene. Pins and needles raced through her legs, making her want to cry out. Damn, she should’ve shifted her weight around more. Staying statuesque had its price. She began gently prodding her legs, trying to get the feeling back into them.

  “Over here,” someone yelled. “I’ve got something.”

  “Shit,” she whispered. She was missing the action. She began massaging her legs forcefully, the sensation agonizing, but she gritted through.

  “What is it?” asked McKlintock.

  The agents had found something important, and Karen was temporarily out of commission. They continued speaking, but their voices were lower now and she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She got up again, kneeling this time, grabbing the tree next to her for balance. Focusing in, she saw McKlintock. He was holding a piece of white paper. The man began glancing around, nervously. Karen immediately linked up with him.

  The letter was threatening in nature. It warned the agents to leave the area quickly before it was too late. Vampire Nation agents would be returning to the scene to clean up the mess one of their own had made. The vampire that attacked the agents was a loner and dealt with by the sun’s rays.

  McKlintock pulled his eyes from the note. Karen could almost see the gears working in his head. He and his men would have to gather up the equipment and leave. A glance at his watch—it was only half past one. Still plenty of time to continue with the task at hand. Looking at the note again, McKlintock read on.

  The agent found the next part of the letter confusing and odd; the handwritten letter asking the reader if they knew where the main headquarters for the Vampire Nation was located. New York City was the answer that came to agent McKlintock, although where he didn’t know. Then the letter became stranger, asking if the reader knew where he was going, followed by the question: where is your base located? And, what roads do you travel to get there? Do you like country or city life better? In closing, the letter informed McKlintock that a multitude of weaponry was pointing at him and his agents as he was reading. Again the man glanced around. He was nervous and pissed off, looking to see if he noticed any figures with guns pointing in his direction. He saw none, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.

  “We’re leaving,” he told the other agents.

  Karen watched as the crew gathered their things, packed them into the truck, and drove away. Letting out a breath, she sat back, stretching her arms and legs. A minute later Morgan was standing by her side.

  “Did you get anything?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, thanks.” She held out her arm and Morgan grabbed it, helping her to her feet.

  “I know you are,” he told her, his tone serious. “Did you read anything from them?”

  “Something about a letter. It was really strange.”

  Morgan smiled.

  “I know,” he said. “I planted it there. I wanted them to believe the Vampire Nation was involved, throw them off our trail and at the same time find out where they’re heading; where The Murphy Unit base is located.”

  “You what? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’ll explain everything when we’re in the car, okay?”

  Karen held up a hand in protest. “I’m not going anywhere until you explain yourself.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought it was for the best. But the important thing is, did you get any names or places when he read the letter?”

  “Yeah, lots. Names and places.”

  “Good,” Morgan told her, reaching for her arms and trying to unfold them. “I promise to explain in the car, but we need to move. They’ll be back with a sweep team, more prepared and armed to the hilt. They weren’t ready to deal with vampires, but when they come back, they will be.”

  Karen remained steadfast for a moment. She was pissed that he hadn’t let her in on everything. She’d trusted him, thought they were a team on equal ground. Knowing they needed to leave, she decided to drop it for now.

  “Fine,” she said,
“I’ll leave with you, but I’m mad.” She sounded like a child, but that was all right with her, because her inner kid was angry.

  “Can you at least let me know where we’re heading?” she asked as they stepped from the woods.

  Karen dusted herself off as she walked to the car. “We need to find a library with Internet access.”

  Starting the engine, Morgan said, “Now, tell me everything you heard.”

  Chapter 24

  Karen and Morgan drove to the Washingtonville Town Library, a small antique building built in 1888, with green ivy crawling up gray stone walls. Inside, the place was like any other library, with computers toward the back. Only one of the half dozen was in use by a young boy. Morgan sat in front of the computer that was farthest from him. Karen took the chair from the terminal next to Morgan’s.

  “Can you tell me why you felt it necessary to lie to me?” She spoke calmly even though her insides burned with anger.

  “I will, but first let’s take care of business.” Morgan called up the Google search screen. “What names did you hear when McKlintock read the question about the base’s location?”

  Karen knew this wasn’t the time, but she needed to know why Morgan decided not to tell her about the note. She’d completely trusted him and now she no longer could. “I’m not talking until you answer me.” She leaned back in her chair.

  Morgan turned to her and, in a serious tone, said, “Give me the names and I’ll show you what we’re doing.”

  “No.”

  “We don’t have time for this. We need to move fast.” He looked Karen in the eyes and she felt spellbound again, like when she was in the bar. Confused, she could only stare at him. Then she began focusing her thoughts, realizing Morgan was using his vampiric powers to entrance her. Shaking her head, she fought back, staring into his eyes. She saw a fire there now, an anger, but also a longing. Morgan was onto something and he didn’t want to explain himself. He just wanted things done his way. But still, why the deception?

  “Without me you have nothing,” Karen said. She didn’t want to waste time, especially if each passing moment was as important as Morgan stressed. But she demanded that he look at her as an equal; to respect her and fill her in on all the details, relevant or not. And if he wouldn’t give that to her, then she would have to force his hand.

  Morgan closed his eyes, clearly frustrated. “I almost always work alone. I’m not used to trusting anyone and I figured the less you knew the better.”

  “I’m not some little girl. And don’t give me that crap about me not being able to handle myself, because I can. Do you know what I’ve been through in the last forty-eight hours?”

  “I know you’ve been through a lot,” Morgan said. “But I’ve got a few years on you in that department. When I do something, it’s for a good reason.”

  “Fair enough, but this is a partnership, and I’m here to do whatever I have to. I’m not some prissy little thing that needs tenderness. I want to be included in everything from now on or I’ll do this on my own.” As if slapped, she was startled by her own words, and not totally sure she believed in them herself; because she needed Morgan’s help. But she had to be strong-willed, let this man think she’d leave him in a second if she had to. It was a bluff, but one that needed to be played.

  Morgan smiled, his face showing true joy. “Deal,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’ll include you in on everything from now on unless of course it’s a last minute decision. And sometimes I roll without a plan.”

  “You’re stubborn, but as long as we understand each other…” Karen trailed off.

  “I left the note for a number of reasons. I needed them to think the Vampire Nation was involved.”

  “And they are…?”

  “A group of old and powerful vampires that decided things in the vampire community needed to change. They set rules for my former kind and keep order; at least for the most part. They can’t be everywhere at once, but they try. Kind of like the police, they do so much, but they can’t do everything. Anyway, let the Murphy people worry about them for a while.”

  Karen nodded.

  “Second, I needed those agents out of there and what better way to threaten them than with images of armed VDGs pointing high-powered rifles at them.”

  “VDGs?” Karen parroted.

  “Vampire Day Guardians.”

  “Why would the Murphy people believe what was written in the note?” Karen asked. “Vampires can’t be out in the sunlight?”

  “No, they can’t, and I apologize. I forgot how much you don’t know about them. Most vampires, especially groups like the Vampire Nation, use humans as guardians during the daylight hours. Hence the VDG: highly trained humans, jacked up on a synthetic drug that heightens their reaction time and aids in healing.”

  “What human would agree to that?”

  “Mercenaries getting paid a bundle of money, or humans looking to prove themselves, wishing to become vampires. Overuse of the drug leads to premature death, burns the body out.” Morgan paused, his face serious. “Look, there’s a whole other world out there and I’d love to talk to you about it, but we really need to move with this. Time is critical.”

  Karen was fascinated to learn about this other world. She wanted to know more and had a hundred questions in her head, but Morgan was right. Now wasn’t the time. She needed to focus again, keep her mind on the task at hand.

  “Names and places?” she asked.

  “Like you told me earlier,” Morgan said, turning back to the computer screen. “Ask someone a question and even if they don’t want to answer aloud, they will think about it.”

  “Walter Road in Kingston,” Karen said, remembering the words McKlintock had thought. “There was also a red barn and a field surrounded by a high chain-link fence. It’s like whatever he thought, I saw the words that made up the images, or maybe I just saw the images. I’m still getting to know myself.”

  “Your ability is amazing,” Morgan said as he began typing a web address in the search window. “It makes sense though when you think about it. What are images after all but a jumble of atoms held together creating things we see, taste, and touch. Things we have names for. What would someone call a red barn without the word red in their vocabulary? Fascinating stuff, Karen.”

  “It truly is.”

  “And you’re sure about the road’s name?”

  “Yes, positive. And you’re lucky I have a good memory. Another reason to fill me in on what I’m looking for.”

  “Okay, okay. I get it,” Morgan said jokingly as he clicked the ‘go’ button. Within seconds, the Map-locater.com page popped up. He typed in ‘Walter Road’ and ‘Kingston, New York’ before pressing enter on the keyboard.

  A map of Kingston came into view, but no Walter Road was found.

  Together, the two searched the screen, following the multitude of lines, blues and reds, intersecting like pieces of discarded yarn. Morgan zoomed the map in and out. After an hour of searching, neither he nor Karen found the place.

  “Are you sure it was ‘Walter’ and not ‘Water’ or ‘Walker’?” Morgan asked, frustrated.

  “I’m sure. I hear people’s thoughts as clearly as if they’d spoken them aloud. It’s as if I can see a picture of whatever the person’s thinking. We’ve looked over this thing enough already. It must be a new or very old road. Dirt maybe. One that never made it onto the map. Let’s head up there and ask around. Someone is bound to know where it is.”

  “Do you know how large of an area this is?” Morgan said, pointing to the map.

  “No, but the base is located on farmland. That should help narrow our search.

  Morgan shook his head.

  “There are thousands of acres of farmland in Kingston. Believe it or not, most of New York State is open field and forest.”

  Karen saw how frustrated Morgan was getting and felt herself growing discouraged, as well. They had this one chance to find out where the agents were going to be and had used
it. They wouldn’t get another. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

  “You’re right,” Morgan agreed, his tone suddenly upbeat. He stood up. “Time to get going.”

  “Where?”

  “To Kingston. We’ll take the Thruway and hope we run into them.” Morgan clicked off of the Internet.

  “Run into them?” Karen asked, her eyebrows knitting together. “You mean follow them?”

  “Sort of,” Morgan said, wiping a hand through his hair. “They’ll be sending an assault team back to the bar, hopefully leaving a lot less armed men at the base.”

  Karen stood the followed Morgan as he walked toward the exit. He was planning on entering the base. That seemed like suicide. No planning. No thoughts.

  Outside, as they were about to get into the car, Karen stopped.

  “You’re planning on going to the base today, aren’t you?” Morgan didn’t answer; just stood with the car key in his hand. “You’re going to kill everyone at the base?” Morgan clicked on the car remote, unlocking the doors.

  “No, not everyone,” he said coldly. “Only the ones responsible for this mess. And anyone that was there when Doctor Rivera was killed. They must be stopped.”

  “You don’t even know if these are the same people, the same group.”

  Morgan turned on her, his eyes savage. “This is the closest I’ve come to finding the men who ruined everything and killed a decent human being. These men after you…they are the same ones who changed me. I can smell them, and their odor is just as putrid. I saw an insignia inside the truck. It had the same design as The Murphy Group that I knew. Either way, some people are going to die, and if I get my revenge by killing Commander Keegan, the bastard who murdered Doctor Rivera, then the better for me.”