Oh, oh. He wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. However, it was a now thing. “Please inform Stephen I will be there in five minutes.”
Eric got up from his bed and reached over for his shoes. While he was concerned for his conversation with Gabrielle, he knew he was ready for it. He had no idea how to prepare for his meeting with Stephen.
He stood up from his bed, checked his room and made sure everything was in its place. He didn’t want anything to be amiss if someone had to come clean up his stuff after this meeting.
—
Eric arrived at the Queen bitches’ workout room and stepped inside. He had first checked it out to make sure Stephen wasn’t hiding right next to the door to attack him as he entered. Stephen was actually in the middle of the floor, sitting in a lotus position with his workout uniform on.
“Close the door behind you, lock it and come sit over here with me,” Stephen told Eric. Eric noticed he never opened his eyes. Turning around, Eric made sure the lock was set for the door. While ArchAngel could certainly override the lock, she would only do so for someone like Bethany Anne or John.
Eric walked over to Stephen and sat down five feet in front of him, facing him as well. When nothing happened for thirty seconds, Eric allowed himself to relax and meditate as well. Unsure of the amount of time, Eric was only slightly surprised when he heard Stephen’s voice in his head.
I understand you wish to date Gabrielle?
“Yes,” Eric replied, “did Bethany Anne explain this to you?”
Stephen’s voice entered his head again, No, I took it from your surface thoughts.
Eric was startled. While he knew Bethany Anne could read minds, it was something she rarely employed. He should remember that Stephen was accustomed to using that tool for many centuries and wouldn’t have the same aversion that Bethany Anne did.
It would be good to remember not to try to keep any secrets from Stephen.
I understand asking a father’s permission to date his daughter is something that is done in your culture, Eric. However, Gabrielle is not my actual daughter. I changed her, yes, and I often refer to her as my daughter, does this matter?
“No, that you referred to her as your daughter and that she refers to you as her father is sufficient for me. I would like to honor the relationship in this way.” Eric kept his poise and his meditation pose.
Stephen spoke into his mind. That is an honorable trait. And you seek, what? My blessing for this effort? My help with advice, or something else entirely?
“No, just your permission. While I wouldn’t turn away either your blessing or your advice, I expect to do this on my own.”
Stephen turned his head slightly and spoke out loud, “You are looking for this relationship to go much further, aren’t you?”
Eric breathed in and out forcefully, “I think I am, Stephen. While I certainly acted rashly a few years ago, I would like to see if a relationship with her can last. Unless something happens to either one of us, we are going to be around for a long, long time.”
Stephen put up a hand, “Let me interrupt you right there, Eric. Do you realize that as vampires, we perhaps have different expectations for relationships?”
“The assumption of monogamy?” Eric guessed. Stephen nodded, so Eric continued, “I understand. While I can’t say that I am okay with this concept at the moment, I know that in future decades that it might be something that becomes more evident. However, I have no intention of going into the relationship without making sure Gabrielle understands that I consider it a closed relationship.”
Stephen startled Eric with his sudden and sharp laughter, “Oh, it will be a closed relationship! If you think for one moment that Gabrielle is into open relationships, you will find certain anatomical body parts have been cut off in the middle of the night to prove she doesn’t operate that way.”
Eric’s response was a simple, “Oh.”
“No, my son. Gabrielle still has very, very old-fashioned ideas when it comes to relationships. She might talk a good game to the general populace,” he pointed to himself, “but I know the real Gabrielle. There is still a little hopeless romantic living inside of her that believes a couple should stay a couple for centuries. It isn’t that Gabrielle has changed, she has merely decided that perhaps that in this reality she should never expect to achieve her hope.”
“So, my desire to keep it closed is something she will like? That’s a good thing, right?”
Stephen smiled as he stood up.
“Eric, it is the price of admission to attracting her heart. Now, you need to stand up and prove to me you have the price of admission to protect her body.”
Eric smiled as he stood up, “Okay, old man. But don’t think I’m going to go easy on you just out of respect.”
Stephen replied humorously, “See that you don’t, and I will try not to worry about you crying like a little child who needs his milk.”
Stephen thought he would punctuate his comment by attacking Eric and was surprised when his first kick was soundly blocked.
Eric didn’t try to follow up with a sudden assault, but rather was waiting to find Stephen’s rhythm. He did, however, reply to his snark, “let’s see who has to drink the milk after this round old man, shall we?”
Over in Bethany Anne’s suite, she, John, Darrell and Scott were all sitting on the bed eating popcorn watching the fight on the main screen in her room, cheering for each person who either attacked, or defended well. The popcorn flew out of Bethany Anne’s hands when Darryl, overzealous in his reaction when Eric barely rolled out of a particularly wicked blow by Stephen, hit the bowl and popcorn went flying.
Darryl smiled in apology and grabbed a handful of popcorn off of her bedspread and ate it, “Sorry?” Bethany Anne rolled her eyes and got up to find her little vacuum cleaner.
It took an hour, but eventually Stephen called a halt to the fight.
The four of them watched as Stephen shook Eric’s hand and told him, “You don’t need my permission, but you have it and my blessing to ask out Gabrielle.”
The noise in Bethany Anne’s suite was overwhelming.
Their Eric had finally grown up.
—
Twenty minutes later, Eric walked into the central meeting area for his team, and his friends were all waiting for him. He smiled, and they all cheered his success.
Eric scrunched up his eyes in confusion as he shook hands with Darryl, “Why is there popcorn in your hair?”
Berlin, Germany
Terry finally cornered Robert in a side room, the sneaky Washington wag of their group having passed by Terry in the hallway a few seconds before. Terry rapped on the door and entered, slowly closing the door behind him.
When he turned around, he saw Robert’s eyebrows were up, “Wow, news travels fast. Looking to leave again?” Robert asked.
Terry bit back a retort, “No, I’m here to ask permission.”
Robert pursed his lips and leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “That probably had to hurt.”
“The asking, or the admitting?” Terry questioned as he pulled the typical ugly government building chair out so he could sit in it and face Robert across the table.
“Both, probably.” Terry considered. “Ok, you know we are going into The Sandpit and against everything I personally want to admit, I’m glad you are going with us." Terry paused, "You saw our esteemed government leader leave?” Robert pointed to the door, and Terry nodded his head, “So you know we don’t have much time,” he finished.
“Do they have any clue how FUBAR this can go?” Terry asked his old, very old ex-squad mate.
“No. The government guys completely trust the spy satellites that can count the hairs on the ass of a camel. So, they believe the pictures taken show that there is nothing living for over three days travel in any direction from where we need to go.” Robert shared.
“Bob, do you believe it?” Terry asked.
“The hairs on the ass, or the 7
2 hours?” Terry just eyed him, “Fine, no. Actually, I’d almost believe the camel ass hair count, but that’s because I still have a child-like sense of humor.”
“Betty called it pre-pubescent,” Terry reminded him.
“Yeah, she did always like using too many syllables. So, enough with our catching up, what permission am I not going to want to give you this time?” Robert asked, dropping his hands to the table.
“Permission to carry,” Terry replied.
“You already have it. Hell, even the little woman you are hanging around with is taking at least a Glock G19.”
Terry’s eyebrows raised up, “Really? She seems too Ivy-League for one of those.” Robert shrugged, “Ok, the information just surprises me, is all. No, what I’m asking permission for is to have an extra crate of … tools … that are allowed in and won’t be searched. Very hush-hush that we won’t open unless we really, really and I mean, fucking absolutely don’t give a shit if we piss everyone off, need them.”
“As in, we don’t worry about the JAG’s because we would be dead anyway?” Robert asked, and Terry nodded. Robert reached up to his face and rubbed it. “Not nuclear, is it?” Terry shook his head negative.
“No, not nuclear and not radioactive. None of it is on a proscribed list but sure as hell, I will be asked some questions if it comes to that. So, this way I’ve told you it is stuff I need, to make sure I have all the answers if anyone asks. I’ll even stick a level of research books at the top in case we have to do some sort of bullshit crack-and-see. No one on your team will take the fall for me, promise.” Terry told him.
Robert breathed in, but it was times like these he appreciated Terry’s second sense. He nodded his agreement and opened a three-ring binder that was sitting next to him. He pulled a sticker out from the sleeve and signed it. “Take this.” He handed the page sized sticker to Terry, “Make sure the crate comes sealed, and there is no way to open it without ripping that sticker. You do that, and we should be golden.”
Terry stood up from his chair and reached out across the table. With only a minor hesitation Robert grabbed the proffered hand. “I’m working on not being a dick, I’ll do my best,” Terry told him and Robert nodded his understanding.
A moment later, Terry had left the room on his way to make a phone call or two.
He needed support, and he hoped like hell his boss knew how to get him some. Or their investment in this effort was going to go down six feet.
He could feel that in his bones.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
QBS ArchAngel
Bethany Anne finally gave up and called the team responsible for cleaning and asked them to vacuum her quarters better. It was a shame Ashur wasn’t here, he would have enjoyed himself. Next time Darryl spilled popcorn everywhere, he was going to eat it off the floor himself.
>>Bethany Anne, do you have a moment?<<
She nodded to the team as they left her quarters and stepped back in. She had finished a quick meeting with Dan and Lance ten minutes before and wasn’t going to meet with Cheryl Lynn for another fifteen.
What do you have for me, ADAM?
>>The team has uncovered information that could lead to Stephanie Lee.<<
Great! Where is that skank?
>>The information, if it pans out, is China.<<
ADAM, I’m pretty sure we already knew that she was in China. Last time I checked, it is a rather large country. I kind of need her area defined a little better. Unless we got incredibly lucky and she was in the region we flattened.
Bethany Anne allowed herself a second to consider how nice that would be if Stephanie Lee HAD been in the location they flattened. The big spaceships showing up, raining pucks down. Damn ... there was no way her luck was remotely that good, or her Karma.
>>My team has uncovered information and shared it with Frank. He says it looks good, so we are tracking information related to Stephanie Lee’s past. We believe she went back home.<<
Ok, how hard can that be to find her home? I mean, I realize China doesn’t quite have a massive white-pages to go look up, but how hard can this be?
>>Bethany Anne, she seems to have come from parents who are very high up in an organization in China named the Sacred Clan.<<
Bethany Anne started thinking about all of the Chinese Kung-Fu movies she had ever seen. Which, was actually quite a few. Her dad liked them and as a child, they would watch them together.
Kinda secretive, are they?
>>Very, and this clan more than most. But, there is one particular aspect that Frank says he doesn’t like at all.<<
Ok, what has the Frankster riled up this time?
>>The fact that the stories of the Secret Clan have them changing into cats.<<
Bethany Anne stopped and breathed in and out slowly.
Does he think we might have a Kurtherian issue here?
>>Yes.<<
Bethany Anne counted to fifteen ... slowly, turned and left her room.
ADAM, tell Gabrielle to have her and the guys meet me in the workout room.
>>Done.<<
TOM? Bethany Anne waited for a second before practically yelling over her connection, TOM!
What? he replied, startled.
What is going on with this supposed new Kurtherian connection?
I don’t know, that’s why I’m working on it with Frank. We are trying to see what information about the Secret Clan is in any of the Chinese history archives we have access to.
Don’t you Kurtherians have enough going on that you can stop fucking with our little planet?
You would think that, right? But I have no idea why you are so lucky.
Lucky? You call us lucky? We have vamps, wolves, bears and now fucking cats. What are we going to have next, sheep?
Ha! No. TOM barked out, Sheep are not aggressive enough. Possibly …oh, that was a joke?
Yes, it was a joke. she replied. How the hell do we deal with yet another one of your misbegotten clan’s people? God, If I have to line up every one of them and slap them all, I’m still not going to get relief.
Not to put too delicate a point on this, TOM replied, But my people, especially the Seven, aren’t known for accepting any sort of criticism nor physical violence to themselves.
TOM, do you actually believe I give a shit?
TOM stayed silent.
Bethany Anne met her team at the workout room, “When is Akio getting back?” She asked John who was busy putting on shin guards.
“Probably another day, maybe two. They should be finished in Australia by then.”
“Good. Ok, ladies and gents,” She nodded to the four and Gabrielle, “New news. It seems that our beloved Stephanie Lee might, or might not, be associated with a clan of Wechselbalg than can change into cats.”
“Cool,” Darryl said and all four turned to him. “What? I mean, turning into a wolf or bear is sweet, but a cat? Those things are just beautiful.”
“Those things,” Bethany Anne told him, “Are going to have three to four-inch claws and want a piece of your precious skin.”
“Well, that cuts it,” Darryl said matter-of-fact, “those cats gotta die. So sorry, but Ms. Jackson’s number one son has a zero tolerance level for evisceration.”
“No grenades,” Scott piped in.
“I don’t know,” John said as he limbered up, “sometimes they can be really useful.”
“No,” Scott put his hand up, “New York was fun and all, but we got the code word that let us get away in time.”
“Code word?” Gabrielle asked from her own position stretching on the floor, “Have I missed this part of the story?”
“It was when John was looking down from the roof, and those guys inside made a comment about using RPG’s to kill Bethany Anne.” Darryl had started before he was interrupted as Scott continued the story.
“Yeah, he says ‘hey guys, watch this shit!’ That’s code word for get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.” Darryl and Scott bumped fist to the general chuckl
ing around the group.
Eric said, “Well, we need to come up with something similar if possible. Maybe something not nearly as deadly to us?”
“Why not smaller pucks?” John said, “Jean has been talking about trying to make them smaller and more easily controlled.”
“That would be fantastic,” Gabrielle agreed, “Like when I was inside the Chinese base?”
“Something like that, yes,” John agreed.
“Ok, you guys talk about it,” Bethany Anne said as she walked to the other side of the room. “I want us to spar hard here. So, I’m playing defense.”
WE HAVE CONTACT (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 12) Page 14
