United Service

by Regina Morris

  “Sterling …”

  “Stop,” Sterling said, cutting his father off. “You need to know the truth. You’ve lectured me for years to find a wife, Dad. It’s hard to find one when you can barely walk and keep your eyes open. I’ve slept with tens of thousands of women, who I never cared about, or was even attracted to, just so I could remain sane.” Sterling saw the hurt in his father’s eyes. The man loved him; he knew it. He just never understood him. “Do you have any idea the quality of the women I’ve been with? Women who would sleep with me within minutes of meeting me? Sure there were plenty of pretty college girls and lonely soccer moms, but mostly it was women who had low self–esteem, daddy issues, drunken stupors … you name it. And many times I was used as much as I used them.”

  Sterling thought back on the women of his past. “Many were homeless women who lacked proper hygiene. Many were drug addicts and I would gag on their blood as I fed. You told me all the time there was blood at home and no reason to go out for a meal.” Sterling made eye contact with his father. “Have you ever once seen me inject blood to feed?” Sterling paused and saw his father shake his head. “It’s because I can’t feed from syringes, Dad. My skin can’t handle the pain.”

  “I had no idea, Sterling. I never would have lectured you all these years had I known. You could have just drunk the blood like Sulie does.”

  The next part was difficult for Sterling to admit to his father. “As sick as I get, and with some of the women I’ve had to be with, I usually had to rely on blood lust to bring myself to have sex with them so I can stop being in agony. So drinking at the mansion was not a solution.”

  Sterling took in a deep breath. “I have felt broken my entire life and you’ve condemned me for it. What bothers me the most is that you always assumed the worst about me. I knew you didn’t read my mind to find out whether I paid for my women or compelled them, and you never once asked me either. You never knew if I had an apartment in the city to take them to, or if I screwed them in public bathrooms. You never asked if I had illegitimate children, or even if I were some son–of–a–bitch who beat the women up afterward. If you had asked, I would have told you the truth. But you would rather have no faith in your only son than to ask and risk knowing the truth.”

  Raymond rubbed his face and took a moment to respond. “You’re right. I did assume the worst, and I never looked back. All those questions I wanted to ask, and never did.” He made eye contact with his son, “Do you have children?”

  Sterling shrugged. “With the amount of women I’ve been with, you would think one of them would have bore me a child. But I have always been careful. I was also able to get the cure from a woman in a multiple of ways without risking a pregnancy.”

  Sterling watched as his father cringed. “Relax, Dad. They all consented. In the early days, if Sulie were helping me, she could tell if the woman was fertile. If Ben was helping me, he could tell by their aura if they were fertile. Now with condoms, it’s easier for me to be careful if I am alone.” Sterling thought for a second, “Well, except recently with Kate. But that’s different.”

  Sterling shook his head. “I allowed you to think the worst because it pained you so much. Remaining quiet was my payback for you not believing in me. I would even go out of my way to hurt you with your lack of knowledge.”

  Raymond remained speechless.

  “Over the last several decades I’ve turned it into a game and I led you to believe that your worst nightmares about me were true. But I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Dad. I want to get past everything. I’m with Kate and in a better place now. … I want to tell you I’m sorry for tormenting you all this time, because there was a part of me that really enjoyed paying you back with it.”

  Sterling bit his lip, knowing how true that last sentence was.

  “I’m sorry I never asked, and I’m very sorry for assuming the worst. More than anything else, I hate that you had to suffer.”

  Sterling took in a deep breath. “I forgive you, Dad.”

  “I’ve been a horrible father to you, Sterling.”

  “No, Dad. You haven’t. You were widowed with a newborn baby when you were twenty years old. Sulie was only fifteen when your parents died in a fire. Times were tough for you. You kept us all fed and alive with no one knowing what we were. Then when we established the Colony after President Lincoln was assassinated, you took leadership of everyone in it. You provided a roof over our heads and we get blood weekly from the government because of you. What you’ve done has truly been amazing. I doubt anyone could have done better.”

  Raymond looked at his son. “But I could have done better by you.”

  “We can work on a better relationship.” Sterling cocked his head to hear if any noise was coming from the upstairs deck, but there was none. Since Kate was still asleep, Sterling decided to share one more thing with his father. “Do you remember in my early twenties when I left home?” When Raymond nodded, Sterling continued. “I was very rebellious during that time. I went off to find my own way in life, a way which wouldn’t include you. Do you know where I went?”

  “I have no idea. I never asked either. I was just glad when you came back home.”

  Sterling chuckled. “I lived with Grandma.”

  “Your mother’s parents?” When Sterling nodded, Raymond confided, “Your Grandfather was an ass.”

  “Yes. Howard certainly was. But I lived with Grandma after he died. They had discovered what we were and he forbid her from ever seeing me again. She defied him and wrote to me all the time, that’s how I had known he died. She had been ill towards the end of her life and I had moved into her house to care for her.”

  “I had no idea. Why would you do that?”

  “Because she loved me. She didn’t care what I was, I was family to her. I figured if Mom had been anything like her, that you must have suffered when she died.”

  Raymond nodded. “Your mother’s death nearly killed me. But I had you to raise.”

  “I asked Grandma if she wanted to be turned.” Sterling watched as Raymond’s shocked face looked back at him. “She said she never wanted to live without Howard, so I didn’t turn her. I was holding her hand when she died.” Sterling sipped his coffee. “I buried Grandma and came straight home to you afterward. As hard as it was for me to say good–bye to Grandma, I figured you had suffered so much more with the loss of Mom. It occurred to me that my absence from your life had hurt you as well, and I didn’t want to do that to you. I knew you were doing your best, even if I didn’t agree with you all the time.”

  Raymond let out a small laugh. “You were caring for an elderly woman, and I thought you were whoring around.” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Dad, even if I wasn’t with Kate, I would still not want to hurt you. I’m through playing games. I’m through with it all. In the future, no matter what the topic, please just ask.”

  “I will. By the way, Kate is wonderful. … And to be honest, I was relieved to find out yesterday that she wasn’t a hired escort.”

  Sterling chuckled. “I’m sure you were, Dad.” He finished the last of his coffee. He could hear the slight stirrings of Kate from up above, so he needed to leave. “Oh, and I have good news. This morning she agreed to be my wife.”

  Tears ran down Raymond’s face as he smiled at Sterling. He stood up and gave his son a hug. It was the hug Sterling had always wanted from his father, but never realized just how much.

  CHAPTER FORTY–SIX

  Kate stared in awe as Sterling, Raymond and Sulie compelled their way through security at FBI headquarters. They made compelings seem effortless. She didn’t even try to compel anyone and noticed that Kekoa did not either. She figured his experience with compelling humans ranked right up there with her inability to do so. Together, the team walked down the hallway to the last office, where Dixon, Brandon and Alex waited for them.

  With most of the cult members killed, no investigation would likely take place. No trial. No convictions. The
lone cult member, Mark Bailey, sat in a federal prison. He remained the one problem the team had, and a clean–up seemed necessary.

  Sterling held Kate’s hand as he took a seat next to her. Sterling had no testimony or cleanup to discuss, and Kate knew he came only to support her.

  “Kate, Kekoa,” Sterling said. “This is Jonathan Dixon and Brandon Wyatt. They are the co–directors of the Colony.” Sterling looked over at his stepmother, “You remember Raymond’s wife, Alex.”

  Kate politely nodded. The room resembled any other conference room she could imagine. She suspected this one was soundproof, or perhaps had some type of super special spy stuff, but she didn’t know what.

  The meeting began, with the first order of business being Kekoa’s fate. “Kekoa has asked to join the Colony and Raymond has already given the approval,” Dixon shifted to look at the boy and added, “provided that you take some time off for yourself, Kekoa. In time, we will be glad to welcome you. However, we believe now it is in your best interest to rejoin your family. We have your parents on a military plane now that air traffic has resumed over Hawaii. They are arriving shortly and plan to take you back home.”

  Suddenly saddened, Kekoa looked like he was about to object when Brandon interrupted, “We recommend you get reacquainted with your family. Afterwards, if you still wish to join the Colony, we can set you up here in D.C. with proper military training and some personal therapy to help you recover from your ordeal. We can even get you an appointment at West Point once you finish your general schooling.”

  A broad smile formed across his face, “I would like that.” He glanced from team member to team member. “Thank you very much.”

  “The campsite itself has been scrubbed. All computer equipment is being reviewed by the Colony team, so far nothing significant has been found. From the computer files and daily menu logs, we believe all of the cult members are accounted for.” Dixon checked the numbers on his computer. “The only outstanding member is the man the FBI has in custody, Mark Bailey. We will discuss his fate shortly.”

  “We fingerprinted and took pictures and DNA samples from each of the bodies. We have identified all of the cult members.” Dixon clicked his mouse a few times. “The bodies at the camp have been properly disposed of. There was a considerable amount of blood left behind. Areas of the most concentration have been doused with bleach. Since the camp is private and remote, and since snow is falling, we shouldn’t have anything else to clean at the camp.”

  Brandon continued, “The camp was privately owned by the cult leader Victoria Fuller. She also owned the house where the children were first taken. The house was set afire this morning with no insurance claim to pursue. Alex has sent all the dogs from the camp to a non–kill shelter. They will be put in foster care and hopefully adopted out to good families.”

  Dixon handed a picture over to Kekoa. “Here is a picture of the names we believe you wrote on the wall behind a poster at Fuller’s house.” Kekoa scanned the picture and nodded. “All the children, save the top three, and two others, were rescued. The families were flown in and were reunited with their children over the last 24 hours. They have all been informed that the cult has been destroyed and not to pursue the matter. Ben was able to calm the parents and Raymond compelled them to agree to drop all charges now that their children have been returned.”

  Sulie interrupted. “The children were all given daily low doses of a sedative to keep them calm and manageable.” Sulie shook her head. “The drugs must have been given to them in their food. I’ve completed a medical workup of each child; there will be no long–term effects of the drug.” She handed Dixon her formal report.

  Dixon nodded as he typed some notes into the computer. “All but the last five child abduction cases have been considered cold cases by the FBI. We erased all case files, active as well as cold. There should be no further investigation into the kidnappings.” Dixon pointed to the picture in Kekoa’s hand. “We need you to tell us what happened to those five missing children, if you can.”

  Kekoa read their names and touched the picture. “The first two were brother and sister. I’m pretty sure they were not the first children that Deacon ,” he corrected himself. “… That Victoria kidnapped. They were the only two already at the camp with the third boy when I was kidnapped. Soon after, a few more kids arrived.” Kekoa thought back and tears welled up in his eyes. “The boy was obviously turning. His bracelet burned his hand and he could no longer hide his transition. Since I was the oldest, they took me into the chapel and …”

  Kekoa looked away and took a deep breath. “He was beheaded in front of me. I was told there was evil growing in him and the same would be done to me if I wasn’t careful.” A tear dripped down his cheek as he continued, “I buried him right outside the camp. Later that day at prayers, the kids were told he had been smited by the Lord and wasn’t coming back. His sister Sarah went crazy with the news and started striking out at the female guards. Two days later, she suffered the same fate. I buried her next to her brother.”

  The room hushed, but then Dixon asked, “Do you remember exactly when they died?”

  “About five or six months after my kidnapping.” Kekoa waited as Dixon typed in his notes.

  “Their last name is listed as Wooten. We will make sure to notify their family line.” Raymond said.

  “Another boy, Tyrone, was killed while I was gone this last time. He was younger than me, but he had an aversion to sunlight. The sun hurt his eyes and the guards picked up on the sign. I was told by one of the boys that Victoria had Tyrone pay penance by being in the sun all day. His silver bracelet had also burned his wrist and had been a giveaway.” Kekoa shook his head. “Victoria eventually called Brian, the next oldest boy, into the chapel. He was told to bring Tyrone’s little brother, Jemal, with him. Brian witnessed both of their deaths. Both are buried with the others.” Kekoa swallowed the lump in his throat. “I never would have helped Victoria and her followers. Neither would Brian. But, they said they would kill the other children if we didn’t follow their orders.”

  “We don’t blame you for anything,” Sulie said.

  “Of course not,” Dixon added. “We just need to give these families closure.”

  Sulie handed Kekoa some tissue. “I’m betting we can find the other children near those five grave sites,” Sulie said.

  Kekoa quickly looked up. “How many more are there?” he asked.

  “We can’t account for over a dozen children.” Dixon answered. “Which direction from the camp is the grave site?”

  “Straight north of the camp, a quarter mile from Victoria’s cabin,” Kekoa explained.

  “We searched every building, but were there any other children we didn’t rescue? Anyone else not survive?” Alex asked.

  “None. At least, that was everyone I knew of.”

  “We found a box of address books. They are from multiple families, from all over the country,” Raymond said. “It appears that the Hands of God would take the address books from the victim’s families to use as a guide to find other vampires, but we still don’t know how she discovered our existence.”

  “Victoria knew about us because she was one of us,” Kekoa replied. “Her parents were vampires, but she said she found the Lord and He saved her.”

  “There is no cure for vampirism. No divine intervention to unturn you,” Dixon said.

  Kekoa shook his head. “No. Her parents were vampires. She killed them while they slept. She said that she was saved by God because she never fell under the demonic plague that her parent suffered from.”

  Brandon shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe they were foster parents or something.”

  The vampires glanced around the table at one another. Sterling supplied the answer that they all knew. “My guess is that Victoria didn’t know about half–breeds. Together it is possible, although rare, that a human daughter can be produced from the pairing of two half–breeds.”

  The reaction was slight, but Dixon’s fa
ce showed surprise as he wrote down the new information.

  “Thank you, Kekoa. You were very helpful.” Raymond said, cutting off the discussion. He looked at his phone and checked an incoming text. “Your parents have landed and are on their way here to see you. They should be here in a few minutes.”

  Alex stood up. “Kekoa, I’ll take you to a private sitting room so you can be reunited with them.” She walked to the door and waited for the young man to join her.

  As Kekoa stood up, he looked at all the saviors sitting around the table. “I want to thank all of you for what you have done. I can’t tell you what it means to me that you did what you did.” He walked out the door with Alex.

  Dixon then focused on Kate. “I’m reading the case files for the federal government vs. Mark Bailey. He never had a chance to talk to anyone and the only eyewitness we had, that placed him at the park with one of the kidnapped children, is you.” Dixon clicked a few times with the mouse and pulled up Kate’s original statement to the police and the FBI agent. “Kate, on the other hand, was quite verbose in her statement with the authorities.”

  Kate blushed. “I’m sorry. I tried to give as much information as possible to the authorities.”

  “It’s fine,” Dixon said. “We need the names of all agents and officers you spoke with so we can have this case disappear. I have a list of four names.” He slid the paper list over to Kate. “Please read the names and see if anyone is missing.”

  Kate picked up the sheet of paper and eyed the list worriedly. “I don’t remember all the people.” She glanced around the table. “I’m sorry. This may be all of them, but I’m not sure.” She inspected the paper some more and then added, “I spoke with a woman, but I don’t remember her name.” She handed the paper back to Dixon.