Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations

by Thomas A. Watson

  Tiffany looked down at the unconscious man, who was taller than Kenneth’s six feet and much bigger. “She makes such an excellent hunter,” Tiffany told the unconscious form. “Who would ever think such a tiny being was a vicious hunter?”

  Just as Tiffany finished, Besseta appeared, dropping another man on top of the first and vanished. Placing her foot under the one Besseta just dropped off, Tiffany rolled him off the other one. Then Besseta appeared again with a man over each shoulder. “Grab them, and we’ll take them to Kenneth and find some more. There aren’t any more here.”

  Grabbing one, Tiffany threw the man over her shoulder. “Couldn’t we just cheat?” Tiffany asked, picking up the second man. “I don’t like it any more than you do, but this is urgent.”

  “I only do that when I have to,” Besseta told her. “Don’t get me wrong. When someone pisses me off, my values drop somewhat. The month before I met Kenneth, I killed a saleswoman who treated me unkindly.”

  “I was just thinking it would be faster and safer,” Tiffany pointed out as she adjusted the bodies on her shoulders, satisfied with the weight.

  “If we don’t find some more easily, we will,” Besseta promised. “You lead.”

  Tiffany took off, and Besseta watched then followed. “This is as fast as you can run?” she asked, moving up behind Tiffany as the world blurred by.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m going as fast as I can,” Tiffany said with her head between two unconscious bodies.

  Not wanting to make Tiffany feel bad, Besseta didn’t reply and followed her back to the van, where Tiffany dropped the bodies and opened the back door to find Kenneth waiting.

  Grabbing one body by the arm, Tiffany threw it in the back, showing no effort. “How fast was I moving for you?” Tiffany said, throwing the other body in.

  “A slow jog,” Besseta said, walking up and throwing both bodies in.

  Taking out zip ties, Kenneth started binding the four. “Problems?” he asked, moving to another body.

  “No, baby,” Besseta told him, smiling. “You have them?” she asked, and Kenneth nodded, moving to another body. “We’ll be back,” she said and closed the door. “Keep up,” she told Tiffany and vanished.

  Not even knowing which way Besseta ran, Tiffany spun around, sniffed the air, and took off. Catching only glimpses of Besseta ahead of her, Tiffany pushed, trying to catch up. Following Besseta as best as she could, Tiffany rounded a corner and almost collided with Besseta, who had stopped.

  Locking her legs, Tiffany skidded past Besseta, leaving deep grooves in the dirt. When she came to a stop, Tiffany walked back and glared at her. “Sorry I’m slowing you down, but Besseta, you need to wait for me.”

  Not responding, Besseta slowly looked around, and Tiffany noticed her tiny nose flaring as she sniffed the air. Spinning around, Tiffany dropped down in a crouch, sniffing the air and holding her hands wide in preparation for an attack. “Vampire,” she said, looking around.

  “Yeah, we crossed his path twice,” Besseta told her.

  Standing up from her crouch and bringing her hands down, Tiffany said, “It was several days ago.”

  “They smell familiar to you?” Besseta asked, and Tiffany shook her head. Besseta looked around the neighborhood they were in. “Whoever it was, they were looking for something.”

  Tiffany looked over at Besseta. “The very reason you need to stay at a pace that I can keep up with.”

  “Follow me,” Besseta told her and vanished.

  At least this time, Tiffany knew which way she went and took off. Following Besseta to a large building that vibrated with music, Tiffany stopped beside her. “That music is horrendous,” Tiffany said.

  Not acknowledging she heard Tiffany, Besseta said, “Wait here,” and vanished. Shaking her head, Tiffany looked around at the building behind her and saw it was an office complex three stories tall. Tiffany held out her hands and floated up to the roof.

  Setting down gently, Tiffany walked around the roof, sniffing the air, then stopped, staring out over the city and the towers off in the distance. Hearing a thud behind her, Tiffany didn’t turn around as Besseta walked up.

  “I know where we need to go,” she said, stopping beside Tiffany. “I smelled it before we stopped. That’s why I didn’t take us downtown.”

  “Werewolves don’t move through cities in their true form,” Tiffany told her.

  “We need to go,” Besseta said, grabbing Tiffany’s arm. When she followed, Besseta released her arm and jumped off the building. As soon as she landed, Besseta vanished off into the night as Tiffany floated down.

  When her feet touched the ground, Tiffany shot off after her. It wasn’t long before Tiffany stopped beside her, looking at a rundown house with people everywhere in and around it with music blaring. “I know; wait here,” Tiffany said as Besseta turned around.

  Not saying anything once again, Besseta vanished and reappeared, carrying two men. “I’ll be right back,” she said, throwing the bodies off her shoulders. Feeling like a horse, Tiffany held out her hands, and the bodies floated up and toward her. Gently, Tiffany settled each one over her shoulders and adjusted the weight until she was satisfied.

  Standing in the shadows with the two unconscious bodies, Tiffany waited and was beginning to wonder what was taking so long when Besseta appeared with two more bodies over her shoulders. “Stay close, and follow me,” Besseta told her and took off.

  Happily following, Tiffany was surprised because it was a speed she could see and follow. It wasn’t long before Tiffany realized they were backtracking and crossing their path several times. Then turning toward the direction of the van with Tiffany running behind her, Besseta vanished.

  “I’m starting to get tired of that,” Tiffany complained, leaning forward and pushing with everything she had.

  When Tiffany reached the van, she was panting. Besseta had already put the two bodies she was carrying inside, and Kenneth was tying them up. Tossing hers inside Tiffany walked around to the door and climbed in. Besseta closed the back doors as Kenneth tied up the last two, and Besseta vanished and appeared in the passenger seat, shutting the door.

  Done, Kenneth moved over the bodies and around Tiffany to climb into the driver’s seat.

  When they were well outside of town, he said, “That bad, huh?”

  “Guys, I’ve asked you to please use voices. I know you two have been talking,” Tiffany said from behind them.

  “I was just asking Besseta about the vampires and werewolves she smelled,” Kenneth said over his shoulder.

  “Well, she needs to tell me,” Tiffany stated.

  “Sorry,” Besseta said, looking back. “You did smell them, right?”

  “Of course. You were standing beside me when I told you,” Tiffany reminded her.

  “No, the other ones,” Besseta said. “At the last place we got the others from, a group of vampires and werewolves were moving together.”

  Tiffany shook her head. “I didn’t catch the scent.”

  “No sooner than I did, we left,” Besseta told her as she turned around.

  They drove in silence until they reached the bridge to the Upper Peninsula hours later. “You are positive the vamps and wolves were together?” Kenneth asked.

  “Yes,” Besseta told him then looked back to Tiffany. “Kenneth thinks they are searching out the cities now, systematically gathering up vampires.”

  “Makes sense after looking around the wilderness,” Tiffany agreed. “If vampires don’t start banding together, it won’t be long till they have most of us with them or dead.”

  “Yeah,” Kenneth said, driving down the dark highway as the sky started to brighten. “From what I gathered so far, vampires don’t like being together in large groups.”

  “Tempers flare,” Tiffany told him and turned around, hearing one of the hog-tied men groan through the tape covering his mouth. She leaned down and started whispering to him.

  Besseta smiled, hearing Tiffany, but looked at Kenne
th. “You only see large gatherings when tribute is demanded or when a position in the League opens. The largest group I’ve ever seen staying together voluntarily was in Italy. It was three men and four women. I’ve gone around every hundred years or so, and they are still in the same area.”

  Not able to concentrate, Kenneth turned around. “Tiffany, will you quit?”

  Tiffany looked back at Kenneth. “They must know why they are being punished.”

  She always does that to the ones I catch, Besseta told Kenneth in his mind. Kenneth closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. Opening his eyes, he looked at the road. “You’re playing with your food; now, you need to stop,” Kenneth said, and Besseta busted out laughing, beating the dashboard.

  “I most certainly am not ‘playing with my food!’” Tiffany gasped, moving between the seats and looking at Kenneth. “They were taken on Besseta’s quest and must know why this is happening.”

  Besseta laughed so hard she slid under her seatbelt into the floorboard, holding her sides. “Then they know, but you were rubbing it in,” Kenneth informed her.

  “Well, what good is telling them if I can’t make fun of their choices?” Tiffany challenged, crossing her arms.

  Nodding, Kenneth pointed out, “See, you were playing with your food.” A muffled yell through duct tape sounded from the back.

  Tiffany whipped her head around to look at the pile. “Make another sound, and I suck your brain through your eye sockets!” she shouted, making Kenneth swerve the van.

  “You have permission to play with your food,” Kenneth told her.

  Tiffany looked over at Besseta, who was still laughing in the floorboard. “I have permission now, so stop laughing,” Tiffany told her, and Besseta curled into a tighter in a ball, still laughing. Huffing, Tiffany just sat back in her seat.

  It was almost an hour later when Besseta crawled out of the floorboard and into her seat. “That was great.” Kenneth looked over at her and smiled. “I’m not that little, and this seat isn’t that big,” Besseta huffed.

  “We could both sit in that seat, Besseta, and you are that little,” Tiffany sang out from the back.

  Besseta leaned over to look around the seat. “Leave me alone, and play with your food,” she snapped. Kenneth slammed on the brakes, pulling over on the side of the road, laughing as he pounded the steering wheel.

  “It’s not that funny,” Tiffany told him, and Kenneth threw his head back, howling. They waited until Kenneth quit then continued home. It was midmorning as they unloaded the eight men onto the boat.

  “I’ll come back and clean the van,” Kenneth told them as he got on the boat.

  Tiffany shook her head. “You don’t have to clean a vehicle every time you drive it.”

  “I’m just doing the inside so if that vehicle is ever found, there aren’t traces of these eight.”

  “So when you took me for my first ride in Eleanor and we got back, you started crying because of the bugs on the front?” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth spun around. “You scrubbed that car for three hours. A surgery could’ve been done on the hood,” Tiffany said before Kenneth opened his mouth.

  “I did not cry,” Kenneth declared.

  “Okay.” Tiffany crossed her arms. “You had tears in your eyes and were wailing but not crying.”

  Kenneth looked away. “I wasn’t crying,” he mumbled. Besseta walked over, smiling, and hugged his waist.

  “You only cried for a little while,” Besseta offered.

  I don’t cry, Kenneth’s thoughts told her.

  After putting the men down in the dungeon, they headed into the house to find the dogs waiting. Tiffany picked up the puppies as Besseta picked up Bonnie and Clyde, each loving on their babies. Kenneth just walked past. “I wasn’t crying,” he mumbled at Tiffany.

  As Kenneth went into the kitchen, Tiffany looked over at Besseta, who nodded. Satisfied, Tiffany walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table as Kenneth dug in the refrigerator. “Get your ass out of there. I’m cooking,” Besseta snapped.

  “I’m hungry now,” Kenneth said as Besseta picked him up and carried him to the table then headed over to fix some food. “I have legs,” Kenneth told her as she turned on the stove.

  “You weren’t using them,” Besseta pointed out.

  Dropping down into a chair, Kenneth looked over at Tiffany. “I wasn’t crying.”

  Scoffing, Tiffany flipped the back of her hand at him. “So when do you want to do this?” she asked, looking over at Besseta.

  “Hey,” Kenneth snapped. “We weren’t here last night. I’m getting a night with my wife before you do this.”

  “Fine,” Tiffany said, getting up. “I get the TV. I found a show that has love, honor, sacrifice, and tragedy.”

  Very curious if he knew what it was, “What is it?” Kenneth asked.

  “’Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’” Tiffany announced, and Kenneth snorted but kept a straight face. “It is a good show if you take into account and ignore what they got wrong,” Tiffany said, and Kenneth nodded. “Besides, Xander is awesome.” Tiffany smiled and walked out.

  “Getting all the movies on demand providers, I’m afraid, has corrupted her,” Kenneth said as Besseta put down a plate.

  She sat down beside him. “Are you kidding? Tiffany and I love going through them,” she smiled. “Even though we usually watch what’s on your list because we still suck at picking out movies.”

  After inhaling his food, Kenneth got up. “I need a nap; then, I want to spend the day with you.”

  “That’s okay, baby, but I think you’re blowing this out of proportion,” Besseta said, smiling. “But you do need some sleep; you’re slurring your words.”

  Kissing Besseta, Kenneth walked out as Tiffany watched TV. “I wasn’t crying,” he said, walking up the stairs.

  “Whatever,” Tiffany told him, staring wide-eyed at the TV. Besseta came in and sat down next to her as Bonnie and Clyde jumped up in her lap. Lifting the remote, Tiffany paused the show. “When he showed me how to drive Tina, Kenneth hit a mud puddle and stopped the car, got out, pulled his gun, and shot the mud puddle.”

  Nodding, Besseta said, “I know; when you two got back, he put the S7 on the thing that lifts the cars up and started washing it. When he was done, Kenneth shot the lake four times.”

  “Why did he shoot the lake?” Tiffany asked.

  Shrugging, Besseta offered, “In case that water in the lake was associated with the water in the mud puddle.”

  “I think Kenneth can be weird at times,” Tiffany said. “But I have to say for a human he is the most awesome one I’ve ever heard of or met. He knows cool stuff and has cool stuff.”

  Besseta leaned over, hugging Tiffany’s arm. “Yes, I waited for just the right one.” She smiled.

  “Can we go and play with the guns in the safe when he goes to sleep?” Tiffany asked in a low voice.

  “Shh,” Besseta said, closing her eyes. “I can’t think about that when he’s awake.” Nodding, Tiffany pushed play.

  ***

  Never remembering lying down, Kenneth sat up in bed, rubbing his face, and looked out the window to see it was dusk. “Damn, didn’t want to sleep that much,” he said, jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, dressed, and headed downstairs.

  Reaching the top of the stairs, Kenneth heard bawling below him and took off running, taking the stairs two at a time. Tracing the sound of the wails, Kenneth saw Besseta holding a wailing Tiffany, who was holding all the dogs in her arms. Rivers were running out of Tiffany’s eyes, and Kenneth took off, jumping over the back of the couch.

  Landing on the other side of Tiffany, he saw Besseta had a tear-streaked face as well. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, wrapping his arms around both of them.

  Tiffany let out a loud wail, and Besseta looked up at him. “We watched Old Yeller,” Besseta sobbed.

  “Oh man,” Kenneth groaned, hugging them tight as the dogs crawled up Tiffany’s ches
t, licking the tears running down her face.

  “Then we watched Where the Red Fern Grows,” Besseta sniffled.

  “Whoa, double whammy,” Kenneth said, leaning back to look down at Besseta. “Why did you watch it after Old Yeller?”

  “It had a boy laughing on the cover with two dogs. How the hell was I supposed to know what was going to happen? That is delivering false hope, and someone needs to be drawn and quartered for that,” she told him, wiping the tears off her face.

  Kenneth leaned down and kissed Besseta as Tiffany’s body shook with grief between them as she held Jack and Jill to her chest. Breaking the kiss, Kenneth ran back upstairs and came back carrying blankets and pillows, and Besseta just held Tiffany. Moving the coffee table, Kenneth made a pallet on the floor and started throwing pillows off the couch on it.

  “I’m making a list of movies she isn’t allowed to watch,” Kenneth said, heading to the kitchen.

  “I really wish you would,” Besseta said. “Because I’m not watching the damn things either,” she mumbled after he walked out, but Kenneth heard her thoughts.

  Kenneth came back carrying a big bowl of popcorn and grabbed the remote, starting a Disney cartoon movie. Though used to picking up Besseta, Kenneth wasn’t used to the weight, and he struggled to pick up Tiffany but set her gently on the pallet as the dogs followed her. Picking up Besseta, Kenneth placed her beside Tiffany, and then he lay down on the other side of Tiffany as he and Besseta hugged her.

  At first, Tiffany didn’t want to even look at the TV but soon was watching a mermaid singing. It wasn’t long until she stopped crying, and the three sat watching funny shows through the night. So being good friends and family, Kenneth and Besseta spent the night watching shows with Tiffany and the dogs.

  Chapter 16

  As the sun slowly rose the next morning, Besseta and Tiffany were watching TV as Kenneth slept on the other side of Tiffany.

  “I’m sorry I ruined his night,” Tiffany said, looking over. “Let’s do it tomorrow,” she offered.