by Gerald Lopez
“Did they leave any of the new vamps alive?” Samuel said.
“No,” Rafael said. “It didn’t seem like we’d learn or gain much from doing that.”
“The Thomas’s impressed Gerard with their fighting skills,” Roget said. “He said that knowing there were children in the house really moved Celia to give it her all. She took out quite a few of those newby vamps on her own.”
“They shouldn’t have been any real challenge to any of us,” Samuel said. “The only reason they are is because of their sheer number and that intense energy they have.”
“They do have that energy and they can cause a lot of damage,” Rafael said. “And they can take orders but their minds are very affected.
“And they’ve lost the ability to think or reason,” Roget said.
“We can’t afford to take chances with these new vampires,” Samuel said. “No sympathy. They’re all to be taken down.”
“What do you want us to do with William when he comes?” Rafael said.
“Him I want to study and not just because we’re blood-related,” Samuel said. “I want to know everything he knows. When he and I spoke last he still had his mind. I’m hoping I can reach deeper into its depths. We make every effort to get him to the bunker on the far end of this property.”
“It may take all of us to accomplish that task,” Rafael said.
“We need to try our best to make it happen,” Samuel said.
“Here’s to trying,” Roget said. “Meanwhile all is quiet and you have two naked men standing in front of you.”
Chapter 18
Waking up with a Friend
RORY SLOWLY OPENED his eyes. He knew he wasn’t alone in bed. It took him a moment to realize he’d awakened in someone else’s house. The bedroom walls were painted a bright aqua blue and had white furniture—definitely not his style of decor. But he recognized the room. It belonged to Gerard, the same Gerard currently pulling him close and holding him snuggly.
Gerard kissed the back of Rory’s neck then spoke. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Rory said. “The kids?”
“You know how women are around babies. Vampire women are the same way. Celia arrived here first thing with Monty. They fed the kids—human food Celia had brought, then took them for a stroll around the property along with Deegan.”
“Are they enough protection in case of an attack?”
“Yeah, besides Samuel is back and two of his friends are on hand at the cottage.” When he mentioned the name Samuel, Gerard felt strong emotions rise up in Rory.
“When will I get to meet Samuel?”
“Not today,” Gerard said. “He needs to keep his mind clear on the matters at hand. Why the interest in him?”
“He’s my ancestor,” Rory said. “I’m not trying to keep things from you, Ger. I just… can I tell you more later?”
“Yeah, mate, that’s fine.”
Rory chuckled. “I haven’t heard you use the word ‘mate’ as much as I have lately.”
“I tried to nix that word from my vocabulary years ago. Didn’t want to be a walking stereotype.” He chuckled.
“When were you turned into a vampire?”
“Samuel and Cesare turned me when I lay dying on the battlefield during the Great War. That’d be World War one. I was on my deathbed with no chance of making it. Me and Samuel were best buds. And I had no family to worry about and led a pretty worry free life, so they figured I could handle being immortal.”
“You seem to be doing well from what I can see,” Rory said.
“It’s been easier for me than for others. I haven’t had to watch family members grow old and die.”
“But you’ve had friends.”
“Yeah,” Gerard said. “But that’s not really the same thing. My real family is my vampire one and they don’t age or die. Well, that is to say they don’t get killed easily.”
Rory turned and lay his head on Gerard’s chest. His finger traced along Gerard’s nipple as he spoke. “What does kill a vampire? The sight of the cross, garlic, a stake through the heart? How would I defend myself or my family… or even you if I had to?”
Gerard sat up, kissed Rory on the lips then wrapped his arms around him. “If one of those buggy bastards managed to kill me you would have problems, my friend. You try to get to your car and haul ass to somewhere real public-like. Even crazy vampires don’t tend to expose what they are in public places.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
“Let’s see then,” Gerard said. “Most of the vampires Cesare turns tend to be Christian, so crosses have no effect. Hell, you’ve seen me wear a silver cross. I don’t think crosses do anything to stop the bad vampires either. ”
“I have seen you wear that cross,” Rory said. “I forgot about it.”
“Garlic doesn’t do a damn thing either. Our hearts still function, albeit differently than yours or other humans. A stake through the heart would kill us as long as it’s not removed. Our bodies can regenerate unless we’re cremated. A broken neck tends to do the trick too. But you’d have to get close enough to a vamp to be able to do those things and then have the strength to push a stake through.”
“How does this whole vampire thing work,” Rory said. “I guess what I mean is who are the bad guys and good guys—what separates them?”
“The vampires are divided into different familial units, sort of like clans. Cesare and Helena would be the parental figures and leaders of our family. There are others like a guy named Kaelin in Ireland. Turns out he’s the patriarch of your family, Rory. You’re of his bloodline. He had children before being turned. Samuel just found out about Kaelin and relayed the info to me. We’re best friends.”
“I think I read about a Kaelin when I looked up my family history,” Rory said.
“There’s a younger vampire… younger than Cesare and Helena. Her name is Veronique. Cesare worked as a Roman soldier in the early days of the empire. Veronique was with her family when they invaded Rome in its final years.”
“And Helena?”
“From ancient Greece. Rumor has it she’s the real Helen of Troy.”
“Really?” Rory said. “Fascinating. Do you think it’s true?”
“She has never confirmed nor denied the rumor, but she is a great beauty. And I find there’s usually some truth to every rumor.” He kissed Rory again. “Sorry, here we are talking serious stuff and I can’t keep from kissing you. I have a feeling I’m going to lose you as a playmate once you meet Samuel.”
Rory smiled but didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “You’ve been a good friend, Ger. When I looked up my family history for the first time, I saw Samuel’s picture and… and—”
“And he’s as beautiful as they come,” Gerard laughed. “It’s the truth, nothing for you to feel bad about because you fancy him. And, remember I have Deegan and he’s already started moving in.”
“Good. I’m genuinely happy for you. Ger, those vampires at my house last night were really different from you, Deegan, and the others. It was like they were crazy or something.”
“That’s because they were. Turning someone into a vampire is complicated business. Lots of things can go wrong. To begin with a person has to be turned right when they’re taking their last breath. A second too early or too late and there will be problems. If the vampire turning them is too weak then their fledgling will be weak and flawed. Their minds are the first things to go. Then they burn up from the inside out.”
“Uuugh,” Rory said and shivered.
“I’d better tell you something else,” Gerard said. “They burned your house down to the ground—nothing’s left but ashes.”
“Why would they do that?” Rory said. “You said they weren’t trying to kill us.”
“To hide the fact they were ever there. No investigators will find any sort of vampire remains at your place… or what’s left of it.”
“That doesn’t make sense. You said they started the fire. Why woul
d they—I’m lost?”
“Those vampires were part of a group we refer to as The Gauthius cult. They’re dangerous, manipulative bastards led by a religious fanatic. Their leaders believe vampires are fundamentally evil and deserve to suffer. They want to wipe the rest of us out because we live normal lives.”
If they think they’re fundamentally evil why not just kill themselves?”
“Because they believe the suffering they endure on Earth will somehow transform their souls and get them through the gates of Heaven.”
“I’m still not getting how the fire at my house fits in with all of that stuff,” Rory said.
“They’re purposely creating a disposable army. Before their flawed vampires burn out completely they get psycho-like strong. I’m talking real damn strong. They do the cults bidding then are disposed of. The vampires at your house accomplished their mission and were gotten rid of through the fire. The ones we didn’t take down were dealt with by their own people.”
“That’s disgusting.” Rory gasped in sudden realization about something. “Will’s one of them. He’s been turned into one of those crazies!”
“Veronique found William nearly dead and overdosing in an abandoned house while one of Gauthius’s vamps fed on him,” Gerard said. Poor, misguided Veronique has always watched over your family. She couldn’t let William die. But it was too late to attempt what she did alone and the well-meaning girl didn’t have the strength to turn him right. And there wasn’t anyone close by to help.” He looked at Rory and saw his eyes water up. “Don’t judge her too badly, she tried her best to save your boy.”
Rory wiped his eyes then spoke. “They set her up. Those Gauthius bastards knew she wouldn’t have help close at hand.”
“Yeah, seems like it might’ve been part of their plan to come after us. Cesare and our family are the dominant clan in the states. Gauthius’s cult has dominance over certain parts of Europe. They’ve decided to put a foothold here.”
“And they’re starting by trying to take down the most powerful families?”
“Precisely,” Gerard said. “And your family members have always been the strongest warriors in our family.”
Rory turned around and kissed Gerard hard. Then hugged and squeezed him. “This is a nightmare, only it’s all real.”
“Y’up,” Gerard said. He reached down and gave Rory’s cock a few quick strokes. “I know you need your mind taken off things for a little while, but there’s something else I have to tell you.”
“Speak, and don’t hold anything back.”
“The Gauthius group follows ancient rituals. Ones that involve the blood sacrifice of children. New recruits are asked to pledge their allegiance to the group by sacrificing their children or the children of other family members if they have none themselves.”
“William would never hurt his…” Rory’s voice tapered off. He felt Gerard’s arm tighten around his waist as if to support the grief which had just hit him. “He’s not William anymore. But he knew Gerard! He knew.”
“In the end he was alright,” Gerard said. “You were good enough raising your boy that he did the right thing and gave you custody of those kids. Consider that move the last and best thing your son accomplished before he died. The man, now vamp, who will come here after your children will look like William, but won’t have his mind any longer.”
“He’ll be crazy like the other Gauthius vampires,” Rory said. “My son is dead.” The tears flowed down and he turned and wept as Gerard held him. There was nothing that could distract from the pain of losing his son. He needed to mourn if only for a few moments before the time would come to deal with the present and figuring out how to keep his grandchildren alive.
RORY’S FEELINGS WERE so intense that as Samuel lay in bed between Rafael and Roget, he could feel Rory’s grief as if it were his own.
“He understands now,” Samuel told Rafael and Roget. “He won’t keep us from doing what has to be done to save the kids.
Chapter 19
The Time has Come
IT WAS NIGHT and Rory sat quietly in a chair in the guest room of Gerard’s house. The children had been given a suggestion by Gerard to sleep through all that might happen. Celia kept him company in the room. She looked like a normal middle-aged woman dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a short-sleeved shirt. Rory wore the only clothes he owned—brown shorts, a blue plaid, button-down shirt, and deck shoes. The diapers for the kids had held out but he’d need to go to the store in the morning.
“Your grandchildren are absolutely precious, Rory,” Celia said.
“Thank you for that comment, for bringing food for the kids, and for all your help.”
“We have to look out for one another,” Celia said. “I’m sorry you have to go through this and that your son ended up targeted by that God-awful cult.”
“So am I.”
Celia reached into her large bag, pulled out a small gun, then put it in Rory’s hand. “You hang onto that in case you need it tonight.”
“Gerard didn’t tell me I could use a gun on a vampire,” Rory said.
“They don’t tend to mention that to mortals,” Celia said. “Bullets tend to piss off vampires more than really stop them for long. If you can aim for the heart that will keep a vampire down long enough for you to get away. Gerard didn’t mention a gun because he wants your first thought to be to run like hell.”
“Wouldn’t that naturally be my first thought?”
“No. Most people will hold their ground and start shooting until they’re surrounded and killed.”
Rory looked down at the gun. “Do I really want this then?”
“Yes, you want every chance available to you,” Celia said. “Your priority has to be to get somewhere safe but you don’t know what obstacles might get in your way. Use the gun if somebody blocks your path out or stands between you and your car. Don’t stand still and shoot or they’ll get you where you are.”
“I understand,” Rory said. “You called us mortals, everyone else I’ve met refers to us as humans.”
“I’d like to think I’m still human, just not mortal,” Celia said.
SAMUEL STOOD IN the middle of Gerard’s living room. The furniture had been pushed against one wall to allow space to fight or whatever else might happen. Gerard sat on a stool in the kitchen watching the back door, machete in hand. Deegan paced along the front porch with his two long swords, and Roget had situated himself in the backyard with a gun and a long blade. Monty was beside Roget with a machete and a gun. And Rafael guarded the front yard armed in similar fashion. Most of them preferred simple uncomplicated weapons. More often than not, it all came down to hand-to-hand combat. The fastest and strongest were the ones who survived.
The smell of new vampires arriving hit the air. They were nearing the house, so Samuel walked to the front door and grabbed the scythe he’d left there for his use. It was a farmer’s tool. One that came in handy for numerous situations. And he could deal with the enemy before they got too close using the scythe.
One of the young Gauthius vampires fought Rafael in the front yard, and another kept Roget busy fighting in back. But they were weak, too newly turned.
“Gerard!” Samuel said. “They’re young, easily taken down. That means they’re a distraction to allow William to get through. Stay alert.”
“I hear you,” Gerard said. “And will do.”
A couple seconds later two vampires broke through the front door and two through the back. But Samuel had felt them coming. He’d timed the swing of his blade to go through the first one the minute he set foot in the house. While his scythe was still going through the one vampire’s waist, Samuel used it to lift himself up so he could kick the other vampire down. Samuel removed the scythe from the first vampire’s body and used it on the second vampire. He severed the second vampires head from his body and kicked the head into a corner.
RORY ROCKED HIMSELF back and forth in the chair as he heard all kind of screams and gutteral noises.
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“Our side is winning,” Celia said.
The noises continued from other portions of the house and from the yard below. Then Rory heard something from outside the window of the room. Something hit the closed outdoor shutters covering the window. The hitting stopped and a piercing scream took its place a second later.
“The wood shutters were treated with a painful spray derived from the stinging nettle plant,” Celia said before running to the bed where the three children were sleeping. “Help me quickly, Rory.”
He picked up Aileen while Celia got the twins and led them to a far corner of the bedroom.
“Put Aileen on the floor for a second, she’ll be fine,” Celia said. “Take the twins. The vamps are gonna make a second try at that shutter and I may have to fight. They’re still fighting in the living room, so don’t run out there if things get bad here. It’d just be more trouble.”
The minute Rory had the twins in his arms a vampire managed to burst through the shutters and the window to make it into the room. Before the vampire could get his bearings, Celia ran to him and broke his neck.
Another vampire made it inside and in the blink of an eye Gerard showed up. He’d managed to slice the vampires head cleanly off with his machete. But then another came in, and two more. A dark haired vampire fought in the room now… with an intensity that Rory had never seen before. It was Samuel—Rory had recognized him almost instantly. Celia stood protectively over Rory and the kids while Gerard fought a vampire on the other side of the room. Samuel had the scythe lifted with the wooden end facing the window. When William entered through the window his forehead met with the wooden end of the scythe. He fell backward, and hit the wall.
William let out a loud wail then got up and ran toward Samuel.
