Reborn

by Thomas A. Watson

  Moving over to take one of the bodies, Kenneth jumped back when Tiffany gave him a menacing glare. “If that first werewolf wasn’t fifteen-foot-tall, I’ll get rid of Eleanor,” Kenneth vowed. “Using my mind on them was very taxing.”

  “Kenneth, the two that came for me in the trees were bigger. Both were older than me, I’m sure. Remember, they continue to get stronger, the longer they live,” Tiffany told him as she adjusted the two men on her shoulders. “Their physical strength can rival any telekinetic at that age, and we were facing swarms of them.”

  As Besseta held onto Kenneth, she slowly built up speed. “I counted thirty-seven in the field.”

  Leaning forward as Besseta picked up speed, “Like I said, we were lucky,” Tiffany repeated.

  They soon stopped a hundred yards from a small gas station and Tiffany put the two unconscious men under a tree. “There’s a river over there,” Tiffany pointed to the east. “We need to wash off and find some clothes. We can make it halfway to meet with Maliki and rest during the day.”

  “Screw that,” Kenneth huffed. “When the sun comes up, we will steal a car and drive.”

  “Now, you see why I never carry anything when I’m hunting,” Besseta told him as they ran to the river. “Several times, I’ve had to fight vampires while I’ve hunted and it’s not wise to leave a wallet behind.”

  Reaching the river, the three walked in and started washing off. “Can’t argue with that,” Kenneth admitted, trying to get the dried blood out of his hair.

  “Kenneth, what was coming that the werewolves were so scared of?” Tiffany asked and Besseta froze when Kenneth turned to Tiffany.

  “A leviathan.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  It was late afternoon when Kenneth pulled his motorcycle off the highway after they’d crossed into Virginia. After getting cleaned up and stealing some clothes, he’d led them to Memphis where he and Besseta had found several that they could feed off of without worrying about keeping them alive. Just before sunrise, Kenneth broke into a bank and robbed it, just because he could.

  After making a withdrawal from the bank, he got online and found three sport bikes, or what was commonly referred to as crotch rockets, for sale by owners. Then, he took the girls to a motorcycle shop and they bought full leather moto-riding gear. The girls learned the motorcycles rather fast and Kenneth was thankful he had bought some dirt bikes that they’d ridden around the property.

  Putting his kickstand down, Kenneth shut the bike off and turned as Besseta pulled up beside him. The leather reinforced suit hugged her body and Kenneth wondered just how many tiny riders there were. Tiffany wasn’t much bigger than Besseta and they’d found a full outfit for her as well. The padded joints of the pants and jacket, along with the knee-high riding boots, made both look smaller than they really were.

  Climbing off after Tiffany parked on his right and shut down her motorcycle, “This bike can go almost as fast as I can run,” Tiffany chuckled, pulling off her helmet.

  “Yeah, these bikes will hit two hundred with ease,” Kenneth laughed, watching Besseta taking off her helmet. He raised his eyebrows as she climbed off the bike with the bike boots that came up to her knees. The suit really accentuated her body well.

  “Stud,” Besseta laughed, “don’t start.”

  Shaking her head at the two, Tiffany hung her helmet on the handlebar. “Are these the fastest bikes?”

  “No, not by a long shot,” Kenneth answered. “Production wise they are, but you can get handmade bikes that will blow these away.”

  “I like riding motorcycles on the road more than through the woods,” Besseta admitted, bending backwards and stretching her back after riding hunched over for so long. “I can dodge trees when I’m running, but that’s too hard on a motorcycle.”

  Tiffany walked over, joining them. “I don’t understand why we couldn’t just go fast and get here?”

  “So the report of three people speeding east could be put out over the radio?” Kenneth asked, and Tiffany jerked with an understanding nod. “The same amount of people that escaped a pack of hell-hounds?”

  “You think so far ahead, you scare me sometimes,” Tiffany mumbled, pulling her jacket sleeve up and looking at the watch she’d gotten off one of their snacks.

  “Hey, they don’t look like wolves,” Kenneth huffed. “They don’t have tails, walk upright, and are the size of a semi.”

  “You saw the video of the ancient one we met in Mississippi,” Besseta reminded him.

  “Video didn’t do them justice. Hell, the biggest one we fought in L.A. was like nine or ten-foot-tall. Compared to what we faced last night, he was a runt,” Kenneth popped off. “The two that I caught on security cameras had to be babies at seven feet tall.”

  “Are we waiting here for Maliki?” Tiffany asked, then pointed to a picnic table under a roof. “If we are, let’s get out of the sun. I took off my helmet and man, I can feel my strength dissipate.”

  Nodding, Besseta patted the leather jacket and pants. “That part, I like,” Besseta admitted and looked up at Kenneth, then turned to Tiffany. “We know where he is, let’s just go. Hell, Tiffany’s been there.”

  “I don’t want Maliki mad at her,” Kenneth said. “This is his safe house.”

  “So, I’ll punch him a few extra times,” Besseta grunted.

  “Besseta, he didn’t know what was there,” Tiffany pointed out.

  Unbuttoning the bottom of her jacket from the top of her pants, “That son of a bitch knows about leviathans and has failed to mention them,” Besseta snapped, pulling off the jacket. She tossed it over her bike and looked over at Tiffany. “Hell, you don’t even know about them.”

  “I study everything. Maliki studies only the cubus. I’m certain he knows much more than I do,” Tiffany admitted. “Granted, knowing what I know now, the cubus are going to be the center of my attention.”

  Turning to Kenneth, “How close do you think you need to be to talk to Maliki’s mind?” Besseta asked.

  Shrugging, “Hell, I don’t know,” Kenneth confessed, and Tiffany reached over and grabbed his arm.

  “Kenneth, it’s a bright day. Don’t even try it right here,” Tiffany warned, then cut her eyes to Besseta. “You should know better.”

  “I didn’t say here!” Besseta shouted. “We can go somewhere with more shade.”

  Looking from Tiffany to Besseta, “There’s a truck stop down the road at Coeburn. Let’s ride there and go inside, so I can try,” Kenneth offered. “Plus, we can pick up some disposable phones and check on Mickey.”

  Grabbing her jacket, Besseta pulled it on. “That sounds good.”

  The three climbed back on the bikes and were soon pulling into the truck stop. Kenneth led them to the pumps. They filled up and then pulled up to the store. Taking off their leather gloves, Tiffany and Besseta pulled small backpacks off their bikes. The packs were stuffed with the money Kenneth had liberated from the bank in Memphis.

  Kenneth headed to the bathroom while the girls headed for the phone display. “Besseta, please don’t beat up Maliki,” Tiffany pleaded. “We are going to his safe house and he is trying.”

  “I still owe him for Boston,” Besseta snapped, trying to open the display up. She saw a young man who worked in the store walk by. “Hey, open this, so we can get some phones,” Besseta ordered.

  The young man jumped back at the attitude, then turned and gawked at the two hotties. “Um, I have to get the manager to open the display,” he stuttered.

  “Well, go get his ass,” Besseta commanded, waving the young man off.

  The clerk turned away, “She’s fine as hell, but man, what a bitch,” the young man mumbled and Tiffany reached out to grab Besseta’s arm before she lunged.

  “You are being rude,” Tiffany whispered and Besseta just rolled her eyes. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

  Giving a long sigh, “We almost died on a stupid errand,” Besseta mumbled. “Tiffany, I locked one up with my mind, and it
felt like I was trying to move the Earth. I almost lost Kenneth for nothing. I couldn’t break away to help him. You had to get the one crushing him.”

  “And I did, while you were fighting four others,” Tiffany pointed out. “Besseta, we’ve been in enough battles for you to know there is no safety. I still can’t believe you two didn’t wait on me before heading to the docks in L.A. There were a lot of vampires there, just not many werewolves, thank goodness.”

  Staring into the display, lost in her thoughts, Besseta nodded. “At least Kenneth learned a lesson; we aren’t invulnerable.”

  “Then that alone, was worth the fight,” Tiffany sighed. “Besseta, he’s still just bulling through. Did you see how much he used telekinesis? He locked three up at one time and then crushed them.”

  Turning from the display to Tiffany, Besseta nodded glumly. “Yes, but he almost passed out. He puked up blood twice during the fight. I’ve never seen anyone push that hard at night and almost get drained.”

  A round man walked up with a keyring in his hands. “How may I help you?” he asked.

  Besseta blinked and then turned back to the display. “I’ll take six of that phone,” she said, jabbing her finger on the glass door of the display.

  The man gave a gasp, fumbling with the keys. “I’m not sure we have that many.”

  “Then give me what you have, and enough of the phone beside it until you give me six,” Besseta snapped, then her face went blank.

  “Yes, ma’am,” the man replied, opening the case up and pulling out phones.

  Tiffany ignored the man as she watched Besseta. The blank look left Besseta’s face suddenly, as she gave a snort and busted out laughing. Pulling out the phones, the man turned around to see Besseta slapping her thigh. “Kenneth, be nice, baby,” Besseta laughed out.

  “Oh,” Tiffany moaned, realizing what was going on.

  The laughter froze on Besseta’s face. “Maliki, I’ll come up there and rip your legs off and beat you with them,” Besseta said coldly. Tiffany watched Besseta’s face and could tell she was listening. On a whim, Tiffany reached out and grabbed her hand and concentrated on her mind.

  Maliki’s voice filled Tiffany’s mind, making her jump. ‘Besseta, Kenneth just threatened me with the same thing!’

  You had information we needed!’ Kenneth bellowed in her mind and Tiffany winced as Kenneth’s voice made her feel nauseous.

  Kenneth, I don’t know how you found out, but you need to keep that out of your mind. If the cubus find out that you know about leviathans, they will stop this war and hunt you until they kill you and everyone you know,’ Maliki warned and Tiffany could feel the trepidation coming from Maliki as he spoke.

  “Maliki, we are coming to see you now, so don’t get upset,” Besseta said out loud, but Tiffany also heard Besseta in her mind.

  There was a pause before Maliki spoke. ‘Did Tiffany tell you about this place?’

  No,’ Kenneth scoffed. ‘Like I told you, I can do things you can’t even dream of. Hell, I’m still finding out what I can do.’

  Again, there was a pause, ‘If you know where I am, then come,’ Maliki replied, sounding dejected.

  “Maliki, just how many others know about your place?” Besseta asked out loud again. The manager was staring at Besseta with an arm full of boxes and his mouth hanging open.

  Maliki gave a long sigh and then answered. ‘There is only one of our kind that has been here, and she’s with you.’

  Besseta and Kenneth both jerked and Tiffany started blushing. “Maliki,” Tiffany said out loud and Tiffany could actually feel Maliki’s shock. ‘You know as well as I, they would never divulge anything about you.’

  ‘Not willingly, but the cubus would get whatever they wanted and never ask a question,’ Maliki answered and Besseta cut her eyes to Tiffany, feeling the joy emanating from Maliki.

  ‘See you shortly,’ Kenneth said and Tiffany felt the link to Maliki sever, but didn’t let go of Besseta’s hand. For a brief second, Tiffany was inside Kenneth’s mind and she could feel he was tired.

  “Ma’am,” the manager said, looking from Besseta to Tiffany.

  Blinking her eyes and breaking the trance, Besseta smiled at the manager. “Thank you, I’ll meet you at the counter.”

  When the manager walked away, Besseta looked down at Tiffany’s hand, holding hers. “How did you figure that out?”

  In shock, Tiffany didn’t answer or let go of Besseta’s hand while she still felt herself inside Kenneth’s mind. “By the ancient gods,” Tiffany gasped. Hearing the roaring building in Kenneth’s mind, Tiffany let go of Besseta’s hand. “Go,” Tiffany snapped and pushed Besseta toward the restrooms.

  Besseta headed to the back and Tiffany let out a laugh, watching Besseta just walk into the men’s room. “Hey!” a male voice screeched.

  “It’s not like you have something that someone wants to see!” Besseta shouted back as the door closed.

  Taking the small pack off her shoulder, Tiffany laughed and pulled out a bound stack of hundreds and tossed them on the counter. “Take the phones out of this and you can keep the change, but you have to belittle any man that comes out complaining about my friend going in the men’s room to check on her husband.”

  With bulging eyes, the manager looked at the ten-grand sitting on the counter. “They need to man the hell up,” he mumbled, tossing the phones into two bags.

  Giving the manager a smile, Tiffany grabbed the bags as the manager slowly picked up the stack of money. Turning around, she saw Kenneth leaning on Besseta as they headed for the door. “He doesn’t need to go outside, if he’s that tired,” Tiffany told Besseta, cutting them off from the door.

  “It’s not like the normal weariness,” Kenneth told her, but did stop at the doors.

  Rolling her eyes, Tiffany turned to Besseta. “What’s he feel like?”

  “Tired, but not like the other times. He actually has a lot of strength. It’s like he worked out a new muscle and that one spot is sore and very tired,” Besseta answered, looking up at Kenneth’s face.

  As she thought hard, Tiffany moved to the other side of Kenneth and guided him and Besseta into a restaurant. Heading to a table in the back corner, Tiffany moved over to let Besseta guide him into the booth. “Besseta, that wasn’t like when you and Kenneth talked in my mind. It was much more vivid. I could feel Maliki’s emotions. For some reason, I pictured him standing on a balcony overlooking a valley, but his house doesn’t have a balcony,” Tiffany said, sitting down.

  “He was standing on a balcony,” Kenneth mumbled, laying his head down on the table.

  Feeling the fatigue slowly abating, Besseta grabbed one of the bags and ripped one of the phones out. To keep her hands busy as she thought, Tiffany also pulled a phone out and started setting it up. “Were you linked with him when he started talking to Maliki?” Tiffany asked.

  “Oh, yeah,” Besseta chuckled. “It was like Kenneth’s mind flew up through the ceiling and then over the countryside until it reached the valley Maliki lives in. I saw Maliki standing on the balcony when Kenneth’s mind flew at him and it hit Maliki. It wasn’t a physical hit, but let me tell you, Maliki knew instantly it was Kenneth and he almost wet his pants.”

  “I couldn’t read Maliki’s thoughts. I could only feel his emotions,” Tiffany said and then smiled, seeing the phone was ready to use.

  “Neither could Kenneth,” Besseta shrugged, sliding the phone she’d just activated over to Tiffany. Pulling out another phone, Besseta started activating it. “But then again he wasn’t trying, thankfully, because I’m sure that would’ve made him collapse.”

  Programing the numbers into hers and Besseta’s phone, Tiffany glanced over and saw Kenneth was resting. “Can you tell me how he did it?”

  With her fingers tapping the screen, Besseta paused and looked up at Tiffany. “He knew where Maliki was and concentrated on talking to him. That’s when his mind, or consciousness; whatever you want to call it, flew out,” Besseta explained
.

  “That is astral projection, clairvoyant telepathy and I’ve never heard of someone having all of them,” Tiffany said, grabbing the box to the phone Besseta was programing. “I still think we should take some time off and explore just what he can do. This trying on the fly is dangerous.”

  “He’s scared to go back to the house,” Besseta confessed. “Too many ancient werewolves have our scent. Kenneth is worried we would expose Mickey and his family.”

  “Please,” Tiffany scoffed, taking the phone from Besseta and she programmed the numbers into the phones. “I have a few safe houses we could use, and you have four times what I have here in North America.”

  Glancing over at Kenneth as he dozed, “I’m with you on that,” Besseta mumbled. “When we fought those werewolves, he was forcing his body to heal faster. After the first one hit him, Kenneth opened his mind. That’s how he dodged most of the others.”

  Looking at the screens with T, B, and K, and phone numbers beside each letter, Tiffany slid a phone over to Besseta and Kenneth. “So far, we know he has telekinesis and psychometry – the ability to read memories of others. Vampires, he can seem to do without touch, but humans, he seems to need to touch. Psychic surgery, at least to himself, astral projection, remote viewing, energy manipulation, unfathomable speed, super healing, telekinesis, mental manipulation and clairvoyance just to name a few,” Tiffany listed off, looking at Besseta. “The weirdest part is, you can use his powers.”

  “I’ve fed off all the same ones he has,” Besseta objected.

  Shaking her head, “Besseta, none of the ones you two have fed off of, had psychic abilities of projection, remote viewing, psychometry, and such. You know what you two have taken. Those came from Kenneth and you can use them, but aren’t affected in the same way he is. Kenneth can take abilities by thought where you take by absorbing DNA,” Tiffany offered.

  Slowly, Kenneth lifted his head off the table and sluggishly blinked his eyes. “I still have to take some of them,” Kenneth mumbled, and Tiffany jerked her eyes to him. “You’re right. I absorb abilities, but I have to take in some blood of the subject.”