by Alice Brown
“Shortly after that we were reassigned to protect the Saratoga. We were attacked twice within a short period of time and one almost sunk our ship. We lost six good men that day. The ship, after being hit, began filling with water on the damaged side. The crew went into emergency operations. Half began working on closing up the hole, while the other half actually flooded the other side so that the entire ship didn’t go down. She was horribly leaning to the damaged side as is, and it took the entire crew to keep her afloat! Somehow, we managed to skirt around disaster, and made it to Pearl Harbor for repairs.
“We helped with the bombing of Nauru, helped protect Bunker Hill, and airfields at Kavieng. We also helped assist with the capturing of the Marshall Islands. We aided marines onshore by providing gunfire as they engaged in some of the bloodiest fighting in the Pacific.
“You know, the USS North Carolina ended up receiving fifteen battle stars for all of her work in the war. By the time we were finished, we had lost ten good men. Considering all the battles she was involved in, for a ship to only lose ten men through a war is saying something. We did have sixty-seven injuries, plus one that never was reported.”
“Why was there an injury never reported?” Erica asked, completely enthralled in his story.
“Because it was me, and since I was a medical officer, and a vampire, unknown to anyone at that time, I was able to keep my first wound hidden. I guess you could say I lucked out being in medical. That ship could get very hot! One nice advantage to working and sleeping in medical was that it had air conditioning. Oh yes, we were some of the lucky few that almost always had hot water for showers, also! A lot of the sailors would try to sleep topside when it was really warm, but that could cause problems. If action brewed up quick, you might not have time to get your bedroll and yourself out of the way before it was too late. Also, if a storm brewed up, which could happen quickly out on the open sea, you could wake up to find yourself soaked from the sea water splashing up on deck!
“Anyway, back to what I started with, I actually was hit twice. The first time nobody seemed to notice and the wound closed up quick enough that I could hide it. I did end up going to the ship’s mechanic and asking to borrow a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. I waited until I was alone to dig the bullet out of myself. The second time was a little trickier. One of the gunners was close to me and watched me get hit. I was up on deck trying to help get an injured sailor back down to sickbay, when I got hit. I had the hardest time trying to pass that one off! I ended up pulling rank with the young seaman who had seen me get hit. He was a really nice young man, but he was making such a commotion about me being injured that I ended up snapping at him to get back to his assigned post. I took myself down to sickbay, and by this time of course, I believe half the ship heard that I had been hit. Once down in my office, I locked myself in and pulled what was left of the bullet out of my shoulder, bandaged it up so that it would look good, and walked back out. I was ordered to have one of the other medics take a look at it, and I ended up having to reopen the wound myself with my pocketknife just before he walked in. I went back later and quietly apologized to the seaman I had snapped at, he really did nothing wrong, he was just concerned about my injury. I blamed my irritability on the pain, which of course wasn’t the truth, but it was the only thing plausible.”
“Oh wow,” Erica now breathed. “It must have been hard on you. How did you, you know, eat?” she asked hesitantly. She was afraid of hurting his feelings, but was very curious.
“Well, let’s just say that the ten who died didn’t have any blood in their systems when I finished,” he now replied. “In between times, I had managed to bring a small stash of blood on the ship, and then we had some blood for emergencies. Anybody who came down for blood work, well, after the blood work was completed, the blood would need to be destroyed. I took care of that process,” he stated with a grin.
“You know, the ironic thing was that we kept getting wind from letters from home and things of that nature stating that the Japanese had reported numerous times that they had sunk the USS North Carolina. In fact, before it was all over with, they had reported six different times that they had sunk us. We just kept cruising along.
“But by the time it was all over with, depression had set into me. I didn’t even realize vampires had the ability to have that happen, but it certainly did with me. I was able to somewhat control it until my tour was over, and then I quit the military altogether. I felt like too much blood was on my hands already, and I had enough. Ironically, that is what led me to Fresno.”
”Oh, please forgive my lack of manners, I haven’t even offered you ladies any refreshments,” he stated.
“Oh, now Mr. Atkins, you have been the perfect host!” Kate replied.
“Nonsense, my girl,” he brushed Kate’s words aside, as he stood up.
“Erica, I am afraid I don’t have much to offer you to drink except water, unless you want a glass of scotch,” Mr. Atkins stated as he headed for the kitchen.
Kate quickly injected, “No alcohol, Erica!” giving her a knowing look.
“Water is fine, Mr. Atkins.” Erica replied.
“Kate, Elizabeth, would you two join me in a drink?”
“Sure, Mr. Atkins, but just a small amount. That supply is for you,” Kate replied for both her and Elizabeth.
Mr. Atkins walked out of his kitchen with four glasses in his hands. He handed a glass of water to Erica, a glass of blood to Kate and Elizabeth each, and then carried the fourth glass over to where he was sitting.
“Erica, what happened to your head?” Mr. Atkins asked curiously.
“Um, I had a bit of an accident,” she replied as she looked over to Kate for some assistance as to how much information she could release.
Kate quickly came to the rescue. “It is okay, Erica. He knows about Kevin. In fact, Mr. Atkins helped train Kevin for his position at the VCTF.”
This tidbit of news surprised Erica. Quickly forgetting the original question he asked, she looked over to Mr. Atkins and stated, “I didn’t even realize you knew Kevin. What type of training did you provide?” She realized as she glanced down at his hand that he was wearing the same ring Kevin and all the other VCTF members wore. “You are wearing the VCTF ring. Are you part of the team?”
“Well, dear, after the war I came back to the states, it was 1946. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at that point. I had quit the military completely, by this time I had seen enough humans dying to last me the rest of my life. I found myself down in Atlanta, and was surprised to discover a vampire society. They told me there were other societies set up throughout the US, and I decided to visit the one here in Fresno. I met Charles O’Rourke shortly after arriving, he was running the VCTF at the time. We became fast friends, and I even helped him at the VCTF for a period of time. When Kevin came along, Charles insisted he went through college first before he began his training. All through the early 1960s, Charles and I spent most of our time training Kevin to handle any type of situation he might come across. This meant Kevin needed to be trained in martial arts, police and military training. As I already had extensive training in both martial arts and military training, I could assist in his training of these. I also accompanied him to other countries to get a look at how they train their military personnel. He then took all of his training and redefined it for his own use in conjunction with his animal skills. By the time Charles handed him the ropes in 1966, I could not have been more proud of the man he turned out to be. I knew then he would be a huge asset to this society, as he still is today. I continued to stay on for a few more years, bouncing between helping Charles with the intelligence gathering, and being a backup for Kevin. Once Marshall came onboard, I started backing off, and then when Alec and Joshua came onboard, I went into retirement.”
Mr. Atkins sat back for a moment and studied Erica. “Now my dear, I’ve told you my story. Do I get to hear yours?”
Erica glanced down at her glass of water. “A couple of days ag
o, there was a drug bust at the local college I attend. In the middle of the bust, my ex-husband showed up, trying to kidnap me. He attacked Jennifer with a knife, and grabbed me after taking her down. Kevin showed up in tiger form right before Shawn had us out the door. As Kevin went to take a swipe out of him, Shawn threw me in the way. If that wasn’t bad enough, a few seconds later he threw me into a wall, in which I hit the other side of my head and wound up with a concussion.”
“Good heavens, dear, no wonder Kate said no alcohol! I’m surprised Kevin even let you out of bed! Are you even supposed to be up and moving about?” Mr. Atkins inquired out of concern, as he sat up ramrod straight in her chair.
“I’m okay, Dr. Carlson instructed me to take it easy for a few days, but I am otherwise fine,” Erica replied, with a shy smile.
“I heard there was a bit of commotion down at the medical center yesterday, but I didn’t realize Jennifer was involved! Is she okay?” Mr. Atkins continued, glancing over to Kate and Elizabeth.
“She is fine. Once her arm was reset, it healed completely, and nothing major was hit with the knife wound in the abdomen,” Kate answered.
He turned his attention to Kate and Elizabeth. “I have enjoyed your visit, girls, but I wouldn’t push things with her too much. Head wounds are nothing to mess around with.”
The girls said their good-byes to Mr. Atkins shortly after this, and promised another visit very soon.
As they headed for the door, Mr. Atkins followed. “Girls, thank you for such a lovely visit today. You have no idea how happy you have made me. And Erica, you, my dear, are an absolute delight. Anytime you want to discuss history, come see me!”
Erica smiled shyly. “I will, Mr. Atkins, and thank you for an educational as well as an entertaining afternoon.”
As they started home, Erica pondered over these elderly vampires and their very lonely life style. It certainly seemed these vamps never had a chance to get out and enjoy anything out in the real world. Each one she had met today seemed so lonely and eager for someone just to chat with. She questioned Kate and Elizabeth about this as they were heading home. Kate threw a glance her way that clearly stated she was questioning if Erica had taken a leave of her senses. However, Erica wasn’t giving up.
“As Mr. Castillo stated earlier, as our kind ages, our skin tends to get a white chalky look to it. The more a vamp ages, the more brittle he or she becomes. So no, most are afraid of what humans would think of them once they start the aging process. Also, the damage the sun would do keeps them pretty well confined to their homes,” Kate now stated patiently, as if speaking to a two-year-old.
“I think you misunderstood me. Humans have retirement homes and villages, where socialization is encouraged, and crafts or other activities are set up. Even for the elderly that want to live on their own, we still have recreation centers that hold special classes specifically designed for them. Don’t you guys have anything like that?”
“Um, no we don’t,” but Erica knew Kate was considering the idea. “Though, come to think about it, that’s a pretty good idea. Maybe we should mention it to dad.”
They arrived back home shortly after, and Jennifer was on hand to ask Erica if she wanted to catch a movie. “No thanks, not tonight,” Erica answered her, and then seeing the dejected look on her face, hurried to clarify. “Kate and Elizabeth have had me out all day talking with your elderly. I’m beat! Besides, I got a headache coming on. I probably need to rest a bit.”
Erica thanked Kate and Elizabeth for allowing her to tag along today, and headed back to Kevin’s suite. Once inside, she felt strangely at loose ends since she was by herself, and fired up her old computer. She could at least check her email before falling asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Erica followed the sound of music to the family room. As she turned the corner to enter the room, she spotted her very own Sir Lancelot. He stood looking like a sexy god, and she felt her mouth watering at just the sight of him. He was speaking with Jordan and Davidrick and didn’t notice her at first. This allowed Erica a quick moment just to drink in the sight of him. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a long-sleeved, light blue dress shirt. The shirt brought out the darkness in his eyes. As if feeling her eyes caress over him, he stopped speaking and looked up into her eyes, flashing a brilliant smile her way.
The moment he looked up and spotted Erica, it was impossible to look away. He merely stated a soft “excuse me” to his guests, as his feet were already walking in her direction of their own accord.
He reached her in just a few strides, immediately tipping her face upward, not wanting to break the gaze between them. She was beyond beautiful! Dressed in an emerald-green pants outfit, he couldn’t imagine a prettier sight to behold! His lips found hers readily, and he whispered huskily, “I missed you,” before claiming her in a heated kiss. When he broke their kiss a moment later, his craving for her was left unsatisfied, but he knew he was going to have to be patient. He had a room full of guests and friends to deal with first. Another quick roam over her body with his eyes had him wondering what exactly had he been thinking in scheduling this get-together tonight? In hindsight he realized he should have scheduled the get-together for the following evening, leaving tonight free to spend with Erica. Oh, but if he had scheduled the party for tomorrow evening, he would have ended up cancelling it. The team was leaving first thing in the morning, something he was dreading telling Erica.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t spend the next twelve hours with her. Kevin looked down and noticed Erica was still a little breathless from his kiss. He cocked one eyebrow up and asked casually, “Did you miss me?”
Even being breathless, she still managed to shoot him a smile and whisper, “Yes. As a matter of fact, I did.”
Kevin smiled back down at her, as he whispered the word “tonight” before taking her hand and walking back towards the party to make introductions.
The gentle whisper held a promise, and a shiver ran down Erica’s spin in anticipation as she allowed him to lead her back to their guests.
The couple started making their rounds, arms linked around one another, bodies touching as much as possible. Kevin introduced her to everyone they came across. Most of the VCTF team was there, along with Jordan, Davidrick, Kevin’s three sisters, and other family friends. Several family friends who had not met Erica yet wanted to know the usual questions: when the couple met, Erica’s life history, etc. Kevin smoothly took over answering most of the questions thrown at the couple. He knew Erica was a bit timid around strangers. He also knew she was not comfortable discussing her past.
When Kevin became tied up talking to another couple, Jordan entertained her with hilarious stories of the VCTF.
“Ask Kevin sometime to tell you the story of when he was shot in the rear. Trust me, it is hilarious, and I would tell you myself, but he might not ever let me speak to you again!” Jordan laughed. She merely gave Kevin a wide grin when he stopped speaking and turned to glare at her.
“Or you should ask him about the time they had a mad vampire on their hands. This idiot managed to knock Joshua out cold, and then tried to overdose him on some drug concoction he had come up with! I thought I was going to have to kill Joshua myself before I could get him transported back to the office! Do you have any idea what a vampire is like, drugged? Not a pretty sight! It took Kevin and Marshall just to hold him down for the ride to the office, and then Dr. Carlson had to extract as much of the crap out of his system as possible.”
Jordan glanced over to the other side of the room where Jennifer and Joshua were standing. Leaning down to Erica’s ear, she continued softly. “That incident is why Joshua is having such a hard time with Jennifer. She had stopped by the office shortly after bring him in, and in his drugged up state, evidently said something pretty crude. Although I am fairly certain Jennifer forgave him as soon as she realized he was under the influence, he has yet to forgive himself.”
Jordan went on to explain her job and affiliati
on with the VCTF. “If a vamp accidently kills a human, the VCTF get involved first, but then it became my job to make sure there was no evidence to find. Or, if something happens while the team is on assignment that would not look normal to humans, I get called in to clean up. They also use me for ambulatory care, as they did earlier this week with you and Jennifer.”
When Davidrick joined them, Erica excused herself and walked over to the bar and requested a glass of white wine. The bartender gave her a knowing smile, and Erica assumed Jennifer must have already alerted him. She took a quick glance around the room, and was a little surprised as to how comfortable she felt in the midst of at least thirty vampires. She was fairly sure she was the only human in attendance tonight.
As she waited for her drink, she spotted Jennifer and Joshua standing next to one another, chatting amicably. Erica hoped that Joshua was finally getting his nerve up to act on his feelings toward Jennifer. Come to think about it, ever since Jennifer had been injured, Joshua had stuck to her like glue. Maybe her injury was what was needed to prod him in action.
She was still standing at the bar sipping on her wine, when Kevin suddenly appeared at her side, wrapping his arm around her waist. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I’ve done without you in my arms long enough. You’re not going to get rid of me so easy.”
Erica smiled up at him, as she turned to face him, the front of her body flush up with the front of his. “I second that motion. In fact, I need to find a bottle of superglue, so that we won’t have to be separated again,” she replied in a teasing tone to him.
