“I thought you guys didn’t get sick,” JJ whispered as the entered the general reception area.
Nardo laughed. “We aren’t susceptible to most bacterial infections, but that isn’t the same as disease free and we still have strokes, heart disease, cancer, a lot of pregnancy complications and injury. We heal fast which can be a problem if a bone is set incorrectly. And then there’s demon poison which most of us can fight off if we’re in good shape, but if untreated leaves scarring and sometimes nasty complications. Then there’s…”
“Okay, okay. I get it,” JJ stopped him with a laugh. “Let’s sign in and get this over with.
The receptionist smiled politely and pointed out the direction they should take. “Go to the end of the hall and turn right. You want Room 136. Dr. ad Fenton’s name is on the door.”
A nurse dressed in an old style white uniform, white shoes and a starched cap on her head, led them to a modern looking exam room. She introduced herself as Nurse Rosemary.
“Doctor is running a bit late, but he’ll be here shortly. You must be someone special,” she paused but went on brightly when no one added further information. “Doctor rarely sees patients anymore. There’s a gown on the table for you to change into and you,” she smiled at Nardo, “Can get comfortable in the waiting room. I‘ll show you where it is.”
“No,” Nardo and JJ said together and JJ continued. “I’m only here for a blood test.”
The nurse looked momentarily confused as she consulted the clipboard in her hand and then the smile was back in place. “No, Doctor is quite specific.” She pointed to the chart. “It says here full examination, a series of blood tests and that Doctor will take the patient’s history himself.” She frowned. “That’s usually part of my job.”
JJ looked at Nardo whose opinion was a shrug. “Okay,” she told the nurse, “But he stays.”
The nurse pursed her lips and in her best talking to a naughty boy voice said, “Now, now, gentlemen aren’t allowed. We don’t want Doctor to be unhappy.”
“Then Doctor can kiss my…”
“We’ll explain when he arrives,” Nardo intervened.
The nurse looked like she might argue until Nardo widened his stance, crossed his arms over his chest and got a look on his face that definitely said, “Make me.” She scurried from the room.
“You look very mean.” JJ tried to hold in the laughter as she quickly stripped out of her clothes.
“Thank you. I’ve been practicing.”
“Good, because I want you to look just like that when I tell ‘Doctor’ I’m not doing the stirrup thing.”
“Why? You can look fierce. I’ve seen you.”
“No one can look fierce in one of these.” She fingered the paper johnnie coat.
Nardo wiggled his eyebrows but didn’t get a chance to say what he was thinking because the door opened and the white coated doctor strode in.
“I’m Doctor ad Fenton.” He stopped mid stride with a look of surprise, but quickly recovered. “I’ll have my nurse escort you to the waiting room.”
“Thank you, but we’ll all be more comfortable if I stay.”
The doctor frowned, but there was little he could say. Ignoring Nardo, he turned to JJ. “Miss Justice, is it? Your coloring is a bit unusual. Rare, I might say.” He’d only seen the combination once before.
“I know. People usually think I bleach.” She’d heard a lot of comments over the years about her dark golden skin and almost white hair. This doctor must be pretty astute to recognize it as natural so quickly.
“Yes, well, they would, wouldn’t they.” He took out his pen. “I’ll need some history.”
JJ didn’t like this man. His attitude was condescending and in between jotting down her answers to routine questions, he looked at her like she was a specimen in a jar. Though she supposed, in a way, she was. When the questions shifted from medical to personal, she hesitated… and lied.
“Where were you born?”
“Don’t know.”
“Mother’s name?”
“Don’t know.”
“Father’s?”
“Don’t know. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” Her answers were similarly vague to the next few.
Nardo’s lack of surprise at her deception reassured her she was doing the right thing in keeping this information to herself.
After several more questions, she told the doctor, “I don’t think this is necessary.”
“I’ll decide what’s…” He was startled into backing up when Nardo took a step toward him.
Nardo’s smile was not friendly. “Moving right along,” he hinted.
Gregory took the hint. He put the clipboard aside and began a cursory exam. When he moved to her back, he ran his fingers over the tattoo on her shoulder. This was proof enough.
“Something wrong, Doctor?”
The doctor snatched his hand away. “No. No, it’s that I rarely see a tattoo on a member of the Race,” he blustered.
The cold fingered feeling of a lie crept up her spine. “If I’m anything at all, I’m only half Paenitentia. That might make a difference.”
“Yes, well, we don’t know that yet, now do we.” He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “Take this down the hall to the lab to have your blood drawn and a swab taken. I’ll call with my results and we may need an extended examination.” He nodded once to Nardo and was gone.
They waited until they were outside before they spoke.
“Supercilious bastard,” Nardo growled.
“He can call, but he better not ask me to come in again. He gives me the creeps. And what was with the paper gown? He didn’t do anything that couldn’t be done in my street clothes, except finger my tat.”
Nardo nodded. “I almost asked him about that, the tat, I mean, but by that time I just wanted you out of there. He said you rarely see a tattoo on a member of the Race. As far as I know, you never see a tattoo. Our bodies absorb the ink. The twins have tried it probably a dozen times. It doesn’t take.”
“I don’t care what his credentials are. The guy’s a creep. Let’s get out of here.” JJ headed back the way they’d come, but Nardo grabbed her hand.
“One more stop to make. We’ve been invited to lunch. Remember?”
*****
Dr. Gregory ad Fenton’s fingers trembled with excitement as he punched the number into the phone. He didn’t wait for a greeting when someone picked up on the other end. He blurted, “It’s her, By the Nephilim, it’s her.”
“Are you sure?”
How dare the man question him? “Of course I’m sure. She just left my office. Same hair, same skin. I touched her, dammit. I saw the tattoo.”
“Did she recognize you?”
“No. Why would she? She was never a part of my research. If she saw me at all, it was from a distance. It wouldn’t matter anyway. She remembers nothing I tell you, nothing but her name.”
“Is that possible?”
“I questioned her, Captain, and I resent your questioning my expertise. I would know a great deal more about the girl if she hadn’t been accompanied by a damned Guardian. I’d already have the information if you hadn’t seen fit to dispose of her before I had a chance to examine the body.” The fools had thrown away a perfect specimen for study. By the time someone was sent to retrieve her, it was too late.
He’d read the reports and the results of the testing the coven provided. The girl was strong, a purer strain than any of the other ‘witches’, who, until recently, had little power individually and could only perform with the combined strength of the coven. He’d wanted to test the child then, study her himself, but the High Lord forbade it.
“She was disposed of according to the High Lord’s wishes,” ad Primus said on the other end.
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard all this before.” And he’d also heard how their leader’s wishes changed twenty-four hours later. “The question is how should we handle this?”
“The High Lord mus
t be informed.”
“Of course he must.” Gregory changed his tone from one of exasperation to one of professional concern. “But it’s been a long time, Captain, and we don’t know what’s happened to her in the interim. Is she still a viable candidate to bear the next generation? How have her powers developed? I believe we should investigate further before making that call. Our first priority should be the safety and well-being of the High Lord.”
This woman was a throwback to a time when the Paenitentia had no trouble providing offspring for the perpetuation of the Race. Her body could provide him with invaluable information for his research. Once her fertility was verified, she could also be the ideal receptacle for insemination by another genetic throwback; his more modern recreation of the Nephilim.
“He knows of a similar woman’s existence. He wants me to find her,” The Captain said quietly. “I can’t afford to let her disappear again.”
“No, we can’t let her go again,” Gregory told ad Primus, sharing the responsibility, “But that doesn’t mean we have to tell him when she’s in custody, at least until we’re sure it’s safe.”
“I agree, but there’s another problem. There’s a spy in the ranks. I don’t know if we can keep this from the High Lord.” Or from the witch woman. They needed her cooperation.
“I know.” There was a gratifying pause on the other end. Gregory sucked in his cheeks and counted to ten. The little bitch was supposed to run all her reports past him for approval and she’d said nothing about the woman. He would have to have word with her, a very strong word. Loyalty to the cause and to Father was all well and good, but her first loyalty should be to him. “I’ve taken care of it.”
“It was you,” ad Primus accused.
The Captain’s words weren’t as crisp and Gregory knew the man’s fangs were out. He smiled. “Please, Salvador,” he said as if they were old friends, “With the work I do, do you really think I have time to play tattletale to the High Lord.” He’d heard ad Primus had to report in daily. “I discovered it quite by accident. It’s over, done with, taken care of.” Or it would be as soon as he got off the phone.
It paid to have someone in your employ who was betrothed to a member of the captain’s security force. But alliances changed and the advantage had become a liability. The phone calls would cease. The reports to him would not.
“Rosemary, would you come in here for a moment, please?”
Chapter 37
“Nice place you have here. Thanks so much for inviting us to lunch.”
Nardo took in the wide open space of the apartment’s floor plan and thought Hope might want to rethink offering Deter and Marta the tiny third floor flat. When the couple said they lived above the garage, they failed to mention it was an oversized four car garage. This place was spacious and airy, two things the apartment at the top of the Guardian House was not.
“It’s we who should be thanking you.” Marta told them. “Come, sit, and eat while the soup is hot.” She led them to the table. “Deter should be here soon. He told me not to wait. The Director is eating out today, but I can’t take too much time away from my duties.”
She served them bowls of thick, steaming soup and uncovered a basket of hot, crisp rolls. She’d no sooner served herself when the front door opened. Unwrapping his scarf and hanging it on the peg by the door, Deter called in greeting.
“Good night and welcome to our table. My apologies for my delay.” He took his seat and tucked his napkin into his collar. “There was a bit of a dust up at the office today that may be of some interest to your Lord Canaan.” Deter’s solemn face broke into a grin that showed off his prominent front teeth. “Someone misplaced the paper files on Canaan ad Simeon’s assets and investments as well as those of his House and the computer files were inadvertently deleted. It will take some time to backtrack and rebuild, but you can assure Lord Canaan that when all is said and done, the true picture will be revealed.” He happily dug into his soup. “Ah, Chicken and Corn Chowder, a favorite of mine. Please pass the rolls.”
Marta beamed at Deter, but then became serious again. “We also have another reason for asking you here. We’re concerned for a dear friend of ours and don’t know where else to turn.”
“He began work on what he thought was a strictly research project,” Deter continued, “But he’s come to believe his work is being used for something sinister. He signed a confidentiality agreement but has broken his vow of secrecy to tell us what he knows.”
Marta broke in. “You must understand. Isaac is a good and honorable man like my Deter. He wouldn’t take breaking a vow lightly. He thinks he is being watched and two of his colleagues have been transferred to other research facilities, except neither mentioned the coming move to anyone and no one has heard from either one. Both expressed dissatisfaction with whatever they were working on and Deter is afraid he’ll be the next transfer, something he would never agree to.”
They explained, with a few blushes and embarrassed throat clearings, that the goal of Isaac’s previous research had been to increase the birth rate among the Race. Now, he believed his research was being used to increase the fertility of a certain population within the Race. Isaac was frightened by it.
“What certain population?” JJ asked. She eyed the tureen of soup and wondered if it would be impolite to ask for more. Deter was right. It was delicious.
Dead silence followed her question as Deter and Marta exchanged worried looks. Then they both whispered at once.
“Isaac isn’t a fanciful man…”
“Vampires.”
Nardo choked on his sip of water and grabbed his napkin. The delicious soup turned sour in JJ’s stomach. They too, spoke together.
“How does he know this?”
“Where is this place?”
“There are other researchers involved,” Marta said, disconcerted by their reactions. She’d expected disbelief and was now more worried than before. “They’re not supposed to talk about their work, but Isaac said he couldn’t help but overhear things.”
“And Marta has heard things, too, about those girls who were murdered.”
“Isaac doesn’t know where it is. They’re taken there in a windowless van. They take a different route every day so he can’t judge by the turns, but the trip is never more than a half hour and never less than twenty minutes. Could all this be true? Do you think he’s in danger? He was here for dinner the morning before last and he said there was talk about keeping everyone at the facility, because the project was so close to completion. Oh Deter, you were right. We shouldn’t have let him go.”
“It was his decision, my dear. He was afraid of what might happen if he refused.” Deter turned to Nardo. “I know where to find the address.”
“How?” three voices asked.
“I followed the money. I started with Gregory ad Fenton, the doctor who administers the program.”
“Definitely not doing the stirrup thing or answering his call,” JJ said.
*****
JJ walked along the row of shops lining the square, stopping at each one to check out the shops and the window displays they’d passed on the way in. If the price tags were any indication, the residents of Moonlight Sanctuary must lead pretty comfortable lives.
Nardo was back at Deter and Marta’s place, glued to their computer, tracking leads from the information he’d gleaned from Deter. In between the tap-tap-tapping of keys, he made several phone calls to Canaan to keep him abreast of developments.
Both the accountant and his mate had returned to work; Marta to her regular duties and Deter with a whole list of details to be researched through various accounts. Both offered to stay, but Nardo was afraid Marta’s absence might be noticed and he and Deter both needed computers.
Soon after Deter left, Nardo began receiving messages from him, each eliciting another round of key tapping. Other than the phone calls, the only words he spoke were swear words when the tap-tapping didn’t bring the expected results.
&n
bsp; JJ knew what he was doing was important, but there was nothing she could do to help. With no magazines to leaf through and no television in evidence, she was going stir crazy. Out of desperation, she suggested she take a stroll through the village. Since their arrival time was noted, her presence in the shops would provide an excuse for not leaving the Sanctuary immediately after her appointment.
She stopped in a stationary store which offered monogrammed everything and all of it expensive and a jewelry store that would rival Tiffany’s. Having come to the end of the row, she crossed the end of the square. As she passed the school, a teacher exited followed by six pint sized students and JJ laughed as the last one in line turned the wrong way and headed for the play yard. That’s the child she’d like to have; a bit of a rebel who marched to his own beat; a little Nardo.
Whoa! That stopped her in her tracks. Would she really like to have a child? Well, yeah, maybe. Did Nardo want kids? How did you bring up the subject? At this point, the answer was moot. There would be no child without some sort of mating ceremony. She’d done that once and didn’t think she could handle another, no matter how much she loved him. That thought made her smile. Yeah, she did love him, with an intensity she found a little frightening. For now, that was enough.
As luck would have it, the first store she came to was a children’s shop. Setting personal thoughts aside, she entered, browsed, and bought several items for Grace. The next store was men’s wear. Broadbent would love this place, but it was all too conservative for Nardo. At the back of the shop, discreetly displayed in the corner, she found something perfect; not very romantic, but something he would nevertheless appreciate.
The next store, dedicated to women’s formal wear, had JJ staring through the window at a matt gold mannequin torso draped in a paler champagne gold dress that was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. The deep vee of the halter neckline plunged all the way to the waist where it met a pearl encrusted medallion that served to gather the two panels that softly draped the hips. The skirt flowed to the floor, a waterfall of fabric that would cling just enough to hint of the legs moving beneath it. The gown was sleek, elegant, and sophisticated, everything JJ wasn’t.
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