When we were about fifteen minutes from the castle, we came to a paved road and Gretchen stopped the car. She picked up the gun she’d brought with her and pulled out the flash drive.
“I’d hate for this to go off accidentally and hurt one of us.” She looked at Gunnar. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine now that you are with us, älskling.” He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You were very brave back there.”
“I should have done something like that a long time ago.” She sighed. “It will take Fredrick a while to find his backup ‘Eliminator’ and the controller, if he ever does. I hid it long ago, as soon as I realized what he’d made. He won’t come after us until he does find it. It took him years to make this one.”
“But he will come after us.” I snuggled into Jerry’s arms. “Quite a husband you have there.”
“He’s changed since I married him. After he discovered this new weapon, he has been crazy for power. The other vampires in Sweden hate him for it. Once word got out what it could do, there has been a movement to have it destroyed. Since he refuses to give it up, that means Fredrick must be destroyed with it.” She shrugged. “That is why he surrounds himself with an army now and has turned our home into a fortress.”
“I’m sorry, Gretchen. But we’ve just seen how dangerous that thing is in the wrong hands.” Jerry rested my hand on his thigh. “But when there are evil vampires in the world, it could be a useful weapon. It’s a shame there couldn’t be a way for it and Fredrick to be used correctly.”
“He’s a dead man.” Gunnar wasn’t going to listen to reason. “Then Gretchen will be free.” He pulled Gretchen’s hand to his lips. “I will make you love me. You will see what it is like to be worshiped as you deserve, min vackra lady.”
“What does vackra mean?” I whispered to Jerry.
“Beautiful, pretty. Take your pick.” He smiled at me. “Gunnar’s laying it on thick.”
“And while we’re translating, tell me what Fredrick said about me. He called me köttiga.” I saw by the look on Jerry’s face that it wasn’t good. I raised my voice. “Gretchen? What does köttiga mean?”
“Fleshy. Why? Who said that?” She handed the “Eliminator” to Gunnar. “Be careful with that thing. Even without the booster, it’s dangerous. So whatever you do, don’t hit that switch when you aim it at someone.” She pointed at the silver one in the middle. “If you do, the person will fall unconscious, just like you all did before and Fredrick did at the castle.” She started driving again, fast, down that paved road.
“Never mind.” Fleshy. Otherwise known as fat. Bastard. Fredrick was going down.
“Not all of us. Gloriana didn’t fall asleep.” Gunnar looked back at me. “She is a goddess.” He winked at me, clearly thinking I had made the whole thing up. Not even the fact that I’d shown I could make statues had totally convinced him apparently. “No matter. This machine is magic.” Gunnar set the box in his lap.
“Do you know how it works, Gretchen?” I really wanted to know that.
“Not a clue. Fredrick wouldn’t ever share such a secret with a mere woman.”
“He’s a fool. You are wonderful. The best thing that ever happened to him.” Gunnar kept up the sweet talk while we drove for several hours past fields of trees and snow. Jerry dozed next to me, still not fully recovered. I tried to test my senses, relieved that I could pick out each of my fellow vampire’s scents in the car. My eyesight was sharper too. Finally Gretchen steered the car into a side road that was definitely not a main highway. It was bumpy and got me worried about that stupid gun going off accidentally.
“Where are we going?”
“My family has a hunting lodge not too far from here. I’m pretty sure Fredrick has forgotten about it.” She glanced at Gunnar. “It’s on the water and there may even be a boat there so we can still hunt for Gunnar’s treasure. Obviously we’re not getting near Fredrick again so using his boat is out of the question now.”
“Obviously? No, you are wrong. We must get near him and make him pay for what he did to us.” Gunnar looked fiercely Viking. “Jeremiah, are you with me?”
“Aye. He needs to be brought low for what he did to Gloriana and to us. We must do something about this weapon of his too, of course.” Jerry reached out his hand. “Will you let me look at it, Gretchen?”
“Yes, of course. When we get to the cabin.” She was concentrating on the road which was little more than a narrow track, dark between rows of trees.
I was just relieved Gunnar didn’t try to pass that machine back to Jerry while she was driving. We had to be careful with that thing. What did those other switches do? There were two others next to the middle one. We couldn’t afford to experiment with it or even try to disable it. I loved Jerry but a technological genius, he wasn’t. Who did I know who was really good with that kind of stuff and could figure this out? Oh, no, I wasn’t thinking of inviting friends along on my honeymoon, was I?
I glanced at Jerry. He stared at me and rolled his eyes. Great. So he’d read my mind. At least that special sense had returned to him and he could see his honeymoon plans going down the tubes at warp speed. I just wished for my cell phone. I had techno nerds on my speed dial. This was an emergency, honeymoon or not.
Chapter Six
Gretchen’s designer bag proved to be its own treasure trove. She’d managed to find my cell phone and Jerry’s and hide them in there while Fredrick had been interrogating us.
“My husband always underestimates women,” she explained grimly as she handed us our phones.
“Lucky for us that he does.” I hugged her before heading for the shower. I was desperate to wash off the stink of that dungeon while Jerry got on the phone. Fredrick had certainly underestimated his resourceful wife. Gretchen had driven us to a roomy hunting lodge with three bedrooms and a living room. It had a stone fireplace large enough to keep the entire place cozy. Lucky for us it had been stocked with the family’s synthetic blood and firewood. It was a perfect hiding place as long as Fredrick didn’t remember it existed.
“Our friends will be here tomorrow night.” Jerry told me after I joined him in the bedroom where Gretchen had brought us some extra clothes her family had left there.
“It must have been fun explaining all this to our best friends.” I was lucky my borrowed sweater was roomy and a flattering blue. I gave up on changing pants and stuck with my jeans.
“It took a while even though I left out some details to save time.” He stared down at his hands.
“Everything okay?” I sat on the bed next to him and picked up one of them. His knuckles were bruised and they should have already healed. “Did you drink some synthetic?”
“Of course.” He shook his head when I kissed his fist. “Damn it. What did Fredrick’s weapon do to us?”
“We’ll figure it out.” I leaned against him. He still felt solid and I knew he was getting his powers back, just not right away or all at once.
“At least we’ll have help now. Guess who’s coming with them.” Jerry’s frown gave me a clue. “Who do we know with a comprehensive knowledge of all things scientific and technical, not to mention medical?”
“Ian?” Jerry wasn’t happy but I was glad that Ian MacDonald was coming. The doctor was brilliant and did have a mind that was at least as diabolical as Fredrick’s.
“He had a private plane available and Richard made a case for getting him in on this. Of course Florence wouldn’t be left behind either.” Jerry pulled me down beside him on the double bed.
“Other than the fact that I hate for any of my friends to be in danger, and we certainly have proof Fredrick is dangerous, I’ll be glad to see all three of them.” Especially my best bud Flo. She’d been my matron of honor at our wedding and I missed her. I could tell Flo just about anything and couldn’t wait to see what she said when she saw Gunnar. As for our honeymoon? Hey, Jerry and I had been “together” off and on for hundreds of years. Did we really need privacy for a traditional honeymoon? Of c
ourse the way Jerry’s hands were sliding under my sweater I had to think privacy wasn’t a bad thing.
“Mmm. Don’t you think we should go out and tell Gretchen and Gunnar about our friends coming here?” I closed my eyes when Jerry’s thumb ran across my nipple.
“What’s the hurry?” He lifted my sweater and unclipped the front fastening of my bra. “Damn it all to hell. I knew it. That bastard bruised you when he grabbed your breast.” He kissed the places where there were clearly fingerprints. “I should have killed him when I had the chance.”
“Jerry.” I was breathless by the time he sat back. “Why didn’t you? I admit I was waiting for it. Dreading it.”
“Gunnar and I were sending each other mental messages. Thank God we could by then. It wasn’t the right time. Or the right way for it to happen. Gunnar wanted a fair fight. Probably to impress Gretchen.” Jerry carefully closed the bra and pulled down my sweater. “Murdering a man in cold blood is a coward’s way. I would have liked to have a fair fight too, but not with you and Gretchen in harm’s way. We both knew Fredrick’s men would be on us any minute.”
“Fredrick’s not worth risking your immortal soul for either.” I put all my love into the kiss I gave him.
Jerry was smiling ruefully by the time I sat up. “You’re worrying about my immortal soul? That ship sailed a long time ago, Gloriana.” He shook his head. “I know you pray, go to church, all those things in case there’s a heaven and a hell, but it is much too late for me to worry about the afterlife. I’m fairly sure it’s the fiery furnace for me. I’ve killed many men in my time. Too many to count. But I’ve told myself it was done for a good cause. In war or self-defense. At least that’s always been my excuse.” He brushed my hair back from my face, his fingers lingering at my ears then at the veins at my neck.
“Hush. You’re a good man, Jeremiah Campbell. It’s Fredrick who’s bound for hell. Look at how he treated Gretchen. And us! He needs to be punished. And his weapon should either be destroyed or turned into something helpful, not harmful to good vampires.” I wiggled against Jerry’s hard body and felt his rising interest.
“At least Fredrick’s Eliminator didn’t damage this.” I stroked the bulge in his jeans. “I thought I’d die when he threatened you with that knife.”
Jerry pulled me on top of him and kissed me thoroughly. “Would you stay with me, lass if I could not--”
I put a hand over his mouth. “I will be with you always, Jeremiah Campbell, even if you are cockless, fangless, hairless--”
He laughed and rolled me under him. “Enough. If any of that comes to pass, I will fall on a stake myself.” His eyes gleamed as he touched me until I sighed.
“I could stay like this forever, my lover.” Oh, how I meant that! “Unfortunately Gretchen might think we’re safe here but clearly Fredrick is too damned clever not to figure out where she could take us, don’t you think? He’s probably checking out all her family’s holdings already.”
“That’s why we’re bringing in our clever friends as backup.” Jerry grunted when I shoved him off of me and rolled off the bed. “Now where are you going?”
“Gretchen and Gunnar are waiting. I say we search for the Viking’s treasure tonight, before our friends get here. At least get a boat and make a trip across to the island.”
“That treasure. You think there’s a chance in hell we’ll find it?” Jerry sat up and slipped on wool socks.
“Probably not, but it’ll keep Gunnar occupied. You know he’s itching to run back to Fredrick’s castle and challenge him to a sword fight.” I sat down to zip on my boots.
“As if an asshole like Fredrick would ever agree to a fair fight.” Jerry got up and slid his arms around me. “Whether he agrees or not, I’m not forgetting what he did to you. Never. He will pay. You have my word on that.”
“Okay, okay, make him pay. But not necessarily with his life. That will complicate things here. His family is apparently prominent, respected, even if Fredrick isn’t. Gretchen can divorce him if she wants to but the weapon is a breakthrough. He knows how to make more. If he can be persuaded to work with reasonable men, like Ian and Richard, it could be a game changer. For all decent vampires. Just promise to think about that, Jer.” I took his hand. “Okay?”
“I will. Remember though that weapons never only get into the hands of the good guys.” Jerry ran his hands through his hair. “History has shown us that. And then there’s the problem of our Viking. What are we to do about him? If he doesn’t find this treasure, he’s going to be destitute and lost in our time.” Jerry stepped into his own boots and tied the laces. “I don’t fancy supporting him forever and I’m sure his pride wouldn’t allow it anyway.”
“You’re right. We need to start thinking of a way for him to earn a living.” I glanced at our closed door. Gretchen would be a wealthy woman once she shed herself of Fredrick but a man with Gunnar’s background would never agree to be a kept man. I could relate.
“We’d better not think about it now. He’ll read your mind and start worrying too.” Jerry slung his arm around my shoulders. “Gretchen says there’s a speed boat hanging in the boathouse down at the dock. If the lake isn’t too icy here, we can lower it into the water and go across to the island from here.”
“Good. Maybe we’ll get lucky.” I threw open the door and saw Gretchen and Gunnar sitting close to each other on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Both of them were smiling dreamily, as if there might have been more going on than just a change of clothes in one of the other bedrooms in the hour since we’d been shut in ours. Obviously Gunnar had fed if his ruddy cheeks were to be believed. By contrast, Gretchen looked a little pale.
“Lucky?” Gunnar held Gretchen’s hand and didn’t let it go. “By Thor, I hope so. We were just talking about going to the island tonight. To see about the treasure. There is a boat here.”
“Good. That’s what we hope to do too.” I sat on Gretchen’s other side. I noticed she’d taken off her wedding rings, a very large diamond ring and platinum band, and had set it on the wooden coffee table in front of her.
Jerry told them about our friends coming to help us.
“What can they do that we cannot?” Gunnar stood and strapped his sword on his back. He’d picked up the entire rig from the wall at the castle. “Are they fighting men?”
“Yes, of course. Both of them have been warriors in their time. But that is not the reason we asked them to come. ” Jerry nodded at Gretchen. “I’m sure my cousin can appreciate the fact that we need men who can understand this new weapon of Fredrick’s. How it works. How to make our own if we need to.”
“We must persuade Fredrick that it would be wise to ally himself with us instead of against us, Gunnar.” I stepped back when the Viking took out his sword and checked the blade.
“Or we could kill him and the problem would be solved.” Gunnar ran the blade over his thumb and blood welled. “For us and for Gretchen.” He stuck his thumb in his mouth and licked off the blood. “I want justice.” He put away his sword and laid his hand on Gretchen’s shoulder. “For this woman.”
“I understand. But we should wait for reinforcements first. You saw Fredrick’s army. We are outnumbered.” Jerry grabbed his borrowed coat and shrugged into it.
“A Viking is worth ten men.” Gunnar puffed out his chest. “Where are you going?”
“You want and need your treasure. Let’s go down to the dock and take a look at the boat there.” Jerry kissed my cheek. “Gloriana, I hope you will drink some synthetic while we’re gone so your bruises will heal.” He turned to Gretchen. “You look like you could use some too, cousin.”
“Yes, I do need something.” Gretchen had been too quiet while Gunnar had done all the talking. “Gunnar, please calm down and listen to Jeremiah. He knows this time. It is just good sense to take his advice.”
“If it will make you happy, älskling.” Gunnar kissed Gretchen’s cheek then took a coat off a hook by the door, zipping it up over his sword as if he�
��d done it forever before he followed Jerry outside.
I waved them off. I had no desire to go out in the freezing cold until I absolutely had to.
“Gunnar looks good in the pale blue cashmere sweater.” I got up and found two bottles of synthetic blood in the kitchen. Since it was so cold outside, I gave them a few seconds in the microwave before carrying them back to the couch.
“I agree. My brother’s clothes look well on him, I think.” Gretchen took the bottle and sipped. She rubbed her empty ring finger as if missing that wedding set.
“Gunnar is handsome, but he’s going to have some problems, coming from another time.” I settled into a corner of the couch. “Are you thinking about a future with him?”
“It’s too soon. I told him that.” She stared down at her drink. “For him to make plans too. He has no idea what other women of our time are like. He thinks I’m so wonderful.” She glanced at me, her eyes shining. “He is a fool. Doesn’t he know that many modern women would have been happy to sleep with such a handsome man who needed her?”
“Seriously? You thought of his needs before your own.” I sighed. “I certainly wasn’t going to offer myself to him.”
“Of course not!” Gretchen smiled. “You are newly married. Jeremiah wouldn’t have allowed it.”
“Well, I won’t debate you on whether Jerry allows me to do things or not.” I played with my own beautiful wedding ring. “But it can’t have been easy, being with a man frozen for a thousand years.”
“He wasn’t an animal.” Gretchen sighed. “Just very… hungry.”
Real Vampires and the Viking Page 10
