He fell with a wet slap and roared in pain. I stood up and took a few steps back, not sure if the injury would be enough to keep him out of the fight. Turns out, having your legs chopped off was enough to take the piss and vinegar out of a man, even a vampire. He thrashed on the ground in agony as his oddly pale blood ran from his wounds.
“You wanted to break my legs. I decided to chop yours off. Not sure who got the better end of this deal. I’ll let you figure it out.” I said and turned and hurried away.
His screams of pain faded as I increased the distance between us and eventually stopped, whether or not it was because I was too far away to hear him or help had arrived I didn’t know, or care. No other blood suckers came at me that night so I was pretty sure bouncer boy had come after me on his own and now had Lady Agatha to deal with, I did not envy him.
Chapter seven
The trip back to Oklahoma was uneventful. Unless you count the turbulence we encountered over Kentucky, but all in all it went smoothly. I reached my motorcycle at eleven-twenty, the parking lot lights amber glare cut through the night’s darkness.
I swung my leg over the seat when I saw a person in a black Civic sink down low in their seat. Alarm bells went ringing in my head and I started the bike like I hadn’t noticed anything.
I pulled away from the airport and soon saw the Civic following me. Whoever was tailing me was horrible at it. They tried to keep far enough away to not be noticed, but after a few unplanned turns and speeding up and slowing down their persistence was at the least, refreshing.
I led them towards Guthrie, hoping to get within thinking distance of Neal. We worked out long ago that our range was about ten miles, but it seemed the longer we are together the greater that range becomes.
As I approached a stop light I slowed down in anticipation of it turning red, then hit the throttle and pulled away. A quarter mile down the street I pulled off the road and swung beside a small auto repair shop. Sure enough the Civic came hurtling past, intent on finding me.
I pulled out and started following them instead. It took me a few minutes but I was able to make out their license plate without being spotted and hoped I was close enough to get Neal’s attention.
Yes, barely. You must be far from us.
Of course, my lord.
That particular plate is registered to Dorothy Vandergast of Tulsa. She is eighty-three and is a registered Republican, no moving violations since her license has been revoked due to being diagnosed as legally blind two years ago.
I do not have sufficient information to make that determination. Neal answered.
Of course. Neal intoned.
All is well, you will have to go the store and get more groceries soon, she has a voracious appetite.
At least someone had the chance to eat.
Yes, my lord.
It took a while, but eventually whoever was driving realized they had lost me. They circled around town for almost an hour, hoping I would pop up and ended up stopping in a small park, under a large oak tree. I parked my motorcycle behind a small public bathroom and made sure it was unseen. It took me a few minutes but I was soon crouched behind my pursuer, listening to what sounded like someone sobbing. Were they crying?
I stood up and went to the driver’s side door, rapping the window with my knuckle.
“Why are you following me?” I asked, unsure of what kind of reaction I’d get.
I honestly have to say that I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
She tried to jump through the roof, burped, snorted and yelled all at the same time. It was something to see.
I realized she was the same woman who helped me in the alley earlier. She quickly got her composure and looked up at me with a mixture of horror and surprise.
“Please, I’m sorry.” She gasped.
I saw her start to reach for the keys, then stop and look around like a trapped animal; I could feel her panic from where I stood.
“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you and running isn’t going to help. How about you get out of the car and we have a nice chat?” I tried to keep my voice soothing.
Either she was the world’s best actress or she was far out of her depth. The whole sneaking around and spying on someone was not her strong point. I could see her furiously trying to decide if I was going to kill her. It was odd behavior for someone who had come to my aid.
“C’mon, I know you were at my place earlier. You helped me, I owe you one. Maybe I can help?” I said.
She looked at me again, the wild animal panic slowly left her face and she nodded.
“Alright, alright, just give me a minute.”
I stepped back and went over to a picnic table that was not far away, sitting on the table with my feet on the seat. She took out a napkin and wiped her eyes, then took a few seconds to get her composure. She stepped out of the car and walked over towards me.
She walked with a lightness of foot that gave me the impression she could easily leap fifty feet off the ground, as if she were walking in a low gravity atmosphere. Her tall frame was as lovely as I remembered it and as she came closer I saw her green eyes were set in a face that was absolutely stunning. If it wasn’t for a small scar above left eyebrow she would have been flawless.
She sat down next to me, afraid to turn and look at me. She smelled of the ocean breeze and sunshine.
“So you care to tell me why you shot those guys at my place and then followed me?” I said, not looking at her.
I didn’t know how much she knew, but I wasn’t going to be the one to have to explain werewolves to her. Hell, I didn’t really know how to anyway.
I heard her sigh deeply; her shoulders slumped forward in defeat.
“I was trying to find someone who is important to me.” She said quietly.
“You know finding missing loved ones is pretty much how I make a living, I have some experience with that situation.” I offered, hoping she would keep talking.
“Why don’t we start with your name, then you can tell me more about who you’re looking for.” I added.
She turned to me and studied my face; her intense green eyes were powerful. I forced myself to turn away.
“My name is Arendiol, my charge was taken, she is very naïve and unknowing. I was told you could lead me to her.” She said, staring off into the night.
“Who told you?” She went silent, her mouth became a hard line, she didn’t want to tell me.
“Look, let’s not play games; put all our cards on the table. I know where you come from, from the same place that made that gun you used earlier and I bet if I stabbed you, your skin suit would protect you. You had to work at not breaking stuff when you first came on land and you’re afraid everyone can tell you’re different, you think they all are staring at you, that they’ll call the authorities and have you taken away. Am I right?” She sat staring at me in shock.
“So it’s true then, you are an Atlantean?” She asked.
“You know I’ve spent the last ten years of my life trying very hard to avoid others, but in less than twenty-four hours I have ran into three Atlanteans and one of them killed three people in about five seconds.” I turned to face her.
“You stepped in and helped me when I needed it; I think that was very hard for you.” She turned away, breaki
ng eye contact.
“Yes, I’m Atlantean. So are you, so is the girl you’re looking for that I just happen to know where she is. Stop hiding things and tell me who you are, who she is and what you’re doing here and I might let you see her.” She looked at me with fear and a small amount of hope.
She nodded slightly, “Alright, I’m a scientist. I have worked for the last fifteen years keeping Atlantis working smoothly. That is, up until two years ago when I was reassigned to researching old Atlantean archives.” She looked at me curiously.
“How much do you know about Atlantis’s history?” Her green eyes shone in the moonlight.
“I know the basics, that our ancestors screwed around with technology they didn’t understand and it caused a massive explosion that sent the whole thing into the ocean, where it is said, magic was used to save our world. The survivors swore off advancing technology in order to keep something like that from happening again. They then rearranged society into three different class systems, the hunters/warriors, those who would go out into the ocean and bring home meat and defend our world if needed. The scientists/sorcerers tended to the old technology by keeping our cities operating and adapting it to the bottom of the ocean, while the farmers/workers, grew plants and kept the everyday infrastructure in working order.” I finished.
“Do you know how the order was kept? Living under thousands of feet of water made insurrections very dangerous for everyone.” She sounded like a teacher.
“No, I mean I never really thought about it. My education on Atlantis is not that extensive. I know our language and technology, who to look out for and what our unique physiology allows us to do, but the inner political workings aren’t something I have learned.” I answered.
She sat quite for a minute, thinking about how to begin.
“After the Fall, everyone was scared, they all rallied behind the king and queen, unifying to survive. Certain rules were set up and eventually it was decided that for everyone to prosper the future generations had to be controlled. Not that they were to be mindless robots, but they were to be molded, guided into their positions. Children birthed naturally were too unstable; they were like all children, erratic, frivolous and didn’t take to being molded. In order for us to survive it was decided that the future generations would be clones. Clones were controllable and followed the program.” She took a deep breath before continuing.
“That’s why Kim is a clone? I suppose you are as well?” I asked.
“Kim?” She asked as a small smile spread over her lips.
“Yeah, she picked it.” I said defensively, why was I defensive?
“Yes, Kim is a clone, as am I, but there’s more.” I motioned for her to continue.
“The plan was to keep everything under control, but to work on finding a way to get back to land, to resurface, then to allow normal births again, to let the bloodlines become strong. But over time, that goal was forgotten, the past was forgotten and Atlantis fell into acceptance, the clones did their jobs, only too well. They had no desire to leave, they did as they were molded, guided, they had no ambition.”
“For thousands of years this went on, until things started to go wrong.” Again she stopped, looking over at me.
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t talked this much in a long time, I need some water, I have some in the car.” She said, motioning towards the Civic.
“Yeah, sure.” I was a little shocked at what she had said.
Clones? Is that what Neal couldn’t tell me? Why? It didn’t seem like something that would be devastating to me. There had to be more to it than that. Arendiol came walking back; I couldn’t help but notice the way her hips gently swayed. I caught her smiling slightly at my attentions. I turned my gaze.
“Water?” She asked, holding a plastic bottle out for me.
“Thanks.” The water was refreshing.
“So the clones were a-ok. Why do I have a feeling there’s about to be a big but?” The side of her mouth raised in a smirk.
“Yes, the clones were running things smoothly, but, they were fading. They were starting to crack. Their DNA was starting to become thin. Docile people became mad, furious over things that normally would not bother them. Others had bouts of sadness that drug them down. Emotions swelled and the control began to slip. Disease came back; diseases we had thought to have eradicated began plaguing us again. If something didn’t change, we would soon be extinct.”
“Sounds like the clones were acting like people.” I muttered.
“Perhaps, but it has led to dangerous times.” She answered.
“People are dangerous, that’s part of life.”
“Well, everyone started looking for a solution, and one presented itself.” She said.
“Let me guess, someone said they could fix it, they could make everything normal, if they just had more power?” I may not have been up to date on Atlantean history, but I was a student of human history.
“Atlantean Warlord Karakatos?” I added.
She turned to me stunned, “How did you know?”
“I’ve had a few run-ins with his “peace” officers.” It was Karakatos’s men who had killed my mom and tried to kill me. If it wasn’t for Neal’s appearance, they would have.
Five years later they came for me again, only this time they were trying to capture me. At least that’s what Neal said and I believed him. That’s when he told me who was after me and I realized his lessons were important, determined to learn to protect myself.
“Yes the Warlord, as he calls himself, gathered power, began running things his way. He became obsessed with the past, with the ancient archives and the forgotten magic and technology. It was under his orders that I searched for information on the old science. I found, Kim, while working for him and I fell in love with her. She was in a growth chamber and her body was that of a twelve year old. I was filled with the need to free her. I don’t know what came over me, but I had to get her away from Atlantis.”
“My research led me to uncover many things; one was a chamber with “life boats” in them. There were twenty of them, but only three were still functional. I took Kim and put her in one, sending her to the surface.” She took a deep pull of her water.
“At first I felt relieved, glad she would find freedom. Then I started to be afraid for her. I knew not what I had sent her into. I was desperate, my realization I might have sent an innocent child to her death, or worse plagued me and I took off after her.” She seemed exhausted, as if telling me had been a physically exerting exercise.
“That still doesn’t tell me how you knew to come to me.” I said, looking at her.
She sighed, “When I surfaced everything was strange, I felt weird. I soon realized I had great strength and speed. I was scared. Before I left I programmed the life boat to lock onto Kim’s DNA, hoping it would take me to her, or at least close enough to where I could find her. I stayed around the vessel for days; the only thing in it was an old foam gun. Eventually hunger drove me to find food. The whole time a name kept repeating over the intercom. Jack Industries, it said, over and over.”
“So what, you high-jacked the nearest car and came to find me?” I asked.
“No, it took a while, but eventually I met Mrs. Vandergast. She took me in. I think she thought I was one of her daughters’ friends. She is an old and lonely woman. She fed me and answered most of my questions, glad for the company. I found your address on the internet, and waited. I saw you being attacked and knew if you were killed I’d never see Kim. I hoped saving you might give you reason to trust me.” She looked at me, begging me to believe her.
“Then why follow me? How did you know I was going to be at the airport and how did you know what I looked like to begin with?” She was telling me the truth, but there were too many holes in her story.
“I.... I don’t know, maybe I saw your picture online. I just knew you would be at the airport, I don’t know how…” She trailed off, her face going blank; it reminded me of how Kim’s kidnappers acted
. I felt a slight tingle run down my spine.
“Well, well, well, looks like we interrupted the love birds date.” I whipped my head up, seeing six large men walking towards us, their feral yellow eyes shining in the darkness. The speaker wore a huge grin, every one of them had the beginnings of a beard, under his smile shone large canines in a mouth that actually started drooling.
I hopped off the table, drawing my blade and pulling out my pistol in one fluid movement.
“Get behind me. If you get a chance run, remember, you’re strong and fast, use it.” I said softly, they six werewolves slowly closed the half circle.
“If you get a chance run.” The one who was drooling sneered, mocking my voice. He let out a high pitched laugh that sounded like a hyena. It ended in a long howl, the others joined him.
“Children, there’s no need to yell, I’m right here.” I said, hoping to get them all to focus on me.
“Yes you are.” Drooler said. Then everything got very chaotic.
All six werewolves rushed me at the same time. There was no one at a time nonsense, no martial arts dance, what ensued was nasty and quick.
Drooler reached me first, trying to rip my throat out with his claws. I brought my sword up in a quick slash and cut his hands off, spinning to my left I deftly dodged a baseball bat that one of them swung at my head. I raised my pistol and tested my theory on what a bullet would do to the side of a werewolf’s head. The sound was loud and my ears rang from the blast.
I felt a dull pain as one of them managed to claw my chest, my clothes ripped but my skin suit protected me from his attack. I let out a huff as the impact felt like someone hit me with a crowbar. I drove my sword through the werewolf’s stomach and saw it exit his back. I pulled it out quickly; keeping him off balance from the pain and in a backhanded swipe took his head off his shoulders.
Three down, three to go. Number four tackled me to the ground, and I was able to bring up my forearm to block his ferocious canines. I saw as Arendiol had tried to run, but was being circled by the other two werewolves. She had a piece of the picnic table in her hands and wielded it like a club, the blood running down the side of one of her attackers head kept them weary.
Lost Son Page 7
