Moira nodded.
Erica smiled at the child. “Excellent, I will go see about those cookies.”
Erica left the storage room and went back into the hallway. Jeffery was still scrubbing the walls. Erica grabbed a rag and started helping him.
“I hope you have some cookies hiding somewhere. I promised Moira a late-night snack.”
Jeffery sprayed more bleach on the walls. “Of course, I have a cookie stash, I started baking the day Brad brought Moira and Carrie here.”
“Excellent, how did the new light bulbs work?”
“Perfectly,” answered Jeffery, “I can’t believe we never thought of that before. You have any more bright ideas?”
Erica looked carefully at the bear shifter, “Jeffery, did you just make a joke? Are you feeling okay?”
Jeffery kept his face straight, but the sparkle in his eye showed his mood. Jeffery was happy they had survived and he had the chance to hone his combat skills. His protective bear nature was glowing with pride at defeating the vampire. The successful defense combat helped lessen the stinging memory of having been tricked by the first vampires’ attack. That Dante had to rescue him was like a thorn in his paw.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Jeffery as he finished cleaning the walls. “I’ll go rustle up some cookies and get Moira to bed. You can go check on Dante now if you like.”
“Thank you, Jeffery,” said Erica. “I’ll do that.” After Dante, Jeffery was Moira’s favorite person in the house. Erica wondered if it was their protective natures that made Moira bond with them so easily, while she remained wary of others. Had the child a particularly strong bond with her father? Or was her acceptance of Jeffery and Dante more to do with their natures? It was an interesting question. One she was not qualified to guess at. Erica wondered if any shifters took jobs as child psychologists.
Erica headed upstairs, she had a feeling Dante would be on the balcony.
When she got to her room, she was surprised to hear the shower running in her bathroom. She surmised that Dante must be cleaning up. The thought of Dante in the shower gave Erica a flashback to the first time she had spoken to Dante as a human. His naked body was imprinted in her brain. More than one of her dreams of late had involved the sexy man. Was it wrong to fantasize about him? Dante was a gargoyle: an immortal sworn to protect the residents of this house. His eternal mission the sacrifice he made for love. But that was hundreds of years ago. Did Dante still dream of his wife? Why did he push her away? The questions haunted Erica.
She knew she was starting to develop very strong feelings for Dante. Not just feelings of desire, she thought. Dante was the perfect man, born in the wrong century. He was sensitive, caring, intelligent, and strong enough to protect her from those who would do her harm. Dante was her knight in shining armor. That he was an immortal man sharing the harnessed power of a demon mattered not to her impressionable heart. Should she forget her compulsion and vow to wait and find a soul mate? She thought perhaps it would be pointless to hold out for the perfect man with her life in danger. She could find herself with a short life expectancy and there was a near perfect immortal, in the present century tugging at her heart, and heating the blood in her veins.
Finally, Dante came out of the bathroom. Erica ran up and hugged him before he could escape her. She held him tightly.
“It’s okay, Erica. Everyone’s fine. We’re okay.”
“No, we are not okay, you big jerk. You could have died, or I could have died. Don’t you get it? I’m not the women from your past. Why do you deny what you feel? I was so scared when the vampires attacked. Not that I could die, but that I might never kiss you again. That I might not get to yell at you and tell you what an ass you were for flying away last night.”
Dante held Erica tightly. “You were afraid that the vampires would kill me, before you could yell at me?”
Erica laughed. The question broke the tension, before it could build into a fight. “Yes, that is exactly it. Look, I know you’ve been hurt and it must be different for you having to live forever, but I know you are the one for me.”
Dante held her tighter. God, he wanted her. But his experiences told him this was wrong, that the long-term pain was not worth it, for either of them. Now was not the time to break it to her. He would not be that cruel. “I can’t promise you anything, Erica, but I will think it over. I believe you’re wrong, and that this is a bad idea, but give me some time. I need some time to think about us.”
49
VLADIMIR
The tracker looked nervously at the screen. He had never spoken directly to one of the council before, but the importance of his message dictated he do so. When he returned to his controller in the city, he had insisted on reporting directly to the council. Eric, his controller, knew the tracker well enough to know the old vampire would not break the chain of command without ample reason. Eric set up the video conference call.
When the video feed turned on, Vladimir was looking at the face of an old vampire. Vladimir wasted little time on pleasantries. “You requested this conversation, now speak.”
Vladimir watched carefully as the old tracker nodded and started talking.
The tracker licked his lips nervously before beginning, “I was assigned to hunt down Moira Jones, her parents were a Dan and Barb Jones, a mixed-blood vampire and a mixed-blood werewolf. The child was away at a party when the original attack took place. I tracked Moira to an estate north of the city. When I arrived, I did recon in the woods surrounding the estate. At that time, Alexi Crisian and his hunter squadron arrived. He was tracking a human woman.
“Alexi ordered me to stay in the woods and observe, while his squadron attacked the estate. I did as Alexi asked. When the hunters started to move into position, they were attacked. A gargoyle flew into the hunters. Alexi ordered his hunters to attack the gargoyle while he entered the house. A minute after Alexi entered the mansion, a bear shifter came to the window to observe the gargoyle defeating all of the hunter squadron. I believe Alexi and all of his hunters are dead, sir,” said the tracker.
“A gargoyle? You are one hundred percent sure?” asked Vladimir.
“Yes, sir, I saw it with my own eyes. I waited and watched the hunters try to defeat it. They were no match for the stone beast. Once I saw that Alexi had failed and the hunters were being killed, I fled. I thought you would want a report on the situation as soon as possible.”
Vladimir nodded, “File the rest of your report with your controller.” He turned off the TV screen and turned to the rest of the council who had been watching the video conference. Vladimir scowled in disgust. “I fucking hate gargoyles. They are filthy, half-human, half-demon stone beasts, an abomination of nature.”
Serena, having watched the video, found Vladimir’s description of the gargoyle ironic. If the blending of demon and human was wrong, were not vampires and shifters equally able to be declared abominations of nature? Vladimir had some particular ideas about bloodlines, ones that Serena found illogical. “It’s unfortunate that Alexi ran into a gargoyle. He and his team were valuable assets. We’ll have to let our vampires know to avoid that area.”
Vladimir turned to Serena. “Avoid the area, what nonsense is that? We are going to retaliate. This must not stand unanswered!”
“What does one gargoyle and the woman he protects matter?” asked Serena. “We are past the stage of attacks targeting individual shifters. Why waste time and assets on an enemy that matters nothing to the big picture. The gargoyle will not affect our next wave of attacks.”
“The woman and the gargoyle are symbols. They will be symbols of dissension in the new world order. That one of those so called ‘enlightened’ lives protected by a gargoyle, is the type of thing that would turn shifters and vampires, who sympathize with the humans, against us. Fear is our greatest weapon. If the woman and gargoyle survive, it throws our position as supreme beings into question.”
Serena shook her head, Vladimir was obsessed wi
th perfection. “I didn’t realize we had suddenly become ‘supreme beings.’ Is it not enough to throw the human world into chaos? A chaos so dark and complete, that humans will never again be able to threaten the position of vampires?”
“No, it’s not. I’ve waited too long, planned too long for one bitch woman and a half demon to ruin a perfect plan. The woman must die. The gargoyle will return to stone if we kill her.”
“So what do we do?” asked Serena, “Do you want to halt the rest of the program until she is dealt with?” Serena hoped Vladimir’s obsession with the woman would not interfere with the rest of the operation, but she would not risk his wrath by openly questioning him. She would nudge him in the right direction and hope he took the hint.
“No, we proceed as planned. However, I do want her dead! Use your spies; find out more about the woman. Get someone close to her, and finish her off.”
“Yes, sir,” said Serena.
“What news of your boyfriend?”
“Lucas is due to report on that matter tonight.” Serena hoped that her message to Jaden had been in time and that Lucas and his team failed, but she had to pretend to not care. Vladimir would kill her at the first hint of betrayal.
“Very well, report back when you have confirmation from Lucas.” Vladimir turned to the rest of the council. “Where were we?”
“I was reporting on the East,” said Wu. “We have our vampire moles in position in both the Chinese army and the Russian army; Pakistan and India are ready as well. We ran into a glitch in Japan. One of the superior officers changed his schedule and wasn’t taken out on time, but that is being rectified.”
Vladimir smiled, finally some good news. “Ronaldo, what are the latest projections?”
“The latest models suggest that within a week of the first attack, all communication satellites, nuclear facilities, and major power generating facilities will cease to be operational,” stated Ronaldo, the council’s resident computer and statistics guru.
“Excellent,” said Vladimir. Without power and communications networks, chaos would ensue. Balancing out the timing of the attacks was critical. The human’s ability to launch nuclear weapons was a problem, one they had spent a long time working around. The invention of nuclear weapons had been an escalator for the council. Starting wars among humans had always been easy, but now that they had the power to destroy the entire planet. Humans could no longer be allowed to run free. The time table for operations had been moved up. Among North Korea, the Middle East, and the old Soviet Block, the chances of a nuclear war seem to increase daily.
Destroying all nuclear facilities, and killing all humans with the scientific know-how to make nuclear weapons was an agenda that had taken ten years to plan out, and get vampires into key positions around the world. But now they were ready to end the human threat. Once the nuclear warships and launch pads were neutralized, the rest of the plan became simple. A world war would reduce the population by a minimum of ten percent and maximum of seventy percent according to current calculations.
Almost all surviving humans would be living in the modern-day equivalent of the dark ages. Every major oil refinery and communication satellite in the world would be gone. Life as the human population had known it for the last hundred years was about to change in the most drastic way possible. Finally, the human threat would be gone. No longer would nuclear war and technology be able to threaten their existence. The humans were always trying to wipe each other out. He was simply creating a situation where they would do it in a way that didn’t harm the majority of the vampire population.
“Good work, everyone! Soon, we’ll be installed in our natural positions, as the rightful rulers of the planet. Soon, we will end the human threat.”
50
ERICA
In the days following attack, Erica refocused her efforts on preparing the estate to be a sanctuary. The vampire attack did nothing but strengthen her resolve to make her new home a safe place for those who needed it.
When Dante had come to her asking about the websites he had found dedicated to survivalist and preppers, the people who prepared for any disaster, she had immediately understood his thinking. Sanctuary needed to be completely self-sufficient, and able to be off the grid. If vampires ever tried a long siege against them, they needed to be able to last as long as necessary. That day, she had used the corporate credit card Brad had given her to start ordering the major supplies they would need to become self-sufficient. She started by buying more eBooks on self-sustainability, going off the grid, and surviving a nuclear attack. She had a new appreciation of her father’s emergency preparedness plans.
Never say never, like you taught me daddy. Erica looked at the photo of her father sitting on her desk. It would have been dangerous for him if she had contacted him after her enlightenment. If the world was going to Hell in a hand basket, the farther she stayed away from him, the safer he would be. The only message she sent was to bunker down and that she was safe. Bunker down was their code message that something dangerous was going on. Of all the people in the world, he would be one of the few best equipped to take care of himself, especially if he didn’t have to worry about his only daughter. She resisted the temptation to bring him to Sanctuary. His military tactician expertise would’ve been useful. However, he had taught his daughter dynamite analytical skills that she had not appreciated, at the time she was forced to learn them. She silently thanked him as she tapped into security resources, solar-powered products, water purification systems, medical supplies, and dehydrated food products. Looking at her father’s photo she wondered what her father would think of Dante. Daddy, I met a man you would appreciate. Not that you would appreciate the fact that he is not exactly a man. Erica wondered how her father would take Dante. She could visualize the cold stare he liked to give her high school sweethearts. The look that said mess around with her and I will end you. More than one boy had declared her dad the scariest man they had ever met. Would Dante have gotten the look or a pat on the back?
As she had promised, Erica gave Dante space to think. She wanted him, and the more time she had to think about, the more resolute she became in her belief that Dante was wrong. However painful the future might be for both of them, the future was undecided. There was no guarantee that they would be happy together, or that it couldn’t work. How to make Dante see things her way was the issue. She couldn’t think of a way to make him understand.
Erica’s musing were interrupted when Daniella came to the library.
“Erica, Brad is here. He has more survivors with him.”
“Really? That is good news! I will be right down.”
“They’re in the kitchen, getting some food,” said Daniella.
“Thank you, Daniella,” said Erica. Daniella was fitting in wonderfully. She and her younger sister were willing to do whatever was asked of them. Now that the new tractors had arrived, Jeffery had started working the fields. Daniella and Pamela were putting in long hours helping Jeffery remove rocks and prep the ground. They worked hard and never complained. Erica was happy to have them.
When Erica got to the kitchen, Brad was sitting at the table with two teenage boys. All three were busy eating, and from the looks of them, all had missed a meal or two. Erica went to Brad and gave him a hug. “It is good to see you, Brad.”
Brad gave Erica a weary nod. “Erica, this is David and Jerod,” said Brad.
Erica smiled at the boys. “Hello, nice to meet you. Welcome to Sanctuary.”
“I found Jerod in New York, both of his parents had been murdered. He had been away at school when it happened. I just missed the vampires that did it,” explained Brad. “Then Jerod and I went to the next house on my list. We ran into two vampires trying to kill young David. Jerod and I were able to fight them off, thank goodness. I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for Jerod.”
Jerod smiled, “Brad is too kind. I was scared out of my mind. He really is the one who did everything.”
“That’s not t
rue,” interjected David. “You totally chased those vampires away. I saw it.”
“Yes, I did too,” said Brad. “Jerod is too modest, but that’s not a bad thing. Either way, we are here now and are safe. Boys you keep eating, I am going to steal Erica for a while.”
“It was nice meeting you, boys,” said Erica as Brad escorted her outside.
“I wanted to talk to you alone,” said Brad once they were outside and the door was closed. “Jerod is a vampire. His parents were both sympathetic to humans and shifters. They were friends of mine, and helped many shifters.”
“I’m sorry for your friends,” said Erica. She could see the pain in Brad’s eyes. The large number of losses, friends and shifters he and Tomas had helped over the years, was starting to affect Brad. He looked tired and worn out. “Vampire, shifter, or human, I’m not going to turn anyone away that needs our help. He’s the son of your friends, I’m glad he’s here.”
Brad looked relieved. “Thank you, Erica. I was worried that all vampires would get painted with the same brush. Not every vampire hates humans.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Talking to Jeffery and Dante, I have learned a lot about the history of vampires. I do know enough now to realize that vampires and shifters are much like humans, in that each has their own personality. Just because one vampire is a douche bag killer doesn’t mean they all are. We are probably dealing with the KKK of vampires,” mused Erica.
“Yes, but these vampires won’t go around with sheets over their heads,” said Brad.
Jeffery interrupted Erica and Brad. “Sorry to bother you, but have you heard anything yet?”
Brad shook his head. “No. Not since they left, but don’t worry. Cain and Jaden Butler are two very powerful vampires. They will make it here, I am sure.”
Jeffery gave a nod and left them.
Erica looked at Brad, something was bothering Jeffery, terribly.
“His father is out there,” said Brad. “He’s on his way here with a small group of survivors. Jeffery talked to his father a couple of days ago, but we haven’t heard from them since. But with the cell networks the way they are right now, it is no surprise.”
The Shadows Awaken (Guardians of the Night Book 1) Page 24
