The Foundlings: Book One of the Urban Fantasy Paranormal Vampire Series, The Foundlings

by R. M. Garcia

  “Can you just turn it to level five so that I can get this over with this?” Donnie asked.

  “Of course,” Luther said and turned the knob the entire way. Donnie watched the speed of the moving obstacles, and when he believed he had the timing down, he leaped into the course. Donnie got about one-eighth of the way into the course when Luther triggered a trap. An unexpected piece of wood spun out from behind a tree and struck Donnie’s square on the head. He fell into a pit of mud with a loud muddy splash.

  “Hey, that’s cheating!” Abbie said.

  “Do you think so?” Luther said. “Executioners hunt in groups and will often break up and try to circle around a target. They don’t play fair either, so you need to be able to expect anything when you run.” Abbie watched as Donnie climbed out of the mud and walked back to the start point. Even though she was angry at him, she knew Luther was right. They spent the next three weeks mastering the course. After hundreds of visits to the mud pits and countless broken bones, Luther eventually graduated them both.

  The next phase of Luther’s training was to begin that night; Luther escorted Donnie and Abbie to another part of the woods. They noticed there was another structure there. It was low and walled. When they reached it, Donnie and Abbie could tell it was a maze of some sort.

  “Congratulations, I am elevating you from turtles to rabbits. Welcome to phase two of your training,” Luther announced. “Rabbits are hard to catch but easy to hurt. Executioners like nothing better than catching a rabbit. So rule number two, if you’re unable to run, defend yourself long enough to create an opening and then run.”

  “Will you be hitting us?” Abbie asked.

  “Yes, I will be beating on you mercilessly,” Luther announced. “You are not allowed to hit me back for this training either.”

  “No fair!” Abbie yelled.

  “So what do we do?” Donnie asked.

  “Get past me to the end of the maze,” Luther replied. “You can push me, trip me, and throw me, but you just can’t hit me. The objective is to bypass an executioner and leave him choking on your dust.”

  “Does this work?” Donnie asked. “I mean why not just fight and kill them?”

  “I completely understand your feelings on this,” Luther replied. “You need to understand that one-on-one, it may be a good time for you to fight, if you are ready, but when they make a full-fledged attack, they always bring numbers. When you’re outnumbered three or four to one, you just need to get away.”

  “Has that ever happened?” Abbie asked.

  “I was in a den that was attacked about fifty years ago. I had just completed my training under a vampire named Karol, when we were attacked. We had twelve Foundlings in the den. They attacked us with over fifty executioners. Karol gave her life, defending us, but the rest of us got away. So yes, the training works,” Luther explained.

  “OK, we’ll trust you and learn what you have to teach us,” Donnie said. For the next several weeks, they trained in the maze. Luther would use nets and sticks to trip them or simply try to grapple them. He would change the configuration of the maze nightly. Abbie particularly excelled during that training. Her small size made her a difficult target for Luther to catch. Donnie on the other hand took to the push rule completely, on several occasions, pushing Luther through several walls of the maze or even straight up and out of the maze. It was not what he had wanted Donnie to learn, but he couldn’t dispute the effective use of his Herculean strength. Two and a half months into their training, Luther felt that they were ready and stopped them from heading to the maze. They had passed phase two.

  CHAPTER 28

  The Compound

  “CONGRADULATIONS YOU TWO, you’re no longer rabbits, you are now mongooses,” Luther announced. “You’re now fast and slippery, so it’s time for phase three.”

  “Do we get to hit you now?” Abbie asked smiling.

  “Yes, Abbie, you get to hit me, as much as you like,” Luther said, smiling back. “Phase three, and the final rule, if you cannot create an opening and you’re forced to fight, take down your opponent as fast as you can before others come.”

  “Whoa. Are you going to teach us Kung Fu?” Donnie asked, changing his voice.

  “Hey, that was pretty good, baby, you really sounded like him,” Abbie said.

  “Misha isn’t the only one that can do impressions,” Donnie replied smiling.

  “I am sure I have no idea what that means,” Luther said. “I will not be teaching you Kung Fu. I will give you basics on a fighting system called Krav Maga.”

  “I have heard of it,” Donnie said.

  “Good. It is designed to take down opponents fast and brutally,” Luther advised. “I have to warn you, just because you get trained in this fighting system, you should always run.”

  “Then why teach it to us?” Abbie asked.

  “Not every executioner is a deadly killing machine, but they are still trained,” Luther said. “This training is for those occasions. You need to understand and remember that if you come across an old vampire with centuries of combat experience, you will not stand a chance, but you can still run away.”

  “OK, we get it,” Abbie said. “If we can kick its ass do so and do it quick. If we can’t, then try to run.”

  “Exactly, now to pass this phase, you will need to defeat me,” Luther said.

  “We did it before. I am sure we can do it again,” Donnie said.

  “No. You need to defeat me alone, no help from one another,” Luther said.

  “I can’t do that,” Abbie said. “I’m not strong enough.”

  “I will show you how to defeat any opponent, how to look for openings, to play your strengths against their weaknesses,” Luther said.

  “I’m still not sure,” Abbie said.

  “Reina beat me, and she weighed fifteen pounds less than you,” Luther said.

  “Well, if that skinny bitch can do it,” Abbie said, “I guess I can too.”

  “You’re going to regret this Luther,” Donnie said.

  “Why?” Luther asked.

  “First you threw her in poop and now you called her fat.” Donnie smiled at Luther.

  “I want first turn,” Abbie said. Luther got a look of uneasiness for a moment. The training nights that followed consisted of Luther instructing them on maneuvers and techniques, and the second part of the night was spent sparring. Unlike their first encounter, Luther was nowhere near as gentle. Often Donnie and Abbie would retire for the day sleep still healing from massive injuries, but they stuck with the training. Into the fifth week of combat training, Abbie managed to bring down Luther. She used her speed to get in close, and instead of hitting him, she sprang over him and grabbed his neck on the way down, snapping it in one devastating acrobatic motion. It took Luther fifteen minutes before he was able to move once again.

  “Ha! I could have killed you!” Abbie screamed and then ran into Donnie’s waiting arms. He spun her around and gave her a big kiss.

  “Congrats, babe, you took him down!”

  “Now you have to do it, so we can get to the compound,” Abbie urged, but after another two weeks, Donnie had still been unable to take down Luther.

  “Come on, baby, you can beat this guy easy!” Abbie cheered. They began fighting once again and Donnie defended every attack that Luther delivered and when he attacked, Luther countered and took Donnie down once again.

  “Damn it!” Luther screamed, “What are you waiting for?”

  “What do you mean?” Donnie said getting up as his arm healed.

  “Why are you holding back?” he asked. “You’re not giving me your all.”

  “I am, I’m trying to beat you,” he replied.

  “No! You’re not!” Luther replied. “I have tried insulting you, I have tried embarrassing you, I have tried injuring you, and nothing works.”

  “What are you saying Luther?” Abbie asked.

  “He’s not taking this seriously,” Luther said. “You need to have some rage in
you to take a life, and he just doesn’t have that killer instinct.”

  “I have killed vampires,” Donnie argued.

  “Well, here’s the deal. Abbie can go to the compound, but you have to stay behind. Mom and I are going to go back, and another two will come back. You can try again then.”

  “What does that mean?” Abbie asked.

  “It’s very simple!” Luther screamed. “We are leaving for the compound with or without you. So Donnie, you have three choices. Both of you stay here, you let Abbie come and you stay or you get your ass in gear and fight me for real!” Donnie looked down at his feet and walked into the barn.

  “Donnie, where are you going?” Abbie asked.

  “Dawn is almost here. I’m going to bed,” he replied.

  “Class is not dismissed!” Luther yelled.

  “Fuck off!” Donnie yelled back.

  “If you keep walking away, I’m going to give you hell tomorrow!” Luther yelled.

  “Fuck you again!” Donnie replied and gave Luther the finger before dropping into the caverns.

  “I’ll talk to him, this isn’t like him,” Abbie said and ran after Donnie.

  “You do that!” Luther yelled. “See if you can get his balls to drop!” Abbie rushed after Donnie. She caught up to him in the corridor just outside their bedroom.

  “So what’s up, baby?” Abbie asked, “Why are you holding back?” Donnie stayed quiet and started undressing. He sat down on the bed. Abbie scooted up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

  “I want to kill him,” Donnie said.

  “What? Why?” Abbie asked. “He’s a prick, but he has our best intentions at heart, he doesn’t deserve to die.”

  “You’re not getting it. He’s so good that I need to push myself, and when I get that riled up, I keep feeling something building up inside me.”

  “Building up, how? What’s building?”

  “I’m not sure. I just know that it feels the same as when I fought Hulderich and Cassandra,” Donnie replied. “I get this need to kill him, and if I don’t control it, I’m not sure what will happen.”

  “Why didn’t you mention this before?”

  “I was sure I could overpower him, but he has got decades of experience,” Donnie replied. “I’m afraid of what will happen if I really let loose.”

  “Well, let’s not risk it,” Abbie said. “Tomorrow we’ll tell them that we will stay here and try again with the other set of trainers.”

  “No, you should go,” Donnie said. “I’ll stay behind.”

  “You’re my husband,” Abbie said. “That means I sleep where you sleep, period, and end of argument.”

  “OK, we both stay,” Donnie said depressed.

  “Hey, cheer up,” Abbie said. “I have something to show you.”

  “Oh? What?” Donnie hoped it would cheer him up. Abbie clenched her fist and held it in front of Donnie.

  “Now just watch,” Abbie said and began to concentrate.

  Donnie said jokingly and covered himself, “Battered husband, battered husband!”

  “Shut up! Stop making me laugh, I have to concentrate,” Abbie said, trying not to laugh at his joke. Donnie watched as Abbie’s fist turned from a normal pinkish color to a solid white.

  “What did you do?” he asked.

  “Not sure, but I used it to beat Luther,” Abbie replied. “I grabbed his neck and did this to my hands. Feel it.” Donnie reached over and grabbed her fist.

  “It’s rock hard,” Donnie said. “Cool.”

  “I know, right,” Abbie said. “I wonder what else I can do.”

  “So you have been doing this in secret?” Donnie asked.

  “Just practicing it,” Abbie replied. “I can’t keep it like this for more than just a few minutes.”

  “Keep it up,” Donnie encouraged. They lay down and went to sleep. When Donnie woke the next evening, Abbie was gone. He got up and began looking for her through the halls, but she was not around. He made his way out to the barn; all of the animals were gone. Donnie looked around and finally exited the barn. He found Luther and Clara, waiting for him outside.

  “Hey, what is going on?” Donnie asked.

  “What’s your choice?” Luther asked.

  “We’re planning to stay here,” Donnie replied. “Where is Abbie?”

  “We already sent her to the compound,” Luther replied. “She earned it, so we didn’t think it would be fair to punish her for your deficiencies.”

  “What?” Donnie asked. “You can’t do this.”

  “We already did,” Clara replied. “I’m sorry, Donnie.”

  “I get it,” Donnie said. “You are just trying to push me into fighting you all out. Where is she really?”

  “It’s gone beyond that now,” Luther replied. “I promise you she is waking up in the compound right at this moment.”

  “You fucking bastard!” Donnie yelled. He was instantly filled with rage. He got angrier and angrier by the second. “You want me to give you everything? You got it, and you’re going to regret it.”

  “It’s gone beyond that,” Luther said. “You have to beat both of us. If you want into the compound, you have to prove to me that you deserve it.”

  “This is your last chance,” Clara said. “You can’t hold back any longer.”

  “Fine,” Donnie said as the winds began to pick up around the farm. He started walking toward Luther and Clara. “I just hope one of you survives to tell me where my wife is.”

  “There is that intensity I was looking for,” Luther said. “If I had known that this is all it would have taken, I would have treated Abbie far worse.”

  “You are not going to make this easier on you by making me angrier,” Donnie said and ran full speed at Luther.

  “Yes!” Luther said excitedly and he readied himself for Donnie’s charge. Donnie increased his speed, but Luther was ready. Luther swung at Donnie in anticipation of Donnie’s charge, but the blow missed. Donnie at the last minute spun and changed his direction and delivered a spinning kick to Clara. The blow was swift and savage. Clara was knocked backward hundreds of feet.

  Luther’s eyes went wide as he tried to reach for Donnie and exclaimed, “Mother!” But he was already moving after Clara. Donnie reached where Clara had landed and before she could even look up, Donnie executed a soccer style kick to Clara’s abdomen. That blow was much harder than the first due to Donnie’s velocity. Clara was again hurled a great distance. Luther could hear her bones snapping with each blow. “No wait, stop!” Luther began to pursue Donnie. Donnie looked back at him and took off after Clara again. Clara had just come to her feet when Donnie uppercut her and sent her flying yet again. Donnie ran to where she was about to hit the ground. He then loosed another spinning kick, and she was again propelled by its bone-crushing force. Luther tried as hard as he could, but he could not catch Donnie before he hit Clara once again. With every blow, the winds overhead intensified and flashes of lightning could be seen in the clouds above. “Fight me!” Luther yelled. “Your fight is with me!” Donnie ignored him and continued to punish Clara mercilessly. Donnie could tell that she was wholly unconscious, nothing more than a rag doll he was kicking around. Donnie grabbed Clara by her ankle and ran in circles as Luther tried to catch up. “Damn it, quit playing games and let my mother go!” Luther begged.

  Donnie stopped moving and faced Luther. “Not so fun when it’s your loved one getting beat up, is it?” he yelled. “No fun at all.”

  “You beat her, so let her go and face me,” Luther said as he started to move.

  “Stay right there, Luther, or I will run until the sun comes up!” Donnie yelled. Luther froze in his tracks. He could see that Donnie was serious in his threat, and Donnie proved that he was faster than Luther ever hoped to be.

  “So what now, what do you want to do?” Luther asked.

  “You tell me where Abbie is, I go get her and we move on,” he replied. His rage was coming to an end somewhat unnaturally as if it had been arti
ficial.

  “I can’t do that. We need to leave this place. All of us,” Luther said wide-eyed.

  “You’re not making sense,” Donnie said. “First, I can’t go, and then we need to go together. Why so much double-talk?”

  “Donnie, I’m sorry, but we’re leaving this place. We received word that an executioner squad has learned of this location,” Luther explained. “We sent Abbie ahead with farmer Matt to protect her.”

  “So why not send me too?” Donnie asked. “Were you just going to leave me here to be found by a group of murderers?”

  “Damn it! No, I would never abandon any Foundling!” Luther screamed. “I was going to stay with you, and Mother was going to head to the compound to watch over Abbie.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We don’t have time for this,” Luther said as he began walking toward Donnie. “You and I were going to drive away in the truck and lead them away from this place.”

  “Then why fight me?” Donnie asked.

  “I needed to see if you had any intensity, and I wanted to be sure I could count on you in a fight, plus, I was sure that Mother and I could easily subdue you. I didn’t expect you to be so fast or strong.”

  “Moron! Didn’t we tell you that I killed a four-hundred-year-old vampire,” Donnie yelled back. “I came within moments of killing you when we first met. I have been holding myself back to avoid killing you. It took everything I had to control myself.”

  “We never thought that story was true,” Luther said. “We thought you made it up to incur favor with us, and until now, you have not shown that you were remotely capable of what you claimed.” A fog bank began rolling into the area.

  “Damn it, Luther, you made me hurt Clara, for no good reason,” Donnie said as he picked her up and began walking her toward him. Luther took her from Donnie.

  “We need to get out of here,” Luther said. “The Adored are on their way. Let’s get to the truck.” The fog bank continued to roll in.

  “OK, Luther, put Clara in the back, and I will start the truck up,” Donnie said. Luther secured his mother in the back and began walking to the passenger side door.

  “Luther, Clara, and one more,” a voice uttered from the fog.