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

by R. M. Garcia

  “Donnie what are you doing?” Espee asked. “We need to question Benny.”

  “You can ask him all the questions you like,” he replied. “But I’m going to torture and kill Lily.”

  “Lily?” Espee was surprised by his words.

  “I’m here, Jefa,” Lily replied as she made her way to the front of the crowd. Donnie lunged forward and grabbed her by her neck and carried her back, slamming her into the walls and floor repeatedly.

  “Donnie no,” Espee yelled!

  “I will kill anyone who interferes! I swear it!” he yelled back as Lily struggled against his grip. Espee realized that Donnie truly meant it.

  “Everyone, stay back,” Espee ordered! Los Nomados looked on in fear and uncertainty as Donnie continued slamming Lily against surfaces.

  “Why?” he screamed at Lily. “Why!?” He battered her around and broke several of her bones in the process. Donnie was thrashing her about like a dog with a chew toy. “Why! Damn it!”

  “They forced me!” Lily finally replied as she tried to break Donnie’s grip. “I didn’t have a choice!”

  “She was your friend! She watched out for you!” Donnie pinned her to the floor and punched her. “She cared about you!”

  “I’m sorry!” Lily said after spitting out a few teeth. “They told me that they only wanted Espee!”

  “They burned her,” Donnie said coldly. “They tied her to a wall and let the sun torment and kill her.” Lily began to sob at the revelation.

  “I didn’t know. I swear!” Lily said. “I would’ve rather died than hurt Abbie.”

  “How could you not know?” Donnie asked. “Are you even a Foundling?”

  “I didn’t know they would hurt her. I swear,” Lily replied. “They caught me a few weeks ago, and they gave me a choice. Either I help them or they would have killed my brothers. I was so afraid of them! I’m sorry, Donnie! Oh god! What have I done, please forgive me!” Donnie knew in his heart that Lily was telling the truth. It was much the same choice the Reich had given Abbie.

  “I should kill you,” Donnie said. “I should tear you into tiny pieces and toss them into the sun.”

  “Go ahead!” Lily yelled back. “I deserve it! I betrayed everyone. I should die!”

  “If I did,” Donnie said as he got up, “then I’d be no better than the bastards that did this.” Donnie remembered something Father Benitez told him the last time they spoke. “And forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” Donnie had been so angry at Abbie for her apparent suicide that all Father Benitez could advise him was to forgive her. “New beginnings come from forgiveness.”

  “What?” Lily asked.

  “I forgive you,” Donnie said as he turned around. He walked over to the vase and picked it up. He walked over to a mattress near the back of the theater and laid down on it. Everyone watched silently as he just lay down. Espee walked up to Lily and shook her head. Lily looked up and made a halfhearted smile at her.

  “Can you forgive me too?” Lily asked her. Espee looked down at her and kicked her in the head, snapping her head back and rendering her momentarily stunned.

  “I’m afraid that I’m not as kind or forgiving as Donnie,” Espee said. “You will tell me everything, and then I will decide what to do with you.” Espee turned around as Nox began to bind Lily. “Everyone to bed, we will be moving out in a few hours when the sun goes down.” Nox carried Lily to the back part of the theater, and Espee began asking her questions. They grilled her until the sun went down.

  “OK, Lily. I want everything,” Espee said. “Donnie may not be willing to kill you, but you caused a death of one my own. So I’m willing to torture you until you give me what I want.”

  “I’ll tell you everything!” Lily replied, looking at Donnie’s back.

  “Start from the beginning,” Espee said. “When and how were you birthed?” Lily looked at Espee and knew she was serious.

  “I became a vampire a year ago,” Lily replied. “I lived on a farm with my two younger brothers and my folks. We were dairy farmers. It was boring, but we loved each other. One night, we had a stranger knock on the door. He said that he had a flat tire and asked if he could use our phone to call a tow truck.”

  “And you invited him in,” Espee said.

  “Yeah, my maw did, and as soon as he was inside, he tore into us. I don’t remember much after that, but I woke up the next night and found my parents massacred, and my brothers were trussed up like sides of beef. I was so hungry, and they were right there and they smelled so good. I lunged at Jacob when a man ran into the house and stopped me. He pulled me outside and dragged me to the barn.”

  “What happened next?” Espee asked. Lily again looked at Donnie; he still refused to look at her.

  “He set me onto a cow. I drank until I was full and regained my senses.” Lily explained.

  “Who was this man?” Espee asked.

  “His name was Russ,” Lily replied. “He was a priest I think. At least he was dressed as one.”

  “Are you telling me that a human dragged a vampire in the grips of frenzy against her will?” Nox inquired.

  “Yes, he did. I swear,” Lily uttered.

  “So what happened next?” Espee asked.

  “They called the law,” Lily replied. “They came and got my brothers. Russ stayed with me for a few nights and then bought us train tickets. He brought me straight to where you guys were sleeping. He told me you would take care of me.”

  “He brought you to me?” Espee was both confused and concerned.

  “Yes, he was real nice too. He gave me some pointers, but he was really preachy too, always talking about God and . . .”

  “Focus!” Espee interrupted.

  “Oh yeah, well soon after he left me, you found me,” Lily replied. Espee remembered that she was leery of Lily at first, but accepted her anyway. Her motherly instinct blinded her to the possible danger Lily posed.

  “Everything was fine until a few weeks ago when some executioners caught me,” Lily explained.

  “So why didn’t they kill you?” Espee asked.

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “Their leader said that I didn’t have a black spot.”

  “They said a black spot?” Espee asked. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, he said we can’t kill her. She lacks the black spot,” she replied. “Then they grabbed me and put me in a van.”

  “Where did they take you?” Nox asked.

  “They took me to this fancy resort and dropped me off,” Lily replied.

  “Then what happened?”

  “They told me that they knew the orphanage where my brothers were living, and if I wanted them to live that I would have to work for them, and when my job was done, they would be allowed to live in peace,” Lily replied. “The fed me human blood and instructed me how to leave messages for them.”

  “What did they want from us?” Espee asked.

  “They wanted our numbers and the locations where we stayed. I would make a call on a pay phone to a toll-free number. There would be a message with instructions where to meet.”

  “So you have been feeding them information for weeks,” Espee said. “Why attack us now?”

  “I don’t know, but about a week ago, they asked me to get names of the Foundlings in the den and their Bloodlines if I knew them. Oh no,” Lily said.

  “What?”

  “When I gave them the info on Abbie, they had me meet them, and they had me wait until we were on the barge. Then I was to signal them. They gave me this,” Lily said and produced a small metallic disc. “They made me set the explosives on the barge too.” Espee snatched the disc and tossed it to Nox, who ran as fast as he could out of the theater.

  “So foolish and so stupid,” Espee said and was disgusted.

  “What was I supposed to do?” Lily said.
“You were all so afraid of them. I just felt it was safer to do as they said.”

  “I guess, you’re right,” Espee said and got up and started packing.

  “What happens to me now?” Lily asked.

  “We leave, and you stay,” Espee said. “Let’s see if they keep their promise once they find you.”

  “Wait, you are just going to leave me here?” she asked.

  “Yes, and if I ever see you again, I will finish what Donnie started,” Espee said menacingly. “You leave Miami and never come back.” Lily looked away from Espee’s gaze and closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly after. Nox returned a little while later.

  “It’s moving through a drainage pipe. It will keep going until it hits the plant,” Nox reported.

  “Good,” Espee replied and began plotting their next safe spot; she crossed off any locations they had visited with Lily. “Damn that girl! We lost a lot of good resting spots.” The sun set and Espee began mobilizing Los Nomados. They began to stir all except one; Donnie did not move or get up. Espee walked over to him and found him wide-awake.

  “Donnie, we’re leaving,” Espee said. “You need to get up.”

  “No, I’m not going anywhere,” he replied.

  “Donnie, you can’t stay here. They will come looking for us in this place,” Espee urged.

  “Watch me,” Donnie said. “I don’t care to run and hide anymore. Let them come. They can have me.”

  “Donnie, no,” Espee begged. “You have to get up.”

  “You don’t get it, do you?” Donnie replied. “They killed me yesterday. They tore out my heart and burned it right in front of me.”

  “Donnie, we have all lost people we cared for,” she said. “You can’t give up. We need to keep fighting.”

  “Why?” Donnie said. “There is no hope to beat them. You said it yourself. The Sources cannot be stopped. I’m through fighting, they win. Now leave me alone.”

  “I’ll have people carry you then, Donnie,” Espee warned.

  “I’ll tear off the head of anyone that touches me,” Donnie said harshly. “Just go. I’m choosing to stay and die here.” Espee looked at Donnie and then looked at the other Foundlings that were counting on her to lead them to safety.

  “I can’t place the safety of the many over the safety of one, Donnie,” Espee said.

  “Not asking you to,” Donnie replied. Espee shook her head and turned around leaving him in the theater alone with Lily who was still bound. After everyone was gone, Lily spoke to Donnie.

  “So uh, I guess it’s you and me?” Lily asked.

  “Speak again and I will break your neck,” Donnie warned and lay quietly clutching the vase.

  Someplace else, a meeting had been called and he was running late. As he reached the large marbled hall, he could see that the others had already arrived. He smiled as he approached. He had always loved the beauty of this structure. It was perfect and beautiful. The hall was surrounded by large massive white marble pillars that extended beyond his eyesight into the sky.

  “You are late, Azrael,” a voice boomed.

  “My apologies,” Azrael replied. “We have had a development.” He entered the hall and sat on a large pillow. There were four others present.

  “So I am told that the boy is lost to us,” the voice boomed.

  “No, he is not lost to us, not yet,” Azrael replied. A woman began to speak.

  “I disagree. His spirit is broken. We have failed. Just like before,” Ariel uttered.

  “We placed so much trust into your selection, Azrael, but it would seem that you were wrong,” Raphael said.

  “It is a setback, but I have faith and a plan,” Azrael said.

  “Do you think he can truly be saved?” Gabriel asked.

  “Yes, I do,” Azrael replied.

  “He wasn’t strong enough and never will be,” Uriel stated.

  “It has nothing to do with strength, but everything with faith and love,” Azrael said.

  “His love is gone,” Ariel said. “They have her now.”

  “But she is not lost,” Azrael said. “Not yet.”

  “What are you planning?” Raphael asked.

  “Yes, what are you planning?” Gabriel asked.

  “He plans to cheat!” Uriel accused.

  “I do not,” Azrael yelled! “I plan to give him a choice!”

  “We tried that before, and the answer was no,” Uriel replied. “What makes you think we will get any different of a response this time?”

  “He still has free will. He can make any choice he wants, even turn against us,” Raphael said.

  “Just look into his heart if you have any doubts,” Azrael said. “Even in his grief and anger, he was able to forgive and show compassion. He is still the right choice. Do not abandon him yet.”

  “Very well, let us place this to a vote,” the booming voice said. “Are you for or against?”

  “I am for,” Azrael said.

  “I see the goodness in his heart,” Ariel said. “I say for.”

  “I believe in him too,” Gabriel said, “For.”

  “He gains strength from his faith,” Raphael said. “So I choose to have faith in him, for.”

  “My choice was a failure. He was lost to us, and that still weighs heavy on my heart,” Uriel said. “You picked him, Azrael, and even though I disagreed with you, you still stand by him. We are nothing unless we stand united, so I will stand with you. I say for.”

  “Then it is settled,” the booming voice said. “I will inform Michael of the decision.” Ariel, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael spread their angelic wings and took off like a flock of doves, leaving only Azrael and Raguel.

  “Raguel, may I have a word?” Azrael asked.

  “Yes,” Raguel replied in his large, booming voice.

  “I will need the help of his guardian,” Azrael said.

  “You may proceed,” Raguel said. Azrael nodded and smiled. He looked down through the clouds.

  “Don’t surrender yet, Donato,” Azrael said. “She still needs you.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Renewed Hope

  IT HAD BEEN two nights, and Donnie had not yet stirred. Lily had tried to wiggle herself out of her bonds, but Nox secured her too well. “Donnie,” Lily said softly. “Donnie . . . Donnie . . . Dooooonnnnnieee.”

  “Why are you still here?” Donnie replied annoyed.

  “Cuz, I’m chained, and I can’t get loose,” Lily replied. “And I’m getting really hungry.” Donnie rolled over and looked at Lily; she had healed all her wounds but was securely chained. Donnie rolled back away from her.

  “Those are the chains that they used to tie Abbie down,” Donnie replied. “She died with them wrapped around her.”

  “What? Get them off me!” Lily cried, as she struggled more violently.

  “Do it yourself,” Donnie replied coldly.

  “Please, Donnie, I can’t bear this,” Lily cried. “I don’t want these on me knowing that. Please, Donnie!” Donnie ignored her as best as he could, but she wouldn’t sit still and every so often the chains would chink or she would whimper. He had enough.

  “You’re seriously messing with my grief,” Donnie said. “If I untie you, do you promise to leave?”

  “Yes, please let me go,” Lily said. “And I’m gone.”

  “Fine,” he said and rolled over and undid the chain holding her.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Whatever,” Donnie lay back down. Lily ran out of the theater as fast as she could and didn’t look back. She reached the street and looked around. It was about 3:00 a.m. and she was starving. She made her way to a pay phone and dialed the number she had memorized. Someone picked up and said nothing.

  “Hello?” Lily said. “It’s me, Lily.”

  “Where are you?” the voice asked.

  “Um, I’m on SW Sixth Avenue,” she replied.

  “Where is Espee now?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “They kicked me out aft
er they found out about me.”

  “So your usefulness has come to an end then, good-bye.”

  “No, you wait a minute!” she yelled. “You said you would take care of me if I did what you asked. I need blood.”

  “So go get some.”

  “You don’t understand. I’m close to frenzy,” she said. “If you don’t keep your word, I will probably kill someone.”

  “That’s fine. Go earn your black spot. We’ll see you soon after,” the voice said and hung up.

  “Hello! Hello!” She looked around and redialed the number, but it rang busy. “Oh shit!”

  Donnie was complacent that the theater was now quiet. He had been awake for over two days straight and finally closed his eyes. He found himself dreaming. He dreamed of a dark place. It looked like a city that had been ravaged by war. The sky overhead blocked out any light from reaching the ground, and it was impossible to tell if it was day or night. Then on the wind, he heard it. Someone called his name. He started moving to the voice, and it became a little clearer. Then he was sure. It was Abbie calling him. Donnie began running toward the voice as fast as he could, but it soon became pointless. Every intersection looked like the last, and the voice seemed to change the direction it was emanating from. Donnie seemed to wander aimlessly, for what seemed hours, and still her cries continued. Donnie was tired and looked down at his feet. Then he spotted them. He wasn’t sure what exactly they were, but they seemed familiar somehow. He began following the tracks that were in the dirt at his feet. They appeared to have been made by a large animal. He followed them unerringly. Sometimes Abbie’s cries seemed farther away and other times right within reach. The tracks led him down an alleyway that ended in a wall. The tracks suddenly stopped. Donnie pounded on the wall.