Blueblood 3: The Others - 23. We Returned to Thornwood

They left me alone a minute while as I grieved for Gizmo. It was just a few minutes before I felt Colin reach down and pull me up. No words were spoken, he just hugged me.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Colin said softly. “We have to go.”

I nodded wiping my face. “Okay.”

“We’re not exactly here with permission.” Colin smiled.

“And we would be where?”

“This is an abandoned World War II lab/bunker. It was a hidden lab during those years by the Nazis to do…all kinds of experiments.” Colin smiled. “It’s on the Eastern portion of Germany near Poland.” He touched his ear as I knew someone was speaking and I knew it was probably Stan. “Okay, we’re on our way.” He looked at me. “We didn’t file a flight plan or anything. We need to go.”

I looked over at Fredrick who was breathing heavily but still breathing. “What do we do with him?” I had never seen the venom work on another human being as it was changing him from a human, to a vampire. Even if Gizmo only got a little venom in Fredrick, it was working.

“The military is on the way now,” Colin said. “They’re how far?” He asked Stan. “Fifteen to twenty minutes away.” He looked with me as Fredrick was feeling the changes in his system.

I knelt down near him as his eyes met mine. “I don’t know if you know about the Golden Rule. You know, do unto others as you would have done for yourself…or something along those lines. I don’t know what to do with you, but leave you and let the government of this country deal with you, but you’re getting part of what you wanted. You are a vampire now, but...” I smiled and waved back at the dead wild vampires, “just like they were.” I tilted my head. “This isn’t what you saw in your head about living and making money for countless years.” I reached up and held my hand out to Colin. “You have a handgun?”

Colin looked surprised but handed me the gun.

I took out the clip of bullets and removed all but one. I inserted the clip again. “Now, I’m giving you the choice. There’s one bullet left. Use it on yourself, but insert the barrel like so.” I showed him how to tilt it. “It will be a quick death…or life as a wild, unthinking vampire driven by your need for blood. I’m sure the government here would love to find out more about you if you become one. Do it fast while you’ve got your mind; which I can see won’t be long now.” I rose and took Colin’s hand. I looked back at Gizmo. “I’ll always remember you, Gizmo…as a friend.”

Colin took my hand and was dragging me with him. This bunker was bigger than I realized. When Colin pushed me to a stairwell, we both heard the single shot and knew what direction it came from. I didn’t want to see if Fredrick was successful or not. I climbed the stairs to know it was night now and that winter had arrived in Germany. It was breezy and cold. It was January. That’s when Wayne came and gave me a coat he threw around me and waved toward some helicopters that were waiting. These were the bigger ones used to move troops. Colin led me toward one and we boarded quickly.

“Okay, Stan…do your thing,” Colin said as the helicopter began to rise.

“What’s he doing?” I asked smiling at Colin. “What’s his thing?”

“He’s sort of…making us hard to trace.” Colin said loud over the engines. “This isn’t a stealth vehicle.” He smiled. “But he has a way of messing up their systems using Buddy, making is difficult for them to see us.”

I nodded. “Good for Stan.” I saw Wayne, Willie, Alex, Edwin, Matt, Amasis and Amir in this helicopter. “Thanks for coming to get me. I knew it was a matter of time, but I knew you were coming.”

Wayne chuckled. “We couldn’t leave you to those animals.”

“And Amasis was the one that worked out this extraction to get to you,” Colin said smiling. “This extraction was all him.”

Amasis nodded. “Well, military tactics may change a little, but basically it’s all the same and has been for thousands of years.”

“Thank god for that Personal Data Unit.” Colin nodded. “We had you from the first day, but you were moving. We had become airborne that evening.” Colin smiled. “We had your body temperature and heart rate. You weren’t panicked at all!”

I nodded again. “I knew you were coming.”

“They all came to Thornwood,” Edwin said. “Of course, they had to stay. It was all we could do to keep Colin from going alone. He was so determined to get to you, but we had to get things ready to do it.”

“But we couldn’t let him do it alone,” Matt added. “We got everyone together and here we are.” He smiled brightly with his arms spread in a ta-da moment.

Colin nodded. “Say what you will about MI5, they came through.” He held up his gun and patted his vest.

“And these helicopters?” I asked.

“I had to buy the guns and grenades, but yes.” Colin nodded. “They are on loan.” He jutted his head toward the pilot. “He’s British. All of the pilots are. Mr. Mattingly really came through.” He chuckled. “As long as Stan shares his program to mess up the radar and what makes us…nearly invisible.”

The rhythm of the rotors and the fact that I really hadn’t slept that much, I soon drifted off to sleep. I felt Colin’s arm come around me as he pulled me closer. He was warm and I realized I had been cold pretty much from the time I arrived here. I was awakened by Colin with a kiss to my neck.

“We’re almost there,” Colin said softly.

“Where?” I asked groggily.

“Thornwood,” Edwin said smiling. “Clean sheets, a nice room…” he sniffed. “…and please shower before you get in bed? I’ll have to fumigate if you don’t. I probably will have to burn the sheets if you don’t.”

My eyes widened and I raised an arm sniffing. “I guess I haven’t had one in a few days.” One scent I got and I thought of Gizmo. It was on me.

A few hours later, I was clean and had a decent meal and was gone again. I wasn’t sure where I was when I woke up. I remembered the cage and the bunker, but I was warm and comfortable. There was someone with me, but it was a warmth I knew well. I rolled back a little against Colin. “How long have I been asleep?”

Colin nodded slightly. “About twelve hours.” He smiled. “You needed it.”

I sat up a little. “I guess I did.” I stretched. “Have you been here the whole time?”

Colin nodded. “I’m not leaving you again.” He said a little bitter. “Not even to go get the bath running.”

I saw he was blaming himself. “It wasn’t your fault what happened, Colin.”

Colin gave a shrug and nod. “Perhaps, but I might have stopped them.”

“Them?” I asked. “I only saw that one.”

“There were four,” Colin said angrily. “Two in the closet and the two waiting in our bathroom. The man that fired that dart gun at me missed. I took care of those two, by the time I went out to find you…you were gone.” He grimaced. “You were airborne in a matter of hours.”

I sat up more and brought him close to me. “You can’t blame yourself. Rafa Morsi and Fredrick Hoffman are dead now. They can’t touch us now.”

Colin nodded. “They can’t, but there will be others.”

I nodded. “There will be.” I agreed. “We’ll deal with it.” I grinned. “I just realized something.”

Colin looked puzzled. “What?”

“I married Bruce Wayne!”

Colin’s head drew back a little. “What!?”

I grinned kissing him. “I married…the real…Batman!”

“You’re joking.”

I shook my head as my lips moved across his face. “No, really. Bruce Wayne was a billionaire, you’re a billionaire. He used his money to help fight crime…and you do…” I shrugged. “…on another kind of crime. He was walking around as a bat. You’re kind of a bat.”

“A what!? I am not!”

I shrugged. “Vampire, bat…vampire bat.”

He chuckled. “So, does this make you Robin? The boy wonder?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Everyone wondered about whether or not Batman was sleeping with Robin, as in have sex. No one has to wonder about if we’re having sex because we are. I love you, Colin.”

“I love you too, Devon.” Colin grinned. “And you are a man wonder, no boy.”

It was in the dining room of this great house that the subject came up. I knew it would.

“That…thing the other night,” Wayne said not looking at me. I could tell he was upset. “He was one of those things that bit me.”

I nodded. “Yes. He was.”

“You made friends with him,” Wayne said a little angry. The others at the table were looking at me.

“Yes. I did.” I held out my hand. “And before you badger me with questions, here it is. He was an Old One. He was exactly like you described, Wayne. He was missing things in his anatomy. He didn’t have testicles and I noticed he didn’t have an anus.”

Wayne shook his head. “The one that bit me was coming at me with fangs, I didn’t see his ass.” He was getting louder.

“I was forced by the man, Fredrick Hoffman to try to befriend the Old One,” I said firmly. “The thing was; he didn’t see me as a target.” I looked at Wayne. “You didn’t see the one that bit you again?”

Wayne shook his head. “I saw another, but he was too far in the distance.”

“But this other one knew you weren’t a target.” I nodded. “I know what Gizmo was. I know he killed a lot of people. He made a lot of those wild vampires. I know.” I said to make sure they all knew that I was aware of what Gizmo was. “But the hours I spent with him…he became…human!”

“But he wasn’t human!” Wayne nearly shouted.

“No, he wasn’t.” I nodded. “But he had a human mother, he was in many ways just a lost soul. Don’t believe me, but I don’t think he was evil. He was what he was born to be. He killed and changed more people than I can conceive of. I know that. He was the product of a man’s desire to conquer. I know that, too.” I sighed. “But once he realized I was no threat to him and I wasn’t on the menu…the situation changed. He changed. He didn’t even know what laughter was. He was fascinated by Colin and me kissing. I began to see him…he had an almost as childlike innocence…or a very intelligent…I hate to use the word pet. He was no one’s pet, but I became fond of him. He was actually funny and…” I gave a grudging nod. “…kind of sweet.”

“He and all those others made us what we are!” Wayne argued angrily. “He is evil!”

I nodded again. “I know he made us. But he was the enemy because he was created to be that enemy, he was not evil. I cringe when I think he lived for so long never knowing what a touch means, or…I hugged him! He didn’t know what it was, but he liked it. He smiled at me. He even offered me blood thinking I might need it, too.” I was getting louder, I knew that, but I wanted them to understand. “Whatever he was…there was a part of him that was just plain…human!” I rose from the table. “I can’t hate him. I won’t hate him. I loved Gizmo. He gave his life to save me. He protected me. For that reason, I will always remember Gizmo as a friend. A poor, misunderstood friend that I hope for at least a few days, knew what it was like to be liked by someone…and loved. I did.” I looked at Wayne. “What happened to you is so horrible. I know that. Gizmo did it to many people, I’m sure. If my liking and loving one of those things that attacked you damage our friendship, I’m sorry, but I can’t help how I feel about Gizmo. I loved him. I saw him as more than just a monster killer. He is my friend and will always be.” I said and walked from the dining room. I heard voices from the dining room and I heard someone coming after me. Expecting to see Colin, I realized it was Wayne.

“Devon, wait.” Wayne pleaded. “Don’t run off. Please.”

I stopped with a sigh and looked at him. “What’s to discuss?”

Wayne stopped a few feet away. “Okay, I’m trying to see this from your point of view. See it from mine.”

I nodded. “I think I do, but I can’t know what you went through. I can’t understand, but I will try.”

Wayne nodded with a smile. “And I will try to see it from your point of view.” He shook his head but smiled. “You have this amazing capacity to love those of us that are considered unlovable.” He came closer. “You did it with me.”

I nodded with a smile. “You had that childlike innocence when you were that….thing. I saw that right away. That’s what made me love you.”

Wayne smiled and looked away feeling a little awkward. “So, it wasn’t my devastatingly good looks?”

I chuckled. “When I first met you, you weren’t that pretty, but you grew on me.”

Wayne smiled and he hugged me. “Never doubt I love you, Devon. I owe you my life.” He said looking at me. “I’ll never forget how you accepted me from the beginning. I just saw…” he said and I saw the anger coming back in him. “…that thing and I saw…the one that bit me.”

I nodded. “I know it was awful, but Gizmo had that side I saw you haven’t.” I shrugged. “I can’t forget that.”

Wayne nodded. “I wished I’d seen it.” Then he grinned. “Gizmo? You named him Gizmo?”

I laughed. “It was a movie moment!” I threw my hands up. “This was after you’d been turned. It was a great movie and he reminded me…sort of…of Gizmo.” I looked at Wayne’s blank expression. “Gremlins? A movie?” I threw my arm over his shoulder. “You’ve got to see it!”

Wayne chuckled as we walked back to the dining room.

But the subject wasn’t done.

“What do we do if we catch one of those…Gizmo-like things?” Edwin asked. “If they’re cooperative, as you said he saw you as a friend…he liked you, what do we do with him? Can they go on the serum?”

I shrugged. “We’d have to examine them.” I thought. “The way I see it…they are the vampires. We’re their offspring.”

“What do you mean?” Willie asked.

“I mean, aside from the fact we all consumed blood to live and made others like us. They began life different. The lack of testicles and having no anus. I don’t know that they can be given the serum. If they took the serum, they’d have to change to eating food.” I shrugged and laughed. “You need an ass to eat.”

“You think they are the ones, they are the real vampires?” Colin asked.

“Their whole system seems to allow them to consume blood. I don’t know if they can go to food.” I frowned. “I hate that we lost Gizmo. We could have run tests and seen what he’s missing.”

“We know what was missing.” Matt grimaced and I saw him fidget imagining himself without his scrotum.

I shook my head at his reaction. “No one took his balls, Matt. I don’t think he ever had them.”

"But, if we corner another one?” Wayne began. “What do you think we should do?”

Colin thought. “We know there are at least two in England. The one that bit Wayne and the other he saw at a distance. There have to be others.”

I nodded. “I’m sure of it.”

Alex frowned. “We can’t second guess ourselves.”

Colin nodded. “If they’re a threat, take care of it.” He said simply.

“These vampires are sneaky and they don’t come out often. They scurry away like roaches.” Amasis said. “Their numbers are fewer, but they are still out there.”

“Okay, another TV moment.” I grinned as everyone groaned, Matt even banged his head lightly on the table as he groaned. “The truth is out there!” I was hugged by Colin. “I know you all love me. That night proved it. I love you all.”

Alex nodded and Wayne looked at me. “We love you, too. We’re not just friends. We’re family.”