Blueblood 4: Dracula - 9. The Robbery

We went the next evening to the bunker to meet with Gaius. The writers about Transylvania weren’t wrong when they wrote about the dark forests. Even though it was summer, it was a little cold as we went through the foliage thick trees. There were times I felt we were being followed. I’m the first to say I have a vivid imagination, but I could swear someone…or something was following us. The fact was I knew there were wolves here didn't help, but I kept myself in check. A man alone might face problems, but we were together. George took a few specimen containers and cooler with him. In the bunker now there was two of Gaius. The thing was time had passed for Nicolae, but not for Gaius. They were almost like…fraternal twins? Not exactly alike, but the resemblance was strong. I didn’t need the DNA scan to see that Nicolae was Gaius’ son. Gaius had battle scars, Nicolae did not, but it was the same face on both of them.

George walked over to Nicolae and…it was more like George was looking over a specimen, not a human being. “This is…impossible!”

Colin scratched the back of his head and waved at Nicolae. “Yet, here he is.” He walked over to this new man. “I’m Colin Wentworth.”

“Nicolae Funar.” The man said taking Colin’s hand. Nicolae had a thicker accent when he spoke English. “My father told me you had a treatment for him.”

George nodded remembering his manners. “I’m sorry. I’m Dr. George Holms. I came up with the serum to treat those of us who have this venom.” He said shaking Nicolae’s hand. “I’ve never even heard of a vampire siring or having a child.” He smiled at Nicolae. “Would you mind if I took some samples?”

Nicolae looked a little uncomfortable at the idea but shrugged. “Sure, if it helps.”

George nodded and got his needle out. No matter what the age a man is, seeing the needle by anyone makes us little boys…a little wary. “I just need a little blood.” He looked at Nicolae. “Did you ever have a hunger you didn’t understand?”

Nicolae shook his head as he looked away from the needle as it was inserted in his arm. “No. The only thing was the light problem. I can go out during the day, but only with a very high sun blocker on.” He explained, as George took the blood and put it into a container and labeled it. “Even with that on, I can only be out a few hours.”

George then took some of Gaius’ blood and labeled it. His blood still had venom in it and was blacker than blood usually is. George labeled that container. He held up the cooler. “I’m going to see what’s in Gaius’ blood that makes him able to do this.” He said and hurried off to do just that. Burke followed quickly behind.

“Wait for me!” Burke said as he hurried. “There are things in those woods!” He cautioned as he tried to catch up with George.

I brought up the serum and got the needle ready and withdrew the needed serum. “We have to do it again.” I smiled.

Gaius nodded and began to take his shirt off again.

“Not there this time,” I said. “You get it in the arm this time.”

Gaius nodded. “Oh.” He rolled up his sleeve.

Colin greeted Cragen and got him ready to his next dose. “There are five slabs. I’ve only seen Iilya, Alin and Cragen. Is there another vampire?”

Gaius nodded. “Lucian. He’s been away the past few weeks.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked as I prepped Gaius’ arm.

Gaius nodded. “It can be, but Lucian is over two hundred. He has another few places scattered through this part of Europe to have a refuge from the sun. I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a big boy.”

Iilya came in as Gaius went through the pain began again and cringed. “I will suffer like he is if I take this serum?”

I nodded. “We all have to do it.”

As with everyone who goes on the serum, he did at last stop with the pain and he rested. We promised to return the next evening. When we got back; again, everyone back at the house wanted to know what we learned. We told them and asked where George was. Burke waved toward a room that George had made his lab in.

“He’s with the samples,” Burke grumbled. “There are times I wish I was a sample.”

I smiled with sympathy. “You get the scientist with George. You know he loves you.”

Burke nodded. “Yes.”

Gabriella, Alex, Mom, Willie, Chuck, Mark, and Shelly were doing patrols. They contacted a few vampires, but not that many. Stan came out of the room where the computer was housed. He did not look happy.

“What’s wrong, Stan?” Colin asked.

“George is using Buddy now with those samples,” Stan said. “There’s not a lot I can do. He’s linked with the main computer in Manhattan.”

It was afternoon before George came out of his lab.

“What did you find out?” Colin asked.

George shook his head. “I still don’t know how, but Nicolea is Gaius’ son.”

“I could have told you that,” I said. “He and Gaius look so much alike.”

“That could just be a coincidence. I have the DNA and that doesn’t lie.” He said like a true scientist. “And I found something in Gaius’ blood I’ve never seen before. It’s almost like…a human-made antivenin.”

“He made a serum himself?” I asked. “Naturally?”

“Very much like it.” George nodded. “It has many of the same properties of the serum.” He was thinking more than talking to us as he paced and spoke. “There is something in his blood I’ve never seen before that has many of the same qualities of the serum. If I could just make that stronger…”

“I thought the venom caused us to rewrite our DNA,” Colin said. “We’re vampires because we make the venom now.”

“But Gaius’ DNA is going back to what it was supposed to be,” George said smiling. “In more time, I think Gaius would get rid of the DNA that this venom is making his body write. He would become human again. The blueprint for his DNA is still there, the venom just adds something. This antivenin is making that breakdown. I even think if he did bite someone in the future…a vampire…not a human; his natural antivenin would reverse the venom there in the vampire!”

“A man, turned vampire, could bite a vampire and turn the vampire human?” I asked.

George nodded. “Nature or God or whatever added something to counteract what those men tried to do thousands of years ago.”

“By adding this to our bodies…this antivenin, would we go back?” Colin asked. “Hurry things along?”

George gave a shrug and nod. “With almost every disease, there is one that can resist the disease. It’s like…their body will have the carriers for the disease, but they don’t get it. A vampire Typhoid Mary? Gaius may be the cure.”

I grinned. “Like that little monkey in that movie Outbreak. He had the immunity, but was spreading the disease.”

Colin groaned. “You and those movies...” He shook his head.

“Movies are a reflection of life,” I said. “Almost everything that happens in life is reflected in a movie.” I justified.

George nodded. “Yes, it’s like that movie.” He grinned. “Theoretically, if we get this antivenin and the venom quits adding what it wants…we could be free of the vampirism.”

“What about Nicolae?” I asked.

“A milder form of the serum should work on him.” George smiled. “He has his father’s DNA. There is venom in his blood, but it’s not as strong. With the setup in his father’s DNA and his mother’s DNA and her being venom free blood, he’s almost normal.” George smiled. “I’ll have to dilute the serum for him.” He shook both of us. “Don’t get excited too much. This may take more than a few days to make, but I think we’re reaching the end of our vampire days.”

Colin grinned and looked at me. I guess I wasn’t as excited as he thought I should be. “What’s wrong? This is good news!”

“Wrong? Nothing.” I answered, but I could see that reply wasn’t what Colin could see. “Okay, you two have been vampires a lot longer than I have been. In fact, I haven’t really missed a thing from the other life, because I never lost anything.”

“You want to not be a vampire, don’t you?” Colin asked.

I shrugged. “My life hasn’t changed. I am what I am.”

“Lucian likes being a vampire,” Colin said. “Gaius said to me Lucian liked the control. I think it’s the power.”

“What power?” I asked. “We don’t really have any special power.”

Amasis got up and cleared his throat. “Actually, we do.”

Amasis almost never spoke up about anything to do with the science or technical side of what we are or our lives.

“What power?” I asked.

“Fear,” Amasis said quietly. “The ability to scare is very important. There is power in that.” He smiled and shrugged. “I did it, too. Only my way of scaring the people that followed me was a little different. They thought I was a god. They were willing to do whatever I needed doing to please me, or risk facing my wrath.”

George nodded. “He’s right. Vampires are the predator of predators. We hear better, see at night, our sense of smell is better.” He chuckled. “Even the teeth add an element of fear.”

Willie, Mom, Gabriella, and Alex had listened. It was Willie that spoke up.

“So, Gaius bites a vampire…but he hasn’t overcome his venom.” Willie said.

Mom nodded. “It only takes about twenty-four hours to turn a human into a vampire. How long would it take for Gaius’…whatever to work?”

George threw his hands up. “That’s the problem.” He sat down as he continued to think out loud. “This venom is…a cheat.” He said. “It was something introduced into a man that cheated evolution or nature’s plans. Gaius is the first answer to that cheat. Nature or God is trying to reverse that.”

Alex nodded. “Will Gaius give this antivenin like we do the venom through a bite?”

George looked at the many eyes looking at him. It was a few seconds before he looked back at everyone and shook his head. “What are you looking at me for? I don’t have answers, just speculation. I don’t know! The men that created the Old Ones had a human kind of hypodermic needle that inserted the venom. The venom needs blood to live. It was a way to transfer the venom to a new body. How many fails they had with their creation of the Old Ones I can’t even begin to guess.” He rose again. “I need to get back. I’m running some of Nicolae’s blood now. He has some of the venom, but it’s weak. It could be him that makes the cure. He has a lot more of this…antivenin than his father does. He’s a hybrid; a cross between a vampire that was beginning to reverse the venom and a regular human.” He looked back at everyone. “I need to test his blood with the serum.”

We went back to the bunker that evening. Only this time with some bland chicken that Eva had made to feed both Cragen and Gaius. We gave them both the serum again and they went through the pain again. When it was done again and the pain eased. They both passed out again but woke a few hours later. That was when we introduced the chicken dish to them both. We cautioned them both about what could happen, but like every vampire we put on the serum and fed the first time, they didn’t understand until it hit them.

Gaius came out of a bathroom that he had down here for the visiting human now. “I hadn’t…” he grinned. “…well, it’s been a while since I had to do that.”

I chuckled. “Your first taste of the return of your humanity,” I said. “But believe me, things will be tasting phenomenal now.”

Colin and I returned to the house as the sun was beginning to rise. We promised Gaius and Cragen the sunrise the next morning. What we found sent chills down my spine. We had been robbed. We entered the house as the others were looking around having just gotten back from a night of patrols. Furniture was in disarray and those decorative little glass knickknacks were shattered on the floor. Mom was righting a chair that had been overturned as Willie was putting a lamp back up. Eva came in for the morning preparing of meals and held her hand to her face.

“mi történt? Már kirabolták?” She asked and the translator spoke. “What happened? We were robbed?”

Colin nodded and looked at the television and other more valuable things that were still there. Some were broken, but they were there. “I don’t see…” he looked up suddenly. “George!” He called and hurried to the room that George had been using as a lab. I followed quickly and when we entered the room, that room was far worse than the house. Stan was lying on the floor next to a shattered CPU of Buddy. The various pieces of equipment were broken and glass containers shattered and fluids were dripping on the floor. George was also on the floor not moving. I rushed to Stan and saw he was breathing and then to George to see he was also breathing. I looked around more. I didn’t see Burke or Mark. “Did Mark go on patrol last night?” I asked everyone and no one.

Alex shook his head. “He was going to keep Stan company.”

Colin went through some of George’s things as I went to Stan and tried to revive him carefully. Then I did the same with George. “Someone get me a couple of cold compresses!”

It wasn’t long before my mother came back with a couple of towels she’d soaked with cold water.

I checked them both out physically; they both had raised portions of the heads where I deduced they had been struck with something. Stan groaned as I sat him up carefully. His eyes opened as he looked around. Those eyes widened at what he saw. “Mark!”

“He’s not here,” I said. “What happened?”

“There were four of them!” Stan said. “Two were clearly vampires, but there was one that hissed when he smelled the Disflavor in Mark and me. They attacked and began breaking things here.” He looked at the CPU, but he didn’t look that concerned about the computer. “Mark tried to fight them off, but one was a big man. I think it was the man we met at that nightclub. Iilya?”

George had come to again and looked at what he had worked with. “They took my samples.” He said sadly and looked around. “John!” He said looking around. “Where’s John?”

Colin shook his head. “We don’t know.” He said to George who was now very worried. “The vampires that came here…one was Iilya, was the other Lucian?”

George nodded. “That’s what Iilya called him.” He looked at some other things. “They smashed my supply of serum here, but I have more hidden.”

Amasis looked at the wreckage. “Clearly, Lucian doesn’t want the serum.”

“Fine. He doesn’t, but he takes from those that do?” I asked. “How is this destruction going to help?”

George nodded. “Amasis is right. They didn’t want it, and they don’t want any other vampire to have it. I was only spared by the clock. It was just a few hours till sunrise when they came in. Lucian wanted to know what I found out.” He shrugged. “I told him what I told you. Gaius was making the antivenin for what’s making us vampires.”

“Doesn’t that mean Gaius is in danger?” Alex asked. “If he’s the source of this antivenin…”

“Did you tell them about Nicolae?” I asked.

George shook his head. “No.”

“We need to protect him anyway,” Colin said. “We need two teams. One to stay with Nicolae and the other to get to Gaius.”

“It’s past sunrise. Do you think they’d attack now?” I asked.

“The other two weren’t vampires?” Colin asked George.

George shook his head. “They weren’t vampires.”

“We need to get back to Gaius,” I said. “We need to find out where Nicolae lives and send a team there.”

Gabriella came over to Alex. “We can track him.” She said tapping her nose. “I remember Iilya’s scent, but I’m picking up another. That must be Lucian.”

Alex nodded. “The trail is only a few hours old.” He said to Colin and George. “We can find out where they went. It couldn’t be far with the sun coming up.”

Colin nodded walking over to Alex. “Follow only.” He said and tapped Alex’s earpiece. “Communicate the coordinates. Don’t confront them yet.” He turned to Stan. “We can’t locate them using the PDTUs, can we?”

Stan nodded. “Sure we can. We don’t need Gabriella and Alex to track them.” He went into another part of the house and came back with a laptop. “That satellite link will work.” He pulled up the screen. He grinned. “I have Burke and Mark right here.” He pointed to a couple of blinking signals on his computer. “I can get you where on a map in a few seconds.”

I patted Stan on the back. “And their vital signs?”

Stan nodded. “They are fine right now.” He looked as George came and looked over his shoulder.

“Respiration and heart rates are good,” George said nodding. “They are on the other side of town.” He looked. “There must be more caves near here. I don’t see any developments in that area.”

Colin nodded. “We need to get to Gaius and Nicolae.” He looked at the others. “I don’t need to tell you all that no one needs to go off alone right now.”

Everyone nodded their agreement and we all headed out together. We told Eva we’d handle things and to take the day off. We didn’t need local police involvement getting in the way yet. We then went to the bunker where Gaius and Cragen were.

Gaius was still up and looked startled when we came in. Not just Colin and me, but everyone from the VUN here.

“It’s not sunset,” Gaius said. “Something has happened?”

“They took Burke and Mark Goddard,” Colin explained. “Lucian and Iilya took them.”

Gaius’ reaction was surprised a moment but nodded sadly. “They wanted to stop the serum.”

“You’re in danger,” George said and explained what he found out about Gaius’ body and Nicolae’s body. “We think you are nature’s answer to the venom.”

Gaius was shocked to hear that. “I am?”

George nodded. “Nicolae has it too. His body is making a lot of the antivenin…almost like a vampire antibody. The venom is trying to get Nicolae to change him into a vampire, but this antivenin and this antibody is fighting back and has for decades.”

Gaius sat up suddenly a bit panicked. “Nicolae is unprotected!”

Colin nodded. “I’m sending some people there when I know where to send them.” He waved at Shelly, Chuck, Mom, and Alex. “How many followers does Lucian have?”

Gaius thought. “Just a few dozen,” He said hesitantly, “with one very powerful one…if he told the man the truth.”

“Who?” I asked.

Gaius looked away. “He calls himself the Dragon.”

Stan walked forward. “The Dragon? As in Vlad the Dragon? The real Dracula?” He said in almost a whisper.

Gaius frowned. “Well, you know that Cragen and several others…”

Stan nodded. “I know, I know, Dracula is a fictional character, but he is Vlad Dracul, isn’t he?”

Gaius nodded. “Yes.” He looked at us very carefully. “You thought I was scary when you met me? You’ve not seen anyone more frightening that he is.” He said in a low voice but avoided looking at us. “He can convince a priest to commit suicide, a young virgin to commit vulgar acts she would never have thought of doing.” Then he looked at us. “He’s been trapped by this so long…I fear he is a bit mad.”

“Would he harm Mark or Burke?” Stan asked.

Gaius nodded. “To get what he wants.” He looked at us. “Yes, without any hesitation or remorse.”