Blueblood 5.1: Red Alert!! - 5. We Are An Army

We Are An Army

I nodded. Good question.” I thought a moment. “Shelly was right. Right now the weather is fine, but it is cold mostly. What are the active animals in Siberia?”

Stan shrugged. “There are a few.” His fingers flew over the desk top. Windows opened with various animals. I knew them, but the tiger was a little surprising. “There is the Siberian Tiger, Wolverines, Bears, Wolves and Musk Deer.” Stan looked at me. “They have cows like Edwin does, but you're making the assumption that they follow the same rules you do. They may not.”

“I don't think they do,” I said deep in thought. “Depending on the number of vampires there are...they need at least two pints of blood everyday. That requires a lot of blood daily.” I looked back at Stan. “How many people call Asbest home?”

“About sixty thousand,” Stan answered.

“This may not be like England or Romania where the people knew about the vampires and didn't talk about it.” I said as I waved at the map. “It's so close to the Arctic Circle. They'll needed the blood everyday. What substitutes are available?”

Stan thought a moment. “Cows or sheep if they are kept covered in the Winter.” His fingers went over the surface again. “Assuming it must be a mammal. Warmblooded.” He shook his head as he grinned. “Rats are mammals. They have blood that is warmed.” He gave a shrugging nod. “They do have a bunch of chickens.”

My lip curled at the sound of drinking chicken blood. “I prefer my chicken fried, baked or in a casserole, thank you.”

Stan chuckled. “Your Chef Bertie makes some good fried chicken back at Wentworth.”

I smiled back. “Well, she ought to. She was born and raised in the South. It's expected to be served at every picnic, family gathering and social event.”

Stan shook his head. “And I just thought people were too cheap or didn't have time to make anything.”

“There's that, too.” I pulled a chair over to him and sat. “You did a satellite scan of the compound in Charleston when we were after Marisa...”

Stan gave an almost smug look. “I'm way ahead of you.” His fingers again seemed to barely touch the black glass top moving so quickly they seemed to vanish. My mother had done one hundred and twenty correct words per minute in the past and never looked at her fingers or the keyboard, but wondered she could she now. But, Hell! It was twice my speed. My best was maybe fifty words a minute and still there would be errors. Thank god for the spell check and the reverse key. Computers were better at correcting errors and then you printed a hard copy. Hard copies. Who did that anymore? Now it would be sent by your computer by email to someone else's computer. Hard copies were filed like contracts and other legal documents, but even that was done on computer now. You signed on the screen once and tapped the areas it should go. Done.

Colin came over to us. “I've got us a house!” He announced happily.

“A house!?” I repeated.

“Or should I say houses?” Colin threw his arm over my shoulder with a grin. “You know? Houses, four walls and a ceiling and floor.”

I lowered my eyes to look at him with a smirk. “I guess they don't have a Holiday Inn.”

“There are some hotels in other areas. There are trucks going into town and out.” Colin replied and frowned. “There is something called the Dal'noboyshchik.”

I shook my head. “I don't have my translator on. What does that mean?”

“Truckers' Inn.”

“The houses are together in Asbest?” Stan asked.

Colin shook his head. “It's a few kilometers south of Asbest. An area known as Rezhik.” He shrugged. “It was a farm that was a co-op that started after government apart fell apart, but then failed.” He sighed. “And there really isn't one man in charge. They incorporated the town of Asbest. I got in touch with Mitch and he called to arrange lodging. These houses meet our needs.”

“It's on that power station?” Stan asked to be sure having being frustrated in Egypt when didn't have the needed power.

Colin nodded smiling. “Buddy will have power.” He was actually getting excited by this. “Mitch told them about different dialects and the area was perfect. Northern, Southern and Central/Middle. Asbest has all three.”

I smiled at Colin. “So, you rented houses.”

Colin shook his head. “No, Mitch McKenzie the owner and CEO of Delkenzie rented it. Our names weren't even mentioned.”

“Great!” Stan nodded.

“You were saying, Stan?” I asked.

Colin came and looked at the screen with us. “Sorry for interrupting.”

“They did strip mine around the area.” Stan pointed to the area around the town of Asbest. “The mines in the Ural Mountains are older and more traditional tunnel mining was done there.” Then he grinned. “George's PDTU puts him in those mines.” He stated and the screen beeped red and had “George” written. 'They thought what they had done getting George away had worked and there is that energy field still up to block Buddy from finding him.” Then he raised his finger to tell us there was more. “There are tunnels that go underneath Asbest itself.” The screen increased in size and Stan pointed to where a whole network of tunnels ran from the mines to the town.

I sighed, feeling dread now. “I guess our wondering about the town's people know about them has been answered.”

Stan nodded. “I'd say, yes.” He pointed again to some tunnels. “I thought maybe they were access tunnels for the mines during winter. However, this tunnel ends right below the Administrative and Municipal Centers.” He looked at Colin and me seriously. “I say, this group of vampires is the government in Asbest.”

“Damn,” Colin swore. “I don't guess don't know far reaching it goes?”

Stan shook his head. “Many records were destroyed when the Soviet Union collapsed. There aren't any to go through.”

I grimaced. “The Cold War is over.” I threw my hands out in frustration. “I feel like we're going up against the KGB!”

Colin nodded. “Maybe they are the KGB. Iilya was. He came from Asbest. We need to be careful. There's no telling how far their power extends. It could go all the way up to the Kremlin.”

“That's right.” Stan agreed.

Colin stood upright. “We'd better go.” He thumbed over his shoulder. “Burke is about go without us.”

The different situation with this was, we didn't let anyone know we were coming. Unlike Edwin or Amasis no one was expecting us. Those of Asbest had to know we would try to find George. They couldn't know what we were capable of. We did get a taste for what they thought they were capable of when they kidnapped George.

Our group had really grown in a few years. Colin, John Burke, Wayne, Amasis and I traveled with each other by a commercial flight. Gaius, Vlad, Lucian, Ellis and Kev flew separately. Mom and Willie on another flight. We would all converge at the houses Mitch had rented us. Amir, Shelly, Stan and Mark were traveling with our equipment. We all had the directions on our tablets and androids. An army of us were going to get George back. We landed at the Knukovo International Airport near Moscow and took another toward Asbest.

No matter what country it is, airport security was the same. A man bored with his job sat not really looking at us but our carry on bags. He asked in the same with the monotone voice as he worked. Mitch was a godsend with the translators. Colin put his translator on. We had gotten permission to carry them on the flight. We got to the man to stamp our passports.

“Tsel' vizita?” The man asked us without looking up as he was to stamp our passports. He asked what our was purpose in Russia.

Colin touched the translator and said. “This is.” The translator said Eto.

Now the man in his forties looked up with eyes that widened. He was a nice looking person with dark hair, which there wasn't much of. He wasn't bald, but the hair on his head was cut so short he might as well have been bald.

(I'll spare the reader and type the rest in English)

“What is this?” The man asked as he looked amazed as what he asked was translated into English.

“It's a translator,” Colin said smiling. “My company wants to have one that can translate any language.” He looked at the little screen and pointed. “See? It's telling me you speak with a Southern accent...” he looked again to the screen. “It says you're probably from an area near the Ukraine!”

The man nodded. “I was raised in Kursk!” He rose a little from his stool to try to see the screen, too. “That's only a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border.”

We had used that feature with Amasis' language, but Buddy had to find to find commonalities for that almost unused language. We've said it before. It worked well with Russian! That was almost instantaneous here.

Colin then he looked at the man again. “This is what brought us here. We're trying to make it so everyone can understand everyone!”

I could kiss Mitch! It worked again! We were in!

We connected with another flight to Yekaterinburg. That was the nearest city with an airport to Asbest. I saw Colin reading a little book. I strained to see what it was. He was using the translator to read it as he scanned. It was in Russian!

“Okay,” I said finally. “What is that?” I pointed to the booklet.

Colin chuckled. “Pravila dorozhnogo dvizheniya.”

He smiled even more as I gave him a look that said it all.

“It's a book on driving laws and rules in Russia.” He shrugged. “You don't want to be pulled over for a traffic violation, do you?”

At the airport we rented a vehicle. Paperwork. Sign here, date there and initial. When I saw the vehicle. I didn't know the make. It was a Viking. It was like a Ford Bronco. If a Bronco had a bigger, muscled brother. It looked more menacing. Big tires (not like the ones in Egypt) black and just said, “Don't fuck with me! I dare you.”

Colin saw our shocked faces and shrugged again. “We're going into the mountains,” he explained. “Who knows what conditions we'll face.” He pointed at the exhaust where it vented that from the roof! “We can traverse the roughest terrain...even cross a river!” He looked at the evening sky and sighed. He looked at Burke and put his hand on Burke's shoulder. “We're going to get George.” He assured. “I will spare no amount of money and will use any resource to get my friend back.” He hugged John tightly. “And your husband.” He turned to us. “It's getting late. There's hotel near here.” He turned to Burke. “We're almost there, John. We'll rest and head out at first light.”

John may have said a word when asked a question, but didn't talk. He had even forgone much of his meals.

We checked into the hotel right next to the airport. It was a good hotel. It was the Ekaterinburg. It was a Hyatt Regency!!

I watched John just disconnect with everything even more. After a good meal I went to John as we walked to our rooms.

“I know we don't get sick,” I said to him. “I can't use the argument about making yourself sick but it has to hurt.” I tried to be as sympathetic as I could. “To be so close, but so far from him would be torture for me.” I put my arm around his shoulders. “However, you need to be strong to get George back.” I pointed at Colin who was in a conversation with Wayne and Amasis. “I know he loses his strength if he doesn't eat. I know you're worried. I will say what you may find hard to do. You will need a good breakfast and rest to help us to get him back soon.”

Then John just stopped walking and looked at me. Furious! “Why aren't we going like we did with you!?!?” He yelled. “We blew in there...guns blazing and broke you out! Why not now?” Now there were tears coming. “What are we waiting for??”

A hotel corridor was not where you had a breakdown in any language and John was doing that. Colin, Wayne and Amasis stopped turning. Colin grabbed John's arm and pulled him in Colin's and my room.

Colin forced John to look at him. “I know what you're going through, John.” Colin said softly shaking him slightly. “I do, but this is different.”

“How?” John wailed.

“Devon was in Europe.” Colin said. “Jumping into Germany from England was far more simpler. We went in and got out in a matter of hours. But this is Northern Asia.”

I walked closer to John. “It isn't that I'm more important than George.” I pulled John into a hug with Colin. “We know George is important.” I looked at his now red and swollen eyes. “If anything, he is more important.” I heard Colin begin to say something. Holding a finger up for him to wait. “I'm a vampire, but I'm just one of many. He is our way out of this Hell you've known for hundreds of years.” Smiling at him, I continued. “Colin would do the same if it were our mother, Willie, Alex...anyone of us. That includes you.”

Colin nodded. “He's right. This was...” he chuckled, “and still is somewhat friendly enemy territory.” He had John look at him again. “If we were caught in Germany, there would questions and here...” Colin sighed. “We get along now with Russia, but they would see us as a threat. Not as vampires, but as Americans.”

Amasis nodded coming closer. “We got in and out of Germany that time and retreated. No harm done. Here we need a place to retreat.”

Colin nodded and pulled his phone out and pressed a button. He smiled as he got an answer. “Stan, how's George?” He grinned at what he heard and was nodding to Stan who couldn't see him. “Keep me informed if that changes.” Smiling at John he said. “George is fine.”

Wayne added. “They will make sure he is fine to get him to work for them and give them what they want.”

“This frustrating,” I said to John. “We're almost there. A day or two and we'll have George back in our numbers. I promise.”

“Also,” Colin added. “This town isn't just people that know and don't talk about vampires. We think the whole town is supporting these vampires.”

“These people could all turn against us.” Amasis said. “That's why we need to be as careful as we can.”

“We'll get with the others and find the best way to get to George.” Colin said. “I know Stan is doing a continued scan to come up with entry points.”

John was nodding as he rubbed the heel of his hands over his face to get rid of the tears. “I know,” he chuckled. “I know. I'm just going out of my mind!”

Colin chuckled. “Of course, you are. He's your husband. However, please...don't destroy your room.”

John's eyes widened and then he remembered what Colin had done at Thornwood and chuckled shaking his head. “No,” he replied. “I won't do that.”

The next morning, we saw a determined John. After we got up, he moved swiftly. He was ready first. He ate quickly and was barely patient for us to join him. Most of us would arriving today. Tomorrow at the latest. Our friends from Romania were driving up. It was an army of people, but we didn't know what was going to greet us.

We left Yekaterinburg behind and headed East toward Asbest. I will tell you again, I'm glad I wasn't driving because we'd still be looking for our destination. It was the middle of Summer so it wasn't cold, but also not the humid Summer weather of the United States' deep South. There were a lot of trees! And a road is a road, but there were a few differences. Since these roads were covered with snow and ice most of the year so there wasn't the attention to lines in the roads. No designated lanes. At least they drove on the right side of the road.

Colin used the GPS on the Viking and we got there pretty quickly while it was morning. This farm cooperation was brainchild of some Russian professors, two universities, the Peace Corp and businessmen. After Russia's government fell apart, Russia became hot property. People were flocking here to “help out.”

We reached “Zolotyye fermy.” That's Golden Farms in English. I wondered if someone like George was responsible for the name. No more zing than Disflavor. Maybe it lost that zing in the translation.

I don't know what I expected, but it was a collection of large buildings. I was no farmer, but everyone knows a greenhouse when they see it. There was a barn, sort of. No red wooden building edged in white, but a utility barn of metal. And there were four houses with multiple bedrooms and a kitchen.

There wasn't a lot of agricultural farms in this part of the world. There wasn't much of a growing season. No warm oceans nearby. There was the cold Arctic Ocean to the North. There were mountains to the South blocking warms air from Central Asia...they tried when settlers first came here, but gave up in the late nineteenth century. The twentieth century was going to be different! New technology, materials and initiatives were going to make a difference. The growing season was stretched using these greenhouses made of PVC pipes (a hard plastic) and plastic covers. Now those pipes were just skeletons of the dream. Temperatures were increased and crops were arranged in rows and rows of plastic containers. There was a lot of land to be used. It was a great idea! It worked in some areas, but interest and funding ran out. After ten years, it fell apart. This dream failed. Cattle and dairy products and the fur industry was fine here and blah, blah, blah...and you don't care any of this. We had more than enough room!

It needed cleaning up and that's what we did or at least we made it habitable. There were other small communities around us, but Yekaterinburg was the nearest city miles...kilometers, I mean...West of us.

Wayne and I went to find the power box to get the power on. The water was on and we carried our own phones, but we needed power for Buddy. Wayne and I were the ones to deal with that...and again, blah, blah, blah, you don't care about that either...we got the power turned on.

When we passed some small towns we passed a few markets where we stopped to get supplies. Near the town of Bol'shoy Istok we found a store and got the needed supplies including post and pans. Plates, knives and forks and cups. Silverware.

Because we didn't speak Russian we used our translators and became very popular quickly with the store keeper and other customers. We told these people what we were doing in the area to improve communication. That would help getting the word around as people could see the product. John, Amasis and Wayne weren't citizens of the United States so they had accents that told everyone they were from somewhere other than the U.S. Okay, John had been in the United States so long and had the slightest accent but it was heard. Colin and I kept any comments friendly, but short. If any of these people saw Gone With The Wind we would be known as Southerners of the United States.

A car pulled in and a van arrived about lunchtime. As people were showing up. Soon everyone was there but Stan, Mark, Amir and Shelly. They had to get the CPU here to use Buddy here.

As we gathered, it was Russ Chadwick, our newest member of the VUNGB that was conferring with us in the kitchen at the table to come up a plan with Stan, Mark, Amir and Shelly on video conference by computer.

“There are some areas of concern that need to be looked at,” Russ began as he pointed at Colin. “The first is your face is known, Colin.” He pointed at Vlad. “And so is yours because of those broadcasts you did. So, you two should be in the background.”

“It's known that Devon and Colin are married.” Mom said. “They didn't hide that. Would they recognize Devon?”

Russ gave a shrugging nod. “Yes, by name. There was a short shot of him by Colin's and Vlad's side in Romania but not that long.”

“So, how did they know to grab George instead of John?” Gabriella asked. “George hasn't been filmed or photographed.”

“George made the reservation in his name,” Russ pointed out. “They knew where George and John were and likely followed them around in Barbados.” He shook his head. “They waited until the end of George's and John's honeymoon to be sure they got the right man.”

“We need to get familiar with the area,” Chuck put in. “Stan, did your scan of the area tell you where the various entries are?”

“There are several I could see,” Stan said. “I can send you all a highlighted map. There are large areas that could be where the lab could be. George is often in two of these.” He sighed.

“There are also tunnels under tunnels,” Mark said. “At least with Amasis' City, he kept it pretty well on one level. Here there are several layers of tunnels”

“Yes,” Stan added. “I would need to have control of the satellite to do a more thorough scan to see how many.”

“Is there a way t' see wha' traffic they 'ave?” Ellis asked in his Cockney. Everyone looked at him surprised. “Wha'? Tha' magic eye in th' sky can see a lo'.” He shrugged. “I thou' I'd ask.”

Stan chuckled. “And he's right. The problem again is the lack of control of the satellite. Even with a thermal imaging, untreated vampires need to feed before they'd show up on that scan.”

Ellis nodded quickly at Kev with a smile proud he knew that possibility. “See? I knew it.”

Mark laughed at Ellis, “And you keep that up, Ellis. No one will suspect you're from the United States.”

“But they know you were in England and Romania,” Russ pointed out. “They might not know the name we call ourselves. But would know what countries we're from.” He looked at our two borrowed Brits Deborah Saxon and Dave Burrows from MI5. “You two can help, the problem with that is you two don't have the Personal Data Transfer Units. You need to be teamed up with someone who does.”

“Did you bring the necessary...” Deborah thought a second and asked, “weapons for these vampires?”

“And what about the Drones? They are still human.” Dave asked quickly.

Colin blinked. “Drones? The what?”

I laughed at that patting Colin's hand, but asked Dave. “A big movie fan?”

Dave nodded with a grin. “Huge. Especially the good vampire movies.”

“A Drone is...” I also had to think. “If it's from this movie I saw,” I said to Colin, “A Drone is the offspring from a male vampire by a human female to go around and do things in the daytime for their vampire masters.”

Dave was nodding again smiling and pointed at me. “That was one of them, but yes.”

Colin gave me a wide eyed look and sat back from me a few inches. I nodded, amused by Colin's expression. “A Return to Salem's Lot.” I said. Colin didn't say a word but his expression remained. “It really held no candle to the original Salem's Lot by Stephen King, but it had Drones in it.” He didn't move. “Don't look at me like that!" I said mockingly cross. "You know I love movies and thought vampire stories were cool.” I shrugged.

Colin shook his head looking over at Mom and said quietly and seriously. “Mom, when this over...we need to talk.”

“Why?” Mom's eyes twinkled. “It's too late.”

“My question remains,” Dave said chuckling. “What about those not vampires...if they attack?”

Colin nodded. “We don't have firearms. We don't want to kill anyone. Vampire or otherwise. Those Sun and Serum guns will work. Hand-to-hand combat will be needed.”

“That would put the U.S. And Great Britain in a bad spot if we killed any citizen.” Russ nodded. “We go in as stealthily as possible, see if anyone comes and goes and then we move in. Okay?” He looked at John. “We'll get George back!”