Blueblood 5.1: Red Alert!! - 23. Shang, Slaughter, and Sledgehammer

The feeling on the plane remained positive and upbeat. I felt we were all becoming friends. American, English, Russian…we were feeling more at ease with each other. The new plane was wonderful. The plane had very little turbulence and just floated on the air. We were traveling with the sun, meaning it was going to be a long day. I relieved Mark in four hours. Stan had gone up to the computer area to get familiar with Buddy’s extension on the plane. The flight was about ten to twelve hours long. It would be in the evening in Asbest, but about two or three o’clock on the United States’ East Coast. Jetting around the world sounds like it would be exciting, but after a few trips, it gets tedious. This trip was to bury one of us. Someone all with the VUN considered more that a friend. Chuck was family. He was part of the original team assembled by Ruben Chance that began the search for vampires. We missed him. I missed him. His job with the FBI and with the VUN was dangerous. I knew that, but to be taken by someone like Efim had poisoning Chuck. I wanted to strike back. We almost lost Mark and Stan, but they were saved by a vampire that could get the venom in them. The venom would not let them die.

Colin had not let the business part of Holms Laboratories go. He read over some information posted by Robert.

I looked at the screen and read, “Medical Buddy?”

Colin glanced over calmly, “That’s right.” He chuckled and pointed at the screen. “We’re launching a new aspect of Stan’s Buddy! We have the Language Buddy which we use now. This is the medical side of Buddy. We’re now using it with the PTSDs we have inserted in us. The program and computer monitors patients progress for things such as blood pressure, heartrates, and chemical levels such as liver function, even chemo levels…”

I shook my head amazed, “I still don’t understand how it works.” I admitted. “The PTSDs aren’t mechanical. There is nothing about them for the computer to pick up on.”

Colin nodded with a smile, “Do you think I do!?” His head wavered a bit, “Stan told me the PTSD’s give Buddy something to focus on. It is the person itself that gives something for Buddy to focus on. Everyone has a unique biochemistry. Like fingerprints or retina scans. Each one is unique. That’s where Buddy comes into play to read. Buddy sees what the person’s chemistry is and generates a report.”

I nodded, “Doesn’t that require memory?”

Colin nodded again, “It does.” He held the finger up because he had a point. “Buddy has that. The other computers also have memory.”

I looked at Colin suspiciously, “You know people are resistant to have Big Brother watching what everyone does.”

Colin’s head went back slightly, “You know about Big Brother?”

I gave him a look I meant to look offended, “I do more than watch movies. Although I admit George Orwell’s 1984 was a great movie. The post World War two novel he wrote was damned good. It caused us to think! I read!”

Colin’s head shook slightly and then he focused, “This won’t be that intrusive.”

“Not intrusive,” I repeated. “All we need is mind control!”

“They are starting it already!” Colin protested. “People are getting EKGs, Blood sugar readings, any patient needing constant monitoring can have it done much easier. No more carrying those bulky contraptions.”

“Okay,” I said, “but usually it’s sent to a phone or even to their doctor. With these PTSDs everything will be watched. It’s only a step or two away from monitoring thought.”

Colin sighed, “We can’t do that.”

“Not yet,” I pointed out. “Patient confidentiality…”

“Which will still be,” Colin said. “There will be a limited numbers of the PTSDs given which will be biodegradable, which means it works for a limited time to watch patients with chronic conditions.” He pointed at the screen. “This will be a big money maker for Holms Laboratories…” he leaned closer to me, “and the VUN.”

“We’ll need it,” I muttered. “We have to pay for this!” I waved at the surrounding plane.

“It’s been paid for!” Colin inserted a little irritated.

I pulled him to me kissing him hard. “I know. You’re a genius.” I chuckled. “Really, I think the world of wealth is harder to get used to than the vampire world.” I caressed his face. “I trust you.”

“It actually works out better,” Colin smiled. “Having a temporary PTSD will mean another will be needed if treatment needs to be continued. There are now cell-towers all over, so the Medical Buddy can keep up with the patient around the world.”

“No dead zones?” I asked.

Colin grudgingly conceded, “Well, yes. There are dead zones, but how many patients in that sort of condition are going to travel that much or live in such isolated areas? And if they do, they can carry a satellite phone and never be out of range.” He nodded again. “Regular cell phones and androids can have an app on them that works, too. A patient can monitor their blood sugar levels and monitor their heart. Doctors miles away can get a live reading…”

I nodded, “That will make money in the United States, but what about Canada and other countries?”

“We’re the manufacturer and distributor,” Colin added. “We will not let modern medicine in the United States charge more just to make more profit. The charge will be set, and we will even provide coverage to those with little income. Any country that has socialized medicine should be able to swing the cost.” He raised his finger to make a point, “We will generate profit, yes, but it will be spread out over a greater area. It will be lucrative for Holms Laboratories.”

“Food and medicine are the most important expenses for everyone.” I stated.

“You got it,” Colin replied. “We are also providing two mercy like planes as well as mercy like ships to provide medical coverage to many third world countries.”

“Really?” I grinned. “Those are usually done with voluntary service.”

Colin nodded, “And we will provide that, too. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals will be utilized on these flying and floating hospitals. Providing care for people that can’t get surgery or medical services where they are free of charge.” He shrugged a nod, “We aren’t just about vampires.”

“And our doing this will allow us to go into countries with more freedom,” I said. “More then just the translation program.”

Colin shrugged a wavering nod, “There is that, too. We deal with cancers, Ebola, HIV, and other diseases. It gives us more accreditation.”

Kissing him gently, I ran my fingers in his hair, “Yes, it does.”

 

We came down after four hours to relieve Mark. The flight was very comfortable even in this cargo section. It wasn’t too long before our co-pilot’s voice announced we would be landing.

I admit it, I never felt uncomfortable when traveling, but felt like I was coming home. New York and New Jersey really was one area that was just sick with airports. Many in New York looked down at people from New Jersey and I never really understood why. I had a feeling it was more of a running joke. Then again, I wasn’t from New York or New Jersey, so…

We arrived on time in Teterboro and taxied to a private hanger we were using. There was the ramp that was driven up and put near the door to the plane. Joshua was opening the door. Ruben climbed up the ramp and entered the plane.

“Welcome back,” Ruben greeted everyone, but looked at George. “Especially you, George.”

George grinned, “It’s great to be back.”

Colin waved at our new passengers, “This is Yevgeny Kuyvashev.” He grinned as he saw Kuyvashev shake Ruben’s hand and then Colin waved toward Yuri and Zoya, “and this is Yuri Vasilievich and his lovely wife Zoya.” Colin explained. “They are our new chapter in Russia of the VUN.” He smiled at Ruben, “And just to be clear, Yuri’s deaf. He’s lived quite a while and can read lips in several languages.”

Yuri nodded to Ruben, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

The problems between Russia and the United States…or the rest of the world was a lack of trust. Suspected alternative motivations were sought by all. Ruben’s expression held that as he looked at our new guests.

Colin slapped Ruben on the back, “It’s fine now, Ruben. We’re all on the same side.”

“Okay,” Ruben nodded, but even I heard the “we’ll see” tone in his voice.

Unloading and getting people and dogs on the helicopters took a while. It was about six in the evening when we took the elevator down into the VUN, or Holms Laboratories. On the roof we were greeted by Bill Canaday, Sargent McCall, and Sargent Davis. They were welcoming George and Kev back. Everyone was welcomed, but they were the main focus. I was only a little bit jealous.

I looked at the sky and knew where the sun was but saw that the sun was about to set.

“Do you want to see our boys?” I asked Yuri and Zoya. Turning to Kuyvashev I shook my head, “It would not be safe for you as you’re still human.” I touched Ruben’s arm, “But Ruben can take you to the observation room. You can see them from there.”

When the doors opened on the floor Iustina, Repetate, and Ralph were being held.

“Bay!” Yuri said reverently as we walked the corridor.

After a few weeks in Russia, I didn’t need the translator to know the Russian version of the word wow.

I nudged Yuri, “That underground complex in Asbest was pretty damned impressive, too.”

We saw a well-dressed professional Amanda was about to go into where our three were being held. She hadn’t aged, but she matured as a Human. She saw us and hugged Vlad, Gaius, George, Colin, John, and me. “I wanted to greet you on the roof, but it was so close to their wakeup time…”

Vlad took the container of blood. “We’ll bring it to them now. It will be a nice surprise for them.”

One of the guards smiled and opened the door and all of us went in. This time, their quarters felt crowded!

Yuri and Zoya were looking at the Old Ones in wonder.

“And those are the creatures that started all vampires in the world?” Zoya asked.

“At one time their numbers were a lot more,” George informed. “They have over several millennia have dwindled.”

“They are missing,” Yuri began, “a few things. Hair, genitalia and an anus are not there.”

I nodded, “They don’t need them. They feed on blood and reproduce by venom.”

Colin put his arm around me, “But Devon has fallen in love with them. He’s known four of them.” He smiled at me.

Just like clockwork, they began to stir. We were not targets for them, but they could smell and sense there were people in their room.

Repetate sat up first, saw us and no, he couldn’t talk, but his expression said he was delightfully surprised. He shoved Iustina and Ralph who were now sitting up.

The three got up quickly making the small sounds as they rushed me and Vlad doing the near purrs and putting their heads next to us and rubbed our chests.

“We’re back,” I said. “I said we would.”

Repetate went and got his translator and activated it. “Devon! You came!”

The other two grabbed theirs and activated them. They looked at George.

“You brought Red back!” Ralph said happily.

I glanced back at George, “Yes, we brought Red back. We also made some new friends.” I noticed some new things. There were books! Paper and some pencils.

Iustina looked at what I was looking at. “Amanda has been teaching us to read and write,” he smiled.

“And we can color!” Repetate added.

I was very impressed with the way they spoke. They were using proper English and obeying the rules of language. I glanced back at Amanda. “You did this so quickly!”

Amanda bowed her head slightly, “They need more than to watch cartoons.” She raised her hand quickly, “Not that that was a bad thing. They have to learn about the world, so…”

I shook my head, “No, that’s great!”

“They are already on a third-grade level in reading!” Amanda boasted. “They are doing wonderfully in math. I believe on a high school level. I think Iustina is on a college level and doing trigonometry.”

It made sense, numbers were universal.

Vlad grinned putting the container down, “I guess you guys aren’t hungry.”

“We are!” They all said at once.

“It’s always here when we wake up.” Repetate shrugged. “We don’t have to go get it.”

Vlad took out the bags of blood and passed them out.

Yuri and Zoya watched in fascination as the three began to consume the bags of blood.

I also noticed that Amanda had changed. She was the first victim I had seen rescued after a vampire attack. A college student returning from work late at night. Her almost wide-eyed wonder of the world had faded. She had matured since the attack.

“They learn very quickly,” Amanda explained further. Then her head lowered a bit, “It kept my mind busy after...” she left what it was unsaid, but I knew she meant Chuck. I needed to speak with her in a more private setting.

“I’m hungry,” Colin stated holding his stomach.

Things were consistent.

“I’d love to see some of your artwork,” I told the three Old Ones. “Our time here will be about a week. We’ll visit as much as we can.”

“We also need to get our bodies working on the day and night schedule here,” Vlad informed. “We will eat, and then I need rest. I’ve been up for more than a day.”

Colin agreed, “It will be late in your day when we get back.” He told the three.

The monitor in their room came on and a cartoon came on I didn’t know! Listening, I heard the accent. It was English, but Australian? The Koala Brothers? I never saw it until now.

I touched Colin’s arm, and we headed out to the corridor. Amanda did what Vlad and I did, kissing each of them before leaving and promising to be back in a few hours. I was also pleased that security was never relaxed.

I waited as Amanda exited the cell and walked next to her. “You have done some amazing things with them.”

Amanda smiled, her face held a fondness, “After a while, I stopped seeing the oddness and saw they were very perceptive and yearning to learn.” She chuckled, “You laid down the foundation. I’m just building from that.”

“I won’t sugarcoat things,” I said seriously. “The reason we’re here is to remember Chuck. We all love him, but I think you loved him the most.” I touched her arm as we walked. I pointed at her, “I see the loss in your face.”

Amanda smiled sadly, “Chuck and I were getting closer and closer.” She glanced at me. “It was Chuck that had the hard time with what we do here.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“He did a dangerous job, he said,” she laughed lightly. “He confessed to me that he knew he could be killed. Whether it be working for the VUN or something else for the FBI.” She smiled again, “It was his father, Mr. Charles that told him to never give up when there is love. Mr. Charles told Chuck the greatest thing he ever did was having a family and that included Chuck.”

“You’re going to go forward trying to conceive a child by Chuck,” I said pleased.

“Absolutely,” Amanda nodded. “To have a part of Chuck, as in having his son or daughter would be the greatest testament to Chuck. I will be honored to be the mother of that child.” She got a hopeful expression. “I know I won’t be able to carry it. Vampire venom won’t allow that. I want it to be my egg. Dr. Canaday said we would use a surrogate. He even proposed that since my eggs were there before the venom, I may have a normal child. The venom hasn’t changed the eggs.”

I nodded as I smiled, “And how is your family? Your dad in particular.”

Amanda’s head wavered with a slight frown, “The Colonel.” She nodded, “He’s not understanding what I’m doing here. He calls every now and then. My mother calls every day or two.”

She shrugged, “I tell them we’re doing something very important for the safety of everyone. He used his military contacts to find out where I was and showed up here a couple of weeks ago.”

I know I had surprise on my face when she said that, “What happened?”

“He demanded to see me,” Amanda shrugged. “Which happened. Only Commander Canaday was dealing with General Edwards on the phone.” She laughed. “Commander Canaday came down with me and Ruben Chance. Commander Canaday handed Dad his phone and Dad was told what I was doing there was a secret but very important.” She laughed, “I’ve never known my father to be speechless Then he was told the President knew what was going on and for security Dad was to leave it alone. Doug, my ex-boyfriend was interrogated by Dad, but Doug didn’t know anything.”

I saw the gleamer of mischief in her eyes, “That made you happy?”

She nodded, “It did. I never thought I would do anything my father didn’t approve of. Now, I’m doing something he can’t even know about!” She stated happily. Then her smile faded. “ I loved Chuck.”

I nodded, “The pain you feel tells you how much. Don’t push it away. It hurts and it’s uncomfortable, but let it happen. My mother told me that after my Dad died. Anything less is doing him a disservice.” I touched her, “Chuck was very important. If you need to talk…” Then I remembered! “Oh! We brought something back that Chuck wanted. If you want it.”

“What?” Amanda asked curiously.

I touched Colin, “Where is Mark taking Pechenye?”

Colin grinned, “Where else? His and Stan’s apartment!”

“Can you hold out without food a bit longer?” I grinned at Colin.

Colin gave a look of suffering a moment, “I’ll persevere.”

“Pechenye?” Amanda smiled. “The puppy Chuck was adopting?”

“A very special dog,” I nodded. “They were bred to sniff out vampires.”

I saw George talking with Kuyvashev who was asking George about what he’d seen through the observation window. “George,” I said. “If you will take our new friends to Vamps, we’ll meet you there.”

“Sure,” George nodded.

We went down to the residential floor to Mark’s and Stan’s apartment. Ringing the doorbell we were greeted by Stan. You could hear the yapping of many puppies in the background.

“Thank God!” Stan said pulling me in. “Your magic touch is needed!”

Amanda looked at Stan a bit startled, “You’re a vampire!”

Stan looked at her and nodded, “So is Mark.”

“The situation happened so fast,” I explained. “We didn’t have a vampire with venom to bite Chuck or we would have had him become one, too.”

Amanda simply nodded and walked through the apartment to what was Stan’s and Mark’s home gym. Now, the cage was there with the many puppies who were exploring this new room. The German Shepherd colors was showing now on their heads, on their ears and on their legs in light brown.

Amanda smiled and knelt down lifting her hand, face down out for the puppies to smell. She apparently had dealt with dogs before. “Oh, they are so cute!”

Pusik looked up at this new person and was wary, but I felt calmness and friend to her, and she calmed down. Dan-D came over to Colin and put his front paws on Colin’s leg and Colin scooped him up.

“This is Dan-D,” I pointed at Dan-D. “Hiccup is being held by Mark…” I reached down and scooped up one and held him up to Amanda. “This, however, is Pechenye. Which is Russian for Cookie.” I grinned handing him over to Amanda. “You can keep the name Pechenye or use Cookie. If you want him.”

Amanda was beginning to cry but was hugging the puppy gently, “Of course I want him! I can keep him now?”

I explained that Pusik was still nursing so he needed to stay with her a week or two more, but yes, she could keep him now.

“One thing Dad always insisted on,” Amanda laughed lightly through her tears. “We always had a dog or two. No matter what base he went to, dogs were to be included in our family.” She laughed as Pechenye was licking her face with a wagging tail. She hugged Pechenye again. “You are just adorable!” She looked at us. “You want to use them to sniff out vampires?”

Mark nodded, “According to Yuri and Anton in Russia, their mother and father were the best at detecting them and locating them.”

Amanda looked questioningly at us, “But they are surrounded by us. How are they able to tell the difference between us and other vampires? There were other vampires in Asbest.”

I shrugged and pointed at Pechenye, “There is a difference, and they can smell it!”

“What is your role here at the VUN now?” Colin asked.

Amanda looked at Colin and thought, “I do many jobs. I took over the teaching of the Old Ones in your absence. I do some administrative jobs helping Ursula. I don’t go on any patrols.”

I nodded, “That may change. You’ve proven to be an asset to the VUN. The more patrols, the better we will be to get as many as we can.”

“As far as training is concerned,” Mark smiled. “Devon is a dog whisperer. They listen and obey Devon instantly. That’s his gift.”

“I communicate by feelings with them,” I explained. “How are you doing with your college plans? Have you returned to NYU?”

She looked a little embarrassed, “I’ve been putting off returning. Going back to school, mingling with the friends I had there…” she shrugged. “I don’t know how to do that.” Her face fell a bit, “And seeing Doug there.”

“Why?” Colin asked. “I thought you two decided to breakup.”

Amanda nodded, “We did. I couldn’t tell him why I was here. He wouldn’t understand.”

“You still have feelings for him,” I smiled.

“I do!” Amanda admitted. “Doug’s still the man I am attracted to, but I had to hold back so much. He knew that.” She smiled, “With Chuck, we began seeing each other and he already knew what I was. That was very liberating.” She chuckled, “I enjoyed spending time with Mr. Charles. He was the man that helped Chuck become the man he was. I see a lot of Chuck in his father. It’s like I am spending time with a version of Chuck that’s twenty-five to thirty years older.” She looked at me. “I know he isn’t Chuck, but…”

I smiled, “Chuck is a part of his father.”

Amanda nodded, “Right.”

“This is a complicated world now,” Colin added. Then he held his stomach, “Okay, this is great, but I need to eat.”

I reached out for Colin, “You’ve held on very well.” I pointed at Dan-D. “Put him with his brothers and sisters and we’ll do something about that.”

Stan grinned as all the puppies were put near their mother. “Mark insists on leaving the crate door open.” He looked at Mark, “And Mark promises to clean up after them.” He pointed out.

“A vampire’s sense of smell is much better,” I said to Stan. I pointed at Mark. “That stuff you used on the plane did wonderfully!”

Amanda put Pechenye down and gave him an affectionate stroke, “I’ll be back.”

 

We went to Vamps and joined our guests. Colin finally got his steaks.

It was during our meal Ruben told us, “I have a young man coming here in the morning.” He sighed. “I didn’t tell him too much about what we would be asking him to do. He is more than qualified and speaks several languages spoken in China fluently. I just didn’t tell him about who we were searching for or why.”

“He can be trusted,” Colin said to be clear.

“I was going to include him before we lost Chuck,” Ruben explained. “Yes, he can be trusted.”

“We’ll simply show him the Old Ones.” Colin said.

“I know you need to reprogram yourselves for this time zone,” Ruben smiled. “Chuck’s memorial service is the following day.”

 

The next day we met with Kuyvashev, Yuri, and Zoya. We met in the observation room to meet with our new team member. Ruben entered the observation room with another man. I don’t know what I expected, but I was surprised. He was a very handsome young man about thirty. He was a mixed race of African and Chinese! His skin was kind of a light caramel color, but he was clearly Chinese where he had his eyes. About six feet tall and was in shape.

“Gentlemen,” Ruben grinned waving at the new man. “This is Amos Shang. He’s been with the FBI for five years and has an excellent record for solving cases.” He looked at Amos, “This is Colin and Devon Wentworth.” He looked at us, “They pretty much are the people you report to.” He looked at Amos. “I told you they were married.”

Amos smiled not showing anything about our being married. He walked toward us, “Mr. Chance didn’t tell me a lot of what you were doing, but I understand you are going to China?” He stuck his hand out to us. “Mr. Chance also told me you are working on a pretty amazing translation program. So, why do you need me?”

“Yes,” Colin said shaking his hand. “We are developing a program with the help of a sophisticated computer to allow anyone from any country to speak to anyone else and be understood.” Colin chuckled, “But that’s mostly a cover for what we’re really after.”

Now came the truth. I walked over to the window that looked into the Old Ones’ room. “We are looking for people that were changed by some of these creatures.” I touched a panel on the wall and the window became clear. The sun was up and the three Old Ones were asleep again.

Amos’ eyes grew and he pressed his hands on the glass suddenly at the unbelievable sight. There was a dim light in the room, but you could clearly see who was there. “What the…”

“To answer your next question,” I began. “No they aren’t aliens. They are vampires. The first vampires in the world were created thousands of years ago. People who have been bitten were killed or if they survived became vampires.”

Amos was now staring dumbfounded at me, then Colin, and lastly Ruben.

“That is the true reason we are going to all these countries,” Colin explained. “This is the real goal of why and where we’re going. Every country, every culture has tales of vampires.” He pointed at the Old Ones behind the glass. “They and others like them started the whole thing.”

“Another question answered,” I smiled pointing at Colin and myself. “We are vampires.”

Again, we explained what George was trying to do and told him what we wanted to do. We explained how George got help from other countries so we could get to them.

“But never go in with them!” Colin warned. “You have what they must have. Blood. And they will attack you. You will probably die. Never let your guard down.” He grinned at me. “Devon and I are already vampires, so they can’t feed off us. Devon, in fact loves them.” He shrugged.

I nodded at Amos, “But they are secure here and no longer hunting. They are not dangerous for us, but they are dangerous to everyone else.”

Amos’ reaction was typical. Disbelief and then the other questions. We sat in the sitting area near the window.

“So,” Colin began smiling at Amos. “You speak Chinese.”

Amos grinned, “Wǒ bùdébù! Wǒ fùqīn shì zhōngguórén!” Then he translated what he said. “I had to, my father is Chinese!”

“While we are gathering the information we need,” Colin pointed out. “You can tell us what the others are saying!”

Amos got up and walked to the window. “They are how old?”

We shrugged and I shook my head, “Those three have been alive from the beginning. They are about ten thousand years old.”

“Really?” Amos asked.

“We found some scrolls in Egypt that we had to get a translation for to understand what it said.” Colin explained.

“We have a great computer and a man for our computer that does wonders,” I explained. “You might know him. Stan Martin?”

Amos shook his head, “I never met him or Mark Goddard.” He grinned, “I did hear they were married now.”

“Do you care about that?” I asked.

“No,” Amos chuckled. “There are some at the bureau that are still sensitive about it, but I don’t care. They have a great case closure rate. It works!”

“And you?” Ruben asked Amos.

Amos smiled, “I usually answer any question about my sexuality by asking if they want a date. If they do, ask me. I don’t judge a person by whether they do or don’t have a dick.” He shrugged.

“Get ready,” Ruben smiled. “There are some good people you’ll be working with. One was the last Pharaoh in Egypt and even Dracula!”

Amos’ eyes grew again, “Pharaoh? Dracula!? They’re vampires!? Dracula is real?”

I shoved Ruben lightly, “Don’t overload his mind!” I grinned at Amos. “Amasis was the last Pharaoh and Vlad Dragon is Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler but he will tell you he is not Dracula. He’s a nice man and a good friend.”

Amos nodded and hurried to follow us to Vamps.

“There are things that will take time to accept,” Colin said patiently as we walked. “The passage of time is a big thing to accept. We have several here that predate both World Wars and even the Revolutionary War.”

“Colin and his daughter were born before the American Civil War,” I added.

“How old are you?” Amos asked me.

“I’m thirty-two,” I shrugged.

“We’re the same age,” Amos stated simply.

“There are things you will understand with more time,” I chuckled. “If you want the job.”

“Hell, yeah!” Amos blurted. “I want the job!”

“So explain you, Amos.” I smiled. “You have a unique look. Your father is Chinese?”

Amos smiled, “He is. Born and raised in Hong Kong. He met my mother there. She was a scientist there. She’s very smart. So is Dad.” He chuckled, “And yes, she was black. I’m used to the questions.”

I nodded with a smile, “Yep, that was the question. It’s just curiosity. I think you are a handsome man! If I didn’t have Colin, I might be tempted.” I chuckled. “There are a few in our numbers that have same gender marriages. Mark and Stan, Colin and I, George and John, Vlad and Gaius, even the Pharaoh and Wayne!”

“Really?” Amos said. “That’s not odd?”

“Apparently not,” I shrugged but held a finger up, “But Colin and I were gay before we became vampires. George was perhaps bisexual, my stepfather is not.”

“Your stepfather is a vampire?” Amos asked.

“He is,” I nodded. “Actually, Colin and Dr. George Holms are the two that created all this.” I waved at the surrounding building. “All the vampires here from the United States, England, Egypt, Romania, and Russia are here because of those two.”

“How many vampires are there?” Amos asked.

“We estimate them in the thousands,” I grinned. “Possibly a million worldwide. Part of what we want to do is get them back into the world and be part of it. No more hiding. This is your first day. Take your time getting used to things. Do you know of many vampire legends from China other than Jiangshi, the hopping vampire?”

“There are several,” Amos nodded. “I never paid much attention to them. Riri Yaka, the Khmer, Panamanian, many tales of blood demons…Tagalog Mandurugo…” he arms went out in frustration. “I never paid much attention to them! They were tales from superstitious people. I never thought about any of them seriously!”

I nodded, “Perhaps now you should.” I grinned. I stopped, “Oh, and there is a lot of territory to cover about vampires and all you think you do know…forget it. You can’t know all you need to.” I threw my hands out, “Hell, I’m still learning, and I am a vampire.” I pointed at Amos, “But never see it as being something great. What we have now is good, but it was Hell for almost everyone of our vampires here! Colin is over two hundred years old, but only the last few years have been good…and all vampires are not good. Many can’t talk at all. They are wild. We won’t expect you to catch up, but you’re intelligent. I know you will.”

Amos shook his head and pointed with his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the Old Ones, “None of them look like the Mikaelsons, but I get an Originals feeling about them.”

I grinned more, “You watch television.”

Amos shrugged, “When I’m off, it’s a great diversion for what I do. I have friends, but I do have to step back. I watch television shows.”

“You’ve seen the Originals,” I said. “I liked it very much. Though I admit to liking Elijah the most. Klaus was a bit much. His immortality strained his touch with Humanity. They all developed a god complex.”

Amos smiled as he nodded, “And the Vampire Diaries!” He laughed, “Those high school students who were now cursed to be high school students forever!” He shook his head. “The Salvatore vampires had the god complex. Elena was the center of the whole mess. Like Rose was in the Twilight movie series.” His head wavered as he smiled. “At least in the Originals those vampires were grown adults!”

I threw my arm over Amos’ shoulder, “I know we’re going to be great together!” That made Amos smile more. “I’m a HUGE fan of cinema and television. I read, too! I loved Stephen King novels, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz…I loved Salem’s Lot, Lestat…Dean didn’t write any vampire novels that I know of. He wrote great thrillers, but I love his work. There are so many books and movies about vampires!” I raised a finger. “However,” I thumbed back at the three Old Ones, “the three we have here are way older than the Mikaelsons. They however are Originals.”

Amos looked at me uncertain, “They and the others like them started all of you? All around the world!”

I nodded, “Yes, they did.”

“They are immortal?” Amos asked.

I gave a shrug and nod, “Not exactly. They can be killed. I saw one shot and killed, and I was there. Gizmo was the first Old One I ever met. He became a dear friend.” I sighed as the pain of his loss came again. “Some evil men found a way to create these creatures to make it easier to invade other countries and weaken the resistance. Only the Old Ones conquered them as well, I think.” I shrugged another nod. “It was so long ago, and we are just piecing things together now.”

We entered the area were all on our teams were gathered at a table at Vamps. Colin waved at Amos and I , “Don’t hog Amos, Devon.” He smiled at me. He turned to everyone, “This is our new team member, Amos Shang of the FBI.” He waved at the crowd of people that rose from the chairs as they were being introduced. “Amos, this is everyone you’ll be working with! You can meet and get to know everyone. I know we’re all friendly, so feel free to talk and ask any question.”

Amos grinned as he waved a bit shyly, “I’m Amos. I was chosen by Director Chance because of my knowledge of the languages in China.” He waved down at himself, “As you can see I do have Chinese in me. My father is Chinese from Hong Kong. I was born and raised having my early years in Hong Kong.” He chuckled, “I know you have questions; I will tell you. I am an American citizen. My mother is black…” he smiled, “mostly. Her mother, my grandmother was Caucasian but is a citizen of Great Britian. She met an African-American Army Officer there and married him. My mother was British and was a brilliant scientist and went to Hong Kong to work at a British Medical Center there where she met my father who worked there. Even after 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China they worked there. Because my grandfather was an American Citizen, We immigrated to America where we all became American citizens. My father insisted I learn Chinese as it was my heritage. I learned to read and write several Chinese languages such as Mandarin, but the languages my father spoke were Cantonese called Yue and English. I learned others including Modern Standard Chinese and other dialects.” He bowed a little, “When I saw…” he thumbed again over his shoulder, “and now know what you are doing, I was shocked.” He tapped his head lightly, “My mind is getting it slowly, but I will adjust. I know you need someone with you to make the people in China easier to understand. I promise to do the job and do it as well as I can.”

Colin grinned, “You’ve won Devon over, that’s good enough for us. I trust you, so will everyone else!” He waved at an empty chair at the long table. It was center to everyone. “Sit! Get to know everyone!”

I chuckled and leaned into Amos, “We use this restaurant a lot. They had the best chefs in New York…or the world, as far as I’m concerned.” I leaned back a little. “If you’re not a vegetarian, you need to try Vamps’ Faggots. Being from England as well, you know what faggots are, right?”

Amos chuckled, “Yes, I know what faggots are.”

“I didn’t until we went to England,” I said shaking my head. “Now I’ve insisted they have them on the menu here. To me, they’re better than they have in England!” I boasted. Then I whispered to Amos, “We have vampires that are chefs here and they can taste, smell, and cook better than anyone.”

Amos’ eyes again rose, “Really?” He shook his head, “then I have to have them!”

Colin came over and smiled at me, “I have a good feeling about him. I see you are getting along well with him.”

We are!” I said. “He passed a crucial test for me.” I saw Colin look puzzled. “He knows some good television programs and knows their plots! That makes him a keeper.” I saw Colin’s eyes roll.

“You are our man for working in China,” George began. “We will begin at the Matilda International Hospital in Hong Kong.”

Amos nodded, “There are several locations for the Matilda Medical services.” Amos began. “On Hiller Street and Bonhan Strand, the Hospital is on Mount Kellett Road, and they are spread apart. I know there are other clinics.”

Mom smiled, “They speak English there.”

Amos nodded, “English was one of the official languages of Hong Kong. Yue Chinese or Cantonese is the other. I was raised speaking both.”

“What groups do we need to worry about?” Mark asked. “I know about the IPA and the MSS.”

“There is the Triad which is the most dangerous criminal gang in Hong Kong,” Amos began. “The IPA and the MSS have to deal with them and several other gangs in Hong Kong.” He grinned, “I thought you wanted me for the languages in China.”

“You are,” Stan said. “Buddy will get the languages and even the dialects with time and exposure. You will be needed for the local cultures.”

Colin smiled sadly, “We came back here now because one of us was killed. We need to remember Chuck. He was a valued member of our family.” He looked around. “Where is Amanda?”

“She went to get his father, Charles.” John answered. “Are we telling him about what we are?”

George gave a grudging nod, “We will have to.” He sighed. “Chuck has given us permission to allow us to try to get Amanda to have his child. He knew this was an experimental procedure. If it works,” he said questioning, “will his child be like Nicolas?” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Amanda is a vampire,” Shelly stated. “Won’t the child be half vampire?”

George frowned, “Human females are born with their eggs. They mature with the female. Amanda’s eggs were formed before she became a vampire. I won’t know until I extract a couple of her eggs to know if the venom has changed them to have vampire DNA. Those eggs are protected. Venom is the means of reproduction in vampires, not sperm and eggs. A male is always making new sperm. I know it contains rewritten DNA. The egg…” he wavered a nod, “I don’t know yet. I do know that the venom will not allow a pregnancy to occur in a woman who is a vampire. It doesn’t want anything to take it’s blood supply. Placing a fertilized egg in a regular human female?” He again grudged a nod, “I don’t know. It could be a normal human and not a hybrid at all.”

“Either way,” I said. “Having a child of Chuck’s would be wonderful. Charles Slaughter will love having a grandchild, He will need to know why Amanda didn’t carry it.”

“And Amanda’s family?” Willie asked.

“They will have to know, too.” Colin answered. “Amanda’s father is a hardnosed military man from what I gathered from Amanda.” He chuckled.

“Colonel Sledgehammer will be a tough man to win over,” Stan grinned.

“Colonel Sledgehammer?” Mom asked. She sat straighter, “I never knew Amanda’s last name.”

Stan chuckled, “Well, her last name is Sledge.” He shrugged. “He earned his name when he was in Fort Georgia training future Army officers. He was a tough Drill Instructor, so the reports say. He got his post at the Pentagon two years ago.”

I smiled, “You got a background on Amanda?”

Stan nodded, “I get backgrounds on all personnel working for the VUN. It’s standard procedure.”

Colin chuckled, “On people you can get a background on.”

“Well, yeah,” Stan nodded. “Amasis’ background comes from history books.” He frowned, “They are often wrong.” He pointed at Vlad and Gaius, “Vlad’s is wrong about a lot of things.” He looked at Colin, “You, too. They are wrong on many things. Amanda is current and so is Colonel Sledge. Buddy and I got the reports about Colonel Harold Sledge!”

“Commander Canaday and I dealt with him,” Ruben grinned. “He couldn’t pull rank on us!”

“His concern is for his daughter,” I said feeling sympathy for the man. “He maybe Colonel Sledgehammer when on duty with the military, but he’s also a father. We can’t forget that.” I chuckled. “I was an enlisted military man, a E5, a Staff Sargent and I‘ve dealt with overbearing officers both noncommissioned and commissioned and I can deal with Colonel Sledge.”

Willie chuckled, “Me, too.”

Alex nodded, “Me three.”

“And we have an O9, a Lieutenant General Edwards that outranks almost everyone,” I pointed out. “Their Commander and Chief outranks all of them.” I nodded, “Granted, the election will give us a new President soon, but our mission will remain the same.”

“Telling Charles Slaughter will probably be done while we’re here now,” Colin stated. “He deserves to know what his son gave his life for.”

“It was such a pointless death,” Mom lamented softly.

I nodded, “It was indeed. Ignorance was the main cause. We’ll tell Charles Slaughter that, too. We’ll be honest with him. Chuck is his son.”

“And Amanda is Colonel Sledge’s daughter,” Colin agreed. “We’ll be honest with him as well.”

George looked very uncomfortable, “I know. It’s my own paranoia again. I don’t like this many people knowing.”

Colin nodded with a smile to George, “It’s going to happen.”

“Keep telling me that,” George grumbled.

I looked at my watch, “I don’t care what this says. My body still feels like it should be evening.”

“You’re still on AST , Arabian Standard Time,” Colin laughed, “Or Yekaterinburg Time.”

“Yep,” I replied. “I’m not spending any time with the boys.” I waved off. “I’ll be gone for weeks or months to China very soon!”

“Yes,” Colin acknowledged. “However, they are not going to grow old neither are you.”

I waved him off, “Give me a century to see time like you do.” I looked at Amos, “That was the problem with the Mikaelsons. They couldn’t be killed and after a thousand years they had an overdeveloped sense of time.”

Amos chuckled, “Did you ever wonder what would happen if you chopped a head off and separated the head from the body by a hundred or thousands of miles. Wouldn’t that kill them?” He grinned, “It worked in the Highlander movie and series.”

“They were immortal,” I chuckled, “but I was busy drooling over Duncan McCloud. I preferred Adrian Paul with his hair cut in the Highlander series.”

“I preferred Elizabeth Gracen in Highlander: the Raven.” Amos admitted.

“Ooh,” I grinned. “Paul Johansson! He was almost as good.”

Colin frowned, “I’m asking again. When did you or Amos find time to watch all this?”

“They are repeats now,” I shrugged.

Amos smiled, “I told you; it was a great diversion after a tough case or day.” He shrugged.

“If it’s important,” I said to Colin. “You find the time.”

I thumbed at Amos, “I really like him!”

“Why?” Colin asked.

“He knows pop culture,” I said simply shrugging. “He knows television and movies! He’ll make a good member of our team.” I grinned at Ruben. “Good choice!”

Ruben smiled at Colin, “I chose him for his qualifications as an agent. He’s a damned good agent. The movie and television show part is a surprise to me.”

I nodded, “He’ll fit in just fine.”

 

It was midafternoon when Amanda returned with Charles Slaughter. In many ways I felt I was looking at Chuck! The same build and features this man passed to his son. Like Chuck, Charles was calm and patient as Chuck was. We introduced Charles to the others here. We were an international group. I had gotten used to it, but I was aware of the many accents spoken here. The British accents from Wayne, Kev, Edwin, Ellis and Matt. The Romanian accents from Vlad and Gaius. The Russian accents from Yuri, Zoya, and Kuyvashev. Amasis’ and Amir’s Egyptian accents. I stopped hearing them. I understood them all perfectly and it was just them.

It was Kuyvashev that surprised me. He went up to Charles and Amanda extending his hand. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what one of my countrymen did to your son. What he did is unforgivable.” His face took on more than anger. Embarrassment and regret. “His death was pointless. I can say I’m sorry, but that is not enough.”

Charles nodded and took Kuyvashev’s hand and shook it. “Chuck knew his work was dangerous.” He looked at me and Colin. “I admit, I am surprised to find an FBI operation operating out of a laboratory. I thought Holms’ Laboratories was blood diseases, cancers, and treatments. I gather you do something else.” He held his hand up to stop what we would say. “I understand about secrecy. I’m not asking about anything; I’m just saying I know there is more.”

Colin nodded,” There is.” He sighed and looked at Amanda. “This maybe a good time to ask your father and mother to come. We can tell Mr. Slaughter and your parents at the same time.”

“We can get General Edwards on the phone to verify what we tell them.” Colin suggested.

Mr. Slaughter’s eyebrows rose, and Amanda nodded. “Having someone to outrank Daddy is best.” She patted Mr. Slaughter on the chest, “It will all makes sense.”

“But for today and tomorrow,” I began. “Know that we love Chuck. He was more than just a member of a team. He was one of us and considered a part of our family.” I pointed at Mr. Slaughter. “Believe that! We would have done anything to keep him with us.”

Mr. Slaughter had a tear form and come down his face, but he smiled, “He wrote me, texted me, and in our conversations at home told me how valued he felt and how much he loved each of you. You two, and George the most. He loved you, too.”

 

The next day was very solemn. Chuck was not being buried, but there was a casket. The service was conducted at Holms’ Laboratories in Vamps. It was our favorite place. They closed for the first time in years for the service. It was a nice casket, though the casket was empty with the United States of America’s flag laying over it. A large picture of Chuck, his handsome face on what was an FBI photo. He was very handsome in the photo. Again, I felt the pain of his absence. I couldn’t imagine how Amanda felt and definitely not Mr. Slaughter. I felt for Mr. Slaughter. He was alone now. His wife was dead and now his only son! I determined then and there that he would never be alone! I would call him once a week! Hell, I was going to offer him Chuck’s apartment here. He would be welcome here anytime. He would be one of us, too. If staying in Chuck’s apartment made him uncomfortable, we’d locate another apartment for him. Here. “I swear to you, Chuck. He’ll be our father! If only an Uncle. He is a part of this family!” I said to myself.

Ruben got up from his place next to his wife Carrie. Everyone had followed the custom of wearing the black armband, but Chuck insisted on no black clothes. Amanda was in a vibrant electric green, Chuck’s favorite dress on Amanda. Everyone else wore reds, blues and other colors, some were spring and summer colors. Except Gabriella who wore a bright electric blue. Blue. She was consistent. He looked appropriate in his summer yellow suit as he took the podium. He smiled sadly, “This is something no director ever wants to do. To tell everyone how important an agent is to them.” He chuckled lightly, “I have no prepared speech, but I will tell you.” He looked directly at everyone. “I will honestly say, to be an agent with the FBI is a calling.” His head lowered slightly, then it rose as he smiled, “Chuck had that calling. A calling just as important as medicine or the ministry, Chuck had that calling. I met him about ten years ago. He had just graduated from the Quantico Academy. He struck me as a serious, sober, and dedicated young man. When a task force was needed here, he was the first man I considered for the job. He was smart! And he was big!” He chuckled. “A gentle giant that I knew would be an asset. I will miss him. Charles Slaughter, Junior…you will be greatly missed!” He said and sat down.

Mark, Stan, and Shelly got up. Mark went forward and said, “Chuck was a man that we knew had our backs. Never one time did we feel left alone.”

Stan got to the podium, “I was never that confident at the FBI.” He looked at Mark and chuckled, “I had those that made me feel confident. I married one. Chuck made me confident. I would have married him, too! I love Chuck!”

Shelly came up, “Chuck was a no nonsense, by the book sort of agent. He taught me to do the job by the book but keep my humanity. It was okay to cry, to be scared, anxious, or just plain angry. I respected him so much. I love Chuck and will never forget him!”

Amanda got up, “I had been brought into this place. I was so scared. There were people here that helped me to understand more and not be as frightened. Chuck was one of them.” She smiled at me, “Then someone suggested I look to Chuck as more.” She smiled, “I never thought I’d fall in love, but I did. Chuck was the sweetest man and he treated me like I was important. He made me feel like I was important. He was falling in love with me. Yet, he was always worrying about how dangerous his job was. He wanted to protect me. Me!” She shook her head. “I entered a relationship with him knowing it was a dangerous thing and I don’t regret a thing. I would have married him in an instant! I wish you hadn’t died, but I cherish what we had, Chuck.”

I got up touching Amanda as she returned to her place beside Mr. Slaughter, “I hate this, too.” I said to Ruben and the others. “My grandfather told me to hold the pain of loss close as a testament of what that person meant to you. The pain I feel now means you meant a hell of a lot to me.” I felt a tear come down my face. “You were literally a brother to me!” I shook my head, “These aren’t just words. I mean it! We are family! My family! There’s a huge gaping hole in my heart and soul! You left a huge empty space behind that can never be filled!” I nodded as tears were now rolling down my face, “Our lives will go on. You would want that. I swear. Not just words, You will never be forgotten! I swear to God! You will be remembered every day as long as I live! And beyond that! Your friends, colleagues, and family will never forget you, Chuck. I swear to you!” Colin came up, followed by everyone in our team as they hugged me
Stan, Mark, Alex, and Willie, FBI agents or former agents, and veterans all of them, took the flag and did the correct stance, folding the flag into the correct triangular fold. They handed it to me. I was a veteran too, remember? I went to Mr. Slaughter and presented it to him and said, “Your son did a great service for not only us, but all Humanity. You should be very proud of him.”

“Thank you. I am proud of him.” Mr. Slaughter was crying as he hugged me so tightly, telling me he knew what I meant and believed it.

 

Then there was a party! Yes! Told to have one by Chuck! “Mourn my death but celebrate my life! Hopefully, you’ll have some good things to remember about me.” Those were his words, written by him!

I just lowered my head and shook it when I heard Kool and the Gang’s Celebration begin, “Yahoo! Celebration, Yahoo! This is a celebration!” The music came loudly. I laughed as I wiped the tears from my face. This was Chuck!

Colin grinned at me and spun me into a circle right at the podium as we began to dance. A nineteenth century man that could dance? Why not? It’s dancing, timeless, and international! The voice and noise level rose as everyone began to dance.

They laughed remembering things together about Chuck. Yes, we had good things to remember.

It was a little later when Colin and I spoke with Mr. Slaughter.

“I know you have a life, Mr. Slaughter,” Colin started.

“Call me Charles,” Mr. Slaughter smiled. “Or as Amanda does, Mr. Charles. Whichever is easier.”

“Alright, Charles,” Colin grinned. “You’re staying in Chuck’s apartment. We’re telling you it’s your apartment now. Your apartment. If that is to uncomfortable for you we’ll find another one here for you…”

Charles looked surprised, “You want me to stay here?”

“You are welcome and will always be welcomed here,” I said to Charles. “Yes, this is because of your son. A man you guided to be the man he was.” I smiled, “His calm demeanor he got from you along with his size and hair color. I never saw him get angry or yell!”

Charles chuckled and nodded, “Yes, he got that from me. I told him when I took down a bad guy, a perp no matter how insane they acted, be tough, but tough doesn’t mean you have to shout or yell.” He leaned in slightly, “And there were some pretty crazy perps in Connecticut. People often see people from Connecticut where they think they are superior.” He shrugged. “A criminal is a criminal. They also think of the Stepford Wives.” He chuckled again. “I never yelled at Chuck. He never gave me a reason to. Except when he was sixteen. That was a typical teenager’s rebellion. That was short-lived. He was a good young man even then.”

“He was,” Colin nodded. “Tomorrow, you get to meet Amanda’s parents.”

Charles smiled knowingly, “Colonel Sledge. Amanda told me some horror stories about him.”

I waved the thought off, “He’s a military man. Hard and holding no one higher then the other. Tomorrow you find out what Chuck was doing. It’s important you know.”

“A man that took his military bearing home to his family,” Charles smiled.

I laughed lightly, “I’ve dealt with the overbearing military minds before. My job as a medic gave me more freedom. I did that job and kept my nose clean and everything within regulation. He can try to intimidate me, but he won’t win.”

Charles nodded, “I suppose not. You don’t strike me as someone easily intimidated.” He frowned. “This is serious, isn’t it?”

“Very,” Colin answered.

Charles smiled, “Well, the Colonel can’t intimidate me. If you’ve faced down as many tough guys as I have. He won’t bother me.”

Charles was very calm and trusting. I knew Colonel Harold Sledge would not be. We had a nice day with Charles and everyone on the team. We cautioned all on the team not to give anything away about what we did. Yet.

 

The next day, at ten in the morning Colonel Sledge arrived with his wife. Marcia. She was a lovely woman with blonde hair wearing a coral pink dress, and I could see she was an officer’s wife. Colonel Sledge in his early fifties came in full uniform with his ribbons and metals from campaigns on his left side over his heart. It was impressive. I had a few ribbons, but they bothered me when I wore them sometimes. His shoes were more than spit polished. I knew he probably used the blowtorch to heat the shoe polish. He had a no-nonsense face. He hugged his daughter as did his wife.

Colonel Sledge was barely patient as we introduced George, Colin, Charles, and me. He knew Commander Canaday from when he’d come to see Amanda the first time.

He and Mrs. Sledge were led to the observation room where Charles, George, Commander Canaday, Colin and I were waiting.

“You wanted to know what I was involved with and why I was here,” Amanda began. “You’re going to find out because I need your support in the future.” She took a deep breath. “A few years ago, I was attacked. I almost died.” She smiled at George, Colin and I. “These people saved my life. I work here because I’m grateful, but I also work here because I want to help others that have been attacked. Like I was. They did not make me what I am now. They helped me to live with what I am.” She waved at the glass window. Colin activated the window, and the three forms of the old ones could be seen.

Colonel Sledge almost pressed himself to the glass. His hands flat against the glass as he stared at the unbelievable sight. His eyes wide. Charles looked and was surprised but remained calm. Marcia Sledge covered her mouth with her hand and just gaped.

“I wasn’t attacked by them.” Amanda stated. “I was attacked by someone that was attacked by them. They look odd, but…”

“What the Hell?” Colonel Sledge demanded an answer.

“If you listen, Colonel,” Charles said calmly. “They are going to tell us what the Hell.” He looked at Colin, then George. He pointed at the Old Ones. “They are what my son was hunting for?”

I nodded, “Yes. He was part of the FBI team that hunted their victims. They are the original vampires.”

Colonel Sledge frowned and looked furious, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

“Daddy!” Amanda barked at her father. “Listen to them! They know what they’re talking about! They’ve dealt with this since…” she thought, “longer than you’ve been alive.”

“We’re looking for a cure,” George said.

“Dr. Holms will find it,” Amanda stated firmly. “Before you threaten to take me to a military doctor.” She waved at Bill Canaday, “They have their military presence right here! Dr. Canaday is a doctor and scientist! George has more doctorates and PhDs than anyone man could have! He’s brilliant! They are in touch with other medical geniuses in England and Romania. There were a bunch of doctors and scientists here from around the world! You aren’t going to gain control. The Commander and Chief of the United States military knows about this.” She sighed, “You are overbearing and don’t listen, but you need to hear me this time. Trust these people to do this very important job. Please, Daddy.”

Colonel Sledge looked again at the three old ones and then looked at his daughter. “But you weren’t killed. You’re not a vampire.”

Amanda nodded, “I am. I’m under treatment, but I’m a vampire.” She looked at Colin, George and me. “The only ones not vampires is Dr. Canaday, Mr. Charles, you and mom.”

Charles walked up to Colin, “This is what my son was doing?” He looked at us. “You are vampires.”

“Yes,” Colin nodded.

Colonel Sledge shook his head, “This is just so…impossible.” He said going over to sit down.

“I can show you the formulas on the venom and the serum,” George offered. “This stays with here us.”

For the next few hours, we explained about the venom, the serum, and what we were and about the thousands, maybe millions in the dark waiting to be liberated.

“And Daddy,” Amanda said firmly. “I’m not pregnant, but as a tribute to Chuck,” she pointed to Charles. “If I can. I am having Chuck’s baby, your grandchild, Mr. Charles.”

Colonel Sledge’s eyes widened in shock.