Blueblood 5.1: Red Alert!! - 17. Chuck

As Kuyvashev backed up a step he pointed at Vlad and shouted to the two men who had come with him, “Stop him!”

Vlad glanced behind himself at the two men and then looked back at Kuyvashev. “They can’t.” Vlad smiled, but the smile was not friendly. “Can they, Gaius?”

“No,” Gaius smiled. “They are…preoccupied.” He waved his hand in front of the closest man’s face. They were both in their thirties, one had dark hair and the other was bald. Neither of them was responding. Neither of them even blinked. “They’re somewhere else for the moment.”

“What have you done to them?” Kuyvashev asked alarmed. “You drugged them?”

“Not at all,” Vlad shook his head and pointed at Kuyvashev. “Your people use drugs.” He strolled forward. “We merely…suggest.”

I tapped Colin on the arm, “I’ve gotta get to the terrace!” I began getting up.

“Why?” Colin asked me. “We can see everything and Vlad’s hypnotic…” he struggled with which word to use, “suggestions come through fine.”

I nodded, “True, but I want to see the effect he has on Kuyvashev.” I saw confusion on Colin’s face, so I tried to explain. “All three of us can do a version of what Vlad does. We have an effect on people in different ways. You don’t affect people except to tell who is telling the truth or is lying. Vlad puts pressure on people in their mind! The heart beats faster, the adrenaline pumps, and he forces them to tell the truth or accept a suggestion they wouldn’t accept otherwise. I think mine is different as it forces people to calm down, the heart slows down, the person relaxes, and they feel comfortable enough to tell me what’s really on their mind.” I shrugged. “The Neurochemical action and results are totally different.” I shrugged. “Personally, I’d love for George to put one of those net-thingies on someone’s head…” I waved at the screen, “Kuyvashev’s head as we each talk to him.” I waved my arms helplessly, “On all of our heads at the same time! What’s happening in our brains? And what would happen if all of us worked on someone at the same time?”

Colin grinned, “Good cop, bad cop operating at the same time.” He nodded.

“Gaius can do it, too.” I said simply. “Mom might could, too. Hell, all of us might be able to do it in one form or another. Imagine four or five of us…”

“Wait, wait,” Colin held his hand up. “First, we don’t know if the others can do it. We know Vlad, you, and I can…” He nodded, “And Gaius. We need your mom and Willie out there with the people of Asbest to win trust. Second, I don’t know if George can rig anything up that quickly to use on Kuyvashev. If we were in Manhattan, he probably could…”

“Yeah, sure,” I nodded quickly. “We’ll discuss it later.” I grabbed his arm and was dragging him behind me quickly.

We raced quickly to the terrace where Kuyvashev had backed up to give himself a possible escape. The terrace was on the second floor of the town hall building. The building itself was situated on a hill which by design allowed a person to see most of Asbest. He was looking for that easy way out.

“Don’t do it,” Vlad said calmly to Kuyvashev.

I touched Vlad on his shoulder, “Can we try something?” I asked Vlad in English, but I had my translator on, and it said what I said in Russian.

“Sure,” Vlad nodded. “Like what?”

Kuyvashev’s eyes widened hearing me speak English and heard it in Russian, “You!” He pointed at me. “You’re one of the Americans!”

I nodded, “Yep! I’m a bubblegum loving, apple pie eating American born and bred! And proud of it!” I thumbed behind me, “So is my husband, Colin! We aren’t just Americans, but Southern born and crisp-fried chicken eating Americans!”

I had done this a while and my translator used the words I knew, “Vas mouge,” which meant “my husband” in Russian.

“Your husband,” Kuyvashev repeated. It wasn’t really bothering Kuyvashev that we were married, but surprised I said it so casually. We had met people that were homophobic before. In a nation known for being less tolerant of homosexuals, I was surprised by the number here that weren’t. He pointed to my translator and then to Colin’s. “You are the ones here for those devices to translating Russian to English.”

Colin nodded and smiled, “Actually,” he lifted the translator a little and then left it alone, “It’s simply a translator.” He shrugged. “As I am the wearer, it’s job is to take whatever language I speak and translates whatever is spoken to English to me. It translates what I say to whatever language, so I’m understood.” Colin bounced and then grinned. “Right now, that’s Russian, but it has worked for Romanian, German, and even an older form of Arabic!” He chuckled. “And it’s shrinking!”

“It is!” I marveled. “The one Mitch was getting started with was much heavier and sort of bulky.”

Colin nodded, “That’s right! They used to be the size of one of those hand-held calculators, only thicker.” He spoke like he was telling me only, but it was loud enough for Kuyvashev and the others to hear. “I think it was because of the little speaker and screen on them.”

I wavered a shrug, “The old calculators I saw in a museum. Otherwise, I never saw one. The old adding machines with the big hand-crank? Those were huge and not very portable.” I shrugged again. “And there was the computer circuitry on the translator for the satellite access…that added made them bulkier.”

“And the added scanner…” Colin pointed out. “So, I can scan any page in a book, on a menu, or on a billboard and read it! The newest ones are wafer thin and look more like an ID card.”

“Really?” I again marveled. Looking again at Kuyvashev, “However, I see your real issue isn’t about that, but the fact we’re gay.”

“It’s just…” Kuyvashev grimaced, “wrong.”

“For you,” I nodded and waved at him. “I see a wedding ring. That means you’re married. That means you are having sex!” I smiled. “Regular straight sex is wrong to me.” I shrugged, “but I know we have to for the Human Race. I accept it. There are hundreds of millions of us around the world! Accept it.”

“I think every single one of you should be executed!” Kuyvashev practically spat.

“You and others,” Colin nodded sadly. “And those people who enjoy both straight sex and gay sex?” He asked Kuyvashev.

I held my hand up, “We’re getting off track. This debate has been going on for a long time. It won’t be settled now.”

Colin looked at Kuyvashev and jutted his head at me. “He’s right.”

Vlad turned to me, “You were planning to…what?”

“Oh,” I nodded. I smiled at Kuyvashev. “You need to calm down.” And I pushed what I wanted him to feel forward in my mind and held my hand up in Kuyvashev’s direction. “Relax.” Hey, it worked on dogs. “Take a slow, deep breath.” To my surprise, Kuyvashev did what I asked him to do. “Again,” I said. “A slow, deep breath and relax. Be calm.”

Gaius grinned, “Damn, Devon. I feel it, too.”

I wavered a shrug, “I don’t have the length of yours and Vlad’s time doing it, but…”

“No, Devon,” Colin chuckled. “He’s right. It’s like a wave washing over me.” He again focused on Kuyvashev. “Why are you here in Asbest? What are you looking for?”

“There is something going on in this part of Sverdlovsk Oblast,” Kuyvashev said referring to the county and state we were. He was calm and was still relaxing, “and Asbest is the center of it. I want to know what it is.”

“You have ideas about what that is,” Colin said. “You mentioned drugs and weapons but were told that wasn’t true. Do you believe that?”

“There is something here,” Kuyvashev stated firmly. “I want to see for myself what it is.” He hesitated a moment but stopped.

“Go on,” I encouraged. “Say it.”

Now, Kuyvashev began to shake. He didn’t want to tell more.

“Say it!” Vlad demanded forcefully.

Kuyvashev began sweating.

“Stay calm,” I pushed gently but pushed harder. “Take a cleansing breath again.”

Kuyvashev’s face relaxed as he did as I asked. “I saw some old records about some vast network of tunnels below Asbest.”

“That’s not surprising as this is a mining town,” Colin acknowledged. “There are many tunnels down there.” He tilted his head, “But that’s not it, is it?”

“No,” Kuyvashev admitted. “The report said there were chambers below here vast enough to hide vehicles and weapons. It said there were laboratories…any of which can be used to create chemical weapons.”

“You think that’s what’s happening now?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kuyvashev nodded.

“And?” Colin asked.

“The sudden increase in money sent caution flags up that caught my attention,” Kuyvashev reported. “Something has brought this money in. I was convinced of a foreign backer and support.”

Colin waved at the mayor, “Mayor Masaitis told you. A former resident of this lovely town left money that would be given after the Soviet Union dissolved. She offered to show you the books.”

Kuyvashev looked at Vlad, “But I’ve seen what he can do. I remember you now.”

“You have?” Colin asked. “Where? When?”

“During that Halloween Event in Romania,” Kuyvashev said. “There is footage of something happening and this man,” he pointed at Vlad, “got up on the stage and ordered everyone to stop what they were planning to do. Russian Intelligence put it with the pod-broadcast that he made as Dragon where he went through this process that changed him physically to…” Kuyvashev waved at Dragon, “this. Now, I know there’s something going on under this town!”

Colin sighed, “And until you see for yourself you won’t be satisfied.”

Kuyvashev nodded, “You are involved! You aren’t here just for the translation.”

Colin nodded and looked at me. “Should we tell him?” He looked over at Vlad, “If it goes badly, which it will…you can pretty much erase it from his mind, right? He’ll know the truth.”

I knew Colin was not stupid. His instinct about people was uncanny, but I didn’t trust Kuyvashev even without Colin’s ability. I was very unsure. Colin was up to something. “Could he handle it?”

“Aha!” Kuyvashev said a bit smugly, “So there is something going on here other than your gathering languages. You’re what?” He smiled knowing he would get the truth one way or another. “If not drugs…, are you building some sort of weapon? A biological weapon? Creating a super-weapon? A superior soldier?”

“Why are you asking that?” I asked.

“I remember faces,” Kuyvashev said simply. He waved at Vlad. “He looks different than what he did on the broadcast. He has color and his eyes looked dry, but now…” He shrugged. “He said himself he was something that was going to be changed. What I was told, he went through a painful process.”

“He’s not a stupid man, Devon,” Colin continued. “Do I trust him?” Colin shook his head. “Not a bit. I trust him to be true to himself. That is his priority.” Turning to Vlad. “You can force the truth to a part of his mind he can’t access, can’t you?”

Vlad nodded a shrug, “Yeeees.” He said in a long, slow version of the word, but he was letting us know it was more difficult. “It will take more time.”

“Like you did in Transylvania?” I asked and he confirmed with a nod.

“I am right,” Kuyvashev said in victory.

“Actually,” Colin began. “You are both right and wrong.” He smiled. “A long time ago a super-soldier was created. The minds behind these super-soldiers wanted to weaken the people of areas they wanted to conquer. The soldiers spread to all parts of this world and what the soldiers left behind were victims of a venom like an infection that the victims could continue to spread this venom. Our involvement with this is to attempt to undo what they did.”

I stood closer to Colin, “All we did was put a name to it and informed some influential people in…” I looked at Colin, “Would you say three governments?”

“More than that,” Colin corrected. “The United States was first, then England…Romania wasn’t informed by their government, but scientifically and medically. Then there was the conference we held at Holms Laboratories where we told Australia, Mexico…even China!”

I waggled a nod, “I know we’ve not mentioned all of them, but V5H…”

Colin leaned forward a little like he was sharing something confidential, “That’s what our egg-head friends are calling it. We have the chemical breakdown that you can see, but if you’re not an egg-head you won’t understand it. I went to college…” he looked at me, “sort of and you are smart, do you understand it?”

“God, no!” I laughed a quick laugh at the absurdity of that. “Maybe in another few decades of study in the Biochemistry and Biomechanical Sciences I’ll get an inkling of what the VH5 has, and I will understand, but that won’t be for a while.” I grinned. “I just know George can point things out to me and explain how it works, I understand. I just know what he says is true.”

Colin hmphed, “We all don’t have eight doctorates.” He shrugged. He looked back at Kuyvashev, “You’re in luck we can show you tonight. There’s a party here. You’ll meet locals with V5H.”

“I’ve never heard of this V5H,” Kuyvashev said suspiciously.

“Few people have,” I nodded. “You will see the proof at the party.”

“Get some rest,” Colin advised. “It won’t begin until after sundown.”

“And allowing those locally to get here,” I continued. “I’d say it will be in full swing at midnight.”

“Why such a late hour?” Kuyvashev asked. “If they are all local, having a party at all…it doesn’t have to happen. If there are conflicting schedules does there have to be a party?”

Colin grinned, “I’d answer your question, but you won’t believe me. You will only believe what you see. So, you have to wait for the explanation.” He shrugged.

“I don’t understand,” Kuyvashev admitted.

“Of course, you don’t,” I chuckled. “We haven’t shown you yet!”

Vlad was now looking very concerned now. “Uh,” he began hesitantly, “guys…” he switched to Romanian, “intenționați să-i arătați adevărul?” Asking us if we intended to show Kuyvashev the truth.

It was a gamble, but did Kuyvashev speak Romanian? Who knew? Thanks to our translators we heard Vlad in English thanks to our earbuds, but Kuyvashev didn’t have those.

“Why not?” Colin asked in English but wasn’t translated to Romanian. “His memory can be suppressed later.”

I remembered in school they taught us about the extreme paranoia that gripped the United States and Russia during the time of the USSR, or Soviet Union. The Cold War. Many things were proven to just be fears that were not reality, but some were proven true. Such as Iilya and his intense conditioning to make him the most effective agent. I wasn’t sure what training Kuyvashev had to be an agent of the present government in Russia.

“Where’s George?” The frantic voice of Shelly came over our earbuds. We never did this sort of open communication except in emergencies and the tone she was using was telling us the emergency was now. There was no reply from George, but I heard the urgency.

“He’s in the lab,” Colin said to Shelly. “Is there a problem?”

“Chuck has collapsed!” Shelly replied. “He lost consciousness, and I can’t wake him! He needs to see George now!”

“Where are you?” Colin asked quickly but was moving quickly now motioning for Vlad and Gaius to come with him. “Kuyvashev isn’t going anywhere if he wants answers. We need to get George and then get to Chuck!” He looked at me and we almost ran to the underground access at the Town Hall.

“We are in town,” Shelly reported. “A restaurant named Mel’nitsa. I knew something was wrong! He said he was tired and needed coffee…”

“Mel’nitsa is two blocks over!” Kuyvashev told us. “I was there yesterday. I can take you.”

“Fine,” Colin nodded. “First, we get George.”

“There are medical personnel and hospitals nearby,” Kuyvashev said as we hurried.

“Our friend George is a walking trauma unit,” I said quickly. “A trusted doctor is just two blocks away? Who should we get otherwise?”

The whole group of us, Kuyvashev, Efim, the two other Russian Intelligence guards, Gaius, Vlad all headed down to George. Kuyvashev was looking as we headed for the lab George was working in, told him what had happen and he sprang into action getting somethings in a makeshift doctor’s bag. We traversed the underground tunnel and came up nearer to Mel’nitsa.

It was really Pitstservia Mel’nitsa serving pizza and hamburgers. It was lunch hour and favored by the younger citizens of Asbest and guests. It smelled good! Not huge but had filled with the lunch crowd. Lunch was forgotten as they stared at the prone body of Chuck on the floor. An older woman was looking very concerned. The white apron and flour dusted places on her skin told me she was one of the cooks and from her gaze I believe she was the manager…possibly the owner. Not one was moving to help but then again, with Shelly and Amir hovering over Chuck they didn’t dare. Shelly was controlling the situation as she would talk back to the people that asked inquiries. The people knew us by sight now…or rather they knew the ones who went through the town and spoke to people to record their use of language. One reminder from Shelly they needed to speak one at a time kept those who were asking questions. Mostly from the woman with the apron who thought an ambulance should be called.

Shelly looked up as Colin, George, Vlad, Gaius…all in our party came in. “No ambulance,” Shelly said with relief in her voice. She waved at George, “This man is a hospital! Let him through.”

Moving around onlookers was done by both George and I. We had worked as a team before and knew what we were doing.

“What were his symptoms this morning?” He asked Shelly and Amir. “He was lethargic, you said.”

Shelly nodded quickly, “he said he just couldn’t wake up. He was tired.”

Amir added, “He wasn’t the Chuck I’ve come to know.”

Chuck was a big man but being blond his complexion was fair, but now he was even paler. His breath was a little labored, but shallow.

“No head trauma?” George asked doing a quick visual assessment.

“Only a small one after he lost consciousness and collapsed,” Shelly reported. “Not too hard. His other symptoms were already there. They just got worse.”

Moving Chuck a little I saw something on his left arm. “George, look at this. Have you treated him for any reactions?” I showed the four-inch-long red streak from his elbow to nearly his wrist on the inside of his arm.

“I hadn’t heard of any,” George shrugged and felt Chuck’s neck for his pulse. He looked closer opening an eye and looking carefully shining his small light at his eye. “Eyes are responsive.” He looked at the red mark on his arm. “I suspect he has been poisoned.”

“Poisoned!?” Colin repeated startled and looked at Kuyvashev accusingly.

Kuyvashev raised his hands quickly, “Oh, no! I’m curious about what’s going on under Asbest. I’m now certain there is more, but I never poisoned anyone. Why would I do that?”

“This is affecting his nervous system,” George said and looked at Shelly. “Were there any convulsions? Nausea?”

Amir shook his head, “No.”

Shelly waved at Chuck, “He is so obsessed about his health, he never willingly takes so much as an aspirin.”

George nodded, “Yes, but with poison I can’t really help him much until I know what poison we’re talking about.”

“Surely there are things you can do,” Shelly begged.

“Get him back to the underground,” George ordered. “Quickly.”

Colin leaned over Chuck, “Is the fireman’s carry alright?”

“He needs to be seen soon!” George nodded. “Anyway, we can get him there is fine. He’s broken no bones or anything traumatic. Do it.”

Colin threw Chuck’s arm over his shoulder and then hauled Chuck up and lifted Chuck, turning and hurried out of Mel’nitsa.

I motioned Kuyvashev to follow after Colin, “You come, too.” I smiled tightly, “If you didn’t do this, we’ll find out. If you did…” I left that portion of words unfinished. However, the look on his face was telling me he didn’t. Could I be fooled? Sure. We weren’t all knowing. I trusted my feelings. Kuyvashev might be self-serving, and it was all about him, but I believed he didn’t poison Chuck. Someone did. Did he know who?

Vlad and Gaius were insuring he came. Kuyvashev wasn’t resisting…he rather seemed anxious to find out who had. Could it have been one of Yuri’s people? It could have been anyone of Kuyvashev’s people. He said it wasn’t, but it could have been Kuyvashev. His concern for Chuck seemed genuine. Hey, a conman had to be convincing or find other kinds of work.

Getting back to the lab where George worked was not difficult but time consuming. Kev was there when we all entered the lab area.

“There’s a gurney in the other room,” George pointed in the direction. “Put Chuck on it and we need to give him something to stimulate him.”

Colin put Chuck gently on the gurney.

“There’s a more comfortable bed in another area,” Kev said rapidly. He touched Gaius, “Let’s move it in here while they start what they need to. You can fill me in while they do that.”

George and I started an intravenous infusion, an IV on Chuck. George was looking over his medical supplies he had at the lab looking for something.

“Damn it!” George said in frustration as he looked at the different bottles.

“What’s wrong?” Colin asked as we watched George sort frantically through the bottles.

“This isn’t my lab!” George said loud as he scrambled through more bottles. “These aren’t my supplies. I don’t know where things are!”

“Language isn’t the problem, is it?” Colin asked quickly.

“No!” George replied fast as he set some bottles aside. “It is labeled in Russian Cyrillic, but also in Latin, so no problem.” He held a single bottle up. “Ah! Here it is.”

“You didn’t set the supplies up, George.” Vlad said calmly and looked at me. “Assure him he has it in control.” He jutted his head in George’s direction. “Like you do easily.”

I know my eyes widened briefly as I got what Vlad was saying. A calm, thinking doctor was needed. Chuck was a personal friend and that was affecting George. I nodded going over to George. I touched his shoulder gently and encouraged quietly, “You can do this, George. We all have faith in your abilities.” I got closer to his ear. “We have faith in you! No one else can do better.”

George looked at me and smiled, “Damn! You are good.” He chuckled. “You need to get whatever degree you think you need, but I know we have our counselor.” He nodded and turned to Chuck. “I’ll do what’s needed.”

George injected the fluid in the port of the IV bag that was just for that purpose. The combination of the stimulant and IV fluid entered Chuck’s body. I took some vacutainers of blood for testing. The Russians in this part of the world weren’t just helping vampires but treated the Humans that helped to do that. George may not know where things were. However, the lab was equipped with needed supplies. Medicine was pretty much the same in every part of the world now. Purple topped vacutainers were for certain chemical tests, red for others, blue for still more. Some had solutions inside to aid the blood to show what was needed.

Kev and Gaius rolled a bed in the lab area.

“I’ll make this bed up,” Gaius said and waved at Chuck, George, and I. “You help them.”

Kev nodded and took the tubes of blood I had taken and went instantly to do what was needed. He slipped some in the centrifuge quickly and turned it on.

“We’re looking for a Neurotoxin,” George said having not even looked at Kev.

“So, I was told by Gaius.” Kev said back. All of their actions and my own were practiced and we knew what to do.

“Colin,” I said to my husband. “As soon as Gaius is finished making the bed, we’ll move Chuck to it. I’ll help you. Gaius and Vlad, will you help us do that?”

“Of course,” Vlad nodded.

“Anything we need to do,” Gaius added.

Kuyvashev was watching the near ballet of actions we were doing quickly and efficiently. He seemed to be even more impressed. He had enough sense to stay where he was and out of the way as we worked.

The stimulant was starting to work as Chuck was beginning to regain consciousness.

“Easy,” I touched Chuck’s chest over his heart. “You’re under George’s care now. You know he’s the best physician to get you through this. Just relax.”

Chuck looked at me confused and I could see him try to focus. Then he smiled, “Hi, Devon. What happened?”

“What do you remember?” I asked calmly.

“I couldn’t seem to wake up,” Chuck admitted. “I woke up so tired, but I couldn’t seem to shake it. Shelly, Amir, and I were furthering the translation program with the locals, and I was just trying to do something to cause me to wake up. I was getting some coffee and…I guess I passed out.”

George had been listening and took Chuck’s arm and turned it so Chuck could see the red mark. “Do you know how you got this?” He tapped the red mark.

Chuck’s eyes squinted at the mark and frowned, “I don’t know. I didn’t fall or anything. I wasn’t burned.”

George looked up at the others in the lab. “Gentlemen, if you would please. Let us work. I know some are very concerned with what has happened. If you will give us room, we can do it better.” He looked at Colin. “Perhaps you can find out what happened?”

Colin nodded, “You got it.” He touched me. “I know you’ll keep me informed.”

“I will,” I nodded.

 

I knew that without the specific toxin we would have a hard time stopping this poison. I did what I could for Chuck and made him comfortable. His heartrate was falling again, and his vital signs were falling off again.

“Do we give him more of what you gave to stimulate his system?” I asked.

“Give a little more,” George answered as he worked. “Five cc’s more. We don’t want to give him a myocardial infarction.”

I shook my head, “No heart attacks. No, we don’t want to do that.”

“This toxin is like nothing I’ve ever seen!” George said and I heard the strain in his voice. “Then again, I never really studied toxins or poisons.”

“It seems to affect the nervous system to shut it down,” Kev said from his microscope. “Yes, he could have a myocardial infarction, but it may suppress his ability to breathe.”

“Guys,” I said with a nod at a conscious Chuck. He could hear them, and he was not stupid.

“Right,” George said and went to work again.

 

George and Kev weren’t getting anywhere but in each other’s way. I knew people upstairs were worried, so I went up to let them know.

As I came down the corridor, I noticed Efim coming my way. He nodded to me, and I felt him brush by me. I thought it was odd because the corridor was wide enough. I saw Colin suddenly rush toward us and grabbed Efim’s arm twisting it up. I saw a thin brush in his hand.

“What did you do?” Colin bellowed angrily at Efim. The translator would translate words and did. “What is on this brush?”

“Ya nay ponimayu,” Efim said.

“You don’t understand?” Colin asked angrily. “Well, I do. Let’s go to someone who does.” He said pulling Efim behind him.

“Ya nay sdelal nichego plokhogo!” Efim said pulling away from Colin’s grasp, but Colin refused to let him go.

“We’ll see if you did nothing wrong,” Colin said through gritted teeth. We arrived at the mayor’s office where Kuyvashev and his two guards were. Also, Gaius and Vlad were there. “Tell them what you told me.”

Kuyvashev looked puzzled at Colin.

Colin held Efim’s arm with the brush up, “What is on this brush?” He asked again in the form of a demand this time and this time he demanded an answer from Kuyvashev. “Was he doing this for you?”

“Do what?” Kuyvashev asked.

“He brushed this…” Colin held up the small brush up more. There was moisture on it that told he was applying something, “brush has something on it. The brush is the same width as the mark on a friend of mine who is fighting for his life downstairs! He brushed it on Devon!! What is it?”

Efim was frustrated, “It makes you tell the truth!” He spoke in English with an accent. “It is like…” he thought of the word, “pentotal natria. Only better!”

“Sodium Pentothal!?” Colin repeated the translation. “You used a truth serum?” He grabbed the brush from Efim, stretched Efim’s arm out, “Something’s killing Chuck! Is this it?” He poised the brush over Efim’s arm, “Shall I try it on you? How long ago did you brush this on Chuck? Who all did you brush it on?” His voice got angrier and more demanding. “Have you used it before? Is there something we can give to counteract this stuff?”

“I brushed a blond man yesterday afternoon,” Efim said.

Kuyvashev came over and took the brush from Efim, “Where did you get this stuff?” He added his demand to Colin’s.

“My grandfather had it!” Efim shouted. “It is a fool-proof form on truth serum. It always works!”

“Who was your grandfather?” Kuyvashev demanded.

“Alexander Nozik,” Efim said quickly. “He created the serum, and it can be used internally, as a powder, or brushed on the skin and it works!”

“How do you know?” Colin asked demanding still. “So, if I brush it on you…how long does it take?”

Efim looked a bit nervous, “He told me.”

“He worked with Russian Intelligence?” I asked.

“No! He was a scientist,” Efim said. “The Soviet Government used his creations.”

“The KGB?” Colin asked.

“I’m sure,” Efim nodded. “His work was funded by the government. Grandfather was a man of peace. He didn’t approve of many things the Soviets were doing. He created this drug to lower a person’s resistance and they told the truth.”

I touched Colin’s arm, “Calm down.” I asked Colin and looked at Efim. “Do you have more of this serum? Do you have your grandfather’s notes?”

“I have a little in a bottle,” Efim admitted. “I don’t have his notes. He kept this in his laboratory at home.”

“Fine,” I took the brush from Efim. “I need to get this to George. He can analyze this. Perhaps we can get Stan to pull up any records Dr. Nozik made.”

“Your computer man?” Efim asked.

Colin and I looked at Efim closer. I nodded, “He’s our Information Technologist and Programmer. Why?” I frowned. “Did you use this on them?”

“Well…” Efim paled. “I didn’t brush them with it.” He admitted further. “It can be ingested. I put some in their coffee this morning.”

“What!?” Colin grabbed Efim’s shirt by the collar and hauled him up nearly off his feet.

“What were you thinking?” Kuyvashev asked Efim alarmed.

“You wanted them to tell the truth,” Efim said simply to Kuyvashev. “This way, they would whether they wanted to or not.” He waved at Colin. “He’s had it for hours. I brushed him and those two in the computer room drank it so you would get the truth.”

“Someone has to get them to George right away!” I said to Colin.

Gaius nodded, “I’m on it.” He said and rushed from the room.

“Do you know how it effects people?” I asked.

“It’s supposed to make them tell the truth,” Efim said again.

That’s when Yuri and Zoya entered the office. “Here you are!” Yuri said waving at us. “George was going to do those tests and maybe put those disks in.”

“I need to get this to the lab!” I waved the brush in front of Colin’s face. “He may find a way of countering the toxin. Someone also needs to see about Stan and Mark!” I pointed at Yuri, “We got a situation here in Asbest. George is a little sidetracked.”

Gaius nodded, “I can see about Stan and Mark. Since you already have this stuff on you, you should take the brush.”

“I’ll hurry this down and fill George in on what we have been told,” I took the brush and hurried down the hall to the underground entrance.

George looked up at me when I came in quickly. I held the brush out and reported quickly, “There is a form of truth serum on this brush. Efim admitted to brushing Chuck with it yesterday. He also said it was in coffee he gave to Stan and Mark.” Kev came over quickly and took the brush. “We can see there is a toxin in Chuck’s blood. Will analyzing what’s on the brush help?”

“It won’t hurt,” Kev replied taking the brush to begin to do just that. Analyze this serum. “Seeing what the chemical components are, may help us know what to use to counteract the toxic effects.”

George was shaking his head, “My lab could process this faster.” He sighed. “I’m scared. I feel as if we’re losing him.”

I walked over to George, “I was brushed by this Truth Serum, too” I held my arm out where I had the toxin had been brushed on my skin. Right now, you almost couldn’t tell, but if you looked carefully there was a slight pinking of the skin. The reaction was slowly occurring.

George’s eyes grew as he grabbed my arm in alarm, “God, Devon! You’ve been infected?”

Kev touched George’s arm and said calmly, “Devon might have the toxin, but will the venom in his body allow this toxin?”

George nodded, “We need to see.” Looking at me, “We need tests done. Blood tests…”

I nodded quickly, “Yes, yes…do it! Take the blood, do tissue tests, whatever. If it helps Chuck, Stan, and Mark.”

George’s eyes widened again, “Stan and Mark!? Are they infected, too?”

That’s when we heard the rapid approach of footsteps and conversation.

“…why?” Mark asked again as Gaius was practically dragging both Stan and Mark by the arm to the lab. “They’re looking for a coverup? A coverup we are responsible for?”

Gaius nodded, “Or at least a part of one.” He answered releasing them to George, Kev, and I. “Now, let the doctor see you and we can get rid of this!”

I looked at George, “The delivery was different. Chuck and I had it brushed on us.” I waved at Stan and Mark, “They ingested it. Won’t that be a difference?”

George nodded, “Yes. Ingesting it will work faster as their systems attempt to process the toxin. Injection directly would just be even faster. Chuck had it almost a full day.” He held his hands up stopping everyone, “Let’s get to work.” He pointed to Stan and Mark, “I’ll need blood from you and we need to test…everything.”

I looked at Gaius, “Ask everyone with us if they have any symptoms. Sluggishness and fatigue…Hell, anything out the ordinary.”

“No!” Kev said quickly. “Have everyone in our group, the mayor…anyone that has been with us come down and we will do tests on all of them and find out.”

“You heard him,” I said to Gaius. “To be sure.”

 

The tests on my blood told them I was infected by this toxin, but my venom and serum was attacking any infection.

“You can’t make an antitoxin from my blood?” I asked George.

George gave a hesitant move of his head, but not a nod, “I probably could in a couple of days…”

“We’ll see,” Kev answered and began testing Chuck’s blood mixed with my plasma. Chuck and I didn’t have the same blood type, but any serum could be made from plasma. Mine was A positive. Chuck was O positive.

We told Stan and Mark the poison was in their morning coffee.

“Mark spilled his coffee,” Stan reported. “I did drink mine.”

“I think I drank a swallow before I spilled it,” Mark explained. “I had to get another. I would have drank Stan’s but he finished his.”

Kev nodded, “That explains the amounts of poison in your blood. Stan’s is so much more.”

 

One by one each person here came down and had their blood drawn. Colin was cleared. Mom and Willie were cleared. Amir and Shelly were cleared. Amasis and Wayne were cleared.

Stan, being our computer expert couldn’t just sit there and wait. He had his laptop brought down as George’s computer was busy. He started searching the databases for Russian Intelligence for any information about Alexander Nozik’s Truth Serum. George would not let them or me leave.

Stan shook his head, “Even during the Soviet years, they didn’t use this after it was found to be lethal after twenty-four hours. The KGB used it on prisoners if they determined the need for the prisoner later.” He rubbed his hands over his face.

I stood up quickly, “Stan, are you feeling tired?”

Mark was now worried, “How are you feeling?”

Stan nodded and admitted, “A little tired.” He shrugged. “A bit more than usual. I was thinking it was because I was concentrating on the computer so much.”

“You never feel like that!” Mark said taking Stan’s face in his hands to make Stan look more directly into Mark’s eyes. “You forget to eat and even take a shower, but you are never tired at a computer!”

Stan smiled and nodded, taking Mark’s hands in his, “That’s why I’m telling you now. Not that I’ve done this much, you remember the second night of our honeymoon on the beach on Key West? We took the bottle of wine on the beach where we drank the whole thing?”

Mark was nodding his head, “I do.” Even as tense as things were he chuckled, “You got a little drunk.”

Stan’s eyes widened, “And you didn’t?”

“I just remember that I love you and always will,” Mark declared. “You can’t get sick or die!”

“I’m not planning on either,” Stan assured.

“Is the toxin always lethal?” I asked Stan.

Stan shrugged again, “Every test subject died.” He admitted sadly. “When they wanted to stop the deaths…their attempts failed each time. All the deaths occurred within twenty-four hours.”

“Everyone?” Mark asked in a panic.

“But we have George,” Stan pointed out as he waved at George. “And you, Kev. And of course, you Devon.”

I was now even more frightened, “Chuck doesn’t have even a day left! He is going on twenty-four hours.”

“Stan isn’t. He’s on maybe ten hours,” Mark said still touching Stan. “He’s under this poison’s effects now.”

George nodded at Mark’s comment, “Yes. Chuck had the toxin brushed on his skin. His absorption has been slower and the fact that he is a very healthy man has made the toxin work harder. Stan is also a healthy man but drank the toxin and the absorption has been quicker. That, and the amounts of the toxin. The toxin brushed on Chuck and Devon were enough, but less than what Stan ingested directly.” George waved at Mark, “Or you. Your body hasn’t rid itself of the small amount of poison you drank…” George pounded the lab counter in frustration. “I don’t know!” He waved at the monitor and what was on the screen and nodded, “This stuff will make someone tell the truth. It’s like alcohol…effecting the centers of the brain that control inhibitions and makes you tell the truth. After a prolonged exposure, the brain dies!”

“What!?” I asked in shock.

“It causes the synapse to stop,” George said sadly. “It effects brain function and causes the brain to die. I can keep his body alive…put him on life support,” he tapped his own head, “but Chuck is dying in here. I can prevent his death, but Chuck will be braindead.” He waved at Chuck. “It’s become more aggressive now. If I do find something to counteract the toxin…I don’t know how much of Chuck will still be alive.”

All of the agents with the FBI had living wills. Everyone of them had written in bold letters not to prolong their lives by artificial means. In such an event they would be faced with, they wanted to be allowed to die. I could not imagine a more horrible way to die than to have your mind slowly fade away.

“Keep working, George,” I said encouraging. “You have the poison in front of you. I know if anyone can work this out…you can.”

“If I had time,” George said again. He suddenly began studying what he had on the microscope. “And if these people here have what I need to counteract it.”

“The venom will work,” Kev said softly. “I know there was a discussion at the table about us having the Fountain of Youth. Shelly refused the idea. I don’t know about Chuck. The venom will destroy the poison.”

“A venom we don’t have now,” I pointed out. “Yuri and Zoya can’t produce venom. They were getting the disks today.”

George slapped his forehead in response to what he forgot, “Yuri and Zoya! I forgot all about them!”

Kev touched George, “We got a little busy. I can make the disks.” He waved at me, “Devon can insert them. You keep working on countering the poison.”

“I’ll get Colin,” I said about to leave. “I’ll get Zoya and Yuri and bring them down here.”

Kev nodded, “I’ll prepare the disks.”

“I’ll bring Kuyvashev and Efim down to see their handywork,” I growled.

“Yuri is having the local vampires here tonight,” Kev began. “They are untreated. They have venom.”

“I’m way ahead of you on that,” I nodded. “I’d be willing to have one of us have the disks removed, but we don’t have time for the venom to work in us. I just hope they’re on time.” I looked at my watch. “We’ve still got a couple of hours of daylight. I hope they don’t dawdle.”

I went back to Mayor Greta Masaitis’ office where I saw Vlad and Gaius watching Efim, Kuyvashev, and Kuyvashev’s two men carefully. Willie, Alex, Amasis, Wayne had joined them and some of Yuri’s “enforcers” were outside the office. Colin saw me and came over.

“How are you?” Colin asked me.

“I’m fine,” I replied. “The venom is not letting the poison win.” I looked around the office. “I didn’t see Yuri or Zoya. Where are they?”

“They went somewhere with your mom and Gabby,” Colin answered.

“We need to insert the disks in them,” I informed. I motioned to Efim and Kuyvashev, “They need to see what’s happening.”

Colin nodded and turned telling Vlad and the others what needed to happen. They “helped” Efim to stand and were “helping” the four Russians along.

 

We got there and George was still working on the blood samples. Kev was more closely monitoring Stan and Mark…mostly Stan. I could tell Mark was feeling the poison but less severely. There was a way to counter toxins and poisons…if you knew what it was. George was working frantically doing what he needed to do. What took a lab full of people, he and Kev were doing alone and with materials they had but needed more. Chuck was barely breathing now and deathly pale. Colin had Efim sit close enough to Chuck to almost touch him. Zoya and Yuri came down with Mom, Gabriella, and Shelly.

Kev took blood samples from Zoya and Yuri to test if the serum blood levels were at the right levels. He took the needed blood and prepared the disks. All of this was being watched silently by Kuyvashev.

The disks had the water component removed and I inserted the disks in both of them. What was usually a very happy moment for a vampire on the disks was a bit more troubled that usual. It wasn’t too long before Stan collapsed. Mark was too weak to lift Stan, but with Colin, Gaius, Vlad, Ellis, and I there we got him on the gurney Chuck had been on at first. I looked briefly with quiet fury at Efim. He was a misguided young man that tried to impress the wrong person the wrong way. I touched Chuck and said, “Hang on, Chuck. Please.”

The following hours were hard to describe. It seemed to fly in some ways and drag in others. Chuck was dying. Stan was dying. Mark was dying. And we could do nothing about it. It wasn’t Yuri’s fault the labs here didn’t have what George needed. Efim’s grandfather Alexander Nozik had come up with something new that was hard to counteract. It was guaranteed to work but was always lethal. Even Alexander Nozik hadn’t wanted to use it. Why he kept it was my only question.

It hadn’t taken long before everyone from our group was there. Everyone. We all knew what was going to probably happen. I tried my “talent” to project love and a feeling of family to Chuck.

“We’re all here,” I said softly to Chuck as I gripped his hand. I didn’t even try to stop tears from coming down my face. “We all love you, Chuck. We are family and you are not alone. We’re all here.”

Mom, Gabriella, Shelly…Hell, everyone was crying! Amasis, Vlad, Gaius, Wayne…everyone! All were touching Chuck as they all spoke words of comfort.

“I don’t want you to die,” I confessed. “You are a great friend. We will always love you.”

It was just about sunset when Chuck’s life functions stopped. There was this sound I can only say was this moaning, groaning cry and I realized it was the combined sounds from several in our group. There was no CPR begun or life assistance added that wasn’t there already. The toxin effected the brain, and nothing could get that needed function to begin again. His brain couldn’t do it.

Efim was wanting to flee but didn’t dare move. He cleared his throat to say something.

“If he needs to go to the bathroom,” Colin began softly. “A group of four can take him. Otherwise, I suggest he not say a word now.”

George was having the worse time, “There was nothing I could do!” The tears were coming even more. “The poison attached the brain and the nervous system. It all shut down!”

“I never meant…” Efim began softly and quietly.

Mark was reclining on a gurney sat up slowly as his little amount of toxin was affecting him more now. “No, you wanted to impress him!” He pointed to Kuyvashev who was looking now very uncomfortable from his chair. “I know George has that brush with that poison on it. I’ll put some on you!” Mark was pointing at Efim. “You’ll die in a day, too.” He looked at Chuck’s lifeless body. “You killed my friend.” He looked at Stan who was still moving as the effects were still working on Stan, “And it’s going to kill my Stan.”

“You’re not a killer, Mark,” I reminded Mark. “We don’t kill if we can help it.”

We heard someone coming and saw Yuri, Zoya, and another man we didn’t know. The new man was a vampire. His dry eyes and pale skin were clear indicators of what he was if we couldn’t sense he was.

The new man was waving at Yuri, “Я не могу поверить этому...”

They stopped at the sight of everyone there at the moment. Yuri saw the body of Chuck and his look to us was a silent question about what had happened. George simply nodded and covered Chuck’s face and with the sheet. Yuri turned to the new man, “These men will explain it.”

Mark turned to the new man, “Bite him!” He pointed at Stan. “Please?”

Kuyvashev’s eyes widened seeing this new man and widened even more at Mark’s request.

“You wanted to know what was going on below Asbest,” Colin said to Kuyvashev. “You now have a front row seat.”

The new man was not ready for this and looked at Yuri and Zoya, “You want me to bite this man?” He waved at Stan.

“He needs your venom to survive,” George clarified. He touched Chuck’s covered form. “We’ve lost one good man and I don’t want to lose any more. Stan and Mark will not survive without your venom. Please?”

This new man was looking at everyone expecting a quick retraction or someone to tell him it was a sick joke, but no one did. Then he shrugged and got closer to Stan. His mouth opened and his fangs, the two long ones and the shorter ones beside each on the top and the two on the lower jaw…all pristinely white. They almost glowed.

Kuyvashev’s eyes widened, and horror was clear on his face. Efim moved quickly to get away but was shoved back in his chair by Vlad who didn’t even look at Efim or was particularly concerned about what was happening, which they all could see.

Not as dramatically as it was seen in movies, the new vampire simply lowered his mouth and fangs to Stan’s neck and simply let his fangs do their job. It didn’t even last more than a minute when the new vampire raised his head. He had been very neat. No trickling blood on his face. There was blood trickling from Stan’s neck. “I trust that was enough.”

George nodded, “It will work just fine.” He smiled.

“Now,” Mark began pulling his collar down. “Bite me.”

I touched Mark’s arm, “If you do, you can’t take it back.”

Mark shook his head, “You did the same thing. Stan almost lost me once. I can’t go on without him. I know what’s in store.” He looked at the vampire, “Bite me.”

The vampire merely shrugged and bared his fangs again and sunk his fangs in Mark’s neck.

Kuyvashev pointed at the new vampire, “He’s a vampire!?”

Colin nodded, “As are we.” He put his arm around my waist. “My husband and I. George and his husband John.” He pointed to John who was standing closer to George, “Amasis and Wayne.” He pointed at Stan, “He wasn’t nor his husband Mark, but in a few hours they will be.”

“We’ll tell you all about it,” George said softly and waved at Chuck’s body. “Is there a morgue? He needs to be put there until we fly him back to the United States.”

“Rubin Chance needs to know what happened,” I nodded at George. “He can inform Chuck’s next of kin. My heart suddenly sunk, “And Amanda! She was falling in love with Chuck.”

“There is a morgue in Asbest,” Yuri said. “We can move him up there.”

“Fine,” George nodded. “We’ll take him up there. Just show us the way.”

Colin looked at Kuyvashev, “That’s what has been going on below Asbest. No drugs, guns, super weapons or super soldiers. Vampires who need help. That’s why we’re here.”