Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 25. Lovable, Simple Willie

“You knew there were others!” Even I thought it was an accusation.

Colin shrugged a nod. “I knew there were others. I said I knew of two I knew by name.” Then he grinned. “Well, three. The others I saw, but we didn’t get to know each other.” He frowned as he thought. “We are vampires, but we are still social creatures by nature. We will seek each other out.”

“Why?”

“For safety?” Colin shrugged as he answered the question. “Like just now. We didn’t confront them now because there were so many.” He explained.

“But the VUN has done this before.”

Colin nodded as we headed in the subway station. “One or two, not as many as this nest had, but yes.”

“So, who’s this third one?” I asked uncertainly. “You smiled when you remembered him.”

Colin nodded with a smile as he remembered. “Yes, he was…different.” Then he looked at my face and shook his head. “His name is Willie. Is that his real name? I don’t know.” Then he chuckled. “I don’t know if he remembers what his name really is. When I first got here, he was the first one of our kind I met.” He looked around. “I just hope he’s still around. I haven’t seen him in a few years.” He nodded as he remembered more. “He showed me around down here.”

“Was more than a friend?” I smiled at Colin who was remembering him fondly.

Colin looked puzzled, then he understood my question and shook his head. “What? No, nothing like that.” He chuckled. “When I arrived here from the South. I met him.” He chuckled. “He had been a hobo. A simple man, but very happy.”

I was shocked at that. “Happy? He is a vampire!”

Colin nodded still smiling. “Yes, he is. I don’t think he knows that. Or even simply understands.”

Now, I was even more shocked. “He doesn’t know? How could he not know?”

“Back during the twenties, he used to ride the rails.” He shrugged. “He’s pretty resourceful, but his mind was pretty well…” he thought. “…gone. He’s no threat to anyone.” He chuckled. “Except rats. He showed me how to get along down here.”

I smiled at him as he seemed to enjoy remembering.

“His nights were busy,” Colin said smiling.

“Hunting?”

Colin nodded. “But not victims. Junk.”

“Junk.” I smiled at that.

“They may be junk.” Colin shrugged with a smile. “But not to him. It was his treasure. As I said, he was very simple and happy.”

I nodded. “Sounds like he’d be a good person to know.”

Colin nodded. “I think so.”

I wondered how they were going to do this. To remove that many…vampires without attracting attention. I should have known they knew what to do. It was only an hour later when a group of men came toward us. All dressed like maintenance men for the city of Manhattan’s subway and transportation system. There were some large crates that were being brought down. Empty crates it took only two per crate to come down. There were about twenty men and women. Colin showed them where to go. These men and women began rousing the vampires up. Most did not wake up, but there were a couple that did open their eyes and hiss. With quick movements, the ones that came to extract them using their sun guns, forcing them down and to surrender.

This extraction was pretty simple. I suppose it was because it was daytime and there was little fight in them. I knew VUN had rooms for these creatures, but were there enough? I got the feeling the VUN was not ready for this many vampires at once.

“I thought this was why VUN was formed,” I said. “To help those of us who became vampires. I only remember four interrogation rooms. Where are these people being housed?”

Colin nodded. “This is a new thing for VUN.” He grinned as he used the name I’d given for Holm’s Laboratories. “George is very smart, but not about some practical things. He, like many, isn’t too trusting. He still thinks we should hide.”

I gave a shrugging nod. “I can understand why.”

“I’ve wanted to go and get some of these I knew of for years,” Colin explained. “I recognized about three that were in that nest. We didn’t exactly talk when I lived among them. They knew what I was and I knew what they were. We just left each other alone.” He and I went back to the surface of the street. Not being from New York, I really didn’t know where we were, but this area was highly trafficked again. Alex had gone back with the others. I looked, it was mid-afternoon. We still had a few hours. Hailing a cab was done pretty quickly and Colin gave an address. We arrived in another part of Manhattan. Again we went down a subway access. This time, Colin and I went down a walk that was for people to maintain the subway track and tunnel. I looked as no one seemed to notice or care we were going where we may not have gone.

The subway had been around 1905. It was always updated for many decades afterward as more track and tunnels were added. Old tracks weren’t necessarily torn down, but new tunnels sometimes overlapped and the old track was left untouched, but access was cut off. This time, Colin didn’t get access from a crack or hole. He stopped at a metal door, tried it finding it locked. He smiled and reached up. There was a little part of the brick above the door he knew about without even looking. He shook the brick, making the brick loosen and pulled it out. In this little hole, he reached for and got a key. He unlocked the door and put the key and brick back.

“Even down here there’s a system?” I asked in disbelief.

“It’s been this way for decades.” He nodded. “There are other accesses, but this is the quickest, safest and cleanest.”

He opened the door and led me in what was access to an abandoned portion. Another door, which was not locked, he opened. Here was an abandoned track. You could see where the old tunnel had tracks that led from the new tunnel. The old track seeming to come out of the new construction, but no access. I was startled again as I could see. There was no light I could see, but I could make things out pretty well.

“I lived here for a few decades,” Colin explained. “Now, Willie lives here.” He smiled. “Occasionally there are others, but they leave him alone.”

I discovered why I could see in what would be pitch black. There were a few candles lit in what had been a ticket office. Not a big room, but I heard someone moving in it. What I saw, I was not prepared for.

“Hello, Willie,” Colin said quietly coming in the office.

The man was pale, but he looked like a harmless man in his late fifties or early sixties. Graying hair, but he was clean! He was a bit heavier than he needed to be but dressed like I’d seen many homeless, dressed in layers of clothing. He turned to Colin. “Hi, Colin.” He said like he’d seen him just a few minutes ago. He went back to what he was doing sorting through some things he had from a shopping cart. Then he turned and saw me. “Who are you?”

Colin smiled. “This is Devon, Willie. My husband.” Colin said putting a hand on me.

Willie nodded. “Okay.” He let it slide and wasn’t bothered a bit hearing that we were married. “He knows not to touch my stuff?” One eye narrowed to be sure.

Colin nodded. “He knows.” Colin chuckled. He looked about the room that Willie had gotten from Colin. “There was electricity here once.”

Willie nodded but went back to sorting. “It stopped...yesterday or the day before. I’ve been meaning to check it out.”

“Colin,” I said quietly. “It’s daylight out. Shouldn’t he be asleep?”

Colin shook his head. “Willie’s been down here a long time. He never goes outside. Day and night are concepts he no longer gets. Time really has no meaning for him now.”

Willie turned now, a puzzled look on his face. “You have been gone, haven’t you?” He asked Colin.

Colin nodded. “I have. I said; it’s been a few years.”

“Huh,” Willie said not surprised. “It seems like yesterday to me.”

I looked at some of the things that he treasured. There were dolls that had been abandoned, coats, hats. A box that had been unwrapped that was a gift to someone, some nice crystal goblets could be seen. There were all clean and dust free. He had kept them clean. A lot of varied items he kept here.

“These are things that passengers sometimes forget.” Colin pointed at the collection of things. “This part of the old subway is occasionally used, but not here. The other thinking vampires know not to come here."

“Why?” I asked.

“They all know Willie is under my protection. The office is locked and mostly this area is used to get out of daylight and sleep.” Colin explained. He looked at Willie. “I go out in the daytime, Willie.”

Willie nodded. “You told me before.” But still sorted his things.

“I’m asking again, do you want to?”

Willie turned and was surprised by the question. “Why? I don’t need anything out there.” He smiled. “All I need is down here. Plenty of rats. I’m safe and doing just fine. I’m never hungry like before. I’m good!” He smiled.

Colin shook his head. “But no one else is down here. You’re alone.”

Willie waved that away. “Nonsense. You’re here.” Then he looked puzzled. “George used to come with you.”

“That’s been about a while ago.” Colin pointed out.

Willie looked surprised again. “Really? I thought I saw him just yesterday…or the day before.” He shrugged. “It could be longer. I don’t know.”

Colin nodded. “Well, I’ll get the power back on.”

Willie nodded. “No rush. I got candles.” He said waving to a box of candles he had. “I need to finish sorting these.” He said.

“I worry about you, Willie,” Colin said smiling.

“Don’t waste your time on that.” Willie shrugged. “I’m fine.”

Colin nodded and patted him on the back. “Okay, I’ll try to come again later.” Willie just nodded, but still going through his collection. Colin stopped at a power box, opened the access panel and looked at some wires and fuses. He shook his head and reattached a wire. The lights came on again in this part of the abandoned subway tunnel.

Willie looked up. “See? The power’s back.”

Colin nodded. “It is. A loose wire. I’ll see you later.”

Willie just nodded and was sorting again.

As Colin and I left, I was trying to figure Willie out. “Okay, what’s his story?”

Colin frowned. “He doesn’t talk about it much. He is a veteran. He fought in the world war.”

“World War? The first World War!?” I asked.

Colin nodded. “That’s right. I don’t know what happened, but he came back and couldn’t deal with the outside world. I don’t know if it is due to a trauma to his head or whatever, but his concept of time and events are pretty scattered.”

“But he trusts you,” I said smiling.

“That was over time, I earned that,” Colin said. “He’s a vampire, but he’s happy here. He’s safe and like he said; lots of rats down here. He doesn’t feed on anything else.”

I grimaced. “Rats?” I shuddered.

“It’s an acquired taste.” Colin chuckled, giving a shrug and nod. “I’ve fed on a few myself. Those really big wharf rats and they can be filling, two or three and you don’t need anything else. They breed in plenty and most people don’t like them anyway so they’re not missed. His mind misses somethings, like that connection for the wiring was a simple fix. He just isn’t bothered by things like that. People at VUN drop off the candles at the door we came in. That and matches. And soap! He has water and baths, but it’s all one day to him.”

I looked back as we were about to go back to the subway. “I wish he’d let you help him.”

Colin nodded. “I do, too, but as he sees it; he doesn’t need help.” He shrugged. “I’m content to leave him alone. He’s happy. He’s not a predator.”

I nodded and followed as Colin locked the door behind him.

It was sunset when we got back to VUN. Going to the holding area, we found the vampires were awake and hungry.

The people at VUN had begun sorting them out. There were those that were all vampire like the man that attacked Amanda. They were in one room. There were four others that were talking and George and Ursula who were talking with them getting a history from each. They were drinking blood from bags of blood brought in. Six were with the man that attacked Amanda. Four were talking with George. He came out of the room and smiled at us when he saw us.

“Been busy?” George asked a little testy in a way that said he’d been busy and asking what we’d been doing.

“I took Devon to see Willie,” Colin answered, ignoring the comment.

George’s face softened when he heard that. “How is he? He’s getting the supplies?”

Colin nodded. “He is.” He looked at George. “He’s been without power how long?”

George shrugged. “I can’t say. He won’t let us in there. And he only speaks to us through the door he won’t open. He said he needed candles and we gave it to him, once a month as we promised. That’s been a year or so.” He looked at Colin. “He only trusts you.”

Colin nodded. “I need to look in on him more. In a lot of ways, he’s more my father than anyone. I love the man. I need to pay more attention to him in the future.”

I decided to steer the conversation away. “How’s Amanda?”

George frowned. “Having a hard time with it. She wants to contact her boyfriend and parents, but they’ll want to see her. Even if we use the quarantined excuse, they may want a second opinion. She’s seen these.” He pointed through the glass at the vampires that were like the man who attacked her and was wild. “She knows she’s infected, but of course, she wants to let her family and friends know she’s alright…sort of.” He shook his head. “This is a new situation we’re dealing with. I don’t know how we can keep it a secret much longer.”

“If it isn’t a secret?” I asked.

“There will be major problems,” Colin said nodded.