Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 40. Marissa

There was a new feeling in the air for me. The idea of a new purpose made things…more exciting? Colin thought having the task force in Charleston was a good idea. He was opting for the jet that Holm’s Laboratories had. We could take everyone in one trip.

It was a few more hours before George felt confident enough to let Willie come back to the apartment. He had one simple band aide to tell he'd had anything done.

George grinned as we helped Willie sit on the sofa. Willie didn’t want to go to sleep yet. “The procedure went very well,” George reported. Then he growled at Willie as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course, that little joke you played…”

“He played a joke?” I asked. “That almost doesn’t happen. He never cracked jokes before.” I asked Colin who looked as surprised as I did.

“I did.” Willie grinned, but a little ashamed. “We were in there a few hours. He had removed two and…I sort of…acted like he’d hit something he didn’t.” He chuckled. “I sort of began blinking and acted like I was…”

“I thought he was having a reaction!” George said. “His face was contorting and then he goes, just kidding.” George shook his head. “That wasn’t funny.” He said to Willie.

Willie grinned more. “Yes, it was. You should have seen your face!”

George nodded. “Uh huh. Anyway, he should be watched.” George said. “Because it wasn’t that invasive, he should recover quickly. We need to make sure he’s recovering fully, but he’s doing well.”

I was surprised. “Not that invasive? You stuck that thing in his head! That is invasive.”

George’s reaction was to smile, but he defended touching Willie's band aide. “It was just a little thing. I barely touched anything! In, grab and out.”

Colin shook his head but was smiling. “Willie. You didn’t.”

“I did.” Willie shook his head. “I’m sorry, but he was so serious.”

“You were having someone poking around in your brain!” I pointed out. “Of course he was serious! What he was doing was serious.”

Willie nodded. “I know I shouldn’t have. I apologized then a few times and I’ll do it again. I’m sorry, George.”

George’s frown turned up at the corners in a grudging smile. “Well, I suppose it was kind of funny.”

Colin’s face changed. “I’m not sure who you are. That’s so…unlike you, Willie.”

Willie nodded. “I just…felt I should.” He shrugged.

George shook his head. “My point is…he’ll be up and around, but we just need to watch him.”

We got the others on the task force together in Colin’s and my apartment and talked about what we wanted to have done.

“We’re in,” Chuck said.

Stan nodded. “If for no other reason to see this house I heard about. We’re in, too.”

Colin grinned. “We will leave as soon as Willie’s stabilized.” He looked over at Willie. “Just to be sure.”

Willie smiled. “I feel great. My thoughts are clearer now.”

George smiled. “He should be fine in another couple of days.”

“We promised to not leave you, Willie,” Colin said. “But we really need to go back to Charleston.”

Willie looked thoughtful. “And I appreciate that you keep your word.” He looked at George. “A couple of days? Could we go after that?”

I looked at Willie cautiously. “But you never left the abandoned subway,” I said. “You would come with us?”

Willie smiled. “Well, I have to earn my keep. The idea of travel now isn’t so bad now.” He looked at Colin. “I’d like to see Wentworth Plantation.”

Colin smiled also. “If George thinks it’s safe.” He nodded. “I’d love for you to see your second home.”

I watched Mom touch Willie’s arm. “It’s beautiful there, William.” She looked at me. “I got a text from David…or Stephen…” she shook her head. “…him. He asked me out.”

“What did you say to him?” I asked.

“Just that I was out of town and wasn’t sure when I’d be back.”

Colin held his hand up. “I would never ask you to put yourself in danger. I don’t think he knows we know the truth, but tell him you will be back…” he looked at George. “…in a week?”

George nodded. “Sure.”

“Accept his date,” Colin said. “We’ll confront him then on home turf.” He looked at Mom. “You don’t have to meet him, but we do.”

Mom nodded. “Okay. Should I meet him somewhere?”

I grinned. “No. Invite him for lunch at the house.”

Chuck smiled. “Of course, I’ll be there.”

Stan nodded. “And, so will we.” He said taking Mark’s hand.

Shelly smiled. “Do you have enough room for everyone?”

Gabriella nodded. “Alex and I have a room. Betty has one. Mark and Stan will have one.” She looked at George. “Are you coming?”

George nodded. “Burke and I will need a room.”

I chuckled. “We have enough room, guys.”

“We need to let Ruben know what’s happening,” Colin said to me.

“This is why we included them.” I nodded. “At least now we have a plan. Sort of.”

I don’t want to say it was due to my mother, but Willie just…blossomed in the next few days. I knew that often after head trauma, personalities often changed. He was more confident and laughed more. Maybe having those pieces of shrapnel removed was responsible. He claimed to be able to think better. The combination of my mother and his surgery may have been the reason. He was funny!

We were told that Willie was fine to travel, so Colin arranged for the company’s jet to take us back to Charleston. Stan worked out with Buddy to have a laptop that would connect with our main computer. We told Stan our home computer was also linked with Buddy.

We arrived at Wentworth Manor and I grinned as our new friends were all doing the gazing and Mark even whistled as he did his turn at the center hall.

“Wow,” Mark said in a much quieter tone than he normally used. He looked at Colin. “You are rich.”

Colin grinned, but he didn’t necessarily like it when people said that. “I was just lucky.”

“Hear that?” Chuck asked. “Echo!” He shouted a little and listened. “It’s so big it echoes!”

Willie was just…staring as he looked around. “Wow.” He looked at Colin. “This ain’t no abandoned ticket office.”

It was two more days when the man who claimed to be David Braun showed up for lunch. Because Mom had brought him there before, security let him through again. Mom greeted him at the door letting him in and gave no indication that she knew the truth. We all were there in different parts of downstairs and upstairs. She led him into the house, stopping at the intersection of hallways.

“You visited your sons?” The man asked.

Mom nodded. “I did.” She stopped, turning to look at him. “You’ve been busy. Were there problems with your stores?”

The man shook his head. “No, no problems.”

Mom’s eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. “And what was the name of those stores again?”

“Brauns.” The man answered, but backed a little seeing her face. “Is something wrong?”

Mom frowned. “And where are those stores again?” She shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t care really, but I don’t like deceit.” She said a little angry. “You lied to me, David.” Then she cocked her head. “Even that name is a lie. I know your real name is Stephen.”

The man looked at her and his face became…angry.

I came from the library/music room. “Mom, you might want to get some space from him. There’s no telling what he might do when he gets upset.”

Stephen spun around looking at me surprised. “I would never hurt her.”

Colin came in the hall from the dining room on the hall's opposite side of me. “Well, understand, Mr. Benedict. When you begin with a lie, it makes it hard to believe you later.”

Stephen backed a bit back toward the front door, only Chuck came in the front door blocking any exit. “Hello, Stephen Benedict.” He stopped right in front of the door with his arms folded over his chest. “Have I missed anything?” He asked Colin and me.

I shook my head. “Not yet.” I looked at Stephen. “You were going to tell us why you’re here and why you began this…” I waved at him. “…whatever with a lie. What are you really after here?”

Mark came down the stairs from upstairs using the left staircase. “I can’t wait to hear the explanation.”

“Make it good, please,” Stan added from the right staircase.

Shelly came from another direction down the center hall. “Yes, as you can see…” she said making Stephen turn again. “…we’re everywhere and even if you make it outside; this is a secure compound, you won’t get far. Give it up.”

Stephen began walking toward my mother, but she saw Willie come over and stood behind Stephen.

“I won’t do that.” Willie shook a finger in Stephen’s direction, shaking his head. “You’re in enough trouble now, don’t make it worse by doing something stupid.”

Stephen held his hands up. “It’s not what you think.”

George and Burke came in. “What are we supposed to think?” Burke asked.

“This seems to be a plan to get in here,” George said. “You have. Want to tell us why you needed to?”

Gabriella and Alex came from another direction from the media room. Gabriella nodded. “But even after you tell us, you’ll understand why we won’t believe you.”

“I was investigating!” Stephen saw he was vastly outnumbered. “I needed to know what was going on.”

“Investigating for whom?” I asked. “Who wanted us investigated?”

Stephen shook his head. “I can’t say.”

“Can’t?” Colin asked. “Or won’t? There’s a difference.”

Stephen looked panicked. “I can’t!”

Colin nodded. “Okay, you can’t. What have you found out in this investigation? Can you tell us that?”

Stephen looked a little angry at Colin. “At first I was confused. Things weren’t adding up here.” He looked at me. “You are who you say.” He looked at Colin and pointed. “You are not. I needed to find out why.” He looked at the others. “I didn’t know about most of the others of you.”

“And what did you learn?” Colin asked.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Stephen admitted. “You don’t add up.”

Colin frowned and raised his fists in frustration. “Stop with the evasive answers. What did you find out?”

“You’re older than you should be,” Stephen said. “Perhaps over a hundred.” He turned to George. “I’m not sure about you, Dr. Holm. I do know that there is a picture of you back in 1992 and you haven’t aged a day.” He turned back to Colin. “I don’t think you have either. Your business ventures began in the 1970s. The 1970s! You were more careful, there are no photos of you, but it doesn’t add up, you’ve been doing business for fifty years and you don’t look over forty. How? I came here to find out how you did this.”

“You have theories?” I asked.

Stephen nodded. “I do, but it didn’t make sense. You can’t be…” he hesitated on the word.

Colin walked closer. “I can’t be…what?”

Stephen swallowed. “There are only four I know that are like you, but you’re not like them.”

“Who??” Colin asked. "Say it!!"

“Vampire,” Stephen said softly.

I moved closer. “You said you knew others. They are vampires.”

Stephen grimaced. “It is hard to believe, but they exist. I thought you might be, so I met Betty. I got to know her and I won the right to come here.”

I nodded. “Well, this has been informative.” I got closer. “But if there are vampires…which you claim might be the reason Colin and George have been working as long as they have…and you said it didn’t make sense. Something happened to change your mind?”

“I first ruled out the vampire when you had lunch with us that day,” Stephen said. He shrugged. “I had to know what it was that was different. How are you walking in the daylight and eating food?” He looked at Betty. “One evening, there was someone else that investigated and they sensed Colin and Devon are vampires.” He turned to George. “You are, too.”

Mark came closer. “And all this is being reported to who?”

Stan walked up behind Mark. “Who was the other that investigated? To sense they’re vampires.”

I was just a few feet away from Stephen waiting for him to say something. After a while I said. “Someone has to say something. The answers and lack of answers aren’t getting anywhere.”

Colin nodded. “He’s right. So, here goes. I am a vampire.” He chuckled. “You say I’m over a hundred? Make that two hundred.”

“But how?” Stephen asked. “You’re immortal, but nothing else? You don’t drink blood…do you? You ate food!”

“Only once recently have I needed blood, in a long time,” Colin admitted.

“We’re now doing something that allows us to move in the daytime,” George said.

“What?” Stephen asked.

Colin shook his head. “No. That question we won’t answer.”

I nodded. “Not to you. We might tell…” I grinned. “…whomever you’re working for.”

Stephen looked very uncertain as he looked around at everyone.

“We aren’t monsters, Stephen,” Colin said. “Is that vampire you work for a monster?”

Stephen didn’t answer at first. “I’ll take you. Let you see for yourselves.” He turned to the others. “Only Colin and George.”

I shook my head. “That is not going to happen. Colin and I will not be separated. Surely you can understand that.”

Stephen looked at me. “Anyone else?”

“George and I won’t be separated either,” Burke said.

“Well…” Chuck came forward. “…they will need back up.”

Stephen nodded raising his hands. “Okay! That’s all.”

Colin nodded. “Fine.” He grinned. “This is how it will work. You see? I can tell who I can trust or not. So far, you’ve told the truth. When I sense someone’s not truthful makes me very irritated and very uncooperative. Got it? Right now, you mean what you say.”

Stephen nodded. “Got it.”

The settlers that founded Charleston had spread out. The city was on a peninsula that had two rivers that were used heavily. The plantations and farms spread out from there. We were taken to where there were several historic plantations. The land was desired by a lot of investors. We went down a road that was known for its scenic drive with thick, grey, moss-covered oak trees lining the way. We stopped at a dirt road we were told to go down. There was a sign that said it was a hunting club. We went down a long road, but when we got to…wherever it was…there was a house made from wood that had faded in color to a grayish brown. It could have been as old as the original Wentworth Plantation home had been, maybe older. It was, however, intact. The house was not huge, but big enough. Stephen led us in and it was nicely furnished…a few more antiques, but nice. I noticed there was no electricity. The sun was about to set as he led us to what we really didn’t have here in this part of the world, stairs that went down a brick-lined tunnel. We were close to the waterline and I could hear water droplets come down somewhere. He continued to take us lower to a room where there were torches lit. I could sense there was more here as I saw men in the room talking and they all looked up.

“Stephen?” A man said. He frowned seeing Colin, George, Burke and me following Stephen. “What are they doing here?”

“They’ve come to give us answers,” Stephen explained bowing slightly, hoping they would understand.

Another man came from a deeper part of the room. He was dressed in a casual shirt and pants. He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. Bald. I sensed…he was a vampire. “It’s true then?” He sniffed. “You are all vampires.”

Colin nodded. “So are you.”

The man nodded. “I am, but unlike you…I can’t come here during the day time. I can’t.” He sniffed again. “I sense something else. You smell…a little off.”

I nodded. “We don’t need to feed. Unlike you.” I said. “Which, right now I’d say is the most important thing to you right now.”

The man chuckled. “Yes. You are correct, but I’ve learned patience. The hunger doesn’t really drive me to do things recklessly.”

Another of the men came to him holding a large golden goblet. He handed it to the vampire and then bowed, walking away backward like the vampire was royalty.

“But I don’t have to be reckless.” The man smiled and drank. He let out a sigh as his craving was being met. “But it feels so good. It tastes so wonderful.”

Colin looked at him confused. “But…are you the one? The one here first?”

“No.” A female voice said quietly. “That would be me.” I watched as every man in the room instantly bowed! I mean all of them except us. Even the first vampire was bowing.

I looked at this new person came in the light and I did not expect what I saw. She walked from where we’d seen the first vampire come from. She looked maybe…twenty at the very most. Probably younger when she was turned. Seventeen or eighteen? Only the eyes said otherwise. She was very pretty, but I saw it. I wasn’t a sexist, but I had expected a man! Not this pretty, young girl. Yet, she wasn’t a young girl with long brown hair. It was her eyes that told the truth. The lack of moisture was evident, but they were aware and very sharp.

The first male vampire turned to her. “You should not have revealed yourself.”

“Adrian.” The girl…woman…kid…said in a voice that had fatigue. “Let’s not waste time with these petty games. Okay?” She moved closer to us. “I’m Marissa.” She said. “I am the first vampire in Charleston.”