by T S Paul
Table of Contents
Early Roman Empire
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Author notes
Acknowledgments
Author - T.S. Paul
Legal Stuff
Copyright © 2017 T S Paul, All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the editor of the anthology and the individual author.
The stories included in this anthology are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Dedications
Special thanks to my wife Heather who keeps me grounded and to Merlin the Cat. We are his minions.
Early Roman Empire
The early Roman Empire covered an immense area at the time in history of this story.
Chapter 1
“If you were a Vampire on the run from the FBI, where would you hide?”
“What sort of resources do I have?” Mongo’s voice came through the phone.
“Unknown. Assume unlimited,” Agatha stated.
“May I ask who this poor creature is that is on the run? Most of the Vamps I’ve encountered have been, for the most part, law-abiding. They don’t want another purge, you know.”
Agatha shook her head at the phone. “Be serious, Mongo. You know as well as I do that was a complete accident on the part of the Allied magicians.”
“You may say that, but we weren’t there. We both know that history is written by the victors. It might have been a whole lot different if America had entered the war,“ Mongo replied.
“Not this argument again. Mongo, I’m serious here. History just happens. Ask my grandmother. She’s pushing two hundred and can tell you stories that will curl your hair. And it’s all true! Now please answer the question.”
“I will when you tell me who this is. Come on, Agatha. I’m trustworthy. Who would I tell here in Madison?” Mongo looked away from the phone at the empty restaurant. It was Monday, and nobody seemed to want any barbeque today.
“Anastasia.”
“Is she helping you? That’s who you should ask about this. It would take a Vamp to understand a Vamp. So who are you chasing?”
Agatha sighed, “No, Mongo. It’s Ana we’re hunting.”
“You’re kidding.”
Agatha was completely silent on the phone.
“You’re not kidding. OK. You do know she’s been with the FBI since the 1940s and knows every technique they use. Hell, she probably wrote the manual! What did she do?” Mongo asked.
Agatha sighed, “It’s complicated. It concerns the World Species Council.”
“Whoa! Agatha are you crazy? This is an open line!”
“Mongo, it’s fine. I’m a Witch, remember? Plus, my grandmother is the leader of that group. I doubt they will come after me.”
“If you say so. My parents told me to never, ever, mention THEM to anyone. Especially a mundane. They are the major leagues in our world,” Mongo remarked.
“Trust me. It’s safe.”
“So what did she do to THEM?” Mongo asked.
“The Vampire representative demanded that she present herself to them. They have questions as to her lineage and history. According to them, she doesn’t exist.” Agatha sighed again.
“So she ran.”
Agatha nodded even though Mongo couldn’t see her. “Yes, she ran. I know a tiny bit of her history. She told me once upon a time that she didn’t want to be found. But now the Council has involved my bosses at the FBI and even higher than that. My team was supposed to be investigating a Wendigo sighting in the Pacific Northwest, but now we’ve been told to drop everything and find her.”
“Dude, I feel for you. Like I said before, she wrote some of the FBI manuals. You’re screwed!” Mongo laughed.
“Just tell me where she would go. Please?” Agatha loved him, but Mongo was starting to get on her nerves. She was getting pressure from her bosses and hated this assignment. Ana was more than a team member, the Vampire was her friend.
“That’s an easy one. She will go to the one place no one would expect a Vampire to be. Once you figure that part out, the rest should be easy. Do you know if she has a human familiar?” Mongo asked.
Agatha stopped to think. Anastasia spent a lot of time on the phone talking to someone. She was sure that much of it was work related but who knew what she was doing in her quarters.
“Agatha, are you still there?”
“Sorry, Mongo. I was thinking. I’ve never heard her speak about a familiar or an assistant. How would we find out if she has one?” Agatha asked.
“Her boss at the FBI might know. Or her official record might have it.”
“Nope. I’ve got a copy of her record, and it’s nearly empty. She’s the head of her branch of the FBI. She apparently took the spot on my team because she loved it. Besides, she hinted to me that she has possession of some of J. Edgar Hoover's lost files. She really does know where all the bodies are buried.” Agatha sighed and sounded lost to Mongo.
“You’ve got a real job ahead of you then. Sorry I can’t be of more help, Agatha.”
“It’s all good, Mongo. You’ve given me some things to think about. Good luck with your detective agency. Call Chuck or me if you have any more ideas. I’ve got to get moving.”
“Sure. If the chase brings you to Alabama, drop on by. I’m sure my Dad will hook you up on the barbecue front. Take care.” Mongo hung up the phone.
Agatha set her cell phone down and stared out the window of the team bus. Ana’s note telling her to not search for her lay on the table next to her service revolver and tablet.
“He didn’t really have any idea did he.”
Agatha looked up at both Cat and Chuck across the table. “You heard, right?”
Her friends both nodded. “Of course. He knew it too. I can almost guarantee he could hear us breathing. Did anything he said help?”
“Some. That bit about looking in the last place anyone would expect gelled with me. Ana’s going to avoid the enclaves and the big cities. If she were a regular Vampire, that’s where we would look first. Same goes for small towns. She would stick out like a sore thumb there. I had a conversation with her about this sort of thing a few weeks ago, actually,” Agatha replied.
Cat started. “You did? What brought that up?”
Agatha tapped her fingers against her lips. “We were talking about her daylight allergy and why she hides it. She said that Vampires in general always have a backup plan. Did you know there was an escape hatch in her quarters?”
Chuck jumped in. “I did. I was doing maintenance down below and found the hatch. At the time, I thought it was a new dump port. She told me to ignore it. It’s only this wide.” He held up his hands a foot apart.
Cat nodded. “Dad once told me that Vampires weren’t shifters, but they were more bendy than a yoga instructor on speed.”
“That makes a certain amount of sense, you know.” Everyone turned toward the darkened corner of the bus. Agent Bill Maxwell, the team’s human member, had been sitting quietly, drinking coffee.
“How so?” Agatha asked.
“Remember the windows in the science wing at the Academy? The main building in Washington is similar,” Bill pointed out.
“About the same size as the hatch. I can remember thinking they looked like castle embrasures or bow holes. Just big enough to shoot someone from,” Chuck replied.
“Right. The lowest-bidding contractor that built both buildings adapted a prison blueprint rather than design a new one. The windows are supposed to be escape proof.” Bill laughed, imagining someone squeezing through one.
Agatha groaned and rubbed her head. “This is getting harder and harder with every moment. What about what Mongo said? Do you think that she had a familiar?”
“That is the question, isn’t it? She doesn't have a personal life. I’ve only seen her on this bus and the other one. I doubt that she even goes inside of headquarters. At least, not since J. Edgar died,” Bill pointed out.
There was a thinking pause, as everyone waited for Agatha to give them their assignments. The silence stretched out, until Cat took charge, her face showing sympathy for Agatha’s distress. “So we use that as the first search point. Find the familiar. Chuck and I will dig into her finances and try to locate any property or hidden accounts. Agatha, why don’t you call Quantico and see if Director Mills has a clue about a familiar or companion. Bill has been around for a long time so he can pressure his contacts and talk to retired agents or whatever. As a team, we’ll brainstorm those impossible places. Sound good? Agatha?”
The witch shook herself and looked up. “Sorry. Yes. We’ll try that. Work as fast as you can. The pressure from upstairs is incredible. We have to have some results by week’s end or risk losing the division. It’s that serious,” Agatha explained.
The others all got up pulling out phones and laptops. Agatha continued to stare at the table top and the note from Ana. “Why didn’t you come to me first, Ana? We could have worked out a solution. Now I have to chase you down.”
Chapter 2
“Mistress, we’ve arrived.”
I was already awake way before Ivan opened his mouth. My senses alerted me to the presence of a human nearby. It didn’t matter if it was my familiar or not. To my inner monster, everyone was either food or potential food. The difference between the two? Minimal. Even other Vampires were included in that one. “Any problems getting here?”
“No. The nighttime traffic was almost non-existent like that phone app said it would be. I haven’t entered yet, but your beach house looks undamaged.”
Snorting I replied, “It better not have any damage. For what I’m paying the maintenance company the fittings should be made of solid gold! The cost of things today. I could have bought an entire island for what this place cost once upon a time. Double check the lower doors and windows when you enter. We don’t want any accidents to happen to the natives around here.”
“OK.”
The van that Ivan purchased was older than I like, but he at least followed my instructions and bought it from a non-local seller using cash. He ‘forgot’ to change the plates or title and per my instructions would sell it the same way tomorrow. That was one of the nice things about America, everyone takes cash.
“Is the power and water on?” I asked.
“Yes Mistress, according to the email I was sent. Everything has been taken care of and paid for. Do you need help to get out?” Ivan appeared at the door.
Pushing him out of the way, I hopped out of the van into the night. “That would be, no.”
The beach house was one of the several ideas I had for bug-out houses. I actually have four properties in my name, but I think the FBI knows about all of them. My one in California near Conception is still occupied by the Army. Stupid Demons and their war. They just had to ruin it for me. I loved J Edgar to death, but I always resented him drafting me for the FBI. Hide or die was just not an option for me.
“Mistress, this is a nice place.” Ivan set the first group of bags down in the entryway.
I glanced at the furnishings, noticing the stairs off to one side. “I bought it in the 1950s. This area was just starting to boom. The military has a big base over that way.” I waved behind me. “Don’t be surprised if a jet flies over at the crack of dawn.”
As if to punctuate this, there was the drone of a helicopter in the distance.
“A management company keeps this up for me. They rent it out to only select customers. The neighbors around here are used to different people living here so don’t worry about them. Just smile and nod at them. It will be fine. Just play nice with these people.” I grabbed my small valise and began climbing the stairs.
What I didn’t tell Ivan was this was the first time I’ve EVER been here. I stupidly told Agatha last month that Vampires make plans. Lots of them. Why I spoke to her of my ‘back-up’ plans is lost to me. But since I knew the FBI so well, I had planned around it. A couple of my other properties are handled similarly.
My house was actually round! It was a fad in the 1950s which might explain the price I paid for it. I could look out the giant windows right out to sea. (Its giant windows gave me a gulf view.[?]) It was dark, but my vampire senses allowed me to see as if it were daylight. A fifty-foot catamaran was out there with at least four young humans on it. I could almost hear the blood coursing through their veins from here. That thought reminded me of something.
“Ivan, have you finished unloading?” I called.
His voice echoed up the stairs. “Yes, Mistress.”
I smiled and sat down on a comfortable looking divan. “Can you lock up and come upstairs? I need your assistance for something.”
<<<>>>
Nothing beats a nighttime snack. That is my one regret working with the first FBI Witch. Snacking on my co-workers has always been one of the benefits of the job. Even J Edgar would allow me a few drops. Not that he really had a choice in the matter. I made it a point to set triggers with anyone I came into contact with. Only Witches and certain Magickal humans were exempt from that. Witches. I’ve really only had contact with a half dozen of those creatures. Most of them avoid us vampires whenever they can.
I really did have to laugh. I make friends with two Witches in my life, and both are Blackmore Witches. Not that I would tell Agatha that, like ever. Verity Blackmore knew me as a completely different name and person at that time. I just can’t be sure that she didn’t write about me somewhere. Witches always keep track of data points. Best to not poke that bear with a stick and pop up on her grandmother’s radar.
Ivan was sleeping off my encounter with him, so I opened up the balcony doors. The sea breezes blowing in from the gulf remind me so much of my home in Sirmium. It’s been almost two thousand years, but I can still remember playing in the water with other children. My father was the architect to Emperor Trajan.
<<< >>>
My earliest memory is of my nurse. In Roman society, very young children were raised by slaves. Cassia, my mother, passed me off to the wet nurse who raised me in the slave quarters. History is very fickle. I agree entirely with the modern opinion that slavery was evil, but to the Romans at that time, it was a necessary evil.
There was entirely too much work to keep the Empire running without them. Hence the slave revolts several centuries before my birth. Father took the path of the progressives. He would free his slaves and offer them employment after a certain amount of time. Freedwomen with four children were considered legally independent under the Empire’s laws, so they usually got married or had children quickly.
My nurse was a Thracian. Her real name is lost to time as she never gave it to me. The others called her Zina as did my father. The researcher in my (coven) discovered that the people from what Rome called Thrace were in truth Baltic Celts. That makes a certain amount of sense to me now. She had both strange customs and Gods. But she did know how to raise children. Three of her own would run wild with me on the estate. I didn’t and couldn’t understand why I was in the slave quarters as a young
child, but I thought of Zina as my mother and when it came time to move back into the main house it was as if I was being kidnapped.
I remember very clearly the day. Waking up, I found Zina sitting next to my palette with tears in her eyes. She was stroking my hair and muttering a prayer in her guttural native language. I never learned what she was saying other than the word Sabazios. He was an all-powerful God very similar to Zeus or Dionysus. He was represented by a crude looking galloping horse with a lightning bolt on it.
“Mother, what’s wrong? Don’t cry!” I reached out and embraced the woman who I had always treated as my mother.
“It is time, child. Time to go. Forget me and live. Enjoy your life and honor the Gods.” Zina kissed my head and raising her head skyward mumbled yet another one of her phrases.
Suddenly, two large burly men in leather armor grabbed my arms and dragged me from the loving embrace of my ‘mother.’ “Noooo! Zina save me!”
Zina wrapped her arms around her own body and shook her head. She couldn’t interfere. It was death to refuse the will of a master.
The house guards were former legionnaires turned mercenary that my father paid. They owed their allegiance to gold and power and father had a great deal of both. When I was five years old, they came for me and dragged me out of Zina’s arms and into the main house.
I had been there of course. All the children had. We would play legion versus barbarian and chase each other through all the buildings save the inside of the main house. All were open to us except that area and the front receiving area. All it took was one whipping, and we knew to stay far away from that. Appearances needed to be kept after all.
My cries of “Mother!” fell on deaf ears. The guards knew better than to disobey my father. Father did, after all, have the ear of the Emperor.
“Sir, here is the child you requested.” I was pushed forward and not paying attention to my own feet stumbled forward collapsing in a heap in front of a tall, thin man with tight curly hair.
“She doesn’t look like much. Are you sure you grabbed the right one?”