Love Lost (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 3)

by Michael Anderle

  She knew she wouldn’t be pulling ropes to help John Grimes and his team out of the darkest pit because her ass would already be in it fucking shit up. John Rodriquez watched as Jean Dukes became committed. This was the woman he left the Navy over and by god this was the woman he would fight and sail with as well. He looked over at Captain Thomas and shook his head yes. That caused everyone to take a vote right then and it was unanimous.

  Bethany Anne had the start of a Navy. She looked around the table. Every one was looking towards her for instructions. She purposefully turned her attention to Captain Thomas causing everyone to look at him as well. “Captain, you and your crew are hereby accepted into my Cadre. You personally will report to Dan Bosse for the time being. Run facts, projects and budget through him. Dan, this group’s starting budget is Fifty Million to get moving.”

  She looked around the table, her casual mention of $50 million dollars had a couple stupefied. “Hey!” she slapped the table a couple of times, “You people are on the clock! We have some FCC’s to fuck up. Stop staring around as if your a newb in the big city people!”

  Jean couldn’t help herself, “FCC’s?”

  Bethany Anne stood up and raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Forsaken Cocks and Cunts. Now get busy.” She disappeared, again.

  Captain Thomas just smiled, Hell Yes! “You heard the boss, let’s get busy! Rodriquez, Engines. Dukes and Jenkins get together on guns and defense. Wagner, let’s get our heads together with Bosse and Kurns on people. Jameson, see if you can get with whoever works with the Helicopter pilot and figure out what we can fly. I’m guessing you might not be on the boat, but you wouldn’t have been invited if there wasn’t something for you to do.”

  Paul just shook his head in agreement. John caught his attention and gave him a signal to get with him. They broke up and started working.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Constanta, Romania

  Ivan had gone to bed. He didn't want to interrupt Stephen and Gabrielle. Well, that wasn't true. He did want to interrupt but it was obvious they had stuff to talk about. He had a crush, he was certain. She had dimples to die for, she was so cute.

  Huh, he thought, she was a vampire so he supposed dying was a possibility. He spent another hour thinking about her before sleep finally took him.

  He woke up at 9:00 AM, about the same time that Stephen usually did. He got up and dressed. This time in jeans and a button down long sleeve shirt. That he could slip on dress shoes and go out on the town was inconsequential. Yeah, right! He was dressing to impress. How he could impress a vampire who was probably hundreds of years old, he had no idea.

  He had been texting with Ecaterina and she told him that she was happily involved with Nathan. If his sister could have a werewolf boyfriend, why couldn't he date a vampire? Stephen was cool, fun and living with excitement ever since Bethany Anne had met with him. What would Gabrielle be like?

  Ivan had to admit that so far, his experiences with vampires was completely tainted with his experience of Bethany Anne. Stephen had told him a couple of stories that could curl your short ones for what Vampires have done 'back in the day'.

  He left his room and went to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled the eggs out. The shelf below had Stephen's blood. Having the blood right there was a little weird at first, now Ivan didn't even think about it.

  Alone, he made an omelette with tomatoes and cucumbers. He added some feta cheese to the side and brewed a pot of coffee with it. He was surprised that Stephen was a coffee snob of the highest order. Every morning, he would grind coffee beans to make a brew. Ivan enjoyed it, but normally Stephen was up first and had the coffee already made. Just as he finished laying everything out, Stephen came walking in.

  He actually looked a little tired. He went to the cupboard and grabbed a mug, then walked to Ivan and put it out. Ivan raised his eyebrows but poured him a cup. Stephen would be able to smell that this wasn't fresh ground.

  All he did was take his mug with him and sit at the table. "Good morning, Ivan. I'm sorry, but I need coffee in me before I make coffee." With that declaration, he started to sip the hot beverage. "Even this vile stuff. Maybe I'll only need half a cup."

  Ivan smiled as he put back the carafe. Sitting down across from Stephen, he started on his own food and coffee. "Long night?"

  "Yes, it was good to really catch up with Gabrielle again. She has been awake for a long time and went through most of this computer and internet revolution."

  "So, she doesn't need any training?" Ivan was a little disappointed.

  Stephen hid his smile behind his mug. "Oh, not so sure she couldn't get a few pointers here and there, however; what she will need is more information on the black web."

  Black web? "Oh, you mean the dark web?"

  Stephen wave a hand lazily in Ivan's direction. "Black, dark, morose, whatever web it is that the bad guys use. That one."

  "Is she going to do some work with you?"

  Stephen stood up and walked over to get his coffee beans. This morning, he was finishing a small package of Mocha Java from Yemen. He went through the process of making a proper coffee while he talked with Stephen. "Yes, she is going to work with me and Bethany Anne. You know that Michael hadn't been back in Europe since before the American Revolution?"

  "No, not exactly. I'm not up on all of the politics and history of either the Americans or the Vampires. No offense."

  Stephen smiled, "None taken my friend. Well, Michael is, or was, the first Vampire. It is from him that my brothers and I were made. He was up in England, I think, following two Forsaken who took a boat to hide from his wraith. So, he followed them to the colonies. By the time he finally found and killed them, he had fallen in love with the people and wrote my brother and I a letter to tell us to take care of Europe as the strictures required. He had decided he was staying in the new country."

  Stephen cleaned the grinder as the coffee percolated. He continued his story. "So, David and I took over responsibility for Europe. David was mostly in Germany at that time. I'm not sure if he is still there or where he is, exactly. We charged our children as well regarding the Forsaken. However; there have been a couple of times when I have slept a little too long. Gabrielle has been the one to help me the most when it comes to tracking down the Forsaken. Unfortunately, she has a softer heart for both her family and humans. She claims she follows the 'spirit' of the strictures, not exactly the rules. She was worried last night that Bethany Anne had come here to kill me for Petre's actions."

  "Really? Would Bethany Anne have killed you for Petre' because of some, what, rule book?"

  Stephen took his first sip and his whole face relaxed. He sat down at the table across from Ivan again. "Well, if she were following the strictures, that is a possibility. However; my queen is a noble woman and even if she is doing something wrong, it is for the right reasons. She did come here to find out why I had allowed Petre' to be such an ass. I guess it was obvious even to her that when I answered the door, I was in no shape to be following the activities of my children. That Gabrielle still mostly follows the old ways is a testament to her strength, not my parenting." He took another sip. Coffee was to be enjoyed, not swallowed like it was medicine to take on your way out the door.

  Ivan got up and started cleaning his dishes. "So, she was surprised by your age, I take it?"

  "Yes, very much so! It is one of the reasons, I think, she has decided to work with me to get Europe back on track for Bethany Anne. I'm afraid that Carl, and therefore Michael, might have been a little unaware that Europe wasn't as protected as maybe they thought it was. I can tell you that I was never such a harsh dealer of death or so angry if someone besmirched my Honor. Considering my indelicate activities with the fairer sex at times, I hardly judged others who had occasional indiscretions."

  "What would you judge them for?"

  "Oh, if anyone make a remark about Michael in front of me, that would not be allowed. Even I understand that to allow disrespect of the Patr
iarch is a recipe for revolt and rebellion. However; if they were disrespectful in my presence in etiquette, that might be only slightly punished. In the old days, Michael could take even breaches of etiquette as an affront to his Honor."

  Ivan pointed to the carafe with a little remaining Mocha Java and Stephen held out his mug, "Thank you." Ivan just nodded.

  "What do you think are the other reasons?"

  "I'm sorry, what other reasons?" Stephen knew exactly what Ivan was asking. He might be centuries old, but his mind was now razor sharp again.

  "You mentioned that Gabrielle had multiple reasons to work with you on Europe for Bethany Anne?"

  "Ah, yes. Well, part of that is she is a wonderful daughter who truly cares for her papa. That she still does after all of these years is a testament to me finally choosing a wonderful person to change. It is a good thing I got her right, at least. She was a handful to deal with after the change, let me tell you that."

  "Do you have any other daughters?" Ivan looked curious, not like he was seeing if there were options.

  "No!" Stephen had a wide grin. "Oh, no. Gabrielle is a fantastic child, but she was such a handful when she was first turned that it totally put me off changing women ever again. I had to listen to her for twenty five years tell me I should do this, I should do that. Don't date that woman, don't cheat with her. Why was I doing this and why can't I do that. It was emotionally draining.

  When I finally realized that she had sucked the joy of female companionship completely out of my life for more than two years, I threw her out of my house!" Stephens eyes were shining in the morning light.

  Ivan smiled, "Ok, most of that I believe. You throwing her out of the house? I find that hard to believe."

  Stephen deflated on himself with a smile. He wasn't going to trick Ivan with this half-believed lie. Stephen leaned forward, "Can you keep a secret, Ivan?"

  What secrets wasn't he keeping at the moment? There were vampires and werewolf's and even his uncle could change into a bear. "Yes, why?"

  Stephen talked in a conspiratorial whisper, "I paid a Frenchmen to seduce Gabrielle and they went to Paris on honeymoon. It was the best gold I had spent that century. It took me almost a year to stop looking over my shoulder on every date to see if Gabrielle was watching!" Stephen leaned back against the chair, resting as if a large weight had finally lifted from his shoulders.

  Ivan had to laugh at that part of the story. This he could believe. The Stephen he knew would certainly do that much.

  Stephen continued, "When I saw her again it was twenty years later. She had stayed with the Frenchman until he passed away and Paris had helped my little dragonfly to open wings she didn't know she had. She was still tough, but she was never as much the curmudgeon she had been before. For that alone, I will always have a soft heart for French people and Paris." He waved his cup of coffee towards Ivan as if it was a salute, and finished the drink and put it down on the table.

  "Stephen, other reasons?"

  "Yes. She heard what Petre' was doing and realized that she had been lax in actively tracking down rumors of things amiss in the UnknownWorld. She said she ran across two other children in the past decade and all admitted their reports they shared with Carl were maybe a little fabricated and light on details. They had each had only two run-ins with Nosferatu within the past twenty years, so it felt very much that there were no problems in Europe. Now, based on what is going on in America, she wonders if that is because they were focused on the United States, or if it is was on purpose to get us here in Europe to become complacent."

  "That's not concerning or anything."

  "True. It is why she is going to move here with us. She will take my old room down stairs. We can make it up a little nicer, but it is protected from the sun."

  "She truly cannot be touched by the sun?" Ivan's concern shaded his voice.

  "All of my children have some defense against the sun. For Petre' it was very painful and in minutes could kill him. For Gabrielle, it would take more, but it does hurt her pretty quickly. However; it would take a while before her skin would do more than show a very nasty sunburn. After having to endure the pain a couple of times, she takes precautions to not accidentally be hit by direct sunlight."

  "Can Bethany Anne do anything to help her? Maybe, I don't know, make it so she can be in the sun?"

  Stephen considered his question. "You know, I don't have an answer to that. It would be beyond helpful to the group if she could do something like this. I will have to text and ask Bethany Anne to call and talk." Stephen seemed to go inside himself, thinking.

  Plus, Ivan mused, he could get to see more of Gabrielle during the day.

  Shortly after that, they broke up and agreed to start their training in an hour. Stephen went to text Bethany Anne and he wanted to review Facebook as well.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Nassau, Bahamas

  Bethany Anne was looking through offensive and defensive ideas the group had put together for her ship. Captain Thomas and Lt. Commander Wagner had just taken Shelly with Pete and Scott to go see the SEA AXE. It was just fifteen minutes away, but her yacht was already getting a lot of attention and frankly it made her uneasy.

  He phone dinged with a text. It was Stephen asking her to call when she had a moment. Considering this was Stephen’s first time reaching out to her, she certainly wanted to encourage his use of technology. She texted him back that she would call in five minutes. She could have called right then, but she didn’t want him to think he would get an immediate response every time.

  She called Dan. He answered on the first ring.

  “Yes BA?”

  She rolled her eyes, “Has John got to you as well? I thought we were done with that ‘BA’ crap.”

  She heard Dan’s laughing on the other side of the line. “Well, actually we all caught a portion of the ‘A’ team this morning and one of the new guys mentioned the similarity and John encouraged it. Since BA was bad ass, it kind of got attached with you.”

  “‘B.A.’ wasn’t short for ‘bad ass’, it was ‘bad attitude’. Can’t those clowns get their bad 80’s television information correct?”

  “Well, it isn’t like that couldn’t fit either.” Dan stayed quiet after dropping that comment.

  “Your lucky your not here with me right now.”

  “See? You make my point” Dan’s voice was almost gleeful. A far cry from the stoic agent she first met.

  “They should watch what they ask for. They want ‘bad attitude’? I can release that, you know.”

  It was Dan’s turn to pause. “You know, I think I’ll let them know that to ‘name it is to claim it.’”

  “Sounds like something said in the hood, Dan.”

  “Actually, it was a common phrase a religious Aunt and Uncle would often say after seeing the latest Cadillac.”

  Religious aunt and uncle? “Dan, how did we get off the subject so horribly?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know that you stated a subject before we were talking.”

  “Good point. Here is the subject - what happens if I spend about four or five days back in Romania? Stephen wants to talk and if he needs me over there, can you guys get us moving towards Central America?”

  “You going to take the jet over?”

  “Yeah, probably. I’ll need at least Paul and my team. However; I don’t want to wait too long. I’ve talked with Nathan. He and Frank have found seven homes for Clarita. When they zero’d on the GPS location from when Adrian died, it gave them the address of a small fortress. From there they have backtracked IP addresses and traffic. Finally they found the money trail as well.”

  “You know that others can track you that way as well, right?”

  “Like they can’t track a 350 foot long yacht? Really? Idiots deserve to die if they can’t do that much. I’m trusting you guys to figure out how to protect these behemoths. Unfortunately, I’ll probably do a better job of surviving if we really get attacked hard by missiles. I need you guys to be
thinking about protecting your soft asses.”

  Dan laughed. This was the woman he met in the swamp. “Duly noted. Considering one of those soft asses is mine, I’ll push for good ideas. Where are you thinking of meeting back up?”

  “Probably land at Montego Bay in Jamaica. Personal jet there shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Shelly picks me up and we set sail for the most likely location for Clarita. That should give you guys enough days to pull in some armament. Bring Nathan and Killian down to meet us in Jamaica or if you need to stick around long enough I guess fly them here. Sorry, you know this stuff, I’ll stop stepping on your foot. If Stephen doesn’t need me, that will still be the time frame.”