by Jackie Ivie
That’s one reason Takeshi had Christine on the bench beside him. She was huddled in a mass of bedding that visibly shook. She wasn’t talking. She wouldn’t even look at him. Despite how he had held her. Crooned to her. Tried to explain.
“Sir?” Nigel spoke up finally.
“There is usually a reason associates call us. Find out what it is.”
“Oh. I already know his reason, Sir. He has apparently altered his mating ritual to a three-way with a thus-far unnamed female. Now he needs transportation. I thought I was being quite calm and rational here.”
“No,” Takeshi inserted.
“No? How did I get it wrong?”
“The third person is not female. It is Vaughn.”
“The pilot? Oh wow. This is a major shock. And I have some insider info for you, Takki. Lizbeth is going to want your cajones.”
“My what?”
Akron interrupted. “Nigel. It appears you’ve decided to exchange your ticket from the pity train to the anger ship. Fair enough. I suggest you consider enjoining a battle or two on your VIDWAR game. Kill every avatar you come across. Trust me. It will help. Takeshi?”
“Hai.”
“I’ll call you back.”
The line went dead. Takeshi looked at the telephone for long moments before setting it back on the base unit. This spit of land around Lopp Lagoon was uninhabited. Perfect for a hidden VAL base. There had been one built during the Cold War. Looked like no one had been here since although the lights worked, the pump still pulled water into a basin Christine had used to splash water on her face, and the phone had a dial tone. That was lucky. He’d neglected to bring a pack of VAL slim cell-phones. Vaughn had lost his pack somewhere in the plane’s cockpit. That left Takeshi with this 1960’s model design. It was black. Covered in dust. Connected to the base unit, with a coiled, extendable cord. There was no way Akron could know his number. And yet the phone jangled just then with an incoming call.
Akron was speaking when he lifted the receiver.
“...use metaphors as a teaching technique, Nigel.”
“Well, I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Oh. I’m certain you are not the only associate with that opinion.”
“Well, we’re right. And I am not angry! There is no such thing as an anger ship. What’s next? A guilt highway?”
“Interesting. I might use that one in future. I trust you won’t mind. Takeshi? You back on the line?”
“Hai,” Takeshi answered.
“I’m going to get up to speed by filling in blanks. It’s quicker. You left the Eastern Hemisphere. You took your latest hydrogen project, an experimental jet you call Wraith, and it failed somehow. You are now stranded. How am I doing?”
“Impressive, Akron-San.”
“I’ll continue then. You are holed up at our 65th parallel base. Vaughn is a superb pilot. He obviously kept you airborne until you’d be in proximity. That was fortunate. But primitive. We ceased funding to that location years ago. I believe we only keep utilities operating.”
“That is readily apparent, Akron-San.”
“Well. No associates ever used it. Waste of funding. Looks like I may need to reconsider. Any special circumstances I need to know?”
“Hai. Vaughn has been changed. He is hungry. It is...uncomfortable.”
“Oh. Man. I would not like to be you when Lizbeth finds out. He is her major crush. I’m telling you.”
“Nigel, focus here. Takeshi called for transportation. Send a chopper out there. Make certain it’s got blood vials aboard. Get private flights scheduled out of Anchorage. Luckily this is the dark season up there. I want Vaughn under escort and on his way to Poenari Castle before they get a sunrise. We’ll get his training started.”
“On it. Where are Takeshi and his honey going?”
“Oh. I’m going to take a large guess that they’ll be heading to...DIA. Colorado.”
“Denver International Airport? Wow. That came out of left field,” Nigel inserted.
“Miss Diachenko has a condominium in Colorado. That is a bit more secluded than her other properties. Private. Oh. Arrange ground transportation from the airport to Boulder, too. Since Takeshi has decided to do the honorable thing here, he will need every benefit we can give him.”
“My thanks, Akron-San.”
“Why does it feel like I’ve watched an entire show and somehow missed a major plot point?” Nigel asked.
“Because you haven’t lived as long as I have.”
“Way to avoid the question, Sir. You are really good at that, you know.”
“It’s simple deductive reasoning, Nigel Beathan. What are the facts? Takeshi Asourah is a ninja. A shadow warrior. Never seen. Rarely even suspected. He is also of Japanese descent. He has properties throughout Eastern Asia. That is his territory. He wouldn’t leave it. Especially not while mating. So, something must have happened. Only one person has enough pull to make a trip like this happen. His mate. You want to guess what might have occurred?”
“I don’t know. They want to go skiing?”
“It’s a bit deeper than that, my boy. That’s why I brought up the word honor. Takeshi is doing the honorable thing here. You should be able to relate. Because he’s about to reap the exact same thing you did.”
“He’s going to let her go? Oh. Shitballs. Takki. Don’t do it, man.”
“Nigel. This isn’t something you can interfere with. Honor is a thing that cannot be taught. It can’t be gifted. It can’t be bought. It must be earned.”
“He can’t just let her go! Takki! Listen to me. It’s not worth it. You think pity and anger are bad. You should try regret. That’s a belly ripper. Try to talk her out of it. You have time. I can delay flights if that’ll help.”
“Thank you, Nigel-San, but I do not think that will work. She...is not listening to me. She won’t look at me. I do not know what to do.”
“Nigel.” Akron’s voice was soft, yet still commanding.
“Sir?”
“If you had it to do over again, would you have done anything different?”
Dead silence held the line for several moments. And then Nigel sighed. The speaker hummed with the sound until it turned into a low-pitched whine. Takeshi moved it a fraction of space from his ear.
“Lesson well taken, Sir. Transportation for three. Coming up.”
“Good man. And keep it quiet. We don’t need Hunters involved at this stage.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And Takeshi?”
“Hai?”
“Good luck. You will need it.”
And with that, the line went dead.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The pregnancy test came up positive. That made two out of three.
Guaranteed results, my foot.
That test summed up just about everything in her life lately. Christine ripped everything into little pieces, tossed the evidence into the public restroom trash bin, washed her hands, and walked across a snow-encrusted parking lot to her pickup as if everything wasn’t doing a twirl-spin motion in her belly. She was shaking by the time she got behind the wheel and barely stopping tears as she cupped her face. She was in shock. Horrified yet giddy. Frightened and ecstatic. Nauseous, and at the same time, thrilled.
And she was so alone.
Her life was a disaster. Everything unclear. It matched her murky reflection in the rear view window. She didn’t know why she still bothered checking. She couldn’t see herself with any clarity. Everything had gone topsy-turvy. Nothing was black and white anymore. There was more than one correct answer to every issue. And above everything was the constant thought of Takeshi. She missed him with a pain that was physically debilitating. It was in place now, coiled about her chest so it could squeeze, sending out heartache with every beat.
Stop it, Christine.
Keep to the facts.
Takeshi Asourah had been an aberration. Their contact was but a blip on the screen of her lifespan. That’s what he was. That’s what had happe
ned. She couldn’t possibly feel anything. He was a monster. A real one. She’d seen the truth when he turned that pilot. It was exactly what he wanted to do with her. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. That’s why she’d refused to listen. She wanted time. She needed space.
And Denver Airport had looked like a miracle.
She didn’t know how he’d known to bring her to Colorado. She hadn’t cared. It was enough that she had a place to go and a way to get there. She didn’t have to lift a finger. All she’d had to do was walk away. Takeshi had been a shadow, sitting in the darkest corner of the luxury SUV limo. She had his promise. He wouldn’t contact her or interfere unless she requested it. Or needed him.
She hadn’t looked back.
She hadn’t dared.
Her condo was small. Spare. Uncluttered. She probably should have purchased a timeshare. It would have been more economical. Larger. And maybe, if somebody lived in it week by week, it would feel welcoming. Not disused and lonely. On second thought...no. Her place was prime real estate. Next to the tea company. It was a good investment. She got a few weeks of use out of it every year, too. The views were spectacular. The lifestyle, unfettered and healthy. It was the perfect place to work through what had happened.
Until the sun rose.
Somebody should have informed her that being with a vampire turned sunbeams into daggers of sheer agony. She owned a corner apartment with mountain views. That became a deficit the first morning. It had only taken seconds, but she’d suffered sun blisters before she’d pulled the blinds down. Agony had pierced her head. She’d been blinded by light that had screamed through her eye sockets. For a span, she’d worried it was permanent. Somebody should have mentioned that the lore about vampires and sunlight was accurate.
Somebody should have been forthcoming about a lot of things.
Like...food.
She had two items she could get down. Barely-seared red meat. And absolutely raw red meat. Both were in plentiful supply in her deep freeze. Both should have gagged her. Nope. Anything and everything else she tried to eat had that reflex. Then there was the change in her senses. All of them. Everything was elevated. Her sight. Smell. Hearing. She could hear every single word spoken by her neighbors. Through the walls. Through the ceiling and floor. Heck. She could hear conversations outside if she concentrated.
She was an alien in her own life. Everything was foreign. And very lonely. Achingly isolated. Solitary. Her thoughts were so filled with Takeshi, every heartbeat carried an echo. And sometimes, she’d felt him so close, she’d slapped on light switches throughout the condo, checking for him. It had been stupid. He was never there. She’d told herself she didn’t want him to be.
And then she admitted the truth. Despite everything. He’d gotten through her personal wall. She was bereft without him.
And she knew it.
That’s why she’d spent the week holed up in her condo. It wasn’t because she was hiding from responsibility, although her boss probably thought so. She hadn’t checked in with anyone. She hadn’t answered the phone. Fired up the internet. She hadn’t gone anywhere except for tonight. To one all-night drug store. On a quick trip that was turning into a quest.
She had two positive pregnancy results and one negative. Nothing definite. And she needed to be sure.
Christine fired up the engine. Watched the wiper blades clear off a thick layer of snow. She’d been sitting here that long? Figures. Snow had started falling after she’d left Boulder. It had dropped almost twenty degrees, too. Well. She had two options. She could go home. But where was that, anymore? Or she could continue her quest. There were more cities along the Front Range. She decided to buy at least one more kit. Do another test. If it was positive...that was that. Game over.
Loveland was almost deserted. What did she expect? It was after midnight. No other shoppers at the quick market. The cashier looked askance at her over the purchase. His cheeks were pulled in as he bagged it, especially when she asked for the restroom key. Christine blushed despite trying not to. She told herself to ignore him. He didn’t know anything. It wasn’t his business. It wasn’t anyone’s business. That included data collectors on the end of every wireless transaction. She was using cash. No one would ever know about this. This is why she’d raided her stash, grabbed the bills secured in a plastic bag and tucked in with the laundry dryer sheets, and drove in the middle of the night through a snowstorm.
Negative.
The fourth test was negative. Christine sagged against the restroom wall, checking and re-checking the little stick. Relief washed over her. And regret. An immense sense of sadness. What the hell was she experiencing sorrow for? She’d been having ‘day-mares’ about approaching a health care provider with this. How was she to explain anything without being sent to a psycho ward? She’d be a subject of ridicule...and then the truth would manifest. She’d probably be sent to a Hazmat section of some underground exploratory laboratory so a bunch of scientists could poke. And prod. And take notes.
She decided she felt relief. That was just fine. Although now she had to go and purchase another kit. Conduct the fifth test.
Christine did the routine. Shred everything. Discard it in the receptacle. Wash her hands. Maybe she should accept this one as final. No. It could be a false negative. Then again, the other two could be false positives just as easily. She was testing at the earliest timeframe. There was always a chance of a false reading. She was becoming an expert on these tests. They worked by measuring the amount of human chorionic gonadotrophin hormone. She’d bought one with the highest sensitivity this time, one with the lowest mlU/ml rating. But, could she be sure?
Well. Loveland might have another all night market. Otherwise, Fort Collins was the next city up the road. She might as well find out. The bell above the door tinkled at her exit. It sounded happy. She almost snarled at it.
The snowfall rate had picked up. More fun. She wasn’t afraid of a little snow. She’d had good winter driving skills before her infusion of vampire blood. Now that she had hyper sensitive reactions, well. Worry over this kind of weather could just take a holiday. She had bigger troubles. One more test. And then the fallout.
White flakes filled the air, putting a blanket of quiet on everything. Christine stopped and inhaled. Deeply. The air was crisp. Clean. Cold. Her heart was beating hard. The sound echoed weirdly through her ears.
And it sent an ache all the way through her.
Snow formed moving pyramid shapes in the glow shed down from every light pole. Her pickup looked lonely by itself between two of them. Christine shoved a hand into a jacket pocket. The other one held the truck key. Damn, it was cold out here. This wasn’t like her at all. She hadn’t prepared for this trip. She didn’t even have gloves. Perhaps if she’d tuned into the world over the past week, she’d have known what to expect from the weather. She’d have brought a thicker jacket. Worn snow boots rather than hiking boots. Maybe she should just go back to Boulder.
She was almost to her pickup when a group of men loomed out of the night. Eight. No. A quick glance showed nine of them. They were big guys. A lot bigger than her. Everybody was dressed in winter camouflage. Including their weaponry. Their arrival was sudden. Silent. And scary. Christine jumped. Dropped her keys. That immediately caused a burst of anger. Another thing that wasn’t remotely like her.
“You assholes!”
“Whoa! Sister. Wait.”
One of them held up a gloved hand.
“Who the hell—? No. What the hell are you guys?”
“Hunters. Isn’t it obvious?”
He chuckled after that statement as if it was funny. It wasn’t. He had a sinister look to him. The gray and white paint across his face didn’t help.
“Hunting season is over,” she told him.
“Not for our prey, honey.”
More than one hoisted what looked like a crossbow high enough she couldn’t mistake it.
Crossbow?
More of them joined in on the
weapon show. She saw several swords. Some spigots for spraying something. And somebody had a wicked-looking gun that seemed to glow.
“I’m afraid to ask,” she said.
“You going to tell us or not?”
“Tell you what?”
“Where to find your boyfriend.”
Takeshi?
And here was another thing somebody should have mentioned. It was beyond weird, but she should have guessed if there was such a thing as a vampire, there would be vampire hunters, too.
“We know he’s around. We caught on to you when you hit Denver International. We’ve been waiting. Watching.”
“Watching?”
They didn’t know what she’d been checking for, did they? And all of a sudden, not only was a possible life within her the most important thing in the world, but Takeshi took over the center of it.
She loved him.
She’d do anything for him.
She’d die for him.
“You’re half-turned, lady. Don’t push it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t act stupid. Okay? We’ve been waiting for this. We got happy trigger fingers. A half-turned vampire is a good kill. Easier, too. Kind of like taking a fawn.”
Christine’s eyes narrowed. Her breath hitched. Everything was crystal clear. Focused.
“I’m going to start looking for my keys now, gentlemen. I suggest you vacate the area before I stand back up.”
She was trying to sound like a confident woman, not a victim. Her voice trembled slightly, belying it. It wouldn’t matter. She was in line-of-sight of the counter clerk guy. With luck, he was calling someone. She was martial-arts trained. She could probably take out a few before they overpowered her. And she’d brought her cell. If her fingers weren’t so cold, she’d have already picked out the 9-1-1 keys. She skimmed her fingers along keys. Picking out numbers. Searching for the call button.
The hunter guys fanned out, encircling her along with the truck. They weren’t having any trouble keeping her in sight. She should have bought a smaller, sport truck. One she could see over. But that was another bit of hindsight.