by T. J. Quinn
She had a strong feeling that what he had written in the letter was correct information. It looked like a family heirloom. It was made of some kind of strange silver colored metal that weighed practically nothing and had a raised circle on the back that looked like it may fit into something else. She immediately slid it onto her neck.
Chapter 8
The Hunt for Sweet September
Jared reviewed through the data again as they drove to the site of the disappearance. The child had turned up missing from a small amusement park at around 11 a.m. They were met by a detective and by the mother.
The mother was someone with a vampire heritage, she immediately came to them and explained, “My daughter is four-years-old, and she is everything to me. Please do anything you can to find her. Her name is September…like the month. She is about thirty pounds and has long black hair and blue eyes.”
Garan took the woman by the hand and said, “All that information we got from the file along with a photograph of your daughter. Time is your enemy in this particular situation. The quickest way to find your daughter is for you to simply answer each question I ask as quickly and unemotionally as you can and then let us get on with the search.” The woman seemed relieved and immediately agreed.
Garan began shooting off questions which led to quite a bit of useful information. Jared was surprised that Garan was non-confrontational and apparently didn’t think it was necessary or helpful to intentionally push people out of their comfort zone like his mother did on a hunt. Jared could tell that answering some of the questions was more difficult than others.
She reported that the child’s father had been killed in an automobile accident two years ago and she had recently remarried. The child’s step father did not feel the police were being proactive enough, so he refused to cooperate with them and had been mounting his own search. She reported he had recruited assistance from just about everyone he knew, but their search had yielded nothing so far. The mother said everyone in her new husband’s family was very vampire friendly and seemed to genuinely love her daughter. She could not think of anyone who might want to harm the child or any other member of her family.
Garan asked if there had been any new people, activities or tech in their life over the last few weeks and the woman stated there had not. Garan asked where he could go to meet with the step-father. The mother reported that he was still at the amusement park although the police had cleared the site. She seemed frustrated and somewhat hopeless.
Garan took his leave of her, and they headed straight to the amusement park. Jared asked, “Why do you think the father is so focused on the amusement park?”
Garan replied, “Probably because the child is still there.”
He noticed his son looked perplexed, so he added, “It was the site where she went missing, no one has called asking for ransom, the new family loves vampires, and there is nothing new going on with the family. No red flags make me think she was abducted. I think she is lost or hurt and the step father must feel this in his gut as well, or he wouldn’t still be there.”
Jared replied, “I will reserve judgment until I meet the step-father. The only couple I have met with mixed heritage children…well, let’s just say they were not putting the needs of the child first.”
Garan nodded his understanding but cautioned, “I have found that to be the exception rather than the rule, but as you say we will sense it when we meet the gentleman.”
They arrived at the amusement park and pulled out typical search and rescue equipment from the trunk and put it on their utility belts. Garan noticed the step-father glance up, and there was momentary relief that flashed across his face.
Jared noticed as well and said, “So much for him being the possible perp. If that were the case, he would not seem relieved to see us.”
Garan smiled his agreement, and they approached the man.
He immediately extended his hand and said, “My wife called to say you were coming and I am damn glad to see you. The police are idiotic. They gave the place a quick once over and then left. I know she must be here…I can almost feel her. If she was taken from here why has no one asked for money? We are wealthy and would give it all to get her back. Everyone who knows us knows that. It must be because she wasn’t taken. Maybe she wandered into a ride or something…God, I pray she isn’t hurt somewhere. You have got to help me find her. Please, I will pay anything you ask.”
Garan assured the man he would not rest until the child was found. The man spread a map of the small amusement park on the hood of one of the vehicles and began talking about where all they searched.
Garan immediately stated, “I think you are going about the search in the wrong way. The manmade structures have all been searched by park personnel, the police, and your volunteers. I need a topographical map of the area.”
The man immediately began rummaging in his car and pulled out a rather huge map with topographical symbols.
Garan scanned the map and Jared noticed his eyes were thorough and missed nothing.
He asked questions about the area, pulled out a pen and marked three rings as he spoke, “These are the three most likely spots to find the child. The most likely is this swampy area in the back left because it is near the park. If she fell in there, she is most likely not still…alive. It will be the easiest to search because the water is relatively shallow. The second most likely place to look is this ridge line. We passed it pulling into the park and saw signs saying ‘Watch Out for Falling Rocks.’ According to the map, the ridgeline runs back for several miles. If falling rocks are a problem all along the ridgeline, we should search the mile or two closest to the park. If she got caught in a rock slide, she may be hurt or may have gotten turned around and began walking in a different direction. The third most likely place to find her would be this abandoned cement mixing plant. Although it is the furthest away, it also affords the most shelter with the least risk. If she is here, she has the highest probability of being alive and well.”
Jared was impressed with his father’s hunting skill.
The man grabbed Garan and give him a huge bear hug and then got on his com device and called every volunteer in. He divided them into three groups, and they split apart and began searching for the child. Garan sent one of his men to the cement plant and the other to the ridge line. Garan and Jared joined the group that went to the swamp because they had the tech needed to search the shallow water.
As soon as they arrived Garan looked at Jared and Jared immediately walked out and threw a holographic net into the center of the swampy area. They pulled it up on the screen and realized there was no mass big enough to be a small child.
Garan and Jared began walking around the edge of the swamp and discovered a small piece of torn clothing with blood on it. Garan scanned it, and it was a match for the child. They looked at the ground and saw small footprints and small paw prints…looked like a wolf or baby wildcat. The prints were headed in the direction of a small forested area.
Garan immediately used his com device to contact the step-father and he had all volunteers converge on the wooded area. Garan looked very unhappy and Jared realized it was because the child was wounded and apparently being followed by a four-legged predator. That alone probably meant she was dead already. Jared felt a chill in his soul for the small child. He looked around and noticed that the volunteers were all totally energized. He realized it was because they just got their first solid lead all day.
The more Jared watched his father hunt, the more he decided he liked the man. He was quiet, efficient and Jared could tell he cared about finding the child. He could easily see why his mother had apparently fallen so hard for him. He was a good person, a dedicated hunter and had a kind disposition. Garan tracked the child for almost a mile before the footprints faded into the brush. That turned the search into a traditional grid type search. All the volunteers stood in a single file and simply began walking through the forest.
Garan had them sound off at r
egular intervals, and Jared could tell he was becoming frustrated because they were losing daylight. Jared noticed Garan’s head snap around and then he heard the noise as well. It sounded like wolves fighting. They both bolted off in the direction of the fight and about forty yards to the left they come upon a small clearing. What they saw was shocking. They saw a grey wolf standing in front of the child, and it appeared to be fighting off a small pack of other wolves.
Garan grabbed his pistol and shot it in the air several times. The unexpected noise scattered the wolves that were attacking, but the wolf that appeared to be protecting the child ran over and snuggled its head under the child’s arm.
The child smoothed the animal with one small bloody hand and said, “Good dawg.”
Jared ran over and kneeled down beside the child, and the wolf whined and licked the child’s leg. Jared ran his hand down and ripped open the child’s pants revealing a nasty open fracture with a broken bone sticking out slightly from the skin. He immediately picked the child up, and by then the father had arrived on a hover cycle which was about the only vehicle which could maneuver in the overgrown area.
Jared quickly took the child and placed her in the step-father’s lap, and he immediately headed for the nearest clearing that an ambulance could land in.
Jared turned and noticed that his father had kneeled down and had both hands on the wolfs face and said in Vampier, “Good job. You did very well.” Jared was surprised that the wolf followed them out of the forest and even more surprised that his father opened the back door of the shuttle and allowed the animal to return to the institute with them.
Garan looked at his somewhat perplexed expression and said, “He isn’t wild. He was raised by people, or he would not have tried to protect the little girl. If he acts like a dog, we should treat him like a dog. Who knows, maybe he can help us track. In any event, I will have him to guard Miss. Lona when I am gone. Sorry, this was not a more interesting hunt. Perhaps our next hunt will be more interesting.”
Jared laughed and responded, “Hunting with you is very different from hunting with my mother. She hunts using almost pure analytical thinking, and you seem to be almost purely hunting on instincts and experience.”
Garan replied, “I hope you know I would never say anything insulting about your mother but…”
Jared interjected, “I already know what you are going to say and it is, unfortunately, kind of true. She doesn’t have enough vampire heritage to hunt on instinct. She does surprisingly well for someone who is mostly human though, don’t you think?”
Garan smiled and replied enthusiastically, “She is phenomenal. She has done a lot of good work in her lifetime and will no doubt do a lot more before she ends up retiring. Me, I’ll just keep hunting until I drop of old age.”
Jared burst out laughing and said, “Thank you for allowing me to hunt with you. Also, thank you for not giving up on me. I think I was apprehensive about getting to know you because I thought you were just going to leave me again and also because I thought I would be a disappointment to you.”
Garan sighed and explained, “Nothing could be further from the truth. I would love to stay here and spend time with you indefinitely, and you could never be a disappointment. You are my son and all that I love most in this world.”
Jared asked curiously, “Do you save pictures of the people you find?”
Garan shook his head and replied, “I scan and keep all the information from my hunts in an electronic database then shred all the documents. Sometimes I need the information for an additional hunt, so I don’t like to get rid of it entirely, but I don’t keep trophies like some hunters. I don’t like to be reminded of them. To me, they are just nice people with a momentary need I fill for compensation. I can’t allow them to mean much more to me or I wouldn’t be a very effective hunter.”
Jared nodded his understanding and thought that perhaps his father had a better attitude about hunting than his mother. Jared asked, “Do you have a weapons room?”
Garan replied, “Normally I do however since I have been here I have kept my supplies in large trunks. I have been thinking of arranging more space for myself. If that can be arranged, then I probably will set up a weapons room again.”
Jared looked at him with a small smile and encouraged, “Perhaps you should speak to Miss. Lona about that.”
Garan looked confused and asked, “Does she allocate living space at the institute? I was given to understand that was Ariana.”
Jared shook his head and responded, “For everyone else it is Ariana, but for you, I think it is Miss. Lona.”
Garan knew his son was insinuating something, but he had no idea what. His men were whispering in the back of the shuttle as they took turns petting the wolf.
Chapter 9
Falling in Love
When Garan returned from the hunt, he was exhausted and ready for about ten hours sack time. He went into his room and found that it had been stripped clean. He was supremely aggravated. He looked around, and there was a small envelope on the table. He opened it, and small fold over note card said:
Garan,
Hope your hunt went well. I am sorry to inform you that because you have not been following the rules all of your personal possessions have been confiscated. I hope this teaches you an important lesson about running around, being incredibly sexy and making red headed women fall in love with you. If you want your personal possessions back, you can find them at my place.
Love and miss you,
Lona
Garan was very confused. What a strange letter. He got the distinct impression this woman was making fun of him and the letter of love he wrote to her. He sighed, that was exactly why he normally did not do such things. He was almost too tired to argue with her, but he knew he would get no rest without at least his bed linen. He thought briefly about just sleeping in his vehicle, but he kind of wanted to see her beautiful face and hear her angry little voice. It was late, so he hurried to her place to catch her before she went to sleep, waking her would most certainly make her angry.
As soon as she answered her door, he began to second guess his perception of her intent in writing him the note. She was absolutely beautiful. Her skin was flawless white porcelain except the long nasty scar running up her neck. He had to admit that even that could not detract from her natural beauty. Her hair was deep fire red. Her eyes deep green like the forest.
Her lips turned into a broad smile when she saw that it was him. By the gods, he loved it when she smiled just for him. He felt his insides go gooey again. He turned to the wolf and said, “Stay” and watched the animal immediately lay on her front porch.
She looked at the blood bag he was sipping from, her facial expression turned to disgust, and she pulled the bag from his hands saying, “My God if you keep drinking old blood you are really going to kill yourself someday.”
He realized that the blood bag was certainly older than was probably appropriate, but he was just tired, trying to get himself fed and to get some sleep. He realized he was doing something off putting in front of a pretty woman again.
She looked up at him and observed, “Poor baby, you look absolutely shattered. Do you want me to heat a fresh blood bag for you?”
He sighed and asked, “Can I please just have my things back?”
Her expression turned light and playful as she said, “Sure if you find your stuff, you can have it.”
She stood aside, and he walked into her house and realized she had taken every single thing from his room and integrated into her home. His antlers were above her fireplace along with his antique long rifle.
He watched her walk over and throw the remainder of his dinner in her trash can, and she quickly heated up a fresh one and handed it to him. He smiled and thanked her, receiving a gentle touch on his cheek in return. He began sucking from the fresh bag and realized what a difference it was from the old one he had been trying to drink. He looked around and had to admit she was good at decorating because h
er place looked fantastic, especially with his stuff mingled in. He slowly realized what she had done. Her mixing their stuff seemed like an invitation for him to stay with her.
She could see the understanding click onto his face, and she immediately jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately. It felt like the ground beneath his feet was moving. She took him by the hand.
He started to say how much he had been missing her but she brought two fingers to his lips and said, “No talking. Talking always messes things up with us. Don’t say another word.”
He smiled because she was kind of right. He realized that more than his share of the conflict between the two of them had been his fault. He wanted desperately to have her attention and just had no idea how to interact with a beautiful woman.
Garan looked up and found that he was in her bathroom, there was a warm shower running, and she was slowly but surely pulling off all his clothing beginning with his hunting leathers. He had a sharp intake of breath as she quickly shed her own clothing. He had always thought of her as a big beautiful woman but seeing her without clothing really drove the point home for him. The women in his village had all been petite with dark skin and black hair. Lona was very voluptuous by comparison.
She began to soap his body and wash his hair. It felt good to have her hands on his body. She put liquid soap in his hands, and he began to gently run his hands over her beautiful body. He noticed that she seemed to have a lot of scars on her body, especially around her neck. He immediately realized that the degenerate she had mated with before had bitten her over and over in a long line but never left enough saliva behind to heal her wounds. This resulted in the long scar that ran up the side of her neck. He determined that he would never ever bite her and cause more pain on top of all that.