Reborn

by Thomas A. Watson

  “And you’re wondering why I’m hiding behind you,” Besseta snickered.

  “I take it, since these are here, Mickey and his family are safe,” Tiffany huffed, walking over and picking up the closest vampire’s right leg and twisted it. The lower leg snapped at the knee. The vampire sat up, drawing a breath to scream and his mouth froze open. “Punk ass bitch,” Tiffany snapped, kicking him in the mouth. The vampire fell back with his jaw cocked to the side.

  “Yep, horny is long gone now,” Kenneth mumbled as waves of aggression emanated from Tiffany. “Yes, they are fine. Mickey is talking to Maria now, to see if they want to come with us.”

  Hearing that, Tiffany stumbled back as Besseta squeezed him tight. “Kenneth, the League,” Tiffany gasped.

  “Hey, even they have humans that know,” Kenneth said. “They drink from them and in return for the service, they will attempt the change. As long as they never talk to others, they are given a pardon.”

  “You can’t grant a pardon,” Besseta told him.

  “Then I will kill the entire League until they give me one.” Kenneth quickly explained what he wanted to do in their minds.

  “Hey, I like that,” Besseta said, sticking her head around him.

  “Me, too,” Tiffany said. “The babies would always have someone watching them.”

  “So, both of you agree?” he asked, and they nodded. Kenneth pointed at the vampire that used to be a Nazi. “I can’t wait until his power kicks in.”

  “Ew, what can he do?” Besseta asked, jumping in front of Kenneth.

  “He’s like an electric eel, he can shock people.”

  “How in the hell did you bite him then?” Tiffany asked.

  “I froze him.”

  “Kenneth, that means you just make the air around them rigid,” Tiffany said.

  “No, I froze him inside his mind.”

  “Oh,” Tiffany said with her glowing eyes getting bigger. “Are you sure Besseta’s gift passed to you? Gifts don’t pass, at least that I’ve heard of.”

  “Oh yeah, I can feel it and you were right, it only takes one bite.”

  “But you aren’t hurting.”

  Throwing up his hands, Kenneth scoffed. “On that you’re wrong, but compared to my birth, this shit is nothing. Like stubbing your toe compared to being circumcised with a chainsaw.”

  “Well, now I have a scale for pain,” Tiffany mumbled as she staggered with visual images filling her mind.

  “When we get home, I’ll let you take it from me,” Kenneth said, picking up Besseta.

  “No, Kenneth. She can never drink from you,” Tiffany snapped, running over. “She is the only thing that calms your mind. If she loses that power, both of you will go insane.”

  Besseta looked at him with a stern face. “She has a point, and that would suck.”

  “Well, he still has some, hurry and bite him,” Kenneth said, looking to the door that led in the house. “Wow, Maria knew what we were without even seeing us.”

  “Is she scared of us?” Besseta asked with a frown.

  Turning from the door, Kenneth looked at her. “Babe, don’t frown with your eyes glowing, it looks really weird. I’m reminded of Pokémon.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “A game the kids play. Now I’m going inside, you two think you can get what we need?”

  Besseta took off the blood-soaked backpack. “Be back in a minute.”

  “Wait, you think you can bite ‘sparky’ now and deal with the pain?” Without saying anything, Besseta dove onto the vampire and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. “Okay, I’m horny again,” Kenneth said, seeing Besseta’s butt sticking up covered in bloody handprints.

  “Kenneth,” Tiffany growled. Not saying anything, Kenneth ran for the door.

  Standing in the living room, Mickey and Maria never saw the door open or close, but Kenneth appeared before them. They both gave a yelp, startling Kenneth. “Don’t do that,” Kenneth snapped, turning around.

  Maria looked at him and reached up, taking the sunglasses off. “It is you.”

  “I hope so, after all the shit I’ve been through.”

  Setting the sunglasses down, Maria folded her arms. “Besseta needs to be more firm with you.”

  Taking a step back, Kenneth looked up at Mickey. “I’m having second thoughts about you coming with me after all.”

  Reaching out, Maria popped his arm. “She needs to rein you in.”

  “Maybe, but you don’t need to tell her,” Kenneth whined.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria nodded. “She has no mother to guide her with her man, so I shall help.”

  “Don’t go rushing to conclusions. She just got her butt spanked several times.”

  “Who would spank little Besseta?” Maria growled. Kenneth quickly explained, but used his mouth. He didn’t think they were ready for more. When he was done, Maria leaned back to Mickey. “I like these women in his life now.”

  “When do we start to leave?” Mickey asked, laughing as he hugged Maria.

  “Now,” Kenneth said. “Have you decided?”

  “We are coming with you, of course,” Maria told him sternly.

  “You realize, you won’t be able to contact anyone you know, ever. You and your family are marked for death.”

  “Yes, Mickey explained but your way, we can assure the rest of the family is safe,” Maria said with a sad face.

  “Well, you will like the temporary house until the real one is built.”

  “Why do we need a new one if there is one there?” Mickey asked.

  “Cover,” Kenneth said. “The temporary house is only three-thousand-square-foot. We are building a ten-thousand-square-foot house.”

  “And you can afford this?”

  “Mickey, you wouldn’t believe me, if I told you how much money I married into,” Kenneth droned. “Your salary, I’m thinking of one point two million a year.”

  Maria’s eyes rolled back in her head as she fell back. Seeing Mickey wouldn’t catch her, Kenneth darted over, catching her. “Mickey, if she would’ve hit the floor, Maria would’ve broken your face.” Not seeing Mickey move to help, Kenneth looked up and saw Mickey staring ahead in shock. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

  Laying Maria on the couch, Kenneth guided Mickey to a chair. Grabbing a glass of water, Kenneth sprinkled water over their faces, making them jerk. Maria sat up, speaking Spanish and looked at Kenneth. “You don’t need to pay Mickey this amount of money.”

  “Maria, it’s part of the cover. We need to, so I can continue.”

  Maria looked at Mickey and he nodded. “Then, we accept.”

  Kenneth stood up. “Maria, I know you understand and told Mickey, just take my word. I’m going to close the garage and show you what’s after your family.” They watched him disappear and reappear. “Let’s go.”

  They followed him to the garage and the lights were off. Kenneth could see very well, but they could only see shapes on the floor. “One of them is scary, but don’t yell,” Kenneth said, turning on the light.

  When the light came on, Maria yelped and climbed Mickey like a tree. One second, she was standing beside him, then the next, she was sitting on his shoulders. They both made the sign of the cross, looking at the massive werewolf. “That is what came to kill my family?” Mickey asked breathlessly.

  “Yes, with those. They are similar to me,” Kenneth said as Mickey stepped closer to ‘sparky’. “Don’t get close to that one, his touch will hurt you, if he wakes.”

  With Maria still on his shoulder, Mickey jumped back. “Little Besseta, ripped open one of those things chest and stuck her head in, eating its heart?”

  “Yeah, it was carrying small cages for the kids and that really pissed her off. That’s what got her another spanking, Tiffany wanted to kill it.”

  Mickey looked up at Maria as she leaned out, looking down at him. “Maria, don’t tell Besseta to be firmer with him, she could hurt Kenneth.”

  “On t
his, I’m going to agree with you,” Maria nodded. “They look dead.”

  “Oh, they aren’t yet. Besseta did suck what blood ‘sparky’ had in him, but they are all alive for now.”

  “You are fighting these as well?” Mickey asked.

  “Yeah, it seems the group that is after you, is in union with these and want to use humans like cattle.”

  With apocalyptic visions filling their minds, Maria and Mickey broke out in Spanish, making the sign of the cross. “I hope you are pausing your crusade to give these your attention,” Mickey finally said, getting to his knees and letting Maria get off his shoulders.

  “Yes, that’s what I was doing. We, well, Besseta was beating the shit out of one of them, when I found out from one of the bitches at the top that she had sent a group to kill your family. Needless to say, we left the battle and hightailed it here.”

  “I would like to have words with this bitch,” Maria snapped.

  “No, she is worse than either of the things on the floor, and Besseta’s already called for her head. Trust me, you do not want to get between Besseta and the skank.”

  “Then, I shall cheer her on and pray for her.”

  “What can we bring?” Mickey asked, hugging Maria.

  “As little as possible. Remember, you need to look dead. That’s hard to do if all the pictures are gone, but you can take some.”

  “I have all of them on computer flash drives, the ones hanging will stay,” Maria scoffed.

  Kenneth picked up the bloody backpack and handed it to Mickey, “Just bring one set of clothes for the kids. You can use this to get them some clothes tomorrow while Besseta and I get us rides and your new IDs. The money in there is yours, but the IDs in there are our extras.”

  Mickey opened the backpack and stumbled back. “How much is this?”

  “In the neighborhood of half a mil.”

  Nodding as he zipped the bag closed, “Nice neighborhood,” Mickey mumbled.

  “We need to wake the kids,” Maria said, walking in the house.

  “No, Maria, let them sleep. It will be easier to move them,” Kenneth said, darting in front of her.

  “I don’t understand, but okay,” she smiled. “Can you just warn Edwardo?”

  Tensing up, Kenneth gave a long sigh. “We are trying, but we can’t find him. That’s where Besseta headed to and caught the ones her and Tiffany killed.”

  “Then, they got him,” Maria sobbed.

  “No, those didn’t. We know that for a fact. I’m not saying he’s alive, but let us get you hid and we will make another run,” Kenneth said as Mickey came over, wrapping his arm around Maria. “If it wasn’t for the kids, I would stash you close so we could keep looking now.”

  “We understand,” Mickey said.

  They left as Kenneth started prepping the house. ‘Kenneth, can we come in, the garage is closed’ Besseta said in his mind.

  He walked to the front door and opened it, letting Besseta and Tiffany in. “Trouble?”

  “No, we got everything. Your packages are in the backyard, just didn’t feel right leaving them in the front yard,” Besseta answered, kissing him.

  “Any more spankings?”

  Besseta slapped his arm and then an invisible hand punched him in the gut, sending him across the room. “Told you, she’s touchy,” Besseta said walking across the room, and then helped Kenneth off the floor.

  “Besseta,” Maria gasped, running out of the hall and wrapping her arms around Besseta, picking her up. “You’ve lost weight. Has he been worrying you that much?”

  “No, Maria,” Besseta laughed and kissed her cheek.

  Maria looked at the dried blood that caked Besseta’s face and hair. “We can never repay you for what you have done for us.”

  “Maria, we love your family and if someone messes with it, chainsaws are the least of their worries.”

  Smiling warmly at Besseta, Maria put her down and walked over to Tiffany. “You must be the Tiffany that Kenneth speaks so highly of.”

  “Yes,” Tiffany smiled. “But I’m a little put out with Kenneth and Besseta at the moment. I’m fighting in this war with them and when I catch one, I goddamned well better get to kill it!” she said, turning her head and locking both in her gaze.

  Softening her gaze, Tiffany turned back to Maria. “I’m sorry, but with the way Kenneth thinks of your family, I wanted to swim in blood tonight, but one gets in my way and the other gets horny.”

  At first, Maria was speechless, but then shook her head, getting her senses back. “I know who for each, and I’ve never heard that word associated with Kenneth, ever.” Stepping over, Maria wrapped her arms around Tiffany, shocking her. “You, like them, are part of this family.”

  Giving a contented sigh, Tiffany returned the hug. “Thank you, Maria.”

  Nodding at Kenneth, Mickey came back carrying the bloody backpack and one suitcase. He hugged the girls and looked at Kenneth. “We are ready.”

  “Besseta, Tiffany, you ready to get them to the hotel?” Kenneth asked.

  “I can start a fire,” Besseta huffed. “Why don’t I do it?”

  “Baby, I know you can start a fire, but what did you see in my mind?” Kenneth asked, crossing his arms. “It must look like an accident/on purpose fire to fool the good and bad guys. I’ve done that several times.”

  “You and this covert shit… I just rip their heads off!”

  “First, you rip their arms and legs off, even after I tell you they are mine,” Tiffany chimed in. “The next ‘stern talking’ will be worse.”

  Seeing the bloody handprints on Besseta’s rump, Maria pulled Mickey down and whispered in his ear. “I will not tell her to be more firm to Kenneth, I think she will break him.”

  Rolling her eyes, Tiffany scoffed. “Fat chance on that. The best she’s done is made him pass out.”

  “Will you two get the kids, so I can start?” Kenneth sighed. They both left the living room, walking down the hall. “Mickey, Maria, stay calm and trust them. You’re going to be moving fast, but not in a car.”

  When Besseta walked out, Maria jumped to see Cierra, Tiffany, and Carrie floating behind her and wrapped up in blankets. Tiffany walked out with little Mickey and Phillip floating behind her. As Besseta walked out the door, Tiffany turned to Mickey and Maria and they closed their eyes as they felt their feet leave the floor. ‘Be careful, this is where we are going.’ Besseta said and showed Kenneth in his mind, and Tiffany walked out.

  Kenneth blurred to the backyard and back into the house, laying old skeletons in the kids beds that Besseta and Tiffany had dug up. Getting the two adult skeletons, he put them in the living room and caused trauma to be seen on the bones. Then, he went and did the kids.

  Dragging the three in, Kenneth enjoyed ripping them apart, even though ‘sparky’ did get him once, sending Kenneth across the house. When the scene was set, Kenneth arranged the fire he wanted and ran outside, patting his old Mustang one last time.

  Seeing flames in the windows, Kenneth disappeared into the night.

  Chapter Thirteen

  With the eastern sky getting brighter in the distance, Kenneth appeared on the lip of a canyon ten miles north of Santa Clarita and saw a nice house at the end of the canyon. “Trust Tiffany to find a secluded spot close to LA,” Kenneth chuckled, realizing he didn’t remember everything from looking over Tiffany’s life.

  Running down into the canyon toward the house, Kenneth slowed as he neared the yard, seeing Besseta waiting on him. “Where’s Tiffany?” he asked, walking up to the house and picking her up in a hug.

  “She’ll be back later,” Besseta smiled, kissing him. “What took you so long?”

  “Had to make sure the fire took, babe, and the fire department wouldn’t put it out too fast.”

  She shook her head. “The level of intrigue you mastermind and deduct will always fascinate me,” she said, nuzzling her face in his neck.

  Cocking his head toward the house, “How are they doing?” he asked,
looking at the house.

  “Little Mickey woke up on the way here and we had to stop, so Maria could get him back to sleep. Mickey and Maria are sitting and discussing what to tell the kids.”

  Thankful he didn’t have to do that, Kenneth kissed Besseta’s cheek and carried her to the house. “How much longer will Tiffany be? We have things to do.”

  “Oh, we can go ahead. Tiffany won’t be back until tonight.”

  Putting Besseta down on the front porch, and since they had come to an agreement to not ‘dig’ for information, Kenneth shook his head. “Where did she go?”

  “Home, to get the babies.”

  Holding the door open, he waved Besseta inside with a bow. “Can I just ask why? We left enough food and water out for a week,” he said, walking in.

  Mickey and Maria were sitting at the table, talking and writing stuff down, and looked up as the two came in. “The babies were lonely” Besseta told him, looking at him with a sad face.

  Thankful her eyes weren’t glowing anymore, Kenneth smiled. “Just how in the hell would either of you know?”

  “We called them.”

  Flabbergasted, Kenneth stumbled back and fell on his butt. “You taught the dogs how to answer a phone?”

  “No, silly,” Besseta laughed, picking him up off the floor. She walked over to the table where the bloody backpack was dumped out and picked up a smartphone. Pressing a number, she put it on speaker and video on the third ring. The screen turned on and Kenneth saw a view of the living room at the house.

  Seeing the camera was only three feet off the floor, Kenneth started racking his brain to figure out what was in that spot. “There’s nothing on that wall, how did you get a camera there?”

  “It is the neatest thing, it’s called a ‘Puppy Love Phone’. Tiffany found a man who was selling them. Turns out he was the developer, as well,” Besseta said and looked at the phone. “Babies, it’s momma. Where are you?”

  Kenneth heard barking and saw Bonnie and Clyde bouncing down the stairs. They ran over to the camera, bouncing around, then both ducked under the camera. “It gives treats when they come?”