by ID Johnson
She considered the question. “Well, it was pretty boring. Until last year when everything started to get so weird.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“I mean, when I found out Drew was dead, it was so bizarre. And then my sister started hanging out with all these new people. She dropped out of college. And your dad tried to convince me that I’d known him for years—he convinced everyone else. But it didn’t quite work on me. By the time Jack died, I knew something was up. I thought Cadence was a vampire. Thank goodness I found out the truth.”
“How did you do that?” he asked, hanging on every word.
“I got a lot of clues from eavesdropping, honestly,” she acknowledged. “Your dad knew how badly it was driving me crazy, and while he wouldn’t admit it, he didn’t deny anything I asked him about either.”
Brandon nodded his head. “So you were pretty close to him, then?”
“Oh, yeah,” Cassidy said quietly. “He was like the big brother I never had. He was such an awesome guy.”
He didn’t say anything, only nodded slowly, his eyes focused on the back of the seat in front of him.
Cassidy continued. “A few weeks before he… before Sierraville, I was having trouble with this guy at school. He was such a ….”
“Douche?” Brandon offered.
Cassidy giggled. “I was going to say dirt bag, but okay. We can use your word. Anyway, he kept asking me for help with his homework. He’d pretend like he liked me, you know? Flirt with me and stuff. And we’d hang out in groups, and he’d pay extra attention to me. So, right after I helped him study for this big test, he asked Lucy to the homecoming dance.”
“Lucy? Your friend? Wow, he is a douche.”
“I know, right? Of course she said no. And then he tried to explain to me that he was just trying to be nice, but Lucy didn’t need his sympathy. She’s got a ton of guys asking her out all the time. So… I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if I should give him another chance or just walk away.”
“What did you do?” Brandon asked.
“Well, all my friends said I should give him another chance. He had them charmed, too. I tried calling Cadence, but she was super busy. I talked to my mom, and she said something I didn’t even understand, something about there being plenty of fish in the ocean but only some of them are silver tunas.”
“Whatever that means….”
“Right? Anyway, your dad just happened to call, and he could tell something was bothering me, but I didn’t really want to talk to him about it. So he hung up. But then, about two hours later, he showed up. In my bedroom. Just like that—because he knew I needed him.”
“Wow,” Brandon said. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah, it was. So, anyway, I ended up pouring my heart out to Elliott. I cried on his shoulder, and he just listened. And when I was done, he said, ‘Do you want some advice?’ Well, of course I did, and he said, ‘Scrape him off, Cass. You don’t need him. Anyone who would treat you with that amount of disrespect isn’t worth your time.’” She stopped, clearly lost in the memory, focused on her hands in her lap.
“And?” Brandon asked, waiting for her to finish.
“And I did what he said. I told Liam—that’s his name—that I didn’t have time for that. I wasn’t looking for someone who only thought about himself. I want someone that, as your dad put it, ‘would be willing to take a silver bullet to the lungs for me.’”
“Okay—that seems a little specific,” Brandon muttered before adding, “but it sounds like my dad gave you pretty good advice.”
“Yeah, he usually did,” Cassidy agreed. “He was hilarious, too. And he wasn’t afraid to be silly—to wear a Santa hat or sing Lionel Richie songs while driving my mom’s mini-van. He was an incredible person.”
Brandon rubbed his eyes furiously and said, “I think I have some dust in my eyes.”
Cassidy laughed. “It’s okay to be sad that you never got to meet him.”
“No, I’m fine. Just my horrible dust allergies,” he said in a ridiculous attempt to hide his emotions.
“You are a lot like your dad, but you’re a lot different, too. And I’m glad you are your own person,” Cassidy said softly, resting her hand on his arm.
Brandon looked from her hand to her face, studying her lips, contemplating the moment, when Cassidy pulled her hand back and looked away. “Right,” he mumbled. “Uh, thanks. I wish I would have known him, too. He seems like a super guy.”
“He was,” she agreed, still not looking at him. “Makes me wonder what happened between him and your mom.”
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Brandon admitted, “and I don’t think I want to talk to her about it either. My mom is … complicated.”
Cassidy turned her head to look at him now, clearly seeing that he did not want to talk about her. “Well, you’ve got a whole new life now, so the past is the past.”
“Exactly,” he agreed, nodding. “Time for new beginnings.” They sat in silence for a moment before Brandon said, “Liam? Sounds like a British boy band reject name.” Then he began repeating it in various British accents. “Liam. Liam. Liam. Liam….”
“Stop it,” Cassidy begged, giggling. “He isn’t a bad guy. He’s just not very mature.”
“Lucky you, you’re with a man now,” Brandon said in his deepest voice while striking a pose like the lumberjack from the Brawny paper towels.
Cassidy laughed even louder, invoking some shushes from other passengers. “Don’t make me laugh, I have to pee!” she whispered sharply.
“This conversation is circular,” Brandon whispered back. “Go to the bathroom! I’ll go with you. I’ll stand right outside.”
“No! I shall not pee until Philly!” she said, making her own rhyme.
“Suit yourself. But I’m going to sit here and read my book and talk about waterfalls. And oceans. And spraying fountains….”
“Stop!”
“And puddles. And lakes. And roaring rivers…”
Brandon continued to torture her as the train sped along toward their final destination, neither of them noticing the glowing eyes watching them from a few seats behind.
***
Gibbon was sucking so vigorously on the nurse’s throat, Giovani was certain this would be the last time they would use her. She had done well, though, considering how much blood she had lost at the time they brought her in. Though the detective probably had another day or so in him, Giovani made a mental note to send out his minions to procure more reserva. If Gibbon continued his training so well, he would need more rewards.
Pulling his face away from the neck of the now deceased nurse, Gibbon began to laugh manically, blood dripping down his face. With each feeding he grew stronger, and sitting in his cell on a cot with his shirt off, Giovani couldn’t help but admire the rippling sinews of his biceps, his broad chest, his taut abdomen. As the nurse’s crumpled body slipped to the floor, Gibbon wiped his mouth with his hands and then began to lick his palms like an animal. His fangs were still exposed, their razor sharp surfaces gleaming in the dim light of the underground tunnel. Giovani had much to be proud of, and with just a bit more training, he knew for certain he would have complete control over his monster.
He heard Zabrina, who had returned only moments after her last hissy fit, scoff in her chair, but he decided to ignore her. She just didn’t understand the workings of a true genius such as himself.
“Giovani?”
It was Robert, and Giovani was excited to see how his friend had progressed. “Well, what’s the news, brother?” he asked.
“She’ll be arriving tomorrow afternoon. I can get her myself for certain, despite the brand new Guardian she’s been dragging around, but that will require me to start the process. You want her brought in whole, I presume?”
“Yes,” Giovani replied. “I don’t want the change to begin until the timing is perfect. Otherwise, we have nothing to bargain with. Will you need our assistance then?”
“I believe we should be cautio
us. LIGHTS still has no idea where you are?” Robert asked.
“Not at the moment, but they draw closer each day. If we can get the young one here undetected, then we can move forward on our own terms. Let me know when you approach the station, and I shall meet you there.”
“I will keep you posted,” Robert responded before turning his full attention back to the girl on the train.
Chapter Sixteen
It was early afternoon of day two, and Cadence was growing frustrated; nothing seemed to be pointing them in the right direction, and somewhere nearby, Giovani had Gibbon and was turning him into even more of a devious monster than he already was while they stood around and waited.
After talking to the police, they had spent hours walking along the area where eye witnesses said they saw the helicopter land and then take off again. Even with Aaron’s X-ray vision, there was no indication that Giovani had somehow managed to go underground, though it seemed there had to be a tunnel or an entrance to some sort of passage somewhere; otherwise the testimonies just didn’t make any sense.
While several members of the team were still checking the area, and some were walking the streets of the district known as Jeweler’s Row hoping to see something interesting or bump into a Vampire willing to talk, Cadence, Aaron, Jamie, and Christian were back in Andrew’s office comparing maps. They had it narrowed down now to a very specific area and were looking for differences between blueprints. Eliza was convinced there had to be something underground after what she had seen in Cesky Krumlov, and Cadence thought there was a good chance she was right. There just hadn’t been any way to prove it or figure out where the entrance might be.
To top it all off, she had left her sister several voice mails and had heard nothing back. Brandon wasn’t answering either, and while it seemed highly unusual that neither of them would answer their phone, she was trying not to panic yet. Her parents would be off work soon, and she was planning on giving her mom a call; maybe Cass hadn’t come back until today. Maybe she’d be waiting when her parents got home. She let out a sigh and placed the map she was looking at back down on the table.
“Worried about your sister?” Aaron asked, as if reading her mind.
“It’s just not like her not to answer, even if she’s mad at me.”
“Well, maybe she’s still hanging out with Brandon, and they are having too much fun to call.”
“Maybe. We would have heard something from someone if she wasn’t all right—right?”
“I would think so,” Aaron shrugged. While he was attempting to stay calm so that Cadence wouldn’t get upset, he was beginning to think something was wrong, despite the fact that no one in their vast system of contacts had alerted him about anything unusual. Nevertheless, his instincts were telling him something wasn’t quite right, and he was considering sending some feelers out to team members in the area to go and check on the two teenagers.
“Hmmm,” Jamie said from the far end of the table. “Okay—I think I may have found the something unusual you were talking about.”
Cadence stepped over to look at it. “What is it?” she asked.
“Well, if you look at this blueprint,” he began gesturing at a row of buildings on a rendering from the early twentieth century, “the measurements are slightly shorter than this original one. And this door on the older one,” he said pointing at the other blueprint, “isn’t there anymore.”
Cadence leaned forward to look at it. “That is interesting,” she agreed. “And look, these two buildings are shorter as well. What do you think that means? Did they just measure wrong the first time?”
“Maybe,” Jamie shrugged.
“Or else there was an excavation of some sort, and the new floors were installed in a different position,” Aaron suggested.
“It’s similar on all three of these buildings,” Cadence pointed out.
“And these,” Christian showed them, looking at a row of buildings down the street. “See? Different measurements here as well.”
“And that door is moved,” Cadence added, pointing to the drawing.
“What are the years on the blueprints?” Aaron asked.
“Well, this one was drawn in 1862, and this one is from 1904,” Jamie explained.
“That’s about the same time that the jewelers moved into the area,” Christian reminded them. “Is it possible they needed some place safe to keep their wares, like a secret underground room?”
“It’s very possible,” Cadence agreed. “We need to go check these buildings out in person. Maybe we can access the underground system from the jeweler’s shops themselves instead of the underground tunnel.”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Eliza came over the IAC. “Hey guys, we have a possible Giovani sighting. We’ve got a black Chevy Tahoe moving north up Eighth Street towards Market.”
“Are you following him?” Aaron asked.
“Not yet,” she admitted. “We are in route to the pursuit, but I do have some eyes on the ground. He just made a left onto Market.”
“Get on him as soon as you can, got it?”
“Will do,” Eliza said, leaving her visuals on.
“Where is he going on Market Street?” Cadence asked. They all scrambled for the maps as Aaron’s cell phone rang.
Annoyed, he pulled the phone out of his pocket and froze. “It’s Brandon,” he said.
“Brandon?” Cadence asked. “That’s odd timing.”
Aaron answered the phone just as Christian said, “Aha! That’s where the train station is—Thirtieth Street Station.”
***
Getting off of the train had been a bit like getting out of prison, and Brandon couldn’t wait to get outside in the fresh air. The last rays of sunlight were visible above them shining through the towering glass windows of the Thirtieth Street Station, and while he wasn’t looking forward to seeing Cadence and Aaron, he was ready to get on with his fate.
“I have to pee,” Cassidy said, actually doing some sort of a potty dance as she spotted a restroom sign down the lengthy hall.
“I’m shocked to hear that,” Brandon said sarcastically. “All right. Go pee. But please give me my phone back while you go.”
“Will you go ahead and call my sister for me?” Cassidy asked, smiling sweetly and batting her eyelashes.
“You really should have to make that call yourself,” he scolded as she fished his phone out of her pocket. “Besides, I don’t have her number.”
“Well, wait for me here, and I’ll be right back. I seriously have to go,” Cassidy spit out as she handed him the phone and ran off.
Brandon couldn’t help but laugh at her, but then, as soon as she was gone, he looked down at his phone and the laughter stopped. This was going to hurt.
The station wasn’t that crowded, but he wanted a little bit of privacy, so he stepped back out of the line of traffic, and dropping his bag on the ground beside him, located Aaron’s number.
He answered on the second ring with, “Brandon? Where are you? Do you know where Cassidy is?”
“Hey,” Brandon said slowly. “She’s fine. We’re both fine.”
“Thank God,” Aaron exclaimed. “Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“I didn’t have it,” he replied. “Listen, I know you guys are going to be mad, but we kind of did something impulsive.”
“Look, something is going down with Giovani right now, so if you’re about to tell me you eloped, you’re going to have to save the story for later. Are you back in KC or still in Shenandoah?” he asked, clearly in a hurry.
“Neither,” Brandon admitted. “We’re in Philly.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. “Where at in Philly?” Aaron asked.
“We just got here.”
“Please tell me you’re at the airport.”
“No, we just pulled into the Thirtieth Street Station,” Brandon explained, glancing back down the hall towards the bathroom. It sure was taking Cass a long t
ime, but then she had held it forever.
“Brandon, listen to me carefully. I need you and Cassidy to get out of there immediately. You need to find a crowd, stay in it, and do not let go of her hand, no matter what.”
Brandon froze. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“I don’t really have time to explain, but Giovani is on his way to the train station—he may already be there—and you need to keep her safe.”
Without responding, Brandon took off running towards the bathroom, his phone still in his hand. “Cassidy!” he screamed, but it was too late. As he neared the bathroom door, a woman with long honey-blond hair stepped out of the bathroom, dragging Cassidy with her. As soon as the woman turned her head, he could see that she was no ordinary train passenger; her long, sharp fangs gleamed in the waning sunlight. She was a Vampire.
“Let her go,” Brandon demanded.
Cassidy’s eyes were huge with fear and she had tears in her eyes. The woman had her arm wrapped around her neck, and while Cassidy was doing her best to try and wriggle free, she was getting nowhere against the much stronger creature.
“That won’t be happening,” Zabrina growled. “And you better be careful, or you’ll be next.”
Brandon turned just in time to see the strange looking man from the train lunging at him. He sidestepped and threw out an elbow, sending the man falling to the ground. But the distraction had been enough, and when he turned back around, Cassidy was already being dragged down the hallway. He could see her tennis shoes disappearing around the corner as the Vampire pulled Cassidy behind her.
The stranger wasn’t through, however. He picked himself up off of the ground and came at Brandon again. Dropping his phone, he took a defensive stance, and when the man crashed into him, he punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. The impact sent them both careening into the wall, and Brandon grabbed him by the hair and banged his head into the bricks. He pulled his head up again in an attempt to repeat the process, and realized the man had fangs, and he was trying to use them to defend himself. Brandon remembered what he had seen Cadence do to the beast at Julia’s house. Using the weight of his own body as leverage, he stepped over the man’s sprawled legs, still gripping his head in his hands, and twisting as hard as he could while he held his trunk steady with his knees, he pulled straight up. Within a few seconds, the Vampire’s head came off, and was left standing in the middle of a railroad station holding a severed head. He turned to see a few dozen people cowering in various locations throughout the terminal. He knew he didn’t have much time to explain so he yelled loudly, “Happy Halloween!” dropped the head, and took off running after Cassidy, hoping at least some of them would buy that this was all a charade.