Again he held perfectly still, but this time with his eyes open. They thundered toward him like death itself, but faltered, slowed and then, only a few feet away, Feller and the large vampire stopped, looking perplexed.
“Where’d he go?” Feller asked.
“It must be their gold blood,” Kelton said. “It makes them invisible during the daytime, just as our blood makes us invisible at night.”
“Then he could be right here,” Feller said.
“Yeah,” Kelton agreed sarcastically, waving his hand at the hundreds of yards of meadow and the miles of forest beyond it. “Right around here somewhere. Why don’t you stick your arms out and start waving them around?”
Marc held his breath. That might actually work, though they didn’t know it. He had never been so still in his life. His muscles were starting to stiffen. He tried to relax, sensing that if he started quivering, they’d notice the movement. He thought back to the feelings of rightness that had washed over him as he wrote The Testament of Michael. He closed his eyes and tried to be invisible. A spirit, nothing more. A ray of light.
“Screw it,” Kelton said. “Let them come. If she was the best they got, we don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Don’t forget Terrill,” Feller warned.
“I ain’t forgetting him. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
Then they were moving away.
#
Long after they were out of view, Marc kept standing there, feeling at peace, knowing that he had time. It is going to be all right, he thought. Light is stronger than shadow. I’m sure of it.
Then he remembered that last look on Clarkson’s face, and a shadow crept into his heart.
Sometimes the light is blocked, he thought. And the shadow hides beyond the light’s reach.
#
Simone and Rod kept driving until they were halfway to Brookings.
“Where are we going?” she asked finally.
“Hell if I know,” he said, slowing down. “I feel like a coward.”
“There wasn’t anything you could do,” she said. “You’re only human. If anyone could’ve helped, it should have been me. Maybe I should have stayed and fought.”
“No,” Rod said. “You saw her. That blonde woman was faster than any vampire I’ve ever heard of. She seemed to know how to fight, too. You wouldn’t have lasted a second. Besides, it was dawn.”
“Still… maybe I could have helped her.” Simone started crying.
“You couldn’t have helped,” Rod said, feeling helpless himself in the face of her tears.
“I know,” Simone sniffled. “I’m crying about Laura. I knew she was screwed up. Who wouldn’t be, after everything that happened to her? But I never thought she’d join him.”
Rod reached out and took her in his arms, and the gesture of sympathy sent Simone into another crying jag.
They drove north, over the border to Oregon and up the coast. Hours passed, and Simone finally stopped crying. She was half asleep when she felt the car slowing down. “What’s happening?” she asked.
“I’m heading back,” Rod said. “I think I know the place the blonde vampire was talking about. Maybe we can warn them.”
Simone nodded. “Yes. We have to try.”
#
They drove all the way back to Crescent City. There, beside the beach, was an abandoned, boarded-up motel with a restaurant attached. Rod pulled into the parking lot. The sun was sinking into the ocean. They waited until it disappeared under the waves and then got out of the SUV.
He knocked on the door to the office. As the last light of day faded, the door opened. A little girl stood there, blinking up at them. “You’re human,” she said. “You better not come in here.”
Simone stepped forward. “He’s mine,” she said.
“OK,” said the little girl, and opened the door wider. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
Chapter 19
“You little weasel!” Peterson yelled. “I bring you all the way to London and this is how you repay me?”
“I’m sorry, but do you mind telling me what my crime is supposed to be?” Hoss asked.
Peterson fell silent and sat back down in his office chair. Hoss was standing, handcuffed, in front of a long desk, which was so polished that he half expected to see himself reflected in the surface. He shook his head. Sometimes he almost forgot he was vampire.
The guards had left the room, leaving the two of them alone together. They were in the president’s chambers, which were attached to the Council offices. A row of CCTV screens lined one wall, showing everything that was happening throughout the offices of the vampire complex.
One of the screens was blank, Hoss noticed. Does Peterson know I released Fitzsimmons?
“You know damn well what you’ve done, Hoss,” Peterson continued in a more moderate voice. “You’ve been telling the world about us, exposing the Rules of Vampire to humans.”
“It’s not like they don’t already know,” Hoss said. He knew he shouldn’t be relieved that the charges were less serious than he’d expected, because they were still more than enough to get him in deep trouble. Not to mention true to boot. “I’m just trying to explain what the Rules are and how they can help.”
“Never trust a human,” Peterson said, quoting Rule One. “That Rule, above all others, must be obeyed. Disobeying is punishable by death.”
The door of the office opened. Councilor Combs entered, followed by two bodyguards. He stopped just inside the doorway, acting surprised. “What have we here?” the dapper vampire asked. “What are you doing to poor young Hoss?”
“I see your spy network is efficient, as usual,” Peterson said. He looked disgusted. “I heard you and Hoss were getting friendly.”
“Spy network?” Combs protested. “I was just dropping by! I must admit, however, I did hear a rumor. What has Hoss done this time?”
Peterson snorted. “Hoss has been telling the humans all about us without approval of the Council. He must be punished.”
“So he will be,” Combs said. “Friend or no friend, he will get what he deserves just as soon as the full Council has heard the charges. But we shouldn’t be too hasty. Perhaps we should wait for Fitzsimmons to return before we start condemning any more members to death.”
Peterson flushed and flashed a glance toward the empty screen. As if in response, one of his lackeys hurried into the room and whispered in his ear. Peterson’s eyes flicked toward Hoss and grew cold. “Check his apartment,” he said. “Find him.”
At his boss’s tone, the vampire nearly ran from the room.
Hoss tried to look unconcerned. If Fitzsimmons hadn’t recovered enough to make good his escape, they were both doomed. Hoss wasn’t sure it mattered. Peterson had apparently decided he was an unreliable ally and would be seeking the ultimate punishment in any case.
“Business doesn’t stop just because Fitzsimmons isn’t here,” Peterson said. “The Rules must be enforced.”
Combs sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. I hope you don’t mind, but I have already called for a Council meeting,” he checked his wristwatch, “in about three hours.”
Peterson looked startled. “You called a meeting? You had no right!”
“Oh, and you do?” Combs snapped. “I never did see that letter of authorization for you to assume leadership.”
“I was elected vice president of the Council.”
“Strange, though, that Fitzsimmons is only contacting you, isn’t it?” Combs said. He walked over to Hoss and laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “Funny about Fitzsimmons,” Combs continued. “He was always so good at keeping in touch, cozying up to the membership. Always willing to press the flesh, give a speech, make a phone call. The consummate politician. Very odd that he should fall silent.”
“He’s been busy.”
“Yes, no doubt he’s been quite preoccupied.”
Both vampires turned to Hoss as if they expected him to say something
.
“No doubt,” Hoss said, joining in the game and wondering why they were all bothering to be civil to each other. “I’m sure he’s up to his elbows in work.” That is, if he has any elbows, he thought.
Peterson frowned. “Very well, let’s see what the Council decides.”
#
A few hours later, the Council of Vampires was called to order. It was nearly a full session, since a regularly scheduled session was only days away. The members from South America and Australia wouldn’t arrive for another day, but since their votes usually cancelled each other out, that probably didn’t matter.
Peterson had the majority of votes on most subjects, but he couldn’t always get his way if the issue was contentious. Public exposure through new technology and media was something most of the Council, being composed of the oldest living vampires, didn’t fully understand. Because they didn’t understand it, they were more likely to trust the opinions of the younger vampires on such things.
They didn’t get much younger than Hoss.
He stood and made his case. Peterson had relented and taken off the handcuffs. For the first time, Hoss felt his youth. His adolescent voice faltered and broke embarrassingly. He thought he made some convincing arguments, but he could see that he wasn’t swaying anyone. Combs and maybe a couple of others were on his side––that was it. These vampires had remained concealed for so long that they simply couldn’t see that hiding wasn’t possible anymore.
“If we can’t remain secret, then it is up to us to shape the message,” he insisted. “We must attempt to make the humans understand that vampires don’t wish to destroy them all.”
“We don’t?” This came from the large Dutch woman, Belinda Hanson. She hadn’t liked Hoss from the start; that he was young and American seemed to be two strikes against him in her book.
“We certainly don’t want them to think that,” Hoss said, “whatever the truth. And is it not true that we don’t really wish to kill them all, but to keep them alive until we need them?”
“So you suggest that we simply lie to them,” Hanson scoffed, “and if we lie well enough, they’ll believe us? Surely even humans won’t be that easy to fool.”
“Some will, some won’t. Humans can be gullible. But isn’t it better to keep them docile, or at least in doubt?”
“The best way to keep them docile is to keep them ignorant,” Peterson insisted. “President Fitzsimmons has been very clear about this.”
At the mention of Fitzsimmons, there was an uneasy ripple around the conference table. More than one councilor had lost his or her life by defying Fitzsimmons, whereas Hoss had no power or influence. Peterson had always spoken for Fitzsimmons in all things.
Hoss began to feel as though he was being submerged under a cloud of suspicion. It was clear which way this was going.
“Even if he is guilty,” Combs said, “does Hoss deserve the death penalty? Look how young he is! I would think a warning should be sufficient. Or perhaps banishment.”
Hoss looked around the table, and his heart sank. Combs’s words had had the opposite effect of what he’d wanted, unless finding Hoss guilty was what Combs actually wanted. It was as if the plea for leniency had merely confirmed Hoss’s guilt. There probably wasn’t a worse tactic one could use in front of a group of vampires than to plead for mercy, especially since most of these vampires didn’t have a compassionate bone in their bodies.
In the end, when the vote was taken, it wasn’t even close.
The guards entered the room. Hoss looked over at Combs, who shrugged regretfully. Yeah, thanks a lot, Hoss thought. I don’t know why, but you probably set this whole thing up.
Resigned, he held out his hands for the handcuffs.
The lights went out, and the room disappeared into darkness. There were shouts in the outer chamber, then the sounds of a scuffle and bodies hitting the floor. The door burst open and a dozen vampires entered the room, led by Jared. Jimmy and Pete were in the group, and they grinned at Hoss. Jodie followed them in, her eyes shining with excitement. There were more vampires beyond the door, and Hoss sensed that there was a small army of them outside. It was the entire crew from the IT room, along with a few other young vampires Hoss didn’t recognize.
“Let him go,” Jared said, pointing at Hoss. His voice sounded theatrically commanding. Hoss almost laughed at his overacting, knowing it was just a façade, but the guards didn’t know any better. They looked confused and glanced toward Peterson, who had his hands under the table.
“You can press the alarm button all you want, Vice President Peterson,” Jared said. “All the electronics in the building have been turned off. It’s just the Council of Vampires and us now.”
“This is outrageous!” Peterson shouted. “Treason! I’ll make sure you all die for this!”
“You aren’t in a position to make threats, sir,” Jared said. “I have more than a hundred followers outside this room, all of them sick and tired of the way you folks are running things. I don’t think you want to fight all of us.”
“On the contrary,” Combs said. “I believe we will indeed have to fight all of you.” The words weren’t overly loud, but they seemed to fill the room. Combs stood up, and though he was shorter than anyone else present except Hargraves, he dominated the gathering. “As much as I regret it, I have to agree with Councilor Peterson. This coup cannot be allowed to stand, or all will be chaos. You and your fledgling followers have underestimated us, young sir. Any one of us on the Council can take on a dozen of you. You will lose, do you understand? Back away now and we’ll let you live.”
Jared squared off with Combs, with Jimmy and Pete at either shoulder. Jodie stood just behind them, delighted that there was about to be violence, but none of the other three looked confident. Hoss could see the older vampire tensing, as if ready to leap.
“Stop!” Hoss cried. He’d believed Combs when he had said the older vampires would make quick work of the younger ones. Hoss had heard the certainty in his voice. “I submit to my punishment!”
“That won’t be necessary,” another voice said.
Fitzsimmons squeezed his way through the intruders, dressed in his finest suit and looking none the worse for wear, though perhaps a little more gaunt. “I’m back…” he hesitated, then said, “… from America. What I learned there has made all of this unnecessary. Stand down, everyone. No one will be punished because of the events here today. It will be as if it never happened.”
Combs relaxed first. “President Fitzsimmons, welcome back.” He shrugged and sat down, then looked over at Hoss and smiled. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, Well played.
Everyone seemed to realize it was over except Peterson. “You!” he shouted. “How did you…”
“Yes, I have returned,” Fitzsimmons said, cutting him off. He walked over to the white-haired vampire at the head of the table and put his hand on Peterson’s shoulder. Peterson seemed to shrink under its weight. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be taking my chair back,” Fitzsimmons said. “I’ve been told you’ve done a splendid job while I was gone, Peterson. You can be sure I will be rewarding you soon for your efforts on my behalf. Very soon.”
Peterson got up and moved to one side, but didn’t take the seat to Fitzsimmons’s left. He hesitated, as if wondering whether he should leave or stay and fight. He looked defiant, then scared, and finally, deflated. As he turned to go, Fitzsimmons grabbed the cane out of his hands. “You won’t be needing this anymore,” he said. “I think I can find a use for it.”
Peterson looked from the sword cane to Fitzsimmons’s face and then back to the cane, then hurried from the room, not looking back. There was the sound of another scuffle in the next room, and a muffled cry. Fitzsimmons ignored it. He brought down the head of the cane on the table as if it was a gavel and said, “The world has changed, and we must change with it. A new kind of vampire exists, and we will soon have to make a choice as to whether to try to ignore them or join them.”
“There is
a third choice,” Combs said from the other end of the table. “We can resist them.”
“You haven’t seen these Golden Vampires, but Hoss here has, haven’t you, young man?” Fitzsimmons asked.
Hoss had sunk into a chair in relief. Jimmy and Pete made their way over to him and stood behind him. Jared was positioned near the door, shifting from one foot to the other as if unsure what to do next.
“I think we should invite Jared into our consultations,” Hoss said, “as well as some of his followers. This Council needs the advice of some younger, more tech-savvy members.”
“Agreed,” Fitzsimmons proclaimed, slamming the sword cane down on the table again. “Come, sit beside me and be my advisor, Jared. I’ll be glad to listen to your advice. Meanwhile, Hoss, please tell us about Terrill and his followers. I want to know everything you know.”
Hoss rose to his feet. He sensed that Fitzsimmons wanted nothing but the truth, so that’s what he told: how the vampires with blood of gold could walk in the daylight and were stronger and swifter than any other vampire.
“How wonderful!” Belinda Hanson exclaimed. “Can you imagine what we could do if we could move about during the day?”
“But at what cost?” Hoss asked. “They must vow not to harm humans, no matter the provocation. I don’t believe that most of us can do that. And if you are given the blood of gold and you aren’t sincere, it will destroy you.”
Most of them had already heard this, but there was still a moment of silence in the room. Very few of them had the inclination to stop feeding on humans.
“I have read this Testament of Michael,” Combs said. “I believe it is a dangerous path that will lead to our extinction. We mustn’t give in to the humans or pretend to be like them.”
“But what can we do?” Hanson said. “Terrill is beyond our reach. We cannot control him.”
The Vampire Evolution Trilogy (Book 3): Blood of Gold Page 16