by ID Johnson
"I was in denial at first, of course. She grew more and more ill with each passing day, it seemed. Her skin paled, she weakened. It took more and more effort for her to even get out of bed each day until she finally stopped getting up. I checked everywhere for marks--I couldn't find anything. No bite marks on her neck, no scratches that I could find anywhere. I continued to use that as an excuse--a reason why she couldn't possibly be turning. I called in the medicine woman from the village. She had no explanation, so I called in another and another. Anyone who might possibly tell me what was wrong or find a cure, I sought them out. No one could tell me anything. Then, one day, I walked in to find her completely lifeless. I was devastated. I went outside and screamed at God, cursing His name, wishing it had been me instead. Not only had He taken my wife, but our unborn child as well. But then, a few hours into my emotional outburst, He seemed to hear me and answer my prayers. Hearing a noise from the house, I turned to see my pregnant wife standing in the doorway, a smile on her face. She seemed to have returned from the dead.
"And I should have understood that, that was precisely what had happened. But I was too foolish, or too emotionally distraught to believe it. I thanked God for giving me my wife back. We went on about our lives, completely entrenched in our marital bliss, me ignoring all of the signs that this creature was not my wife, she pretending everything was as it should be, until I caught her sneaking back into our home one night. The next morning, I stumbled upon a mourning party burying the remains of a small child. There was no doubt in my mind then that Aislyn was no longer the person I had married.
"I was tempted to go to Kian, even though I hadn't talked to him for weeks, hoping he might help me in the same way that I had helped him. However, I realized that, if I let him destroy Aislyn, I would never be able to forgive him, the same way that he could not absolve me from claiming Shannon's life. Thus, I determined I had to do it myself.
"At the time, I had no idea whether or not my unborn child would be affected by the Vampiric state of the mother. The dilemma delayed me for days as I pondered whether or not I could await the child's birth before destroying my wife. However, each time I passed that tiny cross by the side of the road, I was reminded that there were other children who may lose their lives while I waited. Of course, I know now that the second my wife was infected, so was my daughter. I found out later that Aislyn was carrying a baby girl.
"Faced with an unspeakable task before me, I resolved to do what I must. So, one night, in the early evening, before Aislyn would rise to sneak out and feed, I approached our marital bed, silver stake in hand. I prayed that I would be able to drive it into her heart before she awoke. However, I was not so lucky. As I was about to bring the stake down, she opened her eyes, and looking at me with a puzzled expression in her now clearly gray eyes, she asked, 'Aaron, whatever are you doing darling?' I apologized. I told her I had no choice, that I knew what she was, what she had done. She denied it. She denied it to the very end. And she would have convinced me, too, if she could have found a way to keep those terrible fangs from giving her away. The more upset she became, the sharper her teeth grew until I knew, if I didn't strike just then, she would push me out of the way and escape into the night. And so, closing my eyes, I plunged the stake into her heart, expecting the same blood-curdling screech as Shannon had let loose. But she was completely silent. The only sound she made was the small exhale of her last breath as it escaped her exquisite lips.
"That left me wondering if, perhaps I had made a mistake--maybe she wasn't really a Vampire. I instantly checked her teeth to find perfectly formed fangs, which made me feel only slightly better. Frantically, I searched her body, looking for some sign that she had been infected by a Vampire. Then, I found it, the tiniest of scratches on her ankle. I knew it had to be the entrance point because it was a strange shade of purplish-black, unlike any other scratch I had ever seen."
"But, why didn't she turn to ash?" Cadence asked, confusion momentarily bringing her out of the trance his story had her under.
He nodded. "It did, a few moments later. To this day, I have no idea why it took so long. Likewise, as Aislyn's body turned to ash, within the debris lay my perfect, sweet, angelic baby daughter. At five months gestation, she had soft black hair on the top of her head, the tiniest fingers and toes. She was...the most beautiful sight I had ever laid eyes on. " Tears were streaming down his face now and it took a moment before he could continue. "And then she, too, turned to ash. So, I knew. If she had been untouched, that would not have happened. I almost felt like God was telling me I had done the right thing--that He was saying He had heard my cries and the gift of a few lingering seconds with the body of my wife and my child were His way of acknowledging my pain."
Cadence was sobbing at this point. She pulled a few tissues out of the box on the coffee table, which were a necessity after the few weeks she had, had, and tossed the box across the room in his general direction. "Oh, my God, Aaron!" she said, hoping his story was over.
The box of tissues landed on the ground near his chair, but he did not need them now. After a few moments he had regained his composure. As heartbreaking as his story was, it had been 169 years, and though he had only told the story one other time since the events had transpired, he had somehow managed to find some absolution.
After several minutes, Cadence finally found a way to bring her emotions back under control. "So," she started, a catch in her voice causing her to pause, "you think that, if I don't take care of Jack myself, I'll never forgive the person who does it?"
Surprisingly, "No," Aaron said, his voice now back to normal. "I'm saying, if you don't take care of Jack, you'll never forgive yourself. Kian wasn't mad at me, he was mad at himself."
Cadence considered his statement. Though she had regained her self-control, a few stray tears continued to flow from her eyes. He stood and walked over to where she was sitting in the corner of the couch, sitting down next to her. She didn't move, didn't look at him. When he placed his hand on her shoulder, she didn't pull back, though instinctively she wanted to. "Just think about it, Cadence," he said quietly.
She nodded, still staring across the room at nothing. He removed his hand from her shoulder and clasped his hands together, leaning forward again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him drop his head and start to stand, as if he were going to leave. Without saying anything, she shot her hand out, pulling him back down on the couch. "How many people know?" she asked.
He considered her question for only a split-second before saying, "I've told that story once before.... One other living person knows."
Cadence nodded. He had told her grandparents. Her hand was still on his arm and she knew she needed to remove it but couldn't convince herself to do so. Finally, looking to meet his eyes she said, "If... and that's a big if... I don't even know how to get ahold of..."
"He called your phone, didn't he?"
"Yes, but I deleted..."
"Did you block the number?'
"Yes, but I unblocked all of the numbers. Still, I can't see the number anymore."
"It doesn't matter. Christian can retrieve it."
She nodded in understanding, not in agreement.
"I'm surprised he hasn't called," he added.
Once again, Cadence nodded. "Maybe he's waiting on me. He doesn't know I deleted his number."
This time, Aaron nodded. After another long pause he said, "Okay, well, think about it, and let me know. Or let Elliott know."
"Okay," she said. This time, as he stood to go, she let him leave. As he approached the door, she called after him, "Aaron?" He stopped with his hand on the doorknob and turned to look at her. "Thank you for telling me."
Nodding his head, he replied, "I trust you, Cadence. I do."
Cadence was able to hold back her tears long enough for him to leave before she broke into another fit of sobbing wishing he had been able to say that a few weeks prior, back when it really mattered.
***
The vacat
ion over and the wayward suitcase retrieved, Jack made his way back to Omaha with his brother and sister, or sister-in-law, as the case maybe. Now that he was back to his new state of reality, he was tempted to contact Cadence, but Giovani convinced him that he needed to wait, that she would call him when she was ready. He reasoned that Jack needed to enjoy his freedom just a bit longer before attaching himself to the old ball and chain. They were back to Giovani's old haunting grounds, and had to fight the temptation to go on the same sort of feeding frenzies they had gone on while in the Caribbean. No, doing so here would draw unwanted attention to them, and they had to find a way to blend in. They were back to the occasional feed on vagabonds and other vagrant types. While the excitement of claiming multiple victims was over, there was a new thrill to be had in sneaking below the radar, and the brothers relished in it.
Little did they know that a small band of independent hunters headed by one extremely pissed off cowboy was closing in on their location. When Sam and his team of Hunters finally located Giovani and his rogue brother, there would be hell to pay.
***
Cadence spent much of the evening considering Aaron's story, replaying every word in her mind. She'd called her grandmother, thankful that she was able to discuss the information with the one other person who knew the secret Aaron had been carrying around with him for so long. While Cadence was fairly certain Aaron knew precisely what he was talking about when it came to regret and absolution, when Grandma Janette agreed with him, she knew what she had to do.
"Darling, I know this is a difficult decision, but Aaron's right. You need to accept that it is part of your duty as a Vampire Hunter to resolve this problem."
"I know what you're saying, Grandma, but it's just hard to imagine that Jack has done any of those things. What if I agree to bring him in, but I don't destroy him? What if we bring him back here? We might be able to rehabilitate him," she argued.
"And what message would that send?" her overly reasonable Grandma countered.
Cadence sighed. "Maybe no one would need to know. Maybe we could find work for him here. Or put him in some sort of undercover Vampire ring, or something."
"Cadence," Grandma Janette replied, "I know you hear how ridiculous that sounds."
"I know, Grandma," she admitted. "I just...can't envision myself pointing a gun at Jack and pulling the trigger."
Once again the voice of reason, Janette countered, "Darling, that's not Jack."
"That's easy for you to say, and Mom, and Sean Connory," her Grandma snickered at that remark and Cadence continued, "but when I look at him, I see Jack. My Jack. It's not as easy as the rest of you want to make it."
"So you got to hear the accent then?" Grandma asked, briefly changing the subject.
"Yes," Cadence exclaimed. "Thank God he doesn't talk like that all the time," she added.
"Distracting?" Janette attempted to clarify.
"Yes, but probably not in the way you think I mean," Cadence replied. She had always been attracted to guys with British-sounding accents, and so distracting was probably the most rated-G friendly way she could explain it to her elderly grandmother.
Janette laughed. "I understand, dear," she replied and changed the subject back. "Have you talked to Elliott?"
"Not yet. I don't know. I don't feel like I can talk to anyone else, really. How do I explain what I know in a way that they can understand my reasoning without giving away Aaron's secret?"
"That's a good point," Janette agreed. "Well, dear, give it a few hours of rest, and see what you think in the morning. Sometimes sleep is the best method for clearing the mind."
Cadence concurred. "All right, Grandma. I will. Thank you for listening to me."
"Of course, sweetheart," she said. "I love you, darling," she added.
"I love you, too."
That night, in her dreams, Cadence was chasing the Vampire version of Jack through an airport as he feasted on children of all ages, from infant to teen. She was always just behind him, never able to catch up. By the end of his reign of terror, she had finally trapped him against a wall where he had nowhere to go. "Give it up, Jack," she had said in her sternest Vampire Hunter voice.
With a maniacal laugh, he stated, "I'm not Jack, you fool!" and came at her, teeth bared.
She had awoken just before those fangs met the soft flesh of her neck.
Without pausing to throw on a robe or even wipe the sweat off of her brow, Cadence jumped out of bed. A quick glimpse at the clock showed it was only 5:30, but she knew he would be awake. Dressed in matching black boy shorts and a halter top, she grabbed her iPhone and marched her way next door, banging on Aaron's door. She was shocked when it wasn't him who answered.
"Hi, neighbor!" Eliza said, wearing only a T-shirt that barely covered anything and her panties. "You're up a little early, aren't you?"
Cadence stared with her mouth open, rendered speechless.
Eliza continued. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did the banging of the headboard wake you up, hon? He likes it rough, you know. Oh, no wait, I guess you wouldn't know."
Cadence snapped her mouth shut, shook her head, and spun around to leave. Just as she reached for her own door, a fully-clothed Aaron pushed his way past Eliza, chastising her as he did so. "Cadence, wait," he said, stepping into the hallway.
"Now, I hate you!" she screamed, pulling her door open.
"WAIT!" he implored her, catching up with her just in time to stop the door from slamming shut. She did, however, manage to catch him in the door, and she couldn't help but smile as he winced in pain. "Cadence, it's not what you think," he said.
"Really? Your half-naked girlfriend telling me you like it rough isn't what I think?" she asked, her voice so shrill she could barely understand herself.
He shut the door behind himself so that Eliza couldn't come in, even if she dared, and said, "No, we didn't... I mean, we weren't.... She's lying!"
Cadence crossed her arms across her chest. "Does it matter? Does it really matter? Because it's not like you haven't, right? Right?" His expression said it all. "God! I'm an idiot!" she muttered under her breath. "I almost... for one second thought that maybe my mother was right... but then... Oh my GOD!"
"Cadence, I haven't slept with her since that first night when... not since Christmas Eve. I promise," he attempted to explain.
"Oh, well then, that makes it all better. That bitch lies to you, edits video so that it looks like I've cheated on you, and then steals you away from me hours before we're supposed to go on our first date--but you haven't slept with her since that very night. Well, that's just perfect. That's awesome!"
"Cadence, I literally could not help it," he said shaking his head. "I don't expect you to believe me, but it's true."
She temporarily buried her face in her hands before flinging her hair back and saying, "God, what difference does it make?" staring at the ceiling as if she was actually asking the Creator a question. "You haven't broken it off. You've made it clear you don't want to be with me. Ugh, fine, just go screw your girlfriend."
"I don't... I'm not..." but he had no idea what he was trying to say. "It's very complicated, Cadence," he finally admitted. She said nothing, just stood there barely dressed herself, with her arms crossed and her hair disheveled. He hadn't been sure that he didn't want to be with her since the day he told her they were done. Now, he was even less sure.
Eventually, she began to nod her head. "Fine, whatever you say," she said, refusing to cry. "I was just coming to tell you I'll do it."
He raised one eyebrow. "You will?" he asked cautiously. "You will--or you would have?"
She seemed to consider her answer before saying, "I will. I'll do it. But we play by my rules. I set it up, I name the team. Got it?"
"Yes," he agreed. "Of course, whatever you want."
She was surprised at how quickly he agreed. "Okay, then," she said, looking down her nose at him. "So, I don't want any dumbasses on my team. Only people I trust who I know won't act like a bunch of morons."
"Okay," he said nodding his head.
"That rules out a lot of Guardians," she continued.
"Possibly," he admitted.
"So, I want Meaghan and Aurora of course," watching him nod, she continued, "and Laura and Laney will need to be there. That's enough Hunters. We can take them both out, I think." She corrected herself. "I know. I know we can."
"I agree," he said, still nodding.
"I want to pair Shane with Meaghan because even though he's a liability, they work well together. I want Hannah with Laney and Laura. I don't want them involved with Jack. They're just there to find Giovani, so Hannah should be able to handle that by herself until we take out Jack, and then we can all work on Giovani. I'll put Christian with Aurora and I want Jamie on the ground with me. I'll meet him in a public place and... go from there."
"That all sounds reasonable," Aaron agreed.
"One more thing," she said, her arms still crossed in defiance. "Elliott calls it. I don't want you or Eliza anywhere near the location."
"What?" Aaron said, not believing his ears. "You can't possibly mean that..."
"Oh, yes, I most certainly do," she affirmed. "You told me earlier this had nothing to do with you..."
"But... it's my team..."
"You said I command the field..."
"This is a big deal, Cadence..."
"We do it my way, or we don't do it."
He considered her request for a moment, clearly thinking it was a huge miscalculation not to have the Guardian Leader on the field when the team was trying to take down one of the most vicious Vampires on record and a newbie who had quickly garnished a reputation for being ruthless. Seeing her resolve, he finally consented. "Fine. We'll do it your way," he nodded. "But, I hope you aren't making a big mistake."
Although those words seemed ironically familiar to her, she did not acknowledge them. "Here," she said, flinging her phone at him. He caught it before it smashed into the door. "We'll talk again once I've spoken to Jack. Now, get out."
Aaron pulled the door open abruptly, causing Eliza to stumble forward, as she had been attempting to eavesdrop. He sighed in disgust and headed back to his apartment. She followed, wondering just how much damage was done and if she could repair it.