She sheathed her sword and jogged back to the waiting gypsies. Herrick sat on a hewn log, clearly he was in shock. “They just fell out of the sky. The bodies fell on us….”
Sarah wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders, traumatized as he was. “Miss Kai, how did you know to return to us?”
“Mary called out to me.”
Mary’s eyes were wide and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I-I didn’t know if I could do it. I just tried.”
Hugging the poor girl, Kai smiled at her. “You did it. Everything is going to be alright. Is everyone accounted for?”
Michael nodded. “We are unharmed. Did you encounter the Skaggin family?”
“Yes and they are at peace now.” She addressed the gypsies, “Did any of you see the vampires who killed those men?” They shook their heads.
“Miss Kai, I must speak with you.” Gaeta patted the children’s heads, told them to stay with their mothers. The old woman took her arm and led her to the nearest dead man. “Only one vampire, Miss Kai, killed them. She laughed as she threw these men at us, and then she started singing a song my papa sang to me when I was afraid, one I sing to my little ones. I fear for my family, Miss Kai.”
“Gaeta, what do you know about Aldric Wulf and Lisle Breber?”
Hatred twisted Gaeta’s wrinkled features. She spat on the ground. “We do not speak of the bitch. A thousand curses upon the Breber whore. May she rot in Hell!” Gaeta spat on the ground again for good measure her hatred.
“What did Lisle do to Alex and his brother?”
“Child,” Gaeta’s eyes narrowed, “does the Master know you can see into his mind?”
“I—” Staring into Gaeta’s faded black eyes, eyes that saw deep into people’s souls, she knew it was useless to deny it. “I haven’t told him yet. Alex has so many secrets that I think he’s unraveling, unaware he is sending his … his memories to me. Since I drank his blood, the connection is stronger and I am trying to piece together what’s happening now and back in 1819.”
They turned at the sound of a truck’s engine approaching in the distance. “The last dream Alex had was of a silver wolf carrying a bundled infant. The wolf walked on two legs. We encountered a wolf that walked on two legs at the Skaggin farm. It killed its own creations.”
Pressing a gnarled hand to her heart, the old woman’s eyes went wide. “The wolf you saw tonight, did it appear to be the same or different?”
“The same. Alex denied recognizing it, but I know it’s the same one I saw in his dream.”
“Merciful Father, protect my babies,” Gaeta wailed, clutching the silver cross she wore around her neck in her hand. Suddenly, she held out her wrist to her. “You need to drink my blood. You need the power of a witch to make you stronger than your enemy — this enemy!”
“No,” Kai shook her head, backing away from Gaeta until the old woman grabbed her arm in a surprisingly strong grip.
“You must,” she insisted. “Evil has returned to Wulf Manor and you must be strong to fight it.”
“Please, Gaeta, you cannot ask me to do such a thing. It’s not right.”
“Is it right to allow the innocent to die or worse, be turned? You must be completely healed to face the Wolf of Magdeburg.”
Gaeta was right. Although the dead blood was out of her system, she wasn’t completely back online and she needed to be to fight the vamp hunting them. Kai reluctantly took Gaeta’s hand in hers. Blue veins raised along the back of her aged hand, her skin thin.
Turning it over, she whispered, “Are you sure you want me to do this?”
“You must. The wolf will destroy the Master and us with him. Take my blood,” Gaeta ordered hoarsely.
The truck was less than half mile away, and Alex was speeding. Kai dropped her fangs and reluctantly bit into the woman’s wrist. Gaeta gasped. Blood, rich and potent, flowed into her mouth. Never tasting such powerful substance before in her life, she closed her eyes and drank. There, in the darkness, women of different ages, from different eras appeared. They nodded to her and she realized they were part of Gaeta, and now were a part of her.
Feeling the tremble in Gaeta’s hand, she withdrew her fangs. Kai put a supporting arm around her narrow shoulders and supported her as Gaeta swayed unsteadily. “I’m so sorry. I took too much.”
Patting her hand reassuringly, Gaeta smiled faintly at her. “No, my child, the night has been one of many trials, and I am merely tired.”
“Let’s return to the bonfire and get you a drink.”
“My son brews fine ale. You must have some, too. It will strengthen you, just as my blood will.”
Chuckling, Kai agreed. “Yes, the ale Herrick brews is quite delicious. Another cup would be welcomed.”
With a sigh, Gaeta sat down on a wooden chair near the bonfire as the truck slid to a grinding stop ten feet from them.
The driver’s door opened and Alex climbed out and hurried over to them. “Gaeta, are you and your family safe? No one was hurt, were they?”
“No, we are fine. The dead, however, are not.” Gaeta waved to her son and his wife, “Bring us three cups of your fine ale, my lovelies. Our guests and I need a drink.”
“Ja, Mama. I will bring a keg out.” Herrick, joined by Michael, went inside the manor.
“Kai,” Alex approached her, “did you see the vampires who killed those humans?”
“No, the bodies were tossed at the gypsies.” She pointed past the gates, “There’s another body in the trees, close to the road. Each one had their throats torn out, exact same mode of kill like the girls Mina and I investigated in London. Also, I checked the hunters, and they won’t rise.”
“I thought Angel was responsible for the killings in London?”
“She was recruiting, building an army. We believe a vampiress named Lisa is responsible for murdering the women. Sin and Mina met her at a club, and he said there was something off about her. Angel was dangerous, but he said he could deal with her level of psycho. Lisa made him nervous. I think she’s the Ripper.”
“Made Sin nervous? Damn, she must be demented.”
“That’s not all. We got a call from Inspector Hugh at a crime scene and the bodies had been ripped limb from limb and that there was green blood everywhere. While Inspector Hugh was talking to us, a gust of wind blew across the bodies and they ignited, presumably doused with Holy water.”
“Someone killed the Damned and left them for the humans to find? Why? Who doused the bodies?”
“We are pretty sure it was Lisa who killed her own kind, and Angel had the bodies disposed of.”
“Why didn’t Angel put her down?”
“She was trying to recruit Lisa to fight with her, just like she was trying to get Sin on her side.” Kai paused. “Alex, when we were held in Angel’s dungeon, Lisa was there. She smelt me, went crazy-weird and kept saying, ‘she has his scent. Why does she have his scent?’ Then she fled, leaving Angel pissed and deciding to wash her hands of her. For some reason, Lisa’s followed us to Germany. Or,” she gave him narrowed look, “she was coming here already. Gaeta said the vamp who tossed the bodies into the courtyard sung an old nursery song afterward. Lisa is German.”
“Son-of-a-bitch. You think you she’s here to hunt us?”
“You tell me, Alex. You looked pretty shaken when you saw the wolf back at the Skaggin farm.”
Scowling at her, he asked instead, “What do we do with the hunters? Burn them?”
Disgruntled he avoided her question, she shook her head. “No, we call the police. We need to alert local authorities the Damned and vampire hunters are hunting in their jurisdiction.”
“We can’t tell the humans that!” Alex was shocked at her plan and she couldn’t blame him, especially with so much at stake.
“We told Inspector Hughes and his team that there was a vampire cult spreading like a plague, been around for seven years. Mina came up with the story and it gave us the resources we needed to hunt the Damned.”
“Do
es Faeroes know what you and Mina did?”
“I don’t know, but Rathe ordered Mina to wipe the information from Hugh’s mind.”
“Did she?”
“No, she didn’t. In fact, the three cops who helped us at Angel’s castle never had their memories wiped either.”
“Why did you do expose us to the humans?” he asked curiously, not accusingly, which gave her hope he would listen.
“Because they have just as much right to protect themselves against the Damned as we do. They need to know they are being hunted. We protect our children, and they should have the right to protect their own, too.”
“If we call the police, how do we explain the silver on the dead hunters?”
Gaeta offered an idea as she accepted the clay cup, topped with foam, from her son, “The slain men are vigilantes disguised as vampire hunters. They were killed and dumped on us as a warning, because Kai is hunting the vampire cult.”
Taking the offered cup Herrick held out to her, Kai felt the story had merit. “Sounds good to me. Who wants to call the cops?”
✝✝✝
The gypsies were reluctant to volunteer, which didn’t surprise Alex. Gypsies usually wanted nothing to do with local authorities, tracing back to more than a thousand of years of false accusations and prejudice.
Having no other choice, he grudgingly accepted the task. “I’ll call them. Since Wulf Manor is technically in my name still, I should be the one to report the murders.” He pulled out his cellphone and dialed the emergency code. “I need to report ten bodies found on my property. Yes, I am quite certain they are dead. Their throats have been torn out, so yes, they are dead. At Wulf Manor. I am Alexander Wulf.” He hung up and slipped the cellphone in his back pocket.
Herrick offered him a cup of the dark, spicy-smelling brew, and he gladly accepted it. Taking a sip, he nodded his approval. “Excellent ale.”
Grinning proudly, Herrick replied, “We brew it ourselves and sell it at the markets and festivals.”
Sipping the delicious ale, he watched Herrick’s family, saw in their grim expressions the gypsies were afraid, and it was because of him that they were in danger.
“Herrick, I am truly sorry you and your family had to witness such death.”
Somber, he sighed. “I wish my grandchildren had not seen the dead. Their innocent belief in a good world is forever gone. Monsters are real to them, as they became real for me when I was a lad. Still, we raised them to respect life as well as death. They will adjust. Like we had after the war.”
Memories of when he had first met the gypsy flooded back. Seventy years ago and it was as if it were only yesterday when World War II broke out, destroying majority of Europe. So much destruction he had witnessed, yet none compared to the Final Solution, Hitler’s decision to wipe out those deemed unworthy to exist. The Nazis were eager to dispense their duties against unarmed men, women, and children. So eager to torture, to brutalize the innocent whose only guilt were being born to another race, creed, and religion. Those who were escorting Herrick’s clan to the gas chambers were especially brutal and eager to prove they were the superior race.
“I cannot forget the night you saved us either,” Herrick said quietly.
Startled Herrick knew what he was thinking, he stared into the flames. “I was not sent to save you. I was sent to ensure the sentence of death was carried out.”
“What?” Herrick hadn’t expected that.
Before he could explain, the young gypsy girl rose to her feet and stared into the fire, as if she was in a trace. “It was punishment for your disapproval of the Fuehrer’s master plan to rid the world of the ‘inferior’ races. Your commander found you useful in leading raids against the Borne, so he offered you a solution to redeem yourself. He knew your history with the Roma, he told you to escort them to the gas chambers, and you would be reinstated in Berlin. You accepted the orders, except you were not going to kill them, you went to save them.”
“The prisoners were mostly women and children, elderly. On the march, the captain and his men raped our women, beat the old ones, tortured us, and starved us.” Mary looked straight at him, surprising Alex even more. “Master was ordered to kill us. Instead, he used sword and fist, refused to take their tainted blood, and killed those soulless bastards, avenging us. After the last of the soldiers was disposed of and dumped in the forest, Master commanded us to take their weapons and make our way to Wulf Manor. We did as Master bade. Took us a week to get here, but we made it. It was as if we had a guardian angel watching over us.”
Guardian angel. A derisive laugh nearly escaped him. Not exactly what he’d call himself. Alex looked at Herrick, who didn’t appear at all surprised his granddaughter had just read both their minds. Hell, the man had a twinkle in his eye. Returning his gaze to the girl, she smiled at him before she looked back to Herrick.
“Master trailed you, Father, killing anyone who would harm you and those who had survived. It was the least he could do for his friend’s family, to honor Herrick who had saved his life. Once you arrived safely at Wulf Manor, he arranged for the local polizei to leave you alone, influencing them to forget you were here.” The girl blinked, frowning at the way everyone was looking at her. “What? Did it happen again?”
Gaeta drew the girl to her. “Worry not, Mary. You will learn to sense whenever these moments take over you.”
“Forgive me, Master,” Mary was trying not to cry. “I did not mean to enter your mind … it just happened.”
After the initial shock wore off, he managed to say, “As your grandmother has said, you will learn to control your gift. As Kai learned to do when she was young.”
Sirens split the quiet. They watched the police cruisers slide to a halt in the driveway, barely avoiding the dead men. The gypsies watched warily as he and Kai set down their cups and went to meet the police. Kai withdrew her credentials out of her rucksack and held it out for the officers to see.
“Gentlemen, I am Kai Jordan. I’m a profiler for the FBI and was recently in London on special invitation, investigating the Ripper case. Inspector Hugh, East London Homicide Division, can verify my credentials.”
A large, stocky man with tan-colored hair approached her cautiously and took the black leather wallet from her. Examining her I.D., he handed it back to her. Holstering his weapon, he signaled his men to do the same.
“Agent Jordan, I am Lund Albert, Lead Inspector of the local Landespolizei. We received an emergency call from the owner of Wulf Manor. Where is he?”
“I am Alexander Wulf.” Alex offered out his hand, firmly clasping the visibly upset inspector’s outstretched hand. “Thank you for your prompt response.”
“How did these men die on your property?” Albert asked, taking a closer look at the nearest corpse. He jerked back, coughing at the stench emanating from the dead man.
“They were dumped here,” Alex supplied, keeping an eye on the police, who were approaching the gypsies.
Quickly retreating from the body, Albert demanded. “What is an FBI profiler doing in Germany?”
“I was following a lead from London with the help of Mr. Wulf. We arrived here yesterday.”
“Lead you say? What is happening in London that is so important you failed to check in with me, in Magdeburg?”
“Vampires.”
A loud bark escaped the inspector. “Vampires? You expect me to believe you are hunting real vampires?”
“Please,” she said sarcastically, “I know there is no such thing, but those dead men and the ones I’m hunting do believe in them. There is an occult forming in the larger cites, recruiting people using rave and dance clubs.”
The inspector’s disbelief dissolved, replaced by panic. “You heard of the Skaggin family, ja?”
“Yes. What’s your take on their murder?”
“Take? They disappeared, stolen out of the morgue. Their children, too. Does the cult you seek have a habit of stealing the dead?”
“Yes, and those they do not c
onvert are bled out. The Skaggin family was drained of their blood, correct?”
Horrified, Albert repeated, “Ja, there was blood at the scene of the crime, not enough accounted for. Are you suggesting the killers drink the blood?”
“The cult I’m hunting drinks blood, sleep in coffins, and come out only at night. They worship vampires and their ways.” Kai approached Albert. “Inspector, have you encountered an unusually high number of young adults missing in the last month or about?”
Ashen-faced, the man responded, “Ten in the last three weeks. We assumed the missing was traveling around the country. There are lots of festivals during the summer season, and our youth participate in droves. If Lord Wulf has not already informed you, our own city is renowned for the Wolf of Magdeburg Festival, during the Wolf Monet … in January. Numerous visitors arrive to watch the play and participate in the celebration. They hold elections for those to partake in the role of Magistrate Breber. In fact,” he directed to Alex, “Alexander Wulf is one whom young men strive to portray as well. They hold contests to elect a woman of beauty to represent Lisle Breber.”
Alex stared at the inspector, speechless. The sirens of the ambulance and several emergency SUVs saved him as the vehicles parked beside the police cars.
“Excuse me. I need to speak to my team.” Albert walked over to the CSI unit, instructing them what he wanted done and warned them to wear masks.
“So,” Kai said in a low tone, “you’re famous in Magdeburg, huh?”
“Bloody hell.” Alex shot her a glare as she grinned at him, obviously enjoying his discomfort. He sought out Herrick. “Herrick, why didn’t you tell me about the Wolf Festival?”
Wulf's Redemption (Borne Vampires Book 3) Page 13