by Sondra Hicks
“Thanks for the warning,” Gavin said turning to leave.
“However, there is something different about your girlfriend. She smells different, almost human. Why is that?” He asked motioning for them to sit down.
Kloe and Gavin looked at each other and sat down what could it hurt.
“Well it started when I was poisoned with tainted blood. We went to a spring in Paris that was holy. I bathed in it and something happened. I can't explain it but it changed me.” Kloe told them.
“Well, it smells like it made you nearly human but you are still vampire. I do not think I have ever smelt anything like you before. That can be dangerous. Others may wish to kidnap you and run tests. You are unique, which makes you a rare find. People pay for that so keep your head down around here.” The man told her.
“Thank you by the way my name is Kloe. This is Gavin. We are from Paris. We have a pack there we are members of.” Kloe told them.
“A pack took you both in?” The man asked.
“Yes. They were kind and we’ve became family during our time there,” Kloe told them.
“Well my name is Ahiga. It means he fights. A lot of us have native names in our pack.” Ahiga told them.
“Well it’s nice to meet you,” Kloe told them.
“I know exactly what I say. You aren’t safe in your current condition. You seem like a charming vampire and Gavin seems to love you. So I would suggest you head back to Paris and sort out your condition.” Ahiga told her.
“I won’t run away because I am different. We have a couple of more days and I want to make the most of them. Thank you very much for the warning but I think we will stay,” Kloe said, standing up. Gavin followed her.
“Have a nice night,” Gavin told him, as they walked to the door and out of the bar.
As they walked to the hotel, Ahiga’s words played in her mind. She was now partly human. What had the spring done to her?
CHAPTER 10
The next day Kloe snuck out to head for the coffee shop, to get two coffees. She liked room service but the coffee sucked. Today though she had the feeling someone was following her. She couldn’t shake it. However, every time she looked no one was looking in her direction. Everyone was too busy with their lives to notice her.
“Two coffees! Black for Kloe,” the girl called out.
“Yeah that’s me!” Kloe answered, grabbing the cups. She went to head back to the hotel when she got that feeling again.
“Kloe Rice?” A voice came from behind her.
She turned to see who had called her name. There was a woman, dressed in a white dress, with a colored scarf, belt and sandals.
“Can I help you?” Kloe asked.
“Come with me!” She told her.
Kloe hesitated but her curiosity got the better of her. She followed her to a nearby bench where she sat down. Kloe looked around her for trouble but when there was no sign of any she sat down next to this woman.
“You might be curious as to why I know your name while you have never met me. Be assured I mean no harm. Myself and my friends mean no harm. We are here to help you. You are special and we are here to ask you to come with us. We can help you understand what is going on.” The woman told her.
“I am not alone here in London. I am with my boyfriend,” Kloe told her.
“We are aware and we can send someone to let him know that you’re with us, of your own will. However, he cannot come with you for the time being. We only need a few days and we will be able to explain the changes you are going through. If you are able to have a child,” the woman told her.
“A child?” Kloe asked placing a hand over her belly.
“Yes. It might be an option at this point but we won’t know unless you allow us to examine you. We also need to do blood work.” The woman told her.
“Are you seriously saying I could possibly have a child?” Kloe asked.
“Yes I am. We are well aware of your trip to the spring and we know it changed you. Trust me when I tell you this. We will have an answer for you if you come with us. However, Kloe it is your choice.” The woman told her.
“Can I have some time to think? Maybe talk this over with Gavin?” Kloe asked.
“I am sorry but we are on a tight time frame. It needs to be decided now. I wish we had more time, but it just isn’t possible. We will let Gavin know trust me.” The woman told her.
“I guess I could go. I mean if you can give me a hand. I can leave at any time right?” Kloe asked.
“Of course. We are here to help you not cage you,” the woman told her.
“Okay. I guess. How do we get started?” Kloe looked to her with questioning eyes unsure of what to do.
“Follow me,” the woman signaled to a nearby car. It drove to the curb. A man got out, opened the door and stood there.
“After you,” the woman said.
Kloe set down the drinks on the bench . Looking around one last time towards the hotel and climbed into the car. The woman climbed in after her.
“I have one request Kloe. That you wear this blindfold as our location is a secret. We want to keep it that way,” the woman said, handing her a blindfold.
“Umm, okay!” Kloe told her, taking the blindfold and placing it on. Kloe hoped she was doing the right thing and not being lied to. Kloe tried to memorize the turns and how long each road took. There were so many turns she eventually gave up. The car eventually came to a stop and the door opened. She went to remove the blindfold.
“No. Please leave that on,” the woman told her.
They exited the car. She was taken inside a building and down a flight of stairs, into a room
“You may remove the blindfold Kloe,” a man told her.
Kloe removed it. Looking around. It was a room like the one she had been in at the councils party. It was pure white but had a chair like the dentist used in the middle of it.
“Might I ask you to please sit down?” The man asked her.
Kloe went to the chair and sat down.
“My name is Sean and you already know Jinne. You are safe here. No one will harm you. We are just here to provide you with answers. We would like to start with taking a few vials of blood is that okay?” Sean asked.
“Yeah I guess,” Kloe told him.
Sean went to the cabinet to the right of her. He pulled out some supplies and pulled a tray closer to her. He laid out a needle and vials. He put a rubber device on her arm that was tight and began looking for a vein. Then he inserted the needle and drained one vial at a time she looked away at the sight of blood but back at the doctor ..
“This will be the first test. It will take a bit to get back so Jinne will show you the common room, unless you want to lie down?” Sean asked.
“Common room is fine. Did someone go to notify Gavin of my whereabouts?” Kloe asked.
“We have sent someone to let him know,” Sean told her looking at Jinne.
Kloe waited in the common room for a while when she saw Sean pull Jinne aside. She turned off the TV and heard their conversation.
“She has the hCG hormone in her blood,” Sean told her.
“Is it possible? We will have to do further tests,” Jinne told him.
“Yes. It could be a fluke but we need to make sure this is correct. If it is then we have a miracle.” Sean told her.
Kloe went back to the TV and turned it on. What the hell was an hCG hormone? Also why would it being present be a miracle?
Sean walked in smiling.
“Kloe I need you to come with me please,” Sean told her.
Kloe got up and followed him.
“I need you to take your shirt off and put this smock on. We are doing a couple more tests. One is an ultrasound and then an amniocentesis which will involve a long needle. Are you okay with that?” Sean asked.
“I guess I am okay with that I guess but why,” Kloe responded.
“Just trust me I wont hurt you” Sean told her
Kloe changed and laid down on the bed,
in the room. The doctor put jelly on her stomach and then began to rub a device over her stomach. He pressed buttons and printed something and put it in a file. He looked to her and smiled.
“Okay we are going to do the needle now. It might pinch and be uncomfortable.” Sean told her.
Kloe turned her head. She didn’t like needles. She felt the pinch and the pressure of it.
“Okay, I think I got what I need,” Sean said, pulling the needle out, pressing some gauze on the spot the needle went in. “Go ahead and get dressed and Jinne will show you to your room.”
“My room. Will I be here long?” Kloe asked.
“Just a few days. Enough for us to get an idea of what’s going on,” Sean told her.
Kloe reluctantly followed Jinne after getting dressed. Something said to her that they were keeping something from her.
CHAPTER 11
Gavin woke up to an empty bed. He sat up and looked around. He sniffed the air. Her scent was faint. She was not in the room. He looked on her pillow and saw a note.
Went for coffee
Be back soon
How long ago was that? She had been gone awhile for her scent to be this faint. He got up, dressed, and grabbed his wallet and the room key. He ran a comb through his hair and put on his shoes and socks. He would start at the coffee joint around the corner. He would probably pick up her scent somewhere along the line. He walked quickly out of the room, closing the door and taking the elevator down. Following the traces of her scent he could grab. He followed it to the coffee joint and waited for the barista to have a spare moment, so he could ask him if he had seen Kloe.
He pulled out her photo from his wallet and showed it to her.
“Did she come here earlier?” Gavin asked.
“Yeah Kloe Rice. At least that’s what that hippie looking woman called her. They sat over on that bench for a bit and then left in a car.” She told him.
“Did you see where the car went?” Gavin asked.
“It went out towards the east but no idea after that. Look I have to get back to work sorry.” She told him, handing the photo back.
Kloe was abducted right under his nose and he would need local help getting her back. He made the decision to talk to Ahiga or Heinmot. He headed to the pub. Maybe someone there could direct him to them. He walked the street with his anger fuelling him. Kloe was so damn trusting. When he got her back things would have to change or she could get killed. He came up on the pub and opened the door. He eyed who was there and in the corner was Ahiga. He walked over, pulled a chair out and sat down.
“Did I say you could join me?” Ahiga asked.
“I need your help,” Gavin said ignoring his question.
“Why come to me you don’t know me and I don’t know you?” Ahiga asked.
“It's Kloe. She has been kidnapped and I need help finding her. All I know is they took her east of the hotel.” Gavin told him.
“Your sense of smell can't track because she was in a car I bet. I told you this would happen. We are wolves so what can we do that you can’t?” Ahiga asked.
“You know this area. Maybe you know people in the security department for the CCTV cameras. We can get a license plate number and we can run it. They won’t expect this of me so they may have slipped up,” Gavin told him.
“I might know someone but what can you give in return?” Ahiga asked.
“I am sure Kloe will pay you handsomely upon her safe return,” Gavin told him.
“Well that is a nice offer. It will do for now. Come with me.” Ahiga told Gavin. They walked out of the pub and to a black 4 door sedan .
“Get in!” Ahiga told him.
Gavin did as he was told and the car roared to life. They drove the streets until they stopped outside a large home. Ahiga motioned for Gavin to follow and they walked into the house. Gavin stood there for a moment. Taking in the size of the inside of the house and the layout as he followed Ahiga from room to room. You would never guess the size from the outside.
“This is George, our tech guy and Kali our native hacker.” Ahiga told Gavin, pointing to a man with a desk full of gadgets and a girl surrounded with computers in pigtails.
“Hey what’s up?” George said.
“Who’s the new guy?” Kali asked.
“He is a wolf, hailing from Paris. His girlfriend was kidnapped this morning and needs our help” Ahiga told her.
“So what can we do?” Kali asked.
“I was hoping you could hack the CCTV footage and maybe get a license plate. We can run it through the database and find out who the car belongs to. That will give us a clue as to who is behind her abduction,” Gavin told her.
“Hacking is my thing and that is a walk in the park. Do you have a time frame?” Kali asked.
“Yeah between 8am and 10am this morning at the coffee joint by Park Grand Paddington Hotel.” Gavin told her.
“Okay it might take a bit to go through the footage. Is there anything that will make her stand out?” Kali asked.
“Yeah she and the woman sat on the bench and talked and then got into the car. Kloe is trusting and I bet they played on that. If I know my girl, she is stuck and trying to reach me,” Gavin told her.
“Okay. Let me work with that and see what I can do,” Kali told him. Her hands flew to the keyboard and different screens were popping up and closing as she worked. “Please don’t hover I don’t like that.”
“Sorry,” Gavin told her as he walked over to a couch to sit down.
“So your girlfriend was kidnapped. Do you have any idea of why?” A man asked as he sat down on the opposite couch.
“She is special. She is half human, half vampire.” Gavin told him.
“You are in love with a vampire? You are aware this is abnormal right?” The man asked
“Yes trust me. I am aware but I still love her” Gavin told him.
“Adam are you grilling Gavin?” Ahiga asked.
“Just curious as to why he is dating a vampire, regardless if she is half human.” Adam told him.
“It isn’t our place to judge and right now we have been hired to help get her back safely. So let’s do that,” Ahiga told him.
“Hired? So that is why we are involved. Don’t you have anyone else to turn to boy?” Adam asked.
“I don’t want to get her parents involved for now. However, if we need their connections in London I will ask for them when that time comes. I don’t want to worry them for now.” Gavin told them.
“They have connections and you are using us. That seems odd.” Adam said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Adam that’s enough. Now leave the young man alone. He is going through enough,” Ahiga told him.
“Fine you all play your rescue game. I am going out” Adam told them. Making sure they heard the door slam.
“I apologize for Adams behaviour. He has a thing against vampires. It’s a long story and not a pleasant one. Kali, have you gotten anywhere with the CCTV footage yet?” Ahiga asked changing the subject.
“Yeah I just found the footage of them talking on the bench and a black car pulls up. Let me see if I can pull up on the plate. It's blurry let’s see if I can clean it up. There we go and viola. Who is the queen?” Kali said throwing her hands up in victory.
“303507. Now time to hack the licensing database.” Gavin told her.
“You got it. We are close to an id on the car owner. Our first clue on who took your girl.” Kali told him.
“Ahiga, I pray we get a solid lead out of this because I just hope that Kloe is okay. I have something I want to show you too.” Gavin said taking out his phone and pulling up the lion video from the Zoo.
Ahiga watch the video and his expression went to one of confusion.
“Did this happen at another animal exhibit?” Ahiga asked.
“Yes the wolves,” Gavin told him. Gavin pulled up that video and Ahiga watched in awe at what he was seeing.
“We need to find this girl immediately. You are right to think s
he is special. I have never seen animals behave like that,” Ahiga told him.
“If they start testing her and find out she is different, I fear for what they will do to her!” Gavin told him.
“Don’t worry we have wolves who deal in extraction. They will get her back once we locate where they are keeping her. You’re not the first to hire us. We are a gifted wolf pack you might say.” Ahiga told him clapping him on the back.
CHAPTER 12
Kloe sat in her room unable to sleep. She wanted to talk to Gavin and they had not supplied a phone yet. She was beginning to worry that she had been abducted and trapped. She got up and tried to open the door. Even with her strength it wouldn’t budge. Why would they lock her in, if she was here of her own free will? She looked around. Noticing how small the room was. There was a dresser with a light and a bed. She noticed on the wall there was an intercom. She pressed the button.
“Yes?” Came a voice.
“Why am I locked in here?” Kloe asked.
“It is to protect you from the others who are here,” the voice told her.
“I want to leave this room,” Kloe told her.
“I will ask my superior and get back to you,” the voice told her. The intercom went dead.
Others? She wasn’t the only one they had housed here. How many people were being treated like lab rats? She wanted to go home. She hoped Gavin was looking for her and he would rescue her. She hung onto that. Otherwise she felt she would fall apart.
Being in this room reminded her of the council room in Reno. When they had locked all the newborns up in white rooms. She had survived that she could survive this. Kloe cursed herself for being so trusting. This is what her mother was talking about. Now she was scared she would never see her mother or father again. Would Gavin contact them for help?
There was a clicking sound and then her door opened. Jinne appeared with a food tray. A hamburger and fries and a glass of blood where set on the dresser.
“Here’s your lunch. I know you are going stir crazy but just try to relax. We keep the doors locked because we have different people here that might harm each other. I am sure you can understand. So eat your lunch and you can come out and enjoy some TV before your next blood work. Okay?” Jinne told her.