by Melissa Roen
“Oui, vaguely. Pour quoi?”
“The Hopi Elders say the sign that the Purification has begun will be when the world awakens one morning, suddenly, to the Red Dawn.”
I looked overhead at the stain of red that was spreading across the sky. “They say when the Red Dawn comes, the sky will be the color of blood.”
“Cherie, this is all very interesting, but what’s your point?
“I know it might sound crazy, but I’ve never seen the sky turn that deep shade of red before… it looks like it’s weeping blood!”
Julian slowed down and studied the sky for a minute, then looked at me skeptically.
“And this Red Dawn means the world’s going to end? Maya Jade, you don’t think we have enough to worry about with this storm brewing and escaping the fighting? Putain! Do you really think this is a good time to tell me ghost stories that blood in the sky means that the world is going to end? Right now? Today?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but another gust of wind smashed into the Land Rover with such fury, it felt like a giant swatting a fly. The SUV tilted on its side, and I thought we were going to flip over. Buddy let out a yelp as he slid across the back seat. The seatbelt dug into my body as I hung suspended over Julian. We hung there, teetering on two tires, for a couple of long sickening seconds, waiting for gravity and another gust of wind to finish the job. But miraculously, the car didn’t roll, and slammed back, with a teeth-jarring thud, upright onto its four tires.
I looked out the window, searching for a tell-tale funnel of death, but all I saw was the red stain deepening across the sky. The world around us bathed in the rays of a sickly orange half-light.
“Jesus! I thought we were going to flip. But I don’t see any tornadoes. Yet!” I said as Julian pulled back onto the road. I continued, “You’re right, we have enough to worry about. I know it sounds crazy. It’s only…”
“Pas de souci, ma cherie. It’s okay. Go ahead and tell me about these Hopi Prophecies. So the world’s ending?”
“Well, actually, only the Fourth World. Then, there’s the Purification that lasts seven years.”
“The Purification? Merde! That doesn’t sound like much fun.” Julian grinned, trying to defuse the tension with humor.
“No, can’t imagine it will be.” I smiled back, relieved we were still in one piece and together. I continued. “It’s probably going to be pretty terrifying and grim. But there is a sliver lining…”
“And what’s the silver lining, darling?”
I saw ahead the Alps looming closer, the snow fields on their peaks glowing like beds of lava under the red sun. The world around us transformed into something new, mysterious and unknown.
“We’ve got to get through the damn Purification first, but once it’s over, we enter the forever cycle of the Fifth World…”
“The forever cycle of the Fifth World?”
“And after the Purifier has left his mark upon the universe,” I paused for dramatic effect and finished with a flourish, “We will walk with our brothers from the stars once again!”
“That’s the silver lining? Walking with our brothers from the stars once again? Tu est trop marrante, ma belle.” Julian just shook his head and laughed. He reached over and tousled my hair. “Maya Jade, you’ve been watching too many episodes of The X-Files.”
“I know. I love Mulder and Scully. I believe,” I shot back, pleased that I’d made him laugh. “In fact, I’m thinking about changing Buddy’s name to Mulder.”
I turned around and rubbed Buddy’s head. “Would you like that, boy? You wanna be called Mulder?”
Julian slowed down and rolled to a stop. He leaned over and kissed me thoroughly. I could feel myself melting as his lips lingered over mine. A shockwave of thunder rolling over our heads brought us back to grim reality. For a brief moment, the world had seemed right.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’ve been in tough situations before,” Julian assured me as we accelerated back onto the road. “Hold on, baby. I’ll get us there safely. We’re gonna make it!”
I held on as the wind clawed at the Land Rover. My gaze resolutely fixed on the peaks ahead. But as the road unspooled behind us, I silently said a last farewell, to my home, the people and the land I’d loved so well. Maybe one day we could return.
I hoped ahead lay sanctuary. Somewhere amongst those towering peaks, we would find a new home.
I needed to believe we would survive. That there would be a better day ahead for us, and, indeed, a dawning of a new age, for all of mankind.
EPILOGUE
PAYBACK IS A BITCH
The priest and the nun said they didn’t know the arrogant bitch, but Vlad knew when someone was lying to him. He was an expert at reading facial tells and body language, though he hadn’t developed his sixth-sense playing liar’s poker. He’d honed this special talent conducting hundreds of savage interrogations back in the hell-hole that had spawned him, Sarajevo. He knew how to strip a man of all his dignity, lay him bare to his essence of blood and bone. They might start out lying, but in the end they always begged to tell the truth. Most recently, he’d found a demand for his skills here on the Cote d’Azur.
He relished the unease he’d seen flickering in the depths of the nun’s clear gray eyes. She wasn’t bad looking for a nun. The repressed, holier-than-thou-types were invariably the hottest in bed. He would enjoy teaching her how to pray to a different kind of god. In the end she would beg for it. Underneath, they were all the same—whores.
He could feel himself getting hard just imagining her naked body—the blood like slashes of scarlet against her milk-white flesh—tied spread-eagled to his bed. He ran his tongue over his sharpened incisors. He could almost taste the fear that would drench her in a cold sweat.
He remembered how her hand had sought out the comfort of the wooden cross that nestled between her breasts. He laughed. A flimsy talisman that had no power to ward off his kind of evil. He didn’t have the time right now, but he made a promise to himself, he would pay the nun a late-night visit, very soon.
He started the powerful engine on the Mercedes, and drove through a maelstrom of debris and branches down the oak-lined driveway of the Farm. The sun burned like a cauldron of fire. Streaks of lightning snaked across the blood-stained sky. Under the light, the surrounding countryside seemed to smolder and steam as though the world were about to burst into flame.
No, he hadn’t believed the nun or the priest. Although, the priest had been a better liar. He’d shown no fear, believing himself to be armored by holy righteousness. It was the dawn of a new age and his god couldn’t protect him anymore. The earth had been ripped off its foundation, the gate between worlds shattered, and new gods had come out to play.
He thought of the other one. The crazy cunt who’d shot out his tires. No whore had ever gotten the better of him. He was planning on taking his sweet time with her.
Vlad had been looking for the blue-eyed bitch ever since she’d escaped his trap on the mountain road by the Italian border. He was a hunter. Eventually, he knew he would find her.
He’d stumbled across the seemingly-abandoned observatory six weeks ago. When he picked the lock on the garage door, and seen the battered green Land Rover inside, he knew it was just a matter of time before he made her acquaintance again. Properly this time.
Vlad had thoroughly searched the living quarters in the observatory. He could smell she’d been there. A trace of her perfume lingered in the air. Vlad was a professional. She would never know he’d touched her things. Lain with his head on her pillow—marking his territory—as he brought himself to climax imagining all the depraved games they would play.
The isolated observatory would have been the perfect place for their long-awaited reunion. But he’d been too busy this last month at the Farm, while the defenses of the Security Zone crumbled, and his new master’s plans in Monaco came to fruition.
It had been easy to place the GPS tracker under the Land Rover’s rear bumper on his seco
nd visit to the observatory. He glanced at the screen on the hand-held tracking device. The car-shaped blip showed the direction and coordinates of the Land Rover. She was heading north into the Alps towards the French-Swiss border.
She had a forty minutes head start on him, but in the end it wouldn’t matter. The powerful Mercedes surged forward, eating up the miles on the winding backcountry road that led towards the looming peaks. He needed to plot a route to intercept her. Once he pinpointed her direction, he would need to scout out the perfect spot for an ambush. The cunt was armed, and not afraid to shoot first.
He reached the turnoff for the mountain road that led to the Alps. The wind shrieked and clawed at the Mercedes, but Vlad handled the sinuous mountain road with ease. The blood storm was building in fury. Sheets of lightning crackled on all sides. As he roared past, a pine burst into a fireball from a direct strike. The flames leapt from treetop to treetop.
Vlad laughed, reveling in the power of nature unleashed in all her wrath. The fury sang to a corresponding savagery in his own blood. He had her scent now. She couldn’t be that far ahead. He glanced at the screen of the tracking device again. Twenty-five—thirty minutes—at the most.
As Vlad accelerated through the tunnel of fire he imagined her face, the terror dawning in her eyes as she realized that this time there would be no escape. In the reflected light from the flames, his fangs looked as though they were covered by a sheen of blood.
“I’m right behind you, bitch. This story’s not over by a long shot.” He threw his head back and let out a bone-chilling howl.
“Run, you fucking whore. There’s nowhere left to hide…”
GLOSSARY OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
FRENCH EXPRESSIONS AND DIALOGUE:
Le petit mort: The little death
France sans culottes: France without panties.
Si vous chercher le femme: Look for a woman (to be involved).
Ca va ma petite?: Are you alright little one?
Tu est la toute seule?: Are you here all alone?
Bonjour, vous allez ou?: Good day, where are you going?
Le Seigneur: Jesus Christ
Bonjour ma petite beaute…je suis K.O.: Hello, beautiful….I’m out for the count (dead tired).
Quoi? : What?
Je m’en fous: I don’t give a damn.
Putain! : All purpose swear word, may variously mean, Hell! Damn! Fuck!
Putain! Tu es folle ou quoi? : Fuck! What are you crazy?
C’est impossible de discuiter avec toi.: It’s impossible to discuss this with you.
Cherie (f) Cheri (m): Darling
Tu es trop marrante, ma belle: You are too funny, my beauty.
Tu es trop beau: You are so handsome.
Le petit apero: Cocktail before a meal.
Salut les gars: Hi guys.
Merde: Shit
Palais: Palace
Roche or Roc: Rock
Bon Chic Bon Genre (BCBG): Very Chic, Very Upper Class
Maghreb: North Africa, region of Morocco and Algeria. Former colonies of France.
Banlieu: Suburb/ outskirts of a town or city. Low income area populated by immigrants, or their descendants.
Gendarme: Police
Surete Publique: Police Intelligence
Bourgeoisie: Well-educated, upper or middle class
Chapelet: Rosary
De riguer: Prescribed or dictated by fashion, etiquette or custom.
Pas de soucie: Don’t worry. It’s okay.
PLACES IN FRANCE
Rade de Villefranche: Bay of Villefranche. Deep water bay bordered by the towns of Villefranche and St Jean Cap Ferrat.
St Jean Cap Ferrat: Cape or peninsula, located between Nice and Monaco. An enclave of the super-rich in France.
Les Faculte de Lettres: University in Nice
La Mala (plage): Mala Beach, located in the community of Cap d’Ail
Cap d’Ail: French town on the border with Monaco
Basse Corniche: Lower corniche or highway (follows the coastline)
Moyen Corniche: Middle corniche or highway
Grande Corniche: Highest corniche or highway
Villa Chant de la Mer: Villa Song of the Sea
Cote d’Azur: (blue coast), French Riviera
Alpes Maritimes: Department of Maritime Alps
Val de Marne: Troubled area outside of Paris.
Cap Negre: Wealthy cape near the costal town of Le Lavandou.
Cap d’Antibe: town near Cannes
Mont Agel: Mountain located on the border between France and Monaco
Tête de Chien: Dog’s Head. Imposing rock formation in the hills above Monaco
Trophee des Alpes: Trophy of the Alps. Monument built by the ancient Romans
Notre Dame de Laghet: Our Lady of Laghet
Sanctuaire de Laghet: Convent, chapel, and grounds of the Sanctuary of Laghet
Astrarama: Observatory and astronomy club
Ecole de Chiens Guides: School for Seeing Eye Dogs
Lac Saint Cassien: Lake Saint Cassien, refugee camp
Palais D’Elysee: French Presidential Palace
Paris Levallois: French basketball club
Frejus: French town between St Tropez and Cannes
Agay: French coastal town between Frejus and Cannes
Theoule sur Mer: French coastal town near Cannes
Mandelieu: French town coastal near Cannes
La Napoule: French coastal town near Cannes
Cannes: French resort town famous for Cannes Film Festival
Le Croisette: Famous palm-lined drive in Cannes
Nice: Sixth largest city in France. International airport
Lingostiere: Commercial zone and warehouses north of Nice
ITALIAN EXPRESSIONS AND DIALOGUE:
Ciao amore: Hello, love
Si arrivo: Yes, I’ll be there.
Anche te: You too.
Perche no? : Why not?
Si cara: Yes, darling
Cosa pensi cara? : What do you think, darling?
Va bene: It’s okay. That’s fine.
Maloccio: Evil eye
PLACES IN ITALY
Olivetti San Michel: Border crossing in the mountains between France and Italy
Via Roma: Roman Road
Galleria Cima di Rovere: Road of the Hills of Rovere
Imperia: Italian town
Genova: Italian port and city
Alassio: Italian town
La Spezia: Italian port and city
THE HOPI PROPHECIES
There will be those who walk as ghosts through their cities, through canyons they have constructed in their man-made mountains. And their step will be heavy, as though they walk in pain.
They will begin to vanish before your eyes, like so much smoke. Others will have great deformities, both in mind and body. There will be those who walk in bodies that are not from this reality, for many gateways that once protected us will be opened.
Life will be perverted; there will be very little social order in these times. Many will ask the mountains to fall upon them just to end their misery. Still others will appear untouched; those who remember the sacred teachings and reconnected their hearts and soul to the Earth.
When the Purifier comes we will see him first as a small red star which will come very close and sit in our heavens watching us. Watching to see how well we have remembered the scared teachings and honored our connection with the Earth
The Purifier will show us many miraculous signs in the heavens. In this way we will know the Creator is not a dream. Even those who do not feel their connection to Spirit will see the Creator across the sky.
Many things will occur that will not make sense, for reality will shift in and out of dream state. There will be many doorways opened at this time. Things long forgotten will come back to remind us of our past creations.
We will see many warnings allowing us to change our ways from below on Earth as well as above. Then one morning in a moment, we will awaken to the
Red Dawn. The sky will be the color of blood.
There will be many strange beasts upon earth in those days, some from the past and some we have never seen. The nature of mankind will appear strange in these times between worlds, and we will house many spirits even within our own bodies
All living things will be present for this day when time ends, and we enter the forever cycle of the Fifth World.
After a time we will walk once again with our brothers from the stars, but not until the Purifier has left his mark upon the Universe.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
American author Melissa Roen has lived for the past twenty-seven years on the Cote d’Azur in the south of France. In Last Call for Caviar, she writes with an insider’s perspective about her adopted country, as well as the neighboring principality of Monaco. The author studied French language, literature, and civilization at the Faculte des Lettres in Nice, France, and studied art at L’ Ecole des Artes Plastiques in Monaco. She speaks English, French, and Italian. A lifelong animal and nature-lover, she is passionate about preserving the beauty and resources of our planet. The author is currently working on the sequel to Last Call for Caviar. For more information please visit her website: lastcallforcaviar.com
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE: COSMIC LULLABY
CHAPTER 1: THE LOVE JUNKIE
CHAPTER 2: JUMPING THE TRACKS
CHAPTER 3: THE MACCABEES
CHAPTER 4: GUNS AND ROSES
CHAPTER 5: THE HOOD
CHAPTER 6: JOESEXY
CHAPTER 7: ANCIENT SONGS
CHAPTER 8: THE HERALD
CHAPTER 9: BLIND MAN'S BLUFF
CHAPTER 10: MAMA AND SLOAN
CHAPTER 11: LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS
CHAPTER 12: DOGS OF WAR
CHAPTER 13: PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999
CHAPTER 14: PUCK
CHAPTER 15: BLOOD OF THE WICKED
CHAPTER 16: DILEMMAS