----
Somewhere, far away from the wreckage of this day, deep in the mountain shadows, an infant’s crying could be heard, echoing along the cliffs and valleys.
57
Frank wasn’t able to listen for any audio cues due to the headphones whispering nature sounds to him as he rode along. He was blindfolded as well, so in actuality, two of his senses had been rendered useless for the moment. Normally he would not have allowed himself to be treated in this way if he’d had a choice, but Enos had promised to ride in the car with him and vouched for his safe arrival. To sweeten the pot, Enos also promised to introduce him to a vampire, and apparently that opportunity was enough for Frank to sell himself out. So he was riding in a car, unable to see where he was going and unable to use what he heard to help identify where he was traveling. After a time, he felt the vehicle take some turns and then slow gently to a stop. Somebody got in and sat in the seat behind him and soon after he seemed to have fallen asleep. This had to have been deeply, because he was now in a bed, in a room that smelled of cedar. After thinking about this further, he understood that he had been put to sleep by some means because he would never have slept through the transfer from car to house.
Frank got up and crossed the room to look out the window. He was upstairs in the second story of a large house. From his vantage point, he was looking down upon a shaded, commons which was dotted with smaller cottages. He had heard of this kind of setup before. There were some vacation clubs or church-owned campgrounds like this, but also this was a set up that various cults used. He could tell it wasn’t new. This was a gated community with limited access in and out, with security usually minding the gates.
Though he was in his own clothes, all pockets had been emptied and the contents were laid out on the bedside stand, even his pistol. Surprisingly it was loaded. Set aside but still on the stand was a brief note that said: “Frank, we’re downstairs. When you are ready come on down to the kitchen. Bring your gun if you like but you don’t need to. Enos”
Frank decided to come down as he was, without the gun, and walked slowly to the stairs and then down. His speed was checked as he took in his surroundings. Ever the agent, he assessed the house and what it could tell him along his route. When he arrived at the kitchen he found Enos there with Constance, and was introduced to Dr. Cinnamon Starr, someone he knew of but had never met. Next to Cinnamon was Sanford Long, another name he knew. There were sandwich makings, buns, soft drinks, salad and fruit. After pleasantries, Frank said, “I guess I need to be brought along.”
“There’s a lot to take in, Frank.” Enos said, “I had to ask a lot of questions and go at my own pace. Relax, I’ll be around if you need me. I know we need to compare notes, but this is really the fastest way. You’re not a prisoner any more than I am, but after what happened a few hours ago at what was the office, familiarize yourself by what you are about to see.”
Millie came into the kitchen and was introduced, and Frank was left in her hands for orientation with Sanford tagging along. She turned to Frank and said, “You can bring your gun if you like.”
Frank understood this was a curious way to build trust but he was an FBI man. “I’ve just come from a gun fight with some bad-assed dudes. Some of them were people I called friends. I don’t understand much of this, until I do I’m going to be a bit protective of myself and everyone around me.”
Frank returned upstairs. Sanford called out to Enos. “Just like you said he would be, Enos.”
Enos replied, “He’s a good man. Not afraid to tell you what he thinks, not afraid to use you to get things done, either.”
“To a point, I can respect that.” Sanford said.
Since it was nearly twilight, they walked the grounds first, then looked at some cottages as questions were asked and stories were told. They reviewed the history of the Haven in the Pines property, as they meandered, fielding Frank’s questions which were surprisingly respectful, astute and genuine. There was no rush, and Frank fed himself slowly through many hard-to-comprehend, stretch-your-mind parts of his briefing. It helped that he knew Enos’s story and that he had seen many hard-to-believe things during his tenure with the FBI. They finally wandered onto the beach and walked up toward where Misty had run into trouble. It helped him gather direction and focus. When they gathered at the crime scene, he was careful to leave the scene intact, which made Millie and Sanford laugh. Frank was confused.
“What’s so funny?” He asked, balanced between joining them and being offended.
“Wait a minute.” Millie answered. “Others are joining us.”
Frank nearly reached for his gun, as he searched the last of the twilight along the beach for intruders, but Sanford stopped his arm and shot him a reassuring look, “Family!”
Enos came out of the darkness accompanied by another man, quite handsome and self-assured in his manner. “Frank, it was everything I could do to stop this guy from appearing out of nowhere.
“It’s my nature.” The man said.
Frank Lucas, I want you to meet, Michael Ro`dan.” Enos said. “Frank is with the FBI and Michael is a vampire.”
The group laughed. So did Frank, somewhat nervously.
“Frank,” Michael shook Frank’s hand, “Enos has been catching me up and I see you have been brought along as well. I understand you had an interesting afternoon.”
Frank was slow to respond. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Let me tell you how it will end.”
58
Ruby heard the movement. Perhaps she even felt it. But she couldn’t ignore it, although that was what she wanted. She’d have to investigate, and so she stood at the end of the hall, wiggling like she badly needed to pee. The hallway was dark and wet but it was dry near the door. Even the urine she left there was now dry. That was a good thing. It meant that the door was doing its job. She was quiet and concentrated on not chuffing or whining. Her feet padded along the floor, but she couldn’t hear her steps. It was reassuring to watch her feet though, rather than seeing the door coming nearer with every tentative stride. But, sooner or later, Ruby would come before the scary door, and alas, here she was. She didn’t look at it, but tipped her head slightly to listen harder. Earlier, there had been the muffled boom, boom, boom of that thing trying to get out of its… its cage with the clear walls. This was the one Ruby could look through and see Thing-One looking back and following her as she passed by…the one where Thing-One could look right back. And though the soft deep pounding had been concerning, not hearing it anymore was even more frightening.
Ruby moved her head again so that her nose could test for scents and the ears could listen from a different tilt. Her shaking continued and she was ready to high-tail it, if this was a trap or if the door exploded open. What she could smell was the scent of dry dust or dirt which didn’t make sense if it had been in a tank with water. But lots of things took their time to make sense to her and Max. This was where they were so good together; figuring things out. She wished Max would come to her.
Wait! Now there was a sound from behind the door: scratching or…or gnawing. That’s what it was; gnawing right at the door and the scent now was more familiar. Her handlers had smelled like this and also had that quiet but irritating hum. If Thing-One came out of the room, it meant to get her. It meant to have her. It meant to keep her closer than on a leash. This was the main point of her fear. She was pretty sure that she could outrun the thing…Thing-One. But though she could see outside, Ruby couldn’t find a way to be outside. If there was no way out, she would be caught eventually. Something deep inside whispered to her. Maybe it was Max. There was a wonderful thought. But, though the messenger was wonderful, the message was not. It was telling her, if she was caught by Thing-One, she wouldn’t be Ruby anymore.
“It is Max, Ruby.” Came a low moan from inside the room. “Come on Ruby, help me get out. We can run and chase all down the hallways and rooms. We can find hidey-holes and sleep together again.”
> “Max!” She yelped happily. “Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max. Max! Max is here! I knew it!” She twirled around happily. “I knew it so, so much. They said you were gone, ever-gone. Oh, yes. I want to see you Max. I want to touch you, rub all over you, and smell like you…smell like us.”
“I can’t get out, Ruby. Help me get the door open.”
“If…if…if harder is waiting, nicer is seeing.”
If Ruby had a tail she’d be wagging it. She stepped to the door to see if she could help and then she smelled the urine scent, hers…dried but still standing guard. This was her mark to remember and be warned…warned about Thing-One.
“Max? Is it really you? Please tell me. I need to know ‘cause I…I…I’m really scared. I’m s-s-scared of Thing-One. Is there a Thing-Two?”
There was an answer, she thought. It sounded like a reply but it was also garbled. Ruby stepped closer still and tilt-turned her head.
“Waaarrrg!” Came a roar that shook the door. It was frustrated and angry and accompanied by clawing and pounding. The sounds became fierce against the door and the something cracked and the next minute, a claw or a horn or a tooth wedged its way through the middle of the door.
Ruby knew she should run but called nervously, “If…if…Max, are you in there?”
No reply came except the thing in the door was straining at the crack it had made, and by the sounds of it, it was applying pressure.
“Max? Max, please! Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max...Please!”
Ruby backed away from the door as it began cracking. She scampered back down the hall a bit, pausing briefly for one last look, battled with going back and then continuing in a trot. Not long afterward came a crash from the direction she had come from. Though she kept her pace and changed several passageways, her mind went quickly from how smart she was to leave a confusing trail to follow, to how stupid she was because it might have been smarter to watch what Thing-One was doing. As it was, not knowing where her pursuer’s location. She could walk right into it or be ambushed. Now what should she do? Where should she go? The emotional crush of Max being just on the other side of the door from her was heavy. But now, who knew where he was? She would have liked to have seen him. What was he doing in there with Thing-One anyway?
She stood in thought about whether to return to where Thing-One was, to see if Max was still there or to go on and go to the window room. The trouble there, was that the windows were dark and she couldn’t see out. She honored the choice about the window room. She felt she might be able to get help if she could see outside and get someone’s attention. The way to the window room wasn’t too difficult or too far, which was a good thing because something was coming this way and it didn’t have her scent. It smelled old and dry like barn dust, but not as good as barn dust smells. And it was trying to hurry. What…what…what if this was Thing-One and it was trying to get to the window room first.
“Run, you stupid mutt!” Ruby said to herself. That is what the first-ones would say when they wanted her to go so fast. And oh, wasn’t Max so beautiful when he would run. But now, it was she who had to run. She wasn’t as fast as Max or as beautiful, but she was probably faster than Thing-One. Ha! Thing-One against Dog-One. Rah-rah-run!
The thing out there was making noise, a dry raspy hiss, and it scared Ruby and she ran like the wind. It was surprisingly fast but Ruby got there and did a little winner’s dance, struttin’ her stuff in the door way. Thing-One was coming fast now. Ruby thought maybe she should close and lock the door which was always hard to remember. As it latched she eyed the lock but it was difficult to figure out if the little bar-thingy was side-to-side when it locked, or if it was supposed to be up-and-down. She dared not open the door to check it out.
With a loud thump, something hit the other side of the door so hard that it caused Ruby to fall backwards. She watched desperately to see if the lock would hold and saw the knob turn. If the door opened, there would be little that she could do to escape, which is what she wanted. Something told her that a confrontation would be a bad move. Moving in fact, would be her best option since she was fast but there was little room for movement in the room. The door knob turned only slightly but held. The door was locked. She took a big sigh of relief and as she did so, noticed that there was another door along the same wall on the other side of the room that stood open. This must have been noticed by Thing-One at the same time, because Ruby’s keen ears picked up movement on the hallway heading towards the other door. She immediately understood that she would not reach that door before Thing-One did, but did a very clever thing. Instead of racing to the other doorway which would result in a face to face, she got up and went to the door she had already locked and grabbed the knob. At first she thought of tearing through this door and down the hall out of reach but then she knew that though that might buy her time, she would have been chased from the very spot she might find help. Instead, she turned and rattled the knob and door to sound as if she were leaving. She hoped this might cause her pursuer to be distracted and lead to a look back over to the door it had just abandoned. Ruby rattled the door and then tore across the room to the other door hoping this tease had slowed Thing-One’s charge to the other door. When she got there, she closed and locked it. The roar of rage told of the frustration and anger of having the second way into the window room closed and locked, when moments before it had been easily accessed. As it had been with the room where Thing-One had been kept, irate pounding and clawing arose and Ruby knew full well where this would lead. She turned to the windows, her vision blocked somehow from blinds drawn on the outside, and sent a terrified howl.
58
For beings so full of life, they had slept the sleep of the dead. Their energy had been nearly spent the day before. Working on Misty was tense exhausting work. Using her body’s own roadmaps and stockpiles they had worked frantically until enough of Misty’s consciousness had been gathered to slowly assist in the body, mind and soul work. Not only did the four Havens add their expertise, but the use of Yooman technology, ancient by human standards but still beyond anything developed today, was also employed. The Havens moved slowly, not fully recovered from their exhaustion but, certainly the sleep had done them well. They gathered in the room where Misty lay recuperating. Her breathing was regular, and she was sleeping deeply and being rebuilt as fast as they could, but no longer on an emergency basis. She had slept through the night and everyone gathered at the table in the room. They fed on fruits, nuts, breads, vegetables and juices. After the enormity of the past day’s demands, they were content to breathe easy and commune with the world. They discussed the recent arrival of Frank Lucas and what this would or could mean. Humor is often at hand after such serious demands, and they were in the middle of this mirth when Misty bolted straight to a sitting position in bed and spoke urgently. “Mom, dad, Ruby needs your help…. Now!
There was momentary relief and excitement over Misty’s coming to consciousness but that changed quickly to a swift move by the four at the table to where Ruby lay in an induced sleep.
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The sound of rage went from one door to the other. Both entrances survived their first brutal attack but damage had been done. The doors would not withstand much more. There was nothing in the room she could use to put in front of the entrance to block it. Ruby expected a second assault but for the moment it was quiet and she listened very hard for even a whisper. And then a voice, low and gritty spoke through the door.
“Open the door, Ruby…or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll hurt your friend, Max here, so much he will never forgive you. Would you like to hear him scream in pain and calling out to you? Would you like to hear him begging you to help him? Pleading to you to stop his pain? I’m going to get through those doors eventually, Ruby…soon! If I have to break in there I will be angry. Who knows what I might do. You can’t run from me forever, Ruby. I am loose and running down your hallways. It’s over. You just don’t know it yet. Let me in, and I promise I will help you join Ma
x again.”
Excited to get back together with Max, and eager to be done with her tense situation, Ruby moved toward one of the doors and was reaching to turn the lock, when there was tapping on the window and the dark blinds were rising. She turned to see what was happening, and the woman who called herself Persephone raised one finger and shook her head to stop her from opening the door. Then, she motioned to her to come over to the window. Persephone was joined by her friend, Millie. They looked so large outside the window she was looking through. Behind where they were standing was the room Ruby last remembered being in, at the house where Persephone and her friends lived. She had been taught to regard these people as the enemy but they sure didn’t seem like enemies.
“Can you hear me, Ruby? Don’t speak loudly. We don’t want anyone to hear.”
Ruby nodded.
“I see you need help and you don’t have much time. You are in terrible danger, and can get to safety, but you will need to be brave and follow what we say.” Persephone said.
Ruby talked to the window and Persephone and Millie turned their heads, putting their ears to the glass. “If…if…if…I know. Thing-One is wanting to eaten me…like the big bad wolf. Max is there.”
The Blood In Between (The Safe Haven Trilogy Book 3) Page 32