"Can I assist you gentlemen with anything else? Another table perhaps?"
"No thank you. This is a rather intimate setting for three friends to dine together. We are quite comfortable," Ismay replied.
"Very well, sir. I will return shortly with your meal," the waiter said to Lieutenant Murdoch.
After the waiter had left, Murdoch turned to Bruce Ismay. "A larger table would have been more comfortable," he admitted.
"However, a larger table requires a louder voice," Ismay said as his voice was barely above a whisper.
Captain Smith nodded. "True. Mr. Murdoch please tell us what is so very important. Has Wilde returned?"
"Yes Captain and the news is grim," Murdoch answered.
"Please do not hesitate with the details," Ismay urged.
"When he left the battle, vampires were closing in on all sides."
"Vampires?" Smith asked.
"Yes sir. He said that they were unlike anything he has seen before. They were like sharks whose only purpose was to feed," Murdoch answered.
"Viktor," Ismay stated.
"Who is Viktor, sir?" Murdoch asked.
"Lord Viktor of Russia," Ismay answered. "Only one of the most deadly and powerful vampires to ever have walked on the face of the Earth. He had the ability to raise armies. How he was able to do so has never been revealed or documented in the council archives. I know our researchers, since his death, have been searching for centuries for that answer."
"If he is dead, then how is his army here?" Murdoch asked.
Ismay glanced at Smith who nodded. "She is here," Smith said.
"Who?" Murdoch asked as the waiter arrived.
"Our fine waiter," Captain Smith said jovially to Murdoch. "Eat and enjoy this wonderful food."
"It better be wonderful for what I am paying for it," Ismay said with a laugh.
"Finest in the world," the waiter said as he poured a glass of wine for Lieutenant Murdoch. "Anything else gentlemen?"
"Nothing at this time, but we may require dessert," Ismay said as he handed a tip to the waiter.
The waiter bowed. "Thank you again, sir. I shall instruct the staff to not let anyone disturb your festivities."
"Thank you, good man," Ismay said.
The waiter left again. Murdoch, despite being concerned for their warriors who battled on the decks below, couldn't resist in sampling the wonderful meal in front of him. The meat was tender and juicy. It was quite possibly the best meal that he had ever had in his entire life.
"Enjoy it," Captain Smith said. "It is delightful."
Murdoch nodded as he chewed. He didn't want to be rude and speak with food in his mouth. Also, he didn't want to stop eating, but he did have a nagging question. "Who is she?" he asked after he had swallowed.
"Ah my young compatriot, it is not hard to see that you are young to this war," Captain Smith said.
"Yes that is true," Murdoch said as he sipped his wine, "But it doesn't answer my question."
"The vampire queen," Ismay whispered. "Her name is Lanaova."
"And she is here?" Murdoch asked.
Ismay nodded glumly. "It is the only way to explain the sudden rise of an army. She would have been privy to Lord Viktor's archives," Ismay said.
"Why haven't we stopped her?" Murdoch asked.
Ismay and Smith both casually ate their food. "Have you ever tried to catch your hat in a storm at sea?" Captain Smith asked.
"Yes many times," Murdoch replied.
"How many times did it blow away and it was never seen again?"
"A few," Murdoch answered.
"How many of those times did you chase it valiantly across the deck of a ship only to watch it slip through your fingers?" Smith pressed on.
"Almost every time, sir," Murdoch admitted.
"That is Lanaova. The only difference is that she leaves a trail of death and destruction. Each time we get close to her, she slips through our fingers. In each battle, she appears to be stronger and more powerful. We are starting to wonder if we can ever stop her."
"Why would she be on the Titanic and why raise an army?" Murdoch asked.
"The tome," Ismay said. The fright in his eyes was evident.
"We must check on it immediately," Smith urged.
"I spoke to Crozier and it is still in the safe," Ismay answered.
"However, how do we defeat her? Our ranks are dwindling and her ranks are growing?" Smith asked.
Ismay sat stoically for several minutes. He ate his meal and he encouraged the others to do the same. The waiter returned with a dessert after they had finished their meals. Neither man spoke for an extended period. After they had all finished their dessert, Ismay wiped his mouth. He neatly folded the napkin and placed it next to his dessert cup. He folded his hands in front of him and glanced at each man.
"Gentlemen," he said softly, "I have an order."
As Ismay spoke, the color left their faces.
* * *
Mikhaeli had fed. Harry Whitner had proved to be a most delicious meal. His refined living had nourished his body. His blood was filled with the finest of alcohols. She had pondered sleeping with him prior to feeding but she hadn't had an expensive meal since she had started her voyage. She had Harry close his eyes as she slowly removed his shirt. She slipped in behind him and she had him sit on the bed. She licked up and down his muscular neck. He groaned with excitement. She would have loved to have seen his expression when her fangs slipped into his flesh. She held him close as she drained him. With his refined lifestyle and his handsome good looks, she would have raised him properly if they hadn't been at sea. Instead, she raised him as a drone and ordered him to walk with her. When the majority of the ship had retired for the night, she threw him overboard.
She returned to her cabin to read her hastily scribbled note. She truly wanted to take the tome but even with her army aboard the vessel, survival against thousands was not odds that she liked. Furthermore, she was a realist. She would be battling council warriors on the deck of a ship. One mistake and she could be forever lost at sea. She also didn't want to underestimate the power of Father Byles. He was their cleric. He was the most powerful threat to her existence.
She bathed leisurely into the evening. As she bathed in the warm water, she opened her handbag and removed the notepad. She had created her own form of short-hand. To the untrained eye, the note looked like a bunch of incomplete words. To Mikhaeli, it was a powerful enchantment. She smiled as she read:
April 27, 1497
The war as it has been told is a never-ending one. We raise new members to our flock only to be hunted and murdered by the council and their warriors. They slaughter us and they run and hide. They worship their magical man in the sky with devotion and reverence. It is that devotion and belief that separates us. They have a power that we fear.
However, it is fear, is it not? When a cross is held to my face, I turn away and hide. I fear their poisonous waters. I shun at the sight of a holy symbol, but why? I could not understand it. Why should I fear God as a vampire when I did not fear him as a man?
I began to test my theory. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. That prayer remained in my undead mind. I am not supposed to fear God. When he cursed us, maybe there was another enchantment to fear God. I am dead; I do not fear him.
I was able to overcome the fear but repeating the line of aforementioned prayer as I stared at a cross. It pained me and frightened me, but I pressed onward. I took vials of holy water from their dead warriors and I poured them on my skin. It burned but I continued the incantation. It has been three years since I started my path to end the fear. I write to you from Cologne Cathedral in one of its unfinished towers. I wonder if they will ever finish this place.
Lord Visigoth
Mikhaeli was speechless. When she hastily transcribed the page of the tome, she didn't absorb the words. Lord Visigoth had explained how he had overcome the fear of the council clerics. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, she thought. Coul
d it be just that easy? Maybe I will have that tome before I leave this ship.
She stood and wrapped herself in a robe. Part of her did wish to still be human and have the ability to truly love. She enjoyed her powers over men, but she longed for a prince. Harry Whitner was of the right breed, but he was very superficial. She needed a truly powerful man to rule at her side. She desired someone who attracted her beyond his physical beauty. She needed someone but she didn't know who.
"Well, I will have to try…"
She nearly fell over backwards as she attempted to step out of her bath. The ship had just shuddered. She regained her balance and she felt another tiny shudder. As she stepped out of the tub, she felt one more tiny vibration. She glanced around. She dried her body quickly and dressed. She put her coat over her dress and she exited onto the promenade deck. The cold air bit into her wet skin. Ice littered the deck. She saw a large grey mass in the distance. Several passengers began to play with the chunks of ice that littered the deck.
She approached another female member of first class who just had a brief discussion with one of the crew members. She smiled at the crew member as he left. She heard the woman say that the crew member had said that it was nothing to worry about to another passenger, but Mikhaeli knew better. They had just struck an iceberg. This ship was doomed.
"Those sneaky bastards," she mumbled.
* * *
Two and half hours later, the lifeboats had been launched. Hundreds of passengers screamed as they raced up the sinking ship. The propellers had lifted out of the water. Mikhaeli was huddled in one of the lifeboats as she watched the drama unfold. Her minions, who had survived the initial flooding, still continued to feed on the remaining passengers. People jumped from the ship to escape certain death. Their screams soothed her dark soul.
The lights on the ship flickered and the ship was in darkness. The screams continued. People swam away from the doomed liner. There was a horrendous crack. The ship had split between the third and fourth funnels. Hundreds of people who had jumped to flee her minions were crushed by the aft section of the gigantic vessel as it slammed into the frigid waters. Hundreds of lives were vanquished in the blink of eye. People cried. Children wailed. Mikhaeli cried. Their deaths had brought her tears of joy. She truly enjoyed every dramatic moment. It was like watching a well-crafted and acted stage show. She watched the remaining section of the ship slowly stand upright and bob up and down. It seemed to pause as if it was waving goodbye. Seconds later, the Titanic, the ship believed to be unsinkable, plunged into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Her joy ceased as the ship vanished. Lord Visigoth's tome, still locked within the safe, took its final voyage to the ocean floor.
Revenge had replaced the joy in her heart.
CHAPTER 16
Present day…
Mikhaeli had waited for the lavender and purple hues to appear in the bright Colorado sky. Her vampire advisors had scoffed when she said that she was purchasing land in the Rocky Mountain state. They said that she wouldn't be able to survive in an elevated climate. They had laughed when she said that regardless of the elevation if she didn't go outside during the day that she would be fine. Finally, they told her that she was stupid and she deserved everything that she would get from moving to Colorado. She agreed and then she killed all three of them by burning them at the stake. To this day, it was one of her favorite moments during her reign.
Her stretched limo had departed her mansion. Evan Solis, her reluctant messenger, had been chosen to accompany her on her latest mission. She had arranged for a private jet to fly her to her destination. The pilot needed to be human. She made several phone calls and her contacts found a pilot who was willing to do anything for a payday. She packed her necessities, which amounted to five large suitcases, and they left immediately for a small local airport.
They arrived at the airport an hour later. She had ordered her driver to drive well within the posted speed limits. They didn't need any unnecessary attention. She had repeatedly reminded her minions that council warriors were everywhere. A routine stop by a patrol car could result in an all out battle with council warriors who worked for the Denver Police Department. She wasn't in the mood for a battle tonight. She had a long flight ahead of her and she wanted to be wellrested for her trip.
Her limousine was permitted to drive onto the runway. The plane was a Bombardier Learjet 35. The long, sleek, private white jet hummed as it waited for its passengers. Twin engines, near the tail section of the craft, provided fast, yet quiet, propulsion. Mikhaeli admired the expensive aircraft. Unlike the large commercial airliners, private jets were designed for privacy and comfort. Mikhaeli briefly pondered purchasing the plane outright but it would have left an unnecessary paper trail. Despite being someone who loved attention, she still didn't desire any unwanted attention.
A distinguished pilot, who was accustomed to transporting rich passengers, exited from the plane. He smiled as he approached Mikhaeli and her two companions. Her vampire limo driver let out a low hiss indicating that he was hungry. Mikhaeli gave her driver a quick and angry glance. He hissed softly again and she stared at him. He decided against arguing that she could easily find another pilot.
"Greetings, I am Captain…"
"Irrelevant," Mikhaeli said impatiently.
"Irrelevant, ma'am?" he asked politely.
"Yes, your name is irrelevant. I have hired your company to do a job for me. I really don't care about names as long as my wishes are met. Considering the amount of money that I am paying for this flight, I will, not should, get my way," she said tersely.
"I see this will be a pleasant flight," he said sarcastically. "If you follow me, my crew and I will prepare for take off."
Mikhaeli ignored his sarcastic comments. "No crew," she ordered.
"No crew?" the puzzled pilot asked.
"Since you are a Captain, I must assume that you are completely capable of piloting this craft," she said.
"Yes, ma'am, I am but…"
"No buts and no crew either."
"It is against protocol, ma'am. If something were to happen to me, then who…"
"Nothing will happen to you, I assure you. You will pilot the plane from here to my destination. No questions asked and you will do it alone."
"Well, we will have to stop in…"
"No stops."
"But…"
"Haven't we already fucking covered this?" she asked impatiently. "No buts. I am paying to fly to my destination. I am paying for you to fly me there. I cannot understand why you are failing to understand me?"
"Ma'am, if I may…"
"No you may not," she replied tersely. She was growing impatient.
The pilot cleared his throat. "Ma'am, and I am going to be blunt about this, down here, you with all of your wealth may be in charge. When this plane leaves the ground, if it leaves the ground at all, I am in charge. My crew is here to serve your needs, not me. My job is to fly the plane and if you want this plane to leave the ground at all, then I suggest you listen to what I have to say."
Her limo driver took a step forward but she raised her hand. She wasn't used to being talked to in such a blunt manner. She smiled. He had turned her on. "Yes, forgive me," she lied. "I am in a rush. Please Captain, tell us about our trip."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said through a forced smile. "We will depart Denver shortly. I can limit the crew to one attendant as I cannot serve meals while I am flying. Since you are looking for a direct route, I will change the itinerary and fly you directly to your destination. If you have any further, reasonable requests, I am willing to entertain them."
He is kind of forceful, I like it, she thought as she smiled. "How long will it take us to fly there?"
"With a strong tail wind, we can do it within five hours. Six at the most. We should touch down before daybreak," he replied.
"Good," she said. "One last thing, I want all windows closed."
"That is unusual, but not unreasonable. If you wish to board, I can h
ave us airborne shortly," the pilot said.
"Very well," she replied.
The pilot walked up the stairs into the plane. Mikhaeli watched him vanish. She turned to her driver. "Put my bags in the plane. No one is allowed to touch them but you. If someone else handles my belongings, I will have them turn this plane around, land it and I will get off. I will hire a cab, drive to the mansion, and I will stake you in front of everyone. Am I clear?"
"Absolutely, My Queen," he said as he moved to the trunk to start unloading her baggage. Eric Solis moved to help his fellow vampire.
"What the fuck are you doing?" she asked.
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