William's Tale
Title Page
Vampires Live Among Us
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
About the Author
Other books by Regina Morris
Acknowledgements
Eternal Service chapter excerpt
United Service chapter excerpt
Enduring Service chapter excerpt
Reliant Service chapter excerpt
Other Books by Silkhaven Publishing, LLC
William’s Tale
Regina Morris
Smashwords Edition
Silkhaven Publishing, LLC
Silkhaven Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978–0–9914034–4–8 (ebook)
ISBN: 978–0–9914034–5–5 (paperback)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014909132
Copyright (c) 2014, Regina Morris
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All of the characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are fictitiously used. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the author Regina Morris and the publisher Silkhaven Publishing, LLC with the exception in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Printed in the United States of America.
Silkhaven Publishing, LLC does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third–party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of Silkhaven Publishing, LLC or Regina Morris is illegal and punishable by law. To obtain a copy of this novel, please purchase only through authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
DISCAIMERS:
This novel is for mature audiences only. Violence, sex, and nudity are described in this book and the target audience is for individuals 18+ years of age.
Even though the story takes place in and around Washington, DC, the White House, and the President of the United States, this book is a suspenseful paranormal romance which is humorously told, and not a political thriller.
COLONY:
Council Of Legalized Outlanders for National securitY
Vampires Exist Among Us
They can be our neighbor, best friend, our child’s teacher…
They alter their aged appearance based upon the amount of blood they consume. They move to a new area, drink a lot of blood, and appear young. Slowly they limit their intake of blood and age, right in front of our unsuspecting eyes. After decades, they fake their death, move, and do it over and over again.
Most live quiet lives in an effort to blend in.
Some, however, want power and control.
The COLONY is an elite group of vampires sworn to protect the president of the United States from these rogue vampires.
Prologue
William reread the text message from his team members, who were out of town on assignment with the President. “POTUS lockdown. All secure.”
Security for the trip was fine, and he remained thankful to have the time off. Relieved actually. The small vacation gave him time to spend at home with his family, as well as some well–deserved rest.
Most of the COLONY vampires had flown to California earlier in the week with the President. During the President’s tenures as Commander–In–Chief, he promised to visit each state in the Union. The tour had them in Oregon tonight, with the team flying back tomorrow. Every few months the President crossed off a couple of the states. Since this was his second term in office, he worked his second round of visits.
William wandered down the hallway to his children’s bedrooms, trying to be as quiet as possible. His fifteen year old son, Sinclair, lay in his bed watching YouTube. Why was he still up? His bedtime was hours ago. After William told him for the second time to go to bed, he continued down the hallway to his daughter’s room.
Nicole slept soundly in her bed, her arm around her doll. William entered the room and covered the child, which caused her to moan quietly and sink into the blanket for warmth. She was twelve but still on the small–side. He caressed the girl’s cheek, stroking her hair off her face, and left the room.
William’s next stop was in the nursery. There his newborn baby, Hannah, quietly slept. Of the three children, Hannah seemed the most clingy, and the one most likely not to fall asleep (or stay asleep) at night. William gave a slight sigh as he smiled at the sleeping babe.
He tiptoed carefully from the room, stepping over the creaking floorboard that always seemed to wake Hannah up. He made his way to the kitchen where his wife, Jackie, and another team member, Alex, sat at the table. Brown fabric was draped over Jackie’s lap, a pin cushion rested on her wrist, and the hum of a sewing machine came to an abrupt stop as she looked up at her husband.
“They all asleep?”
He shrugged his shoulders and took a seat between her and Alex. “Not all, but enough of them,” he said half jokingly.
“What does that mean?” Alex asked as she reached for her glass of wine and took a sip.
William looked over to the newest member of the COLONY. Alex had been nominated as the team’s new COLONY Director, but she declined the position since she had fallen in love with the COLONY coven master, Raymond. Raymond later turned her so she could work alongside the team.
“He means the most important one, baby Hannah, is asleep.” Jackie stretched in her seat, her spine cracking as her muscles flexed. “I nursed her twice and rocked her for thirty minutes before you came over.”
“She doesn’t go down easily,” William agreed. “When she is up, the whole house is up.”
Gathering the material from her lap, Jackie piled it neatly on the table. “Thanks for helping us make these costumes for the Thanksgiving play at Nicole’s school.”
“Not at all,” Alex said as she picked up some beads and followed William’s lead of threading them on a thin strip of fabric with a knot on one end. “What types of costumes are you making?”
William compared his recently made bead string with the others on the table. Realizing it was shorter than the rest, he grabbed another two beads. “Nicole is a squaw in the production. Jackie got roped into making ten Native American costumes for the play.”
“I volunteered,” Jackie said, smiling, her fangs slightly showing. “You were roped in by me.”
Alex began a second strand of beads and watched as Jackie sewed some that William had made earlier onto one of the costumes. The Singer danced expertly under Jackie’s hand.
“Did you have a pattern?” Alex asked.
Jackie chuckled. “White pillow cases dyed brown, with slits for the head and arms, and beads sewn on isn’t exactly a challengin
g project.” She picked up a finished costume and pointed to the different features. “I even added a couple of darts in the back to give it some shape as well as cut the bottom to make fringe.”
William placed another completed bead strand on the table. “I have no idea what a dart is, but it is very clever, babe.”
Alex turned a costume over and pointed to the two sewn gatherings in back. “Darts.” She then placed it back down on the table and looked around. “Are they going to wear feathered headdresses?”
Jackie’s eyes lit up. “I almost forgot.” She walked to the countertop nearest the stove and plugged in a hot glue gun. Pointing to a bag of feathers, she added, “We’ve got everything we need.”
“I’m on it.” William stood and manned the glue gun.
Alex smiled as she looked from one to another, then she took another sip of wine. “You two make a cute couple. I never heard the story of how the two of you met.”
Both William and Jackie snickered.
“What?” Alex asked.
Jackie gave her a wry smile. “Within five minutes of meeting the man, I was yelling at him and calling him a mockery of the American dream of equality for all.”
William let out a slight chuckle. “She had no idea I was an ex–Freedom Rider from the 1960s who died in the pursuit of equality, and who was turned into a vampire.”
Alex’s jaw dropped. “No way!”
“Girl, I was awful to him. And, I had no idea vampires existed.” Jackie walked over to William, her arms wrapping around her man as she hugged him. “I said he had forged a system of lies for the American people and was spoon–feeding it to them.” She halfway laughed and looked her husband in the eyes. “And you know what? You ate my nasty attitude up and knew I was the woman of your dreams!”
“Woman, you were so smitten with me that you couldn’t keep your hands off.”
Alex sat back in her chair, no longer stringing beads.”Tell me the whole story.”
Jackie looked up to William, whose response was to shrug. “Go ahead and tell it your way, babe. I’ll jump in when needed.”
Jackie took a deep breath as she returned to the kitchen table. “Well, our story began on a cold spring day…
Chapter One
An entire relationship and three beautiful children earlier…
Jackie's body ached, and all she wanted was a hot bath. She opened the door to her apartment complex and left the bitter cold of the Maryland winter outside. She dusted off her jacket, removed her gloves, and loosened the scarf around her neck. Just a few steps into the lobby of the building and she already felt too hot to need her coat.
She heard the clicking of her boots as she crossed the tiled floor to the community mailboxes. After watching the mail tumble out once she opened the tiny door, she cursed herself for not having the post office hold her mail.
However, she was only gone a week.
An exhausting week.
She quickly scanned the mail. Why was she still getting letters address to her ex-boyfriend, Steve? She had told that man to have the post office change his address. What did she have to do? Fill out the forms for him? She grabbed a pen from her purse and crossed out her address, writing, “Forward” onto each envelope. Next time, she wasn’t going to be as kind.
But she had said that to herself the last time she had checked the mail. And the time before that.
No. Not anymore. She grabbed the letters and, pressing down firmly with the pen, wrote, “Address Unknown” across the top, scratching out her earlier marks. She then slipped the letters into the outgoing mail slot. She was done playing nice with that man, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to no longer be his doormat.
She removed her coat and draped the garment over her arm. Gathering up the remaining mail, mostly bills, she carried her small suitcase up the main staircase to her apartment. Eclectic styles of artwork hung in the hallways. Not her taste, but the paintings, the plush carpet, and the light fixtures on the walls always reminded her of a library — a nice, clean library. She fumbled for her keys as she approached her door. It wasn’t very late, but evidently she had made enough noise that her elderly neighbor had come out of her apartment to see who stood in the hallway.
“Oh, Jackie dear. It’s you.”
Jackie took a deep breath. Why couldn't she walk into her apartment without a news announcement or gossip call from Mrs. Cunningham? She was a sweet woman, although a bit eccentric and long winded. Tonight the woman wore a red housecoat, fluffy white house shoes, and her hair was curled in rollers. “Hello, Mrs. C.”
“It’s good to see you, Jackie. You look so nice.” She touched the brim of her glasses as though getting a good look at her.
Jackie gave a wry smile. Really? She looked nice? She wore torn jeans and a dirty T–shirt. Her hair lay tied back in a kerchief, and she wore no makeup. She wasn’t looking like the belle of the ball since she had spent the day moving heavy boxes. She still smiled and accepted the compliment.
“How is your father, dear?”
Leave it up to Mrs. C. to hit her with that loaded question this late at night. “As best as can be expected.” Jackie slid her key into the lock of her door and heard the tumbler unlock the chamber.
“Is he all moved in?”
How the little old bitty could keep track of everyone else’s whereabouts and comings and goings was beyond Jackie. She smiled at the woman as she opened the door. “Yes. He’s just down the road at Silver Estates.”
“That’s a nice retirement home. Nancy down the hall mentioned to me that she needs to find a place for her elderly mother. Of course,” Mrs. C now looked down the hallway and continued in a whisper, “she needs to find a place that is not too close to where her father lives because…”
Jackie's hand rose up to stop her. “It's rather late, Mrs. C.”
Her eyebrow rose, perhaps in frustration. Regardless, she kept talking. “I figured you’d be gone until at least this weekend.”
It was only Thursday and Jackie had planned to take her father shopping over the next few days to buy whatever he may need for his new apartment. “Things went smoother than planned,” she said.
Mrs. C’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I almost forgot. You got some flowers while you were away. Caroline down the hallway got some too, but they weren't nearly as nice as yours. Hold on…” She entered her apartment and returned holding a vase of not so fresh roses. “They arrived just after you left.”
Jackie quickly grabbed the flowers since they looked heavy in the old woman’s arms. “Thanks Mrs. C. I appreciate you signing for them.”
She offered Jackie a wide grin. “I know this is your year for getting a ring on that hand of yours. You know, you're the only single woman still on this floor.”
Jackie shifted her stance to her other foot, partly because of the weight of the flowers. Jackie wanted to be married and perhaps have children, but she doubted that this was her year for it. She certainly didn't need to know that she was the resident spinster. “Steve and I broke up weeks ago,” she explained under her breath.
Mrs. C. shook her head. “Oh, not him dear. Someone better.”
Jackie bit her tongue. “Ok, if you say so. It’s rather late, and I have some unpacking to do.”
“If you ever need anything….”
Jackie smiled. “I know you’re only across the hall.” She entered her apartment, closing the door on the very sweet, but very nosey, woman.
Now alone, she studied the nearly dead flowers. She had spent an entire week moving her father into a retirement home. Well, him and his two cats. Four months had passed since her mother died from ovarian cancer, and her parents had lived out in California. Moving to Maryland was a big move for her father. At the very least, he was sensible about it. He appreciated her efforts and now only lived a few miles away from her.
The flowers went straight into the trash, but she pulled the card. Jackie took a deep breath as she read it. She prayed the flowers weren’t from her ex–b
oyfriend. Although she didn’t know who else the bouquet could have been from.
Unfortunately, the flowers were Steve’s second attempt to woo her back. She ripped up the card and threw it in the trash. There was no way she was allowing that cheating bastard back into her life. She wanted a man to share his life with her. To be with her all the way until death did them part — just like her father had been there for her mother. The two of them had a great love story.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She missed her mom and had hated to see the pain in her father’s eyes over the last year as his wife slowly withered away. People should live forever, or at the very least not die such lingering deaths.
“Buck up, Jackie,” she thought to herself. She was lucky to have had her mother in her life as long as she had, and luckier still to have her father. Her parents did love each other. Love stories like theirs didn’t exist anymore. Which is why she planned to swear off men forever… or at least until Mr. Right came into her life.
Her shoulders sank and she let out all the air in her lungs. She had lived with three men, and none of them were the love of her life. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even recognize Mr. Right if he did come by.
Just then, Jackie heard her phone ring.
*******
William scratched his arm again. The wool suit created a rash on his skin. He cursed at the cold chill of the brisk morning air as he and another COLONY agent, Ben, drove to Criswell Elementary school. March had come in like a lion with its blustery winds and low chill factors. He couldn’t wait for the month to exit like a lamb.
What bothered William the most was the fact that he didn’t even need the warmth of the wool suit, or the full–length, lined winter coat he wore. Posing as human proved to be a pain at times. Honestly, he could be out in shorts and feel fine. But today he felt like a dressed up monkey. Dark suit, red silk tie, dress shoes, and, of course, the sunglasses. He hated it all. A pair of jeans and a comfortable T–shirt were more his style. Actually, an Afro was also more his style. But since he worked with the covert vampire team protecting the President, he kept his hair short and professional, and he sported no facial hair.
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