CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Florida City, FL USA
Bethany Anne was cleaning her hair the next morning in her room at the Cambria hotel in Florida City. It has six floors and hers was on the fifth. She didn’t care. The team took her in the back. Even after the wash down out in the glades, she was a complete mess. She got her room, dropped her clothes and took a long, hot shower and scrubbed everywhere until even her skin looked pink.
Then, she just faded into the night on the bed. She finally got up when she couldn’t take the sunlight through the window. She had failed to close the drapes before she went to sleep.
She felt better. The fight was draining but not too bad. She needed to remember to keep some sort of blood on her when she went into battle. She needed her own type of ‘healing potion’, she smiled at the thought. The problem with regular blood would be the amount of energy she could get out of one bag and the type of protection she would need. If she could get it into a smaller amount, maybe a vial, which would be perfect.
TOM, have you got a moment?
Like I do much in here, Bethany Anne.
Give it a rest, TOM. I know you hit the computer from time to time.
Uh, well, I’m just trying to get the connection going.
You’re doing an all-right job. The headaches are only minor and I appreciate that you leave me alone. It can’t be too exciting to just be a tag-a-long.
Actually, Bethany Anne, quite the opposite. Your adventures so far have been fascinating and give me plenty to think about after they are over.
Bethany Anne thought back through everything that had happened since she turned. Maybe he had a point.
Glad to hear it. Listen, can you work on a problem? I need to see if we can bottle the etheric.
You mean like the blood?
Yes, only better. The amount of energy in a bag of blood is pretty substantial, however; I can’t carry 10 bags of blood all over me when going into a fight.
What amount are you looking for?
She thought about that. They hadn’t actually figured out what her max was and just pulling from the Etheric was enough to keep her out of food and water and a constant, if slow, amount of extra. But the amount of energy expended during a battle was stupefying. If the medic hadn’t been there with the extra blood, John would be dead right now.
What about the same amount as twelve bags of blood, but something in a really small vial I can carry on my body?
I can see what I can do. It’s a good suggestion I just don’t have any ideas at the moment. Can I use the computer for this?
Bethany Anne grimaced. Anytime he truly used the computer her head hurt like a mother-fucker.
Yeah, hold on. Let me see if I can get some pain medicine up here first. We need to solve this problem. While you’re picking around with the computer, see if you can figure out why it hurts me so much.
Good point, I’ll do that too.
Bethany Anne called down to the front desk and ordered up some pain relievers. She asked for a bottle and only grimaced at the cost a little. For a woman who had the wealth she had now even a Tesla was a rounding error.
Five minutes later, she received the pain relievers and popped all 12 of them. Which helped and what was too much TOM could deal with.
She lay back down on the bed and waited for the pain.
TOM didn’t disappoint. On the bad side the first fifteen minutes hurt more than anything she had felt in months. After that, it became bearable and somewhere around 45 minutes she went to sleep.
An hour and a half later, she woke up and felt good.
TOM, are you finished?
Hmm? What? No, why?
I don’t feel any pain.
Oh, I figured out what was wrong and was able to fix it.
What was it?
What was what?
Bethany Anne was starting to get suspicious.
What was the problem, TOM? Why did it hurt so much in the first place?
Well, there was a problem with the connections.
TOM, don’t make me drag this out. What was the problem?
They were connected incorrectly.
So, you’re saying you connected the computer to my mind wrong, right?
This was getting confusing to Bethany Anne.
Yes, I connected the computer incorrectly the first time. It took me about 15 minutes to figure that out and about 30 minutes to fix it. I’m sorry.
Bethany Anne, relieved that the computer was online and didn’t cause her any pain anymore was past being annoyed by the mistake. It wasn’t like TOM had a manual on how to connect Kurtherian organic computers to a human.
Apology accepted.
There was a knock on the door, she could hear two men trying to argue in a whisper. It was John and Eric. She was smiling listening to them argue until she realized they had her red Fed-Ex box!
She jumped up and ran to the door, opened it, grabbed the box and slammed it shut before the two could even turn their heads. They just stared at the closed door.
Her clothes! Thank god they made it here. She wasn’t going to figure out who had re-routed the clothes to this hotel and she wasn’t going to question the providence.
She spent just thirty seconds getting changed. She had no makeup so she opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
John and Eric had made it three doors down from her when they heard her door open back up. They both turned around and their looks at seeing Bethany Anne in her fashionable clothes and high heels smiling at them was priceless. Feeling like a woman again and not a vicious killing monster she twirled once around and asked, “You like?”
Neither one knew how to answer that. John finally got his voice as he noticed that their hesitating was not pleasing Bethany Anne at all. “Wow, I have no words to describe what I see and ‘like’ is completely inappropriate!” He followed it up with what he hoped was the most handsome smile he owned.
Eric just grinned realizing that his team lead had saved them both. She could take it any way she wanted and they couldn’t get in trouble with HR.
“John, you’re making me happy I saved your ass. Let’s go to lunch on me, I’m starving. Get whoever wants to go and well find a place.”
Eric shook his head. “No can do, some of us are stuck here filling in reports. If the upper brass hear of us taking time to go eat somewhere far away, and there are no good steak places near here, it will be our ass.”
“You guys hold on,” she started to walk back into her room and yelled to them to join her. Eric looked at John and he just shrugged his shoulders. “As far as I’m concerned, I wouldn’t be here so if she wants me to join her in her room then I’ll just have to man up.” He grinned at Eric as he walked towards her room. He could hear her plainly, “Miami is closer, but it’ll still hurt like hell Mr. Grimes.”
“My bad, sorry, just wanted to make sure.”
Bethany Anne was pecking on her phone at a really fast rate when they joined her in the room and Eric shut the door.
She stopped and looked up, “How is everyone with hot dogs and hamburgers made fresh?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Florida City, FL USA
Almost the whole team was in the back parking lot. Half of them already eating hot dogs, hamburgers, philly cheese steak sandwiches and munching down on chili cheese fries and a couple had ordered gator balls.
Bethany Anne was under a tree nearby enjoying her third Bronx Bomber sans onions.
Scott was talking with Eric while they waited in line.
“Hey, tell me the truth. Were you there when she ordered the food?”
“Yes, why?”
They moved a couple of people forward.
“They say she just told the man in a scary voice to come and show up and start feeding us.”
Eric laughed. “Scott, you should know her better. She didn’t do any scary voice. She negotiated with them and they agreed. I can’t admit more. I told you I wouldn’t talk about her behind her back,
even this buddy.”
They got up to the front of the line and Joe looked out of the red food truck. It was actually a red trailer with a black and white checkered line going from the bottom back up towards the top of the trailer but at an angle that didn’t make it cut the trailer in two diagonally. The serving window was the width of the two wheels in the back.
“Hey buddy,” the guy in the trailer caught their attention. “I can tell you. We have a place over on South Dixie. Been there a few years. I get a phone call that asks me to come over with the trailer and I tried to explain that we don’t move from our spot. She asked if I would do it for some of America’s finest and I said we could schedule it. She then asked me if she could schedule it in an hour for $25,000 before food costs and I told her I needed to get my trailer fixed, so maybe I could stop by on the way and here I am. So, you want a dog, burger or sandwich?”
Scott didn’t answer quickly enough as he was processing the story so Eric ordered a Double Stack Chili Cheese burger and gator balls. He looked over at Scott, “You snooze, you lose ya poser.”
Bethany Anne sighed contentedly. She was finally full again and all of the guys seemed to be getting over the event. They were all professionals but knowing your mortality was in front of you pulled the rug out from under your feet a little. Her phone beeped and she pulled it out. Shit, she had it on voicemail and she had missed a couple of calls.
The first one was Ivan. He was with Stephen and things were going well. He provided her with Stephen’s new number and asked that she give him a call when she could.
The second was a voice message from Ecaterina. She was wanting Bethany Anne to call Nathan or Gerry and talk to them about some Were issues. Not a problem.
First, she checked the time in Romania. About 7’ish at night, ok. She dialed Ivan up. “Bethany Anne! Good to hear your voice. I take it things are ok in the States?”
“Good here at the moment, Ivan. Belly full of food and a good pair of shoes, what’s up?”
“Nothing special. Stephen is a fast learner. I was concerned when you let me know he knew nothing at all. Most times, not knowing something similar makes it harder for a person to catch on quickly.”
“Treat him well Ivan, he is a good guy and I think that he might be very important to me in the future. Also, stay close to him. I don’t want you outside without his protection while you are around him. I don’t know that anyone is watching but I don’t want to take any chances with you. I don’t need to be the one to tell Ecaterina that I got her favorite brother killed.”
“No worries.”
“Good, where is Stephen?”
“One second.” She could hear him walking through the house. “Stephen?”
“Yes?”
“Shit! Stephen, you have to stop sneaking up on me.” She could almost imagine the vampire jumping out of the dark shadows to have fun at Ivan’s expense.
“But Ivan, it is the most fun I’ve had in ten years.”
“That’s because you’ve been asleep for ten years. Oh, Bethany Anne is on the phone.”
“Why didn’t you say that first?” Bethany Anne could hear them passing over the phone. “Hello? My Queen?”
“Hello Stephen, how are doing?”
“I am beyond enjoying myself again. I am learning this new technology and with the bagged blood I am dropping years each day. It is amazing.”
“Stephen, am I going to have a little baby boy when I get back to Europe?”
Stephen laughed, “No, Bethany Anne. I have never been regenerated younger than when I was turned.”
“When was that?”
“Twenty-Five.”
Bethany Anne was trying to figure out what he would look like in his twenties and came up with nothing.
“I’m sure you are a handsome rogue, Stephen. However; no biting on the first date, understand?”
“My Queen, how could you think of me like that?” Stephen was chuckling on the other line.
“Because I know guys, you cad. Now, I need you to tell me straight. Are you up to contacting and working with the Pack Council there in Europe for me? I’m not talking about where they call you and kiss the vampire ground you walk on, but actually roll up your sleeves and work with them as equals? Ok, let’s not go too far right now, mostly equals?” She smiled while she said that last part.
“Of course, my Queen. You have but to tell me what to do and I will make it happen.”
“Great! I was hoping you still felt that way. Do you have a way to contact them or do I need to get you the info?”
“I’m sure I have a way to do this. There is a pack near here. You don’t need to get your hands dirty with this. I will take care of it.”
Ok, Bethany Anne thought, she loved a good subordinate that wasn’t a cranky bitch. She was glad she never had herself as a subordinate. She owed her old boss Martin a thousand apologies. “Thanks Stephen. Hey, did you get that room ready?”
“Of course, I did that the first night. Why, are you ready to use it?”
“No, not yet. However; I’m working on it.”
‘You’re working on it?
Stop Interrupting, I’m talking here.
More like you’re lying here. But go on.
“Well, it is ready for you anytime.”
“Great! Keep Ivan safe, ok?”
“I’ll do that, and Bethany Anne, thank you.”
“For what?”
“For calling and talking with me. It just confirms what I knew that first night. You care about your relationships, I’ll not fail you.”
“I know Stephen. Keep learning and touch base with the Council. Make sure they aren’t suffering from wanting to change the rules too much right now, bye!”
“La revedere.”
She hung up. She was amazed with the whole Stephen situation going so well and Europe seemed like it might be handled. She certainly hoped so because America seemed under attack.
She waved at Eric and Scott talking over by Joe’s Famous Hot Dogs trailer. Everyone seemed in good spirits. Good.
John and Darryl were looking at her and John gave her the universal ‘everything ok?’ nod of the head and she shook her head yes. She realized that she hadn’t had many people come by. There was at least a ten foot circle around her. No problem, she didn’t think they would run away if she got up. She hoped they were just giving her some personal space.
She went to the message from Ecaterina and listened to it one more time. She decided to call Nathan. She hit his name on her phone and waited.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Thanks for calling, Bethany Anne. You got Ecaterina’s message?”
“Yes, she said you guys are having problems and needed my input.”
“More like serious issues and we are trying to figure out how to solve the problem without it becoming a bloodbath.”
“Considering your asking me, should I wonder if I am going to want to create the bath?”
Nathan sighed, “That’s about it in one. Where are you? Did you finish with Stephen yet and did you leave him in peace or pieces?”
She laughed, “You wouldn’t believe the story, which I will tell you later, but he has turned into a great guy. I’m here in Florida at the moment hanging with the team that Frank has. We had an op last night so I crashed in their hotel. I should be good to come up there if you need me.”
“No, we can wait until the next few days. In fact, that might be best. Let me talk with Gerry again and plan this out. I would prefer we do an ambush of all of the trouble makers and let them make a fool of themselves but we would probably just get another Valentines day massacre. Weres tend not to make good decisions when confronted. We are kinda a hot headed lot.”
Sarcastically, Bethany retorted, “I hadn’t noticed during our altercation in Bravos, Nathan.”
“Yeah, ok. You have a point. Let Gerry and I think how to make it happen and we will get with you when we have a couple ideas. I really appreciate you working with us, Bethany Ann
e.”
“No problem Nathan. Take care of my girl, ok? I’ll be up there in a day or two.”
“Please, take a vacation. I’m sure you are tired after all of your efforts. Why don’t you relax for an extra one, maybe two months?”
Bethany Anne smiled. “If I was going to do that, then I will just get a ticket for Ecaterina to come down here this evening.”
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