Chapter 17
"You're not really my aunt, are you?" Brian asked her. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask her, but that was the burning one that really seemed to matter at the moment. If he didn't get that out of the way now, then he wasn't sure he could concentrate on the rest.
She shook her head in response to his question. "Brian, isn't there more important things we should be talking about right now?"
"Maybe, but I need to know. This is just excess baggage that needs clearing so I can concentrate on what's important."
She looked at her watch, and sighed as she looked at him again. "Alright. But let’s skip the questions. I'll just tell you who I am, and then I need to tell you more important matters."
Brian nodded.
"No, I'm not your aunt. I was assigned to provide for your mother and you."
"By who?"
"This isn't going to work if you keep interrupting me. Brian, in a short time, agents will be coming here, and it would be best if you are no longer here." She paused to let that sink in. "Now, let me finish."
Agents, huh? He thought. So she must have called them, how else would she know?
"I work for the government, Brian." She held up her hand to stop Brian as he opened his mouth. He almost continued with his question anyway, except for the looming threat of the agents.
She looked at her watch again and mumbled to herself again. "The government wanted you hidden until they could use you, or that's what I have always thought. I provided the food for you and the money for your expenses. By the way, those have just come to an end."
"Why?"
"Because of your involvement with Ms. Thompson, primarily. We can't hide you if you're going to help her. It wasn't our choice."
"Why were you hiding me?"
"Secrecy. You were to be hidden until you were needed."
"Needed? For what?” Brian asked.
"Aren't there more pressing questions?" She asked him while looking at her watch again.
"You mean the werewolf?"
"Yes. The werewolf is a good start."
"What is he? And why is he after us?"
"Correction: he was after only Ms. Thompson. At least until you broke protocol."
Brian nodded, already guessing that much.
"Werewolves are assassins for the Annunaki. They are sent to eliminate those that need removing and then usually they make it look like an animal attack."
Brian understood the thing was hunting and that it was looking for Heather most likely at the time, but he was surprised that a werewolf could be an assassin. Why not just send out a normal hit man, or just have some agents take care of the job? Wondering this, he decided to ask her.
"We don't use werewolves for assassin's Brian. The Annunaki do."
"The Annunaki?"
She sighed and leaned forward in her seat mumbling to herself about talking to children. "Yes, Annunaki. The immortal ones."
Brian stood up, and headed for the fridge but he asked a question as he went. "So there are vampires?"
"Yes and no."
He paused, turned, and looked at her. "What are they, then?"
"No one really knows, Brian. They just are. Some call them the elder gods. Others the Titans. They have been many things to many people throughout history."
"Vampires?"
"Maybe, and I wouldn't put it past them." She nodded.
Opening the fridge Brian pulled out another box with an IV full of blood.
"Aren't you overdoing it tonight?" she asked him.
"No, So am I one of these...Annunaki?"
"Do you think you are?" She smiled as she answered him.
"I'll take that as a no. Why are you telling me this now? Especially if you're not going to be helping me any longer."
She stood up and looked a little uncomfortable. "My bosses like to play it on the edge."
"And that means?"
"We're hedging our bets that you will eventually kill this Annunaki."
Brian's eyebrows went up at that last statement. He really didn't know what one of these elder gods were or how to kill it. He had a feeling that they didn't die easily or that it would just allow him to kill it. Assuming one could kill an immortal.
"How exactly am I to do this, and why?"
"Because, Brian. Either you do this to save your girlfriend, or she will die, and most likely you will, too."
So he could die, or at least she seemed to think so. If he was immortal, then, like this Annunaki, everything could be killed. To be fair, vampires could always be killed in the movies and books. They always thought of themselves as immortals, but long life did not ever equate to being immortal to him. If you could die, then you weren't immortal, no matter how you looked at it.
"To the chase then, how do I kill it?"
"First you will need to kill its dog."
Brian never really liked his aunt, but he had to smile at her comment. The werewolf hated it when he had made reference to it being a dog.
She continued. "Silver, when he is in his wolf form. When he is human, anything will kill him."
"So all I need is some silver and he's done for?"
She nodded. That sounded too easy, but then again, the thing was huge. Strong, too, by the way he destroyed the pavement back at that hotel. No, it wouldn't be easy trying to kill it, but for Heather's sake, he was going to have to try.
"And the Annunaki?"
She shook her head and shrugged. "We don't know."
"Great. You say I have to kill him, and yet you have no idea how I can accomplish that?"
She sat back down in her chair and looked at her watch. "Brian, you need to dream walk now."
"What the hell is that?" He was sure she meant his traveling, but he wanted to make sure for himself.
"The agents are only a few blocks away, and unless you're going to fight your way out, you need to go now."
He licked out the rest of the IV as he thought about what she said. He could kill all of them, depending on how many there were, but why risk it? If he really could actually die, then maybe he should just get back to Heather. He had a feeling he was going to get the chance to kill quite a few agents soon enough.
"Fine. I'll kill this thing if I can, but not for you or your bosses." He said as he sat back in his chair and began to relax and concentrate on Heather.
"Fair enough." She said, "we expected no less from you."
Yeah, whatever, he thought. Stupid government messing with my life. He really couldn't believe it. It was like right out of some old stupid B movie. Scratch that, some C movie. Send the boy to kill the werewolf and the elder god. Except in his case, he was not just a boy, he was a vampire. That had to count for something. In fact, he realized he should have asked about others like him, but there just was so much he needed to ask, and could he even trust her? His supposed aunt? He had to calm himself. He wasn't ever going anywhere if he didn't relax and concentrate on Heather.
Her golden hair, and her shiny blue eyes. He could see her now in his mind. The curve of her rear as the towel fell away. Her soft giggle as it happened. A pop sounded in his head then there was a blurring of everything around him. All motion stopped a moment later and he opened his eyes. He was in the cab next to Heather and yet not really there. He could see that she was biting her lip and looking extremely worried. Bobby was there as well, but instead of looking worried, he looked determined. A hardness seemed to cross his face.
He needed to relax again, right here and try to travel, but this time bringing his body. He closed his eyes and cleared his mind of everything and willed himself to fall asleep. Not an easy task in his traveling form, and worse still as a vampire. But he knew he could do it, if he could just close his mind to all thought.
Brian found himself in a rocky cave. He could feel rocks through his shoes under his feet, causing him to have trouble balancing himself. Fire and heat seemed to be everywhere except where he now stood. A large, red skinned figure walked toward him through the f
lames. its head sported two great horns coming out of its head like what one would see on an old Viking helmet in some old movie. Its eyes glowed a fiery red as the flames parted and let him pass through them. It was then that Brian could see that its legs were covered in thick black fur, and its feet were cloven hooves like a goat, A long black whip was in its right hand, dragging behind it on the ground as it came nearer to him. Slowly, it reached its clawed hand out as it grew closer to him.
"Brian, wake up!" Heather's voice shouted in his ear.
He opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar surroundings of Bobby's truck cab. The truck wasn't moving as traffic passed them by. Apparently Bobby had pulled off onto the shoulder since he had arrived, as he clearly remembered seeing that the truck was moving when he was still in travel form. Heather wrapped her arms around him as best she could and hugged him tightly.
"How the hell did you do that?" Bobby said.
"You're back, I was so worried," he could hear Heather say as she continued to hold on to him.
He sat up as best that he could with Heather holding him still. "Why did we stop?"
"Well, what did you think I would do? You just appearing out of nowhere." Bobby took his hat off and scratched his head. "Just ain't right, I tell ya."
"We need to keep moving Bobby." He said with urgency.
"I hear you, but I've been driving for some time and I did have quite a lot of coffee this morning."
Brian nodded. "Next town we can take a break." It was the least he could do for them. He couldn't have the werewolf catching up to them before he found some silver. He had no idea how or where he would get that.
About an hour later Brian found himself in another roadside cafe. This one was a full-fledged truck stop. It had multiple fast food shops in it, there was a laundromat, showers, all types of stores, and even a small movie theater that was free for the truckers. From what he could see, it was only playing older stuff, nothing that he would be interested in watching. Heather sat next to him in the booth Bobby had chosen. He had made an order, as did the rest of them, though Brian actually ordered a chocolate shake rather than food. He wondered vaguely if Heather had enough left over from what she had earlier. Bobby was off relieving himself and said he would be back.
"So did you find them?" Heather clearly couldn't contain herself any longer, and she'd been fidgeting since he'd woken. He wasn't sure why he had delayed in telling her, he guessed he was just putting off the inevitable announcement that she was going to go back, He could suggest her of course, seeing the effect it was having on her, he really didn't want to screw with her head again.
"No."
She sat back in her seat. Brian watched as a gauntlet of emotions played across her face, and he felt sorry for her. After all, he'd known she wasn't going to take it well, but it was either that or suggest her.
"What does that mean?" she asked quietly.
"It means just that. “
She swallowed hard, and took a deep breath before asking her next question. "Does that mean they're dead?” Her face was completely flat and emotionless as she asked. Brian could almost feel the storm that was raging in her. He was tempted to lie and tell her it did, just to avoid where the conversation would go from there, but...no.
"No. It just means I can't find them."
She sat back and stared up at the ceiling, her arms crossed under her chest as if she were hugging herself.
"Look, I couldn't find them, but each time I tried, I found myself at the old Warrens place just like when I looked for Chuck."
"Why there? Why is it always there?" Her voice started out in a whisper, but slowly started to rise. "I told him not to go there. I warned him what would happen."
Brian doubted this was exactly what she warned Chuck about, but he wasn't about to point that out.
"If he would've just listened to me!" Her voice was pitching toward a shout.
"Who should have listened to you?" Bobby said, as he chose that moment to come back.
"That idiot I've been dating."
Well Brian couldn't argue with that description. He had been thinking the same thing for quite some time. It was only now that Heather seemed to figure it out, too.
Bobby furrowed his brows. "I thought you were dating Brian?”
Heather slammed her fist on the table, causing the nearby people to look at her startled, as the silverware on their table rattled and danced. "I should have been!"
Brian turned and looked at her, actually surprised by what she said, this was a turn of events he had not expected.
"Is there a problem?" The server appeared at their table.
"No, we're fine." Brian answered quickly.
"Well, could you please keep it down? You're disturbing the other customers."
The three of them acknowledged the server simultaneously. Brian noticed that Heather was blushing as the server left.
"So. Where are we going now?” Bobby asked, as he sipped his coffee.
"Didn't you drink enough of that already?" Brian asked, smiling.
Bobby shook his head as he took another gulp.
"I'm going back" Heather spoke up. Brian knew she was going to make that decision even before he told her. It really was the only choice for her. She would never desert her family, especially if they were in need.
"What?" Bobby exclaimed. "Why in tarnation would we do that? I thought the whole point of leaving was to get away from there?"
Brian really liked Bobby sometimes. It was weird the way the guy had latched onto them. Bobby included himself in their group as if he were running away from whatever they were, too. It was nice to feel like Brian had a real friend, even if he'd suggested him to help him. Bobby didn't seem to care about that, and gave his all no matter what happened.
"Brian," Heather began and put her hand on his arm that was on the table. "I'm not asking you to help me, but somehow I think that if I had a vampire helping me, it would be much easier to find them."
He wondered if she would ask, or just expect him to follow. No matter which way she had done it, he had already decided he was going to help. The real question was how?
He nodded to her, and put his other hand on hers.
"Oh, hell." Bobby snorted. "Well, I'm coming, too. We're all a buncha idiots you know."
He's probably right, Brian thought, but was there ever any other decision?
Chapter 18
It hadn't taken that long to get back to Woodland, their home. Well, at least Heather's and his home. He wasn't sure where Bobby was from, he never really thought to ask him about it. The little town looked actually the same as when they left it, just a few short days ago. One would never have thought that the two of them were now most likely fugitives from the law. People were just going about their business. Buying and selling, laughing and eating. A part of him kind of wanted to have the life that he watched pass by. After all, what person didn't want to have some normality in their day to day. He could imagine even fictional heroes in books or comics would have some part of their life that was normal.
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