Blueblood

Story: Blueblood: Dracula

Chapter 8 We Make Our Move

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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Colin and Devon move Earless and Repeat to safety. Gaius' son and family are also moved.

We Make Our Move

Things were very busy after that. Dragon went to get Nicolae and his wife and have them ready to go. I dealt with Iustina and Repetate.

As always, they smiled at me as I entered their cell. Perhaps Colin was right, they did like me more than other people. I had quit using the translator with them because they seemed to understand what I was saying...is was less about the language, but the tone and how I said it. I brought up the laptop making their eyes light up. "Yes, we'll see some more cartoons later, I promise, but I have something you need to see." I watched their faces show curiosity. I pulled up the web page I chose about airlines and air travel. "This..." I pointed at the picture of a waiting airplane, "...is an airplane. We get on board it. See?" The scene showed people boarding the airplane and getting to seats as the flight attendants helped them with their carry-ons. Then the scene went to the plane going down the runway and lifting in the air, "...these people are flying to somewhere." The scene was in daylight. "You..." I pointed at them, "...are going to do that tonight." I knew they got it when I watched their eyes grow in alarm. "You'll be safe," I assured. "You can't be out in the daytime, I know that" I said. "We have a special way for you to travel and stay out of the sun. I will be with you." I watched their look of uneasiness lessen. "We don't want you hurt. George will be with you as well and Colin, but I will be traveling with you in that container to keep you safe. I won't leave you to travel alone." The fact they didn't speak didn't mean they couldn't communicate. I saw the look come on their faces and perhaps because I spent so much time with them I knew that look meant clearly "why?" I smiled at them. "You guys are very important. We have to protect you from some bad people that want to harm us. They will harm you, too. We won't let that happen." I watched as they seem to understand. How they knew, I couldn't understand. Perhaps the length of their lives and the many languages over the countless centuries made it easier, though I doubted anyone ever really spoke to them and just screamed, but they knew what I meant. "We are taking somewhere safe." They pointed at the computer screen. "Yes. You will fly." I looked around the cell that had been their home for decades. "Is there anything you want to take with you?" I looked at their puzzled faces. "Is there something you want to keep? Something yours?" I realized, they really didn't do much other than drink their daily amount of blood, sleep and wait for Dragon to visit. Then I came around and I added to their routine with my daily visits. I smiled again. "I just don't want you to be upset."

After that, I went to find Colin. Our lives were possible because of what he did. Keeping track of the business, monitoring investments and the other things for the VUN. Walking through the caverns, I was impressed with what Dragon and his people did to make it livable. It was getting colder outside, but the temperature down here was pretty constant. I found Colin as he was poring over something on his laptop as he had that thing in his ear, but not for translating. He was on a phone call. He wasn't doing business, but getting things ready so we could leave.

"...and we leave as soon as we get to the airport and load them up. The helicopter is coming to pick us up and take us to the base, we load the Old Ones in the container and take off from the old Soviet Base. The pilots need to have the Disflavor." He said. "Right." He nodded, even though who he was nodding about couldn't see him. "We'll be ready." He said and pulled the earpiece out, sighed and leaned back as he rubbed his face from fatigue.

I came up behind him as he sat, putting my arms around his neck from behind leaning in and kissed the top of his head and began messaging his shoulders which made him groan appreciatively. "We might be vampires and not die due to illness, but we still get tired." I came around and pulled a chair over next to him. "You need to rest, baby."

Colin smiled at me and leaned in to kiss me directly in a more...personal way. "You've gotten no more rest than I have." He smiled as he rubbed his forehead against mine as he looked at me with those emerald eyes. "We'll try to get some rest on the plane." Then I saw his eyes get a look of embarrassment. "About what I said to you about Sorin...I'm sorry..." he paused as he was thinking what to say.

I kissed him again. "You have feelings...and for those few moments, you felt jealous." I smiled.

Colin looked away a little. "Yeah, I shouldn't have been."

I pulled his face back to look at me and smiled. "Of course, you should," I said immediately. "I hope you do get jealous, Colin." I saw his got a surprised look. "Another man...you felt, threatened what you knew was yours...threatened what you know belongs to you...me." I smiled brightly. "I am yours, Colin. I do belong to you." I smiled lifting his left hand. "I put this ring I put on your finger to tell the world; you belong to me." I held up my left hand. "You put this on my finger to tell the world, I belong to you. Just you and only you." I kissed him again. "I love you, Colin. When we married, I told all the guests and family that we were a couple...you and me...making our lives one. Sorin is a nice man. I like him, but I love you. You occupy a part of me that no one could take the place of...my heart. There will be no one else." I smiled as I looked in those eyes that were now smiling with the rest of his face. "I'm sorry you had that feeling, but I'm glad you felt it. You told me again, you know I'm yours. I will be more careful among other people."

Colin chuckled. "You shouldn't have to do that."

"But I will," I assured. "I say again, I love you. If that helps you from having those feeling again, I will do so willingly. You're a part of me now. I'm not losing you. I will never leave you...just don't...belt anybody or anything like that and we're good." Then I grinned. "How I knew I wasn't his type was when he was having problems with the whole vampire thing. He admitted to not being able to accept it in his head and the gay part he didn't want to be involved. He admitted to me he didn't get the gay thing."

"Oh?"

I nodded. "Well, I had him clarify that statement where he admitted we all have things that attract us and I won't be attracted to what he is attracted to." I chuckled. "Believe me, I wasn't."

Colin grinned. "Which is?"

I sat back. "I can't tell you that! If you want to know, ask him!"

"Doctor/patient confidentiality. I get it."

"One more time." I chuckled. "I'm not a doctor."

Colin nodded. "Right. Did you tell the Old Ones what was going to happen soon?" Colin asked.

I nodded. "I did. They really do understand a lot more than we think they can." I said. "I showed them images of a plane and people boarding it and taking off. I got through to them they were going to do that. They understood."

Colin smiled as he ran his fingers in my hair. "You have a way...it's almost magical in relating to others, even Old Ones. You may not have those letters next to your name, but you're as good as any doctor." Then he looked resolved as he looked back. "After this is over...and it will be over," he assured, "I think we need to go back to that island a while. To reconnect."

I had felt it, too. We were still very much in love, but this life recently was pulling us apart. I nodded. "I think that's a great idea...just you and me..."

"...no clothes and a lot of sun." Colin continued as his lips were close enough to mine I felt them move against mine. "No vampires...no serum..."

"Yes, it will just be us."

That's when we heard him walk in. "Oh...pardon me," George said smiling at what he saw and stopped. "Sorry." He was about to walk out again.

"Just kissing my husband, George; nothing else for now," Colin said smiling sitting up. "What's up?"

"It's the other vampires," George said. "Dimitri and others are beginning their week. Our leaving tonight, I can't be here to monitor their injections."

I looked confused. "But George, that's why we brought Dr. Petran here, to help you. Can't she do it?"

"She has a conflict a few of those nights," George said. "She has a busy practice and a life." He stated the obvious.

"What about our group in England?" I asked Colin. "They have medical people there and they know the serum and how to administer it. Besides we could use other vampires here. They can help."

Colin nodded. "Yes! They have other vampires!" He grinned kissing me. "Am I thick? They are part of VUN! We'll bring them here!" He kissed me quickly and put the earpiece back in. "I'm calling Edwin at Thornwood."

I chuckled as I kissed him back quickly. "You're not thick, but you always take care of things and always do it yourself. We're a family with Edwin and his group. I just reminded you." I patted him on the arm. "You would have thought of eventually."

Colin kissed me again and tapped some keys on the keyboard to call Edwin at Thornwood.

Colin, George, and I went back to the house we rented. George and Burke were going back to the United States and stay for a while. Burke didn't want George to go alone and I wasn't surprised he wanted to stay with him. Colin and I just got some things to go and come back. Colin was speaking on the phone to make sure Nicolae and his wife were ready to go with their children. The thing was...we were doing things that weren't ...authorized. The helicopter to pick us and Iustina and Repetate up could fly low and avoid detection...we hoped. Our plane was taking off, landing at the old Soviet base where we would load quickly and take off again before we raised too many eyebrows...and their eyebrows would be raised. They had the airstrip...a not really maintained airstrip, but it was there.

Stan came into our room suddenly. "Guys! I found out about Iilya!"

Colin turned to Stan. "What? You mean the vampire?"

"No! Iilya the KGB agent!" He pulled up the file he had on his tablet. "He was...is Iilya Vasin." He said almost happy, more about being able to discover what was difficult to find, but he did! "I even have his photo. It's him. He was officially MIA in 1966." He said excitedly. "This guy is a really bad man." He shook his head. "According to the records, he was suspected about a string of murders...three of them were his superiors!"

I was surprised. "And they kept him?"

"Hell, they promoted him!" Stan said. "It seems a man of his caliber was valuable to these particular Soviets."

"Those files were accessible?" Colin asked.

Stan didn't say a word, but gave Colin the look that said, "of course not." "Buddy and I got them, okay? They tried to destroy many records after the Soviet Union collapsed, but some were digitized, and other records which Buddy began searching through since we met Iilya. That Delkenzie translation program translated Russian easily." He nodded appreciatively. "I guess Mitch wasn't kidding when he said he worked harder on Russian. He did that language first and Buddy breezed right through it. Well, Buddy pieced together those records and...we got it!" He went on more excited in triumph. "Get this, he was made what he is! Just like Repetate and Iustina!"

"What!?" I said astonished.

Stan was nodding. "Yes! There was nothing added or given like a formula or anything...maybe some chemicals to enhance the conditioning, but he along with some other children in the late 1940s and 1950s were taken and literally programmed! I mean as in hypnosis and conditioning to overthrow and take control of any situation. He was so undercover, even others in the government didn't know about him and the other agents!"

"That makes sense," Colin said nodding.

"It does?" I asked Colin.

"I was alive then, remember?" Colin shrugged. "I was underground in New York, but we heard about what was happening then and there were rumors galore about what the Reds were doing. I watched TV then and listened to the radio, it was full of rumors and theories, even the ones about the area of Russia where they were raising some of their people in Russian versions of small-town America over there to be the perfect sleeper agents. Conditioned and could blend effortlessly in communities in America and be triggered with a code word and do all sorts of damage."

I instantly thought of three movies where those premises were used but kept it to myself. I stood up slowly as I thought out loud. "It sounds like his conditioning was different and a lot more intense."

"So?" Colin said.

"He's just like Iustina and Repetate." I said simply.

"No, he's not!" Colin said quickly. "Iustina and Repetate killed in the past. We know that; we are the result of those they didn't kill. Iilya is planning to kill in little more than a week." He said coming over to me. "Iilya was created by a government that was bent on taking over many nations, including the United States."

"Especially the United States." I nodded, "I know...or at least, I read about the Soviet threat in school."

"Iustina and Repetate don't kill now because they're locked away and given blood, they don't need to kill now," Colin said. "We can't give Iilya what he needs to stop him from doing what he's planning."

"I just wish we didn't have to kill anyone," I said sadly.

"I don't see we have many choices," Colin said. "If Iustina and Repetate did get out and threatened to kill again, wouldn't you agree they should be stopped meaning they would die?"

I realized what he was saying and I smiled. "Yes, but...it's different with those two Old Ones. They're only a threat to people who aren't vampires or not on Disflavor. They're innocent...I was considering that Iilya was possibly innocent." I saw his surprise. "He was a child when he was taken to become this...agent."

"We need Repetate and Iustina." Colin said. "We don't need Iilya!"

"Because we don't need Iilya!?" I nodded a little angry. "I know, but he's a person! A human being. I don't think anyone should be killed because we think he has no purpose or meets our needs." I got up and was almost ranting. "I won't kill indiscriminately! No one should."

Colin sighed and nodded. "No, but I know he's not doing this sort of soul search like you are before he strikes."

"Because we aren't what he is!" I said. "He was made like he is. You have humanity in you, you always have. His was taken out. Colin, you know I hate killing so much as a bug when I have to. I usually catch it and set it free outside, but a man...I am having regrets."

Colin looked with a frustrated expression but smiled tolerantly. "No, that's not it...if you can think of way no one dies, fine, but he's leading a group of vampires to kill. He and Lucian are going to be making more vampires and killing people...and kill us if they can!"

I nodded as I looked away feeling helpless as I knew the possible inevitability. "I know, I know. We won't have a choice. I just don't like it."

Colin brought me to him kissing me quickly. "I know." He looked at his watch. "It will be sundown in an hour." He said smiling as he hugged me. "Let's get the boys ready."

I smiled when he said that. "The boys?" I repeated. "That almost sounded like you're beginning to like them."

Colin nodded as he began to walk with me back to the cell where Iustina and Repetate was. "I like them just fine." He smiled at me. "I'm not as fond as you are of them, but I like them just fine. We better head out."

We got to the caverns and went down to Iustina and Repetate. They were a little uneasy but smiled at me when I came in their cell.

"Okay," I said to them as I also smiled so they would stay calm. "We're going to take you for a little trip," I explained and showed them again the imagines of a helicopter. "First, we'll take you in this, then we get to the plane and we will get in the container and take a longer trip in the airplane."

Dragon came in the cell. "La revedere, semenii. Nu vă faceţi griji, ne vedem din nou, dar nu pentru o perioada de timp. Acest lucru este pentru binele tau. Ok?" The translator I had told me Dragon told them goodbye and he would see them again, but not for a while. This was for their own good. He smiled at them. "Veţi fi în siguranţă, promit." He assured them they would be safe and promised them. Then I swear, Dragon, now that he has the moisture even cried a little. He looked at me. "Take care of them, please, Devon." He said and brought both Iustina and Repetate in a hug and then looked at them each. "A fi bun pentru, Devon. Ne vedem în curând." He told them to be good for me and he'd see them soon." They may be predators for people, but I could see Dragon loved them. What was more, they clearly loved him.

I nodded and touched Dragon's arm. "I will take good care of them."

Dragon nodded. "Nicolae and Helga will be meeting you at the base and going with you from there." Dragon said. He looked worried. "They've not been outside in decades. Their sense of smell is remarkable. They might smell people in the area. It was how they located and tracked prey."

I hated to use them, but... "They don't have..." I thought of a kind word, but there was none, "...leashes or chains?"

"You couldn't hold them." He smiled. "They may not look it, but their very strong; especially when they smell blood." Dragon shook his head.

"They would have to be if they can take down a grown man down, even by surprise."

"That's why we haven't bothered with chains. I bet if they wanted to they could have pried open those iron bars. What's odd was, they seem to like it down here. Just...lure them with blood and they should go willingly. That's how we got them down here." He grinned. "Though you might want to hold their hands."

"They had a comfortable life and didn't have to hunt for their meal. Sure, they liked it." I grinned. "And perhaps someone that cared for them for the first time in their lives."

"Probably." Dragon smiled at them again as he ran his hand over Iustina's face. "But they could get spooked." Dragon offered. "It's a scary world out there for the unprepared."

"I know." I pulled my jacket open. "I have a plan if they tried to get away and try to run." The handgun was in a holster near my chest. "They won't get far, but I swear I won't use it unless I have to. I have it, just in case."

"You could miss." Dragon objected lightly.

"I was pretty good at small arms marksmanship," I said hating what I was saying. "I won't miss," I said sadly.

Dragon nodded. "I hope you won't have to use it."

"Me, too," I said. "I don't want to."

Colin came in behind Dragon. "Okay, they are about ten minutes away; there is a clearing of sorts...we'll take them there. The pilot didn't say he had trouble yet, but we need to get in and go."

I looked at Repetate and Iustina, holding out my hands to them. "Okay. This will be a little scary, but I'm going, too. Trust me." And I was smiling at them to reassure them. There was no hesitation, they looked at my hands and they each gave me theirs. "I'm not leaving you." They trusted me. Other than Dragon, I wondered if they ever had someone to even offer to hold their hands, but they knew what to do. We went through the caverns toward the opening and went outside. It had been a long time since they'd done that and I saw them lift their noses and sniffed. It was colder now, but they didn't seem bothered by it. They had lived their lives without clothing; they must have been used being naked. The clearing was a small patch of ground that had just enough room for the helicopter to land. When we got close, I felt Repetate hesitate in going toward the helicopter with its blades going creating a strong wind. I smiled again. "I know it's noisy and makes wind. I'll be with you. It won't hurt me, so it won't hurt you." Colin had gotten on and was waving us toward him. "It's okay." I got them on, but I saw the pilot's eyes grow when he saw them. He had flown us before and he may have transported vampires before, but I knew he'd never seen an Old One. I leaned forward. They were pale and didn't wear clothes...that would be surprising for anyone. "You had the Disflavor injected in you?"

"Of course." The pilot said.

"Then you're fine," I said smiling. "Relax, they won't attack you."

Colin patted the pilot on the shoulder. "Let's go." He said. "We need to land fast, get them in the container and take off quickly."

"Do you think the authorities will be after us?" I asked Colin.

Colin grinned. "Well, they might have questions. The flight team is going to be radioing they are having trouble and have to set down." He shrugged. "The only available landing site will be the Base. They will set down; we'll load up and take off again. As soon as we land the chopper, we load them in the container and then signal the pilots to land the plane. We load the container and leave."

"I never saw the container before," I said. "What's special about it?"

"It's totally enclosed," Colin explained. "Inside has a few seats, it circulates air and has power. It's not too big for easier placing in cargo. The little bathroom is very small."

I nodded. "I'm riding with Iustina and Repetate."

Colin looked a little surprised for a second but then nodded. "It should be comfortable. We transported the First One, Marissa in a much smaller one, remember her?" He smiled. "Nothing too sloppy for the queen of Vampires in the United States." He bumped me. "It even has a TV!"

"Great!" I nodded. "We'll be able to watch cartoons! They love those."

Colin laughed. "George is also going to try what he gave Willie when we took him out of the abandoned subway. It should work, but their blood system is all venom. We'll see if it works."

I noticed that when we took off, they were a little uneasy, but when I pointed lights on the many houses as we flew over; telling Iustina and Repetate they were flying like birds now. They got interested as we passed of the dark world below! Seeing I was okay, they calmed down. They were having an adventure!

We landed and we didn't have a lot of time. I got a couple of bags of blood out and opened the valve so they could smell the blood. Iustina and Repetate were very interested as I waved in front of them and they followed me into the hanger. This was an abandoned hanger, so there was metal rusting in places, if it was there at all. The area surrounding the hanger was overgrown with some weeds, grass growing through cracks in the pavement, but there was a hanger door slightly open and in the middle of this massive vacant floor was...it was a giant black box. A cube...ten or twelve feet by ten or twelve feet. It had a door like you would see on ships or submarines. I led the two Old Ones to the box as Colin rotated the wheel to open the door. Once inside, I was pleased. It wasn't bad! There were three chairs along the wall to the right. A large TV on the wall to the left. A tiny little section to the side I saw was a toilet, but vampires just urinated ammonia, so it wasn't a full bathroom. Basically, a urinal and a little sink. Small lights were on the inside, like emergency lights until we were connected with the plane's power.

I looked at him smiling. "You're riding with us?"

Colin shrugged. "They never sit in a chair and don't sleep on a bed; preferring the floor, so there's room." He said kissing me.

Using only our hearing did we, Colin, and I, knew what was happening. The box was pretty soundproof and heard nothing something touched the container.

"The power needs to be hooked up when we're loaded," Colin explained.

They were drinking the blood, but that was just the beginning. The door opened again and George came in. He waved to Iustina and Repetate.

"Hello, guys." He held up another few bags of blood. "I've included something to hopefully make them sleep." He said to Colin and me. "I'm not sure how they will react to any sedative. It worked for Willie; it should work for them."

I took the bags and put them in a cooler. The two of them saw me put the blood away and I smiled at them. "You'll get it. We just need to get started." I said and did my hand showing we needed to take off.

We heard a thump and then was raised a little. They weren't sure about that.

"It's okay." We moved shakily and then an angle I knew we were being loaded. Another thump and then lowered with another thump. "You need to hang on," I told them showing them as I grabbed the arms of the chair and reconsidered and went down with them. I pulled them to me and said. "It will be quick."

"Shouldn't you be in the seat buckled in?" Colin asked me.

"Nate's good. It will be bumpy, but Repetate and Iustina will do better if I'm right with them." I waved at the chairs. "They wouldn't understand about those seats or seatbelts."

"Well, the actual flight time is about twelve hours," Colin said. "We will have to refuel, but we go down, top the tanks off and back up; very little delay."

"And I have over ten hours of cartoons!" I said brightly. "Of course, with the sedative in the blood, they hopefully will sleep."

"And hopefully we will, too," Colin said smiling. "Why cartoons?"

I felt the engine rev though there was a rumble as it radiated through the metal container. "Tom and Jerry are the best, they have almost no dialog, just a lot of action. They love it." I smiled as Repetate and Iustina got even closer because of the movement and noise. "It's okay. This has to happen." I assured them again. Then they were startled with we suddenly had power and there was air flowing now. Then I felt the bumps and I knew we were moving down the runway and then the sudden freedom of the rumble and vibration as we rose on the air currents. It wasn't too long before my ears popped and theirs did, too, which surprised them. I smiled and nodded pointing at my own ear. "Yes, pop." Things evened out and I hooked up my computer to the big screen TV and they were distracted as the Tom and Jerry music started and they turned to the screen. They had seen the monitor and enjoyed that, now it was on a bigger screen. As we were cruising, I gave them the other bags of blood which they consumed as they watched. "We might have a market for TV blood dinners."

Colin groaned as I got up and sat beside him. "Just watch the cartoons." He said kissing me and leaned back putting his arm around me.

"Watching cartoons with the kids." I smiled resting against Colin.

"Just watch the cartoons." Colin chuckled lightly.

"I gather you got through to Edwin," I said. "You weren't worried when we left and I was busy with the kids."

"He, Matt and one of their medical staff are on the way now." He looked at his watch. "In fact, they should be there." He said. "By the end of this week, we'll have twenty more vampires on serum to help cover the crowd."

"Good." I smiled.

It didn't take but an hour or so before I watched both Repetate and Iustina lay flat, the curled into the fetal position and go to sleep. George's sedative worked. Instead of worrying about them, it was shortly after that both Colin and I pushed the seat back and were also asleep. I woke when we landed, but Repetate and Iustina hardly moved. We fueled, more to top off the tanks and then took off again. We had left Romania about 9 pm, the time there. We followed the sun...or the moon...it was a long night. It was a total of fourteen hours, but we got there in the morning hours of the East Coast. Of course, Colin and George had that covered as well. By this time, I was still the new guy at the VUN. We landed and then there was the thump again and the power went out. We were moved again. A flight again for about half an hour and another thump and we were moved again. I knew what was happening when we were suddenly going down. Then the door was opened as George stuck his smiling face in.

"We're here." George waved to us. "Come on out."

Again, I took Repetate's and Iustina's hands again and led them out of the container and knew I was back at the VUN in Manhattan. I recognized the not quite white cinder brick walls as we stepped off of the freight elevator. No sunlight was getting in here. Leading them to a room, in fact, the very one we kept Willie when we got him out of the subway.

"How'd they travel?" George asked.

I nodded. "Fine."

"They weren't restless being confined for so long?"

"They were confined for decades, this is just a change in scenery," I said bringing them in the room. "They are used to it." I smiled at Iustina who smiled at me. I looked at Colin. "How'd we get in here?"

Colin smiled. "Well, there is a helicopter we use that can pick up the container and flew us here, we moved the container in the freight elevator and down we came." He shrugged. "Simple."

Getting Repetate and Iustina settled didn't take long. They would be watched by employees that knew about vampires. I still thought the holding...room...was a little sterile. I had instructed them to install a TV for them, and that was really the only thing in the room.

"Devon!" I heard a woman's voice behind me. "Hi, Col-" she froze.

Turning, there was Amanda standing at the door! The first vampire I'd met so quickly after being bitten, still blonde, but very pretty now. Hair done and makeup in a woman's business pink suit. I smiled. "Hi, Amanda!"

She was staring at Repetate and Iustina beside me. "They are the Old Ones you told us about?"

I nodded. "This is Iustina and Repetate." I ran my hand over Repetate's bald head as I smiled at Amanda. "Otherwise, in English...Earless and Repeat." I pointed out Iustina's missing ear. Looking at Amanda, she was clearly...let's just say she wasn't comfortable with them. "They really are harmless..." I said, "...well, to us they are." I looked as Repetate was sort of cowering behind me. "They can be very sweet." I looked at her. "They and others like them are what began this whole nightmare for all of us." I returned my gaze to her. "But they are what they were made to be. I don't blame them. What they have inside could be part of the answer for getting rid of the venom in us."

Colin walked over. "What are your duties here?"

Amanda was still staring at the Old Ones and looked up and caught herself. "Oh, I work with Ursula."

Ursula was one of the first vampires I'd met. Colin, then Gabriella and of course Brett and then George; when we arrived in Manhattan after the Christmas party where I was first bitten, Ursula was the woman that greeted us.

Colin smiled. "I mean, why are you here with them?" He said putting a hand on Iustina's shoulder...and I don't even think he was conscious of it. They were comfortable with Colin now and Colin was comfortable with them.

"Oh!" Amanda smiled. "I'm here to see that their..." she looked at the two, "...needs are met."

"The first need they have is blood," I said simply. "They drink about two to three pints of blood every day." I looked around the room. "They urinate ammonia, so we will need something for them to do that. They don't sleep on a bed or even sit in a chair. The prefer the floor."

"But most important," Colin stressed very seriously. "Do not let any person even in this part of the building in that isn't a vampire or on the Disflavor," He said firmly. "I mean it!"

I nodded. "Their reaction to Sorin was...pretty intense."

"They will kill anyone up here that is human," Colin added. "When George comes to do anything medical or takes them to the lab...no one should even be on this floor! They will smell their blood and try to attack."

Amanda nodded and pulled a small leather-bound notebook out and wrote it down.

"No one!" Colin said firmly again.

Then I bounced. "Second, when they aren't with George and here in this room." I waved at the TV. "Make sure there is nonstop cartoons showing." I grinned. "They love those." I watched as Colin wavered a little. I steadied him. "And you need to eat. That sandwich you had on the plane wasn't enough."

Colin smiled feeling the drain. "I'll be fine."

"We got Nicolae and these two here," I said. "They're safe now. You will come with me and eat." I said lovingly, but firm.

Colin grinned. "You're the boss."

"Is there a remote? Or should I use my computer?" I asked about the TV.

"I'll make sure the library has what's needed. You will have to use your computer until I get the connection." She said but was still looking at them. "They are just so..."

I raised my eyebrows and waited.

"...so odd." She continued.

I nodded. "They are that." I agreed. "But once you get used to their appearance, and you will..." I said smiling at her. "...they grow on you." I brought Iustina and Repetate in for a quick hug. "I actually love them." I looked at them again. "Colin is hungry," I explained. "We're going to get him and me something to eat." I saw their eyes light up. "No, not for you. You had your meal." I waved at the ceiling. "It's daylight out and you would be hurt, so...I'll be back." I saw them nod, but looked at the TV. "Yes, I'll hook it up." They had slept a good portion of the way and I had several hours of cartoons they hadn't seen. Hooking it up quickly began the cartoons. I told them again I would be back. I walked back into the hall with Colin and Amanda. "I don't think they will, but the door needs to be locked...always. They are used to being confined, that shouldn't be a problem. I just don't want to take chances. They are very, very strong."

Amanda nodded. "I'll make sure everyone knows this." Then she smiled at me. "But it's clear they love you and follow every word you say."

Colin nodded. "I don't want to seem...overbearing, but...this is so vital...nothing takes more importance...I can't say it enough...if they do get out. They can't get out!" He said gravely. "They are a great, great threat. A lot of people will die and we will have a lot more wild vampires in Manhattan. These two are the most dangerous creatures on this planet to men, women, and children everywhere...and has ever been. They can not GET OUT!" He emphasized those last words.

"I'll make sure everyone here knows and push it even deeper," Amanda assured. "I promise."

"As sweet as I think they seem now; how friendly and docile..." I looked at Repetate and Iustina, "even innocent as they seem...don't be deceived...the deaths to men and women over the thousands of years of their lives...is over a thousand, hundreds of thousands...perhaps a million or more...they have killed and will again if they get out." I added. "As much as I love them...and I do." I showed her the gun I had on me. "I would do it, if needed. I will kill them. No regrets and no second thoughts."

I heard Amanda swallow and look at Iustina and Repetate again with more understanding. "I'll make sure the guards clearly understand that." She said as her voice shook only a little. "I'll even double what we scheduled. They will be kept confined. I swear it."

"Countless lives depend on it," Colin said and wavered again.

"Okay, husband." I took him by the arm and threw it over my shoulder as I kept him standing. "You eat. Right now! Let's go."

I took Colin to the restaurant at the VUN who knew to make food in volumes for certain people and Colin was one of those certain people. A meal was made and soon Colin was shoveling it in.

"I'm glad you understand about those two. You drove that home very well with Amanda." Colin said sighing. "Could you kill them?"

"Of course," I said shrugging. "It would hurt me, but with them, there'd be no choice. I know what they've done and I know what they are. They are no threat for us, so I didn't want them to be won over by their charms. They are strange at first, but they can't let down their guard even once." I said smiling as Colin didn't stop eating. I took the arm closest to me. "We did what we needed to do. We got them safe. George can continue his work on them and find something with their venom. We have Nicolae and his wife here, their children. They're safe. George has his lab; he is going to find a way to help us stop the venom naturally with Nicolae's blood." I smiled. "This will end."

Colin sighed. "If it doesn't?"

I shook my head. "I can't believe that. There is a solution here. George will find it and we will be free. Until he does, we'll give others that are going through this help and make things better."

Colin smiled. "We need a few hours alone time." He said leaning closer.

"You're not tired?"

"I have the energy for you." He leaned in kissing me gently. "I love you, Devon."

I ran my fingers in his hair. "I believe you," I said kissing him. "I love you, Colin."

He put his fork down and put his napkin on the table. "Let's go and prove it to each other." His eyebrows danced when he said that.

We did go to our apartment at the VUN to do just that. We proved we loved each other...once...and basically lost consciousness afterward. We were tired. It had been an intense couple days...hell, the entire journey from Egypt to Transylvania had been very intense. There was little time to really rest. I know even Colin had no idea how far spread the vampires were at the beginning. The vampire never trusted anyone and was always hidden. Now technology was catching up even with us. We were no longer hiding and trying to encourage others to take the serum and step back into the world and in the daylight. Colin and I really needed to go back to Dragon and try to stop this...crazy Russian from doing damage. What he wanted, I was pretty sure, was he wanted...well...to take over the world! Lucian was being used. He was another one that wanted something. Not to take over the world, but to strike back at a world he thought was unfair to him the past. I think.

We needed to get back, so...well...we needed to make showering faster, but I always enjoyed Colin. A hot, wet, and soapy Colin, how could I resist? The shower together ended up taking longer than we planned. Go figure. The plane would wait. It was the VUN's plane!

"We communicate with each other," I said finishing dressing as I put my shoes on.

Colin froze as he was putting his shirt on. "You and I communicate well." He almost objected.

I chuckled. "No, we..." I pointed at him and me, "...we are fine. I meant the different vampire groups around the world."

"That's because of the trust issue again," Colin said.

I smiled at him. "Apparently, we don't communicate that well. I need to just say it clearer. The Manhattan VUN and the British VUN need a better way to communicate." I said standing up. "Soon...and I know we'll be successful...are going to have to include the vampires in Romania with our group. All of Europe can become part of the VUN. We need a way to keep each other up to date. Like when we called Edwin for help with what's coming up on October 31st. If we had...a web page, or something that can do that. We could just send them a request for help. In fact, I'd bet Edwin would volunteer if we didn't ask because they'd already know."

"But webpages aren't always secure," Colin stated his doubt.

"Our broadcasts with Dragon weren't secure. Otherwise, that Vampire Death Squad wouldn't be waging this...vigilante war on us now." I walked over to him. "Don't you think Stan...our brilliant Stan...couldn't come up with a Website, secure, access restricted by...not passwords..." I frowned, "...I hate passwords, but retina scans, fingerprints...something that Edwin, you, me, Matt and soon Dragon or Gaius can access alone? Create a dummy page in case someone no part of the VUN accesses the page, but if accessed correctly, give us access to all things..." I grinned, "vampire."

Colin chuckled as he brought me closer to him. "I think we need to ask him." He kissed me. "This is beginning to sound like..." he grimaced, "running a country."

"We are a country," I said simply. "We are not in the same place by geography, we're not held together to any ideology or religion, but we share an affliction. We're vampires who need to take our place in this world." I kissed him again. "And right now, you are the president of this country." I grinned watching his eyes grow.

"Me!?" Colin balked. "I'm not qualified to lead a country!"

I smiled. "Are you kidding!? You are the most...dedicated man, honest, hard-working trustworthy man I've ever known. You're smart. You're overqualified! We can have elections when we are more consolidated, but for now, you're president!"

"You are too!" Colin stated firmly.

"I don't want to be seen as First Lady or First Gentleman." I then gave him a serious look. "We may be facing something..." I hesitated. "If Iilya does what he wants...if they attack those people at the Transylvania Halloween festivities...we could all be exposed."

Colin nodded. "I thought of that." He shrugged looking away. "The government in Romania can deny what happens, but...a lot of people will be exposed and they won't be able to deny it long. There would TV coverage, not to mention the thousands of personal footage circulating on the Web." Colin sat on the bed again. "In many ways...it would be a relief."

"How so?"

"All this sneaking around and trying to avoid being discovered about who we are, avoiding daylight because it could kill us. We are what we are." Colin said.

"Do you think that would be better?" I asked sitting next to him.

"Not at first," Colin admitted. "But after people see us as just people..."

"They won't," I said simply. "They can't. I worry if people can accept we're gay, add a vampire to the resume and just paint a target on us, aim and shoot. We are vampires. You know first, they will fear us. Once that is proven untrue there will be those that want to be us, but many just won't believe we aren't dangerous."

Colin was shaking his head. "No. We need to stop Iilya from making more and killing." He stood up and face away from me. "No one should go through what I did. What Gabriella went through and George, Willie..."

I stood next to him. "But I haven't." I turned him around to look at me again. "Colin, you lived through Hell, I understand that, but I haven't. My mother hasn't. I have it pretty damned good." I smiled. "Sure, after I was bitten, the first time I went through the serum to stop me from becoming a vampire. It worked, but I remember how much that hurt. The next time, I didn't suffer...well, I did with the serum like you did a week. I got the disc and I haven't had the hunger like you did. That one night I fed on blood because we had no serum. I never got the driving hunger. After I got the disc, I haven't hurt at all."

Colin shook his head. "But you could become that vampire with that desire for blood you can't control."

"Could! Not, would, as long as George has the serum and I take it, I won't." I was trying to impress on him that what we were and the serum could be misused. "George came up with this serum, chemically to take away all the bad parts about being a vampire and kept the good."

"Good." Colin nodded but clearly couldn't accept what I was saying.

"It's obvious! We won't die!" I said louder. "We don't get sick! I'm saying there are people who will pay top dollar to be able to live and not get sick! Including Iilya. That's what he wants." I took Colin's hand. "We need to talk to George."

"Why?" Colin asked as we left our apartment.

I spoke as we walked into the corridor. "I kept trying to figure out why Iilya wanted the Old Ones," I said. "I couldn't figure it out, but I'm...getting an idea."

"We assumed he was going to use them to make more," Colin stated.

"Is he?" I asked going down the hall faster. "That's the only reason?"

Going into the lab, of course, George was poring over what he'd gathered in Romania and other finds. This was a passion for George.

"George," I said causing him to turn around. "Why do you think Iilya will want Repetate and Iustina?"

George looked puzzled. "To make other vampires. That's why we brought them here to take that option away. And I could continue working on the cure, but Iilya would use them to make wild vampires." He folded his arms as he thought. "He may think they could be used to make him a stronger vampire. It's all conjecture right now as we're guessing."

"Why an Old One?" I asked. "He has vampires and humans."

George shrugged. "Again, it will be conjecture, but they are the living source of the original venom; undiluted, pure venom."

"They knew about the serum, when?" I asked.

"Just a few weeks to a few months ago, maybe," George said.

"You discovered the venom," I said.

George chuckled. "I didn't discover the venom. It was always there." He shrugged. "It more like when we say Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. It was always there. Ben just figured out what lightning is made from. I just noticed the venom and found where vampires came from."

I held my finger up. "But are you the only one to notice this venom?"

George's eyebrows rose. "I don't know."

I threw my hands up at the obvious. "You couldn't know! We weren't even really talking before a few decades ago. How could we know?" I touched George's arm. "You are a brilliant man. I don't know of a soul that knows more about vampires..." I stopped. "Wait! I couldn't know, no one would share and kept it secret as we weren't talking to each other yet. The closest we came was letters that took weeks to months in the beginning and only recently they hooked up by phone and email. What I'm going to say..." I collected my thoughts, "When did you notice the venom?"

George thought. "It was in the 1950s. After I was bitten and became a vampire, I worked to discover what this was and find a solution. I was bitten in the late 1940s. It took about ten years to discover the venom."

"And the serum, when did you discover that?"

George threw his arms in frustration. "I'm always finding the serum." He said helplessly. "It's been an ongoing, never-ending process and still is. The first working serum I had in the late 1970's allowed us to go in the sun for a few hours before we began to tingle. Additions were made and refinements were made as I worked out problems. I learned the best way to process what worked, a little, and made it work better. Then I got the serum to last most of the day. Then I got it to work all day, but it hurt a lot each time. Then down to a few hours a night after injecting the serum and the sun didn't tingle or burn at all, the serum was worked better, we only suffered a few hours of agony a night." He waved at Colin. "By the time he met you, I had it refined and so we could keep the serum levels up and only suffer a few minutes of pain a night. Now, we have no pain at all due to a better delivery method."

"And that is for as long as the serum disc is inserted." Colin pointed out. "We could go back to what we are!"

"But Nicolae could help eliminate that!" George argued back to Colin.

I was nodding raised my hand to stop them. "Yes, yes...I get that. My point is there was no formula until recently. We are offering what people want! No inevitable end of life at fifty to eighty years. We don't get sick. We now know of five Old Ones. There were two in England, Gizmo in Germany and the two we have here. There were hundreds...or even thousands of them at one time. We also know that they created hundreds, thousands of vampires, not to dismiss the countless deaths. Vampire to vampire, as we talk about generations, vampire bites a man and that man bites a human, so forth down the line to us! Among those vampires made...like you, they weren't necessarily stupid. Someone may have noticed the venom before you did. They may want an Old One. Iilya's trying to do the same thing! I'll just bet on it." I looked at George. "That morning we were shot, George, were there any vials of the serum missing? They knew we were starting Dragon on the serum. You would have it with you. The house was protected, but...on the path and not in the caverns?"

"There vials were taken by the police and...I don't know. There were several missing." George shrugged. "Things were a little chaotic."

"They knew about the serum! That may be what they were after."

"But they weren't there to know how to administer it!" George objected. "We didn't show that on those videos. They won't know how."

"It's medicine as far as they're concerned. They wouldn't know the serum has to be in the heart at first to start the heart again." I said the obvious. "If they try it in the arm, it won't work. These men aren't stupid, they could figure it out with enough trial and error." I said. "What are you going to do with Repetate and Iustina?"

"I was going to try Nicolae's natural...antivenin and antibody on the venom."

"Would the serum work on their venom?" I asked.

"Well, Wayne was bitten by an Old One and the serum worked on him if administered correctly," George said. "But I wasn't going to do that, I was using the antivenin and antibodies I strengthened from Nicolae on the Old One's venom."

"But Iilya and Lucian don't know about Nicolae." I looked at Colin. "Do they?"

"Lucian knew about Gaius, I'm sure he knows Nicolae is Gaius' son, but..." Colin shook his head. "No, they probably watched us come and go, but we didn't do much with Nicolae there or know why we need him." He looked at George. "We really didn't talk about Nicolae. Most of the things with him was done at the house or his own house."

"And we moved Repetate and Iustina so quickly. They may know we took them, but not where." I said. "I never sense a vampire around other than Dragon's people. They may not even know they're gone."

"You think they'll attack Halloween Night?" George asked. "To get the Old Ones?"

"Dragon is not one of them anymore," I said. "We changed many of the vampires with Dragon and the last of them is being changed this week," I said. "They did know we were doing that. While everything is going on at Dracula's Castle, the defenses for the cavern where Dragon kept Iustina and Repetate will be at their lowest. They think we'll all be at the Castle to stop them, I bet they will go to the caverns to get Iustina and Repetate! Dragon wouldn't allow anyone to take them, but they might count on Dragon being busy that night as well."

Colin gave an appreciative nod. "Do you have a plan?"

I grinned. "Of course! Let's give them what they want! The caverns with few guards." I smiled. "Only we'll be waiting for them."

"They'll sense us," Colin said.

I shook my head. "Other than your daughter, can vampires sense anything else other than there is a vampire?"

Colin chuckled. "I can't." He waved at George. "Can you?"

George shook his head. "Nope."

I nodded. "They will expect some vampires will be there, but this time...it will be us! The festivities at the Castle and in the town will have a few of our vampires in it. That's covered. We need to be there when Iilya and Lucian get there."

"They will bring others to help them," Colin said.

"We'll be armed," I said. "With serum and sun guns as well as other things like pepper spray or mace for the humans. They won't expect that." I frowned. "Maybe a gun for Iilya and Lucian."

"But, Honey, they're dangerous." Colin reminded. "They won't stop."

I nodded holding my hand up to stop him from going on. "I know! I was willing to shoot Iustina and Repetate, but only if I had to. I would shoot Iilya and Lucian...if I have to." I sighed. "Iilya is a product of Soviet attempts to take control. It was overdone, but he is what he was created to be, just like Iustina and Repetate." I looked at Colin. "You said it before. With Iustina and Repetate, we give them the blood and satiate their hunger and keep them away from untreated humans and they are no threat. We can't give Iilya anything to do that. There's a reason he is what he is, but that's no excuse." I nodded. "We will have to kill him. He's gone far beyond his training and conditioning. He's a psychopath, a threat. We have to rid us of that threat and Lucian with him. I don't think he will listen to reason." I looked at Colin. "I don't have to like it." Colin brought me close to him as he hugged me and kissed my forehead.

George gave a smile. "Well, before you leave...why not have a meal? I was going to meet with Nicolae and Helga later. You should meet them too, and their three children."

Colin nodded as he released me a little. "That would be great."

We gathered in the VUN's restaurant where we saw Nicolae again. Helga was blonde, but that wasn't her fault, poor thing. (My preference, remember?) She was in her late thirties, but a pretty woman. They had three children: two boys and a girl. The girl was in the middle in age with her brothers, one older, about sixteen or seventeen with dark hair like his father and grandfather, named Rica, the girl, about twelve named Gina, also had dark hair and the other youngest was blonde like his mother named Jan about seven. The children knew, like most in Romania, how to speak English, so no translators were needed.

Helga smiled as we consumed our meals and again, amazed at how much Colin could eat. "I hope this situation is over soon." She said quietly. "I know this is important." She looked at me and smiled as she told us. "I met Nick and he told me before we were married what his father was..." she laughed lightly, "of course, I didn't really believe him at first, but I met Gaius and who could deny it?"

Colin nodded. "People always have a problem with accepting what we are."

Helga nodded. "And you're like Gaius? You have to be. I've seen what you've done for Gaius and I want to help...but we have jobs...a life in Romania I want to go back to it."

I smiled at Helga. "Well, the next week will tell the tale." I said. "But it would be very dangerous if anything happened to your family; Nicolae in particular. He carries a natural way to keep him human. We need that. It could be a cure for us. We'll get you back as soon as it's safe." I brightened and looked at her children. "In the meantime, enjoy Manhattan! There are all sorts of sights and places to go." I looked at Rica. "We have a gaming system in your suite. There is a library of games to choose from and movies by the thousands." I watched Rica's and Jan's eyes grow hearing that.

Nicolae growled but smiled. "Don't tell them that! We'll never get them outside!" Then he chuckled at his sons. "You'll be spoiled staying here. I may not be able to pry you off!"

The visit was nice. They were good people, but soon, we needed to return to Romania. Saying good-bye to George and Burke, we then took the helicopter to the airport. We took the plane back, only this time, not in a container!

Next: I'm Not Dracula!