Blueblood

Story: Blueblood: Red Alert

Chapter 4 Yuri

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

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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They confront the last Tzar of Russia and use their talents on Yuri. Is Yuri the Egomaniac he seems to be or is it something else? Devon uses his ability as never before.

Yuri

None of us were that surprised to have been caught, but this was a trap we seemed to have been led into. It was also a major possibility we could have been killed. Even if they didn't kill us right away that didn't mean we wouldn't still be killed.

Yuri was a pretty good-looking man in his early thirties with short dark hair. His demeanor was open and almost pleasant. He also had the dry eyes that were brown. He did the gestures again with his fingers. His fingers moved slightly like typing on an invisible keyboard or nervous twitch. It was very subtle and having been teaching the Old Ones in Manhattan, I can say I had no idea what he was saying. Yes, there were other countries that used a sign language, but they were all different in ways. This one had been used so long by him; the symbiotic relationship had just evolved. There was no telling how long the two had done it. Yuri's eyes darted to all of us. His eyes widened.

"Lucian," the woman said for Yuri, "este o surpriză să ne vedem din nou." He waved at us. "Și cu acești oameni."

Our ever-worn translators said in English, "it's a surprise to see you again...and with these people." It was in Romanian.

(Again, I will spare the readers. Yuri will speak through his interpreter unless told otherwise.)

The woman, a blond with her hair pulled back in a bun to the back. She looked in her early thirties. She signed something to Yuri had not said. Yuri's eyes widened and he smiled.

"Ah, yes," Yuri smiled. "Your marvelous translators. You can translate any language?" She even gave the tone and inflection to Yuri's voice through her. They were almost using a telepathic communication; it was so practiced.

Colin nodded. "We're working to do that."

"It works well with Romanian and very well with Russian." I added.

His eyebrows rose. "So, I was told." He cocked his head a little. "Are any of you Russian at all?"

"No." Colin said with no emotion in his voice.

Yuri looked a little sad. "That's a pity." He looked at us again. "I think I know who some of you are..." He walked closer to us. His hands were kept loose at his sides and his fingers looked as if he had a twitch, but there was a pattern. Right forefinger twitched with his right little finger, and it rapidly varied from there and included his left hand. "You are Colin Wentworth." He said motioning to Colin. "I saw the message you sent online from Manhattan at the beginning." He looked at me. "And you have to be Colin Wentworth's husband Devon Wentworth." He looked beyond us to John. "You must be John Burke, George Holms' husband." He looked at the rest of us here. "The others I don't really know."

"Shall we waste time introducing each other?" Russ asked in a growling mutter. "What do you intend to do now?"

The system this man used was damned good. She even put the emotions in his voice. "First, you will all disarm yourselves." He waved at us. "I mean all of them." His head cocked slightly. "I know what those toy looking guns are. I know what they can do." He looked. "Oh, and those earpieces, too. One by one you will come and put all weapons on the ground here." He pointed at the floor. "My men will then search you and you will return to where you are now. No touching the others after you do." He said pleasantly. "We can do this in a pleasant or hostile manner. Your choice."

One by one we all did as instructed and all of us were thoroughly frisked. They left nothing untouched. I doubt many police were as thorough. As that was happening, I decided to speak to him.

"I know American Sign Language," I began. "I use it almost every day. I know other countries had their own. The signs you're using is brilliant, but I've never seen one like yours."

Yuri smiled at me. "It is. I've been using it in some form since the sixteenth century. It improved over those years and has changed since then to this."

"It's very clever." I said with admiration.

Yuri shrugged. "Thank you, but it's merely a form I use to speak to others." He looked at me more directly. "You speak with the deaf often?"

I shook my head. "They aren't deaf but can't speak. Now they can."

After the last of us was searched after taking our belts off and laid them on the floor, Russ turned to Yuri. "What are your plans now?"

"I plan to keep Dr. Holms. You can't have him back." Yuri looked at us more determined. "Not until he tells us how he did this." He waved at us. "You and Dr. Holms are vampires, but not like us. We saw those transmissions you sent. We saw him give medication to Dragon of Wallachia! We watched him change, but he won't give it to us." Yuri said. "Why?"

"I'm sure George told you why." Colin said.

"He did," Yuri nodded. "You don't want to give it to the wrong people."

"That's right." I said nodding. "Giving it to someone that will easily take a life wouldn't be considered. Dangerous people who are given the serum are detained to protect Humanity."

"And we are dangerous?" Yuri asked.

"You kidnapped George!" John shouted. "The men you sent didn't ask him to come here but took George. They wrecked the place we rented and knocked me out to do it." John walked toward Yuri a little. The military assault rifles held by Yuri's dozen men rose pointed at us. Mostly at John. He raised his hands in surrender and stopped. "Do I think you're dangerous? Hell, yeah!"

"Your actions say you are." I said to Yuri. "Your words say you are."

"Because I want to bring Russia together?" Yuri asked.

"Under your control." Russ said pointedly. "Subjugation. Whether it's wanted or not."

"You have an accent," Yuri said. It was no question. Yuri pointed at Russ' face. "I can see it in how you form your words. You're from England. You have a king."

"Who is not in control of everything." Russ nodded. "Certainly not in control of me." He waved at Colin and me. "And certainly not in charge of the Americans here."

"The number of monarchs that have absolute power these days aren't even more than a dozen." I said nonconfrontationally.

"But this one will be," Yuri stated. "Would that be so bad?" He asked.

"Having control over so much area, cities and millions of people is hard." Amasis said I knew was from experience. Yuri did not. "Even control of smaller areas is difficult."

"Not with modern technology." Yuri countered. "There has to one in control."

"And that one, is you?" I asked.

"I was born to have that control." Yuri said growing irritated. "Because I am deaf, I wasn't even considered!"

"Your brother was the Grand Duke." I said repeating what I knew from history.

"I am more capable than he was." He held his hands up, but still signed. "Enough! You will comply!" His head tilted slightly. "Or you die. There is no negotiation or questions. You will do as I instructed. There is no choice." He pointed down the corridor John had been going down. "You will proceed." He smiled then. "Your other friends will join you."

"What other friends?" Russ asked.

"Do not claim ignorance. The ones from the North Entrance," Yuri smiled. "In our garage and loading docks? Yes, we caught them, too."

Some of his men came on our sides with Yuri bringing up the back of us. It was a half a mile when we were greeted by some other armed men as we exited the corridor. We were on a lower floor of an open area about four basketball courts in size, with two side by side. It was a large square. The ceiling was four stories up. It was a stone floor here, but there were walkways that circled this chamber on three sides. People were going about on these doing whatever. Other passages began on these different floors to areas deeper in installation. The one wall without them went from floor to ceiling with various items on display. Swords were crisscrossed on display, but the predominate items were the flags. There were the white, blue, and red equal horizontal fields I knew that made up the currant flag of Russian Federation used. There were other flags up there representing Russia from several eras and governments. Yes, there was the red one with the hammer and sickle in the upper left corner for the Soviet Union. There was one, larger and central that had the white, blue, and red fields but had a golden two headed eagle with wings spread, three crowns, one over the head facing right head, one over the head facing left and one in the middle. There was a shield on the eagle's chest on which a knight in armor rode a horse over a winged reptile? The knight was slaying it, so it seemed. All of us were looking at these flags.

"These flags say one thing," Yuri began. "We are Russian. Proud and united against the world." He pointed at the center flag. "That one represents me." He said proudly. "It hasn't been used since the early eighteenth century, but I brought it back. I am the Tsar of Russia after all." He motioned for us to take an opening on the side. "This way."

Down another passage, we were escorted into a large room that looked like a comfortable lounge. Here the floors weren't gray, but carpeted red. Russian red. There were red upholstered couches and chairs to relax in. There was a large screen TV.

"We'll wait for the others to get here." Yuri explained. "It about thirty kilometers from that entrance to here. Our tram system is quick, but it still takes a few minutes."

Colin nodded. "You said no questions."

"About whether or not to do as instructed," Yuri stated. "That's what I meant. What's your question?"

"Can we see George?" Colin asked.

Yuri shrugged. "Why not?" He turned to the men that escorted us and said something to two of them using another form of signs. Those signs were more like the ones used deaf people. It was not American Sign Language, but similar. I couldn't tell what Yuri had said, but two of the men nodded and went somewhere. The men understood this sign language. His hands returned to his sides so his hands could be seen by the woman. "Perhaps Dr. Holms will be more cooperative after this."

It took but a few moments for George was brought in by the two men. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans. He wasn't handcuffed but escorted with each man having hold of each elbow. George looked wary, but mostly unbothered. Seeing us, he instantly smiled grandly. He saw John and his smile took on the warmth of love. John couldn't contain himself, launching at George, kissing him quickly and then hugged tightly.

It was habit. Whenever there was a display of affection for the first time with strangers, I looked to see any reaction. Yuri knew they were on their honeymoon when they kidnapped George, but knowing they were married wasn't the same as seeing it. Yuri and the others with him didn't react good or badly. Homosexuals weren't really well liked in Russia. They were here, but the country itself didn't approve.

"You speak in English." Colin observed waving at the woman.

Yuri nodded. "I do. Zoya and I both speak several languages. I had the time."

"That's her name?" I asked.

"Yes, Zoya Kovpak has been with me two centuries." Yuri explained. "She is one of the twelve. And my wife."

"If someone kidnapped her, would you do anything and everything to get her back?" I asked.

Yuri nodded. "Yes, but this is bigger than that. There are so many lives will be affected by this..."

"Lives of vampires or lives of people?" Colin asked.

"Both." Yuri said. "The people of Russia still suffer. Vampires are suffering from the separation from the world."

"Don't you see that's what we're about?" Colin asked. "I said over and over again, we want to give vampires a life!"

"How are the people of Asbest or Russia as a whole suffering?" I asked.

"Bad leadership." Yuri replied. "That's why having one good leader in control is so important."

The door to this lounge opened and the others of us came in. They came under the watchful eyes of Yuri's men and women.

Yuri walked up to Vlad. "You were the one they made the video of that showed you getting the treatment."

Vlad's eyes widened seeing Yuri, but hearing it come from Zoya.

"It's the way he speaks," I explained quickly. "Zoya gives him a voice. He reads lips very well in several languages." I realized that Vlad's ability to hypnotize and persuade wouldn't work with Yuri. Yuri couldn't hear.

"You showed that, and you were seen in that news clip. You claim to be Dracula." Yuri stated.

"I don't claim anything." Vlad muttered in a growl. "I am Vlad Dracul."

"You overthrew your brother Basarab who was the Voivode and took the title!" Yuri stated firmly. I knew about Radu, but forgot Vlad had other siblings. Vlad's father left Radu and Vlad to become hostages.

"A title not necessarily given by birth." Vlad argued. "We were facing the Ottomans! They were brutal and cruel. That title is given to the military commander put in charge. I had to do it."

Yuri nodded. "Because no one else was doing the job."

"Your brother Ivan did a good job." Vlad said. "He earned his name terrible because he was formidable and unrelenting."

"But now, there are men, corrupt with power, who are making bad decisions. That's how the people suffer." Yuri shook his head. "That's why they need one voice. Mine."

"Why yours?" Vlad asked.

"Because it is what I was born for!" Yuri said and Zoya gave the voice frustration anger. "I was also of the house of Rurik! But because I'm deaf, I was not included."

"The world won't understand that." I said simply. "The Tsar part won't be accepted, and the vampire part definitely won't."

"I'll make them understand." He pointed up. "I will be among them with this treatment." He smiled. "I'll take a role of leadership and change things gradually. My twelve will take positions, too. It will happen."

"Your President will not allow that." George said.

"When the people demand it. He'll have no choice." Yuri stated.

"Why will they do that?" Russ asked.

"I will introduce and along, disease free life," Yuri said confidently. "Cure for diseases they have and won't get any afterwards."

George nodded still being held by John. "He wants me to extract what's in the venom and give it to everyone." George's voice was solemn when he said that. "Not make them vampires but have a little bit of what we have that makes us immune to everything."

This vampire was very dangerous. Not because he was a vampire, but because his grasp on reality had been shaky before the vampire bite. Competing with his family for power he thought should be his because of his birth and cheated from because he was deaf. I also sensed something else.

"You seek control," I observed.

"Every group needs leadership," Yuri said shrugging. It was logical. "Or does the fact that I'm deaf make it less possible for me to be in control."

"Being deaf has no bearing on the ability to lead," Colin said tightly.

"You were leader of these people." Yuri commented.

"I am one of several leaders," Colin nearly growled. "There is no one leader."

Yuri nodded, "As it is here."

"Not really," I stated. "You already took any control away from Colin."

"Did I?" Yuri smiled a little evilly. "I can't take what he never had."

"I never wanted control!" Colin shouted.

"I was born to be in control!!" Yuri shouted back.

"Using that logic," I began. "The you should all be under the control of Vlad!" I waved at Vlad. "He predates you by...what? A century?" I waved at Amasis. "And my friend Amasis...he was born to control and was in control for over two thousand years!! He was a pharaoh!!"

Amasis grinned, "I was a god!!"

I physically waved Amasis off, "Yeah, yeah, buddy. We got that."

"What do you want?" George asked. "Really."

"You say there are perhaps millions of us in the world." Yuri pointed out. "If we get all of them on this miracle drug of yours..."

"You think you have an army!?" I asked in disbelief. "Most of these people are scared, alone, and afraid of everything! They trust no one!"

"Enough!" Yuri said sharply closing his eyes in frustration. He let out a sigh and looked at us again. "Iilya told me about your unique talents." He looked at Vlad. "Your particular talent can convince people to do anything." He narrowed an eye at Vlad. "Which won't work with me."

"Don't be so sure." Vlad said calmly.

"So, all the vampires will be working for you." I said simply.

"They will work for us!" Zoya even articulated a little of Yuri's instability. "We could rule together." He was signing his shorthand motions but waving between himself and us.

The fact that he felt cheated in the past because of his lack of hearing and with that imperial sense of entitlement had twisted his mind. The venom had frozen his body in whatever form it was at the time of the vampire's attack. Yes, it enhanced his senses to make him the perfect predator. It was common knowledge that whenever a sense is lost or isn't there, the brain attempts to compensate by utilizing the remaining four senses more and even makes them stronger. A blind person often hears things no one else can imagine. In Yuri's case, his eyes did have the dry look all vampires had. Yet, at the same time those eyes worked and even saw more such as better vision at night. That made sense. Vampires needed to see at night to hunt prey. Who or whatever was in the water supplies thousands of years ago created a perfect predator. The Old Ones started it all making wild vampires. I'm not sure about the progression of vampires, after generations of vampires. Remember? A generation being from Old One to Human Victim. The Human Victim to his or her Human Victim and the next and so on. In the near endless life of a vampire, it sort of becomes blurred. Each new generation retains more Human Genes until they retained more of their Humanity. Gaius had gotten a woman pregnant and, as far as we knew, had the first child with a vampire! George even theorized that the venom used by vampires would eventually not work at all. He further theorized there would be some later who's bite would kill vampires. We might even be alive to see if that's true ourselves.

My point is, there were parts of the mind that remain focused. Colin's desire to get Wentworth Manor back. Brett Marshall became obsessed with killing off all of the Wentworth family. I am certain the venom played a big part on how and what we become obsessed. Colin and I were the same way. I know, topics are just like I said, rabbits. They pop up from anywhere and dash off willy-nilly in any direction. All Brett Marshall had was revenge. The thought that Colin had killed his brother...never mind, that his brother was totally wrong! The more I found out about the Marshalls, it wasn't even about love. Did Brett love his brother Ashley? I don't think so, but I never met Ashley. I did meet Brett, but the very idea that Colin defended a slave...a SLAVE!! How dare Colin defend the slave's honor over a Marshall! The woman's husband, even though slaves couldn't legally marry at that time, but she was the mother of three children with this man. He pulled Ashley off his wife and would have killed Ashley himself. He was about to rape her. Colin threw Ashley off the plantation after beating the shit out of Ashley! A duel was scheduled, and Ashley hit Colin with a bullet, but Colin fired into the ground on purpose! Outraged over this dishonor, Ashley used a witness' gun to kill Colin! Everyone knows that when Ashley did that, it was not about honor. This was attempted murder! Colin was defending himself!! That was testified by all witnesses there, including those for Ashley Marshall. Duels were about honor, but what Ashley did was not have any honor. What Colin did was about honor! That was what drove Brett! Not about his brother's death, but the very idea that the lives of two slaves were worth more than a Marshall! And there were witnesses that would attest about this dishonor. The Marshall Family had been shamed. The Wentworths were a family of great value!

Yeah, that topic became a rabbit. Here are talents that each person has...before they were bitten. Colin had an intuition about people and knew when they were lying. Gabriella and Alex had keen senses of smell. Vlad had that charisma and ability to "persuade" people to do what was needed. As loath as I am to admit it, I love people. I did all my life! Making people feel at ease or convincing them to trust me...all of these abilities were enhanced after we were bitten. The venom just made them stronger. I was never scared, not too much, of Gizmo, Iustina (Earless, due to the missing ear), Repetate (because he was a repeat of Iustina), Ralph, Wayne when he was a wild vampire...almost all of them were loved and comforted by me. Colin and I were both told by Vlad that we had a form of his "persuading" ability that then venom made stronger. Since Yuri couldn't hear, I would be safe assuming his sight, and sense of touch were phenomenal. His ego was also off the charts.

"What is your plan?" Colin asked.

"You kidnapped George to force him to work for you." I stated. "You had to have seen the broadcasts where we gave the serum treatments to Vlad."

"I did." Yuri nodded.

"I'll tell you the truth," I began. "The serum hurts."

"A lot." Burke agreed and everyone there on the serum nodded.

"Forcing us to comply isn't a way to convince anyone to do what you say," I said. "The days of kings and queens who rule absolutely is over. There were deaths even in this country to overthrow a tzar who didn't seem to care about anyone."

"Living under totalitarian rule is viewed by many is unthinkable," Willie said softly. "They willingly die rather than live under that kind of control."

"History has many accounts where that is true." Mom added.

"I never wanted control," Colin commented. "It was given to me, but I never and still don't want it." He shrugged. "All of these people with us...I listen to. We are all in control. I listen to Devon because I trust him. George is like me. He doesn't want to be in control, but he is about some major things in our lives. I listen to every one of them because I know them, and I trust them. I know they will advise me on the best course of action."

"Why would being under your control be better for everyone?" I put my arm around Colin's waist. "How would you having control make anyone's life better?"

"You would rather die than let me rule!?" Yuri gapped. "Why?"

"Being willing to die instead of living for you!?" I chuckled. "No one wants to die. Give us a reason to want to live for you." I walked over to George and put my hand on his arm. "This is a dear friend of ours." I nodded at George. "More than that. He's a brother to Colin, me and the others here. How much longer do you have on the disk?"

"A few days," George admitted.

I squeezed George's arm and turned to Yuri. "He needs a new disk, or he will once again become a vampire with the fangs and only drink blood." I waved at our bags and carrying case. "We have what he needs right there. Show mercy and compassion by allowing us to do what is needed."

Yuri's face showed conflict as his brow wrinkled as he frowned.

"You are not a fool!" I said firmly as I pointed at Yuri. "Neither are we. I know without asking; you can tell when someone's lying to you." I waved at my own face. "You can read faces and expressions like a book." My eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you'd make a good leader. I doubt your ability to maintain sanity, but that could be because of pressures in the past and centuries below ground, isolation, and darkness. We are not your enemy. What you have done has made us not trust you and we are less willing to have you lead anyone. Allowing us to help George will help."

Yuri seemed to resolve something in his mind. "Fine, but no tricks."

I shook my head, "Absolutely not." I assured. "As a matter of fact, I'll do it in front of you." Then I thought of George. "You don't mind, do you?"

George shrugged and grinned, "Do it in front of everyone." He waved at the others in our group. "They've had it done to themselves." He frowned, "Well, not Chuck, Mark, Stan..."

"I don't lie," I said looking intently at Yuri. "What do you sense from me?"

Yuri's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. "Never!? Everybody lies."

"Not Devon," Colin grinned.

"Lies just complicate things." I explained.

"He never could," Mom added. "I would know. I'm his mother."

"You came to take George while he was honeymooning in Barbados." I began and pointed at Yuri. "You took him. He was going to work for you no matter if he objected or agreed. You never even asked him! You didn't discuss anything with us. Strong arming people to comply is not a good way to win trust. Why should we trust you?" I asked. "I know trust is very difficult for vampires. I've told you there will be no tricks. I want to help George. That's all."

Yuri looked a whole lot more at ease. He smiled walking toward me a little. "I don't intimidate you at all, do I?" He grinned and waved at me. "Your pulse hasn't risen a bit."

"Is that what you want?" I asked surprised. "Would it help if I was scared, too?" I waved at Vlad. "He literally scared me to the point I nearly pissed in my pants!"

Yuri began to chuckle. "He is Dracula." He reasoned.

Vlad was about to object, so I held my hand up to stop him, "No, Vlad. We'll have time to explain later, but George is running out of time." I waved at the room we were in. "Do I do this here? I just need to have access to..." I looked at George, "Where are you getting this new disk?"

George grudged a nodding shrug. "You know me. Right to left, alternating from arm to leg. The remaining disk is in my left arm..."

"...over the Axillary Artery and Vein," I nodded. "So, the Femoral Artery and Vein in the right leg." I waved George down. "I got it." I assured him before, and this was just a reminder. "You know I've done it before. You chose me because you know I can do it with skill." I shoved him lightly.

George nodded, "I do." He stood up and began taking his belt off.

"We'll give you some privacy," Shelly said pointing at the other side of the room.

George grinned again, "Not necessary. The disk goes in my inner thigh, and I have on boxers, so..." he shrugged.

I touched his left arm and felt for the disk under his skin and under his shirt. I was alarmed that at first, I couldn't even find it. "Damn!" I stated only after finding a small, round disk there. It normally was a wafer, flexible half-dollar sized, but felt clearly under the skin. Now, it was less a dime and only after I pressed did I feel anything. "There's almost nothing left!"

George nodded, "I know."

I looked at Yuri. "Can you bring me the backpack I had carried? It's the dark green one. In it is a small metal case. There are several disks in there."

Yuri glanced at the backpacks and brought the one I asked for to me.

"Thank you," I dug into the pack and removed the metal case the size of a cigar box. I pulled a chair over and sat down as George removed his trousers. "I'll insert the new disk first." I motioned for George to sit in another chair. "Can you overdose with serum?"

George looked surprised again. "I don't think so."

"Then it won't hurt if I leave that little bit left?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure if putting two in be a problem," George thought out loud. "I designed the serum disks to give the needed dose of serum to stop the venom. No more." He shrugged. "When a medication is found that works...people often think if a little helps, a lot will really help and take more than is necessary."

I nodded. "Well, a little is good, a lot should be better." I reasoned.

"You have several of these disks," Yuri observed and reached out his hand. "May I see one closer?"

Now, he wasn't using Zoya. He was speaking himself. That was a good sign. He was trusting us more to be what he was to us. I wasn't sure what Yuri was. A vampire, that was certain. For centuries he had been underground and hid. Lack of trust was a major part of a vampire's life. Paranoia was another. He knew what he needed. How he got it may be the venom's fault and it just grew. The venom made survival paramount to everything. I knew Yuri was born deaf. Why I didn't know, but he had never heard before and never heard himself. As with most deaf people, his words sort of blended, but he'd done this a long while. He had learned to do it better than most. I nodded and handed him one of the sealed disks in plastic.

"I bet you can see better than most people," I said looking at him directly. Then I took out a bottle of the serum and handed it to Yuri. "This is the unrefined serum." I explained. "We give that to new vampires when we first start the treatment. It will restart the heart."

"Restarts?" Yuri asked.

"The only circulation is done by the venom." I explained further. "Any blood consumed by a vampire gives the venom the nutrients needed for the venom to give the vampire what it needs to pass the venom on and keep the vampire alive."

I cleaned the area of George's inner thigh and shaved the little hairs there on his leg. After I cut his leg and inserted the disk, it was common practice to keep any hairs away from the healing incision. I gave him the little shots to numb any pain when I cut him and inserted the disk. We didn't want any hairs growing into the skin where the incision was healing. It healed very fast with a vampire. I made the slit and used a clean gauze to wipe away the little blood that came out.

"His blood is red," Yuri observed.

I nodded and looked back at Yuri. "It's a little darker than regular blood in a noninfected Human, but redder than yours." Using the forceps, I pealed back enough to slide the wafer-disk under the skin. There was no need for any stiches for it would heal quickly with just a simple bandage.

"And each disk is unique to each person," Yuri confirmed as he nodded.

"Yes," George nodded. "The raw serum works, but it hurts at first. The pain subsides as the therapeutic blood level is attained. The first serum develpoed was very raw, and it hurt pretty much throughout the day. You tingled most of the day but could move around. We were still photosensitive, and the sun was still affecting us. We didn't burn, but we felt it. It took..." he thought a moment, "fifteen to sixteen years of refining the process the manufacturing of the serum to get to this." He pointed at the disk. "Processing the vampire's blood with the serum eliminates the pain."

"There is a sensation once it's first introduced, but it isn't pain." I explained. "That goes away in a day or so. In fact," I grinned at George, "I've not felt a thing in months!!"

"Other than ridding the body of the venom," George grinned. "No pain is the goal."

"Can you do that?" Yuri asked with doubt in his voice.

"If anyone can," I pointed at George, "he, Kevin and our team in Manhattan can."

"If I can change the genetic instructions," George went on and explained how the venom caused the vampire's DNA kept them vampires.

"You can do that!?" Yuri asked amazed. He gave a shrugging nod. "I was surprised when they found there was DNA...the double helix? All those little bits that make us who we are..." He rubbed his head as he marveled at what he understood. "My part merges with some other person's parts and makes a whole new individual."

I chuckled, "That's what we do as a species. All species, really."

Yuri looked a little sheepish, "I was born deaf. Could that have been genetic?" He shrugged again. "It would have to be, wouldn't it? Can you change that?"

George's face showed compassion as he answered, "It probably is, but I'd have do a thorough examination. The trouble is your body was constructed before you were born. Getting your hearing back since you never had that..." He hurried on. "The venom rewrites the DNA you have and causes the change. I just want to change things back."

John Burke began shaking his head and did what almost every sports fan did in their lives. He held his arms in the cross form as he came close, "Wait, wait, time out!" He stood behind George and asked me. "What are you doing?"

George, Yuri, and I looked at him curiously. I frowned at John. "What do you mean?"

John waved at Yuri. "He kidnapped George!" He began to get angry and excited as he went forward. "You're doing it again!"

"Doing what?" I asked.

"He sent people to where George and I were having our honeymoon! They didn't even ask! They took him! They were trying to force George to work for him!!" He pointed an accusing finger at Yuri. "He talked about creating an army! Why?"

Colin smiled and nodded, "Good question, but as I recall...someone," he looked directly at John Burke, "did that to Devon and I the night of our wedding."

John looked a bit embarrassed as he nodded, "Yeah, I did." He admitted quieter, but then waved his arms out in futility. "At least I kidnapped you two together!" He waved at Yuri. "I was left behind! Knocked unconscious! Now, Devon is falling in love with him!" He waved at Yuri.

Wayne chuckled, "That's what he does! He did it with me, with Amasis, Vlad, Gaius, the Old Ones and everyone here!"

Yuri's eyebrows rose as he looked at me, then to Colin.

"He doesn't mean romantically," Colin assured absently and waved the concern off. "That's his talent. He can talk to anyone, comfort them, and get them to trust him. So, why the army?"

Yuri nodded and moved slowly, "We are potentially threatened by the armed forces of Russia. My sources with the current government are telling me there is growing concern with this area of Russia."

"Asbest wasn't founded until the early 1900s." I pointed out. I waved at the room we were in. "How long have you been here?"

"Just as the Russian Revolution began and grew." Yuri admitted. "There are vampires hidden throughout Russia."

"We know," Colin admitted. "We've been in contact with many in the world. Even in Russia."

"Like you," I began. "I can see the truth." I grinned and touched Wayne's arm. "He was a wild vampire. He couldn't speak, but I could see he was just lost. A good man." I touched Amasis. "He was a good man that had just been..." I looked at him sadly, "sorry, but he was led to believe what was happening wasn't the truth." I looked at Yuri again. "The whole I'm the last true Tzar or Russia thing. The hard stance when you first confronted us was to what?"

Yuri chuckled and gave a dodging nod, "Well, I don't know you." He threw his arms out in frustration. "I still don't!" He pointed at me, "You are good! I feel like I do know you and can trust you."

I nodded, "I am who I am. Do you see that?" I asked. "You pick up on behaviors and clues most people miss. Am I trying to deceive you?"

Yuri had a look of suspicion for only a split second, but then shook his head. "No." He sighed. "I was raised where a leader is supposed to be tough and hard."

"Being tough and hard is necessary at times," Vlad nodded in understanding. "We often have to make the tough and hard decisions for the greater good. Often, we have to be the one to carry out those tough and hard decisions and do the unthinkable. To save lives."

Colin stepped up behind me. "I also can sense when people can be trusted. When I can't read someone because they've taught themselves to not give anything away...I take that as a sign, too. The person that introduced himself is not who I sense now."

Yuri began to pace slightly as he looked at us. "I know you have been a vampire a while." He pointed at Colin and then looked at me. "but you are new." He looked at Chuck and then Mark. "I smell..." he inhaled deeply, "I wouldn't want your blood." He turned to George. "Did you do that?"

George was slipping his pants back on. "I did. It's something that taints the blood...not harmful but adds an unappetizing flavor and aroma to the blood."

Russ Chadwick, who had been so quiet you overlooked him. I did anyway. "Back to why you need this army. You want an army of vampires on the serum." He qualified to clearly understand. "You have sources that tell you Russian Government is looking into Asbest?"

"Yes," Yuri replied. "We don't make sense to them. Since the demand for chrysotile has been reduced because of the health concerns," he waved at the concern and was physically pushing that aside, "not that Russia is overly worried about that. What concerns them is that with so many projects started in this area of Russia, we are the largest town...other than Yekaterinburg, that has grown. There are about eighty-five thousand people in Asbest. Other towns are losing population. We are not."

"You have a pleasant town here." Deborah Saxon suggested. "What I've seen has been very nice."

Yuri nodded and again chuckled, "I like to think so."

"See?" I pointed at Yuri. "You sound like a leader, not a bloodthirsty vampire! A city administrator!"

"That's what he is," Voya said proudly. She was speaking for herself, not Yuri. She was feeling more at ease now, too.

"I need more people to..." Yuri went on to explain more, "be the better sources in Moscow. A vampire's loyalty would be better and longer than a human source."

"An army doesn't have to openly fight a war," Amasis offered. "They can fight from within."

"Listen to him," I bumped Amasis lightly. "He led many for thousands of years!"

"So, you've told me." Yuri nodded. He looked at me curiously. "How old are you?"

"Why does everyone worry about that?" I blurted out. "I was bitten just a few years ago when I was thirty."

Colin walked forward and offered his hand to Yuri, "I can sense when people are trustworthy. You seem to be trustworthy now. I think we are after the same thing."

Yuri looked at Colin's offered hand and it just took a few seconds for Yuri to nod. "I had to be sure." He took Colin's hand. "You'll help me?"

"We might have responded better if you had asked," Colin said. "I understand you couldn't trust and why. I will say, yes." Then he held a finger up. "We'll talk more and come up with a plan of action. This is Russia, so you will be telling us what to expect."