Blueblood

Story: Blueblood

Chapter 9 The Hunt Begins

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

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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The Hunt Begins

Things were slowly coming back to normal. We instructed Mom and Gabriella to come to Manhattan before we all went back to Charleston.

"I wonder why we haven't heard from Alexander Chance?" Colin pondered. "I assume he's in New York or at least nearby."

"Why?" I asked. "His great, great nephew works in New York, but his great, great niece is the Congresswoman from Maryland. They probably spread out through the generations." I pulled Colin closer. "You can text Ruben and ask him."

Colin bumped his head gently to mine. "Now, why didn't I think of that?" He grinned. "Old age." He offered to explain his lapse.

Ruben texted us back that his uncle lived in the Adirondack Mountains in the upper part of New York State. He even gave a location address, so Colin and I flew by helicopter up to those mountains. The Adirondacks had been more sparsely populated when Alexander had moved up there and now there were resorts and more people moving there, making it harder to be a vampire. We landed where we could, and it was a mile or so on foot. He lived in an area that was very isolated, a cabin, sort of dilapidated greeted us. We were told the cabin hid a passage that went underground. We arrived just before sunset and waited. It wasn't long after the sun did go below the horizon we heard the cabin door open. A man came out, saw us, and instantly opened his mouth and hissed. He was better than Gabriella had been when I first saw her. He was clean and he almost looked like a regular guy on a hunting trip, but the fangs were telling us he was not. He had been turned in his forties. Too bad about the thinning hair because it would be with him for all time. But not a bad looking man. He looked a lot like Ruben...or rather, Ruben looked a lot like him.

I held my hands up to stop him. "Use your senses, Mr. Chance," I told the man and walked toward him. "You won't get anything from us. Colin could smell when we weren't a target. I'm sure you can, too. We're both vampires."

"But unlike you, we can move around in daylight and eat real food. We aren't slaves to the hunger and blood lust." Colin told him. "We can offer help to you. If you're interested in returning to civilization. I know right now the blood lust is all you're really thinking about and the hunt. If you're interested, we'll be here to answer any questions."

Alex looked a little confused but sniffed. "You're vampires?" His voice was a little scratchy. That's apparently what happens when there's little moisture in your body. He suddenly jerked his head at something he sensed. "I will be back." Faster than a man, he ran off it the direction he must have sensed...whatever.

It was about two hours before he came back, wiping his mouth...with a CLOTH! He was clean! He looked at us with narrowed eyes when he looked at us.

"Who are you?" The man asked, his voice better since he fed. "I smell something...wrong about you. Why?"

"I'm Colin Wentworth," Colin said coming up to the man. "This is Devon Wentworth." Colin waved in my direction.

The man nodded. "Brothers? Cousins? You don't really look like each other. You're family?"

A person from the 18th century was okay with it, so was a man also in the early 20th century. "I say we are family! We're married." Colin said.

The man nodded, but not really bothered by the idea. "I see." He shrugged. "Things change in the world." He folded his arms and looked at us. "Are you from the city? You sound Southern. You both have accents."

"We do? I say you do." Colin chuckled as he glanced at me. "We are Southern."

"How'd you find me?" Alexander asked.

"Ruben," I answered.

He nodded as he scratched his head. "Yes. He must have trusted you to tell you about me."

"He helped us recently when the FBI and others tried to raid Holms Laboratories," Colin said smiling. "Do you know what that is? What it is?"

Alexander smiled with a nod. "Ruben told me about the place. Apparently, there are other vampires there. He believed that. I didn't question it." He shrugged. "How was I to get there?"

I frowned. "But you traveled across the Atlantic. It's just a few hundred miles to Manhattan. I'm sure Ruben or Grace would have helped you."

His eyes widened. "You know about Grace, too?" He shook his head. "My niece and nephews must trust you." He looked at us doubtful, afraid to hope. "But you can't take the vampire out of us."

"No." I shook my head. Rolling up my sleeve, I showed the back of my arm and pointed to the little round disc that still could be seen if you look. "There is a doctor that came up with a serum to attach itself to the venom."

Colin rolled his sleeve up, too and showed his. "We both have these discs. With these, we can go back in the sun and not burn. Our lives are real and almost normal again."

"Almost. That can be you if you want." I added. "Be warned. The first injections will be painful."

Colin nodded. "Very painful." He chuckled. "But your heart will start again and you can eat!" He grinned as that was a favorite of his.

"And the food will taste amazing! You'll have the senses that are enhanced, but not gain weight from eating too much. That is good and bad. You won't be able to store much fat, so you have to eat often."

Alexander tilted his head. "Why are you doing this?"

"Are you happy here?" Colin asked waving at the surrounding forest and mountains. "It is beautiful, but are you by yourself?"

Alex nodded. "I pretty much have been since I came back in 1951."

"Do you want to change that?" I asked. "There are other vampires out there and you can be around them and other people. You don't have to be alone. We want to bring them back and help them."

Trust was a very uncertain thing with vampires. Your whole life becomes, hide in the dark, become part of the shadows, sneak up on your prey and never reveal yourself. He was thinking about whether he should or not. "How will I get there?"

Colin smiled. "We can take you. If you'd feel better, have the means of transportation just a mile or so that way." Colin pointed the way we came. "I promise, we don't want anything but to help you. It's safe."

Alexander's face looked puzzled. "Why?"

Colin sighed. "Because I know what it's like. I lived over a hundred years as a vampire when I was turned against my will. I know how lonely it is. You are lonely. I know it."

Alexander's eyes held surprise in them. "Over a hundred years old? How old are you?"

I chuckled. "He'll be 205 in November."

Alexander's eyes grew more. "Really? And you?" He asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm only thirty."

Colin grinned and shook his head. "Rub it in." He shoved me lightly.

Alexander chuckled. "You're just a puppy." He thought a little more.

"You've never killed a person?" Colin asked carefully.

Alexander looked shocked. "Hell, no! Absolutely not. I hunt game. Deer and even bear. I would never do to anyone what was done to me."

Colin used what he felt and nodded. "Good." He motioned toward the helicopter. "Do you want to risk it?"

Alexander looked back at his cabin. "I have things here."

I nodded. "You can come back." I smiled. "In the day time."

He thought a minute more and then shrugged. "It will be...interesting. I suppose I should take the chance. What can I lose? I've already lived longer than I was supposed to. I'll take the chance."

I chuckled. "That word was used a lot during Grace's campaigns. Don't take a chance, choose Chance. And other such phrases."

Alexander laughed. "She is my niece." He walked to me holding his hand out to me. "I'm Alex."

I nodded. "You know my husband." I put a hand on Colin.

Alex nodded. "Legally married?" He asked a little surprised. Not about us, but the law.

Colin nodded. "Legally married."

Alex chuckled. "Things have changed in the world."

We took Alex back to VUN. He was staring wide-eyed as he saw inside offices.

"I really didn't have electricity," Alex said doing the turn to see it all. "I have a generator to use some things Ruben brought me." He chuckled. "Even a cell phone. I get calls from Ruben and the others of the family, but I sometimes forget to charge it." He shrugged helplessly.

Colin nodded. "No charging things here is needed."

"VUN is very secure," I added. "We have some very advanced things here."

"VUN? Is that what you call it?" Alex asked. "What is that for?"

George came up to us. "It's the name Devon gave this place. It stands for Vampire United Nations. Unfortunately, it's catching on." George growled at me but was smiling.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, it's better than Holms Laboratories!" I pointed out. "That was just so...clinical."

George just rolled his eyes, but he shook Alex's hand. "I'm George Holms. Welcome back." He walked with us as we headed back to the actual lab.

Alex leaned in and sniffed around George. "You're one, too." He smiled and looked around. "All of the others are human. I get the feeling there were others, but not here now."

Colin looked at George surprised and then back at Alex. "You can smell that?"

Alex nodded. "Smell and sense. It's hard to describe, but...I know there were others like you three. I feel..." he stopped and closed his eyes, "...three others. One is female."

Even I was amazed. "Before you were turned...what was your abilities? How sensitive were you? Smell, sight, touch."

Alex smiled. "I always had a sensitive nose, which annoyed my late wife. I always knew when she cleaned and when she didn't. I wanted to be an aviator; my vision was great. I had 20/10 and could see things others couldn't." He grinned. "This morning when I hunted...I heard and smelled the deer. I knew where he was and how far." He shrugged. "Living in those mountains, I was isolated, and it just made things sharper. I was a tracker before, even in the Army. I was in line to become an aviator, but my ability to track they wanted to flush out Germans was used by the Army."

"Well, the serum won't change all of your abilities," George said. "But it will hurt at first."

Colin nodded. "A lot."

Alex nodded. "I was turned in 1944 during the war. I only knew of that one vampire. He was scared away before he could kill me. I know he would have. Pain now to start reversing what happened won't be too bad." He smiled waving at Colin and me. "I know you were like I am, and I see what you do now. I'd like to return to the world. If pain happens, it's worth it."

George inserted the serum into Alex's heart, and we waited. It took a few hours before Alex settled down and slept. Colin and I went to our apartment to sleep. It had been a long day.

Mom and Gabriella returned while we were asleep. In the morning, we checked on Alex.

Alex sighed rubbing his chest where the serum had been injected. "You weren't lying. That serum hurt!"

"Yes, but once the serum becomes a part of you and the drug level evens out," George assured. "I'll tailor make the serum for you, using that to make the serum work better. Once that happens, I'll create a disc for you. That will be inserted, and you'll have to have one once a month. There won't be pain then."

Alex smiled at the prospects. "When can I see sunlight?"

"A couple days more," Colin promised. "In fact, we'll all go on the roof to watch it together."

Gabriella and mom came in. Mom hugged me and Colin as did Gabriella. I looked at Alex's reaction to them. He sniffed again.

"Okay, they both seem different," Alex observed. He pointed to Gabriella. "She's like us." Then he pointed to mom. "She's human, but...she smells different. Why?"

I smiled. "What do you sense?"

He shook his head and shrugged. "It's just...off. Even as a vampire, I wouldn't have gone after her."

Mom smiled. "I take something to make me this way. George says it's a disflavor. It makes vampires not want to attack me. Is it bad?"

Alex sniffed again. "No, but...not appetizing at all."

I pulled Colin over to me closer and whispered to him. "I don't smell a thing from Mom."

Colin shook his head. "I don't really either. Not anymore."

"If he can sense things like this after he takes the serum, we might be able to use him to locate others." I pointed out.

Colin nodded. "You're right."

Another couple of days and doses and we took Alex to the roof of VUN. Alex had the usual reaction as the horizon brightened. Alex's actions were also typical. He looked with a little trepidation but was smiling as the first rays of sunlight hit him. He touched his arms as the tingling began but smiled.

"This is a strange feeling," Alex said.

"It will fade with time," I said. "You won't always feel it."

Gabriella smiled. "I sort of liked it." She took Alex's arm. "I miss it now." Alex returned the smile, but held interest, in Gabriella.

I watched Colin's eyes grow as he saw it, too. Putting my hand on Colin, I turned his head to me. "She's an attractive, grown woman. He's a vampire. It will probably happen. If not with him, there will be others. Don't be such a Dad."

"I am a Dad. Her Dad." He said simply. "It's a father's job to protect his child!"

I shook my head. "You are. She's not a child now. Leave her alone. I'm her stepfather, so I'm telling you. Let it go."

Colin huffed but looked back at the conversation Gabriella seemed to enjoy with Alex.

Meals were also new for Alex and like all of us, he was enjoying it extremely well. More than I did, but not as much as Colin. I supposed, the longer you had been without, the more you liked it. By the end of the week, George had begun working on the serum and Alex's blood to make the disc for Alex.

Colin looked at his phone and smiled, knowing what it was about. "I think someone wants to see you." He smiled at Alex.

Alex looked puzzled. The door opened and four people came in. Ruben, another man, and two women.

Ruben shook Colin's and my hands. "This is Carrie, my wife." He presented a blonde woman in her late thirties. She was a little heavier than she needed to be, weight was a problem for her. The other woman I recognized as the Congresswoman, Grace Chance. "You may know my cousin Grace. This is her husband, Matt Vega." He pointed to a man that was attractive in his late forties or early fifties. Cuban? He was Latin. Grace was in her mid-forties, but the appearance was perfection. Dark hair that was done for a woman of her years. Ruben looked behind us. "Uncle Alex?" He walked toward Alex as his smile got bigger. "You look...normal!"

As the family reunion was underway Colin, George and I talked.

"Guys." I began. "We have a great computer system but lack the manpower. Ruben has access to the manpower, but not our computers. Alex can track." I was looking at puzzled faces. "Are you sure you're as old as you claim and can't see it?"

Colin nodded. "You want to use the FBI to track vampires?"

George frowned. "If we start working with the FBI, aren't we doing exactly what they want? We become agents."

I shrugged. "Not for the political things." I shook my head. "We will stop the killings. There are hunter vampires out there and dangerous. We find them and either they agree to be treated or die." I tapped my disc. "We have means to go in the world now and look for others!"

Colin was nodding as he understood. "Think about it. With Ruben and Grace, our backgrounds could be secured. No one will necessarily be able to find out about any of us."

George shook his head. "This is a direction I hadn't wanted to go. This is not what I intended!"

"It's a way!" Colin stressed for George see the logic. I saw George struggle with it, but he was seeing the logic.

We spoke to Grace and Ruben about this new possibility.

Grace sighed as she thought about what we proposed. "A division to investigate deaths would be good and stop deaths. Seeking out other vampires!?" She shook her head. "I can't do it alone. How would we support this? Financial resources are watched!"

Colin nodded. "Yes. We have the money here. The nation's taxes wouldn't be necessarily used."

Ruben nodded. "It could work. I could block any inquiries into your pasts. Using agents, that will take a few special agents."

I nodded holding my hands up to stop them. "This is new for all of us. I don't relish the idea of working for the FBI or any agency. Nor do I think the FBI should work for the VUN. A privately sponsored division using FBI would be tricky, but a cooperative alliance would work best. We would show results if anyone asked about it."

Grace nodded. "I have a couple of people I might propose this to. A couple are senators. Let me see. I'll feel them out and see. If they agree, they will want to see this place." She smiled looking around the room. "It's impressive."

"You think it could work though?" I asked.

Ruben smiled shaking his head. "A vampire seeking unit! That would be awesome!"

Grace patted his arm asking him not to get too excited too quickly. "Give me a few days. I'll talk to some people, and I'll let you know." She smiled at us but looked back at her uncle. "What you've done for Uncle Alex, I say absolutely yes. The others might need convincing."

We ended the visit with a new purpose. Colin needed to assure George. "We need to find the others. That's why we began Holms Laboratories, George. To help others who were turned. This is what it's all about. That's why we built this."

George sighed. "I suppose." He looked at me grinning. "Now you have something else to name."

I grinned. "A vampire locating task force? I'll let you know."

George smiled again. "But leave the vampire out of the name. It might freak some people out."

We flew back to Charleston. We took Alex with us, which Gabriella was too happy about. Colin was not convinced about it. Of course, he wouldn't be, he's her father. It didn't matter that she had been turned in her mid-thirties or that she nearly as old as he was. That, and the appearance thing. Alex appeared to be as old as Colin, even if Alex was almost a century younger than Colin and younger than Gabriella...or...something like that. You may get a headache.

The spin and usual when seeing Wentworth. Alex did the whole thing as he looked amazed.

"Wow," Alex said simply. "Is this VUN's, or yours?" He looked at Colin.

Colin smiled. "I was my family's, now it's ours." He pointed to Gabriella and me.

Gabriella smiled taking Colin's arm. "He is a brilliant businessman. Don't believe his modesty. He built the whole thing. TWICE!"

Colin was turning a little pink. "Well, we had a little problem. It fell apart and I was a vampire and..."

"It was built twice!" Gabriella said again. "And he rebuilt this whole thing faster than people believed possible."

"I never swung so much as a hammer!" Colin complained. "You're giving Alex the impression I physically built the place."

I took Colin's hand. "But your brain did. Don't deny that."

As we were getting ready for bed, I was wondering. "The money you used to build Wentworth Manor is yours, right?"

Colin looked at me puzzled. "Of course. The accounts are in my name. Why?"

"The money for the potential task force is coming from...?"

Colin turned. "Holms Laboratories."

I could see where his mind was going. "I'm asking for a reason. You're no thief. Don't think I see you could steal anything. Your money comes from the profits you made."

"Profit sharing." Colin nodded. "Rewards for making the money I did for Holms Laboratories. Not to mention the commissions and my own investments I began investing in the fifties with money I got from doing odd jobs at night. I did well! In the seventies George and I started Holms Laboratories. I've done it a while."

"As many businessmen and companies acquire profits over decades. It's the time thing again. Only this time it's business that should not be so old," I nodded. "George gets this, too?"

"Sure," Then he chuckled understanding my questions. "I see." He nodded. "We're here with my money. Where is his money going?" He laughed out loud.

I shrugged. "Well, yes! He's always at VUN! Does he go home? Does he have a home to go to?"

Colin chuckled again. "He does downtown Manhattan on Fifth Avenue! Not cheap, but worth more than a hundred of million now. He's sort of...an egghead." He saw my eyebrows rise at his name calling. "Come on, you know he is. I love that redheaded Brainiac! You know that." He smiled. "He has a huge house in Manhattan."

"When? When does he go home?" I asked. "He never is home when we're there!"

Colin nodded coming over to sit by me. "He's always at VUN when we're there because we're there!" He wagged his eyebrows. "He had no one to spend time with there, other than David. Now, he does."

I smiled. "You mean he and Burke?"

Colin nodded. "He and Burke!"

I shook my head. "Nobody's worried about the rebound?"

Colin shook his head. "I don't think it really is important." He smiled. "Burke might be hurting. They are having emotional needs that are being met by each other." He shrugged. "They're both way over twenty-one."

I nodded. "Way, way over." I grinned. "I suppose." I stretched out on the bed loving how comfortable the bed was Colin and I shared. "So is Gabriella and Alex. You know she'd be dating a much younger man."

Colin froze as he was removing his pants and looked at me and then rolled his eyes. "She's my daughter." He shrugged telling me he couldn't help it. "By that logic, I'm robbing the cradle!"

I grinned as I pulled him down on top of me. "You are!"

We were in Charleston a few weeks before we got a call. Ruben got tentative approval to begin the task force to seek vampires out. There was an office in VUN's building and they would be housed there, but the Senator that was sympathetic insisted on meeting Colin and me. Colin, Alex, and I had to fly back. When we arrived, we met with Senator Alan Cooke. He was an older man in his fifties and liked to eat as much as Colin, but he stored what he consumed. Not fat, but he wasn't thin! Hair that had been brown was now mostly white. His face was one that was open as he seemed approachable.

He smiled as he shook our hands. "Congresswoman Chance told me you want to start a task force to investigate disappearances and deaths. What's so special about this task force law enforcement and all the other agencies can't handle?"

Colin motioned to a sitting area in the conference room where we sat. "Unlike these other agencies, we won't be investigating anything else. We will be looking solely for the disappearances and deaths."

The Senator smiled. "And why the interest? People disappear all the time."

I saw Colin look at me wondering what we should tell him. "There are cases that we're interested specifically. What has Congresswoman Chance told you?"

"She asked if I was open to authorizing a task force to seek deaths and disappearances. She said she had an uncle that was a victim of this and saw the need for one." The Senator said.

Colin nodded and waved at Alex. "This is her uncle. Alex Chance."

Alex smiled and nodded, extending his hand. "Grace told you about me?"

The Senator gave a shrugging nod. "She's very quiet about you. She simply said you disappeared for some years and was recently found."

I nodded. "And that's all?"

He frowned. "I was expecting someone older, but..."

"We need to tell him," Colin said suddenly standing. "I hate deceit. If we're going to trust him to be on our side, he should be told!"

Alex frowned. "We're almost normal now. How do we prove it?"

Colin waved toward the lab. "We show him! George has all the research and lab results."

I shook my head. "Are we sure we should tell anyone?" I shook my head. "Having connections with the FBI is great, it keeps people out of our pasts, but we can hire our own people to investigate. They could even be agents!"

Colin shook his head. "Either way, we have to tell these agents about us."

The Senator frowned as he heard Colin, Alex and I debate. "What? Are you aliens of some sort?"

I shook my head. "If you mean illegal aliens, no. We're all born here in the United States. If you mean otherworld aliens, we're not that either."

"We're vampires!" Colin said quickly. Rip that band aide right off! It will hurt less. "This November, I will turn 205 years old." He looked at Alex. "What year were you born?"

Alex frowned, not liking what was happening. "1898."

The Senator looked at us like we were crazy. Then started to get up. "I don't have time for this." He said to dismiss this lunacy.

"We'll prove it!" Colin said motioning for the Senator to come with him.

The Senator, who was not believing Colin, who was insisting he is followed. "They don't exist! I have important things to do."

"Saving lives isn't?" I asked quickly. "We're not crazy and we not bringing you into anything shady or insane."

The Senator waved at the window where the sun was shining into the room. "You're up in the daytime or are they like those vampires in that movie my daughter loved."

Colin raised his sleeve and showed his disc. "I am a vampire. There is a venom that makes me a vampire. This disc keeps the venom inactive. We can move in the daytime. I used to be a blood-sucking, fanged vampire." He pointed to Alex. "So was he."

The Senator looked at me. "You, too? I suppose you're a hundred old or so?"

I shook my head. "No. I am a vampire, but I'm just thirty."

For the next few hours, we took the Senator in the lab and showed him the findings and serum. We even showed him the venom. The Senator looked but shook his head. "I see what you're saying, but I don't know what it is! I trust what you're telling me, but this isn't proof. I don't know what I'm looking at." He looked at us. "You say you are a vampire and there are others out there?"

Colin nodded. "There are and that's who we're looking for. I didn't kill..." he almost said what he always did to me about helping men die but saw me shake my head. "Alex never did either. We hunted animals. We are no danger, but there are those out there who are. We need to find them, get rid of them and help others like Alex, and I were who didn't kill."

George and Burke came in. George hadn't been there when the Senator was told. George looked wide-eyed at what we were showing the Senator his findings on a computer monitor.

"Colin! What are you doing?" George hurried over turning off the computer monitor that had the image of the venom.

Colin sighed. "We need allies, George. If this Senator can be shown, he might help us."

"And he may not!" George pointed out. "I was against this from the beginning. We're letting too many people know about us." He said firmly and angrily.

"Then we're no better off!" Colin said. "We need to trust someone. If Senator Cooke is convinced, we have help!"

"We've done fine since 1946!" George said angrily.

"No, we haven't, George," Colin said back.

Senator Cooke frowned at George. "You're a vampire, too?"

George looked angrily at Colin, but then looked at the Senator. "I am."

Burke nodded. "So am I."

The Senator shook his head and held his hand to his head as he thought. "I don't suppose you'd let this research be verified by another lab."

George shook his head. "No way."

"So, I'm to decide based on what you say." The Senator nodded.

Colin shook his head. "Fine, then don't trust us, trust Grace! She knows it's true!"

Now the Senator was looking like he was giving in a little. "These claims are just..." he started and stopped.

"Impossible?" I offered. "I had trouble with that, too."

Senator Cooke looked at me. "Did he do this to you?" He pointed at Colin.

"Yes, but it was complicated," I said. "It was a bad situation that would have been worse if he hadn't, but until you trust us, that's all I'll say."

"But you're expecting me to take your word!" The Senator protested.

"Think about it if it were you were a vampire!" I said. "If something happened that was unbelievable, but you needed someone to believe you...what would you do?"

Colin went on added quickly. "And what if what was unbelievable, you knew almost no way anyone would believe you?" Colin asked watching the Senator look from me to Colin.

"I think convincing you were aliens rather than vampires would be easier," I said. "We knew what your reaction was going to be."

"The problem is, we need help," Colin said. "These agents are already trained." Colin looked at George. "They are trained to look very well and investigate. Even if we only used a few agents, once they find something, we can go in with Alex who might be able to locate vampires better."

George thought about what Colin was saying, but...he was having a hard time with this idea. "What will we do if he doesn't agree? We can't kill him!"

Colin shook his head as we saw Senator looked more uncertain. "We won't do that, Senator. Relax." Colin said looking back at the Senator. "Even if he refuses...Grace thought she could trust you. Can we?"

The senator shook his head, but he was still having a hard time.

"She's a smart woman," I said. "Do you think she believes in vampires if she doesn't know they're real?"

The senator was still thinking. "I need some time."

Colin nodded. "People are dying, Senator Cooke. Think about it, but we should get started as soon as possible."

The Senator left still working things in his mind.

George spun on Colin. "This was a bad idea."

Colin sighed. "We've been hiding so long, George. The newly discovered vampires aren't the only ones with trust issues."

George grunted. "This could be dangerous!"

"I took a chance," Colin stressed and said louder. "We need help!"

We stayed a few days. When we didn't hear from the Senator, I was starting to worry.

"Why do we need the agents?" I asked one night in our apartment as we were going to go to bed. I had been thinking about it almost nonstop.

Colin sighed sitting on the side of the bed. "It's like I told George. These are trained men and women; they know how to track and investigate. We have men and women for security. The sort of investigation needed; these agents have been taught to do." He said hoping I'd understand. "Guarding someone or something is difficult, but the ones we have here and even in Charleston are trained to secure and guard. That's something we hired people to do. Investigating and searching is another issue and needs training." Then he smiled as he looked at me. "I have a feeling about Senator Cooke."

I grinned and sat by him. "Far be it from me to doubt your feelings."

That was when the doorbell rang. I looked at my watch and saw it was 11:30 in the evening. Getting up I went to the door. I didn't really know the man at the door, but I'd seen him around VUN.

"We caught one of them and his victim," He said urgently. "He is a vampire; they're bringing them in now."

"Colin!" I called. "We have someone coming that is a vampire!"

Colin came out of the bedroom tucking his shirttail back in. "How long until they get here?" He asked the man.

"It should be a few minutes." The man said and left.

"Maybe we should call the senator," I suggested. "It's late, but if he needs persuading..."

Colin shook his head. "He might need some persuading, but I'd rather he come on his own about helping us. Convincing him could work, but..."

"This will confirm what we've been saying," I said. "We have his number."

We did call.

"I already decided to go forward with your proposal, Mr. Wentworth, but I'll be there in a few minutes." The senator said and hung up.

There were parts of the building I hadn't seen yet. The holding area was new to me. It wasn't far from the Interrogation Room, which made sense. The rooms were in the interior of the building and were insulated with no windows and had one of those mirrors we could see in, but they couldn't see us. Going there I saw a young woman in one room maybe in her early twenties with blonde hair wearing a waitress uniform that was stained with blood. Her blood. She would have been pretty, except for the hole in the side of her neck. She was looking for a way out. I could see she was scared.

"We need to give the serum," I said.

Colin nodded. "We will. She needs to be where she is until the senator gets here."

"The longer we wait, the more serum has time to work!" I said urgently. "She is a victim!"

Colin nodded. "It's too late. The venom has begun to work. She will be a vampire."

In the other room was a male in his...his age was hard to judge. He was basically an animal. Hissing and looking frantically for a way out.

We went back to the girl. I sighed, thinking about what she might be thinking. Something had to be done. "At least let me talk to her." I urged. "She's frightened." I patted his arm. "I'm not a target."

Colin nodded. "We'll both go in."

The guards let us in the room as the girl backed to the other wall.

"Hello," Colin said. "I'm Colin." He pointed to me. "This is Devon. Do you remember what happened to you tonight?"

"I was attacked." She said. "By this...thing."

I nodded. "What was it?" I asked to see if she knew.

She shook her head. "I...it looked..." she began hesitantly, but her mind was going somewhere else. "I need to get home! My boyfriend will be worried."

Colin nodded. "We'll get to that. What did you see?"

She looked as if she believed if she told us, we'd think she was crazy. "I could have sworn...he looked like a vampire." She shook her head and touched her neck. "He bit me. Shouldn't I go to the hospital?"

"He is a vampire," Colin confirmed softly. "What he did, was unforgivable. He made you a vampire, as well."

Her eyes widened. "You're joking." She said in disbelief. "He didn't look like the vampires in the movies, he had more fangs and..."

"He is a vampire," I said quietly to her.

"You know it's true," Colin said. "They exist. We exist."

"Colin and I are vampires, but we're being treated. We don't suck blood or hunt people." I added.

She shook her head again. "That's impossible!"

Colin nodded. "But it is."

"I don't want to be a vampire!" She cried in denial.

For the next few minutes, we explained about the venom and what happened. She listened but was still having a hard time with the truth. At last, she asked. "Can I leave now?"

Colin frowned and shook his head. "You will turn if not treated. One day, you may return home, but right now. For your safety and others, ...you need to stay here."

I looked around the empty room. "We can at least get her a chair," I said quietly to Colin.

Colin nodded and said equally quietly. "We will, but right now...she needs to be seen by George."

"We need to remember she's a victim." I reminded him. "She is not any more responsible than you were."

Colin nodded again. "I'm not saying she isn't, but we can't let her leave. She's in shock. She will become a blood seeker if we let her go."

"I just don't want her to feel like we're seeing her as the enemy." I turned to her. "We'll be right back. Dr. Holms will be in just a minute from now and we can begin treating you. You need the treatment if you want to return to your life."

She looked very upset and began to cry and she was now shaking.

Colin walked over telling her quietly. "I know this is horrible. What happened wasn't you're doing. I had the same reaction. We will help you, but we need your cooperation. Okay?"

She was crying even more. "I just want to go home." She said pitifully.

Colin nodded. "And we will do what we can to see you can, but you need to stay here for now. Dr. Holms will tell you more, then you can decide whether to call your boyfriend or not." He patted her back to comfort her. He came back to me. "Maybe Ursula can talk to her." He said to me. "You know? Woman to woman?"

I nodded. "We can ask."

Going outside the room, we saw Senator Cooke with George who had been looking in through the observation window. The one-way mirror used to observe them, without them seeing us. Everyone has seen them.

The senator shook his head. "That poor girl," He said sadly. "How is she alive? That bite is pretty severe."

George nodded. "The venom in her stopped the bleeding. Once bitten, the victim gets a rush as the venom caused the blood to flow rapidly. After the vampire feeds, if the victim is left alive, the venom will stop the bleeding creating a new vampire. The heart basically stops. The venom keeps the victim alive." George explained how the serum worked to start the heart again. George nodded when he was done. He smiled sadly. "Now, I have a patient." He said, reaching and putting on a long white coat and held a stethoscope. He saw my raised eyebrows. "What? People trust doctors. I go in there as just another person...that's not the best plan. I go in as a doctor, they trust me more." He grinned and shrugged, walking in the room for Amanda.

Senator Cooke chuckled. "He's pretty good."

Colin nodded. "He's an excellent doctor. His practice ended when he was turned. He's making up for lost time." He led us back in the corridor and opened another door to another observation room. He pointed to the creature in the room to be watched. "That is the thing that was feeding on her."

Now I really looked at this vampire. He was dressed like most homeless, but his clothes were stained from his meals that dried. Almost like Gabriella had been. But Gabriella never fed on a person, this one had. His hair looked like it hadn't been washed at all and probably since he was turned. It looked with those dead eyes, his mouth opening and was probably hissing, his fangs showed. He looked wild.

Senator Cooke let out a start as he gasped. Now, he'd seen a vampire. "He doesn't even look human!"

Colin nodded. "There are those that give into the venom and become a hunter. They surrender anything human left in them. If we can't reach him, he'll have to be terminated."

"But that was never you?" The senator asked.

Colin shook his head. "I never gave in. Neither did my daughter."

"Daughter?" The senator asked. "She's alive?"

"Yes, and living in our home in Charleston, South Carolina," I answered. "She was beginning look a lot like him, but never fed on a person. We reached her and began the treatment. She's almost human again."

He nodded. "But you were never that way?" He asked me as he pointed to the vampire.

"No," I shook my head. "Now that you've seen one, I'll tell you. I was kidnapped, as was Colin. The person that took us didn't know about the serum and Colin missed his dose. He reverted back to a vampire. To prevent Colin from killing me, even accidentally, I gave myself to him." I explained how I was bitten twice, but Colin turned me.

The senator finally nodded after listening carefully to me. "Well, as I said, I'm backing this task force." He looked at the creature in the room. "Now, I fully understand and support you. There is a great need for what you can do."

Colin nodded. "But you understand the discretion. If people hear about this..."

The senator nodded. "I'll talk with Grace again. Perhaps with her cousin's help with the FBI, there is something more we can do."

The situation with Amanda was tense, but her attacker...that was just disheartening. We entered the room where the male vampire was still looking for a way out. He turned to us and immediately hissed. He started to come at us, sniffed and stopped.

"That's right," Colin said to him. "You won't find us very good to feed on."

"We're vampires, too," I said quietly. "What's your name?"

The reply I got was just a hiss again. He returned to looking for an escape. We were forgotten as he went to the door we came in and tried it. There was the single little hole for a key, no knob. He was not getting out that way. He resumed his search for another way out.

"He seems not to be able to do anything but look for blood and safety," I said watching the vampire look.

"We will probably have to terminate him," Colin said sadly.

I shook my head. "Why is he like this?"

George's voice came over the speaker. "Come back, please?"

Colin nodded and went to the door, which opened to let us out. Which the vampire turned to charge the door, but the guard there shined a sungun at him making him hiss again and shy away back to the other side of the room.

Getting back, we went to a comfortable place in the VUN to talk with George and the senator.

"I hate to say it, but he may be a lost cause," Colin confessed.

The senator shook his head. "I don't understand. What happened to him?" He waved at Colin. "As I understand it, you lived for a while as a vampire, but you were never wild, were you?"

Colin shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Gabriella was going that way," I said.

Colin nodded. "But she still had some humanity in her."

The senator, who normally wore a nice suit, looked so much different this time of night. He was casually dressed in a polo style shirt and jeans. He even appeared younger! I could tell he had been a jock in high school or college, maybe both! Football was my guess. "Whoa, whoa..." he held up his hand. "How is he different? He's a vampire. So are you all. What's different?" He nodded. "I saw he was nonverbal; I saw him look like an animal. What's different about him versus you?"

George frowned as he sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "In some...like this one...the venom just takes over. Every thought and movement is to get blood. The difference is the purpose." He glanced at Colin. "You held on to your humanity for a purpose. What was it?"

"To restore Wentworth Manor." Colin grinned. "You know that."

George nodded. "I held on because I wanted not to be a vampire and I thought I could do that with time." He sat back smiling. "Gabriella was trying to hold on by keeping Wentworth Manor safe, at least what was left." He pointed toward the room with the unknown vampire. "He didn't have a purpose, I suppose or lost it over time. He may not have had friends or family. Now he's operating on instinct alone. Now, it's get up, seek prey and go back for the day and does it again the next day."

The senator nodded. "But we're talking about executing a person. Isn't he deserving of some rights? Even animals have rights."

I shook my head. "Do they? An animal has rights, but if a dog has a disease or something else that can't be cured, he's put down to protect others and end his suffering. This creature in there has a disease."

"We'll try to reach him," George said. "But I don't hold out much hope for this one."

Colin sighed. "There is no criteria to follow about this. No laws for us to follow. There is a danger in that room. He attacked an innocent girl because he needed her blood. Now, we have another vampire to deal with." He looked at the senator. "If you know a better way, we're listening."

The senator shook his head. "This is unknown territory for me. When you told me what you were, I thought you were all just crazy. Creatures like what you said you were, is fiction." He thought. "I see you're not. I agree with George on one level. This can't get out. If people know about this, there will be a panic."

"And there will be those that want to be a vampire on the serum because they'll live forever," I added.

Colin nodded. "He's right. There will be those that want it just to stay young indefinitely."

The senator chuckled. "I admit to being tempted myself." Then he rubbed his not so thin middle. "But I'd like to be thin, young and have my brown hair back. Do that..." he chuckled to George. "...and I might consider it again. Not to mention, if we have those living a lot longer, there's housing and a whole new department is going to be erected. Social Security will change...it will be messy." He thumbed toward where we had Amanda. "What about her?"

George nodded. "I called Ursula. She's a vampire, too. She's coming to talk to her."

"Will she be able to go home?" The senator asked.

"It will be a month or so before we even consider it," George said. "She'll need to start the serum and then I need to tailor the serum to her, make the disc for her and then we'll talk about her going back."

The senator nodded. "Basically, the life she had, is over."

Colin shrugged a nod. "She can pick up that life, but yes. It's over. We don't know her family...does she have a mother and father? Any siblings? I know she has a boyfriend. Things will change. For now, she's a missing person in Manhattan. Police will be looking, but like many, not found."

"Is there a counselor for this?" The senator asked.

George shook his head. "No, but we need one. There is no psychologist on staff, but we may need to look to have one."

The senator nodded and then yawned. "Sorry, but I sleep at night." He grinned. "If you do have to euthanize him. Do it humanely?"

George nodded. "As we would for any animal."

"But we'll try to reach him first, right?" I asked.

"But he's killed before, I know he has," George said. "If he does regain his humanity, there could be guilt feelings. If not, does he deserve the serum?"

The senator stood up sighing wearily. "You've got your work cut out for you." He reached over and shook our hands. "I'll leave you to it. Good night."

After the senator left, I turned to George and Colin. "How did these two get here? Who brought them in?"

George nodded. "It was a fluke, really. One of our guards was going home when he heard the scream. He followed the scream to an alley where she was being fed on."

"It wasn't a subway?" Colin asked as if he suspected she was.

George shook his head. "It was dark, but it was in the open air."

"Meaning, this vampire came out from somewhere." Colin pondered. "We should have Alex sniff around. See if there are more."

George nodded. "Let's do it in the morning." Then he grinned. "I should get back to John."

Colin grinned back. "Things are good with that?"

George just gave a look that said it was very good. "Good night!"

I might have been a vampire now, but we got tired after a while. Going back to our apartment was now so much better. "Amanda is being taken care of?"

Colin nodded. "She's being given a room. A chair and bed even."

"But under guard," I said knowing it was true.

"To keep her safe and keep her from becoming a predator." Colin nodded. "She's been given the serum. She's on the road to...whatever life she can have." He smiled.

"Does she have a choice?"

Colin shook his head. "No. Either she takes the serum, or we let her become a vampire." He stated simply.

"If she chose to be a vampire?" I asked.

Colin frowned. "You're asking the right questions; I just don't have any answers." He raised an arm and sniffed. "I need a shower."

"We were interrupted earlier," I said turning to lead him as I walked backward. "Now, I'll join you."

Colin smiled knowingly. "You're going to wash my back?"

I gave him a leering grin, "Whatever you need to be cleaned."

He grinned more. "I can think of some places that could use a good cleaning." He pulled me to him kissing me. "I'll return the favor."

The romance was still alive between us. Colin and I had gotten caught up in events that happened, but he was still just as passionate as always. I was just attracted to him as when we first got together. It was a loving time we had before we surrendered to sleep at last.

When we got up, I was surprised to see Gabriella was here. She was cooking breakfast!

"When did you get in?" I asked.

"Last night." She answered. "I missed you." She offered as an explanation.

I nodded knowing that may be partly true, I knew who she missed. "You did? Then why am I only seeing you now?"

She grinned. "Well, I ran into Alex and he and I went out." She looked at me. "You and Dad were gone most of the night."

I told her what happened, and she shook her head. "That poor girl." She said echoing the senator's remark. "That's horrible."

I smiled. "Well, maybe you can help her."

Gabriella looked surprised. "Me?"

"You were turned, too." I pointed out. "You're a woman. She might like to hear from someone that's in the same position she is now."

Then Colin came in and did the same thing. Finding out she was here and that she and Alex had gone out.

"Wait," Colin said. "You came to New York by yourself?"

Gabriella nodded with a chuckle. "I went on the Internet, booked a flight and went to the airport and here I am!"

Colin nodded. "I like that, but you were okay?"

She nodded. "I was. Alex and I had a nice night of dinner, dancing...that was fun, the dancing was new to both of us. It was so free. I liked it....and..." she stopped as she smiled at her father and didn't say more.

Colin frowned. "I know it will happen, but do I need to hear about it?"

Gabriella laughed. "I know what you and Devon are doing!" She pointed out. "I'm just keeping you in the loop. He's a nice man, Daddy."

I chuckled at Colin. "You said when she was forty you'd consider having someone touch her. I think she's past that."

Colin growled. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You like Alex!" Gabriella said pointed out.

"And I liked John!" Colin said. "It took me years to get used to you and he..." Colin hesitated. "...doing things." He looked around the apartment. "Where is Alex, by the way?"

Gabriella's eyes sparkled. "Still in bed."

Colin grunted hearing that. "We need him to investigate where Amanda was attacked. We need to find out more."

Gabriella nodded and walked toward her room. "I'll get him up, Daddy." She smiled kissing Colin on the cheek and walked on to the room that she and Alex had shared more than a bed.

We descended to the street and took a cab to the area where Amanda had been attacked. Colin knew where we were, but I didn't. There were a lot of warehouse space and other businesses. I watched as a woman that wore the same sort of uniform Amanda had worn walking down the sidewalk.

"Amanda worked near here," I said out loud to no one. "That would explain why she was attacked here. Where did that vampire come from?"

Alex looked where we were told was the very spot. We even saw some dried blood that had to have been Amanda's. "He was a messy eater," Alex said sadly. He sniffed. "I don't get much from here. He might have just come by. No other vampires do I sense." He looked in another direction. "I get the feeling..." he said walking a little in that direction. "Yes. He came from that way." He said and led us to a manhole cover. "From under this."

"You can sense that?" I asked amazed.

"I can smell him," Alex said as he smiled. "It's like a dog they use for tracking criminals or locate someone missing. There's a definite trail to here Vampires have a unique, recognizable smell."

I sniffed. "I don't smell anything."

Colin smiled. "Well, a vampire's senses are enhanced when he's turned. Because Alex was a good tracker before, he's even better now."

"Like you're ability to sense a person's character before you were turned." I nodded but shrugged. "I didn't have anything like that, so..."

Colin pulled me into a hug. "You're very resourceful. Don't think you were shortchanged. But you weren't a vampire that long, not a hunting one, but your senses were enhanced. You'll find out when it's needed."

This street was busy, so we looked for another entrance down a less traveled street. Colin looked for something to lift the cover. Using that, we lowered ourselves in the underground. Pulling the cover back I watched Alex sniff again.

"That way." He pointed and we walked. This was a drainage passage for rain and other things, not a sewer, but my nose told me there was something else.

"Is the smell sort of musty?" I asked.

Alex nodded. "Yes! It's very strong here." He pointed to the area around where we walked. "There is little ventilation, so the smell would have been contained more."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's what a vampire smells like?"

Alex nodded. "That one, yes." He sniffed again. "It's getting stronger, this is the correct direction." And then stopped. "And more." He sniffed. "I'm getting another smell."

I sniffed, too. To describe it, I have to be able to describe an odor. It wasn't necessarily bad, but there was another musty smell, but different. The two combined, but I could smell two different smells. "He had company?"

Alex shrugged. "Or at least two who traveled the same path."

Intersections below street level with pipes that ran around these...paths, tunnels? It was bricked and concrete. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they had to intersect. Now I was getting more scent.

"There are more?" I said suddenly in surprise.

"A few more." Alex nodded. "You do have the enhanced senses."

Now, to tell you what we found, there was an opening we saw. It was a break in the passage that was not more than a crack, but a person could slip through. That led down to a subway. Was the crack manmade? It may have been natural but made bigger by humans...or vampires. I was now sensing five or six vampires. Again, there were breaks down here which we followed.

"Can any of you get a signal? Bars?" I asked looking at my phone. "If we run into trouble...they were human and will strike back with human abilities. I have the feeling we're heading for a nest."

Colin nodded. "We're prepared." He pulled what looked like a walkie-talkie. "This will get through. It doesn't use a satellite."

Another break and Alex sniffed again and went in. This was a cavern. No signs of man here, just rock. We had traveled a few miles down here, I thought. Now, though, Colin wasn't following Alex, but leading the way. He knew his way here! I had no idea where we were. A portion suddenly opened, and we looked around. Now the smell was very strong. It was daylight out now, if they were here, they'd be asleep...or whatever.

I was also surprised that even with as little light down here, I could see! Colin had said we had better sight than a cat in the dark. I hadn't noticed it at night before, it was just dark out, but I now saw enough. Then I saw them. There were people down here. All laying like they were asleep. I began counting. There were ten! Male and female at various ages but looking for anyone else to see them...as dead!

Colin grabbed me and Alex, forcing us back through the break. Now, I heard a train or subway car in the distance. "We need to get out of here. One or two we could handle, maybe, but if we woke them now, we will probably get killed."

"You lived down here, didn't you?" I asked. "That's why you really didn't need Alex and knew where to go."

Colin nodded. "Here and another place. You can see it's always dark here." He walked faster down the passage and the sound of the subway was getting louder. "I lived somewhere else down here in the thirties. This one became available in the fifties when they built the new tunnels for the subway." He pushed me through another break, and we traveled again until we were in a hallway. At a door, he pushed it open. We were on a subway platform. He looked and nodded. He pressed the walkie-talkie and spoke. "We found a nest." He reported and gave the subway location. "We need to get an extraction team here. If not now, tomorrow night."

The reply was a man I didn't know. "We should do it now. If you were down there, they'll smell it when they wake up and relocate. I'll get a team there as soon as possible. How many?"

"Ten."

There was a pause. "We'll get help there. Do we extract? Or end it?"

"If they wake up and talk, extract. If they just attack, end it."

"If they talk, extract. If they attack, end it." Colin said with a tone I hadn't ever heard. Bitterness and anger.

"You knew where to find them, didn't you?" I asked pulling Colin around. "There are more, aren't there?"

"Once we got here..." He nodded. "Yes. A few of those vampires in there, I knew."

"And the other place?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'll show you."