The Foundlings

Book one of The Foundlings

urban fantasy paranormal vampire series

by

R. M. Garcia

www.rmgarcia.com

The Foundlings

R.M. Garcia

Copyright © 2011 by R. M. Garcia. All Rights Reserved http://www.rmgarcia.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011910465

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

CHAPTER 1

The Chase

IT WAS MARCH 2011, and the air was thick with the aroma of the sea. There was a strong breeze blowing off the coast today, and it was carrying a misty sea spray far inland. Donnie, Espee, and Nox could still smell it this far into the city. Donnie loved the smell of the sea; it always reminded him of happier times spent with Abbie. They were in a hurried pursuit now, running as fast as they could to catch up, but the distance they had to make up at this point was significant. Donnie and Espee trailed closely behind Nox. They ran past cars, over and around buses and early morning traffic, navigating past them as if they had been standing still.

“Fuck me! These guys move fast!” Nox yelled. The athletic Vietnamese male was moving at a pace that was hard to follow; yet Espee and Donnie managed to keep up.

“Just concentrate on Abbie’s scent, culo!” Espee yelled back in her obvious Hispanic accent. “As long as you don’t lose it, we’ll find her!” Espee was extremely concerned. Donnie was at the edge of panic, and she was not sure how he would react once they caught up to them. She was glad she had Nox along; he rarely lost his focus, always cool headed despite his foul mouth.

“Easy enough, boss. They had a weird smoky scent. I won’t lose it!” he replied. Nox could tell Espee was worried about Abbie. He knew she used insults to obscure her true meaning as he had known her long enough to know what she was truly feeling. She always dreaded losing any of her so-called kids, and Abbie was no exception. The trio was moving at inhuman speeds, only a blur to any human eyes that did manage to spot them. They ran down alleys, leaping over fences and dumpsters. Not that it mattered, because at this time of the day there was barely a soul around to witness the chase. This area of town was mainly a slum, littered with abandoned buildings and low-income housing. Although they were moving virtually undetected, they were all still very worried. Dawn’s light was quickly approaching, and that was not a good time for any vampire to be outside.

“Nox, can you tell what Bloodline they’re from?” Espee asked as her body noticeably began to smoke.  Nox couldn’t smell the light amounts of smoke emanating from Espee but could tell she was fighting through some discomfort. It came across clearly to him in her voice.

“Yea, boss, looks like we are dealing with our old friends, the Reich.” Nox continued to lead the group. He was their only chance to find Abbie now. They were counting on his ability to track by scent. Even though all vampires’ senses were incredibly heightened, he could actually track by scent alone and sometimes even identify which particular Bloodline a vampire had been birthed from. It was a rare ability and an invaluable asset to Espee in her struggle against the formal Bloodlines. He had been by Espee’s side for a long time, and she considered him her right-hand man.

Donnie was praying that Nox wouldn’t fail and that they would find Abbie soon. He was also glad to have Nox along. He had once told Donnie that he was part of the Vietnamese war but never elaborated past that fact. Donnie could tell that he had at some point been a soldier, and he was no stranger to combat. He was small in stature, a mere five feet six inches, but that did not diminish him in anyway. He was a master of several martial arts and was incredibly fast and agile, even by vampire standards. He and Espee worked like a well-oiled machine when they set their mind to a task. Donnie and Abbie had often wondered how deep their relationship actually went. “Not good, won’t these bastards ever give up!?” Donnie yelled. The concern in his voice was unmistakable.

Espee kept a fixed gaze on Nox and did her best to follow him. “No, not them . . . to them, Abbie is worse than a Foundling. She is an impurity to their Bloodline. To those putos, she shouldn’t even exist.” She almost tripped; the approaching rays of the sun were already hindering her movements and draining her of her strength with every passing moment. She was trying to calculate how much longer she could hold out before they would need to take refuge. Donnie reached over and steadied her. She glanced back to him and nodded her appreciation. “Keep moving!” she yelled as she regained her balance. She hadn’t been concentrating; she was wracking her brain. She was always so cautious, and even now, she kept trying to figure out how the Reich had found them.

Earlier that night, everything had been progressing normally. Nothing seemed amiss or out of the ordinary. The evening was about to come to its inevitable end, just like hundreds of nights before. Most of the group had already hunkered down for their day’s sleep. They were a motley crew, an assortment of refugees that spanned every race, color, and gender. They were also a good group; they looked out for one another like family. Somewhere along the line, they had adopted a name to call themselves; they called themselves Los Nomados, which meant the nomads, a name that suited this den very well. Espee was the oldest among them. Esperanza Alonso, or Espee as she preferred to be called, looked to be in her mid- to- late twenties and was of Latin descent. She had a thin but fit frame, accompanied by flawless mocha skin; she truly was a beautiful woman. Her accent was hard to place; it was definitely based in Spanish, but it seemed to be somehow mixed with something else. Many of Los Nomados suspected that she was much older than she let on, and she refused to divulge her exact age. Espee usually spent this time of night walking the halls and perimeter of their selected sanctuary for the evening. She had always made sure all was safe and secure and that everyone under her care had made it back safely before she herself would lie down. This particular night, they had decided to rest inside of an old barge that had once served as a floating restaurant. It had been moored off an isolated pier and had long since been abandoned. The barge had three levels, with the bottommost level having crew quarters, which now served as an ideal resting place. Despite being in such bad shape on the exterior, it had been surprisingly dry and solid on the inside; it was a good rest spot. The pier was at least one hundred feet from the shore, so anyone approaching would be easily spotted.

Donnie and Abbie had been brought to live among this group of Foundlings about six months ago. After the events that happened in Tranquility, having any place to stay was a welcome respite by the pair. After five years on the run, the opportunity to stay somewhere safe was a true blessing, even if Miami was far from the ideal place to hide. Miami and its surrounding areas was a spectacular city that had a vibrant nightlife, but like any large city, it also held its share of dangers. It was littered by slums and rampant crime and drugs. Donnie and Abbie had found that it was quite difficult to survive here. The constant danger of the formal Bloodlines executing Foundlings on sight remained a constant threat.

Donnie and Abbie had learned that the hard way, that existing as what they were now was not easy. A Foundling, as they were called, was an anomaly in the world of vampires. The term “Foundling” was an old English word meaning orphan, and that was exactly what they were now, orphans. Every vampire originated from a Bloodline Source, and each Bloodline could only birth a certain number of vampires from its Source. The exact number, as Espee had explained, was a closely guarded secret. Each Bloodline was also unique and possessed individual qualities granted by their blood; Bloodtraits were what she called them. Some of these traits could only be taught, and this too was kept deliberately obscured. Other Bloodtraits were just an inherent part of the Bloodline, like Nox’s ability to track by smell. As it turned out, Foundlings complicated the formal Bloodlines’ order and their possible numbers. For every risen Foundling, there would be one less vampire available to the corresponding Bloodline. Every formal Bloodline down the line, from the Reich all the way to the Ancient Old Ones, cared not for Foundlings. They were considered loose and uncontrolled ends, and thus they were not tolerated.

A Foundling was an accidental birth of a vampire and was created when a vampire killed a human by drinking all of their blood. Although this normally would not make the victim rise as a vampire, on extremely rare occasions, for some unknown reason, it did happen. No Foundling knew exactly how or why this happened; many could barely remember the attack that resulted in their deaths. Most Foundlings never survived more than a few nights, because whenever any new one was discovered, the formal Bloodlines would swiftly massacre them. As a result, if they were lucky, they tended to huddle together for their own protection through safety in numbers. This existence tended to be wrought with danger and constant fear. An attack could happen at any moment, and one thing was sure. The formal Bloodlines had the numbers, the power, and were well organized.

The knowledge on how to birth a new vampire offspring was also a tightly guarded secret. As of yet, no Foundling knew how to birth a new vampire intentionally. Espee did not know why the formal Bloodlines hunted down Foundlings so mercilessly. Maybe they were afraid that one day the Foundlings would outnumber them or that one of them might discover the secret of making more. Either way, to most of the Bloodlines, these bastard offspring, these “accidents,” were simply intolerable.

Espee was always exceptionally careful to protect any and all Foundlings she came across and had become an expert at protecting them, from what essentially were vampire hate crimes. Her Nomados were taught to survive, to hide, and to avoid detection, and acted like a mother to everyone she cared over. Under her watchful eye, her wards were taught the vampire basics. They were instructed in skills, like how to feed without killing, and how to defend against attacks. The best technique she passed onto her Foundlings was how to avoid detection, not only from humans but from other vampires. Because of Espee, they also had many excellent hiding locations for the day’s sleep. As a rule, they never stayed in one place for more than a few nights.

The abductors came in so hard and fast that no one had a chance to react. They went straight for their intended target, straight for Abbie. They consisted of a tall man and a shapely woman, and they both bore the obvious Aryan features attributed to members of the Reich Bloodline. Their raid was executed flawlessly. They infiltrated the barge almost at dawn and with military precision made their move. The masterful use of flash bang and smoke grenades disoriented and stunned everyone. For all of Espee’s plans and preparations, her safeguards and rules, Los Nomados simply were not prepared. It had been all too easy for these attackers to invade their ranks and snatch up one of their own.

Once they had Abbie, they made their escape, and to avoid pursuit, the kidnappers set off explosives on the exterior hull of the barge. Everyone left inside was left disoriented as the water rushed in, further adding to the chaos of the attack. The barge sharply listed, capsized, and sank within moments. This both covered the kidnapper’s escape and prevented pursuit in one precise detonation. Los Nomados were left astonished by what had just happened.

While everyone was feeling a sense of panic, fearing a full-scale attack, Donnie felt nothing but anxiety. Espee had been right about one thing; they had snatched Abbie for a completely different reason. She had never truly been a Foundling. Espee organized Los Nomados quickly, and they broke through the hull as the exit to the barge was now blocked by the sea bottom. Once it was clear that it was an isolated attack and that there were no more assailants, they all swam ashore. It had taken them a few minutes to escape the barge and gather on the shore, but to a vampire, a minute might as well be an eternity. Once everyone else was accounted for, Nox picked up the scent, and the pursuit began.

“Boss . . . any idea how old they are?” Nox asked as they continued their chase.

“Not too old. We three should be able to take them. I just hope there are only two,” Espee replied. Age was a very important concern at this point. The older the vampire was, the stronger and faster they became. The Bloodline that took Abbie was called the Reich. They had first appeared around 1945, which meant that the oldest ones among the Reich were about sixty years old. They were Caucasian in appearance, light skinned and blonde, crystal clear blue eyes, and often quite good looking. This also meant that they were more resistant to the effects of the sun. The younger the vampire was, the better it could resist the effects of the sun. This resistance lasted for about one hundred years. After that, this resistance rapidly faded. Ultimately, it didn’t matter how old a vampire was; the sun would always win, and it was only a matter of time. Nox had been a vampire for thirty years. Donnie had been one for about five years, and Espee’s age was unknown to Donnie, but it was certain that she was older than one hundred years of age to Donnie now. The sun was affecting her harshly now.

“There! The Grassi Building, they went in there. Get ready!” Nox yelled. The five-story building had once been a local government office, and it had long since been condemned. By its outward appearance, it was probably being used by drug addicts and the homeless now. The building had a sun-bleached look to it, with its yellowish brick face. Its visage was marred by smoke stains and burn scars that still remained on its exterior. Obviously a fire had forced its closure. All the windows had been boarded up, and the perimeter of the property was guarded by six-feet-tall steel fences. The building’s entrance, a set of double doors, stood slightly ajar. Donnie increased his speed easily overtaking the lead from Nox.

Espee and Nox intended to vault over the steel barrier, but Donnie crashed right through a section of the fence. The steel barely put up a fight, and he easily bypassed the metal as if it was made out of paper. Espee and Nox looked at each other in disbelief as they followed through the gap he had created. Not many vampires could have done what he did, at least not one his age. Heading into definitive danger, the three of them entered the building and closed the doors behind them. At least now, the assault of the sun could be halted.

Surprisingly, the building still had power running through it. The hall lights were on, making it very easy to see. A large desk dominated the central space of the reception area. It was covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly indicating to the fact that it had not seen use in quite some time. The air in the building was filled with a light haze of pungent smoke, reminiscent of a lounge or nightclub. Several of the lights were flickering on and off, and for a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the low hum of the florescent tubes overhead. Nox immediately stiffened as he sniffed the air. “Three, four, no six . . . I smell six of them . . .” As they gathered their wits and processed this new information, their attention was drawn down one of the halls leading off from the reception area of the office building.

Exiting from what may have once been an office; three men calmly strolled into the reception area. They were each quite tall, easily over six feet in height. They were garbed in vintage black Nazi uniforms. The Reich now stood before them. The obvious leader of the group, denoted by the medals and accouterments on his uniform, began to walk closer toward them. The other two soldiers remained in their place guarding the hall.

“So . . . you have come to rescue the freuline? That is very brave but foolish. I must insist you remain here until we are done,” the leader stated as he walked brazenly deeper into the reception area. He showed no signs of fear as he continued to advance. He was dressed in the uniform of a Waffen SS commander, “I do not wish to harm any of you,” he said as he casually lit a cigarette. He possessed an air of arrogance that was quite apparent. The look of disdain and disgust that he shot at Nox, Espee, and Donnie was unmistakable.

“You have one of mine, and I want her back maricon!” Espee demanded. She was utterly concerned now. The three men before them were not the two that had abducted Abbie. The commander’s confidence was also troubling her. He had something up his sleeve, and she tried frantically to devise a plan of action.

“I think I have been quite merciful to . . . what are you called? Yes, Foundlings, we call you scheisse. You are of no real concern to us, and you would be wise to remain that way for as long as you can,” the commander said. His tone reflected what he thought about all Foundlings perfectly. “As for the freuline, it took us long enough to catch her. We are not letting her go.” Donnie stiffened at the words proclaimed by this Nazi. The smug bastard stood there, taking puffs of his stinky cigarette as if he did not have a care in the world. “She is ours now, and we will do with her what should have been done five years ago,” he informed after exhaling a cloud of offensive smoke. “Come now. We are stuck in here until nightfall. We might as well talk about . . .”

“Nooooooooo!” Donnie cried out. He sprang forward catching everyone off guard at his burst of speed. In a blink of an eye, he was past the commander and his guards as if they had not been there at all. The smoke in the room was violently disturbed and formed into spiral swirls by Donnie’s sudden exodus. Instantly Donnie was rushing up the stairs. Damn it, Donnie! Espee thought, you left us outnumbered.

Everyone stared at one another, uncertain what would happen next. Espee squared off against the commander and his guards, and Nox moved up next to her. The guards rushed forward to guard their commander rather than chase after Donnie. “I got these two, boss,” Nox said, pointing at the guards, and added as he readied himself for combat by taking a martial art stance, “you take the smokestack.”

“Don’t underestimate estos cabrones, Nox,” she replied as she began to move against the commander. As the melee was about to begin, an all too familiar electronic chirp was heard. The commander held up his palm toward Espee, as if to say wait, and with his other hand, reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a two way radio phone.

“What is your status?” he asked into the phone. A female voice responded through the radio, her German accent easily coming through.

“It is done, Commander von Bock,” she replied.

“Ah! Very good, Frieda,” he replied into his radio and took another drag from his cigarette. He then moved aside, allowing Espee free passage through the hall which Donnie had just ran down. “We are done here and no longer need to delay you.” He flippantly waved to his subordinates. “You can proceed. No one will stop you now.” With his orders, his subordinates simply moved aside. Nox and Espee cautiously moved past the soldiers fearing the worst and then proceeded quickly up the stairs after Donnie. Espee was furious at herself. Why didn’t she see it? She had failed to take into consideration that they were simply stalling. She never took into consideration that there would not be a fight. She had been outplayed once again, and she was now extremely pissed.

Donnie was moving up the stairs as fast as he could. The exertion of the chase, coupled with having to break free of the barge, had left him weakened. He had also not fed on blood in weeks, and that too was taking its toll on him now. He pushed those thoughts deep into the back of his mind. Only Abbie mattered now, no matter what, he needed to push on. As he reached the third floor, he encountered another guard. He was foreseeing a fight, but surprisingly the guard simply let him pass unmolested. Donnie didn’t stop to try and find out why the soldier put up no resistance; he just kept moving. As he reached the fifth and top floor, he came face-to-face with Abbie’s two abductors, the pair that had taken her. He was sure they had been in Tranquility as well.

“Look Hans, he actually made it in time,” Frieda exclaimed, genuinely surprised. Frieda was stunningly beautiful! She had flawless skin, full cherry-red lips, and long curly golden hair. Her uniform tightly hugged every curve of her voluptuous figure. Too bad, she was a psychopathic Nazi bigot.

“Frieda, Commander von Bock gave orders not to stop them,” Hans reminded Frieda without a trace of emotion in his voice. This German was truly massive, easily more than seven feet tall. Donnie had trouble believing how big he actually was. With his alabaster skin, he seemed more like a statue than a man, and Donnie knew what that meant. Hans too had blond hair, but his was so light that it bordered on white. He also possessed the same crystal clear blue eyes shared by all members of the Reich Bloodline, a trait Abbie also shared.

“Where is she?!” Donnie yelled as he moved toward the pair, expecting a fight.

“She is on the roof dummkopf,” Frieda informed. She added, “Hurry, you might make it in time before, well you know.” Her cynical smile and her ice-cold stare unnerved Donnie. He was not used to someone who was so vehemently evil. She gave him chills, but he couldn’t show any fear now.

Donnie made his move and attempted to run past the pair. Hans moved out of the way, but Frieda had other plans. She moved aside but kept a fixed gaze on him. At the last second, she dropped to one knee and performed a leg sweep. Donnie was easily leveled by the surprise maneuver. The outcome was exactly what Frieda had intended. Donnie went headfirst, slamming into the roof access door. With a sickening thud, he bounced off the solid metal door and landed on his back. He grasped his forehead as he lay on the floor and desperately tried to regain his bearings as quickly as possible. His face was now a crimson mask as a large gash momentarily opened on his forehead.

“Ha-ha-ha, how clumsy of you, I am sorry you are such an unbeholfenen jungen,” Frieda said laughing at Donnie as she stood back up, her fangs clearly visible as she mocked him.

“Hija del la gran puta!” Espee yelled as she delivered an expertly placed fist to Frieda’s face. Neither Frieda nor Hans had seen it coming. She seemed to have appeared out of thin air. The force of her blow sent the German hurtling twelve feet down the corridor, and she would have traveled farther, but she bounced off the wall, leaving an almost perfect impression of her shape in the drywall. Simultaneously Nox delivered a jumping sidekick to Hans. The blow was virtually ineffective, and the titan barely moved. The smaller Nox simply bounced off the mammoth; he simply looked at Nox and shook his head in disappointment.

“My orders do not include combat with you. Otherwise, I would love to finish this. She is on the roof, now go,” Hans said as he turned and walked away to render aid to Frieda who was even now still struggling to get up. Espee and Nox helped Donnie get up, and they hastily made their way to the roof. Donnie was frantic at this point. As he and his companions raced to the roof, he involuntarily started to remember all the events that brought him and Abbie up to this point.

CHAPTER 2

Tutor

IT WAS EARLY February in 2005. It had been a short winter, and it seemed that spring was just around the corner. It was senior year of high school, and everything was going remarkably well, considering all that had happened in the last year. Donato “Donnie” Guerrero was struggling to get through his study hall hour. He had nodded off several times and kept slipping into daydreams. He had deeply tanned skin and curly raven black hair. His build was athletic and was of average height. Many of the girls at the school considered him extremely handsome. Before this year, he had been involved in several sports and academic activities, but as of late, he participated only in basketball. His father had loved basketball, and it had given him great joy to watch his son play. Donnie had wanted to give it up too but was convinced to stay on the team as a second stringer. Today Donnie found himself in the school library for his study period. He had been struggling with one course in particular and was in danger of failing the class altogether.

“Shit!” Donnie exclaimed and added, “I just can’t get all these dates straight, Mr. S. 1492, 1796, 1947, might as well be in Arabic.”

“You know that’s not really a good analogy, Donnie,” his teacher Mr. Simmons advised. Parrish Simmons is both the student advisor and the history teacher at Joan of Arc High School. He was about forty-five years old and has long mostly gray hair, which he wears in a ponytail and a mustache. For the last year, he has been Donnie’s mentor and good friend, something Donnie had few of anymore.

“Huh? Why’s that?” he asked.

“Ancient Arabs were credited for the creation of algebra,” Mr. Simmons explained.

Donnie let out a quite audible sigh. “You see! I totally stink at history. I am going to fail this stupid class and end up going to summer school,” he declared in a defeated tone.

Mr. Simmons stopped grading papers and looked up. “Donnie, you just aren’t concentrating. You can master this. You’re smarter than this and you and I both know it. I’m not going to let you fail. You know full well you have come too far to quit now.”

“Yeah, says you, Mr. Triple masters’ degrees,” Donnie quipped and added, “have you ever had any trouble with any subject?”

“Yes, I do say so!” he quipped back. “Having three masters’ degrees makes me one smart cookie. So you should listen to my opinions.” He went back to grading papers and chuckled a bit, “Spanish.”

“What?”

“I had a hell of a time with Spanish, but I passed.”

“Really, you had trouble with Spanish?”

“Yes, I did, but I concentrated, and I made it through it and vowed never to take another language course ever again. I simply don’t have your talent for languages.”

“I only speak four and Latin is useless, but I guess you’re right, Mr. S,” he said as he shrugged and went back to reading his history book. Mr. Simmons’s counsel had always been welcomed by Donnie; after all, Mr. Simmons had been there for him through the tough times of the last year. His mother, Muna, had passed away almost a year ago. She had lost her fight against cancer and died when he was only sixteen. She had been an incredibly attractive woman, both on the inside and out. She was an American Indian from the Cherokee tribe. He missed her every day as they had been extremely close. Early on in his childhood, she had instilled a deep belief in the spirits of nature and the beliefs of her people. She had always given him words of wisdom and taught him American Indian prayers. Her spirit and kindness seemed to have no limits.

His father, Ernesto, being a devout Catholic really didn’t approve of the instructions but saw no real harm in them either. His father had felt that Donnie should make his own choices regarding his faith and beliefs. He was a tall and muscular man; the phrase tall, dark, and handsome described him perfectly. He had also been a successful business man. The relationship Donnie had shared with his father had been very different from the one he shared with his mother. Where his mother had lavished him with love and warmth, his father focused on more practical things. His father made sure Donnie took his formal education seriously. He ensured Donnie had the skills necessary to survive in the real world. Math had been a principal focus as was economics. So by the time he was nine, Donnie could balance a checkbook and pay any of the household bills and speak four languages. It was a game he and Daddy played. Too bad, history ranked low on the Ernesto chart of important subjects to study.

Tragically, he was killed shortly after his wife’s passing. The loss of his wife had been extremely difficult for Donnie’s father to bear. He had loved Muna passionately, and in a misguided attempt to cope with his pain, Ernesto eventually turned to the bottle. A few weeks after Muna’s funeral, Ernesto had decided to visit a local bar, and his next decision turned out to be a fatal one. When the police came to his door, Donnie half expected them to tell him that his father had been arrested for a DUI. He never expected what the detective uttered. The police detective told Donnie that a pair of rapists had dragged a woman into an alley, and that from what they could gather, Ernesto had been walking home after leaving a bar. He had heard the woman’s cries and had not hesitated and went to help the victim. One of the assailants pulled a knife and stabbed him. Donnie could remember having trouble understanding how a small puncture to his leg could have caused his father to bleed out so quickly. The lead detective tried to explain something about the femoral artery and the amount of alcohol in Ernesto’s bloodstream, but honestly everything was a blur after he said, “I’m sorry, son, but your father is dead.”

Donnie had stared blankly at the officers in utter shock as he was notified. The female victim had said that Ernesto had died a hero, that he had subdued both men with his bare hands. That had been little comfort to Donnie then. He had simply closed the door on the detectives, turned around, and slumped down with his back against the front door. Donnie up to this point had not outwardly mourned the loss of his mother. He had tried to be strong for his father’s sake and not show any grief. Now the loss of a second parent left him completely shattered. As he sat on the floor, a rush of pent-up emotions overtook him. He curled up and sobbed uncontrollably.

During the weeks that followed, Donnie stopped attending school and barely left the house. His only constant visitor had been the woman his father had rescued. Her name was Camille. She was in her forties, quite attractive, and obviously watched her figure. She visited him every evening and brought him a plate of food. She did so unfailingly for several weeks. Camille was sure it was the only food Donnie was eating, and as it turned out, she was right. After the second burial less than a month apart, he became a shell of himself. Some of his school friends did try to get him out of the house, but he always declined. He’d lost his mother, who was his joy and comfort and his father, who was his security and his protector. He felt lost all of the time and didn’t feel like doing much of anything. This was a dreadful time for him. He felt as if he had been banished to darkness, and that feeling lingered with him for a very long time. He simply retreated into himself and shut out the world.

For the next few weeks, Donnie spent them virtually alone. He simply concentrated on making sure everything remained the way his father and mother would have wanted. It was only when child services knocked on his door did he realize it had been three weeks since his father had been laid to rest. The social worker that came to his door was surprised at Donnie’s situation. She had expected much worse. The house was clean, and everything looked in order. The only thing that seemed amiss was Donnie’s weight, which had dropped considerably. Her name was Charlie Summers, and she was a true angel. She was one of those really special people, who genuinely enjoyed helping others. She helped Donnie get conditionally emancipated through family court. He was able to stay in his home as he had shown that he was mature enough to pay the bills. He was monitored closely by Charlie and was required to return back and finish school.

Over the next year, Donnie barely smiled and mostly kept to himself. He refused to let anyone get close to him. He became distant and kept fewer and fewer friends. The kids in school noticed his aura of gloom and started avoiding him. He pulled out of most of his extracurricular activities, save one. One of his teachers, Mr. Simmons, took a special interest in him and became like a big brother to him. It had been exactly what Donnie needed to start his healing process, which up to that point, had been extremely slow.

“Earth to, Donnie,” Mr. Simmons called out. “Don’t make me throw another encyclopedia at you.”

“No, don’t!” Donnie cried out flinching, half expecting to see Mr. Simmons holding one of the behemoth books. He still vividly remembered the last time he was hit by a ten-pound book. “I was thinking about the rents.”

“Yeah, I could see that you were deep in thought,” Mr. Simmons replied. “Why don’t you go visit them after school?”

A sad look came over Donnie as he considered the suggestion. It had been a while since he made the trip to the cemetery and felt a little guilty about it now. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I was just thinking how they would have been proud to see me graduate.”

“You’ve come a long way this year, and don’t think for a moment they aren’t watching, because they are. When you walk on stage to get your diploma, they will be there. Now we only have to make sure you graduate. So if you could concentrate for more than ten seconds on that book, we’d be making progress.” Mr. Simmons was right. Donnie could not concentrate. Anytime he came into study hall, his mind would wander. So yet again, he found himself daydreaming. His thoughts deviated toward his mother again. He started to wonder what words of wisdom his mother would have imparted on him if she would have been here.

“Donato,” Muna would say sweetly in her angelic voice. “Donato, whenever you feel lost or confused, just remember to breathe and say a prayer to the Great Spirit for guidance. Yowa has always been with our people and will always be with you too, my son.” Muna had always used his full name. Hardly anyone called him Donato anymore, and he somewhat missed that. Taking his mother’s advice, Donnie closed his eyes and began quietly praying.

“Yowa, Great Spirit, I am lost and cannot find my way home. Please light my way so that I can see my loved ones again,” he whispered. Just as he finished his plea, a strong gust of wind entered the room, and it carried with it the sweet scent of apples. Donnie looked up, and walking into the room was a beautiful young woman. He couldn’t help but stare at her as she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. He had seen her before once or twice, but he didn’t share any classes with her. He thought her name was Abbie. She drifted into the library and glanced playfully at Donnie as he sat at his desk. Her smile was unforgettable.

Abbie was not very tall, barely five and a half feet tall, but her presence was overwhelming to Donnie. She had long blonde hair accentuated by thick flowing curls. Her body had all the right curves in all the right places. She could have easily been one of the cheerleaders, and again there was that sweet smell of apples.

“Hey, Mr. Simmons, have you graded my paper yet?” Abbie asked as she walked up to his desk.

“Yes, Abigail, you received an A,” he responded with a smile as he reached for her paper among the stack on his desk.

“Just an A . . . ?” she asked with a little crooked smile and placed a hand on her hip.

“A plus as always, Abigail,” he replied with a big smile. He had this strange look on his face, a look of pride. “Did you hear from Princeton yet?”

“Yes, sir, I did. I received the scholarship,” she informed. “Now I just have to figure out how to pay for the other things I’m going to need, like housing.”

“Well, congratulations! So are you going to major in history? Huh?” he jested.

“Ha . . . ha . . . Mr. Simmons, even though I love history, I don’t think I will major in it,” she replied as she gently stoked her chin. “I was thinking maybe something in the medical field, maybe nursing or even a physician. I’m not sure yet.”

“Well, whatever you decide, keep me informed, OK? I like to keep tabs on my brightest students.” Mr. Simmons was beaming. Donnie knew that his greatest joy was to see his students succeed. Abbie was an honor student and in the running for the class valedictorian.

“You got it!” she replied with a big smile on her face. “Well, I need to head out. I’m tutoring in fifteen minutes.” She turned around, giving Mr. Simmons a little wave. As she performed her spin, her long blonde hair floated upward, and Donnie was mesmerized and could not avert his gaze. Time seemed to slow down, and once again Donnie smelled the sweet scent of apples.

“Bye Ronnie,” Abbie said smiling as she waved at Donnie moments before she exited the library.

“Donnie . . .” he said in a barely audible tone, and just as quick as she had come into the library, she was gone. Only now did he realize that he had stopped breathing as he had been transfixed on her.

Donnie waited until she was gone and then looked at Mr. Simmons and excitedly asked, “Does she tutor history?” Mr. Simmons burst into laughter, disturbing other students in the library. Once he got a hold of himself, he answered.

“Yes, I believe she does,” he said with a big grin on his face. Donnie smiled and nodded.

“Guess I should try some tutoring. What do you think?” he asked, raising his eyebrows repeatedly.

“Well, on one side, I don’t know how well tutoring with her would improve your concentration. On the other hand . . .” Mr. Simmons paused.

“What?”

“She’s a no-nonsense teacher. She works for her money, and if you’re not there to learn, she will drop you like a dirty diaper in the trash.”

“Seriously, you use poop as an example?”

“All I am saying is that if you ask her to tutor you, be earnest about it. She’s a serious, disciplined, and determined young lady, and she doesn’t have time for games,” he explained. “If you want to ask her out, don’t use tutoring to trick her into it. A number of other boys have tried the same approach, and she shut them down.”

“So . . . what you’re telling me is that she isn’t seeing anyone . . . Excellent!”

Mr. Simmons let out a very audible sigh and shook his head. He did his best to imitate an Oriental accent. “Donnie-san, you must concentrate and focus power.”

“Yeah, yeah, please, no more eighties movie inspirational quotes. Next you’ll be all breathing heavy and be like Donnie . . . use the farts, Donnie,” he replied. “Man, you are such a fanboy!”

“Never be ashamed of who you are, and yes, I am. I have to say fanboy sounds a lot better than nerd any day. Now back to the book slacker. You still owe me ten minutes of study hall time.” With an audible sigh of his own, Donnie went back to reading, still utterly distracted by the lingering scent of apples in the room.

“Thanks, Mom, and thanks, Yowa. I think I’m no longer lost. I think you’ve shown me the light to find my loved one.”

CHAPTER 3

Friends

AS SOON AS his mandatory study hour was over, Donnie left the school campus. There was no practice today, so he didn’t need to stay after school. He debated whether to hit the gym for a few hours or to do some running before going back home. Lately he had dreaded going home. The house felt so empty; he had kept it the same condition, and now it seemed more like a museum than a home. The next day Donnie awoke with a spring in his step. He had an important task ahead, but first he needed to do some research. He had no idea how to go about getting a tutor, much less getting Abbie as his tutor, but he proceeded undeterred and went into the main school office and looked around.

“Can we help you, Donnie?” Ms. Jones asked a bit nervously. Julie Jones was the vice principal of the school. She was a tall professional-looking woman who always dressed in business attire. Her long auburn hair was eternally tied up in a bun. Donnie’s heart rode up into his throat. He had the misfortune of being dragged to a rave a few months ago and encountered the vice principal partying inside. Donnie was of course way underage, and Ms. Jones, well, was exhibiting a completely different side of her persona, and her choice of attire that evening had been a bit more risqué.

“I need a tutor . . .” he said after swallowing. The images of her in that skimpy, two sizes too small outfit, came rushing back into his mind.

Ms. Jones smiled at Donnie. “I can help you with that. Please step into my office,” and she gestured the way to her office. Donnie’s first instinct was to turn around and run out of the office. He had already come up with over a dozen excuses why he needed to leave this instance, but he needed that information. With a heavy sigh, he walked into the vice principal’s office. She said after closing the door to her office behind them, “Please take a seat, Donnie.” He walked over to the chair that was in front of her large mahogany desk. He tried not to stare at her as she took her seat. Instead he looked over the impressive number of diplomas and certificates that adorned her office walls. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to see you again until graduation,” she said with a forced smile.

“Me too,” he replied with an uneasy smile. He knew right away what she was getting at.

“OK, just like we agreed, I don’t tell your social worker that you were in an adult club, and you don’t say anything about me being at that rave, understood?” Her tone and stare was revealing, and he knew right away that she was just as scared as him over the whole ordeal. Only four more months and both of them wouldn’t need worry about it ever again.

“Yeah, I know. I haven’t told anyone. I swear . . .” he answered, doing his best to conceal the lie. He had indeed discussed it with one other person.

Ms. Jones leaned back into her chair and relaxed a bit. “Very good, now for your question, you just need to go to the school Web site and select your course under the assistance drop down. Once there, it will generate a list of the available tutors, their rates, and times they have available to teach.” She knew the information by heart, and Donnie would have expected no less as she had after all been the web designer of the page.

Donnie rose and smiled. “Thanks, Ms. Jones.” He left the office and tried not to look distressed as he exited the office. A short jog later, he had reached the back of the building and proceeded outside. There was a spot near the rear of the schoolyard in which he would often relax; it was peaceful and somewhat secluded. He sat down on the old bench that was out there. At some point in time, the seat had been moved out here for some unknown reason and most likely forgotten. Donnie pulled out his smart phone and started up its web browser. He stared intently into the device and began searching the school’s Web site just as Ms. Jones had explained. There was indeed a chart on the Web site. Each tutor had their rates and available times clearly listed. Abbie’s name was there of course, and she had times open on Sundays and Wednesdays. It would have to do. Using all of his concentration, he quickly signed up for both sessions as if he had been in a race that he was about to lose, as if someone else were looking for the same class and wanted the same tutor as him. Once he was done and had booked and paid for the classes, he let out a long sigh of relief.

“Tutoring with Abbie, huh?” Misha asked, startling Donnie, so much so that he almost dropped his phone. He had been oblivious to the fact that his friend had walked up behind him and was secretly looking over his shoulder.

“Respect my personal space, man!” he yelled as he realized that his friend had been standing over him the whole time. Misha had the looks that the ladies loved. He was simply beautiful to gaze upon. To think that someone like him was simply born and not genetically created in some weird model experiment was hard to believe. He commanded the undivided attention of many girls and several boys at the school. He was tall, slightly over six feet tall, and would probably grow a few more inches before the year was done. His sandy brown hair was kept at a medium length, short enough to be easily managed but just long enough so that his natural curls would show. His reputation as a womanizer was quite well known. His usual patterns consisted of dating a girl for a few weeks, seduce her, and then move onto the next conquest. There was even a rumor that he had slept with a teacher or two, though he would never admit to it. In many respects, his fellow students considered him shallow, but Donnie knew he was much deeper than his many trysts exhibited. Through his dark times, Misha had been the only one of his friends that persisted on bringing him back to life. That side of him, the soft caring side, he kept hidden to most everyone.

“That is going to be a tough nut to crack, Donnie,” he announced. “I tried the tutoring angle on her nine months ago, and it didn’t work. I really think she is gay, man.”

“What!” Donnie felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. “You really think so?”

Misha sat down next to Donnie on the bench. His butt began to feel cold right away, and he wondered how Donnie was never bothered by the cold. “Yeah, buddy, I mean the fact that she turned me down isn’t why I think that. I have not seen her date anyone in the almost four years she has been here.”

Donnie excitement began to fade from his face. “Really, how the heck do you know all this?” Misha produced his phone and showed Donnie an app he had downloaded.

“It’s called ‘S.C.O.R.E.’ pad. It helps you track any and all women you may be interested in,” he said as he began sliding his finger across the touch screen. He continued, “It tracks who they have dated before you, how long, favorite things to do and eat.”

Donnie looked at Misha in disbelief. “Dude, seriously? Where the hell did you get that?”

Misha smiled and said, “www.donthatetheplaya.net” and paused to let it sink in to Donnie’s head. Then he added, “Once you input information about a girl, it gets updated to their database and shared to other app users.”

Donnie let out a grunt of disgust, “You’re despicable.” He was about to continue to belittle his friend when he was interrupted.

“And here is Abbie,” Misha said, turning the phone around.

Donnie looked away and said, “Not . . . interested.” He was actually getting angry. He shouldn’t have been surprised; it was classic Misha. Regardless he did little to hide the anger in his tone.

“Eighteen guys have asked her out, and she has not accepted any dates,” he said. Then he continued, “She is always with her best friend Kelly, and it says that she enjoys . . .”

“Enough!” Donnie yelled. “I don’t want to know! I think that app is disgusting. I know that you’re a dog, but this is truly beneath you. You’re way better than this.” Donnie’s tone switched from anger to true disappointment. “What if, she just has strict parents? That could be the case too, right?”

“Yeah, could be,” he agreed and added, “even then, you still aren’t going to be able to date her.”

“Well, then I guess I’m just stuck then. I already paid for the classes with my PayPal account.”

“Ouch! How many did you buy?”

“I got ten one-hour sessions.”

“Double ouch!”

“No worries. I need help in history anyway, and Mr. S said that she was a really good tutor.”

“Make the best of it then,” Misha continued to fiddle with his app and then looked up. “Hey, you should go out with Misty Billings.”

“Why would I want to do that?” he asked apprehensively.

“She is way hot, and she likes basketball, and she’s into Latin guys, and she likes kung fu flicks.” Misha continued to read the interests of Misty, and Donnie began to appreciate the possibilities. Maybe the app wasn’t so bad.

“She sounds interesting so far,” he said more appreciatively.

“Plus she puts out 95 percent of the time on the first date!” Misha said triumphantly.

“I am looking for a nice girl you perv, a girl my mom would have approved of,” Donnie sneered at Misha. “I don’t care for easy.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll ask her out then. Can I borrow the thirty-sixth Chamber of Shaolin?”

“Yeah, sure, though I should say no.”

“I’ll look for a nicer girl in here for you,” Misha promised.

“Leave it alone for now, all right?” he asked. “Man, I hate it when Mr. S is right.”

“Oh, what did Captain Degree tell you this time?”

“He told me not to tutor with Abbie just to date her, and I should have listened.”

“Hell, I could have told you that.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy.” Donnie did little to hide how annoyed he was.

“Hey, don’t worry. We will get you a girl yet,” Misha assured. Then he added, “Can’t go to prom alone. I will make it my personal challenge to find you a girl.” Donnie smiled at Misha’s enthusiasm. It was all he could talk about for the last year. How epic prom was going to be. Donnie still felt a bit of disappointment over the ordeal but decided to get the prospect of dating Abbie out his mind. He would instead concentrate on the tutoring and pass the course, graduate, and be free from the court system forever. With that, he had made up his mind. He would focus on the tutoring.

“Hey, you didn’t put what I told you about Ms. Jones in that thing, did you?”

“Uh, well . . .” Misha squirmed with embarrassment. Donnie knew right away that the answer was undeniably yes.

“You didn’t! I am going to kill you!”

“Gotta go!” he said as he took off running across the schoolyard. Donnie started chasing him with the clear intention of giving him a few well-deserved blows, but Misha was surprisingly fast.

Across the campus, an e-mail was sent to a phone. Abbie pulled her phone out of her purse and read the e-mail. “Hey, I got a new student,” she declared among a group of friends.

“More money for college. That’s always good,” Kelly responded. Kelly Monroe was the head cheerleader and during sport seasons was barely seen out of her various cheering outfits. She had wavy brown hair and was very attractive and popular. Her sunny and positive personality came across in virtually everything she did. “What course and who is it?”

“I hope he’s cute,” Rebecca said slightly leaning forward, trying to get a glimpse of Abbie’s phone. Rebecca was a freshman and Kelly’s younger sister. It was very apparent that the two were siblings as their looks were nearly identical except that Rebecca had vibrant red hair.

“Donnie Guerrero and looks like he needs tutoring in history,” Abbie informed and added, “a lot of help it seems. He signed up for ten sessions and paid in full.”

“Is he the Donnie that is dating Shana?” Kelly asked.

“No, that’s Don Green. This is the somber one that hangs out with that jackass,” Trista answered. Trista Rogers was a tall slender girl. She had long straight black hair. It seemed odd to the others that she would mention that about Donnie as she herself rarely smiled. She often wore dark clothing and was considered by her friends to be Goth, although she always denied it.

“Donnie is so yummy,” Rebecca added.

“Ten sessions at twenty-five dollars a pop, I smell a rat,” Trista said suspiciously.

“I don’t know,” Abbie replied. “He has been in study hall a lot.”

“Plus, he is nothing like his friend Misha,” Kelly advised.

“Misha is yummier,” Rebecca replied in a somewhat dreamlike state.

“And a complete dog,” Trista added.

“What I mean is that Donnie really hasn’t dated anyone this year,” Kelly advised.

“Been keeping track?” Trista asked.

“No, I just noticed that when he leaves from practice. He is always alone,” Kelly answered.

“Maybe he’s gay,” Trista added.

“No way!” Rebecca said, snapping out of her trance. Then she added, “That would be a geek travesty.”

“You’re such an airhead.” Trista never held back against Rebecca. She simply hated how boy crazy she was.

“Leave her alone, Trista,” Kelly said, defending her sister. “I can remember when you acted the very same way for . . .”

“The phrase is Greek tragedy, Becca,” Abbie said interrupting Kelly.

“I don’t think he is gay,” Kelly announced. “I heard he had some bad things happen to him this year.”

Trista suddenly remembered. “I did see him at the courthouse a few weeks back.”

“Trouble with the law, maybe he’s a bad boy,” Rebecca said excitedly.

“Down, girl!” Kelly ordered.

“I have an idea. I can go ask Misha about Donnie,” Rebecca suggested.

“No!” Kelly, Trista, and Abbie all said simultaneously.

“You stay away from that dog. He will only hurt you, Becca,” Trista confessed. She drifted off for a moment as a sad look came over her face. “I learned that the hard way.”

“Oh,” Rebecca said apologetically. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s ancient history now and long since forgotten, so don’t worry about it,” Trista assured. She added, “As long as he keeps his fangs out of you, my work will be done.”

“Why was he in court?” Kelly asked Trista.

“I’m not sure. He was there with Mr. Rollins, one of the senior partners at my dad’s firm, and before you ask, Becca, I was meeting my dad for lunch. He just looked so sad. I felt really sorry for him.”

“Well, I will know soon enough if he is gay or not,” Abbie replied. “But just in case, I’ll make it perfectly clear that I don’t date anyone I tutor.”

“You have to actually start dating someone first to make that threat credible,” Trista snipped, and all the girls all burst into laughter at Abbie’s expense.

“I need a lot of money for housing,” Abbie defended. “My parents just can’t afford all the bills I will have away from home. I just can’t take any time away from my tutoring jobs. So I have no time for boys, period.”

“Well, at least you’ll have the money to buy your prom dress now,” Kelly pointed out.

“Kelly’s dress is so slutty,” Rebecca informed.

“It is not!” Kelly looked menacingly at her little sister.

“Is too, your boobs just hang out, and if you bend over, you can see everything,” Rebecca said in a matter-of-fact way.

“Well, that sounds perfect!” Trista defended.

“Thanks, Trista,” Kelly replied. “I . . .”

“For a hooker,” Trista said evilly interrupting Kelly. Once again, the girls burst into laughter, while Kelly was left dumbfounded.

“You bitch!” Kelly yelled and threw a banana peel at Trista.

“Not sure if I will get to go to prom anyway,” Abbie replied.

“You have to go,” Kelly urged.

“I haven’t had many prospects lately,” Abbie replied.

“Prom is months away,” Kelly assured. Then she added, “Some boy will ask you by then. You’re just too cute not to be asked.”

“Glad you think so, Kel,” Abbie replied. “Well, my first session with yummy gay bad boy Donnie is tomorrow. Let’s see how it goes.”

CHAPTER 4

The Dam

DONNIE SHOWED UP fifteen minutes early to the local coffee shop. He had gotten a call from Abbie earlier in the day with instructions to meet her there and what to bring. He had needed this time to mentally ready himself to concentrate only on learning and was hoping to stifle his attraction for her. He hated coffee and the smell of it, so this place was perfect. The smells were so repulsive; they would easily mask any sweet scents emanating from Abbie.

She arrived right on time and was surprised to see Donnie already there. She smiled and took a seat at the table he was sitting at and couldn’t help wonder what Donnie would be like. Was he in fact gay, or was he the bad boy? She was teeming with curiosity and could barely contain her wonder. She placed her teaching materials on the table and with hardly an upward glance at him began to speak. “OK, I need to go over a few rules with you first,” she began and added, “one, no refunds, so you better put in your part, or you wasted your money and my time.”

“Yes, I knew that already,” he answered and inwardly remembered how Mr. S had said that she was a no-nonsense type of girl. He could see it clearly now.

“Two, I don’t date any of my students,” she continued neither looking up nor changing the monotone tenor of her voice. “So if you’re using this as a ploy to get me to go out with you, just forget it.”

“I was aware of that already,” he answered again with a big broad smile on his face. “I’m here to learn.” Wow, he thought to himself he hadn’t even made a move, and she already shot him down. Misha had been wrong; this nut would have been impossible to crack.

“Good, I’m glad and three, if you put your part in, I promise you, I’ll teach you what you need to learn.” She extended her hand and asked, “Do we have a deal?”

“Yes, we do,” he replied and shook her hand. “Let’s get started. I’m ready.” For the briefest of moments while their hands touched, Abbie felt an odd sense of familiarity in his touch.

For the next three weeks, the pair got together for their biweekly sessions. They either took place at the coffee shop or the public library. Donnie kept his promise to himself and concentrated on the tutoring and not on Abbie. It was harder than he expected. She was so very easy to talk to. He found himself trusting her and found that he could talk to her about just anything, as if she had been a life long friend. Abbie also kept her word to teach him as best she could. He eagerly absorbed the studies and took the lesson plans seriously, and she really appreciated the effort he was putting forth. To her relief, she discovered that he was neither gay nor a hoodlum. She did find it strange how easily she could talk to him. They would often finish the lesson and then simply chat about virtually everything for hours afterward. She loved the way he would listen intently to anything she had to say. With the boundaries set and expectations firmly defined, their relationship as friends blossomed.

Donnie found that he was actually picking up on what Abbie was teaching. Her teaching skills were indeed extraordinary. Mr. S had been right about her being a good tutor. She discovered that Donnie was actually very smart and was surprised to find out that he had gotten math honors and was actually a mathlete. Over his entire school career, he had straight A’s in every math class and had scored perfectly on the math portion of his SAT. She also discovered that math was his major problem. Since history involved numbers, in the form of dates in time, his brain was essentially trying to solve history, looking at the date as a mathematical problem to be solved. He really couldn’t help it; it was simply the way his mind worked. So Abbie had to use a different technique; she had read about a teaching method used to teach small children by using images versus numbers. So she adopted these methods on him. It turned out to be exactly what he had needed. Slowly, the pictures representing a period of time started to sink in his head. By their seventh session, he was retaining everything he was being given to study. Now that he knew how to study for his history tests and how to retain and interpret the knowledge, his quiz scores began to rise from barely passing to almost perfect scores. He was going to pass history; there was no doubt from either of them at this point. For their seventh session, they met at the usual spot at the coffee shop.

“Abbie, I really want to thank you,” Donnie said. “You are an amazing tutor.”

“Thanks, Donnie, that really means a lot coming from you,” Abbie replied.

“Really, why’s that?” Donnie shifted forward and got just a little closer to Abbie.

“Because you’re really smart, smarter than me, I’m sure.”

Donnie chuckled at prospect. “Come on now. You are a lock for valedictorian or at least salutatorian. My grades are nowhere close to yours.”

“Yes, but that’s because you have a learning disorder. If it had been discovered earlier, I’m sure you would have been top of the class.”

Donnie expression changed to a perplexed look. “So I go from smarter than you to being retarded?”

Abbie could tell he was a bit annoyed by the comment. He had mistaken her meaning. “That’s not a nice word, and you know what I mean. You should really get tested. It might be a form of autism or savants.”

“So now I’m that rain guy. Wapner . . . Wapner . . .” he said mockingly.

“Stop being an ass! I’m serious, get tested. I think your IQ test results would be off the charts.”

Donnie leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head supporting its weight. “My dad had me tested once.”

“An IQ test really, what did you score?” Abbie asked excitedly.

Donnie shrugged as he answered, “Don’t know. I was eleven, and after I finished it, I was allowed to go play outside. I finished it as fast as I could. I remember that after I took it, Dad started teaching me calculus.”

Abbie was shocked that he had seemed so unimpressed by what he had just uttered. “Calculus at eleven? Donnie, do you know what that means?”

“I know that it caused many fights between my parents,” he replied. “Dad wanted me to take special classes and go to special schools, but Mom wanted me to have a normal childhood. I remember, vividly, some fierce arguments that they had about it.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah . . . Maybe I will go look at the test score. I’m pretty sure it’s in my dad’s office somewhere.” He did not see what the big deal was. He was good at math, a lot of people were.

“Well, I know who to go to if I need math tutoring.”

Donnie looked at Abbie and smiled. “What makes you think you could afford me? My varied services don’t come cheap.”

Abbie knew he was trying to pull her into one of his games. He was very good at twisting things you said to his advantage and was extremely fast to come up with responses. It was almost uncanny how well he could argue. She wished he had been on the debate team with her last year. She decided to play along this time. “Oh yeah, what types of services do you offer?”

“Well, not that you would be interested, but I am quite skilled in massages and foot rubs.”

“Oh, really, please continue. I’m intrigued now.”

Donnie laughed inside. He was trying to play it smooth and suave, but he was not Misha, and his game was not as tight as his. “I can also sing.” Poorly, he thought to himself.

“So you could be a rock star? I could see that.” Abbie could see he was struggling to come up with things to say now.

“There are also my incredible math skills. I could make a fortune tutoring.”

“Trust me, it’s not a way to make a living.”

“I would demand outrageous prices and get them.” He was trying not to laugh at his own bullshit, but it was all in fun.

“So should I have charged you more then?” Abbie asked shrewdly.

“I definitely paid you less than you deserved.”

“Aw, thanks, Donnie.” Abbie liked how he was always so honest with his words, when he wasn’t trying to be like Misha, which reminded her that she wanted to ask him a question. Their conversation went back to the lesson plan at hand but inevitably drifted back to chitchat. The two were becoming good friends. He never expected to enjoy her company as much as he did, and even if she was not going to date him, he felt fortunate to have her as a friend

“Donnie, can I ask you something about Misha?” Abbie was confused by Donnie’s look; he seemed almost hurt by the question.

“Oh,” Donnie said and was utterly surprised. He had thought that she had no interest in boys. He had never caught her staring at anyone in particular male or female, so the sudden interest in his best friend caught him completely off guard. Why shouldn’t she be interested in him? He was Misha after all. “Sure, what do want to know?”

“You are such a nice guy. Why do you hang out with him? He’s a jerk.” She tried to hide her irritation, but she wasn’t sure if he picked up on it or not.

“Ah . . . Yup, that is an easy one.” Donnie was relieved, too many times growing up, he had liked a girl, and she would fall for Misha.

“Do tell then.” Abbie saw the tension in him fade away, and he answered.

“About a year ago, I went through a very bad time. It was the lowest point in my life. And he was the only one of my friends who stuck by me. No matter what, he never gave up on me, so I don’t give up on him now. I know how he may appear on the outside, but there is more to him than you know.”

Abbie could tell that whatever happened to him was serious. For the first time since they started tutoring, he became very somber. “So he’s a good friend?”

“Besides you and Mr. S, he’s my only friend.”

Abbie felt pity for him; she had many friends. She tried to imagine her world without them. She tried to give him some encouragement. “Oh, Donnie, come on, you have friends. I see you with people.”

“Yeah . . . I have my teammates, but outside of school, I don’t have anything to do with them.”

“Why, I don’t understand?”

Donnie looked into her big brown eyes and smiled. She wanted to help, but it just was not an easy fix. “It’s not that I don’t want friends. It’s just been easier to be without them. You can’t lose what you don’t have, right?”

Abbie didn’t understand. Why was he afraid of losing anyone? “Does it have anything to do with the courts?” Donnie looked at Abbie with a pained look. The mood changed instantly and became very tense. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he began to talk again, “Yeah . . . that was the end result.” Abbie immediately realized she had hit on a touchy subject. Had she gone too far, he had been fine talking about everything else.

“Donnie, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to cross a boundary. Trista told me she saw you at the courthouse with an attorney her dad works with.”

“It’s fine. It was part of that time last year that rolled up into a mini hell.” This was going too far now; he was not ready to explore his feelings about his loss yet. He barely talked to Mr. S or Misha about it. He couldn’t do this, not now.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Abbie noticed that in his tension, Donnie was actually holding his breath. She wondered what horrible thing happened to him.

“No . . . I do not.” Donnie was struggling to hold back tears. A rush of emotions surged into him, and once again he found himself remembering that night in the hospital, the night his mother passed away, how she had begged him now to cry for her, and to be stronger than she was and take care of his father. He didn’t notice when he started to tremble, but Abbie did.

“Oh god, Donnie,” she said, placing her hand on his arm. “I know sometimes the past can be painful. I almost lost my mom last year and . . .” Donnie pulled back his hand and stood up.

“I’ll see you Sunday, right?” He grabbed his books and prepared to leave. Abbie could tell something she said deeply disturbed him. He was still shaking, and his tanned skin had turned a shade or two paler. He was holding back something.

“Sure, Donnie,” she said understandably and added, “but I have to tutor someone else at my house earlier that day.”

I don’t care, Donnie thought, I just need to get some air, but he managed to respond, “OK, but you always have other students. Why should that matter?”

“My dad picked up an extra shift at work, so I won’t have the car, so why don’t you come over? My mom’s a great cook, and you can have a warm meal as a bonus.” Abbie hoped her invitation would lower the tension. Donnie turned and began walking out.

“Yeah, that would good. I’ll see you on Sunday.” Donnie was near the exit when Abbie realized he didn’t know where she lived.

“Donnie, wait, you need the address. It’s kind of hard to find.”

“Text me” were his last words as he fled outside. He started the car and drove around the corner. His hands were trembling, and he was forced to pull over. He could no longer hold back the tears and simply let them flow.

While he was parked, he received a text from Abbie and realized what he had agreed to moments earlier. Dinner and parents, he was instantly terrified. The prospect of meeting Abbie’s parents seemed daunting. He had carefully avoided many intimate gatherings and parties. He was not sure if he was ready. Abbie had pushed him close to his breaking point today, and he felt comfortable around her. How would he fare with strangers? It was always the same someone would encroach on that boundary, asking him questions like: Where were you for a month, Donnie? Donnie, why don’t you hang out with anyone besides that letch Misha? Donnie, why do you have a social worker? Donnie, why did you look like a crackhead when you came back to school? Donnie, where is your mom? I haven’t seen her in a while. His emotional dam had many cracks, and every question added more water.

He was actually surprised that not more people knew what had happened to him. The truth had been that the school principal had ordered that chatter about what had happened to his family be kept to a bare minimum. Principal Stinson was a firm believer that a person’s private matters should remain private. So very few people knew about his tragic year, and those that did know had only to look into Donnie’s eyes to know he was not yet ready to move forward.

Donnie contemplated Abbie’s text as he was driving home. Feeling really nervous about Sunday, he decided to make a detour and visit his parents’ graves. It wasn’t too far out of the way, and the night air was refreshing. Within a few minutes, he had reached the cemetery. He parked his 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible and walked up to his parents’ burial sites. He had them laid to rest side by side as he was sure they would have liked that. When it came time to engrave their headstones, he had tried to be as poetic as possible. He had agonized over the wording both times. Each time, the caretaker assured him the words were beautiful and a fine epitaph to them both.

Muna Guerrero-Sunshadow

Beloved wife and mother

She brought us light when it was darkest

She brought us joy when we were sad

She brought us hope when we were afraid

Now without her the world seems darker, sadder, and scarier

Ernesto Miguel Guerrero Garcia

Beloved husband and father

He never looked back, only forward

He never treated anyone without respect

He never loved anything more than his family

From your example, I hope to show love and respect for those I care for

And will always look forward to the path to come.

Donnie cleared a few twigs and leaves off their graves. He read the plaques and said a silent prayer to each of them in their respected faiths and then headed home. The words on the stones somehow always gave him strength. So he decided he would indeed go to Abbie’s house on Sunday. After all, they were just friends. She was just tutoring him, and he doubted that they would ask too many questions. He could handle that and convinced himself that Abbie’s parents would probably want him out of the house as soon as possible. He would get his lesson out of the way as soon as humanly possible and be on his way. Everything would be just fine.

Donnie arrived at Abbie’s house on Sunday afternoon a few minutes late. Abbie had been right about that house being hard to find, so he had gotten a little lost. Abbie walked out of the house to greet him when he arrived. “You’re late,” she said as she placed her hand on her hip and gave him that familiar crooked little smile.

“Sorry, I got a little lost,” he replied. “It’s a dark street. I think I passed the house twice before I figured out which one it was.”

“I figured, so that’s why I turned on the porch light,” Abbie said and added, “so you could find my home. Now come on in.” Donnie paused for a moment because of her words. He quickly dismissed it and entered the house. The house was an old two-story Tudor that probably dated back to colonial times. It was well maintained despite its age. It was indeed a beautiful home.

“Wow! This is a nice house, Abbie.” Donnie wondered how his mother would have decorated this house had they lived here. “I like it.”

“Thanks, Donnie, now let me introduce you to my mom.” She turned and yelled out for her mother, “Mom! Donnie is here!” A woman walked out of the kitchen through a swinging door. She was wiping her hands on a towel as she approached and then looked up. When she set eyes on Donnie, her eyes went wide, and she opened up her arms and began to approach him with the clear intention of hugging him. Disaster, this was a nightmare come true for him. He truly was mortified; his eyes widened in stark horror, as if some monster were now advancing on him. She continued to close the short distance between them.

“Donnie, quit acting like a freak! It’s just my mom.” Abbie was pissed! It could not be helped, Donnie thought. I need to get out of here! He continued to back up until his back bumped into the front door. He looked around quickly to see which way the door opened, fully intending to open the door and make a run for his car. When he glanced back up, Abbie’s mother had reached him. Without as much as a word or warning, she hugged him fiercely!

“Mom . . . !” Abbie was utterly confused. She had brought over exactly three boys in five years, and they were never welcomed this way. “What are you doing!? He doesn’t want a hug!” Donnie tried to wrestle out of her embrace, but she held him fast. She had to know he wanted to be released; she must have felt him struggling. Then she began to cry as she held him. The hug was so warm and familiar that he involuntarily stopped resisting and instinctively hugged her back. The loving embrace of a mother, something he had secretly longed for, was now around him. He could feel his barriers dropping and weights of pain being lifted all at once. The dam had overflowed and broken. Within moments, the pair was crying hysterically in each other’s arms, leaving Abbie completely flabbergasted. After a few minutes, she recovered from her shock and interceded.

“What the heck is going on!” she screamed, making fists on her sides and stomping her foot. Donnie and Abbie’s mother continued to cry in their hug. When they finally released their mutual embraces, they kept holding each of their hands.

“Hello, Donato. I am very glad to see you again,” Abbie’s mother said with tears still flowing down her cheeks.

“Hello, Camille, what’s for dinner?” Donnie asked with a big smile on his face. “I have missed your cooking.”

CHAPTER 5

Johan

AS DONNIE, ABBIE, and Camille sat at the dinner table talking, the tears kept flowing, but this time, they were good tears, tears that had been pent up too long.

“Did you know Abigail was my daughter, Donato?” Camille asked.

“I had no clue. I only ever knew your first name. I never made the connection,” Donnie explained.

“Well, I thought Donato was an Italian kid. I thought your name was short for Donald. I would have never connected the dots either.” Abbie added, “It all makes sense now.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“All the rumors and your habit of keeping to yourself,” she explained. “I totally understand it now.”

“Yeah, I haven’t felt comfortable getting close to anyone in a long time. I just can’t open up like I used to,” he confessed and added, “just easier to keep people at arm’s length.”

“Well, my dear, I consider you part of this family now,” Camille declared. “When your father gave his life for me, I felt awful. Then when I found out your mother had also passed, weeks earlier, I couldn’t imagine the pain you were suffering.” Camille’s eyes began to water up again.

“You lost your mom too?” Abbie looked at Donnie with eyes wide. She finally understood.

“Yes, she died of cancer,” he answered. Abbie’s eyes swelled as she remembered their session on Wednesday.

“So when I told you I almost lost my mom . . .” she said and then paused. The words could no longer escape her mouth. Oh my god, what must he have felt? She thought.

“It was a bit hard on me,” he replied and added, “but there was no way you could’ve known, and I didn’t want to talk about it, so don’t feel bad.”

“I still feel like a bad person,” she said as tears began coming down her face.

“Not your fault,” Donnie placed his hand on hers. Seeing her in pain was somehow a very distressful thing, and he just didn’t know why he was feeling this way.

“And losing your parents was not your fault either, Donato,” Camille added as she grabbed his other free hand.

“I know, but it’s hard to not feel guilty,” he answered. “I feel like I should’ve been a better son.”

“You were the best son, and I know this in my heart,” Camille assured with a tearful smile. “Do you want to know why?”

“Sure, I’ll bite.” Camille’s eyes swelled again up, and she began to cry once more. She could barely speak without wiping her eyes.

“Because I know you truly loved your parents, and I know they loved you. It was so clear to me when I read the inscriptions you had written on their headstones.” She was completely sobbing now. Her lips trembled by the emotion she was now feeling, but she managed to smile. It was an odd mix of emotions on her face.

“When did you go their graves, Mom?” Abbie asked. “I thought you decided it would have been inappropriate to attend the funeral.”

“I went with your father the next day,” Camille explained and added, “and that’s when I discovered, to my horror, the woman I had hoped to avoid was lying beside her husband. So I came face-to-face with her anyway.”

“Just like Mom, always getting her way.” Donnie smiled as he remembered that his father rarely won any argument with her.

“I read the beautiful inscriptions, which the caretaker told me you had written for them,” she continued. Abbie felt overwhelmed that he had been forced to take so much upon himself. She did not know how he had made it through and wondered if she could have been as strong. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about losing her own parents. The very thought sickened her.

“So there I was, paying my respects, and I felt something,” Camille informed. “I knew that I needed to help you.”

“A spirit whisper,” Donnie informed smiling.

“A spirit what?” Abbie asked.

“When a spirit wants to give a message to someone, they whisper it in their ear,” he explained. “Basically only one person hears it, and they feel a strange sense of urgency.”

“That is exactly how it felt!” Camille said. She recalled how she felt urged to look after the young man now sitting at her table.

“Mom was looking out for me, I guess.” Donnie’s tears welled back into his eyes. Had she actually asked this woman to watch over him? He felt a feeling of warmth surround him as if another set of arms was embracing him as he sat at this table and no longer wondered.

“I can’t imagine what I would do if I had lost both Mom and Dad,” Abbie added still crying. “I would have probably curled up and died.”

“I tried that, but a pushy woman kept bringing me delicious food to eat,” he said smiling at Camille. He closed his eyes forcefully, trying to force out the excess moisture in his eyes.

“It was not enough. You were drying up right before my eyes,” Camille replied. Her face became very determined at that point. “I needed to take more drastic action.”

“What did you do, Mom?” Abbie asked apprehensively.

“I called child services,” she replied.

“Mom, you didn’t?” Abbie said shocked. How could she do such a thing? Abbie thought. Was he really in that bad a state?

“Yes, I did! I had no choice, and I won’t apologize either. I made a promise that day, a sacred promise, from one mother to another,” she said tears still flowing and added, “something you will understand one day, Abigail.” Abbie looked at her mother and smiled. She had always told her that, “You will understand when you have one of your own.” She was right. How could she truly know how any mother felt until she held her own child in her arms?

“It was the right choice. My social worker was fantastic.” Donnie recalled how far and beyond she went for him. He made a mental note to ask Charlie the next time he saw her, if she was also “urged” by his mother to help him. He wouldn’t have put it past her. Donnie felt strange at that moment. He began to wonder if his mother had been watching him all this time and he had just not realized it.

“I am relieved. I didn’t want to cause you any further pain,” Camille replied, gripping his hand tighter for a moment before getting up to tend to the stew simmering on the stove.

“Once I graduate, I’ll be free of the court system completely,” he explained. “So I needed tutoring to pass history.”

“What a strange coincidence!” Abbie said and added, “that we would meet this way.”

“Not really,” Donnie replied.

“What do you mean?” She wondered what he meant.

“It’s hard to explain. I’ll have to tell you sometime but not right now.” Donnie didn’t want to go too deeply into his faith of the spirit world. He felt this would be a conversation better saved for another day. One look at Abbie, and he knew she would not drop it. At that moment, the front door could be heard, opening and closing.

“Hello, I am home. Where are my lovely girls?” a deep voice boomed.

“It’s my dad. Don’t panic, Donnie,” Abbie said as she tightened her grip on his hand.

“Do you think I can fit through that window?” he said jokingly pointing at the kitchen window.

“We are in the kitchen, Johan,” Camille cried out. After a moment, Johan entered the kitchen. He was a tall and extremely muscular man; he reminded Donnie of a white Michael Clarke Duncan and was momentarily stunned by the man’s sheer bulk. When he spotted the young man sitting at the table, Donnie completely understood why Abbie did not get asked out often. The man’s glare was nerve wracking. Donnie suddenly realized that he was still holding hands with Abbie and jerked his hand quickly from her. Johan gave Camille a kiss but continued to keep a suspicious eye on Donnie while doing so. The window looked better and better to Donnie with every passing second.

“So who is our visitor, Abigail?” Even though the question was directed at his daughter, his gaze remained fixed on Donnie. It was starting to freak him out now.

“Father, this is one of my students.” she began. “His . . .”

“Oh . . . I see, and what exactly is he studying? Books I’d hope,” Johan said interrupting Abbie as he maintained his discerning stare on Donnie.

“History, Dad, he is studying history.” Her tone had shifted from happy to one of annoyance.

“Hmm,” he said as he took a seat at the table. The poor wooden chair creaked but held, and he dropped his massive frame onto it. Donnie felt that every step this goliath took actually shook the entire house. Johan maintained his unflinching gaze on Donnie. “Are you staying for dinner?”

Donnie was nervous, but he also loved his predicament. This was an everyday normal situation. Two hours ago, Donnie would have said, “No, sir,” walked out, and never looked back. It was unusual that he wasn’t feeling overwhelmed. He wasn’t on the verge of panic. He didn’t feel like running.

His mind went to work. In a blink of an eye, he calculated hundreds of possible answers and outcomes, his mind forming a chart in his head with responses and the effects, they could generate. This was the same skill that made him nearly impossible to beat at chess. He detected that Johan’s question, along with the tone of his voice, had been a trap. It was trick question meant to elicit an unfavorable response. His response needed to be perfect. A response of simply “yes,” would have seemed presumptuous and would have been countered negatively maybe with, “Well, I’m glad I get consulted on who will be eating my food in my house.” That simply would not do. The responses needed to leave it in Johan’s hands so that ultimately it was his decision, both showing respect for his home and authority.

“If you wouldn’t mind me sharing your table, I would be honored,” Donnie answered as respectfully as he could.

“Well, on Sundays, it’s only family.” Who was this boy Johan thought and why was he holding his daughter’s hand. Unacceptable, he had to go, he thought. He knew exactly how to get rid of the boy; it was a skill that he had honed to a science.

“Daddy . . . !” Abbie was both surprised and annoyed.

“Johan . . .” Camille turned and placed a hand on her hip. “Don’t behave like that, this is . . .” Donnie’s mind raced again. He had given Johan the chance to invite him and appear magnanimous in front of his guest and family, and Johan had chosen to reject him. His mind formulated countless plans and then stopped. In another blink, he had calculated a new response.

“No. No. He’s the man of the house,” Donnie interrupted. “If he wants to enjoy a dinner alone with his family, after a hard day of work, then that’s his right. I won’t impose.”

“Donnie, wait,” Abbie pleaded.

“He has made up his mind,” Johan interrupted. “So let him go.” Johan shot a gaze at both Abbie and Camille. They knew not to argue, that his mind was made up. Donnie got up from the table and began walking toward the swinging door. Camille’s face was turning red in anger. He stopped where Johan was sitting and extended his hand. Last chance, Donnie thought to himself. Johan stood up towering over Donnie and shook his hand. Johan’s grip was tighter than it needed to have been. It caused him considerable discomfort, but he managed not to show it. Donnie thought, fine old man, if this is how you want to play it; I am going to have to take you down.

“Family is everything, sir. I hope you will always be surrounded by yours. Not everyone is so lucky.”

“Thank you, boy,” Johan finally released his vice grip. He was slightly impressed that this boy had not flinched when he squeezed his hand.

“Goodnight, Abbie, goodnight Camille, goodnight, sir.” Donnie turned and pushed his way past the swinging door. Camille and Abbie both shot angry looks at Johan. He knew he would have to endure a little henpecking before dinner, but at least he would be free of this suitor.

“I’ll walk you out.” He placed his hand on Donnie’s shoulder, slightly guiding him out. The pair reached the door, and Johan opened it and guided him out. Donnie was irritated by this; he didn’t need to keep a hand on his shoulder the entire way to the door. Donnie turned around and faced Johan with sly grin.

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.”

“Yes, a real pleasure . . .” he said suddenly realizing he didn’t know the boy’s name. “Uh, what is your name anyway?”

“Donato . . . Donato Guerrero,” Donnie said his name with purpose, knowing full well that Johan would recognize it. He had the pleasure of watching the color fade from Johan’s face as he realized who Donnie actually was. Johan’s mouth opened as if to say something, but Donnie didn’t give him a chance and turned around and started jogging toward his car. He was already in his cherry-red convertible when Abbie ran out after him.

“Well played, sir. I think you broke my dad,” Abbie informed. “He’s inside, beside himself. Did you plan that?”

“Not initially, but after he told me to get out and then crushed my hand, I decided to fight back.” Donnie looked up at her and half smiled.

“He never said that.”

“It’s what he meant. He was going to make me feel guilty for imposing on Sunday dinner.” Donnie could see that Abbie was not seeing it the same way he did.

“He would never have kicked you out if had known who you were.” Abbie found it hard to defend her father at this moment, but she needed to broker a peace somehow.

“Not knowing who I am isn’t a good excuse for being rude, but it’s fine. Please tell your dad I have a freezer full of TV dinners. I’ll be just fine.” His response bore a bit of anger in his tone that he unintentionally shifted onto Abbie.

“Way to twist the knife there . . .” Abbie cupped her mouth with both hands, realizing that those were probably the worst words she could have used. “Oh, Donnie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you stabbed anyone.”

“It’s fine.” Donnie looked at her and chucked. He was done being angry. “I got years worth of tears out in your house. I expect I won’t have a need to cry for a long time.”

“Come back inside and eat with us.” She cupped her hands in supplication and added, “Please.”

“I think your dad has had enough of me for today. I think I’ll let the guy relax.”

“Seriously, you have to come back inside. My mom is furious. Dad will get zero peace if you drive off.” She was sure her mother was tearing her dad a new one right as this very moment.

“He’ll be OK,” he assured as he started the engine to his car and added, “your mom will forgive him.”

“Donnie, come on, don’t be like this.” She had to take harsher steps; he was being stubborn, just like a man.

“Like what?”

“Like a coward,” she snipped. “You beat my dad at his chase off any boy that comes sniffing around game, now man up!”

“I’m a coward?” Donnie wondered if she was right.

“Yeah, here comes a little human contact and your fight-or-flight instinct swings to run.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Choose to fight for once.” Donnie realized that she was right, and it was a pattern that he needed to break. He moved his hand from the gearshift back to the ignition key. “Come on, Donnie, for me.”

“OK for you,” like he could have actually told her no, and he exited the vehicle. The pair walked back up the door and was met at the door by Johan. He had a heavy look of shame upon him. Donnie felt immediately sorry. He had used a man’s family against him. He had inflicted pain on someone else; he instantly realized that he went too far. His father especially would be ashamed of him. It was a hard lesson to learn.

“Allow us a moment, Abbie?” Johan asked of his daughter as he let her in the house. He closed the door behind to allow them some privacy. He looked at Donnie, and then looked down at the ground. He could not look Donnie in the eye. “Please forgive me.” Donnie watched as the large man eyes glassed over. His voice had quivered as he begged for his pardon, and his hand shook as he extended it, this time unsure that Donnie would accept it. Donnie felt awful. He felt he should run away, but then he heard his father’s words inside him. “Forgive any man who admits he has made an error, and in turn he will have respect for you.”

“Already forgotten,” Donnie replied and firmly took his outstretched hand.

“Please have dinner with us. I would be honored.” Johan was relieved that he agreed to come back after how badly he had treated him. He had wanted to meet the boy for a long time, but did not know what he would tell him. How could he show his appreciation for the son of the man that had saved his wife?

“Now you’re talking, let’s eat.” Donnie needed to lighten the mood. He had to let him know that there were no hard feelings. He took Johan’s hand and shook it firmly. Johan smiled, and they entered the house together. He had long wondered about the character of the man who sacrificed his life for his wife. If the boy, no the man, that now stood before him was any indication of that man, then he would have liked to have known him. The ladies were waiting inside. Camille looked very happy that Donnie had agreed to return, and Johan was very relieved that Camille was happy. Abbie just had that crooked little smile that made her so adorable. Dinner was served and was delicious as ever. The four of them enjoyed each other’s company, and the dinner conversation ranged from topic to topic. Johan discovered that he actually liked Donnie which also slightly distressed him.

“Donnie, may I ask you something,” Johan asked.

“Sure, go ahead.” Donnie knew this was coming. The questions about his life, but this time, it felt right to talk about it. For at least one night, he forgot that he was all alone in this world.

“How did you end up alone after your parents died? Don’t you have other family?” Abbie and Camille looked at Johan as if he had asked too personal a question, but Donnie answered the question right away.

“I have a lot of family actually, but no one wanted to take me in.” Donnie could see that Camille was shocked by this. “My mom told me when I was little that my father’s and her families both had been unequivocally against their marriage. So when they decided to marry against their wishes, they were disowned by their respective families.”

“That’s simply dreadful.” Camille became slightly angered by this.

“Why?” Abbie asked.

“Not sure . . .” he replied. “I asked Dad about it once, but all he said was that he made a choice. He said that he had been led to a small town in Mexico by angels and met my mom there, and they fell in love.”

“Aw, that’s so romantic.” Abbie tilted her head and tried to imagine how his parents had met.

“He never looked back, and I can respect that. It was similar for Camille and me,” Johan said. “We came from different faiths. The marriage was looked down upon, but nearly twenty years later, we proved them all wrong.”

“Dad is Catholic and Mom is Jewish,” Abbie explained. Donnie nodded; he understood completely and decided to share.

“Oh, this is also strange. A few months before meeting Mom, Dad was all set to become a Catholic priest.”

“Really,” Camille asked, surprised, and added, “a Catholic priest?”

“Yep, my padre was set to become a Padre. Like I said, he used to say that he had been visited by an angel and given a vision to travel to Mexico, but it gets better.”

“I am intrigued now,” Camille said.

“Me too,” Abbie added.

“Mom was slated to become a medicine woman or shaman for her tribe. From how she explained it, it was to be an important part of her life. She told me that her spirit guide had brought her to the same small town in Mexico that Dad was called to.”

“Wow!” Abbie exclaimed.

“And that’s how they met or at least the story they told me.”

“Forbidden love,” Johan said as he grabbed Camille’s hand affectionately and looked lovingly into her eyes. Donnie watched as Johan’s simple gesture could still make his bride glow.

“Do you think it’s true or just a story?” Abbie asked.

“Misha said that Dad probably knocked Mom up and then did the right thing and married her.”

“What a jerk! I hate that guy!” Abbie scrunched up her face and added, “Ruining a great love story for you.”

“Well, this is what I know for sure,” he said as he leaned forward. “After Dad passed, I had to go through all his documents to find some papers I needed. I found their marriage certificate, and it was dated three years before I was born.”

“There you go!” Johan said, slamming a fist onto the table, “proof of love.”

“I can understand that your family may have been against the marriage,” Camille said. “But didn’t anyone want to come and help you, a grandparent perhaps?”

“Dad only had a brother left, and he’s not what I would call financially stable. And when I called Mom’s family to invite them to the funerals, no one came. They all told me they weren’t going to attend and basically to never call them again. I really never knew any of them before, and I certainly didn’t have any desire to know them after.”

“You never met any of your family?” Abbie asked, surprised.

“I once met my grandfather on my mother’s side when I was fifteen. I think Mom was trying to mend the gap between her and her father.”

“So what happened?” Johan asked.

“He crossed his arms and turned his back on us.” Donnie got a sad look on his face. “It was one of the few times I saw her cry. I felt so helpless. I think she knew way back then that she was already sick.”

“But no one came?” Johan asked.

“I have a cousin that wanted to come. We had spent several summers together as children, but Grandfather forbade him to attend.”

“Foolish stubbornness at a time like that,” Johan merely shook his head.

“So you were alone at the funerals?” Abbie could picture him standing all alone at the graves.

“Only Misha was there by my side both times.”

“Oh . . .” Abbie had never expected that response. She finally began to understand what he meant about Misha being deeper than he appeared. And she could see why he continued to keep Misha close to him.

“How do you survive then?” Johan asked. “How do you pay the bills?”

“Johan, that is too personal a question,” Camille scolded. Donnie chuckled and lightened the mood. It was a logical question, and as the head of the family he could understand why Johan would ask it.

“Dad was successful in business. The house is paid for, and he had enough in the bank to hold me over for a little while.”

“So what will you do after you graduate?” Johan asked.

“Not sure, I’ll look for a job, I guess.”

“When you are ready, let me know. I may be able to get you a position in the mail room where I work.”

“That would be great actually.” That would make it a lot easier, Donnie thought inwardly. MIT had been after him all year. He just wasn’t sure he wanted more school. Donnie looked at his phone and wondered where the time went. “Well . . . It’s late. I should head out.” Donnie began getting up.

“Please come back anytime,” Johan replied surprising himself in the process.

“Drive carefully and call us when you arrive home,” Camille said.

“I’ll walk you out, Donnie,” Abbie said as she got up also. Donnie and Abbie walked out to his car once again. Donnie noticed a tall, thin man standing on the other side of the road. He felt that he seemed somewhat out of place. When the man noticed that Donnie had spotted him, he turned and walked down the street. There was something odd about him. Abbie could see that Donnie was distracted by something, “penny for your thoughts.”

“I had a great time, despite the tear fest and panic attacks.” He leaned back against his car and added, “Been a long time since I felt this normal.”

“I’m happy for you. You sure have been through a lot.”

“And you have been just the best. Thank you so much for being my friend. It means more to me than you could know.” Donnie smiled and could see Abbie was thinking about something.

“Donnie, can I ask you something?”

“Why not, I have been answering a lot of questions tonight, what’s one more.” He never expected what she asked.

“Earlier tonight, when you said that our meeting had not been coincidental, what did you mean by that?”

“Ah . . .” Donnie could not believe she was still wondering about that. He had put it out of his mind hours ago. He debated not telling her anything, but he knew she was not going to drop it anytime soon.

“Please tell me, I want to know.” Donnie could see she was still wondering about it,  but he wasn’t sure if he should explain it.

“Oh . . . Wow! Please don’t laugh, OK?”

“I promise.” Abbie tensed up for his response. She was hoping he didn’t get tutoring to try to get a date.

“OK, about four weeks ago I was in the library studying, banging my head against a book.” He couldn’t believe he was actually telling her.

“OK sure, continue.” OK what is it, tell me already, she thought.

“I had been feeling especially lost that day, so I prayed to the Great Spirit for a light to help me find my way back to my loved ones.”

“The Great Spirit, what’s that?”

“The Cherokee believe that the world and everything in it was created by the Great Spirit, Yowa.”

“OK, I understand.”

“When I finished, there was a slight breeze, and then you walked into the library.” He was slightly embarrassed by his admission.

“I don’t understand.”

Crap, crap, crap, Donnie thought to himself, she is going to think I am a freak. “I prayed to Yowa, the Great Spirit, to show me the way to happiness, to family.”

“So wait . . . you think I was the answer to your prayers.” Was he actually saying this, she thought? One look at him, and she knew he meant it; he believed it. She was deeply touched.

“Yeah . . . I guess you are, you make me happy, and now I feel like a have a real family a . . .” Abbie lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Donnie’s neck. He was caught by surprise and was pulled forward by Abbie’s weight. He embraced her as well, and their kiss was long, deep, and warm. Donnie’s heart swelled with joy and excitement. The exchange lasted but a few moments, but it seemed to last much longer, one of those times when time seems to slow to a crawl. Abbie didn’t say another word but was smiling intensely now. Donnie could only muster a few blinks as his mouth remained slightly open. Before he could say anything, she turned and ran inside. Donnie thought that this had been a perfect end to an imperfect day.

CHAPTER 6

The Note

MONDAY MORNING COULD not have come fast enough for Donnie. He woke with a smile and kept it most of the morning. Even the weather was agreeable. It was early March now, and spring had finally arrived. He couldn’t remember any Monday where he had been so happy to go to school. Misha arrived about thirty minutes later to ride to school with him. They had their usual breakfast, frosted flakes with milk and grabbed a few Pop Tarts for the road. As they got into the car, Misha noticed that there was a nutcracker sitting in the passenger seat. “OK, what gives?” Misha asked.

“Why? What do you mean?” Donnie was deliberately trying to be deceitful, but Misha was not buying it.

“Don’t give me that horseshit! I haven’t seen you smile like this in eleven months, and why’s this in the car?”

“Can’t I just be happy for once?” He was still grinning like a kid in a candy store.

“Dude, I have waited for this day, I really have. I just want to know you are OK.”

“I am better than OK. I had a really good time last night.”

“Now I gotta know.” Misha could barely contain his curiosity and shifted himself in the car seat to face his friend better. “You might as well tell me. I’m going to drag it out of you eventually.” Misha was right. Donnie was good at coming up with answers, but Misha had known him so long that he could read his body language like an open book. It wouldn’t be long before he figured it out.

“A gentleman never tells.” It was the best excuse he could muster this early in the morning.

“Fool!” Misha’s eyes went wide as he yelled, “You have revealed everything!”

“Oh, really, you think so?” Donnie knew full well he had placed his friend on the right track. He had intended to tell him later but figured letting him guess would be much more fun.

“Yes, I have cracked the case.” Misha had adopted a British accent for his response, one of many he had mastered. He sat back into his seat and leaned back.

“Oh, really? Mr. Holmes, do tell.” Donnie tried as hard as he could from laughing out loud.

“Elementary, my dear Mr. Watson.” Misha continued the act. Four years of drama club had not been wasted on him. He was actually quite good. “You had been tutoring with Abbie at her house last night.”

“Affirmative,” Donnie was still grinning like a monkey on the verge of giggles.

“You two have been spending more time talking than tutoring. In fact, I’d wager that you could have stopped tutoring after five or six sessions.”

“That proves nothing,” Donnie said smiling. “You got nothing on me, copper.”

“Then there is that never-ending grin of yours.” Misha pulled out an old-fashioned pipe and placed it in his mouth.

“What the hell! Why are you carrying that around?” Misha never ceased to amaze him. He quickly wondered if Misha had this planned all along.

“I’m like a Boy Scout, baby. I’m always prepared. Now quit evading my interrogation.” Misha cleared his throat.

“Yes, sir . . .” he replied, mocking fear.

“I’d like to solve the mystery,” Misha declared once again, adopting the British accent.

“Are we playing Clue now?”

“Shaddup,” Misha said in a thick New York accent.

“OK, just don’t whack me.” Misha placed the pipe back in his mouth and once again got into character.

“As I was saying, Mr. Watson, the answer to this mystery is . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . it was Donnie, with the tutor, on the lips!”

“You nailed it!” Donnie waited to see what his friend would say next.

“Wow, man, I am happy for you,” he said and added, “so, details, where, when, and how many?”

“It was one good long one, by Gia, as I was leaving.”

“I told you this car was a chick magnet.” Donnie doubted highly that Abbie was the slightest bit impressed by his little red convertible. “So she’s not gay obviously.”

“No, and I know why she doesn’t date.” Donnie couldn’t wait to tell Misha that he had been right about Abbie, at least to a point.

“Enlighten me.”

“Her father is huge, massive, big, add adjective ad infinitum, and he is very protective of her.”

“Makes sense, so what is your next move?” Misha was beside himself with joy. Donnie had been his oldest friend and at times he had been very afraid Donnie would have tried to take his life. Seemed like now, it was the farthest thing from it.

“I don’t know. You are the Casanova. What do you suggest?” Donnie quickly added a condition, because knowing Misha, the words “edible underwear” might have been his response, “Remember nothing sleazy or underhanded.”

“Dude . . . Come on. I may have had a lot of girlfriends over the years, but while I was with them, I always treated them right.” Misha did his best to try and defend his dating patterns, but Donnie remained unconvinced.

“Sure, you did.”

Misha continued to debate. “I never cheated on any of them ever. I always treated them like queens, and everything was always first class. I never skimped on anything I did or gave them.”

“But you always leave them in tears after you got what you wanted.” Donnie had seen it happen more than once, followed by many, many slaps.

“Yeah, I know. I just lose interest too quick. Maybe one day I will find the right girl, but today is your day, my friend. Let’s concentrate on you.” Misha wanted to change the subject. These conversations never ended well between them.

“So what do you think about flowers?” Donnie envisioned a dozen red roses.

“Needy stalker much,” he replied.

“Write a poem then?”

“Too soon, it was just one kiss after all.”

“One great kiss.” Donnie closed his eyes for a moment and drifted back to last night, “text a message?”

“Not enough.” Misha had the perfect idea. “Let’s stop by the Hallmark store and pick out a card.”

“A card, really, you think that’ll do the trick?” Donnie asked unsure.

“Yeah . . . slip it into her locker, so she finds it sometime today.” Misha made a fist and raised it into the air, “It will be epic!”

“You know, a card does feel right.” Donnie felt immediately reassured.

“I’ll help you pick it out.” They headed to the strip mall where the card store was located.

“So have you heard from Julliard?” Donnie was excited for Misha. That school had a very low acceptance rate.

“Yes, I did. I’m good for the next four years.” Misha got quiet for a moment, then turned, and looked seriously at Donnie. “I don’t know how to thank you for . . .”

“For nothing, you were there for me, no matter what. You are my best friend.” Donnie didn’t want the moment to get gushy between bros, so he put a stop to it right away.

“I know, but it’s just so much . . .”

“It’s nothing, just do your best.”

“Yeah, but how do I repay you for something like that?”

“Well, let’s see, since you asked. First be one of the greats, up there with Jack, Clint, and Morgan. Next thank me first when you receive you first Oscar. Finally, stop being a man-whore and stick with one girl for more than a minute.”

Damn it! Misha thought, back to the girls. “Well, will you take two out of three?” He waited for Donnie’s response.

“You are incorrigible, you know.” Donnie couldn’t help laughing. Oh well, at least he tried.

“Hey, once I’m a famous actor, I’ll be dating all sorts of hot starlets.” Misha started to fantasize. “I’ll have to churn through as many as I can.”

“Like butter, baby!” Misha and Donnie said together, then burst into uproarious laughter. It was a phrase they had picked up and used since they were boys.

Misha picked up the nutcracker. “Oh, I get it now.”

Abbie woke up Monday morning still with a lot on her mind. She’d barely slept. A young woman’s emotions are like a large ocean; sometimes they are calm, and sometimes they are stormy. Right now Abbie seemed calm, but underneath she was confused about last night. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, and she had kissed Donnie. She still wasn’t sure why. She liked Donnie well enough. He was a kind and sweet person, but it was just not possible right now, and she needed to keep her priorities straight. Donnie simply did not fit into her plans. Her mind considered what she would do next as she readied herself for school. She arrived at school still debating what she would need to do. She was in a haze most of the morning and completely flustered. Before she knew it, her lunch period bell rang. Realizing that she had not talked to her friends today, she rushed to the cafeteria; as she entered, she looked around for her friends Kelly and Trista. She spotted them sitting at their usual table.

“Hey, Abbie,” Kelly said as Abbie walked up. “Where have you been today?”

“I have been thinking.” Abbie was unable to hide her distressed state.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Kelly could see right away that there was something amiss.

“I think I messed up.” Abbie slumped down into a seat next to Kelly.

“I mess up all the time,” Rebecca replied.

“Oh, please go sit at the children’s table!” Trista did little to hide the annoyance in her voice. “Just ignore her, Abbs. What happened?” Trista saw just a little too much of herself in Rebecca, and that reminded her of her past mistakes.

“I kissed Donnie,” Abbie confessed.

“Oh, hot damn!” Rebecca leaned over the table to better hear the conversation.

“How do you feel about that, Abbs?” Kelly knew this was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

“Awful and nice all at once, I’m so confused,” she replied. “I feel so guilty too.”

“Why?” Rebecca asked. “He’s hot! Go kiss him again!”

“Becca please shut up!” Trista said. “Can’t you see Abbie is really upset over this?” Trista was truly concerned, where Kelly had only dated one boy all through high school; she had suffered more than her share of heartbreaks.

“What do you want to do?” Kelly wasn’t sure how to help her friend.

“I don’t know what to do. What do you guys think?” Abbie asked.

“You know my answer,” Rebecca replied quickly.

“Do you like him?” Trista asked. “Is he worth it?” Trista knew she needed to ask that question. She needed for Abbie to ask herself that question.

“Oh, yeah . . . he’s the sweetest and most endearing guy I know.” Abbie smiled as she remembered her time spent with him. “He’s totally worth it.”

“So what is the problem then?” Rebecca asked, “seems cut and dry to me.”

“If Abbs dates him, she will have less time to work, he’ll make demands on her time and will want to spend it with her,” Kelly explained. “If she doesn’t have enough money for housing at Princeton, she won’t be able to go to school there.” Trista wasn’t up to speed on the situation and was not clear on one thing. “Princeton is an hour away. Why don’t you just drive back and forth and stay home?”

“Mom and Dad only have one car, and with all the medical bills from last year, they can’t afford another car for me.” Abbie’s mind drifted, and she wondered about the medical bills Donnie’s mother incurred before she died. Why was she thinking about that now?

“Then you buy a car then. You got a lot of scratch saved away, right?” Rebecca’s logic was sound; she was showing a lot of maturity right now, quite unusual for her.

“Yes, I do, but then there’s the insurance on the car.” Abbie pulled out her phone and showed Rebecca some quotes she had saved on it. “It’s four thousand dollars a year for a driver my age to insure a car.”

“Yikes . . . !” Trista was not aware that it cost that much. She then remembered that her parents were wealthy and Abbie’s not as comfortable.

“Four thousand, forty four hundred, six thousand, this is nuts,” Rebecca continued to rattle off the quotes, “Sweet Christmas!”

“So I can buy a car but won’t be able to drive it,” Abbie continued. “Housing where I’m looking at is about four hundred a month. Then there is food and other living expenses, which are not covered by my scholarship.”

“I’m getting the picture now.” Trista understood why she had worked job after job and through the last two summers.

“OK, so don’t date him,” Kelly said and added, “and stick to your original plan. It seems like the best plan.” Abbie began to cry, catching the girls by surprise.

“Oh, Abbs, what is it?” Kelly placed her arms around her.

“You don’t understand, you guys. He opened up so much to me.” She was no longer able to hold back her tears. “I just don’t want him to hurt anymore.”

“What are you talking about, Abbs? We don’t understand,” Trista said after sitting on the other side of Abbie and embracing her also.

“I know why he’s been so quiet all year. It’s so sad.”

“Do you want to tell us?” Kelly asked. “I mean is it a secret?”

“No . . . I don’t think it’s a secret. He just doesn’t talk about it.” Abbie wondered if she should tell her friends, but she needed advice.

“Well, then tell us. That way we can help you,” Rebecca exclaimed. Abbie thought that Rebecca was again right on point. It was so simple to her.

“Both his mom and dad died about a year ago, just weeks apart.”

“That truly sucks and I know that’s really sad and all, and it explains why he has been so broody,” Trista replied. “But that wasn’t your fault. You’re not responsible for that.”

“Trista is right,” Kelly added. “It’s really unfortunate that happened to him, and it’s great that he could move forward, but you have to worry about your future first.”

Abbie’s tears continued to flow. “But his dad, his father, was the man that died saving my mom . . .” Kelly, Trista, and even Rebecca were left speechless.

“Oh, wow!” Kelly said finally breaking the silence. It was all she could come up with.

“Are you for real?” Rebecca remembered the beating that Abbie’s mother had taken at the hands of her assailants; Camille had been hospitalized for almost a week.

“Oh, sweetie, I see your problem.” Trista was lost; there was nothing that had ever happened to her that she could use to give her any advice.

“If I hadn’t kissed him, we could still just be friends,” Abbie said getting hold of herself now. “Now if he wants more and I turn him away . . .”

“You’re afraid that he will feel hurt, and you don’t want to do that to him,” Kelly finished.

“It’s the last thing I want to do to him.” Abbie continued to feel ill to her stomach; she was regretting skipping breakfast now.

“Well, I think you just need to be honest with him. Explain to him exactly why you don’t date and tell him it’s nothing to do with him.” Trista rattled off the advice quickly and looked at Kelly to follow her lead.

“Yeah, I think that is the best course, Abbs. If you let him know that you are not dating anyone, he should understand. Don’t lead him on any further.”

“Thanks, guys, I think he will be cool with that. He’s really tough inside, and who knows what the future holds, right?” Abbie started wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Right . . .” Kelly agreed.

“Right . . .” Trista agreed.

“Done . . .” Rebecca added, placing Abbie’s phone down.

“Is that my phone, Becca?” Abbie asked.

“Yup . . . I just sent him a text,” Rebecca answered.

“You bimbo bubblehead,” Trista screamed. “Did it ever occur to you, that message would have been better delivered in person?!”

“I just wanted to help!” Rebecca said defensively. Kelly grabbed the phone and handed it to Abbie, who quickly reviewed the sent messages.

Donnie made his way down the hall. He was sure Abbie had lunch this period, so he was certain he wouldn’t bump into her anywhere near her locker. He was giddy and had been smiling all morning. He pulled out the card he and Misha had picked out and slipped into the locker through the air vents. He was excited and wondered how she would receive the card and heartfelt words he had picked to write inside. He started to walk toward the study hall to visit Mr. S when his phone beeped. He was thrilled to see it was a message from Abbie and began to reading the message right away.

Donnie, it was a hot kiss, but I just can’t date you.

I have other priorities in my life, and you are not part of them.

Don’t be sad, Abbs.

Donnie read the message, and his jaw dropped. Right then, he realized that Abbie had been just too good to be true. He finally met someone he thought he could relate to, but he was wrong. He thought about what to do next, and his response was to return the text.

“I can’t believe you did that, Becca!” Abbie unceremoniously raised her voice to her.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Rebecca said apologetically.

“Becca, that was so stupid,” Kelly said.

“He didn’t deserve that. He’s my friend. This is so fucked up!” Abbie yelled out.

“You need to go talk to him right away,” Trista urged. “What class does he have right now?” Abbie thought for a moment.

“It’s his free period, but he usually goes and sits in study hall with Mr. Simmons.” At that moment, Abbie’s phone vibrated indicating that she had received a text message. The table went silent as everyone stared at the phone in apprehension. Abbie grabbed it and read the message aloud.

Hey, Abbie, I completely understand. You have a bright future ahead of you, and I’m damaged goods. I won’t bother you or your family anymore. Don’t worry about me either. I’ll be just fine now. Thank you for everything, really. Please do me two favors. 1) Keep the rest of the money for the sessions, 2) Please destroy the note I left in your locker. It’s better if you don’t ever read it.

“Wow! He wrote you a note.” Kelly remembered the first few notes her boyfriend Trevor had written her. It was how he won her over. “Do you think you should read it?”

“I can go get it and drop it in a shredder if you don’t want to be tempted.” Trista was all too serious.

“I want to read it,” Rebecca said quietly. A glance from Kelly made her sit quiet.

“Should I read it?” On top of everything, now there was this note. Abbie was torn.

“No . . .” Kelly was sure if she read the note, her logic would go right out the window.

“Yes . . . !” Rebecca clapped her hands a few times.

“Up to you,” Trista answered shrugging her shoulders. Three answers, and none of them helped Abbie.

“Thanks, tons of help there. Let’s go get it. I’ll decide after I see it.” The quartet reached Abbie’s locker within a few minutes. Abbie took a deep breath and opened the locker. There at the bottom was the sky-blue envelope. Kelly, Trista, and Abbie just stared at the letter unflinchingly.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Rebecca leaned down and grabbed the envelope. Before anyone could take it from her, she ripped it open and began reading it.

“What does it say?” Abbie wondered what it said but was too afraid to read it.

“Aw, Kelly was right,” Rebecca replied. “He’s super sweet, isn’t he?”

“Well, Abbs,” Kelly asked and added, “shredder or no?” Trista looked at Abbie and knew.

“Read it.” Trista smiled as she spoke. It was rare to see a genuine smile from her.

“Why? . . .” Abbie asked.

“How many love notes does a girl get? What if he’s the one and you let him slip through your fingers?”

“But . . .”

“But nothing, I have known you for twelve years, and you have never cried over a boy,” Kelly interrupted. “There’s something there. We all see it.” Abbie nervously grabbed the card from Rebecca, turned it over, and began to read it.

Dear Abbie,

I feel uneasy writing this, as I’ve never written a note like this before. I’d much rather to talk to you face-to-face, but a friend said that writing this would be a good way to express myself without flubbing the meaning. It turned out to be good advice as it took me all morning to come up with these words. I wanted to tell you that I never intended to have anything with you. I was happy with you as my friend, a good friend. But then you kissed me. I’m not sure why, but I’m glad you did. You brought joy back into my life. You showed me the best part of you, after you saw the worst of mine. That meant so much to me. You know that getting close to anyone is hard for me. I always feel like they are just a heartbeat away from leaving me, and that still terrifies me. I was afraid to get close to you as well, but your warm heart and that cute crooked little smile gave me the strength to go forward and try again. And that’s what this letter is about. If you are willing, I want to go forward with you and try again. I want to walk the halls, holding your hand. I want to listen to your voice, talk about anything. I know it is months away, but would you go to prom with me? I’d love another chance to hold you in my arms again.

CHAPTER 7

Parkour

“I NEED TO talk to Donnie, right now,” Abbie said anxiously.

“Call him,” Kelly suggested. Abbie dialed his number on her phone but got his voice mail.

“Donnie, it’s Abbie. I need to talk to you please. Please call me back.” Abbie looked at her friends and frowned.

“I’m sure he’ll call you back,” Kelly said.

“I’m not . . .”

“Why do you think that?” Trista asked.

“Fight or flight.” Abbie began walking briskly toward study hall. The others followed closely behind. Within a few moments, they arrived at the library.

“Do you think he’s here?” Kelly asked.

“I hope so.” Abbie was worried. She opened the door to the library, and as usual Mr. Simmons was at his desk. He was reading a magazine when he noticed the girls walk in.

“Ladies, can I help you?” Mr. Simmons was surprised to see Abbie and her friends but was always glad to see her.

“Have you seen Donnie, Mr. Simmons?”

“No, he was supposed to stop by. He said he had something important to tell me and seemed really happy about it. Why do you ask?”

Abbie’s heart sunk. “I just need to explain a misunderstanding to him.”

“Let me check something.” Mr. Simmons grabbed the phone and dialed the office. “Can you tell me if Donnie Guerrero signed out? OK, thank you.” He put down the receiver back in its cradle and looked at the girls once again. “I’m afraid he’s gone for the day. He signed himself out.”

“Is he eighteen already?” Kelly asked.

“No, he won’t be eighteen until July.” Abbie surprised herself by remembering that bit of information; they discussed it only once, weeks ago.

“He can leave school anytime he wants. He just has to sign out.”

“How, you need to have a parent sign you out or be an adult to leave school early? And we know . . .” Trista stopped herself from saying what Mr. Simmons already knew.

“So you’re aware about what happened to his parents?” Mr. Simmons shook his head at the girls. “Please keep it to yourselves, please. He’s had a long recovery, and the last thing he needs is to be reminded of his loss by the entire student body.”

“Yes, Mr. Simmons, we know. He told me about it,” Abbie explained. “And, yes, we’ll keep it a secret. We promise.”

Mr. Simmons was surprised. “He actually told you? That is great. Well, Donnie is emancipated,” he explained. “He needed to do it, to keep his house.”

Trista put two and two together, “The lawyer, that’s why he was there.”

“Where was he?” Mr. Simmons was starting to wonder why these girls were all looking for Donnie.

“The courthouse, I saw him with a lawyer there once.”

Mr. Simmons took a sigh of relief. “Yes, unfortunately he has several attorneys.”

“OK, Mr. Simmons, thanks for the info,” Abbie said, and the girls left the library. They went back to their classes as the lunch period ended. Abbie tried to reach Donnie after school and late into the night, but he neither answered nor called Abbie back.

Donnie was driving home when his phone rang. He looked down and saw that it was Misha. He activated his Bluetooth and answered, “Yo . . .”

“How did it go? Did you drop off the letter?” Misha was still excited for Donnie, and his tone made that quite apparent.

“Yeah, I did, and not twenty seconds later, I got a text from her.”

“You don’t sound happy about that. What did she say? Misha could tell something was amiss.

“Dude, she doesn’t want anything to do with me. She texted it to me.”

“What a tease!” Misha replied. “Fuck that bitch!”

“I’m not really mad. I’m just numb right now,” Donnie sighed a bit afterward. “Like that time I got hit by that car.”

“Where are you, man?” Misha was worried about his state of mind.

“I’m driving home, but I have a few stops to make first.”

“You were supposed to meet me for lunch.”

“I have to take a rain check.”

“What are your plans then for the rest of the day? We have practice today.”

“I quit the team. I called coach and told him.”

“Now I’m worried.” Basketball was the only thing he held onto after his parents died. This was bad. “You need to hang? I’ll cut the rest of the day. Just come pick my butt up.”

“No, it’s OK. I do have some errands to run.”

“Like what?” Misha was trying to figure out what Donnie was thinking. “I hope you’re not going all depressed on me again.”

“No, I’m good,” Donnie replied. “It feels like I have a massive weight on my chest at the moment, but I’m managing.”

“A’ight, I’ll drop by after practice, OK?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I should be home by then.”

“OK, I’ll see you later then?” Misha hung up and was left feeling a bit anxious all the way through basketball practice. The day seemed to drag, and he worried about his friend’s state of mind. Misha had one of the guys on the team drop him at Donnie’s house after practice. He was surprised to find a “For-Sale” sign planted in the yard. With an angry sigh, he walked up the driveway. “Donnie!” he cried out as he entered the house.

“I’m out back!”

Misha walked through the house and out to the backyard. He found Donnie under the chassis of a 1967 Volkswagen Thing that he and his father had been restoring before he was killed. This was a good sign. He was doing something, anything. He could still remember the week that Donnie simply stayed in bed and didn’t eat. This was good, he thought. He wasn’t in a depressed slump again. “You get the part in?” Misha took off his shirt.

“Several of them actually,” Donnie answered as he rolled out from under the car on a creeper.

“Sweet, we might get this hunk of junk running by the summer,” Misha said, grabbing the second creeper and hoisting it over his head. His muscles rippled as he carried the heavy wheeled platform over to the car.

“I hope so,” he said as he rolled back under the vehicle.

“What are we replacing today?” he said as he rolled under the car next to Donnie.

“Shocks and struts. I also got the alternator in.”

“Nice . . .”

The pair worked into the night on the vehicle. After several hours, all four wheels joints had been repaired. They got out from under the vehicle and began putting away the tools. Both of their bodies were covered in oil, dirt, and sweat. “When do you want to put the alternator in?” Misha asked as he grabbed a rag from the toolbox and cleaned his hands.

“I picked up a half dozen more parts that had been on hold for Dad,” Donnie replied cleaning his hands with a towel. “I also got the engine on the way.”

“You’re getting serious about getting her running again.”

“Yeah, Dad wanted to get her running. I figured I would get it done for him.”

“I was worried about you all day, but you seem to be handling yourself just fine.”

“I told you I was fine. A little crushed about today, but otherwise OK.”

“Good . . . Now do you want to explain the For-Sale sign?”

“It’s time for a change,” he said, throwing the towel at Misha’s head. “I think I’m going to move to New York.”

“What about school? You can’t just drop out. The courts won’t let you do that until July.”

“I’m going to get a GED. I’ve always had that option. I had only wanted to graduate for Mom and Dad’s sake.”

“Then do that. It’s only three and a half months. Don’t let a chick chase you away.”

“I had such a great night with her and her family.” Donnie pursed his hips together “For a second, I felt like I had a family again.”

“It was that good, huh?”

“Yeah, we could have been eating dinner with my parents,” Donnie replied “That’s how comfortable it felt.”

“Wow! Man, I didn’t realize it had been like that.” Misha tried to remember the last time he and Donnie’s family sat down to dinner.

“Yeah, and now anytime I see her, I will be reminded of that feeling,” Donnie said. “I don’t care to deal with any more feelings of loss. I just want to move on.”

“I can understand that kid, but quitting isn’t the way to go.”

“I’m not quitting. I’m just going down a different road.”

“Horseshit . . . you’re quitting.” Misha got right in Donnie’s face to make his point. “You didn’t have to go back to school, but you did. You didn’t have to fight to save this house, but you did. You didn’t have to try and fix that busted down rust pile in the backyard, but you are.”

“Yeah, but . . .”

“Shut up! I’m not done yet. You have unfinished business here and now. If you don’t finish what you started this year, you will regret it forever. Now man up and grow a sac.” With a quick flick of his wrist, Misha struck Donnie on the groin with the back of his hand.

“Ahhhshole!” was the only thing he could mutter as he bent over in pain.

“Now think it over,” Misha ordered as he walked out the door. “Your mom and dad wanted to see you graduate and not sell their house and for reasons unknown to me repair that ugly piece of shit in the backyard.”

“OK, you made your point. I’ll give it some more thought.”

“I’m taking Gia by the way.” Misha grabbed the keys to Donnie’s car.

“Don’t bother picking me up tomorrow. I think I’m just going to hang here and work on the car. The quiet helps me think.”

“All right, kid, we have a game tomorrow night. I’ll expect to see you there in uniform.”

“Dude . . . I already quit.”

“Yeah, I talked to coach and unquit you. We only have five games left. If we win three more, we can get into the play-offs.”

“Coach said I can come back?”

“Hell, yeah, we need that weird brain shit you do.”

“It is simple physics,” Donnie began explaining. “I just calculate the trajectory arc and . . .”

“Whatever, man,” Misha interrupted laughing. “You never miss three point shots, and we need that edge.”

“OK, I’ll be there.” Donnie couldn’t believe he had been talked out of everything he decided today.

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Misha walked out closing the door behind him. Donnie watched his friend drive off. Misha’s words had hit hard. Donnie had a lot to think about. He went upstairs and undressed. He decided to take a hot shower and wash off all the grime on his body. He was drying his long hair when he noticed his phone was vibrating. He looked at it and it read ten missed calls. He could see that one was from the coach, another two from Mr. Simmons, and seven were from Abbie. He put his phone on its charger and flopped onto his bed.

Donnie lay on his bed for what seemed hours; no matter what he did, he couldn’t fall asleep. Every so often, the phone would buzz, and when he looked at it, he could see that Abbie had tried to reach him again. Donnie was not ready to talk to her, so he let her calls go to his voice mail. Deciding that he would not get to sleep anytime soon, he decided to go out for a run. He put on his special pair of shoes and climbed out his window. He ran down to the edge and jumped. He landed on his lawn and performed a roll. Without missing a stride, he stood back up and began running. He ran down a familiar path of obstacles and hurdles consisting of mailboxes, benches, and the occasional car. Parkour or free-running was one of Donnie’s true passions. He had been practicing it in secrecy for years and mainly ran at night. The hurdling of obstacles and barriers came naturally to him. His mind seemed adept at plotting courses as if they were math problems. He reached his favorite spot to free-run within ten minutes. The old Houghton textile mill offered many places inside to climb, hang, and vault over. As always, he entered the property through an open window ten feet off the ground. To reach it, he ran at the wall at full speed and ran up its side, extending his body at the last instant, grabbing the inside of the window sill. He pulled himself up and inside.

Inside the structure, there were enough lights still functioning to allow him to see clearly. There were two levels. The lower level contained an assortment of old machinery and scattered garbage. The second level consisted mainly of a honeycomb of catwalks. He was excited to begin his run. He vaulted over a railing and fell to the lower level below. The roll that followed was executed perfectly, distributing the weight of his body evenly. He continued his run, a pattern he was very familiar with and had almost finished his first lap when he got an uneasy feeling. There were security guards that routinely patrolled the exterior of the building, but they never came inside. He also had not seen their car in its usual spot. He ran to a jump spot and this time decided to add a backward somersault at the last minute. As he was upside down, a figure lunged at him and missed him by inches. Had he not flipped, he would have easily been tackled. The man stood up after landing headfirst in a pile of empty paint cans. Donnie stopped to see if it was a guard. He could see it was a guy not much older than him. The man stood less than six feet tall, had short blonde hair, and wore a black jump sweater, camo pants, and black army boots. He looked like one of the kids in ROTC. Donnie noticed that he had a star-shaped scar over his left eye. He was obviously not a guard.

“What the hell man?” Donnie asked. “You could have really hurt us both.”

“That was my intention,” the man said. “You’re an unwanted nuisance.”

Donnie didn’t like this at all. This guy was obviously cuckoo and possessed a weird look in his crystal clear blue eyes.

“This is your final res . . . Hey!”

Donnie didn’t wait for him to finish and took off running. “Peace out freak!” and started working his way toward the exit. He ran down a thin corridor behind a row of inert machinery. He glanced back to see if the man was chasing him and was relieved to discover that he wasn’t. He looked ahead just as the man stepped in front of him.

What the fuck! How the hell did he get in front of me that fast? Donnie thought.

“Now you’re dead!” the man said as he attempted to grapple him once again. Donnie sped up and at the last moment performed a headfirst baseball slide and slipped right under the man’s legs. The shift in velocity had thrown off the man’s timing and forced him to miss. Donnie planted his hands down and leapfrogged back to his feet and kept up the forward momentum. He ran toward some scaffolds that were still assembled. Its rickety frame was an obvious maze to navigate through, but it might as well been an open corridor to Donnie. He could hear and feel his pursuer right on his heels. He reached the edge of the structure and grabbed the outermost corner and performed a monkey swing with only one arm and spun toward the outside of the structure. The sudden change in direction was enough to widen the distance between predator and prey. The man crashed into some loose hollow pipes that were stacked under the metallic structure. The clanking sounds the crash made were deafening.

The man stood up with such force that the pipes went flying in every direction. One of the pipes traveled so far from the force that it struck Donnie on the side of his chest and cracked one of his ribs. The pursuer screamed in frustration and continued his chase, his yell still echoing after he had started to move again. Donnie had a fair amount of room between them now. He needed to get upstairs quick, to get to the window. Donnie kept spying over his shoulder, and he could see that the man was closing the gap fast. He spotted a crossbeam that had fallen from the ceiling years ago. It now lay one end on the ground floor and the other on the second floor. In the past, it made for an excellent ramp to slide down. This was his chance. He hit the beam in full stride and ran up it, almost losing his balance. The man did not fare as well as he attempted the same stunt. Halfway up the ramp, the pursuer lost his balance and slammed chin first into the beam and spun off, falling ten feet to the ground floor.

Donnie was having trouble breathing now, and his muscles were beginning to fatigue. He wouldn’t be able to keep this pace up much longer. The window was now in sight. Donnie ran as fast as he could while holding his side. He was praying that he could make it out safely. He glanced back just in time to see the man jump from the bottom floor to the second tier. He smiled at Donnie and accelerated toward him, closing the distance easily. “What the hell!” Donnie screamed. His pursuer had just performed a twenty-foot vertical leap, but that wasn’t possible, was it? Donnie could feel him close on his tail once again. Donnie needed to do something quick. The man stretched out his hand; his fingers were almost gripping the inside of the hoody on Donnie’s sweatshirt now. “You are mine n... Ughhh.”

Donnie ran up the wall just under his exit window and performed a back flip. The pursuer had concentrated so much on catching Donnie that he failed to pay attention to his surroundings yet again. He slammed headfirst into the cement wall, which resulted in a sickening crack of bone and teeth. Donnie did not stop moving. His pursuer was now in front of him. He used the man as a makeshift ramp and ran up his back and easily reached the window above. As he pulled himself up, he looked down and saw that his pursuer was sliding down the wall unconscious.

“K-Swiss Ariakes motherfucker, one hundred dollars at Footlocker!” Donnie yelled and slipped through the window. He fell to the asphalt below and rolled. The pain from his rib was getting worse. He started running home as fast as he could and had to maintain an arm pressed against his right side in order to keep moving. His speed at this point had been greatly diminished, but he continued to push himself nevertheless. He was not sure that he would be able to outrun that guy again should the chase resume.

Donnie was almost home. He could see the lights on his front porch now. He continued looking back, expecting to see the man in black at any moment. Donnie could feel eyes on him again, in fact he was certain. He dismissed the pain and opened up into an all-out run. Just a few more yards, almost there, almost there, almost there.

CHAPTER 8

CeeCee

ABBIE GOT UP the next morning and checked her phone. There had been no messages or missed calls. She got ready for school and waited for Kelly to pick her up outside. As she waited, she tried to call Donnie once again. The call went straight to voice mail just like the last dozen or so calls she had made. Kelly arrived a few minutes later to pick her up. Rebecca and Trista were already in the car. She got into the car but was obviously distracted.

“Did you have any luck reaching him, Abbs?” Trista asked.

“He still isn’t answering his phone,” Abbie explained.

“Give him time. I’m sure he will come around,” Kelly assured.

“I just don’t want him to think I sent that message. He must hate me right about now,” Abbie said. Rebecca remained silent.

“What are you going to do?” Kelly asked.

“I think I’ll just confront him at school today,” Abbie replied. “I know his class schedule.”

“You do, huh?” Rebecca said teasingly.

“It’s not like that.” Abbie wanted to punch Rebecca. This was all her fault. She shouldn’t be teasing her.

“Uh-huh, I memorize boys’ class schedules too.”

As they pulled into the parking lot, Trista pointed out a girl to the others. “There, that’s her,” Trista said, pointing at Cecilia Feldman. She was a plain-looking girl. Her reddish brown hair was tied tightly back into a ponytail. She looked a bit on the heavy side and was dressed in loose baggie clothes.

“Who is she?” Rebecca asked with interest.

“The girl I was telling you about last week.”

“The girl who just transferred in from Abe Lincoln High, is that her?” Abbie asked, “Poor girl, she looks miserable.” Cecilia’s gait reminded her of Donnie. He had walked in very much the same way, head down, avoiding eye contact.

“How would you feel if you had been invited to a Valentine’s Day dance as a joke?” Trista asked.

“Wait . . . what?” Rebecca asked.

“The story as I heard it was that the hottest boy at her old school had asked her to go with him to the dance. When they got there, he put on a T-shirt that read pig farmer,” Trista explained.

“What an ass!” Rebecca said.

“Then to make it worst, he chased her around the dance floor screaming suuueey!” she continued.

“That’s horrible!” Kelly said whilst parking the car.

“The embarrassment was so much that she now travels from Millville to attend school here in Bridgeton,” she finished.

“She’s a senior, right?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah, she’s trying to finish the school year here,” she confirmed.

“So sad, having to finish your senior year at a new school,” Kelly said. “Only three months left.”

The girls had arrived at school, and Abbie headed toward Donnie’s first class of the day. She waited outside the class, but he never showed. She continued this pattern for every class he had that morning. By the time lunch period arrived, Abbie realized that he had missed all his early classes. She sat down for lunch with her friends.

“I don’t think he came to school today,” Abbie informed.

“Try again tomorrow. He may just need a day to cool off,” Kelly assured.

“No . . . I don’t think we will see him for a while,” she said.

“So what do you want to do?” Trista asked.

Abbie knew she needed to act. She couldn’t let this situation go on any longer. “Maybe I should go to his house, but that presents a problem.”

“What problem?” Kelly asked.

“I don’t know where he lives.”

“Four weeks’ tutoring with this guy and he never told you where he lived?” Trista asked.

“Never came up,” Abbie said. “My mom knows where he lives, but if I ask her for his address, she will get suspicious.”

“Best not to involve your mom I think,” Kelly advised.

“Hey, why not ask Mr. Simmons?” Rebecca said.

“Now you’re thinking!” Trista said.

“Do you think he would give it to us?” Abbie wondered if she could weasel the address out of him.

“Not us, but for you . . . sure, you are the teacher’s pet after all,” Trista said.

“I’ll run up and ask him after school, and then we can hopefully pass by his house,” she said. After the last class period, she went to Mr. Simmons’s class and said, “Hey, Mr. Simmons.”

“Hello, Abigail, I wasn’t expecting to see you again today,” Mr. Simmons said. “Did you have a question?”

“I came by to ask you a big favor.”

“Whatever I can do,” Mr. Simmons replied.

Abbie decided not to beat around the bush. She would just come out and ask. “I need Donnie’s address. He isn’t answering any of my calls, and I want to go check on him.”

“I tried to reach him last night without any luck. Please have him call me when you talk to him, OK.” Mr. Simmons wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “You didn’t get that from me.”

“Get what?” Abbie said, understanding his meaning.

“Good girl, now off with you.”

Abbie exited the class, waving around a piece of paper violently in front of her cohorts, “got it!”

“Yes!” Kelly said.

“All right,” Trista said and nodded.

“Aw, man!” Rebecca said. The other girls looked at her with both confusion and irritation.

“I have to stay here,” Rebecca said, pouting. “The JV game is starting in a bit.”

“Sorry, Becca, but I’ll fill you in when we come back for the varsity game,” Kelly assured. “Go cheer the team to a win!”

“Not likely. They stink.” Rebecca walked away, sulking a bit. “I always miss the good stuff.” The older girls headed to Kelly’s car and plotted their course to the address written on the paper given to them.

“I put the address in my phone’s GPS,” Trista said and turned on the speaker function. “It’ll navigate.”

“Let’s go!” Abbie said.

“Hmm,” Kelly said. “Getting excited, Abbs?”

“Just drive!” she snapped. Trista and Kelly burst into laughter. Abbie simply made an angry face at both of them. The drive took twenty minutes as Donnie’s house was on the outskirts of town. As they arrived, everyone noticed the For-Sale sign.

“Is he moving?” Trista asked.

“Is this the right house?” Kelly asked.

Abbie looked around nervously. “I don’t see his car, do you?”

“Let’s go up to the door.” Kelly said as she parked the car in the driveway. The three young ladies walked up to the front porch. Abbie was getting more and more nervous as to what she would say to him. They reached the door, and Abbie froze in place. She couldn’t move. Trista rang the doorbell. It was an offensively loud buzzing noise, and it startled everyone as it blared. After a few minutes, Kelly buzzed their presence once again. There was no response at the door. “I don’t think he is home.”

“Yeah, the deaf could hear that atrocity of a doorbell, sheesh,” Trista added. The two girls looked at Abbie when she didn’t reply. She was staring at the floor underneath them.

“Guys, is that . . . blood?” Abbie said pointing to their feet. Trista and Kelly looked down and at their feet, and it did look like there was a trail of blood.

“Ewww, that’s so gross!” Kelly moved away from the reddish brown stains. Trista bent over and scratched at it with a key she pulled from her jeans.

“Looks like dried blood, all right.” Trista stood up and looked inside the house through the door window. “There is more inside, lots more.”

Abbie ran up and pounded on the door. “Donnie!” There was still no response from within. Kelly and Trista were surprised by her sudden explosion of emotion.

“You think he might be hurt?” Kelly asked.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Abbie had gone from scared to worried.

“I’m sure he’s OK.” Trista didn’t want to alarm her, but there was a lot of blood.

“You think?” Abbie whirled and looked for support from her friends. This was almost unbearable. What had happened to him? Was he hurt inside, lying in a pool of his own blood?

“Sure, his car is not here, so he must have driven it away.”

“Whatever happened, he is obviously not here now,” Kelly said.

“Let’s head back to school and after the basketball game, we can swing back again,” Trista said.

“I’m such a blonde.” Kelly slapped her forehead.

“Why?” Abbie asked.

“He’s on the basketball team, and they’re playing tonight,” she said. “He’s at school.”

“Nice of you to remember that now,” Abbie said, “back to school then.” The girls got back into Kelly’s car, and they began the drive back to school.

Rebecca was cheering the junior varsity team to their fifth straight loss. They were truly awful. She didn’t care; she liked cheerleading and sought to one day replace her sister as captain after Kelly graduated. The game had entered its last quarter when she spotted a familiar face talking to the coach. Donnie was talking to Coach Rob, and he seemed upset. He handed the coach a note and walked up to the top of the bleachers and took a seat. He seemed to be favoring his left side. She was about to call her sister to let her know he was in the gymnasium when she spotted a girl walk up to Donnie. He stood up, and they embraced.

“Donnie, is that you?” Cecilia asked as she approached him.

Donnie stood up and hugged her warmly, “CeeCee!”

“Hi, Dodo,” she replied, taking a seat next to him.

“How long has it been?”

“About three years since we moved away, I was really sorry to hear about your parents. I didn’t find out until earlier today. I swear if I had known, I would have come to you.”

“Thank you, CeeCee. I really appreciate that. I know you would’ve come to my rescue once again. So what are you doing here? Are we playing your school?”

“I came to find you and Meemee. I found out you two were on the varsity team and were playing today.”

“Misha will be thrilled to see you again.” Donnie had forgotten that CeeCee had given him and Misha pet names when they were small children; she never stopped using them. “He wasn’t happy when your parents moved a few towns over.”

“I’m sure with all the girls fawning over him, he barely noticed I was gone,” Cecilia said jokingly.

“No way, we both missed you a lot, but he took it especially hard. We’ve all been friends since what, first grade?”

“Seems like it, right?” Cecilia leaned over and bumped her shoulder to Donnie’s.

“So you came all the way out here just to find us? Is everything OK?”

“My life is shit right now.” Cecilia felt bad telling him her troubles. He had suffered so much more. “I got played real hard by a boy at my old school. He was . . . cruel . . .”

Donnie’s happy demeanor turned sour in an instant, “so what would you like written on his tombstone?”

“Stop it! That’s not why I’m here, though I did entertain the idea I will admit.” Cecilia fantasized for a moment, thinking how Donnie and Misha would have kicked Jeff’s ass. “I missed you guys, and that’s why I matriculated here now. I wanted to reconnect.”

“What . . . ? You are going here now? That is so cool!” Donnie could barely contain his excitement, “the Three Musketeers together again!”

“I am glad you guys are still here. I needed friends, and I found out recently that I really didn’t have any at my last school.”

“Best friends,” he said as he placed his arm around his childhood friend.

“You’re going make me cry if you keep this mushy shit up.”

“As I learned recently, a good cry works wonders for the soul,” he admitted.

“Yeah, it does, but I’m done being depressed.” Cecilia dried her eyes; she knew that if anyone would stand up for her no matter, it would have been Donnie and Misha. “I just want to have a great last few months before going to NYU.”

“So you’ll be in New York?”

“Yeah, I got my acceptance letter a week ago.”

“That’s awesome. Did you know Misha got into Julliard?”

“You’re shitting me?” Cecilia was amazed. “It’s like a 10 percent acceptance rate to get in there.”

“Try less than seven,” he informed. “He’s really excited, his backup was Georgetown.”

“What about you, Mr. Brains?” she asked. “Where are you going?”

“I never applied to any colleges.”

“Seriously, why aren’t you going to college?” Cecilia was confused. He was a math whiz since like forever; she was expecting MIT, Stanford, or Princeton.

“Don’t get me wrong. I got tons of offers, full academic and athletic rides,” he explained. “I just don’t need to go to college. I have just as many job offers pending.”

“Well, look at you, Mr. Important. You have the pick of the litter then.” Now that’s more like it, Cecilia thought.

“Honestly, I’m not sure what I want to do. I have a few months to decide, and I can always start a semester late.”

“I feel you, so what about girls, is there anyone special?” Cecilia asked lowering and raising her eyebrows.

“Well . . .  there are so many these days. It’s hard to keep count,” he said as he leaned back placing an arm behind his neck.

Cecilia jabbed Donnie in the ribs. “Liar!” He immediately doubled him over in pain. “Oh shit!” She didn’t think it was that hard of a blow.

“Ribs . . . bruised . . . again . . .” Donnie was in tears and was trying to catch his breath.

“Oh shit! I’m sorry, Dodo,” she said apologetically.

“You didn’t know.” Donnie found it funny and that caused him to laugh, and each laugh caused him more pain than the last.

“How did you get hurt?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Donnie went over the events of last night in his head again: Why did that guy chase him? What did he say? It was his intention to hurt him. They guy must have been on drugs.

“Does it hurt a lot?” she asked.

“Doctors said it’s just a bruise, should be fine in a week or so.” Donnie couldn’t resist and said, “It looks awful. Let me show you.” He raised his shirt, exposing his midriff to Cecilia.

“Ow, that looks terrible. Are you sure it’s only a bruise?” Cecilia agreed as she inspected the bruise. The two friends continued to talk and laugh exuberantly as the blowout below on the court came to an end. They had failed to notice the fiery redheaded cheerleader stomping up the bleachers with purpose and determination.

“Donnie Guerrero, you are a jerk!” Rebecca yelled at Donnie. She placed her fists on her hips and leaned forward toward Donnie, her pom-poms still it her hands.

“Excuse me . . . ?” Donnie asked.

“Is this your girlfriend, Donnie?” Cecilia asked.

“Shut up, slut!” Rebecca yelled at Cecilia. “I am not his girlfriend, nor would I ever be!”

“Who are you!? And why are you talking to my friend that way?” Donnie looked over to Cecilia and shrugged. He noticed that her smile was replaced with her game face.

“Is this why you’re not answering Abbs’s phone calls?” she asked, “Groping her and showing off your tight abs, two-timing her with this?” Rebecca flicked her pom-pom in Cecilia’s face.

“Little girl, you are about to enter a whole new level of unconsciousness,” Cecilia threatened Rebecca whilst standing up. Donnie realized very quickly where this was going. Cecilia had a short fuse and an explosive temper; it was not a good mix, and it had gotten her into trouble in the past. He had to take control, or violence would inevitably follow.

“I got this, CeeCee,” Donnie said to Cecilia, forcefully pulling her back onto the bench. “I don’t know who the fuck you are or how you know so much about me and Abbie, but you got it all wrong. She kicked me to the curb. She’s the one who said I wasn’t part of her priorities and that she didn’t want to see me.”

“My name is Rebecca, and you’re the one that’s got it all wrong,” she said.

“This is getting interesting,” Cecilia said with a smirk.

“Be quiet, heifer!” Rebecca chastised Cecilia. “You need to call her back and let her explain.”

“Strike two,” Cecilia said aloud, and Donnie was getting worried.

“Well, please pass on a message to her for me,” Donnie said after giving Cecilia a look urging her to calm down. “She broke my heart. I got the message. I’ll go my own way. Tell her to just leave me alone. There’s nothing more to say.”

“But she needs to explain,” Rebecca repeated. “You’re not getting the whole story.”

“I poured out my heart to her, and I feel like she flushed it,” he said. “I will never talk to her again.”

“What did she do, Donnie?” Cecilia could see Donnie was hurting just talking about this.

“She made it very clear early on that we could only be friends and then kissed me out of the blue,” he explained. “Next day, she sends me a horrible text message telling me I’m not worth her time. She didn’t even have the decency to talk to me face-to-face. So I don’t care to give her any more of my time. So get lost, Rebecca.”

“That sounds really cold, Dodo,” Cecilia replied.

“I thought she was a completely different person too,” he said.

“That’s what you are not getting,” Rebecca urged. “She’s not cold, and she wants a chance to explain. I can’t believe you won’t talk to her. You seemed so sweet in your card.”

“You read my note to her!?” Donnie got visibly upset. “How many people read the card? Is she just handing it off for everyone to read and laugh at?”

“No, it’s not like that. I read it, my sister Kelly read it, and Trista read it,” Rebecca said.

“Wait, Trista Rogers?” he asked.

“Yeah, that Trista and Kelly Monroe,” she informed.

“Oh, this is just great!” Donnie said irritated. “Trista is the biggest gossip at this school, and Kelly is the head cheerleader. I am sure they’ve told half the senior class by now.”

“No, they haven’t. They wouldn’t. They’re Abbie’s best friends,” she continued to argue.

“Now on top of everything else, she’s taking something private and showing it to everyone.” Donnie crossed his arms and looked away. “Please go away now.”

“Listen, it’s not like that. Damn it! I wish I could explain better,” she uttered.

Cecilia had enough of this little chatterbox. She could tell Donnie was upset, and she never liked seeing him like this. “No, you listen, pom-pom Barbie. He is done listening, and you need to leave, now,” Cecilia ordered.

“Be quiet, you cunt!” Rebecca screamed at Cecilia. “Listen, it was me that sent you that . . .” Rebecca’s words were suddenly cut short. Donnie tried to stop Cecilia, but in his injured condition, he was unable to react in time. She was after all a big girl. Cecilia stood up and in one fluid motion delivered a vicious uppercut to the lower portion of Rebecca’s jaw.

“Strike three . . .” Cecilia said as she delivered the bone breaking blow. This was the second time in a twenty-four-hour period that Donnie had heard bone and teeth break. Rebecca was visibly lifted off her feet and flung backward down the bleachers. Her pom-poms were flung outward as her arms flailed wildly. She landed with a loud thump on her back. Donnie was sure Rebecca didn’t feel the fall. She was out cold before she left the ground.

“Oh, jeez, why’d you go and do that?” he asked Cecilia.

“Trust me! She had it coming!”

“Coach, we need an ambulance!” Donnie yelled out. “You know you’re going to get suspended for this. Half the gym saw you knock her ass out.”

“It won’t be the first time,” she replied. Donnie simply shook his head and helped the coach and the nurse get Rebecca on the gurney. Despite everything, he was really glad his old friend was back in his life.

Abbie, Kelly, and Trista had almost reached the school when Kelly got a phone call. “Hi, Mom, what’s up?” After a few minutes, Kelly responded hurriedly, “OK, I’ll be right there.”

“What happened?” Abbie asked.

“Rebecca is in the hospital,” she replied.

“Oh my god, what happened!?!” Abbie’s eyes went wide with concern.

“She mouthed off to a girl twice her size, and the girl hit her,” she replied angrily.

“Is she going to be OK?” she asked.

“Yeah, she has a concussion,” she replied and added, “and she’s in a lot of pain.”

“Well, let’s head over there right away,” Abbie urged. “That’s your baby sister.”

“I intend to . . .” Kelly was furious. Trista simply sat in the backseat with a strange little smile and a complete feeling of satisfaction that was hard to match. Kelly drove as fast as she could to the hospital.

Back at the Houghton mill, a pair of men were holding a conversation. “You are an imbecile!” Hulderich accused.

“It was not my fault. He simply got lucky. I will kill him tonight.”

“No, it’s too late. We need to leave New Jersey tonight.”

“I can complete the mission.”

“You have failed the mission. I will punish you accordingly when we return home.”

“I can complete it! Hulderich, let me try again,” he pleaded.

“Enough! You have placed us at risk. If the boy reported the attack to the police, then the Order will surely know and come looking.”

“I will take that risk.”

“Don’t forget your place!” Hulderich stared intently at the man before him. “It is I who give you orders. You are under my command until which time I feel you can be allowed to strike out on your own.”

“I am ready. Let me prove it!”

Hulderich struck the man to the ground with the back of his hand and placed his boot firmly on his neck. “You are ready? How can you even speak those words to me? You let a mere boy escape you. Your entire plan was flawed. If you had done any research before setting that pathetic excuse for an ambush, you would have known.” The man could only gurgle at this point. Hulderich continued to apply more and more pressure to his neck. “You were ready, bah! A quick search revealed to me that this boy was active in basketball and soccer. He obviously would be able to run. He has built up the stamina required to run for long periods of time.” Hulderich lifted his boot off him. “Of course, the acrobatics were a surprise.”

“You were watching? Why didn’t you stop him then?”

“It was your mission to complete.”

“He would have gotten away from you too,” he said, looking up from the floor.

Hulderich kicked the man in the stomach, breaking all of his ribs. “No, I would have sealed all the exits after he was inside. So no matter how many tumbles, flips, or somersaults he performed, he would have still been trapped inside. Never use a net with holes in it. Now go pack my effects. When we arrive home, you are to confine yourself in the pit for a week.”

“Yes, Hulderich, as you command.”

CHAPTER 9

Head or Heart

KELLY DROVE AS fast as she could to the hospital. Trista and Abbie had to continually order her to slow down. Eventually, after what seemed an eternity to Kelly, they arrived at the hospital. Kelly parked the car, and the three girls ran inside.

“Rebecca Monroe?” Kelly asked the desk nurse frantically. A few moments later, and the confirmation of relationship, they were given Rebecca’s room. The girls headed for room H132 on the eighth floor. As they got close to the room, Abbie noticed an old woman reading out loud from a Bible.

“Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” The old woman looked up at Abbie and smiled as she ran past. When they got to the room, Kelly almost burst into tears. Rebecca looked ghastly; her entire lower jaw was swollen and was black and blue. Rebecca smiled despite the pain when her sister arrived. You could see now that she was missing several of her front teeth. Their mother was already in the room.

“Oh, baby girl, what happened?” Kelly sat on the bed and hugged her little sister.

“She can’t talk dear,” Ms. Monroe informed Kelly. “Her jaw is glued closed.”

“How long before she can talk again?” Trista asked.

“Fortunately, it was only a fracture and not a complete break,” she replied. “Her jaw would normally be wired for at least six weeks.”

Yes! Trista screamed on the inside while she shook her head. “Oh . . . That is such a shame.” Then she heard the saddest news yet.

“But she is getting a surgical fix tonight. She should be able to talk in just a few days,” Ms. Monroe continued. Trista screamed inside once again. This time, her word of choice was quite a bit more colorful.

“I don’t understand, Mom.” Kelly looked at her mother for an answer.

“When I arrived at the hospital, all I needed to do was sign the admission forms. The school nurse had brought our insurance information with her. The admissions’ nurse asked me what I wanted to do as we went over the costs covered by our healthcare insurance,” she explained.

“So how much money are we talking about, Mom?” Kelly was getting worried. She knew that even the smallest hospital time would cost thousands, and their health insurance was laughable, but it was better than nothing.

“Well, if I let her stay in the wire, I would only need to pay our deductible of $1,500. Then her teeth would need to be covered by our dental insurance and that carries another $1,500 deductible.”

“So you are looking at three thousand dollars?” Abbie asked.

“Yes, but if I opted for the surgery she’s getting tonight, it would cost us another six thousand dollars on top of the three thousand deductibles, because it’s not a covered surgery unless her injuries were life threatening, which they weren’t,” Ms. Monroe continued calmly.

“Nine thousand dollars, Mom, can we afford that!?” Kelly was alarmed at the costs.

“Not in a million years,” she replied calmly. “Don’t get me started on the cost to fix her teeth. That’s another two thousand dollars on top of all the other expenses like the room and drugs.”

“Oh, Mom, what are we going to do?” Kelly was on the verge of tears. She knew that amount of money would wipe out her mother’s savings.

“Nothing . . .” Ms. Monroe answered.

“Nothing?” Kelly, Abbie, and Trista asked all at once.

“It’s all paid for. Apparently a young man rode in the ambulance with Rebecca along with the school nurse, a student at your school, and after overhearing my discussion with the nurse, he offered to pay all the expenses if I refused to press charges against the girl who hit Rebecca.”

“Mom, you didn’t?” Kelly asked.

“Oh yes, I did. From the account I got from the nurse, it seems Rebecca provoked the young lady.” Ms. Monroe looked at her younger daughter scornfully. Everyone looked at Rebecca who shrugged and nodded in agreement.

“When the police arrived, I told them that I would not be pressing charges as long as all her medical expenses were covered. The young man pulled out some type of Platinum credit card and told the nurse to charge twenty-five thousand dollars on it.”

“Wow! That was very generous,” Trista said, trying to figure out who the student was.

“We’re waiting for the swelling to go down a bit before they take her into surgery,” Ms. Monroe informed.

“So who was the mysterious benefactor?” Abbie asked Ms. Monroe.

“I honestly forgot to get his name or thank him,” she replied. “I was just glad the medical bills were covered that I didn’t think to get his name. I believe Rebecca knows him.” Everyone looked at Rebecca who was smiling ear to ear as best as she could. Rebecca motioned for the pad and pen that laid next to her bed. Kelly brought it over to her sister, and she began to write on the pad. She turned it around, and everyone except Ms. Monroe let out a gasp.

“Donnie? It was Donnie, are you sure, Rebecca?” Abbie asked. Rebecca nodded yes enthusiastically. Abbie let that sink in a moment before speaking again.

“What was he doing with you?” Abbie asked. Rebecca’s face turned from a happy one to a guilty one.

“Come on, spill it, Becca!” Kelly ordered.

“Is this Donnie a bad person?” Ms. Monroe asked. “Should Rebecca not be associating with him?”

“No, Ms. Monroe. He’s actually a very nice guy, even before doing this for you,” Trista informed. She surprised herself that she would actually stick up for any man.

“Well, that’s good then,” she said as she began to walk out of the room. “I am going to check on the doctor. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“I spotted him in the gym with the new girl.” Rebecca wrote on the notepad.

“And what did you do?” Abbie asked.

“I went up to him and accused him of two-timing you with the girl.” Rebecca wrote.

“Was he?” Trista asked, instantly regretting her kind words about Donnie.

“No, they are just old childhood friends. He explained it to me on the way over in the ambulance.” She jotted down.

“Is she the girl that hit you?” Kelly asked, and Rebecca nodded yes.

“I am going to have a talk with her soon!” Kelly said, cracking her knuckles. Rebecca shook her head no, then wrote. “It was my fault. I called her all sorts of nasty things because I was angry.”

“Is Donnie still here in the hospital?” Abbie asked, and Rebecca shrugged.

“I tried to tell him I was the one that sent the text, but I was so angry I couldn’t think straight.” Rebecca wrote and ripped off the page and handed to Abbie and then continued to write more as Abbie read it. “He seemed so sad, and he looked like he was sick to him stomach. The nursed asked him if he was feeling OK.”

“I will go see him tomorrow then.” Abbie suspected that being in the same hospital where his mother had died had torn him apart. Rebecca shook her head no at Abbie. “He never wants to talk to you again.” Rebecca wrote on the pad. “I’m sorry!”

“It’s OK. He doesn’t get to tell me what to do,” Abbie replied. “He needs to know the whole story. I’ll go over after Becca is safely out of surgery.”

“I appreciate you staying, Abbs,” Kelly said.

“I’m not going anywhere either,” Trista added. The four girls embraced together in a group hug. Rebecca started crying and looked at Abbie. She pointed at the last words she wrote on the note over and over again. “I’m sorry.”

“What, Becca?” Abbie was apprehensive. There was more, and Rebecca was afraid to reveal it. Abbie urged her to write, and Rebecca started writing on the notepad, and when she was done, she held it tightly to her chest and looked nervously at Abbie.

“Honey, whatever it is, I forgive you,” Abbie promised. Rebecca turned the notepad over so that only Abbie could read the message.

“Oh, Becca.” Abbie closed her eyes for a moment, letting the words seep in, “Why in the world would you have done that?” Rebecca began crying in silence, and Abbie hugged her. “Honey, it’s OK. I’ll fix it with him, I promise, don’t you worry. You just concentrate on getting better. He can’t be too mad if he paid for your bills, right?” Abbie cleared away Rebecca’s hair from her face and wiped away her tears. Trista took the opportunity to grab the pad and read it along with Kelly. It simply read: “I told Donnie we had all read his note.”

Donnie got back to the game by the time the forth quarter had started. He found Cecilia still sitting in the same spot.

“Well, you’re off the hook with the law at least,” Donnie informed Cecilia.

“How did you manage that, Dodo?” she asked.

“I got the hook ups,” he replied nonchalantly and fixed his gaze on the game. “How are we doing?”

“Not so good, they’re down twelve points.”

“Darn, we need to win three games to have a chance at the play-offs. Looks like this game is going into the loss column,” and Donnie had been correct. The home team finished losing by fifteen points. After the game, Donnie went into the locker room and said, “Tough loss guys.”

“Where were you, Donnie?” Misha asked. “We needed you tonight.”

“I am out for at least two more games.” Donnie raised his shirt. “I have a bruised rib, doctor’s order.” There was a cumulative sigh of frustration from the rest of the team.

“Well, we just have to win three out of four more games. We can do it!” Misha said, trying to pump up the team.

“I have a surprise for you,” Donnie told Misha. Who looked at Donnie, suspiciously trying to read him.

“Give it up, just give . . . it . . . up. You are never gonna guess.” He smiled evilly at Misha.

“OK, I’ll take your word for it,” Misha said as he changed out of his uniform and entered the shower.

“Meet me out by my car,” Donnie advised.

“Yeah, OK, I’ll be out in a few,” Misha cried from the showers. Cecilia and Donnie headed out to the parking lot and found where his cherry-red convertible was parked.

“Hot ride, Dodo,” Cecilia announced, “props to you.”

“Yeah, Dad and me restored her from nothing but a frame.”

“That’s really cool. How long did it take?”

“About two years. Finding the parts was what took the longest,” Donnie said, and then he noticed Misha jogging out to the car. “Here he comes, quick, hide!” Misha ran up to the car within a few moments.

“So surprise me . . .” Misha was expecting something boring.

Cecilia stepped out from behind an SUV and said, “Surprise!”

“Holy crap, CeeCee, is that you?” Misha said as he ran over to Cecilia and hugged her tightly. He picked her up and spun her around several times. Donnie could only laugh; it was exactly the reaction he expected.

“So let’s head over to my house. We can hang out for a while,” Donnie suggested.

“Hell, yeah, you drive,” Misha said as he tossed the keys back to Donnie.

“Want to ride with me or Donnie?” Cecilia asked Misha.

“I’m with you,” Misha said smiling.

“OK, I’ll meet you there,” Donnie said as he hopped into his car.

“See you in a few,” Misha said and started walking toward Cecilia’s car with her.

The operation went especially well, and Rebecca was resting comfortably by 6:00 a.m. Everyone was exhausted at this point, but the worst seemed over. Abbie borrowed Kelly’s car to go home and dropped off Trista on the way. Kelly had no objections as she was going to ride home with her mom to get some rest as well. Rebecca was going to be sleeping for hours. Everyone said their good-byes and went their separate ways. After dropping off Trista, she decided to head over to Donnie’s house. She was sleepy, but she was sure she would catch him home at this time of day. She arrived at the house at a quarter to seven in the morning. She pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see a little compact car parked in the driveway behind Donnie’s car. She walked up to the door once again. The blood from yesterday had been cleaned up; that was a good sign that he was OK. After a few minutes, she knocked on the door and waited. She could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. At last she would have a chance to explain herself. A full-figured girl opened the door. Her hair was in disarray, and she was wearing nothing but a T-shirt. Abbie recognized her, but she looked very different from yesterday. She actually had a nice figure, and now that she could see her face-to-face, Abbie could see she was very pretty.

“Can I help you?” Cecilia said, still a bit groggy.

“I’m looking for Donnie,” Abbie said.

“He’s still asleep. I kept him up kind of late,” Cecilia said not really realizing at first how that must have sounded.

“Oh, you spent the night?” Abbie was momentarily stunned.

“Yeah, who are you?” she asked as she pulled her hair back and to one side of her shoulder.

“My name is Abbie.”

“You should leave. He doesn’t need you to hurt him anymore,” Cecilia said and began to close the door.

“Please let me talk to him,” Abbie pleaded.

“I’m not stopping you. I’m just letting you know that he doesn’t want to talk to you anymore. You should just let it go.”

“I need to explain a big misunderstanding to him.” Abbie placed her hand on the door to stop Cecelia from fully closing it.

“Do you want to be with him?” Cecilia asked flat out.

“I . . . I . . . can’t right now.”

“If you can’t, won’t or don’t, want to be with him, then explaining anything won’t really make a difference, will it?” Cecilia asked.

“I . . . am just so mixed up right now,” Abbie admitted. “I don’t know what to feel.”

“Want my advice? Well, you’re getting it anyway. Don’t fight for what you don’t want,” Cecilia said. “If you want him, you’ll need to fight for him. Fight until you can’t fight anymore. It’s the only way you will get him back.”

“How can I do that if he won’t talk to me?”

“You make him listen, anyway you can. You take action that makes him talk to you, because he’s as stubborn as they come,” Cecilia said. “But he’s dead tired right now and sleeping like a log.”

“How do you . . . I mean are you two . . . ?” Abbie was uncertain how to ask, and Cecilia picked up on her meaning and decided to play with Abbie.

“If a guy is not getting what he needs from the girl he wants, he will get from a girl he doesn’t,” Cecilia said. “Take that as you will.” She then closed the door on Abbie and went back upstairs. Abbie turned completely perplexed and walked to the car. She sat in it for about ten minutes before she turned the key. She was bothered by thoughts of Cecelia in Donnie’s arms. She just didn’t want to think about it, but it continued to plague her all the way home.

“Who was it?” Misha asked as Cecelia walked back into Donnie’s room. Misha was lying on the floor in a sleeping bag. Donnie was still asleep next to him in a similar bag. Cecilia jumped back into Donnie’s bed. This type of sleep over was something the trio had done many times before.

“It was Abbie,” Cecilia answered.

“What did she want?” Misha was instantly annoyed that she had come here but was also curious.

“She was going on about explaining a misunderstanding to Dodo,” she replied. “I made her think we were sleeping together.”

“Why would you that?”

“Look, she hurt my friend, so I get to mess with her.”

Misha laughed. “I love your dark side.”

“She told me she doesn’t want to be with him, so I told her to go away, and I also her that if she decided she wanted him, to fight for him.’”

“Fight how?” Misha asked. “I’m interested to know.”

“Donnie put himself out there. He risked it, and she swatted him down,” Cecilia replied. “If she wants a second chance, she will have to do the same, or Dodo won’t listen to her. You know how stubborn he can be.”

“What do you think she will do, if anything?” Misha wondered how far Abbie would go.

“Hell, if I know. I don’t know the girl,” she replied. “Now I need at least another hour of beauty sleep.”

“No, you don’t,” Misha said earnestly. “I don’t think I have ever seen you look more beautiful.”

“Easy tiger, you don’t want none of this,” she said. “I’d break you like a twig.”

“At least I’d die happy.” Misha tried to look seductively at her.

“Be careful what you wish for?” she warned. “It might come true someday. Now go back to bed.” Cecelia smiled at her friend’s advances. He was simply playing, as he had always done. As children, he had always complimented her. Cecilia knew that he was simply trying to make her feel better about herself. As kids, she had always been heavy set and was often teased. Misha never let her feel inferior to anyone, ever.

Donnie had slept through the entire conversation. He normally wasn’t that deep of a sleeper, but the pain prescriptions he had taken just a few hours ago had knocked him completely out. After a few more hours of sleep, Misha and Cecilia left for school. They left Donnie still asleep. Cecilia picked him up and placed him on his bed and tucked him in before leaving. Misha marveled at her strength. Donnie was almost six feet tall and a muscular one hundred and seventy-five pounds. She lifted him up as if he been an infant. Donnie slept most of the day and woke up around 4:00 p.m. He was surprised that he had slept so long. His rib had felt better but still hurt to move around too much, so he spent most of the day watching TV and playing video games. Misha called him around 6:00 p.m. to check on him and make arrangements to meet up Friday night. He ate dinner, took his pills, and once again zonked out.

Abbie had spent most of the morning in a haze, replaying Cecilia’s words over and over in her mind. She was wondering if Cecilia was right, if leaving Donnie alone was the better choice. Don’t fight for what you don’t want. Did she want Donnie? Could she have him and get everything ready for school? If you want him, you’ll need to fight for him. Fight until you can’t fight anymore. She arrived at her house and went to bed. She was in no shape to go to school today and decided to sleep on it. She was certain her thoughts would be clearer after some sleep, but she was wrong. She dreamed of Donnie. She dreamed of being in his arms and kissing his soft lips once again. She dreamed of going to the prom. When she awoke, she wished she had never gone to sleep at all. She was worse off now. Abbie sobbed; her head and her heart were tearing her apart. She kept thinking to herself. It’s the only way you will get him back. You take action that makes him talk to you. Damn, that witch! How could she know him so well? Was she telling me to try to take him from her or that I had no chance? Abbie thought long and hard into the night, talking herself into and out the situation. In the end, in the battle between her head and her heart, there was a winner. She had decided what she was going to do.

It was Thursday morning. Donnie was still asleep when he was awoken by music, loud music. He looked at the clock on his nightstand, and it read 6:00 a.m. The music was blaring and was coming from the front of his house, and he recognized the song right away. He had heard it before on Abbie’s smart phone’s MP3 player. He came downstairs as fast as his half asleep, injured self could muster. The volume was way too intense for this time of the morning. He opened his front door and looked out and was shocked to see Abbie parked on his front lawn. She was standing on the hood of Kelly’s car. All the doors to the car were wide open, and the car’s stereo volume was turned as high as it would go. She stood there holding her smart phone high over her head with both hands. He noticed right away the wire running from the phone to the car stereo.

Donnie ran out to his porch and yelled at her, “Abbie, I have neighbors. Please turn that off!”

“Are you going to talk to me!?” she asked firmly.

“Yes, yes . . .  just turn it off before someone calls the cops!” he yelled. Abbie turned off the smart phone’s feed into the car stereo, and all of a sudden everything was very quiet.

“Was that Solia Tera?” he asked as he walked closer to the steps.

“They’re my favorite band. I didn’t know any other way to get through to you,” Abbie explained as she jumped off the hood. “Oh my god, what happened to you?” Abbie could see the enormous bruise on Donnie side now, and a six inch long laceration on his leg. The bruise looked hideous; it had darkened significantly overnight.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s healing nicely.” Donnie continued to walk with purpose toward her. “Well, you got me, right here and right now. Say what you have to say.”

“I’m so sorry for that text, Donnie, but I didn’t send it.” Abbie could barely get out her words now; she had practiced them over and over again on the way over, but now she was completely flustered.

“Who did then?” he asked.

“It was Becca. She’s only fourteen. She took my phone and sent that message before I could stop her,” she explained. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you want to tell me the same thing?” Donnie continued to step forward.

“Yes . . . But I wanted to tell you in person,” she explained. “I wanted to explain why I don’t date anyone.”

“You didn’t have to go through all this,” Donnie said. “You could have written a letter or sent me an e-mail, left me a voice mail even.”

“That wouldn’t be fair to you, not after that card you gave me.”

“The card you shared with all your friends?” Donnie tilted his head forward as he asked.

“Yes, I am sorry for that too. I was just in shock, and everything happened so fast. I share everything with my friends, just like you do with Misha.”

“I didn’t let him read the card,” Donnie explained as he took a step down the stairs of his front porch. “That was from me to you. It was meant to be kept between us.”

“I know, and again I’m sorry,” she said. “Let me get this out before I lose my nerve.”

“I’m still listening.” Donnie took a few ginger steps down the stairs.

“The reason I can’t date is because I need to earn enough money for college. If I don’t get about six thousand dollars saved, I won’t have enough to live on while I’m up at Princeton.”

“Is that the only reason?” Donnie continued moving forward and reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Yes, that’s the only reason.” Abbie couldn’t look Donnie in the eyes.

“I don’t believe you.” Donnie continued to walking toward her.

“I wanted to be fair with you. I didn’t want you to suffer, without knowing the truth.”

“So now I am allowed to suffer that I know the truth.” Donnie was a mere foot from her now.

“That is not fair! Stop twisting my words.” Abbie was getting anxious; Donnie was nearly naked only wearing a pair of boxer-briefs. She was having trouble thinking. His muscular frame was beautiful to look at.

“Then I only have one word for you.”

“OK, I guess I have it coming,” Abbie said lowering her head, expecting a half dozen curse words.

“Coward,” he said as he stood in front of her; he was very close to her now, mere inches.

“I’m not,” she protested. “I just needed to clear the air between us.”

“Coward, I know you feel something for me. You wouldn’t be here and have done all this if you didn’t.” Donnie placed his hand on her chin and gently pushed her face up so that he could see her face. “Stop telling yourself lies.”

“Look, I just have to stick to my plans. I can’t make any deviations.”

“Who’s running now? Where is your switch set at? Mine is still firmly set to fight,” he continued. “For you, I will always fight.”

“Damn you, Donnie,” she said. “Why are you making this so hard?”

“It’s not hard at all. You just need to tell me right here right now. I will accept whatever answer you give me as final and respect your wishes. Your conscience can be free of any guilt.” Donnie looked into her eyes. “You just need to tell me, right now, will you flee or will you fight?”

Abbie was shaking now. The battle inside raged once more. Head or heart, she made a realization. She had never been happier than when she was with him. The last couple of days without him had been miserable. What would college be like if she had to endure four years of that? “I choose you, Donnie. I choose to fight for us,” she said as waves of tears flowed down her face. “Please kiss me.” Donnie wrapped his muscular arms around her still shaking body and kissed her gently. This kiss lasted considerably longer than their first. She could feel Donnie’s warm tears on her face. She knew immediately in her head and her heart that she had made the right choice.

CHAPTER 10

Girl Fight

DONNIE AND ABBIE lay on his bed. She was resting her head on his chest as she drew imaginary hearts on his bare skin. She enjoyed the swells of movement as he breathed in and out. She wished she could stretch out this moment forever. It simply felt perfect.

“That tickles,” Donnie whispered.

“Should I stop?” Abbie asked smiling.

“No, I like how it feels,” Donnie kept his eyes closed. They had come upstairs after their kiss and shared many more. Donnie’s injury had precluded them from any rigorous activities, so they simply lay in a quiet embrace.

“Donnie, how did you hurt yourself?”

“I was chased by a drug addict, and I think he threw a pipe at me.”

“Oh my god, really, what did he want?”

“Not sure. Maybe he thought he could mug me.”

“I was really worried when I saw the blood on your porch.”

“Yeah, I cut my leg hopping over Mr. Glass’s fence.”

“I’m glad you’re all right,” she said. “I’m not sure what I would have done if I lost you.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Donnie said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?”

“I promise you. It’s going to be me and you forever.” He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“The girl that was here yesterday, are you two intimate?” Abbie was cautious and prepared for an unfavorable response. Donnie burst into laughter and promptly rolled off the bed in pain. He winced in agony as he struggled to halt his outbursts.

“Donnie! Are you OK?” Abbie asked alarmed.

“Fine, just fine, and why would you ask that, and how did you know she was even here yesterday?”

“I came by yesterday morning, and we met. She’s really pretty. I could see why you would be with her.” Abbie looked away with a slight frown on her face. Donnie climbed back into the bed and looked into her eyes.

“I love her very much,” he said. Abbie’s heart sunk, and her face showed it.

“Oh, I see.”

“It’s not like that at all. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister.”

“A sister, she seems to know you very well.” Abbie was unsure of his answer.

“She should. I have known her all my life.”

“That long?”

“Yeah, we even used to sleep in the same crib.”

“So you two are not involved?” Abbie visibly cheered up a bit.

“Nope, the closest thing to that we ever did was when we were eleven.”

“Go on,” she urged. She needed to know how deep his connection to Cecelia was. She could not believe it; she was actually jealous.

“She wanted to learn how to kiss boys.” He smiled “So she used Misha and me as guinea pigs.”

“That is hilarious.” She wondered how many kisses they exchanged.

“I remember that I didn’t care for it at all, but Misha, he was an early starter.” Abbie laughed out loud and was very relieved. She looked at her phone and gasped.

“I have to leave.” Her tone made it very clear that she was not happy about the prospect of leaving his side.

“That makes me sad. Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“I can’t. I have to bring Kelly back her car, and we need to go to school.” Abbie got off the bed. Donnie rolled to that side of the bed and sat up at the edge.

“I will be there by lunchtime,” he said. “I need to pull the house off the market with the realtor.”

“I’m glad you are staying, if you would have moved away . . .”

“I would have regretted it,” Donnie finished. Abbie smiled at him and leaned down and kissed him.

“If we keep this up, you will never leave.”

“You want me to go?” she asked playfully.

“You know the answer to that question.”

“Walk me out?” she asked.

“Sure.” Donnie got up and escorted her from his room.

“I look forward to introducing you to my friends.”

“Me too,” Donnie said nodding. As they walked down the stairs, Abbie couldn’t help notice how beautifully the house was decorated. It was an odd mix of American Indian paintings, dream catchers, angels and crucifixes; yet somehow it blended together well.

“Your mom had good taste. The house is beautiful.”

“Thanks. I’m sure that you saying that put a smile on her face, wherever she is now,” he replied. They reached the front door, and Donnie opened it for her, adding a flare to the motion.

“Thank you, sir, such a gentleman,” she said smiling. They walked outside, and he looked at the car still parked on the lawn. He realized that the escapades earlier in the morning seemed somehow familiar. They reached Kelly’s car, and Abbie got in and closed the door. She leaned out her window and motioned for Donnie to come closer. Donnie leaned in, and she kissed him once again.

“I will, Donnie,” she said.

“Will what?” he asked.

“Go to the prom with you.” Donnie smiled and kissed her once more.

“Now go inside and put some clothes on,” she ordered. Donnie suddenly realized that he was outside once again in only his boxer briefs.

“Oh, crap. I’ll see you later,” Donnie said laughing as he turned and hurried inside.

“Woooohoooo, shake it, baby!” Abbie yelled out the car window as she honked the horn repeatedly. Donnie looked back at her and waved at her to stop and nervously looked around, checking to see if any of his neighbors were watching. As he reached the inside, he could hear Abbie’s laughter behind him. He turned around just as she blew a kiss toward him. She started the engine and drove off.

Donnie’s morning was busy. He picked up a few more parts for the Volkswagen and removed the house from the market. He made it to school just as the lunch period was starting. He spotted Abbie and her friends and made his way to their table. “Hello Abbie, ladies.” Abbie got up and hugged him, and he took a seat next to her.

“Kelly, Trista, this is Donnie,” Abbie said.

“Pleased to meet you,” Trista said. “You better treat her right.”

“I will do my best to exceed your expectations,” Donnie said smiling. He suspected that she was the mother hen of the group.

“Thanks for taking care of my sister,” Kelly said. Donnie had a look of confusion on his face. “Rebecca, the cheerleader from the Tuesday night.”

“That’s your sister?” he said. Then he suddenly remembered.

“Yea, you didn’t have to do that, but I’m really glad you did,” Kelly said.

“How are you able to afford that much?” Trista asked.

“Trista, that’s rude!” Abbie interjected.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind answering it,” he said. He had expected no less from mother hen.

“Well, then out with it,” she said.

“My dad had a term-life insurance policy on him. When he died, my attorney filed the claim for me,” he explained. There was a shock of silence across the table.

“Oh, I didn’t expect that. I’m sorry I asked,” Trista said apologetically.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” Donnie assured.

“OK, then. So how much did you get?” Trista asked.

“Trista!” Abbie said furiously and slammed her palm on the table.

“Enough . . . enough to take care of the house and take care of me for a while and enough to rent an obnoxiously oversize limo for prom,” Donnie replied.

“OK. He passes my test. He gets graded K for keeper,” Trista said. Donnie smiled at her response.

“Well, I’m glad he passed your interrogation, Trista,” Abbie said still annoyed.

“She’s a bitch. But she watches out for us,” Kelly said.

“You go out with Trevor, right?” Donnie asked Kelly.

“Yeah, we have been together since eighth grade,” she answered.

“He talks about you all the time.”

“I know. He loves me,” she said smiling.

“You can see it,” Donnie said as he grabbed Abbie’s hand. Abbie leaned over and put her head on his bicep. Kelly and Trista smiled.

“I see something too,” Trista said looking at the pair. She was about to continue when she was interrupted.

“Hi, Dodo. I see you mended things,” Cecilia said. She had walked up to the group accompanied by Misha. Trista immediately gave Misha an icy-cold stare.

“You could say that,” Donnie said smiling.

“Good for you, buddy,” Misha added.

“Let me introduce you to everyone. Abbie, this is Cecilia or CeeCee,” Donnie began.

“We’ve met,” Cecilia said smiling.

“And this is Kelly and Trista. You all know Misha I’m sure,” Donnie said.

“All too well . . .” Trista said, still keeping evil eye on him. Misha seemed oblivious to her stare or at least pretended not to notice.

“Nice to meet you all. I have been meeting a lot of people, thanks to Meemee. I think I am going to like it here,” Cecilia said.

“Why do you call them that?” Abbie asked.

“Call who what?” Cecilia asked.

“Donnie Dodo and Misha Meemee,” Abbie replied.

“You try saying Donato as a toddler. We were kids and nicknames developed. They seem to fit, don’t you think?” Cecilia asked.

“No, not really,” Abbie said. “Donnie isn’t dumb.”

“Dodo is the smartest guy I know, and for Misha it’s all about me, me, and me,” Cecilia explained. Abbie and Trista laughed. Kelly remained stoically silent and was staring intently at Cecelia.

“Hey, it isn’t always about me,” Misha protested.

“I can vouch for that,” Donnie said.

“So I heard you just transferred in from Millville, is that right?” Trista asked.

“Yeah, you heard right, and just to get it out of the way. Yes, I was mistreated by the captain of the football team. The story you heard was true, and I would prefer to put it behind me,” Cecilia explained.

“Is that your excuse?” Kelly asked seriously.

“Excuse for what?” Cecilia asked perplexed.

“For putting a girl half your size in the hospital,” Kelly replied.

“I took a lot of verbal abuse from her before I hit her,” Cecilia replied defensively.

“She is just a little girl!” Kelly said angrily.

“She has a big mouth. She should have known better to act that way she did,” Cecilia said, not backing down. Donnie realizing where this was going tried to intervene.

“CeeCee, Kelly, come on. Talk it out calmly and . . .” Donnie was saying.

“Shut it, Donnie! Let this happen,” Misha said in anticipation.

“She’s in the hospital. No matter what she said, she didn’t deserve that!” Kelly said, raising her voice. The students at other tables around them began to take notice.

“I didn’t mean to hit her so hard. It just happened,” Cecilia explained. Kelly stood up. She was just almost the same height as Cecilia.

“I should knock your teeth in!” Kelly threatened.

“I’m right here. You want some, come get some,” Cecilia said as she opened her arms. Kelly jumped on the table and lunged from the tabletop at Cecilia. A professional football player could not have made a better tackle. Misha jumped up and pulled his fists to his chest.

“Yes!” he said out loud.

“Donnie, stop them!” Abbie begged.

“I’ll try,” he said and got up. Kelly’s dive drove the combatants back and over a nearby table. They both landed on the floor in a tangled she-mess. Misha moved so that he could get a better view of the action. Donnie moved over and looked at him in disbelief.

“Dude, seriously aren’t you going to help?” Donnie asked.

“Nope, it’s karma. I have waited a long time to see CeeCee kick some ass again,” Misha said. Donnie maneuvered around students, trying to get the girls to try and pull them apart. A small crowd gathered, and the familiar school yard chant started; fight, fight, fight. The fight was evenly matched. Cecilia had size and strength on her side, but Kelly had speed and agility. Kelly used her agility to get on top of Cecilia and quickly grabbed a handful of hair. She used her position and began slamming the back of Cecilia’s head into the floor repeatedly. Cecilia swung upward and struck Kelly on the side of her head. The force of the pummel knocked Kelly off her chest. Donnie moved in and got in between the girls as they stood up and suffered a barrage of nails and knees, trying to keep them apart. In one sudden burst of power, the girls thrust Donnie aside and back over the table. He landed at Abbie’s feet. Donnie looked around for the security guards. He needed help. The girls continued their vicious assault on each other. Kelly delivered several kicks to Cecilia’s thigh and rib cage that momentarily stunned her. She took advantage and tackled Cecelia again, driving her to the hard floor. Donnie got up and jumped over the table but was stopped by Trevor. Trevor was Kelly’s boyfriend and Donnie’s teammate on the basketball team.

“Trev, what are you doing man? We have to stop them,” Donnie said.

“You have to let this play out. Kelly will only fight her again tomorrow or the next day,” Trevor explained.

“Screw that. We got to talk some sense into them,” he argued. Trevor held Donnie still. The six-foot-eleven-inch center of the basketball team was well accustomed to blocking forward movement.

“Get out of my way, Trevor!” Donnie cried.

“Nope, this has to finish,” Trevor replied.

“You’re insane. Let go of me!” Donnie screamed. Trevor maintained his hold on Donnie. When the security guards arrived, they spotted Donnie and Trevor wrestling and assumed they were the ones fighting. The six guards quickly detained and removed the two boys from the cafeteria. Donnie’s protests went unheeded, and they were dragged out of the area. Kelly was landing hammer fist after hammer fist on Cecilia. Her face was now a bloody mess. Misha jumped on a table and began cheering Cecilia on. Cecilia got a handful of hair and pulled Kelly over and off her and tried to mount Kelly, but she proved too fast and got up quickly. Cecilia’s nose was possibly broken. Kelly danced around, looking for an opening, and tried to kick Cecilia again. Cecilia caught her leg and jerked her toward her. Cecilia delivered a forearm to Kelly’s chest, knocking her clear off her feet. She landed on her back and slammed her head against the floor.

“Go, CeeCee!” Misha yelled. “Kick her ass!” Trista had enough. She grabbed a few plastic food trays and then stacked them on each another. She moved toward the fray. She struck Misha with the makeshift club on his knee. He fell forward and landed headfirst on the table. She proceeded to strike him repeatedly on his back.

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” she screamed, and she flurried blows on him. Abbie was surprised by the amount of violence she was witnessing. She could only yell for her friends to stop. Cecilia kicked and stomped Kelly’s midsection violently. Kelly rolled under a table to get away from the assault and stood up on the other side. She pounced on the table like a cat and once again dove at Cecilia. Cecelia was not surprised by the same move twice and jumped aside and watched as Kelly sailed by. She landed hard on the floor. Cecilia moved to Kelly, but Kelly moved faster and kicked Cecilia’s ankle, causing her to fall forward. Cecilia’s head struck a pillar as she fell and dislodged a tooth. She spit the tooth and blood out and leaned down and grabbed Kelly by the hair. She pulled Kelly up to her feet and hit her with a savage elbow. Kelly went immediately limp. Cecilia dropped her to the ground and looked for Misha and Donnie. The fight was over. She spotted Misha on a table. He had been beaten unconscious. Trista sat nearby with a strange look on her face. More security guards arrived, and soon all the parties involved were detained.

After they were treated and cleared by the school nurse, they were all hauled into the principal’s office. They were seated in a semicircle in front of his desk. Principal Stinson was beside himself. He had trouble keeping his temperament under control. He paced back and forth, searching for the right words. “What the hell were you all thinking?” he said to the gathered students. Misha, Donnie, Kelly, Trevor, Trista, and Cecilia were all seated in his office. Several security guards were also in the office to stop any further fighting. “Who started it?” Principal Stinson demanded!

“I did, sir,” Kelly said. “I picked a fight with Cecilia.”

“And you, Ms. Feldman, you did nothing to encourage this?” Principal Stinson asked.

“I didn’t try to stop it,” Cecilia replied.

“I should expel you, Ms. Feldman,” Mr. Stinson said and added, “six fights in two weeks at your last school and two here in the last three days. I know what happened at your last school. I know it was humiliating, but I cannot allow you to continue the same pattern at this school.”

“Do what you have to do. I only wanted to graduate and be around friends. I didn’t want to start anything here. I only wanted a fresh start,” Cecilia whimpered and uncharacteristically burst into tears. Donnie and Misha went over to her and hugged her. Kelly had a wave of guilt come over her. She didn’t think to try to understand what Cecilia had been going through. She had only been blinded by rage.

“What about you, Mr. Guerrero? What is your involvement in this?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“I was just trying to stop the fight, sir,” he replied.

“And I was stopping him from stopping the fight,” Trevor added.

“What! Why would you not want to stop your girlfriend from fighting?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“I thought she would win . . .” Trevor said. “In hindsight, I should have stopped her.”

“Damn straight you should have. I can’t believe this shit!” Mr. Stinson added.

“Mr. Guerrero, you are free to go. Now get out!” Mr. Stinson ordered. Donnie got up and looked at Cecilia.

“I’ll be outside,” he said and exited the office and was met by Abbie.

“What happened?” Abbie asked.

“I’m off the hook, but everyone else is still in trouble. Mr. Stinson is about to blow a gasket. I have never seen him so mad,” he replied. Donnie and Abbie took a seat and waited for the outcome.

“What about you, Mr. Busby? What is your involvement in all this?” Mr. Stinson asked Misha.

“I knocked him unconscious with a food tray!” Trista said excitedly.

“Why did you do this, Ms. Rogers?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“Revenge,” Trista replied.

“Revenge, for what exactly?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“He knows what he did!” Trista said and crossed her arms.

“Well, it looks like I have a complete picture now. I think,” Mr. Stinson said, “Now I need to decide how to discipline you all.” The group looked around nervously at each other, except for Trista who expected to be happy with any punishment that was handed down.

“Trevor, I am disappointed with you. You should have stopped the fight,” Mr. Stinson said and added, “but not being involved in it. I won’t suspend you from school, but you are suspended for three basketball games.”

“But . . .” Trevor began to say.

“I know there are college recruiters watching you. You can have one last game. Now get out!” Mr. Stinson said, raising the decibel in his voice considerably. Trevor got up and walked out of the office swiftly.

“Now for you two,” Mr. Stinson said, looking at Cecilia and Kelly. “I will need to expel one of you.”

“So can I go then?” Trista asked.

“No!” Mr. Stinson yelled at Trista. “You are facing criminal charges. You were the only one that used a weapon. If Mr. Busby or his parents wish to press charges, the police will be escorting you off campus in handcuffs.” Trista gulped and went especially pale as the color faded from her face. She suddenly realized that she was in real trouble.

“So I have the head cheerleader, who started the fight, and a known troublemaker who has already been expelled once this year, choices, and more choices,” Mr. Stinson said, looking over the girls.

“Expel me,” Misha said. “Expel me. I’ll take all the blame.”

“Please explain why I should agree to that?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“It was my entire fault. I egged CeeCee on, and I didn’t help Donnie to stop the fight. I never wanted it to go this far. I certainly didn’t want to see my best friend get hurt or in trouble. I’m sorry, CeeCee. I thought you’d whip her easily. I didn’t think she was part mongoose,” Misha said, looking at CeeCee.

“Continue,” Mr. Stinson said. Misha began to tear up. This surprised everyone in the room. CeeCee had never seen him cry this way, and Trista had thought him incapable of sincerity. He turned to Trista.

“Trista, I am so sorry I used you. I never expected it to be so hard on you or anyone I dumped. Please accept my apology,” Misha said in heartfelt tears. “I won’t press any charges. Just let them all go, please.”

“So you are willing to take the fall for everyone?” Mr. Stinson asked.

“Yeah, just don’t punish CeeCee. She has been through enough already,” Misha said. “I will bear the brunt of it all.”

“OK,” Mr. Stinson said and added, “you get expelled, and the girls can go back class after being released by the nurse.”

“No way,” Cecilia said. “I’m not letting you take the fall for me. I knew what I was doing, fighting her. I should be the one expelled.”

“I started the fight. You just walked over trying to make new friends, and I jumped you. You didn’t say or do anything to provoke me or my sister. I should be the one expelled,” Kelly said.

“I can’t believe I am saying this, but Misha shouldn’t get expelled. All he did was get a well-deserved beating. I may not like him, but I don’t think that would be fair either,” Trista added.

“Very well, you are all expelled then,” Mr. Stinson said. The group was shocked and was about to protest when he added, “Or . . . You can all get forty hours of community service.” Then Mr. Stinson said, “Your choice.”

Kelly, Cecilia, Trista, and Misha all looked at each other and then looked and Mr. Stinson and agreed to his terms.

“I will make the arrangements. Your parents will all have to come in and agree to the terms as well. The hours will need to be completed by graduation or you don’t graduate,” Mr. Stinson said and added, “and finally you will have the same assignment, which I will pick.”

The foursome accepted their fate, and they were released from the principal’s office. Bloodied and bruised, they had avoided suspension and expulsion.

CHAPTER 11

Skyhook

ON FRIDAY, PRINCIPAL Stinson selected a suitable yet albeit cruel assignment. They had to work at the school as junior custodians, and their task began that very same day after school. They were made to scrape gum from underneath chairs and tables, clean toilets, paint walls, empty trash cans, and more never-ending assortments of undesirable tasks. Mr. Stinson also made one additional stipulation. Kelly and CeeCee were forced to work as a pair. Misha and Trista also met with the same fate. It was his intention to quell any further hostilities by fostering teamwork and comradeship. His evil scheme worked brilliantly.

“This really sucks!” Kelly said as she scrapped gum on the bottoms of desks.

“Tell me about it,” Cecilia said. “I can’t wait to be done with this. You want to put eight hours in on Saturday?”

“Yeah, we might as well. There are only three games left in the season, and after that I only want to concentrate on prom,” Kelly replied.

“OK, Saturday it is,” Cecilia said. “So how is your sister doing?”

“Surprisingly, she’s just fine. She is back at home and will be back in school on Monday,” Kelly replied.

“I am glad she’s OK. I do feel awful that I hurt her that badly. I just wanted to knock some sense into her,” she said.

“She’s talking and chewing soft foods already. Besides a little swelling and her bruises you’d never know.”

“You are one tough chick you know and slippery as hell,” Cecilia said.

“Well, when your boyfriend is six eight and thinks it’s funny to tickle you until you pee, you learn to move quickly.”

“You’ve been together a while, right?”

“Yeah, it’s been almost five years now.”

“That’s nice. I wish I had a guy like that, but I only fall for jerks.”

“No rush, when your guy comes along, it will be worth the wait. I just got lucky early.”

“So is this Abbie a nice girl? I gotta watch out for my Dodo,” Cecilia asked.

“Yeah, she’s very sweet and smart. I think they’ll make a good couple,” Kelly replied. The girls continued to scrape hardened gum and talk. They found that they had a lot in common and despite everything, they were becoming friends. On the other side of the school, a different scene was playing out.

“Trista, you need to help out. I’m not going to clean all these toilets alone,” Misha said.

“This is so disgusting!” Trista uttered in disgust. “I can’t believe boys are so dirty.”

“Doesn’t matter, you need to help. You have pink plastic gloves. You don’t have to touch anything, just scrub,” Misha ordered.

“All of this is your fault you know!” Trista accused.

“I know and I tried to take the heat, but you decided to speak up,” Misha pointed out as he continued furiously scrubbing.

“I know, but I never expected that I would have to do this.”

“Well, what did you expect?” Misha got up and moved over to another stall.

“I don’t know, picking up garbage along the highway with a pointy stick.” Trista wondered if she could have her maid snuck in to do this instead of her.

“That’s what inmates do, which you almost became.”

“Yeah, I know. I appreciate you not pressing charges.”

“So are we officially even?”

Trista was quiet for a few minutes before replying, “No, you still owe me one.”

“What? Are you kidding me?” Misha wasn’t surprised that she was still holding a grudge; she practically stalked him for weeks after he dumped her.

“No, you still owe me one.” Trista voice tapered off to a near whisper.

Misha got up from scrubbing his stall and faced her. “You knocked me out. The whole school knows I got beat down by a girl, and I let you off the hook with the law. That’s three in my book.” Trista was just standing there with her head held low just staring at the floor.

“Well, I say you still owe me one.” Misha detected a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke.

“Come on. How do you figure that?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“I’m asking, aren’t I?” Misha walked toward her; she was shaking.

“Fine, here it is. One, you told me you loved me and that was a lie. Two, you took my innocence. Three, you got me pregnant, and four, you dumped me.” Trista tried her best to hold back her tears. She swore to herself that she wouldn’t shed another tear for Misha, but one look at his face, and her eyes betrayed her.

“What? Oh my god! Why didn’t you tell me? Where’s the baby?” Misha walked over to Trista.

“I aborted it. Only Kelly knows, and now you.”

“I feel sick.” Misha turned into one of the toilets and promptly threw up. Trista stood silently with her head still down. When he recovered from his puking, he walked over to a sink and washed out his mouth. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he looked at Trista through the mirror. She was eerily still and barely breathing.

“You dumped me. I knew you never loved me. A baby might have made you stay with me, but we would’ve both been miserable.” She looked up, and she looked into his eyes. Her stare pierced Misha’s very heart.

“You should have told me.”

“I thought about it, but I made the choice not to have it. We were only fifteen. Our lives would have been ruined. You wouldn’t be going to Julliard, and I wouldn’t be going to Stetson. It was the right choice.” Trista looked exhausted as if she had been carrying this immense weight that was she could finally drop.

“No wonder you hate me so much. I never realized I was hurting people so much.” Misha recalled that Donnie had warned him over and over about his behavior, if he had only listened.

“Well, I wasn’t the first or the last girl you will devastate.” Trista could see that he was truly sorry.

“I don’t even know where to start to earn your forgiveness.” Misha walked closer to her.

“I forgive you. I dealt with it a long time ago. It was hard for me, but kicking your ass released a lot of anger.”

“Yeah, I bet you do. My back is a huge black and blue mess.” Misha smiled gently at her.

“I hope it didn’t hurt too much.” She caught herself and said, “No wait, I hope it hurt a lot.”

“I wouldn’t know. I only remember two hits, the one to my legs and the one to my head when it slammed into the table.” He smiled again and ran his fingers thru his hair.

“Wow, lucky Misha gets a huge beating and sleeps through it, ridiculous.” Trista was furious.

“Oh, I feel it now, trust me. Everytime I move, it hurts.”

“Good. So like I was saying, you still owe me one.” Trista crossed her arms and looked away.

“Feels like I owe you a lot more.” Misha felt awful, to think she carried that pain for all that time. He found himself admiring her strength.

“One will do. I want you do to something for me.” She looked again into his eyes.

“I don’t really see how I can refuse. What do you need?”

“Billy Berry. I want Billy Berry.” Trista could see Misha’s expression change.

“You want me to set you two up?” Misha smiled; yes, he could do this for her.

“Why not, he’s cute as hell, captain of the basketball team, and also going to Stetson University,” Trista said, counting off with her fingers.

“He just broke up with Melissa. I think I can make it happen. I think you’re his type.” Misha never hooked up a girl before; the challenge would be interesting.

“You hook us up and we will be square,” she said. “And one more thing, my friend is now dating your friend, so we are inevitably going to be bumping into one another. Don’t talk to me anymore than you need to.” Trista was dead serious.

“Deal, but on one condition,” Misha needed to say a few things to her.

“What?” Trista asked furious that he was placing conditions on her demands.

“If you ever need anything, and I mean ever or anything, come to me. I will be there for you no matter what. I promise.”

“OK, deal.” Trista was surprised. She knew that he meant it. For the second time this week; she got to see the inner Misha, a kind and caring Misha. They shook plastic cleaning gloves and continued cleaning. Misha pulled out his phone and started going through the menus.

“Are you calling a girl to tell her you are going to be late?” Trista asked sarcastically.

“No, I’m just deleting an app. No more playing. I will never hurt any woman intentionally ever again,” he said, and when it was off his phone, he went back to cleaning.

“Well, maybe there is hope for you yet,” Trista said. “But I doubt it.”

Donnie and Abbie spent as much time together as they could over the next few days. He drove her to her tutoring appointments and picked her up afterward. It was not as much time as they had wanted, but it was better than nothing. He respected her wishes to earn money for college. On Sunday, Abbie invited Donnie over once again for Sunday dinner. Johan looked quite displeased at the news that they were officially a couple. Donnie had insisted on not keeping anything from Abbie’s parents. After a few deep breaths, Johan calmed down as he had known this day would inevitably come. He had scared off hundreds of boys, but he felt different about Donnie. After dinner, when Camille and Abbie started clearing the table, Johan motioned to Donnie. “Donnie, may I please have a word with you in the living room.”

“Of course,” Donnie said as he stood up and followed Johan into the living room. Donnie was a bit nervous but wanted to show respect. The pair reached the living room and sat down.

“My daughter is very important to me. She is my only child,” Johan said.

“I know.” Donnie wasn’t sure what was coming.

“She has a bright future in front of her, the first Gottlieb in our family to go to college,” Johan continued.

“I’m not going to stop her from going to college.”

“Not intentionally. Kids today don’t wait to be married anymore.” Donnie stiffened; he could not believe this man was having this talk with him, the use protection talk. “I see you two together, and I worry. I would prefer my daughter to remain intact until marriage, but should that not happen, please be careful,” Johan finished. Donnie just sat there in shock. His brain shut down and regressed. He could only see letters fly in his head. OMFG WTF. Donnie opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“You aren’t here to tell me it’s too late, are you?” Johan asked.

“No, I mean. We haven’t . . .” Donnie began to say, but was in a near panic. This was one of those extremely parental encounters, and he was not happy. Abbie, please rescue me, he thought and started glancing back at the kitchen, hoping and wishing that the door would open.

“Good. Good. I am very glad to hear that, relieved actually.” Johan smiled with a sense of relief. Donnie was pale at this point. He had expected many things: treat my daughter with respect talk, sure, don’t hurt her feelings talk, obviously, but the wait until marriage talk, never. Donnie continued to look around for Abbie to come save him. When he looked back to Johan, the man’s face was inches from his. He had slithered across the couch without making a sound or disturbing the cushions.

“Gahhh!” Donnie yelped as he leaned back.

“Yes, I see we understand each other, correct?” Johan asked sadistically. Donnie immediately knew why Abbie had not dated. Johan was devious. He liked the man even more now. Well played, old man, you win this round, Donnie thought. The evening finished with a movie and several large bowls of popcorn.

Monday morning came around again, and Donnie once again felt refreshed and looking forward to going to school. He dressed after his shower and could now hear Misha rummaging down in the kitchen. He came down to eat breakfast. “Hey buddy,” Misha said.

“Pop-tarts, not acceptable, don’t you have eggs or toast? How about some bacon?” Cecilia said as she searched through the near empty refrigerator.

“Sorry, I usually eat light in the mornings,” Donnie said putting his shirt on. “But I have pancakes, syrup, and butter.”

“Now we’re talking,” Cecilia said and began mixing the batter. The three sat and ate stacks of pancakes. It felt good. Everything seemed normal once again.

“We won the game on Thursday but dropped the one on Friday night,” Misha said clearly upset.

“We can still get into the play-offs,” Donnie said.

“How many more games do you have?” Cecilia asked.

“Two more, one tonight and the last one on Tuesday, both against Dynna Buckley,” Misha answered.

“Are they any good?” Cecilia asked.

“Yeah, DyBuck was the team that knocked us out of the play-offs last year. They have a solid team and a seven-foot-tall center,” Donnie replied as he stuffed his face.

“We have to beat them twice this week.” Misha was distraught; he was very competitive, and hating losing.

“Well, I feel well enough to play tonight,” Donnie announced.

“So do I, but I hated missing Thursday and Friday.” Misha could barely eat. It was definitely bothering him.

“With me cheering you on, you can’t lose.” Cecilia tried to cheer up Misha. She hoped that showing some enthusiasm would help her friend relax a bit. The three of them finished the first of many breakfasts to come over the next few months and then headed to school. During lunch, the new group met up at their usual table. Trista and Abbie were already there when Donnie arrived. Kelly soon joined them with Trevor in tow. Rebecca had returned to school and was shocked when she saw Cecilia sit down across from her. She had been accompanied to the table by Misha who sat as far away from Trista as he could.

“Hello Spitfire,” Cecilia said to Rebecca. “No hard feelings?” Rebecca looked around and then looked at Cecilia and nodded. The tension at the table eased, and the group began to enjoy their lunch period.

“Trevor is moping,” Kelly announced.

“The team is losing without me there. It’s hard to watch,” Trevor replied. He seemed completely demoralized.

“It’s OK, dude, we’ll win tonight,” Misha said and added, “plus me and Donnie are back.”

“Yeah, I know. I hope you guys win, but DyBuck is just so good,” Trevor replied.

“Hey! My boys are back,” Cecilia said, placing an arm around both Misha and Donnie. “You’re not going to lose. If I have to, I’ll put on one of those tiny skirts and shake my ass and pom-poms for you.”

Kelly’s eyes went wide and then a mischievous smile crossed her face. “I can arrange that.”

“Oh, please do it,” Misha quickly said. Everyone laughed as Cecilia blushed at Misha’s response. The bell rang, and everyone headed to their next class. Misha walked next to Trista and spoke quickly, “Make sure you’re at the next two games. Front row.”

“I’ll be there,” Trista replied. Then the two walked in opposite directions.

“What do you think that was about?” Abbie asked Cecilia.

“No clue, but knowing him, it could be anything,” she replied. The day went on as normal as it could for a Monday, and soon enough the school day ended, and the students who were going to watch the game began filing into the gym. Donnie and Misha were already practicing shots when Abbie and Trista arrived. Cecilia joined them soon after. They took seats in the lowest row behind the cheerleading squad. Kelly was also running the girls through their paces.

“OK, so where do Dodo and Meemee fit in on the team?” Cecilia asked.

“Oh, I can tell you,” Rebecca said as she took a seat next to Cecilia.

“By all means Spitfire, explain away,” Cecilia replied. Rebecca felt thrilled that Cecelia had given her a nickname.

“OK. The five starters are Trevor. He plays center. Steve is the small forward. Billy is the power forward and is also the team captain. Misha is the point guard, and Aaron is the shooting guard,” Rebecca explained.

“Where does Dodo play?” Cecilia asked.

“He is the second string shooting guard. He mostly comes in when they need to take a difficult shot and to let Aaron rest,” Rebecca explained.

“So who is that tall boy then?” Cecilia asked.

“Oh. That’s Dalton. He is the second string center,” Rebecca answered. Abbie looked over to Trista. She was busy scribbling in a notepad.

“Are you taking notes, Trista?” she asked softly.

“No,” Trista said surprised and hastily stowed the notepad into her purse.

“My dad watches basketball all the time. I can explain the game to you if you like,” Abbie offered.

“Thanks, I may need it,” she whispered back. The game was close. The lead changed several times, but in the end with a game-winning shot, Aaron Vega made the needed goal at the buzzer to win the game. The crowd exploded in cheers. Billy looked over to Trista and waved at her. She smiled and quickly waved back at him. Abbie now understood why she was taking notes on basketball. The next day, the school was abuzz about the previous night’s victory. The whole student body was getting ready for the game tonight. When the lunch period came, everyone gathered at their usual table. Their conversation didn’t wander far from the game this evening. It was all that the boys could talk about.

“So, CeeCee, can I expect you in uniform tonight?” Misha asked with a big smile.

“That would be your dream come true wouldn’t it?” Cecilia replied.

“I can still make it happen,” Kelly said. “It’s the last game. I can get you in.”

“You’re not helping me here,” Cecilia said to Kelly.

“You should do it, CeeCee,” Donnie urged and added, “last regular game and all.”

“No,” Cecilia replied and added, “no way, in hell.”

“I seem to recall someone telling me to fight for my man,” Abbie said looking straight at Cecelia

.
“That person should not be afraid to try anything, at least once.”

Cecelia looked across the table, and all eyes were on her. “OK, I’ll do it! But one night only.” Secretly it had not taken much to convince her. She had always wanted to try out for the squad, but she always felt self-conscious.

“Yes! CeeCee, you won’t regret it,” Donnie assured.

“OK, I will need to show you a few basic moves and get you a uniform. Meet me right after school in the gym,” Kelly instructed. Misha simply smiled and remained quiet. He was afraid if he said anything, she would back out, so he simply said nothing. For the final game of the regular season, Trevor was allowed to resume his role as starting center. Abbie, Rebecca, and Trista grabbed the same seats they had grabbed the previous night. Cecilia looked especially nervous and kept trying to tug her skirt a little lower. Kelly assured her that it was just the right length. The game started, and the cheers soon followed. Cecilia was doing amazingly well. Donnie cheered her from the bench. By the end of the first quarter, the Joan of Arc Angels were down by six points. Coach Rob readjusted their strategy, and by halftime the lead was cut down to two points. The halftime buzzer sounded, and the teams withdrew into the locker rooms and rested.

“They’re doing well,” Cecilia said to Kelly as they took the center of the court.

“They have a good chance to win it. Now remember to watch for my cues,” Kelly said. The girls performed some great cheers, even adding an impressively high toss with Cecilia’s help. After fifteen minutes, the teams returned to the court to resume play.

The third quarter started, and the Angels were only down one basket and determined to take the lead. The tempo of the game seemed to change. The DyBuck Devils began playing a more physical game. It was borderline-dirty. Donnie and his teammates began screaming, “Foul!” over and over, but the referees only called the most blatant of penalties. It became so bad that even the crowd was taking notice and booing the lack of officiating. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Angels were down thirty points and were well on their way to a loss. The dirty elbows and hacks continued uncalled by the officials. Then Misha elbowed the player he was guarding. The benches cleared momentarily creating a mini melee. After a few minutes, the officials regained control and subsequently ejected Misha. Donnie followed him to the locker room. As he walked to the back, he noticed a man in the bleachers. He looked like the man that had been outside Abbie’s house two Sundays ago. They exchanged glares until he reached the locker room.

“Misha, what happened?”

“I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but the zebras are only calling this thing one way.” Misha was enraged to the point of hysteria. He walked around in circles, tugging at his hair.

“So you hit another player?”

“I didn’t hit him for that,” Misha answered. “It was what he said to me.”

“What?” Donnie wondered what could have driven him to violence.

“He asked me if we’re training hippos to be cheerleaders,” Misha replied. “I just lost it and hit him.”

“It’s a blowout anyway, might as well get in a parting shot.” At that moment, assistant coach Torres came into the locker room with two other players. They were carrying Aaron in.

“What happened now?” Misha asked incensed.

“Their center kicked me in my knee,” Aaron replied in obvious pain. “I felt it pop.”

“You’re our best player!” Misha could barely contain himself. “They got us by thirty points, and they still keep playing dirty!”

“Did they call it?” Donnie asked.

“Hell, no, they gave me a charging penalty!” Aaron replied as he was placed on a table.

“You’re lucky, Aaron. It’s only bruised,” the nurse said and added, “but you’re done for tonight.”

“Coach, what is going on?” Misha asked, still pacing uncontrollably.

“I think we are getting screwed,” Coach Torres replied.

“Not if I can help it,” Donnie said and jogged back out to the court. He reached the bench and walked up to Coach Rob.

“How is Aaron doing?” Coach Rob asked.

“It’s bruised, but he’s out for the rest of the game,” Donnie replied. “Coach, I am pissed and I want in.”

Coach Rob looked at him and could see a fire in him, a fire he had not seen in over a year. “Well, get in there!” Coach Rob yelled. Donnie huddled up with his teammates and looked directly at the second string point guard.

“Jordan, just keep feeding me the ball,” Donnie ordered.

“You got it!” Jordan was only a freshman, but he was the only freshman that made it to the varsity team. He was very wiry and deceptively fast. Jordan took out the ball and advanced it up the court. Donnie got into position, and Jordan passed him the ball. Donnie tossed the ball over his shoulder from thirty feet out. Swish, three points.

The cheerleaders screamed, “SkyyyyyyyyyHooooooook!” and in unison performed an imitation of the throw in slow motion. Cecilia was caught off guard.

“What the hell is that?” she asked Kelly.

“It’s Donnie’s shot. It’s called the hook shot or skyhook. It’s really hard to do, but when he’s on fire, he never misses it,” Kelly answered.

“He looks pissed to me,” Cecilia said.

“He hasn’t tried it all year,” Kelly informed. As the Devils returned the ball, Jordan was able to steal the ball and started a fast break. Again he passed the ball to Donnie. Donnie didn’t even wait to get close to the basket. He tossed it from half-court, another three points.

The cheerleaders screamed again, “SkyyyyyyyyyHooooooook!” This time Cecilia joined in. The game continued with Donnie making shot after impossible shot. His skyhook was impossible to block. The Devils continuously tried to intentionally foul him, but he would get the shot off too fast. The ebb and flow of the game had changed. Donnie’s unfailing accuracy and the constant chant of “SkyyyyyyyyyHooooooook!” had the Devils incredibly frustrated. Donnie could make out Abbie’s voice among the hundreds in the gym cheering for him, “Go, Donnie,” she would scream. After every shot, he would look over to her, and she would wave, clap, or blow him a kiss.

With just over a minute left in the game, Donnie had put up forty-five points, which tied the game. Rebecca stood up and started the crowd chanting, “Clinic, Clinic, Clinic!” The Devils had the ball and shrewdly used the shot clock to their advantage. They called a time-out just before their thirty-second shot clock elapsed. After the time-out ended, the Devils once again killed the clock. After their time-out, there were only thirty-two seconds left on the clock. They proceeded to use up another twenty-nine before taking their shot. It was good, and they took the lead by two points. The Angels took a time-out to regroup. Coach Rob drew something on his game board and showed the team. They all nodded and then returned to the court. Jordan took out the ball and passed it right away to Donnie. The rest of the team formed a wall in front of him. The Devils tried their best to get in and foul Donnie, but he let loose his shot. The crowd went dead silent as the ball traveled almost the entire length of the court. The buzzer signaled the end of the game as the ball was in mid-flight. Donnie turned around and starting jogging toward Abbie before the ball reached the other side of the court. Swoosh! The ball fell right through the hoop, hitting nothing but net. The gymnasium exploded in exhilaration. Donnie’s teammates rushed him and jumped all around him. The Devils simply stared in disbelief and walked off the court with their heads held low. The celebration continued for quite a while. Donnie managed to swim through the crowd to Abbie.

“That was amazing!” Abbie said. “You were amazing!”

“I’m just glad you were here,” he said.

“Why, baby?”

“I just felt good having someone cheering for me alone,” Donnie said. “My dad always came to my games. He never missed one.”

“Oh, baby. I’ll be your biggest fan now,” Abbie said and pulled him close and kissed him. Billy walked over to congratulate Donnie. He was intercepted by Trista. She grabbed and kissed him. The celebrations continued on into the night.

Meanwhile outside of the gymnasium a conversation was taking place. The tall man was intercepted by a woman with a thin build. “Hulderich, I need to speak to you,” Anna ordered. Anna had a lithe shape and was significantly shorter than the man she now addressed.

“What do you wish of me?” he replied.

“I have orders for you.”

“Why is the concubine delivering orders to me?” he asked. His tone was one of contempt. Anna grabbed Hulderich’s collar and easily dragged the much larger man down to her level.

“How dare you? You will watch your tone when addressing me, or I will have you punished, Hulderich. I am your superior and am very capable of killing you.” Anna stared into Hulderich’s eyes until he looked away. She shoved him back, forcing him to land sitting on the parking lot asphalt.

“My apologies, Frau Schmid,” Hulderich attempted to sound respectful, but it was not a skill he possessed. “What orders do you have for me?”

“Your current mission must wait,” Anna replied.

“What! I have been working on this for months.”

“That strangely sounded as if you were refusing a direct order.” Anna looked down at Hulderich and let a thin smile cross her face. “Very well, I shall inform the Führer of your insubordination.”

“No!” Hulderich quickly stood up. “You misunderstand my comment. I have put a great deal of time here. I only wonder why the Führer has made this decision.”

“It is not your place to know, only to obey. Nevertheless, he decided that you are not to complete it until your current charge is released.”

“My charge is an idiot. I would be better off destroying him.” Hulderich tried to hold back his anger.

“Your orders are clear. Make sure he is able to take on a territory, only then can you pursue your objective. I was sent to deliver the message in person so that you would appreciate how stern it is. You would be wise to follow his instructions,” she said calmly.

“I will do as ordered, as always,” Hulderich replied.

CHAPTER 12

Prom

THE ENTIRE SCHOOL had been in high spirits after the regional title victory. They had hoped that they would have received an invitation to the state championships, but only the top eight regional champions receive a bid to compete at states. The Archangels had only ranked tenth out of sixteen regional champions. That did not stop anyone from showing school spirit for the next several weeks. The school still received a huge trophy, which was displayed predominately in front of the main office. Trevor’s performance for the last quarter of the game had also been exceptional. While Donnie provided the offense, Trevor provided the defense, gaining a school record high number of blocked shots. The combination of the two proved to be unbeatable. The scout that came to the game to watch Trevor play was very impressed and offered him a scholarship to attend Georgetown University shortly after. He of course accepted the offer. Now he and Kelly would be able to attend the same university. After their impromptu kiss, Trista and Billy introduced themselves to one another. Billy had taken Trista’s forward advance well, very well in fact. He found her boldness and fearlessness very attractive. The sparks continued to fly over the next few months, and the two became a steadfast couple, rarely seen apart. The same could be said for Abbie and Donnie. They were inseparable over the next several months. Donnie had also become a common sight at Abbie’s house, having dinner with her family often. Donnie also devised a way to spend more time with Abbie without interfering with her tutoring sessions. He opened up his father’s old study for Abbie to use. The room was perfect for teaching; it was quiet, well lit, and had a table with chairs. He had been instructed in the very same room by his father in years past. Donnie spent the time Abbie tutored, working on the car in the yard. When she was finished teaching for the day, they would spend a few hours together. It had been the happiest months of his life in well over a year. When May rolled around, the main conversational topics tended to revolve around college acceptances and the upcoming prom. The girls were excited about buying and trying out dresses while the guys shared where to rent a tux for the least amount of money.

“Abbie, you pick out a dress yet?” Rebecca asked excitedly.

“Yes, I think I found the right one,” she replied with a smile.

“Will you at least tell me the color so that I can get a cummerbund to match?” Donnie asked.

“I want it to be a surprise, just don’t plan to match,” Abbie said grinning.

“Kelly is keeping me in the dark as well,” Trevor advised.

“It’s a conspiracy!” Billy added. “Maybe we need to start spying on them.”

“You will not!” Trista said. “You just need to be patient.”

“That’s fine. We have spies among you already,” Misha said imitating a Russian accent.

“Becca is not going to tell you anything Misha,” Kelly informed.

“We have ways to make her talk,” Misha said, continuing his accent.

“I love when you do voices,” Rebecca said. “But I still won’t tell you anything.”

“You know, I don’t have a date to prom yet, and not many freshmen get invited to go,” Misha said looking at Rebecca.

“Oh, that is so low,” Kelly said. “Don’t buy it, Becca, he isn’t serious.” Rebecca looked excited for a moment and then realized he was in fact joking.

“Not nice,” she said, waving her index finger at him.

“So why haven’t you asked anyone, Misha?” Trista asked. She was genuinely surprised. Had he in fact changed?

“I have my reasons,” Misha replied.

“Wait, you haven’t asked anyone?” Donnie asked.

“Well, only one person,” he replied.

“Did she say no?” Abbie asked.

“Not exactly, she said she’d think about it,” he replied.

“So what, are you just going to wait on her?” Trista asked.

“I don’t want to go with anyone else. So if she turns me down, I won’t go at all,” Misha declared.

“You know you’re in the running for prom king,” Trevor said.

“I don’t care. It won’t mean anything if she isn’t there to share it with me,” Misha replied.

“Who is she?” Rebecca asked.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me the color of the dresses,” Misha replied all too quickly.

“Nope, that is not going to work. You probably already have a date and you aren’t telling us,” Rebecca replied.

“Good going, Becca,” Trista complimented and added, “way to see through his bullshit.” Misha looked at Trista, bared his teeth, and hissed at her. She in turn made a clawing motion and hissed back and followed it with a middle finger. The table laughed at the exchange.

“What did I miss?” Cecilia asked as she sat down with her lunch tray.

“Cat scratch fever,” Kelly replied.

“Are Misha and Trista at it again?” she asked.

“When aren’t they?” Kelly replied.

“CeeCee, are you going to prom?” Rebecca asked.

“Oh no, I have had enough dances to last me a while!” Cecilia replied.

“Maybe we can hang out that night? Make it a girl’s night in,” Rebecca suggested.

“I’ll think about it,” Cecilia replied.

The night of the prom was upon the seniors at long last. Donnie had procured an obnoxiously oversize stretch limo for the group. The girls had made arrangements to get ready and be picked up at Kelly’s house. Donnie was both nervous and excited as he got dressed.

“You sure you don’t want to come? You could always come stag,” Donnie asked Misha.

“I’m sure,” Misha replied. Donnie could tell that his friend was a bit depressed.

“I can’t believe you aren’t coming. You were looking forward to prom all year.”

“People change and I like who I am now.”

Misha had shared with Donnie what happened to him with Trista. It was the second time he had seen his friend break down in tears. “Me too, man, you aren’t that guy anymore.”

“Thanks. I guess we both changed a lot this year. I’m glad that you’re back to the way you were before your parents died.”

“Not the same, but I know what you mean.” Donnie continued getting dressed. “Well, if you aren’t going to go to prom, what are you going to do?”

“I was hoping to watch a few of your DVDs here, since I already dropped off your car,” Misha replied.

“Yeah, sure go ahead. I appreciate you helping me set this up.”

“Anything for you man. Do you have the directions?”

“Yeah, I’m all set. It sure is a good spot.”

“No place better,” Misha agreed. Donnie finished getting dressed as Misha went thru his DVD selection.

“So what do you think?” Donnie asked, showing off his tuxedo.

“That’s awesome! You all got one like that?” Misha asked in amazement.

“Yes, we did, and you would not believe how hard it was to find one in Trevor’s size.”

“I like the long tail,” Misha admired.

“Yeah this style was big in the 1950s, but wait, there is more,” Donnie said and pulled out two accessories.

“A top hat and a cane, nice touch,” Misha complimented.

“Yeah, the girls are keeping us in the dark about their dresses, so we decided to throw in a surprise of our own.”

“Classic look, the girls have a tough act to follow,” Misha said. Donnie looked outside and could see that the limo had arrived.

“I think that’s our ride. I better head out.”

“Have a great time!”

“Thanks!” Donnie made his way outside. He got in and the limo headed to pick up Trevor and Billy. Misha watched as the extended Ford Escalade pulled away. He was about to head back in when he noticed a tall man standing across the street that seemed out of place. The blond man watched the limo drive away and then made eye contact with Misha. The two of them locked stares until a produce truck drove down the street; it momentarily obstructed Misha’s view of the tall man. When the truck passed, Misha was surprised to see that he was now gone. He looked up and down the street looking for the man, but he was simply gone.

Donnie’s limo promptly picked up Billy and then Trevor. They all confirmed to one another that they looked quite dapper in the vintage black tuxedos. Once they were all seated, the limo proceeded to pick up the ladies at Kelly’s house. The guys didn’t say too much to each another on the ride over. They were all anxious to see their ladies in their top secret attire. When they arrived, Donnie could see that Cecilia’s car was at the house as well. Kelly’s mother opened the door for the boys once they arrived at the front door. She gave Trevor a familiar hug and ushered them all inside. Camille was also here and had her camera ready and began furiously snapping pictures as they entered the house.

“You all look so handsome,” Camille complimented. Rebecca peered downstairs from the top of the stairs and ran upstairs.

“They’re here!” she yelled up to the second level and then bounded down the stairs. She looked at the young men before her. “You guys look hot. Wow! They are going to freak out when they see you.” Rebecca went to each of them and gave them a friendly hug.

“You look like a bunch of penguins,” Cecilia said as she walked in from the living room.

“Hi, CeeCee, I would have expected you to be upstairs with the girls,” Donnie said.

“I was, but the clouds of perfume and hairspray was making me dizzy. Where is Meemee, I thought he was going?” Cecilia asked as she snapped a picture of the group on her phone.

“He decided to stay home. He’s at my house watching some movies,” Donnie replied.

“He seriously isn’t going? He talked nonstop about prom,” Cecilia asked confused.

“Doesn’t look like it,” he replied.

“Do you know why?” she asked.

“I don’t know, but he’s been acting weird lately. I would have liked to have both of you to come. It’s not going to be the same without you,” he replied. Cecilia looked puzzled for a moment and walked back into the living room. Rebecca went back upstairs to check on the ladies and then came down.

“Ahem. May I have your attention, Ladies and Gents?” Rebecca said clearing her throat. “I’d like to present your dates for the evening.” Rebecca started pounding on the wall, imitating a drumroll. The girls came down in a line. Camille snapped photo after photo as they descended. Kelly was wearing a sleek, full-length red dress. The dress was low cut, strapless, and very form fitting. Trista was wearing a tight, strapless little black dress. Abbie came down wearing a little short white dress with golden trim on the skirt and shoulders. The guys were left speechless. It was very apparent that they had placed a lot of effort into getting ready for them.

“You look amazing,” Trevor said to Kelly in a soft tone and stared deeply into her eyes.

“Thank you sir,” Kelly replied smiling.

“Wow! Simply wow,” Billy said to Trista. It was rare sight to see Trista blush, but on this occasion, she didn’t mind at all.

“You look very sharp there yourself,” she replied.

Donnie stared at Abbie and was silent for a moment. Abbie looked at him, waiting for him to say something about her dress. “I can’t find any words to describe how beautiful you look.” Donnie was obviously floored.

“Those will do,” she said smiling. They paired up, and more pictures were taken. The photoshoot seemed to go on forever as every possible picture combination was taken. Corsages were exchanged and even more pictures were taken. Eventually they were allowed to leave for their evening and headed to the school in the limo.

The prom committee had done a wonderful job on the gymnasium. They had extra money this year for decorations and entertainment. An unknown booster had donated a thousand dollars to the prom fund. It was enough to hire a live band vs. booking a DJ. The gym looked fantastic! They had selected “A Night in Paradise” as this year’s theme. The gym was decorated to look like a tropical island. There was a Tiki bar serving all manner of fruity drinks. Even the band that was hired seemed perfect. The whimsical folksy sounds of Solia Tera, with their assortment of instruments, completed the atmosphere. Abbie screamed in excitement when she found out who was performing. Her favorite band was here in person playing live!

Donnie, Abbie, and the others headed for their table. A light dinner was served by the caterers. It consisted mainly of fruit salads and shiskabobs. The tender meats and assorted peppers were delicious. The caterers had done an excellent job. Once the dinner was completed and plates cleared, the music and dancing began. Solia Tera took the stage and began performing.

Misha had settled on the bed with a bag of chips and a bowl of popcorn. He was halfway through Shaolin She-monks when the doorbell rang startling Misha. He hated that annoying buzzer. He got up and headed downstairs. He opened the door and was shocked by who was at the door. “You,” he said just before he was pulled outside.

The dance was going well, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. A few hours into the dance, there was some excitement. Tommy Marsh and Vigil Meyer got into a fight over Pam Womack, and later Kim Moors, and Shelby Gilmore broke up in spectacular fashion while on the dance floor. Trista went over to get the details each time and came back with the dirt.

“That’s my girl. Gotta have the four-one-one on everything,” Billy said.

“Trista, what are you going to major in at Stetson again?” Trevor asked.

“Journalism,” she replied smiling as she spotted a familiar face.

“Good choice,” Misha said.

“Misha!” Everyone at the table said in near unison. Misha was dressed in a business suit, and it looked very familiar to Donnie.

“I hope you don’t mind. I borrowed one of your dad’s old suits. It was kind of last minute?” he asked.

“Not at all, glad you decided to show,” Donnie replied.

“Did you bring a date, Misha?” Trista asked as she scanned the gym.

“Yes, Ms. Nosey, I brought the date,” he replied, and he pointed out Cecilia out to the table. She was dressed in an elegant dark green chiffon dress. When she noticed that everyone at the table was looking at her, she waved at them.

“CeeCee, you held out for CeeCee?” Trista asked.

“You have an issue with that?” Misha said defensively.

“Not at all, actually I applaud you. It was very nice of you to bring her,” Trista said.

“It’s not like that,” Misha said visibly agitated.

“No, she didn’t mean anything by it,” Kelly said. “CeeCee should be here too.”

“No, you’re not getting it. I didn’t ask her to prom because I felt sorry for her,” Misha said.

“Wait, do you mean . . . ?” Donnie was pleasantly surprised by the response.

“I think I love her,” Misha said with a big smile on his face. “I’m going to tell her tonight how I feel.” The table was momentarily stunned by Misha’s declaration.

“That’s great man,” Donnie said. “I wish you luck. You’re going to need it.”

“I’m happy for you, Misha, CeeCee is a great girl,” Kelly said.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Trista said getting up. Billy grabbed her wrist firmly and forcefully sat her back down and leaned into her and spoke into her ear quietly and firmly.

“I know you want to tell everyone, but he hasn’t told CeeCee yet,” Billy whispered.

“So?” Trista whispered back.

“Don’t you feel that she should hear something like that from him and not a random girl in the ladies room?” Billy asked. “How would you feel?”

“I get it. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Trista said apologetically.

“No harm done. Just don’t say anything to her when she sits down,” Billy urged. Cecilia came to the table with a tray of fruity drinks for the table.

“That will be five bucks per person please,” Cecilia said, and she placed the tray of fruit concoctions on the table.

“Hey, I thought the drinks were free?” Abbie asked.

“They are. They are compliments of the prom committee, but delivery will cost you, always tip your server,” Cecilia replied smiling and began passing out the drinks around the table.

“Compliments of the prom committee and you,” Abbie whispered to Donnie.

“Me?” Donnie asked defensively.

“I saw the check on your dad’s desk,” she quietly uttered into Donnie’s ear.

“You caught me,” Donnie said smiling. Yes, he had given the prom committee a large check with the condition that they hire Solia Tera. Donnie looked at Cecilia and smiled. He got up and hugged her warmly and whispered into her ear. “Thanks for coming, wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

“Stop it. You’re going to make me cry, besides I couldn’t let Meemee miss out on his long-awaited prom,” she whispered back.

“Hands off, this is my date,” Misha said, trying to pry them apart.

“You look fantastic by the way,” he whispered in her ear again before releasing his embrace.

“Thank you, Dodo,” she said, wiping a tear from her face.

“That’s our cue. We need to powder our noses. Come on girls,” Kelly said motioning to Trista, Abbie, and Cecilia. The girls all left and headed to the ladies’ room. Billy gave Trista a look, and Trista made a zip motion over her lips.

“I am suddenly terrified,” Misha said as the girls left his sight.

“Chattering like monkeys,” Trevor said.

“You’ll be fine,” Donnie assured.

“I’m not so sure,” Misha said, still watching the door.

“Stop and relax. Now tell me how this happened? I thought she didn’t want to come?” Donnie asked.

“She didn’t, but when she heard I stayed home, she got dressed and dragged me, literally out of the house.”

“That’s cool. I hope it works out for you, Misha.” Billy patted Misha on the shoulder.

“So, gentlemen, what are the plans for the end of the evening?” Trevor asked.

“I am kind of winging it, so all I can say is, I have no plans other than dancing with CeeCee and laying it all out on that dance floor.” Misha gestured to the dance floor.

“I have a suite reserved at the Waldorf for me and Kelly,” Trevor said.

“Pricey,” Donnie said. “But I’m sure she’s worth it.”

“Damn straight,” Trevor said and looked over. “Billy?”

“We’re going on a cruise. Trista told me that she’s never been on one. It leaves at three am and comes back at three pm,” Billy replied.

“Donnie?” Trevor asked.

“He’s taking her to the spot,” Misha answered.

“Commendable sir,” Trevor replied and applauded a few times.

“What is the spot?” Billy asked curiously.

“I’ll tell you later the girls are heading back,” Donnie replied. The girls came back with their makeup touched up. Cecilia had a bit more makeup on now, which did not go unnoticed by Misha. The four boys all stood up and helped their dates to their seats. At about 10:00 p.m., the music stopped, and Principal Stinson took the stage. He made the announcement for prom king and queen. No one at their table received the honors, but no one but Kelly cared, she had really wanted that crown, so after eventually getting over her disappointment, the festivities went on undeterred. The music resumed, and the prom king and queen took to the dance floor. After about a minute, they opened up the floor, and everyone headed to the floor for this slow waltz. Misha summoned up his courage and looked into Cecilia’s eyes.

“CeeCee, I need to tell you something,” Misha said as he held Cecilia in his arms.

“As long as it’s not suey, we’re good,” Cecilia answered jokingly.

“I’m serious. Please listen.” Misha was extremely nervous.

“Meemee, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?” Cecilia was worried; he was trembling in her arms.

“I just have to come out and say it,” he said and took a deep breath.

“Whatever it is, I’m here for you,” Cecilia said expecting horrid news.

“I think. No, I know. I know I love you,” Misha confessed and stared into her eyes. Cecilia’s jaw dropped.

“What . . . ?” she said stunned.

“I have loved you since you kissed me when we were eleven,” Misha said with tears pouring down his face.

“You can’t love me. You’re beautiful, and I’m just me,” she replied.

“I love you,” Misha said. “Just you, all of you,” Misha said. Cecilia began to cry as well.

“No, you shouldn’t be with me,” Cecilia softly said and ran off the dance floor and out of the gymnasium.

“CeeCee!” Misha yelled as he watched her run away. He stood alone on the dance floor. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around and was face-to-face with Trista.

“Go after her! If you want her, you can’t give up now,” Trista urged.

“But she doesn’t want me,” Misha said defeated. Trista slapped him.

“Idiot, I finally realize why you never stuck with any girl longer than a few weeks. You always wanted her. Only her,” she said. “It is so clear to me now.”

“Don’t fight for what you don’t want,” Abbie said. “She told me that once.” Misha suddenly realized that he was surrounded by his friends and that they had been listening the whole time.

“Go after her. A girl likes to be chased, and I doubt she went too far,” Kelly said smiling and motioning with her head to follow suit.

“Crack that nut,” Donnie said with a huge smile on his face. “Go get her.” Misha took a moment to absorb the advice and took off after Cecilia. He found her just outside the main entrance of the school, sitting on the steps sobbing.

“CeeCee,” Misha said softly and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her, and she leaned over against him.

“You’re such an asshole,” Cecilia said.

“I know. I don’t deserve you.” Misha placed his head on hers.

“And you’re stupid too.” Misha could not see her face but detected a smile on her face.

“I know. You don’t want to be with me, right?

“I can’t believe you remember the kisses when we were eleven.”

“How could I forget?” Misha asked.

“I came up with that excuse to steal a kiss from you,” Cecilia admitted.

“Well, you don’t have to steal anymore of my kisses. I’ll give you as many as you want from here on out,” Misha said placing his hand on her chin and turning her face toward him.

“Do you promise?” Cecilia asked.

“With all my heart,” Misha replied in tears. He leaned in and gave her a short gentle kiss on her lips.

“What was that?” Cecilia asked, “Didn’t you learn anything when we were eleven?” She embraced Misha and kissed him again. She kissed him fiercely and deeply.

CHAPTER 13

The Spot

MISHA AND CECELIA never returned to the gymnasium, but Donnie received a text from him a few minutes later. It simply read: “I’m getting tutoring from CeeCee.” He laughed out loud and let everyone at the table know that they had left together and didn’t elaborate further, but he really didn’t need to either. The prom ended at midnight, and everyone piled back into the limousine. Donnie directed the driver where to drop everyone off.

Trevor and Kelly were the first ones to leave the group for the evening. They were dropped off in front of the Waldorf. Kelly squealed in excitement. She was obviously extremely impressed. Everyone said their good-byes, and the limo rolled forward. The next drop-off was at the New York Harbor. Trista and Billy were able to get off right in front of their ship. It was a massive vessel. Trista was thrilled; she had never been on a cruise liner and was looking forward to sailing. Once again, the friends made their good-byes, and then it was only Donnie and Abbie in the limo.

“Where are we going, Donnie?” Abbie asked.

“Ah-ah, you will need to be patient. We have a little ways to go,” Donnie replied. After another few hours in the limo, they finally reached their destination. Abbie and Donnie got out. It was literally out in the middle of nowhere, and the driver was leery about leaving them in such a secluded spot. “Are you sure this is the right spot, buddy?” the driver asked. Donnie took out a flashlight that he had brought and looked around.

“Yeah, this is the right place. Thanks a bunch. You’re done for tonight.” Donnie tipped the driver for the evening’s services and then he drove off.

“Donnie, where are we? Is it safe?” Abbie asked, a bit nervous.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Come on,” Donnie said as he started walking down a rocky path. Abbie rushed to his side. The path led off the main road, and down it a fence could be seen; it went off into the darkness in either direction. After a few minutes a gate became visible within the flashlight’s range.

“I don’t like this, Donnie,” Abbie said.

“Trust me,” Donnie said. “It’ll be worth it.” They reached the fence, and it was chained shut. Donnie produced a key and unlocked it, and they proceeded to the other side. They continued down the path, and Abbie could now hear the soft crashing of the ocean.

“Is that the beach?” she asked.

“Yes, it is,” Donnie replied smiling. They made their down a steep path, and after a few more minutes of walking, Donnie’s car came into the view.

“Is that your car?” she asked.

“Yes, it is,” Donnie replied smiling. Abbie was feeling a little less apprehensive about walking in total darkness. They walked past his car, and now Abbie could see a cottage. The small building was impossible to spot from the road during the day much less at night. It was shielded from view at the bottom of a tall cliff face.

“Where are we, Donnie?” she asked.

“This is Misha’s grandfather’s beach house. The whole area is fenced in. His grandfather owns the land for miles in either direction from the house,” he answered.

“Why bring me here?” Abbie asked.

Donnie checked his phone. “For that, we need to wait just a little while longer.”

“OK, I’ll bite,” Abbie said. They came to the house, and Donnie opened up the door and went inside. Abbie followed him in. The small cottage was beautiful, simple, and cozy. Donnie went back to his car and brought in a bag.

“What’s in there?” Abbie asked curiously

“Stuff,” he replied. He took off his tuxedo jacket and lay in on the sofa. He went into the bedroom and when he emerged he was wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts.

“I brought you a change of clothes as well,” he said. “I laid them on the bed for you if you would like to change.”

“Thanks, this dress is killing me.” Abbie went in the bedroom to change. He had brought her a loose T-shirt and a pair of shorts. When she came out, Donnie was gone. She looked for him and spotted his flashlight walking away from the house. She started jogging after him. When she caught up to him, she could see that he had laid down a large blanket on the sand. The air here was misted by the smell of the ocean. She couldn’t see it, but she knew the shore was close.

“What are we doing, Donnie?” Abbie asked.

“Have a seat next to me,” he said, patting the ground on his right.

“Ooookay,” Abbie said as she sat on the blanket next to him. “What now?”

“Just a few more minutes, want a soda?” he asked. Abbie noticed that he had also dragged out a small cooler out here as well.

“Sure, I’ll take a diet soda,” Abbie answered. Donnie handed her a drink, but she felt he was acting strangely. He kept his gaze fixed out into the darkness. Abbie followed his example and stared off in the same direction sipping her soda. Donnie’s phone alarm began to beep. He turned it off and leaned a bit forward.

“Finally, just watch.” Donnie held his breath. Abbie looked out into the darkness and gasped. The sun rose out of the ocean. Every inch the sun rose revealed a million more colors on the ocean and sky above. Deep reds turned to orange and then to yellows and blues. Everywhere the eye could see for miles in either direction, there were only beach, ocean, and nature. There were no buildings, no trees, no trash; it appeared as the purest place on earth at that very moment. The “Spot” commanded a completely unobstructed view of the sunrise. It was simply breathtaking.

“Oh, Donnie, it’s so beautiful.”

“I wanted to share this place with you. It still takes my breath away.”

“Thank you for sharing this with me. You were right. It was totally worth the wait.” She leaned over close to him and took a deep breath.

“Donnie? Remember the card you gave me?”

“Yes, I remember it very well.”

“In it, you said that you felt like everyone was just a heartbeat away from leaving you. Do you still feel that way?” Abbie turned to look at him.

Donnie was silent for a moment, and his eyes began to well up. “Yes, I still do. It’s my greatest fear.”

“Oh, Donnie, I’m not going anywhere.” Abbie embraced him.

“I’m still afraid,” Donnie said as tears streamed down his face and added, “because I love you.”

“I love you, Donnie. I love you so much,” Abbie said as she too began to cry.

“That’s why I’m so afraid. If I lost you, I don’t know how I would survive. I don’t think I would want to.”

“You won’t lose me. I will always love you, no matter what, forever.” Donnie looked at her, and he could see it in her eyes. He knew she meant it. He knew in his heart that he could trust her completely. Abbie kissed him passionately and forced him down. There on that perfect beach, under the rising sun, while being bathed by the mists of the ocean and caressed by its soft breezes, Donnie and Abbie made love for the first time.

Donnie was awoken by cries of seabirds high above. He looked around and could see that the sun had almost reached its noon apex. He watched Abbie breathe as she slept and never felt more complete. He took a moment to enjoy the sun on his naked body and decided that he must take a swim later. Abbie was sound asleep, and he was afraid that the rays of the sun would burn her. He wrapped her in the blanket and carried her from the beach to the cabin. He laid her in the bed, and when he was sure she was still resting, he went back out and retrieved their clothes and the other things still lying in the sand. He returned to the cabin and opened the windows. The alcove the cottage was nestled in provided constant shade against the sun, and opening the windows allowed the sea air to rush in. He stood in front of an open window and closed his eyes as the soft breezes caressed his bare skin. He didn’t move when a pair of arms wrapped around his lower back and abdomen. Abbie hugged Donnie from behind and rested her head against his back.

“Good morning,” she said, embracing him.

“It’s closer to noon now,” he said, placing his forearms over hers.

“Wow! We slept a long time.”

“It was a very good night.”

“I’ll say.” Abbie gently bit Donnie on his back. Donnie squirmed a bit at the gentle nibbling.

“That tickles,” he said softly, laughing.

“Want me to stop?”

“Never,” Donnie said with his eyes still closed.

“What were you doing?”

“I was giving thanks.”

“To whom?” she asked.

“God and the Great Spirit,” he replied. Abbie had discovered that he was a deeply spiritual man and that he took his dual faiths very seriously. She didn’t understand how he was able to balance the two, but he seemed so at peace over the last few months that she didn’t question his devotions.

“What are you thinking right now?”

“I am thinking how lucky I was to find you,” Donnie said turning around. “I am thinking how in love I am with you.”

“You know what I am thinking?” she asked smiling.

“Please tell me.”

“I am thinking that I was very lucky to have a father scare every boy away, except the right one. I am thinking that I will never love anyone as much as I love you now, and I am thinking that there is a perfectly good bed in the other room.” She turned around and grabbed his hand, and together they went into the bedroom for another round of lovemaking.

Donnie held Abbie closely in his arms, and she never felt safer than she felt right now in his loving embrace. Their sweat covered bodies lay resting in the bed.

“I don’t want to move from this spot, but we should head back soon,” Abbie said.

“We have time,” Donnie replied. “One thing left to do.” He got out of the bed and beckoned Abbie to follow him. Abbie got up and started following him. He walked out of house and started walking toward the beach.

“Donnie, we’re naked,” she pointed out.

“There’s no one out here but us. Come on.” Donnie opened up into a full run toward the shore, screaming at the top of his lungs all the way, making Abbie laugh. She looked outside hesitantly and after deciding it was safe ran after Donnie. He hit the water and performed a flip. He made quite the splash. Abbie arrived soon after. The two swam in the ocean for a while. Abbie looked back toward the house and realized why Donnie was so confident in their privacy. The cliff face that shielded the house was over three hundred feet high. Even from this far out, you still could not see the road. It had not seemed so steep a walk down, but from this vantage point, it was apparent that it was perilous. The sun was beginning to disappear on the other side of the cliff. It was time to finally head home. The drive back seemed longer than it actually was. The sun set and the night came as they made their way to Abbie’s house. They arrived at her house a little before 8:00 p.m. Johan came out to greet them, and Donnie immediately went rigid. He still had that haunting memory of the talk months earlier.

“Hi Daddy,” Abbie said as he got out of the car and grabbed her dress and bag.

“Hello, my darling, how was the prom?” he said while keeping a single eye on her and one on Donnie.

How the hell does he do that? Donnie thought. Then he realized that Johan was not looking at him but past him. He looked to his left, and across the street Donnie saw a tall man. The man looked familiar, but he couldn’t get a good enough look at him to be sure.

“Hey you beat it,” Johan yelled. The man waved, acknowledging the request and began walking down the street.

“That guy has been hanging around here since March. Next time I see him I will call the police,” Johan said as he grabbed Abbie’s bags.

“Daddy, he’s probably a homeless guy. You should be kinder,” Abbie said as she walked around to the other side of the car.

“I don’t mind that he’s a bum. I just don’t get a good feeling from him,” Johan said, still watching the man walk away. Donnie had shared the same feeling, and there was something else that he just could not put his finger on.

“Good night baby, see you tomorrow,” Abbie said as she leaned in and kissed Donnie.

“So where did you go after prom?” Johan asked. Donnie gulped and began searching his brain for an answer. Charts formed, probability statistics were generated.

“A beach party,” Abbie replied faster than Donnie could think.

“Were there many people there?” Johan asked.

“Not many, about ten or so. We had a large bonfire. It was amazing,” Abbie replied. Johan looked his daughter over and could see that her hair had been wet recently. He also looked Donnie over.

Busted, Donnie thought to himself and tried to stay cool.

“Will you come in for some food Donnie?” Johan asked.

“Not tonight, I need to vacuum this sand out of the car before it damages the carpet and upholstery,” Donnie replied. Johan seemed satisfied by both their answers and began walking his daughter inside. Donnie let out a sigh of relief. When Johan reached the door, he turned around and looked at Donnie. He pointed at his eyes with two fingers and then pointed them at Donnie. He repeated the motion several times before going inside. As Donnie drove away, he realized that Abbie had her story already in place and laughed as he put the car in gear.

Donnie arrived at his house after stopping off and vacuuming out the sand out of the car. In that respect, he had not lied to Johan. The house was dark, and the door was locked. As he entered, the house was quiet as it normally was when he got home. He walked up the stairs not bothering to turn on any lights. He could navigate his home simply by memory. He turned on the light to his room and was startled. The room looked as if had been ransacked. The nightstand was knocked over, and the mattress on his bed had been pulled off the frame. His immediate thought was that he had been robbed. He entered the room and had just started to take stock when he heard a noise from down the hall. He grabbed his aluminum bat and headed toward the noise. As he got closer, he was sure he could make out voices, and then he was certain. It was coming from his parents’ bedroom! He reached the door and placed his hand on the handle. He could see from under the door that there was a light turned on inside. Donnie swung the door open and jumped into the room, screaming and holding the bat high above his head.

“Donnie stop!” Misha yelled. Misha and Cecilia were lying naked in his parents’ bed.

“Fuck, shit, crap!” Donnie yelled as he averted his gaze and turned around.

“Get a good look, Donnie?” Cecilia asked angrily.

“Yes, I mean no! What are you doing in my parents’ bed?” Donnie asked agitated.

“Sorry, Donnie, we kind of broke yours pal,” Misha said proudly.

Donnie visible shuddered. “TMI, TMI man!” he said and he walked out of the room. “Just get out!”

“Donnie, we’re sorry,” Cecilia cried out from the room.

Donnie yelled at the top of his lungs, “Out!” Donnie went into his room and upon closer inspection could see that the frame had been splintered. He could clearly see the pattern of destruction. Nothing was missing, but everything in the room had been disturbed. That conjured up more pictures in his head, and his brain involuntarily calculated the force and stress necessary to create such an effect. He shuddered again and went downstairs. He turned on the lights as he entered every new area of the house.

“Seriously, the kitchen table!” he yelled up the stairs. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Donnie walked into the living room and mercifully it looked unsoiled. He laid his head down on the couch.

Misha came downstairs cautiously and approached Donnie. “Look, man, we’re sorry. We will help clean it up.”

“This is my parents’ house, how could you?” he asked.

“No,” Cecilia said as she came down the stairs. “It’s your house now. You can’t be afraid to change things around.” Donnie couldn’t bear to look at either of them.

“Just go please,” Donnie said exhausted.

“I’ll come back tomorrow to help you clean OK,” Misha offered.

“Fine,” he said.

“I’ll help too,” Cecilia offered.

“Fine,” Donnie again said.

“Uhm, one last thing, Donnie,” Misha asked carefully.

“What?” Donnie said in a muffled voice as his face lay smothered by the sofa cushion.

“Can we borrow Gia? We sort of walked all the way here from the prom,” Misha asked. Donnie reached into his pocket and slid the keys over to them.

“Thanks, Dodo,” Cecilia said as they hastily exited the house. Misha and Cecilia got into Donnie’s Karmann Ghia and drove off.

“Wow! I haven’t seen him that mad in a long time,” Misha said.

“You think he will ever talk to us again. I think we crossed a boundary he wasn’t prepared to deal with,” Cecilia said.

“No, we zigzagged all over that border.”

“I can’t get over how mad he was. I have never seen him lose it like that,” Cecilia said. “He always keeps his anger in check.”

“We better be back nice and early. We don’t want him to see the master bath.”

“Oh my god, we didn’t drain it, did we?!” Cecilia said in shock.

“Nope,” Misha said. Everything was quiet once again. Donnie was left alone with his thoughts. He didn’t want to move. The couch seemed like the only safe place in the house. As he lay on the sofa, he heard his father’s voice in his head. He heard him say in his thick Latin accent, “This is no funny.” His father had always said that to him, Misha, and CeeCee when they misbehaved. The result was never what Ernesto wanted. The warning had only made them laugh. Donnie realized now that his father knew full well, it would only make the children laugh and said it on purpose.

“This is no funny,” Donnie said out loud, and he began to chuckle.

“This is no funny,” he repeated as he turned over and began to laugh and for the life of him could not stop. He laughed until he cried. After the fit of tear-filled laughter was over, he closed his eyes and began to drift in and out of sleep. With his anger gone, he was again at peace.

“Sleep well, my son.”

“Night Papi,” Donnie said in his sleep.

CHAPTER 14

Graduation

MISHA AND CECEILA arrived at the crack of dawn to start the cleanup. They opened the front door and entered quietly. They had expected to find Donnie still asleep on the couch, but he was not there. Cecilia went upstairs to see if he was there, and Misha went into the rear of the house and found Donnie in the backyard. He was once again working on the VW Thing.

“Hey, man, I didn’t expect to find you up.” Misha was surprised that Donnie was already active and wondered if he had inspected the entire house.

“Couch was lumpy.” Donnie did not bother looking up. Misha could tell that he was still angry.

“Sorry about that, but me and CeeCee are here to help clean.”

“I’m not cleaning anything,” Donnie replied calmly. “It’s your mess. You’re going to clean it.”

“OK, that sounds fair.”

“Abbie will be over at 2:00 p.m. to tutor. Make sure that the downstairs is spotless by then.” Donnie remained under the hood of the VW Thing and had yet to look up at Misha.

“OK, boss,” he said and turned back into the house.

“Is he still mad?” Cecilia asked.

“Oh yeah, let’s get started.” Misha and Cecelia began the cleanup. Donnie finally looked up and watched as they went into the house. He could hear them rummaging in the kitchen for cleaning supplies. Donnie finally cracked a smile.

“That is no funny,” he said to himself and continued to work on the car smiling. Abbie arrived just before 2:00 p.m. She noticed large pieces of wood that were set out for the garbage. When she entered the house, she was greeted by the fresh smells of a clean house. She walked directly to the backyard to find Donnie. As she entered the kitchen, she noticed that the kitchen table was gone.

“You did some spring cleaning?” Abbie asked. “The house smells great. Where’s the kitchen table?”

“Not me, I’m sure it does, and it was put outside to be picked up by the trash,” Donnie answered her questions in succession and walked over to her. He picked her up and gave her a big kiss. He had a strange smile on his face for more than one reason. They continued to embrace for a while. Abbie could tell that he was extremely happy today, and she shared the sentiment equally.

“Did you hire cleaners?” she asked.

“Nope,” Donnie replied as he went back under the hood and motioned for her to come closer. Abbie could hear him let out a small giggle. She joined him under the hood. Her curiosity was now peaked.

“Want to explain to me what is so funny?” she asked. Donnie was holding something back but could not control his smile.

“Misha and CeeCee are cleaning the house from top to bottom,” he said.

“Why are they doing that?” Abbie became very interested.

“Well, apparently, they thought it would be a good idea to make love in my house,” he answered. Abbie opened her mouth wide in surprise. She quickly covered it.

“And . . .” Abbie said fishing for more.

“There were casualties,” Donnie replied laughing at his own response.

“What?” Abbie said confused.

“The table and my bed were decimated,” Donnie said in near hysterics. He tried to control his laughter, but he just couldn’t stop. Abbie, realizing what he meant, also started laughing. He got a hold of himself and got serious again.

“I am very mad at them,” Donnie said, making a serious face and mocking anger. Then he smiled and whispered to Abbie, “They think I’m still angry at them.”

“Donnie, you have to let them know you forgive them,” Abbie urged.

“No way, they’re deep cleaning the house, and I had to sleep on the couch, and it’s a very lumpy couch.”

“OK, well, is the office unlocked?”

“No, but here are the keys,” Donnie, said handing her his house keys. “If you see them, play along OK?”

“Maybe, but I think it’s a cruel joke,” Abbie replied.

“You didn’t see the master bathroom tub.” Donnie shuddered.

“What was in it?” Abbie asked.

“I didn’t want to know, so I simply closed the door.”

“OK, I am going to get ready then,” Abbie said as she walked back inside.

“Have a good class,” he said. As Abbie entered the house, she came face-to-face with Misha. He couldn’t make eye contact with her.

“You almost finished?” Abbie asked dryly.

“Yeah, just scrubbing the tub now, I’m going to get the linen out of the dryer,” he replied. Abbie unlocked the door to office and went inside wondering the whole time what had been the contents of the tub. Her student arrived within a few minutes. Her session went well, and soon enough she was done for the day. She looked out of the office and could see that Donnie was still outside. She took a seat at the desk to check her schedule for next week. Cecilia came into the office and took a seat across from her in front of the desk.

“I’m beat,” Cecilia said.

“I’ll bet. Is Donnie still mad at you?” Abbie asked.

“No, he let us off the hook about thirty minutes ago. I think he’s still laughing out back.”

“He was very amused,” Abbie declared.

“So . . . ?” Cecilia said as she leaned forward on the desk.

Abbie knew exactly was she was getting at, “So what?”

“How was he?” Cecilia asked. Abbie sat there momentarily stunned, then took a deep breath.

“I guess there is no use in refusing to tell you.”

“Nope, he will tell Misha, and I will pry it out of him, so you might as well spill it.”

“OK, it was everything I’d hoped it would be,” she said smiling.

“Weak!”

“What do you want me to say?” Abbie felt she had answered the answered adequately.

“I don’t know, maybe, he ravaged me like a Roman God!” Cecilia bellowed.

“CeeCee, you’re awful!” Abbie blushed and laughed.

“Misha doesn’t think so,” she said smiling. “I have splinters in my butt to prove it.”

Abbie’s jaw dropped. “Thanks for the mental picture that will haunt my children,” she said laughing.

“Come on, I need something better.”

“He told me he loved me.” Abbie had a glow about her as she said it. Cecelia was sure Abbie was the one for Donnie. She would look out for him from now on. She wasn’t sure why, but she could just feel it.

“All right, that’s a good answer. I’m happy for you both,” Cecilia said getting up and gently hugged her. “After everything that happened, he needed something good to happen to him. I know you will take care of him now.”

“You know I will,” Abbie replied. Donnie was still working on the car when Misha walked out to join him.

“Let me know how much I owe you for the new furniture,” Misha said.

“Don’t worry about it. I already ordered new furniture. It will be here on Tuesday.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go that far, but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Same here yesterday was perfect.”

“Finally done the deed, well, good for you. I’m really happy for you.”

“We’re both pretty lucky you know. We both have incredible girls that love us,” Donnie said. Misha smiled in mutual agreement.

“I know this is not the best time to ask, but it seems a good a time as any.”

“What do you need?” Donnie wondered what weird favor he would need now, plus he felt that he owed Misha for the use of the beach house.

“Can we hold a graduation party here?” Misha placed his hands together as if praying.

“Only if you promise to help clean up,” Donnie replied smiling. It was a good idea indeed.

“Yes! Awesome! I’ll start making the plans,” he said as he went inside to tell Cecelia. “The party is a go.” Misha and Cecilia left soon after and only Abbie was left in the house. Donnie went in to find her. He looked in the office, but it was empty. He looked outside, and her car was still in the driveway. Then he heard music coming from upstairs and headed upstairs. As he reached the second level, he could see that the door to his room was slightly ajar. The music was coming from within. He opened the door and spotted Abbie was lying on his mattress under the covers. Her clothes were spread all over the room in marvelous chaos.

“About time they left,” she said and used her finger to motion him closer. Donnie closed the door behind him.

Graduation and the following parties were all that anyone could talk about. The end of the school year had arrived, and so had the long-awaited graduation night. By a strange coincidence, Donnie and Abbie would be sitting next to each other during the graduation ceremony. By alphabetical order, his last name followed hers. Donnie was a bit depressed that his parents could not be here to see him today, but having Abbie at his side made things bearable. Abbie received the honor of being class valedictorian and was extremely nervous about delivering her speech, but having Donnie at her side gave her courage. One by one, the students of Joan of Arc High School were called up to the stage. “Abigail Gottlieb,” Mr. Stinson called out, and Abbie headed to the stage. Donnie could hear Johan cheering for her, and it brought a smile to his face. Her family was here to celebrate her achievement. She walked up and received her mock diploma. Unlike the other students before her, she took a seat on stage. “Donato Guerrero,” Mr. Stinson called out, and Donnie stood up. Billy stood up along with him and started clapping for him. He was soon joined by the rest of his varsity basketball teammates. Cecilia, Trista, Kelly, and the rest of the senior cheerleaders also stood up and began clapping and cheering for Donnie as he walked up to the stage. Then Johan’s booming voice could be heard as he cheered as well. The atmosphere was contagious, and the student body exploded in cheers! Donnie was completely awed. He walked onto the stage in total shock. “Congratulations, Mr. Guerrero,” Mr. Stinson said as he gave Donnie his Diploma and shook his hand. Abbie ran up and hugged him as he walked past the principal. The embrace caused another chorus of cheers from his classmates.

“What’s going on?” Donnie asked Abbie.

“Trista told Billy about your parents. He made this happen for you, but it was only supposed to be the basketball team. This is amazing baby!” Abbie said in tears. Donnie looked out to the auditorium and smiled. It was hard for him to hold back tears, so he stopped trying. He held up a hand in the air, acknowledging his classmates. He closed his eyes and felt the embrace of his parents all around him. They were definitely here. Donnie walked off stage and resumed his seat. He continuously nodded thanks to anyone he made eye contact with. As he took his seat, he saw the tall man that had been hanging around Abbie’s house. Again they made eye contact, and now he recognized him. It was the same man from the final basketball game. Why was he watching him so intently? He looked away for a moment, and when he looked back, the man was gone. The progression of students continued on from Harris all the way to Zane. Once every student’s name had been called, it was Abbie’s turn to give her speech. She walked up and took the podium. Johan yelled out in excitement, causing Abbie to smile.

“Everyone, say hello to my dad please,” Abbie said. “I love you Dad.”

“I love you sweetheart!” Johan yelled from the back of the auditorium. The assembled audience and students had a collective laugh.

“I want to start my speech by thanking my parents and my teachers for helping me get to this very spot. Without their constant encouragement and support, I am sure that I wouldn’t have made it this far. Next, I would like to thank my friends. High school can be a very hard time and place for many. Not everyone is popular, pretty or smart, and not everyone has the chance to make great friends while here. I was lucky to have friends that never let me stand alone. Without them, these four years wouldn’t have been the same. We have walked these halls for the last four years together. They have protected us from the outside world. Now, as we get ready to toss off our caps, we also get ready to fly out into the open. Some of us will go to college, and others will start careers right away. Either way, you will be exposed to new challenges and battles. A friend of mine once gave me advice. She told me not to fight for anything I didn’t want, but if I want it, to fight for it until I can’t fight anymore. It turned out to be great advice. So I pass on her wisdom to all of you. Pick your battles and win them. The challenges you decide to take on will define your character and ultimately will mold you into the great person I know is waiting inside each and every one of you. Whatever path you take, always remember how you got there. Never forget that the journey is part of the destination,” Abbie said, concluding her speech, and the seniors stood up and tossed their caps high in the air and cheered one another.

After a round of posing and picture taking, everyone that was invited headed to Donnie’s house for the after-party. Misha had taken a great deal of effort to set things up. There was food, drink, and even a DJ. Everyone began to arrive, and Misha played the role of host very well. Once he was set up, DJ DaringD started spinning.

“Wow! Misha, you really outdid yourself,” Donnie complimented.

“I try. I try,” he said as he enjoyed the festivities. All of his friends had made it, and it made Donnie glad to have the house full of people again. Everyone was having such a good time. Misha, CeeCee, Trevor, Kelly, Billy, Trista, and Abbie were all in attendance. Even Mr. Simmons and his wife Linda stopped by for a few hours. Donnie couldn’t be happier.

“What is next for you, Donnie?” Mr. Simmons asked him as he drank a coke and bobbed to the beats being blasted by the DJ.

“For the summer, I’m going to get that car running, after Abbie goes off to college, I’m not sure,” Donnie replied.

“You can go to school with her?” Mr. Simmons suggested. “You got an invitation to Princeton too.”

“Not sure I want to go to school. I’m not sure I want to work either.”

“So how will you live? I suspect you don’t have too much money left after the attorneys, paying off the house and the generous donation to Mr. Busby’s academic career.” Mr. Simmons looked at him and smiled.

“You may be right about that or you may be wrong,” he replied. “Let’s just say that my portfolio is doing well.”

“Portfolio, when did you start investing?” Mr. Simmons asked surprised.

“Dad taught me about it. He had made some good investments, and they have been paying off lately,” he replied. “If I devote myself, I might become Donnie Guerrero trader extraordinaire.”

“Good luck with that. I wish you all the best,” Mr. Simmons said. “You know what else today means?”

“What?” he asked.

“You are officially free from the courts,” Mr. Simmons pointed out.

“You’re right. I hadn’t even thought about it lately,” Donnie said. “Now this is a party!” The celebration continued into the night.

The next day, the summer officially began for Donnie and Abbie as well as a lengthy cleanup. Misha and CeeCee had stayed overnight. They had slept in Donnie’s old room. He had taken CeeCee’s words to heart and moved into his parents’ old room. It had been time. Over the summer, Abbie did little tutoring, but she did get a summer job. Donnie continued to spend as much time as possible with her. He continued to make repairs on the Thing and was close to getting it running as the summer came to an end.

Abbie had wanted to work two jobs, but she equally wanted to be with Donnie. So she split the difference and worked only one. She realized that it was going to be close and that she may not hit her goal, but she decided not to stress over it. Over all, the summer was blissful.

CHAPTER 15

All Sales Are Final

OVER THE SUMMER, Abbie had worked at a nearby diner as a waitress. Donnie would visit her often and leave obscene amounts of money as tips for her. This had been a constant point of contention between them. Abbie had made it very clear to Donnie that she wanted to earn the money for college on her own and refused his charity. She would leave the tips on his nightstand whenever she left his house. The returned money would often total hundreds of dollars. She was quite rigid on this rule and would not budge. Donnie was worried for her. He knew she would be short of her savings goal as he had calculated it weeks ago. She refused to accept any financial aid from him, and it was the only thing they fought about. So Donnie concentrated on other things besides worrying about Abbie. He focused on the Volkswagen Thing in the yard.

“So she just keeps leaving the money?” Misha asked.

“Yeah, and it’s pissing me off. She won’t accept any of it,” Donnie said irritated and added, “and she leaves that same stupid note with the cash. For services rendered, not even remotely funny.”

“I think it’s funny, Donnie, the gigolo.” Misha was trying to joke around and lighten his mood.

“Dude, that’s not funny man.”

“I thought she was half-Jewish?” Misha said jokingly.

“Fuck you Misha! I’m half American Indian. Are you worried I will take back everything I have given you!” Donnie screamed.

“Dude, I’m sorry I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just trying to help you relax,” Misha said defensively. Donnie took a few deep breaths and calmed down.

“I’m sorry Misha. She’s so worried about not having enough, and she won’t let me help her. It’s just so frustrating.”

“Why’s she being like that?”

“She wants to do it on her own, but she isn’t going to make it. Even with all the extra shifts she has been taking lately, it won’t be enough.”

“Are you sure?”

“Weird brain shit remember, I have done the figures in my head. She’s going to be short by at least two thousand dollars.”

“That much, huh, what will she do if she doesn’t have enough?”

“She doesn’t know. I even offered to get us an apartment close to school, but she said no to that too.” Donnie was getting upset again at the predicament.

“She doesn’t want it just given to her. I can get that.”

“I just don’t understand,” Donnie said as Cecilia walked out back with some lemonade for the guys to drink.

“Her parents aren’t wealthy. They had to work for everything they have. She’s getting a scholarship. I bet she feels that if you pay for her apartment, she won’t be earning some part of the education she’s getting,” Cecilia said as she handed drinks to Misha and Donnie.

“So what am I supposed to do? She’s crying herself to sleep worrying. I feel so helpless.” Donnie had felt the same when his mother died, a feeling he didn’t care to relive.

“I have an idea that might work, but she isn’t going to like it,” Cecilia said. Donnie and Misha listened intently.

A week before she was supposed to start school, Abbie took stock of her savings. She realized she was just under two thousand dollars from her goal. As she stared at the high ceiling in her room, she began to cry. Her dream of going to Princeton would not be happening. She didn’t want to ask Donnie for any money, but at this point, she would just need to swallow her pride. She would consider it a loan and pay him back with interest. It was a miserable compromise. There was a knock on her door.

“Come in,” Abbie said, drying her eyes. Her mother entered her room.

“Donnie is here to see you,” Camille said.

“OK. Tell him to come up,” Abbie said.

“He is downstairs with your father. They are talking. Your father wants to see you too,” Camille said. Abbie took a deep breath and went downstairs. Donnie and Johan were outside laughing. Abbie came outside and hugged Donnie and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“What are you two up to?” Abbie said, picking up on something between them.

“Business,” Johan said and smiled.

“What type of business?” she asked.

“Well, since you have been so stubbornly refusing my help, I had to find a way to circumvent your rules.” Donnie stood there with a little smug smile, and she immediately knew they were plotting something.

“What rules?” she asked.

“You refused any money I wanted to give you, and you refused me paying for your apartment. So I went to a higher power,” Donnie said smiling and looked at Johan.

“No. You are not giving my dad any money,” Abbie said getting upset.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. In fact your dad is giving me money.” Donnie’s grinning continued.

“I don’t understand,” Abbie said suspiciously. Johan motioned to something down the street. Misha pulled up in a powder blue 1967 Volkswagen Thing. Misha got out and walked over to Johan and tossed him the keys.

“She’s running smooth. Thanks for the test drive, Mr. Gottlieb.”

“Wait. What?” Abbie was confused.

“I have just bought this car from Donnie,” Johan said. Abbie just stood there stunned.

“I already have a car, I didn’t need another one,” Donnie said.

“Well, give it to Misha then,” Abbie said.

“I won’t need a car. I’ll be in the city,” Misha said enjoying this immensely. He too was smiling.

“Donnie! You rebuilt that car for you,” Abbie accused.

“Correction, I built it for my dad. It was the last thing he left unfinished. I never meant to keep it. I just wanted to fulfill his last wish.” Donnie’s answer had been truthful, and Abbie knew it.

“Dad, how much did you pay for it?” Abbie turned around to look at her father. Donnie’s eyes widened and he motioned to Johan not to tell her.

“That’s man business. You don’t worry about it,” Johan said sternly to his daughter. Abbie looked around and spotted the car title on the table and ran to it. She snatched it up before Camille could reach it.

“Five hundred dollars, he let you have that car for five hundred dollars?” Abbie said to her parents. “Do you realize that he spent well over ten thousand dollars and hundreds of man-hours restoring it?!” Johan got a look of surprise and looked at Donnie.

“Well, too bad,” Donnie said quickly. “All sales are final.” Abbie was furious.

“Honey, that amount of money is a lot for us. It was all your father could afford,” Camille said. “We still cannot afford the insurance. So if you want to drive it, you will need to pay for the insurance.” Everything became crystal clear to Abbie. The light had now been shed on the conspiracy.

“That was your plan all along, wasn’t it, Donnie?!” Abbie said as she got right in his face.

“Hey, you don’t have to do anything. I didn’t give you anything. No money, no rent, nada. I sold your dad a car I didn’t need. I gave him a really good deal, because I like him and no other reason,” Donnie said to her, leaning in so that they were face-to-face. Her angry face looked so cute; he had to hold back a smile.

“Well, I don’t want it!” she said yelling and turned her back on him. “Your dad had crappy taste in cars anyway.” Donnie went silent and just blinked repeatedly; her words had wounded him deeply.

“Fine, don’t drive it!” Donnie yelled at the back of her head. “Walk to Princeton for all I care!” Donnie turned and exited the house. He glanced at Camille; she was holding her hand over her mouth. He shook Johan’s hand on the way out. Johan looked disappointedly at Abbie as Donnie left. He and Misha got into his Karmann Ghia and drove off.

“That was awesome!” Misha said laughing.

“What are you talking about? She is angrier than a beehive right now.”

“Yeah, you said it, right now. I caught her eyeballing the car. She’s just being stubborn. She really wants the car.”

“I hope so. That was the worst fight we’ve ever had.”

“First off, that was not a fight. That was a tiff. It’s not a real fight unless you break things.”

“You’re the expert.”

“Yeah, I have had a lot of fights with girlfriends and learned from each and every one of them,” Misha agreed. “Plus, I am a keen observer.”

“What did I miss?”

“You were too busy arguing to notice she had the title in her hands. She could have ripped it up. The fact that she didn’t told me she was putting up a front.”

“Ha, so she’ll take the car then you think?”

“Without a doubt, my friend, and you’re in for a bonus.”

“I am afraid to ask, but what bonus?”

“Makeup sex,” Misha said. “There is nothing better after a fight.” Misha had been right about Abbie. She spent the next day getting car quotes in secret. She even called her dad’s agent to get a quote, and that one had been the best. Having two cars on the family policy made the rate considerably lower. She eventually came to her parents and apologized. She offered to pay for the insurance on the car, and they consented. Now Abbie had a harder task in front of her. She had to face Donnie.

Donnie had not spoken to Abbie for a few days now, and she missed him terribly. She decided to go see him and drove out to his house. The new car ran perfectly, and it had been painted in her favorite color. When she arrived, she took a deep breath and walked up to the door. She stood there for a few minutes, not sure what to do. She wasn’t sure what she was going to say. She had been so angry at him for manipulating the situation that she wasn’t sure how to apologize now. She just wasn’t sure if he would forgive her for the comment she made about his father. She regretted it the second after she said it. She knocked on the door softly and waited. Donnie came downstairs unsure if he had heard someone at the door. He could see that someone was on his porch. He went up to the door and turned on the porch light and opened the door when he saw who it was.

“Hi,” Abbie said softly with her head down. Donnie stood there silently and just looked at her. She was searching for words, and Donnie could see her turmoil. He reached out his hand and raised her chin and met her gaze.

“It’s still you and me forever, and I’m still madly in love with you.”

“I will always love you, Donnie, no matter what,” Abbie said cracking a small smile.

“Come here,” Donnie said opening his arms. Abbie and Donnie embraced. He smothered her in his arms and leaned his head atop of hers. She hugged him around his abdomen and placed her ear on her favorite spot on his chest. She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. They went inside, and once again Misha was right. Makeup sex was hard to surpass.

After school started, Donnie was feeling extremely lonely. With Abbie taking four classes, she had even less time to spend with Donnie now. Misha and Cecilia were in New York now as well. He was alone most of the time now and hated it. A year ago, this is how he would have liked things, but now it would not do. The only things he had to look forward to was spending fleeting moments with Abbie and Thanksgiving and Christmas when his friends would be back. On top of being lonely, Donnie was going stir-crazy, so he decided to get a job. There had been several outstanding offers on the table for him, but he didn’t want any of them. He instead took a job at Mayhak’s Mechanic shop as an apprentice mechanic. The paycheck was laughable, but he was doing something he really liked. So this was how it went for the next several months. Donnie worked, Abbie studied, and whenever they got a moment they could share, they did.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years were very joyous times for Donnie and Abbie. The previous year, Donnie had spent it completely alone. If it hadn’t been for Misha, Donnie wasn’t sure if he would have made it through that holiday season, but this season was completely different. Donnie was surrounded by friends and family. He made up for last year and lavished gifts on his friends and Abbie’s family. He was careful not to overdo the price tag on the gifts. He didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable gifting him with whatever they could afford. It had been a wonderful time.

Trista and Billy came up from Florida, and Kelly and Trevor came up and visited from DC. Donnie was glad that everyone was still together. For New Year’s, the old gang got together at Donnie’s house. It was good to have everyone together one more time. Donnie could see that everyone was drifting apart and was not sure how long these friendships would last. Until then, he would cherish every moment.

After the holidays, everyone went back in school. Donnie resumed his mechanical duties and Abbie her studies. She constantly urged him to either go to school or take a better job. He heard much the same from Cecilia. Donnie knew they meant well, but it was honest work, and it kept him grounded. Several months passed, and spring was once again upon Donnie and Abbie. They celebrated their one-year anniversary along with Johan’s and Camille’s twentieth. Donnie decided to take the biggest step of his life. “I’m doing it,” he said to Misha over his phone.

“You’re crazy, man. I think it’s too soon,” Misha replied.

“I’m sure. I am not backing out now.”

“I wish you luck then,” Misha said.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“When are you going to do it?” Misha asked.

“She’s on spring break right now. She went down to Florida with Kelly and Trista, so right after she gets back,” Donnie said excitedly.

“Man, I can tell you’re chomping at the bits.”

“I can’t wait,” Donnie replied.

“Are you giving her your mom’s?” Misha asked.

“Yeah, it feels so right, you know.”

“Hold on, CeeCee wants to say something,” Misha said as he passed his phone over to Cecilia.

“Don’t listen to him, Dodo. You go for it,” Cecilia said.

“Thanks, CeeCee. I am ready,” Donnie replied. He said his good-byes to his friends and waited for Abbie at the train station. It was Saturday, and he had not seen Abbie in a week. He could not wait to see her. Abbie had not been on the early evening train as expected but instead arrived on the night train several hours later. She came down the ramp and looked at Donnie remorsefully. Donnie didn’t like the look, and he got a very bad feeling.

“Hi, baby,” Donnie said. “How was Florida?”

“It wasn’t that great. Don’t ever go there,” Abbie said as she got in the car. She was obviously upset at something.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Just drive and quit asking questions, OK!” she snapped.

“OK,” Donnie said quietly and started the car. Abbie barely looked at him the entire drive home. When they got there, she didn’t get out of the car right away.

“Abbie, what’s the problem? It’s OK. I will understand,” Donnie pleaded and had expected that maybe she had strayed while in Florida. It was worrying him.

“My problem is that I have a loser boyfriend who has no drive to become anything but a grease monkey,” Abbie said calmly.

“Baby, if that’s bothering you so much, I will take the job at the DOD or MIT. I’ll do it tomorrow,” Donnie promised.

“You’re not getting it, so I will explain. We are done. I never want to see you again, ever,” Abbie said coldly. Donnie sat in the car stunned. He wasn’t sure he had heard those words come out of her mouth.

“Abbie, why are you saying this? I know you can’t mean it,” Donnie said on the verge of tears.

“Face it. I am way out of your league. I have simply outclassed you, and I need someone better.” Abbie did not shed a tear or look at him.

“I can’t accept that. You’re not telling me the truth. What brought this on all of a sudden?” Donnie turned to face her, but she refused to make eye contact.

“Listen, you retard! You were nothing more to me than a hot lay, and I don’t want to see you anymore. I have other priorities in my life now, and you’re no longer one of them. Get over it,” Abbie said coldly.

Donnie was shattered. He looked straight ahead and then spoke, “Please get out of my car.”

“With pleasure.” Abbie got out of the car and went directly inside. Donnie was numb as he slowly drove home. He was halfway there when he got a call from Johan.

“What the hell did you do to my daughter Donnie?!” Johan demanded.

“Nothing at all Johan. She broke up with me when I dropped her off. I have no clue what is going on,” he replied. “What happened?”

“She called me a simpleton and her mother a bloated cow,” Johan replied. “She also announced that she was moving out and never wanted to see us again!” Johan replied. Donnie could hear the tears behind his words.

“There’s something wrong. I can feel it. She’s not acting right.”

“She locked herself in her room and won’t come out. Camille is crying and I don’t know what to do,” Johan said.

“I’ll come back right away,” Donnie said and hung up the phone. Donnie sped on his way back, luckily avoiding the attention of any police officers and arrived within five minutes. Johan was waiting for him at the door.

“Where is she?” Donnie asked.

“Still in her room,” Johan replied. Donnie went upstairs while Johan tried to console Camille. He reached the door and knocked. There was no response.

“Abbie, it’s Donnie. Please open up baby. I know something is wrong. Let me help you,” Donnie pleaded, and again there absolutely was no answer. He placed his ear to the door and heard nothing on the other side. He knocked a lot louder, just in case she was listening to music and wearing earphones, still, no answer. Donnie tried the doorknob. Unlike what Johan had said, the door was unlocked. Donnie opened the door and screamed. Johan and Camille were surprised by Donnie’s cries and ran upstairs as fast as they could. When they got to Abbie’s room, they found Donnie trying to hold up Abbie’s limp body.

“Help me!” Donnie cried out. Camille fainted and hit the floor hard. Johan ran over to Donnie and Abbie. She had strung a rope from the high rafters in her room and hung herself. Her feet were nearly six feet off the ground, and Donnie was not tall enough to adequately lift her high enough to relieve the pressure on her neck. Johan being a foot taller was able to lift her easily.

“Get the ladder! I have her!” Johan yelled. Donnie ran and retrieved the ladder and a saw from the basement. He dialed nine-one-one as he ran down the stairs and help was on the way. When he got back to the room, Johan was on the verge of panic.

“Hurry, she’s so cold!” Johan yelled. Donnie climbed up the ladder and cut Abbie down. Johan laid her on the bed and loosened the rope around her neck. Donnie started performing CPR, but it was too late. Donnie wailed endlessly as the grim reality hit him. Abbie was dead.

CHAPTER 16

Funeral

EVERYONE HAD GATHERED for Abbie’s funeral. Kelly, Trista, Billy, and Trevor flew in right away. Cecilia had handled most of the funeral details as Johan and Camille had been in no shape to think clearly, and she had refused to allow Donnie plan yet another funeral. Abbie was buried the very next Monday. Her mother insisted on this as well as no embalming as these were Jewish traditions. Cecilia arranged for a rabbi and a priest to each perform a ceremony. All that was needed now was a minister to make this day into one dark sick joke. Misha stayed close to Donnie. He was extremely worried for his friend. Misha consoled his friend as best as he could; at least this time, he also had Cecilia to lean on, but he still worried. Donnie looked truly broken. It wasn’t like before when his parents died; it felt much worse. This time, Misha wasn’t sure that he would be able to pull him back out of his pit of depression.

Donnie never said a word during the funeral and refused to sit. She was buried in the same cemetery as his parents, but she was placed in a special section. There had been some issues because Abbie had committed suicide, but Cecilia worked it out. The rabbi delivered the first eulogy and was followed by the priest after a respectful moment of silence. After the prayers, she was lowered into the earth, and the grave was filled. Every shovelful of dirt that landed in the grave felt like a dagger to Donnie’s chest. After everyone had paid their respects, Johan and Camille returned to their house. There was gathering planned there, but Donnie didn’t go. He instead stayed at the foot of Abbie’s grave, where he had stood most of the day. Misha walked up and stood next to him.

“I was hoping that the next time I got dressed in a suit would have been for your wedding. I’m so sorry,” Misha said.

“This isn’t fair,” Cecilia said, walking to the other side of Donnie. “You were so happy, I don’t know what to say.” Donnie continued to look at the grave and spoke, “There’s nothing to say. She’s gone. I’ll be ready to leave in bit. Can I have a moment?”

“Sure man,” Misha said, and he and Cecilia walked to the car and waited on him.

Donnie took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t think. Nothing makes sense. This letter, I don’t understand,” Donnie said as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was her suicide note. He opened it and read it out loud.

Mom and Dad, I’m sorry, but the pressure at school is too much I dropped out. I can’t face you, knowing how much you would be disappointed in me. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please tell Donnie he didn’t do anything wrong and that I’m sorry. I love you all so much.

Abbie

“You lied to me. You promised me on the beach that you wouldn’t leave me.” Donnie erupted into tears. He had held them pent up all day. “A heartbeat away, do you remember? What am I supposed to do now? I don’t have the heart to go on, because I gave it to you.” Donnie continued to sob uncontrollably. The strain of the day had finally caught up to him, and he collapsed. He fell forward and landed on top of the fresh dirt mound covering Abbie’s grave. Misha and Cecilia rushed to his side.

“Donnie!”

“Abbie . . .” Donnie replied to her call and lost consciousness.

Donnie woke up in his bed at his home. Misha was sleeping in a chair at the foot of the bed. He looked over to the clock and saw that it was almost 5:00 a.m. He rolled over and went back to bed. Cecilia and Misha had stayed in the house with him throughout the funeral arrangements and were now staying with him after them. Donnie never once left his bed. Three days and Donnie had barely stirred.

“Dodo, you need to eat or drink,” Cecilia urged.

“Come on, buddy. Don’t give up on me now, fight.” Misha was worried, and no amount of acting skills could hide that now.

“No, you need to just leave, and let me be,” Donnie replied from under the covers.

“We are not going anywhere,” Misha replied.

“I can have you tossed out by the cops,” Donnie threatened.

“Good! I’ll take that as it would require you getting up to grab your phone,” Cecilia snapped back. No matter what they did, Donnie refused to eat or drink. Misha grew more and more concerned. It was now Wednesday, and Donnie was going on day four.

“I don’t know how to snap him out of it. I don’t think we can,” Misha said to Cecilia in the kitchen.

“If he keeps this up, we are going to have to call an ambulance. He is slowly dying up there,” Cecilia said.

“I have seen him depressed, but this is way beyond that. It seems like he has given up on life,” Misha said. “I’m scared, CeeCee. I think we might lose him.”

Cecilia hugged Misha. “He won’t die,” she promised. “He’s a tough guy.”

“I know, but every man has his breaking point, and I think Donnie is way past his.”

“Maybe, but if we have to, we will put him back together, both of us.” There was a knock on the door. Cecilia went over to door and saw the mailman walking away. She opened the door and got the mail. She started flipping through the letters and gasped.

“What?” Misha asked.

“It’s a letter!”

“I can see that.”

“It’s from Abbie,” Cecilia informed.

“What?” Misha said running to Cecilia. They inspected the letter and could see that it was postmarked five days earlier from Florida. It was addressed to Donnie.

“OK, this is just eerie.”

“No, it’s perfect,” Cecilia said. She immediately went upstairs and headed to Donnie’s room. Misha followed her up.

“Hey, Dodo, you got mail,” Cecilia said, waving the letter high above her head.

“I don’t care,” Donnie replied.

“Get ready to run,” Cecilia whispered to Misha. “It’s from Abbie.” Donnie sat up with a start.

“Give it to me!” Donnie ordered.

“No way,” Cecilia said.

“Give me the damn letter, CeeCee!” Donnie yelled.

“No, if you want it, you need to take a shower, come downstairs, eat a sandwich, and then you can have the letter.” Cecilia knew she had him now.

“I can take it from you,” Donnie threatened.

“Yeah, you probably can, but you won’t be able to catch Meemee once I hand it to him and he runs away,” Cecilia said, handing the letter over to Misha “Face it, Donnie, you aren’t faster than him.”

“I hate you!” Donnie screamed.

“That’s good, because no matter what you say, I still love you,” Cecilia replied.

“You aren’t alone, man. I’m still here too. No matter what, I have your back,” Misha said. Donnie started to cry, and Cecilia went over to the bed and hugged him. He began to cry hysterically and gripped Cecilia as close as he could. After Donnie got a hold of himself, Cecilia got up and wiped her own tears.

“Now take a shower, you need one,” Cecilia said smiling. “I’ll go downstairs and make you a sandwich.”

“Make it a PB and J please,” Donnie said as he got out of bed and headed into the shower. Cecilia and Misha headed downstairs.

“You never cease to amaze me,” Misha said to Cecilia.

“Stick around. You haven’t seen anything yet,” she replied and headed to the kitchen. Misha handed her the letter back and waited for Donnie. He put his hand in his pocket and gripped the box inside.

I’m not going anywhere, Misha thought to himself. Donnie came down with Misha after a few minutes. Cecilia had made several sandwiches and had them ready. Donnie sat at the table and devoured them all. He washed them down with what seemed like a gallon of milk. When he was done, Cecilia handed him the letter. He ripped it open and read it.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Donnie said. “It answers nothing.”

“What does it say?” Misha asked. Donnie handed the letter to him, and they read it.

To my beloved sweet Donnie,

I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I will always be in love with you, but I can no longer be with you. If I said anything hurtful, please forgive me. Don’t try to make any sense of it. Just know that I felt like I had no way out. Know that in death you will be in my heart forever. I hope this letter gives you some peace. Good-bye.

Abbie

Misha and Cecilia looked up befuddled.

“Is this from her?” Misha asked.

“Yeah, it’s her handwriting,” Donnie replied.

“This letter was mailed out a day before she got home,” Cecilia pointed out.

“This is too strange,” Misha said.

“She had it all planned.” Donnie realized.

“Yeah, but why?” Cecilia asked.

“Let me check something,” Donnie said, and he got up and grabbed the house phone. “Hello, Johan, how are you? Yes, I am sorry I didn’t make it to the house. I fainted at the cemetery. Yes, I’m fine now. I know it was a lot, but I insist you keep it. You’re welcome. How is Camille holding up? Maybe I’ll come over later to see her. Johan, let me ask you, did you get a letter from Abbie from Florida? Yes, I got one too. Of course, you can read it. I’ll bring it over today. OK, Johan, you take care, and take care of Camille. I’ll see you both soon, good-bye.” Donnie hung up the phone and sat back down at the table.

“They got one too?” Cecilia asked.

“Yea, I am really confused now.” Donnie had her suicide note. Why mail another from Florida?

“We all are,” Misha said.

“She breaks up with me as I drop her off, then gets into a huge fight with her parents, and tells them she is leaving forever,” Donnie said.

“She kills herself leaving only a short note,” Misha added.

“Then she sends another letter asking for forgiveness,” Cecilia finished.

“There is no rhyme or reason to this,” Donnie said. The three of them tried to figure out what had caused her to take such drastic actions, but nothing made sense.

Misha and Cecilia returned to school when they were sure Donnie was out of danger but called Donnie every day to check on him. Donnie had been coping well with his grief but was still in a deep depression. When his parents died, he had turned his back on his faiths. This time, he decided to seek strength in God and the Great Spirit. So he went to his church and sought out his priest.

Father Rodrigo Armando Benitez had attended seminary school with his father and had remained close friends with his father after he abandoned his calling. He was Donnie’s priest and the man who baptized him and gave him his first communion. He walked into the Council of Saints Church and looked for Father Benitez. “Donato, I am glad to see you, my son. You have been too long away from church,” Father Benitez said.

“Yes, Father, I know. I was angry, angry at God for taking my parents,” Donnie explained.

“I’m sorry you felt that way. Let me guide you through this crisis of faith,” Father Benitez said warmly.

“I would like that very much, Father Benny,” Donnie replied. He and Father Benitez talked for hours. He explained everything that had happened to him and to Abbie. He wanted to know why God had taken everyone he loved. Father Benitez spoke of many things with Donnie, but in the end, he was left with more questions than answers. He was still not at peace. The pain of losing Abbie still hurt like an open wound. Every little thing seemed to remind him of Abbie. He had another option available to him, but it had been so long since he talked to Punu. He wasn’t sure if his old friend would visit him again. He had no choice. He was desperate now, and he had to try.

Donnie went into the basement and gathered the necessary herbs, powders, and bowls and headed to the backyard. It had been years since he had summoned his spirit guide. His mother had assured him that if he ever needed his guidance, he would be there for him. At this point, Donnie was willing to try anything to get answers. He was not sure of the exact quantities of each herb to use; it had been over ten years since he last performed the ritual. He created a summoning circle and lit a fire at its center. He took a seat at its center and began to burn the key herbs. He closed his eyes and began calling to Punu. He sat in the circle for hours, inhaling the mystic herbs and waited. Nighttime came, and so did Punu.

“Hello, Donnie, I missed you.” Donnie opened his eyes and before him was a large translucent blue bear. His spirit guide had grown considerably from his cub size form in years past. Punu and every spirit guide communicated telepathically.

“Hello, Punu, I missed you too,” Donnie said. “You got big.”

“I was going to say the same thing. Why have you summoned me?”

“I need to find answers. I am lost.”

“What is your question?”

“I want to understand why Abbie killed herself.”

“Your loved one, yes, I liked her, but I cannot tell you why she ended her life.”

“What can you tell me?”

“I can take you to where your answers lie, but it is perilous.”

“I’ll take that chance.”

“Are you willing to trade your life for hers?”

“Without hesitation,” Donnie said firmly, not understanding what Punu meant.

“Very well, my dear friend, hop on my back and hang on.” Donnie got on Punu’s back, and the bear began to run. The world around Donnie seemed hazy and foggy as the journey took place. He could not tell where he was being taken as they traveled for what seemed hours.

“Donnie, I have a message for you.”

Donnie was surprised to receive another message. “Really, a message from whom?”

“It’s from Muna.”

“Mom, what did she say?”

“Everything is connected and that you will be a hornet among them.”

“Just like Mom to send me something cryptic.”

“She also said that she loves and misses you.”

“That’s what I needed to hear. Thanks, Punu.”

“We are almost at the end of our journey.”

“I’m ready, Punu.”

“Good-bye, my friend. I wish you luck.”

“Thank you, Punu.”

“I hope we meet again soon. Farewell.” Donnie woke up with a jolt. He was driving his Karmann Ghia. The car was racing down a familiar rocky path. He slammed on the brakes as the car went through a chain-link fence. The velocity of the vehicle was too great, and it effortlessly smashed through the metal barrier, dragging it behind. Donnie continued to struggle to regain control over the car. The car reached the edge of the cliff. Donnie gripped the steering wheel as the car crested over the edge. He could see the sand three hundred feet below. The back left tire had snagged on a portion of the fence. The fence yielded no more of its structure and forced the car to come to a quick and sudden stop before it careened off the edge of the cliff. Dust and rocks flew violently off the cliff. The frame of the vehicle creaked and strained against the durability of the rear axle, but then in the end, it held fast, and the car managed to avoid going over.

Donnie was not so lucky. The sudden stop of the car did little to stop his own momentum. He sailed through the windshield, shattering it into a million pieces. He plummeted down the entire height of the cliff as his body spun wildly. He impacted on the sand below. Although the sand was soft, it still remained solid. He landed on his back from the plunge. He could feel his life draining slowly now and was sure he was about to die. He couldn’t move his legs or arms, only his neck, so he looked around. He was at Misha’s grandfather’s beach house, at the Spot. Why did Punu bring him here, he thought? Pain shot sharply through Donnie’s entire body, and his lungs were filling up with liquids, making it hard to breathe. He looked up and could see his car still hanging off the edge of the cliff above him. Donnie wondered if it would dislodge and come down on top of him. It would be his typical luck. He looked out toward the beach and wished he could see the sunrise one last time, but he wasn’t sure what time it was. He turned his head sideways and violently coughed up some blood. “Donnie,” a voice cried from the beach. He looked back, and through his blurred vision, he saw an angel running up the beach toward him. She was wearing a long white gown that flowed gently as she moved. “Donnie!” the voice cried out again. It seemed very familiar. Then he heard it again, and he was sure.

“Donnie!” Abbie cried, and she rushed next to Donnie.

“Abbie, are you an angel?” Donnie asked weakly.

“No, Donnie. Please hang on! Please!” Abbie screamed.

“It’s OK,” Donnie said. “You’re alive. So I must be trading my life for yours.”

“Donnie, you’re not making any sense! Just hang on. Don’t leave me,” Abbie cried out. Donnie could barely talk now, and even though he was in unimaginable pain, he smiled up at Abbie.

“Spirits . . . trade . . . your life . . . I love . . . you.” Donnie was struggling to breathe with every word. He was losing consciousness but struggled to remain with Abbie for as long as he could.

“You’re not going to die. Just hang on!” Abbie urged. Donnie’s vision began to cloud and then darkened with every blink.

“Donnie!”

“Donnie!”

“Donnie!”

CHAPTER 17

Spring Break

TWELVE DAYS EARLIER, the ladies were excited about spring break in Miami! Abbie and Kelly got off their plane from DC right after sundown and were met by Trista and Billy. The old friends were looking forward to a week of sun, fun, and partying. They got their bags as Billy pulled his car around and soon enough were on their way. They were heading to an all-inclusive upscale resort called The New Berlin. The resort boasted an old European theme, food, and activities.

“How did you afford this place again, Abbie?” Billy asked as he pulled onto the property.

“I won a vacation package prize on campus,” Abbie replied.

“Wow! That’s fantastic! I heard this place is like four thousand a night. Why didn’t Donnie come with you?” Billy asked.

“Oh, he wanted to, but I convinced him to let it be a girls only trip. Plus, I wanted to see my girlfriends again,” Abbie replied.

“So after you drop us off, beat it,” Trista ordered playfully.

“Yes, ma’am!” Billy cracked a smile. Kelly and Abbie were so very happy for Trista; Billy had been so wonderful to her. She was a different person now. She was happy; no, they were happy.

“What are you going to do for spring break, Billy?” Kelly asked. “Trevor went to the Bahamas.”

“You’ll only laugh if I tell you,” Billy replied.

“No, they won’t! Don’t be afraid to tell them. I think it’s a great opportunity,” Trista said encouragingly.

“OK, fine. I am going to be a junior aid in Washington DC for a week,” Billy said, slightly embarrassed. “I leave on Sunday night.”

“That is a great opportunity for you, Billy,” Kelly said.

“You are a political science major, right?” Abbie asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Billy replied.

“He is going to be president one day!” Trista said. “What do you think, ladies, will I make a great First Lady?” Trista said, sticking out her lips and posing. Everyone in the car had a good laugh. The ladies arrived at their resort and were amazed at its splendor. For all of its opulence, the resort seemed sorely out of place in Miami. The bellhops gathered their bags and carried them inside.

“You stay from any female aid with a cigar,” Trista said jokingly, kissed Billy good-bye, and then followed Abbie and Kelly inside. The resort looked amazing on the exterior, but that paled miserably to what they encountered on the inside. Abbie could see why this place was so expensive. It looked like a castle or manor on the inside. There was gold plating on every metallic fixture, and she thought that the gems on the chandeliers were genuine. The interior was accentuated by tall ceilings. It took their breath away. The girls reached the front desk and waited. A young woman walked up to them. “Do you have a reservation?” she asked in a German accent.

“Yes, Abbie Gottlieb,” she replied. “Party of three,” She quickly read the young woman’s name tag and called her by name “Inga.”

“Ah, yes. We are expecting you. Congratulations on winning the Empress package,” Inga said. “You will have a wonderful time.”

“Thank you,” Abbie replied. “I know this will be a trip we will never forget.”

“I see you have only women in your group. We had expected a gentleman to come with you. I will need to assign you another room steward,” Inga said as she checked them in.

“A steward, what exactly is that?” Kelly asked.

“It’s like you own personal butler in the room,” Inga replied. “We had assigned Stefan, but that is against resort policy for a group consisting of only ladies,” she replied. At that moment, a young man walked up to the group. He began speaking; he had a thick German accent.

“Hello, ladies. My name is Stefan and I will be your steward.” He was wearing a white polo shirt with the resort logo on it and tan colored Bermuda shorts. He was tall, quite well toned, and handsome. He had short sandy blond hair, crystal clear blue eyes, and near-perfect skin. His only flaw was a star-shaped scar over his left eye.

“Sorry, Stefan, I need to swap you over to the Smith’s party,” Inga said.

“Oh well, that’s just fine. I will take them up to their villa so they don’t have to wait,” Stefan offered.

“I will have Heidi meet you there,” Inga said.

“Please, follow me, freulines,” Stefan said as he started to walk. He looked at the bag boys and said something in German to them, and they began to follow the group. He took them up to the fifth floor and brought them to their suite. A young, blonde woman was waiting for them at the entrance of their villa. She swung both doors open and motioned the party in. The room was simply mind-blowing. Abbie, Kelly, and Trista felt as if they had stepped into a palace.

“OK, look up decadence in the dictionary, and you will see a picture of this place,” Kelly said as she ran in and looked around. Trista went over to a window.

“Wow! This view is spectacular! The pool is huge, and the beach is so close,” Trista added. Abbie felt wonderful that she could give an experience like this to her friends. She started to understand why Donnie was so generous, why he gave so much without hesitation; this feeling was simply marvelous. She missed him already.

“This is Heidi. She will take excellent care of you,” Stefan said. Heidi stepped forward and took a small bow. She had long straight blonde hair and was also quite attractive. She seemed a bit nervous as she stepped forward and looked at Stefan several times before speaking.

“Hello, my name is Heidi, and I will be taking care of all your needs. If there is any activity you would like to do, let me know and I will schedule it for you.” She produced a clipboard and handed out several resort brochures.

“You are in better hands now, so I will excuse myself,” Stefan said. “Please enjoy your stay at the New Berlin.” Stefan exited the room, closing the doors behind him.

“Why couldn’t we keep his hunky-butt around again?” Trista asked.

“It’s resort policy and not at all appropriate,” Heidi replied as she directed the bag boys to each room.

“So what do you want to do first?” Abbie asked, looking over the brochures.

“May I suggest dinner? I took the liberty of reserving a table at our five-star restaurant, Der Teller, and after that, you could head to our nightclub, Nuclear Fission.”

“I am hungry,” Abbie said.

“I am too,” Kelly added.

“So let’s go eat, and when we come back, we can rest a bit and then head to the club,” Trista finished.

“Excellent, I will have everything ready when you return,” Heidi said. She opened the door and yelled something in German down the hall. Hearing such a loud voice come from their steward made the girls giggle. After less than a minute, a young boy ran to the door. He was no older than fifteen. Heidi spoke to him in German, and he nodded in understanding.

“His name is Gerald, and he will take you to the restaurant,” Heidi said. The young boy smiled and looked appreciatively at his lovely charges. He turned and waited outside the villa. When the girls were ready, he took them downstairs to the restaurant.

“Can you find your way back? If not, I will wait here for you,” Gerald asked.

“I think we can,” Abbie replied. She noticed that there were several other boys around the same age sitting on benches near the entrance to the restaurant.

“Do you mind?” Kelly asked Gerald. “It’s a big place, Abbs.”

“Not at all, it’s my job,” Gerald said nodding. “I’ll wait over there near those benches.” The girls entered the restaurant and were assailed by a masterful bevy of delightful scents and smells.

“Oh, yum, I want to try everything,” Kelly said.

“I feel like I will gain ten pounds just by breathing the air in here,” Trista added.

The maitre d’ approached the group; a server accompanied him. “Are you the Gottlieb party for three?”

“Yes, that is us,” Abbie replied.

“I have your table waiting. Gretchen will seat you,” he said, handing three menus to the girl standing next to him. “I hope you enjoy your meal.” Gretchen escorted the girls to an excellent table and then took their drink orders before departing the table. The girls began to look over the menu.

“Hey, there are no prices on the menu,” Kelly noticed.

“I bet you have a heart attack when you get the bill,” Trista added.

Abbie laughed and explained, “When I got my package, the resort representative told me that everything was included, food, drink, activities, and even tips. He said we could tip, but it’s not necessary because the cost per night covers their tips.”

“Wow! That is great,” Kelly said.

“Should be for 4K a night,” Trista added. “I just wish I knew what the most expensive thing on this menu is.” The girls all laughed at her comment. They selected dinner entrees with Abbie’s help and were not disappointed. The meal was delectable, the portions huge. When the desserts came, the girls could barely finish. After their meal, the girls headed to their villa. Gerald had been exactly where he said he would be and ran up to the girls smiling.

“Was your dinner yummy?” Gerald asked. Abbie was delighted at his enthusiasm.

“Yes, it was incredible,” she said, smiling. Gerald escorted them back to their villa. He chatted the whole way, explaining how not to get lost in the resort. The information he offered was really helpful. When they arrived at the room, Heidi opened the doors and let them in. Gerald made his farewells and ran back down the hall out of sight.

“Welcome back. I hope your dinner was enjoyable,” Heidi said.

“It was incredible,” Abbie said.

“I can’t wait to try another dish,” Kelly said as she headed to her room.

“I am glad you enjoyed it. Der Teller serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but if you want some more contemporary food, our kitchen is open twenty-four hours and will deliver just about anything at anytime of day or night,” Heidi explained.

“That sounds good. Do they make salads?” Trista asked.

“Of course, my favorite is the Caesar salad,” Heidi replied.

“Hey!” Kelly said as she came back out of her room. “All my clothes are unpacked and placed in the drawers and on hangers.”

“Yes, of course,” Heidi replied. “It’s my duty to do such things.”

“She ironed everything!” Kelly said. “You rock, Heidi.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Heidi smiled.

“Now I get it,” Abbie said. “That is why we get a female steward, because of our unmentionables.”

“That is one reason, yes,” Heidi said. Abbie and Trista went into their rooms and found much the same treatment.

“She is good,” Trista said.

“I get better,” Heidi said, smiling. “I managed to get you three passes to the VIP lounge in the club.”

“They aren’t part of the package?” Kelly asked.

“No, not for the Empress package, but Stefan’s group, the Smiths, have the Emperor package. They declined them as they have several children with them and expected that they would not make use of them. So he brought them over to me,” Heidi explained.

“Well, I think we’ll accept,” Abbie said. The girls spent the next few hours planning their itinerary for the remainder of the week with Heidi. After they had plotted their activities, they began getting ready to go clubbing. Once everyone had gotten dressed to kill, they made their way down to the club. When they got to Nuclear Fission, the club was already hopping. The DJs were in full mode, and everyone was dancing. It was unusual to see two DJs spinning in perfect tandem, but they had their skills well in hand. They were blasting the electro house sounds that are very popular in Europe and the United States. The girls hit the dance floor. The beats were invigorating, and they let loose.

“These DJs are sick!” Kelly yelled.

“They are really good,” Abbie agreed.

“They call themselves Twinz Beatz. They are famous in South Florida!” Trista said. The girls continued to dance for the next hour and gathered the attention of many club goers. They eventually decided to head up to the VIP lounge. It was located high above the dance floor. As they entered, the girls were surprised to be among several recording artists and movie stars. They found a nice table and watched in awe as the stars came and went.

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” a familiar voice asked. The girls looked up and were surprised to see Stefan standing by their table. He was dressed in very fine clothes.

“Thanks for the passes Stefan, and yes we are having a great time,” Abbie replied.

“Why are you here?” Trista asked.

“The Smiths had four VIP passes. I gave you three and kept one for myself,” Stefan explained smiling.

“Won’t you get in trouble for that?” Abbie asked.

“Not if you don’t tell on me,” Stefan answered with a smile.

“It’s the least we can do,” Kelly answered.

“Well, I’m heading back to the dance floor. I am rehydrated now. Have a good time,” Stefan said.

“Thank you again, Stefan,” Abbie said.

“Thanks,” Kelly said.

“Oh, one last thing, I don’t drink alcohol, but if that’s something you like, the servers never check ID up here,” Stefan said and winked. Then he walked back downstairs.

“Tres Mojitos!” Trista called to a nearby server.

“Trista, what if they check our IDs? We aren’t old enough to drink,” Abbie said.

“Well, let’s test that theory,” Trista said. After a few minutes, their server brought them three drinks and set them on the table.

“Oh, this is going to be a great week!” Trista said as she began sipping her beverage.

“I’m not sure about this.” Abbie stared at her drink, wondering if she should.

“Live a little, Abbs. It’s spring break, and when are we going to get this chance again?” Kelly asked as she grabbed hers.

“Oh, what the heck,” Abbie grabbed the drink. “Mmm, this is good.” By the time the girls made it back to the room, it was almost 3:00 a.m., and they were all quite drunk. They stumbled into their beds and fell asleep. In the morning, they woke to the smell of eggs and sausage. Heidi was in the room and had brunch ready. One by one, they stumbled out of their beds and into the dining area. She handed everyone a glass with a greenish liquid as they sat down at the table. It smelled quite odd. Abbie was undoubtedly in the worst shape! She had never been a big drinker, and she was remembering why right about now.

“What is this, Heidi?” Kelly asked.

“Pickle juice. It will help with the hangovers if you drink it,” Heidi said. Abbie grabbed her cup and drank it down as if she had been in a desert without water for days.

“No, thanks, I’m not hung over,” Trista said. Other than still being a bit sleepy, she was obviously not suffering any ill effects from the previous night’s drinking. Abbie grabbed Trista’s glass and gulped it down just as fast as the first. Trista and Kelly laughed at Abbie, and Heidi just smiled.

“You need to take it easy next time,” Trista said.

“What were the last drinks we had called?” Abbie asked, holding her head.

“They were called Blenheims!” Kelly answered loudly.

“Never again,” Abbie said and added, “and please keep your voice down.”

“Abbs, you realize you had as many drinks as me and Trista combined?” Kelly asked.

“I did? I can’t remember.” Abbie placed her head on the table.

“I’m surprised you were able to walk back to room. You were hammered!” Trista said.

“You were gulping them down like the pickle juice there,” Kelly said.

“Well, I think I’m going to go back to bed for a few more hours,” Abbie declared.

“When should I wake you?” Heidi asked.

“No later than two,” Abbie said and slumped back to her bed. Kelly and Trista got ready and headed to their planned activities for the day. Abbie woke around one thirty and felt like herself again. She began her day again by taking a shower and getting dressed. When she finished dressing, Heidi had returned to the room and had brought her a small soup, salad, and sandwich.

“Heidi, thanks for the pickle juice. I feel much better,” she said.

“All part of the service.” Heidi smiled as she served Abbie her lunch. The small portions had been perfect; she felt full and was ready for the rest of the day. Over the next several days, the girls enjoyed a multitude of activities like sunbathing, massages, skin treatments, spa works, manicures, and pedicures. They were simply pampered. The vacation so far had been beyond their wildest dreams. On the fourth night of their vacation, Abbie agreed to venture another night at Club Nuclear Fission. She had promised herself to take it easy on the drinks tonight. The girls danced for a while, then headed to the VIP lounge for some refreshments. As they entered, they spotted Stefan sitting at a table with two young men. Abbie waved to Stefan, and he motioned to them to come and sit at his table. The ladies joined the three men.

“Good to see you again. I hope you are still having a great time,” Stefan said.

“We sure are,” Abbie informed.

“Oh, excuse my manners, this is Roberto and Jake,” Stefan said, introducing his friends to the girls. Abbie introduced herself, Trista, and Kelly as they sat down. The six of them had a few drinks. The boys seemed an odd group. Roberto had a thick Latin accent and revealed in conversation that he was from the island of Puerto Rico. Jake on the other hand had a strong Scottish accent and entertained the girls by imitating Sean Connery. Eventually Roberto asked if any of the girls would like to dance. Jake also made it clear he was ready to cut a rug, an expression that was lost on almost everyone. Stefan decided to stay behind. They went down and started dancing. Roberto and Jake were great dancers! After a while, Abbie felt bad having left Stefan alone and went back up to check on him. She found him still sitting at the same table. He seemed to be deep in thought as she rejoined him.

“You should come down and join the rest of us.”

“I think one of the managers is out on the floor tonight. It’s best that I stay up here until he’s gone,” Stefan admitted.

“I see, hiding from the law.”

“Ya, you can say that,” Stefan said, laughing slightly. He motioned to the server for two drinks.

“I shouldn’t drink anymore.” Abbie had been careful tonight not to over do it.

“It’s only vegetable juice,” Stefan said. “I don’t drink alcohol, remember.”

“Yeah, I remember you mentioning that,” she replied. The server placed the bloodred drinks on the table, and Stefan grabbed his and took a swig. Abbie grabbed hers, smelled it, and then took a small sip, and liked it, so she took a larger swallow.

“It’s good. What is it?” she asked.

“It’s a blend of some sort. They call it the ‘Veggie Medley,’” he replied. Kelly, Trista, Jake, and Roberto returned to the VIP lounge to rejoin Stefan and Abbie, but they were nowhere to be found. Kelly and Trista were worried when they couldn’t find her, but Jake and Roberto assured them that if she was with Stefan, she would be safe. They stayed at the club until it closed and still no Abbie. Kelly and Trista headed up to their room to look for her, but she was not there either. They tried calling her phone but also got no answer. They even checked with resort security, but they had not seen her either. It was a tense night for Trista and Kelly, but they decided to sleep on it and hopefully she would be back in the morning with an explanation.

Abbie woke up on a bed in a lavish bedroom. She did not recognize it or remember how she got there. She got up and looked around. The bedroom appeared to be a small suite. It had several lavish high-backed chairs, an antique coffee table, and a Victorian style queen-sized bed. She got out of the bed and looked out the window. She could see the resort pool, but the view seemed higher, so she thought that she was on the top floor of the resort. The door opened behind her; as she turned around, Stefan walked in.

“What happened? Why am I here? What did you do to me?” Abbie demanded. Stefan took a seat in one of the chairs and smiled.

“What happened is I drugged you,” he answered.

“What the fuck? Oh my god. Did you, did we?” Abbie began to hyperventilate at the realization that she may have been violated.

“No!” Stefan became a bit upset at the accusation. “I would never do anything like that. You are unharmed and unmolested.”

“Well, I want to leave, now!”

“Not my decision anymore.”

“What do you mean? Why not?” Abbie said on the verge of tears.

“If you give me a few minutes, I can explain everything. Just take a seat.”

“No, I’d rather stand,” Abbie said, clenching her fists. She was wondering if she could make the door before he stood up and stopped her.

“Now to answer your initial questions, what happened is I drugged you. Why you are here now is because you have been selected,” Stefan continued.

“Selected for what?” Abbie was beginning to get frightened.

“To join a great Bloodline,” Stefan replied. “It’s a great honor.”

“I don’t understand.” She was shaking now.

“Please let me finish. It will be easier for you that way,” Stefan said. Abbie nodded, and Stefan continued.

“About two years ago, my mentor requested permission to birth a child, and his request was granted by the Führer.”

“I’m not liking where this is going,” Abbie said. Abbie was sure that the next few words out of his mouth would include her becoming pregnant. Stefan sighed and continued.

“I was given the task to locate a suitable child to join the Bloodline, and that’s where you come in,” he explained.

“I am not ready to have kids. Unpick me!” she ordered.

“I picked you because I felt you were a good candidate to join us. You’re beautiful, intelligent, and have very little family.”

“Well, I don’t want any part of this, so let me go!” she demanded.

“Like I explained earlier, it is no longer in my hands. It is now up to Commander Von Strauss,” he explained calmly.

“Commander who?” she asked.

“Commander Hulderich Von Strauss, and if he likes you, he will birth you into a whole new life,” Stefan said smiling.

“No! I don’t want that, whatever that is!” Abbie screamed at Stefan.

“I suggest that you accept your fate. He does not like being rejected, and he might kill you outright if you insult him,” Stefan cautioned.

“Kill me? Why? I haven’t done anything to him.” Abbie could feel her heart pounding within her chest.

“It has nothing to do with what you have or have not done. You are a special and integral part to my task.”

“Fuck you and fuck your damn task! I want out of here!” As she finished, a tall man entered the room and looked at Abbie. He was wearing a military outfit, but it was old and similar to what the German SS wore during the Second World War. He smiled and took a seat next to Stefan. What? Abbie thought. She recognized him.

“Have you explained everything to her?” Hulderich asked.

“I have been trying, sir, but she’s too frightened to grasp what is being offered to her,” he replied.

“That is because you are an incompetent fool!” Hulderich yelled at Stefan.

“I know you!” Abbie said. “You are the bum my dad kept chasing away!”

“Yes, I had to view you for myself to make sure you were suitable,” Hulderich replied.

“You guys are nothing more than creepy stalkers!” In a split second, Hulderich was in front of Abbie. She barely had a moment to blink before she was struck. Hulderich’s blow knocked her back from next to the bed where she was standing, against the window. Abbie struck the tempered glass, bounced off it, and landed harshly on the floor. The blow knocked all the air out of her lungs, and she was left struggling to take in a breath.

“You will learn to respect your superiors, or you will learn what limits of pain the human body can withstand,” Hulderich said coldly. Abbie struggled to stand back up, and when she finally stood up, she saw that Hulderich was again sitting in his chair. She was terrified and didn’t know what to do.

“Finish explaining to her, then bring her to my room,” Hulderich said as he stood up and walked out. Stefan waited for Hulderich to close the door before he turned to Abbie.

“I warned you. Don’t do that again. You’re lucky he didn’t kill you. He must like you,” Stefan said.

“Like me? Are you serious? He’s a maniac, and why’s he dressed like a Nazi?”

“Because he is, we all are, and so shall you too become.”

“Do you realize I’m half-Jewish?”

“Yes, a fact you better forever keep quiet!” Stefan interrupted. “It would mean certain death for you.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Go to his room and tell him you are ready.”

“And if I don’t?” Abbie braced herself for his answer.

“He may kill you or take you anyway,” Stefan replied matter-of fact-like.

“I think I’d rather die.” Abbie sprinted from the room. She looked back and could see that Stefan was not chasing her; he had not even bothered to get up. She was in a hallway with many doors to either side of it. She ran to her left until she got to a door leading to stairs, but it was locked and would not open. She ran down the next corridor and started checking doors as she went down this hall. She found one unlocked and opened it. On a bed was a shapely woman with golden curly hair. She was on top of a male figure. She looked up at Abbie. Her mouth had blood dripping from it. Abbie could see who was in the bed with her. It was Gerald. In an instant, the woman was at the door.

“Tell Stefan to keep his toys in his own room,” the woman said in a German accent and slammed the door closed in Abbie’s face. Abbie stood there for a second and then screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Abbie, you are disturbing the others. Please come back to my room,” Stefan said from directly behind her. She had not seen or heard him approach her. She took off, running once again. As she ran, she again looked back and saw Stefan slowly walking after her. She reached the next door marked as stairs after turning a corner, but it too was locked tight. She pounded on the door and screamed for help. A room door opened up behind her. She turned around to see a huge man standing in the hall. He was not wearing a shirt but had on pants that appeared to be part of a uniform similar to Hulderich’s. Before she could react, he had moved to her and lifted her by her neck with one arm. Abbie struggled against his hold, but she might as well have been a feather to him. He took her back to his room and threw her on the bed. She hit the mattress and bounced high off it. The arc of the bounce landed her atop a wooden table. It splintered under her weight, injuring her back. Before she hit the floor, the man was standing over her. He opened his mouth, and Abbie could see he had huge fangs. He grabbed her again by the neck and brought her neck close to his maw. Abbie tried to fight the titan’s grip, but even breathing at this point was impossible. He was slowly choking her.

“I wouldn’t do that, Hans,” Stefan said as he leaned in the doorway.

“Why not, underling?” Hans asked.

“She’s meant for Hulderich,” he answered.

“I will only take a sip. She smells delicious.”

“Fine, but have fun explaining to Hulderich why his new child has the marks of another on her.” Hans roared in anger and threw Abbie over the bed; she landed at Stefan’s feet. Abbie felt her wrist snap. Stefan grabbed Abbie by the back of the neck and started walking her down the hall.

“What are you?” Abbie asked, holding her wrist and wincing in pain.

“You haven’t figured that out yet?” Stefan asked. “We’re vampires.”

“You want to make me one too?” Abbie asked in complete fear.

“We’ve gone through a great deal to get you here. Did you think you actually won a package? It was rigged.”

“But why me?” she asked.

“I told you I picked you because you’re perfect for my needs,” Stefan replied. “We can offer you power, wealth, and immortality, but it has to be your choice.”

“Well, then I decline!” Abbie yelled.

“I would ask you to rethink that,” Stefan said, releasing her and allowing her to walk on her own.

“Why would I ever consider taking you up on this offer?” Abbie asked as she gripped her broken wrist.

“I spent considerable time and resources selecting you, and if you decline, you will be killed, and I will be punished severely.”

“Good! I hope they screw you all up! I’d still rather die than go through with this. So you might as kill me now,” Abbie said bravely.

“You might feel that way now, but consider this. After my punishment is over, I will take my revenge on you. I will go back to New Jersey and kill both your parents and finish off that slippery boyfriend of yours. I will make their deaths ten times more painful than whatever Hulderich puts me though, I can promise you this. And your friends on the fifth floor, I will have Hans dispose of them,” Stefan said coldly. “So, I ask you again, what is your decision?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Abbie began to cry. She was sure Stefan meant every word.

“You always have a choice, but you must live with your decision and abide by it,” Stefan said, stopping in front of a door. He knocked on the door, and it opened. Hulderich stood in the doorway.

“I am ready,” Abbie said and walked inside.

“Your apprenticeship is complete. I will write your letter and officially release you once the detachment is complete,” Hulderich said as he turned and closed the door behind. He took a long look at Abbie. She did not turn around to face him.

“Are you ready to receive my gift, my child?” Hulderich asked.

“Yes, I am ready to become a vampire,” Abbie said with tears in her eyes.

“Do not be afraid. Your new life will be glorious in the service of the Reich.” He approached her from behind and tilted her head sideways. “Now, you will truly live.” Hulderich injected his fangs deeply into her neck. Abbie whimpered as his fangs sliced into her flesh and then began to scream as the intensity of the pain escalated. Slowly her strength dwindled, and her heart began to beat slower. Every labored beat of her heart caused her chest to burn in pain. Her eyes shut, and she took her last breath. Stefan listened outside the door and smiled evilly.

CHAPTER 18

Detachment

WHEN ABBIE WOKE, she was in a bedroom alone. It appeared different than the others she had been in previously, but it still had the same European style. She got up and walked over to the window; it was still nighttime. She started to walk toward the door when she bent over in agony; she was starving. She had never felt such hunger pains, and she cried out involuntarily, holding her arms over her stomach. The door to her room opened, and Stefan walked in. “Ah, I see you are reborn.”

“Reborn?” Abbie said as she curled up in a ball on the floor.

“I’m sorry. You must be hungry. Let me get you someone,” Stefan said. He exited the room and returned with Jake and Roberto.

“Pick one,” Stefan said.

“Pick one for what?” Abbie was having trouble thinking now. The pain was growing.

“To feed on, of course,” he replied.

“No,” Abbie said weakly.

“If you don’t feed, you will go mad and attack anything that has blood pumping through it,” Stefan said. Abbie simply shook her head no in defiance as she lay on the floor. “Very well, I will pick for you then.” He looked at the boys and selected Roberto, and Jake left the room. Roberto walked over to Abbie. As he got closer, she could actually smell his blood and hear his heart beating and when she looked at him could see his blood coursing through his veins. She could not resist! Abbie jumped up and grappled Roberto and brought him down, not unlike a lion bringing down a gazelle. She opened her mouth and could feel her teeth growing and sank them deep into his neck and began to drink. She could not stop, and if it were not for Stefan pulling her off him, she would have surely killed him.

“Enough. You must not kill our stock. They are hard to replace,” Stefan said as he restrained her.

“More!” she yelled as she reached out for Roberto again. He got up and weakly walked out of the room.

“Get some rest, and do not return to this floor for two days,” Stefan said, directing Roberto to depart. Abbie calmed down after he had left the room and was appalled by what she had just done. She slumped to the floor in disbelief.

“Why did I attack him? Why couldn’t I stop?”

“A new vampire has trouble controlling their urges, and that’s why they are never unaccompanied.” Stefan released his hold on her.

“I almost killed him. He was so nice to me. I feel awful.”

“Don’t despair. He’ll be fine in a day or two,” Stefan said. “You caused him no real harm.”

“I bit him! He felt it! I hurt him!” Abbie screamed.

“Yet he lives and will feed another one of us in a few days,” Stefan countered.

“Is this how it will be? I will be biting young boys to live?” Abbie got up and sat on the bed.

“Not always. After a while, you will develop a preferred taste and gender,” Stefan explained.

“This is so sick! I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You’ll conform, or it will destroy you, but I have a feeling you’ll be a strong one.” Stefan sat on the bed next to her.

“So what do I do now?” Abbie asked.

“Well, I am glad you asked actually. We need to perform the detachment and begin your training.”

“Detachment, what is that?”

“You need to cut all ties with your former life. There are three common ways to do this,” Stefan began before Abbie interrupted him.

“Why do I have to do that?”

“You’ll never age another day. Soon enough, your family and friends will be thirty years older, and you will remain eighteen. They will notice, not right away, but when it happens, measures will be taken.”

“What measures?”

“They would be executed,” Stefan explained.

“I did this to protect them and now they are in danger again?” Abbie was outraged.

“They’re safe as long as we do things properly,” Stefan was extremely calm as he spoke.

“So what must I do to protect them?”

“Like I said, we need to perform the detachment. There are three ways to detach yourself from your former life. The first and easiest is to simply write your family a letter telling them you’ll never return. This often fails as parents will attempt to track down their child,” Stefan explained. “It works best when you have a strained relationship with your family, which unfortunately you do not.”

“OK, so what is the next one?” she asked.

“The argument, you face them and brutally sever your relationships with them, and tell them you will never return,” Stefan continued. “You don’t give them time to think. You do it and then pack and leave. It is often the best detachment.”

“I don’t know if I can do that to them,” Abbie said solemnly. The thought of being cruel to her loved ones sickened her.

“The last one is perhaps the easiest but also the hardest on your family. You fake your death. A hanging or drug overdose are the recommended methods for this detachment,” Stefan continued.

“That would simply crush them,” Abbie said with her eyes wide open.

“Whichever one you choose, I will help you complete it,” he said. “The ultimate goal of the detachment is to have no one looking for you. With the technology of today, we try to make sure none of us are in a missing person’s database. After about ten years, everyone from your past accepts that you are gone.”

“I understand.” The realization of what she needed to do in order to protect her family was daunting, and it greatly saddened her. Stefan handed Abbie a pamphlet that he produced from the inside of his jacket and handed it to her. “What’s this?”

“It’s your beginning manual. Read it completely.”

“A vampire manual, are you serious?” Abbie glanced at the thin leaflet in amazement. It was old; its once white pages were now yellowish.

“Yes, now read it. It has a lot of useful information,” Stefan ordered and added, “and never let it out your possession, no matter what.”

“OK, got it, but why are you helping me with this, why not Hulderich? I thought I was to be his.” In truth, if she had a choice, she preferred Stefan.

“It’s my final task, and then I am free of him.”

“I’m not following you.”

“I am under his boot at the moment. When your detachment is complete, he will release me from his command,” Stefan explained.

“What do you mean by his command?” Abbie asked, looking a bit confused. Stefan sighed and knew she was going to have a lot of questions, just like he did three decades ago. “Since you insist on asking questions instead of reading the manual, I will explain a few more things to you.”

“No, I can read the book if you want,” Abbie said, opening the pamphlet. She didn’t want to be struck or choked again.

“Eager to please, Hulderich will love that quality in you, but close the book for now,” Stefan said as he walked over and took a seat in one of the chairs in the room.

“OK,” Abbie said as she took a seat next to him.

“When a new vampire is born, its blood parent is responsible for everything they do and may be punished for the actions the child takes. So they’re watched with a close eye. Training begins immediately, and the goal of the training is to make you capable of passing on the ideals of the Bloodline as well as help strengthen it,” Stefan said.

“OK, I am with you so far.”

“After you are fully trained, your mentor or parent releases you, and you can begin increasing your influence and power base within the Bloodline.”

“How long does that take?” Abbie asked.

“Usually about twenty years. Some have completed it faster, and some have taken longer.”

“How long have you trained under Hulderich?” Abbie asked.

“Thirty years, but my case is different.”

“Thirty years? I thought you said it took like twenty years.” Abbie didn’t want to spend any more time with Hulderich than she had to.

“I also said mine was a special case.” Stefan smiled at Abbie. He looked so kind at that moment that she almost forgot that he had gotten her into this situation.

“Oh, so what does that mean?”

“Not everyone likes everyone within the Bloodline. After a while, you will develop rivals and even enemies. Think of it like a gang consisting of bosses and soldiers. When two bosses compete for a territory or prestige, the end result can be deadly.”

“I was really scared before, but now I am becoming terrified.”

“Within our Bloodline, no one may harm a child without consent from the Führer. So you have nothing to worry about until Hulderich releases you,” Stefan assured.

“What did you mean by, you were a special case?” Abbie asked. Stefan looked sad for a moment but answered her question.

“My blood parent, Elisa, was Hulderich’s principal rival. She challenged to him to a battle to settle their feud once and for all. It was to the final death, and Hulderich emerged victorious. I had been with Elisa for nineteen years, and I cared for her a great deal. When she died, I was left without a parent, and my training was still incomplete. The Führer, in his wisdom, assigned me to finish my training under Hulderich.”

“So you have been under Hulderich ever since?” she asked.

“Yes, even though I felt I was ready to be on my own, Hulderich decided to hold me back for as long as he could. Not only did he get all of Elisa’s holdings, he also got the pleasure of tormenting me for three decades.”

“Well, I can’t really say I feel sorry for you. Will it be the same for me? I mean, will he treat me badly?”

“I expect that he will be firm but kind with you,” Stefan answered. “He wanted you, and got inconvenienced by me.”

“So it was hard for you then?” Abbie asked.

“Harder than most, yes, but he has also made me stronger. He made me strong in mind as well as body. I’m truly ready to be on my own.”

“So eventually, I will be on my own as well?”

“Eventually, maybe sooner than you think,” Stefan said. “Now on to more formal training.”

“But, I am still kind of hungry.” Abbie couldn’t believe she was asking for more blood.

“Jake!” Stefan cried out without thinking twice about it.

“Huh?” Abbie said.

“Jake is right outside the door,” Stefan explained.

“Oh! Can’t I just get a bag from a blood bank or something?”

“Pages in your manual explain that you cannot drink any blood that has been out of the bloodstream for more than six hours. It’s unhealthy, and you should really drink the freshest blood possible for as long as you can.”

“OK, bring him in then,” Abbie said after a few tense moments.

“Jake!” Stefan called out again. Jake entered the room and looked at Abbie and smiled.

“Hi, should I lie on the bed?” he asked.

“Yes,” Stefan answered. Jake took a short hop and flopped onto the bed. Abbie was on him almost instantly. She was surprised at her speed. She sank her fangs into him and began to lap up his warm blood. She continued to drink until Jake began showing signs of discomfort. She could feel his body tensing, and his heart was slowing. She forced herself to pull away and climbed off the bed.

“Good. I didn’t have to make you stop. Very good,” Stefan complimented “Are you all right, Jake?”

“Yeah, nothing a few hours of rest, and a few pints won’t fix,” Jake replied. Abbie spun around, surprised at his response. Then she noticed his neck. There were no bite marks.

“Where are the holes?” Abbie asked.

“The manual explains, that if you have a willing donor, your fangs will excrete enzymes that heal the wound almost immediately,” Stefan answered. “As long as you don’t take more than half their blood, they usually survive.”

“How much is that?” she asked.

“Jake, you can go,” Stefan said. Jake got up and walked out into the hall and closed the door behind him.

“The manual contains a size chart. A man Jake’s size has about eight pints of blood. You drank about two just now,” Stefan explained. “Someone your size can drink about four pints before you are completely sated.”

“I feel full now, but if I drank four pints from him, he would die?” Abbie asked.

“Not right away, but the drop in blood pressure might do him in, or he might make it. Every human is different,” he answered. “He certainly wouldn’t be walking anywhere.”

“I think I should read the manual.” Abbie grabbed the manual.

“In the words of your generation, you think?” Stefan said, laughing.

“OK, I get it, read more and stop asking so many questions.”

“I’ll come back in a few hours. We need to get our story straight for your friends,” Stefan said as he exited the room. Abbie opened up the manual and began reading it. She was trying to make sense of all of this. She barely noticed that her back and wrist were no longer hurt, that was until she reached that section in the manual.

Kelly woke up and went straight to Abbie’s room, but she was not there. She ran over to Trista’s room and woke her. “I’m really worried now, Trista.”

“We need to call the police and report her missing. Should we call her parents?” Trista asked as she got out of bed.

“I don’t know,” Kelly replied. As they were deciding what to do, they heard the door open and close. They got up and rushed to the main area. Heidi was rolling in a cart with breakfast on it. She set two places and set the food on the table.

“Heidi. Have you seen Abbie?” Kelly asked.

“Not since she left last night. It was just before I retired for the evening,” Heidi replied.

“What? She went where?” Trista asked as she sat down at the table.

“She came in and got some clothes and instructed me to tell you that she would see you later tonight,” Heidi replied as she poured out fresh orange juice.

“Where did she go?” Trista asked.

“I don’t know. All I know is who she left with,” Heidi replied.

“Who did she leave with?” Trista asked, opening her eyes wide. Heidi looked at the girls and shook her head.

“Heidi, you have to tell us. We are worried, damn it!” Kelly snapped.

“Very well, but I don’t want to get into any trouble,” Heidi said.

“Spill it,” Trista ordered.

“She left with Stefan off the property. I know he has an apartment near to the beach,” Heidi revealed.

“Oh my god,” Trista said.

“I can’t believe that. She wouldn’t ever do anything like that,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “We’re talking about Abbs, the angel.”

“And why not? She has only ever been with Donnie. Maybe she wanted to experiment. We’re on spring break after all,” Trista said.

“Not Abbie, she doesn’t do reckless. She never has,” Kelly said.

“Look, you love Trevor, right? But you still cheated on him last semester,” Trista argued.

“That’s different. He cheated first, or I thought he had cheated. Never mind me. This is about Abbie,” Kelly said.

“All I’m saying is that maybe she’s seeing what else is out there. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but we have to accept it’s possible,” Trista said.

“Oh yeah, so how come no one else saw them leave? Huh, Heidi, explain that!” Kelly said, pointing a finger at Heidi.

“Employees use different entrances and exits than guests,” Heidi replied “We even have a separate parking lot.”

“See, he probably snuck her out the back door to his car,” Trista surmised.

“I love the way you are accepting all of this so easily. I still have a bad feeling,” Kelly said.

“Hey, I’m not saying I am not worried. I’m saying that her being with a tall gorgeous guy is a better explanation than not knowing what happened to her at all,” Trista replied.

“I guess you’re right,” Kelly said, taking a bite out of a piece of bacon. The girls ate their breakfast and then got ready for the day.

Abbie read through the entire pamphlet she was left with hundreds of questions. She figured out that there were more manuals. The one she had been given was labeled number one of ten. She heard Stefan at the door and went to it and opened it as he turned the knob.

“Where is the next manual?” Abbie demanded.

“I’m glad you read through it, but knowledge without understanding is more dangerous than not having the knowledge at all,” Stefan said as he walked in and placed an overnight bag on the bed.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that even though you read the manual, it doesn’t mean that you understand everything in it or that you can do everything it has taught you,” Stefan said.

“So what are you saying?”

“If you’re lucky, you will get a new manual once a year,” Stefan stated.

“Only one a year, really, that stinks?” Abbie asked disappointedly.

“Really,” Stefan confirmed. “I brought you a change of clothes. We need to get you back to your friends as they are getting testy.”

“One a year, poop,” Abbie said still disappointed as she looked through the bag. “Hey, these are my clothes.”

“Yes, they are. We grabbed them last night,” Stefan replied. “Take a shower and we will meet up with them.” Abbie nodded and followed instructions. While she was taking a shower, Hulderich came into the room.

“How is her progress?” he asked.

“Impressive. She has read through the manual cover to cover and asked for the second one. She has also fed twice. The second time, she stopped on her own,” Stefan reported.

“That is very good. I am satisfied with her progress and your selection thus far. She did have an odd taste in her blood that concerned me,” Hulderich said.

“It was most likely the narcotic I used to sedate her. It was still in her system when you drank from her,” Stefan explained.

“You’re probably right. You have turned out to be a capable minion. I trust that once you are on your own, you will not attempt anything foolish such as retribution,” Hulderich warned.

“I would not dare. I know what you are capable of,” Stefan said. “I will get her ready and complete her detachment. I want my final task to be perfect.”

“Once the detachment is done, I will hand you your decree of completion.”

“Thank you, Commander! It will be done!” Stefan said, standing at attention. Hulderich left the room, and Stefan relaxed. Abbie came back into the main room; she had changed her wardrobe and packed her dirty clothes into the overnight bag.

“How much did you hear?” Stefan asked.

“Everything, even under the shower I heard everything you both said. It was weird. The manual said my senses would be better, but that was way creepy.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Stefan said smiling. “OK, this is the story,” Stefan began spinning a tale for Abbie.

Trista spent her day getting her hair done and getting tanned. Kelly grudgingly accompanied her but passed on the tanning bed. After dinner, they stopped by the room and found that Abbie had made it back, safe and sound. Kelly ran up to her and hugged her. She was extremely relieved.

“Where were you?” Kelly asked,

“I was with Stefan. It’s all good,” Abbie replied. Having Kelly so close, Abbie couldn’t help smelling her blood. It smelled different, almost softer than the blood from earlier that night. She was mere inches from Kelly’s neck. She was very glad that Stefan insisted that she fed once more. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to resist.

“So how was he?” Trista asked.

“He was great! Much better than Donnie,” Abbie replied, smiling.

“Abbie, why did you?” Kelly asked, sitting her down on the couch. Trista took a seat on the other side of her. She could smell Trista’s blood now also. Amazingly, it smelled very different; she could almost detect . . .

“Trista, did you eat steak for dinner? Abbie asked.

“Yeah, but how did you know?” Trista asked quite surprised.

“Uh, I smelled the onions on your breath,” Abbie replied.

“Come on, Abbs, quit avoiding the questions. Tell us what’s going on?” Trista demanded.

“To be completely honest, things haven’t been that great between me and Donnie lately,” Abbie said.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Abbs,” Kelly said.

“Yeah, he seemed like a great guy,” Trista said.

“No, don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy, but we have drifted apart. I’m in college, and he fixes cars. We don’t have a lot of time to see each other. It just doesn’t feel the same anymore,” Abbie continued.

“Abbs, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell us?” Kelly asked.

“I wanted to be sure. I wanted to see if I could be happy with someone else,” she said. Kelly and Trista hugged her tightly, expecting her to cry, but Abbie never shed a tear. Abbie was also really glad she gorged just before coming downstairs.

“I have decided to break up with him when I get back,” Abbie declared.

“Dang, sorry, Abbs,” Trista said.

“Don’t be, it’s been coming,” she said. “I just want to spend the last few days here with Stefan and start over when I get home.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Trista said.

“If that makes you happy, Abbs, I’ll support you,” Kelly said.

“Great! OK, I am leaving the resort to spend more time with Stefan. All my stuff is packed, and it’s in his car already. I let the front desk know too. You guys can still use the room for the last couple of days,” Abbie explained.

“Wait a minute! You’re ditching us?” Trista’s tone expressed how offended she was.

“Get over it. You still have this incredible room. Quit judging me!” Abbie snapped.

“We aren’t judging, Abbs. We’re just surprised. This isn’t at all like you,” Kelly said.

“Why, because I don’t take any risks or because I plan everything I do?” Abbie asked.

“Yeah, sort of, this isn’t like you. You are running off with a complete stranger.” Abbie knew that her oldest friend was concerned for her.

“Yeah, Abbie, I have to agree with Kelly on this one. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go shack up with him.” Abbie took a deep breath. It was now or never.

“You two are such hypocrites! Kelly, you sleep with another guy to get revenge on Trevor for something he never did. Have you even told him? I bet you haven’t,” Abbie said.

“No, I haven’t told him. I’m scared to,” Kelly replied.

“You cheated too, Abbs,” Trista said.

“Yeah, but I’m breaking up with him. I’m not letting him think he’s the only guy I ever slept with. Maybe I’ll let Trevor in on that little fact,” Abbie said coldly.

“Whoa, Abbs, Kelly is your friend. Don’t treat her like this,” Trista said.

“What about you, Trista? You spiteful bitch, you aren’t happy unless someone else is wallowing in misery. I bet you will wait a week, then call Donnie to see how he is doing,” Abbie said, making quotation marks with her fingers on the word doing.

“I can’t believe you, Abbs. What has gotten into you?” Kelly asked in complete shock.

“I just see everything a lot clearer. I can finally see that my supposed friends think me incapable of living my own life. Well, I don’t need friends like you in my life any longer. So do whatever the fuck makes you happy and leave me out of it!” Abbie yelled. She got up and walked out of the villa, slamming the door on the way out. Abbie was met outside by Stefan. She fell into his arms sobbing. She could clearly hear Kelly crying inside and Trista cursing up a storm.

“Good job. I know that was hard. Let’s get out of here before they decide to follow you,” Stefan said as he guided Abbie away. “We need to prepare for your parents and Donnie.”

Kelly and Trista checked out that very same night. Kelly stayed with Trista until she was able to get a flight back to DC. Abbie watched them from the sixth floor as they got into their cab.

“I feel terrible,” Abbie said.

“Take comfort in the fact that I won’t have to rip their heads off.” Abbie was startled by his remark but knew he was completely serious when he said it.

“What’s next?” Abbie was completely numb.

“Your parents, have you decided how you want to handle them?” Stefan asked.

“I tried writing letters, but they can’t be sent. The argument worked OK. Let’s go with that one,” Abbie replied.

“Let me see the letters,” Stefan said. Abbie handed him two letters. He read them over and shook his head.

“You’re right. They would get on a plane the moment after reading it. I’ll help you write another one after the argument. I’ll keep these for now,” Stefan said, and he put the letters into his pocket.

“Are you coming back to New Jersey with me?” Abbie asked.

“Yes, we leave tomorrow night via train,” he replied.

“Why the train, it’s slower.”

“We can control the environment on the train, less security, and we need time to rehearse. This one will be harder,” Stefan explained. The trip up took almost two days on the route Stefan booked, and Abbie agonized over what she needed to do. She was not sure if she would be strong enough to see it through. They arrived a few hours after sunset. Stefan watched from the shadows as Abbie got into Donnie’s car. As soon as they were out of sight, he took off running. Since he was not limited to using only roads, he easily arrived at Abbie’s house before them.

“I’m on the roof,” Stefan whispered, knowing full well it was clearly audible to Abbie. Abbie nodded slightly, letting him know she heard him. Stefan watched and listened carefully, and she broke up with Donnie. When Donnie asked Abbie to get out of the car, he whispered to her again.

“He’s safe now, go inside,” Stefan instructed. Abbie went inside and began screaming at her parents. Stefan coached her the entire way. She finally went upstairs and slammed the door and locked it. Abbie opened the window and invited Stefan inside. Abbie still lived in this house, so she was able to enter it at will, but Stefan had needed an invitation. Abbie marveled at how such an old legend was true. She pondered momentarily what Stefan would have done if she had simply locked him out but then imagined him setting fire to the house.

“Good, we’re almost done,” Stefan said.

“I can’t do it. I have to apologize,” Abbie said.

“Don’t lose your resolve now. I am in the house already,” Stefan reminded. “If I have to, I’ll go downstairs and . . .”

“No! But, can we change it?”

“To what, we’re almost done?”

“Don’t kill them. I just don’t think I can look them in the eye. Please, Stefan, I made them cry,” Abbie begged. Stefan stroked his chin and paced a little. Stefan smiled; his plan for her was coming to fruition.

“OK, let’s change it to suicide. I’ll break your neck and string you up,” Stefan said. “It will make it look like you hung yourself. Hurry and write a suicide note.”

“But my neck will heal within hours,” Abbie said as she wrote out a quick suicide note. She never thought she would be here at this point doing this to her parents, but what choice did she really have? She handed Stefan the note.

“Yes, but it will immobilize you long enough to sell the ruse.”

“OK, let’s do it. So you won’t hurt them, will you?”

“It shouldn’t be necessary now,” Stefan answered and snapped Abbie’s neck in one swift action. It took Stefan only minutes to hoist Abbie’s limp body up. He had brought along a rope in his pack. Abbie wondered if he had planned this as she was hoisted up. “Remember not to make any noise. You may not be able to move, but you will be able to hear and feel everything,” Stefan instructed as he looked out the window just in time to see Donnie arrive back at the house. “Your boyfriend is back, and no, I won’t hurt him either. Now play dead.” Stefan unlocked the door and jumped out the window. Moments later, Donnie opened the door to Abbie’s room and screamed. Stefan smiled as he stood on the roof. His phone rang. He looked down and again smiled. He had after been expecting this call. “Hello, Hulderich, we are almost done here.”

“You have undone me! You bastard, I will destroy you!” Hulderich screamed though the phone.

“You are such a fool! Did you really think that after thirty years of hell and killing my blood mother, I would just walk away?” Stefan said calmly into the phone.

“How did you mask her Jew blood to me?”

“That was easy. I fed her some on your favorite donor’s blood a few hours before. What is her name, Heidi? I wasn’t sure it would work, but the familiar taste masked her Jewish taint.”

“I am coming for you, Stefan! I will be there very soon.”

“Save your threats for someone they will actually frighten. The Führer has undoubtedly already dispatched executioners to destroy you and your half Jew child. I will be long gone before you get here,” Stefan said, laughing.

“Where is she?”

“Hanging from the rafters in her room, I broke her neck. She will recover in a morgue completely alone.”

“You will be held accountable for this by the Führer!”

“I don’t think so. My actions also fall under your accountability. You never released me,” Stefan reminded. “Face it, I outplayed you.” Stefan hung up the phone.

He lay on the roof in complete satisfaction. He watched as the coroner arrived and packed Abbie up in a body bag. He was certain that she had heard every part of his phone call with Hulderich. He moved stealthily over to the coroner’s wagon. And spoke once again.

“Abbie, I am sorry it came to this and that I used you. I never thought I would care about a half Jew girl, but as it turns out, I found myself admiring you. So I want to give you some advice before I leave you. Hulderich is coming, so you need to run. First chance you get, flee, and never stop running. I’m not sure how much time that will buy you, but you may get lucky. I made you a promise, and I will keep it. I won’t harm any of your loved ones. I would suggest disappearing from the morgue as soon as you can. Good luck,” Stefan said. “Oh, one last thing, I mailed your two letters before we left Florida. Maybe they will provide your loved ones the peace they will need to accept your loss.” Stefan finished and vanished into the night. Abbie had no choice but to listen to it all.

CHAPTER 19

Run

ABBIE TRIED TO gather her wits on the ride over to the morgue. She could barely move a finger, and healing was using up her blood stores. She remembered that if a vampire is forced to heal from a big injury, it would need blood sooner, and she was now unsupervised. The coroners placed her on a cart and rolled her into the morgue. She could hear them talking and could feel the bag being opened.

“What a shame! She was so beautiful,” the examiner said remorsefully.

“No autopsy, the parents’ religious beliefs,” the coroner said.

“I don’t need to do one. I can tell her neck is broken. I’ll do an x-ray to make sure and satisfy all parties involved,” the examiner said. The examiner took several x-rays and determined that her neck had been broken by a swift and violent action; he wrote it was consistent with suicide. A lab tech came into the morgue.

“The Hevra Kadisha is here for Abigail Gottlieb,” the tech said.

“That was fast. Tell them they can have her in ten minutes. I have to finish my paperwork,” the examiner replied. The tech nodded and exited the morgue. Abbie knew what that meant. The Hevra Kadisha or Holy Society was a group of Jewish people that took care of handling a Jewish funeral. They made sure that all traditions were carefully followed. Tomorrow was Sunday, so she would be buried no later than Monday. Abbie could hear familiar voices in the hall outside.

“You need to leave, Donnie,” Cecilia said.

“I want to see her,” Donnie argued.

“Listen, her mother wants a Jewish funeral for her. There are traditions that need to be followed. I know it’s hard for you, but you can’t be here,” Cecilia explained.

“Let me help,” Donnie pleaded.

“Absolutely not. You need to let me handle this,” Cecilia said. “I’ll see if the rabbi will allow you to be the Shomer,” Cecilia said.

“What is that?” he asked.

“It’s the role of the guardian. You would stay with her until she is buried and make sure her remains are undisturbed,” Cecilia explained. “Go home. I’ll call you when it’s time.” Donnie went home and lay down to sleep. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew he would need his rest.

Abbie was taken to an isolated room and was followed in by a rabbi and several women. Abbie was sure that one of her aunts was in the room. They performed the Jewish ritual of the Taharah. Abbie’s body was cleansed and covered in a special white shroud called the Tachrichim. The rabbi exited the room and spoke to Cecilia. She had made all the arrangements by phone, and Abbie could hear that she would indeed be laid to rest on Monday. Abbie began to admire Cecilia’s tenacity and how calm she was through all this. She really was a “grab a bull by the horns” type of girl. The ladies exited the room, and the rabbi finished saying a few prayers and waited for the Shomer to arrive. Cecilia called Donnie and explained to him what he was supposed to do, and he arrived a few minutes later.

Donnie arrived and took his place as the Shomer. Camille had not objected, so the rabbi permitted it, even though he himself was not Jewish. Donnie took a seat next to Abbie and simply stared at her. Abbie heard him get up and walk around a bit and unfold a piece of paper and refold it. He did this repeatedly. Abbie didn’t know what to do. After a few hours, she could feel that she could move once again, and she was getting very hungry. She waited as long as she could and then opened her eyes. Thankfully, the room was pitch-black. She looked around and could see Donnie sitting in a chair. He was asleep. She could smell his blood; it smelled incredible. She could hear every heartbeat as it pumped his blood through his veins. It took everything she had to avoid attacking him. She sat up and snuck out of the secluded room. She moved down the hall as quietly as she could. She needed blood, and she needed it now! As Abbie was planning her next move, an ambulance pulled up.

“What do we have here?” the examiner asked.

“It was a bad one, two DOAs, car accident,” the coroner replied.

“OK, I am going to lunch, so just roll them into the examination room, and I will perform the autopsy when I get back,” the examiner said.

“OK, Doc, they aren’t going anywhere,” the coroner said as he rolled the bodies into the examination room one by one. Abbie remembered what her manual had told her and slipped into the room after the coroner left. Dead blood is not good for you, but it is better than starving. Abbie opened the first body bag. There was a black male in it. She felt his skin, and he was still warm. It would have to do. He had several lacerations and broken bones. The coroner was right. It had been a bad accident. Abbie elevated his legs and made an incision with a nearby scalpel and began to drink the outpour of blood. It smelled and tasted funny. Abbie could only compare it to milk about to go sour. She drank as much as she could without suspending him by his legs. She knew that in the morning her casket would arrive, and she would be locked inside. She decided to repeat the process on the second body. She would need a store of blood to last her a few days. This bag contained a black female. Her injuries were far worse than the man’s; yet her body was warmer. Abbie could only guess that she lingered a while longer before dying. Abbie felt terrible that after their deaths, she had to defile their bodies in such a manner. As she remembered Stefan’s words about going mad and attacking people blindly, she made an incision and drank. This blood was not great, but not bad either. Bland was the best way to describe it. When she was finished, she was gorged, and after sealing the bags back up, she snuck back into her room. She considered making a run for it now, but there was a guard by the door. She would have been spotted.

Donnie was still asleep in the chair. She walked over to him silently. She leaned down and stopped when she clearly heard a low guttural growl come from behind her. She turned around but saw nothing. She turned back to Donnie and kissed him on his cheek gently. “I will always love you, Donnie,” Abbie gently whispered into his ear. “I’m sorry for this. I hope you will understand one day.” She again heard the growl and swore she saw something very large lurking in the shadows, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing. She lay back down on her table and placed the shroud back over herself. In the morning, her casket came, and Abbie was placed inside. Donnie never left her side. Misha brought him a change of clothes and encouraged him to eat, but all he did was drink a little bit of water. Donnie spent Saturday night, all of Sunday, and Monday morning by Abbie’s side. When she was finally taken to the cemetery on Monday afternoon, Donnie had not eaten or slept in well over twenty-four hours. He had also not uttered a word.

Abbie woke as she was placed in the earth and could tell what was happening. She felt quite odd listening to her own eulogies. One was Jewish, and the other was Catholic. She heard the rabbi comment to his aunt that Donnie had been the most dedicated non-Jewish Shomer he had ever seen. Abbie remained quiet throughout the entire ceremony. The detachment was almost over. Whatever happened to her now, she was sure that her parents, friends, and Donnie would be left alone. She had thought the worst part was listening to her parents’ cry. She was wrong, so very wrong. She heard Donnie and Misha speaking directly above her. Her hearing could easily make out their words, even though she was underneath six feet of dirt. After a few words, Misha and Cecilia walked away. She placed her hand on the top of the coffin as Donnie began to speak.

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t think. Nothing makes sense. This letter, I don’t understand,” Donnie said as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. It was her suicide note. He opened it and read it out loud.

Mom and Dad, I’m sorry but the pressure at school is too much. I dropped out. I can’t face you knowing how much you would be disappointed in me. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please tell Donnie he didn’t do anything wrong and that I am sorry. I love you all so much.

Abbie

“You lied to me. You promised me on the beach that you wouldn’t leave me,” Donnie said erupting into tears. He had held them pent up all day. “A heartbeat away, do you remember?” Donnie asked. “What am I supposed to do now? I don’t have the heart to go on, because I gave it to you.” Donnie continued to sob uncontrollably. The strain of the day had finally caught up to him, and he collapsed. He fell forward and landed on top of the fresh dirt mound covering Abbie’s grave. This was too much for Abbie to bear; she lost her composure and called out to him from within her casket, “Donnie!”

“Abbie . . .” Donnie replied to her call and lost consciousness. She covered up her mouth and sobbed. Misha and Cecilia got to him and carried him away. After they had gone, she wailed and thrashed about inside the casket in anger. The strain of the last few days had left her broken, both mentally and physically. At least she had achieved her immediate task, and everyone she cared for would be safe.

After recovering from the shock of Donnie’s words, she began to think. Stefan had told her to run and that they would be coming for her and Hulderich, but she didn’t know exactly why. She was safe down here for the moment, but she was already feeling a little peckish, so she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay down in the grave long. She decided to wait until nightfall and then dig herself out. The casket tore apart easily enough under her newfound strength, and she was able to emerge from the earth easily. She looked around and felt a small jolt of hunger. It was like a predatory switch. Whenever she became hungry, her senses would sharpen to help her track down blood. She got a whiff of something in the air; the caretaker was nearby.

She moved across the cemetery in a blur of motion. She had sight of him now and began to close. She was less than one hundred feet away when she hit what felt like a wall. For some reason, she could not enter that part of the cemetery. She ran along the invisible barrier, but no matter where she tried, she couldn’t pass. Then she remembered something. The manual warned about entering sanctified ground like cemeteries and churches. She would be forced to abandon this prey and look elsewhere. She ran to a local park and looked around. There were a lot of people here. She searched around for a possible victim, and then she got a hold of herself.

What am I doing? There are children here, she thought and sat down by a tree. She sat there, trying to control the hunger for several hours, but it was getting harder. Her nose caught a scent. She looked down right next to her. A fat tabby cat stared up at her and meowed. The pudgy cat was obviously a house pet as made apparent by its collar. “Boots” made for a quick yet satisfying snack.

After draining the cat of every last drop of blood, Abbie tore off its head and threw the remains into a nearby bush. She could finally think straight, and she began to think about the manual again. Stefan was right. It was an invaluable tool, and she remembered that she had left it at her house. She needed to retrieve it. If her parents found it, they would be in trouble once again. She moved at once. She arrived at her house and found that there were mourners there, but the upstairs was dark. She snuck around to the side of the house and climbed up to her window and entered her room. She packed a bag of clothes and retrieved the manual. She needed to be quiet and quick; any mistakes could expose her and subsequently expose her family to further danger. When she was ready, she plotted her next course of action. She needed to run, but run where? She decided to find a secluded place and wait for her executioners to find her. She knew the perfect spot to meet her end. After making a morsel out of a neighbor’s poodle, she began her long run.

Abbie had been at the spot for a few nights. She was now starving. The occasional fish or snake that she caught and drained was not giving her enough nourishment. She had hoped to catch a seal or a dolphin, but there had been none around. While swimming and looking for prey, she heard a tremendous ruckus. She looked back to the beach house and saw headlights hanging over the edge of the cliff. She looked closer and recognized the car. It was Donnie’s car. She ran as fast as she could in her weakened condition to him. When she spotted him lying in the sand, she cried out to him, “Donnie!” To her horror, she found him, battered and broken on the beach below. He had hundreds of small cuts all over his body and was surrounded by glass. Her hunting instinct kicked in, but she forced it back. She knelt beside him and worried about his condition.

“Abbie, are you an angel?” Donnie asked weakly.

“No, Donnie. Please hang on! Please!” she screamed. She looked him over and could hear the irregular beats of his heart. He was gravely injured.

“It’s OK,” he said. “You’re alive. So I must be trading my life for yours.”

“Donnie, you’re not making any sense! Just hang on, don’t leave me,” Abbie cried out. He must have been delusional now. She had no clue what he was talking about.

“Spirits . . . trade . . . your life . . . I love . . . you,” Donnie said struggling to breathe with every word.

“You’re not going to die, just hang on!” Abbie urged. He was growing weaker with every breath, and Abbie had no idea what to do. He closed his eyes and went limp.

“Donnie! Donnie! Donnie!” Abbie screamed and shook him. Donnie woke momentary and violently coughed up blood. It landed on Abbie’s face.

“Check . . . pocket,” he said. The blood ran down her face, dripped into her mouth, and it assailed her nostrils. She went blood crazed and violently sunk her fangs into Donnie’s neck. The taste of his blood was warm and intoxicating like the sweetest of chocolates. Gradually, she felt his heart slow and finally stopped beating. She continued to drink and drink, until there was no blood left in him. The last few seconds of life, his body convulsed and then surrendered. When she finally stopped drinking, Donnie was dead.

Abbie gasped and recoiled from the body. She was mortified at what she had just done. She was now gorged, and Donnie was dead by her hand. She began to shake uncontrollably and wept. No tears came down her face as the last remnants of them had been used up days ago. She knew she would never shed another tear ever again. She went back over to him and clutched him close to her. She placed his head gently in her lap and stroked his brow. He was so cold now. She began to weep once again. This was the place where they truly fell in love, and now it was the place where she had killed that same love. She could only rock him back and forth now.

She looked down at his hand. She saw that he was still grasping something inside his pants pocket. He said something about pocket before she had fed on him. Abbie reached inside and pulled out an engraved blue handkerchief. It was folded over and had something inside. She began to unfold the piece of cloth. She could see that it had tribal markings on it. As she opened it, something shiny fell out and landed on Donnie’s chest. She had seen the ring before. It had belonged to his mother, but it was the cloth that overwhelmed her. Engraved within it in gold, it simply read.

I LOVE YOU

I want to spend my life with you

Will you MARRY ME?

Did I mention I LOVE YOU?

The engraving tore her to her very core. She wanted to die. Why had the executioners taken so long to find her? She felt sick and began to dry heave, but a vampire’s body reluctantly gives up any blood, and nothing came up. She fell over and balled. She screamed into the night air as loud as she could, but nothing helped her ease the pain she was now feeling. When the sun came up, she picked up his body and took him inside the house. She decided that she would bury him in the sand tomorrow night. She would watch over him and pay him the same respect he had showed her. This was one of his favorite spots after all. The daysleep was coming upon her, and she was getting sleepy. Every vampire went into a comatose state right near dawn. The manual failed to explain why; it just simply said that it happened. She laid him in the bed and lay next to him. She had covered the windows to stop any sunlight entering. Before she fell asleep, she put on the ring, which had been fitted to her size and spoke to him.

“Yes, Donnie, I would have gladly married you,” she said, embracing him as she fell asleep. When Abbie woke the next evening, Donnie was gone. She got up and looked around the small cottage, but he was not inside. The door was ajar, and she was sure that she had closed it the morning prior. She walked out and found him. He was sitting in a circle he had drawn in the sand. She could hear him chanting.

“Donnie?” Abbie said. Donnie turned in a flash and smiled. He ran to her and picked her up and spun her around as he laughed and cried.

“It worked. I don’t know how or for how long, but it worked,” Donnie said.

“Donnie, what are you talking about, and how are you alive?” Abbie asked.

“The spirits, they answered my prayers and brought you back to me!” Donnie said, finally putting Abbie down.

“Donnie, I think you are confused, and I am too. The spirits didn’t do anything. I don’t think.”

“They brought me here to you. They asked me if I would be willing to trade my life for yours, and I said yes,” Donnie explained excitedly.

“They brought you here?” Abbie was confused.

“Yes, my spirit guide, Punu.” Donnie looked up into the sky and yelled, “Thank you, Punu! He brought me here. I think I died.” Then Donnie said in one long utterance, “Then I woke up, and you were next to me, but you were dead, so I wasn’t sure what I did wrong, so I started praying again, and you came back to life.”

“Oh, Donnie, I have to tell you what happened.” Abbie looked into his eyes and began to explain.

“Abbie, your eyes,” he said as he looked deeply into them.

“What about them?”

“They are blue now, a crystal clear blue.”

“Yes, well, I can explain that . . .” but Donnie stopped her by planting a passionate kiss on her. He held her tightly as if he was about to lose her again.

“I don’t care. I have you in my arms again. I am not letting you go ever again.” Abbie tightened her grip around him and placed her head on her favorite spot on his chest. His heart was no longer beating, “Forever.”

“You and me,” he said.

“So touching, but I am afraid that I must disagree,” a voice said from behind them. They both whirled around to find a tall man standing a few feet from them.

“You again? What do you want with me?” Donnie asked.

“I could care less about you, boy,” Hulderich replied. “I am here for my bloodchild.”

“Donnie, this is Hulderich,” she informed. “He’s my creator, for lack of a better word.”

“Well, whoever he is, what does he want with you?” Donnie asked.

“I explained Stefan’s treachery to the Führer, but he has also received a false account from that ungrateful cur. The only chance I have to save myself is to turn you over to the Führer,” Hulderich said. “If you collaborate my side of the story and tell him that we were tricked, he may allow me to live.”

“What about me?” Abbie asked.

“Your life is already forfeit. You might as well help me get revenge on Stefan,” Hulderich said. “The Führer would never allow your blood to corrupt our noble line.”

“Abbie, what is going on?” Donnie was utterly befuddled.

“Boy! What Bloodline do you come from?” Hulderich asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” he replied.

“A Foundling? Stay out of my affair, or I will destroy you,” Hulderich threatened.

“No, he is from our Bloodline. I think I made him,” Abbie said defensively.

“Impossible! He can’t be a Reich Foundling. It’s not possible. Stop lying, Abigail, as it will only make me angrier,” Hulderich warned. He wondered if she was telling the truth, but the boy’s appearance had remained the same.

“Well, I am not going anywhere with you. You can go to hell!” Abbie yelled

.
“If you aren’t going to try to help me too, you can share my fate.”

“Abbie, I don’t understand any of this,” Donnie said.

“Just stand back, Donnie,” Abbie said, pushing him behind her.

“So you intend to fight me. So brave, you would have made a formidable prodigy,” Hulderich said proudly. “I can drag you back to Florida, willing or not.” Hulderich lunged forward. Abbie matched his movements and sprung forward.

CHAPTER 20

The Storm

DONNIE’S TENSION LEVEL rose significantly as the situation escalated. Abbie was in front of him and was guarding him against the old tall bum. He was not sure what was going on, but Abbie and the old man, who he now knew as Hulderich, were getting ready to square off for some unknown reason. To make things worse, a storm front rapidly enveloped the area. The winds picked up and so did the moisture in the air. Abbie leaped forward and attacked Hulderich, and he was still not sure what he was witnessing. Abbie delivered three swift punches to Hulderich’s abdomen; each blow drove him back several feet. He countered with a sweeping back hand that sent Abbie flying back into an exterior wall of the cottage. Wood splintered under the force of her impact. Donnie moved forward to help Abbie, but she looked to him, and he froze in his place at what he saw next. “Stay back, Donnie!” she yelled to him with her fangs bared. Donnie stared in disbelief as she bounded forward yet again. Hulderich was ready for her this time and caught her in mid-leap by her throat. He bared his fangs at Abbie as she struggled against him.

“Foolish girl, you have no chance against me, yield!” Hulderich ordered.

“No! I will not! I . . .” Abbie said as she struggled. Hulderich slammed her in into the sand repeatedly, and then pinned her in place, and then delivered several blows to her chest with his free hand. With each blow, Donnie could hear Abbie wince in pain as her bones shattered. The action was fast, almost too fast for normal eyes to follow, but Donnie found that he was able to see everything clearly. He began to move to help her.

“No, Donnie, stay back!” she cried out from the sand.

“That’s good advice, boy,” Hulderich said as he stood up. Abbie began to get to her feet, but Hulderich delivered a vicious kick to her head. The force of his boot drove her through the cottage wall, and she ended up in the kitchen. Donnie moved to the hole and spotted Abbie; she was trying to get up but collapsed onto the floor. Donnie had enough!

Donnie began moving toward Hulderich, “Hey, asshole, how about picking on someone your own size?!” There was a flash of lightning overhead. For a brief moment, it was as bright as any day. Hulderich was eerily standing in the sand, and his smile reminded him of pure evil. The skies opened up, and an immense downpour began. The winds raged and howled with angry tones. The rain seemed to be coming from every direction as the wind violently pushed it around.

“Very well, I don’t need you alive,” Hulderich said and charged at Donnie.

“Bring it!” he yelled back and moved forward. Hulderich took several swings, and Donnie evaded them easily. He performed flips and rolls that kept him away from Hulderich’s strikes. He realized that he was much faster now. Hulderich’s swings seemed to be coming at him in slow motion, and even the rain seemed to be falling slower. He took a few swings of his own on Hulderich. The old man was obviously an experienced pugilist and blocked the attacks easily. He continued to trade swings with Hulderich, and neither had yet to land a blow.

“You are quite good, boy. Your speed is impressive, but your skill is lacking,” Hulderich complimented and could see why Stefan had not been able to catch him. His agility as a human had been extraordinary, but now it was like trying to catch lightning itself. Donnie said nothing in response and continued to swing. It had been years since he tried to hit anyone. He had a few boxing lessons with his father but nothing to hurt anyone intentionally. “Easily countered,” Hulderich said as he grabbed one of Donnie’s arms after a missed swing. Hulderich turned and performed a judo throw and hurled Donnie like a missile into the rock face wall. The cliff had been softened from a solid structure to a muddy pasty wall by the steady steam of water. He hit the earth with his back, and he was embedded in the mud wall and was instantly held fast. He started pulling himself free, but Hulderich was moving quickly toward him. The shock wave the throw created had also been enough to dislodge the Karmann Ghia high above, and it began to fall. Donnie looked up and could see his car cherry-red convertible falling toward him. He flinched at the last moment, expecting the weight of the car to strike him, but the car never hit the ground. When Donnie opened his eyes, he saw that Hulderich had caught it and was holding it aloft. He could not believe Hulderich was holding up the car so effortlessly, much less that he caught it as if it had been nothing more than a football.

“Such a shame to destroy a fine piece of German engineering, but you are interfering, and I cannot permit this any further.” Hulderich hoisted the car high and began to slam down the car on Donnie’s immobilized body. He pulled his arms back, readying himself to deliver the final blow, when he himself was struck. He was hurled several hundred feet down the beach after being struck by a refrigerator that had been hurled at him with incredible force. The car fell to the sand below, and Donnie could now see Abbie standing in the gaping hole in the side of the cottage.

“I love you, Donnie, get out of here!” Abbie exited the house, carrying the stove high above her head. She ran after Hulderich, and Donnie lost sight of them behind the veil of rain and wind. He continued to struggle to pull himself out of the cliff, but the water and the suction it was creating in the clay was hard to overcome. Hulderich hit the sand with tremendous force! The refrigerator had broken into several large fragments as it carried him down the beach. Several of his bones were broken, and he had difficulty standing but managed to regain his footing. He laughed aloud for a moment, relishing how wonderfully powerful his child was. His laughs made it all that much easier for Abbie to find him in the maelstrom. Abbie drove the stove into Hulderich’s back, knocking him down once again. She continued to hit him with the appliance until it was little more than a misshapen piece of metal. She only stopped when she was sure Hulderich was dead. She looked at his broken and crushed body and was sure he wouldn’t be bothering them ever again and ran back to help Donnie. She met him halfway; he had managed to pull himself free and came after her.

“Donnie!” Abbie said as she jumped into his arms and hugged him.

“Baby, oh, I’m so glad you are OK! Who or what was that?”

“It’s what we are now, Donnie.”

“What are we?”

“We are vampires!” Hulderich said as he entered in view of the young couple. He looked different now. His skin had lost its pinkish color and now had an ashy white texture to it. It made him look even more inhuman.

“No! I killed you!” Abbie yelled at Hulderich.

“You have a lot to learn, Abigail” said Hulderich. “Healing injuries faster than normal is a skill you have yet to learn, but one I have mastered.”

“What do you want from us?” Donnie asked.

“From you Foundling, nothing, but from my child, I want to take her before my Führer and beg for his pardon,” Hulderich said.

“I told you already I’m not going anywhere with you,” Abbie yelled. “I was ready to die, but now everything is different.”

“I told you, you have no choice. I will force you,” he yelled back.

“I’m not going to let you take her anywhere freak!” yelled Donnie as he leaped at Hulderich. He had been concealing the freezer door from the refrigerator and used it on Donnie. He delivered several ferocious strikes before Donnie could react. The final one sent him hurtling back toward the cottage. Abbie turned and ran toward the cottage and Donnie. When she got to him, he was already on his feet and moving with purpose back toward Hulderich.

“Donnie, we have to run,” Abbie cried out. “He is too strong!”

“He would only follow us. We need to end this here and now.” Hulderich emerged from the darkness and moved toward the pair once again.

“Let’s try that again,” Donnie said as he began running at Hulderich again. Abbie joined him at his side in mid-sprint.

“We’ll take him together,” she said. Hulderich seemed to be moving slower, and he was unable to block or evade the combined assault that Abbie and Donnie punished him with, but there was something different. He just kept shrugging the blows off as if they were nothing. Hulderich’s skin seemed much harder. It actually hurt their fists to hit him. Their blows seemed completely ineffective.

“Enough of these games,” Hulderich said as he reached out and simultaneously grabbed both of them by their throats. For all their struggling and kicks, they were nothing more than rag dolls to him now. Hulderich walked back to the cottage with the pair in his grasp.

“Last chance, Abigail. Come willingly, or I kill your Foundling.” Hulderich looked at Abbie and waited for her response. Taking her back by force and alive was going to be hard enough. He hoped he could intimidate her into submission.

“No! Leave him alone,” she cried.

“I’m not done yet either,” Donnie said as he continued to struggle.

“Very well, I respect your tenacity, but I must destroy you now.” Hulderich tossed Donnie high in the air. Abbie watched him soar into the night sky and out of her sight. Hulderich delivered several swift devastating blows to her head, rendering her unconscious. He released her limp body, and she slumped onto the sand and ceased to move. Donnie landed on the Karmann Ghia with a sickening crunch of bone and metal. He turned to see where Hulderich and Abbie were. He spotted Abbie lifeless on the beach, but the rain’s continued deluge made it difficult to spot Hulderich. It wasn’t until the entire car began to rise that he looked back toward the cliff. Hulderich picked up the entire car again. Donnie tried to move, but Hulderich flipped the car, and he landed on the beach among a myriad of broken glass. Before Donnie could turn or move, the first blow struck him. Hulderich raised the car and cruelly brought it down upon Donnie. Every time Donnie attempted to move, the weight of the vehicle was brought down upon him. Two, then three times, and Donnie continued to rise. Six, then seven blows, and Donnie continued to move. Donnie was getting angrier with every strike. Nine and finally after ten clobbers, Hulderich tossed the car aside and jumped on Donnie’s back and grabbed Donnie’s head. “I cannot believe you are still able to move, and I am not easily impressed.” Hulderich started to pull Donnie’s head from his body. Donnie reached out and grabbed Hulderich’s wrists and continued to struggle. “Let me give you a lesson young Abigail failed to use,” Hulderich said, and he continued to squeeze and pull on Donnie’s head “The most efficient way to kill one of our kind is to rip your enemies’ head right off their body like so!”

“Let me tell you something,” Donnie said as he began to exert his own force on Hulderich’s wrists “There is no way I am getting punked with my dad’s car.” Donnie pulled Hulderich’s wrists off his neck and pulled him downward violently. He snapped his head backward, hitting Hulderich square in his face with the back of his head. Hulderich staggered backward, and when he recovered, Donnie was standing before him. The two combatants lunged forward recklessly and began striking each other wildly. Donnie seemed to be faster and delivered more strikes, but Hulderich was simply not getting hurt by Donnie’s blows. It was as if Hulderich were made out of stone itself.

“You cannot win boy,” Hulderich said, delivering a knee that sent Donnie back flying back onto of the car. “I am a trained soldier and you lack the strength to harm me. Your efforts are in vain.” Donnie’s brain began to whirl and start calculating odds. Every figure and calculation gave the victory to Hulderich. No matter what, Donnie had to continue to fight. He spotted the car’s gas tank, and it seemed surprisingly intact.

He ripped the tank from the chassis and took a flying leap at Hulderich. He bellowed as he brought the metallic container onto Hulderich’s head. Hulderich grabbed Donnie’s neck as he reached him. Donnie realized a split second before the flash that this was exactly what Hulderich intended.

The lightning bolt hit the tank at the precise moment Donnie hit Hulderich with it. The massive explosion that followed covered them both in flames and gasoline. Hulderich was slammed back into the cliff, and Donnie sailed in a high arc upward. The irony that he was once again airborne was not lost on him. Donnie hit the sand and rolled. The flames did not last long, thanks to the unyielding rain. Hulderich emerged from the smoke and grasped Donnie’s neck once again. “I am done toying with you!” he said, and he took hold of Donnie’s neck with both hands. Donnie could see that his flesh was terribly burned and that its color had returned. Donnie could see that in spots where it wasn’t burned, his skin once again had a pinkish hue to it.

“What makes you think I was ever playing with you?” Donnie grabbed Hulderich’s wrists and snapped them back. Hulderich screamed in anger, and Donnie could clearly see his fangs protruding from his mouth, and his own fangs sprung out involuntarily in response. Donnie wasn’t sure why, but he instinctively bit into Hulderich’s neck and began to drink.

“What are you doing? Get off me!” Hulderich screamed in sheer terror. Donnie strengthened his grip over him and used his legs to further grapple him, like a python crushing its prey. Hulderich pulled, pushed, and struck Donnie repeatedly. He jumped, rolled, and tried to scrape Donnie off him with the cliff. Donnie had never tasted anything as delicious as the blood now flowing down his gullet. “How are you? How is this . . .” Hulderich said before collapsing in the sand. Donnie had drained him of all his blood. He stood up and looked down at Hulderich. He was still able to move his eyes but seemed incapable of any other movement.

“What was that sure way to kill a vampire again?” he asked Hulderich “Yeah, I remember now.” Donnie leaned over and savagely tore Hulderich’s head from his body. The body instantly turned to black sand and sank into the sand on the beach. Donnie turned and ran to Abbie’s side. With every step he took, the weather cleared, and the rain ceased. Within moments the night sky cleared, and the light of the moon lit up the area.

“Abbie, are you OK?” Donnie asked as he lifted her up. She moaned and woke up.

“What happened?” Abbie asked groggily.

“I beat him,” he said, taking Abbie inside the decimated cottage.

“How did you beat him?”

“I ripped his head off. He won’t ever bother us again.”

“Really, but there will be others after me,” Abbie said. “It won’t be safe.”

“We’ll deal with them as they come,” Donnie said. “For now, you need to rest.”

“I just need a few hours. Then I will be good.” Abbie checked her injuries. “Maybe less.”

“Why are they after you?” Donnie asked as he dried her with a towel.

“It’s a long story. I’m just glad I have you with me,” Abbie said, leaning her head onto Donnie’s chest. “Where do I begin?” Abbie closed her eyes and rested against him. Babump, Babump, Abbie smiled in amazement as she listened to Donnie’s heartbeat.

CHAPTER 21

You Can Never Go Home Again

DONNIE HELD ABBIE tightly in his embrace. She had fallen into a deep coma-like sleep. He could see that her bruises were slowly healing. Upon inspecting his own body, he could find no cuts, burns, or bruises. He knew that several of his bones had been broken when Hulderich pummeled him with the car, but now nothing hurt. He was not sure what had happened to him, but he had seen enough movies to figure out what had happened to him. He was a vampire, and by extension so was Abbie. How did this happen? Was this the reason she had acted so strangely? She woke up a few hours later. Her normally rosy skin had turned a shade paler, and she seemed colder to the touch.

“How are you feeling?” Donnie asked.

“Better now. Thanks for watching over me,” she replied.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you I promise.”

“I know,” she said as she snuggled closer to Donnie.

“Want to explain everything now?”

“Oh, Donnie, I’m so sorry you got dragged into this. I tried really hard to keep everyone away.”

“Don’t blame yourself for me being in the middle of this. I made the choice to be here,” he said. “Just tell me what happened to you?”

“The man we fought, his name was Hulderich, and he was a vampire,” she began as Donnie paid close attention. “From what Stefan told me, I was selected to become one of them too.”

“Stefan, is he the one who took you against your will?” Donnie asked.

“Yes and no, I went willingly, but they didn’t give me much of a choice,” she explained. “They told me if I didn’t agree they would kill me and then kill you, my parents, and Kelly and Trista. The free trip to Florida was a huge trap.”

“Those bastards, I’m glad I tore his head off,” Donnie said angrily. “I felt really bad about it at first, but after it was done, I sensed that what I did was right.”

“Well, it wasn’t really his fault.”

“What are you talking about?” Donnie was again confused.

“These vampires, they call themselves the Reich, and they are a bunch of Nazis and white supremacists.”

“Nazis, what, didn’t they know you are Jewish?” Donnie asked. “Why would they pick you?”

“That was Stefan’s doing. He found me, and I had the appearance of everything they look for in a new vampire, what Hulderich was looking for, but it was all a trick,” Abbie said. “He knew I was Jewish all along, but he concealed it from Hulderich somehow, and after he birthed me, both of us were in deep shit.”

“That is why he wanted to take you back, to the head Nazi, so that you could say he was tricked and save his own hide.”

“Exactly, but after you found me, I changed my mind,” Abbie said.

“You were going to go with him?”

“Stefan told me that executioners would come from me and kill me, so I came here to wait for them,” she said. “Everyone I loved was safe, so I was ready to die.”

“I am glad I got here in time to stop you,” Donnie said. “Why go through all the trouble of faking your death just to wait and die?”

“Stefan said that I needed to detach myself from everyone, because if I didn’t, people would never stop looking for me. Just look at you, you somehow found me out here,” Abbie pointed out. “I thought it was the cruelest thing I could do, but I now understand how necessary it actually is.”

“Detach? I am not following you.”

“The detachment is their process whereby you separate yourself forever from your former life,” she explained. “You’re going to have to do it too.”

“Why?” Donnie asked, and Abbie’s lower lip began to tremble.

“Because I killed you, and somehow I birthed you into a vampire.” She was completely shaking now. Donnie held her closely.

“No, this wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself. I was as good as dead after the fall. If you hadn’t done what you did, I wouldn’t be holding you now. In my book you saved me, not killed me.”

“Oh, Donnie, why aren’t you furious at me! I made you into a thing that has to drink blood to live, a dead thing!” Abbie said crying.

“Because it was my choice, and I would do it again, a million times over.”

“It wasn’t your choice! I was starving. I lost control and drained you of blood until your heart stopped beating.”

“It was my choice. I was brought here by the spirits to this very spot. They told me it was dangerous, and they asked me, if I was willing to trade my life for yours, and I said yes,” Donnie explained calmly.

“I don’t understand,” Abbie said, looking up at Donnie.

“I thought about it while you were sleeping and as best as I can figure, everything happened the way it was supposed to.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“I asked the spirits to explain why you killed yourself, and they brought me here to find answers. You were dying without blood. My blood fed you and I died, so in a sense I traded my life so that you could live.”

“Whoa that is freaky, almost too hard to believe.”

“Said the vampire,” Donnie replied. “Is it so hard to believe that a spirit helped me find you? I mean I now have my answers.”

“I guess it’s possible, but however you got them, they came at too high a cost.”

“I would gladly do it again for you,” he said and held her close.

“I’m just relieved not to be alone anymore. I have been so scared and alone for the last few days.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “But what do we do now?”

“You need to detach yourself, and we need to run,” she answered.

“There’s no way I’m not putting anyone through another funeral.”

“You don’t have to die, err again anyway,” Abbie said as she retrieved her manual. “You can do the first detachment. You tell everyone you are going away on a trip or something and just never come back.”

“That could work with everyone except Misha and CeeCee,” Donnie said. “They have been watching me like hawks, probably expecting me to off myself.”

“So what do we do about them then?”

“We tell them,” Donnie plainly said.

“Donnie, no. That will put them in grave danger!”

“The Nazis don’t know about me, so why should they care anything about me or mine?” he asked. “All I have is a dead-end job I can quit tomorrow.”

“Hmm, I guess you are right, but I’m still not sure.”

“Let’s go to my house, then we’ll head as far as we can from Florida in a few days.”

“You aren’t seeing the big picture, Donnie. I will need to feed tomorrow, and you should be starving right now.”

“I don’t have all the answers yet, but we’ll work to find them.”

“Wait, why aren’t you hungry?” Abbie asked. “After I woke up as a vampire, I was starving, and I drained you dry.”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t hungry or weak when I woke up. I came outside and started praying. I felt kind of weird, but otherwise I felt fine.”

“Well, you will need blood soon.”

“I drank blood already,” he said.

“You did, how?” she asked. Donnie looked away for a moment and took a breath.

“Before I ripped Hulderich’s head off, I drank him dry,” Donnie said, slightly disturbed in himself.

“Donnie, you are not supposed to be able to drink vampire blood!” Abbie said, turning to a page in her manual. “See, it says that no vampire can drink blood from another vampire. It says that once it enters our bloodstream, the blood completely dies. I don’t understand.”

“It tasted good, and I’m full,” Donnie said. “Maybe the manual is wrong.”

“So far it’s been packed with good information,” Abbie said. “Well, if you are full, you should be fine for a few days, but I will need to feed tomorrow and no more dogs.”

“You drank blood from dogs?” Donnie asked, slightly alarmed.

“Yeah, I don’t recommend them,” Abbie said, slightly saddened.

“OK, I’ll take your word for it,” Donnie said. “Let’s go.” Donnie and Abbie ran toward his home. Donnie wondered how fast they were moving; they were going at ungodly speeds. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as they ran down the highway. Within the hour they had reached Donnie’s house, and Donnie went inside, but Abbie was halted at the threshold.

“I can’t come in,” she said.

“Why can’t you?”

“I just can’t. I need to be invited,” Abbie said. “See.” Abbie attempted to move into the house was repelled back each time.

“Weird. You are invited,” Donnie said surprised.

“We have to be invited into a house, unless you live in it yourself,” Abbie said as she came in. “It was in the manual.”

“How did we get into the beach house?” Donnie asked.

“No one lives there I guess,” Abbie replied. “I was able to walk right in.”

“Well, at least we’ll be safe in here for a while then.”

“For now, but now we need a place to sleep with no sunlight coming in,” Abbie said.

“Really, we do?” Donnie asked, a bit confused. He remembered he was OK outside just before the sun went down.

“Yeah, we can take a bit of sunlight because we are young vampires, but we still need to avoid it. Any long exposure is deadly,” Abbie replied.

“That must be it,” Donnie said softly.

“Must be what?” Abbie asked from across the room.

“Nothing,” Donnie replied. He heard his phone ringing in his bedroom and ran up to get it. It was Misha. “Hey, Misha.”

“Dude, seriously, where have you been?” he asked.

“I went for a drive and left my phone here. I’m back at the house now.”

“What’s going on?” Misha asked, “I know there’s something going on. I can hear it in your voice.” Donnie shook his head and sighed. He really wished he wasn’t so transparent to his friend.

“I found my answers. I need to see you and CeeCee tomorrow night,” Donnie said.

“I’ll be there in the morning.”

“No, you and CeeCee need to be here anytime after the sun goes down.” Donnie’s tone was firm.

“Any particular reason you want us there at that time of day?” Misha asked suspiciously.

“Just do as I say. It will be easier to explain then.”

“Donnie!” Abbie called from downstairs.

“Who’s that?” Misha asked after hearing the voice.

“Just be here tomorrow!” Donnie hung up and ran downstairs. He ran to Abbie who was hopping up and down nervously. “What?”

“My parents are here! What are they doing here?” Abbie asked, panicked.

“I don’t know. Go upstairs and hide.”

“But,” Abbie objected.

“Just go!” Donnie repeated. Abbie ran upstairs as there was a knock on the door. Donnie opened the door, and Johan and Camille were on his porch.

“Hello, Johan, hello Camille, won’t you please come in?” Donnie said. Johan and Camille entered the house.

“I didn’t think you were home,” Johan said. “I didn’t see your car.”

“I lent it to a friend. What brings you to my doorstep?” Donnie said as he oriented the Gottliebs into the living room to take a seat.

“We will not take no for an answer, Donnie,” Camille said.

“You were very generous with your gift of paying for the funeral and the twenty-five thousand dollars you put into Abbie’s funeral fund,” Johan said.

“We want you to have Abbie’s car back,” Camille said quickly.

“Oh,” Donnie said, a bit surprised.

“You paid so much money to fix it, and we don’t need a second car,” Johan said.

“And it reminds me of her every time I see it,” Camille said. “Please, take it back.”

“Of course, I completely understand,” Donnie said. “I know just what to do with it.” The Karmann Ghia was totaled; having any car would help them move about.

“So it’s settled,” Johan said, handing the signed title over to Donnie.

“Yeah, so tell me how both of you holding up?” Donnie asked.

“One day at a time,” Johan answered.

“I know now how you felt, Donnie. It’s a pain that cannot heal,” Camille said.

“It heals. It just takes time and love,” he said.

“Do you think we will ever know why she left us?” Camille asked.

“I intend to find out,” Donnie replied.

“How?” Camille asked.

“I’ll be leaving soon and will be going on a vision quest. Hopefully at the end of it, I will have my answers. When I find them, I promise to come back to you and tell you,” he said.

“Do you think you will find anything?” Johan asked with a look of hope in his eyes.

“They have never led me astray yet, so I have to have faith,” he replied.

“Then we will both pray you find the answers for all of us,” Johan said. He got up and shook Donnie’s hand, and Camille hugged him, and they left soon after. Donnie went up to check on Abbie and found her crying under the covers of Donnie’s bed.

“They’re gone.”

“I know. I heard everything. Why did you have to give them hope?” she asked angrily.

“They have accepted your death. They just don’t understand why. A little hope can go a long way for them. Don’t be mad, please. I did it for them,” he said as he sat next to Abbie and hugged her.

“I hate all of this! Why did this happen to us?” Abbie shook with anger.

“I don’t know, but we can try to find the answers together.” They lay down on the bed and got comfortable.

“I really love you, Donnie. I mean truly love you,” Abbie said as they snuggled together.

“I love you too. I guess now, it really will be me and you forever,” Donnie said.

“You know it tore me apart when you were standing over my grave. I cried out,” Abbie admitted.

“I thought I heard you before I passed out but thought it was your spirit calling out to me,” he replied.

“I never want you to hurt like that ever again.”

“As long as I have you in my arms, I feel impervious to harm,” Donnie clutched her tightly.

“Donnie, the answer is yes.” Abbie looked down at her ring.

“Answer to what?” Donnie asked. Abbie held up her hand and showed Donnie she was wearing the ring he had given her.

“I will marry you,” Abbie said and kissed him. She could feel Donnie’s heart start to beat again, and they made love until dawn came.

Just after sundown, Abbie woke up, and once again she was alone in the bed. She began to walk downstairs when she heard voices. She stopped and listened.

“So, Dodo, what is the big secret?” Cecilia asked.

“It’s actually kind of serious, and I’m not sure how to say this,” Donnie replied.

“Best way has always been to just say it and let the chips lie where they fall,” Misha said.

“Well, that’s not the case here. There needs to be some tact,” Donnie said. Misha tried to read his friend but could not decipher what he was holding back.

“Come on, Dodo, you said you found answers. Did you hire a PI or something?” Cecilia asked.

“I summoned my spirit guardian and asked him for answers,” Donnie said.

Misha eyes went wide as if remembering something. “PooPoo?”

“His name is Punu,” Donnie corrected.

“Donnie, come on. Those herbs your mom used were nothing more than strong hallucinogens. You brought us here to tell us you got high and saw things?” Cecilia asked.

“The spirits are real, CeeCee. Just because you never tried to find your spirit guide doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Just ask Misha how real they are.” Donnie looked at Misha who suddenly got an anxious look.

“Don’t bring that up again. I don’t ever care to see that ferret ever again. It freaked me the hell out,” Misha said shivering. “I can’t say one way or another if she was real or not.”

“Yet you knew it was a she, and knew her name, and felt completely at ease in her presence,” he said.

“Yeah, but, that doesn’t mean she was real,” Misha argued.

“What are you getting at, Donnie? Just tell it straight,” Cecilia said.

“OK, but you can’t freak out either. You need to promise to listen to the whole thing objectively.” Donnie looked slowly at both Cecelia and Misha and waited for their acknowledgment.

“We’ve always been there for you, Donnie. I don’t see that changing because you took some herbal relaxation,” Cecilia said jokingly.

“Damn it, CeeCee. I respected your Jewish traditions. I acted as the Shomer. I obeyed all your beliefs. All I am asking that you have a little faith. If not in the spirits, then in me,” Donnie said, a bit annoyed.

“OK, Dodo. I’m sorry, no more jokes. I promise to have an open mind,” Cecilia said.

“Me too. Let’s have it,” Misha said.

“So I took a spirit quest, and I ended up at the Spot,” Donnie said.

“We were just there a few weeks ago,” Misha said.

“You’d never know it. All the furniture was intact,” Donnie said. Abbie giggled unexpectedly at the remark.

“Dude, that was one time,” Misha said defensively.

“Now who isn’t being serious?” Cecilia asked. “Is someone upstairs? I heard someone.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t resist, and, yes, someone is upstairs. I will have her come down in a few minutes,” Donnie stated.

“Wait. You have a spirit whatever and come back with a girl?” Cecilia asked.

“Exactly,” Donnie said, pointing at Cecilia.

“Dude, I think it’s too soon for another girlfriend. I know this is really hypocritical coming from me, but it’s not fair to her,” Misha said.

“Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought,” Donnie said aloud. “OK, let me just put it out there.”

“That’s what I said in the beginning,” Misha said.

“OK, here goes,” Donnie said, taking a deep breath. “Abbie isn’t really dead. She is, but she isn’t. We’re both vampires now.” Donnie watched as their expressions changed.

“What?” Cecilia said in disbelief.

“Dude, how much of that shit did you smoke?” Misha asked.

“Just enough,” Abbie said as she came down the stairs. Misha got up from his chair and backed up against the sink. Cecilia went quiet and blinked repeatedly in shock.

“What the fuck! Why isn’t she in the ground? Is this some sort of prank! Please, let this be a reality show prank,” Misha said in near panic as he tried the door to the backyard and found it locked and bolted.

“Misha, calm down! I told you this was serious,” Donnie said, getting up and going to his friend.

“Are you going to eat me?” Misha said. “It’s OK. Eat me, and just let CeeCee go please!” Misha said in sheer terror now.

“I told you we shouldn’t have told them,” Abbie said as she sat down at the table in the chair Donnie had previously occupied.

“How is this possible?” Cecilia said finally coming out of her shock. “How can you be here? I saw your corpse.”

“I was turned into a vampire when I was on spring break,” Abbie replied.

“And you turned Dodo into one too?” Cecilia asked.

“Yes, I did, but I . . .” Abbie was saying before Cecilia brutally struck her. The blow knocked her back and out of the kitchen chair. Abbie landed, rolled, and instinctively bared her fangs.

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, shehasfangs, shehasfangs, shehasfangs,” Misha said, continuing his panic and started to hyperventilate.

“Abbie, put them away! He’s having trouble breathing,” Donnie said as he tried to help his friend calm down.

“Sorry, I’m hungry. I didn’t mean to, besides she hit me!” Abbie said as she got up.

“You killed Dodo! I am going to kill you!” Cecilia said as she began moving toward Abbie.

“CeeCee, sit down now!” Donnie screamed. The house lights flickered momentarily as a bolt of lightning struck the ground outside. The boom that followed shook the windows and doors and startled everyone. Cecilia sat back down, and Misha took a seat at the table next to her and grabbed her hand. Everyone stood in silence not sure what else to say.

“So you’re both vampires now?” Misha asked after a few minutes.

“Yeah, and it wasn’t her fault, CeeCee, so don’t blame her,” Donnie said. Abbie sat down at the table again.

“I think I should begin.” Abbie relayed the entire story to Cecilia and Misha. Donnie filled in his part of the story. When they were done, Misha and Cecilia just sat there in disbelief.

“So why tell us?” Misha asked. “I mean you could have just left. I half-expected you to be gone one day anyway.”

“I owe you two more than that. I just couldn’t leave without telling you why,” he replied.

“So where are you going to go?” Cecilia asked.

“Better you don’t know, but I will keep my phone for as long as I can,” Donnie said.

“I don’t think that is a good idea,” Cecilia said. “You will be better off with one of those disposable phones. If you are going on the run, you should work off cash and use as little technology as possible.”

“Why do you think that?” Abbie asked.

“From what you said, these Nazis are afraid of technology tracking them, so I figure it’s because they know how to use it to look for someone,” Cecilia replied.

“Yeah, that sounds like something these guys would do, and the moment they figure out Abbie is with you, they will start tracking your info and come straight to the house to look for you,” Misha said.

“OK, Dodo. I know you like to keep it a secret, but how much cash do you have?” Cecilia asked.

“I have about a million in the safe upstairs, another two in my interest checking account, and another six in my portfolio,” he said.

“What, are you serious?” Abbie asked.

“Dude, I know how much you got from the policy. I snuck a peek at the check, and it was nowhere near that,” Misha said.

“You want to explain?” asked Cecilia.

“It’s why I never went to work. I have a knack for playing the stock markets. After I paid for the house and lawyers, I had $120,000 from my dad’s half-million-dollar policy. I made the rest,” Donnie explained.

“That is insane!” Misha said.

“Not for Dodo,” Cecilia said. “I don’t think anything is beyond that brain of his.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had that much money?” Abbie asked.

“Would it have mattered?” Donnie asked. “Not like you would have taken any.”

“No, not really,” she replied smiling.

“There were actually several policies,” Donnie said. “There had been a policy on my mom as well and one from Dad’s job. In total, I received two million dollars.”

“Wow! Dodo, I suddenly feel a lot less guilty about letting you pay for my school,” Cecilia said.

“It’s all good. The money in the portfolio is making more money than I can spend,” Donnie said.

“Quit showing off. You need to get a serious plan, take the cash, and leave me and Misha enough money to watch over the house,” Cecilia said.

“I’ll just sign it over to you both,” Donnie said. “Call it an early wedding present.”

“Caught the ring, did you?” Misha said.

“What? When did they get engaged?” Abbie asked.

“Yesterday,” Cecilia replied smiling.

“Congratulations!” Abbie said hugging CeeCee. For a moment, the tension in the room was gone, and it was as old times once again.

“I caught the ring on Abbie’s finger too,” Misha said. The girls took turns displaying their rings and hugged a few more times.

“I’m going to miss this,” Donnie said.

“What?” Misha asked.

“Normal,” Donnie said.

“Whoa!” Cecilia said after finishing a hug. Abbie’s fangs had protruded again.

“Sorry! I’m getting hungry. It’s not safe for them when I need blood,” Abbie said.

“Let’s go out and find someone for you to feed on,” Donnie said half in disbelief he had just said that.

“Are you going to kill someone?” Misha asked.

“No, I don’t need that much blood,” Abbie said. “I don’t have to kill anyone. As long as I am not starving, I can stop on my own.”

“Will it turn the victim into another vampire?” Misha asked.

“No, you have to die, we think, for that to happen,” Donnie explained.

“Does it hurt?” Misha asked.

“No! You are not going to do that,” Donnie objected.

“Listen, it’s a practical solution. She drinks from me, and then you don’t have to go out there and possibly get caught in your hometown. Someone might spot her,” Misha argued.

“It’s just weird to have my girlfriend drink blood from my best friend. We can find a bum or something,” Donnie said.

“I hate to say it, but Meemee is right. You need to keep a low profile until you’re out of the state at the very least,” Cecelia said.

“No, it doesn’t hurt as long as you are willing and relaxed,” Abbie replied.

Donnie looked at Abbie. “Oh no, absolutely not, no way, and no how!”

“Are you needing blood too, Donnie?” Cecilia asked.

“No, I am not!” Donnie was getting upset at what these three were plotting. He was not comfortable with it at all.

“Dodo, listen, you brought us here to tell us what happened because you care about us. We care about you too just as much. If it’s safe, let us help you,” Cecilia said.

“This is just not right. How can you be so casual about this? It’s unnerving me,” he said.

“Donnie, if it was me and CeeCee in your situation, would you let us feed off you?” Misha asked. Donnie just stood there and fumed. He realized that he would indeed make the very same sacrifice for his friends.

“Fine,” Donnie said and crossed his arms.

“OK, Donnie. You need to listen for his heartbeat. If it starts to slow or beat irregularly and I haven’t pulled away, you need to pull me off him,” Abbie instructed.

“Oh no. I’m the only person that gets to bite my fiancé, so I’m your meal ticket,” Cecilia said.

“Wait, it’s too dangerous,” Misha said.

“Too dangerous for me and not you, remember who used to beat up the neighborhood bullies,” Cecilia said. “Whenever you’re ready, Abbie.”

“Not so cool now, huh?” Donnie said to Misha. “Should’ve kept your mouth shut.”

“Just be careful,” Misha said, worried.

“I trust Dodo,” Cecilia said. Abbie moved over to Cecilia and bared her fangs.

“Remember you have to be willing, or it will hurt. Trust me, I know first hand,” Abbie said. “Neck or wrist?”

“Neck, let’s get this over before I lose my nerve,” Cecilia said. Abbie leaned down and gently inserted her fangs into Cecilia’s neck and began to drink. Cecilia was tense at first but then relaxed when there was no pain.

“Doesn’t hurt at all,” Cecilia said. “My whole neck is numb. This feels so bizarre.” After several minutes, Abbie pulled away and retracted her fangs. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she shuddered for a moment.

“Abbie?” Donnie asked cautiously.

“I’m good, thanks CeeCee,” Abbie said as she backed away from Cecilia. Fresh blood was a rush, and secretly she wanted more.

“Wow! Not even a mark,” Cecilia said as she inspected her neck in a mirror.

“Useful side effect of a willing donor,” Abbie said.

“OK now that very creepy experience is over, let’s plan what your next move will be.” The four of them sat around the table and tossed out ideas into the night.

CHAPTER 22

Oh Canada

“SO IT’S SETTLED. We’re heading into Canada?” Abbie asked.

“Looks to be the best place to go for right now,” Donnie replied. “It’s a big country and very north of Florida.”

“I still say you should take us with you. We can keep you fed,” Cecilia said.

“I am willing to go with you too,” Misha added.

“Look, guys, I know you mean well, but you have done enough. Besides if they find us, you won’t last very long.” Donnie forced away an image in his head of CeeCee and Misha dead at the feet of a pack of vampires.

“Donnie is right. You should see the Karmann Ghia. It’s totaled, and the beach house fared no better,” Abbie said.

“I will set up a separate account in both your names and transfer money into it,” Donnie said. “My attorney will handle the property transfer.”

“I can’t believe this is good-bye, Dodo,” Cecilia said, hugging Donnie firmly and began to cry. Abbie wished in her heart that she could tell her parents but knew it would crush them and place them in danger. Donnie promised her that one day they would make sure they knew the truth but not before it was safe.

“It’s not forever. I’m sure of it. I will see you both again,” Donnie said, trying to console Cecilia.

“You better come back, and it better be before I’m old and on my deathbed,” Cecilia said as she wiped her tears from her face.

“I promise,” Donnie said, smiling.

“I’m going to miss you, man,” Misha said to Donnie.

“Same here, but once you are big and famous, I can watch you on the big screen.” In the morning, Abbie fell asleep, but Donnie was able to resist the effects of the daysleep and made all the necessary arrangements with his lawyers. The house would be transferred into the guardianship of Misha and Cecilia. He established a trust in their name with a million dollars in it. It would pay them $50,000 a year for the next twenty years. The house was paid in full, and all Misha and Cecilia would have to worry about would be utilities, taxes, and maintenance. Donnie expected that the house should be fine for the next twenty years. He also gave Misha a blank check to cover the damages to the beach house. He would also take care of hauling the Karmann Ghia to a junkyard. Once he felt everything was prepared, he slipped into bed with Abbie and went to sleep.

Donnie did not have an easy rest. He had a vivid dream, more vivid and real than any dream he had ever experienced. He found himself drifting high over the clouds. He floated aimlessly for a while until he spotted a figure approaching him. As it floated closer, he could make out the man that was hovering before him.

“Papi,” Donnie said in disbelief.

“Si, my son, it is I,” Ernesto said.

“Is this a dream?” he asked.

“Yes, it is, or maybe it’s a vision,” Ernesto answered. Donnie reached for the man before him and hugged him. He held onto him as tightly as he could.

“I missed you, Dad.”

“I missed you too, mi hijo, but I cannot stay long. I’m here to tell you something.”

“I’m listening, but don’t expect me to let go,” Donnie said, still clinging to his father.

“And he will deliver their kings into thy hand, and thou shalt make their name to perish from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them,” Ernesto said and pushed his son away. Donnie began to fall down from the clouds.

“Dad, wait, what does that mean?” Donnie fell faster and faster.

“Adios, my son, I love you!” Ernesto yelled.

“I love you, Dad!” Donnie said as he woke from his sleep and sat up in the bed. Abbie never stirred and continued to sleep. He looked at the clock, and sunset was still a few hours away. He was wide awake, and there was no going back to bed now. Donnie got up and began packing and plotting their course on the Internet and found the perfect place to rest for the night. He opened the safe and stuffed $500,000 in a large duffel bag. He was not keen on carrying this amount of money around, but it was better than using his ATM card and leaving a digital trace. After a while Abbie finally woke up, and they quickly packed the Thing and began driving northwest. The drive went well. They could have moved much faster on foot, but the intent was not to draw attention and to travel at night. They left just after 6:00 p.m. and arrived in Niagara Falls close to 3:00 a.m. and crossed over into the Canada side.

“The sun will be up soon. We should look for a place to stay,” Abbie suggested.

“It’s already taken care of,” Donnie said. “We’re staying at The Dewalt Resort.”

“What happened to keeping a low profile?” she asked.

“It’s pretty secluded, and they’ll have everything ready for us.” Donnie closed his eyes momentarily, his tongue had slipped.

“What will be ready?” Abbie asked slowly, she knew that tone, he was planning something.

“I guess in our situation I can’t really surprise you like I’d hoped.”

“What are you planning?” Abbie asked as she turned in her seat and looked excitedly at Donnie.

“Who knows when we will have another normal day, so I figured I’d make an honest woman out of you,” Donnie said, smiling.

“We’re getting married in Niagara Falls?” Abbie eyes went wide open. Was he actually proposing again?

“If you will have me,” he replied.

“Of course, I will!” Abbie leaned over and hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. “But can we pull it off?”

“Yeah, we’re doing this,” he responded with a coy little smile. Abbie screamed in excitement. Somehow in the darkest of her days, Donnie always found a way to make her heart sing. They arrived at the resort, and Abbie couldn’t be happier. Donnie had indeed made all the arrangements. They were met by a bellhop, who took their bags to the honeymoon suite. The wedding officiate was also waiting. They proceeded to the rear grounds of the resort and headed to a gazebo. The white gazebo was illuminated by hundreds of tiny lights; they served as the only light source. They sparkled like stars in the night sky. Several members of the resort staff served as witnesses. It was a simple ceremony, non denominational, and performed beautifully by the official. Her words were poetic and sincere. Abbie thought that it couldn’t have been anymore perfect. They were married, and Mr. and Mrs. Guerrero retired to the honeymoon suite and did not emerge until the next evening.

When they woke, Abbie was again craving blood, but oddly Donnie was still not.

“This just isn’t fair,” Abbie said, frowning. “Why aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m not,” Donnie answered. “But let’s find someone for you. Does the manual have any tips on getting blood?”

“No, it doesn’t. So I am just as clueless as you when it comes to getting blood,” she replied. “All my feedings, except for a few animals, were with willing donors.”

“So let’s think this through. We can’t just grab someone off the street. We need to be smarter than that.”

“Maybe somewhere crowded like a club. I bite while you hold them quiet,” she suggested.

“That could work, but I think we should knock them out first,” Donnie suggested. “No chance of them screaming.”

“Yeah, but we have to be careful not to hit them too hard. We are much stronger now. How much force do we use?”

“So what about using a prostitute?” Donnie said. “She would come willingly.”

“We need to get a hotel room. I think,” Abbie said. “Bringing a hooker to the resort might draw attention, especially since we are newlyweds.”

“Man, how do vampires do this and not get caught?”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. They’ve been around all this time, and I can’t remember hearing about anyone being attacked and left with bite marks,” Donnie said. “We are missing something important.”

“You may be right, but I don’t have the answers.”

“OK, let’s try the club idea. We might get lucky and run into someone who is falling down drunk. Should be easy pickings then.”

“Not like we have much of a choice,” said Abbie. “I seem to be able to handle feeding once every other night.” Once they had made their decision, Donnie and Abbie got dressed and headed to the front desk to ask directions to a nightclub. The same clerk from the night before was again on duty. His name tag read Jacques. He was a portly fellow with a thick black beard. He reminded Donnie of a lumberjack.

“So, Jacques, can you direct us to a nightclub where we can dance, lots of people?” Donnie asked. Abbie jabbed him softly in the ribs. He looked at her, and she shook her head at him.

“I can direct you to a club, or I can arrange for some refreshments to come to you, eh,” Jacques said softly. “Does five hundred American sound fair?” Donnie looked at him quizzically.

“You said refreshments for five hundred dollars?” Donnie was trying to get his meaning.

“Yeah, refreshments you know, hemo, eh?” Jacques asked quietly.

“I’m sorry, but we aren’t sure what you mean,” Abbie said.

“Seriously eh, aren’t both of you Pires?” Jacques asked. Donnie and Abbie eyes went wide. Donnie began to wonder was Pire short for vampire?

“Well, uhm,” Donnie said.

“Hey, don’t worry. This is a Pire friendly resort,” Jacques said.

“What exactly does that mean?” Donnie asked.

“You really don’t know what that means? Wow, eh,” Jacques said. “It means that we’re agreeable to housing your kind.”

“What do you mean by our kind?” Abbie asked.

Jacques looked at them both in amusement and shook his head. He leaned over the desk closer to the pair and whispered, “Vampires, eh.”

“Oh,” Donnie said.

“Unreal,” Abbie followed. “I never thought such a place existed.”

“OK, now you are just joking with me, right? You had to know,” Jacques said. “All the signs are there.”

“What signs?” Donnie asked.

“We boast sun-shaded rooms, special nocturnal services, and accept large amounts of cash, guaranteed privacy and safety,” Jacques said. “Pretty much a giveaway, eh.” Donnie thought back to when he was booking the room online. Those features were exactly what drew him to select this resort to stay at. It made perfect sense now.

“Yeah, we were just messing with you. I just wanted to see how many times I could get you to say, eh,” Donnie said.

“Very funny,” Jacques said. “So do you want a drink or not?” Donnie looked at Abbie, and she nodded.

“Yes, we would like a drink,” Donnie replied.

“OK, any preferences?” Jacques asked.

“Surprise us,” Abbie replied.

“OK, I will send someone shortly to your room,” Jacques declared. “Please pay them after you are satisfied, eh.”

“Will do,” Donnie said and grabbed Abbie’s hand, and they went back to their suite. Once they closed the door, Donnie began pacing.

“What’s wrong, Donnie? We don’t have to hunt now,” Abbie said.

“I just figured it out,” Donnie said.

“Figured out what?” Abbie asked.

“It’s a whole infrastructure, a sub-society hidden in plain sight. That’s why you don’t hear about vampire murders. They don’t have to kill anymore,” Donnie said.

“You know, at the resort in Florida, it was pretty much the same. I had blood readily available, and no one was freaked out about giving blood,” Abbie said. “Even on the train ride up, we had donors available.”

“We just need to figure out the way to find places like this. I didn’t think anything was amiss by this place, but I picked it for its amenities.” Abbie suddenly made a realization.

“I think we should leave as soon as we can,” she said. “We’re bound to run into other vampires in a place like this.”

“I think you’re right, but at least now, we have an idea what to look for.” There was a knock on the door. Donnie walked over to the door and looked through the peephole.

“Hemoglobin,” an effeminate voice said from the other side. Donnie opened the door to discover two males and a woman at his door.

“May we enter?” said the first male. He was an over obviously gay black man and without waiting for a response strolled into the room with a practiced flare of flamboyance. He was followed in by a shapely woman who caressed Donnie’s face as she entered the room; she had a Mediterranean look to her. The last was a large black man; he had the look of pure business.

“I am Cedrid, five hundred dollars, please,” he said to Donnie. Donnie pulled out a fold of cash and handed the man five hundred dollars.

“This is Sampson and Delilah,” Cedrid said. “Please feed now. Any additional services will cost extra.” Sampson flopped on the bed next to Abbie.

“I’m ready,” said Sampson, and Abbie leaned over and started drinking. His blood had a sweet taste to it like maple syrup. Donnie just watched a little sick to his stomach as Sampson started to tap on Abbie’s forearm.

“That is enough,” Cedric said and Abbie pulled away. She closed her eyes and exhaled. Delilah moved over to the bed, sat down, and patted the mattress beside her.

“Come on, handsome, your turn.”

“I’m not hungry. Go ahead, Abbie,” Donnie said. Delilah pouted and then slid over to Abbie. She looked at Donnie, and after he nodded, she sank her fangs into Delilah drinking until she was full. Donnie missed out, Abbie thought as her blood was exquisite in both taste and texture. This went extremely well, Donnie thought as the donors had walked out no worse than they had entered. It had been too easy.

“If you need us again, let Jacques know. We have all types available,” Cedric said. “Pleasure doing business.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.

“Donnie, you should have fed,” Abbie said.

“You needed it more, and I am not even the least bit hungry,” he said.

“So what is our next move?”

“I think we check out and move on. Maybe Jacques can direct us to other friendly places in the area.

“Agreed,” she said, and they began packing their bags. They stopped when there was another knock at the door. Donnie and Abbie paused for a tense moment, and then he walked over to the door and looked through the peephole again. There was no one there, but when he started to walk back, he noticed there was a note that had been slid under the door. Donnie picked it up and unfolded it. It had been hand written on a simple piece of notebook paper. It read:

You are in great danger. If you make it out of the resort alive, meet me at Oakes Park, south of the Fairview Cemetery.

Toby

“We’re in trouble, Abbie!”

“What, how?” Donnie brought the note to Abbie.

“We have to move,” Donnie said, finishing packing the bags.

“I’m right with you,” Abbie said, picking up her bags and heading to the door. Donnie opened the door and was surprised to find six children standing in front of him in the hall. They ranged in ages, but none appeared to be older than twelve. The tallest of the children looked up at Donnie and spoke, “We have questions that you’re going to answer.” She brazenly walked into the room, followed by three other children.

“Who are you?” Donnie looked at the children. They were supremely confident, and he knew right away that they were like him and Abbie. They were all vampires.

“I ask the questions here!” she snapped back. “What Bloodline are you from?” Donnie looked at Abbie and then looked back at the young girl. She seemed much more mature than her small slim frame displayed.

“Cassandra, they’re obviously Foundlings. We should just gut them now,” A young boy next to the young girl said. Donnie was already tensing his muscles when Abbie spoke.

“The Reich, we’re from the Reich Bloodline,” she said.

“You I can see, but what about him?” Cassandra said, pointing at Donnie.

“He’s my child,” Abbie said quickly.

“No, I don’t think so,” Cassandra said as she looked Donnie over. “The eyes are wrong.” She turned to Abbie and demanded, “What are your names?”

“Abigail and Donato Guerrero,” Abbie answered without hesitation. Donnie looked at Abbie and noticed she appeared to be rigid. Her eyes were wide in fear as Cassandra moved over to her.

“Are you a Foundling?” Cassandra asked.

“I don’t know what that is,” Abbie answered. Donnie could see that there was something very odd going on. Why was Abbie answering all her questions?

“Who birthed you, girl?” Cassandra asked Abbie.

“Hulderich, Hulderich Von Strauss,” Abbie replied. Donnie could see that she was shaking now, and her nose began to bleed.

“I have heard of him,” the boy said. “He’s high among the Reich.”

“So have I, Frances, but why is this is child unsupervised?” Cassandra asked.

“Whatever you are doing, stop it!” Donnie started to walk toward Abbie.

“He is free!” Frances yelled to the other two children in the room. “Secure him!” Donnie was perplexed by the comment as he had not been one bit restrained. The two other children in the room bared their fangs and lunged at him. As Donnie spotted the children’s fangs, his own ejected in response. The two children tackled Donnie, bringing him down; he was shocked at both their speed and strength. They held him down and smothered him, one holding his arms and the other his legs.

“We’re going to detain her until the Reich claims her,” Cassandra said as she walked over to Donnie. “But who are you?” He could feel her gaze alone, placing incredible pressure on his head.

“He’s a tough one. I have never seen anyone resist your mesmerisms,” Frances said.

“I have, but it was one much older than I,” Cassandra replied.

“How old do you think he is?” Frances asked cautiously. “Should we do this if he’s an elder?”

“The girl claimed he was her child.” Cassandra looked more intently at Donnie. “He is not an elder, just very strong willed.” She began concentrating only on Donnie.

“Let him go!” Abbie screamed as she collapsed to the floor.

“Frances, take her to the holding cell. We will alert the Reich that we have one of their numbers,” Cassandra ordered.

“It will be done,” Frances said as he started walking toward Abbie. Donnie could see that Abbie was trying to get up but was unable to maintain her balance.

“I will break this one and deal with him accordingly. Foundling or not, you will tell me your secrets,” Cassandra said. Donnie gathered his strength and looked at Cassandra.

“Let us go, little girl!”

“Little girl? I am over four hundred years old,” Cassandra replied, slightly vexed “You are nothing to me. I see something now, New Jersey.”

“Get out of my head, you little witch!” Donnie said as he freed one of his legs and brutally kicked Cassandra in the head. The blow sent her flying straight up. She hit the ceiling of the suite, but it offered little resistance, and multiple crashes could be heard as she traveled up through every floor of the three-story resort.

“Tear him apart!” Frances ordered as the two children outside the room ran in and jumped on Donnie.

“Donnie!” Abbie yelled as the vampiric children assailed him. She could see straight; her equilibrium was completely gone.

“Be quiet!” Frances delivered a kick to Abbie’s head. Donnie could tell that she was still disoriented. The blow knocked her face down into the carpet.

“You are going to pay for that!” Donnie yelled.

Frances looked smugly at Donnie. “Canadian or American?” he replied mockingly. Donnie became enraged. He got his arms loose and grabbed one the children by the hip and armpit and pulled him apart. Blood sprayed as the child screamed horrifically. The other three children were momentarily stunned by what they had just witnessed. It gave Donnie more than enough time. He delivered a punch to a second child and an elbow to a third and quickly rolled forward, regaining his footing. He grabbed the fourth child as it tried to try to grab him and punched her head clean off. Instead of turning to sand as Hulderich had, she burned up instantly like a piece of flash paper. The first two children regained their feet and charged Donnie once again. Donnie remembered a move that Hulderich had used against him and timed his strike. He caught them both in midair by their tiny necks. With a swift and violent squeeze, he beheaded them both simultaneously. He spun around to face Frances as the bodies burned up behind him.

“What are you?” Frances asked in terror.

“American,” Donnie said softy. Frances ran for the door, but Donnie caught him just as he exited the suite and yanked him back in by the collar of his jacket. While Frances was still floating in the air from the tug, Donnie brought down his other hand and severed Frances’s head with a karate chop motion.

“Donnie,” Abbie called out weakly. “I can’t move.”

“It’s OK. I’m here,” Donnie said as he ran over to her. He picked her up and grabbed the duffel bag and turned around.

“What have you done?” Cassandra yelled from the open doorway. Donnie placed Abbie on the bed and looked at Cassandra.

“They went poof,” Donnie said, making an explosion motion with his hands.

“I see,” she said. He could that she was concentrating again. Before he could react, he was hurled back against the wall of the suite and was pinned against it by some unseen force. Cassandra’s concentration increased, and the wall exploded behind him, and he was hurled out of the resort several hundred feet into a nearby copse of trees. Donnie began to get up; the blow had dislocated his shoulder. He heard it pop back into place as he regained his footing. He could now hear the sound of wood cracking and snapping behind him. When he turned around, Cassandra was a few feet from him. She turned her neck sharply and the tree that had been floating unseen above Donnie came crashing down on him. The winds began to pick up as Donnie lifted several tons of bark and wood off him. He hurled the tree at Cassandra, but with a flick of her hand, the tree violently deflected away and exploded into a million splinters. Donnie charged at her, but she repelled him back as if blowing a feather away with a tilt of her neck. Donnie landed harshly as he dug a thirty-foot trench in the ground with his body. He tried to get up, but before he completely stood up, something heavy hit him from behind. The object struck repeatedly, and when he finally saw what it was, he was angered ever more. Cassandra brought down the golf cart on Donnie over and over as rain began to fall.

“Why is it always a car?” Donnie yelled as he grabbed the cart as Cassandra lifted it. The trick worked, and he was again standing. He ripped a tire off the cart and hurled it at her like a Frisbee. It almost connected as she barely managed to deflect it in time. The cart began to fall once her concentration was broken, and Donnie grabbed it and hurled it at her. Cassandra stopped it in mid-throw and shoved it back at Donnie with her mind. Donnie leaped and impossibly contorted and spun his body through the wildly spinning cart. Cassandra was momentarily caught off guard by the display of agility, and he managed to get closer to her. She again had enough time to react, but she could tell that he was moving faster and faster. Donnie felt himself flying up into the sky, picked up by unseen hands. Up and up he went, when he finally reached his apex, gravity began to pull him back to the earth. He began to feel an additional pull on himself; it was as if he was also being pulled down. His speed accelerated until the wind was whistling by his ears. He hit the ground hard. He was now lying at the bottom of a ten-foot-deep crater created by his impact.

“That hurt, definitely definitely hurt,” he said out loud as he tried to get up. Many of his bones were shattered, and the crater was filling up with rain water fast.

“You are an impressive opponent, Donato, but I need to destroy you now,” Cassandra said as she walked to the edge of the crater. Donnie could feel himself being pulled out of the crater and back up into the air. Cassandra levitated him close to her to gloat. “Now you go, poof.” Donnie’s arms and legs were spread apart as he floated in the air before her. He felt a force pulling his arms and legs out of their sockets. To fight the forces on his limbs, he began to pull his arms and legs in toward his body.

Cassandra made fists as she concentrated harder on tearing Donnie apart, but he was stronger. “This is impossible. You are resisting me?” Donnie managed to pull his arms against his chest and brought up his knees up to his chest. “You are strong, but I have never lost a fight against a Foundling.” Cassandra took a deep breath, and Donnie could see blood streaming out of her nose and ears, and she was beginning to shake.

“Getting tired? I can go all night. Maybe you should have developed a little more before coming out to play with the grown-ups.”

“How dare you mock me?” Cassandra said enraged. “I am Cassandra Deveraux, proud member of the Breton Bloodline, and you are no more than a Foundling!” Donnie had hoped that his words would distract her, but getting her angry only made things worse. His legs and arms extended out again, and now he could hear ligaments tearing under his skin. Cassandra yelled at Donnie as he was being torn apart, “I will enjoy watching you die!” The pain was intense. Donnie cried out. His cry was followed by an intense churning of the winds around them. He looked up to see a funnel cloud descend on Cassandra. She was sucked up into the vortex and thrashed about violently inside its column; she was hurled about and battered by the debris the tornado was pulling into its mass. Rock, wood, and metal, all impaled, crushed and skewered her tiny body. The cyclone suddenly dissipated as quickly as it had formed. The rains ceased, and Cassandra’s body fell back to the soggy ground. Donnie limped over to her; his body was in no better shape.

“What Bloodline are you from?” Cassandra asked weakly.

“I don’t know,” Donnie replied.

“Filthy Foundling, as soon as I am healed, I will destroy you once and for all.” Cassandra spat at him. Donnie was having trouble healing himself, and he realized that the fight had used up a lot of his reserves, and he suddenly, for the first time as a vampire, felt hungry.

“I’m not going to give you that chance.” Donnie flopped down next to her on the soggy mud.

“You are in no shape to dispatch me,” she said.

“I’m giving you a permanent time-out,” Donnie said as he rolled on top of her and bit into her neck. The small remnants of blood still within her quickly found their way into his mouth.

“Stop, what are you doing?” Cassandra said, and then she closed her eyes and spoke no more. Donnie continued to drink until she was completely drained of every last drop of blood. When he was finished, he stood back up and looked at her; she looked so peaceful and angelic. With a swift kick, Donnie dislodged her head from her shoulders. Like the others before her, she erupted in a bright flash and was instantly gone. Now replenished of blood, his injuries rapidly healed, and by the time he reached Abbie he was again whole.

CHAPTER 23

Gaston

DONNIE REACHED THE suite and entered through the gaping hole in the wall. Abbie was still recovering from being disoriented. Donnie didn’t wait; he grabbed their bags, slung them over his shoulders, picked up Abbie, exited the room, and headed for the lobby. When he reached the lobby, there were several resort employees standing around, looking in the direction of their room. Jacques was wide-eyed behind the counter.

“We are checking out!” he said to Jacques. His tone was such that the other employees hastily made their way out of the area as nonchalantly as they could.

“How, was your stay, eh?” Jacques asked nervously.

“Get my fucking car!” Donnie yelled at the valet and then turned back to Jacques. “I won’t recommend it to any of my friends.”

“Then I will gladly comp your stay, it’s the least we can do, eh,” Jacques said nervously.

“Donnie, you can put me down, I can stand now,” Abbie said. Donnie placed her down and directed his gaze back at Jacques. He reached over and pulled him onto of the counter.

“Who, who were those children!?” he demanded.

“The Bretons, they, they run this territory, I had no choice I have to report anything strange to them,” Jacques said in terror. “Please, don’t kill me!”

“Donnie, did he call those creepy kids on us?” Abbie asked.

“Looks like it,” Donnie said, releasing Jacques. “I’m not going to kill you, but I want you to relay a message.”

“Of course, anything, what do you want me to tell them?” Jacques asked.

“Tell them that they lost six of their numbers tonight, continue to fuck with us and that number will increase,” Donnie said. “Now, get me a map!”

“Donnie, are you sure about that it might just piss them off?” Abbie asked as Jacques scrambled to retrieve a map for them.

“Here you go, sir.” Jacques handed Donnie a map. He grabbed it, picked up the bags, and began walking to the car with Abbie close behind.

“I’m done taking beatings, I swear if I get smacked around by another car I’m going to explode,” he said to Abbie.

“What happened to that little girl?” Abbie asked.

“Let’s just say Cassandra won’t be asking anymore questions,” Donnie said within earshot of the valet.

“You killed Cassandra?” the valet asked. Donnie stopped and looked at the valet.

“Yes, I did, want to make something of it?”

“Oh, we’re so screwed,” he said and ran inside the resort. Donnie tossed the bags in the back seat and opened the passenger’s door for Abbie.

“I don’t think this is good for us, Donnie,” she said as she got in.

“I know.” He closed the door of the car and ran to the driver’s side and got in. They sped off the property.

“What do we do now?” Abbie asked. “I think that girl was important.”

“Please look for that park on the map,” Donnie said as he drove.

“Yeah, the note, it said some park name,” Abbie said. “Oakes Park.”

“Do you still have the note?” Donnie asked.

“Yeah, I stuffed it in my pocket.” Abbie checked the map. “Here it is. We need to head northwest.” Donnie turned right and headed west. They arrived at the park within an hour.

“OK, we’re here, now what?” Donnie asked.

“Are we supposed to go in the park?” Abbie asked.

“I’m not sure, but we’re going in,” Donnie said. “We need answers and hopefully this Toby has them.” Donnie started driving into the park area. The park could have been a park anywhere; it had a baseball, soccer fields, and a track circle, but so far no Toby.

“Might be a wild goose chase,” Donnie said as he pulled the car over.

“How long do we wait?” Abbie asked.

“Not sure,” Donnie replied. “But we can’t wait all night.”

“Gee, you kookie kids sure are inpatient,” a voice said from the back of the car. Donnie and Abbie turned around to find what appeared to be a ten-year-old boy sitting in the backseat.

“Who are you?” Donnie demanded.

“Don’t go apes, my name is Toby,” he said. “What do you say we burn rubber and head north like.”

“We are not going anywhere until you answer some questions,” Donnie replied.

“Cut the tough guy bit,” Toby said. “It’s boss that you made it out of the resort alive, but you’re the ones that need my help.”

“Donnie, I think we should trust him,” Abbie said. “He did warn us.”

“All right, but I’m warning you, any tricks and . . .”

“Hey, big daddy, don’t worry I’m your bonafide hero,” Toby said as he got comfortable in the backseat. Donnie began driving north, and eventually they made it to a large storm drain. Toby got out and opened it and motioned for Donnie to drive the car inside. He locked it back up once the car was inside.

“Neat . . . o! This will work just fine,” Toby said as he got back in to the car. “Now head that way.” Donnie followed the directions and drove the car into a large drainage area. They reached a point where the car could go no further, and they were forced to continue on foot. They gathered their bags and followed Toby through a series of tubes and natural and man-made tunnels.

“OK, we’re here,” Toby said.

“Where is here?” Abbie asked.

“This is our home, Easy Street.” Toby pushed aside a large rock and revealed a large underground cavern. He walked in and Donnie and Abbie cautiously followed. Within the cavern, there were several makeshift shacks made out of old plywood, aluminum signs and other assorted garbage. From the shacks, several children emerged and looked nervously at the newcomers.

“What the hell is this, Toby?” A young shrill voice asked. Donnie and Abbie looked in the direction of the voice.

“Just keep your traps shut while I explain what’s buzzing,” Toby said to Donnie and Abbie and then looked to the young girl that was walking toward the group. “Hi, Millie.”

“Don’t you hi Millie, me mister,” she said as she got right into Toby’s face. “You know, you need to clear new additions by me first. Gaston is not going to like this.”

“Gee whiz, I guess I will just need to take it up with him, won’t I,” Toby said smiling. Millie was about to say something else when Toby hugged her, and she returned the hug warmly.

“I’m sorry, I just get so worried when you go out alone,” she said.

“Baby, don’t ever worry about that, I’m just too slick, I’m always peachy keen.” Toby took her hand and began walking further into the cavern. “Follow me, big daddies.” Donnie looked at Abbie, and she shrugged, so they followed the child couple. They walked past several dozen shacks, each contained many small children. Abbie looked strangely at the kids as they walked past them.

“What is it?” Donnie asked sensing she was tense over something.

“Don’t you see it?” Abbie replied. “Half the children here are vampires and the other half are humans.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Donnie said. “How did you?”

“I can smell the difference, can’t you?”

“I really hadn’t tried to smell them,” Donnie said as he sniffed the air. “Nope, nothing.”

“That’s strange that I can smell them and you can’t,” Abbie said. “I can hear their heartbeats too, can you hear that?” Donnie concentrated and shook his head.

“Nope, I can’t hear them, not from here at least,” he replied.

“Huh?” she said in disbelief. They arrived at a large shack, and Toby motioned them in. They went into the shack and found a mix-matched set of furniture within. Toby took a seat on a love seat and Millie sat next to him.

“Take a seat, you two,” Millie ordered. Donnie and Abbie sat down on a similar love seat across from Toby and Millie and waited. After a few minutes, a small child entered the room and sat down in a small chair. He was a very small child; he looked no older than five years old.

“Gaston, this is Donnie and Abbie,” Toby said. “They are the ones we were told about.”

“Greetings, my friends, I am Gaston, and I do my best to keep everyone here safe, warm, and fed,” Gaston said in a sweet high-pitched childish voice. He had an unmistakable French accent.

“Seriously, what are you like five?” Abbie asked.

“Yeah, I need to go with Abbie on this one,” Donnie said. “You are so tiny, how can you protect anyone?”

“Don’t let my size fool you. I am actually eighty-five years old. I was born in 1925 and was birthed in 1930,” Gaston said. “And like you, I became a Foundling,” Gaston’s words and temperament revealed wisdom far beyond what you would expect from his immature form.

“OK, I keep hearing that word, what does it mean?” Donnie asked.

“A Foundling is an orphaned vampire, we are created by accident, and we are usually killed on sight,” Gaston replied.

“Can you explain a bit further?” Abbie asked. “I want to know about the ‘killed on sight’ part.”

“Yes, I will explain everything,” said Gaston. “There are twelve Bloodlines known to me, but I suspect there are more. Each Bloodline is different, and they can all do varied things.”

“Like what?” Abbie asked.

“All the legends and stories that you’ve heard about vampires, they all originated from truths,” Gaston replied. “Shape-shifting into mist or wolves, flying, augmented strength, hypnosis, they are all abilities possessed by vampires.”

“I can’t fly,” Donnie said, “at least I don’t think so.”

“If you had the ability, you would probably never be able to use it,” Gaston said.

“I’m not following you, why not?” Donnie asked.

“Although some abilities are inherent, many others need to be taught. As a Foundling, we will always be at a disadvantage because of this,” Gaston answered.

“You say that like if you were at war,” Abbie said.

“In a way, yes that is a very correct statement,” Gaston said. “As long as I have been a vampire; Foundlings have fought to survive against the formal Bloodlines.”

“I’m sorry for all the questions, but what do you mean by formal Bloodlines?” Abbie asked again.

“It is quite all right. This is what we do, it is how we survive,” Gaston replied, “each vampire has a Bloodsource where they originated from, and that determines your Bloodline.”

“I’m still not following,” she said.

“Take me for instance, I am certain that I originated from the Breton Bloodline,” Gaston said. “I know this because all the Bretons are children.”

“How can you tell what Bloodline you come from?” Donnie asked. “Wait, what, all are children?”

“Yes, we are all children, and as to your first question, that is a hard one to answer, because many Foundlings simply don’t know,” he said. “We are accidents, and since we often wake up alone after an attack, we are left to fend for ourselves.”

“Wait, so every Foundling is an accident? Why not just bring them into the fold and teach them?” Donnie asked.

“From what my mentor told me, it is because we were not selected to join the Bloodline,” he replied. “There is a process to make a vampire. It is done on purpose, but a Foundling happens when a human is killed by a vampire who drinks too much of its blood and then dies. It is also a rare occurrence, but it happens nonetheless.”

“That must be what happened with you, Donnie,” Abbie said.

“Kookie isn’t it?” Toby asked.

“What about you, Abbie? How did you end up a vampire?” Millie asked.

“I was birthed by a member of the Reich, and because they are Nazis and I am half-Jewish, they decided that I was to be exterminated,” she replied.

“What about you, Donnie?” Millie asked.

“Abbie killed me accidentally, but there were special circumstances,” Donnie said. Abbie got a sad look on her face after Donnie answered.

“Oh, don’t be sad, Abbie, I killed seven people before I was found by Gaston,” Millie said.

“Twenty-three here,” Toby said, raising his hand.

“I have killed many more than that,” Gaston said. “There in lies the reason we are sought out and destroyed by the Bloodlines.”

“I get it, you’re so ravenous when you wake that you are blood-crazed,” Abbie said, “you go after the nearest source of blood.”

“Yes, eventually we are sought out and destroyed,” Gaston said. “Having to cover up grizzly murders, are unwanted problems. It is easier to eliminate the problem than teach the Foundling anything, especially if it’s from a different Bloodline.”

“That sucks,” Donnie said.

“Yes, it does,” Gaston said.

“So how have you managed to avoid detection?” Donnie asked.

“My mentor set up this den before she left, we have a symbiotic society,” Gaston said. Donnie and Abbie looked confused.

“It’s easy enough to explain,” Toby said.

“We take in runaways and abandoned children, and we make sure they have food, education, a safe, and warm place to live, and in exchange they provide us with blood,” Millie said.

“Since you aren’t mass-murdering out there, the Bloodlines don’t come down on you,” Donnie said. “Brilliant!”

“We have had to move several times,” Gaston said. “They still look for us, but my training makes it hard for them to catch us. Still, we have lost more than we have gained.” Gaston looked saddened as he said these words.

“Every time we go outside to get supplies, we risk being detected and followed here,” Millie said.

“Very few of them can see me, so I am pretty safe, but the others take greater risks,” Toby said.

“Why are you so safe?” Donnie asked.

“All the vampires here are from the Breton Bloodline,” Gaston said. “That Bloodline has mental abilities. Some of us can read thoughts, others can move things with our minds, and Toby can make you forget that you ever saw him. It makes him virtually invisible to most vampires and humans.”

“Neat trick, right?” Toby asked.

“Very handy indeed,” Donnie replied.

“What I want to know is why all of you are children?” Abbie asked.

“I was able get that answer out of a Breton exterminator before we killed her,” Gaston replied. “The Source of this Bloodline is a man called Gilles de Rais. He was hanged in 1440, for killing and sacrificing children to a demon named Baron. He was responsible for killing hundreds of children before he was tried and executed. It is whispered that the demon he worshiped rewarded him, and he rose as a Vampire Bloodsource.”

“I have heard of him,” Abbie said.

“You have?” Donnie asked.

“Yeah, he fought along side Joan of Arc in the hundred years war, I think,” Abbie said.

“You know your history,” Gaston said.

“OK, so why all of you children?” Abbie asked again.

“It’s a consequence of our Bloodline,” Gaston answered. “The only blood that is palatable to us, is the blood of a child.”

Abbie was mortified and said, “Really?”

“Yes, every Bloodline has different abilities, but they also come with a consequence,” Gaston said. “It starts at the Source and continues down the Bloodline.”

“What?” Donnie asked. “So this bastard gets eternal life, for killing children and now he gets to continue killing more children!”

“Every Source is like that. They did unbelievably evil things in life and now get to continue doing more horrific things after death,” Gaston explained.

“Why doesn’t someone just put an end to him?” Donnie asked enraged.

“Bloodsources are very powerful,” Gaston said. “One alone could kill hundreds of vampires. To my knowledge, only one Source has ever been destroyed, and it took two other Sources working together to accomplish it, but that is only a rumor. So it is far beyond the ability of any vampire to dispatch a Source.”

“So what do they do when they bump into one another or have a beef with each other?” Donnie asked.

“Sources negotiate and argue points to settle disputes, rather than fight,” Gaston answered. “Other Sources act like arbitrators.”

“Great, they’re also lawyers. I hate lawyers,” Donnie said.

“I never thought of it that way,” said Gaston, “but it’s indeed a close analogy.”

“I just can’t believe this,” Donnie said.

“Can I ask you a few questions in return?” Gaston asked.

“Sure,” Abbie said.

“Yeah,” Donnie said.

“How did you get away from the exterminators that came for you?” Gaston asked.

“I killed them,” Donnie answered.

“All of them?” Gaston said, leaning forward in his seat.

“Yeah, there were six of them,” Donnie said.

“Very impressive, do you know which ones they were?” Gaston asked.

“I got the name of two of them. I know one was named Frances,” Donnie said.

“Yes!” Millie cheered as she stood up and did a little jig.

“I’m about to flip,” Toby said. “That’s great news!”

“It is?” Abbie asked.

“Yeah, he was their best tracker,” Millie said. “We can all rest easier, knowing he’s gone.”

“Who was the other?” Gaston asked.

“Her name was Cassandra,” Abbie said.

“Whoa,” Millie said as she sat back down.

“Donnie that is bad news,” Toby said.

“Why?” Donnie asked.

“Because she was an extremely old and powerful Breton and one of Gilles favorites,” Gaston said with a pensive look on his face. “How did you manage that?”

“Yeah, Donnie, how did you do it?” Abbie asked.

“Luck, I mean she had me beat. I was really sure she was seconds away from ripping me in half,” he said.

“Oh, Donnie,” Abbie said as she turned to Donnie, “why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I didn’t want to worry you, it was really close,” he said.

“What do you mean by lucky?” Gaston asked.

“A few moments before I should have died, a tornado came down out of the sky and picked her up. It tore her up pretty badly, and when she fell out of it, she became easy pickings for me. I kicked a field goal with her head.”

“A tornado, come on, really?” Millie asked.

“He is telling the truth,” Gaston said. Donnie looked at him. “No, Donnie, I cannot read your thoughts, but I can tell when someone is telling the truth or not. That is my talent.”

“Gaston, surely they are going to come for him,” Millie said.

“Yes, undoubtedly, so you can remain here for the day, but you must be on your way tomorrow night.”

“Great, now we will have two groups of vampires after us,” Abbie said.

“Can you tell us a safe place to go?” Donnie asked.

“Perhaps, let me make a phone call,” Gaston said as he pulled a phone out of his jacket. His call connected and he began speaking in an Asian language and after a lengthy conversation, he hung up the call.

“Well?” Donnie asked.

“My mentor advises you to head deeper north into Canada. She tells me that there is a clutch of Foundlings huddled up near Lakeland in Manitoba.”

“Well, where is your mentor?” Donnie asked. “She seems to have her act together. Maybe we can stay with her?”

“That would not be advisable,” Gaston said, “She is currently living in Miami, and she told me that the Reich control all of Florida and the Gulf States.”

“Cheese and rich,” Abbie said. “We can’t catch a break.”

“Don’t worry, babe, the plan is still the same, stay a step ahead of them,” Donnie said encouragingly.

“Hey, what do you know about the Reich, I mean who is their Bloodsource? Is it?” Donnie asked.

“No. Hitler still rots in his grave,” Gaston said. “I only know a few things about them.”

“Anything can help,” Abbie said.

“All I know about their Source is that he is known as Gestapo,” Gaston said. “The Bloodline is less than one hundred years old, it is also the youngest Bloodline. That is all I know.”

“Well, I guess something is better than nothing,” Donnie said. “Thanks for letting us stay the day, we will be gone tomorrow.”

“If you need to seek out my mentor, her name is Esperanza Alonso, but she simply goes by Espee,” Gaston said.

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that ever,” Donnie replied.

Donnie and Abbie were allowed to rest in an empty shack. The next evening, they said their good-byes, and Toby led them out. He gave them some helpful pointers on how to locate easy sources of blood. They packed the car and, with heavy hearts, began their journey into Manitoba.

CHAPTER 24

Bad Blood

DONNIE AND ABBIE filled up the tank of the car just outside of town and made their way to Chicago. “It’s like 350 miles to Chicago,” Abbie said.

“I think we should stop there for the night and ditch this car,” Donnie said.

“Oh, Donnie, do we really need to do that? You put so much into this car?” she asked.

“I know and it stinks, but a powder blue VW Thing isn’t going to be hard to spot,” he replied. “The car means nothing to me compared to you, and as long as we’re driving it, I feel we’ll be in danger.”

“Yeah, I agree, but it still stinks,” she said. Donnie continued to drive as Abbie navigated. They both felt a little sense of relief when they crossed back into the United States when they entered Michigan. Detroit was the halfway point as best as they could figure and decided to stop to refuel and take a small break.

“I think you should try to feed,” Donnie suggested to Abbie.

“What about you? You have not fed in days.”

“Yes, I did,” Donnie confessed.

“You did, when?”

“I drank from Cassandra, it’s how I immobilized her before I kicked her head off.”

“Donnie, you drank from a vampire again?!” Abbie was perplexed. “You’re not supposed to do that, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to mention it among the Easy St. kids,” Donnie replied. “With me worrying about getting us out of the resort, I didn’t really think to mention it.”

“Are you hungry now?”

“Not really.”

“Donnie, if we are to work as a team, as a married couple, you need to tell me these things, we need to be able to count on each other, not just you protecting me,” Abbie scolded. “We could’ve asked Gaston about it.”

“I’m sorry, baby, and you’re right. I promise to tell you everything from now on,” Donnie said apologetically. She had been right of course. He had grown so used to doing things alone; it had become second nature, and he needed to change.

“OK, from now on, anytime I feed, you feed as well, hungry or not. We need to keep our strength up,” she ordered.

“OK, sure thing, and it’s a good idea anyway.” They entered the Detroit city limits, and were marveled by the city. They had expected a slum, but at night, the lights of the city made it shine. Abbie began looking for the signs that Toby had given them to look for. Any hotel or motel with a letter “B” with an up or down arrow painted on its exterior, any club to bar with red hanging globes on its marquee, and any prostitute who wore a red scarf bandana or bracelet. They didn’t have to look far, the signs were everywhere.

“Are you seeing this, Donnie?”

“Yeah, there are places everywhere, and just about every woman, I thought to be a prostitute, was wearing something red.”

“OK, let’s get a room at a motel and bring back a hooker,” Abbie said and then paused. “I never in my life thought I would say something like that.” Donnie chuckled.

“I never thought I would pay for one much less two.”

“I can’t believe we’re forced to do this now.”

“Hey, we need to survive, people have done worse things than what we’re doing,” Donnie said as he pulled into the Advantage Motel. Donnie walked into the small hotel lobby and rang the bell.

“Can I help you?” a man asked as he walked out from a back room.

“I need a room,” Donnie said.

“How long do you need the room for?” the clerk asked.

“Maybe, a few hours,” he replied.

“Uh . . . huh, well then, it is twenty-five-dollars per hour or seventy-five for the night.”

“OK. Well, let’s start with two hours.” Donnie handed the clerk a fifty-dollar bill. The clerk took notice of the large bundle of cash he had just pulled from his pocket.

“Will you need any refreshments to go along with your stay?” the clerk asked. Donnie remembered having the same conversation with Jacques two nights ago and decided to play in cool.

“That would be excellent as it would save us time. We’re trying to reach Columbus tonight,” Donnie purposely lied as to their destination.

“OK, you’re in room number three. I will call someone for you,” the clerk said. Donnie looked at him and raised his index and middle fingers to the clerk.

“I will need two.”

“I see, I will ask for two, any preferences?” the clerk asked.

“No, whatever is the fastest. We’re in a rush tonight.” The clerk handed Donnie his room key and didn’t bother to have him fill out a registration card and held out his hand.

“Do I pay you for the refreshments?” Donnie asked.

“No, you pay them, but since I am facilitating it, a tip is customary,” the clerk said. Donnie took out another fifty-dollar bill and handed it to the clerk. His look of appreciation made Donnie think that it was a generous tip. Donnie walked back out and drove to their room. It was clean but nothing special. It also had the added benefit of having the windows painted black from the inside. Donnie brought in their bags and then got five hundred dollars ready. After about twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. Donnie looked out of peephole and could see two large black women standing outside their door. He opened the door and waived them in.

“Oh, sugar, aren’t you a scrumptious piece of meat,” the larger of the two women said and she walked in, taking a long glare at Donnie. It made him uncomfortable, and he could hear Abbie giggle from behind him. The second woman entered behind the first and she looked very nervous.

“My name is, Ebony,” the larger woman said, “and this is Destiny.” She motioned to the other woman.

“Hello, you two,” Abbie said. Destiny was clearly jittery and stood in a corner while Ebony negotiated.

“OK, it’s going to be three hundred for both of us,” Ebony said.

“Sounds like a good price to me, pay the lady, honey,” Abbie said. Donnie took out the money and handed Ebony the agreed amount of cash. Ebony sat down on the bed next to Abbie.

“I am ready, sugar,” Ebony said as she lay back on the bed. The bed creaked and bounced from her weight. Abbie bared her fangs and began to drink. Donnie could hear Destiny whimpering behind him, and when he turned around, he found her crying.

“Listen, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” Donnie said to her, but she simply recoiled and tried to push as much as she could into the corner.

“I’m done, baby, your turn now,” Abbie said. Donnie turned away from Destiny and walked to the bed. Ebony looked at Destiny and got angry. She got up and walked over to her.

“Are you crazy?” she whispered into her ear. “If they think you know their secrets and are not part of them, they will kill you. You said you wanted to make more money and this is the easiest way to make it. We’re in and out in fifteen minutes, now get over there and let him drink.” Donnie could barely make out what they were saying, but Abbie heard every word as if it had been whispered into her ear.

“It’s OK. You should have enough blood for both of us, Ebony. She can go. We’ll get to her another time.” Abbie was sure Ebony could provide Donnie enough blood and still be able to walk away safely. At Abbie’s words, Destiny stiffened and tried to think what that meant for her. She decided to go through what she had committed herself to.

“No, I can do it,” Destiny said and she sat on the bed. Donnie leaned in and opened his mouth and tried to bare his fangs, but they refused to come out.

“What’s wrong, Donnie?” Abbie asked.

“I’m not sure, I just can’t bite her,” he answered.

“Just spring out your fangs and sink them into her neck,” Abbie instructed.

“They won’t come out,” he said.

“Oh, you must be a new one,” Ebony said and walked over to Donnie. “New ones are often shy. Don’t worry, sugar, we’ll get you fed in no time.” Ebony walked over to Destiny and took out surgical tubing, a syringe, and a rubber strap.

“What are you doing?” Abbie asked.

“This is his first feeding isn’t it?” Ebony asked. “I have seen this before.”

“Yes, it is,” Abbie replied, wondering how many times Ebony had fed one of their kinds.

“No worries, sugar, Ebony knows exactly what to do.” She took Destiny’s arm and cleaned it with an alcohol swab.

“What are you doing?” Destiny asked.

“You’re in luck. He won’t be biting you, which in your frame of mind would have probably hurt,” Ebony replied. “So I am turning you into a straw. Abbie and Donnie looked at her in disbelief, but it calmed Destiny nerves considerably.”

“Oh, I see,” Abbie said.

“You have done this before?” Donnie stated.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “Before the hospital laid me off, I used to work as a nurse. But times are tough and you do what you have to survive. I have babies to feed.” Donnie looked at Abbie and she nodded to him. Ebony expertly found a vein on Destiny’s arm and the blood began to flow down into the tube. She shoved the open end in Donnie’s mouth. “Now don’t suck too hard or you will collapse the vein.” Donnie watched as the blood flowed down the tube and toward the end in his mouth. A few drops hit Donnie’s tongue, and he began to swallow. Donnie bent over in pain and screamed. He fell onto the floor and began convulsing. Destiny screamed as well, she ripped the needle out of her arm and ran out of the motel room.

“What’s happening to him?” Abbie screamed.

“I don’t know, but I’m not staying to find out,” Ebony replied and quickly followed Destiny out of the room. Donnie continued to writhe in pain as the convulsions continued. Abbie tried to tend to him, but she had no idea what to do. The clerk came running to the door.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I think they poisoned him!” Abbie yelled as she held him.

“Dear God, I’ll call for help!” he said as he ran off.

“No, wait,” Abbie yelled, but the clerk had already run back to the office. Donnie began to shake more violently and began bleeding from his eyes, nose, and ears. Abbie started to tremble in fear. Donnie turned his head and began spewing blood from his mouth, and it did not stop for quite some time. A large pool of blood formed in the carpet of the room, and then, as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Donnie lay motionless on the floor, his eyes were closed and he was extremely cold to the touch. His normally tanned skin turned pale. “Donnie, can you hear me?” Abbie asked. Donnie opened his eyes and looked at Abbie and tried to speak, but he seemed to lack the strength to speak and only mouthed the word, run. “Not without you!” Abbie picked him up effortlessly and carried him to the car. She placed him in the backseat along with their bags and made a hasty escape from the motel paring lot. She drove as fast as she could out of Detroit, still fearing the worst. She constantly looked back to see if he had moved, but Donnie remained as still as a dead body. She exited Detroit and continued their drive. She was hoping to reach Chicago before the morning sun rose.

After four hours of driving, they had almost reached Chicago. Abbie decided to pull off the road a few miles outside of the large city and take refuge. She found a mom and pop motel and pulled into the parking lot. She checked for the signs to see if that was a vampire friendly motel, and to her delight, it was not. She walked into the lobby and got them registered for two nights and asked for a room near the back of the property. The old clerk obliged and gave her the furthest room they had. Abbie drove to its door and carried Donnie inside, unseen. He was still comatose. She was barely able to get the bags into the room, and the door closed before she felt the effects of the daysleep. It forced her to fall asleep as soon as the sun rose. Stefan had warned her about it on their train ride. She tried to resist it as long as she could. She placed the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and took a few steps toward the bed. She didn’t quite make it. She landed on the bed and bounced off it and landed on the floor, and there she lay until nightfall.

Abbie woke shortly after the sun went down; she was surprised to find herself on the floor. She got up off the carpet, and for the first time, she had woken up before Donnie. She walked over to him and placed her hands on his face, he felt unnaturally cold. “Donnie, can you hear me?” He didn’t move a muscle. She was sure he was dying, but couldn’t figure out why. She pulled out her manual and looked for anything, but there was nothing in it to help her. She started wracking her brain for any solutions. Then she remembered Donnie had never drunk human blood, but was able to drink vampire blood. She also remembered what Gaston had said about blood of adults not being palatable to them. Maybe this is what happens when you drink blood that is not good for you. The manual she had was clear about not drinking another vampire’s blood. She decided to try it.

Abbie walked over to Donnie and forced his mouth open; she found that the inside of his mouth was colder than his skin. She bit her wrist and then squeezed it, forcing the blood from the punctures drip into his mouth. She had to repeat the process several times as she kept healing the punctures involuntarily. “Come on, Donnie, don’t leave me, and fight!” A few drops fell into his mouth and he opened his eyes and latched onto her wrist and began to drink. His grip was crushing her forearm, and she could feel her blood being drawn out of her at an alarming rate. With every swallow, Donnie’s strength increased and Abbie’s waned. She tried to pull her arm away, but she could see Donnie was blood-crazed. She struck him a few times to try to break his hold but it was no good, he was vastly stronger. “Donnie, please stop, you’re killing me.” Somehow, in his frenzy, the words made it through and he let go. Donnie roared as he pulled away. He tucked his legs against his chest and wrapped his arms around them and started to rock. “Donnie.” Abbie tried to come closer to him.

“Stay back!” Donnie fought to regain control. Abbie recognized that state. She had been in that near frenzy state when she dug herself out of her grave, and she understood completely what he was fighting against.

“Donnie, what can I do?”

“Just stay back,” he replied. Abbie backed away from him slowly and it seemed to help. After a few minutes, he had recovered enough that he stopped rocking and relaxed his pose.

“I’m so ashamed. I almost killed you. Please forgive me,” Donnie begged as tears streamed down his face.

“There is nothing to forgive. I love you, and I did what needed to be done to save you. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“How can I forgive myself?” he said.

“By loving me and taking care of me,” Abbie said and walked over and hugged him. Donnie’s senses were alive. He could easily smell Abbie’s blood now. He looked away as he still needed more blood.

“Do you need more, Donnie?”

“No. I’ll be fine.” He did indeed need more. But he was afraid he would drink her dry if she offered him more, so he lied.

“Stop lying to me, you promised to not keep anything from me!”

“Fine, yes, I need more. I want more, and it’s taking everything I have to stop me from attacking you, and it’s scaring the shit out of me!”

“Fine, so we get more blood,” Abbie said, “for both of us.” Abbie got up and started to walk out of the motel room.

“Where are you going?” Donnie asked.

“I’m going to get food,” Abbie said. “You stay here.”

“I will come with you,” Donnie said and tried to get up.

“No. Stay here,” she ordered. “I’m on the verge of being crazed now. I need blood too.”

“But,” Donnie started.

“No buts. If you attack another vampire, it will bring more unwanted attention on us,” Abbie said. “You need to trust me.” She exited the room, and he could hear the Thing’s engine start up and drive away. Donnie sat in the room in silence and decided to pray for tranquility. He prayed to Our Lady of the Thorns to protect Abbie and bring her back to him. Praying had not helped, he was stir-crazy and he kept looking out of the window every few minutes. Even though he was still very weak, he could not stop his pacing. Abbie was gone for several hours. When he thought he could wait no longer, he heard a car pull up to their door. Donnie waited anxiously and when he heard the key being inserted into the lock, he felt a great sense of relief. Abbie walked in and looked well. She was sporting a bit of a pot belly.

“I’m back,” Abbie announced. Donnie walked over to her and hugged her.

“I was going to wait about another five minutes before I went looking for you.”

“I told you to trust me,” she said. “It was my turn to protect you.” She wobbled over to the bed and lay down. She was extremely gorged on blood.

“How much blood did you drink?” Donnie asked amazingly.

“Enough to kill two people, I think,” Abbie said, Donnie could smell the blood in her and his fangs popped out. He quickly covered his mouth. She motioned him over to her.

“I can’t do that again, what if?” he asked.

“You stopped on your own before. I’m sure you will again,” she said. “Now come, drink some blood. I feel pregnant.” Donnie moved over to her and sat on the bed. Abbie took his hand and looked adoringly at him.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“This was my fault. If I hadn’t forced you to drink blood, you wouldn’t have almost died,” she replied. “Yes, I am sure. I trust you completely.” Donnie leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He moved a pillow and placed it under her head. Even now, when he was still so weak, he tried to take care of her. He kissed her again, this time, a bit longer and then started moving his mouth to her neck. Abbie could just feel his lips as they crossed her face and down her neck. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Her senses became alive. The room was quiet, and she could feel Donnie’s breath on her neck just, it was warm and soft. She could also hear Donnie’s heart. It was beating rapidly, he was scared and she knew it. She moved her free hand and placed it on his back. She could feel that he was trembling. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “It will be all right.” She heard Donnie inhale air through his nose.

“I have always loved the way your hair smells like apples,” Donnie whispered. “I can’t do this. I can’t hurt you again.”

“You won’t hurt me,” she said. “I have faith in you.” She could feel small warm droplets begin to hit her neck and roll off onto the bed. Donnie kissed her neck several times and then sank his fangs into her. Abbie closed her eyes as he began to slowly drink. He was being so gentle, so careful not to hurt her. She loved him even more now.

The bite did not hurt at all, but instead made her feel very warm. Her neck began to tingle and that sensation quickly spread throughout her entire body. Every sip that Donnie took was sending ripples of pleasure inside and throughout her body. She began to pant and swell with every swallow he took. She was losing herself completely to him. “Don’t stop,” she whispered to him. The sheer ecstasy of this moment was being drawn out, by the slow sips Donnie continued to take, and she found that she didn’t want it to end. He continued to drink her essence, and the sensations intensified. He moved his hand and it brushed against her bare thigh, his slight touch excited her wildly. “Oh, Donnie,” she said slightly moaning and began to squirm in delirium. As Donnie continued to drink, she began to feel extremely aroused. He eventually pulled away and stopped drinking, but the intoxication lingered. “Ravage me, Donnie. Ravage me like a Roman God!”

“Like a what?” Donnie was utterly confused by her request.

“Never mind, I’ll do it!” She sat up and tore his shirt apart. Donnie was surprised by her aggressiveness; she also surprised herself as she had never been this aggressively sexually. She began kissing his warm and muscular chest. Donnie leaned back relishing the attention. Every kiss was delivered softly, followed by a slight bite. He loved it when she nibbled on him. It tickled him each time, and he reacted each time by slightly laughing. “Should I stop?” she asked.

“You can do anything you want to me,” Donnie said as she forced him onto his back on the bed.

“Good!” She was not thinking clearly, her animal instincts were firmly in charge now. She bared her fangs and bit into his chest. Donnie did not react to the fangs; she doubted that he felt them go in at all. She began to drink his warm and delicious blood. This time the blood was superlatively tasty. Every swig made her skin warmer; each gulp filled her with more delight.

“This feels incredible,” Donnie uttered in ecstasy. He was obviously feeling the same sensations she was already high on. Abbie pulled away in panic. With eyes wide, she looked at Donnie as he sat up. Abbie was starting to hyperventilate.

“What wrong?” Donnie asked as he looked at her mouth and then at his chest. “You drank from me?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, it just happened,” she replied still terrified.

“Are you OK?” Donnie said worried as he moved closer to her.

“My heart, my heart is beating,” she said. “And I feel so warm.” Donnie placed his hand on her chest and felt for the heartbeat. She was right, her normally still heart was racing. His touch excited her so, and she could barely control herself. She placed her hand on his bare chest. She could feel that his heart racing as well. Their gazes locked, and they fell into each other’s embrace and began to kiss fiercely. Their lovemaking throughout the evening was markedly more strenuous and vigorous.

CHAPTER 25

North

WHILE ABBIE WAS showering, Donnie leaned back against the shattered dresser and took in the carnage before him. The bed, table, dresser, and easy chair were all total losses. He took in a deep breath and whistled. He was still not sure what happened last night, not that he at all minded the previous night’s exertion. Abbie came out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. “We need to talk,” he said.

“I know, I’m sorry about last night. I know I was a bit rough on you,” she said slightly embarrassed. “I must have bitten and scratched you a hundred times.”

“You’re kidding, right. Last night was incredible and awesome and just mind-blowing,” he replied. Abbie smiled and moved next to him and shared his view of the room.

“We really did a job on this room, how did those holes get into the wall?” she asked.

“I have no clue. Last night was just one blissful blur,” he replied. “I’ve never felt closer to you than last night. I didn’t know where I ended and you began.”

“I thought I was going to pass out, especially when we were biting each other at the same time,” Abbie said. “I never knew anything could feel that good.” Donnie placed his arm around her.

“That is what I want to talk about,” he said. “Do you think you were supposed to drink vampire blood? I know your manual says you can’t, but what if it’s a lie?”

“I’m not really sure. I mean, I drank some blood from a corpse and it was awful.”

“Maybe something happens to it when we drink it,” he said. “Maybe they were trying to hide that from you.”

“Stefan said that he picked me for a reason,” Abbie said. “I had always thought that it was because I was half-Jewish, but maybe there is more to it.”

“I was thinking about it. What if the manual is filled with some fact and some fiction?” he asked. “I mean, what better way to control you than to give you misinformation and mask it as truth?”

“I have clung closely to that book, you might be right,” said Abbie. “We need to talk to a vampire that can give us some straight answers.”

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t stay with Gaston. I think we could have learned a lot from him. Eighty years as a hunted Foundling, I am still trying to wrap my head around that.”

“Once we make it to Lakeland, I think we will get more answers,” Abbie said. “At least, I hope we do.”

“Well, let me go pay for the damages,” Donnie said as he reached into the duffel bag and started counting money.

“Donnie, do you think that’s wise?” she asked. “I mean, they’re likely to remember us more if you pay for the damages than if we ditch.”

“I’m not letting a small business owner take a loss for our actions,” he said, “besides, I’m sure this has happened to him before, and will again.”

“Yeah, I guess you are right. We really trashed this room,” she said, laughing

Donnie shook his head and opened the door. He looked around and then came back inside. “Hey, where’s the Thing?”

“I swapped it for that truck,” Abbie said, pointing outside. Donnie went back outside and then came back in.

“That truck and the camper it has on it?” Donnie asked. “Even swap?”

Abbie smiled at Donnie, she could tell that he was pleased. “Well, I had to pay a little extra but mostly an even swap.”

“How much did you pay extra?” Donnie asked.

“Five thousand, is that all right?” Abbie asked unsure.

“Babe, this truck is almost new, and the camper is just as new,” Donnie said. “You got a great deal!” Donnie went back outside to inspect the vehicle. Abbie watched him smiling.

Boys and their toys, she thought to herself. She had decided to keep the details about the swap to herself, as well as the fact that she had actually paid twenty thousand for the truck and the camper. She couldn’t bring herself to get rid of the car; so instead, she placed it in a storage garage and paid for ten years to house it.

Donnie checked out the Ford F-150 truck. It had an extended cab, the camper was secured in the truck bed and partially covered the truck roof, and both were only a few years old. Donnie estimated that the truck had a total height of eight feet. The camper was a pop-up, and when not in use, it was compacted within itself. It was a great buy. Donnie inspected the car from top to bottom and was satisfied with its overall condition. Aside from a high amount of miles, the vehicle was immaculate and very well maintained. After his inspection, he walked down to the office to face the owner. Donnie noticed that there were no other cars in the lot and that made him feel uneasy. He entered the lobby and rang the bell. An elderly man walked into the room. Donnie could hear a television blaring in the other room. He got a glimpse of the interior and could see what seemed to be a living room. It was apparent to him that the owner’s business was also his home.

“How can I help you, son? Need some more towels?” The old man asked.

“Yes, we could use a few more towels, but that is not why I’m here,” Donnie said respectfully lowering his gaze.

“What did you kids break?” The man asked slightly annoyed.

“I’m going to pay for everything,” Donnie said quickly.

“Well, that’s good, we only had two rentable rooms left.” The old man said “What’s broken? Martha! Martha!” An elderly woman entered the lobby area. She walked next to the old man, and he placed his arm around her. Donnie could see the love between them. The comfort of trusting one another and growing old with each other, it crushed him to know they had harmed the elderly couple in any way.

“Yes, Ned?” Martha asked.

“How much of a deposit did you take for the guest in room twelve?” Ned asked.

“I think one hundred dollars,” she replied.

“Thank you, dear,” Ned said as he leaned down and gently kissed her on her forehead. Even after what Donnie knew in his heart was a long marriage, this tiny bit of affection still made her smile. It reminded him of the love his parents shared and his eyes welled with tears for a moment. She headed back to the living room, and Ned opened the door for her.

“So how much do you have to cover the damages?” Ned asked.

“All of it,” he answered.

“Well, let’s go have a look,” Ned said and began walking toward the room with Donnie. When they got to room Donnie stopped Ned.

“Please let me make sure my wife is dressed,” Donnie said.

“I’m decent,” Abbie yelled from inside the room. Donnie shrugged and opened the door.

Ned walked in and was stunned “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” Ned exclaimed. “All that is left to do is set this room on fire!”

“We’re sorry,” Abbie said.

“Young man, I think I should call the police, you won’t have enough to cover this amount of damage,” Ned said.

“That really won’t be necessary,” Donnie said. “We can cover it.”

“Well, then I estimate that this amount of damages, will be ten thousand dollars,” Ned said.

“That’s outrageous!” Abbie yelled. “Maybe one thousand.”

“Well, I can always call the police,” Ned said.

“We’ll pay that amount,” Donnie said, “even though I know you are cheating us, after we were honest with you,” Donnie’s words hit the old man like a brick.

“Donnie, it’s too much,” Abbie said. Donnie went into his duffel bag and grabbed the rest of the money and handed it to Ned.

“No, your lady is right,” Ned said ashamed. “I’m sorry, young man and miss. I had a moment of weakness. One thousand will be plenty. I apologize for trying to cheat you.”

“It’s all right,” Donnie said.

“It’s been really rough this last year, the economy is bad and this neighborhood has gone to hell,” Ned said. “I have been trying to sell the place, but with all the damage, no one wants to pay me a fair price. Any money we do manage to get goes to pay bills rather than repairs. I’ll probably be out of business and on the street soon anyway.”

“Can you give us a moment, Ned?” Donnie asked. He nodded and went outside.

“I know that look, Donnie,” Abbie accused. “I can’t believe you are thinking about giving him the ten thousand dollars.”

“And why not, these are good people Abbie. You should have seen them together. It’s the kind of love I want ours to grow into, and as a man, I can understand worrying about protecting the one you love the most.”

“You’re always going to be you, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Do you want me to change?” Donnie took her hands and looked into her eyes.

“No, I love you, just as you are, because no matter what, you always try to do the right thing. No matter what is thrown at you, you never seem to lose faith in this world,” she replied. “You inspire me every day,” Abbie said as she hugged him.

“I have lost my way many times. I’m far from perfect,” he said. “You have been my compass, the force that keeps me on the right path. If I didn’t have you, I don’t know where I’d be now. You say I inspire you, but it’s your love that sustains me.” Abbie reached into the duffel bag and retrieved another forty thousand dollars. She handed it to Donnie.

“If something is worth doing, do it right, my dad always says.”

“Now that’s the spirit. Let’s go give it to him together.” They exited the room but Ned was gone. Donnie looked around and saw him rushing as fast as his old legs could muster back to office. His eyes were instantly drawn to a pair of men standing in the driveway. They were dressed in old and tattered clothes, and they began making their way toward the old man.

“Donnie, they’re like us,” Abbie said. She had caught sight of them also.

“What are they going to do?” Donnie asked.

“Feed . . .”

“Like hell they are.” Donnie ran at the pair of hunters, and Abbie kept pace with him.

“Oh dear Lord, protect me!” Ned said as he anticipated being caught and eaten.

“No!” Donnie said as he grabbed them both and tossed them behind him. They had been mere inches from Ned. Ned looked back and saw Donnie and Abbie as they turned to face the pair and hurriedly went into the lobby. The pair of hunters flipped in midair and landed on their feet.

“Impressive,” Donnie said to Abbie.

“I think they know a thing or two,” she replied. The pair spread out and began encircling them.

“You don’t want to do this,” Donnie warned, but they were undeterred.

“So much for avoiding conflict with other vampires,” Abbie said as she got ready to fight.

“Yup, I’m sorry.”

“I’m with you, no matter what.” The pair of scraggly vampires was trying to figure out the best way to attack, when Abbie tilted her head. “Donnie, more are coming.”

“Crap!” Donnie exclaimed as four new vampires dropped from an unknown building. They were dressed in some sort of dark-colored uniforms and immediately tore into the pair of unkempt vampires. Within moments, they were both beheaded. One of the slain vampires turned into a pool of black ichors that bubbled for minutes after it was killed, while the second one simply turned to gas and dissipated.

“Identify yourself!” one of the uniformed vampires yelled at Donnie and Abbie. Donnie’s mind went to work. Scenarios formed, outcomes developed, and he had a plan.

“Why should we?” Donnie barked back. Abbie looked at him in disbelief.

“What?” The lead vampire said as he walked briskly toward Donnie.

“Didn’t you hear me? I don’t care to repeat myself, but since you seem inept, why should we?” Donnie reaffirmed.

“Do you know who I am?” The lead vampire asked.

“Obviously not,” Donnie replied.

“I am Garret. Head executioner of Illinois,” he declared.

“So,” Donnie said irreverently.

“What?” Garret said outraged. “I will have your names, and Bloodlines, and I will have them now!” Abbie became very tense and grabbed Donnie’s arm.

“Garret, are you over eight hundred years old?” Donnie asked, “because if you aren’t, I suggest you walk away.” Garret looked back at the other executioners, who were standing surprised. Garret scrutinized Donnie up and down. He was looking for something that gave him a clue to this vampire standing before him. There was something odd about Donnie to him, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. Then their eyes locked. Garret felt fear, he felt suddenly small as if he was prey and he should run. It was a feeling that lingered. Whoever this vampire was in front of him, he could detect that he had real power.

“My apologies, elder, I was not informed you would be in this area,” Garret said.

“We are merely passing through, and I did not feel it was necessary to inform you,” Donnie said. Abbie picked up on his act and began standing straight.

“May I ask what your final destination is?” Garret asked.

“You may not.” Donnie did his best to sound as arrogant as possible.

“Elder, may I ask how long will you be in my district?” Garret asked.

“We will be leaving shortly, and our destination is not the concern of someone of your station. Just know that I will write a letter commending the swift execution of those filthy Foundlings.”

“Thank you, elder,” Garret said as he stepped back and bowed. In a moment, they were gone into the night.

“Are they gone?” Abbie tilted her head and listened.

“Yeah, what the hell were you doing?” Abbie said as she hit him on the arm.

“Two things,” Donnie replied, “one, I know a bully when I see one, and two, CeeCee taught me that the best way to handle a bully is to kick him in the teeth and don’t back down.”

“You were serious when you said she used to beat up boys when you were younger?” Abbie asked.

“Oh yeah, Misha had problems with several of them and she took care of each and every one of them.”

“So what, you just decided to play it tough?” she asked.

“Heck, yeah,” Donnie replied. “I figured those first two guys were Foundlings. They looked like they had been living in sewers, and when those four fell on them and killed them without so much as a word, I figured they were executioners.”

“How did you know they would back down?”

“I didn’t, but I figured that since that Cassandra girl was so feared at four hundred years old, if I pretended to be older and acted like she did, it might have worked.”

“Good plan, but what if he was older?”

“Then we kick them in the teeth.”

“Well, I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”

“Me too,” Donnie said relieved, and they turned into the lobby and rang the bell.

“Go away!” Ned yelled from behind his door.

“Ned, it’s us, those guys are gone,” Donnie said.

“Yeah, but you guys are vampers too, I saw!” he yelled again.

“Ned, we’re not going to hurt you, in fact we saved you,” Abbie said. “Come out, we have your money. We’d like to check out. Abbie could hear Martha and Ned whispering to each other.”

“Just leave it on the counter,” Ned yelled.

“Come on, Ned. If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it already,” Donnie said. “We had you alone in the room.” Abbie could hear them continue to argue. Finally, the door cracked and Ned emerged holding a two-foot long cross in both hands. Abbie gasped and bolted out of the lobby and ran back toward the room. Donnie watched confused as she ran away.

“OK, give me the money,” Ned said nervously. Donnie turned around and walked up to the counter. He counted out fifty thousand dollars in front of Ned and placed the money on the counter.

“Dear God!” Ned said as he lost his focus and dropped the cross. Donnie caught it and placed it on the counter for him.

“This is so you can fix the place back up and get it sold,” Donnie said.

“Why are you doing this for us, complete strangers?” Ned asked.

“I have it, and you need it,” Donnie replied. “My parents taught me that to help others is a good thing. They weren’t wrong.”

“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor,” Martha said as she walked out of the living room, holding a twelve gauge shotgun. “Proverbs 22:9.”

“Yeah, that too,” Donnie said, smiling and exited the office. “Stay safe, you two.” Donnie ran to their room and found Abbie shaking.

“Abbie, what is wrong?” Donnie asked.

“That big cross, it terrified me! I want to leave!” Abbie said obviously distressed.

“OK, we can go,” Donnie said and started grabbing the bags. Abbie sprinted into the truck and started the engine. Donnie had to hurry, or she might have left him. They spent the next ten hours, driving. They stopped in a town called Moorhead, in Minnesota. The town wasn’t a metropolis. The population there was about thirty-five thousand residents. They got a room at a motel and rested for the daysleep. The signs for places to feed were far less prominent there. They found only one spot that displayed the signs that they were looking for. It was a bar called “The Last Drop.” Abbie and Donnie went in together. They looked around and walked toward the bar. Several patrons walked out hastily.

“Don’t mind them, they just don’t like strangers,” the bartender said. “Name’s Jesse, what can I get for you?”

“Hemo,” Abbie replied.

“Oh, one of them,” she said. “OK, I’ll need ten bills, each.”

“Two grand, are you serious?” Donnie asked.

“Yeah, you’re lucky I even provide the service way out here,” she said.

“Donnie, I’m hungry,” Abbie said.

“OK fine, two K,” Donnie said and handed the bartender the money. She motioned them to follow her to a door behind the bar and they proceeded through it. It went down into a basement and then into a hall. Donnie felt uneasy about the conditions, but when they got to the end of the corridor, it opened up to a gambling hall. There were poker and blackjack tables, slots, and craps being played. Jesse waved over two serving girls and whispered in their ears. They looked at Donnie and Abbie.

“Follow them,” Jesse said. “Stay and gamble for a while if you like.” She went back through the passage she had come through. The girls took them to a secluded room, and Abbie was able to feed on both of the girls. Donnie again didn’t need to feed, so he declined. Once Abbie was satisfied, they left the hall and hit the road once again. They crossed the border into Canada once again and were in Lakeland in just over five hours.

“What now?” Abbie asked.

“Gaston said we were told to wait and that they would find us,” Donnie said. “Let’s get a room and wait.” They drove about town for a bit before checking into a room. There were absolutely no signs of vampire activity in that sleepy little town.

CHAPTER 26

Luther

DONNIE AND ABBIE waited. They waited for an entire day, and nothing, so they stayed in their rented motel room another day. “Nothing,” Donnie said.

“Well, at least we can make it to Moorhead and back in one night,” Abbie said.

“You will need blood again soon.”

“Not tonight. I’m still good,” Abbie said. “Tomorrow is a different story.” They decided to run around the town, looking for any signs, but there were none to be found. When they got back to their room, they found a note; it had been placed under one of the truck’s windshield wipers. Abbie grabbed and opened it.

“What does it say?” Donnie asked.

“It’s an address,” Abbie replied. “Maybe this is it?”

“I hope so,” Donnie said as he entered it into the GPS in the truck. “It’s about twenty miles outside of town.”

“Let’s go!” Abbie got into the truck, and they headed out of town and drove toward the little blip on the GPS screen. After about fifteen minutes, they had reached the coordinates, but there was nothing around for miles.

“Well, we’re in the middle of nowhere,” Donnie said.

“This is showing up as the right address, there has to be something, keep going,” Abbie urged. As they drove, a mailbox came into view and next to it was a dirt road that led off the main road.

“There,” Abbie said, pointing at the dirt road.

“All right.” Donnie turned off the road and began driving down it. The road went on for over five more miles, before they saw anything.

“Do you see that?” Donnie asked.

“Yeah, it looks like a barn,” Abbie replied. Donnie pulled up to the barn and stopped the truck. They looked around before exiting the vehicle. The only thing around was an isolated barn and a small cottage nearby.

“Hello!” Donnie yelled. “Anyone here!?” After a few nervous minutes, a tall black man walked out from within the barn.

“What are you?” the man asked.

“We’re Donnie and Abbie. We were told to come here,” Abbie said, holding up the note.

“Who are you?” Donnie asked.

“Name is Luther,” he replied. “I’ll ask you one again. What are you?”

“What are you talking about? We already told you,” Donnie replied. “We were told to come here.”

“What are you?” Luther asked as he began walking toward them.

“Dude, seriously, what is your prob . . .” Donnie was interrupted when Luther performed a jumping side kick and sent him flying back. He landed in a muddy pit about fifty feet back.

“Donnie!” Abbie said as she turned to go to him, but Luther grabbed her.

“Where are you going little girl?” Luther said, baring his fangs evilly. “I’m not done with you.” Luther hurled her in the opposite direction into the barn wall. She hit the wall near its top and slid to the ground, landing in a pile of lumber. Donnie recovered from his attack and rushed to Luther. He charged Luther and took a wild swing at him. Luther ducked under the swing easily; he then sidestepped and positioned himself behind Donnie, they were now standing back to back. Donnie was surprised when Luther grabbed a hold of him.

“Slow and sloppy,” Luther said. He reached over his own shoulders with both arms and got a firm grip on Donnie’s head. Donnie’s world went upside down as Luther pulled him over his back and slammed him face first into the ground at his feet. Donnie tried to get up, but his efforts were only met with Luther’s size twelve boot. This kick to the face sent Donnie flying once again, he landed in the same mud pit as before. Abbie got up, grabbed a plank, and ran at Luther. She began swinging the four by four at Luther, but he dodged and ducked every swing Abbie attempted.

“Someone your size should try to get in close, use your size, and take away my reach and strength advantage,” Luther instructed. Donnie got up and could see Abbie fighting Luther. He cursed under his breath and ran at the large man once again. “The problem with using weapons you are not trained in is . . . ” Luther said as he snatched the makeshift club away from Abbie after one of her wild swings “that it can easily be used against you.” Luther sidestepped Donnie’s haymaker effortlessly. He had not even been looking in Donnie’s direction. Luther swung and hit Donnie with the solid piece of wood under his chin. It exploded into a thousand splinters as Donnie was lifted high into the air. “It’s a home run, the crowd goes wild!” Donnie was launched high up into the sky, and as the ground approached him, he cursed under his breath yet again. He landed in the same mud pit for a third time. Abbie watched stunned as Donnie went skyward. “Never lose focus or stop pressing the attack,” Luther said as he grabbed hold of Abbie’s hair.

“Ow, ow!” She cried out as Luther spun and threw her, no different than a hammer throw, back into the barn wall. That throw hurt considerably more, as in addition to the impact, she slid down the barn wall again.

“Come on!” Luther yelled as he threw his arms into the air in exasperation. “What are you?” Donnie got up and ran around Luther and reached Abbie. He helped her get out from under the pile of plywood she had again had landed in.

“I have splinters everywhere,” Abbie said bitterly.

“I think I ate something foul,” Donnie replied.

“Should we run?” she asked.

“I’ll catch you,” Luther said. “You need to deal with me first.”

“What the hell is this?” Donnie asked.

“I don’t know, but he’s toying with us,” Abbie replied.

“Let’s take him together,” Donnie said.

“Good plan,” Luther said.

“Spread out and let’s hit him at once,” Abbie said.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Luther said.

“Shut up already!” Donnie yelled. Luther laughed at them. They moved up cautiously and spread out to stand on either side of him.

Donnie yelled and they charged him simultaneously, “Now!” Luther jumped about twenty feet straight up. Donnie and Abbie crashed into one another and fell onto the ground into a jumbled mess. Luther landed and grabbed Donnie and Abbie by their necks and hoisted them up. He slammed their heads together violently. It was enough of a blow that both their heads split open.

“Let’s try something different, shall we?” Luther said to them as they were momentarily stunned. With a single spinning motion, he threw Donnie into the barn wall and Abbie into the mud pit.

“What are you?” Luther asked again. Donnie was getting angry.

“There is crap in this mud, so gross!” Abbie said. Donnie started thinking. Luther’s hearing was good, but was it as good as Abbie’s?

“Abbie, if you can hear me, charge him. But before you reach him, stop and jump back,” Donnie said in a barely audible whisper. Donnie saw her nod and she bolted out of the mud and ran toward Luther at full speed. Luther prepared to defend against her, but did as she was supposed to and jumped back before reaching him.

“A feint, very good,” Luther said as he performed a backhanded swing behind him. He had expected Donnie to be there, but his swing hit nothing but air. Luther looked left and right, but Donnie was gone. When he finally decided to look up, it was too late. The trajectory and force required to land on the right spot had been child’s play for Donnie to calculate.

“Skyhook!” yelled Donnie as he landed right on top of Luther. The two fell to the ground hard and Donnie managed to grapple Luther in a bear hug from behind. Luther stood up, easily supporting Donnie’s weight.

“Very good, let’s see if you can hold on,” Luther said. “I’m very . . . ” Luther began to say before he doubled over. Abbie continued ramming her fists into his groin repeatedly. Her blows alone forced him to the ground.

“Is this close in enough for you asshole?” she yelled as he continued to rain punches and kicks on Luther.

“Quite . . . ugh . . . good . . . ugh . . . but . . . ugh . . . not . . . ugh . . . good . . . ugh . . . enough ugh,” Luther said. Even as he lay on his side with Donnie immobilizing his arms, Luther was still formidable opponent. He brought his leg over and swept Abbie’s feet out from under her, and in a split second after she herself hit the ground, he kicked her with enough force that she left a trench of dirt and grass. Donnie watched as she disappeared into the darkness and was followed by a splashing sound.

“Damn it!” Abbie cried from the mud pit.

“You are such a prick,” Donnie said to Luther.

“Well, this prick is about to break your hold and throw you back into the wood pile,” Luther began exerting force to break free, but Donnie held him fast. The more Luther struggled, the more Donnie increased his own strength.

“Your ass is mine now,” Donnie said.

“We will see about that!” Luther said and flexed his muscles to their limits. His efforts did nothing to make Donnie relinquish his hold.

“My turn,” Donnie said and he began to squeeze as hard as he could. Like a python crushing its prey, he began to hear bones snap inside Luther’s massive frame.

Luther grimaced and when he could no longer hold back, screamed, “Arrghh!”

“Time to die, not bad for a pair of Foundlings,” Donnie said as he bared his fangs and prepared to sink them into Luther’s exposed neck.

“You pass,” Luther uttered in agony. Donnie paused for a moment, not sure what he meant.

“What?” Donnie asked.

“What are you?” Luther asked again.

“Foundlings,” Donnie said unsure.

“Great, now please let me go,” Luther begged. Abbie ran up and reassumed her ass-kicking duties and continued to stomp on Luther mercilessly.

“Enough!” a voice said from the barn. Abbie looked over and could see a young black woman come out of the barn. She appeared to be no older than seventeen. “Please let him go. He won’t attack you again. You have my word.” Donnie let Luther go, but Abbie continued to kick him.

“Please stop kicking him too,” the young girl said. Abbie delivered one last junk shot and stood next to Donnie and crossed her arms. She was pissed!

“I have feces in my hair and under my nails and who knows where else,” Abbie said lividly.

“What the hell was all this about?” Donnie demanded. “We came here for help, not a beating.”

“I’m sorry, but we had to be sure,” the girl said. “Sometimes they send spies among us.”

“Who send spies?” Abbie asked.

“The Adored,” the girl replied.

“Who are the Adored?” Donnie asked while Abbie fumed.

“They are the Bloodline that controls this part of Canada,” the girl said. “They have tried to infiltrate us before.”

“But why use poop?” Abbie asked still upset.

“I’m sorry for the mistreatment, but we had to test your fighting skills,” the girl said. “Spies are very well trained in the fighting arts.” Luther got up, his body looked completely healed.

“Yeah, the pigs like to cool off in the mud,” Luther said.

“Even better,” Abbie screamed. “Pig poop!” She punched Luther in his groin again, forcing him to fall over instantly.

“Abbie, stop it please. We need their help,” Donnie pleaded.

“My name is Clara,” the girl said as she walked over to Luther and helped him back up. “If you want our help, you’re welcome to stay.”

“Oh, she caught me completely by surprise,” Luther said as he got up. “That’s not easy to do.” Luther took a wide berth around Abbie. Donnie found it comical that this huge vampire was tiptoeing around Abbie.

“Abbie, is it, please calm down,” Clara said. “We want to help you.” Abbie was still furious, but felt her anger and tension wash away. She immediately felt that she could trust Clara. Donnie too was now quite calm.

“Tell me you have a shower and a lot of soap,” Abbie said to Clara.

“Yes, of course,” Clara said as she guided Abbie inside the barn.

“I better get her bag,” Donnie said.

“I’ll help you,” Luther said. “She’s madder than a hornet right now.”

“Too late, she’s inside among you now. Don’t worry, once she gets clean, she will calm down,” Donnie said as he opened the back on the truck and grabbed their bags.

“Do you have any idea what Bloodline you are from?” Luther asked. “You’re incredibly strong. I have never met anyone stronger than me, and I couldn’t borrow.”

“Borrow what?” Donnie asked.

“Never mind that for now,” he said. Donnie didn’t think any further on it.

“Abbie and I are from the Reich Bloodline,” Donnie replied.

“I haven’t had any run-ins with them, but now I know that strength is one of your Bloodlines’ attributes,” Luther said as he walked Donnie into the barn. “I have never been pinned down like that before and never had anyone Abbie’s size topple me so easily.”

“Yeah, that seems right.” Donnie said. “I have only encountered one other Reich besides Abbie, and he dropped a car on me.”

“I can do that,” Luther said.

“Can you do it ten times?” Donnie asked.

“Wow,” Luther said. He was not so impressed with the act of the lifting the car as much as the fact that Donnie had taken the shots and was still alive. The two continued to walk and when they reached the barn entrance, Donnie looked inside confused. It was filled with livestock. Cows, pigs, chickens, and horses were all visible.

“Are you hungry? I recommend the horses,” Luther said.

“You feed off animals?”

“Yeah, human blood is rare around here, until you get to go to the compound,” Luther said as he opened a trapdoor and motioned Donnie in. “It’s a long drop.” Donnie jumped down and fell about fifty feet, he was again surprised by the fact that he landed with ease. The area underneath the barn looked like an old mine. It had narrow passageways and had light fixtures about every ten feet. Luther landed next to him with a loud thud.

“What’s the compound?” Donnie asked.

“This is just a staging area, an outpost per say,” Luther answered as they walked through the corridors. “Once you’re ready, we send you to the compound. The compound consists of a bunch of humans who prefer to live off the land and make money by felling trees. We chop them down and load them onto the truck; they drive the load down and sell it.”

“In turn you get blood?” Donnie asked.

“Exactly,” Luther replied. They reached a larger chamber and Donnie could hear water running. That was a natural cavern with an underground river running through it.

“How did you find this place? Donnie asked.

“About one hundred and fifty years ago, a Foundling named Espee found it and set up this hiding place for other Foundlings,” Luther replied. “They built the barn over it.”

“Yeah, Gaston mentioned her,” Donnie said.

“First rule, if things go badly, run,” Luther said, “second rule, try to find one of the guardians.”

“OK, but you are going to have to give me a little more,” Donnie said.

“There are currently twelve guardians. Foundling leaders who lead twelve separate Foundling dens. This is one; Gaston’s Easy Street is another. There is one set up in Miami, and there is another one in California.”

“So what about the other eight dens, where are they?” Donnie asked.

“They’re overseas and will be virtually impossible for one of us to reach, if we could even get over there,” Luther answered.

“Well, this is better than I had expected,” Donnie said.

“Listen, we live in constant fear. We can’t relax our guard one bit,” Luther said. “Every time we set one up, another one seems to go down. We lost two this year alone, over thirty Foundlings killed along with their guardians,” Luther said angrily.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault,” Luther said. “Just keep your guard up.”

“I will,” Donnie assured.

“Damn straight you will!” Luther said. “I’ll make sure of that.” Clara walked up to Luther and Donnie. Luther hugged her warmly and then walked off.

“Please follow me, Donald,” Clara said.

“Donnie is actually short for Donato, not Donald. Just call me Donnie,” he said as he walked along Clara’s side.

“My apologies, your name is Latin, correct?”

“Yeah, most people think it is Italian.”

“It is a very nice name.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“Tomorrow, we start your training.”

“Why so soon, we have questions?”

“The sooner I can get you ready, the sooner you can go to the compound,” Clara said. “It’s the safest place for you.”

“I still have a lot of questions.”

“I have lots of answers.”

“Your wife is waiting for you beyond this cavern. There is a mattress you can use to sleep on,” Clara said, motioning to a lit area down a hall.

“Great! Is Luther your husband?” Donnie asked. Clara smiled warmly.

“No. He is my son.”

“Oh, you made him into a vampire?”

“No,” Clara said still smiling. “Not at all, I had him when I was thirteen. I was killed by a vampire, and I rose as a Foundling. Years later, the same fate befell my beloved child.”

Donnie stood there shocked. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s absolutely nothing to apologize for,” Clara said. “Wash yourself, and we will see you tomorrow night.”

“Thank you.”

“I doubt you will be saying that tomorrow,” Clara said, smiling. “Training under Luther is grueling.” Clara walked away and disappeared down a hall. Donnie walked through the cavern mouth to find a small waterfall and Abbie bathing underneath it. The water ran down her beautiful naked body, and she looked as if she was glowing. The water sparkled in brilliant golden colors.

“Hey, handsome,” Abbie said. “Care to join me?” Donnie smiled as he undressed and joined his beloved for a dip.

CHAPTER 27

Training

DONNIE WOKE A few hours before dusk and found Abbie still sleeping. The nearby cascading waterfall had made for a peasant rest. The naturally resonating sounds of the cavern had made him feel very peaceful, and this was something he had lacked in the last few days. He decided against exploring the caverns and shafts, it had been like a maze to navigate to this spot, and he didn’t want to leave Abbie alone. She didn’t like to wake up alone. Donnie waded into the shallow waters of the nearby pool. The water was cold, yet refreshing. Donnie decided to sit in the pool and pray. He gave thanks to God for watching over both of them, and he gave thanks to The Great Spirit for showing them the way to this place. The very earth and water seemed to communicate to him. He felt a strange connection to the environment itself. He found himself entering a trance-like state, suddenly; he was transported onto a vast and green plain with the sun high in the sky. Donnie looked around but could see no one, yet he could hear laughing nearby. Donnie began moving toward the laughter and after walking over a small hill, found a pair of men wrestling. They were clearly American Indians, wearing animal skins and leathers, each with long black hair. They were enjoying a wrestling match; they were having a great time, testing their skills against each another. Donnie watched and smiled. They began speaking to him as they wrestled.

“Hello, Donato,” the taller of the Indians said. His hair was wet and continually dripped water to the ground.

“Hello, Rainchaser,” Donnie replied. He had no idea how he knew that man’s name or how he knew that the other one’s name was Windcaller. He immediately knew that they were Ani Yuntikwalaski or the thunder people of the Cherokee faith. Windcaller’s hair seemed to be perpetually moving, as if being blown by strong gusts of wind, yet the light breeze on the plain was not enough to cause this effect.

“Welcome to the Spirit Realm,” Rainchaser said.

“Where am I?” Donnie asked not sure he heard it correctly.

“The Spirit Realm,” Windcaller replied, “but it is too soon.”

“Mmm. Yes, Windcaller is right.” Rainchaser said as he grappled with Windcaller. “You must go back now.”

“I just got here, why do I need to leave so soon?” Donnie asked.

“You are not ready to learn what we have to teach you yet,” Windcaller replied.

“What will I learn from you?” Donnie asked. “How do I get ready?”

“The dark skin has much to teach you,” Rainchaser replied.

“Now go, or your woman will be angry at you,” Windcaller said. Donnie could hear someone calling from behind him. He turned to look back and found himself opening his eyes inside the cavern.

“Donnie, wake up, Donnie,” Abbie said. Donnie blinked a few times and then looked at Abbie. She seemed a bit distressed.

“Hi,” Donnie said.

“Donnie, what are you doing?” Abbie asked and pointed at Donnie. “And why are you covered in those?” Donnie looked around him and discovered that he was covered with insects, frogs, mice, and snakes. The animals were calm and began to move away slowly.

“Don’t know,” Donnie replied as he got up. He shook off what was left of the insects in his hair and got out of the pool.

“That was gross,” Abbie said.

“Not really,” Donnie said. “They’re just creatures.”

“Bugs are disgusting,” Abbie said, slightly shivering. “Blah.” Donnie smiled and removed a beetle from her hair when she wasn’t looking. Luther called out to them from outside the cave.

“I am here. Let’s go we have to get ready for today.” Donnie got dressed and followed Abbie out of the cavern. Luther was there with another man.

“This is farmer Matt; he takes care of the livestock above. He’s off-limits to feed on,” Luther explained. Donnie shook his hand, as did Abbie, but Abbie’s stare lingered a bit longer than necessary, and it obviously made Matt uncomfortable. She was hungry and couldn’t help herself.

“You appear to be hungry. Let’s get you some drink,” Luther said. Luther pushed Abbie into the caverns, and Donnie followed them. Abbie looked back a few times until the farmer’s scent had left her nostrils. They reached the entry shaft and Donnie could now see that there were grooves carved into its side which allowed for climbing. They made their way up back into the barn. Once outside, Donnie and Abbie could see that there were two other Foundlings there. Luther pointed them out as they fed on the various animals in the barn. “That one feeding on the cow is Reina.” She was small, just a little taller than Abbie, but with a thinner build. She had dark skin, and long straight ebony hair. “The other one is Luc.” Luther pointed out a man feeding on a pig. Luc looked slightly older than everyone else; he seemed to be in his thirties. After everyone had completed feeding, Clara made the introductions. Luther, Reina, and Luc went outside as Clara stayed behind with Abbie and Donnie.

“You need to feed nightly,” Clara said. “You can drink from the pigs, cows, or the horses. I suggest you try each and decide which one tastes the best to you.”

“Ugh, I don’t think I’m ready to try the pigs yet,” Abbie said.

“Luther recommended the horses,” Donnie said, and Clara chuckled.

“What?” Abbie asked.

“Luther is still being cruel. Everyone generally agrees that the horses taste the worst,” Clara explained.

“Well, I’ll show him,” Abbie said and walked over to a horse. She petted it, and they found a good spot and bit it and began to drink. Donnie could see that she kept making a face as if she was sucking on a lemon.

“She is quite spirited,” Clara commented to Donnie.

“Yeah, that’s my wife,” Donnie said, smiling.

“What will you pick, Donnie?” Clara asked.

“None, I’m not hungry,” Donnie replied.

“You must be hungry,” Clara said. “When is the last time you fed?” Donnie thought about it.

“It was three nights ago.”

“And you are not hungry at all?” Clara asked surprised.

“Not at all,” he replied. Abbie finished feeding and rejoined Donnie and Clara.

“OK, that was unpleasant,” Abbie said. “But it was very filling.” Clara brought out a ledger and walked over to a stable that contained a table and several wooden chairs.

“Let’s go over some information,” Clara said, motioning for them to follow her. Clara sat down at the table, and Donnie and Abbie did the same. “Very well, training consists of three parts. When you both complete training, you will be allowed to go to the compound.”

“How long is training?” Donnie asked.

“It takes a few months,” Clara replied.

“OK. So what are the three phases of training?” Abbie asked.

“Part one is easy, we take down your info and learn about any abilities you may have and try to classify your Bloodline,” Clara said. Donnie and Abbie both nodded in understanding. “Part two is Ability training, we try and teach you some basic vampire abilities and test your limits. I will also go over vampire dos and don’ts.”

“What do you mean by test our limits?” Abbie asked.

“We see how strong and fast you are, and how long you can go without feeding, things along those lines,” Clara replied.

“Why’s this necessary?” Donnie asked.

“If you know your limits, you will be better able to survive,” Clara replied. “Don’t worry, we are not going to torture you, well not until part three.”

“I know I’ll be sorry for asking, but what is part three?” Abbie asked.

“Part three is the hardest. You must complete training with Luther. That will consist of three phases. He will instruct you on evasion, defense, and offense. When he gives you the green light, you can head to the compound,” Clara said just before there was a large crash against the barn wall. Donnie and Abbie knew exactly what was going on outside.

“We understand, let’s get started,” Donnie said confidently.

“Very good,” Clara said and began asking questions and recording the answers in her ledger. As she asked her questions, Clara was very surprised to discover that they had been vampires less than two weeks, and how far they had traveled. They relayed their story to Clara from beginning until now. Clara sat in amazement. “I don’t know anything about this Reich Bloodline, so I cannot tell you how far they are willing to go to find you,” Clara said. “But I think we can keep you hidden from them.” Donnie and Abbie felt a sense of relief at Clara’s words.

“Thank you Clara, we just want to live in peace,” Donnie said.

“That’s what we all want, but we aren’t given that choice,” Clara said.

“I know why the Reich wants me, but why are the other Foundlings hunted down?” Abbie asked.

“None of us know exactly why,” Clara answered. “All we know is that it interferes with some sort of master plan.”

“Not much to go by,” Abbie said.

“Almost nothing actually, but we forge on,” Clara said. Once she was satisfied with the initial questions, she began inquiring into their abilities. She noted in her ledger that they were both from the Reich Bloodline. Clara began asking about their abilities. Abbie explained about her strength and keen hearing and eyesight. Donnie went over his strength and how fast he seemed to heal.

“Those are fairly standard abilities for vampires,” Clara said. “Have you noticed anything really unusual, like flight or the ability to transform yourself into something else?”

“Not me, just the strength and my senses,” Abbie said and looked at Donnie.

“All I figured out is that I can take one hell of a beating and that I don’t need to feed as often as Abbie.”

“Hmm, it’s not unusual, for newborns of the same Bloodline to have separate abilities granted to them by their Bloodline,” Clara said. “I am concerned about your lack of hunger. That seems quite odd to me. Most young vampires are ravenous. Once you get older, your hunger lessens and you can go longer without blood.” Donnie and Abbie looked at each other, and Clara picked up on that they were keeping something from her. “You need to be honest with me. I can’t help you adjust to your new life if you don’t let me help you.”

“OK,” Abbie said, looking at Clara. “There was something weird that happened; something that was not supposed to be possible per my manual.”

“You have a manual?” Clara asked extremely interested.

“Yeah, I was given a manual by the Reich and it has some basic instructions to follow in it,” Abbie replied.

“I would be very interested in seeing it,” Clara said.

“I’ll go get it. It’s hidden in the truck.” Donnie ran to the truck and returned after a few minutes. Donnie handed it to Clara who began reviewing it page by page. When she was done, she placed the manual on the table.

“This is a very well written text. I would say that it is completely accurate,” Clara said. Abbie’s eyes went wide and she looked back at Donnie.

“I don’t know,” Donnie said. “Let’s just tell her.”

“OK, I think it’s for the best too.” They both turned back to Clara.

“So what was the weird thing that happened?” Clara asked.

“Donnie can drink vampire blood,” Abbie blurted out.

“In fact, I have only fed on vampires. When I tried to drink human blood, I almost died.” Clara’s expression changed from calm to concern.

“To my knowledge, this is not possible,” Clara said. “In fact, I know that forcing another vampire to drink dead blood is an interrogation technique. That is how harmful it is for us. I do not understand how you can do it.”

“Maybe it’s an ability of our Bloodline?” Donnie said. “I mean, Abbie drank some of my blood as well.” Donnie let out. Abbie backhanded his arm. Donnie looked at Abbie slightly annoyed.

“Yeah, I did, but I can still drink human blood,” Abbie said to Donnie. “And your heart beats. It stops most of the time, but when you get excited or agitated, it starts beating again.”

“Yeah, OK, that’s true, but your heart started beating too that night,” Donnie replied. Clara calmly watched their argument and continued to take down notes.

“Interesting,” Clara said, interrupting the two. Donnie and Abbie looked back at Clara. “Could you demonstrate this for me?” Donnie began shaking his head.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Donnie said.

Clara looked at Donnie calmly and asked, “Why not?” Another resounding boom broke the silence. It sounded as if a body landed on the roof and rolled off.

“It was quite intense,” Abbie finally replied. Clara could tell something happened and that they were scared about something.

“Then drink from me,” Clara said, extending her arm to Donnie and Abbie.

“No,” Donnie said.

“You don’t understand,” Abbie said. “It was quite . . . erotic.”

“I still need to witness it, so he either drinks from you or me,” Clara said.

“But . . . ” Abbie said.

“But nothing, we need to fully understand what you can do, or we can’t help you and you can go on your way,” Clara said firmly.

Donnie grabbed her arm and said, “Fine!” And he sunk his fangs into her wrist. Clara moved with the motion and placed her hand over his heart. As he fed, she could feel his heart beating.

“Amazing,” Clara said and pulled her arm away. Donnie let her go and sat back down. Clara quickly entered the information in the journal.

“So what’s next? Should I drink too?” Abbie asked.

“No. I will put this down as a possible ability of your Bloodline. We don’t want to experiment with it until you get a better grasp on your other abilities first.” Luc and Reina came into the barn, carrying Luther. He was severely battered and bruised. They placed him close to a pig, and he began to feed and, after a few minutes, was able to heal his injuries.

“They are ready. They pass,” Luther said and shook Luc’s hand and hugged Reina. “I will take them to the compound tomorrow.” Luc and Reina high-fived each other and jumped into the underground caverns.

“That is fine. Tell them I will miss them,” Clara said.

“How long were they here?” Donnie asked.

“Just over five months,” Luther replied as he walked over. “Reina was hesitant to hurt anyone. I don’t think I will have that problem with you two.”

“Bring it on, big man!” Abbie said to Luther with the meanest stare she could muster. He simply laughed and walked to the cavern entrance and jumped down.

Over the next several weeks, Clara instructed Donnie and Abbie on all the vampire abilities that she could teach them. She was a strict instructor. A task was repeated until it was mastered. This turned out to be a brutal undertaking, as an arm or leg was broken repeatedly. She taught Abbie how to hasten her healing by focusing on it. Donnie tried to pick up the concept, but he healed so quickly that he was never able to try to implement the technique before the inflicted wound healed itself. Abbie on the other hand picked up on everything like a sponge. They determined that Abbie could force herself to go without blood for four days before she became frenzied. Donnie on the other hand went well into a month’s time before he felt even the slightest bit of hunger. Clara estimated that he could probably go months without feeding. Abbie also learned to isolate her senses and expand them. They became so sharp that she could virtually hear and see anything within a quarter mile as long as she concentrated. Donnie seemed to lack this ability; his senses seemed to be no better than a normal human.

Clara also went over common problems that arose from being a vampire. She explained to the pair that sunlight was deadly, and how the longer they lived as a vampire, the more deadly the sun’s rays would become to them. Clara also informed them that they should avoid anything holy, and this included crosses and churches and holy ground. Donnie was a bit perplexed by this lesson as he had a different experience involving a cross. He decided not to share the info with Clara but decided he would tell Abbie after they were at the compound. Finally, she explained how no vampire could enter a home without permission and how this extended to any home, apartment, or even single room. Donnie and Abbie trained with Clara for an entire month. After Clara’s training, both Donnie and Abbie had a better understanding of their abilities and had gained a basic grasp of their strengths and weaknesses. They both felt more confident about what they could and could not do. When she believed them ready, she released them to Luther. He had been anxiously waiting for this day, as was Abbie.

“OK, my program has three phases,” Luther spoke as he took Donnie and Abbie deep into the woods. “The first one being speed, until you pass it, you will be considered slugs.” They arrived at what looked like a military obstacle course. There were walls to climb over, pits to leap over, and other constructs that Donnie was not sure what they did. “The objective of this training is to help you get away from an executioner as fast as possible,” Luther said. “That’s always the first rule, if you are being chased by an executioner, you run and don’t look back.”

“So you are not going to be hitting us?” Abbie asked.

“No,” Luther replied. “I will not be hitting you at all, but don’t expect to walk away from this exercise without any injuries.”

“There is no poop on this exercise right?” Abbie asked.

“No, there isn’t. But there is lots of mud, now be quiet and just watch.” Luther walked over to a generator and started it up. A series of belts and pulleys began to swing back and forth. Luther went to the start point and pulled out a stopwatch, clicked it, and ran into the course at full speed. Donnie and Abbie watched as he ran the course. He jumped over hurdles and walls, and leaped over pits, balanced over beams, and jumped through makeshift hoops. The course looked like it was about a quarter mile long. Luther completed the semicircular course and took out his stopwatch.

“Forty-five seconds,” he said. “Not my fastest time, but not my worst either.”

“You were slow,” Donnie said.

“Oh, you think you can do better?” Luther asked.

“Yeah, I used to do this for fun,” Donnie said. “It’s called Parkour.”

“Well, Mr. Big Mouth, please shut me up,” Luther said as he motioned to the course. Donnie took off.

“Go, baby! You can do it!” Abbie yelled. Luther clicked the stopwatch, and followed Donnie’s movements. He used an entirely different route than Luther and completed the course in thirty-three seconds. Luther just stood there, amazed.

“OK, you are no longer a slug. You’re now a sloth,” Luther said and then turned to Abbie, “Your turn.” Abbie got ready and entered the course. She completed the course in forty seconds.

“Not bad,” Luther said. “Now try it at level two.”

“How many levels are there?” Abbie asked.

“Five,” Luther replied, smiling. Donnie shook his head and got ready to run the next level. Luther turned a knob, and everything started moving faster.

“Can you just turn it to level five so that I can get this over with this?” Donnie asked.

“Of course,” Luther said and turned the knob the entire way. Donnie watched the speed of the moving obstacles, and when he believed he had the timing down, he leaped into the course. Donnie got about one-eighth of the way into the course when Luther triggered a trap. An unexpected piece of wood spun out from behind a tree and struck Donnie’s square on the head. He fell into a pit of mud with a loud muddy splash.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Abbie said.

“Do you think so?” Luther said. “Executioners hunt in groups and will often break up and try to circle around a target. They don’t play fair either, so you need to be able to expect anything when you run.” Abbie watched as Donnie climbed out of the mud and walked back to the start point. Even though she was angry at him, she knew Luther was right. They spent the next three weeks mastering the course. After hundreds of visits to the mud pits and countless broken bones, Luther eventually graduated them both.

The next phase of Luther’s training was to begin that night; Luther escorted Donnie and Abbie to another part of the woods. They noticed there was another structure there. It was low and walled. When they reached it, Donnie and Abbie could tell it was a maze of some sort.

“Congratulations, I am elevating you from turtles to rabbits. Welcome to phase two of your training,” Luther announced. “Rabbits are hard to catch but easy to hurt. Executioners like nothing better than catching a rabbit. So rule number two, if you’re unable to run, defend yourself long enough to create an opening and then run.”

“Will you be hitting us?” Abbie asked.

“Yes, I will be beating on you mercilessly,” Luther announced. “You are not allowed to hit me back for this training either.”

“No fair!” Abbie yelled.

“So what do we do?” Donnie asked.

“Get past me to the end of the maze,” Luther replied. “You can push me, trip me, and throw me, but you just can’t hit me. The objective is to bypass an executioner and leave him choking on your dust.”

“Does this work?” Donnie asked. “I mean why not just fight and kill them?”

“I completely understand your feelings on this,” Luther replied. “You need to understand that one-on-one, it may be a good time for you to fight, if you are ready, but when they make a full-fledged attack, they always bring numbers. When you’re outnumbered three or four to one, you just need to get away.”

“Has that ever happened?” Abbie asked.

“I was in a den that was attacked about fifty years ago. I had just completed my training under a vampire named Karol, when we were attacked. We had twelve Foundlings in the den. They attacked us with over fifty executioners. Karol gave her life, defending us, but the rest of us got away. So yes, the training works,” Luther explained.

“OK, we’ll trust you and learn what you have to teach us,” Donnie said. For the next several weeks, they trained in the maze. Luther would use nets and sticks to trip them or simply try to grapple them. He would change the configuration of the maze nightly. Abbie particularly excelled during that training. Her small size made her a difficult target for Luther to catch. Donnie on the other hand took to the push rule completely, on several occasions, pushing Luther through several walls of the maze or even straight up and out of the maze. It was not what he had wanted Donnie to learn, but he couldn’t dispute the effective use of his Herculean strength. Two and a half months into their training, Luther felt that they were ready and stopped them from heading to the maze. They had passed phase two.

CHAPTER 28

The Compound

“CONGRADULATIONS YOU TWO, you’re no longer rabbits, you are now mongooses,” Luther announced. “You’re now fast and slippery, so it’s time for phase three.”

“Do we get to hit you now?” Abbie asked smiling.

“Yes, Abbie, you get to hit me, as much as you like,” Luther said, smiling back. “Phase three, and the final rule, if you cannot create an opening and you’re forced to fight, take down your opponent as fast as you can before others come.”

“Whoa. Are you going to teach us Kung Fu?” Donnie asked, changing his voice.

“Hey, that was pretty good, baby, you really sounded like him,” Abbie said.

“Misha isn’t the only one that can do impressions,” Donnie replied smiling.

“I am sure I have no idea what that means,” Luther said. “I will not be teaching you Kung Fu. I will give you basics on a fighting system called Krav Maga.”

“I have heard of it,” Donnie said.

“Good. It is designed to take down opponents fast and brutally,” Luther advised. “I have to warn you, just because you get trained in this fighting system, you should always run.”

“Then why teach it to us?” Abbie asked.

“Not every executioner is a deadly killing machine, but they are still trained,” Luther said. “This training is for those occasions. You need to understand and remember that if you come across an old vampire with centuries of combat experience, you will not stand a chance, but you can still run away.”

“OK, we get it,” Abbie said. “If we can kick its ass do so and do it quick. If we can’t, then try to run.”

“Exactly, now to pass this phase, you will need to defeat me,” Luther said.

“We did it before. I am sure we can do it again,” Donnie said.

“No. You need to defeat me alone, no help from one another,” Luther said.

“I can’t do that,” Abbie said. “I’m not strong enough.”

“I will show you how to defeat any opponent, how to look for openings, to play your strengths against their weaknesses,” Luther said.

“I’m still not sure,” Abbie said.

“Reina beat me, and she weighed fifteen pounds less than you,” Luther said.

“Well, if that skinny bitch can do it,” Abbie said, “I guess I can too.”

“You’re going to regret this Luther,” Donnie said.

“Why?” Luther asked.

“First you threw her in poop and now you called her fat.” Donnie smiled at Luther.

“I want first turn,” Abbie said. Luther got a look of uneasiness for a moment. The training nights that followed consisted of Luther instructing them on maneuvers and techniques, and the second part of the night was spent sparring. Unlike their first encounter, Luther was nowhere near as gentle. Often Donnie and Abbie would retire for the day sleep still healing from massive injuries, but they stuck with the training. Into the fifth week of combat training, Abbie managed to bring down Luther. She used her speed to get in close, and instead of hitting him, she sprang over him and grabbed his neck on the way down, snapping it in one devastating acrobatic motion. It took Luther fifteen minutes before he was able to move once again.

“Ha! I could have killed you!” Abbie screamed and then ran into Donnie’s waiting arms. He spun her around and gave her a big kiss.

“Congrats, babe, you took him down!”

“Now you have to do it, so we can get to the compound,” Abbie urged, but after another two weeks, Donnie had still been unable to take down Luther.

“Come on, baby, you can beat this guy easy!” Abbie cheered. They began fighting once again and Donnie defended every attack that Luther delivered and when he attacked, Luther countered and took Donnie down once again.

“Damn it!” Luther screamed, “What are you waiting for?”

“What do you mean?” Donnie said getting up as his arm healed.

“Why are you holding back?” he asked. “You’re not giving me your all.”

“I am, I’m trying to beat you,” he replied.

“No! You’re not!” Luther replied. “I have tried insulting you, I have tried embarrassing you, I have tried injuring you, and nothing works.”

“What are you saying Luther?” Abbie asked.

“He’s not taking this seriously,” Luther said. “You need to have some rage in you to take a life, and he just doesn’t have that killer instinct.”

“I have killed vampires,” Donnie argued.

“Well, here’s the deal. Abbie can go to the compound, but you have to stay behind. Mom and I are going to go back, and another two will come back. You can try again then.”

“What does that mean?” Abbie asked.

“It’s very simple!” Luther screamed. “We are leaving for the compound with or without you. So Donnie, you have three choices. Both of you stay here, you let Abbie come and you stay or you get your ass in gear and fight me for real!” Donnie looked down at his feet and walked into the barn.

“Donnie, where are you going?” Abbie asked.

“Dawn is almost here. I’m going to bed,” he replied.

“Class is not dismissed!” Luther yelled.

“Fuck off!” Donnie yelled back.

“If you keep walking away, I’m going to give you hell tomorrow!” Luther yelled.

“Fuck you again!” Donnie replied and gave Luther the finger before dropping into the caverns.

“I’ll talk to him, this isn’t like him,” Abbie said and ran after Donnie.

“You do that!” Luther yelled. “See if you can get his balls to drop!” Abbie rushed after Donnie. She caught up to him in the corridor just outside their bedroom.

“So what’s up, baby?” Abbie asked, “Why are you holding back?” Donnie stayed quiet and started undressing. He sat down on the bed. Abbie scooted up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

“I want to kill him,” Donnie said.

“What? Why?” Abbie asked. “He’s a prick, but he has our best intentions at heart, he doesn’t deserve to die.”

“You’re not getting it. He’s so good that I need to push myself, and when I get that riled up, I keep feeling something building up inside me.”

“Building up, how? What’s building?”

“I’m not sure. I just know that it feels the same as when I fought Hulderich and Cassandra,” Donnie replied. “I get this need to kill him, and if I don’t control it, I’m not sure what will happen.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before?”

“I was sure I could overpower him, but he has got decades of experience,” Donnie replied. “I’m afraid of what will happen if I really let loose.”

“Well, let’s not risk it,” Abbie said. “Tomorrow we’ll tell them that we will stay here and try again with the other set of trainers.”

“No, you should go,” Donnie said. “I’ll stay behind.”

“You’re my husband,” Abbie said. “That means I sleep where you sleep, period, and end of argument.”

“OK, we both stay,” Donnie said depressed.

“Hey, cheer up,” Abbie said. “I have something to show you.”

“Oh? What?” Donnie hoped it would cheer him up. Abbie clenched her fist and held it in front of Donnie.

“Now just watch,” Abbie said and began to concentrate.

Donnie said jokingly and covered himself, “Battered husband, battered husband!”

“Shut up! Stop making me laugh, I have to concentrate,” Abbie said, trying not to laugh at his joke. Donnie watched as Abbie’s fist turned from a normal pinkish color to a solid white.

“What did you do?” he asked.

“Not sure, but I used it to beat Luther,” Abbie replied. “I grabbed his neck and did this to my hands. Feel it.” Donnie reached over and grabbed her fist.

“It’s rock hard,” Donnie said. “Cool.”

“I know, right,” Abbie said. “I wonder what else I can do.”

“So you have been doing this in secret?” Donnie asked.

“Just practicing it,” Abbie replied. “I can’t keep it like this for more than just a few minutes.”

“Keep it up,” Donnie encouraged. They lay down and went to sleep. When Donnie woke the next evening, Abbie was gone. He got up and began looking for her through the halls, but she was not around. He made his way out to the barn; all of the animals were gone. Donnie looked around and finally exited the barn. He found Luther and Clara, waiting for him outside.

“Hey, what is going on?” Donnie asked.

“What’s your choice?” Luther asked.

“We’re planning to stay here,” Donnie replied. “Where is Abbie?”

“We already sent her to the compound,” Luther replied. “She earned it, so we didn’t think it would be fair to punish her for your deficiencies.”

“What?” Donnie asked. “You can’t do this.”

“We already did,” Clara replied. “I’m sorry, Donnie.”

“I get it,” Donnie said. “You are just trying to push me into fighting you all out. Where is she really?”

“It’s gone beyond that now,” Luther replied. “I promise you she is waking up in the compound right at this moment.”

“You fucking bastard!” Donnie yelled. He was instantly filled with rage. He got angrier and angrier by the second. “You want me to give you everything? You got it, and you’re going to regret it.”

“It’s gone beyond that,” Luther said. “You have to beat both of us. If you want into the compound, you have to prove to me that you deserve it.”

“This is your last chance,” Clara said. “You can’t hold back any longer.”

“Fine,” Donnie said as the winds began to pick up around the farm. He started walking toward Luther and Clara. “I just hope one of you survives to tell me where my wife is.”

“There is that intensity I was looking for,” Luther said. “If I had known that this is all it would have taken, I would have treated Abbie far worse.”

“You are not going to make this easier on you by making me angrier,” Donnie said and ran full speed at Luther.

“Yes!” Luther said excitedly and he readied himself for Donnie’s charge. Donnie increased his speed, but Luther was ready. Luther swung at Donnie in anticipation of Donnie’s charge, but the blow missed. Donnie at the last minute spun and changed his direction and delivered a spinning kick to Clara. The blow was swift and savage. Clara was knocked backward hundreds of feet.

Luther’s eyes went wide as he tried to reach for Donnie and exclaimed, “Mother!” But he was already moving after Clara. Donnie reached where Clara had landed and before she could even look up, Donnie executed a soccer style kick to Clara’s abdomen. That blow was much harder than the first due to Donnie’s velocity. Clara was again hurled a great distance. Luther could hear her bones snapping with each blow. “No wait, stop!” Luther began to pursue Donnie. Donnie looked back at him and took off after Clara again. Clara had just come to her feet when Donnie uppercut her and sent her flying yet again. Donnie ran to where she was about to hit the ground. He then loosed another spinning kick, and she was again propelled by its bone-crushing force. Luther tried as hard as he could, but he could not catch Donnie before he hit Clara once again. With every blow, the winds overhead intensified and flashes of lightning could be seen in the clouds above. “Fight me!” Luther yelled. “Your fight is with me!” Donnie ignored him and continued to punish Clara mercilessly. Donnie could tell that she was wholly unconscious, nothing more than a rag doll he was kicking around. Donnie grabbed Clara by her ankle and ran in circles as Luther tried to catch up. “Damn it, quit playing games and let my mother go!” Luther begged.

Donnie stopped moving and faced Luther. “Not so fun when it’s your loved one getting beat up, is it?” he yelled. “No fun at all.”

“You beat her, so let her go and face me,” Luther said as he started to move.

“Stay right there, Luther, or I will run until the sun comes up!” Donnie yelled. Luther froze in his tracks. He could see that Donnie was serious in his threat, and Donnie proved that he was faster than Luther ever hoped to be.

“So what now, what do you want to do?” Luther asked.

“You tell me where Abbie is, I go get her and we move on,” he replied. His rage was coming to an end somewhat unnaturally as if it had been artificial.

“I can’t do that. We need to leave this place. All of us,” Luther said wide-eyed.

“You’re not making sense,” Donnie said. “First, I can’t go, and then we need to go together. Why so much double-talk?”

“Donnie, I’m sorry, but we’re leaving this place. We received word that an executioner squad has learned of this location,” Luther explained. “We sent Abbie ahead with farmer Matt to protect her.”

“So why not send me too?” Donnie asked. “Were you just going to leave me here to be found by a group of murderers?”

“Damn it! No, I would never abandon any Foundling!” Luther screamed. “I was going to stay with you, and Mother was going to head to the compound to watch over Abbie.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Luther said as he began walking toward Donnie. “You and I were going to drive away in the truck and lead them away from this place.”

“Then why fight me?” Donnie asked.

“I needed to see if you had any intensity, and I wanted to be sure I could count on you in a fight, plus, I was sure that Mother and I could easily subdue you. I didn’t expect you to be so fast or strong.”

“Moron! Didn’t we tell you that I killed a four-hundred-year-old vampire,” Donnie yelled back. “I came within moments of killing you when we first met. I have been holding myself back to avoid killing you. It took everything I had to control myself.”

“We never thought that story was true,” Luther said. “We thought you made it up to incur favor with us, and until now, you have not shown that you were remotely capable of what you claimed.” A fog bank began rolling into the area.

“Damn it, Luther, you made me hurt Clara, for no good reason,” Donnie said as he picked her up and began walking her toward him. Luther took her from Donnie.

“We need to get out of here,” Luther said. “The Adored are on their way. Let’s get to the truck.” The fog bank continued to roll in.

“OK, Luther, put Clara in the back, and I will start the truck up,” Donnie said. Luther secured his mother in the back and began walking to the passenger side door.

“Luther, Clara, and one more,” a voice uttered from the fog.

“A fortunate find my sisters,” another voice whispered from the mist.

“What the hell?” Donnie said.

“They’re here, Donnie, grab Mother and I will try to hold them back,” Luther said.

“No way, I’m not leaving you behind,” Donnie said.

“Donnie, run, please take Mother, she’s helpless, and they will kill her first,” Luther said.

“No, we will keep her,” a voice said from the fog.

“We have many questions,” another voice loudly whispered.

“Kill the two males. I will take the female,” another voice escaped from the fog.

“No! Mother!” Luther yelled as he began moving to the back of the truck. Donnie lost sight of him as he went toward the back on the truck. Then he suddenly saw Luther being dragged into the mists and was followed by an agonizing scream bellowed by Luther.

“Donnie,” a voice said from the mists.

“He’s so handsome,” another voice whispered from nearby in the mists.

“Donnie, don’t look at them, they can arrrgghhhh!” Luther screamed from somewhere in the mists. His voice seemed to be moving around within the mists.

“Bring it! You . . . whatever you are!” Donnie yelled. Donnie could hear laughter from the fog and was startled when an incredibly beautiful woman materialized from the mists. She was dressed in a flowing white dress that was quite see through and revealing. She opened the door to the truck and looked Donnie in the eyes.

“Hello, Donnie,” the woman said and she started to caress his arm.

“Oh, we like you,” a second woman said, as she materialized inside the truck and took a position on his other arm. They were stunningly beautiful and were using their womanly wiles to seduce Donnie. They kissed his arms and face, and caressed his lower body seductively. Donnie was transfixed by their movements and their wonderful intoxicating aroma. His senses were being artificially heightened. Every touch, every sensation was being somehow magnified. They began to pull and push Donnie out of the truck. Slowly, he exited the truck and was being pulled into the mists by the first woman. The second woman began sliding out of the truck, when she knocked a pillow out of the truck to the ground below. Donnie didn’t notice Abbie’s pillow falling behind him, but he did smell . . .

“Apples,” Donnie said as he pulled his arm away from the first woman.

“Impossible!” the first woman screamed. Donnie quickly grabbed the truck door and violently slammed it shut on the second woman. She was only partially outside of the truck and was caught completely unaware. She had one arm, a leg, and her head exposed. The door severed all three clean off. The moment she was split in twine, her body turned to mirrored glass and shattered.

“Micaela! No!” The first woman screamed out. “I will rend you limb from limb!” Donnie watched as her delicate hands elongated and grew long black nails. She grabbed hold of Donnie and dragged him into the mists.

“Now you die Foundling,” the voice cried from the fog.

“Heard that before,” Donnie replied, “and I’m still here.” Donnie felt what seemed to be a dozen slashes on his body from numerous directions. They continued to assail him viciously. Donnie could just see them as they materialized for a split second, delivered their slash, and faded back into the mists. Donnie tried to punch, kick, and grab at the figures in the mist, but they were impossible to hit. His every effort was rewarded by an attack from his rear. Donnie had enough! Even when fighting against Luther and Clara, he had been keeping himself in check, but no more, he stopped holding back. Donnie stood up and rain began to fall, the more he opened up the harder the rain fell. Within seconds, the fog became nonexistent, and Donnie could now see his attackers clearly and charged headlong into them. The women came at him as well, all fourteen of them, their wet clothing sticking to their shapely bodies, was even more revealing now. Donnie didn’t bother with subtlety, every swing was delivered at full strength, and every blow was a killing one. With deadly accuracy that he had learned from Luther, he pummeled their heads. Each fisticuff was delivered with such force that it lopped the impacted cranium clean off the body. Every decapitated vampire shattered in glass fragments that sprayed all over Donnie’s person. The vixen vampires piled onto Donnie and began to pull him down. There were ten left now, and Donnie now realized what Luther meant about numbers. The Adored brought over a dozen exterminators to complete their task. Their plan was working, Donnie, as much as he struggled, was being held fast by those trollops. A flash of lightning over head lit the area momentarily. Donnie spotted Luther, he had been tied to a post and his innards were being pulled out by a woman dressed in a red translucent gown.

“So that is the head tramp?” Donnie asked, “What do you say if go kill her now.” Donnie began to struggle as his attackers clawed and ripped at his chest, neck, and face. Donnie let out a roar, and a bolt of lightning came down on top of him. When the flash abated, Donnie had five less vampires to contend with. The ones that weren’t vaporized by the electricity were thrown back several yards. Donnie regained his footing as water evaporated off his red searing skin. He could feel the heat emanating from within him, like a charcoal. With all of his attackers knocked away, Donnie made his move and charged the woman in red. The remaining Adored moved to intercept him, but as they attempted to grab hold of Donnie, they erupted into flames. Donnie was leaving burnt footprints in the grass as he ran.

“I must protect Alyssa,” the last of the remaining women said, and she jumped on Donnie’s back and she too burst into flames. The woman in red turned and saw his charge, and she was shocked to see the last of her sisters go up in flames.

“What have you done?” Alyssa asked.

“Same thing I am going to do you!” Donnie yelled.

“I think not!” Alyssa replied and held her fingers at Donnie. Her nails grew and grew until they were each a foot long. They fired out of her fingertips like arrows and skewered Donnie. The force of the projectiles was enough to take Donnie off his feet.

“OK, that really hurt,” Donnie said as he got up and then fell back down. The nails were also somehow hollow and blood was spurting out of them at a rapid pace. He ripped the nails from his body and stood back up.

“You are a resilient one, aren’t you?” Alyssa asked and fired ten more nails at Donnie. Her aim was perfect and they all hit their mark. Donnie was rocked by the volley, but continued to advance on her. Alyssa grew another set and fired them again. Donnie bore the brunt and like a juggernaut continued to advance. She fired volley after volley, but he forged ahead stalking her.

“How is this possible?” Alyssa asked and started to back away as Donnie reached within a few feet of her. Donnie looked more like a porcupine than a man now.

“What? Don’t you want to kiss me?” Donnie asked with a bloody visage that terrified Alyssa.

“I don’t know how you can do this, but I will remain here no longer.” She turned and began to run, but Luther lunged and grabbed her hair with his teeth. She was yanked back into Donnie’s hands. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him. Alyssa gasped as the hundreds of her nails that were protruding from Donnie’s chest were slowly driven into her back. Her blood began to drain into Donnie’s body.

“Time to put a nail in your coffin,” Donnie whispered in her ear and bit into her neck. Alyssa tried to struggle, but she was firmly connected to Donnie by her own nails. He drank from her until Alyssa was nothing more than a desiccated husk. With a soft exhale, she shattered in his embrace. The nails that riddled his body also turned to glass, and Donnie fell to his knees.

“What about Mother?” Luther asked weakly.

“She’s fine,” Donnie said as he got up. His wounds were quickly healed and despite a myriad of holes in his clothes, he seemed unharmed. The same could not be said for Luther. His internal organs had been ripped out and were hanging loosely from his chest. Despite what legends say, and vampires being undead, they still needed all of their major organs. Donnie unstrapped Luther and lowered him to the ground.

“I need blood, and all the livestock is gone. I think I’m doomed.” Luther was fading quickly.

“Not so fast,” Donnie said, doing his best to stuff Luther’s parts back in him. “Drink some of mine.” Donnie held his wrist over Luther’s mouth.

“That’s suicide,” Luther said and turned his head away.

“You’re dead anyway if you don’t,” Donnie said. “It’s safe, your mom drank from me once before. It’s something my Bloodline can do.” Luther turned his head back and sank his fangs into Donnie’s exposed wrist. He drank for several minutes and then stopped. His lacerations began to heal.

“Please, go take care of Mother,” Luther said. “I will need a few minutes.” Donnie went over to Clara and found her still safe and sound in the back of the truck. Donnie could tell that she was healing her wounds, but was struggling to do so. Her eyes opened up and she had a look of fear.

“It’s OK, I’m not going to hurt you,” Donnie said. “Please drink some blood.” Donnie extended his wrist to her and she greedily reached for it. She also drank for several minutes before Donnie began feeling a little discomfort and pulled his wrist away.

“I am sorry, Donnie,” Clara said. “It was not out intention to hurt either of you.”

“Once I am back in Abbie’s arms all will be forgiven,” Donnie said. Luther joined them shortly after and they began driving the truck deep into the woods. After a few hours they reached a large boat house that was nestled against an enormous lake.

“This is as far as this truck goes,” Luther said. “I have a tarp we can cover it with.”

“Are we going by boat?” Donnie asked.

“No, the barge has already left,” Clara said as she opened up the door to the boathouse revealing a seaplane. “We travel by air.” They all boarded the aircraft and took off. Clara piloted the aircraft for what seemed like hours northbound. When she began to descend Donnie looked out the window and could see a community situated by the lake below.

“Welcome to the compound, Donnie. You earned it,” Luther said. Donnie smiled and looked forward to seeing Abbie once again.

CHAPTER 29

Tranquility

CLARA LANDED THE seaplane and brought the craft up to a dock. Donnie had been so anxious to see Abbie that he hardly noticed how weak he was now feeling. Several people were waiting on the deck; among them was an excited Abbie. Donnie smiled and waved at her through the window, as she blew kisses at him. Clara and Luther smiled; their feelings for one another were obvious to anyone that saw them together. The door to the plane opened and Abbie jumped inside and hugged Donnie fiercely.

“I missed you!” Abbie said. “I woke up alone.”

“I am sorry. I won’t let it happen again,” Donnie said and then kissed her warmly. “I missed you too.”

“When they told me I might not see you for a few weeks, I was really worried,” Abbie said.

“We were hoping to avoid a confrontation with the Adored, but they found us sooner than we hoped,” Clara said as she got out of the plane and moored it to the dock.

“They found you?” Abbie said alarmed.

“Yeah, it was nothing. I wasn’t in any danger,” Donnie replied.

“Ha! Quit being modest, Donnie,” Luther said. “We were outnumbered sixteen to three.” Donnie shot a look at Luther, but Luther either didn’t see or understand that Donnie wanted him to be quiet so he just kept talking.

“Sixteen!” Abbie said in horror.

“Yes, sixteen of the most beautiful women you could imagine,” Luther continued.

“Luther,” Donnie said softly.

“Beautiful?” Abbie said.

“They pulled me into the mist and began tearing me apart. I was sure that Donnie was next. They had him in their trance,” Luther continued to talk and was unaware that Abbie was getting angrier and angrier.

“Luther,” Donnie said a bit louder.

“How did you escape?” Abbie asked Luther while looking at Donnie.

“I’m not sure. They exude this chemical scent that weakens the will of men. He looked like he was enthralled as they kissed and pawed all over him,” Luther continued.

“Luther! Not helping me man,” Donnie yelled. He knew he was going to get an earful from Abbie that night.

“Pawed and kissed?” Abbie raised her eyebrow and stared into Donnie eyes.

“Then somehow he broke free and started fighting back,” Luther said excitedly. “He shattered them all into tiny pieces. It was extremely . . . gratifying.”

“How did you do it?” Abbie asked Donnie.

“Apples,” Donnie replied.

“Huh?” Abbie asked.

“I will give a detailed account of what happened later. Let’s just get situated first, OK?” Donnie asked. Abbie was a bit miffed at this point but decided to let it go for now.

“Fine, but don’t leave anything out,” Abbie warned. Clara came back to the plane cabin.

“He saved us, Abbie. There is no doubt in my mind about that,” she said.

“How hurt did you get, Donnie?” Abbie asked.

“Plenty,” Donnie replied.

“Then you need to feed?” Abbie asked.

“Yes, I could use a drink,” Donnie, said smiling. Abbie cleared her hair off her neck and moved closer to Donnie.

“Not here,” Clara interrupted the feeding. “Let’s get you to a private area.” Donnie got out of the plane with Abbie, and he was awed by the compound. The compound or Tranquility as the locals called it was a hybrid community. There were about three thousand humans living here and among them were about three hundred Foundlings. It was located on the northern edge of Lac Manitoba, and situated about ten miles north of the Crane River Indian reserve, and about twenty miles west of a city named Grahamdale. The community was hidden in a bay that fed into the large lake. Donnie and Abbie quickly learned why this place was so special. It was made up of normal people and vampires, both living in harmony. The humans here all shared something in common. Each human had a family member that was once or currently is a Foundling. Donnie and Abbie were amazed to find entire families living here.

There was Jeremy, who had been turned thirty years ago and his wife Jeannie. Even though he looked no older than twenty-five, and she was well into her sixties, their love was undeniable. There was also Jason; he had been turned fifteen years ago at a rave at the age of seventeen. His family had uprooted and moved to Tranquility to protect him and had now been here for ten years. His younger siblings were now all grown up, each looking older than their elder brother. Every human who lived in Tranquility had been dealt a loss by a vampire. Some of them had moved here to help keep other families from enduring what had happened to them. The compound was also completely walled in. It looked like a fort, with its wooden walls made out of tree trunks. Donnie could see that there was a military presence here. A militia of sorts, only better organized. They rode horses and had small arms and rifles. Donnie and Abbie were taken to a warehouse by Clara and Luther. They were given a small bunker to live in. It was little more than a double wide coffin.

“I am sorry for the box, but we really don’t need to be comfortable to sleep as you already know,” Clara said as she opened the box. “You will need to remain inside tonight, and stay until we get you tomorrow night. I have to lock you in.”

“Great,” Donnie said sarcastically.

“You need to be cleared,” Luther said. “It should only be one night.”

“Tomorrow you meet the elders, and if they agree, you will be able to stay,” Clara informed.

“So wait, we’re not yet in?” Abbie asked.

“It’s a formality,” Clara explained. “A procedure that everyone needs to follow.”

“Fine, I’m tired, and I need some rest, so just lock us in already,” Donnie said a bit annoyed. Clara closed the box door, and Donnie and Abbie could hear the locking mechanism closing shut. Abbie could tell once they were truly alone in the warehouse.

“Donnie, can you believe this?” Abbie asked.

“It seems like a great place and safe,” Donnie replied.

“Donnie, do you think that we could bring my parents here?”

“It’s a possibility, but do you want to put them through that?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s been six months. I can only hope that they’ve accepted your death.” Donnie turned in the bunker to face her. “It was hard on them, and you can’t be sure they would be open to this type of life, much less, accept you as you’re now.”

“I know, Donnie, but I miss them so much.”

“They’re safer not knowing about you or where you are, but we can ask about the possibility,” he said and embraced her and prepared for sleep. “If there’s one thing I have learned this year, it’s that anything is possible.”

“OK, let’s go to sleep. I’m sure a whole new life awaits us here.” Abbie snuggled against Donnie and fell asleep. In the evening that followed, Donnie and Abbie were presented to the Tranquility elders. The town hall was a large building and one of the few within the compound that was constructed out of concrete. The leader of this den was a vampire named Claude, and he appeared to be about fifty years old and, like many here, had a French Canadian accent. Claude looked them over and reviewed reports given to him by Clara.

“Claude, these are the two new Foundlings that wish to become residents,” Clara informed as Claude reviewed her reports. He got off his chair and walked toward Donnie and Abbie.

“We have very strict rules, and as long as you follow them you will live happily here,” Claude said. Donnie and Abbie looked at each other and then nodded to Claude.

“Very good, the rules are simple,” Claude began, “no drinking human blood unless it is conscientiously given.”

“OK,” Abbie answered and Donnie nodded.

“Second, you will need to put your part into the community and get assigned a job or jobs that you will perform daily.”

“I’m good with that,” Donnie replied, and Abbie nodded her agreement as well.

“Last, you are not allowed to leave the compound unsupervised until we feel you are trustworthy, nor are you to contact anyone outside Tranquility until you are given permission.” Claude made that last stipulation very clear.

“We got it,” Abbie said.

“Good, then welcome to Tranquility,” Claude finished. Donnie and Abbie felt a sigh of relief and finally felt a moniker of peace. Over the next week, Donnie and Abbie helped build their home. It was a simple log cabin. It had a living area and a single bedroom. It was a small building, but it was really all they would need. The people of Tranquility, as it turned out, were experts at building, and the house was ready in less than a week. Abbie was thrilled to have a place that she and Donnie could call home once again. Many of the residents brought them wooden furniture. They were given a bed, a table, a dresser, and a sofa. They later discovered that woodworking was a favored pastime of many of the residents of Tranquility. It was a warm and kind gesture, and they felt immediately welcomed by everyone.

Donnie initially began working as a lumberjack, but his intelligence was noticed right away, and he was moved over to work in the repair shop. He was given all manner of things to repair. He repaired engines, toasters, and even small electronics on a regular basis. Whenever he needed any help, he was allowed to go on the Internet to get schematics. It became a fulfilling life for him. Abbie was also set to work and became a school teacher. Clara had made a note of her tutoring skills and pushed to give her a chance to teach classes at night to the adults and older children. Abbie finally understood why Mr. Simmons, a man who had three masters’ degrees, chose to teach. She found it extremely rewarding. The pay was laughable, in fact none at all, but she would gladly do that forever. Donnie and Abbie spent the next few months in complete peace. Tranquility was far from perfect, but it was better than either of them could have expected when this all began. The holidays came, Donnie and Abbie missed their families and friends, but they had each other and a whole new family now. Before they realized it, they had spent four wonderful years in Tranquility. They were happy, they were in love, and they were finally safe.

Donnie woke up to Abbie violently shaking him. “Donnie, wake up!” Abbie said in panic. “Something is coming!”

“What or who?” Donnie asked as he sprang out of bed and attempted to put on his pants and promptly fell over. Donnie knew better than to doubt her senses. Over the last few years, she had worked to hone them, and they had become razor-sharp. If Abbie heard something, it was 100 percent there. She continued to concentrate.

“Something heavy. It’s smashing through trees,” Abbie replied.

“I need to sound the alarm,” Donnie said as he ran to the door.

“Donnie, wait,” Abbie said as she looked at the alarm clock. “It’s still daylight outside.”

“I have to risk it,” Donnie said as he grabbed a thick blanket and went out into the living room. Abbie recoiled momentarily from the sudden burst of sunlight that streamed into their bedroom.

“It’s coming from the North!” she yelled out. Donnie ran outside. Fortunately, the sun was already setting, but it would be at least another hour before any vampire could safely venture outside. Donnie ran to the guard tower. He was getting looks from the many human residents that were walking around. His appearance in the daylight was astounding some and concerning others. Donnie made it to the guard tower within minutes. A boy named Pierre was manning it this day. He was almost fourteen, as best as Donnie could recall, but he was tall for his age.

“Pierre! Sound the alarm!” Donnie screamed at him from below. Pierre looked down at Donnie and his eyes went wide in disbelief as he looked over to the sun and back down at Donnie.

“Donnie, what the hell are you doing outside? You’ll go up in smoke,” Pierre replied.

“Pierre, just sound the alarm!” Donnie continued to yell. “Something is coming from the North.”

“What?” Pierre asked and he started turning the handle on the siren. “What’s coming?”

“I don’t know, but Abbie can hear it crashing through the tree line.”

Pierre turned the handle on the air horn as hard and as fast as he could and yelled, “Oh merde!” The sound of the horn spread throughout the compound and people began exiting their homes as the sounds of horses began to get louder. Within moments, several guards on horseback arrived at the guard tower.

“What’s going on, Donnie,” Maxwell asked. Captain Maxwell was an ex-Navy seal and was responsible for the safety and well-being of Tranquility during the daylight hours. “And what the hell are you doing outside at this hour?”

“Something is approaching from the North.” Donnie tried to keep himself covered as the sun beat down on him. He wasn’t sure if he was starting to smoke or if all he smelled was a nearby fire.

“Are you sure?” Maxwell asked concerned.

“Abbie can hear it. Whatever it is, it’s knocking over trees,” he replied. “It’s headed this way.”

“OK, men, let’s get a scouting party together,” Maxwell said. “I will start getting the civilians out of harms way. Pierre keep sounding the horn, we need to make sure all of our nighttime friends get woken up.”

“Yes, sir!” One of the men under his command said and rode off.

“Yes, sir!” Pierre said and he resumed sounding the alarm horn.

“Donnie, get inside and get ready to run, if it comes to that,” Maxwell said and rode off. Donnie nodded and ran back to his cabin. Abbie was already packing a single duffel bag for both of them.

“Abbie,” Donnie called out.

“I heard. I am getting a duffel bag ready for us,” she replied. Donnie walked into their windowless bedroom and shut the door behind him.

“Are you OK?” Abbie asked as she inspected him. “Any burns?”

“No. I’m fine,” he replied. Abbie allowed Donnie to finish packing their bag. She sat on the bed, closed her eyes, cocked her head and began to listen.

“The scouts are almost to the noise.”

“Can you tell what it is?”

“No. I can hear a lot of squeaking and trees being knocked over,” she replied. “It’s still too far to tell for sure, but it doesn’t sound familiar.” The following minutes were quiet and tense for both of them. Over the last year, Abbie’s senses had increased ten-fold, so much so, that she was required to work the guard tower two nights a week. The silence was broken as Abbie gasped.

“What?” Donnie asked.

“It’s a tank!” Abbie replied, she turned and looked at Donnie in disbelief. “One of the scouts just yelled out tank.”

“Oh Lord! No!” Donnie gasped.

“Now I hear gunfire!” she said. “They have machine guns. The scouts are riding back.”

“We need to warn everyone!”

“They radioed it in, the guards know.”

“What do we do?” Donnie wanted to act, to do something, anything.

“We have to wait,” Abbie said and grabbed Donnie’s hand. “They have trained as hard as we have. We need to trust them now.” Donnie turned and hugged Abbie.

“I want you to run, Abbie,” Donnie said. “I’ll meet up with you at the boathouse as soon as I can.”

“What are you saying?” Abbie asked scared. “We need to run, you and me.”

“There are a lot of good people here. I’m not going to run away. I need to help.”

“So I’m supposed to run and hide?” Abbie asked angrily. “Hell no!”

“Do as I say, Abbie!” Donnie yelled. “I don’t want you getting killed!”

“If you stay, I stay, period and end of argument,” Abbie said. “I love this place too. It’s our home.”

“Please, just go,” Donnie begged.

“You need to get it through your thick skull,” Abbie said. “I love you, and if this is your fight, it becomes mine too. I’m not going anywhere without you by my side.” Donnie clutched her tightly to his chest.

“My beloved ball and chain,” Donnie whispered softly.

“Damn straight, better get used to it too,” Abbie said, smiling at him. A loud whistling noise could be heard. It got louder and louder, until a large explosion rocked the compound.

“Shells,” Abbie said. “One of the guards is yelling out shells.”

“Find me when you can,” Donnie said as he got up and began walking to the door.

“Donnie! No! It’s still daylight,” Abbie said.

“I have a plan. I think it might work,” Donnie said. Abbie got up and hugged him. Another shell whistled in and after it exploded, the alarm horn ceased abruptly.

“Pierre?” Donnie looked at Abbie, but she couldn’t talk and simply shook her head and covered her mouth with her hands. Donnie ran out into the full daylight and headed northward. As he passed the watch tower, he could see that it was no longer standing. It lay on its side and was on fire in several places. A few yards from it, he could see a body covered by a blanket. Donnie tried to push his anger down, but it was hard to do at this point. He could feel something building in him, something he had tried to hold back in the past. He continued northward as the sun was beating down on him and hurting his eyes a bit, but so far no harmful effects. As he ran, he started to concentrate. He needed it to rain; he called out to skies and tried to make the skies darken with clouds.

Months ago, Clara suggested that Donnie could control the weather. It explained the rain and lighting bolts that seemed to pop up when he was in trouble, but to date, any tries to duplicate the effects on purpose had been met with failure. As hard as Donnie had tried, he hadn’t been able to summon a single sprinkle or gust of wind. It was a long shot, but he gave it another try now. As he ran northward, dark clouds rolled in from the west along with strong winds and the feel of moisture in the air. It was starting to work. The sun became blotted, and for now, Donnie was safe from its rays.

“Yes!” Donnie called out, “I’m clouding the skies. Abbie, if you can hear me get everyone up!” Donnie continued to run and just as a few droplets began to fall the tank came into view. It was massive, and the sheer size of it frightened him to no end, so he was thankful there was only one. Donnie didn’t recognize what type of tank it was, but the swastikas painted on its side gave him the certainty it was a German tank, and that too made him very uneasy. He was sure the Reich was here!

Donnie watched as the turret swiveled and fired off a shot. Donnie followed the shot as it flew and hit the compound wall. The blast easily splintered the wall. He had to stop that machine from going any further, in hindsight; that was not one of his best ideas. Donnie ran out in front of the behemoth, braced himself, placed his hands on it, and pushed; he hoped his strength would be enough to halt its progress. The tank began to slow, but only for an instant. Donnie could hear people excitedly screaming in German within its shell. The driver hit the gas, and he was easily mowed over by the mechanized assault vehicle. As the tank rolled over him, he could hear laughter from inside the vehicle. “Damn you!” Donnie yelled as he punched up at the under carriage repeatedly. It was no good; he didn’t even dent the armor. He needed a different approach. As the tank finished rolling over him, Donnie sat up. To his surprise, he could see other vehicles trailing far behind the tank. They were also armored, but they were not tanks. They had six heavy tires and unless Donnie was mistaken, he believed them to be troop transports. He stopped counting at ten, but he was sure that there were more. He got up and looked at the tank as it leisurely rolled on. He failed to notice the ambushers that sprung from the brush.

“Light him up boys!” a voice said from behind Donnie. He turned just time to catch the hail of hundreds of bullets. After they had emptied their clips, the mercenaries were surprised to find Donnie still standing.

“Now it’s my turn boys!” Donnie said as he advanced on the humans. As he moved on the men before him, he was sure that they were only human, it was the one true ability he was sure he had. Donnie had discovered a few years back that he could determine by sight alone if a person was human or a vampire. It only took a glance and Donnie knew right away. So now he was sure, the men before him were not vampires.

“He’s a Pire!” one of the men yelled. “Switch to black clips.” The men began reaching for new clips but Donnie didn’t give them much of a chance and knocked them all out with a swift series of blows.

“Donnie . . .” a weak voice called out. Donnie looked around and saw one of the scouts, leaned back against a tree, and ran over to him. Donnie recognized the man that lay gravely injured before him.

“I’m here, Anton,” Donnie said.

“You need to stop the tank, anyway you can,” Anton said. “It will tear right through us if you don’t.”

“I don’t know how.”

“Then please get my son out, get Pierre out, please,” Anton said as he let out his last breath and died in front of Donnie.

“I’m sorry, Anton,” Donnie said as he closed Anton’s eyes. “He’s already gone.”

“I’ll go find him on my own then,” Anton said from behind Donnie. He spun around to see Anton running through the brush. But he was not all there, he looked ghostly and translucent. “Grab my grenade and see if it can help you!” Donnie watched as Anton ran right through a tree and then out of his sight. He looked back to the lifeless body before him.

“Yup, I’ve finally gone crazy,” Donnie said as he grabbed the grenade off Anton’s belt and ran after the tank. He reached it within a few minutes. It fired another shell and leveled another section of the wall. Donnie jumped on the metallic juggernaut and began looking for a way to insert the grenade inside, but there was nothing. The slit holes in the front, the only visible openings were too small for a grenade, but not too small for the barrel of a fully automatic rifle, a mistake that cost Donnie. The hail of bullets began immediately once he reached the front of the tank. Donnie was knocked off the tank and landed in front of its left tread. The driver in the tank once again hit the gas and this time was successful in running Donnie over. The forty-five-ton tank drove him into the soft moistened earth, trying its best to flatten him. Once again Donnie could hear the laughter from within, and it rolled on unmolested and fired another blast from its turret.

Donnie sat up, and rain began to fall. His body was crushed and it hurriedly began to heal it itself. His rib cage popped back out and Donnie took a breath. His legs healed from hundreds of fractures and he stood up. His eyes reformed and he was able to see once again. Donnie didn’t know what to do, he had no idea how to stop the tank, and he was having trouble thinking, or maybe his brain was still healing. Either way, Donnie had no clue how to proceed.

“Any answer can be found in nature, you just need to look for them,” a voice whispered into Donnie’s ear.

“Mom, is that you?” Donnie said, looking around. He was positive, he heard her, but he could not see her. Then he spotted it. Donnie walked up to a turtle that was lying flipped on its back. The tank had displaced earth and rock as it passed and the turtle had been caught in its wake. The turtle was trying to right itself up but there was no way it was going to be able to do it on its own. Donnie picked up the small animal and righted it. The turtle popped her head out of her shell and looked at Donnie completely calm and unafraid. Donnie smiled and placed the turtle back on the ground. She looked back for a moment before heading away from the tracks. Donnie had his answer.

“Thanks, Mom,” Donnie said as he started running back toward the tank. He began calculating the tank’s speed and mass. He formed a route and the necessary force it would take and turned to the southeast. He ran for a while and when he was sure he was over two thousand feet away from the tank, he turned around and began looking for a large boulder. If it had not been for an owl flapping its wings, he would have almost surely overlooked it. The boulder was large enough; he walked up to the boulder and ripped it out of the ground as the owl simply watched him. The tank would almost be at the gate by now, he needed to hurry. “I’m sorry, Abbie. This is going to suck so much,” Donnie said aloud and began to run at the tank, with the boulder held to his chest. He ran faster and harder than he had ever pushed himself to do so before. He could only hear the air as it whistled by. He reached the velocity that he calculated was needed and then exceeded it easily. The tank came into view and a split second later Donnie plowed into its side. His last thoughts oddly enough were of David vs. Goliath. The crash of bone, flesh, and stone into solid steel was sickening to all that heard it. In the few fleeting moments of coherence before he lost consciousness, Donnie was certain that he heard Abbie call out to him. Donnie hit the tank like a missile. An effect that delivered the desired results that he was looking for. The charge lifted the tank onto its right treads and drove it sideways seventy-five feet before it flipped on its side and finally rested belly up. Every panel and opening in the tank exploded outward violently. The shockwave that resonated inside the tank liquefied the crew instantly; unfortunately, it had the same effect on Donnie. Abbie watched in horror as Donnie’s limp and bloody body flew uncontrolled hundreds of feet. He sailed deep into the western woods off the compound, tumbling end over end like a rag doll. His body felled trees as it hurtled past Abbie’s mortified eyes.

“Donnie!” she cried out.

CHAPTER 30

War

ABBIE KEPT CONCENTRATING on Donnie’s movements as he ran northward, and then she heard him. He was clouding the skies? Abbie ran out of the house and headed toward Clara’s cabin. Donnie was right, the skies were quite dark now and light rain was coming down. He was doing it. Abbie could see Maxwell organizing the men. He was handing them grenades. She became frightened at the level or fear in the men’s faces. She knew that Maxwell had trained and drilled them hard and had even taught her a few combat moves, but this was a real combat, and she just wasn’t sure they were ready. As she ran past the guard tower, she spotted Pierre’s mother crying hysterically over her dead son. Emotion overwhelmed Abbie, and she began to think about her own parents and how it must have felt identical to them, when she was forced to leave them. Why was this happening? she thought to herself as she moved. She reached Clara’s house and began pounding on the door. Clara came to the door and opened it and pulled Abbie in.

“What are you doing outside?” Clara demanded.

“It’s safe. Donnie is making it cloudy,” she replied.

“I knew he could do it,” Clara said proudly. “So give me a report.”

“We are under attack,” she replied. “There’s at least one tank coming toward us.”

“A tank, are you sure?”

“Positive. The guards have given visual confirmation. It’s called a panther something or another.”

“Abbie, a panther tank is a type of German Panzer tank.”

“Oh no,” Abbie said startled. “Do you think they are here for me?”

“It’s possible, but I would think it would be easier to sneak a few in rather than take on the whole compound,” Clara replied. “I’m more inclined to think they are here for everyone.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Donnie has given us a tactical advantage,” Clara replied. “We have time to organize before the sun sets and the enemy comes at us at full force. Go tell Luther to get everyone you two can to gather at the counsel hall, and I will rouse the elders.”

“Right,” Abbie yelled and turned and ran out of the house. She got a few steps when a second tank shell hit the meeting hall. It busted a crater in one of the walls, but otherwise the structure was unharmed. Luther liked living near the water so Abbie had a bit of a run to his cabin. She reached it within minutes; just as a third shell hit one of the outer walls, decimating it completely.

“Luther! Wake up Luther!” Abbie yelled as she pounded on the door.

“Abbie, what are you doing outside,” Luther said from within his cabin.

“We’re under attack, and we need to wake everyone,” she said.

“We have another forty-five minutes before sundown, we have to stay inside.”

“Luther, Donnie made it cloudy, and Clara is waking the elders. We need to get ready to run,” Abbie advised. Luther opened his door and walked out.

“Outstanding!” Luther said. “Let’s get the Foundlings up.” Luther and Abbie began making the rounds waking and passing the word to every vampire living within the walls. One by one, the Foundlings were awakened and began gathering outside the counsel hall. Luther was talking to several of the older Foundlings; they were talking in an old slave tongue that she didn’t understand. Maxwell soon joined them, riding over on his jet-black stallion.

“Luther, we are fortunate that the sky is dark, you can make your escape before the enemy arrives,” Maxwell declared. “We will guard your escape, for as long as we can.”

“No,” Luther replied.

“What?” Maxwell said confused.

“No one wants to run,” he replied. “They’d rather die fighting than run away.”

“Preposterous!” Maxwell exclaimed. “They are here for you. If you run they will follow.”

“I’m afraid that Luther is correct,” Claude said as he exited the counsel hall with the other elders. “This attack will not stop at just the Foundlings, they want everyone dead. We will be unable to evacuate everyone safely. So we will need to stop them here and make them regret ever coming to Tranquility.”

“It will be an honor, sir!” Maxwell yelled. “I need to prepare the men to repel invaders then.”

“So no one runs and everyone fights,” Luther said. “It breaks every rule I teach, but Claude is right. We need to take a stand, and for once we have numbers on our side.”

“Anyone that wishes to flee may do so,” Claude stated. “You have your alternate locations to head to. If you are going to stay, please come inside and take a weapon.” Abbie looked around at the gathered crowd and was surprised. No one walked away, and everyone began walking inside.

“Who’s that out there?” a voice said from the top on the counsel building. Abbie looked up to see a small oriental man standing on the roof of the building. He appeared to be sniffing the air. She did not recognize him.

“Who do you see, Nox?” Claude asked.

“Stupid boy, trying to stop tank,” Nox said. “He got run over.”

“Dear god, Donnie is still out there?” Clara asked Abbie.

“Yes,” Abbie replied in shock. She had been so caught up with helping everyone and listening to Claude that she had completely forgotten about him. How could she have felt so calm? She felt absolutely horrible now. She knew Donnie was tough but tackling a tank? She became extremely worried, extremely fast. She began to move to go to him, but Luther grabbed her.

“You need to get a weapon first, Abbie,” Luther said. “Beside, we both know how tough he is.”

“Oh, he got shot, many bullets,” Nox said.

“Nox, can you smell any Bloodlines,” Claude asked.

“Yea, boss. I smell three Bloodlines. I know two of them but I don’t recognize the third.” Nox replied.

“This is not good!” Claude said. “They have combined forces. This is bad, a planned attack with three Bloodlines. Which two do you recognize, Nox?”

“I smell Reich and Adored, there are five vampires in the tank, and they are all Reich.”

“Nox, can you tell how many more we are dealing with?” Claude asked.

“At least one hundred executioners, and about three hundred humans,” Nox replied “Oh! He got run over again! He’s not getting up from that one I think!”

“Shut the hell up!” Abbie yelled up at Nox. Nox looked down at her a bit confused.

“Abbie calm down,” Clara said as she grabbed and hugged her. “We need him, his senses are sharper than yours.”

“Who is that guy?” Abbie asked.

“His name is Nox and he is delivering a message from Espee to Claude, he is from the Miami den,” she replied.

“I don’t believe it. He got up,” Nox yelled. “He’s really tough!”

“That’s my man!” Abbie said cheering. Luther came out of the hall, carrying an assortment of weapons. He handed Abbie a wooden stake and a Bowie knife.

“You get a two-handed sword and I get a dagger?” Abbie said shocked.

“Remember your training, get inside, stick ’em, and don’t let them take big swings on you,” Luther said. “The stake won’t kill a vampire, but a shot through the heart will paralyze one long enough for you to behead them.”

“The dagger will be well suited to your fighting style, Abbie,” Clara agreed. “Try to sever limbs until you get a clear head shot.” Abbie could not believe how calm Clara was, or how calm she herself felt now. She began walking to the gate with the rest of the Foundlings. Another blast from the tank leveled the front gate and the tank was clearly visible now as it was almost inside the compound.

“Did you calm her?” Luther asked Clara.

“Yes, I have been holding down the panic as best as I can,” Clara replied.

“We could use courage,” Luther said.

“When they come, I will use my ability to take everyone’s fear away,” Clara replied.

“Can you influence that many?” Luther asked, “It’s a lot for Claude to ask of you.”

“I will risk no less than anyone else here,” Clara replied. “Just stay close, I will be mostly helpless while I concentrate.” Nox began jumping up and down on the roof.

“What’s he doing now?” Nox asked pointing at the tank. “Oh fuck!” Abbie looked up and saw Nox pointing to the northeast. She tilted her head and began to listen for Donnie.

“I’m sorry, Abbie. This is going to suck so much,” she heard Donnie say, and then there was a loud whistling sound. The noise got louder until there was a large eruption of sound. The tank exploded and was violently shoved aside. It came to rest on its top. Abbie watched helplessly as Donnie’s body bounced off the tank’s armor and ricocheted like a bullet through the trees disappearing into the west woods. Everyone went silent after the tank was demolished and pebbles began to rain down on everyone.

“What in God’s name just happened?” Claude asked.

“Donnie!” Abbie yelled in anguish and fell to her knees. The crowd erupted into cheers and started chanting Donnie’s name. Abbie sprang to her feet and ran into the west wood after him. The crowd was at a fever pitch now. Everyone felt unbeatable. The clouds above began to clear and disperse, but by this time, the sun was already down.

“Mother,” Luther asked Clara.

“Best time to pump them up,” Clara said. “Albeit a bit cruel to Abbie.” Across the forest a radio chirped.

“Report,” Hans said into the radio.

“The tank has been destroyed,” Frieda said. “They must have missiles. Our spy gave us incomplete data. I suggest we attack on foot now, we make too easy a target while packed into the transports.”

“Agreed,” Hans replied. “Deploy everyone, and kill indiscriminately. Everyone in that den must be destroyed.”

“I love those two words,” Frieda replied over the radio. She exited her transports and rallied the human mercenaries.

“I say we use the Adored to cover our approach, while the Bretons ensure that no one escapes,” Stefan suggested to Hans.

“Radio the command out, then attend to your personal mission,” Hans ordered coldly. “If she’s not dead by morning, do not bother returning to Miami and consider your life forfeit.”

“Understood, sir,” Stefan replied and began issuing the attack orders. The caravan stopped and the executioners began advancing on the compound like a pack of starved wolves. The women of the Adored assumed their misty forms and provided cover for the mercenaries and the Reich soldiers. The diminutive Bretons walked calmly after the fog bank. Stefan picked up on a familiar voice, he pulled his sword from its scabbard and began moving southwest toward her voice.

“We have only two orders!” Frieda yelled out, “Advance and kill indiscriminately! Bathe in the blood of our impure enemies, and get paid a king’s ransom to do so!” The soldiers and mercenaries began cheering and headed into the fog.

Abbie ran as fast as she could into the western woods and no one could stop her. Once outside the gate, Donnie’s path became very visible. She followed snapped tree limbs and shattered tree trunks as she called out to him repeatedly. After running for about a mile, she found him lying peacefully against a large moss-covered boulder. His arms and legs looked horribly deformed and were twisted at odd angles. His head was caved in on one side and she was sure one of his eyes was missing. His condition was gruesome, and it was made worse by the look of intense pain on his face. Oddly enough, once again he was covered in wildlife. Wild animals tended to avoid vampires at all costs, but they would seek out and find Donnie. Several birds and chipmunks watched him as he lay motionless. Abbie walked up and kneeled next to him. “Baby, I’m here.” Abbie placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating and whimpered in relief. He was still alive! He was trying to heal himself, but he was struggling to do so. Abbie knew he needed blood, but she was not sure this was the best place to give him some. If he frenzied, he could easily kill her without realizing it. Abbie decided to take him back to the compound. She began trying to pick him up but it was like trying to carry a large water balloon. His body was simply mush, so she couldn’t establish a firm grip on him.

One of the chipmunks jumped onto Donnie’s chest. It began squeaking at her excitedly. Abbie looked at it surprised. “Hey there, little guy,” Abbie said, trying to calm the small animal. “I’m not going to hurt him, I promise.” The chipmunk moved forward then back several times. “How about I give you a name?” she asked, “Does Boo sound good to you?” The small animal stayed very still and bared its two little teeth at Abbie and suddenly charged her. Abbie was surprised as it ran up her arm and toward her face. Abbie instinctively shied away as the small animal leapt off her shoulder. It landed on Stefan’s face and began biting him and attempted to gouge out his eyes. The surprise attack threw off Stefan’s swing, and he missed Abbie’s neck by less than an inch. Abbie, realizing she had just been attacked, rolled to her side and pulled out her knife and stake.

“Confounded vermin, why do you vex me so?” Stefan said as he grabbed the chipmunk and crushed it in his hand. The poor animal squeaked once, and Stefan dropped its lifeless body onto Donnie’s stomach.

“Stefan?” Abbie uttered in shock. “What are you doing here, and did you just try to cut off my head?”

“Hello, Abbie,” Stefan replied. “Like you have to ask that, I thought you were smarter than that.”

“You bastard, you do this to me and then you come here to finish me off!” she screamed.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Stefan replied. “We have known you were here for a while. We just didn’t have the manpower to deal with this place.” Stefan began circling Abbie, and she matched his steps and maintained her distance.

“So why come now if you have known I have been here for a while?” Abbie asked.

“Once we discovered such a large den of Foundlings, we felt is necessary to destroy it. It has indeed been a safe haven for a long time, but no longer. We mean to see it burned to the ground and everyone inside made into ash.”

“I see you have a uniform now. You get what you wanted? You get to be free?” Abbie spat out.

“Oh, my involvement in the fiasco that was Abbie Gottlieb was not well received, but as I had planned, I wasn’t held accountable.”

“Then why chase me? Why continue to look for me?”

“I discovered where you were two years ago, but I kept it silent.”

“Why? Why would you do that?” Abbie watched as Stefan’s face softened.

“Despite all my reservations, I really liked you, Abbie, and afterward I felt guilty for what I had done to you,” Stefan said. “I protected you.”

“It’s a little late to play my hero.”

“When the order came down to find you, I volunteered for the job. When I was required to question your friends and family, I made sure that I went easy on them.”

“You questioned my parents?” Abbie asked alarmed.

“Yes, I questioned your parents and your friends from High School.”

“What did you do to them?” Abbie asked loudly.

“I broke bones and hospitalized most of them, but no permanent injuries.”

“You sick bastard!” Abbie screamed. She felt rage and sick to her stomach at the same time.

“I could have killed them all!” Stefan screamed back. “I didn’t because of you!”

“Gee thanks!” Abbie replied. “That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.”

“I could have kept your location quiet for decades, but the company you kept made that impossible,” he replied. “The killing of twenty executioners places you high on the most wanted Foundlings list.”

“You mean you’re here because of Donnie?”

“Your boyfriend, no, we could care less about him, but from what I can see, I don’t expect him to survive much longer. His heart is starting to beat slower. His human life is about to end.” Abbie suddenly realized that Stefan had no clue that Donnie was responsible for the deaths of the executioners, and he thought Donnie was still human. It made sense, his heart was beating, and Stefan had no reason to believe he was a vampire, especially living here in Tranquility.

“So then why are you here now?”

“The Adored became concerned when a large executioner squad simply disappeared. They suspected that a large den of Foundlings was responsible, but their searches revealed nothing. They asked for aid from the Bretons, and just about when they were going to give up, they read the mind of a human who had information,” Stefan informed. “I am not sure, what mental tortures they put Matt the farmer through, but he told the Bretons everything about this place.”

“So you got lucky?”

Stefan continued to look for an opening, “or unlucky, in your case, quite unlucky.”

“So what happens now?”

“Once my incompetence was revealed, I was given an ultimatum,” Stefan said as he began to measure up Abbie. “Kill you or forfeit my place among the Reich.”

“In other words, you have to kill me or they kill you.” Abbie could see where this encounter was heading and played out her attack in her head.

“Regrettably so,” Stefan replied. “I allowed you to have these years. That’s much longer than most Foundlings survive. Now I must complete this mission.”

“Well, if you are here to kill me, you’re going to find that a lot harder now,” Abbie said. “I’m no longer the scared little girl you tortured and forced into a living hell.”

“Abbie, you have no chance against me,” Stefan said. “I have been a soldier for over fifty years. You should just let me finish it in one swift blow.”

“If you think it’s going to be that easy, you are sorely mistaken,” Abbie replied. “Just like Hulderich.”

So she managed to kill him after all he thought. He could take no chances then, “very well.” Stefan advanced on Abbie, swinging his saber with expert skill. Abbie ducked under the swings and rolled behind Stefan. She jabbed the dagger outward in mid-roll and sliced the back of Stefan’s knee. The blow dropped him to one knee. Abbie stood up quickly and whirled to attack Stefan’s exposed back. She lunged forward trying to stab Stefan in the back of his neck. Stefan turned his saber around and thrust it behind him without turning around. It struck her in the stomach and exited out of her back. Stefan yanked the blade out swiftly and rolled onto his back and brought his boot up and hit Abbie square in the face. The blow sent her sprawling backward. Her stake flew against a tree, and the knife fell at her feet.

“See, your training means nothing to me,” Stefan said.

“I’m only getting warmed up,” Abbie said as she got up and spit blood out from her mouth. Stefan charged her again, but Abbie didn’t move until the last moment. She sidestepped the sword swings and got in close. She began delivering short but brutal strikes to Stefan’s chest, torso, and neck. The flurry of blow sent Stefan flying backward and he slammed into a tree. She didn’t stop there and moved in to press her advantage. Stefan recovered faster than she expected and with a lightning fast flash of steel, cut Abbie’s throat. Blood sprayed outward as she gurgled on blood inside her throat. She started backing away, but Stefan kicked her in the face and she fell to the ground again. Abbie rolled to her left, deftly avoiding another stab from Stefan’s blade. She had to neutralize his weapon, it was giving him too much of an advantage.

“Are you ready to give up Abbie?” Stefan asked as he advanced on her once again. Abbie could still not talk as the gash in her throat was still healing. Abbie closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Stefan swung his sword with wicked intentions toward Abbie’s neck. At the last second, Abbie raised her forearm. The saber struck her arm and shattered into several metal shards. “How?” Stefan asked astonished. Abbie sprang up and began hitting Stefan with her fists. They were both as hard as stone now, their normal rosy color now replaced with a pale white texture.

“I told you, I was only getting warmed up!” Abbie screamed in a still raspy voice as she continued to pummel Stefan. Every blow she delivered shattered bones and crushed organs. She drove Stefan back against a tree and she continued to rain blows upon him. The tree began to crack and yield under the power of the blows. Hundred of leaves were dislodged and fell upon them like snow. Stefan brought up two stone-like fists of his own and stuck Abbie on both sides of her head at once. He followed it up by grabbing her head and driving his now stone-like head into hers. The blows both shattered and crushed her skull and left her utterly confused. She took a few steps backward and fell helpless on her back.

“It is quite impressive that you managed to teach yourself the master technique of the Reich,” Stefan said as he forced himself to heal from Abbie’s assault. “It took me fifteen years before I was allowed to train on die Mauer.” Abbie tried to regain her thoughts, but she just could not concentrate to force healing. “Here is your last lesson,” Stefan said. “Crushing a skull will also incapacitate an opponent.” Stefan walked over to Donnie and kicked his body over and away from the boulder. “I will kill you next, boy, you still owe me a debt from the textile mill. What did you call me, motherfucker?” Stefan placed his hands around the boulder Donnie was resting upon and ripped it out of the earth as if it were a mere blade of grass. The boulder was massive, and like an iceberg, the majority of its true size lay underneath the ground. Stefan lifted it high over his head and carried it over to Abbie. The stone was the size of a small car. Abbie began to regain her senses and her vision began to clear, she could hear Stefan speaking once again. “Despite everything, I’ll still make this quick,” Stefan said as he walked over to Abbie with the boulder hoisted above his head. “I will also end your boyfriend’s life, consider it a parting gift.” Abbie’s vision fully cleared as Stefan began driving the boulder on top of her. She lifted her hands and legs and curled up into a ball, and let out a quick scream as Stefan drove the boulder down. The crash of the boulder shook the earth around it, and the forest became quiet once again. “I’m sorry, it came to this Abbie,” Stefan said as he turned around and began walking toward Donnie. “But I will keep my last promise to you and end your boyfriend’s suffering.” He picked up Abbie’s knife, as he approached Donnie, and looked at his mangled body. “I am very impressed that you are still alive after taking the amount of punishment you have endured,” Stefan complemented. “You’re the only human to have ever beaten me, and it seems a shame for you die this way. You deserve a better death than this.” Stefan knelt down and placed the knife to Donnie’s heart. “Out of respect for a worthy adversary, I will make it quick.” Stefan was about to deliver the death blow when a sound caught his ear. He got up and turned around and listened more intently.

Micro fractures, hundreds then thousands of them. They were emanating from inside the boulder; before his eyes, the boulder crumbled into little more than pebbles. Abbie stood up from the rubble; her entire body shone and glowed. The color and appearance of her skin made her look like a china doll. “Hey, I’m not done with you yet,” Abbie said and stumbled as she took a step forward. Her color began to return as her skin softened.

“A full body transformation.” Stefan was amazed. “I never thought it possible for one so young. You would have made an exceptional member of the Reich.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Abbie said as she tried to get back up from her knees.

“The problem with that is that a full body transformation is very taxing, and it uses up a massive amount of blood. Once you take enough damage to break the shell, you’re left quite weakened,” Stefan explained.

“I have more than enough juice left to finish you off,” she threatened.

“Maybe, you did more damage to me than I’d like to admit, but fortunately, I have a nearby source to refuel from,” Stefan said as he knelt down to drink from Donnie.

“Go ahead! Enjoy drinking from another vampire!” Abbie yelled out as she concentrated on healing. Stefan was right, she was running on near empty, any more and she would run headlong into the compound looking for anyone to drink from.

“He’s a vampire, really?” Stefan looked at Donnie carefully and could see that he was indeed healing, ever so slowly. How was that possible he wondered and why was his heart beating? He decided not to debate keeping him alive or not. “That would explain a lot of our questions. Oh well, I’ll just cut off his head and then deal with you.”

“No!” Abbie yelled. “You deal with me!” Abbie said as she desperately tried to get back up.

“I think not. I don’t need to be fighting a battle on two fronts,” Stefan said and started to take a swing. A chipmunk landed on his shoulder and bit his ear. Stefan whirled and tried to grab the small beast, but a bird slammed into his face. Stefan was driven back by the sudden flash of feathers as he stepped back tripped over a beaver and fell onto his back. A swarm of insects attacked him. They seemed to rise and surge from underneath leaves and branches that covered the forest floor. All sorts of beetles, spiders, and worms crawled into his ears, eyes, and mouth and did their best to harm him, stinging and biting him repeatedly. It was several minutes, before Stefan managed to crush every bug, kick the beaver against a tree, swat the bird out of the air, and crush the second chipmunk to death. It was time that Abbie used to heal, but she still needed more time, she was not yet ready to stand.

“What else!” Stefan yelled into the forest, “Anymore annoyances for me to deal with?” He spun around in circles with his arms spread out as if challenging nature itself and it was answered. “Oh scheisse,” Stefan said softly. Abbie marveled at the creature that charged Stefan. A fully grown male moose is an impressive creature and terrifying when it attacks. The moose viciously stampeded over Stefan, stomping him repeatedly. It turned and charged Stefan again. Stefan was able to stand a moment before the moose hit him with its antlers; it propelled him easily high into the air. Stefan was able to spin in midair and landed on his feet, but the moose already had a bead on him. The large bull drove Stefan back and into a tree and attempted to crush him with its seven feet tall, fifteen-hundred-pound frame. As the moose pinned Stefan, Abbie spotted her stake and ran over to it. This was her chance she thought and moved behind the moose. Stefan grabbed the beast’s massive neck and suddenly snapped it. The moose went instantly lifeless, and Stefan pushed him aside. Before Stefan could react, Abbie drove her stake deep into his heart, she made sure her strike was true, and Stefan was instantly paralyzed.

“Abbie, please don’t,” Stefan pleaded.

“Shut up,” Abbie said as she knocked him over and started dragging him over to Donnie.

“Abbie, please don’t kill me,” Stefan begged.

“I promise. I won’t kill you,” she said. She turned Donnie over and opened his mouth.

“What are you doing with your boyfriend?”

“To quote one of my husband’s corny kung fu flicks,” Abbie said and propped Stefan over Donnie. “The student has become the master.” Abbie grabbed her knife and picked up Stefan by his neck. She laid him over Donnie’s open maw and slit his throat. Stefan gurgled as blood poured into Donnie’s mouth. Donnie instinctively latched on and began to drink slowly.

“Abbie, what is happening?” Stefan asked.

“You failed your mission,” Abbie said coldly. Stefan’s agonized screams echoed throughout the forest.

CHAPTER 31

Paradise Lost

MAXWELL AND HIS men watched as the fog ominously crept forward. They all had been briefed and knew full well what was causing the fog. The men were ready and were confident that they would be victorious this day. “All right, men! This is what you have been trained for,” Maxwell yelled out. “Let the she-vamps get a little closer!” Maxwell was keeping a close eye on the encroaching mist and bode his time. He needed them closer, just a little closer. The fog had almost reached the compound wall. “Now!” Maxwell and his men began unfurling large rolled up blankets of cloth over the walls and began hoisting several T-shaped poles, which also then unfurled rolled up sheets of cloth. On the inside of each blanket were ornately painted crosses. Upon seeing the holy crosses, the vampires of the Adored involuntarily fled backward, leaving the mercenaries exposed. “Mow them down!” Maxwell yelled and began firing his pistol at the now clearly visible mercenary force. The militia began firing their rifles and tossing grenades into the exposed mercenaries. The effect was exactly what Maxwell had planned; his strategy worked to perfection. The mercenaries, now in the open, began firing back while they retreated, but their losses were heavy.

“Damn them!” Frieda yelled.

“Impressive strategy,” Hans complimented. “Let the Bretons handle the crosses. What say you, Samantha?”

“We will handle this minor inconvenience for you,” Samantha replied and began stepping forward with other childlike vampires of the Bretons. Samantha had short red hair and appeared to be about thirteen, which was as old as you would see a Breton. She locked hands with other members of the Breton, and the forest began to shake. Trees were ripped from the earth and hurled telekinetically at the gate and walls of the compound. The majority of the crosses hanging from the walls inexplicably caught fire. Samantha and the other Bretons stepped back. Samantha turned and looked at Hans.

“You may send the fodder back in.” Samantha walked past the near-seven-foot-tall Hans. Frieda grinned evilly and ordered for the attack to resume. Maxwell and his men were forced to move away from the gate as ancient trees were tossed like javelins at them. Several of his men were crushed by the massive projectiles. Maxwell worked frantically to reorganize the men.

“Regroup! Regroup!” Maxwell yelled. “They will be coming again. Get ready! Hold the lines!” The militia returned to their positions and began taking shots at the charging mercenaries. Luther had brought Clara back to the council hall and was watching over her. She was now sitting on the floor, straining to concentrate. Her ability to control emotion was an invaluable asset, but no one knew how long she could maintain it.

“How are you holding up, Clara?” Claude asked.

“I’m doing fine,” Clara replied. Claude turned to Luther.

“You should go and help Luther,” Claude said. “Your presence will help boost everyone’s morale.”

“I need to watch over Mother,” Luther argued.

“I think you will be of more help, leading the Foundlings,” Claude urged.

“I’ll watch her,” Nox said. “No one will get past me.” Luther nodded; he knew Claude was right and that Nox was just a capable fighter as he was.

“It’s all right, child,” Clara said. “I will be safe, go.” Luther grabbed his massive two-handed sword and ran toward the front gate. Luther watched as human mercenaries rushed into the compound, spraying bullets from semi-automatic small arms. He ran headlong into them.

Maxwell fired a flare gun into the night sky and the sniper fire began. One by one, every mercenary that crossed the threshold into Tranquility was picked off by a rifle shot through the head or heart. Maxwell watched helplessly as mist rolled over the walls, grabbed his men, and pulled them over and out of the compound. He tried to drown out the screams that followed once they were lost into the darkness. The firefight continued for over an hour. Most of the mercenaries were either dead or dying, but now the real threat came into view; the vampires finally made their move and crossed the threshold. The Reich, in their SS uniforms, was clearly visible as they brazenly strolled into Tranquility. They dove into Maxwell’s men and began tearing them apart. The bottleneck had failed and the Militia was being driven back. Maxwell fired a second flare and the militia in unison pulled back. The Foundlings charged the gate like a mad horde with Luther leading the charge. Maxwell fired a third flare into the air and the militia and snipers began changing weapons. The snipers shifted to crossbows and the others prepared for close-quarter fighting. His men pulled out swords and stakes and readied themselves to dive into the fray.

Luther’s first swing beheaded a Reich. Its body turned into black sand and fell onto the ground. Several of his brothers in arms did not fare as well. Luther watched as many of the Foundlings began dying all around him. The Reich, being older and having better command of their abilities, were extremely efficient at dispatching opponents and in turn seemed impervious to damage. They shrugged off blows as if they had never been struck at all. Luther watched as sword and axe swings simply deflected off their bodies. Maxwell yelled out and the militia joined into the fray. The tide began to turn. The Reich was indeed formidable, but against twenty humans sticking and slashing at them with swords and stake, they began to fall simply from the sheer numbers that Tranquility was throwing at them. Maxwell continued to bark orders and command his men. The losses were heavy on both sides. The vampires had committed a sizable amount of resources into this attack, and Maxwell was intent on making them regret ever coming here. Nox watched from the entryway to the council house and reported the battle to the elders.

“We are holding them,” Nox said.

“Good,” Claude said. “How are you doing, Clara?”

“Don’t worry about me. I will do this all night if I have to,” she replied.

“Oh no,” Nox said.

“What?” Claude asked.

“The fog is back,” he replied. “It’s rolling into the compound.” The melee outside the council house continued as Frieda and Hans walked through the gates of Tranquility. They looked around and strolled leisurely into the compound.

“We should have just bombed this place,” Frieda commented to Hans.

“I agree, but we need survivors to interrogate. We need to find the location of the other dens,” Hans replied. “This level of organization has the Sources concerned.”

“The leader of this den is one named Claude. I’ll locate and capture him,” Frieda said.

“You have your orders,” Hans said. “I will break this line and find you once we have claimed victory.” Hans walked forward and took note of Luther. Hans quickly determined that this Foundling was their field leader and he headed straight for him. Frieda maneuvered around the main battle, using the fog as cover. She picked up a few grenades from fallen militia men and clipped them onto her belt. Maxwell cursed under his breath, as more and more of his men fell to the clutches of the fog. He needed to intervene. Maxwell pulled his sword and rode into the fog. Maxwell cleared his mind and dismounted from his horse. He waited for the attacks to come. A swirl of mist enveloped him, and he swung his sword. The swing was followed by the sound or breaking glass and fragments of mirrored glass falling to the ground.

“One down, you ugly old hags,” Maxwell yelled. There was an immediate response to his words and more swirls of mist and fog surrounded him. Maxwell smiled. “Gotcha,” Maxwell whispered and began a dazzling display of swordplay. Every swing he took impacted something solid. Arms, legs, and heads began falling from the fog and shattered on the ground below. Broken pieces of mirrored glass rained down all over Maxwell as he dispatched dozens of the Adored. With every strike, more and more of the fog dissipated.

“Quite impressive for a human,” Frieda said as she walked out of thinning fog.

“Then prepare to die in shock and awe,” Maxwell said as he charged Frieda. Frieda pulled out her Lugar pistol and quickly shot Maxwell in the chest. He was knocked off his feet by the point-blank shot.

“The problem with using a sword is that I can still use guns,” Frieda said as she walked over Maxwell’s body, placing another shot into his stomach, and continued toward the council house. Hans burst into a full speed charge and dove into the mob of Foundlings, he was tossing them aside like rag dolls and worked his way toward Luther. Within moments, they were face-to-face.

“So, you must be Luther,” Hans said.

“That’s right, Douche mark!” Luther replied as he dispatched another member of the Reich and turned to face the large blonde man before him.

“It is pronounced Deutschmark, you idiot,” Hans replied. “I have longed for a worthy opponent to face for so long. I hope you are up to the challenge. Although I doubt it, you Negros are all brawn and no brains.”

“You want a fight?” Luther asked. “You got one!” Luther charged Hans and began swinging his sword. Hans dodged and ducked under the swings, and for a moment let himself smile. Hans kicked Luther hard and he flew back fifty feet and landed in a pile of wood and then rolled into a muddy puddle. Hans closed the distance right away.

“Motherfucker,” Luther said as he got up. He felt like one of his trainees. This German was good. The sword would not work; he was just too fast despite his size. Luther decided that he would need to handle Hans, mano a mano.

The militia fought bravely, showing no signs of tiring or demoralization. In fact, every time one of their numbers fell, the others rallied and overran the vampire and killed him or her. Even when the Bretons began pulling them out of the compound by the dozens, or when the remaining Adored descended on them and began ripping them to pieces, they did not relent. The militia was driven almost to the point of madness, and it was taking its toll on the vampire executioners.

Donnie opened his eyes and looked up at Abbie’s beautiful face. The smell of apples was strong in the air. He was covered in black sand and did not know why. Abbie leaned down and hugged him. “Oh, Donnie, I thought I’d lost you,” she said as she lay on Donnie’s chest.

“What happened?” Donnie said as he tried to sit up, but he found that hard to do.

“You used your body like a missile and hit a tank!” Abbie said as she pounded a fist angrily into Donnie’s chest. “Don’t ever do anything like that ever again!”

“I used a rock, did it work?” he asked.

“Yes, it worked you dummy, what were you thinking?” Abbie helped Donnie sit up.

“Sorry, it was the only way I could think up to stop it,” he said. “I had to do it. Peoples lives are at stake.”

“Not if it means giving up your own!” Abbie said. “You can’t keep taking chances like that. It will catch up to you.”

“No, that’s exactly why I have to,” Donnie explained. “There are people in Tranquility, fighting for us, trying to give us a normal life. I’ll never sacrifice the safety of other’s at the expense of saving my own life. I just couldn’t live with myself if I did, please understand that.”

“Donnie, I do understand. I mean you gave up everything for me,” she said. “I just don’t want to lose you. I need you too.” Donnie looked at Abbie and knew what he had just put her through.

“First of all, I gave up nothing and gained everything by being with you, vampire or not.” Donnie looked lovingly into Abbie’s eyes. “Second, I knew I would heal. I’m not sure how, I just felt it. It felt like the earth itself was giving me strength. I just couldn’t fully tap into it. But never mind that, I’m not planning on going anywhere without you.”

“You and me forever,” she said.

“Forever,” Donnie said and kissed Abbie. After their passionate kiss, Donnie looked around and with Abbie’s help got up.

“Mind explaining why there is a dead moose ten feet from us?”

Abbie looked at Donnie and smiled and said, “I kicked ass baby, but let’s get back before I tell you.” She helped him up and they made their way back toward Tranquility.

Frieda walked leisurely through the streets of Tranquility, tossing a grenade here and there into homes with multiple residents huddled inside. She reveled in the screams of terror and panic that emanated from within before the explosive silenced them forever. She considered herself fortunate when there was at least one survivor that writhed in agony for a few moments longer before expiring. It made her feel almost giddy. Frieda spotted a woman ushering her children from one house to another. Her house had been made structurally unsound after being struck by a tree, and she was now trying to get her children to the safety of a neighbor’s house. Frieda reached them within moments.

Hans was pleasantly surprised by Luther’s fighting skills. In many ways, Luther was his equal. They traded blows and grappled one another and took turns driving each other through walls, supply crates, and even entire vehicles. The path of destruction they were causing as they moved deeper into Tranquility could be spotted from miles away. Everything became a weapon, boxes, wooden posts, and spare tires. Luther and Hans continued to beat each other with reckless abandon, using any and all sort of improvised weaponry.

Donnie was leaning on Abbie; he was not yet able to walk on his own, having not fully recovered from his injuries. “What do you expect to do?” Abbie asked. “You’re in no shape to fight anything, and I’m in no better shape.”

“I’m not sure, but I need to try. I’m still healing, maybe by the time we reach the gates, I will be ready to lend a hand.”

“Baby, promise me if you can’t help, you won’t try,” Abbie begged. “Promise me!”

“I promise,” Donnie replied. “If there is nothing I can do, we’ll run.” Donnie and Abbie spotted a flare high in the air and could hear explosions. The militia was using grenades now. They both knew what that meant.

The woman spotted Frieda coming at her and her children and dove at Frieda at the last moment. Frieda paused and grabbed the woman by the neck. She had bought her children enough time to get inside. “That was quite brave,” Frieda said to the mother and lifted her up. She walked to the door of the house and looked inside; she could see about a dozen children all huddling inside.

“Are these all yours?” Frieda asked the woman.

“Leave mommy alone!” a young girl screamed from inside.

“I will, if I can come in and say hello,” Frieda replied. The woman tried to speak but Frieda simply closed her grip around her neck a bit tighter and squelched any words from her.

“You can’t come in!” an older girl said. “Go away!”

“Fine, but I will take this woman with me.”

“No! I want my mommy,” the young girl yelled and tried to run outside. The older girl grabbed her and pulled her away from the door. She continued to yell Mommy as the other children huddled together in fear.

“Can I bring your mommy to you?” Frieda asked.

“No! The older girl said.

“Yes, bring me my mommy,” the young girl said.

“Invitation accepted,” Frieda said as she crossed the threshold of the doorway. She snapped the woman’s neck and tossed her lifeless body inside. The children screamed in terror as Frieda closed the door behind her. Blood began to spray on the windows from inside, and one by one each tiny screaming voice was silenced.

Luther and Hans stood a few feet from one another, their wounds clearly visible. “I am impressed Foundling,” Hans said. “I think it may take me all night to kill you.”

“What makes you think you’re the one that’s going to walk away alive?” Luther replied. “I have you all figured out.”

“I have a schedule to keep, and this enjoyable diversion has taken up more time than I had expected,” he replied. “It’s time to end it.”

“Well, I’m not ready to give up just yet,” Luther replied. “And I don’t see you taking me down all that easily.” Luther watched as the color completely faded from Hans’s face and arms. His already pale complexion turned to a completely white shade.

“What the hell?” Luther said.

“Since you are about to die, I will let you in on a secret,” Hans said as he took a swing at Luther. Luther ducked the blow and tried to sweep Han’s leg but found it as solid as stone. He also seemed heavier and significantly faster.

“This is the master technique of the Reich. We call it die Mauer or The Wall,” Hans said as he tried a spinning kick at Luther, it missed by less than an inch.

“So you turn all white, big deal,” Luther replied.

“It is so much more than that,” Hans said and continued, “die Mauer allows us to turn our skin into living marble. Once we assume die Mauer, we cannot be harmed, we grow stronger and faster. One blow will end this conflict once and for all.” Hans took another swing at Luther. Luther ducked under once more and grabbed Hans’s forearm.

“Thank you so much for explaining it to me,” Luther said as his skin began to transform into black marble. “It makes it so much easier to copy when I know how the ability works.” Hans pulled his arms away in shock and utter disgust.

“What is this?” Hans asked outraged.

“What, does a Negro using the master races’ master technique bother you, you racist piece of shit!” Luther asked, smiling. “You aren’t the only one with abilities. Mine is the ability to copy another vampire’s ability. I just need to understand how it works and be in physical contact.”

“I was going to kill you quickly, but now I will have to make you suffer,” Hans said as he charged Luther. Frieda emerged from the house, holding a napkin. She gingerly wiped the blood off her face and lips; the rest of her uniform on the other hand was drenched in still warm blood. Frieda resumed her path toward the council house and broke into a run. She arrived within moments and began walking up the steps. She was greeted by two Foundlings. Elder Carmen and Elder Jhoat drew their swords and charged Frieda. She smiled in anticipation.

Donnie and Abbie reached the edge of the woods just after the third flare was fired from Maxwell’s gun. Donnie was still unable to stand, but from this vantage point they could see the entire battle as if unfolded. There was a mass melee just inside the gate entrance. It was worse than they could ever have imagined. The Reich was infighting against the defending Foundlings and militia. They could see that several Breton children were just outside the gates and swiftly moving patches of fog were both plucking Founding and human alike outside of the compound. Once outside, they were subjected to all manner torturous deaths, from burning to suffocation to dismemberment. “Those creepy kids go down first!” Donnie said and began breathing deeply.

“Donnie, what are you doing?” Abbie asked. “Donnie?” Abbie looked into Donnie’s face and discovered that the irises of his eyes had disappeared and were now solid white. Donnie’s heart started pounding, and the wind started picking up and Abbie could smell moisture in the air, but unlike before, this was happening much faster.

Luther and Hans continued their battle. They matched each other blow for blow, and as their battle raged, it moved close to the edge of the lake. Neither of them was making any headway. Every blow was absorbed by the power of die Mauer, but for some reason, Hans continued fighting. He was obsessed and wanted Luther dead. Luther was having trouble maintaining die Mauer now. Every blow was making him lose his grip on the power and soon enough he would lose it completely. It was obvious to Hans that he was having trouble with it.

“Having trouble maintaining die Mauer?” Hans asked as he broke a barrel over Luther’s head.

“I can go all night,” Luther replied as he hit Hans with a loose tire rim.

“I don’t think so!” Hans said as he picked up a log and broke it over Luther’s head. “I think you are almost through.”

“Keep dreaming snowflake!” Luther replied as he picked up and threw an engine block at Hans head. The heavy chunk of metal sent Hans off his feet and sprawling onto one of the docks.

“I can hold die Mauer for days, it takes more discipline than you can imagine.” Clouds rolled in from the south, and Luther looked up and smiled.

“That might be the case, but it looks like the tide is about to turn.” Hans looked up at the darkening skies unsure at what Luther meant and then moved back to engage him.

“I don’t need either of you,” Frieda said and promptly ripped both of the Elders’ heads and continued walking up the steps. When she reached the top, she was met by a small oriental man. “More fodder, how many Foundlings will I have to kill before I get to Claude?” Frieda asked and charged Nox. Nox performed a front flip over her, easily avoiding her blow. He grabbed her hair in mid-flip and performed a judo-like throw. Frieda was sent flying out of the council house and rolled down the stairs. She recovered her footing and looked back up to the doorway and bared her fangs. Nox took a martial arts stance and motioned for her to come on. Frieda was furious and ran at Nox once again. They began exchanging blows, but she was sorely outclassed. Nox easily avoided her blows and countered viciously. She was getting the worst of the exchange, and after Nox maneuvered over and around her, she found herself at the bottom of the steps once again. “Little man, I am going to rip out your heart with my teeth!” Frieda screamed and began walking back up the steps. Nox noticed that her skin turned from a nice flesh color to a pale shade of white and was caught unaware as she rushed him. She hit Nox on the side of the head and sent him flying inside the council house. She was much faster now. He needed to adjust and fast. Frieda moved to Nox and swung at him once again, he blocked the blow, but his arms were shattered by the force of her blow. He discovered too late that she was much stronger too. Nox tried to dance around, avoiding her swings but she caught him once again. Frieda grabbed Nox by the throat and slammed him into the floor and pounded on his skull repeatedly, crushing it.

“Are you looking for me?” Claude asked from the other side of the council hall. Frieda looked up and smiled.

“Let me finish off this annoyance, and I will tend to you shortly,” Frieda said and looked back to Nox. Before she could finish dispatching Nox, a crossbow bolt bounced off her head. Frieda looked annoyed to see where it had come from.

“I asked you a question, Nazi slut,” Claude said, holding a crossbow in hand.

“I only have to bring you in alive,” Frieda said as she got up and began walking toward Claude. “That means I can tear off every appendage except your head.” Claude reloaded the crossbow and fired another bolt at Frieda’s chest. The bolt struck the area where her heart was but it bounced off her skin.

“Foolish, haven’t you figured out that no weapon can harm me? I am a proud member of the Reich and nothing can harm us.” Frieda said as she closed the distance on Claude. As she walked up, she noticed Clara sitting on the floor. Claude had now drawn a sword and was intent on protecting her.

“What is she doing? Who is she?” Frieda asked.

“Never mind her, your fight is with me!” Claude said as he charged her. Frieda did not move and let the sword break off her neck. She looked closer at Clara as Claude pulled a morning star off the weapon rack and brought it down on Frieda’s head.

“Could this be? Is she the elusive Espee?” Frieda asked as she backhanded Claude. Her blow was so powerful that Claude was knocked through the cement wall of the council hall and he landed outside. Clara opened her eyes.

“Yes! I am Espee, the thousand-year-old Foundling,” Clara said as she focused all her attention on Frieda. Frieda recoiled in absolute fear.

“No, please don’t kill me, please!” Frieda begged.

“If you leave my presence at once, I will spare your worthless life,” she said.

“Yes, I’ll go right away!” Frieda said and started backing out. Clara had reached her limit and her concentration faltered, and Frieda was released from Clara’s emotional push. Her artificially instilled fear instantly abated and was replaced with genuine hatred. “I don’t know how you did that, but I can see you are weak now,” Frieda said. “So I will take you and Claude in. The Führer will be quite pleased with me.” She began to walk toward Clara when a blade was driven into her back and out through her chest. She looked down in disbelief. She had not dropped die Mauer, no blade should have been able to hurt her. Clara looked up and smiled.

“You timing is impeccable, Captain Maxwell,” Clara said. Maxwell pulled his sword out of Frieda’s back and took a swing at her neck. Frieda rolled and avoided the blow by centimeters.

“Sorry, I’m late, Clara,” Maxwell said as he closed with Frieda.

“I shot you!” Frieda yelled and started to pull her side arm once again.

“Ever hear of a bulletproof vest?” Maxwell said as he lunged and severed Frieda’s hand in one deft move.

“How can you be hurting me?” Frieda asked in terror. Maxwell lunged once again as Frieda backed away from him. He stabbed her through her shoulder and, with a deft flick of his wrist, took off her entire arm. The sword was cutting through her marble flesh like a hot knife through butter. She was no match for whatever this was, and she decided to flee. Maxwell was able to take another slice off her before she had outdistanced him. Maxwell reached the door and watched as Frieda ran as fast as she could out of Tranquility. A massive downpour of rain began, and lightning crackled overhead. Clara walked next to Maxwell.

“Your trance is broken isn’t it?” Maxwell asked.

“Yes, I reached my limit,” she said.

“The men will begin to panic and run,” Maxwell said. “I need to get out there and help them. He started running toward the melee.”

“Have heart, Captain!” Clara yelled as she looked up. “I think help is here.”

Luther was starting to lose his battle with Hans. He was beginning to feel the blows delivered by Hans and could feel his skin cracking. The German was not showing any signs of slowing down. “It is only a matter of time now,” Hans said to Luther as he brought up his knee into Luther’s abdomen. He could see Luther’s hold over his Wall failing.

“I don’t have to beat you. I just have to outlast you,” Luther said as he delivered a short elbow to Hans’s face. Hans was driven back by the blow and nearly lost his balance as he teetered on the edge of the dock.

“For a moment there, I thought I might get wet,” Hans said. As if on cue, the skies opened up and rain began to fall and fall hard. In a second, the weather went from a calm night to a massive downpour.

“Ha!” Luther yelled out. “Good going, kid!” Hans ran at Luther and began raining blows on him again.

“I don’t know what you are expecting, but I am ending this now!” Hans yelled. Luther did his best to defend himself but found his arms broken by Hans’s strikes. Luther fell on his back, and his skin turned from back to its normal ebony color.

“Finally, you are mine!” Hans yelled triumphantly. “You were indeed a worthy adversary. Prepare to die, Foundling.” Luther looked up at Hans, and then past him out toward the lake.

“You are too late,” Luther said. “I win.” Hans was about to deliver the final blow to Luther when he heard something behind him and turned around. His radio chirped and Frieda’s voice came across it. Frieda continued running, she was seriously injured and was trying to maintain die Mauer until she was safely out of the compound. She grabbed her radio and began speaking as she ran. “Hans, Samantha, we need to retreat!” Frieda yelled into her walkie-talkie. “Espee is in the compound!”

“Espee is a myth Frieda,” Samantha radioed back. “There is no thousand-year-old Foundling. Resume your mission and capture Claude for questioning.”

“Negative! I am gravely injured and am heading back to base camp,” Frieda yelled. “You want him, you get him!”

“You incompetent child,” Samantha roared. She looked at the other assembled Bretons. “Burn it all down. Set fire to everything.”

“But we have orders to capture . . .” one of the Bretons began to say.

“Silence,” Samantha yelled. “Burn it all down! We will blame the Reich for this extermination being a failure.” All of the Bretons turned to face Tranquility and started holding hands once again. The downpour raced northward as Donnie concentrated. Abbie watched as he began to falter and almost fell forward. Abbie caught him in her arms, but he continued to concentrate.

“Donnie, what are you doing?” Abbie asked.

“Just watch,” Donnie said, straining. His face turned from calm to a face of pain. Whatever he was doing, it was greatly concerning Abbie.

“This is too much for you, Donnie, you need to stop!” Abbie yelled.

“Too late now,” Donnie replied. “If I stop now, I will lose control of it.”

“Lose control of what?” she asked.

“The hurricane,” Donnie replied.

“Are you serious?” Abbie said and looked around. The winds were indeed blowing in a circular pattern. Tranquility was in the eye of the storm, but everywhere else the storm was raging. Abbie was amazed that he was doing this. But then a realization came to her. “What happens if you lose control?”

“The storm will move and destroy Tranquility and everyone inside,” Donnie replied. Abbie panicked when Donnie started bleeding.

“Donnie, you’re bleeding,” Abbie said as blood started to pour out of Donnie’s ears, nose, and eyes at an alarming rate.

“I know. It’s getting harder to hold it,” he replied. “I just need a little longer.” He looked over the battlefield; the combatants had stopped fighting as their attentions were drawn to the sky swirling above. Maxwell rode to the men and rallied them around him. The Adored were forced to assume their physical forms due to the winds and joined the ranks of the Reich. There was a clear division between factions now.

“Abbie, I love you,” Donnie said.

“I love you too, Donnie,” Abbie said frightened.

“This ends now,” he said and let out a horrendous yell. He contorted and stiffened in obvious pain. Abbie held him close. His yell echoed through the forest and then suddenly stopped. “One.”

The sky lit up, and for a moment, it was as bright as day. Hundreds of lightning bolts came down in unison. Abbie’s hair began floating up as electricity filled the air. One bolt came down for every enemy vampire. Abbie watched in awe as the Bretons were stuck first. The children were incinerated instantly, then the Adored, and finally the Reich. The only survivors from the initial strike were a handful of Reich. Frieda had almost reached her transport when it was struck by four bolts of lighting and exploded. She watched as a similar fate occurred to every other transport. She gripped her radio to report when a bolt fried her. She was driven to the ground by the force and seared by the intense heat. If it had not been for die Mauer, she would have been incinerated. She was defenseless now. Frieda tried to use her radio but that too was fried. Hans looked out on to the lake and could see the edge of the hurricane. He spotted other things on the lake that were approaching. He took several steps onto the dock to make them out better.

“Water spouts?” Hans said and turned back to Luther. “Who is doing this?” Luther laughed as the rain fell on him.

“Answer me! Who is . . . ?” Hans’s question was cut short when a bolt of lightning struck him down. Luther sat up and was surprised to see Hans still intact. He was on one knee and half of his body seemed to be back to its normal color. Luther watched as Hans concentrated and reformed his wall.

“As I was saying,” Hans said as he rose. “Who is doing this?” For the first time, Luther was truly afraid of the man before him. He began walking toward Luther.

Donnie was now limp in Abbie’s arms. He did not have the strength to stand so she held him up. “Donnie, how much more can you take?” she asked.

“Two,” Donnie said. Frieda felt the air electrify around her and she leaped out of the way of the bolt a split second before it would have hit her. She got up and ran headlong into the hurricane. She figured her chances were better in the storm than under the thunder clouds. The winds picked her up and began thrashing her about. She was pulled deeper and deeper into the cyclone. The remaining members of the Reich were each struck a second time and vaporized.

Hans moved menacingly toward Luther. “You will give me the answers I seek,” he demanded.

“They are coming closer,” Luther said. “And they are coming for you.”

“Then I will have the satisfaction of destroying you,” Hans said, then looked up as a second bolt of lightning stuck him down.

Luther got up and walked over to Hans. “Hard to concentrate when you are sucking on one-hundred-thousand volts, isn’t it?”

“I will destroy you,” Hans said weakly. His Wall was broken, and he was now covered with third-degree burns all over his body as he lay face first on the dock. Luther walked over and picked him up and carried him to the edge of the dock.

“I’ll say it again, I win,” said Luther and he tossed Hans into the water spout that was now ten feet away. It hungrily sucked him in, turned, and raced into the hurricane’s inner edge.

“Three,” Donnie said and collapsed. The rain and the hurricane dissipated within minutes. Abbie carried Donnie down into Tranquility and called out for help. Captain Maxwell rode out on his horse and took Donnie from Abbie and helped her mount on his horse and rode them all to the council hall. In the end, over two hundred Foundlings and over six hundred humans had given their life in defense of Tranquility. It was a bittersweet victory. So many friends and family were now gone, but it had been the first time that anyone could remember that a den withstood an attack by executioners.

CHAPTER 32

Miami

DONNIE FOUND HIMSELF on an endless plain once more. The grass was gently blowing and somehow it looked familiar. He started walking toward a small hill. As he got closer, he could hear voices speaking. Donnie got down and crawled on his belly until he could see over the hill. On the other side, he found some familiar faces and a few he had never seen before.

“We almost lost him.” Rainchaser said.

“Mmm, I know, he pushed himself too far,” Windcaller replied. Donnie watched as four Native Americans sat around a fire and spoke. Three of them were male and one was female, and he somehow knew all their names.

“He needs to be trained,” Morning Light said. She was simply beautiful. She had long green hair, and had several animals sitting near her.

“I agree, if he does it again and we lose him, we will have to start all over,” Thunder Step replied. This man was much larger than the others sitting around the fire. If he were to stand, he would have easily been over eight feet tall.

“He has come very far in a short time,” Rainchaser said.

“Mmm, he lacks control,” Windcaller said.

“He is being pushed too fast,” Thunder Step said. “I should train him first. That will make him deadlier.”

“I disagree. It should be I who goes first,” Morning Light said. “If he forgets, why he is doing this? We will lose him, just like the first one.”

“He has shown the strongest aptitude with me,” Rainchaser said. “I should go first.”

“Mmm, he has shown equal aptitude with me,” Windcaller said. “Perhaps, I should be first.” Donnie continued to listen to the conversation when a voice began speaking to him.

“It will be a while before they come to an agreement,” Shadow Walker said. Donnie was startled by the man lying next to him. Shadow Walker was completely black; he looked like a shadow in every way, except for his eyes which were a deep blue. Donnie should have felt fear at this apparition, but for some unknown reason, he did not feel at all threatened. “They haven’t even realized that you are back in the Spirit Realm.”

“What are they talking about?” Donnie asked.

“You, they are busy trying to determine your fate,” Shadow Walker replied.

“Don’t I get a choice?” Donnie asked. Shadow Walker paused for a moment and then turned to Donnie.

“They have plans for you,” Shadow Walker said. “But you should have a choice.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You are not meant to, at least not yet,” Shadow Walker replied.

“So what do I do now?”

“Pick one and tell them you wish to train with them,” Shadow Walker said. “We all have something to teach you.”

“Then I choose you,” he said. “You have been the most honest with me so far.”

“It cannot be me,” Shadow Walker said. “I must be last.”

“Why?” he asked.

“It’s too soon to explain,” Shadow Walker said smiling. “You will have to be patient.”

“So what is this place?”

“Very well, since you just continue slipping back in here without reason, I will tell you,” Shadow Walker began. “In this incarnation, this place is called the Eternal Plains.”

“I see that, but what is this place?”

“This place is where our people go to when they are lost after death. They can spend seconds, minutes, hours, or even years, wandering around until they find the path that leads them to the Happy Hunting Grounds.”

“Really, so how’s it that I am here?”

“You are both dead and alive,” Shadow Walker said. “With practice and training, you will be able to slip in and out at will.”

“Doesn’t seem very useful,” he replied, Shadow Walker smiled.

“It will become clear soon enough,” Shadow Walker said. “We should really let them know we are here.”

“No,” he said. “I want you to train me first.”

“What I have to teach you will only distract you at this point,” Shadow Walker said. “But the others could argue for decades and resolve nothing. Fine, come with me.”

“So you are going to train me?” he asked as he and Shadow Walker began walking across the plains.

“No, but I will help you in other ways,” Shadow Walker said. “So tell me what you know so far?”

“What do you mean?”

“What can you do?”

“Oh, uhm, I can make it rain and summon windstorms and call down lightning,” he replied. “I can enter the Eternal Plains? I am strong, and I heal really fast.”

“Is that all?” Shadow Walker asked.

“Well, yeah, I think, but I can’t make it rain or windy all the time, only sometimes. Once it’s raining, calling down lighting hurts really bad, but I can do it.”

“With proper training, you will be able to do them at will,” Shadow Walker said. “You can perform feats in each one of your states.”

“What do you mean by states?” he asked.

“You have three basic states. When you are agitated, the storms are easier to call, correct?” Shadow Walker asked.

“I never made that connection but now that you mention it, yes.”

“Then there is your normal state or passive,” Shadow Walker said. “Your healing is increased in this state. The more agitated you are, the slower you heal, so you need to stay calm in tense situations when you need to heal.”

“That is kind of hard to do,” he said. “But I will try.”

“Last, is your calm state,” Shadow Walker said. “Calm you heart and open yourself. Once you are calm, you can slip back here, as well as other things.”

“What other things?” Donnie asked.

“Just open your senses,” Shadow Walker said. “Enough training for now, it’s time for you go to back.”

“Training, what training?” he asked. “I have so many questions.”

“I promise I will answer them all,” Shadow Walker said. “For now, focus on getting better.”

“Why do I have to leave so soon?” he asked.

“You have only been here a short while, but you have been asleep much longer,” Shadow Walker replied.

“Asleep, how long?” he asked.

“Months,” Shadow Walker replied.

“What?” Donnie said alarmed. “What about Abbie?”

“This is why I need to train you,” Shadow Walker said. “You can spend years here and pass just a few moments in the living world, but if you enter the wrong way, you can spend moments here but years on the outside. So unless you know how to enter properly, stay out until we summon you.”

“How long will that be?”

“I do not know,” Shadow Walker replied. “The others are still debating.”

“Swell,” Donnie said. Shadow Walker smiled and placed his hand over Donnie’s eyes. Donnie woke up and looked around. He was in a closet, and for a moment he thought he was back in the bedroom in Tranquility, but the room was smaller. He was lying on some sort of cold metal slab, and when he tried to get up, he found that he had been bound. There were six thick leather straps holding him firmly in place. He tried to break them but he was simply too weak. He could see light coming from outside the closet, but could hear no sound coming from outside. The only sounds he could hear was the squeaking of rats and they were getting louder. Donnie tilted his head and could see a multitude of rats on the floor.

“Hey, little guys, I hope you aren’t hungry,” Donnie said. The rats began to scatter, and Donnie could now hear footsteps coming. He closed his eyes and decided to play dead, well more dead anyway. Two sets of footsteps entered the closet he was stored in.

“How’s he doing tonight?” an unfamiliar female voice asked.

“Still no change,” an equally unfamiliar male voice answered. “I don’t think he’s getting any better.”

“I’ll let her know,” the female voice said and walked out of the closet.

“Well, at least there are no rats tonight,” the male voice said talking to Donnie. “I think I’ve had to kill over five thousand rats since you’ve been here.” The male inspected his bonds and opened Donnie’s eyes one by one. “Time for sleep now, see you tonight.” Donnie listened as the man exited the closet, and then heard chains, locks, and bolts being secured over the closet door. Whoever they were, they didn’t want him going anywhere he thought. Donnie needed blood badly, he was very weak, and he was even too weak to frenzy. Donnie decided to try and heal, so maybe he could regain some of his strength; he began to relax and cease his movements. Nothing, without blood, he was not going to be able to regain his strength. Then he remembered how he was healing in the forest. It was worth a shot; maybe if he could tap into that force he might be able to break free. He relaxed and stretched out his consciousness. The rats quickly returned in mass. He could feel them climbing onto his chest, legs, and arms. He opened his eyes to find a large rat starring at him.

“Great,” Donnie said. “Now I am going to get bitten?”

“No bite,” the rat replied. Donnie screamed in terror. The rat screamed in turn and jumped off. “Run!” Donnie watched as the rats all scurried away into holes in the walls.

What was that? Donnie thought. “I’m insane, I’m an insane vampire.” Donnie lay there in the near darkness and decided to try it again. A few hours later, he began to hear the scurrying of rats again. They began climbing on him once more and just sat there. The large rat had also returned and was standing on his chest.

“What do you want?” Donnie asked.

“We help?” the large rat replied. “No, kill us more?”

“OK, sure . . . ” Donnie replied. “Can you get me loose?”

“Si,” the rats said one after another in a surreal squeaking chorus. They began chewing through the leather straps. It took the rats minutes to chew through all the straps. Donnie was amazed at their efficiency and tenacity. He was finally able to move. Donnie sat up, and the rats began scurrying away.

“Thanks,” Donnie said still unsure at what had just happened.

“De nada,” the rats replied as they ran back into their holes. He could still hear them talking in the hole. Donnie tried to get up and fell right over. It took him another thirty minutes to finally be able to stand up. He began lumbering toward the closet door. He found it locked by a large chain. Donnie could see lights and a larger room on the other side. Donnie pushed on the door with all his might, driving his shoulder into it, but found it impossible to heave open. The wooden door was old but still sturdy. Donnie summoned all of his remaining strength and punched the door. His arm went all the way through it and now he could see the chains and reach the dead bolts. The bolt was easily reached and undone, but the chain was another matter altogether. It was not too thick and the lock was massive. He reached around looking for a way to unhook or unlatch the chains, but they were well secured. Donnie was about to sit down and rest when he heard a small voice behind him.

“Llave,” the large rat said. Donnie turned and looked at the rodent and to his amazement, it was holding a key.

“No way,” Donnie uttered in disbelief.

“Llave,” the critter repeated and dropped the key at his feet before scurrying away.

“Gracias,” Donnie said to the rat. “How can I ever thank you?”

“Queso, mucho queso,” it called back from the hole. Of course, he thought to himself, what rodent wouldn’t want a lot of cheese. He picked up the key and carefully worked it into the lock. He turned it, expecting it remain locked, but was massively impressed when he heard it click open. Donnie was not sure what happened, but within moments, he had pulled the chains into the closet and opened the door. As Donnie walked out into the room, he was surprised by what he saw. He was in a hotel suite. It looked like that place had not seen any use in several years. The carpets were stained, wallpaper had peeled off the walls, the bed was lopsided, and there were a multitude of holes scatted throughout the wall of the suite. He could now tell that he had been placed on a wheeled gurney similar to what an ambulance would carry. He looked out the window and could see that he was on the third or forth floor. The sun bothered his eyes, so he stayed out of direct sunlight. The smell of vampires caught his nose; it was thick in the air. Donnie began walking the halls of the old hotel. In just about every room he crossed, he could see a vampire firmly locked in the daysleep. Every room he entered was kept purposely dark. He was surprised that it took less than he expected to resist his hunger. He continued to wander aimlessly, until a familiar scent reached his nostrils. He began walking toward the smell of apples. Donnie reached a room that was on the sixth floor and looked inside. He smiled when he spotted Abbie safe and resting peacefully. He entered the room and lay close to her, wrapping his arms around her. The walk to that point had left him exhausted, and he fell asleep right away.

“He’s gone!” Miguel yelled.

“Que?” Lily asked as he ran into the room, “How?”

“I don’t know,” Miguel replied. “The straps look like they were chewed through, and the chains were removed.”

“Oh no, he’s loose,” Lily panicked. “What if he went outside, during the day?”

“I’ll go check the halls and you go tell her,” Miguel ordered.

“Hell no,” she replied. “You tell her, and I will check the halls.”

“Then its rock, paper, scissors,” Miguel said.

“OK, best three out of five,” Lily said. The two began their contest and were tied two apiece when they were interrupted.

“What is going on here?” Espee asked.

“Oh shit!” Miguel exclaimed.

“Well?” Espee asked again.

“He’s gone!” Lily replied hurriedly. “We don’t know where he went. We found it just like this. It’s not our fault!”

“What?” Espee said and ran into the room. She came back out after looking over the interior. “Miguel.”

“Si jefa,” he replied.

“Get Nox, and get him now!” Espee yelled. Miguel ran off toward Nox’s room, yelling for him.

“Do you think he went outside to look for blood?” Lily asked.

“No, I’m sure he didn’t. We’re all in great danger!” Espee said. “If he frenzies, he could kill any of us.”

“Huh?” Lily asked. “Why would he attack one of us?”

“Never mind, go, wake Abbie,” Espee ordered.

“Why, she rarely leaves her room anymore. How can she help?” Lily asked. Espee looked at the young Foundling and bared her teeth.

“Right away,” Lily said and ran up to the sixth floor. Nox passed Lily as he ran toward Espee.

“What’s up boss,” Nox asked.

“Donnie is gone,” Espee said. “Track him down,” Lily screamed from above and Espee and Nox rushed toward her cries and toward the unknown. They found Lily standing outside of Abbie’s room. Abbie began to stir from the daysleep.

“Abbie,” Espee said. “Please be very careful.” Abbie looked over to the doorway entrance to find Espee, Nox, and Lily staring into her room. They were all in a state of alarm.

“What?” Abbie asked still a bit groggy. Then she felt an arm around her. She looked down at it and knew right away whose it was.

“I hope you didn’t have too many nights where you woke up alone,” Donnie said softly into her ear.

“Doesn’t matter now, baby,” Abbie said as she turned around and laid her head on his chest. His heart was beating ever so softly. “You’re back with me now.”

“Is he sane?” Espee asked.

“I’ll take care of him,” Abbie said. “Can we have some privacy?” Espee looked at Nox, and she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

“If you don’t mind,” Espee said. “I’ll watch to make sure he doesn’t frenzy.” Donnie looked at her suspiciously, but Abbie placed a hand on his chest.

“It’s OK, Donnie,” she said. “This is Espee.” She cleared her hair and offered her neck to Donnie. Donnie bit in and drank for a while. He stopped on his own much to Espee’s surprise.

“We’re in Miami?” he asked.

“Yes,” Abbie replied. “We’ve been here for six months.” Donnie’s eyes went wide. He realized that he had indeed been gone a long time.

CHAPTER 33

Night Lights

ESPEE AND ABBIE spent the next few hours explaining to Donnie what had happened during the last six months. She told him about her fight with Stefan, which cleared up his lingering question about the moose. She let him know that she had checked into Stefan claims about hurting their friends and family. To his relief, no one had been seriously injured. “So wait, I have been asleep for six months, Tranquility has up and moved, you killed Stefan, who was the same guy who chased me in the mill, and we’re now in Miami. Am I missing anything?” he asked. Abbie snuggled next to him intent on not letting go. It was a lot to absorb in such a short time.

“Yes, in a nutshell that is what happened,” Espee replied.

“So what happened at the end of the battle?” Donnie asked.

“You pushed yourself too far,” Abbie replied. “You almost died, again.” Donnie watched Abbie’s face saddened as she scolded him. She was both angry and relieved all at once.

“There were heavy losses on both sides, but our attackers were driven back,” Espee replied. “Reports I received said that only a handful managed to get away.”

“How many did we lose?” Donnie asked. “In the end I mean.”

“Far less than we should have, had you not been there,” Espee replied.

“Good!” Donnie said, “They got what they deserved then.” Nox looked in on them, and when Espee looked at him, he simply nodded.

“Hunting packs will be going out soon, Abbie,” Espee said. “Get ready, as you will need a lot of blood to help him get better.” Abbie nodded, and Espee got up and headed for the door. “I have a lot of questions for you, Donnie.”

“I have a lot of them as well.” Donnie was sure she had the answers he was looking for.

The Miami den was a completely different setup than Donnie and Abbie had experienced in Canada. Espee really had her act together and ran her motley crew with pinpoint precision. Every detail was thought out, and every move was planned days in advance. The Miami Foundlings called themselves Los Nomados, and it suited them well. Every few nights, Los Nomados under Espee’s care moved to a different location to sleep through the day. Abbie had told Donnie that in the six months that she had been with Espee that they had not visited the same place twice. Over the next several days, Donnie fed some from Abbie, but blood was much harder to come by in Miami. Often, many of the Foundlings went without feeding for days at a time, and Abbie was no exception. Espee had asked that the fact that Donnie only drank vampire blood be kept between her, Abbie, and Donnie. She felt it might unnerve the others. Donnie agreed to keep quiet about it. Not many in Tranquility knew about it either, so Donnie and Abbie were fine keeping the secret in Miami as well. There were no easy ways to get blood in Miami; they didn’t keep livestock because they moved so often, so everyone needed to hunt human blood. The easiest way to feed was to prey on drunks and drug addicts. Bite marks on arms would easily be dismissed as drug needle tracks. Also Abbie was informed that if a human was unconscious when it was bitten, the wound would heal. Espee had explained that it was adrenaline that caused a bite wound not to heal. So if a person was unconscious, they never felt the bite. Knocking out someone and then feeding was a common way to get blood.

The Miami Foundlings were a very different sort. They were all younger; none of them looked to be younger than sixteen and none looked to be no older than twenty-five. Donnie found it odd, as there had been a wide range of ages in Tranquility. Also no Foundling here was truly older than thirty. The Reich had been very active in slaying any Foundling they discovered in Florida, and they had been very successful, except when it came to Los Nomados. Over that last six months, they had become less active in the pursuit of Foundlings. Espee suspected that losing so many executioners in Tranquility had placed a strain on their numbers. No one minded that as it made hunting easier and less hazardous. Donnie’s recovery was very slow. He refused to take much blood from Abbie as she needed it as well. It was weeks before he could walk unassisted, and even after that, his strength was greatly diminished. His recovery was slow, but he was getting better. It was another month before Donnie was allowed to venture outside.

“Remember your training,” Espee warned Donnie. “Stay out of public places.”

“Yes, I know. I don’t want to be spotted.”

“I don’t want you bringing anyone to us,” Espee warned. “I am placing Nox with you for tonight. He will keep you safe.” Donnie was almost insulted by the comment. His strength was returning, and he was confident he could handle himself against any vampire he met but decided to follow orders. He and Nox went out together. Once they were outside, Donnie hailed a cab.

“What are you doing, Donnie?” Nox asked. “You need to stay hidden.”

“Nox, I’m not hunting, so I’m not going to attract any attention,” Donnie replied. “Besides, I need to run some errands.”

“What errands?” Nox asked.

“Some personal stuff,” Donnie said. “You’re welcome to tag along, or just shadow me.”

“OK, let’s go,” Nox said as he also got in the cab. Nox realized that it had been over thirty years since he had ridden in any car and sat back and relaxed his guard a bit. Foundlings never traveled by car, so it was like hiding in plain sight. Donnie realized that he had been away too long, it had been over five years since they left New Jersey; he needed to check on Misha and CeeCee. He had grabbed a few hundred dollars from what remained of their money. Abbie had given most of their money to Claude to help the survivors move. Espee had informed him that they were in Alaska now, thanks to the funds, but they were down to less than five thousand dollars. Luther, Clara, and Claude had all survived, but many more did not. The Reich had found them all the way out in Tranquility. Not knowing the fate of his friends worried him greatly. They had gone after Abbie’s friends and parents, and even though she found that they were fine, she had failed to check on Misha and CeeCee.

Donnie had planned the night out for weeks and had every detail carefully plotted out. Once they reached a more populated area, Donnie and Nox got out and started walking around town. Donnie walked into a convenience store and bought a prepaid phone and a forty-four ounce soda. As he walked down the street, he pretended to take sips from the large cup and made his way toward a UPS Store. Nox walked quietly beside him, he was not sure what Donnie was up to. Donnie rented a mail box in the store, and then began a long walk toward the library, and was pleasantly surprised when he crossed a cyber café, and decided to go in. He walked over to the counter and rented usage of a computer. After checking the inside of the café, Nox moved outside to watch for trouble. Nox suspected he knew what Donnie was up to.

Donnie began looking up for property records in the area where his house was. He could see that his house was still owned by Misha and Cecilia Busby. A further search of their names revealed some interesting things. Misha was now a famous actor. He even had his own official fan Web page. Donnie reviewed his personal bio and TV and Filmographies. Misha had gotten his break playing a student on a teen drama a year after Abbie and he left. The show ran for only one season, but it gave him a chance to work in a movie. His first movie was a big hit, and he was currently working on the sequel. He received an Oscar nomination for his performance, but he didn’t win it, but Donnie knew it was only a matter of time before his friend earned the honor. His bio also mentioned CeeCee. She had become a talent manager and was working for a major record label, plus they had kids. Donnie smiled as he read their children’s names. Abraham was three and Donna was just under a year old. He was surprised that they had started a family so quickly after he had left. He smiled as he reminisced on memories of his childhood in his home and wondered if Misha’s and CeeCee’s kids would have just as fond memories there. Donnie posted a message to him. He wasn’t sure if he would understand it, but he hoped for the best. It read “Dear Misha, I have been a fan for over five years. Me and my wife are wondering if you are ever going to be in a Kung-Fu flick. He signed it, Sincerely Number 26. Donnie had hoped he would understand, and would remember that 26 was his jersey number on the basketball team.

While he was at it, he went over to check on CeeCee. He checked her label’s information on her, and her itinerary indicated that she would be in Miami in four weeks. She was promoting a band named Solia Tera. It took Donnie a few minutes to remember. That was the same band that played at their prom, Abbie’s favorite Indy band. Good for them, they had been signed to a record deal and were now touring, and CeeCee was promoting them. He decided to send her a message. He wrote: Dear Mrs. Busby, I’d love to come to the show in Miami. I have been a big fan of the band since they played at our High School. Is there any way you could leave a pair of tickets for me? He signed it, Eleven year-old kiss. That was as cryptic a message he dared leave. He was not sure if she would read it, but knowing that they were doing fine, made him feel a bit more relaxed.

The last thing he had to do was check his finances. He had moved the bulk of his funds into a CD before they left for Canada. He had managed to lock it in at 12 percent for a four-year term. As expected, his money had been moved over into a money market account once the period of the CD was over. His money was now earning a measly 3 percent, but it had also grown to over 10 million. He sent an e-mail to his broker letting her know that he was still traveling abroad and to leave the money in the money market account. He was satisfied with the conditions of things and just needed to check on one final thing. Upon inspection of his checking account, he found that he still had over $100,000 in it. His debit card had long expired, so he ordered a new one and had it sent to the box he had just rented. When he was done, he got up and turned off the computer after deleting the history. Donnie and Nox hailed another cab and it took them back near the evening’s resting place. When they exited the cab, they found Espee waiting for them.

“What were you thinking?” Espee asked. “You could have brought them right to us.”

“I needed to take care of things,” Donnie explained. “We were careful.” Espee was furious but she did not raise her voice to Donnie until they were back in the sewers and alone.

“Maricon, if you are going to live with us, you need to follow our rules!” Espee yelled.

“You call this living?” he replied. “We are hiding in the sewers, warehouses, and condemned buildings, no better than cockroaches!”

“So you think we should walk about in the open?” Espee asked. “It won’t work. I was completely against Tranquility and look what happened.”

“Yeah, look what happened! For the first time, the formal Bloodlines were sent packing with their tails in between their legs!” he yelled back.

“You think that’s going to happen here?” Espee asked. “Because it won’t!”

“No, all I know is that no matter how much we hide, the Bloodlines always discover us,” Donnie replied. “It happens over and over again!”

“So what am I supposed to do?” Espee said as she sat down on a milk crate. “No matter how hard I try, I cannot keep them safe. Moving around is the only way.” Donnie watched as her fire and spirit simply drained from her.

“Why are we the ones always on the run?” he asked as he sat next to her. “All we’re doing is waiting and hoping we don’t get spotted, all the while, everyone goes hungry. Eventually, this is going to fail, somebody is going to be spotted, and then they’ll come for us.”

“Donnie, I’m so tired. I have been doing this for a very long time,” Espee confessed. “I have tried fighting them, moving around, hiding, and you are right, nothing works. I just don’t know what else to do anymore.”

“You scatter us to the four winds,” Donnie said. “If I learned anything from the battle in Tranquility is that the more of us we have the harder it is to kill us. Luther was right; they always come with large numbers and try to have to have superior force. They were unable to do that in Tranquility.”

“Yeah, but having everyone in one place,” Espee said. “It’s just inviting an attack.”

“All of the Foundlings in Tranquility stood and fought, no one ran,” he said. “Do you know why?” Espee looked over at Donnie and shrugged.

“Tell me,” she said.

“It was our home,” Donnie said. “It was greater than just a den. We had lives there, and yes, they took it from us, but we made them pay. Now imagine if we had five hundred or even a thousand Foundlings.”

“Donnie, there aren’t that many Foundlings alive,” Espee said. “The last count after the attack has our numbers at just over four hundred.”

“Worldwide?” Donnie asked.

“No, just here in North America.”

“Want to bet that worldwide there are over a thousand of us?”

“It’s just not possible. How do we organize?”

“That I don’t know, but it’s a new plan,” Donnie said. “It’s something different.”

“It might work, but I have my doubts.”

“It beats just sitting around waiting for them to come get us,” he said. “If we could carve out a niche for ourselves, I think we’d be safer.”

“You have never encountered a Source,” Espee said and continued, “I have. She was terrible and unstoppable. I ordered Tranquility moved because I fully expected a Source to walk into the town and simply kill everyone.” Her eyes glassed over for a moment as if she were reliving some horrible memory.

“They can’t be that powerful, can they?” Donnie could see Espee’s face and knew right away.

“I have seen them in action, and yes, they are. Our numbers would mean nothing against them.” Espee closed her eyes and grimaced again as if remembering something terrible.

“I can’t imagine one single being able to kill three hundred vampires all alone,” he said.

“Why not? Didn’t you just do the very same in Tranquility,” Espee reminded.

“I’m not a Source, am I?” he asked in shock.

“No, Sources rise on their own after being killed, and you were drained to death by Abbie,” she replied. “You are very strong, but the power of a Source is far beyond yours. Their power is supreme. So much so, that they don’t fight one another. The damage they would cause would be catastrophic. At least not since . . .”

“Since when?” he asked, but he could tell she wasn’t going to tell him.

“Not something you need to worry about.”

“Hmm, OK, so what do you want us to do?”

“Just follow the rules for now,” she answered. “I have to think about what we just discussed. I need to process it and see if it might be possible.”

“OK, just don’t expect me to stay cooped up any longer,” Donnie said. “I need to get out.”

“Fine, just take Abbie with you. Her senses are very sharp,” she replied. “And stay hidden.”

“Deal,” Donnie agreed.

“OK, I need to head inside. We have a new Foundling with us,” Espee said and left, heading into the den. They had discovered a new Foundling; he had come all the way from Savanna. Donnie heard that his name was Benny and that he had only arrived a few nights ago. He would now be trained to hunt and survive. Donnie lay down for the night on a cheap blanket and went deep into thought. Espee had a good point, not everyone here had the training that he and Abbie shared. In many ways, they were better trained and more powerful than most of the Foundlings there. No one was trained to fight, just to hide. After seeing the Reich in battle, he understood why. Donnie suspected that Espee had some sort of ability to find hidden places, but he was hesitant to ask her. She just had a knack for knowing the right place was to bed down for the night. Abbie arrived a few hours before dawn; she had not had any luck finding a meal that night. “Hey, baby, I struck out. What did you do tonight?” Abbie asked as she lay down next to him.

“I escaped,” Donnie said.

“Say what?” she asked.

“I went outside and ran some errands,” Donnie replied.

“Donnie! You know how dangerous that is,” Abbie said. “Why would you do that?”

“I was careful. I didn’t sense any other vampires around,” he said.

“I know that ever since you woke up, you have been able to detect vampires at a distance, but are you sure no one saw you?” His new ability had suddenly just clicked on after his six month slumber. He could, when he concentrated, cover a vast area and sense any vampire near or far.

“It was weird babe. There were absolutely no other vampires around,” Donnie said. “None for miles, except for me and Nox.”

“That is strange,” Abbie said. “So what did you do on the jailbreak?”

“I sent Misha and CeeCee a message,” he replied smiling.

“Really, how did you do it?” Abbie asked excitedly.

“I sent some coded messages. I’m not even sure they will understand them or even be looking for them after five years. If they get them and understand, we might be able to meet up with CeeCee in four weeks at a show.”

“Really, but won’t that be dangerous?”

“Yes, but if I get any vibes, we won’t show, only if it’s clear.”

“I guess we can try it,” Abbie said and then looked away for a moment. Donnie could tell that something was bothering her.

“What’s wrong Honey?” Donnie asked as he turned her face toward him.

“I don’t like it here,” Abbie confessed.

“Yeah, I want to go to Alaska too,” Donnie admitted.

“But Espee won’t let us go,” Abbie said. “She won’t even tell us where the new Tranquility is.”

“It’s not her choice,” he said. “We can come and go as we please; that’s what she tells the others.”

“Donnie, I need to tell you something,” Abbie looked unsure.

“Yeah,” Donnie could feel something bad was coming.

“They forced us to come here,” Abbie confessed. “I know I told you that it was my choice but that was not true.”

“What are you saying?” Donnie didn’t like the use of the word forced and much less when it involved his wife.

“Espee ordered Nox to bring you to her, and I was given the choice to come or go with the others,” Abbie continued. “I refused to leave your side, so I came here. I think she has a plan for you, and I know there is something that she isn’t telling us. I’m sure of it.”

“I’m not getting that from her,” Donnie said.

“Every time they start to talk about you, she and Nox switch to another language that I can’t understand.”

“Well, that’s strange, are you sure they’re talking about me?” Donnie asked.

“No, it’s just a hunch,” she replied.

“Let’s give it another month, if things don’t improve, we’ll take off toward Alaska,” Donnie said.

“How, do we have enough money? Is it safe?” Abbie asked. “How will we find them?”

“Yes, we have more than enough money,” Donnie said, chuckling. “We’ll get a van, get a few pigs, and drive across the country. We don’t stop in any town.”

“How do we find them?”

“We ask Espee to tell us, and if she refuses, we go anyway,” Donnie said. “I doubt she will let us risk the trip without helping us. I really believe that she cares about all of us.”

“It sounds like a good plan,” Abbie said. “Let’s get some rest.”

“I’ll help you hunt tomorrow,” Donnie said. “We’re to go out together from now on.”

“Finally, I didn’t understand why she insisted on keeping us apart on the outside,” Abbie said as she rested her head on Donnie’s chest.

“Me either, she’s extremely cautious,” Donnie said. “I think the pressure might be getting to her. She looked exhausted, and she said that she had been doing this for a very long time.”

“How old do you think she is?” Abbie asked. “I mean really?”

“Who knows, but I once heard that she set up a den back in 1803,” Donnie said. “That would make her over two hundred years old.” Donnie and Abbie went to sleep. He would have a talk with Espee tomorrow and demand some answers. What did she really want with him?

CHAPTER 34

The Patron

THE NEXT NIGHT Donnie and Abbie went out hunting along with two other members of Los Nomados. Espee required that when hunting, they went out in groups for safety. After about an hour, they ran across a pair of skinheads in a dark alley. They were beating up a small Haitian boy. Donnie walked into the alley and confronted the pair, and within a few moments, they were both unconscious. The boy came up to Donnie and thanked him before running away. Abbie and the others descended on the pair and drank blood from them. Once again Donnie could not detect any other vampires in the nearby area.

“Donnie, aren’t you going to drink?” Lily asked.

“No. I’m good,” Donnie replied as he continued to keep an eye out.

“I’ve never seen you drink,” Lily said. Donnie looked at her and bared his fangs to her.

“If you would like to go hungry tonight, keep talking,” Donnie warned. Lily shook her head quickly and went back to drinking. Lily had been with the group for almost a year; she had curly red hair and was from Virginia, and unfortunately she and Abbie had gotten extremely close during the six months he had been asleep. Abbie shot him a look and shook her head in disappointment. Donnie let out a sigh; he thought Lily was extremely annoying, but Abbie loved her like a sister. All Lily did was ask questions and not even intelligent ones. She reminded Donnie and Abbie a lot of Rebecca, a little chatterbox, with no common sense. Abbie had taken a liking to her right away, and Donnie just had to accept it and put up with her. Once everyone had drunk their fill, Donnie propped up the men against a wall, and they all returned to the den. That night, they were staying in an old mobile building. Apparently, it had been used as an outdoor classroom as there were chalkboards, several desks, and chairs inside. It was a tight space, and everyone would have to sleep elbow to elbow, but Espee was confident it was safe. Donnie pulled Espee aside and they went outside. “We need to talk.”

“Very well, what’s up?” she asked.

“Me and Abbie will be leaving soon,” Donnie informed. He expected an argument, but instead Espee remained calm.

“When do you plan to go?”

“In about a month,” he replied.

“You can’t go,” she replied. “At least not yet.”

“We want to go back to Tranquility,” Donnie said. “I hope you’ll tell us where it is now.”

“Donnie, I need you here with me,” she said.

“Abbie was right. You do have some sort of hidden agenda.” Donnie crossed his arms and stared at her. “Why did you force me and Abbie to come down here? I want the truth Espee.”

“It’s not as nefarious as you’re making it sound,” Espee replied.

“Then just come out and say it,” he demanded. Espee took a deep breath and looked at Donnie warmly.

“I want you to take over for me here in Miami as the den leader,” Espee replied, and Donnie was left speechless. “I’ve been here long enough. I need to move to a new location and start a new den.”

“What? You want me to take over as leader?” Donnie asked. “What about Nox? He’s the logical choice.”

“I’m taking Nox with me,” she replied. “You have shown to be a very powerful Foundling. I think you can handle things here.” Donnie was surprised by the statement.

“I’m honored, really, but I’m not an elder, and I’m certainly not wise.”

“That is exactly why you should take over.” Espee smiled at Donnie and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Our leadership needs new blood, new ways of thinking. You said so yourself, this way of life is not working.”

“I don’t know, Espee,” Donnie said. “Maybe someplace else, but here in the lion’s den. The Reich is still looking for Abbie. I just don’t feel safe here, and I fear for Abbie every night.”

“Let’s make a deal,” she said. “I’ll show you everything I know about this area, and after a month, if you feel the same way, I’ll tell you where Tranquility moved to.” Donnie considered the offer carefully. He really had nothing to lose, and learning one-on-one from Espee could have its advantages.

“I need to discuss it with Abbie,” Donnie said. “She has a say in this too.”

“I would expect that you both would take care of the den together,” Espee said smiling. “She’s probably listening to us anyway.”

“We still need to talk it over,” he said. Espee nodded and turned around and went back into the classroom. Abbie crossed paths with her as she went out to meet with Donnie.

“Did you hear?” Donnie said.

“Yeah,” Abbie said with a pensive look on her face. “What do you want to do?”

“Hell if I know,” he said. “All I have ever wanted was to keep you safe and happy.”

“Well, let’s take her up on the offer,” Abbie said. “We can always leave in a month anyway, if we don’t like it.”

“I just don’t feel that you will be safe here.”

“It’s the last place they would look for me, I think,” she said. “Plus, if we take over the den, we can always move it. And your ability to sense vampires will keep us safe.” Donnie pressed his lips together and started thinking.

“OK, let’s learn from her, and in one month, we’ll make our final decision,” Donnie wasn’t sure, but maybe after learning from Espee, he might feel different.

“OK. Sounds like a plan,” she said. Over the next four weeks, Espee kept her word and began teaching them everything that she knew about the city. Donnie and Abbie were surprised to find out that Espee had over three hundred safe houses scattered across the city. There were sewers, cargo containers, empty warehouses, lofts, and boats. She kept all of that information in a ledger that was always on her person. That is what Espee did at night; she scouted for new locations to stay and placed them into the ledger and into the rotation. She also had an elaborate pattern on how they migrated. To the casual observer, the path would seem random, but Donnie could see the pattern clear as day. He started feeling more confident about the safety of the city, and he involuntarily started thinking up ways he could improve the safe houses. Abbie also started getting excited about the prospect of being able to train new Foundlings. She had started teaching Benny fighting techniques and found many of the other Foundlings watching and taking mental notes. Nox was happy to see that her skills were up to par with his. At Espee’s request, he followed her lead and began helping her teach more aggressive combat maneuvers.

The deadline for their final decision was almost upon them. Donnie and Abbie would have to make their choice in a few nights. Espee had brought them to an abandoned barge to rest for the evening. It appeared to have once served as a restaurant. There were many tables and a kitchen on the top deck. It was still moored at the same site where it once proudly served the community in its heyday at the end of a long pier. It was very secluded now and offered ample security. On the interior, it was big; Donnie and Abbie could have some privacy when they returned to sleep for the day, which was always good. Donnie and Abbie headed out for their evening alone. Lily had wanted to come with them, but Donnie told her that he wanted to spend some alone time with Abbie, and chased her away by throwing a rock at her.

“Donnie, I wish you were nicer to her,” Abbie scolded. “She thinks you hate her.”

“I do hate her,” Donnie said, hiding his smile from her. “I think I will chew on her one of these days.” Abbie punched Donnie in the arm in response to his comment.

“You will not, she is not that bad!” she said angrily. Donnie burst into laughter and wrapped his arms around her.

“I bet my IQ would drop if I drank from her anyway.” Donnie couldn’t stop laughing. Abbie tried to resist but then also laughed.

“You are terrible,” she said still laughing. They reached the venue where they hoped to meet up with CeeCee. They were still not sure if they would be let in or not. The venue was a large building that looked like an old ice factory converted into a theater of sorts; it was called The Patron. Donnie did a quick scan for vampires and got a few hits, but they were quite far off.

“It looks good,” Donnie said and walked up to the box office.

“I’m sorry, sir, but the show is sold out for tonight,” the ticket girl said.

“Can you check if there is a pair of tickets left for us?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said cheerfully. “What is the name?” Donnie was at a loss and went for the obvious.

“Donnie Guerrero?” he asked. She looked down on a clipboard and shook her head.

“Sorry, nothing under that name,” she replied.

“How about eleven-year-old kiss or number 26?” he asked. She looked again and came back with the same response. Abbie took a step up to the window.

“Donnie, you need to think like CeeCee,” she said and turned to the girl in the window. Abbie was sure that there was a pair on hold for someone, otherwise she wouldn’t be looking. “How about Mr. Dodo?” The girl looked and smiled.

“Why yes, here you go,” the girl said and handed them two VIP backstage passes. “I’m supposed to get one of the roadies to lead you to the back.” Donnie and Abbie entered the Patron and were met by a man wearing a Solia Tera shirt.

“Oh, Donnie, Solia Tera, this brings back memories,” Abbie said smiling. Donnie nodded as their escort led them to the back. The band went out onto stage and began their set. He opened the door to the band’s dressing room, and Donnie and Abbie were ushered in, CeeCee was inside. She looked up and began to cry as she got up and ran into Donnie’s arms. She looked at Abbie and grabbed her too and hugged them both as she cried uncontrollably. Donnie lost it and began spewing tears as well.

“I missed you so much,” Cecilia said. “You two look just the same.”

“I made you a promise. I came to keep it,” Donnie replied. CeeCee ushered them onto a sofa.

“I have tons of questions, but I know I shouldn’t ask too many,” Cecelia said.

“No, go ahead,” Abbie assured. “It’s been a long time.” A woman walked in carrying a small infant into the room.

“CeeCee,” the woman said. “Donna is getting very fussy. I think it’s the vibrations from the . . . Abbie?” Cecelia, Donnie, and Abbie watched as Kelly walked in the VIP lounge and just froze in place.

“Crap, I forgot about her,” Cecelia said.

“Abbie, is that you? You’re alive?” Kelly asked as she took a few steps into the room.

“Yeah, but I can explain,” Abbie said.

“Holy shit,” Kelly said. “What the hell!” Cecelia got up and took the baby from her.

“You better sit down,” Cecelia advised and continued, “and get a strong drink.” Kelly sat down next to Abbie and hugged her tightly. Donnie patted her on her back and moved a bit over as Cecelia sat back down. The baby was screaming now.

“Sorry, Donnie, I forgot about Kelly,” Cecelia said.

“No worries, it’s all good, but why is she here?” Donnie asked.

“She manages the band playing tonight,” Cecelia said as she continued trying to calm the baby. Abbie and Kelly held hands as Abbie started to explain what had happened.

“I knew it!” Kelly said enthusiastically. “I knew you were alive. When those thugs questioned me and Trevor, I knew, but I was expecting witness protection not vampires. Come on, Abbs, tell me the truth.” Abbie opened her mouth and sprung out her fangs. Kelly let out a quick yelp and fainted dead away. Donnie couldn’t help laughing.

“Glad you think it’s funny,” Abbie said. “She’s going to be very freaked out when she wakes up.”

“She’ll be just fine,” Cecelia said. “She’s tough as nails.” The baby continued to cry. Donnie looked at CeeCee with eyes wide.

“Can I hold her?” Donnie asked.

“Sure,” Cecelia said and handed the baby over to Donnie. “Make sure you put your hand under her head.”

“Got it,” he said as he looked into little Donna’s eyes. She stopped crying instantly, she stared back, smiled, and giggled.

“Why would you bring a baby to concert?” Abbie asked as she tried to revive Kelly. Cecelia turned to Abbie.

“She was born deaf, so the noise doesn’t bother her,” she explained.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Abbie said. “Can the doctors do anything for her?”

“No, she will be deaf her entire life, but there are some promising implants we are looking into,” Cecelia replied.

“A goo goo, a coochiekoo.” Donnie made faces at the baby. Abbie watched Donnie as he played with the baby and felt a deep sadness; she forced a smile, but she could clearly see Donnie would have made a great father. It was something she knew she would never be able to give him.

“She looks like Misha,” Abbie said.

“Our son looks a lot like his father too,” she replied as Donnie continued playing with the baby and making faces.

“Is he here?” Abbie asked.

“No, he’s in LA with his father,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if you would show, but I am supposed to call him if you did.” Kelly began to stir. The baby was laughing hysterically now. Kelly looked over to the baby and saw Donnie holding it and promptly fainted again. Donnie was forcing out his fangs and pulling them back in, and the baby found it extremely amusing.

“Oh, that is just not right,” Cecelia said, looking at Donnie. “Let me call Misha.”

“We shouldn’t stay too long,” Abbie said. “It’s not really safe. I’m still being hunted.” Cecelia got a concerned look on her face.

“There are no other vampires nearby. If some come close, we will have to jet,” Donnie said and started blowing on the baby, which made her laugh even more. Cecelia took the baby from Donnie and handed him the phone. Misha was on the other line, and they began speaking. Abbie watched as he leaned back and began speaking to his friend as if no time had passed, they picked up right where they left off. Kelly began to stir once again. She looked up to see Abbie staring at her once again. She regained her composure and sat up.

“OK, so say I believe you,” Kelly said. “Tell me everything.” Abbie began relaying the story from beginning to the end. At the end of it, Kelly and Cecelia were in tears. The three shared an embrace, and Donna started crying again.

“I’m not sure why she is so fussy tonight. She’s usually fast asleep by now,” Cecelia said. Donnie held the phone in between his head and shoulder and made a give-me motion, and Cecelia handed the baby back over. Once again she went quiet. “Would you look at that?” Donnie winked at the girls and rocked Donna to sleep as he continued to talk to Misha. The girls looked at Donnie and simply smiled. They continued talking and passing the phone around for the next few hours until the show ended. Once the performance ended, the band came back into the VIP lounge. They were followed by groupies and fans alike. The level of the noise in the room got so bad; they were forced to disconnect the call with Misha. Donnie looked at the clock on phone and then showed it to Abbie.

“Yeah, we should be going,” Abbie said.

“Leaving so soon?” Cecelia asked.

“Yeah, we need to head back,” Donnie said.

“Back where?” Kelly asked.

“Better you don’t know,” Abbie replied. “As soon as we can, we will contact you again.”

“Don’t let it be another five years, Dodo,” Cecelia said to Donnie.

“I’ll try,” Donnie promised. He got up and handed the sleeping baby back to her mother. They made their good-byes, and Donnie and Abbie made their exit and disappeared into the crowds out on the street.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kelly asked Cecelia.

“Would you have believed me?” she replied.

“No, I guess not,” Kelly admitted. One of the guests in the VIP lounge tripped and fell into one of the courtesy tables and knocked over a stack of ceramic plates. The plates broke on the floor, making an incredible racket. Cecelia watched as Donna was startled awake by the noise and began to cry. Until that point, no sound had ever made Donna jolt like she did.

“Oh my god,” Cecelia said barely above a whisper.

Donnie and Abbie arrived back at the barge a few hours before dawn. They took their time getting back, making sure no one was following them. When they arrived, they were welcomed back by Lily, who right away began asking questions as to where they went and what they did. Donnie looked at Abbie and shook his head.

“I don’t care. I’ll take that hit to my IQ,” Donnie said.

“Stop it, Donnie, be nice,” Abbie said. “Lily, what we did tonight was private.”

“Oh! OK, I get it, wink wink. Get your freak on oooh oooh,” Lily said as she raised her arms up and down. Abbie laughed, and even though Donnie found her antics funny, he maintained his stoic face toward her. Everyone began to settle in for the night. Espee did her normal rounds and counted heads. Everyone was home safe and sound, and she let out a sigh of relief. Everything seemed normal, no different than a hundred prior nights. Donnie lay down to sleep; he was feeling a bit worn. He had not had any blood in over two weeks, and Abbie skipped hunting that night. In hindsight, maybe Abbie should have drunk from CeeCee or even Kelly. She was passed out after all. They would need to get some blood the next night. He had just closed his eyes when the barge was rocked by explosions. A grenade landed at his feet as he and Abbie sat up. The world went white and an incredible ringing assailed his ears. For a moment, he was both blind and deaf. A boot struck him on his forehead which drove him back onto his back hard. By the time he had recovered, the barge was upside down and water was rushing in from all sides. It was sinking fast, and worst of all, Abbie was gone.

CHAPTER 35

The Chase Part II

LOS NOMADOS WORLD had been turned upside down, literally. The barge that they had been resting in for the evening had been unexpectedly rocked by explosions and then suddenly flipped over and sank. “What the fuck happened!” Nox yelled as he stumbled while trying to reach Espee. He was still disoriented and fell flat on his face. Espee was sitting up and trying to regain her wits as well. She had been in the blast radius of one of the flash grenades as well.

“Is everyone all right!?” she yelled. Donnie had recovered quicker than anyone else and started looking around. He instantly panicked.

“Abbie’s gone!” he yelled out.

“They took her!” Benny yelled out.

“What? Who did Benny?” Donnie ran over to him. “Who took her?”

“It was two people,” he replied. “I was far away, so I wasn’t hit by the flashes. It was a man and a woman, they were both blonde.” Espee came over to Benny.

“What else did you see, Benny?” she asked.

“I think they were wearing uniforms,” he replied.

An incredibly determined look came across Espee’s face; it was as if a switch had been hit. “Maldita sea!” she yelled. “Everyone up. I need to make a hole, so we can swim out! Nox, get everyone ready. On my mark, I break us loose!” Nox began getting everyone in a line, and when they were ready, Espee delivered a massive blow to the interior hull of the barge. The section Espee struck exploded outward and almost immediately water began filling the barge.

“Everyone hold on to each other and don’t let go!” Nox cried out as the water rushed in. Everyone held fast, and one by one, everyone made it out and back onto the shore.

“I’m going after them!” Donnie declared. “Nox, I need your help.”

“I’m with you, Donnie,” Nox replied. Espee looked at Nox and, against her better judgment, decided to go with them.

“Miguel, get everyone to old Alger Theater,” Espee said. “Nox, Donnie and I are going after them.” Miguel looked at Espee and nodded. Los Nomados were very frightened, but Espee didn’t have much of a choice; she couldn’t let Donnie and Nox go alone.

“It’s almost dawn,” Nox said as he picked up their scent and began the chase. They continued their pursuit and made it to the Grassi building and proceeded inside. Nox’s senses were as sharp as ever but his sniffing the air made Espee very nervous. She cursed to herself once she knew how many enemies they were now dealing with. Six members of the Reich was a far greater number than she had been hoping for. There was nothing that she could do now. If this was a trap, they had walked right into it.

Espee became slightly more agitated when the Reich commander seemed disinterested in the Foundlings in Miami as she doubted it was actually true. It wasn’t until the radio chirped that she discovered the commander had only been stalling. Donnie ran off in a flash, leaving her and Nox outnumbered. She was surprised as the Reich simply stepped aside. What was their plan, she thought to herself. “Let’s go, Nox,” Espee ordered and began chasing after Donnie, down the hall and up the stairs.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Nox said. Espee nodded in silent agreement. They raced up as fast as they could. A guard was posted halfway up the building, but he made no sign that he was intending to stop them, so they raced on.

“We need to regroup with Donnie,” Espee said. “If they separate us, we are easy pickings.” Espee could not fathom why they were just letting them go. Was it a trap, or did they know more about her than they were letting on?

“Boss, this is too easy,” Nox said.

“I know,” she replied. “Keep your guard up.” They reached the fifth floor in time to watch as a female Reich member trip Donnie and forced him to slam into a heavy-duty door. The door was made mainly of tempered steel; it was designed to withstand intense heat and contain a fire. Donnie had no chance against it and bounced off it like a rubber ball.

“Let’s take them!” Espee said. “Hija del la gran puta!” Espee delivered an expertly placed fist to Frieda’s face. Neither Frieda nor Hans saw them coming. She seemed to have appeared out of thin air. The force of her blow sent the German hurtling twelve feet down the corridor, and she would have traveled farther, but she bounced off the wall, leaving an almost perfect impression of her shape in the drywall. Nox ran up an instant later and delivered a jumping side kick to Hans. The blow was virtually ineffective, and the titan barely moved. The smaller Nox simply bounced off the mammoth. Hans looked at Nox and shook his head in disappointment.

“My orders do not include combat with you. Otherwise, I would love to finish this. She is on the roof. Now go,” Hans said as he turned and walked away to render aid to Frieda, who was even now still struggling to get up. Espee and Nox helped Donnie get up, and they hastily made their way to the roof. He was frantic at that point. As they reached the top, Donnie swung the door open! Espee was forced backward.

“Carajo, too much!” she yelled as she pulled back away from the punishing rays of the sun. The new day’s light had almost completely covered the roof of the Grassi building. Donnie looked out onto the roof, and there, at the far west end, was Abbie. She had been heavily chained to a brick wall. They could all now see that a Jewish cross had been painted on the wall behind her.

“Oh no,” Nox cried out, “those fucking Nazi pricks!” Espee looked at Donnie and knew exactly what he was going to do, and she knew it was also suicide.

“Donnie, don’t do it! It’s too late for her now!” Espee ordered as she grabbed him and held him back. “You can’t make it to her in time!” The sun was creeping across the roof and had almost reached Abbie. The only thing stopping her from being in direct sunlight was a shadow being cast by an industrial-sized air-conditioning unit, but soon enough, the sun would claw its way over the machinery and reach Abbie.

“I can’t just watch her die,” Donnie screamed as tears were now streaming down his face. “I have to try!” He began to move forward, effortlessly dragging Espee along.

“Ajudame, Nox!” she begged. “He is getting loose.” Before Nox could react, Donnie broke free of her grip and sprinted across the roof toward Abbie.

“Why didn’t you help me, pendejo?” she demanded!

“He was crying,” Nox said, stunned. “Crying real tears, but . . .” Espee looked out onto the roof and finished Nox’s sentence.

“Vampires can’t cry,” Espee finished. Although vampires could cry, having tears was an entirely different matter. After death, a vampire’s body stopped using several organs and bodily functions, and tear ducts were on the list. After a few months, any moisture was all but gone. Somehow Donnie was still able to cry. After all that time as a vampire, he could still shed tears.

In several short strides, Donnie reached Abbie. He placed his hand against her face and swept away her long blonde hair and looked into her eyes. Her sweet, deep blue eyes were now bloodshot, and her pale skin had begun to turn red and burn. Even though she was not being directly hit by the sun yet, the ambient light being reflected off the roof and other surfaces were beginning to harm her. Donnie inspected the chains that held Abbie in place. The bonds were very thick and bolted firmly into the wall. They had used four three-quarter-inch link chains to fasten her firmly in place. Her wrists were bound above her head by the first chain. Another chain was secured around her neck. A third restraint was securely fastened in place around her waist. Finally, the last chain was wrapped over her thighs. The amount and thickness of the chains seemed excessive to Donnie. Her small frame would never have been able to break free. Donnie was fueled with anger; it was bad enough that they strung her up like that, but to go to this extreme showed a degree of cruelty Donnie could not fathom. “We’re getting out of here, babe,” Donnie assured her as he grabbed a hold of the chain around her neck and began to pull with all his might.

“Baby, they got me good, huh?” she asked softly. She tried to sound embarrassed, but it did little to hide the fact that she was truly terrified, and Donnie knew it.

“Won’t . . . matter . . . in . . . a few,” he said as he wrestled against the chains. “Now, let me get these off you.”

“It’s all right, Donnie. I’m sure that they don’t know about you, so they won’t come after you too. That gives me peace of mind. I can live with that,” she said slightly tilting her head and smiling at Donnie. It was getting harder for her to talk as her lungs were beginning to burn from the inside. The first chain screamed and screeched as it fought to hold its shape, but inevitably . . . Snap! Donnie barbarically ripped the chain out of the wall.

“Fuck me! He broke one!” Nox cheered. “He’s gonna do it!”

“Come on, mijo,” Espee whispered, but she had a sinking feeling as to what the outcome was going to be. She knew Donnie had not fed in weeks, and she could see his strength fading. Exhausted by the effort he used to break the first chain, Donnie grabbed the second. He could feel the warmth of the sun’s rays on the back of his legs now, so the next chain he went for was the one around her legs. This time, he used his legs and whole body. His efforts were rewarded, and the chain simply yielded under the force of his grip.

“I’m so sorry, Donnie. I’m sorry, I didn’t put up a better fight. I’m sorry, I was weak,” Abbie said as her voice quivered.

“Are you kidding me, babe? I wouldn’t have made it this far without you,” he said. “You saved me, you protected me, and you were never weak. That’s why I fell for you, your courage and determination. It gave me strength and filled me with hope.” With another Herculean effort and a mighty pull, Donnie snapped the chains holding Abbie’s wrists. The third of four chains now lay broken at Donnie’s feet, but by this time, it was too late. Donnie could barely stand now.

“Donnie, please hold me . . . ” Abbie said sweetly, lowering her arms and wrapping them around Donnie. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper now. The sun was relentlessly draining her life. Donnie looked down into Abbie’s eyes. Her skin was completely burnt now, and small patches of charred skin now riddled her face and arms.

“Please go, Donnie, leave me,” she begged. “You can still save yourself.”

“No . . . ” Donnie replied as tears streamed down his face. With a big smile, he looked at Abbie and pressed his forehead to hers. “I will not. I promised you. It would be you and me, forever. And if forever ends today, I . . . can live with that.” Donnie pressed up against her and shielded her as best as he could from the sun with his own body. He was desperately trying to call in clouds, but the lack of blood over the last month had left him severely weakened, and he was too exhausted. It was impossible now.

“I’m so sorry. I put you through all this pain. I never wanted this for us,” she whispered. It was all she could muster now. The cracks in the charred spots on her body, more numerous now, were glowing incandescently from underneath. It reminded Donnie of a log on a fire. He tried not to show his distress, but Abbie knew what he was witnessing.

“It’s not your fault, this was never your fault,” he assured.

“I’m so sorry this happened to us,” she uttered with much more difficulty. The pain was almost more than she could bear.

“I’m not,” Donnie whispered back. “The time I spent with you was the happiest time of my life. I felt the most alive, when I was with you.”

“But you’re going to die too, if you stay here. I don’t want to be responsible for that twice,” she again whispered; it was barely audible now.

“Shhh . . . ” Donnie interrupted. “I would rather die a thousand times with you at my side than live an eternity without you.” She was completely ablaze now, and even though she was in horrendous pain, she managed to smile back. Her lips moved, but no sound came out, her lungs long turned to ash inside her. Donnie recognized the pattern of her lips and easily read them. He knew exactly what she had meant to say because she had told him hundreds of times. “I will always love you too,” Donnie whispered back. “I don’t know what comes next. I don’t know what will happen to us, but I’ll look for you on the other side. If you’re not there, I’ll wait for you.” Donnie pressed his lips to hers. The sun’s rays were now completely covering them both. Donnie was casting a shadow over her but it was not enough. Abbie gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. The air around them whooshed in as Abbie completely ignited. Donnie pressed the side of his head against hers and held her tightly. The fireball that followed was massive; Nox and Espee looked away in sorrow as the inferno completely erupted and engulfed Donnie and Abbie. All that could be heard now were Donnie’s screams. They emanated from the pillar of smoke and fire that surrounded the pair. His howls echoed down the stairwell and resonated deep into the building, it seemed to go on forever.

Death is a funny, strange thing. What people say about seeing your life pass before you as you die is completely true, at least, in Donnie’s case, it was. As the fire tortured him, he roared in anguish, not for him, but for Abbie who could no longer utter a sound. Both their bodies stiffened as the torrent of flames engulfed the lovers. He held on as tightly as he could to her, as the flames danced all around them. He could feel each part of Abbie’s body slowly crumble underneath his embrace, turning into ash and black sand. His knew his heart would truly be dead now, for it had only truly beaten for her. He was sure it wouldn’t be long now and could feel the intense heat in front of him and the sun’s rays on his back. Nox and Espee watched helplessly as Donnie and Abbie burned. They had been so distracted by the scene in front of them that they didn’t notice Hans and Frieda sneak up behind them. “Such a shame,” Frieda said. “You should join them, Espee.” Nox and Espee whirled around, but they were trapped. Hans grabbed Nox by the throat and picked him up, and Frieda kicked Espee in the chest. She was launched onto the roof. She began to burn in midair and was immediately weakened by the sun’s rays. She tried to get up, but all she could manage was to curl up in a ball and scream in excruciating pain.

“Remember me, little man?” Frieda asked Nox as Hans held him aloft.

“Yeah, I remember you,” Nox replied as he kicked and struggled against Hans’s grip in vain. “I remember how you ran like a little bitch. Too bad Captain Maxwell didn’t finish you off. How are the arms by the way?”

“Just fine,” Frieda said as she delivered a punch to Nox’s face. “It’s time for you die now.”

“Not yet,” Hans said. “He needs to tell us where the other dens are, but you may torture him until he gives up the others.”

“It will be my pleasure,” Frieda said. “This little man owes me a debt to be paid in blood.” She began to smile once again when she was struck. The blow sent her careening down the stairwell with incredible force. She slammed into the heavy door at the bottom of the stairwell, and it was ripped it off the hinges. The door had little effect in slowing Frieda’s velocity and continued to echo sounds outward as it bounced off countless surfaces inside the building. Hans was surprised to see Donnie standing before him, holding Espee. He was burned from head to toe and was still smoking. Donnie laid Espee down in the stairwell and looked at Hans. Donnie’s face and chest were healing right in front of their eyes.

“How about you deal with someone your own size?” Donnie said. “You Aryan piece of shit!” Hans looked at Donnie, smiled, and dropped Nox.

“I accept your challenge,” Hans said and took a few steps back down the stairs.

“Take care of her, Nox. I’ll be right back,” Donnie said and turned back to Hans. “Just tell me one thing, why Abbie?”

“Why Abbie you ask?” Hans replied. “Because she was a half Jew bitch and the Führer ordered her death.” Donnie nodded, bared his fangs, and leaped at Hans. Hans and Donnie locked hold of each other and wrestled down the stairwell, violently slamming one another into its cramped walls. They disappeared out of Nox’s view, but he continued to hear them battling one level below. Espee was in bad shape. The burns she received now, coupled with the earlier exposure, left her utterly incapacitated. Nox looked at her and softly whispered into her ear.

“Don’t you give up on me now, you old hag,” Nox said. Espee opened her eyes.

“Fuck you puto,” she replied weakly. Nox smiled as the cacophony of noise continued to come from downstairs. Donnie and Hans continued to wrestle. They each maintained a hold on each other with one hand as they rained blows with their free hands. The fight reminded Donnie of a hockey brawl. Hans was well into his die Mauer state now; his face and fists were as hard as stone and had turned chalk white.

“No Foundling has ever defeated me,” Hans boasted, “and today will be no different.”

“You killed my wife, my love. I’ll not rest until you’re nothing more than a pile of black sand!” Donnie yelled. Frieda ran up carrying the fire door and began slamming it over Donnie’s head and back.

“Stupid Foundling,” she cried out!

“Frieda! Do not interfere in our single combat!” Hans cried out.

“Screw your single combat fantasies,” she yelled back. “Espee is still alive. We need to finish this fast, before she gets a chance to recover!” Donnie backhanded Frieda, and she flew down the hall, crashing once again into the drywall. He then continued exchanging blows with Hans. Hans tried to throw Donnie, but he found that his opponent possessed a vice like grip. Frieda let out some curses as she got up, picked up the door again, and resumed her attack on Donnie. Donnie spotted her out of the corner of his eye, and an instant before, she brought the metal door on him again; he lashed out with a counterattack. He violently shoved Hans back, whirled around, and punched a hole through the door, striking Frieda squarely in the face. The blow launched her violently backward. Donnie felt the bones in her face shatter under his fist.

“Frieda, quit interfering, and go deal with Espee,” Hans ordered as he and Donnie locked up again. Frieda was furious and was not going to let her beatings go unpunished. Having been twice driven into a wall and now blood streamed out her nose and mouth, she was not about to stop now. She picked up the door and charged at Donnie again.

“Frieda!” Hans yelled. Donnie took advantage of the distraction and picked up the vastly larger Hans over his head and slammed him viciously onto the floor. Hans crashed through the floor and did not stop traveling until he had reached the second floor. Frieda continued undeterred and began to hammer Donnie with the door once again. Donnie snatched the door away from her and ripped it in half as if were a piece of paper.

“Impossible . . . ” Frieda said as she stood still in disbelief.

“You killed Abbie! You killed my friends! I’m going to make you suffer, you hate mongering whore!” Donnie yelled and bared his fangs at her. Frieda delivered a quick front kick; it forced Donnie to take a few steps back. He looked up and growled and was foaming at the mouth. Frieda took one wide-eyed look, turned, and began running down the stairs. She looked back at Donnie and saw he was giving chase. He looked crazed; in fact, he seemed more like a beast than a man now. Frieda reached the guard that was stationed in the stairwell.

“Protect me!” she ordered.

“Yes, sir,” the guard said and then burst into screams from behind her. Frieda looked back to see Donnie latched onto the guard’s neck. He had been much closer than she had realized, if it had not been for the guard, it would have been her in his clutches. Frieda watched in horror as the guard struggled helplessly. Donnie was making more growling noises and kept trying to dig his fangs deeper in the guard’s throat. He slammed the guard against the wall and floor as he drained him of every drop of blood. The guard managed to fire off a few shots from his rifle, just before he turned into black sand.

“What are you?” Frieda shrieked in terror and continued running down the stairs. Donnie looked up from his hands and knees; blood was dripping from his mouth and acted more like an animal than a person. He licked the blood around his mouth and then sprung forward, chasing Frieda on all fours. Frieda was panicked when she ran into Hans on the third floor. He grabbed her and tried to calm her.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Hans said as he shook her.

“No! Let me go! We need to run Hans,” Frieda screamed.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s him! He’s chasing me, and he killed Fritz,” Frieda screamed. Hans let her go as he noticed Donnie perched on the stairwell handrail, just watching them. She looked back, screamed when she spotted him. She broke free of Hans and continued running.

“Now we get to finish our contest,” Hans said. Donnie replied with a low guttural growl and charged him. Hans struck Donnie as he reached him and drove him to the ground; he followed it up with a bone-crushing kick to the back of his neck. The snap was clearly audible to Hans. “Now little Foundling, time to finish this.” Hans reached down to grab Donnie’s head. Frieda reached the bottom floor and ran to the commander.

“Commander von Bock! Commander von Bock!” Frieda called out in a panic.

“What is it, Frieda?” Fedor asked.

“We need to run!” she reported.

“Did the trap fail?” he asked.

“No, it worked perfectly, sir, but.”

“But what then, what happened?”

“There is something wrong,” Frieda said. “One among them is far stronger than we had been informed.”

“You mean, he is possibly older than Espee?”

“No, maybe, I don’t know,” Frieda said. “He consumed blood from Fritz until he was destroyed.”

“Nonsense,” Fedor said. “It must be a trick. We are not going to retreat under any circumstances. The Führer gave us this assignment, and I mean to see it through.”

There was a snap and Donnie’s neck suddenly healed. He sprung to his feet and tried to bite Han’s neck. Hans was caught off guard by the immense speed of Donnie’s attack. Hans pawed at Donnie and tried to pull him off. He latched onto Hans and started to bite his neck. The first few bites did nothing but break Donnie’s teeth on Han’s stone hard neck, but he kept at it. Every time a tooth broke another one grew in its place immediately.

“What are you doing?” Hans asked a bit disheveled. He managed to pull Donnie off him and threw him against a wall. Donnie got up and again growled at Hans. They locked eyes and Hans could see that there was nothing behind his eyes except hatred, and for the first time since he had become a vampire, Hans felt true fear. Donnie charged Hans with all his might. He brought down a haymaker onto Donnie’s back, but it did little to stop Donnie’s momentum. Donnie drove him back against the wall, and it too failed miserably to stop Donnie’s forward movement. They crashed through the third floor wall and fell out onto the parking lot in front of the building. Fedor, Frieda, and the two soldiers heard the bodies fall onto the ground right outside, along with several heavy cement blocks that were dislodged by the two men crashing though the wall.

“Are they outside?” Frieda asked in disbelief, “in the sun?”

“Apparently, that is how a true soldier fights for the German Fatherland,” Fedor said proudly, “no fear.” Hans suddenly burst into the building.

“Everyone run!” he yelled. He was beginning to burn from the sunlight outside. Donnie grabbed him and dragged him back outside and out of site of the others, “we must fleeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Fedor listened as skin, bone, and tendons were ripped apart. “Help me!” Hans screamed repeatedly as blood sprayed onto the open doors and internal organs bounced into the building just before they turned into black sand. The blood and chilling cries for help were unnerving the Reich. Fedor could not see what was attacking him, but he was sure that Hans, one of the strongest members of the Reich, was being disemboweled just a few feet outside the door.

“To the tunnels,” Fedor ordered as he turned around and suddenly realized someone was missing. “Where is Frieda?” Everyone looked around for her but she was gone.

“Luther said you were a punk,” Donnie said as he entered the building and looked around. Donnie’s appearance was grisly. He was covered head to toe in blood. It was caked in his hair and smeared all over his face. “So who dies next?” Commander von Bock looked at his men and backed up behind them.

“Attack him!” he ordered as he turned and ran. He could hear the ghastly screams of his men, as they met whatever gruesome death Donnie dished out to them. He ran into the basement and watched as the large metal door that guarded their escape route closed before him. “Wait!” he ordered, but reached the door a few moments too late. He heard it latch from the other side, “open this door immediately!”

“Sorry commander,” Frieda said from the other side of the door “I need a distraction; you and the door should give me enough time to make my escape.” Fedor heard the second latch and then her departing footsteps. He turned around and found he was face-to-face with Donnie, no more than a few inches. He tried to back up but only slammed into the door.

“This is how it is going to go down,” Donnie said, “I can kill you quick and painless, or I can drag it out. Either way you are going to answer my questions.” Fedor looked at Donnie and braced himself.

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“How did you find us this time?”

“It won’t matter now, by the time you make it back to your den, our spy will be gone.”

“Where can I find the rest of you degenerate scum?”

“Go to hell,” Fedor replied bravely. “I will tell you nothing more.” But Fedor did talk, Donnie made good on his threat and two hours later he walked back upstairs. He found Nox tending to Espee. He had carried her down from the roof down to the fifth floor. Nox’s eyes went wide when he saw Donnie’s appearance. He looked like a scene from a horror movie. He was carrying a few odd items as he walked up the stairs, a small vase, a broom and a dustpan. Nox dismissed it and began speaking.

“She’s in bad shape, Donnie,” Nox said. “We need to get her blood.”

“I’m full up,” Donnie said and knelt down next beside her. “She can have some of mine.” Nox looked at him unsure.

“But,” Nox said.

“It will work.” Donnie placed his wrist over her mouth. He cut his wrist on her fangs and allowed a few drops to fall into her mouth. She latched on and began to drink.

“It’s working!” Nox exclaimed and continued, “but how?” Donnie pulled his wrist away after Espee drunk her fill and began walking up to the roof without answering him. “She’s starting to heal.” Nox was very relieved.

“Good,” he replied as he got up and started walking up to the roof.

“Donnie, where are you going?” Nox asked. “The sun is still up.”

“I know,” Donnie replied somberly. “I need to get her.”

“Donnie, you will burn up,” Nox warned.

“No, I won’t,” Donnie said as he walked up the stairwell. Nox watched as Donnie walked up and onto the roof.

“Stop him,” Espee said weakly. “He’s going to kill himself.” Nox followed Donnie up the stairs and up to the edge of the roof door. He watched as Donnie walked over to the wall where Abbie had died. He dropped to his knees. Nox could tell that Donnie was sobbing uncontrollably. He also noticed that he was not suffering from the effects of the sun.

CHAPTER 36

Lost Hope

ESPEE LUMBERED UP the stairs after Nox and Donnie. She was surprised to find Donnie on the roof unharmed. “How?” she asked.

“Don’t know,” Nox replied. “But he’s not burning. He’s been out there for twenty minutes.” Espee and Nox watched as Donnie carefully separated ash from sand and collected Abbie’s remains. He picked up every last grain of sand and found the diamond from Abbie’s ring; the gold had been melted and cooled against the tar on the roof. Donnie just stared at it as it sparkled in the sunlight. He dug the diamond out of the roof and put it in his pocket. He used the dustpan to carefully collect the sand and poured it into the vase.

“Donnie?” Espee called out, but Donnie didn’t answer back. Once he had collected all the sand, he stood up and looked at the wall before him. The blue Star of David that had been painted on its surface was burnt and marred, and one chain remained attached. Donnie grabbed each end of the chain where it was fastened in to the wall. He kicked the wall with all of his force and yanked the chain out in one single motion. The wall crumbled under the force of the kick, and he was left holding the intact chain. Donnie turned around, slung the chain over his shoulder, grabbed the vase, and walked back into the Grassi building.

“I’m so sorry Donnie,” Espee said and hugged him as he reached her.

“Me too Donnie,” Nox said and patted him on his shoulder. They all descended to the fifth floor. Donnie was understandably quiet.

“Donnie, what happened to the other Reich?” Espee asked.

“All dead, except for that woman,” Donnie replied. “She got away.”

“She got away again,” Nox said.

“Again, what do you mean by again?” Donnie asked.

“She was at Tranquility Donnie,” Nox replied as they continued walking down to the bottom floor.

“Are you sure Nox?” Espee asked.

“Yea, she kicked my ass,” Nox replied. “She was trying to capture Claude, but Maxwell stopped her.”

“He did, how?” Donnie asked.

“Maxwell has a sword,” Espee answered. “It’s a holy weapon.”

“What makes it a holy weapon?” Donnie asked. Espee looked at him and smiled.

“He claims that it once belonged to Pope Julius II,” she replied. “What I know for sure, it’s deadly to all vampires.”

“Yeah, he cut her to ribbons, even after she was transformed and all stone-like,” Nox said.

“So what do we do now?” Donnie asked.

“We wait until nightfall and return to the den,” Espee said. “We need to move and I need to figure out how they outsmarted us.”

“I know,” Donnie said.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“They planted a spy in our midst.”

“Who’s the spy Donnie?” Espee had that determined look once again.

“Doesn’t matter,” Donnie replied. “The Reich said the spy would be gone by the time we got back.”

“Had to be Benny,” Nox declared.

“We need to get to the den as soon as possible then,” Espee said.

“There is an access to the sewers in the basement. We can make our way back underground,” Donnie advised.

“Yes!” Espee said. “The longer we’re away, the more danger the others will be in.” When they reached the basement, the heavy metal door had been ripped off its hinges. Espee and Nox didn’t say a word, but they knew Donnie was responsible the door’s current condition. Espee was able to navigate the sewer system without any problems; she was very familiar with its layout. They arrived at the old theater within an hour. Espee, Nox, and Donnie walked into the den and found that everyone was still there. Los Nomados began converging on the trio. Many had relieved looks on their faces, while others noticed that Abbie had not returned with them. Donnie looked around and then carefully placed the vase and chain down.

“Donnie what are you doing?” Espee asked. “We need to question Benny.”

“You can ask him all the questions you like,” he replied. “But I’m going to torture and kill Lily.”

“Lily?” Espee was surprised by his words.

“I’m here, Jefa,” Lily replied as she made her way to the front of the crowd. Donnie lunged forward and grabbed her by her neck and carried her back, slamming her into the walls and floor repeatedly.

“Donnie no,” Espee yelled!

“I will kill anyone who interferes! I swear it!” he yelled back as Lily struggled against his grip. Espee realized that Donnie truly meant it.

“Everyone, stay back,” Espee ordered! Los Nomados looked on in fear and uncertainty as Donnie continued slamming Lily against surfaces.

“Why?” he screamed at Lily. “Why!?” He battered her around and broke several of her bones in the process. Donnie was thrashing her about like a dog with a chew toy. “Why! Damn it!”

“They forced me!” Lily finally replied as she tried to break Donnie’s grip. “I didn’t have a choice!”

“She was your friend! She watched out for you!” Donnie pinned her to the floor and punched her. “She cared about you!”

“I’m sorry!” Lily said after spitting out a few teeth. “They told me that they only wanted Espee!”

“They burned her,” Donnie said coldly. “They tied her to a wall and let the sun torment and kill her.” Lily began to sob at the revelation.

“I didn’t know. I swear!” Lily said. “I would’ve rather died than hurt Abbie.”

“How could you not know?” Donnie asked. “Are you even a Foundling?”

“I didn’t know they would hurt her. I swear,” Lily replied. “They caught me a few weeks ago, and they gave me a choice. Either I help them or they would have killed my brothers. I was so afraid of them! I’m sorry, Donnie! Oh god! What have I done, please forgive me!” Donnie knew in his heart that Lily was telling the truth. It was much the same choice the Reich had given Abbie.

“I should kill you,” Donnie said. “I should tear you into tiny pieces and toss them into the sun.”

“Go ahead!” Lily yelled back. “I deserve it! I betrayed everyone. I should die!”

“If I did,” Donnie said as he got up, “then I’d be no better than the bastards that did this.” Donnie remembered something Father Benitez told him the last time they spoke. “And forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” Donnie had been so angry at Abbie for her apparent suicide that all Father Benitez could advise him was to forgive her. “New beginnings come from forgiveness.”

“What?” Lily asked.

“I forgive you,” Donnie said as he turned around. He walked over to the vase and picked it up. He walked over to a mattress near the back of the theater and laid down on it. Everyone watched silently as he just lay down. Espee walked up to Lily and shook her head. Lily looked up and made a halfhearted smile at her.

“Can you forgive me too?” Lily asked her. Espee looked down at her and kicked her in the head, snapping her head back and rendering her momentarily stunned.

“I’m afraid that I’m not as kind or forgiving as Donnie,” Espee said. “You will tell me everything, and then I will decide what to do with you.” Espee turned around as Nox began to bind Lily. “Everyone to bed, we will be moving out in a few hours when the sun goes down.” Nox carried Lily to the back part of the theater, and Espee began asking her questions. They grilled her until the sun went down.

“OK, Lily. I want everything,” Espee said. “Donnie may not be willing to kill you, but you caused a death of one my own. So I’m willing to torture you until you give me what I want.”

“I’ll tell you everything!” Lily replied, looking at Donnie’s back.

“Start from the beginning,” Espee said. “When and how were you birthed?” Lily looked at Espee and knew she was serious.

“I became a vampire a year ago,” Lily replied. “I lived on a farm with my two younger brothers and my folks. We were dairy farmers. It was boring, but we loved each other. One night, we had a stranger knock on the door. He said that he had a flat tire and asked if he could use our phone to call a tow truck.”

“And you invited him in,” Espee said.

“Yeah, my maw did, and as soon as he was inside, he tore into us. I don’t remember much after that, but I woke up the next night and found my parents massacred, and my brothers were trussed up like sides of beef. I was so hungry, and they were right there and they smelled so good. I lunged at Jacob when a man ran into the house and stopped me. He pulled me outside and dragged me to the barn.”

“What happened next?” Espee asked. Lily again looked at Donnie; he still refused to look at her.

“He set me onto a cow. I drank until I was full and regained my senses.” Lily explained.

“Who was this man?” Espee asked.

“His name was Russ,” Lily replied. “He was a priest I think. At least he was dressed as one.”

“Are you telling me that a human dragged a vampire in the grips of frenzy against her will?” Nox inquired.

“Yes, he did. I swear,” Lily uttered.

“So what happened next?” Espee asked.

“They called the law,” Lily replied. “They came and got my brothers. Russ stayed with me for a few nights and then bought us train tickets. He brought me straight to where you guys were sleeping. He told me you would take care of me.”

“He brought you to me?” Espee was both confused and concerned.

“Yes, he was real nice too. He gave me some pointers, but he was really preachy too, always talking about God and . . .”

“Focus!” Espee interrupted.

“Oh yeah, well soon after he left me, you found me,” Lily replied. Espee remembered that she was leery of Lily at first, but accepted her anyway. Her motherly instinct blinded her to the possible danger Lily posed.

“Everything was fine until a few weeks ago when some executioners caught me,” Lily explained.

“So why didn’t they kill you?” Espee asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Their leader said that I didn’t have a black spot.”

“They said a black spot?” Espee asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, he said we can’t kill her. She lacks the black spot,” she replied. “Then they grabbed me and put me in a van.”

“Where did they take you?” Nox asked.

“They took me to this fancy resort and dropped me off,” Lily replied.

“Then what happened?”

“They told me that they knew the orphanage where my brothers were living, and if I wanted them to live that I would have to work for them, and when my job was done, they would be allowed to live in peace,” Lily replied. “The fed me human blood and instructed me how to leave messages for them.”

“What did they want from us?” Espee asked.

“They wanted our numbers and the locations where we stayed. I would make a call on a pay phone to a toll-free number. There would be a message with instructions where to meet.”

“So you have been feeding them information for weeks,” Espee said. “Why attack us now?”

“I don’t know, but about a week ago, they asked me to get names of the Foundlings in the den and their Bloodlines if I knew them. Oh no,” Lily said.

“What?”

“When I gave them the info on Abbie, they had me meet them, and they had me wait until we were on the barge. Then I was to signal them. They gave me this,” Lily said and produced a small metallic disc. “They made me set the explosives on the barge too.” Espee snatched the disc and tossed it to Nox, who ran as fast as he could out of the theater.

“So foolish and so stupid,” Espee said and was disgusted.

“What was I supposed to do?” Lily said. “You were all so afraid of them. I just felt it was safer to do as they said.”

“I guess, you’re right,” Espee said and got up and started packing.

“What happens to me now?” Lily asked.

“We leave, and you stay,” Espee said. “Let’s see if they keep their promise once they find you.”

“Wait, you are just going to leave me here?” she asked.

“Yes, and if I ever see you again, I will finish what Donnie started,” Espee said menacingly. “You leave Miami and never come back.” Lily looked away from Espee’s gaze and closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly after. Nox returned a little while later.

“It’s moving through a drainage pipe. It will keep going until it hits the plant,” Nox reported.

“Good,” Espee replied and began plotting their next safe spot; she crossed off any locations they had visited with Lily. “Damn that girl! We lost a lot of good resting spots.” The sun set and Espee began mobilizing Los Nomados. They began to stir all except one; Donnie did not move or get up. Espee walked over to him and found him wide-awake.

“Donnie, we’re leaving,” Espee said. “You need to get up.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere,” he replied.

“Donnie, you can’t stay here. They will come looking for us in this place,” Espee urged.

“Watch me,” Donnie said. “I don’t care to run and hide anymore. Let them come. They can have me.”

“Donnie, no,” Espee begged. “You have to get up.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Donnie replied. “They killed me yesterday. They tore out my heart and burned it right in front of me.”

“Donnie, we have all lost people we cared for,” she said. “You can’t give up. We need to keep fighting.”

“Why?” Donnie said. “There is no hope to beat them. You said it yourself. The Sources cannot be stopped. I’m through fighting, they win. Now leave me alone.”

“I’ll have people carry you then, Donnie,” Espee warned.

“I’ll tear off the head of anyone that touches me,” Donnie said harshly. “Just go. I’m choosing to stay and die here.” Espee looked at Donnie and then looked at the other Foundlings that were counting on her to lead them to safety.

“I can’t place the safety of the many over the safety of one, Donnie,” Espee said.

“Not asking you to,” Donnie replied. Espee shook her head and turned around leaving him in the theater alone with Lily who was still bound. After everyone was gone, Lily spoke to Donnie.

“So uh, I guess it’s you and me?” Lily asked.

“Speak again and I will break your neck,” Donnie warned and lay quietly clutching the vase.

Someplace else, a meeting had been called and he was running late. As he reached the large marbled hall, he could see that the others had already arrived. He smiled as he approached. He had always loved the beauty of this structure. It was perfect and beautiful. The hall was surrounded by large massive white marble pillars that extended beyond his eyesight into the sky.

“You are late, Azrael,” a voice boomed.

“My apologies,” Azrael replied. “We have had a development.” He entered the hall and sat on a large pillow. There were four others present.

“So I am told that the boy is lost to us,” the voice boomed.

“No, he is not lost to us, not yet,” Azrael replied. A woman began to speak.

“I disagree. His spirit is broken. We have failed. Just like before,” Ariel uttered.

“We placed so much trust into your selection, Azrael, but it would seem that you were wrong,” Raphael said.

“It is a setback, but I have faith and a plan,” Azrael said.

“Do you think he can truly be saved?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes, I do,” Azrael replied.

“He wasn’t strong enough and never will be,” Uriel stated.

“It has nothing to do with strength, but everything with faith and love,” Azrael said.

“His love is gone,” Ariel said. “They have her now.”

“But she is not lost,” Azrael said. “Not yet.”

“What are you planning?” Raphael asked.

“Yes, what are you planning?” Gabriel asked.

“He plans to cheat!” Uriel accused.

“I do not,” Azrael yelled! “I plan to give him a choice!”

“We tried that before, and the answer was no,” Uriel replied. “What makes you think we will get any different of a response this time?”

“He still has free will. He can make any choice he wants, even turn against us,” Raphael said.

“Just look into his heart if you have any doubts,” Azrael said. “Even in his grief and anger, he was able to forgive and show compassion. He is still the right choice. Do not abandon him yet.”

“Very well, let us place this to a vote,” the booming voice said. “Are you for or against?”

“I am for,” Azrael said.

“I see the goodness in his heart,” Ariel said. “I say for.”

“I believe in him too,” Gabriel said, “For.”

“He gains strength from his faith,” Raphael said. “So I choose to have faith in him, for.”

“My choice was a failure. He was lost to us, and that still weighs heavy on my heart,” Uriel said. “You picked him, Azrael, and even though I disagreed with you, you still stand by him. We are nothing unless we stand united, so I will stand with you. I say for.”

“Then it is settled,” the booming voice said. “I will inform Michael of the decision.” Ariel, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael spread their angelic wings and took off like a flock of doves, leaving only Azrael and Raguel.

“Raguel, may I have a word?” Azrael asked.

“Yes,” Raguel replied in his large, booming voice.

“I will need the help of his guardian,” Azrael said.

“You may proceed,” Raguel said. Azrael nodded and smiled. He looked down through the clouds.

“Don’t surrender yet, Donato,” Azrael said. “She still needs you.”

CHAPTER 37

Renewed Hope

IT HAD BEEN two nights, and Donnie had not yet stirred. Lily had tried to wiggle herself out of her bonds, but Nox secured her too well. “Donnie,” Lily said softly. “Donnie . . . Donnie . . . Dooooonnnnnieee.”

“Why are you still here?” Donnie replied annoyed.

“Cuz, I’m chained, and I can’t get loose,” Lily replied. “And I’m getting really hungry.” Donnie rolled over and looked at Lily; she had healed all her wounds but was securely chained. Donnie rolled back away from her.

“Those are the chains that they used to tie Abbie down,” Donnie replied. “She died with them wrapped around her.”

“What? Get them off me!” Lily cried, as she struggled more violently.

“Do it yourself,” Donnie replied coldly.

“Please, Donnie, I can’t bear this,” Lily cried. “I don’t want these on me knowing that. Please, Donnie!” Donnie ignored her as best as he could, but she wouldn’t sit still and every so often the chains would chink or she would whimper. He had enough.

“You’re seriously messing with my grief,” Donnie said. “If I untie you, do you promise to leave?”

“Yes, please let me go,” Lily said. “And I’m gone.”

“Fine,” he said and rolled over and undid the chain holding her.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Whatever,” Donnie lay back down. Lily ran out of the theater as fast as she could and didn’t look back. She reached the street and looked around. It was about 3:00 a.m. and she was starving. She made her way to a pay phone and dialed the number she had memorized. Someone picked up and said nothing.

“Hello?” Lily said. “It’s me, Lily.”

“Where are you?” the voice asked.

“Um, I’m on SW Sixth Avenue,” she replied.

“Where is Espee now?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. “They kicked me out after they found out about me.”

“So your usefulness has come to an end then, good-bye.”

“No, you wait a minute!” she yelled. “You said you would take care of me if I did what you asked. I need blood.”

“So go get some.”

“You don’t understand. I’m close to frenzy,” she said. “If you don’t keep your word, I will probably kill someone.”

“That’s fine. Go earn your black spot. We’ll see you soon after,” the voice said and hung up.

“Hello! Hello!” She looked around and redialed the number, but it rang busy. “Oh shit!”

Donnie was complacent that the theater was now quiet. He had been awake for over two days straight and finally closed his eyes. He found himself dreaming. He dreamed of a dark place. It looked like a city that had been ravaged by war. The sky overhead blocked out any light from reaching the ground, and it was impossible to tell if it was day or night. Then on the wind, he heard it. Someone called his name. He started moving to the voice, and it became a little clearer. Then he was sure. It was Abbie calling him. Donnie began running toward the voice as fast as he could, but it soon became pointless. Every intersection looked like the last, and the voice seemed to change the direction it was emanating from. Donnie seemed to wander aimlessly, for what seemed hours, and still her cries continued. Donnie was tired and looked down at his feet. Then he spotted them. He wasn’t sure what exactly they were, but they seemed familiar somehow. He began following the tracks that were in the dirt at his feet. They appeared to have been made by a large animal. He followed them unerringly. Sometimes Abbie’s cries seemed farther away and other times right within reach. The tracks led him down an alleyway that ended in a wall. The tracks suddenly stopped. Donnie pounded on the wall.

“Abbie,” he called out.

“Donnie! Down here!” Abbie called out. Donnie looked down, and at the bottom of the wall, there was a small grate. It was barely a foot across, and outstretched from it was Abbie’s hand. Donnie dropped onto his stomach and grabbed her hand. She caressed his face. He could just barely make out her features in the shadows.

“Abbie, I’m here now,” he said. “I’m going to get you out.”

“No, Donnie, listen carefully. I need to be quick, before he finds me,” Abbie said.

“Who finds you?” he asked.

“Shush, just listen. I have a message,” she said quickly. “I’m trapped here. My . . .”

“Who trapped you? Why?” Donnie interrupted.

“Donnie, please, just listen we don’t have much time before he finds me,” Abbie replied. “Only you can save me. Set me free.”

“I’ll do it, baby, just tell me what to do,” he replied quickly.

“I don’t know,” Abbie replied. “That was what I was supposed to tell you. I’m trapped here, and you can save me, only you.”

“Who told you this?” Donnie asked.

“Donnie is there really an endless plain where the sun always shines and cool breezes go on forever? Have you been there?” Abbie asked.

“What?” Donnie asked.

“Hurry, he knows and is coming for me!” Abbie pleaded. “Is there such a place!”

“Yes, Abbie, I have been there,” he replied.

“Then maybe it’s possible, just like he said,” she smiled as hope filled her.

“You’re not making sense, Abbie,” Donnie replied.

“Oh no, he’s here!” Abbie cried and grabbed onto Donnie’s arm with both hands. “No matter what happens, I will always love youuuuuuuuuuuuuu.” Abbie was violently ripped away from Donnie’s grip and disappeared into the darkness behind the grate.

“Abbie! Abbie! Abbie!” Donnie screamed and reached into the darkness but felt nothing but bitter cold. He grabbed the grate and tried to pull it loose, but no matter how hard he pulled, it would not budge. He suddenly awoke and sat up. His arm was frozen and covered in ice particles and frost. He found Lily quietly looking over him. She had a somber look to her.

“You were calling out her name,” Lily said softly. “I didn’t think we could dream as vampires anymore. Donnie turned to face her.”

“What are you still doing here?” Donnie asked. “You’re supposed to be gone.”

“I tried,” Lily said. “But they left me out to dry. They won’t help me now.”

“Not my problem,” Donnie said. “Please go away.”

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments,” Lily said softly.

Donnie was perplexed by her words; he turned back to face her and said, “What did you just say?”

“Nothing, it’s just something Russ used to say,” Lily replied. “He made me memorize a few things.”

“Who is Russ?” Donnie asked.

“He was the priest that helped me out for a few nights after I was killed,” Lily replied.

“Did he say anything else?” Donnie asked.

“He was kind of insane. I think he was always quoting the Bible and stuff,” Lily replied.

“What else did he say?” he asked.

“He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages. In the secret places doth he murder the innocent. His eyes are privily set against the helpless,” Lily said, unsure.

“What the . . .” Donnie didn’t understand why Lily was quoting scripture, or why he felt compelled to listen, “Anything else?”

“I can’t remember!” Lily snapped. “I’m starving, and I’m having trouble thinking.”

“Think, Lily, I think it’s important,” he urged.

“There was one thing. He would say it over and over again,” Lily replied. “Everything is connected.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“Where?” Lily asked.

“In a message from my mother,” Donnie got up and began pacing.

“Are we going to hunt, Donnie?” He looked at her pathetic face, and she smiled meekly. She was indeed starving.

“We don’t have time,” Donnie said. “I need answers.” Donnie walked over to Lily and bit into his wrist and offered it to Lily. She quickly grabbed his wrist and began to drink greedily. Donnie found it strange that she did not hesitate; he was sure that she had been instructed not to drink blood from another vampire. When she was full, she pulled away on her own.

“You didn’t think it was strange to drink from another vampire?” Donnie asked.

“No,” Lily replied.

“Why?” Donnie asked. “I know Espee told you never to do it.”

“Yeah, but I saw you drink from Abbie, and she from you when you made out.” Lily stopped and covered her mouth. Now she had done it.

“You watched us?” Donnie looked at her angrily. “You watched us make love?”

“I’m sorry?” she replied and smiled awkwardly.

“I’m trying to be nice to you, but you keep making me angry.” He looked at her and sneered. “Just be gone by the time I wake up.”

“OK,” Lily replied. Lily tried to think where to go, but she had no clue, so she walked over to another part of the theater and lay down to sleep. She would move out tomorrow night. Once it was again quiet Donnie slipped into sleep.

Donnie found himself once again on the Eternal Plains. The sun was past its midday apex; it was warm, and a cool spring breeze was blowing. “Oh, not again, I didn’t mean to come back,” Donnie said aloud.

“Well, then it is a good thing I brought you here then, isn’t it?” Shadow Walker said. Donnie looked over to the shadowy man standing next to a large turquoise bear.

“Hello, Donato. I missed you,” Punu said. Donnie ran over to the large bear and plowed into him as he hugged him. Punu could only laugh as he was knocked over.

“I missed you too, you big furball,” he said, laughing.

“Now that we are all here, we can begin,” Shadow Walker said.

“Training, a little too late, they killed Abbie,” Donnie said as he got up.

“We are not here to train,” Shadow Walker said.

“We’re not? Then why am I here then?” he asked.

“Abbie needs your help, Donnie, and only you can save her,” Punu said.

“Save Abbie?” Donnie asked.

“Yes, Abbie,” Shadow Walker replied. The three began walking toward a large totem pole that could be seen off in the distance.

“Where is she?” Donnie asked. “I dreamt I was in a place. It was like an old, dark city, and she was there. She was trapped in a basement.”

“That was not a dream,” Shadow Walker replied.

“She is in purgatory, Donnie,” Punu replied.

“Her soul is trapped there,” Shadow Walker said.

“Wait, but how do you know this? You’re a Native American spirit?” Donnie asked.

“We are both so much more,” Punu replied.

“Where are we now, Donnie?” Shadow Walker asked.

“The Eternal Plains,” he replied.

“And what is the purpose of this place?” Shadow Walker asked as they continued to walk.

“This is where Native Americans go when they are lost after death,” Donnie replied not really sure why he was giving him a lesson in religion.

“How long do they stay here?” Shadow Walker asked.

“You said it varies,” he answered. “Could be minutes or could be years.”

“Or until the Great Bear finds them and devours them,” Punu added.

“Correct, and what is purgatory?” Shadow Walker asked Donnie.

“Purgatory is the place of purification,” he said. “It’s where the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven.” They stopped when they reached the large totem pole. The totem pole was intricately sculpted with birds and bears and wolves. It had two large wings that outstretched near its top.

“We are here,” Punu said.

“Where is here?” Donnie asked.

“What do you see, Donnie?” Shadow walker asked.

“Uh, I see a totem pole, grass, and the sky?” Donnie was not really sure if that was what the correct answer should be.

“Donnie, is that you?” Abbie’s voice said.

“Abbie,” Donnie yelled out and began looking around for her.

“Donnie, it’s me, where are you?” Abbie asked.

“I’m on the Eternal Plains,” Donnie yelled out. “Where are you?”

“I’m in a dark cell, Donnie. It’s really cold, and I’m scared,” she replied.

“I’m here babe!” Donnie yelled. “I’ll get you out!” Donnie turned to Shadow Walker and Punu. “Help me guys, how do I get her out of there?”

“She has committed a mortal sin Donnie,” Shadow Walker said. “She is supposed to be judged soon.”

“What mortal sin?” Donnie asked. “She’s a good person. What are you talking about?”

“She broke the sixth commandment,” Shadow Walker said. “She took a life.”

“Who, that Stefan guy,” Donnie asked. “He can’t really count. He was already dead right?”

“Although destroying any vampire is the creators will,” Shadow Walker replied, “she killed an innocent soul.”

“Who, who did she kill?” Donnie feared that while he had been asleep in Miami, that she had killed someone while hunting, and then his jaw dropped.

“You,” Punu answered. Donnie looked at them both in disbelief.

“What?” Donnie said in shock. “She’s going to hell?”

“Yes,” Shadow Walker said.

“But you can save her,” Punu said.

“I’ll do whatever it takes!” Donnie said. “What do I do?”

“Call to her and make her believe this place is real,” Shadow Walker instructed.

“Everything is connected,” Punu said. “Every place is connected, every life is connected.”

“Punu,” Abbie asked, “is Donnie with you?”

“Yes, I am with him,” Punu replied.

“The tracks I saw in my dream, they were yours, weren’t they, Punu?” Donnie asked.

“That was not a dream, Donnie,” Shadow Walker said. “You slipped into purgatory, just like you slipped into the Eternal Plains.”

“I did?” Donnie couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Everything is connected,” Punu said again.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Donnie said exasperated.

“Because it’s true, think, Donnie.” Shadow Walker walked next to the totem pole. “What do you see?”

“I see a big totem pole!” Donnie yelled out. He was getting frustrated. “A bear, wolf, beaver, an eagle, and a turtle, that’s all I see!” Punu walked over a few feet from the pole.

“What do you see here?” Punu asked. Donnie looked over to the large bear.

“I see you, Punu.” Donnie wasn’t sure what they wanted him to see.

“Calm yourself and look again,” Punu said. Donnie looked at the totem pole and then back to Punu several times.

“I see shadows, yours and the poles’,” Donnie said.

“And what shape is the shadow in?” Shadow Walker asked. Donnie was shocked as he finally made the connection.

“It looks like a cross, the shadow looks like a cross,” Donnie said.

“Everything is connected, Donnie,” Punu said.

“I get it! The Eternal Plains and purgatory serve the same purpose. They are connected or are they the same place?”

“Yes,” Shadow Walker said. “Now you understand.”

“If she believes in both, you can bring her here,” Punu said. Donnie’s eyes went wide with excitement. He began calling to her.

“Abbie, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can still hear you,” she replied.

“Walk toward my voice.”

“There is a wall, a solid wall. I can’t reach you.”

“Abbie, do you remember what I told you about The Great Spirit, about Yowa?” he asked.

“Yes, I remember some of it.”

“Did you ever believe me?” he asked.

“I believed that you believed,” Abbie replied. Donnie began pacing and started thinking of things to say.

“Abbie, did I come see you where you are?” he asked.

“Yes, you held my hands, and then he pulled me away.”

“Do you know where you are?” he asked.

“I’m waiting to go to hell. I’m in purgatory,” she replied. “I’m so scared, Donnie.”

“I’m on the Eternal Plains. It is also a purgatory, but for Native Americans.”

“OK, so how does that help me?”

“They are connected. They touch or overlap somehow,” he said. “You need to cross over to this side.”

“How do I do that?”

“You need to have faith,” Donnie said and smiled.

“I don’t know, Donnie. I don’t know how to cross over.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes, with my life.”

“Do you believe in me?”

“Yes, completely.”

“Then trust me when I tell you there is such a place, and you can get here,” Donnie urged. “You need to believe.”

“I’m trying, Donnie.” Donnie closed his eyes.

“Abbie, close your eyes. Think of a vast green plain, where the sun is high in the sky and it warms your back, but it’s OK because there’s a cool breeze.” Donnie smiled as he felt the warmth on his body.

“OK.”

“Do you remember the prayer I say in the mornings?”

“Yes, I think I remember it.”

“Pray now with me,” Donnie instructed. Donnie began reciting the prayer. Abbie had learned it because she thought it was beautiful. “Thank you, Creator for what we have, or what we will receive. I will never take more than I need. I will use all of what I have. I will give away what I do not need. Everything on earth is alive. Everything on earth has purpose. Everything on earth is connected. Everything on earth is to be embraced,” she recited along with Donnie.

“Great, baby. Now think of me, standing on this plain, with my arms wide open. I’m here waiting to hold you in my arms, and kiss your warm lips. Come to me.” Donnie held out his arms.

“I’ll try,” Abbie started walking forward.

“I love you, and I need you,” Donnie said. “Step toward me, and trust that I will be here.” Donnie waited for a few moments and then felt a familiar embrace. Abbie placed her head on her favorite spot on his chest. Donnie opened his eyes and saw that he was holding Abbie once more in his arms and began to weep. Donnie and Abbie held each another for a long time before they released their embrace.

“I missed you so much,” Donnie said.

“Me too. I can’t believe we are together again,” Abbie said. “I don’t want to ever leave your side.” Shadow Walker walked up to them.

“We need to move,” Shadow Walker said. “We need to get her to a safe spot before the sun sets.”

“Why?” Donnie asked.

“That is when the Great Bear Hunts,” Punu said. Abbie looked at Punu and Shadow Walker.

“Punu, is that you? You look different,” Abbie said as they all began to move. Then she turned and looked at Shadow Walker. “You seem familiar too.”

“Don’t let it worry you right now, and go with Punu,” Shadow Walker commanded.

“But I don’t want to leave Donnie,” Abbie said protesting. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t want to leave her either,” Donnie said.

“Donnie and Abbie, please. You must do as I say,” Shadow Walker urged. “Punu will watch over Abbie. We don’t have much time.” Donnie walked over to Abbie and kissed her warmly.

“It’s all right babe,” Donnie said. “I’ll be along shortly.” Abbie and Punu walked out of his sight. Once they were out of earshot, Shadow Walker turned to Donnie.

“We have only delayed the inevitable,” Shadow Walker said. “Eventually, the Great Bear will pick up on her scent and track her down.”

“What happens then?” Donnie asked.

“He devours her,” Shadow Walker replied.

“So why bring her here then,” Donnie asked.

“It will delay her imprisonment, and I had nothing to do with bringing her here,” Shadow Walker said. “She did that on her own.”

“I’m pretty sure you helped,” Donnie said.

“Did I?” Shadow Walker asked. “I only showed you the clues, made you see. I think you figured that part of it out on your own.”

“I can defend her against the Great Bear.”

“Although the Great Bear cannot devour you, there is little you can do to stop him here,” Shadow Walker advised.

“Why?”

“While you are here, you are no stronger than you were when you were alive,” Shadow Walker replied. “Here, you are the like a normal human being.”

“So that’s why I couldn’t bend the bars on the grate?”

“Correct,” Shadow Walker replied.

“So how much time do we have?”

“A few days I would hope, maybe a week before he notices that she is gone,” Shadow Walker said. “Even then, he will be unable to find her right away.”

“Who, Satan?” Donnie asked.

“Lucifer does not trouble himself with the entrapment of souls,” Shadow Walker said. “He is much too proud to lower himself to do menial labor.”

“You say that as if you know him,” he said.

“Yes, I knew him once, long ago,” Shadow Walker replied.

“So who’ll be looking for Abbie then?” he asked.

“The one who took her soul,” Shadow Walker replied and continued, “is the man who was once known as Heinrich Müller.”

“Who is that?” Donnie said.

“You may know him as Gestapo,” Shadow Walker said.

“Wait, the Source of the Reich Bloodline?”

“Yes, the very same,” Shadow Walker answered.

“Oh, man, how do I get her soul back from him?” Donnie quickly remembered what Espee had told him about the power of a Source.

“Since time is of great importance,” Shadow Walker said, “I need to speed things up.”

“What do you mean?” Donnie asked. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I have asked an old friend to help you,” Shadow Walker said. “He is willing to help you, but he wants something in return.”

“What?” Donnie asked.

“I don’t know exactly,” Shadow Walker said. “He won’t tell me, but I think it will be a hard choice to accept.”

“If it means saving Abbie,” Donnie said, “I’ll travel to hell and bitch slap Beelzebub.” Shadow Walker laughed, and for a moment, Donnie could swear he saw something on his back.

“What is his name? Your friend’s name?” he asked.

“I’ll see you soon, and don’t worry about Abbie. Your spirit guide is with her,” Shadow Walker replied. “As for my friend, he calls himself Russ these days.” Donnie began to ask another question, but his world went black.

CHAPTER 38

Lily

DONNIE WOKE UP and looked around. He was back in the theater. Russ, Shadow Walker said that his friend’s name was Russ. Could it be the same man that Lily was talking about? She said he was a priest. She could have answers for him, but was she still around? “Lily?”

“I’m leaving. Don’t worry,” she replied from the far end of the theater.

“Be nice.” Donnie looked around as he just heard Abbie’s voice.

“No, stay with me,” Donnie said.

“Really, I can stay with you?” she asked.

“I think I need you,” he replied.

“You need me? I thought you hated me,” she replied.

“Oh, I still hate . . .”

“BE NICE!”

“No, I never hated you, and I think Russ is important, and I need to ask you about him,” Donnie said. “What I can’t figure out is why did he save you?”

“Hey!” Lily said, offended. “I’m not that bad.”

“Not what I meant at all,” Donnie said as he wracked his brain.

“Oh, sorry,” Lily said.

“There has to be something else,” he said.

“Well, there was one thing,” Lily said. “Something Russ made me promise to do.”

“What was it?” Donnie asked intrigued.

“He said never to kill a human soul. No matter what,” Lily replied.

“Really,” Donnie continued to pace and walk in circles.

“He said it would stain my soul.”

“Wait, what, stain your soul? He said soul?” Donnie asked as he walked right up to Lily.

“Yeah, he said soul,” Lily said. “He was very serious about it too.”

“Have you ever killed anyone?” Donnie asked her.

“No, I never have. I swear.”

“That’s it!” Donnie said. “That’s why.”

“Why what is, Donnie?” Lily asked.

“Why they didn’t kill you when they found you?” Donnie said. “Your soul is still pure.”

“Well, not that pure,” Lily said.

“OK, farmer’s daughter. I don’t need to know how many rolls in the hay you have taken.”

“Oh, you were listening,” Lily said smiling. “I don’t get it then.”

“They need you to have a stain on your soul, a black spot,” Donnie said.

“Why?” Lily asked.

“I don’t know,” Donnie said. “But I’m fairly certain that they won’t kill you yet.”

“Hey, wait a second!” Lily said. “That’s what the voice said.” Donnie looked at her with an odd expression. “Voice on the phone, you Dodo.” Donnie took a step back as if her very words had hit him in the chest.

“No way,” Donnie said softly. Everything was connecting.

“What?” Lily asked.

“Never mind, what did the person on the phone say to you?” he asked.

“I told them I was hungry and on the verge of frenzying,” Lily replied. “I told them that I was afraid that I would kill someone. He said ‘good,’ and to go earn my black spot and that they would see me soon after.”

“Bingo,” Donnie said. “They want the Foundlings to commit murders.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Lily said. “What do they gain by that?”

“I have no idea,” Donnie said. “But I intend to find out.”

“So what are we going to do?” Lily asked.

“I’m going to find answers,” he replied.

“Can I come?” Lily asked.

“I don’t know why, but I think you’re a piece of the puzzle, a weird, loud, odd-shaped piece but a piece nonetheless.”

“Hey!” Lily objected.

“Be nice,” he again heard Abbie’s voice, Donnie laughed out loud.

“Let’s go,” Donnie said, and they walked out of the theater together. Donnie hailed a cab and made a few stops. He picked up his new debit card and withdrew some cash. They stopped by a store and picked up a fancy, new smartphone. After a lot of begging, he got one up for Lily as well. She began texting him immediately.

“I’m like two feet away,” Donnie said as he finished filling out the phone contracts.

“Unlimited texting plan sucker,” Lily replied and stuck out her tongue at Donnie. Their next stop was an upscale clothing store. Three thousand dollars later, both he and Lily had a spanking new wardrobe, and Lily got a huge purse. Their next stop was a hardware store. Donnie went in and came out in just a few minutes with a brown paper bag.

“Put these in your purse” Donnie said and handed her the brown bag.

“What are we doing, Donnie?” Lily asked as she emptied the contents of the paper bag into her purse.

“What, should we return the designer jeans and shoes?” Donnie asked.

“Not the shoes!” Lily said, clutching her bags.

“Now, what was the name of the fancy resort they brought you too?” Donnie asked.

“Why?” Lily asked a bit concerned.

“Because we’re going there,” Donnie replied.

“It was the new bagel or something like that,” Lily replied.

“Do you mean the New Berlin?” The taxi driver asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” she said.

“Yeah, that’s it. I remember it now too,” Donnie said, “sure has been a long time. Take us to the New Berlin.”

“Donnie, is it safe?” Lily asked quietly.

“Not a chance,” Donnie whispered back. “But what is good for the goose is good for the gander.”

“I’m not following you,” Lily said.

“Just follow my lead and act like you belong,” Donnie said. “Under no circumstances are you to act afraid.”

“But I am literally shaking in my boots already,” Lily said. “I’m not sure I can do this.”

“You will be fine,” Donnie assured. “They don’t want you dead, at least not yet.”

“Don’t do it Donnie, she’ll be killed.”

“I know what I’m doing, Abbie,” he replied. Lily looked at him, confused.

“Are you talking to her now? Is she in the car with us, is she a ghost?” Lily looked around with eyes wide. “Does she want revenge?”

“Yes, she does, but not on you . . .” Donnie leaned back and fell asleep. He opened his eyes and was looking up into the sky. Abbie was standing over him.

“What, you can summon me now?” he asked Abbie.

“No, they brought you.” Abbie gestured to the gathered tribe. Donnie stood up and looked at Shadow Walker, Rainchaser, Windcaller, Thunder Step, and Morning Glow. They were standing in a circle around him and looked displeased.

“What’s up, guys?” Donnie asked nonchalantly.

“What are you doing?” Shadow Walker asked, I commanded you to wait.

“I’m done playing by your rules,” Donnie replied. “I plan to shake things up.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed or worse,” Abbie said.

“You see, he cannot be trusted,” Thunder Step roared.

“He can be trusted!” Abbie yelled back at him. “You just need to train him.”

“Abbie, what have they told you? Do you know what is going on?” Donnie looked at her, and she looked away.

“Yes, but I can’t tell you,” Abbie said. “It made me cry for days.”

“Wait, I just left you not three hours ago,” Donnie declared. “How could have days passed here?” Shadow Walker looked at the others and looked at Donnie.

“Let me explain, days here pass by much faster than in the living world,” Shadow Walker advised.

“You told me she has less than a week before . . . ” Donnie began.

“Your days, not our days,” Shadow Walker interrupted. “Gestapo is in the living world; it will take him time to find her missing.”

“You should show caution,” Morning Light advised. “You are far more important than you could imagine.” Donnie felt a sense of peace around her, her words soothed him. For a moment, she almost had him.

“No, I am still doing this,” Donnie replied. “So either spill it and tell me why I should stay put or get out of my way.”

“Donnie,” Abbie began.

“No, no, I have a week at most. I’m not going to wait. I’m not taking that chance.” Donnie was fuming now.

“If you insist on this course of action, we should train you first,” Rainchaser said.

“Mmm, but who shall go first?” Windcaller said. Donnie watched in bewilderment as they began arguing amongst themselves. He shook his head and looked at Shadow Walker.

“Send me back.”

“What? No, Donnie, they can help you. You will need their help!” Abbie said and walked over to him.

“They can’t make up their mind, so have them fetch me when they come to a consensus, until then, this powwow is pointless.” Donnie looked at the three gathered and fumed.

“You are right, Donnie,” Shadow Walker admitted. “We have argued endlessly.”

“So make up your mind,” Abbie demanded.

“It is not that easy,” Shadow Walker said. “There is much that needs to be considered, options that need to be weighed.”

“Not good enough,” she replied. “I’m going to tell him.”

“Yes,” Donnie said, making a fist, “finally.”

“No,” Shadow Walker pleaded. “You must not. It is still too soon. He won’t understand.”

“Then let me pick,” she offered.

“What?” Donnie wasn’t surprised that Abbie was taking charge in this manner.

“I pick one of you, and you train him,” Abbie said and crossed her arms defiantly. The Native American spirits looked at each other, and it seemed that they were communicating without speaking. After a brief moment, Shadow Walker looked at Abbie.

“Agreed, you may pick,” Shadow Walker said, “and, we will train.”

Abbie walked over to Thunder Step and looked him up and down and said, “You.”

“Why’d you pick him?” Donnie asked.

“He reminds me of my dad,” she replied.

“Good enough for me,” he replied. Thunder Step walked up to Donnie and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“You may regret this,” he said and smiled.

“Donnie, wait,” Abbie cried out.

“Yeah babe. Sorry, I almost forgot.” He walked over to Abbie and kissed her passionately. It wasn’t what she wanted to tell him, but she wasn’t about to stop him now.

“Whoa, I’m all hot and bothered now,” Abbie said as she fanned her face with her hand. “I need to tell you something.”

“I’m listening,” he replied, smiling.

“Lily, she’s important,” Abbie said and looked at Shadow Walker to see if it was OK to tell him that. Shadow Walker conceded and nodded his approval.

“I know she means a lot to you,” Donnie replied. “I can’t believe you’re still watching out for her after what she did to you.”

“Listen, if I can forgive her, you need to do the same. Promise me you will treat her like I treated her. Like the sister I never had.” Abbie looked into Donnie’s face, “Promise.”

“Fine, I promise you.” Donnie relented, “Because she’s important to you.”

“No, Donnie, she’s important to the world,” Abbie replied and watched as Donnie’s expression changed.

“Lily is important to the world?” Donnie thought she was playing a joke on him, but her expression was quite serious, “Really?”

“Yeah, so don’t let anything happen to her and be nice!” Abbie placed her hands on her hip, and she gave him her cute crooked little smile.

“Let’s do this,” Donnie said to Thunder Step, and they vanished from Abbie’s view.

“Where did they go?” she asked.

“They went to the training grounds,” Shadow Walker replied.

Lily tried to rouse Donnie as the cab rolled on. She jumped back when his eyes opened. He looked instantly tired. He put his fist to his mouth and coughed. Lily’s eyes grew wide when he expelled dust and dirt from his mouth.

“You’re such a cheater!” he called out as he looked at the roof of the cab. The cab driver looked perplexed but continued to drive after mumbling something about crazy Cubans.

“Donnie, what was that?” Lily asked, scared.

“Six weeks worth of getting my ass whooped, that’s what that was,” he replied angrily.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Don’t try to right now.” Donnie looked at her. She looked like a lemur with her eyes wide. “Just know that Abbie forgives you, and I promise to take care of you.” He watched as her bottom lip trembled, and she reached over and hugged him.

“Thank you,” she said. “I feel so much better now. What about you?”

“Let’s just say I’m in a state of extreme agitation,” Donnie replied. The cab pulled up to the entrance of the resort, and the door was opened for them by a bellhop. Donnie and Lily got out after paying the cab driver and walked inside of the resort. The bellhops carried their bags closely behind them. They reached the front desk and were met by a young man. His name tag read Gerald.

“Do you have a reservation, sir?” Gerald asked.

“No, we do not,” Donnie replied. “I found myself having to come to Miami for business, and my wife had spoken so highly of her stay here that I simply had to visit.”

“It won’t be a problem, sir,” Gerald replied. “I have plenty of space available. How long will your stay be?”

“I am thinking two or three nights before my business is concluded,” Donnie replied. He noticed that Lily kept looking around as if she was expecting someone to spot her. He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, “Settle down.”

“Will you need a villa or a suite?” Gerald asked.

“I’ll need one of your special rooms,” Donnie replied.

“Special rooms, sir?” Gerald asked a bit confused.

“I tan very easily and don’t like to be bothered by the morning sun,” Donnie replied.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not sure what you mean,” Gerald replied.

“I’m sorry. Perhaps I was mistaken in coming here,” Donnie replied. “I was told this was a convenient place to rest for the day. I guess I’ll go stay at a motel then. I’ll be sure to mention it to the owner next time I see him.” Donnie turned and grabbed Lily’s hand and, to her eternal relief, began to walk away from the desk.

“Wait, sir,” Gerald said. “Who instructed you to come here?” Donnie grinned with satisfaction, turned around, and walked back to the desk, much to Lily’s chagrin.

“Like I said my wife stayed here a few years back, but the man who recommended a stay here was named Hulderich.” Donnie watched as Gerald simply blinked several times and turned pale. Donnie snapped his fingers in Gerald’s face several times to get his attention and break his blank stare.

“My apologies, sir,” Gerald said as he recovered. “May I ask your wife’s name?”

“Her name when she stayed here was Abbie Gottlieb.” Donnie did not think it would have been possible for anymore color to fade from the Gerald’s face. He was wrong.

“May I have a moment, sir?” Gerald asked nervously. “I need to make a call.”

“I’m in no rush,” Donnie replied. He watched as Gerald picked up the phone and dialed. Donnie felt a buzzing in his pocket and pulled out his phone. There was a new text message. It was from Lily, and it simply read “OMG we are going to die.” Donnie grinned and replied back via text, “I won’t let anything happen to you, promise.” Gerald began speaking in German to whomever he was conversing with on the other line, and when he put down the phone, he missed the cradle a few times. Donnie could tell he was extremely nervous.

“I have a room ready for you on the top floor,” Gerald said.

“Excellent,” Donnie replied.

“I will have a steward take you up,” Gerald continued.

“Wonderful,” Donnie replied. “Please make arrangements for some refreshments to be brought to the room.”

“What is your name, sir?”

“Foundling,” Donnie said loudly. Lily started coughing after Donnie said it.

Gerald looked almost afraid to repeat it, “Foundling?”

“Yes, Mr. Donnie Foundling,” he replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get to our room. I will come down later and fill out the registration card.”

“That’ll be fine, sir,” Gerald said. “Who’s your guest?”

“Interesting that you know that she’s not my wife, Gerald,” Donnie said. “I will make sure to speak to you about that very soon. She’s my little sister.” Gerald looked at Donnie’s tanned skin and long black hair, and then looked to Lily’s Caucasian complexion and red hair.

“Of course,” Gerald replied and was very relieved as two large men walked up to Donnie and Lily. Donnie could tell on sight that they were both vampires. Donnie read their name tags, Lars and Otto. They were both well over six feet tall and were extremely muscular. Lily’s eyes went wide when she saw them and began texting furiously. It was obvious that she recognized them. Otto reached for her phone, but Donnie grabbed his wrist before he took it from her.

“That’s not yours,” Donnie said as he held the man’s wrist in place. Otto began to struggle against Donnie’s grip. Donnie crushed his wrist, which brought Otto down to his knees. “Keep it up, and I will tear it off. I’m hungry, and I’m not in the best mood when I’m hungry.” Donnie released his grip of the wrist and took a step back.

“Right this way, sir,” Lars said coldly. As they entered the elevator, Donnie’s phone buzzed multiple times. He looked over to Lily who was in a state of sheer panic. He could see that Otto had a hand on her arm. Donnie waited until the elevator began its ascent up to the top floor.

“Would you mind taking your good hand off her, Otto,” Donnie asked. “She doesn’t like to be manhandled.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do by bringing a Foundling here, but we’ve been given orders,” Lars said.

“I promise you both that unless you unhand her by the time I count to three, you will be both piles of black sand before we reach the top floor.” Donnie turned to the men and bared his fangs and yelled, “One . . . two.” The elevator reached the second floor, and the bell chimed as they went past it. The men did nothing but hold their ground. “Three.” They reached the third floor. Donnie stared intensely at the men and unbuttoned his one-thousand-dollar suit jacket. Otto looked into Donnie’s eyes and released Lily. She moved behind him in the elevator. “Too late, you had until three.” Donnie smiled. The doors opened up onto the top floor. Donnie and Lily were cleaning black sand off their clothes.

“It’s in my mouth,” Lily said, “So gross.” Lily looked out into the hall and shrieked. Before them were at least thirty vampires. Lily moved behind Donnie again as he walked out.

“What is the meaning of this?” a woman said as she walked up to the front of the assembled mob. Frieda took one look at Donnie and shrieked, turned, and ran. “Kill him!”

CHAPTER 39

The New Berlin

IT WAS TOO late. Donnie was among them in a flash. He reached out and grabbed Frieda by the back of her scalp and pulled her back. The Reich soldiers began pounding and beating on him, trying to break his hold on her, but he had a death grip on her. “Protect Frieda!” One of the soldiers cried out, and they began piling on Donnie. Lily huddled against a corner and watched Donnie fight. Lily had never seen such brutality. He was like a bull that was only seeing red, and that red was Frieda’s long curly hair.

“I prayed I’d find you here, you fucking bitch!” Donnie roared. “Your ass is mine now!” Donnie kept pulling her closer with every burst of strength. Half of the men were trying to push Donnie down and the other half were trying to pull Frieda loose and neither group was winning. Frieda pulled as hard as she could and screamed as her skin ripped. Blood sprayed on the ceiling as Frieda’s scalp came loose in Donnie’s hand.

“If I have to, I’ll take you piece by piece!” Donnie yelled. Frieda didn’t look back as she ran down the hall.

“Make sure he doesn’t leave this floor!” Frieda yelled as she turned a corner. The men piled onto him and began striking him with fists and kicks. Donnie kept flailing away, and every monstrous blow knocked one of his defenders through walls, down the hall, or up onto the roof through the ceiling. Lily thought he looked like a cheerleader waving around a gold pom-pom.

“Hold this for me,” Donnie tossed the bloody scalp over to Lily. It landed on her feet, and she jumped back against the wall.

“Not my shoes!” she cried out. Donnie got serious now and started killing with single blows. He quickly noticed that the Reich there could barely make their bodies as hard as stone, and the ones that could, had weak spots, a head but not the neck, and the arms but not the chest. He tore through them easily. They were far less formidable than Hans or Hulderich had been. Donnie killed the last one of the Reich soldiers and began to sense for more.

“What are you doing, Donnie?” Lily asked as she ran up next to him and grabbed his hand.

“Shhh, I’m looking for more,” Donnie said, “The roof!” Donnie jumped straight up through a hole dragging Lily with him. On the roof, he spotted a helicopter on a landing pad. Donnie watched as it took off and headed northwest. He was too late, Frieda had escaped again.

“Damn, she got away again,” Donnie said.

“Are there any more Reich?” Lily asked still a little unsure.

“No more, they are all dead,” he answered quietly.

“What do we do now?

“We destroy this place.”

“What? How do we do that?”

“The flares in your purse,” Donnie said. Donnie walked over to the wall and hit the fire alarm. They began making their way floor by floor, yelling fire! Donnie would toss a flare in the hall once he was sure it was empty. The resort was pleasantly devoid of many patrons. The largest concentration of guests was in the restaurant and club, and they were evacuated quickly. Donnie and Lily made their way swiftly out of the resort. There were hundreds of onlookers outside; they were composed of mainly hotel guests, club patrons, and staff. Smoke was bellowing from the roof and several windows. Security was pushing the crowd back and establishing a perimeter. In less than five minutes, the fire department showed up. The firemen went through the entire building and cleared every room. By the time they came out, every flare had been extinguished and the small fires contained.

“It didn’t work,” Lily said. “It didn’t burn down.”

“I never intended to burn it down,” he replied. “I just needed the firemen to make sure it was empty. Lily looked over to Donnie and saw that his nose was bleeding, and he was concentrating on something.”

“Donnie, are you OK?” Lily began to hear stonework break. She turned around and looked at the New Berlin and could see that pieces of the ornate sides were falling off. Then suddenly half of the building sank into the earth.

“It’s a sinkhole!” The firemen began to yell and ran away from the building. “Everyone get back!” Lily watched astonished as the entire resort crumbled and sank forty feet into the earth.

“Whoa!” Lily said.

“I know kung fu,” Donnie said barely above a whisper. He looked drained and needed her help to stand. Lily placed his arm around her and helped support his weight. “Thanks.”

“No problem, partner,” Lily said.

“So it’s partner now?” he asked.

“Is it too soon?” Lily asked. Donnie turned around and just shook his head. They walked down the driveway and hailed a cab. Donnie laid back and closed his eyes.

“Where are you heading?” the cab driver asked. Donnie gave the intersection closest to the theater.

“Why are we going back there?” Lily asked.

“I need to get a few things,” he replied. The cab brought them back to SW Sixth Avenue, and they got out and made their way back into the old theater. Donnie’s strength had returned, and he was looking to be himself again. He gathered up two things, the vase and the chain.

“We could have taken those with us,” Lily pointed out.

“Better this way,” he replied. “We can go now.”

“Where are you going, Donnie?” Espee asked as she walked out from the shadows. Donnie was genuinely surprised and almost dropped the vase. He had sensed the area for vampires before getting out of the cab and it was clear.

“Where did you come from?” Lily asked.

“Never you mind. I thought I told you to leave Miami,” Espee said to Lily.

“She’s with me,” Donnie said.

“You bounce back fast, how long has she been dead?” Espee asked and did not try to hide the sarcasms in her voice.

“You bitch!” Lily yelled. “It’s not like that! How dare you! He loved her so much, and she loved him completely. I could never ever take her place, nor would I try! You didn’t know them at all, did you? Did you?” Donnie leaned back against a wall and looked at Lily, surprised.

“So what is it?” Espee asked.

“While you were hiding, we kicked some serious Reich ass!” Lily continued.

“You did?” Espee asked looking at Lily.

“Well, it was mostly Donnie, but I helped,” Lily replied with a big smile.

“What did you do Donnie, and why is she still around?” Espee asked. Donnie walked up to Espee and looked her up and down.

“I declared war,” Donnie replied. “And she’s a piece of the puzzle. I was told to protect her.”

“Donnie, she betrayed us,” Espee said. “She was responsible for giving Abbie up to our enemies.”

“No, Espee,” Donnie said. “I blame you for that, it was your fault. Lily never felt safe, so how could she trust us to protect her.”

“Wait, that’s not fair,” Espee said. “I did my best.”

“They played your fears against us and against Lily,” Donnie said. “They used the same fear against Abbie, but tonight, I gave them a real reason to be afraid. A bitter taste of fear right back.”

“Darn straight!” Lily cheered.

“What did you do exactly?” Espee asked.

“I went into their safe little home and brought it down,” he replied.

“Brought it down?” Espee asked.

“He made a huge, I mean, wicked big sinkhole and gobbled up the resort,” Lily said. “It’s on the news, I’m sure.”

“Donnie, you didn’t,” Espee said in shock. “They will redouble their presence here and take us all out!”

“War is war, Espee,” Donnie looked her in the eyes. “You’re either in or out.”

“You’re mad!” Espee yelled. “You have doomed us all!”

“Maybe, but tonight we can walk the streets unafraid.” Donnie had a strange look of confidence to him that Espee had not seen before; he was different somehow, utterly determined.

“What happens when they come back?” Espee asked. “What then?”

“We beat them back,” Lily said.

“Right,” Donnie said.

“What about her,” Espee asked, “why’s she so important?”

“I think I know why the Reich didn’t kill her.” Donnie replied.

“Tell me,” Espee said.

“She has never killed anyone,” Donnie said. “No human has died by her hand.”

“So what does that have to do with anything?” she asked.

“I don’t know, at least not yet,” Donnie said. “I just feel it’s important.”

“How can you be so sure?” Espee asked.

“Faith,” Donnie replied, “Plain and simple faith.”

“God abandoned us a long time ago Donnie,” Espee said. “You’re chasing a fairy tale.”

“No, you’re wrong. He’s closer than you think,” Donnie replied. “You need to stop living eternally in fear.”

“It has kept me alive for eleven hundred years,” Espee replied.

“Wow! Are you really that old?” Lily asked.

“Yes, I am,” Espee said. “So my opinion should count for something.”

“So tell me oh wise and ancient, Espee, have any of your Foundlings lived half as long? How about one-third or even one-quarter? Tell me honestly, Espee, how old is the oldest elder under you?”

“What does that matter?” Espee asked.

“How old!?” Donnie snapped. Espee said and lowered her head in shame. “You see, even though they keep dying, they keep placing their faith in you, faith. How can you give anyone hope, when you have none yourself.”

“Puto!” Espee yelled and turned around.

“Have you ever run into a priest named Russ?” Donnie asked.

“There are rumors about a priest that helps Foundlings, but I have never met him,” Espee replied.

“How much truth is behind that rumor?” Donnie asked.

“Lily’s story is not unique,” Espee replied. “I know of over one hundred Foundlings that can make a similar claim.”

“Wait, he rescues Foundlings?” Donnie asked, confused.

“Yes, and he somehow always finds us and delivers new Foundlings to whatever den he finds himself close to.” Espee looked perplexed as she just remembered something.

“What is it?” Donnie asked.

“He has been doing this for a long time,” she said.

“How long has he been at it?” Donnie asked.

“I don’t know . . . decades . . . maybe more,” Espee replied.

“And that never seemed odd to you?” Donnie looked at Espee with a quizzical look.

“No, he wasn’t a threat, so I never thought too hard about him. He has never spoken to me or wanted to meet me, yet he has been dropping orphans at my doorstep for years.

“He brings them to you?” Donnie asked, “Right to where you are hiding?”

“Yes,” Espee paused afterward as Donnie’s meaning hit her. “How is he finding me?”

“No idea,” Donnie said. “But I need to find him.”

“He comes and goes from Foundling dens. I can put a feeler out for him,” Espee said. “I don’t know how he can help you.”

“Please do so,” Donnie said and then turned to Lily. “Let’s go, partner.”

“Where are you going?” Espee asked.

“I need to go home,” Donne replied.

“Are you coming back, and how can I contact you?” Espee asked. Donnie handed Espee his phone.

“I will call you, or you can call Lily. It’s the only number programmed into that phone.”

“How long will you be away?” she asked.

“No more than a few days I think, unless you find him,” Donnie replied. Espee nodded and left. Donnie and Lily spent the night in a motel, and on the next night, they took another cab this time to the airport. From there, Donnie chartered a private plane that flew them directly to New Jersey. He ordered a few things in mid-flight.

“I have never been to New Jersey,” Lily said. “Is it pretty?” Donnie chuckled.

“It has its charms, like any other place,” he replied.

“Why do you have to go home?” Lily asked.

“I made a promise, and I intend to keep it before it’s too late.”

“What promise?” Lily asked. Donnie didn’t reply, and Lily took his silence as a sign that she should stop asking questions. They landed in Newark three hours later and got into their waiting limousine. Soon they were on their way. Lily could tell Donnie was fighting back tears as they drove from the airport.

“This visit has to do something with Abbie, right?” Lily said. “Abbie was very lucky to have you. She always said that you always took good care of her.”

“I was the lucky one, because however brief our time was, I got to have her. She was the stronger of us two.”

“What’s in this box?” Lily asked picking up a small cardboard box that was waiting in on the limo.

“Open it, but be careful with it,” Donnie replied. Lily ripped the box open and inside found an urn.

“It’s for her remains?” Lily asked.

“Yes,” Donnie replied solemnly.

“Can I help you pour them in?” Lily asked.

“Not while the car is moving, but when we get there, sure, I think she would like that,” he replied. They continued to travel for over an hour and finally stopped in front of a house.

“We are here, sir,” the driver said.

“Thank you,” Donnie replied. He and Lily carefully poured the entire contents of the vase into the ornate urn. Donnie reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and opened it. He produced a diamond and dropped it into the urn.

“Is that the diamond from her ring?” she asked.

“Yes,” Donnie said and closed the top. “Stay here.” Donnie got out and walked up the walkway. He reached the door and took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

“Who lives here?” Lily asked.

“I told you to stay in the car,” Donnie said. He was too distracted as to what he was going to say and didn’t notice that she had run up behind him.

“I thought you were talking to the driver,” Lily replied.

“You know very well I meant you, now go back,” Donnie ordered as the door opened. Donnie turned and was face-to-face with Johan.

“Donnie?” Johan said. “How long has it been? Camille! Donnie is here!”

“Too long, Johan,” Donnie said. “I’m truly sorry to bother you this late.”

“No it’s fine. Please come in, both of you,” Johan said.

“No, she stays in the limo,” Donnie said.

“Nonsense,” Johan said. “Don’t be ashamed of her. Please bring in your . . . wife?”

“She’s not my wife,” Donnie replied and bit his tongue and shot Lily a cold stare. “She needs to stay outside.” Camille came rushing out of the kitchen and pushed Johan aside and hugged Donnie warmly.

“I missed you, son,” Camille said as tears streamed down her face. Donnie returned the hug right away.

“Is this your mom, Donnie?” Lily asked.

“Johan and Camille Gottlieb,” Johan said, extending his hand out to Lily, “and you are . . . ?”

“No one,” Donnie interrupted. “She’s not staying.”

“Donato, do not be rude in my house,” Camille scolded. “She may come in.”

“I’m sorry, Camille. This is Lily,” Donnie said. “She’s an associate.”

“We’re partners,” Lily said smiling.

“Very good, please come in. I can warm up some dinner if you like.” Camille offered as she pulled Donnie inside. Donnie remembered how good her cooking was, and regretted not being able to partake in a warm bowl. Lily walked in behind him wide-eyed and excited. They moved to the living room and sat down.

“So tell us, Donnie. What have you been up to?” Johan asked. “By the look of your fine clothes, I’d say you’re doing very well.”

“This is going to be so much harder now,” Donnie said. “Thanks, Lily.”

“What did I do?” she asked defensively.

“This is Camille and Johan. They are Abbie’s parents,” Donnie said, looking at her.

“Oh!” Lily suddenly realized where they were. “Oh!”

“So, please, I beg you,” Donnie said. “Keep your mouth shut.”

“Donnie, why are you treating her like this?” Camille demanded.

“I’m sorry, Camille, but she has a tendency to speak before thinking,” Donnie replied. “I have something very important to tell you. It’s going to be hard on you both. I need to tell you carefully.”

“Wait, they don’t know?” Lily asked.

“No. That’s why I’m here,” Donnie replied. “Please, be quiet, just try it for once you might like it.”

“Donnie. I’m disappointed in you. You never treated Abbie like this,” Johan said. “What type of husband would you have made?”

“He made a great one,” Lily said and then quickly covered her mouth as her eyes went wide. Donnie simply let out a sigh and slumped in his seat.

“What is she saying, Donnie?” Johan asked. “Explain this immediately!”

“I would, if someone would just keep her mouth shut.” Donnie shot an evil look at Lily.

“Were you and Abbie married? Was she pregnant?” Camille asked. “Is that why she committed suicide, because she thought her future was over?”

“Yes and no,” Donnie began to get flustered, this was going all wrong. “Wait, just let me explain.”

“We’re listening, Donnie,” Johan said. Donnie took a deep breath and calmly gathered his thoughts.

“When I left, I told you that I was going away to look for answers. The truth is that when I told you that, I already had all the answers,” Donnie said. “I promised you that I would tell you if I found them, but for so long, I couldn’t tell you, we couldn’t tell you.”

“We?” Camille asked. “Who is we?”

“Him and Abbie,” Lily blurted out. Donnie snapped his head to face Lily. She knew he was pissed now.

“You weren’t a popular kid, were you?”

“Donnie. What is she talking about?” Camille asked. Donnie ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to find the right words.

“You, Lily, tell me what happened to my little girl?” Johan demanded. He leaned into her, and Lily was immediately intimidated by Johan.

“She died four days ago!” Lily yelled out. The room went deathly quiet.

“What?” Johan said softly.

“Thanks a lot, partner, so much for breaking it nice and easy to them,” Donnie scolded.

“My daughter was alive,” Johan’s voice trembled with anger. “And you let us think she was dead for over five years, and now you come to tell me that she’s really dead?”

“Donnie, say it isn’t true,” Camille said as she burst into tears.

“It’s true, but there was a good reason,” Donnie began.

“There is no good reason to keep her from us,” Johan said as he got up. “To let us think she was dead!” He began hitting Donnie in the face. Over and over he struck Donnie until his knuckles were bloody, and Donnie’s face was crushed and broken. Camille tried to stop him, but Johan’s rage was uncontrollable. Lily watched as Donnie didn’t put up a fight. Johan continued to pummel Donnie mercilessly. Camille tried to wrestle the massive man away from Donnie, but she did not have the strength Johan had. Lily looked at Donnie and could see that he was weeping, not from the blows but from something else. His face held such sorrow. She had enough. Lily stood up and with one hand shoved Johan back onto the sofa easily.

“Enough!” she cried out. “He doesn’t deserve that, and you need to stop.” Johan looked up at Lily absolutely surprised that she so easily pushed him back.

“Wow, I’m really sorry, Donnie. I just can’t keep my big mouth shut, please forgive me.”

“Why are you talking to him?” Camille asked as she looked at Donnie’s crushed face. “Johan just killed him!”

“Actually, Camille, I died five years ago, just like Abbie,” Donnie sat back up, and his wounds healed.

After several minutes of awkward silence Johan finally spoke up, “How is this possible?”

“I just can’t sugarcoat this anymore,” he said. “There is no easy way to explain it. So I will give it to you straight.” Donnie spent the next hour detailing the events of the last five years to Johan and Camille. Through heartfelt tears, he explained about spring break, the Reich, the Foundlings, Tranquility, and finally Miami. Donnie’s visit also answered some lingering questions Johan and Camille had about a home invasion they had endured. The intruder demanded to know where Abbie was, it no longer seemed strange at all. Donnie opened up the box that contained the urn and handed it to Johan. “I came to bring her home and explain everything to you. I felt I owed you that much.” Johan and Camille sat in quiet contemplation.

“I still can’t believe this, vampires?” Camille said.

“Yes, there are many of us. Lily, here is one as well.” Donnie motioned over to her.

“So what will you do now?” Johan asked.

“I’m going to kill as many of the Reich as I can, until I can’t kill any more,” he replied.

“Make me one, Donnie,” Johan said. “Make me a vampire. I want to get revenge on them. I want to fight along your side. I want justice for my little girl.”

“No!” Lily said. “You never want this. I’m afraid, every day, that I’ll kill someone accidentally. You loose control so easily.”

“She’s right,” Donnie said. “Besides, I have no idea how to do it.”

“Promise us Donnie!” Johan said. “Promise us that you will avenge her!”

“I won’t rest,” he said. “I swear it to you.”

“And don’t be such a stranger,” Camille said, “my, son. Don’t feel alone in this. You will always have a home here.”

“I will try, Camille,” Donnie said. “Even though I fear that coming here, I may have placed you in danger.”

“They killed our little girl,” Johan said. “There isn’t much they can do to us now.”

“Johan is right,” Camille said. “If they come for us, we won’t make it easy for them.”

“I’ll make sure it never comes to that,” Donnie said. “I promise.” Donnie, Lily, Camille, and Johan spoke well into the night.

CHAPTER 40

The Order

DONNIE AND LILY left the Gottlieb’s home and returned to the limo. Donnie seemed more somber than usual, and Lily noticed. “Donnie?” Lily asked tentatively.

“Yes?”

“You brought her home to her parents. You gave them closure,” Lily said. “I know it’s sad, but you did a good thing back there, a good thing for Abbie.”

“I know. It just hit me again all of a sudden,” Donnie replied. “I don’t know how much time I have left.” The limo began moving forward.

“Time left for what?” Lily asked.

“To save Abbie,” he replied.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about?” she looked at Donnie, but he was deep in thought and decided to drop it. She started looking out the window as they traveled down the roads. Lily remained intentionally quiet, and Donnie could not be more thankful. After a little while, Lily turned to Donnie.

“Nope, I don’t like being quiet,” Lily said. Donnie just looked at her and smiled, there was something about this young girl, and she was so full of life. She was always so optimistic.

“At least you tried,” Donnie said and lay back in his seat. Lily sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“So what’s next partner?” Lily asked excitedly.

“I have two stops before we head home,” he replied.

“We’re going back to Miami tonight?” Lily asked.

“No, my home, here in New Jersey,” Donnie explained. The limo began driving down a twisted road, and Lily instantly became uncomfortable. Donnie noticed it right away as she stiffened and looked frightened.

“What are we doing in a cemetery?” Lily asked with wide eyes.

“I need to visit my parents,” Donnie said. “It’s been too long. I need to pay my respects.” Lily lowered her head.

“I never got to pay my final respects to my maw and paw,” Lily said sadly.

“I’ll make sure you get that chance,” Donnie promised. The limo stopped, and the driver looked back.

“We’re here, sir.”

“Thank you.” Donnie got out of the limo.

“Can I come?” Lily asked. “I don’t really want to stay in the limo alone while it’s in a graveyard.”

“You don’t want to stay in the limo period,” Donnie replied. “Fine, come along.” Lily tried to exit the limo but was unable to step out of it.

“Donnie, I’m stuck,” Lily said. “I can’t get out of the limo.” Donnie looked back at her and wondered why she couldn’t and he could.

“You can’t get out?” Donnie asked.

“Nope, and now that I see all those crosses, I think I will stay in here,” Lily replied and shut the door. Donnie turned around and looked at the landscape and easily counted over a dozen crosses. While they were in Tranquility, all crosses were kept covered, but he never really understood why. He had never felt any fear or repulsion to them. Other Foundlings in the compound, and even Abbie, had claimed that they frightened them, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. He had simply attributed it to their minds playing tricks on them. They were told to avoid them, and they did. Why had he been so oblivious to this fact? He was probably standing on holy ground at this very moment. He walked back over to Lily.

“Lily, are you really afraid, or do you just think you are afraid?” he asked.

“I can’t get out,” Lily replied. “It’s like someone keeps pushing me back into the car.”

“OK, stay here.” He walked over to his parents’ graves and laid flowers on their graves. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Papi.” Donnie stood at their headstones for several minutes and then got down on his knees and said a prayer for each. He got up and kissed each headstone. “I am sorry I was away for so long, if I can help it, I will visit you more often.” He turned and walked back to the limo and got in. The car began moving again and headed to its next destination.

“Where are we going now?” Lily asked.

“You’re not going to like it,” he replied. Lily looked out of the car once they had exited the cemetery grounds and watched the scenery change as they drove from neighborhood to neighborhood. She was genuinely fascinated with everything she was seeing. After thirty minutes, they arrived at Council of Saints Church.

“A church, are you insane?” Lily asked in shock. “You’ll burn up in there!”

“I need to go to confession.” Donnie exited the limo.

“Donnie, wait, don’t do this!” Lily said. “I know you miss her, but killing yourself won’t solve anything.” Donnie smiled and closed the door on her, turned around, and began walking up the stairs. Lily watched as he walked up the stairs and into the church, she began to worry. Donnie entered the church and stood under the archway for a few minutes, and then proceeded inside. So far so good, he thought. He reached a bowl of holy water and dipped his fingers in it and said a prayer, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, and deliver us, and forgive our sins, for thy name’s sake.” He walked down the aisle and made eye contact with several parishioners. There were only a few people in the church at this time of night. He made his way to the front of the church where he could see Father Dominick speaking with a young woman. Father Dominick looked up, and his expression changed. He got a look of fear and panic. He whispered something to the young woman, and he walked toward Donnie.

“Father Dom, it’s me Donato Guerrero, how have you been?” Donnie asked and held out his hand to him. Father Dominick Luna was a short and stocky man, but he had often claimed that he was an athlete and an Olympian. A fact that Donnie would have doubted if not for the myriad of trophies and medals he kept. Father Dom, as he liked to be called, had been extremely close to his dad. Along with Father Bennie, the three had been inseparable. Donnie counted him as a trusted confidant and friend.

“How dare you come in here?” Father Dominick said. “You unholy spawn of Satan.”

“Wait, what?” Donnie was stunned at the outburst and could see several other priests enter the church and begin ushering everyone out.

“I don’t know how you managed it, but this is your final affront to our Lord God!” Dominick placed a large golden cross on Donnie’s forehead. Donnie just blinked a few times and waited. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Dominick looked at his cross and with even more determination placed the cross on Donnie’s chest and pushed it in. Donnie placed one finger on the cross and pushed it away and then crossed his arms.

“Is Father Benitez here?” Donnie said. “I’d like to confess.” Father Dominick took a step back and pulled the cross apart. Donnie watched as hidden within it was a stake. The cross’s bottom had served as a sheath. Father Dominick lunged at him and attempted to stab him with the wooden shaft. “Hey, wait a minute!” Donnie yelled as he tried to avoid the blow. He was ill prepared for the priest’s impressive skill wielding this weapon. Father Dominick adjusted the trajectory of his strike perfectly and sunk the stake deep in Donnie’s heart.

“Ha! Hell spawn. Now your evil ways come to an end!” Dominick said as the other priests closed in on him. Donnie looked at Father Dom and then looked down at his chest and then back at Father Dom.

“Ow! That really hurt!” Donnie said and pulled the stake out of his heart.

“Impossible!” Father Dominick said, “What are you?” Donnie pulled the stake out of his chest and wondered how Father Dom knew he was a vampire.

“This is a two hundred dollar shirt,” Donnie said, trying to diffuse the situation “Now, may I please see my priest. I would really like to confess.”

“I’m here, Donato,” Father Benitez said and walked out from the shadows. “I will hear your confession my son.”

“Father Benitez! He is a son of Satan,” Father Dominick said. “He must be destroyed.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” Father Benitez asked. “He appears to be immune to the instruments of the Lord. Come this way, Donnie.” Donnie began to follow Father Benitez and tossed the stake over to Father Dominick. Father Benitez took Donnie to a backroom and had him take a seat at a table in what looked like a small kitchen.

“What happened to you, Donnie?” Father Benitez asked as he sat down.

“I became a vampire,” Donnie replied.

“I suspect it didn’t happen by choice, did it?” Father Benitez asked.

“Not really, it was an accident,” Donnie replied.

“So you’re a Foundling?” Father Benitez asked.

“How do you know that term? And why did Father Dom go all ninja on me?” He asked.

“I know this because we’re the sworn enemies of all that is evil,” Father Benitez began. “We are part of an ancient order dedicated to the extermination of all of your kind.” Father Benitez exposed a fold within his robe and revealed a patch that had been secretly embroidered into the fabric. Donnie looked at it, and his eyes went wide.

“I’ve seen that before,” Donnie said. “My dad had a patch just like it. It was hidden deep in his desk.”

“Yes, Donnie, your father was set to join our order when he was called away,” Father Benitez explained.

“I don’t feel like an evil hell spawn of Satan,” Donnie said. “All I wanted to do was confess.”

“The fact that you could even enter the house of god tells me that you are not,” Father Benitez said. “I will hear your confession.” Donnie explained to Father Benitez at length what had happened to him and Abbie. He begged for forgiveness for his sins. Father Benitez listened intently and granted him forgiveness in the name of the Lord. Donnie felt a calm come over him.

“Remain in this room. I need to make a phone call,” Father Benitez said. Donnie nodded and waited. Father Dominick entered the kitchen from another door and began throwing holy water on Donnie. Donnie turned around and looked at him.

“Seriously, Father Dom?” Donnie looked at him in disbelief and expected him to jump out at him with another weapon. Father Dominick made an audible humph and exited the kitchen the same way he came in. Father Benitez returned shortly after.

“The vampire in the limo outside, is it with you?” he asked.

“Yeah, she’s with me,” Donnie replied. “Please don’t hurt her.”

“I have been instructed to allow you to leave unharmed, both of you,” Father Benitez said.

“Can I ask you how you knew we are vampires?”

“There are humans that can detect a vampire by simply looking at them. The ability manifests at different times. Your dad was one such person as is Father Dominick. They are invaluable to our cause.”

“Well, I appreciate that,” Donnie said. “I should go before Father Dom tries to set fire to me or something.”

“He has killed over one hundred vampires,” Father Benitez informed. “He’s one of the best.”

“How many have you killed?”

“More than him,” Father Benitez replied and smiled. “The head of our order wishes to speak to you.”

“Is he here?” Donnie asked.

“No, but he’s on his way,” Father Benitez replied. “He wishes to meet you away from the church.”

“Look, he’s not going to show up with a bunch or ninja priests and try to kill me, is he?”

“No, he genuinely wishes to speak to you,” Father Benitez replied.

“Then he can come to my house and meet us there,” Donnie said. “You know the address.” Donnie got up and began walking out. Father Benitez followed him.

“I’m truly sorry this happened to you, Donato,” Father Benitez said as they reached the archway leading out.

“Makes two of us,” Donnie said. “But it wasn’t so bad as long as I had Abbie.” Donnie walked down to the limo and got in “Home.” Lily began to speak, but Donnie held up a single finger and waved it in front of her. She crossed her arms and looked away angrily. Even though she had a million questions, she was greatly relieved that he was still alive. They reached Donnie’s old house within fifteen minutes. Donnie looked at his old home as he got out. He dismissed the driver for the evening and proceeded with Lily up the walkway. He could tell that there had been several improvements made on the exterior.

Misha and CeeCee had changed the color and re-shingled the roof, and he thought it looked good. Donnie walked up to the door and looked for the key where he had hidden it years ago and retrieved it. He opened the door and turned on the lights. The house looked completely different. Every bit of furniture had been replaced, and once again Donnie was impressed. He could tell the new furnishings were all CeeCee’s doing, after all she did have great taste.

“Nice house, Donnie, can I come in,” Lily asked.

“Yes, I invite you,” Donnie said, and Lily was able to enter. She began exploring the house right away. She ran upstairs and then came back down. Donnie went into his father’s office; it was the only room that had not been altered, except for a few toys that were scattered on the floor. Donnie got the impression that the house was still being actively used.

“Donnie, where do we sleep?” Lily asked. “Sun will be coming up soon, and there is a big bed in the master bedroom with a crib. The other room has a small child’s bed.”

“Basement,” Donnie replied. “It will have the least amount of sunlight coming in.” Donnie grabbed a few comforters from the closet and took them to the basement. While in the basement, he discovered his old sleeping bags and laid them out. He made two beds a dozen feet apart. Donnie let Lily feed from him once again before they went to sleep. After the feeding frenzy he had days ago, and feeding Lily twice, he still had blood to spare. Donnie and Lily lay down to sleep through the day. It was the deepest sleep Donnie had enjoyed in days.

Donnie woke up just before sundown and looked around. Lily had wiggled her way over next to him during the daysleep and was now comfortably nestled against him. It struck him, just how innocent she really was! He got up and covered her in the comforter and went upstairs. The sun was just beginning to set when there was a knock on the door. He opened the door and found two men standing on his porch. One was Father Benitez, and the other was a man in his late fifties.

“Donnie, this is the Grandmaster of our Order,” Father Benitez said. Donnie ushered them in and then kept looking around outside.

“What are you looking for, Donnie?” Father Benitez asked.

“Snipers,” he said and closed the door when he was satisfied that was not a big trap.

“So you’re the vampire that entered the church unfettered?” the man asked. He had a strange accent that Donnie could not place.

“Yeah, I guess,” he replied.

“You held a cross and were not harmed by holy water?” the man asked.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Donnie said as he motioned them to the living room.

“Is he the one, Grandmaster?” Father Benitez asked.

“I am not sure,” the Grandmaster replied. “There was to be another sign.” Donnie heard the basement door open as Lily walked out of the basement.

“We are not alone?” the Grandmaster asked.

“No, there is someone staying with me,” Donnie replied.

“It must be the other vampire that was in the car,” Father Benitez said.

“Ah, yes, I remember now,” the Grandmaster said. Lily, hearing people in the living room, walked over. She looked at Donnie and then at the priests and smiled.

“Hi Russ,” she said and walked over and hugged the Grandmaster warmly. Donnie was floored.

“Hello, child, it does my heart good to see you, and see you are still intact,” Russ said.

“You’re Russ?” Donnie asked. Russ looked over to Father Benitez and smiled.

“At last,” Russ said. “They have finally seen fit to release me.” Lily sat down next to Russ and looked at Donnie who was in a state of shock and awe.

“Yeah, this is Russ,” Lily replied and smiled.

“But,” Donnie said. “You help Foundlings find shelter.”

“That is correct,” Russ replied.

“And you’re the head of a vampire killing order of ninja priests?” Donnie asked.

“That too would be correct,” Russ replied.

“I’m so confused,” Donnie replied.

“Do not be, my son, for you are the answer to my unanswered prayers,” Russ said.

“Still lost over here,” Donnie said. “I was hoping to get some answers, but I only have more questions now.”

“Be still, my son,” Russ said. “All your questions will be answered. I promise you this, but I must first ask a favor of you.”

“You want a favor from me?” he asked.

“Yes, you must do something for me,” Russ said. “If you swear to me that you will do this task I ask of you, then in turn I will teach you everything you need to know.”

“What is this task?” Donnie asked.

“I cannot say yet, but I need your word, sir, that you will complete this task without hesitation,” Russ said. “Do not worry. The task will not endanger your immortal soul. You will commit no sin.”

“I have to agree to do something for you. But you are not going to tell me what it is, and it’s not a sin?” Donnie asked. “Do I have that right?”

“Correct,” Russ said.

“OK, I guess,” Donnie said.

“So you vow?” Russ asked.

“Yes, I do vow to complete your task, once I have been taught.” Donnie chose his word very carefully.

“Excellent,” Russ said. “We can begin then.”

“Do you know why you are here?” Russ asked.

“Duh,” Donnie said, “that’s why I’m talking to you.”

“They have told you next to nothing, typical,” Russ said, annoyed. “You are my replacement.”

“Wait, I don’t want to join the priesthood,” Donnie said, waiving his arms.

“No, you will not have to do that, unless you want to,” Russ said.

“Well, I don’t,” he said. “So what do you mean by replacement?”

“I was a horrible choice,” Russ said. “He loves us all so much. I did what I could, but my vision was just too narrow. I did not have a strong enough heart to do what needed to be done, so I gave up trying.”

“Not making any sense.” Donnie was sure Russ was insane.

“Let me start at the beginning,” Russ said. “My true name is Lazarus of Bethany, and I have lived as a vampire for over two thousand years.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” Donnie said. “You expect me to believe that you are the Lazarus?”

“Who is Lazarus?” Lily asked.

“Lazarus was a man who died and who was then brought back to life by Jesus,” Donnie said and then paused, “No way.” How did he miss it, Donnie thought? He could see it clearly now. Lazarus smiled and looked over to Donnie.

“You knew Jesus?” Lily asked. “The Jesus?”

“Yes, I knew him very well,” Lazarus replied.

“What was he like?” Lily asked. Donnie looked at her suddenly.

“Lily!” Donnie said slightly laughing. Lazarus and even Father Benitez laughed at her innocent question.

“He was inspiring,” Lazarus said. “Donnie, remember this moment and hold it close to your heart. This is why we do what we do.”

“Do what?” Donnie asked.

“Kill the evil ones,” Lazarus said, “So that pure souls like hers do not fall prey to the sickness that are vampires.”

“So I am here to kill vampires?” Donnie asked. “That’s my purpose?”

“Yes,” Lazarus replied. “This is our divine duty.” Donnie contemplated this for a few moments.

“Sure, I’m game,” Donnie said. “But I need your help as well.”

“What do you need from me?” Lazarus asked.

“I need to free Abbie. Her soul is in danger.”

“So she was a vampire who has been destroyed?”

“Yes, we need to get her soul back,” Donnie said.

“Donnie, once her soul belongs to a Source, you cannot claim it back. You can only destroy that Source,” Lazarus explained.

“So let’s go take him out,” Donnie said.

“It is not that easy,” Lazarus said. “I tried to destroy a Source once, and I failed.”

“You were unable to do it?” Donnie asked.

“I tracked him for a 150 years and finally caught up to him in what is now known as New Zealand. We battled for five days and finally the Marked One defeated me.”

“Who’s the Marked One?” Donnie asked.

“He is the first vampire. He is also the one who committed the first murder when he killed his brother Abel,” Lazarus replied.

“You went after what presumably is the oldest and strongest vampire in existence?” Donnie asked.

“Yes, to kill a snake, you sever its head,” Lazarus said. “So I tried to sever his.”

“So what happened next?” Donnie asked.

“I had failed, so I lost hope and stopped trying,” Lazarus replied.

“My paw always said you never go into a snake pit to kill a sidewinder,” Lily said. “You wait till it comes out.”

“So you quit, because you got your tail whipped?” Donnie asked. “Is that right?”

“Yes, but I created the order to help keep their numbers down, but I knew I didn’t have any fight left in me,” Lazarus admitted. “To my eternal shame, I must admit that they broke my spirit.”

“I don’t get you,” Donnie said. “You can’t just quit. I need your help.”

“I will give you all the training you will need,” Lazarus said. “Then you will perform my task.”

“How long will that take?” Donnie asked.

“No less than fifty years,” Lazarus replied.

“No! I don’t have that long! Abbie will be found and taken to hell well before that,” Donnie said. “I can’t allow that!”

“There is not much we can do about it,” Lazarus said. “It took me fifty years, just to learn what Uriel had to teach me, and I never mastered what Ariel had to teach me.”

“Who are you talking about?” Donnie asked. “Who trained you, and how long did it take?”

“Uriel, and I never completed my training,” Lazarus said. “But I can teach you what I know.”

“No deal!” Donnie said.

“You made a vow!” Lazarus said angrily, and the temperature in the room rose several degrees.

“If I refuse to learn from you, then I will not be obligated to do anything for you,” Donnie said.

“Your tongue is a glib as Lucifer’s,” Lazarus accused.

“Whatever! New deal, you help me fight this Gestapo dude, and I will do this mystery task for you,” Donnie said. “Take it or leave it. I’m going after him with or without you. If I’m dead, I can’t perform any tasks.”

“This is not what I came here for!” Lazarus said angrily. “Azrael! Azrael! I wilts speak to thee!” Lazarus simply vanished. Lily and Father Benitez looked around in astonishment.

“Where did he go?” Lily asked.

“I’m still not sure,” Father Benitez said. “He did this once before.”

“I see him,” Donnie said and got up and started walking toward Lazarus. Donnie could still see Lazarus; he appeared to be translucent and was walking around the house like a ghost. He seemed to be arguing with someone and was highly agitated. He continued walking around and through walls. Donnie got up and walked toward Lazarus, who then suddenly turned and marched toward Donnie, and walked through Donnie as if he had been unaware that Donnie was standing in his way. Lily and Father Benitez watched as Donnie vanished as well.

Donnie found himself in a great white-marbled hall. He looked down and was standing on a bed of fluffy clouds. No way, he said to himself. “Unacceptable!” Lazarus screamed from behind him. Donnie turned around to see Lazarus walking side by side with what he was sure was an angel. His wings were glorious, and Donnie listened to their conversation and was shocked. “You promised me he would help me!”

“I promised you that he would be willing to help you,” Azrael said. “If you refuse to tell me what you want from him, how can I promise you anything? But I suspect I know what you want.”

“He wants my help in destroying a Source,” Lazarus said. “You know just as well as I that no one has been able to accomplish this.”

“I really don’t think you have a choice,” Azrael said. “He loves that girl with all his heart and is willing to go to the brink of oblivion for her. You need to ask yourself how badly you want his help.”

“I am not a warrior. I was a stonecutter,” Lazarus said. “I cannot help him.”

“Yet you protected the son of Christ,” Azrael rebutted.

“That was different.”

“How was it dissimilar?”

“I loved him and would have done anything to protect him.”

“Is what Donnie does any different?”

“No, I guess not,” Lazarus said. “But I failed him. He died, and I still don’t understand his choice.”

“It was his choice. You never failed him. He died for the sins of man,” Azrael said. “He cleansed every living being of all their sins.”

“But why everyone?” Lazarus asked. “Why not just Christians? It is a question I have wanted answered for so long.”

“Lazarus, I have tried to explain it to you, but you refuse to see,” Azrael replied and placed a hand on Lazarus’s shoulder. “Open your mind, and you will answer you own question.”

“I am too old and too set in my ways,” Lazarus said. “The boy was my last chance.”

“Then help him,” Azrael said, “If he succeeds, he will grant your request.”

“How can you be so sure?” Lazarus asked.

“I keep my promises,” Donnie said. Lazarus and Azrael turned around. Donnie was surprised to look into Azrael’s face.

“How is he here?” Lazarus asked.

“He has developed a knack for going to places he is not supposed to venture into,” Azrael said. “Hello, Donnie.”

“Hello, Shadow Walker,” Donnie said. “Or is it Azrael?” Azrael smiled.

“It is both. We told you that we are many things,” Azrael said.

“I get it,” Donnie said. “It’s crystal clear to me now.” Donnie was amazed that he was standing before the Archangel Azrael, who had the same face as Shadow Walker. They were the same being, just in a different place.

“What does he speak of and why does he call you, one who walks in shadows?” Lazarus asked, and Azrael turned to him.

“It is what I have tried to show you over and over again,” Azrael said.

“Hey!” Donnie said. “I hate to be rude, I really do, but time is ticking. Are you going to help me Russ or not?”

“If I render aid, do you swear to do the favor I will ask of you?” Lazarus asked.

“Once we get her back,” Donnie said. “I will do as you ask, I so swear.”

“Then we have an accord,” Lazarus said. “I will help you.” Azrael looked at them both and then spread his angelic wings and flew away.

“So how do we get back?” Donnie asked.

“They really have taught you nothing?” Lazarus said.

“I’m a fast study,” Donnie replied. Lazarus smiled and placed his hand on Donnie’s shoulder. They reappeared in his living room, moments after they had left.

“Hey, you’re back,” Lily said.

“Miss me?” Donnie asked. Lily made a face and rolled her eyes.

“Prepare the Order,” Lazarus said to Father Benitez. “We go to war!”

CHAPTER 41

Gestapo Müller

IT WAS MAY 2, 1945, Berlin, Germany. A young officer ran as fast as he could. He could hear the sounds of warfare, a few blocks away, as he raced to the top floor of the building. His name was Leonhard, and he was the personal secretary to Major General Heinrich “Gestapo” Müller. He had just received news, news that needed to be delivered immediately. He almost tripped in his rush to deliver the message as a tank shell landed nearby. He reached the Third Reich Main Security Office of the federal chancellor’s office. Leonhard spotted Gestapo as he busily radioed commands to his police force in the streets of Berlin. He took a deep breath and walked up to Gestapo and saluted as he snapped the heels of his boots together. “Report,” Gestapo said as he turned to face the young man. Heinrich “Gestapo” Müller was a man of small stature but who commanded incredible respect. He had neatly cut black hair and thin lips. His gaze was cold and piercing, years of spying and espionage had given him the ability to sum up any situation or person within seconds.

“The Führer is dead,” Leonhard said out loud. The activity in the room ceased instantly. Everyone began looking at Leonhard and Gestapo.

“How, are we breached?” Gestapo asked.

“By his own hand, Major General,” Leonhard said. “He used his pistol.”

“He brings us to this point and then takes his own life and leaves the Fatherland to the ravages of the Red Army!” Gestapo yelled. “Coward!” Everyone in the room was shocked by his remarks.

“What do we do, sir?” Leonhard asked.

“I haven’t the faintest intention of being taken prisoner by the Russians,” Gestapo said. “Neither should any of you. I know their Communists methods well, and you do not want to end up as their prisoner.”

“So what do we do?” A young woman asked.

“I have a plane waiting. I have enough room for three people,” Gestapo said. “I will fly to Munich and attempt to organize a counter offensive for the Fatherland. Berlin is lost to us. Who of you will follow me?” Gestapo looked around and no one said anything. Even his aide, Leonhard, was silent.

“So no one will follow me?” Gestapo asked.

“How do we get to the plane?” a young radio operator asked.

“We fight our way to it. Guns in hand, killing as many Russians as we can in the process,” Gestapo replied.

“That is madness,” the young woman said.

“Remember your words when you are being raped, by a hundred different Russian cocks,” Gestapo said coldly to the young woman. “Do you have any idea of what the Russians will do to a pretty little thing like you? Madness is staying here.”

“I will go with you, sir,” Leonhard said.

“Look at Leonhard, this is what a patriot looks like,” Gestapo said. He then looked with disgust at everyone else in the room, turned on his heels, and marched out of the office. He and Leonhard made their way to a munitions locker, and after arming themselves, exited the chancellery building. The Russians had most of Berlin surrounded, and there was rampant infighting in amongst the streets. Gestapo was unrelenting, and soon Leonhard and he had commandeered a Russian jeep. They pulled the dead Russian soldiers off the vehicle and donned their overcoats and hats and began driving toward the airstrip. After a few encounters and a quick firefight at a guard station, they had managed to bypass all of the Russian troops. Their ruse had worked. Gestapo even managed a smile as he enjoyed his success.

After twelve miles of rugged terrain, they had reached the airfield. They avoided most roads as Gestapo expected them to be patrolled. Most of the airfields had been bombed and were now unusable. Every plane on the airstrip had been destroyed either by bombs or disabled by ground troops.

“Sir, every plane has been destroyed,” Leonhard said.

“Not every plane,” Gestapo replied and drove past the airfield completely to a nearby lake. There, under heavy camouflage, Gestapo had hidden a Dornier Do 12 seaplane. The aircraft was about thirty feet long and had a wingspan of just over forty feet. Now Leonhard understood; this craft was a seaplane, and once it was lowered into the lake, it could take off from the lake’s surface, bypassing the need for an airstrip.

“How did you manage to hide this here?” Leonhard asked.

“It was a contingency plan for the Führer’s escape,” Gestapo replied. “Since he is dead, and I neglected to tell him about it, he has no further use of it.” Gestapo continued to remove the heavy canvas covers.

“But it was nowhere in your files or records,” Leonhard said. “I would have seen it.” Gestapo turned to Leonhard and discovered that his young secretary was holding a pistol aimed at him.

“So you have been looking through my files,” Gestapo said and began walking toward him.

“Stay where you are,” Leonhard ordered. “Yes, I have been spying on you for some time now. Now toss over your sidearm.” Gestapo unbuckled his pistol and tossed it over to Leonhard and then looked around.

“Who are you spying for, Himmler or Bormann?” Gestapo asked.

“Stalin,” Leonhard replied proudly. “I asked for this assignment. I worked my way up through the ranks of the Third Reich and into the chancellery office itself. When they offered me the opportunity to work along your side, I could barely contain myself.”

“Why is that?” Gestapo asked genuinely interested. “Working next to Himmler or Hitler would have been more useful.”

“Working along your side, I could provide my comrades the intelligence they would need to finally take the city of Berlin.”

“You are German, I checked you out thoroughly before I allowed you to serve under me,” Gestapo said as he sat down on a rock nearby.

“Yes, I am. I also purposely scored lower on my exams, as I knew you preferred to surround yourself with subordinates who are of lesser intelligence than you.”

“I see you have studied me well,” Gestapo smiled.

“I have waited for this opportunity for five years,” he said, “for a chance to end your vile stench on this earth.”

“What did I do to you?”

“You killed my parents. You didn’t know they were my parents, just some members of the Red Orchestra, you had put to death.”

“They were spies, communist spies, operating in Germany. If they did not want to be in danger, they should have stayed in Russia.”

“We were Bavarian, just like you,” Leonhard said. “How could you be so cruel to your own people?”

“It was my duty. Orders were given, and I followed them,” he replied. “I regret none of it, especially killing Communists. The Fatherland always comes first.”

“I should have killed you a long time ago, but I waited too long,” Leonhard said.

“Why didn’t you?” Gestapo could see the boy was getting agitated and careless.

“You never took vacation. You were never far from your post, and I never had an opportunity,” Leonhard answered. “I should have tried harder, and after finding out who the true architect behind the mass killing of my Jewish people, and so many others, I felt so guilty. I could not let you escape. When no one decided to follow you, I knew this would be the perfect opportunity.”

“So you know that it is I who organized everything for Himmler and the Führer?” Gestapo asked. “I have come up with so many ideas on how to exterminate Jews and every other undesirable that I have lost track of how many have died by my inventions. The gas trucks though, are still my favorite.”

“You are a monster.” Leonhard was disgusted. “How could you contrive such methods of mass murder? Why do you always have to be so damn efficient?”

“It is my duty, I do as I am ordered to,” Gestapo replied calmly without any trace of emotion.

“No! You don’t get to hide behind orders. You reveled in how efficient your death squads became!” Leonhard yelled.

“Revel is such a strong word. I would say pride. I took great pride in performing my duties to their fullest,” Gestapo replied.

“I was going to bring you in, but then decided to kill you myself,” Leonhard said. Gestapo stood back up.

“I have concluded a few things myself, Leonhard.” Gestapo said.

“What is that?”

“You had more than enough opportunities to kill me. You have had a sidearm with you most every day we were outside the chancellery office. You could have killed me at a hundred different places, including the drive here, but you lacked the conviction.” Gestapo took a step toward Leonhard.

“Stay back! I will shoot you.”

“Please, do you really think I didn’t know who you were working for?” Gestapo said and continued walking toward Leonhard confidently. “I can get information on anyone.”

“I will shoot you!” Leonhard warned.

“Go ahead. You forgot to reload your pistol,” Gestapo said. Leonhard looked down at his pistol, and it was all the distraction Gestapo needed. He lunged at Leonhard and hit him on the head with a rock he had hidden in his hand. Leonhard managed to squeeze off one shot before his head was caved in by the rock wielded by Gestapo. The bullet hit him in the leg. He quickly hobbled over to the plane and retrieved a medical kit. The wound was bleeding, but he was able to apply a tourniquet to it quickly. He finished uncovering the plane and used the jeep to pull it into the lake. Once the aircraft was floating, he boarded it and started the engine.

The plane began moving across Lake Großer Müggelsee and began gaining speed. His movements had loosened the bandage on his leg, and it began bleeding once again. Nearby Russian troops were advancing on the lake, he would not be able to stop now. He placed pressure on his leg with one hand and pulled back on the yoke with the other. The aircraft took off from the surface of the lake whilst under fire from Russian troops; he could hear bullets hitting the hull. Gestapo lifted the plane high into the air and away from the gunfire. After he was high enough in the air, he turned the aircraft southward. He was struggling to fly the aircraft with only one hand, and any time he had to pull his hand away from his leg to make an adjustment to the throttle his bleeding would resume. There was no way he was going to make it to Munich in his current condition. After an hour, he felt he had flown far enough away from the Russian troops and decided to land the plane in another lake to tend to his wound. He spotted a suitable body of water and started to make his descent.

Gestapo had lost a considerable amount of blood and unexpectedly passed out, forcing the plane into an even steeper dive. The aircraft crashed into the surface of the lake and broke into pieces. The remnants of the cabin began to sink under the waves the impact created. He was awoken by the cold water rushing into the cockpit, and he regained consciousness long enough to watch the light disappear as he sank to the bottom of the lake. As he sank to the bottom, he tried to move but both his arms and legs were broken by the crash. The little air that was left in the cockpit was quickly bubbling out through various cracks in the windshield. As the last bit of air escaped, and his head was completely covered by water, he committed himself to his fate and opened his mouth and exhaled.

Gestapo awoke on a dry city street. It looked like Munich, but somehow different. He stood up and looked around; he was surprised to find that all his injuries were healed. He was also dry, and as far as he could tell, it was nighttime, and no moon was visible, only dark clouds that blotted any glimpse of the sky. All the buildings shared an ominous feel to them. He could feel a myriad of eyes upon him but could not spot anyone. He began to hear footsteps approaching; he reached for his sidearm but found it was gone. The footsteps got louder and louder, he was sure someone was approaching, but again still could not see anyone. The footsteps stopped and everything became deathly silent. He looked down the road and then turned around to find a hooded man standing a mere foot from him. He recoiled back a few feet having been utterly startled. He took a fighting stance and faced the figure before him.

“Who are you!?” Gestapo asked.

“I am your salvation or your damnation,” he replied and stepped to within a few feet of Gestapo. The man wore a hooded cloak and his face could not be seen. His voice was low and guttural, just like a beast.

“Salvation is preferable,” Gestapo said.

“I have watched you for quite some time,” the hooded man said. “Of all the candidates; you are best suited to my task.”

“Who are you? And what do you want from me?” Gestapo asked.

“I am Lucifer, Satan or the devil if you prefer. What I want from you is your loyalty.”

“You want me to serve you?” Gestapo asked. “Why should I?”

“I believe you will find my offer to your benefit, or you can decline, and I will simply take you to hell. On the other hand if you accept my offer, I can send you back to the world of the living,” Lucifer replied. “The choice is yours.”

“Why choose me, why not Hitler or Himmler?” Gestapo asked.

“I need a ruthless and ambitious agent on earth, who will obey my commands without question or hesitation. I need someone who will take to heart what I ask of him as tenaciously as he took on the task of exterminating of so many innocents,” Lucifer said. “Hitler was weak and surrendered. Himmler and Bormann will fare no differently in a few days. I have other plans for them.”

“What exactly do you want from me?”

“The Third Reich is over,” Lucifer said. “Yet, I have a new war for you to join, as one of my generals.”

“I am intrigued, continue,” Gestapo said.

“Good,” Lucifer replied, and for a moment, a smile could be seen under the hood. “The war between heaven and hell still rages, but in a different way. When I challenged the creator for his throne, a great war began. The scripture says that I lost this war, and I was cast down, but this is a lie.”

“A lie, so what really happened?” Gestapo was intrigued.

“There was a truce, and I was given my own kingdom to rule because the creator loved us all so much, he didn’t want any more of his children lost to the abyss,” Lucifer explained. “I was given dominion over punishment of the wicked.”

“So you won?” Gestapo asked.

“The war was going badly, so I settled,” Lucifer confided, “but in the end I was cheated!”

“Cheated? You agreed to rule in hell rather than serve in heaven, how were you cheated?” Gestapo asked.

“I will never have enough power to overthrow the creator as long as I rule in hell,” Lucifer explained, “because of this place.” Lucifer pointed to his surroundings.

“What is this place?” Gestapo asked.

“Why this is purgatory,” Lucifer said. “In this place, all but the most wicked of souls are allowed to remain. In here, souls that should be mine are given a second chance to repent. This, is where I get cheated.”

“So I could stay here and ask for forgiveness?” Gestapo asked.

“Not you, you have committed many mortal sins,” Lucifer said. “You are already mine. You only remain here because of my will. I can take you at any time.”

“So what do you want from me?” Gestapo asked.

“If you will swear allegiance to me, I will grant you power, immortality, and wealth,” Lucifer said. “If you decline, you will be sent to hell for a very, very, very long time.”

“I thought hell was eternal,” Gestapo said.

“Another lie perpetuated by the scripture, but mostly my fault. I have twisted the creator’s messages since the beginning of mankind,” Lucifer replied. “Think of hell as a prison, and when your sentence is complete, you are allowed to return to earth to be reborn.”

“Reincarnation?” Gestapo asked. “How is that possible?”

“Yes, even in hell, the creator makes sure you get a second chance to gain entry into heaven,” Lucifer replied. “Another way he maintains his power base and diminishes mine.”

“So if I agree to this, what do I lose?” Gestapo asked. “What must I give up?”

“Your soul, it would belong to me forever,” Lucifer replied. “You will forfeit any chance of ever entering heaven.”

“So you want me to give up heaven and serve you?” Gestapo asked. “Giving up any chance of entering heaven seems like a steep price to pay.”

“Heaven is overrated,” Lucifer said. “Mortals tire of it often and choose to return to earth every day.”

“Heaven isn’t eternal either?” Gestapo asked.

“It can be, but everyone there has a choice; a choice to return and live again on earth,” Lucifer said. “It is mortal man’s greatest gift and flaw, free will.”

“Why would anyone ever leave the kingdom of heaven?” Gestapo tried to determine if the prince of lies was telling him the truth.

“That is an excellent question,” Lucifer said. “The answer lies in the human spirit. You see, in heaven, there is no suffering, no pain, and no hunger. Everything you need is provided for you, and you want for nothing.”

“That sounds like a great place to be,” Gestapo acknowledged.

“Does it?” Lucifer asked. “In heaven there are no challenges, no struggles, nothing to measure yourself by. How long do you think someone as ambitious as you would last there, a year, ten, maybe one hundred? Eventually, you would yearn for the taste of battle or the struggle of a new challenge, and you would return to earth and be reborn.”

“You are correct in this. I cannot sit around without a duty to perform.” Gestapo was sure of what he wanted. “What do I do?”

“So you swear your allegiance to me?” Lucifer asked.

“I so swear, I will serve,” Gestapo replied. “I will do anything you ask.” Lucifer produced his wrist and slit it with a talon like nail on his other hand.

“Drink of my blood, and you will gain unimaginable power,” Lucifer said. “I will expect great things from you.” Gestapo kneeled and grabbed the slashed wrist and lapped up the blood eagerly.

“Welcome to the war soldier,” Lucifer said. “Now, we can begin another great line.”

“I am ready,” Gestapo said. Lucifer placed his arm around Gestapo, and they walked down the streets in purgatory, and in those moments, The Reich was created.

***

Present day New Orleans LA.

“My Führer!” Frieda cried out as she ran into a large cathedral-like room made of black marble. She was obviously distressed.

Gestapo watched as she ran into his throne room and said, “Lieutenant, why are you here and not in Florida?”

“My apologies, sir, but Miami is lost to us,” Frieda replied and knelt down before him. “It was not my fault, sir.”

“What do you mean, we have lost Miami?” Gestapo asked.

“A very powerful vampire attacked the New Berlin,” Frieda explained. “He killed everyone, every vampire, and then destroyed the New Berlin.”

“What?” Gestapo said. “How was this done?”

“I’m not sure, sir,” Frieda said. “When I returned to the New Berlin, it had been consumed by a sinkhole. It seemed unnatural.”

“Who is this vampire?” Gestapo asked. “Did you see his face? Did he have a mark on his forehead? Was he an Old One?”

“I did see his face, on several occasions, and it bore no mark upon his brow,” Frieda replied.

“When did you first encounter him?” Gestapo asked.

“He was living among the Foundlings, and when we took the Jew girl, as you commanded, and he came for her,” Frieda replied. Gestapo closed his eyes, and Frieda could see rapid movements of his eyes.

“Suddenly her soul is missing,” Gestapo informed.

“We killed her, sir. I saw the ash and sand,” Frieda said defensively.

“I did have her soul, so I know she met her final death.” Gestapo stroked his chin gently. “Odd that I cannot sense her soul now. What can you tell me about our newfound enemy?”

“Only that he was extremely powerful,” Frieda said. “He killed Hans and Commander von Bock and killed them easily.”

“So he followed you from the building to the resort?” Gestapo asked.

“Yes, and no one survived,” Frieda replied.

“Were any mortals killed?” Gestapo asked.

“No, there were no injuries. Everyone was evacuated before the building was swallowed by the earth.”

“Aha,” Gestapo said. “I think an old player has reentered the game. I was hoping to face him someday.”

“You know who it is?” Frieda asked.

“I believe so,” Gestapo replied happily. “Anna.” A beautiful and slender woman walked into the light from behind Gestapo’s throne. Anna Schmid was Gestapo’s wartime mistress, and now served as his closest aide and concubine. He chose her over his own wife to join him as part of the Reich. She and Frieda exchanged hateful glances.

“Yes, my love,” Anna replied.

“I want a full dossier worked up on Abigail Gottlieb. I want to know what makes her so special, besides the obvious. I want to know everything about her. Tell me about her friends and her family. Get me everything.”

“Yes, my Führer,” Anna replied and stepped back into the shadows.

“Frieda,” Gestapo said.

“Yes, my Führer,” Frieda replied.

“Activate everyone! I want the Order of the Second Life destroyed! Finally, a war worthy of my great Bloodline.” Gestapo leaned back in his chair and began to laugh. His maniacal laughs echoed throughout the room.

CHAPTER 42

Legacy

FATHER BENITEZ WAS busy speaking on his phone. Donnie could hear that he was speaking purely in Latin. Lazarus wrote out an address on a piece of paper and handed it to Donnie. “This address is to a warehouse that we have available to us. Meet me there in three days.” Lazarus handed the note to Donnie and nodded.

“Three days, what do I do until then?” Donnie asked.

“Get ready, gather your strength, and prepare yourself,” Lazarus replied as he took stock of Donnie. Even with Donnie’s aid, he was still not sure if Gestapo could be defeated. “A bit of prayer couldn’t hurt either.”

“You seem worried,” Donnie could tell that Lazarus was concerned.

“Of all the Bloodlines, the Reich is by far the most organized,” Lazarus said. “Gestapo is perhaps the most ambitious of any of the Sources. We try to keep track of their activities as best as we can, but they shade themselves well.”

Donnie wondered what Lazarus meant. “Ambitious, how?”

“The United States is divided among the Sources. Each state provides them with income to further their activities. Gestapo began with only one state assigned to him, and he has increased his territory to five states now,” Lazarus explained.

“What do they do with these states?” he asked. “I mean what is the purpose of controlling states?”

“Money, power, and corruption,” Lazarus explained. “They control everything from the governmental infrastructure to all illegal activities. They make money on both sides of the fence.”

“So you are telling me that they control the cops and robbers in every state.” Donnie was getting a clearer picture of his enemy. He was just a big criminal, nothing more than a thug. “That paints a whole different picture.”

“No, not every state, not yet,” Lazarus said. “Of the fifty states they control, just over thirty.” Lazarus smiled. “We have managed to take back a state here and there.”

“How do you compete?” Donnie wondered how the order made any headway against the Sources. “I mean, if they are making all this money left and right, how do a handful of priests make a difference?”

“We are backed by the Catholic Church,” Lazarus replied. “So financially we can match them easily. It is in soldiers that we have trouble.”

“What do you mean?”

“A man lives for so long, he gets old, and then gets weaker,” Lazarus replied with a solemn look on his face. “A vampire never falters with age, they actually get stronger. Also with that age comes experience. It is getting harder and harder to combat them. Far too many young priests have fallen to our enemy already, and I don’t see an end anywhere in sight.”

“I can see why you got discouraged.”

“My fall had nothing to do with the Order’s losses,” Lazarus said.

“What then?” Donnie wanted to know what happened to him. He said that they broke him. How did they crush him so utterly?

“That is a story for another time. Just remember that our enemy is pure evil, and they will do everything to crush you. If they can’t do it physically, they will attack your spirit and your heart.” Lazarus closed his eyes, and Donnie could tell he was remembering something or someone. “You must never waver, or they will vanquish you as well.”

“I’ll keep that in my mind.” Donnie’s need to make sure Abbie was free became a little more urgent. After going over the details with Father Benitez, Lazarus walked out to the car. Father Benitez walked up to Donnie.

“Thank you,” Father Benitez said to Donnie.

Donnie was not sure why Father Bennie was thanking him and asked, “For what?”

“For bringing him back, back into the fight,” Father Benitez replied. “We need him to win this war.”

“I’m doing this for purely selfish reasons. You shouldn’t thank me.” Donnie felt a bit of shame. There was a lot at stake, and all he wanted was Abbie back.

“Saving a soul, no matter what the reason, is never selfish,” Father Benitez assured and placed his arms on Donnie’s shoulders. “What you do now will help countless more in the future.”

“I’m actually starting to feel a bit scared now,” Donnie admitted. “What if we fail?”

“With God and Lazarus on our side, how can victory elude us?” Father Benitez said smiling. “But if you need a little more inspiration, I brought you something.”

“What?” Donnie asked. Father Benitez walked out onto the porch and motioned to a large cedar chest that was sitting on the porch. He handed Donnie a key.

“It belonged to your father,” Father Benitez explained. “I think he would want you to have its contents now.”

“What’s in it?”

“Some of his belongings,” Father Benitez replied. “He asked me to hold onto them and said that someday he might need them again. I think today is that day.” Father Benitez turned and walked down the porch steps toward the car. “I have your e-mail. I will start sending you tactical data right away.” Donnie just smiled as Father Benitez and Lazarus drove away. He found it quite odd that a priest used the term tactical data.

“What’s in the chest, Donnie?” Lily asked.

“Don’t know, take one end and we’ll open it inside.” They brought the heavy chest inside, and Donnie unlocked it. He paused for a moment before opening it.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Lily asked.

“This belonged to my dad. I had such a clear picture of him all my life, but now finding out that he was a warrior ninja death priest. I’m a bit scared to look inside.”

“He was a good man, right?” she asked gently.

“Yeah, he sure was.”

“Did he die fighting evil?” Lily asked. Donnie smiled at her question.

“Yes, I guess he did.”

“Then there’s no reason to be afraid to look is there?” Lily’s simple way of thinking was once again right on. Donnie took a deep breath and opened the chest. Inside, he found some clothes, an overly heavy black leather trench coat and several crosses, knives, and vials. Each blade was adorned with crosses and looked to be made of silver. One look inside, and Lily quickly backed up.

“OK, maybe I was wrong,” Lily said. “I think I will go upstairs and watch some TV, OK?”

“Yeah, fine.” Donnie was completely distracted; he continued to pull items out of the chest. Everything was of exceptional craftsmanship. He soon discovered that the random items in the chest were not so random at all. Donnie continued to pull everything out of the chest. After a while, Lily heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, she waited to see what was making so much noise. Donnie stepped in to the doorway of the master bedroom.

“What do you think?” Donnie modeled for Lily. She took one look at Donnie and began laughing hysterically. She couldn’t control herself to the point that she started snorting in between her laughs. She stopped laughing for a moment and looked at him.

“Turn around,” she ordered. Donnie obliged and turned around; he finished his turn as Lily started laughing and snorting at him once again. She lost her balance and rolled right off the bed.

“Oh, come on! Admit it, my dad had style.” Donnie was disappointed that she didn’t feel that the completed outfit looked as cool as he did. Donnie had pulled everything out of the chest and figured out it was a uniform. The black leather trench coat was lined with steel plates and had multiple sheaths built into its inside lining. Donnie managed to sheath half a dozen blades inside. The black leather pants also had a similar design and function, they were padded and he found a few slits into which a blade easily slid. The bandoleer held an assortment of vials and pockets. Under the sleeves of the jacket, he was wearing two leather greaves that each held more blades. They were also steel-plated. Donnie assumed they were meant to block blows. A pair of heavy steel-toed combat boots finished the look.

“I gotta take a picture,” Lily said as she reached for her phone and snapped a shot of him.

“Fine, laugh it up,” Donnie said, annoyed. He turned around and went back downstairs. Despite Lily’s laughter, Donnie felt that the outfit fit him perfectly. He had always seen his father as physically bigger, but now he was starting to realize that they would have been the same size now. He undressed and placed everything back into the chest. Lily came down after a while.

“Hey, Donnie, I’m sorry for laughing, but leather pants, come on.”

“Yeah, I know,” Donnie said. “It’s pretty over the top.”

“All you would have needed was one of those big hats and . . .” Lily’s mouth dropped as Donnie produced a black leather witch hunter hat and held it up. She just stood there lock-jawed. “Oh, wow. Maybe, if you had worn the hat.”

“You would still be upstairs, giggling and snorting.” Donnie placed the hat onto her head and pulled it down over her eyes. “It’s all right, I’m not mad.”

“Good, so what do we do next?” Lily removed the hat and placed it on top of the chest.

“I’m trying to figure that out. I think I need to get you to a den.”

“What? No! I’m with you until the end.” Lily was serious but she had zero-combat experience or training. She panicked back at the New Berlin. She was not ready to fight anything.

“I think this is the end,” Donnie said. “From here on out everything becomes deadly, and you’re not trained for combat.”

“I want to help,” she said. “I need to make up for what I did.”

“I really think your role in this is done for now.” Donnie remembered what he promised Abbie. “Taking you any further, will only get you killed.”

“What, so you’re just going to abandon me?” Lily asked as her lower lip began to tremble.

“No way, partner,” Donnie said as he hugged her. “I just have to do this part alone. Do you understand?”

“I don’t want to go away, there has to be a way I can help,” Lily pleaded.

“You can’t join the fight, Lily.” Donnie picked up her chin and looked into her eyes. “I don’t think I can protect you from so many.”

“But you took me into the resort, and we had no problems.”

“I know, but I always knew exactly how many vampires I was dealing within the resort,” Donnie said. “Who knows how many they will throw at us now?”

“I don’t trust Espee to take care of me.”

“I want to send you to Tranquility, to Alaska.” Donnie was sure she would be well taken care of there, but he didn’t know where it was.

“That’s so far,” Lily said. “There has to be a way I can help.”

“I can’t leave you here.”

“Please, Donnie,” Lily begged. “I did get some training from Abbie, not much, but I can take care of myself.” Donnie took a seat at the table and started to think.

“Let me think on it some more, but if I can’t figure anything else out, you go to Alaska agreed?”

“OK, if that’s the best you can do. I will go.” Lily went back upstairs. Donnie walked into the office and turned on the laptop. He began making flight arrangements for himself and checking on others for Lily. Nonstop flights to Alaska were few and far between. Without him to watch over her, it seemed less and less like a good idea.

“Donnie,” Abbie’s voice called out to him softly. Donnie looked around, closed his eyes, and tried to relax. Within moments, he had slipped onto the Eternal Plains. It was morning, and the day had just begun there. “Abbie,” Donnie called out.

“Over here,” Abbie called back. Donnie turned around and was pleasantly surprised. Abbie was standing next to a small pond. She was dressed in Native American skins, and her hair was tied in golden ponytails. Donnie thought she looked hot. He ran over to her and kissed her.

“Wow, you look great!” Donnie couldn’t take his eyes off her, and Abbie noticed his appreciation for her skimpy outfit.

“Thank you,” she said as she caressed his face and brushed his hair away from his face.

“Is everything all right? Are you safe? I mean, why did you call me back?”

“I’m fine babe. I just wanted to see you.”

“OK Smokinghontass, you have me now.” Donnie wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “Whatever shall we do to pass the time?”

“I would love nothing better than to jump you and tear off your clothes with my teeth, but we can’t,” she said as Donnie pouted his bottom lip. “I saw that you are having trouble and . . .”

“You saw?” Donnie interrupted. “What did you see?”

“Everything since you left me with Punu.”

Donnie was intrigued and asked, “How?” Abbie walked over to the pond and dipped her finger in the water. Donnie walked over and could see Lily reflected in the surface. She was lying on the bed in the master bedroom and was flipping through channels.

“I can see anyone from here,” she said. “Punu showed me how.”

“That’s awesome.” Donnie smiled. “Is this how you called me?”

“I really wasn’t sure you would hear me, but after Punu explained everything to me, I figured I would give it a shot,” she replied, “and it worked.”

“This is great!” Donnie exclaimed. “I can come back here anytime, and you can keep an eye on me.” Abbie turned around and took a few steps away from him.

“The Great Bear was nearby a few nights ago, but we were able to avoid him.”

“A few nights ago, but?”

“Remember, Donnie, time passes differently here,” she reminded. “I have been here for about two weeks.”

“But it hasn’t even been a day yet,” he said wide-eyed. “I have to wait another three days before I meet up with Lazarus, what if . . . ?” Abbie planted a kiss on Donnie’s lips and hugged him. They shared an embrace, and then Abbie looked at him.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured. “Punu is really fast, and the Great Bear is slow.”

“Where is Punu?” he asked and looked around. “I thought he was supposed to be watching you?”

“He’s nearby,” Abbie said. “I just needed a little time alone with you, but we will have to start moving again soon.”

“I’m so glad to see you again.” Donnie looked deeply into her eyes.

“Me too, but I wish you would have worn the leather pants a bit longer,” Abbie said, smiling. “Nice ass.”

“So is that why you called me here?” Donnie asked, smiling.

“You looked like you needed a little pep talk, so here it is,” Abbie said. “I love you. I love you with everything that I am. I feel torn in half when you’re not nearby. I know you’re doing your best for me, but if things don’t work out. I need you to promise me that you will keep trying and never quit.”

“I promise,” he said. “But . . .”

“Even if it means sacrificing me,” she said. “Promise me that you will never quit.”

“I promise, but I don’t understand why you’re saying this to me? What aren’t you telling me?” he asked. Abbie placed her head on her favorite spot on his chest and listened to his heart beat.

“Nothing,” she replied after a few moments. “They were right you know?”

Donnie placed his arms around her and held her close, “Right about what?”

“Lily is important, more than you know,” Abbie said. “I see that she has grown on you finally.”

“Like a fungus.” Donnie smiled. “Like a green smelly moldy fungus.”

“Stop it, you be nice,” Abbie scolded and closed her eyes. Tears were flowing from her eyes now. “She looks to you for her protection now. You need to watch out for her. I know you like her.”

“There is absolutely nothing between us. If you think there is,” Donnie said. “She is like a . . .”

“Little sister,” Abbie finished. “You just keep treating her like my little sister and everything will be fine.”

“I still keep getting the feeling that you are holding something back from me.”

“It’s nothing,” she said. “Now get ready. You have a lot to do. I’ll be watching you when I can.” Abbie shoved Donnie into the pond. Donnie hit the water and barely made a ripple as he traveled back to the world of the living.

“It’s nothing I can tell you, not yet.” Abbie turned around to face Punu.

“It would have been too much for him,” Punu said. “You did the right thing.”

“Did I?” she asked. “You should just give it to him straight, he can handle it.”

“Are you sure?” Punu replied. “I’m not. When you died, he crawled up into a ball and almost died. If you tell him the truth, and he fails, I fear he will break.”

“He’s stronger than all of you think,” Abbie said. “Everything you have purposely put him through, it would have broken lesser men.”

“I know it may seem harsh,” Punu said. “Do you know why steel is stronger than iron? Because it is forged, it is tempered.”

“So he’s to walk through fire now?” she asked sarcastically.

“I explained the rules to you,” Punu reminded.

“Well, I think they’re bullshit!” Abbie screamed. “Free will, what a crock, the true game is who can manipulate who the best.”

“It is not a game,” Punu said. “It is a war of numbers, and right now, evil is gaining strength much too fast.” Donnie woke up. He had fallen asleep at the keyboard. One look at the clock on the screen confirmed that he had been gone only a few moments. He finished booking his flights and ordered a car for next day. Abbie had indeed helped him. He had a clear head now and was ready for anything. He even figured out what to do with Lily.

CHAPTER 43

Miami Is Mine

DONNIE LANDED IN Miami just after sunset. After renting a car, he went straight to the site where the New Berlin once stood. He arrived on the property to find it mostly devoid of people. A few resort employees were still walking around. Several mobile homes had been parked on the property to act as makeshift offices. Donnie continued to watch until he sensed several vampires nearby as they were approaching the resort. A produce truck rolled up to the gate and drove in. Donnie found it odd that they were still getting fruits and vegetables delivered. He watched as the entire contents of the truck was off-loaded and placed into one of the mobile homes. The boxes obviously did not contain produce. Donnie spotted three vampires emerge from the truck as well, they had the look and feel of the Reich. To Donnie’s disappointment, Frieda was not among them; he did spot Gerald on the property and decided to act. He drove his rented SUV up the driveway and exited the vehicle. Upon being spotted right away, one of the Reich moved up to intercept him.

“This is private property,” the large German said, holding up a hand. Where do they keep finding these brutes? Donnie thought to himself. “You must get off the property.” Donnie performed a spinning back kick and took off his head in a single swift deadly motion; he barely broke his stride. Gerald walked out of one of the buildings just in time to witness the horrific act of violence. He took one look at Donnie and began screaming.

“It’s him! It’s him!” Gerald screamed out.

“It’s me! It’s me!” Donnie yelled back. “I told you I would have questions for you, Gerald, time for answers!”

“I don’t know anything, why me?” Gerald asked in near panic.

“I disagree. You know plenty,” he replied. The other two Reich members moved to intercept Donnie from reaching Gerald.

“Wait,” one of the Germans said. “I have a message for you.”

“OK, Hansel and Gretel,” Donnie looked over the male and female Reich vampires before him. “Speak.”

“The Führer wants to meet with you, to discuss your grievance,” the male German informed. Donnie couldn’t believe this. Was Gestapo trying to lawyer him?

“My grievance, of course,” he replied, “when and where?”

“Gerald will get you the details,” the female German replied.

“Can he also send him a message for me?” Donnie asked.

“Yes,” the male German replied.

“Good, then you are of no further use to me,” Donnie said and suddenly ripped off the male German’s head. Gerald screamed and ran back into the house. The other German lunged at Donnie. Donnie evaded her attacks easily and then sank his teeth into her. She gasped in pain, and her eyes went wide with fear. Once he was full, and she was sand, he calmly walked up to the door that Gerald had retreated through and knocked.

“You cannot come in!” Gerald said. “This is my home, you’re not welcome.” Donnie ripped the door off its hinges and walked in.

“That doesn’t work on me,” Donnie said as he walked in. In truth, he was not sure why he was able to walk in, but he figured since holy ground and crosses didn’t affect him, why should a doorway!

“What do you want?” Gerald asked, terrified.

“Let’s start with the date and time for the meet with the Führer,” he replied. “After that, you are going to tell me what’s in the boxes that were delivered.” Gerald nervously opened his desk drawer and produced an envelope and handed it to Donnie. Donnie ripped the envelope open and read the letter inside.

I see that our old adversary has risen once again from the ashes. Like a phoenix. There is no need for us to be enemies, but if you insist on escalating your aggressions against the Reich, I will gladly face you one-on-one. You may find me in New Orleans. Let us open a dialogue and settle this dispute once and for all.

701 Poydras Street.

Donnie dropped the envelope on the floor after reading it and looked at Gerald. “Well?”

“Well, what?” Gerald replied unsure.

“Boxes,” Donnie said. “What’s in them?”

“Pure cocaine,” Gerald replied, “two thousand kilos.” Donnie whistled.

“Is that a lot?” he asked.

“Yes,” Gerald replied, “it’s worth over thirty million dollars.” Donnie whistled again.

“That’s a lot of cash.”

“Please don’t kill me. There is almost seventy million dollars in the safe. You can have it, just don’t kill me.”

“Don’t worry, Gerald, I need you alive. You have to deliver my reply.”

“Yes, I can do this for you.” After he was done at the New Berlin, Donnie drove off and began looking for Los Nomados. After about two hours, he got a bead on one. Once he spotted Miguel, he knew he was on the right track. He pulled up near him and honked his horn.

“Miguel!” Donnie called out. Miguel looked back quickly and was ready to start running until he saw who was calling his name. He cautiously walked over to Donnie.

“Hey, Donnie,” Miguel said. “Nice ride.”

“Get in,” Donnie said. Miguel looked around suspiciously and then nodded and got into the car.

“So what’s up, Donnie?” Miguel asked nervously.

“You’re fine, Miguel. I’m not going to hurt you. I just need you to deliver a message to Espee for me. She’s not answering the phone I gave her. I tried to reach her all day yesterday.”

“Yeah, she keeps all her phones off, until she’s ready to use them. Something about being able to be tracked when it’s on.”

“That figures, can you just tell her to meet me at my place tonight.”

“Sure, Donnie, but what do you mean your place?”

“Also can you give her this bag?”

“Sure, can I ask what is in it?”

“Money, a lot of money. It’s for Los Nomados. To get you guys some new clothes and supplies.”

“We’re supposed to go shopping, just like that?” Miguel thought that Donnie was crazy. “What about the Reich?”

“There’s not a single Reich for thirty miles,” Donnie replied. “I killed them all. Make sure you tell everyone that.”

“How did you do that?”

“Don’t worry about that; just know that it’s done.”

“Where is Lily?”

“She’s in a safe house,” he replied and smiled. “She’s being well taken care of.”

“So where are you staying?”

“South Beach,” Donnie replied. “I’m buying a house there, later tonight.”

“SoBe, you’re buying a house in SoBe? Get the fuck out of here! Those houses go for like millions.”

“I came into a large sum of cash recently,” Donnie said smiling. “You guys are welcome to stay in it. It has something like twelve rooms.”

“Dude, that’s a mansion.”

“Just come and bring everyone that wants to come and don’t worry. Miami belongs to us now.”

Donnie drove to the house to see it for the first time to close the deal. Donnie found it odd that neither attorney nor the realtors flinched when he paid for the house in cash. They had even brought a money-counting machine. The sale was completed within an hour. The house was fully furnished. Donnie didn’t share his mother’s taste for decorating, so the decor looked just fine to him. Donnie changed into a pair of swimming trunks and went for a swim in the olympic sized pool. He was on his fifth lap when he heard a familiar voice.

“You are one vato loco,” Miguel said. Donnie looked up and could see all of Los Nomados staring at him. He smiled when he saw they were all wearing new clothes.

“Looking good ladies and gents,” Donnie complimented. “Make yourselves at home.”

“Horale!” Miguel said and jogged inside. Several of the others followed him. A few undressed and dove into the pool.

“They are going to find us here,” Espee said. “You’re just asking for it.”

“Yeah, I know,” Donnie replied as he climbed out of the pool. “I have enough money to send everyone to Alaska.”

“What have you done?” Espee asked. “And where did you get all of this money?”

“I took it from the Reich.” Donnie watched the color fade from Espee’s face.

“How much money, Donnie, how much did you take?” Espee asked apprehensively.

“Enough to buy three houses like this,” Donnie started to dry himself.

“What are we supposed to do now? They will stop at nothing now. I will need to get everyone out of Miami.”

“I actually already have plans in place for that too.”

“Well, I’m glad you are thinking ahead. I was under the impression you went completely crazy!”

“I also acquired all of the Reich’s infrastructure information about Miami.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I have access to all of their resources. I have blood donors coming over as we speak.”

“You are insane!” Espee screamed. “The Reich will only have to question any of these people, and it will lead them right to this house.”

“Yes, it will,” he said, “but not tonight. Tonight we’ll have a party and live like normal people. Well, as normal as a vampire can live. We’ll celebrate this victory, however short-lived it may be.”

“Did I hear you say something about a party?” Miguel asked as he rejoined Espee, Nox, and Donnie.

“Yeah,” Donnie said. “DJ DaringD is on his way over.”

“Serious?” Miguel asked. “He’s famous.”

“Tell the rest to expect company,” Donnie said. “Tonight we party.” Miguel ran back inside and began spreading the word.

“Donnie, what are you doing?” Nox said. “I mean why you doing all of this?”

“I’m going after Gestapo tomorrow,” Donnie said. “I don’t know if we can beat him, or even if I will survive. So tonight, I live a little.”

“Donnie, no . . . ” Espee said softly. “You will be killed for sure.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Donnie said softly. “Abbie’s soul is at stake.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

“I recently found out that the head of the Reich, this Gestapo prick, has control of her soul, and soon he will send it to hell.”

“Oh no,” Nox said. “Are you certain of this?”

“I’m completely sure,” Donnie replied. “Russ has confirmed it for me.”

“The priest?” Espee asked. “How can you be so sure? How can you trust him?”

“He’s much older than you think, Espee,” Donnie said. “Much older than you even, and he is like me, or I’m like him.”

“He’s a vampire?” Espee was shocked.

“He’s twice as old as you, Espee.”

“What’s the next move, Donnie?” Nox asked.

“I’m heading to New Orleans.”

“You realize that’s Reich central,” Espee said. “That was their first territory, they have complete control there.”

“Yes,” Donnie replied. “But I’m not going alone.”

“Russ is helping you?” Nox asked.

“Yeah,” Donnie said. “We’re going to take on the Reich together.”

“Then I’m coming with you,” Nox said.

“You are not!” Espee yelled. “I need you here.”

“Yeu dau, I love you, but I grow tired. Thirty years of running and hiding, I have had enough,” Nox replied. Donnie was surprised. Espee’s normally rigid and fierce demeanor turned soft, and she looked soft, vulnerable, and very concerned. No, she was afraid.

“Can I talk to you privately?” Nox and Espee walked to the other side of the pool.

“Looks like the lovebirds are having a fight,” Miguel said.

“Those two, I never picked up on it,” Donnie said.

“Si mi amigo,” Miguel replied. “Though they try to hide it.” Donnie wondered how long they had been a couple and watched as they had a heated conversation.

“What language are they speaking in?” Donnie asked.

“Vietnamese I think,” Miguel replied. There was a knock at the front door that was followed by the doorbell ringing.

“Can you go show our guests in?” Donnie asked. Miguel nodded and headed for the door.

“You can’t leave me,” Espee pleaded on the verge of crying. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“I came here from Vietnam and within weeks I was killed. I survived a war only to end up like this? If it means my death, then I’m ready,” Nox said. “Donnie’s right. We need to make a stand.”

“Why now?” Espee asked. “Why are you choosing certain death?”

“It’s not the hiding or running that kills us,” Nox replied. “It’s when they break us, not physically but mentally.”

“Trust me, this is the only way,” Espee said. “He told me so.”

“No, he was wrong, I have seen another way,” Nox said. “I witnessed it for myself. Oh, if only you had been there.”

“Tranquility,” Espee said. “They took that place from us, just like every other place.”

“I learned something that day.” Nox said. “Living means nothing, if you have nothing to live for.”

“If you truly love me, you won’t go.” Espee took Nox’s hands into hers and looked deeply in his eyes. She knew right away what his answer would be.

“It’s because I love you that I must go,” he said. “They were after you when they took Abbie. I have never lost anyone I loved, but seeing Donnie’s pain and watching his suffering, I just can’t stand by anymore. I have to help. I can’t let them kill you too.”

“Well, I have, I have lost countless lovers and loved ones,” she said. “So I closed myself off. I stopped allowing myself to care for anyone. Then I found you.” Espee looked away and turned her back on Nox. “I should have never let you into my heart. I should have listened to him.”

“You’re wrong, Yeu dau,” Nox said. “You never stopped. You take care of us. If you didn’t care, you would just be looking out for yourself. You give us everything we need to survive, except a reason to.”

“Nox, I’m tired too. I’m tired of this task that I was given,” Espee said. “So tired of running that sometimes I feel like I should just give up. Donnie was right. How can I give anyone hope, when I don’t have any myself?”

“While there is life, there is hope. You have seen others just give up, so have I. We need to start living.”

“To have hope.”

“Yes,” Nox pulled her close and embraced her.

“How do I give anyone hope?”

“Come inside and dance with us,” Nox said. “Show them that we can be happy that there’s more to life than hiding in sewers and scraping for food. Just enjoy yourself.”

“What if they come?”

“They won’t,” Nox said. “Not tonight. Tonight, we party and forget all of our troubles.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we fight.” Nox placed his arm around Espee and walked back toward Donnie. He looked at them and smiled.

“Good for you,” Donnie said. “You’re staying or going, Nox?”

“I go with you,” Nox said.

“Then I’ll go too,” Espee declared. Nox looked at her and nodded as he smiled.

“What about Los Nomados?” Donnie asked.

“You said you had a plan,” Espee said.

“Yeah, but how will they get to Tranquility without you?” Donnie said.

“Miguel knows where it is,” Espee said. “He can get everyone there, once they’re in Alaska.”

“My ears are burning,” Miguel said as he rejoined them.

“I’ll need you to take everyone to New Tranquility,” Espee said. “Make sure they get there.”

“I can handle that Jefa,” Miguel assured.

“Are you sure, Miguel?” she asked.

“Si, I can handle it, besides Donnie said he has a plan, right?” Miguel said. “How hard will it be to follow?”

“Great, then you’ll leave tomorrow night,” Donnie said. “Tonight just have some fun and relax a bit.”

The party was a success. Every human guest that had been invited was what Gerald had referred to as Pire friendly. For a small fee, they would allow any vampire who needed to, feed upon them. Donnie really appreciated Miami, only a few calls and bartenders and caterers were on staff. For the humans, all manner of fruity drink and beverage were served all night, and small delectable food was readily available. The DJ was once again amazing and played until dawn. A party similar to this one, years ago, had marked the beginning of Donnie’s new life. Now this party could very well signify the end of it.

As Donnie went over the details with Miguel by the pool, he watched as Espee and Nox danced together. It was the first time he could remember seeing her laugh. She was so happy so full of life, he was suddenly reminded of Abbie.

“You, OK, Jefe?” Miguel asked.

“Yeah, you’re going to love it in Tranquility,” Donnie said.

“I hope so,” Miguel said. “For what it’s worth, thanks for tonight.”

“You’re welcome,” Donnie said and smiled.

“No, seriously.” Miguel looked at Donnie and smiled. “We really needed a night like this.”

“Well,” Donnie said, “if everything goes according to plan tomorrow, there will be many more like this.”

“You said it jefe,” Miguel said, “if.”

***

Across the Gulf of Mexico a letter was being read aloud. “Could you repeat that, please?” Gestapo asked. “I am not sure I heard you correctly.”

“Certainly, my Führer,” Anna said nervously. She was frightened now. He was displeased, and his tones of anger were well known to her. “The note reads as follows: I will be glad to meet with you face-to-face das scumbag, and yes, I have been severely grieved. Since my loss is priceless, it far outweighs what I took from you. Thirty million dollars worth of your poison, along with seventy million in cash will start to bring us even, just barely though. To bring the debt closer to even, I am taking the Miami/Dade County, all of it! Your Reich scum is never to set foot in it ever again. Any and all drugs, which enter into my domain, will be destroyed, just like the last shipment I intercepted. This is your one and only warning. See you in two days. It is signed Lazarus of Bethany. Postscript, Miami is mine.”

“He mocks and insults me all at once!” Gestapo said furiously. “All of Florida belongs to me! I want three hundred soldiers sent to Miami at once!”

“Pardon my forwardness my love,” Anna said, “but what if that is exactly what he wants you to do?”

“Explain.”

“You divide your forces, and he can get to you easier,” she said. Gestapo stood up from throne and walked up to Anna and backhanded her, knocking her to the ground.

“I do not fear him!” Gestapo yelled. “Do you think me incapable of defeating him!”

“No, my Führer, I would never think that!” Anna replied as she cowered. “I only wished to protect you.” She crawled over and kissed his boot, trying to appease him.

“I do not need protection. Have you the intelligence report on the Gottlieb girl?” Gestapo asked as he returned to his throne. It was made out of marble and inlaid with gold.

“Yes, my Führer!” Anna replied. She got up off the floor and retrieved the dossier.

“Very well, what do you have for me?”

“Abigail Gottlieb, she was eighteen when she was birthed into our noble house. She was subsequently sentenced to death, along with her blood father, Hulderich, for having impure blood. She eluded us for nearly five years until we discovered her hiding in Miami. A small executioner squad was organized by Commander Fedor von Beck. She was captured and used as a lure to draw out the Foundling leader, Espee. The operation was only marginally successful, and Abbie, as she was called, was killed, but Espee escaped. It is believed that Lazarus of Bethany assisted in her rescue. We lost five of our numbers including two highly valued operatives. She is survived by both parents and had no siblings. She had just over nine hundred dollars in her checking account when she met her mortal end. She had two very close friends: Kelly Monroe, who now works as a talent manager, and Trista Rogers, journalist for the Washington Post. From all accounts, she has not had any contact with either of them since she was birthed. We discovered that she kept a storage locker in her name near Chicago. We secured the contents. It contained a car, an old Volkswagen Thing. The expired registration was still in her parents’ name, but the title, which was discovered in the glove box, had been signed over, which led me to the most interesting fact we uncovered about her. There was a marriage certificate,” Anna said. “It was dated after she had been buried.”

“Interesting, she was married?” Gestapo asked. “To whom?”

“His name is Donato Guerrero. They were high school sweethearts. They were married in Niagara Falls several days after she fled.”

“Did you work up a dossier on this Donato?”

“Yes, I anticipated you wanting information on him.” Anna produced a second dossier. “Donato Guerrero, age twenty-four. His lost both of his parents by the time he was seventeen. His mother succumbed to cancer and his father to a violent crime. He received a large sum of money from two life insurance policies. He was emancipated through the court system. He invested his money and has made a handsome return on it, and he is now worth over ten million dollars.”

“Where is he now?”

“We do not know. He simply vanished when he fled with Abbie. A law firm handles all his legal matters. They filed and paid his taxes for the last several years, and until a few days ago, there had been no activity on any of his financials. Several weeks ago, he apparently resurfaced in Miami. He rented a mailbox and ordered a new ATM card.”

“Interesting,” Gestapo said and stroked his chin and wondered about this boy. “I will bet that he was helping her all along. Keeping her fed as they made their way to Tranquility.”

“The few reports we got on the girl did comment that she was indeed traveling with a male companion. Should I perform a complete work up on him?”

“No, I do not think he is of any importance. Simply keep an eye on his money. Any large transfers might lead us to Tranquility’s new location,” Gestapo ordered. “Dismissed.” Anna turned to exit, and as she did so, bumped into Frieda who had entered the chamber moments earlier. The contact knocked the dossiers out of her grasp and their contents fell and scattered on the floor.

Anna began picking up the contents of the folders and yelled, “You dummkopf!”

“My apologies, Anna,” Frieda said and kneeled down to help her pick up the scattered paperwork. She froze in place as she picked up one of the 8 × 10 photos. She held up the photo to Gestapo. “This is . . .”

CHAPTER 44

New Orleans

THE ORDER OF the Second Life was in full deployment mode. Every member had been summoned to New Orleans. One by one, they began to arrive in droves. They arrived by private plane, car, and even boats. Father Benitez was busy getting everyone ready for the upcoming conflict. All in total, 220 priests showed up; it was a smaller number than he had hoped. “Looks like this will be all of them,” Father Dominick said. “I don’t think any of the Europeans will be making it.”

“This will have to do,” Father Benitez said. “The Order is far too stretched out in Europe as it is. It is better that they remain there.”

“We’re going to be heavily outnumbered,” Father Dominick said. “I can’t wait!” Lazarus walked up to the pair.

“How are our numbers?” he asked.

“Less than we expected, but with the grace of God, more than we will need,” Father Benitez replied. “We have just over 250.”

“I sense that there are at least a thousand vampires in this city alone,” Lazarus said. “We are greatly outnumbered.”

“It’s not ideal, but we have fought at worse odds,” Father Benitez said.

“Remember Montclair, we were outnumbered ten to one, and we killed them to the last,” Father Dominick said.

“We killed one hundred of them and lost eight of ours,” Father Benitez recalled. “Yes, I remember it was a sad day.”

“Do not despair,” Lazarus said. “With Donnie on our side, I cannot foresee us losing.” The preparations continued through the day and into the night. A human courier arrived with a message for Lazarus. It was received outside of the warehouse where the order was preparing. “So he knows we are here. I figured we would not escape his attention for long.” He opened the letter and read it.

“What does it say?” Father Benitez asked.

“He wants to meet with me, and settle things either by negotiation or other less peaceful means,” he replied.

“What do we do?” Father Dominick asked.

“Nothing for now,” Lazarus replied. “We wait for Donnie. He should arrive tomorrow.”

***

Across the Gulf of Mexico, Donnie and the Foundlings were getting ready. “Now that’s a yacht!” Miguel exclaimed.

“Yeah, it came with the house,” Donnie said.

Miguel looked back at Donnie in disbelief and said, “Really?”

“No,” Donnie said smiling. “It’s chartered. You will sail through the Panama Canal and then head to Alaska. The captain and crew are aware of what you are, and have been paid an obscene amount of money to take you.”

“What do we do about blood?” Miguel asked.

“They have cows that will keep everyone fed,” Donnie replied. “They have transported vampires via sea before.”

“They have?” Miguel asked. “But...”

“Don’t worry,” Donnie said. “They have no idea you’re Foundlings, much less what a Foundling is. As far as they know, we are paying for a service they provide.”

“Right,” Miguel said. “Then I guess we better get going.”

“Good luck, and call me once you arrive,” Espee said.

“Si Jefa!” Miguel said and boarded the ship. Espee had a sinking feeling she would never see any of them again. She turned and walked to the car.

“We ready?” Nox asked.

“Yes, Gato!” Donnie said, imitating a comic book hero. “To the airport.”

“Yes, Brown Hornet!” Nox replied. Donnie laughed at his response. Damn that Nox always had a witty response. After a short drive, they arrived at the airport and boarded a private plane that Donnie had chartered. As the plane taxied for takeoff, Espee looked at Nox.

“Are we really doing this?” she asked.

“No turning back now,” Nox replied.

“Wake me when we get there,” Donnie said. “I need to check in.” Donnie leaned back in his chair and was asleep right away. Espee and Nox were surprised that he was out that quick. Donnie found himself on the Eternal Plains. Unlike before, it was night time. He looked around to see if he could spot Abbie, but she was nowhere to be found. He began running to higher ground. As he jogged up a nearby hill, a large figure emerged over the hill. The bear was massive, easily twenty feet at the shoulder. Donnie froze in place, and their eyes locked.

“Half-dead,” the Great Bear said in a deep scratchy voice. “Your stench offends me. Leave my presence at once. You are not the one I hunt.”

“Make me fleabag,” Donnie said defiantly. The Great Bear laughed at Donnie.

“Pathetic half-dead,” the Great Bear replied. “You can do nothing to stop me. The golden hair will line my belly soon enough.”

“Over my all dead body,” Donnie replied. The Great Bear laughed once again.

“You amuse me half-dead,” the Great Bear said. “I will allow you to watch.”

“Watch what?” Donnie asked. The Great Bear began sniffing the air.

“She is near,” the Great Bear turned his massive head suddenly. “There.” Donnie’s gaze shifted to where the Great Bear was looking. He spotted Abbie riding Punu. Something was obviously wrong, Punu was favoring his left hindquarter, and Donnie could see that blood was caking down his leg. The Great Bear began running down the hill at an alarming pace. He never expected anything so big to move so fast.

“Look out Punu!” Donnie yelled. Punu looked up at the hill and spotted him and the Great Bear and redoubled his own speed. Donnie waited for the Great Bear to reach him and grabbed the behemoth. The Great Bear roared in anticipation of his kill. Donnie held on for dear life as the Great Bear easily dragged him along. Donnie’s weight made little difference to this creature. He was gaining speed as he ran down the hill.

“Donnie,” Abbie screamed. “Get out of here!” Donnie did not listen and started climbing the Great Bear’s coat.

“Unhand me!” the Great Bear demanded and attempted to buck him off, but Donnie maintained his hold.

“You’re mine!” Donnie yelled back and used his legs to deliver kicks to the Great Bear’s side. Donnie continued to climb and lash out with kicks as the Great Bear closed the distance between himself and Punu.

“Punu, you shall not escape me again!” the Great Bear cried out. Punu did not reply and concentrated on keeping his distance, but he was losing ground.

“Punu, he’s gaining!” Abbie cried out. The Great Bear’s stride was thunderous. It shook the earth like a stampede. Donnie continued to claw his way onto the Bear’s back and began riding him. He began raining down blows onto the beast’s back and spine, but his hide was simply too thick.

“Half-dead,” the Great Bear said. “This is of no concern to you. You are only making me angrier.”

“She means everything to me!” Donnie yelled out. “You cannot have her!” The Great Bear laughed again.

“In that case, I shall devour her slowly,” the Great Bear replied. Donnie began pulling himself closer to the Great Bear’s head. By the time he reached the beast’s head, he could easily see Punu and Abbie below. He began raining hammer fists onto the Great Bear’s head and tried to gouge at his eyes. Abbie looked back and shrieked.

“Donnie!” she cried. “Oh my god! What are you doing?”

“Whatever happens, don’t stop Punu!” Donnie cried out.

“So touching,” the Great Bear said. “I might shed a tear.” The Great Bear was almost within swiping distance of Punu. Every blow Donnie delivered had little to no effect, and the beast would close his eyes to avoid his fingers, and his skull felt like iron under his fists.

“Are you ready, half-dead?” the Great Bear asked. “Blood is about to be spilled.” The Great Bear lifted his large paw and began to bring it down on Abbie. Then suddenly, he roared out in agony and missed his strike. Donnie continued to sink his teeth deeper and deeper into the Great Bear’s ear. He shook his head about like a rabid animal. The Great Bear stopped in place and pawed at Donnie, trying anything to swat him off. Donnie locked his jaw and smiled as Punu widened the gap.

“Release me, half-dead!” the Great Bear yelled. He stood up on his hind legs and shook himself violently. Donnie was flung off the Great Bear and fell about thirty-five feet to the ground, a sizable piece of the Great Bear’s ear still in his mouth. It whirled around and brought his face around toward Donnie.

“How dare you!” the Great Bear yelled, outraged. “You bit me.” Donnie spit the piece of ear into his hand and stood up and met the Great Bear gaze.

“I told you she means everything to me,” Donnie said calmly. “If you don’t want your other ear bitten off, you will . . .” The Great Bear violently swatted Donnie with all his might, and pinned him to the ground.

“I should eat you,” the Great Bear said. “But your taste would be most foul.”

“Funny, you taste like chicken.” Donnie was being held down by the Bear’s weight but the massive blow had not injured him one bit. The Great Bear roared in anger.

“You disfigure me, and then you offend me?” the Great Bear asked. “What gives you the right to interfere with the natural order of things?”

“Let him up Wi-na-go,” Shadow Walker ordered.

“As you wish,” Wi-na-go said and removed his paw from Donnie’s chest.

“Donnie, what are you doing?” Shadow Walker asked.

“Protecting my wife,” Donnie said and placed his forehead against the Great Bear’s face. “Look here, you overgrown rug. You’re going to leave her alone.”

“You do not command me!” Wi-na-go replied and growled at Donnie intensely.

“You cannot harm him Wi-na-go,” Shadow Walker said.

“I know this,” Wi-na-go replied.

“But I can hurt him,” Donnie said. “Good!”

“Donnie, listen, we can discuss this,” Shadow Walker urged.

“No! No discussion!” Donnie yelled. “This is how it will go down. You leave Abbie and Punu alone.”

“And should I refuse?” Wi-na-go asked.

“Then I will come back and hunt you,” Donnie threatened. “I will take your other ear, your nose, your eyes. I will pry out your teeth and claws one by one.”

“Empty threats,” Wi-na-go replied. Donnie held up the piece of his ear up to his face.

“I may not be able to do it right away, but I’m immortal just like you,” he said, waiving the ear fragment in front of him. “Sooner or later, I’ll figure out a way to kill you. If you have any doubts, just look into my eyes.” Wi-na-go stared into Donnie’s eyes and then looked away.

“Agreed,” Wi-na-go said and began walking away. “One meal is not worth and eternity of nuisances, but you will owe me a favor.”

Donnie watched as the Great Bear slowly stomped away, “a favor?”

“In exchange for keeping her safe, you will do me a favor. Do you agree?” Wi-na-go turned and looked at Donnie.

“Don’t do it Donnie,” Shadow Walker advised.

“If you keep her safe, I will agree,” Donnie replied. “But nothing harms her while she is here.”

“The bargain is struck,” Wi-na-go said and trotted off.

“He will keep his word,” Shadow Walker said. “You will have to as well.”

“Shut up!” Donnie snapped. “You should have told me she was in this much trouble.”

“Donnie,” Shadow Walker said, trying to calm him. “Please calm yourself.”

“No!” Donnie cried out. His voice resonated and cracked the earth at his feet. Shadow Walker was thrown back. “I am getting really tired of being kept in the dark! This has to be a two way street.” Shadow Walker got up with a look of disbelief on his face.

“How did you do that, Donnie?” Shadow Walker asked.

“How should I know?” Donnie replied. “Just tell me one thing, what is the Great Bear?”

“He, like me, has many incarnations,” Shadow Walker said. “He is best recognized as the Grim Reaper.”

“I made a deal with the Angel of Death,” Donnie said. “Great.”

“I tried to warn you.”

“So how many Gods are there?” Donnie asked. “Throw me a bone here.”

“One,” Shadow Walker said. “There has only ever been one.”

“But why have there been so many religions?”

“Mortals are imperfect, wonderfully imperfect,” Shadow Walker said. “The Creator’s message has always been misunderstood. Even after he sent his son to deliver his words, the message is still garbled.”

“Thus, all the different Christian denominations,” Donnie surmised.

“Exactly,” Shadow Walker said. “The Creator has been called many names, God, The Great Spirit, Zeus, Odin, but it has always been the Creator. Donnie took a deep breath and calmed himself.

“I have a job to do, so if you don’t mind, and since you haven’t bothered to teach me how, please send me back now.” Donnie woke up in his seat on the plane.

“I was just about to wake you,” Espee said.

“You were dreaming,” Nox said. Donnie sat up and was immediately in pain; several of his ribs were broken and were only now just beginning to heal. He opened his hand and there, in his palm was a mangled and bloody ear. Before his eyes, the ear dissolved into blood and was absorbed into his hand.

“It wasn’t a dream,” Donnie replied. The craft landed without any problems, and soon enough they were headed toward the address he had received from Lazarus. Donnie sat back in his seat and relaxed, “Shit.”

“What?” Espee asked.

“So many,” Donnie replied. “There are so many vampires here, unreal.”

“I think we’re screwed,” Nox said.

“This was your idea, remember that,” Espee said. They got off the plane and got into the taxi that was waiting for them. As they pulled up to the warehouse a half hour later, they immediately noticed that it was on fire. There were bodies of priests lying in pieces all over the lot. The driver slammed on his brakes and drew a cross over his body.

“This is as far as I go,” the driver said. “Either get out or stay, but decide now.”

“Open the trunk, we’re getting out,” Donnie replied. Donnie, Espee, and Nox got out of the car and removed his cedar chest from the trunk. The driver sped off as soon as he closed it.

“What happened here?” Nox said.

“I don’t know,” Donnie said and started walking toward the warehouse. He could see a few figures moving about near the entrance. As they got closer, Donnie could make out one of them clearly.

“Father Dom!” Donnie called out. Father Dominick looked at Donnie and began marching toward him. He reached the trio and reached into the folds of his robes.

“You bring vampires here?” Father Dominick asked.

“They are with us, Father Dom. What happened?” Donnie was still in shock at the amount of body parts strewn about.

“The Reich,” Father Dominick said. “They hit us a little while ago.”

“No . . . ” Donnie said and looked around at the bodies looking for Father Benny.

“It was glorious!” Father Dominick said. “There must have been a thousand of them.” Espee started looking around nervously.

“Glorious?” Nox asked. “I see at least a hundred bodies.”

“Yes, Glorious! Less than fifty of them made it out of the warehouse,” Father Dom said. “We made them pay dearly for their treachery.”

“Did you say ‘treachery’?” Espee asked.

“Yes, they sent a note, hoping to parlay and then attacked us anyway,” Father Dominick explained.

“Where are Lazarus and Father Benitez?” Donnie asked.

“They went after Gestapo,” Father Dominick replied.

“No, we were supposed to go together!” Donnie said in anger.

“There’s still time,” Father Dominick said. “There are only a handful of us left here now, delivering final rights. I’m ready when you are.”

“Let me suit up,” Donnie said. Father Dom smiled when he spotted the chest, turned around, and escorted them inside the warehouse. The scene of carnage on the outside was nothing compared to what awaited them inside. There were rows of bodies lining the walls. Espee and Nox looked away as there were crosses everywhere.

“We better wait outside,” Espee said. Donnie nodded, and she and Nox went outside to wait.

“This is terrible,” Donnie whispered softly, “so many dead.”

“Don’t worry,” Father Dom placed a hand on his shoulder. “They are with God now.”

“How did this happen?” Donnie asked. “Didn’t you take precautions?”

“We did, but they threw such a large number at us, they got in easily,” Father Dominick replied. Donnie opened his chest and began getting dressed. Father Dominick walked over and took a look at him.

“It suits you, son,” Father Dominick said, admiring the garb. “I think you wear it better than your father did.”

“Thanks,” Donnie said. “One last piece.” Donnie reached in and grabbed the chain he had grabbed from the roof and latched it around his waist.

“I don’t remember that as part of your father’s gear, what is it?” Father Dominick asked, pointing at the belt chain.

“A reminder,” Donnie replied and started to close the chest.

“Wait,” Father Dom said. “Can I have the hat? I always liked it.”

“Sure, I think it will suit you well,” Donnie replied.

“Wait out front. I will get the car,” Father Dominick said excitedly. Donnie walked out front and met up with Espee and Nox.

“Well, aren’t we all bad in black,” Espee said.

“I feel underdressed now,” Nox said.

“Are you still in?” Donnie asked. “Last chance to bail.”

“No way,” Espee said. “I’m with you.”

“Where she goes, I follow,” Nox said. Father Dominick pulled up in an old Cadillac, and everyone got in. He had the most confident smile on his face, and the hat really did look excellent on him.

“Time for holy retribution,” Father Dominick said and started driving toward One Shell Square.

Lazarus and Father Benitez had broken through the Reich’s front lines and were making their way through the building. The elevators had been disabled so they were forced to make their way up the stairwell. Unfortunately, the stairwell was a veritable kill-zone. The Reich had the high ground and had an easy time, making it extremely difficult for anyone to move upward. Father Benitez already had a large gash across his abdomen from the initial ambush at the warehouse. “Are you all right, old friend?” Lazarus asked as he pulled back on a bow made of fire and loosed an arrow made out of the same white-hot flames.

“It will take a lot more than a small cut to stop me,” Father Benitez replied. Lazarus pulled back on the bow again and another arrow formed. He loosed it; it struck a Reich and incinerated him.

“I will never tire of seeing you do that,” Father Benitez said.

“Faithfire,” Lazarus replied. “The bane to everything wicked.” They continued making their way into the building’s interior and were quickly leaving a trail of destroyed vampires behind them. Whenever an enemy would get close, Lazarus would morph his Faithfire into a sword. It’s white-hot kiss left nothing it touched un-singed. Father Benitez’s choice of weapons was a pair of axes that had been coated in martyr’s blood. This along with razor-sharp edges made them especially deadly. The Reich knew to keep their distance from The Order at all costs. Any close combat usually ended in severed heads or limbs. The Reich’s strategy here consisted of tossing grenades and spraying them with bullets. Lazarus would use his Faithfire and shape it into a shield and stop most of the attacks. The shield did little to stop the shockwaves the explosives were causing. They were taking their toll on Father Benitez as explosion after explosion kept assailing the pair.

“I can’t take much more!” Father Benitez cried out. “You need to leave me. I’m only slowing you down. I’ll turn back.” Lazarus looked at Father Benitez and could see that his robes had been shredded by the constant shrapnel, and blood was flowing from several punctures.

“Be safe, my friend, and pray this day shall be ours,” Lazarus said and charged headlong into a barricade. Father Benitez could hear panicked German shrieks from the stairwell above him.

“Go with God, my old friend,” Father Benitez said and turned around. When he reached the bottom floor, to his surprise, there were five armed Reich vampires standing between him and the exit. They had flanked him by using a secret passage, a sliding door that he could now see. They smiled baring their fangs and opened fire with submachine guns. “Dios mio.” Lazarus heard the gunfire behind him and closed his eyes in sadness. He wanted to go back, but he knew that he needed to press on.

“May God have mercy on your soul, my dear friend,” Lazarus said as he redoubled his efforts and summoned a second Faithfire sword. The Reich before him fell by the dozens. He moved up floor by floor, clearing it of any opposition. Bullets, grenades, and even the occasional mine did little to stop Lazarus’s relentless ascent.

After what seemed an eternity and countless minions destroyed, Lazarus had reached the top floor of this fifty-story building. He pushed the large ornate marble doors open and walked in. He could see Gestapo sitting on a throne made out of marble and gold. The rest of the room was kept intentionally dark. The only light source was a chandelier that was suspended high above Gestapo. “Welcome,” Gestapo said. “I am pleased you made it this far, now burn!” Anna and Frieda each pulled the triggers on the flamethrowers strapped to their backs and let loose a pair of fiery jets. The streams of liquid fire struck Lazarus and engulfed him in an inferno. Gestapo laughed maniacally as the fire continued to pour onto Lazarus.

CHAPTER 45

The End Game

FATHER DOMINICK PUT the fear of God into everyone riding in the Cadillac. His driving was erratic and haphazard. A quick glance in the rearview mirror gave him an immense sense of gratifications. Espee was the first to jump out of the car when they arrived at the designated address. “Are you OK, Espee?” Donnie asked. She actually looked sick.

“If I could throw up, I think I would right about now,” she replied and dry-heaved a few times. She could count on her finger the number of decades since she had ridden in any wagon, much less a car. Nox moved to her and gently rubbed her back. Donnie looked up at the building they had driven to. One Shell Square was a large fifty-story building; its white exterior cynically concealing the darkness it contained within. Donnie got out of the car and looked around. The area was devoid of any people. The entire block seemed to have been simply abandoned, and even traffic seemed to be avoiding the area.

“How many left?” Father Dominick asked. “Can you tell?” Donnie closed his eyes and concentrated.

“Just over one hundred.” Less than an hour ago, he had sensed so many, and now there was just a handful left. Donnie was impressed that the Order had dispatched so many, even though the cost was high.

“Yes!” Father Dominick cried out. “They left us scraps, but I’ll take whatever the Lord places before me.” Father Dominick began walking up the steps, but Donnie paused for a moment.

“I sense him.”

“Who do you sense?” Espee had regained her composure and joined Donnie.

“Gestapo,” he replied. “It’s overpowering. It feels like I’m drowning in syrup that tastes like crap.”

Father Dominick laughed and said, “I have never heard a better description for these spawns of evil.” He looked at Nox and Espee. “Present company excluded of course.”

“Of course,” Espee replied dryly. They began moving up the steps together.

“So, Father Dominick, why have I never come across this Order of the Second Life before?” Espee asked.

“We don’t hunt after Foundlings.” Father Dominick continued moving with deadly intent.

“You don’t?” Nox asked surprised.

“Our Order believes in taking out the cause and not the effect,” Father Dominick replied. “Foundlings are victims. It would be no different than stoning a woman who had been raped for being unfaithful to her husband.”

“Well, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy,” Espee replied. “Glad I’m not on the hit list.”

“You should be glad, Ms. Alonso,” Father Dominick replied. “Although we don’t hunt you, we do monitor you.” Espee was momentarily shocked by his comments. How long had the Order known about her, how much did they actually know about her, about her past? They reached the interior of the building, and were disquieted to find Father Benitez lying against a wall. He was sitting in a pool of his own blood. Father Dominick and Donnie rushed to his side.

“Father Benny!” Donnie cried out as he reached the priest he had known his entire life and knelt down beside him.

“Rodrigo,” Father Dominick said quietly and checked him for a pulse. He shook his head when there was none. “He’s with the Lord now.” Donnie closed his eyes and visibly shook.

“Donnie?” Espee asked as she and Nox got closer. Father Dominick reached over and grabbed Donnie’s head and turned his face and made him look at him.

“Use it! Drive the anger down, and let it fill you with righteous fury!” Father Dominick’s intensity was unquestionable. “Then release it upon your enemies.” Donnie nodded quietly. Father Dominick performed a quick prayer over Father Benitez’s body and then stood up and walked over to the stairwells. Donnie said his own silent prayer over Father Benny, a man that had meant a great deal to him, and who was now gone.

“They can’t hurt him anymore,” Espee said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“There are two stairwells going up, and the power to the elevator is turned off,” Father Dominick informed. “I suggest we split up into two groups and each take a stairwell.”

“Should we split up?” Espee’s natural instinct told her to stay together.

“No, but they might not expect a two-pronged attack,” he replied. “You three go up one, and I’ll take the other.”

“Father Dom, you shouldn’t go alone,” Donnie urged.

“I work better alone.” Father Dominick smiled. “Besides, I don’t think fighting along a vampire would be a good idea.” He removed his robes to reveal an outfit similar to Donnie’s with one obvious exception.

“Crosses,” Espee said and turned her head away. Father Dominick’s suit was embedded with dozens of crosses.

“Race you to the top!” he said and grabbed both of Father Benny’s axes. With a hearty ha-ha, he ran up the left stairwell. “Make ready spawns of Satan! The hammer of righteousness is upon you!”

On the top floor, the torrent of flames that had engulfed Lazarus continued to burn, and Frieda and Anna joined Gestapo in his laughter. “Fool,” Lazarus said as he fired an arrow of sheer Faithfire toward Gestapo.

“My Führer, watch out!” Anna cried as she watched the arrow fly unerringly toward Gestapo’s heart. He managed to move at the last moment narrowly dodging the projectile.

“How is this possible?” Gestapo yelled as Lazarus walked out of the flames completely unscathed, only his clothing bore the scars of the inferno.

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee,” Lazarus replied. “Isaiah 43:2, as long as I have the Lord in my heart, no flame may harm me.”

“Oh, scheisse,” Frieda said and backed up into the shadows. Anna followed her lead and dropped her blowtorch and backed up next to Gestapo.

“I see the legend of your battle with the Marked One, inside a volcano appears to have some truth to it,” Gestapo said. “I guess we do this the hard way.” Gestapo began walking toward Lazarus, and his skin turned a dark marble-like shade. Lazarus summoned a sword and shield made out of Faithfire and began running toward Gestapo.

“Time to end your evil once and for all,” Lazarus said and took a swing with his sword. Gestapo moved under the swing and delivered a kick to Lazarus’s chin. The blow propelled him backward. While still in midair, Lazarus hurled his sword at Gestapo, and it struck him in the arm. Gestapo’s arm caught fire and began to burn. Gestapo didn’t pause and continued advancing forward. He struck Lazarus several more times with thunderous stoned fists. Lazarus raised his shield to try and stop the blows, but the shield did little to stop Gestapo’s powerful blows. Gestapo finished his merciless barrage with a bone-crushing kick that slid Lazarus across the floor until he hit a pillar.

“As you can see, my die Mauer can withstand the hottest of flames as well, holy or not.” Gestapo smiled sadistically as Lazarus stood up and quickly healed his wounds.

“I have other weapons at my disposal,” Lazarus said as he began to walk toward Gestapo once again, he forged a two-handed sword made out of Faithfire. This time, the fire was so hot and bright that half the room was lit. “I am the weapon meant for your destruction.”

“Is that so?” Gestapo replied as he walked next to a pillar. “Then why has not even one Source ever been destroyed by your hand? I mean, if you are meant to destroy us?”

“I have killed countless vampires,” Lazarus replied as he maneuvered into an attack position.

“Yet our numbers still grow,” Gestapo replied. “Our power and influence surges. What have you truly done to stop us? In truth, you have done nothing.”

“I am here and now.” Lazarus prepared himself. “And I will destroy you.”

“I know a lot about you, Lazarus,” Gestapo said. “What I cannot figure out is why you continue to fight us.”

“It is my divine duty,” Lazarus replied, “an order by God.”

“Ordered?” Gestapo asked. “You mean you weren’t given a choice? I was given a choice. Hmm hardly seems fair.” Lazarus’s sword began to flicker.

“Your snake-tongued rhetoric will not save you.” Lazarus continued moving forward. “It is my job to fight your evil.”

Gestapo looked at his opponent and could see his plan working. “A job, which you have conveniently forgotten to do, for the last eighteen hundred years,” he replied sarcastically. “So I have asked myself many times, when exactly did you stop trying?”

“My Order . . .”

“You

r
Order means nothing!” Gestapo yelled. “Lambs of God, fed to hungry wolves. Admit it. The sole purpose of the Order was to give you a place to hide. In one night, I have decimated your numbers.” Lazarus’s sword visibly dimmed once more.

“There will be others who will join the battle!” Lazarus roared in contempt.

“We have claimed hundreds of thousands of souls.” Gestapo strolled around the massive stone pillar and emerged on the other side, obviously trying to stay out of the reach of the sword. “How many more will you hand over to us?” Lazarus’s sword began to shrink like a fire starving for air.

“I cannot resign,” Lazarus replied. “I must endure.”

“You have already resigned, Lazarus, a long time ago,” Gestapo pointed out. “What I want to know is, did it happen when you were forced to kill your older sister or the youngest?” Lazarus’s sword flickered once again and fell in size once more.

“Curse you for bringing up such dreadful memories.” Lazarus lowered the sword slightly. “It was the Marked One who took them from me and defiled them and made them into one of your filthy kind.”

“Don’t blame us,” Gestapo replied. “We were not the ones who brought you into the war. It was you who chose to . . . oh wait, you did not get a choice did you? My Dark Lord has given me choice. I chose the power, and I could not be happier. What did your Lord give you?”

“Stop it!” Lazarus’s Faithfire sword began to struggle to burn once again.

“He gave you two thousand years of guilt and suffering and made you kill your own flesh and blood.” Gestapo sneered. “While I got to keep my loved one at my side. So tell me, Lazarus of Bethany, whose Lord is grander, whose Lord truly loves us?” Lazarus lowered his head and arms as the Faithfire sword simply vanished.

“I . . .”

Gestapo suddenly grabbed the pillar he was standing next to and ripped it off its floor and ceiling mounts and viciously smashed it over Lazarus’s head, crushing him under the massive weight of the marble pillar. For good measure, Gestapo brought the weight of the pillar upon Lazarus twice more. Lazarus lay crushed and nearly flat. He looked up at Gestapo and desperately concentrated on healing his body.

“I told you I knew a lot about you.” Gestapo moved to stand over Lazarus’s flattened body. “Every Source knows that the sure way to defeat you was to make you doubt your own faith. What I didn’t expect was how easy that would be.” Gestapo leaned down and sank his fangs in Lazarus’s neck and began to drink. He pulled away and reveled in the richness of his blood. “I also know that the blood the courses through your veins is alive, as alive as any humans. I was not the head of the third Reich secret police for no reason. I am always prepared. I always have a plan.” Gestapo sank his fangs back into Lazarus’s neck and drank as Lazarus screamed.

Several floors beneath the penthouse, Donnie, Espee, and Nox raced up the stairs with minimal opposition. They were nearing the top when Donnie stopped. He punched through a wall and pulled a Reich vampire through it. He immediately sank his fangs into him and drank him dry. Having never witnessed this before, Nox and Espee backed away in apprehension. Donnie looked at them and smiled. “Keep moving! I can hear Father Dom catching up to us.” Donnie continued running up the stairs. They reached an enormous set of double doors shaped from marble. Each door had carved into it an eagle sitting upon a swastika. They were already open, so Donnie walked right in. His sight was immediately drawn to a man in a regal Nazi uniform, sitting on a golden throne. Donnie spotted Lazarus lying at the foot of the throne. Gestapo was using his body as a footrest. He was badly beaten and looked like a dried up corpse. Donnie was shocked when Lazarus turned his head and mouthed the word “run.”

“Welcome,” Gestapo said. “I am pleased to finally meet you Donato Guerrero.” When he received no answer from Donnie, Gestapo continued speaking, “I am surprised you came alone as well.” Donnie looked around and tried to spot Nox and Espee, but they were simply gone. They had been right behind him.

“I cannot say the feeling is mutual,” Donnie replied as he entered the chamber. He was disappointed that his allies had abandoned him, but he didn’t blame them. Gestapo had defeated Lazarus, what could they hope to achieve now?

“Donato Guerrero, did you know that your name literately means a warrior, gifted to man by God? I found it very amusing.” Gestapo readjusted his legs purposely driving his heels deeper into Lazarus’s back.

“Cut the chitchat, you Nazi piece of shit,” Donnie said as he entered further into the massive room. “Let’s dance.”

“Wait, please listen,” Gestapo pleaded. “I have things to say to you.”

“Too bad I’m not up to listening,” he replied. Gestapo snapped his fingers, and two Reich vampires entered into view. Donnie recognized Frieda right away and bared his fangs at her; he had never seen the other woman. Anna and Frieda walked into the light. Frieda was cradling a child in her arms, and Anna was holding CeeCee. She was gagged and was struggling against Anna’s unyielding grip. Anna removed CeeCee’s gag.

“Oh god! Donnie,” CeeCee screamed. “Please save Donna!” Anna placed the gag over her mouth once again.

“Now, do you feel like talking?” Gestapo asked. “If you move an inch closer, Anna will break that oven dodger’s neck, and Frieda will do something unpleasant to the child.” Donnie looked at CeeCee and at baby Donna; he was sure he could save one, but not both. His mind raced trying to come up with a solution to this problem, but every outcome resulted in one of them dying.

Donnie clenched his fists in frustration and took a deep breath, “talk.”

“You were very clever, disguising your activities in Miami under Lazarus’s name.” Gestapo again readjusted his posture and kicked Lazarus with his heels as if trying to fluff a pillow. “I would not have expected two of you. If it were not for a marriage certificate, I think both you would have succeeded in ending me.”

“Shucks!” Donnie remembered that the marriage certificate had been left in the Thing when Abbie sold it.

“Let me ask you a question, Donnie, may I call you Donnie?” Gestapo asked. “Why are you fighting us?”

“You really have to ask?” Donnie replied. “You killed my wife, and you took her soul.”

“Is that all?” Gestapo replied casually. “I can give you her soul. Will that satisfy you?”

“Give me her soul?” Donnie wondered what his game was.

“Wait, you don’t know what you are, do you?” Gestapo leaned forward in his chair genuinely surprised. Lazarus tried to struggle under Gestapo’s feet, but he moved his boot over Lazarus’s head and slammed it onto the floor.

“I am a vampire, I am a Foundling,” Donnie said defiantly.

“Really, do you know who birthed you?” Gestapo eagerly asked. “Was it Abbie?”

“Yes,” he replied. “It was not her fault.”

“Wonderful, just as I thought, you were her black spot,” Gestapo said. “See Lazarus, this is how your wonderful God treats you.”

“What does that mean?” Donnie asked.

“She has committed a mortal sin, and now I control her,” Gestapo explained.

“How and why do you get to control her?”

“You know so little,” Gestapo said and shook his head. “Let me explain. First thing, you are not of my Bloodline.”

“I’m not?”

“No, every member of my Bloodline experiences a change, a physical change. Most of the time, it is barely notable, but if your eyes were not blue or your hair was not a shade of blonde, after you awoke into undeath they would have been. So clearly you are not of my line.”

“Go on.” Donnie now knew why Abbie’s baby browns had turned blue.

“Second, the war between heaven and hell never truly ended, it merely changed, and it became a contest. He who controls the most souls rules everything. So if my Lord Lucifer manages to gain more souls than The Lord Creator, then he can assume power and bring about a new world.”

“That will never happen, evil always loses.”

“Historically, that is correct, and since the Lord Creator cheats, he will always have the power he needs to retain control.”

“God doth not cheat!” Lazarus yelled.

Gestapo quickly stomped Lazarus’s head repeatedly until he stopped squirming. “Silence, he does cheat. Even the vilest of souls can gain entry into heaven as long as they repent their sins in purgatory. So you see, my Lord will never gain the upper hand under these conditions. Only souls that refuse to repent in time or which are so monumentally evil, are sent to hell.”

“Abbie isn’t evil,” Donnie said. “Why can’t she repent? She was in purgatory?”

“Ergo, the true purpose of the Bloodline Sources,” Gestapo said. “We are bound to purgatory, and when one of our vampires is destroyed, their souls become ours to command. We hold them locked away in purgatory until their allotted time to repent is over, it is taken as a refusal to have their sins forgiven, and then we can send the souls to hell or store them until the time is right. Score one for the bad guys.”

“So why make a vampire in your Bloodline, just to have it killed later on?” Donnie asked.

“Very astute, Donnie,” Gestapo replied. “You may think that Foundlings are mistakes, but that is far from the truth. It is how we harvest the right souls.”

“Are you telling me that every Foundling is created on purpose?”

“Yes,” Gestapo replied calmly. “They are our very own herd of souls. Once they are blotted with black spots, we harvest them. The more stained the soul, the less time they receive in purgatory to repent. The process works very well, except when they escape.”

“Bastard,” Donnie said softly. “Seems like a lot of work for just one soul.”

“Yes, it would seem so, but you see there are special souls.” Gestapo smiled as he could see that he had fully captured Donnie’s attention now.

“What do you mean special?”

“Hmm, you know so little, they should have explained more.”

“Screw them. I’m talking to you, the one who wanted to talk, so flap the gums!”

“No patience, very well.” Gestapo could see that Donnie was easily agitated, and he would use that against him. “There are special souls that are born or reborn. They are called Prime Souls. These souls become people, become of great importance to the human race, either for good or evil. Our Führer Hitler was one such Prime Soul, another prime soul was Martin Luther King Jr. They are predetermined to do great things, and they are worth many times the weight of one normal soul.”

“Quality over quantity.” Donnie understood what Abbie meant about Lily being special. She had to possess a Prime Soul.

“Exactly, and when that prime soul returns to earth after spending some time in hell,” Gestapo said. “They return darker and angrier. Their potential for good is diametrically shifted to evil. The more evil the world experiences, the shakier its faith becomes, and the easier it becomes to manipulate.”

“Souls get recycled?”

“Yes, it especially seems to happen with the Prime ones,” Gestapo said. “Now you understand.”

“Now that you have gone through your villainous monologue,” Donnie said. “Let CeeCee and the baby go, and let’s fight.”

“Enter into combat just like that?” Gestapo asked. “I should just give up my upper hand?”

“What upper hand?” Donnie asked.

“I have your friend and her child. I will not hesitate to order their deaths,” Gestapo said.

“Do it,” Donnie replied and watched as CeeCee’s eyes went wide. “I know that CeeCee and the baby will go straight to heaven. I have no doubt of that, thanks to you.” Donnie began walking toward Gestapo. “I rather they were there, than in your clutches. I’ll just make sure you never do this to anyone ever again.”

“But you will be responsible for their deaths, just as you were responsible for your parents’ deaths.” Donnie was stopped in his tracks.

“What?”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Gestapo answered. “You received just as much of a choice to become what you are as Lazarus had, which was none. They made you, just like Lucifer made me. Unlike Lazarus, they made sure any potential weaknesses were eliminated.”

“It’s not true,” Donnie replied. “They would never put me through something like that on purpose.”

“I will wager that they picked you, even before birth, to become their puppet.” Donnie could not help recall the story of how his parents met and could now felt that Gestapo was right.

“I won’t believe this.”

“Why not, look at everything? Your beloved falls into my hands, and you come at me with everything under the pretense that her soul will be lost.”

“No.” Donnie began to shake. “It’s not true. It can’t be.”

“Don’t listen to him, Donnie,” Lazarus mumbled a moment before Gestapo stomped on his head, breaking his jaw.

“You never had a choice, but I offer you one now, Donnie,” Gestapo words slipped off his tongue as if uttered by a viper in the Garden of Eden. “Join us, and I will let your friends go and grant you dominion over your loved ones’ soul. You can keep her as your pet forever. You are after all a Source just like me.” Donnie contemplated Gestapo’s words carefully.

“You know, you almost had me,” Donnie said. “Right until the moment, you called my wife a pet. Your offer is tempting, but I just can’t get over the fact that you ordered her death, that you burned her on a roof, that you made her suffer when a quick death would have served your purpose, and that you made me watch.”

“What are you saying?” Gestapo asked.

“I’m saying, take your bullshit offer and shove it up your Nazi ass!” Donnie said. “I don’t care what you do. I’m going destroy you if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Very well, if that is your decision, then I have no choice but to make you suffer,” Gestapo proclaimed as a black portal formed next to him, and he reached his arm through it. His arm became translucent and ghostly as it passed to the other side of the portal, when he pulled his arm back his hand was firmly grasped around something.

Donnie watched in horror as realized what he pulled through the portal. “Abbie!” Her form was not solid, she appeared to be a ghost; he could clearly see through her form.

“I never lost her, you fool. I could see her in any purgatory no matter what form it took,” Gestapo said angrily. “Your suffering begins by watching her being dragged to hell.” Gestapo began to lower her and a pit opened up underneath her feet. Donnie could see the warm glow of embers stretching out of the pit.

“No!” Donnie cried out.

“Last chance,” Gestapo paused and held Abbie by her throat suspended over the entrance to hell. “Submit to me, and I will spare her.” Donnie looked at Abbie and could see the panic in her eyes as she looked down. What was she seeing underneath her?

“I . . .”

“Yes,” Gestapo said coldly. “Say it, I want to hear that you are broken.” Donnie looked around the room. CeeCee nodded to Donnie, but didn’t know if she wanted him to submit for the baby’s sake or to fight. He looked at Lazarus who could barely move now. He looked at Frieda who looked at him and then at the baby and mocked him by licking her lips as she looked at the baby. He found himself involuntarily praying.

“God or The Great Spirit, or whoever you are, please help me.” Donnie closed his eyes. “I’m your servant, but I can’t do this alone, just a little help, anything.”

“Get ready to taste my holy steel, you unholy bitches!” Father Dominick cried out as he stormed into the room. Gestapo looked at the portly priest and tilted his head in confusion. Father Dominick hurled a shiny cylinder at Gestapo. As it flew over his head, Donnie could tell it was a fire extinguisher. Time slowed for Donnie. Everyone watched as the fire extinguisher flew at Gestapo. With his free hand, Gestapo batted the cylinder out of the air. The force of his blow made the fire extinguisher rupture, and the pressurized water within sprayed all over Gestapo and Lazarus. Gestapo screamed in agony as the holy water covered him.

“Hammer-throw champion 1985!” Father Dominick yelled out.

“Kill everything!” Gestapo yelled. “Too bad, Donnie, you could have saved herrrraarrrggggg!” Donnie watched as something massive bit into Gestapo’s ghostly arm and shook him violently as it lifted him twenty feet in the air. The bite forced him to release Abbie. Donnie moved as fast as he could to reach her, but it was too late. She was falling into the fiery pit. Suddenly a pair of translucent turquoise paws grabbed her and pulled her back into the ghostly portal she had been pulled through. Punu, Donnie thought. Gestapo managed to pull himself free and pulled his now mangled arm out of the portal. A moment before it closed, Donnie spotted the head of a large bear. Wi-na-go winked at him as the portal closed. Donnie looked over to Frieda, who had lifted her head and was bringing her fangs down into the baby. His eyes shifted over to CeeCee, and he watched as Anna snapped CeeCee’s neck; she began to fall lifeless to the ground.

“Noooo!” Donnie yelled and rushed Gestapo. Gestapo seeing Donnie’s charge morphed into his stone form. Donnie hit him like a raging bull and they crashed together through a marble pillar. The force of the rush pulverized the entire pillar into mere dust.

Father Dominick pulled Father Benny’s twin axes and moved toward Anna. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and was relieved; Espee and Nox were engaging Frieda. Espee struck Frieda with sudden force sending her sprawling violently across the marble floor. Frieda flailed her arms wildly after the surprise attack, and baby Donna flew high into the air. Nox performed an acrobatic leap and caught her in mid-flip. “Got her,” he cried out. The pair simply appeared out of thin air.

“What!” Frieda exclaimed as she looked up and discovered that it was Espee that had decked her and knocked her to the ground, yet again.

“You tried to kill a child, you tried to burn me, and you touched my man,” Espee said as she cracked her knuckles. “Bad choice, bitch.”

“You again,” Frieda said as she got up to her feet. “I was hoping you didn’t survive the roof, but I can remedy that now.” Frieda assumed her stone form and prepared for battle.

“Do you know why a thousand-year-old vampire is so fearsome?” Espee asked. “You’re about to find out.” Frieda took one long look at Espee, turned, and ran into the darkness. Espee began giving chase and yelled, “Nox, get the baby and Lazarus out of here!” Espee ran after Frieda. Nox looked around trying to decide how he was going to get everyone safely out. Donnie and Gestapo were exchanging tremendous blows upon one another. Even though he was over fifty feet away, he could actually feel the shockwaves from each blow. Nox looked over to Lazarus, who was beginning to stand now, as he began running toward him, a flash of steel caught his eye. Father Dominick was in action now.

“I recognize you, harlot of hell,” Father Dominick said as he closed with Anna. “You’re the undead whore who killed Father Hubert.”

“Was he the one I ripped in half, or the other one I ripped in half?” Anna sneered at him in contempt.

“Oh, making jokes, Jezebel,” Father Dominick retorted. “Let’s see who gets the last laugh. Ha . . . ha-ha-ha!” Father Dominick lunged at Anna, swinging both axes. Anna kicked CeeCee’s corpse up at Father Dominick. The body hit him, and her dead weight was enough to topple him over. Her body ended up on top of him, and momentarily pinned him down. Anna morphed into the die Mauer and moved on Father Dominick.

“Now fat man,” Anna said. “It is time to join your fellow misguided brethren.” She brought a fist down on Father Dominick’s head. He moved his head at the last moment and barely avoided the skull crushing blow. She pulled back again to deliver another strike when she was impaled by a fiery arrow. She screamed in pain as the shaft easily burned its way through her shoulder.

Gestapo delivered a devastating knee to Donnie’s chin and then followed it up with a vicious kick. Donnie flew back and landed at Lazarus’s feet, moments before he fired the arrow from his bow made out of Faithfire. “Oh, you have to teach me how to do that!” Donnie said as he kicked the golden throne at Gestapo. The heavy seat spun wildly as it traveled at its intended target. It shattered when it stuck him squarely in the chest and knocked him off his feet.

“How are you doing, boy?” Lazarus asked.

“I’m pissed, and I like it that way,” Donnie said as he got up and plowed into Gestapo once again.

“We need to get out of here,” Nox said.

“Get the woman’s body,” Lazarus said.

“But she’s dead,” Nox argued.

“She was important to Donnie. She must be cared for,” Lazarus said as he placed his hand on Nox’s shoulder.

“Should I help the priest?” Nox asked offering the baby to Lazarus. She stopped crying the moment he took her from him.

“There is no need,” Lazarus said and began hobbling toward the exit. Nox looked over to Father Dominick and Anna.

“Damn you to hell,” Anna yelled as she turned to face Lazarus. Father Dominick took the chance the distraction had given him and freed his arms. He hurled both axes simultaneously into Anna’s back. She screamed and began to spin and contort, trying to pull them free from her back. The holy axes were burning her flesh. Father Dominick pushed CeeCee’s body off him and performed a kick stand jump. In the middle of one of her panicked twirls, Father Dominick pulled both axes from her back with an upward motion and then severed both her arms with the downward dual strike.

“No!” Anna screamed as she watched her arms fall to the ground. She turned and began to run. Father Dominick spun rapidly three times and flung the axes at her.

“Discus-throw champion 1987!” he yelled as he released his grip on the axes. His aim was impeccable and each axe severed one of her legs, one at the knee and the other at the thigh. He began walking calmly toward her.

“My Führer, my love, help me!” Anna cried out in terror. Gestapo hearing her cries turned and began to move toward her, but found Donnie unwilling to let him go. Donnie grabbed the back of his coat and yanked him back violently. He landed on his back, and Donnie stomped on his chest and head mercilessly. He jumped into the air and landed a savage elbow on Gestapo’s throat. Donnie wrapped his arms and legs around Gestapo’s body and turned him on his side.

“Do it quick, Father Dom, I don’t know how long I can hold him!” Donnie yelled.

“Of course, I will!” Father Dominick yelled back. Father Dominick leaned down next to Anna and whispered in her ear. “Lord, please forgive me for telling lies.” He grabbed Anna by her hair and began dragging her to the pedestal, where the golden throne once rested.

“Now you get to watch your loved one die, das asshole,” Donnie whispered into Gestapo’s ear. Gestapo struggled in vain as Father Dominick dragged Anna’s face first over the puddle of holy water that had been discharged from the extinguisher. Anna began to scream horridly and writhed in unimaginable pain.

“He said make it quick,” Nox said. Father Dominick nodded and walked over to the fire extinguisher and emptied the remaining contents over her body.

“I can’t believe they had these old water-based extinguishers all over the building. Do you know how easy they are to sanctify?” After he was done pouring the contents over Anna’s body, her screams ceased, only wet sand remained. Nox looked at Father Dominick.

“You know you’re not right, in the head?” Nox said, turning around and ran over to CeeCee’s body and snatched it up. “Finish this, Donnie!”

“Get out of here!” Donnie yelled back. He felt Gestapo’s strength surging. He stared at Father Dominick as he ran over and collected the axes and jogged out of the chamber.

“I will gut that man and bathe in his entrails,” Gestapo promised.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Donnie asked. “Having your heart ripped out, by someone else. Oops, I guess that’s one for the good guys.”

“I grow tired of this game,” Gestapo said. “I see that I will have to destroy you before I can enact my revenge. So be it!”

Forty-nine floors below, Frieda slid open a secret door and closed it behind her. She was running as fast as she could. She kept tossing glances back to make sure she wasn’t being followed as she descended to the bottom floor. She reached a radio room and began calling through the intercom. “Is anyone there?” Frieda was frantic now. “All troops to the Führer’s chamber.” She received nothing back except static.

“Looks like you are alone,” Espee said from behind her. Frieda turned around but there was no one there. “You cannot escape,” she said again from behind Frieda. Frieda whirled around and swung out a kick that hit nothing but air. “Missed me,” Espee whispered in Frieda’s ear. Frieda jumped as a result of the proximity of Espee’s voice, but again could not see anything.

“Where are you?” Frieda asked.

“Do you know how I survived as long as I have?” Espee asked. Frieda tracked the voice, and it seemed to be moving around the room, she could hear Espee’s footsteps now.

“I can hear you,” Frieda said. “Now, I can find you.”

“But do you want to?” Espee said as she materialized directly in front of Frieda and shoved her violently backward. “You can’t catch what you can’t see.” Frieda watched as Espee vanished right before her eyes. Frieda stood up but was struck and knocked back down.

“Invisibility, but that ability is only possessed by one Bloodline.”

“That’s right, you Reich Come mierda.”

“The counsel was sure all the Old Ones had been eliminated that only the Marked One survived the purge.”

“Well, they were wrong, very wrong, and missed one.”

“Your Bloodline turned its back on the Dark Lord, they deserved what they got!”

“Probably,” Espee replied as she vanished once again. “But if it wasn’t for the purge I would have lived out my life. You forced him to make me into this. I finally understand why he did this to me. We Foundlings needed a guardian, and I became their protector.” Espee pulled on Frieda’s hair, tossing her across the cramp room.

“What do you want from me?” Frieda screamed as she got up quickly.

“Revenge,” Espee replied and kicked Frieda in the stomach. She bounced off the ceiling as she traveled down the hall.

“You aren’t hurting me, you pathetic Foundling!” Frieda yelled. “My die Mauer is still too strong for you.” Frieda began to laugh as she stood up. She suddenly stopped as Espee materialized behind her and placed both palms on either side of her head and began to squeeze.

“What happens when you apply pressure to rock?” Espee asked as she increased her pressure tenfold.

“You are wasting your time,” Frieda said. “My shell won’t crack.” Frieda began struggling against Espee’s hold and quickly found that Espee was immensely stronger than her.

“I am over one thousand year old,” Espee said, “and descendent from the most ancient and powerful of Bloodlines.” Espee increased her pressure a hundredfold. “You’re simply outclassed.” Frieda gasped in surprise as her head imploded and then exploded into black sand. Espee watched as the rest of her body followed suit, spreading sand over the marble floor.

“Well done, my dear,” Lazarus said. He had made it down the stairs, carrying Donna. “Now, would you help this old man get outside?”

“You heard everything?” Espee asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to destroy me?” She asked genuinely frightened.

“You are a Foundling, are you not?” Lazarus asked.

“Yes.”

“Then you will never have anything to fear from me, despite your lineage.” Lazarus almost tipped but steadied himself against a wall.

“You need blood,” Espee said as she helped Lazarus exit the building.

“All in good time,” Lazarus replied. Father Dominick and Nox soon caught up. “Please bring our fallen brother along.” Father Dominick carried Father Benitez’s body outside. They met up next to the vintage Cadillac. Everyone looked up and wondered how Donnie was doing.

Gestapo was tossing Donnie around like a rag doll. His rage had doubled his strength, and Donnie was paying for it. He was moving at inhuman speeds knocking, punching, and kicking Donnie all over the chamber. Donnie decided to ride out the barrage and concentrated on staying calm despite the pain. Every wound he received was healed before the next one was delivered. After several minutes, Gestapo stopped and let Donnie stand up.

“This is pointless,” Gestapo said. “You can’t hurt me, and you heal faster than I can harm you. We are at a standstill.”

“I will gladly accept your surrender, just let me rip your head off, and we can call it a night,” Donnie replied and started walking toward Gestapo again.

“You will continue to fight?” Gestapo asked in shock. “Even though you have no hope of winning?”

“I have more than hope on my side, Kraut,” Donnie said boldly. “I have faith!” Donnie lunged at Gestapo once again and began pounding him brutally, driving him back against a wall. Gestapo grabbed him by the throat, and pulled his face close to his.

“Faith is overrated.” He hurled Donnie through five feet of marble and solid reinforced concrete. The building’s exterior exploded in a myriad of stone as Donnie emerged on the other side and began to fall fifty stories to the ground below.

“Look out!” Espee cried out as Donnie landed on Father Dominick’s Cadillac. The windows and tires violently erupted as Donnie’s body’s crushed the roof.

“No!” Father Dominick cried out as he fell onto his knees. “What sort of evil desecrates a Cadillac!”

“Oh yeah, that hurt,” Donnie said as he rolled off the car. “Definitely, definitely hurt.”

“How are we doing, son?” Lazarus asked.

“He won that round,” he said. “I’m not losing another one.” Donnie sprinted toward the building. Lazarus looked up as the skies went from clear to dark and stormy.

“Avenge my car!” Father Dominick yelled raising a fist into the air.

“It is happening,” Lazarus said to Espee.

“We might need to move farther away,” Espee replied. Donnie did not go into the building; instead he placed his hands at the base of the structure. Donnie closed his eyes, and his entire body began to shake. The shaking soon turned to vibrations, and those vibrations grew and emanated outwardly. Gestapo watched the sky dim and wondered what was happening; he was suddenly knocked off his feet as that entire building began to shake. The building continued to quake violently and began to sway back and forth.

“Run!” Espee yelled, and everyone began to move away from the building. Gestapo regained his footing, and looked down to where Donnie was standing. His vibrations had grown so rapid that was merely a blur now; it was as if he was looking at him through the blades of a fast-spinning fan. Gestapo jumped out of the hole, but was struck by a bolt of lightning, and was slammed back inside the chamber. Gestapo sat up just as the floor gave way under him, and the entire building collapsed within itself. He was crushed under one hundred thousand megatons of steel, concrete, and glass. The localized earthquake easily exceeded a ten on the Richter scale.

“Is it over?” Espee asked.

“Not even close,” Lazarus replied. Donnie began walking to the center of the debris as Gestapo emerged. He was utterly unharmed.

“Impressive,” Gestapo commented. “You managed to break my die Mauer, but you are only delaying the inevitable, I will only reform it and will be once again impervious to harm. You have accomplished nothing!” A bolt of lightning struck him and drove him down to one knee.

“Wrong!” Donnie said as he continued walking toward Gestapo. “You forget that I was married to Abbie.” Another bolt of lightning struck Gestapo, driving him down to both knees.

“I know your secrets. I know that a full body transformation into die Mauer leaves you weakened once it breaks.” Donnie called another bolt of lightning and struck Gestapo, his skin began to char. “I know that to summon the die Mauer requires intense concentration.” Three consecutive bolts of lightning rained down on Gestapo. The skies opened up, and rain began to freely fall. “I know that as long as I keep slamming you with lightning that will be impossible.” Donnie reached Gestapo.

“Yes,” Gestapo replied. “You are correct, but I can still run!” Gestapo sprung to his feet and began to run away. Donnie pulled the chain from around his waist and slung it around Gestapo’s feet in a whip-like motion, tripping him. Another five bolts of lightning struck Gestapo in succession. Donnie jumped on his back and coiled the chain around his arms.

“Donnie, we can still work together,” Gestapo cried out; he was unable to hide the panic behind his words. “Ask me for anything, and I will grant it.”

“Can you bring my wife back from the dead?” Donnie said as another ten bolts fell on both Donnie and Gestapo. The rubble around them began to glow red and melt together from the intense heat.

“No . . . ” Gestapo said weakly, Donnie could see that he was trying to reform his die Mauer.

“Drain him baby,” Donnie heard Abbie say. “Take everything he is into you.”

“Thanks baby.” He leaned down and whispered into Gestapo’s ear, “May God abolish you of all sins, and may he have mercy on your soul.” He sank his fangs into Gestapo’s neck and began to drink. Gestapo tried to struggle but every gulp Donnie took, combined with the constant, unyielding strikes of electricity kept him pinned down. Gestapo began to yell as Donnie sucked him dry. Donnie kept drinking, even though there was no longer any blood; he was still feeding on something. His blood was replaced by viscous black ichors, it tasted foul, but he continued to drink and drink. Gestapo’s body turned from flesh into a coarse stone. Donnie stood up and crushed his head under the heel of his boot. He turned around and walked over to Lazarus and the others. “It’s over.”

“I am afraid it is not,” Lazarus said. “At least not yet.”

“What do you mean?” Donnie asked. Suddenly he grabbed his stomach and bent over in pain. “What?” Donnie violently threw himself onto his back and began to writhe in agony. He grabbed at empty air, kicked and arched his back, and began screaming, it was like nothing anyone had ever seen.

“What is happening to him?” Espee asked.

“With their Source dead, every Reich vampire has just turned to sand,” Lazarus said.

“But that is good, right?” Nox asked.

“Too much, sich übernehmen,” Donnie screamed. “Shut up, Halt die Klappe!”

“Every soul that Gestapo held trapped as well as every soul of each fallen Reich vampire is rushing into him,” Lazarus explained. “It may be too much for his mind and body to withstand. He wasn’t prepared for this.” Donnie rolled onto his stomach and curled up into a ball, whilst still screaming his head off. The weather became increasingly worse. The winds blew in every direction, rain poured, then suddenly stopped, and the earth shook once again.

“We need to help him!” Espee said as she knelt down next to him. “Donnie, come on, you can get control of this. I know you can.” Donnie looked up at Espee and screamed at her, a bolt of lightning landed alarmingly close.

“We need to get out of here,” Nox said. “He’s losing it.”

“That might be a good idea,” Lazarus said. “I will stay with him.”

“I’m not leaving him,” Father Dominick said defiantly as he pulled out a cross and placed it on Donnie’s forehead and began praying.

“Dominick, you are not fireproof, I am,” Lazarus said. “Should a bolt strike you?”

“His father saved me when I was nothing but a strung out junkie,” Father Dominick said as tears streamed down his face. “He sat and prayed with me, when I was going through withdrawals. It was the toughest thing I ever had to endure. The devil himself will not pull me away from his side now!”

“Dominick,” Lazarus said.

“He won’t hurt us,” Father Dominick said. “God tells me so.” Donnie began panting quickly.

“Let me take it from here,” Abbie said as she knelt down beside Donnie and Father Dominick. Everyone was surprised to see her apparition before them. A translucent Abbie knelt down and placed her ghostly hands on Donnie’s chest.

“Abbie, is that you?” Espee asked.

“Is it her?” Nox asked. “Fuck me it is!”

“Hello, Espee, and hi Nox,” Abbie replied. Father Dominick passed his hand through Abbie’s head slowly and then quickly repeated it several times. “Please stop doing that and back away.”

“Do as she asks, Dominick,” Lazarus ordered, and Father Dominick stood up and backed away.

“Donnie, I’m here,” Abbie said. “Concentrate on my voice, you can control it, just quiet your mind and force the voices down.” Donnie began to grimace and make contorted faces as he continued to pant. “That’s it. Shut them out.” Donnie’s breathing became more relaxed, and eventually he opened up his eyes. He looked up at Abbie’s sweet face.

“Hi,” Donnie said as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes. “I missed you.”

“Hi,” Abbie replied back. “I know, I missed you too.” Donnie stood up and took Abbie’s hand.

“You did it,” Lazarus said. “One last thing to do.”

“What?” Donnie asked wondering what else he must endure. “What else is there possible to do now?” Abbie turned to Donnie and hugged him. She placed her head on her favorite spot and listened to his heart slowly beat.

“You need to release all the souls,” Abbie said. “You can cleanse them of all stains and return them to their purgatory. So they can move on.”

“All of them?” Donnie asked. “There are over two million.”

“Yes Donnie.” Lazarus moved closer to him. “This is your true purpose. You have achieved what I could not, and you have achieved a great victory.”

“OK, how do I do that? Stuffing them all down was a bit rough,” Donnie said slightly giggling.

“You open your heart, and you let them go through it,” Abbie said. “Just inhale, and then let them go as you exhale, it will be easy.”

“How many at a time do I let go?” Donnie asked.

“It’s all or none,” Abbie replied and gripped him tightly.

“Wait,” Donnie said as he looked at Abbie and realized, “you too?” Abbie looked up in tears at Donnie.

“Yes,” the sadness in Abbie’s voice was unmistakable, “me too. I’ll have to go too. I’ll be gone forever.”

“No,” Donnie said in a low whimpering voice. “We endured all of this, and we still lose one another?”

“It’s your choice, Donnie,” Abbie said. “You can keep all of us, inside you, or let us go to our final rests.”

“What do you want?” Donnie asked Abbie. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I want to stay with you,” Abbie said. “But that would enslave so many good souls. It’s just not fair. It’s not really a choice at all.”

“No, not a choice at all, it’s simple,” Donnie said. “I love you so much, but I have to do the right thing, and that means letting go of you.”

“Donnie,” Abbie said softly. “We’re ready.” Donnie held onto Abbie closely and took a deep breath.

“At least this time, I get to say good-bye,” Donnie said in tears and forcefully exhaled. He began to glow with an angelic golden light that surged from within him. Millions of sparkles began to form around him. It looked as if he had millions of fireflies spinning and dancing around him. They slowly began to float up into the sky, a few at first, then increasingly more and more. A multitude of whispers could be heard. They each said the same thing, over and over. They said thank you.

“It’s so beautiful” Lazarus said, crying. “Forgive me my Lord, for ever doubting your benevolence.” Nox was moved inside by the miracle he was witnessing. He was filled with joy and pride at what he was witnessing and was inspired to act.

“I love you, Espee,” Nox said as he turned to her and grabbed her hands. “Please say yes already.”

“I’ve been so afraid, for so long,” Espee said visibly shaking. “I’m not afraid anymore. Yes, Nox, my love, I will marry you.” Father Dominick leaned over to Nox and Espee.

“I perform weddings on the second Saturday of each month.” Nox and Espee looked at him and smiled. His faced was drenched with nonstop tears. The dancing lights and voices began to lessen and become fewer and fewer until there was only one left. It remained floating above Abbie’s head.

“Time to go,” Donnie said to Abbie and kissed her for the last time. She faded out, and her light grew brighter and began to float away into the sky.

“I will always love you,” she said as she floated up and out of everyone’s sight. Donnie fell to his knees and wept. He only stopped when he heard baby Donna’s giggles. Donnie looked up and saw that she was awake and unharmed.

“I can’t believe she slept through that,” Nox said.

“She’s deaf,” Donnie replied as he got up. “She didn’t hear any of the noise.”

“She heard you,” Lazarus said. “She looked over to you when you spoke.”

“How’s that possible?” Donnie asked, then stopped. “Never mind, I have to get her to her father, and somehow explain about CeeCee.” Donnie looked over to the bodies of Father Benitez and CeeCee, and his heart was filled with tremendous sorrow. More loved ones to place in the earth. Lazarus handed the baby over to Father Dominick.

“Donato,” Lazarus said as he hobbled over. He was obviously in extreme pain and yet barely healed any of his wounds.

“Yes Russ, what do you want?”

“It is time for you to fulfill your vow to me,” Lazarus said.

“Now Russ? Can it wait a few days? I promise I will do it.”

“No!” Lazarus said firmly and smiled. “My final task will also teach you a valuable skill, and it cannot wait.” Donnie looked at him and sighed.

“OK Russ,” Donnie said. “What do I have to do?”

“Listen carefully. First take a deep breath,” Lazarus ordered. Donnie took an especially deep breath,

“Good, now think about all of your good intentions. Focus on all your good emotions,” Lazarus said. “Drive them down into your stomach.”

“OK . . . ” Donnie said a bit confused.

“Don’t talk!” Lazarus said. “Just nod. Remember no questions as we agreed. Now take the breath again, and close your eyes.” Donnie closed his eyes and took another deep breath completely filling his lungs.

“Think of how you felt when you wanted to save Abbie, to save your friend here. Think of the love you had for your parents.” Donnie nodded and Lazarus moved in front of him.

“Now, exhale,” Lazarus said anxiously. Donnie let out a strong breath. It was visible to everyone as they watched. It had a light blue hue and sparkled. It appeared as if he was exhaling on a very cold night.

“Excellent!” Lazarus smiled and got within inches of Donnie and inhaled his breath. Donnie opened his eyes and backed off.

“What gives?” Donnie asked. “You trying to kiss me?” Lazarus fell backward and began to cough. Nox caught him and lowered him to the ground. His pale skin began to regain most of its color, and he smiled.

“Thank you, Donnie,” Lazarus said. “It won’t be long now.”

“Thanks for what? And what won’t be long now?” Donnie asked as he knelt down beside Lazarus.

“You did it,” Lazarus said. “Spiritus Vita. I could never master it, but you did it on the first try, good lad.”

“Whoa, what did I just do?” he asked.

“Listen carefully, Donnie,” Lazarus said. “I will be dead soon.”

“What?” Donnie said. “Let’s get you some blood then.”

“I can no longer drink blood to live, nor do I care to ever ingest it again,” Lazarus replied. “Spiritus Vita, the breath of life can be used to do three things.” Lazarus began to cough violently and appeared to be in tremendous pain.

“What can we do to help you?” Donnie asked.

“Nothing, my wounds are fatal,” Lazarus said as blood trickled down the side of his mouth. “I am going to die, because I am once again human.”

“What!” Donnie exclaimed.

“Is that possible?” Espee asked.

“Fuck me,” Nox said.

“Makes perfect sense to me,” Father Dominick said.

“What are you saying?” Donnie asked.

“No time . . . ” Lazarus said, coughing more blood through labored breaths. “Three things, heal the infirm, unmake undeath, and bring the recently deceased back to life.” Lazarus coughed a few times.

“Donnie,” Espee said. “Is that possible?”

“Satan’s vampires use the Spiritus Mortis to make the undead,” Lazarus said. “You are not like them Donnie. You are their complete opposite. Where they enslave souls, you can release them. Where they grant undeath, you can repel it. Where they take life, you can restore it.”

“Can I heal you?” Donnie asked. “I still need your help.”

“I am done,” Lazarus said smiling. “Please allow me to rest.” Lazarus sprayed blood as he violently coughed.

“But I can heal you,” Donnie argued.

“The Spiritus Vita has limits,” Lazarus said. “You must be cautious using it. Never use it more than three times in any month. You already used it once on me. There are two others that need it more.” Lazarus glanced over toward CeeCee and Father Benitez, closed his eyes, and let out his last breath. Lazarus of Bethany, a two-thousand-year-old servant of God, was dead.

Donnie stood up and looked up into the sky for a moment. He closed his eyes and could hear the flapping of a large pair of wings. He looked over to Lazarus and kneeling next to him was an angel. Donnie looked over to the others but they appeared to be suspended in time. Donnie looked into the Angel’s face as it stood up.

“Thunder Step,” Donnie said.

“In this form, my name is Uriel, and I have come to take Lazarus to the kingdom of heaven,” he said.

“It’s what he wants,” Donnie said. “Who I am to deny him or anyone happiness.”

“You seem troubled,” Uriel said and floated over to Donnie.

“I have questions,” Donnie said. “I need the truth.”

“You may now and always ask me anything,” Uriel said. “I shall doubt you no more.”

“Did you kill my mom and dad like Gestapo said?” Donnie asked. Uriel smiled and placed his hands on Donnie’s shoulders.

“No,” Uriel spoke gently. “Your mother had a bout with cancer shortly after you were born. It was why she could never conceive another child. Her physician warned her that the herbs she was using for her visions were causing her illness. She chose to ignore the warning.”

“What about my father?”

“Another choice,” Uriel said. “He could have run for help, but he chose to face two evil men on his own. We had nothing to do with taking them from you.”

“But how they met?” Donnie asked.

“Ask Ariel about that someday,” Uriel said. “She is the romantic.” Uriel smiled and turned around. “Are you ready, my old friend?” Donnie could see the spirit of Lazarus standing over his body.

“I am,” Lazarus said. He looked over to Donnie and smiled. Uriel placed his hand on Lazarus, and they began walking into a bright light. Donnie looked away for a moment, and they were gone. Suddenly Donnie was hit with the sounds of the city and his friends looking at him.

“What’s next, Grandmaster?” Father Dominick asked. Donnie realized that with Lazarus’s passing, he was logical choice to lead the Order of the Second Life.

“Should I use the breath on CeeCee and Father Benny?” Donnie asked.

“You are God’s Vampire,” Father Dominick said. “You are here to do his will, and his will is to stop the Sources.”

“Well, then,” Donnie replied, “that’s precisely what I will do.”

CHAPTER 46

Epilogue

SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER the historic New Orleans earthquake, The Order of the Second Life was back in full swing. Under their new Grandmaster Father Rodrigo Benitez, they began an active campaign of information gathering. Donnie requested as much information as they could find on the remaining Bloodlines throughout the world. It turned out harder than they had expected. The Sources were scared now, for the first time, they had been wounded and the cut ran deep. Word was spreading among the Foundlings; Donnie’s name was whispered as a beacon of hope. The Gulf Coast, especially Miami, had been hailed as a safe haven, for any who needed shelter and they came by the hundreds.

Espee and Nox continued their work in Miami, after getting married and taking their honeymoon, they had after all been in New Orleans. Father Dominick was honored to perform the ceremony. In the months that followed, Espee and Nox considered Donnie’s offer. The chance to live out their lives as humans once again was extremely tempting, especially after having held baby Donna in their arms. They mutually agreed Donnie needed their help, and they told him that as long as any Foundling needed help, they would stay in the fight and by his side.

New Tranquility prospered, Donnie made sure of that. One of the strange side effects of taking Gestapo’s essence was that, he also acquired all of his memories. He was amazed at how much money the Reich had actually stowed away in Swiss bank accounts. Through the gained memories, Donnie now had numbers and passwords to every account the Reich once controlled. Captain Maxwell took advantage of the obscene amount of money Donnie threw at him and got some serious weapon and defense system upgrades. His last words to Donnie were, “Let them come now.”

Donnie spent some time with CeeCee and Misha at their LA home soon after Espee and Nox’s wedding. It was good to see his old friend, but having placed CeeCee and the baby in harm still haunted him. He promised them that he would remain out of their lives to keep them safe. To which, they unequivocally rejected the idea. There was no way they were not going to be part of his life. They told him, if they lived in fear, then the Sources win. It was the Sources’ turn to be afraid. Donnie’s heart was filled with joy, and he hoped that he could keep them safe in the future.

Donnie had one last loose end to take care of, a promise he had made to Lily. So on a beautiful sunny day, they traveled to the graveyard where her parents had been laid to rest. Lily placed flowers on each of their graves and wept uncontrollably. Donnie knew exactly how she felt and held her close. He hoped that despite everything she had endured, she would be stronger now, and held high hopes for her. With the Order’s help, she had been given a new identity, and she and her brothers were adopted. Johan and Camille had really taken to her while they watched over her; they agreed to adopt all three of them right away. Donnie hoped that these two broken families would mend each other. Donnie didn’t know what Lily was meant to do, or what changes she would make to the world, but at least now she had the chance to do it. Donnie walked away as Camille consoled Lily. He began wandering through the cemetery and bumped into a man, a man missing a part of his ear.

“Hello, Half-dead.”

“Hello, Furball, or do I call you the Reaper?”

“Don’t be so melodramatic, Mr. Grimly will suffice.”

“You know that’s no better, but I was wondering when you were going to call in the favor. I didn’t expect it this soon.”

“I waited and gave you time to grieve and place your affairs in order.”

“I appreciate that, so do you take my soul or what do we do?”

“No, despite what you may think of me, I am not evil. I had a job to do when we first crossed paths.”

“I understand very well about duties.”

“Good. My job is to take souls to their final resting place, at their appointed time, and despite what you may think, I am still an angel, and there is something that makes me weep.”

Donnie could see that Mr. Grimly was indeed crying now as he looked at a grave. Donnie looked down and read the tombstone. They were standing at the grave of a child who died at the age of five. “What makes you weep?”

“Death is the natural order of things, it is natural and I understand it, but every time I have to take a child, I weep.”

“Kids die too.”

“Yes, yes they do, but they are not meant to go to hell, which I must do repeatedly because of vampires.”

Donnie immediately got his meaning and said, “The Bretons.”

“Yes, Donnie, I will ask that you destroy Gilles de Rais and deliver to me the millions of child souls that he has locked away, so that I may take them to heaven, so that I no longer have to weep.”

“This is your favor?”

“Yes, do this for me and our bargain is at its end.”

“Gladly, I owe you for saving Abbie.”

“I will guide you to him, when you are ready to begin find me once more.” Mr. Grimly turned and walked away. Donnie watched as he sunk into the earth and was gone. Donnie continued to wander the grounds, and after a while, Johan caught up to him. Donnie was staring at his pearlescent marble arm. He marveled at how amazing it felt to be made of out something else beside flesh. Maintaining die Mauer was harder than he expected. It would be years before he could perform a full body transformation, if ever.

“What is that?” Johan asked as Donnie’s arm changed from flesh to stone.

“An interesting new development,” he replied as he let his arm resume its fleshy texture.

Johan watched in amazement, and Donnie’s arm went from solid white back to its tanned texture. “So what will you do now, son.”

“There’s a child murdering monster in Canada that I need to have a few words with.” Johan smiled and patted him on his back. Donnie smiled and looked up into the clouds. High above in the clouds, a pair of beings gazed down upon Donnie.

“Do you think he can see us?” Ariel asked.

“Probably,” Azrael replied smiling.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“I didn’t. I just knew his heart,” he replied.

“That was sneaky of you,” she said, smiling, “pushing his parents together.”

“I am an Arch-Angel,” Azrael said defensively. “I am incapable of sneaking, and besides, you helped.” Ariel and Azrael laughed joyfully.

“It was too bad about Abbie,” Ariel said. “I can tell he will be in pain for a long time.”

“I tried to keep them apart,” Azrael said. “But they always seem to find each other.”

“So how many times has it been now?” Ariel asked. Azrael paused for a moment and pondered the question.

“Let’s see, Romeo and Juliet, Sampson and Delilah, Lancelot and Guinevere, Tristan and Isolde, Paris and Helena, and dozens more,” Azrael said. “Two Prime Souls that would rather be in each other’s arms than in heaven.”

“So how long this time?” Ariel wondered aloud. “Before she goes back?”

“That will be her choice,” Azrael replied. “As always, but I suspect it won’t be long.” The two Archangels continued to walk across the clouds.

“So has it been agreed?” Ariel asked.

“Yes, you will be able to select the next one,” Azrael said. “Do you have someone in mind?”

“Perhaps,” Ariel replied, trying to hide her smile. “As Uriel likes to say, I am the romantic.”

DEDICATIONS

I would like to dedicate this book to my mother Carmen. She inspires and pushes me every day. Thank you Mami, I don’t think I would be the person I am today without you.

Special Thanks

I would like to give thanks to my friends that supported my project to write a book as silly as that may have seemed at the time.

I’d like to start by thanking Amy Dewalt, Amy you were undoubtedly my muse, and gave me that little nudge that I needed to set my writing in motion, so thank you so much.

I’d like to thank Kelly Stinson, Kelly you gave me some very sound advice and kept me grounded by urging me to stay practical and keep my head out of the clouds, and thanks for the technical help on the websites as well.

I’d like to thank Linda Delcamp Simmons, for helping me with the wonderful cover art. I still think it looks awesome by the way, thanks.

I’d like to also thank my test readers. Your feedback was most appreciated and invaluable. Their names are as follows: Aaron “Vega,” Amanda, Amy, Big Rob, Bill, Dalton, David, Deborah, Michael “Misha,” Jordan, Parrish, and Steve.

I would like to thank all the owners and employees of Advantage Travel, who kept asking “How is the book going?” Which kept me going.

Finally I’d like to thank Solia Tera and Twinz Beatz, for letting me use their artist names within the pages of this tome. If you get a chance, listen to their sounds on ITunes.

As an author I can tell you that I love to hear about how much you liked my work, so at this point I am going to ask you to leave me a review. It will only take a moment, and that way I can tell what is liked and not liked by my readers.

https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin= B005EOTO72

Other Books you may enjoy in The Foundlings series:

THE VAMPIR MANUAL OF THE REICH

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THE BEASTS WITHIN

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THE CODEX OF VAMPIRIC BLOODLINES

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THE SHROUDED SAGAS

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THE LOST LIBRAMS: THE FOUNDLINGS COMPENDIUM ONE

Books 2, 4, & 5

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