Where a Demon Hides: War of the Second Iteration – Coda
Author: Thomas Watson
Date: 2022-11-09 00:53:20+00:00
Keywords: Fiction; Horror | Paranormal | Vampires; Science Fiction; General
Description: The war is over and Humanity has prevailed, but victory came at a terrible price. The weapon used to bring down the enemy killed or injured as many people as it saved. One of the unintended casualties, Alicia MacGregor, has existed in a medically induced coma for two years while her neurological injuries were repaired. At last, to the relief of family and friends, the time has come for her to awaken and rejoin the world. She is healed physically, but the trauma she endured in that final battle left deep scars in her heart and mind. As she copes with the burden of horror and grief left by the w

VENGEANCE IN BLOOD

Book 3

REBORN

THOMAS A WATSON

Copyright © December 25, 2017

THOMAS A WATSON/A-POC PRESS

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Credits

Sabrina Jean/Fast Track Editing

Cover Art by Christian Bentulan

This book is a work of fiction. People places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

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Chapter One

Feeling the pulse under her fingers weaken, Tiffany let go of Kenneth’s wrist as she sat up, “Bite him,” she told Besseta.

Sobbing hard, Besseta turned back to Kenneth, and her body trembled as rivers ran down her cheeks. “He never told me he wanted to,” she whimpered. Leaning down and kissing Kenneth’s forehead, “Kenneth, baby, if you can hear me, please tell me what you want.”

“Bite him,” Tiffany told her again, more forcefully.

Keeping her eyes on Kenneth, “What if he doesn’t want that?” Besseta asked, lifting her hand to caress his face.

“Blame me,” Tiffany said. “We’ll tell him, I made you.”

A forced chuckle jerked Besseta’s body, “Like he would believe that,” Besseta said, then continued to cry. At a loss, Tiffany reached over, taking Kenneth’s hand.

Gently, Besseta lifted Kenneth’s head, moving it off her lap. “I’m sorry baby, I can’t go on without you,” she whispered, leaning over him. “If you hate me for this, I’m sorry, and I’m willing to pay for it with my life.” Lowering her mouth to his neck, Besseta softly placed her open mouth on the side of Kenneth’s neck.

As her canine teeth extended, they pierced his skin. When just a trickle of blood hit her mouth, Besseta’s body was rocked with grief. When her saliva hit the exposed wound, Kenneth’s body jerked under her; making Besseta wish for death. Not removing her mouth, she held until her mouth was full and started swallowing. Pulling her teeth out, Besseta gently licked the punctures as Kenneth’s body started to shiver. Lifting her head up as the two holes in Kenneth’s neck closed, Besseta brought her wrist to her mouth.

The shiver continued to build until Kenneth’s body gave out rhythmic jerks, bouncing off the ground as the pain coursed through his body. Letting out a breath of relief, Tiffany ripped off Kenneth’s shirt. “What good is a bulletproof vest if it doesn’t stop bullets?” she groaned, undoing it and noticed two bullets stuck in the vest over Kenneth’s heart. “Well, at least it stopped some,” she added, pulling the vest over Kenneth’s head.

Closing her eyes, Besseta bit her wrist and ground her teeth in deep. Taking her wrist out of her mouth and opening her eyes, blood poured out as she lowered it over Kenneth’s mouth. Tiffany moved to the other side and lifted Kenneth’s head off the ground, bringing it up to Besseta’s bleeding wrist.

Placing the bleeding wound in Kenneth’s mouth, Besseta didn’t notice Tiffany closing his jaw around it. As his mouth filled with blood, Tiffany gasped when she felt Kenneth swallow. Besseta coughed when she saw Kenneth swallow and pushed her wrist further into his mouth.

The blood flowed rapidly into Kenneth’s mouth and his body naturally swallowed several mouthfuls, but the blood was flowing too fast for him. He coughed, spraying both of them with blood. Besseta yanked her wrist back as Kenneth kept coughing.

Tiffany looked around and saw the body of one of the attackers. Raising her hand, the body floated over to her. Grabbing it, Tiffany slid it under Kenneth’s head for a pillow. “Besseta, go find one to feed on, quickly,” Tiffany told her. Besseta slowly looked up at Tiffany. “Now, Besseta, we don’t have long before more show up.”

Darting away, Besseta found two human attackers still clinging to life and brought them back next to Kenneth. Besseta bit one as Tiffany leaned down over the wound on Kenneth’s abdomen. Bringing her wrist to her mouth, Tiffany bit it and held it over the wound, dripping her blood on it. Then, she turned Kenneth on his side and dripped blood onto the much larger hole on his back.

Besseta dropped the body she was feeding on, not getting any more blood out of it. “Thank you,” she whispered, kneeling back down.

Looking up, Tiffany gave her a weak smile. “Lick the wound on his belly,” Tiffany told her as she leaned down. Kenneth’s body started jerking hard as Tiffany licked the hole on his back. With tears running down her face in a steady stream again, Besseta knelt down and did the same to the wound on Kenneth’s abdomen.

Every muscle in Kenneth’s body locked up as they licked over the wounds, ebbing the blood flow, and fire filled his being. Besseta closed her eyes, hearing a silent scream from Kenneth’s mind. Not feeling as much blood coming out of the wound and not able to bear the screams from Kenneth’s mind, Besseta sat up.

Seeing Besseta look at Kenneth’s face, Tiffany sat up and wiped the blood off her mouth. “Is he saying anything?”

Shaking her head as she stared at the grimace on his face, “No,” Besseta whispered. “He’s screaming.”

“Besseta!” Tiffany snapped. Besseta slowly tore her eyes from Kenneth’s face and looked at her. “Feed him again while I bandage the wounds.”

Giving a weak nod, Besseta brought her wrist back to her mouth. Tiffany pulled her jacket off and started ripping it to shreds. As Besseta put her wrist into Kenneth’s mouth, Tiffany placed the torn jacket over the wounds and wrapped several strips around Kenneth. Satisfied, Tiffany tied the strips over both dressings.

“That’s enough,” Tiffany said, looking over at the other body behind Besseta, hearing a faint heartbeat. Tiffany flashed over to the body and grabbed Besseta, spinning her around. “We feed together,” she said, picking the body up and pulling Besseta to the other side of the neck.

Totally numb, Besseta did what she was told until Tiffany dropped the body. Stepping around Besseta, Tiffany bit her wrist again and knelt down beside Kenneth. Putting her wrist to Kenneth’s mouth, “Besseta, we have to leave. I can smell a large group of vampires with a pack of werewolves coming,” Tiffany told her, feeling Besseta’s grief.

With the tears starting to abate, Besseta slowly nodded with a blank face while staring at Kenneth. Pulling her wrist from Kenneth’s mouth, Tiffany jumped up and grabbed Besseta’s shoulders. “Hey, snap out of it or he will die!” Tiffany hissed. “They wanted to kill him, and more are coming to finish the job. He was the focus of their attack, not us!”

Anger flooded Besseta’s body and she snapped her eyes to Tiffany. “I’ll kill them all.”

“Now isn’t the time, we have to leave. There’s way too many coming for us to fight. If we die or get captured, Kenneth dies,” Tiffany said, trying to reason with her and Besseta started panting in fear. “Besseta, I’m going to carry Kenneth and stay connected to you. You can’t take off fast or it might kill him. You will have to start running and slowly build up speed. The pack will be here before the vampires and I can’t outrun them. This fight has taken a lot from me.”

Reaching up, Besseta wiped her face, “Get him,” she said, smearing blood over her face.

Tiffany walked over and picked up Kenneth as his body gave out another series of jerks, “Remember, start slow. When you get up to speed, run like you never have before and head south. We have to lead them away from home,” Tiffany instructed, floating off the ground.

Besseta turned around as Tiffany floated closer and formed a bond in her mind to Besseta as she broke into a jog. Tiffany hovered behind Besseta as she slowly built up speed. Soon, the world was blurring by and Tiffany was getting nervous. She had never dreamed of speed like this.

Floating behind Besseta, Tiffany’s eyes stayed wide, seeing Besseta weave in and out of traffic several times, then darting out off the coast. Leaning forward and pushing with everything she had, Besseta ran along the coast on the water. Holding Kenneth’s head tight to her chest, Tiffany looked behind them to see the water erupting in their wake.

When Besseta turned back to land, Tiffany gave a sigh of relief and looked down at Kenneth who was lying limply in her arms. Twisting her arm and looking at her watch, “Besseta, find a place to stop, but not fast. Slow down to a stop,” Tiffany said.

As the world slowly came back into focus Tiffany saw they were beside a highway. When Besseta came to a stop as she eased out of a jog, she turned around. “How is he?” she asked, stepping back and reaching up to caress Kenneth’s face.

“No changes,” Tiffany answered, looking up over Besseta’s head and saw a sign. “We’re twenty miles from Richmond, Virginia?”

Shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know. You said head south,” Besseta answered in a depressed voice.

Lowering herself and Kenneth to the ground, “You didn’t even run for two hours,” Tiffany noted, but Besseta didn’t reply. “Besseta, I need you to get Kenneth home and I’ll follow,” Tiffany said, reaching out and lifting her face up.

Shock hit Besseta as she gasped, “You’re leaving me?”

“No,” Tiffany told her. “I need stuff to help Kenneth, but I can’t get them close to where we live, or they’ll find us,” she explained and Besseta sighed with relief.

“Okay, when will you be home?” Besseta asked, turning back to Kenneth.

Handing Kenneth’s body over, “Before morning,” Tiffany assured her. “Put Kenneth in the bed, but don’t take off the bandages. There are three still down in the dungeon, feed and let Kenneth drink again,” she instructed.

Looking up from Kenneth in her arms, “He’s taken a lot already,” Besseta said.

“I know, and I’ll explain when I get home,” Tiffany told her. “After you feed Kenneth, you will need to feed to get your strength, in case they find you before I get there, understand?”

Nodding, “Please hurry,” Besseta begged.

“I will, now remember, don’t start off or slow down fast. The force could kill him,” Tiffany warned. “But get home fast.”

Besseta nodded and turned, breaking into a slow jog and gradually speeding up. Just before she was out of Tiffany’s sight, Besseta blurred away. Closing her eyes, Tiffany made a mental list of what she would need as she turned toward Richmond. Opening her eyes, she took off, flashing down the dark highway.

As Besseta ran, she could feel Kenneth’s body give an occasional jerk. Not able to look down at him because of how fast she was moving, Besseta just held him a little tighter, hoping he would understand and forgive her.

Fighting not to cry, Besseta leaned forward pushing with everything she had and felt Kenneth start to shake in her arms. Quickly, she glanced down and saw Kenneth was having trouble breathing. Slowing to stop, she looked down and saw his breathing getting easier. Then it hit her; she was moving too fast for him to breathe. Then, she reasoned Tiffany’s ‘link’ had shielded Kenneth from the wind.

Balancing Kenneth on one arm, she turned his face, so it was facing behind them. Looking back up and pulling him tight to her body, she continued until she felt Kenneth struggling to breathe, and slowed until his breathing was even.

At Chicago, she hit the lake heading north and steered wide of any boats, so they wouldn’t report a jet of water shooting up in the air. Reaching the Upper Peninsula, Besseta once again ran along roads.

She started to slow nearing her driveway. Leaping over the gate, Besseta slowed more and ended in a jog, stopping on the dock. Stepping over onto the boat, she gently laid Kenneth down. Starting the boat, the clock showed it wasn’t even midnight yet as she backed out. She had wanted to just run to the house, but knew she wouldn’t have enough room to ease to a stop without jarring Kenneth.

Guiding the boat into the slip, Besseta jumped out and tied it off, then picked up Kenneth, jogging up to the front door. When she opened it, the dogs were jumping up and down vying for attention. When Bonnie and Clyde saw Kenneth, they stopped jumping and watched Besseta run upstairs.

They followed, with Jack and Jill close behind. As Besseta laid Kenneth on the bed, they ran in the room and jumped up onto the bed. Bonnie moved up to the left side of Kenneth as Clyde moved up the right, with both stopping by his face.

Sniffing him, they gently licked his face and then laid down, putting their heads on his neck. “He’s going to make it,” Besseta said with a weak smile, rubbing both of them. Looking down at Kenneth’s face, “He may hate momma and leave her, but I had to try,” she whimpered as Jack and Jill yapped from the floor, trying to jump up on the bed.

Getting off the bed, “Watch him,” Besseta said and vanished. Jack and Jill let out a yelp, diving under the bed from the rush of wind Besseta had sucked out of the room. Bonnie and Clyde just lifted their heads up and laid them back on Kenneth.

A few minutes later, just as Jack and Jill peeked out from under the bed, Besseta appeared holding two men over her arms. Hearing the men crying for mercy, Jack and Jill dove back under the bed.

“Shut it,” Besseta commanded, dropping the one on her right shoulder. Grabbing the other one’s head, she clamped onto his neck. Terror filled his face and he started to scream, but the unbearable pain made the scream stop in his throat. She lifted her head up, feeling the man’s heartbeat stop. Tossing the body over in the corner like discarded trash, she stepped over to the other man who held up his hands, whimpering.

“I said, shut it,” she growled and stomped on his leg, breaking it above the knee. A scream erupted as he grabbed his leg, but seeing Besseta raise her foot to stomp again, the man clamped a hand over his mouth. “Yes, it can get worse,” she answered the question in his mind, turning away and bringing her wrist to her mouth. The man watched her bite her own wrist and cringed, turning away.

Climbing up onto the bed, Besseta held her wrist to Kenneth’s mouth. Kenneth weakly swallowed twice, then coughed as the blood tried to go down his windpipe. Pulling her wrist back, Besseta gently rolled Kenneth on his side until the coughing stopped.

Rolling him carefully onto his back, Besseta looked at her wrist and saw it was already healed. Not wanting to send Kenneth into another coughing fit, she laid his head back on the pillow. Seeing Bonnie and Clyde move back to lay with him, Besseta gave a weak smile as the tears slowly started again.

Kenneth’s body locked up and he let out a groan, arching his back off the bed and making the dogs jump back. In his mind, she heard Kenneth screaming in pain. Throwing herself on his chest, “Baby, I’m here,” Besseta whispered, hugging him. Slowly, Kenneth’s body relaxed back to the bed. Sitting up, Besseta caressed his face and saw sweat pouring off his body.

Slowly, Kenneth’s head started jerking to one side followed by the rest of his body. The dogs backed away and Besseta scooted closer as the jerking intensified. “It’s okay, baby, shh,” she whispered as Kenneth’s jerking started moving the bed. Slowly the seizure ended, and Kenneth’s breathing was barely apparent.

As her tears rained down on his face, Besseta picked up a corner of the sheet, wiping the frothy saliva off Kenneth’s mouth. The entire time, she caressed his face, whispering. She looked down at the bandages and noticed the one on the back was soaked in blood.

Getting off the bed, the dogs took her spot beside Kenneth. Besseta went to the bathroom and came back with towels. Easing Kenneth up, she put one under his back to reinforce the dressing. Standing up and wiping the tears off her face, she saw Jack and Jill on the floor looking up at her.

Picking them up, she put them on the bed, but soon put them back on the floor when they wouldn’t stop bouncing around Kenneth, wanting him to play. Climbing back on the bed, she just kneeled by Kenneth’s head, rubbing his face.

Closing her eyes, Besseta concentrated on Kenneth’s mind. She sat like that for hours, calling out his name in her mind, but Kenneth’s mind remained a large void. Opening her eyes, she climbed off the bed and dropped to the floor, crying. When no more tears would come, she pulled herself up and opened the doors to the balcony.

Stepping out, Besseta took a deep breath through her nose and thought of Tiffany. Relief flooded her when she could feel Tiffany moving quickly toward home. Jack and Jill ran out and stood up against her legs. Looking down at the puppies, “Your momma is almost home,” Besseta told them and tried to smile, but just couldn’t.

Walking back inside, she climbed back up onto the bed, sitting on her knees and caressing Kenneth’s face. There she sat until she heard the front door open. Looking over at the clock, Besseta saw it was just past four thirty.

Tiffany soon darted in the bedroom. Hanging off one shoulder was a large yellow bag with a red cross on it, and over the other shoulder hung a blue duffle bag just as big. In her hands, Tiffany was carrying a large white ice chest with a machine sitting on the top. Setting the ice chest down and letting the bags drop off her shoulders, Tiffany grabbed the machine.

Walking over to the nightstand, she swept everything onto the floor, and then set the machine down. Standing up, she blinked her eyes rapidly and then looked down at Kenneth, “How is he?”

“Not good,” Besseta whispered, looking back to Kenneth’s face. “You need to feed. You’re about to pass out, or worse,” Besseta warned.

“I fed four times getting here,” Tiffany panted, plugging the machine in the wall. “His blood won’t upset me.”

“There’s one in the corner, feed so you can help him,” Besseta whispered, caressing Kenneth’s head. “He had a seizure.”

Looking behind her, Tiffany saw the other man lying beside a dead body. “I told you to feed after getting Kenneth to drink.”

“He barely took two swallows before he started coughing,” Besseta explained to her. “I don’t need to feed, but you do.”

Stomping over, Tiffany picked the man up and bit before he knew what was happening. When she was finished, she dropped the body beside the other one like another discarded wrapper and moved back to the bed. “Okay, you were right,” she admitted, unraveling wires from the machine on the nightstand. “I feel better.”

Hearing Velcro rip, Besseta looked up as Tiffany wrapped something around Kenneth’s arm. “What is all that?” she asked.

Not stopping, Tiffany put stickers on Kenneth’s chest. “When I started studying the virus, I read that one couldn’t understand virology unless one had become a doctor first, so I studied to become a doctor,” Tiffany explained, hooking wires up to the stickers. “I’m surprised you know what a seizure is.”

“I’m not stupid. I’ve seen them before,” Besseta said, watching Tiffany wire Kenneth to the machine.

Reaching back, Tiffany turned the machine on. “I know you’re not stupid, Besseta,” she said, walking over and grabbing the large yellow bag. Unzipping it, she started pulling stuff out. “I just didn’t think you would know. I didn’t, until I studied medicine. To me, it was always the shaking sickness.”

Hearing the machine beep, Besseta looked over to see lines and blips appear on a screen. “So, can you guess why he seized?”

Tiffany looked up with a grave face. “His brain isn’t getting enough oxygen.”

Tears that she thought had run out, started pouring out as Besseta quietly whimpered, “Can you help him?”

“I’m going to do my best,” Tiffany vowed, reaching down and ripping open packages. “I need a wire coat hanger.”

A breeze filled the room and Besseta was standing beside Tiffany, holding a wire hanger. “Here,” she said as Tiffany held up a clear bag of fluid.

Taking the hanger, Tiffany put the hook through a loop at the top of the bag and hung it up on the canopy. “Thank you,” she said and pulled up some clear tubing, jabbing the end into the clear bag.

Besseta looked at the bag of fluid, reading: 0.9% Normal Saline. “Saltwater?” she asked.

“Besseta,” Tiffany said, stopping and looking at her. “I’ve only read about this so please, hold your questions. I’m going from memory and believe it or not, from what I saw on TV. When I’m done, I’ll explain.”

Stepping back, Besseta nodded and Tiffany went back to work. Hearing the machine vibrate, Besseta looked over at Kenneth and saw the thing on his arm blowing up and a thousand questions filled her mind, but she just moved back over to the bed. As she climbed back up, she watched the strap on Kenneth’s arm slowly deflate.

When the strap was all deflated, the machine started dinging and Besseta looked over to see numbers over a slash, blinking. Glancing up at Tiffany, Besseta saw her running fluid through the clear tubing and clamp it off. Only then, did Tiffany look over at the machine.

Seeing Tiffany let out a distraught sigh as she looked away from the machine, Besseta blinked the stream of tears out of her eyes. Tiffany reached down and pulled up a long plastic rod and a strap of rubber. Tying the rubber around Kenneth’s arm tight, Tiffany closed her eyes, recalling what she had read.

“Oh,” she said, opening her eyes and digging into the stuff she had laid on the bed. Lifting up a small square of paper, Tiffany ripped it apart and Besseta smelled alcohol. Taking a pad from the paper, Tiffany wiped the bend in Kenneth’s arm.

Besseta saw two veins bulging under Kenneth’s skin as Tiffany dropped the pad and picked up the plastic rod. It was then, Besseta noted one end was a needle with what looked like a straw over it. Not understanding what was going on, Besseta jumped when Tiffany poked the tip of the needle into the vein in Kenneth’s arm, and the clear rod had a flash of blood.

“Hah,” Tiffany smiled and ignored the machine when it kept beeping behind her. Untying the rubber strap from Kenneth’s arm, Tiffany let it fall away as she pushed the straw into Kenneth’s arm and pulled out the needle at the same time. Hearing a click, Tiffany dropped the plastic part and grabbed the clear tubing, connecting to the straw in Kenneth’s arm.

“Son of a bitch,” Tiffany growled, looking around.

Jumping up, “What?” Besseta asked, feeling her heart beat out of her chest.

“I can’t find the damn tape,” Tiffany spat, twisting her head and looking around. Besseta reached over and picked up a roll of clear tape. “Thank you,” Tiffany said, taking it and ripping off a piece, then taping down the straw in Kenneth’s arm.

Unclamping the tube, Besseta watched the bag of fluid pour down the line into Kenneth’s arm. Turning back to Tiffany, Besseta watched her hit a button on the machine to make it shut up. “Jack and Jill, lay down,” Tiffany said, looking down at her feet.

“I tried to let them on the bed so they could lay with Kenneth like Bonnie and Clyde, but they just jumped on him,” Besseta said, moving back up to Kenneth’s head as Tiffany went back to work.

Letting out a sigh, “That’s good, Kenneth doesn’t need to be startled,” Tiffany said, walking over and opening the large ice chest. Reaching down, Tiffany pulled out a bag of blood.

Knowing what that was, Besseta sat straight up. “Are you crazy? Stealing from a blood bank?” she asked. “We don’t need the rest of the government after us.”

“I know it draws attention, but we don’t have the time or means to run out and grab people to feed on,” Tiffany explained, picking up a pair of scissors. “Besides, I killed the guard and burnt the building down before I left. No one will know.”

For the first time since Kenneth had gotten hurt, Besseta gave a real smile. Tiffany had broken many of her taboos to help Kenneth. “Thank you.”

Cutting an opening at the top of the bag of blood, “I swear, I’m doing everything I can, Besseta,” she said, looking up.

“I know and thank you.”

Tiffany held out the bag of blood, “Drink this,” she told Besseta. “I know it’s cold, but I need you to drink it now.”

Reaching over, Besseta took the bag of blood and started drinking it, shivering at the cold fluid. As she drank, Tiffany moved over to Kenneth’s other arm, putting another straw in and connecting it to another bag of fluid.

“Here,” Besseta said, holding up the empty bag.

Turning back to the ice chest, “Bite your wrist and fill the bag back up,” Tiffany said, pulling another bag out. Not questioning anything Tiffany said, Besseta bit her wrist as Tiffany cut open the bag of blood in her hand and drained it. Then, she watched Tiffany bite her wrist and refill the bag.

Taking the bag, Tiffany hung both up with the clear fluid and connected clear tubing to them. After priming the tubes with blood, Tiffany connected them to the tubes running into Kenneth’s arms. Besseta just stared in wonder, watching Tiffany work.

“Besseta, go to the kitchen and get a large bowl. Bring it up here and fill it with warm water,” Tiffany instructed, turning to watch the machine. In seconds, Tiffany heard the faucet in the bathroom turn on and Besseta walked out carrying a large bowl. “Set it at the foot of the bed.”

When Besseta set the bowl down, Tiffany opened the ice chest up and grabbed another bag of blood. Besseta sucked in a breath, seeing how many bags of blood were in the ice chest. “How many blood banks did you burn?” she asked, staring at the stacks of blood bags. “I’ve only seen a few dozen at a time in a blood bank.”

“They had a blood drive the day before,” Tiffany said, putting the bag of blood in the warm water. “Will you take the chest downstairs and put the rest in the refrigerator?”

Before Tiffany turned to look at Kenneth, Besseta and the ice chest were gone. When Besseta opened the door to the fridge, Tiffany yelled out what to set the temperature at. Moving the thermostat with one hand, Besseta used the other to rake out the items on the shelves, spilling them on the floor.

She carefully stacked the bags, filling two shelves front to back and half of the last one. Closing the door, Besseta blurred around the kitchen, cleaning up the food she had swept to the floor.

Chapter Two

When the kitchen was clean, Besseta sank to the floor crying. Upstairs, Tiffany heard her crying and called out, “Besseta!”

Before the shout ended, Besseta was standing beside her, wiping her face. “Yes?”

“Don’t fall apart on me, I need you,” Tiffany said, hanging another bag of clear fluid up and taking the empty bag down. Tossing the empty bag over onto the two bodies, Tiffany moved over to the machine. “The green line is showing Kenneth’s heartbeat, and the green number says what it is. The blue line and number are his oxygen. The red number with the slash is his blood pressure, and the white number is his temperature.”

Looking at the monitor as Tiffany pointed at the numbers and lines, Besseta still didn’t feel better. “Okay, but are they good? Is that why they are blinking, and the machine is making noise?” she asked hopefully.

“They are getting better. His heart rate is coming down and his pressure is coming up, but his temperature is rising,” Tiffany said. “Get a towel, wet it with cool water, and wipe him down with it.”

Darting out, Besseta was back in moments, wiping Kenneth’s chest gently. “He still has his pants on,” Besseta said.

Picking up the scissors, “Cut them off,” Tiffany said, handing them over. As Besseta cut them off and continued to wipe Kenneth down, she would look over at the machine, hoping only the white number changed. “Watching the screen doesn’t help. We want his temperature between ninety-eight and ninety-nine,” Tiffany said, pulling more stuff out of the yellow bag.

“So, one hundred and three is bad?” Besseta asked in alarm.

Kicking the yellow bag away, Tiffany pulled over the blue one. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly, and Besseta started getting lightheaded. “I’ve never monitored someone during a change with equipment. I’m just using the normal values.”

“So, he has a fever?” Besseta asked, looking down at Kenneth. “I remember feeling hot during the change and wanting water all the time.”

Pulling stuff out of the bag, Tiffany started building a pile of supplies on the bed. “Yes, that is normal, but Kenneth was weak at the start of the change and I don’t know if it’s from the gunshot or virus.”

Darting back to rewet the towel, Besseta was back in the blink of an eye. “Does he have a chance?”

Tiffany stopped digging in the bag and looked up. “Yes,” she said, walking over and rubbing Besseta’s back. “I’m not going to lie to you, Besseta. I didn’t expect him to make it home.”

Besseta continued wiping Kenneth down gently as her body shook with grief. “Neither did I,” she sobbed.

Leaning over, Tiffany hugged her. “We will do everything we can and then some,” she said. Releasing Besseta, she said, “I’ll be right back.”

Besseta paused her task and leaned down, kissing Kenneth’s dry cracked lips. “Always,” she whispered.

Hearing something hit the door, Besseta looked over to see Tiffany carrying in the dining room table. “I need something to lay my stuff out on,” she explained, putting the table down.

“Use whatever you have to,” Besseta told her.

Walking over to the bed, “No, if I used Eleanor or one of the other cars Kenneth likes, he would spank me when he wakes up,” Tiffany grinned, putting the pile of stuff on the table.

A snort sounded in Besseta’s throat. “Well, we won’t use them,” she half chuckled as she cried.

After laying out the stuff, Tiffany turned around. “Besseta, the back wound is bleeding again. We have to wash out the wound and stop the bleeding.”

“Operate?” Besseta asked, almost panting.

Shaking her head, “No, that would put too much stress on his body,” she said and picked up what looked like scissors. “We can’t use our saliva for the same reason; too much stress. So, we’ll use these. Hemostats.”

Besseta watched Tiffany open the jaws and saw they were flat, not sharp. When the jaws closed she heard the instrument click, locking the jaws. Taking a deep breath, “What do you want me to do?” Besseta asked.

“First, I’m going to lift him up and I want you to get the clothes from under him. Then, lay down towels and line up pillows, so he is on his side,” Tiffany explained.

“Screw the bed. I don’t care if we ruin it,” Besseta snapped.

“No, we can’t have him lying in blood because it would get him too cold, and we have to monitor how much leaks out,” Tiffany said. Disappearing, Besseta reappeared beside Tiffany with an armload of pillows and towels.

When they finally got Kenneth cleaned up and on his side, Tiffany ran to the bathroom. “Forgot to wash my hands,” she called out.

Darting back in, she picked up some scissors and cut off the bandage. When the bandage fell away, blood seeped out of the wound. Tiffany grabbed bottles of fluids, squirting them in the wound.

Kenneth groaned and tightened up his body. “Don’t let him move much,” she said. “But watch yourself, about ‘wanting’ him to stay still.”

Running around the bed, Besseta jumped up and landed on her knees beside Kenneth’s head, whispering and caressing his face. Slowly, his body relaxed and Besseta sat up, but continued to caress his face. “Believe me, I’ve been suppressing the ‘want’ tonight,” Besseta admitted, looking up as Tiffany kept squirting fluid in the wound.

Looking at Kenneth’s abdomen, Besseta saw the blood coming out of the wound on the front start to turn clear. “I think you’re pushing fluid out the front,” she said.

“Good,” Tiffany said, dropping the empty bottle and grabbing another full one. “That’s what we want. How’s the bleeding over there?”

“It really wasn’t until you started that,” Besseta said as Tiffany squirted the bottle in the wound.

When the bottle was empty, Tiffany tossed it over her shoulder. “He’s not going to like this,” she warned, picking up the clamps. “Hold him.”

Leaning down, Besseta started whispering to Kenneth as Tiffany knelt down, looking into the wound. Seeing a spot where blood was coming from, she put the tip of the clamp on it and locked the jaws. Kenneth jerked and Besseta continued to whisper as she kissed and caressed him.

It was mid-morning when Tiffany stood up from behind Kenneth with a smile, “That was the last one,” she said. Besseta looked up and saw Tiffany was covered in Kenneth’s blood.

“He leaked a lot out, think he needs more?” she asked as she caressed his chest.

“That’s what the bag of blood in the water is for,” Tiffany said, picking it up. Feeling it was warm, she connected a tube to it and let it run in. “Our blood doesn’t matter, but if you give Kenneth human blood, make sure an O is on the pack.”

“Our blood doesn’t matter?” Besseta asked confused.

Shaking her head, “No, our blood doesn’t have a type but if it did, we would be O negative. The only thing wrong with our blood is it’s loaded with a virus that’s lethal to most people.”

“I hope not for Kenneth,” Besseta mumbled. ‘We’ll know soon enough’ she heard Tiffany’s thought. Tiffany went to the bathroom to clean up as Besseta leaned over, looking at Kenneth’s back.

She cringed, seeing the handles from dozens of clamps sticking out of his back. Lowering her head, Besseta put her forehead on the side of Kenneth’s face. “Please fight, baby. I need you,” she whispered.

That’s how Tiffany found Besseta when she walked back into the room. Smiling, Tiffany darted over and started picking up the trash. Throwing the bodies over her shoulder, she darted outside to the incinerator.

It was noon when she came back and Besseta was still resting her head on Kenneth’s face, whispering. “Have you heard anything in his mind?” she asked, grabbing gauze.

“No,” Besseta sighed, sitting up.

Gently placing the gauze between the clamps, Tiffany leaned over and taped a wad over the hole in the front. “You haven’t heard anything?” she asked, looking up.

“He screamed again before the seizure and after the seizure,” Besseta answered, looking at the machine. “The white number is at a hundred.”

“We won’t start wiping him down again, until it goes over a hundred and one,” Tiffany said, sitting on the other side of Kenneth. Bonnie and Clyde were still lying beside Kenneth’s head as Tiffany reached over and petted them.

“Will you tell me why you said Kenneth had a good chance to survive the change?” Besseta asked, looking away.

Shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know how, but I feel it in certain people,” Tiffany said and Besseta exhaled in relief.

Turning back, Besseta looked at Tiffany. “If he doesn’t make it, I’m going to attack the Strong Hands head-on,” she said in a dark tone.

Nodding that she understood what Besseta meant, Tiffany reached over and grabbed her hand. “I’ll go with you,” she said. “Before we die, we’ll take many of them with us.”

Looking down at Kenneth, Besseta brushed his hair off his face. “How did Kenneth take the pain from me?” she asked, making Tiffany jump back. “Don’t worry, I didn’t find out from you,” Besseta sighed. “I heard it in his dreams.”

“Besseta, I really don’t know,” Tiffany confessed. “But he did. I watched it with my own eyes.”

Wiping her eyes, “I know he did. That was the easiest time I ever had absorbing an ability,” Besseta said.

“He made me promise and I’ve kept it from my mind, so you make sure he knows I didn’t tell,” Tiffany said.

Besseta smiled. “I will, don’t worry.”

That night found both kneeling beside the bed exhausted, with their heads down and asleep. Besseta only left to get stuff for Tiffany, and Tiffany only left to take the dogs out. They cared and tended the wounds as Kenneth fought to live.

Chapter Three

‘Always’

Lying beside Kenneth half asleep, Besseta jerked awake and sat up. “Kenneth,” she gasped, looking down at him. It was three exhausting days later, and Kenneth was still hanging on, but hadn’t woken up.

Gently shaking him, “Kenneth, did you say something?” Besseta asked.

On the other side of the bed, Tiffany’s head popped up behind Kenneth, “What?” she asked groggily. Both had been in the bed asleep, with Kenneth in the middle. They tended his body, but it was the stress that was wearing them down, taxing them out and making their bodies demand rest.

“Did you hear Kenneth say something?” Besseta asked, looking over at Tiffany.

Shaking her head, “No,” Tiffany answered, getting up and smiled, seeing the dressings were still white.

Leaning down to Kenneth’s ear, “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you, baby, but I love you and can’t be without you,” Besseta whispered as she caressed his cheek.

‘Always’ Besseta heard in her mind.

Letting out a squeal, Besseta levitated off the bed like a rocket, hitting the ceiling. The dogs were all on the bed and took off running while Tiffany grabbed her chest, as Besseta dropped to the floor with a thud. Looking over as Besseta bounced up, Tiffany saw her jumping up and down beside the bed, cheering with a smile. “What?” she finally yelled.

Besseta stopped jumping. “‘Always’, he said ‘always’ in his mind!” she cried out and started jumping around again.

Tiffany ran over and started jumping up and down with Besseta, joining in the cheer. Suddenly, Besseta stopped jumping and hugged Tiffany. Wrapping her arms around Besseta’s tiny stature, Tiffany hugged her back and rubbed the back of her head while Besseta sobbed. “Besseta, I hate to be the one to bring us down, but he still has a long way to go,” Tiffany said, feeling bad about saying it, but wanting Besseta to be prepared.

Besseta looked up still crying, but had a smile. “I told him I was sorry that I didn’t ask him and said I loved him and couldn’t live without him,” she sniffled. “He said ‘Always’. He’s not mad at me!” she cried out, burying her face in Tiffany’s chest.

Smiling, “Besseta, I don’t think Kenneth would get mad at you if you’d killed the dogs,” Tiffany chuckled.

Gasping, Besseta stepped back. “I could never hurt the babies.”

“I was just making a point,” Tiffany grinned, stepping up and hugging her tight. “After watching how Kenneth protected you out there, knowing you are hard to hurt, I saw just how much he cares for you.”

Kissing the top of her head, Tiffany let her go and stepped around the bed, “Let’s get him cleaned up and check the wounds,” Tiffany said.

Besseta appeared beside the bed, carrying a large bowl of soapy water. Tiffany hung up a bag of the saline, “That’s the last one,” she said.

Putting the bowl on the bed, “We can see if he’ll drink and if he doesn’t, we can go get some more,” Besseta offered as she pulled a rag out of the water. “He’s getting enough fluids now, he pees all the time.”

Reaching over and grabbing another rag from the water, “Hey, at least you got the side the pee comes out of,” Tiffany chuckled.

Jerking her head up, “Oh, Tiffany, I’m sorry. You can sleep over here from now on,” Besseta told her.

Shaking her head, “No, that’s all right. He uses your side much more than he does mine,” she snickered. Besseta laughed as Tiffany put the rag down and slowly pulled out the gauze packing between the clamps still sticking out of Kenneth’s back. “Oh, my,” she exclaimed with wide eyes.

Besseta shot around the bed to stand beside Tiffany. The wound on Kenneth’s back was gone, covered not with a scab but in skin, with the handles of the hemostat clamps sticking out of his skin. “Is that bad? I thought we wanted it to heal,” Besseta said.

Reaching forward, Tiffany unlocked the handles of one of the clamps and Kenneth groaned, jerking away. Besseta appeared by his head, whispering in his ear and Kenneth relaxed. “This is way too fast,” Tiffany mumbled, seeing the small hole the clamp had left leak a few drops of blood.

As gently as she could, Tiffany removed the other clamps, with Kenneth only giving small grunts as Besseta whispered and caressed his face. When she was done, Tiffany stood amazed at the honeycomb-like pattern of holes in Kenneth’s back left by the clamps. None of them leaked more than a few drops of blood.

“So, is that good or bad?” Besseta asked, sitting up and seeing Tiffany was done.

Not answering, Tiffany leaned over, taking the bandage on Kenneth’s stomach off and sucked in a breath, only finding smooth skin. “This is too fast,” she repeated, dropping the dressing.

“So, this is bad?” Besseta asked, really wanting an answer.

Tiffany looked at her. “I don’t know. This kind of healing should only take place after the change is complete. You can smell him, and Kenneth still smells like a human. He’s been infected, yet he hasn’t shown any signs of the physical pain of the change.”

Nodding, “Yes, he does still smell human, so you think this is good?” Besseta asked.

“Besseta, he’s doing something I’ve never seen or heard of. How am I supposed to know?” Tiffany gasped, throwing her hands in the air.

‘Always’, Besseta heard in her mind and cried out, leaning down and kissing Kenneth.

Tiffany spun around. “What?” she whispered, knowing she had just heard Kenneth’s voice.

With a big smile, Besseta looked up at her. “What about what?”

“Did he just talk?” Tiffany asked, feeling a chill in her body.

“No,” Besseta said, dropping the smile.

Tiffany nodded. “Yes, he did. Kenneth just told you ‘always’.”

“How did you hear that?” Besseta asked, slightly hurt while staring at Tiffany.

Shaking her head and about to turn away, the color drained from Tiffany’s face as she looked behind Besseta. Stepping back, Tiffany started flapping her hands in front of her like she was trying to shake something off of them. Behind Besseta, Bonnie and Clyde were floating in the air.

“What?” Besseta cried out and Tiffany stopped shaking one hand and pointed over Besseta’s shoulder. Besseta turned around and saw the puppies even with her face. Reaching out and taking them out of the air, “Tiffany, that’s not funny. They could’ve gotten hurt,” Besseta chided, putting them on the bed.

The dogs moved up and lay by Kenneth’s head as Besseta looked up at Tiffany. Seeing shock on her face, “You didn’t do that?” she asked, and Tiffany slowly shook her head. Cutting her eyes down at Kenneth, “Oh, boy,” she said.

Slowly, Tiffany moved closer. “Do you hear anything in his mind?”

Listening for several minutes, “No,” Besseta replied. “Do you?”

“No,” Tiffany whispered, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

“Well, what do we do?” Besseta asked.

“I have no idea,” Tiffany mumbled, still staring at Kenneth. Suddenly, Kenneth let out a bloodcurdling cry, curling up into a ball, and grabbing his stomach. “It’s started!” Tiffany said with relief.

Not liking the tone, Besseta took her spot beside Kenneth. “You don’t have to sound happy about it,” she snapped, leaning down and began to try and soothe Kenneth.

“Sorry, but he was showing qualities only documented by our kind,” Tiffany said getting up. “I’m going to see if Maliki has sent us anything. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.” Besseta never stopped whispering to Kenneth as she nodded at Tiffany.

Tiffany darted out of the room and Jack and Jill scampered out from under the bed, following her. Waiting on the puppies, Tiffany picked them up and closed the door to her office. Turning on her computer, she sat down and let the puppies chew on her fingers while she slowly convinced herself nothing was out of the norm.

Back in the bedroom, Kenneth stayed curled up huffing and puffing, trying to blow through the pain. The machine he was still hooked to was going crazy with flashing lights and alarms. Looking up, Besseta stared at the power switch and concentrated. Hearing a ‘click’, she smiled when the machine turned off.

Sweat was pouring off Kenneth’s body and she tried to soothe him for over an hour, but then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Kenneth sighed, rolling over on his back and panting with relief. Besseta closed her eyes as she sat up smiling, then realized, she didn’t hear Kenneth scream in her mind, nor anything else.

Concentrating on Kenneth’s mind, Besseta felt goosebumps form on her arms and a feeling of panic build up inside her, and the strong urge to run.

Feeling the bed move, Besseta opened her eyes to see Kenneth sitting up. “Baby,” she gasped with a smile. His head was turned away from her, and he didn’t turn to acknowledge he had heard. Leaning forward, Besseta saw his eyes open, staring at the other side of the room in abstract terror. Kenneth’s breathing started getting faster, and he started trembling so much the bed was shaking.

“Baby, what is it?” she asked, worried he was having a seizure while he was awake. Kenneth scooted on his butt up the bed and the dogs jumped out of the way. Looking where Kenneth was staring in horror, Besseta only saw the wall on the other side of the room.

Kenneth’s rapid breathing suddenly stopped and Besseta whipped her head around, only to see the look of terror intensified on his face. “AAAAAAAH!” Kenneth let out a bloodcurdling scream as he backed up to the top of the bed.

“BABY!” Besseta shouted, grabbing Kenneth’s shoulder. Kenneth’s right hand came up, grabbing her wrist. Besseta’s body jerked as an unseen force hit her and her world went suddenly black. Out of the dark void, a pinpoint of light appeared, and she felt like she was falling toward the light.

The pin-point grew bigger as she fell toward it, then passed through it while colors and sounds swarmed around her. Feeling sick, she threw out her other arm, wanting to slow down. She could feel Kenneth holding her wrist, but she couldn’t see him.

Seeing an end to the tunnel she was falling rapidly through, Besseta screamed, bringing her arms over her face as her body jerked again, but not from an impact. Slowly, she dropped her arms to look around and panic swept her brain.

She was on a red dirt plain with tall palm-like trees around her. Turning, she saw Kenneth still holding her wrist, and still looking in the same direction. “Baby, where the hell are we?” she yelled, and Kenneth let out another bloodcurdling scream.

Whipping her head to follow his gaze, Besseta froze as ice gripped her heart. “AAAAAAH!” Besseta joined Kenneth in his scream when she saw a dinosaur coming toward them. It stopped a few paces from them and Besseta tilted her head back, looking up at the gigantic beast.

It was the shape of a T-Rex, but looked much different than anything she had seen on the TV. The T-Rex slowly lowered his head, looking down at them and opened its mouth to expose teeth that seemed much too large. They both screamed while trying to move back, but something was blocking them from moving away.

When she stopped her scream to draw a breath, she noticed Kenneth wasn’t screaming anymore. Looking over, she saw him passed out in the dirt, but he was still holding her arm. “Kenneth?” she cried out reaching over with her other hand, and felt hot air blow over her. Looking up, the T-Rex’s nose was inches from her face.

The scream that erupted from Besseta’s lungs made her own ears ring and bleed. Then, Besseta felt something hit her chest. Looking down, expecting to see what her insides looked like, Besseta didn’t see anything.

Another invisible hit struck her much harder, this time throwing her back, and she felt Kenneth let go of her. “Kenneth!” she screamed, reaching out for him. Again, she was surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds as she fell through a tunnel to a dark void. Seeing the end coming again, Besseta yelled, bringing her arms up and covering her face.

Her body gave a jerk and Besseta dropped her arms. She looked around and realized she was on the floor of her room beside her bed. She levitated off the floor, extending her fingernails as she rose, and jumped up on the bed to see Kenneth slumped over against the headboard. Jumping in front of him, she looked across the room and then up, not seeing anything but what was in her room.

Keeping her arms extended she crouched down, looking for the dinosaur. “Besseta?” Tiffany said meekly.

With wild eyes, Besseta looked at the end of the bed to see Tiffany standing there. “Where the fuck did the damn dinosaur go?” Besseta screamed, looking around the room.

Tiffany stepped back, seeing the wild look in Besseta’s eyes intensify. “Besseta, I haven’t seen a dinosaur,” Tiffany said carefully.

“Are you fucking blind? It was just right here, leaning over us!”

“Was it a little one or a big one?” Tiffany asked, moving back further.

“It was a damn T-fucking-Rex!” Besseta bellowed.

Moving back until her back touched the wall, Tiffany asked, “Like the one in the Jurassic Park movie?”

“It was much fucking bigger, and green with tan stripes,” Besseta replied in a croaking voice from her screaming, looking around again and panting harder.

Clearing her throat, “Besseta, baby, just how could one fit in here?” Tiffany asked, trying to reason with her.

Exhaustion swept her body and Besseta dropped down on her butt. “We weren’t here. We were on a red dirt plain with weird palm trees, but they were more fern-like than leaves,” she said, still looking around. “I smelled them. I could smell the T-Rex and felt his breath.”

“Besseta,” Tiffany said, carefully stepping over. “You are in your room with Kenneth, and haven’t left.”

“Bull-fucking-shit!” Besseta shouted, jumping up and sending Tiffany scurrying back to the wall. “It was here, right fucking here! I felt the dirt under my feet. My god, the T-Rex’s breath almost made me puke!”

Glancing at Kenneth to see that he was breathing okay, Tiffany glanced at the door, gauging if she could get to Kenneth and then get out of the room. “Besseta, I heard Kenneth scream, then you screamed. When I came into the room, you were looking up at the other side of the room, with Kenneth holding your wrist. You never left this room,” she explained, slowly moving toward the bed.

Slowly, Besseta sat down and covered her face. “I didn’t dream that. What person in their right mind would dream of something like that?” she moaned.

‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’, she heard in her mind and Tiffany quit moving toward the bed. “Did Kenneth just think-,” Tiffany started to ask, but stopped.

“You heard that?” Besseta asked, dropping her head down on the bed.

“I’m sorry, but yes, I did.” Tiffany quickly moved over to grab Kenneth, pulling his crumpled-up body away from the headboard and straightening him out on the bed.

Rolling on her side, Besseta looked at Kenneth and reached over, rubbing his chest. “I’m not special to him anymore,” she whispered with a quivering lip.

“Hey, now! Stop that!” Tiffany snapped, making Besseta jump. “You think that again and we step outside! I’ll whoop your ass all over this island! My god, he worships the very ground you walk on, and you say, ‘I’m not special to him anymore’?! I have a good mind to just whip your ass right fucking now!” Tiffany screamed, crawling over Kenneth toward her.

Backpedaling across the bed away from Tiffany, Besseta crashed onto the floor again. Slowly, she lifted her head up over the edge of bed to see Tiffany on all fours over Kenneth’s body, like she was getting ready to leap. “Sorry,” Besseta offered meekly.

Climbing off of Kenneth, “That’s better,” Tiffany said calmly.

Standing up and staring at Tiffany, Besseta noticed her shirt had four slices across the front with a little blood around the edges. “What happened?” she asked, pointing at the shirt.

“You swiped your claws across my chest when I grabbed you, trying to get you to stop screaming. You busted my eardrums and all the dogs are in the basement, cowering in the corner,” Tiffany told her.

Besseta looked around one last time, then lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.”

Feeling bad, Tiffany darted around the bed and put her arms around Besseta. “The only thing that hurt my feelings was what you said about not being special to him, not about what happened,” Tiffany told her.

Besseta looked up at Tiffany’s face. “Tiffany, it was so real. No dream can get that real.”

Letting out a puff of air, Tiffany shrugged her shoulders. “Well, we will just have to figure it out.”

“Will you sit with Kenneth for a little while?”

“Yes,” Tiffany smiled. “You take a break.”

“Break, my ass,” Besseta huffed. “I’m going to apologize to the babies and drain a few bottles of whiskey.”

“Whatever makes you feel better,” Tiffany said as Besseta walked out. When Besseta left, Tiffany darted back to her room and returned with several sheets of paper. Setting the papers on the table still in the room, Tiffany pulled over a chair and started deciphering the letter from Maliki. Kenneth had never told anyone that he had a program to do it.

Several hours later, Besseta came back feeling much better. “How’s he doing?” she said with a slight slur.

“Hasn’t moved,” Tiffany replied, looking from a book to the papers in front of her. “How are you doing?”

“Better,” she admitted, moving behind Tiffany. “Maliki sent something?”

“Seems he’s been trying to get in touch with us for days; he heard about Boston,” Tiffany said, moving the page she’d finished to the completed stack, and started working on the last page. “I answered, and he sent this message and another short one, asking if we were all right. I said Kenneth was hurt, but okay now, just in case someone close to Maliki is playing for the other team.”

“Look who is the spy girl,” Besseta sang out.

Laughing, “I’ll admit it, between Kenneth and the movies, I’m really starting to get paranoid,” Tiffany said.

“Shit, you don’t need the movies, Kenneth can do that to anyone in minutes,” Besseta huffed. “I’m almost scared to use anything with electricity.”

Tiffany looked up. “It looks like the ones after us, were after Kenneth. The Strong Hands know it’s from Kenneth’s information, how Maliki has been hurting them. But Boston wasn’t a setup for us,” Tiffany explained, shocking Besseta.

“Then, what the hell were that many of them doing there? Having a convention?”

Picking up the papers, “No, Maliki put out the league was going to meet in Boston. Maliki was setting a trap that Kenneth had suggested,” Tiffany said shaking her head. “Kenneth suggested Maliki set up a fake meeting in a city, and some of the Strong Hands could be taken out. Maliki just happened to choose Boston.”

Rage filled her face as Besseta jumped up. “I’m going to pull Maliki’s lungs out of his ass!”

Impressed as her mind provided the visualization to that threat, Tiffany smiled. “As neat as that would be to watch, Maliki didn’t know we were going to Boston. He chose it because it has so many escape points.”

“You mean, this was just bad luck? We fell into a trap set up by Maliki to hit the Strong Hands?” Besseta groaned. “A trap he set up on Kenneth’s advice?”

Nodding, “Afraid so,” Tiffany said.

“Let’s go over what Maliki sent, so we can reply,” Besseta sighed. “I’m still going to punch him.”

***

Slowly, Kenneth felt his mind lift up through a dark tunnel and heard voices he knew, way off in the distance. Then, he felt the pain in his body and curled up into a ball. The pain intensified, filling every cell of his body.

With the sun coming up, Tiffany and Besseta were sitting at the table beside the bed, talking over the letter they were going to send to Maliki. And Besseta suddenly froze in mid-sentence. Getting nervous about Besseta seeing dinosaurs again, Tiffany scooted her chair back and away from Besseta, then glanced toward the door.

Closing her eyes, Besseta heard Kenneth’s thoughts; faint at first, but getting stronger. ‘Pain’, she heard, when the thoughts returned to what she remembered as the kaleidoscope of colors. Opening her eyes, Besseta looked over at Kenneth as he curled up in a ball tighter, groaning.

Besseta was suddenly in the bed beside him. “I’m here, baby. Always,” she whispered and kissed his cheek, and Kenneth relaxed. ‘Always’, he thought, and a smile crossed his face for a second.

Tiffany walked over. “Can you hear his thoughts?”

Excitedly, Besseta looked back at Tiffany. “You couldn’t?”

Shaking her head, “No,” Tiffany grinned, climbing up on the bed. “What’s he thinking?”

“Well, he was thinking about pain, comparing it to hot coals in his gut and ground-up glass in every joint of his body and running through his veins,” Besseta frowned.

“From what I remember, that’s a nice assessment,” Tiffany agreed.

A wave of euphoria washed over her and Besseta smiled and closed her eyes. “He’s thinking of me.”

“He never stops doing that,” Tiffany laughed. Jumping back from Kenneth and off the bed, Besseta’s eyes popped open. “What?” Tiffany asked, getting worried.

Staring at Kenneth in shock, “He wants to punch us in the face,” Besseta gasped.

Nodding again, “Can’t say I blame him for that, either,” Tiffany admitted.

‘Baby, can you hear me?’ Besseta thought and Kenneth didn’t answer. She could hear dozens of thoughts racing through his mind, but he wasn’t acknowledging her. Taking a deep breath, Besseta leaned over, putting her cheek on his and wrapping her arms around him.

The thoughts in Kenneth’s mind stopped racing and she felt him calm down. ‘Always, my love.’

‘Always’, his thought answered.

With a content smile, Besseta snuggled tighter. ‘Baby, are you okay?’

‘What happened? It’s dark.’

‘Do you remember what happened?’ she asked and heard the thoughts slowly picking up speed, playing out the fight they’d had.

‘Are you okay?’ his thought shouted in her mind.

She could feel his fear for her, stronger than ever. ‘Baby, I’m fine. You were the one hurt. Do you remember anything else?’

Dark images flew through Kenneth’s mind, then his mind went clear. ‘I felt fire in my veins.’

‘I’m sorry, baby,’ Besseta cringed with the thought.

A cheerful laugh sounded in her mind. ‘My love, this just means you’re stuck with me. I was willing to get out of your hair but now, sorry, I’m here with you forever.’

‘That’s all I’ve ever wanted’ Besseta shouted out in her mind, squeezing him tight.

‘Let’s see if you say that in a few hundred years’, Kenneth’s mind echoed.

‘I’m here for you, always’ Besseta replied. ‘So, you’re really not mad? Even a little bit?’

‘Never,’ sounded in her mind.

‘What about your family?’

She felt warmth wash over her. ‘I saw them’ she heard. ‘They told me my family was here.’ Besseta’s mind went blank and her eyes popped open. ‘You’re shocked that I talked to them, I feel it. Just like my mom told me, we are energy and energy never dies. It can only change forms.’

‘Can you wake up?’ Besseta asked in her mind.

‘I’m trying, my love, but I can’t yet. It’s like something is holding me down.’

‘Well, you’re making progress. You’ve been out for almost a week,’ Besseta told him, closing her eyes again.

‘I heard you beside me, and Tiffany close,’ he said in his mind. ‘Is this pain normal?’

Cringing with her body and mind, ‘I’m sorry, more than anything, I wish I could take it from you,’ Besseta begged.

‘I’m not doubting you, but I heard you talking with Tiffany about picking something up in my dream,’ he said, almost a growl in her mind.

‘Ah, I’m sorry about that, but I wish you wouldn’t have done that,’ Besseta shot through her mind fast.

‘So, was that pain close to what you felt during your change?’

‘Only briefly because you took it away, but yes, that pain was close,’ she admitted with sorrow.

‘Ask Tiffany what it means, if the pain is worse?’

Stunned, ‘Baby, just how bad is it?’ Besseta asked.

‘Almost more than I can bear,’ Kenneth admitted.

‘Is there a way you could show me?’

She could actually feel Kenneth’s mind fill with panic. ‘No!’ resonated in a shout in her mind.

‘Baby, just show me, so I can explain it to Tiffany. That way, you can get better faster.’

She felt his hesitation. ‘Get ready and brace yourself’ he warned.

Pain erupted in her very being and Besseta threw her head back, screaming and arching her back, and floated up to the ceiling still screaming. As blood wept from her eyes, Besseta crashed against the ceiling and the scream abruptly stopped. Besseta’s body fell from the ceiling and Tiffany threw out her hand, stopping Besseta from crashing through the bed.

Easing Besseta down, Tiffany moved over and found her passed out, with bloody tears coming out of her eyes and blood streaming from her nose and ears.

Chapter Four

Not knowing what was going on, Tiffany tended both of her patients. It was almost a full day before Besseta sat up in bed, feeling like a bulldozer had run over her.

“Besseta,” Tiffany gasped, jumping up from the table and darting to her side. “What happened?”

Shaking her head slowly, Besseta looked over at Kenneth and once again, couldn’t hear his thoughts. “Something is really wrong.”

“If you don’t tell me, I can’t help,” Tiffany said frustrated.

Leaning over and kissing Kenneth’s cheek, “He’s in way too much pain,” she said, looking around and seeing the sun going down. “How long was I out?”

“Almost twenty-four hours.”

“I talked to Kenneth. He said something was holding him back from waking up, and the pain is almost more than he can bear,” Besseta said, getting out of the bed.

“He let you feel his pain?” Tiffany asked, shocked on many levels.

“Yeah, after I bitched,” Besseta huffed, then her eyes got wide. “Tiffany, it wasn’t like anything I’ve ever felt before or want to feel again. It was like every cell in my body was burning, then ice cold, then back to burning.”

Tiffany looked down at Kenneth. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t woken, his mind is shielding itself from the pain of his body,” she offered.

“How can we help him? Can we give him drugs?”

Shaking her head, “I haven’t studied many modern drugs on our bodies. If I had my stuff from my cave, I might,” she stressed, “could give him something,” Tiffany said, somewhat skeptical.

“Where in your cave?” Besseta asked, moving toward the door.

“The far back wall, there’s a wooden chest and a wood carrying case that holds my medicines,” Tiffany told her.

“Watch him. I’ll be back soon,” Besseta told her, walking out the door. Stopping at the fridge, Besseta saw they still had one and half shelves of blood pouches. Grabbing two, she stepped outside as dusk was falling. A loud boom sounded over the lake as she took off over the water.

Tiffany was standing on the balcony and saw the water shoot high up in the air as it parted several feet deep when Besseta took off across the lake. “Be safe, little Besseta,” she mumbled and walked back inside.

Grabbing some water, Tiffany held Kenneth up and slowly poured some water into his mouth. Most poured out, but Kenneth swallowed a sip. Trying it again, Kenneth swallowed weakly, so Tiffany only poured small amounts in his mouth. When the glass was empty, she laid him back down. “That’s enough for now,” she smiled, setting the glass on the nightstand.

Standing up and looking back as Kenneth floated up in the air, “We are going to watch TV until Besseta gets back,” Tiffany said, walking out with Kenneth floating behind her.

***

It was almost dawn when Besseta used her foot to open the front door and carry the chest inside. As she walked in, she heard Tiffany yelling, “Buffy, I swear, if you sleep with Spike, I’ll hunt you down and stab you with your own stake!”

Besseta froze, not sure how she should process that statement. “I can’t believe you, Buffy! You’re a slut!” Tiffany yelled. “I’m going to find you, rip your tits off and pull your hair out!”

Taking a breath, Besseta walked into the living room to find Tiffany standing on the couch, holding a bowl of popcorn and pointing at the TV. Jack and Jill were on the couch beside her, yapping at the TV with Tiffany. “She got the puppies hooked on Buffy while I was gone,” Besseta groaned.

Looking over, she saw Kenneth laid out on the couch, covered up with blankets and pillows under his back and head. Bonnie and Clyde were laying at his side, looking at Tiffany and the puppies. “Why don’t you sleep with Xander?! Hell, you fucked everyone else in Sunnydale, at least he loves you!” Tiffany screamed, throwing popcorn at the monster screen.

Jack and Jill jumped off the couch to eat the popcorn on the floor. Setting down the chest and taking the strap to the case off her shoulder, Besseta moved to Kenneth. “How’s he been?”

“Buffy just shagged Spike!” Tiffany shouted.

“No, how’s Kenneth been?” Besseta asked, really considering turning all the on-demand providers off.

Jumping down, Tiffany picked up the remote and paused the TV. “He’s been doing good. I got him to drink five glasses of water and he’s only curled up in pain twice. I tried whispering like you did, but it doesn’t work. I tried to get him to drink some blood, but it made him cough really bad.” Tiffany said.

Reaching up, Besseta took a piece of popcorn out of Tiffany’s hair. “I take it you carried him down?” she asked.

“Pfft,” Tiffany scoffed, waving her hand. “Yeah, right. You two don’t like for anyone to carry you but the other. I levitated him down here.”

Besseta laughed. “No, I meant, did he walk down?”

“Oh,” Tiffany said.

Turning around, Besseta leaned over kissing Kenneth. As she stood up, she noticed paper sticking out from under him. Moving the blanket, she swiped around. “You put puppy pads under him?”

“He peed once on that side of the couch,” Tiffany said, pointing at towels spread out on the other side of the sectional. “This way, I only have to change him and pads. Not scrub the couch out and rub it dry.”

Shaking her head, Besseta looked down. “Can you make him something to help him feel better?”

“Yes,” Tiffany smiled. “Can you really believe Buffy slept with Spike?”

Shrugging her shoulders, “Well, Spike is kind of cool,” Besseta offered.

Narrowing her eyes in shock, Tiffany dropped the bowl of popcorn to the floor, spilling it everywhere. With a look of disgust on her face, Tiffany turned away and stormed off to the kitchen. Grabbing the chest and case, Tiffany carried them into the kitchen. “I can’t believe you said that!” Tiffany snapped.

Sighing, Besseta sat down next to Kenneth, rubbing his face. “I thought that answer would make her happy.”

‘Fat chance’ sounded in her mind, making her grin. Hearing Kenneth’s thoughts, Besseta started laughing.

“Oh, you think it’s funny that bitch is sleeping with Spike?!” Tiffany yelled out.

“No!” Besseta shouted and kissed Kenneth. “I was laughing at Kenneth.”

Tiffany darted in. “He’s talking?” she asked, smiling.

“No, I was laughing at his thoughts,” Besseta corrected.

Hearing that, Tiffany slumped her shoulders. “All I got in my mind from him were scattered words.”

“Like what?”

“Change channel, oh man, popcorn’s burning, and he was right on that one,” Tiffany said, heading back to the kitchen.

“You are a TV addict,” Besseta accused, following her into the kitchen.

Tiffany didn’t answer as she opened the chest and began pulling out jars, vials, and small bags. Pulling out a copper bowl, Tiffany started putting small bits into it. The bottom of the bowl was covered with dried leaves, twigs, dried animal parts, and some stuff Besseta had no idea what it was.

Opening the case, Tiffany pulled out a pestle and holding the bowl in the crook of her arm, she started grinding up the stuff in the bowl. “I really wasn’t expecting you back till tonight.”

“No, I ran as fast as I could,” Besseta said, watching the stuff in the bowl turn to powder.

“You do know, if you hit something, you’re going to die going that fast.”

Besseta grinned. “Well, it’ll be fast.”

Tiffany looked up from the bowl, not smiling. “That’s not funny.”

“You’re right, it wasn’t,” Besseta nodded, dropping the grin. “I just want him better.”

“Get one of his coffee cups,” Tiffany said, taking a pot of boiling water off the stove. Putting a strainer over the cup she poured the powder into the boiling water. Stirring the water for several minutes, Tiffany carefully poured it into the cup, with the strainer catching anything big.

“What will this do?” Besseta asked.

“Knock him on his ass,” Tiffany snorted, setting the strainer on the counter, and stirred the coffee cup as a pungent odor filled the air.

“Ah, he’s already knocked on his ass,” Besseta said, waving her hand in front of her nose.

“No, he’s feeling pain. This will solve that,” Tiffany corrected, putting the spoon down and slid the cup over to Besseta. “He needs to drink all of it.”

“You’ve made him drink, why do I have to do it? I went and got it,” Besseta protested.

“Ah, he’s your husband,” Tiffany replied, walking away. “Besides, it tastes like crap and I don’t want him hitting me. I know he won’t hit you.”

Picking the cup up, Besseta blew on it, trying to cool it off and keep from gagging on the smell. “Hey, yesterday, he was thinking about punching both of us,” she said, following Tiffany back to the living room.

Spinning around and facing Besseta, “If it’s because I helped in his change, I’ll let him punch me. It will be well worth it. You have always been a good friend, but when all of us are together, it feels like a family,” she said, crossing her arms.

Thinking as she blew on the septic fluid in the coffee cup, Besseta slowly nodded. “You have a point, I’ll let him punch me as well.”

“Yeah, like that would happen,” Tiffany scoffed, throwing her hands up and heading back to the couch. “He has to drink it before it cools.”

Besseta eased over and sat next to Kenneth. Lifting him up, Besseta put the cup to his lips. Kenneth opened his mouth slightly and she tilted the cup. She filled his mouth with the toxic concoction and Kenneth swallowed, just to get the stuff away from his tongue.

Seeing Kenneth start to gag, Besseta moved the cup out of the way. “Oh, you can’t throw it up after you swallow it,” Tiffany said with a grin.

Cautiously, Besseta sat back down and Kenneth’s thoughts flooded her mind. “Hey, don’t talk to me like that,” Besseta snapped at him.

“He didn’t say anything,” Tiffany said, picking up the remote.

“Maybe not with his mouth he didn’t, but he sure did in his mind,” Besseta corrected, lifting Kenneth back up. “You need to stop that, or I’ll get a garden hose and shove it down your throat and pour this crap down it.”

“Ah, marital bliss,” Tiffany giggled.

“Tiffany, you’re not helping,” Besseta growled.

Lifting the remote, “Why don’t you see if Spike will come over and help since he’s cool,” she mocked.

“I swear, I’m breaking the TV,” Besseta grumbled, putting the cup to Kenneth’s lips.

“I don’t care,” Tiffany huffed, pushing play. “I watched Kenneth set this one up and I’ll just get another one.”

Pouring the last of the fluid into Kenneth’s mouth, Besseta bit her tongue as Kenneth made a small grimace when he swallowed. Immediately, Besseta heard his thoughts slow down and strangely, slur. Then, none of them were coherent as she laid his head back on the pillows.

Like someone had pushed a button, Kenneth’s entire body became flaccid. His mouth dropped open and drool leaked out one side. “Holy crap, that was fast,” Besseta mumbled in amazement. Raising the cup to her nose, she sniffed it again and almost gagged. “We need to go and collect more of that stuff.”

“Can’t. Six of the twenty-eight plants I put in it are extinct,” Tiffany replied, watching the TV.

Getting up, “That’s a shame,” Besseta said, walking to the kitchen. She stopped before putting the cup in the dishwasher. Instead, she opened the back door and threw the cup into the lake.

“Pour out the rest,” Tiffany yelled out. “If you let it sit and cool, it becomes toxic to drink in a few hours, vampire or not.”

Grabbing the pot, Besseta held it away from her and carried it out the door. She poured it into the lake and really expected fish to float up. Not seeing any, she threw in the pot and headed back inside.

Curling up beside Kenneth, Besseta smiled, hearing the thoughts of slurred dreams in his mind.

Chapter Five

Hearing laughter, Kenneth struggled out of the fog surrounding his mind. With great effort, he slowly cracked his eyes open and saw the side of Besseta’s face. “Hey, baby,” he croaked weakly.

“Kenneth!” she cried out, rolling over and hugging him.

He tried to hug her tight, but his body felt drained. “What the hell did you pour down me?”

“Medicine that Tiffany mixed up.”

Releasing Besseta, Kenneth fought to sit up. With Besseta’s help, Kenneth sat up to see Tiffany smile at him. “Thank you,” he said, and his dry throat tried to stick closed. Besseta handed him a glass of water which he drained. “How long have I been out?”

“Thirteen days,” Besseta told him.

“Told you to brace yourself. I didn’t want you to feel that, but I’m glad for whatever Tiffany made. The pain is much better and easing up,” Kenneth stood up slowly, wobbling on his feet.

“It’s not supposed to be that bad,” Besseta admitted, getting up and helping Kenneth. Not saying anything, Kenneth moved slowly around the coffee table. “Where are you going?”

“I really need to pee,” he panted. “Before Tiffany wraps a puppy pad around me.”

“Hey, I put them under you!” Tiffany snapped.

Kenneth just smiled weakly as Besseta helped him to the bathroom. When he came back, he was walking without Besseta’s help. When he sat down, Tiffany held out a glass for him, but never took her eyes off the TV. “What is it?” he asked, taking the cup.

“You can’t smell it?” Tiffany asked.

Shaking his head, “Sorry, I still smell and taste the stuff Besseta poured down me,” Kenneth mumbled.

“Oh, I forgot about that aftereffect,” Tiffany said, pausing the movie.

Kenneth lifted the glass to his face, actually sticking his nose inside the cup and sniffing. “I swear, it smells like blood.”

“Because it is,” Tiffany chuckled, picking up the puppies and putting them in her lap.

“I’m going to be sick,” Kenneth gagged, putting the cup on the coffee table.

“Fine, don’t drink it,” Tiffany shrugged. “The pain will hit your stomach soon and spread back out to your body, sending you back into a coma.”

Besseta snatched the cup up. “Open, or I’ll open your mouth,” she threatened, putting the cup to his lips.

“That’s why I hurt so much?” Kenneth asked weakly, holding Besseta’s wrist to keep her from pouring the blood down his throat.

“When Besseta described your pain, I had a good idea that’s what it was, even though you should be weeks away from a hunger coma. You had the pain of change and the pain of hunger together. After thinking about it, to be honest, I think that would drive anyone mad,” Tiffany told him.

“It almost did,” Kenneth admitted as Besseta grabbed the hair at the back of his head, tilting his head back and pouring the blood down his throat. At first, Kenneth fought not to gag, then slowly, it started tasting better. As the last of the cup filled his mouth, it tasted better than anything he ever remembered.

Besseta let his hair go and set the cup down. “Thank you for drinking it,” she smiled.

“Thank you for not breaking my jaw and pouring it down me,” he smiled. “It wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was downright awesome.” Taking a deep breath, Kenneth felt energy hit his body like a truck. “Man, I feel much better.”

Hearing his thoughts and feeling the strength fill Kenneth’s body; Besseta smiled, then stopped and analyzed that. She could actually ‘feel’ how Kenneth’s body was reacting to the blood. Her jaw fell open as the realization set in.

Hearing her thoughts, Kenneth turned to her. “You can really feel that?” Besseta just nodded. “Neat,” he said, getting up and walking around.

“What?” Tiffany asked, looking from one to the other.

“I can feel the energy hitting his body,” Besseta said in a hushed voice.

Tiffany looked at Kenneth. “Do you feel what she feels?” she asked.

“Always have but now, I don’t have to touch her to feel it,” Kenneth said, flexing his arm. “When will I be able to do the cool stuff you two do?” Stunned, Tiffany just shrugged.

Feeling Kenneth’s energy continuing to increase, Besseta jumped up. “Baby, why don’t you sit down?”

“Are you kidding? I feel great,” he said grinning. He spun away and disappeared. They heard a crash down the hall and jumped up. They saw Kenneth sprawled out on the floor at the end of the long hall, and both took off running. They knelt down and Kenneth looked up, rubbing his face. “That hurt,” he said.

Tiffany looked up at the wall and grabbed Besseta’s arm. Besseta looked up and saw a depression of Kenneth’s face in the stone wall. Besseta scooped him up in her arms, darting back to the couch. “Okay, no more running,” she said, putting him on the couch.

“You’re not supposed to get the strength and speed for weeks. Not to mention, his face should be crushed,” Tiffany mumbled, leaning over Kenneth and looking in his eyes. Raising his lips, Tiffany let out a yelp as Kenneth’s canines shot out. “That’s supposed to take a year!”

He tried to sit up, but Besseta put her hand on his chest, holding him down. “I’m fine,” he said, smiling at her. “Guess I’m just a fast learner or changer, however you want to look at it.”

Besseta just stared at him, feeling Kenneth’s body still getting stronger by the second. “Will you lay here for me, just for a little while?” she begged.

Letting out a depressed sigh, “Okay,” he moaned, laying back.

“Tiffany, did you put anything in that cup of blood?” Besseta asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Hell no!” Tiffany shot back. “There’s nothing I could’ve put in there that would make this happen,” she said and started pacing.

“Guys, stop freaking out,” Kenneth chuckled, putting his arms behind his head and stretching out.

Besseta laid down beside him and still could feel Kenneth’s body getting stronger. “This isn’t making any sense. The increase I feel from you in strength, you should’ve fed several more times,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.

“Hey, then let’s get some more blood,” he suggested.

“No!” they both shouted.

“Fine,” Kenneth pouted. He looked at the remote on the couch where Tiffany had left it and it flew over, hitting him in the face. Besseta jumped up, staring at him and then the remote on the floor. “I don’t know how that happened,” Kenneth confessed in shock, looking down at the remote.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” Tiffany kept repeating as she paced back and forth faster. ‘Tiffany, quit it, that’s annoying’ Kenneth said in her mind. Tiffany screamed, doing a cootie dance. “Don’t talk in my mind!”

Kenneth jumped up. “You heard that?!”

Besseta jumped up. “I fucking heard that!”

Kenneth looked from one to the other. “Okay, if this is some new vampire initiation; you win. You two going to hold me down, give me a wedgie, and paint me now?” They both just looked at him, flabbergasted. “Oh shit, you two aren’t pranking me?”

“Why in the hell would we do something like that?!” Besseta yelled.

“I don’t know, I’m just trying to figure out the easiest answer,” Kenneth said.

Tiffany walked around the other side of the coffee table, sitting down on the couch and putting the puppies in her lap, never taking her eyes off Kenneth. “You’re freaking me out,” Tiffany confessed.

In shock, Besseta sat down beside her and Bonnie and Clyde jumped into her lap, “What are you thinking?” Besseta asked Tiffany as they both watched Kenneth.

“We need to get him out of the house before he gets to full strength,” Tiffany admitted.

“Hold on,” Kenneth said, throwing up his hands. “Before we start planning a camping trip, I have a confession to make.” They both leaned forward, waiting. “When I was out, I dreamed some of this and I wanted to punch both of you.”

They both dropped back on the couch together. “You go first, Tiffany,” Besseta offered.

“I changed my mind. You go first.”

“I hear from Besseta’s mind, you two knew that,” Kenneth said, and they nodded numbly. “In my defense, you two should’ve warned me about acid trips during the change. The pain is one thing, but wildlife-like visions are something else.”

“You don’t have visions during the change,” Tiffany said.

“Bullshit. I saw a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I mean, I smelled him as I sat on a prehistoric plain and felt the ground shake as he walked,” Kenneth snapped and looked at both of them gawking at him. “Don’t tell me Ididn’t have visions,” he mumbled. “Besseta just pops out of nowhere as the big ass lizard comes over. I dreamed I screamed like a two-year-old girl and wet myself,” he continued mumbling, walking away.

They followed him with their eyes as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door. When the door closed, they turned to each other and nodded. Together, they both jumped up and darted to the kitchen, pulling out two bottles of vodka. Turning them up, neither stopped until half the bottle was gone.

Staring off into space, Besseta barely shook her head. “What’s going on, Tiffany?”

Shaking her head, Tiffany just stared at the half empty bottle of vodka. “I don’t know,” she mumbled and drained the rest. Setting down the empty bottle, “He’s talking about mental powers I’ve never heard about or envisioned. I just can’t believe it’s possible.”

Quickly, Besseta turned up her bottle, draining the rest and then set the bottle down. “Tiffany, I smelled it and I can tell you, ‘that’ dinosaur died in south Texas. I can feel where it was at when it died. It was a real ‘vision’.”

Opening the cabinet, Tiffany grabbed the first bottle of liquor her hand touched and pulled the top off. Tilting her head back, Tiffany didn’t lower the bottle until it was drained, “Man, that stuff is nasty,” she said, wiping her mouth.

“What are we going to do?” Besseta asked, pulling down another bottle.

“Stay close to him, like I did for you. His abilities are more than I’ve heard about or read. We will just keep close and try to keep him from hurting himself,” Tiffany told her as Besseta drained her new bottle. “It’s rare to have more than one ability, and rarer still to have your ability of absorbing more.”

Throwing her bottles away, “Can we slow them down? Or is there anyone you know about, that can help?”

Shaking her head, “No, not with all this going on,” Tiffany said.

Besseta turned around. “So, you know someone?”

“The leader of the Asian League, Xu,” Tiffany said, pronouncing the name ‘shoe’. “He’s odd and slightly insane, but he would be the only one I can think off.”

“We can go to China,” Besseta told her with an attitude.

Shaking her head, “Besseta, when I met him, there wasn’t any turmoil going on and it took me eight years to find him. With this going on, it would take me a lot longer,” Tiffany said.

“Just how do we keep him safe, when we don’t even know what’s going on?”

Stepping over, Tiffany wrapped her arms around Besseta. “Stay close to him, and one of us has to always be awake,” Tiffany told her, pulling Besseta to her.

“He’s coming,” Besseta said, pushing back.

Tiffany let her go. “Does he know?”

Shaking her head, “No, he’s reliving the dino nightmare,” Besseta said. “He’s not really worried about anything else.”

“Can you still feel the strength in him?”

Looking away, “Yes, and it’s still growing,” Besseta said in a low worried tone. “He just broke the faucet in the bathroom and is shutting the water off.”

“This doesn’t make sense,” Tiffany mumbled again, stepping away. “How could he have the hunger pains bad enough to go into a coma, when he wasn’t even through with the change? It’s like having a toothache before you are even born.”

Besseta shook her head as she walked around the counter with a slight wobble in her step. “I don’t know how,” she said, heading out of the kitchen. “He just broke the sink counter.”

“Cheap ass shit!” Kenneth bellowed from the bathroom.

With her vision slightly blurred from the vodka, Besseta walked as fast as she could to the bathroom. She had learned long ago, never to run after drinking. Seeing water flowing out under the door, she opened it to see Kenneth putting towels on the floor, trying to soak it up.

Glancing over at the marble sink countertop, both faucets were ripped off and the marble was broken into several places. The doors for the cabinet under the sink were floating in the water. “Need some help, baby?” Besseta asked, coming in.

“That was a cheap faucet and I think the countertop is a cheap marble knock-off,” Kenneth grumbled, dropping more towels on the floor.

Grabbing some towels, “Well, we can go get a new one that you think is real,” she smiled, dropping the towels on the floor. Hearing splashing, she turned around to see Bonnie and Clyde running through the flowing water. “Oh, you two don’t mind running in it, but throw a fit when I wash you?” Besseta asked, and they just looked at her with their tongues hanging out, panting.

“Wait till you see what they do in mud,” Kenneth said, picking up the soaked towels and throwing them in the bathtub. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“About what, baby?” Besseta asked as the dogs started dancing around, splashing.

“Breaking the sink,” he muttered, dropping more towels down.

Shrugging her shoulders, “It doesn’t matter and is expected, just not this fast,” she smiled. “I ripped doors down and broke houses when I changed and back then, you couldn’t just run to town and buy new stuff like that.”

With a slight stumbling gait, Tiffany came in carrying wet sheets, blankets, and comforters, throwing them in the bathtub. “Hallway’s dry,” she smiled.

Kenneth looked at the mound of soaked stuff. “I’ll wash them.”

“Ah, no, you won’t,” Besseta popped off. “I’ll do it, and you’ll like it.”

Turning around to see a really stern look on her face, “Have you been drinking?” he asked, smelling alcohol and trying to ease the tension.

“Yeah, want to make something of it?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Shaking his head, “No, not really,” he confessed. “I was just asking.”

“You’re changing faster than we’ve ever seen or heard of, baby, and it worries us,” Besseta said, dropping her hands off her hips. “Let me rephrase, it’s scaring the shit out of me.”

Stepping over, Kenneth hugged her tight. “I’ll be okay,” he said, kissing the top of her head. Tiffany watched as Besseta’s face changed colors. Besseta was experiencing what Kenneth had felt when she used to hug Kenneth tight.

“Kenneth,” Tiffany said, putting a hand on his arm, “she’s changing colors.”

Letting Besseta go, she gasped, “Wow,” was all she could say.

“Are you okay?” Kenneth asked worriedly, looking her over.

Besseta waved her hand, trying to brush his worry off. “I can hold my breath for hours,” she said, stepping back over and hugging him, forcing the pain of the hug out of her mind. “The only reason our kind breathes more is to talk, unless we are doing something strenuous.”

“I didn’t break anything, did I?”

“No,” Besseta laughed as she buried her face in his chest. “Tough here, remember?”

They all headed back to the living room, sprawling out on the couch and Besseta moved over on Kenneth’s chest. Tiffany grabbed the remote and let Kenneth direct her to a good movie. They sat on the couch, laughing at Tiffany for sixteen hours, as she yelled at the characters on the screen.

As the movie they were watching ended, Tiffany aimed the remote at the screen. “You know, I was there, and ladies didn’t act like nuns then,” she said, scrolling through the titles. “People nowadays think in the middle ages, everyone was chivalrous and thought sex was taboo. The church preached that, but not even the priests or monks lived like that. Shit, people were shagging everywhere.”

“And didn’t bathe,” Besseta chuckled with her head on Kenneth’s chest.

Tiffany stopped at a neat-looking banner for a movie and looked at Kenneth who shook his head. “No, you need to go under my account and get off yours. You watch that, and you’ll cry for a decade,” Kenneth said, and Tiffany dropped the remote like it was a snake.

“Why in the hell do they make movies like that?” she screamed, snatching the puppies off her lap and pulling them to her chest. “Life is hard enough without watching something that rips your heart out.”

“Hachiko is a great movie and I cried,” Kenneth told her.

Besseta reached over, grabbing the remote. “If it made you cry, we aren’t watching it, ever.”

Taking the remote from Besseta, Kenneth went to his account and started scrolling. “So, life through the ages was promiscuous and stinky?” he asked, stopping at an action movie and looked over to see Tiffany with watery eyes. Turning back to the screen, he moved down to comedy.

“We bathed rarely when I was a girl,” Besseta chuckled. “I can remember going over a year without a bath. We would wash our hands and faces in a bucket of water if they were really dirty, but I remember momma saying don’t wash much or I’d get sick.”

Wiping her eyes, “We actually bathed frequently,” Tiffany said. “I watched bathing decline rapidly after the Roman Empire fell. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that people started bathing regularly again, here in the west. In Asia, they never stopped. They bathe like the Romans did.”

Finding that interesting, “How about the promiscuity now, compared to then?” Kenneth asked, scrolling.

“Shit, compared to the ages, society is damn near celibate now,” Tiffany chuckled.

Thinking as he scrolled through the titles of movies and shows, Kenneth stopped and laughed. “I wish I could learn what the real history of the world was and not the watered-down, white-washed version.” he said. pushing play.

Lifting her head up and looking up at him, “I will sit down one day, and start writing down all that I’ve seen,” Besseta promised with a smile.

“That would be cool,” Kenneth said, kissing her forehead.

As the movie started, Besseta laid her head back on his chest and Tiffany put the dogs back onto her lap. “I can do that as well, if you like,” Tiffany offered.

Reaching over, Kenneth patted her leg and Jack grabbed one of his fingers and started chewing. “Yes, I would like that, Tiffany,” he said, looking at Jack. “Jack, that doesn’t feel good.”

Jack let go and sat back on Tiffany’s lap, letting out a small bark and then panted at Kenneth. “Yes, his teeth feel like little needles,” Tiffany said.

When the movie was over, they were all still laughing when Kenneth grabbed the remote and started searching for another. “It feels weird not sleeping,” he said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Besseta said, rubbing his chest. Feeling something on her hand, she looked over and saw it was covered with hair from Kenneth’s chest. Shaking it off, she continued to rub his chest softly. “It depends on how much you do. You will get tired and go to sleep. Before I met you, I slept once every few weeks. Now, I like to catch a nap after we-,” she stopped and cleared her throat, remaining silent.

Kenneth chuckled. “You nap. I pass out.”

“Hello, you two aren’t alone,” Tiffany chimed in.

“Sorry,” Kenneth said, glancing over.

Tiffany smiled. “Believe me, I know what goes on, the whole house shakes. But you two don’t have to remind me what I’m missing.”

Looking back at the screen, “Action now?” Kenneth asked.

“How about a cowboy movie?” Tiffany said, looking around. “I rather liked the old west.”

“That sounds good,” Kenneth admitted, noticing Tiffany looking around.

“What is that sound?” she asked.

Besseta lifted her head up and concentrated, a low static white-wash buzzed in her ears. “Sounds almost like a waterfall from really far off,” she said.

Kenneth sighed with relief. “Glad you two hear it. I thought I was going crazy,” he said.

“Baby, you have to tell us what changes you hear, see, and feel. I thought you were feeling tense from seeing boobies in the movie,” Besseta said, looking up at him.

Scoffing, “Huh, those were fake,” he grinned, dropping his eyes to Besseta’s chest. “I like the ones I have now.”

“Still here,” Tiffany sang out. “What is that sound? Is it coming from the speakers?” she asked, getting up and walking around to each speaker in the room.

“I just figured I was hearing something really far off,” Kenneth said, squeezing Besseta. “You talk about super hearing and vision and I didn’t want to worry you.”

Shaking her head, “You will worry me more, if you don’t talk about it. We’ve been through it and can help,” she told him. “Anything else?” Kenneth just blushed. “You can smell that?” Besseta blushed, sitting up and answering his thought.

“Oh yeah,” Kenneth grinned.

“You need to cool it, buddy,” Besseta said, lightly slapping his chest. “Yes, I’m in the mood.”

Kenneth pulled her back down, “I smell stuff that I have no idea what it is,” he said. “I don’t know how dogs live with this kind of sensory overload.”

“It’s not the speakers,” Tiffany informed them, walking around and the noise wasn’t getting louder no matter where she moved.

“Well, let’s watch a movie,” Kenneth said. “We can figure it out later.”

Tiffany stomped her foot and Jack and Jill jumped off the couch, running over to her. “It’s annoying and I can’t concentrate on watching a movie. I missed half of what was said in the last one.”

Letting out a collective sigh, Besseta and Kenneth got up. They each walked around the house, but the sound didn’t get louder. “Well, it’s not coming from anywhere in the house,” Kenneth said.

“Let’s take the dogs outside and walk around the island. We can see if it gets louder from one direction,” Besseta said, walking to the back door. Hearing the back door open, Bonnie and Clyde jumped off the couch. With the rapid click of nails on the marble floor, they shot outside. “You could’ve told momma you needed to go outside,” she said, following them. “It’s not like you don’t have a doggie door.”

They casually walked around the island with the four dogs bouncing and playing on the grass. When they reached the back of the island, “Where is it coming from?” Tiffany said, throwing up her hands. “It never got louder.”

“Maybe we’re hearing a transmission of some kind,” Kenneth offered. “You know, like a radio frequency.”

“It would’ve gotten louder somewhere,” Tiffany said.

Shaking his head as they walked to the back door, “Not necessarily,” he said. “If it was a low or high wide band, it would saturate the area.”

Tiffany looked around, then up at the sky, “I’ll break whatever it is.”

Chuckling, Besseta grabbed her hand. “We’ll turn the sound way up on the TV and drown it out,” she offered. Reluctantly, Tiffany nodded as Kenneth held the door open for them.

“Popcorn now?” he asked, following them in.

The sad face left Tiffany as she clapped, “Ew, that would be great.”

As Kenneth grabbed several bags of popcorn, throwing them in the microwave, Besseta and Tiffany gave treats to the dogs. He pulled out the bags and dumped them into a large bowl as the girls made the dogs stand up for their treats.

Seeing Kenneth pouring the popcorn into the bowl, the girls ran to the living room, playing chase with the dogs. The dogs yapped around them as they ran and jumped on the couch with them.

Kenneth laughed, grabbing the bowl and headed to the living room as the dogs bounced over the girls. “Doesn’t take much to make the dogs happy,” Kenneth mumbled and then froze. The bowl fell out of Kenneth’s hands as the low rush of static turned into a violent roar. With a loud scream, “AAAHHH!” he dropped to his knees, covering his ears. Kenneth curled into a ball with his chin on his knees and forehead on the floor, and he pressed his hands tighter against his ears as the roar intensified, blanketing his mind.

Besseta and Tiffany jumped off the couch, darting over to him. “What is it?” Besseta asked, dropping down beside him. But Kenneth just grunted rhythmically in pain, holding his head. Calming herself, Besseta tried to link with Kenneth’s mind, but couldn’t.

“Can you see what he’s thinking and what’s hurting him?” Tiffany asked, kneeling on the other side of Kenneth.

Shaking her head, “No, I can’t see or feel anything from him,” Besseta said, looking up distraught. “What do we do?”

“Well-,” Tiffany started and let out a scream, joined at the same instant by Besseta. They both grabbed their ears, falling on the floor. Like they had stuck their heads in a massive waterfall, a loud roar filled their heads.

The noise was so loud, it caused enormous pain. They both curled up on the floor on their sides as the dogs jumped off the couch and ran over, licking their faces and trying to help. Besseta tried to think, but the roar and pain took over her mind.

It was some time, before Besseta was able to push the pain back enough to open her eyes. She saw Bonnie and Clyde laying down on the floor, looking at her. Seeing Besseta open her eyes, they lifted their heads up.

Seeing the worry in their bug eyes, Besseta wanted to smile at them, but couldn’t. She looked behind them and saw Kenneth still on his knees curled up, slightly rocking, holding his ears, and Tiffany was beside him on her side, holding her ears, curled up in a ball.

Moving her eyes back to Kenneth, Besseta could see he was soaked in sweat with an actual ring of sweat around him on the floor. Taking a hand off one ear, Besseta reached over and touched his soaked skin. Kenneth gave a tremble at her touch, and Besseta caressed him.

Then, the noise in her mind started to lessen. Stunned by this discovery, she stopped and pulled her hand away to get up and move closer, but the noise roared again, sending her back to the floor. With her eyes closed against the pain, Besseta reached out until she touched Kenneth and started caressing his skin.

Once again, the noise volume dropped. This time, Besseta kept caressing Kenneth as she got up to her knees beside Kenneth. Using both hands, she caressed his back with her hands now soaked with his sweat. Leaning down, “I’m here, baby,” she whispered and thought, closing her eyes as the noise decreased more, and Tiffany sat up.

Feeling woozy and blinking her eyes, Tiffany sat up, seeing Besseta caressing Kenneth’s back, and noticed Kenneth’s back was covered in watery blood. Then, she saw the floor around Kenneth held a pool of bloody sweat. The noise in Tiffany’s ears was back to what it had been before, a low hiss of white noise. Feeling something on her legs, she looked down, seeing Jack and Jill climbing up.

“Get on the couch, babies,” she said, pushing them down. “I don’t know what’s going on and don’t want to hurt you.” They looked at her with sad eyes and Tiffany pointed to the couch. “Now,” she snapped forcefully.

Slowly, the two puppies walked away to the couch. As Tiffany lowered her hand, she saw it was covered in blood. Raising her other hand up, she found it too was covered. Reaching over, she tapped Besseta’s shoulder.

Lifting her head up away from the side of Kenneth’s face, “I have to touch and talk to him or the noise gets loud again!” she shouted, then looked up at Tiffany. She sat up quickly. “You have blood on your face!”

Tiffany reached over, touching Besseta’s face. “You do too,” she said.

Seeing Tiffany’s mouth move, but not hearing words, “What!” Besseta yelled.

Startled, “You still hear the noise?” she asked.

“Will you fucking talk and quit moving your mouth!” Besseta screamed.

Tiffany held up her hand and got up, darting off. She returned holding a notepad and wrote, ‘You still hear the noise.’

“Yeah, don’t you?” Besseta yelled, not understanding.

Pulling the pad up, Tiffany scribbled and turned it to Besseta. ‘I hear the noise at the level it was when we were searching for it.’

“It’s still loud, but it doesn’t hurt!” Besseta yelled and looked down at Kenneth’s back, noticing her hands had turned the sweat to a watery red. “How did you bleed on Kenneth and me?!”

Writing, Tiffany tapped Besseta’s arm when she was done, holding up the pad. ‘You have blood on your face.’

“Where?” Besseta yelled, reaching up to touch her face and noticed the noise getting louder. Quickly, she dropped her hand back to Kenneth’s side and put her cheek to the back of his head, and the noise dropped back down as Tiffany wrote.

‘It looks like you bled from your eyes, nose, and ears.’ The note read when Tiffany turned it around.

Softly shaking her head, Besseta pulled the rest of her body up to Kenneth. Wrapping one arm around him and caressing the side of his face, the noise dropped more, making Besseta give a sigh. “It’s lower!” she shouted. Tiffany’s mouth moved again as she talked. “I still can’t hear you!”

Sighing, Tiffany started writing, then holding up the pad. ‘It’s coming from Kenneth.’

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out!” Besseta shouted with a little irritation.

‘It’s not noise, it’s from his mind.’

“Figured that out as well!” Besseta screamed with a lot of irritation.

Getting mad, Tiffany wrote in big letters, almost tearing the paper. ‘IT’S VOICES.’

Seeing the message, Besseta shook her head, feeling the sweat from Kenneth’s hair drip off her face. “He thinks a lot, but never this much. He would have to have millions of thoughts to make this kind of noise!” she yelled.

Turning the pad around roughly, Tiffany wrote and rotated it around. ‘It’s not Kenneth’s voice. They are other different voices.’

“Who’!” Besseta yelled and Tiffany shrugged her shoulders. Besseta hugged Kenneth tighter, still repeating over and over in her mind, ‘I’m here, baby.’ Slowly, the noise decreased and Besseta closed her eyes, concentrating on the noise.

Very slowly, she could hear men, women, and children’s voices in the roar. As the volume decreased more, Besseta could make out words in some of the voices and her eyes snapped open. “He’s hearing other people’s thoughts,” she mumbled.

“Yes, that’s what I think,” she heard Tiffany say behind her.

Carefully and slowly, Besseta lifted her head up and looked behind her to see Tiffany sitting on the floor. “It would have to be millions to make that kind of noise,” Besseta said, sitting up and the noise level slowly continued to drop, but she kept caressing Kenneth.

“I wouldn’t be surprised, if it was every thought of every person on the planet,” Tiffany admitted with a nod.

Noticing Tiffany’s face was clean, “You washed that fast?” Besseta asked.

Tiffany smiled. “You closed your eyes yesterday, after I wrote messages to you.”

Besseta jumped, she thought only a few minutes had passed. “How long were you on the floor?”

Letting out a breath, “We dropped on the floor, three days ago,” Tiffany said, reaching over and putting her hand on Besseta’s shoulder. “I got up when you stopped talking and found the dogs’ food bowls empty. I looked on the TV and got the date, so I was on the floor for two days, and you and Kenneth have been there for three.”

Shock didn’t even come close to what Besseta felt. “How-,” she started, then looked off. “Hey, the noise is gone.”

Hearing that, Tiffany concentrated. “Hey, I don’t hear it, either.”

Still caressing Kenneth, Besseta felt his body stop rocking. ‘Always’ she heard in her mind.

Letting out a wail of joy, Besseta fell on his back, hugging him. “Always,” she said and thought. Kenneth’s breathing relaxed, along with his body. Besseta slid off his soaked back as Kenneth dropped his hands.

“That sucked,” he groaned in a raspy low voice with his chin still on his knees.

Not able to argue that, “It’s okay now, baby, I’m here.”

“That’s the only thing that made it go away,” he groaned, trying to move his body. “I felt you touch me and I heard your voice over the roar. Slowly, I could separate your voice and it calmed me, until I could make the other voices fade from my hearing.” Kenneth gave up on straightening out, his muscles were all cramped from holding him curled up, and he really didn’t care.

“Baby,” Besseta said and stopped as Kenneth heard her thought. Shock gave him the energy and motivation to straighten up.

“Those were voices in my mind?” he said, looking at Besseta. Slowly, Besseta nodded and she heard Kenneth’s mind once again clear. Kenneth let out a grimace when his muscles cramped. He dropped and rolled over onto his side with his legs still folded.

Besseta and Tiffany were shocked when he sat up. Kenneth’s face was bloody, and a pool of blood floated on the pool of sweat where his face had been. Besseta tried to stand and help, but her legs cramped as well.

It took a few seconds and Tiffany’s help, but she got to her feet and they moved over and helped Kenneth straighten out his legs. Sprawled out on the floor, Kenneth looked like someone had soaked him with a water hose.

“This gives me a new perspective of being rode hard and put away wet,” he mumbled, trying to stand up. Feeling the strength in Kenneth’s body now gone, Besseta bent down and scooped him up in her arms.

“You’re getting a bath and going to bed,” she said, heading for the stairs.

Smiling at first, Kenneth then stuck out his bottom lip. “I don’t wanna go to bed,” he whined.

“Tough,” Besseta said, carrying him up the stairs.

Tiffany darted after them until she was beside Besseta, walking up the stairs. “I’ll help if you want me to, but if you two start, I’m leaving.”

Kenneth laughed, then grimaced as his muscles cramped throughout his body. “That may take a while. I feel like a truck ran over me.”

Tiffany grunted when they reached the top of the stairs. “My head hurts so bad, I swear a horse skull-fucked me.”

Widening his eyes, Kenneth looked up at Besseta. “She wins for the worst headache. I don’t even want to know what that would feel like.” Besseta just laughed as Tiffany opened the door to the bedroom and silently agreed with Kenneth.

Chapter Six

Besseta laid Kenneth down on the bed as Tiffany walked into the bathroom, running water in the tub. “Ah, baby,” Kenneth said, hearing the water running. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I really don’t feel like getting nude in front of Tiffany.”

As she was pulling his lounge pants off, Besseta stopped and laughed, “Baby, who else do you think helped me take care of you?” The color left Kenneth’s face. “She only left this room really, to let the dogs go outside. I told them to just use the floor,” Besseta smiled and pulled his soaked pants off.

“Wow, that’s a buddy,” Kenneth mumbled.

“Arms up,” Besseta said, then pulled his tank top off. “Yes, she is, and she was worried and cares for you and wanted to help.”

“I can undress myself,” Kenneth said as she dropped the soaked shirt with a ‘splat’.

Cutting her eyes at him, “I can feel how tired you are, babe. If you tried to stand, you would collapse.”

Crossing his arms Kenneth huffed, “That isn’t fair, you aren’t supposed to know that.”

The corners of her mouth twitched slowly, then eased into a smile. ‘But it’s fair for you to know how tired I am and when I’m hurting, somehow take my pain away?’

Kenneth gave a sigh as he heard her thoughts. “Yeah, she’s a good friend for not telling, but I just want you safe and happy, baby. The thought of you hurting killed me. After watching you when we got here, going through it twice, liked to have killed me. I found out when I laid next to you, begging in my mind to stop your pain, I could.”

“By taking it,” she almost growled.

Shrugging his shoulders, “So, you weren’t hurting, that’s all that mattered to me.”

She dove on his chest. “I love you so much,” she said, shoving him down and kissing him.

“Hope so, because now you’re stuck with me.”

Kissing him again, she lifted her head up until she could look him in the eye. “Can you hear Tiffany’s thoughts?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “It’s different from how I hear yours. Yours are like mine, but hers sounds like she’s talking to me, but she’s not. It’s her thoughts.”

Agreeing, “Yes, that’s how I hear them,” Besseta said. “Can you hear her deep thoughts?”

Shrugging his shoulders again, “I don’t know how to tell the difference.”

“What’s she thinking now?” Besseta asked, getting up.

“She’s worried,” Kenneth said, slowly sitting up with Besseta’s help. “She doesn’t understand what my ability is developing into, and I’m showing signs of more than one. If I get hurt because of this, she’s worried you will hold it against her because she’s the one who told you to turn me. Now, she’s wondering about Maliki because you’re going to punch him, and what the Strong Hands are going to do next,” he said. “And she’s afraid the water’s too hot, and if I should eat a whole bag of blood or half.”

As Kenneth spoke she slowly looked at him in shock. “All I hear from her is the water is too hot and how much we should feed you,” Besseta told him.

Kenneth reached over, grabbing her arm. “Baby-,” he said and Besseta’s body jerked. Tiffany’s voice sounded around her, but it was multiple voices like what she heard from Kenneth. “What’s wrong?” she heard Kenneth ask.

Reaching down, Besseta undid his fingers until his hand let go and Tiffany’s voices stopped. “Whoa,” she gasped and looked down at Kenneth. “Grab my arm again.” Kenneth grabbed her arm and was about to ask, but he listened in his mind and heard Tiffany’s voice echo in Besseta’s mind.

Kenneth let go, giving up trying to understand. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Good, because I have no idea how you are doing that,” Besseta said, hearing the water turn off. As Kenneth struggled to get up, she scooped him up again in her arms, carrying him into the bathroom.

They met Tiffany as she was walking out. “I’m going to be out here if you need me,” she smiled.

Besseta stopped in front of her. “Did your mind feel sleepy a few minutes ago?”

“No,” Tiffany said, taking a step back.

“I would never be mad at you for telling me to turn Kenneth, but I’m still punching Maliki in the face for Boston,” Besseta smiled. Tiffany stumbled back and turned to Kenneth.

“She made me,” he said with a fake grin.

“I didn’t feel it,” she whispered.

“We’ll explain later,” Besseta said, walking around her. “He stinks.”

Walking into the bathroom, Besseta just used the steps to walk down into the tub, carrying Kenneth with her clothes on. “Oh, you can just get in with your clothes, but I have to be carried around naked in front of everyone,” Kenneth snapped.

“Kenneth!” Tiffany snapped from the bedroom. “I washed your butt, so shut the hell up!”

As Besseta set him on the ledge seat in the massive tub, Kenneth shook his head. “I’ll never be able to look at her in the eye again,” he moaned as Besseta let him go. Hearing Besseta’s thoughts about the encounter as she took off her wet clothes, Kenneth wanted his mind to clear, but more voices started sounding around him.

Throwing her pants out, Besseta whipped her head around as her pants landed with a slosh. She could hear the voices in Kenneth’s mind, multiplying rapidly. Moving over, she climbed in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m here, baby.”

The voices died down instantly, and slowly faded away in Kenneth’s mind. “This ability sucks,” Kenneth moaned. “Why couldn’t I get a cool one like seeing through walls or flying.”

Besseta laughed. “Well, I’ve never met anyone that could do, either. You can move stuff with your mind,” she pointed out, laughing.

Sliding down on the ledge until his chin was touching the water, “Shit, I’m scared to use it,” he admitted. “Every time I try something, it stomps my ass. I tried to run and cratered the wall with my face. The faucet was stuck and I tried harder to turn it, and ripped it off breaking the counter. Concentrating on the static in my head and trying to listen, I knock all of us out for days.”

Grabbing his chin, Besseta gently turned his face until he was looking into her eyes. “The change is a trying time. Not many have help, and you have two who’ve been through it and are helping you, so stop feeling bad for us or any of this.”

“If I was alone, I would’ve killed myself if I ever came out of that coma,” Kenneth mumbled.

Besseta pulled his head to her and hugged him tight, hearing Kenneth’s thoughts. Not being in control of his body and mind was driving him crazy. She knew without her and Tiffany caring for him, Kenneth would’ve joined the countless others who never survived the change. The only reason he was happy was her. “I’m here, always.”

“Always,” he said, holding her.

They sat like that until the water started turning cold, then Besseta turned on the jets and water heater. Grabbing a rag, she started scrubbing him down. “Your hair is falling out,” she said.

Kenneth’s hand shot up to his head, rubbing his hair, “What?!”

Besseta smiled. “Your body hair, not the hair on your head.”

“That wasn’t funny. Every man in my family had a headful of hair,” he told her, looking down at his chest. He had never been truly hairy, but he could tell his chest wasn’t as hairy as it used to be. “You know, I was almost twenty-five before I got hair on my chest. I really wanted to go back to high school, because the shit I put up with because I was the only guy in the locker room with a bare chest and no-,” he stopped, “never mind.”

Laughing, “Hey, I like it,” Besseta said, grabbing the shampoo. “Hold your breath,” she told him, pushing him under the water.

Kenneth popped back up as she scrubbed his head. “Now I understand why you like me giving you a shower or bath,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Hey, I offered, but you just said, NOOOO,” she told him.

“See? I can be very stupid,” Kenneth moaned.

“Hold your breath,” Besseta told him, dunking him again.

When she had him scrubbed, she moved back into his lap, feeling Kenneth’s body and mind totally relaxed. His body was relaxed, but also very weak. “Yeah, I am,” Kenneth answered her thought.

“You can read my mind?” she said, putting her head on his.

“It’s the same as before, no stronger or weaker,” he said, hugging her. “Yes, I’ve always felt if you were tired, weak, hungry, or strong. None of that has changed,” he said, answering the questions in her mind.

Besseta reached over, turning off the jets. “Let’s get you dried off and in the bed.”

“I don’t want to go to bed,” Kenneth said, opening his eyes.

Raising her eyebrows, Besseta scooped him up. “Sorry, did you say something?”

“I want the dogs to sleep with us,” Kenneth quickly said.

“Thought that’s what you said.”

Slowly, Besseta let Kenneth put his feet down and stood him up. She could see his legs trembling as he grabbed the counter. “I’m fine, just grab a towel,” he said, answering her thoughts.

Grabbing a towel, she dried him quickly, but noticed the tremble in his legs was gone. As she grabbed another towel, Besseta could feel Kenneth’s strength ebbing back. Wrapping the towel around him, she grabbed another towel, drying herself off.

Kenneth turned to the sink, grabbing his toothbrush. As he brushed his teeth he reached up, rubbing his head, ‘Where did the gray go?’ he thought, seeing most of his gray hair gone. ‘Shit, if I don’t have to trim my nose and ear hair, I’ll take this,’ he thought with a huff, rinsing his mouth out.

Behind him, Besseta was trying not to laugh as she made sure he wasn’t going to fall. Looking at her in the mirror, “Have to say, I’m not conceited, but I’m glad that the mirror part is a myth.”

“That makes two of us,” she said, walking up and hugging him from behind. Letting him go, she grabbed her brush and started brushing her hair.

“I’m going to get some underwear and meet you in the bed,” he said, turning for the door. Taking his first step, Kenneth’s body went rigid and he started falling. He only traveled an inch falling back, before Besseta caught him.

With his body stiff as a board, Besseta lowered him down. “Baby, what’s wrong?” she cried out, hearing random thoughts in his mind.

Hearing the cry, Tiffany darted in to see Besseta over Kenneth’s rigid body. His eyes were open, but he looked like a statue. Kenneth’s eyes flicked to her. “What happ-,” Tiffany started to ask. “Uuuuuf,” she cried out as something hit her in the chest. Standing upright with her eyes still looking into Kenneth’s, she flew back, hitting the wall with a loud thump.

Hearing a reverberating thump, Besseta turned to see Tiffany slide up the wall with her arms spread out. Stopping just shy of the ceiling and pinned to the wall, Tiffany was frozen in place, looking down in Kenneth’s eyes. “Kenneth!” Besseta shouted, turning back to look down and seeing that his eyes were locked on Tiffany. “Stop it, relax!” she shouted, patting his chest.

Faster than even Besseta’s eyes could follow, Kenneth’s hand shot up grabbing her hand and Besseta’s body jerked hard. Once again, she was in a kaleidoscope tunnel with lights and sounds around her. Seeing the end coming up fast, the only thought in Besseta’s mind was, ‘Hope the damn dinosaur isn’t there.’

When she landed on the other end, her body jerked like it’d been jolted with a massive load of electricity. Suddenly, she saw people, but couldn’t turn her head. Then, she heard a baby cry and realized the sound was coming from her.

A woman dressed in a robe came over and picked her up, speaking a language Besseta had never heard before. Besseta felt love for the woman who bounced Besseta on her shoulder and she had a feeling of attachment to the woman as if she were Besseta’s mother. Slowly, the vision started picking up speed, but Besseta was still looking through someone else’s eyes. The vision would speed up and slow down, and she realized she now understood the language everyone was speaking, and then Besseta was looking into a pool of water. She saw a little girl’s face smiling at her where her own face should’ve been.

The girl looked away from the pool, seeing two boys coming and called out to them. Besseta heard herself speaking the same language as everyone else was. Then, the vision started picking up speed, only pausing for seconds.

The vision stopped and Besseta saw a man standing over several dead bodies and a dog laughing, and he spoke the same language she’d heard throughout the vision. Her eyes dropped back to the dog and Besseta felt a wrenching heartache, then turned back to the man. Just looking at him, Besseta could tell he was a vampire, but she felt panic, anger, and terror grip her body. The man came over to her, biting her neck and then his own wrist, forcing her to drink.

Fire and pain filled her as Besseta suddenly realized, she was looking through Tiffany’s eyes as Tiffany screamed. The vision sped back up, and like before it may have moved fast, but Besseta could remember everything.

Suddenly, the vision stopped and Besseta was looking at herself outside a castle. Then the vision picked up speed again, moving faster like someone had a remote control, pausing at something of interest.

The vision stopped with Besseta looking down at herself kneeling beside Kenneth from the bathroom wall and she felt Kenneth let her go. Falling back through the tunnel, Besseta was too startled to be scared and as the jolt hit her, Besseta found she was still sitting over Kenneth.

With his eyes still on Tiffany, Kenneth slowly closed them. Besseta turned and found Tiffany slowly sliding down the wall until her feet touched the floor. Tiffany slowly walked over. “I think Kenneth just watched my life,” she said in a shocked whisper.

Slowly moving back from Kenneth with a startled look, “He did, and brought me along,” Besseta told her.

Tiffany looked at Besseta. “I saw every day of my life. I saw Khanka, and he died when I was five. I don’t remember him, but I just saw him.”

“Are you hurt?” Besseta asked, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

“No, just shocked,” Tiffany said as Besseta felt her tremble. “Do you know what caused that?”

Besseta looked down at Kenneth. “The last coherent thought I heard in his mind was, ‘I wish Tiffany would show me how she controls her ability, so I don’t hurt them.’”

Letting out a huff, “Damn, he only had to ask,” Tiffany said, kneeling down.

“I’m sorry he did that, Tiffany, but I have to say, I’m glad he did,” Besseta said, shocking Tiffany. Holding her hand over Kenneth, Besseta stood up and Kenneth floated off the floor. Tiffany jumped back with a yelp. “I see now, how you control the energy you put out,” Besseta said, walking to the bedroom with Kenneth floating beside her.

As Besseta walked over, the covers folded back by themselves and Kenneth floated down gently to the bed. The covers slid back up like an invisible hand was pulling them. Tiffany followed and stood amazed when Besseta turned around.

“It took you a long time to master the more delicate uses,” Besseta said, walking over to Tiffany. “And I can also tell, I’m nowhere near as powerful with my mind as you are.”

“Yes, but I didn’t have anyone to really practice on,” Tiffany smiled, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I’m sorry he did that, I know he didn’t mean to and this is going to be eating him up with guilt, like forever,” Besseta said, hugging her.

“Make him not be,” Tiffany chuckled.

Pulling back, Besseta shook her head. “Yeah, like I can do that.”

“Tiffany,” Kenneth weakly called from the bed.

They ran over with Besseta jumping on one side of Kenneth and Tiffany the other. “It’s okay, Kenneth,” Tiffany smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’m only crying because of what I relived, not what you did.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered and opened his eyes, “your husband was murdered. He didn’t kill himself. What Besseta heard from Elizabeth was right. They didn’t say that to make you mad.”

Stunned at what she heard, Tiffany jumped back so hard she hit the ceiling and fell on the floor. She jumped up and ran over to the bed, standing over Kenneth. “How do you know this?!” she yelled. “We all thought that’s why she said it.”

Struggling to keep his eyes open, “It’s how you found him-,” he stopped as his eyes closed. “I can’t say, but here,” he said, reaching over and grabbing her hand. Like she’d been hit with electricity, Tiffany jerked and Besseta knew what was going on before she even heard the thoughts in Kenneth’s mind.

Tiffany was suddenly standing over her dead husband and crying. She lifted her head up and the vision froze. It was no memory. It was as if Tiffany was once again, reliving the horror. She saw the overturned glass her husband had used to drink the mercury. With the vision still frozen in her mind, certain things would come into focus and it seemed like her body was flying to them, then back.

The vision slowed to a crawl as Tiffany touched her dead husband’s face and she was hit by another jolt, traveling through the wild tube of lights and sounds. When her body jolted again, she was looking around outside her house.

She heard a voice, sounding like her husband, call out in Greek as a man she recognized from a nearby village walked toward the house. She smelled horse manure radiating off the man as he talked back in Greek. It was then, she realized she was looking through Herotho, her husband’s eyes. She could hear his thoughts and the love he felt for her, wanting her to hurry home soon.

Something about the man walking toward her didn’t seem right, and it wasn’t just the smell. When he reached the house, he stopped in front of Herotho and held out his hand. Herotho gripped the man’s forearm as the man gripped his in greeting. Pain shot through her and she struggled to let the man go. Suddenly, Tiffany felt like a sheet had been thrown over Herotho’s mind, and pain continued to radiate from the man’s touch. Herotho’s thoughts of her vanished, and he only cared for this man.

The man smiled as he talked, then sniffed the air and led Herotho inside. He pulled out a vial and poured silvery liquid in a cup, telling Herotho to sit. Herotho sat down and taking the cup, drained it.

Even as the pain shot through his body, Herotho only felt love and caring for the man who’d just poisoned him. With his last breath, Herotho told the man ‘thank you’ as the vision blurred, and Tiffany’s body jerked.

When her body jerked on exiting the wild tunnel, Tiffany slowly stood up with a dark look on her face. Besseta didn’t ‘see’ what Tiffany had, but she heard Kenneth’s thoughts and knew what Tiffany had witnessed.

“They all die slow and with much pain, on this, I vow,” Tiffany growled as her face started turning red. Her breathing increased as the rage built inside of her. The room started shaking and Besseta realized it wasn’t the room; it was the house.

“Tiffany!” she yelled, jumping over Kenneth and grabbing Tiffany’s shoulders. “We will. I swear to you on my life, but don’t make the house fall on us! Kenneth’s too weak and the dogs will die.”

The house stopped shaking as Tiffany slowly let the power that was building up in her mind go, but the rage remained. “Sorry,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Hey, I’m just thinking of the babies. I’m totally with you on getting inquisition-style retribution on their ass,” Besseta told her.

“Tiffany,” Kenneth called out just above a whisper.

They moved back over and with his eyes closed, Kenneth held up his hand, Tiffany was a little scared to take it, afraid of what she would see this time, but she placed her hand in his. As his hand closed around hers, Tiffany sighed, thankful another ride wasn’t in order. “What is it, Kenneth? You need to rest. We’ll talk when you wake,” she told him with a forced smile.

He opened his eyes, looking at her. “Relax,” he whispered. “If you do this while your heart burns, you will make a mistake and they will go free from your revenge and vengeance will not be had.” Tiffany took a slow breath and was about to speak, but Kenneth spoke first. “Relax,” he whispered softly.

The rage slowly left Tiffany, but the anger remained. “You need to quit it,” she smiled for real. “It’s not nice to change a girl’s emotions.”

Feeling drained, Kenneth let her hand go, closing his eyes. “If you would’ve attacked them like that, they would’ve killed you before you got near them,” he whispered, barely audible. ‘They fear you’ Kenneth said in her mind. ‘That was why they killed your husband. They wanted you to kill yourself, so they wouldn’t have to. That is why your husband died.’

As tears rolled down her face, Tiffany closed her eyes and laid her head on Kenneth’s chest. “He died because of me,” she wailed out.

‘No,’ Kenneth said in her mind. ‘They knew you two were hunting them with Maliki, after they’d killed one. Maliki took the blame, but they both killed it. Maliki didn’t want the cubus coming after you two for revenge, so he told everyone he did it. Herotho didn’t want him to, but was afraid of putting you in danger, so he agreed. The cubus killed him because they knew if they faced both you and Herotho’s ability to control metal, many of them would die before they could kill you. We will kill them, I assure you, I will personally make sure you get the one responsible.’

Lifting her head up, she kissed Kenneth’s forehead, who looked like he was sound asleep. “Rest now, Kenneth,” she said, standing up. “I owe you more than you will ever know for letting me know this. I will try my best to repay this debt until I’m satisfied it is fulfilled.”

‘No, I still owe you,’ he said in her mind. ‘You wiped my butt. I can’t believe my wife would do that to me.’

The tension from her body vanished as Tiffany threw her head back laughing, as did Besseta. “It wasn’t that bad,” Tiffany howled. It was a few minutes until she stopped laughing and Tiffany reached over, rubbing the top of Kenneth’s head. “Thank you, but now rest, you will need to feed when you wake.”

‘I will, and one last thing,’ Kenneth’s mind called out. ‘I didn’t cry when the bug hit Eleanor.’

A smile was on Tiffany’s face and turned into a grin as she leaned over, kissing Kenneth’s forehead again. “Yes, you did, for almost an hour as you scrubbed the car down,” she whispered.

Chapter Seven

They sat with Kenneth until Besseta looked up at Tiffany and nodded. Leaving Bonnie and Clyde with Kenneth as he slept, they quietly went downstairs. After cleaning the bloody sweat spot up, they went back to the liquor cabinet, grabbing a bottle each.

Before they’d sat down on the couch, Tiffany had drunk half of hers. “I can’t believe, all this time, I thought he killed himself,” she moaned, sitting down. “I really thought Elizabeth just said that to make me mad; which it did.”

Taking the cap off her bottle, “Well to be honest, you aren’t a detective and Kenneth is,” Besseta said, taking a swig. Making a face as she swallowed before taking the bottle away, “I listened to Kenneth’s thoughts as I put him in bed. He kept thinking the scene hadn’t looked right. He replayed it several times, then found out he could link with Herotho and confirmed it.”

Nodding her head and dumbfounded, “Yeah, he read and looked through someone’s mind that’s been dead for a millennia. I just can’t figure out how. That is some form of astral projection,” Tiffany said.

“We’ll ask him when he wakes up,” Besseta said, taking another swig. “We need to get more liquor.”

Holding up her bottle, “Don’t get this stuff from Tennessee; it’s nasty,” Tiffany said.

Nodding, “This has definitely been a shock to the system,” Besseta said, taking another swig as Tiffany finished draining her bottle. “Can I ask, why you and Herotho talked about suicide?”

Tiffany smiled. “You remember everything you saw through my eyes?”

“Yes, Tafka,” Besseta said with a small smile, using the name Tiffany had been born with, as she passed Tiffany her bottle.

Taking the bottle, Tiffany turned and looked off into space. “I haven’t thought of that name since Herotho died. My name was starting to draw attention, so I changed it. It means almost the same as my birth name. Tafka, is ‘appearance of nature’ and Tiffany, ‘the appearance of God’. Tiffany is the fourth name I’ve gone by, but they all meant more or less the same.”

Lifting the bottle, Tiffany took a swallow and continued looking off into space. “We talked about how to do it if we were ever forced into a losing situation, since we were hunting cubus. Most of our kind take that way; the drinking of mercury. Some of the more foolhardy will guillotine themselves, but you can’t be certain it will work,” Tiffany said and looked over at Besseta.

“Since you heard it, you know Herotho was a little down when I’d left and didn’t want me to go. But we needed information on the cubus, so I headed to Alexandria. I didn’t want him to come because when vampires travel together it draws attention, and we didn’t want that. Plus, I’m much better at research. He begged me not to go and I didn’t listen. When I returned, I just figured the depression had gotten to him,” Tiffany said, ending with tears rolling out of her eyes.

Besseta scooted over until she was snuggled up to Tiffany’s side. “With what you had, I would’ve thought the same thing,” Besseta assured her.

“I’ve been furious for so long at him and now, I know he didn’t leave me; he was taken,” Tiffany said with a whimper.

Reaching up, Besseta pulled Tiffany’s head down, letting her cry on her shoulder. “Now, you know the truth, so that’s all that matters,” Besseta told her, rubbing her shoulder.

“If this is just the start of Kenneth’s ability, I can’t even begin to think where it will go,” Tiffany sniffled, lifting her head up. “He can show his ability. He can go back in memories and go to people who were touched in that memory. He-,” Tiffany stopped, shaking her head. “Hell, he is doing stuff I can’t even imagine, much less label.”

With a forced chuckle, “Trust Kenneth to break the mold,” Besseta smirked.

“It was right there in front of us, you know,” Tiffany said, taking a swig. Besseta leaned forward and looked back at her, not understanding. “Remember Kenneth saying when he was at a crime scene, he could picture what had happened? Like he could see through the victim’s and killer’s eyes?” she asked and Besseta slowly nodded. “How he got the dogs to let us near them? How he was able to ‘feel’ those men chasing us, even with them some blocks away? He was showing us then,” Tiffany explained, then took a long swig. “It was on the fringes of his mortal self and when the virus hit his body, Kenneth’s perception changed and unlocked his full potential.”

Thinking about that, Besseta’s eyes got wide. “I never made the connection.”

“You haven’t been studying this as long as I have,” Tiffany said, looking at the almost empty bottle and passing it back to Besseta.

Shaking her head on hearing that, “Yeah, about that,” Besseta said, getting serious, “you dissected vampires to study them?”

“Well, yeah,” Tiffany shrugged as Besseta emptied the bottle. “They were jerks, anyway.”

“I knew Henry, and yes, he was a first-class ass,” Besseta agreed.

Tiffany smiled. “Yes, he and William were good friends. In truth, I was after William, but Henry was there and science mustn’t wait, so he got to be the test subject.”

“I can’t believe you were going to dissect Bereno,” Besseta chuckled.

“You act like I’m still not going to,” Tiffany replied with a blank face.

Laughing, Besseta stood up and disappeared for brief second, then reappeared holding two bottles of wine. “Well, you’re going to have to talk to Kenneth,” she said, handing over one of the bottles. “He wants to beat Bereno to death, and I’m not supposed to get mad at the sorry ass slut that dumped him after his family was murdered.”

Using her teeth, Tiffany pulled the cork out. “Well, you and I could go on a vacation,” Tiffany offered.

Letting out a sigh, “Kenneth said she apologized and asked for forgiveness, then begged for me not to skin the bitch alive, saying it would hurt her family,” Besseta moaned.

“Well, in Kenneth’s defense, I have to agree with him,” Tiffany said, earning a sneer from Besseta. “That doesn’t mean we can’t destroy her car and leave her a message, letting her know that we let her live only because of her apology. But, we felt some form of punishment was in order.”

Thinking about that as she pulled the cork out of her bottle, Besseta nodded. “I like that.”

“We should handle that first, before we take on the cubus,” Tiffany said, drinking the wine straight from the bottle. “The skanky ass whore may be dead, if we wait until we’re finished with cubus.”

Really liking the sound of that, Besseta grinned. “We can wait until Kenneth is better, then take off.”

“You know where she lives?”

“Phoenix,” Besseta nodded. “Kenneth doesn’t know she moved.”

“When we do this, we must get back soon,” Tiffany said, setting her bottle on the coffee table. “You calm his mind.”

Sitting up, Besseta put her bottle next to Tiffany’s. “Yeah, I don’t know how, but I take the-,” she paused, trying to think of a word. “Stuff,” she finally offered. “The stuff making his mind run away and he calms down.”

Shaking her head, “I swear, it’s like you two are one person,” Tiffany mumbled. “He can’t read your mind, you know. He can only hear your thoughts like what you described.”

Besseta nodded. “He told me.”

“He tried,” Tiffany grinned. “He wanted to know how Bereno treated you, so he would know how long to keep him alive.”

Besseta jumped up. “How the hell do you know that?”

“I heard it as Kenneth was holding images in my mind. He really wants to know, then sometimes not really, because he’s ashamed of what he’ll do,” Tiffany confessed, picking up her bottle. “He wants to know if Bereno ever apologized. He can feel your thoughts like you can others, but what lies deeper in you is a mystery to him. Yet, you can read deep into him and only him. It doesn’t make sense.”

Stomping her foot, Besseta strode into the kitchen, making all kinds of noise while Tiffany just sat drinking her wine. When Besseta came back she was still pissed, snatching up her bottle and taking a long pull. After several long gulps, she took the bottle away and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. “He’s blocking his thoughts,” she growled.

“You are too, so don’t be mad about that,” Tiffany giggled.

Jumping up and stomping both feet, “I’m allowed,” she snapped. “I’ll eventually tell him what I’m blocking, but I’ll have to ask him, you know, how long that will take.”

“Stop being selfish. He only blocks what will make you upset, as you do for him,” Tiffany told her, still smiling.

Letting out a sigh, “I know, but damn it, I really want that bitch’s ass,” Besseta said, taking a drink and then putting the bottle down. “He’s waking. I put a bag of blood in a bowl of warm water. Will you pour a glass of how much you think he needs?”

Tiffany nodded and Besseta vanished, appearing beside Kenneth as he slowly opened his eyes. “Hey, baby,” he groaned, stretching his arms over his head. Bonnie and Clyde jumped up, licking his face. “No kisses, you two. Your breath stinks.”

Leaning over, Besseta picked the dogs up, putting them on the floor. “Go eat,” she said, pointing to the door and the two took off. Turning back to Kenneth, “Feel better?” she asked, sitting down beside him.

“Much,” he smiled, sitting up. “Love you.”

She returned his smile. “Always.”

Kenneth dropped his smile. “Is Tiffany hurt in any way, like her feelings, about what I did?” he asked with a worried tone. “I didn’t mean to, I swear, it just happened. I was thinkin-,” he stopped as Besseta held up her hand.

“I know why, I heard your thoughts before your body locked up, and I told Tiffany,” Besseta told him. “She’s not mad at you. To be honest, she’s way beyond grateful to you for what you showed her.”

Kenneth kissed her lips as he scooted to the edge of the bed, “How she found him, just didn’t look right.”

“Yes, I told her,” Besseta said. “How did you know you could link with someone who’d died?”

“Tried it,” Kenneth said, slowly standing. “After you put me in the bed and I grabbed Tiffany, I found out the vision was much stronger and I could move about it easier than looking at her.”

Besseta jumped up, but didn’t help as Kenneth moved toward the closet. She just stayed close. “Go slow, baby,” she said, standing in the door of the closet.

“I am,” he said, then sniffed. “Oh man, that smells good.” Besseta smiled, smelling the blood. “Sorry about the dinosaur,” he said, putting on jogging pants.

Caught off guard, it still gave Besseta a startle, “How? I’ve been blocking that,” she admitted.

“As you were joining me on that little ride with Tiffany, you were hoping the dinosaur wasn’t going to be there,” Kenneth said, grabbing a shirt.

Nodding that he was right, “I didn’t want you to feel bad,” Besseta confessed.

Now that she wasn’t blocking, Kenneth cringed. “I can’t believe I screamed like that and wet the bed.”

“Hey!” she shouted. “I’m a vampire and have been for almost a thousand years and I wet my pants, seeing that big ass lizard coming at us. When he snorted, blowing my hair, I wanted to run until I died, so if he caught me I wouldn’t feel anything.”

Walking over, Kenneth hugged her. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m not,” she said, buried in his chest. “I want to know what’s going on,” she told him. “Did you mean to grab my arm with Tiffany?”

He nodded his head. “Yes,” he admitted. “I was hoping it would break the vision.”

She looked up. “So, you figured out that I help keep your mind at ease.”

“Hell, I knew that, the day I met you on the beach. When you stepped close, I felt peace inside,” Kenneth said, then kissed her. Breaking the kiss, “Please don’t drink Wild Turkey and red wine together, and not tell me beforehand,” he said, wiping his tongue off with his hand.

“Hey, you should’ve smelled it.”

“I smelled liquor. I didn’t know it was Wild Turkey,” Kenneth said. “Those two definitely don’t mix.”

“Not my fault. The liquor cabinet is getting empty.”

Grabbing her hand, “We’ll get more tomorrow, then,” he said, walking out of the bedroom.

They found Tiffany on the couch, talking to the puppies and Bonnie and Clyde, with two empty bottles of wine on the coffee table. “Hey,” Kenneth said, as they walked around the couch.

With her head wobbling on her shoulders Tiffany gave him a weird grin. “Hey, yourself, big boy,” she slurred, getting up. “Feeling better?”

“Much,” Kenneth said and she stumbled over and gave him a hug.

“Thank you again,” she said, letting him go and then walked to the kitchen. “Can you tell me how you knew about the cubus’ plans? You didn’t read the one that touched Herotho.”

“I couldn’t read him, but I heard his thoughts in Herotho’s mind. I tried pushing into his mind, but couldn’t,” Kenneth said, sitting down. “You know him,” he called out as she entered the kitchen.

A wind blew, and Tiffany was standing in front of Kenneth. “What?”

“You met that one in Jerusalem,” Kenneth told her.

Shaking her head, “No, he didn’t look like that. I would remember him anywhere.”

“They can change their appearance and can even look like the opposite sex. It takes them some time, but they do it frequently. That one, copied someone Herotho knew in a village nearby,” Kenneth said. “They don’t like being remembered.”

“That motherfucker!” Tiffany screamed, sending the puppies to dig under a cushion and Bonnie and Clyde into Besseta’s lap. “I should’ve boiled the son-of-a-bitch in oil when I had the chance!”

Kenneth watched her spin around, stomping off into the kitchen. “Knew she wouldn’t take that well,” he mumbled, looking at the stone floor and expecting to see cracks.

“Babe, you just told her, she met her husband’s killer. How was she supposed to act?” Besseta asked.

“I was hoping she caught his voice, they can’t alter it much.”

Shaking her head and smiling, “You’re a detective, through and through,” Besseta said.

Tiffany came back, carrying three mugs. “Here,” she grumbled, handing them each one. This time, Kenneth drained his without coaxing.

Smacking his lips, he said, “Man, that was good.”

“Yeah,” Tiffany replied curtly, sitting down beside him.

Kenneth looked at the remote and it lifted off the coffee table. “Sorry I upset you, but you had to know, that’s why they sent him. He felt he could predict you,” he said and the remote set down in his hand, and his mug floated out of his other onto the coffee table.

Turning on the TV, Besseta and Tiffany just stared at him. “You do that rather easily,” Tiffany commented.

“I should,” Kenneth said, looking at Besseta’s mug. “I lived in your mind, as you learned how to control it over the last four millennia.” Besseta smiled, drinking half of her mug and handed it to Kenneth. Taking the mug, he drained it.

“That’s cheating,” Tiffany said draining hers. “I had to go through a lot and you two just read my mind, finding all the tricks.”

“If you want, I’ll go knock down a few houses,” Kenneth offered.

“No,” Tiffany sighed. “Several I knocked over had people in them, but I’ll tell you what. You find a movie that just shows ass-kicking as the plot, we can call that part even.”

Kenneth gave a big smile. “How about four?” he asked, and she grinned. “Sounds like a Die Hard marathon, then.”

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Kenneth led the girls and dogs down to the dock and onto the cigarette boat. When they were on, he cast the lines and started the engine, backing the boat out. Tiffany sat down and talked to the puppies while Besseta moved up beside him.

“You sure you’re ready to be out and about?” she asked, wrapping her arm around his waist.

Pushing the throttle forward and making the boat take off, Kenneth looked down at her, smiling. “Definitely,” he said, then looked up to guide the boat to shore. “I can only take you and Tiffany treating me like glass for so long.”

Squeezing Kenneth with her arm, “Baby, this is a trying time for anyone making the change, and you’re doing it at an astronomical pace,” she said, leaning her head on his side.

“I feel great,” Kenneth grinned, pulling the throttle back as he guided the boat into the dock on shore. “If I didn’t, I would stay at home, but I really want to get out. Besides, we need more liquor.”

As Kenneth pulled into the dock, Besseta chuckled. “I’m not going to argue that, but I can have it delivered.”

Leaning down and kissing her, Kenneth moved over, jumping out of the boat and tying it off. “No, we need some time out of the house,” he said, holding out his hands as Besseta passed Bonnie and Clyde up.

Holding Jack and Jill, Tiffany jumped out when Besseta climbed out. “You know, we could wait until tonight and Besseta and I could just run to the store. We don’t need to take a car,” she said, putting the puppies down and they ran to the end of the dock with Bonnie and Clyde.

Shaking his head, “Just because I can run faster than a car, don’t think I’m going to just let them sit there,” Kenneth informed her.

Noticing one of her shoestrings was loose, “I’m just saying, cars are a step back, Kenneth,” Tiffany said, bending over and tying her shoe.

Whipping his body around, “Don’t you say that too loud,” he hissed. “You might hurt their feelings.”

Slowly looking up at Kenneth in shock, “Huh?” Tiffany mumbled.

“Some of those cars have feelings, so don’t go around calling them antiquated,” Kenneth huffed and spun around, storming off to the garage.

Standing up as Kenneth stormed off, Tiffany glanced over at Besseta. “The cars can hear that well?” she asked, confused.

Shrugging her shoulders, “I have no idea,” Besseta admitted.

Looking back at Kenneth as he walked into the garage, “I’ve known vampires that held onto some things, but I’m beginning to think Kenneth will always covet his cars,” Tiffany predicted, walking over to Besseta.

Laughing, Besseta put her arm around Tiffany’s waist. “If he does, that will be fine by me,” she said as they headed to the garage. They could hear Kenneth talking to Eleanor inside the garage. “I think he likes them because they don’t disagree with him.”

“You can hear them talk?” Tiffany asked with amazement.

Shaking her head, “No, but sometimes, I wish I could,” Besseta huffed. “I don’t like anything “female” talking to my husband that I can’t hear.”

When they walked in, they found Kenneth rubbing a fuzzy white cloth over Eleanor. “Have you been resting well?” he asked, buffing the hood.

Tiffany stopped and pulled Besseta’s arm until she was facing her. “We are going to take some time off, and figure out how they are talking to him,” Tiffany whispered.

“You got that right,” Besseta said, narrowing her eyes and cutting them toward Kenneth.

“Eleanor says, ‘hi, girls’,” Kenneth called over his shoulder as he kept buffing the hood. “Aren’t you going to say ‘hi’ back?”

Pulling her arm from Tiffany, Besseta stormed over to stand by Eleanor. Running her eyes over the Mustang, “Hello, Eleanor,” Besseta almost growled. “He’s mine, so don’t even think about it.”

Leaving the buffing towel on the hood, Kenneth stood up. “Baby, you don’t have to be jealous,” he said with a pleading look. “She really likes you two, but I’m afraid she likes Besseta more. Sorry, Tiffany.”

Confused, Besseta glanced over at Tiffany, then back at the Mustang. “Um, sorry, Eleanor,” she said hesitantly. “I just don’t like you talking to my husband when I can’t hear it.”

Grabbing the buffing cloth, Kenneth folded it up. “She understands that you’re jealous, but that scares her,” he said, putting the cloth on a shelf. Walking over, he opened the passenger door and pulled the seat up for Tiffany to get in. “She’s just part of the family,” he said when Tiffany climbed in with Jack and Jill jumping in after her.

When Kenneth folded the seat back, Besseta pulled him down and kissed him as Bonnie and Clyde jumped in, then Besseta climbed into the front seat. Closing the door, Kenneth walked over to the garage door. Seeing Kenneth walk away, Besseta pointed at the dashboard, “Don’t you dare flirt with him or I’ll break you,” she grumbled.

“Quit that! Eleanor’s going to tattle,” Tiffany hissed from the backseat.

Pulling the dogs into her lap, Besseta turned around. “I don’t care. I’ll buy him another one,” she huffed.

Putting the puppies in her own lap, “You won’t know if it’s a girl,” Tiffany warned as Kenneth pushed the button on the wall for the garage door and grabbed a remote. “We just got lucky when they sent girl cars the first time. They may not next time,” Tiffany said as the garage door rolled up.

Pulling on the seatbelt, “Then I’ll just keep buying one until they send a girl,” Besseta huffed. Glancing up at the dashboard, “I mean it. He’s mine, so don’t push it,” she mumbled at the car as Kenneth opened his door, climbing in.

“Ready?” he smiled.

Besseta looked over with a smile. “Let’s go, baby,” she said, reaching over and holding his hand. Kenneth leaned over to kiss her. As Kenneth pulled back into his seat, Besseta looked at the dashboard. “Humph, see?” she huffed.

Putting the key in the ignition, Kenneth chuckled as he started the engine. “She’s not jealous of you, honey,” he said as the engine roared to life and returned to a deep-throated idle that made Tiffany think of a dragon laughing. Letting the engine idle, Kenneth reached over and grabbed her hand. “She’s our car,” he said, letting her hand go and patting Bonnie and Clyde.

“Well, she doesn’t talk to me,” Besseta said, looking ahead.

“Because you don’t let her,” Kenneth said, pushing the clutch in and grabbing the gearshift. “When you feel relaxed and are enjoying the ride, you’ll understand.”

Glancing over, “You kiss this car and I’ll punch it,” Besseta warned as Kenneth pulled out of the garage.

Laughing as he pulled out, “You don’t kiss a car, baby,” he said, slowly driving down the driveway. “It’ll mess up the paint and mar the wax job,” he said in a low voice.

Besseta busted out laughing. “Thank goodness you don’t worry about marring my wax job when you kiss me.”

Grabbing the remote, Kenneth pressed a button to lower the garage door. “I’m sorry, baby, but even if it did, I would still have to kiss you,” he said as they followed the driveway into the trees. “I can’t help myself with you.”

Lifting her chin and feeling much better, “Thank you,” she smiled, brushing her red hair out of her face. “It’s just a little hard, you talking to a girl that I can’t hear.”

As they reached the gate, Kenneth hit another button, slowing as the gate opened. “It’s the same way when you talk to the bulldozer, baby,” he said, pulling through the gate.

“Hey, that bulldozer is awesome,” Besseta said, grinning. “I’m sitting high on the world and can go over anything!”

Hitting a button to close the gate, Kenneth looked over at her. “Did you hear the dozer talking back?”

Thinking about it, “Kind of,” Besseta said. “But I think that was just my subconscious.”

“It may be, but it’s the same thing; you’re having fun moving about the world. I’ve read books and men have said the same thing about horses,” Kenneth said, clipping the remote to the sun visor and pulling out his sunglasses.

Leaning forward from the backseat, “Um, Kenneth, horses are alive,” Tiffany informed him.

Glancing at the rearview mirror and looking at Tiffany, “Yes, they are, but I think some cars are alive as well,” he said.

Hearing Kenneth’s thoughts, Besseta opened the glove box and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses. “I don’t know how you can wear these now,” she said, handing a pair back to Tiffany.

Pulling out onto the road, Kenneth rested his left arm on the door, getting comfortable in the seat. “I can see well enough without them, but it’s all about looking good,” he grinned, easing his foot down on the accelerator.

The engine started to roar as Eleanor picked up speed. “Wait until your sight catches up, then,” Besseta chuckled, putting on her sunglasses.

Taking his arm off the door rest and gripping the steering wheel with two hands as the Mustang continued to accelerate, “When I concentrate, I can see the individual leaves on the trees a mile away from the house,” he said as Besseta leaned over, looking at the speedometer.

Relaxing in the backseat, Tiffany laughed. “The first time I concentrated on something far away, my eyes focused and locked up. It was almost an hour before I could see around me.”

“Yes, and I thank you for that as well,” Kenneth praised, not taking his eyes off the road as he whipped around and passed a car, then darted back into his lane. Sitting up some, Tiffany glanced at the speedometer nearing triple digits.

Dropping back into her seat, “You know, some of that isn’t right,” Tiffany huffed. “You get to learn from my mistakes.”

“And Besseta’s,” Kenneth added as the car kept picking up speed.

“Thought you couldn’t read her mind?” Tiffany noted, pulling the puppies up to her chest, seeing the world start to blur by outside. Kenneth wasn’t going as fast as she could run, but she wasn’t running.

“Can’t, but she has told me a lot about her mistakes and trials after her change,” Kenneth said, pulling over and passing three cars, then darting back to his lane.

Leaning back into her seat, Besseta looked away from the speedometer and up to Kenneth’s face. “Thought you said cops didn’t like you going over the speed limit.”

“Oh they don’t, but Eleanor needs to show these other cars who the boss is,” Kenneth grinned as he passed a semi.

“You’re going double the speed limit; won’t that raise suspicion?” Besseta asked, pulling Bonnie and Clyde up to her chest.

“Maybe,” Kenneth laughed as they reached a straightaway. Reaching over, he lifted a red switch cover, exposing a button with, ‘Giggle Juice’ written over it. Kenneth pressed the button, throwing everyone back in their seats as the engine roared.

Glancing over, Besseta saw the needle pinned past the one hundred and forty mark. “Are we in a hurry?” she asked as calmly as she could.

“Not really,” Kenneth answered with a grin as the car gave a lurch and the engine quit screaming when the nitrous boost ended. “Eleanor just needed to stretch her legs.”

Watching the pegged needle finally move below the one-forty, “Well, we have the babies and they can get hurt,” Besseta said.

When the needle hit ninety, Kenneth kept it there. “I can drive, baby,” he said, sounding somewhat offended.

“I know that baby, but others can’t,” Besseta smiled. “You use your middle finger like most people use a horn.”

Nodding, “Point taken,” he said, easing his speed down some more.

Relaxed now, with the world not blurring out the windows, the girls sat back to enjoy the ride. They drove through the countryside making small talk, when Kenneth looked in his rearview mirror. “Shit,” he mumbled and he took his foot off the gas.

Not even turning around, “You’re the one who said they don’t like people going over the speed limit,” Besseta said, hearing the siren behind them. “I can’t even count how many times you told me that.”

“Punk ass, bitch cop,” Kenneth mumbled.

Smirking, “You used to be a cop, Kenneth,” Besseta told him.

“Yes, I was, and I was only going five miles an hour over the limit. I never wrote a ticket unless it was twenty or more,” he said, pulling over onto the shoulder.

Glancing over her shoulder, “Is this going to be a problem?” Tiffany asked.

“No,” Kenneth said, rolling down his window and putting his hands back on the steering wheel.

“Kenneth, we have a lot of people looking for us,” Tiffany reminded him as the cop got out of his car.

Without moving his head, Kenneth glanced at the Smokey Bear hat the officer was wearing. “Figured it was a state trooper,” Kenneth mumbled. “We’re fine, Tiffany,” he said, looking forward as he heard the cop’s thoughts.

‘Damn rich trolls coming up here, messing with us yoopers. Why can’t they just stay on their own peninsula?’ the cop thought as he put a hand out, touching Eleanor’s trunk and Kenneth gave a growl.  “License and registration, please,” the officer said, flipping open his ticket book and walking up to the window.

“Sure thing, officer,” Kenneth answered, taking one hand off the steering wheel and reaching for his wallet. “Why did you stop me? I was only five miles over the speed limit.”

“That’s speeding,” the officer replied in a smart-ass voice and then looked, glancing over at Besseta, then back at Tiffany.

Opening his wallet, “Five miles an hour, are you kidding?” Kenneth objected, pulling his license out.

“Got reports of a gray Mustang with black stripes moving at high rates of speed. Name, please,” the officer said. ‘Damn, that little redhead is fine as hell, bet she’s great in bed. I might have to think of something to take them in on and see,’ the officer’s thoughts sounded off.

As her eyes gaped, Besseta sucked in a breath as she felt the tension rise in the car. A low rumble sounded in her mind as Kenneth’s hand stopped from passing out his license to the officer. “That’s hearsay,” Kenneth grumbled as the cop stopped writing, but kept looking at his ticket book.

“Yes, it is, but where are you going so fast?” the officer asked not looking up or blinking his eyes.

Casually putting his license back in his wallet, “Going to get some magic beans, and you can call me Jack,” Kenneth answered, dropping his wallet in his lap before turning his head and looking up at the officer.

Closing his ticket book, the officer looked at Kenneth. “Magic beans can be dangerous, Jack.”

“That’s my wife you were thinking about, little boy blue,” Kenneth growled and Besseta reached over, resting her hand on Kenneth’s arm. The roaring that was building in his mind decreased with her touch, but his body remained taut. “You really shouldn’t put your gun in your mouth, officer. Accidents might happen,” Kenneth said with a grin.

Letting his ticket book fall to the ground, the officer pulled out his pistol and put the barrel in his mouth. “Kenneth, don’t,” Besseta said as she rubbed his arm.

Pulling up between the front seats, “Kenneth, don’t do this in daylight, you’ll get hurt and you can die,” Tiffany begged, reaching up and grabbing his shoulder. When her hand touched his shoulder, Tiffany thought she had grabbed rock, his body was so rigid.

Hearing the thoughts in Kenneth’s mind, Besseta changed tactics. “Baby, we can’t get rid of his body easily out here,” she said, smelling fresh blood.

The officer holstered his pistol while looking at Kenneth. “Officer,” Kenneth said with a small cough. “Go to your car and erase your video, then stand in the road and drop your pants and underwear to your ankles. Then, bend over and spank your own ass hard until one of your officers tells you to stop.”

Spinning on one foot, the officer strolled back to his car as Kenneth turned around, letting out a long breath and then started panting. Smelling blood and seeing something dripping from his face, Besseta took her hand off his arm, turning his face to her.

Blood was pouring out of Kenneth’s nose and he had blood on his lips. Kenneth’s eyes were bloodshot and bleeding. “Kenneth!” she shouted, leaping toward him only to have the seatbelt hold her in place.

As she hit the release, Kenneth reached down and pulled his shirt up to his face, pinching his nose. “I’m fine, baby,” he said as Besseta kneeled on the center console.

“Don’t start,” she snapped as Tiffany passed her a handkerchief. Wiping the blood off Kenneth’s cheeks and out of his eyes, “That was really stupid,” she said as he took his shirt away from his nose.

The blood had almost stopped from his nose and he looked over at Besseta. “Fucker is lucky to be alive, thinking about my wife like that,” Kenneth mumbled, blinking his eyes and trying to clear his vision, and catch his breath.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, “Kenneth, the rule of sunlight applies to us all. Any exertion like that can kill you,” Besseta told him, then kissed his forehead.

Getting off the backseat, Tiffany leaned up and kissed the side of Kenneth’s head. “Don’t do that again,” she warned. “You burst blood vessels in your brain, using telekinetic powers in daylight.”

Hearing a sharp smack, Besseta and Tiffany turned around as another smack sounded off. In the middle of the road with his pants around his ankles, the officer was standing bent over and smacking his bare ass hard with one hand. “There’s something you don’t see every day,” Besseta grinned, seeing the officer’s ass cheek getting red from the blows.

Dropping back to her seat, “How did you know you could do that?” Tiffany asked.

Shaking his head with his vision clearing up, “Didn’t,” Kenneth admitted. “At least, not until I tried putting my thoughts in his mind.”

Releasing her hug, Besseta leaned back. “Baby, let me drive. We need to get away from ‘spanky’,” she grinned.

“I can drive, baby,” he smiled with the blood drying on his face.

Sliding back into her seat, Besseta glanced over as Kenneth looked in the mirror as he pulled back on the road. Putting her seatbelt on, Besseta picked the dogs up out of the floorboard. “Promise me you won’t do that again?”

“Nope,” Kenneth said as they left the scene.

Besseta stomped her foot hard in the floorboard. “I mean it,” she huffed. “I’ll find that bitch, skin her, and roll her in salt if you don’t.”

Sighing as he slumped his shoulders, “Fine, then,” Kenneth surrendered. “I won’t do it again in daylight,” he added under his breath.

“Baby,” Besseta said, narrowing her eyes.

Kenneth hit the steering wheel. “Damn it, I know you heard what he was thinking.”

“Yes, I did,” Besseta said. “What I didn’t hear in his thoughts, I heard from you reading his mind.”

Glancing over, “And you have a problem with what I did?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “He is just a man and that is normal fantasies for most. You can’t kill people for that. Now, for acting on them, yes. Otherwise, we aren’t much better than the scum out there.”

Looking away, “That officer has done evil,” Kenneth said, watching the road.

Besseta smiled as she reached over, patting his leg. “Taking bribes isn’t that bad, baby.”

Not taking his eyes off the road, Kenneth slumped in his seat. “It’s not really fair that you can hear everything in my mind,” he huffed.

“Only what you don’t block,” Besseta laughed and then stopped, looking over at Kenneth. “No, we aren’t going back,” she said, raising her voice after listening to Kenneth’s mind. “I’m yours, so quit it,” she snapped.

“Kenneth,” Tiffany called out from the back. “Use your voice when I’m around. I like hearing both sides of the conversation.”

“Fine,” Kenneth said, leaning over on the door and propping his arm up. They both smiled as he pouted.

Seeing a small town ahead, Kenneth slowed and Besseta looked around. “Stop over there,” she commanded, pointing at a small store.

Not arguing, Kenneth pulled up to the curb and Besseta jumped out. As she closed the door, Kenneth saw it was a sporting goods store. “They don’t sell booze,” he mumbled.

A few minutes later, Besseta came out carrying a bag. After she climbed in, “Take that shirt off,” she said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a blue polo shirt.

Looking down, Kenneth saw the front of his shirt was stained in dried blood. Sighing as he took it off, “You ashamed to be seen with me like this?”

“Hardly,” Besseta said, taking the shirt from him and giving him the new one after she’d taken the tags off. “We don’t like attracting attention.”

Pulling on the shirt and tucking it in, Kenneth looked over to see Besseta wetting a rag with a bottle of water. “What all did you buy?” he asked as she leaned over, wiping his face and cleaning off the blood.

“Several shirts, water, rags, and I saw two puppy sweaters that should fit Jack and Jill,” she said, finished cleaning off his face.

“Really?” Tiffany said, leaning forward.

Digging in the bag, Besseta pulled out two small doggie sweaters. One pink with ‘I’m bad’ written in black, and the other black with ‘Tough Guy’ written in white. “See if they fit,” Besseta said, handing them back.

Kenneth pulled back onto the road, looking for a liquor store as Tiffany dressed up Jack and Jill. “Oh, they look so cute!” Tiffany said, holding them up.

Seeing a truck stop ahead with a liquor store beside it, Kenneth pulled up to the pumps and turned the car off. “We need gas?” Besseta asked, looking out at the pumps.

“We’ve been driving for hours at some pretty fast speeds,” Kenneth said, getting out.

Besseta looked back at Tiffany. “Let’s take the dogs over there, so they can use the bathroom.”

As they got out, Kenneth was shoving the nozzle into the fuel tank. Besseta kissed him as she put Bonnie and Clyde down. Seeing grass, the two took off and started prancing around as Besseta and Tiffany walked over. Putting Jack and Jill down, Tiffany looked over at Besseta. “How come Kenneth only gets the expensive fuel?”

“He says, cars like it better,” Besseta shrugged, watching Clyde tackle Bonnie, then Jack and Jill jumped on his back.

Nodding, but not really understanding, Tiffany turned to watch the dogs play. “We can’t let him do that anymore in daylight,” she said in a low voice. “He’s lucky to have lived through it.”

Giving a loud scoff, “Humph, it’s not like we can make him stop,” Besseta said.

Placing her hand on Besseta’s arm, “Yes, we can,” Tiffany said. “He doesn’t even know what he can do, and under a high noon sun on a clear day isn’t the best time to try it,” Tiffany told her, pointing up at the sky. “I can’t do that and neither can you, so he was just bulling his way through.”

“So, you think we should knock him out?” Besseta asked, looking up at Tiffany.

Nodding, “If we must,” Tiffany said.

Crossing her arms over her chest as she looked back at the dogs playing, “I really don’t want to deck my husband,” Besseta admitted.

“Even if it will save his life? Like I said, he was close to death. If he hadn’t stopped, he would’ve died,” Tiffany said.

Closing her eyes as she nodded, “Then I’ll break his face,” Besseta vowed.

Happy to hear that, Tiffany looked back at Kenneth closing the gas tank. “He can’t stop me, but if I do have to hit Kenneth, don’t let him make me strip and spank my own ass,” Tiffany said, grinning.

“That was good,” Besseta giggled. “Bonnie, Clyde come on,” she called, and they came running, followed by Jack and Jill. After everyone was back in the car, Kenneth pulled over to the liquor store, backing up to the door.

Beside the parking space Kenneth was backing into, were seven men leaning on motorcycles with two trashy-looking women. The group stopped talking when Kenneth backed up. As Kenneth got out, one of the men called out, “Nice car.”

“Thank you,” Kenneth said with a fake smile, hearing the thoughts of the group. When Besseta and Tiffany got out, the group whistled and made several catcalls. ‘Don’t, baby,’ Besseta said in his mind.

Walking to the door of the liquor store, Kenneth held the door open for Besseta and Tiffany. As the two walked in, one of the bikers walked over, wearing only a leather vest open to expose his tattooed chest and belly. “I don’t think I was finished talking with you,” he said.

Letting the door go and not stepping inside, Kenneth looked the man over. The biker was a head taller than Kenneth and outweighed him by an easy hundred pounds. With a shaved head and a braided goatee that extended to his chest, the biker folded his massive arms over his chest. Three tattooed teardrops were below his right eye and like the biker’s chest; the arms were sleeved out in tats.

With a look of indifference on his face, “Well, what else do you have to say, cue ball?” Kenneth asked. The group with the biker stopped laughing, hearing the disrespect.

The biker dropped his arms and balled up his fists as the door opened and Besseta stepped out. “Kenneth, enough playing,” she snarled, stepping beside him.

With a grin, the biker snorted at her as Kenneth raised his hand and pointed at the biker. “Bow before me and stay there,” he commanded and Besseta heard the roar in Kenneth’s mind turn hollow. The grin fell off the biker’s face as he dropped to his knees and bowed, holding his arms out. “Good boy,” Kenneth said, wrapping his arm around Besseta and opening the door.

“What about ‘not in daylight’ don’t you understand?” Besseta asked as he led her into the store.

“It was either that or I was going to kill them,” he said, walking over to the counter and looking at the clerk. She was a young woman, looking out the window at the biker still bowing with his friends coming over. “Ma’am, we need two cases of Grey Goose vodka, a case of Ketel One vodka if you have it, a case of Macallan eighteen year old, a case of Remy Martin, a case of Hendrick’s gin, and a case of Don Julio,” he said, staring at the young clerk.

Shaking her head and taking her eyes off the commotion outside, “Huh?” she asked, and Kenneth repeated his list, making the girl stumble back. “Sir, that’s quite a list and very expensive,” she said, grabbing a pen and writing down the list.

Impressed the clerk knew that, Kenneth smiled. “Yes, but we only like the best,” he said, reaching for his wallet. “May I use the restroom while you gather that, and we look around for anything else?”

Looking up from her list, “Sorry, the bathroom is for employees only,” she said with a long face.

Pulling out a hundred, “I understand,” he said, putting the bill on the counter. “Can I use it in your place right now?”

Taking the hundred, “The door behind you opens to a hall, first door on your right,” she nodded with a smile, shoving the bill in her pocket.

Leaning over, Kenneth kissed a stunned Besseta. “I’ll be right back,” he said, walking to the door. Stepping into the bathroom he sighed with relief, seeing no windows. Even though the fluorescent lights didn’t hurt, Kenneth turned them off, wanting darkness as he felt his body getting stronger. Reaching up, he wiped his nose and looked at his hand, noticing a small drop of blood.

Even in total darkness, he had no trouble seeing and turned on the sink carefully, then Kenneth looked into the mirror. “No crow’s feet,” he mumbled, leaning closer to the mirror and looking at the corners of his eyes. “I feel kind of cheated, I earned those,” he said to himself as he splashed water on his face, still looking in the mirror.

The red streaks and blood in the whites of his eyes slowly disappeared while he watched. “Now that, I like,” he smiled at himself in the mirror. Still able to hear the thoughts of the group outside, Kenneth took a deep breath, talking to himself and trying to block them out. He’d never had trouble controlling his emotions before but now, he fought the urge to go outside and rip the group apart.

“People need to leave me the fuck alone,” he grumbled, grabbing a handful of paper towels and wiping his face. “If Besseta ever finds out how weak that damn state trooper made me, she will break my face.” Stepping back from the sink, he just leaned against the wall, feeling the strength continue to return to his body.

Closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of his body getting stronger, “Never thought I would say this, but I’m really not liking daytime anymore,” he admitted as a soft knock sounded on the door before it opened. “Hey, baby,” he said as Besseta slipped into the dark bathroom.

“You okay?” she asked with worry on her face as she reached up, caressing his cheek.

Nodding as he ran his fingers through her hair, “Feeling much better,” he smiled.

Wrapping her arms around him, “At least you knew to find a room that sunlight can’t reach,” she said, burying her face in his chest. “The clerk is freaking out. I found a bottle of Macallan M Decanter Highland in a display case and added it. I think that five-thousand-dollar bottle has been there since the store opened.”

“Always wanted to try that one,” Kenneth said, stroking her hair.

Looking up at Kenneth’s face, “Yes, I will break your face, if you do that again,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I felt how weak you got, baby. You were struggling to breathe.”

Hugging her tight, “I honestly didn’t know it would do that to me,” he told her, feeling his body almost back to normal. “Let’s go,” he said, letting Besseta go. “Tiffany is freaking the clerk out, asking for wines she doesn’t have and hasn’t heard of.”

They walked back into the store to find two men, one old and one young, stacking cases near the register. Tiffany was at the counter arguing with the clerk. “Sorry, ma’am, but those are all the wines we have,” the young clerk told her.

Kenneth walked over to the corner of the store and Besseta walked over, pulling Tiffany away from the counter, “Oh, but you have a whole shelf of that nasty Tennessee whiskey,” Tiffany called over her shoulder at the clerk.

“Tiffany, we’ll need to go to a large city to get those wines,” Besseta told Tiffany, leading her down an aisle. “Would you get me two of those?” she asked, pointing at some bottles on the top shelf.

“This Polish vodka,” Tiffany clarified, pulling down two bottles.

Nodding and taking the bottles, “Yes, I like it,” Besseta said as the old man who was stacking boxes came over to them.

“Young lady, you need to let her hold those,” he said, looking at Besseta and pointing at Tiffany. “She doesn’t look much older than you and in fact, both of you need to let that man hold them.”

Shaking her head, “I’m over twenty-one,” Besseta said, narrowing her eyes.

Not believing her, “Young lady, I would be surprised if you were out of junior high, much less high school,” he chuckled.

Pulling out her license and holding it up to the man’s face, “I may be little, but I’m over twenty-one,” she snapped.

The old man took the license. “I’ll be. If it’s fake, it’s the best one I’ve ever seen,” he mumbled. “Sorry,” he said, handing the license back. “I was wondering if I should call the cops. A middle-aged man bringing in two young girls and loading up on liquor raises some eyebrows.”

Putting her license up, “I’m not that young and I can buy this town if I wanted,” Besseta huffed, not liking being reminded how little she was. “That ‘man’ is my husband.”

The old man raised his hands. “I’m sorry if I offended you, ma’am,” he said, then held out his hands. “Want me to put those with the others?”

“Thank you,” Besseta said, handing over the bottles.

As the man walked off, Tiffany leaned over. “That is wrong, putting an age requirement on alcohol. They should put an IQ requirement,” Tiffany suggested. “I drank beer that my father made before I could walk.”

“Shit, I drank mead before I had my first glass of tea,” Besseta huffed, pulling Tiffany down the aisle. They grabbed several other bottles as Kenneth walked over, carrying a box of cigars. “I didn’t know you smoked,” Besseta said, looking at the box.

“Never have, but since it can’t hurt me now, I want to have one with a drink,” Kenneth smiled.

“It may not hurt you, but I can,” Besseta told him. “The smoke makes me sick.”

Turning around, “I’ll put them back,” he said.

Lunging, Besseta grabbed his arm. “No, but if they make me sick, you’ll have to smoke them outside,” she said, smiling.

Holding up the box of Cohiba cigars, “Mickey always wanted to smoke one of these,” Kenneth said. “Six hundred dollars for ten, these damn things better not make anyone sick.”

With Besseta on his right and Tiffany on his left, they headed back to the counter as Tiffany wrapped her arm in Kenneth’s. “I always preferred pipe smoke,” she smiled, setting her bottles on the counter.

Kenneth put the box of cigars on the counter as Besseta set her bottles down. “What’s the total?” Kenneth asked, pulling out his wallet.

The clerk was looking out the window at the bikers, standing around the big one still bowing. “Sir, I think we need to call the police before you leave,” she said.

“Nonsense,” Kenneth said, walking to the door. Besseta sighed and followed him. Kenneth pushed open the door and the bikers standing around the bowing figure, jumped behind their buddy still bowing. “Cueball, get up,” Kenneth snapped, and he jumped up on his feet with a blank stare.

With Besseta beside him, Kenneth stared at the other bikers with a malevolent grin. “Cueball, if one of them say one word to us, kill them,” Kenneth said in a carefree voice. “If any of them ever talk or ask about us ever, kill them. Now, all of you leave,” he said, stepping back and grabbing the door.

One of the other bikers stepped up and Besseta raised her hand. “I wouldn’t, little boy,” she warned. “Your only saving grace is the sun is up now. If you would like to meet us after dark, then by all means, speak. I will make an effort to find you and I always find who I’m looking for.”

Cueball turned around and strolled over, pushing the group toward the bikes, “Get on now before I kill you,” he growled. The group jumped on their bikes as Kenneth and Besseta stepped back inside the store.

“I don’t even want to know who you are,” the old man said.

Kenneth smiled. “You have nothing to fear from us,” he said, pulling his wallet back out.

“Fourteen thousand, six hundred and seventy-one dollars,” the young clerk said.

Pulling out a credit card, Kenneth laid it on the counter, “Here you go.”

Slowly taking the card, “It’s going to clear with that amount?” she asked shocked.

“I have cash, if you prefer,” Kenneth said, making her jump back and drop the credit card. Giggling, Besseta trotted to the door and ran out to the car as the bikers pulled out of the parking lot.

Walking back into the store with two stacks of bills, she started counting while flipping through the notes. Pulling out a wad, she laid it on the counter and spread the hundred dollar bills out. “Here’s fifteen, keep the change,” she smiled. “Write it up and say you gave us a discount and you can pocket it.”

The old man ran behind the counter and picked up Kenneth’s credit card, handing it back as the young clerk looked at the money like it was possessed. “Thank you kindly,” he said with a forced grin.

Putting his credit card back in his wallet, “Will you help me carry this out?” Kenneth asked, looking at the old man.

Nodding, the old man came around the counter and pulled the young man with him. After the trunk was full, they put the last two boxes in the backseat, with the dogs trying to get in the boxes, wanting to know what was in them.

Looking back in the store, Kenneth grinned at seeing the young clerk, still staring at the cash on the counter. “You need to tell your granddaughter that the money is clean, and we aren’t in the mafia,” Kenneth said, turning to the old man.

With a nervous grin, the old man nodded. “Yes sir.”

“If you don’t talk about us, you will see us again,” Kenneth said, holding out his hand. “Witness protection program.”

Still wearing the nervous grin, the old man shook his hand. “We won’t tell a soul,” the old man assured him. “Until we meet again.”

Kenneth helped the girls in and then walked around to his door as Tiffany pulled the dogs out of the boxes. Climbing in, he started the engine. “Nice people,” he said, pushing in the clutch.

“Whatever,” Besseta huffed, “he thought I was thirteen years old.”

Pulling out of the parking lot, Kenneth laughed as he reached over to pat her leg. “I didn’t think you were much older than that, the first time we met.”

Undoing her seatbelt, Besseta spun around and gave Kenneth a scowl as she leaned into the back, digging in one of the boxes. Pulling out a bottle of vodka, Besseta spun around, getting back in her seat. Taking the cap off, she drank several large gulps. “I’m not a little girl,” she said, wiping her mouth.

“Shit, I know that,” Kenneth grinned, raising his eyebrows.

A blush crept up Besseta’s face. “You need to quit,” she said, trying to hide her eyes.

“Hey, I’m just saying,” Kenneth shrugged.

Taking a different route home, in case the officer was still spanking himself, it was dark when Kenneth pulled back into the garage. When they reached the house, the three cracked open several bottles before sitting down and were soon feeling no pain.

Chapter Nine

Groaning as light hit his eyelids, Kenneth sat up in the bed and cracked his eyes. Realizing his view was lower than normal, his eyes popped open to find the mattress on the floor. Looking around the room, he saw pieces of the large canopy bed scattered across the room. Blinking his eyes, “Don’t remember doing that to the bed,” he yawned and looked over.

Laying naked on her belly, Besseta had her face buried in the pillow. Leaning over, Kenneth kissed her back. “We broke the bed.”

“Shit if I care,” she mumbled into the pillow. “I like it even more, now that I don’t have to worry about breaking you.”

Climbing off the bed, he lightly popped her butt. “I still thought you were going to break my neck.”

Letting out a groan, but not turning over, “You would’ve healed,” she said into the pillow.

Chuckling as he walked into the bathroom, Kenneth looked down at his body. “Damn, didn’t realize I was that cut,” he gasped, stopping in the doorway and rubbing his hands over his chest and his ripped abs. “There’s no way I worked out that hard last night gettin’ some lovin’,” he said, flexing his arms and seeing his muscles rippling under the skin.

“Humph,” he snorted with a smile at his body, then headed to the sink and turned on the water. Cupping his hands, Kenneth splashed water on his face and looked in the mirror.

“EEEeeeeEEEHHHHHHH!” he screamed, jumping over to the side so he couldn’t see in the mirror and then threw his back to the wall.

“What?” Besseta yelled, out of breath beside him, wide awake now. She held her hands out wide and her fingernails were extended two inches over her fingertips.

Glancing toward the mirror, “There’s someone in the mirror and it’s not me,” Kenneth whispered, cutting his eyes at the mirror.

Dropping her hands and looking at Kenneth’s body, “Um, you say something, babe?” she asked, licking her lips as her fingernails retracted. With his back pressed against the wall hiding from the mirror, Kenneth’s muscles rippled under his skin. He wasn’t gigantic nor was he small, but his body mass was bigger and much more ripped than when they had gone to bed last night. Kenneth always had a great toned body but now, it had more mass and was really toned.

“Yes, I said something. There’s someone in the mirror and it’s not me,” he hissed, slowly peeking his face out to look into the mirror and then yanked it back. “He’s still there and he’s copying me.”

Almost drooling, Besseta stepped over, rubbing her hands over Kenneth. “He needs to get his ass out of here,” she panted, not paying attention to what Kenneth was saying.

Feeling Besseta rub her hands over his body, Kenneth looked down at her. “Baby, hello? There’s someone in the mirror!”

Panting harder now as she rubbed his chest with more force, “Let’s just kill his ass,” she moaned.

Huffing, Kenneth turned his head back to the mirror and stuck his hand out. Standing to the side, Kenneth saw a hand in the mirror. Then, Kenneth started holding up different numbers of fingers to make sure it was his hand.

Satisfied it was his hand, he slowly leaned over, peeking into the mirror with one eye, then blinked it at random. Again, satisfied it was him, Kenneth moved to stand in front of the mirror, only to find Besseta blocking him as she continued running her hands all over his body. Seeing the lust on her face, Kenneth just picked her up, stepped closer to the mirror and put her down. Besseta never noticed, nor stopped rubbing his body. The only pause was she moved one hand to his back, rubbing it while keeping the other hand on his chest.

Looking into the mirror, Kenneth jumped as did the figure looking at him in the mirror. Reaching up, Kenneth touched his face. “Gradual, my ass,” he gulped, then glanced up at his hair, now a dark golden brown. “Just for Men, you can kiss my ass, all my gray is gone,” he mumbled.

Seeing Besseta’s hand run over his chest, Kenneth looked again at his chest and gave a yelp. “That’s bullshit!” he shouted.

“Are you okay?” Tiffany asked, appearing beside him and letting out a gasp. “Wow,” she said, looking at Kenneth in the mirror, then turning her head to look at him with her own eyes. On the other side, Besseta just stood there, running her hands over his body with a blissful grin.

Staring hard into the mirror, “My hair is gone!” he shouted.

“Your hair is beautiful, babe,” Besseta droned, not looking up at Kenneth’s hair.

Looking over at Besseta, Kenneth reached over and wiped the drool off the side of her mouth. “How would you know, you haven’t looked at anything other than my body,” he grumbled.

Almost purring, “Yeah, your body looks great,” Besseta grinned.

Reaching up, Tiffany ran her fingers through his hair. “Well, your hair does look good,” she said.

“I have no hair on my chest!” Kenneth shouted. “I was twenty-four years old before I got chest hair and any hair around my manhood. You have no idea the shit I put up with in high school and college, not having any hair down there!”

Glancing down, Tiffany jumped back. “You’re naked!”

“Duh,” Kenneth moaned with an idiotic expression.

Besseta slammed her body into his side, dropping her hands lower. “I like it with no hair,” she grunted. “The hair tickled my nose when-.”

“Hello?! I’m in here, and really don’t want to hear this!” Tiffany shouted, interrupting.

Leaning over and looking around Kenneth’s back at Tiffany, “You may want to leave then,” Besseta growled as she panted and her face broke into a mischievous grin.

“Besseta, he’s kind of freaking out about this,” Tiffany said, trying not to laugh at her. “In appearance, he did regress in age in one night.”

Shaking her head and gripping Kenneth’s butt with one hand, “He can think about that later but right now, he better man the hell up,” Besseta informed her.

As Tiffany ran out, Besseta took Kenneth down to the floor. “I’m having a crisis here!” Kenneth shouted.

“Rrrrrr,” Besseta growled as Tiffany shut the bathroom door. Seeing Bonnie and Clyde had come in when she’d opened the bedroom door, Tiffany pointed at the door. “Out, if you two stay, you’re liable to get hurt,” she said, shooing them out.

An hour later, Tiffany was sitting on the couch when Besseta and Kenneth came out of the room with Kenneth bitching. “I can’t believe you want me to wear this!” he shouted.

“Hey, I wear the shirt you like in bra and panties, you can wear that for me!” Besseta shot back.

“It’s a banana hammock for swimming,” Kenneth moaned as they came down the stairs.

“Let me tell you, if Tiffany wasn’t here, you would be walking around butt-ass-naked!” Besseta snapped.

Stopping on the stairs, Kenneth looked at her. “Hell, you let her wash my naked ass!” he popped off.

Jumping up, Besseta wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “I could care less if she sees you naked, I just don’t want to jump your bones with her in the room and you walking around butt-naked. Now, I will do it,” she grinned.

Letting her hang onto the front of his body, Kenneth didn’t wrap his arms around her as he walked downstairs. “You act like you didn’t like the way I looked,” he said, not looking at her.

“Like, hell!” Besseta shouted. “It took all I had not to jump you every minute of the day, then you wake up with a body that Zeus himself would envy, and you expect me to keep my hands off?!”

“I wouldn’t walk around naked,” Kenneth mumbled, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

“Bullshit! I would burn all of the clothes!” Besseta yelled, squeezing her legs tighter around him. “Let’s go back upstairs,” she grinned. Trying not to laugh at them, Tiffany’s face contorted as she fought to keep a straight face.

With Besseta still latched onto him, Kenneth put his hands on his hips, looking at her face an inch in front of his. “You have got to be kidding,” he said with a straight face and Besseta just kept grinning. “Baby, I’m still freaking out a little here. I wake up and look like I did back in college.”

With wide eyes, Besseta looked down at his body and then back at his face. “You looked like this in college?”

Nodding, “Yes, baby, and that was almost two decades ago,” Kenneth said.

“That fucking bitch broke up with you after your family died, and you looked like this?!” she shouted in his face and Kenneth slowly nodded, with a little fear in his eyes. “I’m going to suck her eyeballs out of her fucking ears!”

Hearing a snort, Kenneth looked over at Tiffany whose face was twitching while she tried to keep a straight face. “Will you talk to her?” he begged, and Tiffany shook her head before letting out a snort. Looking back at Besseta, Kenneth put on a small smile. “Baby, I’m wearing the stupid swim trunks, can you get down?”

The anger left Besseta’s face. “Can we go back upstairs?” she asked, grinning maliciously.

Closing his eyes and sighing, “Later, I promise,” Kenneth agreed.

Locking her mouth over his, Besseta kissed him passionately, or lustfully; depending on which one you would’ve asked. Breaking the kiss, Besseta dropped down and stepped back to ogle Kenneth’s body once again. “You know, if you’re tired…we can go lay down,” she suggested hopefully.

“You broke one of the marble slabs on the floor, babe, I’m amazed you didn’t break my hips,” Kenneth said, crossing his arms over his chest. Tiffany snorted, slapping a hand over her mouth as she rocked back and forth on the couch.

Seeing Kenneth’s pecs flare up when he’d crossed his arms, Besseta licked her lips. “We can replace it and you can heal.”

Dropping his arms, “Will you please stop that?!” Kenneth pleaded.

“What?” Besseta asked, never taking her eyes off his body.

“You’re looking at me like I’m on the menu!” Kenneth shouted.

Slowly nodding, “Oh, but daddy is on momma’s menu,” Besseta moaned and a thump sounded when Tiffany hit the floor.

“Can I please, at least put some shorts on?” Kenneth begged.

Shaking her head as if in a trance, “I’ll burn every stitch of clothing in this house, if you do,” she warned.

Stepping over, Kenneth grabbed Besseta’s shoulders and shook her until she looked up at his face. “Babe, as you know, when guys get excited, our bodies advertise the effect. Girls don’t. A banana hammock isn’t what I need to wear around you, especially when you are wearing that,” he said, looking down at the button-up shirt with the bra and panties under it.

Dropping her eyes back to his body, “Then take the damn thing off,” she grinned. “I’ll carry you back upstairs,” she offered as Tiffany started kicking the floor.

Giving up, Kenneth pulled Besseta close and hugged her. “You know, only the guy is supposed to be this horny,” Kenneth chuckled as Besseta leaned toward him.

With two slaps resonating when Besseta grabbed his butt, “Shit, you always drove me crazy, but now you drive me insane,” she said, fighting the urge to just throw him down again.

Looking over at the couch with Tiffany biting her hand and kicking the floor, “Tiffany is about to pass out,” Kenneth told her.

“She’ll recover,” Besseta said and then bit his chest, holding him tight.

“Ow, shit! That hurts,” he said, trying to pull away, but Besseta wasn’t letting go with her arms or mouth. “Will you please control yourself?”

Letting her bite go, Besseta looked up. “Let’s go back to the bedroom.”

Bending down, Kenneth scooped her up in his arms. “You’re starting to scare me,” he confessed, carrying her over to the couch and setting her down.

Giving a huff, “Make me wait a while and you will be scared,” Besseta said, crossing her arms and then looked down at Tiffany. “Is she having a seizure?”

“No, she’s probably laughing at the banana hammock,” Kenneth said, looking down at Tiffany.

Jumping up and standing on the couch, Besseta grabbed Kenneth’s shoulder, spinning him around. Since she was standing on the couch, she was almost eye to eye with him. “Hey, buddy. I bought that when I bought your suits because I wanted you to wear it then. So, none of this is saying I didn’t think you were hot and sexy then, buster,” she snapped. “Then I wake up with-,” she paused at a loss, waving at his body, “this…. and you don’t want me to look?”

Kenneth stomped his foot. “I tried crawling out of the bathroom and you pulled me back in!”

“Sissy!” Besseta shouted and Tiffany could no longer hold the laughter in. They both jumped when Tiffany busted out laughing, convulsing on the floor. “See? She thinks you’re acting like a sissy. Let’s go back up to the bedroom, so you can man up,” Besseta said, pointing at Tiffany.

“I give up,” Kenneth sighed, dropping down onto the couch. Besseta stepped over, straddling his legs and sat down facing him on his lap. Biting her lower lip, she rubbed his chest. It was ten minutes before Tiffany stopped laughing and crawled back up onto the couch, wiping her face off.

“That was great,” Tiffany moaned, sitting back and holding her sore belly.

“I need to write Maliki today,” Kenneth said, looking at Besseta.

“He can wait,” Besseta said, finally looking up at Kenneth’s face.

Shaking his head, “I haven’t contacted him since I turned, that’s been quite a while,” Kenneth explained.

Catching her breath, Tiffany sat up. “Well, I can tell you what he’s sent so far,” she said.

“Ah, Tiffany. I know what you’ve read and what you sent. I watched your entire life, day before yesterday,” Kenneth reminded her.

“Man, that’s so not fair,” she huffed, all signs of laughter gone from her face. “Do you know everything?”

“All seventy-four of the languages you know and the studying you’ve done,” Kenneth nodded.

Grinning, “I know you like-,” Besseta started, but stopped when Kenneth put his finger on her lips.

“You need to get your mind out of the gutter,” Kenneth snapped, hearing in his mind what Besseta was thinking.

Pulling Kenneth’s finger off her lips, “Throw your body in the gutter and my mind will get out,” Besseta grinned.

Not able to help it Tiffany chuckled, but was still disappointed. “You two know everything about me and I only know what you’ve told me,” she whined.

Reaching over, Kenneth grabbed Tiffany’s wrist, making Besseta gasp. “You’re going to show her and not me?” she asked, hearing Kenneth’s mind.

“Not sitting on my lap like that,” Kenneth said. Letting out a groan, Besseta rolled off his lap to sit next to him. Kenneth grabbed her wrist and closed his eyes. Not exactly sure how to do it, Kenneth just concentrated on his mother.

Besseta and Tiffany threw their heads back when a jolt hit them, sending them down the tunnel. When they reached the bottom, they were looking up at a man. Besseta recognized him from pictures as Kenneth’s dad. Then, Kenneth’s dad passed him over to Kenneth’s mother who was crying. “So, you’re the one that’s been kicking me,” she said, looking down at him.

Slowly, the image started speeding up, but they remembered everything as they followed Kenneth through his life. Finally, they saw Kenneth reach out to take their wrists and close his eyes as another jolt hit them, sending them back through the tunnel.

Besseta let out a gasp and jumped up off the couch, looking back at Kenneth who was covered in sweat. Tears ran down her face as she remembered the feeling of joy and love Kenneth had felt, seeing her the first time. “Baby,” she moaned and dropped down on him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Wow,” Tiffany gasped, blinking her eyes and sitting up, “what a rush.”

“Tell me about it,” Kenneth said, putting his arms around Besseta and hugging her tight.

Shaking her head to try to get her vision to stop moving, “I can shoot any gun you’ve ever shot,” Tiffany said amazed. “Shit, I know how to be a detective,” she said, jumping up. “That’s just like that computer movie we watched.”

“The Matrix,” Kenneth chuckled as Besseta sat up on his lap.

Reaching up and taking Kenneth’s face in her hands, “Baby, you’re everything to me, and have been since I first saw you,” Besseta said, then kissed him. Breaking the kiss Besseta looked down, but cast her eyes up to look at him shyly. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, drooling over your younger body.”

Laughing, Kenneth pulled her to his chest. “No, you’re not.”

“Well, maybe a little,” Besseta offered with her face buried in his chest.

Tiffany spun around, looking at Kenneth. Well, looking at Kenneth under Besseta as he held her. “You’re between twenty and twenty-one,” Tiffany said.

Reaching up and rubbing his smooth face, “About where I figured,” Kenneth said. “I didn’t have hair on my face to shave until I was twenty-three.”

Spinning around as she went over everything she had learned, “That was awesome!” Tiffany shouted.

Besseta sat up looking at Kenneth, “Can you do that to me?” she asked.

Shaking his head, “I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve tried, but nothing I can do with my mind seems to work on you.” Staring at Kenneth, Besseta started thinking and Kenneth listened. “I don’t think it will work, but I’ll try,” Kenneth said.

Groaning, “Hello?” Tiffany said patting them, knowing they were talking to each other in their minds. Nodding at Besseta, Kenneth grabbed Tiffany’s wrist. “Oh, shit, already?” Tiffany said as Kenneth grabbed Besseta’s hand and a jolt hit her.

Unlike before, Tiffany just stayed suspended over a circle of lights, but didn’t enter. She would get closer only to fly back. Then the circle flew at her and stopped right below her and she heard voices coming from the circle of light. Concentrating on the voices, Tiffany realized it wasn’t voices but a voice, Besseta’s, giving a dictation of her life. Suddenly, another jolt hit, and she was on the couch

Seeing Kenneth was now drenched in sweat, Tiffany reached over and felt the heat his body was giving off before her hand touched his skin.  Getting up, Tiffany vanished and reappeared holding a wet towel, putting it on Kenneth’s chest.

“How in the hell can he do that?” Besseta moaned, finally blinking her eyes open. “I feel like someone sucked the life out of me.”

“Besseta,” Tiffany snapped, making Besseta sit up. “Warm up some blood fast.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked, reaching over to Kenneth.

“Go!” Tiffany yelled and Besseta disappeared. “He’s drained,” Tiffany called out after hearing Besseta in the kitchen. “You were trying to use his mind to show us, weren’t you?”

Besseta reappeared holding a glass of blood. “Yes, I didn’t think it would take that much out of him,” she said as Tiffany lifted Kenneth up. “I saw my life from the first day, but I didn’t feel either of you there.”

As the blood hit his lips, Kenneth started drinking and Tiffany’s eyes got wide. “Oh shit,” she gasped.

Pulling the glass away, “What?” Besseta cried out. Seeing half the glass was gone and feeling Kenneth’s breathing get much stronger, Tiffany laid him back gently. Seeing the alarm on Tiffany’s face, “Tiffany, you’d better start talking,” Besseta snapped.

Jumping off the couch, but still looking at Kenneth, “We weren’t with you, but I think Kenneth was forcing his mind to join with yours to see your life,” Tiffany whispered. “I heard your voice coming from the circle of light and sometimes, it slowed down and sped up. The circle would get closer, then shoot far away.”

The empty glass fell from Besseta’s hand, shattering on the floor. “What?” she asked, getting pale. “Will you make sense?”

Closing her eyes, Tiffany replayed parts of the vision in her mind several times and became convinced she was right, but not positive. “Sorry, that’s the best I can come up with, and that’s the only thing I can think of that would drain him like that. He can’t join with your mind, but he was forcing himself to. He was pushing himself to do something his mind can’t do,” she said. “Sunlight can’t reach us in here, so that is out.”

Looking around, Besseta realized it was late afternoon. “If he couldn’t do it, why did we stay in that vision so long?” Rubbing Kenneth’s chest, Besseta grinned and looked up at Tiffany. “I can’t believe you slept with Maliki.”

Tiffany shook her head with a scowl. “I was drunk, so don’t start.”

A groan sounded out from Kenneth as he sat up. “Shit, that was rough.” Wiping his face off, he got up off the couch and headed to the kitchen.

As he walked away, Tiffany looked at Besseta. “He smells the rest of the blood in the bag,” Besseta explained.

It wasn’t long before Kenneth came back, smacking his lips. “Man, I needed that,” he said, sitting down between them.

“So I take it, you heard what we said?” Tiffany asked.

“No,” Kenneth said. “I know what was said because Besseta’s been thinking about it since I came to.”

Lifting her chin up, Besseta dared her face to blush. “So, was Tiffany right?”

“Yes, and I tried really hard to join your mind, but it was like hitting a brick wall. I heard your narration of your life, but I didn’t see it,” he said, looking over at her.

Getting off the couch, “Well, what are you going to tell Maliki?” Tiffany asked, cutting her eyes at Besseta and daring her to say it out loud again. She knew Kenneth knew, but didn’t like to be reminded of it.

All emotion left Kenneth’s face. “Bereno is going to die a slow and painful death,” Kenneth said. “Your narration of that part of your life was not easy to listen to.”

Closing her eyes, “Babe,” Besseta said, shaking her head. “I know he was an ass and I moved on. Hey, I had to watch those bitches in your life.”

“I couldn’t see your vision, but I could tell a difference when he was close to you. But more importantly,” Kenneth stared at her until she opened her eyes. “He has another ability you don’t know of, not only does he have power to hit someone from far away, he can control others through touch. He has to touch them every few days to keep the control. I’m positive on that much and if Tiffany’s willing, I’ll make sure. I got that much when Tiffany met him, but didn’t dwell. His power doesn’t work on Tiffany. If he has others, I don’t know, but when that part was going on, your mind felt asleep.”

As her eyes narrowed, Besseta’s face filled with anger. “I’m going to break his legs,” she growled.

“Oh no, you’re not, he’s mine,” Kenneth snapped. “He enjoyed dragging you along, being an ass and keeping you away from Tiffany.”

Walking over to Besseta, Tiffany grabbed her hand. “Let Kenneth handle it,” she said with a smile, “unless we get to Bereno first.”

Shaking his head, Kenneth looked at them and disappeared, then returned carrying his laptop. “Maliki had the right idea about setting traps for them. It was just bad luck that we went to the city he set the trap in. I think he would’ve hurt them bad, if we wouldn’t have shown up,” Kenneth said, opening his laptop. “I need you two to go and get your computers. We have some work to do.”

They both vanished and returned, sitting on either side of Kenneth and opening their computers up. “Kenneth, we are going to talk about your decoding program,” Tiffany said, turning her computer on. “You know how long it took us decoding those messages and encoding our own?”

As Besseta moved over until she was touching him, Kenneth turned to Tiffany. “Yes, but you need to know how to do it by hand, then you can use a computer.”

“What do you need us to do?” Besseta asked, wrapping her leg around his and leaning her head over on his shoulder.

Smiling as Besseta used as much of her body as she could to touch him, “I found two properties we need to get,” Kenneth said, sending her the links. “One, fifty miles south of here and the other, on the Canadian side of the lake. I know you have some over there already, but I want a backup.”

“They will be ours tomorrow,” Besseta smiled, opening the links.

“I also need you to sign up an aircraft service for us,” he said, patting her leg. “Tiffany, I need you to check the boards and compare them with what Maliki has found out about Europe,” Kenneth instructed as he started typing.

“All the other councils are writing Europe off,” Tiffany told him as she started scrolling through pages. “There hasn’t been a confirmed contact with anyone in weeks.”

“Yes, I’m going to get Maliki to start watching money transfers,” Kenneth said as he continued typing.

The three sat and worked for several hours quietly until Kenneth said, “Maliki already responded.”

“What did he say?” Besseta asked, looking over at Kenneth’s computer.

“Cubus have New York,” Kenneth answered. “It seems they are going to move out from there.”

“How can so few cubus control so much?” Tiffany asked.

Reading the message, “Well, being able to touch someone and control them definitely has an advantage,” Kenneth said.

Shaking her head as she leaned over to read the message, “It doesn’t make sense. Each one can only control so many vampires or werewolves, right? Even the cubus must follow the same rules we do. The more you control, the more it will cost you physically in energy.”

“Maybe they are just better at it,” Besseta offered as she read. Kenneth finished reading the message first and looked up to just stare into space, then Besseta and Tiffany finished reading almost at the same time. “The cubus lost most of the government support here, but gained most of the governments in Europe. That’s not good,” Besseta said.

Closing his laptop, “We need to go to Maliki now,” Kenneth said, getting up.

Groaning as she threw her head back, “That sucks! Having to run all over the country, just to have a sit-down conversation,” Tiffany said.

“No, we leave in the morning,” Kenneth told her.

Jerking her head off the couch, “I know you and Besseta can narrow down where he is, but if we just go, it will take time to find him,” Tiffany said.

Shaking his head, “No, Maliki is in Las Vegas at the MGM hotel,” Kenneth replied.

Closing her laptop as she stood up, “I know he’s near Vegas, but how do you know what hotel?” Besseta asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, “Don’t know, but I know he’s up high. I know the spot and that’s where the MGM is at,” Kenneth said. “You get the charter jet?”

Nodding, “Yes, we have a jet and crew on standby for us,” Besseta smiled. “I like not having to go through an airport.”

“Tell them to meet us in Springfield, Illinois tomorrow at seven a.m.,” Kenneth said. “Let’s get the dogs enough food and water out for four days. Then, pack a nice suit in a backpack. We run down to Springfield tonight.”

Throwing her hands up, “What good is having a plane if we have to run a thousand miles to catch it?” Besseta shouted.

“In case someone figures out we were on it and backtracks it,” Kenneth told her. “I’m going to refresh my skills to fly, so then we won’t have to worry.”

Just before midnight, the three gathered at the front of the house. “Ready?” Kenneth asked and they nodded. Three jets of water shot up in the air, going away from the island as the three took off into the night.

Chapter Ten

With the morning sun just over the horizon, the three stood dressed in business suits and watched the charter jet land at the Springfield Airport. “Just why the sudden urge to talk to Maliki face-to-face?” Besseta asked.

Straightening out his tie, “He needs to get the word out to all vampires, they can either fight or live as slaves,” Kenneth told her. “This sitting on a cloud and guiding the fight has to stop.”

Picking her foot up and taking off her dress shoe, Besseta wiggled her toes. “Shit, all I want to do is live with you and continue on my crusade. Then this shit has to happen,” she grumbled, putting her shoe back on. “I’m ready to kill something now for having to wear these shoes.”

“I’ll kill something with you,” Tiffany said. “Why do some women feel the need to wear stilts?”

Wrapping his arms around them, “Ladies, when we get to Vegas, we will get new clothes and pay Maliki a visit tonight. Remember, we are undercover and Tiffany, those heels aren’t even an inch high,” Kenneth said.

“You want to wait until tonight to see him with how fast you made us leave?” Besseta asked as the plane taxied over.

Nodding, “Yeah, we don’t need to risk exposing ourselves until we are at strength,” Kenneth said, wrapping an arm around her. “Remember, we are executives going to close a deal in Vegas,” he told them again as the plane stopped.

“Never been an executive,” Besseta smiled, looking at the plane. It was much bigger than she’d thought it was going to be. “This is the plane you wanted, right?”

“Yeah, I wanted one small enough to use private airports, but large enough that our friend wouldn’t freak out,” Kenneth smiled, cutting his eyes toward Tiffany.

Brushing her long, straight black hair off her shoulder, “I don’t freak out,” Tiffany snapped. “Those cardboard planes you are referring to are dangerous. This one will do,” she smiled, nodding toward the plane as the door opened.

“I told them to stock vodka,” Besseta smiled as the stewardess came down the steps.

Giving a sigh, “Oh, thank you,” Tiffany said, relieved.

Kenneth led the girls over and nodded at the stewardess. “Ma’am,” he said.

“Mr. Reynold?” she asked his cover name.

“Yes, ma’am. Ben Reynold,” Kenneth said, handing her a business card and stepped aside, holding Besseta’s hand as she walked up the stairs. “Kim Taylor,” Kenneth told the stewardess and then held Tiffany’s hand as she walked up, “Alexa Green.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the stewardess said, showing them to the back.

Tiffany was pleasantly surprised at the room inside with the executive chairs. She turned to see Kenneth still had room above his head as he walked. “Yes, this will do,” she said, sitting down at a table that had four executive chairs around it. “Vodka, big glass,” Tiffany said, dropping her briefcase.

“Yes, ma’am,” the stewardess smiled and left as an older man came back.

“Hello, I’m your pilot today, Dennis Lowell,” he said, extending his hand. Kenneth reached out to shake his hand and Dennis’s body gave a jolt, making Tiffany and Besseta jump. Besseta looked at Kenneth who was just staring at Dennis, who seemed frozen. Concentrating, she heard voices filling Kenneth’s mind.

Dennis gave another jerk as Kenneth said, “Pleased to meet you, Captain. Nice plane.”

Still smiling and not sensing anything wrong, “It is one of our nicer ones,” he said, letting Kenneth’s hand go. He moved over and shook Tiffany’s and Besseta’s hands, then walked back to the cockpit.

“What the hell are you doing?” Besseta whispered harshly.

Leaning back in his chair, “Just got my refresher lesson,” he grinned. “Now, I’m certified on jet engine. I think I like them more.”

Tiffany jumped and she gasped at Kenneth, about to speak when the stewardess came back carrying a big glass of vodka. Tiffany snatched it and drained it, shocking the stewardess. “Keep them coming until I can move to wine,” Tiffany instructed, wiping her mouth and making the stewardess laugh.

When she was gone, Tiffany leaned over to Kenneth. “You’d better not have sucked the knowledge out of him on how to fly this plane,” she snapped in a low voice. Besseta nodded, impressed that Tiffany had thought of something else to worry about while flying.

Kenneth laughed. “Did I suck out your knowledge?”

“No, but I’m not the one that’s going to be flying the damn plane high above the ground.”

Looking at her, Kenneth smiled. “I can fly this plane now. If you want to get technical about it, I flew it in.”

The stewardess came back and Tiffany leaned back, glaring at Kenneth. The stewardess set down a bottle of vodka. “Our flight time today will be five hours. If you need anything, let me know. Would you please buckle in?” she said and watched everyone buckle in.

“You are the first one that has been smart enough to bring her a bottle, instead of running back and forth until she’s relaxed enough for wine,” Kenneth said, reaching over and holding Besseta’s hand.

“Seemed appropriate. Ms. Green seems nervous and we had instructions to have a case of vodka onboard for her,” the stewardess said, then headed back up front.

Draining her glass, Tiffany refilled it. “I should’ve found those damn brothers and ripped their heads off before they got that damn thing in the air.”

“The Wright brothers had a lot of competition,” Kenneth said as the plane taxied out. “Several others were only a few weeks behind them.”

“Assholes,” Tiffany growled, draining her glass.

When she set the glass down, Besseta grabbed it, filled it up and drained it, making Kenneth look at her. “Just in case you sucked the knowledge out of his head,” Besseta said.

Tiffany snatched up the bottle, taking a long pull. Lowering the bottle, she was starting to feel much better. “You couldn’t have waited until we landed?”

“Sorry,” Kenneth offered, as Besseta grabbed the bottle and refilled the glass. “You know, we can do things with our minds. You think you two need to be tossing so many down?”

“That’s why we are doing it,” Tiffany said, grabbing the bottle when Besseta had set it down and draining it when she felt the plane picking up speed. “You’ve seen my life, you should know why.”

Grabbing her glass, Besseta sat back. “Tiffany told me that’s why she drinks when she flies. Alcohol deadens that part of your brain and you can’t make the ‘want’ actually happen.”

Kenneth looked down, thinking hard over what he saw in Tiffany’s mind. Feeling the plane start to lift off, he reached over and drained the glass Besseta was holding. “Didn’t remember that,” he said, leaning back and closing his eyes. “I’m sure it was the same every other time I looked in someone’s mind.”

“Fucking great,” Tiffany mumbled, closing her eyes. “And just how many times have you done that?”

When the plane leveled out and the seatbelt sign went off, Tiffany turned around to look over her seat at the cockpit area. “Hey, this one is empty. Bring more vodka, please. Let’s do two bottles this time, because they drank some before I could finish the bottle,” she called out.

The stewardess came back, carrying two bottles and glasses, and trying really hard not to laugh. “It’s not funny,” Tiffany said, taking one of the bottles. “They know I have to drink to get in a can with big engines and get launched off the planet.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she snorted as Tiffany ripped the top off the bottle and turned it up. The stewardess’s eyes got big and the grin fell off, watching Tiffany drain the fifth of vodka; nonstop.

“Ah,” Tiffany said, lowering the bottle and feeling the alcohol take effect. “Shit, that’s better. I’ll have a glass of wine now, please.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the stewardess said in amazement.

“Bathroom?” Tiffany asked with a little slur. The stewardess pointed to the back of the plane. Unbuckling her seatbelt, “The damn toilet better not suck me out,” Tiffany slurred, walking to the back of the plane with a slight stagger.

“Ms. Green is the best contract lawyer there is,” Kenneth told the stewardess as Besseta filled his glass. “What she charges the firm when she has to fly should be criminal, though.”

“If she hates flying that much, they need to pay her more,” the stewardess replied numbly, walking back to the front of the plane. “A whole fucking bottle,” she mumbled under her breath as she walked away.

“We need to take Tiffany to a college campus,” Kenneth said, taking a sip of vodka. “We could make a killing off her in a drinking contest.”

Besseta slammed her glass down. “I can drink her ass under the table,” she stated confidently, refilling the glass. “I’m from Scotland, babe.”

“Baby, we are up. He still has his knowledge,” Kenneth laughed.

“Landing is where most crashes happen,” she said, picking her glass up. Kenneth laughed as she drained it and refilled her glass. He was very happy to see her nurse the next glass.

Staggering around the table, Tiffany dropped into her chair. “You have got to see the damn bathroom!” she cried out. “You don’t have to fold your legs over your head to use it. There is even a dining table and a bed back there.”

Arching her right eyebrow, Besseta put her glass down. “You bring what I like you to wear?”

Giving a groan, “No, I left the banana hammock,” Kenneth answered slowly, rolling his eyes up.

“Get naked, let’s try out the bed. Momma wants to get nasty,” she said, reaching over and running her hand under his jacket.

“Besseta!” Tiffany snapped, slapping the table and making Besseta jump and look at her. “Bullshit. You will break this plane. Your fucking house is made of marble and there are cracks in the floor from you riding Kenneth like some cheap rocking horse, bumping nasties.”

Hearing that from Tiffany, Kenneth’s mouth fell open and Besseta gasped. “I most certainly, don’t ride him like a cheap rocking horse.”

“Besseta, you were screaming ‘Give it to momma’ so fucking loud, I’m sure they heard it on the other side of the lake in Canada. I felt the tremors through the house,” Tiffany snapped. “Kenneth is a va-, like us now and when he came down, there was a red hand print on each ass cheek from you spanking him. You know how hard you have to slap one of our kind to leave a mark like that twenty minutes later?”

With her cheeks turning red, Besseta’s mouth fell open hearing Tiffany. “I never did that,” Besseta gasped.

Tiffany turned to Kenneth. “Kenneth?”

Gulping half his glass down, “I don’t remember,” he offered.

“Chicken shit,” Tiffany grumbled and looked at Besseta. “I don’t care, but not in this plane, or any plane I’m on with you.”

Leaning over the table, “I really said that?” Besseta whispered.

Tiffany just looked at Besseta with a flat expression as the stewardess came back carrying a bottle of wine and set down three glasses and left. “Yeah, you did,” Tiffany replied in a flat voice.

“I can’t believe that,” Besseta said, leaning back in her chair as Kenneth stood up and took off his jacket, putting it on the back of his seat. Loosening his tie, he sat back down. Besseta cut her eyes at him and started licking her lips as her eyes narrowed.

“Kenneth, put your jacket back on,” Tiffany said, grabbing the wine bottle and filling a glass.

“No, baby,” Besseta almost growled. “Go ahead and take your shirt off and get comfortable, we are going to be flying for hours.”

Kenneth glanced at Besseta and jumped, seeing the predatory face licking its lips. “I’m going to the bathroom,” he said, getting up.

“I’ll help,” Besseta said, jumping up.

“You sit your ass back down,” Tiffany snapped. Besseta just glared at Tiffany. “I will make your ass, now sit,” Tiffany warned, picking up her wine glass. “When we land, you can throw him down and make hot monkey love until he cries.”

Staring at Tiffany, Kenneth stumbled back, not liking the sound of that. Besseta clapped her hands giggling and jumped back into her seat. “Oh yeah, that sounds good,” she giggled naughtily.

Kenneth walked away in somewhat of a shock. “I don’t know if I want to land.”

“The plane can’t stay up forever, baby, and momma is gettin’ her some luvin’,” Besseta said, grabbing the bottle of vodka. “Have some serious ‘want’ going on here,” she growled and drained the bottle.

Glad that Besseta wasn’t going to break the plane, Tiffany relaxed and smiled. “Yes, seeing their new body does take some getting used to.”

“How long did it take you?” Besseta asked, filling a wine glass.

“Sixty years before I could just look at Herotho without jumping him. Another fifty until I could think about him and not take off and find him and throw him down,” Tiffany sighed, draining her glass. “To be honest, you are handling it much better than I did. Herotho and I were living outside of Athens when his body went to its prime. One day, we were in the market and I jumped him. All he was wearing was a loincloth, and the next thing I know, I had him down on the roadway. We only lived six miles away, but it took us four days to get home. We left craters in the roadway every time I threw him down.”

With a lustful grin, Besseta growled, “Sixty years.”

Leaning back to the table, Tiffany refilled her glass, “I think it may be a little longer for you.”

“Is it safe to sit down?” Kenneth asked, looking at the grin on Besseta’s face. When she looked up at him, Kenneth started having serious thoughts about jumping out.

“I could catch you before you hit the ground,” Besseta said, narrowing her eyes and dropping them to his body. “I’m buying you a loincloth.”

“Tiffany, you’re not helping,” Kenneth whispered harshly, getting back into his chair as he kept a wary eye on Besseta.

“She’s not going to break the plane, so I don’t care,” Tiffany said, draining her glass.

“Yeah, but what about me?” Kenneth asked as Besseta drained another glass of wine, looking at him and licking her lips again.

“You’ll heal,” Tiffany grinned.

“Baby, can you please stop? I can hear what’s in your mind, you don’t have to provide images,” Kenneth said, grabbing the bottle of wine. Kicking off her shoes, Besseta pulled her feet up in the chair and turned toward Kenneth, crouching down as she growled. Seeing Besseta out of the corner of his eye ready to spring at him, Kenneth wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Draining the glass, Kenneth pressed the intercom, trying to ignore the predator beside him. “Vodka, two bottles,” he said.

The stewardess came back carrying two bottles and stopped, looking at Besseta growling at Kenneth. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Besseta wasn’t mad at him, or what she wanted from the lustful look on her face. Scared to get any closer, she held the bottles over Tiffany’s seat. “Here,” she said.

Tiffany took the bottles and handed them to Kenneth. “We’re newlyweds,” Kenneth said, taking the top off one bottle.

“There’s a bed in the back,” the stewardess said with uncertainty.

“She will break the plane,” Tiffany said, refilling her glass. “More wine, please.”

“I don’t remember acting like that,” the stewardess mumbled with envy, turning around and walking off.

Still not looking at Besseta, Kenneth drank half the bottle. “Besseta, you’re making me a bit uneasy,” he said, putting the bottle on the table.

“You’re a big boy,” she hissed. “Momma will take care of daddy.”

Running a finger around his collar wanting more slack, he turned to Besseta and jumped in his seat. “Besseta, you’re drooling everywhere.”

“So much better to eat you with,” she grinned and licked her lips.

“Tiffany, a little help here would be appreciated.”

The stewardess ran back and froze, seeing Besseta ready to pounce on Kenneth. She handed the bottle to Tiffany and took off running. Tiffany refilled her glass. “When we land, I’m getting some of those frilly things girls use to yell at sporting contests, and cheer her on when she throws you down.”

“Pom-poms,” Kenneth mumbled. “Besseta,” he said, holding up his hand. “Tell you what. You control your urges now and when we get to Vegas, you can pick out any banana hammock you want, and I’ll wear it.”

“Oh, yeah,” Besseta grinned, curling her lips.

Tiffany giggled as Besseta relaxed, but kept her feet in the seat facing Kenneth. “Kenneth, could we get a plane like this?” Tiffany asked.

“Tiffany, this plane is an easy twenty million,” he said, still feeling like a lamb next to a tiger.

“So, we don’t have that much,” Tiffany whined.

Wanting to go back to bed and start the day over, Kenneth rubbed his face. “No, Besseta could buy two hundred of the things, but the plane has to be maintained regularly.”

“Oh, well, I have much more than Besseta has,” Tiffany sighed, draining her glass. “Let’s buy two of these, so one will always be ready to go.”

Besseta slinked over the armrest and onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Can you guess what we’re going to do when the plane lands?”

“Something tells me, it’s not play chess,” Kenneth mumbled and looked over at Tiffany. “Tiffany, these planes need a lot of upkeep that I can’t do.”

“Okay, so we will buy three and pay people to work on two, so one is always ready to go.”

Giving a long sigh, Kenneth leaned back in his chair, giving up. “Fine, that sounds good,” he mumbled as Besseta pulled her legs over the chair onto his lap.

She spun around on his lap and straddled him. “These planes have automatic controls, don’t they?” she breathed with a wicked grin as her toes gripped the sides of Kenneth’s legs.

“Baby, you don’t leave the cockpit just because you turn on the automatic pilot,” he said and couldn’t help but grin at her.

“Is there enough room on the floor for us to lay down on?”

“Baby, why are we going to Vegas?”

“To land, so I can throw you down.”

“What about Maliki?”

“Fuck ‘em,” she said, locking her mouth on his as she ran her hands over Kenneth’s chest.

“Ow,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling his mouth back. “Damn it, that hurt.”

“You’ll heal. I won’t feel bad anymore, I promise,” she said, locking her mouth over his again.

Shaking her head, Tiffany watched as she refilled her glass. “Ah, little Besseta, it is so good to see you happy,” she chuckled.

Besseta leaned back and grabbed Kenneth’s shirt. “Suck it up and be tough. Quit whining. I can hear your thoughts, remember?” she said, pulling him up. She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll be happy when we land.”

“Baby, you need to calm down just a little, or I’m going to break this plane,” Kenneth admitted, panting hard and rubbing his hands on her back.

“Besseta, get off his lap. He’s not kidding,” Tiffany blurted out as she stood up. “You’re getting his motor running.”

“About damn time,” she growled, lunging and locking her mouth over Kenneth’s. Tiffany jumped around the table and pulled Besseta off of Kenneth. Putting Besseta in her seat, Kenneth started to lunge at Besseta and Tiffany grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

“Kids, wait until we land,” she snapped. They both looked up at her with glares. “Be mad all you want. I don’t want you to break the plane.”

“I’ll buy them a new one,” Besseta said, moving back toward Kenneth.

Yanking Besseta back to her chair, Tiffany reached down and clipped the seatbelt. “Undo it and I’ll hold you here, and I’m not talking about physically. I have no desire to be in a crash,” Tiffany said and looked up at Kenneth. “Quit leading her on and teasing her!”

“What?” Kenneth gasped, jumping back. “I didn’t do anything.”

Tiffany sat back down and poured another glass. “Yes, you did, just sitting there looking all sexy.”

“Yeah, he did,” Besseta said, whipping her head and locking Kenneth in a lustful gaze. “I’ll teach you to tease me.”

Looking at Besseta’s face framed by her curly long red hair, “Oh, yeah,” Kenneth grinned.

Picking up her glass, Tiffany sighed. “I always wondered what it would be like to have kids. Now, I know,” she said, draining her glass. “Part of me doesn’t really feel all that bad now for not being able to have any.”

When the plane landed, the stewardess seemed to be really happy to see them leave. Kenneth had his coat over one arm carrying his briefcase, and his hair was very messed up when he nodded at the stewardess, walking out. Besseta followed him carrying her jacket over her arm, and her briefcase and her shoes in the other hand. Her hair was ten times worse than Kenneth’s.

Tiffany stopped at the stewardess. “Thank you, you were a gracious host.”

“Thank you, I hope your business trip works out well for you.”

“If I didn’t love those two so much, I would start my own business,” Tiffany said, walking out regally; the only one completely dressed with her hair and attire still neat.

She met the two at the bottom of the stairs to see a long black car waiting on them with a man holding a sign with Kenneth’s cover name. “I take it, he is here for us?” Tiffany asked.

“Yeah,” Besseta said, dragging Kenneth. “We don’t have to drive.”

“Where to, Mr. Reynold?” the driver asked, opening the door.

Barely pausing as she passed the driver, Besseta looked at him. “Excalibur Hotel and step on it, momma needs lovin’.”

Kenneth gave the driver a goofy grin as Besseta yanked him in the back. The driver turned to look at Tiffany as she walked over. “If you don’t want your car broken, I suggest you not look at the local ruler’s maximum speed signs.”

The driver closed the door and ran around the limo, jumping in after hearing Tiffany’s warning. “That doesn’t look comfortable.”

The limo was pulling up to the Excalibur in less than ten minutes. Kenneth lowered the partition glass and held out two hundred-dollar bills. “Thank you,” he panted with a grin, buttoning up his shirt. The driver took the money, nodding with a forced smile. He could swear the back of his car had bounced a foot off the road a few times.

“Damn it, quit stalling,” Besseta snapped, yanking Kenneth out of the limo by his leg. Kenneth threw his shoes down and shoved his feet into them. He saw Tiffany carrying his and Besseta’s jackets and briefcases. Kenneth pulled out a twenty, handing it to the valet. “Let’s go, unless, you’re ready to go here,” Besseta cried out, barefoot and dragging him inside by the arm, holding her shoes in her other hand.

Tiffany looked at the valet with a stern face. “They love each other.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, bowing.

Tiffany walked in and found Besseta yelling at a woman behind a counter. “Look, the suite is paid for, just give me something to get in the damned room!”

“I’m coding your card, ma’am,” the young woman smiled nervously.

“Fuck it, what room?! I’ll kick the door down!” Besseta snapped, pulling Kenneth away from the counter.

“Here, ma’am,” the young lady said, holding out the card.

Besseta snatched the card and almost pulled Kenneth’s arm off as she took off to the elevator. “You let that door close without us, I’ll rip your legs off!” Besseta shouted at a bellhop.

Not knowing what room or anything about this massive building they were in, Tiffany ran after them. Reaching the elevator, Besseta pinned Kenneth in the corner. She turned to see Tiffany jogging toward them. “You need to move your ass,” Besseta suggested, jumping up and wrapping her legs around Kenneth’s waist.

The bellhop held the door as Tiffany trotted in, and animal sounds came from behind him as Besseta and Kenneth locked mouths. “Room?” he asked as the door closed, but refused to turn around. Besseta held out the electronic card.

Taking the card, Tiffany handed it to the bellhop. “Make the little room move,” she sighed with a grin. “The car ride over didn’t do much for the urges.”

The bellhop kept punching the top floor button, trying to will the elevator to move faster. When the doors opened he stepped out, “This way, please,” he said, walking down the hall.

Tiffany watched Kenneth walk out with Besseta still latched on, with her legs around his waist and their mouths locked. How they followed the bellhop amazed Tiffany. “Here’s your room,” the bellhop said, sliding the card into the slot. When he opened the door, Kenneth almost knocked him down.

“No key?” Tiffany asked, taking the card from the bellhop and looking at it.

“No ma’am. It’s computerized.”

“Very clever,” Tiffany said, walking in. “Wait here.”

She strolled over to where Kenneth had Besseta pressed against the wall. She took out his wallet and opened it. Pulling out a fifty, Tiffany tossed the wallet onto a table. Walking back to the bellhop, she held out the money. “Tell the innkeeper to ignore calls about noises from this room. I’ll try to keep them somewhat civilized.”

Bowing as he took the money, “Yes ma’am. I will.”

When the bellhop left, Tiffany turned around. “My word, there is a bedroom right there, now go!” she laughed, pointing at the bedroom.

Chapter Eleven

Tiffany was curled up on the couch with a laptop beside her, surfing the internet and glancing up at the TV every few seconds. She peeked out the window and saw the late afternoon sun. Hearing the bedroom door open, she turned to see Besseta walk out, grinning.

“Feel better?” Tiffany asked, looking at Besseta’s hair plastered to her head.

“He passed out,” Besseta huffed, throwing her arms in the air. Stark naked, she walked over and dropped onto the couch at Tiffany’s feet. “I need to figure out how to toughen him up.”

Laughing, Tiffany sat up. “I’m still surprised you’re out here.”

“Nothing on his body works when he’s passed out,” Besseta groaned.

“Do we need to make inquiries into buying the room because of damages, or will the innkeeper just charge us for damages?”

Besseta scoffed, waving her hand at Tiffany. “No, the beds are broken and there’s a hole in the bathroom wall, but that’s it.”

“The owner of the inn only called twice asking us to hold it down, so he wouldn’t have to call the magistrates.”

With an evil grin, Besseta jumped up, “Let the cops come, I’ll use their handcuffs!”

“Kenneth could break them,” Tiffany laughed, looking down at the laptop.

“Not if I use several of them,” Besseta chuckled and looked at the laptop. “You didn’t bring your laptop.”

“Yes, that’s why I went and bought another one.”

“Noise got to you?” Besseta asked, sitting back down.

“Hardly, just got bored,” Tiffany said and looked up. “Besseta, you’re not going to believe this but outside, there is a big black glass pyramid.”

“Yeah, it’s the Luxor.”

“You knew?” Tiffany gasped.

Shrugging her shoulders, “Yeah, it’s all right, but I like the Bellagio. Where we would be staying, but someone found a discount,” Besseta huffed, waving her hand at the bedroom as she got up. “His thriftiness is starting to get to me.”

“I must say, the games of chance downstairs seem intriguing.”

“You went to the casino?”

“Well, I wanted to know where all the noise was coming from,” Tiffany said. “Just to let you know, Kenneth needs to get up soon. The innkeeper informed me of a jousting tournament at dinner tonight. I used my credit card to purchase our entry.”

Shocked, Besseta fell back on the couch. “You bought tickets to a show?” she asked in a monotone voice.

“Besseta, you remember those tournaments we went to in London? We had a great time.”

“Ah, Tiffany, it’s like a play. They aren’t really fighting for honor or prestige. It’s entertainment.”

Tiffany pinched her lower lip. “Then we must compare it to what we’ve seen and then judge it, to see if this tournament is authentic.”

Besseta laughed. “You really want to see this show, don’t you?”

“Oh, yes, we must,” Tiffany smiled, grabbing Besseta’s hand.

“Let me get Kenneth up, so he can get ready.”

“Wait, Besseta, can you buy Kenneth clothes without him there?”

With a lustful grin, “I know every inch of his body,” Besseta panted.

“Then we need to get him some clothes before you wake him.”

“Why?”

Tiffany pointed to the floor at small strips of fabric. “You shredded his suit getting it off of him.”

“Well, he shouldn’t have taken so damn long to get naked.”

Tiffany laughed as Besseta jumped up, putting her dress suit back on. Putting her dress shoes on, Besseta opened Kenneth’s briefcase, exposing neat bank-bound stacks of hundred-dollar bills. Grabbing a few, Besseta closed it and grabbed her briefcase, getting her small purse and sticking the money inside.

When they returned a few hours later with armloads of bags, Kenneth was still asleep. They put the bags down and Besseta headed to the bedroom to wake Kenneth. “Besseta, let me wake him,” Tiffany pleaded. “The tournament starts in less than an hour.”

“I can wake him up.”

“Yes, but the tournament starts in less than an hour. You will jump on him again,” Tiffany whined. “Please?”

“Oh all right, I’ll get his clothes out.”

“Can’t I take them in when I wake him up?”

“I’m not that bad,” Besseta snapped, pulling out Kenneth’s clothes.

“Of course you’re not,” Tiffany said, taking the clothes. “You just ride him until he passes out.”

“Hey, he’s the one who passed out, I didn’t do it! I woke him up the last two times he passed out, but he wouldn’t wake up the last time, no matter how hard I slapped his face,” she huffed, pulling clothes out for her and Tiffany. Grabbing a backpack they’d bought, Besseta emptied the briefcases into it.

Laughing at Besseta, Tiffany blurred and was wearing tan slacks with a dark shirt and hiking shoes. Grabbing the door handle, Tiffany walked in the bedroom and froze. The room was destroyed, and Kenneth’s naked body was lying face-down on the destroyed beds. “We will need to pay the innkeeper for damages,” Tiffany sighed, stepping over a broken dresser.

“Kenneth,” she said, tapping his back. Not even getting a groan, she started shaking him. “Kenneth, you must get up,” she said, shaking harder. “Damn it, the black knight is fighting and I want to see it!”

“Huh,” Kenneth groaned, struggling to lift his head.

“Get dressed! The black knight is challenging for the kingdom,” Tiffany replied with excitement and Kenneth’s head dropped back down. “Kenneth, you’re being a sissy boy. Now, get up!” she yelled, grabbing his shoulder and picking him up.

“Shit,” Kenneth groaned, grabbing her hand that was squeezing his shoulder. “I’m up, let go.”

“Get dressed, you have to hurry!” Tiffany commanded, tossing him the clothes Besseta had bought.

“What, Maliki knows we are here and wants to meet?”

Letting out a groan, “No,” Tiffany huffed.

Looking around at the destroyed room, “Where’s Besseta?” Kenneth asked.

“I can’t let her see you like this,” Tiffany said, waving her hand at his naked body. “She would jump your bones and we would miss the black knight’s challenge.”

Putting on his pants, Kenneth froze. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The black knight challenged the king’s greatest warriors for the kingdom!” Tiffany snapped, stomping her foot hard. “A meal is being served at the battlegrounds for the spectators. I purchased our entry, so we could witness the tournament. The innkeeper even gave me close seats to the battlefield.”

Letting his pants go, Kenneth stood up. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Damn it,” Tiffany cried out and blurred.

Kenneth felt his body move and Tiffany was standing in front of him, smiling. He looked down to see he was dressed in khaki slacks and a very tight polo shirt. “I don’t know who this black knight is, but you really must want him to kick someone’s ass.”

“He’s the bad guy, Kenneth!” Tiffany snapped. “The king’s warriors must defeat him to save the kingdom and the princess!”

Wondering if he was on acid or having a weird vision, Kenneth spun around and walked over the debris on the floor. Pulling back the curtain, he looked outside. “Well, it looks like we are still in the twenty first century.”

“Kenneth, we are leaving whether you are dressed or not in ten minutes. I’ll pull you down to the battlefield by the hair on your head!”

Kenneth turned and started looking around on the floor. “Where are my shoes?”

“Besseta bought you new ones, she chewed the other ones off,” Tiffany snapped and pointed at the door.

A goofy grin spread across Kenneth’s face. “Yeah, I remember, that was great.”

Tiffany screeched as she blurred over, grabbing Kenneth’s arm and yanked him into the sitting room. “Put your shoes on,” she snapped, pointing at some socks and hiking boots on the coffee table. Hearing a growl behind her, Tiffany spun around and dropped into a crouch.

With both eyebrows arched and a smirk spread across her face, Besseta ogled at Kenneth getting dressed. “Don’t you even think about it, the black knight will be announcing his challenge soon,” Tiffany said, narrowing her eyes. “If you don’t control yourself, I’ll make Kenneth drink a tea that will make him sleep a month.”

The lust left her face as Besseta jumped back in shock. “That’s mean.”

“The tournament will be starting soon, are you ready?”

Leaning over and looking around Tiffany, Besseta got a wicked look on her face. “Can I have fifteen minutes to make sure Kenneth is okay?”

“No!” Tiffany snapped.

“I have no clue what the hell is going on,” Kenneth said, standing up.

Tiffany looked at her wrist. “Shit!” she cried out and blurred. The next thing Kenneth and Besseta knew, they were standing in front of the elevators.

“I thought Tiffany stopped wearing a watch?” Kenneth asked as Tiffany kept punching the elevator call button.

“She bought another one when she got her new laptop, so she wouldn’t miss the tournament,” Besseta sighed and glanced over at Kenneth. Seeing the tight polo pressed against him, showing every contour of his body, she licked her lips. “Something about a black knight.”

“Why isn’t the little moving room getting here!” Tiffany shouted and heard a thump behind her. Turning around she found them on the floor with Besseta on top of Kenneth and their mouths locked. “Oh no, you don’t,” Tiffany snarled, yanking Besseta off as the elevator dinged. When the door opened, Tiffany threw Besseta in and grabbed Kenneth by the ankle, dragging him in.

The bellhop was staring at Tiffany as she dragged Kenneth in with no effort. “Where to?” he asked in a feeble voice.

“The damned tournament!” Tiffany shouted, dropping Kenneth’s leg.

“Yes, ma’am,” the bellhop stuttered. “You have time before it starts.”

“Rrrrrrr,” sounded in the back of the elevator followed by a thump. Tiffany spun around and yanked Besseta off Kenneth.

“Stop it!” Tiffany growled, narrowing her eyes and Besseta backed up to the side of the elevator. Tiffany reached down and picked Kenneth up and then set him down, making the bellhop tremble. “Kenneth, stay on this side,” Tiffany commanded, as the elevator dinged. “Well, that didn’t take long.”

Tiffany looked up at the numbers and saw they’d only gone down two floors. “The tournament is near the floor with the games of chance, not up high. Why are you stopping?”

“We have to get other people,” the bellhop mumbled as the doors started to open. An old man with a cane started to step in and Tiffany held up her hand.

“I will beat you to death with your walking staff if you get on. This moving room is taking me to the tournament,” Tiffany barked and looked at the lights beside the bellhop and the doors literally slammed shut, almost catching the old man. She raised her eyes to the bellhop. “If the room stops anywhere but the level I need, I’m carrying you to the roof and throwing you off.”

Trembling violently, the bellhop pulled out a key ring and stuck a key in the elevator, and it moved to the first floor. “F-ff-f-fol—low the signs, hope you enjoy.”

Tiffany grabbed Besseta’s arm in one hand and Kenneth’s in the other, dragging them off the elevator. “What the hell has gotten into Tiffany?” Kenneth asked as she dragged them much faster through the crowd of people than a human should be able to.

“I don’t know, but I think she was about to punch me through the elevator wall,” Besseta said.

“Oh, I was,” Tiffany mumbled and saw a man wearing a medieval tunic. “You, good sir, where is the tournament?”

“Right here, my lady,” he said with a deep bow. “Tickets, please.”

“Has the black knight issued his challenge yet?” With an open mouth grin, Tiffany yanked tickets out of her back pocket.

“No, my lady, you have plenty of time before the event starts,” he smiled at her, then looked at the tickets. “The best seats in the house. My, you will enjoy the tournament.”

Kenneth looked around with a confused face, then looked at Besseta who was just staring at Tiffany like she was an alien. As the ticket taker handed Tiffany her stubs, Kenneth grabbed his arm where Tiffany had squeezed it. “Hey, this is a Vegas show, isn’t it?”

“Some might call it that, but it is a tournament for the king,” the ticket taker grinned.

“I-,” Kenneth stopped as Tiffany yanked him and Besseta in the stadium, moving fast. She knocked a man down and turned around.

“You need to move your ass,” Tiffany snapped and looked at the ticket stubs. “Where’s our seats?” she shouted with excitement with a touch of irritation, making a few people who were sitting down scoot their chairs away from her.

“Here Tiffany, let me see them,” Kenneth said, looking at the tickets and then looked around the arena. “Over there,” he pointed.

Tiffany grabbed them and took off. “No running,” a man yelled at them.

“Shut up or I’ll rip your tongue out and eat it!” Tiffany shouted at the attendant. She stopped where Kenneth had pointed and looked at her tickets, “Right by the field of battle!” she cried out, yanking the two over to the chairs. Looking back, she saw a throne behind them. “We are sitting near the king, so we can witness his rebuttal to the vile black knight.”

Tiffany pulled a little booklet out, setting it on the table. “I’m sitting in the middle. Any foolishness, and I’ll break your legs repeatedly,” she warned, looking at each of them.

Hearing the tone and knowing she was serious; Kenneth grabbed her chair and pulled it out. “Then, let’s sit,” he smiled and scooted her up to the table, then moved to Besseta. “I can’t remember, but was she this bad at real jousting matches?” he whispered.

“No,” Besseta replied, sitting down and hanging the backpack on the back of the chair. “A thousand times worse. I thought she was going to kill King Richard with his own lance one time. We won’t even talk about the tournament in Paris.”

Lifting her chair, Kenneth scooted her to the table and went over and sat down beside Tiffany as a hostess walked over. “Would you like to order a drink in a souvenir goblet?” the hostess asked.

“Three, please,” Kenneth smiled.

“What would you like?”

“Water,” Tiffany answered, and the hostess looked at Kenneth.

“Water sounds good,” Kenneth nodded as the hostess smiled at him and left.

Tiffany reached over, grabbing Besseta’s hand as it dragged down the table, leaving grooves from her fingernails. Squeezing Besseta’s hand hard, Tiffany lowered her voice. “Besseta, don’t.”

“That skank wanted to throw Kenneth on the table and rape him,” Besseta hissed, glaring at the hostess taking another order. “That’s my job.”

“We will feed off the whore after the tournament, but don’t start,” Tiffany offered, making Kenneth give a low whistle. Tiffany cut her eyes at him and Kenneth just smiled as he picked up the booklet Tiffany had thrown on the table.

He pointed at the back of the booklet. “You paid this much for each ticket?” he asked in shock, then jumped up. “The souvenir drinks are thirty bucks a piece?”

“Kenneth, I’m about to break your legs,” Tiffany snapped. Kenneth just glared at her. “I’ll throw you out in the arena to fight the black knight,” she threatened.

“I’ll monkey stomp his ass,” Kenneth spat.

“How? Your legs will be broken and stay that way until I release them,” Tiffany growled, and Kenneth dropped back into his chair.

“Tiffany,” Besseta sighed. “I never understood this about you. You hated that time. Why do you love tournaments of combat?”

“Besseta, it’s a one-on-one challenge and the ringing of steel,” Tiffany sighed.

“When this is over, we are taking you on a vacation,” Kenneth said, reaching over and grabbing Tiffany’s hand. “If you like this, then you will love a vacation.” As the lights dimmed, servers came around, placing out food. Since his turn, Kenneth usually ate little like they did, but it seemed the earlier activities had drained him and today, he ate everything from his meal and most of theirs.

After the show, Kenneth was standing outside, holding Besseta’s hand in shock. “I can’t believe she stood up, calling the black knight a pussy,” he droned.

“I can’t believe she had the kids sitting around us, leading them in a chant that the black knight was a pussy,” Besseta mumbled.

With a face filled with joy, Tiffany bounced over. “Look! I got all of us shirts, dolls, some pictures, one that the White Knight signed, a backpack, three jackets, two blankets and collars for the babies.”

“Kenneth, if you mention money, she will punch you in the face and it’s going to hurt. I love you with all my heart, but I won’t stop her,” Besseta told him in his mind.

‘I was just going to say, we could buy them somewhere else cheaper.’

‘I’m just warning you.’

Tiffany pulled a souvenir backpack with a large picture of the white knight off her shoulder and shoved the stuff inside. “Don’t, Kenneth,” Besseta said, reaching up and putting her hand over his mouth.

“What?” Tiffany looked up as she slung her new stuffed backpack on her shoulder.

“He thinks we need to go and see Maliki, but I wanted to make sure you’re ready,” Besseta blurted out.

Giving a groan, “We can now,” Tiffany said. Kenneth grabbed each one’s hand and led them down the sidewalk. Tiffany looked at a screen showing a bunch of muscle-bound men dancing around. “Oh, is that an opera?”

“Male strippers,” Kenneth answered and stopped as Tiffany almost yanked his arm off when she stopped, looking at the screen.

“You mean, they strip for money? Men?” Tiffany asked, clearly confused.

“Yes,” Kenneth said, pulling her along.

“I would like to see this.”

“We will come back, and I’ll let you and Besseta go and see naked men,” Kenneth told her.

Besseta looked up at him. “Why in the hell would I want to see them?”

“I can’t go. They don’t let men in,” Kenneth said.

“You are a man and they won’t let you look at other naked men?” Tiffany asked, now very confused.

“Thankfully,” Kenneth sighed, stopping at a crosswalk.

“I-,” Tiffany started.

“Tiffany,” Kenneth interrupted her as the light changed to let them cross the street to the MGM. “We are about to meet Maliki. I’m sure the cubus are around. Please get your head in the game. I already smell a vampire.”

“Well, duh,” Tiffany said. “There’s one following us, and another across the street watching us.”

“I haven’t spotted them,” Kenneth said, looking around casually.

“Besseta and I met them in Mississippi. I recognized them.”

“And you just now let me know this?” Kenneth said, heading to the front door of the MGM.

“You said you wanted to meet Maliki. Well, his guards have seen us, and one used a cellphone, so I’m certain he called Maliki. You saw them in my memory,” Tiffany said, stopping at a large TV advertising a stage show. “Oh, can we see the big cats? It looks very intriguing.”

Kenneth yanked her away from the screen. “Besseta, you could help.”

“Nope, she’s having fun,” Besseta smiled.

“I swear, we will bring her back,” Kenneth said, looking down at her.

“Tiffany,” Besseta said, reaching over and tapping her arm. “We’ll buy a house here, so we can see everything.”

“Great, let’s see Maliki and look at some houses,” she beamed.

“Not what I had in mind,” Kenneth mumbled, walking over to a house phone and telling the operator the room number.

“Hello?” a voice answered.

“Hello, put Maliki on the phone. Tell him it’s Kenneth. I’m sure his guards downstairs have told him,” Kenneth said and heard the phone being handed over.

“Kenneth, I’m curious as to how you found me,” Maliki said.

“We’re coming up, just didn’t want you to freak out.”

“‘Freak out’?” Maliki asked. “Is that a threat?”

Groaning, “Scare you, Maliki. That’s what ‘freak out’ means. You know, you really need to stay up on the current sayings,” Kenneth said.

“Oh, I apologize,” Maliki said. “I shall see you soon then.”

Kenneth hung up and walked toward the elevators. “Baby, you can’t be mad at him for taking that the wrong way. How many times have you had to explain the stuff people say in movies for us?” Besseta asked.

“Okay, you’re right,” Kenneth said, punching the button for the top floor. Taking her backpack off, Tiffany pulled out the t-shirts she’d bought and took her shirt off and put one on. “Tiffany, what are you doing?” Kenneth asked.

“What’s it look like, Kenneth?” she asked, putting her shirt in the backpack. “We are the only ones in here.”

“There is a video camera up in the corner that is being watched and recorded,” Kenneth told her.

Shrugging her shoulders, “Like I care,” Tiffany smiled. “Like my shirt?”

Looking down at the white knight on her shirt, Kenneth smiled. “Yes, I do.”

The elevator dinged, and they stepped off and Kenneth let go of their hands. “Bereno isn’t in there. I don’t know why you thought he would be,” Besseta said.

“It would’ve been an added bonus,” Kenneth replied dejected, stopping at a set of double doors. They opened up and a young woman smiled at them.

“Maliki is expecting you,” she said, waving them in.

“Thank you, Elli,” Kenneth nodded, walking past her and making the vampire gasp.

“I’ve never met you,” Elli snapped, closing the door.

“He’s showing off,” Besseta mumbled as Kenneth walked over to a figure looking out a picture window.

Tiffany looked around the massive suite. “Why didn’t we get one of these suites, instead of that two-room closet?”

“Kenneth almost passed out when he saw how much the one we’d got cost, even with the discount he’d found,” Besseta told her, watching Kenneth stride over to Maliki. “You want us in a room like this, you get it. Because when he worries about money, momma’s lovin’ isn’t as good.”

“Maliki, I take it,” Kenneth said, stopping a few steps from Maliki.

Maliki turned and smiled. “Kenneth, I have really wanted to meet the man behind these fabulous ideas for this little war. I’m so relieved you survived the change.”

With a relaxed expression, Kenneth just stared at Maliki and a grin spread across his face. “Yes, Maliki, I’m much more powerful than you are,” Kenneth said as he and Maliki floated up and back into the room, setting down in front of a massive couch.

Visibly shaken at the display, Maliki nodded. “Many have thought so.”

‘I know so’ Kenneth said in his mind and Maliki jumped back in shock. ‘Yes, I can read your mind, as well as talk in it’ Kenneth answered the question in Maliki’s mind.

“This isn’t possible! I don’t feel you in my mind,” Maliki said, staggering back as Elli charged at Kenneth in a blur. Before Besseta or Tiffany moved, Kenneth raised his hand and opened his palm, and Elli froze in place.

“Yeah, he’s showing off,” Besseta smiled and bounced over to Kenneth. “Like my husband, Maliki?”

“Besseta,” Maliki gasped, staring at Kenneth.

“Yeah, not only is he totally a bad ass, but also a total hunk,” Besseta said, walking up behind Kenneth and grabbing his butt.

“Baby, if we break this room like we did ours,” Kenneth said, looking down at her, “it will really set us back on money.”

All joy dropped off her face as Besseta threw up her hands. “You and money,” she groaned through clenched teeth.

“Maliki, I’m going to let Elli go, I know she would appreciate it, if you tell her to be good,” Kenneth said, lowering his hand and releasing Elli. Elli looked around to see where the invisible hand that’d been holding her went.

“Thank you, Elli. That will be all. Please go downstairs and help the others keep a watch,” Maliki instructed, then turned to Tiffany and took a breath, looking at her shirt as Elli left the suite.

Pointing his finger menacingly, “Maliki, you say one word about that show, I’ll throw you out that window and see if you bounce,” Kenneth said.

“I-,”

“Maliki, I know what you were going to say. Yes, she liked it, but-,” Kenneth stopped.

“You didn’t like it?” Maliki asked, looking at Tiffany as she walked over to the large window, looking out.

“Maliki, she led a group of ten-year-olds in a chant, ‘The black knight is a pussy’.”

Maliki laughed. “Yes, that sounds like her.”

Dropping down on the couch, “So, you lost another four guards yesterday,” Kenneth stated.

Taken back, Maliki nodded, sitting down. “You should be in the League.”

“Oh, I intend on creating an opening, but have no intentions of filling it.”

Looking over at Tiffany, Maliki watched Besseta walk over and stand by Tiffany, looking out the window over the city. “Not to say I blame you, but I hope you realize that all the Leagues would put a price on your head.”

“Then many more vampires will die when this little war is over.”

Maliki laughed. “I haven’t seen that type of confidence in eons.”

“You need to start taking a direct hand in this war,” Kenneth told him. ‘Baby, quit being an ass. You are a young vampire. I’m not saying kiss his ass, but be polite,’ Besseta told Kenneth in his mind.

“I thought I was,” Maliki said with a hard face.

“No offense, let me explain,” Kenneth said, sitting up. “Gather twenty or thirty of your guards and start hunting werewolves down. Not telling them where to go, but leading them. You don’t have to fight, but just be there.”

“Why?”

“One, it’s leading by example,” Kenneth said. “Two, when word gets out that you’re leading, it will scare the shit out of the cubus. That is what they fear, a leader.”

Maliki sat and thought, and his eyes started getting wide. “Yes, that is what they fear.”

Grinning, “You see it now,” Kenneth said.

“That’s why they quit hunting the League solely. We were hunting the head of the Strong Hands. They quit killing the League heads off, so no one person was in control.”

“See? I didn’t even have to tell you,” Kenneth said, holding out his hand and making a bottle of brandy fly across the room.

“May I ask what you will be doing in this?”

Taking the top off, Kenneth took a sniff and put the top back on the bottle. “Oh, I’m going after the cubus,” he said, making the bottle fly back and a bottle of water fly to his hand.

“Talk about going for gold,” Maliki mumbled.

“Did you get my last message?”

“Yes, I was about to ask. It didn’t translate using our code,” Maliki said as Kenneth drained the water bottle.

Tossing the bottle across the room, Kenneth ‘helped’ it hit the trashcan. “Start from the back of the Bible. That message will give you a thousand names of the Strong Hands. When you start going after the wolves, take them out a few at a time.”

“How did you get that?”

“I would rather not say,” Kenneth said, looking off.

“Kenneth, if I’m going to put my life on the line ‘in the trenches’, I would like to know,” Maliki said as Kenneth’s eyes glassed over.

“If I tell you, a friend’s family would die and that, I cannot do,” Kenneth mumbled, getting off the couch and turning his head like he was trying to hear something.

“I understand,” Maliki said still staring at Kenneth, getting worried by his actions. A gust of wind filled the suite and Besseta was beside Kenneth.

“Calm down, baby,” she said, holding him and quieting the roar in his mind.

The roaring in his mind stopped, but Kenneth was still looking around. “Something isn’t right,” he said, moving Besseta behind him. “I felt it outside, but thought it was just his guards.”

“Kenneth, I have seven guards here. We are safe,” Maliki said.

Kenneth raised his hand to Tiffany and she gave out a cry as her body was yanked away from the window to Kenneth’s hand. Grabbing her, Kenneth shoved her behind him. “Maliki, can you survive a jump from this height?”

“I didn’t say anything about her shirt!”

“No, at least one of your guards have been taken by a cubus,” Kenneth said, holding out his arms and keeping everyone behind him.

“Is that what the fuck you’re hearing?” Besseta yelled.

“Baby, hush,” Kenneth said, looking at the door. “Don’t anyone get in front of me, they’re here. Maliki, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Yes, I would survive, but I couldn’t get away,” Maliki said, pulling out a cellphone.

“I’ll get him down,” Tiffany said, moving beside Maliki.

“Wish we would’ve got the money from the room,” Kenneth huffed.

“Hello? What the hell do you think is in this backpack that I’ve been lugging around,” Besseta snapped as she hit the backpack on her back.

“Damn, you’re good,” Kenneth said, glancing over his shoulder.

“Are we leaving?” Besseta asked, looking at the window.

“Not yet. I want to know how in the hell they found Maliki,” Kenneth said, glaring at the door.

Maliki hung up his cellphone. “Maurice said he can’t find the other guards. I told him to meet me at the safe house.”

“You had to call Maurice?” Tiffany asked. “I thought he was a telepath.”

“He is, I was calling the other guards,” Maliki replied as Kenneth stepped away from them.

“Besseta, Tiffany, get ready to shield,” he said, and they could hear footsteps in the hall. The door opened, and Elli stepped in.

“Elli, why didn’t you answer your phone?” Maliki asked.

“Battery’s dead,” she said, holding it up.

“Ew, that was good,” Kenneth said, holding out his hand and freezing Elli. “Elli, for some reason, I feel another mind in yours.”

“WHORE!” Besseta screeched and was suddenly over Elli, pounding her into the floor. “I fucking told you, he was mine!”

Shocked by Besseta’s outburst, Kenneth dropped his hand and watched the pulverization of Elli on the floor. Besseta’s fist looked like a jackhammer as it pounded Elli’s face. “She really doesn’t like Elizabeth,” Kenneth said, feeling sorry for Elli and just a little bit sorry for Elizabeth.

“There is a succubus in the building?” Tiffany gasped, grabbing Maliki’s hand.

“On this floor,” Kenneth said and Besseta grabbed Elli’s legs, bending the knees backwards. A scream outside the door shook the room. “Make that, out in the hall.”

Kenneth ran over as Besseta continued the beat down and grabbed Elli’s hand. Maliki leaned over to Tiffany. “I know I should be scared now, but I have to say, I feel sorry for this Elizabeth.”

“She should’ve learned from the last beating Besseta put on her,” Tiffany replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Where did little Besseta learn such language? I thought she was bad in Mississippi,” Maliki asked as Besseta screamed insults while she pounded Elli’s chest.

“She’s been studying for this,” Tiffany said as Kenneth let go of Elli and fell back on the floor. Tiffany darted over, picking him up. “Kenneth, are you okay?”

Panting hard, Kenneth turned to her with abstract horror on his face. “Besseta, we have to go!” Kenneth screamed, holding his hand up with his palm toward the window. The window exploded out and Besseta looked up at Kenneth with fear on her face.

“No!” she screamed, jumping up.

“Meet me there,” Kenneth said, and a detonation of air knocked all of them down. They all sat up and Kenneth was gone.

Besseta grabbed Tiffany’s hand. “We are leaving!”

As Besseta yanked her to the window, Tiffany grabbed Maliki. Running toward the window, Besseta jumped with everything she had. Holding Maliki with one hand and Besseta pulling her other, Tiffany gritted her teeth and tensed her body to keep her arms attached as Maliki screamed, seeing they were going to clear the tall hotel across the street.

Going over the top and falling toward the street, Maliki closed his eyes and felt his body jerk, slowing down. “You better run fast because I’m not carrying you,” Tiffany told him as Besseta let her go.

He opened his eyes to see the street getting closer, but at a much slower rate. When Besseta landed, a shock sounded as she took off down the road. Tiffany and Maliki landed, taking off after her.

Maliki flew past Tiffany and then slowed, grabbing her and picking her up before leaning forward, blurring after Besseta. “You never could run fast,” he smiled, dodging cars.

“Shut up, can you catch Besseta?”

“Yes,” he said and pushed with everything he had.

The lights of Vegas disappeared rapidly as Maliki closed in on Besseta. “Besseta!” Tiffany shouted when she saw her. “Stop or I will stop you!”

Besseta locked her legs, sending up a dust cloud. “I have to go!”

Maliki stopped beside Besseta, putting Tiffany down. “Besseta, what is it?” Tiffany cried out.

“They’re going to kill Mickey and his family!”

Chapter Twelve

Tiffany looked at Besseta, confused. “Kenneth’s friend, Mickey?”

“Yes, and Maria and the kids. Elizabeth sent two vampires and a werewolf to kill them,” Besseta said, then looked at Maliki. “What are you doing here?”

“He was carrying me to catch up to you because you left my ass!” Tiffany shouted.

“Maliki, we’ll be in touch, but we have to go,” Besseta said, grabbing Tiffany’s arm.

“I truly hope Kenneth’s friend is okay,” Maliki said sincerely.

Besseta nodded and started to turn, but stopped. “The Strong Hands have Kyrsta. That’s how they found you.”

“I’m in your debt. Without you, Tiffany, and Kenneth there, tonight I would’ve been caught.”

“Do what Kenneth said and we’ll be in touch,” Besseta said, turning to Tiffany, “You’d better hold on tight.”

“Kenneth won’t be there long before us,” Tiffany said, floating up.

“Tiffany, Kenneth’s already there,” Besseta said as a thunderclap sounded across the desert.

With a genuine smile but concern for them, Maliki shook his head. “Most remarkable group.” He turned, and another thunderclap sounded across the desert.

***

Three figures stood on a hilltop, looking down into a canyon that held a large subdivision. Two looked like humans while the third was massive and tall. “I can’t believe we are singling out humans,” one mumbled.

“Careful or they will take your mind,” the other warned as the massive werewolf grunted. “Let us be done with this.”

The three started to move into the canyon and froze. They didn’t stop on their own, and they found they could only move their eyes.

“Hello, gentlemen,” Kenneth said, walking up. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to address a werewolf.”

With a pompous strut Kenneth stepped in front of them, the entire whites of his eyes were bloodshot, with blood streaming out of his nose and ears. “You three, really don’t like that,” he laughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I like being able to tell people to stop and they have to.”

Moving up to the werewolf, “You are one big puppy. To be honest, none of you look like wolves, so how did you get that name?” Kenneth mumbled, touching the werewolf’s chest. “You’re only two hundred years old and this big? I’m impressed.”

Looking up at the werewolf’s neck, “Snacktime,” Kenneth said, lunging. The werewolf fell over with Kenneth latched on his neck. The two vampires could only cut their eyes, staring at Kenneth draining the werewolf.

When Kenneth stood up, his eyes were glowing white with a greenish cast and the blood had stopped flowing from his nose and ears. “Man, did I make a mess,” he said, looking down at his chest that was covered in blood. Feeling much better, Kenneth stood in front of the two. “Yes, you’re going to die,” he answered their question.

“You were about to kill the only person I had left as a friend when I was a human,” he said, reaching out and touching one. Letting his grip go, “Interesting life,” Kenneth said, moving to the other and grabbing him.

“You fought for the Nazis?” Kenneth said, stepping back. “You are going to be a pleasure to kill,” Kenneth said. Then, faster than even a vampire could follow, Kenneth latched onto his neck.

Yanking his head back, Kenneth let the body fall and looked at the last one. “I know I can’t kill you by draining you, dumbass. The werewolf isn’t dead either. It takes a long time to starve for either kind. I just need you docile while I get Mickey to safety,” Kenneth said, moving over and slowly biting into the vampire’s neck.

Letting the body fall, Kenneth moved around the bodies, stomping on their legs and breaking them. “I’ll be right back,” he said and vanished.

He appeared at Mickey’s front door. Seeing his eyes glowing in the reflection of the front door window, he vanished as a car alarm in the distance went off and reappeared at Mickey’s door wearing sunglasses. Kenneth looked at the lock and heard it click. He opened the door, stepped into the dark living room and saw Mickey sleeping on the couch, holding a pistol. “Wouldn’t have done much good for you, my friend,” Kenneth said, kneeling in front of Mickey.

Taking a deep breath, “Mickey,” Kenneth said, gently shaking Mickey. Waking up, Mickey jumped up as Kenneth grabbed him, putting a hand over his mouth. “Don’t scare Maria! I’m not in the mood for her to rip my ass off.”

“Kenneth?” Mickey mumbled through Kenneth’s hand.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Kenneth said, lowering his hand.

Mickey strained to see Kenneth’s face in the darkness. “Your voice sounds different,” he said, moving to the light switch.

“Don’t turn the light on, Mickey,” Kenneth snapped, and Mickey dropped his hand. “They sent three to kill you tonight. I got them, and I’m covered in their blood.”

“Oh, my god,” Mickey gasped, dropping down on the couch.

“Mickey, why did Edwardo kill those guys? I told you not to get involved,” Kenneth said, moving closer.

“I got kicked off the force and I knew why. They kept asking about you and I told them nothing. I had several government suits drop by, and knew they were part of the group that were after you and offed Harry,” Mickey sighed. “I told Maria and she called Edwardo. Edwardo said that demanded blood. He called his crew and they killed those suits and six others they’d gotten the names of.”

“Mickey, those guys were FBI, CIA, BATF, and NSA, not to mention part of an organization called the Strong Hands. You can’t go after fuckers like this, you have a family. I didn’t want you involved.”

“You are a good man, Kenneth, and what was done to you was unforgivable.”

Reaching out, Kenneth patted his shoulder. “Thank you, but if anything were to happen to you and your family, it would kill me.”

“Iiiii,” Mickey moaned, grabbing his head. “What am I going to do?”

“Oh, that’s the easy part, you and your family are going to disappear,” Kenneth said, whipping his head and looking out the window.

“Kenneth, I don’t have money and I’m not heading south. My family left Mexico three generations ago, be damned if we are going back.”

“No, I’m going to give you a job. You are going to run a company from a house I’m going to set up, and take care of mine when I’m doing what I do best.”

Mickey looked up to see Kenneth looking out the window. “You are still chasing murderers?”

“Mickey, it’s my full-time job now, but I don’t arrest them. I take more extreme measures.”

“We will help,” Mickey said, getting up and looking out the window. “What, are more coming?”

“No, one of the assholes that came after your family is trying to crawl away. Shit, I broke his pelvis. You would think that would hold him still for a few minutes,” Kenneth sighed.

“His pelvis?”

“Yeah, and both legs,” Kenneth said, moving to the door. “As long as he doesn’t feed, I have a little more time.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Now, if you take my deal, you and Maria will have to disappear. I’m going to make it look like the three they sent after you, got you and I killed them and burned the house down. If you take my deal, you can never contact anyone you know ever because they will be watching. If you don’t want to take my deal, I have half a million dollars coming. You and Maria can take it and go.”

“I’m sure we will take your deal,” Mickey said, stepping over. “Where is Besseta?”

“She better be getting her little ass here soon. I wasn’t running that fast.”

“Where did you run from?”

“Okay, Mickey,” Kenneth said, turning around and pushing him to the couch to make him sit down. “First, I don’t look the same.”

“Yes, Maria said the same thing when we came out of the courthouse when you were married,” Mickey said with a grin.

“No, I mean younger,” Kenneth offered. “Now the thing is, you can’t ask how, but I’m going to show you and Maria things tonight. But you can never tell anyone. There are others like me that will kill you if you talk, but if you just keep quiet and help me on mine and Besseta’s quest of taking out the trash, everything will be good. Do you understand?”

About to nod his head Mickey stopped. “Ah, em, no,” Mickey said, shaking his head.

Giving a huff, Kenneth jumped up and started pacing and Mickey jumped back, crawling up the back of the couch. Kenneth moved much faster than any human should have. “Mickey, damn it. You turned down detective twice. You can think, so do it!” Kenneth snapped and turned to see Mickey standing on the back of the couch with his back to the wall.

“Oh, you can stand on the back of the couch, but you spank Phillip and Carrie when they do it,” Kenneth said, putting his hands on his hips. Mickey just stared at the shadowed figure, trembling.

“What happened to you? You don’t move like you used to.”

“Dude, I haven’t even showed you anything and you’re asking questions like that?”

“Yeah, ‘Dude’,” Mickey sang out. “You can move so fast, I can’t follow you.”

“Good,” Kenneth said, then froze. “When the hell did I do that?”

“When you were pacing.”

“Okay, I’ll take that. I’m sorry, but I wanted to do it, so you could gradually accept it. But I screwed that up,” Kenneth said, walking over to the couch. “You really think I would hurt you or your family?”

Realizing it was Kenneth, Mickey relaxed and stepped down off the couch. “You’re right, I have disrespected you. You would never hurt my family.”

Kenneth clasped Mickey’s shoulder. “Can’t say I blame you. When Tiffany showed me stuff, I freaked the fuck out.”

“Tiffany?” Mickey gasped and grabbed Kenneth’s arms. “What did Tiffany do, is she hurt?”

“Wait, not your daughter, Mickey. Tiffany is a friend of Besseta’s”

“So, this Tiffany is like you?”

“Yes, and so is Besseta.”

“Do either of them pose a danger to my family?”

“Ah, Mickey. Besseta just caught one that was sent to check on the other three and take Little Mickey and Phillip. Well, I’m just going to tell you, she ripped his chest open and is eating his heart in front of him. I mean that, literally,” Kenneth sighed.

“I’m in her debt,” Mickey said as his mouth dropped open. “What did they want with my youngest?”

“You really want to know?” he asked, and Mickey nodded hesitantly. “They were going to eat them. Again, literally.”

As visions filled his mind but didn’t come close, Mickey dropped on his couch and made the sign of the cross. “Mother of God, save us.” He looked up at Kenneth, “Will you help protect my family?”

“What in the hell do you think I’m doing here?”

“No, I know you’re not going to say what happened to you or Besseta, but if I figure it out, and others come for us, will you help?”

“First, unless you try to tell the world, nobody will care. But if you did, yes, I would.”

“So, it doesn’t matter if I figure it out?” he asked and Kenneth shook his head. “Can I tell Maria?”

“Mickey, if you don’t figure it out, Maria will in ten minutes,” Kenneth replied in a monotone. Kenneth whipped his head much faster than a human, looking out the window. “Fucking Fido wants to crawl away?” Kenneth snarled, walking over and opening the door. He looked back at Mickey. “One of them is trying to crawl away, hold on a second,” Kenneth said and vanished.

“Holy mother of grace,” Mickey gasped, making the sign of the cross as his heart tried to beat out of his chest. When Kenneth appeared in the door he jumped, but didn’t move away.

“Sorry, but Fido wanted to leave, and I wouldn’t let him.”

“You moved faster than the wind,” Mickey said.

“I think I can get close to three hundred, but for all I know it may be more, don’t have a radar gun,” Kenneth boasted. “You ready to see what I’m talking about?”

“Yes, you are Kenneth, I have nothing to fear,” Mickey laughed.

“I’m not talking about fear. I’m talking about freaking the fuck out.”

“I may become a little unnerved, but I won’t freak the fuck out,” Mickey stated proudly, trying not to laugh at Kenneth.

“Now remember, I’m covered in blood because of the ones that were after your family,” Kenneth said.

“For that, I would roll in the blood with you.”

“Remember, I’m younger looking,” Kenneth said, moving over to the light switch.

“You have my envy,” Mickey smiled and Kenneth turned on the light. He tried not to jump, but Kenneth heard the startle in his mind. “Did you use Edwardo’s chainsaw on them?”

“No, I ripped open their throats and drank their blood as I made fun of them.”

Shaking his head slowly, “Kenneth, you look like your pictures from college,” Mickey said realizing Kenneth stressed ‘drank’. “Will you take off the sunglasses?”

“Now, hold on,” Kenneth said, raising his hands. “The glowing eyes aren’t a normal thing. One of the ones they sent to kill you and your family had, special blood and it makes my eyes glow.”

“You are kidding me, right?” Mickey asked as Kenneth took his glasses off with his eyes closed and Mickey was shocked at just how young Kenneth looked. When Kenneth opened his eyes, Mickey jumped back. “Shit, man,” he moaned.

“Yeah, it freaks me out, too.”

“Your eyes aren’t always like that?”

Kenneth sighed. “No, otherwise, this would suck.”

“And you have like superpowers? Like, moving faster than the wind?”

“No, I’m not going to be able to help you out on those, but you will figure them out. But like I said, if you don’t tell anyone, we don’t have to worry about others,” Kenneth said, putting his sunglasses back on.

“No, Kenneth, leave them off. You look like a superhero,” Mickey said smiling. “Why would I want to tell anyone? If I did, that would hurt you.”

“I was just saying, my friend. So, do you want to take a job with me and disappear, or try it on your own?”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Mickey said, shaking his head. “I would say go with you, but I have to ask Maria. What would Besseta do to you if you made a decision that big without talking to her?”

“Yeah, good point,” Kenneth nodded. “She would probably hold me down and break my fingers one at a time, very slowly.”

“Exactly,” Mickey said.

“You go and talk to Maria, but don’t wake the little ones. No matter what, I’m sorry your house has to burn tonight to buy us some time. I’m going to open your garage and get those punks inside and start getting ready. I can hear really well, so when you think Maria’s ready, just come in here in the living room and call for me. Don’t come in the garage until I bring you in.”

“Okay,” Mickey said, heading to his bedroom.

Moving to the garage, Kenneth saw the Mustang and Suburban he’d given them. “Man, this is really going to suck,” he said, touching his old Mustang. “All that work and I’m the one that’s going to destroy you.” Groaning, he stepped back, easing the doors open and pushed the Mustang and SUV out.

Kenneth disappeared and reappeared carrying the two vampires, throwing them in and then running back carrying the werewolf. He dropped it on the floor and kicked it in the head, feeling it start to regain consciousness. “Fido better stay, or I’ll skin your ass and make a pelt,” Kenneth said and looked up as a gust of wind blew and Besseta appeared at the garage door with Tiffany floating behind her.

“Hey, stud,” Kenneth smiled as Besseta ran to him with glowing eyes. Like Kenneth, she was covered in blood. As soon as she touched him, the roar in his mind that was building subsided. “See you got the werewolf, you get his buddies?”

“Kenneth,” Tiffany snapped, walking in with glowing eyes. “I had him and Besseta runs over, trying to take him away. I’ve been killing vampires before either of your DNA lines were started.”

“Um, I…I don’t even know what to say, but…I’m sorry,” Kenneth stuttered.

With her mouth falling open, Besseta looked up at him. “I said the same damn thing.”

“Hey, I’m in this war. Besseta tells me these four were coming for babies to eat? Well yeah, I wanted a piece of their ass. The fact they wanted to hurt Mickey and his babies makes me angry in a very bad way,” Tiffany snapped, caring very much for Mickey’s family from Kenneth’s mind.

“She bent me over her knee and spanked me,” Besseta pouted, looking down.

“You tried to take him away from me, Besseta. I had just ripped his belly open, it’s not like I was going to be nice,” Tiffany growled.

Besseta looked up at Kenneth with a sad face and glowing eyes. “We had a tug of war with the vampire, fighting over who got to kill him. His arms and legs got pulled off. When I saw Tiffany was going to win, I chewed his head off.”

“And I spanked your ass!”

Not able to help it, Kenneth leaned over and looked at Besseta’s little butt. Bloody handprints were stained all over the buttocks of her pants. “Baby, don’t take this the wrong way, but for some reason, I’m getting really turned on.”

“Kenneth!” Tiffany snapped. “Don’t you even think of getting horny. I will spank your ass as well.”

“Damn,” Kenneth gasped jumping back and Besseta squeezed her arms around him.

“Baby, her spanking really hurt. Quit thinking about it.”

“Are you going to tell him about the rabid dogs?” Tiffany snapped, tapping her foot as she crossed her arms. With her arms wrapped around him, Besseta slid behind Kenneth, leaving Tiffany’s wrath directed at him.

“Dogs? Like more than one werewolf?”

“Yeah, two,” Tiffany snarled, still tapping her foot. “I had one frozen in place that was carrying two small cages. I ripped his arm off, beating him with it and Besseta runs over, rips his chest open and sticks her head in, chewing on his heart. I try and stop her by grabbing her legs and pulling her out and she comes out eating his heart. She runs over, jumping on his chest as she’s eating his heart.”

“Well, um, I….” Kenneth said, looking at the angry face of Tiffany. With her eyes glowing, Kenneth was getting close to freaking out. “I think she just wanted to help.”

“Yeah, that’s why she got another spanking.”

With vivid images of the spanking in his mind’s eye, Kenneth held up his hands. “Okay, enough talking about the spankings. I’m not kidding. Say you talked to her real sternly.”

“When we caught the second one, I talked real sternly to her after she crushed his spine while I was ripping the top of his skull off,” Tiffany growled.

“The werewolf quit howling in pain when Tiffany bent me over her knee and talked sternly to me,” Besseta offered in a meek voice behind him.

“I know this isn’t the right time, but when we get home, can you two reenact some of this?” Kenneth asked cautiously.

With her gaze locked on him, Tiffany’s glowing eyes flared. “Kenneth, now is not the time to be horny,” Besseta warned, feeling waves of anger off of Tiffany.

“Sorry Tiffany, but it seems you killed the last one,” Kenneth said with a forced smile.

“Yes, I did. I ripped the top of his skull off and ate his brain while he was alive,” she said proudly.

Poking her head out from under Kenneth’s arm, Besseta looked up at him. “I couldn’t do anything because I was rubbing my burning ass from the stern talk. Her stern talks really fucking hurt. And let me tell you, she is a much more powerful telekinetic than either of us, take my word for it.”

Hearing the fear in her voice and feeling it in her mind, Kenneth turned to look at Besseta, hiding behind him. “Okay, I’m not horny anymore.”

“And you’re wondering why I’m hiding behind you,” Besseta snickered.

“I take it, since these are here, Mickey and his family are safe,” Tiffany huffed, walking over and picking up the closest vampire’s right leg and twisted it. The lower leg snapped at the knee. The vampire sat up, drawing a breath to scream and his mouth froze open. “Punk ass bitch,” Tiffany snapped, kicking him in the mouth. The vampire fell back with his jaw cocked to the side.

“Yep, horny is long gone now,” Kenneth mumbled as waves of aggression emanated from Tiffany. “Yes, they are fine. Mickey is talking to Maria now, to see if they want to come with us.”

Hearing that, Tiffany stumbled back as Besseta squeezed him tight. “Kenneth, the League,” Tiffany gasped.

“Hey, even they have humans that know,” Kenneth said. “They drink from them and in return for the service, they will attempt the change. As long as they never talk to others, they are given a pardon.”

“You can’t grant a pardon,” Besseta told him.

“Then I will kill the entire League until they give me one.” Kenneth quickly explained what he wanted to do in their minds.

“Hey, I like that,” Besseta said, sticking her head around him.

“Me, too,” Tiffany said. “The babies would always have someone watching them.”

“So, both of you agree?” he asked, and they nodded. Kenneth pointed at the vampire that used to be a Nazi. “I can’t wait until his power kicks in.”

“Ew, what can he do?” Besseta asked, jumping in front of Kenneth.

“He’s like an electric eel, he can shock people.”

“How in the hell did you bite him then?” Tiffany asked.

“I froze him.”

“Kenneth, that means you just make the air around them rigid,” Tiffany said.

“No, I froze him inside his mind.”

“Oh,” Tiffany said with her glowing eyes getting bigger. “Are you sure Besseta’s gift passed to you? Gifts don’t pass, at least that I’ve heard of.”

“Oh yeah, I can feel it and you were right, it only takes one bite.”

“But you aren’t hurting.”

Throwing up his hands, Kenneth scoffed. “On that you’re wrong, but compared to my birth, this shit is nothing. Like stubbing your toe compared to being circumcised with a chainsaw.”

“Well, now I have a scale for pain,” Tiffany mumbled as she staggered with visual images filling her mind.

“When we get home, I’ll let you take it from me,” Kenneth said, picking up Besseta.

“No, Kenneth. She can never drink from you,” Tiffany snapped, running over. “She is the only thing that calms your mind. If she loses that power, both of you will go insane.”

Besseta looked at him with a stern face. “She has a point, and that would suck.”

“Well, he still has some, hurry and bite him,” Kenneth said, looking to the door that led in the house. “Wow, Maria knew what we were without even seeing us.”

“Is she scared of us?” Besseta asked with a frown.

Turning from the door, Kenneth looked at her. “Babe, don’t frown with your eyes glowing, it looks really weird. I’m reminded of Pokémon.”

“What the hell is that?”

“A game the kids play. Now I’m going inside, you two think you can get what we need?”

Besseta took off the blood-soaked backpack. “Be back in a minute.”

“Wait, you think you can bite ‘sparky’ now and deal with the pain?” Without saying anything, Besseta dove onto the vampire and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. “Okay, I’m horny again,” Kenneth said, seeing Besseta’s butt sticking up covered in bloody handprints.

“Kenneth,” Tiffany growled. Not saying anything, Kenneth ran for the door.

Standing in the living room, Mickey and Maria never saw the door open or close, but Kenneth appeared before them. They both gave a yelp, startling Kenneth. “Don’t do that,” Kenneth snapped, turning around.

Maria looked at him and reached up, taking the sunglasses off. “It is you.”

“I hope so, after all the shit I’ve been through.”

Setting the sunglasses down, Maria folded her arms. “Besseta needs to be more firm with you.”

Taking a step back, Kenneth looked up at Mickey. “I’m having second thoughts about you coming with me after all.”

Reaching out, Maria popped his arm. “She needs to rein you in.”

“Maybe, but you don’t need to tell her,” Kenneth whined.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria nodded. “She has no mother to guide her with her man, so I shall help.”

“Don’t go rushing to conclusions. She just got her butt spanked several times.”

“Who would spank little Besseta?” Maria growled. Kenneth quickly explained, but used his mouth. He didn’t think they were ready for more. When he was done, Maria leaned back to Mickey. “I like these women in his life now.”

“When do we start to leave?” Mickey asked, laughing as he hugged Maria.

“Now,” Kenneth said. “Have you decided?”

“We are coming with you, of course,” Maria told him sternly.

“You realize, you won’t be able to contact anyone you know, ever. You and your family are marked for death.”

“Yes, Mickey explained but your way, we can assure the rest of the family is safe,” Maria said with a sad face.

“Well, you will like the temporary house until the real one is built.”

“Why do we need a new one if there is one there?” Mickey asked.

“Cover,” Kenneth said. “The temporary house is only three-thousand-square-foot. We are building a ten-thousand-square-foot house.”

“And you can afford this?”

“Mickey, you wouldn’t believe me, if I told you how much money I married into,” Kenneth droned. “Your salary, I’m thinking of one point two million a year.”

Maria’s eyes rolled back in her head as she fell back. Seeing Mickey wouldn’t catch her, Kenneth darted over, catching her. “Mickey, if she would’ve hit the floor, Maria would’ve broken your face.” Not seeing Mickey move to help, Kenneth looked up and saw Mickey staring ahead in shock. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Laying Maria on the couch, Kenneth guided Mickey to a chair. Grabbing a glass of water, Kenneth sprinkled water over their faces, making them jerk. Maria sat up, speaking Spanish and looked at Kenneth. “You don’t need to pay Mickey this amount of money.”

“Maria, it’s part of the cover. We need to, so I can continue.”

Maria looked at Mickey and he nodded. “Then, we accept.”

Kenneth stood up. “Maria, I know you understand and told Mickey, just take my word. I’m going to close the garage and show you what’s after your family.” They watched him disappear and reappear. “Let’s go.”

They followed him to the garage and the lights were off. Kenneth could see very well, but they could only see shapes on the floor. “One of them is scary, but don’t yell,” Kenneth said, turning on the light.

When the light came on, Maria yelped and climbed Mickey like a tree. One second, she was standing beside him, then the next, she was sitting on his shoulders. They both made the sign of the cross, looking at the massive werewolf. “That is what came to kill my family?” Mickey asked breathlessly.

“Yes, with those. They are similar to me,” Kenneth said as Mickey stepped closer to ‘sparky’. “Don’t get close to that one, his touch will hurt you, if he wakes.”

With Maria still on his shoulder, Mickey jumped back. “Little Besseta, ripped open one of those things chest and stuck her head in, eating its heart?”

“Yeah, it was carrying small cages for the kids and that really pissed her off. That’s what got her another spanking, Tiffany wanted to kill it.”

Mickey looked up at Maria as she leaned out, looking down at him. “Maria, don’t tell Besseta to be firmer with him, she could hurt Kenneth.”

“On this, I’m going to agree with you,” Maria nodded. “They look dead.”

“Oh, they aren’t yet. Besseta did suck what blood ‘sparky’ had in him, but they are all alive for now.”

“You are fighting these as well?” Mickey asked.

“Yeah, it seems the group that is after you, is in union with these and want to use humans like cattle.”

With apocalyptic visions filling their minds, Maria and Mickey broke out in Spanish, making the sign of the cross. “I hope you are pausing your crusade to give these your attention,” Mickey finally said, getting to his knees and letting Maria get off his shoulders.

“Yes, that’s what I was doing. We, well, Besseta was beating the shit out of one of them, when I found out from one of the bitches at the top that she had sent a group to kill your family. Needless to say, we left the battle and hightailed it here.”

“I would like to have words with this bitch,” Maria snapped.

“No, she is worse than either of the things on the floor, and Besseta’s already called for her head. Trust me, you do not want to get between Besseta and the skank.”

“Then, I shall cheer her on and pray for her.”

“What can we bring?” Mickey asked, hugging Maria.

“As little as possible. Remember, you need to look dead. That’s hard to do if all the pictures are gone, but you can take some.”

“I have all of them on computer flash drives, the ones hanging will stay,” Maria scoffed.

Kenneth picked up the bloody backpack and handed it to Mickey, “Just bring one set of clothes for the kids. You can use this to get them some clothes tomorrow while Besseta and I get us rides and your new IDs. The money in there is yours, but the IDs in there are our extras.”

Mickey opened the backpack and stumbled back. “How much is this?”

“In the neighborhood of half a mil.”

Nodding as he zipped the bag closed, “Nice neighborhood,” Mickey mumbled.

“We need to wake the kids,” Maria said, walking in the house.

“No, Maria, let them sleep. It will be easier to move them,” Kenneth said, darting in front of her.

“I don’t understand, but okay,” she smiled. “Can you just warn Edwardo?”

Tensing up, Kenneth gave a long sigh. “We are trying, but we can’t find him. That’s where Besseta headed to and caught the ones her and Tiffany killed.”

“Then, they got him,” Maria sobbed.

“No, those didn’t. We know that for a fact. I’m not saying he’s alive, but let us get you hid and we will make another run,” Kenneth said as Mickey came over, wrapping his arm around Maria. “If it wasn’t for the kids, I would stash you close so we could keep looking now.”

“We understand,” Mickey said.

They left as Kenneth started prepping the house. ‘Kenneth, can we come in, the garage is closed’ Besseta said in his mind.

He walked to the front door and opened it, letting Besseta and Tiffany in. “Trouble?”

“No, we got everything. Your packages are in the backyard, just didn’t feel right leaving them in the front yard,” Besseta answered, kissing him.

“Any more spankings?”

Besseta slapped his arm and then an invisible hand punched him in the gut, sending him across the room. “Told you, she’s touchy,” Besseta said walking across the room, and then helped Kenneth off the floor.

“Besseta,” Maria gasped, running out of the hall and wrapping her arms around Besseta, picking her up. “You’ve lost weight. Has he been worrying you that much?”

“No, Maria,” Besseta laughed and kissed her cheek.

Maria looked at the dried blood that caked Besseta’s face and hair. “We can never repay you for what you have done for us.”

“Maria, we love your family and if someone messes with it, chainsaws are the least of their worries.”

Smiling warmly at Besseta, Maria put her down and walked over to Tiffany. “You must be the Tiffany that Kenneth speaks so highly of.”

“Yes,” Tiffany smiled. “But I’m a little put out with Kenneth and Besseta at the moment. I’m fighting in this war with them and when I catch one, I goddamned well better get to kill it!” she said, turning her head and locking both in her gaze.

Softening her gaze, Tiffany turned back to Maria. “I’m sorry, but with the way Kenneth thinks of your family, I wanted to swim in blood tonight, but one gets in my way and the other gets horny.”

At first, Maria was speechless, but then shook her head, getting her senses back. “I know who for each, and I’ve never heard that word associated with Kenneth, ever.” Stepping over, Maria wrapped her arms around Tiffany, shocking her. “You, like them, are part of this family.”

Giving a contented sigh, Tiffany returned the hug. “Thank you, Maria.”

Nodding at Kenneth, Mickey came back carrying the bloody backpack and one suitcase. He hugged the girls and looked at Kenneth. “We are ready.”

“Besseta, Tiffany, you ready to get them to the hotel?” Kenneth asked.

“I can start a fire,” Besseta huffed. “Why don’t I do it?”

“Baby, I know you can start a fire, but what did you see in my mind?” Kenneth asked, crossing his arms. “It must look like an accident/on purpose fire to fool the good and bad guys. I’ve done that several times.”

“You and this covert shit… I just rip their heads off!”

“First, you rip their arms and legs off, even after I tell you they are mine,” Tiffany chimed in. “The next ‘stern talking’ will be worse.”

Seeing the bloody handprints on Besseta’s rump, Maria pulled Mickey down and whispered in his ear. “I will not tell her to be more firm to Kenneth, I think she will break him.”

Rolling her eyes, Tiffany scoffed. “Fat chance on that. The best she’s done is made him pass out.”

“Will you two get the kids, so I can start?” Kenneth sighed. They both left the living room, walking down the hall. “Mickey, Maria, stay calm and trust them. You’re going to be moving fast, but not in a car.”

When Besseta walked out, Maria jumped to see Cierra, Tiffany, and Carrie floating behind her and wrapped up in blankets. Tiffany walked out with little Mickey and Phillip floating behind her. As Besseta walked out the door, Tiffany turned to Mickey and Maria and they closed their eyes as they felt their feet leave the floor. ‘Be careful, this is where we are going.’ Besseta said and showed Kenneth in his mind, and Tiffany walked out.

Kenneth blurred to the backyard and back into the house, laying old skeletons in the kids beds that Besseta and Tiffany had dug up. Getting the two adult skeletons, he put them in the living room and caused trauma to be seen on the bones. Then, he went and did the kids.

Dragging the three in, Kenneth enjoyed ripping them apart, even though ‘sparky’ did get him once, sending Kenneth across the house. When the scene was set, Kenneth arranged the fire he wanted and ran outside, patting his old Mustang one last time.

Seeing flames in the windows, Kenneth disappeared into the night.

Chapter Thirteen

With the eastern sky getting brighter in the distance, Kenneth appeared on the lip of a canyon ten miles north of Santa Clarita and saw a nice house at the end of the canyon. “Trust Tiffany to find a secluded spot close to LA,” Kenneth chuckled, realizing he didn’t remember everything from looking over Tiffany’s life.

Running down into the canyon toward the house, Kenneth slowed as he neared the yard, seeing Besseta waiting on him. “Where’s Tiffany?” he asked, walking up to the house and picking her up in a hug.

“She’ll be back later,” Besseta smiled, kissing him. “What took you so long?”

“Had to make sure the fire took, babe, and the fire department wouldn’t put it out too fast.”

She shook her head. “The level of intrigue you mastermind and deduct will always fascinate me,” she said, nuzzling her face in his neck.

Cocking his head toward the house, “How are they doing?” he asked, looking at the house.

“Little Mickey woke up on the way here and we had to stop, so Maria could get him back to sleep. Mickey and Maria are sitting and discussing what to tell the kids.”

Thankful he didn’t have to do that, Kenneth kissed Besseta’s cheek and carried her to the house. “How much longer will Tiffany be? We have things to do.”

“Oh, we can go ahead. Tiffany won’t be back until tonight.”

Putting Besseta down on the front porch, and since they had come to an agreement to not ‘dig’ for information, Kenneth shook his head. “Where did she go?”

“Home, to get the babies.”

Holding the door open, he waved Besseta inside with a bow. “Can I just ask why? We left enough food and water out for a week,” he said, walking in.

Mickey and Maria were sitting at the table, talking and writing stuff down, and looked up as the two came in. “The babies were lonely” Besseta told him, looking at him with a sad face.

Thankful her eyes weren’t glowing anymore, Kenneth smiled. “Just how in the hell would either of you know?”

“We called them.”

Flabbergasted, Kenneth stumbled back and fell on his butt. “You taught the dogs how to answer a phone?”

“No, silly,” Besseta laughed, picking him up off the floor. She walked over to the table where the bloody backpack was dumped out and picked up a smartphone. Pressing a number, she put it on speaker and video on the third ring. The screen turned on and Kenneth saw a view of the living room at the house.

Seeing the camera was only three feet off the floor, Kenneth started racking his brain to figure out what was in that spot. “There’s nothing on that wall, how did you get a camera there?”

“It is the neatest thing, it’s called a ‘Puppy Love Phone’. Tiffany found a man who was selling them. Turns out he was the developer, as well,” Besseta said and looked at the phone. “Babies, it’s momma. Where are you?”

Kenneth heard barking and saw Bonnie and Clyde bouncing down the stairs. They ran over to the camera, bouncing around, then both ducked under the camera. “It gives treats when they come?”

“No, goofy, there is a TV screen, so they can see me,” Besseta laughed.

Taking the phone, Kenneth saw Jack and Jill slowly coming downstairs. “Bonnie, Clyde, why were you upstairs with Jack and Jill?”

Bonnie and Clyde started barking, bouncing around in circles as Besseta tapped the number two on the screen. Kenneth saw the two licking a flat screen monitor showing the image of him. “You got a smartphone for the dogs?”

“It’s the best thing, Kenneth,” Besseta said, stomping her foot. “We can check on the babies when we’re gone, and they can see us.”

“Is this the reason Tiffany bought a new laptop?”

“No,” Besseta scoffed. “This is why we loaded up on disposable smartphones. She got the laptop, so she could play with the puppies; hers didn’t have the processing power.”

“I’m going to ask, but I’m not sure I want to know. How do you play with a dog, thousands of miles away with a laptop?”

“It drives a little car around that has a camera. You can chase them, and they can chase it. The little car will even throw a ball,” Besseta said as she bounced on her toes.

Seeing how happy she was, Kenneth smiled. “Let me guess, you bought one, too?”

“No,” Besseta huffed. “I bought three, and Tiffany bought three.”

“How much-,”

All joy left her face as Besseta grabbed the front of his shirt and reared back her fist. “Ask how much it cost, I dare ya,” she growled. “Fuck that, I double dare ya. I’ll punch you out and break your toes, one by one.”

Hearing the dogs barking on the phone, Kenneth raised it to his mouth. “Bonnie, Clyde, be good,” Kenneth said, hanging up the phone and never taking his eyes off Besseta. “Besseta, I was just going to ask that, because I think this guy is onto something that we might need to invest in.”

Not letting his shirt go, but dropping her fist with a confused look on her face, “Huh?” Besseta asked.

“You said this guy was the developer that made this. It sounds like he started his own company and is just starting out. I think we need to look into investing in it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, if it makes you happy. I don’t care what you spend, and Tiffany can spend her money on whatever she wants. I see that both of you really like this and I do have to admit, it was good to see them, but this company may be something we need to invest in.” Then added under his breath, “Besides, I think both of you together could pay off the federal deficit.”

Jumping up, Besseta wrapped her legs around him, hugging him tight. “I’m glad you’re not worried about the money.”

“Seeing your fist balled up as many times as I have, getting ready to pummel me for worrying about money, is starting to have an effect.”

Sitting at the table watching them, Maria smiled. “I was wrong. She has already brought him in line.”

“Maria,” Kenneth snapped. “You can’t always take her side.” The smile fell off as Maria busted out in Spanish, waving her hand at him. “You do remember I am fluent in Spanish, right?” Unfazed, Maria cut loose again.

Besseta shook her head. “I have to remember this,” she said amazed, listening to Maria.

When Maria stopped, Kenneth walked over to the table with Besseta still holding on with her legs wrapped around him. “Maria, I love you with all my heart, but if you keep telling her how to cow me down, I’m going to hold you down and spit in your ear.”

Besseta looked over at Maria. “He can’t spit if I tie his lips together. You must tell me more of this.”

Giving up, Kenneth shook his head. “Guys, we need to start gathering stuff. It’s daylight, so we won’t be able to get back fast, but if you need us, call us,” Kenneth said, handing one of the phones to Mickey. “Nobody knows about this place. Hell, I didn’t even know about this place and I just read her mind, so just stay close. I don’t feel bad about not committing thousands of years to memory.”

“Compadre,” Mickey said, standing up. “Are the things you showed us last night hurt by guns?”

“Yes, but it takes lots of bullets.”

“I need one then,” Mickey said, nodding.

“When we get to where we are going, you will have them, but we can’t risk it getting this family to its new home. I really don’t want to kill a cop because he finds a pistol in one of the cars.”

Besseta laughed. “No, you’ll just make him drop his pants and spank his own ass until it bleeds, standing beside the road.”

Turning from Besseta, Mickey looked at Kenneth with a confused look. Kenneth just shook his head. “I’ll tell you another day. I’m sorry, my friend, but my wife has worn me out mentally.”

Walking over, Mickey clasped his shoulder. “On this, I know much. What are you two going to do?”

“Get some rides and look for Edwardo,” Kenneth answered as Maria walked up behind Mickey and popped his butt. “If we aren’t back by dark, don’t freak. If for some reason, we or Tiffany aren’t here in two days, grab the money and run.”

Maria looked up at Mickey and turned to Kenneth. “Don’t risk yourself and little Besseta,” she said as tears ran down her cheeks.

Knowing how much that hurt Maria to say, Kenneth shook his head. “Sorry, but Edwardo is part of our family, and we owe it to him to find him.”

“LA is big, you can’t search it all,” Mickey said.

“Want to bet on that?” Kenneth challenged, pulling out his wallet.

“Show off,” Besseta said and then bit his nose, but didn’t let go.

“Hey, I need that to find Edwardo,” Kenneth laughed.

Letting go of Kenneth’s nose, Besseta dropped to her feet. “We will buy the kids some clothes, since I have their sizes now. Use the computer to have the little store at the end of the canyon deliver some food. Sorry, but Tiffany doesn’t have a car here. But don’t leave the area, in case we come back and need to leave really fast.”

“We will stay in the house,” Mickey said, wrapping his arm around Maria.

“When we leave, there is some bleach under the sink,” Besseta said, pulling Kenneth to the door. “Mickey, don’t ask why, but I need you to pour small drops of bleach around the house and pee around the house, so they don’t smell Kenneth or I. Tiffany just bought the house and hasn’t lived in it.”

With a look of bewilderment, Maria looked up at Mickey. “Now, you have a reason to pee outside around the house.”

Walking out the door, Kenneth and Besseta laughed as they left. Not able to run like they could at night, they still ran faster than a human could to the end of the canyon. Stopping at a locked-up house, Kenneth walked to the garage and nodded at the door. The garage door rolled up and Kenneth smiled, seeing a Harley.

“We need to clean up some,” Besseta said, walking up behind him. Kenneth looked over at her and saw the dried blood that covered her body. Looking down at himself, he saw the same.

“Let’s do it fast. ‘Sparky’ knew someone who was looking for Edwardo near Venice Beach,” Kenneth said, walking into the house. “I can smell Edwardo, but for some reason, I can’t locate him.”

After showering, they dressed in shorts and t-shirts they found in the house. Barefoot, Kenneth climbed on the Harley and started it up. Besseta bounced up behind him, sitting on the bitch seat and wrapped her legs around him like a seat belt.

Reaching town, Kenneth parked the bike while Besseta called a cab. When the cab pulled up, they climbed in. “Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive,” Besseta commanded, pulling out a cardholder and handing the driver a credit card.

The driver slid the card and handed it back. “Miss, I just want to warn you,” he said, looking at them in the rearview mirror. “You walk around like that, they will arrest you in ten minutes.”

“Yeah, we were at a party and our clothes got stolen. We need more,” Besseta said as she sat back and put her legs in Kenneth’s lap.

“Damn, that must have been some party,” the driver laughed.

When the cab stopped, they got out and walked barefoot into the Armani store. A man approached them, holding up his hand and pointing at the door. “Shut your mouth, pencil dick,” Besseta snapped and the man jumped back. “We need clothes, now. We were robbed and had to stop at a second-hand store, so if you say anything, I’ll choke you with your own tie.”

The man turned to Kenneth and Kenneth shrugged. “I have my wallet and she has her card holder, so I would listen to her before she calls her dad and has you dropped in the ocean.”

Bowing as all the color drained from his face, “Accept my apologies,” he said, then straightened up.

Looking up at Kenneth, “You get one suit at least, but also several outfits. They better look good or I’ll rip them up and we start over,” Besseta said as she walked toward the women’s section, but stopped. “No, scratch that,” she said, looking at the man who worked there and saw he was a manager.

“So, Leon, you’re the manager?” she asked, and he nodded. “Dress him and I want him to look nice, and not like some sissy ass. I’m going to find some clothes. You have one hour,” she commanded, walking away.

“My,” Leon said, watching her walk away. “She seems used to getting her way.”

“Yep,” Kenneth sighed. “Piss her off and she’ll buy the store just to burn it down.”

Leon grabbed Kenneth’s arm and pulled him to the back of the store. In just over an hour, they were standing outside dressed very nice. Hanging up her phone, Besseta had a leather backpack while Kenneth carried a leather garment bag over his shoulder, and a large graphite rolling suitcase he was pulling along.

“I can’t believe you paid six hundred dollars for a backpack,” he huffed as a cab pulled up. “I could buy the same damn thing at Walmart for twenty bucks and sew the name tag on.”

As Kenneth opened the door for her, Besseta glared at him. “One more word, and I’ll bite your pinkie toe off.”

“Point taken,” he nodded, climbing in after her before pulling the suitcase in and laying the garment bag over it.

Leaning up to the driver, “Goss dealership,” Besseta said, handing the driver a hundred-dollar bill.

When she sat back, Kenneth looked at her in shock. “How the hell, did you know about that dealership? It has the largest inventory of exotic cars in North America.”

“Are you kidding? You have it on your favorites,” she grinned. “I don’t think you get on the computer without looking at the car sites.”

“Do we really want to attract that much attention?”

“Attention? Be damned if I’m riding home again in something that isn’t comfortable,” she snapped. “You once said the Jag was the best in its price range for luxury. So, what’s the best?”

“For luxury and speed? Right now, it’s the Bentley Mulsanne.”

“We’ll get some of those then,” she grinned happily.

Feeling lightheaded, Kenneth felt his heart skip a beat. “Babe, they cost four hundred thousand and change- apiece.”

As the smile fell off her face, Besseta reached over and grabbed his leg, squeezing it hard. “Did you say something?”

“No,” Kenneth grimaced until she let go of his leg. “It’s only a four-person car, babe. Mickey has five kids.”

“So, we’ll buy more than one.”

“Besseta, if we buy more than one, we will attract attention just going down the highway. How about we buy a Range Rover?”

“Do they ride good or do they beat you up like the Jeep?”

“You love riding in the Jeep,” Kenneth snapped.

Shaking her head, “Not for long periods of time,” Besseta said.

Giving up, Kenneth nodded. “Yes, if you don’t like the way the Range Rover rides, I’ll burn the damn thing.”

“How many can it carry?”

“Six.”

“So, we buy the Bentley and a Range Rover?”

“Yes, baby,” Kenneth said as the cab pulled up to the front of the dealership.

When they got out, a man came over and Besseta held up her hand. “Black or Grey Bentley Mulsanne, new. Do you have one here ready to sell or shall we go somewhere else?”

“Uh, yes. We have two black and one grey, here,” the salesman said.

“Show me and make it quick,” Besseta replied, slinging her backpack onto one shoulder.

Visibly trembling, the salesman led them inside to the showroom. He walked around several cars and Besseta raised her eyebrows. “I like it that they keep the cars inside,” she confessed as the man stopped beside a big black car and opened the door.

Besseta climbed inside and gasped at the luxury. Running her hands over the seats, she smiled as Kenneth got in the other side. “This is top of the line, babe,” he grinned. “Never thought I would ever sit inside one, much less be thinking about buying one.”

“Does this one have everything that a car can come with?” Besseta asked, looking at the dashboard.

“Its options and accessories,” Kenneth replied, pulling a slip off the dash and sucked in a breath. “Holy mother of God.”

“So, I take it this one has everything?”

“Shit, for this much, the damn thing better be able to drive itself, cook supper, and turn into a hover car.”

Knowing a threat would do no good, Besseta looked out at the salesman. “I’ll take it,” she said, getting out of the car. Taking off her backpack, the salesman stuttered when she pulled out her credit card holder. She handed over her license and a gold credit card.

The salesman looked down and gasped. “This is a JP Morgan Chase Palladium.”

“Yeah, so what?” Besseta shrugged, putting her backpack on. “It doesn’t have a credit limit. I have my Black American Express if you wish to use it, but if I take off my backpack again, you’re giving me a discount.”

“This will be fine,” he stuttered, wondering where this young tiny woman came into such money.

“I’m in a hurry, so please move,” she stated kindly as Kenneth got out of the other side. “I want the car fueled before I leave as well.”

“Yes, madam,” the salesman said with a bow. “This way, please.”

Besseta turned to see Kenneth staring at a car that was low to the ground and shaped like a wedge. “Get the papers ready and I’ll join you. I want to see what my husband is looking at.”

“Yes, madam,” the salesman said, looking over at Kenneth. “That is the Lamborghini Aventador.”

“Thank you, now papers,” Besseta said, walking around the Bentley. She walked over to Kenneth and wrapped her arm around his waist. “You like this one?”

“Babe, it’s a rocket for two people,” Kenneth laughed. “I have one of those already. Tiffany bought me that Saline S7.”

“So, you don’t like it?”

“No, but we need transportation for people, not rockets,” Kenneth said, opening the door. “Damn, feels like I’m climbing into the Starship Enterprise.”

Feeling the joy from Kenneth as he sat in the car, Besseta turned around and snapped her fingers and six other salesmen ran over. “I’ll take this one as well.”

Visibly pale, Kenneth jumped out. “Are you crazy? We have to drive it over two thousand miles.”

She turned to the closest salesman. “Will this car make it two thousand miles without getting hurt? We are in a kind of race.”

“Madam, I would race this car across the states right now, without hesitation,” the salesman said with confidence.

“Add it to my bill and make it fast,” Besseta said, turning to look up at Kenneth. “Did you want to say something, babe?”

“Nope,” Kenneth said, forcing himself not to look at another car.

Hearing his thoughts, Besseta smiled. “You’d better look, or I’ll buy them all.”

“If I do, will you promise not to buy anymore? There’s only two of us and you’ve bought two already.”

“Maybe,” she smiled and saw Kenneth keep his eyes straight ahead. “Oh, all right, I won’t buy another one unless you approve.”

“Thank you,” Kenneth sighed, but smiled. “Thank you for the car.”

Wrapping her arms around him, Besseta looked up and smiled. “I’d buy you the world, if you’d let me.”

“I have all I ever wanted, right here in my arms,” he smiled, hugging her tight.

“Always,” Besseta said, burying her face in his chest.

“Always.”

The original salesman came over and led them to a very luxurious room to sign papers. Kenneth had never gotten a leather jacket when he’d bought a car, but when he saw the four hundred grand price for the Lamborghini, he almost demanded they throw in a house.

They drove north out of town and left the Bentley at a hotel, with the garment bag and suitcase. Besseta climbed into the Lamborghini and Kenneth sped back towards LA. As Kenneth drove, Besseta made several calls, then looked over at him when she hung up the phone.

“Tiffany will be here with the babies at nine this evening,” she said as Kenneth pulled into another dealership. “After we get this one, let’s drop it off and search for Edwardo.”

“You want me to drive a Lamborghini to East LA? Are you insane?”

“You’re a big boy, and I’m sure no one will hurt you,” Besseta laughed.

Shaking his head, Kenneth parked at the dealership and looked over at her. “We would have to kill too many people for messing with the car.”

“Fine, we’ll leave the car with the others,” Besseta sighed. “The lawyers called. They got the pictures I sent for Mickey’s family. The new IDs will be here tomorrow morning by courier.”

“Just how in the hell, can they do that so fast?” Kenneth asked, pulling the fob out. “The IDs they send us aren’t fake; they are state issued.”

“Like I said, they know to only send me real IDs,” Besseta said, opening her door. As the door lifted up, she leaned over and kissed his cheek and got out.

They left with Besseta driving the Range Rover and Kenneth following. Besseta stopped at two stores and Kenneth bought more phones, and another laptop with an airtime card. He sat in the Lamborghini, contacting people he used to get information from on the internet.

Looking up, Kenneth saw a store employee unloading a cart into the Range Rover. He got out and helped as Besseta tossed her backpack in the passenger seat. When Kenneth closed the back door, she walked up beside him. “Any luck?”

“Yeah, and none good,” Kenneth sighed, looking at the sun getting close to the horizon. “Edwardo and two members of his gang were picked up by feds night before last at a party.”

“Where are they being held?”

“That’s just it. They aren’t in any jail in California or Nevada.”

Besseta could hear the roaring building in Kenneth’s mind and reached over, touching his arm. The roaring died down instantly. “Baby, relax,” she said in a soft voice.

“I’m trying,” Kenneth said and she wrapped her arms around him.

Hearing his thoughts, Besseta jerked her head up, looking at him. “You know where they are holding him?” Not answering, Kenneth just looked at the sun nearing the horizon. “You’re blocking me, stop it!”

“Yeah,” Kenneth mumbled, “A warehouse at the Port of Los Angeles. Harry said they had a place there where the Strong Hands held people off the grid to get information. That werewolf I killed last night, wanted to go there to escape.”

Letting him go, Besseta moved to her Range Rover. “Get in, and let’s get these cars parked.”

Climbing in, Besseta started the Range Rover and Kenneth jumped out of the way as she backed up, squealing tires. Running over, he jumped into the Lamborghini and pulled the door down as he started the car. Besseta was already on the road when he backed out, but Kenneth soon blew past her.

When they pulled up beside the Bentley, half the sun was below the horizon. Kenneth climbed out as Besseta walked over and grabbed his hand and led him into the hotel. She got a room and then led him over to a shop that sold clothes, and bought each of them Lycra bicycle pants, shirts, and tennis shoes.

“Kind of low end, compared to what we spent today,” Kenneth laughed, grabbing the bag.

“I’m not ruining my new clothes. Besides, when I hunt, I like tight clothes that I can throw away,” she said, leading him to their room. When she closed the door, she looked at him with a grin. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but change in the bathroom.”

Seeing her grinning and looking at his body, Kenneth chuckled. “Wait until you see what I bought for you.”

“Mama has what she needs,” Besseta grinned as he went to the bathroom.

When Kenneth stepped out he sucked in a breath, seeing Besseta in the skin-tight black fabric. “Damn, you need to wear like a suit of armor,” he mumbled as she looked up at him seeing the same on him.

Never seeing her move, Kenneth felt something hit him, knocking him to the floor and Besseta locked her mouth over his. “Babe, we have to go,” he said, pushing her back and almost let her go as he dropped his eyes to her body.

“Yeah, we do because if I jump you now, you’re passing out,” Besseta replied, floating up and putting her feet down.

“Sorry, men have a limit.” Getting up, Kenneth grinned. “I don’t pass out, you wear me out.”

Besseta jumped up, giving him a peck on the cheek and then blurred to the door. “Don’t even think about leaving me,” she said, opening the door.

“Told you already, you’re stuck with me now,” Kenneth answered, then blurred over to her.

“No, I mean, on the way. I can’t keep up with you, if you run all out. I still don’t know how you ran from Las Vegas to LA in ten minutes.”

Shrugging, “All I know is I wanted to be at Mickey’s and the world blurred. The next thing I knew, I was coming up on the three stooges,” he said.

“Well, you run with me,” Besseta warned, stepping out to see the sun was below the horizon. As the last rays left, they both felt the strength that the sun had taken from them flood back into their bodies.

“I’ll follow you. I think I would like that scenery,” Kenneth grinned.

Grinning, Besseta watched him close the door. “Let’s get this over with, so I can make you pass out,” she said, then disappeared.

Kenneth saw a black streak dart down the highway. “Momma be sexy,” he said as a gust of wind blew, and Kenneth was gone.

Chapter Fourteen

Catching a scent she recognized, Besseta skidded to a halt a mile away from the port on a bridge. Feeling a gust of wind and hearing Kenneth skid to a stop beside her, she stared ahead at the lights. “That’s quite a few werewolves,” she droned.

Sniffing the air, Kenneth shook his head. “At least a dozen, and I can smell double that in vampires,” he said and apprehension gripped his chest.

“Babe, don’t worry about me. I’ve been fighting for hundreds of years, and I’m still here,” Besseta reminded him, and then reached over and grabbed his hand. She listened to the thoughts in his mind, fearing for her. “Hey, remember? I’m tough, Mister ‘I pass out’.”

Turning to her, Kenneth had a tormented expression. “If you got hurt, I’m scared of what I would become.”

“Kenneth, if something happened to you, I’d lose my mind,” Besseta said, wrapping her arms around him. Feeling his body and hearing the thoughts in his mind relax, Besseta looked up. “You smell Edwardo.”

“Yeah, he’s dead.”

Closing her eyes, Besseta felt herself drift into Kenneth’s mind. She caught the scent of Edwardo, covered in blood and death. “Well, let’s go and complete the charade,” she said, letting him go. “If we go and kill a bunch of them, they will think Mickey and his family are dead. I don’t think we should risk actually getting into the warehouse.”

“Elizabeth is there,” Kenneth said and lunged to catch Besseta as she tried to take off. “You can’t let her touch you!”

“Only my fist when I pound that bitch’s face!”

“Baby, stop it!” Kenneth snapped in a harsh tone, shocking Besseta. She stopped struggling and looked up at him in shock. “If you don’t keep your wits, we will both die when we attack. Remember, act more powerful and with indifference; that’s what they fear. We are outnumbered and if they don’t buy the act, we are screwed.”

Taking a deep breath, Besseta blew it out. “I’m calm now. Let me go, so I can pull the bitch’s spine out,” she growled.

Kenneth held her tight and jumped off the bridge, landing in a cement river bottom. He saw several homeless under the embankment. “We’re going to feed, then take off.”

“They’re just homeless,” Besseta said, following his gaze.

“Bet you money, more than one is guilty,” Kenneth said, letting her go. In a blur, Kenneth was standing among the group. The four men and two women looked up at the man in black who’d just appeared. Kenneth could hear their thoughts, but not read them as he pushed his mind out, locking all of them up.

Besseta appeared beside him, listening to the thoughts. “I thought you couldn’t read humans minds without touching them?”

“I can’t really. I only hear their thoughts until I touch them but I can put stuff in without touching. To be honest, vampires and werewolves are easier,” Kenneth said, bending down and touching one of the men. The man jerked and Besseta followed the man’s life in Kenneth’s mind. “Only a thief,” Kenneth said, moving to the next one.

Besseta jumped as she watched the man kill a child in Kenneth’s mind. “Here’s yours,” Kenneth said, moving to the next one.

When they stood up, only one man and woman were left alive and Besseta wiped her mouth with her forearm. “Vengeance was here tonight. If you kill the innocent, we will come for you,” she warned, looking at the two still locked up by Kenneth’s mind.

“You ready?” Kenneth asked, kicking one of the bodies away.

“Yes, how do you want to do this?”

“I was thinking of just running up to the warehouse and killing any we find on the way. Take a look around like we are searching, then back out. I think if we bust into the warehouse, we won’t come out.”

Besseta batted her eyes at him. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.”

“Can I lead?”

“Only if you let me keep up.”

“Deal,” Kenneth said and vanished with Besseta, as the lock on the two let go and screams erupted under the bridge.

Two figures stood at a lone gate off in the shadows of a large warehouse, staring out over the vast paved area around it. One suddenly yelped and jerked, making the other turn. He jumped back, looking at the headless figure beside him, when he suddenly felt pain shoot through the small of his back and all thought left.

Besseta stopped beside Kenneth, holding up the second vampire’s spine with the head attached. “This hurts more,” she said, dropping the spine.

Kenneth held up the first vampire’s head. “He doesn’t seem to like this.”

Concentrating on listening for thoughts as well as sound, Besseta smiled as Kenneth spun around, holding up his hand. From across the vast paved area out of the darkness, a large figure floated toward them, frozen in a run. When the floating werewolf stopped in front of them, Besseta jumped up on the hovering figure and wrapped her legs around its massive neck. “Don’t worry, I know your pack can feel this,” she whispered and she tore off the top of the skull, sinking her teeth into the gray matter.

“That’s my girl,” Kenneth grinned, lowering his hand and darting away. He appeared again, holding another werewolf off the ground, with its legs dragging on the ground, and his teeth sunk into its neck. “They are trying to lure us inside,” he mumbled.

When the werewolf she was sitting on fell to the ground, released by Kenneth’s mind, Besseta jumped off, turning to Kenneth. “Yours is bigger,” she pouted.

Kenneth looked behind her to see another one coming. Before he could move, Besseta spun around, holding out her palms as the werewolf leapt into the air and froze. “I like it when they deliver themselves,” she grinned and jumped up on the back of the floating werewolf, sinking her teeth in the back of its neck.

As he dropped the one he’d been feeding on, Kenneth grabbed its lower jaw and pulled it off. “That will take some time to heal,” he said, spinning around and seeing two more coming. He vanished and the two running at him faltered in their run, wondering where he went.

They both stopped and looked around, and saw Besseta feeding on one of their pack as it hovered off the ground. Crouching down, they prepared to lunge when one’s chest suddenly blew open.

Hearing the exploding flesh and smelling the blood of his packmate, the other looked over to see Kenneth holding a massive heart in his hand, eating it. The werewolf looked at its packmate to see the chest ripped open as the body crashed to the ground. “It’s an acquired taste,” Kenneth shrugged with a bloody face and the werewolf growled, but suddenly stopped as its body froze.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kenneth dropped the heart, letting it hit the ground with a squish. “Tiffany, I swear, if you brought the babies out here, I’ll be the one giving the spanking,” Kenneth declared, as Tiffany came to a stop beside the frozen werewolf.

“Please, the babies are getting a bath and their nails done at a pet salon. I knew this wouldn’t take long. We are either going to kill a few and leave, or get killed,” she said, moving over to the werewolf and climbing up its back. She reared her fist back and drove it in at the base of the spine. “Yes, werewolf heart is an acquired taste,” she noted, jumping off the werewolf and holding a section of its spine in her hand as the body crashed behind her.

“You feed on some already?” Kenneth asked, seeing her glowing eyes.

“Yes, two were coming this way and I wanted them to do tricks. But they wouldn’t listen, so I put them down. I may not be a tactician, but I swear, they are trying to lure us inside that big building,” she said, grabbing the werewolf she’d just dropped by one ear. Lifting it up, she sank her teeth in.

“Yeah, we will go inside shortly,” Kenneth told her. ‘Not really, it’s a trap. We kill some and leave,’ Kenneth told her in her mind. Feeling movement, Kenneth spun around raising his hands and catching a figure flying at him. The air filled with the crackle of electricity as Kenneth and the figure hit the ground, sliding across the asphalt. Kenneth jumped up to see a female vampire jerking like she was having a seizure. “I have a wife,” Kenneth snapped, walking over and grabbing her by the hair, picking her up.

“You’re going to neck with another woman?” Besseta gasped, walking up with a grin.

The female vampire jerked as Besseta stopped beside Kenneth. “Whoa, she can heal super-fast,” he said as a grin split his face, exposing two very large fangs.

“Let’s see,” Besseta said, lunging and latching on the right side of the vampire and Kenneth sunk his teeth in the left side.

Kenneth could feel the skin under his mouth, trying to stem the flow of blood instantly. He countered by chewing harder, feeling his body jolt as the blood hit his stomach. Yanking his head back, “That’s why Elizabeth has kept you around for two thousand years,” he said, spitting out a chunk of meat from her neck.

Pulling away, Besseta grinned at the helpless vampire. “You followed even without her taking your mind? Well, let me tell you, this is going to hurt you more than me,” she smiled, driving her fingers into the vampire’s chest. As Besseta grabbed the heart, she could feel the chest trying to close up around her hand. “Now, that is fast,” she said, yanking the heart out.

When Besseta took a bite of the still beating heart, Kenneth dropped the vampire in shock. “Holy shit, she’s growing another one!” he cried out. Stunned, the beating heart fell out of Besseta’s hand.

“That’s not possible,” she said, kneeling down over the vampire and saw the hole in the chest was already gone, like it had never been there. Only the gaping hole in the shirt left any clue as Besseta placed her hand on the chest and in a few minutes, she felt and heard the very slow heartbeat of the vampire. “This is going to really come in handy,” she smiled. “Let’s see you walk this off, bitch,” Besseta growled, diving down and ripping the vampire’s throat out, and yanking off the head.

Tiffany came over in shock, watching the headless body that still had life, but was being held by Kenneth’s mind. “Kenneth, let her go,” Tiffany said and watched the body start to crawl toward Besseta, who was holding the head.

In horror, Besseta watched the skin of the neck forming back up while the body crawled toward her. “Okay, I know what you mean now, Kenneth. I’m freaking the fuck out,” she admitted as the body started to slow its crawl and the skin stopped forming at the jawline.

“Now, talk about a power that will come in handy,” Kenneth shivered as the body gave a shudder and he looked up, seeing the eyes roll back in the severed head. “Take the head with us, in case she can use her lips to crawl back to the body.”

“You can still hear her thoughts?” Tiffany cried out.

“No, but be damned if I’m leaving it close to the body, in case she’s the energizer bunny,” he answered, turning to the building. “Elizabeth left,” he grumbled, looking up to the roof at a vampire looking down at them. “Tattle-tale.”

A very pale male vampire with long black hair was looking down at them with an evil grin as Kenneth raised his hand up. “It won’t work on me,” his soft voice floated down. “I have power over matter as you do, and can counter your every move.”

Suddenly, a bolt of electricity shot from Kenneth’s hand, hitting the vampire in the chest and making his body jerk as the popping of electricity filled the air between them for a few seconds. Off in the distance, a woman’s scream echoed, slowly fading away. “I take it, the others are carrying the skanky whore off?” Besseta asked as the bolt of electricity stopped.

The vampire leaned forward, falling off the roof. “Yeah, and the werewolves with her will slow us down. The trap inside is moving with her. Sorry, but she gets away,” Kenneth said, wobbling on his feet and Tiffany raised her hand, stopping the vampire before he hit the ground. “This one is a drone she’s had control of for some time.”

Besseta darted over and started pounding on the frozen figure, hovering a foot off the ground. When Kenneth and Tiffany walked over, Besseta had pounded his body through the asphalt. With Besseta waylaying the vampire, Kenneth touched his arm and the figure jerked, but Besseta didn’t stop.

“Besseta, stop,” Kenneth said, grabbing her arm. “Seven more, like that bitch who refused to die back there, are coming, but five have extra powers.”

Holding her blood-covered fist over the comatose vampire, Besseta looked at him with wide eyes, then Kenneth dove onto the vampire, locking his mouth on his neck. Dropping down, Besseta latched onto the other side.

“You two need to find something else to do for quality time,” Tiffany sighed, grabbing the head of the female vampire off the ground. She dropped it and kicked it as the head fell. Watching the head sail out over the ocean, Tiffany smiled, seeing it splash almost a mile away in the harbor.

Kenneth fell back, gasping. “Holy shit, that’s potent.”

Yanking her head back with blood pouring out of her mouth, Besseta stared at Kenneth, hearing the roar build in his mind. “Kenneth,” she said, moving over to him. When she touched his skin, she jerked her hand back. “You’re burning up,” she gasped, grabbing him.

She looked at his glowing eyes as they got brighter. “Whoa,” he mumbled, grabbing Besseta’s hand as the roar continued to build in his mind.

“Shh, baby,” Besseta said, moving behind him and laying him down with his head in her lap as she caressed his face.

“Ah, Besseta? This isn’t the best time for us to just wait around, if more are coming like that regenerating whore,” Tiffany said, looking around and then at the body of the vampire who refused to die. “And what if the group that left returns?”

“They won’t be here for a few hours. They are coming from Portland. Elizabeth is already gone with the others,” she answered, and she caressed Kenneth’s face as he shivered.

Tiffany moved over and ripped the vampire’s head they’d been feeding from off the body and kicked it out into the harbor. “What’s wrong?” she asked, kneeling down beside Besseta.

Motioning with her chin to the vampire Tiffany just decapitated, “That one was a very powerful telekinetic. He came from the island and has been with Elizabeth for the last six thousand years. That, along with the regenerator, is hitting Kenneth really hard.”

“That b-bb-bbitch didn’t see a bolt of electricity, did he?” Kenneth shivered as the roaring in his mind slowly faded.

Kneeling down, Tiffany smiled at him. “No, and I take it, that’s what you got from ‘sparky’?”

Shaking her head minutely, Besseta looked over with a worried face. “The one he took it from could only use it with touch, not send out bolts.”

“Trust Kenneth to do something new and improved,” Tiffany said, standing up and holding out her hand. “I’ll levitate you two and we can pick up the babies.”

Closing his eyes, Kenneth shook his head. “I’m good,” he said, struggling to stand.

With wide eyes, Besseta gasped at feeling his skin temperature return to normal almost instantly when she stood up, holding his hand. When she let go, the roar in Kenneth’s mind drove him to his knees and he grabbed his head. Besseta grabbed him. “I’m here, baby,” she said, holding him tight.

Tiffany stood with an open mouth having heard the roar, but as soon as Besseta touched Kenneth, the roar slowly faded away. “You’re what keeps his mind at peace,” she mumbled. “Without you, Kenneth would be driven insane.”

“Tiffany, shut up,” Besseta snapped. “I’m here, baby,” Besseta cooed in Kenneth’s ear.

After a few minutes, Kenneth stood up, holding Besseta’s hand. “Yeah Tiffany, we kind of figured that out at the house, remember,” he groaned but Tiffany had other suspicions. “She holds my heart and my mind.”

Smiling, Besseta kissed him. “Always.”

“Always,” he smiled. “If you don’t mind, can we hold hands and get the hell out of here?”

“I’ll carry you, if you want.”

“Not to say that doesn’t sound kinky, but we can do that later,” he said, turning to Tiffany. “Lead us to the babies.”

After grabbing the puppies, they led Tiffany to the cars. When they stopped, Tiffany gasped, looking at the Bentley. “Oh my,” she sighed, walking over and holding Jack and Jill close. “Its name is Kiera,” she said, putting the puppies down.

Besseta pulled Kenneth down to her mouth. “Is that the car’s name?”

“I don’t know, it didn’t talk to me,” he shrugged. “It seems to be talking to Tiffany.”

Tiffany spun around. “I want this one, and whatever you paid, I’ll triple it.”

“No, you won’t,” Besseta snapped and held out the key fob. “It’s yours.”

Clapping her hands, Tiffany ran over, taking the key fob. Besseta explained how it worked and Tiffany walked over as the doors unlocked. She opened the door and climbed in. “I’ll lead,” she smiled, helping Jack and Jill in.

Kenneth turned to Besseta and slowly let go of her hand. The roar in his mind increased some and he almost grabbed Besseta’s hand again, but the roar slowly faded away. “I’ll get the clothes from the room,” Kenneth said, handing Clyde over.

Nodding, Besseta took Clyde and moved over to the Range Rover, hitting the key fob and unlocking the door before putting Bonnie and Clyde in. She turned around, smiling to see Kenneth holding out her clothes she’d left in the room. “Changed already?” she asked, looking at him wearing his khaki pants and polo shirt.

“You look better in that skin-tight stuff than I do,” Kenneth grinned as Besseta started stripping, and Kenneth gasped, looking around to see a few people standing in the parking lot. “Babe, there are people here.”

“So?” she said as she pulled on her khaki pants.

He grabbed her shirt and shoved it over her head, pulling her arms through. “That is my body, woman, and I don’t want other people drooling over it,” he snapped, lifting her up and setting her in the seat of the Range Rover with her legs hanging out. Picking up her tiny loafers, Kenneth put them on her.

“My, I like the idea of you dressing me,” Besseta grinned when he looked up.

Leaning over, Kenneth kissed her. “You are entirely too hot to just be standing out in public, wearing bra and panties,” he said and he spun her in her seat, so she faced the steering wheel.

Looking at Kenneth, Besseta gave a weak smile. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive, baby?”

“Yeah,” Kenneth grinned. “Tiffany wants me to stop and get some stuff that I use to make my cars happy, but she’s afraid to ask.”

Glancing out the other window, Besseta grinned to see Tiffany caressing the dashboard as she talked to the car. “I don’t think she’s stopped talking to it since she got in,” Besseta laughed.

“You two take off and I’ll catch up,” Kenneth said, leaning over and kissing her cheek, rubbing Bonnie and Clyde.

“So, you’re going to stop and get her the stuff you use to pamper your cars?”

“Just some things. She can use what I have at the house,” Kenneth answered as Besseta scoffed. “Hey, it’s important to the bonding process.”

Reaching over and grabbing the door handle, “You’re painting my toes and fingers when we get home,” she stated, feeling left out, pulling the door closed. “I need some pampering.”

Spinning around, Kenneth shook his head as he grinned. “Gladly,” he said, lifting the door up on the Lamborghini and climbing in. Backing out, he waited and laughed as Tiffany carefully backed out and slowly crept up to the road. “Yeah, she’s babying it,” he said as she pulled out and slowly picked up speed.

A bit on the grumpy side, Besseta stomped on the gas pedal, making the Range Rover squeal tires pulling out. Seeing the Range Rover fishtailing, Kenneth laughed. “That’s my girl,” he said and he stomped on the gas, just to let the world know his Lamborghini was on the road.

Chapter Fifteen

When Besseta parked beside Tiffany, the sun was peeking over the ridge and into the valley the house was sitting in. Besseta jumped out to see Tiffany talking to the car as she opened her door. “Maybe cars just don’t like me,” Besseta huffed with her feelings hurt.

Tiffany bounced over, holding Jack and Jill. “Oh, Besseta, Kenneth was right! You have to wait for the right car.”

“Okay, so when am I going to find a car?”

Stopping her bouncing, Tiffany saw the sadness on Besseta’s face. “Oh, I’m sure we will find yours.”

“Whatever,” Besseta said, waving her hand.

Looking down the road, “Where is Kenneth? That car looked like it was fast. Did we run off and leave him?” Tiffany asked.

“No,” Besseta moaned. “He stopped to get some stuff for you to use on your car until we get home.”

Jumping as she cheered, “Oh, Kiera will love that!” Tiffany beamed, looking at her car. Besseta just let out a long sigh as Tiffany put Jack and Jill down, letting them play with Bonnie and Clyde. “Besseta, you and Kenneth need to stop taking in others’ powers,” she said in a serious tone.

Startled, Besseta jumped back. “What?”

“It’s going to drive Kenneth insane," she said, standing up and looking at Besseta with a grave face. “It’s overloading his mind and I’m noticing, the more you take in, the longer it takes you to calm him.”

“That was just a powerful telekinetic not to mention the regenerator,” Besseta offered hesitantly.

“He wasn’t as powerful as me by a long shot, Besseta, and Kenneth used an ability a few hours after taking it in. It took you almost an hour to calm his mind, and you still had to hold his hand for a few hours afterwards. I’ve noticed every time you pull in another ability, it takes you longer to calm him.  I’m just saying, you and Kenneth need to be very wary of pulling more in.”

Thinking it over, Besseta looked up. “You’re basing a lot, on a few instances.”

“I don’t want you two to risk yourselves like that. At least, not until we can study this. Besseta, I don’t think he got your power of absorbing others. I think his mind takes them as he feeds, changing him almost instantly. Think, Besseta. He used the powers of others shortly after feeding. It takes you days to weeks to absorb a new power. My blood is in him, so he already had the power, but didn’t understand it until he saw in my mind. When he feeds now, I think he reads their minds to see how they use their power,” Tiffany offered, walking over and wrapping her arms around Besseta. “I can’t bear the thought of losing either of you. Kenneth doesn’t even know what he can do, and you are the only one that can keep his mind at ease. If you two keep it up, I think you will lose the ability to calm his mind.”

“Ability?” Besseta mumbled.

“Yes, I think that has always been with you but until Kenneth, I didn’t realize it,” Tiffany admitted. “I think that’s why you’ve always been such an efficient hunter, you can calm the mind. That’s why I think Kenneth can’t read your mind like he can mine or anyone else.”

Besseta hugged her back and buried her face in Tiffany’s chest. “Kenneth has to make himself forget what he’s pulled in from others’ memories,” Besseta said in a low voice.

“What?” Tiffany said, grabbing Besseta’s shoulders and moving her back to look down at her.

Not looking up at Tiffany’s face, Besseta mumbled. “When he pulls in memories, they stay with him. Well, the highlights anyway, for the most part, Kenneth has to purposely filter through and forget what isn’t important later.”

“You’re sure of this?”

Barely nodding her head, Besseta looked up at Tiffany. “He’s doing it right now. We found some homeless people under a bridge, and he has to make the memories he saw, leave his mind.”

“Oh, my,” Tiffany gasped.

“When we left him upstairs after he viewed your memories, his head started hurting and he went back and made himself forget the mundane days of your life. But that is why he fast-forwards in memories until he sees something interesting. He doesn’t want to remember all of it. He did a very good job of blocking me, but when I made him pass out at the hotel, he dreamed about it.”

Pulling Besseta back into a hug, Tiffany closed her eyes. “He can only take in so much, like a computer,” she mumbled. “Besseta, you have to stop him,” she said, squeezing her tight.

Giving a grunt, Besseta pushed back and looked up at Tiffany. “He’s doing it, thinking he’s protecting me and you. Now, we have Mickey’s family with us. You think I can just make him stop this?”

“You must,” Tiffany said, lifting her chin. “If you don’t, I will break his face.”

Startled, Besseta just stared at Tiffany. “He’s getting better at blocking me.”

“Because I think you are looking at the wrong time,” Tiffany grinned and Besseta just blinked at her. “When you calm him, is when you should be looking,” Tiffany said and Besseta gasped. “Hold on. First, you will know what is setting his mind off, and you will know how to help him faster. You just try to calm him, when you need to be finding out what is setting him off.”

Feeling a headache coming, Besseta let out a long sigh. “Man, is that going to make him bitch.”

“Besseta, if Kenneth goes insane with what he can do, a lot of people will get hurt. As will Kenneth,” Tiffany said.

Thinking about that, Besseta bit her bottom lip. “Didn’t think of it like that.”

Hearing Jack and Jill barking, Tiffany turned to see them chasing Bonnie and Clyde around the yard. “I just think you two need to quit taking abilities. At least, until we have studied this,” Tiffany repeated and looked back at Besseta. “Besseta, you still haven’t realized, you’re not hurting. He took that from you. He can’t dive into your mind, but he can shield you from pain.”

As the realization set in, Besseta’s eyes flashed and her face became hard. “I’m going to spank his ass.”

Thinking Kenneth earned it, Tiffany kissed her forehead. “Don’t hurt him too bad,” she laughed. “I’m going to check on Mickey and Maria.”

With a grumpy face, Besseta spun around, looking down the road to the house. “I have clothes for them in the back. Take them inside,” she growled. “Kenneth will be here in a few minutes.”

Walking over to the Range Rover, Tiffany opened the back and looked up at the sun that was over the ridge in the clear blue sky. Turning around, she loaded up her arms and heard a car driving toward the house. “Besseta? Remember, it’s a bright clear day,” Tiffany called out. “I know you’re mad, but watch what you do. You know the rules, and better remember them.”

Giving only a curt grunt, Besseta crossed her arms and started tapping her foot as she watched Kenneth speed down the road. Kenneth felt her frustration long before he saw her, but seeing Besseta with her arms crossed and tapping her foot waiting on him, Kenneth started having thoughts of turning around and taking off.

‘I’ll catch you and bite one of your nipples off,’ she said in his mind.

Taking a deep breath as he cringed at the thought, Kenneth pulled up and stopped in front of her. “Yep, she’s figured out that she’s not hurting,” he sighed and lifted the door open. As he got out, Besseta never moved and kept tapping her foot.

Walking over, Kenneth stopped in front of her. “Babe, let me explain,” he said and took a breath.

Looking up at him, Besseta threw up her hand, putting her palm almost in his face. “Whoa, buster, you need to stop and listen, or we throw down here,” she snapped. “I’m a big girl, and now I understand why that last one hit you so hard. You took mine and your pain together.”

“I didn’t want you to hurt,” Kenneth mumbled. “I’m not alone anymore.”

Putting her hands on her hips, Besseta shook her head as she stared at him. “So, you’re willing to go insane and leave me alone? Kenneth, if you go insane, you’ll die. Not I, nor Tiffany would be able to stop it.”

Kenneth just stared at her and listened to the thoughts running through her head. Looking down, Kenneth stepped closer. “I’m sorry, but you’re my girl. I don’t like seeing you hurting.”

“So, it’s okay for me to see you hurting?” she asked, and Kenneth cringed. Seeing she had him off-guard, Besseta relaxed and softened her voice. “Baby, let’s make a deal, right here and now. Neither of us will take another ability, until we understand what we can do together.”

He looked up with a grin. “Fine by me.”

Besseta jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you, hot stuff.”

“Always,” he said and then kissed her.

‘Always,’ she answered in his mind.

Maria stepped back from the window and looked at Mickey. “I swear, the way they act, it seems like they have been married for years.”

Mickey grinned, wrapping his arms around her. “You always said he would find a good one. I still wish you had put Jenna in the hospital.”

“It’s not my fault LAPD showed up so fast and stopped the beating,” Maria smirked as Mickey kissed her.

Still outside, Besseta laughed at them as Kenneth broke the kiss. “I love those two,” she said, wrapping her legs around Kenneth’s waist.

Nodding, Kenneth looked over as Tiffany came out to get the rest of the clothes. “Well, let’s see what they tell the kids. The kids are going to hate leaving Cali. They love to swim all the time.”

“Babe, we can build them a swimming pool.”

Kenneth looked down at her. “Besseta, their house will be in Michigan. It won’t be, but a few weeks, and we’ll have snow on the ground. Nobody likes to swim in ice-cold water.”

Giving a shrug, “So, we’ll build them a heated swimming pool in a house. I’m not about to tell them they can’t have one,” she said. She listened to his thoughts and grinned. “You do care for them. Money never entered your thoughts one time!”

“Ah, no,” Kenneth choked. “You have your legs wrapped around me and Tiffany is glaring at me.”

Looking over her shoulder, Besseta saw Tiffany looking at them with narrowed eyes. “They are taking care of the babies and made me part of their family. They get whatever they want and that’s final,” she snapped, lifting her chin and spinning around, carrying the last bags inside.

Not liking the stern look on Tiffany’s face, Kenneth just nodded. “That’s what I was thinking.”

Grabbing the rest of the clothes, Tiffany still held her chin high. “After seeing them in your life, I felt your love for them. I know why you consider them family now, and I do as well. Mickey and Maria are good people. They will never want for anything and if you ever mention money, I will break your cars.”

Feeling numb, Kenneth let go of Besseta, who just held onto him with her legs. “No need to be rude,” he gasped.

Spinning on her heel as she turned for the house, a small grin split her lips. “You’ve been warned,” Tiffany said, trying not to laugh and speeding up her walk.

Besseta laughed and then jerked her head, grabbing Kenneth’s jaw and spinning his face to hers. “You’re having trouble reading my thoughts?” she gasped.

Kenneth gave a tremble. “This is so not fair,” he huffed. “Yes,” he said with a sigh. “I didn’t hear your thoughts until you pushed them out, but I think it’s because I’m tired,” he offered and didn’t even try to cloud his mind with random thoughts.

Pulling his face to hers, Besseta kissed him and then leaned her head back. “When did you notice this?”

“After feeding on the wolf, then it seemed to get worse after the others, but like I said, I think it’s because I’m tired.”

Studying his face, Besseta could hear the thoughts in his mind and shook her head. “You don’t really believe that,” she said in a soft voice and then gasped. “Kenneth, your mind is very clear, it’s almost like my mind is in yours.”

Kenneth laughed and hugged her tight. “Well, you have my heart, so I guess my mind goes with it.”

Besseta looked back at the house, getting an idea and then turned back to Kenneth. ‘Tiffany, can you come here?’ she said in her mind, but focused on Kenneth when she thought it.

Hearing a scream from Tiffany inside the house and something crashing to the floor, Kenneth looked at Besseta in shock. “How?” was all he could manage.

“I suddenly realized I could hear Tiffany’s deep thoughts, and I’ve never done that before, so I figured it was from you. I just tried to use you like a phone,” she said with a shocked face, never believing it would’ve really worked.

The roar of thoughts filled Kenneth’s mind and Besseta felt his body tighten up. Squeezing her legs and wrapping her arms tight around his neck, she pulled her face to his ear. “Relax, I’m here,” she whispered, nuzzling into his neck. Relaxing when the roar in his mind quit building, Besseta waited for it to calm as she breathed, “Shhhhh, babe, I’m here.”

Feeling his body relax and the roar in his mind slowly ebb, Besseta grinned into his neck. “You can’t be distracted now, stud, because I have to put my shirt on, so you can take a nap. Not to mention, there are kids in the house and neither of us are quiet.”

Like a switch, the roar left Kenneth’s mind and Besseta fought not to laugh at the naughty thoughts that filled his mind. “I have to say, I really love this,” she mumbled.

When his mind cleared of the roar, not the naughty thoughts, Kenneth looked down at her, hugging her tight. “That’s not fair,” he smiled and kissed her.

The front door of the house slammed open and Tiffany stormed over with an angry face. “I swear, if you two fed off each other, I’m going to beat both of you down!” she yelled.

Seeing true anger in Tiffany’s eyes, Besseta let go of Kenneth with her legs and dropped to the ground. “No, Tiffany, we didn’t,” she said quickly, suddenly glad she could outrun Tiffany.

Coming to a stop, but still with a mad expression, Tiffany growled. “Then, how in the hell did you talk in my fucking mind?”

“Tsk, Tsk,” Kenneth said, shaking his head. “TV has really ruined your vocabulary.”

“Kenneth, I’m in the mood to beat, so don’t start,” Tiffany warned, locking her narrowed eyes on him and Kenneth held up his hands in surrender.

“Tiffany, I just realized, I could hear your deep thoughts,” Besseta blurted out, not wanting a spanking from Tiffany because the last one hurt like hell and she hadn’t been this mad.

Crossing her arms, Tiffany seemed to relax. “Explain,” she said curtly.

“It wasn’t like what I normally hear and then I realized, I heard more than one of your voices in my head; I was hearing you in Kenneth’s mind. On a whim, I just focused on his mind and tried talking back to you,” Besseta said quickly, but getting ready to take off running, sunlight be damned.

The anger left Tiffany’s face with a startle. “Anything else?” Slowly nodding, Besseta told her what she and Kenneth had talked about. Letting her arms drop, Tiffany looked away in deep thought. “Kenneth, until I figure this out, you aren’t to feed off another vampire or werewolf, understood? Trust me, you can kill them without feeding on them. I know, and you’ve seen it in my mind.”

“Um, okay,” he said and heard Besseta in his mind. ‘If she tries to spank either of us, I’m running and you’d better keep up.’

“Besseta!” Tiffany snapped and Besseta almost took off, but Kenneth held her tight. “You’re talking to him in his mind, and it wasn’t lovey dovey stuff. Out loud when I’m around, remember?”

“Sorry,” Besseta smiled meekly.

“When are we leaving?” Tiffany asked, looking up at Kenneth.

Shrugging, “When they are ready, and you help me put a coat of wax on Kiera,” he said and pointed at the car.

A smile filled her face as Tiffany looked back at the car. “What is she again?” she asked.

“Bentley Mulsanne,” Kenneth said, letting Besseta go and walking over to the Lamborghini before sliding the passenger door up and grabbing two sacks.

“Humph,” Besseta huffed and spun around, stomping off toward the house. “I’d better find a car that likes me, or I’ll break them all.”

Chapter Sixteen

Driving down the highway in the Lamborghini with the windows open, Kenneth glanced over at Besseta sitting beside him. “Babe, eyes on the road,” Besseta giggled with Bonnie and Clyde in her lap.

Turning back to the road, Kenneth cut his eyes back to Besseta. “Damn, you look good,” he said, raising his eyebrows.

“Babe, we are over halfway home, so please, it’s been like forever, so pretty please, just get us home,” Besseta said, scratching Clyde behind the ear. “You and I will have to take a nature walk with Maria and the kids at the house.”

Turning back to the road, Kenneth thought about that. “Damn, it has been awhile,” he mumbled. “Like three days. Yeah, I’m up for a nature hike.”

“Not our longest, but I don’t want to throw you down, with Mickey and them close because Tiffany assures me, neither of us are quiet,” Besseta said as Bonnie moved her head over, wanting some ear scratching. “I wanted to leave sooner, but we weren’t going anywhere until you’d rested.”

“I know I’m not quiet, but I did need the rest,” Kenneth said proudly.

Laughing, Besseta looked over at him. “How much longer can Mickey keep driving? Do I need to take over again?”

“Babe, you switched just a few hours ago at daybreak,” Kenneth pointed out, glancing in the rearview monitor and saw the Range Rover behind him. Further back, he saw Tiffany in the Bentley, riding with Maria and two of the kids.

“We need to stop soon. The kids need food,” Besseta said.

“I’m stopping for gas ahead and we can get them some food,” Kenneth replied.

Still looking at Kenneth, “Kenneth, I’m telling Mickey that I’m driving because we aren’t stopping, except for gas and food for them. I know I won’t get tired, and I’m ready to get home,” Besseta told him. “Home is the safest place for them and a great place for a hike.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best, because I’ve been looking at hotel signs for the last five hours,” Kenneth chuckled.

Reaching over and patting Kenneth’s leg, Besseta chuckled as Clyde chased her hand down, shoving his head under it and wanting her to pat him. “My word, momma wasn’t gone that long,” Besseta said, pulling Clyde back to her seat.

“Besseta, have you ever heard of ‘Leviathans’?” Kenneth asked.

Glancing up from the dogs, “Leviathan, what?” she asked. “Ancient tales have leviathans in the sea.”

Shrugging one shoulder, “I don’t know, but Maliki was thinking about ‘leviathan’ when I said a cubus was in the hallway,” Kenneth explained. “Whatever it is, he’s terrified of it and a big squid just doesn’t fit. Maliki is more afraid of it than even the cubus, and that’s saying something.”

“I don’t know,” Besseta shrugged as Kenneth pulled off the interstate into a huge truck stop. “Think the kids believed what Mickey and Maria told them?”

“To be honest, yeah,” Kenneth said, pulling into the truck stop. “We are secret agents with powers and they have been helping us, and everyone is in danger now. It’s simple and neat.”

When Kenneth stopped next to a pump, Besseta opened her door. “The babies ride with me,” she informed him as she got out. “I want you to pick up the speed some. We can always take measures, if a cop pulls out with his lights on.”

Getting out, “I don’t want to deep-six a cop doing his or her job,” Kenneth objected, as Mickey pulled the Range Rover in at the pump behind him and Tiffany pulled up on the other side of the pump.

“Don’t have to, their engines will just die,” Besseta said, leading the dogs over to the grass.

“Kenneth, can you fill up Kiera? I need to take the puppies,” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth nodded, pulling out his wallet. Tiffany escorted little Tiffany and Carrie over to the grass with Jack and Jill.

“My kids have fallen hard for her,” Maria said, getting out. “Are we stopping to eat?”

“I was going to buy something to take with us,” Kenneth said, and Maria just shook her head.

“My kids have trouble finding their mouths. I will not let them ruin Tiffany’s car or that Range Rover,” Maria stated like a general.

“If Tiffany and Besseta don’t mind stopping, I don’t. I want to get us home. Driving hard, we will be home in six hours,” Kenneth hinted.

Walking away, “I will talk with them,” Maria nodded, heading for Besseta and Tiffany.

After shoving the fuel nozzle in, Mickey walked over beside Kenneth, shaking his head and looking at the Lamborghini. “Still can’t believe you bought a Lambo,” Mickey grinned as Kenneth moved over and started filling up the Bentley. “Kenneth, these aren’t fake IDs,” Mickey said in a low voice.

“I know,” Kenneth huffed, moving over to Mickey. “The new ones will have history tied to them, but they take longer, so you’ll stay at our house until they arrive. You will stay there until your house is ready, but with the new IDs you can at least move around, but stay close to home. We need to get back out in the war.”

“I don’t know how you have done all this, but I owe you everything,” Mickey said.

Giving a scoff, “Dude, if I was doing this getaway, we would be in Toyotas, moving across country after stopping at a Walmart,” Kenneth huffed. “My wife refuses to entertain my economical ways.”

‘I can hear you’ Kenneth heard in his mind.

Looking up and over at the grass, Kenneth saw Besseta looking at him with a scowl. “I know,” Kenneth grinned. “Do you remember anything about ‘leviathan’ from Tiffany’s mind?”

“Babe,” Besseta sighed softly from across the parking lot, but Kenneth heard her just fine. “Like you, I only remembered the highlights. Tiffany heard you, so ask her.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of the leviathan legends that ancient cultures had. Pretty much every ancient culture I’ve studied had a reference similar to leviathan,” Tiffany said. “And those were adopted from other earlier religions and folklore.”

Looking at the two of them on the other side of the parking lot, Kenneth couldn’t help but chuckle. He was having a whispered conversation with them, over a hundred yards away. “You laugh at the weirdest things,” Besseta commented, but smiled.

“No, Tiffany. I don’t think that’s what Maliki was thinking about leviathans for. He was actually terrified at the thought,” Kenneth explained, taking a deep breath and thinking about Maliki. Unlike before, Kenneth only felt Maliki was east of him.

“He’s in a plane, Kenneth,” Besseta said, bending over and picking up Bonnie.

“Are we eating here?” Kenneth asked, noticing several young kids pointing at his car.

“Maria wants the kids to eat here, so yes,” Tiffany answered, picking up Jack and Jill.

By the tone Tiffany had used, Kenneth just sighed, knowing it wasn’t worth the argument. “My, that was very fast reasoning,” Besseta commented with a sense of pride as she picked up Clyde.

“Tiffany, I need to borrow your laptop,” Kenneth replied, ignoring the comment and putting the fuel nozzles back up from his and Tiffany’s cars. “Need to get a message to Maliki to stay put forty-eight hours from now, so we can talk, face to face.”

“Again?” Besseta huffed, putting Bonnie and Clyde in the Lambo. “It sucked the last time we talked to him.”

Looking over at Tiffany putting Jack and Jill in her car, “Until Elizabeth showed up, Tiffany was having a blast,” Kenneth said, turning back to Besseta. “But think about it, the cubus doesn’t want Maliki near us. If the League is going to have a singular head, they want someone weak.”

“Yes, I agree with that and Tiffany was having fun, but we have to go back to Vegas, so we can buy a house,” Besseta reminded him, closing the door and Kenneth gave a deep sigh.

“I’m not going to watch men strip, so forget it,” he said, climbing in the Lambo.

Pulling up to the massive truck stop, Kenneth got out and saw Besseta reach back in for the dogs. “Honey, you can’t take the dogs inside,” Kenneth told her, climbing out and Besseta looked back over the car at him in shock. That was one reason she liked the Lambo, she could see over it.

“Why not?” Besseta gasped.

Kenneth pointed at the door. “Sign says so, honey.”

Glancing up at the door and spotting a ‘No Pets Inside’ sign, Besseta narrowed her eyes at the store. “You don’t obey the speed limit signs, why do we have to follow that one?”

“It’s for insurance and health reasons, Besseta,” Kenneth groaned, rolling the windows down as Tiffany and Mickey parked beside him.

Getting out, Tiffany had Jack and Jill in her arms. “Tiffany’s taking Jack and Jill, so I’m taking Bonnie and Clyde,” Besseta snapped, then clapped her hands and the dogs jumped out.

Rolling his eyes, Kenneth shook his head. “Guys, they could call the cops.”

Stopping in front of the Lamborghini as the kids got out of her car carrying her laptop, Tiffany gave a glance back at the store. “Can I use my credit card to buy the store?” she asked, and Kenneth gave a violent startle.

Closing the windows, Kenneth then shut the door. “That won’t be necessary,” he answered, arming the alarm.

They walked toward the doors, herding the kids with Bonnie and Clyde walking on either side of Besseta. “Was she kidding?” Mickey whispered, moving beside Kenneth.

“About buying this place?” Kenneth asked, and Mickey nodded. “Nope, not one bit,” Kenneth answered flatly.

He and Mickey held the doors open, letting the others through and just as Kenneth had thought, an employee met them at the door. “Sorry, no pets inside,” she smiled.

As Besseta and Tiffany took deep breaths to unload, Kenneth stepped up and pulled out his wallet. “Sorry, they are service dogs, but we don’t have their harnesses,” he told her, opening his wallet and pulling out a hundred-dollar bill. “We are just eating and leaving. They are trained, so don’t worry.”

The young lady looked at the money and then turned to the puppies Tiffany was holding. “Kind of young to be trained,” she mumbled.

Pressing the money into the employee’s hand, “They are,” Kenneth assured her and then pulled out another bill. “Give this one to your manager.”

Taking the money, the young lady just nodded at the group as they moved over to the fast food area. Ordering turned into a challenge when the kids saw the cool toys that came with the kid’s meal. They all started pointing at which one they wanted, talking excitedly. “You will get whatever comes with your meal,” Maria snapped, and all the kids moaned, casting their eyes down and pouting.

Putting Jack and Jill down, Tiffany reached over to take Kenneth’s wallet from his back pocket. “Hey,” Kenneth cried out.

“I only have my credit cards,” Tiffany snapped, pulling out several C notes,  handing the wallet back. “People seem to respond to this paper money with enthusiasm,” she told him, then stepped up to the counter.

“I want five of each of those toys,” Tiffany told the young man taking orders, and put the bills on the counter.

Snatching up the money, “No problem,” the young man said and ran off.

“Tiffany,” Maria gasped. “They won’t eat now and will just want to play with the toys.”

Turning and looking at the five kids, Tiffany smiled at them. “If they don’t eat all their food, they don’t get the toys.”

A cheer erupted as the kids shouted that they would eat everything and the young man came back carrying a box. When he set the box on the counter, Kenneth knew there were a lot more than five of each toy inside. “I’m going to get a table,” Kenneth chuckled, taking the laptop before the kids dropped it as they cheered.

Picking up the box of toys, “Jack, Jill,” Tiffany called out to the puppies, sitting at her feet. They both jumped up obediently, following Tiffany to the table Kenneth had sat down at. Leaving Jack and Jill with Kenneth as he typed away on the computer, Tiffany went back to help carry the food over while Besseta paid.

After the others came over and he’d contacted Maliki, Kenneth had to admit, he had never seen the kids eat their entire meal so fast. He glanced over to see Besseta and Tiffany, feeding the dogs in their laps. “Mickey, ride with me, so Besseta can drive,” Kenneth said, reading a reply from Maliki.

Emptying his mouth, Mickey shrugged. “I’m not tired.”

“I know, but we need to get all of you tucked away, so we can get back out,” Kenneth told him.

Before Mickey could answer, Maria did. “Ride with Kenneth, so they can get back in the fight.”

Glancing around, “You’re going back to Cali?” Mickey asked in a low voice.

Shaking his head, “Not planning on it, but if we need to, we will,” Kenneth answered and turned to Besseta. “Maliki said he will stop in four days, somewhere in eastern Kentucky.”

“He has an estate in Virginia not far from the state line of Kentucky,” Tiffany offered as she fed Jack and Jill.

“Do a lot of…,” Kenneth paused, looking at the kids ripping open packages and getting toys out. “Um, his friends know about it?” Kenneth asked.

“I doubt it,” Tiffany shrugged. “It’s what you call a safe house like Besseta’s. But being Maliki, the cover is much more elaborate.”

Hearing the thought in Kenneth’s mind that he was about to ask, Besseta elbowed him in the side. ‘Don’t, Tiffany has been there, but won’t talk about it,’ Besseta said in his mind. ‘You forgot that part in her life.’

“You’re talking and I’m around,” Tiffany sang out, turning from the dogs and looking at the two. Seeing Besseta averting her eyes, Tiffany started to blush. “I’ll make an exception not to get mad this time,” Tiffany mumbled.

Reliving that part of the vision of Tiffany’s life unwillingly, Besseta refreshed his mind with images of Maliki and Tiffany. Kenneth coughed dryly and reached over, grabbing Mickey’s drink. “Um, yeah,” Kenneth gasped, then drained half of Mickey’s drink.

“What?” Mickey asked, looking around the table.

“Nothing,” Kenneth said, putting the drink down.

When it was time to leave, the kids jumped on Kenneth, yelling for him to carry them out. Before Maria said anything, Besseta and Tiffany came over, each letting a kid ride on their backs. Not even five-foot-tall, Besseta had little Tiffany on her back. Maria saw her eight-year-old was nearly as tall as Besseta.

Watching Maria take a breath to protest, Mickey stepped over and grabbed her hand. “It isn’t hurting her,” Mickey whispered. “They are the kids’ godparents, so they can do what they want.”

“When they jump on my back like that, I’m getting a wooden spoon and beating them,” Maria warned, and Mickey just nodded with a grin.

After everyone had loaded up, Kenneth and Mickey took the lead. When his speedometer hit triple digits, Kenneth grinned, thinking about the movie, Smokey and the Bandit. Only one cop car attempted to chase them in Nebraska, but all four tires went flat before the cop pulled out onto the interstate.

Chapter Seventeen

It was midafternoon when they pulled off the road and onto the driveway. Sitting beside Kenneth, Mickey started to relax since they were driving slowly. He had been a cop most of his life and had been in several high-speed pursuits, but the last five hours riding with Kenneth had killed his need to ever drive fast again.

When Kenneth pulled up to the control box for the gate, Mickey stared at the massive iron gates. “There for a while, I thought we were going to travel back in time,” Mickey chuckled as Kenneth punched in the code and the gates opened up.

Rolling the window up, Kenneth glanced over at Mickey. “The fastest we went was a hundred and thirty. Would’ve kept it up, but the Range Rover can’t go that fast.”

As Kenneth pulled through the gates, Mickey nodded. “Yeah, but the only time we slowed down was when we stopped for gas. We just traveled five hundred miles in four hours and change by car.”

Driving along the winding driveway, Kenneth chuckled. “Just think, I taught both of them how to drive, not too long ago.”

Suppressing the shiver at that thought, Mickey’s mouth fell open as the trees fell away. The large garage the three had built was standing proudly, and Mickey turned to the boat dock and saw the cigarette boat. “Whoa,” he mumbled and then glanced around, not seeing a house.

Hearing Mickey’s thoughts, Kenneth parked at the dock and pointed out over the water. “There’s the house.”

Feeling lightheaded, Mickey gasped and then mumbled in Spanish, seeing the island way offshore with a massive stone mansion. “That’s Besseta’s house?” he finally got out when Kenneth turned the car off. He knew if he could see the house from this distance, it had to be huge.

“One of them,” Kenneth nodded. “Don’t worry, yours will be bigger.”

Reaching over, Mickey grabbed Kenneth’s arm, stopping him from getting out. “My kids will get lost in a house that size, much less bigger. Screw that, I’ll get lost,” Mickey panted, then realized just how dense Kenneth’s arm felt. He looked down at his hand gripping Kenneth’s arm rather tight, but he wasn’t even moving the skin. “Damn, you’re solid.”

Laughing, “I’ll put little maps throughout your house to tell you where you are,” Kenneth assured him as Mickey let his arm go.

When Mickey got out, he glanced back to see Maria gawking at the island. Hearing his kids, Mickey turned and found all of them running full bore for the boat dock and cheering. “I’m so happy they can swim,” he mumbled and was about to take off, running to catch them.

A gust of wind blew past and Mickey’s step faltered, seeing Tiffany ‘appear’ in front of the kids. “The water is very deep here, so please wait for us before getting on the boats,” Tiffany told the kids, who all skidded to a stop wondering how Tiffany had beat them to the boat dock.

“Oh, she can do stuff during the day,” Kenneth mumbled, walking over to the Range Rover and started pulling out the clothes Besseta had bought for the group.

“Kenneth, it’s a cloudy day,” Besseta told him, walking to the back of the Range Rover. “It is still dangerous, but we’ve been doing this awhile and know just what we can and can’t do. Nobody but you, does shit on a cloudless, bright sunny day.”

“Kenneth, what is a superhero?” Tiffany asked over the chatter of the kids. Leaning so he could see around the Range Rover, Kenneth saw Tiffany on the dock with the kids around her, asking questions.

“Tiffany, really,” Kenneth snorted. “As many movies and shows you have watched and you’re asking that question?”

Maria shook her head as Jack and Jill ran past, heading for the dock. She stepped over to Kenneth and then glanced over at Tiffany on the dock, over fifty yards away. “Kenneth, you need to raise your voice if you want her to hear you,” Maria told him.

Shaking his head, “No, you won’t believe how good our hearing is,” Kenneth assured her, grabbing another suitcase and then turned to Besseta. “What made Tiffany zip over? I thought we were going to expose the kids slowly?”

“She didn’t want them to get in trouble for falling in,” Besseta chuckled. “Several of them were thinking about it. Two had already thought of excuses, sorry, but I told her.”

Stepping back with his arms full, “They wouldn’t have done it but once, that water is cold now,” Kenneth noted as Mickey came over to help.

“Here we thought you two were staying at homeless shelters after you left,” Mickey laughed as Besseta pressed the fob, closing the rear hatch of the Range Rover.

“I’ll sleep in a box before that,” Besseta huffed, then patted her leg. “Bonnie, Clyde, let’s go.”

When they reached the dock, Maria slapped her hands together loudly and all the kids stopped asking questions instantly. “You will not pester Tiffany like that,” Maria snapped at them and the kids all lowered their heads down, pouting.

“Maria, they weren’t pestering me,” Tiffany whined. “I just didn’t know which question to answer first, and how I should.”

The kids turned to Maria, poking out their bottom lips. “That doesn’t work with me,” Maria snapped, and the kids dropped their heads looking down. “Your father wore that out long before any of you were born,” Maria informed them, turning to Mickey. “You can speak anytime.”

With his arms full of luggage, Mickey followed Kenneth past the kids. “Listen to your mother,” Mickey told the kids, and Maria rolled her eyes and started mumbling in Spanish.

“Come on, guys, get on the boat,” Kenneth called out excitedly to the kids. As one, a smile jumped instantly onto their faces and the five kids took off for the boat. “They have the attention span of one second,” Kenneth chuckled, stepping over and onto the boat. Setting down the luggage, Kenneth helped the kids over.

When everyone was on the boat, Mickey untied the lines and Kenneth cranked the boat up. All the kids jumped at the deep rumble the engines gave off. “What’s down there?” Little Tiffany asked, pointing at the cabin door.

“A cabin,” Kenneth grinned and the five took off as he steered the boat toward the island.

The kids piled inside the cabin as Mickey moved over beside Kenneth. “I’m begging you, don’t give the kids your Wi-Fi password,” Mickey told him. “That is going to take some time to explain.”

“We won’t,” Kenneth said, raising his eyebrows and glancing over at Tiffany and Besseta.

“I won’t,” Besseta huffed and Tiffany nodded.

“Yes, we should make sure all the computers are locked until the kids understand that they can’t talk to anyone they knew,” Tiffany stated. “If someone were to hurt even one of them, I think I would kill everyone within a hundred-mile radius just to prove a point.”

Hearing the tone that Tiffany was serious, Mickey turned to Kenneth. “Can you just turn the damn Wi-Fi off? I don’t want people for a hundred miles to be killed, just because one of my kids wanted to get on Facebook,” Mickey whispered.

“She’s exaggerating,” Kenneth chuckled.

“No, she’s not,” Tiffany snapped.

“I think our kids are about to be very spoiled,” Maria mumbled as Kenneth pulled into the dock at the island.

After the boat was tied off, the kids all jumped off and took off toward the house with Bonnie and Clyde chasing them. “Wow,” Mickey mumbled, tilting his head up to look at the massive mansion. “I thought it was big from shore.”

Besseta started food as Kenneth and Tiffany showed them the rooms upstairs they would use. When they showed them the rest of the house, Mickey leaned over to Maria, “That master bedroom and bathroom is bigger than our house.”

Following Tiffany and Kenneth as the tour continued, Maria just nodded numbly.

Besseta told Kenneth that food was ready, and the kids ran for the living room and jumped on the huge U-shaped sectional. “We want to watch TV!” they all cheered, pointing at the massive movie screen.

Before Maria or Mickey could say otherwise, Besseta was carrying plates of food into the living room setting them on the coffee table.

Maria sat down at the table and turned to Kenneth. “Kenneth, we don’t need a house this big.”

“Maria, don’t start,” Kenneth huffed, sitting down. “My wife informed me that you are getting an indoor swimming pool, so the kids can swim whenever they want. Before you ask, it won’t be little because I’m tired of her balling up her fist at me. They will be able to practice high diving in the pool I’m having built.”

“Whoa,” Mickey moaned while Maria just stared at Kenneth.

“Hey, I’m not making her mad, so forget asking me to talk to Besseta,” Kenneth sang out and started filling their plates with food.

“I brought down some blankets,” Besseta said, walking into the kitchen. “The kids said they wanted to sleep on the couch and watch movies.”

“I want to sleep on the couch and watch movies on that big screen,” Mickey mumbled.

Before sitting down, Besseta handed Kenneth a notebook and pen. “Thank you,” Kenneth smiled, opening the notebook.

“You’ve been fretting about writing down what has happened for days,” Besseta said, pulling a chair over and sitting close to Kenneth.

“Best way I’ve found to organize your thoughts,” Kenneth admitted.

“True, but I’ve found computers are much better,” Tiffany said. “I’ve filled mountains of paper and scrolls up with notes, and it was hard finding specific things I’d recorded until computers.”

“I’ll put it in my laptop later,” Kenneth muttered as he wrote.

Leaning over, Besseta rested her head on Kenneth’s shoulder. “When do you want to leave?”

“Day after tomorrow,” Kenneth answered. “Can you get a tailor to come out and make some clothes for Mickey and his family?”

“Kenneth, I can sew,” Maria laughed.

“Maria, you have to be snotty,” Kenneth told her, and Mickey gave a snort. “Word has to get out that the rich people here have family and they are having a house built.”

“Just what will my job be?” Mickey asked, watching Kenneth writing.

“Property management and investment broker for the family that lives here,” Kenneth answered. “That is for both you and Maria. Plus, I want you two to learn how to do IDs like Besseta’s lawyers.”

Cutting his eyes to Maria, Mickey gave a sigh. “All that is going to take some time.”

“Order any books and information that you need and Maria, we need to homeschool the kids until we have your house done. After that, we can hire a tutor,” Kenneth told them, flipping to a new page and continuing to write.

“In time, the kids will be able to go back to a more normal life, right? You know, like playing soccer and baseball?” Maria asked.

Besseta and Tiffany both took breaths to comment, but Kenneth blew a raspberry as he wrote. “Pfft, yeah. Your kids will be able to do whatever they want, after we get you set up,” Kenneth answered.

Mickey and Maria both sighed with a smile, then Mickey spoke up. “Kenneth, you said guns hurt them. Can I have one now?”

“Yes, safe is downstairs-,” Kenneth started and Besseta cut him off.

“Combination is 49-28-74,” Besseta said and Kenneth just chuckled.

“Mickey, you must be very careful with the ammo in the gold metal boxes. Each round has mercury in it and I can’t begin to tell you how deadly it is to us. When your house is ready, I’m going to need you to move my special room that I built before I changed,” Kenneth said, turning to a new page.

Leaning over the table, Tiffany grabbed Mickey’s hand. “He’s not lying about how deadly it is to us so please, be careful with it,” Tiffany warned.

“Wait till they leave before you get it,” Maria commanded, and Mickey nodded.

The sound of plates breaking in the living room pulled a blanket of silence in the kitchen. Both Mickey and Maria jumped up and ran to the living room and in the kitchen, they heard all five kids deny any involvement.

Besseta started to get up to tell Mickey and Maria it was okay, and Kenneth grabbed her hand. “No, let them talk to the kids first,” Kenneth told her. “The kids are really amped up and need to calm down some.”

“Okay,” Besseta moaned, dropping into her seat.

“You know, none of them are even slightly scared of us, especially me,” Tiffany noted.

“And they never will be,” Kenneth told her, going back to writing. “They know you’re a dear friend to us, so that makes you one to them.”

“Can I go in there now?” Besseta whispered, hearing Maria crank up the volume of her voice.

“Babe, she’s speaking English. If Maria starts speaking in Spanish, the kids are getting a spanking,” Kenneth told her and flipped to a new page. “Trust me, I’ve known them since each was born.”

Getting up, Besseta started for the living room. “Well, she’s about to start because the kids are telling her they don’t know how it happened.”

Tiffany stood up and followed. “I’ll buy some more plates, Besseta.”

They both disappeared when Maria started shouting in Spanish. “That’s why I always gave the kids plastic plates at the house,” Kenneth chuckled.

Walking back into the kitchen, Mickey sat back down. “Had to leave before I got a beating.”

“That’s why I’m in here,” Kenneth said. “I don’t think even Maria is brave enough to spank Besseta or Tiffany.”

Thinking about that for a few minutes as Besseta and Tiffany talked to Maria in Spanish, well, talked loudly. “I will agree on that,” Mickey nodded.

***

After Mickey, Maria and the kids went to sleep, Tiffany walked outside to see Kenneth and Besseta sitting near the water. “What are you two talking about?”

“Maliki sent an email asking us to check out an area in Iowa before we go see him,” Besseta snarled as she glared at Kenneth.

“What’s there?” Tiffany asked, sitting down with them.

“Werewolves,” Kenneth answered. “That’s the report on the web, but the area is rather large and the Strong Hands have invested some money on the property.”

“So, you knew about it?” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth nodded.

“Yeah, he told Maliki and Maliki wants us to check it out!” Besseta snapped. “Kenneth, I don’t like fighting werewolves. We were lucky in L.A. because they didn’t attack as a pack, but I almost lost the mindlock I had on one, and you think there could be a hundred there? Are you crazy?”

Smiling at Besseta, “I know for a fact, we can outrun them,” Kenneth said, then cut his eyes at Tiffany. “If someone carries Tiffany.”

Giving a soft chuckle, Tiffany nodded. “Yes, that would be nice, but Kenneth, I have to agree with Besseta. Three against that many isn’t wise and if there are vampires, then we could get in deep trouble.”

“Guys, I just want to see if this is another lab they set up. Nobody spends four hundred million on supplies for a three-thousand-acre farm,” Kenneth told them.

“Babe, Maliki has more than three that can go with him, let his ass check it out,” Besseta suggested. “You don’t know how hard it is to get away from werewolves running through forests, we do. L.A. has lots of roads, I knew we could get away if more showed up. That was a huge risk, but worth it. This is bullshit.”

Patting Besseta’s leg, “Why don’t you just let me go?” Kenneth asked and all of a sudden, his jaw exploded in pain as he sailed through the air. Crashing to the ground thirty yards away, Kenneth shook his head and felt his jaw sitting crooked. Tensing up, he reached up to straighten it, but his jaw popped back into place before his hands touched his face.

“Love that part,” he mumbled, looking back and saw Tiffany had her hand extended and Besseta was frozen in mid-stride coming for him. “Knew that wasn’t going to go over well.”

Getting to his feet, Kenneth walked over holding up his hands. “Babe, I think it’s worth the risk, but only to myself, not you or Tiffany,” Kenneth explained, and Tiffany lowered her hand, freeing Besseta and Kenneth tensed up for another punch.

“We are one,” Besseta snarled, standing up straight and bowing up. Not even five-foot-tall, Besseta still looked rather menacing. “You go, I go.”

“Okay, I earned that punch,” Kenneth said, reaching up and rubbing his jaw.

“Be glad Tiffany stopped me because you were getting more,” Besseta said rather coldly.

“Sorry,” Kenneth said, stepping over and wrapping his arms around Besseta and looked over at Tiffany. “Thank you.”

Shaking her head, “I was just stopping her, so I could punch you,” Tiffany said with narrowed eyes. “I’m in this fight for Besseta, you, and Mickey’s family. Anyone that tries to stop me will be sorry.”

“And that is how chivalry died, with a whooped ass,” Kenneth chuckled.

Snuggling into Kenneth’s chest, “Better believe it,” Besseta told him. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah,” Kenneth said, moving his jaw around.

Letting Kenneth go, Besseta stepped back. “Good, it’s Tiffany’s turn to pop you one.”

Giving a sigh, Kenneth put his hands behind his back and turned to Tiffany as she walked over, but wasn’t scowling anymore. “I will pass this time, but say something stupid like that again, and I’m breaking all your extremities.”

“Point taken,” Kenneth grinned.

Chapter Eighteen

Skidding to a stop under the light of a full moon, Kenneth turned around and saw Besseta skidding to a stop behind him, with Tiffany floating behind her. “Thank you for not taking off,” Besseta said, but was sniffing the air.

“Yeah, smelled that pack when we passed Iowa City,” Kenneth told her.

“You do know they are following, right?” Besseta asked.

Shrugging, “They won’t be here for half an hour, if they can track us,” Kenneth answered.

“Oh, they will track us until they lose the scent or find us,” Tiffany informed him as she glanced around. “How much further?”

“Thirty miles,” Kenneth answered. “I didn’t want to run in full speed because it’s really hard to process smells going that fast. We were sixty miles past Iowa City before I realized I was smelling werewolves.”

Giving a slight nod, “At least, you are learning,” Tiffany said. “Even though you should’ve already learnt this from my life.”

“Sorry, Tiffany, but you really can’t run that fast,” Kenneth said, scanning around.

“I try really hard,” Tiffany snapped.

“Yes, you do,” Kenneth mumbled and Besseta reached out, grabbing his hand.

“Calm down, baby,” she said softly and the voices building in his mind abated.

Taking a deep breath, Kenneth felt much better. “Tiffany, can you strike out fast mentally connected to Besseta?” Kenneth asked in a very low voice.

Dropping to the ground, “No,” Tiffany breathed. “What?”

“The werewolves we smell are just north of us, about ten miles,” Besseta answered.

“That puts them near Eddyville, if we run, head south,” Kenneth told them. “One at a time, and always stay in visual contact.”

Letting go of Kenneth’s hand, Besseta glanced north and then back at Tiffany. “You do smell them, right?”

“Of course, but I smell so many werewolves, it’s a bit concerning,” Tiffany admitted, waving a hand in front of her nose. “I can tell you when it rained here today, the wolves stayed outside in it.”

Not feeling or hearing thoughts of anything close, Kenneth looked back at the two. “We move in short bursts,” he whispered, and they nodded.

Tiffany let out a soft gasp as Kenneth disappeared and then reappeared just over a hundred yards away near a large tree. Turning to Besseta, Tiffany saw Besseta’s form blur before it disappeared. “That is so unfair,” Tiffany mumbled as Besseta appeared beside Kenneth.

Glancing back, Besseta saw Tiffany running to them and knew a human would only see a blur of a human form, but to Besseta, Tiffany was almost walking. When Tiffany stopped beside them, Besseta could tell Tiffany had run as fast as she could. ‘This is going to be slow’ Besseta thought.

‘Slow is good with this much around us’ Kenneth answered in her mind.

After moving ten miles, a hundred or so yards at a time, Kenneth stopped on a small tree-covered ridge. The valley below was a grass-covered field with trees on the opposite side. Just as Kenneth was getting ready to dart across, a long piercing howl sounded far behind them.

“They crossed our trail,” Tiffany said, glancing back.

“Okay, we are going to pick it up just a little. The buildings are just over that ridge,” Kenneth told them and disappeared.

Halfway across the valley, Kenneth turned and saw a massive form lunging at him. “Shit!” Kenneth shouted and dropped, but the werewolf hit his side, wrapping its enormous arms around Kenneth’s torso. Hitting the ground hard, Kenneth felt the massive weight of the werewolf crash against him as they rolled for twenty yards.

Kenneth said a silent prayer of thanks that the werewolf didn’t trap his arms and Kenneth kept his hands on the maw, so the werewolf couldn’t bend down and bite. Realizing he couldn’t bite, the werewolf stood up and started squeezing and Kenneth heard his ribs breaking.

The attack happened so fast, Besseta never had a chance to see the werewolf, much less warn Kenneth. Giving a growl as the two forms stopped skidding along the ground, Besseta took off when the werewolf stood up and started squeezing Kenneth. The werewolf was almost the size of the one Besseta had faced in Mississippi. Kenneth looked like a small child, pulled into the massive body. Reaching the field, Besseta heard Kenneth’s bones breaking and she cocked her right arm back.

Leaping in the air to drive her fist in the werewolf, Besseta let out a grunt as an airplane hit her hard, filling her vision with stars.

Hitting the ground, Besseta felt massive arms wrapping around her. Through her clearing vision as she skidded across the ground, Besseta saw a massive mouth coming for her face. Opening her mouth, Besseta latched on the werewolf’s chest as she pulled her right hand out and grabbed the bottom jaw to stop its descent.

The werewolf let out a strangled whimpering howl, feeling the painful bite. With what little movement she had in her left arm, Besseta used her long nails to slash a gash in the werewolf’s side and drove her hand inside the body.

Feeling dizzy as more bones broke, Kenneth heard Besseta grunt and the impact of Besseta getting taken down. Calming his mind, Kenneth started to focus on the werewolf when all of a sudden, the werewolf flew away from him.

Kenneth dropped to the ground when the werewolf let him go and he watched the werewolf crash into a large tree. Pain racked his body as he struggled to stand up, feeling his body repairing with jerks.

He turned to see the werewolf holding onto Besseta and trying to push her tiny form off, but Besseta had a hold of its jaw with one hand. Her mouth was latched on the creature’s chest and her other hand was inside the massive body up to her elbow.

Stumbling as his pelvis snapped back into place, Kenneth glanced back and saw Tiffany fighting two massive werewolves. Turning back up the valley, he tensed up seeing a body flying at him. Dropping down, he watched a massive werewolf sail over his head.

He turned back and saw the one that had attacked him first, just getting off the ground. “Not good,” he grunted, getting back up to his feet. Another form blurred into the valley and Kenneth raised his hand as the form leapt in the air diving toward him.

The form froze in midair ten yards away from Kenneth. Kenneth charged the floating figure and slashed at the werewolf’s neck as he zoomed past. Changing direction toward the first one that had attacked him, Kenneth saw a form hit the floating werewolf and both went tumbling across the valley floor.

Charging over as the forms slid to a stop, Kenneth drove his hand into the back of the neck of the first one that’d attacked him. Gripping the spine, Kenneth yanked a handful out and felt the body instantly go limp. Dropping the small section of spinal cord, Kenneth turned and charged over to Besseta.

The werewolf was slashing at her as Besseta drove her left hand further inside the body up to her shoulder. When her small hand reached its heart, the werewolf threw back its head, giving a screeching howl. Before Kenneth reached Besseta, another form hit Besseta and the werewolf she was latched on to.

“Bad dog!” Kenneth shouted, turning toward the tumbling figures and charging them as the three forms rolled across the valley.

Kenneth dropped as another form sailed over him. Sliding twenty yards on his belly, Kenneth jumped up and spun toward the new attack and saw two more werewolves coming at him. Filled with a deep rage, Kenneth leaned forward and vanished.

Seeing their target disappear, the two new attackers changed direction, heading for Besseta. The werewolf in the lead felt a sharp pain at the small of his back and opened his maw to screech, but froze when Kenneth yanked his spine out. The second werewolf saw the spine being ripped out of its packmate and the headless body crashed to the ground. Slowing down and looking for the attacker, Kenneth turned holding the severed spine in his left hand and swung, hitting the werewolf with the massive head still attached to the spine.

Doing a complete flip in the air, the werewolf hit the ground and felt Kenneth’s hands slicing into its neck. As Kenneth pulled the head off, Tiffany flew past him and Kenneth realized it was from an impact. Dropping the severed head, Kenneth spun as three werewolves jumped over several dead bodies where Tiffany had been fighting.

“Stay,” Kenneth said, holding up both hands open and all three forms froze in midair. Narrowing his eyes, Kenneth gave a small grin as he closed his hands slowly and the three massive forms started giving off loud snaps as their bones broke and their bodies folded up into a ball.

In less than a minute, the eleven-foot-tall figures crashed down with a loud squish, no bigger than a suitcase. Kenneth winced as his last rib snapped back into place and dropped his hands, feeling very lightheaded, but still turned to Besseta.

Besseta was flying through the air at another werewolf as it entered the valley. Hitting the werewolf in the chest, Besseta latched on with her hands and climbed around the creature and onto its back. Opening her mouth, Besseta latched on at the base of the skull as she held her left hand flat and shoved it into the werewolf’s back like a knife.

Hearing a thought, Kenneth dropped down as two forms sailed where he had been standing. “This is crap,” Kenneth said, pushing up and disappearing.

Tiffany pulled her body from the tree trunk the werewolves had knocked her into. Watching Besseta leaping off the back of the werewolf she’d been on, Tiffany saw Besseta holding most of the werewolf’s massive heart. “We are about to be screwed. Where is Buffy when you need her?” Tiffany snarled and Besseta dropped the heart as she landed on another werewolf.

Seeing four more coming for Besseta, Tiffany took off. Giving a glance around, Tiffany saw Kenneth grabbing the top jaw of another werewolf and yanking the top half of the skull off with a sickening crunch.

“Sit, dogs!” Tiffany shouted, pointing at the group running at Besseta, but the forms were too big and too ancient for Tiffany to fully lock on mentally to freeze them. Instead, the four forms tripped and crashed down, sliding toward Besseta on their bellies.

Mentally drained, Tiffany dove on the closest one, driving her teeth into the back of his neck. Ripping a chunk of skull away, Tiffany spit out the mouthful and she drove her hand inside the werewolf’s skull. Feeling the body go limp as she pulled out a chunk of brain, Tiffany started to move toward the others and saw one missing its arms, and Kenneth and Besseta on the others.

Turning around, Tiffany gasped, seeing over two dozen massive forms over the valley floor and three bloody lumps. Hearing a ripping sound, Tiffany turned to see the top half of Besseta’s body in the chest cavity of the werewolf she was fighting.

Besseta’s naked legs were hanging out with only one shoe on. Long gashes were all over Besseta’s thighs as the werewolf weakly tried to pull her out. Giving a quick glance down, Tiffany saw large gashes on her nude body from where the werewolves had slashed her clothes off. “I liked those pants,” Tiffany mumbled, scanning around the valley. She could hear large forms running toward them and crashing through the trees. “Guys, more are coming. A lot more,” Tiffany warned as Besseta pulled her body from the chest cavity, holding a werewolf’s heart to her mouth.

Tiffany turned to Kenneth as he jumped off the werewolf he had just killed. Like them, Kenneth was naked and covered in blood and gore. Tiffany could only see his eyes were wide and bloodshot, then realized he was afraid. “We are leaving!” Kenneth shouted and vanished.

Before Tiffany could even think about moving, she felt someone grab her waist. A grunt escaped Tiffany’s lips as the world sat on her chest and Tiffany heard Besseta give the same grunt.

Realizing she was over Kenneth’s shoulder, Tiffany struggled to lift her head and looked up the valley just before it disappeared, and saw a wave of massive bodies pouring in and then, the valley was gone. Tiffany felt the wind rushing past so hard it hurt, and she expected to see her skin peel off.

The world around them was just a blur and Tiffany turned and saw Besseta over Kenneth’s right shoulder. With her upper body coated in thick blood, Tiffany could only see the whites of Besseta’s eyes and that was all Tiffany needed to see.

“Kenneth, can you slow down?” Tiffany shouted. “If you hit something, we will explode.”

“Screw that, run!!” Besseta screamed and Tiffany winced as a bug hit her leg and she felt it pierce her skin.

Closing her eyes, Tiffany convinced herself that if she died, she wanted her eyes closed. When she felt Kenneth slow down, Tiffany opened her eyes and saw mesquite bushes around them. Coming to a stop, Kenneth put them down as he panted. Standing up, Kenneth’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell face first into the dirt.

“Kenneth,” Besseta shouted, diving down on him. Grabbing Kenneth’s shoulders, Besseta shook him, but Kenneth didn’t wake up. Jumping up, “Stay with him,” Besseta told Tiffany and vanished with a thunderclap.

“Like I would leave him,” Tiffany called out after Besseta. She looked around at the arid area and realized they were in a dry sandy riverbed. Kneeling beside Kenneth, Tiffany saw several large gashes from a werewolf’s claw across Kenneth’s chest. “That should be more healed by now,” Tiffany mumbled.

A thunderclap sounded in the distance and Tiffany looked up to see Besseta appear, carrying two men over her shoulders. “You found bad ones that fast?” Tiffany cried out.

“No, I need you to feed off them, so they won’t die,” Besseta told her, dropping the two bodies on the ground. “I just knocked them out. I’d kill them to save Kenneth, but I think he would hold that against me.”

Moving over, Tiffany saw the men looked like ranchers. “Where the hell are we?”

“Just east of Lubbock, Texas,” Besseta answered, kneeling beside Kenneth.

“Kenneth carried us almost seven hundred miles in less than an hour?!” Tiffany shouted.

“Tiffany!” Besseta bellowed. “Please,” Besseta begged. “His mind is slipping away, and you said he can’t feed off of me.”

Leaning over, Tiffany latched onto the first man. The man opened his eyes as unbearable pain filled his being and his mouth froze open in a silent scream. Slowly, the man began to feel weak as he stared at the small blood-covered girl leaning over a nude man. Feeling lightheaded, the man passed out from the pain and Tiffany pulled her mouth off his neck.

“Almost went too far,” Tiffany admitted, putting the man down. She moved over and bit her wrist and placed it in Kenneth’s mouth. Slowly, Kenneth drank and then his mouth latched on Tiffany’s wrist.

Gritting her teeth at the pain when Kenneth bit her wrist, “Kenneth, stop,” Tiffany grunted as weakness started washing over her.

“Kenneth!” Besseta shouted and Kenneth let go because she also bellowed in his mind. Kenneth’s head fell back onto the sand and he slowly cracked his eyes open.

“That sucked,” he mumbled.

Struggling to keep from passing out, Tiffany leaned over the second man and latched on. As Tiffany drank, Besseta closed her eyes, concentrating on Kenneth’s mind and body. She could feel strength slowly returning to his body, and the roaring building in his mind.

Lying down on his chest, Besseta wrapped her arms around him. “I’m here,” she said softly and in his mind.

Jerking her mouth off the second man, Tiffany felt relieved to still feel a pulse. “Was that a trap?” Tiffany gasped, putting the second man on the ground.

“No, but they knew our faces and now, they know our scent,” Besseta answered.

“Besseta, you need to find someone to feed off of,” Tiffany said, looking at the two covered in dried blood.

Lifting her head up and turning to Tiffany, “I fed and I’m almost certain she’s still alive,” Besseta answered.

Moving closer, Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the gashes on Kenneth slowly closing. “Besseta, there had to be sixty werewolves entering that valley when we left.”

“I think there were more,” Besseta admitted, putting her head back on Kenneth’s chest. “That’s not what scared Kenneth. Something was with that pack and the pack was terrified of it.”

“What?”

Barely shaking her head, “I don’t know. Kenneth picked us up and took off and his mind filled with a roar until he dropped. I could feel the fear that the pack of werewolves felt, and that scared Kenneth,” Besseta told her.

“Whoa,” Kenneth moaned as he sluggishly lifted his arms and draped them around Besseta. “I need to make a note. Never let a werewolf get his hands on you,” he said weakly.

“If Tiffany hadn’t got that one off of you, it would’ve killed you,” Besseta told him.

When Kenneth cracked his eyes open, Tiffany was somewhat relieved to see that they weren’t glowing. “I’m so proud of you two for not feeding off the wild dogs.”

“After what you told us, we were somewhat scared to,” Besseta said, lifting her head up and looking at Kenneth’s face caked in dried blood. “Baby, can you move?”

Nodding weakly, “Yeah, just not fast,” Kenneth answered as the roar in his mind subsided and Besseta could feel for herself, he wasn’t lying. “I won’t lie to you,” Kenneth huffed. “Stretch the truth, maybe.”

Slowly, Besseta sat up and turned to Tiffany. “Are they in danger of dying?” Besseta asked, jerking her chin toward the two men Tiffany had fed from.

“No,” Tiffany answered. “But we can’t leave them here, exposed in the middle of nowhere, or they will die tomorrow. They just need rest.”

“There is a small gas station to the east, we will leave them there,” Besseta said, getting up. Holding out a hand, Besseta helped Kenneth stand up.

Wobbling on his feet, Kenneth looked down at his blood-covered body and then realized he was naked. The grogginess left instantly as he turned to Besseta and saw she was naked also. Then, he turned and saw the same with Tiffany. Hearing the thoughts in Kenneth’s mind, Besseta laughed. “Babe, when you fight these kinds of fights, clothes getripped off. I’ve fought enough vampires to know that. It seems werewolves are much worse. That’s why I usually run.”

“I’ve never seen that many primal werewolves at the same time,” Tiffany told them as she picked up the two men.  “We were very lucky to get out of there alive.”

Moving over to take one of the bodies, Kenneth jumped back when Tiffany gave him a menacing glare. “If that first werewolf wasn’t fifteen-foot-tall, I’ll get rid of Eleanor,” Kenneth vowed. “Using my mind on them was very taxing.”

“Kenneth, the two that came for me in the trees were bigger. Both were older than me, I’m sure. Remember, they continue to get stronger, the longer they live,” Tiffany told him as she adjusted the two men on her shoulders. “Their physical strength can rival any telekinetic at that age, and we were facing swarms of them.”

As Besseta held onto Kenneth, she slowly built up speed. “I counted thirty-seven in the field.”

Leaning forward as Besseta picked up speed, “Like I said, we were lucky,” Tiffany repeated.

They soon stopped a hundred yards from a small gas station and Tiffany put the two unconscious men under a tree. “There’s a river over there,” Tiffany pointed to the east. “We need to wash off and find some clothes. We can make it halfway to meet with Maliki and rest during the day.”

“Screw that,” Kenneth huffed. “When the sun comes up, we will steal a car and drive.”

“Now, you see why I never carry anything when I’m hunting,” Besseta told him as they ran to the river. “Several times, I’ve had to fight vampires while I’ve hunted and it’s not wise to leave a wallet behind.”

Reaching the river, the three walked in and started washing off. “Can’t argue with that,” Kenneth admitted, trying to get the dried blood out of his hair.

“Kenneth, what was coming that the werewolves were so scared of?” Tiffany asked and Besseta froze when Kenneth turned to Tiffany.

“A leviathan.”

Chapter Nineteen

It was late afternoon when Kenneth pulled his motorcycle off the highway after they’d crossed into Virginia. After getting cleaned up and stealing some clothes, he’d led them to Memphis where he and Besseta had found several that they could feed off of without worrying about keeping them alive. Just before sunrise, Kenneth broke into a bank and robbed it, just because he could.

After making a withdrawal from the bank, he got online and found three sport bikes, or what was commonly referred to as crotch rockets, for sale by owners. Then, he took the girls to a motorcycle shop and they bought full leather moto-riding gear. The girls learned the motorcycles rather fast and Kenneth was thankful he had bought some dirt bikes that they’d ridden around the property.

Putting his kickstand down, Kenneth shut the bike off and turned as Besseta pulled up beside him. The leather reinforced suit hugged her body and Kenneth wondered just how many tiny riders there were. Tiffany wasn’t much bigger than Besseta and they’d found a full outfit for her as well. The padded joints of the pants and jacket, along with the knee-high riding boots, made both look smaller than they really were.

Climbing off after Tiffany parked on his right and shut down her motorcycle, “This bike can go almost as fast as I can run,” Tiffany chuckled, pulling off her helmet.

“Yeah, these bikes will hit two hundred with ease,” Kenneth laughed, watching Besseta taking off her helmet. He raised his eyebrows as she climbed off the bike with the bike boots that came up to her knees. The suit really accentuated her body well.

“Stud,” Besseta laughed, “don’t start.”

Shaking her head at the two, Tiffany hung her helmet on the handlebar. “Are these the fastest bikes?”

“No, not by a long shot,” Kenneth answered. “Production wise they are, but you can get handmade bikes that will blow these away.”

“I like riding motorcycles on the road more than through the woods,” Besseta admitted, bending backwards and stretching her back after riding hunched over for so long. “I can dodge trees when I’m running, but that’s too hard on a motorcycle.”

Tiffany walked over, joining them. “I don’t understand why we couldn’t just go fast and get here?”

“So the report of three people speeding east could be put out over the radio?” Kenneth asked, and Tiffany jerked with an understanding nod. “The same amount of people that escaped a pack of hell-hounds?”

“You think so far ahead, you scare me sometimes,” Tiffany mumbled, pulling her jacket sleeve up and looking at the watch she’d gotten off one of their snacks.

“Hey, they don’t look like wolves,” Kenneth huffed. “They don’t have tails, walk upright, and are the size of a semi.”

“You saw the video of the ancient one we met in Mississippi,” Besseta reminded him.

“Video didn’t do them justice. Hell, the biggest one we fought in L.A. was like nine or ten-foot-tall. Compared to what we faced last night, he was a runt,” Kenneth popped off. “The two that I caught on security cameras had to be babies at seven feet tall.”

“Are we waiting here for Maliki?” Tiffany asked, then pointed to a picnic table under a roof. “If we are, let’s get out of the sun. I took off my helmet and man, I can feel my strength dissipate.”

Nodding, Besseta patted the leather jacket and pants. “That part, I like,” Besseta admitted and looked up at Kenneth, then turned to Tiffany. “We know where he is, let’s just go. Hell, Tiffany’s been there.”

“I don’t want Maliki mad at her,” Kenneth said. “This is his safe house.”

“So, I’ll punch him a few extra times,” Besseta grunted.

“Besseta, he didn’t know what was there,” Tiffany pointed out.

Unbuttoning the bottom of her jacket from the top of her pants, “That son of a bitch knows about leviathans and has failed to mention them,” Besseta snapped, pulling off the jacket. She tossed it over her bike and looked over at Tiffany. “Hell, you don’t even know about them.”

“I study everything. Maliki studies only the cubus. I’m certain he knows much more than I do,” Tiffany admitted. “Granted, knowing what I know now, the cubus are going to be the center of my attention.”

Turning to Kenneth, “How close do you think you need to be to talk to Maliki’s mind?” Besseta asked.

Shrugging, “Hell, I don’t know,” Kenneth confessed, and Tiffany reached over and grabbed his arm.

“Kenneth, it’s a bright day. Don’t even try it right here,” Tiffany warned, then cut her eyes to Besseta. “You should know better.”

“I didn’t say here!” Besseta shouted. “We can go somewhere with more shade.”

Looking from Tiffany to Besseta, “There’s a truck stop down the road at Coeburn. Let’s ride there and go inside, so I can try,” Kenneth offered. “Plus, we can pick up some disposable phones and check on Mickey.”

Grabbing her jacket, Besseta pulled it on. “That sounds good.”

The three climbed back on the bikes and were soon pulling into the truck stop. Kenneth led them to the pumps. They filled up and then pulled up to the store. Taking off their leather gloves, Tiffany and Besseta pulled small backpacks off their bikes. The packs were stuffed with the money Kenneth had liberated from the bank in Memphis.

Kenneth headed to the bathroom while the girls headed for the phone display. “Besseta, please don’t beat up Maliki,” Tiffany pleaded. “We are going to his safe house and he is trying.”

“I still owe him for Boston,” Besseta snapped, trying to open the display up. She saw a young man who worked in the store walk by. “Hey, open this, so we can get some phones,” Besseta ordered.

The young man jumped back at the attitude, then turned and gawked at the two hotties. “Um, I have to get the manager to open the display,” he stuttered.

“Well, go get his ass,” Besseta commanded, waving the young man off.

The clerk turned away, “She’s fine as hell, but man, what a bitch,” the young man mumbled and Tiffany reached out to grab Besseta’s arm before she lunged.

“You are being rude,” Tiffany whispered and Besseta just rolled her eyes. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

Giving a long sigh, “We almost died on a stupid errand,” Besseta mumbled. “Tiffany, I locked one up with my mind, and it felt like I was trying to move the Earth. I almost lost Kenneth for nothing. I couldn’t break away to help him. You had to get the one crushing him.”

“And I did, while you were fighting four others,” Tiffany pointed out. “Besseta, we’ve been in enough battles for you to know there is no safety. I still can’t believe you two didn’t wait on me before heading to the docks in L.A. There were a lot of vampires there, just not many werewolves, thank goodness.”

Staring into the display, lost in her thoughts, Besseta nodded. “At least Kenneth learned a lesson; we aren’t invulnerable.”

“Then that alone, was worth the fight,” Tiffany sighed. “Besseta, he’s still just bulling through. Did you see how much he used telekinesis? He locked three up at one time and then crushed them.”

Turning from the display to Tiffany, Besseta nodded glumly. “Yes, but he almost passed out. He puked up blood twice during the fight. I’ve never seen anyone push that hard at night and almost get drained.”

A round man walked up with a keyring in his hands. “How may I help you?” he asked.

Besseta blinked and then turned back to the display. “I’ll take six of that phone,” she said, jabbing her finger on the glass door of the display.

The man gave a gasp, fumbling with the keys. “I’m not sure we have that many.”

“Then give me what you have, and enough of the phone beside it until you give me six,” Besseta snapped, then her face went blank.

“Yes, ma’am,” the man replied, opening the case up and pulling out phones.

Tiffany ignored the man as she watched Besseta. The blank look left Besseta’s face suddenly, as she gave a snort and busted out laughing. Pulling out the phones, the man turned around to see Besseta slapping her thigh. “Kenneth, be nice, baby,” Besseta laughed out.

“Oh,” Tiffany moaned, realizing what was going on.

The laughter froze on Besseta’s face. “Maliki, I’ll come up there and rip your legs off and beat you with them,” Besseta said coldly. Tiffany watched Besseta’s face and could tell she was listening. On a whim, Tiffany reached out and grabbed her hand and concentrated on her mind.

Maliki’s voice filled Tiffany’s mind, making her jump. ‘Besseta, Kenneth just threatened me with the same thing!’

You had information we needed!’ Kenneth bellowed in her mind and Tiffany winced as Kenneth’s voice made her feel nauseous.

Kenneth, I don’t know how you found out, but you need to keep that out of your mind. If the cubus find out that you know about leviathans, they will stop this war and hunt you until they kill you and everyone you know,’ Maliki warned and Tiffany could feel the trepidation coming from Maliki as he spoke.

“Maliki, we are coming to see you now, so don’t get upset,” Besseta said out loud, but Tiffany also heard Besseta in her mind.

There was a pause before Maliki spoke. ‘Did Tiffany tell you about this place?’

No,’ Kenneth scoffed. ‘Like I told you, I can do things you can’t even dream of. Hell, I’m still finding out what I can do.’

Again, there was a pause, ‘If you know where I am, then come,’ Maliki replied, sounding dejected.

“Maliki, just how many others know about your place?” Besseta asked out loud again. The manager was staring at Besseta with an arm full of boxes and his mouth hanging open.

Maliki gave a long sigh and then answered. ‘There is only one of our kind that has been here, and she’s with you.’

Besseta and Kenneth both jerked and Tiffany started blushing. “Maliki,” Tiffany said out loud and Tiffany could actually feel Maliki’s shock. ‘You know as well as I, they would never divulge anything about you.’

‘Not willingly, but the cubus would get whatever they wanted and never ask a question,’ Maliki answered and Besseta cut her eyes to Tiffany, feeling the joy emanating from Maliki.

‘See you shortly,’ Kenneth said and Tiffany felt the link to Maliki sever, but didn’t let go of Besseta’s hand. For a brief second, Tiffany was inside Kenneth’s mind and she could feel he was tired.

“Ma’am,” the manager said, looking from Besseta to Tiffany.

Blinking her eyes and breaking the trance, Besseta smiled at the manager. “Thank you, I’ll meet you at the counter.”

When the manager walked away, Besseta looked down at Tiffany’s hand, holding hers. “How did you figure that out?”

In shock, Tiffany didn’t answer or let go of Besseta’s hand while she still felt herself inside Kenneth’s mind. “By the ancient gods,” Tiffany gasped. Hearing the roaring building in Kenneth’s mind, Tiffany let go of Besseta’s hand. “Go,” Tiffany snapped and pushed Besseta toward the restrooms.

Besseta headed to the back and Tiffany let out a laugh, watching Besseta just walk into the men’s room. “Hey!” a male voice screeched.

“It’s not like you have something that someone wants to see!” Besseta shouted back as the door closed.

Taking the small pack off her shoulder, Tiffany laughed and pulled out a bound stack of hundreds and tossed them on the counter. “Take the phones out of this and you can keep the change, but you have to belittle any man that comes out complaining about my friend going in the men’s room to check on her husband.”

With bulging eyes, the manager looked at the ten-grand sitting on the counter. “They need to man the hell up,” he mumbled, tossing the phones into two bags.

Giving the manager a smile, Tiffany grabbed the bags as the manager slowly picked up the stack of money. Turning around, she saw Kenneth leaning on Besseta as they headed for the door. “He doesn’t need to go outside, if he’s that tired,” Tiffany told Besseta, cutting them off from the door.

“It’s not like the normal weariness,” Kenneth told her, but did stop at the doors.

Rolling her eyes, Tiffany turned to Besseta. “What’s he feel like?”

“Tired, but not like the other times. He actually has a lot of strength. It’s like he worked out a new muscle and that one spot is sore and very tired,” Besseta answered, looking up at Kenneth’s face.

As she thought hard, Tiffany moved to the other side of Kenneth and guided him and Besseta into a restaurant. Heading to a table in the back corner, Tiffany moved over to let Besseta guide him into the booth. “Besseta, that wasn’t like when you and Kenneth talked in my mind. It was much more vivid. I could feel Maliki’s emotions. For some reason, I pictured him standing on a balcony overlooking a valley, but his house doesn’t have a balcony,” Tiffany said, sitting down.

“He was standing on a balcony,” Kenneth mumbled, laying his head down on the table.

Feeling the fatigue slowly abating, Besseta grabbed one of the bags and ripped one of the phones out. To keep her hands busy as she thought, Tiffany also pulled a phone out and started setting it up. “Were you linked with him when he started talking to Maliki?” Tiffany asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Besseta chuckled. “It was like Kenneth’s mind flew up through the ceiling and then over the countryside until it reached the valley Maliki lives in. I saw Maliki standing on the balcony when Kenneth’s mind flew at him and it hit Maliki. It wasn’t a physical hit, but let me tell you, Maliki knew instantly it was Kenneth and he almost wet his pants.”

“I couldn’t read Maliki’s thoughts. I could only feel his emotions,” Tiffany said and then smiled, seeing the phone was ready to use.

“Neither could Kenneth,” Besseta shrugged, sliding the phone she’d just activated over to Tiffany. Pulling out another phone, Besseta started activating it. “But then again he wasn’t trying, thankfully, because I’m sure that would’ve made him collapse.”

Programing the numbers into hers and Besseta’s phone, Tiffany glanced over and saw Kenneth was resting. “Can you tell me how he did it?”

With her fingers tapping the screen, Besseta paused and looked up at Tiffany. “He knew where Maliki was and concentrated on talking to him. That’s when his mind, or consciousness; whatever you want to call it, flew out,” Besseta explained.

“That is astral projection, clairvoyant telepathy and I’ve never heard of someone having all of them,” Tiffany said, grabbing the box to the phone Besseta was programing. “I still think we should take some time off and explore just what he can do. This trying on the fly is dangerous.”

“He’s scared to go back to the house,” Besseta confessed. “Too many ancient werewolves have our scent. Kenneth is worried we would expose Mickey and his family.”

“Please,” Tiffany scoffed, taking the phone from Besseta and she programmed the numbers into the phones. “I have a few safe houses we could use, and you have four times what I have here in North America.”

Glancing over at Kenneth as he dozed, “I’m with you on that,” Besseta mumbled. “When we fought those werewolves, he was forcing his body to heal faster. After the first one hit him, Kenneth opened his mind. That’s how he dodged most of the others.”

Looking at the screens with T, B, and K, and phone numbers beside each letter, Tiffany slid a phone over to Besseta and Kenneth. “So far, we know he has telekinesis and psychometry – the ability to read memories of others. Vampires, he can seem to do without touch, but humans, he seems to need to touch. Psychic surgery, at least to himself, astral projection, remote viewing, energy manipulation, unfathomable speed, super healing, telekinesis, mental manipulation and clairvoyance just to name a few,” Tiffany listed off, looking at Besseta. “The weirdest part is, you can use his powers.”

“I’ve fed off all the same ones he has,” Besseta objected.

Shaking her head, “Besseta, none of the ones you two have fed off of, had psychic abilities of projection, remote viewing, psychometry, and such. You know what you two have taken. Those came from Kenneth and you can use them, but aren’t affected in the same way he is. Kenneth can take abilities by thought where you take by absorbing DNA,” Tiffany offered.

Slowly, Kenneth lifted his head off the table and sluggishly blinked his eyes. “I still have to take some of them,” Kenneth mumbled, and Tiffany jerked her eyes to him. “You’re right. I absorb abilities, but I have to take in some blood of the subject.”

“You’re sure?” Tiffany asked.

Nodding as he leaned back in his chair. “Yes, one of those werewolves disappeared and reappeared a few feet away. He teleported, no joke,” Kenneth told her. “I tried to link with him because I thought that would come in handy, and I’d promised I wouldn’t drink to take in abilities.”

“You’re sure it was teleportation?” Tiffany gasped.

Shrugging, “Hell, if I know,” Kenneth admitted. “One second he was in one spot and the next, he was in another. As I was ripping its heart out, I pushed my thoughts in its mind and ‘she’,” Kenneth stressed, “would concentrate and jump to another spot. But I felt where she was going to ‘jump’. When she appeared, I drove my hand through her back, severing her spine and grabbed her heart.”

Reaching over, Tiffany grabbed Kenneth’s hand. “I’m not saying that wouldn’t be a useful power, but thank you for not taking it in,” Tiffany sighed with relief. “The last thing we would need is for you to teleport a thousand feet up in the air or the middle of the ocean in a fight.”

“That’s what I figured,” Kenneth chuckled softly. “If I can have an ability, I want precognition. I think seeing into the future would be helpful.”

“I’ve met one that could see a few minutes into the future accurately. The future changes too rapidly for long term predictions,” Tiffany said.

Pushing back from the table, Kenneth picked up his phone. “Let’s go see Maliki. I can rest there while he tells us what he knows.”

Shoving her phone in her pocket, Besseta nodded. “Yes, he will, or I’ll pull his lungs out his ass.”

Standing up, Tiffany laughed. “Little Besseta, you are going to have to do that one time just for me, but please, not on Maliki.”

When they headed for the door, the manager ran over and held it open. “I called several of the men who complained, little sissies,” he told Tiffany with a big grin.

Walking past the manager, Tiffany patted his cheek as she slung her small pack over one shoulder. “That’s good, dear. When we come back through, we’ll stop by,” Tiffany told him.

The manager smiled as the three climbed on the sport bikes and zoomed out of the parking lot. “Glad I came in today,” the manager mumbled, heading back into the store and patting the wad of change.

Chapter Twenty

Riding down a small paved road, Kenneth looked at the white board fence on each side of the road, with lush green pastures over the rolling hills dotted with large single trees. He could see the fields were subdivided out and horses were everywhere.

Reaching a driveway that was twice the size of the road and had huge brick columns with iron gates standing open, Kenneth slowed and turned into the driveway. “Whoa,” he mumbled, seeing the ranch over a mile away. There were several horse barns and arenas, along with a racetrack.

There was one massive house, and another almost as big set closer to the horse barns. Kenneth steered for the large brick home and saw a lone figure standing on the second-floor balcony. Before they reached the house, the figure vanished and Kenneth pulled into a circular driveway.

Shutting off his bike, Kenneth put the kickstand down. “Shit, I thought Besseta’s house was big,” he said out loud.

“He’s definitely rebuilt since I’ve been here,” Tiffany said, pulling her helmet off.

“When were you here?” Kenneth asked, getting off his bike. “All I know is, cars weren’t around.”

“Right after the Spanish-American war,” Tiffany answered and one of the massive double doors opened.

Dressed in a black silk suit complete with black gloves, Maliki stepped outside and came down the steps. His long straight black hair blew in the slight breeze, and Kenneth realized just how pale Maliki really was. In all reality, Maliki was what Kenneth had always pictured as a vampire: pale, slight build, and black eyes; basically creepy-looking.

Hearing Kenneth’s thoughts, Besseta dropped her helmet as she busted out laughing. Heading for Tiffany, Maliki stopped when Besseta started laughing. “You laugh at such odd times,” Maliki said, looking at Besseta.

Turning to Tiffany, Maliki inclined his head and looked at the leather riding outfit she was wearing. “I have to say, I like the outfit,” Maliki told her.

“Thank you,” Tiffany said, hanging her helmet on the bike and Besseta slowly stopped laughing. She turned to see Kenneth sniffing the air. “Yes, Kenneth, that’s why he has a horse ranch. Of all the animals, they mask our scent very well. That’s one reason I miss riding them.”

Turning to Besseta, “We are getting horses,” Kenneth announced.

Walking over, Besseta squirmed under Kenneth’s arm and put an arm around his waist. “Whatever you want,” she smiled up at him.

Holding out an arm, Maliki waved it toward the house. “Please, come in.”

“When did you rebuild?” Tiffany asked as Maliki escorted them inside.

“After the second world war,” Maliki answered.

Walking up the steps, Kenneth glanced back and could see people working with horses and tending the property. “No, they don’t know, baby,” Besseta told him.

“I know, and that just reaffirms why we have help now,” Kenneth said, walking inside and Maliki closed the door behind them. “No, save the tour for later,” Kenneth told Maliki’s thought.

“You are very extraordinary,” Maliki said, but even Tiffany could see uneasiness on Maliki’s face. “Then, let’s sit and talk,” Maliki told them and led them into a large room that had chairs arranged in a circle around a low table, with books lining the wall.

“Nice library,” Tiffany said, glancing at the books.

“My real one is still downstairs,” Maliki told her as they all sat down.

“Maliki, what the hell is a leviathan?” Kenneth asked bluntly and wasn’t prepared for Maliki’s reaction.

Leaping up from his chair like he was about to run, Maliki looked at Kenneth in abstract panic. “First, I have to ask, how do you know about them?” Maliki shouted.

Leaning back in his chair, “Heard it from your mind in Vegas, right before we were interrupted,” Kenneth told him, and Maliki’s pale complexion became almost transparent. “Then, we go to Iowa to check out that property and let me tell you, there are some big werewolves there and a lot of them. I heard a thought in one’s mind about a leviathan coming, and it was terrified of it.”

Panting hard, Maliki stared at Kenneth for several minutes, then quickly spun away and walked over to a small bar in the corner. “Kenneth, you need to keep those thoughts from your mind, as all of you do,” Maliki warned. “If the cubus realize you know about the leviathans, they will stop this war and hunt you down.”

“You’ve never mentioned them to me,” Tiffany said as Maliki poured himself a drink.

“Tiffany, if I would’ve told you about them, you would’ve studied them like you have everything else. Leviathans are the cubus’ most trusted guardians and secret weapons,” Maliki told her and drained his glass, then refilled it.

“So, you haven’t studied them?” Tiffany asked with scorn.

Picking his glass up, Maliki walked over and sat back down. “Oh, yes. I’ve studied them and the cubus in detail, but I do my research in private. I don’t capture subjects and dissect them, or approach them and sit down to talk to them.”

“I can’t run fast, but I knew I could outrun that Incubus,” Tiffany said with a small sigh. “He’s the one that killed Herotho.”

The glass in Maliki’s hand slipped out as his hand went numb. “How did you find that out?”

Looking over at Malik as the glass hit the floor, “I’ll tell you in time, but first, what are the leviathans?” Tiffany asked.

“Beings not of earth,” Maliki answered. “No, they aren’t demons, or they may be, but they aren’t from here,” Maliki said, getting up and heading back for the bar. As Maliki poured another drink, Tiffany looked at the spilled drink and glass on the floor.

The glass flipped upright, and the brandy leached out of the carpet into a sphere, then dropped in the glass. “Nobody will ever be able to match you in telekinesis,” Kenneth chuckled as the glass floated up and sat on the table.

Returning with another drink, Maliki smiled at Tiffany. “I was going to clean it up.”

“You’re welcome. Please continue,” Tiffany said, taking off her leather jacket.

“Leviathans were the true rulers of our kind, including the cubus,” Maliki said, sitting down. “You’ve all read about them. There is even mention in the Bible Kenneth gave me to send our messages back and forth. Humans have always referred to them as giants.”

“Hold up,” Kenneth said, holding up a hand. “Leviathan, in all literature, is a water-borne creature.”

Maliki turned to Kenneth with a straight face. “Because they are shape-shifters,” Maliki told him, and then gave a shiver. “When they change, they look like a ball of jelled blue water. That is when they are the most vulnerable, but they can be killed after assuming another form.”

“What form?” Besseta asked.

Shrugging as he took a sip, “Anything they want to,” Maliki answered. “If it’s an animal, it’s always bigger than a normal version, but I’ve seen one change into, for lack of a better term, a monster. It had tentacles and a round mouth with more teeth than you could imagine. The body, which looked like an eel, was over a hundred feet long and about twenty or so feet around.”

“When did you see that?” Tiffany asked in shock.

“Twenty-nine years after Herotho died,” Maliki answered. “That’s when I started hunting down cubus and researching them.”

“How many leviathans have you seen?” Tiffany asked.

“Four,” Maliki told her with a shiver. Turning to Besseta and Kenneth, he found them staring at him with gaping mouths. “Let me give you a condensed version of what I’ve learned.”

Leaning forward, Maliki set his glass down. “The island of our birth is true, but I’ve been able to confirm that it was much earlier; like over a hundred thousand years ago. Leviathans were the first rulers. There weren’t many of them, to begin with, only a few thousand. Leviathans bred with early humans and that’s where cubus came from. From everything I’ve found out, leviathans couldn’t reproduce themselves. I haven’t been able to find out why.”

Maliki paused when Kenneth pulled a small notepad from his jacket and started writing. “Leviathans are beyond powerful, mentally and physically. The development of cubus, from what I’ve gathered, was engineered. Leviathans used them to stay strong, like cubus use vampires and werewolves, draining their life force. From my research, werewolves were the next spawn of leviathan and cubus. Werewolves, like the cubus, were engineered to some extent but I have no idea how. Our kind was the last and we came from cubus breeding with humans. I’m sorry to say, our kind is at the shallow end of the gene pool, but for some reason, our kind have more of the abilities of the leviathans. Werewolves have some, but not in the dispersal that vampires do. One in six vampires has a special ability. Werewolves, it’s like one in thirty, but they continue to get stronger and bigger as they age, like leviathans. We don’t.”

“Hold up there,” Kenneth said, looking up from his notepad. “If leviathans are so powerful, then they are over all this, not the cubus.”

Shaking his head, “You haven’t let me finish,” Maliki said, grabbing his glass and draining it. “Cubus have more abilities among their ranks than vampires but thankfully, there aren’t many of them like there are of us. Before this war, there were three hundred and eighty-one cubus, and I know a few have been killed.”

Going back to writing, Kenneth nodded. “Yeah, Tiffany told us how cubus breed.”

Glancing over at Tiffany, Maliki just gave a sigh and then continued. “All cubus have the ability to wipe the mind and instill what they want. That’s why the leviathans created them. Three out of four cubus have other abilities. I’ve found every form of psychic ability, and hundreds of physical attributes. Another thing all cubus can do, is change their appearance. Granted, it’s always human, but they can look like someone entirely different, even the opposite sex.”

“Yeah, found that out,” Kenneth mumbled as he continued writing. “Have you ever heard of a vampire that could shapeshift or change their appearance?”

“Nope, and I’ve searched long and hard,” Maliki answered and turned to Tiffany, and she also shook her head, ‘no’. “We are the only spawn from the leviathans that didn’t inherit that ability.”

“You wouldn’t, by any chance, know how many leviathans are around, do you?” Kenneth asked.

“I can’t get a hard count, but I know it’s less than a hundred now,” Maliki answered. “Now, I don’t know when, but it was long before the island was destroyed, that the cubus rebelled against the leviathans. Somehow, they were able to use the power of their minds to take control of some of the leviathans. Most of them, in fact. There was a very large war, but the leviathans that weren’t controlled lost the war and dispersed over the planet. The remaining leviathans are protectors of the cubus. Then, the cubus ruled the island over werewolves and vampires.

“As you’ve pointed out, werewolves are pack creatures and a cubus only has to take over the pack leader to control a formidable force. Our kind, are loners and that’s why there has always been animosity between werewolves and vampires. We are the ones that started the revolt after the island was destroyed and the remaining leviathans around the planet converged, hopeful to retake command. That war is when so many cubus were lost. Thankfully, they have never been able to reestablish their numbers because all of them are very egotistical,” Maliki said, getting up to refill his glass.

Kenneth paused while Maliki refilled his glass. “You found all this out from written text?”

“Some, but I’ve talked to more ancient vampires than any dozen of our kind,” Maliki told Kenneth when he’d returned to his chair. “If they didn’t want to tell me, I have other means,” Maliki smiled.

Seeing the smile on the pale face, Kenneth pushed the creepy thought from his mind and Besseta tried not to laugh again. “Maliki,” Besseta said and he turned to her. “I trustyou won’t let Kenneth look into your thoughts?”

Taking a sip, Maliki shook his head. “Not willingly,” Maliki answered. “Sorry, he seems good enough, but after what I’ve seen, nobody goes in my mind without a fight.”

“Have you seen a leviathan here in America?” Kenneth asked, still writing.

“Yes, not far from here, in fact. It was during the Civil War,” Maliki said. “November 23, 1863, outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, three cubus with a leviathan were chasing me. I’m not even counting the werewolves or few vampires. That was the first time they tried to take over the North American League. I was able to hide among the armies, since there was a battle going on. It took me two days, but I finally gave them the slip. The next day, at Lookout Mountain, I got my closest look. I swear, they knew I was close and one of them suddenly started looking around, so I eased off and found a break in the lines of werewolves.”

“If leviathans are so powerful, why are the cubus having so much trouble?” Besseta asked and was shocked when Kenneth answered.

“Numbers make a really good equalizer against superior strength,” Kenneth said.

Raising his glass in a toast, “So right you are, sir, but at that time, there were three very ancient vampires on the council. All of them were from the island and had fought against those with the cubus and with leviathans, trying to regain control. They killed it and the cubus, when the group headed west. At the time, I was the junior member,” Maliki explained.

“So, you chop off their heads or rip out their hearts to kill them?” Besseta asked.

Shaking his head, “Nope,” Maliki said, then drained his glass. “They may have a head, but there is no brain there. Same for a heart.”

“How in the hell do you kill them?” Besseta gasped.

“Dismember them and burn them before they reform,” Maliki said. “Of course, you could use mercury, but it’s just as deadly to us. That’s how David killed Goliath; the stone he used from the riverbed had mercury in it.”

“Whoa, Goliath was a leviathan?” Kenneth asked.

Nodding, “Like I said, you’ve heard about them in the ancient tales,” Maliki told him. “Mercury is the only thing all of us can’t regenerate from.”

Clearing her throat to get Maliki’s attention, Besseta asked. “Maliki, are there any leviathans not controlled by the cubus?”

“No, after the last war, the cubus hunted them down slowly. Granted, it took a millennia, but I haven’t been able to find or hear of rumor of one,” Maliki said. “Besseta, even if there was one, I wouldn’t suggest an alliance. The arrogant attitude the cubus have, it came from leviathans, but I assure you, cubus are nothing compared to leviathans. Leviathans are beyond narcissistic.”

“Have you ever heard of a vampire or werewolf that the cubus couldn’t control?” Tiffany asked.

“Again, no,” Maliki told her. “Only some of the cubus were able to take over leviathans, not all of them. But I’ve never heard of anything else that has been able to thwart a cubus from taking over its mind.”

“I trust you’ve made notes on this,” Tiffany huffed, flopping back in her chair.

“Yes,” Maliki nodded. “Now, will you tell me what you found in Iowa?”

For an hour, Kenneth told Maliki what had happened after they’d left Vegas, omitting saving Mickey, and up to the battle in Iowa. When Kenneth finished, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to go,” Maliki said, getting up. “I just attacked a large group of Strong Hands outside of Miami and told my troops to disperse for several days, so I could talk to you. We should’ve checked it out.”

“No, you would’ve died,” Kenneth said finally and stopped writing. “Sorry, but you’re too important to me right now.”

Taken back, “Well, I’m fortunate to be of use to you,” Maliki said and then laughed. “So, how am I useful to you?”

“You’re keeping them occupied until I can figure out how to take the Strong Hands down,” Kenneth shrugged. “If they would leave us alone, I would leave you to your fate.”

“Kenneth, that’s rude,” Tiffany snapped.

“So, I just want to spend time with my wife,” Kenneth admitted.

“Well, I have been doing a good job of keeping them occupied,” Maliki grumbled.

Shaking his head, “Maliki, if it wasn’t for Besseta, myself, and Tiffany, you would be dead already, so the high-and-mighty attitude doesn’t work with me,” Kenneth told him, closing his notepad. “I’m not saying that to be a smart ass,” Kenneth said, then looked off for a second. “On second thought, I’m being a little smart ass.”

Realizing Kenneth was correct, Maliki slumped in his chair. “You have the right to be an ass,” Maliki said and Besseta almost fell out of her chair. “I know of four times, your information has saved me personally, and in Vegas.”

“Hey, you will be important to me until this is over,” Kenneth said, putting his notepad away. “To be honest, you’re growing on me.”

Maliki looked over at Kenneth, clearly confused. “Oh,” Kenneth said. “I’m really beginning to like you. In time, I could see you being a friend, but be warned, when a friend screws me over, they lose me forever and gain an enemy.”

A genuine smile filled Maliki’s face. “I’ve only had one true friend and one close friend. When this is over, we shall work on this.”

“Can I ask another question?” Kenneth grunted as he leaned back in the chair and Maliki nodded. “What vampire had the most information?”

“Xu,” Maliki answered immediately, and Tiffany jumped in her chair, hearing ‘Shoo’.

“I have got to meet this guy,” Kenneth mumbled.

“When did you go to China and meet Xu?” Tiffany snapped.

“I didn’t meet Xu in China,” Maliki told her. “I met him the first time in Italy, five hundred years ago. The last time I saw him was in New York, like thirty years ago.”

“He leaves China?” Tiffany gasped.

Nodding with a grin, “Yeah, Xu goes where he pleases, when he pleases. The Asian League is nothing but ancient vampires. The cubus will make feints there, but they are terrified to take them on.”

“So, he’s the oldest?” Kenneth asked.

“Easily. Just from our conversations, I know he lived on the island for seven hundred years before the earthquake hit and the island disappeared, but it may have been longer,” Maliki explained. “He’s one of the most powerful psychics I’ve ever researched. His power rivals that of the leviathans. I don’t know all he can do, but he’s the most powerful pyrokinesis anyone knows of. His mental control of others rivals the cubus. He doesn’t have to touch his subjects. I know he’s a telepath, but I don’t know how powerful.”

“Just how long do you have to live before you’re ancient?” Besseta asked.

“Around three thousand years,” Tiffany answered.

Raising his hand, Maliki pointed over at Tiffany. “She’s the most powerful telekinetic I’ve ever heard of, though she denies it.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Kenneth chuckled. “I trust Xu isn’t the only one on the Asian League that has gifts?”

“Kenneth, there isn’t a member in any League that doesn’t have gifts,” Maliki declared. “You do have to fight for the seat, and fight to keep it.”

In shock, “Xu is like nine thousand years old,” Besseta mumbled.

Shaking his head, “Besseta, the island was destroyed over sixteen thousand years ago,” Maliki told her, and Tiffany let out a gasp.

“All the research I’ve done says 7-8000 B.C.” Tiffany mumbled. “I never talked about timeline with Xu. I just wanted information on how the cubus ran the island.”

“My best guess, is Xu is closing in on twenty thousand years,” Maliki said with a shiver. “I don’t think I could stay around that long.”

Nodding, “When do you head back out?” Kenneth asked.

“Tomorrow,” Maliki sighed. “We are going to hit a group outside of Pittsburg.”

“I trust you’ve made notes on what you’ve learned,” Kenneth stated, and Maliki nodded. “Can we read those until you leave?”

“I would be honored,” Maliki said, getting up. When Kenneth got up, Maliki stood in front of him. “I hope your friend is hidden well. I know you got to him because you’re still alive.”

Tilting his head, “If he’s alive, he’s hidden,” was all Kenneth said.

With a smile, Maliki led them out of the library. “Tiffany, don’t try to rearrange my work again,” Maliki said over his shoulder as he led them into the basement.

“Your system of filing sucks,” Tiffany pouted.

Glancing over his shoulder, “Tiffany has certainly picked up your language,” Maliki told Kenneth as he unlocked a metal vault door. “I take it, ‘sucks’ means ‘bad’, right?”

“Yes, very bad,” Kenneth laughed. “And I had nothing to do with her language. That was all TV.”

Opening the door, “I need to check that out,” Maliki mumbled.

“Oh, Maliki, start out with Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Tiffany cheered, then proceeded to explain why.

Chapter Twenty-One

The next night, Kenneth was standing with the girls on the historic site of the Civil War battlefield of Lookout Mountain. “Babe, why are we here?” Besseta asked, only hearing a murmuring of thoughts in his mind. “This Leviathan was killed, so we can’t track it. Besides that fact, it was here almost two hundred years ago.”

“I want to see something,” Kenneth told her, walking off. He stopped and looked around. “Maliki said he was here and looked to the northeast,” Kenneth mumbled and Besseta heard Kenneth’s thoughts getting louder, building into a roar. Reaching out, she grabbed his hand and realized they were both still wearing their riding gloves.

Besseta yanked them off, held his hand and sighed, hearing the crescendo die away when she touched him. “Will you explain and stop thinking?”

Taking a deep breath as Tiffany came closer, “You remember the T-Rex?” Kenneth asked and Besseta shivered, casting her eyes around.

“I’ll never forget that as long as I live,” Besseta vowed.

“Well, I started thinking about what led up to that,” Kenneth said. “While I was out, I was thinking about learning about dinosaurs in school, and wondered what a real T-Rex would look like. After going through a tunnel of lights, I was standing right beside one. Somehow, I went to where a T-Rex was. I want to take baby steps, so I came to the spot where I want to see the past.”

As another shiver ran down her spine, “Babe, you take me to another dinosaur, I’m cutting up the shirt and breaking one of your cars,” Besseta warned.

“No reason to be vulgar,” Kenneth snapped.

“Can I come?” Tiffany asked with a smile.

Besseta turned to Tiffany. “You won’t be excited if you see a dinosaur,” Besseta mumbled.

Pulling off his other glove with his teeth, Kenneth dropped it to the ground. He reached over, grabbing Tiffany’s hand. “If something happens, let go and knock me out,” Kenneth told them, taking slow breaths.

When Kenneth had grabbed her hand, Tiffany had felt a shock and could feel her mind joining with Kenneth’s and Besseta’s minds. Tiffany noticed her vision was getting fuzzy and closed her eyes when her body started feeling lighter. A jolt hit her, and Tiffany was in a black void and ahead, she saw a pinpoint of light. “Oh, shit,” Tiffany mumbled as she zoomed toward the pin-point of light.

Getting closer, she saw the pin-point grow into a circle. As she fell through the kaleidoscope of swirling lights, Tiffany could still feel Kenneth holding her hand, but couldn’t see him. Before she could study, sounds filled the tunnel and Tiffany looked ahead and saw the end coming up fast.

Fighting the urge to raise her arms and brace for impact, Tiffany lost and raised one arm over her face. Then, she was hit with another jolt, and the sounds of men shouting, gunfire, and cannons firing, sounded around her.

Tiffany dropped her arm from covering her face and stared in awe at men wearing gray uniforms, shooting down the slope at men wearing blue uniforms. She could smell the gunpowder in the air as the battle raged around her. In awe, Tiffany looked around at the history she was watching.

A man wearing a blue uniform ran toward her and stopped to shout over his shoulder. Tiffany was about to move when the man ran right through her. “Whoa,” Tiffany gasped.

“That was weird,” Kenneth said, and Tiffany turned to see Kenneth looking around. On Kenneth’s right, holding his hand, Besseta was staring around in wonder.

“There’s Maliki,” Kenneth said, lifting his hand that was holding Tiffany’s and pointing down the slope.

“Has he ever worn any other color other than black?” Besseta cried out.

Looking down the hill, Tiffany saw Maliki talking to a man wearing a blue uniform with a lot of gold braids. When Maliki looked up the hill, Tiffany saw him drop to the ground. Tiffany was about to physically turn around, but Kenneth jerked her, stopping her.

“Don’t move because you move where we really are,” Kenneth told her.

Before Tiffany could question, they all spun around, but never moved. It was then that Tiffany realized Kenneth was guiding their vision with his mind. “I want to leave,” Besseta said suddenly, jerking Tiffany out of her thoughts.

“Whoa,” Tiffany gasped, seeing a massive human behind the men wearing gray uniforms. Then, Tiffany realized they were floating closer, going through the line of men shooting down the slope, and the man was still getting bigger.

“He’s got to be twelve-foot-tall!” Besseta cried out.

“No, babe, he’s over fourteen-foot-tall,” Kenneth said when they stopped. “We are fifteen feet away and if he laid down, his head would almost touch us. I’ll bet he weighs twelve hundred pounds.”

Tiffany gawked at the massive man dressed in rawhide leather, wearing sandals that covered feet that were as long as she was tall. Unlike the tall humans she had seen, this giant was massive and then it hit her. He was massive, just like the werewolves were.

Watching men run past, Tiffany was shocked that none turned and looked at the giant in wonder. “They seem complacent with a figure this big in their midst,” she noted.

“They don’t see him,” Kenneth said, noticing three figures wearing full-length cloaks and hoods pulled over their heads, talking to a Confederate officer. “The giant is concealing himself mentally, somehow.”

“You can’t hide something that big,” Besseta panted, realizing she barely came to the leviathan’s knees.

As Besseta spoke, one of the hooded and cloaked figures turned, and Kenneth couldn’t see the face that was hidden in the shadow of the hood. The figure looked around as the other two continued talking to the officer. Glancing to his left, Kenneth could see the spot down the slope where Maliki was. “You aren’t looking down the slope,” Kenneth mumbled as the figure turned back to the officer.

“I’m so proud Maliki was fighting for the Union,” Tiffany said, but was still gawking at the giant.

“Tiffany, Maliki was with the Confederate soldiers yesterday, and these guys were with the Union. Maliki was jumping back and forth across the lines to avoid them, helping whoever he was with,” Kenneth told her, but Tiffany didn’t respond. Her head was tilted back, staring at the giant’s bearded face.

“I’ve seen some mean people, but that giant’s face looks positively malevolent,” Tiffany shivered, and Kenneth saw the same cloaked figure turn and scan around.

“Captain, you will assist us!” a female voice bellowed out. Even over the sounds of battle, it was easily heard.

“Ma’am, I don’t care how much money you gave to the Confederacy. We are in the middle of a battle! I can’t send troops out to look for a scout! After we push the blue bellies back, then come and talk to me!” the captain bellowed back and then spun around.

The captain shouted orders to men on the line as he walked off, and the woman pulled the hood of her cloak off. Tiffany was rather taken back by the exquisite beauty. Golden blonde hair flowed out over the back of the dark brown cloak. “Succubus,” Tiffany gasped, and Kenneth nodded.

Looking up at the giant, “Thysan, do you smell him?” the succubus asked.

“No,” the giant replied in a deep hollow voice. “I feel he is close, but this battle will cover his scent for months. There are too many men fighting and dying. The smell of gunpowder will take me some time to get rid of, not to mention there are several hundred horses and mules here. Not even the wolves can guarantee that Maliki hasn’t escaped.”

“I know that voice,” Besseta mumbled, looking at the succubus.

Giving a nod, “I hope so, that’s Elizabeth,” Kenneth told her, and Tiffany sucked in a breath as Besseta lunged for the figure. Kenneth yanked her back beside him. “Besseta!” he snapped. “You take off running, lord only knows where you would end up. We aren’t here. Neither is Elizabeth. Now watch, so we can learn.”

“I’m scalping the bitch,” Besseta snarled and saw the figure that was glancing around take his hood off, and glance around again. But that was lost on Besseta, seeing the incubus’s face. “A man shouldn’t be that pretty,” Besseta huffed.

Shaking his head, “I’m a guy and I think he’s hot,” Kenneth admitted. The man’s face was perfect, with soft gray hair that fell past his shoulders.

“He is close,” the incubus said, glancing around.

“Well, find him, Damon,” Elizabeth spat, and it was then, Besseta saw the blatant arrogance on their faces. “Maliki is the youngest and least experienced member of any League. We submit him to us and it will make our plans easier. I’m not going back to the conclave and telling them we failed.”

The last figure took off his hood and they saw it was another incubus. “I say, we gather up the wolves and bloodsuckers and head west. We can gather more followers from the indigenous people and return in a year with an army,” he said.

“Tonklyn, the last time we fought large scale, we, the chosen, were almost wiped out,” Elizabeth growled, then jerked her head toward the giant. “Not to mention the fact, we’ve lost many of our most powerful slaves.”

“Ah, but we wiped out the free Nephilim,” Tonklyn grinned.

Leaning close to Kenneth, “Who?” Besseta asked.

“That’s what leviathans were called in ancient times,” Kenneth said and saw Damon swivel his head around. “What is he hearing? There is a battle raging around him.”

Damon stopped his scan looking down the hill, and Kenneth almost shouted for Maliki to run. “So did I, baby,” Besseta whispered, hearing his thought.

When Damon turned back to Elizabeth, Kenneth saw Maliki’s form moving off down the slope and was soon out of sight. “I say, we head back to Boston and wait for Maliki to show up,” Damon said.

Besseta tensed up, feeling Kenneth about to push his mind out to the cubus. “You even try it, and I’ll rip your arm off. I speak from experience; it will take months to grow back.”

Relaxing his body, “I was just going to try,” Kenneth pouted.

“Thysan, have any of the werewolves caught Maliki’s scent in the last two days?” Damon asked.

“No,” the giant answered. “We should head west and gather an army,” Thysan suggested.

With her face in a snarl, Elizabeth spun to Thysan. “No one asked, slave!” Elizabeth shouted and they all saw the giant’s face twitch in anger and he tensed his body up. “How dare you do anything, but submit to the chosen! Now, kneel to me!”

Thysan’s enormous body trembled and Elizabeth grinned when Thysan’s face contorted into a grimace. “A slave should never disobey the masters,” Elizabeth laughed, watching Thysan fight against her command.

Giving a painful groan, Thysan fell to his knees and all of them felt the earth shake from the impact. A malicious grin split Elizabeth’s face, watching Thysan bow his head. Even on his knees, the giant was twice as tall as Elizabeth. “See what obedience does? Takes away the pain,” Elizabeth said as Damon moved closer and Elizabeth jerked, spinning toward him.

“Quit playing,” Damon snapped. “Something is wrong.”

Turning to Thysan, “He obeyed, as all who are told by the chosen,” Elizabeth spat.

“I swear, we are being watched,” Damon said looking around.

“Of course, dungeater,” Elizabeth shouted. “We are the chosen and surrounded by mortals! They always watch us because we are the true gods of this world! We are perfect in every way!”

“Oh, I’m so going to kill this bitch slowly,” Besseta growled.

After Besseta had spoken, again, Damon glanced around, but looked toward their direction. “I was put in charge by the conclave for this duty,” Damon finally said, turning back to Elizabeth. “You and I will head to Boston with a few dogs and servants and wait for Maliki. Tonklyn will take Thysan and the rest and head out west. Nobody will miss a few hundred natives and we will use them to scour the land in a year, if we haven’t found Maliki by then.”

With blatant hatred on her face, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and she pushed her cloak off her shoulders. “You attempt to subdue me and take another child, and I don’t care what the conclave rules, I will kill you,” Elizabeth snarled.

A sly grin split Damon’s perfect face. “I think you enjoyed it, but I’ve taken five children from you and have no desire to take another. At least, at the moment.”

“Why haven’t these arrogant assholes killed each other off?” Besseta cried out, and they all saw Damon turn and look in their direction.

“Someone with power is close,” Damon said, staring in their direction. Elizabeth and Tonklyn both started looking around.

“Idiot, none can cloak from a true servant,” Elizabeth spat, waving at Thysan who still had his head bowed. “Thysan, do you sense another with power close?”

All three cubus jerked, spinning to look at the giant. “Raise your eyes to me,” Elizabeth commanded. When Thysan was looking at her, “You felt a presence and didn’t tell us?” Elizabeth asked.

“You only instructed to find the one called Maliki, and it’s not his power I sense,” Thysan said.

“Who and where are they?” Elizabeth demanded.

“All I know is close. They aren’t any that I’ve felt before,” Thysan told her.

“I don’t like this,” Tiffany said. “I’m getting the feeling when Maliki saw them looking around, they weren’t looking for him. They were looking for us.”

“We just got here, hello?” Besseta sang out. “Kenneth wasn’t even born when this happened.”

They all watched Damon close his eyes, taking slow breaths. When he opened his eyes, Damon slowly turned until his face was pointed at them. Kenneth saw Damon lock eyes with him and then glance at Besseta. “How?” Damon snarled and Elizabeth and Tonklyn looked their direction, but didn’t look at them.

When his eyes turned to Tiffany, a look of recognition flickered in his eyes. “You’ve met one of my sons,” Damon grinned at her. “It’s a shame, you weren’t home.”

“Who are you talking to?” Elizabeth screamed at Damon.

Raising his arm, Damon pointed at the group. “Three, that have somehow cloaked.”

Elizabeth gave a scoff. “None have ever cloaked that I couldn’t see.”

“We know one. It’s the one Efrin talked to in Jerusalem, and paid a visit to her house in Greece,” Damon said and Kenneth heard Tiffany’s heart skip a beat.

Elizabeth turned in their direction and snarled. “Tafka.”

Hearing Tiffany’s given name, Besseta felt uneasy. “How in the crap can he see us, and that skanky ass whore can’t? We aren’t here!” Besseta snapped.

The grin fell off Damon’s face as he turned to Besseta. “Skanky?” he asked, clearly confused.

“Thysan, up!” Elizabeth shouted, and the giant moved much too fast for his size.

“See ya,” Kenneth sang out and Tiffany felt a jolt hit her and she was falling through the ring of lights. When the second jolt hit, Tiffany was looking out over the tree-covered slope. Knowing it was impossible, but doing it anyway, Tiffany looked for the cubus and giant.

“Oh, I’m going to flay the skin from their son’s body using a salty blade,” Tiffany growled, not seeing anything in the darkness.

Besseta took a breath to ask a question and Kenneth’s hand pulled from hers as he collapsed in a heap. “Kenneth,” Besseta cried out, dropping next to him.

Seeing his eyes were rolled back in his head, Besseta straightened out his body. “He’s unconscious,” Besseta said, then realized Tiffany wasn’t kneeling on the other side of Kenneth. She looked up and saw Tiffany looking along the ridge. Getting ready to panic, thinking the cubus were there, Besseta caught a scent she knew.

Looking up the ridge, Tiffany shook her head. “Maliki, it’s not nice to spy,” Tiffany said, and a gust of wind blew and Maliki was standing in front of Tiffany.

“Sorry, but the questions Kenneth was asking me about this place peaked my interest. May I ask, what the hell you three were doing, holding hands for three hours? And just who were you talking about?” Maliki asked.

“Tiffany!” Besseta barked, making Tiffany and Maliki jump and turn to her. “Help me with Kenneth.”

Kneeling beside Kenneth, Tiffany felt his skin and then raised an eyelid. “He’s unconscious,” Tiffany announced.

Slowly, Besseta lifted her gaze to Tiffany’s face. “I know that, but is he okay?” Besseta growled.

“Do you hear his mind?” Tiffany asked.

Calming down, Besseta could hear random thoughts in Kenneth’s mind. “Yes, but he’s not answering me,” Besseta reported.

“He needs time to rest and feed as soon as he wakes,” Tiffany told her and Besseta narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get mad at me. Kenneth just projected us back to the Civil War. Besseta, I wasn’t even on this continent that year. I was in France because I thought you were still there.”

Maliki dropped down beside Tiffany. “Wait, you projected back to the day I was here?” Maliki shouted.

“No, Kenneth did,” Besseta snapped. “Do you wear any other color than black? They’ve had other colors for eons.”

Visibly shaken, Maliki fell back, throwing out his arms and catching his body before his back hit the ground. “Describe them,” Maliki challenged.

“Their names were Elizabeth, Damon, and Tonklyn. The leviathan was called Thysan and holy shit, was he big!,” Besseta shouted. “They were cubus. All you can say, is they were pretty.”

Using his hands and feet, Maliki scrambled away on his butt. “That’s impossible,” he cried out.

“Hey, he took me to see a T-Rex, so don’t tell me what is possible,” Besseta snorted, liking the discomfort Maliki was showing.

“Besseta, can you carry him?” Tiffany asked and Besseta looked at Tiffany like she was stupid. “There is a motel down the road. Get Kenneth there while I find someone for him to feed off of.”

“Just how in the hell, can you know who to feed off of?” Besseta challenged.

Jerking her thumb over her shoulder and pointing at Maliki, “I can’t, but he can,” Tiffany smiled.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Slowly, Kenneth cracked his eyes open, hearing voices. “Where’s the truck that ran over me?” Kenneth mumbled, lifting his upper body up and then realized he was in a bed. He looked around and saw he was in a bedroom. “She couldn’t get a room at Motel 6?” Kenneth chuckled, knowing he was in a motel.

“I heard that,” Besseta said, walking in.

Seeing Besseta wearing panties and a small tank top, Kenneth turned to the windows and saw light coming in around the curtains. He whipped his head around and looked at a clock on the bedside table. “It’s four in the afternoon?”

Sitting down beside him on the bed, “Yes,” Besseta smiled.

“How many days?” Kenneth asked.

“Babe, you collapsed last night,” Besseta told him, reaching up and caressing his face.

Still hearing voices, Kenneth sniffed the air. “Maliki’s here?”

“Yes, he followed us to the park. He wanted to know why you asked so many questions about where he was, and where the cubus were.”

“Damn, he must be good, if we didn’t realize he was close,” Kenneth said.

Leaning over, Besseta kissed him. “To be honest, I heard his thoughts, but paid them no mind. And if I don’t concentrate on that person, I can’t track them by smell.”

The door opened, and Tiffany walked in carrying an enormous thermal mug. “Drink,” Tiffany commanded.

Smelling blood, Kenneth snatched the mug and turned it up, drinking in huge gulps. “I remember when you used to eat like that when I cooked,” Besseta laughed, watching Kenneth drain the mug.

Lowering the mug, Kenneth smacked his bloody lips. “I still try to eat your cooking like that, but most of the time, I just can’t eat that much,” Kenneth confessed as Tiffany took the mug.

Besseta just looked at Kenneth and then he realized, she was assessing his body. “He’s okay,” Besseta announced.

“I could’ve told you that,” Kenneth laughed, throwing the blankets off and realizing he was naked. Quickly, he yanked the blankets back, “Sorry, Tiffany.”

Throwing back her head, Tiffany started laughing. “I’ve seen you naked with bullet holes. Helped clean your naked body and just a few days ago, bathed with you and Besseta in a cold river naked because we were covered in blood.”

“Um,” Kenneth mumbled, but couldn’t think of a reply as Tiffany continued to laugh and dropped the empty mug. “Trying to be civil,” he finally offered.

Bending over and still laughing, Tiffany picked up the mug. “Oh, Besseta, you did good getting him,” Tiffany said, still laughing as she walked out.

“I still can’t believe you let her wash my nasty ass,” Kenneth mumbled, looking at Besseta.

“Hey, buddy. I didn’t know what to do and she did,” Besseta popped off. “You get hurt like that again, guess what? I’ll beg Tiffany to come and help wash after you take a dump in the bed!”

Giving a shiver, “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” Kenneth promised, and Besseta leaned over and kissed him.

Hearing the thoughts in Kenneth’s mind as he rubbed her scantily-clad body, “Babe, we can’t. The motel is full, some football thing is going on and we can’t break this room,” Besseta told him and Kenneth gave a depressed sigh. “We don’t need attention here. Tiffany and Maliki caught the scent of werewolves with vampires last night when they hunted.”

Getting out of bed, “Oh, really?” Kenneth smiled, looking around and spotting his leather riding gear. “They get an idea where they were?”

“To the west,” Besseta chuckled, watching Kenneth pull on the leather riding pants. The chuckle died when Besseta heard his thoughts. “You want to track them down?” she sighed.

“Hell yeah!” Kenneth huffed. “We kill these, and they won’t be able to join up in larger groups. I have no desire to face a wave of twelve-foot-tall snarling animals, ever again.”

Shaking her head, “I know for a fact, many were bigger than that,” Besseta informed him.

“You know what I’m saying. I want to fight smaller ones like we did in L.A.” Kenneth admitted, then looked up. “I can’t believe I just referred to ten-foot-tall, one thousand-pound werewolves as small.”

“I can,” Besseta said, bouncing off the bed. “And I like fighting those much more. They are younger and make lots of mistakes.”

Holding out her hand, Besseta led him out of the room and Kenneth paused before walking into a massive living room. “Say something and I throw you out the window,” Besseta warned, leading him over to a table.

He saw Maliki reading a notebook and Tiffany writing in a notebook, both sitting at the table. “Good to see you up,” Maliki said, but didn’t look away from the notebook.

“We’ve been putting down what we saw and heard,” Besseta told Kenneth as he sat down. When Kenneth went to stand, Besseta put a hand on his shoulder, keeping him in the chair.

“I want to make some coffee,” Kenneth whined.

“Thanks to you, I know how to do that, so sit,” Besseta told him, spinning around and heading for an open kitchen.

“I love coffee, but it makes my hands tremble for days,” Maliki mumbled as he read.

Seeing more notebooks on the table, Kenneth reached for one and stopped. An open notebook was sitting in front of the chair beside him, with a perfect drawing of Elizabeth in colored pencil. “Damn, she’s good,” Kenneth mumbled, pulling the notebook over.

He flipped to the front and saw a detailed drawing of the leviathan facing him with his arms held out. The next page was a snapshot drawing of the three cloaked figures talking to the captain, with the leviathan behind them. Flipping slowly through the pages, Kenneth saw more drawings of the leviathan from different angles. Then, he got to the drawings of Damon from different angles. The next, were of Elizabeth. The first one showed Elizabeth looking at him and at the top of the page ‘Whore’ was scrawled in bold letters.

“You are in deep, when my girl gets ahold of you,” Kenneth mumbled, flipping the page.

“You don’t have any of Tonklyn,” Kenneth called out.

“He’s dead,” Maliki said, turning a page.

“Yeah, he’s dead, so I didn’t bother,” Besseta called out, turning on the coffee pot.

Closing the notebook, Kenneth grabbed another one that was at Besseta’s spot. Opening it up, he saw drawings of the battle from different angles. The only constant in each picture were the cubus and leviathan. “One thing is for sure, they weren’t worried about gunfire,” Kenneth said.

“Because they are pompous asses,” Maliki muttered. “But that works in our favor,” he added.

When Besseta sat back down, Kenneth reached over and took a notebook from Tiffany. He opened it and it was a complete description of events; of everything Damon said and did. “Where in the hell were you two when I was a cop? With drawings and detailed reports like this, nobody would’ve ever gotten away,” Kenneth said, grabbing another notebook.

The first thing he realized, was it wasn’t Tiffany’s or Besseta’s handwriting. Starting to read, Kenneth found it was a detailed report on Damon. “Maliki, you know that putz?”

“Huh?” Maliki grunted, looking up at Kenneth. Seeing what Kenneth was looking at, Maliki dropped his eyes back to the notebook he was reading. “Yes, discovered him about seventy years after Herotho was murdered.”

Hearing ‘murdered’ and not ‘died’, Kenneth gave a nod as he read. “So, you know Damon and Elizabeth’s son killed Herotho?”

“I do now,” Maliki snarled, but didn’t look up. “The leviathans are more powerful than I thought. Xu told me they were impossible to sneak up on, and now I know why.”

“Maliki, Efrin is mine,” Tiffany said in a cold voice. “We can share killing the parents,” she offered.

“I know how to restrain them, so we can take our time,” Maliki nodded.

“Pfft,” Kenneth scoffed. “You two don’t know shit about restraining vampires and such. My girl does, and you need to talk to her.”

Pausing her drawing, Besseta patted Kenneth’s arm. “Thank you, baby.”

“Hell, I was a cop and I don’t know shit about restraining compared to you.”

“Besseta, may I borrow your basement?” Tiffany asked, looking over at Besseta.

With a cheerful smile, Besseta nodded. “Only if I get to bring popcorn and watch.”

“Deal,” Tiffany responded with a very dark grin.

Kenneth had no doubt they were serious. Clearing his throat, Kenneth glanced over at Maliki. “Maliki, I don’t know if this is an appropriate question since I am new at this, but did you know who turned you? If it’s considered taboo, then please, don’t respond.”

Dropping the notebook on the table, Maliki laughed. “It’s not a taboo question. In fact, it’s one of the most frequent questions our kind asks.”

“Huh,” Besseta snorted. “I don’t.”

Nodding, “Yes Besseta, but you are better than many of our kind, myself included,” Maliki said and turned to Kenneth. “Most of our kind were turned as she was, by force. As you’re aware, the change is quite painful and that’s the last injustice your attacker gets to inflict on you, excruciating pain for days on end and then, most die. Those that don’t die, find themselves in the same world, but with new rules that they must learn fast.”

“I was spared some of that. I had help,” Kenneth nodded.

Leaning back in his chair, “I’m sure they have told you, I served in the Roman army,” Maliki said, and Kenneth nodded. “I was a general in the year 24 B.C. over a legion of troops, my rank was legatus legionis. The Guals were beginning to become restless, and I was ordered to move in and assist in guarding the frontier, not too far from the present-day city of Hannover.”

“Whoa,” Kenneth said. “Generals over legions were appointed by the emperor. You met Augustus Caesar?”

Giving an impressed nod, “Yes, but I wasn’t a senator like many generals. I served under him as a captain over a cohort of troops. When Julius died and Augustus became emperor, he appointed me over a legion. And before you ask, yes, I met Julius. He was a rather remarkable and likable man,” Maliki replied.

Seeing Kenneth wasn’t going to ask another question, Maliki continued. “Anyway, I was on the frontier and scouts reported a village being attacked. I gathered two cohorts, about a hundred and sixty men, and set off. It was dark when we arrived and found the village destroyed and on fire. As we were setting up camp, the attacks started. It wasn’t long before I realized we were under attack by strigoi, what we called edimmu; vampires. Contrary to modern belief, we had fought them before, but not with so few troops.

“I gave orders for the troops to fall into a defensive circle when a figure latched onto the right side of my neck. As you know, the pain from a bite hurts so much it paralyzes the body, but I was able to thrust my gladius into my attacker. Granted, it was a reflex before my body froze up, but that made my attacker release me. When I collapsed, one of my troops beheaded the vampire and it fell over on top of me. The stump of its neck was over my face.

“As I lay frozen from the pain and lightheaded from blood loss, I heard the attacks continuing and realized it was more than one vampire. The blood pouring over my face nearly choked me to death as I lay listening to my troops getting wiped out. Then, a howl sounded in the distance and werewolves broke from the trees.

“The werewolves just ran right through my troops, chasing the vampires. I didn’t find any of my troops that had been killed by the werewolves. Now, the werewolves weren’t protecting us, the vampires were feeding on their range,” Maliki paused, reliving the scene in his mind.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he continued. “Again, luck was on my side, I had set up camp near a stream and managed to crawl to it before sunrise. There I lay for six days, hearing bears, wolves, real ones, and other carrion, eating the dead. When I was able to stand, I knew I was edimmu and could never again return home. I was sixty-two at the time of my second birth.”

“Damn, you were changed by a fluke,” Kenneth mumbled.

“Yes,” Maliki nodded. “But I know of others who were changed in battle with a vampire, getting a mouthful of blood when a limb was chopped off. Though, that is very rare.”

“He wasn’t in the legions, during the fall of the Roman Empire,” Besseta snapped at Tiffany.

“Besseta, you’ll have to forgive Tiffany because she really hates that part of my life. I was in Caesar’s army that sacked Alexandria,” Maliki sighed.

A look of shock and horror sprang up on Besseta’s face. “Please tell me you didn’t help burn the library.”

“No, I was outside the city constructing fortifications and contrary to belief, from what was talked about, the fire was an accident,” Maliki said, and Tiffany scoffed with her face set in stone. “Lucky for me, I had written orders and kept them. Otherwise, I don’t think I would be here right now.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t,” Tiffany sassed.

“If people start burning books, I have to stop my crusade and help Tiffany slaughter the stupid people,” Besseta informed Kenneth.

“Hey, I’ll help,” he chuckled, and Tiffany spoke up.

“The year Maliki turned, Herotho ran into him on his way to pay tribute in Rome. Herotho helped Maliki bring his belongings to our house, after helping Maliki pay his tribute,” Tiffany sighed at the mention of Herotho. “I met Maliki when they returned.”

Looking off, Maliki smiled. “Those were some of the happiest years of my life. After I showed Tiffany my orders of course, because she and Herotho had been in Alexandria at the time.”

“Here I was worried you wouldn’t know tactics, but you were a Roman general,” Kenneth said, reaching over and taking Besseta’s hand. “Babe, please don’t pull Maliki’s lungs out his ass. I’m really starting to like him,” Kenneth told her, and Maliki jumped in his chair.

“What did I do?” he cried out and his body tensed up to dive out the window.

“Every time we do something for you, a wave of crap hits us and we won’t even talk about Boston,” Besseta snapped. Seeing Maliki take a breath to protest, Besseta held up her hand, stopping him. “I’m not going to do that,” she droned, and Maliki gave a relieved sigh.

“So, you’re going back to war?” Kenneth chuckled, turning to Maliki.

Giving a nod, “Yes, I join up with my soldiers tonight,” Maliki said, then grinned. “I have them divided into cohorts of eighty, like I used to command.”

“Kenneth,” Tiffany said, picking up her pen. “We need to meet face-to-face more often with Maliki. If for nothing else, than putting fear in the Strong Hands.”

Glancing at Tiffany, Maliki gave a nod. “I would like that.”

“Don’t start,” Tiffany told him as she continued writing.

Thinking about that for a few minutes, Kenneth raised his eyebrows, impressed at the tactful reasoning. “Every few weeks should be good,” he said.

“We meet in hotels I pick out,” Besseta demanded and Kenneth dropped his chin to his chest.

Maliki gave a chuckle at Kenneth’s reaction. “I’ll pick up the tab for the rooms,” Maliki stated, and Kenneth raised his head up with a smile.

“Ready to spank some werewolf butt?” Kenneth asked, looking at Besseta and Tiffany.

Putting her pen down, Tiffany looked over at him. “Kenneth, I’m warning you now. I see more than three ancients, I’m leaving,” Tiffany warned.

“You both will, over my shoulder as I run away, screaming, like a bitch,” Kenneth corrected. “I’ve been in some hairy situations before, but I really thought we were about to die.”

“We were,” Tiffany clarified. “Whatever they are protecting there, they want it to stay a secret.”

“Oh, it’s a research facility,” Kenneth said confidently. “Besseta got that much out of a werewolf’s mind when she was ripping his chest open.”

“The sissy didn’t want to play no more after he got hurt,” Besseta grinned.

“My chest gets ripped open, I know I wouldn’t want to play,” Maliki mumbled.

Tiffany chuckled as she closed the notebook and stacked it with the others. “Kenneth, I know you don’t want to, but we need to head home after tonight,” Tiffany told him.

Giving a fake sigh, “We will go see your dogs,” Kenneth grinned and Maliki almost levitated.

“You have dogs?” he gasped.

“Yes, they gave them to me,” Tiffany smiled at Maliki, then turned to Kenneth. “No. Well, yes, I want to see Jack and Jill, but I don’t like being so far away until precautions are made.”

‘You don’t want Maliki to know they are there?’ Kenneth asked in her mind.

‘If he gets captured, they will know everything he does. He’s not telling us stuff for the same reasons,’ Tiffany answered.

Glancing at Besseta who nodded, Kenneth cocked his head to the side. “Well, there is some stuff I really want to work on that will really piss the Strong Hands off.”

“Whatever it is, let me know the cost and I’ll reimburse you,” Maliki told him. “I guarantee you, I have more than both of them combined.”

“No single individual ever needs that kind of money,” Kenneth gasped.

Leaning over the table, “Kenneth,” Tiffany said, and he slowly turned to her. “I’m willing to bet Maliki has double what Besseta and I have together.”

Rolling his eyes in disgust, “I’ll save the receipts,” Kenneth moaned.

“Why would you do that?” Maliki asked, glancing at Tiffany who just shrugged.

“Never mind,” Kenneth groaned.

Chapter Twenty-Three

When the sun set, the group left and parted ways. Then Kenneth, Besseta, and Tiffany rode west on back roads, tracking the scent of werewolves. Just outside of Whitwell, Kenneth braked and steered his bike off the road.

Jumping off the bike, Kenneth pushed the motorcycle into the woods. He was about to go and help the girls until he turned around and found them pushing their bikes beside his. “Why didn’t we just ride them down here?” Besseta asked.

Pointing at the tires, “Babe, these bikes are made for speed and pavement only. Even rolling on dirt can cause the bike to slip out from under you,” Kenneth explained.

Taking her helmet off, Tiffany hung it on the handlebar. “Kenneth, are we taking the motorcycles home?”

“Um, yeah, unless you two just want to leave them,” Kenneth said.

Tiffany broke out with a huge smile. “I really like my rocket crotch.”

Stifling a laugh so hard, Kenneth felt his ears pop. “That’s, crotch rocket,” Kenneth corrected.

“That’s a vampire,” Besseta said, sniffing the breeze.

“Yeah, let’s go see who they’re playing for,” Kenneth said and the three eased through the woods. It was during this slow movement that Besseta and Tiffany moved in near silence through the woods. Kenneth was certain his shadow from the moonlight was making more noise than they were.

Moving silently for ten minutes, another smell joined the vampire and Kenneth grinned. ‘We know now,’ Kenneth said in their minds.

‘Kenneth, I want you and Besseta to lock them up mentally,’ Tiffany replied by thought. ‘I’ll be ready for trouble. Kenneth, take the vampire and Besseta, the dog.’

Seeing a break in the forest ahead Kenneth prepared, easing closer and saw it was a small clearing. A female with brown hair was looking up at a werewolf that was looking down at her. Until Iowa, Kenneth would’ve been impressed with a nine-foot-tall werewolf.

‘Now,’ Tiffany said in his mind.

Both figures froze, but the werewolf started tilting forward. Starting slow, the leaning figure picked up speed until the tall form crashed into the vampire, sending both to the ground. All three stepped out of the trees and Besseta walked over and stomped on the werewolf’s back.

“I said, stay still,” Besseta snarled. Kenneth knew the weight of the werewolf was crushing the vampire and Besseta’s kick only accelerated the discomfort.

Walking over, Tiffany kicked the werewolf off the vampire. “I meant for you to lock the air around them, not freeze their minds,” Tiffany corrected.

“Hey, that takes a lot more effort,” Kenneth protested.

Casually, Tiffany raised her leg up and stomped on the vampire’s right arm. A loud ‘snap’ rang out as the bone broke. “Guys, you lock up one that’s a powerful psychic like this, and you’ll pay for it. To lock them mentally, you have to form a bridge to their mind and bridges go two ways.”

“Another werewolf is coming,” Besseta announced, turning to the east.

“I’ll take it,” Tiffany said as Kenneth knelt down and grabbed the female’s broken arm.

A few seconds later, Besseta let out a gasp. “Oh, you bitch, you just joined up with the cubus because you were scared. Here, let me show you why you were wrong.”

Kenneth let go of the female and grabbed the werewolf as Besseta sat down on the ground and pulled the woman’s head into her lap. Putting her hands on the vampire’s cheeks, Besseta slowly, very slowly, started cranking the neck to the right.

The crash of limbs made Kenneth glance over to the edge of the clearing. Impressed, seeing a werewolf floating out of the trees and frozen in mid-stride, Kenneth turned back to the werewolf he was touching. “Besseta, will you just kill her?” Tiffany whined as the werewolf floated down, settling on its feet.

Letting the werewolf go, Kenneth turned to see Besseta still slowly rotating the vampire’s head, now facing over her right shoulder and still, Besseta continued to slowly turn. “Oh, like I would let you join us,” Besseta snapped as the first crunch of bone sounded.

Walking over to the other werewolf, Kenneth grabbed its arm and Tiffany stomped her foot. “Kenneth, make her just kill it,” Tiffany whined.

“She’s not playing with her food, so it’s okay,” Kenneth chuckled as the slow crunch of bones continued. ‘Tiffany,’ Kenneth said in her mind, somewhat louder than normal. ‘The werewolves are connected to the pack and they are relaying this out. Three more will be here soon.’

Nodding, Tiffany turned to Besseta, who now had the vampire’s head completely turned backwards. “You didn’t let me play on the last ones,” Tiffany huffed.

“Please, they weren’t even a hundred years old,” Besseta laughed as the last of the spine broke. Giving a grunt, Besseta yanked the head off the body. Tossing the head into the trees, Besseta ripped the vampire’s shirt off and then wiped the blood off her leather pants. “Forgot about the mess,” Besseta moaned as Tiffany walked over to the other werewolf.

“You are a bad puppy,” Tiffany smiled as the werewolf lay frozen on its back, looking up at the stars. Bending over, Tiffany grabbed the top and bottom jaw and slowly pulled them apart.

‘Damn, that looks like it really hurts,’ Besseta said in Kenneth’s mind.

‘I think so, because this werewolf just lost bowel and bladder control,’ Kenneth answered.

‘Another plus for locking them up in their minds,’ Besseta replied as she walked over.

When Kenneth took his hand off the werewolf, Besseta lashed out with a kick, toppling the werewolf on his side. Glancing over, Kenneth saw Tiffany still slowly prying the jaws apart until the bottom jaw just ripped off. Tossing it aside, Tiffany stomped on the beast. “The top of your head was supposed to do that,” she growled and then dropped down, grabbing the head and yanking it left and right.

Turning back to the trees, “Oh, they didn’t like that,” Kenneth mumbled, feeling the anger radiating from the three running toward them. The first one broke out of the trees in a dive, only to see Kenneth holding his hand up. The dive slowed until the werewolf was just floating headfirst, in front of Kenneth.

Giving a long grunt, Tiffany yanked the head off her werewolf and stormed over to the one floating in front of Kenneth. “The top of your head better come off, so I can pull your brain out in small chunks,” Tiffany snapped and then grabbed the werewolf’s maw.

Turning to Besseta, Kenneth saw she had pulled both of the werewolf’s arms off and was working on a leg. “Babe, two more,” Kenneth told her and turned around, facing the trees on the other side of the clearing.

Giving a low grunt that ended in a screech, Besseta yanked the werewolf’s leg off and tossed it to the side. “Stay, or you will get in trouble,” Besseta commanded and faced the trees as a werewolf busted out, charging Kenneth.

Kenneth didn’t lock the werewolf up. Instead, he just vanished. Stunned, the werewolf paused her stride and pain exploded in her legs. Crashing to the ground, the werewolf felt both of her hamstrings had been severed. Taking a deep breath to howl, the breath froze in the werewolf’s chest. “No. Share this with your pack and let them feel. Don’t tattle and call for help,” Kenneth whispered as another massive form broke from the trees.

Electricity crackled, making Kenneth and Tiffany startle. They both looked over and saw small streams of electricity emanating from the ground around Besseta, feeding into her body and streaming out of her hands.

The stream hit the werewolf as it flew toward her and Besseta leaned to the side, letting the werewolf sail past and the crackle of electricity stopped. Hitting the ground with a thud, the werewolf slid across the clearing, stopping a few feet from Kenneth, “That was so cool,” he chuckled.

Feeling dizzy, Besseta fought not to wobble as she blinked her eyes, trying to make her vision steady. “Whoa,” she panted and walked over to the werewolf as its body gave off small jerks. “This is a new feeling.”

After the three remaining werewolves were ripped apart, Kenneth looked over at Besseta. “You okay?”

“Now, I know why you were so weak in L.A. That takes a lot out of you,” Besseta admitted, still feeling woozy.

Stepping over, Kenneth picked Besseta up in his arms. “The others in the pack won’t be here for half an hour. How about we just head home?” he suggested.

“Yeah, we can stop in Nashville for a snack,” Besseta grinned.

“What were they doing?” Tiffany asked as they headed back to the motorcycles.

Wrapping her arms around Kenneth’s neck as he carried her back, Besseta snuggled her head in his chest. “Hunting vampires,” Besseta answered. “They found one at dusk and the vampire converged with the dogs, who gave him the option to join them. When he didn’t, they killed him.”

“Yes, those puppies were somewhat young,” Tiffany noted as she grabbed her helmet. “But attacking together, they could give any vampire serious problems. That’s why I don’t like fighting werewolves; you never fight just one.”

Putting Besseta on her bike, Kenneth gave a nod. “Yeah, and the big dogs really hurt when they slash you. The idea of that three-foot-long muzzle clamping down on me makes me want to wet my pants.”

Stepping over to his bike, Kenneth climbed on and grabbed his helmet. “All the older werewolves are being pulled together in spots around the country,” he told Tiffany. “They are sending the younger ones out, and using the big dogs to come in like shock troops.”

Flipping her visor up, “Just how close are the ‘big dogs’?” Tiffany asked.

“Just south of Atlanta and another pack close to Little Rock,” Besseta said, putting her helmet on. “That’s why we are leaving now. The younger ones were supposed to hold us here until they got here.”

Cranking her bike up, “Let’s see if they can keep up,” Tiffany said.

“Watch how I drive out and copy me, so your bike doesn’t fall,” Kenneth said, holding his legs out. Driving back to the road, Kenneth ‘walked’ his bike as it rolled through the trees. Tiffany had to use her tip-toes to copy him.

Being so short, Besseta couldn’t even use her toes to walk the bike through the trees. Giving a snarl, Besseta hopped off her bike and just pushed it to the road. “I want a new bike!” Besseta snapped, reaching the road.

“I’ll have several, when we get home, for you to try out,” Kenneth grinned.

Watching Besseta climb onto her bike, Tiffany was glad her helmet hid her grin. “Kenneth, can we go fast?” Tiffany asked cheerfully.

“Yeah, they know we are here, so let’s boogie,” Kenneth told her and popped the clutch, squealing the tires and zooming off.

Forty minutes later, they were parking at a truck stop on the outskirts of Nashville. “Feeling better?” Tiffany asked Besseta when they both climbed off.

“Yes, but I still feel tired,” Besseta admitted.

“We can go get you a snack and bring it back here,” Tiffany offered. “Kenneth will be much faster than Maliki, I’m sure. I almost beat Maliki with an iron pipe because he just wanted to grab random people. We finally found a group of what Kenneth calls ‘outlaw bikers’ throwing a party. It didn’t take Maliki long, walking through the group and shaking hands, to find a few that fit our criteria for vengeance.”

Kenneth walked into the store and gave a worker two hundred dollars to keep an eye on their bikes, then the three casually walked out of the parking lot. When they were in the shadows, they blurred away.

Near downtown, Kenneth skidded to a stop and looked across the road at a group of men, hanging around in a vacant lot. “I thought you had to touch humans,” Tiffany said, stopping beside Kenneth.

“To read their memories I do, but not their thoughts,” Kenneth told her, shaking his head. “Five of them need to die, like right now.”

Looking at the group, Tiffany made a quick count of thirty-seven. “Can you be more specific on which ones need to die? And don’t say the one with the red handkerchief, they all have one,” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth reached over, grabbing her hand. Tiffany gave a jerk as her mind merged with Kenneth’s. “I’m so jealous. Besseta is always in your mind and in your thoughts.”

“Duh,” Kenneth snorted as he rolled his eyes, and Tiffany concentrated on the group. Instantly, she knew which five after hearing their thoughts.

“They just killed a family, after breaking into their house!” Tiffany growled. “The one with the shoes that have blinking lights is mine.”

“How do you want to do this? I can lure them away,” Besseta grinned.

Shaking his head, “No, like the Strong Hands, this group needs to know vengeance can come at any time,” Kenneth told her. “We zip over and start a beatdown before any of them pull a gun.”

“I’ll take care of the five. Let’s just concentrate on getting their friends down,” Tiffany said, shaking her hands and Kenneth saw her fingernails extend out the end of her riding gloves.

“I’m first,” Besseta said quickly and vanished.

“That’s cheating,” Tiffany grumbled and darted away, followed by Kenneth.

Before Tiffany reached the group, Kenneth passed her and Besseta already had four down. When Tiffany hit the first one, Kenneth already had two down.

Not checking his strength, Kenneth punched one of the partiers in the chest and felt ribs crunch. In less than sixty seconds, the three looked over the group of men laying on the ground. Only a few were moaning while the others lay unconscious. Five men were standing frozen, only able to move their eyes at the destruction around them.

Tiffany bounced over to one of average height and stopped in front of him. “So, you liked raping that little girl after you killed her family?” Tiffany asked with an evil grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t feel bad later.”

Lashing her hand out, Tiffany sliced open his belly as Kenneth and Besseta started feeding. “I’m going to show you what your insides look like,” Tiffany told him and did just that. Never feeding on the man, Tiffany disemboweled him and then moved over and fed off the last one still standing.

When she was done feeding, Tiffany ripped the man’s arms off and lashed out, kicking him and knocking him down. Tossing the man’s arms on his chest, Tiffany let out a contented sigh. “Okay, Besseta, I know why you rip their arms off now,” Tiffany confessed. “It’s a great stress release.”

Tiffany turned to see Kenneth going through the pockets of the group. “So, we rob them?” Tiffany asked as Kenneth pulled out a pistol and tossed it over into a pile.

“If you want to look at it like that,” Kenneth shrugged. “I like to think of it as redistribution of assets from the criminal element.”

Giving an impressed nod, Tiffany bent down and helped. “That sounds so elegant,” she said, tossing over a wad of money into the pile.

When they were done, Kenneth looked at two still conscious. “If we ever come back, none of you will live and we will know when you do evil. When the cops come, tell them why those five died and I strongly suggest you forget what we look like,” Kenneth warned as the girls tossed the cash and guns in their backpacks.

Walking over, Kenneth grabbed his pack. “Follow me,” Kenneth said and took off. A few minutes later, Besseta came to a stop in front of a car wash and busted out laughing.

“You are a cop, through and through,” Tiffany said, joining Besseta and laughing as Kenneth walked in one of the bays and fed bills into the machine. Grabbing the spray wand, Kenneth turned as the two walked in the bay, still laughing.

He sprayed the blood that coated their leather riding gear, then let Besseta wash him off. Standing off to the side, Tiffany grabbed her wet hair and twisted it up, wringing the water out. “I’m glad you are on our side,” Tiffany told Kenneth while Besseta put the sprayer back. “You could be the dark criminal mastermind on all those shows, but the hero would be like, really screwed.”

“I think I’m impressed,” Kenneth said, wiping the water off his face. “Let’s go for a run to dry off,” he suggested and unzipped the vents in his jacket and pants.

The girls copied him and soon they were following Kenneth in the early morning hours, just zipping around Nashville.

They were running along a four-lane empty highway lined by car lots. “STOP!” Besseta yelled out and in their minds. Kenneth locked his legs so hard, his boots dug in the dirt and he went flying. Hitting the ground hard, he rolled and cartwheeled for twenty yards. Coming to a stop, he jumped up ready to fight.

Looking back, he saw Besseta staring into a car lot with a look of wonder. “What?” Kenneth asked, coming over and noticed Tiffany getting off the ground.

“I want it,” Besseta stated with wide eyes, lifting her right hand up pointing.

Following the finger, “You scared the shit out of me because of a truck?” Kenneth huffed.

“I want it now,” Besseta said, dropping her hand and Kenneth grabbed her arm.

“Babe, you don’t steal a car that’s talking to you,” Kenneth huffed like he was offended. “That’s just telling the car you don’t respect it.”

Besseta let out a gasp and disappeared. Tiffany walked over to Kenneth, brushing the dirt off, “Glad I’m dry,” Tiffany said and looked in the dealer lot and saw Besseta next to a massive truck, laying her head on a gigantic tire.

“Is that truck real?” Tiffany gasped and then heard Besseta telling the truck she was sorry.

“Yes,” Kenneth said and took off, stopping behind Besseta as she caressed the truck. “Besseta, we need to go home and get our IDs and credit cards, we only have a little over twenty grand in cash,” Kenneth told her.

Jerking her head up, Besseta spun around, “Suzie might be gone!” Besseta gasped.

“How much do you think it’ll cost? There isn’t paper taped to the window,” Tiffany asked, looking at the truck. The truck was jacked up so high, Besseta’s head didn’t even reach the bottom of the doors.

“That’s an International CXT, the largest pickup truck ever made. And this one has got to be jacked up ten inches and I guarantee you, each of those five-foot-tall tires cost over five grand. I didn’t know they made mud grip tires that big,” Kenneth told her.

Tiffany looked at the tire Besseta was standing beside, and it was taller than Besseta. “Are you sure it moves?” Tiffany asked unconvinced.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Kenneth chuckled. “Babe, let me run home and get a credit card. You and Tiffany can stay here with Suzie,” Kenneth offered.

“I have a safe house here, Kenneth,” Besseta told him, turning back around and reaching up to rub the body of the truck. “Go there and get one.”

Kenneth disappeared and reappeared. “The dealer opens at nine a.m. It’s three a.m., so we have six hours to get a credit card.”

“Someone might get her,” Besseta whined, stomping her feet as she turned around.

Holding up his right hand, “I swear to you, if Suzie isn’t here, I’ll spend everything we have to get her for you,” Kenneth vowed.

“Can’t we just go break into another bank?” Tiffany suggested.

Giving a curt laugh, “No,” Kenneth answered. “You don’t rob a bank in the area and make a large purchase. Besides, we would have to hit several small banks or one big one, I’m sure Suzie is over a hundred grand.”

“Oh,” Tiffany said, looking at the truck. “It has a lot of shiny on it.”

“It’s called chrome, and you’re right,” Kenneth said, looking at the chrome contrasted against the dark blue body. “Besseta, lead us to your safe house. I’m sure you can take a more direct route than I can.”

“You know where it is?” Tiffany asked.

“I didn’t until Besseta thought about it,” Kenneth confessed and Besseta turned around, talking to Suzie. “She has over sixty, just here in the states and I’m trying to memorize them, but haven’t really made an effort since she knows where they are.”

“Let’s go,” Besseta said and vanished with a thunderclap.

Reaching over, Kenneth scooped Tiffany up in his arms and took off after Besseta. ‘I knew you couldn’t keep up,’ Kenneth said in Tiffany’s mind.

Holding onto Kenneth, Tiffany narrowed her eyes as the wind blasted them and saw they were closing in on Besseta as she weaved along the road and taking other streets. A few minutes later, they were on the other side of town, standing in front of a gated condo community.

Walking over to a keypad, Besseta punched in numbers and the gate rolled open. “How do you know the combination?” Tiffany asked, following Besseta.

“Every combination that’s a four-digit code is 1382, the year I was turned,” Besseta answered. “That way, I’m not remembering lots of numbers.”

Looking around at the spaced out condos, “Are these apartments?” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth gave a snort.

“Hardly,” he chuckled. “Think of them as really big apartments you can buy,” he told her, then waved at the cars parked at some of the condos. “Besides the fact of how they look, you can tell this is a snotty community by all the expensive cars.”

“Oh,” Tiffany nodded as Besseta stopped in front of a condo that didn’t have any cars parked at it. Besseta walked closer as she glanced around, then bent down and leapt up to the roof. “That would definitely spook the neighbors,” Tiffany said, watching Besseta leap up on the roof.

Walking to the crest, Besseta lifted up a roofing tile and pulled out a key. “I never would’ve thought of hiding my key on the roof,” Kenneth admitted with a chuckle.

Jumping back down, Besseta opened the front door and jumped over a pile of mail. Before walking in, Kenneth stopped and looked at the door and saw a mail slot. Turning around, Kenneth looked at the doors on the condos across the parking lot and saw they didn’t have mail slots.

“The manager checks my mail and puts it in the slot for me,” Besseta said from inside the house.

“I never would’ve caught you,” Kenneth chuckled, walking inside and had to jump over the mail.

Tiffany was walking around and looking at the condo when Besseta came from the back carrying a cardholder. “Okay, we can go,” Besseta said and saw Kenneth arranging the mail. “Find two big envelopes from the law firm, and those will have your IDs. I had them mail them out to the safe house here.”

“Found ‘em,” Kenneth said, continuing to sort the mail. “Let’s get the bikes and leave them here. We can take a cab to the dealer.”

“Or we could just go there and wait for them to open,” Besseta told him as she tapped her foot.

Hearing the tone, Kenneth looked up. “Hey, I have an idea. We could just go there and wait for them to open,” he said and Besseta stopped tapping her foot. “Then, we can pick up the bikes and head home.”

“Great idea,” Besseta smiled as Kenneth stood up and handed her one of the envelopes.

“Can you put that in the safe? The rest of this is junk,” he told her and Besseta took the envelope. When Besseta headed to the back of the house, Kenneth headed to the kitchen and came back with trash bags.

Walking back into the living room, Besseta saw Kenneth and Tiffany loading the bags with the mail. “Oh, come on,” Besseta whined.

“We can get rid of it on the way,” Kenneth told her, but did move faster.

Carrying three bags out, Kenneth headed to a dumpster as Besseta locked the door and put the key back. “Would you be mad, if I made a detour and joined you at the dealership?” Kenneth asked.

“No, see you there,” Besseta smiled and took off. This time, Besseta just jumped the ten-foot-tall gate.

“I’ll see you there,” Tiffany said and took off.

“Glad my girl finally found her ride,” Kenneth grinned and took off.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When the sun rose, the three were sitting outside the dealership with their backs against the building. Kenneth had a laptop plugged into an outside outlet and was surfing the web. Tiffany was glad that Besseta had finally sat down and stopped climbing over the truck. When they’d sat down, Tiffany called and checked on Mickey and his family.

“You can work on Suzie, right?” Besseta asked as Tiffany hung up her phone.

“Most of her, but I’ve never worked on diesel engines, so I would have to learn that part,” Kenneth said, tapping the keyboard. “How’s Mickey?”

“He said they are fine and the kids only fell in the lake once, and realized the water is really cold now. Yesterday, they had snow, but it melted off before the sun set,” Tiffany relayed, putting her phone in her jacket. “Besseta, what are we going to do when the lake starts to freeze? We can get to the house, but what about Mickey and his family?”

Having trouble thinking, Besseta was thankful Kenneth answered. “Don’t worry, Tiffany. I took care of that and it should be there in a few days.”

“Oh,” Tiffany said as a car pulled into the lot. The driver was heading to the back until he saw three people sitting in leather riding gear, leaned up against the building.

Backing up and pulling over, a man stepped out of the car. “Can I help you?” he asked and then noticed Kenneth tapping away on a laptop that was plugged into the wall.

“About time,” Besseta said, getting up as the man walked over. “I’m here to get my truck.”

“When did you buy it?” the man asked.

“When someone opens the door,” Besseta snapped.

Giving a smile, “Which one were you looking at?” he asked.

“Oh, I’m not looking. I’m buying that one,” Besseta told him and she pointed at the massive blue truck sitting prominently in front of the dealership.

Giving off a low whistle, “That is an International GTX with less than twenty thousand miles, not to mention a ton of upgrades,” the man replied.

“So, I’ll take it,” Besseta told him, crossing her arms.

“Young lady, that truck is one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars,” the man replied.

Turning from the man, Besseta looked at the truck. “I’ll give you a hundred and thirty thousand dollars, that’s my final offer. And I want it filled up with the good fuel before I leave.”

Blinking his eyes in shock, the man wanted to tell Besseta she had just offered him more, but was too astounded to reply. He slowly turned to Kenneth, who was looking over the laptop at him. “I’ll give you some advice. Nod your head and say thank you very much. Open up and start the paperwork really fast before she gets mad and buys the dealership just to fire everyone,” Kenneth told him.

Turning back to Besseta, the man nodded slowly. “Thank you very much. Let me open up, so we can start the paperwork really fast.”

Reaching up, Besseta patted his cheek and smiled. “You’re sweet,” Besseta told him. “Don’t forget to fill it up with the good gas.”

The man turned back to Kenneth for guidance. “Nod your head and say you will, and I’ll explain it to her,” Kenneth instructed.

Thankful for the help, the man did as he was told and then pulled out a keyring, heading for the front door. Walking inside, the man just left his car running outside. “Kenneth, I want good gas for Suzie,” Besseta said, stomping her foot.

Closing his laptop, “Besseta, that is a diesel. You put gas in Suzie, and she will break,” Kenneth told her, getting up. He walked over to the man’s car, turned it off and shut the door.

“Well, I want good diesel,” Besseta told him.

“Then you want number two diesel,” Kenneth said, not wanting to explain. Walking over and grabbing his backpack and shoving the laptop inside, Kenneth held out his hand. “I’ll help you take care of Suzie, so let’s go inside and get the papers.”

Bouncing over, Besseta grabbed his hand and jumped up, kissing him on the cheek. Kenneth laughed at her excitement and held out a hand to Tiffany.

Taking his hand, Tiffany let Kenneth help her up and they went inside where Kenneth gave the salesman his keys. The dealership was just opening up and Besseta ran outside, jumping up and down as she headed for the truck. Hitting the key fob, Besseta had to jump up to use the steps on the side to reach the door.

Kenneth laughed, watching Besseta open the door and scramble inside. The enormous truck made Besseta look like a kid. “What are the shiny round things the steps are on?” Tiffany asked, walking with Kenneth.

“Fuel tanks,” Kenneth told her, opening the back crew cab door on the driver’s side.

Kenneth helped Tiffany up and saw Besseta moving the seat closer to the steering wheel. Closing the door, Kenneth walked around the front of the truck, “I sure hope she can reach the pedals,” Kenneth mumbled and climbed inside.

Leaning over the center console, Kenneth showed Besseta where everything was and how to start it, after the glow plug light went off. When the massive engine turned over Besseta let out a cheerful laugh and put the truck into drive.

With the steering wheel up and the seat all the way forward, he saw Besseta could reach the pedals, barely. “I feel like I’m riding on top of the world,” Tiffany laughed, looking out as Besseta pulled out onto the road.

“That reminds me, the salesman said this thing is thirteen feet, six inches tall, so you don’t drive under anything unless it says fourteen feet clearance,” Kenneth told Besseta as she came to a stop at a stoplight.

“This is awesome!” Besseta shouted, bouncing in the seat. They headed out and picked up the bikes. Several people stood in awe as Kenneth just picked the bikes up and handed them to Tiffany in the back of the truck. Besseta was still in the truck.

“We work out,” Kenneth told a man who was gawking at them.

Climbing back in the truck, Kenneth programed several stops in the navigation system. “Go where Suzie tells you to,” Kenneth said, leaning back in the seat.

It was afternoon when they’d finally left Nashville and the bed was packed with boxes around the three motorcycles. “What’s with all the bullets?” Tiffany asked.

“Need to train you two more on guns,” Kenneth said over his shoulder and then reached down and pulled out a large box. He passed it back and Tiffany let out a gasp. “You can watch this while we head home.”

“Buffy!” Tiffany cried out, hugging the box.

“Yep, the entire series,” Kenneth chuckled and reached back, showing Tiffany how to load the disk.

Kenneth was very surprised at how well Besseta handled the truck, then remembered her playing on the massive bulldozer at the house. The fifteen hours home went by fast. Then, Kenneth realized when they stopped to eat, it wasn’t take out.

Pulling through the gate, Besseta started bouncing in the seat. “I think Suzie is going to like her new home,” Besseta said.

Reaching the end of the drive, Kenneth saw Mickey and family getting off the boat at the dock, then he felt the brakes slam on. “Kenneth, Suzie won’t fit in the garage,” Besseta stated in shock.

“Um, yeah, that’s why the other truck is parked outside,” Kenneth said, pointing over at the Chevy Kodiak pickup. When he’d bought it, Kenneth had thought it was big, until he saw Suzie.

“That’s not fair! Suzie can’t stay outside!” Besseta cried out.

“Babe, I’ll start right now to expand the garage,” Kenneth promised. “We already have to do a lot of building, so it’s perfect.”

“We build her a home first,” Besseta snapped.

“Of course,” Kenneth laughed. “I trust you want to level the area with the dozer?”

Putting the truck in park, Besseta turned it off. “The left side of the garage?” Besseta beamed.

“Yes,” Kenneth chuckled. “Level the same size area we did for the garage.”

Opening her door, Besseta launched out. To his surprise, Kenneth watched Besseta run over to Mickey and his family, hugging them. Then, Besseta picked up Bonnie and Clyde and took off. He climbed out to see Tiffany hugging the family and picking up Jack and Jill.

“Think you got a big enough truck? You already have one big pickup,” Mickey laughed, walking over.

Glancing back at Mickey, “It’s not mine, this one is Besseta’s,” Kenneth laughed and heard the engine of the dozer crank up. He turned to where the dozer was parked in the trees with the other heavy equipment, and saw Besseta sitting in the cab with a wide grin.

“That’s not fair, I don’t get to drive my excavator,” Tiffany moaned, walking over with Jack and Jill in her arms.

“Yes, you will, Tiffany. Besseta won’t be able to knock all those trees over, and we will need to move the ones she does knock over. Just try not to let them hit the garage,” Kenneth told her, and Tiffany took off to the excavator.

Mickey’s kids started cheering when Besseta dropped the blade of the dozer. “Um, what are they doing?” Mickey asked.

“Expanding the garage, so Suzie has a home,” Kenneth answered, pointing at the truck. “We are also building a barn and stable, then clearing out forty acres for a field, so we can get some horses.”

Totally confused, Mickey just nodded. “What can we do to help?”

“Nothing today, but tomorrow, I’ll have supplies delivered and we can start building, but if you and the family want to get out,” Kenneth paused and pointed at the other truck. “How about driving around and buying up 9mm ammo, preferably hollow-point?”

“Can I buy some tools?” Mickey asked.

“Dude, I know you got the credit cards, buy what you want. Just use cash to buy the ammo. The keys are in the garage and the lockbox on the workbench has cash,” Kenneth grinned. “Let the kids get some stuff,” he added.

“Maria, get the kids!” Mickey shouted as he ran for the garage.

As Mickey pulled away, Kenneth heard the first crash of a tree that Besseta had knocked over. Watching Tiffany drive the excavator over and grab the tree, Kenneth looked at the trees where the horse field was going. “Sorry, but you have to go,” Kenneth said and started to unload the truck.

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was over a week later with a foot of snow on the ground, and Kenneth was standing in front of the new garage with Mickey. This part of the garage was over twenty-foot-tall and bigger than the original. Kenneth had wanted to make sure they had room, in case Suzie got friends.

The barn and stables were up and he was watching Besseta and Tiffany on the heavy equipment, working on the field. “I can’t believe you bought a dump truck,” Mickey said, taking a sip of coffee as the sun rose.

“Mickey, I told Besseta her truck had a dump bed and we could use it, but Besseta threatened to break all my cars if I put dirt in her truck,” Kenneth snapped. “I didn’t want to buy the dump truck, but Besseta did ‘in case we needed it’,” Kenneth huffed.

Mickey just grinned as he sipped his coffee. Kenneth, Besseta, and Tiffany had only gone to the house a few times, since they’d been back. They hadn’t slept and at night, he and his family would sit and watch the three, or more correctly the work, because at night they moved so fast, Mickey and his family couldn’t see them.

Not to say work didn’t get done during the day. Mickey was certain it would’ve taken twenty men to equal what the three accomplished during the day. At night, he was certain it would’ve taken eighty. The only time he helped was during the day. He was scared they would run into him by accident at night.

Looking at the far end of the field past the stables, Mickey saw the small cinderblock building that housed all the stuff from the basement to handle mercury. Kenneth had what Mickey called ‘spacesuits’ to work with the mercury, but it was agreed; only Mickey would go into the building. Even Mickey wore the spacesuit when he made bullets.

“You sure Maria can handle the Hydratrek?” Kenneth asked.

Turning around, Mickey looked at the large box-like vehicle on tracks beside the garage. “Yes, but I can’t believe you bought that, just so we would have a way to and from the house when the lake freezes,” Mickey told him. “Kenneth, you were the most frugal person I’d ever met, and Besseta spends money like she’s mad at it. Hell, Tiffany doesn’t even ask for prices, she just reads off the numbers on her credit cards.”

“Oh, Besseta gets so pissed when I want to be a cheapskate,” Kenneth said with fear. “It’s taking some time, but she’s wearing me down.”

“I thought Tiffany was going to cry when you told her the garage wasn’t going to be heated or cooled,” Mickey mumbled.

Remembering Tiffany pouting, Kenneth had known he would handle that, and ordered heating and cooling units. That was, until Besseta found out. Needless to say, Kenneth had them delivered that very afternoon and they were installed before the sun rose the next morning.

“You working with them on guns again today?” Mickey asked.

“Yep,” Kenneth nodded, seeing the dozer and excavator driving toward them. “We face werewolves like that again, I want them shooting. This hand-to-hand shit is for the birds.”

Having trouble picturing werewolves bigger than the one Kenneth had showed him in L.A., Mickey gave a shiver. That one had been over eight-foot-tall and Kenneth had told Mickey; it’d been a baby. “Kenneth, you kill all of those you come across,” Mickey mumbled.

“Don’t worry,” Kenneth chuckled.

“You want me working on the motorcycles or bullets?” Mickey asked.

Thinking about the two dozen used motorcycles in the garage that Mickey and Maria had driven around and bought for him, Kenneth cocked his head to the side. “Go ahead and do bullets. I can do the bikes tonight.”

Mickey gave a wave and walked over to one of the new four-wheelers, and headed for the reloading building. Watching the girls park the heavy equipment, Kenneth headed to the garage and waited on them. The dogs bounced around in the snow while Besseta and Tiffany walked to him.

“You two like that heavy equipment too much,” Kenneth chuckled.

“I’ll be disappointed when we finish,” Tiffany said, bending over and picking up Jack and Jill. “More shooting?” she asked with a smile.

“Of course. But first, come in,” Kenneth said, opening the door and walking in the garage. He led the girls to the back wall where the long tool bench was.

“Where did you get all the swords?” Besseta asked, looking at several dozen different types of swords laid out on the table.

“Delivered yesterday,” Kenneth answered. Besseta saw claymores, short swords, broadswords, one-handed, and even katanas. “You both said you’ve used swords.”

“Kenneth,” Tiffany said, putting Jack and Jill down. “At one time, this was how vampires fought. I was always more terrified of someone with a sword, compared to someone with a gun. That is, until I met you. The man who puts mercury in bullets.”

“Babe, you want us to use the swords to fight?” Besseta asked.

“We can kill faster with a sword than with our bare hands,” Kenneth told her.

Giving a laugh, “Trust me, I know. But carrying around a sword today makes you stick out,” Besseta told him.

“I’ll take care of that,” Kenneth winked as Besseta looked at the swords.

She leaned closer, thinking the swords looked different. “Kenneth, these swords seem…” Besseta paused, looking for the right word.

“Fatter,” Tiffany suggested and Besseta nodded in agreement.

“Compared to regular swords, they are,” Kenneth said, grinning. “Each is four to six times the mass of a regular sword. Regular swords are designed for humans, we aren’t human. Take that bastard sword for example; a normal one weighs about three and a half pounds. That one weighs fourteen.”

Picking up the short sword, Tiffany lifted it to look at the blade. “This is nice work,” she noted, then saw the blade was much thicker than she had ever seen. “Sometimes, you make me sick.”

“What did I do?” Kenneth snapped.

“I used swords to fight for thousands of years and I never once thought to have one made, based on vampire strength. Heavier, therefore, more durable,” Tiffany grumbled. “You come along and make that judgment in seconds.”

“Um, sorry?” Kenneth offered, and Tiffany just rolled her eyes.

“Kenneth, I know you took kenjutsu classes and studied medieval sword fighting, but using them for real is something altogether different,” Besseta said, picking up a bastard sword.

“I wish you could’ve seen me when I went through my Renaissance phase, going to those festivals dressed as a knight,” Kenneth chuckled. “Yeah, I was a dork.”

“Festivals?” Tiffany asked. “Like you went to in college? They still have those?”

“Shit,” Besseta mumbled, dropping the sword on the table and walking away. “Out of all the shit in Kenneth’s life he showed us in his memory, you remember those medieval fairs?!” Besseta cried out, throwing up her hands.

Chasing after Besseta, “Besseta, going would be fun!” Tiffany cried out.

“Hmm, not sure how to handle this,” Kenneth mumbled as Besseta walked back, with Tiffany begging to go to a festival.

Stopping at the table, “Find a good festival for us to go to,” Besseta told him with a flat expression. Hearing that, Tiffany started jumping up and down, clapping. ‘This is your fault,’ Besseta shouted in his mind.

“Um, sorry?” Kenneth tried with Besseta this time, and it seemed to have more effect.

“So, you really want to try swords? I mean, do you think you can use them without dying?” Besseta asked, rolling her eyes and Tiffany stopped cheering.

“Kenneth, take her into the woods and bump uglies until she has a smile on her face,” Tiffany commanded, and Kenneth’s legs gave out as he dropped to the floor laughing. Besseta glared at Tiffany over Kenneth’s howls of laughter. “What? You’re bitchy and it’s been four days. For you two, that’s a drought,” Tiffany reasoned.

“Tiffany!” Besseta shouted and Tiffany just crossed her arms, and Kenneth kicked the floor as he laughed.

“What? You need some nasty time,” Tiffany snapped back.

“Kenneth, stop laughing,” Besseta sighed, rubbing her temples.

As Kenneth pulled himself up to the bench, he fought not to laugh, but wasn’t doing a good job. “Oh, I know the problem,” Tiffany smiled and pointed at Kenneth. Seeing the look of concentration on Tiffany’s face, Kenneth stopped laughing out of fear.

Kenneth felt his long-sleeve flannel shirt rip off. “Hey,” he groaned. “I liked that shirt.” The cold didn’t really bother him, or vampires in general.

Feeling a ‘mood’ coming on, Besseta rolled her eyes, but turned to see Kenneth standing there without his shirt. Suddenly, Besseta thought Tiffany might’ve had a point. “Baby, why don’t we go for a walk in the woods?” Besseta suggested.

“Babe, we really do have a lot of stuff to do,” Kenneth sighed and looked up just as Besseta leapt at him. “Umph,” he grunted and Besseta rode him to the floor.

“Bonnie, Clyde, let’s go play in the snow,” Tiffany laughed, heading for the door.

“Quit biting!” Kenneth cried out as Tiffany shut the door.

***

Pops of gunfire sounded over the water as Tiffany stood outside the garage, shooting targets on the other side of the parking area. Asphalt covered the area, forming a large lot from the garage to the trees and all the way to the dock and boat ramp. When her slide locked back, Tiffany dropped the magazine and slammed in a new one. Taking aim at the targets, the door opened behind her.

“It’s not my fault your pants are torn up!” Besseta shouted. “You need to move faster!”

Lowering the pistol, Tiffany glanced at her watch. “Only two hours, I’m shocked.”

When she shut the door, Besseta leaned back against the wall. “He was like that little pink bunny we see on TV. Kenneth just kept going and going. He wouldn’t let me catch my breath,” Besseta panted.

“Surprised you’re out here,” Tiffany smiled, raising the pistol back up.

“Maria is coming over with the kids,” Besseta huffed. “Hate to say it, but I’m kind of glad. It’s really rude when someone won’t let you catch your breath.”

Tiffany squeezed the trigger rapidly and clanks followed each gunshot when the bullets hit the steel plate targets. “That is rude, but in a good way,” Tiffany grinned, ejecting the magazine.

“I didn’t see you take one of the guns out when you left the garage,” Besseta said, and heard the boat crank up at the house.

“Went to the house and got one out of the safe,” Tiffany said, moving over to a small folding table and started loading magazines. “I don’t like the babies out here when we shoot guns.”

The garage door opened, and Kenneth stepped out wearing gray jogging pants and tennis shoes. “I’m glad I found these in the toolbox,” Kenneth said, looking at Besseta as she helped load magazines.

Seeing Tiffany and Besseta loading magazines, Kenneth headed back into the garage and came back out carrying three small gun cases. “Okay, here’s the guns we are going to use,” Kenneth told them, setting the cases on the table.

Putting down the pistol she was shooting, Tiffany clapped her hands. “Oh, a new gun!” she said excitedly. Kenneth just chuckled, opening the cases and moving one to Besseta and one to Tiffany.

Tiffany’s look of joy turned to confusion as she looked at the pistol in the case. “Is it a ray gun? Like those space movies have?” she asked hesitantly.

Running her fingers over the pistol, Besseta had to agree with Tiffany; it looked weird. “What’s the round thing on the back, if it’s not a battery?” Besseta asked and Tiffany was thankful because that was going to be her next question.

Taking the pistol out of the case in front of him, “This is the Calico Liberty 3 Tactical in 9mm. Nineteen inches long with a magazine capacity of one hundred rounds. The round thing is the rotary magazine,” Kenneth explained, taking the magazine off.

“One hundred shots!” they cried out in joy.

Nodding, “Yeah, our hand-eye coordination is a thousand-fold better than when I was human, but our kind and werewolves move fast, so I wanted larger magazines. I’m actually worried how fast leviathans can move. Secretly, I’m hoping they stay home and don’t come out to play,” Kenneth admitted.

The girls pulled out the pistols, inspecting them. “It’s long,” Tiffany noted.

“Nineteen inches,” Kenneth told her and then showed them how the pistol worked, ending with the safety and clicking it twice.

“You mean it’s a machine gun?” Besseta cried out with a grin.

“Machine pistol,” Kenneth chuckled. “I want us to learn to fire in three to five-round bursts at targets. Up close they can’t dodge, but two hundred yards out, I’m certain they could dodge single shots. So, we send out bursts of five, making it harder to dodge.”

“How do you load this thing?” Tiffany cheered, pulling the magazine off the pistol. Kenneth showed them how to load it, then pulled out a suppressor from his case and threaded it on the barrel.

“Makes it really long,” Besseta observed and then pulled the suppressor in her case out, putting it on.

“It adds seven inches, but I don’t want someone on the lake to hear full auto fire and tattle to the cops,” Kenneth explained. “I really don’t want the cops out here snooping around.”

Looking toward the trees, “Should we move further into the forest?” Tiffany asked. “Besseta does own quite a bit of land we can use.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Kenneth said as the party barge pulled into the dock. They all turned to watch the two older kids climb out and tie the boat up. “Damn, Maria can drive a boat.”

“They’ve been practicing,” Besseta laughed, grabbing a box of shells and started loading the magazine. “How hard is it driving motorcycles on icy roads?”

“A challenge, but the further south we go, the less snow we will face. I’ve outfitted some of the sport bikes with studded tires, but also have touring bikes, if it’s too much of a problem. We will be practicing because I like having the option of making distance while the sun is up.”

Finished loading her magazine, Tiffany slapped it back on the pistol. “I hate to admit it, but my motorcycle could almost go as fast as I can run.”

“Don’t be. That’s the fastest production bike in the world, currently,” Kenneth shrugged as the kids ran over with the dogs. The three put down the pistols and started playing with the kids. This was the first snow they had ever seen and were having a blast.

The oldest at eleven was Ciera and the unofficial leader of the kids. As Besseta picked her up and spun her around, Ciera gave a laugh and when Besseta stopped, she wrapped her arms around Besseta’s neck. “Besseta, do you have snowmobiles?” Ciera asked with a wide grin.

Confused, Besseta turned to the line of ATVs they had bought, parked near the garage. “Aren’t those snowmobiles?” Besseta asked and Ciera shook her head.

“No, we saw some on the TV and they had skis on the front,” Ciera explained and Besseta turned to Kenneth.

“Why don’t we have some of the ones with skis?” Besseta asked.

Putting Little Mickey and Carrie on his hips, Kenneth shrugged. “I bought two four-wheelers, and two quad cab UTVs that Mickey and Maria could use running around the property.”

“But snowmobiles look much funner,” Ciera grinned.

“Buy some of those,” Besseta commanded.

As Kenneth drew a breath, Tiffany put Little Tiffany and Phillip on her hips. “Use my credit card and buy some that they can ride,” Tiffany told him. “Just get each one a snowmobile,” she decreed.

Walking over with a strap on her shoulder connected to a cooler, Maria looked at Kenneth standing in the snow, without a shirt and in tennis shoes. Besseta and Tiffany were only wearing jeans and light t-shirts, while she and her kids were in thick snow gear. “Kenneth, you need to put a shirt on,” Maria shivered, then heard the kids let out a cheer about getting snowmobiles.

Maria took a breath to protest, but Tiffany cut her off. “Maria, they need snowmobiles to learn how to operate them. They live in an area that has snow now and to fit in, must be able to display that they know how to play in the snow.”

Thinking that sounded weak, Maria just gave up with a sigh. “Kids, let’s give daddy some lunch,” Maria said and then grinned when the kids jumped down into the snow. “I brought plenty, we are eating in the garage.”

“I’m not really hungry,” Kenneth shrugged.

“There isn’t a table in the garage,” Tiffany protested as the kids ran around, and the dogs gave chase.

Waving her hand, “Please, there is a workbench, and we’ve eaten many times from a workbench,” Maria laughed.

“We could build a small cottage on this side of the lake so when the kids are playing over here, they’d have a place to go in and get warm,” Tiffany suggested. “We can put a kitchen in it, so they wouldn’t have to eat off the workbench.”

“That’s a great idea,” Besseta gasped and Maria felt too lightheaded to even offer a protest.

“We could clear out a spot over there,” Kenneth pointed across the driveway and into the trees, where they had targets set up on the other side of the lot. “We have to keep the lot cleared off, anyway.”

“Want to start on it tonight?” Besseta asked.

“Like either of you would let me drive the dozer or excavator,” Kenneth scoffed. “Let’s go find a spot in the trees and set up a shooting range, then practice and see which sword we like, to take our attacks to the next level.”

Watching Maria and the kids take off when Mickey pulled up on a four-wheeler, Tiffany turned to Kenneth. “Kenneth, I’m worried about the Strong Hands figuring out mercury bullets and using them,” she said with a shiver.

“I’m not, because they already know,” Kenneth informed her. “Humans have been shooting at each other for a long time. That just means if they do, you will have to use what I’ve taught you, but I don’t think you should worry about that anytime soon.”

“Why?” Tiffany asked, clearly confused.

“Tiffany, not everyone on the Strong Hand side has been taken over by the cubus. The cubus can’t take over everyone or nobody would join them. Free will, even limited, is very important to all creatures. And the cubus don’t want weapons in the hands of those not under their control that could kill them so easily. One vampire or human carrying a weapon loaded with mercury bullets can do a lot of damage. In time, they will I’m sure, but only when they get desperate.”

Thinking about that for several minutes, Tiffany glanced over at Besseta. “Do you agree with his reasoning? It seems sound,” Tiffany asked.

Giving a shrug, “It’s just a weapon,” Besseta grunted. “We can die just as easily from being torn apart as from a bullet. You and I’ve both seen vampires taken out with modern weapons.”

Letting out a long sigh, “Guess I’m just being nostalgic,” Tiffany admitted, and they grabbed gear and moved off into the forest.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Two weeks later just after lunch, Kenneth put the kickstand down on his bike at a gas station a hundred miles from Elk City, Oklahoma. They had received a message from Maliki that they needed to meet ASAP. Very satisfied with their fighting abilities now, Kenneth told them, they should go ahead and meet. After the meeting, Kenneth wanted to try out their new hunting abilities.

All were riding tour bikes, since they’d all had some trouble handling the sport bikes on snowy roads. On each bike, a guitar case was strapped to the side and the hard-sided containers were packed with other gear. The bikes weren’t slow by any means, after Kenneth and Mickey had worked on them.

“Just why can’t we drive a little closer, like right up to the park?” Tiffany asked.

“If we get hit, I really don’t want to leave our bikes and our gear,” Kenneth told her, tightening his backpack up.

Still sitting on her motorcycle, “So, we go into an area we aren’t certain of, leaving our weapons behind?” Tiffany asked. “Rambo would not approve.”

Glancing over at Besseta, “We are turning the on-demand providers off,” Kenneth declared.

“You can try, I’m not,” Besseta chuckled.

“You agree with her?” Kenneth asked.

“Both plans have merits, but taking the bikes means if we are attacked, we can crank some gats,” Besseta grinned.

Looking from one to the other, Kenneth shook his head as he chuckled and climbed back onto his motorcycle. “Then, onward we go,” he said, starting the engine.

It didn’t take long to reach the park south of Elk City, and Kenneth pulled up to a pavilion that covered a picnic table sitting next to a small lake. Shutting down his engine, Kenneth climbed off, glancing around and then pulled his helmet off. “That was dumb,” he mumbled, then sniffed the air for threats.

“That’s why I flipped my visor up outside of town,” Besseta grinned, putting the kickstand down and climbing off.

Hanging her helmet on the handlebar, Tiffany glanced at her watch. “He won’t be here for an hour or so.”

Moving under the pavilion, Kenneth took off his backpack and jacket, putting them on the table. Glancing back, he saw Besseta watching some kids playing at the edge of the lake. “Want to talk about it?” he asked, walking over and wrapping his arms around her.

“It’s nothing,” she sighed, putting her head back against his chest.

“We have Mickey’s kids to spoil and later, they will have kids that we can spoil,” Kenneth offered.

Holding onto Kenneth’s arms, Besseta just smiled as a gentle breeze blew over the water. “Always,” she sighed.

“Always,” Kenneth replied, hugging her tight.

Hearing a motorcycle, Kenneth let Besseta go and turned around to see a sport bike pulling into the park. “No way,” Besseta huffed, seeing the rider was dressed in black leather riding gear.

“Babe, my riding gear was mostly black, besides I don’t smell Maliki,” Kenneth said with uncertainty, watching the bike ride along the circle coming towards them. Thinking hard about Maliki, Kenneth felt he was close, and in the direction he was facing. The motorcycle was just over a hundred yards away when Kenneth caught the faint scent of Maliki.

“He copied us,” Tiffany huffed, stomping her foot. “We shouldn’t have let him see the motorcycles.”

The motorcycle pulled up beside theirs and the rider put the kickstand down as he shut off the bike. “You really need to think about wearing a different color,” Besseta snapped when the rider took the helmet off, to reveal it was Maliki.

Looking down at his leather riding gear, “Damn, this stuff holds in scent better than I would’ve imagined,” Kenneth said as Maliki got off.

“You are a copycat!” Tiffany shouted. Maliki froze, trying to figure out if that was good or bad.

“She means, you copied us,” Besseta helped, hearing Maliki’s confused thoughts from Kenneth.

“Um, yes. During daylight, you can move considerable distances on these contraptions. But they do take some getting used to.”

Stomping her foot, Tiffany spun around to Besseta and Kenneth. “Maliki has to stand in the corner!” Tiffany shouted. “When one of the kids is being a copycat, Maria makes them stand in the corner.”

Cringing, “Well, thank you for announcing that,” Kenneth said, and Tiffany’s face went pale when she realized she had given up that Mickey and his family was alive.

Spinning around, “You’d better hide that so no one, not even a cubus can ever drag that from you,” Tiffany warned.

“Please,” Maliki scoffed, walking under the pavilion. “I keep a mercury capsule with me at all times. I won’t live a life of servitude for any reason. Especially, under a cubus.”

“It’s okay, Tiffany,” Kenneth said, looking at Maliki. “He already knew, but I can’t figure out how,” Kenneth told her and turned to Besseta. “Okay, now I know what you feel like when I block you with random thoughts.”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Besseta grinned, sitting down at the picnic table and taking off her backpack.

“I smell them on each of you. Or I should say, I smell a family with lots of kids,” Maliki told them. “I just took for granted that it was your friend.”

Studying Maliki for a few seconds, Kenneth finally grinned. “Perceptive.”

“You should’ve asked before you copied us,” Tiffany huffed.

“Sorry, it just seemed like a very intelligent way to move around. After you learn to keep the infernal machine upright,” Maliki told her. “And may I ask, why would anyone stand in a corner? It seems rather boring.”

“To be punished,” Tiffany scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you know anything?”

Kenneth gave a snort and fought not to laugh, remembering the first time one of the kids was made to stand in the corner. After Kenneth had explained that it was punishment, Tiffany had whined to Maria for thirty minutes to let Ciera out of the corner.

“In my day, you got a thrashing,” Maliki mumbled, thinking about that. “I think I would’ve preferred a thrashing, instead of looking at a corner.”

Pulling out a notebook and pen, “So, why the ASAP?” Kenneth asked, flipping open the notebook.

“Someone wants to meet you,” Maliki said and Besseta levitated up from the picnic table.

“If you sold us out, others will tremble at the pain you will suffer before death, for a thousand years,” she snarled.

Maliki took a step back. “Besseta, I would never give any of you up. The only reason I agreed, was that Kenneth and you said you would like to meet him. Four days ago, he showed up after the group I was leading took out a pack in Maine, and said he wanted to meet you.”

Lowering her hands as her fingernails retracted, “Who?” Besseta asked.

“Xu,” Maliki answered and Besseta stumbled back, and would’ve fallen if Tiffany hadn’t caught her.

About to chastise Kenneth, Tiffany turned and saw complete and utter shock on Kenneth’s face. “I told both of you, Xu does what he wants, when he wants, but I’m not shocked he’s here,” Tiffany sighed and helped Besseta sit down beside Kenneth.

“I’ll say,” Maliki chuckled. “One of the werewolves got away and a few hours later, I was getting reports from South Carolina that the packs were moving west.”

Leaning over, Tiffany slapped both of their cheeks until they blinked. “Do you want to meet him?” Tiffany asked. “I would suggest you do because he could find our house, if he hasn’t already. Like I said, nobody knows what all he is capable of.”

Blinking his eyes slowly, Kenneth turned to Maliki. “I suggest you take Tiffany’s advice,” Maliki said. “I don’t think he would search for Besseta’s home unless you refused; he would consider it rude. But if you refuse, more than likely, you will return home and find him there because not meeting him is rude. That, I can guarantee. When Xu wants something, he does it. He’s being polite.”

“Then, we would be honored to meet him,” Kenneth swallowed nervously.

Reaching into his jacket, Maliki pulled out a cellphone and made a call. “Is he riding a motorcycle as well?” Tiffany asked.

“No, I have a car bringing him,” Maliki replied, hanging up. “Kenneth, a word of advice. Act like you did when you first met me. Xu looks down on anyone who acts intimidated by anything.”

Feeling the anxiety in Kenneth and herself, Besseta patted his leg. “Just be yourself, babe.”

“Tiffany, how nervous were you when you met Xu?” Kenneth asked, pulling his and Besseta’s gloves off and holding her hand to calm his mind.

Shaking her head, “I wasn’t beforehand,” Tiffany told him, and Kenneth relaxed. “It was after he ‘appeared’ in my camp and told me he had been there for three days, that I became nervous,” Tiffany admitted.

Laying her head on Kenneth’s shoulder, Besseta could feel him relax and his thoughts slow down. “Xu acts like an ass, we can just stomp his ass,” Besseta informed Kenneth and he laughed.

“Besseta,” Maliki said, clearing his throat. “You make sure before you start stomping, that Xu knows I have no part in this.”

Sitting on the picnic table, Tiffany glanced down at Besseta. “I really liked Xu. He’s a scholar and loves to study. He has rooms that are so large and full of scrolls, books, and tablets, that it would blow your mind.”

“He upsets Kenneth, I break something,” Besseta warned.

“Xu tests everyone he meets,” Tiffany said and looked up to see a black SUV. “Maliki, I’m starting to agree with Besseta. You need to experiment with other colors. Black is getting old.”

“You’ve never complained before,” Maliki huffed.

“I only saw you every few hundred years, so it was no bother. But seeing you frequently, it is getting on my nerves,” Tiffany told him as Besseta and Kenneth stood up, holding hands. Jumping off the table, Tiffany stood beside them as the SUV parked behind the motorcycles.

“He boxed us in,” Besseta gasped.

“Besseta, that’s my driver,” Maliki said quickly, getting nervous.

The back driver’s door opened and Kenneth saw a man get out, but his complexion and facial features didn’t look Chinese. Kenneth studied the face, trying to place the man’s ancestry as the man stopped beside the motorcycles.

“Well, is he getting out?” Besseta asked.

Kenneth gave a jerk and turned to Besseta who was staring at the open door. Before he could speak, Tiffany did. “I’m sure he’s already out.”

“He’s standing right there by the bikes,” Kenneth cried out, pointing with his other hand.

Maliki, Tiffany, and Besseta all turned to him in shock and a small smile split Xu’s face. Closing her eyes, Besseta relaxed and could feel Kenneth looking at Xu and even got an impression of what he looked like. Slowly, Besseta opened her eyes, staring at the spot where Kenneth saw Xu.

A shadow appeared in her vision and slowly darkened, then the figure of a man formed in her vision, making Besseta jump. “How the hell did he do that?” Besseta yelped.

“Do what?” Tiffany asked, looking around.

“Just appear!” Besseta clarified.

“He didn-,” Tiffany stopped as Xu just appeared in front of them. “Still playing games,” Tiffany said, tilting her head to Xu.

Wearing a grey silk shirt and black silk pants, Xu tilted his head to Tiffany. “Games define how one can assess others,” Xu replied in a smooth but deep voice that didn’t fit his body. The voice seemed ancient while the body only looked in his mid-twenties. “It is nice to see you, Tiffany.”

“And you, Xu,” Tiffany replied, then waved at Besseta and Kenneth. “These are my friends, Besseta and Kenneth.”

Xu stepped up under the pavilion in front of Besseta. “So, this is the one trying to rid the world of evil single-handedly?” Xu grinned. “A worthy endeavor, but I’m afraid, one doomed to failure.”

“I’ve been doing pretty good,” Besseta chuckled.

Holding out his hand, “Tiffany described you perfectly,” Xu said as Besseta let go of Kenneth’s hand and shook Xu’s. “No fear,” Xu noted at how fast Besseta shook his hand.

“Why should I be afraid? If you tried anything, if I didn’t stomp your ass, my husband would,” Besseta huffed, jerking her head to Kenneth. Letting Xu’s hand go, Besseta grabbed Kenneth’s hand again, feeling his mind beginning to fill with a roar.

As Xu turned to Kenneth, Kenneth forced a sly grin as the roar died down. “Make no mistake. For Besseta, I would lay waste to the planet,” Kenneth confessed, holding out his right hand. “I’ve heard much about you, and it is a pleasure.”

Giving a warm smile, Xu glanced at Kenneth’s left hand holding Besseta’s right hand, and neither was wearing a glove on that hand only. “No, the pleasure is mine,” Xu said, taking Kenneth’s hand firmly. “It has been eons since the cubus have felt fear from any other than the first league.”

“First league?” Kenneth asked as Xu let his hand go.

“Yes, what is now called the Asian League,” Xu replied, studying Kenneth. “I have been the most feared from by cubus. The last edimmu or vampire I can remember that caused them turmoil, was three thousand years ago in South America. They wasted no time hunting her down, before I could find her and offer her protection. You have caught the cubus in a time of battle for control, so they haven’t been able to devote the resources they normally would.”

“Leviathans,” Kenneth stated.

Xu smiled because Kenneth didn’t ask. “Yes, you are very well informed,” Xu said, tilting his head to Maliki. “It is their ego that has blinded them from the silent dangers that lurk.”

Waving at the picnic table, “Would you care to sit?” Kenneth asked, moving to the other side of the table. As everyone sat down, Kenneth slowly let go of Besseta’s hand and was relieved that his mind stayed at ease. “May I ask, how many leviathans do the cubus have?”

Shaking his head, “That is a secret they guard well. Are you sure you want to know?” Xu asked cautiously. “I don’t fear them, but I can easily be back behind my walls of warriors. I don’t see you doing that.”

“You have to know your enemy strengths before you can exploit their weakness,” Kenneth replied, taking a notebook from his backpack.

“Fifty-eight leviathans still serve them. At least, as of two weeks ago,” Xu answered, and Kenneth felt his hand go numb as he grabbed a pen. “The cubus breed and kill each other off too often to keep an accurate count.”

Dropping the pen, Kenneth reached up to cup his face in his hands. “That could be a problem.”

“So, you have seen one?” Xu asked with surprise.

Dropping his hands, “Yeah, but you killed him like two hundred years ago,” Kenneth sighed, picking up his pen.

Besseta turned to Xu and was surprised she didn’t see shock from Kenneth’s comment. “From what I’ve learned about you, Kenneth, you have learned lycan strength comes when they attack as a pack, but be warned; the ancients under control of the cubus don’t fight like lycan or werewolves. They fight with cunning, as you’ve seen in the district of Iowa.”

Raising his eyebrows in amazement, “Have to say, you keep well informed,” Kenneth mumbled as he started making notes.

“I have been in this battle longer than you can even imagine. If vampires had unified long ago, the cubus would be no more. But that is the weakness of our race. We lean more toward solitude than any of the others,” Xu said wearily.

“Not going to argue that point,” Kenneth snorted as he wrote. “I hope I’m not being rude, but why are you here? It seems a big risk, just to meet someone who is a pain in the ass to the Strong Hands.”

Xu gave a laugh. “Surely, you don’t think humans are behind the Strong Hands?”

“No, this planning took centuries and humans can’t plan that far ahead,” Kenneth answered as he wrote.

“First, how do you know I’m really here? I could be projecting my image,” Xu challenged.

Shaking his head and not even looking up, “No, you’re here,” Kenneth said confidently. “The disappearing trick was neat, though.”

“But you saw me,” Xu said, studying Kenneth’s face as he wrote. “How do you know I wasn’t blocking their minds?”

“You can’t block Besseta’s, and I could sense what she saw. It took her a few seconds, but she was able to see you,” Kenneth told him, pausing his writing.

Reaching over, Besseta rested her right hand on Kenneth’s neck, touching his skin. “So, is it rude to ask why you are here?” Besseta asked, feeling Kenneth calm back down.

Very slowly, Xu turned to look at Besseta with an expression very close to fear. “I come to warn you. The cubus have sent nine leviathans here to North America to join one already here. They will be here in two days.”

“Aw, man, that sucks,” Besseta groaned, ignoring the look from Xu, but Kenneth wasn’t. “Where is their base of power?”

“Australia and New Guinea,” Xu answered with the expression falling off his face. “Before you ask, yes, the last two you are after do serve the cubus freely.”

Hearing that, Besseta’s face darkened. “Really?” Besseta growled, thinking of the last two who’d killed her family long ago. “I got the one who turned me, and I will get them.”

Giving a nod, “Of that, I have no doubt, but the cubus know you want them, so be cautious,” Xu warned. “Your Kenneth has thrown the cubus more defeats in the last few months, than they have had since the fall of the Mongol Hordes. They will only move against me when they own the rest of the world, and will use massive armies of humans to do it. So, you can say, I’m here to make sure you win or at least, keep the cubus in check.”

“May I ask why you haven’t just gone down and wiped them out?” Besseta inquired and Kenneth picked his pen back up and went back to writing.

“I think it would be obvious; the leviathans,” Xu answered. “The cubus are powerful, but nothing compared to the ones that gave rise to us all. Normally, it would take an ancient vampire to face a cubus and live, but you have done it several times. There are enough ancients in my ranks to make any attack they mount without leviathans very costly, up to the point that we could wipe them out. Therefore, the cubus keep them close to their council.”

“Just how many are on their council?” Kenneth asked.

“Twenty-one,” Xu answered. “And yes, I know each one and at one time, served under them. I am in no rush to fight them, but if I must, I will.”

“That doesn’t sound encouraging,” Kenneth mumbled as he wrote. “Has anyone’s mind ever survived the touch of a cubus?”

Shaking his head, “No vampire or werewolf that I’ve ever heard of. They did take over our creators,” Xu admitted. “I’ve looked a long time. I’ve even tried to reverse some and have had mixed results.”

Turning away from Kenneth, Xu looked directly at Besseta. “The ability to take a being’s power and use it is extraordinary and very rare, but the ability to share the power another has is beyond belief.”

The air around Besseta suddenly felt cold as her heart sped up in panic and Xu stared at her. “That would be something,” Besseta forced out and Kenneth glanced over at her.

“Breathe,” Kenneth said softly. ‘Yes, he knows about our ability, but he also knows more than we do. He’s not telling others, but it’s for reasons of his own,’ Kenneth told Besseta in her mind.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Xu said as an apology because Besseta could feel he wasn’t afraid.

Shaking her head, “Sorry, the thought of one taking my mind terrifies me,” Besseta offered.

“As it does me,” Xu nodded, glancing at Kenneth who was staring at Besseta. “You two share a bond I have never seen in our kind.”

Clearing his throat, Kenneth turned to lock gazes with Xu. “You said vampire and werewolf earlier, and we know some leviathans weren’t affected by the touch of a cubus, so have humans been able to resist?” Kenneth asked.

A cheerful smile leapt onto Xu’s face. “Very astute,” Xu chuckled. “Yes, but it is very rare. I’ve only heard of four or five cases in my lifetime.”

“Um, excuse me,” Tiffany interrupted. “Just how long is that? You’ve always been evasive.”

Reaching over, Xu held Tiffany’s hand gently. “My dear, that’s because I don’t really know,” Xu admitted. “All I can say for sure, is I’m over twenty thousand years old.”

Dropping his pen, Kenneth leaned back. “You had to wait that long before you got a car? I’m sorry.”

Giving a hiccup, Besseta bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “Yes, these last years have made life much easier,” Xu smiled.

Picking up his pen, “How many have you ever known that had the ability to take a being’s power?” Kenneth asked and felt Besseta tense up.

“I’ve heard of more humans surviving the touch of a cubus,” Xu answered, then added. “The ability to share powers another has, never. The ability to take a power, less than a dozen edimmu. But I know several cubus that have the ability.”

‘Glad we didn’t run to China and look for his ass, then,’ Besseta said in Kenneth’s mind.

Giving a soft chuckle, “Yes, that would’ve been a letdown,” Kenneth said out loud, almost making Besseta’s heart stop. “What pointers can you give me for fighting leviathans?”

“Do it with a large group and only engage them one at a time,” Xu offered. “As I’m sure you’ve noticed, sunlight has no effect on them as it has no effect on the cubus.”

“Shit, didn’t know any of that,” Kenneth gasped as he wrote.

“I didn’t know that,” Maliki admitted, wiping sweat from his brow. “Can the Asian League provide any assistance to us?”

Xu turned to Maliki. “We have been here fighting since this started. Not in large numbers, but we are here. I can’t devote large numbers, or I will weaken our sovereign territory. We can’t lose that, or the cubus will have the numbers of humans they need to take on the Asian League.”

“You know your strategies,” Kenneth chuckled. “You have any advice for us?”

“Yes, continue the war as you have been, taking out their rank and file army,” Xu told him. “Are you sure you want the rest of my advice?”

Hesitantly, Kenneth nodded, “Yeah.”

“You have killed some powerful minions they control, but you haven’t killed a cubus as of yet. I suggest you do that soon. They are losing their fear of you because of that. None of you have threatened them personally, but have been close several times. They are beginning to believe you are scared of them,” Xu told him.

“Okay, I’m not going to lie,” Kenneth said, putting his pen down and realizing it was dark already. “I said ‘run’ the last two times, but they were after a friend. I would like to think, if things would’ve been different I would’ve attacked, but I still think I would’ve run like a bitch.”

Furrowing his forehead, “If you would’ve run like a female dog, they would’ve caught you,” Xu pointed out and Tiffany busted out laughing, startling everyone.

They all turned as she fell off the bench, holding her sides and laughing. “Besseta, control your friend,” Kenneth said.

Leaning over to Xu, “I’ve had difficulty following this new meaning as well,” Maliki informed Xu, then explained what Kenneth had meant. When Maliki finished, Xu busted out laughing and slapping the table.

Slowly, Xu stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Yes, I did that for several thousand years because I couldn’t get anyone to stand with me.”

“And you expect us to just charge in and kick their asses?” Kenneth asked.

“Don’t kick them, kill them,” Xu corrected. “They aren’t as fast as us, and even in daylight we have the advantage of speed, but at great danger as I’m sure you’ve learned. But they all have abilities of the mind that varies greatly with each one.”

When Tiffany stopped laughing, she climbed back up on the bench. “Xu, have you heard of a cubus that calls herself Elizabeth?” Tiffany asked.

Nodding with disgust, “Yes, she changed her name a thousand years ago, and her appearance just a few decades ago, but yes, I know the urchin,” Xu replied.

“Then, you must know her son Efrin,” Tiffany asked as all joy left her face.

Again, Xu reached over, taking Tiffany’s hand. “Yes, even for a cubus, he is a dark one. When his father bred his mother years later, and as I’m sure you know the cubus custom, restrained her until the baby was to be born and took it, Efrin was the one who cut his sibling from his mother as she was restrained. Yet, he didn’t turn the sibling over to his father, Damon, to raise like he was told. Efrin raised it himself. Even other cubus fear him, as they do his father. None of them trust Elizabeth.”

“Are they on the council?” Kenneth asked, feeling the anger building on each side of him from Besseta and Tiffany.

“No, they would be considered generals, if you want importance assigned to them. Damon is the only one who has taken offspring from Elizabeth. Elizabeth has sired four offspring from members of the council and withheld the offspring,” Xu said.

“We get a TV crew to film a reality show about the cubus, we would blow the ratings out of the water. Those fuckers are cold-blooded to the core. Just rape a fucker and take the kid?” Kenneth said, reaching out and patting Besseta and Tiffany. Xu leaned over to Maliki, wanting to know what Kenneth had meant and Maliki just shrugged.

Closing her eyes, Tiffany took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Xu,” she said softly. “Is Efrin in the country?”

Shaking his head, “I don’t know, but Damon and Elizabeth are here,” Xu told her. “They move around, but as you know, the base in New Mexico is one of their strongholds.”

“What the hell are they guarding in Iowa?” Kenneth asked, feeling Besseta finally relax.

“Some type of research, but what kind, I don’t know,” Xu said.

“They control Europe, why have a research base here?” Besseta asked.

“They do,” Xu told her. “Two, in fact, but just because there is no league, don’t think they are ruling unopposed. A war rages there, but more assets have been pulled from Europe to America, so the cubus are only maintaining control of population centers for now.”

As Besseta was about to ask a question, Xu looked off with a blank expression for a second. “I’m sorry, but I must go. It seems the cubus want to try and establish a foothold on the mainland. I shall teach them another lesson,” Xu said, standing up.

Holding out his hand to Kenneth, “Yes, you, Besseta, and Tiffany have extraordinary power, but you caught them off-guard in L.A. Don’t make that mistake again. When you hit them, it must be hard, violent, and very fast,” Xu instructed, shaking Kenneth’s hand.

“Thank you and after we stomp their asses, how about we sit down for a few hundred years and talk?” Kenneth offered.

“We will be taking nights off, though,” Besseta smiled as Xu shook her hand.

When Xu went to shake Tiffany’s hand, she came around the table and hugged him tight. “Don’t let them hurt your libraries. They are the best I’ve ever studied in,” Tiffany told him. “I’m already livid, and I don’t want to go past that.”

Chuckling, Xu hugged her back and then let her go, turning to Maliki. “Continue as we discussed and if needed, you can contact me, but it may take me an hour or two to respond,” Xu said, shaking Maliki’s hand.

When Maliki let go of Xu’s hand, he stepped from under the pavilion and disappeared with a thunderclap. “I want to run fast like that, just once,” Tiffany pouted.

“The only ones that are as fast as Xu that I’ve seen are Besseta and Kenneth,” Maliki said, waving the driver of the SUV away. “Well, I’m going to hit a pack near Amarillo, since I’m this close. Where are all of you off to?”

Looking down at his closed hand, “Don’t know yet,” Kenneth mumbled.

“What?” Besseta asked and Kenneth opened his hand to reveal a folded sheet of paper. Picking up the sheet of paper, Besseta unfolded it and saw hand drawn map. “This is the compound in New Mexico!” she gasped.

“Did Xu give that to you?” Tiffany asked, and Kenneth nodded.

Maliki looked up at Kenneth, then at Besseta and Tiffany. “You’re the one that told me to leave that site alone. It wasn’t worth the risk!” Maliki gasped.

“Well, maybe it is,” Besseta nodded and Kenneth grinned.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“I’ll call my troops in and hit the area with you,” Maliki blurted out, looking at Tiffany.

“No,” Kenneth said. “We can’t attack together because if all of us get wiped out, then it’s game over. Who else will lead here to fight?” Kenneth asked, and Maliki’s mouth hung open as he thought, but couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Maliki, if you want to help us, then slaughter as many werewolves as you can and hopefully, that will pull some out,” Tiffany told him as Kenneth packed up his backpack. “At the very least, it will call away reinforcements they could call on.”

Staring at the three in disbelief, “I sent six powerful psychics, each was at or near a thousand years old, and none reported back that they’d even made it,” Maliki said in a panic.

Pulling on her backpack, Tiffany laughed. “Well, if you add all our ages up, we are older.”

“We will attack tomorrow so if you can, hit another pack within five hundred miles,” Kenneth said, pulling on his glove.

“This is suicide!” Maliki cried out.

“Please,” Besseta scoffed. “It gets that bad, we can haul ass like last time.”

Maliki stepped over to Tiffany. “If you fail, know I will kill Efrin before I die,” Maliki vowed.

Reaching up, Tiffany patted Maliki’s face. “Thank you and that means a lot, but I plan to remove his spine from his body with my hands and use it to fornicate with his anus, until Efrin dies with his insides ripped to shreds,” Tiffany smiled.

Kenneth froze, and a shiver ran through his body. “Saying it like that, one can’t even grin. Sounds beyond medieval.”

Turning to Kenneth with a cold expression, “Oh, wait until you see what I do before that,” Tiffany warned.

“I’ll bring the popcorn and Kenneth’s blowtorch,” Besseta smiled.

Seeing there was nothing he could do to change their minds, Maliki hugged each one, climbed on his bike and left without saying another word to them.

The three walked out to their motorcycles and climbed on. “I think Maliki is still sweet on you,” Besseta giggled.

Shaking her head, “No, I am special, but he remembers a time when he had friends. It is getting easier to look at him, and not expect to hear Herotho. In time, I see us as good friends again,” Tiffany told Besseta as they both pulled on helmets.

‘Keep at the speed limit. We don’t want to attract any attention,’ Kenneth said in their minds. ‘We will stop in Albuquerque… just remember to take a right turn,’ he added and laughed hard, echoing in their minds.

They both turned to see him snickering and slapping the gas tank on his motorcycle. Feeling the stares, Kenneth stopped laughing and turned to them. “Right turn at Albuquerque?” he offered, hoping they would get it. “That’s where Bugs Bunny always made a wrong turn,” he finally cried out.

“Who’s that?” Tiffany asked.

“Wait, wasn’t there a Bugs in that Roger Rabbit movie we watched?” Besseta asked, looking from Tiffany to Kenneth.

Pulling on his helmet, “Never mind,” Kenneth groaned. “We are watching cartoons when we get home.”

After cranking up, Kenneth took the lead and headed for the interstate. It was after midnight when they drove into town. ‘Let’s find some snacks,’ Kenneth told them.

‘I’m not really hungry,’ Tiffany replied, but was concentrating too hard and it came out as a bellow in their minds.

Hearing Tiffany’s bellowed reply Besseta jumped, making her bike weave over the road. Reaching up, Besseta flipped up her face shield and turned to Tiffany. “Damn it, that hurt!” Besseta screamed.

‘Sorry,’ Tiffany replied back meekly. ‘I’m still getting used to not using my mouth with you two. Can’t we use the blue thing for our phones?’

‘No, they can track those, and we might slip up and use a word they are searching for,’ Kenneth replied, turning off the highway. ‘We need to feed because tomorrow will be a knock-down, drag-out fight.’

Giving a sigh, Tiffany just followed the two. It didn’t take long for them to find a parking lot at a sleazy hotel with a party going on. Kenneth kept them linked to his mind while he sat on his bike, filtering through the thoughts of the partiers.

‘The woman with long black hair and gray pants is mine,’ Tiffany snarled, hearing the woman’s thoughts of killing another woman and her kid.

It didn’t take long to find two more, and they got off their bikes and pulled their prey away. Twenty minutes later, Besseta led them to a motel where they checked in and carried their guitar cases up to their room.

They opened up the guitar cases and checked their equipment over, then called to check on Mickey. Tiffany pulled out her laptop, so she and Besseta could play with the puppies. The sun was above the horizon when they packed their gear up and sat around the small table in the room. None of them spoke and they prepared themselves, in an almost Zen-like state, for the fight ahead.

It was around three when Kenneth pulled the map out and turned it over, reading what Xu had given him. “Let’s hope the leather blocks scent as effectively from werewolves, as it does from vampires,” he said as Tiffany and Besseta leaned over, studying the map.

“I want to know, how in the hell Xu got a diagram of an underground base?” Besseta declared in awe.

Studying the map, Tiffany shook her head. “There is no way the cubus only built that with one entrance.”

“Of course, but it would be secret and those aren’t labeled,” Kenneth grinned and Tiffany reached over, popping his arm.

Glancing out the window, Besseta took a deep breath. “Well, it will be dark when we get there. Let’s do this.”

As everyone grabbed their case, “If we get separated, meet up in Dallas,” Kenneth reminded them, and they both nodded.

Walking out of the hotel, Besseta grabbed Kenneth’s hand. “If it gets bad, we are leaving,” she told him.

“Hey, I’m the one that threw both of you over my shoulder last time,” Kenneth said as they reached the bikes. Stowing their gear, the three looked at each other and smiled. “Stay in our line, and we will get through this and be back home in a few days.”

Pulling on their helmets, the three cranked up and stopped just outside the city limits and hid their backpacks. Satisfied with the packs concealment, they left Albuquerque, heading north. Driving the speed limit, the three rode up into the mountains while scanning for trouble. Ten miles south of the town of Dulce, a lone building sat in the middle of nowhere, with a sign that read, CASINO, in bright neon lights.

‘I smell werewolves,’ Besseta said in their minds.

‘Yeah, felt their thoughts the last thirty miles. They are watching the woods. That’s why we needed to take the road. No self-respecting vampire would drive a car,’ Kenneth replied as he pulled into the casino. ‘Only take your helmet off when we get inside.’

They parked out front and only saw one car in the parking lot. “Busy place,” Tiffany noted as she climbed off.

“Be ready to start when we enter,” Kenneth mumbled, heading for the door.

A security guard saw the three come in wearing motorcycle helmets and tensed up, then relaxed when the three pulled them off. Walking past the security guard, Kenneth smiled at the bartender who was pulling out a cellphone. “Tiffany,” Kenneth said, ready to charge the incubus behind the bar.

Tiffany looked at the man and started grinding her teeth while the incubus lifted the cellphone. “Like I didn’t know he was an incubus,” Tiffany panted, fighting to keep the man locked up.

“Besseta, knock the security guard out,” Kenneth said, walking past the one customer playing video poker. Kenneth thumped the man on the side of the head and watched him hit the floor unconscious.

“Kenneth, I don’t want to hold him all day,” Tiffany grunted, with her face breaking out in a sweat.

Jumping over the bar, Kenneth took the phone and the incubus cut his eyes at Kenneth. “You would’ve spoiled the surprise,” Kenneth smiled, putting the phone in his jacket. Casually, Kenneth then punched the incubus in the face. The incubus flew back and hit the wall so hard, he embedded in the sheetrock. “Besseta, security room,” Kenneth pointed. “Someone is trying to call the cops.”

Besseta vanished, kicking open the door to see a wall of monitors and a man holding the receiver to a phone in his hands. “When you wake up, you’ll be thankful you didn’t call. Otherwise, we would’ve burned the place down,” Besseta smiled and lashed out with a kick, sending the man into the bank of monitors.

Reaching down, Besseta ejected the disks and crushed them up.

Walking back into the bar, she saw Kenneth had the incubus in a full nelson. “Rip his head off, please,” Kenneth asked politely.

Tiffany reached the incubus first and grabbed on his head, cranking it to the side while she pulled. The incubus regained consciousness, just as his neck broke and his body went limp. Continuing to crank the head, Tiffany continued pulling until the head separated from the body.

“I thought that’s what we had swords for,” Tiffany huffed, dropping the head.

“So, he had some power?” Besseta asked, watching Kenneth drop the body and lay the phone on the counter.

Nodding, “Yes, but he was trying to cloak, and that really makes it hard to hold someone,” Tiffany said as Kenneth laid his phone next to the one he’d taken from the incubus.

“I love it when they make it easy,” he grinned as the phone was copied. When the copy was complete, Kenneth broke the incubus’s phone and looked at the girls. “We won’t have much time to get ready. Ten miles up, the dirt road that turns off the highway is our destination. I say, we haul ass right up there.”

“Didn’t come all this way to make friends,” Besseta smiled, but felt nervous.

Walking back outside, they pulled off the guitar cases and tossed them to the ground. Opening them up, each pulled a sword out with a sheath that had shoulder straps, then they each grabbed a heavy gun belt. Strapping on the heavy belt, Besseta buckled the holster to her thigh and checked the two spare magazines. Watching Kenneth and Tiffany yank off their gloves and throw them in the guitar cases, Besseta yanked hers off. Pulling the shoulder straps to her sword on, Besseta patted the Liberty III pistol, then closed the guitar case.

Besseta reached behind her head, pulling out the double-edged sword. The blade was only three inches wide, but was over half an inch thick. And the handle seemed just a bit too long, but Besseta loved it. Each of their swords looked the same. The only difference was the length. Besseta’s entire sword was only thirty-nine inches long. And at the other end of the spectrum, Kenneth’s blade alone, was thirty-six inches.

Looking the blade over, Besseta gave a sigh and stopped before she slid it back into the sheath. Moving the sword to her left hand, “Nope, going in with a shiv in one hand and a gat in the other,” Besseta stated, pulling out the pistol.

“It wasn’t that long ago, and you didn’t even know what a shiv or gat was,” Kenneth commented, pulling his pistol out. Like Besseta, he had his sword in his left hand and gun in his right.

“Well, momma knows now and when this is over, momma and daddy are taking a vacation,” Besseta informed him.

Twirling her sword in her left hand, “Can we go to Vegas and get a house and see some shows?” Tiffany asked cheerfully.

Turning to look up the dirt road that ran up into the mountains, Kenneth gave a nod. “Tiffany, I will take you and Besseta to Vegas and reserve a penthouse suite that will make the one Maliki had seem like a broom closet, until we find a house you like. Then, we will go watch the black knight get his ass kicked.”

Pulling her pistol out with a huge grin, “Let’s get gangsta on some ass,” Tiffany told them and moved off up the dirt road. Besseta fell in behind Tiffany, with Kenneth pulling up the rear. When they were several hundred yards from the casino, Tiffany picked up speed when she smelled werewolves getting closer. Being the slowest, Tiffany had the lead because they couldn’t get separated and had to fight back-to-back.

“They’re coming,” Besseta called out with dust flying up behind them, as the trees in her peripheral vision blurred.

Coming around a curve in a small valley a mile from the compound, Tiffany skidded to a halt, raising her pistol as a wall of werewolves charged her. ‘Rhhht’ Tiffany’s pistol chattered as she squeezed off bursts.

Before she skidded to a stop, behind and to the right of Tiffany, Besseta’s pistol was sending bursts into the wall of werewolves. She watched the bullets impact the werewolves, and the ones shot only took a few steps before collapsing, but there were just so many of them. “Oh, yeah. Take this,” Besseta growled, holding the pistol steady and held the trigger down.

The continuous chatter of Besseta’s pistol sounded over the valley as she just raked the wall of wolves, breaking the wave of bodies. ‘Triangle defense with the base toward the compound,’ Kenneth shouted in their minds.

Even with the shout, Besseta barely heard him in her mind over the roars of the werewolves. Tiffany moved back even with Besseta, and they formed a triangle, with Kenneth behind them at the point, aiming down the road they had just run up.

Shoving the tip of her sword in the dirt, “Reloading,” Besseta called out, popping the rotary magazine off and slapping on another. “Ready,” Besseta called, aiming at a werewolf lunging through the air and hitting him three times in the face. Swiveling her aim and dropping down as the werewolf sailed over her head, Besseta squeezed off bursts as werewolves continued to charge them.

Reaching back, she grabbed her sword she had shoved in the dirt as Tiffany called out, “reloading.” Besseta eased back, widening her field of fire and heard the whoosh of a sword through the air and the impact of a blade on flesh.

Risking a glance, Besseta saw the lower half of a werewolf run toward her for several yards, before tipping over and the upper half of the body crashing to the ground beside Tiffany. Seeing Tiffany getting swarmed, Besseta spun and started shooting the werewolves closest as Tiffany slapped on a new magazine, still holding her sword.

“Don’t know how she did that,” Besseta mumbled, spinning around and gave a startle, seeing werewolves twenty yards away. With speed a human could never match, Besseta moved from target to target in a blur, squeezing off rounds and dropping the advancing ranks.

The gunfire stopped behind her and Besseta wanted to glance back, but her gun ran empty and she brought her sword up and sliced the arm of the closest werewolf when it reached for her. Dropping under the other arm, Besseta slashed out and chopped the right leg off just below the knee.

She didn’t have any time to adjust as four closed in and Besseta lashed out with the sword, slicing the belly open of the closest. Spinning around him, Besseta jumped up into the air still in a spin and swung the sword out, taking a werewolf’s head off. Landing on her toes, she heard Kenneth shout, “Simon says, die!”

“He’s playing too much with Mickey’s kids,” Besseta mumbled.

Dropping the other two, Besseta heard bullets whizzing around her and the werewolves charging her dropped down. As Tiffany covered her, Besseta changed magazines while holding her sword. “It’s easy to change magazines with a wall of death coming toward you,” Besseta noted, turning to check on Kenneth.

“Whoa,” Besseta gasped at the bodies dropping in a twenty-yard circle. The bodies fell without arms, legs, a head, or the torso separated from the pelvis. Kenneth was moving so fast in a circle, Besseta couldn’t even see him. “Never seen anyone move that fast in such a tight circle,” Besseta admitted, lifting her pistol up and pushing the wave of werewolves back from Kenneth.

Kenneth appeared, standing over a mass of bodies and changed magazines. “We have to move to new ground. There are too many bodies here for us to fight them hand-to-hand,” Kenneth panted, slapping in a new magazine.

“Moving,” Tiffany called out and Besseta took the lead, clearing a path as Tiffany changed magazines. Moving her aim from side to side, Tiffany tried to keep the werewolves from closing in, then felt a jarring impact on her right side.

Leaping over bodies, Besseta barely made it a hundred yards when she heard an impact behind her and Tiffany let out a grunt. Spinning around, Besseta saw Tiffany flying through the air with a werewolf on her. Before Tiffany hit the ground, she put the barrel on the werewolf’s back and squeezed the trigger.

Feeling danger, Besseta spun around while lashing out with her sword, and sliced through the abdomen of a werewolf as it grabbed her. The werewolf let out a whimper as his weight continued on and landed on Besseta before she could move away.

Besseta felt her right knee pop and a sharp pain radiated out when the werewolf’s massive weight landed on her, driving her into the ground. Leaning up, Besseta latched onto the werewolf’s chest and the whimper turned into a painful wail. Pushing the body off, Besseta flipped up, almost falling back down when weight was put on her right leg.

Swiping down with the sword, Besseta took off the top of the werewolf’s skull, cutting the wail off. Lifting her pistol, Besseta moved from body to body, trying to push the waves back. Unlike before, the werewolves were spread out and staggered as they charged in. Lifting her right hand to help focus her mind, Besseta watched as three werewolves collapsed when their spines snapped between their shoulder blades.

Kenneth darted over and yanked the body of the werewolf off Tiffany. Her leather jacket was shredded to nothing, and he saw her left arm was bent at the bicep, like she had two elbows on her left arm. But Tiffany still held the sword tight in her hand. Shoving the tip of his sword in the ground, Kenneth grabbed Tiffany’s right shoulder, lifting her up as he spun around, shooting the charging figures.

“EEEEEeeeAhhhh!” Tiffany screeched as pain intensified in her left arm as soon as Kenneth had touched her. She felt her bone snap straight instantly when Kenneth picked her off the ground. When her feet touched the ground, there was still pain, but she had use of her left arm. However, she raised her right and continued shooting.

They moved back to the road with Besseta shouting out, “Reloading!”

“Cubus!” Kenneth shouted and spun around, extending his right arm to see a woman charging Tiffany, with hands outstretched. Kenneth squeezed the trigger and watched three bullets hit the woman in her chest, barely making her stumble.

Thirty yards away, the succubus crashed to the ground, sliding like a major league baseball player until she hit the stack of bodies around them. “Takes a little longer on the cubus,” Kenneth mumbled, shifting his aim to his area behind them.

Besseta paused her shots, realizing there weren’t as many werewolves charging them, but she was on her last magazine. “We need to move, so we can fight hand-to-hand,” Besseta shouted and glanced back to see Kenneth slicing a werewolf in half, and there were four huge slashes across his back that were closing up. Then, Besseta realized Kenneth’s jacket and shirt were gone.

Glancing down, Besseta saw only the right sleeve of her jacket had survived so far. “Perverts,” Besseta growled.

“Move,” Kenneth called out, lifting his pistol when seeing a vampire run out of the trees. Two of the three shots hit the vampire in the face, spinning him around and crashing to the ground.

Feeling her knee slowly healing, Besseta fought through the pain and tried to use it. Every time her right foot hit the ground, she could hear and feel bones snapping and grinding. “Got ya’,” Kenneth said, grabbing Besseta around the waist and jumping over the bodies. Pain exploded from Besseta’s knee and she let out a scream, the moment Kenneth’s hand touched her bare abdomen.

When Kenneth landed, following Tiffany up the road, Besseta stopped screaming and felt she could move her leg again, as it healed faster than she’d thought possible. Reaching a small knoll at the end of the valley, Tiffany skidded to a halt when her pistol ran dry. “Shit,” she mumbled and a vampire dove at her.

Lifting the pistol up, Tiffany smashed it against his skull, shattering both the pistol and the vampire’s skull as it hit a seemingly invisible wall in front of her.

“Use your sword,” Kenneth snapped, putting Besseta down and spinning around to shoot a vampire running between two werewolves.

“I don’t have any more bullets, so I can use my gun to beat them to death if I want to,” Tiffany snapped and swung her sword while she dodged another vampire lunging at her. As the vampire landed in a roll, he let out a scream when an invisible hand crushed his pelvis.

Noticing their attackers slowing down, Besseta holstered her pistol, hearing Kenneth curse. She turned to see another vampire walk out of the trees with several werewolves behind him. Besseta could see sparks flash ten feet in front of the vampire as Kenneth’s bullets ricocheted off into the night.

“He’s shielding, Kenneth,” Tiffany announced, stabbing a werewolf on the ground that was missing both legs, in the head. Seeing another vampire skidding to a stop and starting to concentrate, Tiffany tried to immobilize the vampire like Kenneth and Besseta, locking the vampire’s mind. Concentrating, Tiffany lashed out and watched the vampire’s head crush down like a black hole had been placed inside his skull. “Well, it kind of worked,” Tiffany mumbled, spinning and slicing a werewolf’s arm off.

Holstering his pistol, Kenneth looked at the man with a grin and could feel an invisible pressure pushing against him. “I can show you a better trick,” Kenneth said, and vanished in a thunderclap.

A second ‘Boom’ sounded on top of the thunderclap and Besseta saw the vampire that’d been shielding and the group of werewolves behind him, flying through the air. A figure appeared, leaping up as the vampire fell to earth and Besseta watched Kenneth slice the head off. When Kenneth landed he darted over, lashing out at the werewolves before they got off the ground.

Besseta spun around and she dropped down, slicing through a vampire’s legs as he charged her with outstretched arms. Hearing the vampire hit the ground, Besseta saw a man charging her with a grin. “Bitch,” Besseta growled with a grunt, concentrating on the man’s legs.

A scream split the night over the howls and moans of wounded on the valley floor, as the incubus collapsed to the ground with both legs bent backwards. Darting over, Besseta sliced his head off and felt an impact on her back that darkened her vision.

Kenneth turned around to see a massive werewolf roll when it landed and stood, holding Besseta over his head. Holding Besseta’s head in one massive paw, the werewolf held Besseta’s ankles as he started to pull. Letting out a war cry, Kenneth raised his sword as Besseta twitched.

Consciousness hit Besseta, feeling her body being pulled and pain radiating from her neck. Still holding her sword, Besseta swung it around, severing the hand holding her head. The werewolf let out a howl, looking at his severed arm while still holding Besseta by the ankles.

Hanging upside down with the severed hand still clasped over her head, looking out between the fingers, Besseta saw Kenneth leaping through the air, holding the sword with both hands. Kenneth severed the arm holding Besseta at the shoulder. As she was falling, Besseta watched Kenneth spin in midair, slicing off the werewolf’s head and cutting the howl off.

Prying the fingers open, Besseta pulled her head out of the hand, then pulled her legs from the other severed hand. “I think I’m taller,” Besseta mumbled, turning around. “Oh, what do we have here?”

Six vampires were walking out of the trees carrying swords and wearing shiny breastplates. “It’s been a long time,” Besseta smiled, twirling her sword and noticed a female walking behind the group.

“I thought succubus were supposed to be pretty,” Tiffany said, walking up beside Besseta. “She looks like a pile of cold, dried shit.”

Besseta grinned, watching the succubus flinch in anger. “She doesn’t even look that good,” Besseta laughed and then felt the air close in around her, making her stumble.

“How interesting. I’ve never felt that many multiple attacks,” Tiffany groaned, then lifted her chin up and Besseta felt the pressure release around her. Pushing her thoughts out in a rush, Besseta released the ‘want’ of the six carrying swords to have broken legs.

Four instantly dropped to the ground as their knees bent backwards, but none of them cried out in pain as the last two raised their swords and charged.  Pushing off, Besseta met them halfway as the succubus screamed, and Besseta blocked a swing from each vampire. Spinning around to attack, Besseta saw the succubus was still standing, but her arms were laying on the ground.

“I had her, Kenneth,” Tiffany shouted as Besseta swung at the leg of the closest vampire, who jumped away. The second vampire let out a roar, swinging at Besseta’s exposed neck. The ring of steel sounded over the mountain when the vampire’s sword shattered against Kenneth’s blade.

“She’s mine,” Kenneth growled, swinging his blade upwards to hit the vampire under the breastplate, and slicing through the body. The vampire never moaned or cried out as his torso hit the ground. Besseta ignored him and lunged at the second one, raising her sword.

The vampire swung at her and Besseta ducked under the blow and chopped his left leg off at the thigh. Besseta expected the vampire to be down when she spun around, but found him hopping on his remaining leg and advancing on her. Stepping back at the sight of a one-legged vampire with a sword raised, hopping toward her, “Okay, you deserve a swing at me,” Besseta concluded.

The silver breastplate folded inward as an invisible force hit with unimaginable power. Folding over at the impact, the hopping vampire sailed off the road, crashing into a rocky outcropping. Besseta watched the body nearly explode from the impact. “Hey, I gave you a chance,” Besseta panted and glanced around, seeing Tiffany and Kenneth walking around and chopping off the heads of wounded they found.

Besseta blurred away and joined them. Strung out over half a mile of the valley, Besseta was shocked at the number of bodies, not to mention, the size of the werewolves. “Shit, the smallest one I’ve found was like twelve-foot-tall,” Kenneth said, answering her thought.

“I don’t remember this many vampires or cubus attacking,” Tiffany panted, walking over.

Raising his sword out and pointing around them, “We could’ve had a semi-truck bearing down on us and not have seen it, with that many massive bodies attacking,” Kenneth panted.

Feeling very tired, Besseta looked up the valley where the compound was buried in the side of the valley. “Surprised they haven’t sent out reinforcements.”

“Why? Inside they will have the advantage, especially in the big rooms. We will have the advantage in the halls,” Kenneth said, wiping the sweaty blood off his face. “I haven’t sweated this much since I was comatose on the floor.”

Looking down at her hand, Tiffany saw she was still holding the destroyed handle of her pistol. Dropping it to the ground, “Yes, I’m glad we fed,” Tiffany said, feeling her strength returning.

“I’m glad the cubus are susceptible to our minds,” Kenneth said, taking a deep breath.

Nodding, Tiffany looked up the valley. “The reason for that legend I’m sure, came from powerful psychic cubus. That skank and those two sword-carriers almost had me locked up,” Tiffany admitted, and Kenneth saw Tiffany’s jacket was gone, and her t-shirt was barely hanging on one shoulder. Turning, Besseta still had on half her jacket with the one sleeve still on her sword arm.

Looking down, Kenneth saw the only thing he was still wearing were his pants, but even those had large slashes from the claws of werewolves. “These pants and jackets have Kevlar and carbon pads at contact points to protect you during a crash. They should’ve held up better than this,” Kenneth said. “I swear, it was like they were trying to strip us on purpose.”

“Kenneth,” Besseta sighed. “They are, so a cubus has more skin to grasp at.”

Closing his eyes, Kenneth calmed, focusing ahead. “Kenneth, don’t probe like that. There is a very powerful telepath up there,” Besseta warned and Kenneth felt a pinprick of pain in his mind.

“Yeah, I feel him,” Kenneth admitted, opening his eyes. “Just wanted to get an idea of how many more were inside.”

“There can’t be many more werewolves here,” Tiffany said, glancing around. “There has to be a thousand bodies here. If we hadn’t had guns, they would be dancing on our corpses.”

Shaking his head, “No, because our bodies would’ve never been here,” Kenneth chuckled.

“Well, let’s go see how many are left,” Besseta offered. Tiffany and Kenneth gave a nod and the three walked up the valley at a leisurely pace.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Walking up the valley, they soon found three vampires standing by a large tree beside the road. All three were wearing breastplates and carrying swords. “I can’t even call them copycats,” Tiffany moaned and the three moved as one, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Spinning around, Besseta threw her sword and it hit the center vampire in the face, knocking him back and pinning his body upright to the tree. Before the others could move, Kenneth held up his right palm open and they froze. “Simon says, ball,” Kenneth grunted, snapping his hand shut and the two vampires’ bodies sucked into a squishy mass the size of a soccer ball, and hit the ground.

As they stopped at the three, Tiffany looked at the body pinned to the tree, kicking one of the bloody spheres. “I showed him how to do that,” Tiffany told the body proudly.

“You played ‘Simon says’ with the kids too much,” Besseta said, pausing to yank her sword out of the tree. The body dropped between the two balls and Besseta swiped her sword, taking the vampire’s head off. “You do realize, they are letting us inside.”

“Of course, but that means we just don’t have to fight to get inside and have them trapped,” Kenneth reasoned, and the girls didn’t think that sounded right for some reason.

“Kenneth, why did you charge that one shielding? It was stopping bullets, so why charge it?” Tiffany asked.

“E=mc2,” Kenneth answered. “Enough mass traveling fast enough will break anything. I weigh more than a bullet, but can’t move as fast, but I felt the shield waver with each impact. So, I tried it before that cubus charging Besseta locked us up.”

Continuing up the road, they soon saw a huge concrete archway buried into the hillside. Walking across a small blacktop parking area that didn’t have any cars, Kenneth never paused when a small pedestrian door opened beside a massive set of metal bay doors.

Two vampires stepped out wearing breastplates and carrying swords. Never raising his hand, “Simon says, stay,” Kenneth called out and the two vampires froze, and Kenneth felt a sharp pain in his mind. Then, he felt Besseta’s and Tiffany’s minds lash out and the pain vanished.

Never pausing his stride, Kenneth led them toward the two frozen vampires. “Simon says, blow away,” Kenneth commanded and Besseta felt energy drain from Kenneth quickly. About to run to Kenneth, Besseta froze when the two vampires’ bodies just turned to dust and their clothes, breastplates, and swords hit the concrete floor.

Watching the dust drift off, Tiffany gave a nod. “That’s new,” Tiffany said.

‘Quit showing off,’ Besseta shouted in his mind, moving over beside him, but Kenneth pushed her away.

‘They are watching,’ he told her and Besseta glanced up to see a security camera looking at them.

“No reason to be rude,” a smooth male voice sounded over speakers. “They were just going to lead you inside, since you want an audience with your soon-to-be rulers.”

“Ha,” Kenneth spat, kicking the door open and walking inside. “That’s just fewer we have to kill before all cubus bow before us!”

“Oh, that was good,” Tiffany mumbled, following Kenneth inside.

A long hallway greeted them, and Kenneth strolled down the middle, with Tiffany and Besseta just behind him. All of them held their swords tightly as they passed by closed doors, but drawn into Kenneth and Besseta’s minds, Tiffany couldn’t feel any presence around them. Only a powerful collection of bodies ahead of them, waiting patiently.

Rounding a corner, they saw the hallway opened up and could see rows of vampires wearing silver breastplates. Entering the room, Kenneth stopped just at the entrance, staring ahead at the neat ranks of sword-carrying vampires. It was then, he noticed most of the vampires were in groups of ten and another line was behind them. This second line, Kenneth could tell these were cubus and counted twenty-seven.

Running his eyes over the ranks, Kenneth counted eighty-nine sword-carrying vampires. Then it dawned on him, this was a throne room as he looked behind the arranged ranks at a stage. Kenneth spotted a man sitting on a large chair with a woman on one side and another man with silver hair on the other. He instantly recognized Damon.

Kenneth gave a startle, realizing the two dark forms he’d taken for columns were two massive werewolves, standing rigid behind the figure in the chair. A massive pressure filled the room and Kenneth felt his knees get weak. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, and felt Tiffany and Besseta join him.

The air in front of him seemed to waver as the combined minds fought for dominance. “Now, who’s being rude?” Kenneth grinned through clenched teeth, lowering his shoulders and forming a wall around his mind.

“Enough for now,” the man sitting in the chair sang out, flipping his hand as if brushing away a fly. Instantly, the pressure around them decreased, but Kenneth still felt an enormous pressure on his mind in front of him.

Straightening up, Kenneth locked his eyes on the figure in the chair. “Will you bow before me now, or do I have to kill everyone first?” Kenneth asked.

“Do you know who I am?” the man asked.

Giving an ‘I don’t give a shit’ shrug, “You’re cubus, and it’s time for all of you to bow before us. Your masters have arrived,” Kenneth answered, and the man gave a soft chuckle.

“My name is Alaric,” he told Kenneth and was disappointed when Kenneth didn’t show any reaction. “I sit on the mighty council that rules this world.”

“Pfft,” Kenneth scoffed, feeling Besseta tense up when she realized the woman standing on the raised platform beside Alaric was Elizabeth. “You are terrified of your own shadows. The only reason Elizabeth is alive, is she kept throwing bodies in our way to slow us down. Otherwise, we would have her head.”

“Don’t worry, bitch!” Besseta sang out. “Even after everyone in here bows to us, dead or alive, you will die slowly tonight! I will drag every ounce of pain I can from your carcass!”

Alaric gave a forced grin and Kenneth saw Elizabeth waver some as she stood beside Alaric. “Don’t base your attack on Elizabeth. Even in our culture, she’s not much of a match,” Alaric told them, and Kenneth grinned to see Elizabeth clench her jaw. “Too bad you didn’t attack tomorrow. Otherwise, you would’ve faced a real challenge,” Alaric said, studying all three.

“What? You don’t think we don’t know about the leviathans coming over by ship?” Kenneth chuckled and saw all the cubus in the room give a startle.

‘Baby, none of the vampires or the two werewolves have moved a muscle,’ Besseta said in his mind.

Agreeing with Besseta, Kenneth kept his eyes on Alaric. “You can’t fly the leviathans unless you get a really big transport because they are so massive, but don’t worry,” Kenneth grinned. “There is a big surprise planned for them at the docks. We will take out nine at one time.”

Alaric narrowed his eyes at Kenneth and Kenneth felt a pressure brush against his mind. Forcing a sharp thought, Kenneth lashed out and then formed a wall around his mind again. Alaric grimaced, grabbing his head and then dropped his hands, glaring at Kenneth.

“Hey, you started it,” Kenneth sighed, feigning a relaxed posture. “Next time, it will be worse. I want you to bow to us of your own free will.”

As Alaric glared at Kenneth, Kenneth turned his eyes to Damon beside Alaric. “Long time, no see,” Kenneth grinned at Damon.

With his hands casually hanging to his sides, Damon grinned. “Yes, imagine my surprise when I was shown the picture of our newest recruit of the Strong Hands and saw your face. A face I saw two hundred years ago. I sent a group to collect you, since you were human. Knowing you would survive the change, I wanted to take you to serve me, but you had already left.”

“I got a better offer,” Kenneth winked.

Damon turned to Besseta with a sneer, then turned to Tiffany and grinned. “Yes, we know them. After that day, I had groups scouring the globe for them, but Tiffany stays in the most secluded places, and Besseta never stays in one place very long,” Damon said, still looking at Tiffany. “You disappointed Efrin. He really expected you to kill yourself and save us the trouble. Had I known then, who you were, I would’ve come. The council just couldn’t have two as powerful as you and Herotho, even sitting around as neutral players.”

Holding a steely gaze on Damon, Tiffany barely inclined her head. “Don’t worry, even after Efrin bows to us, he will die a death that will make what Elizabeth faces seem like a gift,” Tiffany vowed, gripping her sword tight.

“So, that is the reason you fight?” Alaric asked, leaning back in his chair. “You want to rule? Well,” he continued on and Tiffany fought not to jerk when she heard Xu’s voice in her mind. ‘You have an army of werewolves coming for you, but before they get there, you will face a hundred vampires under their control.’

‘How did he do that?’ Besseta cried out in their minds as Alaric continued lamenting at them.

Shifting her eyes to Alaric, Tiffany heard his words again. “So, I give the choice to join us. We will put you over our forces,” Alaric offered.

“You have a real pretty mouth, boy,” Kenneth drawled out and Besseta couldn’t help but snicker.

“What?” Alaric mumbled.

“Why don’t you take them pretty panties off?” Kenneth said, again, with a deep southern drawl.

“Make him squeal like a pig,” Besseta offered behind him and then it hit Tiffany. Kenneth was doing a movie line.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not following,” Alaric told them.

Rolling his neck on his shoulders and popping it, Kenneth grinned. “I had really hoped you would’ve given your followers ammo like we use. I know, you know what it is. We were planning on using what they were carrying, but to our shock, they weren’t carrying guns, not to mention the ammo we needed,” Kenneth said, and Alaric gave a genuine smile that they’d thought he’d outsmarted him.

“But,” Kenneth said loudly. “It was Besseta who pointed out, you wouldn’t want your followers to have the means to take you out with the pull of a trigger.”

The smile fell off Alaric’s face and he glared at the three. “So, will you join us? Just name your terms. I will have to consult with the council, but I’m certain they will make accommodations,” Alaric offered as he stood up. “So, what is your answer?”

Glancing over his right shoulder at Besseta, Kenneth saw her glaring at Elizabeth. Glancing over his left shoulder, Kenneth saw Tiffany glaring at Damon. “You will give us command of the North American continent,” Kenneth said, turning back to Alaric who gave a startle at the reply.

Kenneth felt the pressure to his front waver as Alaric glanced at Damon, then back at Kenneth. “I must clear it with the council, but I find those terms acceptable for you to lead our forces,” Alaric smiled. “I will even throw in the life of Elizabeth, so your cohorts can have symbolic revenge,” Alaric offered, and Elizabeth paled.

“Oh, one more thing,” Kenneth said, relaxing his posture and letting his sword hang at his side.

“Yes, but don’t ask for Damon or Efrin. They are too valuable to our forces,” Alaric warned.

“Sounds good so far, so I’ll only add,” Kenneth paused, smiling as Besseta and Tiffany tensed up. “E=mc2.”

Alaric furrowed his brow, confused at the statement when a loud ‘BOOM’ sounded and Kenneth vanished. Bursting through the shield, Kenneth blew through the ranks of vampire guards, sending their bodies flying. Appearing behind the ranks of the guards, Kenneth started slashing at the line of cubus behind them.

Connected to the shield with some of the other cubus, Alaric stumbled back into his chair as pain exploded in his mind, making him weak. Yanking her pistol out, Besseta drew a bead on Elizabeth and brushed the trigger, sending out a three-round burst.

Seeing Besseta pull the pistol, Elizabeth had already started moving and grabbed Alaric, pulling his body in front of her as the gunfire sounded. Elizabeth felt the impacts as she held Alaric as a shield, and felt his body shudder when the mercury rushed his system.

Glancing around Alaric, Elizabeth saw Besseta and Tiffany charge into the ranks of guards still standing, unmoving. “Attack them!” Elizabeth screamed, and the guards broke from their trance to converge on the three. Letting Alaric go, Elizabeth watched his body crumple to the floor dead and saw Damon on the ground, holding his head.

“Told you not to join in on the shield,” Elizabeth snorted and took off behind the stage.

Besseta got off two more bursts before her magazine ran dry and threw her pistol, hitting a vampire in the face. The gun exploded in pieces as the vampire dropped to the floor and Besseta spun around, slashing at anything shiny. Behind her, Besseta felt a pressure build up and unleash instantly and turned, seeing guards flying through the air as Tiffany shoved them away.

“Not trying that,” Besseta mumbled, feeling a sword slice through her hip and getting stuck in her pelvis. Lashing out, Besseta knocked the attacker down and spun around with the sword still stuck in her, disemboweling another attacker. Reaching down, Besseta pulled the sword from her hip and threw it, hitting a vampire charging her in the face.

Feeling a hot pressure building around her, Besseta crouched and leapt up. Landing behind a throng of bodies charging Tiffany, Besseta slashed to and fro like she was harvesting wheat. “Tiffany!” Besseta yelled when a vampire swung his sword at Tiffany.

Hearing the yell over the pandemonium, Tiffany turned and felt the sword slice through her abdomen, with the tip of the sword nicking her spine. Glaring as her attacker readied for another attack, “Simon says, die,” Tiffany growled, and the vampire’s body squashed down like a huge weight had fallen on him.

Parrying a stab at her chest, Tiffany lashed out and sliced the vampire’s head off. As blood poured from her body, Tiffany felt woozy and her vision blurred. Then, a hand grabbed her shoulder and before she could turn, excruciating pain raked her abdomen. Dropping her eyes down, Tiffany watched the slice seal off instantly and felt her insides moving around, and the hand let her go.

Turning around, Tiffany saw Besseta charging a group of nine vampires. Then, Tiffany saw the huge gash on Besseta’s hip. “Why didn’t you heal yourself?!” Tiffany screamed and lashed out with her mind and three of Besseta’s attackers fell down when the bones in their legs shattered.

Even with those down, there were too many coming at Besseta as she struggled to remain standing and lashed out, barely able to keep her attackers at bay. A cold pain pierced her body from the back and Besseta saw the blade of a sword exit out of her chest. Extending her sword arm out, Besseta spun around, ripping the sword from her attacker’s hands.

Missing the throat, Besseta’s blade hit the vampire in the side of the head, slicing the top of the skull off at the eyes. Watching Besseta fall, Tiffany leapt over the dead and dying on the floor. Before her feet hit the floor, Tiffany was hacking and slashing at the three advancing on Besseta.

The three pulled back to regroup, which gave Tiffany the time she needed. “Simon says, bend over,” Tiffany told them and all three bent over when their spines broke in the center of their backs. As the three landed, Tiffany saw them just crawling around. “Simon says, your heart is beating too loud,” Tiffany said and the three felt a burning pressure building in their chests. All grabbed their chests at the same time, then their hearts exploded.

Kneeling beside Besseta, Tiffany grabbed her shoulder and pulled Besseta away from the bodies to the wall. “You’re leaving Kenneth alone,” Besseta struggled to say.

“He’s the one who told me to get you back,” Tiffany snapped, reaching down and yanking the sword from Besseta’s chest and Besseta let out a scream. “Why didn’t you heal yourself?”

“I heal much faster, thanks to the one we fed on. You don’t, and it drains me to speed up my healing,” Besseta panted, feeling her wound closing very slowly. Looking down at her body, Besseta saw it was covered with slashes she never remembered getting, and the only articles of clothing she had on were the motorcycle boots.

She turned to see Kenneth wobbling on his feet, fighting six vampires. Like her, the only thing Kenneth had on were his riding boots. Then, Besseta jerked her eyes around, not spotting anymore shiny breastplates. Turning back to Kenneth, Besseta’s heart froze to see silver hair circling around the fight Kenneth was having.

“Tiffan-,” Besseta cried, looking up and saw Tiffany already concentrating, but Damon was also a powerful psychic. As her eyes turned back to the fight, Besseta felt her soul turn cold when Damon darted into the fight and his hand locked around Kenneth’s forearm.

“NO!!!” Besseta screamed and struggled to her feet, using her sword as a crutch.

The last four vampires still alive that had been fighting Kenneth stepped back, lowering their swords as Damon continued holding Kenneth’s forearm. Gripping Kenneth’s forearm harder, Damon poured his mind out and Kenneth felt like Damon’s grip was a burning acid.

“Dude,” Kenneth grunted, and Damon jerked his head up in shock when Kenneth spoke. “You’re touching my arm,” Kenneth told him and sliced Damon’s head off.

The four vampires attempted to converge on Kenneth, but froze. Reaching out, Tiffany helped lead Besseta over. “Feed fast because I can’t hold them much longer,” Tiffany panted and Besseta leapt the last few yards, knocking down the vampire she latched on. Kenneth moved over, and he and Tiffany latched onto two others as the last stood frozen over a sea of bodies.

Draining the vampire she was feeding from dry, Besseta lifted her head, giving a contented sigh. Then, she turned to the stage and gave a startled cry, seeing the two werewolves still standing like statues.

Hearing the cry, Tiffany just held her mouth on the vampire she was feeding from and saw Besseta staring at the two werewolves. Since they weren’t moving, Tiffany didn’t care and continued drinking the blood in gulps, feeling strength returning to her body.

Standing up, Besseta glanced down and saw all the slashes to her body were already closed. Feeling energy return to her body, Besseta walked over when Kenneth let the one he was feeding from hit the floor. Looking at Kenneth’s forearm, Besseta saw a dark black hand print where Damon had touched him. “Baby, it is you, right?” Besseta asked, looking into his eyes. Before she heard his mind or answer, Besseta could tell it was only Kenneth before her.

“I wanted to haul ass when Xu told us more were coming, but there was no way we would’ve made it out of here without having to fight,” Kenneth said, looking at the two werewolves. “Figured since we had to fight, stack the odds on our side.”

“Why didn’t they attack?” Besseta asked, waving at the two werewolves.

“Those two were Alaric’s personal servants,” Kenneth told her. “When we were outside killing wolves by the droves, these two got antsy and he told them not to move until he told them. He never got a chance to because my hottie tried to cap Elizabeth and she pulled Alaric in the way.”

Hearing Elizabeth’s name, Besseta spun away with a snarl, moving toward the stage. “She’s gone, in one of those secret exits Tiffany was talking about,” Kenneth told Besseta as he grabbed her arm. “That was our saving grace. If he had unleashed two werewolves that big in here, we would’ve died. There is no way we could’ve fought the vampires, cubus, and big ass werewolves.”

Still looking past the stage, “Oh, I really hate that bitch,” Besseta snarled as Tiffany let her meal go crashing to the floor.

“Tiffany, the last one is yours,” Kenneth told her as he looked at the werewolves.

“But I’m full,” Tiffany snapped.

“You will eat all your supper or I’m sending you to your room, young lady,” Kenneth told her in a mock angry voice.

Moving over to the vampire still standing, “Besseta, come and feed with me because I would like to see your husband make me go to my room,” Tiffany called out.

“I would like to see that,” Besseta chuckled and moved over with Tiffany. They both latched on the remaining vampire as Kenneth moved around, feeling much better. Finding all the cubus had cellphones, Kenneth started collecting them. Yanking a shirt off a headless corpse of a cubus, Kenneth put all the phones in and tied the shirt into a pouch.

When they were done, Besseta and Tiffany let the body hit the floor and walked over to Kenneth. Bringing her wrist to her mouth, Tiffany bit it and leapt up on Kenneth’s back, forcing her bleeding wrist in his mouth. “Drink, or I’ll break two cars,” Tiffany warned, and Kenneth drank a few swallows from her wrist, feeling even better.

Removing his mouth, Kenneth glanced over his shoulder at Tiffany. “Thank you, but you’re the one I wanted strong, in case Elizabeth misses some of the vampires and werewolves on the way here,” Kenneth told Tiffany as she slid off his back.

“We can feed off of them,” Tiffany said, waving at the two werewolves.

Kenneth gave a startle and looked at Tiffany in shock. “Why don’t we just break into a hospital and feed off the babies in the nursery?” Kenneth gasped, and Tiffany jumped back in shock and revulsion.

Before Tiffany could protest, Besseta moved up beside Tiffany. “See into their minds and you’ll understand,” Besseta told her, holding Tiffany tight. Suddenly, Tiffany felt her mind filled with the thoughts of the two massive forms.

“They are over a thousand years old, but have the minds of young men like they haven’t aged mentally,” Tiffany said, pulling her mind back.

“That’s old Norse they are thinking in, isn’t it?” Kenneth asked and both nodded. “Wish I wouldn’t have forgotten that one from Tiffany’s memory,” he mumbled and hopped up onto the stage.

As he moved over Besseta gave a shiver, seeing Kenneth standing and looking up at the nearly fourteen-foot-tall creatures. Not only were they tall, but the muscular bulk made them look that much bigger. Not liking Kenneth that close, Besseta dragged Tiffany and they both jumped up onto the stage with Kenneth.

“What are you about to do?” Besseta asked, tilting her head back to look up at the werewolves.

“See if I can reverse Alaric’s hold,” Kenneth answered. “Xu said he done it with mixed results but now, I know how the cubus touch works.”

Reaching out, Besseta grabbed Kenneth’s arm. “What if it works? They could still take offense to what we did. I don’t want to fight them in such close quarters,” Besseta told him.

“Tiffany is better, and can hold them long enough for us to get out,” Kenneth shrugged.

Staring up at the two werewolves, “Kenneth, they may only be a thousand years old, but they are just as powerful as ancient werewolves. We have no idea what Alaric did to them,” Tiffany said.

“Guys, this may be the only chance we have to see if this works,” Kenneth told them and very reluctantly, they both nodded. As Kenneth reached out to touch each werewolf, Besseta and Tiffany laid a hand on his back to know when to run.

Besseta gave a shiver when she felt her mind merge with the werewolves. Kenneth was talking, but it was with emotions, not words. Besseta could feel a veil slip away from the minds of the two werewolves, and was looking through their eyes as they looked down at the three tiny bodies below them.

Gathering her strength to take off, Besseta stopped, feeling a thankfulness fill the minds of the werewolves. A warm emotion washed over her as the two looked down at the three, and a sense of belonging and family took hold. Besseta felt her mind sucked out of the minds of the werewolves and suddenly, she was looking up at the two.

Noticing the two enormous heads looking down at her, Besseta still wanted to take off running as Kenneth took his hands off them. “Okay, they are good, let’s go,” Besseta whispered and saw the eyes move to her.

Both werewolves looked at her and Besseta felt her heart skip a beat as they smiled, but Besseta only saw huge teeth. “Bad dog,” Besseta snapped and the smiles fell away, and the ears laid down on the massive heads. Stumbling back in shock, Besseta felt like she’d just kicked a puppy.

“Besseta, that was mean,” Tiffany pouted, looking up at the massive forms. Stepping up, Tiffany started taking in Old Norse to the werewolves.

“I’m sorry, but too many of their kind have tried to kill us tonight,” Besseta said and the two forms tensed up and glared at the door. If Kenneth wouldn’t have caught her, Besseta would’ve been out of the state in seconds flat.

“They look at us as the pack leaders,” Kenneth told her, holding Besseta tight. “Will you help me do something?”

“I’m not taking them out to use the bathroom,” Besseta told him flatly.

“No,” Kenneth told her and pulled her away as Tiffany continued talking to the two werewolves. Besseta and Kenneth zipped around the room, chopping off any head still attached to a body. Then, they ran outside and in a few minutes, Tiffany turned around to see a pile of severed heads around the chair Alaric had been sitting in.

Then, Tiffany noticed all the severed heads were cubus, with Damon’s and Alaric’s heads resting on the back of the chair. Pulling out one of the phones, Kenneth set it up aiming at the chair and set the timer. Jumping up on the stage, Kenneth pulled Besseta and Tiffany over to the chair. All three sat in the chair, “Smile at the camera,” Kenneth said, and the phone flashed several times.

“Kenneth, you do realize, we are naked,” Besseta laughed as Kenneth jumped down, grabbing the camera.

“Well, we have so much blood on us, it’s hard to tell,” Kenneth replied, shoving the phone into the sack he’d made.

Looking up at the werewolves, “What do we do with them?” Tiffany asked.

“They are free to go,” Kenneth said, and a feeling of panic and loneliness washed over him. “Oh, okay, you can come with us for a little while,” Kenneth groaned and the feeling vanished. “But change back to human form,” he said, looking up at the two.

A thankful relief could be felt from the two as the three stepped back. “Did you feel that?” Tiffany mumbled. “They haven’t changed into human form in three hundred years.”

About to ask a question, Besseta jumped at hearing a loud ‘pop’ and saw the wolf on the right roll his neck back as more pops sounded. All three mouths fell open, watching the massive bodies contort, jerking limbs in odd, seemingly painful angles.

When the legs popped, and the knees bent the correct way, both forms fell down as muscles rippled under the skin. They all winced as the jaws let out loud snaps and slowly pulled back into the face. It was only then, that Besseta realized the forms were getting shorter and the gray skin slowly started turning human. “Holy shit,” Besseta mumbled, watching long blonde hair sprout out of the heads as the bodies continued to contort in painful pops.

Watching the transformation, “I’m so glad you weren’t a werewolf,” Kenneth mumbled in sickened awe. “I don’t think I would like that.”

Almost fifteen minutes later, two large, naked human forms lay on the floor, breathing hard. Moving in unison, the two stood up and they all jumped back, seeing the forms were twin males. “Supersized Thors,” Kenneth mumbled, looking at the two.

In human form, they were over seven-foot-tall, but Kenneth saw each had massive muscular chests with ripped abs, and thighs the size of his waist. The blonde hair streamed over their shoulders and both smiled at the three with innocent faces.

“Oh, my,” Tiffany panted in a dry voice. Kenneth glanced over at Tiffany ogling the twins with a lustful expression.

“We need to find them something to wear,” Kenneth said, looking around.

“Kenneth,” Tiffany snapped, moving toward the two. “They haven’t worn clothes in a long time, it might put them in shock,” she reasoned.

Not finding how that could happen, Kenneth watched Tiffany walk up to the two and run her hands over the large muscles. “Eww,” Tiffany shivered, running her hands over each one’s ripped abs. The two just smiled at her, then Tiffany spoke to them in Old Norse and each one answered.

“This is Gunnvor,” Tiffany tapped the one on the right. “And this is Gunnhild,” Tiffany said, tapping the one on the left. Kenneth just committed the names because the two were identical giant Thors in his eyes and made him feel really tiny.

Besseta wrapped her arms around Kenneth as she stood beside him, watching Tiffany run her hands over their bodies. “She seems happy,” Besseta giggled.

“Besseta, if she were doing that in public, she would get arrested for molestation,” Kenneth huffed.

“She hasn’t touched anywhere inappropriate,” Besseta objected.

“We really need to go,” Kenneth sighed. “We have to find something that is big enough for the Thors to fit in. Don’t ask, because if they sit on our motorcycles, they will break them.”

Epilogue

Walking outside, they found the sky getting lighter to the east. “Can they run fast in human form?” Besseta asked.

“Of course,” Tiffany smiled and one of the Thors picked her up and took off with the other running beside them.

“Well, Tiffany can run faster now,” Besseta giggled and then she and Kenneth vanished, passing the giants. They reached the casino and saw the security guard stumbling out the door, shaking his head. Before the guard saw them, Kenneth punched him in the head, knocking him back out.

Reaching down, Kenneth pulled a set of keys off his belt as the Thors ran up and the one carrying Tiffany put her down. Kenneth watched Tiffany give a shiver as she turned to the twins. “That was so good, boys,” she smiled at them.

“They understand you?” Besseta asked, hearing the thoughts of the two as she pulled out clothes from hers and Tiffany’s saddle compartments.

“Yes, it took me a second to understand, but we are their pack, so we are linked,” Tiffany said as Kenneth started a quad cab pickup truck.

Leaving the truck running, “Tiffany, get one of them to put your bike in the bed of the truck. You’ll have to drive it,” Kenneth said walking into the casino.

Before Tiffany had moved, one went over and picked up her motorcycle like it was a toy and carried it over to the truck, putting it in the back. Running over, Tiffany jumped up to hug him, telling him he did such a good job. When she got down, Tiffany jumped up on the other one, telling him the same thing.

Kenneth came out of the casino, carrying clothes with the casino’s name. When Tiffany got down, Kenneth just held out the clothes to the twins and received a snarl from Tiffany. “Tiffany, they are going to attract attention as it is,” Kenneth snapped. “Seven-foot-tall people, weighing four hundred pounds, looking like professional bodybuilders, with arms bigger than my legs, is going to draw a lot of attention. We don’t need them naked!”

Dropping her head in a moan, “Okay,” Tiffany mumbled and Besseta handed Tiffany some shorts and a shirt.

Kenneth turned to the two and shook his head. “That’s just not right,” Kenneth mumbled. “Those shirts are quad extra-large, and the shorts are double x.” Besseta pulled her shirt on and saw the shirts were a bit tight at the shoulders and chest, but the bottoms stopped above the belly buttons. The shorts looked like the twins had been poured inside, and really accentuated their narrow waists.

“Oh Kenneth, I love their outfits,” Tiffany panted, giving up on pulling her shorts up. Besseta moved over and pulled Tiffany’s shorts up for her. Both twins beamed at Tiffany. “Can we go home?” Tiffany mumbled. “I think they need to rest.”

“No, we are heading to Vegas,” Kenneth said, pulling on his clothes. “You wanted to go see naked men dancing.”

“I’ll buy one of those music boxes and teach the boys to dance,” Tiffany grinned, then bounced over on her toes to the twins. Taking their hands, Tiffany guided them to the truck. One climbed in the back with his legs along the seat and the other climbed in the passenger seat after Tiffany ran the seat all the way back; and he barely fit.

Watching Tiffany shut the door and bounce around in the truck, Kenneth chuckled. “Let’s take the kids to Vegas.”

“Remember, we get a big room,” Besseta reminded him, pulling her helmet on, but was riding in shorts and a shirt, barefoot with the temperature in the low forties.

“Shit, the size those two are, we will have to get a moving van to move them around,” Kenneth huffed and he started his motorcycle.

The End

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