| Chapter 34
�We�re going clubbing?� A.J. asked, confused. �Tracy, this really isn�t the time to ....� Howie started. Tracy exited the car and headed for the door of the club. �This is a vampire club guys,� Jennifer explained, �It might be best if you waited out here.� �I�m going in,� A.J. said, getting out of the car. �Are you sure?� she asked, raising her eyebrows. He smiled at her, �Yup, gotta see how the other half do it.� Howie rolled his eyes as he followed the two in. Upon entering the club, they spotted Tracy at the bar. Quickly they made their way over. � ..... get everyone you can,� she instructed. Frank nodded, �You got it boss.� �I need them tomorrow, no later. He can�t stay there for to long or she�ll get wind of it,� Tracy said. Frank nodded again, tossing the towel he had in his hands on the bar and heading to the back. �So what�s up?� Howie asked. �I�m calling the family in,� she replied. Howie looked shocked, �You�re family?� She nodded, �Come on, we gotta plan this thing.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kevin sat down in the massive meeting hall. There was a buzz around the room. He�d never seen such excitement in the slayer community before, and yet .... he felt nothing. There was no excitement in this for him at all. In fact, he would rather just skip the whole thing entirely. He still couldn�t get his head around the fact that Brian was �one of them�. His beloved cousin, for whom he�d risk life and limb for, had become the very thing he swore to rid the world of. How do ya like them apples? He looked up when Nick plopped down beside him, looking very much how he felt. �Did you see him?� he asked. Nick nodded, sadness filling his eyes. �We can�t do this Kevin. We can�t use him as bait, he says it�s a mistake. Says we�ll all die,� Nick said. Kevin sighed, �I dunno man. I don�t know what to believe. I mean he�s my cousin, but he�s also a vamp. We don�t know how much he�s changed. If he�s saying that just so we�ll let him go, or if he�s sincere.� Nick glared at him, �How can you say that? This is Brian we�re talking about, he can�t be anything but sincere.� Kevin started to reply when their attention was caught by Michael stepping up the podium. �Let�s settle down everyone, I now call the association to order ..........� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ �Eli, I need them now,� Howie insisted. The older man stared at him, �Just what are you planning?� �I can�t say, but I need them. It�s a matter of life and death,� Howie said. Eli glanced from Howie to Tracy, then back again, shaking his head, �Howard, what on earth do you need the floor plans for the VSA headquarters for?� Tracy sighed, flexing her hands into fists. She was getting impatient. The sun would be up soon, and time was wasting. �It�s better if you don�t know,� Howie said, �Please Eli.� Eli bit his lip, �You know I�m not even suppose to have them.� �Listen fool, give us the damn plans!� A.J. yelled, startling them all. Tracy moved toward the older man, her fangs bared, �Make this easy Eli, don�t make me prove to you that we can take them.� He held his hands up, �Alright, alright .......... geesh. I try to abide by the laws and I get threatened.� He moved to a locked filing cabinet and rummaged through it, finally pulling out a set of blue prints. Tracy grabbed them and headed to the door without a word. Howie smiled at him on his way out, �Night Eli.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ �We ran the image of the captured vampire through the records. We found a match,� Michael said. Kevin and Nick glanced at each other. Suddenly Brian�s image appeared on the screen behind the podium, dressed in period clothing. �He matches Raven�s mate that was killed over a hundred years ago,� Michael stated. A collective gasp filled the room. Nick shifted uncomfortably in his seat, while Kevin just stared at the screen. �His name was Theophilus, and together they had planned on overtaking the ruling council. Apparently Raven is making a second attempt. But now we have the advantage. We have her mate, and without him, she doesn�t possess the power to succeed.� Nick leaned close to Kevin, �Did you know about this?� Kevin shook his head, still fixated on the screen, and his cousins face. �So, our plan is to let word leak out that we have him, and let her come to us,� Michael said. The room filled with an excited buzz. Nick shook his head, �I don�t like this.� Kevin sighed, moving his green eyes to stare at his young friend, �Neither do I.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian paced his room, trying to keep his mind off his hunger. He knew it had to be morning, just judging from his exhaustion and incessant need. He fingered the collar around his neck. He still hadn�t found a way to unlatch it. He turned quickly when the lock on the door clicked. Two men walked in, both carrying remote�s in their hands. �How did you get free?� one asked. Brian backed away from them, figuring that honesty was the best policy, �Crosses don�t affect all of us.� The two men glanced at one another, truly stunned. Candice walked in behind the men, carrying a bottle. She smiled at Brian as she held it out to him, �I�m sure you�re needing this about now.� Brian stepped closer, cautiously eyeing the two men, as he took it from her. His mouth was watering, but he wasn�t about to feed in front of them. �Go on,� Candice urged. Brian looked down, fingering the bottle, �I can�t. Not with you watching.� She gave him a gentle smile, �It�s a rarity to see a modest vampire.� �Please don�t call me that,� Brian asked, glancing back up at her. �But it�s what you are Brian, there�s no changing that now,� she replied. He sighed, licking his lips. Candice moved over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, �Might as well feed, I�m not going anywhere.� �Please, just leave me alone,� Brian said. She shook her head, �Sorry, I can�t. I�m your guard. I can�t leave.� �My guard?� he asked. �Yup, the word is out that you�re here. We have to be ready,� she said. Brian�s heart sank, �Please, you don�t know what you�re asking for. She�ll kill you all.� Candice grinned, �Not if we kill her first. Now feed before you go over the edge.� Brian stared at her for a moment, then moved to a corner and turned his back to those in the room. He tried desperately to keep the tears from his eyes as he bared his fangs, and drank from the bottle. Almost as soon as the liquid touched his tongue he was spitting it back out. It was rancid. He wiped his mouth and turned back around, �What is this?� �Cow�s blood, why?� she asked. He shook his head, �I can�t feed on this.� �You have to, it�s all we have,� she told him. He swallowed hard, looking down at the bottle. If he could just endure some, it would keep him from going into the lust. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself, then tipped the bottle up. Chapter 35 |