Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 14:39:12 -0500 This story starts where my first one, "The Thin Line Between Dark and Dawn" left off. A crime that was started in that story, but never solved has found its showcase in this story. It is not necessary to go back and read it, but it might be helpful. If you wish to have a copy or TTLBDaD, contact me privately by e-mail and specify if you want it in seperate parts or in its entirety as an attachment. It is also available on Mel Moser's fanfic www sight at URL http://www.clark.net/pub/moser/fkfanfic.htm Disclaimer: The Forever Knight characters and concept are not mine, I have just borrowed the for a time. Other situations and characters are mine. Any similarity to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I hereby give my permission to have this posted to the ftp sight and Mel Moser's FKfanfic web page. To Hell and Back Part 1 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 When Nick returned after his week's LOA, Reese had insisted he work at a desk for a while until he felt comfortable with allowing him back out on the street again. It took all of three days until the captain was able to shake the feeling that Nick would turn tail and run at the slightest sign of trouble. Nick helped ease him in the direction by maneuvering any conversation that they had towards his list of arrests and feats of bravery. By that time Nick was ready to leave the paperwork behind. He swore that Tracy would be stuck with their paperwork for the next month. It would take at least that long before he could stand to look another form in the face. Tracy had really been something else. In those three days, she had governed over him and worried over his every expression and move. Nick spent most of his time working on the blood house slashing file, as it had come to be known. Not much had been learned since it was first found. No clues as to the perpetrator of such a crime. A thirty-eight year old white female had been found slashed to death in her home. She had been killed eight hours before she was found. The house was found to have contain enough human blood to be taken from three to four individuals. The blood had been streaked on the walls, ceilings, furnishings and floor. In the back room where the body had been found, was even more blood, dripping from the furniture and puddled on the floor. In Tracy's words, "the blood in the rest of the house was just decoration compared to what was in that room" . There had been no blood thefts or recent bloodless corpses found anywhere in the surrounding areas. Two curious facts had emerged with Natalie's tests of the blood. First, the blood had come from at least 15 separate "donors", maybe more and; second, the blood had been mixed with wine before it had been applied liberally to the house. These facts left even bigger questions because they pointed to someone in the vampire community being involved. If this was true, why would someone be so careless and why would they waste so much blood? None of it made any sense to Nick. He had broached the subject with Tracy to see what she thought of this curious twist. He had no idea how much she knew about the make-up of Lacroix's special stock. Of course she wouldn't say anything to him if she did know. Vachon turned out to be more enlightening when Nick had questioned him. "No, she doesn't know about Lacroix's special stock. She has never even asked about it. I know that she knows what I drink at home is blood. It never occurred to me to wonder if she knows whether or not they serve blood at the Raven. I know that she suspects there are other vampires who hang out here. If she somehow came to suspect the availability of blood there, it wouldn't be that big a leap in logic for her to wonder about the owner and your mysterious connection with him. She is a detective after all." He raised the glass of crimson liquid in a gesture of salute and downed the remaining contents. "One good thing, she has never ventured to ask where the blood comes from. I suppose she figures ignorance is bliss. If she doesn't know where the blood comes from then her professional ethics aren't compromised." Nick had stopped off at the Raven on his way to work the next night to see if Vachon could shed any light on what his partner did or did not know. If she had suspected something, she would have run right to Vachon to pick her "supernatural" friend's brain, which she had not done. "What happened to our mutual friend, Raincloud?" Nick inquired. "Said he wanted to renew some old acquaintances with the local Natives. He spent the day with me at the church and left first thing after sunset." Nick continued to wish for Raincloud's company. He had been a soothing and calming influence on him at a time when his world was threatening to fly to pieces. "Thanks." Nick intoned and then he was gone. He felt it was best not to antagonize Lacroix until some of the irritation wore off. It was true that Nick irritated him quite often, he didn't want to compound the matter, to risk upsetting the delicate balance of their truce. Nick had actually been able to tolerate Lacroix at this point. He had stuck to his end of the bargain, not to invade his child's life with his "mindless killing" and there had not been any more attempts made by either party to stake the other . Either of these could have the effect of further alienating Nick from his maker. Lacroix understood this delicate cat-and-mouse game he was playing with his favorite son could be too easily lost if he exerted the wrong kind of pressure at the wrong time. The elder vampire stepped back from his constant struggle with his errant child in order to avoid a backlash which he could sense was coming. Lacroix looked out of the broadcast booth's window onto the dance floor, and beyond, to focus on the subject of his thoughts. There was something different about his creation, but he couldn't quite discern it through their bond. Maybe a little more acceptance of the gift Lacroix had given him nearly 800 years ago, a little more acceptance of himself. He dismissed the irritation that had established itself with the thoughts of Nick as hysterical and returned to the microphone as the green light came on signalling it's need for his attention, "Boy's and girls, this is the Nightcrawler back on the air with you. Here's a puzzle for you. What is harder to deal with, a favorite child who turns his back on a parent or a despised son that vies for _all_ of that parent's affections?" He flipped the switch that started the next musical interlude and sat back with his hands templed in contemplation. There had been a feeling nagging him for the past week, something heavy and demanding. It had distracted him from his worry over the turmoil which he knew Nicholas had been facing. His errant son had come through his experience a little more of a "well adjusted" vampire than he had been (if that was possible) and now he could turn his thoughts to the nagging sensations that had been plaguing him. ************ Nick was hoping that Reese was getting close to conceding and would allow him back on the street. Then the call had come in. "I'm ready for this. I've read the psyche profile along with all the other current info that has come down the pipe." Reese stared at him for several long seconds and Nick could feel he would give in. "All right, but the first sign of trouble and you're outta there." Nick left Reese's office quickly to avoid giving him a chance to change his mind. "I hope I'm doing the right thing." The captain grumbled under his breath as the shutting of the door echoed in the small room. Another blood house slashing, this time with two victims. An elderly couple had been found slashed to death in their home. He recognized the house when he drove up. Nick got out of his car and just stood, staring at the scene. A feeling of deja vu echoed at him. During his vision quest, this was the same exact house, a two-story Tudor of two- toned blue where the perp had held the couple, then killed them and himself. The same exact spot where he had fled the scene of the shooting with an overwhelming fear, where he had run like a scared stiff rookie. "Feeling queasy again?" Tracy had exited the car and walked around behind him. He turned to face her as he answered. "No, I just feel like I've been here before. I'll be all right." Tracy moved by him and entered the house as he stood a while longer, watching the flashing lights of the patrol cars playing on the once quiet, dark neighborhood that had been invaded by such horror. Nick's eyes became distant as he explored a new sensation coming over him. He could feel the presence of another vampire. Trying to focus on the direction and nature of the sensation, he found it was gone too quickly to glean anything important except that it was somehow familiar. Nick gave an involuntary shudder and went into the house fully aware and prepared for how it would affect him. The blood smell hit him and a desire and urgency welled up in him, one that knew it would be denied, not be allowed free to have what it wanted, what it needed. To all external eyes, he was calmly and cooly going about the investigation as if he had never left the street. No one was the wiser to the inner struggle that he fought with the forces of his very nature. "Nick, It's good to see you on the job again." Natalie stood up from the body of the woman. "You must have convinced Captain Reese you were okay." "It wasn't easy." "Tell me about it." She still felt a fear of Nick that she knew as not of her own making. She still had to fight it down sometimes. Tracy came up to the pair and began to share the information she had gathered. "Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Solner, a retired couple who had just moved here from Michigan to live out their golden years. The next door neighbor came by to get acquainted and found this." She gestured to the decoupage of blood that covered and dripped from everything in the room. "Said she didn't see or hear anything." "Did any of the other neighbors see anything." "Uniforms are going door-to-door as we speak, but if it's anything like the last, there won't be. This guy is so slick, in and out and no one's the wiser. What kind of a sick mind would do such a thing?" What kind of sick madness indeed? end part 1 Robbi Dark Knightie Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 2 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 The night was imbued with the ability to free him of his most recent cares and worries. He sat on his rooftop and reveled in the cool breeze as it blew over him, taking with it the troubled thoughts that had been nagging him since his return. This day was his day off and he was grateful for the respite. The lonely blast of a tugboat horn called from faraway, its only answer the uncaring and constant ringing of a buoy. He stared out over the city skyline, his city as he had come to think of it. The horizon was still kissed with the last rays of the setting sun and was steadily darkening. The lights of the city were coming on one-by-one. Once again he felt a strong, yet familiar tug at the edge of his senses. Where had he felt it before? The calm of the night was shattered by a shrill cry weighted with urgency. Nick focused on the sound and determined the direction. With incredible speed, he launched himself into the air in the direction of the sound. He could hear scuffling and then silence punctuated by the fleeing footfalls of a lone runner. He landed near the still form that lay in the alley. As he approached, he could see it was too late. There was only the faint and fading telltale heartbeat to signal life's ending. A shabbily clad woman lay in a puddle of her own warm blood. The sweet scent of the fresh blood was overpowering, enticing the vampire element to the surface. The change was so sudden, he had no time to control it. He snarled, bearing newly emerged fangs, his eyes flashed of gold as the hunger burned strongly in him. With practiced skill, he pushed down this instinctive reaction. The predatory eyes faded to clear blue and his fangs returned to their hiding places. With that subdued, he focused his attention on his hearing once again in an effort to detect the perpetrator. He raced off in the way he had heard the footsteps fading earlier, but there was no one. He was forced to leave the new corpse to retrieve his cellular phone from the loft and call it in. He returned to the crime scene to wait for the others to arrive. It took a good 10 minutes before the first patrol car showed up to bathe the night in it's flashing red and blue lights. Later came Natalie, then finally the on-duty homicide team. After being questioned and released, he made his way to Natalie to find out what she had to say. "The cut went clear to the spine. I'll have to wait till I get her back to the lab to be sure, but I think there was major damage done to the cervical vertebrae. This guy you're looking for is pretty powerful, vicious. There was no obvious sign of rape and the phosphate test was negative for the presence of sperm and no gross trauma in the perineal area. I would have to say there was no rape." "I didn't get here fast enough to see anyone." "Where were you when you heard the screams?" "On my roof. I told the detectives I was out taking a late night stroll." "Were you getting bored?" She raised an eyebrow. He looked at her questioningly. "I was just enjoying the night air, sort of like you would sit and enjoy the sun." "Sorry. Just curious." "Come by after work? We can watch one of those old movies you like." "I thought you said you weren't bored." "I never said I wasn't bored. Will you come? I'll bring the popcorn." "It's hard to resist an invitation like that. Sure, I'll be there and make the movie a Cary Grant movie." "Great. How about 'Bringing Up Baby' with Catherine Hepburn?" "That's a good one. I've been wanting to see that one again." "See you then." He smiled a warm smile that spoke to her of how much he enjoyed her company. She couldn't help, but return the smile. They had reached a comfortable, companionable spot in their relationship. One Nat knew, from experience, was tenuous at best. Any sort of imbalance could send it skittering off in one direction or another. It had been a good six years. Little did she know what course her life would take from the day they wheeled him in, broken and bloodied. Dead by human standards, but infused with some sort of extraordinary life that would allow him to draw breath again, to regenerate, and not show any ill effects of the injury. The body of the woman that lay on the pavement was placed in a black body bag and zipped in before it was hoisted onto a guerney and loaded into the coroner's van. "I want any samples you can get prepped as soon as you get her back to the lab." She was saddened by this wreckless disregard for the sanctity of human life compounded by the fact that the woman probably lived on this street and wouldn't even be missed. Her identification would be difficult at best. These cases always disturbed her. The callous way that society cast off these people. Natalie Lambert got into her car, the engine fired into life. She drove back to the coroner's building to start her meticulous search for those clue that would lay this Jane Doe to rest. * * * "Welcome back to work." Tracy looked up from her computer screen to see her partner walk past the front desk and over to his own desk. "I hear you had quite a night last night. My day off was quite uneventful. I stayed home and washed my hair." "I would have settled for that. Have they found out anything on our Jane Doe?" "The M.E. wants to see us ASAP. I was just waiting for you." * * * "There were bruises around the forehead and none around the mouth. It would seem someone wanted her screams to be heard." This statement brought back the feeling Nick had experienced just before he heard the scream. He had forgotten it in all that had transpired, now he had the distinct impression it had everything to do with the killing. It had been faint enough that he wasn't sure if it was another vampire. If it was a vampire, it brought up the question of why would a vampire kill and leave the blood behind and was this somehow connected to the blood house slashings. "I pulled metal fragments from the wound and forensics has those now. The killer stood behind the victim, holding her like this" Natalie stood behind Tracy and put her right hand over her forehead and pulled back her head. "And with one strong stroke, and I do mean strong; he pulled the knife across her neck like so." She pulled her left hand with an imaginary knife across Tracy's throat and then let go of her. Tracy let out a groan as Natalie made the stroke. Nick grimaced and pulled the back of his hand across his lips in order to hide the bloodlust the demonstration evoked in him. "He used his lefthand. The deepest cut was on the left. "So our perp is most likely left-handed, correct?" Tracy stated the obvious. "Correct." Nick's expression grew distant. He could feel that vague feeling again. Rushing out of the room, he left the two women without a word. "Nick, where are you going? Don't do this." Tracy got up from the desk chair that she had been seated on and followed her partner. Natalie just shook her head and went back to examining the sample she had under the microscope and making notes on her notepad. Tracy returned, followed by a distracted Nick. "I thought I had left the lights on in the caddy. I was mistaken." Tracy accepted the explanation without giving it another thought, but Natalie knew he was covering something. It would only be a matter of time before she could get him alone, then he would enlighten her. Yes, Tracy knew about vampires, but not that Nick was among their numbers. This little situation made it infinitely more difficult for him to hide his little secret from her. She already knew he was "allergic" to the sun and the fact that he never ate in front of her. Too many more clues might make her begin to wonder. Schanke was so much simpler as a partner. If something "extraordinary" came up it was easy enough for him to shrug it off as a product of his imagination or rationalize it into the realms of his _reality_. There was no place in his small, but ordered world for such nonsense. The one time he started to wonder, it was easy enough for Lacroix to talk him out of it. Tracy would be another story. She was a "resistor" like Natalie. The fewer people who knew Nick's secret, the better. He returned to the counter where he had been leaning and folded his arms once again. "Now, let's get back to the business at hand. What else did you find out about her?" Natalie crossed the room over to her desk and picked up a manila folder that had been laying there, open. "Evidently, dayshift sent out uniforms today to see if anyone knew the woman. She was known only by 'Jesse'." Nat crossed over to Nick and handed him the folder. "No last name, no idea of where she came from. She mostly kept to herself." After handing Nick a baggie with a few yellow and faded papers, she continued, "They found this in the cardboard box where she had been living. It was located a few blocks from where you found her body. These were the only personal effects she had." Nick looked hard through the clear plastic. Not much to show for a lifetime of living. Natalie continued, "That's all we have that could tell us who she is. You can have them, forensics has finished with them." "What else can you tell us about her?" Tracy indicated the draped body on the autopsy table. "Well, I'd say she was in her forties though her body had been so abused, she looks more like sixty. A heavy drinker with all the deterioration of longstanding alcohol abuse; esophageal varices, ulcers, cirrhosis of the liver, et cetera. She was malnourished which goes without saying and didn't have much time left. I'd say she might have lived another three months at the longest, then her body would have given out all by itself. That's about it." They left the coroner's building and Nick pointed the caddy back to the station. end part 2 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 3 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 Most of the drive back to the station from Natalie's office was in silence. Nick began to feel the familiar tug once again. He listened and did not have long to wait. The screaming came to his sensitive ears, a shrill and frightened sound and then silence. Nick pulled the car over to the side "Tracy, call an ambulance." She just looked at him in confusion. "Tracy, now!" She was reaching for the radio as he bolted out of the car. His gun was out and in his hand as he ran in the direction of the screams. When he reached the alley he was hit with the scent of fresh blood. A still form caught his eye. It lay over by a group of garbage cans. He listened for the beat of life. It was weak and slowing and he knew it would stop shortly. Tracy entered the alley moments later. Nick looked up from the corpse that lay at his feet to his partner. "It's another one, just like the last." Tracy walked up to the dead woman and saw the deep gash across the neck and the pool of blood on the ground that was steadily growing in size. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "If I didn't know better, I would think this guy has been following you around. That's not possible, is it?" She looked to Nick for an answer she knew wasn't there. He just stared at her. His expression showed something that Tracy was unable to read. Was it shock, dismay, guilt? She turned her back on the gory picture and pulled out her cellular phone to call it in. Nick pulled off his coat and placed it over the body, whose face still wore the look of wide-eyed terror. The wait for the coroner and the other police units seemed interminable. Tracy went back to the car and sat, waiting while Nick watched the body. When one of the patrol cars showed up, she requested to be taken back to her car. "This one came closer to being decapitated. The third cervical vertebrae is nearly cut through." Natalie recited, looking up from her clipboard the detective Knight. "Nat, this is too weird. It's almost like someone is following me around, killing innocent people right under my nose." He gave her a stricken look. "Tracy's got her suspicions. I'm sure she's gone off to find Vachon." "By the way, what was all of that earlier?" "This someone who's been watching me was at your office. It's someone I have connections to. I'm sure if it. I felt him again just before I heard the screaming. The first time I felt it was at the Solner house, just as I got there to investigate. _I'm_ somehow responsible, somehow connected. I just don't know how, yet." * * * After Tracy was dropped at the station, she got her car and headed for the abandoned church Vachon called home. Cautiously she descended the stone stairway to the room he usually used these days. "Vachon!" She called into the silence. There was no answer, so she turned to leave and he was there. She gave a small squeal of surprise and then scolded, "Don't do that again. " "Why? It's always fun with you." He smiled that gorgeous smile that always melted her. She couldn't stay mad at him for long. "Come. Sit. I put in some Diet Coke(tm) for you. Want one?" "That would be nice. Thank you." She carefully picked her way through the cartons and boxes that were strewn about until she reached the couch and plopped down to wait for Javier to return. He entered the room with a bottle in one hand and a can of chilled cola in the other. "There you are, my dear. Now, what brings you my way or is this a purely social call?" "Actually, I have a few things... " "I thought so." He released the cork on the bottle and tipped it up to drink, then sat with Tracy. "This is getting to be quite a habit with you. What would you do without me, Tracy Vetter? Stumble around in the dark without a clue?" She smiled and sipped her soda. The cool, acrid taste was pleasant and the bubbles tingled on the way down. Her host sipped his crimson potion of wine and blood, the taste intoxicating and calming at the same time. His hunger needed calming with the smell of apricots and calla lilies that danced about his company. It helped to fight the desire to take the wide eyed innocent blonde and drain her. His desire to have her was strong this night. He eyed her tender, virgin neck as he downed his meal. Unconsciously, she brought her hand up to the side of her neck. This snapped him out of his revelry and he moved his eyes to a safer target. "Go ahead, ask away." "There have been two houses found with blood spattered through them. The M. E. says the blood had been mixed with wine. How would you explain that?" "Well, it's a common practice to mix wine with blood in order to preserve it . It doesn't necessarily mean a vampire is involved." "But it's highly likely?" "It's possible," he said, trying to downplay her concern. "Where does this blood come from?" Is there some main source that we can track purchases from?" Vachon set down the bottle on the box at the end of the couch and got up from his seat. Walking halfway across the room with his back to her, he stated, "Now you're getting into shaky territory, Tracy. No one is going to want to turn that kind of information over to you. If you go nosing around in vampire business, you'll get yourself killed. I can tell you that for a fact." He turned to face Tracy, who had left her seat and walked up behind him. Impulsively, he reached up to fondle a tendril of her silky blonde hair. "There are many of our kind that feel the way to deal with a resister is to drain them. You know this. I've explained it to you before." "I know I couldn't look around, but you could. How about starting with that creepy bar you like to hang out at, the Raven? Is that a supplier? Is that where you get your blood?" She pulled away from him and went for the bottle that Vachon had left behind. He quickly intercepted her, grabbing the bottle and holding it behind his back. It clearly sported the Raven label. After discovering the source, it wouldn't take much to realizing her partner wasn't what he pretended to be. "Why don't you let me worry about that. The less you know, the safer." He had been about to deny his help to her, but with this turn of events he felt it better to do this for Tracy... and for Nick. He gestured for her to sit and he returned the bottle to it's crate. Of course Vachon was right. Still, Tracy's curiosity continued to nag at her, ignoring her better sense. The only thing that kept her from sneaking a peek at the label on the bottle was her promise to protect Vachon's secret , not only from mortals, but from other vampires who might not understand. Yes, the less she knew, the safer everyone involved would be. Still... She sat and sipped her Coke(tm) until he returned and seated himself next to her . She would let Vachon gather the information for her. "There's another thing that I wanted to ask you. Nick has been the first on the scene of two homicides, both victims with their throats cut almost through the bone. It's almost like someone's following him around, taunting him. You don't suppose... " She stopped when he shook his head an emphatic NO. "Did they drink the blood?" "No, but it's like they knew Nick was there and he knew they were there." "Trace, if they didn't drink the blood, it wasn't a vampire. You're getting way out there on that one." A disappointed look crossed her face. "Maybe you're right. Why would a vampire follow him around?" She laughed to herself. She knew he had nothing to do with the vampire community, heck he didn't even know they existed. The only brush he had had with vampires, Vachon had taken care of it and hypnotized him out of remembering it. He cracked a nervous smile. "That would be crazy, wouldn't it?" Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Tracy would listen to the voice of reason and play it safe this time, maybe. He would have to warn Nick to watch his Ps and Qs around this girl or she might just get too smart for her own good. * * * "Your partner came to see me tonight." "I know. What did you tell her?" "As little as possible. She almost got a look at the Raven label on a bottle I had. I told her I would investigate blood supplies and purchases for her." "Let me take care of that. I need to go talk to Lacroix, anyway. Tell me, is there another blood supplier in Toronto?" "Not that I'm aware of. Everyone I know goes to Lacroix or harvests their own, if you know what I mean." Nick smiled a knowing smile and nodded his head. He held up an empty glass to his guest. "I'll pass, I've heard what you drink." "Sure?" Nick crossed to the fridge and pulled out one of the bottles. While he was pouring himself a drink, Vachon continued. "Another thing, you better watch yourself. She thinks there's a vampire following you around killing people. I did my best to discourage that line of thinking." "There _is_ a vampire following me around and he's killing without taking the blood. I don't know why. Have you heard anything from the community that would give you any ideas as to who this might be?" He upended the glass he had been holding and drained it to the last drop, savoring the sweet compelling taste. His head spun with the dizzying strength of it. This was human blood and his body and mind cried for more. Vachon noted the stunned look on Knight's face, "What?" "This is human blood. I know I didn't put it in there." Vachon crossed over to Nick and took the bottle from him. He sniffed the contents then took a swig. "There's no mistaking it. _That_ is definitely human blood." Nick let out a sigh. "Someone has not only invaded my life, but my home as well." end part 3 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 4 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 "Nicholas," Lacroix intoned as Nick approached him sitting at the bar. He held a crystal goblet full of crimson liquid up to the light. Nick came up to him and stood at the bar. The elder vampire looked over to his creation, an acid quip on his lips that froze where it was when he realized what he was sensing from Nick. "Would you like another or have you had your fill of human blood, yet?" "You broke into my apartment and replacing my cow's blood with your stock," he spat between clenched teeth. His eyes were livid with anger. "Don't be redicu..." "Stay out of my apartment," Nick interrupted, not letting Lacroix finish, "stay out of my work, stay out of my life or I swear I'll..." Lacroix placed the glass on the counter, turning his full attention to Nick and his tyrade, "Or you'll what? Stake me... again?" "Just stay away from me. I will not tolerate this from you." Nick shook his finger in Lacroix's face. The anger and indignation rose in the elder vampire's breast. "Listen to me ... " He started, but found himself talking to a quickly receding back. Nick stormed out of the Raven, got into his car, and slammed the door angrily behind him. He put his hands on the steering wheel and just sat there as his mind raced. He thought things were working out between the two of them. He had even begun to feel as though he could start anew the relationship with Lacroix. All his master had been working to do was to put an end to this life by forcing him out. Nick started the engine and put the car into gear, heading in the direction of the precinct and work. He had not intended to get so angry. What he had intended to do was go to the Raven and talk to Lacroix, to feel out where he stood and what he knew. He hadn't been totally convinced that it was he that was dogging him on every side. When he entered the Nightcrawler's den, Nick had been overwhelmed by the memories of his master. The past injustices and manipulations he had endured at the hands of the one who purported to be looking out for his best interests overwhelmed him. It took over his better judgement. Yes, there was a chance that Lacroix was innocent , but it was a slim chance. The elder's manipulations to get him to drink human blood, to kill, to ban him from mortal relationships; all of these had been a crystalizing force that had pushed Nicholas along on his quest for mortality from the very beginning. In the past few months, Nick's carefully planned life had begun to crumble around him. Natalie had expressed to him on several occasions that she didn't feel he was very committed to their search for a cure. He knew she was thinking he didn't want it anymore. What if Natalie gave up and turned her back on him? He wouldn't blame her. He felt his grip on this life weakening. The what-ifs tumbled around in his head until it felt near to bursting. He would have to put this turmoil out of his head and concentrate on his duty as a homicide detective. Parking in the back of the precinct, Nick entered the back door marked "NO ENTRY Police Personnel Only". He found Tracy speaking to him. How long had it been since Nick had heard from Jean Pierre? Must be over 200 years. He stood across the room, feeling the familiar cords of their connection. Tracy was giggling at something he had said before Nick had entered the room. Jean Pierre turned to see Nick, feeling his brother enter the room. A smile flashed across his face and Nick returned it. It was good to see this old friend again. He was tall and thin, with dark brown wavy hair. His eyes shone a light brown. He had the kind of eyes that seemed to look deep into the soul, exposing all your deepest most personal secrets. His face was compellingly beautiful, too beautiful for a man, yet Jean Pierre wore it well. He was quite breathtaking, and he knew it. His manner confident and decisive. Nick moved toward Jean Pierre, who had perched himself on the edge of Tracy's desk. Nick and Jean Pierre clasped arms, the way men do when they have been close. It was obvious to Tracy that Jean Pierre was quite glad to see her partner. They stared at each other and a deeper, more subtle greeting passed between them. When they broke the *embrace* Tracy ventured, "He was telling me some of your escapades from when you were younger." Nick shot Jean Pierre a questioning look of concern. The other vampire put his arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, mon fre're, I didn't give away any deep dark secrets." At that reassurance, Nick visibly relaxed. "He was telling me about some of the practical jokes you two used to play while you were in college." She laughed, remembering. "Well, I guess I better get back to my paperwork. You know how it is. Reports to write. Papers to file. It's been nice meeting you, Jean Pierre. Hope to see you again soon." She gave him a flirtatious smile and held out her hand to shake. He took it in his, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it. He stood there, occupying her gaze for a long moment. "The pleasure was all mine." His deep, warm voice just oozed of charm and refinement touched with just the right twist of a French accent. The combination sent chills up her spine. She took a deep breath and a sigh escaped her lips. Nick shrugged off Jean Pierre's arm and took him by the shoulder. Leading him away to a private interview room, they could continue their conversation without fear of being overheard. "Why haven't you put the moves on that one, mon fre're? Se magnifique!" "Don't even think about it. She's already taken." A look of disappointment registered on Jean Pierre's face and was gone quickly. "No woman is so _taken_ I don't have a chance with her." Nick opened the door of an empty room and gestured him in. "Good ole Jean Claude, always the ladies man." "I'm French. It's in my blood. What do you expect? You can't believe I would change that much in 200 years?" "Shh!" Nick put a finger up to his lips and looked around with concern, making sure no one was listening. "Someone will hear you." He whispered. Jean Pierre lowered his voice and spoke as he walked past the detective into the room. "Don't worry, dear brother. No one heard me. You sure have gotten edgy of late. What has happened to that carefree attitude you used to have. Escuse moi, I forgot your quest for mortality." Nick showed surprise at this statement. "Word gets around." He wandered about the room, looking at the furnishings. "I have been with Janette the last few months since she left here. She came looking for me. After she told me about you, I had the desire to come see you for myself. I thought for sure she had to be embellishing a bit, but now I wonder." He turned to face Nick, who had turned his face away at the last statement. "Don't worry, I haven't come to change your mind. Reminiscing with Janette gave me a desire to renew our relationship, that is all. I began to miss you and old times. I realize that we won't be able to do the wild things we used to. That would mean _hunting_ and _killing_. I hear you don't do that anymore; illegally, anyway. I do believe though, you have found a legal way to hunt humans and I would imagine you occasionally get to kill one, as well." He paused to read his brother, who still stood at the door with his hand on the knob. Jean Pierre could see the many old memories that flooded Nicholas' mind. "I've come all this way to hear from you and there you stand, so quiet. I guess I have been monopolizing this conversation, haven't I? So how are you ?" He took one of the chairs and seated himself. Crossing his legs, he laced his fingers around a knee and sat, expectantly waiting for Nick to respond. The detective walked away from the door and pulled Jean Pierre up out of the chair, heading for the door again. "I'm glad to see you and all. We'll have to catch up on the last 200 years, but for now I need to get back to my duty." "Ah, yes. Janette did mention how dedicated to protecting and serving you have become. The Knight in shining armor and all that. How human of you, Nicholas." "Here's my address." He pulled out his note pad from the breast pocket of his jacket and scribbled on a sheet before tearing it out and handing it to Jean Pierre. "I'll be home before sunrise, if you want to come by to do that catching up, I would be glad to entertain you. Oh, and if you're interested in renewing your relationship with Lacroix... " He scowled. "You remember what happened the last time, don't you Nicholas? " Nick nodded. "Well then, I guess you're on your own for now. I am looking forward to catching up." They had been slowly moving towards the exit. "It's later, then," Jean turned and exited the door. Tracy had been trying hard to look busy while listening to their conversation. She overhear he would be at Nick's place in the morning. Nick could tell that she was watching them. He walked up behind her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "He's a heartbreaker." She spun around, surprised at his statement. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." He moved around to his desk and seated himself. "I thought you were involved with someone, right now." "Oh, that. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Every time I think we're getting close, he pushes me away." Nick picked up a pencil and a form. He started writing and smiled to himself, shaking his head. At that moment, Captain Reese walked out of his office. "The M.E. called earlier and wanted to see you two as soon as you got in. Here's the background the uniforms gathered today. Homeless woman with no leads as to her ID. Tracy took the folder her Captain offered as she pulled on her jacket. She glanced over them then handed them over to Nick. "Can you handle this one? I think I have a lead on the blood supply. I need to see one of my informants. Nick shrugged into his coat and watched as Tracy exited the station, then he picked up the phone and dialed Vachon's number. "She's on her way and I haven't been able to question Lacroix. We're not exactly talking right now. " "I hear you. So what do you want me to tell her?" "Stall her." Then he hung up and left to see Natalie. end part 4 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 5 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 "What can I tell you? Bruising around the forehead, death due to exsanguination, advanced signs of alcoholism. No leads as to identity and nothing she owned was worth keeping for you. None of the street people in the area knew the woman. Either she was new to the area or was traveling. So, what do you think is going on?" She took off the splatter-guard goggles she was wearing and turned to face the detective. "I think Lacroix is starting in with his games again. Tonight, when I went to the fridge to pull out a bottle of cow's blood, all I found there was human. He must have come into the loft and switched bottles while I was sleeping, like he took my watch the time he framed me for murder. I went to confront him at the Raven and lost it. I didn't ask, I just started yelling ." "Are you sure it's him behind all of this? It just doesn't sound like his style. I mean, since I've known you and from what you've told me about him. " She picked up a test tube of blood. She shook it and examined it, holding the tube up to the light. "He's done much worse in the past, believe me. There's no way I can predict what he's going to do. He has surprised me plenty of times." She raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you want me to do?" Nick shook his head and looked away. "I just don't want you to get blindsided if it turns out to be someone else ." She replaced the tube in the tray and picked up another. "Who else would do this to me?" "I don't know. Just be careful." She placed a hand on his arm and lowered her voice. "You may be the one they really want, one way or another." "Consider me warned. I promise I'll watch my back." * * * The rest of his shift passed uneventfully. Nick drove home with the caddy's top down, the wind blowing in his hair. Suddenly, Jean Pierre was there beside him. "So, how was your night?" "Quiet. What did you find to do all night?" Nick looked over at the new arrival. "I was out doing the town." Nick gave him a scowl and turned back to the road. "Don't worry, mon ami. I didn't do anything you wouldn't do. I was a good boy, honest." "If I remember right, honesty was never one of your strong points." "You wound me." His voice carried mock hurt. Nick looked back at Jean Pierre and rolled his eyes then turned back to the road. He turned the car into the garage and closed the door behind them. Upon entering the loft proper, he offered, "Welcome to my humble abode. Make yourself at home. Can I get you a drink?" He took off his jacket and threw it across the chair. "It looks to me like you are still living in a big, drafty castle. I've brought my own refreshment, thank you. I know what you drink. Honestly, Nicholas, how do you survive drinking that stuff. Mon diu, I could never stomach animal blood." He shuddered at the thought of it. "It's easier on the conscience." He took two goblets from his cupboard and placed them on the table, then went to the fridge. He stopped as he reached for the nearest bottle. "I forgot, I do have a supply of human blood here." Nick pulled each of the tall green 'wine' bottles out and sniffed the contents to be sure they were all human. It was hard not to sample it as it awoke the hunger in him. "You'll have to excuse me for a few minutes." He grabbed a couple of empty bottles he kept under the sink and went to his bulk stock of blood. Returning with two full bottles, he placed one in the fridge and the other on the table. Jean Pierre was contentedly sipping from his glass and wandering about the apartment, examining everything. "My, this is rather spartan, wouldn't you say? Nothing like what we're used to. I know you have money." "I'm a cop. If you live too well, they think you're dirty." "You're really playing this game of yours to the hilt, oui?" He finished his circuit about the living area and returned to the couch where he sat. Nick took the chair. "This 'game', as you so aptly put; is my life now. I am quite enjoying it." "Janette told me this. I thought I'd stay here, if you don't mind." "I've got plenty of room." The buzzer went off, signaling a visitor. Nick went over to the monitor and flipped it on. It was Tracy. "Hello, Tracy." "I forgot to have you sign a report before you left." Her tinny voice sounded through the speaker. "Come on up." Nick buzzed her in then scurried about, gathering up the bottles and glasses. He took Jean Pierre's from him, just as he brought it to his lips to drink. "Sorry, she doesn't know about me and she's not going to know. She does know about vampires, so be careful." Jean Pierre nodded his head in agreement. The sound of the lift motor started and soon it delivered Nick's partner to the second floor. She slid the door open and walked in, handing the papers to Nick. "This could have waited until tonight." He leaned over the table and signed her report then handed it back. "Reese wanted it right away. You know how he is." Jean Pierre stood from the couch and joined the two detectives. "Ah, Tracy Vetter isn't it? I think the sun just came up." An irritated Nick went back and sat on the couch where he could watch the pair. "Actually, I came by to see you." "A beautiful woman coming to see me. I'm flattered." "I thought you might want to go somewhere and have a bite of breakfast." "I would love a bite." He shot Nick a glance and winked at him, careful not to let Tracy see his expression. "Alas, I just ate." And it was true for he had already downed half the bottle he had brought with him. Her face showed disappointment. "Can I take a raincheck?" Tracy brightened again. Unable to stand the verbal footwork, Nick rose from the couch and approached them. Taking her by the arm, he ushered her back to the lift and away from Jean Pierre's influence. "I hate to be a bad host , but it is getting late. I need to get some rest and so do you." He slid the door open and pushed her through, letting it close behind her. Her mouth opened to make an argument, but it was a little too late. Nick wouldn't leave the door until he could hear the motor engage, lowering the car. He turned back to Jean Pierre, "Now cut that out. You influenced her, didn't you?" "Did you have any doubt? You know me. There's a certain touch you use with a woman. Most men never learn it." "That's exactly why I want you to stay away from her." Jean Pierre smiled, a playful look in his eye. "Aw, but the little minx came to me." "Leave her alone." Stern and straightforward, Nick dared Jean Pierre to argue. "You're no fun anymore." "Promise me." "All right, all right. I promise. Nicholas, so serious. You didn't used to be that way. We had fun as we traveled across Europe, raising hell with Janette and Lacroix by our sides. We were wild and free, a force to be reconned with. Ah, the good old days. Where have they gone?" Funny how Nick remembered them very differently. They were running and hiding like hunted animals. "I guess you might say, I grew up." Nick crossed to the fridge and retrieved their refreshments. Carrying them to their previous seating arrangement, he seated himself. "Now, where were we? " They sat and talked of old times and the turns each's life had taken since they parted. "Do you remember the time they chased us halfway to Ghent? They were so close on our heels, I just knew we were going to be caught." "If I remember right, it was your carelessness that brought the townspeople down on us. You just had to have the Baron's daughter and you were none too discrete about it, either. Jean Pierre winced. He had always been a wreckless young man and Nick had covered for him more than once. "Guess I haven't changed much over the years, always jumping before I look." "That brings me to another subject. Why are you really here? Are you in trouble again? Did you come because you needed a place to hide? What is it , Jean Pierre?" His face went blank, the cavalier attitude was gone. There was silence for the space of several minutes, then Jean Pierre broke it with a nervous laugh . "Oh, look at the time. You need to get your rest, Nicky-boy," his French accent had all but evaporated, "You have to play Cops and Robbers tonight. I'm interfering with your beauty sleep. I'm not going to say another word until you've rested." He got up, gathered the empty bottles and glasses. He carried them over to the sink where he began running water to clean them. Nick followed close on his heels. "All right. I'm going to let you get away with this for now, but you are going to tell me why you're here." Jean Pierre continued with his task, failing to acknowledge Nick's statement . Nick went to the linen closet, pulled out some bedding and placed it on the couch. "I hope you don't mind the couch. It's quite comfy, actually." He looked over at Jean Pierre once again as he appeared to be totally engrossed in what he was doing. Jean Pierre began to whistle "Well, see you later tonight. I'll just be upstairs if you need anything." To this, his guest nodded. "Have a good sleep, mon fre`re." Nick started up to the next floor. Jean Pierre stopped what he was doing to watch him navigate the stairs. "Nick." His host turned to see him. "It's good to see you again." Nick smiled and nodded, then continued up the stairs. He really liked Jean Pierre. He didn't understand why. His presence always meant trouble. end part 5 Robbi Knightie Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 6 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 Nick stopped off at the Coroner's office in order to catch up with Natalie. He needed to hear anything current or new that she might have. It seemed any clues were scarce and if the present pattern held, there would be more victims soon if this killer wasn't stopped. This put an additional burden of pressure on Nick. His task seemed next to impossible, as elusive as this vampire was proving to be. "This case is getting stranger and stranger. I was able to obtain fragments of metal from the victim's wounds in each of the blood house slashings and both of the throat slashing victims." Natalie handed the report to Nick. "All fragments test out to be from the same weapon and, get this, they sent it to the University to have it carbon dated. They think it's going to turn out to be quite old. Curious. Is there anything that you're not telling me? " Nick shook his head an emphatic "no". "I'm as puzzled as you. It points more and more to a vampire killer possibly of ancient origin." "Tell me this, Nick, why would our killer go to the lengths of creating a blood house, then start slashing victim's throats in the street?" Nick looked down at his hands as he replied, "When you think about it, each victim was killed in their home environment. The two homeless ladies fit that category in that they live on the streets." "Why the difference in mode of killing. Multiple slashings with extra blood added to the scene as opposed to a single slash at the throat and no extra blood?" "Time, Natalie. The last two victims were killed within my hearing distance . I believe whoever it was knew I would be there in seconds. He would only have time for one stroke. Likewise for the lack of extra blood at the scene . Only enough time to kill, then get away clean. There's another factor, maybe they weren't as elaborate as the first three slayings, but they are infinitely more personal to me. I arrived at both in time to see them die." "Okay, if it is a vampire, why would he waste so much blood?" "Why, indeed? These killings are becoming more and more directed at me. Possibly revenge or lifestyle prejudice. The motive is definitely not feeding. I'm afraid if something isn't done soon, the people close to me are going to start becoming the victims." "Another thing for you to think about, Nick, the blood switch in your refrigerator might be connected to these murders. Do you really think Lacroix would go to such theatrics?" "I thought so at first, but now I'm beginning to wonder. I believe he is capable of far worse atrocities and have witnessed such, but to waste the blood or to kill without feeding? I don't know, it just doesn't feel like him. I told you that I could sense the killer before they killed, I was able to tell enough that I know it wasn't him." Nick spent the rest of the night pouring over every report at his disposal concerning the slashing cases, studying from different angles, using everything he could get his hands on. He was feeling a sense of urgency building, yet every way he turned, he ran into a brick wall. He increasingly found himself looking for the answer he sought behind this brick wall. Try as he might, he could find no crack or crevice his mind could use to gain access to the denied understanding he sought. Finally, out of utter and total frustration he slammed close the file he was combing. Tracy looked across the desk at him. She had never seen him this obsessed. Oh, he came close while he was trying to understand the bomber that had killed his previous partner, but there was a separate edge that bordered on something savage she had not sensed in him before. "I've got to go talk with someone." He grabbed his coat and left with Tracy silently watching him go. * * * He entered the broadcast booth, paying no heed to the red light over the door labelled "on the air". Lacroix looked up from the mic and could sense the urgency on his son's silent face. He cut off the caller and put on music already queued up. "I thought you wanted me to stay out of your life, and here you are." "Maybe I was a little hasty in my judgements." The master vampire leaned back in his chair and tented his hands, touching his index fingers to his lips. He could sense frustration and urgency through the link he had with his protege'. "Go on." Nick leaned forward onto the table between them. "Did you or did you not come into the loft and replace my cow's blood with human?" The Nightcrawler paused, procrastinating his answer while he made an effort to discover what had agitated his guest. "Answer me this, Nicholas; have I ever forced you to do anything against your will? I may have mislead you, I have definitely disapproved of your views, I have tried to get you to see the error of your ways, but I have never forced you to do anything against your will." Nick stood up and pondered Lacroix's answer. Satisfied with the truthfulness of his statement, Nick began to pace back and forth in the limited space of the small broadcast booth. "There have been a series of murders and I believe the perpetrator is a vampire." "If someone has been careless, it's a case for the Enforcers. Why haven't you had them take care of this? Or have you become too human for that?" Nick stopped pacing to look at his master, pricked by the barb. "Don't mock me. I need your help." "Yes, and I'm enjoying it." He resumed his pacing. "The killer slashed his victims, in the first two cases leaving two houses covered with blood mixed with wine and in the last 2 cases the victim's throats were cut. In none of the cases did the killer drink any of the victim's blood." "Then why do you believe that a vampire is involved? It sounds more like a case of people killing people. That's your department -- homicide." "In one of them, I sensed the presence of a vampire after the killings when I went to investigate. In the last two cases, I sensed the killer before the killings. Whoever it is, they have a familiar feel." "Yes. Jean Pierre _is_ in town, isn't he? He's been avoiding me." Nick stopped his pacing again and leaned across the table. "After what happened the last time, do you blame him?" "Do sit down Nicholas, this incessant pacing is quite distracting." Nick stood and resumed his pacing. He pulled a hand down his face in fatigue. Lacroix stood from his chair. "I know you don't like to hear anything I have to say about him, he's got you so taken in with that innocent routine of his." Nick could feel the anger his host was stirring burst into flame. He whirled on the other vampire. "You chose him as a companion for me, hoping that his presence would quell my rebelliousness and when we became close, you couldn't stand it. You're jealous." He stood there and looked at the other vampire for several silent minutes. "I knew it was a mistake coming here. I suppose the next thing you're going to tell me is that he's the killer." "No. I thought it was your job to solve these murders." Lacroix always had a way of getting under Nick's skin. Nick's anger had reached the boiling point and he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Lacroix winced at the sound and shook his head, shrugging off his child's anger. He hoped Nicholas would be all right. Turning back to his radio show, he banished the thought of the incident, except for the nagging worry that wouldn't relinquish it's hold and hung there. Nicholas did not know Jean Pierre like he did, he had not tasted his blood. He was blind to any shortcomings of the creature that Lacroix himself had made in an effort to preserve his own relationship with this troubled child, Nicholas DeBrabant. He had tried to warn Nicholas of Jean Pierre's treachery before. His protege did't listen to him then, as he wouldn't listen to Lacroix now. end part 6 Robbi Knightie Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 7 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 She pulled up to the Raven, her heart pounding like a freight train in her chest. Tracy had been careful to make sure Vachon's bike was nowhere in sight. She didn't want him to know she was going behind his back. If he wasn't going to help her out, she would go into the Raven and ask the questions herself. When she entered the front door, she felt as if she had immersed herself in evil. The oppressive feeling seemed to permeate the very air. She looked about and found Lacroix. He was standing at the bar drinking some red liquid that looked suspiciously like the same drink Vachon had been drinking when she visited him here. If that was blood he was drinking, he was also serving it to the vampire population of Toronto. The thought sent a chill through her. She made her way over to the imposing figure of Lucien Lacroix, being jostled and bounced about by the bodies that were dancing to the music. Emerging from the crowd, she saw that her target was presently distracted and took the opportunity to test the drink. She snatched up the crystal goblet from the bar and brought it up to her nose. Abruptly she pulled it away and looked up to see Lacroix's penetrating, sky blue eyes boring into her. He registered the shock on her face and took the glass from her. "I suggest we talk in private, Detective." He grabbed her by the arm and directed her towards his private office in the back. "You're drinking..." "Not here!" His voice was quiet, yet lethal, as he spat the words between clenched teeth. He stopped and spun her around to face him. "Unless you have a death wish." She turned a deathly white and her knees gave way under her. Lucien jerked Tracy back to her feet. "You wanted to know and now you can't stomach the answer?" "Wha... I... ah... No. I mean, yes. I mean, I need to know." She gave an emphasis to her last words that strengthened her resolve and gave her the confidence she needed to face the truth. A smile graced the master vampire's lips. "Your bravery has outweighed your self-preservation instinct." He set her down in a chair in the small office and went around to sit behind his desk. "I'm Detective Vetter with Metro Homicide." She pulled out her badge and held it for him to see. "I know who you are, Detective Vetter. My son has told me all about you." He watched her very carefully for her reaction to his statement. "It's good to finally get to meet you." She sat there in stunned silence as she ran his words over and over in her mind in an attempt to understand their meaning. "Your son? I'm sorry... " "I see. He hasn't told you about me. Nicholas is my son, in a manner of speaking." "Your son. I don't understand... " "You see there is no other name for the relationship that he and I have. It is the closest term you mortals have for what we _are_ to each other." Steepling his hands, he sat back in his chair. He was enjoying the confrontation as much as he enjoyed the discomfort of his guest. Understanding dawned on her and ripped through her brain. "You mean my partner is a..." "Yes, quite." The vampire smiled across his desk at his 'captive' audience. "Why didn't he tell me? I know of the existence of your kind." She leaned forward. "Maybe he didn't trust you. You don't spread that kind of knowledge around lightly." He stood from his chair, walked around behind Tracy, and put his hands on her shoulders. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "There is death in being so careless." Lacroix stood and leaned on his desk, facing her. "Nicholas would not have survive to be 800 years old if he made it a habit of being so careless." "Nick is 800 years old!" Her voice was barely a whisper that was tinged with awe. "That's nothing. I'm the only Roman General to survived Pompeii." He smiled as he watched her jaw slacken and her eyes grow wide with her surprise. "Vachon is just a baby." Tracy jerked at the mention of his name, but said nothing. "Yes, I know about your relationship with one J.D. Valdez also know as Javier Vachon. I know everything that goes on in the Community." The amusement was gone out of his voice and the predatory danger returned. "Then you know about the use of blood-wine in a series of slayings that occurred in the past month. I'm here to ask you to help us find and stop the person or persons doing this." She felt her confidence return as she hid behind her duty as an officer of the law. She would file this new knowledge away to be dealt with later. He raised an eyebrow, then walked around to Tracy's other side. Placing one hand on the back of her chair and one hand on the desk, he knelt down onto the balls of his feet, mere inches from her face. She withdrew from him as far as her chair would allow. "That is not important, Detective Vetter. What is important is that you forget." His voice was deep and breathy as he pronounced each word carefully. Tracy felt each word knife through her consciousness and into her reality. Her eyes glossed over and her face lost all expression as she fell under the hypnotic power of the master vampire. "Forget we had this conversation. Forget your suspicions. This case is out of your hands," he commanded, carefully leading her farther from the truth. "I must forget." Closing her eyes, her head slumped to the side as every muscle in her body relaxed. After a moment, she awoke with a start. "Where am I? What am I doing here? " Looking around the room, her eyes came to rest on Lacroix's concerned face. "You're at the Raven Club. You walked in the front door and fainted. I carried you in here to recover. Are you all right, Detective?" They both stood at the same time. Tracy began to totter and Lacroix steadied her. "I think maybe you should take the rest of the night off and get some rest." She put a hand up to her forehead in an effort to stave off the disorientation spinning in her head. "I think I better." He steadied her as she walked to the door of the office. "Are you sure you'll be all right? I can call a taxi?" "No, I'll be okay. Thank you." She walked out the door and he closed it behind her. Walking back to his desk, a smug self-satisfied smile on his face, he spoke to his absent protege, "You should thank me for that, Nicholas." end part 7 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 8 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 Arriving back at the loft after his shift, Nick could sense that something was wrong. As he rode up in the elevator he knew he would not find Jean Pierre there. He could not sense him. Upon pulling the door open and entering his living quarters, the scent hit him hard. Human blood had been spilt somewhere near. Advancing into the room intensified the odor. He located the source, a puddle in front of the fireplace that measured at least 20 cm in diameter. Natalie's sweet scent came to him on the wings of the air. He closed his eyes and could imagine his fangs entering her flesh to liberate the thick warm fluid from her veins . He could taste her scent now. Nick had imagined drinking her in on numerous occasions in the past six years since their meeting and here lay a generous sample of her blood. It was so near, so inviting. It was intoxicating in its effects, temporarily stealing his rationality from him. He was about to reach down and take just one taste, one small taste of that one substance he hungered for, when his eyes fell upon the note that lay so near the blood as to be part in it. His mind raced through the implications . Had Natalie been hurt? Where was she now? He had believed that it was a possibility that she might be in danger, but thought it safe enough not need protection, yet. He had miscalculated and Natalie was paying the price. A hard lump formed in his chest that refused to go away. He picked up the note and began to read: Mon fre`re, I see you have finally made your way home. That must be because the sun is about to come up. Nick knew it to be true, but still looked around the room to witness the slow coloring as the suns rays filtered through the still open shutters. You did not tell me about this one. Always keeping the best for yourself. Don't worry, she is fine. A little anemic though. I left a sample for you here since you won't be able to leave until sundown to follow and you _will_ follow. The answer to you next question is yes, I did, for you. Now we have that out of the way, I'm bringing her home with me. Jean Pierre Calisto Shock, sorrow and puzzlement shadowed his expression. He sat on the chair in a daze. He had believed in Jean Pierre's innocence, had defended him to Lacroix. Of course, it had to Jean Pierre murdering the innocent. It had been right there and he had failed to see it even when it was pointed out to him. Now Natalie was going to pay for his misplaced trust. * * * Earlier that night, Jean Pierre had followed Nick and watched him closely. He had been careful not to get so close as to be sensed by the other vampire . He had experimented and knew exactly how to stay hidden from Nicholas and how to let himself be sensed at the precise moment to have the biggest impact on him. He knew that his brother came here often. He also knew who he came here to see and why. During their time together, Jean Pierre was able to pick up on Natalie's relationship to Nick and the strong emotional tie the two had forged. As soon as his rival left, Jean Pierre made his move. Entering the building, he found Dr. Lambert. She was busy examining slides of different samples under the microscope when he entered the room. She didn't look up from her task. "What did you forget this time?" "Escuse moi?" Startled at the strange voice she looked up at the intruder. "I thought you were... " The sight of him registered and it made her pause. "I'm sorry, can I help you?" "Yes, I'm looking for Nick Knight. He told me he was coming here. I was hoping to catch him." "He just left." "Well then, I guess that means I'm out of luck." "I could call him for you." "Don't put yourself out. It's all right." He stared at her and she began to feel self-conscious. Touching her hair, she looked down at the floor. Jean Pierre also looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to stare . Nicholas told me about you, but he didn't say how exquisite you were. I take it, he never mentioned me." "No, I can't recall..." "I'm Jean Pierre, Jean Pierre Calisto. Nicholas and I go way back." "How far back?" "Suffice it to say, we are very old friends." "Nice to meet you, Jean Pierre." She extended her hand and he took it. Bowing down, he placed a soft kiss to the back of her offered hand. Straightening, their eyes locked. Focusing on her steady heartbeat, he brought his hypnotic attributes to bear on her, starting out gently then building until the line blurred completely between her will and his. Her expression became serene and tranquil. "It is very important we surprise Nicholas. Would you like that?" She smiled. "Yes, surprise Nicholas. That would be nice." "Come with me then." She allowed him to gather her in his arms. "If Nicholas spent as much time working on his vampire talents as he did on his silly quest for mortality, I fear you would never have remembered him," and they were gone with a sudden whoosh of air. He headed for the loft were he put into action the plan that he had been working on to bring Nicholas to his territory on his terms. He took Natalie to stand in front of the fireplace. Making a cut to her wrist, the blood began to flow. "This will make Nicholas very happy." She smiled in response to his statement. "That should be plenty. We don't want to give him too much." He brought her wrist up to his mouth and held it there, savoring her taste. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly. It would only take a few short minutes and he would have her all for himself. The thought and the taste of her blood in his mouth excited him. He reached up and pulled her hair back from her neck to bare it as his eyes began to glow a golden hue and his teeth slid from hiding. He shook with the intensity of his desires, then turned from her. "No, not now. Not like this. It would spoil everything I've planned, everything I've worked for. I have come too far to end it like this. Without Nicholas ... " Looking back, he reverted back to the guise of a normal human male. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out gauze and wrapped her wrist to stop the bleeding. "Not now, my darling. I have more for you to do." After placing his note near the blood pool, he grabbed her up again and they were gone. * * * Nick's mind whirled with preparations. He would only have a short time to make it to the airport and then it would not be before sunrise. Jean Pierre _would_not_ get the head start he had planned. Nick ran to his room and threw a few things into a bag. He was heading for the door when a familiar sensation pricked him. He turned to see Lacroix watching him. "He's got her," Nicholas voiced to his master, his anger evident in his voice. "I know. I also know where he's taken her. I'm coming with you." Nick nodded then turned to leave. "It won't do you any good. I've check the airlines. No planes will be leaving for Paris until this evening." Nick spun around to face his master with such a look of urgency and desperation, Lacroix could not help but be affected. Maybe Lacroix appeared to be cruel and unfeeling at times, it was all for his son's good. Nicholas could not know what he was asking for in becoming so wrapped up with this mortal life of his and in his relationships with these creatures. They would just grow old and he would have to leave. It would only prove to be painful. His son's safety lay in staying close to his master. Yes, the pain of his child did bother Lacroix more than ever a human parent could possibly know. Not only did he see the painful effects of Nicholas' choices, but he could feel the agony that he endured every time he had to leave this life or that. Every time someone died that Nick had become close to, the Master vampire would experience its impact through the cords that bound them to what they were as creatures of the night. His quest for mortality hurt the master. An ungrateful child throwing the greatest gift that one could receive back in his face. Lacroix would never understand the logic of such a choice. Why choose death when you could have eternal life complete with all the sensual pleasures that vampirism had to offer. "Not to worry. I've already made arrangements. We are to be picked up here by a chauffeured limousine with darkly tinted windows, shuttled to the international airport where we will be boarding a private jet I have chartered. From there we will be on our way, nonstop. We will arrive in approximately seven and a half hours at De Gaulle Airport in Paris. It will be much safer for us that way. Relief flooded the younger vampire's face. Nick shook his head then began to speak. "Lacroix... " "I understand, more than you know." "Why are you doing this?" "Because you are my son." They were interrupted by the phone ringing. Nick went to answer it. "That will be the driver informing us he is here." Nick looked to Lacroix as he answered the phone. "Knight... We'll be right down." Wrapping up well and putting on their sunglasses to protect their delicate sight from the sun's rays, they left the protection of the building and went out into the sun. A trail of smoke followed them as they entered the car. Lacroix motioned to the driver and they began to move. Nick sat solemnly as his mind went over and over the events of the last few days. How could Jean Pierre do this? Nick had always thought of him as a brother and a companion. He had a habit of getting into trouble more often than not and Nick realized this. He had just overlooked a lot when it came to Jean Pierre, and now... He struggled to understand. Lacroix sat and watched the turmoil as it played out, in his companion. He had not been totally honest with his son, keeping the real reason he accompanied him to himself. He could feel there was more to this than just the kidnapping of a mortal woman. A nagging worry continued to plague him. end part 8 Robbi Knightie Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 9 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 It was 7:00 am before they were able to get in the air. That would mean they would arrive in Paris around 8:30 pm that same day and it would be dark . Lacroix had arranged for all the shades to be drawn prior to their arrival as well as the bar supplied with his special stock along with something extra for Nicholas. He would not be accused of forcing his son to drink human blood again. _Now_ was not the time to push the issue. Lacroix settled down to sleep in the darkness, but Nicholas could not calm himself enough to sleep. He fidgeted and paced alternately until his companion got so frustrated with him. "Nicholas, will you stop that incessant pacing? You are driving me to distraction. If you don't get your sleep, you won't be any use in the search for your Dr. Lambert. Now do try to get some rest." Nick made a few more passes then decided Lacroix was right. He had to get some sleep for Natalie's sake. He stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes. Consciously he willed the muscles of his body to release their tensions. Even after being fairly successful with that, his mind would not slow it's frantic pace. Slowly and thankfully, sweet sleep overtook him and he was able to rest for a short time before the dream started. In the dream, he saw himself in a beautiful garden. The blooms of the flowers were alive in their multiplicity of colors and shapes. He became aware of Natalie's presence some meters from where he stood. She smiled and beckoned for him to come to her. He walked towards her. As he neared her, a darkness began to descend on the scene. Natalie's face lost it's carefree smile which was replaced at first by bewilderment, then by fear. Vines sprang up from the garden floor to encircle her and keep her from his reach. As the vines grew they slowly sucked the life and color from the rest of the garden leaving a gray and dismal sight. He began running urgently to her. The closer he came the farther away she was. She called to him. "Nick, Nick, don't leave me." He ran faster and faster and she receded farther and farther from him until he screamed her name. Awakening with a start, he was disoriented at first. Trying hard to grasp the situation, he began to remember. Natalie was gone and he was on a flight to Paris with Lacroix to retrieve her. His companion was disturbed from his sleep by the commotion. He would have to do something to get his creation the rest he needed. He arose from the other couch and approached Nicholas. "Lay down and concentrate on me. Sensing only me," he began in a commanding voice. Clearing his mind, Lacroix began conjuring a tranquil scene in his mind. The scene was of a cave. Nicholas was pictured laying on a soft bed of vegetation near a pool of crystal blue water that was fed by a gentle waterfall. The soothing sound of the trickling water became a constant calming influence. Across the pool could be seen the intruding rays of sunlight falling from a hole in the roof of the cave and cutting through a gentle mist, giving the light a golden glow. As Lacroix projected this scene, he looked down on his son, the visible signs of relaxation became apparent. The worries and cares slowly dropped from his face and Lucien could sense that his Nicholas had entered a calm state of sleep and would be able to rest for a time. Returning to his own bed, Lacroix lay down to continue his rest. He told himself he had done it simply so he could get his sleep and he would not have to deal with an unbearable creature that night because Nicholas was sleep deprived. The real reason was summarily dismissed as being too altruistic in nature. * * * "Where are we going?" Inquired Nick. He did not recognize this part of town. It had changed so much since the last time he was in Paris. Was it in the 20's when he had fled Lacroix who had followed him to Toronto. It certainly seemed La Ville Lumie`re had kept up with the modern world. It was funny how he still expected it to look the same as it did 75 years ago. He felt a certain sadness at that, but it was still Paris. So many ancient creations stood incongruous with the modern additions. Quite a contrast to Toronto of a relatively younger age. "Janette's," Lacroix answered. Nick abruptly turned to face Lacroix, who sat across from him in the limousine as they rode the freeway. "Yes, I have known where Janette was all along. She is expecting me. She doesn't know you're coming, though. I do believe she suspects it though. I thought I would leave that between the two of you. Father and daughter, as it were." Lacroix turned away from Nicholas' astonished face to study the scenery with a smile on his face. The whole, awkward situation amused him. "Is that where Jean Pierre has Natalie?" It was the master vampire's turn to be astonished. "No! What kind of vampire do you think our Janette has turned into? She may despise you at this moment, but she would not have any part of Jean Pierre's plans." "I'm sorry. Of course not. I wasn't thinking." "You better start thinking," He spat at this insolent little pup. "Or it may be the end of your precious Dr. Lambert and maybe even you. I don't think that you quite understand what you're running into. I'm not sure I understand it myself. There is one thing I do know. Jean Pierre is somehow different. I have sensed it. That is why he avoided me in Toronto." They drove up the lane of a lavish country estate. "Janette sure knows how to live in style," Nick remarked. "She's owned this since before coming to Toronto. Janette knew she would be coming back here before long. I'm surprised you didn't know about it. Our Janette still has a few secrets of her own." He raised one of his eyebrows. They were ushered into the sitting room to wait for their hostess to greet them. It was furnished in Old World Style with rich tapestries and large paintings with gold frames depicting scenes from life at different periods during the past thousand years. The furniture was stark and not made for comfort. She came breezing into the room, a breath of fresh air. She wore a dark blue sleeveless dress with a scoop neck, a tight bodice and a full skirt. She approached Lacroix and they embraced while Nick looked on at the two closest people in his life. Lacroix held her at arms length. "My dear, how radiant you are. This fresh air is doing wonders for you." She looked over to Nick. If looks could kill, he would have dried up and blown away that very instant. Her smile returned as she looked back to her former master. "And what brings my favorite vampire all this way?" "It seems Jean Pierre has taken Natalie Lambert and fled here to Paris." She did not seem surprised. "He showed up here about a month ago, hungry for anything that I could tell him about Nicholas and you. I hadn't dreamed he was capable of such treachery. I did know he was planning something, I just didn't know what." Nicholas approached the pair. "Why would you think that?" Janette did not appear to have heard him. Some months earlier she had come to him for his help, having regained her mortality. After Nick took that prize from her at Death's door against her will, she had left Toronto and headed for Paris. Before leaving she had given Nick back the painting that had come to signify their "eternal friendship". "Please, Janette. We need to know everything you know. There is more at stake here than Dr. Lambert's life. I fear this will prove very important to us as well," The elder vampire stated matter-of-factly. "All right, for you." She turned to Nicholas with a blank look that did not hint at the seething hatred and passion that boiled inside her. He didn't need an indication to know it was there. Somehow the bond between them had changed and he was not prepared for the intensity that he felt coming from her. He turned away. She took Lucien by the arm and sat him next to her. "As I said, Jean Pierre came to me about a month ago and stayed about a week. "Really? I didn't think you could stand him." "True." She looked away from Lacroix to Nick, a half intriguing smile on her face. She was not looking at him, but through him. "I was missing old times and he caught me at a weak moment." Tossing her head, she brought her attentions back to the one who sat close to her. "He used the guise of reminiscing and brought his conversation around to you, where you were, what you were doing and all that. I could see his manipulations and what he wanted, but I thought it was harmless. It turned out his intentions weren't so harmless, after all. Would you like some refreshment? You must have had a long journey." Nick once again approached his female companion of the last 800 years, eager to get the information they needed and be on their way. "Where is he? You know... " Lacroix held up a hand of caution. He knew that if she was rushed, they would get nothing further. The urgency overode any sensibility and tact that Nick might have had. He showed Janette his frustrations then turned and left the room. His bull-in- the-china-shop attitude would get him nowhere with this female. He had known her long enough to understand this. No matter how much he wanted to jump right in and throttle the information from her, he would have to leave that to Lacroix. He was grateful his master had volunteered to come. For the duration of the rest of the visit, Nick paced the front hall, eager to be on his way to where, he did not know. end part 9 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 10 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 Nick's mind raced, stumbling over thoughts and concepts. His mind was all in a jumble, each idea demanding recognition. This had to stop. Why did Lacroix know where Jean Pierre would be when Nicholas, himself could not make that leap of logic? Finally Lacroix exited the room to find him in his frantic pacing. Immediately Nicholas bombarded him with questions. "What did she tell you? Did she say anything that we could use?" "Calm down, Nicholas. That kind of behavior will get you nowhere." He continued to move past Nick and out the door. He was quick to follow. "Where do we go next?" "You know the answer to that question, you just have not admitted it to yourself, yet." Lacroix entered the car, taking his seat. Nick climbed in behind him. "What do you mean, I... " The words froze in his throat at the realization seeped through his being. The thought of Natalie in that hole below the Earth's surface thoroughly chilled his vampire heart. A smile spread across Lacroix's face. "Les Carrie`res et Catacombes de Paris." Nicholas' voice was barely an audible whisper, easily heard by his companion's acute ears. "Mais oui." They had to first purchase strong flashlights and extra batteries. There is no vision in the total absence of light, even for vampires. They made their entrance into the ossuary at Denfert-Rochereau Place. Carefully, they descended the l00 steps into the depths of darkness. They traveled on in silence. The only sound in that tomb below Paris was their footsteps echoing from the walls. * * * Paris, 1817 -- Nicholas was the first to enter the caverns. He rushed in, followed closely by Lacroix. Nick stopped abruptly and his master came around him. "Nicholas, we must hurry or they'll find us," Lacroix hissed at his son, then continued on down the dark corridor. The air was heavy with the foul odor of decay that thousands of bodies brought to this tomb. All the occupants of the Cemetary of the Innocents had been reinterred here, starting in 1786. They had not been here the last time the group of vampires had used these catacombs as a refuge from a bloodthirsty mob. Nicholas covered his mouth and nose with his jacket and pressed on, followed closely by Jean Pierre. When they were safely behind the hidden door, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Jean Pierre was the first to speak. "That was close. We fooled them, we fooled them all," he bragged. Lacroix reacted negatively to his boast. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. You are careless, then you lead your pursuers right to us." The rage clearly evident in his tone of voice. He advanced on the careless vampire that was his child. At first Jean Pierre was confused and looked to Nicholas for support, then back to his master. His brother just looked on with only slight interest. This was a common interchange between the two and Nicholas would not get involved this time. The younger vampire backed away from Lacroix's advancing figure. The fire of anger burn white hot behind the master vampire's eyes. "I'm sorry. I... I.. didn't know what else to do." Jean Pierre stammered as his back came up against a solid rock wall. Lacroix was so close, he could feel his breath on his cheek. Lacroix reached for his throat and raised Jean Pierre as high as the ceiling would allow. The ancient vampire's voice was deep with the threat his words spoke. "If you _ever_do_that again, I'll stake you myself." * * * Present day -- Passing the inspection galleries, then down a sloping gradient, they moved deeper into the bowels of the Earth. They traveled on until they reached a hole to the side. "Bain de pied des carriers." Lacroix's voice disturbed the quiet that pressed in on them. "Yes, the quarry footbaths," Nick mirrored the other's statement. Silently, they passed the rock sculpture replica of the Port-Mahon Fortress that was finished in 1782, both silently remembering. They continued their sojourn until coming to a sign that read "Arrete! C`est ici I`Empire de la Mort." "The Empire of the dead, how appropriate, with the several million skeletons that inhabit these sanctuaries as well as certain vampires." Lacroix smiled at the simple truth the sign reflected. Nick stared across the threshold here. Lacroix grabbed his arm, turning him so they stood facing. "I would advise caution. Jean Pierre may have traps set for us. He knows we are coming." "I be careful, don't worry." He pulled his arm from the other's grasp and entered the next gallery. The bones of myriad long dead Parisiennes were reflected in the beam of his light as they lay, neatly lining the walls. How many of these poor human creatures were here, by his hand? There was no way to answer. He had lost track of their numbers long ago, only their faces remained to haunt his dreams and regrets. Nick steeled himself with a single, deep breath and continued on looking straight ahead down the path, careful his gaze did not wander to come in contact with the empty accusing eye sockets and blank stares of the skulls occupying these spaces. He felt he was invading their eternal slumber. Swiftly they encountered the Samaritan fountain, a well with a curbstone resembling a spiral staircase and shortly thereafter the room of the sepulchre lamp. In this chamber, a pedestal supporting a bowl between two rectangular pillars sat in the middle of the room. This lam0 is where the quarrymen would light fires to ventilate the area and here is where they would find the secret entrance to Jean Pierre's caverns. The caverns they were looking for, had been sealed prior to the mapmaking effort of the French government and thus only a handful of the living or undead knew of their existence. With monumental effort made possible soulely by their enhanced vampiric strength, the pair were able to move the sepulchre lamp a half meter or so to the side. This act set in motion a series of whirrs and clicks that culminated in the blank wall they were facing. A door snapped ajar in the seemingly solid stone wall before them. "Ah, here we are." Lacroix commented as he reached forward and pulled the door slowly towards him. "Here is where we need to observe extreme caution. " Nick nodded as he watched with apprehension. Once open and they were satisfied they had not set into sprung a snare, Lacroix looked into the room more carefully with his flashlight. As his lamp split the darkness of centuries, his inspection was rewarded with the discovery of a trip wire across the bottom portion of the doorway. Carefully he reached down and hooked his finger over the wire, calling Nick's attention to it. "See what I mean?" "I am learning all kinds of nasty things about Jean Pierre. Problem is, I genuinely liked him." His voice a whisper. The older vampire stood up and carefully stepped over the wire into the cavern beyond with the younger close behind. They progressed slowly. The shaft they entered sloped gently downwards. The rough hewn walls were of definite man-made origin. Their beams of light danced along the ancient walls and floor as they walked. After advancing for approximately 300 meters, the floor leveled. At this point they were approximately 75-100 meters below street level. The ceiling overhead was curved and barely high enough for an average man to stand upright. Halls intersected the corridor they traveled at 20-meter intervals . Nick wasn't so sure they were on the right track as he stumbled along in the darkness, but Lacroix was positive. He could sense Jean Pierre somewhere up ahead. He could feel his son's confusion and knew the reason. "Listen, Nicholas. Listen for the vibration, the force that makes us what we are. You need to force your gifts into action. You will need everything that you've got if you want to succeed." He stopped and closed his eyes, searching for the familiar vibration that was Jean Pierre. At first, Nick felt only a faint awareness of a presence. As he concentrated, Nick could feel Jean Pierre's location with surety. He knew now that it had been there all along, but he had been overlooking the sensation. In his daily search for mortality, Nick had learned to filter out most of these sensations. They made him feel less human, more a creature of the darkness and of Hell. He had been slowly desensitizing himself to those vibrations that tied him to his master, to his vampirism. Now he had to struggle to locate and read another vampire, even one with a close relationship to him. They passed up a number of these interconnecting halls, then Lacroix stopped right in the middle of the next intersection. Reaching through the cords of their connection, he could confidently say the hall to the left was moving closer to their target. Nick also probed the connection and after considerable effort, seconded Lacroix's assessment. It was coming easier to him as he used the his vampire ability. Starting down the new direction, Nick was careful to watch for any sign of a booby trap. The hall continued blank for a way. After travelling a distance, there began to be rooms cut out of the solid rock walls inset with metal doors sporting bars over small windows. The hinges of many were long rusted into immobility while others had fallen to the floor. It was while walking between these cells, with Nick in the lead, the second trap was sprung. The trigger was a stepping stone Nick activated by the pressure of his foot. The delicate click was barely audible and followed closely by the rush of sand in the walls. "Get back!" Lacroix screamed at a frozen Nick who flew past him a split second before an enormous slab of rock came crashing down on the very spot he had occupied. "Whew!" Nick stood from the floor where he had landed in his hurry, brushing the dust from his clothes. "That was close." "Too close. You need to be more careful, Nicholas or you'll get us both killed." Lacroix snapped back. "Are you telling me you would have seen that one coming?" "The point is, you weren't even looking. You must put this urgency from your mind and concentrate on what you are doing." Nick heaved a heavy sigh. Yes, Lacroix was right. He was growing weary of this cat and mouse nonsense and just wanted to be back home with Natalie safe by his side, watching some silly black and white movie. She would be using up all the kleenex while he laughed at her sentimentality. She would get upset at him for that. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the cool stone wall of the cave and remembered her. He willed into the dark void of the cavern. Opening his eyes, he had visibly calmed. She would have to be the key to getting him through this. He would need her ever-present in his heart and mind. The worry turned to determination. The frustration became patience, the patience of the hunter. His face hardened as he sought out his friend- turned-enemy. "I know where you are and I'm coming for you. You cannot hide from me. I will leave no stone unturned. Be warned, Jean Pierre. I am coming for you. Be afraid, be very afraid." His voice was deep and lethal. Lacroix smiled at himself to see this feral side of his son. Nick climbed up the new wall before him and squeezed through the headspace between the stone and what was left of the ceiling. end part 10 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 11 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 Farther along, the hall opened up into a cavern with a high ceiling. There was an alter of sorts, on one side, surrounded by stone benches, many of which were suffering from the signs of extreme age. The two vampires could feel a sudden but gentle rush and Jean Pierre stood at the altar. "Greetings, my friends. Welcome to my humble abode." In an instant, Nicholas was on him, with his hands around his neck. "Give me a good reason not to rip your head off right here." Taken aback some, Jean Pierre regained his composure quickly. "If you kill me, she dies." Nick paled noticeably from his usual pallor. Slowly he dropped his hands and released his adversary. Jean Pierre put a hand up to his neck and rolled his head. There was a look of slight discomfort on his face that passed quickly. "Is that any way to treat your host?" "Where is she? What have you done with her?" His voice carried a threat in its tone. "I swear, if you've harmed her, I'll... " "I assure you, she is quite safe and happy. She awaits you in anticipation of a great surprise we have planned for you." He walked past the visibly stunned Nicholas to their master. "Ah, Lucien Lacroix, the great Roman General." He paced a circle about Lacroix as his master stood motionless. Upon coming back to face the elder vampire, Jean Pierre stopped and clasped his hands behind his back. He whispered "I could have been your favorite. I would never have given you the heartache this one has." He gestured towards Nick, who had yet to move. "Instead you chose a son who turned his back on you even though you have gave him everything. He threw you're greatest gift back in your face with his silly quest for mortality." His voice rose savage with anger. "And, has even tried to take your very life. Not a very wise choice." Jean Pierre gave a sarcastic laugh. "Even after all he has done to hurt you, you travel halfway around the world with him to rescue his mortal pet." A look of surprise crossed the master vampire's face, but he did not comment . Jean Pierre's voice now lost it's anger and took on a melodious, entrancing tone. "Oh, I knew you would come, I hoped you would come so I could show you what a sniveling coward your favorite son is." Nick started towards Jean Pierre, the anger burning in his yellow-gold eyes and the fangs bared in a snarl. He held up a hand to halt Nicholas without even glancing at him. "If you kill me, how will you find your precious Natalie?" Nick froze in his tracks. "You could wander around in these catacombs for a _very_long _time_ and not find her. She is well hidden in a new section of tunnels that you know nothing about." He spun around to face his rival and spat through clenched teeth. "I am in control here. _I_ decide when or even if you ever see her again." Momentarily his eyes flashed a golden red at the now pale blue ones of the other. Closing his eyes and taking a deep, calming breath, Jean Pierre once again opened his eyes, the anger gone. "I feel the dawn approaching. You must be weary and I have been a poor host." He looked to Lacroix. "I have provided a meal for you." He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder to Nick, "I'm sorry, it's human. I don't do cow." He grimaced at the thought. He straightened his neck and spoke once again to Lacroix. "I did my best to get him to drink human blood, but he would not. I lay it at his feet repeatedly, but he refused. I had to trick him to get him to even taste it. What a weak, pathetic creature he has become. You will find everything that you need for your comfort in the room behind Nicholas there, and Nicholas, I would advise against trying to find me during the day," and was gone. They looked at each other for a long time. "I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," Nick said, shaking his head. "Believe it." "You tried to tell me and I wouldn't listen." Lacroix gave Nick a nod at that statement. "Shall we?" He gestured towards the doorway cut into the solid rock behind him. Nick led the way, carefully inspecting every inch of the room for hidden traps or bugs. There were none. The room was spartan with two army cots complete with bedding, a small stone table with two folding chairs. The table held a candle, matches, two wine bottles containing crimson fluid, and two goblets. There was a recess carved into one of the walls that held a pitcher full of water and a basin, a towel hung nearby. "It would appear that Jean Pierre has provided us with everything we could possibly want," Lacroix observed. Nick threw himself onto one of the cots. "Except our freedom. We are as much his prisoners here as if there were bars on the doors and he knows it." "We will have to play his game at least until we find out what that game is. " Nick turned to face the wall and wondered where Natalie was and how she was doing. * * * He had started drugging her shortly after leaving Nick's loft not trusting his ability to keep her under his spell much longer. He could not afford her making a scene. They traveled via chartered plane with the excuse the woman was so afraid of flying and she needed to be tranquilized for the duration of the flight. No one had gave it a second thought. Now, she lay sleeping contentedly in one of the stone rooms Jean Pierre had prepared for her. After leaving Nick and Lacroix he had seen to her needs then left her locked in her cell, making it impossible for the others to track him to her. * * * Lacroix lit the candle and light danced along the walls, throwing an eerie light throughout the room. "You need to keep up your strength for whatever happens. We can't afford having you become weak." "Then he has won. You heard him." Nick sat up on the bed and faced his companion. "He has killed five people, wasting their blood in each case, in an effort to force me into drinking human blood. Now, all he has to do is leave me stranded in these caverns with nothing but this for nourishment." "He has won only if you allow him to dictate your behavior in such a way." He knew that Lacroix was right, but he felt everything in him rebel against the idea, because it was what Jean Pierre wanted and what Lacroix wanted. He would drink the blood. He would finish the whole bottle, but not for his master, not for his enemy, but for his precious Natalie. He rose from the bed and took one of the bottles from the table. Pulling the cork with his teeth, he spat it across the room. He downed the entire contents without stopping, trying hard not to taste the sweet heady fragrance, not to feel the rush of sensation as it began to surge through his veins. Using anger as a shield, he slammed the bottle onto the table, shattering it into myriad of glittering shards that flew about the room and tinkled onto the floor. A particularly sharp piece embedded itself into his hand and he watched with fascination as the blood welled out of the wound and ran down his arm, dripping from his elbow and pooling at his feet on the stone floor. Lacroix moved to his son and removed the shard from his flesh. The wound immediately began to close and the flow of blood stopped. Nick looked at Lacroix forlorn, lost; the facade of anger evaporated against the heat of pain. He concentrated on the pain in his hand, trying hard to ignore the pain in his heart. His eyes moved from the face of his master to the bright red streaks that now stained his pale white skin. Almost mechanically, he went to the pitcher of water and poured some into the basin . Rinsing the stains from his flesh, he dried then went back to the cot and to sleep. He slept the dreamless sleep of the dead that day. end part 11 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 12 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 He awoke disoriented, unable to remember where he was. He sat up abruptly and his head began to throb. "Oh... what happened?" He groaned. Someone lit a candle and it all came rushing back on him. "I believe we were drugged. Quinine." "I've got the hangover to prove it," Nick commented, holding his head. Two new bottles had been placed on the table and Lacroix was carefully sampling his. "They're clean this time." "He must be ready for us to follow him again." After their meal, they washed up and were on their way, once again following the vibrations of Jean Pierre. Nick couldn't help but feel anxious to be on with it. They left the cathedral through another doorway leading into a corridor identical to the one they had traveled the previous night. On and on they traveled through the empty corridor with only intersecting hallways to break up the monotony. The sense they followed remained consistently straight ahead. The going was even slower in order to avoid springing another trap. After traveling for approximately three hours, they were confused when the vibrations they were following were suddenly behind them. They backtracked and found the point at which the sensation had changed. It would appear that they needed to continue into a blank wall. "He said we would find her in a newer section of catacombs," Nick recounted . They began an exhaustive search of the surrounding area in order to find the switch that would open the entrance, knowing full well any switch they might find would be as likely to activate a trap as the latch to a hidden door. Feeling along the wall, Nick depressed a square section about the size of his hand. There was a faint click and an even louder snap as a door came ajar out of the seemingly solid wall. Cautiously, Nick pulled the door towards him, then inspected the area immediately inside the door. There he found the trip wire at the bottom of the doorway as before. With care, he stepped over the wire, followed closely by Lacroix. They turned sometimes to the right and other times to the left until the vibrations were suddenly undiscernible. They looked around in confusion. Had they been led on a wild goose chase to be dropped at the end? Up ahead, they could see a door opening out into the hall, reflecting in the beams of their flashlights. Anxiously, Nick rushed forward only to be disappointed by a barren room. A single cot that appeared to have been slept in, sat up against the far wall. There on the rumpled covers, he spied a single sheet of paper with something on top of it. He approached the bed and could see a lock of dark brown hair. He picked up the hair and brought it up to his nose. Taking a long draft, Natalie's special scent came to him. It was hers all right. Jean Pierre must have taken her and fled as they had neared her. Lacroix entered the room and picked up the note which he read aloud. Dear friends, Congratulations for making it this far. Alas, we are not finished with our little nostalgic trip. Now we go home to a beginning. I hope you can remember how to find the way out. Until we meet again, yours truely, Jean Pierre Calisto. P.S. How do you like the memento I left you? Maybe next time I'll leave something that's not so easy for her to give up." How long was this going to go on? How long until he could even face his enemy. "Now what do we do?" "We continue down this hall. He left this area quickly. There has to be an easy way out up ahead." Sure enough, they came quickly to an old ladder made from tree limbs lashed together. It lead up into a conduit through the ceiling. They would not have to take the chance that the ladder was unsafe. They both flew separately up through the tunnel until they reached an opening into one of the long condemned and closed galleries. From there, they easily found the way out. Using the last remaining minutes before sunrise, they flew to Janette's. "I have been expecting you. Merde, where have you been? You look like you have been digging in the dirt." "We've been down in the Catacombs." Nicholas hung back and kept his silence. "I was right to come. Jean Pierre has something planned. So far, he has led us on a merry chase and nothing more." "I never trusted that man. You know that." "Lacroix shot a glance at Nick who had fatigue clearly showing on his face and seemed oblivious to their conversation. "I would never have tolerated him for a minute if it had not been for Nicholas. I made a poor choice when I brought him across." He looked back to Janette. "Now, we need to feed and rest." "Yes, of course. Your rooms are ready. I'll have someone show you there." "That won't be necessary. I remember the way." "Then I will see to your nourishment. I'll have it brought up to you." "Come, Nicholas." As the pair of dusty and tired vampires started up the stairs, Nicholas turned back to his hostess. "Thank you, Janette." The barest flicker of a smile was there and gone in an instant. She turned and left the room. "Give her a century or two and she'll come around. I know she appreciates what you did, even though she asked you not to. She just doesn't know it yet. Give her time." Nick stared wearily after her for a while longer then continued up the stairs after his master. He reveled in the cleansing stream of a long warm shower and changed into clean clothes. Afterwards, Nick was able to think of feeding. The only thing available was human blood. By this time, he had accepted the inevitable. He was in no way in control of what was offered him and Janette would not bother to go to the extra trouble of obtaining anything else, especially for him. He accepted the offering and downed the entire bottle as the night before and went to bed, wishing sleep would overtake him as quickly and completely at it had the previous night. It was not to be. He lay wide awake the whole night, thinking of Natalie. He thought of their time together, the things she had done for him, the total and utter acceptance she had given him. No one, in all his years had done so much towards helping him feel what it was to be human and mortal again. * * * He rose that night with the ghost of a sleepless night with him, weighing on his body and mind. "I've figured out where he has taken her. He said in the note that he was going to an earlier home. Since his bizarre behavior has been aimed at me, it stands to reason he would mean my home, my mortal home in Brabant." "Very good, Nicholas. You have found your calling as a detective. I applaud your success. We are scheduled for a midnight flight to Brussels. Janette will not be here to see us off. She conveniently had business to attend to. If you ask me, it is too painful to be around you right now. She did leave you a little something in the way of a peace offering, however . She went to great lengths to obtain a supply of cow's blood just for you. " The table in Lacroix's room was set with several bottles. The master motioned Nick to sit and they both took their places, pouring the thick red liquid into the glasses that had been provided.. He sniffed one of the bottles before him and smiled. The familiar odor of bovine blood was welcome, indeed. end part 12 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 13 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 "How long has it been since you last visited your childhood home, Nicholas?" He stared across his glass at his companion. "Since after Fleur's death. I'll bet it's changed a lot, if it's even still standing." "Oh, it's still standing. Jean Pierre has been prepared thus far, there is no reason to think otherwise with what's to come." His childhood home would hold a lot of memories for him. They were on their way to the stronghold where he first drew breath, where he learned the art of warfare from his mother's knee. He had been taught, from an early age, that he had been born to fight for his lord and king, to give his very life if needs be. He had never been asked to make that ultimate sacrifice, although he had come very close to dying from a wound sustained during his experiences in the Crusades. So many things had transpired in his life before Lacroix had entered it and changed it's course forever, so many things that he had not thought about in such a long time. His eyes grew distant as his mind began to wander the cobwebbed halls of his mortal life while sipping the steer blood graciously provided by his long time companion and new daughter. The last time he had seen his mother alive, the time he had brought Lacroix and Janette with him he had been force to cut the visit short. In many ways , that visit had been meant as a farewell to all things mortal, an attempt to accept what he had become in this living death. He had not anticipated a bond would grow between his master and sister. He would have avoided that situation at any cost if he had known. Even though he had been able to command Fleur to forget her love for Lacroix , he had known that the time they had spent together haunted her the rest of her life. She had spoken of it often in her correspondences with him. How she always felt an empty place in her heart that would not be filled, of how the unnamed longing consumed her at times. Would, that he had been able to prevent this suffering thrust upon her innocent heart during her short life. How would this trip home affect his master? He had grown to understand the depths of feeling for his sister, that plagued Lacroix from time to time, undimmed by the slow passage of the centuries. Oddly enough, Lacroix's thoughts were wandering down the very same path of Fleur and the precious few moments he was allowed with her in the stretch of his nearly 2000 year life and how it had colored his attitudes during the last 700 or so. He knew her only a few short days and still the pain followed him through the endless parade of years which marked his immortality. They both sat in the silence of their mutual memories for some time as they fed off their preferred nourishments. When it became time for them to leave for De Gaulle Airport, the car arrived and they were on their way to Belgium and Nick's childhood home in Brabant. This time they flew on public airlines to Brussels. Nick sat in a window seat and stared out the at the varying landscape below as his mind kept going back to wander through his mortal life. Most of it had been spent in the pursuit of warfare, either learning it or thick in the middle of it. He had spent most of Fleur's life away, having been sent away to the Barre castle as a squire when she was still a wee small child. This had given him precious little time with her. Even then, she had radiated the loving vibrance of the sun in her smile. He had carried her fondly in his heart as he trained for his knighthood. Upon returning, she had grown into a young beauty full of grace and light. His heart had expected her to still be the wee one he had left, but his mind knew better. She had aged to 12 when he was pressed into the service of his Lord on a mission to Wales, and, from there, to the Crusades. Upon being seriously wounded in the campaigns, he was sent home to recover. He never made it any farther than Paris, where he was fated to meet Janette who turned him over to Lacroix. He had made the choice 800 years ago to shed the brave knight in shining armour and become a depraved creature of the night. The alluring promise of immortality and powers beyond imagining, had been too big of an allure to pass up. He should have known never to darken his mother's door with his presence, after all she was his mother no more. He had ransomed himself to a meaner creator, one whose habitation was the darkness hidden away in the hearts of man. When they arrived at the Brussels airport, it was too late to travel any farther. Mutually, they agreed it would be best to stay for the day since the sun was a bare 45 minutes away. They got a room at the Fredriksborg Hotel and settled in for the day. They carried their supply of blood with them. It had been no trouble to get through customs. The customs officials had found nothing unusual, at least they no longer remembered that they had. His first footstep on the ground as he deplaned, gave him a strangely different sensation. To walk the land of his nativity once again was quite pleasing. A sense of anticipation began to build in his breast, anticipation of seeing the keep he had called home long ago. It had been easy to leave the keep behind after the deaths of his mother and sister, after it had become evident he could no longer care for his nephew, Andre. Nicholas had set his feet on the path a long time ago and never expected to return. There was nothing here to hold him. Now he was going back for all the wrong reasons, carrying baggage full of uselessly ambiguous feelings that would only get in the way of his sole objective -- to safely emancipate Dr. Natalie Lambert. Many sensations came to him that night. He was struck by the incredible similarities to the experiences that he had encountered the night before a battle. The anxiety and fear. The fear, he tried to rationalize away, not wanting to admit it even existed. It was there and it was a real force to be reckoned with. It's smell was a familiar one, present at every battlefield he had ever been on. It didn't matter what country, or what century; men would die. This battle that he would fight would be to the death, he was sure of it. He floated in and out of sleep all that day, not sure how much rest he really got. Upon rising and feeding that night, he felt charged and ready for the conflict. He would ride the vampires equivalent of adrenaline that night. His one disadvantage would be his sleep-deprivation. As a child, Nick had had occasion to visit Brussels. It had set as a walled city at that time. The grand city was now over a millennia old and the life's blood of Belgium still ran through its vital streets. They left Brussels behind in their rented car and drove as far as they could , without improved roads. From there, they saddled and rode a couple of *borrowed* steeds. It felt good to Nicholas, being in the saddle again. Here the country took on a more unspoiled nature, more like the land of Nick's memory. This set the clock back several hundred years. The closer they came to their destination, the stronger the feeling of coming home became. Being back on a horse lent an air to the illusion that he had never left this land. The centuries standing between him and his home melted away as they pushed the animals into a full gallop to make better time. The scent of purple heather came to his nostrils and commanded his attention . His memory recalled his mother gathering the heather to use fresh or to dry for the long cold winters. It had many uses. He could remember the wonderfully soothing heather baths, the teas, and the heather honey. Shaking himself back to the present, he attempted to concentrate on the task at hand. end part 13 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 14 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 They rode on, pressing the horses to their limits. Nick could hear the thundering heartbeat of the beasts under him as its hooves pounded across the packed earth of the country path they followed. In the distance they could hear the howling of a wolf pack as its members talked back and forth in the darkness. The moon shown a crescent, peeking out from behind the thick dark clouds that dotted the sky The odor of living growing greenery mixed with the mouldering scent of death. The sights, sounds and smells sent Nicholas back to a time when he was just learning the art of the hunt. They entered a small clearing and he was so overwhelmed by the nostalgia of the moment it triggered, he had to stop and dismount. A look of fascination graced his face as his eye caught a particular tree. He strode up to the tall straight birch and caressed its trunk with his hands. Lacroix rode up behind him and stopped. "What are we stopping for, Nicholas ? If we don't keep moving, the sun will catch us out in the open." Nicholas made no move to leave, ignoring the urgency evident in the other's voice. "I brought down my first stag under this tree, well maybe not this very tree but one much like it. I was seven years old and anxious to be a man. I had been practicing long and hard with the bow on rodents and birds up until then. My father had finally felt I was ready for the hunt. I didn't disappoint him," Nick commented with a faraway look in his eye. Lacroix dismounted and walked up beside his son. "Do you prize as highly, the memory of your first kill the night I brought you over?" He wheeled to face him with a look of regret and pain on his face, then he purposefully returned to his mount and rode away from the spot. On through the meadow Nicholas went, closing the distance between him and his enemy. "I thought not." The master vampire smiled a sardonic smile as he watched Nicholas recede. Remounting, he rode after his reluctant protegee. Nick wasn't sure how he found the stone castle his family had occupied. Maybe it was some deeply buried instinct that had been born into him or perhaps a memory. He rode unerringly confident, following the path that would lead him to his desired destination. Reaching out with his newly strengthened senses, he was able to locate the vibration that was Jean Pierre and verify in his mind, he would indeed be up ahead, hopefully with Natalie. * * * Back in the Catacombs, when Jean Pierre had felt his pursuers were getting close to him and his captive, he had swooped her up in his arms and taken her to the airport. There, they boarded a flight to Brussels and continued on in a helicopter to the old castle estate. He had arrived a full day ahead of his pursuers, knowing they would arrive soon. He had previously laid in various supplies and prepared for the culmination of his long designed plans. The dungeon rooms below the castle keep were well secured. He planned to keep Dr. Lambert there, in her drugged stupor. * * * Topping the rise, Nick was totally unprepared for what greeted him. The fortress he had expected to be dilapidated had been restored to its former glory. It was obvious the renovations were fairly recent additions. The stone structure was wholly intact. The barrel vault or conical roofs over the towers were undamaged. The stone walls that should have shown their age by crumbling and disintegrating were reconstructed with the new stones a different color having not been exposed to the weathering effects of time and the elements. The embattled walls appeared as new as the day they were originally completed He rode up and stopped beside Nick, who looked to him stunned by the import of what he was seeing. "Of course, Jean Pierre has restored it for his purposes." Then, Lacroix continued on through the gateway that stood open to welcome their arrival. Nick looked on to see Lacroix enter. It was as if he was there again on the day he first brought his master through those gates. They had been greeted by the castle-guards who recognized Nicholas deBrabant and welcomed his return home. Then as now, the sun was in hot pursuit. * * * 1236, the Brabant Castle: "Quickly, Nichola. Get out of the sun." Janette screamed as they all fell through the door of the donjon, smoke rising from their singed skins. Lacroix screamed in pain as he was the one most exposed to the burning rays. "Ow. Madness, utter madness. We should never have come here. This!" The master vampire pointed to the blistered right side of his face. "This is what I get for humoring you. It will not happen again." He growled angrily . Janette moved over to Lacroix and examined the damage to his face. "My mother and sister have not seen me since I left for the Crusades. I'm not disappearing again until I have seen them one last time." Nick stood in the middle of the room, his back to a supporting stone column. "That is all very well and good, Nichola," Janette retorted. "But you presume a great deal, that we are prepared to die for one thing which we are not." "They are my flesh and blood." Nicholas looked to the top of the stairs waiting for a familiar face to appear. "Not any more." Lacroix passed in front of Nicholas, then added with contempt. "Get on with it." Fleur had just entered the room, making her appearance at the top of the stairs wanting to investigate the commotion of strange voices she was hearing. "Nichola, you're back. Nichola." In an instant she was down the stairs and in her brother's arms. "Oh, my dearest brother. Thank God, you're home. Can it be you after all these years." Both she and her mother had believed this lost son to be dead due to the length of time he had been gone and lack of word from him. Nick swirled her around in his arms then stopped and pushed her back to take a good look. "And, you a woman now. I can't believe my eyes. My little flower has blossomed." They embraced again and he gave her a loving kiss on the forehead. "My little Fleur." The excitement was evident in her bright, shining eyes as she begged, "You must tell me everything, the Crusade, the adventures." Nicholas always envied her love of live and her enthusiasm. How he missed her fresh outlook and hunger for knowledge and learning. In her short life, she burned much brighter than ever she would have had he stepped back and allowed Lacroix to make her a denizen of the night. No, he was right to stop his master from taking these things from her. * * * Present day: Yes, he told himself he felt that way, yet there was some part of him that wished she would come running down those steps and embrace him once more. Alas, it was not to be for she was a flower long withered and gone. Looking to the sky, he could see the sun nearing a dangerous level and moved to reach the safety of the stone structure that he had once called home. Nick crossed the threshold behind the elder vampire. end part 14 Robbi Knightie With Dark Tendencies Long Live the Knight egersdor@magiclink.com To Hell and Back Part 15 By Robbi Egersdorf copyright 1996 They stood in amazed silence to see the room about lit with candles and torches set in their original holders. The floor was strewn with straw and grasses. Rich tapestries adorned the walls as they sported their scenes of the hunt and of knightly conquests. Multicolored banners hung from the ceiling much in the same way as was done when last they visited this place. The walls resonated with Fleur's life force and charm and Lacroix got the eerie feeling that Fleur would appear at the top of the stairs. He looked to the doorway and Jean Claude stood watching their reactions, shattering the ephemeral illusion. Jean Pierre looked at them with a proud smile on his face. "Before you do something we will both regret, I must warn you these rooms are under surveillance cameras. I have someone with your dear pet. If anything goes amiss, he is instructed to kill her immediately." They stood staring at their host, unmoving. "Now that we have that little unpleasantness out of the way, how do you like it?" He threw his arms wide, indicating their surroudings. There was a pause in hopes he would be praised and awed for his accomplishment, but the two before him stood silently waiting for his next move. When no reply was forthcoming, he continued. "I've been working on it quite some time, for just this moment. I can see from your reactions, you approve." He began to descend the stairs. Clapping his hands, two young and beautiful girls entered the room. "I have arranged for your sustenance." He waved the girls over to the waiting vampires. "They're all yours." At that signal, the girls came forward and put their arms around the men, kissing and teasing them. Nick angrily grabbed the woman in front of him and pushed her away from him. "Don't do this." She appeared to be disappointed and confused by his resistance and continued to attempt getting closer to him. He jerked her again and screamed deep and threateningly, "I said NO!" After that outburst, she became quite distressed. Jean Pierre had now reached the bottom of the stairs and had witnessed the whole exchange. "Don't be so hard on her, brother. She is just doing what she has been told . Come, my dear." and he motioned for her to approach him. He greeted her with glowing eyes and lethal, predatory teeth. Taking her in his arms, he brushed her long blonde hair away from her ivory neck. Letting go a feral, savage cry he sunk his teeth into her waiting flesh and drank deeply of her. When she could no longer stand, he lowered her to the floor and left her there, discarded and drained. "She was exquisite." He remarked as he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. He looked to Nick, who had turned away in disgust and in an effort to stave off the hunger that was aroused by the whole scene. "My, haven't you grown haughty about the source of your food. You take your nourishment from a bottle without a so much a