Book One, Chapters 71 to 80
The Vampire's Daughter
Book One
Chapters 71 to 80
Book One
Chapters 71 to 80
Copyright, 2003, 2004, 2005, Reuben Gregg Brewer, all rights reserved.
0071
During the day, Wayne continued to struggle with his addiction. When he slept, it was fitful and filled with nightmares.
One of his dreams kept repeating over and over. In it, he was a monkey in a huge cage. He ran back and forth behind the bars helpless watching as strange creatures killed the other monkeys in the cage with him.
These monsters would make Wayne pick the monkeys they were going to kill and then make him watch.
At first he tried to pick sick or dying monkeys, but eventually there weren't any left. He had to start picking healthy monkeys. Once that happened, he gave up. He didn’t even bother trying to pick, he just pointed. Any monkey would do so long as it appeased the monsters.
No longer running back and forth as the monkeys he chose were executed, he could see off in the distance other animals watching the murders. One of those animals noticed this and walked to him. The animal didn't come into clear focus until it was in front of his cage. It was an old lioness. At first the lioness shocked him and he was afraid of her.
"We have your child, but she is in danger," the lioness said, but Wayne could only make monkey sounds.
"She needs you, you must help her before they find her." Again, Wayne could only make useless noises.
"We are hiding her, but they will find her. You must be there for her." Then Wayne would wake up yelling.
Every time, John poked his head in and asked, "You O.K.?"
At first, all Wayne wanted was more smack. But the more the dream repeated the stronger was his resolve to get beyond his addiction. The stronger his resolve, the more he could see in his dream and the less he feared the lioness.
He saw that the cage he and the other monkeys were in was very small even though it seemed very large before. The other animals were all over, roaming freely, but looking on sadly as the monkeys were killed. The monsters, though, were always the same horrific beasts. He couldn’t remember exactly what they looked like, but he could remember his fear.
The lioness always said the same things, but each time she seemed older and wiser. Behind her, he could see three other lions protecting something. The old lioness was the fourth. One lion always seemed to be asleep as the others watched. When the others slept, the sleeping lion was awake.
The more the dream repeated the more Wayne wanted to be a lion because he knew the lions were protecting his child. He knew that this was his duty, too.
0072
When Sabastian and Sol rose the next evening, Sabastian asked, "Did Elizabeth send you?"
"No, I came on my own. Although I don't particularly like Baal and his friends, I don't want to see them senselessly destroyed."
"True, I had no reason to kill them except that they intended to attack me.
"Is Elizabeth going back to the Tribunal?"
"No, Enforcers have been sent out to collect more information. They will report to me, and I will report to her. When we have more to work with, the Tribunal will reconvene."
"I see. And where will you be spending your time?"
"With your permission, I would like to spend a good portion of it with you," Sol stated.
"Is this honor for my protection or for your friends’ protection?"
"Both. It’s obvious that you will not accept asylum at Madam President's home. I don't trust anyone else to watch over you, nor do I expect you would allow anyone else to stay in your home. I am, for better or for worse, the only choice."
"Indeed. And if I refuse you?"
"Then we will have more deaths to sort through."
"Yes, I am certain you are correct. Perhaps, for the evening, however, we should visit Madam President."
"She was hoping you would," Sol replied.
When they arrived at Elizabeth's home, she was sitting alone reading from an old leather bound book. "Sabastian, you have decided to come. I'm so very happy.
"I've been reading from my old diaries. They have brought back some very fond memories."
"We had many good times together, my dear. Your shirt is very flattering," he said changing the topic to something he knew she would want to talk about. "Perhaps a bit more revealing than you would have worn when we were together, but I do not find the gratuitous display of your cleavage the least bit disturbing."
"Thank you Sabastian, the modern dress is much more liberated and liberating. Do you remember the devil of a time I had getting into those corsets and hoop skirt contraptions."
"Well," Sol interrupted, "since you two are jaunting down memory lane, I hope you won't mind if I leave to do some work."
"Of course not, my dear," Elizabeth said, "you do what you must. If you should find anything of interest, please make sure that I am informed before anyone else."
"Madam President, that was, of course, my plan."
"You are so very loyal, Sol. I truly appreciate that."
"Thank you Elizabeth," Sol replied with a gentle smile before turning and leaving.
Still looking at the door, Elizabeth said, "He is truly fond of you Sabastian. I believe he sees you as a kindred spirit of sorts."
"He certainly is a very kind and gentle companion. He has a deep passion. It has been a long time since I have been happy in the company of our kind," stated Sabastian.
"Well, I hope he isn't the only one you are happy to be around," Elizabeth said with a playful pout.
"Sol pales in comparison to the joy our reunion has brought."
"Oh posh, now you mock me."
"Only gently," Sabastian said with a smile.
0073
"So," Elizabeth started, "why did you come back? I thought you wanted your freedom."
"Yes, but it appeared that I was to have a chaperone regardless of my desires."
"You know I didn't send him."
"Yes, I know. To be honest, his unexpected arrival last evening saved the lives of seven Enforcers."
"He feared that Baal might attempt to kill you."
"His fears were justified. Interestingly, I truly believe he followed me to stop the killing. It did not matter who was to die, he simply did not want anyone to die."
"Yes, he's strange that way. From the very beginning killing was difficult for him. He doesn't kill any more than he needs to, and he doesn't like anyone to see him feed. He is, in all honesty, the perfect leader for the Enforcers. For too long they have killed indiscriminately."
"Yes."
"I bet you never expected something like that to come out of my mouth," Elizabeth said with a smile.
"It is nice to hear."
"We are more alike than you think."
"Are we?"
"Yes. I've never spoken to anyone about my life before, not even you.
"I was the youngest of seven children. We were desperately poor. I prostituted myself to make money.
"At thirteen I gave birth to a daughter. I watched her die from malnutrition at the age of two. That was when I ran away from home. It was also when Thomas found me.
"He kept me as a servant for many years before he sired me. Yet, through all of these years, I still think of my daughter."
"There is a subtle difference my dear. Your daughter was taken from you, but I was taken from my daughter," Sabastian said without any emotion.
"I know. And I regret that. I was young and foolish. The consequences of my actions didn't occur to me. I am sorry."
"Thank you."
"You miss her still, don't you?"
"Yes," Sabastian answered, "but I forgave you long ago."
"That is good to know. But will you forgive me this time, when I am forced to take this girl from you?"
"Elizabeth, how many times must I tell you that I do not know what you are talking about?"
"There is no point lying to me, as soon as I learned of the girl I knew the rumor of your involvement was true. But you need not fear me, Sabastian, I will do everything in my power to protect you."
"If I were involved, what would you do to protect the girl?"
"There is nothing I can do. It is beyond my control. I can only protect you. Any humans involved would die."
"So you would take my daughter from me and then take the girl that you believe has touched on the memories of my child?"
"Sabastian, don't be like that. You know I am sorry. Though we never spoke of it, you always knew I regretted it. As for the present situation, you know the rules by which I am bound."
"Your rules mean nothing to me."
0074
"Sabastian, I am trying to help you. Please let me help you," Elizabeth pleaded.
"No. You offer to help me, but I do not need your assistance. Even if you and your Tribunal decide that these accusations are true, I can defend myself quite capably. At least well enough to flee your unwarranted persecution.
"It is the child that needs your help. Not to mention the police officers involved. These are the ones who need you, but you offer them nothing.
"No, Elizabeth, I do not need your help. But others do. Others who have nothing to do with our kind. That likely do not even know of our existence."
"Sabastian," Elizabeth said testily, "don't get high and mighty with me. You feed as we all do. You are a killer just as much as I. And if you are involved, as I believe, you will be just as much to blame for their deaths."
"Regardless of my involvement, you will have ordered the death of innocents, not I."
"I do not wish to fight," Elizabeth said quietly. "Fighting will resolve nothing. Your involvement or not, we will find and kill the humans. And with or without your confession, I will work to protect you as best I can.
"I wanted to spend an evening reminiscing with you. Catching up on old times. But, perhaps, that is not possible at present."
"Perhaps not," Sabastian agreed. "Perhaps I have seen and caused too much pain to reminisce. And the involvement of a little girl does bring back painful memories."
"Sabastian, I love you dearly," said Elizabeth. "I will do what I can for you, but I must follow the laws. If I don't, my authority, the authority of the Tribunal, will crumble.
"If the Tribunal falls, there will be chaos. The fallout will be so devastating that not even the great Sabastian will be able to contain the damage.
"The city no longer belongs to you Sabastian. You gave up your control and you won't be able to take it back. Your time has passed.
"Go. Fight your skirmishes while we prepare for a war. Save the girl if you can."
"It seems," Sabastian answered solemnly, "that while we have grown to understand each other in some ways, we have grown further apart in others."
"Yes," Elizabeth answered, "but duty is what drives me now. Not love. You are concerned with the life of one girl. I am concerned with the lives of both our kind and the humans."
"Can you honestly tell yourself that the end will justify the means, that two lives are worth less than your precious rules?" Sabastian asked.
"The rules have allowed us to live for thousands of years. Do you believe the girl's life is worth our exposure?"
"These are different times, a handful or even a city full of people who think they know of our existence would do us no harm."
"We are solving nothing," said Elizabeth. "We are only angering each other. Nothing we say here will change what you or I do.
"Go, Sabastian. Go to save the girl."
As he left, Sabastian looked back and said, "Elizabeth, I am involved in this only because the Tribunal has drawn me into it. I firmly disagree with what you are allowing to happen.
"I will be at my home, presumably under the watchful eye of the Enforcers."
0075
On the way back to his house, Sabastian could feel the eyes of the Enforcers following him. He paid little attention, though, because his mind was on Elizabeth and Susan.
Elizabeth was, of course, correct about his involvement in the murder. And it was Susan, the victim's daughter, that drew him in. She knew him well enough to pick up on that fact.
Part of him wanted to tell Elizabeth the truth, but his concern for Susan overpowered this desire. Sabastian knew that if he openly admitted his involvement, it would seal the girl's death. He could not allow that to happen. He had to fight.
But, despite his desires, he was more powerless to help now than ever. He could not go to Susan because he would be followed.
His only option now was to go home and wait. But wait for what?
If he did nothing, they would eventually find Susan. And if he went to her, they would definitely find her. He was in a no win situation.
Information was the only thing he could hope for now. He would have to bide his time until he had more information. But the only place for him to get information was Elizabeth and the Tribunal.
Tomorrow, he would have to go back to Elizabeth. If it meant an apology, then so be it. He was angry at the way the Tribunal treated him, and that was an adequate excuse for lashing out. She would still suspect his involvement, but after the argument, he felt it was unlikely they would discuss it in great detail again.
As he stepped into the front courtyard, he was playing through different scenarios in preparation for the next evening. His watchful companions were still with him.
He knew they would not step foot on his property unless they wanted a fight. He turned around at the gate to the inner court and said, "Good night," before stepping through the archway.
To his surprise, he found Sol sitting quietly on the steps to his home.
Loudly Sol announced, "You have done well, leave us. I will take over from here."
"Well, it is a pleasant surprise to see you again so soon Sol. You mask your mind well."
"It helps that you are distracted. You certainly took your time getting home."
"I was, as you said, distracted. I find long walks in the fresh air help to clear my mind," Sabastian replied. "So, Elizabeth has you guarding me tonight."
"No, she doesn't know I'm here."
"So you came of your own accord, again. That is nice to hear. Are you afraid that Baal might make another appearance?"
"I am certain he will, but not tonight. I am here because I am concerned about this situation," Sol answered.
"I appreciate that, but I can handle myself well enough."
"Can the girl?"
"I doubt that she can," Sabastian answered, wondering what game Sol was playing.
"I, like Elizabeth, am bound to the rules of the Tribunal. I know you and Elizabeth had a fight tonight. She was very distressed by it. She feels you do not understand her allegiances."
"It is not a case of misunderstanding. I simply do not agree with her decisions on this matter."
"Nor do I," Sol stated flatly.
Sabastian still felt as though he were being played, but he had no choice but to go along for the ride. "Shall we go inside where it is more private?" he asked.
"Yes, and if I may impose on you again, I would appreciate lodging for the night."
"Certainly," Sabastian said, holding the door open for Sol.
0076
Sitting in the living room, Sol started, "Elizabeth believes very strongly that you are involved with the murder and are hiding the girl. From what we know, the mother was addicted to drugs and the girl is probably better off without her.
"Ultimately, I do not know if you are involved and I don’t care.
"What I do know is that the Tribunal has already ordered several human's killed over the situation. These were, in my opinion, needless slayings that complicated matters far more than they helped. The Tribunal is often more aggressive then I believe it needs to be.
"One strange murder would have gone largely unnoticed. Killing everyone who had knowledge of the case only brings more attention to the case.
"I am, however, bound to do what I am told. So I must see this through in whatever manner the Tribunal wishes. You can trust me up until that point and no further."
"Is trust between you and I at issue?" Sabastian asked.
"It will be. You see, while I am slave to certain rules, you are not. You have never accepted the Tribunal's authority and are, thus, free from it.
"You can save this girl and the officer."
"And how am I to do this?" asked Sabastian.
"I can't physically aid you, but I can provide you with information."
"I must, then, trust that you are not trying to set me up?"
"Yes. The way I see it, if you are involved, you will welcome my help. If you are not, you will want to stop unnecessary killings.
"I think we are very much alike. I would like to believe that I would step in to help if I were in your shoes."
Sabastian looked at Sol carefully. He had shown nothing but friendship and kindness, but he was, still, something of an unknown. Elizabeth or the Tribunal could be using Sol as a trap.
Even if he continued to deny direct involvement, taking any steps based on Sol's information would be involvement enough to convince the Tribunal of his guilt.
Then there was still the issue of the Enforcers following him. "What, if I may be so bold, could you tell me that would help save these lives?"
"I spent the evening watching the apartment of a drug dealer that the officer interrogated before he conveniently disappeared. The officer is there. You are the only one who knows of this other than I. I will inform Elizabeth at midnight tomorrow."
"Based on this I am to go save these two men? What about my constant escort?" Sabastian asked.
"You will find no Enforcers following you tomorrow evening if you set out early. I will leave you and order you watched only after I get back to the Tribunal's headquarters."
"Why do this, it could get you killed?" Sabastian asked.
"I have spent many hours talking with a mutual acquaintance. He has done many things that he regrets. His decisions torture him. I don't wish to be tortured by my decisions," Sol answered. "I want to believe that I made the best choices available to me.
"Helping you is, at present, the best choice available to me. To attempt anything myself would deprive you of a valuable resource and would quickly lead to my death."
"Yes, the moment you were suspected you would be killed and there is little Elizabeth could do to help you," Sabastian replied. "It is late, I will think about your proposal, but now we must rest."
0077
The next morning, Wayne woke up from his recurring dream and the pain of detoxing was mostly gone. His battle was far from over, but his mind was thinking of only one thing—he had to talk to that crazy old lady.
It was early when he walked out of the bedroom. John was still asleep, so Wayne quietly took a shower. On his way back to the bedroom, he woke John up. "John, get up. I can't explain it, but we have to go back and talk to that old lady."
"What?" John sat up startled. "Oh, hey, you look much better today."
"I feel better, but we have to hurry up. I need to talk to that old lady again."
"You mean Grandma Death? Why do you want to talk to her, she's a nut case?"
"I'm not so certain about that. I just want to talk to her again. And this time, I want to do the talking."
"Yeah, sure," John said rolling over, "we can head out later."
"No, we need to go now."
"O.K., O.K. What fire got into your belly?" John asked.
"No fire, I had a dream," Wayne answered, as he started to get dressed.
"Great, Martin Luther King is going to talk to Grandma Death. This should be fun," John said, as he walked into the bathroom.
After a quick breakfast, the two of them headed over to Jane's building to talk with Claudia.
Without hesitation, Claudia let the pair in and made tea. "What can I do for you today?" she asked, as she put the teapot down.
"I want to tell you about my dream," Wayne said.
"I came all this way to listen to you tell her about a dream?" John asked.
"He is right to tell me this dream," Claudia admonished. "Come, tell me."
Wayne recounted the dream of the monkeys, monsters, and lions. John scoffed at the story while entertaining himself by snooping around the living room. Claudia listened intently.
When Wayne finished, Claudia asked, "What is your cage?"
"Heroin," he replied. John didn't say anything but thought, "As if that weren't too obvious."
"Ahh, but the bars are not strong like they were. You are close to breaking free."
"Yeah, I think I am."
"And then what happen to your dream?" Claudia asked.
"I don't know."
"What do you want to happen?"
"I want to be one of the lions."
"Yes, you do. Like your friend. Like Janet. Like me. And like Sabastian."
"Yes, the four lions. I want to be like the four lions protecting the child."
"No," Claudia said softly, "we are protecting your child." John turned around and looked at the old lady.
"You knew the moment you saw me," Wayne said.
"Yes, but I not know if you would be back. I am happy you finally believing what you see."
0078
"I want to see her, do you know when they'll be back?" Wayne asked Claudia.
"No, I do not know," she answered.
John, who was now sitting in a chair, was trying to get his hands around what was happening. His erstwhile partner was the father of the murder victim's daughter. No one really knew where she was and she was the only one who might know the killer. And then there was this Sabastian guy who Claudia claimed was death.
"Do you know where they went?" asked John.
"I tell you truth before. I tell you what I know."
Wayne grabbed one of Susan's pictures and a crayon, and wrote his number on the back. "This is my number," he said to Claudia, "please call me when they come back."
"I will," she said, touching his face.
John held his tongue until they left the building, at which point he asked, "What the heck was that all about?" As was his custom, he threw in some additional expletives for good measure.
"You're the detective, I'm sure you're able to understand what's going on," Wayne answered.
"Yeah, I get it. You think you’re the kid's father."
"Yes, Susan is my daughter."
"What I want to know about is this lion and monkey business."
"I think that's pretty simple, too. Whoever is after Susan is the same person, or people, that killed everyone else that's been involved in this case. I can't let that happen to Susan. To my daughter."
"What about this Sabastian fellow?"
"He's on our side."
"Our side? Wayne, I'm trying to solve a murder. I don't want to see this little, I mean, your little girl killed, but she's a witness. If this Sabastian character is the killer, why do you think he'd be on our side?"
"I don't know, but that's what my gut tells me."
"Funny," John said as they got onto the subway, "my gut tells me he's a cold blooded killer. And Grandma Death seems to think he's a killer, too."
"No, she didn't say he was a killer, she said he was death."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. I should have seen the difference," John joked, but with a rather serious tone.
"John, do you want to save Susan or use Susan?" Wayne asked.
"Both."
The two men were silent for the rest of the ride. There was little more to discuss and the only option at this point was to wait. It would simply be a long, silent wait.
0079
When Sol awoke, Sabastian was already gone. Although he spent some time searching, he knew that his host had taken him up on the offer of help.
Knowing that he hadn't stood idly by as people were unnecessarily killed made Sol feel good. He only hoped that Sabastian would be able to stop the killing.
Sol spent a little extra time getting ready for the night in order to give Sabastian as big a head start as possible. After about an hour, he decided he couldn't justify any further dawdling and walked to Madam President's house.
There he explained to Elizabeth that the last time he saw Sabastian he was still at home. This was, as it were, not a lie, just not the whole truth.
"Well, I'm sure he won't go to the girl," Elizabeth said, "that would lead us directly to her. He knows that."
"This is true," Sol answered.
"I'm worried Sol. This situation is dangerous. I know very well how powerful Sabastian is, but I think he underestimates the strength of the Enforcers. While any one, perhaps even 10 or 20 Enforcers would be easy prey for him, I do not believe he can overcome the number that would be sent after him if the other members of the Tribunal get their way."
"And what is it they seek?"
"Is it not obvious? They would send all of the Enforcers to kill him. And if that were not enough, they would send every coven in the city to his door.
"I am but one vote, Sol. I am using all of my influence to keep them at bay. I don't know how much longer I can stop them from acting.
"As it is, Dana acted without my consent when the body and witnesses were killed. By the time I was involved, there was little choice but to continue what had begun. I don't know who ordered the Enforcers or if the directive came from Dana.
"What I do know is that someone or group is undermining my authority. I no longer know who to trust."
"Perhaps, and I mean no disrespect Elizabeth, you should pay a visit to your sire."
"Thomas? Why would he help? He repeatedly tried to kill Sabastian. While he learned to accept Sabastian's presence, I believe he would be just as happy to see him dead."
"I think, Madam President" Sol paused, "you will find that time changes many of us. Our blessing, eternal life, is often our curse. We cannot escape our pasts no matter how far we run."
"This is very true, Sol. I feel this more and more keenly myself as the years pass.
"I suppose you can tell me where to find Thomas."
"Yes."
Sol told Elizabeth where to go. He also explained his plans for the night—he would send some of his men to watch over Sabastian and continue working his connections. He would report back to Elizabeth as soon as he had more to tell her.
"Thank you, Sol. You are very loyal."
He nodded and left.
0080
Sabastian had indeed taken Sol up on the offer of help. While he didn't want to see the police officer die, his interest now was far more selfish. Sabastian believed that the officer could help keep Susan alive.
He arrived at the address Sol provided and decided that the front door would work best.
Hearing the knock, John asked Wayne, "Who do think that is?"
"I don't know. Maybe some junky is desperate and is willing to risk buying from me."
"Well, get rid of him. The last thing I need is for you to fall back in with the wrong crowd."
"Yes dad," Wayne said, as he went to the door. Looking through the peephole, he was surprised to see a man in a suit. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but opened the door anyway.
As soon as Wayne had a good look at Sabastian, he knew who he was. Wayne went white as a sheet, stepped back, and said, "You're Sabastian. You're death."
Hearing those words, John had his gun drawn and pointed at the door.
Sabastian walked in and said, "My name is, indeed, Sabastian, death, however, seems somewhat inappropriate. Who, if I might inquire, am I addressing?"
"My name is Wayne Cashman."
"Hello Wayne," Sabastian said, putting out his hand.
Instinctively Wayne shook his hand, but was horrified at the idea of touching the man Claudia called death.
"I assure you, I am not here to hurt you," Sabastian said to comfort him. "Are you not going to introduce me to your friend? Indeed we have met, but I was unable to catch his name."
"My name is Detective John Lewis and you are under arrest for murder."
"There are more pressing issues to deal with at the moment."
"No, I don't think there are. Put your hands up."
"I would appreciate if you put the gun away."
"I'll put the gun away when I've got you in cuffs."
"Then you will be holding your gun for a very long time Detective John Lewis.
"I do not have much time. You are both in grave danger. This apartment is being watched. They know you are here and very soon there will be an attempt to kill both of you. I suggest you leave and find another place to stay. One that is not in any way associated with either of you."
While Sabastian was talking, John had moved around and closed the door. "Why should I believe you?" he asked standing with his back to the door.
"Have I lied to you before?"
"No."
"Then why would you expect I am lying now?"
Out of nowhere, Wayne blurted out, "Susan is my daughter. I need to save her, can you help me?"
0071
During the day, Wayne continued to struggle with his addiction. When he slept, it was fitful and filled with nightmares.
One of his dreams kept repeating over and over. In it, he was a monkey in a huge cage. He ran back and forth behind the bars helpless watching as strange creatures killed the other monkeys in the cage with him.
These monsters would make Wayne pick the monkeys they were going to kill and then make him watch.
At first he tried to pick sick or dying monkeys, but eventually there weren't any left. He had to start picking healthy monkeys. Once that happened, he gave up. He didn’t even bother trying to pick, he just pointed. Any monkey would do so long as it appeased the monsters.
No longer running back and forth as the monkeys he chose were executed, he could see off in the distance other animals watching the murders. One of those animals noticed this and walked to him. The animal didn't come into clear focus until it was in front of his cage. It was an old lioness. At first the lioness shocked him and he was afraid of her.
"We have your child, but she is in danger," the lioness said, but Wayne could only make monkey sounds.
"She needs you, you must help her before they find her." Again, Wayne could only make useless noises.
"We are hiding her, but they will find her. You must be there for her." Then Wayne would wake up yelling.
Every time, John poked his head in and asked, "You O.K.?"
At first, all Wayne wanted was more smack. But the more the dream repeated the stronger was his resolve to get beyond his addiction. The stronger his resolve, the more he could see in his dream and the less he feared the lioness.
He saw that the cage he and the other monkeys were in was very small even though it seemed very large before. The other animals were all over, roaming freely, but looking on sadly as the monkeys were killed. The monsters, though, were always the same horrific beasts. He couldn’t remember exactly what they looked like, but he could remember his fear.
The lioness always said the same things, but each time she seemed older and wiser. Behind her, he could see three other lions protecting something. The old lioness was the fourth. One lion always seemed to be asleep as the others watched. When the others slept, the sleeping lion was awake.
The more the dream repeated the more Wayne wanted to be a lion because he knew the lions were protecting his child. He knew that this was his duty, too.
0072
When Sabastian and Sol rose the next evening, Sabastian asked, "Did Elizabeth send you?"
"No, I came on my own. Although I don't particularly like Baal and his friends, I don't want to see them senselessly destroyed."
"True, I had no reason to kill them except that they intended to attack me.
"Is Elizabeth going back to the Tribunal?"
"No, Enforcers have been sent out to collect more information. They will report to me, and I will report to her. When we have more to work with, the Tribunal will reconvene."
"I see. And where will you be spending your time?"
"With your permission, I would like to spend a good portion of it with you," Sol stated.
"Is this honor for my protection or for your friends’ protection?"
"Both. It’s obvious that you will not accept asylum at Madam President's home. I don't trust anyone else to watch over you, nor do I expect you would allow anyone else to stay in your home. I am, for better or for worse, the only choice."
"Indeed. And if I refuse you?"
"Then we will have more deaths to sort through."
"Yes, I am certain you are correct. Perhaps, for the evening, however, we should visit Madam President."
"She was hoping you would," Sol replied.
When they arrived at Elizabeth's home, she was sitting alone reading from an old leather bound book. "Sabastian, you have decided to come. I'm so very happy.
"I've been reading from my old diaries. They have brought back some very fond memories."
"We had many good times together, my dear. Your shirt is very flattering," he said changing the topic to something he knew she would want to talk about. "Perhaps a bit more revealing than you would have worn when we were together, but I do not find the gratuitous display of your cleavage the least bit disturbing."
"Thank you Sabastian, the modern dress is much more liberated and liberating. Do you remember the devil of a time I had getting into those corsets and hoop skirt contraptions."
"Well," Sol interrupted, "since you two are jaunting down memory lane, I hope you won't mind if I leave to do some work."
"Of course not, my dear," Elizabeth said, "you do what you must. If you should find anything of interest, please make sure that I am informed before anyone else."
"Madam President, that was, of course, my plan."
"You are so very loyal, Sol. I truly appreciate that."
"Thank you Elizabeth," Sol replied with a gentle smile before turning and leaving.
Still looking at the door, Elizabeth said, "He is truly fond of you Sabastian. I believe he sees you as a kindred spirit of sorts."
"He certainly is a very kind and gentle companion. He has a deep passion. It has been a long time since I have been happy in the company of our kind," stated Sabastian.
"Well, I hope he isn't the only one you are happy to be around," Elizabeth said with a playful pout.
"Sol pales in comparison to the joy our reunion has brought."
"Oh posh, now you mock me."
"Only gently," Sabastian said with a smile.
0073
"So," Elizabeth started, "why did you come back? I thought you wanted your freedom."
"Yes, but it appeared that I was to have a chaperone regardless of my desires."
"You know I didn't send him."
"Yes, I know. To be honest, his unexpected arrival last evening saved the lives of seven Enforcers."
"He feared that Baal might attempt to kill you."
"His fears were justified. Interestingly, I truly believe he followed me to stop the killing. It did not matter who was to die, he simply did not want anyone to die."
"Yes, he's strange that way. From the very beginning killing was difficult for him. He doesn't kill any more than he needs to, and he doesn't like anyone to see him feed. He is, in all honesty, the perfect leader for the Enforcers. For too long they have killed indiscriminately."
"Yes."
"I bet you never expected something like that to come out of my mouth," Elizabeth said with a smile.
"It is nice to hear."
"We are more alike than you think."
"Are we?"
"Yes. I've never spoken to anyone about my life before, not even you.
"I was the youngest of seven children. We were desperately poor. I prostituted myself to make money.
"At thirteen I gave birth to a daughter. I watched her die from malnutrition at the age of two. That was when I ran away from home. It was also when Thomas found me.
"He kept me as a servant for many years before he sired me. Yet, through all of these years, I still think of my daughter."
"There is a subtle difference my dear. Your daughter was taken from you, but I was taken from my daughter," Sabastian said without any emotion.
"I know. And I regret that. I was young and foolish. The consequences of my actions didn't occur to me. I am sorry."
"Thank you."
"You miss her still, don't you?"
"Yes," Sabastian answered, "but I forgave you long ago."
"That is good to know. But will you forgive me this time, when I am forced to take this girl from you?"
"Elizabeth, how many times must I tell you that I do not know what you are talking about?"
"There is no point lying to me, as soon as I learned of the girl I knew the rumor of your involvement was true. But you need not fear me, Sabastian, I will do everything in my power to protect you."
"If I were involved, what would you do to protect the girl?"
"There is nothing I can do. It is beyond my control. I can only protect you. Any humans involved would die."
"So you would take my daughter from me and then take the girl that you believe has touched on the memories of my child?"
"Sabastian, don't be like that. You know I am sorry. Though we never spoke of it, you always knew I regretted it. As for the present situation, you know the rules by which I am bound."
"Your rules mean nothing to me."
0074
"Sabastian, I am trying to help you. Please let me help you," Elizabeth pleaded.
"No. You offer to help me, but I do not need your assistance. Even if you and your Tribunal decide that these accusations are true, I can defend myself quite capably. At least well enough to flee your unwarranted persecution.
"It is the child that needs your help. Not to mention the police officers involved. These are the ones who need you, but you offer them nothing.
"No, Elizabeth, I do not need your help. But others do. Others who have nothing to do with our kind. That likely do not even know of our existence."
"Sabastian," Elizabeth said testily, "don't get high and mighty with me. You feed as we all do. You are a killer just as much as I. And if you are involved, as I believe, you will be just as much to blame for their deaths."
"Regardless of my involvement, you will have ordered the death of innocents, not I."
"I do not wish to fight," Elizabeth said quietly. "Fighting will resolve nothing. Your involvement or not, we will find and kill the humans. And with or without your confession, I will work to protect you as best I can.
"I wanted to spend an evening reminiscing with you. Catching up on old times. But, perhaps, that is not possible at present."
"Perhaps not," Sabastian agreed. "Perhaps I have seen and caused too much pain to reminisce. And the involvement of a little girl does bring back painful memories."
"Sabastian, I love you dearly," said Elizabeth. "I will do what I can for you, but I must follow the laws. If I don't, my authority, the authority of the Tribunal, will crumble.
"If the Tribunal falls, there will be chaos. The fallout will be so devastating that not even the great Sabastian will be able to contain the damage.
"The city no longer belongs to you Sabastian. You gave up your control and you won't be able to take it back. Your time has passed.
"Go. Fight your skirmishes while we prepare for a war. Save the girl if you can."
"It seems," Sabastian answered solemnly, "that while we have grown to understand each other in some ways, we have grown further apart in others."
"Yes," Elizabeth answered, "but duty is what drives me now. Not love. You are concerned with the life of one girl. I am concerned with the lives of both our kind and the humans."
"Can you honestly tell yourself that the end will justify the means, that two lives are worth less than your precious rules?" Sabastian asked.
"The rules have allowed us to live for thousands of years. Do you believe the girl's life is worth our exposure?"
"These are different times, a handful or even a city full of people who think they know of our existence would do us no harm."
"We are solving nothing," said Elizabeth. "We are only angering each other. Nothing we say here will change what you or I do.
"Go, Sabastian. Go to save the girl."
As he left, Sabastian looked back and said, "Elizabeth, I am involved in this only because the Tribunal has drawn me into it. I firmly disagree with what you are allowing to happen.
"I will be at my home, presumably under the watchful eye of the Enforcers."
0075
On the way back to his house, Sabastian could feel the eyes of the Enforcers following him. He paid little attention, though, because his mind was on Elizabeth and Susan.
Elizabeth was, of course, correct about his involvement in the murder. And it was Susan, the victim's daughter, that drew him in. She knew him well enough to pick up on that fact.
Part of him wanted to tell Elizabeth the truth, but his concern for Susan overpowered this desire. Sabastian knew that if he openly admitted his involvement, it would seal the girl's death. He could not allow that to happen. He had to fight.
But, despite his desires, he was more powerless to help now than ever. He could not go to Susan because he would be followed.
His only option now was to go home and wait. But wait for what?
If he did nothing, they would eventually find Susan. And if he went to her, they would definitely find her. He was in a no win situation.
Information was the only thing he could hope for now. He would have to bide his time until he had more information. But the only place for him to get information was Elizabeth and the Tribunal.
Tomorrow, he would have to go back to Elizabeth. If it meant an apology, then so be it. He was angry at the way the Tribunal treated him, and that was an adequate excuse for lashing out. She would still suspect his involvement, but after the argument, he felt it was unlikely they would discuss it in great detail again.
As he stepped into the front courtyard, he was playing through different scenarios in preparation for the next evening. His watchful companions were still with him.
He knew they would not step foot on his property unless they wanted a fight. He turned around at the gate to the inner court and said, "Good night," before stepping through the archway.
To his surprise, he found Sol sitting quietly on the steps to his home.
Loudly Sol announced, "You have done well, leave us. I will take over from here."
"Well, it is a pleasant surprise to see you again so soon Sol. You mask your mind well."
"It helps that you are distracted. You certainly took your time getting home."
"I was, as you said, distracted. I find long walks in the fresh air help to clear my mind," Sabastian replied. "So, Elizabeth has you guarding me tonight."
"No, she doesn't know I'm here."
"So you came of your own accord, again. That is nice to hear. Are you afraid that Baal might make another appearance?"
"I am certain he will, but not tonight. I am here because I am concerned about this situation," Sol answered.
"I appreciate that, but I can handle myself well enough."
"Can the girl?"
"I doubt that she can," Sabastian answered, wondering what game Sol was playing.
"I, like Elizabeth, am bound to the rules of the Tribunal. I know you and Elizabeth had a fight tonight. She was very distressed by it. She feels you do not understand her allegiances."
"It is not a case of misunderstanding. I simply do not agree with her decisions on this matter."
"Nor do I," Sol stated flatly.
Sabastian still felt as though he were being played, but he had no choice but to go along for the ride. "Shall we go inside where it is more private?" he asked.
"Yes, and if I may impose on you again, I would appreciate lodging for the night."
"Certainly," Sabastian said, holding the door open for Sol.
0076
Sitting in the living room, Sol started, "Elizabeth believes very strongly that you are involved with the murder and are hiding the girl. From what we know, the mother was addicted to drugs and the girl is probably better off without her.
"Ultimately, I do not know if you are involved and I don’t care.
"What I do know is that the Tribunal has already ordered several human's killed over the situation. These were, in my opinion, needless slayings that complicated matters far more than they helped. The Tribunal is often more aggressive then I believe it needs to be.
"One strange murder would have gone largely unnoticed. Killing everyone who had knowledge of the case only brings more attention to the case.
"I am, however, bound to do what I am told. So I must see this through in whatever manner the Tribunal wishes. You can trust me up until that point and no further."
"Is trust between you and I at issue?" Sabastian asked.
"It will be. You see, while I am slave to certain rules, you are not. You have never accepted the Tribunal's authority and are, thus, free from it.
"You can save this girl and the officer."
"And how am I to do this?" asked Sabastian.
"I can't physically aid you, but I can provide you with information."
"I must, then, trust that you are not trying to set me up?"
"Yes. The way I see it, if you are involved, you will welcome my help. If you are not, you will want to stop unnecessary killings.
"I think we are very much alike. I would like to believe that I would step in to help if I were in your shoes."
Sabastian looked at Sol carefully. He had shown nothing but friendship and kindness, but he was, still, something of an unknown. Elizabeth or the Tribunal could be using Sol as a trap.
Even if he continued to deny direct involvement, taking any steps based on Sol's information would be involvement enough to convince the Tribunal of his guilt.
Then there was still the issue of the Enforcers following him. "What, if I may be so bold, could you tell me that would help save these lives?"
"I spent the evening watching the apartment of a drug dealer that the officer interrogated before he conveniently disappeared. The officer is there. You are the only one who knows of this other than I. I will inform Elizabeth at midnight tomorrow."
"Based on this I am to go save these two men? What about my constant escort?" Sabastian asked.
"You will find no Enforcers following you tomorrow evening if you set out early. I will leave you and order you watched only after I get back to the Tribunal's headquarters."
"Why do this, it could get you killed?" Sabastian asked.
"I have spent many hours talking with a mutual acquaintance. He has done many things that he regrets. His decisions torture him. I don't wish to be tortured by my decisions," Sol answered. "I want to believe that I made the best choices available to me.
"Helping you is, at present, the best choice available to me. To attempt anything myself would deprive you of a valuable resource and would quickly lead to my death."
"Yes, the moment you were suspected you would be killed and there is little Elizabeth could do to help you," Sabastian replied. "It is late, I will think about your proposal, but now we must rest."
0077
The next morning, Wayne woke up from his recurring dream and the pain of detoxing was mostly gone. His battle was far from over, but his mind was thinking of only one thing—he had to talk to that crazy old lady.
It was early when he walked out of the bedroom. John was still asleep, so Wayne quietly took a shower. On his way back to the bedroom, he woke John up. "John, get up. I can't explain it, but we have to go back and talk to that old lady."
"What?" John sat up startled. "Oh, hey, you look much better today."
"I feel better, but we have to hurry up. I need to talk to that old lady again."
"You mean Grandma Death? Why do you want to talk to her, she's a nut case?"
"I'm not so certain about that. I just want to talk to her again. And this time, I want to do the talking."
"Yeah, sure," John said rolling over, "we can head out later."
"No, we need to go now."
"O.K., O.K. What fire got into your belly?" John asked.
"No fire, I had a dream," Wayne answered, as he started to get dressed.
"Great, Martin Luther King is going to talk to Grandma Death. This should be fun," John said, as he walked into the bathroom.
After a quick breakfast, the two of them headed over to Jane's building to talk with Claudia.
Without hesitation, Claudia let the pair in and made tea. "What can I do for you today?" she asked, as she put the teapot down.
"I want to tell you about my dream," Wayne said.
"I came all this way to listen to you tell her about a dream?" John asked.
"He is right to tell me this dream," Claudia admonished. "Come, tell me."
Wayne recounted the dream of the monkeys, monsters, and lions. John scoffed at the story while entertaining himself by snooping around the living room. Claudia listened intently.
When Wayne finished, Claudia asked, "What is your cage?"
"Heroin," he replied. John didn't say anything but thought, "As if that weren't too obvious."
"Ahh, but the bars are not strong like they were. You are close to breaking free."
"Yeah, I think I am."
"And then what happen to your dream?" Claudia asked.
"I don't know."
"What do you want to happen?"
"I want to be one of the lions."
"Yes, you do. Like your friend. Like Janet. Like me. And like Sabastian."
"Yes, the four lions. I want to be like the four lions protecting the child."
"No," Claudia said softly, "we are protecting your child." John turned around and looked at the old lady.
"You knew the moment you saw me," Wayne said.
"Yes, but I not know if you would be back. I am happy you finally believing what you see."
0078
"I want to see her, do you know when they'll be back?" Wayne asked Claudia.
"No, I do not know," she answered.
John, who was now sitting in a chair, was trying to get his hands around what was happening. His erstwhile partner was the father of the murder victim's daughter. No one really knew where she was and she was the only one who might know the killer. And then there was this Sabastian guy who Claudia claimed was death.
"Do you know where they went?" asked John.
"I tell you truth before. I tell you what I know."
Wayne grabbed one of Susan's pictures and a crayon, and wrote his number on the back. "This is my number," he said to Claudia, "please call me when they come back."
"I will," she said, touching his face.
John held his tongue until they left the building, at which point he asked, "What the heck was that all about?" As was his custom, he threw in some additional expletives for good measure.
"You're the detective, I'm sure you're able to understand what's going on," Wayne answered.
"Yeah, I get it. You think you’re the kid's father."
"Yes, Susan is my daughter."
"What I want to know about is this lion and monkey business."
"I think that's pretty simple, too. Whoever is after Susan is the same person, or people, that killed everyone else that's been involved in this case. I can't let that happen to Susan. To my daughter."
"What about this Sabastian fellow?"
"He's on our side."
"Our side? Wayne, I'm trying to solve a murder. I don't want to see this little, I mean, your little girl killed, but she's a witness. If this Sabastian character is the killer, why do you think he'd be on our side?"
"I don't know, but that's what my gut tells me."
"Funny," John said as they got onto the subway, "my gut tells me he's a cold blooded killer. And Grandma Death seems to think he's a killer, too."
"No, she didn't say he was a killer, she said he was death."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. I should have seen the difference," John joked, but with a rather serious tone.
"John, do you want to save Susan or use Susan?" Wayne asked.
"Both."
The two men were silent for the rest of the ride. There was little more to discuss and the only option at this point was to wait. It would simply be a long, silent wait.
0079
When Sol awoke, Sabastian was already gone. Although he spent some time searching, he knew that his host had taken him up on the offer of help.
Knowing that he hadn't stood idly by as people were unnecessarily killed made Sol feel good. He only hoped that Sabastian would be able to stop the killing.
Sol spent a little extra time getting ready for the night in order to give Sabastian as big a head start as possible. After about an hour, he decided he couldn't justify any further dawdling and walked to Madam President's house.
There he explained to Elizabeth that the last time he saw Sabastian he was still at home. This was, as it were, not a lie, just not the whole truth.
"Well, I'm sure he won't go to the girl," Elizabeth said, "that would lead us directly to her. He knows that."
"This is true," Sol answered.
"I'm worried Sol. This situation is dangerous. I know very well how powerful Sabastian is, but I think he underestimates the strength of the Enforcers. While any one, perhaps even 10 or 20 Enforcers would be easy prey for him, I do not believe he can overcome the number that would be sent after him if the other members of the Tribunal get their way."
"And what is it they seek?"
"Is it not obvious? They would send all of the Enforcers to kill him. And if that were not enough, they would send every coven in the city to his door.
"I am but one vote, Sol. I am using all of my influence to keep them at bay. I don't know how much longer I can stop them from acting.
"As it is, Dana acted without my consent when the body and witnesses were killed. By the time I was involved, there was little choice but to continue what had begun. I don't know who ordered the Enforcers or if the directive came from Dana.
"What I do know is that someone or group is undermining my authority. I no longer know who to trust."
"Perhaps, and I mean no disrespect Elizabeth, you should pay a visit to your sire."
"Thomas? Why would he help? He repeatedly tried to kill Sabastian. While he learned to accept Sabastian's presence, I believe he would be just as happy to see him dead."
"I think, Madam President" Sol paused, "you will find that time changes many of us. Our blessing, eternal life, is often our curse. We cannot escape our pasts no matter how far we run."
"This is very true, Sol. I feel this more and more keenly myself as the years pass.
"I suppose you can tell me where to find Thomas."
"Yes."
Sol told Elizabeth where to go. He also explained his plans for the night—he would send some of his men to watch over Sabastian and continue working his connections. He would report back to Elizabeth as soon as he had more to tell her.
"Thank you, Sol. You are very loyal."
He nodded and left.
0080
Sabastian had indeed taken Sol up on the offer of help. While he didn't want to see the police officer die, his interest now was far more selfish. Sabastian believed that the officer could help keep Susan alive.
He arrived at the address Sol provided and decided that the front door would work best.
Hearing the knock, John asked Wayne, "Who do think that is?"
"I don't know. Maybe some junky is desperate and is willing to risk buying from me."
"Well, get rid of him. The last thing I need is for you to fall back in with the wrong crowd."
"Yes dad," Wayne said, as he went to the door. Looking through the peephole, he was surprised to see a man in a suit. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but opened the door anyway.
As soon as Wayne had a good look at Sabastian, he knew who he was. Wayne went white as a sheet, stepped back, and said, "You're Sabastian. You're death."
Hearing those words, John had his gun drawn and pointed at the door.
Sabastian walked in and said, "My name is, indeed, Sabastian, death, however, seems somewhat inappropriate. Who, if I might inquire, am I addressing?"
"My name is Wayne Cashman."
"Hello Wayne," Sabastian said, putting out his hand.
Instinctively Wayne shook his hand, but was horrified at the idea of touching the man Claudia called death.
"I assure you, I am not here to hurt you," Sabastian said to comfort him. "Are you not going to introduce me to your friend? Indeed we have met, but I was unable to catch his name."
"My name is Detective John Lewis and you are under arrest for murder."
"There are more pressing issues to deal with at the moment."
"No, I don't think there are. Put your hands up."
"I would appreciate if you put the gun away."
"I'll put the gun away when I've got you in cuffs."
"Then you will be holding your gun for a very long time Detective John Lewis.
"I do not have much time. You are both in grave danger. This apartment is being watched. They know you are here and very soon there will be an attempt to kill both of you. I suggest you leave and find another place to stay. One that is not in any way associated with either of you."
While Sabastian was talking, John had moved around and closed the door. "Why should I believe you?" he asked standing with his back to the door.
"Have I lied to you before?"
"No."
"Then why would you expect I am lying now?"
Out of nowhere, Wayne blurted out, "Susan is my daughter. I need to save her, can you help me?"
Reuben Gregg Brewer | V'sD Store | 5:50 AM
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