Chapter 26: Eye of the Storm
Draco frowned at the name on the email. “What is it now, Faye?” he murmured, feeling goosebumps along his flesh as he stared at the computer screen. The power he possessed told him this was something that would be important. There was just the tiniest wish that the power would tell him why. But it didn’t work that way; it never had. It was a tool, nothing more. Still, he hesitated in opening it. After the assignment in Bridgeport, and his subsequent hospitalization, he had been on light duty. Essentially, he was already semi-retired. He would wait a bit longer before truly retiring, but it wasn’t far off. So why the email from Faye marked ‘Classified- Urgent’? That was a designation reserved for active agents, or at least someone on an active case. But he wasn’t on an active case. His last case had been closed. Elvira Slayer and William Fangmann would spend the rest of their unnatural lives in a super-max security facility.
His stomach sank. If Faye was emailing him like this, over a secure transmission, it had to do with them. Draco flashed back to the dreams, to the feeling that went with them. Letting out a breath, he opened the email.
Draco, it read.
The following attachment contains surveillance photos given to us by someone at Homeland Protection. As you can see, the dates are from years before your encounter with Slayer and Fangmann. Draco… they knew about Fangmann. They knew and they said nothing. Don’t ask how I came by this. I’d rather you have plausible deniability about the whole thing, if it comes down to it. I just thought you should know. I’ll let you take a look. If you have more questions that the photos and the notes don’t answer, I’ll see you during your Snowflake Day get together.Draco clicked on the attachment to open it, his face a blank mask, giving nothing away of his feelings.
2145
Subjects designated as Slayer and Fangmann reside in subject Slayer’s apartment
It is obvious the two have an intimate relationship.Draco continued to scroll through the rather extensive report and then he stopped, staring in shock at the screen.
Subject Fangmann has been seen with an infant. Subject Slayer has not left the premises. We can only speculate that she gave birth in the home to avoid any paperwork, any link to them. Effort to protect themselves or the children, unknown at this time. Perhaps both.
“A child…” Draco whispered, rubbing the back of his neck. He wanted to stop there, but the feeling that this was important was too strong. So he continued to read.
Agent X was finally able to get the surveillance inside the apartment. It seems Subject Slayer is once again pregnant.
Once again, Subject Slayer has given birth at home, this time to twins, a male and female. Their designations are Alaric and Cyn. The older boy is Roarke.
Draco continued to scroll through the rather extensive surveillance report, seeing nothing more than a family, one not that much different than his own… except for while her children played in the living room, Elvira Slayer ordered murder done.
As he scrolled down, he stopped, his gaze sharpening at one entry.
An associate of Subject Slayer has come and has taken all three children. New subject is Morrigan Hemlock, a part of Slayer’s organization. A team was sent to tail them, but the tail failed.
Subjects Roarke, Alaric, and Cyn have been lost. We can only assume Subject Slayer ordered them taken away, perhaps for their safety, or for hers. Determination has been made that the children are not important at this time. Efforts will be made to locate them, but realistically, continuing surveillance on Slayer and Fangmann is priority.Draco didn’t need to read anymore. He closed the report and sat there for a long moment. He understood why Faye sent it now. Elvira Slayer and William Fangmann had had children. Based on the dates from the report, those children would be grown by now. And being vampires, they would live a long time. He ignored the rage that wanted to claw out at the fact that SHP had known, and despite their promises of working together, they had withheld this information. The report was very clear. They had known about her criminal empire, about her crimes. Yet, they hadn’t shared it. No thanks to them, Slayer and Fangmann would rot in prison. And he had had a very large part in seeing to that. How did their children feel about that?
He rose from the chair, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. That feeling came back. He had thought it was over. And maybe it was. Maybe those kids had nothing of their parents in them. But what if they did? Would they seek revenge? He had a family to protect. And while he believed that there was good in everyone, he wouldn’t take chances with his family, not with his daughter pregnant again and with Luna just becoming a teenager. He got up and made a call.
I listen to the workers outside the house and can only sigh as I rub the back of my neck.
They’re currently building a fence around our entire property. Mom and I had been sitting at the counter, grabbing some food while Dad and Jeff were at their normal spots at the chess table.
Then Dad told us he’d hired a crew that would come in the morning to begin building a fence. The rest of us froze for a moment. “Why ever for, Draco?” Mom asked, looking confused.
“One, I’m tired of the paparazzi always outside our door. Two, I don’t think it’ll hurt. I-“
“Dad,” I said in a slow voice, a definite warning in it. “I can feel that something’s up. You haven’t gotten that good at hiding it. What’s going on?”
He hesitated a moment. “Maybe nothing. I’d just rather be safe than sorry.” He hesitated again, this time for much longer before finally saying, “Elvira Slayer and William Fangmann were more than just a crime boss and a dirty cop. They were husband and wife. And… they have children.”
The silence that fell was heavy with shock. Then we all began talking at once until Dad gave a shrill whistle. “Easy guys, easy. Look, I seem to be getting conflicting information.” He didn’t have to elaborate. We knew what kind of information he meant. His own abilities were fairly reliable. “I don’t sense danger, but I can’t shake an uneasy feeling either. So… this is just a precaution, ok?”
None of us liked it, but we agreed it was for the best. I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down my spine. Now there is a fence around our property and a gate that is kept locked at all times.
For my own piece of mind, I also placed a bit of my own brand of protection around our home.
It isn’t much; I don’t have the same kind of power that my grandmother did, but at least I’ll always be aware of anyone stepping foot onto our property and at least in the house, I’ll be warned of any ill intentions.
After our meeting, Mom tentatively brought up the subject of self-defense. “Once you have the baby, I can work with you. I know it wasn’t much of your thing when you were growing up, but… just in case? And, maybe Luna too? Once she gets into high school?” I agreed. Of course, gotta wait for this little one to make their appearance first.
Obviously, my unborn child aims to please. After I wrote my last entry, I went to sleep, feeling pretty drained and exhausted. No sooner had I lain down than I felt the first contraction. I’d been having some false labor pains and a sore back throughout the pregnancy so far, so I didn’t think much of it… until my water broke. Then I was up, on my feet and yelling for Jeff.
He brought the car around and then helped me inside, telling me to breath and holding my hand. I think I might have crushed his poor hand, though he didn’t complain at all. Well… not much anyway and not after I finally let it go when we got to the hospital. Jeff walked me into the hospital even as he called for some scrubs so he could change.
After several hours, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Alduin Isidore Wyvern came into the world with a full set of lungs and let us know that he was not happy to be pulled from the nice warm, safe place he had been.
Once we got home, the little one hasn’t been put down for more than a few minutes at a time.
Even now, a few days later, there seems to be a line. I have to race to get there first to get some time with my son!
“Dad, I can feel your worry ya know,” I told him after I had changed and then fed my son a bottle. I turned to look at him, crossing my arms over my chest. “I thought you were the one who said not to dwell on things, right?”
He sighed, looking sheepish. “Yeah, I suppose I was. More fool me, huh? Seems the more one says not to worry about something, the worse the worry becomes.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “As you pointed out before, we’ve done what we can. And we’ll do more yet. I’ve already told you that Mom plans on teaching us all some self-defense. Luna already has a good head on her shoulders, even if she has more energy than three children her age. I imagine her brother will be a bit more sedate… we can hope, at least.”
Dad grinned at that. “You have a point. Is our little Eclipse out on the trampoline again?”
I nodded. “Oh yes. I still can’t believe Mom and I let you and Jeff talk us into getting one of those things. The snow is six inches deep and Luna’s out there, having a grand ol’ time. She said she wants to bounce to the Moon.”
Dad laughed. “Sounds like our little Eclipse. She’s just like you, ya know. You always loved the outdoors. You still do.”
I grimaced. “Oh I love being outside… but I’m not one for the cold. Not anymore, anyway.”
My dad grinned. “I suppose that’s true. She’s not the only one enjoying the snow today, though. Just let Hercules and Ares out. Those two are busy messing around in the snow too.”
The snow hasn’t really let up. But that didn’t stop Mom from taking me outside to begin our little self-defense training. I used to watch her during nice weather, so I like to think I held my own alright.
I’m no match for her yet, of course, but I’m working on it. We thought about having Luna start now, but she’s too bright for her own good and it’s been difficult as it is trying to keep some of our worry from her. So we’ll wait. High school will be soon enough for her. As it is, she’s talked her grandmother into helping her build snowmen in the front yard.
Mom told me they had quite the discussion, too out there.
“So sweetie, what do you think of your little brother?”
Luna grinned as she packed snow to help cement the middle portion onto the bottom portion of the snowman. “He’s a cutie, Nan! He’s a little shy yet, but I’m gettin’ ‘im to talk a little more.”
Her grandmother stopped. “He talks to you?”
“Well, sort of.” Luna pointed to her temple. “I can hear him, in my head, though it’s not actual words yet. More like… pictures, and images.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he’s like me or Pop-pop or Mama. He’s more like you and Daddy.”
Sophia frowned. “Then how are you communicating with him?”
“It’s because I can read thoughts and send them to people. I don’t think he has anything like that, though.”
“Hm, I see.” She continued to help pack snow on, following Luna’s instructions on where to pack it. Eventually, it was done and they both looked at their work and then nodded at each other. Then they burst out giggling.
Sophia slung her arm around her granddaughter’s shoulders. “Well, c’mon then. Let’s go inside. I hear there may be some hot chocolate with marshmallows in there waiting for us!”
“Marshmallows!” Luna skipped up and down. “Race ya inside, Nan!” And she was off like a shot, Sophia following, beaming.*****
