Love Is The Beginning (Valerie Dearborn) (5 page)

Jack made no response. The man waited, looked around the
lobby for a while, his posture indicating he was in no particular hurry. Jack
examined the man. He was about six feet tall and had graying hair that had
originally been a light brown.  He was pale, and life had weathered his skin
and features. He didn't have laugh lines like Jack's father had, or a sense of
calmness like Jack’s mother. This man seemed tired, but determined. Like a
soldier.

Finally, Jack found something to say. “She said you hunt them.”

The man nodded. “Yes, I do.  It takes a lot of planning
because they are powerful, smart, and much stronger than we are. It's hard work
and it’s dangerous.” Nate’s keen gaze was watching Jack.

“You take your daughter with you. Isn't
that
dangerous?” Jack saw a flash of some strong emotion cross the man's face.

“Yeah, I do take her sometimes. But it's because she needs
to be prepared. I hunt them—that's not a secret. She needs to learn to be
vigilant and how to defend herself for when I'm not around.”  

Jack wondered what his life would have been like if he'd
been prepared. 

Nate walked over to a chair in the corner of the room, but
seemed unable to decide if he should sit down or continue standing. “Do you
have much family, Jack?”

Jack's throat closed up with loss, and he could only shake
his head no.

“What will happen to you now? Is there anything I can do for
you? Money, information, anything that would help you that I can give, I will.
Here is my card, if you want to think about it.” He reached into a pocket and
withdrew a business card, holding it out to Jack.

“No.” Jack knew what he wanted. He wanted revenge. He wanted
that woman in the blue dress, Marion, to die for what she'd done. “I want to go
with you. There is nothing for me here, no family or anything. It's a small
town. I can't stay here and always be the boy who....”

“Was a victim?” the man said softly.

“Was at fault,” Jack said, waiting for what came next.

Nate was silent for a while, studying the card in his hand
like it was a Rubik's Cube that had the answer. “That doesn't mean that you
should run off with a complete stranger and endanger yourself. Staying with me
is more likely to get you killed than just about any other decision you can
make.” He gave Jack a sad smile, but his eyes were watchful and expectant.

Jack shook his head in disagreement. “You do this because of
your wife? What about my parents?” He struggled for a word. “For their honor or
memory?” He'd been thinking about this for the last few days. How he would
live. If he
could
stay here. He wouldn’t. Revenge was what he wanted
above anything else. This wasn't fair, and up until those five minutes when his
world went to crap, his life had been perfect.

“I don't think vengeance brings honor, Jack. Good doesn't
come from death.” He said it almost as though it was a question and he was
waiting for Jack's response.

Jack spoke quickly, his accent thick. “No. It does, or you
wouldn't kill these things. I need to do something.” He took a breath and
realized it was shaky. The numbness of the last few days had fled, leaving him
feeling jittery and amped up.

“Well, all right then.” Nate stood. “It will take us a while
to get the proper paperwork.”

Jack squinted at him, unable to believe it could be this
easy. “Do you know how slowly the Italian government moves?”

The man chuckled. “That's why we forge everything. It's much
faster. You should see the Romanians.”

Jack went back to the apartment to pack while Nate waited in
the lobby. His uncle was at work, but he still needed to be quick, get distance
from the town before anyone realized he was gone. He packed up some of his
things. A few pictures, his grandmother's quilt, and some clothes. Jack looked
around his room and saw the rosary hanging from the corner of his mirror. He'd
put it back there after his parent’s funeral, and had avoided looking at it
ever since. Should he take it?

It would never bring him the easy comfort that it once had.
Life was too cruel for him to continue believing in a benevolent God, but
prayer could save him from a vampire. Jack imagined how disappointed his
parents would be if he left his rosary behind, so he put it around his neck and
left.

They went out the front door, and the street was empty in
either direction. Nate took his bag and put it in the trunk of the car, while
Jack opened the back door and climbed in next to Valerie. She turned to look at
him, a magazine on her lap and huge sunglasses on her face. She blew a giant
pink bubble at him and, somehow, it was offensive.

“So, he got you too, huh? The girls will love you. Foreign,
cute, an accent,
and
a tragedy. Do you know the word pop-u-lar?” Valerie
dragged out the syllables so he wouldn't miss it. The front door opened, and
Nate got in. When the car pulled away, Jack didn't look back at the home he'd
grown up in. Valerie watched him keenly, as though she knew he was debating
whether or not to take one last look. He didn't do it, didn't want to see it
again. 

As they left the town behind, he heard her mutter, “Stone
cold, Jack. You are stone cold.”

After a few days of traveling and stops to get documents,
they arrived at the airport in Rome. They went to the counter and bought
tickets for the following day's flight.

“Well, the flight is nine hours away,” Nate said, looking at
his watch and yawning. “It’s ten o’clock. What do you say gang, should we sleep
here?”

Jack heard a screech from Valerie. “You want us to sleep in
the
airport
? What about him? He's had a tragedy! He needs a
bed
,
even if I don't.” Nate dismissed her statement with a small frown, and left
them with the bags while he went to get them dinner.

Val slumped against the wall, long skinny legs in front of
her. Jack squatted down on his knees to look her straight in the eyes. He knew
this type of girl, and his gut told him to ‘start off as he meant to go on,’ as
his father would have said. “Don't
ever
speak about the death of my
parents as a way to get what you want. Actually, don't talk about them at
all.” 

Unexpectedly, she threw herself forward and put her arms
around his neck. “I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said it. It was mean. I just get
so mad at him, then I say stupid stuff when I should just shut up.” Valerie
turned her face and kissed his cheek.

She looked up again, and the look on her face made him
worried. She was smiling. “I am sorry. You know, you're like the best thing to
ever happen to me.”

Jack was speechless for a moment. “Why do you say that?”

Valerie gave him a beatific smile. “
You
can be the
prodigy now. I'm well out of this. You can be the...student he never had, but
always wanted me to be.
You
can dig through dead people's clothes.” She
sounded relieved, yet she was also watching him for his reaction.

His gaze met hers, and they had a silent conversation. He
saw her worry and desire to be free of this life. It was perfect for both of
them. Jack blinked, breaking their eye contact and nodded. That was what he
wanted anyway. She relaxed at his nod and dug a book out of her bag.

Jack watched her warily. Could it really be that easy?

***