Michael Belmont and the Heir of Van Helsing (The Adventures of Michael Belmont) (20 page)

Michael looked at his watch and calculated the time difference in his head.
 
It was just past eleven o’clock locally, and he was exhausted.

The orphanage could be seen in the distance ahead of them.
 
It was a large, multi-storied mansion, and looked inviting enough, at least in the dark.

They took a look around, but could find no sign of their mother or Liam.

“I’ve been thinking,” Caleb told them, scanning the forest around them for threats.
 
“Things haven’t gone exactly to plan.
 
We’re going to need to improvise.”

Michael and Abigail looked at each other apprehensively.

“Look, I know what you’re both thinking,” Caleb said.
 
“I know you’re scared about what’s happened to Liam and your mom and dad, but you both have to be brave.
 
We need to assume that everyone is okay until we hear otherwise, alright?”

They nodded.
 
Caleb’s voice was strong and assuring, and it seemed to give them strength.

Michael knelt down to stretch out a cramp in his leg.
 
“What’s the plan?”

“Here’s what I’m thinking.
 
The two of you go up there and turn yourselves in, and I’ll head out to do another search.
 
I’ll get back as quickly as I can to keep an eye on things out here.”

“Turn ourselves in?” asked Michael with a grin.
 
“It’s not like we’re criminals or something.”

“You know what I mean,” said Caleb with a dismissive wave of his hand.
 
“Just tell them that you’re tourists who got separated from your parents.
 
They’ll probably contact the police and file a report, but in the meantime you’ll have a place to stay while we investigate these two Van den Berg kids.
 
Time is of the essence, and we can’t wait for the others.
 
We need to find out if this Olaf is the one we’re looking for and if so, do all we can to protect him and his sister.”

Abigail smiled at him sweetly.
 
“Michael and I can figure out if this is the kid we’re looking for.
 
Sounds like a pretty good plan to me.”

Caleb could have suggested that we all go down the chimney like Santa Claus and it would’ve sounded good to Abby
, thought Michael.
 
“I can’t think of a better plan,” he added.
 
“We’ll do it.
 
Just promise you’ll do everything you can to find Mom and Liam.”

“I will,” said Caleb.
 
“Hopefully I’ll be returning with them.
 
Just keep your eyes open.
 
After I finish the search, I’ll be back to keep watch on things around here.
 
Do you still have the crosses and holy water that Dorothy Stoker gave you?”

Michael nodded.

“How will we contact you if we find out anything?” Abigail asked.

“I’ll be watching, but be careful!
 
I think we may have been followed.
 
I’m try to eliminate any threats before heading back the way we came.”

They all wished each other good luck, and Caleb slipped into the shadows as Michael led Abigail over the lawn and then up the driveway to the front door of the orphanage.

They couldn’t see any lights on inside, but Michael rang the bell on the door and waited.
 
After a few minutes, he rang it again, and it was a few moments more before they noticed a light come on inside.

A bent old woman opened up the door, and upon seeing them said something in a kind voice that they didn’t understand.

“Uh, we don’t speak Netherlandian,” Michael told her.
 
“Do you know English?”

“Ah, oh yes,” she hummed.
 
“Come sit.”
 
She led them into the lobby where some comfortable couches awaited.
 
“You wait.
 
I be back in minutes.”
 
She shuffled off out of sight.

“It was Dutch, you moron,” Abigail said.

Michael shrugged at her.

“There’s no such thing as Netherlandian.
 
You can be
such
a neanderthal sometimes.”

Michael enjoyed playing stupid to aggravate his sister, although he knew better than to do it to his mother or Elizabeth.
 
Either one of them would have made him write a paper about Dutch culture for such a comment.
 
It only reminded him of how worried he was for them both.

After a few minutes the old lady returned with a younger woman.
 
She had short golden hair, which could have used a comb run through it, and looked to be in her mid-thirties.
 
Her face was pretty and kind.
 
She sat down across from them, crossed her legs, and smiled.
 
“My name is Sally Voss, I’m the headmistress here at the Geluk Orphanage.”

“Pleased to meet you.
 
I’m Michael Belmont, and this is my sister Abigail.”

The woman nodded kindly.
 
“And what brings you to our door in the middle of the night?
 
Are you two in need of some help?”

“We were flying to Eindhoven with our parents when the engines on the plane cut out.” Abigail blurted.
 
“We got on our parachutes and jumped, and then we walked until we got here.”

The woman looked fascinated.
 
“My goodness!
 
I heard about the plane on the radio.
 
It crashed about ten miles northeast of here.
 
The report said that it didn’t look like anyone was killed.
 
Do you know if your parents got off the plane?”

Michael and Abigail smiled at each other in relief.
 
“Yes,” Michael said.
 
“I think they did.
 
But we don’t know where they are.”

Abigail began to sob.
 
“Can…can we stay here until our parents come to get us?”

Michael was surprised.
 
He didn’t know his sister was such a good actor.
 
But then he looked into her eyes and saw that she wasn’t acting.
 
She had plenty to cry about; that was for sure.
 
He put his arm around her.

Sally got up and sat next to the girl, pulling her into a hug.
 
“Everything will be alright, sweetie.
 
Of course the two of you can stay here until everything gets worked out.
 
Mrs. Van Dyck will take you two into the kitchen and get you a bite to eat while I prepare your beds.”

After the late night snack the two were escorted to their rooms.
 
Abigail went with Sally, and Mrs. Van Dyck took Michael up to the third floor.
 
The room had two sets of bunk beds, but only two of the beds had boys in them.
 
There was a small table with some chairs, two wardrobes, and some dressers.
 
It was a simple place, but it looked cozy enough.

Michael picked one of the empty beds- a top bunk near the window, and settled in as best he could.

He worried about Liam, Mr. MacDonald, and his parents for a long time before falling asleep.

Abigail was having trouble sleeping.
 
She kept bobbing in and out of the world of dreams, and whenever she was able to nod back off it seemed that something disturbed her.

“Abigail.”

She turned over onto her side.
 
Dreamy, ethereal voices kept bouncing around inside her head.

“Abigail,” came the wispy voice again.
 
It was accompanied this time by a soft, chilling scratch.

Her eyes shot open and she looked around.
 
The other girl in the room lay still in her bed, where she appeared to be sleeping soundly.

“Abigail,” came the voice again.
 
It was a comforting, familiar voice.
 
But where was it coming from?
 
It was all around her, or possibly inside her head; it was almost like hearing it from headphones.
 
She reached up and touched her ears to make sure she wasn’t wearing any.

The voice came again, and the scratching too.
 
Although she couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from, the scratching was definitely coming from the window.
 
She stood up out of bed, now completely awake.
 
She walked slowly to the window and looked through the glass into the black night beyond.

A hand rose up out of the darkness.
 
With a long sharp fingernail it scratched at the glass.
 
A cold chill went down Abigail’s back, and she gasped as the dark, ghostly face of a man appeared on the other side.
 
It was Mihnea.

“Abigail, open the window,” he called to her.
 
He smiled lovingly.
 
His face was so handsome and kind.
 
In a way he reminded her of her dad.
 
The look in his eyes made her feel safe.
 
But he was so handsome.
 
She could picture herself marrying someone who looked so princely one day.

“Open the window, Abigail, invite me in.
 
Please, it’s cold out here.”

It
did
look cold outside.
 
Why was he out there anyway?
 
He really should come inside and get warm
.
 
She unlocked the window and slid it open.
 
The cold wind swept in around her and lifted her hair off her shoulders.

Mihnea smiled again.
 
“Good, Abigail.
 
That’s good.
 
I know you’ve been scared.
 
Invite me in and I’ll protect you.”

He was right; she had been scared lately.
 
But
why
had she been feeling scared?
 
She couldn’t seem to remember.
 
Her mind was so clouded.

“Abigail, let me come in and I’ll keep you safe.
 
Invite me in.”

She looked into his eyes and struggled to remember.
 
His eyes made her want to forget.
 
So did his voice.
 
But no, she had to remember; she had to make herself remember.
 
She hadn’t been feeling safe, not for a long time now.
 
Mihnea said that he could keep her safe, but was he telling the truth?
 
He hadn’t kept Elizabeth safe.
 
She’d been kidnapped.
 
Abigail suddenly felt angry.

And then she remembered.
 
She was scared because she hadn’t been kept safe.
 
Everyone was always promising to keep her safe, but they never did.
 
First she’d had to deal with werewolves, and now it was vampires.
 
Here was one of the accursed things floating in midair right before her eyes, and she’d almost been fooled by him, almost let him in.
 
He’s the one who took Elizabeth, she thought, while reaching slowly into her pocket so he wouldn’t see.
 
She struggled to maintain her smile, the mouth was the easy part, but the eyes were a bit harder.

Mihnea’s expression seemed to be changing.
 
Could he sense her disbelief?
 
He was growing uglier, more menacing.
 
“Invite me inside, Abigail,” he sneered at her, his fanged teeth gleaming with moonlight.
 
“I can make you just like me, would you like that?
 
If not, then it’s almost time for breakfast.”
 
His laughter was like a coarse growl, full of mirth and rage.
 
The beast’s face scared her, but she knew he couldn’t come in without being invited.
 
He couldn’t touch her- not for now anyway.

“YOU’RE THIRSTY?” she yelled angrily while pulling a vial out of her pocket.
 
“THEN DRINK THIS!”
 
She threw the holy water into his face, which began to steam and burn as if she’d thrown acid.
 
He shrieked some curse at her in a language she didn't know, just as the door burst open and Caleb Boone shot through the room like a missile.
 
He pushed Abigail out of the way and lunged out at Mihnea with his sword drawn, aimed to plunge it through the heart of the vampire.

Mihnea, though his eyes were burning, sensed the attack and held up his arm to block the strike.
 
The blade was driven through his shoulder as he screamed even louder than before.
 
He faded into a black mist and disappeared into the darkness as Caleb fell to the ground below.

Abigail gasped and staggered to her feet.
 
Her head was spinning as she leaned over the windowsill and looked down.
 
Caleb was gone, she couldn’t see any sign of him.
 
She took a series of long, deep breaths before sliding the window shut.
 
Turning to return to bed, she noticed that the girl across the room was sitting up staring at her, confusion and terror plastered across her face.

“Go back to sleep,” Abigail told her.
 
“You’re just having a nightmare.
 
Everything’s okay now.”

After a moment the girl laid back down and pulled the covers up over her head.

Abigail laid down too.
 
She felt shaken, confused, and angry.
 
Caleb had returned just in time to see that she needed help, but what if things had gone differently?
 
Mihnea might have gotten her.
 
This time though, she did a pretty good job of taking care of herself.
 
Maybe that was what she needed to do from now on.