Talons (12 page)

“
Warriors, no way, you’re
kidding?” Vivvie asked with a smile.

“
Look at them like cops,
Vivian,” he remarked and shrugged. “Even down here, we need
order.”

“
Are you one of these
warriors?” Vivvie asked.

“
Yes, among other things, I
also teach computer science to the children,” Ty said with a grin.
“We’re trying to put together a boys’ basketball team
too.”

“
It seems so…so….,” she
began and shook her head.

“
Normal? Was that were you
about to say?” Ty asked in amusement, his golden eyes glowing. “We
try to keep things as close to the real world down here as we can,
Vivian. The children often go on field trips away from the
compound. They need to learn to blend in.”

Vivvie nodded, impressed despite
herself. This new world seemed less intimidating now. Ty led her
down a hallway to the female’s quarters. He found a small closet
and opened it to reveal it was filled with cleaning supplies, and
had a bulletin board with keys on it. There were only five keys
available.

“
We can check out all five
vacant rooms, but they’re all the same,” Ty said as he grabbed a
key. “Do you care?”

“
No, not really,” she
said.

“
All the rooms have their
own bathroom and shower, and are pretty roomy,” Ty said as he
closed the closet and moved down the hall. “They have to be to
accommodate us when we shift. The doorways are overly wide as well.
Everything was built with us in mind. If you have any suggestions
to improve upon it, Gideon would like to know. He is the one who
designed the female barracks.”

Good for
Gideon
, she thought in a depressed mood.
She just wanted to lie down. Ty walked to the middle of the hall.
He opened the door and stood aside for her.

Vivvie relaxed to see it looked like a
studio apartment within, tastefully decorated, and quite luxurious.
It had fluorescent lighting, and a ceiling fan Ty flipped on to get
air circulating in there. It had a musty odor because it was empty
so long. Ty flipped on the light to a vanity and sink area with a
separate commode and shower area behind another door.

He gestured to a two seated table and
chair. She followed, clutching her purse to her chest as he showed
her where she would live. Beyond the little dining area was a small
living room with a couch in a neutral woven design, a chair and a
coffee table. The end table had a pottery lamp on it and he flipped
it on.

Vivvie saw there was a TV in a built in
wall unit, complete with a stereo and speakers. Ty went to a door
and opened it, revealing a large bedroom within. The oak
queen-sized bed had a rose-colored comforter on it.

The walls had basic prints on them one
might see in a Sheraton. There was a dresser and mirror and a
chest. Ty opened the small door that led to a walk-in closet. He
flipped on the light and she saw it was quite deep, with shelves
even Dina would adore. She felt none of that excitement as she
followed Ty out of the room, back into the living area.

“
As you can see, you have
everything you need,” Ty said, seeing her expression, he frowned.
“What is it?”

“
It’s just finally hitting
me I won’t ever be going home,” Vivvie said, eyes bleak as she
looked around.

“
Vivian, I know you don’t
believe it yet, but this will all work out for you,” Ty said
quietly, his golden eyes filled with sincerity. “Give it a
chance.”

Vivvie was about to say something when
two young men arrived with her suitcases. They eyed her and Ty with
speculative looks as they set down her bags. Vivvie looked at them
curiously. They were twins, both dark-haired and blue-eyed like
Eli. It didn’t take much to figure who fathered the pair as they
took their leave, eyes lingering on Vivvie until Ty’s harsh look
sent them running.

“
It will take time for
things to turn to normal for you, Vivian,” Ty responded and smiled.
“I’ll get that laptop to you later, after I meet with Eli and the
council. Dinner is at eight. I’ll drop by and pick you
up.”

Vivvie watched him leave, feeling
desolate as the door to her room shut. She regarded her suitcases
in determination, deciding to unpack. She hung up her clothes, and
folded them away in the drawers, putting all her personal stuff
out.

She had several picture frames she put
out on her dresser. A picture of her and Dina the day the girl
moved in, a picture of her dad and Marsha, and some candid shots of
her friends at the diner. Vivvie was startled to know all the
pictures of Kevin were left behind.

Vivvie was unpacking her bathroom
supplies when she heard the giggling in the hall outside her room.
She looked outside her door to see a half dozen young women walking
down the hall, all dressed casually in jeans and tee
shirts.

If she didn’t know better, she would
think she was in a college dorm. They all appeared to be about the
same age as her, but Ty said they didn’t age beyond the appearance
of about a thirty year old human. She had no way of knowing how old
they even were. They were all pretty, ranging in hair color and
body size. The only thing that made them similar was the looks they
sent her as they passed, varying ranges of hostility met her gaze
before she shut the door and leaned against it.

~~~~

Ty faced the four men seated in the
conference room with a frown after he gave his report and took his
seat. Eli remained quiet as he absorbed his words.

Gideon was the largest of them and
looked ferocious. His dark military cut was severe alongside
Jericho’s long style. The man always seemed to be boiling under the
surface. He tapped his long fingers on the table impatiently, his
black eyes turning a bright, very angry orange.

Derek was an elder like Eli and the
rest of them, but at least a hundred years younger. One only needed
to see the battle wounds upon his body to see how he’d won his seat
upon the council. He looked like his mother with pale auburn hair
and grey eyes, burning with a silver light in them now.

Jericho looked like a hippie from the
60’s with long blond hair and a darker goatee. He appeared to be
doodling upon a writing pad, but all who knew him, knew the wheels
were turning.

“
Ryken recruits breeders
now?” Derek repeated with a frown. “I think it’s only fair to
assume he’s started his own colony. Time will tell what his true
intentions are. We can’t assume the worst for that
reason.”

“
He draws the notice of the
humans now!” Gideon said in outraged annoyance, growling under his
breath, orange eyes shooting sparks of fury. “These young women he
takes are all missed by their people! The Collins girl’s
disappearance is all over the news too! This is a very bad thing!
Ryken and his group must be taken out, Eli!”

“
I’m very aware of what
Ryken has done,” Eli said wearily, his blue eyes grim. “We go to
war with Ryken and his group; we risk discovery by the
humans.”

“
Eli, I know you feel
strongly about this, but Ryken has made it impossible for us to do
any less now,” Ty said quietly. “He has pushed this beyond
resorting to sterility to control them. They have bred with human
women they turned in Florida. I counted over twenty newborn at
their compound there. If we delay in going after him now, there
will be double that number, perhaps triple by year’s end. Miss
Collins was but one of their targets. I saw five human women they
hold in cages there who are currently breeding. If they’re adding
even more women to their numbers, this could become very bad for us
all, much sooner than later.”

Eli looked like he weighed Ty’s words
heavily. “What about the humans? Do you think they won’t discover
us if we go after Ryken? A blood war will draw their notice! He
counts upon us sitting back and doing nothing for that reason. We
go after him and his group, we risk being on CNN, Ty!”

“
We don’t have a choice
anymore, Eli!” Ty snapped and his eyes were grim. “Ryken must be
destroyed, and all who follow him. I know you wanted to stick to
our creed, but they have broken it by using these practices to
break away from us.”

“
What of those like Miss
Collin’s, Ty?” Eli said sharply, eyebrow cocked in mockery. “Do
they share Ryken’s fate too? Or do we take on these creatures he
has made now to our own detriment? We have to consider they must be
destroyed, for the good of us all.”

“
We have no choice then. It
must be done,” Ty agreed reluctantly and Gideon appeared satisfied
as well.

“
Ryken and those who left
with him are responsible for this!” Derek said hotly, eyes filled
with fury. “The ones he made are innocent!”

“
We can’t afford to add to
our numbers anymore, Derek,” Eli said harshly. “Miss Collin’s
arrival here makes twenty-eight breeding females in this compound.
I won’t allow a population explosion if we can avoid
it.”

“
So we kill them all?” Derek
snarled and his hand came down hard on the table, making it
shake.

“
We have no choice, Derek,”
Eli said calmly, his eyes meeting his son’s with a look of remorse
in their depths. “To insure our people’s survival, we have
to.”

“
What of sterilizing them?”
Derek asked in a grating tone, eyes filled with determination. “If
they can’t breed; they’re no threat to anyone.”

“
We can’t take that chance.
We must put it to a vote,” Eli called, eyeing the other four men
with a weary look. “All those in favor of destroying Ryken’s new
colony, say “aye”.

Three of the five gave an affirmative
response. Derek got up and left without a word to any of
them.

“
He will come around when he
realizes this can’t be avoided,” Eli said in concern as his oldest
son left the group.

“
He’s right about one
thing,” Ty said with a frown. “Those Ryken made are innocent, Eli.
They’re like Vivian, good people caught by something not of their
control. Do you stand firm on this total annihilation?”

Eli stared at Ty and smiled grimly.
“Ty, be lucky I allowed you to keep your cute little pet! The rest
are to be destroyed. Send the men to Florida tonight while Ryken
and the others are here. Burn the compound to the ground. Be
merciful and humane, and euthanize those infected.”

Gideon hastened to leave, to activate
the eighty warriors to their new mission. Ty swore softly under his
breath, realizing many innocents would die.

The one man, who sat during all and
said nothing, cleared his throat slightly.

“
Have you considered what we
discussed before, Eli?” Jericho asked pleasantly. His startling
yellow-green eyes filled with thoughtful regard. “This compound
needn’t be the only one in existence. Ryken has already laid the
foundation there in Florida. What if we merely adopted the group
there, with the same philosophies of life we adhere to here? It
solves the dilemma of what we do with its new inhabitants, and our
population problems here. None need die who are not of like mind
with Ryken.”

“
And who would govern this
new compound in Florida, Jericho?” Eli asked dubiously with a
raised eyebrow. “We appoint another council? We add fuel for
dissent later.”

“
One of the council’s
choosing could be put there,” Jericho replied. “It needn’t be
necessary to destroy them all for the sins of a few. It would work,
with the right leader in place. Think on that before you send those
warriors on to Florida.”

Eli glared at Ryken’s grandfather for
failing to speak until the end. “You have given me much to think
on, Jericho.”

Ty hid his smile as he saw Jericho work
Eli over. Derek would have enjoyed this had he stayed to listen,
instead of storming off. Gideon was so hungry for action he was
ready to leave for Florida by himself. The variances in personality
of the men created a balance necessary to run the huge compound.
Three of them fathered all of the compound’s inhabitants with one
lone female, Tania.

Ryken was Jericho’s grandson, and many
of Ryken’s followers were kin to the other men. It was a familial
resistance they had to killing these defectors after months of
sitting back. Ty was glad none of his offspring were among them.
Tania was Ty’s only sister. She would have had his children too,
but Ty had no desire to go there. Ty had no decedents to grieve in
this, not like the others who put this decision off for six months.
Ryken did much damage in that time, he and his rebellious
followers. Ty was grateful he abstained from making offspring. No
good would ever come of it.

Eli’s current favorite was suspected of
being his great-granddaughter. Ty knew Gideon’s woman was also
distantly related to him through direct breeding over the last
three centuries. Derek was like Ty in this, and refused to breed
for that reason, wanting no part of his children mating with their
own relations one day.

It was impossible to stop the
incestuous relations that went on within the group. A female could
be impregnated by many different men at a time. Her offspring could
go on to have relations with their fathers, brothers, and in some
cases their grandfathers, unknowingly.