Vengeance in Blood (Book 2): Tribulations (13 page)

Breathing hard but not gasping for air, Tiffany said, “Besseta, it took everything I had to maintain that pace.”

As Besseta sat down, she looked at her phone and saw it was almost time for Maliki to call. “Sorry about that,” she said, leaning back.

Flopping back on the grass, Tiffany explained, “I just can’t wait till you tell me how you were able to do that.”

A ring broke the silence, and Besseta answered the phone. “Right on time.”

“You said one hour,” Maliki said in a distracted tone.

“I take it you got the file?”

“Yes, I’m reading it again,” Maliki said in a worried tone. “How sure are you?”

Besseta thought for a second. “Fairly certain.”

“Did your initiate come up with this?” Maliki asked.

Not wanting to implicate Kenneth too much but also needing to maintain his usefulness to the League, she said, “Most of it he did, but I have other help now, and together, we came up with this.”

A long pause followed. “This is very disconcerting,” Maliki finally said.

“Wait till you get the research I’m going to give you that we used to come to this conclusion,” Besseta told him.

“Miami tomorrow night,” Maliki answered.

“Uh no,” Besseta said. “You’re around too many people, and if we’re right, the ones running the group after us will stop at nothing to come after us.”

“Reasonable,” Maliki agreed. “Where then?”

“The second paragraph of the file, take the first letter of each word, and it will tell you where. The third paragraph using the same technique will give you a new number to call if you need to contact me beforehand.”

“Impressive,” Maliki said.

“And Maliki, don’t tell anyone unless you trust them with your life,” Besseta warned.

Maliki laughed, and Besseta thought it sounded rather malevolent. “Little Besseta, I trust no one with my life except myself,” he told her.

“Then I suggest you don’t tell anyone, not even the ones you bring, and may I suggest you search them.”

“Of that, you can be certain. I’ve been studying up on this new electronic world,” Maliki replied. “How am I to be certain you aren’t bringing an uninvited guest?”

Smiling, Besseta closed her eyes, breathing in her nose and slowly turning around. “Of that, you can be certain. Once they figure out how efficient my initiate is, they will either kill him or capture and use him,” she said, looking to the south. Reaching over, Besseta spun Tiffany around and pulled an atlas out of her pack.

“I’m extending much trust to you on this, you understand,” Maliki said as Besseta looked through the atlas.

“Huh,” Besseta scoffed, “I’m the one who’s taken the battle to them, not you. You sit and tell others to fight. How is your risk greater than mine?”

A chuckle sounded over the phone. “Always the one to never be impressed, but I can see your point,” Maliki replied. “I hope the spot isn’t far and I can make the meeting.”

This time, it was Besseta who chuckled. “You’re only three hundred or so miles from it.”

Maliki gave a small gasp. “There’s no way.”

“No, I didn’t follow the file, but I have a good idea where you are,” she smirked.

“I know you didn’t follow the file,” Maliki told her. “I have several humans here with me who are beyond excellent in this electronic world.”

“Well, then you are learning, Maliki,” Besseta replied.

Besseta could tell Maliki was smiling as he spoke. “Till the meeting then,” he said, hanging up.

Besseta pulled the memory card out of the phone, broke it, and scattered the pieces. “That seems such a waste,” Tiffany observed. “Those screen phones have so much to offer, and you are constantly destroying them.”

Putting the memory card in her pack, Besseta looked up. “They are really easy to trace, Tiffany, even when they’re turned off. I have a laptop at home that can pinpoint cellphones and even turn them on if they’re off.”

Letting out a sigh, Tiffany said, “I remember when what we spend on those things would feed a family for years.”

A smile crept across Besseta’s face. “You are just relating breaking phones to destroying books.”

Tiffany’s face immediately turned to stone with anger. “Those that destroy books are agents of chaos and deserve a fate that makes men pale in fear.”

Holding up her hands to relax Tiffany, Besseta reminded her, “They aren’t books, and I’ve helped you stop some of those book burnings.”

Tiffany took a deep breath to relax. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Anyone idiotic enough to destroy books doesn’t deserve to breathe the air as well as those that cheer them on.”

“Believe me, I know how you feel, and you say I go too far sometimes on my quest.” Besseta grinned. “I’ve seen you wipe out almost whole towns that burned books.”

Tiffany shook her head. “Who gets to pass judgment saying what is worthy of being passed down through the ages?” she asked then grinned. “What I didn’t get to in Spain, you took care of.”

“Of course.” Besseta smiled, bouncing on her toes. “They were the same inquisitors that tried to burn me as a witch.”

Seeing little Besseta bounce on her toes, Tiffany laughed. “Where do you want to go now?”

“How about we just run down to Mississippi and stay in the park till Maliki shows?” Besseta offered.

“Fine, but I get to lead,” Tiffany said and flashed away.

“You know where we’re going. It’s not like you can’t catch up,” Besseta smiled and disappeared in a gust of wind.

Chapter 9

They reached Mississippi before sunrise and just sat beside a small river, waiting until nightfall. It was mid-morning when Besseta pulled out a bottle and started rubbing lotion over her exposed skin.

“We don’t get sunburned, Besseta. Your skin will always be the tone it was the day you turned,” Tiffany smiled.

“No, Kenneth thought of this,” she explained. “When I told him how sunlight really affects us, he bought me several kinds, and we tested them. With this one, I’m not as weak.”

Tiffany gasped. “Of course, the UV light that damages the virus is blocked to some degree.”

Besseta looked up. “That’s why we’re weaker in daylight? The virus is damaged?”

“Not really the virus but where it’s inserted into our DNA. The UV light is constant, and our body can’t keep up with the repair,” Tiffany explained, reaching over for the bottle. “Kenneth is beyond remarkable.”

Brushing her red curls out of her eyes, Besseta stared at Tiffany. Her long, black hair was hanging down past her face as she studied the bottle of suntan lotion. “You never thought about that?” Besseta asked.

“No,” Tiffany admitted. “I found if I wore thick leather, it negated the light, but I had to be completely covered, including my face. Even direct sunlight into the eyes is enough to weaken us.”

Thinking of that, Besseta dug in her pack and pulled out her sunglasses. “These block the UV light, but I can’t see in the detail I’m used to,” Besseta said, holding them up. “I can’t focus on objects over a few hundred yards.”

As Tiffany looked up, she brushed her hair back and took the glasses to examine them. “Let me guess: Kenneth?”

Besseta sighed. “Yes. He thinks I’m china glass, remember, and everyone in California wears sunglasses.”

Putting the glasses on, Tiffany nodded. “They aren’t that bad.”

Taking the bottle of lotion, Besseta put some in her hand. Holding one of Tiffany’s arms, Besseta started to apply the lotion to her golden skin. “I wish I would’ve had your skin tone,” she commented.

“It wouldn’t go with your hair.” Tiffany smiled, looking at Besseta’s red hair.

“Yes, I have to agree with you on that,” Besseta giggled. “When I was in the Far East, I had to dye my hair black to blend in and found out pale skin with black curly hair is atrocious on me.”

“When I was in the Far East, I had to paint my skin to make it appear pale. I was constantly sticky like being dipped in honey,” Tiffany joined in the laughter.

When Besseta was done applying the lotion, she closed the bottle. “Can you tell a difference?”

“Yes I can actually,” Tiffany answered, nodding.

“I have another one at home that does work better, but it feels weird on your skin. It blocks all UV light,” Besseta said, putting the bottle back in her pack.

Taking the sunglasses off, Tiffany handed them back. “Do you have a currency we can use around here? I have a few gold coins, but most establishments I’ve been to in the last century don’t like taking them.”

In a fit of laughter, Besseta fell back on the grass. Watching her, Tiffany smiled, thinking of Besseta as a little sister she had always longed for. When she could, Besseta sat up. “In your IDs were credit cards. You can use them anywhere. Just make sure you use the right card with the ID you’re using.”

“I’ve read of those cards, and they sound an awful lot like what the Templars used. Are you certain of this?” Tiffany asked.

Besseta stopped laughing, wiping a tear out of her eye. “The Templars were knights in the Crusades, right?” Tiffany nodded. “They had credit cards back then, and we just rediscovered them?” Besseta asked.

“Well, it wasn’t a card,” Tiffany explained. “It was a sheet of parchment. You took your money to a Templar stronghold, and they gave you a parchment in code that said how much money you had. On the way to the Holy Land, you could use that sheet of parchment to buy stuff, and when you reached the Holy Land, you took the parchment to the Templars. They would look at it and know how much you spent and give you the change.”

“Wow, a debit card,” Besseta said in amazement.

“Debit card?” Tiffany asked, confused.

Not wanting to confuse Tiffany, Besseta shook her head. “Forget it,” she said. “The credit cards you have with your IDs have a limit of fifty thousand dollars, so don’t go over that.”

Digging out the small ID holder, Tiffany pulled out the driver’s license and several other cards. “Is this one?” she asked.

“Yes,” Besseta said and reached over. “The one with two circles is also one.”

“How much are sunglasses?”

“I don’t know,” Besseta replied, shrugging.

“More than fifty thousand?” Tiffany asked.

“I hope not or Kenneth would probably faint,” Besseta answered. “How did you buy all that equipment and stuff you need?”

“I told you, gold coins,” Tiffany answered. “I would find out how much it was then look at what gold was trading for and take them gold coins. Most liked it, but some merchants wouldn’t trade unless I took my gold and changed it to paper money.”

“You have credit cards now, so you don’t have to use gold,” Besseta grinned.

Standing up, Tiffany looked down. “I want to buy some sunglasses.”

Jumping up, Besseta threw her backpack on. “Well, let’s go and get you some.”

Tiffany grabbed her backpack and followed Besseta. “You amaze me, Besseta. You have always kept up with the latest on human interactions.”

As Tiffany moved up beside her, Besseta hooked her thumbs in her backpack straps. “I had to, Tiffany,” she said. “I can’t move around in this world chasing those that I’m after if I don’t understand the latest trend.”

“You spend more time interacting with humans than almost any vampire I have ever known,” Tiffany stated.

“Kind of hard to hunt murderers and criminals if I don’t move amongst humans,” Besseta replied.

Tiffany nodded in understanding. “Yes, but you could,” she pointed out. “Most of our kind stay on the fringe of civilization, but you move through the middle of it.”

Not understanding where Tiffany was taking the conversation or what point she was trying to make, Besseta asked, “So what are you trying to say?”

“Oh nothing,” Tiffany answered, and Besseta groaned. “I’m just making a point, Besseta, that you are still living a life in society.”

“No, not really,” Besseta said in a low voice as she looked down. “I move among them, talk among them, but I’m not one of them.”

“You’ve had more human acquaintances than anyone, and by acquaintances, I mean just someone to talk to. Most of our kind only have the kind of acquaintances they feed off of,” Tiffany clarified.

“I suppose.” Besseta shrugged.

Reaching over, Tiffany held Besseta’s hand as they walked. “That part of you is still very human.”

“Well, aren’t we still human? Just a different type?” Besseta asked.

“No, we look like them and were once them, but our evolution is completely altered. We may be similar in many ways, but on the whole, we are very different,” Tiffany explained.

“Huh,” Besseta scoffed, “we aren’t more evolved. They don’t have to bite someone to procreate their species. Humans can have babies.”

Gently squeezing Besseta’s hand as they walked, Tiffany turned away. “Yes, and that is their ultimate advantage over us; they will always have more. With the way they are developing weapons to destroy one another, humans can actually make us extinct now.”

“Sometimes I don’t think that would be a bad thing,” Besseta responded.

Still looking away, Tiffany confessed, “Sometimes I don’t either.”

“How have you remained sane for so long?” Besseta asked.

A laugh burst from Tiffany. “Sane?” She shook her head. “There have been many times I have lost my perception of reality, but I always seem to regain some normalcy. Studying is my rock that I always fall back on.”

Hand in hand, they walked along the road as the sun rose higher. “Tiffany,” Besseta said after a while. “Will you stay with me after Kenneth is gone?” she asked in a low, worried voice.

“I’ll stay with you as long as you want me to, Besseta,” Tiffany assured her.

“I don’t want to hurt innocents after he is gone, and I think I would.”

Tiffany squeezed Besseta’s hand again. “When Herotho died, I was beyond distraught. I was in a small village in northern Greece and—” Tiffany stopped talking and closed her eyes as they walked. “It doesn’t matter what they did, but I killed all of them.”

Besseta squeezed Tiffany’s hand. “I don’t want to do that.”

Opening her eyes, Tiffany glanced over. “I will help you not to then.”

“Thank you,” Besseta exhaled in relief. “You know walking like this suddenly makes me miss my car,” Besseta pointed out.

Tiffany agreed with a nod. “Yes, I have to say during daylight, a car does propose a proper means of conveyance.”

Besseta laughed. “We are sounding awful human.”

Laughing with Besseta, Tiffany looked over. “Will you teach me this driving?”

“Really?” Besseta asked, smiling, and Tiffany nodded. “We’ll start on the way home, but when we get home, Kenneth will finish teaching you. Driving is very important to him; you can’t be an American unless you drive, according to him.”

“That seems foolish,” Tiffany complained. “Cars have only been here for a short time, and to say you can’t be American unless you drive one almost sounds barbaric. I mean, you fought for the revolution. If anyone alive is an American, it’s you, Besseta.”

Loving the way Tiffany saw things, Besseta laughed. “I almost thought the same thing, but it is very relaxing to drive. You’ll see.”

“Very well,” Tiffany said, lifting her chin. “I will become an American.”

This sent Besseta into a fit of laughter. Seeing her so joyful, Tiffany smiled as they walked along, and after a few miles, they came to a country store. In the parking lot, Besseta quickly explained how to use the credit card and led Tiffany inside.

Seeing a display of sunglasses, Tiffany moved faster than a human should have. Worried, Besseta looked around at the few people inside and listened to their thoughts, but no one seemed to notice. At a normal pace, Besseta joined her. “Tiffany, don’t move so fast,” she said in a low voice. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Tiffany said and glanced around. Turning back to the sunglasses, she pulled a pair out and put them on. “What about these?”

Looking at the giant circles of glass covering Tiffany’s eyes, Besseta was reminded of a bug. “They really don’t look that good on you,” Besseta confessed.

“Oh, so they have to look good as well?” Tiffany asked and put them back.

“Kind of,” Besseta admitted. “You want to blend in.”

After a dozen pairs, Tiffany put another one on. “How about these?”

“Now those make you look nice,” Besseta smiled.

Tiffany clapped. “Now where do I exchange my signature for the purchase?” Besseta pointed to the front of the store where an elderly lady sat behind the register. Walking over, Tiffany laid down the glasses. “I’ll purchase these.”

The elderly lady looked up with a warm smile, and Besseta smiled at the gentle thoughts from her. “My young lady, you ain’t from around these parts,” the lady said, picking up the glasses.

“Part of what?” Tiffany asked.

A warm laugh came from the woman. “Just saying you ain’t from close by.”

“No, but how could you tell?” Tiffany asked.

“Your accent for one,” the elderly lady smiled.

Thinking about that, Tiffany looked at Besseta, who was just smiling. “So where do I sound like I’m from, if you don’t mind me making inquiries?”

“Thirty-two seventeen,” the lady said, cutting the tag off the glasses. “Well, from your speech, I would have to say up in the New England states, but you have a soft accent like French or something.”

“Remarkable,” Tiffany gasped as Besseta tapped her arm. Pulling out the credit card and license, Tiffany handed them over.

“No, not remarkable. We just have a lot of travelers through here,” the lady answered, smiling. “Credit or debit?”

“Credit,” Tiffany answered.

The lady swiped the card without even looking at the license then handed them back and looked at Besseta. “My, you are quite a little one.” She smiled at Besseta. “Your folks traveling together?”

“No, we are traveling alone,” Besseta smiled. “We are camping nearby.”

“Seem awful young to be traveling alone,” the elderly lady said, shaking her head with disapproval.
Someone could hurt you two pretty girls. Neither of you can be over eighteen,
the lady thought, and Besseta smiled at the warmth.

Besseta tapped the screen for Tiffany to sign. Doing like Besseta told her, Tiffany scribbled on the screen. “Madam, if you don’t mind, can you tell me where my friend is from just by listening to her talk?” Tiffany asked.

The lady cackled. “She was taught somewhere close to you, but her family is from Scotland.”

Amazed, Besseta’s eyes widened. “I don’t have a Scottish accent.”