Forever Young The Beginning (80 page)

Robert had gotten three dozen pistols,
shot and powder, and went to secure them with the horse and
carriage. When he returned, Henri approached him saying “I didn’t
think that Margaret would want to come.”

“
I was surprised myself,
Henri, but she was insistent that she be included.”

They all split up and went to walk
about, look and listen in the targeted area.

A little after dusk, they met again,
having not turned up a thing that was new. They decided to put
groups in each of the three taverns and hope to locate one of the
two targets.

Ian, Andre, and one of
Robert’s Adept protégés entered the
Hungry
Eye
Tavern
. Ian
spied Thomas Lawrence sitting alone at a table. The three of them
exchanged greetings and sat down. Soon they all had a tankard of
ale sitting before them as they settled in to watch the
place.

In the other two taverns similar
groups of four sat down at tables. Each group had its designated
runner to get the others if any group spotted a target.

The evening became night and
wore on. Around ten o’clock a fellow came in to the
Hungry Eye
. He sat down
near the dart board. Tom said “Now that one’s not a regular.” Ian
and Andre sauntered over to the dart board and began to chat idly
and toss darts. Ian felt a prickling at the base of his neck and a
cold chill went down his spine. He casually turned to see a bald
man coming toward the table. Nudging Andre who nodded his
recognition of the newcomer, he took his turn with the four darts,
taking his time. Ian feigned being tipsy and made a bit of a fool
of himself by dropping his drink. Then he stumbled and kicked the
tankard over toward the table where the two were sitting. He
overheard part of a conversation then that filled him with a cold
hatred.

“……
..got her yesterday. Hair
like spun gold. Peaches and cream complexion. Well dressed ……….
Frenchie. Beautiful………………. seven years old. I want two hundred
Pounds Sterling and no bargaining.”

The other man sat a while and took a
drink. Ian stumbled to the table and reached down to get his
tankard and bumped his head. He noticed a tattoo of a mermaid on
the bald man’s forearm. Cursing he said “Scuse me gents.” as he
fumbled and then picked up his empty tankard.

The bald one turned and cuffed Ian
alongside the head, saying “Be gone you drunken bastard.” Ian
turned and suppressed the urge to twist his head from his body and
instead he stood up straight and staggered a bit saying “Oh my,
guvnor! Ain’t you the testy one now?” He turned then laughing
foolishly again and said “Get that wench to get me another before I
dry up here.” Then he laughed drunkenly, staggered, and sat down on
the floor suddenly in front of the dart board, seemingly ignoring
the men at the table, but listening to every sound they
made.

“
You’ll have your two
hundred then, Braddock. He wants her tonight so she’d better be
worth it or you and your cohorts can sell your playthings
elsewhere.”

Andre made as if he was helping Ian up
and when they got back to their table Ian sent the Adept to the
other two taverns to let the others know that he had one target in
sight. It was only a few minutes then and the two men settled their
bill and moved toward the door. Ian had seen them getting ready to
leave and with Andre had slipped out the door, leaving money with
Tom to pay the bill. Tom paid and quickly went out the back way in
case they went that way.

Ian and Andre lurked on a rooftop
across the street where they’d left their rucksacks and they didn’t
have long to wait. The two came out the front and went to the
stable adjacent to the Inn. Ian leaped down and stole silently to
where he could see inside of the stable. They were just then
getting into a small carriage with a single horse. He signaled to
Andre who signaled to Tom. By their prearrangement, Tom would wait
for the others to come and tell them what had happened. They would
wait for Andre to return and guide everyone to the right
place.

The two easily followed the carriage
off to the northwest through the darkened streets. A very light fog
had now begun to form and Ian hoped it wouldn’t get worse. It was
no more than a mile when they came to a district of large, but
somewhat dilapidated houses. It had been a better place decades
ago, but had deteriorated since then. They went to a large three
story home with an extension in the back that was only two stories
tall. Ian saw that the windows facing the street were boarded up,
as was the door. The carriage went to the side of the house and
stopped. Ian was in position where he could see the side of the
house, having leaped to the top of an adjacent roof. The bald
vampire got out and bounded up to the roof of the addition at the
back of the house, and seemed to melt through one of two windows
there.

***

Jennifer had finished telling a
condensed version of her life story to Aimee. It had been one of
want and hard work. Through it all she said that she’d always held
out hope that a better life awaited her if only she would keep
working hard and not end up an unwed mother or a
prostitute.

“
Aimee, I’m sorry you got
caught and ended up here, but I’m glad I got to meet you anyway. I
don’t know what I would have done had you not been brought
here.”

“
If we’re separated I can
still find my way back here. They’re selling me to a human. I’ll
get away when we’re alone, and I’ll come back here with my
family.”

“
Can you find this
place?”

“
Yes. Hush now because one
of them is coming down here.” She handed Jennifer her flask and
whispered “This is for the next time you feel faint or sick. We’ll
come for you.”

The bald vampire landed at the foot of
the steps and bounded in one jump to the cell door. Aimee had
separated herself from Jennifer by a few feet. She sat rubbing her
eyes as if she had been asleep. She faked a yawn and stretched a
bit and then acted as if she was startled to see the vampire. He
entered the cell and produced a short length of rope. She faked
trembling and backed away from him. He bound her hands with it. He
produced a gag and Aimee said “Bon jour, mademoiselle” to Jennifer
before he gagged her and threw her over his shoulder.

In a weak voice Jennifer said “Good
bye little girl!” and then faked a cough and lay still,
moaning.

Shortly Aimee was in a carriage moving
along the dark streets of London.

***

Ian whispered “They have Aimee. I’ll
follow them and get her.” He had already changed into his black
suit and strapped on his short sword and dagger. Taking a flask he
drained it, putting three more in his pockets, and leaving his
rucksack with Andre’s. “You go back and bring the others. Tell them
this is the home of the coven and that we don’t know how many are
here. Have them wait if they can until I return.” He bounded off
through the dark streets keeping the carriage in sight, but staying
well back and to the deepest shadows for fear of the vampire aboard
seeing him.

The carriage went for some four miles,
entering an area of posh estates, and then turned into a driveway
with an iron gate. Ian hid and watched until he saw the bald
vampire carry Aimee to the split in the driveway and then follow
the driver toward a guest house over in a far corner of the back
yard. The driver knocked softly at the door. A figure answered the
door and they entered the guest house.

Ian bounded silently to the building
and edged silently to a window. He moved to another and yet another
until he heard voices. “….pretty one indeed. You did well this
time. Here is what you asked for. Jenkins, show him out please.”
The driver escorted him to the gate and then went to his quarters
in the carriage house.

Ian knew that they were gone then and
bounded silently to the door which he found locked. Pressing his
elbow against the glass until it cracked, he reached through and
unlocked the door, gliding silently inside. He had only his dagger
and short sword, so he was very cautious, remembering the Francoise
incident.

***

Henri, Marie, and all of the others
arrived at the coven house to find Andre watching it. They decided
to take positions on the rooftops around the place in case members
of the coven returned and found one of them. Soon the nine of them
were positioned all around the building. It looked like a typical
coven lair, being boarded up on the first two stories all around.
There was a cellar entrance outside that was boarded up too. It was
easy to see that the entrance was one of two windows at the back of
the house above the roof of an addition.

Li explored the entire area and came
back to confirm that there was only the entrance on the second
story. Deciding to wait to see if more coven members would return
before daybreak, they settled in silently and got comfortable. Four
vampires returned and entered within a half hour.

***

Ian glided toward the sound of a voice
in what would be the parlor of the place. He got to where he could
see a large man standing before Aimee, speaking to her. “You are
such a pretty thing, my precious. What is your name?”

Aimee said “Parlez vous Francais,
monsieur?”

“
So you are a little French
flower as he said. How delightful!”

Ian saw no others in the room and knew
that the man was human so he held his rage in check to allow Aimee
to do what she would.

The man reached toward Aimee. Just as
he would have taken hold of her, she snatched his finger in a blur
of motion and snapped it, following with a lightning fast kick to
his groin. He roared in pain and doubled over as she jumped astride
his back. Clamping her legs around him she put her tiny arms around
his fat neck and began to compress his carotid arteries. He roared,
flailed and stumbled about the room, trying to dislodge her. She
bit a piece of one ear off and spit it out as he tried to reach
her, prompting a bellow of pain. But he was starting to lose
consciousness. He lunged from side to side smashing her against the
walls trying desperately to get her off of his back, all to no
avail.

Ian waited until he collapsed and then
bounded to her side and reached down and put his arms around her
while laughing, saying “Aimee, it’s me, Ian. Let him go,
sweetheart, let him go now.”

She turned and looked up, a snarl on
her face and her blue eyes blazing ferociously. Suddenly she broke
into a brilliant smile and released the man, opened her little arms
and sprang up into his arms saying “Ian! Oh, Ian! I knew you’d
come! I just knew you’d find me!”

He held her close and kissed her,
saying “Aimee, we’ve been so worried. I see that we didn’t need to
worry so much after all.”

“
I did just as you taught
me, Ian…just as you taught me.” She kissed his cheek repeatedly and
hugged him tightly.

“
Indeed you did my little
tigress! I’m more than pleased.” She wouldn’t let go and kept
kissing him. Laughing then he said “All right sweetheart, you ride
on my back then while I search for some rope.”

She swung around and clung to his back
like a monkey and laughed while kissing his neck several times as
he looked about for rope. In the carriage house he found some and
then he returned, securing the man and laughingly said “Now Aimee
please get down so that I can carry this garbage somewhere
safe.”

Laughing she jumped down then and
followed him out to the woods where he dropped the man in some
bushes. Then he said “I have to get the driver. Climb on now. She
stopped then and said “Wait please, Ian. There’s a nice girl in the
cellar of that place. I can take you there. Her name is Jennifer
and she’s just been bitten. She needs us to help her, Ian. I
promised her we’d come back.” He tipped his head to one side then,
digesting the information. “Did you help her?”

“
Yes, I gave her my blood
and left her my flask.”

“
You did well then my little
lassie. Is she young then, like you?”

“
No. She’s old, like all of
you.”

Laughing now he said “I’ll bring her
to the estate.”

“
I can take you there
now!”

“
Was she at the place you
came from?”

“
Yes.”

“
Good. I know where that is.
Let’s finish this business and get out of here.”

She climbed on his back and he bounded
to the carriage house and up the stairs in one leap. He set her
down then and walked through the door. The driver was sitting at a
small table having some tea. Ian was beside the table in a flash,
knocking the man unconscious, gagging and tying him securely. He
threw him over his shoulder and took him to the woods too. Turning
to Aimee he took her in his arms again and tenderly kissed her once
more. “I have really missed you sweetheart. Get around back now and
hold on tight.”

She slid around and clamped on to him
tightly and he bounded away to the northeast. Within four minutes
he had covered the four miles to the estate. He entered the foyer,
calling “Ian here; and I have someone who wants to see all of you!”
as he continued to walk into the parlor.