B008IFNJZM EBOK (15 page)

             
Shawn looked at Hadiya and everyone could tell he deeply loved this girl as a father would love his children.

             
“He loved the idea that he could force his will on females.  When he turned you my dear we were outraged and our words got back to him in no uncertain terms that if we ever found him we would kill him.  You see my dear, the whole idea that a male can dominate a female or for that matter any vampire is a Hollywood myth.  Sure, we can at first after someone has just changed into one us, there is a short period of time where that is possible but only until that person figures out what powers we each have and how to use them.  Once a person learns our ways, you cannot hope to control another and have that person do your bidding.”

             
“So he fled before you could catch up with him?”

             
“Yes my dear he did.  The problem is that there is nowhere to hide without one of us knowing.  There are many in our numbers and eventually we learned that he had gone to Australia.”

             
“But you said he went there to find a cure.”

             
“He did!  He was no longer one of us.”

             
The voice from the back of the room interrupted again.

             
“Yes but we changed him back and with the native Khu, staked him out to be destroyed by the morning sun.”

             
Tom sees a ray of hope.

             
“Please tell us how you believe it was done, the changing back to normal?”

             
“Did you ever hear of a creature called a Meeratt (pronounced ‘mere rat’)?”

             
“No I can’t say I have.”

             
“You probably have heard of him by other names like Bigfoot or Sasquatch.”

             
Tom had an impulse of telling them about the security DVD showing a creature at the kennel on the night on which he lost his father, but bit his tongue.

             
“Yes I have.”

             
“There is an array of limestone caves in Southern Australia and one of them is oddly called the Merat cave.  We don’t know the origin of the cave’s name but that is what this ‘Khu’ person called it.  You must also understand that according to Khu, this creature not only exists but has the capability to change one of us back.”

             
“Make sure to tell him that the Meeratt hates us and werewolves.”

             
“Yes, but this Khu somehow persuaded one of these Meeratts to use whatever power it has to change our Mr. Sallweachter back to a ‘warm blood’.  You must understand that his people, the Aborigines, have lived there for over forty or fifty thousand years”.

             
“Tell them the other story we heard about them.”

             
“We were told during our stay there that this creature is smarter than any ‘warm blood’ or us.  We were also told that a Meeratt or a Bigfoot could never be caught by a human because he possesses the power to communicate with most of the animals in the animal kingdom.  Limestone cave formations exist all over the word from the United States to France.  If one does emerge from such a cave and if it can truly communicate with everything from a bird to a squirrel, you would not be able to even get close to one let alone capture one.  And without this Khu character helping you it would appear to be impossible to communicate with one.”

             
“Tell them about Merlin.”

             
Shawn looks back at his friend.

             
“We don’t know if that is true.”

             
“Tell them anyhow.”

             
Shawn looked back at his guests.

`
             
“We were told that one of Merlin’s parents was a Meeratt and that is why he had the knowledge to be such a great sorcerer…. Again, Merlin and that story may or may not be true.  Your only hope is to travel to Australia and somehow convince this Khu to get you an audience with the creature.  It is all we have on the subject.”

             
Iolana squeezed Tom’s shoulder.

             
“If you are willing, I, we, will help you.”

             
Tom looked up and smiled.

             
“Thank You.”

             
“You have got to stop saying that.”

             
The meeting was over with the elders and Chelsea, Tom and Iolana left.  Hadiya would stay and visit with her great, great, grandfather and his friends.  She would also see if there was any other information they might have forgotten about the Meeratt incident.

***

             
On the ride back, Tom was thinking.

             
“We must return to Kentucky.”

             
“Why?”

             
“Two reason.  First we will need some help.  The flight time down to Australia is very long.  I have two dear friends with multiengine jet licenses.  They could speed us up by continuing to fly the plane during daylight hours.”

             
“And the second reason?”

             
“We are going to need a considerable amount of equipment if we have to go below ground to make contact with them.  I know just the people who could help us acquire the right equipment quickly.”

             
“Okay, we will return to New York if Hadiya returns
early
enough.  We will have the wind at our back and that will shave an hour maybe two off the return flight.  Chelsea, when we arrive, file a flight plan for us.  Make it New York Tonight and Louisville tomorrow night.”

             
“Okay will do.”

             
“I am going to make sure to have a good supply of blood brought on board in New York.  I do not think I would like Kangaroo or a Wombat substitute.  I will also check the location of the Merat cave and see where the nearest airport for us is at.  Also, I will begin to search for some form of rental transportation.”

             
“We are probably going to need a guide too.”

             
“Yes Chelsea.  You might be right.”

             
Chelsea looked at Tom and grinned.

             
“Whoever is our guide will only have to get us close.  After that, we should be able to find one of our own.”

             
“What are you going to do about the coffins? Are you going to have to ‘brown bag’ your soil and utilize sleeping bags?”

             
“Good question.  Maybe your friend could help us with that one.  We could use some cover story about needing three housings big enough to hold an object the size of a coffin but substitute some other container like three large wooden crates of equipment.”

             
“We will have to work on that story.”

             
Everyone was’ searched’ as was the custom (sorry, I couldn’t resist…)  and then the customs agents allowed everyone to board the aircraft.

             
There was a knock on the door and then Nathan’s door bell sounded at the same time.  He glanced over at the clock.  , It was two in the morning.  He sat on the bed as the bell continued to ring.  He reached over to a chair and grabbed his robe.

             
“I’m coming.”

             
The figure outside the door couldn’t hear him but stopped ringing the bell when the lights inside went on.  He came down stairs and answered the door.

             
It was Elizabeth.  Nathan was surprised by her visit.

             
“Are you alone?’

             
“The life of a single male does not automatically mean I would have someone here on a weekday night.”

             
Nathan could see the troubled look on the doctor’s face.

             
“Good.  Can I come in?”

             
“Sure.  Want some coffee?”

             
“That would be nice.”

             
Nathan led her around to his kitchen and began to fix her a pot.

             
“So how come you are not asking me why I didn’t call first or text you?”

             
“I have known you and your brother my entire life.  You have never come over in the middle of the night before, even though I may have dreamed about that possibility.  I figure whatever it is must be important.”

             
He turned to see the doctor taking a seat and smiling back at him.

             
“Why, did someone change their minds about promoting me to head of all the research departments?”

             
“Of course not...  Don’t be so insecure about that.  Even if you weren’t so close to my family, I still think you would have gotten the job.”

             
Nathan put the third scoop in the paper filter.  He inserted it in the machine and began to pour the water into the tank of his coffee maker.

             
“Come on, I just turned thirty-one!  I have to supervise department heads who are all in their fifties and I cannot justify in their eyes  why I was made their boss instead of one of them.”

             
“It’s not part of your job to justify why you were promoted.”

             
“Easy for you to say… I am the one who has to work and live with these folks, not you.”

             
“We all feel Uncle Joe did the right thing and made the right choice.”

             
“Well it still puts me in an awkward position…  So what brings you out in the middle of the night?  Is everything Okay?”

             
“Yes and no.”

             
Nathan looked at Elizabeth and knew she would tell him what it was.

             
“Have you talked to my brother lately?”

             
“No, the last time I talked to him was at the funeral.”

             
“He needs your help… I need your help.”

             
Elizabeth took an empty cup as Nat set out a creamer and a sugar substitute.  She walked over to stand by him as the flowing water continued to be transformed into coffee below.  She removed a piece of paper and put it on the counter.  It was a personal check for one hundred thousand dollars.

             
“Sorry, the banks are closed and I could not get a cashier’s check.  It is good.”

             
A woman he always had been somewhat infatuated with just gave him a large check in the middle of the night.  He kept looking at it as Elizabeth removed the pot and poured a cup.  Nathan put the check down and far away from the coffee brewing machine.

             
“My brother needs your help.”

             
“You know I would do anything for him or you.  Why isn’t your brother here with you?”

             
“He’s in Ireland soon to be returning.  I think they are six hours ahead of us so he is probably going back to bed by now.”

             
“Ireland?  What is he doing there?”

             
“How much did my brother tell you about our father’s death?”

             
“You mean his werewolf theory?”

             
“Yes.”

             
“Not much really, but I had to admit, it made more sense than your father missing whatever he was aiming at and accidently killing your grounds keeper.”

             
“I am a woman of science and a doctor.  I am now convinced that my brother is right.”

             
“Right about what?”

             
“That in a little less than three weeks, he will transform for the first time into a werewolf.”

             
Nathan wanted to smile but refrained as he fixed his coffee and sat back down with Elizabeth at the kitchen table.  He said nothing.

             
“You know me.”