Fledgling (The Vampire Manifesto, Book Two) (21 page)

Colonel Hawking looked at her skeptically. “I highly doubt it.”

“He claims to know my parents.” I said.

“Well?” She cut Hawking an unforgiving look. “Do you?”

“This conversation doesn’t…”

Abigail cut him off. “He does.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

She looked at him again. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Colonel Hawking raised one of his eyebrows.

“Do you know something about their death?” Abigail demanded.

Hawking didn’t waver. “No.”

I could tell by his face that he was telling the truth. I’m getting pretty good at being able to tell if some is…

“You’re lying.” Abigail proclaimed.

“What?” I said.

Abigail looked at me. “He’s lying.” She turned back to Colonel Hawking. “Why are you lying?”

The Colonel didn’t say anything, simply staring at Abigail. He lifted up his hand and pressed a button on his watch and Abigail began screaming out in pain. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began convulsing, white foam spurting from her mouth. She toppled backwards and yet despite the distance, Girard was there, catching Abigail before she hit the ground.

“Oh my God.” I watched Staci place her softly on the ground. Abigail’s body was convulsing nonstop. “What did you do?”

“Feedback loop.” He replied.

Girard snapped her head towards Hawking, letting out a low growl. Her appearance began change, her skin turning a dark grey. The tips of her ears extended into a point and her teeth had grown sharp. She raised her hand and her fingernails had turned black, growing into sharpened claws.

One of Hawking’s men appeared beside him. His eyes were completely red, but I could see statistical data and diagrams moving across them. His body armor was black and sleeveless, leather gloves covering his fingers, yet his wrist and hands seemed to radiate a dazzling indigo energy so intense that even his gloves were illuminated. He held a handgun in each hand, yet the weapon seemed to be modified so it was half the length. His hands appeared as if to channel energy into the guns brightly glowing clip, while a small sphere composed of what appeared to be the same type of indigo energy hovered in the air just in front of the gun barrel.

“No, not here Vega.” Hawking ordered. The Colonel turned to me and made a circle with his thumb and index finger, keeping the rest of his fingers pointed straight up. He touched his eye briefly with the circle. “Be seeing you.”

He turned and walked off, the man called Vega following after him. People were starting to run over after hearing Abigail scream. I turned back to Girard, at the transformation that had taken place. The people from the funeral were practically upon us, just a few more moments.

I called to her. “Staci.”

Her head rotated towards me, a subdued snarl emanating and yet even then I could see her regain herself as her features began reverting back to normal, her skin-becoming human like. In just a few seconds, it was as if it had never happened.

Aiden was here, placing Abigail’s head in his lap. “What the hell is going on Madison?” She had stopped convulsing and began to moan out softly.

“Let’s get her into the limo.” I said.

People were asking questions, but I told them to continue with the service and ignored everything else. Abigail was starting to regain consciousness as we maneuvered her into the limo. She sat next to Aiden, leaning against him for support. Girard sat next to her, while Dakota was to my left. Frankie wanted to come, but I needed him to do crowd control.

“Who was that guy?” Dakota asked.

“Yeah, Madison?” Aiden was upset. “I thought you were just going over there to talk and next thing I know Abigail’s on the ground having a damn seizer and there’s some dude pointing glowing guns at you.”

“That was Colonel Hawking.” I explained.

“Hawking?” Dakota repeated.

“Yeah.” I said.

“The man who gave the order to kill my mother?” She asked.

“That was him.” I replied.

“Madi…” Abigail was trying to speak. “Mad...i...son?”

“Hey.” Aiden was stroking her hair. “Don’t speak. Conserve your strength.” He looked up at me. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

“No hospitals.” Abigail propped herself up a bit. “I’ll be fine, just…give me a minute.”

Aiden disagreed. “You should let a doctor…”

“Baby please…” She rubbed her temples for a second. “I just need something to drink.”

Dakota looked around the bar. “They’ve got Champaign and water.”

Abigail motioned with her fingers. “Give me the bubbly.”

I looked at Girard. “That ever happen before?”

“The change?” She shook her head. “No, that was the first time.”

“How did it feel?” I asked.

“Honestly?” She paused. “Exhilarating.”

Abigail was drinking directly from the Champaign bottle. “What happened?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” I confessed. “You were talking to Colonel Hawking then you just started having a seizer.”

“The Colonel said something about a feedback loop.” Girard added.

“Feedback loop?” Abigail stopped drinking for a second. “What did he mean by a feedback loop?”

“World Mind.” I called out.

Awaiting incoming query…

“Hawking generated some kind feedback loop that affected Abigail. Can you analyze what happened?”

“I hate when she does that.” Abigail said.

“Shh… he can hear you.” I whispered.

Initiating biological assessment on orangutan designated Abigail…

“Hey, don’t call us that.” I ordered.

“What did it say?” Aiden asked.

“Nothing.” I replied. “Forget about it.”

Several neurological markers in designate Abigail have elevated DNA segments when compared to other…homo sapiens. Certain frequencies can absorb certain types of energy then redirect it back to the source. Only specific areas of the cerebellum can cause the symptoms that designate Abigail experienced and these segments of the cerebral cortex that were affected by the frequency are documented to produce low grade to Omega level extrasensory perception in homo sapiens….

“What did it say?” Aiden asked.

I wasn’t sure if I should tell them.

“Madison?” Abigail asked.

Well here goes. “Are you a Post Human?”

“What?” Asked Girard.

“The feedback loop redirects extrasensory energy back at the source.” I said. “It causes people to have seizers.”

Abigail glanced up at Aiden.

“You should tell her.” He said. The two of them just looked at each other for a moment.

“We prefer the term Hyper-Sensitive.” Abigail stated. “I can read minds and I can talk to people without having to use words.”

Girard laughed. “This town is just insane.”

“How long have you known.” I asked.

Abigail shrugged. “Since I was ten maybe?”

“You knew about this?” I asked Aiden.

“Yeah.” He said. “She told me.”

“It makes so much sense now.” I admitted. “The way I used to watch you too just stare at each all the time.”

“This doesn’t...” She seemed unsure. “…freak you out or anything?”

“I’m a Vampire with a piece of God technology stuck to my arm that talks to me inside my head and refers to humans as orangutans.” I explained. “So whatever you got going on over there, that’s like apple pie.”

“Does it really refer to us orangutans?” Girard asked.

“All Celestials do.” I said.

“He knew, Madison.” Abigail drank some more Champaign. “Before he shut me down, he was trying to hide information about your parent’s death. Something that he definitely did not want you to know about.”

“He’s going to be coming for me soon.” I admitted. “Anybody around me is going to be collateral damage to a person like him. Maybe it’s better if I just left. At least…”

“I’m going wherever you go.” Dakota declared.

“You’ve saved my life too many times for me to bail out on you now.” Girard professed. “Especially since I now have the ability to really be able to fight back.”

“I’m a mind reader, Madison.” Abigail was a little tipsy. “Where ever you go I can find you.”

“I think I speak for everybody when I say that we’re not going anywhere.” Aiden declared. “Besides, who the fuck wants to live forever?”

Chapter 9

Resolution…

When I woke up the next morning, I realized for the first time that it’s been a month and I hadn’t had one of those insane dreams. Dakota was in my arms and for a while, I just refused to move, hoping to revel in the moment. I could hear Frankie and Girard downstairs. They had been up talking all night, about life, movies, the music from their childhood that they still listened to. It was nice seeing them happy, even if it was just for a moment. Both of them had gone through so much in such a short time that a little reprieve from the madness was good for them.

For some reason I decided on going to school. I know that wasn’t the most safest thing to do, but I figured the last thing Colonel Hawking wanted was a bunch of dead kids on the news from one of his military operations so I figured I’d be somewhat safe there. Besides, I needed a little normalcy in my life as well. A distraction from my thoughts. I leaned up in the bed and Dakota stirred.

“Go back to sleep, baby.” I kissed her on the tip of her nose.

“You go back to sleep.” She countered.

“I can’t.” I whispered. “I’m gonna go to school today.”

“Ha.” She pulled the covers over her head. “You have fun with that.”

I crawled out of bed. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Bring back some ice cream.” Her voice was muffled, but I heard her.

I stopped by Aiden’s room, knocked twice then stuck my head in. “You two up?”

“Well if we weren’t before we are now.” Aiden moaned.

“I was thinking about going to school today.” I announced.

Abigail popped up from underneath the covers, her hair a mass of confusion and disarray. “Omg, that sounds like an amazing idea!”

Aiden put a pillow over his head. “I call bullshit.”

“No worries Madison, well both be ready.” Abigail gave me two thumbs up and then started bouncing on Aiden’s back. “You hear that baby; we’re gonna go learn some algebra today!”

“I hate you Madison.” Aiden replied.

I headed downstairs, I could smell a fresh pot of coffee going and I wanted some. Girard was on the couch, Frankie right next to her as they chit chatted away. If I didn’t know any better I could swear he was flirting with her. Isn’t she like half his age?

“Morning Madison.” Frankie called out.

I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Hey Frankie, Girard.”

“Hello Maddy.” Girard was playing with her hair, staring at Frankie.

“Don’t call me that.” I said. “I think I’m going to school today.”

“I heard.” She replied.

Frankie turned around on the couch. “Hey, Madison, look, I know that you and Aiden both turn eighteen in a couple a month’s so technically your considered an adult, but I was thinking if it was okay with you, maybe I could hang around here for a little bit longer? I mean, I know…”

“It’s cool, Frankie, you can stay as long as you want.” I grabbed a bag of blood out the freezer then headed back upstairs. “Just buy a gun or something because life here in Palm Coast is a motherfucker.”

It didn’t take me long to shower. I decided on the pink Chuck Taylors this time instead of the Timberlands. A pair of faded jeans and a pink, old school Jem and the Rockers shirt and a black pair of elbow gloves. By the time I got downstairs, Aiden and Abigail were ready and Girard had already left for work. I grabbed the keys off our newly replaced counter top and tossed them to Aiden.

“You’re driving.” I said.

Aiden caught the keys and grinned. Sometimes it’s the little things that make life worth living. The look on his face just now was worth it. He took the long way to school of course, but it was okay. We still managed to get there early. The place seemed different to me now, smaller. Things that used to stress and worry me when I came here before meant nothing to me now. They were like little league problems and I’ve graduated to the majors.

Abigail and I had first period together, but Aiden was a couple of classes down. Abigail was walking Aiden to his class, while I had to stop at my locker. At first, I couldn’t remember my locker combination; it took me three times to get it right. It was weird, I could remember some of the most complex things now that I’m a Vampire, but I had trouble trying to recall even the most mundane things from my human life before I was turned.

I grabbed my book bag and opened it. Inside was that package I received when I first went to the office. Just one more thing I had forgotten about. I opened it up and inside was a USB drive. Without thinking, I shoved the USB into my pocket and closed my locker door.