Forever Young The Beginning (21 page)

“
You….you have an angel that
speaks to you?”

“
Yes.”

“
How do you know he’s an
angel?”

“
He not only told me the
names of both of you, but he told me you two would come here
together.”

“
Did you see him in your
dream?”

“
Yes Cilia. I can’t see his
face though because it is as bright as the sun. Everything he tells
me happens. We’re leaving here tonight. The man with blue eyes is
coming to set us free. Don’t be afraid.”

There was silence for a bit, and then
Babette spoke saying “Who is this man with the blue eyes,
Celeste?”

“
His name is Ian, and he is
nearby even now.”

***

The house at the end of the lane
showed no sign of life or habitation. Indeed the whole place was
dismal in the moonlight. Dank vegetation, weeds, and vines competed
for every inch of space, vainly seeking more light by which to
grow.

Five pairs of keen eyes surveyed the
place. Henri whispered “It appears to be really boarded up well.
Ian, come with me and we’ll see how well it is sealed.”

The pair flitted to the building. They
parted and went silently around it, meeting on the opposite side,
seeing a carriage and two horses sitting under some trees out back.
Silently they made their way back to the others. Henri whispered
then. “You two are still imprinting. You could have a faint spell
or a disabling pain in there. So before we get into this thing, how
are you both feeling?

Ian said “Let’s do this. I’m
ready.”

Li said “I had a weak spell on the way
over here. It wasn’t as bad as the others. I took blood. I think
I’ll be at my best, no longer than this should take.”

Henri said “LeClerc is a very big and
very strong vampire, as big as LeBlanc. We want to take him down
first.” The two nodded. “Very well then. The house is boarded up
with framing timbers and well fastened. Someone doesn’t want anyone
getting into that place. Oh, there’s a carriage with two horses
harnessed out back waiting. The girls have to be here. Why else
would two or three vampires have transportation ready?”

They discussed what they could see and
determined that there were likely only two vampires inside. The
women would stay near the window entrance to shoot and behead any
who tried to escape that way. Henri looked at the two and said
“Remember now, try to shoot them in the brain if possible. They’ll
be disabled long enough to be decapitated that way.”

Marie produced a copper flask and
handed it to Li. “Drink, mon ami.” Li took it and drank half and
then handed it to Ian to drain. They all had fed on the rabbit’s
blood that Ian had brought, while hiding outside of the orphanage.
Ian stepped over to take Cosette in his arms as did Henri with
Marie. They hugged each other wordlessly. Then Ian looked at Henri
and Li, saying “Let’s get to it then.”

Down in the cellar Celeste said “Ian
is here. Now we must scream as loud as we can. Scream, girls,
scream! We leave this place tonight!” She began to scream and the
others joined in.

***

The three flitted to the house and
just before they leapt to its roof, they heard faint sounds of
screaming from inside. They flashed like lightning to the roof and
through the window, Ian in the lead. He located the stairs and
leapt to the bottom, landing in a crouch and moving out away from
the landing. The other two landed behind him as he streaked through
a room toward the sound of the screaming.

Meeting a vampire head on he shot him
in the face with his pistol. Dropping the pistol in the same
instant he kicked the vampire so hard that he crashed against a
wall and dropped to the floor roaring in pain. As he advanced Ian
drew his saber and severed his arm, bringing another cry of agony
from him. “There’s the cellar! he shouted. “I’m going down there.”
Henri and Li drew their sabers and advanced on the vampire who had
already regained his feet and they began to hack him
viciously.

Ian leapt through the door, colliding
with LeClerc head-on. His eyes blazing, LeClerc yelled “Sailor
boy?” as they tumbled down the stairs together. LeClerc had plunged
his knife into Ian’s side as they fell. He felt a searing pain and
ignored it as he dropped his sabre and whipped his dagger from his
sash and ripped upward into LeClerc’s stomach.

LeClerc howled in pain as Ian twisted
the knife ripping it upwards. Like lightning he twisted and grabbed
LeClerc’s knife hand in a vise-like grip. They rolled together away
from the landing to crash into the house foundation
wall.

LeClerc said “You’re weak sailor boy!”
even as he kicked mightily and drove Ian back to crash against the
iron bars of the cell, following like lightning, his knife held
ready to stab again. Ian deftly flung an overturned stool, striking
him in the face with it hard enough to distract him for a split
second as he drove forward with a front kick to the stomach,
driving LeClerc back to crash again into the foundation wall. In
vain he cast about for his sabre as LeClerc shook his head. LeClerc
backed away briefly and said “A lucky kick sailor boy!” He was
already streaking back toward Ian and lashed out with a lightning
kick, causing Ian to lose his knife. Laughing now LeClerc said
“I’ll eat your heart tonight.” as he sprang in a flash toward
Ian.

Ian dropped and whirled to one side in
a blur as LeClerc crashed into the iron bars, missing him but
turning in a flash to drive toward him again. Ian flashed toward
him, and faked a kick, then gave way as he grabbed LeClerc’s knife
arm in both hands. Whirling like lightning he dropped and drove his
hip into LeClerc’s hip as he threw him overhead. Holding on like a
vise he drove LeClerc head first into the hard packed earth of the
cellar as continuing his momentum in the same motion he rolled to
his feet in a flash, coming to a stop standing with one foot on
LeClerc’s shoulder.

Still holding his knife hand he
rapidly turned it with all of the strength he could muster.
LeClerc’s wrist shattered and he roared with pain as Ian repeatedly
drove his left foot down like a trip-hammer on LeClerc’s face,
smashing his nose and breaking his jaw. Through clenched teeth he
said “Eat …this …LeClerc!” Twisting the knife from his weakened
grip, he dropped and plunged the knife into the chest of the
vampire repeatedly. His motions were so fast that his arm was only
a blur. LeClerc screamed in rage and pain and thrashed about
violently, but Ian bore him down and continued to stab him
repeatedly in the torso, his arm a blur of violent
motion.

Li came then and pinned LeClerc to the
floor with his sabre as Ian snatched up his saber and cut off his
hand. The two dragged him upstairs as he continued to thrash and
roar in pain.

Ignoring the pain in his stomach wound
Ian leaped back down to the cellar and looked about. As he saw the
iron bars, a sweet voice came from behind them saying “Ian’ we’re
all in here.” Stepping up to the bars he looked them over as he
approached, and went to the door itself, grabbing it and yanking it
with all of his strength repeatedly. It gave way on the fourth try.
Turning, he stepped over to get the oil lamp and when he had turned
back, the five girls were standing in the doorway. Four were crying
but one was smiling at him. She ran to him and threw her arms
around his waist saying “I am Celeste, Ian. I’m so happy that you
came.”

He stepped back from her in amazement
and regarded her silently. Then his mouth curved up into a bow-like
smile as he said “I’m pleased to meet you Celeste. Let’s gather
everyone to leave. I have help waiting outside.”

“
Yes; I can’t wait to meet
Cosette and Marie.”

He turned back to her in astonishment,
pausing, his head tipped to one side slightly as he regarded her
anew. She was a pretty and petite thing under all of the grime,
with wavy auburn hair and large brown doe’s eyes.

Flashing a smile he scooped her up in
one arm and walked to the others, gently herding them up the
stairs. They emerged to see Li and Henri standing guard over
LeClerc who writhed in agony holding the stump where his hand had
been as he was held in place by two sabers which were buried in his
torso. The girls filed past silently. All whimpered and looked away
except Celeste, who stared into his eyes as they passed. As she
passed she nodded to Li and Henri and said “I’m so happy you came
here Henri. You too Li.”

Ian led them toward the back of the
house and coming to a window boarded over, he approached it,
setting Celeste down. Kicking several timbers out, he went through
it and ran to where Cosette and Marie were waiting. Cosette noticed
that he had been cut and handed him a flask as they walked around
to the back of the house.

As the three of them came up the steps
of the back porch, Celeste stepped forward saying “You must be
Marie and Cosette. I’m Celeste.” Cosette and Marie both stepped
forward and hugged her, then Marie hugged each of the other girls,
saying “Girls, you smell horrible. Come quickly so we can get you
washed and clean.” Celeste turned and ran to Ian again and threw
her arms around him. Ian took hold of her shoulders and said “We’ll
be coming before too long. You go with them now, Celeste. We should
talk when I come, shouldn’t we?

Looking up at him with a bright smile
she nodded.

Henri spoke then “Cosette, Marie,
we’ll rejoin you before too long. We have business here now
though.” They nodded and led the girls to the carriage.

Ian walked to where Li and Henri were
guarding LeClerc. Both still had their sabers buried in LeClerc’s
stomach, pinning him there. Ian’s eyes now glowed brilliantly like
two sapphires.

“
Monsieur LeClerc, we’re
going to have a talk now.”

LeClerc hissed up at him saying “That
bitch vampire with the gray eyes brought you over! We’ll talk in
hell, McCloud.”

“
Be sensible,
LeClerc.”

“
Be damned,
McCloud!”

Ian turned wordlessly and stepping to
the cellar door, he vanished through it and nearly instantly
reappeared, with LeClerc’s severed hand skewered on the end of his
saber. He flipped it to him wordlessly. LeClerc fumbled it briefly,
then pressed it to the stump of his forearm and held it there,
glaring up at Ian and the other two.

Ian met Henri’s and Li’s eyes
wordlessly, and then fastening his icy glare on LeClerc he
continued to allow his eyes to glow and betray his emotion. He said
“It looks as if that hand is already growing back. Why don’t you
tell us who you were going to sell those girls to and keep your
hand?”

LeClerc glared up at him, saying
nothing.

Ian shrugged, tilting his head to one
side. He made a lightning grab and ripped off LeClerc’s hand. In
the same instant he tossed it into the air and whipping out his
saber, he neatly cut two fingers from it as it fell. LeClerc howled
in pain. Ian neatly speared the remainder of the hand and offered
it to LeClerc who shrank back at first, then took it and again held
it to the stump of his forearm.

Ian vanished down the stairs to the
cellar and reappeared three seconds later holding an old block of
wood. Wordlessly he grabbed one of LeClerc’s feet and placed it on
the block. Stepping back, he tipped his head to one side regarding
LeClerc. “Now how will you fare trying to hold this foot against
your ankle with that hand as it is?” Henri and Li each put a foot
on his leg to immobilize it as Ian stepped back and drew out his
saber again.

“
No! No! I’ll tell you what
you want to know. Promise me that I can keep my hands and
feet.”

Ian nodded “I promise,
LeClerc.”

“
I want my two fingers as
well.”

Ian retrieved them from the other side
of the room and tossed them into his lap. He stepped back, still
holding his saber loosely.

“
They were to be taken to
the house of Marcel Francoise in Lyon.”

“
Francoise? How is it you
know them?” said Henri.

“
LeBlanc has a brother who
does… things for them sometimes.”

“
The one in Lacoste’, who
calls himself the Marquis de Sade?”

“
Sometimes for him,
Donatien, yes; but mostly for his brother Marcel in
Lyon.”

Henri turned away to pick up a bag
that he had taken from Marie on the back porch. Ian, putting away
his saber said “Do you know LeBlancs’ brothers’ name?”

“
No.”

“
Well, I have no further
questions, do you Henri?”

“
Yes. How were you getting
the girls to Francoise?”

“
LeBlanc hired two drivers
to take them. I don’t know who they are.”

At this, Henri ripped a large
double-blade axe from the bag and whirling like lightning he struck
LeClerc’s head from his body, burying the axe partially in the
wall. As Ian’s eyes followed the rolling head, he saw LeClerc’s
mouth moving as if he was trying to speak as his eyes rolled
wildly. It was a bizarre and grisly sight. Turning to Ian and Li,
Henri said “He never asked if he could keep his head.”

***

The girls had all been
bathed and given clean clothing. They were now waiting for soup in
the kitchen of
Angels’ Care
orphanage. Marie had awakened the entire staff who
had been amazed to see her and Cosette escort not four but five
girls into the bathing area. After a detailed instruction given to
the headmistress about what she would put in their files about the
conclusion of the incident of the four missing girls, she had since
dismissed the entire staff. She would see to it that the girls got
to their dormitories and beds.