Hard Days Night (The Firsts Book 8) (45 page)

“Sure, sure.”

After he ended the call, Ballgame threw his phone back into his pocket and turned to Java, the most experienced guy he’d ever seen with surveillance.

As he turned, a huge man caught his head and looked into his eyes.

BACK IN THE U.S. TWO DAYS LATER

Someone hit Ballgame on the head. 
What the fuck?

Neck was standing at the end of his bed.

“What the fuck, Neck?  Can’t a guy get some sleep?”

“Not when he’s supposed to be in Africa looking for the woman cop for the boss!  What the fuck are you doing back here?”

Ballgame crawled out of bed, naked, and Neck rolled his eyes.  “Look, I just got chewed out by Canzone, I don’t need to be assaulted again by having to look at your junk.  Put some fucking pants on, man.”

Mumbling, Ballgame pulled on some grungy sweatpants that he wasn’t even sure were his.

“What are you doing here man?” he asked.  “How the hell did you get in my apartment?”

“I told you, the boss wants to know where the hell you’ve been.  You and six other guys are supposed to be watching for Canzone’s cop in Africa.  Why the hell are
all of you back here in your shitty apartments?  We’ve been looking for you for two days!  In Africa!”

Ballpark lit a cigarette.  He took a long draw and squinted up at Neck.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I’ve been here the whole time, sleeping.  I ain’t never been to Africa, and I sure the fuck don’t want to go!  What have
you
been smoking?”

Neck didn’t say anything.  He just looked at Ballgame.

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.  Who told you I was in Africa
?  Hey man, I’m not letting anyone set me up for taking the fall for something I didn’t do.  Who told you I was in Africa?”

“You did, Ballgame.  I know you were there.”

Ballgame laughed.  “Yeah, right.”

Scratching himself in the crotch, Ballgame went to the fridge and screwed up his nose.  “What the hell is growing in there?  Damn, that food goes bad fast.”

Neck walked up to Ballgame and took his head in his hands.

“You don’t remember being in Africa?”

“I’m telling you, Neck, I ain’t
never
been in Africa!”

Neck held Ballgame for a few more moments before he let him go.

Dialing his cell phone, he spoke slowly.  “Boss, I can’t explain it, but he’s like Java and the others.  Something wacko is going on here.  I know, sir, we’ll find out, no matter what it is.  I know you won’t let it go.  I’m on it. I’ve never let you down, and I won’t begin now.”

“Get up,” Neck said quietly, to Ballgame.  “He wants to know what’s going on with the woman and the huge man who can do things no one has ever seen before.  He says he won’t stop until he knows.
  We’re going back to Africa.”

EPILOGUE

Chione finished packing her bag
, but there wasn’t much in it.  Really, she didn’t know what she would need there anyway.  She’d so rarely left the village in all of her centuries, she felt concerned about what to expect.

All she knew was that she had to go.  The universe puts people exactly where they needed to be, and it was completely apparent where she was being sent. 
To America.  To a city called Seattle near the ocean. 

Starla came in with Mal, both women carrying their
daughters.

“Thank you
, ladies, for bringing my girls.  Oh, Mother Earth, I will miss these children more than anything while I am gone.  Gimme.”

Wiggling her fingers, Chione took the two babies, one in each arm.  “They’ll grow up so much, even in the short time I’ll be away, and I will miss
the changes!”

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Mal asked.  “The city can be tough, and you’re such a sweet, gentle woman.  I’m worried for you.”

“I’m first blood, I will have no trouble taking care of myself,” Chione reminded her.

“I don’t mean that, I know you can protect yourself, physically.  But you’re so kind, and vulnerable, and I mean that in a good way, you know that.  I just hate to think of how brutal and mean some people can be.
  Erin said she will accompany you if you would like.  She remembers what it was like to go out on your own the first time.”

“She’ll be okay.  She knows if she needs us, we’ll be there, right, Chione?”  Starla chimed in.

“Right, my friend.  Mal, I must follow my path.  You followed yours and look how happy you are.  I will admit I am apprehensive, but I will forbear.”

Mal sighed.  “Okay, just be very careful, and remember that people often misrepresent themselves.  And many can’t be trusted.  Lock your doors, and don’t leave anything unattended that you don’t want stolen, because, believe me, it will be.  Crap, I know the cop in me is coming out, but I’ve grown to love you and I don’t want you to be out there alone in that big American city.”

Chione gave her a soft smile.  “I love you and I appreciate your concern.”

Looking down at the two precious children in her arms, Chione was suddenly aware that what she was doing, where she had to go, was essential to the greater mission of these first blood children
some day.  The intensity of the feeling startled her.

She looked up at Starla and Mal.  “I am on the right path.”

IN SEATTLE

Donovan Gualtieri pushed the door to his apartment
closed, and entered without turning on the lights.  He didn’t need any, the cityscape brought light into the penthouse apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire front of the main living area.   It was after midnight and he was exhausted from yet another trip to South America.

He dropped his bags in the middle of the floor and walked over to the kitchen to snag a beer.

Frustrated, because he’d had another unsuccessful mission, he walked over to the windows and just stared out at the view that he loved so much.  In the distance, Mt. Rainier, not visible now in the dark, was the first thing Donovan loved to see in the morning.  Now, the brilliant lights of the city sparkled and he just dropped his forehead against the cool glass.

It was hot in the apartment, which made sense, because he’d been gone
over six months and didn’t see the point in leaving the air conditioner running while the place was empty.  He could afford to run it 24/7 for 365 days a year, that wasn’t the problem, he just couldn’t abide the waste.

Peeling off his shirt, and kicking his shoes aside, he scratched his chest as he walked over to his answering machine.  He’d never really embraced cell phones, so he was still a dinosaur with a landline. 

Sixteen messages, the blinking light announced.  Did he want to bother with them tonight?  Fuck, might as well, he’d probably sleep for the next two days.

Taking a long draw on the bottle, Donovan punched the PLAY button.

“Donnie, I’ve missed you.  When you gonna be back home…”

He bypassed that one quickly.  Barbara. Shit, he’d told her before he left that they were never going to be an item.  It had just been sex, she’d always known that, but she just kept riding him.  As if
that
would make him want to keep her in his life. Everyone knew he didn’t get attached.  There were just too many more important issues in his life than living the mundane…get married, have 2.4 children, a dog and a cat, and a divorce within three years.  It wasn’t his life.  Hell, right now, he was barely on one continent long enough for an orgasm!

The next message was unexpected…a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time.  It was apparent he was drunk by the slurred speech.

“Don, it’s me, Uncle Lamont.  Listen, uh, there’s a chance I won’t be alive when you get this message.  I’ve failed in my mission. You know the one.  I know you never really believed me, but I have proof and I’ve sent it to you.   I transferred my remaining funds into your accounts.  Yeah, I know you don’t need them, but you might, if you choose to take up my cause.”  There was a pause, and Donovan was fairly sure it was to take another swig of whatever he was drinking, then he cleared his throat loudly and continued.  “Donovan, don’t let the monsters win.  They killed your father.  Listen to me, son, you have to finish this.  They can’t win.  They can’t win!”

The call ended there.  Donovan looked at the date of the call.  It was right after he’d left
, six months ago.

After wandering back over to the window to watch the night sky, he picked up the phone and dialed the European number Uncle had called from.

It only took a few moments before an automated tone answered. 
Disconnected.

That would end this right there.  Besides, his Uncle was nuts, and he was right
about one thing, Donovan had never believed any of the shit he raved about. 

Vampires
.  Sure, blood sucking vampires were going around the world, killing people and controlling them.

Shit, he was too tired to think about this again.  He hoped that his
psychotic Uncle hadn’t dumped his money into Donovan’s bank accounts.  He sure the fuck didn’t
need
any more money.

And he didn’t need his Uncle’s crazy mission to destroy the dead, or the evil undead, or whatever the fuck that
obnoxious man wanted to do. 

Donovan
had his own missions, critically important missions that mattered to the world.  To this planet, to its future.

“Sorry,
mother earth,” Donovan whispered as he finished the beer and walked into his bedroom to collapse.  

“We’ll get them next time.”

He had a planet to save.

We get closer and closer to the grand destiny of the first blood children with each path we travel.  Thank you for taking the time to travel with another story in the world of the “First Bloods.”

Next in the series, Day by Days, Chione’s journey beyond the protected life she’s always known.  She walks the streets of a beloved American city with ordinary people.   After all, vampires don’t exist…do they?

It ha
s been my pleasure to be able to continue to bring the lives of these remarkable people to yours.  If you’re inclined to give them a try, the stories are now available in audio, another way to enjoy your desire for good stories that are well told.

         Thank You Wonderful Readers,

(and a special Thanks to Susan  for your awesome eye!)                    

                                           Charlie Quinn