Prophecy of the Undead (5 page)

“I don’t know the whole reason. I only know my part of it.”

“Then tell me what you know.”

Keisha took a deep breath, which made Yuri smile and nod at her.

“Begin.”

Chapter Six

“I have spent the last few years researching intelligence...specifically, what is it that makes one person intelligent and the other person happy to wallow in ignorance. I’m the only one in my family who was able to earn a scholarship to get me into college and I’ve always wondered what made me different. Why was I able to do so well in school, while my brothers and sisters all dropped out without even getting a diploma? I hoped if I could find an enzyme or chemical responsible that I could synthesize it in the lab. Then it could be used to allow everyone to achieve more than the potential they were born with. I figured that if more of us were smart, more brains would be getting used to solve the problems of our modern society and solutions could be found and implemented before we destroy our planet.”

Yuri nodded, “That’s the direction I thought you were heading in, based on your most recent papers and your speech at the conference last month.”

“You were there?”

“Yes. I was the one who asked you about the possibility of enhancing the life-span of humans. I know from personal experience that it is possible but I wondered if you had done any thinking along those lines.”

“No, as I told you then, I’ve been concentrating on intelligence. For a long time now, I’ve been afraid that it was an impossible dream. Every time I’d hit a wall, the director of the labs encouraged me to head in another direction. Hugo was really determined to do anything to help me succeed. As a researcher, that’s really important. Being afraid that your funding is going to be cut any minute is kind of counter-productive.”

“Is the director Dan’s father?”

“No, his dad is the banker of the labs. He holds the purse strings and doles out money to research the director tells him is the most promising. For some time now they have been throwing gobs of money at me, giving me anything I needed. I was so thrilled not to have to worry about losing my funding that I never questioned it. Now I wonder if I should have.” Keisha frowned.

“What was your big news that you said you would be able to share with me last night?”

“Last week I finally found what I was looking for. It wasn’t where I expected or what I expected it to be...but I found the intelligence enzyme. It’s so ridiculously simple—it would be really easy to synthesize it and offer it for sale.”

“Excellent. So, the director was happy?”

“Ecstatic. Just like I was. Then the shit hit the fan.”

“How?”

“I wanted to incorporate my discovery into a paper I can present at the international symposium next month. Hugo told me not to plan on going public with stuff that early. When I asked him why, he had no answer...he just mumbled about the board needing to review my work. He also reminded me that since I work for them, the corporation that funded my research owns what I discovered...I don’t own anything. Of course I got pissed and argued that since I was the discoverer, I owned the results. He told me to take some time off...basically dismissing me. He told me he’d have another assignment for me when I came back in.”

“That seems odd.”

Keisha nodded. “Yes, it was. I went out to the pub that night, upset and angry. Dan met me there and listened to all of my ranting and raving about how unfair it was, and how I should just present my thesis anyway, and let the future ultimately decide if I was right or wrong.”

Yuri leaned forward, “Let me guess. Soon after that your troubles began?”

“Yeah. The next night was when you called and asked me to meet you for coffee. I was still pissed but the chance to talk about my woes with a fellow scientist was just what I wanted. I went out to grab a few things from the store and when I got home, there were two men in my apartment...probably the same two who you did...whatever...to last night.”

Yuri smiled but only with his mouth—making his face look evil.

“I forcibly reminded them how unwise it is to pick on a woman who has a strong friend with an anger problem.”

“I heard bones breaking...”

“Yes...big ones. Then after I saw to bringing you across and you were unconscious, I put them both into the car and soaked it with the gas from the cans they were putting into the tank. I set it on fire before I left with you. The explosion was immensely satisfying. I don’t know if the bodies will be recognizable. I assume forensics will be able to discover they were both male. No doubt whoever wanted you killed will wonder where you are and how you got away.”

“We’ll just let them wonder a while, okay?”

Yuri nodded. “Excellent idea. In fact, I think we should leave town...move somewhere they won’t look for you.”

“We?”

“Of course. I saved your life...well, gave you a new one, anyway. I’m not saying that you owe me or anything but there is still the matter of my questions that only someone with your highly specialized skills would be able to research.”

“Uh-huh. What makes you think that they won’t find me no matter where I move?”

The evil grin again. “I’m pretty good at escaping notice when I don’t want to be found. Those who do find me are never heard from again. Problem solved.”

Keisha’s face suddenly registered alarm.

“I can still be killed, can’t I?”

“For now...until you are stronger in the blood. If you continue feeding from me you will gain my strength. I have been what I am for over a century—which is not very old by our standards but old enough for the hunger to be manageable. I also have been stabbed with wooden stakes through the heart...immensely painful, by the way. I don’t wish it on anyone. But survivable. Fire is harder to survive but doable. I’ve already told you that sunlight just gives us a bad burn. A beheading might do the trick but no one still uses guillotines and few walk around carrying scythes anymore.”

Keisha leaned back and laughed.

“God, this is so surreal. I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation. It’s true, isn’t it? It’s all true?”

Yuri nodded solemnly. “Yes. Continue with your narrative. What did you do when you arrived to find the men in your apartment?”

“I fought them. They tried to drug me but I hit one of them with the wine bottle...broke that sucker right over his head. Just like in the movies, he was out like a light. The other guy got in a few good hits but I punched him in the nuts and he went down. That’s when I ran. I called 9-1-1 to report the break-in to the police and then I called Dan. I was in the stairwell, afraid to go back into the apartment in case either of the goons woke up, so I heard what the police said as they walked to my door from the elevator. One said to the other that they were supposed to bring me to the station and hold me there until I was picked up. He said I was wanted for questioning. The other guy asked what they were supposed to do with the guys who had broken in. He said they were going to be booked but would probably be out on the street before the morning.”

“Do you have any idea why they’re hunting you or who is doing it?”

“Not really. I mean, I guess they do own my research but it will get out anyway, right? Sooner or later they’ll want to make some kind of profit from all of the money they sunk into helping me.”

Yuri stared off into space. “Do you know any of the names of the money-men, besides good old Dan’s dad?”

“Not really. I did hear there’s some guy who is suspected of being involved in some Central American drug cartel but that could just be a rumor or someone’s over-active imagination.”

“Central American, eh? I might be able to make some inquiries, to find out why the top researcher, who has finally found what the lab was looking for, is now a target.”

“You have contacts from Central America?”

Yuri chuckled, “Honey, when you have been alive for a really long time, you have contacts all over the world. It may be a big place but when you have forever, what is distance?”

Keisha shook her head. “Wow...just...wow.”

Yuri stood and walked over to the desk to take out some papers. “Here are some ideas I would like you to look through. I’ve read many of your published works. I would be honored to have you read mine. They will tell you what I know about what we are and maybe inspire you to pursue the research to answer my questions.”

“What are you going to do?”

Yuri pulled out a cell phone. “I’m going to send some texts and see if I can set up a meeting to figure out what’s going on to endanger you.”

“Texts? Don’t you just, you know, put the whammy on someone? Oogie-boogie stuff, read their minds, and all that?”

Yuri laughed. “Uh, no. I can only read minds when I’m in physical contact with the blood of someone and even then it’s hard to do. Most peoples’ minds are such a jumble of whirling ideas and thoughts. It’s difficult to get them to focus on what you want to find out—especially without them realizing someone is in their minds with them.

“Besides, the people I need to talk to are also vampires. We don’t intrude on each others’ minds without permission. I don’t often share blood with other men. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but I don’t find them attractive.”

Yuri leered at Keisha, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. “Not like attractive women...like, I don’t know...you?”

Keisha made a face at him. “Down, boy. Men. I guess it doesn’t matter if you are blood-sucking demons; you’re still men, huh? Fine; give me those papers. By the way, why are they papers? Why not notes in your laptop?”

Yuri smiled, “Because they are papers I’ve been writing for years. Some of them are very old, so be careful with them. I was always interested in science, even when I was a young mortal. Once I was turned, I was shocked at how little was known about what I became, so I tried to answer my own questions. Only gradually I realized that I don’t have the specialized education and skills needed to discover what we really are. That’s what you can do for me. Then we will be even-Steven and you won’t owe me anything for saving your life.”

Keisha snorted. “Asking me on my deathbed wasn’t much of a choice, but whatever. I don’t really feel indebted to you...”
Yuri nodded. “You will. I don’t think those who want you dead will be happy with no female body having been found in the car. So, I may be of more use to you in the future. Besides…” He flashed a mischievous grin. “I’m a big man. Most guys won’t mess with a big man as fast as they will with a gorgeous woman.”

“Thanks. Don’t think I’m
that
grateful, Romeo. I may be a nerd but I’m not easy.”

“Ah, but you have yet to discover just how sensitive your skin has become and how enhanced your senses are now that you...”

Keisha blushed and, even though she had milk chocolate-colored skin, the sudden rush of dark blood to her face was noticeable.

Yuri snorted with amusement. “Oho. So, that’s part of what took you so long in my shower, little girl. I’m so glad to discover that I was right about you in so many ways.”

“Little girl? I’m a thirty-six year old woman, thank-you. You don’t look like you even made it into your thirties.”

Yuri nodded. “Good guess. I was twenty-nine, which was considered fairly old at the time, when I was turned. The average life-span back then was about forty.”

“Back when?”

“Enough questions. You get to reading; I’ll get to texting. We’ll have lots of other times when I can answer your questions. In fact, that’s the most often neglected part of bringing someone across...most teach their newbies how to feed and hunt safely but few bother to answer even the most basic questions. Rest assured I won’t do that to you.”

Keisha whistled softly. “Phew. What a relief. I may be a demon of the undead now...excuse me, differently-animated, and I face an eternity of drinking blood from hapless humans and offering only a mind-fuck in return, but at least you will answer my questions...sometime...when you are good and ready.”

Yuri lifted one eyebrow and glared at her. Keisha took that as a sign that she should start reading. He took his cell phone over to the window and began texting by the light of the moon.

While she was reading, Keisha peeked up to study her inhuman rescuer and was pleased with what she saw.

I thought he was hot when I met him in the bar, but now? It’s like my eyes never had good enough vision to see everything there is to see before now. He’s about six feet of hard, blond, Slavic good-looking man. A nice tight ass, good muscles, broad shoulders...and a package in his pants that almost pushed me up and off his lap when it twitched. I guess if I had to be killed by someone, I’m glad it was him.

With that thought amusing her, she smiled as she began reading the papers.

Chapter Seven

After assuring Keisha that he would be back soon, Yuri left the penthouse apartment by leaping off the balcony. She ran over with alarm, expecting to see him flattened on the pavement below. Instead, he floated in a leisurely manner right in front of her face.

“Did you think I tried to kill myself? Silly woman...” he teased her.

“You are
flying
?”