The Vampire (THE VAMPIRE Book 1) (42 page)

So Augere was not going to be the one to kill him. Nor was he going to be present when it was done. Not directly and personally involved.
He will be nowhere around when this happens to me,
Jason thought. This caused a perverse, and temporary, moment of peace in Jason.
It won’t be him
.

Allen misinterpreted Jason’s briefly calm expression as relief at Augere’s absence. “Don’t worry,” He reassured Jason. “You will never have to see him again.”

Then the implication that Augere had already left threw him. Jason felt as if he was already in the depths of misery but Allen’s words made him sink even lower. A new anguish took hold of him now, much sharper and more painful than anything he had felt yet.
You will never have to see him again
.

I did not do anything wrong,
he told himself again
, for all of this to be happening to me
. He had given up everything—his job and his home, and now he had to die for it as well? And none of this was his fault. He did nothing to cause any of this to happen.
You will never see him again
. Jason was in total despair and overwhelmed with a profound sadness bordering on grief.

He walked numbly, passively through the airport. Allen retained hold of their two passports. The man who now accompanied them, Nick, seemed to keep constant watch over Jason but didn’t interact with him. Jason figured he knew why: don’t get friendly with someone whom you intend to kill. Keep the interactions impersonal and to a minimum.

“We have time to stop at Harrods duty free,” Allen was saying to him. “I don’t know why, but Mums always seems to want a little something from Harrods.” He looked at Jason for some response. There was a blank stare. “I have to stop and buy something, because I will be going on to New Orleans before I fly back home to London. And if I don’t bring something for my mum, there will be trouble.” He laughed, trying to lighten the somber mood somewhat. “You could pick out something to bring home for your mum too,” Allen suggested. “I would be glad to pay for it. Choose whatever you think she might like. Choose several items if you want.”

Jason looked at him with a glum expression and shook his head. Again it all seemed unnecessarily cruel. They were really playing this thing out.
No I am not going to fall for the cannoli charade, like in that movie, going along like everything will be all right
. They were trying to go out of their way to make it seem and to make him believe he was actually going home. It nearly brought him to tears, the thought he would not ever see his mother, or any of his family, again.

Jason had decided if he was going to make a break for it, he would wait until he was at least back in the U.S. He felt reasonably certain they would not try to kill him off in such a public place as this. He would actually feel safer on the airplane. He might even be able to get some much needed sleep. He was going to need to be well rested in the coming hours if he was going to have any chance to survive this.

Once Allen had completed his Harrods shopping it was nearly time to board the plane taking them to New York. They would change planes there after a brief layover, to continue on to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. At least that’s what Jason was told.

Jason was more or less forced by the other two into the window seat. He would have preferred the aisle. Allen, and then Nick, occupied the two seats next to him. Within ten minutes after takeoff, Jason was already soundly asleep, unable to fight fatigue any longer.

He started awake several times. Images of glowing red eyes and the loud, angry snort of a monstrous beast disturbed his slumber. Another image startled him awake: pale slender fingers reaching for his neck…ready to rip into him… Finally, exhaustion once again won out over the horrific images and blessed sleep followed.

He had slept for a few hours when he awoke with a start and realized he was on an airplane. The window shade had been pulled down and he guessed it was still daytime. Allen dozed in the seat beside him. His watcher on the aisle looked up at him briefly from the thriller novel he was reading and then resumed after the quick pause.

Jason had a headache. He was very thirsty. He felt somewhat rested and a little less fearful at the moment, but the level of anxiety remained fairly steady. He sat with his eyes closed, his muscles stiff, his body uncomfortable in the cramped, too warm airplane.

After a half hour or so, Allen awoke. He asked Jason how he was doing. Allen rang for the steward, and obtained Cokes, ice water, and headache remedy for both of them.

They sat in silence for several minutes.

“You…your family…you have always known about him?” Jason asked suddenly, curiosity getting the better of him.

“Yes. Always,” Allen replied with a nod.

“That…he kills people…” Jason tried to whisper. “…and, you just accept that…you protect him?” Jason was genuinely curious suddenly.

Allen sighed deeply. “I have no personal knowledge that he has done so. Well, in the past yes. Long ago. And I do know he has hurt people.” They were both silent again.

“There is a lot he could have explained. If you had been able to talk to him,” Allen stated. “As far as any of us can remember he has always looked out for the safety and wellbeing of my family. As we have done for him. We understand he is not responsible for his condition, this situation that happened to him. He had no choice in the matter. We don’t judge or condemn him for what he is. Or for what he must do.”

Jason realized there truly was a lot he did not know. A lot he would never know now. And he was very curious to know it all. It would be the last time he might ever be able to learn anything. Not that it would matter anymore.

“Your family has been involved with his family for a very long time.”

“He has no family. No one.”

“Well, not now, maybe. But in the past. I looked it up online. Your family and his family go way back, even before the Civil War—”

“No member of my family has ever met any member of his family.”

“But I saw the records: at least several generations of Geniers, linked with the name of the Augeres—”

“Many generations of Geniers, yes.” Allen turned his head to look at Jason directly. “But one, and only one, Augere.”

This information was trying to take hold in his mind. It just did not seem possible. He thought he had finally understood. And now it seemed he really knew nothing. He was just at the very beginning of understanding… He had another question.

“Has there ever been any other, like me? Some kind of assistant, I mean—”

“Yes,” Allen replied, nodding. “Many others.”

Jason was a little shocked. It didn’t seem possible there could have been.
He’s only twenty-something
…no. He would have to stop thinking of him that way. Well, again not that it mattered anymore, he thought sadly.

“What happened to them?” Jason felt bolder about asking. Had they all shared this same fate? Would Allen actually be honest enough to tell him what had happened to them?

Allen shrugged. “Two of them live in London. Two others live elsewhere in the U.S.; I’m not really sure of their exact locations just off the top of my head.”

Jason was stunned. “These others—they did not know about him? Did they—what were the circumstances—that they left?“

“All of them knew, eventually. Most of them retired after a number of years.”

Retired?
Jason was having a hard time getting his mind around all this. He wasn’t at all unique. There had been others. Others who knew. And they had survived. He was suddenly fascinated.

The cabin crew came around with breakfast and much welcomed coffee. Jason was starving. He ate hungrily. As he had more coffee as he wondered about all Allen had told him.

Maybe all this information was just a clever ruse. Just a way to calm and distract him. He would be easier to control if he was kept calm. “Tell him whatever he wants to hear.” And it was working. He needed to keep his guard up.
Don’t become complacent
. He knew, he felt it clearly; he was still in great danger.

The plane landed in New York. They had an hour and twenty minutes until they had to board their connecting flight. Jason was being watched closely by both men. If he was going to make a break for it, it was going to be difficult.

He would simply have to run through the airport. He would attract the attention of security. And then he would have to tell them something.

You will never have to see him again
. Allen’s words were a haunting echo in his mind.

“What happens now?” Jason asked, wondering what new subterfuge they would use on him. He doubted he would hear anything like the truth. But the lie might give him some clue. Perhaps he needed to wait until they landed in Minnesota. If that was even going to happen. He was sick at the pit of his stomach now. He really liked Allen; he seemed as kind and genuinely concerned for his welfare as James had been.
And look where it has gotten you. Why did things have to be this way?
He almost wished it would just come to an end. But he was too stubborn to just give in.

Allen had to hazard a guess as to what Jason meant by his question. He sensed the emotional turmoil and confusion had to be horrible for him. How very small though, were the number of people who ever had to cope with the challenges Augere presented in just working with him.

He had told his brother James in the past that just being in Augere’s presence in itself was a little daunting. On the few occasions he had actually ever seen Augere he was usually ignored by him. James was the one who had the rapport; the who saw him and spoke to him most often. The one who dealt with all of the day to day things.

“He does like you, Allen,” James had assured him in the past. “He is confident that you are more than capable of handling this crisis,” James had told him over the phone yesterday.

“I will handle this,” Allen had stated. “It’s him that gives me pause. I actually like him too, though I don’t know him as well as you do. All of you in New Orleans are used to it—to being around him. For me, just seeing him—it’s a little hard for me to take my eyes off of him, much less try to stay focused and concentrate. He is still mesmerizing to me. And knowing all that we know about him, I still find it quite incredible myself, even after all this time. I can begin to imagine what it must be like for someone like Jason to encounter him even without knowing the truth and then have to be around him all the time.”

James had laughed. “It only seems like we are more used to him. I am often in awe of him myself.”

“Anyway, he has actually been quite nice to me. Very pleasant, even under these very stressful circumstances. And appreciative of my efforts in this matter.”

“You see? I told you.”

Allen took a deep breath before he began to answer Jason’s question as to what would happen now.

“Well, having voluntarily terminated your employment, what will happen now is you will have a reasonable amount of time to vacate the living quarters. Probably all that will be arranged for you, under the circumstances.” Allen saw no reason to tell Jason Augere had formally terminated him. What difference did that make now?

Jason looked at him, uncertain what he meant exactly. Then he thought,
Right; because I won’t be alive to do it
.

“There may be some sort of severance, but I am not sure, as you were employed less than a year. James will know more about that. It is usually negotiated with Mr. Augere. Letters of reference will be provided, of course.

“There is a carefully worded termination agreement you must sign. In fact that must occur today because of present circumstances. It stipulates that you agree to all the terms and that you must remain silent about anything and everything related to Mr. Augere. There would be very serious consequences should you violate that agreement.” Now was as good a time as any to bring it up, Allen thought. Jason clearly knew what Augere was now; and now he would know the burden of keeping that secret. “And then hopefully, you go on to a happy and prosperous life.”

Jason could make no comment. He was in a state of weary confusion and nothing seemed to be clear to him anymore. A lot of things were weighing heavily on his mind. He had been in fear for his life consistently for more than twenty-four hours; longer if he included the encounter with that terrifying portal thing in the woods near Highgate. He had steadily been experiencing the worst fear he had ever known in his life.

He was quiet during the entire flight to Minnesota.

They landed and deplaned. He had not called his family to tell them he was coming home. He had not been able to believe it himself. And he did not believe it was going to happen now. It was heartbreaking to be so close, and not be able to see or talk to them. This felt like an even sharper cruelty.

They got through baggage claim. A young man approached Allen. He had brought documents that needed to be signed and witnessed. Jason did as he was told. He glanced over the documents, without really giving them much of his scattered attention, and signed all of them. They were just words on a page; meaningless to him in his present state. He received a copy of the confidentiality agreement he had just signed. Then the three followed the young man out to the parking area where a rental car was waiting.

This is it. This could be my last chance to make a break for it
.

It was cold. Bitter cold. He wasn’t even dressed properly for this kind of weather. It didn’t matter. Once he got away, he would call his family for help.

But the warm car was right there. He got in with the others. He numbly provided the address. He felt close to tears. This was it. His life would be over soon. He hoped the method of his death was not going to be painful or prolonged. He wondered where they were really taking him. How it would be done.

They pulled up to his parents’ house. Only 5:00 p.m. and the sky was dark already. It was snowing lightly, adding to the few inches of snow already on the ground. Lights were on in the kitchen and the living room. At least someone was home. Jason got out of the car. Here? They were going to kill him right here? In front of his family’s home? Yes…he guessed it made some sense. His family would find his body…how tragic…someone had murdered him, so close to home and safety…