Chapter 410: Not a second to wait
Arei arched a brow as he hung up his cell phone. It had been so chaotic just moments ago he hadn't noticed Jos entering the lower level of the vessel, but sure enough, she was huddled in a corner with April. His gaze moved from the back of their heads to the wall of cages lining the back walls. His brow lifted higher as his attention traveled from the whimpering youths in the cages back down to Jos and April. He found it odd they hadn't even attempted to check on the caged children yet... instead something in their arms seemed to hold their full attention.
Arei maneuvered cautiously around the scattered bodies of the traffickers who had tried and failed at going up against Chary. She had worked meticulously to refrain from scaring the children further, however, the reversed water control she used had left him speechless. In all the years he'd worked as no better than an assassin for gods and council he'd never once considered the possibility of controlling the water contents inside of a person or creature's body. Chary had done so with the skillfulness of a practiced and perfected craft.
Just as Arei bent over Jos and April, his breath caught. He reached out toward the creature with stunned amazement. "It's…"
Jos turned a warm smile up to him. "A baby… Of some sort…" Her brows furrowed as she stared back down at the infant in her hands with wonderment. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Arei crouched beside Jos for a closer look. Bright, nearly glowing green eyes stared back at him. The pupils were narrow slits like a cat's eyes. The features were almost completely human save a set of fluffy white ears emerging from a head of soft black hair and intricate swirling designs on either side of the child's face. He carefully rubbed at the markings to see if it had been drawn on, but when they didn't smudge he set back with a mutter of confusion. "That's odd… Can either of you tell what it is?"
April shook her head. "Nothing I've ever encountered before."
"Nor I…" Jos muttered softly as she slid her finger into the child's tiny grip. "But I can feel some form of power emanating from her."
Arei's gaze moved across the other cages. "It's hard to tell what any of these children are, or how powerful some of them may be… With that being said, we may be better off driving this vessel back to the Embassy before we uncage them."
Jos nodded but her focus remained on the tiny bundle in her arms.
Arei ran an uneasy hand over the back of his neck as he looked around the ship, but before he could devise a plan a loud explosion sounded. Arei checked to see Jos clutch the infant to her chest as April huddled closer to them. "Find a safe place and hang tight. I'll go figure out what-" His words were cut off by the sudden lurch of the ship. Arei nearly stumbled over one of the corpses but quickly regained his balance and hurried toward the stairs. Ry burst through the upper-level entry just as Arei was about to open it. "What the?!"
Ry's frantic eyes met Arei's in an instant as he clutched Arei's arm and flipped around. "No time to explain. Shit went sideways and we gotta get outta here, now!" The ship lurched again sending them both into the railing. "Chary and Scylla are pushing it from underneath. With luck, the rutters will unstick once we hit open water." Ry tried to explain as he rushed forward still dragging Arei along behind him. "They'll send us a signal once it is. We just need to be in the helm when that happens."
"What about the rest of the crew?"
Ry shrugged. "Deal with them as we go… the ones left anyways." He nodded to a few scattered corpses. "Doesn't look like you and Chary left too many behind to worry about."
***
Drake tapped his foot impatiently as he checked his watch for what had to be the hundredth time within the last minute. "What's taking them so long?"
Peg glanced down at the watch that rested on the wrist of his crossed arms. He turned to the man seated to his left. "Location?"
"They are still moving steadily south by southwest, Boss. ETA twenty-five minutes."
Peg nodded to the man and team waiting patiently behind him before turning back to Drake. "I understand this must be difficult for you, but perhaps it would be best if you went back into the Embassy until they arrive."
Drake shook his head. "It is a vampire matter, and I'm responsible for what has happened here."
Peg arched a brow. "That has very little to do with your current impatience, and we're all very aware of as much."
Drake blew out a long sigh as he caught himself shooting another glance down at his own watch. He ran his hand through his now tousled hair. "I can't help it…"
A corner of Peg's lips lifted as he chuckled. "You know, I was a lot like you during Andy's first pregnancy." He laughed despite himself. "And the child wasn't even mine… Love really does make a fool of us all." He clasped the young vampire on the shoulder. "Relax, my siblings will see her and the others safely back… well most of the others… I'd say your crew are all probably goners regardless of whether they were innocent or not…"
Drake clenched his teeth. "They were no crew of mine or my father's."
Peg tilted his head as he studied Drake. "Can you be certain of that?"
Drake paused to think over the simple question. "At one point I would have answered that question with a resounding 'yes' with no hesitation at all… but now… now, I can't be certain of anything."
Peg gave him an understanding nod as he walked over and pulled out one of the chairs from the dock sidebar. "Very often we convince ourselves we know all there is to know of someone else… and just as often, once we set aside our own foolish notions, we realize we were wrong." He shrugged as he kicked out the chair across from him. "Or, in the very least, that there was much more to that person than we'd originally allowed ourselves to see."
Drake frowned as he glanced down at his watch again. Only three minutes had passed since the last time he'd checked. "Perhaps… Is that how you felt about your father?"
Peg nodded as he lifted his hand for the waitress. "Yes… You see, the problem with having such a notorious father is that there are more tales about him than you could ever consider remembering. Unfortunately, as living beings, our brains are hardwired to remember the bad things more so than the good. I was told many stories of my mother and father… and how their tragic love had gone. I avoided my father at all costs during that time and pledged my allegiance to Perseus and Zeus." He blew out a heavy sigh. "I'm sure you've heard enough by now to at least have an inkling of what that alliance cost my family…" He paused as the waitress came over and they placed their orders. Once she had gone, he continued. "I did not go to my father until I was left with no other option. I now realize that was a mistake. Nothing I'd been told about my father was completely true… there were truths sprinkled into the weavings of each tale but still…"
Drake frowned as he tinkered with the face of his watch. "What you're saying is, I may not have gotten the complete stories… I understand that, and I'm sure you're correct… but…" He blew out a frustrated puff of air. "You would have had to meet him… gotten to know him as I did… He really was a great man. He tried his best for those around him… even my uncle… All he ever wanted was to see Uncle Dante change his ways and be a respectable part of the family."
Peg leaned back in his chair. "Often those endeavors we work the hardest toward end up being the very ones that drag us down in the end."
Drake gave a dismissive laugh. "I must seem like such a child to you all right now… constantly going on and bragging about my father, a man I obviously barely knew. All the while you all had dealt with him for far more years than I've even been alive."
Peg studied him silently for several long moments before he finally replied. "It is true, as an Embassy employee there have been many encounters with your family. All I'm saying, however, is instead of looking at the tiny puzzle piece in your hand as the entire picture… search for more pieces. The picture you put together, in the end, may turn out to be a beautiful work of art…"
Drake nodded as he continued to stare down at the watch face. "Or something altogether horrifying…" His gaze slowly rose to meet Peg's. "That is what I'm most worried about discovering. That the man I idolized so much growing up turns out to be a monster… I wouldn't know what to do with myself after… Who would I be? What would I do?"
Peg reached across the table and placed a hand over Drake's. "You would still be Drake DeMarco. You would still be the head of the European Vampire Association, and you would still be the vampire faction councilmen for the Central district."
"ETA fifteen minutes and counting." The head tech guy for the Embassy's special division announced from behind the laptop screen in front of him.
A wide smile spread across Peg's lips as Drake's bleak expression seemed to perk up considerably. "And you would still be the vampire madly in love with a no name, no ties werewolf."
"You're wrong about that… She will soon carry a name and title that will place her above all others in my books… wife and mother…" Drake scraped his chair back and tossed a few bills to the table. He popped the lid off his coffee and blew it as he walked toward the docks. He leaned over the railing, his eyes locked on the horizon unmoving until a ship finally barreled into view.
Peg raised and held up his hand as his cell phone began to ring. He quickly answered it as he called out orders. "Act alive men. You've already been briefed on the matter, but just in case any of you have lingering doubts or confusions on what your mission should be today listen up." He held up one finger. "Primary objective: Safely move all captives into safe fortified chambers of the inner Embassy. Under no circumstances should any of you release any of the captives until you have reached those dedicated chambers. We are still unfamiliar with many of the factions of the captives or their current conditions. We do not under any circumstance want to release a sick or injured dangerous creature into the city of Athens." He lifted another finger. "Secondly, the bodies found on the vessel should not be moved until proper reports have been filed and information for identification has been completed." He lifted a final finger as his words became more stern. "And lastly, though this should go without being said, those operatives working this mission should be left to complete their own tasks. You are to answer them first before beginning any other tasks once on board. Do not impede on any of their operations unless first asked. Got it?" He waited until each of the twenty special division members answered. "Good, take your places."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Jacquia_comics
Jacquia_comics Sorry, it's late and shorter than usual. Between continued medical problems, travel/car breakdowns, and power outages. It has been a hell of a few weeks. I do hope to have strange love's main story completed this month. The great thing about being stranded in the middle of the countryside is plenty of time to work (When there's power and internet...)!
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