Return from Exile

Chapter 5 Rescue Plans

For the first time in days it was quiet. Not a sound came form the room. No yelling or screaming, no pounding on the door, no breaking of glass or furniture. Nice peaceful quiet. Then they put Kale back in the room \"LET GO OF ME!!!\" Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were shackled with a three-foot chain from ankle to ankle.

\"Behave yourself and maybe Presley will untie your hands,\" said one of her guards.

\"I\'ll snap his scrawny neck!!\"

\"Now, now. That\'s no way to speak about one of your many admirers.\" She turned to see Presley calmly stride into the room, wearing a shimmering gold robe. \"Is everything ready?\"

\"Yes sir. Lab says you\'re a go.\"

\"Good. Leave us.\" The guards closed and locked the door, leaving Presley with Kale. The boy strode over and untied her wrists, but before she could swing at him, he fastened a set of cuffs around her wrists with a six-foot chain between them and a collar around her neck, with the chain floating threw a ring to prevent her from moving it in front of her. The collar was leather, and tight, it wouldn\'t slide around easy. \"There. That\'s better.\" She couldn\'t straighten her arms completely, but at least she could use her hands again.

\"YOU PRICK!! She tired to ram her knee to his groin, but he\'d stepped on the chain and she stumbled. \"What did you do to D?!\"

\"Not much. Just put him out of his and everyone else\'s misery. Don\'t worry,\" he knelt down to her and gently stroked her cheek, she turned away in disgust. \"You don\'t have to worry about your children\'s future my dear. His flawed seed shall never touch you. You will be pampered and cared for, like the queen you are.\"

Quickly she threw her head back, catching his nose in the act. He fell back holding his bloodied face. \"You DISGUST ME! You are everything I despise! I\'d rather die than have you lay a hand on me!!\"

\"You shouldn\'t be so cynical,\" he said, forcing her to the floor. \"You will know me, and all others in this unit!\"

\"NNNOOO!!!!!\"

\"GET OFF HER!!!\" A moment later Presley pulled himself off the floor from where the intruder had tossed him.

\"I ordered everyone to keep out! FATHER!!\"

\"You know how things are done Presley. Her tests show she \'s almost ready, yes. But her eggs will be collected and sent to the lab. This RAPE is not to happen. And you it! it!!\"

\"We\'ve had no success in placing fertilized egf onf one woman into another. There\'s no point in continuing that plan!\"

The man slugged Presley, sending him again to the floor. \"We\'ve had some success, not a lot, but some. And until you can show me a way of having one woman deliver twenty babies in nine months, than we will continue with this practice. Get him out of here! I\'ll deal with him later.\" When the door close thn wen went to Kale, helping her straighten her clothes. \"I\'m sorry for my son.\"

\"So it\'s your fault he\'s a prick. Guess it runs in the family.\"

\"I will personally see to it this in not repeated.\"

\"Is that what you want me for though. To have kids?\"

\"Yes. Your DNA is perfect. You don\'t have nay of the mutinous strains that appear in the rest of us. You will be the foundation for a new generation.\"

\"You\'re wasting your time.\"

\"Perhaps, perhaps not. We shall see.\"

\"And if it doesn\'t work?!\"

\"Than you\'re a Dud woman, and before you die, you will be visited by every man under my command. Myself included. And believe me, not all of them are gentlemen.\"

She watched the door close as he left, trying to figure out a means of escape. They had bared the windows even before they stuck her in this place, and she\'d found the vents too small to get threw. The door was locked and could only be opened from the outside. The observation window, a two-way mirror really, had been broken many times, and bars were fastened to the other side to keep her in. The lav, the only private room given her, had no windows or vents. She was trapped. Trapped in a cage with a plush bed she resented. \"D. Please be alive. I need you.\"

It was quiet, very quiet. He could hear people near by, but around him was very quiet. He liked it that way. But something was missing. No...not something...someone. \"KALE!!!\" Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. In a chair next to the bed a little girl was clutching her chest, breathing heavily.

\"Do you at least give warning to anyone before you wake up?\" she asked.

\"Sorry.\"

\"It\'s ok. Woke me up anyway. I was dozing off.\"

\"Where am I?\"

\"The mutant\'s city.\"

\"Barbarois.\"

\"Yeah. That\'s it.\"

\"Who are you?\"

\"I\'m Elsie. Don\'t get up!\" she shrieked, turning away. \"I don\'t think you\'re wearing anything.\"

Carefully D looked under the covers. \"You\'re right. Thank you. You\'re wounded.\"

\"Oh, no. Not really.\"

\"Oh?\"

\"Yesterday your dad said you...\"

\"My father? He\'s here?\"

\"Um hum.\"

D was silent for a moment, stretching his mindfindfind Dracula. \"Father.\"

Within seconds a mist poured in through the window. Elsie watched as it gathered in a funnel like cloud, to form the old Vampire. \"WOW! NEAT TRICK! How do you do that?\"

\"Very carefully, and never in a gust of wind.\"

\"I\'d say not.\"

\"Father, what have you done?!\"

\"Elsie, your mother is worried about you. You best get back to her. Your father improves all the time, you\'ll be leaving soon.\"

\"Awe. Would I see you before I go home?\"

\"Maybe. Off you go.\" He turned back to his son, when the door had safely closed. \"I did what I had to do.\"

\"You let me attack that child!\"

\"NO! She allowed me to draw off a cup of her blood for you. I asked her for her help. You were dying. I had no choice!\"

\"You asked?\"

\"Yes. No tricks, no warping of her thoughts. I asked her.\"

\"Why her?\"

\"Because in this whole place, she was the only virgin who could.\"

\"Father,\" he went to throw off the covers, only to pause and look to the tall man. \"Do you mind?\"

\"Oh D, please. I use to bathe you.\"

\"Over 10 millennia ago!\"

\"Oh alright.\" Dracula turned away. \"You said that purists had captured Kale. Why?\"

\"I don\'t know. They\'d been kidnapping children left and right; why they were suddenly interested in Kale I don\'t know. But I have to get back there.\"

\"Not till I eat!\" called a small gravely voice.

\"You couldn\'t die and leave me in peace?\"

\"Sorry D. you and I are joined at the wrist. If you live, I live. If you die, well, I just try to keep you going. Great Dracula, I thank you.\"

\"You live, so does my son. That\'s all there is to it.\"

\"Even still. Now. Where\'s the kitchen? I\'m starving, and I know you are too D, so don\'t go fighting it.\"

\"Fine, just keep quiet.\"

\"Well you\'re welcome. I stretched my life force so thin to keep both of us alive and this is how you say thanks. Some host you are.\"

\"You happy father? I\'ll never get him to shut up now.\"

Dracula laughed as he followed D out the door. \"You\'d think you were married to your hand and not to Kale.\"

It wasn\'t much of a kitchen, several small fuel fed fires to heat ether stone or metal cook tops, depending on the preferences of the cook or dinner. There where dozens of tables with toadstool like seats popping up around them. The chandeliers were oil lit candles and not very fancy. The center of the kitchen was a huge fire pit, used for both heat and cooking. At the moment a large beef animal lay across it on a spit, slowly beinrnedrned by the stone man.

Around one of the tables at the farthest corner, was Elsie\'s family. Her father had recovered quite well over the last two days, but Dracula was still reluctant to let the man travel. His blackouts, though fewer now, still worried him. Elsie\'s mother and older brother believed he still wanted to hold them prisoner, but Elsie believed the tall vampire was only holding to his word. Worried over her father\'s health.

The stone man shifted his footinghe bhe bowed to two tall men entering the kitchen. \"Good afternoon Master,\" he grumbled out as best he could.

\"Good afternoon, Hadwin. You haven\'t met my oldest son, D.\"

\"I\'ve seen him once before Master, many years ago. Though I\'d not the pleasure of conversation with him then. Welcome back to Barbarois Master D. Please sit anywhere, a server will be with you at once. I must continue this.\"

\"Of course. Thank you. We\'ll not detain you.\" The two sat at a table sort of half way between the center fire pit and where Elsie\'s family sat. \"You\'d not told me you\'d been to Barbarois in the past while.\"

\"I try to forget it.\"

\"Oh come now, for five thousand years, more actually, the Barbarois have served the Vampires, and protected us. I\'m always interested when you visit here.\"

D leaned over the table and whispered, \"The last time I was here, the old man who lead them, made a pass at me, in front of everyone. It was quite embarrassing. I\'m just glad I had to leave straight away.\"

\"Why D. I didn\'t know that about you. You should be flattered.\"

\"Stuff it.\" D clenched his fist to silence the sym.\'s snickering, as he heard footsteps approach from behind.

\"So that\'s what you look like with your clothes on.\"

\"Elsie! se!\se!\"

\"Mom, it\'s true. I\'ve not seen him dressed. He\'s got a nice chest. You should see...\"

\"That\'s enough! Now go back over there ant dot down.\" Reluctantly the child left, leaving D hiding his face in his right hand, gently tapping his left fist on the table. Dracula was grinning ear to ear, softly chuckling. \"Now that your son has recovered, when will you let us go?!\"

\"Forgive me good woman!\" Dracula laughed aloud, then collected himself. \"There, that\'s better. I\'m sorry D. Now Hana, as I have said before. You and your family are free to go. But I\'m concerned about your husband. Does he still pass out at the drop of a hat?\"

\"My husband\'s welfare is none of your concern! We will take our leave of you with the next carriage.\"

\"Then if your husband dies on the return home, I would thank you NOT to fault me. If you will note I have tried to help!\"

\"Just let us go!\"

\"Very well. The next carriage is due to leave at dawn. You will be on it.\"

\"Fine!\"

D watched the woman return to her family. \"What happened?\"

\"Stubborn whiny witch if ever I met one. Her husband was hit on the head during their capture. He has a severe concussion, but still she will risk his life on the return journey, than to allow him to stop fainting before they go. Even I wasn\'t so foolish as the when I was younger.\"

\"Why were they captured?\"

\"I don\'t know. Turngold and the others won\'t say, and the Barbarois only followed Turngold\'s orders.\"

\"My lords?\" Dracula looked up to a tall slim mutant woman. She had sky blue skin, and ice like eyes. Her hair was fine crystal, and though her frame made her look exceptionally frail, the old vampire knew better. \"The cook still has some stew left form lunch. Would you like some?\"

\"Yes please, my dear.\"

\"A large bowl please,\" D asked and his stomach echoed in agreement. \"I hate this.\"

\"Not to worry D. When you are stronger you can go and meet up with Adrian to rescue Kale.\"

\"Adrian went without me!!\"

\"Calmness D. he went to see if he could locate her. Then when you join him, you will know all you need to, to rescue her.\"

\"He should not have gone without me!\"

\"You were in no shape to go. Much like now.\"

\"I\'m fine.\"

\"No you\'re not. I saw you having trouble walking a straight line out there. Not only that you don\'t have your horse. By the way, where are your horses?\"

\"A repair shop in Airomat. Max was heavily damaged, they\'re using Nightmare as a model for repairs to him.\"

\"I see. Well, eat up. Thank you my dear. You should really be fine by morning.\"

It took a few days, but he finally made it to Airomat. \'All right, how do I find these purists?\' he asked himself. Then his horse stumbled, then began limping. Quickly he got down and looked back over the road. There he saw a manhole grate, with a sharp bit of metal sticking just through the bars. He then inspected his horse\'s front right hoof, to find the covering nearly completely torn off. \"Great!\"

\"Something wrong?\" asked a women pulling up beside him in a truck like vehicle.

Adrian wanted to smile when he looked at her. She was very lovely. She had short-cropped red hair, a slender oval face, and green eyes; though he suspected them to be an altered shade. She had thin red lips, pulled to a curious smile, and a voluptuous figure, from what he could tell from where he was standing. But he had to keep his mind on what he came for. Kale was counting on him to locate her, as well his brother. If possible he\'d arrange a rescue before D arrived, so that his recovered strength would not be taxed so soon. \"Yes,\" he called. \"My horse tore his hoof over there. Is there a repair shop somewhere?\"

\"Just around the corner,\" she answered getting out of the vehicle. Adrian was right. She had long shapely legs, a slender waist, and...he shook his head, he couldn\'t think like that. He didn\'t even know the girl. But then when did that stop him. Then again, what would Castle say? They had not seen each other in some months. He\'d left her in the employ of his father to continue his wanderings around the world. The life of a hunter wasn\'t something he\'d wanted Castle to experience. He\'d promised he\'d see her again before the year was out. After he\'d found D in the mountains nearly dead, he met up with his father on the road, heading for the same mountains, to a call that only he and his father would know. He wasn\'t surprised to see Castle there with him. He actually welcomed it. And if things had been different, he\'d\'ve had Castle astride his saddle with him, rather than in the carriage tending to his brother.

\"Is he a fair dealer?\" he asked the woman.

\"It had better be. My father runs it.\"

\"Thank you, Miss...?\"

\"Officer Tanis, Airomat Security Detail. Come on. Your horse can ride in back.\"

\"I should give you fair warning dear lady, abducting me will gain you nothing.\"

\"Abduct?...Boy you must not have been here lately. The Security Detail is legit. We keep the peace, or at least try. Come on. I\'ll even let you drive if you like.\"

\"Very well. But I think you\'d faint if you allowed me to pilot your vehicle.\" He secured his horse to the rails of the back of her truck, and climbed in beside her.

\"I was just heading home for the night anyway. You got a place for the night?\"

\"I\'ve only just arrived.\"

\"Business or pleasure?\"

\"Necessity.\"

\"Oh?\"

\"Look, I appreciate you helping me right now. But what I am here for is my own affair. I can\'t get you involved. Regardless of your occupation, it could be too dangerous, and it wouldn\'t be right.\"

\"Touchy. Ok. No more Questions. Just do me a favor. Don\'t kill anybody.\"

\"I can\'t promise even that.\"

\"Now I\'m worried.\" The woman eyed the near bleach blond man next to her. Something big was on his mind, and something about him made the hairs on the back of her neck stan enn end. \"What\'s wrong?\"

\"You said no more questions.\"

\"Hey with an answer like that I can\'t help but ask. If you\'re looking for trouble, it\'s my duty to stop you.\"

\"I\'m not looking to get into trouble.\"

\"That\'s a relief.\"

\"I\'m here to prevent a slaughter.\"

She stopped her truck next to a large garage depicting two rearinrsesrses on either side of the sign, with a vehicle between them. \'TANIS REPAIR, ALL MAKES AND MODELS, CUSTOM ORDERS, REASONABLE RATES.\'

\"I hope your father does good work. I\'m quite particular about my horse.\"

\"He does. Look buddy, I have to tell you. Keep your nose out of Security\'s Business. We\'ve got things well in hand here.\"

\"Really? Then why am I here?\"

\"So that\'s it. Who\'d they get? Little sister, little brother, niece, nephew, son, daughter? We have a report of a child killed about a week and a half ago. We don\'t know if it was a boy or girl. The body was taken by beasts before it could be recovered. But by the reports the kid was about ten years old.\"

\"Not even close.\"

\"What do you mean? You are here to take down a couple of Purists? Aren\'t you?\"

\"Yes. But not for those reasons.\"

\"Hey, get back here!\" She ran around the vehicle to catch up to him, before he took his horse out of the back. \"Look, maybe we can help each other then. We had a couple guys working their way inside the Purists group. But they got made, they\'re dead. You need information, we need a way in. Maybe we can help each other. Tell me who they took?\"

Adrian steadied his horse as he took him off the platform. She was right. He did need information. Maybe before their operatives were killed they got some information to the security force. Maybe he could use that to his advantage. \"I\'m Adrian Tepse, my brother and sister came through here about the same time as that child was killed. They took her, and left my brother for dead in the mountains. I found him barely alive. And I\'ve no idea where she is.\"

\"They took her? How old is she?\"

\"Adult, that\'s all she\'d tell me.\"

\"They\'ve never taken or even show interest in adults before. Why would they take her?\"

\"That\'s what I\'m here to find out, and to get her back. Before my brother and father get here. If they do, and I don\'t get her back, there\'ll be war. And my father and brother will tear this place apart to find her. These purists have fucked with the wrong family, and there is nothing that you, or your security force can do to stop them.\"

\"But you can, I suppose?\"

\"I must. Or all will die, and not just Purists.\"

She sighed shaking her head. \"Alright. For starters, I\'m Reana, but everyone just calls me Ana. Come on. You can stay here, we\'ve got a spare room I try to rent out to travelers. It\'s better than the Inns and hotels, even cheaper. And you get meals.\"

\"Thank you.\"

She pushed the main doors aside, to show the interior of the shop. There was a vehicle up on a lift, it\'s engine on the floor, mostly in pieces. And there was a curtain around the back of the shop where bright flashes of light flashed. \"Dad! I brought some business for you!\" she called. The flashes stopped and a shadow crept up the curtain, then an older man pushed through the vial.

\"I\'ve told you not so loud. You\'d set that one off again.\"

\"Sorry. Got another horse repair for you.\"

\"Oh? Lets have a look.\" Immediately the man lifted the hoof off the floor, inspecting the damage. \"Let me guess, you came up the main street, just around the corner?\"

\"Yes,\" Adrian answered.

\"Um hum, third one today. I told the maintenance crews to get out there and fix that cover. But no one listens to an old man anymore. It\'ll take an hour to fix, but can it wait, I\'m almost finished with this pair back here.\"

\"Sure. Are you having trouble?\"

\"Sort of. I reconnected the memory archive of the silver horse, but the damn thing keeps going off like some half crazed stallion at a mare\'s paddock. As long as things are quiet and it can see its companion, things are fine.\"

\"May I see them, I may be able to help. There are some tricks my sister taught me to get my own horse to respond better to me.\"

\"Sure, if it will help. I\'ve tried getting a hold of the two that own them, they rented a room in the hotel just down the road, but it doesn\'t have any phone in the rooms.\" The man led the blond man to the back of the shop. \"I even went there a couple times, but no one is answering the door. I have a feeling they skipped town. At least they left me with a fine pair of horses.\" He pulled the curtain across to show the two he was working on.

Adrian\'s breathe caught in his throat. \"Max, Nightmare! My god! What happened to them!\"

\"You know these two horse?\"

Adrian put his hand over Max\'s muzzle and let his scent fill its olfactory sensors. \"Yes. Nightmare is that one over there, it belongs to my brother D, and this one is Max. He belongs to my sister.\"

\"Ok, you know the owners. Any idea where they are?\"

\"My brother was wounded, I found him nearly dead in the mountains about six miles from here. He\'s recovering in...another city. But Purists took my sister, Kale. How soon can you get Max up and on his hooves?\"

\"Not long, why?\"

\"Ana, do anyone on your force know where the Purists\' stronghold is?\"

\"No. I was hoping you might have some ideas.\"

\"Now I do. Kale taught both Nightmare and Max, to track both her and D, if ever they got separated. If we can get Max to his hooves, he can lead us right to her. Question is, will he listen to me?\"

\"Well here\'s hoping. Cause if anymore kids turn up dead, this place is going to explode.\"