Chapter 9

"I owe you much." Zeb said to Barnabas "It if had not been for you..."

"Anyone would have done the same."

"You only saw her? No one else?"

"No one else. It was quite dark, and I would not have seen her, if it were not for her light clothing."

"That's too back" Zeb admitted "because we might be able to catch the one who did this to her. And the one who did the attacks years ago."

"You still think it is the same one?"

"Yes. And the same one who kidnapped Maggie Evans" Zeb lowered his voice "Even if we are not supposed to talk about that."

"Just make sure that your wife does not disappear the way Maggie Evans did."

For a moment it seemed to Zeb that he had received a warning, but a quick look at Barnabas disingenuous expression dispelled the notion.

He stayed on a little longer and then left.

Barnabas looked at Buffy, who had been watching this exchange.

"What are you trying to do?" She asked, some fear in her voice.

"It is something that must be done. Don't worry about Jessica. She'll be fine."

"What about you?"

Barnabas shrugged "It must be done. Don't worry. You are provided for it anything happens to me."


"David. David..."

She was calling him again.

He felt that he knew her. He had seen her before, heard her voice...

Who was she?

He knew now that it was not a dream. If he had any sense, he'd call Barnabas and ask for help.

But he could not will himself to do it.

He knew that, as he knew that he could not keep from lighting match after match.

He needed to watch how matches burned. He needed to do it now. Look at the flame and find her face in it...


George found Barnabas in a deep depression.

"President Reagan" Barnabas said with despair.. "How? Why?"

George shook his head. "I know. But look on the bring side. There will be elections again. In four years we might be able to kick Regan out."

Barnabas shook his head.

"I guess this means that the political costume party is cancelled."

"I could not go along with it. How could we have done so badly? They butchered McGovern, and Bayh, and Church, and Magnuson... How could they get away with it?"

George sat down "Don't go on saying that, or I'll end up depressed too."

"Be my guest" Barnabas pointed to the liquor cabinet. "You can get drunk, is that's what you want."

"No. I want to know if you still want to go on with what you have planned."

"What choice do I have?" he smiled wearily "There is not point in arguing the question ever again. Yes, I realize that I can get killed. But when I think of the next four years, it seems an attractive proposition."

"All right. I will not try talking you out of it. It would do no good, anyway. What are your immediate plans?"

"Julia insists on going to Wyncliffe in a couple of days and I'll have to go with her. I don't dare to leave her alone. At least when I am around, she has something to do, mainly cut me up. So I'll have to make arrangements for Jessica. And now, I have to go submit myself to Julia's abuse."


She felt so tired.

It had been easy to move those cardboard boxes a few weeks ago. But now she was out of breath.

She was dizzy, and bloated, and about to throw up... and each day was worse.

She would get heavier and weaker each day. And Willie would continue to smother her, and acting even stranger still...

Bloated... that word stuck in her mind... she had never looked so fat. Her mother had looked like that, and that was why her father had left them. She had always prided herself on her appearance, determined not to suffer her mother's fate.. But now...

This... this thing inside her was doing this to her!

It was her baby, she thought with remorse... she was calling it a thing, her own baby. How could she?

She sat down, putting her head between her knees until the nausea passed. She was scared.


Julia sighed. If Zeb should ever suspect, if he should ever ask the right question? Zeb had not done so, yet...

"Zeb, your uncle was poisoned, and the poison came from my medicine cabinet."

But she could not say it. Barnabas had made sure of that much.

But Zeb was a doctor himself. He knew what drugs could be used to simulate a heart attack. Would know that only another doctor would know of them or have access to them...

"Julia" Barnabas came into the room "you still can't let go." he shook his head. "Between Zeb and I, we are tearing you apart."

She said nothing to him. Just looked at him, her eyes filled with bitterness.

"Zeb hasn't pressed you for details, yet? Maybe in Wyncliffe you'll get some peace and quiet."

"But not from you, evidently" Julia said slowly "unless I can make sure you cannot get into my room. It can be done. Or I can go down to the cellar and kill you. I have wondered why I did not do it before. Why I don't do it now."

Because she needed someone to hurt... Barnabas knew better than to say that aloud.

"Are you worried that I will tell him the truth?"

"I am worried about your being hurt. I am worried about the price I might have to pay. No, not Zeb's life. I can't do it, even if I wanted."

"You could easily, in the past."

"Too easily. I don't want... ever again to go through that. Julia, I have a plan to keep both of you in one piece. If it goes wrong, the worse that will happen is that he will kill me. He will let you out of it because I will have made it look like you were an innocent victim." he flinched when he saw her reaction to this, but continued "Julia, I know that it does not begin to pay you back for what I put you through. If anything happens to me, I want to enjoy your freedom. Put this behind you. For your sake." he took her hands "Cold and cynical as it may seem, do it. Let Dave go. That's what he wants from you. He wants you to set him free."

"I don't believe you." Julia said. "And I never will."

"It is true, Julia. I don't plead for myself. But he has a right to go his own way. He has a right to find peace. And you have a right too. " he took her clenched hand and opened it. "You have a right to be free of it."

"I only have a right to be punished, ad to punish you for it."


"Are you all right?" Zeb asked with concern.

Jessica didn't answer. Her eyes were remote, looking to some point in space well beyond him.

Looking, maybe to the... creature that had done this to her.

Zeb did not know when he had begun suspecting the supernatural. But now the thought had lodged itself in his mind and would not leave him.

It was all right to say that there were no such things as vampire. But when your wife was like this, gliding along as if listening to a voice he could not hear, while the twin wounds were at her throat...

Jessica heard Zeb behind her. But it was so far away... and then HE had said that Zeb had nothing to worry about.

But what had he said? She remembered his arm around her , and the mug of hot coffee he had thrust in her hand. And all the while he was talking... talking endlessly while she waited for his touch on her throat.

It had come at the end... but she sensed that it was not something that he truly wanted done. It was because of Zeb, nothing more, that he had done it.

She knew that he was using her as a pawn in a contest he was holding with Zeb. Somewhere in her there was anger over this.

And then the other things he had said to her. Gentle, sad things that he had told, and which she barely remembered.

Zeb continued watching her.

"Take care she does not disappear like Maggie Evans did"

Why did he feel such bitterness at Barnabas' words? It was a warning said in friendship... Why did he insist in believing it was a threat?

Maybe because he had also warned him about Representative Evans' anger.

Yet...

Barnabas had come from England shortly before the attacks had begun. And then Maggie had disappeared.. and then Uncle Dave had died.

What was he thinking? It was crazy. Hadn't he seen him tending to Jessica when he had come pick her up at the Old House? I could not fake that concern. There was no mistaking his expression as he bent over Jessica.

He was mildly eccentric, nothing more. Just because he lived in a run-down house with a mysterious housekeeper... and that housekeeper's mystery was just her passion for horses...

No, it was crazy


"You want us to hold her here?" Phillip was uneasy about the prospect of being a party to a kidnapping.

"It will be only until I return from Wyncliffe. I promise you that there won't be any trouble. At worst, I can make it look that you were forced into I."

"But why us?

"I could not think of anyone else."

"Willie?"

"No. It might bring him back too many bad memories. " he sighed. "I know it is bringing back mine, and I hate it."

"And we are available."

"And can use some extra money" Barnabas smiled gently "I just want her to be safe. And she'll be in a trance, so you won't have to worry about using force on her."

"But why? Can you tell us why do it at all?"

"It is a private matter between me and Zeb."

Phillip crossed his arms. "Barnabas, if you are going to use our house the least you can do is to tell us both the truth. Vicky should also hear this."

Barnabas looked at Phillip. He was adamant about it. He considered forcing his will on him, but the prospect depressed him. Too many bad memories already. He did not want to trigger any more if he could avoid it."

"All right, call Vicky, and I'll tell you all about it."