Don't panic.
Mina repeated that to herself as she felt her eyes opening ever so slowly to wherever she was. It appeared to be a library or sorts. Well, it was rather small. Maybe a parlor room of some sort. She had absolutely no idea what had happened, but she knew now she was sitting in a chair with her arms and feet tied to the chair. She decided not to marvel on how very detective novel this was and instead decided think of a way out. There were windows she could see, though covered by thick curtains. There was a door, but she knew whoever had taken her was very surely outside. Well, I'd have to get out of these ropes first. Mina's eyes darted to find any way out. The chair was not stuck to the floor, so she could possibly maneuver to get something…
The door opened, and a rather squirrelly looking man came bounding in. Her body began to tense up in fear, but Mina repeated her mantra and tried to stay focused. Being scared won't help anything. Stay calm. I'm sure all will be explained. John is involved with whatever this is. John wouldn't hurt you. Mina told herself that, but was not entirely certain. The John she'd seen earlier was not a John she knew. And speaking of earlier, how much time had passed? The windows were covered, so Mina could not tell.
"Sorry we had to do this, Miss Van Helsing," the squirrelly man spoke, untying the ropes at her feet. "You were a bit feisty when we tried to bring you in here." At the nape of his neck his hair was tied with a red ribbon. A tail for the squirrelly she thought, if solely to amuse herself.
"I wonder why?" Mina said tartly as he undid the ropes at her hands. Perhaps you should not sass the person letting you out, Mina. "Where am I? What's going on?"
"Oh, you're still at your party, Miss Van Hesling," The man cut the final rope. Mina thought very seriously about making a break for the window. Or perhaps screaming very loudly. But whoever they were, they did not seem intent to hurt her. John knew them. He was in league with them somehow. "We've just taken you off to this library. I assure you, we mean you no harm at all."
Mina rubbed her wrists, "That's a relief." She said with half sarcasm. "Do I get any explanation as to why I was displaced from the party?" The man looked down at her, the darkness of the room casting a strange look about him. He seemed eight feet tall where he stood. There was some vague familiarity about him that Mina could not place. His hair was thin and brown and almost looked to be coming out in places. Which was odd, seeing as he could not be too much older than she was. He had that same tiredness that John had had, and the same desperate look lying behind his eyes.
A knock upon the wooden door, and the tall man backed up. The light bursting in from the outside felt like fire to her dark adjusted eyes. As the silhouette of the man became colored, Mina saw it was John again, the same look of worry painted onto his brow. He instantly knelt in front of her.
He took her hand, "Mina, I am so sorry about what happened. I just had to check before I brought you here that he hadn't taken you."
Mina blinked, "What are you even talking about?" She stood, taking a step around to get away from the still kneeling Jonathan. "One of you tell me what's happening right now or I am leaving!"
"Begging you pardon, Miss Van Helsing," the tall man spoke, "but we do have others stationed right outside the door." He'd smiled smugly, as though he'd outwitted her somehow. Ah, I can see you're John's friend. You have that whole 'woman are inferior complex' as well. Perhaps the "Misogynists United" have kidnapped me…
Mina placed her hands on her hips. "Well, then tell me what's going on so I don't make a mockery of them by getting past their defenses." The tall man seemed at least amused by her comment, which was probably all she would get out of him. He looked to John, and wordlessly John stood to join them. Whomever this man was, he was some sort of higher rank in their group. Mina noted that John kept watching him nervously, as though waiting for instruction of some kind. Perhaps John would've been a good solider with the focus he had.
"We know you work for Count Dracula," Said the leader. He clipped his heels together like some sort of German aristocrat. I'm definitely getting some sort of complex from this one. The man's eyes looked over her as though she needed to explain herself. Suddenly, she did not like the fact that she was wearing a dress. Well, she did not like the fact she was wearing such an ostentatious one.
She pressed on. "I'm his doctor. I'm not committing any crime I know, sir."
He began to pace, "John here checked you for that before he brought you to see us." He smiled at Mina's look. "Yes, we know what he is and yes, we know you and your father have been helping him."
The man was expecting her to falter, that Mina could tell. Her father had taught her many things, and reading the looks upon people's faces was one of them. This was some sort of power play she'd gotten involved in and now was not the time to show weakness. Perhaps that was an initiation into this fraternity: showing strength in a stressful situation. Though Mina was not sure she meant to join, she certainly was not going to be patronized.
"Again, we are not committing any crimes, sir." Mina held his eye contact thoroughly. "So what is it that is so important that you stole me from my friend, drugged me, and tied me to a chair to tell?"
He laughed, "She's exactly how you painted her, John." And then he finally moved towards her, and Mina felt herself clench in fear of what he would do. He extended his arm, "I am Ronald Murray Renfield, second of The Protectors." Mina took his hand, shaking it wearingly. "There's a lot in that sentence to be explained, I know. But first, I shall answer your questions." Ronald Murray Renfield swaggered about the room like a king in a throne room. "We took you from Miss Lucy Westenra, and the party, because we figured it would cause the least suspicion if we took you from a large place. It's been mere minutes since John here coerced you. Lucy will think you've gone off somewhere in the ballroom." He walked to a small table, and Mina saw the white cloth that had been held over her mouth sitting there. "Ether. John said you probably wouldn't come willingly. And the chair I already explained."
"What's a Protector?" Mina asked.
Renfield shook his head, "Time for you to answer some of my questions now, Miss Van Helsing." Mina took a moment to look at John, who still looked like the picture of a kicked dog. Whomever this Renfield was, there was something happening with him and John. Something Mina did not like at all. "How close do you consider yourself to be with this Count Dracula?"
"I am his doctor," Mina repeated easily. "I'm already told you that, Mr. Renfield."
"Besides a professional relationship, I mean."
"I am his doctor," Mina said for the third time. "There is nothing more to it." The lie was easy on her tongue. Perhaps it wasn't a lie at all. A moment of weakness in a forest did not constitute any sort of romantic feelings. A strange vision in her head did not equate intimacy. Yes, it had sparked some notes inside of her she hadn't heard before, but they could be muted as easily as any other instrument. Besides, she certainly was not going to tell this man anything about her personally. Other than his name, Mina knew nothing of him at all. And she had this distrust of him rooted somewhere inside of her. She listened to it.
Renfield kept staring at her, as though expecting her to say more. Another trick her father had taught her: hold your tongue. Things could slip out that are best kept in.
"The Protectors are a group of men and women who swear a sacred vow to defend mortals from the forces of the supernatural," Renfield replied after he complied with her answer. "How much do you know of Count Dracula?" Obviously, this was how this night was going to proceed. A boring, tedious two sided interrogation. She knew what they were planning. It was some sort of scheme in their quest for purification or whatever this group was wanting. Groups like these have existed for centuries, Mina had read about them. Anything different from them was wrong. Anything they couldn't understand was the antichrist. And now they were going to squeeze Mina for information and then use her as and in to The Count. God, she was in a bad detective novel.
Perhaps she should lie. She could probably make up some fantastical stories about The Count. He flies around his home while she's there. He turns into a giant bat and stalks mankind…
"Probably as much as you," Mina responded calmly. Sometimes I through cloves of garlic at him just for fun. "He's talked to me very little about his past." Holy water. The man hates holy water. "My visits are short and concise." He sleep in a coffin surrounded by the bones of his enemies. "I keep documents journals of what happens, don't I, John?"
His eyes grew large, "Yes." John looked at Renfield for guidance. "She does, Renfield." God, men are thick. Mina thought as the two of them weighed this comment. She should have just said radical lies. They would have believe them.
"Is that all you called me here for, sir? Information?" Mina asked in a voice of put on sincerity. She knew what he was implying. It was what everyone seemed to be implying: that something was happening with her and The Count. Which was nonsense. What happened in the forest was nothing. And to think otherwise was nonsense.
But Mina would not get her answer. Outside, the howling of a wolf set a visibly panicked look upon Jonathan's face. He looked to Renfield, a conversation Mina couldn't partake in passing between them. What on earth is the matter? She thought as both men jumped at the sound of the next howling. Was there some wolf epidemic happening that she was not aware of? Was it some sort of signal that The Protectors had?
Renfield moved first, "John, follow me." He said as both gentlemen started for the door. Do they intend to leave me here? As though hearing the though, Renfield spoke. "We will return soon, Miss Van Helsing." And without so much as another word, both men were off with a loud slam of the door.
"So I can leave too, then?" Mina said to naught but the books upon the shelves.
Well this is mental! Mina thought as she stared to the door. Perhaps she could just burst out as well. From her brief glimpse, there didn't appear to be any 'others' outside. Yes, she had a right mind to walk out that door herself and be rid of this ridiculousness. But something spoke against it. Whomever these Protectors were, they were probably worth understanding. Learning about the paranormal from their prospective could be fascinating, though very misguided she was sure.
And there was something very odd about them. Something Mina wanted to get to the bottom of.
The howling, it continued as Mina waited alone in the small parlor. It seemed closer now, as though right by the window. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her from her late night reading. Vampires, especially old ones. Have been known to be shape shifters. Many of them can change into animals such as cats or wolves…
Mina felt a blast of air. A window had been opened. She already knew who it was before she turned around. And she knew the true reason The Protectors had brought her here.
"Mina!"
Of bloody course.
OOO
"Renfield, where are we going?" Jonathan asked for the second time. The night air was cool, with the occasional warm wind gushing past. The ground was soaked from an earlier rain shower, and his shoes seemed to stick to the mud. Nice shoes, mind you, that his father had paid good money for. But The Protectors did not seem to care about such things, Renfield most of all.
He was such an odd man. Jonathan felt a reservation in even calling him such. Renfield was…a creature himself. Not a vampire or anything like that, but a being in of his own. His scraggly brown hair was back in a ribbon at the base of his neck, and the red ribbon served as John's guide through the dark night sky. This was absolutely ludicrous, thinking they could chase down a vampire. Especially a very old, very powerful one. Honestly, Dracula could wipe out all of The Protectors and not break a sweat. Jonathan had pointed that out to Renfield once and Renfield had slapped him. And there was the whole business of their leader… Jonathan still could not believe that bit. Highly unethical if you ask him, but Renfield just described her as dedicated to their cause.
Honestly, Renfield made him angrier than any other creature on this earth. He was too bizarre, and far too comfortable with how bizarre he was. He was skinner than a pole and his clothes hung from him like the flaps of a tent. And he stood too close whenever he spoke. The creature had no regard for physical space. And he gave John this odd feeling in his stomach when he stood too close. Perhaps it was from the smell of him.
"I've told you five times to call me Ronald, John," Renfield said over his shoulder. "And to answer your question, we're not going anywhere."
Jonathan stopped. "Pardon?" Renfield turned around, that stupid, insane grin on his upon his pale face. Pieces of his brown hair fell into his face adding only to his look of insanity.
"We're not going anywhere, John!" Renfield kept smiling as he placed his hands upon Jonathan's shoulders. God, I wish he would not stand so close to me. It is uncivil for people to stand this close to one another. "We're sending him to her."
Jonathan blinked, "We're sending Dracula to Mina?" He scoffed, "Whose bloody idea is that? What is this meant to achieve?" Renfield pursed his lips. I wish he would not do that.
"You ask a lot of questions, John," Renfield—finally—removed his hands and walked a few paces. He made no signal for John to follow, but he knew by now that he should. Renfield continued. "We wouldn't have taken her so publicly. We knew he was following her, so she was our bait. Though, personally, I do believe her innocent of any crimes of morality, I think out Count is still very interested in her. He will not be happy at all that she was taken."
"And what is this meant to prove?" Jonathan asked. "Certainly, you do not mean to capture him."
Renfield shrugged. "We'd be idiots to think we could." He stopped, turning to John with that odd, cat-like smirk upon his face. John felt that weird feeling again. Like a mix of intrigue and revulsion… "But it might show how much truth Miss Van Helsing is telling." Jonathan inclined his head, wanting to know more. Renfield took one hand to Jonathan's cheek. He could instantly feel himself flushing. God, you are not a woman, Harker. "We'll see if she goes with him or not."
And with a quick smack upon the same cheek, Renfield was off.
Absolutely mental, John thought. They're all absolutely mental.
OOO
"Hush!" Mina turned to The Count. He looked even worse than a few nights ago. Why was he not feeding himself? Mina had quite the mind to ask him just that, then realized her best plan was surely to get him away from this place. "You need to leave!"
"Have they hurt you?" He asked desperately, grasping the sides of her arms tensely. She was reminded of John's little study of her earlier. Except this touch, though strong, was gentler. More reassuring. But he still needed to leave right now.
She ignored it. "No one's hurt me. You have to leave!" Mina kept her voice to a hushed tone, hoping if people were outside that they could not hear them. This had all been a trap, Mina realized now. Not a trap for her, but a trap for The Count. She'd been used as bait. Something inside of her felt quite offended by that. Mina pushed him towards the window, "You have to leave right now!"
The Count kept his arms upon her, looking at her as though she were mad. There was something behind his eyes though. That hunger in them that had been there a few nights ago. They were standing close now, and Mina could see her chest heaving with the pounding of her heart. Stop this nonsense, she told herself tersely. Get him out of here. If he is caught, it is all your fault. He seemed ready to speak but Mina spoke instead.
"It's a trap," Mina whispered, ushering him again to the window. "It's a trap set for you. There's this group, The Protectors, that wants to rid the world of the supernatural. They want to kill you and you have to leave now." Some light lit in him that Mina recognized. It was the light of a man who wanted to prove himself. He wanted to fight. That was a stupid idea. She narrowed her brow, "You can deal with them later. Now, you need to leave. I'm certain they will not hurt me, but they may if you stay."
Footsteps down the hallway. John and Renfield to be sure. And if they saw The Count in here with her, they would not believe her ever again. She would not get to know what they were up to, or who their leader was.
Mina grabbed Alexander's face. "Get out now, and meet me tonight in the forest." They were near the door now. "And ignore this next thing I say."
The door opened.
"Get out! Leave me alone!" Mina cried as Alexander dived out the window. At least he'd listened to her. He could be so stubborn at times. Mina mustered up as many fake tears as she could and turned back to a very dumbfounded looking Renfield and John. "You were right," she sniffled. "He came after me. I got him to leave but…" Mina rubbed her eye. "Now if you please, I want to be returned to my friend and to the party. I'd feel much safer in a crowd."
"Of course, Miss Van Helsing," Renfield said with the airs of a gentleman. No men could deny a woman in tears. A woman's most powerful weapon, Lady Westerna had told her and Lucy one time when she'd had a bit too much wine. Well that, she'd added, and one other thing. "Would you like me to escort you?"
"No thank you," Mina said, walking to the door briskly. "I'd feel safer away from you."
OOO
John found himself alone with Renfield again, a place he seemed to frequent of late. Mina was not lying, Jonathan thought with relish. He knew she could not be involved with such a man as The Count. Mina was very smart and very moral, that he knew. Yes, he admired her very much but… Marrying Mina. Everyone had expected it for years. Marriage seemed such a trifle now with all he knew. Besides, he wasn't sure if he was even attracted to her. Smart, yes, but unruly too. Jonathan could not have a bride like her.
Renfield cleared his throat after a moment of terse silence.
"Mina's talents are wasted on doctoring," Renfield said. He leaned into John. Too close. Again. "She's quite the fine actress."
