Chapter Ten
"Mm, here you come, here you come," Rookery said as he finished reeling the caretaker in. He scanned the body and then pushed the head to one side, revealing just the two holes he was looking for. "Bingo," he said.
TLV
Tony closed the front door behind him and then ran out toward the cemetery, now almost completely possessed of the notion that if he didn't get there as fast as possible, he could lose his new-found friends forever.
TLV
Rudolph pushed himself into a sitting position and turned to face his father, listening to Gregory, who had no choice in the matter really, tell his father the truth. "You bit him?" Frederick snapped. Rudolph gave his brother a smack on the arm, and Gregory slid to his feet.
"Just a taste," he said wearily.
"Was it worth betraying your family?" Frederick demanded.
"Me?" Gregory shot back, wheeling on Frederick. "I'm the traitor? I've betrayed all this? No! You're the traitor."
"What?"
"You're the traitor, forever denying the truth of us. We are dark gods, but you've turned us into cowards, skulking around our holes like worms."
"What would you have us do?"
"Fight back! Make these mortals' blood run cold."
"You could do it, Gregory," Frederick said slowly. "You're young, strong, ruthless, and willing to risk a stake through the heart to prove it."
"Better a stake than this prison," Gregory said sharply as Frederick turned his back, forcing the latter to face him again.
"Do you think me oblivious?"
"What does it matter to you what I think, if I think?" Rudolph's eyes widened at the comment. This was the closest Gregory ever came to revealing what truly bothered him.
"It matters greatly," Frederick whispered. "I feel your sting."
"But you are Frederick the Great! You feel nothing!"
TLV
Tony ran into the cemetery just in time to see Rookery attach a huge light to an apparatus over the skylight of the crypt while some sort of spat was going on within the vampire family. He was right! This was bad. With a sinking feeling, he ran to the other entrance of the crypt, the one Rudolph led him out of the previous night, and from there, he managed his way into the foyer. But he was too late.
TLV
"Let there be light!" Rookery declared, flipping the switch. Blinding light filled the cavern, forcing all of the Sackville-Baggs back against one of the walls.
"Begone!" Frederick demanded, spreading his cape and bat wings over his wife and kids.
"We've uncovered a whole flock. Oh, thank you so much for your public spirit."
TLV
For a moment, Tony was unsure what to do other than gasp and look around for a weapon. Frederick was sizzling and smoking on top of screaming in agony, and the other vampires were in a panic besides being in physical pain. Tony picked up a rock that fit into his palm, and he hurled it at the giant light that was the source of his friend's family's torment. It shattered the lamp it crashed into and went just deep enough to shut down the entire mechanism.
Oh, thank goodness, Frederick thought, near to collapse.
"My hero," Anna said.
"Goal!" Tony cheered.
"Wow," Rudolph said with a smile.
"Who did that?" Rookery asked, raising the light to inspect the damage. "Hey," he called into the tomb.
Anna, Rudolph, and Freda helped Frederick lie down, and Anna allowed him to rest his head on her lap. "I found out about the coat of arms," Tony said. "It's Lord McAshton's, my father's boss. The missing stone must be at his house." He waited a moment, watching Frederick. "Did you hear me, sir?"
"You barely saved my life," Frederick replied.
"He's very, very weak," Freda added.
"I know just what you need," Tony said.
TLV
Is this really necessary, Gregory thought as his mother tied the straps of the straitjacket behind him and adjusted the muzzle over his mouth.
You bit a man, not me, Rudolph replied.
I'm going to get you for this.
Last time I checked, you're not in the position to.
Children, please don't fight like this, Freda chided, intruding on their mental conversation.
If you ask me, he brought this on himself, Rudolph thought as he turned to follow his father, sister, and new best friend out of the crypt. Freda followed, pulling Gregory along behind her with the chain.
Why do you people even do this to me anymore? Gregory asked. You know how easy it is for me to break out.
It's for our peace of mind, dear.
Can't see how.
You know how we want you to learn that your actions have consequences.
Haven't heard that one before.
Gregory, Frederick snapped, playing the part of the intruder for scene two. Gregory fell silent simply out of the desire to no longer deal with his father, and he let himself be led around like a common dog.
TLV
Tony waited patiently while the five vampires finished their meals, this time better able to keep hold of the contents of his stomach, and watched as they formed a clump in the middle of the barn, near the ladder to the hay loft. His eyes rested on Gregory for a moment as he indignantly allowed Freda to wipe off his mouth and replace the muzzle. Remind me not to get on his bad side, he thought.
Will do, Rudolph replied, startling him for a moment. "Not that you need the help," he said with a smile and a light shrug.
"No," Frederick said as he pushed himself off the ladder and started walking his family to the door. "I must find a place to hide you children." Someone must've asked if they could go home, Tony figured.
"You can stay at my house," he offered.
"We need darkness, dampness, and decay."
"Then you need our cellar."
TLV
Frederick allowed Tony and Rudolph to lead the way back to the Thompson residence, taking great care that the rest of his family followed closely enough to ensure that no one got lost. "So what do you mortals do for fun?" he heard Rudolph ask. "Besides play Nintendo." Frederick couldn't help but smile. It had been far too long since he'd seen Rudolph interact with anyone outside the clan, and he was proud that his son had chosen so well.
"Well, lots of stuff," Tony replied with a shrug, and he started rattling off a list for Rudolph's benefit. Frederick turned his gaze skyward and his thoughts to the stone. He'd told Rudolph some twenty-four hours ago that he was sure they were on the right path, and looking back on his statement, he wondered if he'd picked up on something he wasn't quite aware of at the time, perhaps on Tony's entering into the equation. After all, in one day the boy had made significantly more progress than all seventeen Sackville-Baggs could manage in three centuries.
"Hey, we're here," Tony cried out, rushing up to his gate, undoing it, and then running up to the door, throwing it open. As soon as the vampires reached the front porch, Tony gestured for them to enter. Rudolph and Frederick both nodded to him, and Freda and Anna smiled. Gregory gave him a weary, still slightly angry look and then continued on. "The basement's over here," Tony said, walking over to a door near the base of a stairwell and leading the vampires into the depths. He stepped aside as the vampires started picking out makeshift beds for the day. "I'm sorry it's-"
"Perfect," Freda reassured.
"I need to go upstairs, but have a good day's sleep. And don't worry, I'm on it."
"On...on what, dear?"
"Finding the amulet, Mother," Rudolph said. "That's how we kids talk today."
"Oh," she said, still not quite sure it made sense.
Rudolph settled into a crate and held up his hand. "Bye, dude," he said.
"Bye, dude," Tony replied, giving him a high five. He closed the lid of the crate after his friend, and Freda smiled as she sat down next to her husband. He waved to the others as he walked back upstairs, and he closed the door gently behind him.
TLV
Dottie stirred at the sound of opening and closing doors, and for a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if there were dogs barking. Then her thoughts turned to other disturbances, these ones about the house. "Bob," she said, shaking his arm. "Bob, I hear something moving."
"I don't hear anything," Bob said frankly.
"Tony might be having a nightmare. Go check on the poor little guy."
"It's not my turn."
"It is your turn."
"Really?"
"Really."
Bob groaned and pulled himself to his feet, and he groped in the dark for his robe before stumbling out the door and down the hall. It was way too late to be bothered by this kid, and he was having his first peaceful sleep in ages. Did he really need to get up for this? But he eased Tony's door open anyway and stared into the room. Tony was sleeping like a rock, thank goodness, and Bob turned to leave when he thought he caught something amiss. He walked over, pulled Tony's glasses off, and set them on the nightstand before leaving.
"He's fine," he said when he walked back into the bedroom he shared with his wife and climbed back into bed. "Sleeping like the dead."
"Oh, good," Dottie replied. But did he really need to say 'dead'?
TLV
As soon as Bob closed the door, Tony threw the covers off and began to change into his pajamas. Gradually, small disturbances started to reach his ear, and he picked up the pace until finally he threw himself into bed in his tee shirt and boxer shorts and pulled the covers back over himself. The door opened, and he waited patiently until someone sat at the edge of his bed. "Tony," Anna whispered.
"Huh?" Tony groaned, looking up. "Oh, I thought you were my dad again."
"Don't be surprised. I only want you to have this." Carefully she spread a small white cloth on his bedspread, upon which was a dead rat. Uh, okay. "It's from the Old Country. It will bring you luck. And if you ever need me, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you?" Tony nodded, and Anna pursed her lips, drawing out a long, haunting note which echoed long after she'd finished blowing. Tony tried several times to imitate this, and Anna demonstrated again. Tony made his next series of attempts, and this process continued until he had it down. "Very good," Anna said with a smile. "Now rest." Tony nodded and watched Anna leave before closing his eyes again.