Chapter 10

Barnabas awoke to a feeling of need, the blood lust was on him and he needed to feed. Willie staggered through the drawing room, carrying the keys to the car and was startled as Barnabas approached him with a look he had not seen for a very long time.

Struggling Barnabas ordered, "Willie, leave me now. Call Julia and tell her I have reverted that Lang has caused the change, now go before I do something I regret."

Willie staggered back; he had never known fear this gripping since the first time, when Barnabas had bitten him. Rushing back to the kitchen and up the stairs to the hallway phone he dialed Julia's number.

Quentin let himself in the front door and stopped seeing Lang lying dead on the floor, a thick stake buried through his back and his heart. "Barnabas!"

Barnabas stood in the living room, clutching his hands to his body, he spoke, 'Here, Quentin."

Quentin moved into the drawing room and knew the scene he had stumbled on was not right. "Barnabas?"

Barnabas turned the blood still gracing his cheek and lips. "Barnabas!"

Quentin was shocked seeing his cousin in such anguish. "He did it, he bit me and now I am as I was."

The pain was laid bare for all to see. Barnabas' torment was evident in the way he struggled with his self-control. "The blood lust is unbearable. Please Quentin, find a stake and end me now."

His emotions were so overwrought he turned in shame, "I don't want Vicki to see me like this, and she will be one of the first ones I will seek out."

Willie appeared at the top of the stairs. "Um Barnabas?" He was afraid to come down the stairs.

Quentin moved to the foyer, "It's okay Willie come on down, I am with Barnabas we need to get Lang's body out of here." Willie looked from the dead body of Lang to Quentin.

"He said he was afraid of attacking me."

Quentin sighed, "Wait a moment Willie." Quentin ripped off his suit coat and carried it to the chair, rolling up his sleeve he extended his wrist to Barnabas, "Okay cousin here, take some blood from me, we both know I will be unaffected."

Barnabas looked up at Quentin and like a man dying from thirst, greedily grabbed his arm and bit into his wrist. As the pangs of need began to abate, he released Quentin's arm and staggered away from him, drawing his kerchief from his pocket to clean his face.

Quentin had a momentary weakness as the loss of blood was replaced with the help of the magically enhanced portrait. Quentin slowly lowered his body to the second chair. Closing his eyes he sighed. "Now, Barnabas no more discussion about staking you."

Willie inched his way to the entrance to the drawing room. Quentin glanced up and seeing Willie, "Willie, go tell Adam to come downstairs we need his help to get Lang's body moved. Is Julia on her way?"

Willie nodded, "Um, yeah she said she would be right over." Quentin was beginning to feel better and stood rolling his sleeve down he noticed that the marks on his arm had already healed. Willie turned and moved back up the stairs.

Moving down the hallway, Willie paused a moment outside Vicki's bedroom door, not wishing to upset her, he moved on down the hallway to Adams room and knocked on his door. "Adam, its Willie, we need your help."

Adam leaned against the door, "Vicki said I should not open the door unless it was Barnabas or her."

Willie rolled his eyes. "Well its Barnabas that needs you. He is hurt and we need to move Dr. Lang's body."

Adam jerked the door open. "Lang is hurt?"

Willie shook his head "No, Lang is dead. Barnabas killed him, but not before he hurt Barnabas, c'mon." Willie started down the hallway motioning for Adam to follow.

Adam moved to the upstairs landing and paused. "I don't feel her any more?"

Willie turned to Adam, "What?"

Adam looked down and saw Lang's dead body on the floor. Adam forgot for the moment what his original distress was over; that he could not feel Vicki. His gaze went to the man lying dead on the floor. Looking down at the man he grew angry. Impassively pushing his anger down; he stared at the man that had caused him so much grief. "Are you sure he is dead?"

He looked at Willie, "Yeah he is dead, see that long stick in his back, it went through his heart so he's dead. Now c'mon we gotta get him buried."

Adam moved down the steps and stood next to Lang's body. Using his toe to nudge him, he looked at Willie, "What do we need to do?" Willie rubbed the back of his neck, it was late, the day had showed promise for Spring's end and Summer's arrival and he was tired.

"Look I am gonna go get my truck and bring it around front to the steps, you bring him out an we will put him in the bed of tha truck. Then take him to the Eagle Hill Cemetery. There I can find a fresh grave and bury him."

Adam looked puzzled, "I don't know what you mean."

Willie sighed and with the patience he did not know he had said, "You jes carry him out for me and let me handle the rest."

Adam nodded. Willie disappeared and when Adam heard the sound of the truck out front, Adam lifted Lang up and slung him over his shoulder and carried him out of the house. Adam slung him into the bed of Willie's truck. When Adam slammed him into the truck it drove the stake through so that it protruded through Lang's chest.

Adam noticed he had a shovel. "What do you need me to do now?"

Willie shrugged, "I can take it from here." Adam watched as Willie drove off into the all-encompassing night.

Adam watched another vehicle move up the driveway. He noticed the lady and man that had been there earlier in the evening. She was a doctor and he was a man of education that had shown an interest in his innate ability to learn and retain it all.

Julia moved past Adam with her doctor's bag and following behind was the man they called Professor. "Hello Adam, a bit of nasty business tonight?"

Adam looked confused, "What do you mean?" Professor Stokes guided Adam back into the house. "I was talking about Lang, attacking Barnabas, thank goodness he had not gotten to you or Vicki."

Adam paused, "But he couldn't get to Vicki, she is not here." Stokes looked at him "Dear boy what do you mean she is not here?"

Adam hugged his body he felt bereft, his Vicki was missing. "I mean I cannot feel her so that means she is not here."

Stokes led him to the drawing room and paused in the doorway, watching Julia start an intravenous on Barnabas. "In order to try and counter what happened, we will need to give you a huge dose of the serum Barnabas, perhaps until I can see what exactly is going on with your blood we might be able to give you some relief from the blood lust."

Quentin closed his eyes pinching the top of his nose. "Lang is dead, Willie has taken the body to Eagle Hill to find a fresh grave to put him in."

Stokes looked around, "Adam says that Vicki is not here, he does not feel her."

Quentin shook his head, "I am sure she is just sleeping in her room. I will go look."

Quentin stood up leaving Julia to tend to Barnabas. Moving slowly up the stairs he made his way to the bedroom shared by Vicki and Barnabas. Knocking lightly on her door, he called, "Vicki?"

Opening the door he paused, the room was empty and Quentin now had a very sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Turning he walked through the house searching for her and found only empty rooms and silence.

Finally, he gave up and turned to see Adam behind him. "She is gone. I told you I could not feel her."

Quentin moved to stand next to Adam and clapped him on his shoulder, "I believe you Adam, and we have to go tell the others that something far more tragic has happened other than Barnabas being bitten tonight."

Caan filtered through the streets looking for his quarry, "Come out little mouse, show yourself, I know you are here, I can smell you."

Then she shimmered into view and looked very put out. "So, where did you take her?" Caan smiled, just seeing her made him remember feelings he had long ago suppressed.

"Where do you think?" She kept just out of his reach as she did her furious pacing back and forth. "You took her to your brother didn't you Cameron?"

He cocked his head, "My name is not Cameron." She paused and glared at him, "No its mud as far as I am concern. Since I refuse to call you Caan, you can be Cameron. You know you really screwed up don't you?"

He looked startled; no one ever before accused him of screwing up. "How do you figure that?"

It was her turn to smile, "Because you pissed me off and got our attention."

He laughed, "Forgive me if I am not afraid of you or the ones whose attention I have."

She shook her head, "You really are an arrogant pig. Bag him boys." Four males that were similarly dressed to her then surrounded Caan. He sized up his opponents and found them unremarkable. He moved his hand which then prompted a thump sound and his body was covered with a thin metal net, the net had the affect of making any movement he made impossible and he also found he was unable to speak.

Turning to her companions she nodded, "Prepare to fold in 3-2-1." The contingent faded from view with Caan in tow. When they reappeared they were standing in a large room that was surrounded by micro technically enhanced sensors that looked a lot like the suits the time folders wore. It almost appeared like a computer network of sensors weaved by spiders to form a web.

She looked at her catch of the day and frowned. "What does your brother want with my mother?"

He smiled, the only muscles he was allowed to use. Moving to the center of the room, the pressure from her feet activated a single pneumatic lift with a keypad. Tapping the keypad the webbing over Caan disappeared and he felt his ability to speak had been restored. "You are a dark lord warlock. I know with one word you can bring pain, death or try to escape. So, I am going to warn you, this room has a dampening field that will affect your abilities. You can speak, and you are allowed limited movement."

She stepped from the dais and moved to a wall and leaned against it, folding her arms over her chest and crossing her ankles she studied him. "Now, you realize that your brother is courting a war with the light lords."

He shrugged and watched her. "That is his problem."

"So, it does not matter that a lot of innocents could be crushed or killed in this war?"

Caan looked bored. "What has it to do with me? Am I my brother's keeper, I think not."

She shook her head; "You really do have a heart that is black and cold as you would make me believe."

He laughed watching her push from the wall and pace. "You do me an honor to say that I have a heart at all. Whether it's cold or not is up to you."

She paused in her pacing, she had looked so appealing in her form fitting suit, wearing a long duster style coat, her hands locked behind her back with her head bent. He enjoyed the profile she presented with her womanly charms so pleasingly displayed in her tight suit. "You don't look like her."

She stopped her pacing when another entered the room; "We have a lock on mother Jo." Caan shifted his attention to the woman that had entered and was pleased to see she did look like the woman he had just delivered to his brother.

She looked at her sister, "Not now Jeanette, tell J.B. and Morgan, I will be there shortly. Have they activated Beta and Charlie teams?"

Jeanette glanced at the handsome dark power. "Yes, we have to be ready to launch and fold in forty-five minutes."

Caan folded his arms over his chest. "You think you are going up against my brother? He is the Lord of Ninth Hell, his power is immeasurable."

Jeanette pivoted on the balls of her feet. Looking at Caan she spoke, "My mother is the purest individual I have ever known, your brother would not make a pimple on her ass."

Caan liked the spunk these girls showed, but his own wit was not about to be out done. "What my brother intends to do to your mother's ass has nothing to do with pimples."

He got her where he wanted; the right button had been pushed, as Jeanette advanced on him to slap his face.

Josette saw what he had done and before she could move a hand to make contact let alone get in close enough proximity for him to grab her sister, Josette barked out a command, "Jeanette stop!" In mid stride she was stopped, throwing one last menacing look at the man she turned to Josette. "You are right that remarks does not deserve any comment or action. If you think you are gong to recruit this piece of crap you better rethink it, as far as I am concerned he is only good for a bag and burn."

She turned and left the room. Josette glanced back to Caan after Jeanette left. "You were being a smart ass, well I am going after my mother and I am bringing her back, you can sit here and rot as far as I am concern."

She moved stiffly towards the door when his voice haltered her movements." How do you propose to get into the Ninth hell?"

Josette pivoted and looked at him, "The same way I plan to get out."

Caan smiled, "I hate to tell you this but you need a spell caster to enter the realms of hell or die."

Josette shook her head, "We have a spell caster and I don't plan to have anyone die this night."

Caan watched her and thought why not allow her to go up against his brother, they did not know about the traps he had laid for interlopers.

However, there was another part of him that really did not wish to see her hurt. He was feeling something odd stirring in his heart and mind. He liked her and would be sad if his brother hurt her.

He sighed, tried to stand as she got to the door, "Then take me with you and I will help bring your mother home."

Josette turned holding the door opened, "How do I know if I can trust you?"

He shrugged, "You don't but I would not have offered if I was going to betray you."

John Morgan was a lean man with a strong body and an even stronger sense of right and wrong, he had been recruited at the tender age of eighteen to this organization and that was because he had a talent, he could draw the magic from the air and weave spells. He had climbed his way through the ranks and now held tightly to his Captain's bars. His military training had been an asset and the fact he was very nice looking in a Robert Redford way only gave him an edge when it came to the female dark powers.

His sandy blond hair accented the blue of his eyes and that dimple he showed with a smile made him a natural charmer. He was the antithesis to Caan. Standing next to Captain Morgan was Logan Cain, another member of the team; he was a psychic that had been recruited at a young age of sixteen.

His face had been pocked marked by a case of severe acne. Logan did not pay much attention to looks and usually dressed as casually as he could. He resented discipline and the expectations that came from the military to be rigid. His talent had taught him no one had secrets that he could not discover and use to his advantage.

Josette entered the ready room with Caan in tow, "Everyone this is the newest recruit to our mission. Meet Cameron." T

hey all turned to peer at the dark power that was named Cameron. "You got to be kidding, we just bagged him and you are ready to drag him into hell with us? Should I get my last rights now?"

That comment came from a man that Cameron was later to learn was one Darius Drummond, black ops Lieutenant on loan to their team. His ability was tactical assault he had an uncanny ability. Josette suspected was empathetic by design for knowing where the assault was going to come. His second talent was how to counter the assault and manipulate the situation to their advantage.

"Can it Drummond, he is coming with us and you are going to like it or leave the team, makes no difference to me." Caan watched the room and counted the numbers they intended to take to hell to rescue her mother. It was less than a handful; to him it was more like a recon group.

Sighing softly he stood in his uniform with the sensors threaded through out and wore the same kind of black leather duster type of coat, he felt the reason was the suits left nothing to the imagination and it would be a distraction.

He would have to change the style if he decided to stay with this group of misfit supernaturals. The one called Morgan turned to his group. "Ok listen up, Jeanette has already left, she is waiting for us at the gate. So, lets move out and be careful out there, don't want to leave anyone behind."

The sensation was as it had been before and Caan felt the static around their bodies begin to build and he knew this was what it was like to fold time.