Dark Shadows Among Us
Chapter 25
25.1
2015...
Angelique completed the body of the doppelganger of Robert Ironside. She looked down at her work and smiled. There was no doubt that it would pass for the real Robert Ironside, at least if it was not scrutinized closely.
Julia looked down at the doppelganger. "It is amazing to look at. One would swear that is Robert Ironside. But we do have a problem."
Angelique looked up. "What do you mean?"
"We might be able to fool Nicholas for a while, I have no doubt, but fooling Sergeant Brown is going to be much more difficult."
Angelique acknowledged the remark with a nod. "We will have to have the doppelganger order Ed to investigate something that will keep him away from Ironside."
"That is not going to be easy. Ed Brown is very loyal to Robert Ironside. Keeping him away from him will only make him suspicious."
The witch turned and snarled at her. "What would you suggest, Doctor? Keeping him around the Ironside doppelganger? He would spot it as a phony for sure. Besides, if he is controlled by Nicholas and the Leviathans, then he is no longer loyal to Ironside. His loyalty is to the Leviathans."
Outside the room, Ed Brown put his ear to the door. Unlike the houses built today with the paper thin doors, the doors in the Old House were so thick, it was next to impossible to hear anything through them. He bent down and peered through the keyhole. All he could see was the back of two women. He recognized the long blonde hair of Angelique. The other woman looked like Doctor Hoffman.
"Did you hear something?" Julia asked the witch.
Angelique stopped and listened. "I can feel a presence. Someone is outside the door."
The door began to open. Julia hurried over to it. She grabbed the doorknob and block the entrance of the individual on the other side. She stepped into the hall and closed the door to face Ed Brown.
"What are you doing down here, Sergeant Brown?"
Ed studied the doctor's face. What was she hiding? What was in that room that she did not want him to see? He reached for the doorknob but Julia Hoffman was quick to block his entrance to the room.
"I could ask you the same thing, Doctor," Ed responded.
"Barnabas has always allowed me full access to the Old House. This is my laboratory. However, you are a guest in this house. I suggest that you behave as one. I am confident that Barnabas did not give you permission to snoop throughout his home."
"Snoop? We have a difference of opinion, Doctor. I call it investigating. I want to know where Chief Ironside is and I want to know now!"
"We have told you where they are. They are waiting for the staircase to appear," Julia lied.
"Well, that's funny. I just came from there and neither one of them were there," Ed said.
Julia turned away from Brown. "Then I am not sure where they are. Maybe they are trying to get information from the rest of the Collins family. They would not have gone far. Did you see the ghost of Quentin Collins?" Julia worried about what Brown may have learned if he had.
"No, he was nowhere in sight. I don't believe you, Doctor. I demand to know where Chief Ironside is!"
Angelique stepped into the hallway. "What's the problem, Sergeant?" she asked sweetly.
"I want to know where Chief Ironside is."
Angelique smiled. "They are in the West Wing. Mark has been over there to take food to your chief and blood to Barnabas. You must have missed them. They probably stepped out of the room temporarily. It is good that you stopped by. Mark said your chief wants you to check on Nicholas and see if you can find out what he is up to."
Ed stared at Angelique. He was unaware that she was using her supernatural powers on him to control him. Without Ironside around to protect him, he fell immediately under her influence.
"Alright, I will do it right away. When can I see the chief?"
"Soon. He should be back in the room where the staircase is by the time you get back." Ed nodded and left.
"Well, we certainly dodged a bullet. I am surprised he accepted our explanation so easily. I would have thought his detective instincts would have told him we were not telling him the truth," Julia said.
"He believes it, Doctor, because I made him believe it. I could see that he was not accepting your story. I simply used my powers to convince him that your story was true. By the time he comes back from Nicholas' cottage, we should have the doppelganger of Barnabas completed as well so let's get back to work.
Ed climbed the stairs out of the basement of the Old House. He wondered why he had not challenged Angelique. Something was fishy. What were they doing in that room? Ed turned back and glanced down the stairs. He would return later and find out what was going on in that room. Nicholas would want to know and he would.
25.2
1797...
Barnabas entered the jail where Victoria was being held. Reverend Trask had successfully had her charge with witchcraft. Barnabas was extremely fond of her. At one time, he had considered making a effort to win her affections. Actually, he had. That was until he had realized his feelings for Julia. His love for her had been there all along. She had been loyal to him from the beginning. He knew from his time traveling that she would eventually find a cure for his vampirism. She had been working night and day since the serum had aged him to his actual natural age.
It had been his own fault as he was the one that insisted she expedite the experimental drug. His eagerness to become human again had clouded his judgement. Of course, at the time he had been trying to court Victoria. He knew there was no future with her while he was a vampire. Painfully, he remembered Josette's reaction when she found out about his condition. Of course, Angelique had a hand in making it much more horrifying. He had been wrong about wanting Josette to join him in eternity. How could he ever condemn another to the life of a vampire?
He thought about Julia; about the life they would have together after she cured him. He longed to see the sun again, to walk in the daytime, to see the beauty of the earth once again. He wondered how it would happen. Something nagged at him in the back of his mind. Something about a life force that would sustain him. He vaguely remembered that someone or something was involved. He would have to wait to find out. All he knew is that he would become human again.
Barnabas would have to be careful. He could not allow his desire to overpower him. He would never forgive himself if he harmed Julia. He would take it slow until Julia found that cure.
The jailer opened the door to Victoria's cell. Barnabas entered and Victoria went into his arms. "Oh, Barnabas! I can't believe this is happening. First Nathan Forbes betrays me and now Angelique has sealed my faith. You must believe me, I am not a witch!"
Trying to soothe her, he said, "I am going to do everything in my power to stop this injustice. I promise you Nathan Forbes and Angelique will pay for what they have done."
"Peter is worried that there is nothing else that can be done. He is going to try to appeal the decision but he has no confidence that he will be successful."
Barnabas stroked her hair. He knew that she would not hang. She would return to the present and Phyllis Wick would be the one to hang in her place, as she was the one that would have been charged with witchcraft, if Victoria had not been thrown back in time to take her place. He should do nothing and allow history to repeat but his blood boiled at the idea this beautiful, gentle creature should be hanged.
"I will do what I can. Do not lose hope." Barnabas smiled down at her. "I must go now but I will be back."
"Thank you Barnabas. You have been such a good friend. I treasure your friendship."
Barnabas kissed her cheek and left her cell. Nathan Forbes' days were numbered. He would again bring justice against the man for what he had done to Victoria. It was time for a showdown with Forbes.
When he left the jail Robert Ironside was waiting for him. "I read this part of Ben Stokes' diary. You are headed to kill Nathan Forbes. I cannot allow you to do that."
"I have to, Robert. We are not here to change history," Barnabas said.
"We aren't? I thought that is exactly what we are here to do," Ironside said, gruffly.
Barnabas stopped and turned around to face Ironside. "I once loved Victoria Winters. You have no idea the emotions, having to see this happen all over again, has stirred in me. It is hard to control the rage within me."
"You must not allow it to get in the way of why we are here. I am a cop. I will not allow you to kill even one man while you are here."
"Two men, Robert. I brought justice to Trask as well by placing him behind a brick wall to die for his crime of condemning an innocent girl to death."
"And you will not do it again," Ironside insisted.
"I must. We have no idea of how that would affect our time if I change what happened here. I will not take that chance. You must understand we are playing God as it is, to come back here and change history in order to save your policewoman. And that will be all that we change."
Ironside looked into Barnabas' eyes. He could tell that there would be no changing the vampire's mind. In a way, the events that they were talking about had already happened. It was the cop in him that was fighting it. His job was to protect and serve. Knowing that Barnabas was going to kill two man, and that he expected him to just stand by and let it happen, was causing a conflict within him. Yet, he knew there was nothing he could do about it if the vampire decided to do it. He could not stop him and he certainly could not turn him in. Eve's life depended on Barnabas.
Ironside was torn. He believed in the justice system but he had no choice but to stand by and allow Barnabas to repeat what he had done so many years ago. Yet, how could he really condemn him, he did not have to live his life as a vampire as Barnabas did. Wouldn't he do as Barnabas if he were a vampire. Self preservation was an extremely strong instinct in the human being. Most would do whatever they had to do to survive. Isn't that what Barnabas was doing?
Ironside decided to resign himself to fate. There was nothing he could do to stop Barnabas. No amount of talking was going to convince him. He nodded at him and the two men left the jail.
25.3
Ironside and Barnabas entered the Old House. "Robert, if you will excuse me, I have some things that I have to attend to."
"Barnabas, we are doing this together. Don't you think you should tell me exactly what you are up to?" Ironside demanded.
The vampire smiled. "I have to feed, Chief. It is not pretty but I cannot exist without it."
"You are not going to kill, are you?" Ironside inquired.
"No, Chief. I promise you, I will only take enough blood to sustain myself. The young lady I choose will recover and she will not remember me or what happened. The time past a long time ago when I drained them completely. That only happened when I was a fledgling vampire. I have learned control since then. I have no desire to kill, Robert. I deplore what I am but sometimes it has become necessary to protect my secret. It will become so with Nathan Forbes as he will learn of my condition.
"I also want to talk with Peter Bradford. I know his request for re-trial will be denied. I also know that he is going to break Victoria out of the jail only to be recaptured. I want to talk him out of it. At least I might be able to save his life for all he has tried to do for Victoria."
"I thought you were not going to change the past," Ironside said.
"This one thing is justified. Now I must go." Barnabas turned and left the Old House not giving Ironside a chance to say anything else.
"Where is Barnabas going?" Angelique said behind him. Ironside turned to face her.
"He is going out to feed," Ironside answered.
"Oh, then you know what he is," Angelique said, surprised this man was still alive. "Suppose you tell me why he has allowed you to live. Barnabas kills all that learn his secret."
"I mean him no harm. He knows that. I have no intention of revealing his condition. It is not his fault. In fact, it is your fault."
"I regret what I did, Mr. Ironside. But Barnabas drove me to it."
"Why? Because he loved another woman and you decided to use witchcraft to destroy his life?"
Angelique became angry with his words. "You know nothing of what happened. Barnabas used me! He willingly took me and through me aside!"
"Men have been using women for sex since time began. Most women did not turn them into vampires. You are obsessed with him."
"Don't you tell me what I am obsessed with! Who are you to judge me? You don't have any idea of what he has done to me!"
"So he deserves to be condemned to live as a monster for eternity?"
"He doesn't have to. All he has to do is come to me. I can make him happy if he would only give me a chance."
"Come to you? Why in God's name do you think he would ever do that after what you have done to him. You have no clue what love means. You don't love him, you are obsessed with him. You are pathetic." Ironside turned to go when Angelique stepped in front of him.
"You will not leave until I give you permission. Just exactly who are you anyway? Barnabas never had any friend by the name of Robert Ironside. I checked, Mr. Ironside. There is no record of a cop by that name in Virginia. Who are you? Why are you here and what connection do you have to Barnabas?"
"My name is Ironside and I am a cop. The rest of it is none of your business," Ironside snarled. He started up the stairs but Angelique again got in front of the big man.
She ran her hand over his chest. She stood a couple stairs above him, bringing her height to meet his. Bending forward she kissed him lightly. "We don't have to be enemies, Mr. Ironside. We could be so much more." She put her arms around his neck. "There are much more pleasant things we can do." When she attempted to kiss him again, Ironside grabbed both her wrists and removed her arms.
"You tried this before. It did not work then and it will not work now. I would not touch another man's wife, especially one that tricked him into marrying her."
Angelique was stunned. "What do you mean I tried it before?"
Ironside realized his mistake. He certainly could not tell her she tried it in another century. He scrambled to recover. "You tried it on Barnabas and it did not work and it won't work on me. I am not the least bit interested."
"I am not giving you a choice Robert Ironside. You will serve me. She stared into his eyes. She would take control of him now. That way she could keep track of what Barnabas was up to.
Ironside could feel her trying to control him. He remembered what Angelique had been told about resisting Nicholas. She had to believe that he could not hurt her. He pushed her aside. "Don't bother with your witchcraft. It will not work." Ironside continued up the stairs and disappeared up the stairs.
Standing on the stairs, Angelique was shocked. No one had ever been able to resist her powers. Even Barnabas had fallen prey to what she had done to Sarah. He had married her because of what she had done to save her, not knowing that she was responsible for her condition in the first place.
Who was this Robert Ironside? Where did he come from? And most importantly how was he able to resist her? She had to find out the answers to these questions. What had Ironside meant when he said she had tried it before. He tried to hide it but she knew he was only trying to cover a mistake. She had never tried to seduce him before but she knew what she had heard. She had to find out who this man was and what he was doing here.
25.4
2015...
Ed Brown knocked on the door of Nicholas' cottage. The door opened and Tom Jennings appeared. "Nicholas has been expecting you." Ed entered and went directly to the parlor.
"Sergeant Brown, I have been waiting for you. Do you have good news for me?"
"I am sorry, Nicholas. I have not been able to find out what you want to know. I have been over to the Great House but Chief Ironside and Barnabas were not there."
Alarmed at that revelation, Nicholas asked, "Have they been successful?"
"Doctor Hoffman said Chief Ironside and Barnabas were out tonight. If they are still here, I will demand to see the Chief tomorrow. If they try to keep me away from him, it could only mean that they have been successful in going back in time."
Ed told him about Angelique and Doctor Hoffman in the room in the basement of the Old House and how they stopped him from entering.
"You must find out what they were doing in that room. Also, I think it is time that we take control of Mark Sanger. He should succumb easily. He has already been under our control. This time we will have to make sure that it sticks. You must lure Sanger away from the Old House. I will be waiting. Here is what I want you to do ... "
25.5
1797...
Abigail Collins looked out the window of her bed chambers as she thought about Nathan Forbes' words. Go to the Old House to discover Barnabas Collins' true nature. What could he possibly have meant by that? She had sensed since Barnabas had actually not left for England, as the family had suggested, that there was something different ... something evil in him.
She and the Reverend Trask had been successful in convicting the witch, Victoria Winters. She would hang in the next few days. If there was a further evil in Collinsport, something must be done about it. She must find out for herself. If what Nathan Forbes said was true, then she would inform Reverend Trask and together they would end the evil that was Barnabas Collins. She did not care that he was a member of the family. If he had become something evil, he must be destroyed.
She had made up her mind. She had to find out once and for all. They could not stop now. They had to rid Collinsport of evil. God would protect her in her quest. She got up, put on her cloak and headed for the front door. As she descended the stairs, Joshua Collins stood at the bottom. "It will be dark soon, Abigail, just where do you think you are going? You should not be traipsing around in the woods without an escort."
"I am going for a walk and I can decide whether or not I need an escort."
"I want to talk to you about Victoria Winters. This must be stopped. That girl is not a witch. You have perpetuated a terrible injustice. I cannot tell you how unhappy I am about what you and Trask have done."
"We have ended the activities of a witch. There is nothing to be stopped. She will hang and may God forgive her." She pushed her way past her brother and headed into the woods. She could not allow Joshua to delay her any longer. She must find out what evil Barnabas Collins had become.
Even in the daylight the woods seemed so dark. Dusk was about to settle and the woods were even darker. Soon she would have to travel it by her memory. It had not been that long since the family had moved into the Great House. The path to the Old House was not yet completely familiar to her. Nevertheless, she was on a mission for God. Evil must be eradicated from Collinsport.
Wolves howled, bats flew above in the moonlight, dancing across the sky. The noises of the woods always made her feel uneasy but this was one time she could not ask anyone to accompany her. She certainly could not ask Joshua to do so. He had been very sensitive about the subject of his son, especially since Barnabas had become so deathly ill.
As she reached the Old House, she hurried quietly to the drawing room window. No one was in sight. Good! That meant there would be less chance of her being discovered. She had hoped that Barnabas would not be home.
Abigail walked over to the double doors of the Old House. She checked them and found the doors unlocked. Slowly opening the doors, she entered the foyer. Glancing in every direction she decided no one was around. She would check the basement first. If Barnabas had something to hide, that is more then likely the place he would hide it. She walked down the end of the foyer to the basement door and found it unlocked as well.
Robert Ironside came down the stairs of the Old House. His sleep pattern was completely screwed up, thanks to Barnabas Collins. Sleeping during the day simply was not natural ... but then neither was being a vampire.
It was just about time for the vampire to awaken. The sun was setting and he and Barnabas had to decide what to do next. He had fallen asleep waiting for him to return from his feeding. Apparently, Barnabas had chosen not to bother him.
Chief Ironside was headed for the drawing room when he noticed the door to the basement ajar. Had Ben left it open? No, he would not do that. He made a point to lock the door after Barnabas retired at dawn. If he had to be away during the day, there was less chance that someone would wander in and discover Barnabas sleeping in his coffin.
Police instincts told Ironside something was very wrong. He changed directions and headed towards the basement.
While Ironside was headed for the basement, he was unaware that Abigail Collins was heading directly into certain death. If she discovered the vampire, it would be as he was awakening. Barnabas Collins would have no other choice but to end her life. He certainly would not be able to allow her, of all people to live. She would try to destroy him. What Abigail had never considered was that the evil she was about to come upon was something she would find so terrifying that she would lose all faith that God would protect her.
She continue down the stairs looking around as she descended, looking for anything that would substantiate Nathan Forbes' claim that Barnabas Collins was a evil being, no longer of this world as they knew it.
Abigail reached up to her neck and fingered the cross that hung there, said a prayer and tucked it back under the neckline of the dress she was wearing, not realizing that she had just buried the only thing that could prevent her death. When she reached the bottom of the stairs a coffin came into view. She began to believe that Nathan had been right. If Barnabas was not evil then why would he have a coffin in the basement of the Old House. She stopped for a moment considering leaving, and bringing back Reverend Trask, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. She had a perfect opportunity to discover whatever Barnabas' secret was. No one was around to stop her. She decided she must take this opportunity as someone could return and she and Trask would not be able to get into the Old House. She walked over to the coffin and stood beside it.
Robert Ironside pushed the door to the basement open and walked down the stairs. He saw a woman he did not know about to open Barnabas' coffin. The detective knew that her fate would be sealed the moment the lid was lifted. He had to get her out of there before Barnabas became fully awake.
"You! Stop right there."
"Evil must be destroyed in the name of the Lord!" she screamed at Ironside. She opened the lid of the coffin.
The chief saw the absolute terror on her face as Barnabas reached up and grabbed her by the throat.
To Be Continued...