Victoria day 4 part 8
The parade of automobiles slowed down then pulled off the road onto the logging trail. They drove into the woods until the last of the cars was no longer visible from the road, then came to a halt.
Up ahead the trees were thicker and the vehicles would have to be left behind. Doors began to open and the Guardians came pouring out. The woods were filled with the clicking of the weapon checks. Victoria remained seated watching with interest the movements of those around her. She was aware of Klein and Jackson, The two thralls waited beside her car door, eyes scanning the surrounding woods. Her eyes followed their line of sight into the woods, she was trying to get her bearings. Was this the same road she had made her escape from a century ago?
The forest could be a confusing place. Coming back after so long, nothing looked like a landmark. She took a deep breath and tried to recall if there were any landmarks that might look the same. Yes, she remembered, there had been the bombed out body of a tank from World War II not too far from the tunnel's exit. With this memory, she exited the SUV.
"Miss Dupree?" questioned Jackson as he looked uneasily at Klein.
"Come with me, " she replied as she straightened her Kevlar jacket and checked to make sure her weapons were loaded.
"But Miss Dupree, I believe you are supposed to stay with the vehicles." Klein interjected.
Victoria frowned at the thralls. She shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourselves." She began to head off along the logging road. The two quickly followed. A strange sensation was growing in the back of her mind, gradually making her more uneasy with the situation at hand.
The uneasiness turned into a certainty that someone was watching her. She stopped suddenly, the two humans following her almost plowing into her.
"What." Klein started in a hushed voice.
Her look was enough to silence him. Her eyes took in everything; sunlight and shadow. There was nothing. No one. Yet the sensation stayed with her.
She remained still, as if listening to the forest itself and then slowly she resumed her motion. Occasionally she would stop and move the under brush and then continue on. Finally Klein broke his silence. "What are you looking for?" he questioned.
Victoria turned on him with an intense look. He knew to hold his tongue. Then her attention shifted. There it was again, the intense feeling of being watched. She turned slowly in a circle eyes quickly scanning the surroundings.
Far off to her left she could sense the Guardians and someone was coming towards her little group. Her hand reached toward the holster she wore and slowly drew the weapon. She quickly glanced down to make sure the safety was off. When she looked back up, she could see someone walking, his face in shadow, but his eyes glittering in the filtered light. Andre.
She exhaled deeply, relived to see him and re-holstered her weapon. Victoria waited for Andre to approach.
"What are you doing so far from the group?" Andre asked in his velvet-and- brandy voice.
For a moment she lowered her eyes as a child does when they have been caught in the act of breaking a rule, then she flashed her lovely smile at him. "Looking for the entrance to a tunnel I once used to get out of the manor house." She turned her head to look down the road and then returned her attention to him. "I am sure it is close by." Again she smiled engagingly.
Andre stepped right up to her and took her arm. "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked, his face grim. "This is not a tea party, Victoria. We're all risking our lives." He released her arm as his laser-sharp gaze bore into Jackson. "Why didn't you do your job, thrall?"
Victoria turned her head and quickly shot a glance towards Jackson. But it was to late, the impulsive thrall stepped forward.
"I am doing my job!" he retorted.
Andre already angry with Victoria moved at the speed of light turning on the man with a dark dangerous scowl. Victoria quickly slipped between the two; the human and the vampire, all the while shouting at Jackson in his mind to stand down!
"I was ordered to stay with her and make sure no harm came to her! She left the convoy and I accompanied her!"
"Stupid thrall! I'll rip out your throat!" Andre's eyes flashed with rage as he pressed forward.
"Please! Stop!" Victoria interjected placing her hands against Andre's chest. "Andre it's my fault! You know he must obey, how could he stop me? He is after all, only a human." Victoria pulled at Andre's coat. "He's rash and doesn't know his place, but this isn't the time." Slowly she felt him relax against her grip. He was still angry, but his eyes were beginning to soften.
Klein walked forward and tugged on Jackson's sleeve, pulling him back to a safe distance.
"This was a very foolish thing to do, " Andre scolded, as he took her hands in his and removed them from his coat. "You could have been killed!"
Victoria knew when to play her part and agreed with all Andre's warnings and begged his forgiveness for her rash behavior.
When amends had been made Andre again raised the question of the tunnel.
"It's a narrow underground passage that ran from the tree line, under the yard and up into the cellar almost a mile in length." She gestured with her hands to emphasize the route.
"Is the exit marked?" Andre inquired.
"Not originally, but in WW2 this area saw a lot fighting and the entrance became marked by a burnt-out tank." Victoria turned and faced the path.
"You all heard the lady," Andre shouted, "Tank." With that the Guardians surged forward.
The parade of automobiles slowed down then pulled off the road onto the logging trail. They drove into the woods until the last of the cars was no longer visible from the road, then came to a halt.
Up ahead the trees were thicker and the vehicles would have to be left behind. Doors began to open and the Guardians came pouring out. The woods were filled with the clicking of the weapon checks. Victoria remained seated watching with interest the movements of those around her. She was aware of Klein and Jackson, The two thralls waited beside her car door, eyes scanning the surrounding woods. Her eyes followed their line of sight into the woods, she was trying to get her bearings. Was this the same road she had made her escape from a century ago?
The forest could be a confusing place. Coming back after so long, nothing looked like a landmark. She took a deep breath and tried to recall if there were any landmarks that might look the same. Yes, she remembered, there had been the bombed out body of a tank from World War II not too far from the tunnel's exit. With this memory, she exited the SUV.
"Miss Dupree?" questioned Jackson as he looked uneasily at Klein.
"Come with me, " she replied as she straightened her Kevlar jacket and checked to make sure her weapons were loaded.
"But Miss Dupree, I believe you are supposed to stay with the vehicles." Klein interjected.
Victoria frowned at the thralls. She shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourselves." She began to head off along the logging road. The two quickly followed. A strange sensation was growing in the back of her mind, gradually making her more uneasy with the situation at hand.
The uneasiness turned into a certainty that someone was watching her. She stopped suddenly, the two humans following her almost plowing into her.
"What." Klein started in a hushed voice.
Her look was enough to silence him. Her eyes took in everything; sunlight and shadow. There was nothing. No one. Yet the sensation stayed with her.
She remained still, as if listening to the forest itself and then slowly she resumed her motion. Occasionally she would stop and move the under brush and then continue on. Finally Klein broke his silence. "What are you looking for?" he questioned.
Victoria turned on him with an intense look. He knew to hold his tongue. Then her attention shifted. There it was again, the intense feeling of being watched. She turned slowly in a circle eyes quickly scanning the surroundings.
Far off to her left she could sense the Guardians and someone was coming towards her little group. Her hand reached toward the holster she wore and slowly drew the weapon. She quickly glanced down to make sure the safety was off. When she looked back up, she could see someone walking, his face in shadow, but his eyes glittering in the filtered light. Andre.
She exhaled deeply, relived to see him and re-holstered her weapon. Victoria waited for Andre to approach.
"What are you doing so far from the group?" Andre asked in his velvet-and- brandy voice.
For a moment she lowered her eyes as a child does when they have been caught in the act of breaking a rule, then she flashed her lovely smile at him. "Looking for the entrance to a tunnel I once used to get out of the manor house." She turned her head to look down the road and then returned her attention to him. "I am sure it is close by." Again she smiled engagingly.
Andre stepped right up to her and took her arm. "Why didn't you tell us?" he asked, his face grim. "This is not a tea party, Victoria. We're all risking our lives." He released her arm as his laser-sharp gaze bore into Jackson. "Why didn't you do your job, thrall?"
Victoria turned her head and quickly shot a glance towards Jackson. But it was to late, the impulsive thrall stepped forward.
"I am doing my job!" he retorted.
Andre already angry with Victoria moved at the speed of light turning on the man with a dark dangerous scowl. Victoria quickly slipped between the two; the human and the vampire, all the while shouting at Jackson in his mind to stand down!
"I was ordered to stay with her and make sure no harm came to her! She left the convoy and I accompanied her!"
"Stupid thrall! I'll rip out your throat!" Andre's eyes flashed with rage as he pressed forward.
"Please! Stop!" Victoria interjected placing her hands against Andre's chest. "Andre it's my fault! You know he must obey, how could he stop me? He is after all, only a human." Victoria pulled at Andre's coat. "He's rash and doesn't know his place, but this isn't the time." Slowly she felt him relax against her grip. He was still angry, but his eyes were beginning to soften.
Klein walked forward and tugged on Jackson's sleeve, pulling him back to a safe distance.
"This was a very foolish thing to do, " Andre scolded, as he took her hands in his and removed them from his coat. "You could have been killed!"
Victoria knew when to play her part and agreed with all Andre's warnings and begged his forgiveness for her rash behavior.
When amends had been made Andre again raised the question of the tunnel.
"It's a narrow underground passage that ran from the tree line, under the yard and up into the cellar almost a mile in length." She gestured with her hands to emphasize the route.
"Is the exit marked?" Andre inquired.
"Not originally, but in WW2 this area saw a lot fighting and the entrance became marked by a burnt-out tank." Victoria turned and faced the path.
"You all heard the lady," Andre shouted, "Tank." With that the Guardians surged forward.