Chapter 109
Rossi looked at Sebastian and Christian. "How does one go about capturing a vampire without killing it?"
"There are many ways. Why do you want to know?" Christian asked as his eyes narrowed.
"Because Chuck can't just show up with Willie sitting in his back seat with a pair of cuffs on, the man would instantly know it's a trap," Rossi explained.
Sebastian winced and then shot a look to Willie. "There are ways to incapacitate us, and we can decide on the best way once we are close to this harvester."
Chuck frowned. "Why not just tell us now?"
When all of the vampires' eyes flashed to hers for a microsecond, Kahlan huffed. "Because, apparently, they're all pretty nasty, and they don't want to bring them up in front of me because any of those ways could have been used on Aaron."
"We're just trying to shield you from. . ." Sebastian started.
"Whatever it is can't possibly be as bad as my own fucking imagination!" She stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm not some little, innocent child, even if you all refuse to see that. You don't need to hide shit from me!"
Willie cleared his throat. "I think dead blood would be the best, and maybe some spelled chains, but I'm not sure where we'd get them around here."
Rossi's brows furrowed. "Dead blood?"
Willie nodded. "Blood taken from someone or something dead."
"We survive on the blood of the living, so the blood from the dead is like a poison to us," Sebastian explained.
Rossi ran a hand down his goatee. "Would this dead blood have a distinct smell?"
"Probably not to you, but to a vampire, it's repulsive. Why?" Christian wondered.
Rossi looked at Kahlan. "Because I think there was some of that in that trunk."
She nodded and then looked at the vampires. "Would this harvester be able to tell if shackles were spelled or not?"
Sebastian shook his head. "Not unless he specifically tested them. Why?"
She half shrugged. "Cause I have a few pairs we could use."
Christian's eyes narrowed as he studied her.
Kahlan noticed the way he was looking at her, and she gave him her most innocent smile. "What? Don't you guys have them in your dungeon? You can't really torture someone properly without them," she stated plainly.
Christian's eyes grew by the second, Willie shifted a little away from her, and even Sebastian was looking at her with eyes full of concern; and Rossi and Chuck bust out laughing.
Kahlan got up from the table. "Chuck, you call him and get it set up, but make sure Sebastian or someone is there to help with the conversation if needed. I'm going to call Mom and get her set up with the kids." She took out her phone as she walked into the kitchen, but then turned back around. "Are you going, Dave?"
Rossi looked at his watch. "They should be having the case briefing now, so I'll call the team and check with them," he told her as he also got up.
Chuck put his hand on the older man's arm. "If you need to go with the team, Dave, we can handle this. You know that."
"I do, but if there's a chance that. . ."
Chuck gave him a small smile. "I know."
Rossi took a deep breath. "But let me call them before I make that decision because I know Hotch would not want me to stand down on a tough case."
XXXXX
Copper grabbed Hotch's arm so tightly and so quickly that it startled Hotch. His head snapped around expecting to see some horrible monster, but there was nothing but empty passages. "What?" he whispered.
"Do you smell that?" Copper asked just as quietly.
Hotch inhaled through his nose, but he shook his head. "All I smell is the same musty smell that filled my nose when the entrance shut. Why? What do you smell?"
Copper crept forward while sniffing the air.
Hotch grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. "What do you think you smell?" he asked knowing that dehydration messed with a person's senses.
"I smell water. Fresh water," Copper told him as he shook the vampire's hand off and started walking.
Hotch cringed but trotted up to Copper and pulled him to a stop again. "You might be imagining it, Copper. Dehydr. . ."
Copper pulled away from him again. "No, I'm not! I'm a forest creature, Aaron. I can find water sources!"
Hotch studied him, and the faun's heavy breathing was worrying him. "Do you really think they're going to have fresh water in this damn maze? It and everything in it has been trying to kill us. Why would there suddenly be water especially now with you needing it so badly?"
Copper whined as his whole frame wilted. "But I can smell it." He sniffed the air again. "And the beasts, they have to have a water source." He nodded. "Maybe I'm smelling that! Come on!" he tried as he took a step.
Hotch shook his head and pulled Copper to a stop again. "If that's true, then that means we're getting close to one of their lairs."
"Ok."
Hotch mentally sighed. "Which means it might be there," he explained slowly.
Copper's ears drooped for a moment, but then he shook his head. "I don't care. If I don't get a drink soon," he paused to take a couple breaths, "I'm not going to make it."
Hotch winced.
"And I guess that works out for you cause once I'm down, then you can drink from me. You'll stop both dehydration and starvation in one meal!" he yelled and then sank down the wall.
Hotch took a deep breath and knelt next to him. "Even if I could, I wouldn't do that Copper."
"Why couldn't you? If I was dying, I wouldn't care, really. I'd want you to." He gave Hotch a grin. "At least one of us should survive this just to be able to give that evil leprechaun the finger or some other nasty gesture."
Hotch chuckled. "I'd like to see his face when that happens, but I can't drink from you, Copper. This collar, remember, doesn't allow me access to my fangs," he explained as he pulled the partially furred man back into a standing position.
Copper groaned but looked Hotch in the eyes. "You still have your human teeth. I'm sure with enough gnawing you'd get blood."
Hotch choked. "I'm not gnawing on you, either, Copper," he told him as he let him go to see if he was going to stay standing. "Now, let's go see about this water, but we need to do it slowly using our heads as a guide not your dry throat."
Copper nodded. "Yes, sir."
Once they started walking, Hotch looked at him. "And I thought you said that faun blood tastes disgusting."
Copper shrugged. "I don't know. . . I've never tasted it."
Hotch huffed. "Well, just so you know, I'm not hungry yet, and I don't even get thirsty."
"Must be nice."
Hotch let Copper lead the way, and after several turns, he was really starting to doubt whether what the faun smelled was real or not. Copper's nose kept twitching, though, and Hotch silently let him continue. If anything, I'll carry him after he passes out.
After a few more turns, Copper's ears perked up. "You hear that?" he asked as he increased his speed.
Hotch strained to hear, but all he could hear was the torch in his hand. "No. What do you hear?"
Copper smiled. "Water."
"You can hear water?" Hotch asked him as his brows rose.
Copper shook his head as he huffed. "I hear running water, Aaron, not still water. Don't be an idjit."
Hotch frowned. "Idjit?"
Copper shrugged. "That's what my dad used to call me when I was acting stupid."
Hotch huffed and was about to say something, but he froze.
Copper stopped, too, as he looked around. "What?"
Hotch licked his lips. "I think I hear it, too."
The surprise in Hotch's tone made Copper shake his head. "What? You thought I was delusional or something, didn't you?"
"Well. . ."
"Just come on," Copper urged as he started walking again.
Hotch slowed him down with a firm hand. "Remember, there may be a monster in there."
"As thirsty as I am, I'll fight him for it."
Hotch shook his head and moved to take the lead. He didn't want the faun's desperation to cloud his judgement.
After a few more turns and one really long passage, the sound of running water was almost deafening after the silence that had been around them. Hotch made Copper stay back as he crept up to the large opening in the wall. Knowing that he'd never hear anything in the room where he suspected the water to be, he slid up and peeked around the corner.
Quick eyes saw the waterfall on the side wall, the filled basin at the end of it, and the vegetation that was growing around it, but he focused on the rest of the room. Matted down grass signaled where something big had lain, but it wasn't in the room. He frowned. Why would this one room be like a rain forest and the rest of this damn maze like a barren wasteland?
"Is it safe?" whispered right into his ear made him flinch, and he turned to find Copper right beside him.
Hotch took one more look around the room and then sighed. "Yes, but I don't like it."
Copper wilted as he licked his lips. "I don't like it when you do that. Why can't you just be happy that we found some water?"
Hotch looked down the passage. "Because this is the only way in or out." He took a deep breath. "You go in and get your drink. I'll stay here and keep an eye out for whatever lives in there." Copper nodded and took a step, but Hotch stopped him. "And be quick about it. Whatever likes to lay in that grass is big."
Copper's eyes narrowed. "Are you thinking that werepion thing?"
Hotch shrugged. "With as large as a spot as that is, it could be something bigger."
Copper took a raspy breath and then nodded again. "I'll hurry. I just need a few drinks."
"Go," Hotch told him as he nodded.
The faun basically ran to the basin, and Hotch could tell he was so excited to see all the water that he wasn't sure what to do. Hotch winced. I really hope there's nothing wrong with that water.
Copper stuck both of his hands into the water and cupped them to his face to drink, but after doing that two times, he just stuck his whole face in the water making Hotch chuckle as he turned to watch the passageways.
Hearing water splash onto the ground made Hotch cringe. I really hope nothing hears that. He turned to tell the faun to speed it up, but then frowned. Copper's whole upper half was in the water. He huffed. Why don't you just take a bath, jeez.
When the faun's hooves actually lifted into the air, Hotch's frowned deepened; when Copper's legs started kicking about, Hotch took a step into the room; but when a soggy scream escaped the faun, Hotch ran to him on frantic feet after dropping the torch.
"Copper!" he yelled as he grabbed the wool covered legs and pulled, but the faun didn't budge. Hotch could see the faun fighting to get out of the water, but he couldn't see what had ahold of him. He pulled as hard as he could, but his bare feet kept slipping in the now muddy floor.
Deciding to try something else, Hotch let go of the faun's legs and moved to grab one of his arms. Once he got a firm grip on that, he tried pulling again. "Copper, it's me Aaron! I got you!" he screamed because it seemed like the faun was fighting to get away from him just as much as he was fighting to get away from whatever was holding him under the water.
Copper's head thrashed about almost as if shaking his head 'no', but Hotch pulled even harder not caring if he pulled his arm from its socket or not.
After struggling for a few more seconds, more bubbles escaped the faun and he started to go limp. "No!" Hotch yelled and let go of the arm and slammed a hand down into the water to grab the fur on the faun's head, but as soon as his fingers felt the curly wool, something grabbed Hotch's arm.
As soon as he felt the invisible fingers tighten around his forearm, he jerked his arm back, but the thing had him and yanked him further into the water. His free hand grabbed the side of the basin and he tried to pull his arm back, but the vicelike grip tightened even more.
As his face inched closer and closer to the water, Hotch braced his feet against the wall and pulled with every ounce of strength he had, and that did it. His arm broke free and he fell to the floor with a muddy splash, and before he could even think about moving, Copper was pulled into the water completely.
"No!" he yelled again as he scrambled to get up. He slipped a few times in the muck, and by the time he got to the basin's edge, the faun was nowhere to be seen, the water was clear as glass, and the only sound that could be heard was the water falling over the rocks as it made its way down the wall.
Hotch ran a hand down his face as his eyes searched the water. The basin only looked to be about two feet deep. He bit his lip. He really wanted to put his hand in the water and search for something: Copper, the thing that took him, a false bottom, anything; but his gut was telling him that would be a very bad idea. He sighed as he shook his head. I'm so sorry, Copper.
He turned and kicked the nearest rock. Damn it! I knew there was something off about this room, but I still let him come in here alone. You have got to be the dumbest damn man on this planet, Hotchner! He ran a disgusted hand through his wet hair and then sighed again. You couldn't protect any of them. What the hell would your team think of you now?
His thoughts of self-hatred were halted by a roar.
