Author's Notes: We're coming into the final stretch of this story, and I hope it doesn't disappoint.
Chapter 17
Ultimatum
The sun had gone down, and Diego was feeling anxious. After they had eaten, Victoria had insisted on going back to searching for the book. Diego had gone down to the cave, and despite his misgivings he'd strapped on his sword and stored various weapons under his coat. It felt incredibly strange to do this without putting on a mask.
He was a little concerned about Victoria's obsession with the book. He didn't understand why she was so convinced that they would be safer if they knew where it was. It seemed that if they couldn't find it, Dracula wouldn't be able to find it either, and that would be a good thing. But she wouldn't stop, and it kept her safely inside and focused on something other than the danger outside, so he couldn't see any harm in it, especially since he had a suspicion of where it might be.
Outside the house, everything seemed quiet. Too quiet for his tastes. Solomon appeared suddenly, startling him. Diego wasn't used to being the one surprised.
"Nothing yet, but it feels like something soon," Solomon said.
There was something Diego wanted to know, but he'd hesitated asking, especially in front of Victoria, but he felt that if he didn't find out now, then he wouldn't have another chance.
"Solomon, there's something I'm curious about," Diego said hesitantly. "Why have you been tracking Boris with such dedication? It seems somehow... personal."
The older man stared at him unblinkingly, blue eyes glittering in the night. "I've fought monsters for forty five years. I don't need an excuse to track them down," he said, but then with a grim look continued. "However, you are right. I do have a specific reason. I was in France. You don't need to know why. The night was about as bright as this one, when I saw a man, if you can call him that, bending over something on the ground. I saw his face clearly, and he was covered in blood. I challenged him, and he just smiled before taking off down the road. I was going to follow him when I heard a sound and realized what the something was.
"It was a girl, not quite dead, though I don't understand why, considering what had been done to her. I could not leave her to die alone, and I promised that I would avenge her death. I've been tracking Boris and his master ever since, though it has not been an easy chase." He paused and then seemed to see the question that Diego wouldn't ask. "The next day, I found out from the local priest her name was Annette. She was an orphan with no family, no one who cared. I did, and I will avenge her and all the other innocents whose blood has been shed or corrupted by these demons. That has been my life and will be my life until I return to my Maker."
Diego stood frozen at the fierceness of Solomon's words. He was a great believer in justice, in defending the innocent, but Solomon burned with something that he could barely comprehend and was even afraid to see.
Solomon's gaze softened slightly. "I was never made for a path of peace, Diego. You apparently were, and yet you still fight. I think this is going to be a very hard night for you. Go back inside and look after your lady. I'm keeping watch here."
Diego couldn't find his voice. He merely nodded before going inside to find Victoria. He finally found her in the cave. She stood in the middle of the room looking around blankly.
"Are you all right?" he asked her, as he came up behind her.
She turned and grabbed hold of him, burying her head against his chest. "I don't know," she murmured, almost indistinguishably. "I feel so strange." She looked up at him, anxiety in her eyes. "I can't find it. I just can't find it. Are you sure you don't have an idea of where it could be?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to say what he suspected, but he still thought it was better not to know where it was, so he asked instead, "Why is this bothering you so much?"
"I... I don't know. I just don't think you're safe as long as Dracula thinks you have it or can get it."
"I don't think I would be any safer if I did know, Victoria," he said. "I believe Dracula is completely ruthless. I don't think it makes a difference one way or the other, and at least if we don't know, we can't tell."
"But I don't want anything to happen to you," Victoria said. She was starting to shake a little.
Diego held her tightly until she stopped. "Querida, what's wrong?" he asked. "This isn't like you."
"I don't know. I wish I did," Victoria said.
"You don't have to stay here," Diego said soothingly.
"No!" Victoria was adamant.
"Well, then you could stay here in the cave. I've disabled the outside door, so no one is going to get in that way."
"Are you sure about that?" a cold voice asked.
Diego looked up in shock to see Dracula and Boris standing near Toronado's stall. He moved to stand in front of Victoria, unsure of what to expect. He had been caught flat-footed again, and he wasn't sure if he'd have time to draw a weapon.
Dracula looked around. "I admire your style. A very pleasant place for a bandit to make his home. But your security needs more work. I'm surprised that hasn't proven a problem for you before."
"What do you want?" Diego asked.
"You know what I want. I've made no mystery about that," Dracula said. "I want the book."
Diego still couldn't understand why Dracula would do everything he had done for a book, no matter how important. "Why?"
There was a slight smile. "You can learn a lot from books," Dracula replied. "Now where is it?"
"I don't know. I don't even know if my grandfather ever really had it, much less where he would have hidden it."
Dracula was insistent. "I know he had it. I know he brought it with him. He never would have gotten rid of it. So I need you to look a bit harder."
"Why should I?"
"I think I can find a reason," Dracula said.
Before Diego could react, a bolt of lightning shot from Dracula's hand knocking Diego back across the room. Diego couldn't move; he felt like he'd been hit in the chest by a hammer and could hardly breathe. He was also stunned to see Victoria slowly cross the room to Dracula. When she reached him, she turned, and there was an odd tenseness in her stance as if she were compelled against her will. Her eyes watched him fearfully.
"Oh, yes, I did more than have a little sport with the lancers," Dracula said. "Your lady has quite the strong will. It took concentration and a little blood." He lifted her wrist. "Unfortunately, she failed in her instructions." Dracula looked down at Diego. "Now, I've lost my patience, and I've gained a hostage. If you have any feeling for her, bring me the book by midnight. Otherwise..." Taking hold of her chin, he examined her curiously. "I haven't decided whether to make her a companion or turn her over to Boris as a play thing. You can ask your friend Solomon how Boris likes to leave his toys." He paused at the expression on Diego's face. "Apparently, he already has. Good. Now you know, and it all depends on just how angry you make me."
"If you harm her..." Diego choked out.
"I've heard that before, and the men who made those threats are all dead or worse than dead," Dracula said. "I've even heard them from members of your own family. Your uncle— no, I think it was your great uncle— Teodoro. He was a great one for threats; unfortunately, he tried facing me alone. I snapped his neck." Diego tried getting up, but another blast from Dracula knocked him back to the floor. "Stay down. I'm not finished yet."
Victoria cried out and yanked at Dracula's arm, but he easily knocked her back. Boris grabbed her around the waist, and Victoria elbowed him in the ribs and kicked at his knee. Boris doubled over, but before she could do anything more, Dracula grasped her around the neck and using pressure points, rendered her unconscious. Boris straightening up, caught Victoria as she slumped forward, while Diego, still stunned, could do nothing more than watch.
Dracula stared at her curiously, before saying to Boris, "I should have taken more blood. She's very strong-willed."
"More than just strong-willed, my lord," Boris replied, sarcasm in his voice which Dracula ignored.
Dracula stepped towards Diego. "Her feelings for you must run very deep." Shrugging slightly, he continued, "Now as I was saying before I was interrupted, I've had a long acquaintance with your family. About as long as with Boris's, whose family has served me faithfully for a long time. Their one weakness is a tendency to nurse their own vendettas. Like Boris's sister. I'm not sure you remember his sister, though I'm sure you remember what she did." Dracula paused for a moment, staring at Diego's confused look. "She was here not more than three weeks ago. Ynez Risendo. Now that is a woman with patience, dedication, a full understanding of the dark arts, and enough hatred for your family to go to the trouble of stealing and raising one of your own to try to destroy you. I had hoped that it would make this visit unnecessary. Unfortunate that she failed, but the pain inflicted seems to have satisfied her if not me. Well, that and the spell she cast to make herself forgettable, while leaving you to remember Gilberto with clarity. You haven't really thought about her, have you?"
Diego's eyes widened as he realized that this was the truth, and it was like a floodgate had opened in his mind.
"See how malleable memory can be," Dracula said. "Now I need you to remember this one important thing."
He gave an almost imperceptible nod to Boris, who threw Victoria over his shoulder and carried her towards the exit of the cave. Dracula came and knelt next to Diego.
"Midnight," Dracula repeated softly. "It shouldn't take a desperate man that long to find what I'm looking for, and I see desperation in those eyes. Your Victoria is very devoted to you. It's up to you to decide how to repay that devotion. Save her or kill her." Then he too left the cave.
Finally, Diego struggled to his feet, drew his sword and headed for the outside. By the time he got there, he could only watch as they disappeared into the distance. For too long a time, he stood there watching, a cold, icy anger burning away the doubts and fears that had been clouding his mind. This thing and his servants had been haunting his family for generations, and now Victoria was threatened. His mind clear for the first time in a long time, he headed back into the cave, with cool deliberation. He was a man of peace, but he'd just realized that Solomon had a point about certain kinds of monsters.
Now, he could no longer afford to ignore that little nagging thought that had been haunting him most of the afternoon. It seemed incredible, and yet he knew with absolute certainty exactly where the book was. Grabbing his tools, he slid under his grandfather's desk and attacked the odd looking section there. A minute later a box almost fell on his head. Putting the box on the desk, he realized it was another puzzle box, like the trunk, and it took him only a few moments to get it open and finally see the book for the first time.
Taking it from the box, Diego thought it looked like quite an innocuous book. He flipped it open and glanced through the pages. There were spells in a variety of languages— Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, English, and even Spanish. There were also illustrations of various artifacts including the amulet that Solomon thought Dracula was interested in. He wished he had time to properly examine it, but there was no time. He wasn't about to wait until midnight. The only way to deal with Dracula was now, long before he was expected.
Placing the book to one side, he quickly went to work on the box. His plan would require precise assembly, and he had minimal time. He was lucky that the components he needed hadn't been damaged in the fight. Working feverishly at his lab table, Diego soon had the box prepared, and he carefully locked the box before slipping it into a small bag and strapping it onto his back. If he had done his work correctly, only opening the box would cause any problems, but he would have to go on faith as he hadn't really any more time to waste.
He filled a couple of bags with explosive and fireworks charges. And staring at the book, he put it into yet another bag. If necessary, he'd give it up, but that was the last resort. Checking on Toronado, he reluctantly concluded that he wasn't enough over whatever drug he'd been given. He'd have to ride Esperanza instead. Stroking Toronado's mane, Diego whispered comforting words in his ears, before starting for the stairs. Before he reached them, he spotted the wooden spear he'd found when he looked for Jonata and grabbed it as well before moving on. When he reached the stable, he wasn't surprised to find Solomon waiting for him.
"Dracula has Victoria," Diego said bluntly. "He wants the book by midnight. I've got the book now, but I don't trust him, so I want us to do something before he expects us." He handed Solomon the bag holding the book. "I've got a plan, but I'm going to need your help. Will you help me?"
"What is your plan?" was all the other man said.
~TBC~
Next week: Chapters 18 - 20 and Epilogue
Monday: Chapter 18 - Just Vengeance
End Notes: I really hope that the reason Solomon is hunting Boris did not come off as creepy as I think it did. I must admit that it is inspired by the thing that made Solomon Kane my favorite Robert E. Howard character— the fact that in "Red Shadows" he tracked a man around the world to avenge the death of a girl he only met as she was dying.
Also speak of the devil— or rather Ynez— and here she is. At least mentioned. I hadn't entirely forgotten her. Well, I had, sort of, back around the time I was revising chapters 6 or 7, I think, and that's when a mention got added to this chapter.
I may have taken some liberties with the structure of Diego's desk, but then I've been taking a lot of liberties with his cave.
