Chapter Thirteen

Maria

Having this man here unsettled me, I didn't think it would, after all I knew he wasn't my Major but it was difficult to remember that when it was his face looking at me. How could two men born so many years apart look so similar. The only difference was the way this one looked at me but then perhaps my Major would have reacted the same had he been given time to think of what was about to happen to him. I wanted this man in my bed and in command of my newborns but I knew the last was impossible. The first though….well given a little time I thought I could wear him down and I would enjoy breaking him until he loved me like my Major.

When the call came it took me a little by surprise, I hadn't been expecting to hear so quickly, the bounty hunters must have reported in before delivering their prisoner and I cursed roundly under my breath,

"Is it done?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I have been working on him, it takes time to duplicate The Major, you should know that."

"Work more quickly, you know we have a deadline and I need him as soon as possible."

"If he is to fool anyone he has to be perfect."

"You said you could deliver."

"And I will."

"Do it now, or hand him over and I'll find someone else."

"Very well, is our deal still on?"

"You keep your side of the bargain and I'll keep mine. You have six months."

"You told me I had as long as I needed."

"Things change, I need him ready as quickly as possible, how long?"

"Nine months minimum, preferably a year."

"No."

"Very well then I don't have time to stand talking to you."

I was furious, I had been given a free hand and now time restraints were coming into play. It couldn't be rushed, not if they wanted a perfect copy, one that could fool those who knew him at least for a while. I understood however that if I were to get what I wanted from our deal then I would have to let go of this man.

Professor Whitlock

When Maria re entered my cabin with the other guy who I knew now was called Nathan I understood it was time. Her face was placid and her eyes anguished but Nathan was excited and I knew he was looking forward to what was about to happen. I knew now that he had taken The Major's place in Maria's bed but I didn't think he had lived up to his predecessor in the ways that counted. If he had she wouldn't be so interested in me and knowing that gave me the courage to smile at him,

"Seems you just couldn't fill The Major's boots after all and that must really piss you off asshole."

He moved too fast for me to even try protecting myself and although I heard the woman screaming at him in Spanish he didn't hesitate. Then she was there eyes burning with anger and sank her teeth into his neck as he had tried to do to mine. She ripped a chunk out and spat it on the floor then threw his body out the window with a shattering of glass. Then she turned her attention to me,

"Now its your turn Jasper Whitlock."

She sank her teeth into my neck and as the pain started I held on to that poem in my head and the courage the real Major had shown hoping it would somehow give me strength to get through the torture to come.

As the burning started I thought I was being cremated alive, this is what it must feel like I was sure. The flames coursed around my body and as the pain mounted I felt my brain boil and started to scream much as my Major must have but he'd survived and I would too. I focused on him, dressed in his uniform looking proud and strong and tried to hold on to that as I screamed and flailed although nothing helped the terrible agony of my human body being destroyed by the vampire venom but I knew one day I would kill the son of a bitch who'd done this to me, for both of us. My mind became confused but I kept repeating The Major, The Major, over and over again.

Maria

I watched as his body writhed on the bed and his mouth opened to emit screams of agony. It hit me worse than when I changed the original because I hadn't known then what he would come to mean to me. My fury at Nathan snatching my task from me was overwhelming my usual control and I decided to let go, allow the bitch full rein and I remembered nothing more for over an hour. When I did regain my senses Nathan lay scattered around the compound and my army of newborns sat and stood in watchful silence, mouths open. Now I had to decide whether to allow him to fuse back together or to kill him. Deferring the decision I had them collect up the parts and keep them separate. I screamed a warning to them,

Que te sirva de lección para todos ustedes. Nadie me cruza sin sentir mi ira."

It was a lesson they would remember, nobody crosses me without feeling my wrath.

I couldn't help myself, I returned to The Major's cabin, one I had left unused and untouched since he left me, except to have his uniform mended and hung up. I had always believed he would return one day but it seemed I had been mistaken. Seeing the man who suffered on his bed brought back memories of the real thing and I cursed myself for allowing him to escape yet better that than have him dead. This thought confused me, I should feel no regret but I did. On day two I allowed my soldiers to put Nathan back together but I would never trust him again, The Major may have run but he never betrayed me like Nathan had and I would never forget what my commander had done and I would make sure neither did he.

It would be interesting to see if the new Major bore his ancestors traits, I doubted he would be burdened with my Major's gift of empathy but that didn't mean he wouldn't have one of his own. If he were mine I knew I could mold him into another Major in time and then we would be as invincible as I had once been but he wasn't mine and I had no idea exactly what they wanted him for.

I could only hope that when it was over, whatever it was, I might be allowed to take him back. For now I had my work cut out turning him into a facsimile of The Major that could fool others. He had to be a more than adequate fighter, a master tactician and a leader of men. The one advantage we had was that he had been a history lecturer with a special interest in the American civil war so he knew something of tactics and warfare if only second hand. It would be difficult for the first few months, he would be like any other newborn, blood crazed but hopefully, like The Major, he would soon drag himself from that and be able to learn the lessons I was going to teach him.

I looked around and saw a small book that had fallen from the bed to the floor, picking it up I recognised The Major's handwriting. What was this doing here? Had this man brought it with him or had he found it hidden here somewhere? From the faded ink I could tell it was old and as I opened it I saw the date with a jolt. The first entry had been written only a couple of years after I turned him. This was his diary, of life here in Mexico with me and I sat down to read the entries keen to understand how he had seen both his time here and me.