Chapter Twenty Seven

Jay

When Nathan came in without being invited I was ready for him, I'd heard his approach and recognized his scent so I was able to surprise him as he came through the door. I had an arm around his throat and was about to rip his head off when Maria appeared.

"Enough. Jasper leave him be."

I let go reluctantly and Nathan sprang to his feet knocking my own from under me but I was ready for his double dealing and grabbed his leg as I went down twisting so he ended up back below me and this time when I grabbed his throat Maria stayed silent. I thought it might be a test but I'd had enough of this idiot trying to get one over on me. He was a vampire so he'd fuse back. I wrenched hard and his arm came off at the shoulder. I would have decapitated him but I thought that might be a step too far for my commander to stomach. Getting up as Nathan roared in pain I threw the arm at her feet.

"Next time it will be permanent."

She looked at me icily and grabbing Nathan by the remaining arm dragged him outside and over to her own cabin shouting at him in Spanish.

"¿Qué crees que estás haciendo?"

He pulled free of her grip sneering at her as he replied.

"Yo podría preguntarte lo mismo. Usted le dice a su empleador que aún no está listo, todavía no es un buen peleador suficiente, usted se acuesta María. ¿Por qué? ¿Él te recuerda tu precioso Mayor? Creo que su empleador tiene derecho a conocer su doppelganger está listo ¿no?"

One of the less aggressive newborns was going past so I grabbed her and asked her what was being said. She didn't want to answer for fear of annoying Maria but she knew I was special and didn't want to get into trouble with me either so she translated in her rough English,

"Nathan says you are ready for Maria's employer, a good fighter."

"Did he say any names?"

She shook her head.

"No, only that doppelganger is ready and why Maria not tell them."

That night there was another raid and this time I stuck close to Maria who was leading it herself. There was no sign of Nathan and when I asked her where he was she just muttered under her breath in Spanish

"Traidor"

"Traitor? Who is he reporting too? Who wants me? Maria tell me what's going on."

At that moment we were ambushed by other vampires, one of her rivals and there was no time for further talking. I watched Maria fighting and could see she was very good but she seemed to lack the fire I expected and at one point I killed another vampire about to take her from behind. She merely gave me a look and waded back into the fight. By the time we finished there were several dismembered bodies and as usual the fires were lit to destroy the evidence. We had hoped to capture new blood for her army but the ambush had put paid to that so we merely turned and went back meeting a couple of villagers brave enough or stupid enough to be out after dark and they soon met violent ends as the few newborns among us fell on them, draining their bodies before burying the remains as ordered.

Back at the compound Maria ordered me to follow her and she led me out again but this time away from the nearest villages until we were far enough away that no one could hear our conversation.

"Jasper you are grave danger. I am supposed to be teaching you to fight like The Major."

"You're supposed to be turning me into a double for him but who are you working for and why do they need a double? It must be something they know they couldn't persuade or force the real Major into doing."

"You already know too much and soon you will be taken from me, if you continue to show off your fighting skills as you have. Nathan already suspects I am lying to my employer. If he were to get word out then it would be out of my hands, you would be gone and I assure you that it would lead to both our deaths."

"But why do you care? If you're being paid for this job then why put yourself at risk? I don't understand."

"I have a debt to pay. I owe The Major and this is my way of paying him back, saving his descendant but I'm not sure how much longer I can protect you. It's getting too dangerous, I have the spy in my pocket but Nathan will have to go and I think you should do it."

"Me? Why?"

"I'm saving your life, you do something for me in return."

"How do I know you aren't lying to me?"

"You don't but I've kept you safe so far and you want Nathan dead. you should be happy for the opportunity."

"In anger I can kill him but I'm not a cold blooded killer.

"Yes you are Jasper, you're a vampire now, you are a killer."

We had continued walking and suddenly she stopped and I noticed a hole in the ground covered by a large iron grate. She motioned for me to pull it away and then pointed down.

"Nathan is down there, I brought him here while he was weak from his injury. Now is your chance to prove yourself, kill him."

I shook my head and she shrugged,

"It's you or him. I can't stop him reporting to those who want you if he lives. Still I leave you to decide."

She turned and walked back the way she had come but I didn't think she would return to the compound. No, she'd find a vantage point to watch the proceedings, I knew her well enough to know that.

I heard a shout from below,

"You can't take me, you may look like The Major but you aren't him and I can kill you even with only one arm."

There was a rope ladder and from the length of it he was too far down to jump out so I threw it down to him.

"Well let's see shall we."

I waited as he climbed out and saw he had both arms in place and a sneer on his face,

"See, The Major would never have let me out. He'd have poured gas down on top of me and a lighted match, you have his face but not his cunning."

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

Maria

I watched from my usual vantage point although I hadn't used that hole for many years. Nathan had to go and it was good practice for Jasper. Killing unknowns was easy, killing a familiar face far more difficult. I had no worries about Jasper's ability to take Nathan, he was much more cool headed and methodical much like The Major but I wasn't so sure he had the guts for this and it would be interesting to see the outcome. I'd thrown Nathan's other arm down and a meal, one of the villagers I'd been saving just for something like this, kept in a wooden shack out here away from the newborns and temptation.

The fight didn't last very long, Nathan was fast and strong but impetuous, he'd never learned to stand back and watch his opponent, gauge the risk. Jasper took him down and hesitated but then decapitated his opponent with ruthless efficiency standing back holding the wrist Nathan had almost ripped off and bleeding venom from several bites. He would never be as scarred as The Major but then he wouldn't be fighting naked so that wouldn't matter so much. I thought he could almost fool them now, he needed a little more polishing but that wasn't my intention. I wanted to find a way to get him away from this, give him the chance I never gave the original.