Chapter Fifty Nine

Caius

He was perfect at least visually, impossible to tell apart from the real thing. Maria had said he was a little less scarred but I couldn't see it and I doubted if my allies would either. Besides they had no reason to be skeptical, who would have thought there were two Majors? The thing that concerned me most was his fighting ability. To be believable he had to be good, extremely good. The fact he was a newborn would help and Maria had told me he was good but I needed to see for myself so I had set a little test for him. I'd be happy once I saw he could pull this off to my satisfaction.

As we went to the small camp I had set up here in secret from my dear brothers we didn't speak. Like the original he was taciturn and aloof which suited me, I didn't want him for his warm and charming nature, I wanted him for his fighting skills and ability to fool others. To this end I had employed two nomads to collect a small group of humans and on my command change them. I had told the two I wanted some practice in fighting that everyone knew Aro frowned upon in Volterra and were only too happy to oblige especially when a sum of money was mentioned.

I had sent the command once Maria told me she had changed the human clone so it would be a newborn with a lot of training against ten wild untrained newborns. I had wondered at the number to pit against him but ten seemed reasonable. If he couldn't finish off that number my allies would never believe he was The Major or that we stood a chance of pulling the coup off.

As we approached I told him exactly what I expected him to do and he looked at me coldly,

"Don't you trust me to pull this charade off Caius?"

"Not until you prove to me you can. Don't be so arrogant."

"Its self belief not arrogance but fine. I could do with a work out. It's been far too long"

"Really? I thought Maria kept you busy?"

"She did but we've been waiting for you almost a week."

I smiled, he really did think of himself as his namesake.

"Just remember "Major" you are working for me and I expect nothing short of perfection."

"What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"You'll see, for now just impress me."

Jasper

I saw up ahead a compound very similar to those I had lived in with Maria and I could hear the sounds of fighting and sense the fear and rage from here but I couldn't show that. I had no idea if Maria had told Caius I had such a gift as "the original" possessed. The scent of spilled venom and blood mingled in the hot air and clogged my nostrils.

It was going to be hard feeding on humans again but I'd known that was a part of playing this deception and I had no one to blame but myself. The thing that worried me most was that I might come to like human blood again too much. I knew its lure only too well and if not for my gift I would probably have remained a human hunter. I still remembered the exquisite taste and the way the fire constantly in my throat on animal blood was quenched completely for a while, it was very seductive.

We were allowed through the heavy gates and into the compound the only difference between this and Maria's was it was made of stone not wood. The heat bounced off the stones and the parched earth although it made no difference to me or the group of newborns playing with two unfortunate humans. Their screams of pain and terror bounced off the walls and filled the compound reminding me only too vividly of my early days as a vampire.

"Major they are all yours."

"To do what?"

I eyed them critically, they hadn't been chosen for their physic or skills but they had potential as warriors I suppose.

"Give me a demonstration of your fighting skills, kill them."

"You want me to waste a group of newborns?"

"Precisely, show me you are indeed as good as your namesake."

I shrugged eying the group critically, only two would give me any semblance of trouble, the rest were too uncoordinated to beat me in a fight. I could finish off the others easily enough as long as I watched my back and seeing him standing there arms crossed waiting for me to start I dropped the rucksack I had brought with me and strode into the fray.

The two humans were now dead and some of the newborns fed on the corpses while others watched and the two I had noticed waited for the weaker to try joining in. One did driven by the scent of the blood and was throw out again by the female who was worth watching. Seeing an opening I acted rapidly grabbing the male threat by the throat as he attacked another of the weaker ones who dared to try feeding from his corpse. I snapped him in two and threw both pieces in the open fire burning in the compound then turned and started working my way through the rest one or two at a time.

They were strong yes, and fast, but I had the experience although I did my best to fumble a little so it didn't look too fluid. The female I had marked as a danger waited until I had two others by the throat and then launched her attack. It was good and well timed but she didn't take account of my reflexes.

I ripped the throats from the two I held and let them drop to the ground before grasping her head and wrenching it back to expose her throat. I sustained a bite to one arm but I'd had worse, a lot worse, and I smiled at her before sinking my teeth into her flesh and ripping out a huge chunk of flesh leaving the neck attached to her body by a mere strip of flesh. Then I tossed her into the fire followed by the others before wiping my venom smeared hands on my combat trousers and strolling back to Caius.

"Seen enough?"

He nodded his approval,

"You did well, a little sloppy in places but it would pass unnoticed. Maria was right. you are indeed an excellent fighter."

"I'm the best, especially since you killed my only rival."

Caius

I had watched more convinced with every passing minute that this plan of mine would work. It would be almost impossible to tell this wasn't The Major and without anyone to compare him with impossible. I had finally got all I needed to take my dear brother out, to topple him from his throne and take his place. All I had to do was show him to my allies and let him train their newborn army. With him at its head we were unbeatable. I had waited patiently for this day and now I could put in motion my plan. There was just one loose end to take care of,

"Major kill the two waiting to be paid."

As he disappeared to do my bidding I took out my phone and sent a message to my allies asking them to meet me in two days here in Death Valley with their newborns and telling them I had fulfilled their stipulation, I had The Major standing at my side. I didn't have to wait long for a reply, they would be here but if it were a trick they would leave again and the plan would fold. I smiled, the plan wasn't going to fail, as far as they were concerned I had exactly what they wanted The Major's support for our venture. As I watched he reappeared with two more bodies and added them to the fire along with the two humans although their remains might have to be buried later when the fire died.