Chapter 78
Mine Fields
Author's note: Hi folks, I'm back! So sorry, I promise I didn't abandon you, or the story – or Mick and Beth for sure! I had to have several unexpected surgeries within the space of a month and I'm just now getting back into the groove of regular life. To those of you who reached out to me, thank you! It just took me a while to be able to spend time on the computer again.
I imagine most readers have moved on, but now that I'm feeling better, I'll be finishing this book & starting the next right after. I've really missed writing this story. I've got a few chapters in rough draft that I wrote out by hand while recuperating that I need to transcribe & edit. I hope you'll read.
Intro song: Fine Again, Seether
Kostan strolled slowly back out to the veranda, his agile mind mulling over the just-concluded virtual meeting. They had the attention of the leaders on the call, at least, but it ate at him that there were so many others that had either ignored - or outright rejected - their concerns and hadn't even bothered to attend. He and Victoria would have to put their heads together and figure out some way to get through to them. Maybe Eli could help. In the meantime…
He looked around, taking stock. Simone was still stretched out like a sleek cat, sleeping on the lounge where he'd left her. Gabrielle had moved onto the lawn with her entourage of admiring vampires; they were currently engaged in a hotly-contested game of cornhole, with the boards set up at the far ends of the large lawn, well beyond what a human could handle. He spotted Mick out on the lawn also, chatting with a couple of the Cleaners that were lingering, all of them watching the cornhole game and cheering the action as if it were the Super Bowl. He grinned as he saw money changing hands - they must be betting on shots. Nice!
Josef was about to head down to the lawn when he spotted a solitary figure at the far end of the veranda, leaning on the railing as she watched the group on the lawn intently. He made his way over and rested his elbows on the elaborate wrought iron next to her. "Not feeling it, Blondie?" he teased, inclining his head toward the party on the lawn.
"I like the bird's eye view from here," Beth smiled mischievously up at the vampire. Her eyes immediately returned to the lawn, however – and Mick.
"He won't disappear, you know."
"How can you say that, Josef?" Her eyes never left St. John's figure as he talked and laughed with the others. "He went off with Carl for a few hours and almost disappeared forever. So, how do you know?" The young woman dragged her eyes away from her lover to frown up at his best friend.
Josef sighed. Beth never made things easy. She was right though, he had to acknowledge to himself – and to her. "Look, you have a point. But none of us can live thinking that every moment could be our last – most of all, you and Mick." When he saw her shake her head in frustration and turn her gaze back to the lawn, he added, "I understand your concern, believe me. But you have to trust me – we will have a plan in place soon for how to deal with this so that it never happens again. You just need to relax a little and give me some time to work on it and put everything in place. Victoria and I are organizing the leaders of communities around the country so we can have a coordinated attack."
Whipping her head around, Beth impatiently tossed her long hair out of her face. "Attack?! Attack who? How?! How do you expect to fight an enemy you don't know, that has weaponry that can do the kind of damage that Mick- That he-" She stopped, fighting the sudden tears that rushed to her eyes. Angry at herself for displaying emotion, she blinked furiously to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks as her words spilled out in a torrent. "It took all of your resources – and all of us – to save Mick. Even then, he barely survived - and we still don't know if he will fully recover. You've seen him, Josef. He tires easily, he's still not fully healed, he can't tolerate sunlight at all right now. What if you had a dozen Micks? Or more?" What if he's shot like that again, the voice in her head whispered. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought.
"Ready to hear what I think?"
When the young woman nodded, swiping at an errant tear with the back of her hand, Kostan continued. "Look, give me some credit. First of all, despite what you may think of me, I am treating this very seriously. I can be serious when called upon," he smirked down at her, his brown eyes warm. "Secondly, there are a lot of things we know. The organization we are sure is behind this isn't new to us. We just don't know for sure yet who is in charge – but we will find out. And, Mick's ambush, horrible as it was, has given us information about how they will likely try to hurt us, which gives us a chance to prepare, to find ways to protect ourselves. Finally – and most important of all - what happened to him got the attention of vampires around the country. It got a lot of community leaders on board with us to work to combat this threat. Safety in numbers. We won't be caught off guard again. I promise you that."
There was no answer from the woman at his side, just a shake of her head. The vampire put a hand on her shoulder. "Beth, you have to trust me. Believe it or not, I've survived worse threats than this any number of times in my 400 years. And," he added, "there's the little matter of revenge. I intend to get it – and, if I read you right the other night, I'm guessing you'd like a piece of it too, so that's something to look forward to…"
Beth sighed inwardly. Maybe she'd shared too much with Kostan during their late night vigils. Mick put her on a pedestal…while Josef knew her secrets.
"There is a certain appeal to that," she admitted to her companion with a smile. "I'm not the perfect person Mick seems to think I am, you know."
"Oh, I know, believe me, Blondie. I like you even better because you aren't this perfect, saintly angel that St. Mick needs to think you are."
Throwing back her head, Beth erupted in a throaty belly laugh, a lock of her hair dropping over one eye. "That may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Josef!" she sputtered.
In that moment, the vampire leader wanted her. He wanted to listen to the beat of her heart. Wanted to drink the intoxicating mixture of her blood. Wanted to own her. But you won't do any of that, his conscience whispered. Not to Mick. If it were any other vampire, though…
You need to get away from her. Now. Before you do or say something you'll regret.
With perfect timing, Simone stirred on the lounge behind them & an ear-splitting half-snore, half-choke erupted from her. Both human and vampire jumped and turned to look at the still-sleeping woman. Catching one another's eye, they broke into uproarious laughter, the tension between them breaking. Beth laughed so hard she had to wrap her arms around her waist and hug herself to keep her sides from aching.
When they finally regained their composure, Josef said drily, "You know, Simone is an almost perfect human. She just has this one little thing…"
Beth lost it again. She tried several times to say something, only to start laughing again.
Josef arched one eyebrow at her. "You should be a vampire and be up all night, listening to her. I don't know whether to stake her – or me!"
Doubled over, Beth gasped, "Stop! Josef, you have to...stop! Can't…breath! My face hurts from laughing so hard!"
"It's her own fault. She has a badly-deviated septum from a fight when she was younger – you have to ask her about that sometime after she's had a couple of drinks. She needs to have surgery on it but she's a chicken about it, so she keeps putting it off."
"Maybe her employer's health insurance isn't very good," Beth finally choked out, straightening and wiping tears of laughter from her red face.
Josef snorted. "I'll have you know that Kostan Industries' benefits package is very good - the best you'll find! We have lots of…unusual…perks for employees. Maybe someday you'll come to work for me and see for yourself, Blondie."
"It'd never work. In the first place, you'd have to quit calling me 'Blondie'," she quipped, causing her companion to laugh again. Working for Josef would be dangerous. Too much proximity... "In the meantime, thanks for talking to me. Now, why don't you go get a piece of the betting action down there?" She inclined her head toward the group on the lawn. "I know you want to."
"You're right. I love taking other vampires' money. Especially Mick's. He takes it so personally... You sure you won't join us?"
She shook her head. "I'm enjoying watching the whole thing from here. Besides I can't afford the money you'd be taking from me. I'm a terrible gambler."
Josef eyed her speculatively. "Beth, my dear, you are without a doubt, the biggest gambler I've ever met. And so far, you have a winning hand," He sauntered off, hands in pockets, whistling tunelessly.
Beth picked up her umpteenth champagne and sipped it thoughtfully as she watched Kostan hurry to join the laughing group on the lawn. Well, we tiptoed through that mine field…
End song: A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay
