Good evening,
I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.
Oxford Not Brogues
Chapter Five
It had been a week since Alucard and Sebastian arrived in London. Nearly an entire month since they had last seen their mate. No matter where they went or who they interrogated, they didn't receive a single bit of information about their mate. It was like she was a ghost. Nobody had seen her. Had their bride successfully tied up any loose ends she could have left behind and wiped clean anyone who saw her? How? They weren't going to be unkind and say that their bride was unintelligent. But she was occasionally careless. Sometimes she had the knack of not thinking things through. How was she giving them the slip? How was she managing to keep them and anyone else off of her track?
Feeling utterly defeated, the males stood over her parents' headstones. When they first arrived in London, they had immediately gone to the graveyard in hope that Seras would be there. She most certainly had visited her parents' graves at some point, but they missed her a week or two too late. Alucard and Sebastian kept returning to the graveyard, hoping to find Seras here at some point, but no such luck. They stared downheartedly at the decaying flowers that silently told them that it's been weeks since someone last visited these two graves.
They were unsure of what to do. It feels like nonstop they've been interrogating just about everyone in London. Day and night, visiting place after place in hope to find the tiniest bit of information. But nothing. They crossed off just about every hotel and motel on their list. They visited nearly every realtor, but there have been no signs of any young, single women looking to purchase a house. They got the security at the airports and train stations searching through hours of footage between the 7th (the day Seras most likely arrived in London) and right then. The only places they could confidently say she hasn't been was the bus station and any car rental companies.
Where was she? Was she even in London anymore? The males waited impatiently for the phone to ring and for someone to tell them that she was back home in Bucharest. And no matter how many times Sebastian called, Seras wasn't home. How many more weeks of this? How many more sleepless days? Alucard couldn't even remember the last time he hunted. He was definitely hungry, but the worry he had for Seras kept making him forget that hunger. How could he indulge himself when his mate could be dead somewhere? Maybe that's why they couldn't find her. Maybe she was dead and her body was decaying somewhere and they'll never be able to find it. Such horrid images of her broken, lifeless corpse haunted Alucard and Sebastian. They wanted Seras back. They wanted her safe in their arms where nothing could hurt her. Where was she? Where was their mate?
"If only the dead could speak." Alucard whispered while he stared woefully at the graves.
"What?" Sebastian muttered before he peeked at the elder vampire from the corner of his eye.
"I'm positive Seras speaks to her long dead parents as if they could actually hear her. She probably told them exactly what was wrong and where she was going." The No Life King explained in a soft tone. The demon frowned as he glanced back at the old, cracked headstones that survived the war that fat major brought upon London.
"She most certainly would have." Sebastian whispered. "I often accompanied Seras to this cemetery. She never failed to bring them flowers." His eyes flickered further down to stare at the grass, remembering so many old memories of their Hellsing days. "She would sit right here in the grass and talk to her parents. I never understood it," The demon admitted, but a peaceful smile crossed over his face. "I never understood why she talked to these headstones, like they were people. But it always seemed to make her feel better. Sometimes she would have a good cry, but almost always she left this place with such a bright smile on her face. That smile…I will never forget it. To this day it awes me, and I wish I could see it again. At least once more," He trailed off for a moment as he stared in melancholy at those wilted flowers. "Where is she? What is our next step, Alucard?"
"I don't know, Michaelis." The No Life King admitted. "Our only option is to keep doing what we're doing and hope something turns up. Let's go to the next hotel and see if she was…" Alucard trailed off when catching a familiar scent in the air. The monsters' noses wiggled and as they sniffed the air their pupils dilated. "Seras," He whispered when recognizing the scent of his mate. Instinctively, the males turned, hoping to find their mate standing there. Instead, they found someone else completely. A thin male, no older than seventeen, stood there. The teenager looked utterly exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in weeks. Bags were under his eyes and his complexion looked almost grey. There was no real emotion in his eyes other than exhaustion, worry, and fear. It looked as if he had several mental breakdowns already today judging from that vacant look, like he wasn't all there. He wore a white t-shirt, ripped black jeans, and a grey hoodie that was one size too big for him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets while his hood hid his unkempt brown hair out of sight. It was evident that he was losing touch with reality because he hardly acknowledged either of the males' existence. Those brown eyes that were full of such angst and fear flickered around in search of something or someone.
Alucard and Sebastian knew instantly that this young man must have been in some form of contact with Seras, otherwise, why would her scent be all over him? Had Seras cheated on them with a little punk? Why? And why a teenager of all the real men she could have slept with? It infuriated them to even think that this boy had the gall to put his hands on their Seras. A juvenile, filthy human touched their powerful, strong queen! No matter how badly they wanted to tear into this punk, they couldn't. This boy was the closest clue they have gotten to where Seras may be or where she may be going. Scowling at the thought of having to keep him alive, Alucard approached the boy. The kid, so unresponsive to his surroundings, just stood there and stared longing at the grass, as if Seras would appear magically before his very eyes. He didn't react much when the elder vampire fisted his shirt and pulled him onto the tips of his toes. Finally, the boy's brown eyes flickered up to meet Alucard's harsh gaze.
"Why do you smell of Seras?!" The No Life King roared in his face. Hearing her name, tears welled up in the teenager's eyes.
"Master," The boy whispered under his breath. "Where is she?! Do you know?!" All the hope that Alucard and Sebastian had started to feel completely melted away. So, the boy didn't know where Seras was.
"Master?" The demon repeated. "Are you referring to Seras?"
"Yes!" The teenager exclaimed with the slightest bit of excitement in his eyes. It became clear to the monsters that, like them, he was hoping that they had information on the whereabouts of Seras. "Where is she?! Please, tell me!" The demon stared at him in disappointment. It felt like they were going in circles! Nobody knew where she was!
"We don't know where she is. We were hoping you had that information." Sebastian responded as he gestured a hand at the young man. "Why do you call Seras 'master'?"
"She's my master!" The boy repeated once more.
"Why?!" Alucard barked before he shook the boy roughly.
"She came to me several weeks ago. She said she would give me eternal life in return for my service." The boy explained.
"What type of service?" The demon asked with an arched brow.
"She needed me so she could feed." The boy answered.
"Of course," Sebastian whispered as he placed his head in his hand. "We hadn't thought about blood bags or victims. She didn't want to steal from any blood banks nor did she want to kill anyone for the blood. So she made herself a servant to feed off of. Why hadn't we even considered that, Alucard?"
"Alucard?" The teenager repeated and then he was looking upon the two males differently. There was an almost starry eyed look in his eyes now. "You're my master's mates!" A smile swept across his face, looking similar to a child on Christmas day.
"She mentioned us?" Alucard questioned him. The boy nodded his head eagerly.
"My master was deeply upset." The boy proceeded while the smile slowly slipped from his face, though the excitement remained in his eyes. "She told me that she had to leave her mates behind to protect them."
"Let me see!" The No Life King snapped as he held out his hand. The boy didn't think twice about obeying. He pulled up his coat sleeve, placed his hand in Alucard's, and prepared to feel the sting of a vampire's bite once more. Grabbing him tightly by the wrist, the elder vampire yanked his hand to his face and bit deep into the boy's forearm. The hot, nourishing blood that poured into his mouth showed him exactly what he wanted to see.
Eighteen Days Ago
Ozzy cupped his bleeding neck after his master finished feeding for the night. He was a little woozy from blood loss, like last night, but he already knew what to do. Following Seras' instructions, he rested in a chair and started to snack on one of the biscuits she had brought him. They were in a dark hotel room. An average suite for the average person, since his master was trying to blend in. His eyes flickered about the room in mild interest before looking back at the woman who promised him eternal life. His poor master looked tired. She sat on the edge of her bed with a faraway look in her sad eyes. Having recently woken up, she was still in her pajamas; a grey tank top and grey shorts that showed most of her legs. But she didn't really seem to care about her state. She didn't really seem to care about anything anymore. Though, it was hard to say if she had ever cared before since he was still getting to know her. Using the back of her hand, Seras wiped his blood from her lips. He could see the pain and sorrow eating away at her, especially when tears started to form in her eyes.
"Master?" Ozzy whispered, stunned to see the beautiful woman cry. Seras didn't even look at him though. She kept her eyes on the floor and allowed the tears to flow down her pale cheeks. The boy sat forward in his chair, wondering if he should come to his master's aid. But what could he do? How could he comfort her? He hardly knew her and didn't know what to say that would comfort her. He was only able to sit there quietly and watch his beloved master cry.
"Alucard," The woman whispered under her breath. Her voice sounded so broken, as if she was really fighting not to cry harder than she was right now. She still seemed so disconnected, like she was somewhere else instead of that hotel room. Perhaps she was in a distant memory. Was it a good one? Ozzy wasn't sure, but he wanted to know more than anything of what she was thinking. What brought his master such pain? He saw her bottom lip quiver before she quickly hid her mouth behind a hand. "Sebastian," She broke a little more.
"Who?" Ozzy asked her softly. He slowly slipped off of his chair to kneel in front of the woman. Naturally, his hands came out, but he stopped before he could touch her.
"I left them behind." Seras whispered, though her gaze was still locked on the floor. Did she even realize that she was talking out loud? Ozzy stayed as still as he could and listened intently, not wanting to disturb her from whatever memory she was reliving. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know where she came from, who she was talking about, and what she was doing here. What was going through his master's head? He needed to know. "I abandoned my mates…" The little vampire finally broke. She dropped her head and cried freely. "I abandoned my mates to protect them." Her entire body shook and her shoulders lightly bounced up and down with every harsh sob. "It was my only choice to protect them. I had to leave. I had to. I couldn't risk it." Feeling sympathy for his master, Ozzy slowly rested a hand on her shoulder. However, his master reacted in a negative way. Seras jerked backwards and pierced him with such a dark, wrathful look as if she would tear his arm from his body for touching her. Hot, blood tears smeared her cheeks, and that horrendous look in her monstrous eyes made him remember what she was. Quickly, Ozzy dropped his hands into his lap and lowered his head in submission.
"I'm sorry, Master." The kid apologized a second later. "I was only trying to comfort you."
"I don't want your comfort!" Seras snapped as she bared her large fangs at him. Fear filled him, but he stayed locked in his place to show his loyalty to her. "I don't want anyone's comfort…" Before she could finish, he interrupted.
"Just Alucard and Sebastian's; your mates." Ozzy whispered. The little vampire paused for a moment as something flashed in her eyes. The anger only worsened until she was gritting her sharpened teeth and clenching her fists. Seras bolted to her feet while her eyes smoldered in the darkness of the room, making her look hellish.
"Don't you ever speak their names again." The Draculina ordered him in a low growl. "And don't ever touch me again. If you do either, I will kill you." With those threatening words, Seras pointed across the room at the door. "Leave. You have your orders. Fulfill them and maybe I'll consider turning you into a vampire."
"I am sorry, Master, for upsetting you." Ozzy whispered while he slowly climbed to his feet. He didn't dare look at her. He was a mere servant, he had no right to look his master in the eye. He'll never again be so bold to do so. "I know that you're in a dark place. You're sad and I can see that. I really hope that you find peace."
"Go," Seras ordered in a broken voice as she turned her head away from him. He could see that she was about to start crying again. Knowing she wanted to be left alone, he left her hotel room to do what he was ordered to do.
Alucard withdrew his fangs from the boy's arm. Afterwards, he looked the kid over with suspicion in his eyes.
"You didn't lay with my Draculina?" He asked Ozzy carefully. A stunned look flashed across the teenager's face.
"No!" The boy answered immediately. "She would have been disappointed if I had so much as looked at her." Deciding that the boy was telling the truth, Alucard lowered him back onto his own two feet. Ozzy wrapped his fingers around his bleeding arm as he took a cautious step back. Despite them having threatened his very life, the boy smiled at them. "I'm glad you're both here. My master will be so happy to see you."
"But you don't know where she is?" Sebastian asked. Ozzy lightly shook his head.
"No, Sir." He responded. "I haven't seen her since…" He gave it a moment to think about it carefully. "The 10th of June, I believe."
"Seras said she left because she was trying to protect us." Alucard relayed what he had discovered in that memory to Michaelis. "Do you know why she was trying to protect us?" He asked the boy. Again, the kid shook his head.
"No," He whispered with a hurt look. "Master mostly kept to herself. Whenever she spoke to me it was only to give an order."
"Do you know if anyone was after her?" Sebastian inquired.
"I don't think so," Ozzy answered, though he took an extra few seconds to think it over. "Do you think that's why she left in a hurry? Because someone is after her?"
"We're unsure." The demon answered while he subconsciously glanced back at her parents' graves. For a moment, he stared at the wilted flowers. At least they know that the last time anyone had seen her was on the 10th. And judging by those dead flowers, Seras had most likely left London weeks ago. Otherwise, fresher flowers would be lying on her parents' graves as they speak, that he was certain of.
"What did she order you to do?" Alucard asked.
"She wanted me to gather her jars of dirt." Ozzy replied softly with a perplexed look on his face. "I found it unusual, but I didn't question her."
"She requested for more than one jar, which can only suggest that she doesn't plan on returning to London anytime soon." Sebastian whispered as he considered where she might've run to. Hearing this only caused the boy to frown, however.
"My master isn't returning?" He asked. Annoyed by this child's foolish fixation on their mate and eternal life, Alucard and Sebastian gave him a dark look.
"Why do you want to become a vampire so badly?" The demon questioned him. Either embarrassed by the question or for his reasoning, the kid glanced down at his feet and frowned.
"The same reason every other punk his age wants to become one of the undead." Alucard scoffed. "A rough life at home. Probably a deadbeat father that abuses him physically, mentally, or sexually. Or an alcoholic mother? Or maybe he just grew up in a household where no one 'understands' him." He knew that he was right about one of those things, especially when the kid's face paled and he stared even harder at his feet. He could have sworn he saw tears start to well in the kid's eyes as well. "Seras isn't coming back." He tried to wake the kid up. "She's not going to grant you eternal life. She never was. She was just using you so she didn't have to kill anyone for blood. And since you were so desperate to leave your mortal life behind, you followed her willingly without question."
"Knowing Seras, she probably tried talking you out of wanting this life, didn't she?" Sebastian asked him. The boy didn't answer, but seeing his lips tighten gave them what they wanted to know. "She probably told you to go back home, to live your life and be grateful for it."
"Listen to her," Alucard demanded. "She let you off easy. She could have just killed you before she fled the country. That's what we would have done if we were her. But she took pity and showed you mercy. Don't waste this gift she has given you. Let this inane desire go. And after you finish answering all of our questions, go home and finish living out your life as the ungrateful human you are." The teenager used his coat sleeve to wipe the moisture from his eyes. Afterwards, he glanced up at the males with a pathetic look on his face.
"What else did you want to know?" He asked in a whisper.
"Were there any other orders she gave to you?" The No Life King inquired.
"No," The boy answered with a shake of his head. Pulling down his hoodie, he shifted his head to the side to show the bite marks on his neck. His throat was bruised and swollen, having turned a light purple from their bride's feeding. It looked as if she tried plunging her fangs into the same holes so she wouldn't have to cover his throat in bite marks, but doing so is incredibly difficult for a vampire. So, the kid's throat was covered in marks, leaving almost not a single area on the side of his neck unmarked. His wounds had started to scab over, showing signs of healing. But it could be another week or two before they healed completely. A vampire's bite marks tended to last a long time on a human to ward off others who may want to feed off of him. "She only requested to feed off of me and to gather her jars of dirt. My mas-" Ozzy paused and licked over his lips. "Seras," He corrected himself. "Had started to act strange the day before she left. I offered her my blood, but she refused it. She looked almost…sickly."
"Vampires are unable to get sick." Sebastian told him, looking irked by the boy's idiocy.
"Perhaps she was just repulsed by your blood at that point. Having tasted it, I can understand why." Alucard growled with a displeased look in his eyes. "Where was she staying?"
"Best Western," Ozzy replied with a shrug.
"That's not far from here." The demon muttered as he looked off into the direction the hotel would be in. "We should have figured she would have gone to the hotel nearest to her parents' cemetery. She didn't want to risk being seen by many people." Sebastian then glanced back at the boy. "Are you positive that she didn't say where she might be going?"
"I'm positive," The teenager answered with a nod of his head. "The last day I saw her, she drank some of my blood and then told me to go back home and forget about wanting to become a vampire. I was upset by her decision, but I thought that maybe if I gave her some time, she would come around. I went back home like she told me, but the next night when I went back to the hotel to see her, she was gone. The clerk at the front desk didn't remember her at all. He said that the room had been vacant for days, even though I knew that wasn't the truth. I haven't seen nor heard from her in weeks. That's why I keep coming back here. I was hoping to find her here, but instead I found you two."
"She vanished, like a phantom, again." Sebastian whispered.
"Exactly!" Ozzy exclaimed.
"Is there anything else you can think of that you may want to add? Was there anything that Seras did or said?" The demon asked, fishing for the smallest bit of information, anything that will put them back on the right track. Unfortunately, the boy shook his head again.
"I'm sorry. I can't think of anything." He muttered with a frown. But then a strange look crossed over his face. "I guess…she did say something. It wasn't to me, more like she was saying it to herself."
"What?" Sebastian asked as hope flickered in his eyes.
"She was muttering under her breath, so it was hard to make out. But I think I heard her say 'economy'." Ozzy responded.
"Economy?" The demon repeated before he glanced over at Alucard. "Do you think she was referring to flying?"
"Possibly, but why in economy? She has more than enough money that she could purchase a ticket for first class or even business." Alucard replied.
"Unless she's trying to save money?" Sebastian suggested with furrowed brows.
"How strange. Why would she be doing that?" The elder vampire questioned.
"Maybe she really is being blackmailed for something." The demon pondered. The two then glanced back at the silent teenage boy. "Perhaps we should be sure that she was talking about flying before we investigate at any of the airports." Already knowing the drill, Ozzy sighed before he held out his arm to the No Life King. Grabbing the boy by his wrist, Alucard pulled him closer to plunge his fangs back into his soft, thin arm.
Seventeen Days Ago
"Master," Ozzy greeted Seras with a smile as he entered her dark hotel room. The little vampire was by the bed with her suitcase in front of her. She was in the process of folding her clothes and packing them away. Her skin was paler than normal. She looked almost haggard. Her hair was messy and her clothes were disheveled. It was apparent that she didn't get a good day of sleep at all. Maybe she just needed a boost? Perhaps some of his blood will help make her feel better. "Master, you should probably drink. You'll get some of your strength and energy back. Please, have some of my blood." He received a strange reaction from Seras when he said the word blood. She made a gagging sound before slapping a hand over her mouth. Afterwards, the little vampire shook her head violently, reminding him of a child refusing to eat her yucky green beans. When the feeling of her going to be sick passed, she lowered her hand and glanced over at him.
"Do not mention blood to me right now." The small blonde lightly scolded him. Facing forward, she proceeded packing. "The stuff sounds vile to me at the moment."
"Sorry, Master." Ozzy muttered with an apologetic look. His eyes then flickered down to watch her pack. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Don't worry about that." She snapped. Her tone gave away how frustrated she was getting with him. Seras then scoffed as she muttered something under her breath. "I hate flying in economy. It makes me feel so claustrophobic." She grumbled, making it so hard to hear, but Ozzy managed to catch a word or two. When she was finished packing, she zipped up her suitcase and then turned to face the kid. "What are you even doing here? I didn't call for you."
"Well, I thought you may need me for something or thought you might be hungry." The boy responded with a bright smile, hoping to be of service to his master. The Draculina only rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I'm not hungry and I really don't want company right now. Just go home." Seras brushed him off, causing him to frown.
"Go home?" He repeated, purely hurt by the order she gave. "I-I don't…want to. Can't I just stay here?"
"Ozzy," The little vampire groaned and she lowered to sit on the foot of the bed. Tired of the kid constantly pestering her, she dropped her head and ran her hands over her face.
"Please, Master!" Ozzy begged. "Please! I promise I'll be quiet! I'll just sit in that chair and not say a word! Please! I just…don't want to go home, not right now." After a long minute of nothing but silence, Seras finally lifted her head to give the kid an exhausted look.
"I know that I'm going to regret asking, but why?" Seras asked him.
"Why?" He repeated with confusion in his eyes.
"Why don't you want to go home?" She elaborated on her question.
"Oh!" Ozzy softled exclaimed and he stood up straighter. The Draculina then folded her arms over her chest as she crossed her legs.
"Why, Ozzy?" Seras demanded an answer, showing her impatience. The boy dropped his gaze to stare glumly at the floor.
"Because my parents, they don't…" He trailed off to gather his thoughts. "They don't…"
"They don't love you?" The Draculina questioned as she tried desperately to get something out of him.
"No!" Ozzy immediately corrected her. His head snapped up to give her a worried look. "That's not it at all! My parents, they do love me, but…we don't want the same things. They want me to be…normal, to be like them."
"Normal?" Seras repeated with an arched brow. "Meaning?"
"Straight," The teen snickered, though there was only pain and tears in his eyes.
"Oh," The little vampire whispered when finally understanding what this was all about.
"I brought home my…boyfriend the other day and…they treated him horribly. They treated us both horribly. The cat was finally out of the bag; my parents finally understood why I was never truly interested in any girls. And they hated it. They are refusing to let me see my boyfriend. They're controlling every aspect of my life and trying to get me to date a girl they approve of. It's just…all gone to hell. Home no longer feels like home. My parents love me, but…they're trying to force me to be something that I'm not, and I can't handle it." With a hopeful look in his eyes, he glanced back at his master. "That's why I hope you will turn me into a vampire. I want that freedom; to be able to start over and get away from here. I would turn Michael, my boyfriend, and we would run off together. Live somewhere people can accept us." There was silence between the two for so long. Ozzy fidgeted in his spot as he waited for his master to speak, to say a single word. But she just sat there and stared at the floor for what seemed like forever. Eventually, when a minute of silence had passed, the girl glanced back up at him.
"You don't know anything." Seras whispered, breaking his heart with these few words.
"What?" He whispered as he started to shed tears.
"You think the life of a vampire is so marvelous? You're wrong." The small blonde scoffed at the foolish human. "You wish to take you and your boyfriend somewhere far away, somewhere you can have absolute freedom and live a long happy life? Where is that? How do you plan on defending yourself from other vampires, werewolves, and demons? Oh, and what about the hunters? Are you even aware of the number of hunters and secret organizations there are in almost every single country? If a monster doesn't kill you, a human will. And what about your thirst for blood? Do you think that's easy to control, especially without a master to guide you, considering that you're planning to just take off as soon as I turn you? It's not easy in the slightest. You will lose yourself. And if you manage to not lose yourself, if you somehow manage to not succumb to the blood, like I did, then your hunger will drive you mad. It will claw deep into your stomach and take every bit of sanity you have until you just break one day and finally have your fill."
Seras then sighed before she proceeded. "Ozzy, I get why you're not happy at home, and I'm sorry that you're not. But becoming a vampire isn't going to solve your issues. It's only going to make your life all the more difficult. My advice, go home and try to reconcile with your parents. If they don't accept you for who you are by your eighteenth birthday, then move out. Go live with your boyfriend or go to school and live on campus. But becoming a vampire isn't your solution."
"Ma-" Ozzy had started but she interrupted.
"Don't call me that." Seras whispered with a shake of her head. "I am not your master. I am no one's master."
"But," The kid muttered. He looked so lost and confused, like he was unsure of what he should be doing anymore.
"Go home, Ozzy. Leave me alone." His master ordered. Once more, silence droned on between the two for a long minute. She stared him down the entire time, waiting for him to either say something or to obey and leave.
"I'll be back tomorrow, Master." Ozzy vowed to her. Again, the little vampire dropped her head with another deep groan of exhaustion. "Maybe then you'll be feeling hungry again." The boy then left her alone in her dark room.
Alucard withdrew his bloody fangs from the boy's tender arm.
"Hmn," The No Life King hummed as he mindlessly watched the blood ooze from the bite marks on the teen's arm.
"What?" Sebastian asked with a worried expression on his face.
"She's most definitely flying economy, though she didn't say which airport. But I couldn't help but notice that the boy wasn't lying. She did look sickly, almost like death warmed up." Alucard whispered. "How could that be? Vampires don't fall ill. We're immune to sickness and disease. And yet, my Draculina looked like she was on the verge of passing out from how tired and sick she was."
"What has fallen upon our mate?" The demon muttered as he tried to consider all of the possibilities. What illness was powerful enough that even a vampire couldn't escape it? No illness came to mind, but the demon struggled hard to think of something. "Is this what she was trying to protect us from? Is whatever illness she is carrying contractible?"
"Is it terminal?" Alucard wondered.
"Unless, she's just worn out? Maybe that's why she looks sickly?" Sebastian anticipated while he glanced over at the elder vampire.
"Let us hope." The No Life King whispered.
Half an hour later, Sebastian stood in the security room of the Heathrow airport while Alucard was supervising the security at the Luton airport. Since there were six airports in total to check, both males figured they would get more done if they split up. The few security guards Alucard had hypnotized were hastily searching their footage.
"We already checked footage from the 10th, Sir." An older security guard told the demon. "We didn't see her at all."
"Check again," Sebastian demanded in an authoritative tone. In front of the guards on the long desk was a picture of Seras that the demon had given them a week ago. It was a rather old picture, not that it mattered since Seras didn't age. The picture was taken at some point during their Hellsing days, a few weeks after Seras joined to be exact. Walter had encouraged the three monsters to take a photo as a memento. Alucard and Sebastian weren't exactly eager to do so, unlike their mate who practically begged them. So, there the three of them stood in that photo, right outside the Hellsing manor. Seras in her old, yellow uniform while those magnificent blue eyes of hers sparkled. She had the largest smile on her face. She stood in the middle between him and Alucard, neither of whom looked very pleased but they did smile softly for the Draculina. Even though he didn't have a copy, another photo was taken right after that one. Alucard had playfully placed his hat on top of Seras' head, causing his sweet Draculina to laugh. He was unsure if Alucard and Seras had kept a copy of either of those photos, but Sebastian had. And he was hoping to get it back soon from the security guards that were incompetent at their jobs.
"Yes, Sir." The security guard sighed heavily before he started replaying the footage from that very day.
"Triple the speed," The demon ordered as he narrowed his gaze on the footage and focused intently.
"Sir?" The guard murmured, looking bewildered by what he was being asked. "It would be impossible to find her…"
"Do it," Sebastian raised his voice without taking his eyes off the footage. The guard did as he was told and fast-forwarded the footage at triple speed. For the humans, it was hard to make out what was going on. Crowds of people were moving in a blur. How were they supposed to find one girl out of hundreds and when the speed was going so fast? "There," The demon announced as he pointed at the screen. Instinctively, the guard paused the video, but by then it was too late. The person he had been looking for had already walked out of sight of the camera. "Rewind back to 7:43." Rewinding back to that time, they witnessed a small blonde walk back on screen. "You obviously weren't looking close enough the first time you viewed the tapes. That's her." Without even thinking, Sebastian pulled Seras' cellphone from his pocket. "Do you have any idea where she may be going?"
"It looks as though she's heading to terminal 5, Sir." The guard answered.
"Switch between cameras and stay on her. I want to know which terminal and gate she ends up at." The demon demanded before he dialed the private number to one of the hypnotized security guards at the Luton airport. He didn't have to wait long.
"Hello?" A younger gentleman answered.
"Put Alucard on the phone." He ordered while he watched the guards in front of him switch through the footage on different cameras. Now knowing the exact time and day she was at the airport, it was easier for the guards to navigate through the footage and find her every single time on whatever camera.
"Did you find her?" Alucard asked when the phone was handed to him.
"She was at Heathrow airport sixteen days ago. We're searching to see which plane she boarded." Sebastian informed him.
"I'm coming," The elder vampire responded before hanging up the phone. The demon didn't even bother to look at the phone to see if it was turned off properly. He just shoved it back into his pocket. His eyes were still trained on the footage, waiting to see where his bride will end up. Not even fifteen seconds later, Alucard was standing right beside him with his arms crossed. At this time, Seras was stopping at a Travelex counter in the footage.
"Currency exchange?" The demon read the sign over the counter. "What is she doing?"
"She's purchasing a Travelex card. It's similar to a gift card or a credit card almost." One of the two guards answered.
"Why would she need that?" Sebastian thought out loud as he watched her lay out money on the counter.
"Most airports won't let you buy an airplane ticket with just cash. People who don't have a credit or debit card to purchase a ticket have to exchange their cash for a Travelex card." The guard explained. After getting the card she needed, the little vampire moved on to another counter. The demon narrowed his eyes as he watched his mate's mouth move.
"Are you able to enhance the video?" Sebastian asked.
"Yes, Sir." One of the guards responded as he glanced at the demon over his shoulder.
"Good. Rewind the footage and enhance it then." Michaelis instructed them with a nod. The guard faced forward and did as he was told. As the bit of footage replayed, Sebastian pointed at the screen. "Amsterdam,"
"Amsterdam?" Alucard repeated. "Are you sure?"
"Replay it again," Sebastian ordered and the guard obeyed. "Watch her lips, Alucard. I'm positive she's requesting a ticket for Amsterdam, Netherlands." A smirk then graced his lips. "Yes, I'm certain that is what she's saying. I've never been wrong before when it comes to reading lips."
"I see," The No Life King whispered as he watched the way his mate's lips formed. He wasn't a master at reading lips, but he was good enough at it to see that Michaelis was right.
"I was right about the Netherlands. I had a feeling she would run there." The demon purred, looking quite pleased with himself. "Let's go, Alucard." Leaning forward, he grabbed the only photo he possessed of Seras from off the guards' desk. "We need to call the pilot for the private plane so he can prepare for our flight to Amsterdam. Hopefully, we'll find her there."
End of Chapter Five
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Oxford Not Brogues