Moonlight, The Next Chapter: Darkness
Chapter 23
Come-to-Jesus
Author's Note: My note is about the music for this chapter. So many of the lyrics in the Metallica song are quotable but these stuck out to me when I think of John Giles. See if you recognize the end song – it was the intro song for another excellent vampire TV series, this time Canadian – Blood Ties…
Intro Song: Here Comes Revenge, Metallica
Revenge, it's killing me
Revenge, set me free
"John, I don't like to use this term, but it's time we had a come-to-Jesus meeting. I'm worried about you."
"Don't. I'm okay. I'm...coping." John Giles' listless voice and expressionless face belied his words. His heavily lined face, illuminated by the soft light coming from Christophe Durand's desk lamp, seemed to have aged years since he'd found his murdered wife. The way his clothes hung loosely on his frame attested to the fact that he seldom slept or ate.
"That's not what I hear." When there was no response, Durand proceeded. "What I hear is that you continue to hunt and kill vampires here in New York City - despite my express order that you desist." The big man got up and walked around to the front of his desk in order to be closer to his second-in-command. He'd had several such conversations with the sorrowing man since his return from California without being able to make an appreciable dent in Giles's mindset.
Durand bent forward until he was within a foot of the seated man, his eyes brilliant points of steel in his face. "If you were anyone else in this organization, John, you would already be dead for your failure to adhere to my dictates."
The much smaller man leaned back so he could look his boss in the eye…and shrugged. "At this point, you'd probably be doing me a favor anyway," he said dully. "I really don't care what happens to me once I get Rebecca's killer."
"If you want to die that badly, just tell me. I'll arrange for it to happen in a way that will, at least, help us in our mission. Is that what you want? Just give me the word." The Crucis head leaned back against his granite-topped desk, folding his arms across his chest. the heavily-starched white shirt he was wearing – a staple of his wardrobe - wrinkled under the onslaught.
No, Christophe." I want revenge first. "At least-"
"At least not yet. Is that what you were about to say?"
The grieving man nodded.
Durand studied his underling for a moment. While he would never admit this to Adam, it was clear to him that his son was correct - he had miscalculated the level of grief that John Giles would experience with the death of his wife. The man was all but incapacitated. Instead of being the focused killer he'd sought by having Rebecca killed, Giles was an unhinged wild card, consumed with one thought – revenge.
He frowned. This depth of feeling for another human being was incomprehensible to him. To die for a cause – yes, that was noble and understandable, even desirable. But, to die for a person… He shook his head. He would never be willing to die for any individual, his son included. That Giles would feel this way about someone who was not even his own flesh-and-blood was unfathomable to him.
You'd better come up with something, or he's of no further use to you.
He tried again. "I'm just surprised at you, John. I would have thought that you'd want to live…to get revenge on these animals for what they did to Rebecca."
"God, Christophe, it's all I think about!" The stricken man dropped his head into his hands, moaning, "I can't get her out of my head. I can't close my eyes to try to sleep. I just picture her over and over again, being torn into, being drained, by one of those monstrosities. Dying on that hard, filthy floor. Frightened and alone..."
He dropped his hands and raised an anguished, tear-streaked face. "I hear her voice all the time, calling for me, begging me to save her." His voice shook. "The only thing-" He paused, swallowing hard. "The only thing that drowns it out is when I'm torturing one of them…and they're screaming… I don't hear her then." His voice had taken on a distant, dream-like quality.
"I understand," Durand lied smoothly. He placed one hand soothingly on Giles' shoulder. "I understand more than you know. But killing random vampires will not bring you the peace you seek. Only killing Rebecca's murderer will do that."
"I know. I feel like I need to go back to Chicago to have a better chance of finding him." Giles was convinced that Rebecca's killers were men and no amount of reasoning that it could just as easily be a woman would dissuade him from that. He sniffed, fumbling a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe at his eyes and nose. The monogram on the small piece of cloth came into abrupt focus. Rebecca embroidered this for me. He was lost in memories when the heavy hand squeezing his shoulder brought him reluctantly back to the present.
"The quicker we get Operation Domino underway," Durand began softly, "the sooner you can be sure we are destroying Rebecca's killer. Right?"
His second-in-command nodded, but protested, "This is taking too long though, Christophe! Way too long."
"I don't disagree – but your current path is slowing us down, not speeding us up. Look, I think I've come up with something you can do that will help satisfy your bloodlust and help us advance our plan. Interested?"
Giles jumped up as if he'd been shot from a catapult, knocking Durand's hand aside. His red-rimmed eyes were wild. "Don't patronize me, of course I am! I told you, all I want is to find Rebecca's killer!"
"Of course you do." Christophe waved his hand dismissively. "That's a given. What I'm proposing will allow you free rein to do that – with appropriate targets, however." He paused to ensure that he had Giles' full attention before continuing. "Look, we know there are small pockets of vampires scattered throughout the country, right? They aren't connected with the larger communities that are our primary targets for Domino, so they wouldn't be caught up in that sweep. If we leave them alone, they could easily repopulate and negate all our work. They need to be eliminated. One by one. Discretely. Your habit of making vampires disappear would be the perfect solution. What do you think?"
"But," the agitated man looked at his superior, confused. "Rebecca was killed in Chicago. I need to go there and get those vamps."
"If you do that, I will have no choice but to have you eliminated." Durand said flatly. "You are vital to our operation but I won't allow even someone as valuable as you to take such a destructive path after all the time, effort and money that we've put into this. That you've put into this."
When John opened his mouth to speak, Christophe raised one large hand. "Hear me out. I wouldn't want to, but hear me now. I will take you out if you do that. And then we will never know if Rebecca's killer is punished – and you will go to your grave knowing that you didn't avenge her. Can you stand to know – on your deathbed – that you let her down?!"
Giles shook his head in misery. His superior was giving him an impossible choice. Give up on the notion of finding Rebecca's killer and killing that vampire with his bare hands – or be killed himself before he could extract the revenge he was seeking. He didn't care at all about dying – in fact, death would be a welcome oblivion compared to the anguish and loneliness that made up his days and nights now. "How can I make that choice when I know she was killed in Chicago and you want me everywhere but there."
"Yes, she was killed there – but what if her murderer was just visiting there? What if he just happened to spot Rebecca in an unfortunate, random occurrence. He could have laid his unholy eyes on your lovely wife – and decided he wanted to feed on her." Christophe deliberately reminded the widower of that unsavory aspect of his wife's death.
"Fuck!" John cried. He looked deranged at that moment, pacing agitatedly, his hair standing on end in places where he'd run his fingers through it, his eyes red and wild-looking.
"John, we will get the vampires in Chicago…and New York…and Boston…and Atlanta…and L.A. We've planned for that, we'll get them all. We'll try to find her killer and save him for you. But these small groups – they can be your personal charge to eradicate. And there's every chance that, by doing so, you will find your wife's killer." Take my offer, you dumb shit.
The widower stopped pacing and faced his boss. "I can kill them however I want?"
"As long as you stick to the list I've prepared for you – which has quite enough vampires to keep you busy – I don't care if you stick dynamite up their asses and blow them to kingdom come. Just do it out of earshot of real people."
Giles nodded, his face brightening. "I can agree to that with one stipulation."
"What's that?" Durand was truly curious about what John Giles' tortured mind would come up with.
"I still get to lead the operation in Chicago, just as we'd originally planned. I'll set things off with you here in New York and up and down the East Coast. Then, Chicago will be my focus until I have ensured that all the vampires there are eradicated or driven on to L.A. And I get to organize and run that operation as I see fit," Giles added, his mouth set in determination in his heavily-lined face.
The Crucis leader nodded. "I'm willing to agree to that. We will just need to designate someone else to help me and keep track of what's happening nationally when the time comes for you to focus on Chicago. Agreed?
"Adam could do it. He's spent time there. Speaking of that, will you tell Adam what we've agreed to? He's been harassing me non-stop."
"I will talk to Adam. And as long as you don't deviate from this list, you will have the freedom to go after rogue vamps at the time – and in the manner – of your choosing." I'm finally getting through to him! "Will you be able to handle all that work load – continuing your work, helping Adam and me to coordinate the Operation Domino plans, and running the Chicago operation? There are still several things we need to get in place and I need your help. That's not negotiable."
"As long as I can keep killing vampires, no problem." John added drily, "I don't sleep anyway so that shouldn't be an issue."
Durand laughed heartily, clapping his hand down on Giles' shoulder. "Now that is looking at a silver lining! We'll get these abominations, John. We'll kill them all."
The sun had just set, casting a faint orange glow on Lake Michigan. Olivia barely registered its beauty as she finished her preparations for a rare night out with her husband. Lately, getting him to go out for some fun was like pulling teeth - vampire fangs, to be exact.
The youthful-looking woman turned in front of the full-length mirror in the huge bathroom, eyeing her slim figure critically. Her dress had been chosen carefully - a dark crimson, Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress with the deep v-neck and self-tie waist so typical of the designer's clothing. It ended at mid-thigh, showing off her shapely legs. Her long hair was loosely scooped up, with tendrils framing her heart-shaped face. She fastened antique ruby studs, nestled in a setting of eighteen carat gold, to her ears as a final touch. Okay, Eli, ignore this...if you can!
Starting down the hall of their spacious downtown Chicago condo, Olivia noticed light shining from underneath the study door and stuck her head around the door to find a handsome vampire studying the computer monitor in front of him intently.
"What are you up to, Durin?"
Scanlin jumped. "Jeez, Olivia, you scared me!"
"Serves you right," she grinned, sauntering into the room. "No self-respecting vampire should be able to be surprised like that." Putting her hand on his shoulder companionably, she peeked at the screen, groaning at the array of data displayed there. "Oh god, not more of this fund stuff. Between you and Elijah, I have a constant headache from all these numbers. I wish you would be more like self-respecting men and cruise porn sites like every other guy I've ever met."
Durin threw back his head and laughed, his thick black hair catching the light as he did. Not for the first time, Olivia thought about how devastatingly handsome the man was. If she weren't completely head-over-heels in love with Eli... Mentally shaking herself, she refocused on what her guest was saying.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, Olivia. I needed a secure computer system for some of this and the idiots setting up my new office space don't have mine ready to go yet. Elijah said you were both going out for the evening and offered the use of your computers. I apologize; I thought you had already left."
"Don't be silly. You know you are always welcome here. Just don't tell Victoria," Olivia added wickedly, well-aware of the bad feelings between the two New York vampires.
He snorted, pivoting around in the leather desk chair to face the beautiful vampire. "Not likely. It's not as if Victoria and I talk regularly."
"How about you and Gabrielle?" Olivia's liquid brown eyes stared down into his blue gaze as she waited for a response.
What about Gabrielle? Scanlin hesitated, the scene between he and Gabby when she admitted he had been bait to lure out vampire attackers, replaying in his head. Reluctantly, he confided, "I'm afraid those bridges are burned forever, hard as that is for me to say."
"Nonsense," she scoffed. "I don't believe those bonds can ever be truly broken. After all, you aren't just her sire-"
"I'm well-aware of our history, my dear Livvy," Durin interrupted. "but some relationships just cannot be repaired. Gabrielle has never been able to forgive me for what happened to her mother." As if talking to himself, he added softly, "I'm not even sure I can."
Olivia had known Durin Scanlin for many years - and she could never remember a time when he had admitted to any doubts or regrets. She was left not knowing how to respond. Finally, she decided to be candid.
"Well, I'm guessing that confession would be as much of a surprise to Gabrielle as it was to me. If that's the way you feel, you need to tell her. Don't wait until it's too late, Durin. None of us can predict what will happen to us – if it's done nothing else, the events of the past few weeks should teach us that. You may not have forever to make this right." She folded her arms sternly across her chest.
Scanlin responded sarcastically,. "Thank you, Livvy. I appreciate your pointing that out to me. I don't have any unrealistic expectations where Gabrielle is concerned. Nor where Victoria is concerned, for that matter, which makes having a relationship with Gabby even more unlikely, given how close they are."
Scanlin was irritated by what smacked of a lecture - but truth be told, the strength and confidence of Elijah Lucas' wife aroused him. He hadn't been with a woman since coming to Chicago and Olivia was a beautiful, sensuous creature. The thin wool crepe dress she was wearing accentuated her lithe, trim body when she moved. For a brief moment, he entertained fantasies of throwing her on the couch and...
Don't be an idiot! he scolded himself.
Olivia had never shown the slightest romantic interest in him. She was clearly still in love with her husband - his friend - and wouldn't willingly respond to any advances from him. The fact that she was significantly older than he - and therefore more powerful - ensured that he would not be able to physically intimidate her. Not that force was his style anyway. Still, with Olivia, the idea of dominating her held a certain charm...With an effort, he wrenched his mind away from the images flitting through it.
Crossing the exquisite Persian rug covering the shining dark wood floors, Olivia reached the solid walnut credenza positioned against one dark tangerine-colored wall. Turning on the stereo and leaning against its oiled surface as a classical composition started, she asked curiously,. "If you don't mind my prying - why do you hate Victoria? We've spoken about it very little since you came."
Scanlin ran his hands lightly over his perfectly styled hair. "I don't hate Victoria - but I dislike self-righteous people who will not entertain any ideas but their own." He conveniently ignored the fact that many would apply that very definition to him. "I don't subscribe to this doomsday scenario of hers and she is completely incalcitrant about it. I just can't believe that some ancient cult has risen up against us to try to destroy all vampires."
"Nor do I."
"No?" Durin raised his dark, well-groomed eyebrows, an incredulous look on his face. "Well, you certainly hide it well. Here I thought you were a true believer."
"I don't believe that an ancient cult has re-appeared," Olivia clarified firmly. "What I do believe is that a modern manifestation has organized. A group with funding, cunning, and a thirst for blood that rivals our own. Can they wipe us out? That I doubt. But they can certainly do great damage." She turned to pour a drink from a cut glass decanter sitting atop the credenza. "Bourbon?"
"No thank you. Maybe later. Now, you have my attention. If you don't believe this, why are you going along with all of the melodrama?" A frown creased his handsome face, turning his blue eyes dark.
"I don't think they can wipe us out. But I do believe they have the capacity to kill a great many people - vampire and human alike - that I care deeply about." Her eyes softened. "Even you, my dear Durin. I don't want that to happen."
"Nor do I - for obvious reasons," he quipped.
Olivia smiled. Perhaps alone among the Chicago community, she understood the New York transplant. His stubbornness rivaled Victoria's on this topic - and she knew it was a personal, visceral response to Silver's leadership that had caused him to dig in his heels and blind himself to the situation. She tried once more to convince him.
"I just wish you'd keep an open mind. Forget the idea - and the name - of Crucis. Just look at the evidence. Your attack. Victoria's. Mick St. John's, with that lethal silver ammo. The number of vampires who've just disappeared. Marie-" She hesitated. The disappearance of the Council member had been kept under wraps by the council leaders up to now. She wasn't even supposed to know - but Elijah had never been able to withhold information from her. If it would help convince Scanlin, however...
She reached a decision,. "I'm going to tell you something - and I'll deny I said it if you tell anyone."
Durin's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees. The wooden desk chair creaked beneath him. "Now you have my attention." As I'm sure you expected you would.
"Marie Santiago is missing; has been for a week now. Victoria, Elijah, Josef...they all think she's dead, the latest victim of this campaign."
Her companion put his chin in one palm, a thoughtful look on his face as he processed the information. Finally, he raised his eyes to Olivia's. "They're probably right, you know."
"I know," she whispered, thinking of Marie, whom she'd known and loved for decades. I'm so sorry, my friend. There was a painful silence before she continued, "That's my point, though. It doesn't matter if this is Crucis, or another group, or just some committed, lunatic individuals who've seen too many Van Helsing movies. Marie's gone. You were attacked. Victoria and St. John almost died. Julian even thinks the disappearance of all those New Orleans vampires after Katrina is linked to this somehow, although I really don't see how. We are in danger. Gabrielle is in danger."
Olivia got up from the loveseat, smoothing out a wrinkle on her red dress. She headed for the door to the study, pausing with her hand on the doorknob. "And if you tell me that Gabrielle being threatened doesn't worry you, I'll call you a liar, my dear. Good night." The vampire left, closing the door quietly behind her.
"Dammit!" Scanlin exclaimed to the empty room. Olivia had always known how to get to him, which was one of the things he found irritating about her. But she was right. He may have told Gabrielle he wanted nothing more to do with her, but he would always care about her and feel responsible for her – despite his best efforts to leave her behind.
He pivoted back to the computer screen, but the numbers that had seemed so important a few minutes ago now held no meaning for him. Muttering under his breath, he turned off the monitor and rose. With everything coming at him, maybe he needed that drink after all. More likely, you need a good lay... He snorted. That wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. He poured a shot of bourbon and stared gloomily down into its depths, contemplating his unwelcome celibacy.
Still...You never know what can happen. The night was young. Maybe he should follow Eli and Olivia's example and go out on the town. Surely, he couldn't strike out forever.With that thought cheering him, the tall vampire drained the bourbon and headed for the door.
End Song: Live Forever, Tamara Rhodes