Bad Choices (Hypernaturals 8)

What We Have To Do

On the way home I drove for a while (a rarity) so that Morgan could make calls. We have an RV, so we know about the support industry for them, including the businesses that are Vampire owned and operated. Morgan makes sure she has numbers for all the infrastructure with her before we ever venture out on a trip. Now it was coming in handy for an RV that is not even ours. Having the Vampire connected ones a huge plus for this mission.

It is a bit redundant perhaps to have all that at hand: Jessica and Morgan maintain our tow vehicle and the RV in top-notch, world-class shape. When she was done with her calls, Morgan had it set so that an RV support service would go get the Avion, put it on a flatbed trailer, fix whatever it took to roll it up there, and then haul the Avion to an RV park we located. The service was hired via some Vampire connections, so they would only tell the sisters that they were hired by a mysterious agency, and that is all they knew. A van, part of a limo company run by someone on the Crew, was hired to haul the sisters themselves since they could not ride in the trailer. 

It was not worth making up an entire fake company for this one operation we decided, though we kicked around the idea of doing one for 'Saint Sagis' to hide behind. It practically is all they know, given the double fake-outs we employed to hide who is paying for this. It is going to be extremely hard to make it come back to anyone, especially us.

That is unless they can run the plates on Jessica's car. If they can do that then we will have to go to plan B. The witch sisters will not like plan B since that would intersect with protecting the Secret. If they have the kind of connections and resources such that they can run plates then we could not suffer a witch (or four) to live. It would be quick though.

Given where and how they live, and their desire to return to power rather than having it, that all seemed highly unlikely.

We dropped by Andrea's former domicile on the way out of town, but the truck and Andrea are gone, as instructed. The front door not even locked, and when we went inside we found evidence of a hasty departure. Open drawers. Hangers on the floor. It seems Andrea was in a hurry to do as he was told, even though we gave him no instructions as to haste. The Juice suggestions and his heartfelt desire were united in this case. There were keys and note to the landlord in the kitchen. It only said he had a family emergency far far away and had to leave unexpectedly. No forwarding address of course, because Andrea had no idea where he was going other than 'away'.

Helen, Jessica, and Rachel waited for us at the house. When we called them on the way home, we told them we had a story, but that we wanted to tell them in person.

Helen was not happy with waiting to hear it. "Fine. Bloody teases. We'll be waiting, and this better be bloody damn good."

My mom and dad were there, as well as Skye and Marvin.

Angel was not, nor was Nakoma. Angel took Nakoma to school, then went to our office to mind business. We assured Angel on a call to her yesterday, after the visit with the sisters but before the long night in the Galvez that Nakoma is now safe, and that we would explain, but that it was a long story. Mostly we wanted to not only have a story but also a plan in place before we talked to her. Plans are good, even if Morgan and I are not actually fans of our plan.

Further: Morgan and I knew what we intended to do, but the reality of our world is that we could be stopped with a word by our spouses or Rachel. In this particular case, Helen and Rachel being Council carries with it significant weight, whether we like it or not.

After general greetings and apparently by pre-arrangement, the grandparents took our daughters to play outside. We'll be repeating this for them it seems, but I was glad the girls were with them so we can be completely frank. Morgan and I started in on the entire sordid tale. The research that led nowhere. The LCPS and the Astrals conversation. The perversions of the grandfather. Sending Andrea off. The Voodoo sisters.

Maybe twenty-five percent of the way in, right around where we mentioned what happened to Andrea's poor mother, Jessica poured each of us a Scotch, plus one each for Rachel, Helen and herself. The LCPF tale required drinking.

At the end, when we related the story of Saint Sagis and her pet Vampire, there was laughter. Helen had tears in her eyes. "I wish I could have seen that. Bloody priceless that is."

Jessica looked at her glass. "I should have gotten out better Scotch for that. You actually used that lovely night of merciless loving of Morgan and I to scare the hell out of them. Too funny."

Morgan told Jessica "You should have seen the one he calls 'Yellow' after he exposed her to pheromones. He used hardly any. Her eyes were wide and she was saying "Yes. Please sex me to death'. Her sisters, even if they were on the fence about Vampires and Saints beforehand, were not after that demonstration. An inspired piece of theater by Adrian. That demonstration seemed more effective than tossing a boulder in their campfire. Yellow had fang marks on her neck and lustful vapors. A classic Vampire story. I well remember when I had my turn learning about Vampires and how they smell, against the rail at 'The Firehouse'."

"That turned out pretty well for you." Jessica said.

"It did. Eventually, once I wised up. It will not be the same end result for them, despite Yellow's desires in that area." Morgan replied.

Rachel sipped her Scotch and looked at me with a steady expression. "So. Adrian. Vampire councilwoman now speaking to you here: The one you are not married to. I know you. I know Morgan nearly as well. These people hurt your family. They prey upon little girls. You are a parent of little girls. You have the capability to do something about that rather than sitting idly by. You are going to kill these humans, are you not? At the very least this Pierre person, but more than likely all of them. Neither you nor Morgan has developed a plan B? No other option?"

Morgan and I knew that the subject would be coming, but we had not really considered Rachel in the mix.

I was elected to speak by silent communication with Morgan. It is not that Rachel directly asked me: it is that this is not only my obligation. Morgan and I share this soul-burden. We have held each other and cried about it. "There are other ways that can go down, yes, madam councilwoman. Other plans are possible. Morgan and I will unwillingly honor any council decree in this matter. Short of that level of Vampire Council directive, this bastard wanted to rape and kill my daughter, has already done that before gods know how many other times, and so he will die. Since we will be at a large meeting of like-minded men, I am certain they all will have a similar fate."

Rachel nodded. She looked over at a suddenly very serious Helen. Rachel then asked me "You two can't kill Pierre at his house in some undetectable way, and then use human authorities for the rest?"

"We could. We chose not to take that approach because the LCPF will bring an as yet known to us little girl to that meeting. To share sexually. If we kill Pierre before the meeting, they may not have the meeting. We don't know who the other LCPF are, and we do not know how to find the little girl other than being there, at that meeting." I said. It was not exactly a direct answer. It also very much was.

Rachel shot another look at Helen. Seems it is not only Morgan and I that can do the silent communication thing. My read of Helen is that she is pleading with Rachel for help.

"I see. In that circumstance then the LCPF would possibly be much harder to track and there would be no evidence for the human authorities." Rachel said. "You, Morgan, are always bringing me problems like this. This is not one I can take to print, however. Very well. Helen and I will try to clear this action with Victoria and have Council sanction. It will at a minimum be myself, Helen, Jessica, and you two against these LCPF bastards. Skye perhaps, if she wishes to join. You will have your justice for those that would threaten our family."

I bowed my head in thanks. "Morgan and I thank you, Rachel."

Rachel smiled "As if I could or would stop you or in this case would even try. I have known you both long enough to know when you are going to go off the reservation. All of you. I know who you all are. No one threatens one of us and survives that. It is exactly as you say. Angel and Nakoma are ours. We protect ours."