18. Stranger From the Past

EIGHTEEN

stranger from the past

I stare at the closed door, not sure what just happened. What did Kragen mean by me being a monetary exchange?

Miraculously, a dress similar to the one I'm wearing is hanging on the side of the wardrobe. Water drips from every orifice of my body as I replay our conversation word for word, hoping for a clue into his insanity.

I dry off, using the towel from earlier, and change into the dry clothing. Copying my braid from earlier, I pile it on top of my head, the same way my mother would all that time ago.

Jimmy's body, or what's left of it, is still lying in the middle of the quarters. His eyes have glassed over, turning him into a character from a nightmare. "Bastard," I whisper, kicking his head across the room. It hits the mahogany wall with a sickening thud, leaving a dark stain behind .

A soft vibration echoes through the wooden room. It takes a few minutes to realize that the sound is coming from Jimmy's body. Oh, my God. A cell phone?

I search, finding the ancient flip phone in the front pocket of his jeans. "Dammit!" I stand, realizing the phone doesn't have access to the internet, meaning I don't have any phone numbers for the people I need to contact.

The phone vibrates again. The contact pulls up as "Britt-Britt."

"Hello?" I answer.

I'm met with silence on the other end. "Who the hell is this?" the voice finally speaks.

"Elsbeth," I answer. "Who is this?"

"Elsbeth, who?"

I sigh, not sure what to say. "Do you know Jimmy?"

"Yes," she answers. "I called his phone, didn't I? I'm his damn girlfriend. Or a friend with benefits, or…hell, I don't know what I am. Where is he?"

Looking at the body below me. "He…he let me borrow his phone. I've been kidnapped."

"What?"

"I've been kidnapped. Jimmy found me, but he's hurt, and I have his phone."

"Oh, my God. Where is he?"

"I don't know where we are." I soften my voice, hoping to sound like the scared woman I should be. "We need help. "

"Elsbeth?" the woman asks. "Are you the same Elsbeth that I drove around the Banks the other day?"

"Brittney?"

"It's me, girl. Oh!" She goes quiet for a minute and the sound of papers shuffling echoes through the phone. "That man you were with called looking for you earlier."

"Thorne? What did you tell him?"

"The truth. I ain't seen hide nor hair of you. He left his number."

"Call him! Tell him I'm not far from the bar and with Kragen." Brittney's quiet on the other end. "Brittney?"

"I'm here, just writin' it down. Tell Jimmy I'm coming."

"No, Brittney. You can't come here."

She sighs deeply. "We'll see about that." She hangs up the phone, and for the first time, I have a bit of hope.

Picking up Jimmy's body, I drag it outside, laying it in the sun. With the few vampires that I've seen die over the years, their bodies will usually disappear quickly. I'm not sure why Jimmy is still here. I place his head next to the body, stopping myself from kicking it off the side.

Looking around the room, I search for anything that will help me in a fight. I can hold my own, but against eight other vampires and my maker, I don't stand a chance. Shit! Where's a silver chain when you need it?

The door to the quarters opens without warning, and Kragen bursts through. He's dressed in what has become the traditional pirate costume of modern times. Fringed pants, a puffy shirt, and a long sword complete his outfit. "Good, you're dressed, my love. We have company."

Two men enter behind him. Both are vampires and dressed in the finest fashions from the height of piracy. Where Kragen looks like a dollar store version, these men are fashionable and gorgeous.

"She's just as lovely as you said," the taller of them announces as they enter. "She'll do splendidly." His thick French accent makes it difficult to understand his words.

Do for what? Instead of asking, I smile, not sure what's expected of me. "Hello, gentlemen." I curtsy.

"Where's the treasure?" the shorter of the two asks. His accent isn't as pronounced as the first.

Kragen smiles. "All in due time, gentlemen. All in due time." He motions toward two open chairs at the table. "Please, sit down, and we will discuss the games."

The games? What the hell is he talking about?

"Excuse us, my dear. We need to talk in privacy," Kragen smiles a fake smile toward me.

"She stays," the taller man interjects. "It's rare to see a woman so well dressed in today's society."

"Very well," Kragen answers with a smile, pulling out a chair for me. I sit, facing the two strangers.

He clears his throat before continuing. "The games are scheduled for tomorrow. The treasure has been safely secured. As per our agreement, your full payment is required before the games begin."

The French vampires share a look. "Half before and half after," the taller one answers.

Kragen closes his eyes, clearly frustrated with the negotiations. "Very well."

"Gentlemen," I interrupt, using my best Southern drawl. "Please forgive my ignorance of your being here." I smile, turning toward Kragen. "See, my fiancé doesn't always share the prizes for these games he does. My female brain is curious about yours." I resist the urge to pat myself on the back for my award-winning performance.

The shorter man smiles, matching my energy. "Mademoiselle, you are quite delectable."

"Why, thank you," I continue, turning on the charm.

"Keeping information away from such a lovely lady should be a crime," the man continues. He smiles and covers his mouth with his hand. "Our treasure is worth more than gold," he whispers with a sickening smile. "Twenty human feeders are on their way to us. We've paid for the deluxe edition of the treasure hunt." He claps his hands in excitement.

I focus on keeping my face from showing the turmoil inside. "Twenty humans?"

"Oui," he answers. "Kragen has promised the best crop, all under the age of sixteen. "

My stomach drops. Twenty children to feed to vampires?

"Isn't that lovely?" he asks me.

"It is amazin'," I answer, hoping he can't read the turmoil I feel inside. "Where did you find these children?" I ask Kragen.

He smiles. "Oh, you know. Here and there."

The two vampires stand, signaling us to stand with them. "We will see you tomorrow."

"Good evening, gentlemen," Kragen answers.

The shorter vampire moves in front of me in an instant. Taking my hand into his, he licks the back of my hand before placing his lips gently on top. "Good evening, mademoiselle. Until we meet again."

Kragen wraps my arm through his, pulling me onto the deck of the ship behind the French vampires. The men jump from the deck to the sandy shore of the inlet before loading a large SUV similar to the one David escaped in hours earlier.

He keeps my arm held tightly in his until the lights of their vehicle disappear from sight. "Whatever you think you can do to stop this exchange is futile," he warns.

"How much are they paying you?"

"That is none of your concern. Neither is the treasure." He turns, walking away from me.

"Where are they?" My words are no louder than a whisper, but Kragen turns, facing me. "Where are you holding twenty children? "

"It doesn't matter," he answers.

"You're a monster."

"So I've been told."

"I won't allow you to do this," I continue.

"You're in no position to allow me to do anything." He disappears below deck. He's right. I have no power over anything Kragen does.

I pull Jimmy's cell phone out of my skirt, finding ten missed calls from Brittney's number. I text her, praying that it gets to Thorne.

Kragen's ship is anchored in an inlet in the Outer Banks.

Being a flip phone, it takes longer than it should to text one sentence. The moment I hit send, the phone goes dark. "Shit!" I scream into the empty land. Did my message go through?

I resist the urge to throw the phone further than human eyes can track, instead, sliding it back into my skirt.

Twenty human children. My mind flashes back to boarding a ship very similar to this one with eight of my brothers and sisters, heading for what we hoped was a better life.

These twenty children belong to someone. Someone who is looking for them. I can't allow these "games" to take place. They deserve a chance to live. I don't know how, but I will stop this.

I spend the next few hours searching the ship for any clues to where Kragen might be holding the "treasure," finding nothing.

I've felt helpless throughout my life, especially during my time on this ship, but knowing there may be nothing I can do to stop this charade is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Back in Kragen's quarters, I'm glad he's given me the time alone. I don't want anything to do with him at the moment. My acting skills are gone. An energy I don't recognize moves closer to my location, bringing me to my feet. Something about it feels familiar, yet not at the same time.

I move toward the door, ready for whatever is about to enter. A soft knock brings chill bumps to the surface. "Elsie," a voice says from the other side. I refuse to answer. "Elsie," the voice repeats. "It's me. It's Bertram."

My heart stops at the mention of my brother's name. Is this a trick? Bertram can't be alive unless he's…he's a vampire.

"Bertram?" I whisper through the closed door.

"Aye," the voice answers.

"Prove it."

A deep laugh echoes to my ears. "Daddy used to call you Bethie. He was the only one you allowed to call you that. It was his special name for you."

I open the door, not sure what's going to be on the other side. A man has replaced the boy I remember. "Bert? "

"Aye, it's me," he answers. I don't hesitate. I move in front of him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He's at least a foot taller than me with a head full of dark hair.

"How is it possible?" I wipe tears as I speak. He flashes his teeth, showing two fangs. The same fangs I have. "I'm a vampire."

"Kragen?" I ask, knowing the answer.

"Aye." He looks down. "I was looking for you and got too close. Kragen found me instead and turned me into this." He runs his hands down his body. "Forced to work for him for all eternity."

"He can't keep you here," I argue. "You're free."

He huffs a laugh. "In a way, I am free. The sugar sickness made me weak, made me sickly. Now, I'm strong."

I wrap my arms around him a second time, relishing the fact that I'm hugging my younger brother. "I've missed you."

"Aye, I've missed you, too. I was told you were dead."

"Kragen would like me dead, I'm sure. I escaped."

His eyes grow wide with my words. "Then why are you here?"

"It's a long story." I move to the table, pulling a chair out for him. "Does he know you're in here?

"No, he left a while ago."

I spend the next few minutes filling my baby brother in on everything that's happened with Thorne, the Outer Banks, ending up back here, and the treasure hunt that's taking place tomorrow. He stares at me like a child during story time, hanging on every detail.

"Captain Hawthorne Rex is a vampire?"

I smile at his excitement. "Aye. He did it to find me. Is that the only part you were listening to?"

"No, I heard everything, but that grabbed my attention. Damn. I can't believe he did that." He slides further into his seat. "And he's gathering an army of werewolves to rescue you?"

"They prefer to be called lycan," I echo Luna's words. "Truthfully, I don't know if anyone is coming, and I refuse to allow these children to die. I don't know how to do this alone."

"You're not alone," he answers with a smile.