Crimson Bonds Part 15
"Moving?" a surge of voices asked as one.
Stationed in the doorway of his living room, Heero raised his opened hands to his family as he announced, "Easy, everyone. Noin was kind enough to call and inform us that for our Clan's best interest we may have to consider taking residence at our last known whereabouts."
Her brown-and-gold eyes widening, Midi thought aloud, "That would be the state of Virginia."
Mentally transported back to their last cluster of homes, the little mother, her husband and their cousins lost themselves in the memories that flooded into their minds. For the children, none of whom had much of a history to recall in those days, they looked to one another in uncertainty.
Trowa leaned against the wall at his side with his arms folding across his chest as he reasoned, "That suggestion would never have been brought up by anyone from Treize's family if they did not think that relocating would eventually have to happen."
Nodding firmly, Yuy replied, "Which was why I thought it best for all of us to come together and talk through the logistics."
To his brother and sisters' worried faces, he reassured, "The most important thing in all of this is that Lucrezia has made it clear that we have nothing to concern ourselves over in regard to our security once we are settled in. But the children will have to lay low as the protocol has always called for."
Wufei and Anna physically eased with inaudible sighs of relief in hearing that. Weary smiles tugging the corners of their lips, they looped an arm around each other's lower backs to squeeze on tightly. "Can your father and I count on you to continue keeping up on that much, kids?" the redhead asked the faces peering up at her. "You all know how important it is so we stay together."
"Yes, Mama," her little charges, including the teenagers, smiled without hesitation. Snickering softly, Wufei winked to his brood as his wife hummed in amusement.
Smirking, Duo commented, "As for the actual move, it should not be much of a challenge for us since we have two Vampires who can teleport. All that we really need to know is where we're going to be setting up shop and wait out how this whole registration adjustment is going to work out when its new laws are settled on a vote."
A distant expression falling on her face, Midi sighed, "It is only a shame that we could not move back into our little cluster of homes that we had left behind. There would have been more than enough room for all of us and then some in that pretty little corner in the middle of nowhere."
Under his breath, Barton chuckled, "Not to mention the fact that you have one of your dozens of restaurant chains not far from there so you would still be able to live out your dream catering to people."
Biting her lip, the beautiful Latin Vampire admitted, "Well, yes. There is that bit of a perk." Her husband shook his head, snorting. But the smile on his face only gave away his endearment.
Wufei chewed on the inside of his cheek before he said quietly, "I'll feel a lot better about all of this once I get a hold of Crystal to look over the records database that she hacked into. Getting in is one thing. Changing information that spans years and getting out without being caught is an entirely different matter."
"If anyone can pull it off I know you will, love," Anna whispered to him as their gold-ringed eyes met. Grinning, she added, "I already feel a lot better with you looking over things." Chang melted at that with a soft huff of air. Leaning towards his wife, he pressed a kiss against her temple.
Motivated by those words of encouragement, the scaly Infected carefully stepped around their children and nodded firmly to Heero. The Original slipped a piece of paper with the phone number of their friend as his brother-in-law passed by to slip away from sight in order to dive into the task at hand.
Clapping her hands together, the Siren announced, "Alright, everyone. We're going to have another drill for an emergency evacuation. It's been a couple of months since our last one, so this will be good practice for when we do know we're going to be leaving in a hurry. Have your things packed and ready before I come to inspect your rooms."
Her brethren watching her in anticipation, Anna raised a finger, warning, "Remember not so much as a hair can be traced." She raised her wrist to expose the thin watch and waited for the second hand to reach the start of the new minute before she called, "And... go!"
The air in the room whooshed loudly at the ten children darting away in blurs of themselves, leaving only the adults behind. Dry-washing her face with her hands, the redhead murmured behind them, "Please, God, keep my dear ones safe." Picking up on the soft sentiment, Heero was at her side before her arms finished falling back at her sides.
Pulling his sister into a fierce hug, the Original vowed by her ear, "I'll protect them with my own existence if I have to, Anna."
Instantly melting against him while returning the embrace, the Irish immortal giggled softy, "I know that you would, Heero. I just won't be able to relax until this is all settled and behind us and it frustrates me to no end to not be able to do more than wait."
Reluctantly pulling away, she kept their arms loose around each other's waists as she frowned up at her brother, "We do not even know where we are going to end up... or whether it will be secluded enough to not have any attention drawn to us, or-"
Yuy pressed a finger against her lips to cut her off and offered a small smile. "One step at a time, sister. I completely agree with you that it is a nuisance to feel like we are sitting on our hands, but we can only take this process as it unfolds or we are going to miss a detail that could put the children in danger."
Slowly approaching, Trowa urged gently, "He is right, cousin. Heero and I had been first-hand witnesses to how grave a simple slip in precautions could be when it comes to covering our tracks."
The corner of his lip curling, he asked, "Why do you think we never did much traveling in the early days before Vampires were made known to the humans? We wait for Wufei and Crystal to lock down the registry issue and go from there."
Anna released her brother along with a long huff of air as she peered at the elder Infected's faces, nodding, "Okay. I'm not about to question that logic... especially given what the both of you had been through as Originals." She shrugged to the Japanese Vampire as she snorted, "You know I've always been the rash one of the pair of us, brother. That's where you come in to remind me to think before I act."
Chuckling deeply, Heero pressed a kiss against her forehead. "And I wouldn't have you any other way to balance me out as well, brat," he said quietly with a wink.
At that, he gave her bottom a playful slap. "Come on. I'll give you a hand in inspecting the kids' rooms." The redhead beamed and took a moment to give Trowa a squeeze around his neck. Laughing, the Latin immortal hugged her back and patted the top of her head as they separated.
"I'm right behind you," Duo smiled as his immediate family moved for the doorway. "If there's anything the kids missed, Shinigami will be able to sniff it out."
Once their cousins slipped from the living room, Midi turned to face her husband as she sighed, "I should get some tea and soup ready for when they are finished. That should help to settle their nerves."
Raising an eyebrow, Barton smirked, "Their nerves or your nerves?"
The little mother did not bother to stall in answering, "Mine, too." She giggled when her soul mate wrapped her up and kissed her temple and stated, "I suppose that we could all go for a little change. Maybe this move is just the distraction we could all use right about now."
Humming, the tall Original replied, "I think we could easily turn it into a good thing." In being so close to the slope of his wife's neck from which he could smell her blood, he swallowed roughly "Think I could steal you away for a moment before you set yourself to work in the kitchen?" he purred.
A soft snicker was his only warning before he felt the sharp bite of fangs burying their way into his shoulder to provide the answer.
* * * * * *
Another missing person report was hung to the post of a street lamp in northern Italy.
It was the first like it in a long time, so no alarm was raised. People disappeared every now and then. And just as in those cases, there would be some effort put into the search before the case ran cold... as Antony Barone's was at the cusp of becoming, now that he had been gone for months.
However, if the authorities involved in the investigation had cared to extend their resources to neighboring cities or countries... then there would have been cause for concern. Had they looked beyond livings who came from good homes and families to look for those living in the streets over the past weeks, then there would have been cause for panic.
Those numbers would have raised more than a few hairs.
A good enough Rogue was keen on these things. They knew the right targets to take. Only now, instead of their efforts being put into making mutated Clans that they would lead as the latest wave that had been laid to rest... now those bitter Vampires wanted blood in response to how their rights were in jeopardy.
Because of this new lust for revenge, hundreds of people like Antony Barone around the world would never be found. And when one life was taken, it was never enough.
Pulling the tattered report from where it hung, a cold hand gripped its edges as a pair of gold-rimmed eyes read over the detailed information to the victim's last known whereabouts. The smiling face that graced the top of the page was not taken in since the Infected that had taken interest could not afford to have his feelings involved for the unfortunate young man who had undoubtedly been killed by one of his own.
Discreetly stuffing the paper into his coat pocket, its holder made note to reach Lady Une as soon as he returned home to his Clan.
The Preventers would need to be called in for this case.
* * * * * *
Only a few days later...
Treize and his family were smiling amidst the swarm of reporters, videographers and blinding camera flashes as they walked down the steps of the Senate at the close of the week.
"Congressman! Congresswomen!" one woman called over all others, "Does this overwhelming victory in the vote to keep the annual Harvests give you hope for the upcoming battle over the registration laws?"
"How have your fellow Infected been reacting to what has been happening in Congress?" a male correspondent cried out. "Is their trust in humans compromised?"
More and more questions poured out, overlapping each other as the entire Vampire Council descended the tall stairway. All under the agreement to not make statements until every matter had been settled, the immortals politely bowed their heads if directly approached. But their relief over the results of this latest challenge were in plain display on all of their faces...
...Quite the change for them over the last months.
One of the younger women carrying a recording device from deep in the crowd bellowed, "Should the livings expect retaliation from the Vampires in response to how the government will very likely take away their liberties?"
His gold-rimmed eyes widening, Khushrenada finished taking the last step to reach the sidewalk and turned to focus on the lovely reporter. Since this was to be his first comment beyond the Senate's closed doors since the initial vote, the journalists and their teams froze into a dead silence save for the occasional clicks of camera flashes.
"The humans have nothing to fear by means of retribution from our kind, be it of violence or any other sort," the Original declared in a clear and controlled voice. "We have walked amongst each other for more than a century now. What new rules may be forced upon us will not endanger the balance between us. There is no need for concern over our coexistence."
It was a perfectly executed lie.
Treize was all too aware of how many more cases of Rogues had arisen since the original vote to adjust the treaty that put the Vampires on an even plane with the livings.
Oh, there was retaliation. And throughout the stretches of the world, the Preventers had been successful in containing the uprisings before they became more that low rumblings. But the humans did not need to know that. God help the Infected if the word did get out.
Luckily, Khushrenada had won over the crowd gathered around and relief spread across the faces of the mortals as they fell back into their stream of questions and requests for interviews. "That is all for tonight," the head of the Vampire Council announced with a small grin as he raised a hand to wave. "Good evening, everyone."
From a few feet back on the stairs, a pair of ears that had listened in took his words in an entirely different manner. Smirking to herself as she silently slipped away, Nancy McAdams made a mental note for another point that she intended to add to her repertoire in her registration argument.
As expected, she had lost this round. But the final battle to come would decide the war.
Slipping his arm through his wife's, Treize led the way through the parting crowd so that he and his family could make an easy enough getaway for the enclosed parking lot. Once they were beyond the guarded gates, the flock of people calling after them fell into the distance as they kept at a brisk pace for their dark car.
A fast glance around to confirm that they were alone sent Zechs to task in searching the vehicle for any planted devices. Materializing from the blur that he had become, the long-haired Infected nodded firmly, "Clear."
Not needing to be told twice, his loved ones took to the stretched out back while he sat behind the wheel with his wife in the passenger seat. Silently, the car began to glide though the back exit of the parking lot before another crowd could gather in time for their escape.
Lady Une shifted to hold a kiss against her husband's cheek. "You dealt with that question very well, darling. Our fellow Vampires are all fortunate to have you represent them," she praised. Treize chuckled softly and patted her leg with a grateful smile.
Exhaling a deep sigh, Relena leaned heavily against Quatre as she murmured, "Thank God that much is behind us. Even though we were right in assuming that we would win the majority for this round, I couldn't help but feel nervous until the votes were officially announced."
"I was anxious as well," Lady Une replied quietly. Lowering her head, she frowned, "We still do not know who was swayed from the initial vote that we had been so certain we would win. If any of those Senators who had turned for the secret ballot rally wanted to make an impact and take away the Harvests-"
Noin peered over her shoulder and shook her head, "It would have been political suicide to condemn hundred of creatures to die. It's about the only thing working in our favor for these new laws. At least we know that there is a limit to how far the Representatives are willing to push our rights."
Keeping his eyes on the winding roads ahead of them, Zechs snorted, "Yea. So they're not willing to hang, draw and quarter just yet. Thank God for small favors."
In hearing his own remark, the handsome Vampire blinked widely. Clearing his throat, he glanced over to his wide and managed in little more than a whisper, "Sorry. That came out a little more bitterly than I had intended."
A small, sad grin tugging her lips, Lucrezia squeezed his arm as she reassured, "It's alright, love. I think we're entitled to vent out a little steam every now and then." Chewing on her lip for a brief moment of consideration, she warned, "Just so long as we keep that in check so that we do not allow that frustration to show to anyone working against us."
Merquise was quick to smirk sheepishly, "Of course." Already feeling better for having gotten that much off his chest, he was able to leave the darker thoughts behind him as he continued to navigate the streets.
His wife's head resting against his shoulder, Quatre turned his retrieved cell phone on to find that he had a waiting text message. Opening the digital file to scan over the contents, he grinned widely, "I have a message from Duo here that is informing he and the rest of his family are prepared to move on a moment's notice back to Virginia as soon as they have a place arranged."
Relena straightened herself, the surprise on her face matching that on the other Vampires listening in. "Well, they did not waste any time in making that decision," she stated. "The call that had been made was only to mention the possibility that they may have to return State-side."
"That's just like our friends," Treize snickered. "Wise in their ways. They must have seen through the mild suggestion and taken it seriously before we had to alarm them if time became a far more pressing challenge."
Gesturing to the scientist, he requested, "Quatre, please reply to Duo that they not fret over finding a home." Their own mouths curling into smiles, his loved ones snickered as the Companion exchanged a few knowing grins before typing at his keypad.
* * * * * *
A stunning young woman stood in the middle of a rounded street smack dab in the middle of nowhere Virginia.
Before her on the lone sidewalk were three large estates. The home on the far right was colored in a mixture of complimentary greens, golds and honey hues with Celtic details. The house on the left bore empty flower beds outside of every large window decorated in warm browns and creams. And the mansion between them was of warm neutral colors with black edges.
The last known whereabouts of the Yuy-Barton Clan.
After months and months of searching, Lucie had finally come to the hidden corner of the world... only to find that it had been abandoned.
Judging by the impressive spider webs and the collection of dust that the Hunter had seen through the glass that she had peeked through, no one had so much as set foot inside any of the residences for years. If even that was not enough proof that the so-called 'family' of blood-suckers was not staying there, the paper trail of bills came to an abrupt end at the same time they were no longer on the registration list.
It was a frustrating situation for Aisley. To have exhausted every means she had to afford, from her own money to her body in wheeling and dealing her way to find what she wanted, her trail had come to a cold dead end.
An undisclosed purchaser had taken up the responsibility to take over the lot and mansions by paying for them in full only to have them sit. Such was the world of reality. Very likely it was a wealthy contractor who would eventually bulldoze the houses to create whatever his or her plans may be for the secluded spot.
Whoever this person was, they were protected by the utmost legal security that not even Aisley could work her way around. Talented as she was in the bed of the state-wide bank record holder, she could not loosen his tongue enough to release a name that was kept from even his knowledge.
Not that it really mattered when all was said and done anyway. Knowing who had the property would not change the fact that there was no sight of her prey.
"Back to square-fucking-one," Lucie hissed to herself, never tearing her heated glare away from the estate in the middle of the block. Undoubtedly it was the one Heero Yuy would have taken up, based off of what background information she had of the Clan's members... but then the Original would not have existed there alone.
No, it would have been the Vampire and his Hybrid.
And they could literally be anywhere in the world by that cool September afternoon.
Rather than dwell over the unfortunate results of her hunt, Lucie mentally dusted herself and set to recoiling back into her fold so that she could have a good long look at what she had been able to pull together over the previous months of her work. Somewhere, something would give her the clues that she needed to pick up where she was not being forced to leave off.
Mark Barnett would not be the only one to have his day in Septum's good graces. He would not be the one to actually deliver the scientist his elusive prize. In the meantime, Aisley was determined to find other ways of keeping Millers' keen attention on her until the day.
Turning on her heels, the beautiful blonde removed her cell phone from her light coat and pressed the only number saved into its database. She walked towards her car and pressed the receiver to her ear at the same time that the call was picked up on the first ring.
"Hello, darling," she purred before Septum could begin to greet her. "Guess who's coming home."
TBC...
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