B008IFNJZM EBOK, page 6
“Nathan… It’s good to see you.”
“I am so sorry for the loss of your dad. I will miss him as well as all of us at the office.”
“Thanks Nathan… I have something for you.”
Tom reached in his pocket and handed Nat as he called him, an envelope. They walked to the study and behind closed doors the young man followed Tom’s instructions and opened it. He read the letter and looked up at Tom sitting at his father’s desk.
“You are promoting me to head of research and development?”
“Yes. Your former boss Mr. Redman has moved up as well.”
“But there others with more seniority that should be considered before me...”
“I believe if my father was still alive, he would have done the same thing.”
“Regarding your father, the article in the paper was bull! I know that for a fact!”
“What makes you say that?”
“My father as you know served in the service with your dad and he was his superior. My dad saw your dad take a bullet in the shoulder because your father wouldn’t fire until he had a ‘kill’ shot on his target. My dad told me that your father held his position until he could squeeze off a round killing the person he was ordered to take out… Your dad did not accidently, as the paper put it, shoot Mr. Barton and if there was a wild creature, your dad would have dropped it as well.”
“Nathan, I am going to need your help and your silence.”
“You have always had that my friend. You should know that.”
“I do…”
Tom told him his version of the story and Nathan said nothing and listened from beginning to end. The end included both the big-foot creature and the curse he believed to be under. Nathan sat there expressionless.
“You think I’ve lost my mind?”
“No, actually it makes a hell of lot more sense than what the newspaper printed. Look, I am first and foremost a scientist. There are many things I put my belief in that I cannot prove like the ‘string theory’ regarding the creation of the universe. As a scientist it is my job to accept a scenario and then either prove it or form a new one. In this case I will believe all that you have told me until such point I can prove or disprove what you told me. As my friend, I will support you and hope the hell you are wrong and such creatures don’t exist, but that DVD is all the proof I need for now.”
“If I call on you to help me in the future and keep this story under wraps, will you?”
“Of course I will. I’ll tell you one thing about your story that does make sense. If that creature jumped up and swung on that chandelier some time before your father was under it, I could see its weight and the force on the chandelier to cause enough strain and friction for it to fall. No one else has expressed any theory why a cable rated at over twice the chandelier’s weight would come apart.”
Nathan stood up and extended his hand.
“Whenever and whatever you need I will be there. Just call.”
Tom shook his hand. Finally, he was able to share all that happened with someone without being looked at like he was losing his mind. Tom had no idea if he would ever call Nathan but he was a research scientist and a damn good one. He had no idea that he would soon be relying on Nathan just to stay alive.
Chapter 10 Exhausted
While Tom slept on a leather love seat in the cabin of a corporate jet as it pulled on the runway, Elizabeth was able to change out of the black dress she had been wearing all day through the funeral and the reception. She sat back down in the cabin. Alice, the stewardess, motioned her over and the two women managed to use two sets of seatbelts to strap Tom without waking him as the plane awaited clearance for departure. Satisfied that Tom was secure for the takeoff, the two women took their seats and clipped on their belts. Elizabeth looked out the window at the runway lights as the plane’s jet engines ran up in power and the plane started to roll down the runway. Within a few moments of thrust, the plane left the runway and the gear hydraulics could be heard as the runway was now out of sight. The corporate jet banked and continued to climb to its cruising altitude. Again, the two ladies went over and unbuckled Tom’s restraints. Tom never moved during all the flight precautions. The ladies smiled at each other and Elizabeth thanked their stewardess.
Alice went forward to the pilot’s cockpit and Elizabeth picked up the phone and placed the call to Ms. Arachne Corrick . She answered the call on the first ring almost as if she knew about the call and Elizabeth gave her their E.T.A. for arrival at O’Hare and where they would meet.
Elizabeth looked at her brother who had slept the entire time since he boarded the plane and she smiled. It was the first real rest he had gotten since their father’s death. Alice returned with a clipboard and sat across from Elizabeth.
“Mr. Joe Hart said you or your brother would help us with the paperwork… “
“Yes, Uncle Joe. What do you need?”
“Once we arrive at O’Hare, what will be the rest of our itinerary and how much fuel should we cut an order for?”
Elizabeth hadn’t given either any thought or had any of idea.
“We won’t know until after our meeting in the terminal. I would guess that we should take on as much fuel as possible. Can I call you or something?”
“Well, the crew will probably leave the plane during refueling and at least get some coffee. Sure, text me and I will tell the others. I do need you to sign this authorization for the fuel order.”
Alice slid the clipboard and pen over to Elizabeth who signed the order.
“As soon as you know our next destination, text me and the captain will file the flight plan for the next leg of our trip.”
“Yes of course. I am sorry that my brother and I have dragged you out in the middle of the night like this.”
“No problem. This is not the first time we have been made to scramble a flight in the early hours.”
“What time will we arrive in Chicago?”
“We should be on schedule the weather is good. We are still planning to be at the gate about ten minutes to four.”
“Good.”
Alice took the clipboard back. She looked at Elizabeth’s brother still passed out on the love seat.
“Would you like some coffee?”
“That would be nice.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Alice took the clipboard.
“Oh could I get on the Internet?”
“Yes, but use that CAT6 cable. We would prefer you didn’t attempt to connect using wireless, you would probably encounter too many disruptions in service.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Elizabeth saw the cable connector in a cluster of cables that came out an opening in the middle of the round table and seized one and connected it to her laptop. Within minutes, she logged on and searched the Internet for information regarding the person they were about to meet. The search provided several articles regarding Ms. Arachne Corrick, the psychic. The articles she scanned as she drank her coffee were all very impressive and for the most part, favorable regarding her abilities. There was no mention in the write-ups about werewolves, vampires or Big-foot creatures but rather in her ability to find missing people and items. Elizabeth figured the woman to be in her forty’s and now had a mental picture of what she looked like. She had written several books regarding the paranormal and seemed to be well known in those circles. She shut down the laptop and looked out the cabin window at the dark night sky. She did doze off for what appeared to be only a few minutes, but Alice did come and nudge her. She had not realized that several hours had passed. As she buckled her seat belt for the decent and landing, Alice gently woke her brother who sat up and took some coffee from the stewardess. He rubbed his eyes.
“Did you get a good rest?”
“I blacked out didn’t I? The last thing I remember is boarding this craft and lying down.”
“Yes. That was four hours ago.”
“What time is it?”
“About three thirty and we are beginning our approach to O’Hare.”
“Did you contact Ms. Arachne Corrick?’
“Yes. She will be waiting for us at Terminal 3, concourse G, gate 3 and we are going to meet her at the American Airlines Admiral’s club. I told her we should be there about four. We are on schedule.”
“That’s great sis… Hey, thank you for letting me sleep.”
“You really needed it and it was no problem.”
***
There are two American Airlines Admiral’s clubs at terminal three but only one of them was open this time in the morning. The picture from the Internet led Elizabeth directly to Ms. Corrick’s table. She noticed a metal medical case sitting on the floor alongside the well-dressed woman. It reminded her of one of those special cases used to transport human organs. After a short introduction the pair sat down and ordered coffee.
Ms. Corrick looked at Tom.
“Mr. Hart give me your hands.”
Tom held out his hands and Arachne held them in hers. She closed her eyes.
“Yes, you are carrying the curse.”
Tom looked at the woman.
“That’s it? We flew all this way for that?”
Ms. Corrick let go of his hands.
“No. Now I want you to close your eyes and focus on your body and how you feel. Feel yourself breathing in and out.”
As Tom sat there trying to concentrate on his physical body, the strange woman removed a small pen light, index cards and a pen from her large flower covered purse. She began to write.
“Tell me Mr. Hart… can you feel a tingling sensation or anything out of the normal from somewhere on your body?”
Tom thought for a moment.
“Yes, I can feel my right leg. It feels like it is falling asleep, you know, that pins and needles feeling you get…”
“That is good Mr. Hart. You may open your eyes now.”
Arachne gave Elizabeth the miniature flash light.
“Doctor Hart, could you examine your brother’s right leg? Mr. Hart could you roll your right pants leg up to your knee?”
“Here? At the table?”
“Outside of us and a waiter, the place is empty.”
Elizabeth took the light and looked at her brother.
“Go ahead Tom, it’s not like you have to drop your pants.”
Tom stood up and put his right foot on the chair and rolled up his pants leg.
“Now Doctor, please examine your brother’s leg.”
Ms. Corrick started writing on one index card and started another.
“What exactly am I looking for?”
“A red circle that resembles a ‘bulls-eye’.”
Ms. Corrick finished the second index card and started a third.
“I am not seeing anything.”
“Mr. Hart you can roll down your pants leg and now I will need you to remove your sock and shoe on the same leg.”
Mr. Hart looked at his sister and did as he was instructed.
“Now doctor examine his foot for the same pattern or mark.”
Elizabeth didn’t find anything. She looked at her brother.
“Now Tom kneel on the chair and let me examine the bottom of your foot.”
Tom again did as he was told.
“I found it! It is on the heel of his foot.”
Corrick smiled.
“That is the sign. He is definitely infected. It will go away as you get closer to your first transformation. Unfortunately, that will be replaced with the pentagram tattoo on your chest.”
Corrick slid the first two cards over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth read the writing.
“These are two prescriptions… This one is a sleep aid and this one will keep someone who is trying to sleep awake. I don’t understand.”
“Your brother in the next few days will want to stay awake at night and sleep during the daylight hours. Filling these two prescriptions will slow the transformation process. How much I do not know. It is up to his age and his metabolism. They are said to help.”
Elizabeth clicked off the light and returned it to the strange woman while Tom put his sock and shoe back on. He was getting a weird look from the waiter in the lounge.
“Now what? Can this curse be stopped?”
“I think it could be possible but I am not sure. Here is a name of a woman who might be able to help you.”
Tom took the third card. It showed a name and an address of what appeared to be a night club in New York.
“Who is this?”
“If anyone knows how to stop the transformation, she does… I have a picture of her in my purse.”
“This is the address of a nightclub?”
“Yes. You might plan to sleep here in Chicago or fly to New York and turn in there.”
“Can’t you call her so we can see her as soon as we land?”
“I afraid that isn’t possible… here, this is the only color picture I have of her and it is probably thirty years old.”
Tom and his sister looked at the photograph. It was a pale young woman in her twenties with black hair.
“Her name is Iolana, I don’t know her last name.”
“You don’t have a more recent photograph or a last name?”
“No.”
“This is going to make it very hard to find her.”
“No, it should be easy. She is a vampire and she should still look like her picture. They don’t age you know.”
Neither Tom nor his sister could immediately think of anything to respond with. Finally, Tom looked at the woman.
“I thought vampires hated werewolves? I read about the great war between them back in the middle ages.”
“Many do. I don’t think she is one of those who feel that way.”
“You are not sure?”
“It’s just a feeling… My feelings are usually right and she is the only vampire I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”
“The privilege of knowing?”
“She didn’t turn me. We talked and parted as kind of friends. She could have made me one of her kind but she didn’t. I found her once near death from starvation. I knew what she was and let her draw enough blood to stay alive until I could arrange to get her more blood to save her. I also helped her back to her coffin before the sun came up.”
Corrick is filling out another card.
“Here give her this note from me. It simply said please return the favor you owe me and help this man. He has not transformed yet. I signed it. I am hoping she will remember and help you.”
“She understands this curse?”
“She is your best hope. A werewolf can be changed into a vampire but a vampire cannot be changed into a werewolf. A vampire’s blood is missing the components to make such a transformation. Here, and give this case as a gift from me.”
“What’s in the case?”
“Six pints of Ab negative. It is a favorite among their kind. Don’t open this box. If you keep it sealed it will remain cool for another day. You must see her tomorrow night.”
Elizabeth looked at the woman.
“Should I ask where you got that much Ab negative?”
“I am not without friends or sources.”
Tom picked up the case and looked at his sister who was also standing up. He dropped a hundred dollar bill on the table.
“Here this will cover our coffee and keep the change. It’s my way of saying ‘thanks’”.
The woman took the bill and stared at it.
“If you could, mail the container back to me. The address is on the case. Also, when you see her, don’t take your sister. She may be in the company of others who might not be as friendly as her. Iolana is the only one of their kind that I would trust with such a request.”
Tom and Elizabeth said their goodbyes and decided to walk the woman out to a cab. Tom prepaid the fare and watched her leave. They went back inside with the refrigerated blood and waited for their jet to be refueled. Elizabeth found the flight crew and gave them the next leg of their trip to the JFK airport outside of New York. She also got on the phone and made hotel reservations. It would be morning before they arrived and they would need rooms for themselves and their flight crew.
Chapter 11 New York
As soon as the sun came up, Tom was once again falling asleep just as the psychic had told them. A limousine took them to the hotel and the pair followed their bags up to their adjoining rooms. The flight crew would soon be following them. Tom collapsed on the bed still dressed as his sister took up a chair at the small circular table in her room and accessed the Internet. Ms. Corrick had sent an email and that was the first thing she opened. The only unusual addition to her earlier instructions was that she acquire a special cologne for her brother that should help to cover up the scent he was emitting that triggered the violent reaction by the animals at the zoo the day before. Elizabeth quickly located the rum scented fragrance on line. She cleaned up and took a cab to a local vendor and purchased a spray bottle and a ‘splash-on’ version as well.
She was concerned that her brother would be going into a possible den of dangerous creatures. She was now convinced in the existence of werewolves so the addition of believing about vampires was now also in reach. After leaving her brother a note, she decided to get some sleep as well. Sleeping these days always seemed easier if one was so tired, they could just black out. She expected her brother to be up all night. There was nothing she could do about the prescription suggestions that Ms. Arachne Corrick gave her until she and her brother returned to their home state.
It was seven thirty and the sun had gone down for the day. Her brother woke her shortly after that. She could see his mind was wandering and she waited until after they ate before talking to him.
