By midmorning the following day, misery seemed to prevail throughout the conference. Once again, Katrina was stuck in a room full of vampires who were either disgruntled with the agenda or frustrated that their peers bickered over minor details. She glanced sidelong at Alton, noticing the stately vampire's jaw was firmly set as yet another disagreement between two participants threatened to turn personal. It took everything she had to curtail the weary sigh building inside her.
Meanwhile, Caleb sat alone in the lobby, upset that his trip to Europe was neither memorable nor enjoyable, even as his fellow visiting humans seemed to be blissfully engaged in what he coined "tourist mode." His body still felt quite sore and achy, though the affects of Katrina's blood had done him justice, and he felt much better than the day before. His mood wasn't helped any by an email he had read in his college mailbox from the President, Dr. Patrick Beaumont, regarding the upcoming fiscal year's budget.
Dr. Beaumont suggested that by the first of July there was a real threat of employee furloughs and layoffs for the upcoming fall semester. The email mentioned that final budget information was forthcoming later that week. Caleb hoped it didn't come to layoffs. He was one of the newest faculty hired at the College and might find his position on the cutting block.
By midafternoon, Dori stopped by to inform Caleb that she was collecting additional information, which she hoped would be helpful to their investigations. However, she was still very hedgy about the nature of her sources. It wasn't long before he grew frustrated sitting in the lobby trying to distract his dark thoughts by thumbing through a biography on James Madison, waiting fruitlessly for something noteworthy to occur. He popped up off the couch and proceeded outside for a walk, hoping the scenic surroundings and fresh air would improve his disposition.
Paige sat in the security office feeling bored while taking a shift at the video surveillance monitoring station. Upon spying the lobby camera view of Caleb going outside from his perch, she smirked.
That's right, kiddo. Get outside into the sunshine for a while. Being a spy isn't so glamorous, is it?
Part of her hoped that he would give up his unhealthy fixation with Baldar Dubravko. As she lamented her own situation, her favorite vampire physician walked in the door to the office with an inviting smile and bearing two large Styrofoam cups.
"Greetings, fellow servant of the people," Ethan grandly offered with a sparkle in his eyes.
He placed a sealed cup onto the desk before Paige while sipping from his own. The aroma from his coffee wafted her direction as she studied the sealed cup before her.
"What's this?" she asked, popping open the plastic lid. The smell of warm blood quickly assailed her sense of smell, making her mouth water slightly.
"Just thought I'd stop by and say hello," he said. "And I didn't want to come empty-handed."
She sipped at the warm blood, savoring the flavor. She hadn't fed regularly in recent days with all of the additional duties the major had foisted upon her.
"Oh, that's good," she complimented with a satisfied tone. "Thanks for not bringing me coffee."
He inclined his head and idly chatted with her for a few minutes. In fact, she could have sworn that he was openly flirting with her. Not that she minded, of course. But while she appreciated the company of such a charming and attractive vampire, she momentarily considered her stuffy supervisor.
"You're sweet, but I'm not really supposed to have visitors dropping by," she noted.
"Me? I'm not a visitor," he countered. "I'm a peer, a fellow employee. This is just your run-of-the-mill water cooler chit-chat."
She appreciated his quick wit and raised an apprising eyebrow. His lean-muscled body was sculpted in a manner that any woman could appreciate. She absently imagined tracing her finger across and down his bare chest.
Ethan idly chatted for a few minutes about his day, albeit with the sound of a man who wasn't quite sure of how to broach a topic. Paige couldn't help thinking that he was working on an angle to ask her out.
Would I or wouldn't I say yes? she wondered.
As if on cue, and with the poor timing that only she could have predicted as of late, the major stalked through the office door. He quickly panned the room, only to adopt a stern expression as he noted the doctor's presence. She had seen that look before.
"So, I'd appreciate your consideration of a sturdier lock on the prescriptions cabinet in my examining room," Ethan spoke up as if finishing the topic. "Not that we've had any problems, mind you, but I've worked in hospitals where even some of the staff were tempted. And what with the increasing prices of prescription drugs today..."
"Sure, sure," Paige smoothly replied. "I'll look into that for you."
She admired Ethan's quick thinking.
The major suspiciously regarded them.
"Well, I'll be going then," Reynolds said. "Have a great day," he offered with a friendly tone to Major Pietari as he walked past him to exit.
"Problems?" Pietari queried.
"I think I can handle it," she said.
At least, I'd sure as hell like to try, she slyly entertained as the major continued into his office.
She studied her monitor as one of the surveillance windows displayed the handsome Ethan Reynolds walking back to his office. She couldn't help but smile.
Later that afternoon, Caleb's mood had improved slightly as he appreciated the beautiful forested mountain scenery around him. He discovered a couple of small walking trails leading into the nearby forest and took one on a whim. After only ten minutes, his cell phone rang, and he noticed that the number was from his college.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Caleb? Hi, this is Paul," the friendly voice offered.
Dr. Paul Wright was Dean of Social Sciences, namely, Caleb's division. He got along great with Paul and appreciated the casual, first-name basis they were on since he had first started. Paul was a favored person around the College, and a great dean. However, given the earlier email Caleb read that day, he had a sinking feeling that the call wasn't strictly a social one. A queasy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach.
"Hi, Paul. What's up?" he offered in a friendly tone despite his misgivings.
"Uh, Caleb, I know you're in Europe and everything," Paul began with a rueful tone. "I would've waited to see you in person, but I felt that I needed to let you know as soon as possible. You may not have seen a message from President Beaumont that went out two days ago -"
"Yeah," Caleb interrupted, "I just saw it this morning when I was checking messages. Doesn't sound too good for budgets this year, does it?"
"Well, uh, no, not really, Caleb," Paul hesitantly replied in an uncharacteristic manner. "Actually, that's why I'm calling. Listen, there's still a lot that could happen between now and fall, but..."
Caleb thought he was going to throw up. "Looking like layoffs, isn't it?"
The pause that followed was nearly painful to him.
"Yeah, Caleb, I'm afraid it is," Paul conceded. "Each division had to select some potential staff for layoffs based upon seniority, you see, and well, I had to add your name for our department. I'm really sorry, Caleb. Listen, it's not for certain yet-"
"But likely, isn't it?" Caleb pressed.
"Yeah, it's looking that way," Paul said. "Believe me, it's nothing personal and certainly not a reflection on your performance. You're one of my best, Caleb; your enthusiasm's made quite an impact on the students, as well as your peers. It's just, well, it's just a damned shame. And, hell, I just thought you deserved to know where things stand."
Caleb's mind raced as he felt his future spiraling into uncertainty.
"Any idea when you'll know for sure?"
"Probably the next couple of days, I think. Listen, I probably shouldn't have called you about this."
"I won't tell anyone, Paul. Besides, it means a lot that you'd warn me. You've been really great, so no matter what happens I'll always appreciate all you've done for me."
Paul swallowed aloud.
"Dammit with this seniority crap. Believe me, there's a couple of burnouts around here that I'd much rather see retire instead of letting fresh talent go."
"Ah, the tenure conundrum rears its ugly head."
Paul chuckled. "You'd valiantly jest in the face of a hurricane, wouldn't you?"
Caleb's tight-lipped expression demonstrated otherwise. He just hated the idea of Paul's being riddled with guilt over the situation. It's not his fault, after all.
"Someone once told me that even if you don't have control over what happens to you, at least you have control over how you choose to react to it," Caleb offered.
"You're wiser than your years," the dean quietly offered.
Caleb shrugged. "I dunno about that. But listen, will you do me a favor?"
"Sure, if I can," he replied.
"Call me the minute you know something for sure, okay?"
"You got it. It's the least I can do," Paul promised.
The two said goodbye, and Caleb fell into a daze as he contemplated how both the trip and his personal career seemed to be going to hell all at the same time. His mood quickly grew dour, and he wandered into the forest while considering a host of prospective options for his uncertain future.
As he walked through the serene forest appreciating nature's own form of silence, the surroundings complemented his reflective mind. However, it also seemed lonely and added to his sense of melancholy. The sun had nearly set, and all that remained was a reddish-orange spectrum on the horizon, which seemed analogous to the sun's setting on what was his burgeoning career in academia.
Though the light was fading, it was still ambient enough to see where he was walking. He wondered what alternate paths he might soon be compelled to walk in life, as well.
Will they be lit well enough for me to see them?
After a time, he stopped in the middle of a small clearing. A couple of large trees appeared to have fallen against some of their neighbors, creating the small open area. It was peaceful, and the fallen trees reminded him of how things seemed to be going in his own life lately.
I'm practically ignored by Kat given the conference issues, he bitterly determined. Now, the career I've barely started might be cut short just days from now. Damn.
He stood as still as a statue, shallowly breathing in an almost trancelike state and contemplated the situation he might face upon returning home from the Slovenian conference. He felt so powerless over his circumstances, having no influence over the fiscal conditions affecting his college or the final staffing decisions to be made. While his confidence in the leadership at the College was strong, he also realized that unsavory decisions sometimes couldn't be avoided, no matter the good intentions of the decision makers.
What will be, will be, he conceded with resignation. It wasn't the first time that he had faced undesirable prospects.
His mind snapped back to the present upon hearing a shuffling sound behind him, like some animal walking past a bush. Then a small, snapping sound followed, and his muscles tensed. He slowly turned to his left while gazing around the area with a frown. After turning nearly completely around, his eyes settled on Paige.
She wore a pair of faded blue jeans and short-sleeved Interpol rock concert t-shirt. Curiously, the shirt had a black and red image of a deer in a forest being watched by a camera. As she casually leaned against a tree trunk staring at him while snapping a thin length of tree branch into smaller pieces, he found the image on her t-shirt somewhat ironic for his circumstances. Of course, he was playing the part of the deer.
Her bright blue eyes stared back at him with a piercing intensity, which he found slightly unnerving.
"Trying to be subtle. Didn't want to scare you," she offered.
"You? Subtle?"
"Whatcha up to, tiger?" she asked, ignoring his sarcasm.
"Just taking a walk and thinking," he replied while folding his arms before him.
"Saw you take a walk on the video cameras earlier. But then you disappeared from around the complex, and nobody knew where you went. Kind of worried me," she said, noting his body language. "So, I had just enough time to change outta the stupid khakis and sport coat before sunset and figured I'd come looking for ya," she added.
"Thanks," he replied.
Of course, the fact that Paige is here and not Kat means my mate is blissfully unaware of the development.
Paige noted his dark mood and absently dropped the remaining pieces of branch to the ground.
"Shouldn't be out in the woods alone," she mildly chastised. "It's almost dark, and there are wolves around, you know."
He's seriously troubled over something.
"Yeah, well I haven't seen any. So, I'm feeling pretty safe right now."
The edges of her mouth upturned slightly as she adopted a fully-upright stance and playfully corrected him, "No wolves? I'm a bit of a wolf, remember? In fact, after I acquired a general idea of where you went, I tracked you here by your scent, Mister Rabbit."
He smirked at her comment, recalling a happier time just months ago when they had analogized her as a wolf and him as a rabbit.
"Ah, but don't forget, you're a friendly one, Miss Wolf," he fondly recollected. Then the fleeting moment faded as the recent, disappointing phone call replayed in his mind.
Paige's eyes flashed for a second before returning to their previous state, and she took two subtle steps in his direction.
Time to have some fun with him.
"Me? I'm not a friendly wolf, kiddo. I'm only friendly to you because I want to be," she clarified in a deliberately ominous voice. "We're predators, remember? I get really unfriendly when the mood strikes me."
He was unsettled by her suddenly edgy demeanor, but anticipated that she was just trying to distract him. Instead, her comment only increased his chagrin over his current situation.
"Tell me about it," he muttered while turning his back on her. "You vampires get all interested and friendly, and then suddenly you disappear or turn off like a damned light switch. And frankly, it just pisses me off."
"Hey, what gives?"
"Aw, crap. Just leave me alone, Paige," he fumed. He wasn't in the mood to play games.
She was completely taken aback by his retort and froze in her tracks as her mind raced to understand.
What the hell? Is it something I did?
She noted the tension in his body language and the fact that he had turned his back on her.
Okay then, rejection. Problems with the old lady maybe? But that's not all, I'd wager.
"Well, I'm here now. So why not talk to me?" she invited in a friendlier tone, all pretense of playing with him put aside for the moment.
Big sister's on duty now.
He shook his head and walked a few steps away to sit on the edge of one of the large, fallen tree trunks. While he kept his arms folded before him, his eyes softened somewhat as he looked at her.
"Never mind," he said. "You've got enough on your plate right now."
She shook her head.
Once again, tiger, you're trying to shoulder everything yourself.
Perching beside him, she placed a supportive arm across his shoulders. At first his muscles were tight, but then she felt him relax somewhat. She used her free hand to reach up and turn his face towards hers, insisting, "Hey, I'm your babysitter, your surrogate vampire. Talk to me, kiddo. Spill."
He stared back at her as darkness continued to fall around them. Then he shrugged.
"Well, first, Kat's been so distant with the conference distractions. Of course, that's when she's actually in the room. Most of the time, I never even see her. She's obsessing over Alton's latest project."
Paige remained silent as she lightly ran the tips of her fingernails across his shoulders.
It's a pretty big project, too, something not tried at this scale before. In the vampire world, this is "big time."
"And I got a phone call today," he continued. "It was from Dean Wright at the college. He said that the way the budget's looking, I may not have my faculty contract renewed in July."
Her eyes widened with surprise, and she began to realize how both of the things he mentioned were culminating to generate his bad mood.
He loves teaching.
"Okay, that's bad, I'll admit," she conceded while pulling him to her in a side-hug. "But it's not the end of the world. There are other teaching positions out there. Time to go job hunting. I mean, you nailed the position at your current college. You can do it again."
He incredulously stared back at her.
"You have no idea what you're even saying," he corrected with exasperation. "Do you know how lucky I was to land the job at the college in the first place? Think about it, Paige, isn't it a little strange that I'm a twenty-six-year-old straight out of graduate school, and yet I'm a full-time college professor? That just doesn't happen in the real world. Listen, it sucks to admit this, but I wasn't exactly their first choice on the hiring list."
Her eyebrow rose with surprise. "You weren't?"
He looked away. "No, I was at the bottom of their list of finalists. Of the four finalists, I was fourth."
"So, what happened there, then?" she asked.
He paused. "Dean Wright was pretty candid with me after I was hired. He said their first choice got a better counter-offer from another college. The second guy didn't like the salary range, and the third candidate didn't pass the pre-hiring drug test. So, that only left me. It sounds like I was just a name to pad out the finalist's sheet. Although I think Paul told me the story right off so I'd buckle down from the start. Yeah, as if I needed any incentive to do that."
Okay, that's pretty surprising, Paige admitted. Not that it changes my opinion about him, though.
"Does Katrina know that?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Are you kidding?" he chortled. "It's not something you go bragging about to your five-hundred-year-old, supermodel-looking, successful vampire-mate, now, is it?"
She winced at the pain evident in his voice and immediately regretted asking. Her mind searched for the right thing to say, but all she managed to do was increase her grip around his shoulders and hug him closer to her.
I wish I could fix this, but it's a little out of my league. It's not like I can just bleed dry the people who fire him, right?
Then she evilly smiled before discarding the idea altogether.
"Red's not going to think badly about you," she reassured him. "Hell, she loves you more than life itself, and I should know. What I'm trying to say is it doesn't matter in the end whether you're a professor or a window-washer. She loves you, the same as I do."
He peered into her bright blue eyes and noted her sincere look of sympathy. The edges of his mouth upturned slightly, and then his lips pressed together into a fine line again.
"But you see, it does matter," he insisted. "It matters to me. Being a professor was the one thing I could claim as my own special talent, my own niche in life. Soon, that may be gone too."
"Listen, if it's about the money..."
"And yeah, it's also about the money," he interrupted. "Geez, I'm already feeling inferior that she pays for these trips we take. Then I don't even pay more than the cost of groceries at the estate. Hell, if I lose my job, I'll be complete dead-weight!"
She couldn't help smiling a little bit at his retort, which he found infuriating.
"Just what's so damned funny?" he demanded.
Her expression turned serious. "Listen, tiger, I don't know if you've given it any thought or not, but a five-hundred-year-old vampire has had a lot of time to build up a nest egg. And consider that Alton, 'Mister Capitalism' himself, was her mentor. Doesn't a little light bulb pop on in your head? I mean, look, I'm only about a century old, and I'm doing okay, if you know what I mean. Thanks to some financial tips from Katrina, of course."
He appreciated all of that, but it really didn't help to alter his feelings over the matter. In fact, it made him feel a little worse.
"Well, yeah, I see a light bulb coming on," he sarcastically replied. "And it indicates that what little means I had to make my own way is about to go away. So, now I'm supposed to just completely mooch off all the wealthy vampires in my life?"
Paige's eyes flared with anger, and she popped him on the back of his head with the flat of her hand in a manner that nearly knocked him off the tree trunk.
"Hey!" he barked. "Take it easy!"
But instead of apologizing, she stood up before him and glared back at him.
"You -- You're just so full of crap, Caleb!" she admonished. "Do you think that you're worth is in any way balanced by your ability to pay your own way? Let me tell you something, twerp, you're being an idiot!"
He started to jump up from the log, but she moved in a blur and pushed him back onto the trunk.
"Dammit, Paige!" he shouted back at her while barely catching his balance from falling backwards. The effort twisted his still-achy back somewhat, causing him to wince slightly.
"No! You listen to me now," Paige demanded. "Money is just a means to us, a necessary facet. It's all just material stuff. It makes life easier. But it's not what we're about, Caleb. We're mostly about the blood, and, trust me, you've got some good tastin' blood for a human."
Her mind easily recalled the smell and taste of his blood when she had helped heal his chest wound just prior to last Christmas. It had taken all her control not to drain him dry, actually. He tasted amazing to her.
His eyes suspiciously narrowed. "Just what the hell do you mean by that?"
She adopted an almost cruel expression and paused for a moment to consider him.
Time for a way-overdue dose of reality, young one.
"That wonderful red stuff running through your veins right now means more to a vampire than a truckload of money," she pressed. "But it's more than that. With you, Katrina gets a mate. She gets your love, your body, your devotion, your companionship, and your blood. Don't judge us by conventional human values or goals. Money has no motivation for Katrina, or to me, for that matter. Hell, her savings practically compounds itself faster than you could ever spend it."
He blinked with surprise, his mind trying to process everything that she was telling him. His heart raced in his chest as he tried to make sense of it all. Meanwhile, she crossed her arms in front of her and silently stared at him as if watching time pass before her eyes.
I just don't want to be a mooch, he fumed.
"Okay, so maybe I didn't realize everything," he stammered. "I just felt -"
"...sorry for yourself," she interrupted him.
His mouth snapped shut, and he looked away.
Maybe a little bit, he conceded.
"I just want to be useful for something," he absently whispered. "I want to contribute."
Her temper had abated somewhat, though she observed him with narrowed eyes before reaching out to grasp him firmly by the upper arm. He took notice of her hand before looking back into her eyes, which he gratefully noticed were no longer glowing.
"Your worth is determined by who you are as a mate, friend, and companion," she stipulated. "Not by your bank account, credit score, career, or job title. There may come a day when all that would be useless to your circumstances anyway."
He was taken aback by her comment and pressed, "What does that mean?"
"Play your cards right, and you may find yourself a little more than human someday," she alluded.
His eyes widened at the mention of a forbidden topic between him and Katrina, one of the seven all-important rules he had promised to uphold.
But it's not a forbidden topic between Paige and me, he realized.
"You mean, I may actually be turned," he ventured out loud.
Turned into a vampire.
Paige's mood abruptly shifted from intense to off-handed, and she merely shrugged.
"Who knows," she equivocated. "It's not something that's been discussed with me. But you never know, I suppose."
Not my place to offer, she silently berated herself. He belongs to Katrina, not me. The latter realization generated a momentary pang of both regret and longing in her.
A series of silent moments passed between them, and he realized just how dark the forest had become while they argued. If not for Paige's pale skin, he might lose sight of her in her dark clothes. Most of the nearby trees were merely dark images around them. It was a little unnerving, and he was suddenly grateful for her proximity.
"Listen, I didn't mean to piss you off," he offered with resignation. "I'm just an idiot sometimes, like you said."
She sighed. "Yeah, well, I didn't mean to belittle your circumstances, I suppose. Just grow up a little bit, will you, tiger?"
"Yeah," he acknowledged with a nod. "I get it."
She flirtatiously smiled and added, "But don't grow up too much, okay? I like a little occasional immaturity in my men. Keeps you playful."
He rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I'm just sayin'," she added, sensing his mood improve by the moment.
"Whatever," he countered in his best Valley Boy impression.
She effortlessly watched him in the darkness with her vampire-enhanced vision and felt encouraged.
"Friends?" she softly asked.
The hint of a smile formed on his lips, and he nodded.
"Friends."
She slowly moved forwards and embraced him in a tender hug, perching her chin atop his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and appreciated both their closeness and the closure of their argument. Then she turned her face towards him and pressed her soft lips against the skin of his cheek in a gentle kiss.
"You mean a lot to me," she tenderly whispered. "Love you, kiddo."
He sincerely whispered, "Love you too, Paige."
A warm feeling passed through him, and he momentarily wished that a similar experience could be shared between him and Katrina again soon.
One problem at a time, he resigned.
"Don't say anything to Kat about this layoff stuff, okay?" he stipulated. "It's not completely a done deal yet."
"Sure," she conceded, though she wasn't left feeling very hopeful.
It really doesn't sound good for the poor kid.
After a couple of moments, she gently disengaged from their embrace. She playfully patted her hands against his body in a rapid flurry of slaps, demanding, "Okay, you moonlight-groper, back to the hotel already."
"Yeah, probably a good idea," he agreed and headed into the trees to their right.
Unfortunately, he was going in the wrong direction. Paige shook her head with disgust and darted forwards. She grasped him by the hand, pulling him after her as she stomped headfirst into the forest in a completely different direction.
"Come on, Daniel Boone, let's get you back to civilization," she half-teased, half-admonished.
As they walked among the trees, a wolf howled in the distance.
"Hey, that's a wolf," he said with surprise.
"See? Told you," she muttered with satisfaction.
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was rather late in the evening. Paige agreed to sit with him while he ate dinner in the main dining room, during which time she noted something odd. The few human patrons in the room furtively glanced at Caleb, and some whispered to each other after doing so.
She carefully listened in on some comments from nearby people and discovered that one patron viewed Caleb and Dori's recent experiences with the local police negatively. Another comment suggested they had brought it on themselves. It took her practiced sense of control not to rush over to give the person an earful over that.
"Not real popular lately, are you, kiddo?" she asked before sipping from a glass of Coke, which she intended to exchange for a mug of warm blood sometime soon because her formerly ignored hunger was approaching an unpleasant level.
He looked up from his plate of chicken paprika, a local dish made with a creamy sauce containing spicy, red paprika served over noodles. "Not so much," he conceded with a gander at the room's patrons before returning to his pasta.
Admittedly, it bothered him, but he had much bigger problems on his hands to contend with.
A clerk from the main desk strode into the dining room and headed over to where they were seated. The lady extended a small white envelope to Caleb.
"Mr. Taylor, this was left for you at the main desk," the young woman pleasantly offered. "I was going to deliver it to your suite, but one of the other clerks said they saw you enter the dining room."
"Thanks," he replied as he turned the envelope over in his hand. It was labeled Mr. Caleb Taylor in an ornate script.
Paige curiously stared at the retreating desk clerk and then focused on the envelope. "Something from Red?"
He slipped open the seal and withdrew a white piece of paper with a single sentence: The vault - 10 pm -- tonight.
"Strange," he remarked and handed the message to Paige.
She peeked at her watch. "Hey, it's 10:10 already."
"Let's go then," he excitedly insisted while rising from the table.
"Whoa, tiger," she admonished, grasping his wrist with a sweep of her hand. "Let's ask ourselves why someone wants you where you know you can't go in the first place?"
As escape from her grasp seemed futile, he capitulated.
"Yeah, but what if they altered conditions so that I can?" he countered.
She released his wrist, pursing her lips. "Interesting theory. Let's go see."
They left enough cash to cover dinner and departed the nearly empty dining room in the direction of the main lobby. They proceeded to the main elevator, where they were the only people waiting for the car. The area was relatively devoid of traffic since the vampires were still in conference.
Inside the elevator, Paige pressed the button for the lower level where the vault was located. Much to her surprise, the LCD screen next to the small keypad immediately indicated the message: Code accepted.
The car descended, and Caleb looked at her with a surprised expression.
"I'm just as puzzled as you are," she said simply.
When the doors opened, they stepped into a large, dimly lit storage area that had all the trappings of being a large basement. Heavy-duty metal shelves were arrayed into rows and appeared stocked with boxes and crates of supplies and materials.
"Not very impressive," he dryly observed.
"It was just a basement storage area before the vault was installed, after all," she explained. "The vault's at the very back against the foundation wall."
They proceeded down a couple of aisles of shelves, continuing to the back of the concrete-walled basement. A shiny metal-looking vault stood at the very back of the bay area.
Using her keen senses, Paige detected no other presence besides them. She thought that everything seemed in place, except that the large shiny vault door was ajar.
The vault door looked like one belonging in a bank or financial institution. From the front, the dimensions of the vault were twelve feet wide and nearly ten feet tall, and it was composed of thick reinforced steel. An electronic control pad was at the left of the door on the wall facing about four feet high from the floor.
"Well, the vault door's certainly open," she noted.
With her leading the way, the two of them went to the door, which she easily pried open the rest of the way. She peered inside and noted that the interior lights were bright. The walls to the left and right were lined with locked safe deposit boxes of various sizes, except for a smaller section of wall immediately before them, which blocked her view into the main interior. They stepped inside and walked around the small section of wall, revealing a black, executive-sized briefcase on the floor at the opposite side of the vault.
"Well, there's something worth checking out," Paige noted and led the way into the vault.
They made their way across the twelve-foot span to the back of the vault where the briefcase was sitting. Paige reached down and popped open the latches, which weren't locked. Inside, there was nothing but a single folded piece of white paper.
She unfolded the page as Caleb peered at it while crouching next to her.
It read: TOO BAD!
Paige looked up with surprise just in time to see the vault door slamming shut behind them. The petite vampire sped across the distance to the door in a blur, but not fast enough to stop the door from closing into place. She slammed into the door with the force of her body, but the locking mechanism had already initiated itself.
"Open this door!" she yelled so loudly that Caleb winced.
There was no response.
"Don't worry. The security person covering the surveillance monitors will see us on the camera," she assured him.
"Somehow I don't think so," he slowly replied as he pointed up to the surveillance camera that's indicator light was off.
She looked up at the camera with disdain. "Okay, that sucks."
"Can't we just yell until someone hears us?" he asked.
She grumbled, "It's practically soundproof. We're sealed in here until that door opens."
He threw up his hands in irritation, feeling like a rat caught in a trap.
Then the lights went out, leaving them standing in complete darkness.
He looked around with alarm, feeling as if he were floating in empty space. A wave of disorientation washed over him, and his heartbeat substantially increased.
"It's okay, Caleb," she offered in a soothing voice. "It's just you and me in here, so there's nothing to be afraid of."
She decided not to scare him further by telling him that vault had an airtight seal.
He stared in the direction of her voice and saw her blue eyes glowing at him from across the room.
"Paige," he carefully asked. "Are you angry right now?"
She rolled her eyes and snapped, "Pretty much."
"Good, better than being hungry," he absently observed.
Her bright glowing eyes widened as she stared back at him. "Actually, I am a little hungry, now that you mention it."
His eyes darted to hers. With his growing vampire knowledge and experience, he knew full well that being alone and trapped in a room with a hungry vampire wasn't an enviable prospect for a human. It had a tendency to shorten one's life span.
He snatched the cell phone from his belt and stared at the illuminated screen, only to have his hopes instantly doused.
"Dammit, no signal," he groused.
Having already anticipated that, she nevertheless looked at her own cell phone for confirmation and muttered, "Yeah, pretty much crap."
He felt a stab of anxiety and began to back up slowly to the nearest wall, stopping only when he felt the cool metal deposit box doors at his back.
She observed his action, capable of seeing relatively well in darkness, and moved to his side to place a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"Listen, no worries," she soothingly offered. "I'm here to protect you. Hell, I've saved your life on two occasions in the past year."
He contemplated how she had earned the amusing title of babysitter by her actions against a houseful of armed mercenaries that had attacked them while they were held up in Katrina's mansion. She had single-handedly killed all the attackers, except one that he had disabled with a crowbar.
Then he recalled that it was an injection of Paige's blood that had saved his life from a near-fatal knife wound to his chest soon after the mercenary attack when Chimalma had attacked him. All in all, she had proven to be a formidable friend and protector. However, he realized that a vampire's hunger might eventually trump their normal, rational decision-making capabilities.
"You may not have a choice if your hunger grows too strong," he ominously countered. "Kat said that younger vampires need blood more frequently. And even at nearly a century old, you've told me yourself that you're considered a teenager by vampire standards. And most teens have a hearty appetite."
She paused to consider his statement.
"We still have some time. Katrina and the others will probably find us before it comes to that."
"How much time?" he pressed.
"Three, maybe four hours," she calculated.
"Three or four hours?" he retorted. "You're supposed to be able to go over a day without feeding!"
His heart rate raced as he calculated just how little time they might have before things turned ugly. He checked his watch and noticed that it was nearly 2 am and realized he just might end up being for breakfast.
"I've been kind of busy, if you haven't noticed," she pointed out.
He immediately tried to calm himself, appreciating that angering a hungry vampire was probably a bad idea, no matter how dedicated she might be to protecting him.
"Look," he gently apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm just a little unnerved, okay? My bad."
Paige's eyes flashed, and she snapped, "Just stop that, Caleb. I'm fine! You're starting to weird me out a little bit."
His mouth snapped shut, and he just stood silently against the wall of miniature doors.
"Well, so much for being Supergirl," she commented, recalling her analogy with Katrina back in Atlanta.
"What?"
"Aw, nothin'," she whispered dejectedly.
He smirked as he contemplated his DC Comics knowledge.
"If anything, you're more like Wonder Girl. She was a cute, short-haired blonde with blue eyes, just like you. As a matter of fact, she was a Teen Titan and a pretty cool one."
After only a moment, he felt Paige's warm breath against his face. Her soft lips lightly pressed against his cheek to place a quick, appreciative kiss.
"You're such a nerd, kiddo. But you're my nerd," she offered before sitting on the floor near his feet. "Hey, have a seat, and let's try to relax, all right?"
Rather, let's conserve the air. His agitated state would use up more oxygen.
Her tone was more like the optimistic vampire that he had grown to know and adore, and he slipped down the wall until he sat next to her.
The minutes seemed to last forever as they waited. Finally, he leaned his head back against the wall and started dozing. His sleep patterns had been disrupted by all the erratic events since their arrival, so he made the best of an opportunity to rest.
As she contemplated matters, Paige reached over with one hand to gently guide his head to lean against her shoulder.
Not a good situation.
The impasse over the latest topic within the conference room was enough to make Katrina scream. They had come so close to agreement upon the simple premise of performing a poll of vampires abroad on common points of vested interest. Yet, minutes later, an argument ensued over who would tally the results and how transparent reporting would be conducted in a timely fashion.
She wanted to strangle Dominic Ambrogio for his series of obstructionist objections since the conference began. Though Ambrogio attempted to be subtle by adopting the Socratic method of inquiry, it was becoming obvious to both her and Alton that the vampire had to be part of some organized conspiracy against the conference's success.
A knock sounded at the door, creating a sudden lull in the discussions. One of the guards outside entered and handed a small folded piece of paper to Alton before smartly departing the room.
Alton unfolded the note as all eyes in the room gravitated to him. After mere seconds, he passed the note to Katrina.
She read: Paige and Caleb missing. Video surveillance disruptions hampering the search. - Dori
Her eyes widened with immediate concern, and she rose from her chair. Alton grabbed her wrist to stop her, and she glared at him.
"I apologize, but a security matter has risen that requires immediate attention," Alton announced to the group. "There's no need for immediate concern by you or hotel guests, but I recommend that we adjourn at least until tomorrow morning. Additional information will be forthcoming. We're adjourned."
Katrina jerked her arm free from Alton's grasp and was the first one to barrel through the door on her way to the lobby. Alton closely followed at her heels with a tight-lipped expression.
Upon entering the security office, Dori looked up from the video surveillance workstations. Major Pietari stood beside her, and a security officer sat at the desk.
"Status report," Alton ordered before Katrina could say anything.
"We're having problems with the video surveillance system," the major crisply replied. "It's nothing serious, but we experienced a blackout period a few hours ago. We're rebuilding the video streams manually leading up to the outage."
"And what about the whereabouts of Caleb and Paige," Katrina demanded.
The major frowned. "Their whereabouts are currently unknown, but our security officers are trying to locate them now. However, we have no reason to believe anything untoward has occurred."
"So, your captain of security just disappears without notice, as well as a hotel guest, and you see nothing suspicious about that?" Katrina sarcastically challenged. She was beginning to dislike the major.
Pietari's jaw clenched, and he glared back at the red-haired vampire. "Ms. Rawlings, the captain was off-duty. It's not as if she needed to report her activities. And I'm to understand that she's some sort of surrogate to Mr. Taylor, so it's possible the two of them went out together or something. At this point, I have no evidence to suggest anything nefarious has taken place. Besides, I'm confident she's more than capable of handling herself."
Alton stared at the major, and then looked at Dori, whose expression was pensive.
"What do we know about their last known location?" he asked.
The major started to speak up, but Dori interrupted him, "We just brought the last good video streams online. The lobby camera showed them heading towards the main elevator. Then the feeds all went offline."
"Institute a room-by-room search immediately," Alton ordered.
The major's eyes narrowed. "Mr. Rutherford, I'm afraid I must object. That seems quite an overreaction. I think that it's in everyone's best interests to consult the hotel manager first."
Alton's eyes flashed bright hazel, and his steely gaze locked onto the major's.
The office door abruptly opened to reveal a bleary-eyed, middle-aged man wearing casual slacks and a slightly wrinkled dress shirt. Katrina immediately recognized him from a photo on the information board in the lobby as Stanislav Vlaeva, the hotel manager. He had the look of someone who wasn't happy to be up at such a late hour.
"What's going on?" Vlaeva asked.
"Merely a video surveillance failure," the major offered. "I'm sorry you were disturbed over -"
"Yes, yes," Alton irritably interjected. "Captain Turner and Mr. Caleb Taylor have also gone missing, which seems to coincide with the time of the surveillance failure. I just instructed the major to begin a room-by-room search."
"I respectfully object," Pietari blurted.
Vlaeva briefly eyed Alton and then focused on Major Pietari. "Do it," he flatly ordered.
The major appeared visibly taken aback by the manager's sudden deference to Alton.
"As you wish," he curtly acknowledged. He turned and walked over to a small radio unit nearby to issue the order.
Katrina's impatience was nearly uncontrollable as her mind raced to consider multiple variables at once. Alton motioned to Dori with a nod of his head and tapped his hand in the small of Katrina's back to get her attention. He led the two women out into the main hallway.
"What happened?" he asked Dori upon ensuring that the hallway was relatively clear of bystanders.
"I went to find Caleb with some new information that I acquired," Dori explained. "He wasn't in his suite, which seemed strange at such a late hour."
"You entered our suite?" Katrina interjected.
Dori adopted a meek expression. "He didn't answer the phone, so I stopped by to knock at the door. Given everything that's happened, I was afraid that something might be wrong, and since Alton had a master key..."
Katrina wasn't entirely pleased with that revelation, but let it slide for the moment.
"And?" Alton gently prompted while tentatively glancing at Katrina.
"He wasn't there, so I went to consult with Paige," Dori continued. "I learned that she was off-duty, but nobody could reach her by cell phone or radio. That also concerned me, and that's when I found out from the officer on duty that there was also a system wide surveillance outage. It all seemed too coincidental."
"Good instincts," Katrina complimented, despite her misgivings about the master key.
"Thanks," Dori gracefully accepted before refocusing her attention on Alton. "Thus far, the guards are all searching inside the hotel, but primarily in the publically accessible areas."
"What about the grounds?" Alton asked.
Dori shrugged.
"I'll run a circuit outside," Katrina offered. "Maybe I can still catch a scent or other clue." She was happy to do anything besides sit and wait.
"Fine, but make sure that you're cell's online, or better yet, take a radio. It will be easier to monitor the situation," Alton said.
Katrina entered the security office to acquire a radio. She realized that Paige was more than capable of handling herself, but she worried over what the two of them may have run into.
Caleb was jarred slightly from the midst of a weird dream about wandering aimlessly in the dark. He illuminated his watch and lamented that nearly two and a half hours had already passed. Then he observed Paige's blue eyes shining like two orbs in the darkness. It seemed that they were brighter than before his brief nap.
"Paige?" he softly asked. "How are you doing?"
"Much hungrier, unfortunately," she said in a tight voice.
He swallowed, realizing that he was also feeling a little thirsty, although his thirst didn't involve attacking his nearest friend.
Then inspiration struck; an idea that seemed logical, albeit somewhat unorthodox.
"Hey," he ventured, "what if you just feed on me now, while you can still control your urges? Just a little, enough to keep your hunger under control."
She conceded the logic of his idea. "Nice, but what's rule number three, kiddo?"
He thought back to the rules that Katrina had made him swear to obey and recited from memory, "I must never willingly give or submit myself to another vampire."
"Exactly," she said with a note of finality.
Then her eyes narrowed, and she turned to stare back at Caleb with surprise.
"What?" he asked.
"You were right about feeding before the urge gets too strong. But you can't offer me your blood, according to Katrina's rules."
He remained silent, not really seeing how that helped matters.
"But if I take your blood instead of you giving it, then you're not at fault," she carefully explained. "You won't get punished, and I won't go into a feeding frenzy. It's a win-win solution for everybody."
"Wait a minute. Why does it even matter? It's just us. Who'll know the difference?" he challenged.
"Already thought about that, kiddo," she offered. "Listen, we're both gonna get interrogated by Katrina once this is over, and she's going to tell in a second that you're lying. You're her mate, Caleb. Don't ever lie to her...ever."
He shivered slightly at the tone of her voice.
"Rule number seven. Repeat it," she ordered in an uncustomary stern voice.
"Never lie in matters concerning any of the aforementioned rules," he said with exasperation. "Okay, so it would've been a mistake, wouldn't it?"
"Big mistake," she soberly agreed.
Particularly given how strict Red is about these things.
Silence reigned for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, Paige quietly asked, "Listen. Turn away from me for a second, would you please?"
He frowned. Strange request.
Then he shrugged and scooted on the floor until he was turned away from her. In the span of a second, he felt Paige's soft arm slither underneath his arms from behind, placing him in an effective arm bar. Using only one arm, she immediately applied enough pressure to immobilize his arms behind him. Fortunately for him, while her efforts had surprised him, it had caused no unbearable pain.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What the hell's this all about?"
"I care about you too much to let you break the rules," she replied with concern. "I'm going to feed from you now."
"Fine, I'm not trying to fight you," he retorted, deliberately relaxing his body while in her grasp. "This was my idea, remember? So, start nibbling."
"Right, but you need to struggle a little bit here or you won't have an alibi. You can't offer your blood to me."
"This is stupid. Forget it," he refused.
She irritably growled. "Listen to me, tiger, and listen closely."
His body tensed, unsettled by her dark tone.
"I'm counting to three, and then you better try like hell to get away from me," she ordered. "Or I'm going to bite you in the neck, but without the nice numbing effect that you're used to. Remember how it felt when Katrina tore into your shoulder last year?"
A chill went down his spine as he recalled the time when Katrina had a post-traumatic experience in the form of a nightmare as she slept next to him. She had abruptly attacked him; brutally tearing into his shoulder. He had experienced pain and trauma unlike any other.
"Paige, don't do this," he pleaded.
"One," she counted in a flat tone.
"Please, don't," he begged.
"Two," she continued unabated.
His muscles tightened, and he came to an immediate decision, despite his reservations.
"Three," she whispered harshly into his ear.
Her hot breath felt like the first belch of an erupting volcano. But he struggled to remain calm, even while steeling himself for the pain that was sure to follow.
"Fine. Do it. But I love you, and I refuse to resist when I have the ability to give you what you need," he boldly declared. "Your very own blood saved my life after Chimalma nearly killed me. The least I can do is offer mine to you. I give it freely and without reservations. To hell with the consequences."
She held his arms in a tight vise-like grip, knowing full well his shoulders probably ached. But then she abruptly released him from the arm bar.
Damn him!
She struggled to dissipate her frustration and reclaim a sense of calm.
"Lean your body back against me," she finally relented in a subdued tone.
He scooted backwards until her outstretched legs were flanking him and leaned back against her warm body.
She positioned her back against the vault wall and wrapped her right arm around his chest from behind. Reaching up with her left hand, she soothingly ran her fingertips through his hair. She felt the tension in his muscles abate. Then she firmly grasped a handful of his hair in her fist and pulled his head to the left to expose the right side of his neck fully to her.
"Ow, ow, no hair pulling!" he complained as a stinging sensation shot through his scalp.
"Sorry, I'm really just trying to help with those 'compliance issues' when you have to recount this later," she teased.
However, she also took a perverse pleasure in doing it to him, partly from the frustration over his defiance and partly from an innate desire to be assertive with him. She pulled his hair in a steady fashion until his head was tilted exactly where she wanted him. In the darkness, she could hear the throbbing of his heartbeat and the blood rushing through the arteries in his neck.
"Nicely done, kiddo," she purred in a satisfied tone. "You're complying really well."
His head lay against her left shoulder as she craned her head around to reach his neck with her lips. Then she slowly, ever so lightly, kissed the exposed side of his soft neck once, twice, and a third time.
She relished that moment; the feeling of a prey's submission was thrilling. Then she stopped, silently berating herself for thinking of him as prey. He was so much more than that to her.
Despite his anxiety, he appreciated her attentions. The effect was somewhat soothing and satisfying, but then she jerked his hair again, and he winced.
"Hey, what gives?" he demanded.
She giggled. "Can't let you enjoy this too much, just for the record, you understand."
He scoffed out loud, thinking that it was she who was enjoying this a little too much. Then he felt her soft lips form around a spot on his neck, followed by her silky moist tongue pressing against his skin. She lightly flicked her tongue back and forth, and it tickled. He wriggled slightly in her arms from the sensation.
"Everything okay?" she asked. Despite her earlier aggravation, she wanted to make the experience special for him.
"Your tongue. It tickles," he whispered with the formation of a grin.
Kat never does this to me, he noted.
She smiled against the skin of his soft neck and murmured, "I know. This is just for you, tiger."
The entire experience took on a special significance for him. When Katrina and he shared this experience, it always felt like a communion. And though a feeding of necessity for Paige's benefit, the significance of the moment felt so much more.
He felt the telltale numbing sensation forming around the area where she intended to bite him. The numbness was soothing, and he was suddenly very grateful for it.
"Thank you," he appreciatively mumbled.
She playfully tugged at his hair again and whispered into his neck, "Oh, hush. Hold still."
He froze in place and felt two light pinpricks against his numbed skin, followed by a slight increase in pressure in his neck. The handful of his hair that she held in her left hand ensured that he remained still as her mouth sealed against his skin. Within seconds, he heard little suckling and slurping noises as his blood effortlessly passed into her mouth.
He further relaxed his body, and she released her grip on his hair, instead soothingly massaging his scalp. Time seemed to stand still for him, and he closed his eyes, listening to her feed on him. It was similar to his experiences with Katrina, but somehow different, almost as if Paige had a different technique for the process. Despite an act of necessity, it somehow felt as if he and Paige were growing closer to each other, sharing something equally intimate between them. The realization surprised him.
After a period of time, she ceased drinking, and he felt increased numbness in his neck. She was healing the puncture marks that she had made, as well as reducing the soreness that he might have otherwise felt in the wound area, precisely as Katrina always did for him.
The seal of her lips against his neck ceased, and she affectionately kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm grateful to you for providing your blood to me," she softly said. "You have no idea just how painful the hunger for blood can be when it becomes urgent."
And you have no idea how utterly amazing your blood tastes, she silently added.
He knew what it was to feel intense hunger, though the concept of a vampire's blood urge was something totally foreign to him. In truth, he had no basis for comparison. He only knew what Katrina had told him about it.
I'm happy that I could help Paige. She means the world to me.
As if sensing his thoughts, she used her hand to tilt his face towards hers and lightly kissed him on the lips. Despite his surprise, he gently returned her kiss in kind.
A momentary surge, like an electric shock, ran through her, and her eyes widened with surprise.
"You're a pretty good kisser, kiddo," she complimented. "I see why Red likes smooching on you so much."
He felt himself blush. "You're not too bad, yourself."
A pang of guilt followed as he realized just how much he had enjoyed it.
The petite vampire breathed in, suddenly sensing just how little air was remaining in the relatively small vault.
What if nobody finds us in time?
Perhaps it was that simple moment's realization of potential doom, or that her partaking in his blood created increased feelings for him. Either way, Paige resolved that there were things that she wanted to say to him just in case conditions worsened.
"You mean so much to me," she said. "I can't imagine life without you, in fact. I-I love you, Caleb," she whispered as her throat tightened from that earnest declaration.
The powerful level of emotion behind her admission frightened her. It was a unique feeling in her century of existence, and she was happy that the darkness precluded him from seeing the emotions reflected on her face.
"I love you too, Paige. You're so much more than just a friend after all we've been through together. I can never repay you for saving my life -- twice, no less."
She paused, uncertain that he appreciated the depth of her feelings, or the revelation that she had just shared. It was a dangerous admission on her part, and she resigned herself to the satisfaction of knowing that at least she had said it to him and fully embraced it within herself.
"In as much as I'm your surrogate vampire, I suppose you've become a sort of surrogate companion to me, kiddo."
She was almost shocked at laying her feelings out in the open as she did and at the sense of emotional vulnerability that accompanied it. Yet a part of her worried that if someone didn't find them soon, it might be her only chance to reveal such things to him.
He was extremely flattered and humbled by her declaration, though he found it somewhat odd that she would take such a moment to reveal those feelings. Their circumstances made it all seem strange, somewhat out of place.
"I've felt that about you for some time, too," he confessed. "I realized that when I came out to California to find you. But Katrina's my mate, and I'd never want to compromise that."
"I know that," she said. "And I would never want to put you in a circumstance where you'd have to compromise yourself. You and Kat are great together, and it makes me happy just to see you both so happy."
However, part of her was genuinely jealous of her red-haired friend and angry that fate could be so ironic where her heart was concerned.
"Except that I broke a serious rule in this vault," he darkly concluded, not looking forward to the time when he would have to confess it to Katrina.
"Hey, this was a special circumstance," she cautioned him. "You're not taking the fall for breaking any rules. I'll damn sure set Red straight about this."
"I wish you could find a worthy mate, someone who'd make you happy," he whispered, recalling how poorly her previous boyfriend, Gil, had worked out for her.
She scowled in the darkness.
"Don't worry about it. I'm okay for now," she declared, though perhaps more for her own benefit than his. "But if I were looking for a mate, I'd want him to be a lot like you," she whispered as her eyes watered slightly.
He grinned at the compliment, unable to see the strain reflected in her features.
"But, of course, somebody that's much more assertive and rugged than you. And someone who dances somewhat better than a Muppet," she teased, trying to break the solemnity of the moment. She fondly recalled the humorous comment that he had made about his dancing back in February, which suddenly seemed like a lifetime ago.
He started to chuckle, but felt as if it required some effort to take in a full breath. As he started to scoot away from her, she reached out with both arms and easily pulled his body back against hers. The temperature in the vault was very cool, and her body felt warm and soothing for him to lean against.
"Rest now. I'm sure it won't be long before someone checks the vault," she optimistically offered as she gently used her hand to press his head back against her shoulder so that he would be more comfortable.
The truth was that she was beginning to have doubts as to their chances of being discovered in time and wanted to make him as comfortable as possible without alarming him to the danger. A surge of sadness coursed through her system as she felt so powerless to rescue him from their circumstances.
If it's the last thing I do, somebody's going to pay for this, she angrily vowed.
Caleb mulled over their trapped circumstances as he leaned his head back against Paige's shoulder. Then time passed, and he felt increasingly tired. He failed to take note of when he lost consciousness.