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BOOK #7

Twilight of the Gods series Dawn of Progeny

Chapter -1- Twenty-Five years later...

Sunday, February 28, 2049 - 5pm District Coast Time zone (-1 GMT) Washington D.C.

Kalen Kincade stood up atop the Watergate building in old Washington D.C. He narrowed his gaze watching a helicopter come in over the crumbling ruins of Interstate 66. The chopper appeared damaged, listing slightly.

He walked to the edge of the building and gazed down to the parking lot then stepped off the side. The ground rushed up to meet him. He bent his knees to absorb the impact and dropped to all fours with his right hand between his feet. He stood up amidst a plume of dust.

Kalen glanced down at the cracked concrete then furtively about himself. Satisfied his act remained private, he began walking towards the northwest. He crossed through a broken building, destroyed by floodwaters, covered in graffiti. He paused and sniffed at the air.

No sooner did he inhale, a man came out from beneath a stairwell. "Nice jacket," said the man. "You got any Vitamins? Soap? Antibiotics? You wanna trade? I have bullets."

Kalen shook his head. "I'm from the mainland. I don't carry supplies. I'm sorry."

"You came to the District Coast without supplies?" The man brought a small handgun up and put it against Kalen's hip. "A little pale aren't you, kid? I'll take the jacket."

"I need the extra pockets, or I'd give it to you. I'm sorry but I don't have time for this today. Excuse me."

"Hey," said the man with the small revolver. "You stupid rich piece of shit. Do you know what we've gone through over here? It's a third-world country, you son of a bitch. Now give me the jacket."

Kalen sighed and reached for the man's weapon. Twisting it out of the man's grip with ease, Kalen turned about and curled his lips up in a semi-snarl. Kincade's incisors extended by two centimeters. He hissed at the man like an angry cat.

The man took a step back, perplexed. "And people think I'm weird. You some kinda' freak?"

Kalen threw the gun back into the stairwell. "You want to find out? Now piss off." He waited, watching as the man slinked back into the shadows and disappeared.

Kincade licked his fangs and dusted his pants. He turned to a nearby building and stepped through a door where there was once a pane of glass. Kalen moved swiftly, ducking the horizontal handle in the middle. He stepped back outside through a hole in the wall and continued northwest.

Up ahead, George Washington University Hospital came into view. The helicopter lifted back off the roof, retreating great haste.

Kalen quickened his step, passing onto the hospital grounds. An armed guard approached from a booth at the end of the parking lot. Kalen withdrew his wallet and said, "I'm from the mainland." He thumbed a flap, showing a recently dated stamp on a card in the billfold. "I'm up to date on my vaccinations."

"Fine." The armed guard gestured for Kalen to continue. "Main lobby entrance is over there."

Kalen followed the man's finger, nodded and crossed the cracked asphalt blacktop. The remains of the hospital were in desperate need for repair. A faded waterline was present at waist height, even with the door handles. He opened the doors and stepped inside.

"Excuse me," he said to an androgynous looking youth at the information desk. "Which way to the top floor?"

The person at the desk brought a handheld radio up and thumbed the talk button. Their gender became more apparent when they spoke in a husky, masculine voice. "I got a guy at the front desk, did you check him?"

A moment later the voice of the man from the parking lot came over the unit in reply. "Yeah, he's up to date. He checks out; from the mainland."

"Thanks." The young man put the radio down on the counter with a wan smile. His teeth were freshly brushed but far from white. "The stairs over there will take you almost to the top. Then you'll have to cross the hall and take another staircase the rest of the way up. Are you here about that thing they just delivered?"

Kalen nodded with a practiced smile. "Why yes, I am. Ah ... my handler hasn't said much about it. Do you know what it is?"

"No one tells me nothing," said the youthful male. "We weren't even scheduled to receive anything today. When you find out, will you let me know? First excitement in a while. Can't help but wonder."

"Sure thing," Kalen said with a firm nod. "Remind me on the way out. Do I have to sign in?"

"This isn't the mainland."

"This university is two hundred twenty-five years old this year. I'm glad to see it's still open."

"Wow. You're smart. But it hasn't been a university since the tidal wave, before I was born. They just reopened it two years ago. That's progress, huh? Hey, that's a nice jacket. Is it true that everyone is rich over on the mainland?"

"No. But even the poor towns have Federal funding. This whole strip of land looks like a third world country, no offense. Have you ever been to Europe or America?"

"Afraid not, mister. My dad told me they have something called the 'internet,' where you can see pictures of anything anytime you want. Is that true?"

"Yes. You have one of the best jobs on the coast. You work at a hospital. Save up. You'll see the rest of the world in due time, young man."

"Does everyone have teeth as white as yours?"

"Pardon?"

"Sorry. It's just ... I don't get many people through here. Especially people from the Continental United States." The kid offered a crooked smile. "See ya."

Kalen nodded then made his way to the stairs. He took them two at a time. Once at the top, he crossed the hall and took another staircase to the top. He followed old fading signs towards the roof. At the end of the hall a trio of people dressed scrubs were struggling to push a large object through the hallway.

Kincade approached the group. "Need help?" He withdrew his wallet and showed them identification then tucked it back into a pocket.

"It's heavy," a woman said from the left side of the strange looking contraption. "You're from the mainland huh? Why are you here?"

"Lynn, he's offering to help."

"You know how people from the US like to judge our hospital." She turned to Kalen with a smirk. "You know this city used to be the capital of the United States before the whole strip ripped away and moved out to sea. And the bastards over there just abandoned us."

"I'm here to speak to the phlebotomist, Miss." Kalen offered a wan smile. "I'm wearing shoes with good traction. Let me help. Where does this large contraption go ... and incidentally, what is it?"

"Not sure," said one of the two men from behind the object. "There's a person inside and it's running on some sort of battery backup unit. The glass on the top is really cold. But I think he's alive. A helicopter just dropped it off and left, saying they were going to set down somewhere else and come back for it, due to technical problems. They asked us to hook it up to the main power."

Kalen moved up over the side of the enormous piece of equipment and gazed down at the frozen body of a young bald man. "Christ, he looks like ... no, that's impossible. He's dead."

"Excuse me?" said the woman. "He looks like who?"

"He reminds me a little bit of my friend who passed away. This guy has the same nose. I wonder if they're related."

"If you're going to help us move this thing, then let's go," said Lynn.

Kalen pondered the face for a moment more. He slid back down and moved around behind it. "Just guide it whichever way you want it to go." He began pushing it firmly, using his shoulder and a low center of gravity. "Where to?"

"Not exactly sure yet. It was out of the blue. The crew of the helicopter seemed panicked. There's a large room at the end of the hall and we can plug it in there."

The third man moved to a corner, helping to guide the bulky containment unit. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this man is in cryogenic stasis. But I would imagine that it would require an insane amount of power to run this unit. The fact that it's on some sort of self-sustaining battery backup, well, I've never heard of a battery operated power supply like that. And I'm pretty up to date on technology." He heaved the front end to the left, keeping the stasis chamber straight.

Kalen moved the unit down the hallway, trying his best to make the effort seem difficult so as not to draw too much attention from them. With the group steering, he pushed from the end, lifting his side off the floor to give himself weight and traction.

A dull thud caught Kalen's attention. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked the woman now on the left side of the large machine.

Another thump happened, sounding far away. Kalen tilted his head, listening carefully. A muffled volley of gunfire came from the stairwell. Kalen's eyes widened. "All of you - run; hide. I heard gunfire. Stay low and out of sight."

The trio in scrubs quickly dispersed and ducked into rooms off to the side of the large corridor. Kalen licked his fangs and removed his jacket then draped it over the glass, hiding the face of the bald man inside.

He unfastened the top button of his shirt and fluffed his collar. He kept his eyes on the staircase with the missing door. Kalen unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up in a meticulous fashion so that they were neat and even above each elbow.

"Okay. Any time now," he said, watching the staircase. Six gunmen in black uniforms rushed into the hallway with their weapons pointed back behind themselves as though being chased.

Kalen tilted his head in curiosity then brought both hands together at the index fingers, like a diamond, and pushed his short tousled hair back like something out of Grease. "This should be interesting," he mused aloud.

The group of gunners saw Kalen standing next to the stasis chamber. One of them shouted, "Objective target! S-Four to nest, we found Nevada!" The mercenary brought his gun up, pointing it at Kalen. "Step away from the pod. Get on your knees with your fingers interlocked behind your head!"

Kalen narrowed his gaze. "No. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you guys worked for USPRI or Aris Falcon. But it's been twenty-five years since those people caused trouble."

"Possible esoteric target!" The group changed formation. The six men came back-to-back, three facing Kalen and three facing the stairwell.

A moment later, another man in matching black combat gear flew up the stairs and into the hall. He hit the wall and dropped to the floor on his side. Dazed, the seventh man appeared to be hyperventilating. "Fuckin' shoot'em! Shoot'em!"

To Kalen's surprise a black-furred werewolf stepped from the stairwell. The creature craned his large head to the group of men. He snarled with a throaty growl and snatched the man up from the floor then held the mercenary up as a body shield.

The three men the werewolf opened fire in sporadic bursts. One of them began to reload, the other two continued firing. They traded off turns of firing and reloading.

The werewolf charged, using the body of the man from the floor as a buffer. Blood spray decorated the hallway, ceiling and floor. The large creature bowled over the group of a half-dozen men, creating a pile on the floor.

With his forepaws on his body shield, he hurdled forward and used the bullet-riddled body as a melee object. He struck the men on the floor with the lifeless body then dropped the corpse across the group, pinning them down.

The enormous animalistic man crouched, paused, then leapt over the pile and bound up the side of the stasis machine. He snatched the jacket off the glass and looked down at the frozen person inside.

Kalen blinked, hearing the creature speak a single word. "Reno..." Kalen watched in astonishment, as the creature's facial features seemed to take on a forlorn expression.

The men that had been knocked down began getting up.

The werewolf turned about and approached them. He picked up one man in his large paws and another mercenary by their throat in his large canid muzzle.

"No, wait!"

The wolf shook his head from left to right, quickly snapping the first man's neck. The creature slammed the other man against the wall, breaking his neck as well. Both bodies were thrown aside like trash.

With a snarl, the werewolf pulled the dead body shield off the remaining four men and snarled. Then, like before, the creature spoke. "Did Aris Falcon send you pieces 'ah shit?"

One of the men stammered. "F-f-Falcon sent us to g-get Nevada back."

"Dayum, son, well ain't that a cryin' shame? Cause yer either goin' back empty handed or in body bags. What's it gunna' be?" The wolf waited for a response then folded his arms across his chest. "Speak-the-fuck-up, junior!"

"Y-you're a werewolf."

"Ayup. I'm the nightmare creature yer daddy warned you about 'afore you took this job."

Another soldier got to his feet and said, "Don't listen to that freak, sergeant!"

The werewolf reached for the one that just spoke, cupped the man's face with a paw then snapped his neck in a way that caused his head to remain facing straight up. The wolf lifted his foot then gave the man a shove in his chest. The body flopped unceremoniously to the floor.

"Shaddaup, ya dumb moron. Anyone else here want to be a smartass?" No one replied. "A'ite then. So make yer choice, ya dumb bastards. I ain't got all day."

The man who stammered a moment prior, slowly drew his radio from his belt, took a deep breath to calm his nerves then said, "This is Alpha Foxtrot bravo squad. No sign of the target. We came under heavy fire and took heavy casualties. After maneuvers, the target has vanished. Recommend falling back to prepare for recon mission." The mercenary released his thumb from the radio button and bit his lower lip.

"Aw lookie here. You're smarter than ya look," said the wolf. He reached up, causing the man to cringe, but merely patted the man's face.

"What now?" he stuttered the words with a quivering lower lip.

"Roight," said the creature in a faked British dialect. "There's a good chap. Now bugger off, 'n have yerself some tea 'n fookin' crumpets. Cheerio, blokes."

The three remaining men stood still in shock.

The wolf sighed through his nose, visibly annoyed. He curled his upper lip, snarling. "That ... is yer cue ... to G. T. F. double-O. here, ya dumbasses! RUN!"

They moved away, backing up towards the stairs. The werewolf folded his arms again and tapped his right foot-paw as if impatient. "Go on you lil' chicken-shit chumps. Time is money. Yer boss ain't payin' ya to dawdle."

The trio slinked back into the stairwell and descended the steps, quickening their pace, as they got further away.

The werewolf turned back to Kalen. His nose twitched and his ears perked up, tall, above his head. "Wha's yer story, morning glory?"

A sly smile crossed Kalen's lips. "Sorry, it's just ... you're my first werewolf."

The creature sniffed again, approaching Kalen with caution. "Undead, huh?" His left ear flickered listlessly and his whiskers eased back along the length of his muzzle. He sniffed again then both his ears laid flat. "You're not one of them-there dickhead vampires that believe in Twilight and Underworld are ya'?"

"Excuse me?" Kalen furrowed both brows and tilted his head. "Those movies are decades old."

"Ayup. Proves yer age. Just askin' if you're one of those dumb vampire types that think they have to fight werewolves like it's their solemn duty. It's like th' Godfather. Nobody ever done tha' shit in the real mafia until after th' Godfather made'em think it was normal. So we're cool?"

Kalen pulled his disheveled jacket from atop the stasis chamber. "We're cool. So ... you recognized the man inside here?"

"Ayup. Been trackin' it since it was brought up from the Atlantic. Long story." He offered a paw, palm up and said, "Lemmie see yer phone, pal."

Kalen removed his wristwatch and handed it to the wolf.

"Oh ... one of these things, huh?" The large furry creature carefully used his thumb so that his claw wouldn't scratch the touchscreen. He looked down at the screen then brought it to his ear.

Kalen checked his jacket pockets, ran his finger over a vial of blood within then slid the jacket back on.

The wolf waited for a moment, while the phone connected, then announced, "Topaz Parker! I know you ain't heard from me in a long-damn-time but this here is Rufus Darken." He paused and listened to her reply then a smile tugged at the corner of his canid maw. "Oh, darlin', I'm so glad you remembered me. Listen. Shit jus' got weird. I'm in the heart of old D.C., and I got yer brother-in-law, here, still in a stasis pod. I just fought off a mess of Falcon's dudes, and we need to figure out a way to get this thing outta' here discrete-like. Where y'at?"

Kalen remained quiet, listening. He could hear a tinny reply over the phone's speaker. On the other side of the line, Topaz Nevada said, "Yes, absolutely, nothing a few master thieves can't pull off ... it's all about slight-of-hand. I'll need to call Karla to help because she'll know how to get a hold of Steven and Lance and they might be able to get him out of that thing."

"Yeah, uh ... 'bout that. If'n yer gunna call Karla," said Rufus with a sigh, "Wait 'till I'm gone. I dun' see eye to eye with her all tha' well."

"Why not? She helped pull you from Falcon's grip before we left the dome," said Topaz over the line.

He brought the watch phone down to his maw and spoke into it. "Darlin, listen. I've been layin' low for twenty-five years. I'm only callin' ya' because Reno'll need to be plugged in or pulled out'a this thing soon. Or he'll die. I respect Reno. He's a good guy. You wanna know my beef wit' Karla? Ask her. But I've been keepin' my eye on all'a you. Makin' sure yer all safe. You prolly' don't remember but ... I have this crazy ability to memorize sets of numbers. I've learned all yer numbers. Just in case. Even Karla's new digits. But I ain't got respect for that there girl anymore. You ask'er about choices, pills 'n the dirty lil' secret she kept fer Watson." He moved the watch phone up to his ear to listen for her reply.

"She hates Watson. What're you talkin' about?"

"Just ask'er. She might'a hid it to keep the drama down but ... that'd just make her a liar 'n an untrustworthy bitch. I wanna distance m'self from that. I'll stay here 'till you 'n Fox arrive. Then I'm leavin' before she arrives. Cool?"

"Alright ... thank you for calling me, Rufus."

Again, his wolfish muzzle contorted into a human-like grin. "It's good hearin' from ya'. Jus' think. You turn fitty years old next year. The big five-oh. I thought you Parkers hated the five-oh. Heh. You seen Sinopa lately?"

"I'll tell mom you said hello. She's doing well. Hey ... wait." Topaz cleared her throat then said, "If you've been keeping tabs on everyone, discretely, have you seen my daughter, Carmen? She disappeared the day after her twenty-first birthday and I really miss her. It's been almost three years."

"Naw, darlin'. I've not seen her since she dropped off the grid. But if Reno's alive, she prolly is, too. I, uh ... maybe she mighta' gone to see her daddy. Her real daddy. I dunno."

"Christ, Rufus. It sounds to me like you know more than I do. She was told Fox is her father for her protection."

"She was at a bar in San Fran, on her twenty-first birthday. I sat in the back because y'know how kids get when they drink. I just listened."

"You're a good guy, Rue. What happened?"

"I heard'er say she found out something about her family. Something she couldn't tell her brother. She was drinkin' an awful lot. Karla's daughter showed up. Elvena Loupe, right? Anyhow, they did shots together. Y'know how Carmen and Elvena get. They're close 'n all. She told Elvena she wanted to go looking for her uncle, Vincent. She said couldn't talk about the details. They left the bar together, and took a taxi."

"Carmen called me before leaving the bar that night," said Topaz with a sigh over the line. "She said not to worry, and that she might stay at Elvena's place. That was the last time I'd heard from her."

Rufus paced on his large hind paws then crouched on his haunches. "Shit. I'm sorry, Topaz. How's yer son?"

Kalen tilted his head, straining to hear the conversation as Rue walked away.

"Conner is fourteen, now. Guess you probably knew that. He'll be fifteen soon, though. He, uh ... he's impressive. He's got so much potential. He's just, you know, a teenage boy. The awkward age. So, you're with Kalen Kincade?"

"Am I?"

"Caller ID, Rue. You're calling from his phone."

"Ayup." Rufus glanced back at Kalen. "I gotta jet. George Washington University Hospital in Northwest DC. Old DC."

"Understood. I'm on my way. Thank you. I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, yeah. You'd have done the same fer me if you came across Collobulous. Take care of yerself."

"You, too."

"I sure will. G'bye, now." He thumbed the screen then passed the watch back to the vampire. "So, Kalen Kincade ... what brings you here?"

Kalen tilted his head. "How'd you know my name?"

Rufus grinned in a knowing way. "I'm magic, bud." He offered a paw to the vampire. "Rufus Darken. Kalen Kincade. Now I reckon we're acquainted."

Kalen took the wolf's paw, surprised but how soft the padding of his palm was. They shook.

"So what'cher story?"

"Big chopper was swerving all over the sky like it was damaged. It got my attention. I came to explore. I was already in town to use an apheresis machine. I need to pull the plasma out of a sample of blood I have. I need to analyze it. What about you? What's your next move?"

"I'unno yet. Not to pry, but what brings yer pale ass over here to look at blood? Cain't you do that on the mainland?"

"I have reason to believe there may be a survivor of my kin. Someone may have been turned and does not know what they are. I sought them out, here. I've taken a sample and I plan to determine what family line turned them. Then I'll adopt them into my family and give them a chance. My kind is very scarce. They need help to survive. Then I'll track down their creator."

"Damn. That's mighty white of ya', ankle biter. You pull out the plasma then lookie at whatever's left and you tell from that, huh?"

"Essentially, yes. I like the way you fight, Rufus. I could use another set of sharp senses. I'm going to head downstairs and use the blood machine; I'll be right back. While I'm down there, I will let the hospital staff know that the threat is over but to stay on heightened alert."

"Yeah, sure. I'll wait for ya'. Might be nice t' have a pal again for'a while." Rufus moved back to the stasis machine and sat down on the side of it, next to the glass tube with Reno Nevada. "Go on. Do yer thing, hoss."

X

---

X

Monday, March 1, 2049 - early evening (DCT, -1 GMT)

Washington, D.C. _(_District Coast)

Karla Loupe switched her phone to her other ear. "No, Eric. I'm tired of fighting about this! You're going to run up my roaming charges!"

Over the line his voice was stern and firm. "Roaming charges? Are you serious? What's the point of having money if you can't use it to talk on the phone to your spouse? It's been almost thirty years, Karla. And you think he'd really just show up out of the blue like this?"

"It's been twenty-five. Don't add time."

"Karla, look, I'm sorry I just..."

"Eric, I need to know what happened to my daughter. Topaz tells me it's possible the girls went down there three years ago. The fact Reno Nevada just shows up like this? It could be their doing. I'm here as a friend and as a mother. Speaking of which, how's Donovan?"

"Karla! That's not fair. Where are you? You didn't even tell me where you were going when you left."

"I'm on the old District Coast. I can handle myself. I'm actually approaching the George Washington University Hospital. That's Nine-Zero-Zero, Twenty-third Street, North West."

"Stop being such a smartass," he exclaimed. "You know anything involving DC probably involves Greg Watson, that Homeland Security agent you hate so much."

"Yeah, probably. That was a long time ago." She glanced over her shoulder at a strikingly handsome man perched atop a broken building. He wore a nice jacket, had short dark hair and a hauntingly attractive gaze.

"Karla...?"

"Oh, sorry. I just zoned for a minute. What did you say?"

"You're there by yourself. You have no one looking out for you and that unnerves me."

"I'm staring at Kalen Kincade. The vampire. Don't worry; he's not like a pop-culture vampire. He's a real one. That means his dick doesn't work very well and he's cold to the touch. So stop worrying about me."

Eric Loupe sighed softly and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because!" She took a deep breath then sighed. "Eric. Listen. I'm going to lay it out for you in a nutshell, sweetheart. Someone down in that godforsaken city under the ocean has managed to sneak the body of Reno Nevada to the surface. They got him to a hospital in DC. I had my pal, Lance Patterson, look into it. I talked to Fox and Topaz Parker on the phone about it. The person that was brought up from under the Atlantic Ocean really is Reno."

Eric remained quiet for a moment then said, "Do you think it was Carmen Parker that had him sent topside?"

"Honey, Carmen Nevada has been missing since her twenty-first birthday. Topaz tells me that she might have found out Vincent was her father. She also says that the night before she disappeared, she was with our daughter, Elvena. You remember her, right? We haven't seen her in forever."

"Karla, we both know that Elvena is working for the United States Government. Our daughter is not missing, she's just too busy to call."

"Yeah? If that's the case, I'm going to wring that girl's neck for not calling us in all this time. Anyway, someone sent Reno Nevada to the surface. My money is on Vincent. Last time I spoke to Topaz, her husband is in that underwater city again. It would make sense that Vincent finally managed to have an opportunity to get his brother out of there. Conjecture aside, we have to look at our one solid factual lead, babe: Top Cop is back on the surface. I've gotta go. I'm walking up the steps now. I only called because they have reception towers atop the hospital. I love you."

"Wait."

"Yes?"

Eric cleared his throat then said, "You asked about Donovan. Here. Talk to him."

A moment later a young boy's voice came over the phone. "Momma! Quand venez-vous à la maison, maman?"

"Hey, sweatpea! What've we talked about? French is at school, English is at home."

"Okay, je suis désolé, it's a habit."

"Don't give your daddy too much trouble, okay? I won't be long. I've just got to do some stuff. So, with_out_ using your ability, do you know where the District Coast is located?"

"Yes, mom. Duh. I wasn't born yesterday. I'm six years old, gawd. It's in the middle of the Ocean."

"Mmhmm, and what are the northern and southern-most cities of the District Coast?"

"I feel like I'm in school."

"Answer the question, silly boy."

"It stretches from Boston to Miami. We learned that in school, but I already knew it."

Karla grinned. "Ah, that's my boy. And what about that bully? Did you see him today?"

"He was out sick today. But I'm really getting tired of him asking for my lunch money."

Karla switched the phone to her other ear. "Next time that loser asks for your lunch money, tell him you left it on his mother's nightstand."

"That doesn't even make sense, mommy. Besides I know I'm cool. I don't need to prove it to him. I hate school. Why do I have to go? I don't need it because of my ability."

"Oh dear. Let's not go into this right now. Your ability doesn't teach you social skills. Hey! Pop quiz: What size is the ... mmm ... stock lug thread on a fifty-five Chevy?"

"Seven-sixteenths by twenty on the fifty-five, six 'n seven model year, mommy. Why? You buying a car?"

Karla laughed. "No, hon. Your ability is a lot of fun. I love you."

"I love you too. My ear is warm on the phone - I don't like it. Come home soon, mommy. Here's dad."

A moment later, Eric returned to the phone. "Oh, so you get to be 'mommy' and I'm just 'dad', huh?" He chuckled softly. "Are you playing with his ability again?"

"Yeah. It's fun. You know you use him to finish your crossword puzzles, you cheater." Karla chuckled. "Okay. Thank you for letting him talk to me. It put me back in a good mood. I don't want to fight about this okay? Reno is coming home with me."

"Okay, okay. I just don't want to get into this drama anymore. I'm retired from it."

"You're full of shit," she replied. "You're immortal, my dear. You're in the supernatural drama for the rest of your existence."

"Karla. Please? I'm happy having my family. It's hard enough living with this curse, we shouldn't add in all this extra drama."

"You've only been stuck looking forty for the last few years, Eric. And you already tell people that I'm your teenaged daughter. How are we supposed to last for all of eternity unless you start acting like I'm your wife and treating me with respect."

"You need to act like someone my age, instead of a teenaged girl. You treat everything like it's a toy, including our son. Yes, I've asked him to look up things before but now we know it sometimes gives him headaches. And here you are just asking him random things like it's a game."

"Okay, okay. I'm going inside now. I've got to go." She frowned then looked at the screen of her phone. "I, uh ... I love you."

"I love you, too." His tone had little emphasis or emotion.

With a sigh, Karla closed out the call and put the phone into her purse. She stepped into the hospital and approached the front desk. "I'm here about a man that was delivered in cryogenic stasis. I need to see someone from the management and see the body and the..."

"Karla?"

She turned around, coming face to face with Fox Parker and his twin sister, Topaz Nevada. She approached them and hugged the two. "Oh my God, I haven't seen you in ages! How's my favorite twins been?"

Topaz laughed and kissed the side of Karla's face. "How's my favorite sex demon? Still retired?"

Karla grinned and lifted her left hand. "Still married!" She brought both hands up and cupped their faces. "God. How old are you now? Next year is the big one, right? And here I thought you two hated the five-oh. Christ, but you're both still in great shape. How're the kids?"

Topaz offered a wan smile. "Funny, you're not the first person to make that joke. I spoke to Rufus."

"Oh. Wow. Rue-bear. I haven't heard anything from him except that he made it out of there."

Topaz's smile broadened slightly. "Conner is doing great. He just turned fifteen. And oh dear god, he's a mess. Fox took him to the island last month."

Fox nodded. "He made everyone look bad."

Topaz chimed in over her brother. "He, uh ... he broke my records."

Karla's eyes widened. "He beat your Master Thief Trial records? At his age? Oh my God. That's unheard of. And ... have you heard from Carmen?"

Fox saw the pained look in his sister's eyes. He turned back to Karla and cut in, answering for his twin. "No. She disappeared after her twenty-first birthday. Not a word since. We found one of her diaries. We thought she might have gone to find Vincent. It's a sore topic, really."

Karla frowned. "Are you two separated or...?"

"It's just for a while," Topaz said. "We just refer to it as 'business trips.' But I have Fox to keep me company."

The succubus grinned in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Are you three still ... all together?"

Fox brought a hand to his lips. "Karla. Not here."

Topaz cleared her throat. "We have Reno. It gives me hope that Carmen is alive and well. Maybe, uh ... maybe she's the reason Reno was sent back to us, I don't know. I'm going to send Fox with you to make sure that stasis pod thing gets back to Paris safely. It's going to cost a lot, so I picked up the tab."

"Oh, thank you."

Topaz frowned thoughtfully. "Karla, are you sure you want to take Reno under your wing?"

"Absolutely. Ole Top Cop reminds me of a promise I made to a friend back in 1907. I won't have it any other way. Reno is my responsibility." Karla took Topaz by her cheeks and kissed the woman on the corner of her mouth. "You're a peach. Have you guys ... you know ... have you guys ever thought about going back there and doing what we said we were going to do all those years ago?"

Fox frowned. "Attack Falcon's submerged city? We don't even have a team."

"Uh..." Topaz shrugged. "My brother and I age, Karla. We're not immortal like you," she said in a soft voice. "We're parents now, we're trying to raise our kids and train them incase this sort of nonsense ever happens again. Karla ... have you heard from Elvena?"

Karla swallowed back a twinge of emotion involving her own daughter's name. "Eh. Not much these days. She's full time with the United States Government. She never manifested. She ages normally. And she wants to stay away from my 'drama.' I remember when we were so close. And now that she looks ten years older than I do, she's off trying to do 'mature things' and 'have a life with a career.' It's all good, I guess."

Topaz fidgeted. "Do you think it was a bad idea that I trained her how to do some of the stuff we do?"

"No, no, it's fine. She's doing the clandestine sector thing. It helps keep her alive. I just ... you know. My own daughter treats me like a kid. My husband treats me like a kid. And to be honest, it's starting to get on my nerves. And you know I don't upset easily. But this is starting to wear me thin."

"Karla, I'm sorry. What about your son? We've hardly talked since he was born."

"Oh! Donovan is six now and he's already manifested an ability!"

Topaz blinked. "Seriously? This young? What can he do?"

Karla grinned brightly. "Access the internet."

"What?" Topaz furrowed her brows, one higher than the other.

"He can access anything. Without a computer. And it's much faster than using a computer. Everything from sports scores to ... anything. No digital information is safe. We had to have the Birds and Bees talk already because of that but he's so mature for his age. He takes after Eric, personality wise."

"That sounds pretty amazing," said Fox. "I can sort of understand that ability but I need to be near a computer and access through it. He doesn't need any kind of connection at all?"

"None at all, Fox. Not even a localized Wi-Fi connection. I'm not sure how he can do it. But he's much faster than a computer connection." Karla licked her lips. "Fox. I appreciate you taking Reno back to my place for me. I was wondering if I could catch up with your sister. You know. Girl talk. Haven't had that for a while."

Fox smiled, hugged Karla and kissed the side of her face then said, "See you two later." He left the lobby.

Karla turned back to Topaz. "Let's go talk. I've got some stuff brewing on my shoulders and I want to clear the air."

"What about? Is this about Rufus?"

"I assume he brought up the past."

"He told me to ask you. Whatever it is, it sounds like it's bothering you."

Karla shrugged. "It does. It still bothers me. I just need someone close so I can confess my sins, you know? I know there's not much left of this city but do you want to try and find somewhere we can have lunch?"

Topaz nodded. "Uhm. Let's go for a walk and see what we find."

Karla reached for Topaz's hand and they left the lobby together. She interlaced her fingers with the older woman's hand then kissed Topaz's knuckles. "Honey ... I've been a bad girl. Not for a long time but ... you and I have history and, well, I just needed to share this with someone before it drives me crazy."

The two fell into step together as they walked down the crumbling streets of Washington DC. "Karla. We've had sex for Chri'sake. Of course, I was about twenty-four at the time. And I'm almost fifty now, but still. We were close. I'd like to think you could confide in me."

Karla smiled sadly and looked down at the ground. "Yeah. Those were fun times. God. Twenty-five years ago. Uhm..."

Topaz turned her head and kissed the side of Karla's youthful face. "Still as hot as the day I met you. I can't begin to tell you how jealous that makes me. So spill it, girl. What's on your mind?"

"I, uh, I wasn't really in top form back when we faced off against Falcon. I was pregnant, and I didn't have those pills yet. So I was struggling through only having one feeding partner at a time. I was tired, I was emotional, and I was exhausted."

"I remember. You're lucky you got out of there without my help."

Karla offered a weak smile. "Yeah. So, Rufus and I came up against Falcon, alone. And that guy manhandled Rue-bear like a child's toy. Uhm." Karla licked her lips then gave Topaz's hand a soft squeeze. "Falcon told me if I wanted my unborn child to live I should leave."

"Leave?"

"Yeah. He said I should take the pills, the twins - you and Fox, obviously; Elvena's father and leave. Just leave. Just like that. Lay down my arms and roll out."

Parker rubbed her face with her free hand. "Jesus, Karla."

"And I took the deal and..." Karla broke down in tears, fresh as the day it'd happened. "I had the chance to stop Aris Falcon. I had the chance to fight him all by myself and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to beat him. I was thinking about my baby. I was pregnant. If it was just me, I'd have dished it out on him but ... I didn't."

Parker held a blank stare, as though in shock.

Karla continued. "I didn't stop him and now look at this city!" Karla used her free hand and gestured to the remains of Washington DC. "Look at what I've done. Falcon caused this because I couldn't stop him. He killed so many people because I was afraid. He killed millions. And our friends and family. And ... god, it gets worse."

Topaz appeared horrified. She drew her arm back from Karla and covered her mouth with her hand. "Something to do with Watson?"

Karla swallowed and nodded weakly. "I, uhm ... I found out that Watson, the United States Paranormal Research and Investigations agent from Homeland Security ... he, uh ... he held you and your brother responsible for killing the real Krys Monroe when you robbed him in 2011. You were just kids ... so he took it out on your father and injected him with some sort of virus that only effects people with abilities."

"What?"

The succubus bit her lower lip. "I found out the truth but I let it slide because he switched over to our side at the time. And, and we needed all the help we could get at the time. And ... I've been holding it in for so long that it was eating me up."

"Karla!" Topaz threw her hands into the air. "What the fuck? I'm not angry that those other things happened! But I AM shocked that you hid and lied about stuff regarding my father!"

"Topaz, please baby. I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted it in the past because he's the only one that could get us back into that godforsaken underwater city. We needed him and I didn't want to burn that bridge. I didn't intentionally keep it from you."

Parker scrunched her brows, glaring at Karla. "You went twenty-five years without telling me, Karla. So yeah, you did intentionally keep it from me!"

"Topaz, please."

"I thought we were friends! I gave you a house, and a life and everything you'd ever need to be set for the rest of your life! I took care of you and your family and I've never kept secrets from you!"

"Topaz, please, I am so sorry. This has been eating me up for years. That's why I always avoid Watson. It's why I hate him so damn much."

"God damn right your secrets are eating you up! You deserve to hurt from lying about it to my face for so long! How can I trust you? I loved you like family! Why didn't you tell me these things?! I don't need protection; I need honesty!"

Karla steered towards a nearby bench and slumped into it. She put her elbows on her knees and buried her face into her palms. "Topaz, please. Don't be upset. Please don't be upset with me."

"Karla..." Paz ran her hands back through her hair and began pacing in front of the bench, frustrated. "I've let Watson into my home for years. I've treated him like one of us. And now you're telling me that I was eating meals with the man who murdered my father, only to start fucking my step-mother. Is that what you're saying? Is it? And! The son of a bitch is raising my half-brother! And you didn't think I'd want to know about that?! What's wrong with you?"

"Topaz, please," Karla sobbed. "Please don't hate me for this. I thought we'd need him to go back to attack Falcon so I just kept it to myself. And now he's useless and I still held all that in ... and it was eating me up over the years."

"Yeah well... " Topaz's lower lip trembled. "Good. I'm glad it hurts. Jesus Christ. I need to think about this. I'm going to call Fox and have him meet me at my mother's house. I need to process this."

"Topaz, after all we've been through..."

"Don't bullshit me, Karla. Donovan is six, now. I've hardly heard from you since after he was born. But it all makes sense now. You were avoiding me because you feel guilty."

"Yes, I do feel guilty. I feel so guilty. Please forgive me. We were best friends, Topaz. It's been killing me not having you around all the time. Eric just wants to lay low and pretend like none of that shit happened. But that's not working for me. I need to face it. I need to fix everything I messed up. Please don't hate me."

Topaz Parker sighed and shook her head. She looked away and rubbed her face. "Carmen could be down there right now. My little girl might be frozen in one of those fucking tubes."

"I'd help you look for her. I swear. I owe you that much."

"I don't want your help anymore."

"Topaz! Please, I'm sorry! Let me help, I'll do anything!"

Parker sighed. "Just ... don't let Reno die. Take him back to your house like you promised, and watch over him until he wakes up. I've gotta go. I'm headed south to see my mother and her husband. I need a family meeting about Carmen."

"I can help you find her, I swear."

"Take Reno back to your place. That's what you need to do right now, Karla. That's it - that's all."

Karla stood up from the bench. "Wait."

Paz held a hand up as if to gesture for Karla to stay on the bench, then she walked away.

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/677423