CHAPTER 51:
WHAT DOES CARTER KNOW?
Alex and Carter stand at the shores of Green harbor awaiting the return of the winged vampires but time has passed and they are yet to return.
Alex runs her hands through her hair as she becomes agitated with the situation. Carter on the other hand is in a conversation with the rest of the vampires who stand around awaiting the return of the winged vampires.
The sea breeze sends a soothing feel through the shores but the redhead is too annoyed to appreciate nature's touch. Her ears wiggle as if to pick up noises from afar and she folds her arms in seriousness, watching the sea. She occasionally looks through the binoculars but sees nothing.
There are only two ships left on the harbor as they struggle to get passengers to fill their ferry. One of the ships looks ancient and made of wood with little to no passenger and the rest of the people around seem wary of the ship, even the vampires.
Some of the attention is also on the group of vampires that wait at the shores as if to expect something, they do not bother with the rest of the creatures or the ships but the fact that blood sucking beings are at the shores puts everyone on alert.
Of course danger isn't new to Green Harbor since it is just an extension of the Wild lands which houses predators of various kind.
Carter walks to her side, "If you could frown any harder I swear my heart is going to start beating again," he says.
Alex refuses to look at him, she rather ignore the chubby fellow but he isn't easy to ignore, "Why do you think master Azazel wants them dead?" he asks and she glances at him as he finally says something of interest to her.
"I heard about Dracula's goal to kill them for some kind of satanic sacrifice but master Azazel isn't one to delve into satanic sacrifices but that doesn't mean he doesn't know a thing or two about such things," Carter says with a sly grin.
Amanda becomes curious, "How much does this fatty know about this assignment? He may even know more than I do," she thinks. She begins to wonder what his role is in this mission.
"Do you think they could be used to bring back Dracula?" she asks, "Why not? I don't know anything about resurrection and stuff but I heard he wanted to resurrect someone with their body so it has to be possible," Carter says.
Alex rubs her chin as she hears words she never imagined she would and a seed of hope germinates in her still heart. Of course, she knows that Dracula wanted to use the twins to resurrect his late wife, she was there.
"Could their death revive her master?" she thinks, "Oh look, one of them returns." Carter says as he points to a winged vampire that flies toward shore.
He lands on one knee and coughs, "What happened?" Alex asks, "Samuel Stone killed most of us and the rest were possessed but he still defeated them," he says.
"Wait, did you just say possessed? A demon possessed our men?" "Not just our men. The demon also possessed passengers of the ferry. They wanted our targets," he says.
What is going on? Who else is after them? Could it be Alucard's doing or someone else?
Could it be that everyone is just a chess piece used by Azazel?
These thoughts echo through her mind as she suspects a plot behind all this with Azazel and the twins at the middle of it all.
"Samuel Stone fell into the Sea of Stars, as it is there is no way of finding him," the winged vampire says.
"We have to report to Master Azazel, he will tell us where we need to go" Carter says. Alex hesitates but allows this, maybe Carter is in on Azazel's plan.
If she wants to know she has to let him take the lead for now.
ELSEWHERE
The tip of Rachael's fingers feel sore and they are red, filled with pain as her ribs hurt even more. She keeps climbing even though the pain grows and her body becomes much heavier. She sweats even with the cold air that blows around.
Her eyes get heavy and the feels of her body becomes light and her head even lighter.
"Come to me," her father's voice calls out, a voice she would normally welcome but not today; not when a slip could end her life.
She opens her eyes wide and uses all the strength in her body to keep on climbing, to keep on enduring the pain against all odds.
She hears a slithering movement and looks down to be sure the giant tentacle isn't coming her way, the rocks are prickly and cold.
She hears a strange cry as a swarm of bats fly out from one of the holes of the mountain. She inhales deeply as she musters enough strength and pulls herself up and climbs. She reaches the cave where the bats came from and climbs in.
The wall is slippery with slime and the cave oozes of smells only found in a landfill site.
She clings to the walls as she breathes hard, trying to get as much clean air as she can but the filth taints the air strongly. She rubs her broken ribs and the pain only gets harder sending anguish through her body. She tries to scream but she bites down on her hand as she remembers that the creature beneath the mountains could come after her.
As the pain in her rib grows, breathing becomes painful for her and every breath becomes a struggle.
She rests against the cave walls, trying to catch her breath when she sees a hand come up from the lower sides of the mountain and onto the doorway of the cave.
A woman's head comes up and Rachael stands up to observe this new character or an old one in someone else's body.
"Come here. Take us to Samuel Stone," the woman says as her body is halfway through. Rachael rushes and kicks the woman's head several times until she slips off. She pulls at Rachael's leg, putting a firm grip around her ankle and pulling her down.
Rachael struggles to hold herself on the edge of the cave, she begins to stomp the woman's head and the possessed woman fights back, hitting Rachael's leg as she attempts to use her body as a ladder.
Rachael kicks harder and her heel connects to Legion's mouth, dislocating the woman's jaw. The possessed woman shoots out white claws from her fingers and stab Rachael's thigh, "Tell us where he is," she snarls as Rachael screams in pain.
Rachael feels a gust of wind blow from below and her instincts tell her that trouble is coming. The possessed woman licks the blood that trickles down her fingers, "A human. You don't feel like one," she says and begins to laugh, "Death is coming for you," she says.
"Why don't you say hello for me," Rachael says and stomps her face again, she breaks the balance of the possessed woman and matches her head, releasing herself from the wench's grip.
She hurries up, away from the cave's edge as she fears something far worse than Legion comes. And it does.
She feels a strong vibration echo through the mountain walls as the giant tentacle slams just beneath the cave, breaking a piece of the mountain as it searches for its meal.
Rachael's heart beats fast and loud but she stays still and quiet until a swarm of bats come rushing through the cave. Wings flapping and shrieks flying, their spiky wings tear at her skin and cuts through her face. She screams and the weight of the cave grounds become light as they begin to crumble from the tentacle's blow.
The cave comes undone and falls with Rachael and debris falling toward the downs of the darkness.