TITLE:      A VAMPIRE'S TALE 3: BLOOD RED ROSE
AUTHOR:     Donnilee
E-MAIL:     Donnilee@snet.net
WEBSITE:    http://donnilee.tripod.com
RATING:     NC-17
CATEGORY:   MSR - Kr/Other-Slash.
SUMMARY:    Gareth and Krycek discover a vampire creating a legion of
blood drinkers with a vile plan, forcing Gareth to unwillingly assume
the mantle of 'King of the Vampires'.
SPOILERS:   Uh, nope.
Takes place near the end of Season 7. Mulder was abducted but Requiem
didn't happen.
DISCLAIMER: I have a list of people to blame for my perversions, so
let's not go there.  Oh, you mean the characters herein?  Nope. Not
mine. Used shamelessly and without remorse. They belong to Chris
Carter, Ten Thirteen, and Fox Broadcasting.
DEDICATION: This one has to go to Fran Hartman and Xochiluvr who spent
so much time correcting my feaux paux and making sure everything
"lined up".  Thanks for all your time and hard work!
THANKS:     To my beta reader, Fran Hartman for breaking out the red
pencil like she does so well.

WARNING:  Here there be M/M slash between Krycek and a secondary
character.  There be M&S horizontal mambo too.  If this isn't your cup
of
tea, you can skip those parts.  I've rated each chapter AND marked the
beginning of the descriptive sex, so that you can tell which chapters
contain the descriptive sex and skip over them if you wish.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This a sequel to "Steeped in Blood", and "Trail of
Blood", A Vampire's Tale 1 and 2 respectively.  You could read this
one on its own, but I would love it if you read the first two
beforehand.  If you didn't, you need to know that Mulder and Scully
are lovers now.  There's a new Deputy Director, Kendall Fair, whose
real name is Gareth and is a vampire.  He is also Alex Krycek's lover
and maker, as he is a vampire too.

Synopsis of VT1:  Alex is made a vampire.  D.D. Fair manipulates M&S
into an investigation that leaves them owing Alex their lives after a
narrow escape from a rogue blood drinker.  They return to D.C.  Alex
continues to learn of his abilities and how to control them.  When
Kersh
disappears, Skinner is promoted to Deputy Director.

Synopsis of VT2:  M&S investigate D.D. Fair and find some disturbing
information.  They end up witnessing a vampiric battle between Gareth
and an old time enemy, Zebrosia, in which Alex again saves Scully's
life.  Gareth (D.D. Fair) is revealed as the head of the *New*
Consortium whose agenda is X-Files friendly and alien colonization
unfriendly.  Protection is traded for silence.  The story ends with a
new murder, much like the ones before the Zebrosia battle, which Alex
and Gareth claim were not by their hand.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PART 1 (PG-13)
FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT
ALEXANDRIA, VA
FRIDAY EVENING

I stared at the bright pink Post It Note that was on the small table
next to Mulder's phone.  '435-9923.  AK' was written on it.  It was
Alex Krycek's cell phone number.

"Do you really think someone's out there?" I asked Mulder as we gazed
out the window down onto the street in front of his building.  The
bare street light cast a harsh glow on the wet pavement.  We could see
nothing beyond the circle of light that was cast by that lone street
light.

Mulder stood behind me, his chest pressed lightly to my back, his arms
wrapped
around me from behind, his hands piled on top of mine.
He set his chin on my head and sighed.  "I don't know, Scully, but I
have a bad feeling.  I know this street like the back of my hand.  And
there were four street lights on this block that were operational when
I got home tonight.  Now there's only one, and its globe is
broken.  Someone killed those lights."

"It could be neighborhood vandals."

"Possible," he said, but he didn't sound convinced.

"What makes you think it's this rogue?"

"I don't know.  I've just had the creeps ever since I got home.  I
was nervous just watching you walk into the building."

"You really don't think Krycek or Gareth killed these people?  You're
sure we are really looking for a different killer?"

"No, I don't think it was them.  That much I'm sure of .  I wish I
could pinpoint it, but I can't.  I just KNOW someone was in this
apartment."

"It could just be your natural paranoia," I said lightly, trying to
ease the mood.

"Could be.  Do we take the risk that it is?"

His decision was clear.  I sighed and took the hand set out of the
cradle, dialing the phone as I held it close to my chest.   His hands
remained on my stomach as I extracted mine to make the phone call.

Eep, eep, eep, pause, eep, eep, eep, eep.  I listened to the annoying
sound of his touch tone phone.  I held it to my ear as it rang.  It
was answered on the second ring.

[Yes?]  No 'hello', no 'this is so and so', just a brief clipped
greeting.  I knew that damn thing had caller ID.

"Krycek?" I asked softly, remembering his assertion that these
creatures
had incredible hearing.

[Dana, what's up?]

"I'm not sure, but I'm at Mulder's."

[I know.  I saw the number,] he replied, confirming caller ID.

"Lights have been knocked out on Mulder's street, three out of four of
them, and the fourth one has been vandalized too, but is still
working."

[Punks in the neighborhood?] he suggested.

"We thought of that, but something doesn't feel right."

[What do you mean?]

"I feel stupid."

[Don't,] he said firmly.  [Just tell me.]

"The lights were on when Mulder got home.  When I arrived a half hour
later they were out.  As I came in the building, I thought..."

[Thought what?] he encouraged.

"I thought someone was watching me.  It was just a feeling.  But then
I got inside and Mulder says he's been creeped out since he got home,
feeling like something was lurking, watching him.  He doesn't see
anything out of place, but he feels like someone was in the
apartment earlier.  I know this sounds ridiculous."

[Don't be so quick to discount intuition, Dana.  Especially Mulder's.]
It irritated me when he called me Dana, but then again, I was calling
for
help so I couldn't exactly get pissy with him.  He'd saved my life
twice in the last two months.  I hated feeling like I owed him for
that.

"Well, we've watched for about a half an hour and seen nothing,
but ... I don't know.  Something isn't right, Krycek, and now we're
getting paranoid."

He was silent for a few moments and I wondered if he was talking with
Gareth.  Excuse me, D.D. Kendall Fair, as he was known in this
lifetime. Fairly quickly he said, [Lock the doors and windows, check
all the closets and sit tight.  We're on our way.  Don't open the door
to anyone but us and for God's sake, don't leave the apartment.  We'll
check out the area.  Gareth will know if he's within a mile of the
place.]

I cleared my throat.  "Thanks, Krycek."

[No problem.  I'll call you.]  He hung up abruptly and I heard the
dial tone moan in my ear.  I replaced the hand set in the cradle and
leaned back into Mulder again.

"What did he say?"

"They're on their way to check out the area.  He said sit tight, lock
the windows and door and check the closets."

Mulder chuckled, as that had been exactly what we'd done as soon as I
arrived.  Mulder turned from me and looked up at the smoke detector in
the center of the living room.

"What is it?"

"I've been filmed from up there before.  Maybe that's why I feel like
I'm being watched.  Christ, he could be watching us right now, from
right up there."

"Do you know who lives there now?"

"I think it's empty."

"That's never a good thing."

He nodded absently.  "Maybe I should go up and check."

"No!" I said with more vehemence than I meant to.

He turned to look at me.

"Don't leave me alone in here, Mulder.  You've got me totally spooked
now.  Besides, if he is out there, you don't want to make yourself a
target by leaving this apartment.  Krycek specifically said not to
leave
the apartment."

"I have my weapon," he said, not sounding horribly confident.

"And we both know how much that slows them down," I said, giving him a
significant look.

"Not much," he admitted.  "But it does slow them down."

"Don't risk it, Mulder.  When Krycek calls back, we'll have him check
it
out."

He gave me a pained look.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head as if to say it was nothing.

"No, Mulder, none of that.  What's bothering you?"

"It's stupid."

"Tell me anyway," I urged, stepping into him and embracing him.

His arms wound around me again and he sighed.  "I just hate relying on
Alex Krycek.  I know it's stupid.  Whatever his past, he certainly
seems to bear us no ill will now."

"But?" I countered, knowing there was more to this.

He almost whispered.  "I hate not being the one that ... protects
you."

"You do protect me, Mulder, just from other things, the same way I
protect you.  We always watch each other's backs.  But this is
different and you know it."

"I know, but it still bugs me."  He paused.  "I feel so useless."

"Don't do that to yourself, Mulder.  I'm not feeling particularly
brave or useful myself.  But we've got more to think about than just
us now."

He backed up slightly and one hand came down to rest on my abdomen
which was still perfectly flat.  He smiled.  "I know."

His hand wandered there constantly now, perhaps waiting for the first
signs of pregnancy.  I wasn't sure it would become real to him until
he saw me with a rounded belly.

I whispered, "You protect me from loneliness, Mulder, and so many
other things.  You protect me from myself, my unbending logic."

He chuckled now, knowing I protected him from his obsessions.  This
door swung both ways.  We balanced each other out.  We both had
faults, but not the same ones, fortunately, so we could usually catch
each other before major bad moves were made.  He had long since
stopped ditching me, realizing that we were always better and safer
together than we ever were apart.  "Keep going, G-woman," he rumbled
into my ear as his head lowered to my neck.

He placed a soft kiss there and I shivered.  "Without you, I would be
loveless."

"Hmmm?"

"And bored, without a doubt," I stated firmly.

"Oh yeah?" he replied, kissing his way down to my collar bone.

"Passionless," I murmured.

"Mmm, definitely," he muttered in response.

"Mmmm, and childless," I offered finally.

"Oh God, Scully," he murmured, his lips rising to meet mine now.  We
kissed tenderly.

"I love you, Mulder.  Only you.  You know that, don't you?"

He nodded.  "I know.  I guess I want to be your hero too.  I've caused
you so much pain."

"And so much joy, Mulder.  You are the father of this baby.  OUR baby,
Mulder.  Nothing and nobody can take that away from us."

He smiled again softly and cupped my face, lowering his head for
another
tender kiss.

"We have to stay alert, Mulder."

He sighed dramatically and I grinned.  I tugged his hand and led him
back to the couch.  He sat down and I sat next to him, curling my legs
under me and leaning into his side.  His arm came up around my
shoulders.  "It's dark in here," he said suddenly.

I turned my head to look at him and glanced at me, removing his arm
and standing.  "What are you doing?"

"I don't know, but suddenly I want all the lights on.  You know how
good they are at hiding in shadows."

There was a small lamp on a pole next to the couch that was currently
providing the only illumination, other than the fish tank.  He stood
and turned on the living room lights.  He moved to the kitchen and
crossed back to the bedroom and then into his bathroom.  Finally he
reemerged and shrugged.  "I know, dumb."

"No ..."

"If something does show up, I want to be able to see it."

"If it's moving slow enough."

"It has to stop sometime," he said.

He was jumpy again and I patted the couch.  He slid back down and
wrapped me under his arm again. I snuggled into him, laying my head on
his shoulder.  He was warm.

"Want to watch TV?"

"No, I want to be able to hear."

"Yeah, you're right."

His knee bounced in an uncharacteristic display of anxiety.  He hated
waiting worse than I did.  And I could hardly blame him for his
anxiety on this case.  He'd been bitten by that woman.

I remember feeling my heart stop in my chest when I realized what had
happened.  I didn't even believe in vampires at that moment, or was
denying it, anyway.  But something froze inside me.  I was terrified
of
what would happen to him.

If not for Gareth, he would be dead.  And later, he had assured us
that being bitten did not mean that Mulder would turn into what they
are.  We had taken that at face value.

A couple of days later, Mulder had asked about the procedure.  Why, I
don't know.  I chalked it up to his insatiable curiosity.  Later I
realized he'd needed more assurance that he wouldn't be permanently
scarred from the experience in any physical way.

Gareth had explained that the 'Maker' had to deposit his/her own blood
inside the person in order to start the change.  Drinking from someone
did not turn them.  All the old movies to that effect were myth.  He
explained that first, blood had to be given, either by mouth or ... of
all things, semen.  Apparently their semen was half blood.  Then blood
had to be exchanged.  The maker had to drink and the fledgling had to
drink.  He explained that the death of the mortal body was a fairly
quick thing, but more gradual than one might expect, all things
considered.  It varied, but occurred in one to two weeks, depending on
the strength of the Maker.  I'd found it odd that he never used the
word vampire when we asked him about it.

He had explained that they had always called themselves 'blood
drinkers'.  That the term vampire was one made up by scholars of the
paranormal.  They had never used it for themselves, although he
imagined most newer blood drinkers might.

Of all the paranormal things I had finally decided to believe in, it
was bizarre that vampirism had to the be the one.  However, despite my
unusually high capacity for denial, I was unable to keep denying their
existence.  Yes, I knew I was capable of great denial.  Didn't make it
any easier to let go of.  It was a character defect that I recognized
but didn't quite know how to temper.

So many things had happened so quickly during that battle that there
was no way it could have all been tricks set up beforehand.  I'd
wanted to believe that it was all deception, but being tossed through
the air like a sack of potatoes went a long way toward convincing me
that something supernatural was afoot.  No normal woman could have
lifted me easily, let alone tossed me fifteen feet into the air with
enough force to sail me across a forty foot living room.  I felt that
cold chill inside when I remembered my only thought at that moment.
The only thought I'd had time for at that moment was, 'This is it.
What a stupid way to die.'

In that split second, I was sure my life was over.  Then in the next
instant, it wasn't as I was landing on a hard body instead of hard
stone.  As unyielding as Krycek's chest had felt when I impacted, he
was infinitely softer than the stone that would have killed me had I
hit the chimney.

I still shuddered internally when I thought of the hardness of his
chest.  It gave with the impact, but the compact, hard muscles were
undeniable.  His body was fantastic.  So was Mulder's, I reminded
myself.  I felt a dart of guilt at admiring Krycek's physique, even if
it was for only a second.  It seemed a betrayal of Mulder, even that
little thought, which I would never reveal even under pain of death.

Knowing I admired Krycek in any way would send Mulder into a seizure
of insecurity and jealousy.  Although it would be totally unwarranted,
that was Mulder's make up.

He had a blind spot when it came to Krycek, maybe because the man had
saved my life twice now.  Mulder was grateful for that, but also
jealous and resentful.  He knew that was uncharitable and so there was
this constant conflict.  Krycek made him feel inadequate, more so now.
Nothing could be further than the truth.  It was like comparing apples
to oranges.  I could never trust Krycek the way I trusted Mulder.  I
might give him the benefit of the doubt.  One day, I might even call
him 'friend'.  But I would never really trust him one hundred percent.

As much as I told Mulder I loved him, he could still be insecure where
I was concerned.  It was a stark contrast to the confidence and
arrogance he possessed about so many other things.  But this
relationship, for all its speed of growth in the last few months, was
still new, so I couldn't blame him, really.  I myself wondered at
times if it was too good to be true.

I didn't want to predict disaster for us, but I couldn't help
wondering from time to time if the other shoe was going to drop.
Would he suddenly decide I was better off without him? Acting out of
some misguided martyrdom?  I could only wait and see.  I didn't think
he'd ever be able to walk away from his child, no matter what else
happened.

I knew that he thought he wasn't good enough for me in many ways.  It
made me sad that the women of his past, starting with his mother, had
so destroyed his self esteem when it came to relationships.  He was
obsessive and borderline obnoxious with his arrogance when it came to
most things paranormal.  But let him have to decide what to say to
further a relationship, and he was suddenly trembling and stuttering
like a school boy.  In many ways, I found that adorable.  In other
ways, I thought it was sad.

He was a brilliant man.  And now, he was the father of the child
growing inside me.  I'd been tested two days after Gareth told him I
was pregnant.  The blood test had confirmed it.  We were both still a
little in shock over it, still a little afraid to believe.

I rested my hand on his bouncing thigh and it came to an abrupt halt.
"Sorry," he muttered.

I cupped his face and turned it toward me.  "Nothing to be sorry for.
I hate waiting too."

"It's more than that," he said.

"What's going on, Mulder?"

He looked at me, his hazel eyes sad.  "I'm scared," he admitted.

I observed him quietly for a few moments.  "It's all right to be
scared, Mulder.  I am too."

He urged me into his lap and I straddled his thighs.  We embraced
again.  He talked softly in my ear. "I've been afraid before, Scully.
But never like this.  It bothers me."

"It shouldn't.  You have a good reason to afraid."

"I've been attacked before by perps.  Why is this one affecting me so
much?" he asked.

"I don't know.  Maybe because she was so ... real.  Other perps
attacking brought fear of death.  This had many other implications,
Mulder.  Fortunately, we were misinformed."

He nodded and buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply.  "I love
you, Scully."

"Mmm, I love you too, Mulder. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I don't like asking for help either.  You of all people know that
about me.  But I'd rather be embarrassed, alive and safe, than proud,
stubborn and dead."

"Yeah," he said quietly.  "Me too."

We sat that way, hugging, running fingers through each other's hair,
kissing occasionally.  No more words were needed or spoken.  I finally
rested my head on his shoulder and we snuggled.  His five o'clock
shadow snagged in my hair and I didn't care.  It made me feel content
to be this close.  Long minutes passed as I floated into a contented
snooze.

Into the quiet he said, "Are you awake?"

I inhaled deeply, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden, having let
myself relax into the warmth of his embrace.  "Barely," I murmured.

"How can you sleep at a time like this, Scully?" he asked gently,
sincerely curious.

I smiled against his shoulder and whispered, "Because I'm here with
you."

"And?  So?"

"And so I feel safe ... and protected.  I know you're here to watch my
back."

He gasped with some unknown emotion and hugged me tighter.  "Love you
so much," he whispered.

The next thing I knew, Mulder was nudging me awake.



PART 2 (PG-13)
ALEXANDRIA TOWN PLOT PARK
ALEXANDRIA, VA
AN HOUR LATER

"Scully, someone's at the door."

I was awake instantly and Mulder poured me off his lap as he stood to
answer the door.  I shivered with the loss of his body heat and shook
the sleep from my head.  He unholstered his weapon, which had been
sitting in its leather case on the coffee table.  He cautiously peered
through the peephole that I'd insisted he install a while back.  All
the shit that had gone on in this dumpy apartment and he'd never
installed a peephole.  I couldn't believe it.

In any case, he had one now.  I saw his shoulders relax, but he was
still on alert. He turned to me and said, "It's Gareth."

To the door, he said, "You alone?"

"For the moment," came the garbled response through the door.

Mulder undid the chain lock and slid the two dead bolts away.  He
opened the door and waved in the giant of a man that we had first
known as Deputy Director Kendall Fair.  His shoulders filled the
doorway and blocked the light from the hall as he stepped through
the door.

As many times as I'd seen him by now, I was struck anew by his size
every time he entered a room.  The man stood six foot, eight
inches tall and had shoulders like a professional power lifter.  He
was dressed casually tonight in sweat pants and a tee shirt, the arms
of which were sorely pressed to contain the circumference of
his biceps.

Unlike his wavy, collar-length daytime style, his hair was now
down to the center of his back, straight and thick.  He'd explained
that you retained the features you had when you were made.  In
1500 B.C. Egypt, he'd had hair down to his ass.  As a noble from a
prestigious family, it had been a sign of status and breeding to have
long hair.  He cut it each morning, tucking errant strands behind
his ears and putting a bit of gel in it.  Without the weight of his
thick mane, it would curl nicely around his collar.

As soon as the sun went down, it would begin to grow back.  By
morning, it would be down to his rump again. hovering just above his
belt.  Considering his height, that was an impressive head of hair.  I
knew women that would kill for hair like that.  He was olive skinned
with an odd paleness beneath the surface.  It allowed him to pass for
mortal easier than others without that advantage.

He claimed to have lived 3,500 years.  That was hard to fathom and I
wasn't sure I swallowed the whole story.  But I'd seen the man fly,
and I'd seen the man, along with Krycek, kill a female ... blood
drinker.  I'd seen the both of them perform feats of physical prowess
that no mortal could possibly achieve.  So while I believed in what he
was, I wasn't sure I believed his proffered history.  But for lack of
other evidence, we had no choice but to go along for the ride.

He waited patiently while Mulder redid the dead bolts and chain lock
on the door, nodding his approval.  Mulder shrugged, "You could crash
through that door if you wanted to anyway," he said, responding to the
nod of approval.

"Yes, but I wouldn't want to, and neither would he.  Causes too much
noise.  Stealth is more our style rather than raising a ruckus by
crashing through perfectly good doors," he said facetiously.

We both smiled in spite of the situation, not immune to his
bland sense of humor about his abilities.  "Find anything?" I asked,
impatient with even this tiny delay.

He nodded.  "Alex is taking care of it now."

"Taking care of what?" Mulder asked.

"Why don't you call D.D. Skinner and get him out of bed," he said with
a smile.

"You caught him?" I asked, surprised in spite of myself.  I'd been
spooked, but didn't really think they would find anything.

"Seems your instincts proved worthy," he said to Mulder with another
nod of admiration.  "We found him in the park across the street,
hiding in a tree."

"A tree?" I asked, surprise evident in my voice.

He grinned, showing perfect white teeth. "He was watching your
apartment, all right."

"What would he have wanted with us?"

"He must have known you were on the case.  He may have been watching
me and seen you with me.  We'll know more in a few minutes.  I think
he was probably waiting for you to go to bed.  It would be easy to
attack you while sleeping.  You'd never hear him coming."

I shuddered, remembering that we hadn't heard the vampire in
Connecticut either.  Something had awoken us.  We thought it was the
ghosts that resided in the house.  Now I wasn't so sure.  I thought
maybe it had been Krycek.

"I still don't see it.  How did he know about us?"

"Alex is getting your answers."

"We need him ..."

"Alive, I know.  I told him not to kill him."

Mulder looked at him.  "Then what?"

"Alex will make sure he's very weak.  If he doesn't feed, he'll stay
that way.  You can lock him up, but if you want him to stay alive, I'd
keep him in a windowless cell."

I said, "You and Krycek can take a little daylight.  He said he just
gets a tan ... like it was a joke."

"Oh, it's no joke.  And yes, we get darker.  But it can still kill us.
The only reason we don't go up in flames is because we are so
powerful.  The years for me and my blood for him ... our tolerance
increases.  This boy is an infant in the blood."

"Who made him?"

"I thought at first he must be a fledgling of Zebrosia's.  I figured
she'd brought him along for a travel companion and then when she was
killed, he was unable to go home ... wherever home was."

"And so he began to kill."

"That's what I thought.  But he was weak, and it was too easy to read
his mind.  If he were a fledgling of Zebrosia's, he would be strong,
just by virtue of her blood.  He was made by another.  One I don't
know.  This fledgling is only about a decade old."

"He could be strong though, couldn't he?  If he drank from Zebrosia?"

Gareth looked at Mulder.  "But he didn't.  I could tell right away.  I
don't think she was very free with her blood, if you know what I
mean."

"She enjoyed being that much more powerful than all the others," I
conjectured.

"Exactly.  She could fly.  She must have flown them here.  But the
young one can't, and now he's stranded.  Even weak, he could have
killed you.  He could still have overpowered you easily.  Alex will
make sure he can't do that anymore.  He could leave but I've a feeling
they came from overseas.  He probably is ignorant of airplanes and
afraid to fly.  He may have no money.  Who knows?"

"Overseas?" I nearly cried.  "How could she travel that far by ...
air," I said lamely.

He laughed at my awkwardness in asking these questions and I stared at
the carpet, slightly annoyed that he was amused with me.

He sobered and said, "I'm sorry, Agent Scully.  I'm not used to
talking so freely about these things with mortals.   Alex was the
first I'd taken into my confidence in over a century.  I guess I'm
enjoying some of the reactions.  Forgive me."

I nodded, feeling a slight blush.  He continued, "It's possible she
crossed the Atlantic but I doubt it.  She probably went up north and
across smaller bodies of water into Arctic and then came down."

"But she showed up in Georgia first," Mulder protested.  "Or that's
where the first kill was."

He nodded.  "She may have gone that far south for the warmth.  Who
knows?  Maybe she island hopped across the south.  I honestly don't
know.  I don't know how far her endurance would have taken her.  I've
never tested my limits in that area, for that matter.  Something I
really should do one of these days," he said as though making a mental
grocery list, as though he hadn't just said something fantastic.

"So what now?"

"Wait for Alex to get here.  Then call D.D. Skinner.  Let him decide
what to do with the fledgling.  I was never here.  I can't be
connected to this.
But remember my warning about keeping him alive. He's young.  He'll go
up like a torch if he's hit with sunlight. Then all you'll have for a
perp is a small pile of ashes."

These words were barely across his lips when another knock sounded on
the door.  Mulder went through the unlocking process again and I
thought how barricaded he was here now.  I remembered my amusement at
the The Lone Gunmen the first time I visited there and waited through
the awesome series of unlocking mechanisms at their hide out.

Mulder looked through the peephole even though he knew who it was.  He
made a face, which I assumed was a reaction to whoever or whatever
Krycek had with him.  I stood, not wanting to remain sitting for this
while all the men towered over me.

Mulder opened the door and swung it wide.  Krycek marched in with a
man beside him, his arms twisted behind his back and held in place
with just one of Krycek's hands.  The other hand was fisted into the
man's collar.  Mulder shut and locked the door behind him, backing
away to give them a wide berth.

The man was tall, maybe Mulder's height of six feet, but skinny as a
bean pole, his arms and legs appearing gangly in oversized jeans with
a rip in the knee and a baggy blue denim shirt.  His hair was blonde
and hung in limp strands to his shoulders.  His complexion was pasty
white.  He appeared to have no eyebrows at all, although upon closer
inspection, they were there, but almost as white as his skin.  It gave
his wide set eyes a oddly vacant look.  His slender frame was a marked
contrast to Gareth and Krycek, who were both muscular and tall. Krycek
was now six foot, three inches tall, having gained about five inches
upon becoming a ... vampire.

The man's cheeks were gaunt, his lips a pinkish gray.  He did not
look good at all, but he was alive and I could see his chest rise and
fall with his slightly ragged breaths.  He didn't look frightened ...
rather, he looked weary and resigned to his fate.   Gareth glared at
him and he did balk then slightly, cringing and backing into Krycek,
feeling more secure apparently with his captor than with the stern
glare of Gareth.  "Heruben?" he whispered.

Gareth ignored whatever he had just said and turned to Mulder.  I
could only assume it was a foreign language.  "Ah, here is our little
delinquent.  Agent Mulder, meet Pierre LeBlanc."

Mulder merely stared, as did I, still taking his measure.  He didn't
look very threatening at the moment.  However, if I'd learned nothing
else in the last couple of months, it was that looks could be
deceiving.

Krycek shook him a bit, apparently just for sport, and his head bobbed
dangerously on his tall, skinny neck.  He looked like a marionette,
with Krycek pulling the strings.  I half expected Krycek to grab his
arms and begin gesturing with him, using him as a puppet to perform
some sort of demented Gumby act.  That would be in line with what I'd
come to know of Krycek's peculiar sense of humor.

Instead, he merely stood there with an odd look on his face, peering
at his fellow vampire as though he were a spec of dirt.  Gareth
finally turned his attention to Krycek.  "Well?"

"He couldn't keep anything from me."

"Anything of interest?" Gareth asked calmly.

Krycek frowned and said, "Gareth, you're not going to believe this
shit."

"Try me," he said patiently.

"Entirely too much to tell right now.  Suffice it to say, that I think
you can haul him in without too much trouble."

Gareth peered at him again.  "How much did you take?"

"I left him with enough to keep his heart beating."

Krycek's complexion was undoubtedly paler than it used to be.  But in
the bright light of the apartment, I could see the stain of blood in
his cheeks and shuddered involuntarily.  It was all a bit much for me
to wrap my mind around sometimes.

"He looks like he's had some sort of psychotic break."  He waved his
fingers in front of the man's face.  He flinched slightly but
otherwise didn't respond.

"He might have."

"What did you do to him?"

"I showed him a little movie."

Gareth's face was hard when he said, "Of what, Alex?"

"The last few minutes of Zebrosia's life."

Gareth closed his eyes and sighed.  "Don't you think that was a bit
extreme?"

"Maybe, but he stopped fighting.  I think he realized he had no chance
at that point.  It was almost as though he wanted to die."

"Like David," Gareth said, referring to the rogue blood drinker that
had stalked us in Connecticut.  Krycek had arrived just in time to
save us.  He claimed David was weak, but he'd seemed plenty strong to
me.  Mulder's bullet hadn't stopped him.

Krycek nodded.  "Exactly like David."

"What do you mean?"

"He wasn't made willingly," Krycek said calmly.  "And he's not the
only one."

Gareth got a strange look on his face and said, "Are you implying what
I think you're implying?"

Krycek nodded.  "I think we have a much bigger problem on our hands.
Forget about rogue fledgling blood drinkers."

"Are you saying we've got a rogue Maker on our hands," he said
quietly.

Krycek nodded gravely.  "I think so.  I got a lot from his mind when I
bled him.  I have some ideas where to start.  But I saw a lot and I
want to tell you all of it first."

"Son of a bitch!" Gareth growled.

Krycek nodded gravely.  A moment of silence passed and he said, "I
think it's time to be the King, Gareth."

Gareth sighed loudly.  "Shit," was his only response.

"Yeah, shit."

"Well, at least I have a Prince to help me out," he said.

Krycek smiled that crooked smile of his and said, "Whither thou goest,
I go."

"Cuff him," Gareth said.

Mulder pulled cuffs out of the drawer under his computer and cuffed
the man.  He looked at Krycek as he let him go, who turned to Mulder
and said.  "You don't need to be afraid.  He isn't even as strong as
you are now.  He knows it too.  Just don't let him bite you.  If he
gets blood, he'll regain his strength.  Warn whoever will be his
keeper that he's a biter."

Gareth turned to the man and got right in his face.  He shrank away
from him.  Gareth growled, "A name.  I want a name."

The man remained mute.  "Tell me now.  If you're afraid of your Maker,
forget him.  You don't know fear until I mess with you."

Pierre trembled slightly.  "Roseman," he whispered.  He pronounced it
Rose-A-Mun.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," the fledgling replied.

Gareth stared at him for a long moment and must have decided he was
telling the truth.  Or maybe he read his mind.  It was hard to tell;
his face gave away nothing.  He glanced at Mulder.  "I've got what I
need here.  Call Skinner to come lock him up.  You can advertise that
he's been caught and it will relax the public from the panic over
these killings."

I asked, "Sir, uh, could you check upstairs above this apartment.
Just
make sure no one's up there."

Gareth nodded.  "Of course.  I don't hear anyone up there though."

"You can hear what's going on a floor above us?" I asked
incredulously.

He smiled.  "I could hear what was going on in the next building if I
wanted to, Agent Scully."

"Christ," I murmured.

He merely smiled and said, "I'll check it out to be sure. You never
know."  As if he knew what we had been thinking, and he probably did,
he reached above his head without much of a reach and pulled the smoke
alarm off the ceiling.  He carefully inspected inside and peered
through the hole where the wires were now dangling from the ceilings.
"There's nothing here, but I'll check anyway."

Mulder nodded, satisfied, and I turned and went to the phone, dialing
Skinner's home number from memory.

['ello,] a strangled, hoarse voice traveled into my ear.

"Sir, sorry to wake you at this hour."  I glanced at my watch.  It was
1:30 AM.

He cleared his throat, sounding more awake now.  [What's the matter?]

"We've caught our killer, Sir."

[Where are you?]

"Mulder's apartment, but we're about to take him to the Alexandria
lock up for now."

[Why there?]

"The lock up is in the basement."

[So what?]

"No windows, Sir," I said, realizing how this sounded.

He grunted.  [Are you saying ...??] he trailed off.

"He's a vampire, Sir, but he's been ... weakened.  We'll need to scare
up a muzzle, I'm afraid."

[Oh Christ,] he muttered, exasperated.

"Sorry, Sir, but I thought you'd want to know, or be in on the
booking."

[How'd you catch him?]

"Long story, but essentially, he came gunning for us.  A ... friend
helped us out."

[A friend,] he repeated, clearly not amused with my vague references.

"Someone who could tangle with him and ... weaken him for us."

[Ah, so now you're telling me you know other vampires.]  Clearly, he
didn't believe me.

"I'm afraid so, Sir."

He chuckled.  [I'm surprised to hear this coming from you, Agent
Scully.]

"No more surprised than me, Sir."

[Never a dull moment with you two around.]

I breathed heavily, suddenly weary despite my nap.  We had several
hours of booking and arraignments ahead of us.  "Will you meet us down
there?"

[Yes, I'll be there in twenty,] he replied.

"See you then, Sir."

[This better be good, Agent Scully.]

"I think it will be, Sir."

[See you soon, Agent.]

"Right, Sir."  I broke the connection and replaced the handset in the
cradle again.  "He's meeting us there, Mulder."

Mulder nodded.  "Krycek, can you come with us?"

His eyebrows raised, surprised at the invitation.  "I suppose."

"I'd feel better if you ... contained him while I drive."

Gareth looked at Krycek.  "Go with them.  I can't."

He nodded. "I'll see you when I get home."

"I'll want all the details."

"You'll have them."



PART 3 (PG-13)
ALEXANDRIA CITY JAIL
ALEXANDRIA, VA
SATURDAY MORNING - 2:00 AM

"This is him?" Skinner asked dubiously, looking at the wraith of a man
sitting in the corner of the barren cot, knees drawn up to his chin,
arms around his legs.

"Yup, not much to look at is he?"

"I was expecting ... I don't know what I was expecting, Mulder.  But
this wasn't it."

"Looks can be deceiving, Sir.  Much like the aliens, you can't
determine strength from looking at them."

Krycek had accompanied us to the jail, but split as soon as the
booking process began.  By then, I had relaxed some.  Scully was still
very wary and I couldn't blame her.

She almost looked wistful when Krycek had left and I'd felt another
pang of some nameless emotion tugging in my chest.  I really had to
stop this.  I knew she loved me and I wasn't blind.

Krycek was a good looking man.  And now, more than ever, his physique
was extraordinary.  Made me want to the hit the gym and start pumping
iron.  Maybe I would do that, just to work off some the tension.
Running didn't seem to be doing it any more.

Scully said, "How are we going to explain to these people that they
need to watch out for him?  They'll never believe us."

Her voice yanked me out of my reverie and I turned my attention
to her.  "We could tell them the truth."

She scowled.  "Yeah, and I'm sure they'd believe us."

Skinner jumped in.  "I think you should just tell them what your
friend said, that he's a biter for some reason and under no
circumstances should they let him near enough to bite."  He didn't
know that the friend we referred to was Krycek.  Skinner trusted him
even less than Mulder did.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Scully added.

We all nodded agreement and Skinner and Scully left to talk to the
local police and explain to the man on guard duty about our errant
prisoner.  He certainly didn't look like someone that could have
killed six or eight people.  According to Krycek, he was the one
leaving bodies up the coast, not Zebrosia.  Somehow he had determined,
from drinking from the suspect, that the fledgling had done the
killing and Zebrosia hadn't needed to feed since they had left there
home ... wherever that was.  Krycek said he thought he knew from the
pictures he had stolen from the man's mind.

I looked at the cuffs, dangling between the man's wrists.  They'd left
them on, not locked tight, switching them from the rear to the front
when we'd arrived so that he could be finger printed.  I'd had doubts
as to whether or not he had finger prints, but he did.

I doubted they would show up in any database, though.  Useless as far
as I was concerned.  The man had killed and should be punished.  On
the other hand, how was that to happen when the man couldn't see the
light of day?  There was no way he could be brought out to go to court
during the daytime, which is the only time court was held.  This was
going to be sticky.

In some ways, I almost wish Krycek had killed him and saved us the
trouble of figuring this out.  On the other hand, this whole situation
was intriguing the hell out of me.

He startled me when he spoke, "I wish he'd killed me too."

I stared at him, surprised to hear his scratchy, but surprisingly
soft, high voice.  "You do?"

"Yes.  This is not living.  This is existing," he said softly.

"Then why did you kill all those people?"

"Despite it all, I wanted to survive, hoping I could find my niche in
the grand scheme of things."

"What scheme of things?  Don't you know you don't have to kill people
to survive."

He shrugged.  "Doesn't matter now.  I won't survive this."

"How can you be sure?  We brought you here because it's in a basement
with no windows."

"And how long do you think they will be able to do that before
ignoring your warnings and bringing me out during the day time?"

I sighed.  "We're working on that problem."

"And then what?  If I manage to survive?  Send me to prison?"

"You'd have to go into solitary confinement."

He chuckled softly.  "Yeah, couldn't risk leaving me alone in the
laundry with some hapless prisoner."

"No, I'm afraid we couldn't."

"If I survive, there isn't a prison that could hold me."

"Even in your condition?"

"Only a matter of time before I found an opportunity to feed.  My
strength would return and I would be able to escape."

"Then what?" I asked, almost feeling sorry for him, but then
remembering the eight dead people between Augusta and D.C.

He sighed loudly.  "I don't know."

"You'd be free to kill again?  I can't let that happen."

He stared at me and smiled.  "You are companion to one of us and yet
you trust him and not me?"

"First, he's not my companion.  He's an ... acquaintance.  Second, he
has only killed when necessary or if the person was a killer
themselves.  Third, most of the time, he only takes what he needs to
survive."

"Yes, well, with such strong blood, his needs are much less than
mine."

"What do you mean?"

"I have never come across ones such as them.  Zebrosia was the only
one.  I knew they were strong.  I'd heard of him but I guess I ...
didn't really believe he was still in existence.  He's a legend in
Egypt, you know.  Zebrosia said he was strong, but she didn't say he
was as strong as she.  They are powerful beyond my imagining.  My
Master thinks he is the oldest and strongest after Zebrosia.  He is
very wrong.  He is a baby compared to these two.  He thought Zebrosia
was the only one older and stronger than he still in existence.  The
older you are, the less blood you need to survive."

"Zebrosia didn't tell him there was one such as she?"

He shook his head.  "I don't think she was sure he was alive.  Then
she heard his call."

"His call?"

"He tried to reach her.  She knew he wanted to ask permission to make
a fledgling.  She was so bitter and said he would never get permission
from her.  But she kept track of him."

"How?"

He smiled.  "Once he gave himself away with his call, she knew where
he was, she checked on him from time to time.  She would have never
approached him, but then he ..."

The creatures swallowed hard.  "He what?" I prompted.

"He made his fledgling without her permission."

"Was that so bad?"

"To her it was.  To her, it was the ultimate betrayal.  She was very
... righteous in her superiority.  To have someone dare to defy her
was more than she could ignore."

"So she came for him."

"Yes, she thought to destroy his fledgling first and watch him suffer
the grief, returning later to destroy him.  She was utterly confident
in her mission.  I knew he was stronger than my Maker, because she
told me so, but I had no idea."

"Didn't it occur to her that his fledgling would fight also, that it
would be two against one?"

He chuckled mirthlessly.  "Ah, you humans.  You have absolutely no
concept the level of arrogance we are talking about.  She totally
discounted his fledgling.  Even with his blood, he couldn't be
stronger than his Maker and she was totally confident that ... what
did you call him?"

"Gareth."

"Yeah, that Gareth was no match for her.  His fledgling didn't even
factor into her equation.  She thought he would be an easy kill."  He
was silent a moment and then shivered, "They killed Zebrosia!" he
cried suddenly.  "Do have any idea what that means?!  Do you?!  She
was our QUEEN!"

He stood up from his bunk.  "I can't even imagine his strength ...
holy shit."  He collapsed back down onto the bunk and rested his
elbows on his knees, cupping his head in his hands.

"Why did she bring you?" I asked, trying to keep him talking.

"Just for company and to look out should she need another pair of eyes
and ears.  And for sex.  She was practically insatiable.  We all are."

That gave me pause and made me nervous about Krycek's intentions
around Scully
all over again.  Would he ever take her by force if his need was great
enough?
I shuddered at the thought of it.

"Why you?  You some kind of Don Juan in bed," I taunted.

"I owed her."

"For what?"

He frowned.  "She was protecting me from my Maker. I'd defied him as
Gareth had defied her.  I wouldn't go along with my Maker's plans. But
... she didn't see it the same way.  She thought all should show
allegiance to her, so my crime was not as bad as ... Gareth's. Your
friend will tell you about it."

"I'm not sure he will."  He hesitated using the name Gareth.  So, as I
suspected, that wasn't Kendall Fair's real name either.  I wondered if
we would ever know.

He looked at me then.  I felt a small wave of dizziness and
grabbed the bars of his cell to steady myself.  "Fuck you!" I
hollered, knowing what he was doing.

Until that moment, I didn't realize how adept Krycek and Gareth were
at mind reading.  I never felt this jolt, or hot pain in my head
before.  And I knew they had read me easily and without my knowledge.
This one's psyche hit me like a Mac truck.  As my knees began to
buckle, he relented and I felt coolness sweep through my head again
and breathed through another small round of dizziness.

"Stay the fuck out of my head, you blood sucker!"

He laughed then.  "You knew what I was doing, huh?"

"You've all the finesse of a rabid pit bull."

He frowned.  "What do you mean?"

"I've been read by Alex and Gareth before.  I never felt a thing."

He stared at me for a moment and then sighed deeply again.  "I am
young, that must be the difference."

"Is this Maker of yours near?"

"No, you've no worries from him.  He resides far from here."

"Where?"

He smiled.  "I'm not going to tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because he's after me already.  He would know I'd given him away."

"Why is he after you?  He can't think he can kill Zebrosia.  And he
doesn't know she's dead."

He shook his head.  "Talk to the strong one.  He will tell you."

"Gareth?"

"No, the other one.  He knows everything now."

"Perhaps not everything."

"I'm weary and dawn approaches.  It pulls on me heavily, even here.  I
would sleep now.  Have a little mercy."

"Mercy?  You killed eight innocent people for God sakes.  You don't
deserve any mercy!  You would have killed me and ... Scully."

He looked at his sneakers and back up to me.  "Which bothers you
more?"

I refused to answer that.  He didn't need to know how important Scully
was to me.  Then he huffed, "Don't answer. I already know."

"You know nothing!" I spat at him and turned and walked away.  I was
wondering why I had even stayed to watch him and talk with him.  It
was useless.  Krycek was the only one that could give us any useful
information.  "You didn't have to kill those people!  Why did you do
that?"

He stared at me.  "Biological imperative."

"You didn't have to kill them."

He smiled the most evil smile I'd ever seen and for the first time I
was really afraid of him.  "I guess your friends have never told you,
eh?"

"Told me what?"

"Killing ... draining someone ... it is the most profound ecstasy you
will ever feel.  The victim feels it too.  It is not a hard way to
die."

I stared at him and flushed remembering the throbbing, aching erection
I'd gotten when Zebrosia had drank from me.  I'd no doubts that she'd
planned on draining me dry.  I shuddered visibly again and shook
myself.

His eyes widened a bit.  "Ah, so you do know something of it.  There's
your answer."

I turned away from him disgust.  Disgust for his blood lust,
disgust at myself for having felt the arousal of being fed on.  Jesus,
I was sick. I found Scully and Skinner in the main lobby, waiting for
me.

"What took you so long, Mulder?" Scully asked.

"We had a little chat."

"About what?"

"This and that."  I glanced at Skinner and he was scowling at me.

"He didn't happen to say WHY he killed all these people, did he?"
Skinner asked.

"Of course, he says he needed to in order to survive," I said stiffly.

"You believe that?"

"No," I replied. "I happen to know they don't have to kill to
survive."

"More information from your 'friend'?" he asked, clearly irritated at
not knowing who it was and that both Scully and I believed in this.

"Yes," I answered simply.

"Then why kill if you don't have to?  It's like leaving a trail to
your door."

"He said ... killing is ecstasy."

Skinner scowled again.  "Jesus, that's sick."

"Never met a killer that wasn't," I said dryly.

"Let's go home.  I'm so tired I can barely walk," Scully admitted.  I
placed my hand on her lower back in its familiar position.  I guided
her out the
front door, with Skinner trailing close behind.

We were back home by 3:00 AM, but exhausted.  We crashed, only
taking time to remove our clothes and fall into bed.

XXXXXXXXXX
FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT
ALEXANDRIA, VA
SATURDAY - 11:00 AM

I'd slept like the dead for once. No dreams, no nightmares, nothing.
I'd been exhausted, so I couldn't imagine how tired Scully was.  I
levered up onto one elbow, cradling my head in my hand.  I watched
her slow, even breaths as she laid beside me.  Her hair was spread out
behind her head like a fiery halo.

Her lips were moist and parted, showing a flash of pink tongue.  One
hand lay on her stomach.  The other curled gently next to her face.
She looked like an angel and I laid my palm on her tummy.  The idea of
her pregnancy excited and intrigued me.  It also scared the shit out
of me.  I wanted it all, though.  Everything.  With Scully, it was the
whole enchilada or nothing.

Oh, I would take what she would give me.  But I wanted it all.  I
wanted to marry her and be husband and wife before the baby came.  I
wondered how she would feel about that.  Her Catholic upbringing was
surely on my side.  She wouldn't want to have a child out of wedlock.
Then again, she didn't practice strict Catholicism and I'm sure she
hadn't counted on ME being the father of her child.  Years ago when
we'd talked about these things briefly, she'd implied that if she did
it, she would do it right.  However, she'd never really said what
'right' was.  And then, I'm sure, she wasn't thinking of me in the
picture.

Being married to me might be a little more daunting than if I were
some rich doctor with a home and a big lawn.  The irony was that I
could afford those things.  I just didn't know if she still wanted
them.  Being Mrs. Spooky for real might be a bit much right now.

Then again, I'd never know unless I asked.  I was smart enough to
realize that if she said 'No', it didn't mean the relationship was
over.  And it wouldn't mean a rejection of ME personally either.  But
I knew I would be hurt if she turned me down, or put me off.

I traced her lips with my finger and her mouth pursed into the cutest
'smooch me' expression I'd ever seen.  But I didn't want to wake her.
She was so beautiful.  I still couldn't believe I was waking up with a
naked Scully in my bed.  That alone was cause for celebration.

I was worried about this rogue vampire they were speaking of.  They
hadn't given any details, but I could tell by the conversation that
whatever was brewing out there in the world of the undead ... it
wasn't good.  In any event, I hoped we could stay out of it from here
on out.  We had captured our perp, albeit with a little help.  He'd
pretty much admitted to the crimes with the resignation of a someone
who knows there is no way out.



PART 4 (NC-17)
FOX MULDER'S APARTMENT
ALEXANDRIA, VA
SATURDAY- 12:00 NOON

Was there a greater mystery than sexuality?  What causes us to be
attracted to one person, repulsed by another and indifferent to still
another?  Is it fate? Compatible pheromones?  God's will?  We may
never know.

However, we recognize the feeling.  That pull inside us that draws us
closer to the person that has that 'thing' that makes our hearts beat
faster, our mouths go dry.  We are drawn to them like a moth to a
flame.  Scully was my flame.  I run after her, hovering in her wake,
eternally hoping that she will bestow attention on me; one small
touch, a shy smile, a blush.  It's extraordinary, the effect she has
on me.

Despite my propensity for the paranormal and flights of fancy, I'm
generally quite grounded when it comes to women.  I've been hurt too
many times in my past to be able to love easily, trust easily, even be
attracted easily.   Big boobs, long legs and full lips lost their
superficial appeal a long time ago.  I found too many pretty packages
with spoiled meat inside.

Scully, on the other hand, was every thinking man's dream and every
cocky asshole's nightmare.  She wasn't just a pretty package.
There was a brain inside along with a pure soul and limitless
compassion, understanding and an ability to forgive that ought to be
legendary.

XXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17

I woke with her warm, little bottom pressing into the cradle of my
pelvis and making Mulder Jr. sit up and take notice.  He seemed to
have totally forgotten that he needed to pee a few minutes ago.

She gasped softly and her tiny hand reached back, laying like a brand
on my thigh.

I felt the oxygen leave my lungs in a rush, and all the blood run like
the devil into my groin.   I moaned and pressed my now straining
erection into the baby soft skin of her ass.

She tipped her ass up and lifted her leg, gently setting her tiny foot
on my calf.  So accommodating, wasn't she?  I couldn't believe she
wanted me as much as I wanted her ... still.  I know it had only been
a couple of months, but I was still waiting for some disaster to
strike this new found intimacy between us.

She wiggled her butt, and my shaft slid between her legs.

I pressed forward, poking her clitoris and wetting myself on her
juices which were already flowing freely.

She moaned and that was all the invitation I needed.  Gripping her hip
gently, I angled myself and slid inside her in one long stroke until
my balls were pressed snugly against her pubic bone.

She groaned, her hand flexing in place on my thigh as she urged me
into motion.  Didn't have to ask me twice.  I slid easily in and out
of her slick tunnel, panting gently in her ear, keeping my pace slow.
Shivers ran up and down my spine as I listened to the little mews of
pleasure that emerged from the back of her throat.

I still couldn't believe sometimes that I was capable of making her
emit these sounds, that I was capable of bringing her this kind of
pleasure.  But the evidence was plain in the slick wetness of her
thighs where her arousal was manifest and sliding out of her to coat
her soft skin with a damp lubrication.  I surprised myself with my
lazy reveling.

Her body stiffened against mine as I pinched her nipple lightly, and
her muscles convulsed on my hardness, moaning out my name, "OH God,
Mmuullddeerrr!"

I gritted my teeth and moaned but somehow held back and continued to
stroke her.  I was in no hurry to end it.  I couldn't remember the
last time I'd felt this at peace, this sure of myself.  As she came
down, I rolled into her, turning her onto her stomach, taking my
weight on my elbows and continuing my leisurely exploration of her
most intimate parts.  My hands slipped under her body as she raised
her shoulders off the bed, grasping her soft globes and weighing them
in my hands, fingers finding her nipples and teasing them into a
second round of hardness.

She gasped and squirmed under me, whispering, "Let it go, Mulder.
Come for me."

Although I wanted it to last forever, it had to end sometime.  I sped
up my strokes, rocking her body as my hips collided with her ass,
causing her taut butt to ripple on impact.  I took my weight on one
elbow and slid one hand down her belly, finding her juncture and
gently circling her clitoris with two fingers.

"Oh Jeeesssuuusss!" she moaned out, shuddering around me again.

I groaned and felt my balls tighten.  I didn't hold it back and let
the warm
fizzle of excitement stiffen me to the limit and I was washing her
insides with
my sperm, feeling hard trembling rock my body in a slow motion,
incredibly
satisfying release.

I collapsed onto her and whispered in her ear, "I love you so much."

"Ditto," she sighed.  I slid to her side, still half covering her
back.  We fell asleep for another half hour and then woke lazily to
crawl into the shower.  It was likely to be another long day.

XXXXXXXXX - END NC-17
KENDALL FAIR'S TOWNHOUSE
GEORGETOWN, D.C.
SATURDAY - 3:00 AM

I sat staring at the fire in the fireplace while I waited for Alex to
take off his muddy boots.  He followed me into the living room, his
lazy stride making his hips sway just enough to catch the eye.  He had
such unconscious grace.  I was sitting on the couch, with my back to
the armrest.  He sat on the opposite end and lifted his legs up to
slid them in between mine.

His stockinged toes slid over my calves and up the inside of my
thighs.  I felt my groin tingle and ruthlessly suppressed my libido as
I saw him throw me a sly grin.

"You're incorrigible."

"I know.  That's why you love me so much."

I barked out a huff of laughter and leaned back to get more
comfortable, letting his feet rest lightly on my groin.  "We have to
talk, Alex."

His smile disappeared.  "I know."

"Tell me what you saw.  Everything.  No detail is too small.  Don't
leave anything out."

He sighed and closed his eyes.  "Give me a minute."

"Take your time," I said softly, watching his beautiful face.  His
lips pursed slightly, making me want to kiss him.  His brow furrowed,
making me want to run my thumb over it and smooth it out.  What was it
about him that made me constantly want to be touching him?  We could
hardly sit across the room from one another.  Even now, needing to
have this serious conversation, we sat near each other, our legs
touching, stretched out next to each other.  This couch was enormous.
I'd had it built specially to accommodate my height.  The cushions
were huge and overstuffed and the fabric soft.  A person could sink
into it nicely without getting lost.

After a couple of minutes he opened his eyes.  "I had to put things in
chronological order as best I could.  I may be off some."

"That's all right, just tell me what you saw."

"First, I saw Zebrosia. He ..."

"What?"

"He was her lover, or one of them."

I raised my eyebrows, wondering why she would take one so young and
weak.  Then I realized her whole life was about control and he would
have been easy to control.

"Then I saw his Maker."

"What did he look like?"  I wondered if it was someone I knew.
Although I'd had no contact with others of my kind in over a century,
years ago, I had lived amongst others.

"He had jet black hair and blue eyes.  His skin was very white and
smooth."

"As smooth as yours?"

"Not quite, but close."

I nodded to encourage him to continue.

"The picture I saw was him standing looking down at Pierre.  So he
must be taller, I'd say by a couple of inches.  Maybe six
foot, two inches or so.  He's lean, but well toned.  His hair past his
collar, maybe down to the bottom of his shoulder blades and a little
wavy.  He was wearing modern clothes, a double breasted suit.

"This Pierre defied him by going to Zebrosia and ratting him out.  She
lured him away and promised to protect him for his loyalty.  She had
plans to destroy his Maker and all the followers, but then she learned
of me."

"And that took priority," I guessed.

He nodded.  "Yes."

His description wasn't ringing any bells as I went through my index of
'Others' in my head.  "Go on."

"That's it, really.  I got no sense of time or place or background at
that point.  But then I did later.  I saw a picture of a great room
and I don't know, but I sensed that it was underground.  There had to
be thirty blood drinkers there of various ages, all sitting around on
a marble tiled floor.  This Maker was holding court in the center of
the room, giving some kind of speech, but I couldn't get any words
from his mind.  I got the feeling Pierre had been spying on the
gathering."

"He didn't strike me as strong enough to do that and avoid detection."

"Maybe, maybe not.  We don't really know how strong these Others are,
do we?"

I shook my head.  "No, you're right ... we don't, really, but I think
we may need to find out."

He nodded in agreement and continued.  "Next I saw a conversation,
more like a fight between him and Zebrosia.  He was trying to tell her
that his Maker was a threat to her.  She was laughing and saying she
had bigger fish to fry and telling him about you.  That's when she
asked him to come with her, saying she would take care of his Maker
when she returned."

"Interesting.  And now she won't return." I considered.  "Why was he a
threat?"

"More pictures and snatches of information tell me this guy was making
fledglings left and right.  I think this place they were in was some
sort of catacomb.  Not exactly, but some kind of underground tomb."

I sucked in my breath.  "Describe it to me," I said.

He launched into a lengthy description of stars and clouds painted on
the ceiling, chipped and flaking paint, marble floors, and two grand
sarcophagi in the middle of the room.  He described scrolling designs
of carved wood over the doorway.

I stopped him.  "Describe the coffins."

He looked at me strangely for a moment and then said, "One was pink
marble and the other was jet black, maybe granite.  I'm not sure what
it was made of."  I felt a sense of dread creep through
me. Alex cocked his head to one side and said, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I think I know where they are."

"You do?  Where?  I mean, I was thinking New Orleans at first, since
all their crypts are above ground but inside stone.  It would seem
like
underground.  But then I remembered he probably came from Europe and I
was thinking that France has some pretty extensive catacombs
beneath the major cities ... of course, it could also be ..."

I held up a hand, stopping his speculation.  "I think they are in
Egypt, Alex."

He stopped and stared at me.  "Because of the coffin descriptions?"

"And the painting and the wood filigree and the portraits on the lids.
That is an old Egyptian custom, no longer practiced, I might add."

He swallowed.  Then he gave a quirky smile.  "What?  You think he's in
the pyramids or something?"  He laughed then.

I frowned and he immediately lost his mirth.  "No, I think he is in a
family tomb of a noble house.  Those tombs were arranged that way,
with coffins in the center and other rooms where gifts for the dead
were left to take on their journey, and other burial chambers for
lesser members of the family.  Was there a painting on the floor, any
hieroglyphs that you remember?"

He closed his eyes again and tried to conjure the picture again.
"There was a blue marble on the floor and painting on the ceiling, sun
and moon overlapping, stars all around it.  Underneath that there was
a picture ..."

"Oh God, of what?"

He opened his eyes.  "Let me draw it for you.  I can't describe it
exactly."  He rose and left the room, entering my study and reemerging
with a legal pad and pencil.  He sat back down, resuming his same
position as I felt my stomach begin to buzz with anxiety.  I held my
hands out and I took the pad from him as he looked at me strangely.

I drew a flail crossed over a crook cross hatching hieroglyph;
below that was a name: Tiy Siamun.  Siamun meant Son of Amun, a God of
the time, and one that was widely worshipped.

I turned the pad and held it up to him.  "Is this what it looked
like?" I asked in hushed tone, already knowing the answer.

His eyes widened and he said, "Yes.  Did you take the picture from my
head?  I didn't feel you ..."  He trailed off as he saw my expression,
which must have been one of anguish.  "Oh, Jesus, Gareth, you really
know this place?"

I nodded, swallowing to get my emotions under control.  "Yes, I know
the place very well."

He seemed hesitant to ask but then asked, "Where is it?"

I sought and found his gaze.  "It's my ... family's tomb."

"WHAT?!" he shrieked, nearly jumping straight into the air off the
couch to land on his feet.

"Tiy was a common name in the Old Kingdom," I recited, my voice much
calmer than my stormy emotions.  "It was my grandfather's name.  He
was the Patriarch of the family.  It was my name too.  'Sia' means
'Son
Of'.  Amun was a commonly worshipped God then.  Our names were
fashioned that way, after our Gods or pharaohs.  My grandfather, who
died when I was young, and later my father, had no love for
Hetshupsut, who ruled when I was young and into my early teens.  She
did not inspire them and they stayed with Amun, as was respectable to
do.  They showed outward allegiance to Hetshupsut.  Not to would have
meant death ... but in their hearts, they worshiped Amun."  I paused.
"So did I, until my Maker turned my heart against him."

Alex came to me, perching his hip on the edge of the sofa.  I squished
into the couch as far as I could to make room.  I dropped the pad on
the floor and he scrambled up, straddling my hips and leaning forward
to embrace me.  I felt tears sting my eyes in the glow of his
comforting gestures.  He squeezed me tightly, and kissed me softly on
the neck.  There was no passion there, a mere gesture to comfort me
and share my grief.

"This 'Other'.  I must find him," I whispered.

Alex nodded against my shoulder.  "I will help you.  You know that."

"I know, dear one." I hiccupped on my emotions.  "I wouldn't think
after so much time, I would still feel ... so much for them."

He lifted his face and stared into my eyes.  "They were your family."

I gazed at his warm hazel orbs and drew him down into a soft kiss.  I
released him and said, "They have defiled my family's tomb.  Even now,
I cannot let that pass."

He looked away for a moment but it was enough for me to catch his
nervous movement.  "What is it, Alex?"

He turned to me and said, "I could be totally wrong."

"Tell me," I coaxed.

"Don't you think it's a bit of coincidence that it's your family's
tomb he's in?  I find that ... unusual."  He paused.  He held my gaze
again.  "I don't believe in coincidences," he said finally.

I nodded, understanding what he was saying.  This man was there for a
reason.  Of all the tombs in Egypt, why that one?  There had to be
some significance.  It meant that this Maker knew I existed.  Did he
mean to draw me to him?  To what end?  I really had no idea.

"Tell me what else you saw."

The rest of his story unfolded as he rested his head on my shoulder
and I cupped the crown of his head under my chin.  He had seen a
couple of other locations but they were outdoors and at night.  From
other things, feelings, and snapshots of documents read, Alex
determined that this blood drinker was planning a war against
Zebrosia.  He hated her for some reason, and knew the only way to take
her would be to overwhelm her with numbers.  Little did he know she
was gone and his efforts would come to nothing.  Alex sensed something
else though, that this was not the total plan.  That there was some
other purpose for making so many blood drinkers.

We needed to find out what that purpose was, and we needed to find out
... fast.  But now dawn was approaching and we needed a couple hours
sleep before rising for our daytime jaunts.  I would let him sleep as
I plotted while at work.  I would have to take a leave of absence.  I
wasn't worried about that.  I had the Director's ear and was sure I
could convince him to let Walter Skinner oversee my departments while
I was gone.  He was already overseeing the X-Files, Violent Crimes and
Forensic Units.  Bank Robbery and Kidnapping, my main areas of
supervision, would be a snap for him.  And it would be temporary.

I nudged Alex off me and took his hand, leading him upstairs to our
bedroom.  The windowless room was sealed from the outside by an iron
door that was faced with wood but weighed about a ton.  No mortal
could ever move it.  I shut us in, plunging the room into blackness.
Alex lit a candle, even though our infra vision would show us all
objects in relief, albeit with a red tinge.

We stripped and crawled into bed.  It was late, but I was craving his
touch.  I reached for him and he came into my arms instantly.  I
whispered, "Alex ... I need you tonight."

"I'm here, Gareth.  I'm always here."




PART 5 (NC-17)
KENDALL FAIR'S TOWNHOUSE
GEORGETOWN, D.C.
SATURDAY - 4:00 AM

XXXXXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17

"I need to be the taker tonight, Alex," I whispered to him, knowing he
would understand.  When we feel out of control in some area of our
lives, it is natural to want to seize it somewhere else.

He rolled docilely onto his stomach, willing to accept whatever was
coming.  I felt my love for him wash through me.  "You're so good to
me,
Alex."

He hummed and laid his head sideways on his arms.  "You're just as
good to me.  You were there when I needed you.  Now it's your turn."
He was silent a moment and then said, "Do what you wish.  Take what
you need.  I'm here for you."

I groaned and grabbed his hard white globes, compact and muscular but
tight between his narrow hips.  I licked my thumb and pressed it to
his rosette.  His flesh gave way like a ripe fruit and soon surrounded
my thumb.  I wiggled it around, removing it and replacing it with my
much longer middle finger.  He was open and relaxed as I spread his
anal ring, preparing him for my cock, which was throbbing and standing
nearly straight up.

I eased back, lining up a second finger with my index finger and
sliding them both into him as far as I could go.  He moaned softly,
flexing his muscles around my fingers, enjoying the sensation.  I
worked a third finger in and was rewarded with moans of approval.

My bone hard cock was aching to feel the smooth moistness of his
insides.  I straddled his thighs as he lay there prone on the bed.  I
spread his cheeks wide and pressed the bronze hard helmet of my shaft
to his entrance.  He grunted as it slipped in, popping beyond the
muscle.  I could feel his pulse and hear the whoosh of his blood in
the tiny vessels, beating out a rapid pump against the head of my
cock.  I eased back and forth, sinking further each time, feeling my
cock harden and swell, growing in length and circumference.  He took
it in stride, even lifting his hips to push back onto me, spearing
himself.

I sighed loudly as I pushed hard and felt my thick cock sink into his
ass.  My hands slid under him, cupping his hip bones.  His ass was
tight and he flexed his muscles again, creating a rolling sensation up
and down my shaft as I knelt there panting, fully embedded.

I loved the sight of my tan skin against his snow white ass.  He
whispered as I began stroking, slowly at first.  "The veins in your
cock are so big.  Do you know I can feel them when I lay flat like
this?"

I groaned out. "Oh fuck, Alex."   I felt my hips speed up without any
encouragement from my brain.  He knew I loved his dirty talk and
descriptions of what I was doing to him in the bedroom.

"Oh yeah, that marble head scrapes my walls ... feels so good ... a
little faster."  He raised his head up and got his elbows underneath
him, pinching his own nipples.

"Oh shit," I muttered and sped up a bit more, pulling his hips up to
meet my thrusts as I remained squatting behind him.

I began to ram into him and knew I hit his hot spot when he went rigid
and cried out, "Fuck me hard!  Let me feel those balls smacking mine!"

I howled, hissed, and ground my enormous cock into his tight little
ass.  Then I would stroke into him hard for a minute or so and stop,
grinding into him, letting him feel me grow and punch into him a
little deeper.

I pistoned in and out of him like a jack hammer.  His ass milked me as
he started to come, spraying his load into the sheets.  He stayed
hard, absorbing the precum that was leaking into his bowels and
swelling his balls for a second time.

I slowed but kept thrusting, feeling his ass tug on my cock as I
retreated, trying to hold it in and creating unbelievable sensations
that rippled through my whole body.  I let loose again and hammered
him steadily.  I looked down, watching my abdomen tense and release as
I drove into him mercilessly, feeling my orgasm approach as my nuts
tightened up and the backs of my legs tingled.

I felt a powerful throb as my cum raced up my shaft, filling it to the
breaking point.  I let out a low scream, "Ooohhhgggggaaaaaaaaayyyees,
ALLLEEEXXX!"

I squirted into him, feeling him orgasm a second time, his
exquisite ass squeezing me like a velvet vise, so tight it almost
hurt.  Our swollen balls ejaculated for long minutes as we groaned and
shouted.  Finally, we were drained and I lowered my heavy body to his
back, kissing the nape of his neck.  '

He smiled and I leaned down to kiss him.  The angle was awkward but he
turned his head to meet my kiss.  I muttered, "I didn't even kiss you
first."

"That's all right.  You needed me.  I'm glad I could be here."

I collapsed onto him, grinding my cock into his ass, feeling it
deflate slowly.  "You're a treasure to me, Alex."

He smiled softly.  "I love you."

I returned his smile.  "I love you too, Pet."

I pulled out and rolled off him and he curled into my side, letting
his head rest on my shoulder.  We were quiet, feeling the dawn
approach despite our protected womb of a bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17

Sleepily, he said, "What does Tutankhamen mean?"

I chuckled.  The average American only knew of that one pharaoh
because of the raiding of his sacred tomb.  "It means 'Living Image of
Amun'.  Amun was the chief God of Egypt then.  In ancient times,
pharaohs were thought to be avatars."

He nodded against my shoulder, satisfied.  I put my arm down back and
snaked it around his waist, pulling him tight against me.  "Sleep,
Pet.  I will have to get up in about an hour and a half, but you can
sleep as long as you need to."

He hummed and kissed my chest and faded almost immediately into sleep.
Mine sleep was slower to come, but after fifteen minutes or so,
Morpheus claimed me as well.

XXXXXXXXXX
HOOVER BUILDING
THIRD FLOOR
D.D. SKINNER'S OFFICE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
MONDAY AFTERNOON

I watched as D.D. Kendall Fair entered my office.  I blinked rapidly.
No matter how many times I saw the man, his size would take me by
surprise again.  I nodded, standing, and held out my hand.  He shook
it
firmly and picked up one of my visitor chairs, moving it slightly to
the side and sat down, totally at ease, although the chair looked a
bit small for him.  He rested his long forearms on the arms of the
chair.  I had closed my Venetian blinds when Kim told me he was coming
down, but a sliver of sunlight leaked through the center where the two
blinds came together in front of my bay window.

He smiled.  "I've just talked to Director Mullen."

My eyes widened but I tried not to show any other reaction.  "What's
this about, Kendall?" I asked, risking using his first name, hoping
familiarity ease the blow if it was bad news.

He grinned, showing perfectly straight, white teeth.  I knew he was
sensitive to sunlight, but found his moving of the chair a little
extreme.  I decided not to question it.

"I have to take a leave of absence."

I leaned forward, steepling my fingers together under my chin.  "Is
something wrong?"

"I'm not sure.  I have properties around the world and I've been
informed that one of them has been broken into and sacked."

"Oh no!" I responded, with what I hoped was the proper amount of
sympathy.

"It may be nothing, but I need to check it out."

"Where is this property?" I asked casually.

He hesitated but only for a fraction of a second and then said,
"Egypt."

"Egypt!"

He smiled again, now seemingly amused.  "I take it my dark skin didn't
escape you, right?"

"No, it didn't," I chuckled.

"My extended family lives there."

"Oh, I thought you came from England for some reason."

"That's where I lived before moving here, you're right."

"Quite the world traveler," I said, a touch of envy in my voice.

"I haven't been to Egypt in years, only lived there a few years as a
kid, but when my grandparents died, my parents took over the property
there.  When they died, it passed to me.  I ... couldn't bear to part
with it."

"Family history and all," I said.

"Exactly.  Sentimental me," he said facetiously, holding up his
hands in a dismissive gesture.

"Forgive me, but what's that got to do with me?"

"Mullen wants you to oversee my units while I'm gone."

I sat back in my chair, rocked.  "What?"

"Don't look so surprised," he said, clearly amused now.

"Why me?  I mean ... there're other D.D.s more experienced than me."

"You're the best man for the job."

Earlier, he had convinced Mullen to switch the X-Files to me when I
was promoted to Deputy Director.  I'd been the A.D., but Fair had been
the D.D. once Kersh had disappeared.  I stared at him, realizing he
had influenced the Director to give me this assignment as well.  It
was a great opportunity, if only temporary.  I swallowed.  "You're
Bank Robbery and Kidnapping, right?"

"Primarily."

I nodded, feeling butterflies in my stomach.  "What would you need me
to do?"

"It shouldn't be bad.  I'll set up a meeting for tomorrow so you can
meet with all my department heads, key people.  They all have
assignments and cold cases to pull if they run out of things to do.
Mostly, you would only be needed to delegate if something new comes
up.  I'll give you a list of the Agents and what they're best suited
for should some new cases come up.  But I trust your judgment."  He
shrugged, as if this were no big deal.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Frankly, I don't know. I've asked for a month.  Depending on the
damage, I may sell the place."

Something struck me as odd about that statement but I didn't pursue
that either.  It didn't track with what he'd said before.  However,
his personal life was none of my business.

"Well ... I don't know what to say.  Thank you."

He stood, extending his hand over my desk.  "No problem.  Thank YOU.
I appreciate your help.  I'll rest easy knowing things are in your
capable hands."

I nodded. "I appreciate that," I said, thinking he was laying it on a
little thick.

He walked to the door and turned.  "I mean it, Walter.  Mullen asked
me who I
thought was best for the job ... I said you."

"Who did he suggest?" I asked out of curiosity.

He smiled.  "He mentioned Jenna Cassidy."

"She's a good Agent."

"Yeah, but a lot of my people don't like her.  I was afraid of
personality conflicts."

"I see."

"Well, thanks again.  Kelli will have a number where I can be reached
if you need me or an emergency comes up."

"Thanks again."

"Thanks, see you in a month."

"Yeah, see you in a month," I repeated.

He flashed me another perfect smile and slipped out the door, closing
it quietly behind him.  I sat back down, only then realizing how
little noise he made.  For a big man, he was silent as a cat.  I
remembered Mulder and Scully's initial suspicions about him and shook
my head.  They turned out to be unfounded.  And truth be told, he'd
turned out to be one of the X-Files' greatest supporters.  That had
surprised me somewhat, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the
mouth.  I did wonder if he had ulterior motives, but I guess that was
the investigator in me, seeing conspiracy and ulterior motives around
every corner.

XXXXXXXXX

I made my way down the corridor, quickly returning to my office.
Kelli smiled as I passed her desk.  "When will you be leaving, Sir?"

"Tonight, I'm afraid, Kelli."

She pouted prettily.  "You know," she said, stopping me before I
entered my office.  I turned to give her my attention, only slightly
impatient.  Most of my duties were finished for the day.

"What's up, Kelli?" I said, returning to stand in front of her desk,
towering over her and staring into her face.

"We never got to um ... go out on that dinner ... date."  She wrung
her hands daintily in her lap, her red talons catching the florescent
light and sparkling.

I smiled.  "Oh God, I'd forgotten about that.  I'm so sorry."

"Well you cancelled that night because of an emergency and I totally
understood, really."

No, she didn't.

"But I was hoping maybe we could reschedule sometime.  That was over a
month ago," she said, sounding just a tad whiny.

I knew I shouldn't get involved with my staff.  I had Alex now and
that was plenty for me, although he had made noises about missing
being with a woman.  Maybe we could make it a double date.

"Remind me when I get back, Kelli.  In the meantime, make sure those
lists get to D.D. Skinner while I'm gone.  You'll report directly to
him.  Any Agents that come here, direct them down the hall."

"I will.  You can count on me, Sir," she said, puffing out her chest a
little.  I found that little bit of flirtation annoying, for some
reason.

"I know I can, Kelli.  You're a great secretary."

She beamed.  To myself, I thought, you're fucking window dressing, but
hey, everybody can use a little eye candy now and then.  She tossed
her blonde hair over her shoulder and waved girlishly at me.  I
slipped into my office, saying before I closed the door.  "I just have
a few more things to do and I'm out of here.  Pass my calls to D.D.
Skinner."

I closed the door on her before she could pursue more conversation.
Alex and I were devoted to one another, but we'd made an agreement
early on.  If one of us felt the need to be with a mortal woman, we
would allow that, as long as we didn't hide it from each other.  There
was really no place for jealousy between us.  No one could compare to
Alex for me and vice versa.  We knew this, but sometimes itches could
become full blown cancer sores if you didn't scratch them.

I knew better than anyone the illicit thrill of hypnotizing a woman
and taking her ... if not unwillingly, then unwittingly.  Kelli's I.Q.
was barely in the triple digits and she was a poor flirt.  But there
was absolutely nothing wrong with that body.  I knew it visited the
gym three times a week, the hairdresser twice a week and the nail
salon once a week.  I knew her hair was dyed platinum blonde and her
eyebrows were plucked and she liked avocado face masks.  I probably
knew more about her than she did.  I also know that the natural
pheromones I put off made her wet her panties when I got within five
feet of her.

Her smell would drive me wild sometimes and I'd have to restrict my
contact with her.  On those days, I'd leave as soon as it was dark,
race home and fuck Alex's brains out.  He would laugh, finally
figuring out what was making me so crazy some days.  At those times,
we would discuss taking a night of outside pleasure.  So far, we
hadn't done it, but the time was near.  We could take her out, the
both of us, or we could find someone else for Alex.  I knew being
around Dana made him horny.

After hypnotizing a victim, we could choose what they would remember,
if anything, so the risk was relatively low.  The trick was to go
somewhere where we wouldn't be recognized.  That left out D.C.,
Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church or any of the surrounding towns.
Unless I just invited her to dinner at the house.  That was a
possibility too.  She would be awestruck by the house in Falls Church.
I was quite sure she'd never been in such a lavish home.  I smiled at
the thought of it.  I was still just ego driven enough to like the
idea of shocking people with my wealth.

I signed the few papers that still needed my signature, checked my
voice mail, left messages for all the Agents to meet in the Third
Floor conference room tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM to brief D.D.
Skinner.

Finally done, I sensed that the sun had gone down.  I didn't notice it
during the day, but I was less energetic and moved a tad slower, even
though the rays didn't penetrate the building.  I only noticed it when
I felt my full vitality increase as the sun sank below the horizon.

I got up and pulled my suit jacket on, shrugging my shoulders to
straighten it and buttoning the front closed.  I picked up my
briefcase and did a cursory look around the office, trying to remember
if I'd forgotten anything.  Satisfied, finally, I picked up my garbage
can and walked out, locking my office door behind me and pocketing the
key.  Not even Kelli or the director had a key to my office.

I set the can down next to hers, leaving over her and invading her
space.  She gasped and looked up into my face.  Softly, I said, "I
need to leave my garbage out here for the cleaning people.  No one
should go into my office, all right?"

"Ye .. yes, Sir," she stuttered in a breathy tone.

"Hold down the fort, Kelli," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
I brushed a soft kiss on her forehead and I swear she almost swooned,
beaming a toothy smile up at me.

Her hand went to her breast.  "I'll be here waiting when you get
back," she said suggestively.

"I'm counting on it," I replied, just as suggestively.  With that, I
turned and walked out, not looking back.

The night air was cool and crisp as I made my way down to the parking
garage.  I quickly unlocked my car and slid behind the wheel.  I
sighed, wishing I could just fly home.  It would be a lot quicker, but
I knew there would be questions about why I left my car here.  Too
many nosy people around.

I started the engine and backed out carefully, making my way up the
ramp to the street.  I broke a few laws on the way home and finally
made it to Falls Church.  As I suspected, Alex had left the townhouse
as soon as the sun went down and was waiting for me at the mansion.



PART 6 (PG)
KENDALL FAIR'S MANSION
FALLS CHURCH, VA
MONDAY EVENING - 6:30 PM

We were almost finished packing.  We traveled light, with only a few
changes of clothes, some toiletries like favorite soaps, and a huge
wad of cash that I took from my safe.  I handed Alex $10,000 and his
eyes bugged out.

"You keep that kind of CASH in your house?"

"It's in the safe," I said casually.

He stared at me like I had two heads as he watched me shove an
envelope with the same amount into my briefcase.  "You're crazy."

"It's only money, Alex.  We'll need to exchange some when we get there
for Egyptian currency.  I have enough for now.  They actually take
credit cards in Egypt now.  Did you know that?"

"Of course they do.  Where the hell have you been?" he asked.

I laughed.  "Not in Egypt for a VERY long time, Alex."

He sighed.  "There are very few places that don't have patches of
modern civilization now."

"I know.  I just forget sometimes.  I've booked us rooms in Cairo.  It
will still be a ways to get there from the hotel.  We're booked on a
tour cruise down the Nile.  Then I booked another room in West Thebes.
So we're looking at a couple of days travel from Cairo to Thebes."

"By car or camel?" he asked sarcastically.

I laughed loudly now and ruffled his hair, loving his irreverent sense
of humor.  He smiled, liking it when I laughed.  I realized I really
didn't do it much.

"We'll have our own transportation," I said and waggled my eyebrows at
him.

He grinned.  "And you say I'M incorrigible?"

"Of course.  I'm perfectly behaved."

It was his turn to laugh now.  I loved this banter between us, even in
the face of a daunting task like the one that lay before us.  I
wasn't looking forward to this.  I wasn't really scared, exactly, but
I was apprehensive.  I couldn't account for what I would do if I let
my temper get the better of me and I wanted to keep a cool head.  No
one respects a tyrant.  I didn't want them to fear me, but I did need
to put a stop to whatever was going on.  I felt in my gut that it was
not good.

I would do whatever I had to do.  Despite my differences
with Zebrosia, there were things we agreed upon.  That might have
surprised her.  Rogue blood drinkers and rogue Makers were two items
we both had felt strongly about.  It was too bad her arrogance and
bitterness killed her in the end.  We could have been great together.
I felt a pang, but then it lightened as I looked at Alex.  I had to
let her go for once and for all.  My future was standing in front of
me.  My future was Alex.

If I got close, I would be able to sense the 'Others,' and I would be
able to find this rogue Maker and discover for myself what his plans
were.  I couldn't make my own plan until I knew what his was.

I snapped my suitcase shut and Alex hefted his off the bed and
followed me downstairs.  I glanced at my watch.  "We have an hour to
make the airport."

He pouted in an exaggerated fashion.  "You mean you're not going to
fly us over the Atlantic?"

I looked at him.  "With all this luggage.  I think not.  I only LOOK
this way," implying that he was insinuating I was stupid.

He laughed again, shaking his head as he followed me after I set the
alarm.  The house was dark as we threw our suitcases into the trunk.
I looked up at the stars and pointed.  "See Orion's belt?"

He looked up and nodded.  "Astronomy, too?  Is there anything you
don't know about?" he asked.

I turned to look at him, taking my eyes off the stars.  "Thirty-five
hundred years is a long time to study whatever strikes your fancy," I
replied.

He still looked baffled by the idea that I had lived that long.  He
couldn't comprehend it ... yet.  I slid behind the wheel and adjusted
the seat of the Cadillac.  He slid into the passenger seat.

I opened the gates with the remote control and pulled out onto the
State highway.  We were silent all the way to the airport, each lost
in our own thoughts.

After we checked our luggage and boarded the plane, he finally spoke.
"Do we have any idea what the fuck we're walking into here?"

I looked at him and sighed, stretching my long legs into the aisle.
Even first class didn't have enough leg room for me.  "Nope.  Not a
clue.  Well, a clue, but that's about it.  I'll know more once I find
him."

"Will you confront him directly?"

"I don't know.  We're going to do a little reconnaissance first,
though.  I want to find out what he's up to."

"Find some fledglings and see what we see," he suggested.

"It's a start.  They should be easy to find once we are close."

XXXXXXXXXX
CAIRO, EGYPT
TUESDAY - 4:00 AM

We landed in Cairo at 4:00 AM, having timed the flight so we would
arrive with enough evening left to make it to our hotel before dawn.
We claimed our luggage and a hastily flagged cab saw us careening
through the capital city's streets like our ass was on fire.  I was
reminded of cab drivers in New York City, and it was mildly comforting
to know that some things were the same the world over.

Speaking fluent Egyptian and Arabic came in handy for Gareth.  I was
fucking lost.  I had no idea what this man was saying, but upon
departure, Gareth tipped the man generously with his small stash of
Egyptian currency and we hurried into the hotel a half an hour later.
Our room was paid for.  We had reserved a suite with two bedrooms, so
our bunking together didn't raise any eyebrows.  We were both dressed
in business suits.  I had carefully applied some light brown
foundation make up to my face and hands in the airport bathroom to
avoid having anyone notice my unusually pale and smooth skin.

We were at the Baron in Cairo, a four star hotel that whacked a
regular guest $230 a night.  I had no idea what we were paying for
this suite and didn't ask.  I was a little giddy about having $10,000
in American cash in my briefcase.  We used one bedroom to stash our
briefcases.  We pushed the bed to one side, and pulled the desk from
the other bedroom into this one, effectively setting up an office and
a place to work with dueling desks, a round Formica topped table and
straight backed chairs.  We rang the front desk and requested several
heavy blankets.  To my surprise, Gareth produced a roll of industrial
strength duct tape and we carefully covered all the windows and the
sliding glass doors that led onto the balcony.  He shut the drapes
over the balcony doors in front of the hung blanket.  We now felt
relatively safe against the coming of the dawn.

Our 'Do Not Disturb' sign was quickly hooked on the corridor door
handle.  Gareth made a call to an 'associate' at the Bank of Cairo and
asked him to leave $10,000 worth of Egyptian money in a bank bag at
the front desk of the Baron Hotel.  He went downstairs and told the
desk clerk to produce the envelope from the man from the Bank of
Cairo.  A little selective hypnosis made the clerk very serious about
his task and ensured that he wouldn't dip into the funds.  Once safely
ensconced back in the suite, we checked out the bathroom, which was
luxurious.  It didn't compare to Gareth's mansion, but I wasn't
complaining.  A huge tub, easily able to hold two, was recessed into
the floor.  On another wall opposite the toilet and sink stood a
double shower with dual shower heads.

We showered, not needing to wash away smell, but relaxing under the
warm water and feeling grungy from the long plane ride and taxi
exhaust in the streets of Cairo.  I scrubbed the make up off my face
and hands.  We tumbled into bed, more exhausted from anxiety and
tension than the coming of dawn.  I slept like the dead, no pun
intended, and woke as the sun sank below the horizon on Wednesday
evening.

First, we set out for our night time cruise down the Nile River.  The
riverboat was bursting with enthusiastic tourists and I had trouble
blocking everyone out.  The noise was astronomical.  I found that if I
focused on one thing, I could block others out, so I spent my time
reading one person after another.  A more boring bunch of bozos I
didn't think I'd ever encountered.  Gareth stood at the rail and gazed
out over the fertile valleys and stared at the stars.

He seemed to be reminiscing and lost in thoughts of days gone by.  I
didn't want to disturb him but I was feeling quite alone and adrift in
this sea of boring strangers.

He sensed me making my way toward him near the front of the boat as he
rested one booted foot on the lower railing.  He turned and smiled,
his
teeth glowing in the dark, and he raised his arms, motioning me
forward.  I came to stand next to him.  We were both loathe to give
these strangers some sort of public display so we did not touch, per
se.

My hands rested on the top rail and he slid his over so that the sides
of our hands touched.  It was enough and he smiled down at me.  "Where
are we going, Gareth?" I asked.

"The Valley of the Kings," he said quietly.

I turned to stare at him.  "The Valley of the Kings.  Are you trying
to tell me that your family was royalty?"

He grinned.  "No, we were not descended from pharaohs, but we were
nobility, one step below.  My mother was a Royal Nurse to Hatshepsut."

"And she was?" I asked innocently.

He chuckled.  "She was our Queen, Alex, married to Thutmes.  My mother
was held in high regard.  In fact, so much so that my father would
rage with envy.  He wanted to be part of the royal court so badly.
All that pomp and circumstance.  I had no use for it, but he aspired
to it.  My mother, on the other hand, simply did her job in a devoted
and loyal way.  She reeked of humility and found more respect and
friendship in the royal houses than my father could ever hope for with
his sense of entitlement."

"Where do you fit in to all this?"

He smiled.  "I was the seventh child."

"What significance is that?"

"I was to go into the clergy."

I raised my eyebrows and frankly appraised him from head to toe.
"With a body like that?  Surely you jest."

He chuckled and punched me lightly on the arm.  "I wasn't this big
then."

"You had to be big to have grown to this height."

"Yes, I was unusually tall, especially for those times.  I was
considered a giant."

"How tall were you?"

"I was six foot, one inch, which at the time was very tall.  The
average man was only five foot, eight or nine."

"So what happened?"

"I did my stint in the army until I was twenty and then I became an
acolyte to my Maker.  Of course, I didn't know he was a blood drinker
then.  Most people were worshiping Ra and he was worshipping the Moon
Goddess."

"That cause some strife in the family?"

"Oh yeah," he said chuckling.

"Six siblings, wow.  I always wanted a brother.  What happened to
them?"

"Two brothers, Wahnkh, 'strong in life', and Khusora, 'protected of
Ra' were killed in battles.  A third brother, Wosret, 'powerful one',
became a royal physician, following in my mother's footsteps.  He
married and had children, grew old and died.  I visited him once after
I had been steeped in the blood.  He didn't know what had happened to
me but he knew I was lost to him."

"Did that bother you?"

"For a while.  I was still young and had my own path to tread.  I was
angry with my Maker for his lack of generosity and training.  It was
like pulling teeth to get him to teach me anything.  I didn't want to
be beholden to anyone, and I thought immortality would be the
answer to all my problems."

"It wasn't?"

"No, Pet.  Not by a long shot.  It was the beginning of many
troubles."

"The other siblings?"

"Ah, my three sisters.  Isetnofret was the oldest."

"What does that mean?"

"Means 'Isis is Beautiful.'"

"You guys were really into this God thing, weren't you?"

He laughed again good naturedly and surprised me by wrapping his
strong arm around my shoulder and pulling me into his body.  I looked
up at him and he smiled.  "Go ahead."

I reached my arm around his back.  We stood there, for all appearances
like two bosom buddies enjoying the evening.  Those around us couldn't
sense our closeness.  He began to speak inside my head, turning the
conversation more personal.

*Isis was like a second mother to me.  My mother, Netikerty, 'She who
is Excellent', was often gone attending to the Hatshepsut.  She was
healthy but my mother made her energizing teas, face masks and groomed
her, etc.  Isis was the beauty of the family, tall like me, about five
foot, nine which was tall for the time and especially tall for a
woman.  I held the most affection for her.  She married one of Ramses
sons.*

*How many did he have?*

*Nobody knows for sure ... around fifty.*

*Fifty!  What the fuck?* I couldn't help my exclamation.

He chuckled again, still looking at the black water sliding away
underneath the boat.  *They had more than one wife in those times.  A
pharaoh could have as many as he liked.  Of course there was always
the favorite or 'first wife'.  She would produce the heir to the
throne.*

*There were two more sisters?*

*Yes, Kiya, 'Jovial Lady', was my second sister, and the fourth child.
She was playful and full of energy.  She became a farmer's wife, much
to my father's consternation, but she was probably the happiest of us
all.  The youngest one, the baby girl of the family, was Miwsher.*

*Do I want to know what that means?*

*Kitten,* he said playfully and smiled.

I smiled at him.  *And then there was you.*

*Yes, and then there was me, the real baby of the family.*

*And a giant.*

*Yes, I think my father resented that I was tallest, taller than him,
stronger.  Then again, he resented everything.*

*What happened to him?*

*He became abusive in his jealous rages.  My mother told Hatshepsut
and he was reprimanded and banned from court.  My mother was granted
separation, what you now call divorce, and allowed to remarry.*

*Did she?*

*Not for a long while.  Then she met a friend of Thutmes'.  He was a
scholar and read to Thutmes, who couldn't read.*

*What was his name?*

*Tepemkau, 'Best of Souls'.  And he was too, a kind and gentle man
that made my mother's last years content and peaceful.  I was grateful
to him.*

*Did you visit your mother, after ...*

*Yes, once. I told her the truth, that my Master had promised me many
things, but that I didn't think I could stay and take the helm of his
church.  I no longer believed.  I had to leave and find my own way.*

*What happened?*

He chuckled again. *She cried, told me to be careful and called my
Master a pamiu!*

*What's that?*

*An old tom cat.*

I laughed now too.  *She sounds like a grand lady.*

*Ah, she was.  I still miss her, she was so nakhti and pedi, 'strong'
and 'wise', in a quiet way, if you know what I mean.*

*You miss them still.*

*Yes, sometimes.  Coming here brings back a lot of memories.  Some
good, some bad.  Many things have changed.*

*I thought scholars had explored and mapped the Valley of the
Kings.  Of course, there is Tutankhamen's, which yielded the greatest
treasure in modern times.  It's the only one modern people hear about
because it's been on tour.*

*So you do know some history.  The irony is that Tutankhamen was a boy
of nineteen years when he died.  He only ruled for 8 or 9 years.  His
tomb is actually very small compared to others.  I believe they
hastily converted an old half dug tomb for him when he died suddenly.
And yes, many tombs have been discovered and looted in the Valley of
the Kings.*

*Many?  Meaning not all.*

*No, not all.  They 'think' they have uncovered them all, but they
haven't.  The northeast corner has plenty that have not been found.
Shifts in the earth and road construction have buried some of them
From sight.*

*I don't remember much.  I tended to daydream in high school.*

He smiled.  *What do you remember?*

*Like I said, not much.  I remember studying Tutankhamen and reading
something about the Book of Gates.*

*Yes, modern people discovered the depiction of the Book of Gates on
the walls of Tutankhamen's tomb.  It was the first time they had seen
it, but it was hardly the first time it was depicted.*

*I don't remember what it represented.*

*The nightly journey of the Sun Gods through the world of the dead.
They traveled by boat and were towed through by lesser deities because
there was no wind in the world of the dead.*

*You believed all this once, didn't you?* I asked, hearing the slight
astonishment in my voice and not being able to picture Gareth as a
devout Egyptian clergyman.

He looked up at the stars and sighed.  *Once, I believed many things.
But years have a way of making the truth change.  Within a decade of
being Steeped in the Blood, I no longer believed in much of anything.*

*I'm sorry.  I know what it's like to have your entire belief system
turned on its head and shredded to bits.*

He hugged me closer to his side and I didn't resist him.  Who cared
what these people thought?  *I know.  I saw scenes from your life when
I steeped you.  The blood lust nearly blinded me, but I still saw.*

I smiled, shivering slightly, remembering that night that started the
whole process.  Still armless, scared shitless and yet so enchanted
with him that I couldn't resist him anymore.  I snuggled into his side
and he held me tight, one hand still on the rail, the other around my
shoulders.  *What was your name?*

*My name?*

*Yeah, back then, what was your name?*

*I was called Heruben.*

*What's that mean?*

*Resplendent Sky.*

*Hence your interest in astronomy?*

He grinned at me.  *Only partly.  I think the Sky part came because I
was so freakin' tall, people had to look up to the sky to see my
face.*

We stood in companionable silence as the boat slid down the river
toward Dendern.  We arrived and docked there, departing the barge and
finding a small hotel there for tourists that took the Tour of the
Nile.  We locked ourselves into the tiny room, blocking the light of
the one bathroom window and slept through the day.  We rose at sunset
and made our way to Karnak where we purchased some linen shirts and
heavy sweaters that were more suitable for the desert at night.
During the daytime, the temperature could rise to 120 degrees.  I
shuddered at the thought.  But nighttime in the desert was chilly,
regardless of the season.

We changed clothes, tucking our worn ones into a knapsack he'd brought
with him.  He swung it over his shoulder and we ducked out of sight,
taking to the air and flying to Luxor on the east side of the river
and then heading due west, where the Nile narrowed.  Gareth was
confident but I was a little leery of crossing the water.

He reassured me and we took off again.  The flight across the Nile was
relatively short and uneventful.  Uneventful in this case being a good
thing.  We slept another day in West Thebes, on the other side of
the river.  We rose again at sunset and headed into the south east
corner of the Valley of the Kings.



PART 7 (NC-17)
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
SOUTHWESTERN EGYPT

We touched down lightly in the sand of the desert.  I looked around,
even with my preternatural eyesight not being able to see any signs of
life for miles.

"We are far from the popular, uncovered, tourist attraction tombs.
They are much further north."

I nodded, not questioning his judgment, just finding the lack of
activity and the utter quiet a little disconcerting.

"Open your ears and tell me if you hear anything."

I closed my eyes and threw my senses to the winds.  I heard nothing,
but felt a small tug in my chest and gasped and opened my eyes.  He
was peering at me intently and nodded.

"Was that it?"

"Yes, you felt one of the 'Others'.  They are here.  Or some of them
are, anyway."

"You felt more than one?"

"Five."

"Jesus."

"We'll be all right, Alex.  We're not talking an army of Zebrosias
here.  We're talking an army of David and Pierres."

"I know, but we could still be overwhelmed by numbers."

"It's possible.  But we would be able to handle five, even if they
were strong, and ... they are not.  I sense it."

"Where are they?  In your family's tomb?"

"No, in a tomb near to it, though.  We'll have to move closer before I
can read them.  Tonight is about information gathering.  I am in no
mood for a battle just yet."

I sighed with relief, not really realizing just how nervous I'd been
until I felt the tension wash out of my body.  He smiled at me.
"Let's go, we run from here, due north."

I nodded and followed him as he took off in a blur, zipping over the
sand with unbelievable speed.  As fast as I was, I still wasn't as
fast as him, and I could tell he was holding back so I could keep up.
He didn't seem to mind or be in a hurry, but we didn't want to waste
the evening walking the sands.

He put up his hand to signal a stop and we glided to a halt in front
of a rocky outcropping that jutted up out of the sand.  He walked at a
normal pace around the base of the rocks.  I reached out with my
senses and could now feel the five separate, small tugs in my chest,
indicating that other blood drinkers were near.  I wondered how much
more sensitive he was than me.  Zebrosia had fed her images to him.
I'd received some, but most went to Gareth.  I wondered if it imbued
him with still more power that I didn't know about.  He halted
suddenly and I stopped behind him.  He pointed and I could see the
blasted entrance to a tomb, the doorway having been reinforced from
falling debris, and the door was obviously new.

It was recessed into the side of hill and we hiked up to the left and
above the doorway where we found a small plateau.  *Are you cloaking
your mind?*

*Yes, do you think it's necessary?*

*Probably not, but it can't hurt.*  He sat down in the sand and I sat
next to him, neither of us making even a whisper of sound.  He pulled
his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.  I
mimicked him and smiled.  *I'm going to listen now.*

*Whither thou goest ...* I said, as I had said before.

We closed our eyes and concentrated on the reaching out to the blood
drinkers.  I found them with surprising ease, once focused on my task.

*One at a time, Alex.  I'll take the three on the left.  You take the
two on the right.*

*All right.*  I reached out again, concentrating, and could feel the
location of the tugs.  Locating my two subjects, I picked the one
closet to me and gently nudged his psyche with my own.  He didn't even
flinch.  I knew he had no idea I was there.

I slipped easily into his mind and could read his thoughts.  As it
turned out, we didn't really need to.  They were discussing their
Master.

"He's crazy.  He had no idea what he's up against," one of them said.
This one seemed to be the leader.  I sank into the boy's mind and
looked out of his eyes.

The speaker was a tall kid, maybe six feet, but he couldn't have
been more than twenty years old when he was made.  They were all under
twenty five.  The boy next to my subject spoke.  "Did you ever meet
them, either one of them?"

The leader replied, "I met Zebrosia, and he's just plain whacked to
try and fight her.  She was so fucking old, man.  It was like she was
made of marble, for Christ's sake."

The boy whose eyes I was borrowing spoke.  "I'm scared.  Have you
heard the legends?"

"Of Heruben?" a third boy asked.

"Yes," said borrowed eyes. "He is supposedly nearly as strong as
Zebrosia, nearly as old.  According to the Maker he is ...
formidable."

The boy next to Borrowed Eyes asked, "Do you think he will come?"

"He might, but I don't think things will go as Master plans."

"What do  you mean?" asked the boy who had yet to speak.

The leader looked at him.  "He's counting on this Heruben to help him.
He thinks he is going to be a partner in this crime.  I'm telling you,
Roseman is crazy.  He thinks he's going to create so many of us, he
can form his own kingdom.  Then what?  If we kill off all these
humans, how do we live?"

"He says we can feed on animals," one of them offered.

"Yuck," said Borrowed Eyes.

"I think we need to tell him that we are not with him.  I don't think
I can do this.  I don't WANT to do this," said the boy next me.

"He'll kill us all."

"Maybe.  And maybe I think that's preferable.  I didn't ask for this,
you know.  I didn't want to be a fucking vampire!  I was a Christian!
Now I kill people to survive!  I'm going straight to hell.  This is so
messed up!  Jesus Christ ..."

"He can't help you now," one of them joked.

Leader gave him a dirty look.  "We need to talk to the others.  If
enough of us rebel, maybe he'll see that he can't do this."

"I doubt anyone is going to change his mind."

"I hate this," the quiet one said.  "I just want to die."

Gareth nudged me.  *I've heard enough.  Sink into his memories.  See
if you can find this Roseman, this Maker.*

I sank deeper into the boy and scanned through thousands of images at
the speed at light.  I finally stopped on one of a tall, dark haired
blood drinker, broad in the shoulders, small in the waistline.  His
hair was long, down to about the middle of his back.  He wore it
tucked behind ears that were oddly pointed at the top.    He was
standing in front of a coffin made of a shiny material, pink in color.
He lifted the lid and smiled and hopped inside.  I was sure this was a
memory and in fact, not happening now.  I took in the details of the
room for later reference.

I retreated gently and moved on to the other boy.  I saw a similar
image, not of the Maker but of the pink coffin.  This time
though, I saw a wall and the doorway to a burial chamber.  Above the
door there was a heiroglyph.

I retreated and waited patiently while Gareth scanned our other three
guests.  He finally blinked and looked at me.  *What did you see?*

I described the blood drinker, his odd ears, his shiny coffin and the
doorway with the inscription.  *What does the inscription mean?*

He swallowed hard.  *Sit-ra.  Mother fucker will die!* he nearly
screamed in my mind.

I put a hand up to my ear as though I'd heard him scream out loud.  It
was an instinctive gesture, as in my mind, it had made me flinch.  He
reached for me instantly, folding me into his embrace.  Softly, he
said, *I'm sorry, Alex.  I'm so sorry.*

*It's all right.  What does that mean ... Sit-Ra.*

*It means ... Daughter of Ra.*

*You know this place?*

*And that sarcophagus.  It belongs to my mother, Alex.  That mother
fucker is in my mother's sarcophagus!  Where is she!  Where did he put
her!*

I felt a wave of his grief roll over me and I held him tighter, trying
to comfort him.  *We'll find her, Gareth.  I promise.  We'll find her
and we'll put things back to rights.  Is the tomb close?*

*About a mile.  I think we should hide there and wait for him to come
in to sleep.*

*It will probably be near day break.*

*I know, but we'll be all right underground.  We may need to sleep
there later if push comes to shove and it's too close to dawn.  But I
don't care about that.  I've got to find my mother.   That fucking
piece of shit!*

He stood abruptly and I stood with him.  *Where to?*

*I've got to find her.*

*Let's go back to West Thebes.*

*Changing your mind?*

*I want a fresh start, Gareth.  Let's sleep today and come back
tonight and go straight to the tomb.  If there's anyone in there who's
against us, we'll destroy them.  It's that simple.*

*Sounds like a lot of them are here unwillingly. Why do they stay?* he
wondered.

*Probably the same reason you hung around.*

*Hoping to learn how to survive.*

*That'd be my guess.*

*Jesus, Alex.  This is a mess.*

I took hold of his hand and squeezed it.  *I know.  Let's go now.
Let's not rush in like fools.  We should have a plan.*

*Of course you're right.  I'm just so mad right now.*  I could hear
him grinding his teeth.

*Don't ruin those beautiful chompers on me, Gareth.*

He turned a sad smile my way.  *I can't destroy my teeth.*

*I know, I was kidding.  Come on.* I tugged on his arm.  *Let's get to
the hotel.*

He nodded and I stepped onto his feet and wrapped my arms around him
in the familiar position.  He shot into the air with less effort than
a bird and we raced toward West Thebes.  Less than a half hour later,
we touched down a small distance from the hotel and ran the rest of
the way on the foot.  He slowed as we turned the corner on the hotel's
street and we walked sedately the rest of the way.

Without a word, we crawled into bed.  There was nothing left to say
and a million things to say.  We both needed to sleep and we both
needed to ponder.  We crawled in and he spooned up behind me, holding
me gently.  *Thank you, Alex.*

*For what?*

*Being here with me.  I honestly don't know what I'd do without you.
I almost lost my mind back there.  I don't know if you realize how ...
close I was to racing over there.*

*I wouldn't have blamed you.  And I would have been right on your
heels.*

*I know.*  He squeezed me tight and I relaxed into his big body.  *I
love you so much, Alex.  I don't know if you realize what having you
with me means to me.*

*I think I do.  I'm glad to be with you too.*

He swallowed and kissed my shoulder.  *I was alone for so long.  I ...
need you so much.  I love you.*

*I love you too, Gareth.  Try to get some sleep.*

Now I was being the logical one, suggesting a plan and comforting him.
This was a switch.  I liked it though, knowing I was useful and that
he did need me.  I felt more like his partner than ever before.  He
was furious, but conceding to my logic of forming a plan.  No matter
what he said about overcoming these weak ones, I worried about running
into a nest of them and getting overwhelmed.

We were powerful beyond my wildest imagination, but so was Zebrosia
and we had finally taken her down.  Granted, we were both nearly as
strong as her, but still.  The point was the same.  As powerful as we
were, we were not invulnerable, or invincible.  We could be overtaken
if enough of them were to descend on us.  I vowed to make sure that
didn't happen.  If we had to destroy them, we would do it a few at a
time.  Too many of them could be a disaster.  I didn't share his
confidence.

I drifted off into troubled dreams, but while I slept, my subconscious
was plotting and planning what to do next.

XXXXXXXX
THEBES HOTEL
WEST THEBES, EGYPT

I woke slowly, with an unusual sluggishness.  My fury had exhausted
me.  Although slow to wake, I felt somewhat refreshed.  Thank the Gods
for Alex.  I was just now remembering that arrogance and anger were
what brought Zebrosia down and allowed her to be trapped between the
two of us.  At the time, I remember thinking, 'good lesson in that.'

Now, a mere twelve hours earlier, I'd been about to do the same thing,
rushing in full of anger and arrogance.  There was no telling how many
fledglings there were.  My foolishness could have gotten us both
killed if we had run into an army of them.  No matter how strong
we were, enough blood drinkers could overwhelm us.  We could only
paralyze so many.  Hypnotizing mortals was notoriously easy.  One
blood drinker could hypnotize another but it took much more strength
and finesse.  Truthfully, I didn't really know what my limits were.

They'd never been tested and that bothered me.  I had a sinking
feeling that I would have to draw upon abilities that had lain dormant
for many decades.  I could not allow this rogue Maker to continue
producing fledglings.  First of all, the more fledglings you made, the
weaker they were unless there was years intervening for your blood to
regain strength.  There were too many for him to have waited long
between Makings.

XXXXXXXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17

I was broken from my reverie as I felt Alex flex his hips against my
ass, grinding his sizeable erection between my cheeks.  Our lust for
one another never seemed to dim.  Sometimes it was fierce and violent.
Other times it was slow and gentle and all about comfort.  But it was
always, underneath the lust, all about love.

I reached back and pulled my cheek to the side.  I didn't have to look
to know he was smiling.  He shifted behind me and I felt a drop of his
saliva hit the crack of my ass and slide down.  Then the pressure of
his rod sent pleasant chills through me as he nudged his way inside.

He panted gently behind me, one arm snaking around to pinch my nipple,
starting to thrust gently and work his way inside.  His cock was large
and like mine, hard as marble.

I groaned and pushed back, encouraging him to go deeper.  He didn't
hesitate but pushed harder and thrust faster, forcing another inch or
so in with every stroke. Once embedded, his swollen nut sack pressed
to mine, he stopped.  His tongue came out and licked my neck.  I heard
him hiss and felt a his fang prick me at the base of my neck.

I jolted and moaned loudly, feeling an electric sizzle run down my
spine.  He licked quickly at the drop of thick blood that appeared as
my skin healed and closed almost immediately.  I whispered, "No one's
ever done that before.  It felt so good, Alex."

I felt his chest rise and fall against my back in a lazy chuckle.  He
began to thrust again and I felt the tip of his fang pierce my skin.
His rough textured tongue would lick the drop of blood and he would
shiver.  Then he would do it again in time with his thrusts inside.

Thrust, prick, lick.  Thrust, prick, lick.

I began quiver, feeling my body grow warm under his erotic assault.
His arm left my nipple and traveled down to wrap around my cock, now
standing proud and pulsing with want.  He managed to keep up his
rhythm and stroke me at the same time, although he slowed a bit to
keep all these activities in motion.

He really was quite the talented little shit wasn't he?  I groaned
heavily again, feeling him speed up and grow inside me, finally
punching into my hot spot.  I hissed and howled with pleasure and
began bucking my ass back into his pelvis, driving him as deep as
he could go.

In an embarrassingly short time, I was howling and ejaculating into
the sheets, feeling my balls contract harshly with every squirt of
semen.  My ass clamped down on his turgid member and he shouted, "Oh
fuck, YES!"

His orgasm had begun.  I felt the warmth of his seed coat my inside
walls and begin to fill me.  My balls swelled again and I felt a
second orgasm hit me on the heels of the first.

He rammed into me until we were both spent and panting.  Then he just
lay there, his warm breath cascading over my neck and making me
tremble.  As he deflated, his penis slid out of me and I clamped my
ass shut.

There were many ways to exchange blood, but this had to be the best!
I rolled onto my back and scooted out of the wet spot, now more like a
puddle on the sheets.  "We may have to clean these sheets ourselves.
Otherwise, they'll wonder what the hell we're doing in here."

Alex laughed and said, "Yeah, maybe we should stick to sex in the
shower."

"Or next time we can 69," I suggested, realizing we rarely did that.

He grinned and leaned in to kiss me tenderly.  Our lips brushed back
and forth over each others' mouths.  He suckled my bottom lip a bit
and pricked it with his fang.  He shivered as he licked the drop from
my lip.  "Greedy little one," I teased.

He was totally unrepentant as he stared up at me, showing his dimples.
His smile faded.  "I love you, Gareth."

"I love you too, Alex."

"We better get moving.  We have a long night ahead of us."

"We certainly do."



PART 8 (PG)
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
TIY-TETI FAMILY TOMB
SOUTHWEST EGYPT
8:00 PM

"Holy smokes," Alex exclaimed as he looked around at the walls.  We
were only in the entrance to the family tomb and he was already ogling
the walls.  Normally I wouldn't have been able to wait to show him the
rest, but I was afraid of what we were going to find.

A little hasty reconnaissance told us the tomb was currently empty.  I
found that a little disconcerting for some reason, having expected to
find someone here.  I was sure there would be visitors before the
night was through.  On our way across the sands to the tomb, we'd
encountered another group of about ten fledgling discussing rebellion.
Seemed their fearless leader was not inspiring the loyalty he hoped to
find.

We stayed hidden and cloaked from them, dressed all in black and
hiding in shadows.  The up side of running into them was that we found
out that Roseman had summoned them all to a meeting at midnight.  We
still had four hours to scout around before we needed to be hidden in
the tomb.  I wanted to take no chances and be here waiting when the
first of them arrived.

XXXXXXXXXX

Wow.  That was the only word that came to mind as I looked around the
burial chamber.  First there was the long hallway leading into a front
chamber.  Above the entrance I saw the inscription I saw in my vision.
Next to that was another reading that he said was the words,
'Ptahhotep.'

*What does that one mean?* I asked, pointing to the second
inscription.

*Ptah is content,* he answered solemnly.

*Who is in these sarcophagi?*

A pink marble sarcophagus rested next to a black granite one in the
center if the room.  The high vaulted ceilings made the room seem
immense.  Paintings were on the ceiling of stars and clouds, depicting
the times of the day, and the sun's movements through the sky.

He pointed, *My mother was in that one.*  He indicated the pink
marble.  Moving his hand to indicate the black granite, he said, *Her
second husband was there.*

*Your father?*

*He is in another chamber with my grandparents and my brothers that
died in war.*

*What about the other siblings?*

*They carved out tombs of their own for their own families.  My mother
and her husband were the last laid to rest here.*

I looked around again, noticing the painting on the wall and the
pillars strategically placed throughout a room the size of
two basketball courts.

He strode to the pink coffin and looked down at it.  There were signs
of recent disturbance.  The chamber had been cleaned and the
surfaces gleamed.  He placed his hands at the edge of the coffin and
slowly pushed the lid to the side, revealing only about six inches of
the inside.  It was enough to tell that it was empty.  He slowly
replaced the lid, swallowing hard and moved to the other one.  He did
the same and we found that one empty too.

I watched his jaw clench.  I whispered, "We will find them, Gareth.
As soon as the bastard can be immobilized, we'll rip his head apart
until we find out what he did with them."

He nodded.  His calm control almost a little eerie, he led me
through a panel at the back of the chamber and down another long
hallway.  He stopped and I saw an archway on either side of the wall.
He turned left first and entered another chamber.  This one was
painted also, but not so lavishly and the ceiling was bare.
Depictions of all the constellations lined the wall.  It was smaller
but contained three coffins.

Above the arch was more inscriptions.  Gareth told me that one said,
'Satsobek Ankhesenamun' and 'Menmaatre'.  I turned to Gareth for
translations once again.

"Daughter of Sobek, She lives in Amun' and 'Eternal is the Justice of
Re'.  Those inscriptions were for my grandparents.  My father was laid
out in that third coffin against the wall."

I could tell it had been added to the room.  It looked awkward and
unbalanced the room which was otherwise brilliantly designed.  Gareth
opened his father's coffin and found his mummy inside. He sighed and
gazed at the yellowing linens.  I stared in fascination.  The mummy
lay inside holding a flail and crook crossed over his chest.  Gareth
quietly slid the lid back into place.  When he opened his
grandmother's final resting place, he sucked in his breath.

I peered around his shoulder.  There was not much room to maneuver in
here.  I could see that a second mummified body had been dumped in,
face down on top of the first.

Gareth hissed in rage.  I didn't have to ask who it was.  He carefully
let the lid slide to the floor, propped against the edge of the
coffin.  He moved to the final one and slid the lid back finding the
same results.  This dumped mummy was heavier and quite a bit taller
than the petite body I'd seen in the first one.  I could only assume
this was his step father.

He turned to me and I could see the tears shimmering in his eyes.  "He
will die for this," he whispered, his simmering rage evident.

I met his gaze and nodded and then I said, "Let's put them back."

He shook his head a moment as if not comprehending, then an evil smile
lit his face.  "He will find them when he goes to bed down ..."

"He will know we are here," I finished.  "We will be waiting.  We
will stay hidden until then.  I have a feeling most will leave after
the meeting.   A few may remain, but until we know how many we are
dealing with and what their loyalties are, we need to be careful and
only take on a couple at a time."

"I agree.  I have a feeling most of these fledglings were made
unwillingly, but having nowhere else to go and no one else to teach
them, they had no choice but to stay and do his bidding."

"It's all speculation at this point," I added.

His bottom lips quivered.  "Help me," he said quietly and moved to
take his stepfather's body from the coffin.  I slid into place at his
feet and we gently turned him onto his back.

Dust and bits of linen fell from his body. I cupped my arms under his
legs gently, afraid to dislodge something essential.  We walked slowly
down the corridor, careful not to brush against the walls.  He felt
light and fragile in my arms and I hoped I didn't do anything to hurt
this shell.

To me, it was only a shell.  I think Gareth knew it too.  The soul
of this man was long gone.  But this mummified body was a symbol of a
life well spent.  And like a modern day grave, it was a tribute and a
place to come and commune with the dead or remember them in life.
Disturbing this site was not so much a sacrilege, per se, as neither
of us believed in these ancient Gods.  However, it was a grave insult
to the family and to Gareth in particular.  It would be like digging
up a grave in modern times and desecrating a body.

The lack of remorse that entailed was a mystery to me.  Personally,
I'd often thought that nothing should have ever been removed from
these tombs.  Even Tutankhamen's tomb, which was a treasure trove that
now belonged to the world, I would have rather seen stay intact
and become a tourist attraction, than dismantled and sent in pieces
around the world.

We reached the main burial chamber and carefully lowered Thutmes'
mummy to the floor.  Gareth slid the lid back enough to allow us to
replace him inside.  We squatted and carefully raised him again,
setting him down gently inside.  Another puff of dust rose from the
remains.  We both ignored it.  Gareth reached inside and tucked a few
stray lengths of linen under the body, and we slid the lid back into
place.

We repeated the process for his mother.  He took more care with
remains, fluffing the pillow of silk inside under the head, carefully
arranging any stray linen, and smoothing the silken coffin lining.  To
my surprise, he leaned forward when he was done and placed a butterfly
kiss on the forehead of the corpse.  I shivered a little and looked
away.  I wasn't really grossed out, but I couldn't imagine touching my
lips to those ancient rags.  I realized he didn't see it that way,
though.  This was the former vessel of his mother's soul.  He might
not believe in the Gods of his childhood anymore but he believed in
souls and this was his small way of paying tribute to the woman that
had given him birth.

I found tears stinging my eyes.  We carefully replaced the lid.  He
stood there with his hands on the lid for a long while and finally
looked at me.  "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Getting all sentimental."

"It's all right.  Perfectly understandable.  I envy you in some ways."

He chuckled sadly.  "How's that?"

"All this history ... preserved for so many years.  This was a truly
amazing culture."

He smiled at me then.  "Don't you have a history?"

"Not really."

"You must."

"Oh, a vague one.  My parents were Russian Jews, cold war immigrants,
chased out of Moscow during World War II.  They went to Germany and
then to the United States."

"Where do you fit in?"

"I was born in America, a first generation American.  I didn't speak
English until I was seven years old and went to school.  My older
brother, Ivan, was born about 15 years before me.  I was an 'oops'.
He was killed in a later uprising in Russia.  I never really knew him.
My whole life I wanted siblings.  The one I had, I never got a chance
to know.  I never met him and he was dead by the time I was five.  My
real name is spelled, A-l-e-k-s-a-n-d-r."

"Russian spelling?"

"Yes.  I had it legally changed to Alexander when I was old enough.
Oddly, at the time, I didn't want the distinction of being a
foreigner.  My parents would never speak of that time and I never
pushed it.  Now, I wish I had."

"What does it mean, Aleksandr?"

"It means steadfast," I told him.

He smiled affectionately now and cupped my face.  "Well, you have
certainly been that for me, my Alex."

I kissed his palm and he drew me into his arms.  I hugged him to me,
comforting him in silence as he stared at the grand sarcophagi.  He
finally stepped back and we returned to the chamber and replaced the
lids on his grandparents' coffins.  We went across the hall and
checked that chamber, containing two coffins.  His brothers were still
inside.

We replaced the coffin lids and he sighed.  "Well, it looks like our
rogue Maker only defiled my mother and second father's grave.  I
guess he doesn't want a lot of company."

"He must have some, or why disturb both of them?"

"Good question.  You didn't see anyone else when you drank from
Pierre?"

"No one specific, just flashing faces, lots of them, no one that stood
out.  I assumed they were the faces of the fledglings."

"Did you count?"

I frowned.  "No, I didn't, but let me see if I can now."  Another odd
ability that emerged was this photographic memory.  I'd envied Mulder
his memory as long as I'd known him.  Now mine was eidetic for both
words and pictures.  I pulled the scenes from my memory banks and
played them again behind my eyelids.  As the faces flashed now, I
counted.  There were males and females, some were a little older, but
I would say most of them were between 17 and 25, in the prime of their
lives.

When I finally finished, I whistled softly.  Gareth was standing
patiently, asking the question with his eyes as I opened my lids and
caught his gaze.  I swallowed.  "I counted sixty."

He mimicked me and whistled as well.  "Yeah, a few too many to take on
all at once, eh?"

I laughed.  "Depends on whether they are fighting back."

"Yes, I suppose it does.  Are you suggesting most would fight with us
rather than against us?"

"Some would, anyway.  I couldn't take a guess as to how many, though.
There are obviously plans afoot to overthrow their leader, but who
knows how widespread it is?  If he's made all of them, they must be
incredibly weak.  Each one gets weaker if you make them close
together.  I wish I knew how big this rebellion was."

"Or if it's even possible.  We have no idea how strong he is."

"True, maybe his idea was overwhelm with numbers rather than
strength."

"Could be.  Or it could be he's just a selfish, irresponsible, SOB
that got hooked on the blood lust."

I smiled.  "I think there's more to it than that."

"I'm sure you're right.  I just feel like being petty right now."

I chuckled at him now and said, "Are there more chambers?"

"One other in the back.  It has no coffins, only a storage space for
treasures we left to be carried with the dead to the next life."

I followed him quietly as we made our way back down the rear corridor,
passing the two archways and continuing to the end, another twenty or
so feet down.  We passed through another archway, ducking to get
through this one without banging our heads.  The other passages were
huge with vaulted ceilings.  This one, however, had an opening that
stood only about six foot high, which was low compared to the rest of
the tomb entrances and doorways.  We ducked in and the blackness was
more complete.  Fortunately, the ceiling was about seven feet high
once through the doorway.

It was only then that I realized how much light was reflected off the
marble floors of the front burial chamber and the white walls of the
other chambers.  I let my eyes adjust, watching my vision fade to tint
everything red and then coming back into focus.  Infra vision was one
of the coolest things!  I could see in pitch dark.  How good a
thing was that for a guy like me?

It was a small room in comparison to the others, maybe only twelve
Feet square.  The walls were lined with shelves.  A few bits of
pottery and such were scattered around.  Otherwise, it was relatively
empty.  It had been looted of anything of any value.

Gareth hung his head and I stepped behind him, wrapping my arms around
him in silent support.  His hands slid over top of mine.  His body
rolled with one sob of emotion and then he turned, pulling me to him.
His nose fell to the crook in my neck and I held him.  He backed to
archway, braced his back against the door jamb and slid his legs
forward until he was only a bit taller than me.  I stepped between his
legs and we embraced again.  We stood that way for a long time.

Finally, he spoke.  "I don't know why this bothers me so much.  I know
they aren't really here.  And I know now that you can't take material
things with you when you die.  But ... it was my family, Alex.  Some
were good, some were bad.  I hated them and loved them.  But they were
my family and this was their tomb, a tribute to them and the lives
they led.  Now it's been defiled.  That hurts me ... it angers me."

"I know," I whispered in his ear.

"It's more of an insult than anything else.  He obviously knows I
still exist and he desecrates and loots my family's tomb.  I can't let
that insult go by without some sort of repercussion.  I just can't."

"I'm not arguing with you," I said softly into his ear.

He held me tighter.  We rested this way for a long time, no need for
words, just drawing comfort from each other.  I was so glad that we
were together.  I'd waited my whole life for someone that I could
love.  Despite our one fight over honesty, I trusted him.  He'd been
forthcoming ever since and I believed he was sincere in
considering me his partner, not his sidekick.  He truly had seen how
his withholding information had hurt me.  It had scared me too.

I was dependent on him to teach me, though not so much now.  I knew I
could survive on my own, but there was still a lot for me to learn.
I'd been so afraid of having to keep him in my life without trust.
That would have been like all my relationships before and I was way
past the point of being able to tolerate the subterfuge.  It was
necessary where the Consortium and its plans were involved.  But in my
personal life, I needed that trust to balance out the cloak and
dagger.  I needed a relationship I could relax in and count on and not
feel like I had to watch my back.

I didn't even realize how much I needed it until I had it ... and then
almost lost it.  Feeling that slip away had been so frightening.  But
he had admirably redeemed himself.  Unless he gave me a reason not to,
from here forward, I would trust him.



PART 9 (R)
TIY-TETI FAMILY TOMB
11:30 PM

I felt the slightest tension creep into my body and I listened hard.
Then I felt it, the tug on my psyche that told me there was another
blood drinker near.  I took Alex's hand and we backed out of the
archway and sank into the darkness of the room.  We listened as he
opened the outer door, pausing.  We were still and cloaked our minds
from him.  He was reaching out into the tomb to see if he detected the
presence of others.

He didn't, and I sighed internally.  We had successfully cloaked
ourselves from him.  This was a great advantage of strength.  I
carefully lowered my barriers, didn't feel him probing, and settled in
against the wall to wait.

We could be still as statues when we wanted to be.  We listened to him
moving about the tomb.  I didn't know what he was doing.  I just hoped
he didn't open those coffins until later.  I didn't dare take the risk
of probing his mind.  Not yet.  I would wait until he was distracted.
I was very good, but there was always the off chance that he would
feel me trying to get in.  I didn't want to put him on alert yet.

I heard papers shuffle, even from this far away.  We might as well
have been standing in the room with him; we could hear him that well.
I heard a clacking sound, like wood hitting wood, and wondered what it
was.

Alex nudged my elbow ever so slightly.  Immediately, I felt them ...
more blood drinkers.  We stood in silence and darkness as they began
to assemble in the main burial chamber.  They arrived in twos and
threes, sometimes four at a time.  Finally, at 11:55 PM, they had
apparently all arrived.  I'd been counting as they arrived.

Alex spoke to me telepathically. *I count 46.*

*Me too.*

*That means some are still missing.*

*Maybe.  They could have been killed since you saw their faces in
Pierre's blood, or they could have been dead already.*

*I didn't sense that.*

*No, but it could be true.*

A silence suddenly descended on the crowd and I assumed this Maker had
signaled that he was about to begin.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

So there were more.

A young fledgling answered.  "I think they are on their way."

"I said promptly at midnight," the leader answered, his tone laced
with anger and condescension.  "What?" he asked, apparently responding
to someone's reaction.

"It's not quite midnight yet, Master."

"Five minutes until midnight.  They should be here early like the rest
of you, but I suppose if they want to follow my instructions to the
letter, I can't fault them for that."  He paused.  "Oh, now it's only
four minutes.  I'll give them four minutes."

The crowd assembled waited in tense silence for four minutes.  It was
broken when this Roseman, pronounced Rose-A-Mun, finally spoke.

"They are fools and they will pay for their disobedience."

*This guy's on a big power trip,* Alex ventured.

*You think?* I teased.

I could see his smile, tinged red by infra vision in the stark
blackness of the room.

The man seemed to have the undivided attention of the crowd.  No one
was stirring and no one else was talking.  No murmuring like you would
normally hear in a gathering of this many.

"I've called you here tonight for a reason.  We are sixty five
strong."

*Guess Pierre missed meeting a few.*

*Or they weren't made yet when he left.*

"I have calculated that we could be one hundred and not unduly tax the
human population in the area."

*How does he figure?* Alex said sarcastically.

"This means that I need your help.  We need to find 35 young people,
no younger than 16 and no older than 25, to join us."

"Find them?" someone asked.

There was a cold silence.  "Yes, Rake, FIND THEM.  I want you go out
in pairs and find a candidate and return him or her to me.  I've
compiled a list of partners here which I will read momentarily.  Since
your friends have failed to show, some of you may need to find more
than one candidate."

*He's fucking crazy,* Alex said.

*Apparently.*

*We can't let that happen!*

*We won't.  I haven't figured out how yet, but we won't.*

*Maybe we can follow them and protect the candidates, wipe out the
pairs two at a time.*

*23 pairs.  Too many to follow all at once.  Most of them are bound to
succeed before we could get to them>*

*That means that we have to stop them from leaving.*

We stopped talking, as Roseman was speaking again.

"Once we are the appropriate number, we will need to go out and
eliminate the leaders of the world.  This is the ultimate plan.  I
will dispatch you in groups of five or six, so that you are sure to
have the upper hand should you be set upon.  Killing the world's
leaders, one by one, in rapid succession by carefully placed groups
should throw the world's civilized nations into panic.  This is the
perfect climate in which to seize control.  Key members will be sent
to assume positions of power.  Hypnotizing enough people to make this
happen shouldn't be a problem.  As weak as you all are, you're still
individually stronger than any human."

*Not stronger than me,* Alex taunted.

I frowned at him and he receded.  This was no times for jokes.  He
looked slightly wounded and so I draped my arm across his shoulder.
Alex wasn't really joking to be obnoxious.  I knew that.  He was a bit
nervous and this always caused him to become sharp with his tongue.  I
hoped to break him of that habit of lashing out.  He was doing better,
but he was still learning, despite his enormous strength for someone
as young as he in the blood.

"We have a priority list, of course, for those leaders which are the
most important.  For those jobs, I may send a group of ten.  Yeltzin
in Russia, Bush in America, and Yassar Arafat in Palestine are all on
the list."

*Jesus,* I reacted, shaking my head in disgust.

"Yes, Ismael?" he asked one the attendees.

"What about Heruben?"

Alex and I both straightened.  We knew that this Maker was probably
strong enough to see us no matter how fast we moved.  But the
fledglings probably weren't.

*I think it's time to make an entrance,* I announced.

*Are you sure that's wise?*

*No, but I don't think I can listen to this nonsense anymore and now
that I've been mentioned ... move as fast as you can and go around the
rear of my mother's coffin.  I'll stand behind Thutmes'.  I can tell
he's standing in the middle of the coffins.*

Alex nodded, willing to follow me even if he didn't think it was a
wise idea.  I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The leader spoke, "I think if he was going to show up, he would have
by now."

"Do you think that means Zebrosia killed him?"

We moved with lightening speed down the corridor, around through the
archway, leaping over the heads of the assembled blood drinkers and
landing at the sides of the coffins, where we kept moving until we
were at the heads of the coffins, behind this leader.  Several
fledglings, including the Maker, felt the breeze of our passage,
obviously unnatural in this contained tomb with no access to the
outside other than the entrance.

We stopped at the same time, materializing behind the coffins.  I
wondered at the picture we made as we appeared suddenly, both
exceptionally tall, dressed in black jeans, boots, belts and
turtlenecks.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd.  I could sense their fear.
Roseman slowly turned to look over his shoulder to find not just me
but Alex and I scowling at him.  "You came," he whispered reverently.
I nodded, giving nothing away.  "I'm so glad.  I'd given up on having
you join us.  You are Heruben, are you not?" he asked.

*May I?* Alex asked.

*By all means,* I answered, continuing to stand with my arms across my
chest and looking down with an intimidating glare on the leader of
these poor creatures.

Alex said, "You may not be glad in another minute or so."

The smile left Roseman's face and he swallowed.  "Why?  I knew you
would hear of us and come.  Our first order of business was going to
be to eliminate Zebrosia.  She was a tyrant and we know how you two
hated one another."

I startled him by saying, "So you thought you would become a tyrant in
her place?"

He frowned.

Alex added, "At least she confined her tyranny to the blood drinkers
and didn't inflict it on the world at large."

Roseman showed signs of agitation now.  "You speak as if she is no
longer with us."

I nodded.  "And you're wrong ... I loved Zebrosia."  I raised an
eyebrow.  "And I killed her anyway because I didn't agree with what
she had done ... and I needed to defend myself."

Another collective gasp rose from the crowd.  Roseman backed up a step
but then straightened his shoulders, holding his ground.  No one from
the crowd dared to interrupt.

Alex said, "So if he loved Zebrosia and killed her anyway ... you can
imagine what he does to people he doesn't like."  He smiled one of his
dazzling smiles with all the teeth.

*Easy, Alex.  We're still way outnumbered here.  We don't know what
we're dealing with yet.  They are weak, but they are many.*

There was silence for several moments and then he said, "You killed
Zebrosia?" he asked.

"Yes," I said simply.

I let the implications of this sink in.  I was surprised when Alex
whispered in my mind. *Don't tell him I helped.  Just let him think
you were stronger than her.  They obviously feared her.*

I glanced at Alex and felt gratitude for his loyalty seep into me.  *I
don't want them to fear me.*

*I think you want this one to fear you.*

"Why?" Roseman asked.  Quickly he added, "Not that I'm not happy about
that, I am.  Very happy.  That's why we have gathered so many, because
we knew she would need to be overwhelmed ..."

He trailed off at my stern expression.  "You have not gathered these
fledgling here.  You made them all, didn't you?"

He swallowed and admitted, "Yes, I didn't see any other way."

"How about waiting to see if I won?  You obviously knew that she was
coming for me."

"Yes ... I'm sorry, I didn't think there was a chance in hell anyone
could beat her, not even you ..."

"That was your first mistake," I replied calmly.

"Why did you kill her?  I thought she just meant to confront you, not
destroy you.  All she said was she needed to settle a dispute.  She
wouldn't say what that was.  Did she try to kill you?"

"I think she planned to, but she tried to kill Alex.  So I killed
her."

His gaze finally slid to Alex, giving him a more thorough inspection.
Alex stood at least three inches taller than him.  He squinted his
gifted eyes, peering at Alex's skin and realizing how strong he was.

His eyes widened when comprehension dawned on him.  "Heruben is your
Master," he replied quietly, stunned that I had taken one to me.  I
knew my reputation for being a loner.

I answered.  "Alex is my partner ... in all things," I answered,
letting the implications of that sink in.

I knew the minute it dawned on him just what I was saying.  Alex
didn't answer to me.  He was not my flunky or side kick.  We were a
team, an impossibly strong team.

Alex let one knee relax, taking his weight on one leg, adopting a
seriously negligent pose.  "Let me tell you something."

He had Roseman's attention now.  "I've never heard of you!" he said,
almost raising his voice.

Alex smiled.  "You will listen to me anyway," he said softly.  The
threat was evident in the tone of his voice.

Roseman nodded.

Alex swept his hand over the crowd.  "If you had attacked Zebrosia,
you would have doomed all these poor creatures to death."

"We could have overwhelmed her."

Alex shook his head, clucking his tongue.  "You never would have
gotten that close.  Did you know that she could start fires with her
mind?"

I saw many eyes go round in the crowd.  These poor saps knew nothing
of vampiric abilities.  Alex pulled a handkerchief from his back
pocket.  He shook it out and crumpled it into a ball, tying the ends
around it so it wouldn't unravel.  He casually tossed it towards
Roseman.

As Roseman raised his hands to catch it, Alex ignited the cloth and it
burst into flame inches from his face.  Roseman yelped and leaped
backwards to avoid the spray of sparks as the handkerchief fell to the
ground.  Alex looked at it, made it flare once more and then it died,
leaving a pile of ash on the marble floor.

He slowly raised his head to look at Roseman who was now gripping the
edge of my mother's coffin.  Alex said, "She would have ignited your
little army like Roman candles and there wouldn't have been a damn
thing you could do about it."

*Your turn,* Alex warned me.

"Then she would have taken to the air, out of your reach."

I slowly lifted off the ground, rising to hover inches below the
twenty foot ceilings.  I rose slowly to show that I wasn't jumping.
More gasps were heard, a few murmurs.  I had to give the Maker credit.
He cringed, obviously impressed, but he held his ground.  His eyes
darted from me to Alex, not sure who to watch.

*Leap up, Alex.*  I scooped up Alex as he took two quick steps and
leapt with all his strength.  Alex gripped my hand, and the toe of his
boot rested on top of mine.  The rest of his body, held rigid by his
superior muscles, was suspended to the side of mine, making it look
like we were both hovering.  They couldn't tell that I was holding
Alex up.  More gasps and I said to Alex, *Jump down.*

He nodded and his foot slipped off the toe of my boot and he sank to
the floor, landing gracefully on his toes, making no sound.  His knees
bent to absorb the impact and then he stood slowly, straightening out.
I descended next to him to give the illusion that we had flown
separately.  This was something so outside the fledglings' realm of
comprehension they were frozen with fear now, wondering if we were
going to ignite them.

Roseman couldn't fly.  I knew this instinctively, but he did know it
could be done with age and strength.  He must have seen Zebrosia do
it.  So this was another ability he'd kept from his fledglings.
They'd had no idea of the danger he had planned to put them in.

He turned to look at Alex with a new perspective.  I scanned him
gently and heard his thoughts.  'He can't be as young as I thought at
first.  He is too strong to be younger than I.  Why have I never heard
of him?'

I surprised him by answering his questions that he had asked himself
inside his head.  "I kept us cloaked from Zebrosia.  She didn't know
of his existence for a long time.  It allowed him to grow strong.  I
knew we would have to deal with her eventually.  She wouldn't show
herself to give permission to me to have a companion so I did it
secretly."

His eyes widened and focused on me again, realizing that I had read
his mind and he had felt nothing.  He shrunk in on himself a bit more.
I nodded in acknowledgement of his conclusion.  "Yes, that means you
can't lie to me, Roseman, so don't even try."

"By Amun, you are strong.  I've never experienced such psychic
stealth."

I didn't respond.

Alex said to me, *I think it's time we address the rest of the plan
here.*

I frowned grimly.  "You will not carry out your plan to kill world
leaders," I pronounced, getting right to the point.

He stiffened and stood proudly.  "Why not?  We could rule together!
The masses would be so afraid of us, they would do our bidding without
a second thought.  It could be glorious!" He pronounced, his voice
quivering with the fervor of a fanatic.  "Now that Zebrosia is gone,
nothing stands in our way!"

I locked my gaze with him.  Alex spoke, "We stand in your way,
Roseman.  Will you try to kill us too?  Will you sacrifice all these
lives to have the power you want?"

I found it interesting that none of the fledglings, not even one, was
interfering in this exchange.  It made me wonder if any were loyal to
him.  *Alex, scan them.  Find out if any are loyal to him.*

He nodded so slightly, I doubted anyone saw it but me.  I turned back
to Roseman.  "We will not rule together ... ever."

He swallowed.  "But surely you can see how easy it would be."

"It would be a disaster.  Zebrosia was a fanatic, just like you.  She
ruled by fear.  That doesn't inspire loyalty, Roseman, it inspires
rebellion.  Just as she inspired rebellion in you."

"This would be different!  We would be ruling humans!"

"NO!" I thundered.  Even he cringed at the volume of my voice.  "You
asinine little twerp.  We need humans to survive.  You start wiping
out every human who defies you and soon there would not be enough to
keep us alive.  Zebrosia was a tyrant, but her rule of numbers was
sound.  We must limit our numbers.  No one should be alone without
companionship, but we cannot multiply like rabbits.  It is counter
productive to our survival.  Our greatest defense is that humans no
longer believe we exist!  You IDIOT!  Revealing ourselves to the
mortal world at large would be signing the death warrant for our race,
because mortals are more cunning than you give them credit for.  They
would find a way to destroy us.  Talk about being overwhelmed by
numbers!  What the hell were you thinking!" I was furious now.

"We wouldn't kill them all!" he declared.  "We wouldn't have to.  Just
rule them.  They wouldn't dare fight us.  We wouldn't just rule the
human race, we would rule our own!  Don't you see?"

"No one will rule but me!  Zebrosia passed her crown to me as she lay
dying.  Why do you think that is?  She told me 'you are now the
King'."  I paused and took a deep breath, reining in my fury at this
one's arrogance.  He had no answer for me so I continued.  "Because I
am the oldest now.  I have lived through things you can't even
imagine.  You may think your plan is sound, but it's not.  Your plan
will destroy us all.  I won't allow that to happen.  We must remain
secret."

I noticed several fledglings moving to one side.  *What are you doing,
Alex?*

*Moving those who are not loyal to him to one side.  There are about
fifteen that are still loyal to him, even though you've frightened
him.  They still believe they can overcome us with numbers.*

*What do you plan to do?*

*That's up to you, Gareth.*



PART 10 (R)
TIY FAMILY TOMB
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
SOUTHWEST

I nodded.  Roseman was focused on me.  Although he glanced back, he
didn't pay much attention to the slow movement of his fledglings as
thirty-one of them moved to the left, and lined the back half of the
wall of the chamber at Alex's gentle telepathic suggestion.  They were
tense and knew something was about to happen.  I could tell by their
faces that they also knew that they were being spared somehow and were
filled with relief.  The fifteen remained behind the coffins, staring
at Roseman and glancing nervously at the others that were lining the
wall on both sides and behind them.

"We can work this out," Roseman said.  "I can't fight you personally,
I know that.  You're much too strong.  But we can compromise!  I could
be your ... lieutenant."

"As Zebrosia was your Queen ... " I hesitated, hating to have to
assume this responsibility, but knowing there was no one else who
could.  "I am your King.  And you will obey me or you will be
DESTROYED!"

He flinched but stood his ground, glancing behind him and finally
noticing the division of his troops.  He hissed to all of them inside
his mind, 'Attack him!  All at once!  On three!  One! Two! Three!'

*Alex, you take the left, I'll take the right.  Torch them.*

His loyal followers leaped forward.  Alex and I caused fire to enfold
their clothes and shoot up to the ceiling.  They squealed and flailed
their arms.  A few kept coming, only to collapse like dominos before
they could even reach us.  Roseman turned and stared at the piles of
ashes on the floor.  These young ones hadn't stood a chance.  He was
still arrogant enough to think he did.  He scowled at the ones lining
the walls and hissed, "You dare to disobey me!"

He tried to send a wave of force to knock them to the ground.  Alex
sped to their aid.  As his trail of force slid across the wall, Alex
moved in front of the fledglings, taking the hit from his assault, his
much stronger body absorbing the blows.  He jerked a couple of times
when a particularly strong surge hit him.  I knew it hurt him somewhat
but not terribly.

He stopped and then sped back the way he came as Roseman tried again,
throwing his psychic wave in the other direction, much like we would
use telekinesis to move objects.  He was trying to move his
fledglings, or crush them beneath his power.  But he could not move
Alex.  He was too strong to be pushed over or out of the way.  The
fledglings caught on and pulled together in a small knot, rather than
spreading out, making it easier for Alex to protect them.

I was infuriated that he was being this arrogant, this stupid and that
he was willing to sacrifice all these fledglings to his own survival.
I'd had it.  I roared, "ENOUGH!"

My hand and my mind lashed out at him.  He was lifted into the air and
flung backwards until he slammed into the wall, ten feet off the
ground and dropped in a heap to the floor.

He lifted his head feebly, looking at me in astonishment.  I was
showing him how much stronger my mind was than his.  I done to him
what he'd tried to do to his fledglings.  The fledglings were staring
in awe.  I hadn't even moved from the place where I stood and I had
flung their leader across the room.

"You have one last chance, Roseman.  If you agree to take one
companion and disappear, I will let you go.  If you do not agree..."

I let the implications sink in.  "I am not a tyrant, Roseman.  I am
fair, but I will not tolerate little Napoleons in my midst.  Do I make
myself clear?"

He nodded.  "Your plans and your scheming are done.  You are forbidden
to steep anyone else in the blood for the rest of your life.  You've
already made too many.  You are far too irresponsible.  Do you
understand?"

"You mean for me to be alone?" he croaked as he levered onto his
knees, starting to recover.  "You would forbid me as Zebrosia forbid
you?"

"No, I said you could take one companion, ... if any will go with
you."

"There ... there are others!" he announced in a last ditch effort to
fight against Gareth's announcements.

"I know.  There are nineteen more and I will find them too, just like
I found you."

He looked surprised that I knew the number of others.  He knew it was
true.  He was the strongest of this group and we had found him.  It
hadn't really taken much effort either.  I nodded in answer to his
silent question.  "Yes, I feel you all.  I know exactly how many of
you there are."

This wasn't entirely true, but he didn't need to know that.  There
could be ones in remote parts of the world that I couldn't feel.
However, as the days went by, I could feel them more strongly.

In a fit of insanity, he leaped to his feet, rising several feet in
the air as he lunged toward me.

My arm shot out, moving so fast it blurred and met with his face.  He
was jolted backwards and fell on his back to the floor.  "You idiot.
You are WAY out of your league.  Haven't you figured that out yet?"

I scanned him easily.  'There has to be a way to kill him,' he was
thinking.

I answered once again.  "Oh there is a way to kill me Roseman.  But
you're not strong enough or man enough to do it.  I dare say Alex is
the only one in the world who would stand a chance against me and his
loyalty is unshakeable.  Now that I think about it, you will tell me
what you want me to hear, but I read the lies.  You will never stop
trying.  You will never give up your quest for power and I can't have
it."

Alex whispered in my mind, *Don't forget your parents.*

*I won't,* I replied.

I tilted my head to the side and strode toward him.  He shrank away
from me but I easily lifted his scrawny frame off the ground and towed
him to the side of my mother's coffin.  My rage burned through me.  I
slid the lid of the coffin half way off with one hand and tilted his
head down by pushing on the back of his neck.

"Netikerty.  Remember her name, Roseman.  She Who is Excellent,
something you will never be!  You defiled my family's tomb, you
animal.  You moved my mother for your own bed.  HOW DARE YOU!" I
roared.  "I gave you your one chance and you blew it.  Now you DIE!"

He hissed and tried to wrench out of my grasp.  It was hopeless for
him.  I seized his hair and yanked it back.  My fangs sank into his
neck as my other arm reached around him to pull him tight against me.

He jerked and spasmed in my arms as I pulled hard, draining him
quickly, feeling his erection against my thigh.  Alex stood quietly,
watching.  None of the others dared to interfere.  I broke the suction
of my mouth and leaned him over my mother.  I let a few drops of blood
fall to her mummy in tribute.  Then I yanked him back and finished
draining him.

His eyes were glassy and vague as I retracted my fangs and looked at
his face.  He was defeated and knew it.  The urge to hurt him was
overwhelming and he was not dead yet.  I kept hold on his clothing at
the back of his neck, pulled him back from me and gripped his collar
in the front.  I ripped the shirt right down the middle, shredding it
and causing it to hang off his frame.

His slightly tanned skin and surprisingly well defined muscles were in
my view now.  I smiled evilly at him, bent him backwards over my free
arm and chomped down, sending my fangs deep into his breast.  He
screamed as I pulled the coagulated blood from his skin.  I could feel
his heartbeat growing slower, struggling to beat.  I knew he was in
immense pain.  Being drained by another blood drinker hurt, but it was
also euphoric.  Having the steeped blood sucked from your skin was
agony.  I didn't want him to die in euphoria.

Alex had suckled from my breast, but only in the throes of passion was
it bearable and erotic.  And he only took small amounts ... little
sips, not enough to drain the skin.  I was draining him dry.  As the
cells began to empty of the blood, the intense pain came, as the skin
collapsed and died.

Logically, I knew that his pain would not mend my own, but I was still
angry enough to want him to hurt.  He howled and screamed in pain as I
sucked him dry in about a minute and a half.

I dragged his dry husk behind the coffins and toward the back wall.
His head hung limply, his scraggly hair a tangle around his head.  I
dropped him to the floor.

I stared at him for a couple of moments, feeling his blood sing in my
veins.  He'd been a little older than I thought, maybe three centuries
old.  It didn't matter anymore.  I'd seen all the pictures of his
life.  Even as a mortal, he'd been cruel and unhappy, inflicting his
rage on others.  Zebrosia had told him where my family's tomb was.  So
there was one more transgression that was now avenged.

Now he had died with my rage inflicted on him.  I took a step back
and concentrated slightly.  His body burst into flames.  The heat and
tendrils of fire shot high into the air, burning fiercely and quickly.
He was soon a pile of ash.

I finally returned my attention to the others against the wall.  I saw
Alex walk to my mother's coffin and look inside.  Oddly, he crossed
himself and slid the lid closed with reverence.  Then he looked up at
me and walked to me.  I took him into my embrace and he leaned his
head on my shoulder.

The furtive glances of the fledglings seemed to soften at this show of
affection between us.  I ruffled his hair and smiled at him as he
pulled his face up to look at me.  "You did what you had to do,
Gareth," he reminded me, sensing my inner turmoil.

Here I'd been condemning him for his anger and lashing out at others
and I'd just done the same thing.  Should I have shown him mercy?

"No!" Alex stated emphatically, having read my thoughts easily.  My
guard was down now.  "He would never have stopped.  He may have laid
low for a while, but he would never have stopped."

Someone cleared their throat and stepped forward from the knot of
fledglings, still standing near the far wall, not daring to interrupt.
I shifted my attention as Alex backed out of my arms to stand next to
me.  It was a young girl.  I guessed she was probably 18 when she was
made.  She was less than a decade old in the blood.  Her long blonde
hair fell to her waist in luxuriant waves.  "Yes, little one?" I
asked.

She looked down but then bravely raised her gaze to me and stood at
her full height of five feet, one inch.  Good gracious, she must have
been a tiny mortal.  She said, "Heruben ..."

"Gareth.  Please call me Gareth, little one.  That is the name I
choose to go by now.  Nobody has called me Heruben in centuries."

She nodded nervously.  "Gareth, then.  What is to become of us?"

They all turned to me for guidance and I felt the weight of my burden.
I had somehow maneuvered myself into responsibility for 31 fledglings,
maybe more.

"I'm not sure yet.  Your name is ...?"

She looked surprised that I would ask and then I realized why.

"I do not read your mind needlessly, little one.  We only do that when
necessary.  It is an invasion of privacy and holds a responsibility.
Power, such as you all have, comes with a responsibility."  I paused.
"Part of that responsibility is NOT to abuse the gifts you have."

"I am Sabrina," she introduced herself.

They all nodded, warming to me, realizing I was not just one tyrant
replacing another.  "I've a feeling that your Maker kept many things
from you ... about what you are capable of ... and more importantly,
what you are NOT capable of."

She smiled.  "We were pretty much on a need to know basis only," she
replied sarcastically.  I smiled widely at her as did Alex and she
beamed back.

"I have at least three more weeks here before I have to leave."

Another stepped forward. "I am Seti.  Where do you make your home,
Master?"

I cringed.  "Let's start with this ... I am not your Master.  I don't
wish to be called that.  It implies that I own you, and I don't."

They all looked surprised at this.  Another stepped forward.  "I am
Christa.  Sir, we are used to being owned.  We know no other way."

Alex interrupted now.  "I think we need to train them, Gareth.  We
need to teach them to survive and what to do to protect themselves and
the race as a whole.  They probably know nothing of the 'little
drink'.  They probably know nothing of their speed and the actual
strengths they possess."

I nodded.  "We will show you another way.  There will be rules." They
stared in silence.  "There will be rules that I will not tolerate
being broken."

I saw the fear return to their eyes.  "Relax, young ones.  I am not
Roseman.  I am not a tyrant.  I will not just give you rules to have
power over you. I will explain the reason for them.  You will be
paired together in twos or fours, as you wish.  If you have trouble
deciding, Alex and I will decide your compatibility.  That person is
to be your partner in life, in survival.  Everyone MUST have a
partner.  No one survives well alone.  Do you understand?"

They all nodded.  "Where do you sleep?"

Sabrina answered.  "All over the place.  Mostly in abandoned tombs in
this Valley."

"Some of you may need to relocate.  We need to spread ourselves across
the world.  This serves us in several ways.  One is that it lowers the
risk of discovery.  It's much more likely that fifty blood drinkers
will be discovered than two."

They nodded, not seeming rattled by the prospect of moving.

"Many of us were brought her from elsewhere," Sabrina said.  "Or taken
while we were here visiting.  He liked to grab tourists.  This way he
could pump us for information on other parts of the world, leaders,
governments, etc."

I sighed.  "Look, there are only two hours until dawn.  Time grows
short.  Let's go back to our resting places for tonight.  We will meet
here tomorrow night.  First we will find a place to train ... not
here.  Then we will begin training and teaching you.  Once that is
done, we will begin figuring out where to place you.  I will make sure
you have comfortable living arrangements wherever you go."

Sabrina asked, "How will you do that?  Most of us are broke.  He took
all our money, our clothes, everything.  He was selling it to have
money for things he needed, buying information, and other things."

"Do you know where he kept it?"

Seti answered. "I do.  In a crypt not far from here.  He took from the
storage of this tomb as well."

"I saw that," I said grimacing.

"We will retrieve whatever is left and it will be given back to you.
I also am a very wealthy man and I will get you set up and started."

They nodded.  Sabrina said, "We will be most grateful ... Gareth."

Christa stepped a little closer.  "We must have a title for you,
Strong One."

Alex smiled, highly amused at this.  He suggested, "How about you call
him your King?"

They all nodded.  I scowled at Alex and this brought a few chuckles.
"Gee, thanks."

More titters and chuckles.  "We are young and lost, Strong One.  We do
not wish another tyrant in our midst, but we do need a leader or we
will perish as surely as we would have in a battle with Zebrosia."

I nodded.  "My ancient family's name was Tiy-Teti.  You may call me
Gareth Teti.  And I suppose, if you wish, you may call me your King.
I promise to do the best I can for you.  I did not come here expecting
this.  I thought I would I would need to destroy the lot of you."

Sabrina spoke again.  "There are nineteen others ... the ones that
didn't attend tonight.  I've a bad feeling they were plotting against
Roseman.  We were scared for them."

"Can you find them?"

They all nodded.  "Bring them with you tomorrow.  We will all
introduce ourselves tomorrow.  I will need your knowledge of the area
and a large place where we can train, perhaps an unfinished or
abandoned tomb.  I've no wish to defile anyone else's family resting
place.  I haven't checked you all, but if you have removed anyone from
a sarcophagi to rest yourselves ... put them back.  I will bring
supplies so I can house you until we find a place to relocate you."

They nodded.  I noticed a couple of nervous looks and knew these were
the ones that had defiled some other tomb.  But I also knew they had
probably done it out of desperation to avoid the coming of the sun,
not because they wished to cause harm or insult.  I took note of which
faces they were and would check on it later.  I would give them a
chance to correct the wrong.

"What time tomorrow?" Seti asked.

"How long does it take you to get here after rising?"

"The farthest away could probably be here in an hour."

"What time do you rise?"

They seemed puzzled by this.  I added, "We are strong.  We probably
rise before you do.  We do not feel the dawn or the sunset as keenly
as you do."

They understood now.  "About 7:30 to 8:00 PM, I guess."

"We'll meet here at 9:00 PM, then.  This will give you time to contact
the others."

"I'm glad the others didn't show up," Christa said.

"Why not?" I asked.

She gazed at me.  "Roseman would have killed them."

"For being late?" I asked incredulously.

She nodded.  "That and he would assume they were against him.  He was
paranoid."

"He had good reason to be," Alex said.

She nodded.  I glanced at them all.  They would all come tomorrow.
There was still some apprehension.  They could not trust me yet and I
was a much bigger threat than even Roseman had been, considering my
strength.

"No one will be punished for arriving late," I reassured them.
"However, if they refuse to show, tell me who they are and where I can
find them.  I will meet with them privately and convince them to come.
I understand their fear.  They don't need to fear me, but they don't
know that yet.  And neither do you, but I assure you, I have your best
interests at heart."

They all nodded.

"One last thing."

I had their complete attention, feeling buffeted by feelings of fear
mixed with relief and hope that oozed out of them.  "You will obey
Alex as you would obey me.  He was trained by me and he is wise in the
ways of survival and hiding in the mortal world.  He can teach you
much.  If I am to be your King, then Alex is your Prince."

*Or Queen,* he joked privately.

I had to clench my jaw so as not to laugh. It was a private joke I
wouldn't want to share at this point.

They all nodded.  "He will not harm you either.  As you saw, he
protected you.  You all were chosen because we could read you and knew
that you were not loyal to Roseman.  You were only here out of fear,
desperation and the fact that you had nowhere else to go.  The others
..."

Alex interrupted.  "I'm sorry if they were your friends.  But they
were loyal to Roseman, even after hearing and seeing Gareth.  As you
saw, they tried to attack.  We couldn't allow it."

They all nodded.  Seti said, "We were segregated into groups, ones
that were loyal, ones that were here out of necessity.  They were no
friends of ours."

"Go home now, while you still have time.  We will see you all
tomorrow."

They filed out of the burial chamber into the corridor that led to the
entrance to the tomb.  We followed behind them, watching them glance
back at us nervously.  It would take a while to gain their confidence.
I hoped to do it quickly.  As they all filed out, I turned to shut and
bolt the door to the tomb.

*Cover it with me,* I said to Alex.

They all stood in silence and watched as Alex and I used our minds to
blow the heavy sands of the desert into a huge pile until the door was
obscured from the mortal eye.  We turned to look at them and said, "We
will uncover it again before you arrive tomorrow.  I don't want anyone
stumbling onto this place in the meantime."

Alex climbed into my embrace and we waved gently at them.  "Until
tomorrow," Alex said.

I shot into the air and heard the gasps of surprise behind us as we
disappeared from view, speeding back to our hotel room in West Thebes.



PART 11 (NC-17)
THEBES HOTEL
WEST THEBES, EGYPT
4:00 AM

"We have a couple of hours, Gareth," I said as we settled into bed,
still wired from our adventure this night.

It had not been a battle such as the one with Zebrosia and for that I
was glad.  We weren't out of the woods yet.  We still had nineteen
blood drinkers to check out and then the training would begin.

I was tired from the mental gyrations but keyed up too, and unable to
completely relax just yet.

"What would you like to do, Pet?" Gareth asked me, the hint of a tease
in his voice.

I kissed him, pulling his hard body against mine.  "I want you to make
love to me."

"Again?" he teased.

"Yes!"

"Greedy little chit, aren't you?  You just took me when we woke
today."

"I know but this time, I want you to take me," I answered, reaching
down to grasp his hardness and stroke him firmly.

XXXXXXXXXX
THIS PORTION NC-17

He moaned and kissed me deeply, pulling my chest flush with his.  He
rolled on top of me, crushing me into the mattress and grinding his
pelvis into mine.

My cock was pulsing, pressed into his hard abdomen and leaking precum
into his navel.  His lips slid over my neck, his skin warm from the
blood he had taken from Roseman earlier.  My skin felt cool against
his, and the contrast was stimulating.

His lips worked their way down my neck to my nipples.  His hands slid
under my shoulder blades and cupped the top of my shoulders. I lifted
my legs, exposing myself.  One of his hands came between us, grabbing
me and jerking me hard.  I groaned and felt his cock find my entrance.
Without warning he jammed inside me, his cock sliding deep.  I hadn't
quite been ready and my ass felt virgin.  It hurt slightly, just
enough to be erotic to me, and I moaned again, not caring about
anything but the feel of his smooth monster gliding in and out of my
ass.

His lips came back to my neck and I felt his fang prick my neck. I
shivered in delight.  He grunted and hitched up further on his knees,
lowering his head and sinking his fangs into my pec, his short teeth
biting away at my nipple.

Oh GOD!  It burned, it throbbed.  It fucking hurt!  And I felt my own
cock ache and grow between my thighs.  He pushed into me hard
and sucked at my nipple, his tongue licking the drops of blood that
seeped out.  His pulled his fangs out and licked the skin.  It healed
immediately.

He pulled out suddenly, his cock glistening with the moisture from my
ass, a foot long and wider than a soda can.  My head spun whenever I
saw it.  He pawed me roughly, flipping me onto my stomach.  I went to
raise on all fours, but he pushed me into the mattress, lowering his
chest to my back.  His cock rested on my rosette.

I knew some of his roughness was just him, and some was his tension
from the night's activities.  We both needed to get it all out.

"Do it, Gareth.  Fuck me, you big bastard.  Make me scream."

He was merciless, punching deep in one harsh stroke, hitting something
deep inside me that made my whole body go rigid and then melt into a
puddle.  His chest pinned me to the bed as he rode me hard, pumping
and groaning, pressing my cock into the sheets.

I bit the pillow under my head to muffle my screams.  I didn't want
hotel management coming to investigate.  There were no sound proof
walls here like at home.

I was burning all over, my balls were boiling and my dick was
throbbing in need, scraping on the sheets with every thrust.  I moaned
loudly and then screamed into the pillow with every brutal thrust that
made me mad with lust.

He was hammering me with all his might, which was considerable.  I
knew my anus was now a smooth, taut ring, forming a funnel for his
unyielding monster cock.  He sped up, still drilling my ass on the
full length of his cock, which was bigger still.

He grabbed me around the waist and rolled suddenly.  I found myself
facing the ceiling.  His hands gripped my hips and pumped me up and
down on his cock.  My knees bent to the bed, straddling his enormous
thighs and pressing my cheeks together around the huge circumference
of his cock.

I lowered my elbows to the bed next to his chest and began riding him,
spearing myself harshly, lifting as far as I could and slamming down,
feeling my ass burn and sting as I increased the tempo.

Finally I heard him groan and begin washing my insides with his hot
sperm.  I hollered some intelligible sound and began spraying my own
chest and stomach as my balls contracted and moved my jism with
incredible speed up my cock.  I felt my own ejaculations hit my face
with a force that stung.

I opened my mouth to scream in ecstasy and felt a stream of come land
on my tongue.  I hollered and swallowed.  Every hard full thrust of
his cock produced another ejaculation for me.  My balls were huge,
bulging under my shaft, taut and burgeoning with fluid.  I felt
his come spray out around my cock as my bowels filled and now it had
nowhere else to go.

I must have sprayed twenty times before collapsing onto his chest.  We
panted quietly for a bit and then I rolled off him, turning to place
my stomach and cock in his face.  I lovingly began licking the sperm
from his stomach that had escaped and then took his cock in my mouth,
sliding it deep into my throat, feeling my cheeks and esophagus puff
out to accommodate him.

He moaned and took me in his mouth, cleaning me as I cleaned him, and
then licking my ass and balls and stomach until there was no more to
clean up.  I turned around to straddle him and lowered my chest to
his.

XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17 PORTION.

"That was fantastic, Alex," he muttered.

"Yes, it was."

"Sleep now, we need it," he instructed gently.

I nodded against his chest, placing a soft kiss on his chest.  I fell
asleep that way, wondering if we could really teach all these
fledglings to be responsible, honorable blood drinkers.  I hoped so.
I hated the thought of having to destroy any more of them.

Those that were destroyed had deserved their fate.  That didn't make
it any easier.  Killing was never easy.  Even if it was an adrenaline
rush and a high at the time, later it haunted you, making you feel
abusive and grandiose somehow.

I didn't enjoy killing and I knew Gareth didn't either.  But as
always, we would do what we needed to do.

He whispered, "We'll rise as soon as we can.  I want to make some
contingency plans before we meet with them."

"O.K., wake me when you rise."  He always rose before I did.  I was
strong, but due to my young age, I still needed more sleep than he.

"I love you, Alex," he whispered.  "You were magnificent today."

"I love you too, Gareth.  You were the magnificent one.  You will be
kind to them.  They will worship you."

"I don't want them to worship me."

"They will at least respect you.  And I'm afraid there is no avoiding
it.  Some will worship you.  After their suffering at the hands of
Roseman, they will find a benevolent leader in you.  You will seem
grand and noble in their eyes."

"Seem noble?  I'm not grand and noble?" he teased.

I chuckled.  "Of course you are.  I know you didn't want this, Gareth.
But there is no one else.  You must do this."

"I know."

"And I must do this."

"You don't have to, Alex."

"Of course I do.  We are a team, are we not?"

"Yes, and I'm more glad than I can possibly express."

I fell asleep and dreamed.  In my dream, Roseman's ghost appeared in
the Tiy-Teti family tomb.  He reverently approached Netikerty's
sarcophagus and laid a blood red rose in the center of the pink marble
lid.  He leaned in to kiss the lid and then his ghost departed the
tomb.

XXXXXXXXXX
THE END.