Bloodbreeders: Seeking Others (8 page)

“It stayed in the man’s body?” he shrugged.

“Thanks, Sydney,” I grimaced, wiping my hands down the remains of the breeder on the front of my body.

I saw Jamous back to back with Jacob, in what had to be fifteen men deep. Garvin, Sydney, and I ran straight at them, screaming our own guttural cry and started slicing at every body our weapons could find. Sydney swung that club like he was born with it in his hands. He knocked one man to the side then hit him again until he went down. Sydney made his final blow, crushing the man’s head in as if it were nothing more than a watermelon.

Jacob was art in motion. He would come off the ground, kick out, landing a foot to the side of one man’s neck, breaking it, while his blade killed another. At one point he was pushed backwards, but the momentum he gained put him into a back flip of sorts. He took two large steps and ran his feet up the man’s body, wrapping his feet onto the man’s neck, then spun his body, flipping the man in midair, snapping his spine with ease.

Tammy and Derek were fighting off two individuals that had wounded two of Jamous’s men. They now stood in front of them kicking and punching, using their blades wisely. The one in front of Tammy reached out with lightning speed and slapped her. She froze, causing his action to waver, and that’s when she had him. “You son-of-a-bitch,” she yell and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, dropping her blade and started pounding on his face with her fist. His arms soon began to dangle as blood soaked them
both, and still she continued. His weight dropped and she reached down and picked her blade back up. Derek pulled his gun and shot his attacker between the eyes. I think he thought that Tammy was in trouble, until he turned to witness her ramming her blade through the man’s eye, hilt deep.

Brandon was wiping his blade off as he and Derek, checked through the bodies. Two of Jamous’s men were dead, and most of the rest were wounded. All of us were hurt in one way or another, but we all lived to see another night. Tammy started checking the bodies, pulling up the vests of the dead bloodbreeders. She was looking for something so hurriedly that I had to ask. “What are you looking for Tammy?”

“The messenger, he’s not here,” she franticly replied.

“Who is this messenger that you keep talking about?”

“He is the spreader of the word. The one who is sent out to warn the elders. They in turn will send out a war party, so to speak,” Jacob replied.

“He always dressed like one of these,” she replied. “But he had a long scar on the side of his face and he always had this gold chain with a square locket.”

“It holds the key. If he hands it to the elders, then they know what he tells them to be true,” Jacob further explained.

“Can we find him first?” Brandon asked, walking up to us.

“I’m afraid that would not be possible,” Jacob replied.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“I too, was meant to be one.” Then he pulled a golden chain out of his pocket.

“Are you saying that when Chin was murdered you were supposed to get away and let these elder people know?” I asked.

“I was.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“You have your reasons in what you do. I have mine.” Then he turned and went to Jamous.

Jamous was beside himself to know that we had found his daughter, but not so happy that she had taken in my blood. Tammy and Brandon walked her and the baby out the front door, causing Jamous to fall to his knees. Lilly was leaning heavily on Tammy, while Brandon carried the baby never taking his eyes off of the grandfather. Tammy took
Lilly to Jamous, who was still weeping when Lilly crawled into his lap.

“Papa, I was so scared.”

“Oh my baby, there is a God…and he has spoken this night through the eyes of our new found family.” He bent over her and bellowed out his emotions, rocking as they held one another.

“Papa, do you want to see your grandson?” Brandon said after a few minutes.

“My…my grandson? He lives?”

“Very much so,” Brandon replied leaning down, placing the baby in Lilly’s arms.

“They saved us both, Papa,” she cried. “The woman gave me herself. I don’t know why, but it gave me back my life.”

Jamous looked up at me with a face that was covered in blood and tears, and gave me one sharp nod. Nothing else needed to be said. We would deal with her needs for me when the time came, for now she was alive and back in her father’s arms and he was now a grandpa. We helped Jamous and his men back to their village, then went back to take care of Cortez’s estate. 

Tammy went through his papers, while Jacob surveyed his weapons area. Me and the others pulled all the bodies that were whole enough to move, back inside and got things ready to burn the place to the ground. We found seven slaves. The one that told us Cortez’s whereabouts was the one that showed us where the other six would be hiding. He held good to his word, so we held good to ours. Now I see the purpose of Jacob wanting both boats, why I hadn’t thought about survivors before, I can’t answer. Maybe that’s why I leave the small details up to him. With this seven and the three from Cuba, we were getting over our heads.

“Found their normals’ guns and ammo, did you want us to take it, Jacob?” Derek asked as he and Brandon came into the room that we were all gathered in.

“I would say gather the ammo for the weapons you now carry, but only for the time when the need is most necessary. Here, with Jamous’s people we had no need to hide the fact that we were here, but other times we will need to be silent in our attack.”

“Yes,
daddy
, I think I got that the last time you explained it to us. I was just asking if you wanted us to get the weapons or leave them, that’s all,” Derek gave him a salute and turned to leave.

“Master Derek, you may indeed leave that here.”

“What’s that?”

“Your mouth,” Jacob replied, smiling at me.

All in the room started laughing, all but Derek that is.

We said our good-byes to Jamous and his people, letting them know of our plans to return as soon as we could. He asked that we take a handful of letters to give to his brother the next time that we should go by Andros Island. He mentioned that he missed Tabor, a great deal. Brothers…I would have never guessed. I held Lilly and I spoke softly about her being okay now and to not fear. Then I slipped in, “Do not remember what happened right before his birth,” I whispered gentle, “Hold him and love him with all of your heart.” I told her when she felt that she couldn’t live without me, to look at her precious little boy, that he was her key to me, and that I would soon return to check on them both. When I was finished I stood and left her there holding little Jamous with her eyes closed, in a slightly hypnotic state.

Tammy walked up to the older Jamous, taking a bag out of her pocket that she made out of another piece of her shirt and reached out her hand. He took it and nodded. He grabbed her hand as she went to turn around, he leaned and kissed the back of it and smiled. We all knew that Jamous knew he was holding his enemies heart.

By the time we got back to the ship I think we were all so sore that each of us had a hard time getting out of the small boat. To me the ladder felt a thousand feet long. The more I climbed, the further it felt I had to go. All the “slaves” that we had saved were terrified and it didn’t do them any good when Shyanna came running out on the deck, and then hopped once right before taking flight, giggling her silly laugh. The two women began to scream, holding on to the backs of the men. The five men looked at her then dropped to their knees taking the women down with them.

“She won’t hurt you, she’s just a little girl,” I explained walking by them.

“You are free on this ship, as long as you abide by our rules,” Jacob said, but it sounded more like an order.

“I’ll show them to the worker’s quarters,” Jessie said holding her side.

“Come here, Jessie,” Tammy demanded.

“It’s nothing, miss. It is just a mere scratch.”

“You were wounded and you didn’t tell me?” Jacob rushed to her.

“I’m fine, brother. Your back bleeds and yet you said nothing.”

“A scratch,” he looked up into her eyes.

“Nothing that will not mend,” she smiled.

“She’s right. It’s not too bad, but I want a closer look at everyone,” Tammy said pulling Jessie’s shirt back down.

I told Brandon to take the seven new passengers down below while I helped check everyone over. I had one slice on my stomach and a hell of a bruise spreading across the entire side of my head. Sydney still held the souvenir that put it there. Sydney and Derek showed Jacob what had happened to their blades that he had just given them. He simply smiled, and then explained that although the blades were the sharpest, they were without a doubt not the strongest. Then Derek went right into how he saw Jacob gut five men, and how he used a move that he saw Jacob do and broke a man’s neck. I swear I saw Jacob stand a few inches taller every time Derek thanked him for teaching him how to fight, and then asked when he was going to learn more.

Shyanna finally came back to the ship, only this time she had to track us. I told Jacob to set the course for his and Jessie’s home, which wasn’t that far away from where we were now, and a place that would get us all off this ship for a while. I stood out on the deck watching for her; it was her panicked scream that I heard first. I began calling, “Shya” and soon after, she came swooping down so fast that she rolled on the deck for several feet before she came to a stop in a tangled mess of fishing net.

“Me’s scared,” she cried fighting the net.

“Calm down, you’re okay,” I said with a snicker.

“You’s left me’s,” she chirped, blinking rapidly.

“You’s found me though. You’s great flapper,” I replied as I took the net off of her wing.

“Meeee’s.”

“Yes, yooou’s, silly girl.” Then I lifted her up.

She put her face up against mine as her wings spread all the way out and then wrapped them around both of us. “You’s me’s me’om.” It took me a few minutes to figure out what she was saying, but I believe that she just called me, “mom”. I gave her tiny form a hug and she gave me one back. It was then that I realized that she really needed a bath. The smell she had was a musk scent, which was more than likely her normal one, but I could smell the filth that went along with it. I knew without even having to think about it, that Tanda was drawing me a bath, so I thought I might as well introduce Shyanna to her first hot water encounter.

Sure enough, I walked in to find Tanda adding oils to the bathtub. She looked up and walked over and picked up my white robe. I opened the door a little wider and Shyanna hopped in. Little by little she started sniffing the air, until she made her way to the bath. Tanda looked at me and I smiled raising my eye brows. She smiled like she had a brand new toy to play with.

“Want to get in the pretty water?” Tanda asked splashing the water just a little.

“No, no, no,” Shyanna replied and hopped back behind me. “Cold… me’s no like.”

“Not cold. It feels good,” I told her while I picked up her hand.

“No, me’om. Me’s be good.”

“Honey,” I said getting down on my knees. “You are good, very good. But me’om wants to wash your hair. Smell pretty.”

“Hurt me’s. No water.”

“What hurts you baby?” She just looked at me. “If me’om gets in, will you get in?”

She didn’t say anything, but came closer as I took my clothes off and stepped in. She watched as I poured water over my head. “I feel’s so good.” Then I did it again. Tanda put her hands in the water, and then splashed her face, making ‘umm’ sounds as she did it. Shyanna hopped over and stuck two talon fingers in and yanked them back out twice as fast. Afterward she stuck them in her mouth then wrinkled up her face. She crawled up on the edge and held her knees. She went to put her foot in the water and slipped, falling completely under right between my legs. She came up screaming that high pitched, ear piercing screech that she had, then suddenly stopped and just blinked at me.

“See, it feels good doesn’t it?”

She started purring and raising the bubbles to her face. Tanda went around her and started washing her hair. To our surprise she let her. One, because she was far too busy playing with the bubbles and second, because I think it felt good. Every time Tanda put her hands on Shyanna’s head and began to scrub, her eyes would close and her hands would freeze, as this wonderful deep purr poured from her. I could feel the vibration of that purr in the walls of the porcelain tub we were bathing in. A few minutes later I could hear feet running down the hall, not thinking about her scream until that very moment. I went under the water as soon as the door crashed open. Shyanna took flight, water and bubbles went everywhere. Tanda ran to the door and pushed the group out, explaining that Shyanna was getting her first bath and that I was in the tub with her. I felt a hand pulling me up by the hair and came up to find Shyanna blinking full black eyes at me. She lighted on the edge again and for the first time, now that she had been soaking, I could see that she had a greenish and purple tint to her skin.

“Shall we finish this?” Tanda asked, walking back over to us.

“I think I have all the icky blood off of me, well, good enough, so let’s see if she’ll get back in it by herself,”

I stepped out and put my robe on, then went and squatted down by the tub. I started playing with the bubbles, splashing my fingers through what was still in the tub, and laughing like goof ball. Shyanna slid back down and joined in not two minutes after I began. I took a bar of Tanda’s good soap, the one she always used on me. It had special oils in it, and she used it to keep my skin from looking like a man’s. That thought alone kept a smile on my face, that and knowing we were victorious had me wanting to do a jig. I was just hoping we could clean off the many years of our winged friend living in filth. Before all was said and done, Shyanna was diving under the very dark, dirty bath water and now we couldn’t get her out. Every time I tried, she would yell, ‘me’s good’ and then would go back under. I couldn’t help but to laugh. I left leaving Tanda to deal with getting her out.

I was tired. Yet, I was grateful to finally get a break from all the madness. We were going to our new home where we could live in peace, for a time that is, while we made plans to work our way up the coast. There was a bigger plan that lay at the back of my mind, eating away at my thoughts on a nightly basis. Thoughts I had kept to myself and hadn’t revealed to anyone and wouldn’t until we got closer to the top of the states, a place much better for crossing the ocean to the shores of London. I walked in to find Tammy mending the many wounds of my boys and the one woman fighting machine. Jessie fought better than any of us and almost as good as her brother…
almost
.  She had a stab wound, which was far worse than any mere scratch, but nothing that wouldn’t heal in a few nights. Derek had several cuts and twice as many bruises. Sydney was the one that got it the worst.

Tammy was stitching up the slice across his abdomen. He had come very close to having his insides resting on his lap. Seeing his stomach brought back the visions of what we caused back at the estate. Entrails morbidly spread out underneath their owners, some sliding out as the normal fell down onto their sides. The one thing that I knew would give me nightmares, if I dreamed, would have been Jacob coldly walking up to a squirming breeder that was trying to push his own stomach contents back into his empty case of an abdomen, and shoving his blade in the man’s eye, right into the brain, or pushing the man’s head down and removing it while he was still screaming.   

I had to close my eyes, because I was now remembering the eyes of the ones whose lives I took. The way they grew wide when the one who owned them knew that death was at hand. I saw even the bravest of men become scared, reaching out to me, not to hurt me, but begging for the help that I wouldn’t give. Everything that I was taught as a child, all the good that was placed in my heart, was gone. My parents would no longer hold their heads up with pride, but turn their backs in shame. I often wondered if they were watching my actions, then I simply answered myself with ‘not a chance’, my Lord wouldn’t allow it, which made me grateful. It was a good thought at least.

“Renee,” Derek said softly, holding out a cup.

“Hey, thanks.” I took the cup, drinking the sweet warm fluid down without stopping.

“You okay? You seemed somewhere else.”

“I’m just tired.”

“Your face is really red with that white thing on.”

“Thanks, Derek. I really needed you to remind me of that, and it’s called a
robe
.”

“I knew that, and I haven’t washed yet, so you look a hell of a lot better than I do.”

“You said a mouthful there,” I laughed handing him back the cup, touching his cheek lightly after I did so.

“Jacob has seven slices on his body, and made eleven kills…I got four,” Derek proclaimed with excitement.

“It does not matter how many one kills my young friend. What matters is that one survives,” Jacob said from the shadows as he normally did, then walked over to us.

“We were lucky tonight. No one got hurt really bad,” Brandon added coming over to join us.

Sydney and Garvin were already sitting on the couch that Tammy and Jessie slept on. Tammy was sitting Jessie back up on the couch that was on the opposite side of the room. Five minutes later we had the small card playing table pulled closer to where everyone else was, along with one of the table benches, and we all were getting comfortable. Johnny grabbed his piglet and crawled off the bed and came over and got on Tammy’s lap. We had around two hours left before the sun did what it always did. One by one, everyone took a bath, while the rest of us talked about the new home we were heading to. We all agreed that it would be the safest place to leave the breeders that we’d taken on and part of the ship’s crew. I was seriously thinking about using it as a home for Tanda and Johnny. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up.

“How many men are at your home, Jacob?” I asked leaning back in my chair so I could look at him.

“We have twenty men at
our
home. Well, one of many I should say,” he replied getting up moving his chair closer to mine. “I was pleased to see how well your little ones took to the fight. To be so young, they have learned well.”

“Thank you for staying with us and not taking whatever that…
thing
is to the elders, whoever they are.”

“My sister means a great deal to me, but in all the time that I have been alive, never once did I see my master’s death in my mind, not even once. I thought it was not possible. That is why I did not go.”

“Where are these elders?”

“We will not go there, Renee.”

“I just want to know how far away are they?”

“The messenger has a long journey and then plans will have to be set. They will not do anything at first, not without sending out scouts to first find us, then second to get our count.”

“So we have a while.”