Bride of the Night (24 page)

Tara kept herself from falling back. She looked quickly for the sword, but it was down by Richard. She didn't know if she could reach it in time.

“Why?” she whispered to Billy. “Why all this death and mayhem?”

He barely moved; it was as if he leaped in a puff of smoke, and was directly in front of her again, staring into her eyes.

“Why? Because the predators among us will be strong. And because the idiots on the battlefield aren't
doing enough.” He smiled, and worked his jaw, and it opened wide. All she saw were eerily long fangs gleaming with an opalescence she had never witnessed before.

“Why?” he asked again. “Because I am Gator, and Lincoln must die. But I'm ever so afraid, my lovely little creature, you must die first.”

“S
TOP
! S
TOP NOW
!”
Finn roared, leaping atop a barrel and shouting down at the men who were desperately fighting one another for their lives. He cried out, using the power within him to create a megaphone of his voice, a sound so loud that it shuddered with the breeze and seemed to bring with it a sudden warm wind.

“Now!”
he thundered.

As fierce as the noise on deck had been, the sudden silence that followed his shout was just as menacing. While swords ceased to clash, the men looked up at him, suspicion and fear still clouding their eyes, their grips still taut on their weapons.

“You've become madmen!” he said. “You're lashing out with no knowledge of what you're doing. Where did this start? Damn you, men, speak up! When did it start?”

Grissom cleared his throat and nervously moved forward. “Down below, Agent Dunne. All I know is that Richard Anderson was suddenly upon me and I shoved him off, and London moved in on me—”

“Because you were attacking Richard Anderson!” London said, stepping out of the group.

“I wasn't attacking him—I was warding him off!” Grissom returned angrily.

“Who was below?” Finn demanded.

“Everyone rushed down when the fighting started—”

“No! Who was there when it started?” Finn demanded.

Grissom spoke up. “It was me and London, Richard Anderson, Billy, the Doc and Lafferty.”

“Where are the others?” Finn demanded. “Step forward, men!”

“I'm here, sir,” Charles Lafferty said, moving around his latest combatant.

“Where are the captain, the doctor and Billy Seabold?” Finn demanded.

No one spoke; everyone looked around.

“I think I saw the captain. He was wounded,” Lafferty said.

Wounded, and now not to be seen. Richard was in the cabin with Tara…?.

“Stop your fighting. It's not a man among you,” Finn shouted, thrusting his way through them to reach her quarters.

He didn't knock, or call out; he threw the door open.

And there he saw the missing men—and Tara.

The captain was lying on the bed, bleeding. MacKay was at his side, holding a cloth to the captain's chest, staring across the cabin with stricken eyes.

Richard still lay trussed on the floor.

And Billy Seabold. No longer looking like a fresh, young seaman.

He had Tara. He had his hands on her, and there was now no missing the fact of his nature. His form had changed entirely, as if he had cast off a costume. He was larger, his muscles far more heavily honed. And his features had shifted, too. His face was narrower.

Cruel.

And he had long, long fangs, and they dripped the saliva of expectation over Tara's neck.

He had to know what she was! He had to know that he would sicken if he drank the blood of another vampire, even a half-breed.

But he had to be old, old and powerful, to wear such a complete disguise, day after day. Maybe he had lived so long that such rules no longer applied to him.

Maybe he didn't care.

Maybe he just meant to rip her throat to shreds.

“Billy Seabold,” Finn began, thinking and playing for time.

Billy smiled, except that it wasn't a smile, not when his fangs were so grossly visible. It was a terrible grimace of amusement, power and cruelty.

Tara's eyes met Finn's. She didn't appear to be afraid, and yet, he could see she trembled slightly in the monster's grasp.

“Agent Dunne! Ah, yes, Agent Dunne, the great detective. What a race you have run, eh? Convinced that you must be looking for a Southern spy, a mad patriot
to the Southern cause! It's been so much fun watching you. Fun, actually, since I joined the Union Navy, and hunted here and there, planting my newly made comrades where they could best serve. Some of them were quite happy, you know—they enjoyed their newfound power. And, of course, I did find a few old friends to join me along the way.”

“A few old friends,” Finn said. “Very old friends, I'm assuming. I believe we met a few of them on the island when the ships were destroyed? Before going to Key West?”

Billy laughed, never moving an inch from Tara. His fingers moved over her neck as he held her hard against him. His mouth remained close to the alabaster flesh, and Finn could see where her pulse pounded against a pale blue vein.

“I believe old Cutthroat Bennigan was among them, yes. Old pirate friend of mine from days long gone by. Met him years ago, off the coast of Bermuda.”

Finn shook his head, as if bewildered. “So, where did you really come from, Seabold?”

“I was born in the midst of Revolution, my friend. Born as I am now. Born at a time where the founding fathers were putting together a country, and now, the Northern autocrats would dictate the freedoms we died for then. So, while I do enjoy ripping a human to shreds once in a while and feasting on blood, it's the cause that sends me on this mission. And, Agent Dunne, you will not stop me!”

Billy lifted his head; he looked like a cobra about to strike.

Finn used all of his strength in his movement. Tara was ready to fight. And yet, even with her formidable strength and him flying to the rescue like a speeding bullet, they might not have moved quickly enough to save her.

It was Richard who suddenly kicked out with his still-bound legs. Richard who, with his infected power, had more impetus and speed than ever. He managed to lash his legs against Billy Seabold's, and as he did, Tara swung around with an elbow, catching Billy Seabold in the soft flesh beneath his ribs. Finn was immediately before him, gripping him by the neck, avoiding the lash of his fangs and lifting him with all his power. Throwing him headfirst into a wall.

Now a distance from Tara, Billy rose, a horrible hissing sound of rage issuing from his lips. He kicked Richard where he lay on the floor, and Finn was sure that he heard a rib crack.

Richard cried out.

Tara dived for a sword.

Finn drew his weapon and advanced on Billy.

But the vampire saw that his cause here was lost.

He reached for a decanter on the desk, threw it and cried out, “Death to you all, death to tyrants! You will not stop me!”

And then he was gone.

Finn knew that he hadn't
vanished
. But his speed had
been such that he had seemed to disappear into thin air, and now he couldn't be seen. Billy Seabold had lost the ship, and he knew it. He had tried to get the majority of the men to kill one another, likely hoping to change just enough to sail the ship straight into a destination where he could tear apart the country. But he hadn't succeeded. Alone, and with his battle among the others lost, he had to abandon the ship.

Finn raced out on deck, but the vampire was nowhere to be seen. Men were now helping those they had battled just moments before; Charles Lafferty had taken the helm, and the
Freedom
was on her way again, heading for the naval yards of D.C.

“Agent Dunne!” Lafferty roared to him, a question in his voice.

“It's over, Charles. Keep your heading steady!” Finn called back.

He turned, quickly heading back into the cabin. Tara was on her knees by Richard. MacKay, a little unsteady, had risen. “I need my doctor's field kit. The captain is breathing and his pulse is steady, and already, the wound seems to be healing. But I'll stitch him up.”

“No need,” Finn told him. “Not if you believe he's healing already.” He hesitated because MacKay was looking at him in surprise. “The captain has Tara's blood now. He will heal.”

Finn came over and hunkered down by Tara. “I have to go,” he told her. “Billy Seabold is off the ship and headed to Washington.”

She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “Richard! Richard needs blood,” she said.

He set a hand on her shoulder. “Dr. MacKay can do a transfusion. We know that Richard will do well—even infected, he wouldn't kill you. You stay with him. I'll see you in Washington.”

“No. You need me. You can't go without me,” Tara said. Her eyes were brilliant, burning red-gold, and her chin was set stubbornly.

“Tara, you'll have to stay here if you want to save Richard. And I should face Gator on my own. I'll need to move quickly.”

Tears sprang into her eyes. “He's older and more powerful than you, Finn. You can't go alone. You can't!”

“He doesn't need to go alone.”

The voice startled him and Tara, as well. Finn swung around.

Captain Tremblay was already sitting up. He patted his chest, and then moved the bandages that had been pressed against it. Barely a scratch seemed to remain. He looked down on his wounds incredulously and then looked at them again, smiling. “I have your blood in my veins, Tara Fox. And I imagine the wonderful healing power in yours has now taken root in mine. I can help to save your Richard, with the assistance of the good doctor here.”

Tara stood, facing Richard. “I must go with you, Finn. Surely, you can see that. He is powerful. You need me.”

He walked over to where she stood by Richard, who lay with his eyes closed, scarcely breathing. “He needs
you,
” he told her softly, pulling her to her feet. “And I need you to stay with the ship, because if I fail, you will be all that's left to stop him when he reaches the capital. Tara, I'm going to take one route, and you're going to stay with the ship. When I reach land, I'll put the call out for help. But we know exactly where he's going. I believe that he'll reach land, find himself some other conveyance and head straight back to the shipyards. You must stay with the
Freedom,
and be ready in case…in case he gets to me first. Tara, before God, I wish that we could do this together, but we can't.”

She stared back at him, and he knew that she was searching his eyes to discover the truth of his words.

“Please,” he added softly. “Time is everything now. I could meet up with him, slow him down and still survive to fight with you in the capital. Or we could come upon him together, and both be killed, and there would be no hope.”

She nodded slowly, but the look in her eyes showed him that she felt she was losing her soul. He didn't know if he could tear himself away, watching her.

He had to.

He pulled her to him, heedless of anyone around him, and he dared take a moment to hold her close, and kiss her lips, and savor the touch and scent of her, beautiful memories to warm his flesh in the frigid waters that
awaited him, thoughts to remember that he had everything to live for.

They kissed, and kissed, and he felt her arms and her lips and the heat of her body.

And then he pulled away, his hands still holding hers. “Captain Tremblay, make all haste to the Washington Naval Yard.”

He dropped her hands and hurried out on deck. He judged the distance from sea to land and plunged into the water. The Atlantic seemed unaware that spring was approaching; the sea was bitterly cold.

 

T
ARA WAS IN AGONY
.

While Tremblay insisted that he could afford the blood to save Richard, she could not allow it. The captain had healed remarkably, but he still didn't have the strength that was hers, nor had he been born with the blood that could save. She fought him tooth and nail and with complete logic, assuring him that he was the only one who could bring them to their destination with all speed.

And so, she lay quietly while Dr. MacKay gingerly performed the operation with needles and tubes that would send her blood through Richard's veins, and save his life. When it was over, she was weak, and she rested on the cot, just thinking about Finn, and still reeling at the fact that Billy Seabold, who had seemed so young, earnest and
normal,
could have proven to be such a monster.

She could hear the commotion on deck, and she knew
that Tremblay was busy sailing with Charles Lafferty as his right hand, and that Dr. MacKay was busy patching up the men who had been injured.

She heard the sad sound of Lafferty's harmonica after the captain's words over those who hadn't been saved, but had to be sent to watery graves, heads separated from their bodies, just in case.

Then the precious darkness of sleep overcame her.

She dreamed again that night of the president. He had been sleeping, just as she had been. He was in a long nightdress, and he lay next to his Mary, who was resting at his side. Seeing her, the president rose, and walked to meet her at the foot of the bed. “Let's go to the hallway, shall we? Sleep is essential to Mary. It is the only time that she doesn't grieve.”

They stepped into the hallway.

“We're almost here, sir,” she told him. “Finn has left us, because he is in pursuit of Gator, and you can't imagine what that one man can do. He is extremely powerful. He can turn the city into a sea of traitorous monsters, heedless for their own lives. Finn believes he will reach land and find another ship, and he will make it into the naval yard and, from there, descend upon the men by stealth, picking them off and making them his followers, one by one. I am still with Captain Tremblay, and we are racing here, as well.”

The president set his hand on her hair gently. “As the war dies down, the capital is now, at last, very well defended.”

“No, sir, you must understand. This one man can infect hundreds, and quickly.”

“I've been aware, my dear, and I know those who have fought such wretched disease and insanity before. They will be there to help you.” He smiled. “I know your sister and your brother, and they have both done their share, along with others, in this war.” Like a father, he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. “We'll be ready.”

She stared at him, still so afraid. But he smiled. “It's the country that must be saved, Tara. No man is greater than the country.”

He began to fade, and she awoke with a start.

She discovered that Richard was sitting by her side. She almost jumped away, but he winced quickly, seeing her expression. “It's over, Tara. I am me. You saved me.”