Hair, Greg - Werewolf 03 (18 page)

Chapter 39: Requiem

Three days later, back in Venice, Ryker walked out of a grocery store, heading to Poveglia, carrying a sack. Thoughts of his friend entered his mind, without knocking and asking for permission, as they so often had since he left Ireland. The vampire mourned, when he could, for the fallen werewolf who had saved the world.

It was only during moments like this, however, that he was given time to process his emotions. Now, most his time was spent thinking about the Senate, and who to choose as the new Consul Werewolf. As the only surviving Consul, and with Landon leaving no heirs of age to take the position, the choice rested with him and the few remaining Senators. Ryker had tried several times to gain Annelise’s input, but it was difficult to get an answer from her as she now had her hands full with other matters.

Rounding a corner, lost in his thoughts, he nearly walked past the new home he and his wife just bought. Entering the two-story house, his attention focused on the noise he was still getting used to.

“Liam,” said Annelise, “stop chasing your sister with that…that…whatever kind of toy that is.”

Ryker snuck up behind her, kissing the back of her neck. The twin babies cried upstairs.

“I love you, too. Did you get the food?”

“Yeah.” He pulled several cans of baby formula out of the bag.

“Bailey and Annica have been crying since you left. I gave the binkies, but I think they’re hungry. Can you help me make a couple of bottles?”

“Sure. I can’t stay long, though. I have to get to the island soon. We’re making a decision today. Are you doing okay? I mean, you’re raising four kids, now.”

“I’m perfect,” she said, kissing his lips. “This is what I’ve always wanted.”

“I know. It’s what I could never give you. I’m glad you were there, in Scotland, to save the children.”

Annelise stopped shaking the baby bottle in her hand.

“Save the children,” she whispered.

Ryker stopped shaking his, and looked at her.

“Do you think that’s what you meant, when you were found after Kilchurn?” he asked.

“You never know. Maybe, somehow, some part of me knew. I don’t know. Come upstairs with me, you feed one, I’ll feed the other, and you can go.”

He trailed after, stepping on robots and dolls as he went.

Half-an-hour later, Ryker paced outside the main building on Poveglia, a handful of Senators sitting nearby, waiting for his decision. Finally, he stopped pacing.

“Okay. I’ve made my decision. I’ve been speaking with Alessandro for a day or two, and he’s made a suggestion regarding the teens after their performance throughout this entire ordeal, a suggestion which I now fully support. I’ll get to that in a minute.

“As far as the Senate, and the Consulship are concerned, I hereby dissolve both, as of this moment. Only a few of you remain, and there is no clear choice to replace Landon. He is truly irreplaceable. I, myself, now have other duties to which I must attend. Besides, we have vanquished the evil that threatened our world.”

“But what if evil should rise again?” asked a Senator from the small group.

“That, my friend, is where Alessandro, and the teens, come in. He’s speaking with them, now.”

In the field, at the other end of Poveglia, Alessandro stood, facing the teens as they sat semi-circle on the ground.

“Ryker is very proud of you, all of you, and so is Alessandro. Oh, yes, Alessandro is most proud of you. All of you have shown great courage in the face of the most vile evil. Therefore, he has decided to offer each of you—Jacinda, Catalina, Connor, Lennon, and Cate—the opportunity to become a new team, based here, on Poveglia, to be trained, and called to duty at a moment’s notice, wherever you are needed in the world.”

“You mean like our own little crime fighting squad?” asked Connor.

“Alessandro does not understand what you say, but he believes the answer would be yes.”

“Oh, hell yeah, I’m in.”

“I’m in, too,” said Catalina.

“And, me,” Jacinda responded.

“We’re in, too,” said Lennon, holding Cate’s hand.

“But,” began Catalina, “who’s going to train us? Ryker and Annelise are busy raising the kids, now.”

“Ryker has chosen Alessandro to guide you and train you. Alessandro will lead you, oh yes, he will. But he will not do it alone.”

Out from behind the trees stepped Katarzyna, the beautiful, blonde, Polish vampire. She rested her hand on Alessandro’s shoulder.

“Oh, hell yeah, I’m down,” Connor said. Jacinda elbowed his side.

“Very well,” said Alessandro. “You’re training will begin tomorrow for we never know when evil may rise again.”

Ryker stepped of Poveglia, on to the water taxi, confident in his decisions. He had let go of the old order, and created a new team to stop those who would threaten the world. He headed home.

Epilogue

The old man took his dinner Salisbury steak and corn out of the microwave then, in his robe and slippers, shuffled to his old chair. He sat down, picked up the remote control, and turned on the television.

“Good evening,” began the well-dressed man, “this is Michael O’Shea with Dublin Action News. We interrupt our live coverage of the London Concert Against Terrorism, as we have crews on the scene of two late-breaking stories here at home. We first go live to Bridget Malone in Killarney.”

“Hi, Michael,” began Bridget, “I’m here in Killarney, where the bodies of two men, both suspects in the disappearance of little five-year-old Brigid Devlin earlier today, have been discovered, mutilated. I’m also happy to report that little Brigid has been found, safe and sound, and has been reunited with her parents.”

“Bridget, you say the men were found mutilated…do the authorities know by what? And has Brigid been able to provide any details?”

“They have not released to us any information about what she has described, at this time. As far as the condition of the two men, I can tell you that witnesses who found the bodies say that it appears to be the work of a large animal.”

“Interesting. I’m sorry, Bridget, I have to cut away now, and go to Moira Hewson, standing by not far from you at the Ring of Kerry. Moira?”

“Michael, I’m here in Kerry, where the local garda say that grave robbers have desecrated what appear to be two fresh graves. We’ll point the camera on the mounds, or what’s left of them, so you can see what I’m talking about.

“Clearly, there were two bodies buried here, that have now disappeared.”

“Yes, I see that, Moira. And, it looks like, I don’t know if our viewers can see them, but it looks like animal tracks leading from the graves. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Michael, it is. There do appear to be large animal tracks leading from both graves that, inexplicably, if you look over here, seem to turn into human footprints. Now, the garda are also investigating the possibility that this is all some elaborate hoax, that perhaps there were never bodies buried here. Witnesses that I spoke to, however, tell of a large group of people that congregated here about a week ago, so that’s been looked into, as well.”

“Incredible stuff, Moira, and Bridget. We now return you to the live concert in London, organized to benefit the city so ravaged recently by a terrorist attack. We’re being told that Bruce Springsteen has just taken the stage.”

The Rising began to play.