The Damascus Chronicles (20 page)

“Uncle Michael was shot!” cried Sally.

“What?” Isabelle said as she went to Michael. He took off his jacket and vest; his back had bruises all over it. “What happened!”

“We were attacked by a guy in a black coupe, I grabbed the kid and took the shots in the back, lucky the vest caught the bullets.”

“Call the hospital!” Isabelle ordered.

“No doctors, I’ll be fine. I just have some large bruises. For now, keep Sally here; someone is obviously trying to kill me. I don’t want her to be endangered again,” said Michael.

“Who would want to kill you?” asked Mickey Blue.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. For now, all of you stay here, something is very wrong. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”

“You can’t just think we’re going to let you go through this without our help,” said Mickey Blue. “Yes, you will stay out of this! All of you!” roared Michael.

“But what about Sally’s needs? We have to take care of her,” Isabelle protested.

“I’ll give you some money to pay for Sally’s expenses. Your safety is my primary concern. I love you all. You’re the only family I have left.” They all nodded sadly in agreement.

“What are you going to do now?” asked Mickey Blue.

“I know a guy around town who will be able to help me.”

“Not Danny Fredricks, that goofball grifter?” asked Mickey Blue in disbelief.

“Yes, Danny will help me, but I have some others too. Now put Sally to bed. It’s late and she needs her rest,” said Michael.

“But uncle, I want you to be safe too.” Sally hugged him tightly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I have a gun and a permit.”

Michael took Sally up to Isabelle’s room and tucked her in, giving her a medal on a chain and said, “Now listen, you wear this medal around your neck, it’s a guardian angel. If you ask your guardian angel to watch over you they will protect you,” he told her.

“I will,” said Sally. Michael kissed her goodnight and closed the door. They all went to bed.

For the first time in his life, Michael was frightened. He had never known fear before when he was on the battlefield, but the fear of losing his only loved ones now terrified him. All night he was gripped by fear and was so disturbed that he could not sleep until the next night.

The next night, after waking up from a few hours rest, Michael searched all over town to find information on the guy that had tried to whack him and his niece. He had not foreseen it this time. Apparently the less he fed, the less his vampiric gifts developed. Deprivation of sleep had also weakened him. A vampire must rest to preserve strength, and without rest they lose power quickly. Michael couldn’t find any information, only shaking heads. The last place he thought to check out was a lounge where associates of Scarfo’s hung out at times. Down the block he saw a man in a fine suit heading inside. “Rangoon!” said Michael to himself. He recognized the guy. Inside the lounge he found Pete Rangoon having cocktails with Sonny and Albert Scarfo, bragging in Italian about how he had wasted Damascus. Michael sat in the corner having a drink, wearing dark glasses and a black leather fedora. He listened with his vampiric hearing to the scumbags’ conversation.

“So I had this one job to deal with this hot shot, the fucker screams for his bitch when I break him down,” said Rangoon. Sonny and Albert Scarfo laughed.

“Did the MD take a fall?” said Sonny.

“Yeah, I took care of the guy easy, him and some little brat,” boasted Rangoon.

Michael understood what they were saying. He was so mad that he came close to shattering the glass in his hand, his face contorting as he heard Rangoon’s words. He saw that the trio was leaving, so he stepped outside into the alley next to the entrance and pretended to have a smoke.

As the others left, Rangoon was getting into his car when Michael grabbed him from behind. “Who the fuck are you!” yelled Rangoon in shock.

“I’m your worst nightmare asshole,” said Michael as he held up Rangoon with one hand by his collar. Removing his hat and glasses, Rangoon recognized his attacker’s face.

“You!”

Michael’s vampiric nature came alive as his eyes began to burn with white light. His fangs appeared and his claws sprang out.

“What the fuck!” Rangoon yelled.

Michael smiled wickedly and teleported with Rangoon to the top of a nearby building that was very high up from the ground. Rangoon was so petrified with fear that he didn’t move. Michael looked into his eyes and said “Give my regards to the Devil in hell,” and with an evil grin he jabbed his claws into Rangoon’s chest, twisting and churning his organs. Rangoon coughed up blood; he couldn’t breathe as Michael drained his life. As Rangoon took in his last breath, Michael said “A junky to the end,” removing the cocaine Rangoon was carrying from his pocket. Then he threw Rangoon off the ten-story building, watching him fall until he hit the bottom.

The moon was high and Michael looked at his hands that were covered in blood and said, “Now no one will harm my family, justice is done.”

All of a sudden he felt a strange presence, as if someone had put a hand on his shoulder, and he heard a voice say, “Why did you do this? Can’t you forgive your enemy?” Michael froze, as this was the second time he had encountered this presence. He shook it off and teleported to a public bathroom, and washing the blood off of his face and hands. Michael again felt guilty for what he had done, but the guilt did not bother him for long. In his mind he felt it was necessary to protect his niece; he loved her so much that he would kill to protect her.

The next afternoon at the club, after the sun had set, Michael received a package in the mail. It was the rest of the adoption paperwork and he opened it, browsing the file with his reading glasses. He then called Mickey Blue and Isabelle into his office to speak with them.

Michael knew it was too dangerous for his niece to be in his care and he brought this to his associates’ attention.

“I see you have the adoption paperwork there for Sally. Why’ve you brought us up here for this?” asked Mickey Blue.

“Is something wrong Mike?” asked Isabelle.

“Yes, there is. I have come to an important decision and I need your opinions.”

“Well?” asked Isabelle.

“It’s gotten too dangerous for Sally to stay here with me, and I was hoping that,” Michael started, but he was interrupted by Sally who had overheard the conversation outside the door. “No! No!” she screamed, running to him and crying. Michael held her in his arms to comfort her and then looked into her eyes. “Sally, I can’t let you be harmed. I think that it would be best if I transfer the adoption into Mickey Blue’s and Isabelle’s names, as your legal guardians.”

“I don’t want to lose you, not like mom and the others,” a tearful Sally pleaded.

“Mike, you want us both to raise her?” asked Mickey Blue.

“Yes. There are certain kinds of people I have to deal with, Mickey. Isabelle will tell you,” said Michael.

“Mickey, he works for the mob,” said Isabelle softly.

“Mike it can’t be true,” exclaimed Mickey Blue, shocked.

“Yes it is,” said Michael.

“But!” started Sally.

“I want you both to care for Sally; I don’t want her to be harmed. Would you both be willing to do this for me, as friends and as my family?”

“Of course we will, but we have nowhere else to stay but here,” said Mickey Blue.

“Then that’s how it will be, at least for now,” said Michael, handing them the documents to sign. Sally couldn’t believe what she was hearing; she ran out of the room in tears.

“Very well. We’ll do this, but we still want you to spend time with her here at the club. With the rest of her family’s passing she needs someone for support, and you are her uncle, after all,” said Isabelle firmly. Mickey nodded in agreement. “I’ll still be around,” said Michael. With this the choice was made, the bargain concluded, though the nightmare was just beginning.

For the next two days Sally settled in and finally accepted her new family. She was still upset, filled with fear that her uncle did not love her and had cast her aside like a little rag doll. Sally sat in Isabelle’s room looking at the picture of her parents and Michael that had been taken a long time ago, when life seemed simpler and free. Isabelle came into the room and witnessed Sally look sad at a remnant of her past. She sat down next to the little girl and held her, saying, “He still loves you and we love you too.”

“You think so?” asked Sally.

“Yes, he does, your uncle just wants to protect you; ever since your mother died he couldn’t bear the pain of losing another member of his family, especially just after hearing the news of his father and younger brother’s death. It’s broken him inside. I saw him crying a day ago. He doesn’t want you to see him so weak,” said Isabelle.

“Thank you,” said Sally, hugging Isabelle. Isabelle kissed Sally on the forehead to make her feel better. “Say listen, would you like to help me bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies? It might make you feel a little better.”

“Sure. Do you mind if I call you mom, you remind me of her a lot?” asked Sally in a soft voice. Isabelle was surprised to hear that she reminded Sally of her mother and she felt touched in her heart.

“Of course you can sweetie,” said Isabelle, drying Sally’s tears with a hanky. They both went into the kitchen. Isabelle took out the baking pans, while Sally took out the baking book. They made the cookie mix together and after about a half hour they put the treats in the oven. Sally felt happy that she could relate to another person. She had gained a sense of deep connection with Isabelle and Isabelle felt the same.

The smell of the cookies baking brought Mickey Blue into the kitchen licking his lips. He loved sweets and like a child, found the pleasant aroma inviting. Michael also came up to smell what was baking. They all enjoyed the cookies and had coffee along with the treats.

Later, though still in the early evening, Mickey was practicing his saxophone with his band on the main stage, and during a break Sally asked if he could teach her to play the saxophone. Sally had grown quite a liking for the club and the music that Mickey played.

“Why the hell not little lady, come up here and the boys and I will show you how it’s done. But first I want to introduce you to the members of our band. On drums is Smokey Joe.

“Hey kiddo,” said Smokey.

“On the keyboard here is Ray Decker.

”My pleasure,” said Ray.

“On the trombones are the Wall brothers, Jimmy and Reggie.”

“Yo Kitten,” the two said.

“You’ll have to forgive them, they’re still in love with the sixties.” Mickey Blue chuckled. “And on the guitar last but not least is the axe king, Maxie Reeves.”

“Hey little moppet, lets get bopping!” said Maxie.

All night they taught Sally how to play. She took to it quite well; she was a natural. Sally was beginning to be a kid again and she felt loved by all around her. She had a family again, a family in a crazy world and with a strange lifestyle, but a loving family nonetheless.

Michael came into the room, clapping for his niece. He was so very was proud that she had taken to music. It made him feel, for the briefest of moments, like any normal human uncle. A smile of love played across his face.

Later during the night, after Isabelle and Sally had gone to bed and the club had closed, Mickey was still up in the bar having a late night drink with Michael. Mickey poured them each a cold pint of ale as the two talked. “You know Mike, it’s been alarming to me; this secret you’ve kept from me all this time. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I love you like a son, Mike. You’re like my child. You gave me a second shot in my life and I’ve never been able to repay your kindness,” said Mickey Blue.

“What else could I do? You were down on your luck and such a talented man, so I wanted to help you,” said Michael.

“Just please promise me one thing son.”

“What’s that?”

“Please take care of yourself and Isabelle when I’m gone. She still loves you.”

“I know she does, but I can’t be with her Mickey, I have given my heart to the woman I’m with now. Isabelle has to deal with this and accept it; it’s just that simple,” Michael sighed.

“I know. Bobby is crazy about her, but I think she stays with him because she feels guilty about what it would do to him if she left him,” said Mickey Blue.

“I think she’ll give herself to him fully eventually, but I’m happy to see that Sally has brought her some happiness to fill the gap in her heart.”

They talked into the night. After Mickey Blue had gone up to bed, Serena called Michael. She hadn’t seen him in many nights and was very worried. Michael picked up the phone as it rang. “Michael, what’s happened, what’s wrong? I’ve been worried about you. You never called home.”