Elle walked along a partly hidden path following Angelie at a distance. Lucid beyond what she wanted to be, Elle knew that she was dreaming of her ex-girlfriend that was saying nothing, but making motions.

-Dreams mean so many things, Elle. What is this one a goodbye, perhaps?-

Aware of the dream or not, she still couldn’t control the overall outcome. Elle knew that she could wake up and end it at any time but not control when or where the misty thoughts would take her. Following Angelie lasted a few seconds then the scene washed over with a white cloud and a blink of an eye later, Elle was standing in her living room watching the television.

‘Terrorist Attack in Central Virginia. Channel 14 News is here to bring you the latest updates with the ongoing attack on a long-standing business.’

“This is about a year ago, just before…”

-Knock, knock, knock- “Special Agent Miller? We have a warrant to search the premises.”

Recalling how the initial sequence went, Elle had been sitting on the sofa looking at the live feed in shocked silence. Knowing that the initial result ended with every warrant issued ultimately being tossed out for technicalities, Elle let herself answer a little better than what actually happened. “Come on in fellas, I know the warrant says to search Angie’s stuff. That would be the room on the right after the living room. Stay out of everything else.”

Appearing to go just as she lived it, Elle settled on the sofa and thought about the collection that Homeland Security gathered. They boxed up a majority of her military uniforms, all of her strategy manuals, pressured leadership books, and the few beauty things like her brush for DNA. Unconcerned about the past, Elle turned up the television to see if there was something being said that she’d not paid attention to.

“Agent Miller.” A man with black hair turned to face the sofa. “I am Agent Blake Moss, and I have the unfortunate duty to place you under arrest at this time.”

Slowly getting to her feet, Elle raised one slender eyebrow. “This isn’t how it goes, Agent Moss.”

Curling his finger to indicate that he wanted Elle closer, Agent Moss stared at Elle and pointed into Angelie’s room. “Can you possibly explain what we are looking at, Agent Miller?”

Once Elle looked into the room she knew immediately what the concern was. The room was covered in blood with some of it still dripping down from the ceiling and forming tiny pools in the beige carpet. Centered in the room, Angelie Kino’s body lay half mangled and half eaten, with twin holes all over the body. “This is all wrong, I don’t know a thing about this.” Elle pointed to the massacre in the room before starting to dry heave.

Blake looked around the room as Elle’s composure slowly returned. “I see the color in your face again, that is good.” He placed a set of handcuffs loosely around her wrists and set her back on the sofa before turning to another of his helpers. “Call Forensics, no one else gets access to this room before their sweep is done.” Agent Moss walked over to the sofa and sat down with Elle. “You know confession is good for the soul. You cooperate and I can keep this in Virginia’s jurisdiction, where there is no death penalty.”

“What? You think I did this? I just finished saying that everything's wrong. You were only supposed to pick up her brushes, make-up, books on military command…that sort of thing.” Elle frantically ran through the events to make sure she was not going crazy.

“Uh, Agent Moss? There is more you should see. Put on a clean suit first.” Blake motioned for two other agents, “Kindly watch Agent Miller while I check this out.” The two nodded and took secure positions watching Elle without so much as blinking.

Still aware that her situation was completely illusionary and a dream of an alternate reality, Elle decided to take a deeper look into the background and what was being said. By chance, Elle looked down and noticed that the living room carpet had become a plain apple red in color. “I hate the color red.” Elle sighed. “What does it all mean?”

Before she could puzzle out where the dream was headed, Blake returned holding his work phone. “How do you explain the crucifix in the closet, Elle?” He handed her the phone and let her look at the evidence.

“Wow, handing you the investigation on a platter. No need to check any sources or DNA, or fingerprints. You have the mountain of convictions right there.” Elle huffed, “Obviously I am the cross-killer.” She rolled her eyes. “Seriously, when have you ever had all the evidence you wanted?” When Agent Moss shrugged, Elle continued. “This has been fun guys, but I have to go now.”

Closing her eyes and focusing on her fluffy pillows, Elle felt the dream dissipate and she startled herself awake, then sat up panting.

-The overwhelming pattern was some shade of red.-

Elle ran the line in her head a few times before scrubbing the sleep from the corners of her eyes and scratching her short hair. “Ugh, waking up like that always stinks.” Elle slouched over as though she was going to go back to sleep when she heard a knock at her front door. “I’ll be right there, give me a couple minutes!” She glanced at the digital red numbered clock that was steady showing the time 7:30 am

-Unreal.-

Grabbing a few items off the floor where she left them the night before, Elle pulled up a set of jeans and a grey athletic tee with the block letters ‘FBI’ imprinted on the front. She then brushed her hair a bit and tied it up in a ponytail. Satisfied that she at least looked partly human, Elle walked to the door and peered through the peephole. “Who is it?” She inquired briefly.

“I am Charles Sheppard, Doctor in anthropology for the local university. Can I please come in?” The professor held up his faculty card as evidence. “I was told by Noah that you are looking into strange things?”

Reluctantly opening the door, Elle looked around the hallway before letting Charles into her home. “Please come in, you got here rather early. I hadn’t even gotten up for work yet.” She paused and showed the doctor to the sofa. “Would you like some coffee while I check in at work, let my boss know what’s going on?”

“Sure, coffee sounds nice. Just please don’t tell anyone I am here. I am trying to stay kinda hidden.” Charles looked frightened.

“No problem.” Elle reassured the balding professor and dialed Sarah’s cell. “...Deputy Director Powell, this is Agent Miller. I sent you my current leads that I am following up with today. Unless you need me to come to the main building, I was going to head back out to Colonial Heights and trace steps and take pictures.” She hit the red button to end the call just as the pot of water started to boil. “I love a quick boil pot.” Elle laughed, “What kind of coffee do you like? I have a hazelnut I was going to make, but I have about a hundred different flavors.”

“H-hazelnut sounds great.” The professor got off the sofa and sat down in a chair where the back faced the bedrooms. “I just have a feeling like there is a target on my back, Agent Miller.”

Walking over to the professor, Elle handed him one of the two coffee cups and sat down on the sofa, sipping hers. “Why is that? All Noah did was tell me that you were looking into the bones found at the scene.” She decided to not beat around the bush, “Specifically a very old skull.”

“Old would be one thing. This one is quite ancient.” He stood up and fished out a small USB drive and handed it to Elle. “These are my notes. I couldn’t get the skull without raising suspicion. I managed to remove all of the backup files and such. What you have there is all of my entire findings.”

“You drove all this way from Colonial Heights to Virginia Beach to give me this? I mean you could have just securely emailed it and it would have been just as protected.” Elle inquired with eyebrow perked.

Sighing, Charles responded, “Oh there’s more.” He sat back and took a couple sips of his drink. “If you look at 14 News, you will see why I am so worried about Noah and what’s going on.”

Reaching for the television remote, Elle punched the on button and changed the channel to the news. “What in the hell?” She exclaimed while looking at the line of overturned trucks floating in the river, their paper contents still going downriver at a regular pace. “When…”

“This morning it was all over the national news and I took a peek at local news. Apparently, local news was late to the scene and the initial looks were from bystanders.” Charles paused, “Every last truck had bullet holes in the windows.”

Elle watched as a few helicopters changed their view of the overturned trucks in the river. “That is just outside ‘The Station’.” She shook her head and took a healthy gulp of her coffee to try and clear her mind. “Noah and I had dinner there just last night, he told me in the office that the trucks would be taking those to the archives.”

Shaking uncontrollably, Charles set the coffee cup on Elle’s small table and leaned back in the chair holding his temples. “W-w-When I saw this, I tried to call Noah. I didn’t get an answer. So I took an alternate route to the university, and grabbed everything I could before the rest of the faculty came in.” He took a deep breath, “It felt like a scope on my back the entire time I was making my way here.”

Paying more attention to the ongoing news coverage for the trucks and the people within it, Elle half heard Charles’s fear and being targeted. Blinking herself out of the trance, Elle smiled. “You should be safe enough here. The issue comes with trying to procure you a safe house via my director.” She shrugged, “I am not sure who to trust right now, so for now I want you to stay here.” Noticing that the screen panned over once more, Elle heard screams coming from the various news anchors. Standing in complete shock, Elle couldn’t believe that the cross-killer would be so brazen as to put up a crucifix with a dead woman on it, and did so without the myriad of people milling about seeing it happen.

Professor Sheppard lowered his head and spoke solemnly, “That is the waitress from ‘The Station’ that waits on Noah all the time. You likely met her last night.” He rubbed his temples, “Isn’t that fourteen deaths in fourteen days of October?” He sounded as though he were crying, “I’m not staying here. I need to get out of this area, you have all of my findings and if you can get to the college, I am sure you can get the actual skull.”

“Don’t be so hasty, Professor.” Elle chastised. “You can’t go on the run with credit cards or your normal identification, you will be found within hours.” She walked to one of the windows and peeked through the blind trying to see if there was an assassin ready to kill the professor. “I need a bit of a disguise to mill about outside. I can sneak out and get you a clear path like a bus or something, since you don’t want to stay here.”

Agreeing to the terms he heard Elle suggest, Charles resumed watching the television. “At least we know Noah is at least alive, for now.”

Walking out of the living room to her bedroom, Elle eagerly responded, “There is that much. For how long we don’t know.” She sighed and attempted once more to convince the professor to take protective custody. “Are you quite sure that you want to be on your own? Whoever is looking for you will have a much easier time getting to you without some sort of guard present.” Elle opened her closet and flipped through the different jackets until she found a zip-up red hoodie.

-I hate the color red.-

Mid-thought, the professor answered. “Agent Miller, I appreciate the offer. I would rather just disappear. I have plenty of money to draw from that isn’t traceable. I learned to stash money and such away from the criminal father I have.” He chuckled lightly, “While I took my life and profession seriously, I also learned how to do many things I shouldn’t.”

Donning the jacket and wearing a tattered set of jeans, Elle pulled up the hood so that her face was not easily seen. “Fair enough, just know you can always come back if you change your mind.” She reached into the pockets of the jacket and found a crumpled piece of paper in the left pocket. “Let me go look around and we will get you out of here, professor.”

Quietly exiting her back stairwell door, Elle sat down on the first step and opened the piece of paper she’d found in the pocket. Upon an initial glance the words looked like complete gibberish. It took a few seconds for Elle to realize that this was a cypher message from Angelie of some importance. A smile overtook her features as she tried to puzzle out the meaning.

—

Ovvsomkd,

K aesmu vsddvo xydo dy vod iye uxyg drkd xy wkddob grkd iye wki coo sx dro mywsxq nkic, uxyg drkd S vyfo iye kxn xyd ofobidrsxq sc kc coox.

Sp iye psxn drsc vsddvo xydo drkd S'fo demuon sxdy iyeb vokcd econ tkmuod. (Csxmo S uxyg iye rkdo bon, drsc wsqrd lo robo pyb iokbc)

Pyvvyg dro vsddvo bsnnvo gsdrsx. Psxn yed pkfybsdo lydkxsmkv qkbnox, iye qyd sd sx iyeb rokn? Grobo go qyd oxqkqon.

Drobo'c k lesvnsxq kmbycc drkd go'fo econ ypdox kc govv. Vymuob 1031 mywlsxkdsyx 28159

S vyfo iye kxn rkfo pex gsdr drsc.

Kxqovso

—

Elle took a few seconds more to study the text and figured out that it was a shift cipher and Angelie started it from the letter ‘K’. Almost skipping down the steps, Elle carefully folded the letter and made her way outside.

Taking the time to walk the block where her apartment was, Elle saw the normal people she’d become accustomed to seeing. An older man feeding ducks with birdseed, The kiosk coffee vendor that she’d used a dozen times, A power-walking ponytailed mother with her toddler.

-This looks like my everyday life, professor.-

Out of habit, Elle looked at the rooftops of the various buildings and didn’t immediately see anything. Walking slowly back to her home, Elle studied the trees for anything that stood out as an anomaly. Sensing that her guest was merely paranoid, Elle hurried back inside her home and tossed the red garments in a corner. “Good riddance.” She lightly shivered thinking about how she’d worn red. “Charles, It looks like the coast is clear.” Elle proclaimed as she entered an empty living room and picked up a hastily scrawled note from Charles.

“Agent Miller, I took the opportunity to leave when you went out of the back door. You have everything I discovered and documented. I trust that you will handle the findings with dignity and professionalism. Just get the skull if possible to corroborate what you already possess. -Professor Charles Sheppard.”

Elle burned the note so as to not leave a trace for the professor. “Happy Trails and good luck.” She grabbed the cryptic note and unfolded it once more. Elle found one of her legal pads and wrote the alphabet starting with ‘K’ and stopped when she reached ‘A’ as the twenty-sixth letter.

-Step one down.-

Next she wrote the letters again, but this time in proper order. Lining up the two strips of paper, Elle quickly substituted the incorrect letters with the right ones until the letter she needed to read was before her.

—

Elliecat,

A quick little note to let you know that no matter what you may see in the coming days, know that I love you and not everything is as seen.

If you find this little note that I've tucked into your least-used jacket. (Since I know you hate red, this might be here for years)

Follow the little riddle within. Find our favorite botanical garden, you got it in your head? Where we got engaged.

There's a building across that we've used often as well. Locker 1031 combination 28159

I love you and have fun with this.

-Angelie

—

Issues with the professor cleared up, Elle took the time to study the cryptic note that Angelie left behind.

-Botanical gardens? The only ones I know are just on the border with the City of Norfolk. Angelie, my love, you liked the gardens far better than I did. I love the butterfly exhibit at the science museum.-

Using her phone, Elle typed in the generic search for botanical gardens for the area and only one came up. “Just like I figured.” She zoomed in on the site and then started looking over the other buildings for the added hint that was also in the letter. Once Elle saw the layout of the roads, her memory showed her the exact place that the couple used to attend.

Called the Greek Orthodox Wellness Center, it was a semi-round building that was across the street from the church itself. Elle recalled that what had attracted the couple to the facility was the non-judgemental attitude of every person who worked there. Unlike many Christian organizations, this congregation had an open-door policy with regards to homosexuality. Elle recalled that the first day they stepped foot in the wellness center, the couple had been treated with dignity and respect as though they were part of a small family.

Years and plans for the future were made with the help of the myriad of folks that Angelie befriended, and ultimately they’d decided to get married at the botanical gardens and have the reception at the wellness center so everyone could have a unique experience, other than being dressed in ties and dresses.

-That’s the gardens.-

Elle chastised herself in forgetting the place where the two were to be wed, but with good reason. All of their best-laid plans were interrupted permanently when Angelie went to work for the group, led by the mysterious entity ‘The Darla’.

Slowly but surely the future that Angelie had planned for both of them, slipped away and more time was being spent at that farmhouse. Elle tried to keep up the pretense that things were fairly normal and that Angelie was just busier than before thanks to her new security job. Eventually, Elle stopped showing up to the center and the church just to avoid the questions.

-You chose Darla over me, and I don’t know why. You never told me the whole story. Now I have this cypher and mystery in our locker. Oddly with a new combination.-

Finishing up her second cup of coffee, Elle reluctantly got off the sofa and headed for her front door. Just as she reached for the knob, her doorbell chimed.

-What the?-

Taking a second to look into the peephole once more, Elle saw Deputy Director Powell standing in the hallway. With a heavy sigh, Elle unlocked the door and stepped out of the way. “Come on in, what can I do for you boss? I left you a message with my leads.”

Sarah breezed past her agent and to the living room, and pointed to the television. “Tell me you have nothing to do with this mess, Elle.”

“You have to be a bit more specific. You asked that I keep things to myself the best I can so the evidence wouldn’t be tainted.” Elle pointed to the TV, “If you mean, did I have anything to do with the caravan being killed? No, I didn’t.” Taking a moment to wriggle her nose and purse her lips, Elle amended her statement. “I didn’t have anything directly to do with that mess in Petersburg. I have, however, looked through most of the boxes and letters that are now floating down the river.”

“What about the missing gentleman who worked in the clerk's office? Didn’t you just have a dinner date with the guy?”

“Yes? So what?” Elle inquired. “How did you know that Noah was missing? It’s not in the news and I just found out myself, through a source I can no longer name.”

Sarah plopped down on the sofa and began rubbing her temples. “How many saw you with him?”

“Only the entire restaurant.” She snapped her fingers and smiled, “They also watched me leave alone. How’s that?”

“I don’t need the sarcasm, Agent.” Sarah looked up from rubbing her temples. “This is the second shit show you have been involved in within a damned week, Elle. First you take on Casey Rivers alone, and that goes viral. Let it get out that you were in the vicinity of this truck incident and this becomes a fucking nightmare.”

“Let me add a log to the fire.” She pointed at the crucifix and the little blown-up picture of the waitress. “She even waited on our table and I paid with a credit card.”

Deputy Director Powell stood up and walked to Elle’s kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, taking the time to let the hazelnut calm her nerves. “Do you have cream or just use milk?”

Half stomping to her refrigerator, Elle pulled out a small container of hazelnut cream to match the coffee. “Help yourself.” Elle sighed and leaned on her counter. “Are you pulling me from the case boss? I did find some interesting things out. I was about to look deeper into that skull and the strange happenings around Colonial Heights, other than the cross-killer.”

Smiling as she took a few sips of coffee, Sarah shook her head. “On the contrary, Agent. With you this close to the situation, I can claim I had undercover close by, but not at the actual murder site. I can release the information that it was public knowledge that the files would be moved and this was just another tie into the cross killer.”

“That’s one hell of a leap, Sarah.” Elle looked questioningly at her supervisor. “Why wouldn’t undercover be close to when the boxes would be moved?”

Sarah laughed and sipped more of the coffee, “Those boxes were known to have evidence that was either unused or overturned. There would be no reason to keep following that paper trail. Only a handful know that you were even in the secure room looking over the unused evidence.”

“What about Noah?” Elle asked partly worried for her new friend.

Finishing the remainder of the coffee she’d poured, Sarah winked just before she swallowed. “I would say that is part of the mandate to find the cross killer, save Noah. That will break the streak of killings in the small town and maybe things will settle back down.” Sarah pointed at her agent, Agent Miller, Understand this person is wanted dead or alive. Just stop the murders.”

While Elle let the mission sink in, Sarah walked to the door and opened it. “Now’s the time to be the annoyance I think you can be. Let’s get the FBI a win and you a promotion, get that killer.”

Once Sarah left the apartment, Elle donned her normal attire for work and headed to her car with the intent of going to the wellness center first.

-Somehow I think this has to do with all of the odd things. Angelie, what did you get into baby?-

Elle didn’t have to wait long to get the answer to her question, having driven herself to the wellness center. Entering the chlorine-smelling building, Elle waved to her older friends as she made her way to the locker room and to the couple’s shared locker. Looking at the white metal door, Elle could see that the lock was not one that she had picked but a new one that Angelie had placed on the door. Thankfully the couple had purchased a lifetime membership, there was precious little that could happen to their belongings in the locker in the first place. Turning the little dial back and forth based on the number combination in the letter, Elle finished the last number and gave a little tug to the lock where it broke free and sent a little spray of rust from being unused. Pulling the locker door open, the aluminum door emitted a hollow eerie sound, then broke free of its confines to reveal the contents.

Scooting a small chair close to the locker, Elle first pulled out a clean set of workout clothing all embossed with ‘FBI’ logos. Holding the tee close to her nose, Elle still smelled the light flowery scent of Angelie’s shampoo along the collar. Slouching on the little stool, Elle mumbled, “I miss you Angelie…why did you leave me alone?”

Dismissing the melancholy attitude, Elle forced herself to place the garments to the side. Looking back at her was yet another note, with the locker filled with various wedding items. She picked up the note and scanned what it said.

—

Elle,

I set all these things aside for you, to let you know that no matter what happens in the future, I always had you in my heart, mind and soul. I was never involved romantically with ‘Darla’ and only followed her much like you would follow faith in God or a denomination.

If you are reading this note, then understand that my faith has been shaken by ‘Darla’ and I am trying to find a way to leave without drawing her ire. I am fairly certain how she kept us all in line, as I have the same abilities on a smaller scale.

This will be hard to explain, but I will give it a try. The world as you know it, isn’t what it seems. There are supernatural forces at work that most people will never believe or care to understand.

The best way to say this is to just get it over with, you know me, I am straightforward. When I met ‘The Darla’ She knew immediately my potential to lead her ‘Army’. I am a natural leader, and managed to recruit many to ‘Darla’s’ side. By doing so, I helped unlock potential into the supernatural for us. Elle, my dear, Humans can use magic.

When I say magic, I mean magic. Flying, fireballs, charms..you name it. True magic. The important part is that there is a natural reason. We mages are the counterbalance to vampires.

Yes, Vampires.

The whole thing is difficult to explain without hearing it directly from ‘Darla’. She has the knack for waking up our inner magic and finding our path through it. Mine isn’t so much control, or flashy effects but more like imbuing the weapons I use to combat the blood-suckers.

As you well know this went on for years. Long enough that it more or less split us up. However, recent events have shaken my foundation for ‘The Darla’s’ vision going forward.

Daily we had people coming up to the farm, sets of twenty to thirty at a time, that I helped usher into the farmhouse then into the barn to help them acclimate to the newness of it all. What I noticed is that a certain percentage wouldn’t come out of the farmhouse.

I didn’t question what was happening because I didn’t want to question our leader, who seemed to know things before it happened. So I held my tongue and observed.

I did the unthinkable. I found a way to hide my device from her prying eyes and recorded some of the happenings at the farm.

Elle, that is what is on the USB drive tucked into one of the pant pockets on the clothing in the locker.

I assume that if you get this letter, then I have probably died in the upcoming ‘event’ that is being planned. The contents of this drive are pretty straightforward.

One will even answer what happened to the news anchor that is supposedly missing. Fair warning, this does get gruesome at times.

Please use the information on the drive to help in any way possible. I advise keeping it low key or you might disappear into some government hole never to be found again.

At least you know the truth.

While the above lecture was rather depressing, I had picked out quite a few things for our wedding day at the gardens.

I know your hatred of the color red, so nothing is even a shade of the color. I had hoped the day would be the beginning of the rest of our lives. A set of pure white roses, captured and sealed at their height in the sun, a white rose tiara with diamonds, a set of borrowed keys from my brother’s cabin overlooking the Grand Canyon and your engagement band that I promised with a sapphire outlined by diamonds to fill the blue requirement.

Remember no matter what you see me do on the screen here, I am still your Angelie. I just didn’t know how to fix the problem.

xoxoxox

Love you always,

Angie

—

Closing her eyes, Elle let the feeling of love and dread wash over her. The letter spelled it all out, regardless of consequences. Elle had already gotten one source talking about vampires, now this letter says it outright. She folded up the paper and stuffed it in her pocket, picked up the items one at a time, and then replaced them back in the locker where they’d been safe for at least a year. Wanting to keep the USB drive close to her, Elle affixed the drive to one of her necklaces and tucked it down her shirt.

Elle closed the locker door and using the rusted lock, snapped it closed once more. “Rest in peace, Angie. These things are yours, not mine. If we’d been married then I would feel better about having them. As it is, those items were things you wanted to present to me, but couldn’t.” Elle clamped her hand over her heart, “Maybe one day in whatever afterlife there is, you will get the opportunity.” Elle put the stool back and looked at the locker like it was a living being once more. “Right now, you have given me something to watch and something to investigate. Which I will do for you my little angel.”

Holding onto the little device around her neck, Elle waved goodbye to the folks who were all around in the center. Greetings with lots of ‘Be well Elle, We miss you Elle, and come back when you can Elle’ the FBI agent managed to eke out a smile and half promise she’d be back in due time.

Once in her car, Elle drove to an abandoned lot to clear her head and think of where and how she should read the contents of the drive. Taking the necklace off, and flipping the little drive around in her fingers, Elle came up with a few options. Library, typically they can be used to print things off if the librarian can scan the device for viruses or malware before. The only downside is that a library is public access and sometimes can buffer what each user has been watching or reading.

-Nope, too risky.-

Quickly ruling out the library, Elle moved to the next item on her list. Her phone. It was private, she had the ability to use a cord for conversion so the phone could read the line, but she wasn’t a hundred percent sure that the phone wasn’t being tapped. Consequently this ruled out her apartment and her own known personal devices as a whole.

-Still too risky. My personal effects are subject to FBI scrutiny if necessary as a condition of working for the bureau.-

Elle looked around the empty parking lot and noticed a seldom-used strip mall that had a thrift store as its anchor to bring in customers. “That’s it.” Elle muttered to herself and started the engine of her vehicle and drove over to the ‘Handy Rose and Dandy Thrift Store’. It all made sense to her. Unlike purchasing new items that required an internet connection as well as a formal identification, older pieces of scrubbed equipment had no such requirements, often had USB ports and didn’t need access to the internet to work. Thinking briefly, Elle figured that the item might need a memory or sim card to work but that was easy to come by.

Slipping the necklace back in place, Elle entered the huge store and headed for the electronics section then began to look around. Most of the items were just used junk from the early nineties that were missing parts and could only be used for parts to fix the same older type unit. Digging around further, Elle spotted one thing that could possibly help her, an older iPad. Elle checked and saw that the sim was intact and the unit could power up just fine. She happily grabbed the unit and knew it could be charged with almost any set of chargers still on the market.

“I don’t see a price on this. How much?” Elle inquired to the gentleman behind the counter.

“Hang on, let me look in the binder here, that’s been on the shelf for about a year. I think a guy was hiding it until he could buy it.” He thumbed through the price guide. “Ah, here it is. Fifty dollars. No warranty. I have no clue how that older one works. So I doubt there is a manual around here to explain it.”

Opening her purse, Elle quickly counted out the cash for the device. “No big deal, I know how to use it just fine. I assume cash is still good?” She laughed playfully.

“Very much so. With cash, I don’t need to see ID.” He found a small box to place the iPad into and handed it to Elle, “Thanks for coming in. Enjoy your tablet.” He keyed in the price and smiled.

Elle headed out of the glass doors and waved once more, “Thank you again, have a nice day.”

Hopping back into her unmarked police cruiser, Elle dropped the small satchel of supplies in the passenger side seat. “Alright, now then. Where to view this out of the way of prying eyes?” Giving some thought to the matter along with the fact she was rather hungry, Elle found her way to a fairly busy diner on the edge of the Virginia Beach city limits.

Named ‘Bubba’s Breakfast and Brunch’, Elle pulled into an empty parking slot and made her way inside. “Good morning Ma’am.” a polite young lady behind a podium offered. “Can I get you seated?”

Permeating her senses, Elle smelled the various breakfast fare such as eggs and bacon, but layered just below that was the scent of pumpkin and cinnamon. “Everything smells wonderful. Do I smell pumpkin pancakes?”

“Yes, Limited time or until we run out.” The hostess grabbed a menu and a set of utensils rolled in a cloth napkin. “I get the feeling you want to be out of the crowd, yet see everything and view outside.”

Elle nodded and followed the bopping young lady to the back of the restaurant where an empty two-person table faced both the inner diner and the evergreen trees outside. “I study here all the time. Can I get you something to drink? A Bloody Mary to start since it is a brunch menu?”

“Sure, lots of salt too. I don’t think one drink will hurt before I start my day. Thank you.” Elle took the menu handed to her and focused on the one thing she’d been smelling since she entered. Content to order the seasonal fanfare, Elle pulled out the tablet and the USB device, connecting them via the jack at the bottom port of the iPad.

When the screen turned on and yet wasn’t very bright, Elle knew the reason the tablet had been given to the thrift store. She adjusted the settings a touch and managed to get enough of a picture that she could see items like in a moonlight. Opening the file from the USB drive, Elle found a single movie file and clicked on it.

All of the footage shown was from Angelie’s perspective. Shot from more or less from her chest, the various things she described in the letter were accurate, brutal and true. Elle watched the recruits come into the farmhouse ten at a time, and leave with less than five. Between the entries, screams of both orgasmic pleasure and that of blood being shed were evident in the sound itself. Many times Elle witnessed blood and human tissue splattering against the kitchen window.

Other times an older man with a heavy accent dressed like a farmer would relieve Angelie and explain that her latest recruits had been awakened and after they ate, needed basic military combat experience.

Elle could tell that the video had been chopped and edited over the span of a few months and showed the progress that Angelie made with ‘The Darla’s’ flock. The awakened were a formidable unit and ready to take on vampires as they came across them.

“My dearest Captain Kino.” ‘The Darla’ spoke softly to Angelie. “My beautiful Captain Kino, you have done a fantastic job getting the folks ready to face the enemy. It is time we head out and test their skills. This will lead to the final assault in Petersburg. I assume you know the City of Richmond, Yes?”

“I do, Loved One.” Kino excitedly answered.

“Splendid. Then you know how I have spoken about the vampires feeding on each other in a nameless war over turf or something.” The Darla paused, “The final plan should only require one squad to infiltrate the building in Petersburg, assuming the rest of the plan works flawlessly.” The Darla watched Kino’s reaction for a few seconds and continued. “Take your two best squads and go to Richmond, fight and kill as many vampires as possible, but return with only the best eight. One squad only, Captain.”

Angelie did as was asked and made the hour-long trip to Richmond where she settled down and waited for nightfall. The Darla had explained to Angelie that a majority of the fighting took place by the James River bridge and along many of the rapids.

It was as though an alarm went off at the clock strike of seven and the skies were pitch black. The fighting resumed via howls and sounds of flesh being ripped apart and eaten. Captain Kino launched her attack with the camera in full night vision mode, adapted with her own magic to reveal the vampires in their natural habitat.

Elle for the first time saw the very creature she’d been warned about for a few days now. “They do exist, Noah, you were right.” Elle finished watching the small battle and the summoning of the holy water, before turning off the tablet and eating her breakfast. “Angelie…” Elle commented to herself as she took down a slice of pancake, “...There was no way that the attack in Petersburg wouldn’t be seen as a terrorist attack. None of this explains why you kept going when you knew you were over your head.”

Elle disconnected the USB drive from the port on the tablet and then dismantled the little device. “No one else will see this my dearest. I know that they monsters are real, watched you train on how to kill them..so I will adapt as I search for Noah.” Elle found the small RAM chip inside the drive and smashed it into tiny silicone bits, wiping the excess debris into her soda cup. Closing the old iPad, She tossed it to the seat beside her, finished her brunch, and left the building.

“First stop, Noah’s house.”