Warriors Blue - XXL - Preview - Jeanette Peters (the reading list TXT) 📗

 He looked out the window and was enjoying the quiet night. In the last few minutes he had been busy watching the woman who had come to sell her child to them tonight while she happily walked off the property.

He didn’t really care about these mothers. Well, let them do it. The children were often even better off here. His cousin Sara took care of the newcomers. Besides, there were other things that kept Jonathan busy. Major things.

For some years now they have been taking in children. It all started with a clan of friends and was a great success. Zacharias‹ clan helped them with tips on dealing with the children and their education. Jonathan’s family, in turn, had shown them how to bind warriors and day guards to themselves without binding their souls.

This exchange brought many advantages for both clans. And in the meantime a good friendship had developed from it. It began as an alliance. As a pact to work together against a clan that had caused them all difficulties.

Jonathan sighed deeply. If the situation didn’t improve soon, he had to fall back on this alliance.

There was a knock. Before Jonathan could say anything, the door opened. Sara stepped inside. Long blonde hair with wild curls lay around her head and on her lips, usually surrounded by a mischievous smile, was a serious move now.

»What’s so important to make you forget the rules of politeness, dearest cousin?«, Jonathan asked. He wasn’t angry. Even if she hadn’t waited for his »Come in«. He just loved to tease his cousin. Contrary to her habits, however, she did not respond to it, but stayed close to him.

»I’m afraid there’s a problem with the new kid. And it’s my fault. I wasn’t paying enough attention«, Sara explained.

Jonathan frowned. What problem could a six-year-old ever create? Children were innocent and easy to manipulate. Although, there was one thing he could think of.

»SinTex?«, he asked.

He watched his cousin shake her head. »No. The mother was clearly dependent on SinTex, but I can’t smell anything like that on the kid.« Jonathan nodded. Well, if that wasn’t it, the problem couldn’t be that worse. SinTex was what they had to worry about. This new drug had appeared a few months ago. They didn’t know exactly what it was yet. However, it quickly became clear how dangerous this drug was. The consumer was already irrevocably dependent on it after the first intake. And not only that. Whatever was in it, it seemed to sharpen all senses for a short period of time, which quickly made the consumer boisterous. If the effect faded, however, this drug seemed to paralyze its victims. In addition, stories have been coming up for several weeks about how many of the dependent life-threateningly hypothermic as soon as the effect subsided. The news kept saying that the victims had spent a night outdoors in sub-zero temperatures.

»Then what is it?«, he asked after he and Sara had been quiet for a while. »Well ... it looks like ... I’m afraid the mother of the child wasn’t the mother at all. At least not if you believe the child«, Sara explained hesitantly. Jonathan took a sharp breath. That was truly a problem. Or it could at least become a problem if they didn’t do the right thing. »How could this happen?« he asked.

»I don’t know either. Like I said, it was my fault. They looked so alike. And even though I found her a little young to be a mother ... she had all the papers with her - birth certificate and similar. I haven’t done any more asking. The kid himself didn’t say anything until the woman left. When she asked me where her sister had gone, I naturally became sensitive. But the sister was no longer to be found. I don’t know how she got out so quickly.«

»Do you know who the mother is?«

»That’s what we’re trying to find out right now. What shall we do now?«

»The first thing we must do is try to contact the mother. Everything else will be clarified when we have found her«, Jonathan decided.

»All right.« Sara waited a moment before turning around to leave the room. Jonathan wanted to let her go first, but then he thought about it. »Sara, wait. Bring me the child. Maybe I’ll find out what’s behind it. »If the sister smelled of SinTex, maybe the kid knows something about it.«

Sara turned slowly and Jonathan could feel her gaze clearly in his back. »This stuff keeps spreading. Is anything more precise known by now«, she muttered.

»No. I sent Kevin to get us a sample. Maybe we can find out what components make this stuff that dangerous.« He shook his head. »If it spreads at this speed, it will soon no longer be available only here on the coast. I think it’s time to invite our friends from the city to prepare them. Maybe we can get information faster if we work together. We can also do a lot better from two locations.«

»Do you trust Kevin? What if he takes some? After all, he is a mortal«, Sara pointed out.

»But he is one of our warriors. I totally trust him. We do not bind them to us for nothing in order to assure us of their loyalty.«

»You’re probably right. I hope he succeeds.« Sara turned around again and walked towards the door. »I’ll send the child«, she said before she left the room.

 She sat in the back seat of the taxi and picked a tissue nervously with her hands. Since the call, she felt helpless and overwhelmed. She didn’t know what to do.
Why had she been so careless? How could this have happened? Her little daughter with vampires. Sold!

How had Miranda managed to get to her? How did she manage to convince the babysitter? What would she do now? Surely Miranda had received money from the vampires to keep Penelope with them. Money she didn’t have to redeem her daughter.

They couldn’t just take her away. What options did she have? The woman she had called at work seemed nice and quiet, but what did that mean? No one knew what was really going on in those vampires. No one but the vampires themselves.

The taxi driver drove towards the coast. Theresa had just been able to give him the address she had received on the phone. She didn’t even know where her little girl was right now.

The taxi driver, an elderly man in his mid-fifties and bald, looked into the rear-view mirror with his forehead wrinkled.

»Ma’am, are you all right?«, he asked and looked closely at her. Theresa breathed deeply and tightened her shoulders. She had to stay strong and keep her nerve. If she went mad, she couldn’t help Penelope.

»Yes, I’m fine«, she whispered and wiped the tears off her cheeks with the remains of the tissue in her hand.

»You know, you don’t look like you’re doing well. And I know the area you want me to drive you to. This is the vampire area.« The taxi driver seemed seriously concerned about her. For a split second, Theresa thought about telling him everything. But that was probably not a good idea.

»I just had a fight with my husband«, she lied and smiled in the rearview mirror. »This has nothing to do with the vampires.«

»May I ask what you have to do with the bloodsuckers?« He obviously didn’t like vampires much.

»You may, but I will not answer it.« Theresa knew how rude she seemed, but she couldn’t tell him. No one was allowed to know what had happened to Penelope tonight. Otherwise they might have taken her away. Provided she got her back from the vampires.

What would she do if they wanted to keep Penelope? What options did she have? None against vampires at all. No mortal had ever managed to do anything about them. And God knows there were enough organizations that tried to diminish the influence of the vampires.

Some did so in public, with demonstrations and stuff like that. Theresa knew - like everyone else - how many organizations were acting out of the underground. But she had nothing to do with it. Nothing. All she wanted was her daughter.

The car turned into one of the villa districts that were right on the beach and slowed down. Theresa’s gaze wandered over the many houses. She would never be able to afford an apartment in this locality. She could barely keep even the small apartment in the poorest part of the city with her sparse salary. Only sometimes there was still some money at her disposal at the end of the month. She used these special opportunities to do something for Penelope.

How did it all get so out of control? She had only been a few hours away from home and sure to leave Penelope in safe hands. How did Miranda manage to kidnap her little daughter? She didn’t even have to ask why. She was looking for the money. The caller had clearly emphasized that Penelope had been sold to her vampire clan.

Finally the car stopped and Theresa started digging in her handbag. In the rush, she completely forgot to have to pay the taxi driver. She took a nervous look at the taximeter and swallowed. She never carried that much money. How could she have known the trip would cost her almost a week’s pay? She bit herself on the lower lip and thought desperately about what she could do.

Just as she was about to confess to the taxi driver how impossible it was for her to pay the required price, there was a knock on the driver’s window. Frightened, Theresa looked up as the taxi driver rolled down the window and the woman, looking at Theresa with a friendly look, gazed suspiciously at her.

With a skilful movement, the woman stroked the blond curls off her face and urgently eyed Theresa out of her grey eyes.

»I suppose we spoke on the phone?«, the vampire asked. Theresa nodded frightened. How was she gonna convince that woman to give her little girl back? The vampire also nodded and handed the taxi driver some bills. » Keep the change«, she said to him and then looked back at Theresa. »Would you get out? I think it’ll be more comfortable to discuss everything else inside.«

Theresa nodded silently and then opened the door. She held the small handbag tightly while clutching it with both hands. She didn’t know what to say. So she just followed the vampire while she heard the cab drive away.

Again Theresa pressed her lips together. I guess it wasn’t that serious about the taxi driver’s worries. He couldn’t get out of