Blood Sisters
Chapter 15

The Dead Man's crew settled into aroutine, he came up with a plan, they executed the plan. Most oftheir heists involved stealing various technologies and advancedmaterials from military installations, companies such as M-Tech; andexperimental data and next-generation computer equipment from variousuniversity engineering departments.

Somehow, The Dead Man wasconverting all of this into large amounts of cash, very large amountsof cash, very fast. He always went alone somewhere to make thosedeals. Michaela didn't care and The Silhouette didn't ask anyquestions about it. She was enjoying her new lover almost as much asshe was enjoying her share of the take. Every now and then there wasa confrontation with Michaela, who grew increasingly impatient, butfor the most part things held together.

At first, they had stayed at thehunting lodge, moving through shadow to their job sites (the firstthing Davos stole was some oxygen tanks). Victor's plans werebrilliant. Getting past security was ridiculously easy. Between theirability to move trans-dimensionally, Victors computer genius tobypass electronic security, Michaela's ability to assume a blood-formand her eagerness to 'disable' any guards; all of their heists hadgone without a hitch. After a while, the lodge could not contain allthe boxes and crates they were obtaining. Victor told them that thecrew had to move to a location where he could get some equipmentshipped in. Shortly thereafter, he flew to the lodge in a largehelicopter, and the Terrible Trio moved their operation to an oldabandoned car dealership with a large empty service garage nearer tothe city.

They had seen the video footageof the battle between the Special Marshals, some unknown young mutantand Jenny Goldstar, which some lucky bystander must have made a smallfortune on selling to the media from his phone. The Dead Man wasquick to comment that whatever brought such a circumstance about waslikely to explain why D-Day's team, so far as they could tell, hadnot even come close to getting their hands on them. Of course, he wasalso quick to comment that the way he spread their jobs around andswitched their techniques each time also kept the wolves at bay.

Then after a while the heistsstopped. The money stopped coming in. Victor spent less and less timein bed with Candelaria and more timein the closed up laboratory he made for himself in the empty servicegarage. The Silhouette could hear sounds of machine tools and seebright flashes of light from under the door. But did not know whather Muerte was up to. She watched him become more and more frustratedand Michaela becoming more and more impatient as the idle time dronedon.

Finally,Silhouette stayed up into the early morning until Victor came intoher bed. He was tense as he had been for too long now. She rested herlithe gray body upon his back and her head on his shoulder when hesat down on the edge of the mattress. “Cariño”she said, caressing him. She could feel him tense up beneath herfingers, and he gripped the edge of her bed. The Silhouette knew hedid not want to talk about anything, that he was frustrated andlikely exhausted. Shespoke low to him in Spanish “Ican feel that your angry Victor, I know it is not me, nor anythingthat I've done, or not done”she could feel that she was on egg-shells, but she pressed on.Silhouette had grown fond of Victor, and wanted to understand. Hismood was upsetting her, and she wanted to either get things back ontrack, or move on with her big heap of cash without him. Victorturned toward her and started to say something, his face lookingannoyed and sharp. Candelaria put a slender finger on his lips,moving close to him. “Idon't know what has you so wound up so tight, but we need to unwindit. You are my lover, but this is my bed. You are welcome here if youwant to be here, but not like this. If you want to keep whatever isbothering you to yourself, I will respect that, however you'll sleepby yourself as well.”

Angry,Victor rose to his feet “Fine” he spat, and took three stepstowards the door. Candelaria did not move, she just held her head upand waited, letting him have his fit. He stood there clenching hisfists and pacing a few steps back and forth for over a minute beforehe gave a resigned sigh. Still tense, he turned back to his dark ladyand said “I haveblueprints of the dimensional machines Dr. Daed... that William Deedsbuilt years ago. I've seen some of them in action. I am certain thathe did not know how what he built worked, but still he drafted theplans for them.” Victor went back to the edge of Silhouette's bed and laid a hand onher exposed thigh. “Deedshad several laboratories that he used. I know where most of themwere. They are all empty now, I've checked them. Nothing but dust andcobwebs”.Candelarianodded her head, running her hand over his chest, silently urging himto go on. “Ihave been putting off what will have to be done because of thedanger; if we do it we will be exposed, and there is a chance ofcapture”. Helooked into her moonlight eyes.“I would spare you that if I could”. Shesmiled and kissed him softly with her pitch black lips. “Whatis this dangerous thing, Victor?”she asked quietly. He took a breath and replied reluctantly.“Thereis a place called 'Hearts Desire'. It is named after one of thefounding members of one of the first New Human groups; The All Stars.They were organized on the 4thof July, 1944 during the height of World War II. The All Stars wereled by 'The All American' who was a bullet-proof US Army Lieutenant,the original 'D-Day', Francis Flemming, in one of the first armoredsuits. Dr. Daedalus, a... field scientist of sorts, and Heart'sDesire, who was a pin up girl with the power of suggestion, amongother talents. It was thought no one could harm her. However, theywere wrong. Everyone was a little bit in love with Heart's Desire.Her real name was Millie...”A pained look flashed across Victors face. “Whenshe was murdered in 1952, it was the end of the All Stars.”

Candelarianodded, looking somewhat confused “Whatdoes this have to do with...”.Victor raised a hand. “Inher honor, the All American, who is a wealthy man named Chris Knight,created the resort of 'Hearts Desire'. Put simply, it is where oldheroes go to die. I.. or we need to go there, I need to speak withWilliam Deeds and replace out where his last hidden laboratory is... andthere is some other unfinished business I have with him as well.”TheSilhouette felt a chill in the room from those last few words, butbrushed it off. She said “So,even retired, these old heroes could be threat to us.” Victornodded slowly and without realizing it spoke in English “and thesecurity, which is very good. But yes, some of the heroes there werefairly powerful in their day, and some likely still are. It is wherewe need to go for my plan to proceed. I have not been able toreplicate the function of Daedalus' machines, even though I havebuilt them to the same specifications, and with more modernmaterials. They just don't work.”

Shepulled him down beside her, filling in the spaces of his body withher naked soft curves. She kissed him and caressed him, feeling hissex harden against her. Victor sighed into her mouth and lost himselfin her smoky smell. The shadows closed around them and Candelariawrapped her legs tightly around her lover, pulling him in close toher. She reached between her legs and clasped his now rock hard penis“This machine seems to be working just fine” she spoke into hishot breath. He moaned as she guided him into her, then the wolfinside Victor took over and he ravaged his woman into a frenzy tillthey both were spent. He finally slept well, cradled in the arms ofthe shadow that loved him.