Blood Sisters
Chapter 18

The Terrible Trio stepped out ofthe darkness into the unused office in William Deed's suite of roomsat Heart's Desire. The information gleaned from their bloodreconnaissance of several staff and security personnel of the resortgave them a good understanding of the layout of the residentialbuilding where Deed's rooms were. Their telepathic clairvoyance hadworked even better then Victor had hoped. Every staff member thatworked at the resort was screened by security with a variety ofdetectors. But none of them were designed to detect something likeMichaela's blood infection.

According to the thoughts of theresort staff, Dr. Daedalus had been ill of late; and was bed bound.It wasn't the policy of the resort to have intensive security in itsresident's private rooms, but they had emergency alert panels thatcould be activated in any of the three rooms in each resident'ssuite. The alarm could be triggered either by pressing on the panel,pressing a switch on a remote that the residents could carry withthem, or by saying an personalized emergency codeword out loud. TheDead Man was fairly certain that The Silhouette could cloak the alarmpanels with shadow which would prevent them from being triggeredmanually, or from the IR signal from a remote. With the viscousnature of shadowstuff it might prevent the audio trigger as well, butjust in case Victor had whipped up a portable white noise generator.

“Michaela, guard the door thatleads to the hallway, Silhouette, with me”. Victor directedquietly. The Silhouette moved into Deed'sbedroom, blending into the shadows. One shadow she stretched over the alarm panel. The Dead Man entered and activated hiswhite-noise device. The old hero Dr. Daedalus lay in his bed, asleep.There was a stale smell in the room. The sick man had thin wispywhite hair, and what flesh remained on his bony face was sinking intohis cheeks.

Victor stepped over to his oldfoe. Leaning down, he pressed his black gloved hand over Deed'smouth. The man started awake, and looked up with foggy eyes trying tomake sense of his assailant. Dr. Daedalus moaned into Victors glove.It was clear that the sick man could barely speak. “William”Victor spoke quietly into his sagging ear. “I need the answer toone simple question, and then I shall leave you in peace”. Fearcrossed over deeds sallow face as he realized who was speaking. Davoscontinued “Your enough of an engineer to recognize this noisegenerator” he raised it so Deeds could see it. “I have alsodisabled your alarm panel” he pointed to the wall “ and I havethe outer door guarded”. Victor leaned closer “there will be nohelp coming for you old friend”. The old man trembled and slowlynodded his head. Davos freed his mouth. Hoarsely, Dr. Daedaluswhispered “What do... what do you want to know?” The Dead Mangave a satisfied smile the defeated man. “Where is your last lab,the one that has your dimensional field machinery?” The old manlooked confused and managed to get out “its not... Victor its notthere anymore, they took it”. Davos Muerte scowled, he leaned downright into Deed's face, and spoke with an serrated edge of menace“Who took it... and where?!”. Dr. Daedalus tried to answer, butcould not get out the words. Victor turned his ear right over Deed'slips. The Dead Man closed his eyes in exasperation and gritted histeeth at what the sick man told him. “Fine” he spat outvenomously to himself.

The Dead Man put his gloved handback over the man's pale lips then whispered into the Deed's ear. “Isaid I would leave you in peace, and so I shall. Let me tell yousomething that few people know. There are no secrets from the dead.Whenever I go into my dark sleep, I always come back with knowledge”.William looked over at Victor with a rising terror. “Heart's Desirewas quite a woman, lively and vivacious, with a smile like thesunrise and eyes like the ocean. Everyone loved her. But ChrisKnight was -in- love with her, I was in love with her, and so wereyou. The only man Millie loved was Chris. She was devoted to him, asfaithful as any woman ever was. You, William. You who worked with herevery day, bitterly loving her more and more, jealousy festering inyour selfish heart like gangrene, turning it black and rotten”. TheDead Man squeezed his hand over Deed's mouth harder, though notenough to bruise. He whispered with restrained rage into his ear.“You could not have her, so you would take her, and so you did.Dragging her back to a secret lab, you arrogantly tried to use yourpathetic skills to bend her will to you, didn't you, with yourtainted potions and monstrous primitive electrodes”. Deeds startedto cry, shaking under Victors glove. “All you did, you fuck; waspoison her and melt her brain. You couldn't have her, so you killedher. She died on your table afraid, cold and alone. All of the restof us... a part of us died with her”. Davos bit off every word withbared teeth “Of all the men I have killed, over all the years of mylife, none of them deserved it more then you. I wish you could knowhow much I regret I can not make you suffer, that I don't have thetime to torture you, to flay the very flesh from your bones and chopup your body piece by piece while you scream, dying by inches”.Deeds eyes were filled with terror, and he began to shake his head,silently pleading. Victor reached over and took hold of the waterpitcher on Dr. Daedalus' bedside table. “I also can't have youtelling anyone that I was here and what I am looking for. I wouldhave killed you just for that. But that wouldn't have been personal.This death that I bring to you, this death could not be morepersonal”.

Victor grasped the back ofWilliam Deed's neck and pulled it up, forcing his head back and hismouth to open in a dry gasp. “They are going to replace you cold anddead, your lungs full of fluid. They are going to think you simplydrowned from your foul infected lungs”. Victor pulled out a fadedpicture of Heart's Desire and presented it to him in condemnation.“Would I could pin this to you with a dagger though your heart likeyou stabbed mine when you killed her. Farewell, William Deeds. Ileave your body in peace, may your soul rot in the darkest corner ofhell”. With quick efficiency, The Dead Man murdered a sick old manin his bed. The Silhouette watched him do it from where she lurked inthe shadows, feeling ill. Candelaria realized with chilling certaintythat she did not know Davos Muerte at all.

The Terrible Trio came togetherback in Daedalus' dark office. The Silhouette was stunned and silent.Michaela hissed “Well?” Davos looked at the two women and saidwith bitter irony “The equipment we need has been moved to asecret, secure government R&D facility”. He sighed “It is atFort Miles, carved out of the rock under Shay's Mountain.” TheSilhouette spat “mierda.”

***

Cricket woke with a yawn,stretching her sore young body. She was in a bed, in her own bedroom,for the first time ever. Cricket smiled out the window, looking outover the Goldstar Ranch bathed in the morning sunlight, beautifulhorses running free and dancing on the range. It was the best night'ssleep she had ever had. Despite all that had happened since the dayshe woke up next to the twisted metal, smoking engines and brokenglass on the highway she felt a sense of hope, that she could behappy, that everything just might be okay. Cricket had a sister now,and it seemed that she might also have a mother. A mother so strongthat nothing would be able to harm her ever again. She rode high onthat thought for a while, then her thoughts turned to Jake, and shefelt a stab of fear for him. She wanted to talk to him so much, toknow he was OK. She wanted him here, so he could be safe too. Hecould even bring Trixie if he wanted.

Jenny knocked on her door, thenpeeked her head in “Hey Lil' Bug, come get some breakfast, seeingas you actually have to eat”. Cricket smiled sadly and followed Jendown into the open center of the Goldstar ranch house. It was allceramic, wood paneling, indoor trees and plants. The smell ofbreakfast reached her, and her belly growled. Suddenly Cricket feltuneasy, this was all so... different. She needed Jake, he would lether know that this was all OK. The Goldstar's sat at the table for agood old-fashioned country breakfast, complete with a pan ofAllison's famous cornbread.

Marty waved at Cricket andmotioned to the chair next to him “Hey kiddo, I thought you mightwant to know that your friend Jake is okay. We, ah, pulled a fewstrings and got his charges dropped. He should be back at his shop ina day or two”. Cricket beamed, her eyes misting “Man that'sawesome, thanks Marty! I was so worried about him...” Cricketclosed her eyes squeezing out some tears, and more tightness in herchest unwound. Goldstar grinned “any time Lil' Bug”.

The worries able to be put asidenow, there was the matter of breakfast. Cricket dug into the food andheaped a small mountain of it on her plate. Allison sat at the table,still wearing her apron which had the US presidential seal on it withthe caption “Hail to the Chef” on it. She took Marty's hand andsmiled at her family. She spoke quietly to Marty “Goldie, didWinter happen to call back yet? I was hoping she could join us thismorning.” Goldstar shrugged “nope, after we eat I will jet up toShay's and see what she's up to.” Allison gave a nod in agreement.She spoke to Cricket “If you want, we can have Mr. Harris... Jakedown for a visit, if he would like to come of course”. Cricketlooked gleeful, almost bouncing. “That would rock! ThanksDouble-A.” Allison nodded “Double-A, Allison Ashton, I getit, cute.” “Rock on.” Marty winked at Cricket.

The family talked of small andpleasant things, Jenny sitting with them, just talking and glowingsince she didn't eat. Towards the end of their meal, the phone rangand Allison said “Ah, that must be your Aunt Winter”. She steppedacross the room to answer the phone. “Hello.” “Allison, it'sPaul Desnoyers”. “Paul?” Allison said in surprise “What...why are you calling, is everything okay with Winter?”. “Yes...she is just in a debriefing.” Allison could hear the strain inPaul's voice. Something was up. She hesitated, and the asked “Okay,what can I do for you then?”. Allison looked over at Marty, and thetwo shared the silent communication that only the long married can.She could hear Paul clear his throat “I have some... news about thefugit... that is the girl, Cricket. The one that escaped the citywith your daughter, and who I understand is with you right now”.

Miss Liberty spoke coolly intothe phone “Listen, Paul, I appreciate that you have a job to do,but there is something funny going on here, and until I get someanswers about why this girl looks and feels like a second daughter tome, she is under my protection.” She heard Paul sniff on the otherend “I agree with you, Allison. In fact, I have come across someinformation about that very thing. Your not going to like it,Allison. I need you to come down here, bring Cricket with you. Ipromise she won't be arrested at this time. But you have to seethis.” Allison frowned “Is this about Project Bloodsisteror whatever its called?” Paul started to ask her how she heard thatname, but then realized where. He spoke quietly “Yes, exactly.Allison, Its worse then you think. Please come right away”. Allisonwas suspicious. But she trusted Paul. “Okay Paul, you got it.”Miss Liberty looked over at her husband “Suit up Goldie, were allgoing to Shay's Mountain.”