Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Thirty-Two

They were all looking toward the dead bleeding animals and the red-stained paper funnels and the plastic containers below rising in level of thick red liquid. There were two does and a good number of rabbits, strung up from trees by their hindlegs and bleeding from gashed throats. The smell of the blood was as strong as the vision of the dead animals. "I can't believe you used to just let the blood fall to the ground," Daerick said.

      Miko raised his eyebrows as he looked up at the taller Vampyre.

      "We had no use for it and it just wasn't kosher besides," Claudia said pleasantly, "But I won't have you killing people even if they are soldiers of armies fighting us, not for food. Even Angel doesn't allow that," Claudia said more firmly.

      "It is logical now and there is use, so we've got no problem collecting the blood," Erik added from Miko's side.

      Claudia smiled at the very logic of it. "There may be another use," she said, "Daerick says they were stopped by the SB on their way to find us and that he saw at least two Vampyres among them. And Justin tells us Vampyres in the American military are always complaining to their fellow soldiers about the blood issued to them. Seems to be some mix of chicken and rat from lab raised animals and full of additives supposedly proven to supply nutrients more common in human blood. Imagine how they might like some deer blood, especially if we can serve it warm?"

      "Are you sure they are not hunting themselves?" Estasi asked. All the five Vampyres were there, including Claudia now of course, and Estasi was draped about David like a stole, though he seemed oblivious to her. The majority of Vampyres Claudia knew of were polyamorous, and David was new compared to Daerick and Angelo. His novelty made him all the more attractive to Estasi.

      "They follow orders," David said quietly. That was his way, to be rather quiet so that when he spoke he sounded more important. Or this was how it seemed to most.

      "Justin agreed," Claudia added. "So, Daerick, you know one of them?"

      A grimace. Daerick was not happy. "It felt like maybe five out of the entire battalion, but I saw two. One of them was Rachael. We knew each other when we were breathing, Angel turned us both." The CH in her name was pronounced softly, Ray-shale; it sounded like something from one of the Spanish dialects.

      "What is she in the SB?" Claudia asked.

      "Thing is, it puzzled me: she was in the Army when she was breathing and then retired or on reserve when I knew her, while raising her girl. But, I recall she was fairly high ranked and a Ranger. But, David agreed her rank there seemed to be Sergent. The other Vampyre was more highly ranked, a Lieutenant of some sort."

      Claudia thought Daerick misled or maybe puzzled without reason. She was pretty certain that officers, though officers, were considered by their subordinates less hard working. Claudia though Sergeants were one of if not the most highly ranked soldiers that still "worked for a living." It had to do with commissions. "I think Rachael chose that rank it has a certain logic I think, says something of her. Besides, that was another lifetime when she was in the Army the first time, if she is as old as you, perhaps she believed she needed the new training. Can you tell me anything else?"

      Daerick shrugged. He seemed to cloak himself, at least Claudia could not read his thoughts on the subject. "She doesn't like him," David offered and Daerick's glare said that David had gotten through the mental blocks.

      "It's just like I said, we knew each other when Human, or Angel knew the both of us. They were really close, and Rachael didn't like that Angel had boyfriends. We also both were in the group that took the Vatican with Angel. Rachael would not want to be known as that same Vampyre Rachael by all these crackerjacks here. She also has human descendants in America she protects, maybe that's why she isn't pulling rank."