Enduring Service (2 page)

As Sulie and Dixon entered the restaurant, the hostess led them to a small table in the back at Dixon’s request. The place wasn’t one of their usual haunts, but the Cattlemen’s Club offered the best steak in town. Looking around, Dixon thought the restaurant played the part with longhorns attached to the wall, cowhides on the floors and a big stone fireplace in the corner. Based on his name tag, their host’s name was Bubba, but Dixon didn’t believe it to be his real name. The place screamed Texas, although they dined in the middle of Washington DC.

The dim light of the restaurant, even for a lunch crowd, gave the place a soft romantic atmosphere. If the place didn’t offer the best steak in town, Dixon would have suggested a place less romantic. He cursed himself inwardly for asking for a table in the back of the restaurant, but it was standard procedure when out with a member of the vampire team — hide, blend in, go unnoticed. Unfortunately, he felt like he was on a date. A date with Sulie of all people.

He shook his head as he took his seat, deliberately not offering to pull her chair out for her. The less date–like things he did, the better. He thought back to his latest technical journal. The TDK–4XL laser tracking beam which could be used as an attachment on an M4–carbine rifle. Precise and a good level laser. It fit snugly atop the rifle… it had a range of… . His mind trailed off, not able to recall the specifics. He bit his lip as he found his old trick of sidetracking his mind wasn’t working. Sulie sat down and brushed her gorgeous hair off her neck as the waiter handed her a menu — a menu she would pretend to glance at, but then order nothing from since, as a vampire, she couldn’t eat human food.

The light from the fireplace cast a warm glow on her face. The flames danced in the reflection of her beautiful blue eyes as she ordered a scotch. The liquor wasn’t her usual drink, but she was well over twenty–one and therefore entitled. Vampires could drink coffee and alcohol, but not much anything else. Dixon liked that she could enjoy a beverage while he ate a meal. He glanced at the waiter and ordered himself a beer.

A scotch?
Dixon flashed a slight smile in her direction. She ordered the drink so commandingly. No fru–fru drink — no little umbrella for her. No. When Sulie did something, anything, she always presented herself as a force to be reckoned with. He found her strength incredibly sexy.

He took a deep breath.
“Not Sulie”,
he mentally said to himself. He was a human and therefore unworthy of the beautiful vampire’s affections. Nearly a year ago he had asked Sulie’s brother, Raymond, about the option to turn him into a vampire. As the head vampire of the Colony, Raymond had access to the Vampire Council — the council which approved human turnings. They had said no. No to him turning, no to him having the life he wanted as an immortal and no to him sharing that life with the woman he… Well, it didn’t matter what his feelings were for Sulie. She wasn’t his for the taking. Never would be.

He was retiring and planned to enjoy what little time he had left. He wouldn’t remember the team, their missions or Sulie.
“Probably for the best,”
he thought. He just didn’t want Sulie to forget him.

“I have something for you,” he announced, clearing his throat. He wasn’t sure what her reaction would be, but he needed to do this.

The waiter came by with their drinks, giving Dixon a moment’s reprieve. He took a sip of his beer before leaning back in his chair so he could place his hand in his front pants pocket to retrieve a small item. “I didn’t wrap it or anything; I just want you to have it.” He pulled out a small locket and chain. The candlelight from their table danced off the locket as the jewelry shone brilliantly in his hand. “The locket originally was silver so I covered it with white gold so you can touch it. The chain is white gold too.”

He handed the tiny treasure to Sulie. The original detailing around the outside remained, but the center’s new gold casting contained her engraved initials, her real initials, not any of her government aliases.

“It’s beautiful, Dixon. Is it an antique?”

“Yes. The gold covers up the original engraving of GDA, which stood for Gabriella Angelina Dixon. She was my mother.”

“What?” Her eyes darted over and made eye contact with him. “It belonged to your mother?”

“She died a long time ago and her locket has been sitting in a box all these years.” He watched as Sulie studied the jewelry. “I never had children, so I don’t have anyone to give the piece to. I would like for you to have it to remember me by once I retire.”

Sulie took several gulps of her scotch, which emptied the glass. Dixon could never remember her drinking hard liquor before, and had halfway expected her to nurse the drink during their lunch together while she watched him eat. It wasn’t the reaction he had been expecting in regards to his gift, especially since she had a hurt expression on her face.

“Sorry. I phrased my words so poorly.” Dixon shook his head and raked his fingers through his hair. He was never one for words. “I want you to have my mother’s locket. It isn’t that I have no one and you’re the default. Not like it’s a charity or anything. I want you to have something of my family’s to keep. After all, you’re like a sister to me.” When he noticed her shoulders slump, as if in defeat, he asked, “Are you okay?”

She held up the empty glass and caught the waiter’s attention for a refill. “It’s just that you’ve been thinking of retiring for a year now. Why are you so determined to move on?” she asked.

Dixon slumped back in his chair. He rubbed the back of his neck as he gave her his well prepared answer, an answer which was mostly true. He was human. He would eventually die. What other choice did he have but to retire?

“It’s because of my friend Steve,” he offered as an explanation.

Sulie’s eyebrow rose as she asked, “Do I know him?”

“No. He and three other buddies of mine all served in Vietnam together. The war seems so long ago now.” He looked at Sulie and understood that forty years to her didn’t represent nearly a lifetime, as it did to him. “Steve died during the holidays last year. His wife let me know when I called after the first of the year.”

She placed her hand on his. “I’m so sorry, Dixon.”

“Yeah. Well… hell.” He closed his eyes for a second to gather his thoughts. Life seemed too damn fleeting. “There were five of us. Buddies through thick and thin.” He let out a deep breath. “War has a way of making your friends as close as family. We weren’t just buddies; we were brothers. And I lost Steve to a heart attack. We lost Larry back in the ’80s. Carl and Tim died a few years back.”

“Dixon, you should have said something. We could have talked about your loss.”

“These friends were a part of my life that didn’t include you or the Colony,” he shrugged. “I’m all that’s left of our group of five — I’m the last man standing, so to speak. And, it wasn’t like any of us were all that old to begin with.” He looked at Sulie. He hated mentioning his age to her.

“Steve always wanted to retire. He and his wife planned to travel.” As Sulie sat there quietly, he added, “I don’t want to just work. I want to live while I still can.”

“You’re not that old, Dixon.” She nudged him in the shoulder. “Besides, other than being anemic, I can tell you’re in excellent health, well, other than your cholesterol.” She paused a moment. “And your ulcer.”

Sulie’s new drink arrived. The beverage was half gone before the waiter finished saying that Dixon’s meal was the next one out of the kitchen. Again the waiter asked if Sulie wanted anything to eat, and again she said no and politely asked him to leave. She set the drink down, pushed the tiny pin on the side of the locket and opened the hidden compartment.

A gasp escaped her throat. “Oh my. Is that you?” she asked, smiling at him.

Dixon pointed to the pictures, “From when I was a small boy. Feel free to put other pictures in there if you want, I didn’t know how to open it… I also didn’t know what pictures you would want in it.” He stammered a bit in his speech. “Anyway, if you like the locket, I want you to keep it.”

“You were adorable!” Sulie touched his arm. “How old are you in these?”

Dixon gazed over at the pictures. He had not seen them in quite some time, but recognized them instantly. “I was two and three. My mother didn’t enjoy sewing, but managed to make that outfit for me. I wore it until I was close to four years old.”

“The hat is precious.”

“I hated the hat. I think I eventually lost the itchy thing on an outing for ice cream one day.” He shook his head. “Something like that. Mother was furious.”

Her smile looked precious to him. “They’re great pictures,” she said.

Dixon took note of Sulie’s hand caressing his arm. She also had shifted her body slightly and sat closer to him. He cleared his throat and needed facts and figures to not think about her dainty fingers on his skin.

“Photography was so poor back in the day,” he began as he searched his mental database for anything distracting to say. Finally, he came up with, “Today’s high–powered cameras, like the one on the Mars rover, have 14 micrometers per pixel. That’s about .000039 inches.”

“Listen to you. Always quoting numbers. My gosh, I think you’d be lost without those journals of yours. You always quote them when we’re together.”

He gave her a strained smile. “Silly hobby, I guess.”

Her fangs showed as she gently bit her lower lip. “I love… the pictures and locket.” Looking down at the locket once more, she continued massaging his arm. Her touch felt cold, which was normal for her. He felt her fingertips gently touching his hand, but then she pulled away and finished her drink.

Dixon watched her carefully, guessing that he had fooled her once again. She didn’t make eye contact with him, and appeared a bit saddened. She was acting strangely, but he didn’t think it was because of him. Unless, of course, her behavior was about his retirement.

Soon his retirement would be official. That would mean Raymond would perform a memory wipe on him. His knowledge of the Colony spanned decades, and he had a mental subroutine already in place to block out all vampire compelling. Raymond had installed the subroutine, and he was the only one who could remove it. Wishing now the drink he had was stronger, Dixon thought about that. Thirty years seemed like a lot of time to wipe from a man’s memory. He wouldn’t remember anything other than he had had a good career. He wouldn’t even be able to stay in Washington, DC for fear of bumping into anyone from his current life. It was a big process, but he knew worrying about it wouldn’t help.

As he watched Sulie order a third scotch, he wondered if she would have a part in the memory wipe. Maybe she was to oversee his health during the procedure? Maybe she would be the one to place a fictitious thirty years into his mind? Either way, Sulie was acting oddly. He thought he noticed tears well up in her eyes, but figured it to be only a trick of the light.

“I love the locket, Dixon. The fact that it was your mother’s… well, that is something special.”

“May I?” he asked, reaching for the locket. He leaned over and placed it around her neck. She held her long curls up which made it easier to fasten the clasp.

“How does it look?”

“Good.” She seemed a bit hurt by his short description, so he cautiously added, “Lovely,” and watched a smile cross her lips.

He bit his lip as he glanced away. It was harder seeing Sulie wearing his mother’s locket than he had thought it would be. But, her slender neck was exactly where the locket belonged. He had made the right decision; he just had to retire and move on.

“I like the pictures inside. I won’t ever change them.”

“Oh,” he said, waving his hands dismissively. “Personalize the locket for yourself.”

The waiter arrived with a tray of food. “Here you are, sir. Medium rare. I hope the meal is to your liking.” He placed the plate in front of Dixon and collected Sulie’s now empty scotch glass. Dixon noticed he left before another drink could be ordered.

Dixon heard Sulie huff in the waiter’s direction as she tried to order another drink. “Ok. What’s going on?” Dixon asked.

Taking a deep breath, she said, “Nothing. Eat your meal before it gets cold. I think I need another drink.”

Sulie asked Dixon to drive them over to the White House in her car so they could attend the president’s weekly scheduled press conference. She was nowhere near drunk, but he was chivalrous nonetheless, and had insisted based on the number of scotches she had put away during lunch.

A five–minute countdown announcement came across their earbud com units as they passed through White House security and entered the press briefing room in the West Wing. The reporters would be allowed into the room in five minutes. Right now they were being screened by the Secret Service and William, another member of the Colony. William would make sure none of the reporters were vampires since, as a vampire himself, he would be able to detect any other predators nearby.

Sulie took a deep breath and glanced at the love of her life. The car ride over had been quiet. She didn’t want to tell Dixon what had upset her, even though he had asked repeatedly. Spilling her guts and saying, “
Gosh, I’m so in love with you that it hurts, and all you can do is think of me as your sister,”
wasn’t something she ever wanted to blurt out — especially since they didn’t have the time right now to really discuss their feelings.

How do you say goodbye to someone who means so much to you? The man who is her first thought in the morning and her last thought at night and many thoughts between. She knew the man’s hand gestures and most, if not all, of his stories by heart. All Sulie wanted was for his toothbrush to rest beside hers in the bathroom, for his slippers to be under her bed at night, and for his arms to be around her forever.

Of course, the first step would be in admitting her feelings for him. Sulie felt the stabbing pain of shame creep over her. She had hundreds of opportunities throughout the years and chickened out each time. Of course, if Dixon had even once shown any interest in her, that may have been different.

Dixon planned to retire soon. He already participated in an advisory role and certainly one day soon would be leaving the Colony. Her brother, Raymond, had promised not to do any memory wiping without telling her ahead of time when it would be. Even with advance knowledge, she knew time was running out.

She noticed Dixon standing in his usual position against the side wall and waited for the president to walk down the hallway to the tiny press room. It pained her to know that the spot was now officially reserved for Brandon, the new Director of the Colony. A tear escaped and rolled down her face as she watched Brandon enter the room. He announced in the com unit that the press was on their way in and then he took Dixon’s spot against the wall, leaving Dixon to find a seat among the press.

That spot against the wall didn’t belong to Dixon anymore, but old habits are hard to break. She figured she’d get used to seeing Brandon standing there one day. It had been nearly a year since Brandon had taken over as Director and she still wasn’t used to Dixon sitting among the crowd. Eventually, Dixon would not be here at all.

Sulie noticed another Colony team member, Ben, enter and stand against the opposite wall, carefully studying the reporters as they each took their seats. With Ben’s special abilities, she knew he was viewing each of their auras to detect if anyone in the room intended to harm the president. While he studied their auras, Sulie walked amongst them, slyly touching a few on their hands to inspect them medically. She found none with elevated heart rates or excessive sweating.

The door next to Brandon opened and the Press Secretary, presidential Speech Writer and the Operations Director walked in. They were followed by the president and Raymond. The president proudly strode to the wooden platform and placed his water bottle atop it. The room quieted down as the president thanked the press for coming and began his pre–rehearsed speech.

The president had barely begun to speak when Sulie heard him say, “Again, I want to stress the importance of exercise and wellbeing to the American people. It is within our power to secure healthier lifestyles for ourselves and our children — not only for America, but for the population of the world. I see the American people being able to defeat such evils as cancer within our lifetime, if we put in place practices and procedures to enable us to live a healthier tomorrow.”

Sulie fought not to roll her eyes. Six months on a health kick and the man thought he could change the world. Overall, she wished people would take better care of themselves, but knew that people would never change unless the change came from within themselves. That is why it surprised her when the president announced some new programs.

“By the end of the year,” the president said, “all insurance companies will provide discounts to individuals who routinely donate blood to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services approved collection companies. Companies such as the Red Cross and many others are excited about this program and will provide more donation centers across the United States. Hospitals will also be staffed to collect and store blood from everyone, including the cord blood collected from births. Incentives will be made to physicians who contribute tissue samples for research…”

Sulie’s eyes darted over to Raymond. He too seemed a bit skeptical about all the new programs. Of course, the Colony team was not made privy to the president’s agenda. The man wanted a second term, and if lobbyists were pressuring his administration for more medical advances, then so be it.

Questions now came from the audience — the first was whether the president suffered from cancer or other blood disease. Sulie knew the answer to be no and waited for the president to call her up to the stand to give a brief testimonial as to his health. But no such request came. The president dismissed the question regarding his health and took the next one. This time the question was about his trip to Camp David. The president assured the press that the trip was merely for relaxation and he would be back at work after a few short days. He then ended the press conference and was escorted back through the door and down the hallway to the Oval office by his entire entourage, including all Colony members on staff today. This left Sulie, who had the afternoon off, alone with Dixon in the conference room once the reporters finished texting their reports.

She took a seat next to Dixon.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

His green eyes appeared sad to her and Sulie knew he truly wanted to help — but he thought of her as a sister. She already had a brother and didn’t need a second one. She forced a fangy smile. She never tried to hide her fangs when it was only the two of them. “Actually, there is something I want to tell you.”

A smile crossed his lips. “You can tell me anything.”

Sulie took a deep breath, but then she heard the vibrations of her phone in her handbag. She gave Dixon a pouty look, “work” she whispered as she answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Dr. Anna Smith,” Sulie said into the phone. “All right, put the patient through.” After a moment she continued, “How far along are the contractions? … Uh, huh. Are you near Washington Memorial Hospital? … Yes, I am one.” When Dixon looked up at her, she merely pointed to one of her fangs as she listened to the new patient. “This is your first baby? Ok… Let me give you my direct number…” Sulie finished the call and looked over to Dixon. “I have to go. It’s an emergency and I doubt they’ll make it to the hospital in time. Can you get a ride home?”

“Yes. If you’re sure you can drive.” After she nodded that she could drive, he stood and walked her out of the room. “Another vamp baby?”

Sulie reached in her purse to pull out her keys. “Vamps prefer to have vamp doctors and I’m the only game in town when it comes to obstetrics.”

“But what about what you wanted to tell me?” he asked.

“It’s nothing,” she said, feeling guilt and relief at the same time as she put this conversation, and her love life, on hold yet again.