Authors: Regina Morris
Mason sat aboard the presidential decoy helicopter in the seat reserved for the president. The plush leather seat warmer, the earmuffs, and the provided appetizers were comforts humans would enjoy. But, as a vampire, they were unnecessary for him — although he did like the slight heat radiating off of the chair.
Six Secret Service agents accompanied him in the decoy presidential helicopter, although they were under the impression that the vampire was the Commander and Chief himself. The job was easy, just pretend to be the big guy and try his best not to actually talk. Mason’s deep southern drawl would be a dead giveaway compared to the president’s Bostonian accent.
As the president’s double, Mason eagerly awaited the privacy of Camp David. He had the same tall build as the man, and now, thanks to the president’s weight loss, he no longer had to pad his clothing to have the man’s physique. Mason also disguised his blue eyes with contacts. They proved bothersome, but the face putty he wore to match the man’s nose was even more annoying. Here, at Camp David, Mason could relax. He could swim, sleep in, and just be himself.
He heard the radio chatter from his seat on the decoy helicopter. The voices of Brandon, the human Colony Director, and the Colony vampire, Daniel, drifted from the headsets. Thanks to his vampire hearing, Mason had no issue hearing them. His on–board agents confirmed landing specifics, security matters, and weather issues over the com units. Everything sounded on schedule.
Over his shoulder, Mason saw the computer screen one of the agents was studying. The screen flickered but then showed four camera displays. Flipping through with a click of the mouse, the agent scanned over two dozen camera feeds checking every room in the buildings of Camp David. He then heard Daniel’s voice over the com unit that the main house had passed the third round of security checks. He knew Daniel, who sat next to the president in Marine One, must have viewed the same camera feeds, but had also checked heat signatures of every person. The place was clear of any vampires.
The decoy helicopter landed first on the private ground at Camp David. Instead of saying hello, Mason let out a huge smile as a marine opened the helicopter door and greeted him and the agents. He returned the human soldier’s salute as he exited the helicopter and ducked from the wind of the blades above him. He then followed the agents and rushed down the path towards the house.
As he entered the luxurious estate, the smell of breakfast filled his nostrils. Eggs and bacon. Naturally, Mason wasn’t enticed by such a foul smelling breakfast and he doubted if the now health–conscious president would eat them as well. At least there would be plenty of food for the hungry agents.
He walked through the foyer and into the living area where the staff waited. He took a cursory look at each individual. Humans. No predatory signs emanated from the room, so no vampires were about. Before the hellos began, he gave them a dismissive, “Good morning,” in the best Bostonian accent he could muster. He then followed the agents as they swept through the house.
The home had already undergone a security sweep by the agents in the house. This second round by the inbound team was only precautionary. Sometimes Mason contributed to the security check, sometimes he didn’t. Sometimes the real president went inside the house with Mason hovering above in the decoy helicopter.
Change. Keeping things different every time. That was the key to being secure.
Not wanting to stand around and possibly make some small talk with the help, Mason inspected the kitchen. Might as well get the foul smelling room over with first. The spacious room had another human cook busily removing egg souffles from the oven. The chef paid him no attention and there were no presidential threats in the kitchen. He then walked through the dining room, the den, and three spare bedrooms. Eventually, he found his way through to the presidential suite. Two agents exited the room as he entered.
He heard one of the agents announce, “Clear,” followed by the same word echoed across the home and into the com units. The president would be allowed to land and enter the home once Mason contributed to the calls by saying, “All clear.” Just as he was about to leave the president’s bedroom and make the announcement, he heard a slight pinging sound. It sounded mechanical and definitely high pitched.
Mason couldn’t blame the human team for having missed the sound, figuring only a vampire or a dog could hear such a pitch. He walked across the Persian rug towards the bed. He circled the king sized sleigh bed and picked up the sound from the wooden headboard.
The sound persisted. It held a rhythm, and it definitely was not ordinary. Mason leaned in toward the bed and noticed a clicking sound.
He then announced into his com unit, “Code Black Hawk.”
*******
“Copy that,” came the voice through the com unit of the soldier piloting Marine One. “Package secure. Activating plan Omega–2B.”
Mason didn’t know of any Omega–2B plan. He only knew that both helicopters were already following prearranged escape orders and taking the president either back to the White House or to another secure location — and that’s all that mattered. With the amount of fuel a helicopter carried, he assumed Marine One would go back to the White House. Either way, Daniel would now protect the man, leaving Mason’s mission clear. He needed to investigate the breach he had uncovered.
The security detail now consisted of ten Secret Service agents and himself. Naturally, the agents knew of the change of plans, but the house staff of eight did not. As far as they knew, they had met the president when Mason walked into the house. And that’s how it would stay.
The noise continued to sound and Mason studied the bed frame for any wires, but found none. He had just knelt down by the bed when an agent by the name of Liam Riggens walked to the threshold of the door. Liam had been with the Secret Service for over a dozen years, and Mason knew him to be a good and loyal man. He was formidable as a human, standing over six feet in height, with a square jaw and a military haircut. He filled the frame of the doorway and held out his hand.
“Sir, I need you to remain still.” His voice sounded commanding, his stance threatening. His eyes traveled the length of Mason. “The house is being evacuated and the demolition team is on its way. Have you compromised any wire or trigger device?”
“I don’t think it’s a bomb, but I hear some noise coming from the bed.” Mason said as he held his hand to his ear. “Something isn’t right.”
Liam cocked his head, and Mason suspected the human could not hear the noise. He watched as the human carefully entered the room and approached the bed. Even with his ear next to the wooden frame, he still shook his head. “I don’t hear anything.”
“I assure you, there is a mechanical hum.” Mason watched as the man’s jaw tightened and his eyes hardened as he looked over at him.
“I’ll need you to evacuate as well.” Liam held out his hand to help him up.
Mason heard the human’s heart racing and smelled the sweat beading on the man’s brow. The man was brave and didn’t allow his fear to show. Mason respected that.
“I can help,” Mason said, standing up.
Liam’s stare grew distant and Mason heard the words through the com unit the human wore in his ear. The bomb squad would be there in under two minutes. Once Liam acknowledged the report, he again told Mason to leave the room.
“I may not be a demolitions expert, but I can be of assistance.”
The man bit his lip and looked deep in thought. Finally, he said, “You can assist by questioning the staff. Get the truth out of them.”
Mason paused. “The truth?”
“Sir, I need you to leave this room. You can offer assistance with the household staff. You’re…,” he paused a moment, “uniquely suited for that task.”
Allowing the words to sink in, Mason wondered what Liam hinted at. “I really think I should stay and help,” Mason said as he pointed back to the bed.
“No offense, sir. But not even your kind is indestructible. I’d rather you compel the humans and find out what they know.”
The Colony vampires sat around the conference room with their laptops at Washington Memorial Hospital. The room usually held board members meeting to discuss malpractice suits and disciplinary actions, but today, with the help of computer hacking and vampire compelling, the Colony had no problem setting up shop. The room seemed the most logical base of operations since Sulie’s abandoned car remained parked in the parking garage.
Not able to sit still, Dixon stood and paced. He looked from one vampire to the next — Raymond, Sterling, and Ben. All the vamps worked on their computers; none had answers. Dixon had never thought the size of the Colony team was so small before. Now with Sulie’s life on the line, he wished the team had hundreds of members.
Thankfully, Brandon and Daniel secretly attended to the president at the White House. His seclusion wasn’t the vacation the president had wanted, but he remained safe. With no daily briefings, no press conferences, and no scheduled meetings, the man hid in his own home. Daniel planned to compel the chef to cook for the president. Other than the chef, and a few stewards, the house would be vacated. Even the daily tours of the first floor of the White House had been cancelled due to fictitious repair work Daniel had the press believe.
Another team member, William, cut his vacation short. He returned to the White House pulling double shifts covering the White House grounds. Any time the president stayed in residency, the grounds were watched. It proved to be a boring task, but a necessary one.
Dixon welcomed the help. William, his wife, Jackie, and their three young children returned from vacation early so as many team members as possible could search for Sulie. William was a dedicated team member and another lucky human turned vampire. His turning had been done during the height of the equal rights movement and William was a Black Panther who had fought for the cause. He still had that air about him — equality and justice for all. Dixon figured that was what made him so dedicated to the team. Dixon appreciated that quality and knew the White House and grounds remained in good hands — even if the team could only afford one human and two vamps, William and Daniel, on site at the moment.
Dixon felt a heavy weight upon his shoulders. The Colony needed more team members. The current president was single. In years past, the team stood divided between the president, his wife and any children they may have had. Now, thanks to Homeland Security, the team would be even more shorthanded during the next presidential election since one team member would have to accompany the current president and the candidate running against him. Dixon sighed. Worse yet, a two–term exiting president and two new candidates for the job and their families would all need to be protected. The team definitely needed to grow, but evidently not with him as a vampire team member.
Dixon sighed. All the members were scattered, with more work to do than members to fill all the slots. If you weren’t directly protecting the president, you were doing cleanup with the press.
The team planned to tell the press that Marine One had safely transported the president to Camp David and that the man currently enjoyed some well deserved rest and relaxation. Of course, right now Mason’s discovery remained suspicious. But, Dixon couldn’t focus on that potential nightmare. He had to focus on Sulie’s disappearance. He needed to bring her home.
Pacing in front of the conference room table where the team sat, Dixon felt the muscles in his back tighten. Too many unanswered questions existed, as did too many ignored texts to Sulie. Even if she was upset, why wouldn’t she at least let them know she was all right?
Dixon wrung his hands in worry. It had been a long night. Tossing and turning — but mostly worrying. Marine One had taken off at 6:00 am, Dixon had arrived early enough to see Daniel, not Sulie, board the helicopter. And Raymond had agreed that it wasn’t like Sulie to dodge her official duty by missing the flight, especially without securing a backup for the president. Dixon felt relieved to now have Raymond on his side. After all, Sulie wasn’t a scotch drinking slacker. Her career meant everything to her and it had always seemed to fulfill her. She had even taken on extra assignments in the past.
Dixon thought back to what Raymond had said. Dixon would never have guessed Sulie wanted to be married. It felt odd thinking of her dating someone. She never dated, at least not that he had known about. Actually, now that he thought about it, why hadn’t she dated? Even if he didn’t allow himself to think of her in such a way, he knew she was quite the catch — and any vampire would be lucky to have her.
He sighed heavily. Whatever crisis Sulie was going through, she did so alone. Why hadn’t she confided in him? She had always told him everything. No secret seemed too personal, or so he thought. Plus, who had she been engaged to? And why would the vampire break up with her? She was a prize.
The conference phone line rang and Dixon jumped, taking him back into the moment. His eyes were bloodshot and his body ached from lack of sleep. He watched as Ben answered the phone and put it on speaker. Another Colony member, Alex, Raymond’s wife, had dialed in. She was down in the maternity wing of the hospital.
Dixon originally had picked Alex as his replacement as director for the team, but love got in the way. Raymond could not resist the redhead’s beauty and charm, and Alex fell for him the moment she met him. She was one of the lucky ones. The Council approved her turn right away. She was an athletic human, in her late thirties, and highly skilled in team operations. Dixon figured it was an easy decision for the Council to approve her turn. He again wondered why his request had been so quickly denied.
“
Unfortunately, there’s nothing to report
,” Alex’s voice came from the intercom.
Ben typed on his keyboard and a record list from the day before appeared on the large screen on the smart wall of the conference room. “Hospital has no login time for a Dr. Anna Smith, Sulie’s alias, from yesterday.”
“Are you sure the call came from a patient?” Raymond asked Dixon.
Dixon rubbed his reddened eyes. “Positive. She needed to get to the hospital for a birth of a vampire.”
Again, Ben typed on the keyboard. This time, cell phone records popped up on the wall and replaced the hospital log. “I’ve tapped into her cell phone account.” After a minute, he continued, “Her phone’s GPS is disabled.”
Sterling shook his head. “And?”
Ben took a deep breath. “Her phone is either out of battery, the memory chip is out or it has been destroyed.”
As silence filled the room, Ben explained to them what they all saw on the smart board. “This is her call and text log for yesterday.”
Dixon scanned the list on the board. His number appeared repeatedly throughout the day. Several calls and texts from him were from earlier in the morning, when he needed to get a refill on his meds. Another series of calls and texts came later that evening when he first suspected something had been wrong.
Ben focused on midday and highlighted the entries as he explained them. “This brief call is from the hospital. Several minutes later is a text from her to Raymond. After that is a call from a local phone number, which also was short.”
“I was with her for that first call,” Dixon said. “That was the baby one.”
“One sec…” Sterling said as he typed into his computer. A beep sounded and he leaned in to read the results. “The phone number on the second call is a burner. Disposable. Untraceable.”
“Wait,” Raymond said. “Pull up hospital records and confirm the couple arrived and if Sulie attended in the birth.”
After a few minutes, another record flashed on the screen. “Seven babies were born after 3pm yesterday. All had attending physicians who were not Dr. Anna Smith,” Ben reported.
“Alex, I want you to count baby heads in the nursery. Maybe the vampire family didn’t want a paper trail and compelled the hospital staff to comply,” Raymond said into the speaker.
“
Not a problem. I’ll walk over now,”
she replied over the phone.
Ben returned the screen to cell phone records. “There is only that one text between the hospital and mystery call, and that text was to Raymond. And then there are several from Dixon after she ran off.”
“We don’t know if she ran off,” Dixon said as he now took a seat at the table. His laptop showed a screen saver image of him and Sulie. It was the first picture he had taken with his digital camera years ago. He normally didn’t think much of the picture, but today he studied it. The new camera was a gift from Sulie for his birthday that year. He looked at her image. She had smiled, but hadn’t shown her fangs so he wouldn’t have to erase the picture. She had been so excited to see a clear image of herself as an adult. It had been the first time she had ever seen it. Of course, she focused on the flaws of her face, dwelled on the shape of her cheekbones and such, but overall seemed happy with her appearance.
Dixon remained so lost in thought, he almost missed what Ben was showing on the screen.
“We can view the text she sent to Raymond.” As Ben punched on the keys to bring up the message Raymond stopped him.
“I know what the text reads. Do not open the message.”
Dixon looked across the table to Raymond and thought back to their conversation last night. Only the two of them knew Sulie wanted to get married. That she was lonely. That she secretly wanted a family.
A moment later, Alex returned to the phone.
“Baby head count checks out. Since Sulie wasn’t scheduled to work yesterday, I’ve been asking around, and no one remembers seeing her.”
Dixon folded his hands across his chest and mentally brought up the time line. Sulie had raced to the hospital to deliver a baby, but the text to Raymond was at 3:14pm. She must have arrived at the hospital and immediately sent the message. Perhaps delivering another vampire baby reminded Sulie of her loneliness. Of course, a vampire man was needed for giving her children. A human man’s sperm couldn’t penetrate a vampire’s egg, even though vampire men had children with human women all the time.
Dixon had not known of the Vampire Council’s barbaric marriage arrangements, but for a busy doctor who didn’t date, it made sense that Sulie would go down that route. He shuddered at the thought. How anyone could just blindly go into a marriage like that was beyond him. He had walked down the aisle a few times himself, but at least he had known the woman, not that they didn’t turn into control freaks who wanted to change him afterward.
Sterling shook his head. “Another set of rounds has begun. No one you spoke with was working late last night, Alex.”
“Check with off duty personnel, Alex. Anyone who worked on staff last night,” Raymond suggested. When they heard Alex hang up, he hung up the conference room phone on their end.
Dixon took a deep breath and let the air out slowly. Finally, an idea struck him. “Babies are born all the time in cars. Maybe the family didn’t get to the hospital in time. The baby would have been admitted as a patient, not a live birth from a doctor at the hospital.”
Raymond’s eyebrow rose and Ben reconnected with the hospital’s records. After some clicks on the keyboard, Ben announced, “No infants are registered under the age of one when she disappeared.” He then added, “There were also no stillbirths.”
“Damn it!” Dixon’s fist slammed into the table. “Her car is in the parking garage. We know she came here at some point. What about video from the garage that may show her walking into an elevator or something?”
“It will take me a while to stream the video feeds,” Ben said.
Something nagged at Dixon about the timeline. Sulie had been slinging back scotches long before the birth of the baby yesterday. Something else triggered these events.