Chapter 337: Day One at the Beach - Micah, Part 1
Micah got off the boat and paused to light a cigarette. He inhaled the deep, familiar flavor and let his eyes roam the scene before him. A dark sky spread overhead, dotted with a million pinpoints of light and punctuated with a large yellow moon. He stood on a wooden dock that stretched up to land lush with greenery; palm trees and lots of tropical flowers he didn't know the names of. To the left a sandy beach bent around the curve of the island, and in the center of the whole damn rock stood two giant jungle huts on steroids. Made of gray driftwood and roofed in grass, it looked like the kind of place that native girls in grass skirts and no tops would hang out.
"Oh yeah. I'm gonna like it here."
He hefted his bag up his shoulder and followed the parade down the dock. He wasn't excited about some of the company on this trip but he could put up with it for a free tropical island. Even if half of them were Executioners. The damn vampire police were no better than the human pigs; always overstepping bounds and waving authority around like some kind of flag. Some day the sons of bitches would all get what was coming to them.
He spat at the thought and caught up to Loren. The curly haired teen stood on the edge of a wooden sidewalk, staring around with excited brown eyes. Just like him to get over excited, like he was six instead of sixteen. Though, since the kid was a vampire, he was even older than that.
He clapped the boy on the back with enough force to jolt him. "You gonna stand there all night or what?"
"Man, can you believe it?" Loren whispered. "That's a real palm tree!"
Micah snickered. "You gonna kiss it or can we get on with this?"
"Yeah, sorry." The teen gave the tree one last look and then trudged towards the houses. "I can't believe Wolfe arranged all this."
"Don't think he had much choice." Micah blew a cloud of smoke and then clamped the cigarette firmly between his teeth. "It's the only way Jorick would agree to go back to Germany with him. He's a fucking asshole, but you gotta admit Jorick could take Wolfe in a heartbeat, and the Schar-friggin-what's-it knows that."
Loren nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, Jorick could kick his ass easy, even if he is one of Munich's Executioners." He frowned. "What's with the funny name, anyway?"
"What? The Scar-friggy-what's-it? It's German you muppet. They're from fucking Germany. Of course they don't use English." He cuffed the kid's ear affectionately. "Damn. You shoulda stayed in school longer."
"It wasn't my fault. It's kinda hard to go to school when you burn up in the sun."
"Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses."
The first house had large sliding doors that were open and about a million windows. A pair of short, tawny skinned humans stood in front of it, hands clasped before them, and welcoming smiles on their faces. The woman was a little plump, but hell, there wasn't nothin' wrong with some meat.
He gave her a lascivious fanged grin; the grin of a vampire on the make. She didn't recoil, but she didn't look receptive either, only polite.
"Welcome to the island," she said when everyone was gathered. "My name is Maria. This is the first house and that is the second," she motioned to the other island mansion, as if it needed explanation. "There are six bedrooms in each, and you may choose your own. There are many windows, but you need not worry. Before the sun rises they are all covered." She motioned to a large shed, as if that held some kind of answer. "The kitchen is stocked for both vampires and humans." Her eyes lingered on the pair of mortals they'd dragged with them. "Should you need anything please ask myself or Henry." She motioned to her male companion, who gave a half bow. The way the sounds rolled off her tongue seemed to say that those weren't their real names, but what did it matter?
"There are others on the island who can also assist you," she added. "Now, you'd like to get settled in?"
"Yes, thank you," Wolfe said. He took his girlfriend's arm; a short, plump blonde who was also one of the damned German police, and led her towards the first house.
That was enough for Micah. "Come on, pipsqueak. I ain't sleepin' with no Guild dogs if I don't have to." He strode towards the creatively named second house, Loren on his heels.
The inside was as themed as the out. Large airy rooms were decorated with seashells, drift wood and lots of white curtains and throw pillows. He picked the room at the end of the hall, complete with a double bed draped with mosquito netting and a balcony that looked out towards a rocky cove.
He threw his bag on the bench and rubbed his hands together. What had that chick said about a kitchen?
***
The kitchen and dining room were in the first house, which seemed more than a little inconvenient . Worse, he wasn't the only one who'd thought of food. Verchiel, an Executioner with bright red, crayon colored hair, leaned against the counter, chatting up the tiny kitchen assistant. The woman giggled and her tanned cheeks flushed pink at something the vampire had said.
"Ah fuck, what are you doin' in here?" Micah asked.
Verchiel held up a glass of crimson liquid: blood. "Just having a drink."
"Yeah, well take your drink somewhere else, huh?"
Verchiel seemed to suddenly disappear and reappear next to Micah. He wasn't sure if the Executioner's speed was supposed to be an intimidation tactic, but he wasn't intimidated. With one good punch he could send the wiry twerp through the wall.
"Look here," Verchiel said cheerfully. "You don't like me and I- well, what do you say we call a truce, hmmm? We're on vacation and what's the point in spending it fighting? There'll be plenty of that after we leave."
"You're damn right I don't like you or any of your fuckin' friends." Micah stopped to consider the Executioner's offer. As much as he'd like to ram his head in the garbage disposal and watch the brains fly, he wouldn't mind a real vacation. Ever since he'd gotten mixed up in Oren's war he'd had to keep one eye forward and one behind. It would be nice to enjoy the sand and the surf and all the other tropical crap without having to watch his back. "Fine. A truce it is. But you break it and I break you."
Verchiel held up his hand. "Oh, I have no intention of it. I have more entertaining activities planned."
"Yeah, I bet."
As if on cue, Jorick and his human Katelina walked through the door. Jorick was tall, dark and brooding, the kind of vampire you could put in a movie and sell as a smoldering romantic lead; hero complex and all. His human, on the other hand, was pretty much average. She had long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her figure wasn't bad, but she was no super model. Under different circumstances Micah'd do her, but she wasn't worth fighting Jorick over, not when there was plenty of other p-
"Hello, Kately!" Verchiel trilled. "Looking for a snack?"
"That's not my name," she said and turned towards the refrigerator. The tiny island server hurried to intercept her.
"She says that a lot," Micah thought. Personally he preferred to call her Lunch, mainly because it pissed off her vampire on a leash.
Verchiel downed the last of his glass. "You know, you might as well give it up. That's what I'm always going to call you. It's so much better than Katelina. Don't you think so, Jorick?"
Jorick growled low in his throat and gave the redhead a dark, dangerous look. Micah could read the warning in his eyes and it was a bloody one. Maybe they'd get some entertainment before the trip was through.
