Chapter 389
Fethillen landed the helicopter in a snowy field outside of the city. The engines stayed on and the rotors whirred overhead, even as she walked back to the cargo area. Katelina caught Jorick's eye, but he didn't comment.
"We wish to remain undetected, so we will part ways with you here," Fethillen shouted over the noise of the engines and rotors. "We have two hours until sunrise. That should be enough time for you to get to the Birlik. You have official titles. You can use these to seek accommodations and ask questions. Of course, you will not mention us."
It was an order, not a question, and Katelina expected Jorick to tell her to get bent. Instead he nodded.
Fethillen added, "If all goes well we will meet tomorrow night. If not, it is hard to say."
In other words there was a chance they might abandon them? Though Katelina wasn't fond of the Black Vigil, she didn't like the idea of being left behind.
Jorick nodded again and stood.
Ume was on her feet quickly. "I should go with them. If something happens I'll be able to contact you."
Fethillen pressed her lips together and studied the girl, while Sushel poked the vampire next to him and mouthed, "I told you."
Finally Fethillen said, "Yes. Perhaps you should. There is much animosity." She let her eyes slide to Sushel. "By tomorrow some of the anger may have cooled."
Ume nodded and grabbed a backpack from under her seat. She pressed her clenched fist to her heart, like an ancient Roman salute, and repeated something in a foreign language. Katelina assumed it was an oath of loyalty, though she couldn't be sure.
Someone opened the helicopter's door, and Katelina hurriedly grabbed her bag and followed Jorick out. She landed in snow and quickly moved aside for the next vampire. The helicopter's blades whirled up freezing cold air, and she could see the lights in the nearest house snapping on one by one.
Torina hopped out last, landing in a crouched position. She reminded Katelina of a sleek jungle cat, luring the unsuspecting in with her pretty coat and then attacking.
Jorick moved them away from the helicopter, and they'd barely stumbled out of the whirlwind when the lumbering aircraft lifted off. Katelina threw up an arm to shield her face and shouted, "They're leaving?"
"Before the authorities arrive," Jorick called back to her. "As should we."
"Authorities?"
"Yes, they frown on unauthorized helicopters landing in fields. Come on!"
They hurried in the opposite direction of the house, but Katelina could already see a tiny figure out on the lawn, staring up at the departing helicopter and then scanning the darkness.
Loren herded the bald humans along, casting uncertain glances at Katelina. The pair kept their eyes on their shuffling boots and murmured a low, terrified conversation that grew more audible as the sound of the helicopter died away. Katelina wanted to reassure them, but she knew it was useless. How could anyone who was born in the last twenty years not know at least a little English? Especially when their vampires did.
"They haven't had much of an education," Verchiel said.
"Do you speak Russian?" she asked hopefully.
"Nah, I'm just kind of guessing." He tapped the side of his head and grinned. "Most people have a lot of images associated with their thoughts and you don't need a language to interpret those. It looks to me like the vampires had them since they were kids."
"That's sick," Katelina muttered. Ignoring the inquiring look Etsuko shot her.
Jorick seemed to have a good idea where he was going. Katelina guessed he was sniffing his way to the Birlik. A huge host of vampires surely had a distinctive odor to someone sensitive to it. For her part all she could smell was smoke and cold.
Though Loren had suggested the country was Russian, the architecture looked like a combination of China and Turkey. Snow piled up against the tiled buildings looked weird, as if an unnatural winter had found its way to desert regions, and she expected to see wilting palm trees.
They were stopped once by a police officer who demanded to see their papers. Jorick used his usual mind tricks, and the officer walked back to his car and reported that everything was fine. Katelina thought of what Fethillen had said about doing what needed to be done. Since they had no whisperers they'd have probably killed the man. The policeman had no idea how lucky he'd gotten.
Jorick stopped finally at an abandoned building and told them to wait while he examined it. He made a complete circuit, then came back with the pronouncement, "This will do."
"Do for what?" Torina asked suspiciously.
"For the day. We will rest and visit the Birlik tomorrow."
"I thought we were going to stay there?" Katelina asked. She wasn't excited about another vampire guild, but an abandoned building was worse.
"Hardly. Though I saw no reason to tell Fethillen, The Sodalitas are not our friend, if you'll remember? We left rather suddenly, during a lock down, and took someone they'd have rather kept." He met Katelina's eyes briefly, then looked away. "Announcing our presence would only complicate matters." He pried a loose board from one of the windows and motioned them inside. "The sun will be up soon."
"Well that's great," Torina huffed. "We should have stayed in Munich."
She was through the window quickly, and the others followed. The bald humans hesitated a moment and then crawled inside. Katelina thought it was probably an improvement on their previous sleeping conditions.
Jorick helped her through the window and then Oren helped Etsuko. Her kimono made it difficult, and Katelina wondered why she didn't give up and wear jeans.
"It's not what she's used to," Verchiel commented. "It's the same as wondering why you don't give up and wear a kimono."
Jorick was the last in. He replaced the board, then led them deeper into the building. The darkness was almost complete and Katelina had to clutch his arm. He stopped in a center room and explained they'd have to hope for the best.
After the scene she'd witnessed in Finland, Katelina was in no hurry to challenge the daylight, but the vampires took it in stride.
Katelina felt her way to lie down on the cold floor. Jorick stretched out beside her and slid his arm under her head. "It could be worse," he joked, and he was right. She could hear tiny feet skittering in the distance and thought of the abandoned building she'd once stayed in with Micah and Loren. They'd left Jorick and the others behind in a fight with Executioners. That had been one of her worst nights. She remembered the bitter taste of fear and the nagging horror that something had happened to Jorick. The memories felt a world away and yet in the cold darkness they were too close.
"It's all right," he murmured and stroked her hair back from her face. "Rest now and we'll see what a new day brings.
Though she didn't say it, she suspected it would be more of the same.
***
She woke in the darkness to the muffled sound of traffic and people. Life milled outside of their hiding place and she shrank against Jorick, unsure whether she sought to protect him from it or to be protected.
Her stomach grumbled and the cold seeped through her coat and her clothes. What she wouldn't give for a bath and a real meal. She thought longingly of the stronghold's restaurant, strange food and all. She might even eat the Brussels sprouts.
Something shuffled nearby and she was instantly alert. A heartbeat passed and then the sound came again; feet on the cold floor. She started to wake Jorick, but thought better of it. He needed his sleep. It was awake in the daylight, which meant it was human, and if it was human she could handle it.
She stood and made it to the wall. Fast footfalls started away, as if someone knew she was closing in and was desperate to escape.
She hurried after the sound and emerged into a room lit by diffused sunlight. She had a nanosecond view of a figure disappearing through a low doorway and she threw herself after them in a flying tackle. With a cry of horror, the figure crumpled beneath her and the pair landed on the floor with a heavy thud.
Katelina struggled to free herself from her victim and saw the bald male standing nearby, staring at her with terrified eyes. She sat back on her haunches in surprise and the bald woman pulled away, her knitted hat askew and her thin hands shaking.
"What are you doing?" Katelina demanded as the man helped his companion to her feet. They clutched one another and stared at her as though she was an enemy soldier ready to shoot them.
The man met the woman's eyes and then looked Katelina full in the face for the first time. "Dom."
She waited for more, but when nothing came she tried to guess the meaning of what he'd said. What could they want? Help? Food? A Bathroom?
"I don't know what that means," she admitted lamely. "Maybe when Verchiel or Jorick wake up they can figure out what you want." They stared at her, uncomprehending and she mimed walking back to the room and going back to sleep. Then vampires waking up and reading their minds. The hand gestures alarmed them and they drew further away.
"Okay, that looked kind of like them attacking you." She tried again. Her erratic gestures left them looking even more frightened, but whatever meaning they drew from it was sufficient to send them hurrying around her and back to the dark room.
Katelina started after them, then checked her watch. It was useless; still set for a different time zone. It was hard to tell how long it would be until sundown. Maybe she'd better stay there in case they tried to escape again.
She kicked some rubble out of her way and sat with her back against the wall and knees up. Sunlight splashed on her. It seemed a little too bright and she moved away from it and settled down again.
When Ume woke her the room was hazy with twilight. "What are you doing?"
"The Russians- they were trying to escape or something." Katelina yawned and stretched her aching legs. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
Ume had changed her jeans and sweater for her black uniform, sans the mask. She glanced back toward the deeper rooms. "There are rats here to feed on, but I'm going to go look around. Do you want to come with me?"
Katelina stood and stretched. "Sure. It has to be better than sitting in here."
