The Recruiters (13 page)

“
Nice kiss, Sarah,” he laughed.

“
Kiss? What kiss?” Carlos said from the bottom of the stairs.

Matt grinned at me again. “Well? Why don’t you tell him Sarah?” he laughed. I smiled and shook my head as I went down the stairs.

As I passed Carlos, I smiled at him then looked back up at Matt, “You two have fun with it,” I said. “I’m going to go talk to Bahiti for a minute.”

I reached the porch then heard Carlos say, “What??? No way… she kissed her? With tongues and everything? And she grabbed her boob? That is so freakin’ hot! Man I wish I could have seen that… owwww!”

I smiled then because Carlos must have gotten the smack on the back of the head that I knew was coming.

I found Bahiti sitting in the shaded garden out back.

“
Hello, Sarah,” she said

“
Hi Bahiti, how are you feeling?” I said.

“
I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“
Well, this is probably forward, but we need to prepare quickly. Everyone needs to be ready, so…” I began, but she interrupted me.

“
You’re wondering if I would assist some of the other vampires with disabling their triggers, but not the way you helped me because that took much longer than the other way, correct?” she said.

I nodded as she continued, “I actually already have with one of my lovers. I’m just waiting a little while before helping another.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Really?” I said. “I mean, that’s great, thanks.” I started to stand. I really wanted to ask her who but knew it was none of my business.

“
No thanks are necessary,” she said. “I got just as much out of it that Carlos did. It’s very erotic isn’t it?” she smiled as my head whipped around, my mouth open.

I had no response, I just smiled and said, “I’m sorry to leave so quickly, but I have to get back to work.”

She smiled and nodded. As I walked back to the house, I reached out to Carlos.

‘
What now?’
he thought.

‘
Bahiti? Really?’
I thought.

‘
Oh that, yeah, what about it?’

‘
Well, it’s just that she seems so much more… refined than you… it just surprised me, that’s all’

I could feel him laughing as he thought,
‘Really, Sarah, even refined people like sex now and then. Especially super-awesome, great sex – like it always is with me.’

‘
Of course it is. Hey, can you talk now?’
I thought.

‘
Not now, we’re preparing Janine for her change.’

‘
Oh,’
I thought,
‘do you need my help?’

‘
Ummm, why don’t you come in after the transference. I don’t want any problems with you around the blood, and Andrew could use your help getting her through the painful, messy part, okay?’

‘
Yeah, you’re right, okay,’
I thought, a little crushed. What the hell was wrong with me?

‘
We’ll try to figure out what’s wrong after this, I promise, okay?’
he thought.

‘
Okay,’
I thought.
‘Thanks.’

I pulled back and went up the stairs, waiting outside the door until it was my time.

I patted Andrew’s hand, “She’s going to be fine, stop worrying.”

“
How do you know?” he pleaded.

I turned to look at her, laying so peacefully on the bed. “See her fingers? Her feet? They’re starting to twitch. Do you see that?” I said. He nodded slightly.

“
That means she’s going to wake up soon. She’ll wake up and then she’ll be yours forever,” I smiled.

He looked up at me then. “Really?” he said. “She really will be mine forever, won’t she?”

I nodded. “I’m going to go get her something to eat. She’s going to want it, and you, badly when she wakes up.” I returned a minute later with an armful of blood for her, which she happily devoured as soon as I walked into the room. I took my leave then, knowing what was coming next.

Things progressed quickly over the next week, during which neither Matt nor I slept. There were fight clinics set up around the island for the new vampires (including me). Andrew continued to coach us on the fortress location, its vulnerable spots (there weren’t many) and what little he knew about the Elders, their techniques, capabilities and schedule. Carlos and I seemed to always be too busy to talk, so my issues weighed heavily on my mind. I would go for long walks to try to clear my head. On one walk through the jungle, I ran into Bahiti. It occurred to me that a vampire as old and wise as she might be able to help, but I was still afraid to open up completely to her. “Hello Bahiti. How are you doing?” I said.

“
I’m anxious to get this over with. They should have been stopped centuries ago, but we were never organized enough to figure out how,” she said.

“
Can I ask you a question?” I said.

She nodded and waited for me to continue.

“
In your history, whether actual history or legends and rumors, have you ever heard of some vampires being different from others?”

She smiled kindly. “I think this is a conversation better suited for another time, Sarah. Right now we all need to focus entirely on the task at hand, wouldn’t you agree? I will say this much though. Whatever you’re feeling or think you’re feeling, you are not alone, Sarah. There is history that will help you on your journey. Okay?”

I wanted to hear more, but deep down I knew she was right. “Okay. Later, then. I guess I can wait. Thanks Bahiti.”

She tucked her arm in mine. “Shall we head back? We don’t want to be missed, do we?”

Two days later I managed to get another brief break in the action – our fight clinic had become too intense so Gabriel told us we had to take a half hour break to cool down. I decided to take it literally and went for a swim in the lagoon on the far side of the island. I was leisurely swimming in the middle of the lagoon when something brushed my leg. I gasped and looked around as I treaded water. I had just begun to decide that it was a curious little fish that had swam away when a hand grabbed my foot and playfully pulled me down. I surprised him by quickly spinning around, grabbing his arm and pinning it behind his back and kicking towards the surface. Carlos was laughing the second his head broke the surface, “Ahhh, haaaa, ow, ow, okay Sarah, I give. Uncle.”

“
Not funny, Carlos. You scared the shit out of me. Where did you come from anyways?”

“
That’s my secret,” he said as he began to swim in circles around me.

I started to get pissed but then saw the playful gleam in his eye. “You and I don’t have secrets from each other Carlos, remember?”

He cocked his head to one side and stared at me with a puzzled look on his face. “What?” I said.

“
Well, you’re right. It’s just that you’re the first woman that I can say that to. You’re the first woman that I’m comfortable sharing my secrets with, the first woman that I
trust
. It just feels strange and I’m wondering why it feels so
normal and comfortable
.”

“
Oh, that’s easy, Carlos. It’s because we’re not sleeping together. You don’t have a reason to not be your annoying self because you’re not trying to get into my pants,” I joked.

Carlos grinned his goofy grin as he grabbed my hand. “Speak for yourself,” he cracked then he pulled me under water with me grinning the whole way.

We swam down to a huge rock. He took me around the back side and showed me his ‘secret’. We swam into the cave. He held tight to my hand as he led me down one branch, then into another, then still another. It was a maze of corridors that would have gotten me hopelessly lost some time ago. We took one more sharp right which then began to curve upward. It took my breath away when my head broke through the surface. We were in a massive cavern that had
stars
in it. Or what looked like stars. “Is that, is that algae?” I whispered.

“
Yep. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

“
Oh my God, Carlos. It’s beautiful,” I said as I swam toward the side. “Can I touch it?”

“
Yeah, but be careful. These are volcano rocks and they’re sharp as hell. I usually stay in the water.”

I gingerly pulled myself up on the side as I said, “I’ve gotta get closer to see this.”

I took slow, deliberate steps, carefully making my way to the wall. “I see what you mean,” I said as I cringed after gouging the bottom of my foot.

“
Sarah. Come back in the water. You’re just going to get hurt out there.”

“
I’ll be back in a second,” I said as I crouched down to avoid a stalactite. I stepped up to the wall and gently reached out my finger to touch one of the twinkling stars. As I did, the entire cave came to life with blinking lights. I turned around and grinned at Carlos. “Did you know that would happen?” I said.

He nodded as he treaded water. “Yep. Pretty cool, huh? It’s all linked somehow. Touch one spot and it sends out a warning signal throughout the cave.”

“
That is amazing,” I said as I began to make my way slowly back to the water. But as I ducked under the stalactite again, I misjudged my distance and stood up before I was completely passed it. The sharp point gouged into the back of my head, down my neck and upper back, cutting my skin and shredding all of the straps on my bikini top. This all played out as if in slow motion and our eyes locked as my suit fell; followed, too slowly, by my hands reaching up to cover my breasts. As I covered myself with one arm and fumbled with the torn suit on the ground with the other, Carlos shot out of the water and over to me.

“
Sarah! You’re bleeding everywhere. Don’t move,” he said as he gently moved my hair to one side. I was still fumbling with my top, planning on salvaging what was left of it to cover what remained of my pride, but Carlos stopped me. “Sarah. Stop fidgeting. I’m not looking, okay? But I have to get this bleeding stopped, so please hold still.” I stopped moving and pressed my chest into my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He scraped his hand on one of the sharp rocks, opening a gash on his palm, licked the blood and then began licking the cut on my back.

“
Won’t my blood just heal it?” I whispered as he licked his palm again and then licked higher on my back, getting closer to the back of my neck. I was worried about him getting to my neck – I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop my normal reaction when he did. Anytime anyone comes near the back of my neck, I shiver. It’s an amazingly sensitive erogenous zone for me. And despite the searing pain I was feeling, I knew that I would still react the same way.

“
Eventually, it would but it would take a lot longer and I don’t want you getting back in the water when you are bleeding. I’m older, my blood and saliva combined will help you heal faster. Okay?”

I nodded and tried to brace myself. He put more fresh blood on his tongue then I felt it on the top of my back and it moved slowly up the back of my neck. A sharp inhale followed by a visible shiver followed. I felt his tongue hesitate for a moment in surprise. He pulled back for a second. “Really?” he whispered. “That strong?”

I was blushing and had pressed my head against my knees to avoid his gaze. “Yes. Just finish quickly, please?” I mumbled from my crouched position.

“
I’ll try, but the neck cut is deeper than your back. Sorry,” he said as he licked his palm again. Another gasp, another shiver, followed quickly by flashes of images of the two of us writhing around together – and they weren’t coming from me.

“
Carlos, stop thinking that,” I whispered.

“
You saw that? Sorry. Couldn’t help it. Guess now we’re even,” he said.

“
Yeah, whatever. Are you finished yet?”

“
Almost. One more on the back of the neck then, lucky me, I get to lick your hair to heal the cut on the back of your head.”

“
Wonderful,” I groaned.

This time my shiver got a laugh out of Carlos.

“
Shut up,” I said, trying not to laugh myself. He finished with the back of my head.

“
All done,” he said.

“
They’re healed already?”

“
No. They’ve stopped bleeding. They’ll be completely healed in a few hours.”

One arm was draped across my chest as I held up what was left of my suit with the other. “Do you think you could tie the ends together to make it stay?” I said.

He took it, tied the shredded ends together then held it up. “Only if you’re a size negative two. Look. I have a t-shirt back on the shore. You’ll be in the water. I won’t see anything. Promise.”

“
What color?”

“
Seriously? You’re worried about the color?”

“
Absolutely. If it’s white, it’s not really going to do me any good, is it?”

He grinned, “Yeah but it would be great for me.”

My look told him to stop joking around. “Fine, fine, it’s dark green, okay?”

I stared at him for a moment then grabbed the top from him. “Fine. Let’s go,” I said as I walked to the edge of the water.