The Recruiters (17 page)

“
You scared the shit out of me,” he whispered.

“
Sorry,” I croaked. He glared at me for a split second, then smiled and shook his head.

“
Unbelievable,” he said then he kissed my cheek. “Thirsty?” he said. I nodded. He motioned to someone else and a minute later I smelled it. He held it up to my lips and I easily sank my fangs in. “More?” he said.

I nodded, then I whispered, “Him too.” My head turned toward Carlos and when I finally saw him, I gasped. He looked so broken and frail. This was not the Carlos that I knew and loved. I needed the Carlos who always made me laugh back. I squeezed my eyes shut, this was too much right now. Matt returned my focus to him.

“
Are you sure, honey? He looks pretty out of it right now.”

I nodded my head. “Believe me, he’ll drink,” I said. Matt stared at me for a second, then dropped his eyes (was that hurt in them?), nodded his head and motioned again for more blood. As soon as the scent hit me I croaked, “Him first.”

Matt moved over to the bed next to mine. “Carlos?” he said. “Time to feed. Come on Carlos.”

I reached out to him,
‘Come on dude, you look like shit right now, you need this to rebuild your strength.’

‘
Gee thanks, that helps,’
he thought, but I saw his lips part and his fangs sink into the bag. I leaned my head back on the bed and smiled.

“
Okay,” Matt said, “Now, your turn.” I eagerly drank, then grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to me, burying my face in his chest.

“
It’s you that I want. Please don’t ever forget that,” I mumbled.

He gently wrapped his arms around me, “I know, Sarah. It’s just kind of hard for me to understand sometimes.” I pulled my head back and looked at him, concentrating. “Don’t honey,” he said, “Don’t do this now. Just get better, okay?”

I shook my head. “No,” I whispered, “I want to do this, but I have to say it right.” I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them and stared at him. “I had two pieces torn out of me, remember?” he nodded as I continued. “Two pieces that were ripped from me, leaving me broken. Both my husband and my son, gone in the same second. You more than filled one of those pieces, he filled the other. You’re someone that I love unconditionally. I happily give you my heart, my soul, my body, my entire being. He’s someone I can nurture and guide through life, helping him along the way. I need that in my life. I need him just as much as I need you, just in a different way. Does that make sense?” He stared at me for a second and I briefly felt panic start to form - maybe I hadn’t said it right.

Finally, he nodded. “Of course it does. I love you Sarah,” he said as he tenderly kissed me.

“
I love you too,” I said when he pulled back. “So, who’s going to tell me why it’s taking so long for us to heal, you or the doctor?” I said.

“
You both suffered injuries that would have been fatal to a human, and could have been fatal to you both. Vampires will heal from injuries like that, but it still takes a little time. Be patient, and rest, okay honey?” he said. I nodded and buried my face in his chest again, breathing him in, and slept.

‘
Sarah, are you awake?’
Carlos said in my head.

‘
I am now,’
I thought.
‘What’s up?’
I rolled my head to the side and saw him staring at me.

‘
I hope you don’t expect me to call you Mom now, unless you’re gonna give me a spanking,’
he grinned.

‘
Oh shut up, you dork,’
I smiled.

He face grew serious then.
‘It hurts Sarah, a lot. And I’m so tired.’
His eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and he went silent, rolling and pulling the leads off the monitor. They landed on the pillow next to his head. I glanced frantically around the room. Nobody was even close. Without thinking I threw the blankets off me and climbed off the bed. I steadied myself when my knees threatened to give out. Reaching over, I grabbed onto Carlos’ bed and pulled myself over, next to his face. I leaned over as far as I could and grabbed them, stretching my arm out to plug them back in. The instant I reattached the last one I heard him mumble, into my chest which happened to be pressed into his face, “You can stay there as long as you need to.” I leaned back and smiled at the huge goofy grin on his face.

Shaking my head I said, “You are one seriously sick vampire, you know that? Whoa, head rush,” and then I was down. I collapsed onto the floor as Carlos reached for me.

“
Sarah!” he said. “Somebody, please help in here.” I heard voices then saw feet as they ran into the room.

“
Sarah,” Matt said as he scooped me up. “Honey! What happened?”

Carlos groaned behind him. “Bro, I’m so sorry, it was my fault.” Matt spun around with me in his arms and growled.

I reached my hand up to his cheek, “No honey, don’t,” I whispered, “It wasn’t his fault. He passed out and pulled the leads out of the monitor. No one was around so I plugged them back in. I should have called for someone. It was my fault.” He glanced at Carlos, then back at me, then leaned down and kissed my forehead. Turning, he gently set me on the bed. Then he climbed in next to me when I refused to let go of his arm.

Carlos was suddenly in my head, ‘
I’m so sorry Sarah. I’ll try to behave myself from now on.’

‘
You can try, but you know you won’t succeed,’
I thought, ‘
You are who you are, that’s what we all love about you. Now, let me sleep, okay?’

‘
Okay… and Sarah?’
he thought.

‘
Yes?’
I thought.

‘
Thanks… and we’re even now, unless you want to press your boobs into my face some more… night, night.’

I shot straight up in bed, almost knocking Matt off the bed and onto the floor. “MALINA!” I shouted.

Matt tried to pull me back down. “Honey, she’s gone. Calm down, and please lie back down.”

I turned and stared at him, wide-eyed. “You can’t be serious. There’s too much work to do. She may be gone now, but you know she’ll be back. She’ll be back and she’ll have others with her. We need to be prepared. We have to stop her this time. Permanently.”

He grinned at me. “Honey, we know that. We’re working on a plan.”

“
We?” I said.

“
Me and the other cabinet members,” he said.

“
Cabinet members?”

“
I was waiting until you were completely recovered to tell you,” he said as his grin grew wider.

“
Tell me?” I said. “Tell me what?” I crossed my arms across my chest.

“
Well, after everything was over, nobody wanted to leave, they’re all still here. We decided to hold elections right away, so we could get to work immediately. They elected Billy as Vice President, Bahiti as Finance minister, Aduviri as our human liaison, I’m head of security and Carlos is head of public relations,” he chuckled at this one then noticed me still staring at him. “What?” he said.

“
You said Billy is Vice President, who was elected President?” I said.

His eyes twinkled and he grinned at me, the same goofy grin I’ve seen a hundred times on Carlos’ face. My arms uncrossed and fell to the bed. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled.

“
Nope,” he grinned. “Not kidding.”

“
Me?” I said. “Why? Why me?”

He stared at me, shock filling his face. “Sarah,” he began, “how could it not be you? You figured this entire thing out. You started it. You gave us the answers we could never find. And you were able to finish it for us. No one else could have done that. You gave us this freedom. Who else could we have chosen to lead us into our future?”

I slowly leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Wow,” I mumbled then I looked at him. “But I don’t know the first thing about politics or about running a government.”

He shook his head. “That’s okay. Neither do we. We’ll all figure this out together.”

“
Wow,” I said again.

I spent the next week in the hospital bed. Feeding, recovering and being filled in on what happened after I landed on the wall. They had found Musetta, the voodoo priestess, and Olatunde, Omoruyi’s grandfather, in the fortress, starving but alive. They had recovered in the same room I was in then flew home to their relieved families. We lost thirty-two. I finally had time to grieve for them, including Andrew, my close friend, without whose help this never would’ve been possible. They buried Andrew and Janine together under the weeping willow, right where they would want to be.

“
Stefan and Penelope?” I asked Matt.

“
Gone, but they’ve contacted us, offering their help.”

I smiled. “I thought they might. When’s the wedding?”

Matt’s surprise was clear on his face. “But how did you know?”

“
Trust me,” I smiled. “A woman knows.”

He smiled and shook his head. “They’re in Vegas right now. They’ll be back in a week.”

“
Good,” I said. “Hopefully they can give us some insight into Malina’s abilities and how to beat them. Oh, and we need a computer guy. We need to start a database of all vampires, and a website they can go to for announcements, news and communications.”

“
Done,” Matt smiled.

“
Who?” I asked.

“
Rashidi,” he grinned.

I stared at him, afraid to ask my next question, “Did Stacy make it?” I whispered.

“
Oh boy, did she,” Matt grinned. “She and Rashidi are living in the suite that you and I stayed in when we were here. She’s retired her own services, but is now a madam running a vampire call girl service. Quite successfully, I might add.”

I squinted at him. “And you would know this, how?” I raised my eyebrow, crossed my arms and tried not to grin.

He held his hands up, “No honey, not me. Just by word of mouth, I promise.”

I heard Carlos laughing in the bed next to me. “Shut up, you goof,” I said.

“
Not a chance,” he grinned. “You’ve been in here a while Sarah. He has needs you know.”

“
CARLOS,” we both said at the same time.

“
What?” he said. “I’m just sayin’ is all. You’ve gone a long time without it too, Sarah. I can tell you’re ready from the dreams you’ve been having, especially last night.”

A horrified, embarrassed look crossed my face. “Wh… what?” I stammered.

“
Oh, come on. The way you were moaning, it had to be a good one,” he grinned.

“
Oh God,” I moaned as I buried my head in my hands.

“
Yep, that was pretty much it,” he chuckled.

I looked up at the questioning look on Matt’s face and whispered, “I was dreaming about the cave.”

A blush filled Matt’s cheeks. “Oh,” he whispered.

I glared at Carlos. “Why the hell didn’t you wake me?”

He stared back at me. “You’re kidding, right?”

I looked up at Matt. “Please, you
have
to get me out of here.” He wrapped his arms around me.

“
I’ll talk to the doctor,” he chuckled.

I playfully smacked his arm. “It’s not funny,” I pouted. “You try being stuck in a room with ol’ big ears here. I miss you desperately, Matt. But no matter how much… pressure… is building up in me, I can’t do anything about it with him in here.”

Complete silence filled the room. I looked at both of them, staring at me with their mouths hanging open. “What?” I said. “Even you said it’s been a long time.”

Carlos recovered first. “Hey,” he grinned, “don’t let my being here stop you. By all means, Sarah. Go ahead and let your fingers do the walking.”

“
You wish, Carlos,” I mumbled.

“
Well, duh! Ouch!” he said, rubbing the back of his head.

I grinned and stuck my tongue out at him. “Ha!” I said.

Matt, still standing there with his mouth open, suddenly started walking out. “I’m going to go talk to the doctor,” he mumbled. He returned a few minutes later, grinning.

“
Really?” I said.

He nodded. “Two hours,” he said. “I get you for two hours.” I held my arms up to him and he scooped me up.

“
DOC!” Carlos called. “Hey Doc, what about me? Can I get out of here for a while?”

The doctor came in, shaking his head, “No, you’ve still got some healing to do. You’re not going anywhere yet.” I started to stick my tongue out at him again, but stopped. I reached my mind to him instead,
‘Sorry,’
I thought.

‘
For what?’
he thought.

‘
That you can’t go have some fun too,’
I thought.

‘
Sarah, I’m fine, go, but, for the love of God, please stay out of my head while you’re doing it,’
he grinned.

‘
Not a problem
,’ I thought.

‘
At least now maybe you’ll be quiet enough so I can get some sleep
,’ he thought.