Chapter 5
Darius knocks on Cassandra's hotel room door and asks if she is packed. She opens the door ready to go. They head to the lobby and all load up to go to the airport. Darius catches his boss in the lobby. "Thanks a lot for all the memories. It's been a wild ride." says Darius.
"You have been the most gifted soldier it has ever been my pleasure to work with. If you ever change your mind and need some action, give me a call."
"I will sir" as they shake hands.
"Get that reporter safely back to the states, okay." the boss says quietly. He is more worried about the bad publicity his company could receive if the B.L.O.O.D. commander gets a hold of her first.
"Sir?" asks Darius.
"Consider that your last order, soldier" Darius nods, a little confused and worried. What does he know that he is not telling me?
On the plane it is decided they will immediately make several copies of the footage they captured and keep them in safe, separate places. They all know there must be people or organizations that will not want them to have this footage, and will no doubt try to stop them from telling the story. If vampires are real, they have kept the secret for this long for a reason. Darius is still wondering what was meant about keeping Cassandra safe. It sounds like they are on someone's radar already. He chooses to keep this bit of information from both Cassandra and Kevin. He can keep them safe without scaring the hell out of them.
When the plane lands, Cassandra sees her city again but with new eyes and new knowledge of the world. Everything seems different somehow. She must have walked through JFK airport a thousand times, but for some reason this time feels like the first time. There are so many questions now. She has to find a way to get back to her usual world and usual life. How can things ever feel normal again? It was enough of a shock having Darius show up in her life again, but the possible proof of a whole other life-form and all the questions rushing through her mind are making her feel lost. New York City seems so cold, lonely, and foreign now. She looks over at Darius hoping to feel grounded again.
"Hey, you in there?" jokes Darius. "You seem lost in thought, and you’re staring at me blankly. It's creeping me out."
More like mental rambling she thinks. "I just realized how different the world looks." She says sadly.
"I guess I hadn't considered how shocking this would be to you. I have been piecing this all together for the past few years, so it's not completely new to me. I'm sure your head is swirling." Darius says with real sympathy in his voice. He puts his hand on her lower back.
"It didn't hit me until we landed. Home doesn't give me the same solace it used to. I always felt comforted when coming home from assignments when I would see home through my airplane window. I know now I will not get peace again until I get some real answers." says Cassandra.
"That's why I called you. If anyone can sift through all this and find the truth it's my Cassandra." Darius says with a twinkle in his eye.
Those words sound incredible sexy coming from his lips. . .’my Cassandra’.
She smiles sheepishly, "We certainly have a lot of work to do."
"I'm ready, where do we start?" shouts Kevin. He is walking their way carrying what seems like a truckload of luggage. "I've got your bags Cassie, let's go."
Darius, thoroughly appreciating Kevin's timing, smiles as if to say - eventually I will get her alone.
"Well, let's all go get unpacked, settled in, and collect our thoughts for now. We can meet up again tomorrow morning to plan our next move," Cassandra suggests.
"Well obviously you do not understand the severity of this situation. We have no idea who or what could be after us, no one is going home. Here," Darius hands Kevin a clip of cash, "go to the Radisson Lexington Hotel in Midtown, rent a room for a couple nights, and buy a prepay phone. My number is in the clip, memorize it, then burn it."
Kevin, looking a little alarmed and confused says "Well . . . thank you Mr. Bond. Where are you guys going to be?"
"It's better if you don't know, it gives you deniability. Just call me as soon as you get that phone."
Cassandra, feeling out of control now asks, "What did you get us into, and who are you?"
Darius was concerned by how she looked at him. "I only have your safety in mind, and we are in uncharted territory. You will just have to trust me and my training okay." The warmth returned to his voice and made Cassandra see the real Darius again.
Cassandra hugs Kevin, and tells him to be careful. "Just do what he says, please. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."
"I'll be fine and so will you." Kevin never seemed to let things get to him . . . too young and dumb to be scared I guess, thought Cassandra.
Kevin gets into a cab and drives away. Cassandra can't help but worry if this will be the last time she sees him. Darius hails them a cab and loads their luggage into the trunk. Once on the road, Darius tries to reassure her that she is safe.
"I think that is the issue. I feel so safe with you that it's hard to image anything bad could happen. I feel very naive all the sudden." Cassandra says, showing a little emotion.
"You're not being naive. You were right, our world is different. Until I know who our friends are I have to be on guard."
"So where are we going?" asks Cassandra
"To the Soho Grand. We'll be safe there."
While crossing the lobby of the Soho Grand with their luggage, the desk clerk spots Darius. "Good afternoon Mr. Davis. Will you be needing a wake up call in the morning?"
"No thank you."
Cassandra looks at Darius confused.
He holds the elevator door for her. "Thank you Mr. Davis" she says with a definite sarcastic tone.
As they go into the room Darius starts by saying "Look before you turn all ‘investigative reporter’ on me, I used an alias to check in. I was counting on you to get proof of what these creatures are. I could only assume they wanted it kept a secret, and would not be happy with a reporter having them on film. Just call it soldier intuition."
"If you say so. I guess that explains the double room, and thank you for not being presumptuous."
"You are the one being presumptuous, that other bed is for the suitcases." Darius says with the same playful humor that she remembered.
"Not funny!" she says. "I really need to call George to let him know we are in the city." She pulls her phone out and starts to dial. Quickly, Darius takes her phone and hangs up.
"Use this, it's untraceable."
"Fine, whatever." Cassandra rolls her eyes. She dials George's number. "Hey, George, we just got to the hotel room and Kevin and I are fine."
"Thank god, but why are you in a hotel room?" quizzes George.
"My bodyguard, I mean old friend, is being a little paranoid. He thought it best to not go home, just in case we are being followed. Kevin is in a different hotel."
"Well, keep listening to your bodyguard. It sounds like he knows what he's doing. You are going to make an old man out of me yet." George sighs.
"Everything is fine, don't worry. Darius wants us to lay low here for the day so he can decide if we are in fact being followed. We are all coming into the office in the morning to make copies of our footage and let you see it. I thought with it being Saturday, there would less people in the office to avoid. I cannot wait to get your take on all this." Cassandra says sounding almost excited.
"I will see what you've got and then we can figure out how to handle it. See you in the morning."
She tells him good bye and hangs up.
Darius, not completely sure yet who to trust, asks "Are you sure it is safe to bring George into this? We have to consider if he can be trusted and if so, will we be putting him in danger by showing him."
"He's like a father to me. I trust him and his opinion just as much as I trust yours." Cassandra says to Darius, sounding a little bothered by his implication.
"I hope your right. I'm goin
g to walk around a little and look for anything suspicious. Do not leave the hotel room, please. Anything you may need can be brought up, the concierge number is by the phone.”
"I'm going to take a long bath and try to clear my mind. Then I'll order us some dinner"
The next morning Cassandra calls Kevin to have him meet them at the newsroom. He has been doing research and is very excited to share it with them.
Now all three of them are in George's office. Darius takes a back seat while Cassandra and Kevin fill George in on all the details of what they experienced and show him the footage of both cameras. Cassandra starts to talk about how she wants to do the story for Monday’s evening news. George stops her. He is not releasing this information without more research and some expert analysis. “Besides Cassie, this also would have to get clearance from our D.O.R.M. agent.”
Cassandra is noticeably disappointed but also respects George's suggestions. Darius speaks up and sides with George. “This is big news Cassie, world changing.” He chooses to side with George as a way of gaining a little trust. Darius isn't convinced he should be trusted and getting close to him is the only way to find out for sure. It is hard not to notice how unshaken George is after seeing everything. Only two possibilities exist. Either George already knows about the creatures or he doesn't believe it at all and has no intentions of letting Cassandra go public with this.
George adds, “We need to speak with some experts or find some people who have come in contact with these soldiers, if that's possible. We have to have solid proof with a story like this!”
George sends them to a film expert to analyze and report whether he believes this to be authentic. “Make sure he is willing to go on camera and say the film has not been tampered with.” Cassandra also adds that she could talk to a retired military contact of hers to see if he has any insight into what they saw and filmed.
Kevin, feeling like a caged animal, can't stay quiet any longer. “I know where we can go to get proof! There is an organization in London called the Vampire Research Society that claims to have archives of the history and genealogy of vampires.” Cassandra rolls her eyes at Kevin.
“You know that place is probably just run by a bunch of rich gothic kids who got romanced by the idea of vampires. If there were a real Vampire Research Society you would not have found any information about it on the damn internet. I’m sure they would have much better security than that. Besides, we aren’t even sure that is what we are dealing with.” Cassandra is making sure George knows she is not just buying into this theory. She knows how ridiculous it must sound to him, even though he isn’t reacting how she expected.
“Give me the contact information and I will see what I can find out about it,” offers George. “I could only assume, if this is all real, they don't hold regular public viewing hours in the archives. It may take a little finessing to get approval for you to get in. Kevin I have some editing I would like you to help out with this morning. Cassie, head over to this address and ask him to attempt to prove the footage is tampered with. Don't let him know we shot the footage, it's the only way to be sure he is unbiased,” George hands her a business card from the film expert. “Darius, I realize we have only just met but I must ask a favor. Please keep my little girl safe. Do not leave her side,” requests George.
“Wouldn't think of it sir,” replies Darius.
First, Cassandra and Darius make several copies of the footage: one set will stay with them, one goes in the newsroom safe, one will be put into a safe deposit box under another alias of Darius's, and one is dropped off at the film expert's home to be analyzed.
Meanwhile George is sitting in his office trying to decide on his next move. He knows he could ask Emily to allow them access to the archives but would it be smart? He never wants her to think he taking advantage of their relationship for professional gain. His phone rings, it's Emily. “Oh hey baby, I was just thinking about you,” says George trying to not sound suspicious.
“I know, that is why I have called. I've already been given approval to allow them access. I'm unsure why they are being allowed but I've learned not to question him. He wants them to learn as much as they can and is granting full access,” Emily never actually says who HE is and George knows better then to ask. “He does have one stipulation though and it's a big one. He is sending one of our private jets to take them there. Again, I am unsure of why the red carpet treatment for this but they need to be told to appreciate it and to prepare for a peculiar trip,” says Emily seeming a little amused.
“Peculiar? He is sending a V jet? I'm not sure Cassie is ready for that.” George is worried he is throwing her into a situation that even Cassandra won't be able to handle. “How much do I tell her before they go?”
“I've been instructed to meet them in your office later this evening so he can properly brief them on the situation.”
George is shocked. “Will I be in this meeting?” George may finally get to see who HE is that Emily works for.
“Yes and I must tell her about myself. It is the only way to fully bring her in and see all of this for what it really is. Are you comfortable with that George?”
George knows enough of the culture of Emily and her kind, and knows that if HE says this is how it must happen then George supports his decision. What choice does he have?