Blood Shadow: Book of Ariel

change,’ Aaron replied.

  “What were you guys going to do?” Cal asked.

  “We were on our way back to the arcade for a day of USA vs. USSR hockey under the big dome,” Max stated.

  “Why don’t we all do that after bowling and golf? We could eat at the bowling alley and then head over to the arcade,” Daniel said.

  The six guys agreed and were excited to be together and doing such fun things for the day. Consolidation of activities was the name of the game on this day, as three groups next became one.

  “What’s up today, Carla?” Nicole asked her culinary friend.

  “Pies. Apple and pumpkin pies,” Carla replied.

  “That sounds good,” Maggie said. “We’re supposed to do some fundraising today, but those families we built houses for yesterday need our help,” she said looking over at her partner in philanthropy, Kayla.

  “What kind of help?” Belinda asked.

  Kayla replied, “All kinds of help. They need food, clothing, blankets and other assorted items.”

  The six women all looked at each other and a fusion of understanding took them over.

  “We have so much leftover from the first two days, and we could bake a bunch of pies and bring those over, too,” Nicole said.

  “And we can knit blankets and sweaters for the families,” Emily added.

  “Sounds like a plan, ladies!” an excited Maggie said to the group.

  Gary and Thad were talking about their motorcycles, and Blake and Sharon were getting ready to go on their deep sea scavenger hunt.

  “So, you’re saying that Triumph bikes are better than Harley Davidson bikes? I thought we had this discussion already?” Gary said to Thad.

  “So, we have all of our scuba gear ready for the dive today?” Agent Blake asked fellow diver Sharon.

  Thaddeus was distracted from his conversation with Garrison enough to divert his attention to the divers.

  “What are you two doing today?”

  Blake smiled, “We’re going on a deep sea treasure hunt.”

  “Wow! Cool!” Gary exclaimed and then looked over at his all-things-motor partner Thad and said, “We have to get in on that!”

  “Why don’t we get our motorboats out and then use the bikes to get into town and price the stuff at Beach Haven Pawn,” Thad added.

  Blake looked at Sharon for confirmation of the revised schedule and she simply replied, “Happy for the company.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  By 10:00 am, every person in the world of Hartwell was in full motion. All of the groups had begun their activities, the Winters’ and Justice families were well into their big swim, and Linda and Brenda Vinson got an early start on their drive to New York, with a little antiquing and resale shopping thrown in for good measure.

  Since there was nobody on the golf course because it was 44 degrees outside, the six men were able to play together in an unconventional grouping the likes of which were rarely seen in this world of foursomes.

  “I don’t think I have ever had the pleasure of sharing my round with five other players before,” the experienced Hartwell said.

  “It definitely makes things a little more interesting,” Cal added. “Why don’t you do the honors,” he added, meaning that he wanted Hartwell to be the first one to hit off the first tee.

  Hartwell nodded to Cal and then put his hand in his pocket to extract a long white tee and a ball. While he would rather have hit last in this group, because the sight of his ball exploding off the tee and sailing more than 300 yards down the fairway was likely to crush the confidence of the other players, he was happy to be outside playing the game he loved.

  He bent over and pushed the tee into the ground, leaving ample room for club clearance, and then he gently set the ball on top of the tee. Hartwell stepped back to attain focus and took a smooth practice swing and then another, before placing his club behind the ball and then squaring his feet. His breath was more even now, save for a slightly accelerated heartbeat, as he brought the club back and then accelerated through the hitting zone as his new-age driver crashed into the ball and sent it racing through the air and down toward even greener pastures. The ball first connected with the tightly-cut grass some 305 yards from the tee and then rolled an additional 20 yards from the momentum of the strike.

  Hartwell posed a bit in his follow-through as the other guys stood in awe before breaking into light, scattered applause, widely known as the “golf clap.”

  “Very nice,’ Cal said, as the two men had played golf for years but never together.

  Cal stepped up to hit next and Hartwell was intrigued as always about his muse, the hunter, who had the prototypical golfer build with his long body and shorter legs. He repeated a similar pre-drive ritual to that of Hartwell but only swung once in his preparation before lining up the shot. Cal’s swing was much more compact than Hartwell’s do to the shorter working parts. He inhaled and exhaled through his nostrils to shake any remaining jitters out of his body and then rocked his body back, placing the weight on his back foot, before he shifted all of his weight forward and exploded on the ball.

  The other playing gasped, including Hartwell, at the sheer power of the man in front of them. The trajectory of Cal’s ball was much lower and more direct than Hartwell’s missile, which meant it would roll farther once it touched down in the fairway. The ball landed about 290 yards from the tee and then rolled an additional 30 yards and came to rest only a few yards behind Hartwell’s ball.

  Cal looked over at Hartwell and the duel for the day was on. You could have taken the other four players out of the equation at that point, because they were playing a different game than the other two, who were on a completely separate level.

  Maggie and Kayla left their charitable counterparts, Nicole, Carla, Belinda and Emily, behind at the house and ventured out to Beach Haven Furniture to see if they could get some donations for the houses they built the previous day. Hartwell made sure that the duo had a positive experience by suggesting to the manager, one Richard Denton, that it would be a great idea for the company to donate a bunch of furniture. The vampire also suggested to a local news reporter that it would be even a better idea to capture the event on video and then play the piece on the news that night. Denton was so overjoyed with the publicity that he offered to provide furniture for any other houses that were built for families that were displaced by recent weather-related events. That was his idea… business tripled at Beach Haven Furniture the remainder of the year without the assistance of Hartwell.

  The underwater scavenger hunt was also in full flight. Thad and Gary dropped off Agent Blake and Sharon in the middle of the ocean, and then came back to work on the boat motors. These guys were motor junkies, and never needed an excuse to get a few extra horsepower out of any vehicle. They raced back to the point where Sharon and Blake were and picked up the duo, with treasure, before lunch. Both divers appeared to have unearthed a significant haul, complete with many gold items in their nets. Thaddeus looked over at Gary as he helped Blake back in the boat, and Gary did the same as he easily lifted his daughter Sharon in his boat. The race was on back to the shore, as Blake’s extra weight slowed their boat giving team Sharon a decided advantage. Of course, Thaddeus would make that stagger up when they got to the shore, because his Triumph bike was a good few miles faster than Thad’s Harley chopper. It was lunchtime and there was no real need to get back to the house quickly from the pawn shop, so they both grabbed a few bagels and then raced home with more than $1,000 each.

  The remainder of the day for the six golfers was much more leisurely until they reached the arcade to play a USA vs. USSR slide hockey tournament under the dome. It was difficult to get any juice up for bowling after Cal and Hartwell both shot a two under-par 70 and decided to let the tie stand instead of playing it out until the death. The vampires all received new bowling balls and shoes for the two hours of games, because the thought of touching anyt
hing in that place creeped them out. Maxwell, Daniel and Hartwell thoroughly cleaned the lanes and the seats in and around the two lanes the group was assigned and after that, the beer and food were continuously flowing.

  The families in the freshly-built houses were overjoyed with the outpouring of generosity from Maggie, Kayla, the other women, and Beach Haven Furniture. The loss of everything near and dear to them tested their resolve, and this second chance gave them a renewed belief in their fellow man. It also gave Maggie a fresh perspective on what she and the group should be doing the rest of their lives.

  “We should start a foundation that helps families.”

  “Like a charitable organization?” Emily asked.

  “Exactly! Are you in?” Maggie asked.”

  “Yes, I’m in,” Emily said.

  “Me too,” Belinda added.

  “Us too!” Carla and Nicole yelled.

  Kayla stood in front of the women with her hands on her hips, “Will we still get to knit together?”

  Maggie smiled, “Of course, Kayla.”

  “Then I’m in, too!” she exclaimed.

  THIRTY

  Agent Blake and Sharon were so satisfied with their morning haul that they decided to back on the water with their drivers and continue their hunt in the afternoon. Only $15 dollars separated the two diving teams, with Agent Blake holding a slight advantage on the strength of a valuable serving tray.