DAY 3

D

aniel rose before the sun; he took a bath got dressed and went down to his car. He stood on the pavement of his car and watched a jogger pass by. Daniel lived in Wanstead Gardens, one of the old residential areas close to the new living complex being erected in the place of the old National Cultural Foundation building. It was a relatively peaceful neighborhood and no one there knew who he really was, after an incident involving a vampire and a little boy last year he decided to keep his identity quite. He got in his car and drove through the quite streets of Wansted, in his rearview mirror he watched the slow ascend of the sun over the sea on the horizon overlooking the area.

The previous nights events came rushing back to him, all the emotions he felt, begun to awaken his senses. He remembered being angry at the vampire that attack them, disgusted at the damage the kite had bestowed on Mr. Pilgrim and damn scare when he rushed back into the house to fine Connie motionless on the floor. But then she had awoken the desire in him with that kiss. That kiss that said a damn lot about how she felt for him, despite the moon fever influence, and he was determine to get her to admit her feelings to him this morning. That’s why he was driving to her house to pick her up, to confront her and to stop her from trying to avoid him. He had got her address from Jimmy last night, who he found out had been one of her dance partners the previous moon phase and the fury of jealousy almost made him say something that he knew he’d regret later. So he kept his mouth closed and fumed inside, besides Connie was nothing to him and he was nothing to her, yet.

Daniel arrived at her house at 6:30am and got out of the car. He walked up the walk to her house. She lived in West Terrace in a terracotta Spanish style house; it was in a quaint neighborhood that was still asleep. He raised his hand to knock when the door opened and Connie stood before him in a black tight jeans and navy blue t shirt which she covered with the PEC blazer to keep the chill of the morning out. They stood looking at each other. Daniel cleared his throat and broke the silence “Good morning. Need a drop to work?” he asked hoping she wouldn’t turn him down, she didn’t answer immediately but stood there looking at him with a confused look on her face. “It’s just a ride Connie. No strings attached I promise.” She sighed and nodded, “Ok” she bent and grabbed her bag from off the floor and followed him down the drive to the car. She got in and buckled up and remained silent as Daniel made his way onto the highway.

Headquarters was an hour drive away so he intended to make the most of it. “I’m glad I caught you this morning there was something I wanted to talk to you about.” Connie gave him an incredulous look, “What?” “You didn’t catch me, you plan this.” “Ok. Well I wanted to talk about the kiss you landed on me last night” “’I thought this was a no strings attach ride?” “If you knew I planned this then you know that that was just a trick to get you in to the car.’ She sighed and nodded in agreement “True.” There was a silence again. “So about that kiss?” “It was the moon fever Daniel, and being knocked around the head didn’t help either so just leave it at that and drop it. Please!” “No I can’t just drop it, because we both know that that was more than moon fever.”  Connie snorted and said; “And you would know this how?”  “Come on Connie you know that there is something more than fever going on between us.” “Really? Well since you are so convinced about that why don’t you enlighten me?” “Why are you fighting this… us?” “Because there is no us, it was just a kiss that happened in the heat of the moon fever.” “Keep using the moon fever as an excuse and keep lying to yourself. Why are you so scared to admit to your feelings?” “Because I have no feelings to admit (to)” “Bullshit!” they were so engrossed in the argument that Daniel almost missed the turn off to headquarters, he pulled into the parking lot and found a space. Connie made a move to open the door, Daniel stopped her, “We are not finished.” “I believe that we are finished.”  ‘Connie we can’t just let it end here” Connie looked into Daniel’s eyes and saw the plea of truth, “Daniel… I…” “Can you honestly tell me that you feel nohing for me?” “Daniel please…” “No Connie, you please. Look me in the eye and tell me that you feel nothing for me and it was all just the consequence of the moon fever.”  She knew she couldn’t lie to herself, but she would have to lie to him, she couldn’t risk going through that type of pain again, but as she opened her mouth to lie the truth came tumbling out, “I do feel something for you Daniel, I really do, but I’m scared. I’m afraid that if I let myself love you then I will lose you like my brother and I know I could never live through your death, I wouldn’t be able to live without you. “That’s all I need to hear” Daniel said. He pulled her towards her, lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Daniel allowed himself to open up and pour all the emotions of passion and desire that he felt for her in the kiss. Connie could feel Daniel’s emotions, they swarmed her and she was drowning in them, at the beginning it scared her to her core, but then she relaxed and found herself answering his kiss, her passion to his passion, her desire to his, and it overwhelmed her.

The kiss wore on till they both had to break away and gasp for air, it had left them booth panting in unison. Daniel looked at her and smiled and it sent ripples of joy through her soul, she returned his smile and felt herself blush. Daniel kissed her again more softly this time. “I’m not worried about the future, so don’t you be ok” he said as he caressed her cheek, she nodded since she couldn’t answer yet. Daniel kissed her again, “I think we should go” “I agree we need to get to work before O’Neal comes looking for us.” “We should have been in there ten minutes ago” Connie said and Daniel laughed “I guess we were otherwise entertain” “I guess so” Connie replied. They got out the car and walk to the PEC headquarters building for Barbados. “By the way, Daniel said as he held the door opened for her, I’m going to the moon dance with you tonight” Connie looked up at him surprised but saw that he was serious, “Ok.”

How was she to say no to that face, Daniel had begun to break through the walls around her heart, and she didn’t know if she could stop it, or if she wanted to. They walked to the office, and sure enough O’Neal was there waiting for them. “Where were you two? Didn’t I say seven o’ clock on the dot?” he asked, Connie blushed, “Sorry sir we were a little side tracked” Daniel replied. “I talked to the head of homeland securities, and he agrees that we needed to pull out all the stops and pool our resources with every defense system on the island. So let me introduce Miss Goodman head of The Barbados Sea Division of Cadets, Mr. Gordon head of The Land Division of Cadets, Commandant of The Barbados Cadets; Lt. Colonel Carson Sanders and Mr. Montel representative from the FBI. Mr. Olsen why don’t you debrief the rest of the team while I have a private conversation with Agent DaVel and McGuire.”

“Yes sir” Jimmy replied O’Neal took Connie and Daniel outside. “Now do you want to explain what made you nearly half an hour late this morning?” he asked them, Connie and Daniel exchanged looks, each wondering how much they should say and who should say it. “It was my fault sir, I woke up late and forgot that I was supposed to pick up Agent DaVel this morning.” Daniel confessed, O’Neal looked at them suspiciously and Connie cringed under his gaze. “Well...ok, I need you both to go to the hospital and Connie I need you to try and read Mr. Pilgrim see if we can’t figure out more about this kite. Then I want you to take the rest of the team and go back to the hut see if you can’t pick up anything else. Am I clear?’ “Yes sir.”

“I’ll drive” Daniel said as they got into the car to go to the hospital. “ok” Connie said. She was silent for awhile looking out the window at the passing cars. “Daniel, were you serious when you said that you wanted to dance with me this evening?” “Yes. Why?” “Just wondering” Connie replied as her heart went into overdrive, a blush colored her cheeks as she turned away so that Daniel couldn’t see. “You do understand the intent of the moon dance?” Connie asked. “Of course. Do you?” Daniel asked teasing her, he could see the blush on her face and it was lovely, he reached out and stroked it. He heard her gasp as she inhaled sharply, and then blushed more.

They pulled into the hospital when Daniel said” Connie would please stop worrying, and relax” “How can I after what you just said, you have my fever burning in over time” she confessed, from the moment Daniel touched her it was hard to really concentrate on anything else, the moon fever had rage to life within her and was now burning  in overdrive throughout her body making her a walking furnace, every nerve end was alive and attune to his touch and his smell and the closeness of his body heat. Connie needed to get it under control before they went into the hospital unless she would have every male falling over her and they wouldn’t understand why.

“Really?” Daniel asked with a hint of mischief in his eye, he begun to lower his head to her lips but she stopped him,” Daniel I don’t think that this is the right time to be doing this.” Connie said although she really wanted t do it, her fever was burning her to allow Daniel to kiss her, but she couldn’t not right then she needed to stay focus and concentrate, they were on a job and was at the hospital to see a witness. “You’re right. Tonight…” he said with heavy suggestions of what to expect dripped in his voice.

They made their way into the hospital, Daniel flashed his badge and asked to see Mr. Pilgrim and they were lead to a private room on the first floor. Outside the door sat a woman and a little girl, “Good morning Mrs. Pilgrim, these people are with PEC they wish to see you husband ma’am.” The doctor said Mrs. Pilgrim looked up to them, Connie gasped as she looked into her eyes, there was barely any life left in those eyes, all Connie could see was death, and despair. It was as if she was looking at an empty shell. Connie couldn’t help but shudder, Daniel squeezed her hand and she looked into his eyes for assurance.

“Ok” Mrs. Pilgrim replied with no life in her voice. “Is it me or was that a little creepy?” Connie asked, “Mrs. Pilgrim had to be sedated a few times, after her husband came in and she saw him she went in to shock and became hysteric, so we had to sedate her to calm her down.” The doctor explained. The doctor carried them into a sterile room with a dozen machines surrounding a bed which held Mr. Pilgrim. “How is he doing?” Daniel asked. “He is failing, we had to put him on life support and we almost lost him twice. Whatever it is that attacked him did a number on him.” The doctor replied as she tucked the sheet around Mr. Pilgrim under him. Connie looked around the sterile white room and cringed, the pain in the room was dampening her spirit she didn’t know if she would be able to stay conscious. “Connie did you hear me?” Daniel asked bringing her out of her reprieve. “Huh?” “Are you alright?” “I’m fine. Let’s get this done quickly” “Ok. What do you sense?”

Connie let down her shields and was blasted with emotions of pain and rage it almost choked her, she stumbled back under the weight of their force, Daniel caught her hand. She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking deep breaths, and trying to steady her heart and breathing. Once she had them under control she proceeded to try and read Mr. Pilgrim. She walked up to his bed, taking a deep breath Connie placed her hand on Mr. Pilgrim’s forehead, she begun to prod and probe but she could get nothing. All she was reading and feeling was a dense darkness; it was surreal and vastly almost creepy quiet. “What do you see?” Daniel asked her. “There’s nothing here. It’s like his whole memory, life has been erased.” “What! How is that possible? Is it even possible?” Daniel asked astonished. “It can be done by someone vastly experience in mind control, but that ability is very rare.” “I guess we have to tell the chief that this is a dead end” Connie was about to pull away and agree with him when a flash of color appeared in Mr. Pilgrim’s mind, “Wait... I think there is something here” Connie exclaimed. Connie begun to dig deeper and the monitors begun to beep loudly and erratically, “You need to stop, his brain can’t take anymore of this.” The doctor said. “There!” Connie exclaimed, “What is it? What do you see?” Daniel asked frantically. “It looks like the hut, but the image isn’t clear” the beeping begun to get more consistent as Connie dug deeper to unravel the images, “Mrs. DaVel I must ask you to stop you are killing him” “Just another minute doc.” Daniel pleaded; this could be the breakthrough they needed to solve this case.

The images begun to come more rapidly flowing now and becoming so jumble and tangled that Connie was having a hard time deciphering their meanings, she heard the doctors voice as she pleaded for Connie to pull away, but that was going to be hard, Connie realized that she was so tangled in this web, it felt like a strong current pulling her and she couldn’t release it, “Connie, Connie let go, Connie your shaking” Daniel shouted, she hadn’t realize but she couldn’t. Suddenly the vampire appeared, she tried to withdraw, but the mind grasp was so strong, she hadn’t realize its strength at first, when did it get so strong? “Connie” she heard Daniel’s voice pleading but it was getting weaker and further away, she tried to say something but all her motor skills were locked. The vampire reached out, Connie tried to back away but there was no place to go, nowhere to turn. True fear gripped her heart. Then he lunged grabbing her hands her mind, a searing pain flashed through her brain like a bolt of lightning, she screamed Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

“Connie! Connie! Connie please say something” Daniel begged. Daniel, she cried out but it didn’t come from her mouth, “You are mine” the vampire said leering at her, hovering over her unmoving uncooperative body. Daniel watched as Connie bodied slumped over Mr. Pilgrim’s body and slide off, he reached out and caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He cradled her unmoving body in his arms; he shook her, “Connie? Connie open your eyes” Daniel begged, but there was no response. She just lay in his arms as if dead, he pulled her to his chest and hugged her close, no please no Daniel begged in his head, he couldn’t lose her not now, not after she confessed her love for him, they were just beginning.

Right then a loud screeching sound resounded throughout the hospital bouncing off the walls and resounded in the air. Daniel stifled a scream from the pain that shot through his ears and pierced his mind, he reflexively covered his ears. The sound repeated again and again. Daniel and the doctor convulsed on the floor holding their heads as pain after shooting pain shot through his searing head. Then it suddenly went quiet. Daniel struggled to sit up and hold Connie in his arms, an airy mist swept into the room. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! A blood curling scream filled the room; it came from the doctor who was huddled in the corner pointing a shaky finger to the roof of the room. Daniel looked up and gasped in horror the kite had entered the room. Daniel reached for his laser that had dropped from his breast pocket, but before he could reach it the kite swooped down on him, he ducked to avoid it but he felt it brush his arm. He looked down to see a small pucker mark on his arm. Again and again it swooped in on him, Daniel used his body to cover Connie as the kite attack him. Daniel looked up to see why it had suddenly stopped. It hovered over him looking at him, Daniel’s exposed body parts were covered with pucker marks, Daniel begun to feel weak from the rape of nutrients from his body. He tried to get up but his strength had left him. The kite begun to materialize in front of him, oh no I have to move protect Connie he said in his mind. The kite came towards him and looked straight in his eyes, fear hugged Daniel’s heart like never before as he looked into the kite’s eyes. He begun to drown in the depths of those hideous death ridden eyes and lose himself, Daniel knew he had to fight unless he and Connie would die. Daniel tried to lunge but a searing pain shot through his body shaking him to his core. He slumped over Connie’s body, the last thing he saw was her beautiful lips, then the darkness enveloped him and took him to their depths, and he knew no more.