Dawn's Shadow

"Good." Chris yawned, feeling her eyes slide closed as Dane's fingers toyed with the ends of her hair.

*******

Toby pushed the cart through aisle after aisle, pondering all the choices on the shelves. He hadn't gone grocery shopping in over thirty decades. Boy, how things had changed. He thought he'd be in and out, simple. Grab a few bits of this and that, and he'd be good to go.

He scanned the boxes in bewilderment. Where were the plain old oats? It was no wonder that humans spent so much time wandering through grocery stores. Shopping for food was terrifying.

He counted the boxes. How could anyone ever decide? Sixty different kinds of cereal, each and every one of them boasted the claim that they kept the body healthy and strong. Sixty? Had one person ever tried them all? He chuckled at the box finally catching his eye and his curiosity and tossed a box of something called Count Chocula into the already overflowing cart. Maybe, if Anna didn't like vampires. She'd like the cereal. He was jealous of the cartoon character vampire on the front of the box. At least, the Count stood a chance of getting inside Anna. Which was more than he could ever hope for.

So much for his theory of picking up single women in the grocery store, the place was full of women in spandex and house slippers, toting wailing kids along behind them. He'd tried to spark up a conversation with a few of the less motherly types. At least they didn't have a kid bound to their hip. And gotten scowled at for his efforts. He really didn't know the difference between two percent, whole, one percent, and skim milk. Now, he knew why his father had never done the grocery shopping. And his mother never insisted on dragging him along for the ride.

Whistling, he made his way to the check out counter. He had no idea of what to do. Back in the day, a bag boy took the groceries from the cart and the checker rang them up. How was he supposed to know he had to unload the groceries, put them on the belt, and load the bags back into the cart? There wasn't a sign to direct him on what he was supposed to do. He shopped online, and after two hours meandering through the store, he knew why he preferred the simplicity of e-shopping to actually going to the store. Shopping sucked.

Anna's eyes fluttered open. She hadn't slept this good in weeks, not since before she found out the truth. The smell of freshly brewed coffee dragged her into full wakefulness. She sat on the side of the bed and gathered her bearings. It took her a minute to remember. To figure out where she was and that Dane and Chris sat on an old-fashioned loveseat watching her.

She wasn't in the same place she was last time. The furnishings were plush and comfortable looking. The whole room had the smell and look of newness to it. She forced her way through the panic that surged through her and exchanged glances with Chris and Dane.

"I made you some coffee and there's warm rolls and butter." Chris kept her voice low, speaking slowly as she pointed to a small table across the room.

"Thanks." Anna muttered. Her throat was parched and her mouth tasted like road hazard. Apprehensively, she slid off the bed. The plush carpet cushioned her footsteps. She kept a wary eye on Chris and Dane as she mad her way to the coffee pot and poured a cup. Strange, she thought to herself, as nice as this room was, there weren't any windows. "Where am I?"

Chris wound her hand through Dane's fingers as Anna walked across the room headed for the coffee and rolls. She was hopeful that she could convince Anna that nothing had changed between them. She was still her best friend. And they could still be best friends if she'd only hear her out.

Anna stared at Chris over the rim of the stoneware cup. Begrudgingly, she had to admit the coffee was hitting the spot. But, Chris had always made the best coffee. "Aren't you having some?"

"I can't, but there are times." Chris longingly inhaled the aroma of the freshly brewed beans. Triggering the memory of hundreds of mornings in the coffee shop with Anna for a quick up on their way to work.

"I suppose you drink other things now," Anna said bitterly, noticing Chris's discomfort as she shifted on the loveseat. "Look." Anna took a deep breath to steady herself. There was no reason not to cut to the chase. "I came here for answers."

"I know." Chris squeezed Dane's hand again, drawing strength from his silent presence. "I'll tell you everything I can."

"First of all. What do you plan to do with me? Are you a bunch of murders?"

Chris winced, feeling the sting of Anna's bluntness and the sharpness of her words cutting straight into her heart. "We're not murders. You are safe here."

Anna sat perfectly still attempting to keep her composure. Sipping at the coffee. Almost rubbing Chris's nose in the fact that she could drink something besides blood. "What guarantee do I have of that?"

Dane stifled the defensive growl that was building in his chest. "If we wanted you dead. You already would be." This woman was pushing him and stirring his temper. She was hurting Chris and he didn't like that.

"Dane," Chris hissed through clenched teeth. "You're not helping." Chris laid it all out for Anna, giving her an abridged brief version of an explanation. She waited patiently as Anna registered the information, sifting it through her mind.

"But there are others," Anna whispered her voice trembling. "Others who will kill." Dane and Chris shared glances and then grimly nodded. "I wish I'd never known." She shrank into the chair, stifling her tears of fear and confusion. "I wish I didn't know now. How can I ever have a normal life again knowing that the boogey man is real? Lurking in the dark waiting. I saw a vampire last night. I can't take not knowing for sure who is and who isn't a vampire."

Dane stood on his feet. A vampire? She'd seen a vampire. From her account, she'd spoken to him. Allowed him to wipe away the smudges of mascara and dry the tears from her cheeks with his handkerchief. Vampires. Strays, rogues, or otherwise weren't known for their kindness. She hadn't kept the handkerchief. If she had, Dane would have had the vampire's scent and sent the trackers to hunt him down. The bastard had known what he was doing when he pocketed that handkerchief. He had her scent. And anytime he wanted to he could track her by the smell of her left behind on the cloth.

Offering his hand to the sobbing woman in a gesture meant to comfort. Dane said, "I'm sorry for the pain this has caused you, Anna. Some of our brothers are in the city on patrol. The city has been unoccupied by the rogues since their attack on us. But, it's probable there are still remnants left in the city. I've had them watching over you as often as they were able. I'll step up our efforts. You're important, to Chris. And what is important to Chris, is important to us all. " Her cold fingers wrapped desperately around his and squeezed with a strength such a dainty hand shouldn't have possessed.

"Thank you," Anna whispered. Oddly enough, the thought of vampires keeping guard over her made her feel somewhat better. "They won't, get hungry will they? Your men?" Anna ran her free hand nervously along her neck.

Dane scoffed. "No, they're rotated frequently enough. You can go about your normal routines. You'll never see them. You'll never know they're around, unless a need arises for you to be alerted to their presence." He slid his hand from between her fingers and sat next to Chris, gently hugging her shoulders.

Anna sighed a big sigh of relief. Something niggled at her in the back of her mind. She had felt eyes on her back. She thought it was due to her growing paranoia. It was a relief to know that she wasn't as crazy as she thought. "Is there anything else that I can do to protect myself? I imagine babysitting me isn't at the top of your priority list and I don't want to be a burden."

Chris bit her lip, she knew of a way. She waited, following Dane's lead. Dane kept silent. Ok, so maybe she was a little premature. After all, Anna was just starting to come around. She broke the silence by pulling out her notebook and an old roll of blueprints Alex had found in the archives. "Did you know that you're fifty feet underground?"

Anna nodded, her curiosity piqued by Chris's description of what Dane and she had in mind for the mines. Gingerly, she unrolled the blue prints, their edges tattered and the print faded with time, out onto the coffee table. Automatically, her hand went to her hair for the pencil she kept stuck in her bun while she worked.

Chris smiled, watching Anna's fingers fumble for a pencil to make alterations to the original blueprints. She knew once she had Anna on the hook, the rest would take care of itself. She yanked a pencil out of her hip pocket and placed it in Anna's eagerly twitching fingers. Anna scribbled furiously, as if inspired by a divine force. Explaining the changes that would need to be made and how to make them happen, glancing between her notebook, the blueprints, and questioning Dane, gradually a rough draft of the plans began to take form.

Chris refilled Anna's mug every time she barked for more coffee. Dane sat back and watched the two women work on the plans. He could see his home, their home take shape in the scrawling of Anna's handwriting and the eraser smudges on the pages of Chris's notebook. There might be a chance to keep this friendship alive after all. He'd found the common thread that had kept Chris and Anna friends throughout the years. Their love for detail. Their passion for making something out of nothing. And their enthusiasm of watching everything they planned fall into place.

Anna looked up from the blueprints and cracked her neck. After hours of staring down at the drawings, she had a stiff neck. She glanced between Chris and Dane. The plans would take money, lots of money. And time. Of course, time wasn't really an issue for vampires. After all, according to Chris, they had plenty of it. If they gave her free reign, she could have this place whipped into shape within a matter of months. Some of it, the unexplored parts of the mines could be developed later. It was going to be a never-ending process. But, at least she could make it livable and comfortable for her best friend. And a place she wouldn't mind coming to visit.

It was easy to forget that Chris wasn't human. Easy to dismiss the aura of power that surrounded Dane. In fact, knowing that he was the safest man, that these were the safest "people" she'd ever been around in her life made her more comfortable than she'd ever felt before. "Can I have a tour?"

Chris smiled and hopped off the couch. "I thought you'd never ask."

Dane smiled and led the way. He could sense the feeling of completeness radiating off Chris and the eagerness of Anna's enthusiasm for her project. No longer at odds with themselves and with each other, the two women had resumed their friendship right where it left off. Perhaps, their friendship was even stronger than before, because, they had to trust one another on an elemental level. Chris had to trust Anna with her secrets. And Anna has to trust Chris with her life. Things were finally set right. And the two women had never been happier.

Chapter 47

Anna walked sandwiched between Dane and Chris as they wound their way through the tunnels. The tunnels were a dark, endless maze and if it hadn't been for the weak beam from Dane's flashlight, Anna would have gotten lost almost instantly. She wasn't discouraged by the layer of black soot covering everything, the darkness, the rivulets of water snaking down the walls to end up in pools on the floor, or the dank chill that seemed to permeate the stone.

In her mind's eye she saw more than the dismal surroundings. Sure, the structure would have to be shored up with concrete and steel to ensure they were safe and there was no danger of a collapse. But, the bleak maze could be turned into a work of art. Natural stone work on the walls, murals of nature scenes, thick, rustic beams overhead, and light, lots and lots of light.

A woman stood at a distance in a wide T formed by an adjoining tunnel, staring at the group as they approached. Anna nudged Chris and whispered, "Is that Alexandria Grey?" She had met Alex quite some time ago while designing the plans for the new addition to the museum. Rumor had it that Alex had left her job and moved back home to care for her father's sudden illness. Apparently, the rumors weren't entirely true.

"Oh yeah, Alex. She's only been with us a few weeks. Let's go down this hall and I'll show you the nerve center of our operation." She guided Anna down an adjacent hall away from Alex. There was no need to tempt fate by parading her around Alex. She was fighting against her own hunger as it was. Dane stayed behind, nodding as John Mark steered Alex away from them.

Toby was a gracious and enthusiastic host. He explained each one of the computer systems to her in great detail and went over what he needed to keep the heart of their operation beating. Anna took notes, already planning how to provide the underground nerve center with the power it needed. There were other things to consider as well. Reliable Internet connectivity, fire suppression systems, fresh air inlets, security, and backup plans, what to do if one of the critical systems failed.

Dane and Chris left Anna to talk tech with Toby and took advantage of the opportunity and his hospitality to go hunting. Anna was so engrossed with Toby's keen mind and attention to the smallest details. When they left her with Toby, she'd been busy scribbling notes and simply waved them off. It hadn't occurred to her that they'd left her alone with a vampire. She crouched to the side of the desk and listened as he ran through the programs he'd designed to control the vital functions necessary for life underground. "Wow, that's impressive."

Toby scoffed and kicked his feet up on the desk. "No, grocery shopping, now that's impressive. This is kid stuff." He smiled widely at Anna who shifted uncomfortably. She was hanging out with him, engrossed in all the details he laid at her feet. But, she still not completely convinced of how harmless he, or anybody else, was. Smart woman. Confidently, he smirked at her discomfort. He'd win her over. His charms could weaken the strongest of feminine resolve.

"Grocery shopping?" Anna raised her brows in confusion at Toby's statement. She couldn't imagine the brothers wasting the time to send someone with his level of brilliance shopping for groceries.

"Yeah, grocery shopping. How'd you like the Count Chocula. Wasn't that a hoot?" Toby waggled his brows. "I couldn't help it. A vampire cereal, how funny!" he said with a chuckle.

"Ah, actually I ate a croissant for breakfast." She paused and bit her bottom lip. It might not be wise to hurt a vampire's feelings. In consolation, she added. "But, I like Count Chocula."

"Cool." He spun around in his chair and snatched a vibrating cell phone off the desk. He texted with fingers moving so fast that Anna could barely see them. "Just a report from our boys in the city. Nothing of interest."

"Oh." Anna leaned against the desk, scooting a little closer. The edge of the desk, looking down at him, was more comfortable than crouching on the floor, staring up at him. She needed eye contact. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How old are you?"

"How old do I look?" Toby replied with a crooked grin.

Anna squinted in the dim light from the monitors and studied his face. His skin was supple, showing no trace of a wrinkle. His dark hair was free from stray strands of tell tale gray and styled in such a way that it gave no hint to the era from which he was born. "Maybe twenty-five?" she guessed.

"Ha!" he laughed. "I stopped counting when I turned fifty a couple of years ago. There's nothing like a date on a calendar to make a guy feel old. Why? Do you like older men?" he asked, giving Anna a wink. Grinning, he watched the brilliant pink blush settle over her cheeks, the slight flutter of her heart in her chest, and the sharp intake of her breath. Oh yeah, the chilly Miss Anna had a weak spot. It made her seem more human, more approachable. How easily he could get a rise out of her and redden that alabaster skin of hers and melt that cold exterior. "How old are you?"

Anna flinched, not liking the blush spreading like wildfire across her cheeks. The admission of his age had simply startled her. He was older than her father who was just now turning fifty. Distracted, she answered, "It's rude to ask a woman her age. But, I'm thirty-one." She doubted with all this computer power and his knowledge of how to use it, there wasn't anything he couldn't find out about her. "Is Toby your real name?" His name was so deceptively young sounding for someone older than her father. But, then again, deception was what kept them alive.

"Tobias, officially. Named after my grandfather."

How did you learn about computers?" Anna asked.

"I've always had an affinity for gadgetry. I had a scholarship to MIT, but other things happened, and well, here I am."

"You don't regret it?"

"Not for a minute. I love this life." He smiled and winked at her. Anna watched as he turned his attention to the blinking computer screens and did his magic. Anna had a brilliant mind. And he was more than a bit interested to find out what else lurked in that brain of hers. Primarily, was she as attracted to him as she seemed to be?

"Ah, Chris and Dane are back," she said in obvious relief. "I guess I'll be seeing you around, Tobias." Anna pushed off from the corner of the desk, stretching her aching back. Chris stood in the doorway, patiently waiting for her. Vampires moved so fast and silently. She'd seen them in their natural habitat, the one place where they didn't have to pretend to be human and didn't even try to blend in.

"See ya, little human babe." Toby watched Anna's backside as she left the room. Even in the scuffed up pumps and soiled, soot covered, black velvet dress, Anna managed to move with dignity and poise. This was a woman used to being thrown in the fire and fighting her way out of it to rise above the flames. Ok, so she was a little too tightly wound for his tastes. But, maybe his charms could loosen those overly tight springs. He grinned wolfishly across the room at Chris, who was scowling at him as she watched him ogle Anna's backside.

"Are you hungry?" Chris asked Anna, quickly taking her by the elbow to guide her from Toby's den. The pervert. Trying to scam on her best friend. " The kitchen is over here. For now." She pulled Anna's sleeve guiding her into the confines of a small makeshift kitchen. Toby preached amps and energy usage the way ministers preached the gospel. The "kitchen" had a microwave and a small dorm-sized refrigerator. Janine was the only person who stayed down here and she usually went to Alex's house for supper. "Sorry, we didn't invest a lot of time in the kitchen, we don't ah... eat."

Anna nodded and made her way to the fridge and rummaged through the meager contents. She found makings for a halfway decent sandwich and pulled out the contents. She laid out four pieces of bread on the tabletop before she realized what she was doing. Chris couldn't eat. She'd be dining alone.

Chris watched Anna subtly put two slices of bread back in the wrapper and make a sandwich for herself. She'd been thinking about her conversation with Dane. There were some assurances they could offer Anna. A way to ensure that she would have the best protection possible. Chris was all for it. But, she didn't know if Anna was ready. Her acceptance of them was fragile at best. And what they proposed might push Anna too far.

Anna popped open a can of diet soda and sat down next to Chris. Eating in front of Chris made her feel self-conscious. Especially, when Chris watched her with such longing in her eyes as she picked at the crust of her bread and washed it down with the soda. They sat at a small dinette set, uncomfortably in silence. Dane was nowhere to be seen. But, he could show up at any minute. And who knew how acute his hearing was. Anna leaned in closer to Chris practically whispering the question that had been burning in her mind since she'd woke up this morning. "So you love him?"