“A little. But actually, I’m kind of thirsty and maybe a little hungry.”
She rolled her eyes at him, always amazed at how robust his stomach seemed to be despite the accompaniment of stress or hardship.
“But of course,” Alton neatly interjected. “I’m always hungry following a romp in the Tube tunnels,” he teased.
She cast a withering glace at her former mentor, while the Fullers quietly smirked. But Alton’s amused visage quickly turned serious, and he turned to address the Fullers.
“Thank you for your service today. I’d like to go over events with you again tomorrow morning, but I’ll bid you a good evening for now,” he instructed.
They both nodded and turned to Caleb.
“Again, my apologies for today’s finale,” Rob offered as he reached out to shake Caleb’s hand. “I assure you a better showing of our abilities all around, if we’re allowed the opportunity for a further tour of London.”
“I’d like that very much, thanks,” he replied with a grin. “I had a great time, and you’ve both been very kind.”
Lynne extended her hand in kind and offered, “My apologies as well. But it’s been a pleasure, Caleb. I enjoyed our time today, and as Rob said, I’d enjoy showing you around some more.”
“Thank you,” Caleb replied as he shook the former agent’s hand. “I’d love that, in fact.”
Each agent nodded deferentially to Katrina while silently shaking her hand and nodded to Alton before departing towards the nearby elevators. Alton turned to address the two sharply dressed vampires standing nearby.
“Activate the others,” he instructed in a near whisper. “Search the immediate area where they were. I want to know who was down there and why. Most importantly, we need to know where they’re operating out of.”
Both vampires silently nodded and departed in the direction of a nondescript door with keypad panel inset in the wall located off to the left side of the nearby coffee shop. Alton turned back to Caleb and Katrina with an apologetic expression.
“I hope to have some answers by tomorrow,” he offered. “Are you sure you’re okay, Caleb?”
Caleb looked up at Katrina with a thankful expression and replied, “I am now, thanks.”
“Good. I’m happy to hear it,” Alton offered and looked at Katrina. “I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
She nodded, and he turned to depart.
“Alton?” Caleb called after him, to which the dark-haired vampire turned to look at him curiously. “Rob and Lynne were wonderful today,” he said. “Don’t be angry with them. I felt really safe and welcome around them, and I’m the one who ran in the wrong direction.”
Alton nodded and walked towards the nearby elevator. Katrina wrapped her arm around Caleb’s shoulders and led him towards the underground corridor across the room that connected to their hotel. He slipped his arm around her waist as they walked.
“Any chance we might stay in tonight?” he asked after a quiet moment.
She smiled, turned to kiss him on the lips, and replied, “I think I can arrange that.”
However, as they walked, her thoughts returned to the events in the tunnels. She wondered who had attacked Caleb and the Fullers and why. And Caleb mentioned a second vampire. Who could that have been?
* * * *
Chapter 8: Forgotten Realms
Caleb slept in late the next morning. When he woke, his thoughts were immediately of the previous afternoon’s exploits in the Tube substation, rather than the pleasant daylong sightseeing excursion with the Fullers. Entire spans of enjoyable, peaceful activities could be negated so easily by a single, brief, negative experience involving a vampire. Let’s face it, potentially lethal events tend to focus one’s thoughts.
Katrina appeared by his bedside moments after he woke, and she bent down to kiss him. While her expression was tender, it seemed to him that there was tension simmering just beneath the surface of her outward demeanor. She regarded him with a curious expression as he stretched his body, as if pondering how to say something. He suspected that it had to do with yesterday’s Tube episode.
“Good morning,” she offered pleasantly, though it seemed a little forced.
“Just waking up to you is a good morning,” he offered with a grin.
She shook her head at him while running her fingertips across his forehead, tickling his skin. “I’ve been thinking about today’s agenda,” she began with a tentative, tight-lipped expression.
I bet she would prefer that I stay close today, he anticipated. He understood that concern and didn’t want to cause her further undue stress by challenging her on the matter. Instead, he offered her an easy out