“Yes, I promise to be forthright and honest.”
Jack smiled and punched Clayton on his shoulder. “Good boy, now let’s roll!”
Clayton suppressed his anger. Jack was getting too confident. Clayton’s compliance with Jack’s demands was a means to an end. He was going to let all of them live after they converted all blood types to A’s and B’s, but with such displays of dominance, he knew they would have to die.
Clayton got into the van, put on his seatbelt, and seethed in anger.
Chapter Fourteen
Maryl Rosser’s Struggle
Present Day, July 23rd
Maryl Rosser, the Seeker was a duality, and she knew it. The two traits of her personality consistently fought for control, and for the last two centuries, she had noticed the darker side was winning. Only Maryl knew why and in the thousand years she had been alive; she had never told anyone the reason until an hour ago. She had told a female vampire who she had trusted the truth about herself during a meal of fresh blood. She became giddy, almost drunklike, and revealed her secret. The woman threatened to tell all of the blood types unless she became number two in Maryl’s hierarchy. That was a fatal mistake on her part.
Thinking back, her family knew her secret too, but they perished at the hands of Clayton’s tribe over seven hundred years ago.
She thought about the conversation she had with Clayton several days ago. He was so obstinate, yet his stubbornness would be his undoing.
“I will find you, Clayton, I swear it! I will put an end to the foolishness you have bestowed upon me!” She blushed. She hadn’t meant to mouth the words that unexpectedly sprung from her.
Maryl was outside sitting in her favorite chair, overlooking the steep hilly landscape, trying to relax on her porch. Her attempt at relaxing had mixed results. She needed to be alone, yet she understood the need for bodyguards that surrounded her.
Maryl knew Clayton would not come for her at her estate. He was too busy setting up shop somewhere in an attempt to wipe out tens upon tens of thousands of her vampire kind. No, she needn't worry about him. She worried about his allies and his alliances. So far, none have attacked her or any of her business interests. That bothered her and comforted her, hence her duality. In one regard, she was comforted she had not been attacked. So far, peace reigned. That begged the question; Why hadn’t she or Ray been attacked? Were there fractures in the once-solid A and B tribes? If so, were they scared of her? Sure, she had threatened them with death, but given their past transgressions, they would’ve taken that with a grain of salt.
Upon further reflection, since the demise of the neutral barriers, Maryl and Ray’s O’s have trampled upon the other blood types land with immunity, freedom, and without incident. Sure, they were very small incursions. She wanted to see if they reacted. And they hadn’t called or complained to her.
A sudden thought occurred to Maryl, which made her spring up in her chair. Perhaps in all the madness, she had overlooked one crucial element. Maybe, just maybe, there were cracks and divisions among the other blood types because they disagreed with Clayton and his foolish scheme? That would explain why the O negatives and O positive vampires hadn’t been assaulted.
Maryl tapped her lips with her finger, deep in contemplation.
She rose with elegance and straightened her dress and looked at her bodyguards. “You, Alexa, get Ray on the line for me. I need to speak to him immediately!”
A tall rail-thin woman bowed and then sped away. She came back seconds later and handed Maryl the phone.
Maryl put a hand over the phone. “Alexa, drink some blood! We have plenty. You’re too thin. I need you in fighting condition.”
“All my family for countless generations has been tall and lean, eager to do your bidding, Maryl Rosser!”
Maryl nodded absently as she put the phone to her ear. “Ray, I have an idea that you might be interested in hearing.”
“I’m listening, Maryl.”
“Before I lay out my plan, I have a question. Have you or any of your businesses been provoked or attacked since Clayton went awol?”
“What does awol mean?”
Maryl sighed to herself. “Absent without leave; it’s a military term. He went missing without telling any of his subordinates.”
“No, the O positives properties have not been breached, nor have we been hit. Now that I think about it, that is strange. What do you think?”
“I think there are deep cracks in the foundation of all of Clayton’s tribes, which leads me to my question.”
“Yes?”
“Do you think, as I do, it’s the opportune time to attack Clayton tribes? We could amass such a force it would be written in the chronicles of the Vampire history books!”
“Aye, I believe the time is right as well, Maryl Rosser. I will set up an emergency meeting right away. I suggest you do the same.”
“There is no time for a meeting, emergent or not! That would take days! Weeks! No, I want you to gather as many vampires as you can within twenty-four hours, and I will do the same.”
“Will that be enough vampires? The other blood types are much stronger than we are.”
“At first, yes, it should be enough troops. We will pick a place where there are the fewest of Clayton’s blood types and target that location. Once we attack and defeat our enemies, the other O’s will hear about our victory and will join our battle!”
“Maryl, you just made my day! No, you just made my century! I can’t wait
