Chapter 87: Smuggling Into Nazi Germany

Meanwhile In the Heart Of Rome,

A woman wandered through the unfamiliar streets, clutching a bag of luggage, her wide eyes scanning the scenery with uncertainty. 

She seemed out of place, her movements hesitant, as though searching for something she couldn't quite find as her nerves were palpable, glancing around before fixing her gaze ahead.

With a deep breath, she started up the steps to the Vatican, her pace slow and deliberate. It wasn't until she reached the grand entrance that she revealed herself to be Carla.

"E-Excuse me?" Carla called out, waving her hand toward one of the guards as the guard glanced at her briefly before resuming his forward-facing stance.

"Guests of the Holy City enter through the entrance. Once that is finished, a fee will be paid, and you may give your words to God." The guard promptly stated, his tone formal, as though he had recited the lines countless times before.

"I-I have this letter—oh no!" Carla stammered, fumbling to retrieve an envelope from her bag. 

In her haste, her luggage slipped from her grasp, the buckle snapping open as her belongings scattered across the ground.

*Sigh*

The guards sighed in unison, reluctantly bending down to help gather Carla's scattered belongings. 

As they moved to escort her toward the entrance, one of them paused, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a distinct symbol among her items. 

Without a word, he straightened up, exchanging a quick glance with his fellow guard.

"Is this-" 

"The Holy Black Knight sent me here, he said that after Father Sebastion reads this, the church will take care of me?" Carla nervously spoke, handing the letter over to the guards. 

They glanced at the symbol and immediately exchanged baffled looks, realizing this was far above their pay grade.

"Excuse me for a moment, I must notify the proper channels." The guard's demeanor shifted, his posture stiffening as he quickly turned and hurried into the church. 

Meanwhile, the other guard gently ushered Carla to the side, motioning for her to sit down and wait.

"Father, the Black Knight has sent word for you!" The guard hurried over to Father Sebastion, who was deep in thought, attending to church matters. 

Hearing the guard's urgent tone, Sebastion looked up, his brow furrowing with concern.

"Thank you, my child. Please give it here," Father Sebastion said, a hint of surprise in his voice. 

He gestured for the guard to approach, who bowed in gratitude before promptly handing over the letter.

Dear Carla,

Hey, I had a great time, but when you wake up, I'll probably be gone. It's not your fault—I'm just really busy right now with this whole Black Knight thing and people constantly trying to kill me. That's why I didn't bring you with me after hearing about your situation.

The reason I'm writing is that if you end up getting pregnant, take this letter to the Vatican, and they'll take care of you and our kid. I know it's stressful to drop everything and trust a stranger, but honestly, I'm trying to be better with this sort of thing. I don't have the time to give you a good life right now, so until I can sort things out, the Vatican will provide everything I can't.

P.S. Father Sebastion, this part is for Carla, so stop being a perv and turn it over.

Ricky,

"O-Oh dear, I didn't mean to read her private message," Father Sebastion gasped, realizing this side of the letter wasn't intended for him, flustered, he quickly turned it over, hoping to erase the intrusion.

Dear Father Sebastion,

Sorry for just springing this on you, but there's a good chance I knocked her up. I know it isn't exactly church-like to be in this situation, but I didn't want to leave her hanging. If you could do me a favor and look after her until I can make better arrangements for when I return to New York, I'd really appreciate it. 

Also, if I end up getting myself killed, then the church can use the kid as insurance to handle this crappy blade.

Ricky,

Although Ricky had a tendency to distance himself from the girls he knocked up, he was slowly starting to confront his own mistakes. 

Far from being a saint or a genuinely good person, he began to see things differently once he left New York and the comfort of Lucky, who had always done almost everything for him. 

Ricky started to realize he wanted to be more like Lucky, in terms of being a father and he could almost hear Lucky smacking him on the back of the head for thinking that way, urging him to aim higher and strive for something better. 

But deep down, Ricky was coming to terms with the fact that he didn't want to abandon his kids and leave them out to dry.

His encounter with Danielle had shaken him to his core and whenever he thought about his bastards out there all alone, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was staining her memory and all the promises he made by neglecting his family. 

The weight of his choices pressed heavily on him, forcing him to reconsider the kind of man he wanted to be.

It was a small step, but one that Ricky knew he needed to take gradually as he wanted to do right by these women, starting with Carla. 

Meanwhile, Father Sebastion hurriedly rushed out of the room and made his way toward the back of the Vatican, where Carla was currently being guarded.

"Child, are you perhaps Carla?" Father Sebastion inquired with a gentle smile, his gaze softening as he looked at her before drifting down to her stomach.

"A-Ah, yes, Father, the Holy Black Knight sent me," Carla replied, bowing her head, biting her lip as she gazed at Father Sebastion as he nodded reassuringly.

"Don't worry, child. You are safe here; I believe you." Father Sebastion's gentle smile and calming demeanor immediately put Carla at ease.

"Come, come, I shall set you up with a place to stay while I prepare better arrangements," Father Sebastion said, guiding Carla as she smiled warmly, feeling a sense of relief wash over her as she followed him.

In a sad way, Carla found herself grateful and given her low status and beauty, she had always felt destined to be a mistress of a mafia member. 

But unless she secured her place as the mistress of a high-ranking figure, her future was uncertain; if that member were to die, she would be left with nothing, even further from security than before. 

Now, however, Carla had the assurance that the Vatican would take care of her and for the first time in her life, she felt safe.

'Thank you Holy Black knight, truly.'

*SLURP*

Back in Abriella, Ricky was slurping on a poorly made smoothie he had whipped up using the homeowner's strawberries. 

There was something about making food for yourself that made it taste just a bit better than it really was, as if the effort put into it somehow masked the flaws.

"Kid, Eliphas has agreed to smuggle us across the border," Abraham said as he hurried over to Ricky, who was leaning back in his chair.

"Later," Ricky waved him off, enjoying the warmth of the sun as it transformed his skin from a crippling white to a light olive brown.

Aside from the constant training, Ricky had been soaking up the sun, truly relishing his vacation. 

It was a refreshing escape from the relentless tide of conflicts that always seemed to pile up around him and for once, he could let his guard down and enjoy a moment of peace.

"I see." Abraham nodded, then walked back into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a tub of water and tossed it at Ricky.

*Sigh*

The water splashed against Ricky's mental barrier, causing him to let out a sigh. 

He took off his sunglasses and stared plainly at Abraham, who had momentarily forgotten about the protective barrier Ricky could project at will.

*COUGH*

Abraham coughed as Ricky sent a bowling ball-sized mental projection into his stomach, causing him to double over and fall to his knees.

"Honestly, did you really think that would work?" Ricky asked genuinely, slurping the last of his smoothie before standing up to refill his glass, with Percival hovering beside him.

"Must you antagonize a fight you'll never win?" Percival shook his head at Abraham, floating along to follow Ricky, while Chores closed the book he had been reading and shook his head in disapproval.

Refilling his subpar strawberry smoothie, Ricky walked back to the backyard to find Abraham already celebrating the new day with a sip from his flask.

"I need a fa-"

"No," Ricky promptly denied, stepping aside to grab an apple to munch on before taking another sip of his smoothie.

"You don't even know what I want!" Abraham exclaimed, standing up as if Ricky were being unreasonable as Ricky simply shook his head. 

"I'm the only one who gets one-sided favors; I don't make the rules," he shrugged, his own unreasonable response leaving Abraham with a deadpan stare.

"How much?"

"How much do you think a favor from you is worth?" 

Reaching another stalemate, Abraham clicked his tongue and began rummaging through his coat of trinkets.

"This is-"

"Random stick, next." Ricky said, waving his hand dismissively. He continued this way until Abraham was at his wits' end.

"This is a ruby ring I-"

Swiping the big ruby from Abraham's hand and flicking it over to Chores for inspection who pulled out a loupe to inspect the quality of the gem.

"It's legit." Chores looked up at Ricky, Abraham scoffing as if that fact was obvious before Ricky took another bite of his apple.

"Alright, what do you need?" Ricky said, swiping the big ruby from Abraham's hand and flicking it over to Chores for inspection.

"ISN'T IT OBVIOUS, RICKY? WE ARE TO GO INTO GLORIOUS COMBAT!" Alexander declared boldly, perching himself on Ricky's head.

"Elphias only got two passports, so I need you to let me sneak in with that weird room that you can materialize out of thin air," Abraham requested and Ricky immediately frowned, a similar look of disapproval mirrored on Chores and Barko's faces.

"Why is Ephilas coming?" Ricky asked, realizing that this meant they would be taking Ephilas along. Abraham grinned madly. 

"I'm planning to hold the blood over his head until we get to the facility." Abraham said, greedily rubbing his hands together as Ricky just shook his head in disbelief.

"Pretty solid reason, honestly." Ricky sighed, pulling out the key and noticing the ebony blade thrashing wildly beneath the bags of jewels. 

"Young Ricky, that ebony blade will definitely be needed." Percival urged, his expression reflecting concern at the way Ricky was handling the menacing weapon.

*Sigh*

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ricky stepped inside, grabbed the hateful blade, and reemerged, gesturing toward the others. 

"Chores, Barko, make sure this sweaty old man doesn't steal my stuff." Ricky ordered, while Chores squinted at Abraham, who merely scoffed in response.

"So Abraham about understanding the flow-"

"Oh God, I forgot about you." Abraham sighed heavily, glancing down at the yapping dog that had followed him into the room.

Barko had been relentless in his questioning, never concealing his fascination with magic from the perspective of a scientist. 

Even when Abraham yammered that he would never amount to anything in the magic world, Barko remained determined to learn everything he could about this intriguing concept.

"Eliphas will be at the bar from earlier; he's probably been waiting there for a while now," Abraham informed Ricky, while Chores paused at the entrance, glancing back.

"Slick, be careful. Eliphas isn't the type of guy you should trust fully." Chores gave his last warning, and Ricky nodded, agreeing with him.

Ricky had begun to sharpen his instincts, learning not to trust any vampire or Van Helsing, all thanks to his dealings with Abraham. 

In fact, he felt an overwhelming sense of unease, as if something was bound to go wrong, and he couldn't shake the feeling that settled in his stomach.

"Alexander, keep a lookout for me, and Percival, scout the area." Ricky directed, causing his ancestor to frown but ultimately nod in acknowledgment of his initiative. 

The ebony blade at his waist continued to shake violently, its agitation becoming increasingly annoying to Ricky.

"Hey, do you want to go back into timeout in that dark room?" Ricky threatened the powerful blade, and instantly, it stopped moving altogether.

"That's what I thought."

A couple of minutes later, Ricky arrived at the bar to find Eliphas nursing a drink, his expression brooding and distant.

"What's got you in the lovestruck blues?" Ricky asked, recognizing that familiar expression as he casually swiped Eliphas's drink.

"It's nothing. Are you ready?" Eliphas asked, his brows furrowing as he watched Ricky down the entire drink as Ricky simply nodded, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Yeah, but first, are you tricking Abraham?" Ricky's eyes suddenly pierced into Eliphas, whose red eyes condensed.

"The only person who is getting tricked at the moment is me, since that Van Helsing is lording that blood over me." Eliphas spoke in such a way that his words were masked in the complete truth as Ricky set down his own drink.

"Fine, let's go."

10 minutes later,

"You're kidding." Ricky stared at the German uniform, his gaze lingering on the mustache.

"It is part of the cover-"

"But does it matter enough to wear this mustache?" Ricky asked, baffled by how it contributed to his disguise as Eliphas sighed, facepalming in response.

"Can you just-"

*SIGH*

"Please put on the mustache." Eliphas couldn't take arguing with Ricky; it felt like he was dealing with Abraham all over again. 

"Whatever, but why do we have to drive instead of flying there?" Ricky asked, laughing at Eliphas's lame preparations.

"Because it is apart of our cover story-"

"Ah, the one where two Germans go to sunny Sicily, and one gets a tan while the other lurks in the sewers to get even paler." Ricky continued to laugh at Eliphas, who couldn't believe how immature he really was.

"Are you done?" Eliphas asked, Ricky actually pondering before shaking his head.

"Hold on, I'm thinking." Ricky held up his hand, genuinely pondering the situation before shaking his head. 

"I got nothing, for now." Ricky then slid into the driver's seat while Eliphas climbed in beside him, wearing a frown.

"I am the one with the drivers linecase-"

"Oh no, whatever shall I do without a license?" Ricky exclaimed, flooring the car with a mock expression of terror, before bursting into laughter at Eliphas.

"Relax, you sewer dweller; you're too uptight." Ricky said, turning onto the road as they began the drive to Germany. 

The first hour passed in relative silence, but as time wore on, Eliphas's frown only deepened.

"Must you drink while driving?" Eliphas asked, seeing Ricky pound a bottle of wine throughout the drive.

"How else am I supposed to wet my whistle?" Ricky laughed, nudging Eliphas in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Eliphas simply returned his enthusiasm with a deadpan stare. 

"Anyways, it helps pass the time," Ricky continued, shrugging off the lack of response. 

"And since you're a lousy road buddy, I have to make do with what I've got." Ricky tossed the empty wine bottle out of the car after downing the last drop, tapping the steering wheel rhythmically.

"So, who's Selene?" Ricky suddenly asked, noticing Eliphas's hair stand on end as the vampire's demeanor shifted instantly as he turned his face toward the window, avoiding Ricky's gaze.

"No one."

"Bullsh*t, is she hot-"

"DO NOT SPEAK OF HER BEAUTY IN SUCH A SIMPLISTIC WAY!" Eliphas's face twisted in frustration, but Ricky didn't even flinch; he just laughed, convinced he was onto something.

"Come on, we're stuck in this godforsaken car for an entire day, so just tell me about her." Ricky saw no harm in it, and surprisingly, neither did Eliphas. 

"She is the essence of what beauty desires itself to be," Eliphas replied, his voice softening as he described Selene. 

He spoke as if she were a masterpiece, and he was the artist recounting every brushstroke and detail of his creation.

"How big are her tits?" Ricky interjected, but Eliphas's expression lingered on the beauty of his memories, completely oblivious to Ricky's interruption. 

Lost in his reverie, he continued to paint a vivid picture of Selene, undeterred by the crassness of the question.

"Selene is someone I wanted to see the world end with, but I betrayed her," Eliphas said, his expression shifting as he looked at himself, the ugly visage fading back into his regular appearance. 

"For centuries, I've searched for a way to apologize, yet I've come up short in my pursuits." Eliphas turned his gaze back to Ricky, a solemn nod accompanying his words.

"I kind of know how you feel. Back then, I used to go around whoremongering without any regard for the consequences of my actions." Ricky said, slumping in his chair as he focused on the road ahead. 

"But now, I don't want to leave them out to dry. I've had this revelation, and now I'm stuck being the black knight." Ricky lamented, recalling all the women out there dealing with his kids, probably struggling and having no support whatsoever.

"I left my girls to do this whole Black Knight thing, but I keep getting caught up in all these conflicts that I don't know when I'll see them again," Ricky said, tapping the steering wheel with a sigh. He thought about Maria, Alina, and all the other women who had mingled with him, their faces flashing in his mind.

"You're a father?" Eliphas misinterpreted the question, asking with slight surprise.

"Nah, I meant my girlfriend and my mistress, but I guess you're right since they're both pregnant with my bastards along with the others," Ricky shook his head, his expression shifting as the reality of his situation sunk in. 

He hadn't considered it that way before, but it was true, he was about to become a father soon to a clutter of kids and it sort of sunk in for him.

"You're disgusting, a woman's love isn't something to be toyed with-"

"But you are?" Ricky laughed, looking at Eliphas as if he was joking.

"I get that I'm over here making my own little family tree and that in itself is trashy, but at least I'm getting some rather than brooding over a chick who probably doesn't even love you." Ricky turned his own issue into a joke, laughing at himself and at the same time Eliphas.

"Do you know what it's like to love-"

"Yeah, but sooner or later, you realize that what you have right now isn't love; it's torture." Ricky scoffed at Eliphas, seeing through the facade and recognizing him for what he truly was, a hopeless sad sack.

"She probably forgot about you, so why not move on? Go meet some sweet honeys and snag a hot Italian girl instead." Ricky nudged Eliphas, who turned his gaze back to the window.

Ignoring Ricky, he closed his eyes and let himself drift into sleep, his thoughts wandering back to his conversation with Dracula.

"Let me clarify further then, I know where your precious Selene is currently residing." 

Eliphas froze, his heart pounding in his chest as Selen's warm smile flooded his memory.

"You're lying, Selene hasn't revealed herself to the world in centuries-"

"She was busy building her utopia, but we all know why she never told you of its glorious standing," Dracula taunted through his familiar, making Eliphas seethe with frustration.

"Lies, Selene would never inform you of-"

"Well, the collective I'm a part of has found evidence of its existence, though no further contact has been initiated yet." Dracula tempted further, as Eliphas grew colder at his own realization.

"You dare plot against my beloved?" Eliphas's claws slowly formed, but Dracula wasn't even paying attention, as his power wasn't worth noticing. 

"It is not that I am plotting, but observing, though let us continue onto the details." Dracula replied with an amused grin, returning to his original proposal.

"Bring Abraham and the Black Knight to these coordinates so that I may snip this blooming bud." Dracula handed Eliphas a set of coordinates in Germany, which he accepted with a tense grip.

"Do you truly believe I'd compromise my integrity as an information broker-"

"Yes, yes, I do," Dracula ridiculed, flapping his wings slightly, his eyes forming into crescent moons while gazing directly into Eliphas eyes.

"You'll do anything to see your beloved again, Eliphas, even if it means betraying yourself, let alone Abraham."

*Slap*

"Hey, wake up."

Eliphas sat up, the imprint of his face still visible on his cheek, and saw them at the border between Italy and Germany, where Nazi soldiers patrolled with armbands emblazoned on their uniforms. 

"Give me the passports." Ricky snapped, and Eliphas, almost unconsciously, handed them over.

Ricky pulled up to the customs gate, spotting two German guards wearing distinct red armbands emblazoned with a bold symbol. 

Suddenly aware that Ricky was the one expected to do the talking, Eliphas felt a wave of nervousness wash over him, a stark contrast to Ricky's relaxed demeanor.

"Passports." The German guard gruffed, clearly annoyed that their conversation had been interrupted as Ricky handed them over without hesitation.

"Lukas Schmidt and Fabian Klein-oh, you are German." The guard suddenly realized, glancing from their distinct German names to the passports that accompanied them.

"What kind of German?" The other guard asked, squinting his eyes in a scrutinizing manner. 

"Do I look like a f*cking Jew to you?" Ricky shot back, raising an eyebrow with a sneer, while Eliphas's eyes widened in shock.

Eliphas was supposed to influence the guards with his vampiric abilities, but things were taking a turn for the worse as tension mounted, he prepared to fight, sharpening his claws in anticipation.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ricky and the guards erupted into laughter, unable to maintain their straight faces any longer.

'W-What is happening?' Eliphas wondered, struggling to comprehend what was so funny while one of the guards wiped tears of laughter from his eyes.

"So, my brother, how was your trip?" the guard laughed, handing back the passport he had checked before moving on to the other one. 

"It was no Germany, but I got a tan while my friend here spent all day tucked in a corner of a bar," Ricky joked, eliciting some chuckles before he shook his head.

"But seriously, can you believe they don't have a single ounce of German beer there?" Ricky lamented, and the guards sighed in agreement, knowing the troubles all too well. 

"What do they expect me to do, grow a pair of tits to drink some wine?" Ricky nudged the closest guard, and they erupted into laughter at the joke.

"Oh, but the women, they are something," Ricky said, a sleazy smile spreading across his face and making the guards perk up. 

"Oh, did you dip into the Italian pool?" The other guard nudged, and Ricky couldn't help but grin wider.

"Headfirst, I mean, they aren't exactly German wife material, but they know how to have a good time. And speaking of that, I met this one girl-"

Ricky launched into an exaggerated story filled with crude details about his encounter with a servant girl, recounting every lascivious moment. 

Eliphas listened with disgust, shaking his head, while the two guards hung on to every word, clearly entertained by the tale.

"And then I walked away."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" They erupted into laughter at the outrageous story, wiping tears from their eyes before handing the passport back.

"Well, welcome back home, brother. Heil Hitler!" the guard said, giving Ricky a friendly pat on the shoulder as Ricky nodded in response, rolling up the window as they drove away.

As they drove off as if nothing had happened, Eliphas stared at Ricky in astonishment, marveling at how effortlessly he had managed to converse with the guards.

"Oh, don't give me that look. All guys are like that, except you over there," Ricky nudged Eliphas, who simply continued to stare back at him in disbelief.

Pulling over and getting out, Eliphas watched as Ricky summoned Chores, Abraham, and Barko from thin air. 

"Never again," they all agreed, climbing into the cramped car as Eliphas stepped out, only to be stopped in his tracks.

"Oh no, you're going to show us to the facilities," Abraham said with a cheeky smile, which only served to infuriate Eliphas.

"That wasn't part of the deal-"

"Oh, come on! You didn't think I'd give you a vial of the Pope's blood so easily?" Abraham asked, meeting Eliphas's gaze and after a moment, Eliphas sighed and got back into the car.

He remained silent as the conversation continued to flow around him, his mind drifting back to the agreement he had made about giving directions.

"What do you want?" Eliphas caved, and Dracula smiled viciously, nodding in approval.

"There's a lab near the border that Abraham will most likely blackmail you into guiding him to." Dracula replied, effortlessly seeing through his old adversary's intentions, knowing him all too well.

"You'll lead him into these coordinates and once you do, I'll handle the rest."

"We're here." Eliphas said, gesturing toward a sketchy, abandoned warehouse that loomed ahead.

"It's underground-"

"Then show us the way," Ricky said, adjusting his Black Knight attire, putting on his newly acquired wings as Eliphas stared at him for a moment before reluctantly leading the group toward the secret entrance.

Digging out a buried hatch, Eliphas descended first, with the others following closely behind into an underground tunnel. 

As they walked into a room filled with cryptic symbols, Ricky was the last to arrive and suddenly, his danger sense went into overdrive as everything in the room was swallowed by blinding light.

His pupils convulsed as he turned around, shooting backward while his wings flapped frantically, only to be consumed by the light. 

When the brightness faded, Ricky found himself no longer in a cramped room but standing in a magnificent gothic castle.

In the gothic castle, a grand banquet was underway, with a sea of vampires scattered throughout the area. 

Each one wore elaborate masks and held champagne glasses filled with blood. 

They all wore mocking smiles, their gazes fixed on their guest of honor for today's feast as Abraham, who stood frozen at the center of the room lifelessly gazed in front of him.

*THUMP*

Abraham's heart thumped violently in his chest, the sound echoing in his ears as he tried to ignore the crowd of vampires surrounding him. 

The mocking laughter and whispers seemed to close in around him, a suffocating wave of dread. 

He forced himself to focus, blocking out the swirling sea of masked faces, each one grinning with predatory delight.

His eyes fell upon the figure seated on the grandiose throne, the only one who truly commanded his attention. 

The vampire's presence was overwhelming, exuding an air of power that sent chills down Abraham's spine.

"Hello Abraham, it is good to see you once again."