CHAPTER 10: FINDING SAMUEL

PEOPLES' UNITED BANK, GREENVALE.

Rachael never thought she would be back here, especially since it was here it all began for her. From being fired to being hired by the twins and everything else that happened. She remembers how she and John always hung out during breaks and after work. Back then she never knew he was a vampire.

Her face turns gloomy as she remembers how much she has lost to the world of the supernatural, "Let's go in,".

She walks into the bank with Elma and Bryan behind her, they head for the customer care center where they meet a familiar face, a woman Rachael would never suspect to be of the supernatural if not for the experience they have shared.

Her eyes carry a hint of glimmer and joy as she attends to a customer. Her dimple brings out the brighter sides of her face and her long black hair is tied into a ponytail.

"Rachael," she exclaims as she sees the 5'6ft woman and her companions; "It's so good to see you," she says, "It's good to see you too, Mary".

She reads the mood between them and her face changes, "Don't tell me someone died," she says, "Well, I hate to burst your bubbles love but someone did," Elma says.

"Can we talk?" Rachael asks, "Sure,".

Mary informs her colleague of her departure before leaving with Rachael and the vampires outside.

"What's wrong?" Mary asks, "Gabriel is dead," Rachael says, "Fuck, I'm so sorry to hear that, especially after what happened to John. What can I do for you?" "We need to track down Samuel," Elma says.

"Why didn't you guys just use GPS?" Mary suggests, "Well, we haven't been able to reach his line so we just thought he was totally unavailable," Rachael says.

"You won't find him with GPS. I already tried," Bryan says. He wears shades to covers his eyes from the sun, "Do you have anything of his?" Mary asks, "No, not really. But I hoped this car would do," Rachael points towards a gray Audi A6.

"This was his?" "Yes. It's one of the cars Gabriel took before the cops closed the club. Will it be enough?" Rachael asks as she moves strands of her hair from her face.

"Maybe. Something more personal would be better," Mary says.

"Wait. There is a suit in the trunk. Gabriel said Samuel leaves a suit in the trunk of his car," Rachael says, "Let's try it," Mary says.

Rachael leads her to the car and opens the trunk, there is a bag and a jacket in the trunk. Rachael opens the bag to reveal a neatly arranged suit, "Yeah, this looks like his taste," Bryan says.

Mary places her hands over the suit and begins to chant a spell, she closes her eyes and she mumbles her spell for a few minutes and stops.

Her vision goes dark for a few seconds before the darkness begin to dissipate and a gate comes into view; the gate is long and it is closed.

There is someone sitting at the foot of the gate, he wears a black long sleeve shirt and he rests his head on his arms. Mary tries to look at his face and he raises his head to look at her, "Who is there? Is that you Rachael?" he asks.

She doesn't see his face clearly but she recognizes his voice, Gabriel.

Mary tries to call his name but the scene disappears out of sight and she sees a map.

The name Rebersburg-Pennsylvania flashes before her eyes, a poster appears with the name Centre county and she appears in a mansion.

The walls of are of turquoise colors and most of the grounds are covered in green grass; she finds herself walking in a white hallway before reappearing around a pool in the mansion.

The image becomes blurry and she finds it difficult to breath as she becomes surrounded by water, she gasps as he comes out of the swimming pool dripping with water and the pair of glowing blue eyes she sees confirms the identity of the man the spell is meant to find.

She gasps for breath and coughs as the imagery disappears and the bank comes into view, "He is in Pennsylvania. And I can tell he is very pissed. Got a pen?" Mary says.

Bryan provides a pen and paper from his jacket, "Before I saw Samuel I think I saw Gabriel," she says.

"What did you see?" Elma asks, "There was a gate, he was sitting in front of it and somehow I think he could see me. Well, feel my presence rather.

He thought it was you but he didn't sound sure," she says to Rachael.

She scribbles some words down on the paper, "Here is the address. I wish you luck babe," Mary hugs Rachael before turning to return to the bank, "Call me if you need anything," she says before she leaves.

Bryan looks at the address, "We should better get going before he disappears again,".

TREMBLAYS MANSION

"Bring the screamers," Lucas orders as their men fire shots at the man and woman that just stepped out of their pool. Their silver bullets laced with holy ash have no effect other than putting holes in their clothes.

The two immortals dash through the circular shaped skylight of the room, tearing throats and smashing heads against the wall.

The blood of their enemies quickly becomes the new paint against the wall as Samuel peels a man's face against the wall and throws him into the pool.

Some men bring out a rectangular device which resembles a stereo and turn it on, it releases a strange sound that makes the sphinx's hair stand on his skin like a jolt of electricity is surging through his body. They put another screamer on the opposite side of the room and face it toward Amanda who falls one knee as she tries to cover her ears.

The immortals scream in agony as this sound hurts more than silver bullets ever could.

Samuel's growl turns into a loud roar as he begins to walk towards the device when Erwin enters the room with a machine gun, an FN Minimi.

The men on the opposite side of the room run as they notice the new head of the family get ready to lay waste to the immortal as he struggles to walk, "This is for Marcus and Mary," Erwin says as he begins to shoot at Samuel.

He screams into the air as bullet shells fall to the ground and his shots hit the sphinx and throw him against the ground.

Samuel feels every bullet penetrate his body as he loses his balance and falls to the ground, he tries to get up but the pain and the noise causes his vision to go blurry.

His eyes close shut and his mind imagines the worst, a world without his brother who has always had his back.

A world where he is bitter and utterly alone.

LONG TIME AGO IN THE 1500S.

Samuel's mind travels to a time when he and Gabriel were loved, when they meant the world to someone, when they meant everything to Amara Itshe.

A young mother to twins who were fathered by the sweetest man she had ever met until he loved her no more and somehow killing the children took precedence.

She had been warned about him. A rich man from nowhere who had fallen for a poor girl and took her as his concubine. He promised her marriage and love but gave her twins and death.

Samuel's memory replays the last time he saw his mother alive.

He and Gabriel were playing in the small shed by their grandfather's workshop who was a carpenter that worked for hours with his son.

The twins played with woods and nails and their uncle cautioned them to be careful before they would injure themselves.

Their grandfather's workshop was at the market center of a small village in Qwayinduku, South Africa.

Screams were soon heard as people ran for their lives. Amara Itshe, a dark skin beauty and mother of the twins ran into the workshop, "Where are they? They have to run" she screamed as the neigh of a horse was heard at the door.

Vlad entered the workshop with blood dripping from the sides of his mouth, "Where are the boys? Give them to me," he said, "What is going on?" Amara's father asked the tall man with silky black hair that reached his shoulders.

Amara's father was elderly but Vlad did not care, he snapped his neck like a twig between his hands and his children screamed as they watched their father fall to the ground.

Samuel and Gabriel entered the room and froze at the sight of their dead grandfather, "Run!" their mother screamed, "Run away,".

Vlad turned to reach for his sons but their mother clung to him, "Run!", she screamed at the boys who were frozen in fear.

Vlad grabbed Amara by the neck and sank his fangs into her, he drained her of her blood in front of the boys who only returned to their senses when their uncle shouted for them to run.

Gabriel grabbed Samuel's hand and pulled him away; away from their mother, away from their father, away from their family and into a new world, a world where the only ones they could trust were each other.