Posted by The Black Knight on October 22, 2000 at 20:11:55:
Chapter 21
One month after the untimely "death" of Danielle Francis, Candice Dalton was named head of the Social Studies Department of Walton State University. The classes resumed without incident and Danielle's
murder was attributed to Bill and Bob, who were known to be vampire fanatics. Hours after being put in charge Candice called a meeting of the Social Studies Department for the following day. Two hours before
the first classes were to meet Dracula, Misty Morgan, and Luke walked into Candice Dalton's office.
"Do you mind me asking why we are meeting. I know there is no major change in the curriculum and there are no new staff members." Luke said.
"I want all three of you out of here in one month, and while you're at it I want Madeline gone too." Candice said.
"A bit sudden isn't?" Luke asked.
"I don't want to end up getting stuck to the wall of my office like a shish-kabob, do you understand me?" Candice asked.
"Seward has been taken care of and he's the only one who would do that." Luke said.
"He would." Candice said pointing at Dracula.
"You could have a point there." Luke said as he sat down.
"You have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with." Dracula said.
"The man who entered England one hundred years ago under the name of Count Dracula. Once in England you began killing intermittently and then focused on a small Sanitarium just outside of the Sussex."
Candice said.
"How did you know that?" Dracula asked.
"You have your secrets and I have mine. My
great-great-grandfather was Jonathan Harker, the man that you lured to Transylvania in order to secure a house in London. I thought it was all just a myth until I saw Angie Sexton diving through that window."
Candice said.
"I have had many names, but I prefer Dracula. It suits me and I gave the name to all of my children. However the descendants of Van Helsing and Seward have failed what makes you think that you would
succeed?" Dracula asked.
"Because I know you for what you are and why you really came to England. Jonathan never told his wife that he saw Quincy Morris' picture in Dracula's castle, but he wrote it in his journals." Candice
said.
"Van Helsing always assumed that he had come to England in an attempted conquest, but we have other means for that." Luke said.
"He came because of you. You were using the name of Quincy Morris at the time. He centered himself around the Seward Sanitarium because of your affection for Lucy Westerna am I correct?" Candice
asked.
"Good guess." Luke said.
"I will expect you gone by March 31, or I will have you forcefully removed." Candice said.
"When you say forcefully what do you mean?" Dracula asked.
"First I'll fire the three of you, then I'll cut off the excess funding to the cafeteria, and finally I'll cut off all ties to the Drake Foundation. That should do it don't you think?" Candice asked.
"You forget that all of those decisions have to be approved by Dean Raymond." Dracula said.
"At my request Dean Raymond is now sleeping in a room of my design. The windows are covered with garlic and a climbing rose and it was once a chapel." Candice said.
Luke smiled a little as he sat back in his chair.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Dracula asked.
"As a matter of fact I am. There's nothing I love better than to see you bested with your own tactics." Luke said.
"I'm not beaten yet Lucas." Dracula said.
"You are. I do not wish to take an even more drastic measure." Candice said.
"What would that be girl?" Dracula said angrily.
Candice backed away a little, but her stern look returned as quickly as it had left.
"Just hope that I don't have to go that far. You are no longer welcome on this campus so please leave." Candice said.
"You may not like what happens when we leave." Dracula said.
"Is that a threat Doctor Tepesch? I have written everything that I know about you down and left it in a safety deposit box with Jonathan Harker's journal. Should I die unexpectedly my will states
that those books are to be sent to Dean Raymond and then to WGFN news. If my murder has crossed that devious mind of yours I would advise you to ignore it." Candice said as she stood.
"She's good." Luke said as he stood up.
"We will leave Walton State University by March 31, however the Drake Foundation will continue to be one of the University's biggest donors." Dracula said.
"I want none of your charities or any debts that can be traced back to you." Candice said.
"It will be a pair of scholarships set up in the names of Donna Miller and Danielle Francis." Dracula said.
Candice smiled and nodded a little. Dracula and Misty got up and walked out of the room.
"Why are you still here?" Candice asked as she looked at Luke.
Luke looked at the door and it closed on its own.
"I saved your life as an ally, but now you are a threat to us. Unless that threat is removed you will be." Luke said.
"Are you going to try hypnotise me again?" Candice asked sarcastically.
"You have beautiful blue eyes." he commented.
"What are you talking about?" Candice asked as she looked at his eyes.
The moment their eyes met she didn't have a chance to resist. As she began to pass out she was convinced that she heard his heart beating in her head. Luke let her slump back into her chair. He walked
around behind her chair and leaned over close to her face.
"You do not believe in vampires. It is only a myth. Jonathan Harker was a crazy old man." Luke whispered in her ear.
He smiled as he walked to the door. He turned and looked at her.
"One more thing Candy, where is your bank?" Luke asked.
"First Bank of Dayton." Candice muttered as she shifted herself in the seat.
"When I leave you will wake up with no memory of this conversation. You will however remember that Doctor Tepesch, Doctor Morgan, and I all submitted our resignations to take effect as of March 31." Luke said.
Candice lay her head on her desk and didn't move. Luke smiled as he walked out the door. Dracula and Misty waited outside the door.
"Poor girl never had a chance." Misty said.
"She's a little too cocky, but very weak." Luke said.
"Then why are we leaving?" Dracula asked.
"Because it's getting too dangerous. The longer that we're around the greater the chance that she will work through the suggestions that I planted. I made that mistake with Van Helsing and
it cost him is life. Candy's a nice girl and I wouldn't want her to find out why they called you Vlad the Impaler." Luke said.
"That has always been your weakness Lucas, you place too much value on mortal life." Dracula said.
"Perhaps, but there is merit in being mortal." Luke said.
"What merit, you grow old and die." Misty said.
"But can you truly know what it is to love someone when you know that they will always be around? If a relationship is not forced to
end it grows stagnate and dies." Luke said.
"I wouldn't say that. Your father and I have had a relationship for over two thousand years and we haven't grown apart." Misty said.
"Do you still feel the same way about him as you did then? If he still felt the same why are there six other women who can say the same thing that you can?" Luke said.
Misty smiled a little as she looked over her shoulder at Dracula.
"He has a point." Dracula said.
"Matty won't be happy about moving." Luke said.
"She never is, but I'm sure that I can convince her. The one thing that I hate is leaving Lorna, Catrina, and Gabby behind." Dracula said.
"It is only a matter of time before someone discovers them and removes the stakes. Then they will find us again." Luke said.
"What about your new one, Heather Taylor?" Misty asked.
"According to Kim she saw Seward herding her into the pool. If she went in there then there's no hope for her." Luke said.
"I'll tell Madeline to get ready to move. I understand that she was ready to go a month ago, but you talked her out of it." Dracula said.
"I thought that we were staying." Luke said.
They went to their separate ways to their classes.
Early the next morning Luke walked into Dracula's room to find it basically empty. There were two suitcases setting on the bed and everything else looked un-used. Luke walked into the bathroom.
Dracula stood in front of the mirror with an old straight-razor that looked as if it were from the colonial period. He was clean shaven and looked like a man in his early thirties. He washed the blade of
the razor and lay it on the sink. He wiped his face as he walked toward the door.
"Did you want something?" Dracula asked.
"I'm sorry, it's just not something that I'm used to." Luke said.
"It has been nearly two centuries, I thought it was time for a new look." Dracula said.
Luke looked at the sink and his eyes narrowed slightly. The razor folded and flew toward him. He caught it with his right hand and looked at it. The letters JH were monogrammed on handle of the razor.
"Jonathan Harker's?" Luke asked.
"I took it from him when he was at Castle Dracula. He was frightened and was more a danger to himself than me."
"I wouldn't know I wasn't there." Luke said.
"Madeline and the community moved out in mass last night. Only your mother, Alexis, you, and I are left here."
"What about Kimber?" Luke asked.
"I'm still here." Kim said as she walked in behind Luke.
"We go into the bank at midnight tonight." Dracula said. Kim nodded.
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked.
"Doctor Candice Dalton has proof that could be very damaging to us. We have no choice but to see that it does not fall into the wrong hands." Dracula said.
"Then I'm going with you." Luke said.
"I would expect no less." Dracula said.
"What about Candy?" Luke asked.
"She is of no consequence." Dracula said.
"When do you leave?" Luke asked.
"I'm going back to Transylvania tomorrow night. Your mother is going to Canada to visit Jonathan a while. Karen is staying until she
gets tired of being a cop." Dracula said.
"So where are you off to?" Kim asked with an innocent look on her face.
"Don't you mean we?" Luke asked.
"We as in you, me, Alexis, Nadine Anderson, and probably Charlotte Watson." Kim said.
"No!" Luke said angrily.
"Just you and me then?" Kim asked sweetly.
"She is consistent." Dracula said smiling.
"Consistently annoying. There are times that I wish I had left her in O'Shea's laboratory when I found her." Luke said.
"That hurts, that really hurts. I have followed you around for the past two hundred years. I've been as loyal a friend as you have had and you talk about me like that?" Kim said.
"You lend yourself to it a little too easily." Luke replied.
Kim cast a puzzled look toward Dracula.
"You speak before you think." Dracula said.
"I'll try to work on that. If we're going to leave Charli behind hadn't you better tell her goodbye?" Kim said.
"Some things are better left as they are." Luke said.
"Regretting immortality?" Dracula asked.
"A regret would mean that I had a choice in the matter. I did not." Luke said.