Sam sat on her chunk of concrete looking off into the sea, waiting for the sun to rise and the new day to begin.  The sky was starting to dawn the orange hue of morning.  She thought of the departed Mr. Bartlett and his final words “Don’t worry about me.”  She didn’t have the faintest clue of what he meant.  How could she not worry?  She had lost the love of her life, not only that, but she lost a friend.

A noise behind Sam startled her.  She turned to see Eddie supporting the wounded Brockly out of the former observatory building. 

Eddie gave a half smile, “What a night, eh?” 

Sam nodded, “What are you guys going to do now that this is over?” 

Brockly spoke up first, cutting Eddie off before he could speak, “I’m going to get really drunk, pass out, and then get the hell out of this country before they realize I’ve escaped from prison.”  Brockly coughed a few times and stretched out his arm, “If you’re ever in Europe, give me a call.  I’d love to hang with you guys, but I’ve got work to do.”  Blood was caked on his head, and his pant leg was stained red.

Brockly unslung his arm from Eddie’s neck and waved to Sam.  He looked down to his burnt, cut, and bloodied suit and sighed.  He then began to limp off to the road they had come in on, leaving his two compatriots behind.

Eddie sat down next to Sam, letting out a long sigh, “We made it.  And don’t worry about Brockly, he’ll be fine.”  He looked at Sam.  She sat starring off into the sunrise. “I know you’re thinking about him.” 

Sam blurted out what she was on her mind, “He said, don’t worry about me.  Not exactly sure what it means.  I don’t know what to think of that.”  Sam looked back inside the building where Mr. Bartlett had been laying in his final moments, “Because he’s gone.” 

Eddie stood and put his hands in his pockets, “Mr. Bartlett never says anything he doesn’t mean.  Remember that.  Don’t worry about it, Sam. I’m sure you’ll see him again.  And I’m sure that’s what he means.  He doesn’t die easily.”  Eddie took a few steps away than turned back to Sam, “I’ll call the cleanup crew, Breaburn will probably be here with them, just prepare yourself. And Sam.”  Sam looked the man in the eyes, “I’m sorry for your loss.  Despite what he is, he is a great man.” Eddie then left the same direction as Brockly, taking one last look back at Sam. 

Sam stood and walked to the edge of the cliff. 

“Sam, you dropped this.” 

Sam heard a voice she thought she’d never hear again.  Sam turned around to see Andrelle holding Red by the waist. 

She held Sam’s axe out in her free hand, “I think you need this, no one else could destroy an entire vampire lair with an axe.  I’m impressed.”  She raised an eyebrow. 

Sam grabbed the axe and used it to hold herself up, “Thanks guys.” 

Red smiled revealing a new set of fangs. 

Sam’s eyebrows shot up, “Red, you’re a vamp now?” 

Red touched his new teeth, “It was either this or death, and let’s face it, I’m a coward, I’m not ready for death.”  He leaned over and kissed Andrelle, “And I have more to live for now than ever.” 

Sam smiled at her friends.  She never would have thought the two together, but it was a new day.  Anything was possible. 

The sun was starting to rise over the horizon, and Andrelle started to pull Red towards the road, “Sorry Sam, but we need to split, sunlight and all.” 

“Go ahead you two.  I’ll just sit a while longer.” 

The two new love birds ran off to the road.  Andrelle was pulling Red along, laughing at the stumbling man.

A voice found its way into Sam’s head, “Don’t worry Sam, I can feel him around you.  He hasn’t left you alone.” 

Sam turned to see Red taking one last look at her.  He winked then turned back to Andrelle.  He followed the road away from the sun.  Sam sat and just watched the sunrise.

 

Men in black suits scoured the remains of the observatory.  Digging up rubble and taking pictures here or there while collecting samples.

The sun was high in the sky and it beat down on Sam and her concrete stool.  She hadn’t moved from the spot all day, not even when the agents had shown up to clean up the place.  She knew Mr. Breaburn was around somewhere and dreaded the moment he would come to see her. 

Sam looked around the cliff side hoping to spot the man before he found her. 

“You caused quite a mess down here, Sam.” The stiff voice of the Institutes lead man hit her ears hard. 

Sam slowly turned to see the older man in the nicely clean and pressed suit.  As always a briefcase was clasped in his hands and a half scowl hung from his face, “If I knew that you would blow the evidence sky high, I wouldn’t have sent such a rookie.  This place is a disaster.” 

He walked around her till he was right in front of her, cutting the sun’s rays off of her face.  “I also heard you got one of my agents killed, and the American government has been down my throat about their men you killed in the city, as well as that prison riot you enticed, and not to mention you wiped out an entire vampire clan.” 

The anger in Mr. Breaburn’s voice grew, “I spent years trying to keep peace between all the clans and in one night you go and kill off a clan leader and wipe out most, if not all, of his followers.  The vampires will be furious, and not to mention the Boss, he…” 

Sam stood and moved her face inches away from Mr. Breaburn’s. “I don’t think you will have to worry about the Boss, he was quite pleased with my work.”  Breaburn swallowed hard, his face turning bitter.

She kept her gaze locked with Mr. Breaburn for a moment longer, “And your agent was a friend of mine.  He died defending a young girl from harm.  He died knowing he did the right thing, and I had to watch him breath his last, so please, just back off.”  Sam took this moment to turn and start walking off. 

“At least I don’t have to worry about that scoundrel, Bartlett, walking the earth.  It’s a blessing that filth like him is gone.  It’s one last thing I need to worry about.”  His emotionless face betrayed itself, a slight smile formed at the edge of his mouth.

Sam stopped dead in her tracks.  She slowly turned.  She took a few steps towards Mr. Breaburn, and then lunged at him, punching him in the face.  A slight crack sounded out through the air, “And it’s Mr. Bartlett to you, you trash.”  Sam turned and twirled her axe in the air. 

Mr. Breaburn cupped his hand under his nose, collecting blood. “You’ll regret this.” 

Sam kept looking forward while shouting back to Breaburn, “I quit.” 

She put her hand in her pockets and felt a paper inside.  She pulled it out and looked at the letter Joseph had given her to give to his son.  She tapped it on her axe and held her head high.  Her mission wasn’t over yet.

 

Night descended upon the observatory.  The lone man wandered through the halls, peeking into the rooms as he went by.  He stopped at one in particular.  A wood burning stove sat bolted to the floor, its contents turned to ash.  Tools and knives were scattered about the ground, and a chair with bindings sat right in the middle. 

The man stepped further into the room, looking upwards at the shattered skylight.  Moonlight poured down upon him.  He closed his eyes and let his skin turn to its natural blue color, the color his mother had bestowed upon him.

He tightened his hands he had clasped around the back of his sherwani.  He sniffed the air and left the room to its abandoned delight.

He wandered the hallways once more, passing an Egyptian carved door.  He examined the gold carvings and made a mental note to come back and collect theses for the restaurant.  They would make a delightful addition to Mr. Bartlett’s office.

He left the door behind, entering the long hallway filled with large statues.  He smirked.  The Egyptian gods were pathetic compared to those like his mother.  They were obsolete relics better left in the past or rotting in museums.

The man made his way down the hallway, reaching a black spot in the ground.  He bent down to examine the spot when a shadowy figure moved behind him.

“Nice to see you well, Mr. Scott.”

Mr. Scott turned away from the black spot to gaze upon a man in a white suit with shoes to match.  He had an eye patch covering his right eye, not his left, leaving him to gaze upon a black void, which oozed a strange black mist that dissipated as soon as it left its socket.

Mr. Scott nodded, “Master, what is our next move?”

The monster inside Mr. Bartlett smiled deviously, “Get our plane ready, Mr. Scott.  I have an old friend I need to meet.”

 

Sam pulled her car over next to the house addressed on the letter.  She looked out the car window at the small yellow home.

Joseph had loved his family, but couldn’t give up his work for them.  People might look down on him for leaving his family, but Sam knew the sacrifice required for the business.  She knew Agent Flaurence cared about the world more than most people.  He had saved countless lives at the expense of his own.  She knew if his family had known what he did for a living, he might have had a different ending.  They might have stayed with him, and he wouldn’t have been shot dead in a bathroom stall.

Sam sighed and got out of the car.  This was going to be hard, but she had to do it for Joseph.  She walked up the small walkway to the front door, bushes and flowers on either side of her.  She raised her hand to knock and hesitated.  She could just put the letter in the slot and walk away.  It’d be easier on her.

She shook her head.  No she would deliver the letter as promised.  She knocked on the door and waited a moment. 

A small boy opened the door.  Sam was startled at how much the boy looked like Joseph.  It was almost a mirror image, only quite a bit younger. 

Sam held out the letter for him, “Hello.  This is a letter from your dad.”  She felt awkward for the straightforward approach, but the kid took the letter and opened it.  Sam stood there for a while, letting him read the note.

She started to turn and walk away when the boy stopped her, “So my dad is dead then?  He says so in the letter.” 

Sam stopped and turned, “Yes, I’m sorry.” 

The kid nodded, “I didn’t know him very well anyway.  But you did, right?  How’d he die?” 

Sam nodded, “He died doing his work.  He always thought of you regardless of what anyone says.  His last breaths were about you, and how he always wished he could see you.  Even when he was battling monsters and saving the world like a hero, he was thinking of you.” 

The kid nodded and smiled. 

Sam turned again and started to walk off.  It was more truth than the kid would think.  Of course like most people, he would think she was just lying to make him feel better.

“Just one more question,” the boy stopped her again, “What did my dad do for his job? My mom never tells me.  She just walks away when I ask.” 

Sam stopped and thought to herself for a moment.  Agent Flaurence had been a great man, dedicated to his job.  He saved the world multiple times, and died protecting an innocent girl.  He did magnificent things that no one would ever know, not even his son.  Sam pondered if she should share this information with his son.  Most people didn’t believe these stories anyway.

Sam smiled and sat down on the front porch stairs.  She gestured him to sit next to her. “Well…”

 

The End

Or is it?

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