Manifestation of a Monster (Warm-Blooded Vampires) Book 2

A Plan of Action - Motel Dam Sanctum(8-04-2018)

There were problems the night before. After a while, he would have to deal with it. Nonetheless, seeing the fast-paced pictures on the TV was a welcome diversion for the time being. He now despised the very word "distraction." And while lazily strewn across the couch. Thoughts from the past year flooded his head.

He couldn't give himself time to think about it now. He needed to put the past behind him and start over. Certainly, it wouldn't be a breeze.

He decided he had to reach out for support and share his story with someone else. Nevertheless, it was horrifying to consider letting his guard down and revealing his weaknesses, even to Milo.

He blinked his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of the destructive ideas. He should have taken things slowly and concentrated on the here and now.

To block out the voices in his thoughts, he reached for the TV remote and turned up the volume. He would face his demons tomorrow. Today, he would just focus on the fake people and their fake drama.

The elevator's doors opened in the corridor. Surely it was Richard. Inquiring minds wanted to hear more about Ma'at. It was a topic about which he felt less than enthusiastic. He looked over at the stuffed rabbit next to him as the door opened. It's also possible that he was there to reprimand him. Whatever the case may be. There was no way to sugarcoat the change.

"Where's Milo?" Richard asked as he stood over Grendel. His attention shifted from Grendel to the stuffed animal next to him.

Grendel interrupted Richard with, "I know," before Richard could continue. It would have been the same thing he told him the night before. Don't go to her house. It's too much work for me. You are just hurting yourself. All of this was true, but it didn't make it any easier.

"But then, why did you do it?" Richard's response was monotone and uninteresting. "I'm not here to give you a hard time," he said with a sigh as he tossed the rabbit onto Grendel's lap as he sat next to him. "Seeing as how you are back on the surface, I wanted to get our story straight."

He ignored Richard's questions. The cover tale wasn't anything he was unaware of. For whatever reason, he decided to check the warehouse in hopes of finding Milo. Unfortunately, the only people there were the hooded weirdos who stool him, and when he tried to punch one of them, he accidentally hit a transformer. Bringing about an explosion of some sort.

This, of course, was completely false. The men with masks were nowhere to be seen. The electricity that killed so many came from an emotional outburst from himself. And the people who were there. The ones that killed. His train of thinking came to an abrupt end. Speculating about his true motivations was fruitless. Besides, if he stopped to consider the facts, he may remember Richard's account.

Richard continued to elaborate. Things that can only be understood by someone who was there. Grendel still didn't answer or show any signs of acknowledgement. Richard was familiar enough with him to know that Grendel wouldn't show any signs of listening, even if he was.

Grendel quickly shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on the present. "I'm sorry, Richard," he said, forcing a smile. "I must have spaced out for a moment. What were you saying?"

It was a good squeeze on his shoulder, and Grendel flinched. He could feel Richard doing it. His expression was one of sympathy. It's tough, I get it; in the meanwhile, just try to avoid making any rash decisions. When Richard got to his feet and prepared to depart, Grendel nodded. With that, Richard left, closing the door behind him and promising to return later to have a chat with Milo.

***

"How come you have so much knowledge and haven't located anything yet?" Milo inquired, his gaze drawn to the various colour-coded folders Richard had in front of him.

Everything was carefully arranged on the kitchen counter. The question was not intended to be insulting. But he'd known Richard long enough to know that it didn't take much information to piece things together.

"Well, Milo," Richard explained, "it's not just about the amount of knowledge I have; it's about how I organize and digest it." "Each of these folders represents a different component of the search, and I've spent a lot of time figuring out the best method to categorize and analyse the data. It's going to be a difficult task, but I'm determined to locate what we're looking for."

Milo was tempted to press the issue further. His precision was nothing new and made no sense. He noticed the name of a church right then and there. One that appeared to be extremely near Richard's house. Was that the one he was going to? Was that the reason he was so hesitant to move forward?

Milo didn't need a religion, but he respected it. That is, assuming common sense didn't get in the way. "Who is this?" Milo pointed at the priest's photograph.

Richard spoke with a quick glance over his shoulder, barely paying attention. "That's Malachi, the priest." He works as a priest at St. Ivies Cathedral."

"Do you go to that church?" Milo inquired, sounding more critical than usual.

"Yes," Richard replied, barely thinking about it.

"How come he's in your suspect file?"

Richard interrupted his work for the first time. "Because a large shipment box was brought a few days following the kidnapping, along with a few additional groups." The majority of those on that list have been exempted since I was able to determine what they carried over with them. I haven't gotten a straight answer from him yet."

Milo nodded in agreement. "I see. It's critical to have an open mind and avoid jumping to conclusions. He's a priest, but that doesn't mean he's not interested. Before making any choices, we should continue to investigate and obtain more evidence."

Richard concurred. "You are correct. We cannot dismiss somebody based on preconceived beliefs. I'll keep trying to acquire more information from him and see if he has any ties to the case."

Milo nodded, content with the plan. "Good. Let us continue to work on this and see where the evidence leads us."

Richard was not the type to hold back during an invasion. He did not do extra favours for anyone simply because he knew them personally. He could only think of an extension if it was for Molly or his family.

"I've been pressed for time lately. But don't worry, I'm not being biassed." He gazed absently through the papers. Making certain that no one feels out of place.

Milo would have questioned him further, but Grendel looked over to the counter where the two of them were sitting. "What are you up to?" he questioned, leaning against the counter and scattering a few papers with his elbow.

Milo thought Richard was ready to say something when he looked up for the first time. Instead. He took the folders from Grendel. Piling them neatly beside him.

A photograph of Ma'at slipped out as he did so. The photo was crisp and new and had nothing in common with the woman he had previously known. Her eyes were empty and her face sunken in. It still stunned him how flawless it appeared, almost as if looking at her through a window. Photographs, or pics as some call them, appeared to be magical in their ease of acquisition.

"Who's this?" Grendel inquired as he lifted the photo and examined it from every aspect.

"Ma'at," Richard murmured as he pucked the photo from his grasp.

Grendel creased his brow. "It's Ma'at. She looks like death."

"I'm sure you wouldn't look your finest if you were locked away for thousands of years," Milo retorted.