of humor.
Kaitlynn blushed. “I had no idea what was going on, where we were going, or anything. I grabbed what I could.”
“That’s true. She didn’t even know vampires existed until this morning,” I said.
“Pijawikas or Zao Duhs. We don’t like to be called vampires. ‘Vampire’ denotes a parasite or a leech. We consider ourselves above that.” Mirko grabbed some of the bags from the pile.
“Wait,” I said, dropping my bags back onto the trunk’s floor board. “You’re a Pijawika?” I didn’t really want to be around any more of those things anytime soon.
“No, I’m a Zao Duh.” Mirko smiled.
“What’s a Tao Duh?” I asked.
He smirked at me as if I was born yesterday. “Zao Duh,” he emphasized. “You really don’t know anything about us?”
I responded with a blank stare. “Nothing comes to mind, no.”
“They’ve really sheltered you.”
My face soured.
“Wasn’t trying to offend you. I’m shocked, is all. Let’s get going, and I’ll explain it to you.”
I picked up my bags and followed Mirko and Jaren inside the terminal.
When we reached the desk for clearance onto the tarmac, a young man greeted us. “How can I help you folks?”
Mirko’s eyes met with the clerk’s, and the clerk’s face went blank. “Do you have any expected flights leaving or coming in within the next twenty minutes?” Mirko asked.
“We have a Cessna departing shortly,” the clerk responded, dry and clear.
“There’s been a Gulfstream 650 parked out on the airstrip. It was never here, and you never saw us,” Mirko commanded.
The clerk nodded his head.
“Great. Now delete the Gulfstream’s flight plan in your system.” The clerk typed on his keyboard with the same indifference he might have while browsing the Web.
What? Why was this guy listening to Mirko like that? “Isn’t that a federal offense?” I whispered to Mirko.
“Only if he gets caught. Which he won’t. I have people working on it. I’m just covering all the bases by having him delete it internally on their system.”
Kaitlynn and Jaren appeared as stunned as I felt. Mirko’s connections must have been deep.
The clerk looked up at Mirko, awaiting his next command.
Mirko stared into the clerk’s eyes. “We were never here.” He said as if he was burying it deep within the poor guy’s mind.
The clerk replied with a single, slow nod.
Mirko turned on his heels, shoes squeaking on the linoleum, making his way to the runway door. Kaitlynn and I picked up our bags and followed.
“Whoa. How did you do that?” I whispered to Mirko.
“Sanjam. It’s a form of hypnotism. Puts them in a dream state for mind control,” he explained, walking toward some vehicles that looked like official airplane service trucks.
Kaitlynn leaned in closer to hear. “All you did was talk to him. No counting down, no snapping your fingers. How’d you do it?”
Mirko spun around so he was facing us and walked backward. “It comes with the territory.” He flashed his fangs.
“Don’t do that!” I shuddered, squinting my eyes to clear the visual.
Mirko chuckled.
“No, really,” Jaren said, impatient. “How’d you do that? Did you do any permanent damage to him? How can you be sure he isn’t going to remember us?”
“Well, let’s see. How do you think Pijawikas and Zao Duhs get the substance we need?”
“You’re talking about blood, right?” Kaitlynn asked, appearing nearly as squeamish as I felt.
“That would be our preference, yes.”
Mirko walked up to a man near one of the vehicles. “Hey,” he called. The man turned, and I could tell the moment Mirko’s dream thing took effect.
“Drive us out to the planes,” Mirko told him, strolling toward the front passenger seat. Mirko didn’t hesitate. He knew the guy would do as he told him.
Creepy. Vampires could do a lot of crazy things with a power like that. It made me wonder if this was what the guy I killed was trying to do to me as he stood outside
Kaitlynn blushed. “I had no idea what was going on, where we were going, or anything. I grabbed what I could.”
“That’s true. She didn’t even know vampires existed until this morning,” I said.
“Pijawikas or Zao Duhs. We don’t like to be called vampires. ‘Vampire’ denotes a parasite or a leech. We consider ourselves above that.” Mirko grabbed some of the bags from the pile.
“Wait,” I said, dropping my bags back onto the trunk’s floor board. “You’re a Pijawika?” I didn’t really want to be around any more of those things anytime soon.
“No, I’m a Zao Duh.” Mirko smiled.
“What’s a Tao Duh?” I asked.
He smirked at me as if I was born yesterday. “Zao Duh,” he emphasized. “You really don’t know anything about us?”
I responded with a blank stare. “Nothing comes to mind, no.”
“They’ve really sheltered you.”
My face soured.
“Wasn’t trying to offend you. I’m shocked, is all. Let’s get going, and I’ll explain it to you.”
I picked up my bags and followed Mirko and Jaren inside the terminal.
When we reached the desk for clearance onto the tarmac, a young man greeted us. “How can I help you folks?”
Mirko’s eyes met with the clerk’s, and the clerk’s face went blank. “Do you have any expected flights leaving or coming in within the next twenty minutes?” Mirko asked.
“We have a Cessna departing shortly,” the clerk responded, dry and clear.
“There’s been a Gulfstream 650 parked out on the airstrip. It was never here, and you never saw us,” Mirko commanded.
The clerk nodded his head.
“Great. Now delete the Gulfstream’s flight plan in your system.” The clerk typed on his keyboard with the same indifference he might have while browsing the Web.
What? Why was this guy listening to Mirko like that? “Isn’t that a federal offense?” I whispered to Mirko.
“Only if he gets caught. Which he won’t. I have people working on it. I’m just covering all the bases by having him delete it internally on their system.”
Kaitlynn and Jaren appeared as stunned as I felt. Mirko’s connections must have been deep.
The clerk looked up at Mirko, awaiting his next command.
Mirko stared into the clerk’s eyes. “We were never here.” He said as if he was burying it deep within the poor guy’s mind.
The clerk replied with a single, slow nod.
Mirko turned on his heels, shoes squeaking on the linoleum, making his way to the runway door. Kaitlynn and I picked up our bags and followed.
“Whoa. How did you do that?” I whispered to Mirko.
“Sanjam. It’s a form of hypnotism. Puts them in a dream state for mind control,” he explained, walking toward some vehicles that looked like official airplane service trucks.
Kaitlynn leaned in closer to hear. “All you did was talk to him. No counting down, no snapping your fingers. How’d you do it?”
Mirko spun around so he was facing us and walked backward. “It comes with the territory.” He flashed his fangs.
“Don’t do that!” I shuddered, squinting my eyes to clear the visual.
Mirko chuckled.
“No, really,” Jaren said, impatient. “How’d you do that? Did you do any permanent damage to him? How can you be sure he isn’t going to remember us?”
“Well, let’s see. How do you think Pijawikas and Zao Duhs get the substance we need?”
“You’re talking about blood, right?” Kaitlynn asked, appearing nearly as squeamish as I felt.
“That would be our preference, yes.”
Mirko walked up to a man near one of the vehicles. “Hey,” he called. The man turned, and I could tell the moment Mirko’s dream thing took effect.
“Drive us out to the planes,” Mirko told him, strolling toward the front passenger seat. Mirko didn’t hesitate. He knew the guy would do as he told him.
Creepy. Vampires could do a lot of crazy things with a power like that. It made me wonder if this was what the guy I killed was trying to do to me as he stood outside
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