Chapter Thirteen: Trust

    Gideon leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair as he kept his hands locked together at his waist. Vincent kept close to Sara on the couch across from him. He was visibly contemplating on where to start the tale that ultimately brought him to Vincent's home. Before he could decide, Vincent  presented him with a burning question.


    "How about telling us how you overpowered Sara." He glanced at the unique beauty at his side, then back at Gideon. "As I stated before, she has a physical prowess that twenty men couldn't match. No ordinary person could do what you did."


    A wily grin snuck across Gideon's face before he answered with,"Let's just say that I'm genetically enhanced."


    "You're not one of Roslyn Harper's freaks, are you?" Vincent replied, with an insinuating  lack of respect in his voice.


    Gideon's interest sharpened at the mention of her name."What do you know of Dr. Harper?"


    "Enough to keep away from her. That woman is trouble with a capital TROUBLE," Vincent remarked with a sneer for her.


    "Mmm, so I have learned," Gideon agreed as he recalled Corbin's recent abduction. "No, I assure you I have no ties with Roslyn Harper," he said convincingly.


    Sara, who had been silent during most of the conversation so far, chimed in with her own inquiry for Gideon. "Earlier you implied that Bardolph's name was actually Jarell. How do you know this?"


    Gideon drew in a deep breath as Sara and Vincent both seemed eager for his answer. "I know because Jarell has been a plague to this world for many centuries now, and in my last encounter with him, I learned of his current alias."


    Gideon watched as the mention of centuries took Vincent by surprise, but didn't seem to faze Sara.


    "Centuries? What are you talking about? That's absurd," Vincent reasoned.


    With a very solid tone Gideon replied,"The man you call Bardolph is not  actually a man. He is an angel, a fallen angel to be precise."


    Vincent raised a skeptical brow at Gideon's claim as a doubting grin spread slowly across his face. "An angel? You can't be serious, I mean, do you honestly expect me to believe that?"


    Sara turned to Vincent with a  subtle frown of curiosity. "What's an angel Vincent?"


    "Well, um...," he quickly summoned an answer from his preposterously amused thoughts,"...angels are fictional beings believed by many to have a hand in the destiny of mankind," he said with a strong air of disbelief.


    Gideon bowed his head slightly, just enough to give his face a shadowed looked of gravity as he cut his eyes upward, toward Vincent. When Vincent's attention turned from Sara back to him with a laughable expression, he spoke with an unwavering voice: "I can give you proof that such fictional beings exist, but I warn you, what I reveal may keep you up at night."


    Vincent's demeanor sobered at the surety of Gideon's words, and the sincerity of his stare. Even Sara focused her attention on Gideon as she waited for whatever was next. Vincent swallowed as he considered Gideon's offer, wondering more seriously now if there was any truth in what he was asking him to believe, and if he really wanted to know. After a readying pause, he said,"Okay then, what proof have you?"


    A mischievous smirk hid on Gideon's lowered face just before he shot from the chair in a streak, stopping just inches from the couch with his face distorted into the demonic visage of a vampire as he raised his suddenly clawed hands above his head. Vincent recoiled in shock from the blurred movement, then he gawked in speechless terror at the fanged proof before him. Sara simply looked on with a cocked head and child-like wonder as Gideon snarled an inhuman growl.


    Gideon lowered his clawed hands slowly, allowing them to change back before their captivated eyes, along with his face that effortlessly morphed back into his handsome, masculine features. Vincent uncurled from his frightened, defensive posture wide-eyed and struggling within himself to logically explain what he had just witnessed. He watched closely as Gideon turned and walked casually back to the chair with his hands behind his back.


    "Wh...what...are you?" Vincent stammered, desperately trying to collect himself.


    Gideon kept walking until he reached the chair, then he stopped, keeping his back to them and turned his head to glance back over his shoulder at Vincent. "I am a vampire, one of those fictional beings believed to exist only in books and movies."


    Sara turned to Vincent with the same curious frown that wanted another explanation. He fumbled for a concise answer, then said with a mildly frustrated sigh,"I'll explain later, okay?"


    She gave a little half smile that indicated she understood, then looked back at Gideon who sat back down in the chair, as did Vincent; who steadied himself as he prepared his thoughts for Gideon. "Okay, now that we've established what Bardolph, uh...Jarell is, and what you are, how do I factor into all this?" 


    Satisfied that Vincent now believed, Gideon went on.


    "Jarell has sought to conquer this world for many centuries, and his schemes and resources run deep. My last encounter with him resulted in his demise, but I have discovered that several cells of his secret organization, the Hand of Jarell, still exist and are attempting to bring his plans to fruition.


    It was during my search for one of the commanding officers of the Hand of Jarell, a retired colonel named Merrick, that I happened upon you. Merrick had a computer stuffed with files on you and Roslyn Harper. As I always do, I followed up on those leads, hoping to discover more about the Hand of Jarell so that I can bring it crumbling down."


     Vincent absorbed everything Gideon revealed, then said,"I know nothing of this Hand of Jarell, or Merrick. If I did, I would certainly tell you."


    "I believe you. You were wise to separate yourself from Jarell. Whatever interest he had in your work would not have benefited you or this world, but I fear there are still others like yourself out there, who unknowingly remain in danger," Gideon said with concern.


    A contemptuous scowl covered Gideon's face, then he added with a short huff as he shook his head in wonder,"Some are actually in league with the Hand of Jarell, like this Roslyn Harper. They too must be dealt with."


    Vincent stood up from the couch with a bold posture."I assure you I have no interest with those people, no ties." He looked back at Sara for a moment, then stared resolutely at Gideon. "Sara is what's important to me, and I'll do whatever I have to do in order to keep her safe."


    Gideon rose slowly from his chair, keeping a stern stare fixed on Vincent as he approached him with purposeful steps. Vincent kept his bold pose, holding his ground under the intimidating approach of a being he now knew to be the embodiment of a frightening creature of myth. Gideon stopped at arm's length.


    "I can appreciate that. We both have secrets to keep, and loved ones to protect," Gideon affirmed, extending a hand out to Vincent. "Yours are safe with me," he assured.


    Vincent swallowed hard as he considered what taking Gideon's hand meant, then he reached out and the two exchanged a firm handshake. "Likewise," he agreed.


    "I shall leave a couple of phone numbers with you, should you ever have need to contact me for any reason," Gideon offered as he withdrew his hand.


    "Um, thanks, that would be appreciated," Vincent replied. He studied Gideon tentatively for a moment, then said,"May I ask you something?"


    "Certainly."


    "Are there many of you out there, vampires I mean?"


    Gideon's face relaxed with a subtle grin at Vincent's shy fear. "Worry not, my kind are few and far between in these modern times," he revealed, soothing Vincent's obvious concern, who just nodded at the answer.


     "Now, might I ask you something, or rather Sara?" Gideon asked.


    "Certainly," Vincent rushed out.


    Gideon stepped over to Sara who stood up to meet him with a delighted expression. "My dear, you are absolutely lovely from head to toe. I am curious though, what reason have you for that striking red strand of hair?"


    Sara reached up to stroke her brown locks where the sparkling red tendril flowed. "That's my Data Strand," she answered openly, as if such a thing was common knowledge.


    "Your Data Strand?" Gideon replied with a puzzled look.


    Vincent stepped between them with the explanation Gideon sought. "Um, yes. Sara's hair grows just like everyone elses, so I designed a data retrieval system that stores important information on how all her primary systems are functioning. That system encodes the information in the genetic material of those red strands of hair, kinda like DNA, which allows me take a sample whenever I feel the need to evaluate Sara's condition."


    "Ahh, fascinating Dr. Walsh," Gideon remarked, as he turned to Vincent with a genuinely intrigued expression.


    "Please, call me Vincent."


   


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