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Title: <\/b> This Can\u2019t Be Good<\/p>\n
Characters:<\/b> Jack Carter, Victor Frankenstein, Lyca, Sylum Clan members, Original Characters<\/p>\n
Rating: <\/b>PG-13<\/p>\n
Summary:<\/b> Jack Carter thought of himself as a regular guy. Graduated college, got married, had a kid, got divorced, and suffered terminal exasperation with his Bohemian sister. Now he\u2019s been transferred from the Marshal\u2019s Service to act as Sheriff in the top-secret town of Eureka. Jack\u2019s not so normal anymore.<\/p>\n
Sylum Timeline:<\/b> 1998 to 2000<\/p>\n
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Rain. Rain, and then it rained some more. The autumn rainy season in Oregon always reminded Jack of his first experience in Eureka.<\/p>\n
Traveling with his teen daughter, Zoe, to Eugene for a flight home to Los Angeles, he had swerved to miss a dog the size of a pony and ended up on narrow track that took them into the isolated town of mad scientists. Not insane mad but take ideas from science fiction and try to make them real type mad. By the time the crisis of the week had been solved, the town\u2019s sheriff had retired after losing a leg, and the leader of a group calling themselves The Consortium,<\/i> which established Eureka after World War II, had offered Jack the sheriff\u2019s job.<\/p>\n
Victor Frankenstein and his toady, Dr. Rowan Chase, had set off Jack\u2019s bad guy meter to an eleven, so the Marshal had taken himself and Zoe away from Eureka as fast as he could without lights and sirens. The Consortium<\/i> periodically sent offers tempting him to transfer to Eureka until the day he met Jonathan Royce.<\/p>\n
Jonathan Royce reminded Jack of his ex-wife\u2019s divorce lawyer. Mid-level lawyer at a high dollar firm trying to worm his way to being a partner. He had a case of short man syndrome along with thinking he was the smartest person in any room. Royce tossed a business card on Jack\u2019s desk and announced he was there to buy him lunch. Seeing The Consortium<\/i> name and number, Jack turned back to the work on his desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you can see, Mr. Royce, I really don\u2019t have the time to be away from desk for longer than it will take to grab something from the lunch truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you should take the time, Marshall Carter. The people we need to talk about are very important.\u201d Royce\u2019s eyes shifted to the picture of Jack\u2019s sister, Lexi, and daughter, Zoe.<\/p>\n
It appeared The Consortium<\/i> was done taking \u2018No\u2019 for an answer. \u201cThe paperwork will still be here in hour. Someplace quiet would be nice. I hate having to shout to have a conversation.\u201d Jack locked his files away. \u201cLead the way, Mr. Royce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJonathan. Mr. Royce sounds so formal, and I believe we\u2019re going to be very well acquainted by the time lunch is over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the younger man down the street, they stopped in front of a hole in the wall storefront. Royce held the door for Jack to enter then proceeded to greet the hostess in Chinese. With a smile and indication to follow her, the men were led into a private dining room. Nothing else was said until they were settled with a pot of tea and a plate of appetizers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBest authentic Chinese in the area.\u201d Royce offered as he took a bite of spring roll.<\/p>\n
Jack held his silence until the dishes of the family style were delivered. \u201cWhat dance are we doing here, Royce. I like my life just fine the way it is. I have no interest in riding ramrod in Eureka on a bunch of mad geniuses that are trying to invent doodads from every science fiction movie they every watched.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I understand perfectly where you\u2019re coming from.\u201d Jonathan sat back and spread his hands over his chest. \u201cBut you should take some advice from someone who knows. You do not tell The Consortium<\/i> \u2018No\u2019 Things will start slow \u2026 Small things with your daughter, Zoe or sister, Lexi.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you threatening my family?\u201d Jack started to stand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSit down, Jack. I am not threatening anyone. I am simply introducing you to the reality of your situation. Humans are fragile \u2026 Accidents happen.\u201d Jack sipped his tea to calm the adrenaline rush. \u201cYou have a unique talent for genius wrangling and seeing things through a different lens then the rest of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Remembering the breathing exercises Lexi used to lecture him about, Jack took several deep breaths, releasing them slowly until the pounding in his head was down to a background throb.<\/p>\n
Royce was beginning to feel a grudging respect for the Marshal as he spent time with him. He was considering throwing him a bone just to see where Carter took it, and to set the cat amongst the pigeons. The worse that could happen was Victor would have his pet thug, Euric, kill Jack for the audacity of digging into The Patrician\u2019s <\/i>secrets.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many of these entitled geniuses know they\u2019re working for The Consortium<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNone of the ones that work above Level 12 at Global Dynamics<\/i>. Level 12 and below there\u2019s approximately seventy-five, but you will not need to concern yourself with their projects.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds good if you say it real fast. From what I heard around town, there seems to be at least one dimension, world-ending effect a week, and sometimes twice on the weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, well, the people at the top rarely concern themselves with the problems that get fixed before the world ends. They are only get involved if it interrupts their dinner at Antonia LaFoso\u2019s Michelin star restaurant.\u201d He pointed his chopsticks at Jack. \u201cYou be a good little sheriff for five or six, ten years tops. The benefits are top notch; the pay will allow you to retire retire \u2026 Not find another job after retiring \u2026 Easy, peasy.\u201d<\/p>\n
A crash and a string of cursing that would make a whole boatload of sailors blush, pulled Jack from his memories.<\/p>\n
\u201cJo!?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cS\u2019okay, Carter. I got it handled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if I come back there I won\u2019t find any blood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you under anything you can\u2019t move?\u201d Jack asked then moved toward the armory.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking around the corner, he saw his deputy on the floor with a lap full of one of Taggart\u2019s monster rifles that looked like it could vaporize Eureka. \u201cThat had to hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy vest caught the worst of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should ask Taggart to make people sized versions instead of a Hulk sized.\u201d He helped his deputy off the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the people sized version. Too much weapon for you, Sheriff?\u201d She tried to sound teasing, but Jo\u2019s humor sometimes carried a cutting edge. After five years she still carried a bit of resentment that Global Dynamics\/The Consortium<\/i> had hired Jack instead of appointing her sheriff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI usually have the right weapon for the job. I hopefully never have to shoot first and regret it later.<\/p>\n
Jo winced as Jack stalked back into the office. She knew there had been some duress over him taking the sheriff\u2019s job, but she just couldn\u2019t seem to not show her ass some days. Carter was usually the most even-tempered man she knew, but something had been off the past few days. Maybe an offer to buy his favorite cheeseburger and fries at Carpe Diem<\/i> would settle him. Satisfied she had a plan, Deputy Jo Lupo turned to finish her monthly inventory.<\/p>\n
Mentally kicking himself for losing his cool with Jo, Jack pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and stepped outside the office. Five years he\u2019d been in Eureka. Every day the itch at the back of his neck telling him he needed to get out pushed a little harder. Every year on his transfer anniversary date, he put in for a new posting, and every year he was denied. He wondered who Victor Frankenstein was bribing to keep him in Eureka and had made it a pet project in between Eureka\u2019s bi-weekly attempts to blow up the space time continuum that wasn\u2019t in Frankenstein\u2019s pocket.<\/p>\n
The day he\u2019d had lunch with Jonathan Royce, the man had written a name on the back of their lunch receipt, and the things Jack had been able to find out as quietly as possible were not good. He was almost certain if the transfer paperwork he\u2019d sent was denied, again, he\u2019d be getting a visit from a very unhappy boss. If the man was angry enough, Deputy Lupo might get to be Sheriff Lupo and learn all the stuff Jack wished he didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Heading to his Jeep to make the afternoon rounds, Jack made a note to call Zoe and Lexi after work \u2026 Just in case.<\/p>\n
~~*~~<\/p>\n
Resisting the urge to throw the file folder at Jonathan Royce\u2019s head, Victor Frankenstein pulled in a deep breath he didn\u2019t need and released it. A man of his age and stature did not engage in adolescent tantrums.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy can\u2019t this man be satisfied with where we put him? With the salary and benefits it\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe he wants to return to his prior posting in Los Angeles to be closer to his family.\u201d Royce liked Carter but defending the man was a delicate dance with his boss. Victor thought himself above everyone and everything be it Human or Vampire.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will meet with him and explain there will be no transfers until such time as he is no longer needed.\u201d Keeping his expression carefully blank, Royce waited for Victor to pick a date for his trip to Eureka. \u201cI will have a three-day window ten days from now. See to the arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
The text he received told him to meet Frankenstein in Section 5 on Level 20. That did not surprise Jack. His transfer request had been submitted the day before. Usually, Victor just called, said one word \u2026. Denied, and hung up. The Consortium<\/i> boss wanting a face to face did not bode well for him.<\/p>\n
*Oh Boy.*<\/i> Jack thought as he stopped at Carpe Diem<\/i> for what may be his final Vinspresso<\/i>. He hated Section 5. Dr. Chase called constantly since only the Sheriff had the security clearance to handle problems in that Section. It was where Jack had learned about Vampires, and a lot of other things that gave him nightmares. He had tried to get Chase to read Lupo in on Section 5, but Chase refused to deal with those he considered peons.<\/p>\n
Seeing Jonathan Royce in one of the labs, Jack had a momentary surge of hope until he saw the other man give a minute negative shake of his head and would not look up as Jack and Dr. Chase walked past. The man was a slick son-of-a-gun, who had passed information to Carter that led him deeper and deeper down rabbit holes about Crimson Moon<\/i>, Black Moon,<\/i> and Victor Frankenstein. If he were the paranoid type, Jack would say the man was working to control the world like something out of a James Bond<\/i> novel.<\/p>\n
Since he was the paranoid type and he worked for a top-secret facility in a nearly top-secret town where three impossible things happened every week, Jack was very worried about how his meeting with Frankenstein would end. Since the first time his transfer out of Eureka had been denied, he\u2019d been working out various plans of escape. He had documents, cash, and copies of his research on Frankenstein in several locations and prayed they wouldn\u2019t go after his family. Publicity that could be traced back to anything associated with Frankenstein would be the last thing the dour man would want.<\/p>\n
Finally stopping in front of Victor\u2019s office in Section 5, Jack took a deep breath to settle his nerves before the mountain in a suit opened the door.<\/p>\n
Closing his laptop, Victor Frankenstein watched his sheriff enter his office. When Dr. Chase had tried to follow, Gregor blocked his access. He could hear the vain man complaining until his guard bent down and said something only Chase could hear. The scientist had paled and scurried back the way he came.<\/p>\n
Victor was not happy with the lack of progress with any of the projects Dr. Chase was spearheading. He was beginning to see the man more as bureaucrat than the pure scientist he claimed. While he had gleaned several things that had made him enormous amounts of money, his number one goal was still out of reach.<\/p>\n
After finding out the true origins of the Lealta Clan Leaders, Romulus and Remus, it had become his obsession that he too should carry the blood of the first of their kind. The blood of the first kings of Rome had run through his veins as a Human, and he considered it his right as a Patrician<\/i> to drink from The Ancient<\/i>, Viduus \u2026 To take what was rightfully his.<\/p>\n
Even now, he held what he considered vital pieces to bringing The Ancient <\/i>into his control. Within two of the Crimson Moon <\/i>facilities in North America, Frankenstein was holding Lyca and Lycan, a pair of magnificent warriors that had been with The Ancient <\/i>since the beginning. The knowledge they had gleaned from experiments on the couple was invaluable to further Victor\u2019s plans. Several scientists theorized the gifts carried by the pair would transfer in a blood exchange but had no empirical evidence to prove those theories. While he admired the fine specimens they were, the stench of wolf kept Frankenstein from contaminating his noble blood with theirs.<\/p>\n
Bringing his mind back to the present, Victor steepled his fingers in front of his face. \u201cSheriff Carter, I cannot believe you once again are wasting our time by wanting to transfer from our idyllic little town.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to be able to spend more time with my daughter. She\u2019s starting high school, and in no time she\u2019ll be headed to college.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBright child she is, I am sure that she would do well if she were to transfer to Eureka. Our teachers are well respected in their fields, and there is no shortage of opportunities to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victor\u2019s tone caused a chill to race down Jack\u2019s spine. \u201cI don\u2019t want to take her away from her friends she\u2019s been with since kindergarten. The stress of a move like that could throw her off her game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could, or it could be the chance of a lifetime.\u201d Victor\u2019s voice sounded much closer than when he\u2019d started speaking.<\/p>\n
Jack felt a sharp pain \u2026 His vision went dark \u2026 And he knew no more.<\/p>\n
\u201cEuric \u2026 Royce!\u201d Victor bellowed as he forced Carter to drink from the cut on his wrist then dropped the sheriff\u2019s body to the floor.<\/p>\n
Johnathan wanted to roll his eyes at Frankenstein\u2019s drama but merely took in the details of his boss\u2019 dishevelment and Carter\u2019s condition. Noticing a few drops of blood on the French cuff of Victor\u2019s shirt spoke volumes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou Turned him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to be in control of the people in positions like Carter\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have let him go and brought in Lupo. She\u2019s been wanting to be sheriff since we hired her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need problem solvers that can handle this town of idiot geniuses not someone like Lupo whose solution to everything is to shoot it.\u201d Victor growled. \u201cPut him in an isolation room. If he wakes up give him that new man they just hired \u2026 The one that stands and gapes like he\u2019s never seen anything more sophisticated than a pencil.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throwing the unconscious sheriff over his shoulder, Euric opened the door to the office. \u201cDo not dawdle after you drop the sheriff off. I want to go home and change.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Sir. I\u2019ll have Michael bring the car around.\u201d Victor almost smiled. He hadn\u2019t regretted a single day that he\u2019d Turned his most loyal servant.<\/p>\n
\u201cDawson \u2026 Davis \u2026 Ah, DeWitt.\u201d Royce read off his tablet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the one. Shame we don\u2019t have someone that looks like his daughter.\u201d Victor mused.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you trying to drive your Fledgling insane?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Just malleable.\u201d Victor smirked. He turned to follow Euric to his car.<\/p>\n
~~*~~<\/p>\n
Carefully opening his eyes, Jack began to take in his surroundings. It was dark, but he had no trouble seeing the room. An electronic hum indicated there were cameras. He recognized he was in an isolation room in Section 5. Not wanting to set off the motion detectors on the camera, Jack forced himself to lie still though the cold from the concrete floor was causing him to shiver.<\/p>\n
*Oh. This can\u2019t be good.*<\/i> Cold. Being able to see in a room with windows. Jack touched the side of neck knowing there would be no scar, but it seemed like the ghost of a memory. The last thing he remembered was Victor stepping towards him, then nothing. As if conjured by the thought of Victor Frankenstein, a deep, gnawing hunger yanked his attention from any rational thought.<\/p>\n
Giving up the pretense of still being unconscious, Carter sat up and wrapped his arms around his head to concentrate on wrestling control from the starving Vampire pounding the inside of his brain. He leaned back against the concrete wall as he finally battered his new alter ego into submission. Before he could think about what to do next, the door opened and a person was shoved through the door before it slammed in their face.<\/p>\n
William DeWitt, don\u2019t call me Bill, was highly intelligent. His parents, teachers, and advisors all praised his IQ and ability to learn. With his average height and looks, he was no threat to the cool kids pecking order. They took advantage of his people pleaser personality to make him the work horse in every study group and team project. When Dr. Chase had called him out for a special project, he\u2019d been thrilled. He\u2019d only worked in Eureka for six months, and now he was on a \u2018special project\u2019. Excited to be in a section of General Dynamics that he\u2019d only heard about through whispers and rumors, William had worked up the nerve to question Dr. Chase about what he would be doing when the man stopped before a locked door. A flip of a keycard and William found himself shoved in the door. It slammed shut behind him throwing the room into total darkness. The hair on his body stood up as some primal sense warned DeWitt he was not alone. Hs lost his breath as his back hit the door. His hands covered his eyes so he couldn\u2019t see what was coming. He fainted.<\/p>\n
Breaking free of the tenuous control Jack had gained, the starving Fledgling took no notice of the condition of the limp body in his hands. Its only concern was the heart beating and the blood rushing through veins and arteries. Without hesitation, he bit into the warm tissue drinking deeply of the rich young blood flowing over his tongue.<\/p>\n
Horrified at the loss of control, Jack fought with his Vampire until he was able to force himself to pull back his fangs and lick the wounds closed. The young man\u2019s pulse was weak and thready, but thankfully still viable. Jack Carter was once again in control of his mind and body as guilt flooded through him at the pain and misery he\u2019d inflicted on an innocent person.<\/p>\n
He sat through the night cradling William DeWitt, hoping that keeping him off the concrete floor would help him keep a little body heat. Sitting through the long hours, Jack made a vow that at the first opportunity he\u2019d escape this corner of Hell located in Oregon and do everything in his power to bring down Frankenstein, and maybe The Consortium<\/i>, but organizations like that were eternal. When one member fell there was someone to take their place. Another thing he noticed while in his trauma induced meditative state was a connection. A connection that when he followed it felt like Frankenstein. Not knowing if the fictional accounts of vampires controlling their \u2018children\u2019 through such connections were true, Jack devoted the hours before dawn to strangling that connection until it resembled a dead vine.<\/p>\n
The door eventually opened to Victor and two men in lab coats with a gurney. Carter stood and laid his burden on the gurney. Giving them an icy glare, he got a minute nod from a man he recognized as one of the techs from medical. He turned his attention back to his Boss slash Sire.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what now?\u201d Jack had no delusions about his position.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou continue to do your job with your usual competence, and you will be provided with what you need to survive. Cross me at your peril, Sheriff Carter. I commend you on gaining control before you killed that young man. It would be a terrible thing to have hanging over your head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seething over the implications in Victor\u2019s little speech, Jack seemed properly cowed. Once he got out of the thrice damned Section 5, he would begin working on his escape plan. The most important things were making sure Zoe and Lexi were safe and getting the information he\u2019d collected to someone who knew how to best utilize it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took the liberty of having Royce retrieve a change of clothes from your house. It wouldn\u2019t do to have you driving through town looking like you\u2019ve been in a riot.\u201d Victor smirked as he handed Jack a duffle. \u201cHe will also be giving you a briefing on your new circumstances, and what they mean going forward. I look forward to our continued association.\u201d Victor paused once again before he went out the door. \u201cWe will be monitoring your visits with your daughter. We wouldn\u2019t want you getting ideas about leaving our little family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack started to follow Victor out the door, but Jonathan Royce stepped between them holding Jack\u2019s go bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about I show you where you can clean up, Sheriff? I\u2019m sure things will look different once we clear the evidence of our little misunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n
There wasn\u2019t much on this planet that intimidated Jonathan Royce, but the look that Jack Carter leveled at him held so much leashed fury, it caused him to back up out of arm\u2019s reach. Watching Carter fight to gain control and slip back into his affable cop persona was a bit disconcerting but gave Royce hope that Victor had underestimated his newest Childe.<\/p>\n
~~*~~<\/p>\n
On the six-month anniversary of his Turning, Jack settled a backpack across his shoulders and started to walk. He\u2019d told his deputy he was taking a week\u2019s vacation to do a little camping and hiking. There was going to be a lot more hiking than camping, but no one but Jack needed to know. The goal of this excursion was not to escape, but a test of how closely he was being watched. Plus, he needed to know what consequences Frankenstein was prepared to meter out for Jack\u2019s perceived transgressions.<\/p>\n
Loving the speed and endurance of being a Vampire, Jack had traveled nearly fifty miles from Eureka. The ease in which they found him in the middle of the Siuslaw National Forest revealed a subcutaneous tracker. That he\u2019d been chipped like a pampered poodle pissed him off, but it was added to his list of things to be handled before his final attempt at freedom.<\/p>\n
Frankenstein\u2019s goon squad had trussed him up like a Christmas goose and hauled him, none too gently, back to the isolation room in Section 5 where this nightmare started. Jack was thankful for his Vampire constitution. When Victor came to release him, Carter was bruised, battered, and near feral with hunger. Victor once again left Jonathan Royce to deal with the aftermath.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could just give in and be a good little peon like your deputy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jack rolled his eyes at Victor\u2019s fixer\/clean-up man. \u201cNow that wouldn\u2019t serve our agenda very well if I became a Eureka pod person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jonathan hid his surprise by ignoring Jack\u2019s comment. \u201cI suggest you feed first in case some well-intentioned busybody drops by. You got a little fang showing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might loosen up if you got yourself a little.\u201d Royce\u2019s smile was near blinding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m surprised ol\u2019 Frankie hasn\u2019t had Euric shoot you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t want to train another fixer. Victor hates change.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably can\u2019t find anyone to work for his arrogant ass.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh crap.\u201d Jack muttered when he saw the car in his driveway.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow. I thought they\u2019d let you have a minute before descending.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got it in one. Busybodies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jonathan was out of the car before Jack got his seatbelt off. \u201cDr. Blake. Is there a problem at GD that requires the Sheriff\u2019s attention?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell no. But I heard that \u2026\u201d Royce directed her to her car, and away from Jack. She kept trying to turn back as Jack slipped into the house.<\/p>\n
Grabbing a large mug and a couple bags of blood, he warmed it enough to make it palatable. With the most immediate problem taken care of, he stripped down and headed to the shower. He was thankful for tankless water heaters as he scrubbed every inch of skin.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t surprised when he came out of his bedroom to find he was alone. Exhausted but too restless to sleep, he began sorting through the mail piled on the dining table. He chuckled quietly when he saw the legal sized envelope. Inside there was an organizational chart of Vampire society and where they were all located. Jack hoped he lived long enough to use that information.<\/p>\n
Now was the time to review what he\u2019d learned and rework his plans.<\/p>\n
~~*~~<\/p>\n
A few speed bumps on his journey to get out of Eureka led to more time spent in Section 5 with Victor and his goon squad doling out pain and humiliation. In between them trying to tame his defiance, Jack had taken advantage of his enhanced senses to learn to move around town undetected. Dodging cameras, motion detectors, and nosy citizens became his new hobby.<\/p>\n
Dr. Blake had unknowingly helped him in his plans when she asked him to keep an eye on Sheriff Cobb\u2019s old house. With all the weird energy particles the house had been exposed to, the structure wasn\u2019t stable. She had reports from some of the parents their kids were trying to organize a party at the glow-in-the-dark cabin. Dr. Blake told him the house was hard to scan, so, if anyone entered the house, there was a good chance they might never be found.<\/p>\n
That was good news for Jack as it gave him someplace to hide a cache of supplies. Dr. Taggart and his mutant wolves were one of the few things that roamed the woods on this side of Eureka. Most preferred the more civilized areas near town.<\/p>\n
When word got around about the new patrol route, teenagers and other looky-loos found somewhere else to be. General Dynamic security relaxed about Jack going to the outer boundary of Eureka.<\/p>\n
Using the pretext of checking the inside of the cabin, Jack hid a large duffle in the coat closet by the door. The bag contained travel essentials, his personal firearms, and anything else he thought would come in handy when running from Frankenstein\u2019s bully boys. He\u2019d shipped the few items that were important to him to one of his Marshal friends in Los Angeles. If he lived through this, he\u2019d pick it up when he found a new place to live.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles would be the first place they would look because of his daughter, Zoe. There were Vampires there that could probably help Jack, but people like Bruce Wayne didn\u2019t take drop in visits with a Sheriff from a secret off the books towns. Lexi was in Sedona at some kind of feel-good vibes retreat that didn\u2019t allow outside contact. It had been years since he\u2019d been to New Orleans, and that seemed to be where the Vampire heavy hitters in North America lived. Making sure the duffle was out of sight, Jack turned to go back to his Jeep. He closed and locked the hatch when the world went black.<\/p>\n
As he had done many times before when he\u2019d earned Victor Frankenstein\u2019s ire, Jack stretched out his senses. There was wood under his hand, so he wasn\u2019t lying in the concrete room in Section 5. Through the screen of his lashes, he saw the sparkles of energy in the air. So still at Sheriff Cobb\u2019s cabin. His eyes opened without any input from him when a woman\u2019s husky voice said something in a language that sounded like a mishmash of Latin-based romance languages.<\/p>\n
Above him stood either a hallucination or some warrior princess out of a sci-fi movie. Sun-streaked dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and an expression that said she could kill you without breaking a sweat or losing a minutes sleep over it.<\/p>\n
*This can\u2019t be good.*<\/i> Jack thought as he sat up. His gun was missing from the holster, and his duffle bag had been searched. Rubbing the back of his head, he was grateful for Vampire healing that would soon take care of the bump and the headache.<\/p>\n
Pointing to himself, he tried to conjure up the few words of high school Latin he remembered. \u201cNomen, Jack Carter.\u201d He pointed at himself.<\/p>\n
Tapping her chest, she said, \u201cLyca.\u201d Out of the words that followed, Jack was only able to pick out a few he understood. Vampire, Crimson Moon, Black Moon, Victor Frankenstein, mate, whose name was apparently, Lycan.<\/p>\n
After ten minutes of a mixture of charades, his broken Latin, and Lyca\u2019s stubbornness, Jack was able to convince her that they needed to leave the area instead of going to kill Frankenstein. While he was talking, he pulled a change of clothes out of the duffle and began stripping off his uniform. He was thankful to see the small box of dry ice and blood bags still inside. Feeding might be a hit or miss thing, and not something Jack had become comfortable doing with people. The memory of William DeWitt still weighed heavily on him. The young man had recovered but Jack still carried the guilt of almost killing him in his feral state.<\/p>\n
Disabling the Jeep to give him a reason to ask for a loaner to get home, Jack slipped the military surplus sea bag over his shoulders as he encouraged Lyca to follow him. Headed toward Henry Deacon\u2019s garage and mad scientist workshop, Carter worked on a story for his friend.<\/p>\n
Lyca wasn\u2019t happy when Jack told her to hide her weapons and stay out of sight. His mangled language made it hard as she tried to remember the little bits of English her former captors used. She could tell he was a caring man by the way he did not try to touch her while trying to communicate. Watching the way he moved, she could see he was also a warrior. Not like her and Lycan, but still a warrior. She decided to wait and see where he would take her.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t know what Jack Carter had told the man who drove off, but he came with a car the man had let him use to where she was hidden. Throwing the duffle in the backseat, Jack turned away from Eureka. They passed through several small towns before Jack Carter stopped. He parked the car in a big box store parking lot and locked the keys in the car while encouraging Lyca to follow him. They ended up at a self-storage unit where Jack had stashed the things he needed for the identity of Travis Calhoun. They emptied the unit into the car he had stored and headed south.<\/p>\n
~~*~~<\/p>\n
Fear pushed Jack to get out of Oregon as fast as possible. He paid with cash as much as possible for gas and food. Jack thought Lyca was a great traveling companion. She was teaching Jack her language and was always on alert any time they stopped. Covering six to seven hundred miles a day, Jack hoped they would find the Sylum Clan before one of The Consortium\u2019s<\/i> Black Moon<\/i> squads found them. They stayed at small mom and pop motels and took turns sleeping while the other kept watch.<\/p>\n
They had left I-10 on the last leg of their trip when their luck ran out. Several black SUVs came from the east and the west. Luckily it was just after daylight so traffic on the state route was light. Jack pushed the mid-sized sedan as fast as he dared. A bullet whizzed by his ear that shattered the back window and embedded in the windshield. Jack chanced a look at Lyca when he noticed her changing position to sit on the open window facing backward to shoot at the lead SUV. A look in the rear view showed it swerving into the ditch as a bullet took out a front tire.<\/p>\n
Noticing two more SUV crossing the median to join the two SUVs left behind him, Jack did his best to keep them from coming up alongside and forcing them off the road. Catching blue lights out of the corner of his eye Jack felt a surge of relief at the possibility of help. He pushed the car for a little more speed to give the police room to maneuver as he prayed to any entity listening they got out of this in one piece. Lyca was still exchanging gunfire and a second SUV headed for the swamp.<\/p>\n
This can\u2019t be good.*<\/i> Jack thought as he saw the police cars across the lanes in front of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHOLD ON!!\u201d He shouted at Lyca. She slid down into the seat and braced herself as Jack fought to stop before hitting the parked vehicles.<\/p>\n
Tires squealed and smoke rolled as the SUVs tried to cut across the media or go around the roadblock. Jack grabbed his Marshal credentials out of his pocket before putting his hands out the window as deputies ran toward them with their guns aimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to talk to US Marshal James West. I have information and a witness he needs.\u201d He kept an eye on Lyca, noticing she\u2019d tossed her guns in the back seat and kept her hands where they could be seen. \u201cShe\u2019s under my protection and doesn\u2019t speak a lot of English, so don\u2019t get trigger happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
They directed Jack to pull on the shoulder. Part of the officers headed west to look for the wrecked SUVs while two cars waited with Jack and Lyca. He shamelessly eavesdropped on the radio traffic. Turns out the officers and deputies were familiar with West and knew where to find him. Relief ran through his body as he heard them say West would be at their location in twenty minutes.<\/p>\n
A black SUV and pickup truck crossed the median and pulled in behind them. The sheriff talked to the men in the SUV. A slim, handsome black man, and a shorter brunette that carried himself like he just stepped off a battlefield. He called out in the language Jack was learning from Lyca. She looked confused but answered the man. A long-haired blond man and another black man left the pickup and headed toward Jack\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
\u201cJames West.\u201d He held out a hand to Jack.<\/p>\n
\u201cJack Carter. US Marshal, but lately of Eureka.\u201d He watched the brunette and Lyca.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cool, Man. That\u2019s our Clan Leader, Nick Stokes. He\u2019ll take care of Lyca. Those two are James Hickok and Noah Dixon, Nico\u2019s security team. We knew you were coming but didn\u2019t have an ETA. Glad you made it relatively unscathed.\u201d West chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a bit of information for you. I need to make sure my daughter and sister are safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready being handled. We\u2019ll take Lyca with us. You can follow us back to the Manor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Feeling woozy, Jack looked down at the puddle of blood forming by his right foot.<\/p>\n
*This can\u2019t be good.*<\/i> Was Jack\u2019s last thought as the world went dark.<\/p>\n
~ Fini ~<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Title: This Can\u2019t Be Good Characters: Jack Carter, Victor Frankenstein, Lyca, Sylum Clan members, Original Characters Rating: PG-13 Summary: Jack Carter thought of himself as a regular guy. Graduated college, got married, had a kid, got divorced, and suffered terminal exasperation with his Bohemian sister. 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Join in on the fun of a Sylum Event.\u00a0 Sign up - can do art to story or both.\u00a0 So many characters that still need attention and love. 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Make sure to send Title, characters, author name and images you would like. Our resident Artist isn't able to help this event, due to injuries so we're working with are second resident artist Gil\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Seven Days of Summer: 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2026\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/summer.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25009,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2026-day-four\/","url_meta":{"origin":25005,"position":4},"title":"Seven Days of Summer 2026: Day Four","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Artwork: Benton & Ray (AI Images) Artist: Bj Jones Note: This was the one pairing I wasn't expecting to be difficult.\u00a0 But these two were damn difficult! ***","rel":"","context":"In "Seven Days of Summer: 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2026\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gil_sevendayssmall.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":25001,"url":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/seven-days-of-summer-2026-day-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":25005,"position":5},"title":"Seven Days of Summer 2026: Day One","author":"Nicolaus Meridius","date":"July 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Artwork: Mal & Simon (AI Images) Artist: Bj Jones Note: This is a continuation of my Clan Leader Series.\u00a0 This one has 2 images and a moving one. *** Bonus Image \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Seven Days of Summer: 2026"","block_context":{"text":"Seven Days of Summer: 2026","link":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/category\/sylum-events\/seven-days-of-summer-2026\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gil_sevendayssmall.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25005"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25005\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25006,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25005\/revisions\/25006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sylumclan.com\/sylumblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}