Blood Ties

From the Journal of Robert Frohmeyer:

 

Once again Amanda and I are arguing. She has grown more demanding as time goes on. She told me that she could accept the fact that I would care for her and for her son, yet now she wishes for more. She tells me it's unfair to her that I can find room in my heart to love Eric even as I continue to love Joshua and not find a way to love her despite my love for Elizabeth.

 

 

Scud entered the hospital room at his father's call to enter. Robert Frohmeyer was sitting on the bed with his legs dangling over the side. His color was better. He looked healthy if a bit tired.

“Joshua, hello.” Robert said with a smile.

“The doctor called this morning and said you were ready to be released.” Scud came forward and sat a shopping bag on the bed. “I brought you something to wear. You didn't have any clothes when you got here.”

“Thank you.” Robert said touching the bag. “Son, can we talk? It will be a while before they bring my discharge paperwork and I have so much I want to say. Things I thought I would never have a chance to say. I traced you to San Diego.”

Scud flinched at the mention of San Diego. Where he met Eli Damaskinos, the place he agreed to become a familiar. After everything his father had sacrificed to prevent that very thing from happening.

Robert however misinterpreted the reaction. “Joshua, I'm so sorry. I hated myself then. I wish I could make it all go away. Knowing that my son was driven to a life on the streets.” He reached out and grabbed Scud's hand. “You're my son and I love you. When they told me that you were missing and they thought that you were among 'The Rentboy Killer' victims, I lost all hope.”

Robert brushed his free hand across his face wiping away tears. “The only thing that matters Joshua is that you are alive. I don't give a damn what you did in the past. And I'm glad that you have someone now who loves you and wants you to be happy.” Robert got to his feet and pulled Scud into a hug, “It will take some getting used to seeing you with him but I could tell last night when we spoke that he loves you. That's all I care about.”

Scud pulled away from the embrace when his cell phone rang. “It's Drake.”

Robert picked up the bag. “I'll go get dressed and give you some privacy.”

*****

Hannibal really hated research so he was happy that Drake had enough resources and personnel under the Talos building to spare him the torture. All he had to do was collect the information. Hannibal stepped off the elevator and Delores gave him a snort before pointing to the Conference room door. Stepping inside he found Abby, Blade and Drake already present and sitting around the table.

“Well?” Blade asked

Hannibal sat down. Grabbing a USB cord he hooked it up to the computer he was carrying. Picking up the remote on the table in front of him he hit the power button turning on the large Plasma TV mounted on the wall of the conference room.

Settling him self comfortably in the chair, he moved the mouse over a file icon and opened it. The desktop view switched to a coat of arms bearing the image of a dragon within a five pointed star.

“Pendragon comes from this coat of arms which was adopted by the oldest son of a minor French nobleman, Henri Valmont. Henri died on Crusade following Louis IX of France. When word of his death reached France his oldest son Andre, adopted this coat of arms and began calling himself Pendragon.”

Hannibal advanced the view to a new screen. This time it was a sketch of a young man with long hair seated on a horse in full armor. “Andre also went on crusade He served his time and came back home. Pendragon was a hero.  The Sultanlabeled him Devil Incarnate for his brutality on the battlefield. The Valmont's prospered until the French Revolution. The entire family was sent to the guillotine. Since then this mark has popped up at different times all over Europe until it disappears completely just after WWI.”

Hannibal advanced the computer again bringing up the image of a doll. A little brooch on the doll's gown displaying the Pendragon mark. “In 1920 a man by the name of Wilhelm Freish made this doll for his daughter who disappeared on her 3^rd birthday. Four years later he had a son named Adolph.

Adolph went on to have two son's of his own Joseph in 1948 and Robert in 1950. Joseph supposedly 'dies' in 1951, just after his 3rd birthday but there's no documentation.”

Hannibal pulls up a final screen with a photo of Robert and below that photos of Scud and Eric. “In 1980 Robert has a son named Josh.  Robert  changes his name to Frohmeyer and moves his family around the country like most people change underwear and then a couple of days after Josh turns three he moves them again only this time Robert is not with them. In 1995 Eric is born but Robert is still paranoid to this day.”

“Pendragon had a covenant and for some reason Robert saw fit to break it.” Drake said. “Covenants are not rare but it is rare for the them to be broken if both parties are living up to their responsibilities.”

“Covenants?” Blade pinned Drake with a stare.

“Several vampires made covenants with human families. It's where the term familiar comes from. The vampire dictates the raising of a human child. The child is raised with every advantage to serve the vampire. He sees to the child's education and provides for all of the child's needs with the full agreement and cooperation of the family. In return the family is also protected and the vampire uses his influence on behalf of the family.” Drake explained.

“As the familiar grows older another child from the family is chosen to take his or her place. This continues generation after generation. Robert had to have known about the covenant and for some reason chose not to uphold his end of it. The fact that two children 'disappeared' is probably the reason. The chosen children were never cut off from their family.” Drake leaned forward in his seat. “Robert believed that Scud would come to some harm if the covenant was honored and sought to protect his child.  Pendragon must have turned his attention to Eric now.  It would be easier to simply find another family and make a new covenant.  The question is why is Pendragon so determined to have Robert's offspring?”

*****

“Phillip is a very good artist.” Irene said as she and Eric looked at the paintings scattered around the 'studio' Phillip had in the lower levels. “Josh and Mr Drake have been helping him sell his paintings. He's one of the donors too.

Josh stopped in front of a painting of a woman surrounded by a brood of children it was titled 'Old Mother Hubbard' . The woman in the painting was obviously Irene. “Wow that's you!”

Irene smiled. “Yes, who would have thought that this old girl could be an artist's model right? Phillip uses the people he knows as models, so there are a lot of familiar faces in his paintings. That's why he wanted to meet you. It's a new face for him to paint but his paintings also capture the personality of his subjects.”

“Old mother Hubbard?” Eric laughed. “Well Dominic said you're a mother hen.”

*****

Joseph sat in the back of the limo with the blacked out windows next to Pendragon. The vampire was watching the reflection of the sun sinking from the sky in the many glass windows of the Talos Building. “Soon Joshua, you will be returned to the fold where you belong.”

Joseph handed Pendragon an envelope. “Tickets to the private showing of an artist named Phillip Hawkins. Joshua will be there. Talos Industries owns the studio where the showing will be held.”

“An art showing? Very good, I can assess the situation between Joshua and Dagon. I much prefer to seduce Joshua away from him, If I can't then Dagon will just have to die.” Pendragon hit the intercom button. “Find a decent Gentlemen's Clothier. I find that I am in need of specific attire.”