04 - Challenges

<< Bellatrix

Ages - Kurtherian Gambit - Frank Kurns Stories

PART ONE : Tabitha has one night to challenge her past, and her belief in herself. Normally, a person would fail. However, Tabitha has an ace in the hole. A female vampire with hundreds of years of life and wisdom and she is willing to protect Tabitha and tell her the truth. Whether Tabitha wants it, or not. And whether the Vampire wants to hurt others is not in question. It is what her Queen would expect. And Gabrielle will make it happen, like it or not. "We kind of thought you have covered that with shoes…" Bethany Anne has a challenge for her team, it’s just they don’t know what it is, exactly. (PART TWO) At first, the thought of a SEEDVAULT doesn't excite the team much. But the Queen has demanded a less stressful, more enjoyable opportunity to accomplish a needed goal for her people. Then, they add inefficiency into the project on purpose. It will be a challenge, but her people are always up to a task for the Queen Bitch.

PART I: PAYBACK

Chapter 01P

Buenos Aires, Argentina Gabrielle and Tabitha talk about Tabitha’s past – what she had left behind in the way of responsibilities to others, goals not accomplished, task not well done, the person she was compared to the person she wants to be. Tabitha reminded her of some of the artists Gabrielle had known over the years: insanely talented with souls like bright fires. But they hadn’t often been happy, those people. Sometimes a soul burned so brightly it ate a person up. Tabitha didn’t have the hard edge Gabrielle associated with the bohemians she had known. Despite everything, Tabitha seemed to lack the air of cynicism that so often came with counterculture. That wasn’t to say she didn’t try. From the tattoos to the piercings to the dyed hair, Tabitha went out of her way to look like someone with sharp edges. Someone you didn’t want to get close to. Tabitha was a talented person, someone whose talents had put her in the middle of a game she was really too young and naïve to play. “A lot of people sheltered me over the years and I want to make sure that none of Anton’s old friends are hurting them.” “So you want me to hurt these people,” Gabrielle said. “I want to make sure people are okay, that’s all.” “Look, I…put people in danger.” They could have been hurt because of me.” We all make mistakes when we’re younger. it’s easy to keep making the same mistakes,” Gabrielle told her. “It is very, very easy to see the world one way, and then even when it leads you down a bad path you don’t change your behavior because you can’t see the choices you actually have. I was so desperate to keep being a person who was fighting for justice, who loved this wonderful man, that I got tangled up in something that wasn’t justice with a terrible man. I kept making that mistake until I could believe in myself.” “So why didn’t you realize you could leave?” “Because I would have had to reevaluate who I was and how I believed the world worked. Believe it or not, sometimes it’s easier to stay around a homicidal maniac than it is to challenge your beliefs about the world.” If you’re going to change how you behave here, you’re going to have to believe you’re a different person now.” It was clear Tabitha could not yet understand that she was becoming a stronger person, herself. Less of a victim. Tabitha had to realize that for herself. “Then why do you want me here?” ,asked Gabrielle. I’m afraid I can’t do it on my own.” Gabrielle understood what it was to feel young and outmatched by the world. You will need some help, and you will also need to believe that you are a new person now.” “I’m not sure I can do that. I want to be better and braver. I’m not sure I am, though.”“Try,” said Gabrielle.

Chapter 02P

After dinner, Tabitha wanted to take Gabrielle to her favorite neighborhood, Barracas. In the more upscale streets Gabrielle and Tabitha had been assessed as tourists. Between Tabitha’s piercings and tattoos, not very common here, and Gabrielle’s expensive clothes, they must have looked like rich foreigners. But as they walked confidently toward Barracas, there was a different sort of assessment going on. Men in doorways watched the two women with a frown. Gabrielle returned those frowns with a picture-perfect smile that would turn any man’s blood to ice, and they knew they didn’t want her to notice them. Tabitha was looking for Howie. “He always knew everything about everyone, and he used to sit around here. She saw Joachin. this is Joaquin. He let me stay on his couch a lot after I left home.” Joaquin had always feared the work she did on the dark net. “Tabitha was a good roommate,” Joaquin said, and produced a forced-looking smile. “She tried to give everyone everything she had—except those notebooks, of course. She was always scribbling in those.” Joachin, had turned her in to Anton’s gang when they had threatened his family, and now they surrounded them.

Chapter 03P

Gabrielle had checked the men surrounding them – they were all human, so she could handle them all, and since she didn’t have to worry about the impending fight, she was free to find humor in Tabitha utterly rejecting Joaquin’s bullshit. “All right.” The leader of the group surrounding them had apparently heard enough. “Let’s get moving. On your feet.” “I could get us out of this.” Her voice was smooth and low. It wasn’t the sort of sentiment to make the guards reach for their guns, but the offer was there. “No, let’s go.” She shook her head and stood up, avoiding Gabrielle’s eyes. “Good choice,” the leader said sarcastically. “Come on, Red, you’d better follow your friend’s example.” They moved through the streets in silence. People closed their doors or turned their faces away. “We’re here. Don’t get any funny ideas. We were told to bring you in alive…if we could.” Santino greeted her. She was screwed, and she knew it. They went to see Thiago. “I have no doubt that you’ll become very well acquainted with Thiago,” he told Gabrielle. “He held this little group together after Anton disappeared.” At his shoulder, Emmi gave a smug smile. “I told you she wouldn’t have destroyed them. Little Tabitha was always so proud of everything she knew.”” Tabitha… You can come here. You really must introduce me to your charming friend.”

Chapter 04P

“I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Tabitha made her eyes as wide as she could. “I’m just scared. They’re getting better and better at finding people, and what if they find out it was me? They might hurt my family.” Tabitha looked down at the floor. If she did this job for him maybe she could find a way to set him up, and given that time she could figure out a way to rescue her family and— And that was exactly how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place. She looked at Gabrielle. “Okay, do it.” Gabrielle’s face split into a huge grin. “Really?” “Yeah.” Tabitha could feel fury beating in her suddenly. “You know what? Fuck this. Fuck all of this.” She laughed, taking advantage of the changed timbre of her voice. A vampire’s voice in hunting form tended to terrify unwary humans. Tabitha attacked Thiago, pushing him back against his desk. “FINISH IT!” Gabrielle yelled. “Don’t pause, just finish it!” “I don’t know how!” Tabitha yelled back. “Find a way!” Tabitha muttered, “Oh, right, that helps.” She had to do something for herself. She punched him again and this time she punched slightly lower, putting every ounce of her fury into her tiny fist. Thiago’s scream was cut off abruptly and he sank to his knees with a wheeze, clutching his crushed throat. His face was incredulous as the light died in his eyes. Gabrielle finishes off the other guards, as well as Santiago, when he comes in. They then go to rescue Tabitha’s family.

Chapter 05P

“I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Tabitha made her eyes as wide as she could. “I’m just scared. They’re getting better and better at finding people, and what if they find out it was me? They might hurt my family.” Tabitha looked down at the floor. If she did this job for him maybe she could find a way to set him up, and given that time she could figure out a way to rescue her family and— And that was exactly how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place. She looked at Gabrielle. “Okay, do it.” Gabrielle’s face split into a huge grin. “Really?” “Yeah.” Tabitha could feel fury beating in her suddenly. “You know what? Fuck this. Fuck all of this.” She laughed, taking advantage of the changed timbre of her voice. A vampire’s voice in hunting form tended to terrify unwary humans. Tabitha attacked Thiago, pushing him back against his desk. “FINISH IT!” Gabrielle yelled. “Don’t pause, just finish it!” “I don’t know how!” Tabitha yelled back.“Find a way!” Tabitha muttered, “Oh, right, that helps.” She had to do something for herself. She punched him again and this time she punched slightly lower, putting every ounce of her fury into her tiny fist. Thiago’s scream was cut off abruptly and he sank to his knees with a wheeze, clutching his crushed throat. His face was incredulous as the light died in his eyes. Gabrielle finishes off the other guards, as well as Santiago, when he comes in. They then go to rescue Tabitha’s family.

Miscellaneous Characters: PAYBACK Joaquin: Let Tabitha stay on his couch a lot after I left home.” Joaquin had always feared the work she did on the dark net.“Tabitha was a good roommate,” Joaquin said, and produced a forced-looking smile. “She tried to give everyone everything she had—except those notebooks, of course. She was always scribbling in those.” Tabitha let him live, as he was trying to protect his family.

Anton: A dead gangleader. Thiago tool over after anton died. Joaquin had turned her ino anton, so now Thiago wanted her talents. Thiago: 4P “I just want you to do one little thing for me,” Thiago explained. “Very easy, really—for you, anyway. I need you to hack into the Central Bank and get me a little something.” Gabrielle killed him, along with Cipriano and Renaldo, two of his guards.

PART II: SEED VAULT

Chapter 01SV

Romania - Alexi, a werebear in Romania, Uncle to Ecaterina and Ivan, was running in the forest, which made him feel good, graceful, alive! He was muscle and purpose, a creature that did exactly what it was made to do. He was missing Ecaterina today, her smile, her humor, and her company. Alexi heard the unmistakable clang of a trap and the anguished scream of an animal in pain. He found a buck, shattered legs, thrashing and in anguish. Alexi had no respect for those who stayed at home and let the trsps work for them. He killed the buck, trashed it so that the animals of the forest could utilize the meat but the hunters couldn’t find it, and vowed to go into town, to hear Talk at the bar of who was doing this. QBS Meredith Reynolds Bethany Anne suggests they create/build/could use a seed bank aboard, as a relaxing activity, and as a useful; addition to their larder. Patterned after the seed vault at Svalbard, as well as what it represented: a slice of home they would take with them when they left. Bobcat interested in relaxing thinking about beer, and Yelena. Ordered a new oil for the beer, Myrcene Oil, is known to smooth and deepen the flavors, creating a rich finish that cannot be matched otherwise. This lead was promising. “Oh? Did you find something to help?” She clapped her hands. “It would be wonderful if you won!” Visions flashed through his head… Bobcat holding a trophy aloft as Yelena smiled and cheered, staring up adoringly at him. Nathan heard Ecaterina talking to Alexi, and planning to go to Romania to see what was bothering him. Nathan would go with her, take a few days extra to relax in the mountains, Bethany Anne to take care of Christina while they relaxed.

Chapter 02SV

Bethany Anne and Gabrielle hassle each other about which shoes to wear with which outfits. A fun time. Marcus uneasy about recipe for Beer competition. Although Barnabas helping him (Barnabas told him. “To you I advise the same thing I would advise anyone: focus on the fundamentals. Tricks and shortcuts do more harm than good. It is mastery of the basic concepts that produces results. A competitor can always benefit from another’s incorrect assumptions. Perhaps you might, in this case. However, the true measure of a competitor is in his own actions, not in others’ failures. Simply execute each stage of your brewing correctly, and you will be most of the way to winning.” He hopes that will be enough. William doesn’t want Bobcat to pull something new out of a hat, so hacks into Bobcat’s computer, learns about Myrcene Oil. Ordered some. Nathan, Ecaterina and Christina are very much appreciated at their home. Ecaterina vows to spend as much time as she can here, before they Gate, so that Christina will have good memories. Alexi tells her about the traps, and that he was unable to find information about their owner, as the body is not taken. It is…left by other traps. I think they are trying to get wolves for the pelts.”

Chapter 03SV

William decides to go to a monastery in Hainaut, Belgium, Scourmont Abbey, using Bethany Anne’s quest for seed information, to see if he can get any sage advice on adding anything to his beer recipe. William is impressed with Brother Michel’s knowledge., “I don’t know how to describe it. You seem to find meaning in cultivation of these plants.” “There is meaning in it,” Brother Michel said quietly. “I think your employer knows this. We were born here on this Earth, surrounded by these plants. Watching them grow, learning to be attentive to their needs, making them into medicines…it is a part of who we are.” He lifted one shoulder contemplatively. “In truth, anything can be made into a prayer if you want it to be one. Here we seek to find meaning in every task.” He would have free rein of the library, and of the brewery, although Brother Michel held little hope of him winning the contest with a Trappist Monk as an adversary. Alexi speaks to Ecaterina about the traps. These traps, however, were scattered almost randomly, but, “They are trying to trap the wolves.” Nathan said,” “You’re going to go rain hellfire down on those trappers, aren’t you? I’ll come with you.” “Go back to sleep. No hellfire this time, I promise. I promise I’ll bring you along on any mission to scare the crap out of these people.” Nathan,Christina and Yelena went to tour the town, leaving the dogs at home, as people might be frightened of them.

Chapter 04SV

Stephen goes out to a seed-vault conference, Jennifer stays in, bubble-bath time. Tabitha, Marcus and Barnabas discuss Barnabus’ sneaky ways. “He likes tricking them by behaving in ways that help them make unwise assumptions,” Tabitha continued in a stage whisper. “And then he says that if they weren’t so hasty, if they just took more time to examine the issue, they wouldn’t have been tricked. It is not a competitor’s duty to explain to his competition that incorrect assumptions have been made.” Stephen and Bethany Anne discuss philosophy of greed, and its effect on human behavior. Has Stephen deluded himself, and might be suffering some of the pangs of greed? ADAM had an answer for him. “I think you are aware that an organic mind can create delusions, and I think you have surrounded yourself with those who would tell you if you engaged in harmful delusions like Hugo did. Consider the fact that Hugo punished those who contradicted him. You do not do this. Therefore, I think you have arranged your life—whether on purpose or not—so that you pursue good social endeavors, and you will not be allowed to slide into extremism.” They agreed to talk on it again, at another time. Nathan. Ecaterina Aand Alexi were talking about Ecaterina’s findings about the traps. Whoever owns them is rich. The traps are very good quality, they’re coated so that they won’t rust, they’re very sharp, and they’re complex, not just a simple trap. They’re powerful, they can shatter bones, and there are a lot of them. We picked up as many as we could, and disabled others.” As they were talking, Bellatrix started barking at a man across the street, who was staring at them. She might have just identified one of the trappers.

Chapter 05SV

Bobcat goes out to a Midwest farm, with the pretext of buying it. Owner entices him to be honest, so he tells him about seed vault plan, Yelena, dogs, Bethany Anne ns, in retrospect, thinks there might really be something good about this seed vault plan. Bethany Anne talks to Ecaterina about the wolf-pelt trappers, and the plan they have for catching them Bethany Anne approves. Marcus, Barnabas, Tabitha go to country, seed-vault thing, Tabitha want to rent a bike, enjoy, fell into a ditch. Alexi and Ecaterina gout again, trip more traps, meet Andrei, a town youth, who was setting the traps. They asked him if he knew what he was dealing with, and he pulled a gun, and asked them the same thing.

Chapter 06SV

As they spoke with Andrei, he became more nervous, eventually simply firing at them But Ecaterina had turned into her Pricolici form, and dodged the bullets, waiting for him to use them all up, them tackling him. He passed out in terror, and they had to wait until he roused before they could question him. They will question him, to find out why. Bobcat talks to ADAM about blocking the links to the Myrcene Oil. “ I think you should leave the webpages unblocked,” ADAM said after a moment. “Because if you win the competition by denying others the same technology you have access to your victory will be meaningless, and you will come to have negative associations with the memory. Victory should be happy, not painful.” He decides not to block the knowledge of the oil.

Chapter 07SV

Andrei awoke, and remembered that he had sold out Ioan, and that he would probably be killed for it. When he got back into town, he found Ioan’s car at his house, and he ran. They caught him, and took him away.They came and took his grandfather, Mihai away, as well. When Marcus got back to his office, he found out that Tabitha had hacked Bobcat’s files for him, and had all of the info re the oil. He resisted temptation, and went to have a beer, for clarity. Ecaterina didn’t know what to do about Andrei, and asked Nathan. He said she should do what she thought was right. “I don’t know what you’ll decide to do, but I trust you and so does Bethany Anne. This is your home. I trust that you will make a sound decision, and I will follow your lead.” Alexi explained. “You have to trust yourself.”

Chapter 08SV

Ioan took Andrei and Mihai, beat Andrei, but didn’t kill him. Want him as a living example of what happens when one disobeys him. Bobcat was in the back room, brewing his winning batch of beer. Wheat, hops, the oil, but not yet. Bobcat asked ADAM if there had been any new inquiries about the oil, and ADAM told him no. Bobcat did not ask about older inquiries, so ADAM did not tell him that William had ordered the oil. Ecaterina finds big house Ioan had used as headquarters, organization being run by Andrei, Grigore, and Mathieu. Ecaterina and Nathan, Alexi to take out Ioan’s crew, while Yelena watches Christina. “We’re all going to go into the forest,” Ecaterina explained. “We’ll make sure they see us. As soon as we’re there, you’ll take Christina and go to a hunting stand Alexi built. No one else knows about it, and that way you’ll be out of sight. Stay there until we come into the hunting stand to get you. Don’t move until then.” “Meanwhile, the rest of us will go through the forest and pretend that Bellatrix or Ashur has gotten snagged in a trap. While we seem to be distracted by that, we think they will attack us. “And I personally think Ioan will confront us to show his superiority before he has us killed. That’s when we strike.” William and Peter get to brewing. William worried, but decides not to use oil. Stop making yourself crazy!

Chapter 09SV

Nathan, Alexi and Ecaterina walk through town, go into forest, Grigore following them. Yelena and Christina go to stand to wait. Ioan tells Mathieu to stay at house, alert Constantinou’s team to surround them in the forest, as soon as he receives the signal from Ioan. He agrees. Ioan and guards go into forest to capture them, Ashur fakes getting caught in trap (fake blood), Bellatrix whimpering and wailing. Ioan signals Mathieu, who is having doubts about calling the castle guards. Andrei convinces him not to, that it just isn’t right, so Mathieu doesn’t.

Chapter 10SV

Ioan finally realizes that his men were not coming, orders guards to shoot to kill. Ecaterina and Nathan, Pricolici form, kill them, confront Ioan, who now knows Andrei was telling the truth. Grigore running the other way. Ioan begs for understanding, and to live. Andrei and Mathieu go to free prisoners in basement. Grigore runs to hunting stand to hide, Yelena shoots him. Andrei comes to forest to tell of others who need help, even if they kill him later.

Chapter 11SV

They go to house, see cages of wolves in the basement, breeding stock for Ioan. Andrei and Mathieu tell of their parts, apologize, and swear to use the rest of their lives to make up for the shame they had brought iknto the town. Ecaterina lets them go, with reservations. But, as Nathan says, “If you were wrong you can always kill them later, right? But you couldn’t undo killing them.”

Marcus and Barnabas finish brewing the beer for the competition, Barnabas with the advice, “You’re doing well, but this is, so far, just a trial for you. Instead of a trial, instead of a test, think of it as a devotion. You were never in one of the religious orders—I understand this—but you enjoy drinking a fine beer, do you not? You enjoy seeing the looks on others’ faces as they relax in the bar and speak with their friends. You take pride in doing everything you do very well and to the best of your ability. Is this not so? Excellent. Well, for a monk such things would serve a larger purpose—all of them would reflect the greater glory of God. While I hope for such a thought in you, even if it is not in your heart, at least excellence and joy can still be your reasons for making this beer perfectly.” He paused. “Think of what you wish to achieve,” he said finally, “not of what might go wrong.” Marcus stared after him in bemusement. He turned back to the wort with a new purpose. His headache seemed to be clearing up, and as he inhaled he tried to imagine the beer finished to perfection. It would be wonderful if he could manage it.

William and Pete knew that Marcus had not used the oil, and that Bobcat had done so. Their decision? “You said Bobcat was the one to beat,” he said finally. “If he knows something we don’t, we gotta think there’s a reason. Plus, it’s been how many hundreds of years since Barnabas brewed beer? There’s new technology now. Let’s add the oil.” William nodded. “Good call.” He eyeballed the bottle. “It’s just a little more than we need, so should we add all of it?” “Yeah, might as well.” Pete grinned. Tabitha, watching all of this, had a suspicion, and asked ADAM to look something up for her. Bethany Anne called Andrei and gave him her own warning/threat, and hung up.

Chapter EpilogueSV

Brewing competition started! Tabitha and Ecaterina want to go taste ! Three kegs being wheeled out, with the brewers guarding them as worriedly as mother hens. Bethany Anne told her Father that he had to be entirely impartial. He replied, “I would never lie about something so important as the quality of beer. Bethany Anne grinned and took a seat beside him. She beckoned Jennifer, Stephen, and Nathan up to the table as well. “All right, the three of you are backup judges. In the event that my dad can’t make a decision, your votes will break the tie.” Everyone watched as the judges sipped their beers and made notes. Sometimes they returned to one beer, other times they continued to the next. Each judge tried each beer multiple times with multiple cleanses of the palate, then John whisked away their notes and tallied the scores. It was ten minutes before he emerged from the side room. “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the beer competition is…”

“The winner, by a very large margin in both our chief judge’s vote and our secondary judges’ votes, is Marcus.” “Barnabas laid a nice little trap for Bobcat and William,” Tabitha said. She crossed her arms and gave Barnabas a look. “Which Marcus almost fell into, I’ll have you know.” “I did no such thing.” Barnabas held up a hand. “The ingredient they used was specifically formulated to do no harm to the beer, but neither did it help. A consummate beer brewer—and a worthy competitor—would either not have used the oil, having had no chance to test it before, or they might have used it but would have taken care on the rest of the beer. William and Bobcat did not do so. Marcus did.” “Their choice to brew with sloppy technique was just that,” Barnabas said. “Their choice. They didn’t have to use the oil, and they didn’t have to brew sloppily.” “There is…one more matter regarding this ingredient.” It was a success, home brewers were buying it, the factory was expanding, it was the subject of lively debate, and is constantly sold out. Bethany Anne’s comment was,” I trust you’ll manage the business well. Meanwhile, I’m going to go get more of Marcus’ beer.”

A large grant had been received in the town, to clean up Ioal’s mansion and make it fit for families to live in, the surrounding land was to be kept as a nature preserve, and there was to be a new college established to teach people all sorts of skills for starting and running their own businesses. Andrei had managed to empty Ioan’s illegal accounts and wind down the man’s operations, ending up with a very large sum of money. Mihai smiled. It was beginning to look like their home was valued by others as much as they valued it themselves. Whoever you are I’m grateful to you.

Miscellaneous Characters: Seed Vault: Myrcene Oil: Ingredient Barnabas invents to offer the opportunities in the beer-brewing competition. Becomes a viable product, Barnabas stuck with managing the company, taking care of it.

Brother Michel, Hainaut, Belgium, Scourmont Abbey. Brother William visits to both investigate the seed-vault plants/ideas, and to ask about brewing tips. He would have free rein of the library, and of the brewery, although Brother Michel held little hope of him winning the contest with a Trappist Monk as an adversary.

Ioal: Leader of the drug/fur pelt operation, worked with Andrei, Mihai, Gregoire, Mathieu. Ioan, Grigore killed, other three live, help town recover.