Page 140 of The Satyr's Guilt
Revenge was at the top of the list.
Because of Dante’s money and power, thecommissioner as well as CID were present at the crime scene.Scotland Yard was on the job. The less than one-day-old baby wouldbe found. He told them he would meet with them tomorrow. They shookhands politely.
So sorry.
He left the hospital, preliminaryarrangements made for Amelia’s burial. He saw no reason to hurry.After all, the otherworlder, the father, had taken the infant.Dante did not share the last bit of information.
Yes. Dante knew his daughter’s lover was anotherworlder. Amelia had been young and much in love. With all theadoration bubbling to the surface, she spilled everything to herfather once she learned she was pregnant. She told him the handsomepolo player who had gotten her with child was from another realm,that he was a different species, a satyr. Of course, Dante did notbelieve her.
She was impetuous, the spoiled daughter of aman rich beyond all dreams, wanting for nothing. He believed herramblings to be flights of fancy from a girl who had not rubbedshoulders with reality.
Then he investigated, his curiosity anddread growing. Eventually, he invited the young man to lunch,grilling him about his nature and realm.
The handsome young polo player lookedAmelia’s father in the eye, assuring him humans and his kind matedsuccessfully to produce offspring. There would be no problem. Danteremained wary.
Gripped by an uncontrollable grief, thedistraught father, who had not yet become Dante, wound up at thegate to his private gentleman’s club, not for comfort from fellowmembers but to get royally pished.
In this state of mind, he came to his club,asking the familiar bartender for his usual Scotch. Then anotherand another until he could not remember how many he had consumed.Those around him scattered as his rants grew crazier and crazier.Members quietly took their drinks to other rooms, suddenlyremembered meetings, or looked at their watches, late for anappointment. He blathered about otherworlders among us all. Thosewho once walked Earth but now only visited from their realm.
During the Englishman’s tirade, a large mansidled alongside him at the bar, also ordering a Scotch. The mangently touched Dante’s elbow. “May we sit by the fire, friend?”
When the stranger finally persuaded him totake a chair, Dante continued his outburst as the man listenedpatiently, one hand resting on a knee. The attentive man set hisglass on the table and thoughtfully pinched his chin between histhumb and a knuckle.
The Englishman continued to describe a realmcalled Scath as well as the species who lived there, revealing moreand more, encouraged by the man who hung on each word. Since Dantewas drunk, not stupid, he kept a lid on some truths, suspicionsabout his companion penetrating the alcohol haze.
His new friend sighed, asking how an Englishgentleman knew of such a place as Scath.
Dante explained about the polo player fromScath, the infant, and the death of Amelia. The bereaved Englishmanwould do anything to find this man and bring him to justice, to hisdeath. The otherworlder had impregnated his daughter, knowing shewould die with his spawn.
The attentive man, who called himselfCerberus, claimed Dante and he had met serendipitously. Theirfriendship would get them both what they desired. Dante could befree to enter Scath and search for this man if Cerberus could openfree trade between realms.
The listener explained about the portalsdividing the realms and how travel was limited since they wereclosed to all but the chosen. A group called the descendants of theBlood Coven could remove the spell and open the gateways for thebusiness benefit of both Scath and Earth. Together the two of themcould make it happen.
The father, who was not yet Dante, suspectedhe and the Aeternal were at cross purposes. While Cerberus stroveto open the realms for his own reasons, Dante sought proof thatAeternals existed. With it, he could expose them to the British orAmerican governments and avenge his daughter’s death. He knew,despite being less than sober, his rants about the beings would notconvince anyone of their existence. He needed proof.
Now he had it. Through Cerberus, he haddiscovered the Alliance and other bits of significant knowledgeabout Scath and its beings. Once he exposed them, they would beannihilated, including his daughter’s lover. He felt nothing forthe infant. After all, she killed his beloved Amelia also. If shewas destroyed in the process, so be it.
Dante no longer needed the nefariouscreature Cerberus, whom he suspected viewed all humans as inferiorand dispensable. It was time to walk different paths.
He had hired an ex-mercenary, Mars, to buildan army. Thanks to the scientists in his employ, these soldierswere nearly as strong as the otherworlders. They had also developeda tranquilizer which resulted in the capture of two vampires. And,possibly, his daughter’s killer. His proof.
The jet glided onto the runway in a smoothlanding. Once the steps rolled into place and the door opened,Dante exited the plane, a man on a mission, walking with theextreme confidence which came from money and power.
A black limo waited for him in the hangar. Achauffeur jumped out to open the backdoor. “Sir.”
After Dante slid across the leather seat andpoured a Scotch from the bottle in the bar, he spoke to the driverwhose eyes stared at him in the mirror. He wanted to know where togo.
The Englishman phoned Mars, who directed himto the new compound rather than to the old lab. The base was nowwhere his proof and his vengeance awaited.
“How was the flight, sir?” asked thedriver.
“Uneventful.”
The rest of the drive was as the Englishmanwanted. Silent. They headed to a helicopter pad, the wealthy manboarding the aircraft.
Landing in the middle of the new compound,Dante stepped out, surrounded by armed, uniformed men.
“I’m expected.” He handed the guard a card.On the card were two words. “Humans First.”
