I asked simply.
“It’s about Hector,” Sion said. He was rubbing his temples and pushing his glasses up and this told me he was really worried.
“What about Hector?” Lena asked as she sat on the couch next to us.
“There are some people who say…” Sion couldn’t finish. He rarely drank wine but he drained half of his glass.
I was instantly concerned. Hector was one of my best friends and a good friend of Tommy’s, as well. If there was something wrong with Hector, I would help him in a heartbeat.
“What’s wrong with Hector?” I asked.
Sion took a minute to gather his thoughts. Lena and I waited, and she took my hand and held it tightly.
“There’s a group of vampires that posted a private message to your Facebook account. They say they have taken Hector and are holding him hostage.”
The words sank in like concrete. Hector was kidnapped?
“Hector’s in trouble, Josiah.” Sion was very concerned. “I wouldn’t have come up here in the middle of the night if I didn’t think this was for real.”
“Show me,” I said, simply.
Sion flipped open his laptop that he had brought with him and logged on to my Facebook account. “Look,” he pointed to the private message. “I’m not sure if they’re for real or not, but how would they know about your friendship with Hector and also how rich he is? And also, how do they know this is your page?”
I looked at the message. It said, “To the mysterious man who wears a red mask. I guarantee you will want to read what I have to say. We have a friend of yours. You may know him: Hector. Our sources say he was once a prince of a very rich nation and we are certain his net worth is well over 100 million dollars. He is alive for now. For now, only. He’s signed his bank accounts over to you. So, Mr. Superhero, or should I say Vampire Superhero. If you want him to stay alive, you will withdraw his bank accounts in order to ransom his life from us. Further directions will be sent shortly.”
I was stunned. Hector? Held for ransom? How could this be? Who could do this, and did they know who they were fucking with? Even Hector knew the superhero guy was me.
Sion read my mind, as he did so often. “It’s like this, Josiah. Everybody and their mother knows about you now. The Mani obviously know that you are also a vampire. Not only do they know it, but they are already trying to use it against you and exploit it by using Hector to bring you out into the open.”
Lena had tears in her eyes. “How could someone do this to Hector?” she pleaded. “And who are these vampires??”
“I don’t know yet,” I said in a cold tone, “but I’ll find out. Sion, are you sure this is for real?”
“I’m sure,” Sion answered truthfully, “but if it makes you feel any better, I’ll check it out some more.”
I nodded. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Hector’s number. No answer. “I’ll keep calling him,” I said. “Sion, you get on this. Try to find out who and where they are. If this is for real, I guess I know what my next superhero mission will be.”
The room deepened with silence as we all took this in. But dawn was coming, and Sion had to get back home.
“Keep me posted,” I said. It was the closest to a command I could come up with at the moment. But Sion understood that this was a priority.
“I will,” he said, and I knew Sion understood this was a serious matter. He rose to go, and kissed Lena on the cheek as he always did. It was a sign of respect.
This was really troubling me. It looked like my job wasn’t just to help the Tandra. It was also to help Mani in need. In this case, the Mani was one of my best friends and had shown more loyalty to me than I ever could have asked a person to do. “Sion,” I said. “If this is true, we have to act fast.”
“I know, Josiah. Try to get some sleep. If you can.”
I didn’t get any sleep. I called Hector’s cell a dozen times and he never picked up. This was
“It’s about Hector,” Sion said. He was rubbing his temples and pushing his glasses up and this told me he was really worried.
“What about Hector?” Lena asked as she sat on the couch next to us.
“There are some people who say…” Sion couldn’t finish. He rarely drank wine but he drained half of his glass.
I was instantly concerned. Hector was one of my best friends and a good friend of Tommy’s, as well. If there was something wrong with Hector, I would help him in a heartbeat.
“What’s wrong with Hector?” I asked.
Sion took a minute to gather his thoughts. Lena and I waited, and she took my hand and held it tightly.
“There’s a group of vampires that posted a private message to your Facebook account. They say they have taken Hector and are holding him hostage.”
The words sank in like concrete. Hector was kidnapped?
“Hector’s in trouble, Josiah.” Sion was very concerned. “I wouldn’t have come up here in the middle of the night if I didn’t think this was for real.”
“Show me,” I said, simply.
Sion flipped open his laptop that he had brought with him and logged on to my Facebook account. “Look,” he pointed to the private message. “I’m not sure if they’re for real or not, but how would they know about your friendship with Hector and also how rich he is? And also, how do they know this is your page?”
I looked at the message. It said, “To the mysterious man who wears a red mask. I guarantee you will want to read what I have to say. We have a friend of yours. You may know him: Hector. Our sources say he was once a prince of a very rich nation and we are certain his net worth is well over 100 million dollars. He is alive for now. For now, only. He’s signed his bank accounts over to you. So, Mr. Superhero, or should I say Vampire Superhero. If you want him to stay alive, you will withdraw his bank accounts in order to ransom his life from us. Further directions will be sent shortly.”
I was stunned. Hector? Held for ransom? How could this be? Who could do this, and did they know who they were fucking with? Even Hector knew the superhero guy was me.
Sion read my mind, as he did so often. “It’s like this, Josiah. Everybody and their mother knows about you now. The Mani obviously know that you are also a vampire. Not only do they know it, but they are already trying to use it against you and exploit it by using Hector to bring you out into the open.”
Lena had tears in her eyes. “How could someone do this to Hector?” she pleaded. “And who are these vampires??”
“I don’t know yet,” I said in a cold tone, “but I’ll find out. Sion, are you sure this is for real?”
“I’m sure,” Sion answered truthfully, “but if it makes you feel any better, I’ll check it out some more.”
I nodded. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Hector’s number. No answer. “I’ll keep calling him,” I said. “Sion, you get on this. Try to find out who and where they are. If this is for real, I guess I know what my next superhero mission will be.”
The room deepened with silence as we all took this in. But dawn was coming, and Sion had to get back home.
“Keep me posted,” I said. It was the closest to a command I could come up with at the moment. But Sion understood that this was a priority.
“I will,” he said, and I knew Sion understood this was a serious matter. He rose to go, and kissed Lena on the cheek as he always did. It was a sign of respect.
This was really troubling me. It looked like my job wasn’t just to help the Tandra. It was also to help Mani in need. In this case, the Mani was one of my best friends and had shown more loyalty to me than I ever could have asked a person to do. “Sion,” I said. “If this is true, we have to act fast.”
“I know, Josiah. Try to get some sleep. If you can.”
I didn’t get any sleep. I called Hector’s cell a dozen times and he never picked up. This was
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