Forever Young Birth Of A Nation

All characters in this story
are purely fictional, the product of the author’s imagination. The
only exceptions are some of America’s founding fathers, three
European kings, and the Marquis de Sade. All of those are
historically-documented figures who lived during the latter half of
the 18
^th
century. Any quotes attributed to them are purely
fictional.

January 11, 1781: Long Island New York

The sound of mandolin music and voices
singing became louder as Ian slowly opened the back door and glided
in, silently closing it behind him. He felt around and verified
that his five flintlock pistols were in their holsters, unfastening
the retainer strap on each of them. Next he undid the stays on both
his knife and sword and checked to see that they were free in their
sheaths. Satisfied that all weapons were ready, he glided forward
and as the song came to a place where they were singing louder, he
drew two of the pistols from his shoulder holsters, cocking
them.

Meanwhile upstairs, Bartholomew crept to the
door to Priscilla’s room and pressed an ear to it, trying to hear
anything he could as the music from below grew louder. About then
he felt a hand grab his collar and pull him back away from the
door. Spinning around he saw Yvonne staring at him, green eyes
blazing. “Damn you Bartholomew! Come along now. Leave those two
alone and find your own partner.” she said through clenched
teeth.

Gliding forward, Ian approached the parlor
and foyer area where they were gathered and came silently out into
the light seeking the leader of the coven. A female near the far
wall saw him first and her mouth suddenly froze in an open position
as her eyes widened in disbelief while the others sang on. Ian had
only seen eight of them up to now so two vampires were unaccounted
for besides the six that he knew were upstairs in the bedrooms, but
it was too late to turn back.

He leveled both pistols and fired just an
instant after the female vampire screamed, hitting two males in
their heads. They dropped and began to twitch and flail about as
pandemonium broke loose. The vampires bellowed and screeched in
surprise and fear as he continued forward, snap-kicking one female
nearest him in her stomach and driving her back into the lap of a
male on the sofa who was trying to rise. It was as if a lion had
been dropped into a pack of hyenas as everybody shrank back in
terror, trying to get away from the hooded black-clad figure.

Yvonne turned from admonishing Bartholomew
in shock and leapt to the handrail overlooking the foyer just in
time to look down and see the entire coven backing toward the
staircase in terror, even as they shouted and screamed curses.

Ian had dropped both pistols the second he
had fired them and already had the other two out and was seeking
targets. In seconds he had shot two more of the males in their
heads, who joined their fellows, twitching and flopping about on
the floor. Leaping forward he drew his short sword in a blur and
lopped off the heads of those four even as the others had just
started to realize that he was alone. Some were turning and looking
frantically for swords as others had pulled out knives and were
even now massing, but not yet daring to move toward him.

In the upstairs rooms two of the three doors
opened and naked couples peered out, wide eyed. Yvonne laid hold of
them and propelled them toward the staircase shouting “Get down
there now!”

In her room, Priscilla said “Oliver! We have
to get dressed! Please stay close to me.” she said as she hastily
began to dress herself.

One who had found a sword charged out of the
pack toward him and Ian met him skillfully, parrying his rapid
strokes easily and suddenly transferring the sword to his left hand
he changed tactics and ran the vampire through, pulling his sword
free and cutting off his sword hand as his arms flailed, even while
seeking another target.

Still in a battle crouch he moved forward
toward the now-massed group who began to shout with rage, eyes
glowing brightly in fear and hatred. Brandishing what weapons they
had managed to find they closed ranks and formed a knot against the
staircase landing. Those in the very rear of the group slowly began
to back up the steps, warily watching the hooded figure with the
bloody sword approach. Only then did Ian come into Yvonne’s view.
Her eyes blazed brightly in hatred as she and Bartholomew looked
on.

Five of the vampires had found sabers and by
now all of the rest had knives. Ian had still not seen their leader
and had about decided to leave when a gunshot rang out.

Pain exploded in his head as he heard an
excited cry “I got him.” Bartholomew raised a smoking pistol above
his head and waved it exuberantly.

Ian felt himself falling on his back and
began to realize that he was flailing about at an eye-blurring
speed as he had seen so many vampires do after he had shot them in
the head. The knot of vampires raised their weapons, eyes glowing
in hatred and with a great cry they rushed in to the slaughter even
as he thrashed violently, his body now completely out of his
control. He lay helpless before the onslaught now and thought
I
came here just to help start a bank for my family and look at what
I have come to.

He began to feel the stabbing pains as the
females reached him first and began to screech in rage as they
stabbed furiously into his unprotected chest and stomach while the
males pressed forward to get their turn. His eyes rolled upward and
the roar of the descending vampires drowned out everything else and
then began to recede as his mind drifted back to the day he first
saw America…..

***

August 23, 1775: Atlantic Ocean 120 miles
east of New York City

“Land ho to starboard” cried the lookout
from the crow’s nest of the merchantman
New Hope
. Having
seen the shore over a minute earlier, Ian turned to his companion
James Barrow and smiled, saying “Well James, at long last we will
have a look at New York City. We should have plenty of time to
lodge and then look around before dark.”

“I can’t wait, Ian. Let’s go pack our bags
now.”

“Right. I am going to write a few letters to
verify that we arrived today and leave them with Captain Norris.”
At the thought of sending correspondence home, he had a pang of
sorrow, missing all of his friends and family.
It was a good
thing after all to ask Robert for a companion
he thought. James
was a fine young man and Ian had become fast friends with him on
the voyage from London.

Captain Norris approached, smiling “I bet
the two of you can’t wait to see all of the sights in the New
World.”

“Right you are, Andrew. How long before you
depart?”

“We’ll be here the better part of a week
anyway. There are a few minor repairs to take care of from that
storm. Then we will sail to Boston. I want to take on a load of Cod
to take back to England.”

“Are you sure you can get it? The colonists
in Boston have imposed a ‘no-trade’ sanction with England.”

“I had thought that was past now. I will try
Newport then. Or I could sail south to Yorktown and buy tobacco.
The alternative to an empty ship might be to haul manure back!”
Laughing as he nodded in understanding, Ian excused himself to see
to his belongings and to write some letters. He wrote one to Robert
Milliken, the London banker who was jointly capitalizing the new
banks that he and James had been sent to start up. Another one was
for Marie and Henri Lafayette, the Banker and silent partner who
was putting up the other half of the capital for the new banks. He
missed them keenly, as much as he missed his human family in
Scotland. Included was a general letter to Li Hong, Sophia,
Celeste, and all of the others of his vampire-human family in
France. A separate letter was enclosed to Aimee, the child vampire,
and finally a letter to his human family in Scotland.

His correspondence finished, he rejoined
James and Captain Norris at the helm. They chatted pleasantly
passing the time until
New Hope
had dropped anchor in the
harbor nearly seven hours later. New York harbor was a busy place,
bustling with activity. There were very few British soldiers to be
seen being as New York City was still under civilian rule. Looking
closely at a large British ship, Ian saw several men in uniform, in
blue coats. Looking more closely at these as his party made their
way ashore in a longboat, he discerned that they were Hessians as
he thought
so the king has hired German mercenaries. What does
that say about the prospects for peace? And they are not debarking
here, so where are they bound?

Norris agreed to inquire about getting care
for the small herd of goats that Ian and James had brought from
England. They had served their secret purpose providing blood for
the two vampires on the transatlantic voyage and would be sold at
auction within days at the stockyard area of New York City.

Before separating from Captain Norris they
had invited him to dine with them at the Harbor Inn where they
would be staying. The two of them took a carriage and their driver
took them to the Inn which Andrew recommended where James agreed to
get them a room. Within some twenty minutes, Ian arrived at the
British military office for New York City. Presenting his papers to
the commander of the guard he was shown in to a waiting room
immediately. There were other men seated there, also awaiting an
audience with General Gage or one of his staff.

It was no more than some ten minutes when a
sergeant came out and called for Ian McCloud. Ian stood and
followed the soldier through ornate double doors, noting some irate
stares as he passed by some of the others who had been there for
hours. His papers bore the seal of the British Crown itself and
assured both James and him priority treatment.

He was taken to another large ornate double
door and the sergeant knocked. Ian heard the word “Enter.” from the
other side and he was taken to stand in front of a stern
gray-haired man, wearing the uniform of a general in His Majesty’s
army.

Standing, he came around his desk, his keen
blue eyes fastened on Ian’s as he said “Mr. McCloud. I am General
Thomas Gage, commander of His Majesty’s forces in the colonies. I
am pleased to make your acquaintance. I expected to see an older
man.”

His tri-corner hat in his left hand, Ian
stepped forward extending his right hand with a broad smile, saying
“I am an early starter, General Gage.”

“Well I know Bob Milliken and if he trusts
you with enough of his money to start up two banks on another
continent, I have no doubt that you are the man for the job. You
look more like a seafaring man than a banker sir, if you do not
mind my saying so.”

“I am outdoors as often as I can be, sir,
and I spent nearly every waking hour on deck coming over.”
And I
am a vampire who has had every characteristic including my
complexion imprinted forever as well
he thought.

“I wish you well on your endeavor Mr.
McCloud. God knows we can use another bank here in the colonies.”
He passed the paperwork back to Ian saying “I am going to have to
hand you over to Colonel Grundy though. I am pressed for time. I
spend more time in Boston than here in New York City. Do not
hesitate to come to me if you need any help. Good day, sir.”

“Good day to you General Gage.” Ian said as
he fell in behind the sergeant who turned smartly to walk out of
the office. Before he had gotten to the door though, Gage called
out “I say there, McCloud. There is to be a dinner and a ball two
nights hence at Government House, not two blocks north of here. It
is to begin at 7 PM and you have only to mention my name at the
door. Please do come and bring Mr. Barrows with you.”

Ian turned and nodded, smiling broadly.
“Sir, may I also bring Captain Andrew Norris? We sailed here
together and he is a fine gentleman.”

“Yes, yes, by all means.”

“Then I should like that very much sir. We
will make every effort to come. Thank you and good day.” Within
only two minutes he was taken to a smaller office and shown in. A
man about thirty years old with fine straight black hair and dark
brown eyes looked him up and down thoroughly before stepping from
behind his desk, saying “Pleased to meet you Mr. McCloud. I am
Colonel Harold Grundy of His Majesty’s army.”