KISS in Paradise 21-E


"Incoming boat!"

Paul shaded his eyes.  He wished he were back in 
Stephanie's house.  He could feel her through the link she 
had forged between them: feel her sleeping through the 
daylight that was fatal to vampires.  It would be great to 
be peacefully sleeping through this day.  But with Gene 
gone, he was the only KISS owner.  And everyone was looking 
to him to find answers.  But all he had were questions.

"Is it Bruce?"  Paul asked.

MAC frowned.  "It's Vinnie."

"Vinnie?!"  Paul looked at MAC.  "Are you sure?"

MAC stood, binoculars to her eyes.  "Believe me, I'm not 
going to mistake Bruce Kulick or Eric Singer for Vinnie 
Vincent.  And he's got several people with him and is 
towing a second boat."

Paul ran his hands through his hair.  "What the hell is he 
up to?"

Mac lowered the binoculars.  "You can bet it's no good.  I 
also spotted Bruce and Eric on their way in, so we've got 
back-up in case Vinnie's trying something."

Mark St John looked at Paul.  "Things are getting really 
weird around here.  Be prepared for anything."

Paul nodded.  He wished he knew where Gene was.  He wished 
he knew if Gene was alive.

*	*	*	*	*

"Gene, you still alive?"

Gene moaned.

Peter smiled.  "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"It hurt worse this time than when I got everything," Gene 
whispered, throat hoarse from his screams.  "Maybe because 
I was losing everything at once and I got things in 
stages."

"It hurt about the same for me," Peter admitted.  "I 
thought I was dying of a heart attack when it hit me.  
Darkraven held me and explained I was Broken.  Then I was 
sure I was dying."

"I was sure I was dying too," Gene admitted.

The door opened.  "I didn't hear any more screams so I 
figured you were finished one way or the other," Xavier 
said with a smile.

Gene wearily glared at him with bloodshot eyes.

Xavier walked over and started poking at Gene.  "Hmm.  
Interesting."  He gripped the scaled skin and pulled.

Gene grimaced as the skin separated with a faintly 
unpleasant sensation.  He felt warm fluid trickle down his 
side.

Xavier examined the strip of hide in his hands.  "Clean 
rejection.  The new skin appears to be a little delicate."  
He grabbed a syringe and aspirated some of the liquid 
pooled on Gene's table and held it up.  The syringe was 
filled with a clear liquid with a slight yellowish tint.  
"It'll be interesting to see what exactly this is.  Lymph 
perhaps?  Plasma?  Not blood.  The only blood is 
contamination from the transformation."

"But he'll be okay?"  Peter asked, concerned.

Xavier looked at the drummer.  "We'll collect the rejected 
material and begin testing.  It's perfect timing.  The 
technicians have finished with your tests."

Peter just gazed at the scientist and said nothing.

"You're not going to ask how they turned out?"  Xavier 
asked in a light tone.  "You're within the usual range of 
Darkraven's second generation.  We have all we need from 
you in that area, but we do still have one last use for 
you."

"What are you going to do with Peter?"  Gene demanded 
weakly.

Xavier stripped leathery hide and rejected mass from Gene's 
body, carefully setting it in large specimen containers.  
"I will have a stretcher brought down so you can observe.  
I wouldn't want you to lie down here with your curiosity 
unsatisfied."  He ripped another strip free.

Gene flinched and gritted his teeth to prevent screaming 
again.

*	*	*	*	*

"PAUL!"  Vinnie jumped from the lead boat into the waves, 
wading to shore with the rope in his hands.  He tossed the 
end to Paul.  Paul and Mark helped Vinnie pull the boat 
safely onto the beach.

"What are you doing here?"  Paul asked.  "Did you get 
Eric's signal?"

"Which Eric?"  Vinnie shook his head.  "No.  We've got 
problems.  BIG problems.  Look, I'm ready to come clean 
with what I was doing.  Where's Gene?  Has anyone found 
him?"

Paul sighed.  "No."

"Damn."  Vinnie turned to watch another boat glide in to 
shore.

Eric Singer and Bruce splashed to shore, dragging their 
boat up onto the sand.  "There's still no sign of Des," 
Singer said sadly.

"Did Eric or Ace say what this conference is supposed to be 
about?"  Bruce asked.  "I don't like leaving my people 
alone for too long.  Not with some beast running around the 
island."

"They just said it was vital we all meet on Eric's island," 
Paul said, glancing at Vinnie.  "Do you know anything about 
this?"

"It might have to do with the corporation," Vinnie said.

"The what?"  Bruce asked.

Vinnie began pacing.  "Listen, I left Angel and her goons 
back on my island.  I took all the boats, but I think they 
know someone else around these islands that has boats.  I 
think she's corrupted everyone on my island."

"Including you?"  Paul asked suspiciously.

Vinnie let his head hang down in shame.  "I thought all we 
were doing was grabbing the kids to use against you and 
Gene.  I never meant anyone to be hurt."

"My mother DIED because of you!"  Katie screamed.  "Beth 
DIED!"

Vinnie turned to the three young ladies standing on the 
beach.  "I thought you had escaped.  That's what she said.  
She said you escaped with the boy."

"Who you put to work like some slave!"  Katie accused.

"Who I kept in the open where I could make sure Angel 
didn't do anything to him," Vinnie said quietly.  "I kept 
all of you with Simone where you would be safe, I thought.  
Did I ever actually hurt you?"

Katie paused to think.  "You were helping Angel."

"I didn't realize what she was," Vinnie said.  "As soon as 
I knew, I grabbed what we needed and rescued you from 
that...that whatever it was that killed Beth.  I risked my 
life to get you free."

Krista reluctantly nodded.  "You did."  She looked at Paul.  
"Vinnie shot this strange looking man who was guarding us.  
Angel and three other of the strange men had gone down in 
the caves we had been in."

"Which I never knew existed," Vinnie assured them.  
"Although Angel seemed to know all about them.  And all 
about those strange people who showed up."

"Angel Rainelle is working with the creatures of the 
islands?"  Paul asked.

"She's ordering them around," Vinnie corrected.  "She said 
she was some big shot with some corporation and they all 
did whatever she said."

"What company?"  Paul demanded.

Vinnie shook his head.  "I don't know.  She just called it 
'the corporation.'"

"Do we go meet with Eric and Ace?"  Bruce asked.

Paul nodded.  He turned to MAC.  "Have the signalmen relay 
a warning.  Watch for any strange creatures and Angel 
Rainelle is dangerous.  Everyone is to stay around their 
camps.  We should be back to our islands before dark.  But 
we need to find out what Ace and Eric thought was so 
important we had to meet with them.  Hopefully they'll have 
the puzzle piece that makes this all make sense."

"We'll keep watch," MAC promised.  "Be careful.  We can't 
afford to lose you too."

Paul nodded.  "And take these young people back to camp 
with..."

Krista shook her head.  "We're going with you.  I want to 
see Ace.  And we know things you need to know.  We've been 
underground.  We found out what these creatures are."

Paul blinked.  "You did?"

Krista nodded.  "And we're going with you to this 
conference."

Katie asked quietly.  "Will Peter be at this conference?"

Paul bit his lip.  "Peter's alive.  Somewhere.  But we 
don't know how to contact him."

*	*	*	*	*

"How about some clothes?"  Peter asked as they unfastened 
the restraints holding him.

"Why?"  Minotaur sneered.  "You won't need them."

Xavier supervised the transfer of Gene from his table to a 
stretcher.  "Don't bruise him.  I want to study his skin 
more carefully once this is over.  This shouldn't take 
long.  It never does."

One of the men eyed Peter as he sat up on the table.  "I've 
lost twenty bucks.  No way he'll last anywhere near five 
minutes."

Peter stretched, working muscles stiff from the 
transformation and being restrained.  He slid to his feet 
and caught the edge of the table to keep from hitting the 
floor as his knees tried to buckle.

Minotaur laughed.  "She always picks weaklings," he said, 
eyes smoldering with jealousy.

Peter looked at Minotaur.  "So what is this all about?" 

"I'm giving you a 'fighting' chance," Minotaur answered.  
"You and me.  Bare hands."

"That's no chance," Gene said weakly.  "Peter's still 
recovering from his body rejecting Darkraven's changes.  
And Minotaur is three times Peter's size."

Minotaur gave Peter a challenging look.  "You can fight me 
or die here.  Your choice."

"Where do we fight?"  Peter asked.

"On the deck."  Xavier fussed over Gene, carefully tucking 
a light blanket around him.  "Don't want you getting 
chilled.  One of those bothersome fogs came up unexpectedly 
again."

Peter turned to look at the door.  His lips drew together 
in thin lines.  His eyes got a calculating look.  "Sure, 
let's go up on deck."  He pushed away from the table he had 
been lying on and took several steps towards the door.  He 
stumbled and barely caught himself on a cart pushed to the 
side.  Two of the men moved towards him.  "I'll walk up on 
my own!" he snapped, regaining his feet.  He held an arm 
against his abdomen, rubbing his elbow with his hand.  
"Cracked my funny bone.  That hurts."

Minotaur chuckled.  "Many of your bones will hurt much more 
very soon."  He followed Peter out of the room.

Gene felt them pick up his stretched and head after them.  
"How do you sleep at night?"  he demanded of Xavier.

Xavier smiled.  "I sleep very well, thank you."

The crew was busy clearing an area in the middle of the 
deck, temporarily moving barrels they had brought out of 
the hold for Minotaur to take back with him up towards the 
bow and crates back towards the stern where they were being 
made into impromptu seating.  Xavier made sure Gene was 
placed where he would have a clear view of the large circle 
that was being drawn on the deck.

Peter glanced around as he continued to rub his elbow, 
noting the men watching him with anticipation.  Minotaur 
was frankly strutting around the circle, pointing out bits 
of debris that had been left behind and demanding that the 
fight area be swept of all scraps.  Money was gathered as 
bets were placed.  Peter started to stroll to the railing.

"Uh uh," a crewman warned, moving to block him.  "The 
sharks get fed enough.  You're not spoiling our fun by 
taking the easy way out."

"Wouldn't think of it," Peter assured him.  He glanced out 
at the thick white mist surrounding the ship.  It was like 
they were cut off from the rest of the world.  It was just 
him and Minotaur, and a circle on the deck.

The crew closed around the circle, pushing Peter inside.  
Xavier sat on the boxes next to Gene with the various 
officers of the ship gathered around them.

"Minotaur," Xavier announced.  "Don't play with him too 
long.  I have work to do and we need to load your supplies 
and get you back to the islands.  But he's all yours.  Have 
fun."

Minotaur roared and charged at Peter.  Peter stood poised 
on the balls of his feet, looking amazingly self-assured 
for a nude man facing a powerful and clothed opponent.  He 
quickly jumped aside as the bigger man grabbed for him.  
His hands swiped at Minotaur.

Two lines of blood appeared on the bullman's back and side 
as he bellowed in surprise.

Xavier sat up.  "What?"

Peter stood, waiting tensely as Minotaur turned and charged 
again.  And again he twisted aside and struck.  And two 
more bloody slashes appeared on Minotaur.

Xavier rose to his feet  "Did he retain the claws?" he 
whispered softly to himself.

Minotaur put his hand to his side and pulled it away, 
looking at the blood in disbelief.  Peter used the 
momentary distraction to hit the bullman from behind.  
Minotaur bellowed and spun, his arm swinging out and 
hitting Peter.  Peter went tumbling and something metallic 
clattered across the deck.

A scalpel lay within the circle, blood staining its blade.

Xavier chuckled and sat down.  "He palmed a scalpel from 
the lab.  She's picked one a bit smarter than usual.  He 
just might last a bit.  But Minotaur will win in the end."

"Stop the fight," Gene pleaded.  "If you're going to kill 
Peter, kill him.  Don't put him through this mockery."

Xavier nodded to the fighters.  "He still has one scalpel.  
He might yet defeat Minotaur.  And if he defeats Minotaur, 
I will spare his life."

"And turn him into a lab rat."  Gene saw Peter barely duck 
a huge fist.  The drummer slashed the arm as it passed over 
him and danced back.

Peter knew he could not let Minotaur land another punch.  
His side ached in a way that had him suspecting at least 
one cracked rib.  He had to stay out of reach, strike and 
retreat, and hope he could work his way back around and 
retrieve the second scalpel and get a chance to do a vital 
strike.

"Cheater," Minotaur sneered.  "Fight with what you were 
born with."  He threw himself at the smaller man.

"You're not," Peter answered, dodging.  "You're a bully.  A 
bull bully.  You're using strength you weren't born with.  
You probably would have been a scrawny nobody if you hadn't 
been turned into a freak."

Minotaur roared in rage and charged blindly, confidant he 
could smash this one just like he did all of them.  

Peter ducked and slashed, scoring on Minotaur's leg.  He 
turned and then suddenly jumped to the side, sensing a dark 
shape coming at him from behind.  Something moving fast 
passed a foot above him, the breeze it created ruffling his 
hair.

"DIE!"  Darkraven screamed as she struck Minotaur.  

Xavier dove for cover as flames blazed at the people around 
Gene.

Calista screamed and dove at the men, knocking them to the 
deck.

Gene felt hands touch him.  He looked up.  A woman in a 
white dress stood over him, her long wavy blonde hair 
cascading around her shoulders.  She smiled and bent down.  
Her lips touched his and a strange jolt of energy surged 
through his body, awaking memories of the pain of 
rejection.

Aurora broke the lip contact.  "Samantha would not like you 
to remain injured."

Gene looked at the chaos on the deck.

Samantha was flaming men, setting clothes on fire as she 
also slashed about her with her talons.  Calista was 
crisscrossing the deck, making tight turns and swooping 
down to hit crew from unexpected angles and then 
disappearing back out into the fog.  Peter had retrieved 
his second scalpel and was attacking anyone who came near 
him except the ladies.

The crew was disorganized, confused, and almost panicked.  
None were armed since they did not think they needed 
weapons, not on their own ship.  The prisoners were just 
ordinary men after all.  No one knew where they were.  How 
could they be under attack?

Gene unfastened the light restraints that had been placed 
on him.  Obviously no one thought he would have the 
strength to be a danger.  He looked around but there was no 
sign of Dr. X.  The captain was giving orders, getting his 
men re-organized.  Soon they would begin to act as a unit.  
That could be trouble.

Gene bellowed, "Samantha!  Burn the barrels!  Set the 
barrels on fire!"

Fire exploded over the barrels.

Cries of dismay and panic again filled the air.  Men ran 
from the area, fleeing a pending explosion.  The barrels 
were clearly marked 'Fuel'.  They had been brought to the 
deck to be loaded on Minotaur's boat once he finished with 
his fun.

Darkraven and Minotaur performed a dance of death.  She 
gave no cry, made no sound.  She wove a deadly pattern 
around her enemy, striking with claws, retreating from his 
blows.  She kept him away from Peter.  She kept herself 
away from his reach.  There would be only one end to this 
battle.  She would dig no more graves upon the hill.  Today 
one of them died.

Peter leaned on the railing, looking down.  "Gene!  Boat, 
this side!"

A barrel exploded.

"Burn baby burn," Gene muttered, running across the deck.  
He climbed over the railing and half slid down the ladder 
while Peter stood guard with his scalpels in case some 
brave crewman decided to make a last try to prevent their 
escape.

Fire followed lines of fuel, found crates and merrily 
spread across them.  Two more barrels exploded, sending 
barrels and crates flying, as Samantha continued to flame 
the fuel.  

Darkraven gave a cry of dismay as fire struck her wing.  
She fell to the deck.  Minotaur grabbed her and locked his 
arm around her neck, trying to force her head back and 
shatter the spine.  She slashed at his face, cutting 
through one eye.  He roared but did not let go, stumbling 
backward instead.

"DARKRAVEN!"  Peter cried in horror.

Minotaur hit the railing and went over, dragging the bat-
winged lady with him.

"PETER!"  Gene yelled from the boat below.  Calista swooped 
down to land in the boat beside Gene.  Aurora suddenly 
appeared in the stern of the small craft.

Minotaur and Darkraven struck the water together.

Peter did not give himself time to think.  He gripped the 
scalpels tightly and dove over the side, aiming for the 
water near where the two had gone under.  As he fell, he 
saw the water begin to churn as sharks, attracted by the 
blood on Minotaur, converged on the spot.

"Shit shit shit," Gene muttered, casting off from the ship.  
"Can one of you go grab any other boats around here?  I 
don't want them able to follow us."  Gene tried to figure 
out the controls.  He had to get the boat turned and over 
to where Peter had disappeared.

A dark head surfaced.  Peter gasped for air as he pulled 
Darkraven up against him, turning so he could swim one 
armed towards the boat and keep her face out of the water.

Behind him the water turned red.

Fire raged overhead.  Samantha and Calista flew around the 
ship, untying two other boats.  An explosion sent several 
more barrels and crates overboard.

Gene got the motor started.  He glanced back and saw his 
mystery lady helping Peter get an unconscious Darkraven 
into the boat.  "I'm going to try to pick up some of the 
fuel and get those other boats. I don't think they'll try 
to get up on the deck and take any potshots at us until 
they get the fire under control, and by then we'll be out 
of here."

Peter coughed up water.  "Are you okay?" he shakily asked 
the silent lady in his arms.  "You've got to be okay."

"You're looking good enough to eat," Samantha said with a 
broad grin, landing on the bow of the boat.

"Go round up the stuff that hit the water," Gene said.  
"And get ready to tie those other boats on this one.  We 
may be slow getting home, but I'm not leaving anything I 
can take with us.  I'll sink the boats if we can't take 
them."

Samantha chuckled, happy to see Gene safe.  "The sharks ate 
well today."

Gene thought of Kong.  "Very well."

Peter felt for a pulse and found one.  He found shallow 
breathing.  "We need to get her to help."

Aurora apologized, "I cannot heal a female."

Peter cursed under his breath.  He frantically looked 
around and spotted a promising metal box.  He opened it and 
rummaged through it, finding a small knife.  He slit his 
wrist.  "Drink."  He pressed the bleeding gash against 
Darkraven's lips.

Gene nosed the boat over to another that was bobbing in the 
current carrying them and the debris safely away from the 
ship.  "Load the barrels on the second one," he suggested 
to Samantha and Calista.  "We won't have much room on this 
one when we get everyone on board.  I'm not expecting you 
girls to fly home.  Not when we have these nice boats Dr. X 
so kindly provided for us."  He felt a deep satisfaction 
from taking something from the doctor.

Peter felt Darkraven sink her fangs in his wrist and gave a 
sigh of relief.  She was alive.  She would live.  He felt 
the familiar pain/pleasure grip his body and surrendered to 
her Hunger.

Shouts could be heard in the mist but the boats had drifted 
out of sight of the ship.  They were safely hidden in the 
fog.  Gene and the three ladies worked quietly, quickly 
putting all the floating barrels and crates they could find 
into one boat.  The flotilla was going to be unwieldy with 
all three tied together.  It would be better if they 
piloted two of them and only had one in tow.

"Peter," Gene said, climbing back into the lead boat.  "If 
you..."  He looked at the couple on the deck.  "For crying 
out loud!  Couldn't you at least wait until we got to dry 
land, you two?!"