Blood Talisman by J. P. Bowie Page B

Harper was quite keen on that idea.” She put aside her wineglass and stood. “Now gentlemen, Tony and I must leave you.
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    BLOOD TALISMAN J.P. Bowie 58
    We have to fly to Washington D.C. and file a report, then I believe we have a meeting with the President when he gets back.”
    Tony grinned at Tommy. “’Course, we’ll be there before him.”
    “Oh, yeah? How’d you reckon?”
    Tony spread his arms out imitating a plane. “Andorra’s really fast.”
    Tommy spewed out a mouthful of beer then clapped a hand over his mouth, his face
    reddening with embarrassment. “Christ, I’m sorry! But you guys are flying—flying—all the way to D.C.? Holy sh—! No way, no way could I do that.”
    “Hell, that’s nothing,” Tony told him. “We’ve flown much farther hundreds of times,
    right Andorra?”
    “Right, Tony.” Andorra smiled indulgently. “Now if you’ll get your backpack ready
    we’ll be on our way. And don’t rumple that new dress I bought today.”
    Tommy did a double-take. “You bought a new dress on top of everything else you did
    today? You are truly amazing!”
    “And you are truly adorable,” Andorra said, kissing his cheek. “Andrew, I think you
    must take very good care of this young man.”
    “Oh, he does,” Tommy said, then blushed again.
    “And please…” Andorra’s expression turned serious. “I know what you are planning
    on doing tonight, so please, please be careful. I would hate to hear something terrible has befallen you.”
    “Don’t worry, Andorra,” Roger butted in. “Marcus and I will be there to look after
    them.”
    Andorra rolled her eyes. “Well then, I needn’t worry, need I?”
     

     
    Although Andrew was certain Marcus considered his quest a waste of effort, the Master
    Vampire had offered his and Roger’s assistance when it came time to begin the search for the Scrolls of Ashelak. Andrew had purchased a rather poor map of the Babylon ruins, all that was readily available from a street vendor. At least it had the points of interest highlighted, though crudely represented.
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    BLOOD TALISMAN J.P. Bowie 59
    Years before, Sadaam Hussein had begun work restoring Babylon, or at least the
    dictator’s idea of what it should look like, but Andrew was not interested in anything that might be within the dead dictator’s reconstruction. Lying in the ruins was the site of the ancient temple to the god Marduk. Andrew intuitively felt that, although the site had been excavated, what he was looking for, hoping for, would be found there.
    “I don’t know why I feel this, I simply do,” he told Tommy while they were sitting side
    by side studying the map. “It’s one of the most ancient parts of the original city, and
    somehow it makes sense to me that if there is an access leading to the pit the Secret Service man mentioned, it will be here.”
    “If you say so,” Tommy murmured, stroking Andrew’s back. “Let’s face it, we’re gonna
    be looking for something that maybe doesn’t even exist, so why not take a shot in the dark—
    literally.”
    Andrew turned and smiled at him. “You know the only way to get there is by ‘vampire
    express’ as you like to call it, don’t you? We can’t very well take a cab or rent a car. The place is guarded by US military even though we’re told they no longer have a presence in Iraq.
    And I have to warn you, to avoid being seen even at night, we will have to drop from the sky faster than at any time before you have ever flown with me.”
    Tommy gulped involuntarily. “I know—just don’t drop me in the process.”
    A gentle knock on their hotel room door signalled Marcus and Roger’s arrival. By
    mutual decision the men were dressed in black shirts and pants.
    “How do I look?” Roger did a little pirouette.
    “Fantastic,” Tommy muttered.
    “Are you nervous?” Roger asked.
    “Why do you ask?”
    “Because you look nervous.”
    “It’s just the flying