That night in the warehouse, Erik had not taken her out of love, but out of need to reclaim her, hard, passionate and barely stopping short of hurting her in his urgency. He would later be far more gentle and tender in his touch when they returned to her home and coupled again. It felt so good to feel his body next to hers. Throughout the morning the lovers laid in their bed and Erik openly answered any questions she had about his past. He held nothing back from her even when she found it difficult to hear. She in turn told him about her adventures over the last five years, not that there was all that much to tell.
What they could not see, as they drifted off to sleep, were the forces conspiring against them. Ryuu had kept an eye on 'Le Coeur Noir' over the last five years and it wasn't hard to do. He paid attention to each and every place where wars or civil unrest developed and always managed to find Erik lurking in the shadows. 'The Dark Heart' was behind every illicit arms deal, sitting in dark corners whispering into men's ears and sowing seeds of discontent, sometimes both. He did exactly as Madirakshi had once suggested: he was making humanity hurt and bleed in repayment for his own wounds. Then one night, out of the blue, Erik collected his things and booked passage to New York. Ryuu and Emile followed and smiled at their good fortune as he led them straight to Aidan. Yes, the best laid schemes were the ones left to slowly boil so the victim never sees it coming. Now the water was reaching the ideal temperature and both men knew it was the time to act.
As the hour of noon passed a wagon with four men pulled up outside of Aidan's home. In the back was an open coffin and a stack of thick heavy blankets. The individuals got out and checked themselves to make sure that they had everything that they needed. One man pulled two pistols from his coat and began to load them while another went to the front door and opened it with a skeleton. Stealthily they moved up the stairs and began to look into the bedrooms. It took no time at all before one of the men signaled the others that he had found their quarry.
There in the master bedroom sleeping peacefully in a large four-poster bed were the still naked bodies of Aidan and Erik. The intruder carrying the pistols quietly cocked them with a soft click while two of the other men unfolded the blankets they had brought with them. Doing as instructed one of the men went over and lit one of the kerosene lamps on the dresser, illuminating the room in a soft warm light. He then went to the window and taking out a mirror began to reflect a beam of sunlight into the room. Moving the piece of glass carefully he positioned the light so that it fell on the sleeping lady's face.
For a moment nothing happened, then he started to notice smoke rising from her face. With a shriek Aidan jolted awake and looked for a moment into the sunbeam. Screaming even louder she attempted to cover her face and move into the safety of the darkness, but she was blind. She could only stumble onto the floor and grope about. Erik too was awakened not only by the screams of his lady but also by the echo of her suffering that visited his own eyes and face. The intruder with the mirror quickly pocketed it and closed the drapes as the men with the blankets surrounded Aidan and began wrapping her up. One looked over her naked form and eyed each curve hungrily.
"I wouldn't mind sampling a slice of her pie," the man commented, licking his lips at the sight of her pretty breasts and other intimate places.
"Let's just do our job," the other man warned. Despite the pain he was in, Erik could still see and with red eyes and extended fangs he attempted to attack the two men. A flash illuminated the room as the two pistols went off sending two silver bullets into the vampire piercing his side and leg and forcing from him an inhuman howl of pain.
The gunman immediately began reloading as the vampire turned his attention to him, growling lowly. Erik was down on one knee and holding his side with his other hand, but summoning all his strength lunged at the man knocking the guns from his hands and using his free hand he tore out his throat. The other three seized the opportunity and ran out of the bedroom carrying Aidan carefully concealed in the blankets, screaming and fighting all the way.
The vampire started to pursue but his wounds slowed him down and he quickly found himself trapped by the sunlight coming in through the windows. He could see them putting Aidan inside the casket and closing it, but he was powerless to stop it. He fought the urge to rush into the daylight to save her because he knew that ultimately it would do no good. He would have to bide his time. They then covered it with yet another blanket, before climbing in themselves and driving off. Erik sat there on one knee at the top of the stairs howling in anguish as they disappeared from view. The only clue left behind were the words painted on the side of the wagon: 'Valdis and Sons Undertaker'.
Alone, the vampire went back into the bedroom and drank in as much of the dead man's blood as he could in an effort to heal himself. There was not enough to fully heal him, but he could at least walk normally again. When the sun set he would be able to feed and get back his full vigor. This was imperative because he had to be strong so he could find Aidan. Thankfully they couldn't break their bond. Using that connection he told her over and over to stay quiet and be patient, all while promising that he would find her.
Stepping out to the landing he stared at the door and contemplated the attackers. Who were they and how could they have been so well prepared? Someone was behind this, someone who knew what kind of creature's they were, but who? He dressed himself in trousers, a linen shirt and shoes, then rummaging through his belongings he found the broken sword that Rabon had instructed Aidan to give him. The once broken blade had been resharpened into a dagger and Erik had used it to kill Rabon. Now it was cleaned and razor sharp. Holding the blade he sat down against the wall of the landing and waited for the sun to go down. Never had a day seemed so long. He swore that whatever God it was that Aidan prayed to was a cruel one and had to be either making the sun stand still or time itself.
After what seemed like the longest day on record, the sun disappeared behind the horizon and sliding the dagger into a sheath and fastening it onto his waistband, Erik took off into the night. He searched every street and face to find either the remaining men, the wagon or any trace of Aidan. He was able to find 'Valdis and Sons' and even the wagon sitting behind the building with one of the blankets still in the back. The only person on the premises was an old man who lived in the rooms upstairs.
The business had been his until his health began declining then he tried to pass it on to his four sons, but the eldest had become attracted to less honest work that gave him quick money. When asked about the other three, the elderly man sighed in disappointment and explained that they were really good boys at heart but they had a bad tendency to follow wherever their big brother led. Unfortunately he had not seen any of them since early that morning and didn't know when they would be back. The one piece of helpful information the old man could give him was that they liked to hang out at a local inn called The Blue Heron and drink whiskey.
Immediately, Erik flew over to the inn but none of the three men he sought were there. Instead he found Alex Mabon seated at a table drinking ale and feasting on a bowl of soup with some bread. Remembering their last meeting from years before, he could only assume that this was the man behind it all. He had come between him and Aidan before. It was not a stretch to believe he was doing so again. Although Erik had to admit that these were extreme measures even for him.
