Romantic Picnics In Napa Valley

CAP 1 (Baron Lacroix) 6 Part

6.

took almost an hour to reach the foot of the mountain, but as he approached and saw the crowd gathered near the top, Elisa knew that fate had been truncated, the zombie had altered the course of events is unforgivable. Spain and could not get rid of a legion of zombies that end up devastated.

"Oh, poor Toño, the eldest son of the widow Arias said a woman in deep mourning, and pale complexion. Wept and crossed himself violently, as if to conjure demons.

People had recognized the first corpse, dismembered in the embankment. The Civil Guard also joined in that moment and made each other, locals and onlookers were separated from the body. Began to ask questions: who had seen the murderer? was Mario, the doorman of the Hotel Swiss . Mario? By God! Had he gone mad? But Mario was only? Are these wounds had been made by a single man? Does an animal with him? No, no beast with him, at first walking with a man, a stranger. Then the stranger went to the top and spoke with some children. How was this man? wore a cloak like the army. And what else?, What else?, What else ...?

Elisenda realized he did not need to hear the questions of the guards. She had nothing to contribute and much to discover pursuing its own investigation. The zombie had already left, following the footsteps of his master. It was time to leave her too. Maybe you could talk with those children for whom the witness had spoken. The sorcerer would not have stopped to talk to them about anything. A boccor never does anything at random. If he had chosen that place to stage the baptism of blood of a zombie, had been for nothing. I had to find out why. Discouraged but still determined, Elisa continued its ascent, looking apprehensive two, three, four, was finally dismembered bodies had been brutally attacked by the zombie.

- Damn! She cried, feeling the tears fought back by bringing back to the surface.

continued to rise, while weak sunshine filtering through a gray storm clouds. The mass of stone, Mount de Chamorro, stood proud in its wake, among tall grasses. A sharp cold air is blowing in your face. At the end of the road, found a child crying. It grabbed the right arm, from which flowed the blood scandal.

"I said no," he said bajases another child, the same build, but much thicker and a little higher. The physical resemblance between the two, however, was evident. The same high forehead and the same aquiline nose, almost twisted. They must be brothers.

- Woe is me, Carlos!

"If I had listened ... "Suddenly, the older brother changed his attitude and his tone softened" Come on, do not worry. Now come the guards and with them a doctor who will look at the bite.

had a third child, very thin, almost cadaverous, who stood behind the two brothers, saying nothing. Elisabeth decided to intervene in the conversation.

- Do you bite the man? "Elisabeth tried to remember the talk he had had in the Hotel. Pretty soon, they sensed a witch who had taken as an instrument of murderous rage. Mario is called, right? The concierge at the Swiss Hotel.

The three boys seemed to finally fix it. Answered the older. Carlos, had said his name was small.

"Yes." It was crazy. Never ... -No words came out. I had never seen anything like it. It seemed half-wolf or a ...

"The military said it was a zombie-third the child's intestine.

- A zombie? And you know what that is, Paco? "Asked Carlos.

"No, but what he said. Something the military would have to do with Mario, because they were together. I watched as they gathered down the road, when it was over.

On the face of the woman, stern, thoughtful, became a shadow ending to obscure his features.

-A zombie is an undead. A being a sorcerer has stolen his soul and now is sentenced to serve for all eternity.

"But that's a joke, right? Something like this only happens in detective novels, "stammered the smallest, clutching his arm, which kept the blood pumping.

Elisenda not respond. Instead, he leaned toward the child and took her hand. Gently, but with determination, got the boy withdrew his fingers from the wrist, near which was the largest of the bites. But it was much more than a bite. The beast had torn the inside of the arm, hanging tendons and muscles. You could not make a tourniquet. Bleeding die within minutes. But that was not what worried the girl now.

"If your saliva is mixed with your blood ... Elisa said, as if thinking.

Paco, who was the sharpest of the group, I realized I was thinking.

- James is infected? Is it going to turn into a zombie of those with no soul?

Carlos stirred as if he had been a whip on the back. It hurt especially his best friend say something. Never mind that he thought the same thing, that he feared in his heart. Do not want to hear, or thought, or anyone's lips. He clasped his fingers to seal in a fist. Seemed about to hit.

"You silent, Cerillita. You a memo. All that zombies are old wives tales.

"But the lady said ...

-, shut o. ..! "Charles raised his fist, knuckles being marked on your skin dull.

Paco shrugged his head and said nothing more. But his body was tense. The fight could start at any time. Elisenda failed them, muttering:

"Do you dispute . Your friend is badly injured. Now the last thing kids need is bickering.

Cerillita Carlos and looked, now both fists clenched, ready to vent their fears against each other. But they were too worried about James and turned their eyes toward it. Meanwhile, James's face was the picture of despair. Tears ran down her cheeks.

I do not want to be a monster, ma'am. Help me.

Elisenda her head was spinning. The hotel concierge had sucked dust boccor , for sure. That powder was made with human bones, tree roots, sulfur and a secret ingredient, a toxin that only the most experienced priests and sorcerers knew voodooists extracted from puffer fish and synthesis. The end result was a powerful narcotic able to fool the doctors and even death itself. When the brain is awakened from slumber, and had no will, his soul belonged to the sorcerer, who kept it safely in ... Elisa could not help trembling when he remembered the Baron Lacroix taxiing his bag with the souls of the dead who had just killed the zombie. How many said? Four, no? She, in his ascent, he had seen four bodies. That meant that the child's soul still belonged to them. Zombie Saliva, when in contact with the blood of the child, have been infected with the toxin, but until you die ....

"Come. You have to be strong, James. Hold on a little longer. Above all, you should not even lose consciousness. Can you hear me?

Elisenda had an idea, a terrible thought, a necessary act, perhaps. She did not have the ability to reproduce the dust was still a apprentice, a Pa-for . But maybe I could save the child, take the soul of that poor little the sorcerer. The other bodies were so torn apart that they no longer be lifted or, if so, when his master would ask them for. If they claimed. But that child would die with their bodies largely intact. It was too valuable prey. Trembling with fear, bent over James, who now began to be very weak,

"Listen," he said in his ear, almost in a whisper. The chiefs, landowners, priests ... they have done this. They want to destroy Spain. Can you hear me? They do not want to spread the wealth of Spain with the workers they do not want to learn to read, write, think. We fear and need slaves rather than citizens. Aim to curb the leftist revolution that will eliminate the wild capitalism that strangles us. Can not afford. We can not allow it! Now sleep, my friend. But when you wake up, help me stop those pesky bosses. Together we shall overcome.

James lost consciousness minutes later. Soon, she stopped breathing. Carlos and Paco, frightened, they resumed their discussion, and began to push.

"Now what, Cerillita. Are you going to wake my brother and going to be like Mario? Are you going to eat people?

- I never said that! And do not call me Cerillita. You know I hate.

- Cerillita, Cerillita!

"I would not call Cerillita. Everybody calls me like that but that's not my name. It's a stupid nickname. There are people thinner than me. Your brother is almost as thin as me. And I do not Cerillita call me! "Insisted the boy. Stop it, or you'll see.

Carlos, his brother lying on the ground, dead at his feet, just wanted to vent their rage against whatever.

"What I see, Cerillita, tell me, what I see?

Elisenda he perceived that Civil Guard stood in his direction, alerted by neighbors who witnessed the killing last and a last corpse, and went down the side, quietly, trying not to attract attention. Luckily, Paco, the Cerillita, spoke loudly, with clenched fists and a rictus of rage staining his face. Unwittingly drew upon himself the attention of the mob. Everyone looked at him.

- Cerillita Do not call me, dammit! "In pure rage, Paco was teary.

With Civil Guard totaled fifty onlookers, many of them children too. And the kids, with their innate tendency to cruelty or four or five deaths stop their instinct, and soon laughed, pointing.

- The Cerillita cries, the cries Cerillita! Cry, cry like a baby!

James then opened his eyes, awakening from the dead. He looked around. Had the urge to get up and attack bites their cousins \u200b\u200ball living beings. Elisabeth, who was not a baron to control his soul, he had to do in person. Walking alone along a path, and away from prying eyes. He closed his eyes and said a few spells to finally sing as in a chant:

"Wait, my child. Everything must go. Those are not our enemies. One day will end with the rich, the powerful. If boccor built an army of zombies, you'll lead another army that confronted him. We will kill the priests and nuns, burn churches and ourselves of the houses of the nobles and the powerful. But it is not the day. Now you can relax and save some energy.

Above Civil Guard was trying to calm things down, but in vain. A sergeant with his blue uniform and cocked hat buttons Argentine white, could not believe his eyes: those two brats, in the midst of a massacre of the few remembered that they had little respect and little education to get into a fight over trifles. Anyway, decided to start showing conciliator, if the heat died down and I could continue with their investigation without further shocks.

"Come on, Cerillita, calm down ...

That comment, far from reassuring the child, finished him lose his temper.

"Do not call me Cerillita. I am Paco, dammit!

In Spain the turn of the century, a child swore in front of an adult, especially an authority as a Civil Guard, was unthinkable. The man came forward and gave him a slap that boy so rude.

"Stop screaming, Cerillita, or I'll wash my own mouth out with soap. If you say a bad word I swear I'll wear yourself out. Here we are investigating a crime and are not to your foolishness.

But Paco was stubborn. Not impressed that uniform. He wanted to be a sailor and not just a number of praiseworthy. In fact, he was preparing to enter Naval Academy and in a few months paid into a preparatory school, the College of Marine .

"I repeat for the last time I called Cerillita. My name is Paco. And if you call me by my name I have nothing to say.

The Guardia Civil decided I'd had enough of that spoiled brat and threw his arm back, ready to deal it a blow that should put things in place. But before he could finish his turn something seized by the arm. He turned. James was up, his face grim smile composing a nasty and tricky. With his wounded arm, invested after the death of superhuman strength, holding the wrist of the agent. The blood was still dripping continuing until his elbow, and through it fell in great drops to the ground.

"Come, what would it cost to call my friend by name? Do not call him Cerillita. He hates it, James turned and glared at Paco with eyes dull and lifeless. His name is Paco, or if you prefer, Francisco ... Francisco Franco Bahamonde .