We Trust Our People

After about three hours out of 10, Roxanne woke up stretched and said, "Good morning. Did you get to air some things out?" I asked, "Can we read each other's minds even when asleep?" She responded, "I would love to meet your parents someday and hopefully bring a baby." Merlin barked, and Roxanne laughed. "We will bring you too. Just promise not to bite them." We stopped for gas and then quickly got back on the road. Roxanne asked, "Can we listen to some podcasts?" I said, "Of course. Hopefully, it will make the time go by quicker." The remainder of the drive was composed of listening to theories about how Antarctica is an alien base, why the moon landing was faked, and episodes from "The Monster Sighting of the Day." After we watched "On Today's episode of Monster Sighting of the Day, we examine a werewolf sighting in downtown Manhattan."

I asked Roxanne, "What else is out there?" She responded, "There are endless monsters in this universe, and probably some that haven't been discovered yet. You've met a tiny percentage of what's out there, and you will meet more once we get to Cabdo de Libertad." I asked, "What is the relationship between vampires and other creatures?" She responded. "We tolerate each other unless there is a competition for resources. We could buttheads with other creatures that survive on blood, but we do not need much of it, and there is an endless supply." I asked, "Have you heard how Cabo de Libertad works?" She pondered, "Only rumors throughout the years." Different neighborhoods are segregated by the creature and common areas where we could mingle with each other." I said, "That makes sense, but I wonder why Agent Martinez needs Merlin and me." Roxanne hypothesized, "He wants you two as police officers to do a special function, but not sure what." The Mexican GPS said we had less than a mile to our destination, and the sun was rising. There were wood signs that read, "Ten cuidado" and "Monstruos por delante." We turned off the highway and snaked on a dirt road through the jungle. The truck did great, and we barely felt a thing. 

The road turned into pavement, and we rounded the corner to find this massive modern building that functioned as a checkpoint. On both sides of the building, there was a gigantic wall. We pulled up to one of the windows, and the officer said, "Good morning, Hank, Roxanne, and Merlin. We have been expecting you." He pointed to a turnout and stated, "Go park there, and one of us will bring you inside." I drove to the turnout and announced, "To a new beginning." Roxanne stated, "Too a new beginning!" and Merlin barked. A guard knocked on my window, and we got out. He said, "I'm Officer Mendez, and I will check you in. Grab any valuables you have and follow me. I grabbed all of the cash we had. It was short a few grand since we started our trip, but it was well spent. We followed Mendez into the building, and he said, "Each of you will need to disrobe and step into the room. I asked, "Why?" He responded, "It's standard. We record any body markings you have and do an x-ray." Roxanne, Merlin, and I walked into the room. Roxanne and I took our clothes off, and I took Merlin's collar off. He shook his head, and Roxanne asked, "Does it feel like taking a braw off?" Merlin nodded. I mind-linked with Roxanne, "At some point, I'd like to take him to a vet and find out why he is so intelligent." Roxanne returned, "I agree." We stood there for a minute, and Mendez announced on a speaker, you guys can put your clothes on and come out." Mendez told me, "That's a good-looking tattoo, but be aware that some creatures may take offense to it." I said, "Noted." 

He continued, "Agent Martinez gave me a brief history lesson regarding your adventure here and its remarkable. Your dog Merlin is quite the creature, but I know you have already figured that out. I'm sure you are curious about what makes him so intelligent." Roxanne and I both nodded. Mendez continued, "He is a special breed of dog that was bred specifically to locate vampires, and as you have learned, he was given silver teeth. The X-ray shows that he has a unique brain chip. I am unsure of the extent of his abilities, but he clearly understands English and is highly self-aware." I looked at Merlin, and he sat there smiling at me. I put his collar back on, and I shook his paw. Martinez continued, "Everyone must have a job in Cabo de Libertad. Most people get to pick. However, you two have skills that are needed in specific occupations." I asked, "We don't get a choice?" Mendez answered, "Unfortunately not; however, you two will like the pay you get and amenities." I began to ask, "What do we..." Mendez politely interrupted, "I will show a video outlining everything. I nodded, and Mendez led us to another room where a young teenager was waiting behind a desk. 

She introduced herself. "Hello! I'm Megan, and I'm in charge of getting you three a house, but before you do that, use this tablet to watch a short video. I took the tablet, and Roxanne and I started the video. It was tailored to her and me. It said I was going into the Vampire Defense Force K9 Unit, and Roxanne would be a nurse in the Vampire Hospital. The video explained how Cabo de Libertad operated. As Roxanne predicted, five large communities belong to separate creatures. Visitors of different origins were allowed but only with a Visa, and there was a large city center where the different creatures could mingle. It explained what each faction does and highlighted that Vampires work the graveyard shift on offshore oil rigs and Orges work the day shift. It explained that Cabo de Libertad exports oil to the Mexican government, and they provide donated blood to the Vampires and dead bodies for the Orges. The video concluded with a brief explanation of the laws and said that we need to complete a government class held in person. Megan said, "We have a few nice houses available for purchase and low-income units available. I said, "We can put down 400,000 dollars." Megan exclaimed, "Wow!" That will get you into one of the three nice homes with a monthly payment of 2,000 a month for ten years. You two also get a huge discount for the jobs you will hold." I asked Roxanne which one do you want?" She looked through the three on the tablet and said, "This one." It was a gorgeous modern home with an ocean view from the master bedroom. It had an adjacent bedroom. I affirmed, "I love it." Megan said, "Fantastic. Here is the key." I asked, "I don't have to sign anything?" She responded, "Nope! We trust our people!" That made me a little nervous, but I decided to trust her. Mendez walked back in and handed us some forms. "You two have two days to settle and then report for training. Hank, you have five months, and Roxanne, you have two months." I said, "Okay. Thanks for everything." We shook hands, and the three of us returned to the truck. I put it in gear, and we headed home. The main road filtered directly into the main city center. Driving through downtown was like every other large city. There were nightclubs, highrises, and restaurants, and the sidewalks were filled with people. We continued through the city center and followed the signs saying, Vampires. We drove to the gate, and the guard said, "Welcome! I'm Gerald. Welcome to your new home! I said, "Nice to meet you." He instructed, "Continue down this road, turn left, and then follow the street called Vampire's Dream. At the end, you will find a gate that will automatically open for you." I said, "Thanks." I did as instructed, and we began integrating into our new community.