The Vampire Gene

"Ecstatic," she said. "I just remembered they're supposed to be coming back tomorrow. Oscar knew how to find me, and I am sure they'll be able to target them too. They wouldn't be safe here."

"I'll sort it out," said Fergus.

"Thanks, big brother," Rebecca smiled gratefully at him.

"Ah, there it is," Marcus interrupted, oblivious to the conversation around him. "Hmmm."

"What?" Simon asked urgently.

"Well..." Marcus appeared to enjoy prolonging the tension.

"Marcus!"

Marcus spoke carefully. "Looks like you're going to be undergoing some changes soon, Simon."

"He's an iron metaboliser?" Julia asked eagerly.

"He's got the vampire gene. DNA never lies."

"Yes!" Simon punched the air. Oliver grinned.

Marcus frowned slightly. "There's more." He looked up at Julia apologetically. "I, er, appropriated some DNA from your daughter's hairbrush too. I probably should have asked first."

Julia laughed. "I wouldn't have expected anything else from you," she told him fondly.

"You tested my DNA?" Lucy wanted to know.

"Yes, I did."

"And?"

"You'll be experiencing some changes too. I wonder if this is normal for iron metabolisers whose parents are not both iron metabolisers themselves? It seems that the gene manifests itself a little later than it did with us..." he subsided, frowning slightly, into deep thought, not noticing the joyful expression on Lucy's face.

Fergus' phone rang then. "It's Mark," he said, glancing at the screen.

"Answer it then," said Rebecca, half laughing at him.

"Fine," said Fergus, and he put it on speakerphone. "Hello Mark. How's Barbados?"

"Hot!" came the unequivocal reply. "I am sick to my heart of this hellish place. But never mind that. I am actually phoning to find out if Angus will be fetching us from the airport tomorrow."

"You might have to stay there a little longer," I said.

"Forget it. I'm coming home tomorrow. Mum and Joe can stay here and boil their bodies in this sun, but I'll be damned if I am staying here a moment longer than I absolutely have to."

"Mark, Jack's dead. But he's got an army that's going to be looking for us. It's not safe back here."

"I don't care. I'll hang out with Angus. I bet even Attila the Hun would be scared of him." I grinned at the endorsement.

"OK, Mark," Fergus interjected. "I will book your family in for another week or so, and you can fly back tomorrow. Angus will sort something out. You could come stay with us in Russia for a while."

"Now that sounds like a good idea. Russia's cold this time of year, isn't it?"

"Freezing."

"Fine. Russia it is then. See you guys tomorrow."