Search and Devour: Pittsburgh Vampires Vol.14

by B. A. Stretke

  Sergio felt himself lifted and placed on a soft cushion, one of the chairs and Kash stayed beside him. Master Hadden slowly let his hands slip down the strain evident in his expression. A glass of water was pressed into Sergio’s hand, and he drank. He took one breath after another, in and out, feeling the environment and grounding himself with the solids around him.

  “Oh, Sergio, that was so close my friend.” Kash blurted, sounding out of breath and on the edge of panic himself.

  “He’ll be okay now.” It was Master Hadden, and those words gave Sergio the energy to look up and meet the man’s gaze.

  “Thank you, sir.” He whispered, still shaken and unfocused. The Master smiled and nodded while patting Sergio firmly on the shoulder. He stepped back and turned around, giving Sergio his back and ran a hand through his hair, betraying a little of the stress he was feeling. He grabbed what looked to be a glass of whiskey, and he drank it down and, with a deep breath, turned back to regard Sergio.

  “Stay with me, Sergio.” He commanded, and Sergio sat up, straighter in his seat and nodded. “Resist it, do not lose yourself to your grief.” He moved closer and looked down where Sergio sat.

  “Yes, sir, I will.” Sergio fought to stay present and aware, even as the darkness continued to pull on his mind.

  “There is more going on here than any of us are aware of. Fate would not present you with your beloved only to let him die days before you knew he existed. Whatever this is, you are not at fault for any of it. Do you hear me, Sergio?” The Master’s voice was like a dagger cutting through all the confusion and fog.

  “Yes, sir. I hear you, sir.”

  “Good.”

  “May I see him?” Sergio knew it probably was a mistake, but his heart ached to see him in the flesh, even if it was to just give him a proper burial. He needed to see him.

  “Do you feel strong enough?” It was Kash who asked and gripped Sergio by the shoulder. “This could devastate you all over again.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Master Hadden told him obviously understanding the need that was driving Sergio. “Prepare yourself, this will not be easy. Channel the support that surrounds you and hold onto it, do not give in to the grief.” Sergio nodded and then turned to look at Kash.

  “He’s dead, Kash, my beloved is dead.”

  “Like Master Hadden said, there is more going on than we know, so don’t give up.” Kash implored. “You’re my best friend, Sergio. I don’t have a lot of friends; I can’t afford to lose you.”

  “I won’t give up.”

  …

  They drove to the hospital in silence. Sergio was deep in thought, sorting his feelings, and trying to maintain control. He didn’t want to lose himself again in the relentless sorrow and despair that raged within him. Thankfully, the Master’s presence was a strong stabilizing force and kept him grounded.

  The car pulled up to the side door of the hospital that led to the lower levels and specifically the morgue. They got out and walked up to the big double doors and stopped. Master Hadden turned to him and asked. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Sergio could only nod his head because his throat was so dry that words were impossible. The walk down the sterile hall so cold and hollow-sounding was excruciating. An attendant, a man Sergio recognized from the Coven, opened the door to the morgue and waited for both Sergio and Master Hadden to enter. He then walked over to a gurney, one of three in the room, but the only one with a sheet-covered body upon it.

  Sergio found himself frozen in place, staring at the form beneath the pristine white sheet. He felt Master Hadden place his hand on his arm, and it brought him back to awareness.

  The attendant stood by the side of the gurney and looked at both of them, and then when Master Hadden nodded, he pulled back the sheet to reveal the heartbreak beneath it. With his heart in his throat, he looked at the remains of the man that was to be his forever.

  The form was still and lifeless, and the features destroyed by injury and nature. The hair lay in matted bunches with some of it missing. It was a lot of damage for having been dead for five to seven days. These were the strange thoughts that pervaded his mind.

  What he was feeling now was in no way as powerful or crippling as what he’d felt in Master Hadden’s quarters earlier. Was the knowledge that his beloved was dead more damaging to him than the actual vision of the carnage that befell him? How could that be? His mind began to settle, and his senses started to sharpen.

  Sergio reached out and took the dead man’s hand and held in between the two of his and just concentrated. He expected a connection of some kind or an awakening of his sorrow, but he felt nothing. All he felt was the cold void of the space surrounding him. “This is not Keagan.” He stated and placed the cold, lifeless hand back onto the gurney and stepped back. “This is not him.”

  Master Hadden came forward and, with a glance at Sergio, asked. “May I?” He held his hand above the forehead of the dead man. He was asking permission to probe what was left of his mind. Still, under the assumption that the man was Sergio’s beloved, he asked permission before touching him.

  “Yes, please,” Sergio told him and waited as he watched Master Hadden lay his hand on the man and enter his mind. If the dead man had been Sergio’s beloved, he would not have been able to give such permission, it would have been too personal, too intimate, and beyond his ability to allow. But he did not feel that way about this man, this dead man.

  “His name is Carlson Bendel, a low-level criminal, mostly burglaries and assaults.” Master Hadden began to read the man. “A cold heart and a willingness to do whatever, no morals and no limits. His friends deserted him, and he was murdered by strangers, well-dressed strangers. He didn’t understand why, and they didn’t tell him.” He pulled his hand back and pulled the sheet back up to cover the man. He then turned to regard Sergio.

  “This is not your beloved, but he was with Keagan shortly before he met his own death. This man, Carlson Bendel, assaulted your beloved and stole his wallet. He took it from Keagan because it appeared to mean something to him. Some people are like that just bad to the bone. He hadn’t intended to keep it for it had no value, but he was killed before he had a chance to ditch it.” Master Hadden motioned for Sergio to follow him out into the hallway.

  “Where did he assault Keagan? Did you get a location?” Sergio once again began to burn with the need to track down his beloved. He didn’t even want to think about the possible injuries the man on the gurney may have inflicted upon him. He didn’t have room in his soul for that thought right now.

  “Behind Red’s Rib Joint downtown.” He said, and instantly Sergio started moving towards the doors. “Wait, Sergio.” Master Hadden called to him, and Sergio stopped and turned around irritated that they were not on the move already.

  “The assault happened a week ago.” Master Hadden stated and waited for Sergio to make the obvious connection, but he didn’t. He couldn’t grasp what the Master was getting at. “He may have already been brought in. He could be here in the hospital.”

  “Of course,” Sergio exclaimed as his hope began to build. He tried to temper his expectations so as to protect himself, but it was impossible. The very idea that his beloved was somewhere here waiting to be discovered filled him with an anticipation that quickly quelled the darkness that had been rising within him.

  Master Hadden came to stand next to him and placed his hand on Sergio’s shoulder and stared into his eyes. The power of that stare was monumental, and Sergio remained still and focused. “Reach out, Sergio.” He said. “You have a connection a tenuous one, but you know him, and you can feel him even if you’ve not yet met. Reach out with your mind and find him.”

  Sergio kept his eyes on Master Hadden and let his mind enter the hospital structure. He saw everything the rooms, the people, the everyday movement of life, then he began to center himself, drawing his attention to a central point. His heart beat faster as he scanned each floor end to end. With the help of Master Hadd
en, his mind soaked up every inch, feeling every person present, until it happened.

  He felt the call of his beloved soft subtle just on the edges of his mind. The sound was muffled and distant, and he pushed all his reserves in that direction as Master Hadden continued to channel his power through his touch.

  “You found him.” Master Hadden stated with a smile that just turned up the corners of his mouth, and his eyes shown bright with victory.

  “Yes, I found him.” The words seemed too good to be true, but he had, he’d found his beloved on the third floor. “He’s on the third floor. I can see him, and I can feel him. Our contact is weak, but he’s struggling to connect with me.” Sergio was frozen for a moment, thinking of the enormity of what was ahead of him. A few hours ago, his life was over as far as he knew it, and now his life was just beginning. His beloved was alive and waiting for him.

  “Let’s go, Sergio.” Master Hadden took him by the arm, bringing him out of his anxious thoughts, and they rushed to the elevator. As they made their way to Keagan’s room, Sergio began to consider the condition of his poor beloved. The man who assaulted him was already dead, so he could do nothing in that quarter to satisfy his rising need for retribution. He pushed those concerns from his mind for now and concentrated on the fact that he was about to come face to face with his destiny.

  A nurse stepped out in front of them about to stop them from entering the room. Master Hadden raised his hand, and she immediately moved away and, without a word, went about her business as if they weren’t there.

  The room was in subdued light with three beds positioned against the far wall. His beloved was in the first bed. Sergio approached being careful not to make too much noise so as to not startle his sleeping beloved. As he got closer, he saw the tubes and the connections and realized his beloved was not just sleeping, he was unconscious. The need to touch overwhelmed him, and he took hold of the small hand that lay along his side on top of the cold crisp sheet.

  It was warm, and the contact was exciting, sensitizing his nerves and his attention to focus solely on the man in the bed. He had dark hair that was longer than in the picture in his pocket, and his face was stitched and bruised in a fashion indicative of a brutal fight. He longed to see the smile and dimples he’d studied for days to light up this handsome face and bring the man back to him.

  “He’s been unconscious since they brought him in six days ago.” Master Hadden had the medical chart and was reading it. “He’s listed as John Doe.”

  “What are his injuries?”

  “Apart from those you can see, he has suffered brain trauma. He has lacerations down his left side and the outer thigh of his left leg. One hundred thirteen stitches in all. His prognosis based on what the doctors have reported looks hopeful.” Master Hadden closed the chart and looked over at Sergio.

  “He will wake, and he will live a full life because his beloved is with him. Your presence and your blood will heal him, Sergio.” Sergio smiled at Master Hadden’s words and gripped Keagan’s hand.

  “I want him home with me, not here.” Sergio implored and continued to hold tight to Keagan. The thought of letting him go now was impossible. He nearly lost him and thought he had, and now he was not going to let him out of his sight.

  “It will be arranged.” Master Hadden took out his phone, and after a couple of calls, some vampire smoke, and mirrors and a few memory wipes, Keagan was released and on his way with Sergio back to the Hadden Center.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Keagan felt something happening, it started with someone entering his hospital room and touching him. The man was holding his hand, and it was a grip that energized and gave him the strength to push forward out of the fog in his brain. The hand never let go as he was moved from his room and taken to a different place. He was groggy, but snatches of light kept reaching for him.

  The new place was vast, large, and open. It made him feel a freedom he hadn’t felt in what seemed like a century. He tried several times to open his eyes, but the weight was too much, so he just experienced and enjoyed the lightness of his surroundings and the support of the man still holding his hand. Whoever he was, he made the journey easy and painless.

  He was talking to him again, and he had a voice that was like none other. It was so soothing, and the comfort it afforded was balm to Keagan’s brutalized soul. He could easily listen to this man for the rest of his life. His sound and his touch eased every part of Keagan, the pain and the tension all faded in the shadow of this man’s light.

  “Open up just a little.” The man said, and Keagan felt flesh pressed to his lips. “Drink sweetheart, it’ll make you well.” He didn’t comprehend his meaning but opened to a substance that flowed over his lips and into his mouth. It was strange tasting but invigorating, and it took him a moment to recognize it as blood. He fastened his lips around the source and drank as it spread a heat and healing throughout his body.

  “That’s it sweetheart drink, take all you need.” Keagan finished and licked his lips as he opened his eyes. No longer was it a struggle to wake, and he felt the healing continue to progress through his body. The pain was subsiding, as was the stiffness and confusion. He was coming back to himself.

  Keagan finally saw him, so tall and solid-looking like a knight in shining armor in his mind. He hoped to God that he was a good man, and this wasn’t the beginning of his worst nightmare. He watched him lick the wound on his wrist, closing and healing it.

  This man was a vampire, and he’d fed him in order to heal him. Keagan had been aware that healing was possible when the feeding was reversed, but he’d never seen or experienced it himself. Most of the vamps he’d dealt with would have just as soon watch someone die as lift a hand to help them.

  Why would this vampire help him? They wanted him dead after what he saw. It was an order put out by Cruise, and they wouldn’t stop until the job was done. “Who are you?” he managed to croak out between lips that seemed not completely under his control.

  The man leaned over him and once again took Keagan’s hand in a firm grip while seated on the edge of the bed. Keagan found himself leaning into the man and watching him with a fascination. He had shiny dark brown hair that was stylishly cut and possessed dark brown eyes that were so intense they seem to see right through him. His face was handsome in a serious take no prisoners sort of way. He had that air of force and authority that Keagan craved and melt for. He loved the commanding sort.

  “My name is Sergio Donato, I’m a guard with the Hadden Coven, and you’re in my room at the Hadden Center. We’ve been looking for you for a long time.” He ended with a warm smile that suddenly chilled Keagan to the bone and sent him into a violent panic. All his romantic notions skidded to a halt, and he was effectively thrust back into his nightmare reality.

  He began to fight the man who was attempting to hold him down on the bed. Surprisingly, he wasn’t being aggressive, just attempting to restrain him, but Keagan fought with all he had. This was one of Cruise’s men, and for all the kind words and decent care, in the end, he was there to kill him. “Don’t kill me,” Keagan shouted with a voice that cracked and shattered the air around them. “Please, please don’t kill me.” When it became clear he had no escape, Keagan collapsed into shuttering sobs as he waited for the inevitable.

  …

  Sergio was struck speechless, holding his beloved and wondering where it all went wrong. What did he say that reduced Keagan to terrified cries? “You’re safe, no one is going to kill you. I’d kill them before they had a chance to even consider it. I’ll protect you, sweetheart, you’re safe.” Sergio sat on the edge of the bed and held Keagan in his arms as the man wept nonstop. He kept repeating that he was safe and in no imminent danger, but the young man cried and begged for his life, seemingly not hearing a word that Sergio was saying. Sergio was at his emotional end.

  “Stop!” It came out harsher than intended, but at least Keagan heard him and fell silent. “Listen to me.” Sergio still held him in his arms an
d lifted Keagan’s face up to his so as to make the young man see him and see the truth of his words.

  “No one is going to harm you. I will stand between you and anyone who wishes you harm on that you have my pledge. Do you hear me?” Sergio held him fast and urged him to calm down and think. After a few moments, Keagan nodded. “Speak to me, Keagan. Tell me why you fear me.” Sergio continued with the same commanding tone. In Keagan’s present state of mind, it was the only tone he responded to.

  It took Keagan a few minutes to speak, and even then, his voice was hesitant and fearful. His eyes, though, never left Sergio’s. “You’re a soldier for the Hadden Coven. The Coven wants me dead.”

  “Who told you that the Coven wanted you dead?” Sergio asked more gently this time to keep the young man talking.

  “Cruise ordered it, and Jason was to carry it out.” Sergio was not surprised by Keagan’s words. It was suspected that Cruise had ordered Keagan’s death and also Carlo’s. Luckily Carlo had the help of family to aid his escape.

  “Cruise and his men were rogues and outliers. They didn’t represent the Hadden Coven or abide by its laws.” Sergio noticed Keagan vigorously shaking his head.

  “No, it doesn’t matter, they will never stop. Jason was given the order to kill, and he won’t stop until I’m dead.” Keagan clutched nervously onto Sergio’s sleeve, indicating a subtle shift in his opinion as to who to trust. The move warmed Sergio, and he placed the palm of his hand against Keagan’s cheek, pushing his strength and calm through their connection.

  “You have nothing to fear, sweetheart. Cruise and his men are all dead; they can’t hurt you. Their crimes were brought to the attention of Master Hadden, and they were dealt with. Their brutality was turned back upon them. They paid for the pain they dished out. The Hadden Coven has no issue with you, Keagan.” Sergio watched the emotions play out across Keagan’s delicate features, and then it happened. A smile grew, and dimples came forth as relief filled his expression and the air around them.