Alice couldn't leave them to suffer and had to do what she could to save them. Her legs moved as fast as they could carry her, powering her straight towards a set of double doors that she burst through without hesitation. However, what she found in there on the other side wasn't at all what she had been expecting.
Alice came skidding to a halt, finding herself in a dusty, old room that was filled with cobwebs and beaten furniture, with no sign of anyone trapped or in pain. Instead of a woman in trouble, she was faced with framed portrait that was illuminated by a single spotlight and only source of light in the dark room.
The painting was made up of passionate brush strokes that formed the shape of a blond haired woman, dressed in red and surrounded by blood and fire. It took a second before she realised that the person depicted in the image was her, and that the paint was still fresh. The picture shimmered with layers of oil based paints that were still wet, as if it had only just been finished.
“Do you like it?”
The quiet of the room was disturbed by the loud and sudden voice.
“I spent hours trying to imitate your smile. I know, it's pale in comparison to the real thing.”
It was Harold Fletcher, speaking with his English accent that somehow soothed the fear that had put her on edge. He stepped out from behind his large masterpiece of art, bowing in greeting as he removed his bowler hat from his head and placed it on the arm of an old leather chair.
Another scream came from somewhere outside the room, from down the hall Alice had just entered from. She visibly flinched, not having expected it to happen again.
Harold was apparently unphased, taking his monocle in his hand as he cleaned it with his handkerchief.
“Please, don't be alarmed. It’s just one of my guests expressing themselves.”
Alice’s unease had returned, but this time it brought with it a sense of panic. She looked back at the door before turning her head to look at the painting and then at Harold Fletcher once more. She was speechless, not sure what to say as her words had been stolen from her by trepidation.
Harold stepped forwards, putting his monocle back into place as he spoke.
“Don't worry, Miss Green. I know why you're here, and before you ask… I accept your master's terms. However, first I would like to converse for a while. You see… I find you to be quite fascinating.”
**********
Alice's long conversation with Harold Fletcher had lasted for a few gruelling hours. He was a polite and pleasant man, but she had come to realise that it was just a front that had been put into place to hide something horrific. She had yet to determine what that was exactly, but wanted to keep her distance as for as long as possible.
The architect had provided her with blueprints of the queen's estate, complete with hidden escape routes and back entrances. It was everything that they could have hoped for and more, which meant that Katherine would be delighted.
It was almost sunrise when Alice finally made it back to their apartment that now doubled as operation headquarters. The place was under constant guard, both day and night, as there was still the risk of an attack. One of Renita's supporters could come to take out the leader of the opposition at any point and so they had to stay on high alert. There was no limit to what the queen could do, or what she was willing to do to survive.
Once she had passed through the checkpoints that led up to Katherine's home, Alice entered through the apartment's door using a keypad that had only just recently been installed. It was a lot of extra hassle to get into the building, but it was worth the feeling of safety that the extra security brought with it.
Every step had been taken to secure the apartment, including the installation of plated steel on the doors and bulletproof glass for the windows. A state of the art camera system had been put in place to alert them to any unwanted intruders, but so far it hadn't been needed. It wasn't quite as well protected as the queen's estate, but it wasn't far off.
Alice heard movement coming from within the living room and went to investigate. She presumed it was Katherine, but found Matty there instead. His jacket was torn in a few places and was liberally splattered with blood. From the look of it, he had been in a fight and was a little worse for wear.
“Matty! What happened?”
Alice was genuinely concerned for his health as she rushed forwards to take a closer look.
“Are you okay?!?”
Matty looked down at his clothing, shaking his head in disappointment.
“Aww man, my favourite jacket…”
He shrugged off the injuries as if they were nothing.
“It's okay. It isn't mine. Well… Not all of it.”
The jacket was beyond saving as he peeled it off his broad shoulders and gave it a once over. As soon as he was sure that the rips couldn't be repaired or the stains removed, he discarded it on top of his collection of guns and other items that were piled up on top of the nearby glass table.
The cuts in the fabric hadn't stopped at the jacket, as they ran a little deeper than that. Matty's t-shirt was damaged as well, with a few minor flesh wounds beneath.
“See? It's not so bad. You should have seen the other guys.”
Alice forced a smirk to mirror the one on Matty's face, despite her feelings of worry. He was stubborn and tough, but she knew that he could still get hurt too. She took a quick look around the room to make sure that they were alone before speaking again.
“I take it that Katherine's still out?”
Matty nodded, checking his arms out for any additional wounds before looking up at Alice again with his incessant smile.
“Yeah, she is. How’d it go?”
“It was one of the weirdest experiences ever, but we’ll have the plans by tomorrow night.”
She felt pleased with herself, knowing that she had worked hard to get her hands on the blueprints for them. It was a little strange feeling pride in her achievement, but talking with Harold for hours had been an intense and terrifying experience.
Matty looked Alice up and down.
“It looks like you made it through alright. I admit, I was scared for you, Allie.”
He groaned as he gave his neck a quick rub before planting himself on the couch to lay back in comfort. Patting the leather next to him, he gestured for Alice to take a seat too.
Alice shook her head in mocking disapproval.
“You know she’ll kill you if you get blood on her sofa.”
Matty stretched out his arms, moving them back to rest them behind his head. He then placed both of his dirty boots on the table in front of him, one on top of the other as he grinned wildly.
“Then it's a good thing I'm already dead.”
Rolling her eyes at him and chuckling softly, Alice slumped down on the couch right next to him. Mental and physical exhaustion both hit her at the same time. She didn't often feel that tired, but it had been a particularly stressful night.
It didn't take long before Alice found herself resting against Matty, using him as support as she placed her head gently on his shoulder. He didn't budge, letting her use him as the leaning post that she quite clearly required.
A few minutes passed as they took the time to relax. Alice recounted the events of the last few days and the ongoing faction war. There was so much going on and every night had held new challenges, but something about it all bothered her and weighed heavy on her mind.
“Do you think we're on the right side? Are we really the good guys in all of this?”
Matty lifted his head to look down at Alice’s face, moving his free arm to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes.
“There is no right or wrong side. Just a difference in opinion and the choices you make.”
Adjusting her positioning to look back up at him, Alice looked thoughtful with her eyebrows frowning ever so slightly.
“I think Katherine’s using us. She only pretends to care and everything is getting out of control.”
The smile faded from Matty's
face as he answered seriously.
“I don't doubt it, but it's still better than most of the alternatives. I'll tell you what… If the situation gets worse, we’ll leave the city together.”
Alice’s smile returned as she gave Matty a quick nod before burying her face in his arm. He shifted to wrap his arms around her in an embrace, his powerful, long arms holding her tightly.
Matty spoke with certainty as he tried to reassure her.
“Everything will be okay. I promise.”
It was a promise that Alice didn't expect him to keep as it was out of his control, but there was something about him that made her feel safe in his presence. It wasn't just the fact that he was inhumanly strong or could take an unbelievable amount of punishment, but that did help. He just had a trustworthy and warm personality that he shared with her more than anyone else.
To most other people, Matthew Walker was a professional soldier for hire and all business, so they didn't get to see this side of him. They didn’t know that he was smart and funny, or that he was one of the kindest people that you could ever meet. He was mocked by others behind his back, but he didn't seem to care. Their ignorance infuriated Alice, as they called him stupid, slow and much, much worse. They didn't understand him like she did and they never would.
Matty had the ability to move seamlessly between work and play mentalities. It was a skill that Alice envied as he could just switch off whenever he wanted to. It was as if he had two completely separate personas that lived in his brain. They didn't fight for control, but they did share the same space in his head, working together in unison to keep the beast inside him at bay.
Alice realised why she got along with Matty so well. He wasn't just a good listener, close friend and her blood brother, he was also broken just like her. They were kindred spirits and Alice felt like she belonged there with him. They could be broken together.
Chapter Thirteen: The wrong side of town.
Alice quickly stepped through the door to the smokey motel reception, her long hair saturated by torrents of rain from the passing storm. She took a moment to collect herself as the overweight man at the desk gave the pale skinned woman a once over, while simultaneously taking a long drag from his cheap cigarette.
"Lookin' fer a room? Ya better have cash." He spat through his rotten yellow teeth. "Ain't got time fer freeloaders."
Adjusting her posture, Alice stood up straight to give off an air of confidence, which she managed to pull off quite effectively as she approached the desk.
"Hi. I’m looking for someone." She smiled politely. "I heard that a woman named Nathalie St Claire checked in here last night? She should be expecting me.”
The man frowned and shifted his bulk forwards, wiping his nose on the coarse hair of his forearm.
"Nothin's free, kid."
Alice stared directly into the man's bloodshot eyes, changing the tone of her voice as she commanded him to do her bidding.
“Tell me her room number. Please.”
His face twitched a little as his mind tried to resist, but found itself quickly overpowered by her will.
"She never checked out. Room number 7."
The man stared at her with disbelief as he tried to shake her words out of his head. Mind control wasn't a pleasant experience, but he wouldn't remember what happened as memory loss was a common side effect.
Alice forced a smile.
“Thank you for the help. I hope you have a pleasant night.”
The receptionist grumbled a response that Alice ignored as she turned to leave the semi-warmth of the reception, wandering out into the stormy night once more.
Alice knocked on the door to the room, but there was no answer. She waited a moment or two before pounding on the door a second time, and still nothing. This was the place that Katherine had told her to go. It was the exact address that had been provided in the text message that they had been sent, but there was seemingly no one inside.
Maybe Nathalie had popped out to feed, or she could be on her way to find Katherine already. Or maybe the guy behind the reception desk had somehow resisted her power and had managed to lie, but she didn't believe that was the case. Either way, Alice decided that she couldn't wait out in the rain anymore.
With a swift kick, the door to the room rattled and wood splintered off from around the lock as it swung open. That's when it hit her. The undeniable coppery scent of blood... and something else. A smell that reminded her of a packet of bacon she had once forgotten about and left in the sun for days. It was the pungent smell of rotting meat.
Alice’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, much quicker than they ever had as a mortal, revealing the partially decomposed corpse of a young woman, lying face up on the bed. Was it Nathalie? She couldn't be sure. The eyes of the poor unfortunate soul were blank and staring at the ceiling, their face twisted in horror.
If it wasn't for the flies, Alice probably would have lapped up the spilled vitae without hesitation. She hadn't fed for a few nights and her body was starting to ache. It was times like this that she found it hard to control her actions. Even a smart girl like herself had trouble keeping a hold of her rational thoughts, but she had to for as long as possible. Now was the time for answers and sustenance would have to wait.
Alice slowly approached the edge of the bed to take a closer look at the woman's body. She certainly looked like Nathalie St Claire, but there was one simple truth that disputed that as her true identity. It was usually impossible to work out how long a body had been there as vampire bodies decomposed at a rate that varied greatly depending on how old they were. If they were a few hundred years old they would crumble to dust. Less than that and you'd end up with a rotting corpse or even a disgusting, soupy mess.
The fact that the woman on the bed hadn't decayed all that much was suspicious, as Nathalie St Claire was just over one hundred years old. Alice wasn't sure what a hundred year old corpse should look like, but she was sure that it wouldn't be quite that fresh.
Whoever the vampire was, they must have only been a few days old as the decay wasn't quite as bad as it could have been. The blood on the sheets was still wet and hadn't congealed, so it was definitely a fresh kill. If the woman wasn't Nathalie, then who was she and why had she been altered to look like her? Something about the whole situation just seemed off.
There had to be clues to the woman's identity. Alice started to check around the dusty room for anything that could help her find out what was going on. Receipts, business cards, flyers... Anything that would tell her where to check next. She had to know who the woman was that was staining the bed sheets crimson.
As she rooted through the drawers in the bedside cabinet, a creak behind her signified someone else’s presence. Not the front door this time, but the bathroom. Why didn't she think to check in there first?
Tensing up, Alice span round as quickly as she could and found herself face to face with a towering, broad shouldered silhouette of a man. She could tell he was grinning as his fang-like teeth glistened in the light of the neon vacancy sign outside. Her instincts screamed at her to get out of there and run away faster than ever before, and that's exactly what she did.
Keep running, Alice! Her inner monologue kept her motivated, but it wasn't like she needed any extra motivation than running for her life. She couldn't stop until she was safe, but the beast was hot on her trail. She focused on her legs, pumping the last of her blood supplies through them in order to increase her speed to supernatural levels. It only gave her a brief moment of respite as her pursuer apparently had the same ability and was working hard to close the gap.
How could she have been so careless and stupid? It had quite clearly been a trap, but it couldn't have been for her. The text message had been sent to Katherine asking her to meet, so she was meant to be the one that was caught there. If she hadn't been too busy with preparations for the attack on the queen's estate then she would have been the one getting chased down through the pouring rain.
Alice was quickly running out of options and desperately needed help. She reached into the pocket of her raincoat and rooted around for her cellphone, selecting Matty from her favourite contacts. The dial tones let her know that her call was being connected. It rang a few times before Matty picked up and his greeting was quickly interrupted by Alice's panicked voice.
“Matty, I need your help! Like, right now!”
She could sense that he was concerned, even though he still sounded calm and collected.
“Tell me where. I'm on my way.”
If she wasn't one of the walking dead, Alice would have been out of breath by now. She was completely drenched right through to her skin as she had fled from the motel and out into the storm, sprinting for what seemed like miles. She had run down alleys, across streets and through multiple city blocks, not stopping to look back at all until now. It seemed that she had lost her pursuer at some point. As for when he'd given up the chase or where she had lost her shoes, she couldn't recall.
Alice remembered the man’s excited roars and growls rapidly approaching as she had scaled a chain link fence. He was gnashing and gnawing, so close to ripping her to pieces. Whoever or whatever it was, they were more beast than man. They were obviously the cause of the woman's death, but who was she? Did the man work for the queen? Were they meant to kill Katherine or did they want to try and capture her? There were an increasing amount of questions and still no real answers. Things used to be so much simpler and a hell of a lot less dangerous.
Alice took a break from her thoughts as she checked around for a place to lay low until Matty arrived. She seemed safe enough for now, but noticed that she was standing barefoot in a filthy puddle that was starting to turn red with blood from multiple cuts in the soles of her feet. A shard of glass was still imbedded in the heel of her left foot that took a bit of maneuvering to dislodge.
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