The Chariot: Brothers at Arms

by Desiree Lee

  It would never work out for them. Evelia was his opposite in too many ways. She wanted different things out of life than Julio did but he couldn't deny that she had a beautiful body. Her body had inspired several pieces of art already, each of which had sold on eBay for a decent amount. This one was meant to be his catharsis. He would make it and sell it and once he had let it go, that would be it. He would know in his heart that he let her go. She would no longer be a part of his life. It was going to be easier than he had originally imagined. Her obsessive nature drove him crazy. Part of him still desired her, but he knew now that was just physical attraction. Evelia was a cold, mistrustful woman inside. Julio knew he could not abide her jealousy and control. Still, she had a great body.

  It was that great body that he was seeing now as he looked at his near-finished piece of art. The metallic womanly form was somewhere between aesthetic and obscene. “Her tits aren't right,” he murmured. He flipped the welding mask back down over his face and turned the torch back to the metal to make some adjustments. As an artist, he refused to let his vision be compromised. He would work until he got it right. Only he could tell what ‘right’ really was.

  After the welding was finished he brought out the soldering iron for some finer details. With a flash of inspiration and a chuckle, he added some finer details. “There, that fits her well.” He stood back and admired his handiwork, down to the nipples with pennies used as the areolas. He gave the nipples a pinch. “Yep, it fits a penny-pincher of a subject. Evelia, I'm ready to get you out of my life."

  He looked at his watch. “Crap, it's later than I thought.” The sun was going down and he had to be at work soon. He put his mask and tools away, before hurrying indoors to shower and don his uniform. He was uneasy about going to work with the prospect of the vampires showing up for him there. How would he explain that? Part of him still felt that it was all just a wild tale his mother spun, but he knew better. She wouldn't lie to him like that. She truly did believe that vampires were coming for him.

  He got to work with one minute to spare. Usually he tried to be a few minutes early, but at least he wasn't late. He hated working as a nighttime security guard, but his art didn't pay the bills yet. Though he had sold a few pieces, it was not a steady enough income to quit his gainful employment yet. He wished that he could make a living at his art. What could be better than to indulge his passion for art and make his living off it too? He pondered that as he sat in the company vehicle, looking out over the parking lot. There were cameras attached to the lampposts but even with the lighting, it was still difficult to make out details in the dark, hence the need for a guard. Most nights he drove around, bored out of his skull. Maybe he'd have to jump start a dead battery because someone left their lights on. He got asked directions a lot too.

  "Excuse me young man,” a little old lady gestured as she approached his vehicle in a slow, halting pace.

  "Yes, ma'am?” He got out of the car and walked toward her. “How can I help you?"

  "I don't know how to get to Park Street from here. I'm visiting my daughter and I stopped to pick up some presents for my grandsons, but when I called her for directions, she didn't answer. She must be on her way home still."

  "No problem, Ma'am,” Julio smiled as he pointed her in the right direction, giving her detailed instructions on how to get there.

  "Thank you. You're a very nice young man,” she smiled and shuffled back toward her car.

  "You're welcome,” he nodded and got back in his vehicle. “Just change my middle name to Mapquest,” he muttered.

  The hours droned on. It was a slow night at work for Julio, and that only made it worse. He would have rather had some action to keep his mind from dwelling on the tarot card and its ramifications. Every time he heard a noise, he looked over his shoulder. Even the usual sounds became suspect to him tonight.

  He rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes. “I'm going crazy. Is today April Fool's Day?” He knew it wasn't. “Vampires. Fucking vampires. Who'd have thought it? What's next, a werewolf is going to look me up on the next full moon? Hell, I'm half afraid to ask Mom if those exist too. She'll probably say yes."

  He shifted the car into drive and cruised a few laps around the parking lot. He wondered how much trouble he'd get in if he spun some donuts. Probably would lose his job at the very least. Best not to chance it. It would be fun though. He needed some diversion, something to think about other than vampires. It wasn't happening though. He wondered what the vampires would look like. Would they be the suave, sharply dressed European aristocrats or more animalistic, driven by the hunger for blood? If they engaged in a war and had ground rules set for it, then it was reasonable to assume they were more like the former. Besides, his mom had told him the brothers were named François and Pierre Arcée. Definitely French. Definitely European.

  * * * *

  Michelle woke up before sunset. She milled about the room until she saw the last tendrils of waning light disappear from the crack between the drapes. It was safe. She knew she ought to feed before making the venture out to find the card, but where? It was still early evening, too early for most clubs to be open or the bar scene to pick up. After the cowboy last night, she wasn't sure she wanted to feed off of another drunkard for a while. The alcohol gave the blood a rank flavor that she did not particularly enjoy, but would make do when necessary. She wished that she could have woken up earlier this morning and fed on one of the housekeepers but it was too late for that. On second thought...

  She picked up the phone and dialed the number for housekeeping. “May I have more towels brought up to room 127 please?” Hopefully they wouldn't take long. While she waited, she went in the bathroom to freshen up. She wished she had some makeup. Her lips looked thin, flat. She hated her thin lips. They gave her face an unbalanced look. Michelle was very attractive, but this one feature constantly rued her. Soon. Soon she would be able to settle back to a normal routine, once the house was moved. Before that, she had to find the card and the new city.

  A sharp knock at the door startled her. She had been studying herself in the mirror so intently that she had not paid attention to the footsteps in the hallway. Not good, she thought to herself. She silently walked to the door and peered through the peephole. It was the staff member with the towels, a somewhat gangly young man. He'd have to do. She went back in the bathroom.

  "Come in,” she called, hoping he would have a master keycard that would give him access. Seconds later, she heard the card slide in the reader and the lock click. The handle turned and the door opened slowly.

  "I have your fresh towels,” he called in to the room.

  "In here please!"

  He tentatively peered in to the bathroom and she heard a soft gasp as he saw she was undressed. “I apologize Ma'am!” The towels were dropped to the floor.

  "Like what you see?” She turned and noticed his torn expression, denoting both bewilderment and attraction. She quickly closed the gap between them and slid her arms around him. He seemed as if he wanted to struggle for a moment, knowing that it was improper, but he didn't. Her mouth covered his throat and her fangs quickly sank in to their mark. There was no time to make this seductive and pretty. Like most vampires, she had the power to make her bite painless and she did so for his sake. She didn't like to hurt her mortal feeds unless they deserved it.

  She felt him relax in her grip and knew he was nearly passed out. That was good. He didn't fight her so it made her feeding much easier. He'd be in need of some sleep but he wouldn't die. She had enough blood to last through the night. A little went a long way with a vampire.

  She carried his limp body to the bed and laid him on it. By the time anyone came looking for him, she would be long gone. She had checked in under an alias and paid with cash so nothing was traceable. Vampires were very adept at false identities. It helped in avoiding detection by mortals.

  After she had the towel man settled on the bed, she dressed and left the motel, dropping the keycard in the box
for express checkout service. With no luggage to carry, her departure was swift and silent.

  She ducked in to an alleyway and made sure nobody was looking as she took to the air. She knew the card was further east. She continued on until she came to another large city and descended to check the scent. A quick search revealed she was in Montgomery, Alabama. The card was still east and still far off. She wasted no time in taking to the sky again. She had already fed so there was no need to stay here any longer.

  She was also surprised that she had not encountered the Seeker from Pierre's House. On one hand, that was a boon, especially after what happened to Zelma. She also wondered how François had been informed of Zelma's death. Perhaps she should have asked that before she'd left Sacramento.. It was too late now. On the other hand, her rival could be far ahead of her and that would not do at all. Not knowing who she was racing against or where they were located was a marked disadvantage for her. She could only hope that they were plagued by the same disadvantage as she, and also that they were far behind her.

  Her next stopping point was Tallahassee, Florida. She descended and closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses for the card's essence. South. So the card had traversed the entire country, amazing. It was in Florida. The essence had grown stronger and now it pulled to her. She would take to the sky once more, but it wouldn't be long now before she found it.

  Her travels took her along the coastline. As she neared the Tampa Bay area, she could sense the card even up here. She'd found it. Now she only had to narrow down the exact house.

  The night was over halfway through. She only had a little territory to cover. She had never been here before so she did not know the layout of the cities. She descended on to the peninsula forming the western border of the bay. She was close, so close.

  St. Petersburg. This was where the card had been sent. From her first glimpse of the city, it would suffice nicely. It was in a metropolitan area and had a lot of activity at night. The vampires could blend in easily here. Now she only had to find the new Keeper before Pierre's Seeker did. She hoped that whoever it was hadn't beaten her here already.

  She walked quickly along the city streets, on the prowl. She took note of the locations of various services, stores, street names and the like. She knew François would want all of this information when he arrived. She noted which neighborhoods were more affluent and which ones were not. Part of her duty here would be to find suitable housing prospects so that they could move in as quickly as possible after the rest of the household arrived. She had much work to do and little time to do it in.

  She was closing in on it. She knew it. The scent was stronger and stronger. Finally she arrived at Julio's house. This was it. This was where the new Keeper lived.

  The house was dark. She approached and listened. Her vampire ears could hear much better than any mortal's could. She thought at first that the Keeper must be asleep but she heard no sounds coming from within at all, except for the low hum of the refrigerator running.

  Icy shards of panic chilled her to the core. Where was the Keeper? What if they had fled, absconding from their duty? Worse yet, what if Pierre's Seeker had already arrived and taken possession of the Keeper? Or what if the Keeper was dead? The slew of possibilities flooded her mind. She walked up to the door and gingerly knocked.

  No answer.

  She walked around back and peered in the windows. The house appeared lived in. There were no indications of any struggle inside. The card was still here, she was sure of that. Being so close to it though, she couldn't pinpoint where in the house it was. The essence was too powerful at this close range. It overwhelmed her senses. She tried the door but it was locked. She then tried the windows and found one of them that would open. That was fortunate. She did not smell any animals inside the house, thankfully. No guard dogs to contend with. She looked around the house, searching for some information on the new Keeper.

  Some pieces of mail were left on the counter so she picked them up. “Julio Mendoza,” she read the name off of the envelopes. The address matched the house she was in so she was confident that this was the new Keeper's name. Now if she could only figure out where Julio Mendoza was, she'd be much happier. She looked at the envelopes again, this time at the return addresses. Energy bill, water bill, pre-approved credit card offer, a security company, another credit card offer. She flipped back to the envelope from the security company. It was already open so she peeked inside. It was a pay stub. “Bingo,” she muttered and noted the address of the company. Of course she had no idea where that was locally but it was a start. Security companies worked 24 hours a day. Perhaps he was at work? Why not find out? She found a phone book on the shelf near his telephone and looked up the company number since it wasn't listed on the pay stub. She picked up his phone receiver and dialed the number.

  "Hello, is Julio Mendoza working tonight?” she asked politely when the call was answered. The dispatcher said he was and offered to take a message since he was out at his posting but Michelle hung up the phone without saying another word. She'd simply wait here for him. She wasn't about to leave the house and the card unattended. If Julio was at work then it was not likely Pierre's Seeker had got to him first. François would be proud of her.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Four

  Julio let out a sigh of relief when the clock ticked toward the end of his shift. He drove the company vehicle back to the base location and turned the keys over for the next guard to take it. As he was walking through the building, the dispatcher stopped him.

  "Julio, someone called for you earlier but the call got dropped or they hung up before they said who it was."

  "Who did it sound like?"

  "It wasn't your mom's voice. That much I know. It was a woman. It wasn't Evelia's voice either.” The dispatcher had come to learn Julio's ex-girlfriend's voice rather well from as many times as she called for him. It had gotten so bad that Julio's boss had to get on the phone and threaten her with filing a harassment charge if she did not stop calling. “I really don't know, sorry."

  "It's ok. If it was important, they'll call me at home. See you later.” He waved and left, trying to tamp down the sickening feeling that was creeping up in to his gut. What if it was one of the vampires? How did they track him down at work? They sent a woman for him?

  He stopped off for gas before going home. It gave him a few extra minutes to think on it. It had been the presiding thought in his mind all night, but the phone call made it seem all the more real. He wondered what she would say to him, or what he would say to her, this vampire that is. Might as well quit procrastinating about it. He got back in his car and drove home. He didn't see any vehicles there, but wondered how vampires traveled. Did they drive? Did they turn in to bats and fly? He glanced up and around for bats but saw none. He slipped his key in to the lock and went inside. He stopped short as he saw a figure sitting at his kitchen table, even in the dim starlight coming through the window.

  "Who are you? How did you get in here?” He immediately adopted a defensive tone.

  "Are you Julio Mendoza?"

  "Who's asking?” He stayed near the doorway, not approaching the woman.

  "My name is Michelle Bryson. Did you recently receive a special card?"

  Julio exhaled slowly. “You are the vampire?"

  She stood and nodded, extending her hand to him, trying to be cordial, hoping he would come closer. “Yes, I am. You have not been contacted by any others yet?"

  "Um, can I flip on the light or will that burn you to a crisp?” He wanted to see who he was dealing with before going any further with the pleasantries.

  "Yes, please. Artificial light does not hurt me."

  Julio flipped on the light switch and blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted. His jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the woman standing in front of him. He reached forward slowly to shake her outstretched hand. Her skin was dry and very cold. “Yes, I am Julio Mendoza. I am the Keeper. I was told that
vampires would be coming for me but you are the first.” He tried not to stare at her but damn, she had a body of a goddess.

  "Whew, I'm glad I got to you first."

  "Which House are you from?"

  "François Arcée's House,” she replied. She almost took an indignant tone, but caught herself at the last second. Of course he didn't know. How could he have?

  "So you gain first rights to the city or how does that work?"

  "I am a Seeker. It is my job to find the new Keeper. Pierre's House has sent out a Seeker also. I got here first but I expect his Seeker is not far behind. I must get you to safety before his Seeker arrives. Once his Seeker gets here, they will probably challenge me for you."

  "Do you know who his Seeker is?"

  "No, I don't. We did not cross paths on the journey here."

  "What do you mean by get me to safety? I'm not safe enough here? Where am I safer at?"

  "You are not safe anywhere until François and the rest of the House arrives in a few days. I have to let them know that I have found you. May I use your phone?” She mentally berated herself for not carrying a cell phone in her pocket.

  "Yeah, sure, it's over there.” He pointed, but she already knew where it was. “Did you call my work earlier looking for me?"

  "Yes, I did. I wanted to make sure I had the right person."

  "So if I am not safe anywhere, why do we have to go somewhere else?"

  Michelle paused and considered that. “You're right. I will stay here and protect you."

  "Hold it. Stay here? You're just moving yourself in?"

  "Consider me your 24 hour-a-day bodyguard now Julio. You are important to us, so important that I'll pull out all stops to keep Pierre's Seeker from getting to you."

  "I have a job. You can't tail me all night at work."

  "You'll have to quit it."

  "If I quit it, I can't pay my bills.” His tone grew terse. Who was this woman to come in and take over his life; to tell him he had to quit his job?