Angeles Covenant

by Michael Pierce

  Without overthinking it, I began to run, assuming that if I continued to run in a generally straight line, I’d pass upon a road or reach civilization eventually. I had my shovel if I didn’t reach safety in time, though I dreaded the thought of losing another full day.

  I was hungry and sore from my previous morning’s torment, but ran as hard as I could to make up for as much lost time as possible. I could go for days without eating, but hunger zapped my strength quite a bit. If I came up upon an animal, I’d do what I could to secure a snack, but I wouldn’t go out of my way in search for food.

  The first thing I came across was a one-lane road, snaking through the desert. I didn’t see any headlights in either direction and knew it wasn’t a regularly-traveled road. But it was used for something and had to lead somewhere, so I used it as my guide and followed it deeper into the great expanse of nothingness.

  After another half hour of running, the one-lane road connected to a two-lane road, which still didn’t have any traffic, but gave me a better impression I was headed in the right direction.

  A half hour after that, I began to see sparks of white light in the distance and knew I was approaching a main road—potentially the 15 Freeway.

  I followed the two-lane road all the way to the freeway, where there was now a steady flow of traffic. I stepped onto the shoulder and shielded my eyes as several sets of blinding headlights raced by.

  I glanced down at the folded shovel in my hand. It was small and not completely obvious, but I feared it didn’t paint the best impression for trying to hitch a ride. So, I tossed it in the nearby dirt.

  I stuck out my thumb at the next passing car, which passed by without slowing down. I did the same to the next few and got the same discouraging results.

  Next, I tried waving my arms over my head to better grab someone’s attention, but that didn’t yield any better outcome. Maybe it made me look too crazy and desperate, even though it was true.

  I thought about throwing myself in front of a car, forcing it to stop, but in my weakened state, I was afraid of my ability to heal from being struck by a car at eighty miles an hour. That may lead to a whole new mess of complications I didn’t need right now. I’d probably end up killing someone in an effort to recover.

  But as I continued to weigh my options while still flagging down each passing vehicle, I noticed a tractor-trailer slowing and pulling onto the shoulder. It seemed my luck was turning around. I retrieved my shovel from the ground and jogged toward the stopped semi. By the time I reached the cab, the passenger door had been flung open. I stopped at the open door, not wanting to presumptuously climb in.

  “I know it’s taboo to pick up hitchers in this day and age, but I still feel we should help out our fellow man,” the driver said. He was a large weathered man with long straggly hair and a beard to match. “You a killer, son?”

  I knew how I looked, probably about a third his age. “No, sir,” I said. “I just appreciate someone willing to stop at this ungodly hour.”

  “Ungodly is right. I could use the company to keep my ass awake. All-nighters aren’t what they used to be. You up for some conversation?”

  “I can palaver,” I said, flashing a friendly smile.

  “Palaver? That’s a word you don’t hear much anymore. Climb in, my boy. I reckon we can help each other out. But don’t mistake my kindness for weakness because I’ve got a gun and I’ll use it if I have to.”

  “Well, I’ve got a baby shovel,” I said, holding it up. “So I reckon we’re even.”

  The man gave a hearty laugh and gestured for me to climb aboard. He started talking right off the bat, not wanting a single second of silence. Multiple empty energy drink cans clattered at my feet, so I simply kicked them aside.

  I looked at the clock on his infotainment system and saw it was nearly 5 a.m. I’d been afraid I’d woken up late, and I was right. Sunrise was less than an hour away. I found out we were about fifteen minutes out of Barstow, so there was no way I’d make it home before sunrise. I needed to plan for accommodations soon.

  “Where was your car?” the man who wanted to be called Hank said. I couldn’t tell if it was his real name. It felt like an alias, but it wasn’t like I was forthcoming with who I was either, even though I did provide my real first name. “I didn’t remember passing anything.”

  “It was a little way off the road,” I said. “I had a major blowout and lost control of the car and ended up in the dirt. It was a lost cause anyway. It’ll cost more to get it towed than it’s worth.” I shrugged. “And my phone broke. And I lost a bunch of cash in Vegas…”

  “Sounds like a rough night,” Hank said. “What’s with the shovel?”

  “Coyotes.” Though I would have loved to find a coyote.

  “They don’t typically come too close to the highway.”

  “I didn’t know that,” I said.

  “Now snakes, that’s what you gotta look out for.”

  “I’ll remember that.” I had underestimated how much I’d be consumed by the hunger in such close proximity to a human in my current state. I tried to listen to Hank as he continued to talk, and contribute where I could, but I found myself unable to concentrate on his words. Even in the dark, I could see the pulse in his neck like it was calling me to take a bite—to replenish my strength.

  Luckily, I wouldn’t have to bear the torment for long because I would have to find shelter soon anyway. As we drew closer to Barstow, I told Hank I’d be getting off there. He seemed disappointed but didn’t have an argument to make.

  “Well, thanks for the company, however short,” he said after pulling over to the shoulder before one of the Barstow off-ramps.

  “Stay safe, Hank,” I said. “There are some real monsters out there.”

  “I trust my gut, son. I get a sense of the good ones. Always have.”

  “I appreciate the lift.” I hopped down from the cab and waited for the truck to pull away before heading down the shoulder of the exit. There were numerous signs for gas stations, fast-food restaurants, and motels. The sky wasn’t lightening yet, but it soon would be. I needed a room—and a phone, so I could finally call Fiona.

  11

  Matthew

  I didn’t have to wait long for Fiona to call me back. It was so good to hear her voice and learn she was safe. I was sure Susan had something to do with that because if Frederick was left to his own devices, Fiona most certainly would have befallen a fate as tragic and heart-wrenching as Catherine—or several other women I’d had the misfortune of falling into relationships with over the decades. Fiona truly was different—special. Seemingly, Frederick wasn’t able to touch her, though I didn’t want to press my luck.

  As much as I wanted to see Fiona, I also knew it was a dangerous time for me. My hunger in such a weakened state had gotten the best of me before. I thought about all the work I’d put in over the years to tame and resist the inner beast and thought I had pretty good control, but there were no guarantees. And I didn’t want to fool myself into thinking I had no limits.

  The sun was fully up now, and without any sun serum, there was no way I could go hunting until nightfall. My only other option was preying on some unsuspecting motel maid. All it would take was one easy phone call to the front desk. It wasn’t like I had to kill her. I’d slipped up enough times by going to the penitentiary, Sisters of Mercy, or just having Taylor show up at my doorstep. Like Jack and Ashley kept reminding me, why did I keep torturing myself? Just because I was a hunter didn’t mean I had to be a murderer.

  But I wanted what little humanity I had left. I wanted to be able look in the mirror and not be repulsed by the pale reflection. I wanted Fiona to be able to gaze upon my face and not be sickened by the sight of me. I was determined to prove to everyone that there was another way.

  So, I didn’t make a call to the front desk. Instead, I spent the first portion of my idle time freshening up. I took a shower and used all the motel-provided sundries to help make myself presentable. Once I wa
s clean and dry, I looked at the dirtied clothes I’d been wearing, disappointed I had no replacements. So, my only option was to wash them myself, which I did in the bathtub with hand soap and hot water, then hung them up to dry since there was no hairdryer I could find.

  I wasn’t staying at the type of establishment that provided bathrobes—plush or otherwise—so I wrapped a towel around my waist, not wanting to appear too presumptuous when Fiona arrived but also giving the clothes time to air dry.

  Since the only thing I was willing to kill right now was time, I grabbed the television remote and sat on the king-sized bed, leaning against the wall. It was still early in the morning, so every basic cable channel had on morning news shows. Just when I started to wonder if Damien Galt leaving early from his own fundraiser had made any headlines, his name was mentioned by the anchor, and moments later, he was on screen with Clementine in the background. This caused me to sit up straighter and turn up the volume on the television.

  This was not old footage. This was live—at least as of sometime this morning. He was alive—they both were. Frederick had gotten us out of there just in time to save them. The stunt they’d pulled had been risky, but it seemed to have paid off. It sure had showcased Frederick’s real power.

  But as I watched Damien talk about feeling ill at the fundraiser and having to leave prematurely, I scooted to the other end of the bed to get a closer look. Damien looked different; something about him was off. There were subtle differences in the way he was smiling, placing his hands on the podium and standing before the cameras. Little things he did weren’t quite natural, which soon made perfect sense. He hadn’t been saved; he’d been turned. I could only assume the same could be said for Clementine, and perhaps even the bodyguards.

  The news feature was short but was all I needed to see. They were vampires now. Frederick had been through the portal. Everything seemed to be going the way we had ultimately feared, and it wouldn’t be long now before the Vampire Nation announcement was made—which I now knew coincided with Frederick’s discovery. That was the missing piece that hadn’t been well documented. I didn’t understand how such a huge breach in the Society compound could have been missed in our reports, failing to warn us of such a significant event. However, it was well known that the future had a way of making specific details disappear to help preserve its integrity. This was the reason we knew things to come, but always seemed to be a step behind when it came to exacting change.

  My heart leaped from a knock at the door. Fiona got here sooner than expected. Since I was still in nothing more than a towel, I unlocked the door and opened it while remaining behind its cover. I’d had enough unfiltered sunlight for a while.

  “Matthew?” Fiona’s beautiful voice asked. “This kind of feels like I’m stepping into a horror movie.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s me,” I said. “Just avoiding the sun.”

  She stepped into the room, took one look at me and smiled deviously. “And avoiding clothes, I see.”

  I was about to lob back a witty remark when Sean stopped me from closing the door. “Don’t worry about me or anything,” he said, then his eyes locked onto my muscular physique. Jealousy was written all over his face, which only amplified when his eyes moved to his ex-girlfriend and her lurid expression. He shook his head and continued farther into the room, prying his gaze away from both of us. “That explains so much.”

  “You didn’t mention we’d be having company,” I said as I shut the door.

  “I didn’t know you’d be walking around naked,” Fiona retorted. “Not that I’m complaining.” Her sultry smile didn’t falter.

  “Well, I’ll get some clothes on,” I said. “Hopefully, they’re dry enough.”

  “Yes; that would be nice,” Sean remarked, now standing in a far corner of the room like he was literally trying to stay as far away from us as possible.

  But before I could head off to the bathroom, Fiona wrapped her arms around me and burrowed her head into my bare chest. Her silky hair felt so good against my skin. My heartbeat quickened, and my muscles tensed. I could feel her heartbeat rippling through her body and it made the beast inside me stir and snarl.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said. “I was worried something terrible had happened.”

  “I thought the same about you. I called as soon as I could. I think there are things we need to discuss.” I glanced over at Sean, still standing against the wall. “But not here.”

  Fiona released me from her embrace and gazed up into my eyes. “I have things I need to get off my chest as well,” she said. “No more secrets. We’re in this together. We’re a team.” Then she glanced at Sean too and stepped back from me. “Sean knows…” she said, almost hesitantly. “He knows everything. He’s involved now—actually, he’s been for quite some time.”

  “I know,” I said. “We’ve had a confrontation before.”

  “We have?” Sean asked. “You did something to me, didn’t you? You’re the reason for my blackout. You stole my pictures, didn’t you?”

  I laughed. “Guilty.”

  “It’s not funny!”

  “It’s a little funny. You threatened me with a butcher’s knife.” I turned to Fiona. “He knows what I am?”

  “A vampire? Yeah; I’ve been brought in on the secret.”

  “Which is why it’s funny,” I said, returning my attention to Sean. “You had no idea who you were dealing with. But you had balls, I’ll give you that. Sorry about your pictures. They were quite good.”

  “Can you please put some clothes on now?”

  “I’m going,” I said and marched into the bathroom and closed the door.

  My shirt was mostly dry, but my pants were still damp. At least they were clean and not still dripping all over the floor, so I wasn’t going to complain too much. My short time in the bathroom also provided me with a breather. The fire in my stomach was red hot, and I realized I hadn’t been this hungry in a long time. I didn’t want to risk doing anything to either one of them, even though I wouldn’t feel totally terrible for attacking Sean.

  I stared at myself in the mirror, tightly gripping the countertop—enough to crack the tiles.

  I can do this, I told myself. I’ve done it before and I can do it again. However, there was also a soft voice in my head telling me I had failed before, and I could fail again. The voice was right, but I had to ensure today wouldn’t be one of those failing days.

  I emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. “Is this better?” I asked. “I was letting them dry, though they’re still a little damp.” I glanced over at Sean. “But I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

  “Why didn’t you use a hairdryer?” Fiona asked.

  “I checked. There wasn’t one.”

  “Did you check the closet?” she asked, then looked for herself, and came away with a small hairdryer with the cord coiled around the handle. She smirked at me and offered the small device in smug victory.

  “It’s almost like you planted it in there,” I said, taking a hairdryer, then flinging it onto the bed.

  “You just wanted an excuse to walk around naked.”

  “I don’t need an excuse for that.”

  “Guys, come on…” Sean whined.

  I felt my pulse quickening being so close to both of them again. My fangs were beginning to protrude, and I was unable to hold them back. I tightly closed my mouth and took a few steps away from Fiona.

  “Are you all right?” Fiona asked.

  “Yeah; I just need some room to breathe,” I said.

  “Are those your fangs?” Sean asked, now staring directly at me. “Wow; I still can’t believe this is real. Can I see them?”

  “I don’t go around asking to see parts of your body,” I snapped.

  “Sorry; I’ve just never—”

  I opened my mouth and roared at him, giving him a taste of what a vampire could really do without even having to attack. And it worked because Sean stumbled back into a nightstand,
knocking over the lamp and nearly tumbling to the floor himself. His face was as white as a ghost, his life obviously flashing before his eyes. Luckily for him, I could still rein in my temper and remained in place on the far side of the room.

  “Was that really necessary?” Fiona asked, obviously annoyed.

  “He asked for it,” I said.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you he was coming, but I couldn’t leave him at the motel by himself. He’s still getting used to all this vampire stuff. And besides, I didn’t know if my crappy car could make it all the way here.”

  “What crappy car?” I asked. “What happened to your Land Rover?”

  “Just part of the story we need to talk about,” Fiona said. “I’m a fugitive and Sean’s too afraid to go home since Frederick released him from captivity.”

  “So, where’s safe for you right now?” I asked.

  “Nowhere the Society knows about. But Vladimir, he helped me. He’s on your side and putting in a good word for me. But until I hear from him, I’m supposed to stay off the grid. So, I’m staying away from my two homes, not using credit cards, not using the Land Rover—staying hidden for now.”

  I turned my attention to Sean now back on his feet, pretending like nothing had happened. “Frederick was holding you as a hostage and simply let you go?”

  He nodded. “There was an arrangement he’d made with Fiona.”

  There was so much going on that I didn’t know about. We really did need to start at the beginning, but I didn’t know how long I could remain calm with them in the room when all I could think of was spilling some blood and gulping it down. The hunger was beginning to blind me of the fact I didn’t want to harm them. Why hadn’t I asked Fiona stop at Sisters of Mercy before coming here and bringing me a blood bag from Jack? But I knew why. I didn’t want to admit my weakness to her. And look where my pride had gotten us. I couldn’t afford to take the chance of prolonging this conversation.