Blood Hunt

by Christopher Buecheler

  “It’s true,” Rhes said, his voice filled with mock seriousness.

  “You guys are weird. Can I watch TV?”

  “Do you have any homework?” Sarah asked.

  “No, I already did my French in study hall.”

  “OK. I’m going to need your help later though, to clean this place up. We’re going to have a visitor late tonight, after you go to bed, and I want the house to look neat. Rhes can’t really move, so it’s up to us.”

  “No problem.” Molly replied.

  “Sarah, can you help me stand up?” Rhes asked. She did, and he shuffled toward the hallway that led to the downstairs bathroom.

  “Is he OK?” Molly asked.

  “Doctor says he’ll be fine.”

  “Cool. Who’s coming over tonight?”

  “A friend of Two’s who might be able to help her. I don’t want you staying up, Molly. You’ve got school in the morning. I don’t think he’ll be here long anyway.”

  “I promise I’ll go right to bed … if we can have pizza for dinner.”

  Sarah stuck her tongue out at Molly. “You’ll go right to bed whether we have pizza or not, but I’ve got no objections. Ask Rhes when he gets back, but you know he’ll say yes.”

  “Yay!” Molly cried, an excitement in her voice that only teenagers, and occasionally full-grown men, could muster over pizza.

  Sarah heard Molly turn on the television and begin flipping through the channels. She smiled, stretched, and headed for the kitchen to get a drink. She knew it must still be light out, if Molly was just getting home, but that sunset would come shortly, and with it would come danger. She hoped Jakob’s guards were as good as he’d claimed, and she hoped that all of this nonsense would be over with soon; she had a wedding to plan.

  * * *

  “I don’t think we should tell him about Tori,” Sarah said. They were sitting in the living room, waiting for Jakob to arrive. The house was clean, the pizza leftovers put away, and Molly was in bed. Jake was out in the yard, happily gnawing on a piece of rawhide. Neither Rhes nor Sarah were sure how he would react to Jakob’s presence, and they had felt it best to keep him away from the vampire entirely.

  “Why not?” Rhes asked.

  “Do you remember what he said? He was investigating Two’s house to see ‘if she needed to be hurt or not’ when he ran into us. Tori’s clearly got enough problems of her own already. I don’t want to set someone on her who’ll willingly murder three other vampires without the slightest hesitation.”

  Rhes thought this over. “He might be able to help her more than we can, though.”

  “He might. Or he might chop her up. I’m pretty sure Tori can take care of herself, and I’d rather we tell Two before we tell anyone else. She knows these people better than we do.”

  “You think she’ll know what to do?”

  “She’ll do something, anyway, whether it’s the right thing or not. You know Two. I just don’t want to go making decisions for her.”

  Rhes shrugged. “OK, hon. Your call. Right now we have to worry about ourselves anyway. Supposedly, we’re still in danger.”

  “Do you think they’re watching us right now?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes. Watching the house, anyway. I doubt they’re peering in through the windows or anything.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost eleven. He’ll be here soon.”

  They lapsed into a nervous silence. Sarah was attempting to read. Rhes was watching baseball at a low volume, but not really paying it any attention. Both were waiting for a sign of the vampire’s arrival. It came as a small knock on the front door.

  Rhes took a deep breath and said, “I’ll get it.”

  Jakob was wearing a maroon button-down shirt made of silk, a pair of grey slacks, and a grey sport coat. The clothes were exquisitely tailored and looked surprisingly casual and comfortable. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He smiled as Rhes opened the door.

  “It is good to see you standing, my friend,” Jakob said.

  Rhes laughed. “It’s good to be able to stand. I was a little worried about it last night. Come in.”

  Jakob stepped inside. “Thank you. This is a lovely home. Hello, Sarah.”

  “Hi, Jakob. Your cell phone’s on the table by the door.”

  “Ah, thank you.” Jakob slid the phone into an interior pocket.

  “Can I take your coat?” Rhes asked.

  “No, thank you. I don’t think I’ll be staying long, as I don’t want to keep you awake. Also, I make you nervous. Not that I blame you … it’s unusual for humans to enjoy company of my type.”

  “It depends on the company, I suppose, but you don’t need to rush on our behalf. Have a seat.”

  Rhes sat down on the couch. Sarah remained in her easy chair. Jakob took the other recliner, which faced both of them, and got down to business.

  “Your friend did not return to her apartment last night,” he said. “Until we find out what has happened to her, I would like to keep you under guard.”

  “Are we really still in danger?” Sarah asked.

  “I do not know, which makes it prudent to assume that you are.”

  “Not to look a gift horse in the mouth,” Rhes said, “but why are you protecting us, anyway? Aren’t we basically … food?”

  Jakob laughed. “No, not exactly. I know, like, and respect many humans. Few of them are aware of what I am, of course, but that doesn’t change anything. You are under protection because I choose to protect you. Your friend is responsible for some very significant events in the past year, and there is a great deal of action happening amongst my people.”

  “How do we fit in?”

  “To the best of my knowledge, you don’t. I think you’re innocent and well-intentioned bystanders who’ve been swept up in something that you can’t control and don’t deserve to be punished for. The Burilgi may not even know who you are, which would be the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, until I can determine your status with them, I can’t guarantee your safety without keeping you under guard.”

  “Where are your people?”

  “On the rooftops, mostly, watching the entrances to this building. They will not miss anything, and they will not disturb you in any way unless it is necessary.”

  “What will you do with Two, when you find her?” Sarah asked.

  “I will take her before the council. She is wanted for questioning but not necessarily punishment. There are many who feel that, if anything, she deserves to be rewarded for her actions.”

  “When will you have news?”

  “The next council meeting is on the fourth of October. With any luck, we will have located Two by then.”

  “Can you call us? I mean, you don’t have to tell us any details if you don’t want to. We just want to know if Two’s OK.”

  “I will have someone call you as soon as we know for sure that your friend is alive, and what the council’s judgment is. In the interim, it’s safer for all involved if you have as little contact as possible with Two and the rest of us.”

  Rhes said, “I guess that’s all we can ask. Thank you.”

  “When does this end?” Sarah asked. “When do we get to go back to normal life?”

  “I cannot imagine that it will take more than a week to determine whether the Burilgi harbor any ill intentions. If your friend has been kidnapped, it may take longer to obtain information on her, but I believe you will be able to return to your normal routine within a few days.”

  Sarah nodded. “OK, Jakob. Thank you. Was there anything else?”

  “I have nothing more, except to offer my apologies that you had to become involved in this at all.”

  Rhes smiled. “Not your fault. Our friend dragged us in. You saved our lives.”

  Jakob nodded and rose from his chair. Rhes and Sarah both stood as well and escorted him to the front door, where he said, “Take care, stay inside during the evenings, and I will be in touch as soon as I can.”

 
“Do you believe him?” Rhes asked when the vampire had gone.

  “That we’re safe and that he’ll get us out of this mess? Yeah. Why protect us now if he intends to kill us later? As far as Two goes, I have no idea. It could be he’s lying, and they’re just looking to find her and murder her so she’ll shut up and stop bothering them.”

  “You know, it’s your sense of optimism that I love,” Rhes said, his voice dry.

  “I thought it was my perky tits,” Sarah replied.

  “Those, too.”

  “I’m tired, Rhes. Think you can handle the stairs?”

  “Sleeping on the couch means waking up next to the dog, and sleeping in the bed means waking up next to you. I’ll brave the stairs.”

  “I’m touched,” Sarah said. “You get a head start. I’ll let Jake in, shut off the lights, and meet you upstairs.”

  “Sounds good,” Rhes said. He watched as Sarah headed for the rear of the house, and then turned and began the ascent to their room, grimacing at the pain in his legs and ribs. Eventually he made it to the master bedroom, which faced the rear of the brownstone, its windows looking down on the garden below.

  He heard Sarah come in behind him and he said, “Sit down on the edge of the bed for a minute, hon.”

  “OK …” Sarah’s voice was questioning, but she did what Rhes asked.

  “I wanted to do this right,” Rhes said, walking over to her and dropping to one knee. Sarah realized what was happening and gave him a radiant smile.

  “Sarah Victoria Taylor, I love you and I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?” Rhes asked as he took her left hand.

  “I will,” Sarah said. Rhes slid the ring onto her finger, and let her hand go. He watched as Sarah traced the ring with the fingers of her right hand, feeling the circular center diamond and the two oval stones that flanked it. He understood that she was admiring it – seeing it – in the best way that she could.

  “They’re diamonds in a gold band,” Rhes said.

  “I’m sure it’s beautiful, baby. I wish I could see it, instead of having to imagine.”

  Rhes sat down on the bed next to her, still holding her hand, and Sarah leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “You think we’ll ever have a normal life again?” she asked him.

  “Yes,” he replied without a trace of doubt in his voice.

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because it’s all we really want. We’ll get there. We just have to deal with a few … bumps in the road, first.”

  Sarah laughed. “They’re big bumps.”

  “No kidding. Sarah, do you remember how last year Sid offered to make me a partner if I’d help him open a second bar, and I turned him down, and you got pissed about it?”

  “Yes. I told you I was sorry. I just—”

  “No, you were right. I’m ready to run a place, and avoiding the responsibility just because it’s easy to keep living on our salaries and letting Two cover the expensive stuff is the wrong thing to do.”

  Sarah was quiet. Rhes knew she agreed with what he was saying, but also understood that she wanted him to express it himself. He continued.

  “We’re going to get married, and start … well, we’ve already started a family, I guess, but there’s going to be a baby eventually too, and I have no idea what’s going to happen to Two. I can’t count on her money, and even if I could, it’s not what I want to do. I want to know that my family can depend on me. I’m not expecting you to quit your job or anything, but I have the opportunity to go into business with a guy who’s already shown he can make a shitload of money in the industry. I want to take it, for us.”

  Sarah put her arms around him, squeezed gently, kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so glad! You’ll be great, and I’ll have to worry less about some drunk jackass stabbing you, or something.”

  “Yeah, now you can just worry about me having a heart attack or something from the stress.”

  “You’ll be fine. Rhes, seriously, I think this is great and you’ll be terrific at it. But if it’s not what you really want …”

  “It’s what I really want. Promise. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I already told Sid I was going to talk to you about it.”

  Sarah kissed him again, this time on the lips, and said, “You know … they say the best sex you’ll ever get is on the night you propose.”

  “What about the people who save it for marriage?”

  “Guess they’re missing out.”

  Rhes took the edges of Sarah’s T-shirt and pulled it up over her head, tossing it on the ground. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and he cupped her breasts as he kissed the place where her neck met her shoulder. Sarah shivered and put her hands in his hair.

  “So you’re saying that broken ribs or not, this is totally going to be worth it,” he said.

  “I’ll be gentle,” Sarah told him.

  Rhes laughed, pushed her softly onto her back, held her hands in his, crossed above her head, and kissed her.

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” he said.

  * * *

  It took three days for the vampires to contact them again. Living under guard was surprisingly stressful; Rhes and Sarah never saw any of Jakob’s people, but they could sense being watched during the night. Attempting to go about their normal lives was more difficult than it sounded.

  In the end, they realized there was little they could do but wait. Rhes’s boss, Sid, had been thrilled to hear that Rhes was ready to take on an increased role in the business and told him to take as much time as needed to heal. Sarah had returned to work, teaching her kids three days a week. Molly, largely oblivious to what was going on, had continued to live the life of a thirteen-year-old girl, or as near to it as one who had been through so much could live.

  The phone call came shortly after dusk on the fourth night after the incident at Two’s apartment. Sarah answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Sarah Taylor?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “I am a friend of Jakob’s. He asked me to call you.” The voice on the phone was female, and Sarah wondered if it might be the same woman who had driven them to the hospital.

  “Oh, OK.”

  “Your friend Two is alive and well. She has come under the care of one of our council members and shouldn’t be in further danger. She has been informed that you are safe as well, and understands that it is not in your best interests to see her at this time. She may contact you at some later date, after her issues with the council have been resolved.”

  “When will she—”

  “I can’t speak for your friend or for the council. I can only relay the information given me. We are working with the Burilgi to exonerate you of any guilt related to the incident in her apartment on Monday. When this is accomplished, and Jakob thinks it will be very soon, you will be notified and your guards removed.”

  “OK, but what about—”

  “I’m very sorry, but I don’t have any other information at this time. The council hasn’t met, so there’s been no judgment.”

  “Listen, we went looking for Two for a reason. she has a friend in Ohio, a girl who used to be a vampire, and—”

  “The council is well aware of Ms. Perrault and is investigating her situation. Please do not trouble yourselves with it any further. We will call again when we know more. Goodbye.”

  There was a click, and Sarah was left holding a dead receiver. She returned it to its cradle and sat for a moment on the couch, processing what she had been told.

  “Who was that?” Rhes asked from the kitchen.

  “Friend of Jakob’s.”

  He came into the room, curious. “What’d he say?”

  “She. And … not much. Two is OK, and has been told not to contact us because it might endanger us, I guess. They’re working on the other thing, so we can stop being watched. And they already know about Tori.”

  “Ah. Well, great.” Rhes sat down next to her and took her
hand. She leaned against his shoulder.

  “She wouldn’t let me ask any questions. I tried, but she just cut me off.”

  “Was she rude?”

  “Not really, just businesslike. I think it might’ve been the woman who drove us to the hospital. That would make sense, if she works for Jakob.”

  “Could be a girlfriend.”

  Sarah shrugged. “Could be. Dinner almost ready?”

  “Ten more minutes.”

  “Need any help?”

  “Got it covered. Put pot pie in oven, set table, sit and wait for pot pie to become golden and delicious.”

  Sarah smiled. “OK. Molly keeps asking if we’ve picked a date yet. She’s very excited. She wants to be in the wedding party.”

  “So that’d be your sister, and Molly, and Jill from school. Anyone else?”

  Sarah was quiet for a moment and then said, “You know I’d ask Two if I could.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to. I just don’t know if we’ll ever see her again, or – if we do – whether she’ll be able to go out in the sunlight anymore.”

  “Ouch, yeah, I hadn’t even thought about that. Well … that’s Two’s choice. It’s way out of our hands at this point.”

  “Yeah. Rhes, I want to ask Molly about the other thing. Adopting her. She’s never asked about it … maybe she’s scared to, but I think it’s what she wants. We should find out for sure.”

  “OK. You sure you want a teenage daughter? You’re young enough to be her sister.”

  “I’m positive. What about you?”

  “Can’t imagine life without her at this point. I love the kid.”

  “Me, too.”

  “All right. Then we’ll ask her at dinner … which should be just about ready. So if you’ll kindly remove your head from my shoulder, I’ll go finish things up.”

  Sarah smiled, doing as he asked. As Rhes headed for the kitchen, she stood and went to tell Molly that dinner was ready.

  * * *

  “Ohmigod … YES!”

  Molly’s eyes were wide and sparkling with joy. Sarah had expected a positive response, but it was gratifying to hear the girl’s feelings expressed so emphatically. They hadn’t beaten around the bush at dinner. After talking for a few minutes about the events of the day, Sarah had simply turned to Molly and said, “When Rhes and I get married, we’d like to adopt you. Would that be OK?”