“Leave her alone,” I found myself saying without the decision to do so.
The man flinched and turned to me from his knees. He was thin and scruffy. His eyes held something deep, dark, and malevolent. Ruthless. This wasn’t just some desperate homeless person needing money for food. This was a man who would take the woman’s life without any regret. He was evil.
He smiled, his teeth black and missing in spots. “Why don’t you do what’s best for yourself, Blondie, and mind your own business.”
The woman squirmed beneath him, her eyes flooded with tears. The knife pressed into her throat and our eyes met.
“I don’t think so.” I slid my gaze to the man, my hands fisting at my sides. It was all I could do to hold back the pulsing rage inside of me.
The man laughed, his voice raspy and raw. A car alarm sounded off somewhere in the distance. “What? Do you want in on the action, Blondie? You want to take the place of this tramp?” He pressed the blade further into her neck, drawing a drop of blood.
Rage engrossed me. I clenched my teeth, my fangs biting into my lower lip. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The man chuckled at me.
“I’ll give you a choice,” he said, his hands shaking dangerously. Fear jetted through me that he would accidentally cut her before he meant to. He rasped his next words. “You can walk away now and pretend you never saw anything. Or you can join us and I will kill both you and the tramp. What do you say?”
The woman whimpered under the pressure of the weapon. Her gaze pleaded me not to leave her. I gave her a reassuring nod, implying she would be okay.
“No.” I took one step closer. “I will give you a choice.” The wind blew through the alley, whipping my hair around my face. Bravery I never knew before coursed through me, reinforcing my motives. “You can let her go and turn yourself in. Or, I can kill you with my bare hands.”
At my threat, the criminal’s brows shot straight up and after one long moment, he burst into psychotic laughter. “What’re you going to do Rapunzel, strangle me with your hair?” His little quip burned through my veins, but he turned away from me and leaned over the woman, his mouth against her ear. “Don’t worry, darlin.’ This will only hurt for a minute.”
In the time it takes someone to blink, and before the man could take another breath, I had him slammed into the wall, holding him up off the ground by his neck. Despite my rage, I smiled wide to make sure he saw my fangs. His eyes enlarged with fear and his chest shook with the effort to breathe.
The woman scrambled along the ground, holding her hand to her neck. I addressed her calmly. “Get somewhere safe. And call the police station. Tell them to be expecting someone very soon.”
She shifted her gaze back and forth from me to the man. I sensed her fear. It billowed off her in waves like ink in water.
“Go!” I yelled. She nodded and stumbled out of the alleyway, leaving Mr. Charming and me all alone. I turned my attention to him as he sputtered and gasped for air. I lowered my voice to a whisper.
“No, I will not strangle you with my hair. But I can sink my fangs into your neck and drain the blood from your body. But not all of it, no. Only enough to keep you aware of your body shutting down. Aware of how death feels as it creeps up on you. And then I can leave you all alone to ponder your life. To think about all the hurt you’ve caused others.” The man whimpered, his mouth open like a fish out of water. The vein in his neck throbbed.
“Do you know what dying feels like?” I asked, fury tearing through my body. But my voice came out even and calm, belying my ire. Because of my experience of dying, I’d have thought I’d never wish death on another human being. But in that moment, I wasn’t so sure.
He shook his head. It took all I had not to kill him right then and there, my hands shaking with rage. But I was no murderer and I couldn’t let my vampire instincts take over. I struggled to keep control.
“Good.” I spotted a piece of tattered rope on the ground. “Because if the way you smell is any indication of how you taste, I wouldn’t even want to try it.”
I let go of his neck and snatched up the rope, then grabbing him hard by the shoulders. He gasped and coughed. “I hope you enjoy prison food.”
I rushed both of us through town to the Bisbee Police Department. The street was empty and, as usual, there was nothing going on. I was glad. I couldn’t let anyone see me this way. And God forbid I see anyone I knew— it was very likely in such a small town.
I dropped the villain to the ground and stood over him on the front steps of the station. Again, I bared my fangs to him and he cried out. I smirked at his reaction, surprising myself with my boldness. I leaned down and dragged him to a flagpole standing out front. I took each of his arms and bound them to the steel pole with the rope. He tried to wriggle backwards, but I held him steady.
“I can’t have you running away, now can I?”
“Please,” he whined. “Please. No.”
“Don’t worry, Darlin’.” I tugged on the rope to make sure of my work and then got to my knees next to him. “This will only hurt for a minute.”
I punched him hard, knocking him out cold. My eyes went wide with shock. I’d hit him harder than I intended. Luckily, he still breathed. I gave him one last disgusted glance before rushing off into the darkness.
I waited in the shadows, hoping the woman had called the station. Sure enough, seconds later, three officers bounded through the doors to find the man limp on the ground. They glanced around and I ducked back farther. Seeing nothing, they undid the rope and handcuffed him, then dragged him inside. I wiped my hands on my pants, as though to wipe the dirtiness of the criminal off. My arms trembled and my heart thudded. I couldn’t believe what I’d just done. I couldn’t believe my own strength or the rage that accompanied it. It was foreign to me. I didn’t feel like myself. But I was me. Only a stronger, scarier version.
I let myself fall against the side of a building, panting. Oh my God, I was out of control. Yes, I’d saved the woman’s life, but fear struck me at how close I’d been to killing that man. I was coming to realize I could kill anyone at any time, with the greatest of ease. I was a monster. I wondered what mom and dad would think of me now— their sweet little daughter with fangs and claws and the temper of an enraged bull.
But that thought brought me back to the task at hand— my family. How could I allow myself to go near them again? I’d already killed one vampire and now I’d been so close to killing a human as well. I wasn’t sure I could justify putting my family in danger like that.
My brain struggled with itself, my conscience trying to talk me out of going home. I wondered if I could control myself. Of course, I’d like to believe I’d never harm my family. But how did I know for sure that my primal instinct wouldn’t rear its ugly head and make me do terrible things to them? I shook my head, uncertainty running through me.
A dog barked somewhere nearby and the wind picked up speed. No, I needed to go. I needed to see for myself that they were safe and well, even if it meant lurking in the shadows at a safe distance. I sighed deeply and, willing up the energy to do so, bolted through the town, heading east.
I zigzagged through roadways and alleys, the wind stinging my skin, the chill of rushing air prickling my arms and face. Finally reaching the end of our lane, I came to an abrupt halt. The streetlights cast their hazy glow, showing smooth asphalt beneath.
It was an eerie sensation going back there. A tingling I couldn’t quite place rushed through my body. Everything was the same. The same row of shrubbery lined the streets. The same cars were parked out in front of their homes. The same smell of orange trees hung in the air. But it was different somehow, as though without me, life had gone on as usual. But oddly enough, I thought I sensed my parents’ heartache throbbing deep in my chest, even from this distance. They would never be the same. I would never be the same.
The lights from the little two-story townhomes flickered on, the people within settling in to watch the nightly news
or having their nighttime snack. A car drifted by, the sound of it more intense than I remembered a car ever sounding. I could hear each pebble, each grain of dirt crunching beneath the rubber. The person inside glanced out their window at me, their face twisting oddly. Their eyes went wide as if seeing a ghost.
My heart dropped to my feet.
It was my father.
EIGHTEEN: GUY
I paced the dark motel parking lot and checked my watch; it flashed Eleven p.m. I had about six hours until sunrise. I needed to act fast if I were to find Ruby before she was turned into vampire toast— not to mention all the trouble she could get herself into before then. If FUSE found her before I did, I’d have a lot of explaining to do. It would mean my job, and quite possibly, my life.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I stared at the blank screen and powered it on. I had turned it off after taking Ruby to the mission, knowing I could be tracked, but now I needed it. It was risky, but I had to find Ruby and I had a feeling I knew where she was. I took a deep breath and dialed.
“This is Kemp,” the soldier said on the other line.
I sighed with relief. It was my intelligence officer, Todd Kemp. He was the closest thing I had to a friend. If anyone could help me, he could.
“Todd. I need you to do something for me.” A neon light flickered above, making the scene surreal and dreamlike. A moment of silence passed.
“Captain Stone? Thank God you’re okay. No one at headquarters has seen you for days. We were beginning to think you’d gone MIA.”
I took a calming breath and steeled myself for the lie I was about to tell. “I’m fine. Just need to take a few personal days. A family matter.”
A rumbling motorcycle pulled into the motel parking lot, making it hard for me to hear.
Picking up on this, Todd asked, “Sir, Where are you?”
“That doesn’t matter.” The motorcycle rider parked his vehicle a few spaces away and turned off its engine. He nearly fell off his bike, wavering drunk. He stumbled into the motel bar. My eyes lingered after him. “What matters is, I need your help.”
Todd fell silent for a moment, registering what I’d said. “Uh… Of course, Captain. What do you need?”
“I need you to find the address of someone belonging to this name in Bisbee, Arizona. Ruby Carter. Female. About… eighteen years old.”
“Hang on.”
The clicking of computer keys came through the speaker. Then a pause.
“Here it is. Um… Ruby Carter. Bisbee, Arizona. Age seventeen.”
My heart lifted. “That’s it.”
“Um… Captain…” Todd hesitated. “Says here the person in question is deceased.”
I was taken aback, but only momentarily. Most humans-turned-vampires weren’t marked as dead. A lot of them, especially teens, were tagged as missing or as runaways. But of course, Ruby was deceased. She’d told me about the car accident. It made sense now. But that offered me another question.
“Are there any police reports attached to that name?”
More clicking through the phone. “Nope. Just a coroner’s report and death certificate. The report states that she died from the impact of a car crash, and from the heat of an explosion. The body was unable to be autopsied due to being completely incinerated.”
I frowned, finding the information strange. “Was there a memorial?”
“Not that I see here. But I can look more into it for you.”
“No, that’s fine.”
I’d never come across a situation like this before. According to Todd, all of the reports were cut and dry. She’d died, being incinerated in the accident. But I knew that wasn’t the case, for I’d seen her with my own eyes, touched her body with my own hands. I supposed it was the only likely outcome the police could agree upon when unable to find her remains…
But that brought me to the conclusion that her maker was very clever, and fast, probably sneaking her body away from the wreck before it exploded. It hadn’t just been a random decision or afterthought, there was too much detail involved. It had to have been perfectly timed and placed. I shook my head from the thought. I was no private investigator. I was a FUSE Captain who would likely lose his job, and life, if I didn’t clean up the mess I’d made.
“And the address?” I asked.
“Okay. The address is 8344 East Sunbrook Lane. Major cross roads are Highland and Park.”
I knew the location of the neighborhood. It was a very small town, and since having a temporary FUSE headquarters set up in Bisbee, I’d studied it relentlessly. I knew it like the back of my own hand.
“Perfect.”
I went to hang up but Todd stopped me. “Wait, Sir. Are you all right?”
I scrubbed my face with my hand. “Yes. Like I said, family matters.” The neon sign above me buzzed, adding to the growing anxiety in my stomach. I didn’t have much time. “Listen, Kemp…”
“Yeah?” Todd replied.
“If General Brandt calls, tell him I needed a few personal days. That is all. Keep this conversation to yourself. It’s confidential.”
“Sure. Of course.”
“Great.” I dropped my cell phone to the ground and crushed it with my boot. I’d get a new one once all this was over. I couldn’t chance being tracked. Especially now, with what I’d done. Abandoning my soldiers. Helping an Unfortunate escape. Committing a robbery. I barely had time to regret my treasonous decisions when my eyes landed on the lone motorcycle sitting next to me. That would be one more tick on my list of criminal activities. I shrugged, making my way to my new bike.
Unfortunately the owner of the bike hadn’t been drunk enough to leave his keys in the ignition. I shifted my gaze across the dingy motel and saw what I needed. I went to the wall and ripped a light from the adobe, leaving a large hole there reminiscent of Ruby’s knob-breaking skills. Sparks shot from the building and wires hung from the sconce in my hand. I took out my pocketknife and clipped off a small portion of wire.
“Now for some wheels.” I climbed atop the Harley. With little effort, I rigged my wires to the connector of the bike. I flipped the ignition switch and smiled when it roared in response. I guess my hotwire training hadn’t been useless after all.
I attached my pack to the back of the bike and lifted the kickstand. Realizing there was no helmet, I slid on a pair of dark sunglasses to shield my eyes for the ride. I could already tell this was going to be a long night.
~*~
I roared down the highway, heading east toward Ruby’s house. I wasn’t worried about finding her. She’d be there. That was where all the Newborns went. Home.
It was quite sad really, because they didn’t understand. They couldn’t comprehend that their families wouldn’t want them anymore. Not with what they’d become. I’d seen it a hundred times, and mostly we’d catch them before they scared the daylights out of their unassuming families. But, on the rare occasion they did make it home to reveal their new selves to their loved ones, we had to do major damage control.
We’d call our associates, the Unfortunates who worked for us, to come in and erase their memories. Certain vampires had that special ability and those were the ones most useful to us. But being an associate with FUSE was like being a prisoner. I hoped to God that wouldn’t happen with Ruby. I still found myself wondering why I cared.
But there was something about her, something making me want to— no, need to protect her. And that something must’ve been pretty big for me to change my entire life around.
In the span of a few days, I’d gone from being a devout Captain in the FUSE army, solidly loyal to my revenge, to nothing more than a traitor. I’d begun to question my own morals and loyalties. And now, instead of killing Ruby as I should have, I was on my way to help her. I released a wry laugh. Oh well, there’s no going back now.
I took a hairpin curve in the road and flew through a red light. Desert bushes and cactus flashed by me in a blur, bringing my attention to my location. I slowed the mo
torcycle to a crawl when I found the eastside neighborhood, a quaint little suburban community with Spanish-style two-story homes, one right after the next. The street lamps cast a dull glow onto the pavement and I pulled off into a visitor parking area.
I didn’t want to get too close too soon and scare her or her family. I needed to treat this situation delicately. I needed to get Ruby back and take her somewhere safe. Somewhere she could be with others like her and not fear for her life. Then I could go back to work as usual and try to forget about this whole fiasco.
I walked down one street and then another. I scanned the house numbers, recalling Ruby’s address my intelligence officer had given me. But I stopped dead in my tracks. There, about six houses down, I saw Ruby. She stood on the sidewalk in front of the house with the tire swing.
I tried to ignore the pull she had on me, but my heart squeezed in my chest at her beautiful form, a vision of pure perfection. She held something in her hands and gazed down at it longingly. Her platinum hair hung in long curls down her back and fluttered in the cool night breeze. Her delicate arms trembled.
And in that moment, I realized just how much I was attracted to her, but my former self would’ve laughed over the idea of a human finding a vampire desirable. Yes, she was still a woman and I a man, but the whole I-will-suck-your-blood thing made the situation rather complicated.
What was I thinking? Of course, it would be complicated. More than complicated. Impossible. It would be different if I were just some normal guy, a school teacher or something. But I was one of the most influential officers in the Faction of Unfortunate Souls Elimination. I was her enemy. The government had put their trust in me and I’d vowed my undying loyalty to their cause. My cause.
I shrugged off my crazy musings and took a step forward. I must complete my mission, and then get back to headquarters. But before I even had time to finish that thought, Ruby collapsed on the ground, shoulders shaking silently.
Unfortunate Souls (Book 1): Unfortunate Souls Series (The Unfortunate Souls Series) Page 11