"Mom! Dad! Can you hear me? Are you there? It's Olivia." I heard a click. The phone had been hung up. I broke into a cold sweat. Something was wrong. I felt terror rising inside of me. I ran back across the parking lot and got in the car. I pulled the car out of the lot as fast as I could.
The tires screeched as I took a sharp right turn. A few blocks away I forced myself to slow down.
I couldn't get stopped by the cops. I wished I could go to them for help but I knew they'd think I was nuts. "You see officer, it seems my parents and I may be in trouble from a band of mad scientists and religious nuts, and I slept with a vampire and was bitten by another, my friend has been hijacked to an estate in Italy, I ran into a pervert in the Jersey barrens who is really the Jersey Devil, and oh yeah I smell dead people and desire wild sex all the time."
A feeling of dread seeped into my soul and I made myself take some deep breaths. I needed to calm down. I needed to help my parents first. I could have hysterics later. I was only a few minutes from home. I was glad that they lived on the outskirts of town on a few acres, wooded lot. They loved it there. My Mom had her big garden and Dad liked the small animals that ventured into the yard. We always joked how he fed the whole forest, he had a bird feeder, deer feeders and fed squirrels, rabbits and anything else that was hungry. My heart constricted to think of them in danger.
I pulled into the driveway. There were no lights on in the house. It seemed quiet. I looked around but didn't see any cars nearby. My stomach started doing somersaults again and I thought for minute that I was going to be sick again. I took a few deep breaths to settle myself Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 90 of 172
and reached under the seat for the gun. I got out of the car and didn't even try to hide the gun in my hand. I walked up the steps to the front door. I turned the knob and the door opened. I stepped inside. It was quiet. Something wasn't right. I debated whether I should call for them but thought better of it. To my left was the living room and I could see from here it was empty.
On my right was the dining room, which was also empty. I walked down the short hallway to the kitchen with the gun in my outstretched hand. I pushed open the kitchen door and stepped in. Empty. Not only that, but there was nothing cooking on the stove. No dishes in the sink. A nauseating feeling exploded in the pit of my stomach. I backed up and went back out the kitchen door. I went over to the stairs near the front door. I stood there for a minute. I didn't want to go up there. I felt frozen to the spot. I forced my legs to move. It felt as if each leg weighed a thousand pounds. I walked on leaden legs down the hall to my parents' room. I stood for a minute outside the closed door with my eyes shut tight, trying to calm my churning stomach. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it. At the same instant that the door swung open, it hit me what felt wrong when I first stepped in the house. An intense sweet scent filled the entire house.
Chapter 18
The door swung open and I wanted to take it back. I didn't want to walk into the bedroom. I didn't want to see what was in there. I forced myself to take a step forward. I collapsed onto my knees, "Nooooooo, God please noooooo."
I wailed. My stomach twisted and I heaved. I crawled to the corner of the room and threw up.
My body continued to be rocked by convulsions but I made myself crawl to the side of the bed.
I needed to see them; they were my parents. I pulled my shaking body up on my Mom's side of the bed. An image of Sunday morning came to me. It was the one day my parents would sleep in. And every Sunday I would sneak into this room and try my best to crawl into the bed with them without waking them up.
Of course both of them would be awake from the minute I opened the door. I would grab the end of the blanket and pull myself up and with flailing arms and legs would crawl over Mom and plop myself between the two of them. They worked very hard trying not to laugh. And every Sunday without fail Dad would stretch and yawn and say, "Oh my goodness Olive Oil, have you been there all night?" Olive Oil was his nickname for me.
Now as I pulled myself up, I saw Mom staring with unseeing eyes at the ceiling. Her throat had been slit. Blood spread out on the pillow underneath her head. It had turned her salt and pepper hair a reddish shade.
With a strange detachment, I noted her favorite white eyelet sheets that she had for years and loved were probably ruined. I bet they would never come clean. I crawled over Mom and saw Dad too was staring at the ceiling. His throat had also been slit. I tried to lay myself between them and saw their hands were clasped. The tears started flowing. I raised their entwined hands and ducked under them and lay there with their arms wrapped around me. I lay there Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 91 of 172
sobbing and thinking about Sunday morning and Olive Oil so I never heard him enter the bedroom.
"Welcome Miss Sherman. It's so nice to see the whole Sherman family reunited once more." At the sound of the voice, my head shot up. It was the bad guy on the right from my kidnapping the other day. I think my mind may have snapped because in a surprisingly calm voice I asked him, "You know, the last time we met, I didn't catch your name."
He looked surprised at my question but answered, "Well, let me rectify the situation by properly introducing myself. My name is Evan Sebastian."
I looked around, "Is your troll with you?" He smiled, "Rest assured Miss Sherman he is close by."
I still had the gun gripped in my hand. I didn't think he could see it. I tried to make sure that I didn't do anything that would draw attention to it.
He continued speaking, "I really wish it hadn't come to this. I was hoping that you would see things from our point of view. But sadly, we know you won't cooperate and that means that you must be eliminated with the rest of the abominations that walk the earth."
I listened to his calm condemnation of people who were different from what he was and had to give reason one last shot. "Who made you God? How can you judge who should live. No one should do that. I've met some of these people and they are kind and decent."
He laughed, "Kind and decent? You have no idea what they are capable of. Did you ever ask your precious Mr. Valente if he's ever killed humans before? No? Well I can tell you he has. We keep files on the different species and your vampire has taken more human lives than any other vampire that we have a file on."
"More lives than you?" I asked.
"This was unfortunate. I didn't want to have to kill your parents but they wouldn't cooperate. I wanted them to help me convince you to join us."
"Your mind is twisted. How can you justify your killing as being righteous and good?"
"Because we want the world to be pure, the way it was meant to be. God created man and then woman. He didn't create vampires, werewolves and Sensays."
"But you are not God. You don't have the right to say how this world should be structured. You have to believe that all things created on this earth have their purpose." I was trying to reason with him but saw that instead he had became more agitated. "A purpose? And what would that be Miss Sherman? Would it be so that these creations can fuck each other and make new and more disturbing abominations?"
He walked closer to the bed and his eyes looked feverish and his next words made my blood run cold in my veins, "We know you slept with them Olivia. There were signs of it all over the Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 92 of 172
hotel room in Philly. Of course we'll get more information out of Mr. Sandstrom when we interrogate him later."
Evan smiled at me then, "That was rather heartless of you to leave him there, unprotected while he slept."
"How did you find us? I didn't use any phones or credit cards?" I wanted to know how these guys always seemed to know where I was.
"We are not without resources. Our members are strong and many. We have people in all walks of life that are always willing to assist us. Policeman, government officials, and even some of your own kind."
Evan looked out the window at the s
etting sun. "I believe we're done talking. I am not a fool to stand here and talk while your 'friends' wake and come for you." He opened his jacket and pulled out a knife. Without a doubt I knew that it was the same knife that had slit open the throats of my Mom and Dad. That thought made me see everything through a red haze. It was like a veil of red had dropped in front of my eyes.
Keeping my hand with the gun concealed, I pushed myself farther upright. "You, Mr. Sebastian, are a fool to think that because I am a woman that I'm waiting for someone to come rescue me." I pulled my hand out from under the blankets and fired. I kept squeezing the trigger long after the gun was empty and Evan had fallen to the floor. I dropped the gun and lay back down on the bed. I knew that Evan's troll, having heard the gunshots, was probably on his way. I didn't care. If I was going to die, then it would be best if it was right here with the people I loved.
I heard someone enter the room, "All I ask is when you kill me you do it right here and leave us be." I said in a dull voice.
"Ohhhh, piccolina you are not going to die this day and I sure as hell am not leaving here without you." I shot upright on the bed. "Roberto!" Roberto ran over to the bed and scooped me up into his arms, "Dio Santo! Olivia! I thought I had lost you. When I heard the gunshots I was across the meadow and I could not run fast enough."
With me in his arms he left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. He strode into the living room and set me on the sofa. "We need to hurry and get out of here before either more Guardians arrive or the police. But I need to make sure you're okay."
"I'm okay." I protested, as he looked me over. "Did they hurt you at all? Did they even lay one finger on you?"
"No." I began to weep. "Roberto ... my parents...."
"I know piccolina. I know. And they will pay for this." His voice was like steel. "But right now we need to get moving. Juan is waiting for us on the other side of the woods." He stood up and Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 93 of 172
again lifted me into his arms. I started to protest but he said, "We can move faster this way."
He started for the door, but I stopped him. "Let me down one second, I need to grab something." He looked reluctant but did as I asked. I ran over to the desk in the corner and picked up a photo of me and my parents on the day that I graduated from college. It had been their favorite photo of me.
They said it was because they were so proud of my accomplishments and my choice to work in a field where I helped people find their way back.
But I couldn't help my parents find their way back. They were gone from me forever. Roberto stood behind me. "I'm sorry Olivia, we need to leave." He lifted me gently into his arms again and carried me out of the house. I jumped when I saw a man dressed in black standing in the front yard. Roberto squeezed me a little and said, "It's okay. He's with me." Roberto never said a word to the man, just nodded at him and the guy nodded back.
Roberto took off at an easy run. We ran across the meadow and into a line of trees. I knew these woods. I use to play in here when I was a kid. We were near a small creek when Roberto stopped in his tracks and went still. Taking his lead, I held my breath. He carried me over to an overgrowth of bushes and hid me behind them. "Stay here. No matter what, don't move or say anything." He whispered. He left me then and went off in the direction that we had just come in. I heard a growl and then the sound of a scuffle. I couldn't help myself and crawled around the bush to see if I could see anything. Robert and the troll from the kidnapping were fighting.
The troll had a knife in his hand. He threw himself at Roberto and I had to force myself to stop the scream that was in my throat.
I heard a growl erupt from Roberto and then he leapt into the air and landed behind the troll and grabbed him by the head and easily twisted until there was a horrible cracking sound. The troll's body went limp but Roberto did not let him drop to the ground. Instead I watched in horror as Roberto threw his head back bared his fangs and with a motion that was blurry, sank his teeth into the trolls' neck. When Roberto was done, he threw the troll on the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and began to walk towards me. Something inside me snapped and it felt like my brain shut down. I could see and hear the sounds around me but it's as if I couldn't process any of it. Roberto stopped in front of me. He bent down and said, "I told you not to come out. Come on."
I stayed in my kneeling position with my head poking around the bush. Roberto sighed and grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger and forced my eyes up to his.
"Sonofabitch! Olivia, look at me." I could hear his words but they seemed as if they were coming from the other side of a long tunnel. Roberto scooped me up and began to run. He ran fast and the woods sped by us. I was aware and at the same time unaware of my surroundings.
We broke out of the line of trees and on the side of the road there was a dark SUV waiting for us. Juan jumped out and opened the door for Roberto.
Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 94 of 172
"Is she okay?" Juan asked with worry in his voice.
"I think she's in shock. Let's get her in the car." Roberto said.
Juan ran around to the other side and got behind the wheel. When Roberto and I were in the backseat he said, "Go. Do you have any idea what to do for someone who is in shock?"
Juan glanced back in to mirror, "I think you're supposed to loosen their clothes."
"Juan! I'm serious here." Roberto snapped.
"So am I. I had a first aid course some years back. And man I wouldn't try to snake on your woman like that. At least not when she was in this condition," he added. With me still lying in Roberto's arms, Roberto opened the zipper of my leather pants and lifted up my t-shirt. When he saw the white tube top he muttered, "Fucking Leeds." He grabbed the edge of the tube top and ripped it down the middle. Then he carefully lowered my shirt back down. He stroked my hair and murmured softly to me, "No one will hurt you Olivia, you will be all right."
"Where the hell was Alex?" Roberto asked Juan. At the mention of Alex's name I snapped back into myself.
"Oh my God Roberto! The Guardians have Alex. Evan told me before I shot him."
"Goddamnit," Juan said from the front seat. Roberto asked, "Did he say anything else?"
"No, but Roberto, it was my fault. We were at a hotel in Philly. We stayed there because Alex was shot and had lost a lot of blood. I woke up around noon. I was confused and I left. I left him there during the day with no protection." I confessed.
Roberto and Juan exchanged a look. Juan looked at me with disgust.
"It's not your fault piccolina. If you had been there they would have gotten you both." Roberto stated matter of factly.
"Oh Roberto. I'm so sorry, we need to find him. We can't just leave him in their hands. Do you have any idea where they would take him?"
"No. And even if we did we have no way of knowing if he's still alive."
I felt a light breeze blow over my skin, even though the window wasn't open or the air conditioner on. I closed my eyes and breathed deep. My mind felt calm and clear.
"He's still alive." I whispered. Roberto shook his head, "You can't know that Olivia."
"He's still alive. But he's in pain." I said in a calm voice. Roberto face became like a mask of granite.
Scent of a Vampire – Jude Stephens
Page 95 of 172
"I think I can find him Roberto. I don't know how. But I have a feeling deep inside that I can."
"We will talk about it when we get you somewhere safe." He said in a clipped tone.
I didn't understand the undertone of anger in his voice. We drove for a few hours maybe more.
I dozed off a couple of times only to wake up to terrible nightmares that always ended with visions of my parents in their bed. Each time I awoke from one of those nightmares, Roberto was holding me, whispering soothing words to me. I came fully awake when the car stopped.
We were in a wooded area and I could hear water lapping a
t a shore nearby.
"Where are we?" I asked drowsily. Juan answered, "On the shore of Lake Ontario, near Oswego County."
Roberto added, "This is one of my homes. We will be safe here. Juan will be staying and by morning there will be some day guards here."
I nodded and followed them into the house. It was nice. Kind of like a summer home at the beach. Of course being a vampires' house the windows were tightly shuttered. Roberto led me down a long hallway to a bedroom. The room was bright and airy but I had to suppress a shudder when I looked at the white coverings on the bed. Roberto noticed and came over and took my hand and led me over to the bed to sit down.
"We need to talk Olivia. What happened tonight was horrific and I want you to know that no matter what, we will have vengeance against those who did this."
"Oh Roberto, it was awful. I know I'm still in shock. But I'm also fucking angry at those Guardian bastards. And the anger is easier to deal with than the pain. I want to go after Alex. I can't let them hurt anyone else I care about." The pained look was back on his face again. It took my addled brain a second to realize what I had just said. I took Roberto's hand in mine. "I will be honest with you, last night with Alex; I had certain feelings for him. He is a handsome, kind man. He also makes me laugh and has a sense of humor not unlike my own."
Roberto stood and walked over to the window but since it was shuttered he turned and chuckled, "You haven't lost your knack for being rough on my manhood I see." I stood up and walked over to him. I wrapped my arms around him.
He asked in a quiet voice, "Did you sleep with him Olivia?" He grabbed me roughly and pulled me into his arms. "Did he kiss you like this?" he asked before his mouth came down on mine and his tongue slid into the warmth of my mouth. He wedged a leg between mine so I was riding his muscular thigh. "Did he make you wet Olivia? Did you come in his mouth in sweetness like you did mine?" His hands were everywhere. Roaming over my aching breasts, between my legs, on my ass.
"Let me love you Olivia. Let me erase his kisses from your mind. Let me leave my mark on you.
Scent of a Vampire Page 14