The Cure

by Loren Schechter

  Hector took a step toward him. “We can’t just sit in a Rhode Island motel until they find us. Don’t you and Edna have a plan?”

  “Of course.” Finkelstein spread his hands wide. “Who goes into such plots without a plan?”

  “So what is it?”

  “It doesn’t matter; it’s not working.”

  “Well don’t just send me off to breakfast like I’m a little kid. What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry. I thought you had enough on your mind and heart with Arvin.” Finkelstein shook his head. “We thought we’d be halfway back to Idaho by now. Unfortunately, we have a standoff with Dr. Quintz. He refuses to come with us until he sees that his daughter is safe. He knows DHS would rather kill him than let him go with us. We can drag him back to Idaho, but he swears he won’t work on the project if we do that. He wants to go someplace neutral where he can pursue his research.”

  “Wouldn’t DHS let him, if he turns us in?”

  “They’d be afraid he’d still work on a cure or let other scientists know what he’s learned. The government people that do know about us are afraid people will panic once they learn vampires are real. The big mucky-mucks in Washington are even more afraid that scientists will justify our existence by proving what we have is an illness. So their answer is extermination.” Finkelstein’s hands rose momentarily, then dropped to his lap. He blew out a breath and shook his head. “Who would’ve thought the ‘final solution’ would catch on in America? Personally, I feel doubly insulted.”

  “What’s the ‘final solution’?” asked Hector.

  “I just told you – extermination.” He sounded annoyed. “Didn’t you learn anything in World History? Anyway, Dr. Quintz won’t turn us in. He’s gotten to know Bunny as an individual, not as just another fang face. He doesn’t want her or anyone else to die. Even if he did, he’s not going turn us in because he’s afraid we’ll kill his daughter.”

  “For revenge? You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

  “Me?” The vampire’s chin came up and his shoulders straightened. “Certainly not. What kind of monster do you take me for? It’s the Dr. Banefuls of the world that would be happy to kill her. For any reason or no reason at all.” He rose to his feet. “Look, Edna and I are clear that Rose shouldn’t be killed. That would alienate Quintz completely. But Bunny thinks he might work harder on a cure if his daughter were an unhappy vampire. So Edna’s in the midst of delicate negotiations with him. If they don’t go as we hope, our future may depend on whether Kathy can win Rose’s trust at that school in Westwood.”

  Hector rubbed his forehead. “Look, you guys have your problems, but I have mine. What’s going to happen to Kathy and me? Where do we fit into your plans?”

  Finkelstein pointed to Hector’s bed. “Sit down and pay attention.” He paused until Hector complied. “You have no idea how many times I have to say something like this to teenagers. Listen good – the world is not all about you.

  “Bunny, Giuseppe, Edna and I are determined to save vampires all over the world from their fate, which for many of us is worse than death. You and Kathy are just a footnote to history. You’ve been discrete and helped a bit, so Edna and I don’t want to hurt you. As for Bunny or Giuseppe?” He shrugged. “But make no mistake, our cure comes first. Even I won’t hesitate to sacrifice you or your friends to get us closer to that.”

  “Arvin sacrificed himself for me, not for your holy cause,” said Hector. Grief and resentment colored his words.

  “Arvin made a young person’s mistake,” said Finkelstein. “Friendship and love are no less holy, but they don’t change the path of humanity, the direction of history.”

  “I don’t care about that,” said Hector. “Arvin saved me, and I want to save Kathy and Lionel – and myself. If that’s all about us as selfish teenagers, I can live with that. And die with that, if I have to. But believe me, I’m going to put up a fight.”

  Finkelstein nodded. “Understood. But we are not enemies. We both want to improve the world we see. There’s no finer purpose than that.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t kill people who stand in my way. That’s what separates humans from vampires.”

  Finkelstein sighed. “I really do need to speak to your history teacher.”

  38

  Semper Fi

  On the chance that Finkelstein was watching him from the motel window, Hector jogged directly across the road to Wookie’s Family Restaurant, a brick box fronted by a dozen cars and pickup trucks. The curtains inside the front windows were closed, presumably to protect diners from the glare of the morning sun. He put his hand into the pocket of his jeans to make sure the twenty dollar bill that Finkelstein had given him for breakfast was secure. The vampires had returned his wallet with a picture of his family and a phony school ID, but they’d refused to give him money. The crumpled twenty felt like his ticket to freedom.

  A young woman with streaked blonde hair and purple eye shadow greeted him from behind the cashier’s counter. “Good morning. Welcome to Wookie’s. You just one?”

  Hector nodded. “You know how to get to Westwood, Massachusetts?”

  “Never heard of it. You here for breakfast, or do you just want directions?”

  “Both. Anybody here who goes to Massachusetts?”

  “Probably. Don’t you have a GPS on your phone?”

  “Some vampire stole my phone.”

  “You can’t trust anyone, these days.” She reached behind the boxes of candy and gum for a menu. “You want a table or sit at the counter?”

  Hector looked over to the half-dozen men sitting on stools. One of those guys must know where Westwood is. “The counter.”

  He found an empty stool between a gray-haired man in a Red Sox jersey and a younger guy with a buzz cut, a thick neck, and a yellow tee shirt that said Gottlacht Transmissions. The odor of grilled bacon from the kitchen made Hector’s mouth water. No, go easy on the money. Get take-out and go before Fink decides to follow me. He picked up a plastic menu. His stomach growled.

  The extra-large brunette behind the counter was chatting with a man in a dark suit, four stools away. She had a jowly face and a gap-toothed smile. Most of her hair was bunched up under a white cap advertising Bud Lite.

  “Ma’am,” he called.

  She gave him one glance and resumed her conversation with Mr. Suit.

  “You know how to get to Westwood, Massachusetts?” he asked the Red Sox fan.

  The man looked up from his half-eaten stack of pancakes. “Yup. Take 95 North to 93, then route 3. You got business in Westwood?”

  “My girlfriend’s up there in school.” Hector replaced the menu. “I’m trying to get to her but I don’t have a car.”

  “Then you got a problem. But you can go into Providence and hop a bus to Boston. From there, you might get a bus or a train to Westwood.”

  “Where you from?” The transmission guy put his coffee mug down on the counter. Only a yellow stain was left on his plate.

  “L.A. Do you go up to Massachusetts?”

  “Only when I have to. You came all the way from L.A. to see your girlfriend?”

  “Yeah.” Go for sympathy. Cancer? No, don’t wish that on Kathy. “The thing is, I enlisted in the Marines. I have to tell her in person and make her understand it’s not because of her. I hope she’ll wait for me.”

  “Don’t count on it,” said the Red Sox guy. “Women are fickle.”

  “I have to try to convince her.” What did the guy say in that war movie? “As much as I love her, I love this country even more. I don’t want terrorists blowing things up here. I’d rather we blow them up where they live.”

  The transmission guy pivoted on his stool. “Semper Fi,” he said, slapping Hector on the back. “Way to go, buddy. I did a tour in Afghanistan. Nasty place. When do you report?”

  “In two weeks.” He’s going to ask me things about enlisting I don’t know. Hector leaned over the counter to catch the attention of the server. “Ma’am. Can I get som
e service, here?”

  “Sure.” She came toward him like a dump truck in first gear. Picking up a green cloth from below the counter, she gave his section a perfunctory wipe, then placed a set of tableware rolled up in a paper napkin in front of him. “What’ll you have?”

  “A banana muffin and a glass of water, please. To go.”

  “You can’t get in shape for the Corps eating like that,” said the ex-Marine. “You’ll eat enough shit in boot camp.” He grinned. “Order some protein, buddy. You got muscles but they need encouragement to grow, you know what I mean?”

  “The water to go, too?” asked the server.

  “I don’t have enough money for a big breakfast. I got to make it last until I get back to L.A.” Kathy lives in Connecticut. We can ask her parents for money.

  “Roger that,” said the ex-Marine. “Get him three eggs, over easy, home fries and a big order of bacon,” he told the server. “Our Sox friend here will treat you to a good breakfast in recognition of your service to our country. Won’t you, Jack?”

  “Please, I don’t need that,” Hector protested.

  “So you don’t want it?” asked the server.

  “My name is Phil.” The Red Sox fan leaned in front of Hector to address the ex-Marine. “And the kid hasn’t served a day.”

  The ex-Marine shook his head. “You won’t be around after he comes back from whatever God-forsaken sand trap he ships out to. He’s putting his life on the line to serve his country. And you think it’s a big sacrifice to buy him breakfast?”

  “If you think it’s so important, why don’t you pay for it?” asked Phil.

  “I served my country. Did you serve?”

  “Look, guys. I have to get going anyway. I have to go hitch a ride.”

  “No you don’t,” said the ex-Marine. “If Phil pays for our breakfasts, I’ll drive you to Westwood to see your girl. How about it, Phil?”

  Phil glared at the ex-Marine. “I’ll pay for the kid’s breakfast, not yours. You going to drive him, big shot?”

  “You think I’d let my buddy here down? I just have to call my brother and tell him I’m not coming in today. I’m Kurt Gottlacht.” He pinched his tee shirt out to show them. “Gottlacht Transmissions. ‘We help you shift into high gear.’ Nothing is more important than helping another jarhead. And I want to get a look at the chick that would get a guy to thumb his way across the country to say good-bye. You won’t mind if I run a small errand first, will you, buddy?”

  Oh, shit. What am I going to do with him when we get there? “Actually, I am in kind of a hurry, but I appreciate – ”

  “No problem. It won’t take me long. You could stand on the road for hours before someone picks you up. It’ll be a lot easier once you’re in uniform.”

  “He’s right,” said Phil.

  “Thanks, guys. You’re both A-1.” I’m beginning to sound like a vampire smelling blood. How long before Finkelstein comes looking for me?

  “So how would you like your eggs?” asked the server.

  “Over easy. Make it all to go,” said Hector. “We need to get on the road.”

  39

  The Boyfriend

  Rose awakened to someone pounding on her door. “Wait!” She brought her wristwatch close to her eyes. Damn! I slept through lunch. They sent someone to see if I’m still alive.

  “I’m coming!” she called. After spending the night in the ER, she’d been sent back from the hospital after 8a.m. and the school nurse had kept her awake in the infirmary, checking her blood pressure and alertness for over an hour before allowing her to go back to her room. She’d been upset to find everything from her desk and bureau scattered on the floor, but it confirmed she’d been right to leave. Too exhausted to pick anything up or think about next steps, she’d put on her pajamas and collapsed into bed. Now she stood up and tried to shake the cobwebs out of her head. At least the nausea and dizziness are gone. “Who is it?”

  “Audrey and Celise.” Audrey’s Texas accent was unmistakable.

  “And Tanya,” said Celise.

  “I am out of it.” Tanya’s voice came from a distance.

  Rose opened the door. The identical gray uniform jackets of the two girls standing there did nothing to blur their differences. Celise’s dark wavy hair framed a thin face now taut with worry. Audrey had long blonde hair, a surgically perfect nose and protruding brown eyes that usually focused on everyone else’s deficiencies. “You look awful,” she said. “Your nose has turned yellow-purple.”

  Thanks, bitch. “They’re my favorite colors. I just got up. I had a bad night.”

  “We had a worse one,” said Audrey. “Lisa got mugged by a pervert right outside our bathroom. We had to rescue her.”

  “Was she hurt?”

  “Not bad physically, but terrified,” said Celise. “She called her parents and they’re picking her up today. We’re all still scared because they haven’t caught the guy.” She shook her head. “But that’s not why I came up.”

  “Why did you have to go to the hospital again?” asked Audrey.

  “Too much vaping,” said Rose. “I’ve never been so jittery. I was shaking and puking and shaking again.”

  Audrey offered a skeptical smile. “You? You have e-cigs? They can expel you for that.”

  “I don’t have any, and I promised not to tell who does. I told the nurse I was having a panic attack.”

  “You do drugs and you lie?” mocked Audrey as her hand flew to her chest. “You’re not the Rose I know. Maybe you do have a boyfriend.”

  “What?”

  “That’s why I came up,” said Celise. “I met Audrey and Tanya – ” Celise looked around for the missing girl. “ — on the way upstairs. I asked them if you had ever mentioned your boyfriend, because you never spoke to me about him.”

  Rose’s head jerked back. “My boyfriend?”

  “You never told us you had a boyfriend.” Audrey flashed a sly smile.

  What game are they playing now? “I try to keep my personal life private. Who’s spreading rumors about my boyfriend?”

  “No rumors,” said Celise. “Hector and a friend are downstairs. The Homeland Security guys gave them a hard time.”

  “Downstairs?” Please, God, not another vampire. Only her grip on the door handle kept her standing.

  “You look shocked,” Audrey said. “What’s up with you?”

  “I, uh, told him not to come here. I didn’t want everyone teasing us.”

  “Why would we tease you?” asked Celise. “Oh, you mean because he’s so hot, some girls might be jealous? Maybe, but we’d all think more of you for landing him.”

  “Why are all these people coming to Rose?” asked Tanya as she came forward. “I don’t believe she has a boyfriend. Whoever is downstairs wants something that Rose is hiding.”

  Rose flushed. “I thought you were going to stay out of my life.”

  “What are you hiding, Rose?” asked Audrey.

  “Nothing. Now if you’ll give me some privacy, I’m going to get dressed and go down to see him.” Is this Hector looking for CQ’s data, too?

  The girls backed away. “We’ll wait,” said Audrey.

  “I’ll go tell him you’re coming down.” Celise started for the stairs.

  “Don’t bother!” As Rose shut the door, she thought she heard Tanya say, “I’m out of it.”

  Rose dressed quickly, picked up her toiletry items and stepped into the corridor. They’re gone!Is there really a guy outside claiming he’s my boyfriend? She hurried through her bathroom routines, trying not to dwell on the bruise that spread across her nose like a butterfly.

  As she put her toiletries back in her room, she debated whether to go downstairs. I don’t owe this Hector anything. No doubt he’s after CQ’s data. Maybe those jerks are putting me on. But they’ll just come back if I don’t go through with this. She pulled her cell phone out from under her mattress. No messages. Still, it might be bugged. Better to leave it behind.

  She loc
ked her door behind her and headed for the stairs. As she pushed through the fire door to the stairwell, she stopped short. The three girls stood waiting. Audrey’s smile seemed smug, Celise’s apologetic, but Tanya didn’t deign to look up from examining her burgundy fingernails.

  Rose glared at them. “Would you mind giving me some privacy?”

  “We were just stepping out for a breath of fresh air ourselves,” said Audrey.

  Tanya nudged Audrey’s elbow. “Never tell a lie no one will believe. They are waiting here because they are very curious. There are some things even I must see with my own eyes to believe.”

  “No matter what you see, you’ll believe what you want to,” said Rose. The back of her neck felt stiff. She rubbed it as she went by them and hurried down the steps, trying to put some distance between herself and her voyeurs.

  A tall, handsome Latino was waiting outside the door. Twenty feet behind him were two Homeland Security agents, one bald, the other gray-haired, and a muscular man in a yellow tee shirt who was smirking like a twelve-year old.

  “Rose?” The boy mouthed.

  No fangs! “Hector?” she whispered.

  “Rose!” Flashing a gorgeous smile, he pulled her into his arms, breathed “Forgive me,” and planted a kiss on her parted lips. She stiffened and blushed, killed a squeak from her throat and ignored the pain from her nose as Celise, Audrey and Tanya came flying out the door behind her.

  “Wow!” said Celise.

  “I don’t believe it,” said Tanya.

  No? I’ll show you! Rose put her racing heart into a kiss that widened Hector’s eyes. Holding her tight, he lifted her off the ground and spun around so he was facing away from the onlookers. “Thanks for not giving me away,” he whispered.