Midnight Squad: The Ties That Bind

by J. L. M. Visada

  Grim’s smile disappeared immediately. “On second thought, you are absolutely right. It’s not funny. Not funny at all.” Grim was in full retreat. It’s strange that no matter how big, strong, or handsome you are, the sudden threat of a sexual dry spell sends any man into full apology mode. It must be something biological, like the herding instinct, or maybe there’s more truth in the thought that men think with their little heads than we realize.

  Grim yanked on the duct tape, and started wrapping it around Penny’s arm. It was clumsy, and ugly, but eventually he had the arm duct taped on. Of course it was just cosmetic, and the arm flopped around as Penny moved. So now she just looked like the last surviving member of a horror movie. I probably wasn’t much better. I know when the were’s head was cut off, blood must have poured down on me. Niki, and Danika both looked like they’d just gone twelve rounds of boxing. Niki had a bruise that circled her neck. If you looked closely you could see the impressions left by each individual finger.

  “So any idea how we are all going to get into the hotel without having the law called on us?” I asked.

  “Well, Katy’s glamour should keep them from recognizing us, but they’d still probably notice all this.” Niki said, and grimaced. It must be really painful to talk like that.

  “We still have our body armor. Maybe we could put it on?” I responded.

  “Great, so instead of looking like survivors of a car crash, we’ll look like survivors of a bondage club explosion.” Penny grumbled.

  “Not necessarily.” Grim sounded like he had a plan. “If you bite Niki and Danika, they’ll both look healed up. Then it’s just a matter of hosing all of you off. Once we get the blood off of ya’ll, you should have no problem walking through the lobby. We’ll all just look like we were at some kind of freaky party. Also, with people coming after us, the armor should offer us some protection against any surprises.”

  “Unless those surprises are knives.” Niki grumbled.

  “Well at least it will help to minimize our risks. In fact, we should probably be wearing these in public until we get out of town.” Grim said calmly, but if he was acknowledging that we might need to wear armor for our protection for a while, then things were definitely not going well.

  “There’s just one problem with the plan.” Penny sounded embarrassed, and nervous.

  “What?” Grim asked.

  “I don’t have any more venom. I…used it all. So until I can get more blood, we’re all kind of just stuck.”

  “What do you mean you don’t have any more venom? You couldn’t possibly have used it all up. DD’s still able to stand.” Grim didn’t sound angry, just confused, but I suppose if anyone here would know about Penny’s venom it would be the big guy.

  “Well…” Penny just kind of got stuck on that one word. She was caught. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t think of anything to help bail her out. After hemming and hawing until everyone’s patience was wearing thin, Penny explained everything. She sprayed every detail out like verbal diarrhea, and then just stood there with her eyes closed waiting for…what? It was as though she expected them to hate her.

  Which is why when Grim said, “You know, I hear it helps if you try to think about baseball.” Penny looked so confused. She really had expected them to be angry, and maybe to reject her completely. It was like she thought that her little incident made her somehow unlovable. Penny really put too much pressure on herself. She set her own bar so impossibly high that there was no chance she could ever be good enough.

  “Do vampires have something that works like that desensitizing gel, or maybe Viagra?” Niki tried to sound sympathetic.

  “Dentures.” Danika deadpanned, and that was enough to set us all off. We all started laughing, except for Penny. She looked terrified. Her eyes darted to each of us looking for any sign of rejection. Penny was still expecting them to be hateful. Instead, we all pulled her into a group hug. Penny stiffened nervously at first, but then started crying. Which is still kind of a weird situation to deal with when you know she’s really crying, but there are no tears.

  “I’m so sorry you guys. I just never thought…”

  Penny was immediately interrupted by Grim, “No! The problem is that you think too much. You’re always so worried about covering every base, and knowing every angle that you almost never just relax and be yourself. For the record, we all really like you. We just wish you’d be yourself a whole lot more.”

  Penny looked ready to argue, but then gave a deep sigh, “You’re right.”

  Grim kissed her on the head, “Yeah, it happens from time to time, but don’t worry. I promise not to make a habit of it.”

  “So I guess the real question becomes who opens a vein to get this party started?” Penny said.

  “Is it going to hurt?” Niki sounded nervous.

  “Like a motherfucker, and I’m not going to be able to heal the wound at first, but after I get enough blood to rebuild my venom I’ll be able to share the wealth and heal you all up…mostly. I can’t nibble on Grim though, we…caught a bite on our date.”

  “Well, I guess it better be me then.” Danika grumbled.

  “But you already gave blood today, and you gave more than me earlier.” Niki sounded really concerned.

  “Yeah, but if something goes wrong I can heal up from it. The rest of you might bleed out before we can get it stopped.”

  Danika held Niki’s hand as Penny leaned in to bite. We all knew when Penny struck because Danika choked out, “Fuck!” Danika started gripping down onto Niki’s hand, and within moments Niki was on her knees in a silent scream of pain. If she had said anything, Danika would have immediately let go, but instead, she forced herself to be quiet. Niki was determined to be there for her lover no matter what. We all respected her position, and stayed quiet, but it wasn’t easy.

  When Penny withdrew, Danika relaxed her grip, and Niki gave a sudden howl of pain.

  “Oh baby, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you say anything?” Danika wrapped her arms around Niki, and started kissing her face.

  “We’re in this together, through thick and thin. I’m not going to let you go through anything like that alone.”

  Penny turned to me, “Well, since I haven’t actually fed off of you, I should probably eat from you before I start healing anyone. If you don’t mind.

  I nodded, and let her wrap her arms around me as she whispered, “You still deserve a lot better than this.” Then I felt other arms wrap around us. Grim, Danika, and Niki had circled around us into a group hug. Penny and I looked into each others eyes, and I could tell that right then she was almost euphoric. We might be strange, and we’re certainly each bringing more than a little bit of baggage, but we’re family. We had one of those strange moments where you look into someone’s eyes, and just know that they are thinking the same thing you are. Penny grinned at me, and then bit as gently as she could.

  The first time, her nerves got the better of her. This time was…beautiful. Of course, that was after the tearing pain. A bite is a bite is a bite, and that means it still hurt when she broke the skin. It hurt as she sank deeper, but then as she started taking long, slow pulls from the wound things shifted. I felt her nipples harden like steel against my chest. She was feeling…a lot more like herself I guess. As I poured into her mouth, I could hear her moan and suck greedily at my neck. She was getting so excited that it really shouldn’t have surprised me when I realized that I was suddenly wet with arousal.

  Maybe it was feeling Penny’s body pressed against mine, maybe it was the feeling of being a DD sandwich between Penny and Grim, or maybe it was the fact that I’d graduated from DD sandwich, to DD burrito as my friends surrounded us, but I was getting really turned on. I couldn’t help myself. I moaned a little, and then let my hands slide down to grab Penny’s firm butt. I gave it a good old fashioned Charmin squeeze.

  I felt when Penny’s grippers extended out of her fangs. The wound throbbed for a moment as it had to expand to make room. It wasn�
�t going to be long now. Penny was getting close, and I was growing more excited by the second as I felt the effect my blood was having on her. I wasn’t the only one that was enjoying the situation. I suddenly felt Grim stiffening against my back. Dear God, the man is a freaking tripod! He was hard, and even through all our clothes, I could feel him pulsing against my back. I felt Penny’s arms release me, and reach around to grip Grim’s hips. She pulled him tighter against me, and I heard his deep rumbling groan of pleasure. That’s when Penny sprayed her venom, and for a few moments nothing mattered except the deep full-bodied throb of my orgasm.

  I screamed, cursed, cried, and even begged, but I can’t recall any words that came from me. When my world finally righted itself again, they were all laughing at me. It wasn’t a malicious laughter. It was more like they were just sharing the joy I’d felt. They were happy for me. Penny slipped out, and gave my neck one last lick to wipe away any extra blood. Then I felt Grim lean over my shoulder and give her a deep kiss. I could still feel him hard against my spine. Something needed to be hard right now, my legs were like jelly. If our friends weren’t holding me up, I’d have probably have flopped boneless to the ground.

  As it was, they all moved away, and Grim held me. He wrapped those big mitts of his around my still trembling body, and even gave me a kiss on the top of my head. I felt safe, secure, and oh sweet Jesus, was I satisfied. I watched as Penny gave quick nibbles to Niki and Danika both. She used her venom to heal them both up. I watched with lazy eyes as the bones in Niki’s hand started crackling and popping back into place. Apparently Danika had crushed a few of the bones in her lover’s hand, but now it was back to normal.

  We hopped into our vehicle and drove to the nearest car wash. We were going to have to hose off the blood, and then change clothes. After Grim shot each of us with the spray we each took turns changing into our body armor in the back of the van. Penny went last, “Grim, can you give me a hand. My arm still isn’t quite right yet.” Grim shrugged and slipped into the back of the van with her.

  After a couple minutes the van started shaking. “They are not!”

  Danika looked into the window and laughed, “Oh yes, they are!”

  “Sir Fuxalot rides again!” Niki laughed.

  “So what exactly do you call Penny?” I asked.

  “Lady Caterwaul.” Danika laughed.

  “Why Lady Caterwaul?” I asked, and then got my answer as Penny started howling like a cat in heat as the van started shaking violently. Whatever Grim was doing in there was clearly working. Meanwhile, we have to stand around like morons as these two go at it like sex starved gerbils. It was bad enough that they just thought now was a perfect time to climb all over each other, but now with her screams, people were starting to notice us. Other people washing their cars stepped out and glared at us all like we were a roving gang of sexual deviants.

  Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, “Hurry up you two, before people call the cops on us.” The van’s shaking picked up speed, and Penny was screaming louder, and louder. Just as I was about to beat on the van one last time I heard Grim give a throaty groan of release, and Penny gave a deep sigh of satisfaction. A few moments passed, and then they both exited.

  “I heard that.” Penny glared at Danika.

  “I’m surprised you can hear anything over your own screaming.” Danika smiled.

  “Seriously? You two are going to make jokes about my sex life?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Niki and Danika said in unison.

  “At least my sex life doesn’t involve Black and Decker.”

  “Jealous?” Niki laughed.

  “Oh yes.” Penny smirked. “I’m jealous of your ability to buy sexual aides that resemble leaf blowers. I’m jealous that you somehow found the Costco version of sex toys.”

  “Costco? What the hell are you talking about?” Niki said as Danika wrapped a protective arm around her. Grim and I ping ponged back and forth as the two women playfully teased each other.

  “Costco, it’s that place where all they sell stuff like mayonnaise by the barrel, and giant boxes of Twinkies.”

  “What do you know about Costco you…you…” Niki huffed and stomped her foot.

  “Hard to come up with good digs isn’t it…amateur.” Penny laughed.

  “Bloodsucker.”

  “Strap-on Barbie!”

  “Oh, go get a suntan.” Niki laughed.

  “Is it hard to think all that up without pom-poms?” Penny grinned.

  “Should we step in?” I asked Grim.

  “They’re just having fun, and blowing off a little steam. It’s become some weird game between those two. Besides, do you really want to have either of them turning their attention to you?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means I’m a man with a healthy sex life, and Lord willing I’d like to keep it that way. Now, if you want to stick your head in this bear trap go right ahead, but me…I heard nothing, saw nothing, and most importantly, said nothing. I learned my lesson from the last time I stepped in.” Grim laughed.

  I was going to say something else, but Penny and Niki’s playful jabs were really firing back and forth.

  “Red headed harlot!”

  “Bottle-blonde!”

  “This is my real hair you…leech.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I should have realized by the IQ.”

  “Oh, so the gloves are off huh? Well, I’d say something, but you’re supposed to respect your elders.”

  “Grrr” Penny scowled. “Low blow.”

  “Well shorty, anything else might go over your head.”

  “I am not short!”

  Niki laughed, “I’m sorry, petite? Diminutive? Little? Tiny? Small?”

  “I AM NOT TINY!” Penny stomped on the ground, and it sounded like a shotgun blast. Who knew she took wisecracks about her height so personally?

  “Gee, aren’t we sensitive?” Niki teased, “What’s wrong, Fang Face? Bite off more than you can chew?”

  “Shouldn’t you be at some football team’s gang bang?”

  “They couldn’t make it. They said some slutty redheaded midget gave them all herpes.”

  “Grrr…I AM NOT SHORT! You’re only two inches taller than me.”

  “So you deny being short, but accept the herpes?” Niki laughed.

  “Priorities! I am not short. I was of average height for women in my time. Besides, as a vampire I can’t get herpes.”

  “Women of your time…you mean like my great great-great-great-great-grandma? You can’t even call yourself a cougar, you’re more like a sabretooth tiger.”

  Danika interrupted, “You two knuckleheads can take this up in the van. We need to get back to the hotel.”

  Both women hopped in and continued their back and forth as though the rest of us weren’t even there. It was just good natured ribbing, but they both took it to a whole other level. It was that kind of banter that you can only have with someone you’re really close to. They were both taking cheap shots at one another, and loving every second of it. So of course one of them just had to take it too far.

  “Hey Fangface?”

  “What now?”

  “Are you really sure you’re a vampire?” Niki sounded genuinely curious, and right then all my internal warning bells went off. Nothing good could come of this.

  “I’m a type of vampire. There are several kinds. Almost all are created through some type of magical curse, but a few are-”

  Niki interrupted, “Yeah, yeah spare me the exposition. I mean, are you sure you’re a vampire?”

  “Of course I’m a vampire. Fangs plus blood drinking plus being undead pretty much equals vampire. What else would I be?”

  “I’m just saying…shouldn’t you glitter?” Niki was laughing before she got the second word out.

  “Not funny.”

  “It’s a little funny.” Niki responded and held up two fingers approximately an inch apart, and Danika then reached over a
nd spread the fingers a little wider.

  “I hope Danika’s fleas live a long and happy life, on your pussy.”

  “I’m just saying that maybe…just maybe…you aren’t a vampire. I mean from everything I know from watching movies and television you should glitter, and have better hair.”

  “What’s wrong with my hair?” If Penny was offended before, now she was actually sounding a little angry.

  “Nothing, if you’re planning on working at a renaissance festival. I’m just saying that hair care has come a long way since you and your family were out there trying to discover the wheel and fire.”

  “I am not old.” Penny’s teeth were gritted together.

  “And you’re not short?”

  “I AM NOT SHORT.” Penny was really starting to get angry. Her eyes already were starting to take on a red tint.

  “And you don’t glitter?”

  “I DO NOT GLITTER.” Penny’s eyes were two bloody orbs, and she was glaring menacingly at Niki.

  “And you don’t have an old and really lame hairstyle from the B.S. era?”

  “MY HAIR IS JUST FINE…B.S. era?”

  “Before Scissors.” Niki said calmly.

  “Grim honey, you’re about to be one step closer to being an only child.” Penny’s voice was sweet as honey, but she looked like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

  “Oooh I’m so scared. You can’t even prove you’re a vampire. No glitter, and I’m pretty sure that they have a height requirement. No midgets allowed.”

  Penny jerked for a moment like she was fighting the urge to leap onto Niki, but then she blinked a couple of times, and her eyes went back to normal. Then sweetly as she could, Penny smiled and said, “Oh I can prove I’m a vampire pretty easily.”

  “Really? How?” Niki said.

  “Because vampires…don’t breathe.” Penny said triumphantly.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Wait for it.” Penny cackled in evil glee.

  “What do you mean wait for…OH GOD!” Niki covered her face, and started turning green. Then Penny’s vile stench floated through the rest of the van. As it hit each person individually the result was the same. We all immediately were nauseous.