“No Jeremy,” she said. “I’ll be there. I’m just trying to figure out a way to tell my husband and children when they get home.”
She could almost hear his heart break at the other end. She had no idea he could still harbor feelings for her.
“You, you’re married?” he said.
“With children,” she added. “Are you…?” She didn’t have to finish. She already knew the answer.
“No,” Jeremy said. She stayed on a moment, listening only to the sound of his breath, and finally said:
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
Staci sighed.
“So you’re coming?” Jeremy asked.
She let out a deep breath. “Yes.”
8
He dialed the number Jeremy had left. In a way Myron was hoping no one would answer. It felt as if nothing good would come of whatever it was, but once he heard Jeremy’s voice again, he cast that notion aside.
“Hello?” Jeremy said.
“Hey Jeremy! It’s Myron.”
“Ah, at last! The final misfit!”
Myron got a kick out of that. “You remember huh? For a while we started calling each other that. So God, how’ve you been? I really didn’t expect your call.”
“Yeah, none of the others did either.”
“You talked to the others?”
“Yep. I hate to be the bringer of bad tidings Myron, but this isn’t a social call.”
“It isn’t?” Myron said.
Jeremy moaned, “I hate this. I mean, I’d love to be calling you guys under other circumstances. I should have called before now.”
“Hey Jeremy, none of us called each other. We all moved away, had separate lives…”
“Moved on and forgot about each other,” Jeremy finished.
“I never forgot about any of you,” Myron said. You made my life bearable, Jeremy somehow picked up over the phone line.
“Thanks Myron, that means a lot.”
“So what’s going on?”
“Nothing good. The night crawlers are back.”
“The vamps?”
“In full force. And Blake is dying.”
“Oh no, Blake? How do you know all this?”
“He sent someone,” Jeremy said. “A messenger. A vampire. She’s not fully turned, but she’s headed there.”
“I need some time to register this. I’m still in shock over
hearing from you. Let me guess, Blake wants us to go back and fight
these things.”
“Don’t sound so glum Myron. Hey, it might be fun!”
“You sound like Johnny.”
“Just trying to lighten the mood. I’m sorry to drag you guys into this, but you don’t have to go. None of us do.”
“Yeah, I do,” Myron said. “This is important. I don’t want to, but I will.”
“Somehow I knew I could count on you.”
“I’m not that scared little kid anymore. I am scared but…”
“I know what you mean,” Jeremy said. “So we’re going back.”
“Back to where we started.”
9
“Who was that?” Iris questioned.
“Old friend,” Tony answered her. He didn’t like the tone of her voice. She went from a woman filled with love to a resentful nag in five minutes flat. He supposed it was his fault. He gave her false hopes, and then yanked the rug out from under her. But he didn’t have time for this. He pulled the suitcase out of the closet.
“Where are you going?!” she screamed, “I can’t believe you’re doing this. I’ve had better treatment from straight guys.”
Maybe you should have stuck with them, he thought, but didn’t say. He didn’t bother to look at her. Tony didn’t want to see what he’d done to her. He unlatched the suit case and opened it on the bed.
“This isn’t about you,” Tony said. “It’s something I have to do.”
“You’re telling me you’re not leaving because of me?”
He turned around. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Right now, there are more important things than whether my fucking you means anything!”
Tony regretted the words the instant he said them. Her face
shrank, and she backed away. He had never spoken like that before,
to her, or anyone.
“Oh God, Iris, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” He reached out to her and she recoiled.
“Don’t you touch me!”
“I’m leaving in the morning,” Tony said calmly. “I’ll talk with you when I get back.”
Iris shook her head. “Don’t talk to me ever again Tony.” She put on her shoes. “I’m going.”
“All right,” Tony said, bowing his head down. She was obviously disappointed by this response. She’d expected more, but he didn’t have it in him. She stormed out, crying in rage. Who knew she had so much anger?
A minute ago you were quite angry there yourself, Tony thought. Nothing he could do about it now. He started to pack his suitcase, feeling his heart and his soul harden as he prepared for the battle ahead.
II
July 2014:
Three months earlier
1
“It’s started again,” he said to himself, looking at all the missing children flyers posted on the telephone pole and throughout the neighborhood. If he’d known they weren’t just killing them anymore, but recruiting them like they’d done with Betty Leesburg, Blake would have been doubly appalled. Of course, he knew the nature of the beast. The only thing that mattered was what benefitted them. Betty had been shocking enough. What would they want a five year old girl for? Perhaps they thought they’d have more control over her, she could barely think for herself. But the opposite ended up being true.
It was time to get out the weapons. He wasn’t sure if he’d be ready. After all, he was seventy-three, but there was no one else to do it now. Sure, there was a small group of hunters in town, but they weren’t nearly prepared for the task. Blake was relatively strong for his age, though likely not as quick, perhaps not as ruthless as he needed to be. But that was his own damn fault. He assumed the worst was over. Let his guard down. Gone soft.
“Jesus,” Blake said, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Sundown was in a few hours, but there would be no fighting today. He needed to hit the gym, train. But he didn’t have long. Mercy Falls was becoming demon territory again.
2
Two weeks later he found himself face to face with one of them, quite by accident. It was late at night and he couldn’t sleep. He’d walked across the street to the Dunkin’ Donuts. No one else was around except for…
3
Eve was a wreck, crying. She’d been in a fight with her boyfriend (the verbal, not the physical kind, although she could potentially see it escalating to that) at the club two blocks down- What used to be the Rock Spot was now a twenty-one or older techno-rave party hub called the Crystal Palace. She didn’t know why she always picked such losers; and all because she danced with a friend of his. It wasn’t even as if she were bumping and grinding or anything. But that was Joe. He could be a real bastard.
She charged out, deciding she didn’t want to ride back with him. She was so furious she didn’t bother to call a cab. She would walk the ten or so blocks to her apartment. At least that was the plan, but a girl in a slinky red dress and high heel pumps looked pretty good walking alone at night to some, and like a great snack to others. And
this night she was on the menu.
Eve Blanchard strode down the block like a woman on a mission, right past the opening to the alley where they were waiting. They grabbed. She screamed.
4
Blake heard her scream, mingled with the music emanating from the club. Not a child’s but a woman’s scream. Of course, no child would be out this late. He rushed to the alley, saw what looked like three men crouched around the girl. She was on the ground, just falling ove
r. One man’s head was buried in her neck, pulling her head back by its hair. She was in mid-faint. Their teeth gleamed in the starlight and reflected rainwater collecting in the narrow passage.
Fulton took out his stake. He might be too late for her, but there was still the matter of the other three. They looked up. He could make out the bloody smile on the one feasting.
“Go away old man, this doesn’t concern you.”
“Oh, I think it does,” Blake said.
The vampire shrugged, getting up. “All right, I warned you.”
“God, I hate old folks,” another of them said, “Never minding their own business. Blood’s too thin to taste good.”
“Yeah,” the third grinned. “They’re just good for killing.”
Eve slipped limply from their grasp, her body splashing into a puddle. They charged him. The first conveniently dove right into the stake as he brought it up. His eyes opened in comical disbelief. Blake didn’t have time to relish it. The other two were on him immediately, tackling him to the ground. They were on the street again, visible.
“Hey!” someone shouted. “Leave him alone!” There were two big bouncers headed out from the club, coming up the street. While they were distracted, Blake stabbed another in the heart. The vampire rolled off of him. The last looked up, and for whatever reason he ran. Vampire strength was legendary and he could have easily taken the two bouncers, let alone old Blake. But perhaps he knew what Blake
knew, that it wouldn’t just be those two now. Other patrons would be
leaving the club. He probably didn’t want to risk the exposure, or the odds that a mob of them might actually attack and eventually kill him as well.
It was his lucky day. Those two had knocked the wind out of him. Would have probably killed him. Though he’d taken out two of them, still, he wasn’t ready.
“You all right old man?” one of the bouncers asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” he said, rising and brushing himself off.
They looked over at the body.
“I think you killed him,” the other said.
“Serves him right,” Blake replied.
The men stared at each other. “I’ll call the cops,” the first one said.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Whatya mean?”
“Don’t concern yourself,” Blake assured him.
“What about him?” he pointed to the dead body.
“Oh, he’ll be ashes in the morning. Besides, he died a long time ago I’m sure.”
Oh yes, there it is, he thought. They’re looking at each other with the “he’s crazy” look.
“Don’t you want to report what happened?”
“No, I don’t!” he said angrily. “I told you, now get bent!”
“Fine you old fart; we were trying to help you!”
He didn’t want to talk to them like that, but he had to get rid of them before more people showed up. They hadn’t seen the bodies in the alley. He would have to hide them all. As soon as the two men left he dragged the other one back into the alley.
Blake rushed toward the girl, lifted her head. She was limp, lifeless. She was gone. But there was blood on her lips.
“Oh God,” he said. Her eyes shot open. Blake almost dropped her.
“Help me,” she croaked.
“You’re still alive. This is very important. Did they make you drink?”
She didn’t understand him.
“Did he force you to drink his blood?”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
5
He’d seen his face by the streetlight. Blake knew if he saw him again, he would recognize him- the one that must have given her his blood to drink, the one that got away. In a way he’d saved Eve, but in another way he’d doomed her.
Blake looked across the room at her in bed. He’d cleaned her wounds, and simply let her sleep. Tonight was the easy part. Tonight she was weak. He should have staked her in the alleyway, but he couldn’t. Because of two simple words she’d uttered: “Help me.” She was still human.
6
“Drink,” he said, “Drink!” He forced her, poured it down her throat.
“God,” she began coughing, “That’s awful.” It was the second night and she’d just awakened.
“What is that?” Eve said.
“Pig’s blood.”
“What are you crazy?!” She sat up. “Who the hell are you?!”
“The man who saved your life,” he said curtly. “Now lay back down. You’re still weak.”
She did so because she did feel weak, not because the old man told her to.
“The pig’s blood will keep you nourished. Most importantly it will keep you from feeding off humans,” Blake said.
“What’re you…?” She looked frightened, only partly aware,
but it was slowly coming back to her.
“You didn’t die,” Blake said, “In that alleyway. You didn’t die.”
She wasn’t sure it was a question. “No.”
“Good, that’s important. It means we have a chance of bringing you back.”
“Bringing me back, from what?”
“You were attacked by vampires. One of them bit you, fed off you, and fed you his blood. It could be a matter of weeks, days, or hours before you become one yourself,” Blake told her. “I can see by the look in your eyes you don’t believe me.”
“I’m not sure what to believe,” Eve said. “From what I saw, they certainly looked… more than human, but I barely remember the attack.”
“Yes, it happens to most of them; temporary amnesia; possibly due to loss of blood, or the transformation itself. Could be any number of factors, but you will remember everything.”
“I don’t want to become like them,” she said. She reached her arm out to him.
“Of course you don’t,” Blake said. He held her hand.
“Thank you,” she said.
“What on earth for?”
“For saving me.”
“That’s my job,” Blake said, “Although a bit out of practice and worse for wear.”
She smiled weakly. “How long have I been out?”
“A day.”
She felt the bandages on her neck.
“Oh yes, I’d almost forgotten.” Blake started to peel them off.
“Wait,” Eve said. “It’s still probably pretty bad.”
“Well, we need to change this bandage, or if what I suspect is true, perhaps not.”
“You sound like James Bond.”
Blake grinned. “Yes, well, my family comes from a long line of Brits who emigrated to the U.S.”
“I think it sounds cool.”
“Well, thank you.” He passed a hand over the skin of her neck once he’d removed the bandage. “Just as I thought, all healed.”
“Healed? That’s impossible! That thing nearly tore out my neck.”
“Yes, you’ll find a lot of things impossible over the next few days. You’re ability to heal quickly is the least of them.”
“Are you…” she gulped, “…going to have to kill me?”
“I hope it won’t come to that. Do you have any religious beliefs?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a Christian?”
“Yes, Baptist, is that important?”
“It is.” He raised the jar of pig’s blood. “Here, take some more.”
She pushed it away gently, wrinkling her face in disgust. “No thanks, I think I’ll pass for now.”
“That’s fine, but you’ll have to drink more in the days ahead to keep your strength up. Rest now.”
He started to walk out of the room.
“Wait, I don’t even know your name!”
Doing his best Bond impression, pausing for effect, he said, “Blake, Fulton Blake.”
III
1
The cab let him off at the airport terminal and Jeremy stepped onto the curb with numbness in his entire body.
“May I check your luggage sir?
”
“Hmm, oh excuse me, yes,” he said to the porter.
Eve would be meeting them tomorrow. The whole travelling by daylight wouldn’t suit her. Everyone was officially meeting tomorrow in any case, so they could tie up all their loose ends. Sadly, Jeremy didn’t have any. The only person he had to deal with was Emmanuel Ortiz, his manager, and Jeremy had plenty of unused vacation time. Plus it wasn’t like people were breaking down the door trying to buy used books at his shop or anything.
The Radisson, eight pm tomorrow, was the rendezvous they’d agreed on. Johnny had the longest to travel, all the way from California. He wondered if anyone else realized what day it was tomorrow.
2
“So Rachel, you’re how old?” Johnny asked, watching her in the rearview mirror.
“Seventeen. I’ll be eighteen next month.”
“Right.” What the hell was he thinking? Hadn’t he only recently been thinking of Lori, possibly trying to get her back? Get his son back? Now he was gawking at teenagers. Maybe when this was all over he’d try again. He imagined how that phone call would go. She’d probably laugh; tell him not if he was the last man on earth. He’d make a lousy husband, an even lousier dad. The only thing good they had going for them was the sex. But she’d loved him once.
“This is our stop, next block up,” Irma said, “Right next to that blue building.”
“Okay,” Johnny said, pulling over.
“Thank you so much Johnny,” Irma said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He’d hoped for one from Rachel too, but it wasn’t forthcoming.
“Sure,” Johnny said.
“Thanks Mr. Winter,” Rachel said, making him feel older than ever.
“Yeah, yeah,” he shooed them. “Get lost kid,” he said, smiling.
Rachel almost cracked a smile, but it proved to be too difficult a process. Irma was smiling ear to ear.
“This is going to be so cool,” she said as they walked away.
“Yeah, cool,” Johnny repeated, driving off.
3
The Pit in the Woods: A Mercy Falls Mythos Page 24