I glanced at Jimmy before turning away.
“What happened?” Chuck calmly asked.
“I don’t know. Nobody knows. It happened the night you were locked down in the church. The night I killed Monique. She did it. I just don’t know how.”
“Well, fuck it all. I guess I’ve got to stake you now,” Chuck beamed.
You just might get your chance, I thought. But not yet.
“Chuck, shut the hell up,” Jimmy implored.
Chuck crossed his eyes at Jimmy and looked back at me. “I just don’t want him sucking my blood if he needs a quick snack. Okay? You know how fast those bitches were.”
“So what’s the deal, Brian?” Jimmy asked. “Are there any others left?”
“Six are dead, and not coming back. Angelique, Celine, and Gabrielle are all in the wind. And then there’s the issue of the tenth. We don’t know a damn thing about her.”
Jimmy slid a tepid beer in my direction. “It was cold.”
“Here’s what I think. I believe the bitches have flown the coop. I am going to track them down and finish what I started. You guys can stay and help me or you can get your ass out of Dodge. If you stay, there’s a local cop who will help with whatever we need.”
“A cop?” Chuck’s shocked expression relayed his disbelief.
“Yeah, I know. But he has already helped eliminate two of them and he knows about the rest. He will provide intel and manpower if needed.”
“That’s it?” Chuck asked.
“Not quite.” At this junction, the boys had well exceeded the initial payment for services rendered. With my days numbered, if Phillip would not cover the increase, I would. “If you stay, your cut goes up to five hundred K. But I need a couple of promises from you.”
“Like?” Chuck inquired.
“After you are sure all of the vampires are gone, I need you to go to LA and wrap up Rob’s affairs. I was going to, but things just did not turn out like I planned.”
“Rob’s affairs,” Chuck grimaced. “You know, after all the years of bullshit we survived, if you had told me he was gonna check-out at the hands of a bunch of blood-sucking skinny bitches, I’d have laughed you right off the planet.” Chuck drained his beer. “God damned vampires, go figure.”
“Anything else?” Jimmy chimed in.
Lost in a moment of self-pity I hesitated. “Yes, one other thing. Once I am satisfied our job is done, I will call for you. I need to know you will make sure all of the of the vampires are dead.”
Staring in silence, their expressions said enough.
“Guys?”
Still nothing was said. Chuck’s mouth dropped open as implication of my request, no longer a joke, hit home. Jimmy groped for his beer, not taking his eyes off of me.
“I need to know I can count on you to do the right thing, like I did with Rob.”
“Reality check,” Chuck began, “Rob was already dead.”
“And so am I.”
“Whoa there cowboy, you look a lot healthier than Rob did,” Chuck argued.
“Brian, let’s just say for the sake of discussion, we can find a way to reverse the damage. Or perhaps you can find a way to control your urges, much like you are doing now. I think it would be prudent to take a wait and see approach,” Jimmy suggested.
“I don’t think there is a cure, and I can’t conceal this forever. I have been the hunter all of my life. I do not want spend the rest of my days in solitude, on the run, always looking over my shoulder.”
“What about what’s her name?” Chuck inquired.
“Her name is Samantha, Chuck.” I cast an evil glare at Chuck for his continued ribbing. “I love her in ways I can’t even begin to articulate, but there is no place in my life for her now. I will not live eternally consumed by regret.”
“Why don’t you just …”
“No Chuck, I will not share this curse with her, or anyone.”
“Not even me? I think I could really dig this vampire culture thing.” A sly grin of twisted sincerity crossed Chuck’s face.
“Forget it. That will definitely not happen, ever.”
“Killjoy,” Chuck pouted.
Jimmy nudged a beer closer. “I know it’s not what you’re craving, but it would make me feel better just to see you faking it.”
I could not help but smile. “So what’s the verdict, guys? You in or out?”
“Let’s just say we’re staying to take care of business. The other thing, we’ll take a rain check,” Jimmy offered.
“I suppose that will have to be good enough for now.”
“So you gonna have that beer and seal the deal?” Chuck asked.
“Buy me a pint of O negative, and I’m in,” I said with a halfhearted smile as I picked up the sweat-laden bottle and studied it.
“Damn,” Jimmy sighed, “So this is it. The end of the road.”
“Yeah.” Exasperated, I returned a prolonged sigh. “I guess it is.” I swallowed the beer, which lacked the taste or satisfaction I desperately craved. “When my time comes, I’ll make sure you know where to find me. I would prefer not seeing you … when it happens.”
“Shit, Brian,” Jimmy began to say, “I don’t …”
“Save it, Jimmy. Whatever it is will only lead to regrets. I don’t want to go out that way.” Rising to leave, Chuck and Jimmy followed my cue. “You guys have always been there for me. That’s why I love you like brothers.”
I walked out of Crawdad’s not looking back. Buck, the owner, with his soiled white T-shirt and greasy apron stood on the sidewalk smoking a Camel. The memories of this place, our time together, and Buck’s simplistic wisdom would replay in my mind for the remainder of my days. In a fitting gesture of admiration only Buck would understand, I muttered, “Up yours, Buck,” as I walked away into the musty night.
CHAPTER FOUR
I WALKED THE darkened streets aimlessly, wondering what in the hell to do with Isabelle. Snap her neck tonight and end her delusional misery? But within her delusions, she possessed a sense of understanding the villain I had become. How long could I cage the desire to do the evil now festering within?
Circling the outskirts of the Quarter, attempting to remain far from the crowds, I suddenly perceived a familiar scent. Then it vanished. In the midst of dealing with vampires, I had developed the uncanny ability to detect their presence. Suddenly, the scent intensified. I turned off Decatur Street, in the direction of its origin. Quickening the pace, instincts steered my course.
The scent was familiar, but altogether different than the malodorous stench of the undead. Instantly, reality hit. Phillip had returned to New Orleans, and he was not alone. Inhaling the air, I searched for clues of Samantha’s presence. Closing the distance between, I arrived on Bourbon Street and turned left, hard on the trail. Samantha was near!
The rush of raw emotions brought me to the brink of collapse. The faint pulse of love, clinging to a now bitter memory, versus rage, hate, and worse yet, the untamed desire to feed. Could I stand in her presence and do no harm? I yearned to hold and kiss her, to lie beside and feel the warmth of her body next to mine. To witness the glow of her skin as the sun reflected in the morning light. This was never to be, ever again.
But what of this hunger? Passing dozens of hapless people in the street without this sudden yearning, it was clear. It was for Samantha, and her alone. I continued down Bourbon in the direction of the Maison Dupuy, instincts foretelling of Samantha’s presence. Less than a block from Toulouse, I spotted Phillip and Dee. I had no time or purpose for them, only for Samantha. Without thought or effort, the pace of Bourbon Street grinded to the speed of a slow-motion video as I became one with a mysterious breeze that swept me down the street. In a blur of holographic light, I passed directly between Phillip and Dee as they looked at each other. Within an instant, I gazed back over my shoulder at my oblivious friends.
“Did you see that?” Phillip asked, bewildered by the sensation.
“I thought I saw something, but
I’m not sure what it was.” Dee shivered, chilled by the passing of my presence.
A frown crossed my face and my spirit sunk. I knew that chill. Angelique … Monique—the frigid presence of our kind.
“Are you okay?” Noticing Dee’s sudden change in demeanor, Phillip put an arm around her.
Dee nuzzled in. “Yes. I just caught a chill.”
“I felt it too. You want to call it quits for the night?”
Dee looked at her watch. “Not yet. For better or worse, I need to find something out for my sister.” Dee’s determination echoed down the street. “Hey, I just had an idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner. That bar where we first met, Brian was friendly with the bouncer. Let’s go see if he knows anything.”
Just out of their sight, I watched as they turned and then passed. I wanted to call out, but what could I say?
Standing in the hall, staring at the door, the last barrier of protection, I knew Samantha waited on the other side. My hand quivered, the last sign of resistance, as I extended it toward the lock. Losing the futile battle, I slid the key into the lock. Twisting the handle and slowly opening the door, I wished by some small miracle the light on the lock had remained red. Moving like some freakish stealthy demon, I glided to the bedside. Samantha’s body was aglow in the moonlight.
The vision was like a downpour of holy water, suppressing my thirst for her blood. Evident, even in her sleep, the apparent distress I created, delivered an onslaught of guilt and pity. I stood over her body and tears rolled down my face. My only love, my greatest failure, how I silently prayed for some kind of miracle. How desperately I yearned to hold her.
Samantha had fallen asleep fully dressed on top of the sheets. Folding the comforter in half on top of her, I carefully slid onto the feathery mattress. Sitting with my back against the headboard, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and ever so gently pulled her close.
At that moment, it became apparent for the first time in my life, the true power of love. Though the deepest imaginable misery consumed me, all thoughts of harming Samantha vanished. I could somehow become her guardian, using my supernatural abilities to protect her for the rest of her days.
“Mmm,” she mumbled as she barely stirred. “I thought you were dead.” Softly spoken, amidst the sea of Ambien unconsciousness, she nuzzled into my chest.
“I was,” I whispered, “but you saved me.”
Sam settled in tighter. I would hold her until sunrise, and die in her arms if not for the gruesome ending she would have to witness.
“Mmm,” she purred again, “you’re cold.”
“Sleep now. Odihneste te acum suflete oboist.”
“Somebody help me!” a distressed voice cried out faintly, stirring me from my sleep. Having slept only briefly, I carefully slid to the side of the bed, not wanting to disturb Samantha, who was sleeping peacefully. “No!” the voice cried again. Instantly, I recognized the distant cry for help. Dee was in danger. Instincts driving me, I blazed in the direction of The Chamber, at a speed so incredible, I scarcely perceived the journey. I had achieved the same supernatural speed of my adversarial vampires, without any conscious effort.
The Chamber; after being drugged and abused by Isabelle upon my first visit to this wretched house of debauchery, I should have torched it to the ground. But I ignored my instincts, even after witnessing Monique’s resurrection, her blood-spattered skull withstanding my Beretta’s best. And now, the charm of strike three. This haven for vampire wannabes had ignited a wrath within unlike never before.
Slowing my pace, I stormed through the narrow door and charged up the alley. Kirk the bouncer rose to challenge my trespass. I spoke not a word, but thrust my hand in the direction of his chest. Without laying a hand on him, a burst of energy hurled him ten feet backward into the far end of the bar.
Kirk’s collision alerted everyone surrounding the bar to my presence. With the rage a wild animal in my eyes, I turned my attention to any who dared stand in my way. Horror stricken, the bar flies parted like the Red Sea.
Behind the bar, the words Dracul has risen were scribbled in large, looming, blood-dripped letters. Indeed, he had! I unleashed another explosive burst, toppling everything in my path. Glass shattered, chairs flew, and people were violently swept aside. In a deep demonic voice, I roared, “Get out.”
Scattering like cockroaches, everyone scrambled for the exit. With the path now cleared, I made my way for the stairs. As I neared the top of the darkened stairway, a deep voice called out from above, “The lounge is closed tonight, private party.”
Completing the ascent, I came upon another overstuffed bouncer. The music from beyond the door blared loudly, drowning out any screams from inside.
“Hey dip-shit, didn’t you hear me? The lounge is closed.”
I shoved the bouncer through the locked door, splintering it to pieces. Slumped over, on the corner of the bar, was Phillip. No doubt he had encountered The Chamber’s famous vampire potion. In the corner across the darkened room were approximately ten freaks crowded around a table. The music was blasting, drowning out the destruction of the door and my arrival. As I approached the frenzied orgy, my suspicions were confirmed. Dee was the main course of tonight’s freak show.
I grabbed the first guy in my path by the shoulder. He turned, and instantly realized I was not a regular member of his clan. “Who the hell let you in? Beat it, dickhead,” he demanded. Hissing, he displayed a set of high-quality Hollywood canines. Behind him, I caught a glimpse of Dee, stretched out on a table, her face etched with fear. Obviously, they wanted her conscious for their sick little ritual. With her arms and legs bound, mouth gagged and shirt torn open, her conceded expression telegraphed her loss of hope.
Witnessing the assault, I snapped, rage racing through my veins. With the pressure of a hydraulic vice, I grabbed the douche-bag’s face and began crushing it. As he screamed out in agony, I derived deep satisfaction, not only from the pain I inflicted, but the appealing sounds of splintering bones. His wails of agony instantly captured the attention of Dee’s assailants. With all the prowess of an uncaged rabid beast, I attacked the eight men and two women, without discrimination or concern for injury. Bodies flew about like rag dolls, bones shattered like kindling twigs.
In what seemed to be only seconds, all were on the floor, leaving only a few capable of crawling for the door. My heart was surprisingly calm and my breath steady. In the aftermath, I realized this had to have been the force I used to kill Monique.
Without a shred of remorse, I turned and faced Dee for the first time, as a creature unknown, a vampire. Traumatized by the assault, she closed her eyes feeling only the security of my presence.
“I will be right back.”
“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded.
“I won’t. I have to call for help.”
I walked over to the three freaks crawling for the exit. “Move another inch and I will rip your heads off and stuff them up your asses,” I growled. I pulled my cell phone and punched up O’Reilly. Never thought I would see the day I had a cop on speed dial.
“Please tell me you are not at The Chamber right now. Every cop in the Quarter is headed that way. We’ve had reports of explosions, assaults, you name it,” O’Reilly warned.
“Yeah, I am here, on the second floor. Call the boys off. I will explain when you arrive.”
“Jesus, Brian …”
O’Reilly did not have the opportunity to finish his rant. I hung up, eager to return to Dee, who was struggling to free herself. Tugging in vain at the restraints around her legs and wrists, she winced in pain and frustration.
“Hang on, let me get those. You will only bruise yourself.”
Dee’s predicament foretold a fate barely escaped. I wondered how many had suffered the same ordeal? After this, O’Reilly certainly would have enough probable cause to re-open numerous missing-persons reports.
My eyes were drawn to Dee’s body, her pants partially removed and her shirt ripped o
pen, exposing the same exquisite form Samantha possessed. Her flesh glistened with fear, the scent mesmerizing. Desire crept from a crevice in my subconscious mind, an inborn yearning to take her. Drawn from an ancient instinctive desire, like leading a wolf to injured prey, I savored the helpless victim. The instant I became aware, I focused my attention on freeing her. I untied her legs first. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m okay. Is Phillip all right?” she asked timidly, afraid of my reply.
Bitterly, I reminisced on my own Elixir of Love experience. Peyote, ecstasy and God knows what else. Seeing Phillip in this state, I had to wonder how in the hell Isabelle had expected anything out of me other than her teeth in my groin that first night. “He will be fine in a day or two, but will have one hell of a hangover. I’m surprised they did not drug you as well.”
“They were going to, but the guy whose face you crushed said he wanted me awake and pure.”
I knew Phillip was alive, I felt his beating heart from across the room, pumping blood, thumping, like a tribal drum. Apparently, with the frenzy of my assault, a craving for blood, live blood, was becoming uncontrollable.
I untied Dee’s left arm and then started on the other. As I rolled her arm over, the warm, gratifying sensation of blood began saturating my fingers. “You are bleeding.” I inspected the puncture wounds on her wrist, watching in tantalizing fascination, as the crimson, sweet blood raced from the puncture and cascaded down her arm. Her veins swelled to my desire, answering to a silent craving.
I fought with every ounce of strength possessed. I could not do this. The pulsating thumping called like the Pied Piper. Intoxicated with the aroma of blood, incoherently, I finished untying her. I turned away, my body burning with a famine I never imagined possible. Frantically, I hurried to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Southern Comfort, hastily pulled the spout out, and tipped the bottle back pouring the liquor down my throat, until all of the golden spirits were consumed. Attempting to eradicate my newborn lust, I grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured it over my hands, washing Dee’s blood to the floor, removing the temptation to taste her succulent juices.
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