Claiming the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  Past the front door, we headed down the sidewalk. A long line of people still waited to get inside. As we passed the crowd, soft raindrops landed on my face. I wiped the moisture away.

  "Where are we headed?" I asked.

  Blacky jerked me around the corner. "Here."

  He pushed me toward a two-door, black sports car parked near the curb. The small automobile shined as if it had been washed recently. Yellow lights flashed, then the vehicle beeped twice. Mr. Albino stepped around the backside while Blacky opened the passenger door. A touch of panic flared and my heart gained extra beats. Drake's vehicle was farther away. He'd need time to reach it, assuming he'd received my message.

  "Get in the back." Blacky pushed me toward the car.

  I braced my hands on the roof. "Wait."

  "Is that a phone?" Blacky yanked the cell from my hand.

  "Hey!"

  I reached to snatch the phone from him. He held it over my head while I jumped and tried to get it back. Blacky twisted, then pitched my cell into the air. I stood frozen as my heart sank quicker than the Titanic.

  "Now, get in the car." Blacky flashed his fangs at me.

  Words had lost me. I turned to the vehicle and bent to search for the device that would push the seat forward. "How do you—"

  "Get your skinny ass into the car before I squeeze you into it."

  His hostile voice compelled me to obey. I found the lever and pushed the seat forward. As I crawled into the cramped back seat, a cold hand grabbed my ankle. I twisted around and fell into the seat. Blacky removed my high-heeled shoe, then tossed it.

  "Hey! Those are new," I said.

  He leaned into the car and snatched hold of my other leg. Livid, I balled my fist and punched his arm. I repeatedly hit him while he took my other shoe. My actions proved worthless and my hand hurt from pounding his muscle. After he'd removed my last shoe, he sent it flying behind him.

  "Asshole! Those were expensive!"

  He coughed up a cruel laugh as he readjusted the seat. "If you live long enough to see daylight, I'll reimburse you for them."

  "Fuck you!" Heat rushed to my head. I wanted to rip his eyes out and so much more.

  Blacky sat on the passenger side. He slammed the door shut, then faced me. "Fuck me? Bitch, I will fuck you in a heartbeat if you don't shut your fucking mouth."

  A quiver went through me as I stared into his full black eyes. The knot in my stomach intensified. I heeded my internal warning signal and turned my head away from him.

  Mr. Albino snickered as he started the engine. I curled my lip in disgust. I hated him too, but he didn't intimidate me the way Blacky did. Albino didn't make my gut constrict with pain.

  Mr. Albino sped off and I silently prayed Drake would follow. If he couldn't, I feared my short-lived life would end soon. I had no way to reach him and no weapons to defend myself with. Still, I wouldn't go down without a fight. I'd claw, bite, and do everything possible to survive.

  Minutes later, we were on the Interstate heading south according to the signs. The two vampires in the front didn't talk. Blacky toyed with the radio. While Mr. Albino switched lanes, I peered out the back window. Bright lights shined in the darkness. I had no way of knowing if Drake was following.

  "Anything?" Blacky asked.

  I turned to the front. Mr. Albino shook his head in response.

  "What does Alexander want with me?" I asked, pretending I didn't know.

  Blacky pointed his unkind eyes at me. "What do you think?"

  I sighed. "How did you know where to find me?"

  "We didn't," Mr. Albino answered. "He called several of us and told us where we might find you. We split up and each took sections of the city. He said the first one to bring you in alive gets paid top dollar and a suite overlooking the city."

  "Man, you don't have to tell her anything," Blacky snarled at Albino.

  "She's as good as dead anyway."

  My semi-calmed heart picked up a extra beats. Something he'd said troubled me. "How many others did he call?"

  Blacky withdrew a phone from his pocket. He pressed a button and lifted the cell to where I couldn't see it.

  "About twenty vampires are looking for you right now in the city," Albino said, viewing me from his mirror.

  I swallowed hard. Twenty vampires were looking for me? Was I that worthy of a prize to him? I was not prepared for this.

  "Yeah, we have her." Blacky's deep voice was unmistakable. He paused, listening to the voice on the other end of the line, then looked at Albino. "See anything?"

  Albino's eyes veered fast to the left mirror and stayed there. He stiffened in his seat. "We may have a tail."

  The car lunged forward, forcing me back against the seat. My pulse sped with excitement and hope. I twisted around and searched for Drake's car. Although it was dark, I saw a yellow taxi behind us and another car behind it. A small pickup truck was in the next lane beside the taxi.

  "We may have a tail," Blacky said.

  The hum of the engine grew louder with the increase in speed. Distance increased between us and the other cars.

  "Demon," Blacky snapped, and I jumped.

  I returned to facing the front. Blacky held the phone in front of me as if he wanted me to take it. The screen showed a caller with the basic generic outline of a male figure. I didn't need to guess who was on the line.

  I took the phone from Blacky's hand, then held it near my ear. "Yeah?"

  "How are my boys treating you?" the husky voice asked.

  "No broken bones and I'm alive," I said.

  "Then they are treating you well. That's good. Demon blood is so hard to find these days. I wasn't so sure my offer would be enough to keep them from killing you. I do so much want that pleasure all to myself."

  I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "Look, Alex, I'd love to chat with you. Why don't you bring that child and we can sit down together and work things out."

  "Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Alex," he growled.

  The two in the front glanced at each other. Blacky shook his head. I'd forgotten Alexander hated to be called Alex.

  "How is the little girl anyway?" I asked, hoping to bring him out of his foul mood.

  "She breathes." The gruff tone of his voice offered me little comfort. "So you want an exchange? Your life for hers? I don't think so, demon. I know you are with Drake for a reason and I intend to find out what it is. Hand the phone back."

  Blacky snatched the cell out of my hand. Rude bastard.

  "Yeah…" he said into the phone while he kept his frosty eyes fixed on me. A devious grin formed and his pointy teeth appeared. Chills shot down my spine.

  I twisted and searched out the back window again. Most of the traffic was far behind us except for a pair of lights two car lengths back. I prayed the vehicle was Drake's.

  "Right. We'll call you back." Blacky tucked the phone back in his pocket. "He said to lose the tail and deliver her alive."

  My heart drummed against my chest and threatened to crawl up my throat. Alexander wanted me dead, but first he'd find a way to extract information from me. I didn't want to think about what that might entail.

  The car accelerated and the engine hummed louder. I kept my eye on the vehicle behind us. The distance between us increased, but only for a few seconds. The lights moved closer. My heart sped.

  "Demon," Blacky called.

  I turned to face him. A blur came straight toward my face and smacked me. The force of the hit jolted my head back until I collided with the seat behind me. A sharp pain shot from my nose, went up to my head, and down into my teeth. Dazed, I looked up. Another blast hit me in the same place. I covered my face with my hands as I fell over sideways.

  "What are you doing?" Albino asked.

  "He said to rough her up. He wants to know why she's with that other vampire."

  My face throbbed with intense pain. I coughed and gasped for air through my mouth since I couldn't breathe through my nose. Warm blood spilled from nose.

&n
bsp; A hand wrapped around my wrist and yanked me forward. I sat up, but my vision swirled and I teetered sideways. Then something hit the car and pushed me forward.

  "Fuck," yelled Albino. "He hit my fucking car!"

  I smiled, knowing it was Drake who had riled him.

  "Do you think this is funny?" Blacky's grasp on my wrist tightened. A new pain spread into my hand and ran up my arm.

  "Hilarious." I could have cried from the pain, but laughing made me feel better.

  "Maybe you'll think this is funny." Still holding my wrist, he took hold of my upper arm with his other hand, then jerked my arm backwards. My bone snapped like a thick branch. Intense pain shot through me and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Bone protruded from flesh in the middle of my arm. In seconds, little speckles of glitter magically appeared in front of my eyes.

  "Fuck, man, you're getting blood all over my car," Albino said.

  Blacky shoved me into the back seat. "I didn't think you would laugh at that."

  Tears streaked down my face. My arm dangled at my side. A sharp spasm rippled through my stomach. I fell sideways and retched, spewing crab cake onto the floor behind the driver.

  "Fuck," Albino shouted again, and Blacky laughed.

  Another bump from the rear of the car pushed me forward and I hit my forehead on the back of the driver's seat. More vomit spilled from me. After I spewed everything I had in me onto the floor, I wiped my mouth and sat up.

  I sat quiet and still while the two were talking about what to do. The pain in my head had ebbed, but my face throbbed. I twitched my nose and inhaled. My nose wasn't broken anymore. In my broken arm, a burning pain overpowered the numbness. Dark blood continued to leak from the torn flesh. I twitched my fingers. They tingled when they moved, but at least they moved. Gritting my teeth, I balled my hand. The pain made me want to scream, but I held back.

  "Shit, I don't believe it," Blacky said. "The fucking demon heals."

  The devil rose within me. I flashed a demonic grin at him. "Fuck. You."

  The centers of his eyes enlarged to big black holes, large enough to swallow any human with a single look. Glaring into the depth of his eyes, I saw a trace of fear and it fueled me. Heated energy within me swelled. I breathed in rage and wanted to expel raw violence.

  Another violent bump from the rear sent me forward. This time, I braced each hand on the seats in front of me. My sore arm throbbed, but it had healed.

  Salt and Pepper jerked from the impact. The car swerved sideways and I flew behind Blacky's seat. Curses filled the air from the two foolish vampires sitting up front. I chuckled at their expense.

  "Get off the Interstate," Blacky said.

  Mr. Albino regained control of the car and sped faster. I balanced myself up and peeked around Blacky's seat. He twisted to face me and held a black gun in his hand. I quickly tried to duck behind his seat, but he caught my wrist. He jerked me toward him.

  A more forceful bump compelled us forward and Blacky let go of me. The car swerved again. This time, I went flying behind the driver's seat. My head hit the side and I came close to falling into the vomit on the floor. The two in the front yelled curses. As the vehicle returned to normal, I forced myself upright. When I found a gun pointed at my face, I wished I'd stayed laying down.

  "Let's see how fast you can heal from this, bitch." He pressed the metal tip of the gun into my forehead.

  "I won't heal. And I won't be alive when you deliver me."

  I couldn't blink, or breathe, or feel anything with the cold metal touching me. One pull of the trigger and I was on a speeding train to Hell. Nervous? I squeezed my legs together to stop myself from peeing.

  He shifted the gun over my shoulder and pulled the trigger. I instinctively flinched while a powerful bang rang in my ears. The bullet missed me and shattered the back window. Shards of glass fell on my back and plopped on the seat around me. Cool air and rain drops rushed into the car. He fired another shot. I covered my ears and ducked. A third loud blast came from the gun as another violent bump propelled the car forward.

  The car swerved out of control. I flew from left to right, bouncing between the confines of the back seat. I hit my head, back, arms, and legs. The violent and swift movements were worse than any roller coaster I had ever ridden. In the front seat, the two spat horrific words. It seemed they were enjoying the ride as much as I was.

  "Get off the fucking Interstate," Blacky demanded.

  Disorientation overwhelmed my senses. I struggled to sit upright as the car weaved at an alarming speed. My tangled hair clung to my face from the wind and rain blowing in through the back. The drops hitting me were a pleasant reminder that I was still alive.

  The bumps from the rear came faster. Mr. Albino jerked the car, trying to avoid the oncoming blow. The loud voices from the front stung my ears as they argued over what to do.

  The car accelerated for the oncoming exit. I sighed with a grain of relief finding no other cars around. The thuds from behind had stopped. Mr. Albino braked hard as he approached the red light. I braced myself against Blacky's seat. Tires squealed on the wet pavement. The car skidded while the back fishtailed. I wondered if the car would ever stop. Then a hard hit from the side propelled me and I hit my head on the side of the car. All the loud sounds, putrid smells, and pain died quickly as darkness engulfed me.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  A familiar voice called me from the black fog. The man's voice repeated my name over and over with desperation in his tone. I couldn't see him, but I knew something was wrong and he needed me. Somehow, I had to find him.

  Drops patted my face while I focused on the voice of the man yelling my name. Recollection finally came to me. Drake was nearby and trying to reach me. I breathed and smelled rain mixed with gasoline. The sound of metal bending and twisting frightened me. Where the hell was I?

  "Jessie?"

  My eyes fought against my command to open, but they finally obeyed. Rainfall clouded my vision. I blinked to clear the extra moisture.

  "Jessie…" Drake called out.

  "H…here," my voice squeaked. Wherever here was.

  My throat felt dry and I swallowed. Wherever I was, it was dark and rain was coming in above me. I glanced around, searching for clues on my whereabouts. Crushed metal. Leather seats. My memory returned.

  "Can you move?" Drake asked from somewhere behind me.

  I bent my left knee and pain spread through my leg. At least I could move it. I tried bending my right knee, but it wouldn't move. Something heavy pressed upon it. Not good. I wiggled my foot and felt something wet and slimy. Okay. That was good, except for the gross slime. Next, I moved my arms. Although they were sore beyond belief, I held them up with my hands over my face.

  "Talk to me Jessie," Drake demanded with urgency.

  "Here," I said, struggling to speak. "I can move my arms…" I paused to swallow. "And left leg. My right is stuck." I choked. My voice felt as dry as the Arizona desert.

  The car moved. Metal squeaked from my left, prompting me to look up. Drake appeared from a gap. He was lying on his stomach and his long wet hair stuck to his face.

  "Can you sit up?" His eyes glowed balls of orange.

  Afraid to speak with my parched voice, I nodded in response. Bracing my hands underneath me, I pushed myself upright. Each little move sent a jolt of pain through me. I bit down on my lip to stifle the cry of agony wanting to escape me.

  "Give me your hands," he said with his arms extended toward me.

  I reached for him and tried to grab hold of him. His wet flesh made my hands slip. He gripped onto my forearms and tugged. More pain raced through me as my body inched closer to him. Far away, a siren wailed.

  "We have to get out of here," he said calmly, bordering on critical. He pulled my arms and head through the opening in the crushed vehicle until my body wouldn't move anymore. The agony in my leg intensified and I wanted to scream.

  "Stop! My leg!" Rain drilled the exposed upper part of my body.

>   "Hold still." He released me from his grasp and I slid back into the car. I landed in a sitting position.

  Drake wedged his body through the gap and landed on my lap, facing me. Had the circumstances been different I would've kissed him. But the weight of his body added to my discomfort. I held back complaining since I needed a way out of the vehicle. The small space made it difficult for him to move and for me to breathe. He quickly checked the area and seat trapping me. Gaze directed down at my knee, he touched it and felt my calf.

  "Be careful," I said. "There's vomit down there."

  He removed his hand from my leg, gripped the seat pinning me, then jerked it. There was a loud snap. Drake pushed the seat out of the way and I was finally able to move my leg.

  "Wait," Drake said before he crawled out of the car. He turned around on the trunk, then extended his arms. "Give me your hands."

  I followed his command and was in his grasp within seconds. Rain drilled me as he pulled me through the small opening and dragged me over the crumpled trunk. My new dress was ruined, not that it really mattered. Once I was free from the confines of the crumpled vehicle, I breathed easier.

  Drake scooped me up in his arms and carried me over to his car. Dying of thirst, I opened my mouth and let the rain land on my tongue. It didn't taste too good, but I was desperate for something to drink.

  "Your car," I gasped. Only one of the lights functioned, the bumper hung low, and the crumpled hood showed too much of the engine.

  The siren grew louder, a good indication it was drawing near. Drake helped me into his car, then rushed around to the driver's side. I fastened my safety belt as he slid behind the wheel. Within seconds, he sped off and his tires squealed on the wet pavement.

  "How do you feel?" he asked.

  I heard him, but said nothing. I was too focused on staring at the side mirror, watching for police. In little time, the siren grew fainter.

  "Are you all right?" he asked.

  I looked at Drake and noticed he seemed paler. His dark shirt clung to his body as if it were painted over his skin.

  "You're bleeding. I smell your blood."

  "I spoke to him," were the first words out of my mouth.