by Ian Hall
The hospital proved difficult for me. I had to remember the story for the ambulance guys and the nurses. Then the police arrived, and it changed to a different kind of pressure. An officer sat down in the plastic seat next to the bed. Sitting on my left kept him away from the bruised knuckles on my right hand. My left looked okay.
“What happened, kid?” he asked, flicking through his notebook to a clean page.
“We were driving north,” I said.
“Where were you going?” the officer asked. He didn’t look like the in-your-pocket kind of policeman, so I had to give it my best shot.
“Somewhere quiet, for me and my girlfriend, you know.” I hoped he’d get the idea. Seemed that he did.
“And what happened then?”
“At the bridge, I got distracted by, her, you know. I don’t know what happened after that, I just lost it. Next thing I knew, we were down the slope.”
“Fortunate you didn’t turn over,” he said, still taking notes.
“Yeah, really.”
He pointed to my face with the pen.
“All this?”
“It all happened so fast, but my airbag didn’t open, I slammed my face into the steering wheel when I hit the truck. Then I guess it hit a couple more times as we went down the slope.”
“Nasty.” He looked me right in the eyes. I held the contact. “The ambulance report mentions firearms.”
“Yes, sir. Two nine-millimeter automatics. Mary-Christine pulled them out the car when we left. She said she wasn’t leaving them.”
“And why were you carrying them anyway? You got special licenses?”
“We were at the gun club ‘til nine, nine-twentyish. We were going to register the serial numbers at the weekend. They were safely locked in the trunk.”
“And the license?”
“Under my girlfriend’s dad, Dave Muscat.”
“And where were the firearms when you were driving?”
I shook my head slightly, I had just told him. He looked up at me, his pen poised over the book.
“In the trunk. That’s where we always kept them between houses and gun club.”
He looked back through his notes. “Gun club ‘til nine-twenty, called ambulance at nine-thirty-six.”
“The gun club time is not exact, but the class finishes at nine, and we always clean our guns.”
Oh fuck. I suddenly remembered, Mary-Christine’s gun wasn’t clean anymore.
I started to sweat, but luckily the officer had already turned, rising from his seat by the bed. “There may be some more questions, time will tell.”
As the officer left the room, I saw mom outside, hands up to her face, looking in at mine. She looked mortified.
She rushed in front of dad, and gave me as much of a hug as she thought I could stand. “We’ll get these boys.” Her face looked all flustered and puffy. “We’ll get the boys who did this.”
“Now, now, honey, you heard what Roni said; one of the boys has a judge on his side, we’re not going down that route. We don’t want Lyman to go to jail over some story they concoct.”
Seems dad had drunk the Kool-Aid; that was a start.
“But how can we let them get away with it?”
“Seems that the judge’s son didn’t exactly get away with it, did he, son?”
Oh crap, I didn’t know this part of the story. I just grinned as far as I could, then flinched in pain.
“See!” dad looked all proud. “You gave him a good taste of his own medicine, didn’t you, son?”
“Sure did,” I grinned again. “You should see the other guy, Mom.” I grinned wider, showed her the knuckles on my right hand, and she kinda melted a little bit.
“I’m not agreeing with this charade, but I’ll go along, don’t worry,” mom said, rubbing her hand over my shoulder.
“Broke his jaw, huh?” dad still reveled. I flexed my knuckles and winced. They were a bit swollen, and very red.
Dave and Roni were at the door, then Mary-Christine squeezed between them. I waved her in.
“Mary-Christine!” mom stood up and hugged her tight. “What an ordeal to go through.”
“She was great, Mom.” Then I stopped myself suddenly. I had almost told them of the shootings. I kept quiet, really not knowing her story in this.
“I’m sure she was.” mom hugged her more. “Poor thing.”
I had the image of that poor thing putting a shell into Jim Creary’s head.
Extricating herself from mom’s hug, Mary-Christine came around to the other side, and leant in to gently kiss me.
“Oh, look at them,” mom said. “Even now, they look a picture!”
Dave and Roni came in, making it a whole family affair.
“I gave the office a call,” Dave began. “Looks like we can get a car from the carpool.”
“Wow, that’s great.” dad’s face all lit up. “How did you swing that?”
“Well, pool cars are all auctioned after two years, I’ll just whisk one away.”
“And the insurance? Who’s going to pay for that?” mom got indignant again.
“Don’t worry, Lilly,” Dave said, putting his arm on dad’s sleeve. “I’ll see to it that it’s all worked out okay. Your guy’s insurance won’t be touched.”
“That’s very kind of you, Dave, but I still feel the boys who did this should be made to pay somehow.”
“Lilly,” Dave’s voice remained calm and collected. “We’re just hoping they don’t come back at the police with their own story that puts Lyman in Juvenile Hall.”
Mom shut up then.
After a bit, my parents left, Dave and Roni walked them to the elevator, leaving Mary-Christine and me alone.
“How did it go with the police?” I asked.
“He basically just verified everything you said. I just nodded most of the time. How about you?”
“My only problem is if they ask for your gun to be examined, it’s not been cleaned after firing.”
“Oh. That’s a bad miss.”
Dave came back into the room, and we told him our fears.
“No problem, I’ll pick them up tonight, clean them for you. Listen, I know it’s very early, but we have to act quickly sometimes.”
He paused.
“Out with it, Dave,” I said, wary of what he kept to himself.
“Well, we’ve got Creary secured, he’s already out of town. Would you like to be involved at the kill?”
“Involved?”
“Yeah, deal the final blow?” Dave put his hand up. “You’re the guy who took him down; you get that right. I know the Dorothy thing hit you hard, but you handled tonight well. You don’t have to give me an answer right now, but I need to know by tomorrow night.”
I shook my head. “No need to even think about it. I’d fucking love to be there.”
Then I realized that I’d cussed in front of Mary-Christine’s dad.
With a petulant stamp of my foot, I decided it time to turn Alan’s game around on him; see how much he liked being stalked. The very next day after I killed Craig, all flush and strong from a good feeding, I strolled right onto the campus of Vampire High.
Of course, I didn’t have the Gregor uniform and I stuck out like a sore thumb and so it wasn’t like I could follow Alan around without being noticed. So, I didn’t even bother. Instead, I loitered within visual of the school and waited until a bunch of kids spilled out into the common.
Lunchtime.
Blue skies and a few scruffy clouds drifted overhead; the weather hadn’t begun to change yet and most everybody ate outside. I didn’t take Alan for a cafeteria dweeb, so I figured he’d be outside in the quad somewhere. There were little cliques of kids scattered all over the place, and a lot of chatter. By the smell, I could tell all of them were human. I wondered how much they knew.
I got quite a bit of attention as I passed by them, weaving in and out of the groups of kids, scanning each face for one that looked remotely familiar. First I spotted Beanstalk, the
tall one from Alan’s gang, standing above the crowd. As I got closer, I saw Jock, too.
That made me laugh right out loud. Jock and the Beanstalk…
Some girl with them saw me before either of the guys, and she nudged Beanstalk in the ribs. He glared over at me. I glared back. Seeing how most of the student body were members of the non-vampire origin, I figured Alan would be pretty interested in keeping their secret…uh, a secret. I didn’t have to worry much about getting attacked on campus. So, with Beanstalk as my lighthouse, I let him lead me right to Alan.
Quick enough, I found the son-of-a-bitch. Alan wasn’t standing with his crowd. They were hanging by close enough to like, keep guard or something, but it looked like they didn’t want to be seen together. Not sure. That’s just what it looked like to me.
Alan sat off to one side on a tall planter, sitting with this dorky, skinny, red-haired dude who chowed heartily on a bologna sandwich. He even had mustard on his chin. As I walked up, the red head noticed me first; such a loser. I mean, his eyes just moved up my body and like, froze at my chest. I wanted to hurt him.
On top of all of it - he smelled funny. Definitely human but like his blood had vinegar in it. All kinds of disgusting things emanated from him.
Wonder Geek just sat there, tongue hanging out, until Alan casually looked up. I could tell he knew I was there but wanted to be humanly surprised. He even faked being shocked to see me.
“Mandy? Mandy Cross? Is that you?”
I didn’t play his game, “Who the fuck were you expecting?”
His dorky friend practically choked on his sandwich.
Alan looked suddenly embarrassed. “I’ll be back in a sec, Lyman…”
Alan shot to his feet, put his hand on my elbow and escorted me to a remote spot where the crowd of kids thinned. I would have thought he’d be furious; instead he seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing.
“Brave girl!” Alan said, grinning big, “I knew I made the right choice in going after you… you’re tougher than you seem.”
I sneered at the compliment. “If you don’t want to find out how tough I am, then you better call off your dogs and let me be, Alan. I’m not looking for trouble; just need to start over again - a new life. You owe me that after all you’ve done.”
That got under his skin, I could tell. But, with Lemon or Lemur (whatever the dork’s name was) all concerned and spying on us from the planter, Alan had to keep his cool. But, his vampire buddies knew something was up and were slowly making their way closer.
“I owe you, Mandy Cross?” he tried to look all indignant. “I’ve already given you the greatest fucking gift anybody could ever give you: eternal fucking life. So, you’ve got this backwards. If anybody owes anybody - it’s you who owes me.”
“Oh, really? Just what do I owe you?”
“Loyalty. That’s what any vampire owes the vampire who turned them. If you just figure that out, my crew and I will take good care of you, Mandy Cross. You’ll have a long, cushy life…you’ll be a teenager forever, never have to get a job or do the housewife thing. You’ve got the golden ticket; all you gotta do is get on the goddamn train.”
“And if I don’t?” I asked the question even though I knew I didn’t want the answer.
“Then you better watch your back, Mandy Cross. ‘Cause that same train’s gonna run you the fuck down.”
The bell rang. Alan smiled and waved at his dorky friend before pulling me into this weird “so long, friend” kind of hug. He caught up to the red-haired guy as Jock and the Beanstalk quietly followed me off campus.
That’s when I figured it out. Alan McCartney had to die.
And die publically.
I wasn’t getting on Alan’s train, but I sure as hell was going to de-rail it.”
We told Mom we were going away over the weekend to the Unicorps head office to get the new car. Of course, the only problem being, it was in Atlanta, and that meant Dave would have to drive it back. It would take the whole weekend.
“Everyone’s flying to Georgia, just to get a car?” My mom fussed a fair bit.
“It’s not everyone, Mom,” I interrupted before she moved any farther. “Dave has to authorize it, so he has to be there. Mary-Christine and I are just along for the road trip. We’ll be back on Sunday night. We won’t miss any school.”
“I know. It just seems a long way for a car.”
“Not to me.” I gave her my best grin, which in my bruised face, proved quite difficult. “Plus, it’s a free car!”
By Friday, we hadn’t heard of any counter move by ‘the five,’ so as far as we were concerned, it was all set. As soon as I was home from school, I got packed and hugged mom a lot.
“You’re growing up too fast,” she said, crying at the door.
“I am almost eighteen.”
January seventeenth loomed just round the corner. After the events of the last few days, I wondered if I’d ever get there.
“I know.” Then she hugged me again, and I gave her too many kisses, extricated myself from her grip, and skipped off down the driveway with my rucksack on my back.
“My baby’s going on a plane.” I heard her say.
I turned around, walking backwards, and waved. “Bye, Mom! Love you!” Then turned again, and headed for Mary-Christine’s.
We were soon underway, and everyone commented on how quick my swelling and bruising had gone down.
“Cottage cheese and sparkling water!” I announced from the backseat. “Mom insisted every evening before I went to bed.”
“In your belly or on the bruises?” Dave asked.
“Oh, mom made me lie on the sofa, and she applied it. I had to keep still for half an hour.”
“Sure seems to have helped,” Roni grinned.
And we drove on.
We were nearing the airport, when Dave turned to Mary-Christine. “Are you sure you don’t want to be part of the execution team, honey?”
“I’m okay, Dad.”
“There’s still time to arrange it.”
She shook her head emphatically. “Lyman did all the work.” She beamed a smile at me. “He took him down, saved my neck, literally, and beat the guy to a pulp, long before they got their act together. He deserves this. There’s plenty time for me.”
“Okay, darlin’. I was just asking.”
Yes, I had a heavier burden on my mind this time. I planned to take part in the execution. I’m not saying it didn’t weigh on me. It did.
I thought about it a lot.
Now, I’m not saying that it got boring, all this jet-setting, but it certainly seemed far more familiar. The initial wow-factor had gone, but it stayed fun; flying first class, the taxis everywhere, no need to worry over any expenses. A weekend away seemed like a real break from school.
The sky loomed dark when we got to Atlanta, and we booked into a different hotel this time, but just as plush. Our suite sat on the seventeenth floor, but the elevator took only seconds to get there.
Dave and Roni seemed to favor Italian restaurants, and this time proved no exception. They had wine at dinner, Mary-Christine and I had Diet Coke.
“I would like to propose a toast,” Dave said quietly over the table. He lifted his glass, and we all did likewise. “To a great addition to the Muscat household,” he paused, obviously searching for the exact words. “And a great beginning to a Helsing career.”
We all chinked glasses and grinned.
Despite the looming unknown of the next day’s execution, we had a great night.
The time and place picked itself; I needed somewhere very public, and that very Friday, Gregor Academy hosted Everton High in the first football game of the season. The crowd would be spectacular; our two schools were like infamous rivals. And! I still had my cheerleading uniform, which meant that I could blend into the scene with no issues.
I showed up an hour before the game and hung back until the bus with the kids from Everton showed up. Cheerleaders and players all filed out wearing the silver
and black I used to be so proud of. Now I felt nothing but bizarre in the uniform; like the old Mandy Cross that I used to be felt so dead I’d never get back to her. That just made me extra focused on what I’d come to do.
Like a stray cat or something, I followed the Everton kids, but at a distance - making sure to keep behind the pack. If any of those kids had seen me, they would’ve called way too much attention. Especially Misty or Sue; those girls were loud-mouths.
I had no clue where I’d find Alan but I felt certain he’d be there. I mean, he had to keep up appearances as a regular kid at school. I figured I’d find him or his gang up in the bleachers somewhere. But as luck would have it, while I followed my former schoolmates to the locker rooms…guess who came marching right passed me?
Unbelievable! All dressed up in this gay all-white uniform, big ugly hat on his head, and carrying some kind of long black horn. Alan Freaking McCartney - the band nerd! All that smooth, dangerous bad boy image completely gone. I wished I’d seen him like this first; I never would have fallen for the guy.
He was busy fiddling with his horn so he never noticed me at all. I waited until the entire band passed by before turning on my heel to follow after. They went all the way up to the main entrance gate. The band teacher shouted some orders at them and the whole bunch fell into these seven perfect rows. Alan stood expectantly in the middle of his row, fourth from the back.
I snuck up close to the gate. There were plenty of big trees to hide behind. I picked the closest one and just barely poked my head out - just enough so that I could see Alan without him noticing me.
The teacher did some countdown and the whole band exploded in sound. Being a vampire, I’m more sensitive to these things now and it proved a little much. I wondered how Alan managed to handle it at all. But as I watched, he seemed totally okay with it. In fact - I hate to say it - but he was pretty good. He really loved playing that stupid horn and marching in circles while shaking his butt.
Deep down, my cruel, manipulative Alan McCartney was nothing but a geek. A band nerd.
It kind of cracked me up inside. I almost hated to have to kill him. Almost.
They ran through a couple of songs before I got up the nerve. It wasn’t until the teacher yelled out, “Okay, guys, last song and then we head down to the fields!” that I realized I’d better get to it. If I waited until the game started, then I’d have a lot more humans to deal with and it wouldn’t be near as easy to get away.