by H. T. Night
Sion was positive the Mani intelligence would figure out who I was soon enough, and I was looking at a bounty no smaller than one hundred thousand dollars. That impressed me and terrified me at the same time. I was also told it was a very good thing that I was alone on this planet because those motherfuckers would not hesitate to go after my family in their attempt to get to Josiah.
Over the past twenty years, there had been only two people I cared about and they were both dead. They didn't die in a morbid fight against good and evil with swords and daggers. Both died of the complications of old age. Because they had both been human. They were my wife Marlene and my very best friend Zeke.
For the past five years, I had been in mourning. My life had been meaningless and dangerous all in one. Vampire Hunters were everywhere. I had to keep a low profile, all the while dealing with the loss of the two most important people in my life.
My new friends had embraced me and made me feel as welcome as any immortal in my situation could feel. Over the past couple of months, I shared stories about my life with these people. Telling them what I wanted them to know and keeping the layered details of the stories of my life to myself. They didn't judge me at all for choosing to live among humans after being turned.
I stood up and walked to the hallway that separated the kitchen and living room where everyone was sleeping. I looked over at Josiah and noted he was sleeping restlessly. I hadn't seen the guy sleep peacefully since I had been here. Sometimes he talks in his sleep. As a matter of fact, everyone in the room talks in their sleep, at least a little. When you put your life on the line as much as these men and women have, it stirs up crazy shit in your mind and presents itself in your dreams. I was also a restless sleeper and had been told many times by my wife Marlene I would not only talk in my sleep, but cry out in my sleep. I was not looking forward to the moment when that happened to me here and these folks would see what stirs deep inside my core.
As if he felt me watching him, Josiah sat up from his spot on the couch abruptly. He made eye contact with me and just laughed quietly.
“Are you okay?” I asked. I knew he was okay, but it seemed like the right thing to say to the guy.
“I had a weird dream, but what else is new? What are you doing up?”
“I'm on watch,” I answered.
Josiah smiled and said, “Of course you are.” Josiah gave me a disarming smile.
I decided to take the moment and ask him something that I had wanted to ask him since I first met the man. “Josiah, can I ask you a question?”
Josiah scooted over on the couch he was sitting on. He motioned for me to sit next to him. I walked over and sat next to him. We were similar in build. I still had my eighteen-year-old-body while Josiah aged twice as slow as humans. He looked to be in his early thirties, but the wear and tear in his eyes made him appear much older. This guy had seen more battles than anyone on earth. And from what I hear, he always came out on top.
He was sitting about a foot and a half beside me. It was close quarters because there were so many people sleeping in the room. Josiah saw the predicament we were in and said, “Let's go to the kitchen. We can talk in there without waking the others up.”
Josiah stood up and walked into the kitchen, and I followed. He walked over to the refrigerator and he poured me a glass of O negative, and the bastard poured himself a glass of milk. Josiah was the first of his kind. To put it simply, he was a hybrid immortal. His people took on traits of a vampire and a werewolf at times. Most could eat whatever they wanted and not live solely on blood. The drawback was, they weren't truly immortal. They age twice as slowly as a human. In this house, there were three of his kind. He and both of his sons were in his little vampire sect. What I hear is, the entire sect is down to five hundred and are scattered around the world in hiding.
“So, what's on your mind, Todd?” Josiah asked from across the white oak kitchen table.
I was quiet. I wasn't sure what I wanted to ask, but I needed to know how he dealt with his loss.
“How do you do it, Josiah? How do you deal with...”
I didn't need to say anything else; he knew I was talking about his wife.
“It isn't easy,” he said simply. “My wife was my rock, as I'm sure your wife was to you. My life has been chaotic since the moment I was turned, to the man I am today. I was sixteen when my parents died, not much younger than you were when your parents were killed.”
“Our similarities are eerie.”
Josiah nodded. “When I touched your head, the first night we met, so I could see inside your soul, I saw someone whose life I knew was filled with similar pain to mine.”
“That didn't scare you?” I asked.
“No, because I saw your purity. I saw your faithfulness to your wife. I saw your loyalty to your best friend. You didn't leave them even after being made a vampire. Most do leave their mortal lives behind. They flock to others of their kind. You didn't. I knew this place was for you if you wanted it to be.”
“Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this,” I said looking around the room. Our situation wasn't ideal, but I felt that I was a part of something important again. I had a reason to be.
“You don't need to thank me, Todd. You're a part of this because it was your destiny.”
“Do you believe that, Josiah?”
“Think about it. If you weren't here with us, where would you be?”
“In some abandoned motel wishing I had a group of loyal friends like the ones we have here.”
Josiah smiled. “So, tell me, Todd. What exactly about your wife's passing is troubling you tonight. You mentioned before she lived a long full life.”
“She did. I just miss her. She has been a part of my immortal life from the very beginning. I'm not sure I know how to do this without her.” Tears began to burn my eyes.
Josiah stood up and pulled his chair right next to me. “I understand, brother. We have to relearn how to live.” Josiah put his arm around me. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. I felt his love. I felt his empathy. This was a great man with the weight of the world on his shoulders and he was taking time to comfort me.
After a few minutes of quiet hugging, Josiah whispered in my ear. “Pain is all around us. We can embrace it and use it for good, or we can allow it to rule us and beat us down. I chose to embrace it for good a while back. I think you have too, Todd. Take stock in who you are today and be grateful for every moment you were given with your loved ones who have passed.”
Josiah released his embrace, stood and said, “It's 1:30 p.m. and it's not getting dark anytime soon. So, I'm going to try to catch some more Z's.”
I nodded my head.
“Try to get some sleep when your shift is over,” Josiah said as he made his way back to the couch he had been sleeping on.
I went back to the kitchen to check on the monitors. We had eight monitors going at all times. As long as you keep an eye on all eight monitors with regularity you can see just about all movement outside. Other than animals, we saw very little action. The second one of us did see something shifty, we immediately woke up the entire house. It was Josiah's protocol, so no one complained. We only had one false alarm since I have been here and it occurred while Jason was on watch. It turned out to be two SUV's filled with human families who were lost, and eventually they figured out they had gone out of their way. Because there is only one road to get to this ranch and if you're on it, it means you are coming to the ranch.
“Todd?” Josiah whispered from the couch.
“Yes.”
“Remember, you can always talk to me.”
I smiled and winked at Josiah and said, “Thank you, Josiah. You can always talk to me too.”
Josiah smiled, “That sounds like the start of a great friendship to me.” He turned over on the couch and went to sleep.
Chapter Two
While watching Josiah sleep on the couch, a wave of energy took over my body. When this happened to me, I needed to sit down or even lay down. I s
ometimes received intense visions that are triggered by experience I have with individuals. In this case, it was Josiah.
I went to the table and sat down in the chair Josiah had sat in. I closed my eyes and saw a vision of the past. It wasn't one of my visions; it was Josiah's.
Ever since I had been turned I had experienced vivid visions of people's past. Unlike Hunter's visions where he could see into the future. I was able to grab key components of people's past that helped me to either trust or be wary of the person I was receiving the vision of.
This vision was clearly about Josiah. I could see our leader, albeit a much younger version of him, outside a house in a suburban neighborhood and he seemed to be engaged in a conversation with a bird. It looked to be a red raven. A Mani woman, most likely. Yari perhaps. Josiah looked very young, possibly eighteen or nineteen.
“I’m off for a run, Daphne; try to keep up with me,” Josiah said to the red raven.
He gave the bird a wink and took off running. The red raven squawked as Josiah headed down the street. At first, he was running slow and then he started booking it down the different streets.
He turned left and headed down toward the college. Loud music was playing at what appeared to be a frat house. The Greek letters on the front of the house were a dead giveaway.
Josiah seemed to not want anything to do with this house because he picked up speed and tried to run past the house as fast as he could.
Then it happened that gave him pause. A woman's shrill scream was heard emanating from behind the house. Josiah stopped jogging and turned around. Then another scream was heard. Then it happened a third time.
Josiah ran behind the house and he saw a young, dark-haired woman wearing a black dress climbing out of a window. She simply wrenched up the second-story window, looked over her shoulder, and then jumped, dropping behind some hedges, where I heard the young lady cry out again as she crash landed. She reappeared a moment later, limping badly and bleeding from fresh scratches on her face and elbows.
She and Josiah reached the side gate separating the front yard from the back yard at about the same time. Josiah pulled the gate open and ushered her through.
The woman was crying. I would be crying, too, if I had just jumped from the second floor. God only knew what else went on inside the house to make this poor woman jump from so high up. It had to have been pretty bad.
Josiah asked the woman, “What the hell is going on?”
After getting a closer look at Josiah, she whimpered, “I know you! Please! Help me!” Then she jumped in his arms.
“What’s wrong?” Josiah asked the woman. “Are you hurt?”
“Please, just get me out of here!” she begged.
“What’s going on?”
“Just get me out of here!”
“I don’t have a car. I’m on foot—” Josiah said.
“I don’t care! Just help me leave!” she hissed, looking back at the house warily.
Josiah grabbed her hand, and the pair ran around to the front of the house. Just as they reached the sidewalk, a red-headed guy yelled out from the front door, “Lena! Where you going, baby?”
Oh my gosh. This was when Josiah met his wife, Lena.
“I’m getting the hell out of here, Ronnie,” Lena yelled at the guy. Then she said, “You and your friends can kiss my ass.”
“Well, that’s what we were trying to do until you decided to be a tease,” the redheaded guy said walking toward Josiah and Lena.
“Don’t come near us!” Lena grabbed Josiah's arm.
“Who is this guy?” Ron said, walking right up to Josiah.
Josiah looked the man up and down that met his eyes and said fearlessly, “I’m going to take her home.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ron stepped even closer to Josiah.
“Just go back inside,” Josiah said to Ron. “Go back to your party. Chill.” Then Josiah took a step back.
“And what if I don’t want to go back to my party?” Ron said inches from Josiah's face. “What if I am not in a chill mood?” Ron then took a step towards Josiah that was more threatening.
Josiah didn't say anything.
“I asked you a question, Blondie,” Ron said to Josiah. “What if I don’t want to go back to my party?”
Josiah took a deep breath and said, “Look, Spanky, why don’t you just let us get out of here and then you can go back to whatever you guys do at these parties. Raping and pillaging, I suppose.”
“Raping and pillaging?” This made the red-headed guy's flush red. “Oh, you’re funny, Backstreet Boy. You’re not going anywhere. I took Lena to this party. If anyone’s taking her home, it’s going to be me.”
“I don’t see that happening,” Josiah said.“You seemed to have lost that privilege the second you and your frat buddies decided to commit a federal crime.”
“The last time I checked, it wasn’t a crime when a girl was asking for it.” Ronnie was clearly trying to antagonize Josiah.
“So, that’s why her hair is messed up and she has a ripped dress.”
“What can I say? I guess the bitch likes it rough.”
“You’re a fucking pig, Ron!” Lena yelled out from behind Josiah.
“Look, whore, you know you wanted it, and you got scared once you saw how fat my cock was.”
Josiah stepped so close to Ron that their noses were practically touching. “Get the fuck out of here, you fat piece of shit.”
“And what if I don’t?”
“Then tonight will not end well for you,” Josiah grinned. If I'd been on the receiving end of that grin, I would have run away.
“Are you threatening me?” The red-headed guy asked.
A crowd of frat boys had now built around them.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” They were shouting like a group of maniacs.
Ron shouted at the crowd, “This guy thinks he’s going to kick my ass.”
Ron stared at Josiah.
Josiah wasn't having it. “Look, Ron, I’m not falling in love looking at you this long. If you’re going to do something, do it. Otherwise, I’d like to make it home in time for Jimmy Kimmel.” After a moment. “All right,” Josiah said to Lena. “Let’s go, Lena. Ron is apparently a nice guy and is going to let us leave.”
Josiah turned around and Ron pushed him in the back. Then Josiah whirled around and grabbed Ron's right hand and pulled Ron into the side of an SUV that was parked there. He bounced off the door and fell straight to the ground.
Ron rose to his feet slowly, watching Josiah. He had a big red mark on his forehead. Then Ron charged Josiah like a football player. Josiah turned his body to the left and threw an uppercut with his right hand, flattening Ron. He hit the concrete hard, but bounced back up to face Josiah. He didn't have his footing or his wits and he just collapsed back down onto the ground.
Then a group of four guys surrounded Josiah. The guys kept looking at each other, trying to decide what to do. Then without warning or sense, the four charged Josiah. The first two guys tried to throw punches in the direction of Josiah's head. He ducked and sidestepped and gave a sharp left cross to the guy on the right—and broke his nose on contact. Blood spurted everywhere, all over his face and shirt, and he moaned and fell backward.
Then Josiah kicked a second guy, who came up behind him, in the groin He fell to the ground, holding his manhood and cried like a baby.
The next guy jumped on Josiah's back. Josiah threw him over his shoulder, and he landed on another guy.
The last guy just charged at Josiah, and Josiah took a step back and gave him a high kick to the chin that made him stagger back. The guy didn't fall, but went forward at Josiah. Josiah punched him four or five times, knocking him out.
Now there was a larger group of guys out there. It looked like every guy at the party had now come out of the house.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Big Red Ron hit Josiah in the back with a baseball bat, knocking him to his knees and then to the ground.
Ron raised his b
at again and then stopped as a black van came screeching down the street. Three guys in black trench coats hung out of the open van doors, making a lot of noise. Then the van drove up into the front yard and stopped. The three guys jumped out of the van. One of the three men was at least seven feet tall.
I had heard of a seven-foot-tall vampire back in the day named Atticai, but I never had the pleasure of meeting him. I wondered if this was him. The very tall vamp spoke loudly to Lena. “What the hell are you doing at this meathead party? I warned you to stay away.”
Lena replied angrily, “You think I wanted to come to this party, Atticai? One of these assholes drugged me at the club, kidnapped me, and brought me here.”
Then a woman, I recognized as Yari, stepped out of the driver’s side of the van. She, too, wore all black, but it looked like a jumpsuit, and she had a bullwhip in her hand. She cracked it in the air.
“They drugged you?” Atticai asked.
Then one of the frat boys yelled out, “Hey, Freak Show! Get your fucking van off my lawn or I’m calling the police.”
“Who said that?” Atticai said, scanning the crowd.
A muscular, dark-haired guy came forward. “I did,” he said. “Now get your fucking van off my grass or I’m going to stick my foot deep in your bony ass.”
Atticai turned to Lena, ignoring him. “Did they hurt you?”
“Almost,” Lena replied.
Atticai nodded and said, “So, which one of these young men thought it would be okay to drug a young woman and take advantage of her?”
Without hesitation, Lena pointed at Ron, who stepped back a little into the crowd holding his bat. “Hey, man, I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Of course not,” said Atticai. “Lena, get in the van and shut the door.” He looked back at Ron. “My little ginger-haired friend is going to be taught the proper way to treat a lady.”
“Atticai, please,” Lena said. “Someone already took care of it. Just let it go.”
Ron, hearing this, took another step back. He also raised the bat again. Atticai continued looking at Ron. “Yes, I can see that someone did some damage to the boy.”