Right to Silence

by Lily Luchesi

  “Gross,” she muttered, shuddering. At least she had done it. She’d never shot at anything alive before, and she was sure the shock would hit her eventually, but she was holding it in check till she got back topside.

  Gingerly going into the pockets of the corpses, she found the keys to the cell. She said a prayer that whatever was inside wouldn’t try to kill her and unlocked the door, which swung slowly on its hinges and sounded straight out of a horror movie.

  Inside the room, shackled to the wall, was a young woman with skin so pale, Helena wondered if she was dead. The woman lifted her head, groaning as she did so. She was beaten up, bruised, and cut. The cuts weren’t bleeding out, but they weren’t closed either. Blood was matted in her hair and the visible skin was covered in cuts and lash marks. A particularly deep gouge in her bicep still had muscle showing. Helena had to stifle a gasp as the woman opened her eyes. She had never seen a vampire’s eyes before, and it was quite a shock.

  “If you’re going to try to torture me into making a deal, tell your boss forget it,” the woman said. “I haven’t broken yet, and I’m not going to anytime soon.”

  “What? No. Are you Carrie King?” Helena asked, noticing that she fit the description: long black hair, tattoos, and in her twenties. She had never had an author photo in her books, but a lot of authors didn’t these days.

  “That’s what it says on my ID.” Her voice was cracking, as if she were thirsty. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Helena Collins. I’m here to rescue you.” Helena knelt beside Carrie, unlocking her shackles.

  “You’re with the PID?” Carrie asked as she stood up, holding the wall for support.

  “Kind of. Not officially. I’ll explain later. I just killed two demon guards outside the door, and I am afraid reinforcements might be on the way,” Helena said. “You look pretty bad. Can you walk?”

  Carrie closed her eyes as if she were in pain. “I have not fed in a very long time. You see, time is different down here. Three days topside is three weeks down here.”

  Helena felt her own throat go dry. “You...you need blood?”

  Carrie rolled her eyes. “No, I need a lemonade and a cheeseburger. Wow, you really are a newbie to this world, aren’t you? Yes, I need blood, and you’re the only vein here.”

  Helena was scared for a moment that Carrie would attack her, but instead she said, “I’m a law-abiding vamp. I won’t kill you, but you have to make the cut yourself or else I might lose control.” Helena nodded and took out her knife. She took her jacket off and made a small cut on her arm that she could tie off with a tourniquet and held her arm out to Carrie, fear coursing through her. What if this was her death sentence?

  She needn’t worry. Carrie held her arm steady and pressed her lips to the spouting blood like a child at a water fountain. Helena felt very much like she was at the doctor’s office, having blood drawn. The feeling was similar, though she was sure an actual bite would’ve been agonizing. Those fangs had looked...well, let’s say she’d prefer having surgery without anesthetic to being bitten.

  Carrie lifted her head and wiped the blood from her bottom lip. She then bit her own fingertip and let her Undead blood course over Helena’s wound, effectively closing it.

  “Wow. Just like in your books,” Helena said, actually finding herself a bit starstruck. “Is that really all the blood you needed?”

  “If I were to take all the blood I needed, I’d have to drain your entire family,” she said, stepping back. Helena could see that her bruises and cuts had healed completely, not even leaving a scar. Amazing. Her eyes had also turned back to a very normal brown. “Most vampires get ill if they drain more than two humans a day, but when deprived of blood...well, you’ve read my books. At least, judging by your previous comment, I assume you’re a fan?”

  Helena nodded, too in awe of what her blood had done for Carrie to speak.

  “So then you know how terrible paranormal creatures can be. We need to get moving,” Carrie said. “How’d you kill those guards, anyway?”

  “With weapons from the PID. Oh, they gave me extra in case you were in shape to fight our way out of here.” Helena handed Carrie the gun holster with a .45 and a 9mm in either side. She also handed her a sword in a sheath and a knife. They were able to leave and take the long, winding passage back to where Danny was hopefully waiting. Helena had to admit, Carrie looked a bit odd with a miniskirt and a sword almost as long as her leg.

  “What did you mean when you said you’re not actually with the PID?” Carrie asked.

  “We weren’t allowed to join, so the wolf in the armory gave me a crash course in training. Thankfully my father was a cop so I already knew how to shoot and fight,” Helena explained.

  “Who’s ‘we’? How many unauthorized agents are in Hell? Do you know how dangerous this is? Even I would hesitate to go into Hell while still living!” Carrie said. “How were you not allowed to join? They’ll usually take anyone willing to put their lives on the line, if they’re capable.”

  Helena shook her head. “I’ll be happy to tell you the whole story when we’re topside, but the short version is I was desperate to help you— you’re my favorite author —and my...something had connections in the FBI.”

  “You’re ‘something’? I don’t think I’ve ever been so confused in my life, but believe me, you have my gratitude. You and your ‘something’.” Carrie chuckled. Helena looked up at her and saw that she really was quite beautiful. She wondered if all vampires were attractive.

  As they walked Helena asked, “I have to ask...your books, are they real?”

  “You mean did all of that stuff actually happen to me in the last two centuries? Yes. Everything was real. I only changed the character’s names,” Carrie replied.

  “Wow. So much hardship. At the end of the second book, I cried my eyes out. How did you handle it?” Helena asked.

  Carrie bit her lip. “Badly. But things always get better, even if it takes a hundred years. A perk of being immortal.” She winked.

  “And the next book?” Helena asked.

  “I don’t know the ending of it yet,” she replied. “I’m still living it.” They both stopped short as a loud creaking sound filled the air. They were about to enter the hall with the filled cells, and it sounded like one was breaking.

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Helena commented.

  “Oh, no shit,” Carrie said, her hand already on the hilt of her sword. “Souls don’t just break out of their cells. The higher ups of the Underworld are onto us. You better hope your ‘something’ is a good fighter, since he or she are on their own.”

  As soon as she said that, before Helena even had a chance to worry about Danny, there was a throaty chuckle so sinister, she felt like she wanted to wet herself.

  Out of the shadows came a tall, gorgeous male vampire, fangs bared and eyes red. He was the very epitome of evil and Helena then realized that she was in way over her head. Her vigilante ideals were not all they were cracked up to be, and she was sure that, since Carrie was weakened, they were both dead.

  “Well, well. We meet again. What are you doing down here? Weren’t you a little do-gooder on Earth?” the vampire asked Carrie. “Thought for sure you’d go upstairs...unless you’re being punished for killing my nest and I.”

  Carrie drew her sword and said, “I’m not dead yet, asshole, and I’m much stronger than I was when I killed you the first time. Now I’m relishing the chance to do it again after what you did to me.”

  “Good luck,” he said, charging at her at an inhuman rate. Helena watched the fight half paralyzed with terror. What could she do to help Carrie defeat this monster? Did she even want to help Carrie, after this vamp had said she killed his entire nest?

  The other vamp was strong, and he attacked Carrie with gusto, claws extended and fangs flashing. He got his teeth into her forearm, biting down deep and Carrie had to drop her sword with a yell. With her free hand, she reached into her holster for the 9mm and shot him tw
ice in the back. It made him fall off of her, but the wounds started to heal, the new flesh pushing the bullets out of his skin with wet pops. They laid on the floor, soaked in Undead blood.

  He was wiping Carrie’s blood from his lips. “What happened to you?”

  “Taste a difference?” she asked, shooting at him again. He dodged these, reaching out and scratching her from wrist to elbow.

  Though she must have been in horrible pain, she managed to use his attack to grab him by the wrist and use her supernatural strength to toss him over her shoulder. Helena noticed that, while the bite marks had healed, the cuts from his nails were still dripping blood. Apparently Carrie didn’t have enough human blood in her system to help her heal. This was bad.

  The flame-haired vamp landed on his feet, charging toward Carrie. She jumped out of the way, barely escaping. Helena had no reflexes that could possibly help in this fight, but she did have a sword to replace the one that was kicked to who knew where.

  “Carrie!” she called, and her voice shocked the male vampire, who stopped and looked around. She threw her sheathed blade and Carrie caught it easily, unsheathing it and striking.

  While the redhead was still looking about him, his confusion provided her enough of a head start to swoop toward him and slice through his neck, severing it like a butcher severs a chicken head. The head flew and landed right at Helena’s feet, leaking blood from the neck. The body stood upright for a moment, spouting blood from the stump of a neck. It fell down, spasming for a moment before it stilled.

  Helena’s heart was beating a million miles an hour in her chest.

  Carrie walked over to her, wiping the bloody blade clean on her black miniskirt and handing it back to her in the sheath. “Quick thinking. Thank you.” She looked her up and down. “Are you okay? You look pretty shaken up.”

  Helena nodded. “Yeah. I was told what might happen down here. I guess I just...froze. Same thing happened during my test to become a cop.”

  Carrie kicked the head away behind them, leaving a trail of blood glittering in the air for a moment. “That’s why the PID wouldn’t give you this mission officially. You obviously don’t have the experience, nor the courage for this. The paranormal world is brutal. And your ‘something’ should be slapped for letting you come down here.” She straightened up. “Come on. We need to get out of here before more monsters are let out of their cells.”

  She bent down and found her sword a few yards away, sheathing it and they walked down the twisting way. Helena noticed how the formerly placid cellmates were riled up when Carrie walked by. She wondered if Carrie had killed all of these creatures, and that was why she was placed down this hall. Had she just freed a bigger monster than any of the other damned souls there? What on Earth had she gotten herself into?

  “How can we touch dead souls while we’re still living?” she asked, trying to take her mind off of her fears.

  “Because in Hell we are all on the same plane. Just like how, on Earth, some spirits can touch us. They cross into our plane,” Carrie explained. She turned and, as if it were nothing, slapped her silver blade flat against the palm of a very odd looking werewolf that was reaching for her, burning it. “Hey, I didn’t kill you. Go to the Pit to find the real woman who did this to you,” she admonished it. Helena was amazed at her bravery...and a little put off by her attitude.

  A few feet more and they were about to turn the last sharp corner before they got to the portal to Earth, but Carrie stopped her, mouthing, “I hear someone.” She drew her sword and quickly snapped around the corner, brandishing it at the throat of their would-be assailant.

  At first, all Helena could see was the barrel of a gun pointed at Carrie’s heart, but as she moved, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was Danny!

  “Danny, stop,” she said, revealing herself to him. She saw he wasn’t paying her any mind. He was staring at Carrie, smirking. Carrie looked pissed off. Oh boy. Helena was now sure that the vamp was a killer and that Danny had probably fought her when he was actually with the PID. “Danny? Carrie? You guys can stand down.”

  Danny chuckled. “I knew it.”

  At the same time, Carrie said, “I should have known.”

  Chapter Six

  When Bart had called Danny, he mentioned that there was a PID sting going on in Hollywood, and that these vampire women were casualties of the operation not going as well as planned. He didn’t say much, but he did say it had to do with demons hunting for a specific female vampire. Bart didn’t know why they wanted some particular vampire or who it was exactly— he claimed that no one did, although he and Danny were certain that Mark did and was lying about that —but they had received a warning from a vampiric club owner near the most recent murders in the area, hoping to attack them unawares and find out their plans. That not-so-anonymous tipper was Carrie King, author, vampire, and nightclub owner. Instead of either fleeing or capturing the demons, she had been taken instead; she was the one they wanted.

  Before Bart had even called, Danny had been taking out his phone to call Mark, because he knew all about Carrie. Not the whole background of this personae, of course, but he instinctively knew what had happened to her, who she was, and why she was there. There were precious few people he’d dive into the bowels of Hell for. He was glad to see that his detective’s instinct had been right.

  Now, if only she would lower that damned sword!

  “You don’t know when to leave well enough alone,” she said. “You never did.”

  “Not when it comes to you,” he replied, holstering his gun. She, in turn, sheathed her sword. “I’ll tell you something, you have a lot of explaining to do!” He wasn’t sure if he was more angry or relieved.

  “Sure, but can we get out of Hell first? It’s awfully hot here,” she said. Was she really being this nonchalant?

  Helena was staring at them both, a confused look on her face. “Do you two know each other?”

  Danny smiled ruefully. Did he know her? Not as well as he had originally thought! “Helena Collins, meet Angelica Cross: vampire hunter and founder of the Paranormal Investigative Division of the FBI.”

  Helena looked Angelica up and down, taking in the enormity of who this vampire actually was.

  “Collins...ah, you’re the daughter of Danny’s old police captain, right? What would dear old daddy say if he found out you were working with a vampire?” Angelica said, her laugh sounding like a choir of angels to Danny’s ears.

  “Nothing. He’s been dead for nine months,” Helena said, suddenly snippy.

  Angelica shrugged. “Can’t say I’ll cry.” She turned to Danny. “You talk about me owing you explanations? How about telling me why you brought a mortal who had about a day of training into Hell? We had to face a very vengeful vamp back there and she froze. How could you knowingly take her here? Do you want her dead?”

  Danny couldn’t help laughing. Angry Angie was always frightening, but for some reason he also found it sexy as Hell. “Always being the champion of humans, huh?” He was about to say more when he looked down and noticed that she had open cuts on her arm; four of them, which were long and deep. “What happened?” He lifted her hand to see her arm better and she snatched it back.

  “Like I said, vengeful vampire,” she replied. “Remember the Lombard nest? Jerry with the Kool-Aid hairdo?”

  “How could I forget? Angie, why aren’t those healed?” he asked.

  She looked away.

  He knew how stubborn she was, how she hated asking for help for anything, but he needed to make her understand: he would do anything for her. Not because she was weak or needy. Not because she wasn’t capable. Just because he loved her with all of his heart. She was just fine on her own, but she would never need to be on her own again. He was there for her, by her side forever. He even went to Hell for her! He gently turned her face to his and said, “How long haven’t you had blood?”

  “Time down here is...different,” she said. “Three days is like three weeks topside. So, wit
h the exception of half a pint from her a bit ago, I haven’t had any blood.”

  “No wonder you’re not healed!” Danny cried. “You could die, Angie. We have a lot to deal with, and we can’t have you weakened by your own stubbornness. Come on: you need it from the vein. You can’t only drink it bagged after being so deprived. Even I know that.” He rolled up his sleeve and bared his wrist before her.

  “Would you rather make the cut yourself?” she asked. She knew what her bites did to him as well as he did. He knew they didn’t need him getting aroused, but he also knew it was better for a vampire to make their own bite than to drink from an already opened wound.

  He shook his head and braced himself. Bites hurt like a bitch, but he could handle the pain. Besides, thanks to his powers, he couldn’t be glamoured to not feel it. Angie closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were red and black. He watched her fangs descend. Angelica was possibly the most beautiful creature ever created, but even her beauty was dulled by those monstrous things.

  She bent down and he felt the two longest ones pierce his skin, and the pain was dulled by the pure wave of pleasure that swept through him, making his knees go weak. He struggled to keep his breathing even and his body upright. It was so odd, on top of the pleasure-pain, to feel his blood being drawn at such a rapid rate.

  Angelica didn’t take more than a pint, but when she raised her head and he saw his blood staining her full lips and the flush on her porcelain cheeks, he knew she was better. Somehow, his blood had sustained her more than Helena’s had.

  He assumed that it was the Claiming, the not-quite-ritual between vampires and their lovers. Danny’s blood would always satiate her hunger more than anyone else’s. It was a thrill knowing that little fact, a reminder that he saved her as much as she had saved him. A reminder that he belonged to her. That should have frightened him, but instead it only turned him on.

  Angelica licked the blood off of her lips, her fangs already retracted and she leaned in to whisper so Helena didn’t hear, “We can talk about the fact that you get off on being my pet at a later date. It’s an avenue I’d love to explore.”