by Rashaad Bell
Chapter 15
I’ve never done this before, yet I think I can do it better then you…
When the plane door opened, Connor ushered me down the escalator steps to the waiting BMW that was parked not far from us. I opened the passenger side door and climbed in, waiting for Connor as he talked briefly with the pilot. I still couldn’t believe I was here in California, that I had garnered up the courage to enter that plane back in Palm Coast and fly across the country on a whim, yet here I am.
I pulled out my cell and called Aiden. As much as I didn’t want him or Abigail involved, I knew I couldn’t not call and not show up for school as well. All I needed was for them to file a missing persons report because I’m out gallivanting across the country and didn’t take the time to let people know I’m okay.
“Hey, what’s up?” Aiden’s voice was a relief and I was glad that he picked up and it didn’t go to voicemail.
“Hey bro, its me.”
“How’s the date going Madison? You having fun or do I need to kick this dude’s ass?” I love my brother.
I was looking at the plane as the flight crew was bringing out a very large trunk from the cargo hold of the plane. I wonder if that’s where they stuffed that dead flight attendant into?
“It’s going…different from what I expected.” I said.
“You need me or Abigail to come and pick you up?” Aiden asked.
“No…” Connor glanced over at me, smiled and gave a brief wave. “I think I'm good.” I said. “In fact, I might not make it in for a couple of days.”
“Slut!” Abigail screamed.
I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it for a moment. “Am I on speaker?”
“Possibly.” Aiden sounded like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Okaay.” Connor was heading towards the car now. “Just don’t wait up for me.”
“You’re such a ho!” Joked Abigail.
“I love you to bitch. Gotta go, call you manana.”
I hung up just as Connor climbed inside. Due to the three-hour time difference, the sun was just setting in California.
“I thought all Vampires burn up in daylight?”
“Most.” Connor explained. “But not all.”
“So what’s the difference?” I pressed. “What determines if you can walk in the sun or not?”
“Nobody knows really.” He explained. “It’s just one of those things. The transformation into a Vampire, it’s like pretrial medicine, it might affect Subject A one way and have a totally different effect on Subject B. It’s all random, but as a general rule, you are whatever the person who made you is.”
“So the person that made you, the one that turned you into a Vampire, he could walk in the sun too then?”
Connor pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Nope.”
“But you just said…”
“I know what I said.” Connor was pulling onto the freeway now, working his way towards the fast lane. “There are always exceptions to the rule.”
“And you’re the exception?”
“Me? The exception? Nooo.” He put a cigarette in his mouth and the end of it caught ablaze by itself, a brief spark of fire as he inhaled. “I’m magic.”
I jumped in my seat a little bit. “How did you just…”
“Like I would tell you.” Interrupted Connor.
“Whatever.”
“I know.” He fired back. “So what's the real reason you decided to come? It has to be more to it than what you told me on the plane.”
I was gazing out the window, watching the scenery pass by. “I don’t know.”
“Yeah you do.”
I turned to look at him, crossing my arms. “Like I would tell you anyway.”
He just laughed. “Yeah you will.”
“You gonna use your super-secret Vampire trick to make me?” I put just enough hostility behind my voice to make it jokingly serious.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Madison.” He was trying to come off as sincere, but it wasn’t very convincing. “You're gonna tell me, because you want to tell me.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because I’m the only person you can talk to about this.” He said.
I shifted myself so I was looking out the window again and he couldn’t see my face.
“What? You gonna tell that brother of yours?” He asked. “I mean, I know he’s family, but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
“Hey!” I yelled. “You don’t know anything about Aiden!”
“Okay!”
“You don’t talk about him that way, he’s my blood, not some random dude I just met on the street!”
“Okay, okay!” He repeated.
I glared at him then turned away, looking out the window again.
“You know I’m right though.” He added.
“Whatever Connor.”
“Then there’s that girlfriend of his.”
I turned to see Connor smiling to himself.
“She’s a spitfire, that one.” He continued. “But she’s got secrets of her own.”
I wouldn’t let myself get drawn into his game, let my emotions get manipulated so he could get what he wants. I just continued to look out the window, watching the world outside. We were pulling off the freeway now, heading towards the Bay Bridge. It wouldn’t be long before we entered San Francisco.
“Fine.” He stated. “Be like that. But on a different note, how did you want to do this?”
“Do what Connor?”
“This whole Goodwin thing?” He said. “I usually fly solo on things like this, but since you’re here, input please.”
I shifted so I could see him. “How would you normally do it?”
“You mean if it was just me?”
“Yeah.”
He just shrugged. “Kick down the door, kill the first person I saw, then torture everyone else until they gave me the information I needed.”
I couldn’t contain my look of bewilderment.
“Then I would burn down the place with everyone inside when I was done.” He added.
“You’re kidding right?”
“I don’t like witnesses.” He indicated. “And I’m not really a fan of leaving people alive who I’ve violently pissed off. It always comes back to bite me in the ass.”
“And that’s your plan? Kill’em all and let God sort them out?”
“Well it worked for Jesus.” He said randomly.
“What?” I just looked at him. “What are talking about Jesus didn’t kill people.”
“Uh, Sodom and Gomorra anyone?” Connor threw out the two names very sarcastically.
“But that doesn’t have anything to…” I just stopped myself mid-sentence. “Look, before you go all Old Testament, Jack Bauer, let me talk to them first, okay?”
“Oh, I get it. Good Cop, bad Cop.”
“No.” I said. “We’re not Cops, Connor. We’re not here to hurt anyone and we’re not here to kill anybody and we’re definitely not burning up the house after we’re done. We’re just here to get some information, that’s all.”
“It’s very obvious you’ve never done this before.” He exclaimed.
“We’re doing this my way Connor. You promised.” I couldn’t let him just go in and kill everybody. I can’t have that on my conscious. It’s bad enough I still can’t get that flight attendants face out of my head.
“Well this is gonna be interesting.” Connor pulled up to the curb and cut the engine off.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “Why did we stop?”
“Because we’re here.” He said.
“Wait, we’re doing this now?” I was astonished. “As in right now?”
“You thought we were gonna go to the movies first? Grab a bite to eat? Go out on the town, do a little dancing?” Asked Connor. “Get out the car and put your fucking game face
on, it’s go time.”
Connor got out, closing the car door. I knew this was what we were coming to California to do, but I didn’t know it was gonna be so soon. I wasn’t ready. Not just yet. I thought we were gonna go to a hotel first, get settled in and come up with a plan tonight, not just roll up to the…
Tap - Tap
I looked over and saw Connor banging on my window, motioning for me to come outside. I breathed in deeply, held it there for a second or two, then exhaled and opened the door.
We were parked on a narrow street, halfway up a hill in front of a row of Brownstone Townhouses. Connor was staring at one in particular.
I followed his gaze “This the place?”
“Yup.” He said. “Three people inside. Two in the front, one in the back.”
“You can tell that just by looking?”
He pointed to the Townhouse then to his ear. “Heartbeat.”
“Oh.” I was nervous. I wasn’t sure exactly what to do next. Connor revealed a light weight, 32-caliber pistol that was tucked in at his waist and offered it to me.
I respectfully declined. “No killing.”
He tucked the weapon in the small of his back, then motioned towards the Townhouse. “After you.”
I walked up to the front entrance. I could hear music blasting loudly from inside as I banged on the door. We waited a bit, but no one came so I banged on it again, a lot harder this time. Still no answer. I tried the doorbell next, but the music was playing so loud that I doubt if they heard it or my knocking.
“Hello!” I yelled, banging on the door again. Still nothing. Connor gave me a look, but didn’t say anything.
“Is anybody home?” I screamed, pressing down on the doorbell and not letting go.
“Go away!” Someone yelled from inside.
“Hello, I just wanna ask..”
“No solicitors, read the sign!” Countered the voice from somewhere inside the home.
Both Connor and myself looked up at the same time and saw a no solicitations sign tacked haphazardly above the front door.
“Wait, I don’t wanna sell you…”
“Go fuck yourself!” Someone screamed.
“You mind if I give it a try?” Connor sighed.
“Yeah, sure, but what are you...”
Connor kicked the door once and it just exploded off the hinges, shattering into a thousand little pieces.
“Oh.” I said softly. “Never mind.”
“Now walk inside and invite me in.” Instructed Connor.
“What?” I wasn’t sure if I heard him right. “Why don’t you just...”
“Do what I say and do it now.” He interrupted.
“Uh, okay.” I stepped inside the Townhouse, then turned to face him. “Please come in.”
Connor walked inside. “Thank you.”
“What was that all about?” I asked, totally confused about what just went down.
“Game face.” Connor kept walking further into the house, not pausing to talk.
“Okay.” I said to myself as I followed after him.
The house was fairly nice and well kept. No personal photos on the walls or anything like that, but there were some paintings that I could tell might cost a little bit of money. There were lots of plants, vases with flowers, white roses mostly and the Townhouse faintly smelled of vanilla.
We entered the living room and saw a man and a woman sitting at a foldout table playing poker. The man was bald and fairly muscular with lots of piercings and tattoos, though none matched the one that was tattooed on Goodwin’s back. The woman was pretty, with waist length blonde hair, though she still had that hard look about her that made it seem like she could handle herself in a fight.
The man jumped up when he saw us, throwing his cards on the table and turning the music down with the remote.
“What the fuck you doing in my house man?”
“Who the hell are you?” Yelled the woman.
“Wait, we just wanted to talk.” I said.
The man glanced past us for a second. “And what in the fuck did you do to my front door?"
“I’m sorry, it was…” I risked a brief glance behind and saw the devastated door frame and bits of shattered wood everywhere. “...it was like that when we came.” I stammered.
“You’re a lying bitch.” The woman shrieked.
I fumbled in my purse, pulling out a picture of Goodwin, holding it out. “Do any of you know this man?” I asked. "His name is Goodwin. Terrence Goodwin.”
The guy with all the tattoos picked up a baseball bat that was leaning up against the wall and began to walk towards us. “You come in my house, bust up my shit, then wanna ask me fucking questions?”
“Kick her ass baby!” Yelled the woman. “Fuck her up real good!”
“Sit down and tell your friend in the back to join us.” Connor stated very calmly.
“Fuck you man!” The guy swung the baseball bat at my head as hard as he could. Just before it struck my face, Connor reached out and caught it in his hand.
The guy tried to pull the bat out of Connors grasp, but he couldn’t, it wouldn’t move an inch. Connor held it a moment longer and then squeezed. The bat shattered into a million little pieces. The man stepped back in amazement as the Louisville Slugger exploded apart in front of him, little fragments of wood flying everywhere.
“Sit down.” Connor reiterated dispassionately. “And tell your friend in the back to join us. I won’t ask again.”
“Sure man, it’s cool.” The guy backed away slowly, palms up. “I got no beef bro.” When he reached the table, he stumbled backward a little and fell into his seat. “Howard! Get your ass up here!” He called out.
A few seconds later a door opened and Howard came out in just his boxers, rubbing his puffy eyes. It was evident that he had just woken up. He had bright red shoulder length hair with a scruffy looking beard. “Come on man, you know I worked the late shift last…”
He paused when he saw Connor and myself.
“Who the fuck are you?” He asked.
Connor motioned to the table. “Sit down Howard.”
“What?” Howard looked over at his friend. “Who the fuck is this guy?”
“Just sit down and shut the fuck up Howard.” The woman whispered.
“Whatever.” Howard begrudgingly took a seat.
“Okay, it’s clear that we got off on the wrong foot, so let’s try this again.” I said. “First off, sorry about the door. In our defense we did knock.”
“Bitch, what the fuck do you want?” Demanded the Woman.
“All righty then.” I stammered. “Okay, my name is…”
Connor looked at me and shook his head.
“Right.” I continued. “Who I am is not important. Let’s just go around the table shall we, uh, we already know Howard there.” I waved. “Hi Howard.”
Howard confusingly waved back, then leaned over the blonde woman. “This is what you woke me up for?”
I pointed to the bald guy. “And you are?”
“Rabbit.” He answered.
“Rabbit.” I repeated. “I like that. And you?”
“Sarah.” The blonde looked like she wanted to claw my eyes out.
“Okay, good. Let’s see if I got it. Howard, Rabbit and Sarah.” I pointed to each person as I said their name. “Did I get that right?”
None of them answered.
“Right. Whatever.” I held up the picture again. “Do any of you know this man? His name is Terrence Goodwin.”
“Nope.” Exclaimed Sarah.
Rabbit leaned forward a bit to get a better look. “Never seen him before.”
Howard just seemed confused about the whole situation. “Nah, I don’t know who…”
~BLAM~
