Bite Marks

by Resca Rojas

  She felt compelled by his facial expressions. She had been burnt out by the overtime this month, and it was the first time in a long time since someone had made her feel wanted.

  “Yes. I would like that. Let me give you my phone number.” She got out a piece of paper from her desk and began to write her number while at the same time asking, “So, you are the new health inspector?”

  “Yeah. I was just hired by the doctor. Will be coming by every now and then.”

  Crystal wondered why he needed to get hired by a doctor and not human resources, but she let it go, as she was attracted to him. “Okay. Text me as soon as you can so you can let me know where to meet.”

  “Of course.” He smiled and then turned and walked away, heading towards his car.

  As Nero was on an elevator going to the parking lot, his enhanced hearing picked up on a conversation that a doctor was having with someone. It grabbed his attention so he kept listening. When the elevator reached the parking level, he decided to stay and instead pressed a button to go to the second floor of the building, which was where the conversation was happening.

  Once he reached his destination, he stepped out and began to walk towards the conversation which was not hard for him to track down.

  He leaned against a wall, and he was now a few feet away from the room he had been listening in to. He sensed four heartbeats. Maybe a couple. Their heartbeats were accelerated in an unusual pattern. Distressed. He felt their fears and anxieties as he concentrated on a deeper level to tune in on the conversation.

  “I am deeply sorry, Mister Cranston. There is nothing else that we can do for your son.” A doctor spoke.

  “We can’t give up, and neither can you. Not now. He needs us!” A female voice. Most likely the mother’s.

  “I am deeply sorry.” Was the only reply that the doctor could give. There was compassion in his voice.

  As the doctor left the room, he passed by Nero who was pretending to be using his smart phone.

  Nero then overheard the same doctor speak with a nurse about the situation while they were walking to a cafeteria room.

  He heard the nurse talk about how the father was the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, and the doctor said nothing else as he drank his cup of coffee, with the scent of coffee beans entering Nero’s nostrils.

  The vampire smiled as he realized that he has found a new opportunity; a wealthy family were struggling as their son had an untreatable illness and Nero was going to take advantage of the situation.

  In order for him to not feel guilty about taking advantage of a grieving family, he justified it because he was going to heal someone from death.

  A woman, whom Nero assumed was the mother of the patient, left the room. Nero decided that now was going to be the best time, so he walked and then entered the Cranston’s room. The father, Abraham was on a chair, looking at his son as he hoped for a miracle to bring him back from his coma. When he heard the footsteps, he turned to his attention to Nero, “Wrong room.”

  “No. This is where I am meant to be. I can help.” He looked at the patient laying down on the bed; it was a young boy, who could not be older than ten. Nero felt uneasy. The thought of this child not being able to enjoy life as he should, devastated him.

  He picked up a clipboard and read the charts.

  “Are you a doctor?” The man asked

  “I overheard your conversation with your doctor. I am a health inspector at this hospital, but I do have an unorthodox method that could save your son. I can heal him.”

  “How?” The man was out of options and desperate.

  “Do you believe in the supernatural?”

  “The world being bigger than we think it is? Yeah. I do.”

  Nero sensed that this was going to go smoothly. “Right. Well, my blood can heal your son.” He said bluntly.

  Abraham was puzzled. “No offense, but-”

  “I get it. This is weird and it makes sense that you don’t believe me. Here, let me show you.” Nero took out a pocket knife.

  “Whoa, what the hell-”

  Nero raised his left palm in front of Abraham, signaling him to stop. “Relax. Please, just watch.”

  He lowered his palm and then sliced a line across it with the blade. Before the blood would spill onto the floor, he went to the sink that was located inside the room and rinsed his hand.

  After drying it, he walked to Abraham and illustrated to him that his hand was now completely healed, with no scar or any single trace to show what had just happened.

  “See? I can share my blood to heal or cure someone. What do you say?”

  “So, what are you?”

  “Vampire.” Was his blunt answer.

  “Are you doing this out of the goodness of your heart? What’s the price?”

  “I’m not coming for your soul, if that’s what you mean. But I had overheard that you are a CEO bigshot. I want you to pay me.”

  “Okay, give me the your blood. This is my only option left. I have been praying for something, and this has to be the answer.”

  Nero handed Abraham a blood vial that he had kept in his pocket. “It’s going to work, trust me. Give it about ten minutes, then he will regain consciousness. After you have your moment, the doctors observe him, and your wife returns and watches over him, meet me outside, by the designated smoking area.”

  •••

  Nero was sitting down on a bench, using his smartphone while he waited for Abraham. There was a small group of people smoking nearby him. He had never been a smoker like his father, but the smell of a lit cigarette brought back good childhood memories.

  Nero tilted his head back and was staring at the stars when Abraham sat next to him.

  “Vampires live forever, don’t they?”

  “Yeah. But we are not invincible.”

  “Are you constantly thirsty for blood?”

  “Only on the first few days, after that, it should be manageable. It’s only an issue if you are lusting after someone, and your body feels the need to taste how their blood is. But again, manageable.”

  “Have you killed before?”

  Nero paused to look at him. “Why are you suddenly so interested in me?”

  “You tell me right now how much you want, and that will be the exact amount that I’ll pay you to turn my wife, my son, and me into vampires.”

  Neo chuckled. Then, he said, “I can’t. Having a group of inexperienced vamps leaving a trail of dead bodies? Pass.”

  Abraham had never met someone who would turn down his money on his first try. His pride was hurt, but at the same time, he liked the challenge. He knew that he had to remain calm for this opportunity to happen. “Hear me out.” He began his pitch.

  Nero looked at him, with a cold stare. It was working. He did not care about the consequences. He would be gone by the time anything bad would happen. If anything, a group of huntsmen would come and clean the mess before it got back to Kayla. All he wanted was a sizeable amount of money for himself.

  “My duty in life is to protect my family at all costs. I cannot go thru what I just went thru again. I refuse to pass down an opportunity like this, where I can ensure that my wife, son, and myself will be immune to any disease and be able to live forever. I will do anything.”

  “I could get killed for this. There’s people out there who watch out for any bad things that we may do. If they caught wind of any accident you or your family might cause, they’ll send someone to take care of you.” Abraham looked confused, so Nero added, “Huntsmen. I’m talking about people who live their lives dedicated into making sure that we don’t live ours.”

  This caught Abraham by surprise, but he remained relaxed. “No one would find out. I would make all three of us live a quiet life. I am the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. I have private and secluded property. We can make this work.” When he realized that Nero was still not convinced, he said, “How does five million sound? Is that good enough for you?”

  Nero tried not to lose his
cool. His plan was working. He had never made more than five thousand for a vampire deal.” Five million for all three sounds fair.”

  “No. Five million each. You saved my boy, and this will allow me to spend the rest of my life with him and my wife without having to worry about imminent death. I can’t risk you changing your mind. Either say yes or leave already so I can make arrangements and find another vampire who would be more willing.”

  Holy crap. “Alright. I’ll do it. How soon can you get the money ready? We have to be discreet about it. I don’t want this to get back at me.”

  “Give me three days.”

  “Okay”

  They shook hands on it, and soon afterwards they exchanged cell phone numbers. Abraham gave Nero the address of where they will meet.

  Both men went their separate ways with Abraham going back inside the hospital to be with his son, and Nero driving back to the hotel where he was staying at. When he arrived at his hotel room, he sat on the edge of the bed and called his queen, Kayla.

  6

  Kayla was sitting on her bed, wiggling her toes and smiling. She had blood smeared on her lips down to her neck and chin, as she had just drank blood from a man’s neck. He had bled out next to her.

  When Nero called, she picked up her smartphone with her bloody hand.

  “Are you enjoying your little vacation?” Her voice always captivated his heart.

  “I actually have a surprise for you.”

  “Oh?” She giggled, “and that is?”

  “After I secured the blood bank, as I was walking away, I overheard a couple struggling as their son was suffering a deadly illness. The father turned out to be a big CEO of some pharmaceutical company. I gave him a vial of my blood and when he saw his son heal, he asked if I could turn him.”

  “Did you? You know that if we keep dropping bodies, The Elders will eventually find out and try to kill us.”

  “He offered four million.” He lied.

  Kayla was quiet for a moment. She was in shock. This would make a big difference when it came to having the resources to create a more ambitious vampire army of loyalists.

  “Well, that’s a risk that I am willing to take then. You have my blessing to do whatever you need to bring those four million back home. Take five-hundred thousand for yourself, Nero. You deserve it.”

  “That’s where I need you.”

  “What do you need?”

  Nero explained to her that he was out of his element and needed backup to instill fear into Abraham, in case he tried to do anything before or after the turning.

  “I won’t turn him until I have the money on my account. But I think that it would be best if you send me some backup. I was thinking Alessandra, Marianne, and Theon.”

  “All good choices. Okay. I’ll tell them to start heading your way. They’ll leave immediately to Oakhaven and help you.”

  After they ended the call, Nero stayed sitting down on the edge of his bed. He was thinking of all that he has done since joining her. The money was good, and he was immortal.

  But, the one thing that he wanted the most was to be with Kayla. Since the realization that Kayla would never want to be in a serious commitment with him, Nero had been secretly questioning every decision that she made, and had begun to think about himself and his own future.

  ***

  After Kayla ended her phone call with Nero, she called Garrett and asked him to come to her room. She waited for him while laying down on her California King size bed, only wearing a black lace robe and nothing else underneath.

  A few minutes passed, and as she was losing her patience, she heard a knock on her door. “Come in,” she said.

  Garrett opened the door and walked in. He was six feet tall, with short hair and a clean shaved face. He was wearing a black suit that hid his muscular body. He was a man in his mid thirties and had worked his way up to serve Kayla.

  “Hey, Beautiful.” He noticed a body on the floor next to her feet, but said nothing. He then looked at her, and noticed the blood dripping from her lips down to her breasts.

  “I can’t get anymore blood from him. Can you please take care of this mess? I don’t want the smell to stink up my room. Please?” She had a devious look on her face, which Garrett had grown to adore.

  “Of course. I’ll get some of the prospects over here to clean it up right now,” he said as he grabbed his smartphone and called someone.

  “Hey, get your ass to Kayla’s room, and bring your girl and her brother with you also. You guys have to get rid of a dead body and then sanitize her room.”

  After he ended the call, he looked at his queen, “Do you need anything else?”

  “I’m going to take a shower to relax. When they finish cleaning up this mess, make them wait for me before they leave.” She got off her bed and walked towards her bathroom.

  “Of course.” He acknowledge while trying not to lust at her beautiful body. He knew that she did not feel the same way towards him. Yet, Garret desired his vampire queen.

  Five minutes later, Pablo, his girlfriend Carla, and her brother Simon had walked into the room. They had been recruited by a man named Samuel, who was tasked with recruiting people for Kayla.

  The oldest of them was Pablo. Hd was in his late thirties and in decent shape. He had recently been evicted from his apartment, and he had lost his job because of his drug addictions.

  He had met Carla on the streets and they had been together ever since, supporting each other.

  Carla had a younger brother whom she had raised as her own. His name was Simon and he was seventeen.

  They all had dealt with drug addictions, but Samuel had them all detox with small drops of his vampiric blood. Just enough to clean out their system of any drugs and urges, but not enough to turn them. Not yet.

  “Pablo, I need you guys to get rid of this body. Wrap it up and take it to the basement for now. Later tonight, get rid of it however you guys want, as long as it does not get back to any of us. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, sir.” Pablo spoke for them.

  “After scrubbing the carpet and getting the stains removed, please wait here.” He instructed them.

  Pablo and Carla wrapped the corpse with a couple of blankets that they had brought and then they carried it to the basement while Simon cleaned the blood stains from the floor.

  Simon’s eyes were burning from the chemicals that he was using to sanitize the floor.

  “If it makes you feel any better, the guy was a douchebag.” Garrett teased him, and Simon chuckled nervously.

  When Carla and Pablo returned, they helped Simon clean up.

  •••

  Kayla stepped out of the bathroom and walked into her room where they were waiting for her patiently. Her wet hair was down past her shoulders, and she was wearing only a short black towel to cover her semi-wet body.

  She looked at each individual in the room and then kept her gaze on Garrett, who was sitting on a chair, reading one of Kayla’s book that she had left on the nightstand.

  “Garrett.”

  “Yes?” He put the book down, stood up, and looked at her.

  “Let’s all go to my special room. Take them and I’ll catch up after I change.” She said while smiling.

  “Of course.” Garrett answered and then he signaled to the three of them to follow him.

  It was an empty room that had clean white walls, and nothing else.

  “Why are we here? You guys told us that we were prohibited from entering this room when we first got here.” Pablo asked.

  “I’m allowing you to be here.” Kayla answered from the entrance of the room. She was now wearing a pair of black yoga pants, and a tank top. She entered the room and then said, “Garrett, give me your knife.”

  Without missing a beat, he took out his black tactical folding pocket knife that he kept inside his suit’s pocket, and then handed it to her.

  “I love this knife.” She said as she looked at Pablo, and then Carla, and lastly, she looked
at Simon. “Today, we are making a blood pact. You guys want to be part of my growing army and become vampires, right?” She pointed the knife at Simon.

  He replied, “Yes, my Queen.”

  “Carla, do you agree?” She asked as Carla nodded. “Are you willing to do anything to be my follower and become a vampire?” The knife was now pointing at her.

  “Yes, my Queen.”

  “What about you, Pablo? Would you do anything for your Queen?” She asked as she pointed the knife at him.

  “Of course, Miss Kayla. Anything you ask, I will do.” He spoke for himself.

  “Good.” She walked closer to them. “Now, the amount of people that I allow to be turned into a vampire per month is small. But there is a lot of potential for aggressive expansion. So which one of you would like to become part of my family?”

  All three of them were ready to prove their worth. “We are all ready.” Pablo said.

  “Oh. But there’s only one spot open right now.” She paused for a moment to purposely build up suspense and to try and ruin their confidence “Let’s have a tryout.”

  She then tossed the knife on the floor. “Make it fast. Whoever survives in less than five minutes gets immortality. If Garrett comes back and there more than one of you alive, he has my permission to kill you all.”

  All three of the prospects were in shock as Kayla and Garrett stepped outside the room and locked the doors behind them. “I need you to send Marianne, Alessandra, and Theon to Oakhaven and backup Nero.”

  “I can do that for you.” He noticed that she was acting different today. “Hey, is everything okay?”

  She hated opening up with people, but she tried to hide her annoyance at his question. “Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Whatever happens, it will go your way, okay?”

  She smile. “Yeah. You’re right. Do what I said about helping Nero, come back here in fifteen minutes to see who our winner is from those three.”