by J. Thiele
“Not here, he’s not stable; we must get him into a cell first. As soon as he feeds he will heal and become one of his master’s brood. We must prepare ourselves first.” Damon carried him up to the cells as if he were nothing more than a bag of feathers - weightless. It was easy to forget that this gentle creature had the strength of steel and the speed of light behind him. He rarely used his abilities unless it was for the greater good.
Chapter Nine
It was dark outside when the screaming from the cells began. Damon flew up to see what was happening.
They were all in transition and were being summoned by their maker. Damon would have to restrain them himself or they would cause themselves great harm attempting to break free of the enclosure, possibly even killing themselves to be with their master.
He could easily restrain two alone without any problem at all, by keeping them together in one cell with him inside with them, but three, was impossible, he couldn’t be in two places at once.
His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of Beth’s voice. “My love, I can help.” She told him. A second later he stood before her cage.
“Are you sure you can do this my beauty? Are you strong enough?” Damon asked “The pull will be significant in strength and Victor will be compelling all of you to risk your lives to free him.”
“I can do this my darling, together we can stop him. Please, let me help.”
Damon looked over his shoulder at Pearce for some assurance that he was doing the right thing.”
“It’s alright son, let her out, but I’m coming too. I’ll be sitting right outside her cage with my clock facing north. If she steps out of line, I’m sure I can persuade her to behave herself.” He said, giving Damon the go ahead to unlock her cage and take her to the holding floor.
* * * * *
While Beth, Damon and Pearce were on the top floor keeping the new vampires from killing themselves purely for Victor’s amusement, the rest of the team were downstairs loading their weapons ready for another attack.
The phone rang and Casey answered it, flinching at the wound on her shoulder that she received earlier when getting the last patient from the ambulance.
“Case, it’s me, soon as its daylight, we need the bus at the hospital, and I got another six patients that need the facility.” Kara’s voice was sounding defeated.
“Fuck! Are you serious? Damon’s got his hands full right now with three. What the fuck is he gonna do when he has nine to breast feed?” Casey asked.
“Congers up too many images babe, the whole breast feeding a vampire thing.” Kara responded trying to add some humour to the situation.
“Okay, we’ll be there as soon as the sun comes up. Keep your distance till then babe, love you.” Casey said then hung up. She didn’t want to alert Kara that about fifty vampires were surrounding the compound, all snarling and grinning, as though they had already won the battle and were just waiting for the white flags to go up.
Rick went to the window again to get the vantage point, but this time they were ready. As soon as the window opened and the barrel of his semi-automatic poked out he felt a hard pull and suddenly he was pressed against the window frame fighting to stay inside.
“Help!” he shouted as Casey ran up to try and pull him back to safety. He could feel his arm being bitten into and knew they were going to eat it right off his shoulder if he couldn’t break loose soon. Casey squeezed her hand over his shoulder with her Glock ready and loaded she started firing. Squeals rang out and Ray snapped free, throwing them both back. His sleeve was nothing but shreds of fabric and his arm was a bloody mess that resembled raw meat that had been put through a tenderiser. He was in shock, and didn’t feel any pain. Ray raced up the stairs with his shirt in his hand; he wrapped it around Rick’s arm like a bandage. Rick was losing blood fast. He needed a medic and Kara was at work. It was too dangerous to call an ambulance and Damon had his hands full. Casey knew he could lose his arm, or worse, his life.
Frustration and adrenalin took over her body’ she ran down stairs and took up another assault weapon. She opened the back door and stood in the threshold and open fired on them exposing herself and her wound, she let off as many rounds as she could before Ray pulled her back inside.
“Are you fucking Crazy?” He shouted at her. “You gonna risk your life too tonight?”
Casey glared at him, she knew he was right and she was no longer in a position to chastise him for insubordination, she brushed past him and went back up to Rick.
Rick was sitting on the floor almost past out through blood loss. Casey had no choice. “Fuck it, let them kill themselves, we need Damon down here now!” she fled up to the next level, to find Pearce standing at the cell that had Beth in it. She was alone.
“Where the fuck is our patient?” she asked.
“Vanished; just like that. Poof! He was gone.” Pearce said, “What the fuck is going on down there?”
“Rick’s hurt, they tried to pull him out through the window, just about tore…or should I say ate his arm clean off him, Damon we need you to help him.” She informed them.
Damon looked at the two vampires he was restraining then back at Casey, he was about to end their lives to help Ray when Beth offered to help. “Please, allow me, I’m free now that…” she looked down at the remnants of her patient.
Pearce looked at her sideways with suspicion in his eyes. Casey snatched the keys from him and opened the cell, “We haven’t got time to debate; come on grandma, the big bad wolf can follow with his gun.”
“Oh I’m following ya alright, don’t you worry about that!” Pearce said as he waddled off after them.
Rick’s heart was slowing down, he was almost at cardiac arrest when Beth sliced into her wrist with her razor sharp nail, and let the blood flow into Rick’s mouth. When she heard his heart rate increase she pulled her wrist away, before her wound could heal she smeared her blood all over Rick’s arm. As if by magic his skin began to heal and replenish itself. He was coming round and Beth went to stand up and give him some air, when Casey grabbed her by the wrist and for the first time they locked eyes. “Thank you.” she said, then released her.
Beth smiled and stepped back. For the first time Casey noticed that her grandmother was actually quite an attractive woman, beautiful in fact. She could see why she caught Damon’s eye in the first place.
“What did you do with the vamp in your cell?” Casey asked her.
“I did nothing child, you did it.” she told her.
“Me?” Casey looked stunned at the implication.
“I can only assume that when you began shooting you must have killed his maker with gunfire, as always, we perish with our maker.” She reminded her.
“But what about the other two?” she asked defiantly.
Beth laughed. “My dear, it’s obvious, they have a different creator.”
Beth’s face suddenly changed. “Quick! You must lock me back in my cell. Victor calls. I can’t hold him off for much longer; you must protect yourselves.” she warned as she fled to her cage in the loft. Ray followed her up and locked the door behind her.
“Hey? Before you wig out on us, Thanks, you know? For what ya did for Rick, he’s a good man; I’d hate to have to tell his wife and kids we lost him.” Ray said before he turned to walk away.
“You’re a good man too Raymond.” She called out. Before her eyes turned gold and she pressed herself into the sterling silver bars and screamed in agony as Victor demanded her presence.
Ray opened the trap door, and stormed up to Victor’s enclosure. “You think you’re pretty fucking smart don’t ya?” He shouted between the bars. “Well you keep bringing your little army and we’ll keep sending them straight to hell. You’ll run out of siblings before we run out of bullets. Believe me.”
“Oh I wouldn’t be so sure of that, for every one of mine you destroy I will turn two of yours.” Victor tormented.
“Good luck with that, from in here and all.” Ray responde
d.
“My boy, surely you are not that ignorant, it has already begun, read your headlines. Those who don’t leave will join me in my reign. My line has already begun taking soldiers from your city and converted them. Isn’t Mr. Cartwright is with one of my new recruits right now?” Victor said, showing his confidence.
“You’re insane!” Ray insulted him.
“That may be, but I will dominate the world, and you will either bow before me or succumb to the feeding frenzy. I can guarantee you that.” Victor was sounding almost cocky.
“Not in this life time!” Ray said as he got closer to the bars. “I’m sure you’re maker must be proud of you hey?”
“Silence!” He shouted at Ray. “You dare speak of my maker, I will have you strung by your feet and drained by the wound of your tongue once I have it cut from your vial mouth.”
“Wow! Aren’t we a little defensive?” Ray said finding his reaction thought provoking. He left Victor and went back up to the others.
Chapter Ten
It was eerily quiet upstairs; Damon had come down from the cells where he’d managed to use compulsion to calm the two newcomers. Pearce was looking at Casey’s shoulder that seemed to have been overlooked by all the commotion earlier.
Damon was about to open his wrist to heal the wound when Casey jerked her shoulder away from him. Damon looked confused, as did everybody else.
“Case, let him help.” Pearce instructed.
“Not this time sir. If it were life threatening I would, but if we keep drawing his blood to heal all the small stuff, we’re going to get complacent. We need to feel the pain sometimes to remind us we’re only human. Stops us from taking unnecessary risks, besides, we don’t know what his continued blood supply will do to us, or him. I’ll get Kara to have a look when she gets here.” Casey decided.
“You’re a gutsy kid, I’ll give ya that.” Pearce said as he tossed her some pain killers from his drawer.
* * * * *
It was just before dawn when Rick, Ray and Pearce were heading out to collect the new recruits from the hospital. The phone rang and Kara was on the other end. “Better bring the whole team; I’ve got another three for you, total of nine.”
“FUCK!” Casey said as she prepared to go with them.
“Not you Casey.” Damon insisted. “Your wound is still bleeding; the fresh scent will drive them into a frenzy. I’ll go.”
“You can’t, it will be daylight soon.” Casey stated.
“Then we’d better move fast, besides I’m better equipped to soothe the savage beasts than you. Why don’t you speak with your grandmother, get to know her, I’m sure you’ll find something girly to talk about.” He grabbed an armful of blankets and snatched Casey’s sunglasses from her desk. “I’ve always wanted to try these.” He said, and then in a shock move he kissed Casey on the forehead and said “Be good” then ran for the bus.
Casey sat in stunned silence.
“He likes you.” Beth said from above.
“Yeah well, what do you know?” Casey responded.
“I know you like him too. You work well together, he’s a good man.”
“Yes, he is; which is why I don’t understand his attraction for you.” Casey said as she started walking up the stairs toward Beth.
“My dear, I wasn’t always the monster you take me for. I had a family, children, a husband…”
“Yes, and you also had an affair.” Casey threw at her.
“Despite what you think child, I never dishonoured my vows.” Beth went on to explain.
“But you and Damon?”
“We talked, shared, held hands and fell in love, but until that last night Damon had never placed his lips on mine. He respected me enough not to dishonour me.”
Casey took another step closer, “Don’t come any closer dear.” Beth’s eyes were cat like. “I can smell your blood. I have not fed for days and Victor still holds some power over me.”
Casey went up to get a bag of blood from the supply room. She past the two new vamps on her way. They too could smell her fresh blood and it sent them into overdrive, like caged animals they were desperately trying to reach her between the bars, but every time they came into contact with them, the silver burned their flesh sending them confused and cowering into a corner.
She took the blood down to Beth and sat on the corner of Damon’s bed while she watched her devour the bag in one go.
“Thank you.” she said as she tossed the empty bag back through the bars.
“So you and Damon never…You know?”
“Not even once. In those days, one behaved like a lady.” She said as she noticed the manly way Casey sat on the corner of the bed with her legs spread and her elbows resting on her knees.
“But Victor says you were having an affair.”
“Victor says many things; he is a tormented soul that would believe whatever suits him in order to achieve his own goals.”
“And what are those goals?” she asked, slipping back into her detective role.
“World domination; He always said Damon was too much like his own maker, but would never elaborate on the statement. I think he blames Damon for all his short comings.”
“Damon? How is Damon responsible?” Casey asked.
“Damon is everything he is not. He believes if Damon had used his powers to do as he was ordered, Victor would have the world at his feet by now. Damon was always someone people looked up to, even in Victor’s colony; he is still talked about behind Victor’s back. I understand that’s part of the reason Victor looked for justification to expel him, it was because the nest was showing him too much respect.”
Suddenly Beth began to shake; Victor could hear her talking from under the floor and was using his powers of mental telepathy to punish her. Blood began to run from her nose.
“Brace yourself grandma.” Casey said, as she ran down the stairs and flicked the switch, turning on the ultraviolet light, she opened the trap door and shouted down its mouth, “Behave yourself, you prick or I’ll turn them on full.” She left them on low, just enough to keep him occupied with his own problems instead of eavesdropping on her and Beth.
She went back up to finish her conversation with Beth. “So do you know who Victor’s maker is?” she asked.
“I do not; he has never disclosed it to any of us I don’t think. He certainly has never made his presence known to us. The last time one of his sires even asked about him, Victor tore his heart straight out of his chest. A warning to anyone else who mentioned it, that went for Damon as well.”
“Hmm interesting” was all Casey could say.
Chapter Eleven
The latest recruitments were tucked into their cells, eleven in total now, three females and eight males. Ray told the rest of the team about his chat with Victor. Casey also spoke about her talk with Beth while they were gone. Damon recalled Beth saying he was “King” when they first trapped her.
“Humph, The pricks delusional.” Pearce concluded, as he opened the trap door, “Did ya hear that cocksucker? Ya delusional!” he shouted down to Victor then slammed the door shut once more.
Kara had finished putting a dressing on Casey’s wounds before turning to join the conversation. “We need to organise a way to bring the newly infected patients straight here. Taking them to the hospital is becoming dangerous, for everyone. One of the triage nurses last night got stuck with a needle and another was thrown across the room in an outburst by one of the guys upstairs now. It’s not safe for the uninfected patients either, their sick and vulnerable, if we happen to get one in that’s right in transition, who knows what shit could go down.”
“She’s right.” Damon decided. “I will work on a plan immediately.”
It was nearly 10:00am when the team had all fallen asleep, strewn at various locations throughout the office area. Damon went underground and began working on his new project, ignoring Victor’s taunts while he worked at breakneck speed to complete his labour before the team needed to use it.
“Why do you insist on continuing this charade Damon? You know your attempts are futile. I will be free soon, and when I am, I will destroy you, and your precious humans. Beth, however, after hearing the two of you the other day, I will keep for myself and show her what a real lover can give her.”
Damon’s eyes turned amber, and he suddenly appeared at the cage door. “I will see us all dead before I will allow you to place one hand on her ever again.”
Victor smirked at Damon. “Oh don’t worry Damon, I’m just kidding, I don’t want to soil my hands with the filthy whore, otherwise I would have done so a century ago, I just like tormenting her that’s all. She’s all yours.” Damon flew up the stairs and flicked the lights on, he gave them a good ten second boost on high before turning them off again and returning to his duties. He said nothing to his maker as he passed by him on the way back down, but the message was clear.
* * * * *
By around 4:00pm the work was complete, Damon had gone to wash up before the team was ready to start the next shift. He liked it when they were all together, and was considering adding some sleeping quarters for them when the work load required it.
Rick was on the phone to his wife, promising her he would be home early the next day. He was fortunate enough that she understood his work needed him to be away from home a lot. Though until recently she had no idea what his work load was exactly. Only that the press had caused panic in the city and she wanted to relocate with the children, that he’d had to reassure her the situation was being handled and how. It didn’t make things any easier for her, but at least she knew where he was and trusted he wasn’t going crazy when he poured silver all over the entrances of their little house in the suburbs and ordered her to have the children inside the house before dark. All evening activities were cancelled until further notice.
