There are only two exits from the catacombs, but one, the one next to which we were, leads directly to the office to Dyushka, and the second - in one of the storerooms of the club. That's where we were going now. When Danielle heard somebody's voices, he would freeze against the wall with me and wait. I felt like Theseus in a labyrinth. The vampire was pretty much a traveling ball, and as for the maze, what's wrong with it? The Minotaur wasn't enough. Although if we meet Duška, he's not gonna give up his place as a mythological bullfighter. In the silence, our steps were heard very clearly. Or was that what I thought? At times, voices were heard from the aisles. Then we would freeze and cling to the wall. Then Danielle listened to something I couldn't reach, relaxed his muscles - and we kept walking.
I was terribly nervous, and I thought the amount of adrenaline that was fermenting in my blood, the elephant could go away. And at the same time, the blood loss was affecting me, I was throwing up and my legs were suspiciously cotton. As long as I didn't faint. It turned out that I fell into some sort of twilight state, or went back. And my self-control was only enough to move my legs and not speak loudly.
- Why didn't anyone hear you scream at the club? - I asked in one of the enlightenments.
I'm sure I haven't heard. Otherwise, all the people would have run away.
- There is a soundproof door at the exit. And the walls aren't the easiest. Now shut up. I'm listening to you.
I thought we were walking forever, but it wasn't really ten minutes before we stopped and Danielle pinned me against the wall again.
- What? I whispered in his ear. I mean, for the rest of his ear. Scrap. It didn't have time to regenerate.
- There's a sentry around the corner. But he's a man, it seems...
- Does it look like it?
- He could be a werewolf.
- What?!
- I'll explain later. Jane, I'll leave you alone for a while. You know, they won't just let us through.
- I see.
- And I can't cover for you. I'm not a fighter right now.
- I get it. Will you come back for me?
- Yes. If I don't get killed.
- They won't," I reassured the vampire. - We just have to be lucky.
- Your words, give them to God in the ears, the vampire cried out. - Now wait for me.
Danielle leaned me against the wall and disappeared around the corner. I was left alone with my thoughts and slowly slipped down the wall. No, I could stand. And I could even walk! I'm sure you could! My legs just didn't agree with that. Stupid legs!
I gotta hand it to the vampire. I didn't hear any noise or screaming. Just a slap on the wall like a sandbag. Although it did make me nervous. But I wasn't good enough for anything anyway. All I had to do was sit and wait. And - think. What happened to me when I gave blood to a vampire? It was a strange feeling, strange and unpleasant. I felt like there was a fire going on...
It hurts. It really hurts. And I don't understand. If Katya had been imprinted like this, she'd have flown out of Dushkin's bed with a rocket. Katya can't stand pain at all.
I can handle pain a little better, but not much. Thank you again, Grandpa.
Yes, I'm awkward, stubborn and generally able to collapse even the Eiffel Tower (about Pisa I'd rather not talk, I just better not even go to Pisa), but my stamina is at a level. Grandfather loves hiking in the woods, sometimes even overnight. Mom (she always kept him company) in such cases, jokes that it requires an exit guerrilla past. But you yourself try to walk in the woods. Not in a suburban forest with dachkas, but the real, thick and coniferous wildwood. Or a deciduous forest. Or a swamp.
When you walk with your grandfather, you'll learn to whine, complain and weep in no time.
Danielle came back about fifteen minutes later and gently lifted me up. There had been some noticeable changes in the vampire. He moved much more confidently. And the leather rags changed to brown stretch jeans and a silk brown shirt. It was hanging in a vampire bag, and he put a leather vest over it. His wallet was sticking out of his jeans pocket. Heavy boots appeared on her legs.
- You look good.
- How you doing here?
- It's like the Bahamas," I said. - Don't carry me, I'm heavy. You'd better just help me go.
The vampire picked me up easily.
- I got stronger. And I can carry you. You don't have to pretend to be strong by my side.
- I'm not pretending. - I was only strong enough for short phrases. - I saw your wounds...
- Jane, look at me more closely," Danielle asked.
He shaked his head, removing the thick curls of dark brown hair from his face. Now I saw it was dark brown hair. His face was perfectly calm. And clean. As if it hadn't been turned into a piece of loin and a flashlight of leather ribbons just an hour ago. The light grey eyes were looking at me with warmth. Eyes? But they were...
- Are you cured? Regenerate?
- I drank his blood," Danielle said. - And now we must hurry. We have to hurry. So hold on to me tight. Okay? And try not to look the other way. Close your eyes.
I got my hands around his neck. Both hands hurt, I was dizzy, and I was terrified. All the willpower went away only to order myself to relax, calm down, suppress vomiting spasms and dispel the blackness before my eyes. It was bad, but at least I didn't throw up. Danielle was moving so fast, I even got a little bit sick. I never saw who he killed there. And I was very happy about it. I'm not a pathologist to look at dead bodies. I've had enough of the vampires and the executioner... Don't think! Don't you dare think about it!
- Now we're going out into the hall," Danielle leaned towards my ear. - Pretend you're kissing me. Hide your face.
I raised my head a little bit, and Danielle rubbed it in my neck. A standard pair of lovers who can't get away from each other. Danielle's long hair almost completely covered our faces. It smelled like something unpleasant, but I just grabbed my teeth harder. I won't break! I'm not gonna puke in the middle of the dance hall!
We were moving through a noisy crowd. I hurt someone's feet, Danielle apologized, explained that the girl is not feeling well and she needs some fresh air. And I rushed to the exit. Glimpses of paintings on the walls.
- Can you take my jacket? - I whispered. - The numbers are in my purse.
Danielle shook his head.
- Jane, don't take any chances. We can't waste time!
The ice air hit me in the face, and I ate. But it got a little lighter. It didn't make me feel so bad anymore. Danielle was walking somewhere fast, almost running. Even though he was carrying me in his arms. Still, vampires are stronger than humans. That's right.
The glowing flies flew away, and I saw us standing on some kind of signpost on the county road.
- Jane, aren't you going to faint?
- You can't wait," I snapped.
- Then you'll have to work.
- And by whom?
- You're going to vote on the road," the vampire explained.
I looked at him in silence. What is he, crazy? Who's going to give me a ride now? Pervert? Or is he a total creep?
- It's simple," the vampire explained, sobbing at the length of his fangs. There were red lights dancing in the grey eyes. - Now you are the real victim. I need food and transportation. And so do you. That's why I really want some maniac to bite on you. You know, I don't want to eat decent people. But those who see a helpless and shattered girl on the highway at night, in winter, try to hurt her... I just have to taste them!
And I didn't have the strength to object. Wishes, too, by the way. Reduce the number of scumbags in town? Beautiful! And my conscience will be silent. It'll also compliment me.
Danielle lay in a snowdrift behind me, I pulled over, reached out and prepared to wait.
It's fucking cold... If no maniac bites on me within half an hour, Duška won't have to kill me. I'll die of pneumonia myself.
But at least the brains are back to normal.
We didn't have to wait half an hour. Vampire and I got l
ucky again.
A big black jeep pulled up next to me. My grandfather says, "They put a painted coffin on the wheels." And out of the window came a shaved-headed face, which Lombroso* would have loved. And then he was diagnosed with "a natural killer with a mental illness."
(Anthropological theory (Cesare Lombroso) originated in Italy in the 70s of the XIX century. The main principle of this theory is the following: a crime committed by a scumbag is as natural a phenomenon as birth, illness, death. In general, if you are a birth bastard - it will be, even if the president was born in a family. And you're gonna crap. Whatever you bring up. Comrade also developed the first classification of criminals and divided them into..:
–
born criminals,
–
of mentally ill criminals,
–
of criminals by passion,
–
of random criminals.
Although I don't think you can fit everyone into those categories. But fellow policemen were happy then. Dear Lombroso argued that there are natural criminals who have special anatomical and physiological (i.e. external: muzzle, figure...) and mental (when the roof goes aside) properties, making them as if fatally doomed from birth to commit a crime. As a wolf neither feed nor raise, and the sheep will disappear ... To the external and all the visible signs of the natural criminal comrades included: irregular, ugly shape of the skull, bifurcation of the frontal bone, facial asymmetry, irregular brain structure, blunted susceptibility to pain and the like. And to the internal features, that is, the character and temperament, were: a strongly developed vanity, cynicism, lack of guilt, the ability to repent and remorse, aggression, vindictiveness, propensity for cruelty and violence, exaltation and demonstrative forms of behavior, a tendency to highlight the signs of a special community (tattoos, speech jargon, etc.). Does it remind you of anything? Does it? And you try to break into prison somewhere or read those who write not about blatant romance, but about the reality in the criminal world. You'll get an accurate portrait of many criminals. By the way, which is funny, natural crime in this cute theory was first explained by atavism (like a child with a tail): the criminal was understood as a savage who can not adapt to the rules and norms of the civilized community. In general, it was a burp of evolution. This is the romance of the taiga and zone. - Note. Aut.)
- The Padvazzts?
The voice sounded with an obvious Caucasian accent.
I took a closer look. Is it also of Caucasian nationality? You don't understand at once: no hair, no mustache, no beard. And anybody can have a nasty face, even a gorilla from the club.
- I need a ride. To Lermontov Street. On the way? I pay three hundred. But hurry up!
- Well, we're the one who's got you in the driver's seat," said the second... second person from the driver's seat. - To the Adyn smile...
And at the same time they smiled in such a way that it became clear - for the "Adyn smile" I will be given a ride only if I turn into a dinosaur on the way and smile at them with fangs in three rows. And so - fucked by the whole company, mocked, thrown out somewhere in the forest - and remember the name. That's what I want, my good ones! How did the vampire and I get in, huh? But I did take a couple of steps back to test and execute my plan.
- Ow! Don't! I changed my mind!
The first face that came out was tanned and opened the door. And started climbing out on the road. The motive was clear. Catch the girl, shove her in the car - and where will she go from there? When all foreign cars now have an auto-lock, and you can only turn it off from the driver's seat? That, by the way, is for all girls! Look who's giving you a ride, or you'll go where no one else wants to go. I woke up, and I clumsily ran into the suburban forest. I'm about a hundred yards away, even though my legs are mowing. It's all right, jackals prefer helpless prey.
And don't consider me an idiot. It's very simple. If they'd stayed in the car, Danielle couldn't have done anything to them. If they'd been thrown in the gas, they'd have rushed to an unknown distance. If they were normal people, I wouldn't let a vampire do anything to them. But the two of them showed their filthy nature at first sight. And all that's left to do is deal with them. One was distracted by me. The other one was looking at the play I had arranged. Why? The girl's running, she's being caught. It's not fun. And they catch her and have fun... Assholes! The car door is open, the engine is not working. What else does a vampire need for happiness?
I didn't have time to figure that out. The type who had been chasing me for thirty meters, suddenly, somehow deafly hunted behind his back (before that, he was there only a snot and gogoled like a maniac goose). I stopped and turned around.
The car was still open. But the driver was no longer there. And the other type was lying behind me. There was a vampire standing over him and shaking his hands.
- Jane, you're just doing great. Go get in the car, or you'll freeze.
I nodded and wove towards the jeep. The vampire wasn't helping me. He was dragging my stalker and he was hissing something under his nose.
- ...fed the ham... mother... parasite... - I heard. Danielle took the carcass and dumped it next to the trunk. And then he went into the salon. That's where the second carcass came from. And the vampire started to open the trunk, nodding at my cabin, saying you were watching, sit down.
But I didn't get in the car.
- Why don't we leave them in the woods a little far away? - I shyly suggested it. - They'll find them by spring?
The vampire angrily leaned on me and started taking off hot guys' outerwear.
- You're what?
- What do we need dead bodies in the trunk for?
- What makes you think they're corpses?
The vampire and I stared at each other, quickly understood everything - and the dialogue went on a new track.
- You're gonna drive them like food supplies?
- Do you mind?
- It's a stupid question.
- Yeah, - the vampire tightened the knot on the hands of the first maniac - I've already noticed that you don't suffer from humanism...
- I'm not suffering. I just enjoy it. When you have a minute off.
- And when will it fall out?
- I'm going to get home, sit by the TV, and watch a good old movie about humane people. And I'm going to enjoy it.
- Oh, is that what you mean?
- Yeah.
The vampire tightened the knots on the second type and threw them in the trunk. And he put a light leather jacket on me. He threw the second one on himself and got into the driver's seat.
- Do you drive a car? - I asked, climbing into the second chair. The question was very pressing. Vampires can take it if they're cut into pieces. If I go through glass or a vampire flattens me against a lamppost, I'll be picked up in the I.C.U. at best. Well, at worst... Uh-oh-oh...
- I'm driving," Danielle said. - Just so you know, vampires do not live peacefully, so everyone has minimal skills to drive a car and an airplane, knows how to shoot well, each of us to some extent mastered the computer and studied at least one martial art. Power doesn't solve everything. We even have a position like an Explorer. They're vampires who follow all human novelties, learn them and explain them to others. You see, we'd be conservative, but humans won't let us. The IPF isn't sleeping.
- THE IPF? - I was wondering. - I've never heard that name before. But I believe they are deeply decent people. Especially if they don't like vampires either. And who's that name?
- It's a long conversation," the vampire was digging through the pockets of his jacket. - Briefly, have you ever heard of the Inquisition?
- Well, am I illiterate?
- I already know you, so my answer is no. And the IPF is a modern branch of the Order of God's Dogs in Russia. It's called differently abroad.
- Apogee. What if we were more specific?
- Jane, we don't have time for more details right now. But I promise to tell you everything later.
- I'll take it at you
r word. What are you looking for?
- Some kind of cell phone.
- What for? - I slammed my pockets, too.
I found a cell phone in one of my jacket pockets. That's great! I wonder if it has an Internet connection. Of course he does! And there's a camera, a voice recorder and a color touch screen. And even an apple of Epple. Everything you can imagine. The dude was a dead man, even though de mortuis and outbid...
[4]
. He's not dead yet, but he won't stay behind a vampire.
- Here you go.
Danielle almost pulled the phone out of my hand and dialed some number. I didn't hear the whole conversation, just his lines.
- Hello. It's Dani. Is that you?
- – …
- Yeah. Andre got suspicious. I was tortured, and I ran away.
- – …
- Not myself, of course. A very nice girl helped me. VERY strong girl.
- – …
- It was almost two hundred grams.
- – …
- Yeah. That's it. And you have a real chance.
- – …
- Okay. Where and when?
- – …
- I'll meet you there.
Danielle clicked the button and turned the tube off. And smiled like a cat sneaking sour cream and not getting a slipper for it.
- Well, now I suggest you take your legs and find me some shelter for the day.
- At my house? - I suggested it. The vampire looked at me like I was hopelessly sick.
Ring of Madness Page 11
