Replacement

by Wojciech Cram

  My legs rocketed into action, driving me in the direction of the movie theatre. If I could only get to Rashel, she could either fight him off with that badass sword of hers or provide me with a getaway vehicle.

  I could hear the snarls of the vampire behind me, anger mixed with pain. The sound was guttural like a wounded bear or wolf; not at all like the collected guy I'd seen moments

  earlier, taunting his prey.

  I'd barely made it to the edge of the lot before I was knocked down by an impact that felt like a lorry. I let out a yelp as I hit the concrete, hard, my vision exploding into stars as my head slammed down against the hard surface. But none of that hurt as much as feeling the dagger flying out of my hand, and the sound of it skittering away.

  Strong hands that were slick with blood held me down, making it impossible to struggle. The vampire looked wild, more of a savage than anything else. His fangs gleamed a

  deathly white, sharper than knives. "The time for games is over, little one," he said, his words distorted by his monstrous teeth. They weren't elegant like Ash's, or pearly like

  Jade's, or even razors like Kestrel's, they were a freak of nature. "No," I growled back, trying uselessly to push him away.

  Before I could even have time to react though, I felt a double sting in my neck, agonising and blissful at the same time. My mind flashed back to my recently regained memory of

  the night at the club. This felt all too familiar. The way the life was being sucked out of me, the way I was scraping around for the silver chord that tied me to Ash. But this time,

  there would be no rescue.

  Suddenly, the pain was gone, so was the pressure at my neck. Through my lightheadedness, I could hear gagging and retching. The sound was surprising enough to drag me back

  to reality. My head felt heavy, too heavy, as I dragged it up off the ground to peer at the scene before me.

  The vampire was on his knees, spitting out red liquid that formed a puddle on the ground. I could only assume that the liquid was my blood. "What the hell?" He growled, staring

  daggers at me as if this were my fault. "What are you?"

  I propped myself up on my elbow, using the other hand to staunch the bleeding at my neck. "I'm a human, remember?" I replied bitterly, the pounding headache returning yet

  again. Whether it was from the knock I'd just received, or thanks to the spell the mystery witch had put on me, I didn't know. "I thought we'd kind of exhausted that topic earlier," I

  added in what I thought was a Kestrel worthy remark.

  "No," the vampire responded, shaking his head. "Never has a human ever tasted like that before. You are something else, something terrible." I frowned, unsure if I should feel

  offended or thankful about the fact that I apparently tasted so bad. The vampire at the club hadn't seemed to think so, neither had Ash.

  Still, I didn't dare respond in case he decided to attack again. Instead, I just sat there on the cold ground, watching as the vamp kept spitting and wiping his tongue as if that would

  rid him of the foul taste.

  "Randall," another voice called out. Both the vampire's head and mine snapped up, looking towards the new comer. "What's taking so long?" The voice spoke again, coming into

  view. It belonged to a woman with long blonde hair that almost reached her hips, stick thin and radiating an air of dark magic.

  The vampire, who I assumed was Randall, got to his feet, looking slightly embarrassed at having been caught on his knees. He shot me a withering glare, which I returned.

  "It's her," Randall replied, jerking his head in my direction. "There's something wrong with her. Tastes awful."

  "What are you talking about?" The witch snapped, glaring at the vampire in front of her. Suddenly, Randall seemed a lot less threatening besides this woman.

  "See for yourself," he said, looking at me as if I was a bowl of fruit that had sprouted some sort of exotic mould. The witch looked at me also, but her eyes were filled with only

  irritation.

  She strode towards me, her heels clicking loudly against the floor, sounding like gunshots in the still night. She squatted before me, wiping some of the blood off my neck and onto

  her finger, scowling as she did so. Gingerly, she lifted the finger to her nose and took a long sniff.

  Slowly, a sick smile twisted her lips, more of a sneer actually. Subconsciously, I cringed back into the concrete, wanting to put as much distance between myself and the witch as

  possible.

  She stood back up, never taking her piercing eyes off me once. It was a little unnerving. "I think it's safe to leave this one," she said to Randall, a smug quality tingeing her voice.

  "What?" Randall asked dismayed, moving closer to the witch. "There are other ways to kill her. I'll just snap her neck and we can be gone of her. We'll have done our job, Daybreak

  will be a person weaker." I flinched at his words, but they were still less threatening than the witches gaze. Her eyes roamed over me, as if admiring a particularly outstanding

  piece of art or architecture.

  "No," the witch said, almost loftily. "She'll do more damage alive, leave her be." At this, both Randall and I frowned, unsure of what she was hinting at. "What are you talking

  about?" Randall exclaimed, clearly not the type for cryptic clues.

  "Her blood has been tainted. It'll be only a matter of time before she burns herself out anyway, most likely taking out those around her as well. Leave her be." And with that, she

  spun on her heel, stalking off into the night without another word.

  It was a few moments before Randall followed her lead, still torn over leaving me alive. If he were to have his way, I was sure that I wouldn't be left in one piece. Whether through

  better judgement or through fear of the blonde witch, he gave me a final glare and slinked off after his colleague.

  I sagged into the pavement once they had disappeared, my brush with death taking everything out of me. I wondered how long it would take me to get used to this feeling as well.

  Despite every one of my muscles screaming at me, and my brain trying to implode, I pushed myself up onto my knees, knowing that my time was running out. I had no idea how

  long my encounter had taken, it felt like years, but I knew if the 30minutes weren't yet up, they would be soon. Once on my feet I took a few seconds to regain my balance. The

  world span around me, but I wasted no time in driving forward towards the movie theatre.

  I didn't have time to comprehend what I'd do if I'd missed the deadline, if Rashel had left me. The phone number I'd been given was still tucked nice and safe in my pocket,

  providing me with a warped sense of security.

  The lights came into view right before the car did. I probably would have walked straight past it if Rashel hadn't leant out the window, practically dragging me into the passenger

  seat. My sense of relief at seeing her was so great that I didn't even register the car she'd picked up.

  I would have hugged her, but before I had the chance, she was peeling out of the lot, speeding back onto the freeway.

  Long minutes of silence passed between us, eerily similar to the state we'd been in just half an hour before. The amount that could change in half an hour was astonishing.

  "Aren't you going to ask how I did?" I asked once the silence became suffocating. I was slightly offended that she didn't seem concerned about my bloody appearance.

  "You got attacked, you got away. That's all that matters," Rashel deadpanned, her eyes flitting to the wing mirror. I opened my mouth to respond, but was cut off as she added,

  "Well done on that by the way, I wasn't sure you had it in you."

  "Gee, thanks," I retorted, wanting to be pissed off at her but finding I couldn't, not whilst a small, proud half smile pulled up the corner of her mouth. I found that a sense of

  achievement welled up inside of me too. I'd done it. I'd survived. Sure, it was more bec
ause I was apparently tainted and tasted disgusting, but I'd still done it.

  I let out a belt of delirious laughter, sinking down into the soft leather of the seat of the car Rashel had stolen. It still bothered me that we'd resorted to hotwiring and stealing

  someone's vehicle, but in my elation I couldn't quite find the ability to care.

  At some point I must have blacked out either from blood loss or exhaustion, because the next thing I knew, the car was coming to a halt in a rundown garage. "Where are we?" I

  asked sleepily, rubbing my eyes to clear them.

  "You know that friend I was telling you about? Well this is where we find her. Now come on." Rashel threw her car door open, and I did the same, following her as she moved

  stealthily through the parking garage.

  It was the sort of place you'd expect to be scattered with junkies, so as I moved closely behind Rashel, keeping my eyes open. I noticed that Rashel too was looking around,

  although her motive was probably fear of being followed by Night People rather that being offered crack.

  However, even as we moved in deeper, the garage remained empty. Eventually Rashel led us both to a door that was made of rusting metal. The entire place screamed that

  whoever lived here didn't want visitors.

  I wrung my hands nervously as Rashel made three precise knocks on the door, each growing louder in volume. I had to remind myself that this person, whoever she was, was

  Rashel's friend and wouldn't harm us. Still, I was glad that it hadn't resulted in me trying to find this place alone.

  A good few minutes passed before there was any sign of life apparent on the other side of the door. I hadn't noticed before, but a speaker was situated by the door, and it made me

  jump as it burst into static. "Cockadoodledoo." A voice said through the speaker, muffled through the static.

  I frowned in confusion, wondering what an earth I had stumbled into. Rashel on the other hand, didn't find this strange at all, only rolling her eyes before replying. "The cow says moo."

  As if by magic, I heard bolts sliding, and locking turning on the other side of the door, a lot of locks I should add. Whoever Rashel's friend was, was even more paranoid than the

  Daybreakers. At least I knew I'd be safe for the night, Rashel hadn't been wrong about that.

  The door opened a crack, and a cornflower blue eye peered out at us. Upon spying Rashel, the eye immediately brightened and the door swung open further, though not all the way,

  to reveal a small boned girl, short in stature, with blonde hair.

  Despite the girl's obvious delight at seeing my companion, her gaze still roamed wearily about the garage, obviously not wanting to be seen. "Come inside," she offered, ushering us

  quickly inside before we even had the chance to reply.

  From this side of the door, I had a full view of the ridiculous amount of locks and bolts, and I decided that paranoia didn't even cover it. All three of us stood squashed in a small

  hallway as the girl redid all of the security measures on the door, giving me a chance to gage my surroundings. The hall was bare, as in completely void of anything but a stripped

  light bulb hanging precariously from the ceiling. There was no carpet on the floor, or paint on the walls; it was the bare bones of the building.

  Rashel seemed unperturbed by the place, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed at the idea of being made to sleep on cold concrete floors after everything that had happened. I

  didn't voice my concerns out of fear of sounding ungrateful, as the small girl turned back towards us, unable to keep the grin off her face.

  "It's been too long," she said, drawing Rashel into a hug. I'd never seen anyone attempt to hug Rashel before. Ever. I'd learned within moments of meeting her that she just wasn't

  the cuddly type, so seeing this girl partake in such an affectionate gesture made me take a step back. But the most astonishing thing was that Rashel returned the hug, true it was

  only a feeble one handed thing, but none the less surprising.

  "Don't tell me you've missed me," Rashel teased, stepping out of the awkward embrace.

  "Well, I wouldn't go that far," the girl responded, crossing her thin arms over her chest.

  With a tired laugh, Rashel turned to me, indicating the girl before us. "MaryLynette, this is Daphne Childs. Daphne, this is MaryLynette Carter." I simply nodded my head in

  acknowledgement, offering a small but sincere smile. Daphne did the same, waving her hand slightly.

  "Look, Daphne, it's been a long night and I need me some shut eye. We shouldn't be in your hair for long; we just need a safe place to spend the night."

  "Of course," Daphne said, her eyes scanning our tired exteriors. "Stay as long as you need, it's kind of nice to have the company. I mean Nyala is great, but sometimes she's a pain my arse." Rashel laughed, shaking her head, but I stayed silent not getting the joke.

  We both followed Daphne down the bare hallway, which grew increasingly darker as we left behind the single light bulb. The narrow hall seemed neverending, the plain surfaces,

  playing tricks with me eyes, as we walked, our footsteps echoing loudly.

  At last, we came to another door, this one wooden, but just as sturdy as the metal one. These guys really were going to a lot of trouble to keep out intruders. Daphne knocked a

  complex rhythm on the door, making whoever was on the other side aware of our presence.

  Hurried footsteps sounded on the other side, followed by a female voice calling, "Roses are red, violets are blue." Without missing a beat, the petite blonde before me answered

  with, "Eat my enchilada again, and I'll kill you."

  Just as before, after the response, multiple locks were turned, creating a symphony of clicking and grinding. "Wow, you guys really need to come up with better passwords," Rashel muttered under her breath, and I had to smother a laugh as Daphne shot her a glare.

  "Hey, we get bored down here, leave us alone."

  Her words were lost on me though as the wooden door opened, revealing a girl with skin like cocoa and bright eyes, but behind her was what amazed me. Unlike the hallway we'd

  just passed through, the apartment in front of me was anything but derelict. Plush couches created a large seating area, and at the back of the room I spotted a stylish, glistening

  kitchen. "Wow," I murmured, following Daphne into the apartment.

  Behind me I could hear Rashel offering greetings to the girl who'd opened the door. I turned around briefly upon hearing my name, pausing in my amazement of the room to shake

  her hand. The girl, Nyala, gave me an indulgent smile, no doubt amused by my open mouthed admiration of her home.

  It wasn't the living space I was intrigued by though, although that too was quite awe inspiring, but the large wall that spanned the width of the apartment, every inch of it covered in

  computer screens, panels, keyboards, monitors, and any other state of the art technology one could think of.

  "What the hell is this place?" I asked, creeping closer to a screen that showed video footage of the garage we'd just come through. These guys knew we'd arrived long before Rashel

  and I had even stepped out of the car.

  "Think of it as the eyes of circle Daybreak," Rashel said, appearing at my shoulder, her fatigue gone for the moment. And she wasn't kidding. A large proportion of the wall was

  filled with screens similar to the one of the garage, though each showed either a different location, or a different angle of the same location. I didn't recognise many of the places,

  probably because they were Night World hangouts, or topsecret meeting spots.

  However, I did recognise the building that a number of screens revealed. "Is that Thierry's mansion?" I asked in disbelief, taking another step closer to the screen, so close that my

  nose was almost touching it.

  "Yup," Nyala said, throwing herself down on the couch, a wide grin splitting
her face. "We have eyes everywhere, both on our enemies and allies. Someone even sneezes and we'll

  know about it."

  "That's… kind of creepy," Rashel said, leaning back, arms crossed, against a bookcase.

  Without even realising it, I found myself searching the screens to see if I could find any sign of Ash. I deflated slightly when I saw that he didn't appear anywhere. He was probably

  in his bedroom or something, as the footage only showed the communal areas like the living room, kitchen, entry hall and even the garden.

  "How come you didn't warn us that Jez had been taken?" I asked, confusion filling me at the thought. These guys could have saved us a whole lot of trouble if they'd contacted us as

  soon as the event had happened.

  "We didn't realise she had been," Daphne piped up, her expression troubled as she sank down onto the couch next to Nyala. "What do you mean, you didn't realise?" Rashel asked,

  scepticism lacing her voice.

  "Even we have our blind spots," Nyala defended herself and Daphne. "We're only as good as the cameras we use. Whoever took Jez was good. They knew how to take her without

  being seen."

  I gulped at her words, unnerved at the fact that that same person was after me. That ringing laughter sounded in my head, my mind flashing back to the cruel twist of the girl's red

  painted lips, taunting me as my limbs became paralysed. The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils, and I felt myself swaying slightly on my feet, the perfume dizzying.

  "Hey, you okay?" Rashel asked, appearing out of nowhere, resting a hand on my elbow. I jumped at the sound of her voice, trying to calm my heart that I hadn't even realised had

  been racing until that moment.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice ringing false to my own ears. "Is there a place I can freshen up?" I asked, directing my question to Daphne. "It's kind of been a long night."

  "Oh yeah! Just through there you'll find the bathroom, use whatever you need. Opposite that you'll find the spare room." I smiled graciously at her before turning my back on

  Rashel's worried looks, making my way to the place that Daphne had pointed out.