by D McEntire
Marie rose to her feet, and so did he. She continued to keep her gaze fixed to his as she walked backwards to the door. She did not even turn when she reached it, afraid he would lash out from behind. Instead, she kept eye contact until she was totally out the door.
Her mind raced in a panic, threatening to send her to the floor. Marie willed herself not to faint. “Oh, God. What do I do?” She thought again about the date on the DVD case. It had been made in late April, and it was now December. The man had been chained down here for at least eight months. How could anyone withstand what they had done to him? No wonder he is crazy, she thought. Anyone would go absolutely insane from the torture.
Marie stood outside the door and leaned against the wall. She held her hand to her aching throat and felt the torn flesh. When she pulled her hand away, she was surprised to find it was not bleeding.
What was she going to do? She didn’t know how to get the door open to leave. And if she did leave? What then? She had come all this way to find this man. Was she going to leave him here? She had a strong suspicion her grandmother would not allow it, which was perhaps the reason the lab door was now locked.
A feeling fluttered through her mind. It was light, like a butterfly’s touch, but it was enough to jerk her out of her thoughts. Making up her mind to find the key, Marie searched the hallway walls, using her eyes and hands as her head continued to reel with questions.
Another thought crossed Marie’s mind. Why had the man bitten her neck and drunk her blood? What kind of experiments did that psycho do to him to make this man want to drink blood?
Blood. There were pints of blood in the refrigerator.
Marie began rubbing her temples to ease the pounding behind her eyes. She was stuck in this lab for who knows how long because she did not know how to open the door. There was also the issue of the man in the lab coat. What if he returned? She had no doubt he would not let her out of here alive after what she had seen. Her only protection might be man who had looked at her as if she was the devil.
Why me, Grandmother?
Marie almost sobbed at her predicament as she continued to search for the key to unlock his chains.
Almost twenty minutes later, Marie discovered a key in the kitchen, hanging on a nail next to the refrigerator. Holding the key in her hand, she thought again of the blood. Maybe if I offer it to him, he won’t bite me again. She could only hope. With a trembling hand, she took out a pint and shook it as if she was shaking a bottle of orange juice.
Kern listened to every step the woman made throughout the lab. He was silently seething, gritting his teeth at the thought of her not returning with the key to release him. When he heard her footsteps in the hall, he smiled to himself. She was returning, but did she have the key or was she returning with a weapon? He braced himself to find out.
The woman stepped into the doorway, her eyes wide. She looked ready to bolt at his slightest move. She stepped forward cautiously, holding out a pint of blood as if making a peace offering. When Kern made no move to take it she shook it slightly, then held out the key in her other hand.
Kern could not believe the woman had not only returned to the room without a weapon, but she had brought blood. He did not allow himself to be convinced of her good intentions. The blood may well be tainted to either incapacitate or kill him. He was not about to take the chance.
Snatching the key with one hand, he grabbed her wrist with the other, yanking her to the floor beside him. She landed hard with a grunt and a moan, dropping the pint of blood as she did so.
Once released from the chains, Kern quickly pushed the woman to the wall. He held her firmly with one arm and used the other hand to pull off her shoes. He placed a manacle around one of her ankles and locked it. She made sounds and whimpers of protest and tried to kick him away, but he paid no attention. She was now his prisoner.
Kern stood and smiled sardonically. “You’ll know how it feels to be chained to the wall. At least I have the compassion to leave your hands and one leg free. But, be warned. The manacles cut deep into the skin, and yours won’t heal as fast as mine.” He held out his arms, revealing the latest chafe marks on his wrists from the manacles.
As he picked up the bag of blood, Kern had an idea. Twisting the cap, he bent, grabbed the woman’s face and pinched her cheeks together. “Let’s see if you are trying to poison me.”
She struggled to get away, but he held her firmly against the wall, pouring blood into her mouth, then held her jaws shut and pinched her nose closed until she swallowed.
Kern released her quickly and stood, then laughed as she sucked in a breath of air, coughed and choked. When nothing happened, except a green pallor from being forced to ingest blood, he was satisfied.
“Guess it’s okay then.”
He paid no attention to her glare as he left the room, though he did notice her wipe her mouth as he closed the door behind him.
Kern had seen little of the laboratory. He had spent most of the time locked in the small room, but had been brought out a time or two, whenever the doctor had needed more space to work his experiments.
The door to exit the lab was in front of him. He approached, then realized it didn’t have a handle or knob. He ran his hands over the steel surface, unable to locate anything to grab, pull, turn or push.
Telling himself he would worry about the door later, Kern turned and gazed around the room at the tables of instruments and glass. He fought the anger at seeing the place where the doctor had concocted his poisons and studied the blood he had taken repeatedly.
With a suppressed growl Kern left the lab through a narrow hallway where he discovered a bathroom and a kitchen. Passing both rooms, he continued to the third, and last, door.
A bank of lockers lined the wall of the room. Kern opened them one by one until he found one, which was not empty. Smiling, he pulled out the clothes he had been wearing the day of his capture.
Clothes and blood in hand, Kern went to bathroom and took a long, hot shower.
Chapter Nine
Marie could not believe this was happening. The man she had come to help, the one who had invaded her dreams and thoughts almost nonstop for months, had attacked her, chained her ankle to the wall and forced her to drink blood he thought she may have poisoned.
Her stomach rolled, and she placed her hand over her mouth, hurried to the small toilet in the corner of the room and vomited. Even after she had heaved half her internal organs, the coppery taste lingered on her tongue. She wished she had water or something to rinse out her mouth. Better yet, she wished she had her backpack so she could grab her toothbrush and brush her teeth.
Marie smacked the handle and listened to the swish of the toilet while resting her head on her arm. After her stomach settled a little she straightened and glanced around the room, trying to imagine being chained in here for months on end. The thought made her shudder and did nothing to ease her nausea.
What was this man planning to do to her? His eyes had been full of anger and hate. Was he angry at her for not coming sooner? Did he blame what was happening to him on her for some reason?
Marie wiped her mouth on her sleeve and froze. She was wearing the white coat she had found in the lab.
Oh, God. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Marie stripped off the coat and flung it away from her. She had come into the room dressed as one of those who had hurt him. Now it was clear why he had attacked her. He thought she was the enemy.
Marie’s mind traveled through all sorts of questions and scenarios. How could she convince him she was here to help? If his ability to think reasonably was no longer there, she was doomed.
Panic slammed into her as she pictured what she had seen of his torture. If he believed she was somehow involved in this, there was no telling what retribution he would inflict. Out of revenge, he may have plans for her to suffer the same fate. Would her grandmother protect her?
Marie brought up her knees and hugged herself tight. Fear shook her body until eve
ry bone rattled, and began eating away at her strength, leaving her fatigued mentally and physically.
She lay on the hard concrete, resting her head on her arm, thinking today had certainly been one of the worst days of her life. How had she gotten herself into this mess?
I should have ignored the visions and my grandmother.
Yep, that was it. She should have not listened to her grandmother in the emergency room. During the time she had turned away from the woman, Marie had been able to live a normal life. Now, she had put herself into the midst of chaos by acting upon her grandmother’s request.
Marie continued to berate herself until she heard the man coming down the hall. Her entire body tensed, afraid of what was going to happen next. The door opened, and he stepped inside. His cold gaze immediately fastened on her. She looked away, unable to face the anger she did not deserve.
The man stepped forward, and Marie instinctively flinched. He set a glass of water on the floor in front of her. Marie stared at the liquid for several moments, then glanced up at the man. Though she had wanted water to clear the foul taste in her mouth, she couldn’t drink. Her throat felt raw. Swallowing was the last thing she wanted to do. Marie slowly shook her head.
“Drink, human.”
Marie could see the tips of fangs as he spoke.
Human? Fangs?
Thoughts bounced around her head and all of them scared the daylights out of her. What the hell was he? Did the man in the lab coat turn this man into something no longer human?
He shifted, and her breath caught. With a trembling hand, she grabbed the glass, trying not to spill the water as she brought it closer.
Marie sat up gingerly and took a small sip, grimacing at the pain as the cool liquid slid down her throat. She tried desperately to blink away tears as she took another sip, not daring to look at him again. Keeping her gaze on the floor, she watched his feet turn and walk out the door, but this time he did not close it behind him.
Marie could not take another drink. Hoping it would go unnoticed, she set the glass in a corner. Hands still shaking, she wiped away tears forming on her lashes before they ran down her cheeks. Crying was making her throat hurt even worse, so she breathed deeply, striving for calm. Turning to face the wall, Marie lay down, once again pillowing her head on her arm.
Dr. Pearson glanced at the gentleman sitting at the next table when he heard the man order a glass of the most expensive wine on the menu. His well-tailored suit had obviously been custom made. Several rings adorned his hands. Dr. Pearson even caught a glimpse of a gold watch beneath his sleeve.
As Dr. Pearson continued to scrutinize the gentleman, the sound of someone clearing his throat snapped him to attention. He turned his head to find the waiter standing in front of his table. Upon making eye contact, the waiter smiled and asked to take his drink order.
Envy spread over him. He had nowhere near the financial means to indulge in a wine as fine as the man sitting at the next table. In a curt tone, he ordered a Scotch on the rocks. The waiter smiled and nodded, then left to fetch the drink.
Dr. Pearson perused the dinner menu, trying not to brood over the apparent gift of wealth bestowed upon the gentleman seated next to him.
A cell phone rang, cutting through the voices in the dining room. The gentleman at the next table pulled a phone from his suit pocket. “Stephanus.”
Dr. Pearson listened as the man barked into the phone, sounding important and irritated at the disruption of his relaxation.
“Martin, I see you got my message. Yes, that’s what I said. Are you questioning what I saw? Yes, with red eyes. Uh, huh. Well, get a group together and go out and find this creature. For research, that’s why. No, we’ll keep this under wraps. I don’t want this getting out. This is our baby. What? Martin, I do believe I own Olivia Laboratories. Not you. You will do as I say. Find that thing.”
The man snapped his phone shut, then lay it on the table before taking another sip of his expensive wine.
Dr. Pearson couldn’t believe his ears. The red eyes comment piqued his interest. Was this man talking about vampires? Clearing his throat, he approached the man’s table, then smiled politely before speaking. “Excuse me for the intrusion, but would you happen to be Dr. Stephanus Olivia?”
The man smiled. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
Dr. Pearson extended his hand in greeting. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Dr. Olivia. I am Dr. Robert Pearson. I studied your writings while in college and even into my years at ChemLabs in Chicago.”
“Nice to meet you too, Dr. Pearson.”
“Yes, well.” Dr. Pearson thought about what to say next. He wanted to choose his words carefully. He needed to do this properly. “There is something I would like to discuss with you, if you have a few moments. I have a feeling it would be of interest.”
“Well, that depends. What is the topic of this discussion you feel I may be interested in?”
Dr. Pearson paused for a second, then glanced around to see if anyone was in earshot of their conversation. Leaning in slightly, he spoke again. “I am sorry to admit I overheard your phone conversation a moment ago. When you mentioned red eyes and creature I had the feeling you were onto something I too, have discovered.”
“Spit it out, Dr. Pearson. What are you getting at?”
Dr. Pearson waved a hand towards an empty chair at the table. “May I?” After receiving permission, he sat and continued. “You see, I’ve been doing research on a creature I came across not so long ago. One with red eyes, fangs and extraordinary capabilities.”
“What capabilities are you referring to?”
The intrigue he heard in Dr. Olivia’s voice urged him to continue.
“Excessive strength and speed, not to mention the power to heal itself.”
Dr. Pearson watched Dr. Olivia’s face for any signs of agreement or disbelief. He also was not sure if the man would be forthcoming if he was researching vampires.
“So, what kind of creatures are we talking about here?”
“Vampires.”
Dr. Olivia didn’t blink an eye, which Dr. Pearson took as a good sign.
“Vampires, huh? And what do you know about vampires, Dr. Pearson?”
He noticed Olivia studying him intently while sipping his wine. He straightened in his chair, bolstering his resolve to further his goal. “I’ve been researching them for years, ever since my wife was killed by one.”
Dr. Olivia’s eyebrows shot up and several moments of silence followed as Pearson waited with baited breath for him to agree to listen to what he had to say on the subject.
“Alright, Dr. Pearson. We do need to talk. This is a topic of interest to me. Would you care to join me for dinner? We can’t discuss much of this here, but we can do so afterwards, or set up a future meeting. Which would you prefer?”
Dr. Pearson couldn’t keep the glee from his face, and he knew it showed. “Thank you, Dr. Olivia. I would enjoy joining you for dinner. Maybe we could discuss other topics of interest and save this discussion for later. If you don’t mind, I would like time to gather some of my information for our meeting. Could we meet, say, at ten tomorrow morning?”
He sat quietly while Dr. Olivia pulled out his cell phone and accessed his calendar.
“Sounds fine, Dr. Pearson. I have a conference call to take at one. That should give us plenty of time for our discussion. Would you like to meet at my suite or in one of the lodge meeting rooms perhaps?”
“Your suite would be fine.”
Their dinner arrived, and they began discussing new breakthroughs in research technology and similar topics. The conversation was kept light, and when the meal was over, both strode out of the dining room and into the main hall.
“Dr. Olivia, I appreciate your dining with me this evening and am looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.”
“Yes, Dr. Pearson. I enjoyed our dinner conversation. I will see you at ten in the morning in my suite. I’m in room 316. Good evening to you.”
“Good ev
ening, Dr. Olivia.”
Dr. Olivia turned and headed up the stairs. So far, his plan was working perfectly. He had gained the attention of Dr. Pearson who was now following him like a puppy. He would keep the appointment, even though it was during the daylight hours. At almost three hundred years old, his tolerance for the daylight had grown stronger than most vampires.
His suite faced the west, so the morning sunlight, if there was any due to the recent snow storms, would not be a problem.
Chapter Ten
The alarm in the bedroom of Dr. Olivia’s suite went off at 9:30 a.m. bringing him out of a deep sleep. He had gone to bed at 6:30 a.m. when he had felt the sun beginning to rise behind the clouds and had slept peacefully for three hours.
After turning off the alarm, he rose from the bed and made his way to the shower. He needed to get everything ready for his meeting with Dr. Pearson.
On the way to the bathroom, Dr. Olivia eased the curtain aside and was thankful for another gray, snowy day in Colorado.
Dr. Pearson arrived at precisely ten, which was no surprise. Dr. Olivia knew the man had most likely been pacing the floor and chomping at the bit since last evening to meet with him and discuss his laboratories. They exchanged pleasantries while Dr. Olivia fixed coffee for the two of them. He could feel anxiety radiating from Pearson in waves.
“Dr. Olivia, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your meeting with me like this on such short notice. I’m sure you’re a very busy man.”
Pearson is definitely laying it on thick, Olivia thought to himself.
“Not a problem, Dr. Pearson. I have a great interest in the subject. You mentioned during dinner last night your wife had been killed by a vampire. I have had personal encounters with a few of them myself.”
Dr. Pearson’s eyes grew wide. “Really? Please, tell me what happened.”
Dr. Olivia began telling a story he’d concocted before turning in early this morning. Pearson seemed enthralled by the tale, and Olivia could sense he was breaking through the man’s wall of caution. He let a tone of contempt and disgust for vampires into his voice as he told his tale. The man needed to think they were both on the same page in the belief the creatures had no place in society and were dangerous.
