Oh, she should not have done that, Tiffany thought, sitting upright for a better view of the fireworks. If looks could kill Charla would be dropping dead any second now. Apparently, she didn’t realize she’d pushed Terry too far because Tiffany could tell by the wild hatred boiling in his eyes, he was about to unload on her big time. Tiffany just didn’t figure it would be literally.
He yanked the gun from its holster and pointed it at Charla. “Yo, girl, get out of that bed right now.”
He never took his eyes off Charla who looked a whole lot more mad and haughty than a person should when they had a gun barrel inches from their heart.
“Get out of the bed,” he ordered again.
Tiffany scrambled out on the side opposite the two of them.
“What are you doing?” Charla hissed. “Put that thing away, now. Or I’ll—”
“You’ll do what I say! That’s what you’ll do. I’m done being ordered around by you. From here on out I’m in charge. You’re not helping Katie get better, but I intend to get her the help she needs. The right help. Not some experimental drug that’s obviously doing her more harm than good. She looks sickly and puny like the rest of these ghouls you’ve got floating around here. No more of that shit for Katie or for any of them. Comprende?” He shoved the gun barrel into her chest. “Now get your ass in that bed.”
“What? Are you crazy? You’re acting like a madman.”
Tiffany couldn’t believe what she witnessed. She didn’t know what to think. She just stood there and took it all in, watching the gripping saga unfold.
“That’s because I’m furious and sick to death of this idiotic mission of yours. I mean it. Get in that bed or I’ll shoot your knee cap off. And if that doesn’t shut you up and teach you whose boss from now on, I’ll shoot the other one.”
Charla was clearly stunned, but knew he was just mad and crazed enough to do it judging from the wide-eyed fear entrenched across her features. She walked to the bed and got onto it.
Terry looked at Tiffany. “Put the restraints on her.”
“With pleasure.”
“No! Don’t you dare!” She smacked Tiffany’s hand, but when she tried to scramble out of bed, Terry strode over and slapped her upside the head with far less force than she deserved in Tiffany’s opinion.
“Shut up, Charla. These are going on one way or another. It’s up to you if it’s easy or painful.”
She stopped struggling and Tiffany took the cue. Her adrenaline started flowing and Tiffany buckled the restraint on her left wrist then ankle, rushed around the bed and did the same on the right. When she was done, she looked at Terry, his gaze now fixed across the room at the opening in the curtain. Tiffany followed his line of sight and her jaw dropped.
A replica of Charla stood in the doorway, the real Katie and she looked none too happy about the scene she witnessed. There were however, some definitive physical differences between the two twins. Like all feral vampires, her irises were coal black without a hint of color or sparkle. Her skin was a ashen grey like her own and the other unfortunate test subjects.
“What are you doing, Terry? Untie Charla right now!”
His attitude changed on a dime when he saw his other sister. His expression wavered between shame and awkward determination. He holstered his gun and took a few steps toward his sister. “Here me out, Katie. There needs to some changes around here.”
“What changes?”
“That serum isn’t working. Not a single vampire since this whole thing started is yet one hundred percent human. The only thing it’s doing is making you and those others sick. You mean the world to me, Katie. There has to be another way to get you better.”
Katie glanced at Charla with uncertainty. “Terry may be right. I want to believe in the serum. I want to believe it’s changing me and that it’s a cure for vampirism. I feel better, stronger than I did a week ago, but I still feel vampire. I can’t control the bloodlust, the sudden bursts of rage or the nightmares driving them. Maybe I’m just one of the unlucky ones the serum won’t work on.”
Terry shared a guilty look between the two sisters which Tiffany deemed a bit odd. Charla raised her head and frowned at her sister. “Katie, it is working. The infant test subjects have had nearly ninety percent human blood. I’ve told you both over and over it just takes longer to work on some adults. We can’t give up now. We’re so very close.”
Katie shook her head. “Maybe we are, but the side effects are about more than I can take. I still have vampire strength and abilities, primarily when I’m scared or angry. At least the weakness and nausea has gone away. The nightmares haven’t. What can any drug do about those?”
“It’s working, Katie. I promise the nightmares will subside in time. They will.” She turned a scalding look on Terry. “Get these damned restraints off of me now. I agree we all need to talk about this, examine a few things, but not like this. As usual your anger has pushed you to do yet another heinously ignorant thing.”
Rage flamed into his features again and Tiffany could tell he was stick a fork in it done with Charla belittling him and pushing him around.
“Not happening, Charla. Not until you listen to reason. I’m calling the shots from here on out. These experiments end today. You know as a rule I can’t stand vampires, but I feel sorry for these poor girls around here. They look like shit and probably feel as rotten as Katie. And Katie is my biggest concern. Some of your test subjects have died. You might be willing to risk Katie’s life for your cause, but I’m not. I’d rather have her alive as a vampire, than dead as a human.”
“Enough Terry. I agreed to this and despite my reservations I intend to see it through.” Katie walked over to the bed and began unfastening Charla’s restraints. “I’ll do anything to be human again. If the serum can merely reduce the gruesome blood lust and the nightmares I’m willing to take the risk.”
Throughout the sibling’s conversation, Tiffany remained quiet, taking in the bizarre family dynamic while wondering how she could use it to her advantage. She knew Katie would never recover from being feral. Over the years, she’d learned enough to realize it was an irreversible vampire mental defect which generally plagued traumatized fledglings. If by some miracle Charla’s serum worked, Katie would still be mentally ill. Tiffany really did feel sorry for her to a point. Who wouldn’t be out to lunch when they’d been a hostage of a feral and endured repeated torture and brutal rapes?
Terry sighed, silent for a few moments as he watched Katie unfasten the steel bands encased in leather. “It’s your choice I guess. But I don’t like it. I’m standing my ground about the others. No more testing, Charla. In the beginning this was all about Katie not some grand scheme to turn vampires into humans for profit. Maybe they don’t wanna be human. Ever think of that?”
Charla scrambled out of the bed and faced off with him, fuming still. “Some will. Tiffany here is a perfect example. Isn’t that right?”
Boy, Tiffany didn’t want to get thrown into this viper’s nest, but Charla had opened the door for her to speak. She intended to make an appeal for her freedom. “No, in the beginning I was furious when I found out Christian turned me. But now I’m done being picky about my physical body. I just want to be healthy and I want my freedom, Charla. Terry’s right. If Katie has no qualms about what this serum is doing to her body, that’s her choice. I should have a choice and the rest of these fledgling vampires too.”
Charla glowered at her and rubbed her wrists. “As I told you before your freedom and everyone else’s will come when you’re all human again and the three of us are far away from New Orleans. Not everyone will appreciate the sacrifices I made. None of us can afford backlash from ungrateful subjects or their family members.”
New Orleans? They were still here somewhere in the area. Good information. But exactly where?
Charla had one thing right. If Christian or the life mates of the test subjects got ahold of Charla or her siblings, they’d tear them apart. Christian wasn’t violen
t by nature and most vampires weren’t, but Tiffany had no doubt these people’s vampire loved ones would execute some serious renegade justice on the three when they discovered what they’d each suffered.
Terry snorted. “This is crazy. I say we pack up and get the hell out of this place today. Let these sickly vamps go before more people die. If those family members find us, I don’t expect much mercy on their part.”
“I certainly wouldn’t,” Tiffany put in. All three scowled at her, but offered no reply. They had to know she and Terry were right.
Katie took a seat on the side of the bed, her features entrenched in concern. “I have to agree with Terry. The longer we stay, the greater the chance someone will discover what we’re really doing here.”
“That’s impossible. The place is so remote few people even know of it.”
“As far as you know,” Terry snapped. “What happens when we go to the city for supplies? If those vampires have the Walmart video surveillance of you getting into the Jeep when you dropped off that stolen SUV, we’re screwed. Talk about me doing stupid things. That was a stroke of brilliance.”
“We have two other vehicles, stupid.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Terry snarled. “Man, who’s the stupid one? You think vampires don’t have fingers to dial the cops? There could be an APB for a Jeep with our license plate number and it doesn’t have to leave here for the cops to find it. Locals have seen you driving it back and forth to the city to work at that damned clinic for over three months. They probably have video surveillance of it in their own parking lot. They have to know you’re the one who kidnapped this one here. That Jeep is going to lead them to us. I’d stake my life on it.”
Tiffany! It’s me. Christian. Are you there? Talk to me.
Tiffany gasped and clutched her stomach from the sudden shock to her system. He called to her! Finally! She began to shake with relief, then backed up toward the corner, hoping the three wouldn’t notice her reaction. I’m here. I’m okay. God, I can’t tell you how relieved I am to finally hear your voice, but listen, I’m in the middle of something here and I don’t have time to explain. Hang with me please.
Trust me, Baby, I’m going nowhere. What’s happened to you?
Long story, Christian. Katie, whose name is really Charla kidnapped me and drugged me. I’ve been out like a light for three days.
I knew it. I knew that bitch had you. Do you know where you are?
No but I may be about to find out. I’m here with Katie, her sister Charla and brother Terry and they’re talking. Or arguing is more like it. I do know I’m somewhere in the New Orleans area deep in bayou country in a lab facility inside a huge machine shed. That’s all I know so far. That and they have a Jeep. A black or maybe dark blue one I don’t know. I need to listen to what they’re saying.
Do that and think everything you hear in your mind to me so I can hear too.
Will do.
Tiffany tuned back into the conversation.
“No one of importance can find us here. Didn’t we all agree this would be the perfect place to house the facility?” Charla asked.
“Hell no I didn’t agree. I’ve never agreed with any of this. I went along with it because I’d do anything to get Katie the help she needs. For months, you’ve been trying to change vampires into humans and not one has ever had test results with one hundred percent human blood cells.”
“But they’re close, Terr—”
He sliced his hand through the air cutting her off. “Close isn’t good enough. Then I think about all those who died. Especially the babies. God! We’ve got a fucking grave yard out there in the woods. I kept telling myself I didn’t give a shit because they were vampires.” He gave Tiffany a sideways glance, then said softly, “But they weren’t always vampires. Once they were just like Katie. Humans with a life stolen by some vampire. Now the ones here are vampires with a life stolen by us.”
Charla crossed her arms and pinned him with a judgmental look. “When did you suddenly become so philosophical? In the beginning, you were an advocate for exterminating the entire species.”
“Because I was pissed! Make no mistake. There’s some that need exterminating starting with the sick fuck that hurt Katie.” He threw up his hands. “But these girls around here are just kids. And those pregnant women—well that whole sick shit was the final straw for me.” He turned his focus on Katie, both sympathy and disgust dominating his features. “Why did you kill all those people, Katie?”
“I told you. I was scared.” She pursed her lips and glared at him with those deadpan onyx eyes.
“That’s a load. No one threatened you. Not a one. They didn’t even have time. In the span of dozen heartbeats every one of those humans were dead. It makes me sick.”
Katie heaved a huge sigh. “Who cares about any of that now? I can’t change the past. We need to get back to what you were saying about the Jeep being found. Is that really possible?”
Tiffany felt her jaw slip. There wasn’t an iota of remorse in either Katie’s tone or expression. Tiffany knew in that moment Katie was as soulless as any feral on earth. Just like Isabella, the feral vampire who tried to snuff the lives of her mom and sister, Katie only cared about Katie.
Terry sighed too, but his sounded like one born of despondency. “Yeah, we’ve probably got the locals talking. That old man, Chomps who sold us the place is curious as hell. Believe me he isn’t coming by to see if we’re okay like he claims. People in these little, remote redneck communities stick together and outsiders who keep to themselves are frowned upon. Hell, with our luck he’s probably related to the sheriff.”
“God Terry! If I didn’t know better I’d think you were tweaking again as paranoid as you sound right now.”
“Terry has a point, Charla. Chomps keeps coming by more and more. Four times this last month. What if he’s told others about the place?” Katie asked.
“Of course he has. Yo, these backwoods alligator hunter types stick together. Ya know? Our story for why we’re here has always been lame as hell to me. If we’re supposed to be a group of university scientists studying flora and fauna, or whatever the hell you’ve been telling him, the locals have to be asking why there are no intern college kids hanging out in their bar. College kids party. Even nerdy ones that get off on weeds you don’t smoke.”
Charla rolled her eyes. “You’re exhausting.”
“But he has a valid point, Charla. Let’s end this and go before it’s too late. I can continue the treatments anywhere.”
Anger began to tighten Charla’s features. “No! We are not leaving. I refuse to up everything I’ve worked so hard to accomplish just because some nosy old man is asking a few questions. Use some logic.” She started ticking off some finger by finger. “First, we bother no one. Our alibi as botanists is as plausible as any reason for someone as uneducated as Chomps and his redneck neighbors. Why would we frequent their little backwoods town? The people studying here are supposedly educated and educators. If someone of that caliber wanted to blow off steam on the weekends it certainly wouldn’t be in some hole in the wall bar in the middle of swamp country.”
Katie huffed. “Charla, we don’t need the money you think we’ll make from vampires desperate to turn human. Mom and Dad left us more money than we could spend in a lifetime, yet we all took on our chosen careers. I loved mine. I know you loved yours. We didn’t need the money back then with us each single and living in the mansion. I don’t want to save mine anymore for when I get married or for some rainy day. I want to use it now to start having some fun.” She poked out her lower lip like a petulant child.
“That will come soon enough, Katie. Be patient.”
“I’m sick of being patient. I hate this place. The drudgery. The isolation. I want to go to Paris, Monte Carlo, somewhere full of life.”
“No, Katie. We stay. We see this through until you and our other subjects are one hundred percent human. Then we can move the facility anywhere we want
and begin selling the serum. I believe in the serum. I really do, but it’s possible there could still be bugs to work out. I need a laboratory and test subjects for that. The future of the serum aside, this has all been for you. Once you’re cured we’ll go anywhere you like. We’ll celebrate and party like royalty. One day soon. I promise. Okay?”
Katie said nothing, but nodded. She didn’t appear pleased. Her brother snorted, crossed his arms and grit his teeth so hard, Tiffany heard them grind. He remained silent as well, but Tiffany had a pretty good idea what he was thinking and it involved his hands around Charla’s neck. It appeared once again she was getting her way and Terry’s stance as top dog had just been toppled.
She definitely calls the shots, Christian. Katie’s a feral and even she bows to her.
I see that. Hang tough, Darlin’. Charla’s days in the drivers seat are numbered. You have my word. What are they saying now?
Nothing yet.
Charla turned to Tiffany with a speculative look. “You’re very quiet, Tiffany. I know what you must be thinking.”
Actually, she couldn’t have had a clue. Tiffany was so busy speaking in her mind every word each of them said to Christian, until now she’d had little time to form any genuine thoughts or opinions of her own. “What’s that?”
“Don’t you think it’s obvious? You want me to side with Terry and Katie and let you and the others go.”
The woman was a snake both in deed and word. “They both have valid points and of course I want you to let me go.”
“I bet you do so you can rush back to Dr. La Mond and be his little vampire whore. Am I right?”
Oh, that set her sails on fire. She opened her mouth to speak, but Christian cut her off.
Don’t Tiffany. Don’t say something to enflame her. She’s a loose cannon right now because her siblings are no longer on board with her plan. She’s looking to take out her frustrations on you.
Dark Experiments Page 33
