She climbed out from the seating and peered back at them.
“I’ll leave you to it.”
“Wait,” Haley said, half leaving her own seat. “What am I supposed to do?”
Madame Nightshade stared back at her. “Nothing.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Brock was getting closer.
At first Haley didn’t realize it – after all, he was just one face in the sea of predators before them – but the closer he came, the more she was aware.
Haley did not see Brock move. Never once.
If she had been clever enough, she might have spied him standing with his back to Madame Nightshade as she exited the room through the archway ahead. Melanie must’ve said something, and her eyes moved back to her companion, losing sight of the archway and any vampires lurking around it.
When she turned again, Brock was in the middle of the room, his presence obscured by three tall men standing in front of him, the conversation deep and ongoing.
Once Haley looked away and then back again, he was sitting motionlessly in an upright position on top the seating beside the adjacent wall. He wasn’t looking at her, his eyes blank and far away. She had met him earlier, but then, Haley wasn’t quite sure it was the same man. Had he really been moving towards her this whole time?
If she looked away again, how close would he be…?
“I don’t think you belong here.”
Haley jumped with a fright as Brock was standing to the left of her, leaning against the wall. She looked back to where he’d been sitting, almost sure she’d never taken her eyes off of him –
But alas…
He was gone.
“Miss Haley,” Brock purred. “Miss Melanie.”
They both looked up at him.
“I have a pretty good sense for spotting those who are out of place,” Brock said confidently. “You can just look into some of the women’s eyes here, and you know they’re ready to die. What do you think, Melanie? Do you think our new friend here is at the end of her life?”
Haley turned to Melanie, a little disturbed.
Melanie was staring up at Brock cautiously.
“I hope you don’t invest too much in that insight of yours, Brock,” she said. “Some of us are actually here to find love.”
“Love,” Brock said with half a chuckle. He made a motion with his boot as if he was kicking away a stone. “It’s such an abstract construct. I very much doubt it can be acquired. More often, it’s conjured up in the brain as a defense against the sadness of being alive. I think in most cases, it’s a form of mental illness.”
Melanie made a face and looked away.
“What are you here for then?” Haley asked.
“Excuse me?” Brock said tilting his face downward.
“You’re not here for love,” she went on. “So what is it that drives you?”
“I think we’ll keep that a mystery for now,” Brock beamed.
He stepped in front of her table.
“Perhaps you would like to ask me again later. In private perhaps.”
Haley leaned back in her chair.
“He’s hitting on you,” Riley’s voice chimed in her ear. “Go for it, Haley.”
“Is that an invitation?” Haley asked.
“No,” Brock said. “It’s a demand.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small shiny object. He placed it on the table next to her cocktail glass, and then walked away into the crowd.
Haley leaned forward and picked the object up.
It was a blue key.
“What’s this?”
Melanie looked over. “Let me see.”
She showed her the key.
“Looks like you’ve got your first date,” Melanie said. “Well done.”
“What’s his name again?”
“Brock Ferns. I had a meeting with him a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t go great.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, he’s pretty much a nobody in the vampire world. Not much money behind him. That I can gather anyway.”
“So you’re … looking for a rich vampire then?”
“Most of them are rich,” Melanie said. “I think he’s looking for his ‘partner in crime’ so to speak. Not my thing.”
“I should probably just do it though…” Haley said. “For the experience?”
“It’s up to you,” Melanie said. “I won’t say anymore. I don’t want to spoil it.”
“Where am I supposed to go with this?”
“The floor above this one. I wouldn’t rush into it though. You never know. Someone else might throw their hat in the ring.”
“Take your pick,” Melanie said sipping her drink. “Could be anyone of them. They may have chosen you already. But you don’t yet know…”
Haley turned her eyes back into to the crowd.
There was too many. Too many faces.
Too many people who could see her.
Had she already found him?
Was Brock the killer?
Or was there someone else out there, plotting their next move…
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Haley stood from the table. Her fingers touched side of it as she got up, and it was she could feel it vibrating. She jumped around as though someone had just shouted in her ear, but the piece was silent. She knew she could feel something. As if the air pressure in the room had marginally lifted.
“Are you okay?” Melanie asked.
Haley nodded. “I just feel … a little nauseous.”
“Well, walk around for a bit,” Melanie suggested. “Get the blood moving again.”
“My blood … my blood is fine.”
Melanie gave a short laugh. “Listen. I’ll come with you. Get ourselves another drink.”
“No,” Haley said quickly. “You stay there. I’ll get them.”
Melanie put her hands up. “Whatever.”
“Where’s the –?”
“Out there. Through the archway. Back through the hall. It’ll just – open up for you…”
“Got it.”
At least she thought she did.
Haley walked slowly through the space between them and the archway, brushing through the crowd. Hands. Fingertips. Eyes. They lingered.
She made it through unscathed and headed through the archway as it had been pointed out to her. She walked along the carpeted corridor until she reached another room where others were mingling.
Behind them, she could see the bar.
Haley approached.
“What can I get for you?” the normal looking bartender inquired.
“Actually … is there a ladies room?”
“Yes, mam,” he answered. “Follow that hall down there till you find yourself back out on the landing. Straight to your left, by the stairs leading back to the ground floor, you’ll see a door with the symbol on it.”
“Of the ladies…”
He nodded.
“Thank you.”
Haley stepped way and followed his directions, leading back out the landing. She spied the girls’ bathroom and quickly headed in. Inside it was spotlessly clean. She lowered her eyes to the floor to see underneath the stalls. They appeared to be empty.
“Hello?” Haley whispered. “Is someone there?”
Silence.
“I’m talking to you, Maurice. Or … Riley. Or –”
“What seems to be the problem?” Maurice’s voice came in.
“I don’t know,” Haley mumbled. “Maybe … I could do with some coaching?”
He didn’t respond.
“Maurice?”
“Hi Haley, this is Jason.”
“Oh. Hi. What’s … what’s happening?”
“Everything is fine on our end,” Jason said. “The transmission is clear.”
“Okay. But… I mean, did you see the guy?”
“Which one?”
“Brock.”
“We saw him.”
“So … Do you think
it’s him? The killer, I mean.”
“We don’t know who the killer is,” Maurice said. “That’s what you have to find out.”
“But it must be him – mustn’t it? He’s the only one who’s approached me.”
“Maybe he just thinks you’re hot,” Riley said.
Haley glanced at herself in the mirror. “What am I supposed to do exactly? Do I hurry up and go meet him upstairs? Or do I … try to draw someone else’s attention?”
“The killer, if he’s here, will make himself known,” Maurice asserted. “We should just worry about Brock for now. Try to ascertain whether he could be our guy.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” Haley asked. “What do I say to him? What do I ask?”
“I think you should just ask him,” Riley said. “No beating around the bush.”
“Is that some kind of a sick joke?” Haley shouted. “You know what they’ll do to me if my cover is blown? Did you see what happened back on the bus –?”
“You’ll need to get a hold of his phone,” Maurice said.
“What?”
“Find a way to get your hands on his phone. Then scroll through his contacts. See if any of the names we read out to you are listed –”
“Like that’s proof or something?”
“It will be proof enough for us to extract him. Unless of course someone –”
The bathroom door suddenly flew open.
Haley turned to see a vampire in a dark green suit, with long black hair and sharp teeth staring down at her.
“Hello Haley,” he said in a threatening tone. “Who were you talking to?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“Did – did we meet earlier?” Haley asked, uncertainly. She glanced around. “This is the Ladies’ room, you know?”
The vampire glared at her. He didn’t seem happy.
“I was on the phone,” Haley said quickly. “Jesus.”
She left her place by the sink and stepped forward into one of the stalls. She closed the door and locked it.
Then waited. And waited.
The bathroom door did not close.
Instead, it peeled back further and the vampire’s boots made their mark on the tiles. He walked up to the stall she was cowering behind and stood in front of it.
“Your friend, Melanie. She’s looking for you.”
“Okay, I’ll go see her when I’m done. Thank you.”
Haley stared down at the floor. The vampire’s shadow did not move.
“What are you doing?” Haley hissed.
“What are you doing?” came his cold reply.
“Get out of there, Haley,” Maurice advised. “You’re acting suspicious.”
Haley punched herself in the side of the head.
“If you – If you don’t go away right now, I’ll tell Madame Nightshade on you!”
Her shout echoed through the bathroom.
She looked down at the floor again, and saw his shoes leave the edge of her stall. He was walking away.
She waited for him to leave.
Once the bathroom door had opened and closed, she whispered: “What the fuck was that? Was he after me?”
“Haley, you’ve been trained how to take a vampire on in combat, haven’t you?” Riley asked.
“Yes, but doesn’t mean I want to –”
“He’s gone now,” Jason said. “You best get back to the Introductions room. Before he comes back.”
Haley unlocked the door in front of her and stepped out of the stall.
“Maybe it was him,” she mumbled. “Maybe he was the killer.”
“It’s possible,” Jason said. “Be careful if you see him again.”
“Yeah,” Haley said. “No shit.”
“That’s the thing about vampires,” Riley remarked.
“What is?” Jason replied.
“They’re all killers.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The noise behind me, it closes in like the arms of a mother clinging onto a dying child. My feet snap to the concrete and I pull the doors shut – wanting to be as far away from it as possible. The air is cold and bitter. A low wind. A perfect chill.
Around the corner, I can smell the faintness of cigarette smoke, and I can hear the faintness of laughter. I passed by the table where she and I had been sitting earlier, both seats empty. Both seats absent.
“Stop,” Princess could be heard saying. “Stop it! You’re tickling me! I – hate – you –”
The laughter causes me to shudder in disgust. I can see their shadows painted on the ground, but not their faces. The laughter is then muffled, their mouth interrupting one another. It occurs to me that they might be kissing.
I touched the edge of the wall.
Turn back.
Turn back and forget her.
I’ve already moved on anyway. I’ve already chosen my real victim for this wondrous evening. It’s … it’s just the thought of that not-so-spectacular princess running into me at some point later down the road. Even though she could never possibly know or understand me – let alone defeat me – it will be a defeat she’ll believe she has taken from me.
Still, I should let her go. She’s spoken for now.
“I can’t believe he just left you out here,” my replacement was saying. “You’re so fucking hot. I want to tear you to pieces.”
“You can’t have me that easily,” Princess fired back. “You’re gonna have to win me over.”
I let out a disappointed sigh and put my elbows out to the edge of the railing.
Perhaps this was it. The price for finding tonight’s true love.
I thought again of Haley, her complete Goddess like structure. The endless lines in her hair. The shine to her lips. The eyes of an angel.
Perfect.
Exact.
She was part of my experience now. And I had to figure out my next move with her.
The one that would give me the greatest amount of pleasure…
I inhaled sharply and adjusted my tie. I stepped away from the railing and turned back to face the doors, my mind refocused.
My mind…
Dedicated.
Yes. I wasn’t going to rush this one –
“Hello? Yeah, I can – I can talk,” Princess’s new date was saying. “Can you just give me a minute? I have to take this.”
I stopped in my tracks.
The sound of the house became briefly louder.
Light passed over the atmosphere.
And then…
Darkness.
I turned around.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The music had gotten louder. The bass, heavier. Alone Haley stood in the archway before the ballroom, her eyes scanning amongst the crowd, trying to find Melanie. In the time she’d left it seemed more people had joined the room. There were lots of pretty new faces. In amongst them, she struggled to recognize anyone. No sign of Melanie, or Madame Nightshade, or Brock, or anyone that she –
“There you are!”
Haley turned to find Melanie grasping hold of her wrist.
She was dragged down the rest of the hallway, the music fading with each step they took. A door was located within the realms of the bar area, and it opened out to a terrace outside. Once they were through Melanie closed the door and they followed the pathway around the side of the house.
“What’s going on?” Haley asked. “Where are we going?”
“I’ve found your second suitor,” Melanie explained. “He’s out in the yard with his cousin and a couple of their friends. They’re rich and powerful people.”
“How does he know me? Did we meet him before?”
“There was a brief introduction. After you went to the bathroom he came to the table looking for you.”
“Wait – it isn’t that –”
Haley stopped herself short, not being able to find an adequate description. At this point they’d reached a set of steps leading down to the back of the house. Once there Haley’s gaze drifted out
as far as the light of the house would let her…
“Come on,” Melanie said.
They walked together across the lawn.
“How far away are they?” Haley asked. “Is this safe?”
“Why?” Melanie countered. “Are you afraid something’s going to happen to you?”
Haley inhaled the darkness.
“I’m asking…” Haley murmured to herself. “Are you sure this is safe?”
Maurice? Riley? Jason?
Anyone?
“Don’t worry,” Melanie said. “I have your back.”
Even if no one else did…
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Maurice had his feet up at the back of the van. His laptop rested on a small table to the side of him, displaying the live feed from Haley’s camera. He wasn’t looking at it. Somehow a Movie and TV magazine had found its way into his lap, which now accounted for the bulk of his attention.
Riley wasn’t much better. She was sitting against the side of the van with her iPad mucking about with her colorful apps. Tension ran through Jason’s body as he looked from one to the other, each passing second more excruciating than the last.
“Are we even paying attention to what’s going on anymore?” he blurted out.
Maurice glanced at his computer then went back to his magazine.
Riley didn’t move at all.
“Hey!” Jason shouted slamming his palm on the floor.
They both looked up.
“What?” Riley snapped.
“She’s asking us a question – is it safe – is it safe – does anyone want to discuss how we should answer that?”
“At some point she has to take responsibility for herself,” Maurice said. “We can’t hold her hand the whole way.”
Riley tilted her head. “What he said.”
“What if they’re onto her?” Jason asked. “You ever think of that? What if she’s being lured away so they can ambush her?”
“The mission is not without its dangers,” Maurice said. “Haley knew that going in.”
“We’re supposed to call Dino if we think she’s in danger.”
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