Tainted Blood

by Martin Sharlow

  “Don't forget what your objective is here. The girl is just secondary, don't let her confuse you.”

  Yeah right, he thought. I wouldn't even be doing any of this if it wasn't for Heather's involvement in it. He wasn't going to tell his aunt that, however, the last thing he needed were agents tripping all over him as he tried to rescue Heather. Jason was going to get his, there was no doubt about that, just not for the reasons that his aunt thought.

  “Alright then, I'll leave you to your business.” She said, and headed for the front door.

  “What about those two?” Brian asked, “Should I help them if they get into trouble?”

  “If they can't handle whatever they stir up, Brian, they don't deserve your help.” She smiled, then walked out the door. She could be a cold woman. He wondered what the possibilities of getting them to help him take down Jason were. Two big, strapping, wolves like that could come in handy when he took Jason on.

  Well, assuming Carl didn't try to kill him first, that was. He was sure that was going to be a worry if he ever did come across those two. Well, he would just have to deal with that when and if the time ever came about. Now he just needed to be ready for when Bobby showed up later.

  Around midnight, Bobby's rig pulled into the parking lot, and the old guy came tumbling out. He looked ragged and tired, and it looked as if he hadn't slept since Brian had last left him. Opening the front door, Brian let Bobby in. Rather than saying hello or anything, the trucker just headed for the bed and threw himself onto it.

  “Bobby?” Brian asked slightly concerned. “You alright? We got work to do you know.”

  “Just let me rest for a bit.”

  “Bobby, we don't have time for this.”

  Bobby sat up in the bed with fire in his voice and eyes. “Now, you listen to me. I just drove two states without rest and I damn well am going to get it now! And don't you lecture me about not having time, because I wouldn't even be here yet if I'd stopped and rested along the way. Now, you just settle down and I’ll be ready soon enough.”

  17

  Midnight slowly—no, to Brian it felt agonizing--turned into 3 a.m. He knew that Bobby's plans had called for him to arrive around midnight, but Brian had hoped that the two of them would be able to go as soon as he arrived to rescue Heather. The timing was as good as any. By going to Jason's at that time of night, it would mean he wouldn't have as many people around to help defend him.

  Now, however, it was looking like they would be leaving during his regular business hours. That wouldn't do, but the alternative would be to wait until tomorrow night. Brian didn’t think he could handle that. Not another entire day without Heather. Who knew what could happen during that time? What if Jason decided he didn't need her anymore, and killed her? It was impossible for him to guess what that maniac would do with her.

  The need to wake up Bobby was almost overwhelming. Brian found himself standing at the end of his bed staring at him as he slept, several times. The temptation to enter Bobby's dreams was strong. Maybe he could make him see reason, and thus wake up and get a move on. The plan had some merit to it. At least on the surface it did. The only real reason he didn't try it was the risk of somehow getting sucked into another one of Meryl's dreams instead.

  If that happened, he could lose the whole night. He still wasn't sure what the reason was for him ending up in one of her dreams a few nights ago were. He suspected what those reasons were, yet he really didn't want to dwell on it. The easiest explanation was that her blood somehow drew him to her. At least that’s what he hoped.

  Around 3:30, a knock on his door finally broke him from his vigil next to the sleeping truck driver. “Who could possibly be here at this time of night?” He wondered aloud. Would his aunt actually come back again so early? Perhaps it was Mack and Carl? That seemed unlikely, as the two of them had promised to stay hidden and out of the way.

  The door opened to two of the most unlikely people that he had been expecting. Scot, the evening desk clerk for the motel, and behind him stood Meryl. It had been Scot who had actually knocked on the door, his fist still raised up in the air, as if he were about to knock again. His attention however was on his companion. Brian could see why as he looked at her in surprise.

  The full body suit of dark leather hugged every curve of her well rounded body as she stood there, a large black backpack hanging from her shoulder. She smiled when she saw Brian, and immediately let herself in, pushing aside the little clerk and deftly slipping under Brian’s arm. Her very round behind came into view, and Brian could feel a tugging in his abdomen as he watched her head over to where Bobby now slept.

  “Sir,” Scot broke Brian's attention from Meryl's wiggling backside. “May I remind you of the rule about sharing your room with others? Motel policy requires that you pay for extra people sleeping in the room you've rented.”

  Brain could tell that the little man was very uncomfortable coming over and confronting Brian. Still, Brian could see that Scot had a hard time looking at him. The clerk's eyes constantly wandered over to where Meryl was as he talked.

  “Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it.” Brian said with a smile.

  Scot immediately relaxed as Brian answered him. Either the guy was expecting a confrontation, or he was just uncomfortable with his job in general when it came to him having to lay down the law. That was the most likely reason Scot had taken the night shift: so he didn't actually have to deal with as many people.

  “Thank you” he said. “And about that truck?” He pointed at it parked in the middle of the lot. “It really does need to be moved.”

  “No problem.” Brian responded. “We'll take care of that in just a few minutes.”

  Scot nodded and thanked him, then headed back to the front office, but not without first taking another quick look at Meryl. Brian shut the door and walked towards the girl. She was standing there at the side of the bed with her arms crossed underneath her bosom shaking her head. She looked a little disgusted, most likely that Bobby was still sleeping. The profile that she presented Brian with was almost overwhelming. The leather was smooth and shiny as it reflected the light from the room, despite the fact that it was black.

  “So, how long has he been like this?” Meryl asked as she pointed at him.

  “Since he got here.” Brian said as he sat down on his chair and continued to look Meryl up and down. Surprisingly she didn't even seem to notice Brian’s stares. He had been expecting her to tell him to put his eyes back into his head or some such thing.

  “Well, we need to wake him up and get this started.” She said, then reached down and started to shake the old man.

  “Wait you're not going, are you?” Brian asked.

  “I'm here, aren’t I?”

  “Yeah, but I was only expecting Bobby and me to go. How did you know he was even in town, by the way?”

  “He called me as he was pulling into town. He told me to get ready.”

  Brian stood up and walked over to the bed next to her. “He told you to come over?”

  Meryl stopped shaking the trucker, stood up, and nodded her head. Brian thought about that for a second. It was harder to concentrate on things while she was standing so close to him. He could smell her scent, and hear her breathing.

  The memory of the taste of her blood came rushing back to him and almost made his fangs pop out again. It was just crazy. He couldn't even think around the woman. Well, scratch that, he could think, but only about her. How was he going to conduct a rescue with her hanging around?

  Bobby's snort caught Brian’s attention as the man rolled over onto his side. Bobby really should have told Brian about the plan of calling Meryl. Then Brian could have told him no, now what was he going to do?

  Brian took his foot and pressed it against the now exposed back of the trucker, with a slight shove Brian sent Bobby spiraling off the bed and smacking down on the wooden floor, maybe a bit harder than he had intended, but then again, it served the old trucker right.

 
; “What the hell is goin' on!” Bobby sat up with a roar. “I can't get two minutes rest without you buggin' me, kid?”

  “More like four hours.” Brian responded as he glanced over at the nearby clock. “Any longer and it would be four hours.”

  “Nonsense, it's only been minutes, I'm sure of it.” He paused in pulling himself onto the bed when he saw Meryl standing there looking at him with a smile.

  “What are you doin' here already?” Bobby asked as he wiped the spit from his mouth and beard.

  Brian winced as he realized the man had started to make a puddle of spit where he had rolled over. It was a good thing he hadn't slept on his side the whole night, even so, now Brian would have to lay in it when this mission was over. Then again, maybe not. If this was a success, would he even need to come back here?

  “I'm here when you told me to be.” She responded, crossing her arms again underneath her breasts.

  “Well,” He glanced over at the table clock, and then shook his head, almost like he was trying to get the cobwebs out. “What the hell is that you're wearing?”

  “What? This?”

  “Yeah, that. We're supposed to look inconspicuous. Looking like some sort've cross of a Lara Croft movie and a bondage flick ain’t the way to do that.”

  Brian watched as she took a more defensive posture as he spoke. He could see that she was taking quick glances at him as she answered.

  “I thought it would be fine. No one else complained about it.”

  “Yeah right, like he,” Bobby pointed at Brian, “or any other male around his age would complain about the show you were puttin' on.”

  “Uncle, I'm a grown woman, I can dress any way I want!” her voice changed to sound more like a chided girl.

  “We ain’t got time for this.” Bobby threw his hands up as he walked over to Brain. “So what's the plan?”

  Now Brian’s head was awhirl, as if it wasn't bad enough with her standing here. How was he going to function? She was his niece? Great, he all but had sex with the girl, and drank who knows how much of her blood, and she was Bobby's niece?

  “Um, I just figured we would bust in, take him down, and find Heather.” Brian mumbled as his head tried to wrap around who Meryl was.

  “That’s your plan?” Bobby asked, sounding a bit skeptical. “We're just going to waltz into his headquarters and snuff the guy? Is your head screwed on right?”

  “What?” Brian answered defensively. He wasn't sure what he had done wrong. “What's wrong with it? We go in and I handle this guy.”

  “What’s wrong with it, you ask? Let’s see, I can see a dozen things wrong with your plan, the two biggest are the barrier you told me about, and the fact that he got all wizardly last time and booted your ass outta his place.” Bobby began to storm around the room, “That doesn't count his guards or the fact that Heather might not even be there. If you kill him right out, then what if you can't find her?”

  “I'm sure she has to be there, I mean where else could she be?”

  “Fine, fine,” Bobby lifted his hands up over his head. “Let’s start by you telling me how you're going to get through his magical barrier or whatever it is?”

  “Maybe he just needs to be invited in?” Meryl said

  “That could be,” Bobby nodded, “But what if it isn't, and how do we get this invite? Otherwise the two of us,” He pointed at Meryl, then himself, “will be doing this all by our lonesome, and I don't like those odds.”

  The old guy was right.

  The last time he had been there, he had been invited in by one of the guy’s workers. Maybe he could get them to let him in again on the pretense of wanting to talk. Except, then all the guy had to do was throw that sand at him again and Bobby and Meryl would be alone with Jason. Not a pretty thought.

  The last thing he wanted to see was those two killed, or worse, eaten by Jason. No, what he needed was a way to bring down the barrier, or a way that he could force himself through it. He suspected that whatever kept him out of Heather's cage was that barrier. That’s why he was so sure she was there. In his dream form he could pass through the barrier with enough blood in him, or...

  He glanced over at Meryl, who was sitting on the side of the bed with her legs crossed, staring at him. She smiled as he turned toward her. Meryl's blood seemed to make him stronger than usual. He wasn't sure why, but he bet with her blood in him he could force his way through.

  “I think I know of a way to get through the barrier.” Brian said and looked away from her.

  “Let's hear it.” Bobby said.

  “If I drink enough blood, I should have more than enough strength to walk through it.” At least, he hoped so.

  “When did you figure this out?” Bobby asked.

  Brian explained what he had been doing lately to reach Heather. About his successes and almost failures, of how he was drained one time from staying to long, and how he was out of it for a week. He pointed out that if he actually went in with his body, then he shouldn't be all that tired, or suffer the same effects. He also mentioned offhandedly without naming names about the blood of one person he had drank from, and how it made him strong enough to pass through without any weakness and with almost no difficulty.

  “Isn't it different with a real body?” Bobby asked. “It seems to me it'd be harder, perhaps you should get some of the blood from that person you mentioned, if they're still willing?” Bobby grimaced as he spoke. “Can't believe I just said that.”

  Brian shook his head, “I don't think that’s an option anymore.”

  Meryl stood up as Brian was speaking, and began to zip her leather body suit open so that her neck was exposed. “I don't see why not.” She smiled as she slowly walked toward Brian.

  Bobby's eyes bulged at the sight of his niece's scabbed neck. “You are shitting me!” He stood up with a roar. “I come all the way here to help you, drivin' day and night, just to find out you been feeding on my niece!”

  “Bobby, it's not like that!” Brian lifted his hands to try and defend himself. It would be so much easier if he just suggested Bobby.

  “Like bloody hell it is!”

  “Uncle. wait!” Meryl stepped between her charging uncle and Brian. “He didn't do anything I didn't want him to.”

  “Are you out of your flaming gourd? He's a vampire, a monster! He could have killed you.”

  “Uncle, it's your fault for sending him to me. You knew my obsession. I made no secret about it.” She continued to stand between the two of them, her hands on Bobby's chest. “What did you expect to happen? Besides, you're not my father!”

  That seemed to hit Bobby between the eyes. The fight in him disappeared when she said that, and he turned and headed back toward the bed.

  “I promised your dad that I'd look out for you.”

  Meryl walked after him and placed her forehead on his back. “You have, Uncle Bobby, you've done a great job, but I'm all grown up now. I need to make my own choices.”

  “You think that being fed upon by a vampire is one of them?” The anger rose up in his voice again as he said that.

  “Shh.” She said as he turned and began to stare over her shoulder past Brian. “It's my decision.”

  “Who the hell is that?” Bobby asked as he pointed behind Brian.

  Aunt Jenn was standing by the closed front door shaking her head and chuckling to herself. “I so enjoy family reunions.”

  “Aunty, what are you doing here?”

  “I'm here to help. I know a way around the barrier.”

  18

  “Well, I don't like it, and I think you’re a fool if you accept her offer.” Bobby said in a not too quiet voice, as he stood in conference with Brian and Meryl. Brian had to agree with him. He didn't like being forced to trust his aunt, and if there was a better way, he would do it. He winced at the thought. There were other ways, just not better ones.

  Sure, he could take Meryl's blood and give it a go. He was pretty sure it would work, too, the problem was twofold, however. F
irst, how would Bobby react? The old man was already up in arms over what little he knew about it. He had no idea how far that would push the old man, and he wasn't ready to test their new found friendship, at least not if he didn't have to.

  The second reason was that he had to keep his fangs off the girl. He wasn't sure what was flowing in those veins of hers, but he knew one thing for sure: he needed to stay away from it before he became addicted to it and her. The last thing he needed in his life was more complications. He had a lifetime’s supply already, and he was sure Heather would never understand an addiction to someone. There was no question that he loved Heather, and not only wanted to stay with her for as long as the two of them lived, but also to be as normal as possible. A nice picket fence, a home of their own, all of those things.