Tainted Blood

by Martin Sharlow

  That wasn't going to be possible if he kept drinking Meryl's blood. God knew what would happen then.

  Of course, the entire time he told himself this, Brian found himself repressing thoughts that tried to rise to the surface of his mind. Thoughts that he refused to entertain. Like, did he really love Heather? What if it was just a childhood infatuation that would wear off as soon as he had her? What if, worst of all, Heather didn't feel the same way about him, or was just influenced by his suggestion he put in her head? Would that mean in time she would find herself free of it, and then leave him? Would he be forced to let her go, or bend her to his will just to keep her? If he did, how could he ever say he really loved her?

  Those were the strongest of the storms that raged inside him, the maelstrom of discontent and worry, but not the only ones. He knew at some level that it had been wrong to ever mess with her head, but the necessity as well as the desire was there. And he had to admit, he was younger then, not in years, but as a person.

  “You’re right, Bobby, I don't trust her,” Brian said, “but if you don't have any other options...”

  “I say we just go into the place,” Bobby said, “ and put some buckshot into this Jason's ass. Then the barrier should come down. Sounds simple enough to me.”

  “That’s not going to work,” Jenn answered from the other side of the room. “The barrier’s already up, killing him will change nothing.”

  “I didn't say kill him,” Bobby laughed, “just put some buckshot in him. Soften him up for Brian.”

  Jenn arched her right eyebrow as she listened to the old man, then turned to Brian. “I don't see what the problem with accepting my offer is. It comes with no strings attached.”

  “Yeah, heard that one before.” Bobby snorted then headed for Brian’s fridge.

  “Pardon me? Before today, I don't think I've ever spoken to you.”

  “Ya haven’t. I was just saying...Heard that before all the time on TV.” Bobby said as he opened the refrigerator.

  Which he promptly slammed closed after taking a look in it.

  “What?” Brian said, “What did you think a vampire would have in their refrigerator?”

  “I don't know. A beer maybe?” Bobby shook his head as he walked away from the appliance. “I'm starting to dislike this whole thing more an’ more. That ain’t any of yours in there is it?” Bobby stopped in front of Meryl and pointed back at the fridge. She shook her head and stared back at the fridge in what looked like fascination to Brian. She definitely had an unsafe interest in him.

  “Thank God for little mercies.” Bobby mumbled as he went over and sat on the side of the bed.

  “Brian, do you want the info or don't you? I have pressing matters elsewhere.”

  He really couldn't see any reason not to accept her help. She said it came without a price tag, and she was the one that wanted him to kill Jason, which was something that was never going to happen if he couldn't get through the barrier.

  “Alright, as long as it's free I'll take it.”

  Bobby snorted behind Brian. For the moment he was just going to ignore him. After all, he doubted the old guy would only snort in derision if Brian told him he was going to need Meryl’s help.

  “It's simple. The barrier is produced by Anunaki blood. To make an opening in it, simply put some more blood at two points in the barrier. That should open up a breach for you to go through.

  The barrier was made from Anunaki blood? How was that even possible? What did she mean ‘put more of it on the barrier’? None of that made any sense to Brian, and he told her so.

  She sighed and looked at him as if he were a child. It made him feel a bit self conscious. Well, how was he supposed to know all that crap? It wasn’t like it was taught in school. Blood was blood after all, and how could it have any kind of effect on anything?

  Of course, he realized the irony of that thought as he was about to say it. He was a vampire, after all. He survived on blood, and he could do things that others couldn’t solely because of that blood, or at least it seemed so at times.

  “I forget how little you know, sometimes.” Jenn shook her head and looked a little disgusted. “We’re going to have to fix that if you’re going to be working for the Company.”

  Like that’s going to happen. Brian thought. The last thing he ever wanted to do was be a part of the company she always talked about. He was tempted to tell her that, too, except she was telling him about the blood and how to use it. He decided another time would be better for that particular conversation, like after he rescued Heather.

  “The blood isn’t human blood, Brian. It seems to have special properties we haven’t completely worked out yet.”

  “Like?” Brian asked

  “Well. Look at it's effect on Jason, or you. You have to admit, that’s not normal.”

  “Wait a minute. I've never drank Anunaki blood.” Brian said.

  “That is both true and untrue.” Jenn said, only confusing Brian all the more. “Listen, just place the blood on the floor where you want to walk through. Once it's in place, you should be able to pass through it. Regardless, I need to go. We have a lead on your friend.”

  His friend? If she meant the werewolf, Brian thought those other two were taking care of that problem.

  “Okay fine,” Brian said as she was about to go through the door, “Where exactly do we get this blood from? You don't expect us to go to Raffian and ask him for some do you?”

  Jenn stopped and then turned back toward Brian, a smile on her face that freaked Brian out a bit. Something in it was just weird, Or maybe a mixture of a couple of things, one of them was definitely a look of triumph, and maybe a little bit of glee.

  “Just use your own blood, Brian. I have a feeling it will work just fine.” She waved at him then walked out the door.

  Brian watched as it shut. Mine? Brian thought. Mine’s going to work? How? I'm not Annunaki. If anything I'm one of those...Nepher-whatsits.

  “Well, that was less then useful.” Bobby said.

  Brian didn't respond to him, as he was too busy opening the door to ask his aunt what exactly did she mean. It made sense when you thought about it. If he was a Nephi...thing, that meant he was a half-blood Annunaki. Which might or might not work. In some circles of thought he was sure it was hotly debated. Still, even if he realized what she meant, he still wanted to hear it straight from her.

  Somehow maybe it would make it more real, and thus more acceptable to him. He really needed to let it sink in if he was going to try.

  The door opened and he stepped out into the parking lot. Brian looked left and right, but as far as he could see, there was no one outside. Where in the world had she gone? Brian couldn't remember hearing any car starting up, or for that matter leaving. So late at night...or early in the morning, whichever it was considered, traffic was pretty light, so he should have heard a vehicle. He supposed it was possible that she could have hiding behind one of the parked cars in the lot, but that just seemed a bit too bizarre to even consider. He wasn't sure what to think about his so-called aunt, but that was beyond his strangest estimates.

  What was he to think of her? She was an enigma. She had been around his whole life and she continued to be, yet he knew almost nothing about her. He was going to have to ask her how exactly she came and went as she wanted. In fact, he never let her into the apartment that last time, and yet there she was anyway.

  Brian went back into the place and shut the door behind him. He made sure the door was locked and bolted that time, and for good measure he even chained the door. He was going to have to starting doing that more often. Normally he wouldn't even bother locking the door, after all, he was a vampire. Who would want to sneak into a room with him?

  “Well, are we going to do this or what? I got contracts I need to fulfill, so let’s get this show on the road.” Bobby announced after Brian turned away from the door.

  “Uncle, we don't have a plan yet. Shouldn't we make one before we leave?” Meryl asked
him as the trucker got off the bed and started to head out.

  “What’s to plan? We spill a little of Brian’s blood so that he can get in, then we shoot another vampire and rescue the girl. Sounds all good to me.” Bobby smiled.

  It was a simple plan, but in the end that’s really all they were going to do. The question now was, do they wait for the club to open, as it couldn't be that many more hours away, or did they break in? Breaking in had the advantage of not wasting time and getting Heather back immediately. Also, there would be fewer patrons for Jason to use against them. No, the more Brian thought about it, the better ‘now’ seemed to be.

  “Alright, before we go I'm going to have to suggest you, so that Jason can’t do it instead.”

  Brian immediately saw the cringe in Bobby when he said that. It had been part of the plan all the way back in Bobby's truck. He hadn't liked it then, either, but he disliked being under the influence of another vampire that he didn't know even more. He more or less trusted Brian. At least a little bit. As far as Brian could tell.

  But this Jason, Bobby didn't know him and was sure after hearing what happened to the guy’s customers that getting zombie’d by Jason would be a bad thing. Brian fully agreed with him. The last thing they needed was the group fighting against each other.

  “Are you sure this is necessary?” Bobby snorted, resigned as it sounded.

  “You know it is, Bobby. We don't want this guy to control you, do we?”

  “I know, dangnabbit!. It's just...You better not put anything stupid in my head!”

  “Uncle, quit it. Brian isn't going to do that to us. Why ask us for our help if he was just going to do that?”

  Bobby just shook his head, apparently resigned to the fact that Brian was going to have to mess with him again. Brian couldn't blame the old man, really. He wouldn't want anyone to mess with his head. In fact, he felt a little guilty now over doing that without Bobby's permission back then. Still, he felt he had no choice then. Heather was in danger, and they needed Bobby's help. Like it or not, Brian would do it again in a similar situation.

  “Alright,” Brian began, “I'm just going to put a suggestion in you that you need to help me beat Jason and free Heather.”

  Bobby nodded and swallowed hard as Brain walked up to him and locked eyes with him. It only took a second for Brian to find his will. He couldn't actually see it, it was more of a feeling that was accompanied with a taste or sometimes a smell. In rare instances there were both. In Bobby's case, Brian could taste what his will felt like, as well as feel it. There was nothing really distinctive about it, it just tasted like Bobby.

  With a little force and molding of Bobby’s will to his own, the suggestion to help Brian was in place. It actually went pretty fast, faster than the first time that Brian had controlled the trucker.

  That left Meryl. Brian hadn't looked forward to this, in fact if he could have, he would have excluded her from the whole plan. He couldn't, however, as he needed all the help he could get. Not to mention that Bobby already told her she could come.

  Meryl waited for him in what could only be described as excited anticipation. She smiled as Brian took hold of her chin and locked eyes with her. The closeness of her body sent a thrill though Brian’s. Her scent filled his nostrils and the touch of her soft skin made his fingers tingle. He could swear he could feel her pulse through that touch even though, as far as he knew, he was avoiding any major artery or vein.

  It was proving difficult to focus on her will alone. Everything about her just screamed for him to take her, yet he knew he couldn't. He was Heather’s, and he had to control himself, not to mention that her uncle was standing nearby watching the two of them.

  Brian was pretty certain he had a gun on him somewhere.

  The thought of Bobby and his gun somehow gave Brian the focus he needed to push aside all the distractions that Meryl caused him. Fortunately, Brian was sure she didn’t realize how difficult it was. Once he could focus, Brian found the woman’s will was waiting for him. Not in a way that she was resisting, but more in the way of receiving him. Most people’s will struggled and resisted Brian. They never won of course, but Meryl’s will was completely accommodating. It received Brian as a friend would. It molded and shaped at the gentlest prodding.

  The entire process was different to say the least.

  “Well, I think that’s going to do it.” Brian said.

  “About time, let's get the over with.” Bobby said, and then stopped in front of him. “That's not a woody, is it?”

  Brian walked right on past the man without looking at him, and headed out the door.

  19

  The trip down to Jason's coffee shop was, for the most part, uneventful, as the streets were mostly empty so early in the morning.

  Brian found himself seated uncomfortably close to Meryl in the truck’s cab. The entire scenario had an air of deja vu to it. Mostly because of the three of them riding with the sky just starting to light with the approach of dawn. Heather had been sitting in the very same spot that Meryl now sat in the day the three of them headed south into Nevada, when they first arrived in the state. He had such great hopes back then. Too bad they never seemed to come to pass. Brian still wasn't so sure what went wrong. Perhaps he had been a bit naive about what women wanted, or perhaps he just took too much for granted.

  Whichever it was, in the end, none of his dreams and hopes came to pass. Now, so many months later, here he was once again in the same truck, only this time he was on his way to rescue Heather.

  Maybe this time, once they freed her, just maybe some of those hopes and dreams could grow and mature into something real and long lasting. Maybe the adventures and dreams they shared in their dream state would manifest in real life somehow, and they could share something together that would be fulfilling for both of them.

  Yeah, that would be nice, Brian thought, watching the still lit street lamps pass by. But then, anything would be better than how it was before all this.

  “You look serious.” Meryl whispered into Brian’s ear, jerking him out of his thoughts.

  “What? Oh. Yeah, I am.” Brian said, anxious as he tried to move what little space he had away from her. It only led to her closing that small gap and leaning in next to him to whisper more.

  “Is there something wrong?” She asked

  Her voice sounded genuinely hurt as Brian tried to lean away from her, his face had actually started to press against the passenger door window, as he continued to look straight ahead and not at her. The smell of her breath and the warm tingle of it in his ear was all but maddening. He had no idea how he was supposed to survive the rest of the trip to the coffee shop.

  What was it that she was doing to him? He half wondered yet again if she too was some sort of supernatural creature herself. Maybe a Siren or something like that? What else could she be that she had this effect on him?

  “Don't you two kids get too friendly over there.” Bobby's voice broke the silence, causing Meryl to mercifully lean away from Brian. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth even as she did so. “I thought you only had eyes for Heather.” The old man said, the disgust in his voice not even remotely hidden.

  “Vampires can have more than one woman at a time, Uncle.” Meryl said breathing more heavily than Brian would have liked.

  “Maybe so,” Bobby answered, still sounding irritated, “But people don’t. And I don’t think Heather’s the kind of woman who’ll want to share that said vampire.”

  “Maybe so, but it won’t be up to her.” Meryl answered a bit too harshly, causing Bobby to slam on the breaks in anger. The entire truck screamed as if it were in pain while the trailer felt as if it were about to push itself into the cab.