Crave

by Teresa Mummert

  ***

  I sat up quickly and scanned my surroundings. I was completely alone in the woods as the sound of car horn blared off in the distance. My body was stiff but my fever had broken. I rubbed my eyes and smiled to myself at the happy memories I had pushed so deeply into my subconscious.

  Chapter twenty-three

  Over Easy

  For the first time in a very long time, I was missing Grayson. I glanced around in the daylight and struggled to figure out how I would get myself back home. I pushed up off the log and immediately fell back on my makeshift bed. “Ouch!” I grabbed my feet and inspected my wounds. They were crusted with dried blood and dirt. I looked like a vagrant, but my appearance was the last thing on my mind.

  I searched around at the sound of a small stream and decided to hobble my way toward the water to clean my wounds. The last thing I needed was an infection that landed me back in a hospital where Reid could find me. My mind drifted to Elijah as I gently washed away the mud from my feet. He had lied and tricked me and now I was even further from helping Grayson. I knew he had done it to save me, but I didn’t care. I could feel the heat burning under my skin as my anger toward him rose. I shook the excess water from my hands and hobbled through the brush to the sidewalk. In the daylight, the town seemed as peaceful and calm as any other. I was thankful Elijah had the sense to take me to a safe neighborhood, at least while the vampires rested.

  I spotted the big hospital from behind a row of stores. Crossing the street, a million thoughts raced through my mind. What if Elijah had taken my car? What if Reid has humans looking for me? I shook away the nervous thoughts and walked down the first row of the parking lot.

  With a huge sigh of relief, I raced to my car. The door was unlocked and I slid in the driver’s seat. “Thank you,” I called out while reaching around the compartments searching for the keys.

  “Shit!” I realized nothing in life could ever be that easy. I grabbed my bag off the back seat and pulled out a pair of flip flops and slid them on. My purse was inside the duffle bag as well. “That’s something,” I said with a smile and pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling deeply.

  Digging around in my purse I had come up with money and a cell phone. The battery was nearly dead, but I could turn it off and use it in an emergency. I slid it back into my purse and straightened the bag on the back seat.

  I left the parking lot and walked down the main road, ducking into a small café.

  “What can I do ya’ for?” A cheerful voice called out from behind the counter. I smiled at the woman with long, blonde hair in her thirties who was preparing a pot of coffee. I glanced around the empty diner.

  “Servin’ breakfast?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t too early to get a bite to eat.

  “Yes ma’am, you just missed our mornin’ rush. Get ya’self a seat and I’ll see what we got on the griddle,” She replied with a wink. I smiled and walked back the row of tables, sitting in the corner booth farthest from the door. The waitress followed me to my seat with the coffee pot in hand and setting the menu down in front of me. “Rough night, Sugar?” she asked as she filled a mug full of steaming coffee for me.

  “You bet,” I answered with a yawn as I dumped a mountain of sugar into my glass.

  “Well, you just find something that looks good to ya’ and I’ll fix ya’ up with some fresh biscuits. We made ‘em from scratch.” She was off through the kitchen doors. I grabbed the ashtray and slid it in front of me before lighting another cigarette.

  The menu was pretty standard. The waitress made her way back to me with a basket of biscuits in hand. “Find somethin’ you want?” She asked, the smile still plastered on her face.

  “I’ll have the number two special,” I replied, handing her the menu.

  “How would you like those prepared?” she asked, eagerly waiting to write my decision on her pad.

  “Dippy,” I answered. Her smile turned to confusion. “Over easy,” I corrected myself, remembering I wasn’t in Pennsylvania anymore. She took my menu and flashed a grin before heading back through the double doors, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had to figure out how I would get home and not get caught. My mind raced. Why had Reid taken samples of my blood? There was entirely too much about the undead that I didn’t understand. Unfortunately for me, I was going to learn the hard way.

  The bell above the door chimed as several young twenty-something guys poured into the restaurant. They donned construction worker garb and shouted as if they were still competing with the overbearing noise of rush hour traffic. The waitress brought over my plate and hurried off to take the men’s orders.

  I salted my eggs and dipped my toast into the yolk as I watched them hit on her relentlessly. She loved every moment of it. One of the workers whipped out his cell phone and typed in her number as she blushed. I rolled my eyes and threw my toast on my plate. I had lost my appetite. It suddenly hit me that Grayson may still have access to his phone. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

  I slid out of the booth and threw some money on the table to cover my meal and a tip. I made my way out onto the sidewalk where I turned on my phone and held it in the air. I had barely any signal. “Damn it,” I murmured to myself and walked further down the road with my arm extended in the air. My phone beeped as its signal increased and messages and voicemails flooded my phone. I opened a new text and typed feverishly hoping he would answer.

  Are you okay? What do you need me to do?

  I clicked send and looked around trying to figure out my way home.

  “Excuse me,” A male is his early thirties called from a van that had pulled up to the curb. I shielded my eyes from the sun and glanced his way. He waved his hand to signal he was talking to me. I could see a female in the passenger seat who appeared to be his wife. I smiled as I stepped closer to the vehicle.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, glancing back and forth between their faces.

  “Yes, Ma’am. We are not from around here and we are just lost,” the woman answered with a laugh.

  “I’m sorry. I’m actually not from around here. I’m from Pennsylvania. I’m trying to find my way back home as well,” I apologized, shrugging my shoulders.

  “Everything alright?” the woman asked with genuine concern written on her face.

  “My car… broke down,” I lied.

  “Well, we’re from Maryland. We wouldn’t mind the extra company. If you wouldn’t mind us singing show tunes,” The man chimed in with a smile that appeared a little forced. I glanced toward the back of the van. My phone beeped and I read the message from Grayson.

  Please hurry!

  I swallowed hard.

  “Sure. I mean… if you really don’t mind.” I didn’t have any other options and I needed to get back as quickly as possible.

  “Hop on in,” the man reassured me and gestured for me to get in the back. I opened the door and slid in the middle row next to an empty car seat. We took off down the block, stopping at a gas station for directions before finding our way to the highway. “Name is Silas and this is my wife Aster,” he said eyeing me through the rearview mirror.

  “I’m Eva. Pleased to meet you,” I replied with a smile. “Thank you so much for the ride.”

  “It’s no problem,” Aster said with a flip of her hand and turned up the radio.

  ***

  The couple sang as the miles clicked by. I happily joined in on a few songs, grateful for the distraction. It reminded me of when I was young and our family would take vacations. Every summer we would pile into the car and head to a local amusement park several hours from home. Back then, a few hours felt like a world away.

  Chapter twenty-four

  Church and Main

  We made our way through a sliver of Georgia, uneventfully as the sun set. We pulled off of the highway to fill up on gas and get a bite to eat. Silas checked the fluids in the car as I chatted up Aster and ate my premade turkey sandwich from the store.

  “How long you guys been toge
ther?” I asked with a mouthful of food.

  “Just a few months, but it was love at first sight,” Aster replied and nibbled at her food. I took another bite and glanced over at the car seat.

  “You look great for just having a baby,” I said as I unscrewed the lid to my coke and took a swig.

  “Oh, we don’t have any kids,” She replied. I glanced toward the front and back at the seat.

  “Oh… I just assumed because of the seat,” I explained, confused. Silas hopped back in and turned on the van.

  “You ladies ready to go?” he asked with a grin, peering into the rearview mirror.

  “Actually, I have to use the ladies room if you don’t mind.” Something wasn’t adding up about the couple. Aster grabbed Silas’s arm and shot him a warning glare. He sighed heavily and got back out of the van and slid my door open.

  “I didn’t want to have to do this, Eva. You seem like a real nice lady,” he said as raised his hand and struck me on the head. I threw my hands up protectively as he struck again, this time with a hard object. My head spun as I lay over and the world faded to black.

  The van was in motion again and the radio blared in the background as we made our way up the highway. I struggled to move, but my mind was helpless, trapped in my unresponsive body. I gave in and drifted off into dreamland.

  ***

  When I awoke, I was surrounded by the darkness of night. I blinked several times trying to fight off the pounding of an excruciating headache. I lay motionless and attempted to focus on the conversation Aster and Silas were having in the front seat. The music was too loud and I could only pick out fragments.

  “They will pay us when they-,” Silas said in an angry tone.

  “What if you killed her? She-” Aster shot back. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to steady myself. I felt nauseous. Everything was spinning and I couldn’t contain it any longer. I heaved violently on the seat and floor. Silas slammed on the breaks and cursed as he whipped off of the road onto the shoulder. I heaved again as his hands looped around my arm and yanked me from the vehicle and I slammed onto the gravel road below. Aster was quickly at my side and brushing my hair from my face as I vomited helplessly, expelling the morning eggs and shitty turkey sandwich.

  “What if she has a concussion?” She asked as she patted my back soothingly.

  “Not our problem,” he answered as he paced back and forth nervously, running his hands through his hair.

  “It is our problem if Reid finds out what you did,” she shot back angrily.

  “He wanted her! What else was I supposed to do? She was gonna get away!” I could hear the fear in his voice and people do stupid things when they are scared. He may decide it is better to kill me and say I escaped then to take me to Reid injured.

  “I'm all right,” I shouted between labored breaths. “I just need a drink of water.” I looked back and forth between the two of them. Silas stared at me for a long moment then went to the back of the van to get me a drink from their cooler. He returned quickly with a bottle and twisted the cap off and handed it to me. I drank slowly trying to buy myself some time to think. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “It can wait. We are almost there.” Silas replied, grabbing me by my arm and lifting me to my feet.

  “How? It’s still dark out,” I asked as he shoved me into my seat and pulled a zip tie from his pocket, fastening my hands behind my back.

  “You been asleep for a long time,” Aster answered as Silas slid the door shut between us.

  “Shit.” The van started back down the road. I stared out of the side window at the street sign that read Church and Main. My mind was racing and throbbing at the same time. This was what I had wanted, granted my plan never went past getting to Grayson’s side. I let my eyes fall closed and tried to clear my thoughts.

  We weaved through the hollow and the van slowed as we approached the old farmhouse. I said a silent prayer as we made our way up the driveway. I wasn’t a religious person by any means, but I was willing to try anything at this point. We slammed to a stop with a bang. I caught my breath in my throat and searched into the darkness. Marcus stood in front of the van, illuminated by the headlights.

  “Get out of the car Eva,” he growled between clenched teeth. I froze for a moment, as scared of him as my kidnappers. “Get out,” he growled louder and I scrambled to open the door. I was thankful he was on my side. I ran to him, his eyes never leaving the occupants of the van.

  “Just leave them. We don’t have time for this,” I pleaded.

  He grabbed the plastic tie that held my hands and ripped it from my wrists effortlessly.

  Grabbing him by his arm, I struggled to pull him away. He didn’t budge until he was ready. When he finally broke his stance, I nearly fell backward. Marcus wrapped his fingers around my forearm swiftly, holding me in midair.

  “Thanks,” I said nervously. He nodded his head and loosened his grip, but still holding on firmly.

  “Let’s go,” he whispered as he pulled me around the back of the building. I followed as quietly as I could, cursing my noisy flip flops in my head. “In here,” he whispered in a barely audible tone as he inclined his head toward a barn on the backside of the property. I nodded in understanding and slid off my flip flops, holding them in my free hand. We made our way across the field in the darkness without as much as a field mouse noticing our intrusion. Marcus motioned for me to stand back as he twisted the knob on the side of the building.

  The door sprang open with no resistance. He gestured for me to enter and I smiled at our luck as I slid past him into the darkness. I made my way across the seemingly empty floor as the tiny sliver of moonlight that shown through the crack of the door disappeared. Marcus pulled the door tightly closed and twisted the lock.

  Chapter twenty-five

  War

  “Marcus?” I whispered into the darkness as I stretched my arms out in front of me. My fingers collided with the cold chest of another person and I jumped and let out a small shriek. “Damn it, Marcus! You gave me a heart attack,” I scolded him, hitting him playfully.

  The room suddenly flooded with harsh light. My eyes struggled to adjust and I rubbed them feverishly trying to help along the process. A deep sadistic chuckle resonated from in front of me and I felt my blood run cold. My body was instantly coated in sweat, my heart raced at an unnatural speed. I slowly peered through my fingers at what was ahead of me. I was face to face with my worst nightmare.

  “We wouldn’t want that now would we?” Reid asked sarcastically with his hand placed over his heart.

  “Marcus,” I screamed out like a helpless child into the cavernous room. A group of vampires brought Marcus into view, holding him by his limbs as he struggled against them. “Let him go,” I screamed and lurched toward them. Reid grabbed my throat with one swift movement. His fingers slowly squeezed as I struggled for breath.

  “That is enough of that,” he said in a calm, disturbing tone. From the other side of the room, another group of thugs carried out someone else. When they stepped into the light, I realized it was a battered Grayson.

  “No,” I struggled to yell as Reid’s fingers began to retighten on my throat. Marcus went into a frenzy and began to break free from the grips of his captures. “Please,” I struggled to say, trying to noticeably calm myself down. Reid loosened his grip slightly. “Please let him go,” I sobbed and my vision became blurred with tears. I stopped struggling against Reid as I began to lose all hope.

  “Now, now… No more of that, Eva. You are here to witness something spectacular.” Reid replied with what appeared as sympathy. He rubbed my head and brushed the hair from my face.

  “I have found a way to strengthen a compound in human blood to make it virtually irresistible. Once that is given to one of my loyal subjects,” he explained, glancing towards Marcus. “They will not stop until they have killed the donor. It really is magnificent.”

  My head was spinning with this new information. I stared off at Marcus,
who looked as if he was in agony. He wasn’t trying to break free to save me. He wanted to get to Grayson so he could kill him. Reid smiled as he saw everything began to click inside of my head.

  “The vials of my blood,” I whispered. His grin spread larger and his fangs glistened in the light. “Grayson,” I mumbled.

  “He is my test subject,” Reid explained. My heart sank and my knees gave out from under me. Reid grabbed me by my arms, forcing me to stand. “You are not going to want to miss this, Love,” he said with enthusiasm. He puffed out his chest as he prepared for the show. “Prepare the feast,” He yelled into the giant space. The vampires steadied Grayson and Marcus feet from each other, directly in front of us. I sobbed uncontrollably.

  “Please, Marcus! No,” I begged in between moans of sadness. I was losing all hope. Reid looked like a kid in a candy store. His eyes beamed as Marcus fought with all of his inhuman strength to get to Grayson. With his cold fingers gripping my arms tightly to my sides, I could only watch in horror as the fight prepared.

  “Release the victim,” Reid bellowed. I watched in shock as the vampires let go of Grayson and he scrambled to escape. He was severely beaten and barely able to stand on his own. He limped as quickly as he could away from the others as they laughed. “Release my killer,” Reid yelled proudly. As the words left his mouth, Marcus was gone in a flash, unable to be seen with my human eyes. I heard a shriek of pain coming from the back of the barn near the hay bales. I screamed and fought against Reid’s death grip, crying. “I’m anxious to see who won, too. Shall we take a look?” He asked with a sickening joy.

  He dragged me to the back of the barn. I could not make my feet cooperate with me. I stumbled as he pulled me along. When we turned the corner to look at the bales, everything was painted red. Blood soaked everything in sight, including someone hunched over with their back towards us.