by M. D. Bowden
“So we’re tagging now – not killing?”
“Nope, just got to take whatever opportunity we get. If we tag them then manage to kill them we will lose the tag, and any info we’d have got on their location, but we’d have got rid of a bloodsucker, so either way it’s a win. Keep that one, I have a few.”
“Ok,” I say, and stick it in my jacket pocket.
We walk into the city centre and lurk in alleyways near pubs and bars during the early evening. Once the clubs are open we wander around the roads near them, sometimes ambling slowly, other times taking a seat on a bench in the shadows or leaning against a wall down an alleyway and whispering to each other to look like we’ve just snuck down there to make out. That’s not so weird, there are actual people really making out about twenty feet from us right now; they are so drunk they haven’t even noticed we’re here.
As we round a corner I spot a couple with their arms around each other’s waists, walking through an archway into Northernhay Gardens. “Why don’t we walk through the park there, near the castle?” I suggest.
“Sure.”
As soon as we walk under the archway ourselves we are surrounded by trees and it’s much darker away from the street lights. Alfie puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me moving forwards, and he stands still, listening.
“Go that way,” he whispers. “Quietly.”
I nod and walk by his side up the path to the right that goes towards the ruins, which loom in front of us with lots of hidden recesses which are completely obscured from view. I feel my spider sense tingle, and then Alfie suddenly tears ahead. I draw my gun and run after him. He stops after a short run and dives into an ancient doorway, then someone comes falling out on top of him. They are struggling on the ground, in the narrow space between some ruins and a metal fence, and I quickly catch up with them. There is a guy on top of Alfie, smashing his face with his fist.
“Alfie!” I scream, and the guy on top of him turns and snarls at me, blood dripping from long fangs.
I stop in my tracks, and feel the blood drain from my face. Even through the blood, and his expression – I know immediately who it is: Casper. His black eyes meet mine and I see them clock who I am. That instant Alfie gains the advantage and curls his arm around Casper’s neck, and Casper starts bucking, trying to get out of Alfie’s grip.
DEAD
As they fight they move so fast I can barely see what’s going on. One second they’re lying down, the next they’re standing up. I stand back so I don’t get knocked down by them and feel like a goon; holding the gun, not knowing what to do. I don’t want to shoot at Casper and then get Alfie by mistake.
Casper…
But then Casper manages to twist out of Alfie’s grip; he twists so fast, elbowing Alfie in the throat, and Alfie falls back, his back slamming into the ground, clutching at his throat, and before I can react Casper vaults the fence and becomes a blur in the night as he runs down the hill and into the shadows.
“Alfie!” I say, running to him.
“I’m alright,” he says, rubbing his throat where Casper got him. “Check the girl,” he says, gesturing towards the dark doorway.
Suddenly I remember – there was blood on Casper’s face. I move as fast as I can and find someone lying on the ground in the dark, not moving. I hear Alfie getting to his feet and he shines a torch through the entrance, casting a sharp spot light on the girl I’m touching. I suck in a sharp breath. She is gazing, unseeingly, at the worn stone ceiling, with blood seeping from her neck.
I shake her, and feel the blood-free side of her neck for a pulse, even though I know there won’t be one.
“I can’t find her pulse.”
“She’s dead Ava.”
“He killed her. Casper killed her.”
Alfie looks at me, and my pale face.
“I had no idea he was a vampire Ava, I’m sorry, I knew you liked him – I’ve seen you looking at him. I would have warned you….”
I shake my head.
“No, you didn’t know,” I say, my eyes still fixed on the girl’s lifeless stare. “We need to call the police.”
“I’ll do it,” Alfie says. He stays where he is and dials 999 on his mobile. I phase out as he talks into the phone.
Casper kissed me. He didn’t kill me. He’s a vampire. A vampire. Then why am I still longing for him like this? He just bloody well killed someone! I’m in shock … that must be why. Casper killed this girl.
Alfie gets off the phone and puts his arm around my shoulders while we wait for the police to turn up. We stand there in silence, and then once they arrive we have to answer a load of questions before they’ll let us leave, and Alfie walks me home, still in silence. It’s not dawn yet, but for once I don’t want to stay out – I need to get my head sorted; I need some time to think.
“Do you want me to stay?” Alfie says.
“No, really, you need to be out there – there are still people you could save. I’m sorry I’m not going to stay out with you,” I say, looking at my feet, feeling my eyes well up and threaten to overflow.
Alfie rubs my shoulder. “You’ll be ok, Ava.”
I nod. “I just need some time on my own, I think. I’ll be ready to go out with you again tomorrow night.”
“If you’re not; I get it.”
“No, I will be. I promise.”
He smiles at me, but his eyes look sad. “Sleep tight, Ava.” He turns and leaves.
This time I don’t wait outside, I turn the key immediately and close the door behind me, then run up the stairs and as soon as I’m in my flat my eyes do overflow and I crumble to the floor, my chest heaving. I can’t think as the surge of emotion and grief I’m experiencing is too strong. Time passes and I just cry.
Eventually my heaving turns to sobs and then I become cried-out. I make myself a herbal tea and sit with it in bed, thoughts returning like a full on blast and everything that’s happened going through my head over and over at super-speed. That girl; dead – Casper killed her. A guy that I’ve kissed, and am crazy about – he killed somebody. He’s probably killed multiple somebodies. And that girl – she’s a person with dreams and family and friends, people who will be finding out what has happened to her – the amount of lives one death can affect is astronomical.
Her body lying there, the blood on her neck, the recent death – it was so much like what happened to Trish. It’s made the pain of her death come back in a full blown form, like a ball of twisting pain in my heart and gut. I feel like talking to Mark, talking to him about Trish, but I don’t want to wake him. I’ll ring him later, his familiar voice would be so good to hear.
Casper’s face appears in my mind. His beautiful face. And insights start gathering in my mind like snippets of a puzzle. He’s beautiful – unnaturally beautiful – and I remember what Alfie said before – about how when vampires put their charms on you the attraction you feel can be way more than what’s normal. It wasn’t real. The way I feel about him isn’t real – it’s because he’s a vampire and he’s been charming me. He was probably going to kill me, but why didn’t he?
The first time I saw him he was on the steps by the river – near to where I was attacked. My first impression of him was beautiful and dangerous – and my first impression was right. He was probably sitting there waiting for an opportunity to attack someone, and he didn’t attack me then because I was with Alfie. When I spotted him again in town; again I was safe because I was with Alfie. But after that I felt like I was being watched – could he have been following us? More specifically – following me?
Then in the club – the night Trish was killed – he approached me. He only just started to kiss me and then there was that scream and he disappeared. If Trish hadn’t been killed – would it have been me?
And then outside my house … was it really a coincidence that he was there? Or had he followed me? He knows where I live; I’m going to have to be so careful from now on. At least Alfie said vampires can’t come in uninvited, thank God
I didn’t completely lose it and invite Casper in. If he’d asked … would I have said yes? I may have done. I wanted him – like I’ve never wanted anyone before. And why didn’t he kill me then? He could have done; he had me all to himself, all alone. But ... there’s another spark in my brain as more thoughts come together … the sun was about to rise – that’s why he left. But he still could have killed me … there would have been time for a quick bite and run.
Does it really matter why he didn’t kill me? The fact is he did kill someone. He is a murderer.
On that happy note I finish my tea and curl up under my covers and eventually I drift off into a welcome sleep.
The rest of the week passes in a blur. I go out with Alfie every night but we don’t encounter any vampires, and I don’t even glimpse Casper.
“Alfie?” I say, while we’re leaning against a wall in an alleyway again, on our hunt.
“Yep?”
“Sometimes I think … or feel … like we’re being followed. Do you?”
“Nope, but you know me, I’m ultra-confident. I could be missing something you’re not.”
“I just get this creeping feeling, like the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end. I might just be being paranoid … but I wonder … umm … if Casper might sometimes follow us?” I haven’t mentioned anything to him about my encounter with him outside my flat, and I don’t plan to.
“Do you feel like he is now?”
I nod.
“Those bloodsuckers are creepy bastards, it wouldn’t surprise me,” he says, and shudders.
“Do you think we should back track, see if we can find him?”
“Nope, don’t think we’ll stand a chance if he doesn’t want to be seen. The only chance we have is if we come across him when he’s not expecting to see us. If he’s following us he’s definitely expecting to see us.”
A good-looking man steps around the corner and saunters towards us. “It’s not Casper that’s following you,” he says, and smirks.
A younger guy walks towards us from the other end of the alley. “But you are being followed,” he says.
“Bloodsuckers,” Alfie hisses from under his breath.
FAIR
Alfie steps in front of me so I’m between the wall and his enormous body. I see him stick his hand into the back pocket of his jeans and fiddle with his phone.
I pull out my gun as they get closer, and the nearest vampire laughs – I think I recognise him from one of the photos Alfie showed me – the young one who was snogging someone outside a bar.
“Ohh, the ickle girly thinks she can protect herself,” he taunts.
“Don’t think she’s got a chance myself,” the other vampire says, folding his arms and looking me up and down.
I narrow my eyes at him and point the gun towards his chest.
“Don’t do anything yet,” Alfie whispers at me, and then to them he says, “Didn’t know you bloodsuckers could stand each other’s company?”
“Times change,” says the older vampire. He has straight dark hair falling in his eyes, and the cutest nose, but this look is tainted by the expression of distaste on his mouth as he looks at Alfie.
“Let the girl go,” Alfie says, “and I’ll fight you alone.”
“Ha!” says the young one, “That’s not going to happen. She looks tasty.” He winks at me, and it’s so sleazy I want to chuck up, but I keep the gun pointing directly at him.
Alfie subtly moves so he’s more between me and the vampire I’m not pointing the gun at. I desperately want to ask him what to do, but I don’t want to ruin any plan he has, and bloody hell, I hope he does have one – this situation is not looking good. My heart is pounding so loudly I feel like my chest is going to explode.
“This isn’t a fair fight,” Alfie says. “Let’s meet again when it’s two of us against two of you.”
“We don’t share your moral code Wolf, we just want you gone.”
Someone else steps into the alleyway, someone who looks so much like Alfie I’m sure it must be his brother.
“Now,” Alfie says to me, and lunges towards the older vampire.
The younger one tears towards me and I shoot. I catch him square in the chest and he stops, looking down, and then back into my eyes with his lip turning up into a snarl. From behind him I see Alfie’s brother running in, and the vampire looks from my gun to the approaching wolf and legs it, past Alfie who is wrestling the older vampire on the ground, and out of view.
“You alright?” the Alfie-like guy says.
I nod, and he rushes to Alfie’s aid. I stand back, away from the action, but with my back to the wall and my gun raised in case any other vampires should decide to join us. The vampire is no match for Alfie and his brother, I watch as he tries to get away and Alfie’s brother gets him in a grip from behind.
“This isn’t fair!” the vampire whines.
“I thought you had no moral code,” Alfie retorts.
I hear sirens approaching at the same time as Alfie raises the stake and drives it into the vampire’s chest. They jump back as the vampire starts to smoke and then turns to dust before my eyes. The sirens are getting loud, so I stick the gun back into the holster and cover it with my coat.
Alfie runs to me, “On my back,” he says urgently, turning his back to me and crouching down.
I climb on and he hooks his arms around my legs, then the two of them are running, me clutching onto Alfie for my life – he’s running so fast! – away from the approaching sirens. They don’t stop until we get to my flat.
Alfie puts me down, I stumble and he grabs my arm to keep me steady.
“Get us in quick,” says Alfie.
I fumble for my keys and then, with shaky hands, manage to unlock the door. Alfie practically pushes me inside, and when we’re all in he shuts the door behind us. He exchanges a dark look with his brother, ushers me upstairs, and then when we’re inside my flat he pulls me to him and holds me tightly against his chest.
“If anything had happened to you…”
“I’m ok, Alfie!” I say. Although my heart’s still going like a wild thing.
He lets me go and I step back.
“That was too close,” he says. “This is my brother, Sammy, in case you hadn’t figured.”
“Hi,” I say.
“Before we talk I better ring Mic,” he says, pulling out his phone and touching the screen. He walks off towards the kitchen.
I look at Sammy, and he mouths, “Hi.” Seeing him in the light of my flat I can now spot subtle differences between him and Alfie – his hair is curly too, but it’s a shade lighter. His eyes have the same amber rings, but his jaw is narrower and he’s a couple of inches shorter, and leaner. I think he must be younger than Alfie – maybe eighteen.
“Do you want to sit down?” I whisper, so as not to interrupt Alfie’s phone conversation.
He nods and takes a seat at the table, and I sit down across from him. Alfie gets off the phone and sits next to me, and puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side.
“Thought we were in for it,” Alfie says. “Awesome you were so close, bro.”
“How did you know where we were?” I ask Sammy.
“We have a system–” Sammy starts.
“Thank God it worked,” Alfie says.
“–If one of us is in trouble we have a sensor on our phones we can press which alerts Mic. He got the alert and traced Alfie’s phone to find his location. He can pull up a map which shows all of our locations – which I guess he did and saw that I was closest – and he gave me a call,” says Sammy.
“Yeah, hoped someone would turn up quick – I was trying to stall by talking to the damn bloodsuckers,” Alfie says.
“It worked,” I say. “And you got one of them.”
“Yeah, other one was too much of a coward to face you and me,” Sammy says, smiling at me.
“Mic said he’s gonna find everyone’s locations and ring people telling them who to meet up with – that
no-one should be on their own hunting from now on – now that the bloodsuckers’ behaviour has changed,” Alfie says.
“Yeah, what’s with that?” Sammy says.
“Mic reckons they might have discovered we traced one of them – the GPS sensor that was planted on one of them has stopped transmitting,” says Alfie.
“He reckons they worked it out even though it was disguised as a key?” I say.
“Yeah, if they’d just chucked out the key it should still be sending a signal,” Alfie says.
“Bugger,” says Sammy.
“Which means they’ve probably abandoned the tunnels and now we have no idea where they’re hiding out in the day, so we’ll have to abandon the plan to ambush them down there. Now we have no plan,” Alfie says, his shoulders slumping.
“Hey, you do still have a plan – one down tonight – and we killed one the other day. We’ll get them gradually if not all at once,” I say.
“Yeah, but that takes longer … which means they’ll kill more people in the meantime. Plus, now they know for sure we’re here they might just move on – then it will take us a while to figure out where….” Alfie says.
Sammy nods, looking depressed. “Sorry I let that one get away tonight.”
Alfie shakes his head. “Not your fault.”
They both crash out at mine – Sammy on the sofa and Alfie on a bed made out of cushions on the floor next to him. At lunchtime a text from Mic wakes Alfie; it’s asking him to ring urgently. Alfie’s straight on the phone, his forehead creased with concern.
“No!” he says, and I see the colour drain from his face. He puts the phone down and crumbles to the floor next to the sofa and leans against it.
Sammy sits up and I hurry to Alfie’s side, still in my pyjamas.
“What’s happened?” says Sammy.
A tear runs down Alfie’s cheek. “Bloodsuckers got Jimmy.”
“What? No!” Sammy says. “How?”
