Sunset Strip: from the Tome of Bill Series

by Rick Gualtieri

  As I sucked out his lifeblood, I had a moment to reflect how it was ironic that I’d been prepared to spare Tad, my would-be rapist, yet had never given these two men a chance. They’d only been doing their jobs, and I’d taken everything from them without a second thought.

  Alas, blood is intoxicating. It tends to make us forget reason for a time. Even the most levelheaded vampire can become a shark at a feeding frenzy if the conditions are right. Sadly for them, with blood flowing freely and visions of Jeff still fresh in my mind, it was the perfect recipe for a massacre.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  I waited patiently. The scent of blood still filled the air, but I was pretty darn full by then. That helped to dull the effect. Thus, I used the time to collect my thoughts again. The fun was over and done with. Now it was time for business...time to make formal contact. My original plan would have given us a chance to negotiate. This way, though, was bound to put Marlene and her minions in a tizzy.

  At the very least, that was bound to be a shitload more fun.

  In time, doors opened and feet shuffled about in the hall. I knew what it meant. Anyone who had been within earshot of my earlier violence, especially those who had phoned security, were being silenced in one way or another. Unknown to the human guards expected to use it, a code sixty-six often meant no witnesses.

  I listened with both my ears and my mind. The next few minutes were very telling. Nothing out of the ordinary filtered through. That meant no compulsions. Whoever was in the cleanup crew wasn’t very old. It took a vampire of considerable power to compel a human, especially one with anything resembling willpower. Hell, I could just barely do it. Anyone younger would have an equal chance of knocking themselves out if they even tried.

  Finally, silence returned to the floor. I waited for a moment longer, then heard a sound right outside the door.

  It was show time.

  Chapter 15

  1979

  I awoke with a start, gasping for breath as if I hadn’t done so in far too long. I opened my eyes and immediately squeezed them shut as a wave of vertigo passed through me. The room seemed far too bright and insanely vivid, as if someone had repainted it in neon colors.

  As I lay there, eyes closed, I raised a hand to massage my temples. I took a deep breath through my nose and my nostrils tingled. There was an odd coppery odor to the air...unpleasant, yet somewhat intoxicating at the same time. As I processed this, memories flooded into me...unpleasant ones of creatures with soulless eyes and nightmare teeth.

  “Jeff!” I gasped before putting a hand over my mouth.

  He’d...he’d...but that was insane.

  I sat up and cracked my eyes open again, slowly this time. The world came back into focus in that same way as before, as if everything was in extra sharp contrast. It was weird. I’d never tried LSD, but my friends at the club had told me of experiences similar to this.

  I remembered how Jeff had produced a vial of white powder and then helped himself to a line of it across my bare breasts. I was so caught up in the moment that I’d also indulged. At the time, it had turned me on wildly. Now I wondered what the hell had been in it. It had either been spectacularly good coke, or horrifically bad.

  That had to be it. I was in the middle of a goddamned drug trip.

  The whole mess with Jeff must’ve been some fucked up hallucination. There was no other explanation. Speaking of which, I looked about. He was nowhere to be seen.

  “Hello?” I tentatively called out. My voice slurred a bit. Something about my mouth felt odd. Hell, my whole body felt...off.

  No answer came. I was alone in the room.

  “Son of a bitch had his way then left,” I muttered, not entirely surprised. Served me right too, falling for his bullshit. “Congratulations, Lucinda. You’ve just been some dickhead’s one-night stand. With your luck, you’re probably pregnant.” I let out a bitter laugh.

  Wouldn’t that be something? I’d left home, tired of listening to my father’s bullshit insistence that women were meant to be barefoot and pregnant. Wouldn’t it be ironic to return home in that state? I was sure that once Linda heard about it, she’d be twice the smug bitch she usually was.

  I shook my head. I was getting way ahead of myself. Still, I didn’t feel quite right. The room was still way too bright and now I found myself oddly hungry...very hungry, as a matter of fact.

  Oh no, maybe I was pregnant after all. Tears welled up in my eyes as I glanced down at myself, imagining my body with a belly big with child.

  That’s when I saw all the blood.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  It was all over the bed and all over me. How the hell hadn’t I noticed it? As I stared at the previously white bed sheet, an insane urge came over me. I wanted to put it into my mouth and suck it dry. Hell, I even found myself leaning toward it before realizing what I was doing.

  Jesus Christ, what the hell did he drug me with?

  Or did he?

  I remembered the nightmare. Him pinning me down, forcing himself on me just before his eyes turned black. The horrific sensation of having my throat ripped out, of trying to scream, but being unable to make any noise above a pained gurgle. After that, it had all gone black.

  I immediately reached up to touch my neck, fearing that I’d feel the bloody grizzle of torn flesh. That made no sense, a small voice in my head insisted - after all, I was still able to speak. There was no wound, not even any pain. It did feel oddly tacky, though. I pulled my hands away and looked down. Unsurprisingly, they were covered in blood. I was forced to assume it was mine.

  A scream bubbled up in my throat. I quickly cupped my hands over my mouth, knowing that kind of ruckus would attract attention. If found in this manner, I would be questioned...hell, I might even be arrested. A girl abandoned in a hotel room wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary in this city. The blood, though, was bound to attract some attention.

  The blood...

  Against all good sense, I began licking my fingers.

  I should have been horrified. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Sane people didn’t do things like that...not even in this city. Instead, my body shuddered as if in the grip of an orgasm - a pretty damn intense one, I might add. Before I knew it, I was sucking on my fingers as if they were covered in the nectar of the gods. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to get every last drop. I had to...

  “Ow!”

  I pulled my hand from my mouth to find a nasty puncture on one finger. I stared as blood welled from it for a moment, then my eyes opened wide in surprise as I watched the wound close.

  That did it. The spell was broken. Before I found myself licking the sheets clean, I bounded out of the bed, my body feeling surprisingly nimble. I walked into the bathroom and turned on the light.

  The reflection in the mirror was me...yet not me. Blood covered my still naked torso, but that wasn’t the worst of it. The Lucinda that stared back at me had the same eyes and teeth as Jeff right before his attack.

  I hadn’t just imagined a nightmare. I was living one.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  I needed to get out of there. Thankfully, enough rational thought remained to know that I had to be smart about it. A naked girl, covered in blood and screaming down the hall wasn’t subtle, even in the City of Sin.

  Resisting the crazed urges to yell, break stuff, or run, I quickly turned on the shower - hot as it would go - and stepped in.

  The water should have scalded me, but I felt no pain. Must have been shock or something. I didn’t quite know how that worked, but my father had been a fan of Marcus Welby, M.D. and I’d seen enough episodes to sort of have an idea. Whatever the case, I stayed under the spray of water until no traces of blood remained.

  Stepping out, I dried myself with a towel, grateful that no tinges of pink seemed to stain it. The room still appeared overly sharp, but I felt more like myself. Though a part of me didn’t want to look again, I wiped some of the steam from the mirror and risked another glimpse. Amazingly enough, the nightmare version of me
was gone - if it had ever been real to begin with. My own green eyes stared back. I dared a smile and the same grin that had always been there reflected back.

  It was so odd. I found myself thinking of the Twilight Zone episodes I had watched as a child. Somehow, I had found myself there. A disturbing thought, considering many didn’t exactly end on a happy note. A part of me wondered what other unpleasant surprises awaited.

  I stepped out of the bathroom and glanced toward the bed. Sure enough, the gore remained. It hadn’t all been a hallucination. That was enough for me. Without further hesitation, I gathered my clothes - thankfully, blood free - dressed, and got the hell out of there.

  Chapter 16

  Present Day

  Things went about as expected. Upon entering, two vampires - relative newbs, judging by the nervous way they held themselves - took stock of the scene. They tried to play it tough, but did a shit job of it.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” one of them growled at me. He was a big guy, nearly six and a half feet tall. He wore an off-the-shelf suit and sported your typical tough-guy buzz cut. If I had to guess, I’d say he was either a former security grunt or bouncer. He held himself as if he were used to getting his way by virtue of his size, but there was something a bit subdued about his gruff demeanor. I’d have been willing to bet that he’d learned one of the more important lessons the supernatural world had to offer - size didn’t mean shit when it came to power.

  I indulged in a smile. For petite girls like myself, becoming a vampire was a true equalizer - far more effective than any law or doctrine ever could be. Most teen girls get stars in their eyes about vampires because they get caught up in the eternal love bullshit Hollywood seems to be dishing out as of late. The reality was that if there was any reason to be enamored with joining the ranks of the undead, it was because it meant a life of never having to fear guys like Tad ever again.

  I stared up at Buzz Cut, experiencing a brief flashback to the first time I’d met a Sasquatch, the ancient enemies of the vampire world. Sadly, for the big guy in front of me, he was about three feet short of being as intimidating.

  “I asked you a question,” he huffed. I held his gaze, ignoring his partner, who appeared to be taking a wait and see approach. While the big goon might play the alpha male, the other seemed to have the advantage of a brain in his head.

  The battle of wills lasted just a few moments. I grinned and took a sudden step forward. The vamp in front of me reacted just enough to tell us both who the winner was here.

  I glanced casually at the gore around me. “I think I was enjoying my vacation until you showed up.”

  “You’re that broad from New York, right?”

  “I’m that coven master from New York. I suggest you remember that.” My icy tone had the desired effect on Buzz Cut, but he still wasn’t quite ready to admit he’d lost this game of chicken. The poor guy must’ve had a small dick or something.

  “How do you know I’m not the coven master here?”

  I let out a laugh. “This is Marlene’s territory. Last I checked, she was prettier than you.”

  Had we both been mortal, he’d have probably put me through a wall for that remark. Alas, we weren’t, and he no doubt knew that if he tried it, he’d end the day with a bunch of cigarette butts sticking from his remains. Fortunately, his partner picked that moment to step in. “Please forgive us, coven master Sally.” Ooh, he’d done his homework, too.

  I turned to face him. Tall, wiry, and with thinning blonde hair, he’d been turned a bit later in life than most others, but it had served to instill upon him a modicum of tact. He’d be one to watch.

  “I’d like to request that you come with us, if you would.”

  “And should I choose not to?”

  “You know we can’t make you.”

  Yeah, he was definitely one to watch. His no-neck buddy would be lucky to live past the next decade, but this one was a survivor. One could always tell another.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  I had every intention of going with them, but that didn’t mean I had to make it easy. I sent the smarter of the two to my room to fetch something else for me to wear. It wouldn’t do to walk even to the service elevator looking like I did, and I didn’t trust Buzz Cut to not fuck it up.

  While that happened, I stepped into the shower to clean up a bit. I left the door unlocked, practically daring the big goon to try his luck. Sadly, he didn’t opt for an early death. I made a mental note to up my opinion of him a notch as I toweled off.

  When the thin guy got back, I took my sweet time making myself presentable. When I finally stepped back out into the hall, you’d have never guessed the carnage I’d caused had ever occurred.

  Their families will never know what happened to them.

  Goddamnit! If Bill ever returned, I was going to punch his lights out for infecting me with his fucking morality. It was starting to get annoy...

  I stopped in my tracks. Buzz Cut bumped into me, but I barely noticed.

  If Bill ever returned.

  It was the first time I’d seriously considered that he might not be coming back.

  A glimmer of sadness crept into my consciousness at the thought. It was only a small sliver, but for someone like me, who was used to suppressing any feelings that didn’t involve contempt, it was practically a tidal wave of emotion.

  “Let’s move it. We’ve wasted enough time.” A meaty hand fell upon my shoulder.

  It was a big mistake.

  I grabbed Buzz Cut’s hand and twisted. He cried out in surprise and I spun, bringing his arm up behind him.

  “You bitch, I’ll...”

  *Crack* I snapped two of his fingers without a second thought. He opened his mouth to scream, but before it escaped I put one hand on his shoulder and shoved him face first into the wall, denting it nice and proper.

  The thin one took a step toward us, but I stopped him with a glare. In the past year, I’d killed two master vampires, tangled with Templar knights, and faced off against a ten-foot monster ape. These assholes were less than nothing to me, and I was sure as hell going to make sure they knew it if they pushed me.

  “We should probably get moving,” thin guy suggested, then started walking again.

  “Lead the way,” I said, following.

  “Barlow,” he called back, “straighten yourself out and catch up.”

  “Barlow?” I asked. “He calls himself Barlow?”

  “It’s from a Stephen Ki...”

  “I know what it’s from. Jeez. Not even trying, is he?”

  He risked a glance back at me and grinned. Yeah, I liked this guy. I almost found myself hoping I wouldn’t have to kill him.

  Chapter 17

  At this hour, the sky was starting to lighten in the east. I glanced in that direction and saw dark clouds looming on the horizon, the occasional flash of light illuminating them. Though the wind was against it, a few moments of observation made it clear the storm was moving in this direction…fuck! I had the sinking sensation we were about to be slammed with the same supernatural storm Christy and I had flown through the day before. That had potential to add a new level of weird to my plans. Even so, it appeared to still be a few hours off. The sun would be up long before then.

  Pandora’s Box was on the edge of the city, purposefully placed with one side looking out over the desert. There was a lot of open space beyond in which to make someone disappear if the need arose, which with vampires, it often did. If we used the car that was now pulling in for us, we’d be lucky to make it there before the first rays of sun illuminated the tops of the casinos. It would be cutting it close, especially as there was another way.

  The underground of Las Vegas was nearly as vast as that of New York City. Sewers, old drain tunnels, and the like formed an immense network that spanned the width of the city. They allegedly went pretty deep, too, albeit that was one rumor that, even as a vampire, I wasn’t privy to the truth behind. I’d only utilized them during my last da
ys as a resident here, and only then to stay out of the sunlight.

  Still, they were well known in the vampire community. Vegas was a city that tended to frown upon the homeless. Thus, many made their way underground to eke out whatever means of survival they could. Down there, they were safe from police harassment. What the denizens of Vegas’s underbelly didn’t realize was that this protection from the law was purposeful, courtesy of Marlene. It was quite brilliant, really, both a safe haven from the sun and a giant larder full of tasty treats that wouldn’t be missed.

  “We’re not using the tunnels?” I asked, more curious that anything. Hoping I’d get dusted by the rising sun was a stupid plan for even newbs like my escorts. Besides, had Marlene meant to make an example of me that way, she’d have sent some heavier backup. Neither Barlow nor his partner, who went by the deliciously ordinary name of Steve, were a threat to me.

  The two shared a glance. Something about my question made them uncomfortable.

  “We’re sticking topside,” Steve said. “Marlene didn’t want you to get nervous.” It was a pathetic lie. What vampire worth their salt would get even remotely nervous down in the dark? If anything, the opposite would be true.

  Fortunately, I wasn’t a fucking idiot. I just didn’t need to let my two tour guides know that.

  “I appreciate her concern,” I said, adding a little attitude. “It’s about fucking time I got shown a little courtesy. Now don’t go and ruin it by saying you expect me to sit up front.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  As we’d approached the club’s gleaming exterior, I’d felt a twinge in my gut as if the blood of Tad and the security manager weren’t agreeing with me. That was stupid of course, but not as stupid as letting the memory of coming back...coming home, so to speak....unnerve me, as it was.

  I stepped from the limo and was ushered to the side door. The car had parked on the west side of the club, affording us the protection of being in the building’s shadow. That was odd. Pandora’s Box had an underground parking lot like the northeast vampire HQ in Boston. One didn’t ask visiting guests, especially ones of rank, to make a mad dash to keep out of the weather. Was it, perhaps, a purposeful insult, or something else?