by Al K. Line
"Nobody say another word," I ordered. "Is there any coffee? Damn, why haven't we had coffee? I need coffee." My voice was rising; I was becoming manic. I was losing it and although I may joke about the clothes now, truthfully it was nice to have some light relief and for everyone to be laughing and joking. I was stressed because of what I had to say, what I had to ask.
Okay, you got me. I hated the stupid clothes.
A Big Ask
The coffee made everything if not right with the world then a little better. Amazing what caffeine and the familiar ritual of sipping on a hot beverage can do to help things feel more normal.
If we'd been in another place, at a different time, it would have felt nice. Friends sitting around, idle chit-chat as the outside world slowly awoke from its slumber and the birds began their busy morning, chirping and singing, signaling a new day.
But nobody could relax. Nobody was at ease no matter the brave face we all presented. There was a lot at stake, maybe more so than ever. Dancer and I may have been freed of the true undead infection but what remained was even more deadly.
Why? Because if we couldn't eradicate the hunger we would spend the rest of our lives unable to function. The desire for flesh would consume us. There would be no mindless life of the zombie, just our extended magical lives. I had absolutely zero desire to live whilst lost to a madness that would undoubtedly be the end result of craving human flesh at all times, the only thing occupying my broken mind.
We were right back where we started. We would have to be put out of our misery, we both knew this. But the decision now became that much harder. Exactly when would it overwhelm us and make us lost to ourselves? At least with the virus running rampant through our systems the signs would be clear. We'd wake up dead and then it would be something sharp through the old gray matter and that would be the end of it. But this? Ugh, it would make it more difficult for everyone involved as there would be no specific cutoff point.
Waves of debilitating hunger swept over me as I drained my second cup of coffee. I would be looking at Kate and her beautiful face, and the next her features would dissolve and all I saw was blood flowing beneath her skin, her flesh stripped bare, her brain almost glowing with an intensity that hurt my eyes, the power and lure of it so strong. This was no mere illusion, no subtle trick of the mind. It felt real, was real. Magic-enhanced vision layered over regular sight, making it just as true an image as any other.
I fought it and won, battled it down and locked away the urges and the sickening cravings that threatened to drag me under and never let me surface again, but it got harder and I kept breaking out in sweats that put most fevers to shame. Dancer was the same. Our connection seemed to grow, the more alike we became. Two outsiders that had to stick together if they were to defeat the objecting meat we wished to consume.
It was time to act. Now or never.
"Okay, everyone. Listen up. I have a plan and I don't like it, but I think it's the best chance we have, so hear me out." The room fell silent, all eyes on me. Was I doing the right thing? I wasn't sure, but I had no other plan and in my head it made perfect sense.
"If this place they took Amber is a vampires only retreat then the best time to get her is now, this morning. They'll be sleeping. The older, stronger ones, at least. But, and this is a big but, we know there'll be plenty still awake, and plenty that are dangerous. This is all assuming it is a vampire stronghold, which seems likely. Right?"
"No way would vamps take Amber somewhere like that unless they ran it," said Kate. "They wouldn't risk her being seen, or heard, by Regulars."
"Exactly. So, if we all go in there stomping around, guns blazing, well, it's gonna get messy and ugly real quick. We can't risk Amber getting hurt, which she may well do. We need to be a little more subtle. Try to get in there without it being utter carnage. Not until we find out what the hell is happening. We don't even know why they took her."
"So what's the plan?" asked Dancer, slapping a hand over the other as it reached toward Persimmon.
"Kate and I go in alone. We take the bike and act like I'm her, you know..."
"Her portable food supply," suggested Persimmon.
"Exactly. Chances are slim that the guys who took her will recognize me. They took no notice of us. We head in there, at least get far enough in to see what's happening, then take it from there. Kate, if you don't want to come I understand, it's gonna be dangerous. I can go alone but I figured this might be the easiest way to do this without hurting more people than we need to. Hell, most of the vampires might have nothing to do with this and it's just a couple of nut jobs. Doubtful, but this gives them the benefit of the doubt."
"I'll come," said Kate, resolute.
"You sure?"
"Yup. It's your daughter. We have to get her, and we have to do it soon. You and Dancer are a mess, no way are you up for a fight without backup."
"You're all forgetting one thing," said Dancer, sitting up straight in his chair and giving his hand a hard stare as if daring it to try anything funny.
"What's that?" I asked warily.
"I'm the damn Head. I'm their boss. There'll be hell to pay if they hurt me. They wouldn't risk it."
"Dancer, come on, man. You know as well as I do that the vampires think nothing of the Hidden Council. They look after their own and they only answer to their own Head. Sure, maybe you could call Oskari, tell him what's been happening and that you want Amber back. But you can bet he'll find out who she is, and find out what's happened to us, before he even considers handing her over. And you think he's gonna waste an opportunity to see you dead or to have this kind of power over us? No way will he tell these locals to give us what we want. He'll see it as the perfect opportunity to advance his kind no matter how well you guys have been getting on."
"He's right, Dancer," said Kate. "I know him, and I know how they work. If they see a sign of weakness it'll be exploited. And anyway, we don't have time for any of this. Amber needs to be freed right now, not when Oskari feels like it. He may not even know about these vampires. Could be a group of independents and they might not listen to him anyway."
"Okay, fine. But be careful, and do not cause more trouble than you have to, Spark. You know that if this gets out of control I'm gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do to the Worldwide Council let alone the vampires. Tact, and keep the magic to a minimum."
"Oh, one more thing," I said with a smile.
"I knew there was more," said Dancer.
"Of course there is."
We talked through the rest of the plan, until I couldn't wait any longer. Kate and I got up, drained our coffee and nodded to each other.
Time to go.
A Ride
The only sunglasses in the house were a pair of round, blue tinted ones. As I sat on the bike and revved the engine—having pushed it away from Amber's so as not to disturb the neighbors—with Kate gripping me tight from her position behind me, all I could think was that Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider had a lot to answer for. I felt just like him, which once I thought about it, wasn't actually a bad thing. He's cool, he's calm, but wild when need be, and sure as hell doesn't stand for any nonsense. In the movies, anyway.
Sometimes, it's hard not to think of certain parts of my life like one long movie gone wrong. They start off with me feeling like the hero, but things always get muddled along the way until I'm never quite sure if I'm still the good guy or if I've crossed a line somewhere. Usually I have, but it's always with the best of intentions.
This was one of those instances. I felt terrible for getting Kate involved. This was certainly not her fault or anything she need be involved in. But looking at it honestly, and actually accepting that she loved and cared for me, and would want to help given the opportunity, I had asked for that help, and she'd been happy to give it.
That's what couples do, right? They look out for each other? This was the result of a job gone bad, and she'd been involved in that and now this. I hoped to hell the next one was somet
hing simple.
The thought brought a smile to my face. So, there was to be another job, then? I was truly back in the Hidden world and back being an enforcer. I examined my own feelings and motivations and knew I was sure this was the right thing to do. For me. And for Kate, too. This was who I was, what I was, and there was absolutely no point denying it any longer.
I lived for this stuff.
A true addict through and through.
"You ready?" I asked, turning to Kate.
She smiled, such a beautiful smile. "Let's go my big, bad biker dude."
"Cheeky sod." We roared away into the east, the sun rising over suburbia. I pictured us from behind, a silhouette with a fiery ball of orange ahead. Then I had to slam on the brakes as a kid wearing oversized headphones, riding a snazzy looking bicycle, darted across the road, utterly oblivious, and the effect was kinda ruined.
Back on track soon enough, we left the burbs behind and sailed through the sleepy town. Traffic was light as it was still a good while until rush hour, and I doubted the fading town had that much in the way of traffic, anyway. Seemed that jobs were thin on the ground and traffic would head in the opposite direction toward the larger cities. Us, we were heading to a nice little holiday park that housed a horde of vampires and one strange daughter.
The answer to my hunger, maybe the answer to a lot more, too.
I had a daughter. This would change my life forever.
A Vacation
"So, what's the plan?" asked Kate as we stretched our legs just a short distance from the holiday park.
"We ride up and see if we can get a cabin, or whatever they're called."
"They call them static caravans or static homes."
"Huh? All homes are static. Unless they're mobile, I guess."
"There you go then."
"That makes no sense," I countered. "I mean, I don't go calling our house a static cottage."
"No, but it's made of brick and stone, not cheap metal. Anyway, they're all designed to be moved on the back of a truck." Kate shrugged and we were both lost to strange musings about the world of caravaning and these odd trailers, long oblongs of sheet metal that the British are mad about. I guess it's what the rest of the world would call trailers, so this was like a trailer park of sorts, but used for holidays or to live in for part of the year.
"You sure about this, Kate?"
"Of course. You're right. If I'm here it will be easier if its vampires running the show. And even if it isn't, you'll still need backup."
"Thanks. I'm sorry. I don't understand any of this about Amber. She can't be mine, yet I know she is. Who'd have thought it, eh? A daughter."
"It's kind of nutty. So she's like my stepdaughter. Um, if we were married, anyway."
"Yeah, I guess she is. Mrs. Faz Pound, I like the sound of that." Before I knew what I was doing, or had time to think, I found myself kneeling. It wasn't how I'd pictured it, thinking I'd pop the question when we were out to dinner somewhere nice and both dressed up. Not me half zombie and wearing tie-dye and trousers secured with string, but there you go, there's no accounting for love.
At least it was spontaneous.
"Kate, will you do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" I felt a tightness in my chest and my guts churned. Damn I was more nervous than the time I fought G'osah the Demon Prince of a netherworld I to this day cannot pronounce or even think about without going slightly mad. And no, it did not go well.
I held her hand, my palms sweating, and looked up into her patient, adorable, wet eyes. "Hey, what you crying for?" I asked.
"Because I love you. Yes, I will marry you, Faz Pound. I will love you until the end of time and not get annoyed that my stepdaughter is older than me. She better be worth this, though," she warned. "And I want to go somewhere sunny on honeymoon. Somewhere expensive."
"You got it. Um, no ring. Damn!"
"Haha, get up you idiot. And as for a ring, that can wait until we get home. Come on, let's go celebrate by kicking some ass and rescuing a damsel in distress." Kate wiped her eyes and I got up, hugged her tight, but released her quickly as the animal instincts took over and her scent drove me to distraction, but not in a sexy way. In a "Yum, dinner," way, which wasn't quite as romantic.
"Let's do this thing."
We got on the bike and drove the short distance to the holiday park.
"I wonder if Dancer and Persimmon are getting it on?" Kate shouted from behind me.
I shivered at the thought. "Now I've got this horrible image in my head. Like the day wasn't bad enough already."
"You better get used to it. They're gonna be a couple, I just know it."
Hell, Dancer was smug at the best of times. If he formed a relationship with Persimmon he'd be walking around with that thing he liked to call a smile on his face permanently. Although, maybe it would mean he'd do something about his hair.
Thoughts of Dancer in casual dress faded as we turned the bend and passed a sign that read, Val's Vacation Lodges.
Time to book in.
Checking In
I parked up outside a modern building clad in cedar and pushed on through the door, holding it for Kate. Inside were the usual displays with leaflets advertising local tourist attractions and the rest of the space was a store for all the usual things you want while away from home. You know, cheap ready-to-go barbecues, bats and balls, fishing nets, strange shoes made of rubber, and inflatables in the shape of ducks.
There were basic groceries and a number of fridges and freezers stocking anything from burgers to fresh milk, everything overpriced as expected. What I hadn't expected was for it to all seem so normal. If this was a vamp den, you'd think they'd do what they could to make it seem less welcoming than it was. Hell, I already wanted to check in—it seemed nice.
Behind the counter was a weary looking woman of indeterminate age. Maybe late forties or early fifties, it was hard to tell. She had long gray hair, wore a thick, woolen cream sweater two sizes too large for her scrawny frame, and her face was so darkly tanned and wrinkled she looked like a walnut. She also looked utterly unlike a vampire.
Yes, vampires come in all shapes and sizes, but most prefer to keep youthful and fit looking unless they are truly old, and then they can't stand the sunlight. So, either this was just a nice lady working in the place, or maybe Val herself, or a relatively young vampire that didn't go in for outward appearances.
"Hi, you two looking for somewhere to stay? We don't get many people coming to book in this early. Usually just guests popping in for a pint of milk."
The woman eyed my clothes then kind of zoned out, maybe remembering times past. "Sorry. Did we need to book in advance?"
"Oh, no, we have a few statics left."
"Statics?"
"Yes, static homes. This your first time, love?" She looked at us like we were a little dense, and I suddenly felt rather awkward, hoping she didn't ask questions about the lack of helmets or leathers, let alone why we were here at all.
"Sure. We thought it would be a nice change. So, we can take a er, static?"
"Course you can. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Val. This is my place. It's nice and clean, no noise after ten, and you can barbecue if you want."
"Sounds great," said Kate. "You busy? I'm surprised you have room for us this time of the year."
"Oh, you know how it is, my dear. One whiff of rain and people would rather go abroad. We do okay, but usually we have a few statics available for people who don't book."
"Sounds perfect," I said.
A few minutes later we were the proud owners of a static home for the two-night minimum and down more money than most pay for their mortgage.
"Don't go thinking you can count this as a honeymoon," whispered Kate as we left and got on the bike.
"Wouldn't dream of it. Come on, let's go."
I went to turn on the engine but Val came rushing out the door and put up her hand. "Do you mind pushing it? It's very early for such a noisy machine."
"Sure, sorry. I didn't think. Don't want to disturb the other guests."
"You two traveling light are you?" asked Val, noting the lack of luggage and not even a helmet between us.
"We thought it would be fun. Spur of the moment type of thing. We don't live far away and just hopped on as we're early birds and here we are." Kate gave Val a nice wide smile and before she could ask any more questions we pushed the bike down the road toward our temporary new home.
We saw nobody on the way. All the static homes had curtains drawn and it seemed nobody was even up yet. Fair enough, it was just after dawn and pretty cold. As we approached our place I saw a man wandering between buildings, heading toward the main store, but he didn't even glance our way and was gone in a moment. It all seemed utterly normal. A typical holiday resort, same as you see all over the country.
Inside our oblong metal box, we sat on a tiny sofa, a cramped table taking most of the room.
"So, what do you think?" I asked Kate.
"I think Val seemed perfectly fine. She's not a vampire, if that's what you mean. Just a woman."
"That's what I figured. This place seems so ordinary. Think she's hiding something? Think she knows?"
"She knows, all right," said Kate, confident.
"What makes you think that?"
"The way she stared at your tattoos."
"Damn, I hadn't even thought about the ink. I thought she was staring at the clothes. She got this wistful look in her eyes."
"It wasn't the clothes. She knew what they were, what they meant."
