by David Page
“What is it?”
"It is past five.” He motioned to the clock. “I must sleep soon." The sun would peak over the horizon at any moment.
"I want to help you, Richard, I want to help her." She looked at the door, then at him. “I need for you to believe that and trust me.”
Richard knew in that moment that he did trust her, but despite that, he could not bring himself to tell her about Frederick’s plans; not yet.
"When should I come back?"
"I will sleep until the sun sets." He had thought she would want to baby-sit him all day.
"Then I'll see you back here at dusk. Give me your keys so I can get back inside."
"Very well." He fished his keys out of his pocket and handed them to her.
"Thanks. I'll be by tonight." She slipped out of the room without another word.
Richard felt relieved after the door shut. He closed his eyes and wondered at how Colette had managed to psychically reach out to Beth from wherever she lay imprisoned. He had never heard of such communications between human and vampire without the human having been bitten. Beth had never been tasted. Richard would know. Pushing those thoughts from his mind, he stretched out on his bed and waited for sleep to overtake him.
***
Richard's eyes snapped open. The clock flashed 3:00 PM. He had slept for nearly ten hours. A wave of dizziness shook him. He was starving. Fighting against the futile desire to go hunt for his food, he threw back the covers, pulled himself from bed and shambled over to his mini-refrigerator. Dim light spilled from the unit as he opened the door to reveal his last blood packet. He grabbed the cool blood bag and fumbled with the top.
He quickly drank the contents of the bag, tossed it in the trash and went about the effort of packing. All of his clothes fit into a pathetically small duffel. He pulled his copy of the Declaration of Independence from the wall, rolled it up and shoved it inside. He reactivated the Beth’s signal pen, slipped the dampening cloth over his tracking bracelet and turned towards the door. It was still daylight. He could feel the sun through the walls. There was no chance of him going outside before dark, before Beth would arrive.
"Damn it." He had a task, one that he had to accomplish alone.
He would have to find a place to wait in safety, slip out after the light had departed, make his way to Stan's place and hope he was home. He wondered how Beth would react to his absence that evening, but it mattered little. He had to proceed with his plan. Still, he could at least leave her a note. Not only would it be a good way to prevent her from panicking, but would also give him a chance to test her true loyalties.
He quickly jotted down a note that read:
Beth, I have had to step out for a moment. I do not plan to alter our arrangement any further and would ask that you trust me enough to wait here until I return.
He signed it, left it on his bed, then crept up to his door and listened. No sounds came from the hallway, but without his vampire senses he could not be sure that it was empty.
He felt his pulse quicken but managed to keep his fears from overwhelming him. The door slid open silently, revealing the empty hallway beyond. He checked each direction, again, then quietly closed his door, and headed for the basement, sure that not another living soul would be down there.
***
A coolness washed over Richard as dusk chased away the sun. He could feel it even there, sitting in the dank basement next to the old furnace. No one had come down looking for him and he had passed the time lost in thoughts that vacillated between Beth and her group and Frederick and his. His future survival depended on his ability to play the two organizations off one another and somehow find a way to survive.
He stood, brushed the dust from his black pants, and then pulled his navy colored wool coat over his equally dark shirt. He had changed before descending into the bowels of the building knowing that he would need to leave from there. The dark clothing would hopefully help him blend into the shadows.
He made his way to the stairs and crept up along the side of the wall. He contemplated looking for a knife, or even a screwdriver, from the tool room on the other side of the basement. It would not take too much effort to dig the homing device from the flesh of his forearm, but stopped. Frederick had made it clear that if he detected any tampering, there would be no antidote for him. He pressed his back against the wall and peaked up the stairway.
Empty.
He breathed a sigh of relief and darted up the steps taking them two at a time. He paused to listen when he reached the first floor, but only the sound of a distant television blasting infomercials marred the silence. The hallway was empty. He hurried on, quickly navigating the building and emerging into the alley through the back door.
There was an odd whistling noise as something soft and furry brushed his cheek, continuing past to splatter on the wall behind him. It was hard to make out the object in the dim light, but the tart strawberry smell coupled with the size told him that it was probably another kiwi. Laughter echoed through the alley. Of all the bad timing! Richard reached into his pocket, gave the glass knight a squeeze and took a slow, deep breath to center himself. He pushed away his rage and his hatred. A knight was always at his best when he did not allow his emotions to rule the moment.
"You aren't going to get away this time, vamp!" The broad-shouldered leader of the group stepped out from the shadows, striding to the center of the alley and stopping there, arms crossed. He wore his typical red and white varsity jacket. Four other boys, just as large, followed him, fanning out to either side to block the entire passage.
A stone skittered across the pavement behind Richard, drawing his attention. He turned just enough to look whilst keeping an eye on the others with his peripheral vision. Four other steroid-enhanced teenagers blocked his escape. The memory of handing his keys over to Beth came unbidden to his mind. His chest tightened. The door behind him had clicked shut and there was no buzzer. If he cried out for help, Beth might come to his rescue, but then he would lose his opportunity to reach his destination unhindered.
He smiled grimly and returned his attention to the leader. He raised his chin and glared at him with as much disdain as he could muster. He did not even consider running, not now, not after everything he had gained over the past days. He was out-numbered and out-muscled, but he had seen bullies for centuries and knew how to deal with them. He remembered all the things they had done to him over the past year, the rotten fruit, the fire-hose, the laughter and derision, the humiliation and his center slipped. Anger roiled within him, crashing against the barrier surrounding his preternatural powers.
A tiny crack opened in the shield. Richard’s face flushed and his fangs elongated as the tiniest portion of his former power flowed into him. Shock nearly staggered him as he breathed deeply savoring the iron smell of their blood. Their heartbeats hammered in his ears and the sweet scent of their fear filled him with triumph. His eyes widened as a long dormant hunger for the blood of his enemies opened within him. He wanted to hurt them; wanted to drink them until only dried husks remained and then grind their bones to dust. It was as if everyone who had ever done him harm stood there before him in the form of one human being.
The leader shifted his stance, suddenly appearing confused and uncomfortable. He ran a hand through his hair as he shifted nervously and avoided Richard’s gaze. Richard grinned broadly, but even as he took pleasure in the sudden reversal of fortune, his power waned as the fissure sealed itself. He had seconds to act before it would be gone completely. He let the power flow through him. The hair on his arms rose as if he were near a live wire. He raised his hand towards the leader and sent his will outwards, reaching into the young man's mind.
His will obliterated what small defenses the boy's mind could muster and he took control. He plucked the name 'Kevin' from the youth's mind. Kevin's expression went slack, his pupils dilated and he lowered his arms to his side. The doorway to Richard’s powers was nearly closed now, but there was still time
.
"Let me pass."
Kevin nodded slowly. "Let him go." His voice was flat, emotionless.
"What the hell are you doing to him?" One of Kevin’s minions stepped towards Richard.
Richard looked away from Kevin just as the viral door sealed shut. His power winked out leaving a hollow pit behind. It took all his discipline not to scream in anguish at the loss and the emptiness that remained.
"Stop!" He focused his gaze on the second youth and flashed his most menacing fanged smile.
The youth stopped, though not because of any compulsion that Richard had used. Taller than Kevin, the blond-haired varsity football player was not quite as broad, but still a force to be reckoned with. As with all of them, however, he was young. Fear contorted his features, sweat beaded on his brow.
"Look at your friend, Kevin. See what a vampire can do with his abilities restored! Should I wish to, I could control each of you as I have so easily mastered him." He waved towards the slack-jawed youth. The leader continued to stare at him, unmoving. Fortunately, the compulsion would not wear off for a while.
"Kevin?" One of the teenagers to his right asked, his voice a flimsy whisper.
"Let the vampire go." Kevin's voice was a steady drone.
The other young men stared at Richard, their eyes wide as if they had never seen him before. One of them looked on the verge of tears while another took several steps back, leaving a gap in the group. Richard strode confidently towards them, the memory of the power etched into his mind as if burned by fire. He had no idea how he had cracked the virus shield or if he could do it again when needed, but where he had known only hollow despair, hope now blossomed.
"You can't do this to Kevin." The man who had spoken before stepped toward him, his fists clenched. The young man's Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed. The others stayed back. Richard could see their limited, underling intellects working overtime as their brows furrowed.
Even from several feet away Richard could see that his courage was a lie. He frowned, fixing him with his steely gaze. "I don't have time for this. I don't have time for you." He continued straight toward the youth, never breaking eye contact. "Let me pass. Your friend will recover in a few minutes." His voice sounded calm, even to him.
"It's not worth it, Greg," One of the men behind Richard said.
Greg nodded slowly and moved out of Richard's way, allowing him to walk past. When Richard had reached the sidewalk, he paused but did not look back.
"This isn't over, vamp," Greg called after him.
Richard turned back slowly, opening his mouth just enough to show the tips of his fangs. "For your sake, you had better hope that it is. I will not be so generous next time." He spun on one heel presenting his back to the man and strode out of the alley. The cool rush of victory swept over him, riding along with the memory of the single instant when he had connected with his powers and tasted their blood from across the alley.
17
Richard leaned back against the seat cushion. Despite the clear night and relatively warm temperatures, travelers occupied nearly all the seats on the bus. They spilled over into the aisle where at least a half dozen people stood, their hands gripping the rails that ran along the wall. A thin, rat-faced young man with spiked black hair, orange eyebrows and a nose ring, pressed his face to the bus window, watching as they sped past the skyscrapers of downtown Seattle.
He clenched his teeth as he thought about what had happened in the alley. For an instant, he had touched a fraction of his lost power. He had somehow broken through the shield. Since he had boarded the bus, he had tried to recreate the fissure and tried to tap into that power again but each time he had failed. The wall was stronger than ever. He opened his wallet and counted his meager savings. Forty-two dollars. Corporate America could get away with slave wages for their vampire employees. Thieves. He slid his money into the inner pocket of his coat; the one pocket that did not have a hole in it.
The bus stopped near the corner of Fifth and Pine. He got out of his seat and pushed his way through the crowd to the front. He took the stairs all at once, and hit the pavement running. He darted up Fifth Avenue hopeful that after changing buses four times and heading in four completely different directions, the Department would not be able to anticipate his ultimate destination.
The giant Rainier Building loomed to his left. It looked like a giant square pencil with the point downward ending just above the second floor giving it a unique architecture. Below that, it appeared to be a normal square structure. Supposedly, this odd building was second only to the Space Needle in earthquake stability. Richard had never believed that tale and thought if anything, its bizarre shape would make it more prone to quake damage. Regardless, it was to the lobby of that building he headed.
At seven-fifteen PM on a Wednesday, there were never more than a smattering of people moving about this section of the city. Despite that, he nearly collided with one of the few pedestrians sharing the sidewalk. He passed the Ocean Bottom Grill and hurried up the steps in front of the tower, entering it through the glass doors at the top.
A small lobby led immediately to two banks of elevators. Beyond them, the hall continued into the underbelly of the building. Richard darted past the smooth marble walls and the shining silver elevator doors and headed into the glass walled hallway beyond. He descended into a broad indoor courtyard. Four stories of the building opened onto balconies that looked down into an open market area on the basement level.
He found the payphone in a small cubby beneath the last flight of stairs. He grabbed the receiver and dialed Stan's work number. The phone rang seven times.
"Hello?" Stan's voice was heavy with sleep.
"Stan?"
"Oh, Christ. What the hell do you want, Richard?"
Richard paused, surprised that his coworker had recognized his voice in such a half- comatose state. He cleared his throat.
"I need your help."
"I’m not gonna cover a shift for you." Richard could hear the discomfort and even fear in Stan's voice. The boy was terrified of Richard, not because Richard was a vampire, but because it inferred that the Department was watching him at every moment.
"That is not what I need."
"What then?" His voice shook slightly.
"I need you to hack into a computer system for me." He had deliberately left out the details, hoping to string Stan along just enough to keep him interested and to prevent him from hanging up.
"I’m not a hacker. And if I were, I wouldn't help you. I don't even like you, Richard. You're a freaken vampire."
"Don't do it for me, Stan. Do it for yourself." Richard curled his lip in disdain, but he managed to remain calm. Stan did not have to like him; he just had to help him.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Stan's voice grew louder.
"I don't have time to negotiate, Stan, so I'm just going to come right out with it and hope that you can handle it. I'll transfer one hundred and fifty thousand dollars into an offshore bank account in your name if you help me." Richard held his breath.
Stan said nothing for a moment, but he did not hang up. Richard could imagine the greedy look that must be splitting his piggish features. "Why me, Richard. Why not ask your pal, Ray?"
"Because, I always know exactly where I stand with you…and because you're the best hacker I know." The only hacker, but Richard was not about to tell him that.
"All right.” Stan answered quickly, his voice a hissing whisper. “I'll do it. Give me the info."
Richard breathed a sigh of relief, but it lasted for an only an instant. The Department would be close to finding him by now. He had to hurry. He proceeded to give Stan the account and routing numbers provided to him by Nash.
"I need to know who owns this account, Stan."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Call me back in a week and I'll have it for you."
"I need it by tomorrow night."
"Jesus Christ, Richard, you are such a pain in the ass!" He paused. "Wi
re me two hundred grand and you've got it."
"Agreed." Greedy bastard. Richard narrowed his eyes. At least he could always count on the avarice of humans to help him accomplish his goals. Given how much money he had managed to hide from the Department, two hundred thousand dollars was a small price to pay.
"How will I get the info to you?" Stan asked.
"I'm going to create an email account on Seatec.com from a secure location. It will be [email protected]. That’s knight with a 'k.' No one will be able to trace it."
"All right, all right. As soon as I see that bank account with my money, I'll get to work."
"How do I know you will not simply take the money and disappear?" Richard had no assurances for anything.
"You're just gonna have to trust me." Stan actually laughed.
"Very well, I'll transfer the money as soon as we hang up." Richard had little choice.
"Richard, there's one other thing."
"Yes?"
"If I get caught, I'll take you down with me."
"You won't get caught, but I understand."
"Good." Stan hung up the phone.
Richard followed suit, turning quickly to scan the courtyard. Empty, but not for long if the Department got antsy. He punched in another number and quickly transferred his money into the offshore account for Stan.
Minutes later he climbed aboard a bus. As he took his seat, he happened to glance out the window and see Ray watching from the curb. Richard blinked and he was gone, leaving him to conclude that he had imagined it. There was no way his friend could have found him and no reason for him to be looking, yet. With a shrug, he sat back into the uncomfortable seat and waited.
***
"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Beth punched him in the arm with no mean force. She had buzzed him into his building and let him back into his apartment. The moment he had closed the door she had turned on him, eyes blazing with anger.
